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canonmisogynyvictimstournament · 9 months

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PROPAGANDA

SAKURA HARUNO (NARUTO)

1.) 1.) It is repeatedly stated throughout the series the areas in which she excels. We are told over and over again that she is gifted (early on in the series) or tremendously strong (end of the series) and yet with the exception of of the Sasori fight, there seems to be a staunch refusal to actually SHOW her being competent in a fight. 2.) her backstory ties into nothing plotwise as far as the overarching world and history of the village and its families. The three other leads (Sasuke Naruo, Kakashi) all get their own relevant backstory that gets delved into. But Sakura? Neither has one nor goes off and embroils herself personally into one of these overarching plot points. She is constantly forced to just be a companion/side character to the stories of her male counterparts. 3.) She’s given so much potential for a great powersuite and those all either go unrealized or she gets shown up by other characters. idk if this is what was meant by propaganda but its what i got

2.) Despite becoming the world’s best surgeon and doctor at age 17 (including doing open heart surgery in the middle of an active battlefield), her achievements are routinely undercut and underplayed by the canon.

It’s all the more disappointing because in some ways, she’s a very realistic and humanistic depiction of a teenage girl. Unlike her teammates, she grew up in what we would consider a pretty average family situation (two living parents who love her, even if they don’t understand her choices), and has relatively average goals at the beginning. Compared to her teammates who are orphans from dynastic ninja clans, who were basically born to a lineage of massive amounts of powerful ninja magic; Sakura’s civilian family has given her no genetic predisposition to being powerful. Despite this, she’s shown to be highly intelligent, achieving top scores on exams and having a deep knowledge for theory and concepts.

She begins the story having a crush on Sasuke Uchiha, a boy who has no interest in her, and hating Naruto, their village’s Omelas Child. However, as she works with her team, she bonds with them on a deeper level, and works very hard to meet their natural level of skill and not be deadweight on their team.

However, despite the fact that trios are treated with deep cultural and narrative significance throughout Naruto, the narrative quickly abandons the “Team 7 Trio” framing in all the ways that matter, becoming the Naruto-and-Sasuke show in all ways that matter. When Sakura gets her time to shine, she’s always undercut. Her massive physical strength and strong sense of self in Shippuden are never treated with the same reverence as her teammates’. Despite the fact that she can easily shatter rock and manipulate the ground with her sheer physical power, and that she was originally presented as good at genjutsu (illusion magic); she becomes a field medic/doctor – a carer/support role, rather than a DPS. Her decisions to advocate for herself and the people she cares about (such as trying to kill Sasuke) are treated as foolish and naive, not a heroic choice to try and help her friends at a large personal cost.

She also basically never gets to fight a man, except for one important case: Sasori. This is important, because the female characters in Naruto are routinely presented as less powerful and less of a threat than male characters. While her fight with Sasori is a fantastic arc, it ends with Sasori undercutting her victory by being like “well actually I wanted to die”, implying that he’d chosen to let her win, not that her win is well deserved. This is at the start of Shippuden, she doesn’t get a solo fight arc after that.

Of course, the most egregious thing done to Sakura is that she’s married off to Sasuke. Despite the fact that Sasuke is never once shown to give a shit about her, and the fact that her character development in a large part was about her giving up the childish and misogynistic desire to be a wife to the cute guy in her class, suddenly they’re together. Sasuke is a deadbeat husband, however, and immediately fucks off, to the point where he doesn’t recognise their child when he meets her, and tries to kill her. Sakura-the-housewife-waiting-at-the-window-for-her-husband’s-return is again now deeply in love with a man who doesn’t give a shit about her. The only photo she has of them together is shown to be a cutout of another photo of Sasuke stuck on a photo of her. She’s again trapped in a housewife box, her achievements and skill sideline to her ability to rear a child for the male lead. And worse, despite the fact she’s a very confident person who otherwise has no issue advocating for herself, she doesn’t really seem to fight back against this awful status quo in her relationship, grateful for the scraps of affection Sasuke delivers to her once a decade.

3.) Despite being on a team of three, she’s always side lined for the other two. Her whole thing is healing, then in a major arc at the end of the main series a character gets hurt and when she goes to attempt to heal them, she is pushed aside so Naruto can do his amazing magic healing that he just learned and is already better at it than her.

HINATA HYUUGA (NARUTO)

1.) When Hinata was introduced she goals, weaknesses, interesting interactions and relationships with characters other than naruto and a personality of her own. Post timeskip in shippuden, however, she was reduced down to simply ‘naruto’s future love interest’ and little else. The entire Hyuuga plotline was dropped and she no longer had any relevance or personality outside of naruto. Part 1 hinata was shy and insecure on the surface but underneath that she was determined & hardworking, even to her own detriment. Her struggles were compelling. Her interactions with neji and her family are something you look forward to seeing more of. In shippuden she’s like a flat carboard cutout of hinata. Her shyness exaggerated, her relationship with her family suddenly perfectly fine and boring. In part 1 naruto inspires her to keep trying but he isn’t the reason she’s working so hard, in shippuden he’s pretty much all she thinks about. Her change in character design really highlights these changes - the perfect little wife for cishet men to fantasise about.

2.) Her entire personality and arc is boiled down to “shy uwu waifu in love with Naruto” and basically any development she gets, which is barely at all because Kishimoto hates women, is as attributed to NARUTO and Naruto only. Even her reaction to her beloved COUSIN’S DEATH makes her be like “omg I love Naruto” and serves to further NaruHina, which is absolutely insane she would Not react like that. Naruto only starts being romantically interested in her at the beginning of like, The Last movie, which is after 500ish episodes of her being treated as the sidelined love interest who is devoted to a guy who only cares about her when she’s a damsel in distress on a fight.

There are so many parts of her character that are/could be interesting, like her part in the Hyuga Clan due to being born as a superior and her dynamic with her cousin Neji as a result, (which could have had SO many great moments of reconciliation and standing up for each other grrr grrr) an exploration of the impact of her bullying & being looked down upon (even when she’s supposed to be a superior member, which adds to the shame) LIKE MANY OF THE CAST, seriously the people Naruto trauma dumps to are mostly consisted of people unfairly treated like that and it could have been used to further NaruHina WHILE showing her struggles

She is an incredibly capable fighter but the moment Naruto is there, she instantly becomes defenseless and needs to be saved by her crush, mostly as a “wow look at him isn’t he so brave and kind to do this for her?!”

There’s an episode where she is literally used as a defenseless punching bag for Pein by trying to sacrifice herself for Naruto and telling him she loves him, JUST so he can be more angry and have more motivation to beat Pein’s ass (aside of the yknow. Killing his loved ones thing) AND her confession is ignored by Naruto for the rest of the series. Just like any moment she shows her crush for him is met with obliviousness, which would be fine if they weren’t the main couple and didn’t go on for THE ENTIRE SERIES!!!!

In Boruto, the shitty sequel, Naruto is basically her deadbeat husband in her bland lavander marriage and Boruto is rightfully mad about Naruto’s distance from the family and even says he left her basically a single mom and barely pays time to the family, and Hinata’s role in the show as the housewife is being like “no you see Boruto you have to understand your father’s pov as the Hokage” and the narrative treats NaruHina’s marriage as a Good, Healthy Thing as if the characters are not miserable in this marriage.

3.) Man I don’t even like her that much but she deserved SO much better. She was introduced as the heiress of a really powerful and renowed clan with complex dynamics, yet the author somehow decided to do almost NOTHING with the potential she had, and gave her very little personality besides being shy and fawning over the protagonist. She gets slightly more active in Shippuden (part 2), but her character still pretty much revolves around her love for Naruto, which sucks because again, she has so much potential. It’s no secret that women in Naruto are badly written, and Hinata certainly is no exception. The male characters get dozens of episodes/chapters about their motivations, their backstories, what pushes them to keep going, and Hinata gets almost nothing besides her lifelong crush on Naruto that we are reminded of literally every time she’s on screen.

#polls #round 2 #week 3 #new

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98chao · 3 months

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Sonic Prime thing

so basically after i watched Sonic Prime S3 (on the day it came out) i was left pretty unsatisfied with the weird storytelling, plot holes and loose ends and decided to start brainstorming a re-imagining for it and drew some designs...

so this is gonna be long but i wanna preface this by saying i'm not a writer or even that good at character design 😭!!!! and also the majority of this is like from almost 2 months ago and it's very incomplete so i haven't done much thought on it i just had some ideas and ran with it Tbh. so if stuff doesn't make much sense Lmk bc a multiverse story is a very big thing to tackle, you really have to pay attention to the little stuff for everything to be complete.

also i like stuff with darker themes so if a lot of this is like "a Sonic show wouldn't do that" well. Yeah. this isn't a pitch to SEGA it's just my own thing LOL

(also also we're just gonna throw out the whole "Prime is canon to the games" here, i use the games as a basis but i wouldn't say this is in the realms of canon for multiple reasons)

~ The Main Stuff ~

so pretty much i went into this mostly thinking about changing the shatterverses while still keeping the base ideas that Prime had, and also a bit about how the shatterverse works in the first place. so i have some bullet points that i wrote down. i haven't watched s1&2 in a long time so i don't remember too much of the lore they already established, so if some of this is just reiterating what they said in the show then that's my bad

i wasn't exactly sure how it made sense that a single rock in some random cave conveniently in green hills had control of the entire universe so i want the explanation for why breaking the prism had this kind of effect to be something else (or to just change the prism to be something different) but i'm not sure exactly what. definitely not like "it was an illusion like the phantom ruby" or some stupid shit but it felt off that something completely world (universe) ending was so easily accessible. anyway.

Sonic explicitly doesn't exist in each alternate universe because he was the one who broke the prism. Sonic being the final piece that brings the universe together should probably have bigger lore implications as well

i think this is already what's in canon but Shadow used chaos control as the prism got shattered, causing himself to get fragmented across time and space as well.

unlike in the show, Shadow still has alternate versions of himself in each of the universes, but he has to kinda do an EEAAO and swap into their consciousness for him to be able to enter their respective universes (which takes a lot of energy bc its literally dimension travel so he can't do it a lot). his actual body is stuck in the void which means its at risk of erosion and also any hazard in the void like asteroids n stuff. it also explains why he's greatly weakened in the show (because his ass should not have been handed to him that easily in s3) cuz bits of his . being. is split across each universe, and can only be completed by the prism.

the void decays life which adds a higher stake to Sonic needing to complete the prism asap and also why Shadow is so hellbent on getting him to do it quickly. his actual, original self is slowly dying. (adds a bit of a character flaw too like the zombot arc, because you'd think the ultimate lifeform would be resistant to erosion. maybe at first he thinks he'll be fine and does the dimension travelling for fun until he starts feeling Really drained)

before i get to the individual universes, i'll talk a bout Sonic's character real quick because hoo boy, was it BAD in Prime. no shade to anyone who enjoyed his character in Prime, but as a show that claims to be "canon to the games", he was embarrassingly out of character. if it were just another version of him like movie Sonic i wouldn't really be so weirded out by it. so i wanna just say right off the bat that i'm using my own favourite iteration of Sonic as a reference for his character, which is the characterization from Sonic X.

i think when the prism gets properly explained, Sonic would kind of put 2 and 2 together and realize completing the prism would erase the other universes. and rather than being all ambiguous about it like Prime was, here it very explicitly would be that restoring the prism will erase the shatterverse. so Sonic get's really stuck between a rock and a hard place, because restoring the prism brings his friends and world back, but then he's effectively killing thousands of people, many of them who look exactly like his friends, all for the sake of his own world.

i think this is the kind of dilemma that would be really good for a character like Sonic, who's carefree and always does what he believes to be the right thing regardless of what other people say. his conflict with Nine isn't even all that different from his conflict with Merlina. but would he be okay with being enemies with someone who's literally just his little brother? i don't think Sonic would have tried to reason with Nine as much as he did in Prime, attachment be damned, but i still think it would still be hard for him to come to terms with the fact that Nine is his enemy and that in the end he would have to erase him too.

this is all i wanna say about Sonic rn because truth be told i'm not exactly sure how different the decisions he made in Prime would be here since i haven't thought too much on it, i would have to rewatch the show (god forbid) to figure that out lol.

~New Yolk City~

so i actually have designs for this, some of them have went through changes but they're all pretty "initial concepts". i wanna say that first off, i wanted this to be explicitly an alternate timeline and not just an alternate universe. one where Sonic doesn't exist in the main timeline so nobody really does anything to stop Eggman and he takes over the world. the designs are deliberately edgy so i call it sonic underfell in my notes lol

also, because a dystopian Sonic premise already exists in the form of SatAM... we got Sally Acorn back :D i didn't include all the Freedom Fighters for fear of the cast getting too big, but Nicole is here too because i love Sonic comic's robo assistants like Nicole and Kintobor. Sonia and Manic were also considered as added characters since Sonic Underground also has a dystopian premise, but i think it would be weird to add Sonic's siblings in a world where he doesn't exist, so it's not like they'd have a little 'OMG he's my long lost brother' moment. like no they don't even know who he is LOL.

alright so for character info i'll start with Nine because he's like the 3rd most important character in the show. i have a few different sketches of him, most incomplete... and for the third one my friend wanted him to look more emo. i wanted to add a bit more to that design but i wasn't sure what to do. if anyone has suggestions lmk

just like in the show, bc Sonic never meets Tails, Tails doesn't get saved from bullying and becomes very jaded. as for the robot face and tails, i think in the show they really drive it home how Nine values robots over people very much, going as far as to make robot clones of his friends in order to replace them. so... robot body parts doesn't seem too out of the realm for what he'd do! it's a very good parallel to what i have planned for Eggman/the Chaos Council it's also very fucking gruesome and sad esp because hes like 8 years old..

also, i'd really love it if he wasn't just weirdly evil the way he was in Prime S3. because no the hell he is not evil, it felt like a cheap way to get you to stop sympathizing with him until the very last moment where he had a change of heart. he's just a small, traumatized kid who was shown friendship for the first time only to realize that Sonic only cared about him because he was a Tails and actually pretty much wanted him dead (even if this all wasn't exactly true, i can genuinely see why he felt this way).

next i'll talk about who the main extra characters in this universe will be, which is Sally and Nicole.

so obv the resistance is called the Freedom Fighters, and Sally is the commander (like she should've been in Sonic Forces/IDW, but alas, she is dead to SEGA). she'd have a much more serious personality compared to her Archie/SatAM counterpart. where she'd usually banter with Sonic in Archie, here she would straight up tell him to gtfo. the aim of the Freedom Fighters in current time isn't really to fight to get their world back, just to survive and preserve what they still have.

just like in other media, Nicole is Sally's AI assistant slash potential love interest who does all the tech-y stuff, like scanning the area for threats, hacking things, etc. which gives them a bit of more power against the enemy without needing Nine's help.

next we got Amy aka Rusty Rose, this time she's fully a robot instead of being only half of one, and i'll expand on why. (also to note i didn't look at other Metal Amy fan designs when making this just to try and keep this a bit more original lol)

so, obviously being inspired by SatAM and Archie, roboticization is a concept that would be reintroduced here through Rusty Rose. she was previously a freedom fighter who got a bit reckless and was captured, and was roboticized before her allies could save her. she's kind of used as a cautionary tale among the Freedom Fighters as a way to hammer in don't be reckless and don't get caught.

i remember in Sonic Prime they tried to use the flicky 'powering' her as a way to keep her connection with humanity, which was great except for the fact that she still had half a mobian face so she wasn't even fully robot. in this case, i decided to make her fully robot and keep the flicky, except this time it is genuinely powering her lifeforce unlike whatever they did in the show. obviously taking it out for a bit just to showcase the fact she does have a flicky won't insta-kill her, but she will slowly die without the flicky inside of her. not sure why the Chaos Council didnt just slap a chaos drive in there but whatever lol, it's nice symbolism anyway.

also just a note, she can shoot bullets out of her fingers if you were wondering why her hands looked like that. yes its an Aigis Persona 3 reference. but also she no longer uses her hammer because as a robot she's stripped of her personality and autonomy, and the Piko-Piko hammer was like an Amy signature weapon, who Rusty Rose no longer is at this point. but mostly it's an Aigis Persona 3 reference. We ball

next is Rouge, who's no longer a leader of the Freedom Fighters, but just a spy/intelligence agent who still has an eye for shiny things.

in the inital art i drew of her i named her Agent Rebel, but honestly Agent Rouge works just fine because yknow. Rouge is just the word for red in french. if they really have to all have different names then Agent Red also works too, but it might be a bit on the nose. anyway she's apart of the Freedom Fighters as their spy, something they desperately need because of the constant surveillance around new yolk. of course she's still the morally gray bastard she usually is, so she always desires compensation for her efforts, especially on the more dangerous missions.

the reason why i demoted her from leader is because Rouge is really not the leader type, maybe you could give her a leading role if it were a smaller group like Team Dark, but when its a whole resistance she's genuinely not cut out for it, especially because she's not particularly selfless and definitely doesn't give too much of a shit about the well being of others. here she understands very well that her life is also at risk, so aiding the Freedom Fighters is pretty much her only choice.

next we got Knuckles who is definitely not having a good time. he never met Sonic so he's very distrusting towards everyone, even allies. he lived on Angel Island until it was attacked by Eggman and he lost the Master Emerald. unfortunately i didn't draw anything full body or coloured so i only have this sketch

being from a clan of warriors, i'd say its a no-brainer that he'd be co-commander of the Freedom Fighters. as for all the injuries, they're from a time where he was captured. to compensate for his... lack of knuckles... he now wears brass knuckles. he's definitely the most angry and vengeful of all the different versions of Knuckles, because he feels as if he's been disgraced in multiple ways, and he sees the Freedom Fighters as a means to an end. his pure, unadultered rage definitely helps with taking out enemies tho.

okay, i mentioned that Shadow would have alternate versions of himself and lucky for yall i did draw a design for New Yolk Shadow, who's named Terios and is inspired by that beta design.

Terios isn't apart of the Freedom Fighters, but he's not on the side of the Chaos Council. hes kind of an anti-hero vigilante, he's cordial with Rouge but not really interested in the Freedom Fighters. he kinda does his own shit. realistically, since New Yolk is an alternate timeline where Sonic doesn't exist, and it's implied that Gerald based Shadow off of Super Sonic then technically Shadow shouldn't exist but hey, this is the one plot hole i'm not gonna try to mend. We Ball. Shadow exists because he's goated like that.

anyway his backstory is the same but because everything is so Fucked Up he never really gets the chance to explode the world like he wanted. since he's not on the evil side i'll say that Eggman wasn't the one who woke him up tho and he got talked out of his homicidal urges. who woke him up? idk i'll think about it

now for another added character... Silver!!! but he goes by the alias "Venice"... because his beta design is called Venice LOL

before i explain Silver's deal, i'll talk abt how i imagine time works in the Sonic universe. basically, the future isn't something predestined and is actively changed by events in the present. this is in fact something that 06 contradicts since the future was messed up before Sonic even met Elise, but that in and of itself contradicts Sonic CD which does the whole "actions in the present affect the future" thing with the good future/bad future. so i went with CD's time mechanics because it makes more sense for this story. also 06 isn't canon so #WeBall

so Silver, being from the future, wakes up one day to find everything all fucked up again. except now he's in the present too. he tries to ask ppl if they know where Sonic is, assuming that of course Sonic would know what happened, but nobody seems to know who he's talking about. Silver eventually crosses paths with Shadow/Terios and asks him where Sonic is, but even Terios doesn't know who Sonic is (at this point, our Shadow hasn't linked his consciousness w/ Terios) so Silver is just really fucking lost and doesn't know what the hell is happening, why it's happening and why nobody seems to know who Sonic is.

he ends up following Terios around as sort of an apprentice type thing because he's the only familiar face so far and he really needs to understand what's going on. Terios isn't very happy about it but can tell Silver's a pretty strong person he would want as an ally, so he keeps him around. Silver wears a cloak and goes by the alias Venice as a way to protect his identity.

so obv when Sonic shows up he KNOWS Sonic fucked up real bad somehow. cue the 'it's no use! take this!' loop

(Blaze isn't here because she's relaxing and enjoying a cup of tea in her palace. also trying to tackle how the prism affects the Sol Dimension will make things way more convoluted)

~ New Yolk City: The Chaos Council ~

okay... NOW we talk about Eggman. so maybe you've noticed i kept switching between saying Eggman and the Chaos Council, and i will explain.

the Chaos Council do still exist in this reimagining, but Eggman also exists. Kind of.

basically my idea for the Chaos Council was that it was originally just Eggman ruling the world (btw his name would be Robotnik because nobody was there to call him Eggman), but here comes the inspiration from Archie again, and now he's split himself into 5 robots to help rule over New Yolk City. and i say it's inspired from Archie because i very vividly remember that Robotnik fucking died in Archie and then uploaded his consciousness into a robot or some shit, and then when it came time for his modern design to be incorporated into the comic he literally switched robot bodies to become modern Eggman. So Yeah.

multiple facets of himself get uploaded into robot bodies, because what's the point of living a mortal fleshy life when you can be a sick ass immortal shiny robot (throwback to how i said it would be a parallel to Nine) and these different "facets" of Eggman would just be different parts of his personality, these are what i had in mind but it's still a WIP:

intelligence (cunning, manipulative, thinks logically and lacks empathy)

childishness (interest in juvenile things like themeparks, acts. well. childish)

vain (self-absorbed, uncooperative, gets upset by criticism, interest in flashy things/theatrics)

emotional (prone to outbursts--typically rage, empathetic)

dramatic (placeholder until i think of a better one because this is just grouped in with vanity tbh)

bad news is that i never drew designs for these. because if im not good at designing characters, im ESPECIALLY not good at designing robots. Rusty Rose was already a challenge. but ill figure it out lol.

ANYWAY now we're done with New Yolk. if this seemed long, don't worry because it was pretty much the only one i did brainstorming on. i have one more design and a few notes but nothing else for the rest of the shatterverses.

~ No Place ~

there's not much about No Place i would change other than the character roster and basic premise. it's still pirate-y, and Dread is DEFINITELY staying the same because i Love him.

pretty much my idea is that instead of there only being one crew which is Dread's, there are two. one with Dread, Amy and Tails, and another crew with Rouge, Shadow and whoever else i think to add. basically they're rival crews that compete to get treasure, and the prism shard is just another one they set their eyes on. Marine is also gonna be there probably on Dread's crew.

Sonic initially takes Dread's side because hes a Knuckles, Knuckles is his friend and Rouge usually means trouble, but when Dread starts being yknow. batshit crazy and manipulative. Sonic realizes that he picked wrong and hes kinda on his own to get that shard.

the only thing i drew for this is a design of Rouge

i imagine Shadow would just be the one pirate design from that Sonic mobile game that everyone likes to draw. his name would also be Blackheart because of the lyrics "black-hearted evil / brave-hearted hero" from I Am... All Of Me

that's all i have for No Place. in truth i didn't make much changes because i actually very much enjoyed No Place (mostly bc of Dread)

~ Boscage ~

so... this one i've done the least thinking about, and honestly it's because i don't really know what to do with this one. something about Boscage rubs me the wrong way, maybe just bc it's a jungle universe and the designs make me cringe a little bit. if anyone has any ideas on this then lmk. i don't think i want to get rid of it entirely but i just don't know how to go about this one.

all i have in terms of notes is that:

it should be a bit similar to Sonic Boom in setting, so an island with dense forests

Sticks should be a character, potentially taking Prim's role in the story

~ Extra Notes ~

more characters in the main cast like Cream and the Chaotix should appear

other characters robot copies should resemble canonical ones like Metal Sonic, Knuckles and Amy, however Nine's robot copies should look Fucked Up to emphasize the Wrongness in how he views his robot copies as true friends

^ this means Chaos Sonic should literally just be Metal Sonic. sorry Chaos Sonic fans i love him too but it made no sense to me that it wouldn't be Metal Sonic but lmk your thoughts on that

that's it for everything i think. i might have had more but i didn't write it down so it has just been forever lost in the dark depths of my brain. this is very unorganized and way too long but i hope it was interesting to read at least. ofc any feedback is welcome. i don't think i'll make any kind of story out of this but i'd like to complete it tbh

#when i say it's incomplete It Is Very Incomplete #it took 3 hours for me to write this post tho #a lot of this is just “well im not sure how this makes sense but this is how i would do it”#feel free to disagree on anything or give advice on how to improve it bc like i said i'm not a writer and i'm welcoming towards criticism #sonic the hedgehog #sth #sonic prime #sonic au #ugh should i even tag characters #maybe do that later #long post #txt #my art #2024 #tw body horror #<- just for that last nine design #and also roboticization ig

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paperdoll201 · 4 months

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꧁•⊹٭𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚊 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚝 𝟸٭⊹•꧂

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐢𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐈 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨(???) 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨. 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐝 (𝐞𝐡) 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐢𝐟 𝐲'𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬

｡.✰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 🥹❤️😔𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 👹💥🎇 ✰.｡

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝟨.𝟣𝓀 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹𝓈

“Marie! Over here!”

A barrage of camera flashes erupted, momentarily blinding Marie's vision in a mass of blinding white. Loud voices from every direction, calling for her name, desperate for one look from Marie’s mesmerizing brown eyes. Journalists and news reporters moved around her, their hungry eyes fixated on her and Dean Shetty as they stepped onto the gala's floor. Despite the overwhelming attention, Marie looked like a professional, kept a perfect smile, her gaze unwavering as the cameras took pictures of her. She was fucking nervous though. Having all of this attention on her is not something she can quite get used to.

Marie continued through the mass of people, her smile as practiced as it was genuine. Each wide grin from the crowd elicited a reciprocating one from her, and grateful "we love you Marie!"s were met with equally rehearsed "thank you so much!"s – her mind remembering the media training session Dean Shetty had put her through just hours prior.

"Come, Marie," Dean Shetty's voice cut through her thoughts, her hand gently ushering Marie away. "There are a few key people I'd like you to meet."

But the "key people" quickly blurred into a relentless carousel of outstretched hands and business cards. "Here's my card," they'd repeat, their eyes gleaming with opportunism, not genuine connection. One even thrust a phone in her face, muttering something about an NFT, whatever that was. Each interaction felt so scripted, so fucking draining.

Behind the smile, a cold dread bloomed in Marie's chest. Every question about her "parents" – gone, a tragedy she held so close – felt like a fresh wound. Yet, the charade continued, the lie clinging to her like a gilded shroud, telling everyone that her parents were fucking Doctors Without Borders. The weight of it all – the attention, the facade, the suffocating expectations – threatened to pull her under. "Everything is becoming so overwhelming," she thought, yearning for a single moment of genuine connection in this sea of calculated smiles.

Exhausted from what felt like an eternity of uncomfortable small talk and disingenuous greetings, Marie finally found refuge with Dean Shetty in a less populated corner.

"Pretend I don’t know your age," she smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You did great out there."

“Yeah,” Marie sighed, her voiced tinged with weariness as she took the glass and followed Dean Shetty when she began to walk. “I don’t know… lying about my family felt pretty shitty.”

Dean Shetty’s playful expression softened a bit. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a hushed murmur. "These people don’t want to hear the truth, and you don’t want to say it" she gave her a pointed look.

Marie's gaze drifted past Dean Shetty and the swirling mass of bodies, finding solace in the distant, starlit sky glimpsed through a window. Dean Shetty's words echoed in her ears, each syllable a truth she desperately wished wasn't. The world craved a fairytale, a narrative woven with threads of happiness and perfect families. Telling them the truth, the raw, jagged mess of it all, would shatter that illusion, leaving behind shards of pity she couldn't afford.

The truth was a festering wound, hidden deep in files no one can find. It was the hollowness that followed her everywhere, the absence that screamed loud in her mind. She will always remember the day it happened, the deafening silence that replaced the warmth of laughter, the suffocating emptiness that settled where love once resided. The lifeless bodies that were her parents, the blood splattered on the walls and pooled on the floor, the look of absolute fear on her sister's face. Fear of her. Telling the truth meant reliving that nightmare, exposing the vulnerability she guarded fiercely.

But it was also a burden, a secret that weighed her down, a constant reminder of the life she'd lost. Each "thank you" for her " performance " felt like a fresh thorn, each fabricated story a betrayal of the ghosts she held close. The line between her carefully constructed persona and the fractured person beneath blurred with every interaction, leaving her teetering on the edge of a breakdown everyday.

A prickling sensation crawled up Marie's spine. Like a spotlight suddenly aimed in her direction, she felt a singular gaze burning through the crowd, pinning her with its intensity. She instinctively looked up, meeting the steely brown eyes of Jordan Li briskly walking past her with their parents in tow. The air seemed to crackle with the unspoken tension between them, and a wave of conflicting emotions washed over her.

She knew better than to expect for her and Jordan’s “relationship” to continue after– well after everything. Within two weeks after their hookup in the club bathroom, Professor Brink was killed in a murder suicide. When thrust into the unforgiving spotlight of national television, Marie chose a narrative of carefully curated lies, a script that was fed to her over the truth. She painted herself as the God U’s lone savior, proclaiming to the world that she had single-handedly stopped Luke's bloodthirsty rampage when in reality Marie, gripped by fear, had fled leaving Jordan to fight Luke alone. It was Jordan who faced Luke to protect the school. To protect her .

Their pleas, Jordan's call for help, echoed in her mind, fueled by the constant replay of that

fateful day. Fear had been her accomplice, driving her to flee instead of standing by Jordan. Now, the mask of heroism she wore felt suffocating, every accolade she received a shard of truth piercing her conscience.

Jordan's hatred was a bitter pill to swallow, yet she understood it all too well. Their grief, raw and untamed, mirrored the guilt festering within her. Could she justify her actions based on their pain? And to top it off, Marie took their spot in the rankings, an added benefit she got for lying. Fuck Marie didn’t know what to do.

“Lucky Jordan doesn’t have laser eyes,” Dean Shetty's voice cut through her thoughts. “Be careful. With Luke gone this free-for-all for number one is gonna get ruthless, and you have a target on your back.”

“Me?” Marie questioned, a bit confused. “I’m just a freshman,” Marie added, stammering a bit.

Dean Shetty's smile turned reassuring.“Keep doing what you’re doing, you could be the first top ranked freshman in history.”

Marie couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face from hearing that. She’d be able to prove to the world, prove to her sister that she is a good person.

Marie fidgeted with the lace trim of her crimson gown, itching to escape its confines. “Can’t wait to get out of this fucking dress” she thought, longing for the comfort of her everyday clothes.

"But in darkness, stars can truly shine. Like Marie Moreau, the Guardian of Godolkin." Marie felt the heat of the spotlight as its beam sliced through the shadows, pinning her. Dean Shetty's voice, once a murmur that she was able to drown out, now amplified to a booming sound that echoed through the banquet hall. Every syllable hammered against Marie's skull, each praise laden with a bitter aftertaste. The entire night had been a gilded cage, each smile, each posed photograph, a sacrifice offered at the altar of their grand narrative.

Her mind churned. Every mention by Dean Shetty of her name, once a source of pride, now scraped with the rough edges of resentment. She wanted to scream, to tear off the red gown and flip off this fucking charade, but the price of her silence remained etched in clear, unspoken promises. The recognition she wanted, the future she craved , depended on this “masquerade”.

So, she smiled, a fixed expression that tugged at the corners of her mouth, a ghost of the genuine joy it once mirrored. Applause thundered around her, a deafening storm she endured with an unwavering posture. Each clap felt like a hammer blow.

Dean Shetty's voice rose to a flourish, "Let's give Marie, and the stars like her, the future they deserve" The pronouncement landed with a sickening thud. Each hand raised in applause felt like a pointed finger, each donation a reminder of the debt she owed this fabricated persona. "A donation to the #ThinkBrink Foundation," Dean continued, clapping her hands loudly, "will provide long overdue upgrades to the combat gym and recording studio! So please, open your hearts, give generously. Right Marie?"

Marie's smile deepened, morphing into a breathtaking cascade of beauty. A soft, melodic chuckle escaped her lips, adding a touch of genuine charm.

As Dean Shetty's final words echoed through the hall, the applause slowly subsided, leaving a soft murmur in its wake. Marie relished the dimming of the spotlight, the return of shadows offering a blessed reprieve from the scrutiny of everyone around her. Dean Shetty joined her at a nearby table, their champagne flutes clinking as they both took a sip. A video honoring Professor Brink played on the large screen, a solemn montage of his laughter, lectures, and moments with students. Each image flickered like a silent accusation, a reminder of the lie Marie clung to.

During the montage, a picture flashed across the screen. Professor Brink, beaming warmly, with Jordan by his side. Their bright smile, untouched by the killing of Brink that now haunted them, pierced straight into Marie's chest. Guilt lanced through her, an unwelcome feeling to the want that stirred within her for Jordan. Marie tore her gaze away from the screen, unable to bear the weight of Jordan’s smile any longer. The atmosphere around her suddenly felt suffocating.

When the video ended, the room immediately was lively again, which Marie felt was odd considering the overly sad video that was just played. Dean Shetty leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I just knew you’d be great at this, Marie. Bet you scored a million in pledges,” she said, a calculating glint in her eyes. “You’re a fucking superstar. You saved my ass,” Dean Shetty sipped her champagne thanking Marie.

“Your ass needed saving?” she echoed, unable to keep the question from escaping her lips.

Dean chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “A dean’s whole job is raising money.” she said, taking another sip of champagne. “After Golden Boy, the donations were going down the toilet. And so was I.”

Her voice dipped even lower, almost conspiratorial. “But then one look at that smile of yours and their wallets just cracked right open.”

“Good.” Marie managed after a beat of silence, the word scraping dryly against her tongue. “I’m glad I could be useful to you.”she added, the last part laced with a bitterness she couldn't entirely mask.

“Oh!” Dean Shetty, oblivious to the undercurrent of resentment in Marie's voice, let out a dismissive chuckle. “So useful. You’re fantastic, excuse me.” Before Marie could respond, Dean Shetty glided away, her smile switching on like a practiced light as she approached another guest, likely with the sole purpose of securing another hefty donation.

Marie watched her go, the champagne in her glass suddenly tasting flat and metallic, realization washing over her like a cold wave.

A surge of anger, hot and unexpected, pulsed through her. Anger at the fabricated narrative, the exploited grief, the donations lining Dean Shetty's pockets, and using her so Dean Shetty can save face. It was all a fucking sham, and she was fucking sick of playing a part in it.

With a sudden movement, her fingers flew to the pink and blue pin adorning her dress. With a sharp tug, she ripped it free, the metal glinting accusingly in the dim light. She tossed the pin onto the table, it landing with a dull thud. Leaving it behind, she walked away, wanting to step outside to get some fresh air.

Just as she reached the edge of the crowd, a voice snagged her attention. "Hey Moreau," Jordan called out, their voice tinged with amusement. They were seated across from Cate who was watching her with a tilt of her head.

Marie sighed, the weariness settling heavier on her chest. The last thing she wanted was to be drawn into an impromptu confrontation, especially not with Jordan. “I'm not in the mood, okay?” she said, her voice tight with barely suppressed emotion. “You can attack me in the morning."

She turned to leave again not wanting to deal with whatever shit Jordan felt like throwing at her at the moment.. Their smirk held a familiar edge, laced with the biting sarcasm that had once drawn her in but now felt grating.”I’m surprised you can walk straight with everyone’s tongue lodged up your ass.”

Marie's retort came sharp, laced with the frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “Leave me alone,” she snapped, her voice tight with barely contained anger. “You don’t know shit about me.” But her words seemed to go in one of their ears and out the other, failing to deter them.

Jordan leaned back in their chair, a smirk playing on their lips. “Brownnoser, one-upper.” hey drawled, their voice dripping with mock concern. “Mommy and Daddy’s perfect little hero.” The words were like a lit match tossed into a tinderbox of Marie's suppressed emotions.

“Yeah, well that’s definitely not me,” she choked out, each word laced with bitterness. Because my parents are dead. Because I killed them” he confession hung heavy in the air, raw and unexpected. “You happy?”

Jordan's smirk faltered, a flicker of surprise momentarily replacing their usual self-assured expression. But it was quickly masked again with that same fucking smirk. "Bullshit," they scoffed eyes trained on Marie.

Marie felt a wave of despair wash over her. Taking a shaky breath, she forced herself to meet their gaze, her voice shaky. “I didn’t know I had powers until my first period,” she began, the words raw and jagged on her tongue. “I couldn’t control the blood and it sliced through my mom’s body,” The memory, vivid and horrifying, flashed before her eyes, the scent of iron still strong in her nostrils. “Dad came in. Same deal.”

Across the table, Cate, who had been silent until now, spoke up, her voice laced with disbelief. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,”she choked out, her gaze shifting to Cate. “I’m the last person who thinks they’re a hero. I fucking hate myself half the time.”The anger rekindled in her, fueled by the fucking injustice of it all. She turned back to Jordan, her eyes blazing with defiance. “And I just spent the entire night being dragged around like a show pony, so I’m not in the mood for your shit.”

“Hey,” The tension that hummed between them seemed to soften slightly at Cate's gesture. With a hesitant glance at Jordan, Marie searched for any flicker of disapproval, any indication that this conversation wasn't welcome. But Jordan's deep brown eyes, usually sharp and observant, remained downcast, offering a silent permission. Taking a deep breath, Marie sighed and hiked up the red of her dress, its folds rustling as she lowered herself onto the chair next to Cate.

Cate leaned forward, her gaze sincere as she met Marie's. "I was nine," she began, her voice quiet yet carrying a weight that filled the space between them. “My parents were setting up the tent. My little brother kept kicking at my shins, so I grabbed him by the arm and I told him to go away and never come back.”

A tremor ran through Cate's hands, the memory still raw beneath the surface. “So he did,” she whispered, her voice tight with emotion. “He just walked right into the woods.” Cate's eyes, filled with unshed tears, locked with Marie's. That was the first time my powers showed up,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know,”

“Jesus.” Marie let out a gasp, the horror of the situation settling heavy in her stomach.

“There was a… search party.” Her voice shook as she continued, “Dogs. You know? It went on for weeks. But… nothing.” Cate nodded, her brow furrowing with the memory's pain. “My mom never touched me again.” she pursed her lips. “Neither did my dad.”

Silence descended, thick with the weight of shared pain and unspoken understanding. Marie stammered, searching for the right words, “I had no idea. I’m so sorry,”

“It is not your fault.” Cate's gaze held a firmness that chipped away at Marie. “Your parents shot you up with a dangerous drug when you were a baby to make a buck off you.”

“No, my parents weren’t like that.” she whispered, the denial catching in her throat.

“Yes, they were.” she countered, her voice laced with a controlled anger. “They did this. You didn’t. Don’t spend a fucking minute crying over them.”

Each word landed like a hammer blow, shattering the carefully constructed narrative Marie had clung to. Tears welled in her eyes, for once not for the parents she remembered, but for her innocence stolen, her trust betrayed.

The silence stretched taut after Cate's revelation, heavy with the weight of their shared vulnerabilities. Then, from across the table, Jordan broke the stillness.

"I killed my grandpa with my powers," they said, their voice surprisingly quiet, devoid of their usual smirk.

Both Marie and Cate whipped their heads towards Jordan, concern and confusion etched on their faces. Cate spoke first, her voice laced with disbelief. “No you didn’t”

Jordan met Cate's gaze, their expression molding into a small smirk. “Yeah, I know. I was just feeling left out.”

Cate rolled her eyes, but the gesture lacked its usual bite. Marie, however, surprised both of them. A soft chuckle escaped her lips, the sound like the chiming of distant wind chimes.

Seeing Marie's smile, a genuine one that reached her eyes, Jordan couldn't help but feel a sliver of pride. They had intended to lighten the mood, to break the intensity with their usual sarcasm, but the raw emotions swirling between them had caught them off guard. Marie's laughter, unexpected and authentic, felt like a tiny crack in the heavy cloud that had descended upon them.

Marie sighed, draining the last drops of champagne from her glass. A small smile played on her lips as she looked at Cate and Jordan. “Gonna to head out now. Want to get some fresh air before Dean Shetty fucking needs me again.”

Turning to leave, her eyes met Jordan's. A flicker of something unreadable flickered in their gaze before a smirk settled on their lips. Ignoring their scrutiny, Marie navigated the crowded hall, dodging outstretched hands and nagging questions with practiced smiles and polite "excuse me"s.

The cool night air washed over her as she slipped outside, rounding a corner and venturing further away from the gala's crowded noise. The music dimmed to a distant thrum, replaced by the hum of crickets and the gentle rustle of leaves. Leaning against a brick wall, she gazed skyward, the sky dotted with twinkling stars.

Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, relishing the quiet and letting the clamor of the evening fade. A sense of peace settled over her, only to be broken by a voice beside her.

“Feels nice out here,”

Eyes still closed, Marie sighed. "Why did you follow me, Jordan?" she didn’t have to see them to know it was Jordan.

A hint of amusement tinged their chuckle. “I can’t get some fresh air too?” Jordan leaned against the wall beside her, mimicking her pose.

A comfortable silence settled between them, a welcome energy from the chaos back inside. The only sounds were the crickets and the distant laughter from the gala, carried on the breeze. Marie sniffed, surprised by a sudden coughing fit. Opening her eyes, she saw Jordan nonchalantly smoking a cigarette, the faint scent of smoke curling around them.

Feeling her gaze, Jordan met her eyes. “What? Want a smoke?” they offered, flicking their cigarette pack open.

Marie laughed, shaking her head. "No thanks, I'm not a smoker."

They tossed the cigarette to the ground, extinguishing it with a decisive stomp. After a moment, Jordan spoke, their voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry."

Confused, Marie turned to them. "Sorry? For what?"

Jordan hesitated, their gaze flitting to the ground before meeting Marie's with a newfound vulnerability. "About your parents," they mumbled, their voice barely above a whisper. "Didn't know."

The weight of their words hit Marie like a physical blow. She closed her eyes, a strangled sigh escaping her lips. "Of course you didn't," she whispered, the pain raw in her voice. "Never told you. Don’t worry about it."

A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions. Jordan seemed genuinely conflicted, their brow furrowed in concern. "If it makes you feel better," they began, offering what seemed like an ill-fitting attempt at compassion, "I had to parade myself around like a slut to sponsors while drooled over you like fucking dogs."

Marie forced a smile, shaking her head gently. "It doesn't, but thanks anyway."

"You know," Marie began, her eyes locked on the distant city lights, "Dean Shetty told me to 'just smile' when I asked her what I needed to do at this gala. Was nervous as shit. Felt like great advice then, could just "pretend". But," she stopped, her voice catching, "I'm so fucking tired of smiling. Just... so tired of fucking pretending."

Her confession hung in the air, a stark contrast to the glittering facade of the gala they'd left behind. Jordan remained silent, their gaze searching hers, waiting to see if she would continue.

"Then don't" they offered simply, gaze locked on hers. "Don't smile, don't pretend. Just don't"

Suddenly, Jordan stepped closer, their deep brown eyes holding her gaze with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "Marie," they said, their voice soft yet firm. "I'm sorry."

Their eyes seemed to search hers, seeking forgiveness, understanding, something she wasn't sure she could give. But as Jordan leaned closer, their head tilted up in pleading, their lips hovering tantalizingly close, a tiny spark ignited within Marie.

A tiny flicker of connection, a recognition of shared pain buried beneath their carefully constructed facades. As their lips met in a soft, hesitant kiss, the apology hung in the air holding the promise of something more. Maybe understanding, maybe solace, maybe even the wary beginnings of something fucking genuine amidst the chaos surrounding them.

The kiss was brief, but it left a lingering heat on Marie's skin and a tremor in her heart. Pulling away, she met Jordan's gaze, her own eyes clouded with uncertainty. "It's okay," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

The air crackled with unspoken questions and lingering desire. Stepping back, Marie met Jordan's gaze, searching for any sign of doubt, any hesitation. But Jordan's expression held something different – vulnerability, a tentative hope reflected in their deep brown eyes.

"Is this...?" Jordan started, their voice uncharacteristically soft, almost hesitant. They gestured vaguely to themselves, the implication hanging heavy in the air. “Okay?”

Marie took a moment, processing the question, not understanding at first. With a quiet smile, Marie met Jordan halfway, offering a simple nod. Their lips met again, this time with a deeper understanding, a whispered acknowledgment of the vulnerability they’d shared. The tentative exploration of before turning into something richer, fueled by curiosity and a growing sense of familiarity. Marie’s hand moved up Jordan’s arm, fingers ghosting over the smooth skin, their touch sparking shivers beneath the fabric.

Jordan, emboldened by the silent permission, deepened the kiss, tilting their head to deepen the angle. Their kiss tasted like the night air, crisp and cool, but also laced with the sweetness of unspoken desires. It felt like a drug. It was fucking euphoric. A soft moan escaped Marie’s lips, a sound lost in the quiet hush of the night. It felt different, kissing them in this form, a shift in both perception and sensation that danced along the edges of her awareness. She was leaning down instead of up. They felt smaller in her arms. Yet at the same time, it still felt the same as last – the pull, the connection, the spark that flickered between them.

They pulled away slowly, breathless, foreheads resting together. The city lights below seemed impossibly distant, the gala they left behind easily forgotten. Only the quickened thud of their hearts filled the silence.

Jordan’s eyes, shimmering in the moonlight, held a question she didn’t need to ask. They knew she knew.

“Want to get outta here?” Jordan murmured, their voice husky with unspoken desires and unspoken promises.

“Yes please.”

"How do you take this fucking dress off," Jordan groaned against her lips, fumbling with the straps of Marie's dress. Their laughter filled the room, mingling with the hushed anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

Marie giggled, her breath warm against Jordan's cheek. "There's a zipper Jordan" she whispered, her fingers deftly moving behind her back and slowly pulling down the zipper of her gown.

As the dress finally slipped off Marie's shoulders, pooling at her feet, she stepped out of it gracefully, leaving her standing in nothing but her lace undergarments. Jordan's eyes devoured her hungrily, their desire palpable. With a flicker of mischief in their gaze, they slowly backed Marie towards the bed.

They sank onto the plush mattress, their lips never parting as they explored one another with a reckless abandon. Each touch was imprinted with a thousand whispered apologies and promises for a new beginning. The weight of their shared pain melted away with every caress, replaced by an intoxicating hunger to be consumed by each other.

With a gentle pull, she broke away, a soft apology forming on her lips. "Wait," she murmured, her voice husky with the remnants of the kiss.

Jordan met her gaze, a question swirling in their deep brown eyes. Marie, her fingers nimble despite the passion lingering in her touch, began unraveling the intricate design of her hair, removing more than one hair tie as her locs were free from the intricate hairstyle.

"Much better," she sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders with her hair cascading around her. Wrapping her hands around Jordan's neck, the gesture now felt more natural, intimate. She leaned back in, her lips curving into a playful smile. "Now," she whispered, her voice a breath against their skin, "where were we?"

Jordan's lips curled into a mischievous smile, mirroring Marie's playfulness. Their hands traveled slowly down her sides, tracing the contours of her body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Marie shivered, an electric jolt coursing through her veins.

With a sudden surge of desire, Jordan rolled them both over so that Marie straddled their hips. The air crackled around them as Marie gazed down at Jordan, their eyes filled with a hunger that matched her own.

She leaned in, capturing Jordan's lips with a newfound determination. Their kiss was fierce and passionate, a tangle of tongues and teeth that spoke volumes without uttering a word. Marie's fingers danced along the curves of Jordan's body, memorizing every dip and line as if this would be their first and last time together.

But deep down, she hoped it wouldn't be. She'd blame her thoughts on the amount of alcohol she consumed tonight. But she was too focused on the sight in front of her.

Jordan quickly discarded their clothes haphazardly on their dorm room floor, kneeling over Marie in just their underwear. Their bob swayed as they leaned in to kiss Marie's neck, fingers curling around her bra straps pulling them down.

Marie gasped at the feel of Jordan's lips on her skin, and looked up at Jordan through heavy-lidded eyes. Their breath was hot against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

Jordan's eyes locked onto hers, their gaze intense and filled with desire. "God I–" they began, their voice hoarse with need. "I need you, Marie. I need this."

She hesitated only for a moment before nodding, her weakness for Jordan overpowering her reservations. They kissed again, more urgently this time, the passion and longing between them undeniable. As their lips met, Jordan's fingers deftly undid the clasp of Marie's bra, freeing her TITTIES TO THE COOL AIR.

Marie arched her back slightly, her nipples pebbling immediately in reaction to the cool air.

"So beautiful," Jordan murmured softly before leaning down to take one of Marie's nipples between their lips.

Marie moaned, threading her fingers through Jordan's hair. Jordan's tongue was warm and wet against her nipple, flicking and exploring with expert precision. Marie could feel their breath against her skin, heating up the cool air and sending a shiver through her body. Her fingers tangled in their hair, pulling them closer as she yearned for more. Jordan continued to tease her nipple with their tongue, their lips brushing against her skin in a intense dance.

Her resistance crumbled away like a brittle wall. She wanted this, needed it. Needed the comfort, the passion, the connection that Jordan was offering. She wound her arms around Jordan's neck, pulling them closer, deepening the kiss.

She could feel the other woman's body trembling over her, matching her every move.

"Jordan," she breathed, gasping for air as their lips parted.

Their bodies melded together in passion, a feverish dance of tongues and skin. Jordan's hands traced the curve of Marie's back, moving lower until they reached the waistband of her underwear. With a quick tug, they were stripped away, leaving her completely exposed.

Marie's breath caught in her throat as Jordan's fingers glided over her skin down there, tracing the contours of her thighs. She could feel the heat radiating from the other woman's touch, and the desire simmering beneath the surface.

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, they were lost in the hunger that danced between them. Jordan leaned up to give Marie a kiss again before their eyes finally locked on Marie's wetness.

"Fuck," Jordan began tracing their fingers on her clit. "Can't wait to have this again," they muttered in a hushed voice, their eyes never leaving hers.

Marie shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she gazed into Jordan's depths. "Please," she whispered back, her voice quivering. "Please, Jordan."

Marie gasped in delight, feeling a finger slowly push into her warm, slick depths. Jordan's intense gaze locked onto Marie's, their fingers slowly dipping into her slick depth, moving in and out with a mesmerizing rhythm. Drops of sweat glistened on their skin, catching the dim light from the bedside lamp.

Jordan continued to move their fingers inside her, matching the rhythm of her moans with each thrust. Their breaths became increasingly heavier as they found themselves lost in the moment.

Jordan's lips traveled down Marie's neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses and nips before reaching her collarbone. They sucked on the sensitive spot, eliciting a gasp from Marie's lips.

"You're so beautiful," Jordan whispered against her skin, their fingers never ceasing their movements inside of her.

Marie closed her eyes, feeling the pleasure building up inside her. She wrapped her arms around Jordan's neck, pulling their lips closer for another passionate kiss. Their tongues danced together, mingling with the taste of the champagne they had earlier drank, as if cementing their souls together.

She arched her back as Jordan added a third finger, stretching and filling her in ways she had never experienced before. Her hips began to move in time with their thrusts, seeking more of that incredible sensation.

"Please," she begged, not knowing exactly what she was asking for but needing more of it nonetheless.

Jordan gave an understanding nod before leaning down to capture one of Marie's nipples between their lips again. Their free hand trailed down Marie's body until it reached the bundle of nerves between her legs. They began to rub slow circles over it with their thumb while keeping up the steady rhythm with their other hand.

Marie's back arched off the bed as pleasure coursed through every inch of her body. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to release with each passing second.

"Fuck," Jordan muttered, watching intently as Marie writhed beneath them. "Come baby,"

And with those words, it all became too much for Marie to handle. She exploded into oblivion, every muscle in her body tensing and releasing as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over her.

"Jordan," she cried out, grasping onto them tightly as she rode out the waves of pleasure.

For several moments, they simply laid there, catching their breaths and basking in the aftermath of their passion with Jordan watching her from above. Finally, Jordan pulled their fingers out before bringing them to their lips, sucking them clean with a satisfied smirk.

"You taste so good," they murmured, dragging the tips of their wet fingers slowly across Marie's lips. "Need to feel you," they sighed, moving their hands down to spread Marie's thighs wide open when she began to subconsciously close them.

They lined their own pussy over Marie's own dripping one, their lips parting for a brief moment as they locked eyes again. Their desire was palpable, the electric connection between them thrumming hard..

In one swift movement, Jordan sliding their wetness over Marie's own, the sensation sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her entire body. Her back arched, her fingers digging into Jordan's hips as her inner muscles tightened around Jordan.

"God, yes," she moaned into the air, their bodies swaying rhythmically, pulsing together. Marie bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest in desire. She felt their clit grinding against her own, pleasure surging through her. Jordan's lips found Marie's, their tongues twining together in a passionate embrace. The sounds of their bodies, wet and slick, mingled with the gasps of pleasure that escaped their lips. Their hips moved in sync, matching the rhythm of their hearts, and the tempo grew faster, more intense.

"Look so pretty spread open for me," Jordan whispered, their voice thick with lust.

"Fuck," Marie hissed, feeling herself losing herself in the sensations. She moaned into Jordan's mouth as their bodies collided, their pelvises grinding together with a wet slap. The pressure built inside her, the surge of pleasure overwhelming her body. "You feel good?"

Marie could only nod in response, her mind hazy with the overwhelming sensation of Jordan's body pressed against hers. She felt the wetness growing on her inner thighs as their bodies collided, and the air was thick with the smell of sex and sweat.

Jordan's breathing was heavy now, their chest rising and falling rapidly as their hips moved. "Good," they grunted. Their thrusts were getting sloppy now "Cause you feel so good Marie, you feel so fucking good," they groaned, their voice hoarse with need.

She reached up, her fingers tangling in Jordan's hair, pulling their lips down to hers for another searing kiss. Their tongues danced together, and Marie felt a surge of desire wash over her. She wanted this more than anything, wanted to be closer to Jordan, even as her body trembled with need and desire.

Their pace quickened, their hips moving faster and harder, their bodies slapping together now. Sweat dripped down Jordan's forehead as they moved fast. Jordan's breaths came in short gasps, her eyes locked onto Marie's, her grip on the other woman's hips tightening with each thrust.

"Feel amazing," she moaned, her voice thick with desire. Marie's moans echoed in the room, her body arching up to meet each of Jordan's thrusts. She could feel her own orgasm building, the tension in her muscles growing with each passing moment.

"Fuck, I'm so close," she whispered, her voice trembling with need.

Jordan's eyes widened, the sight of Marie's pleasure pushing her closer to peak. She quickened her pace, their hips slapping wetly against each other.

"Come for me, Marie," she urged, moving one of her hands in between their bodies to rub against Marie's clit. "Let go."

"Oh, fuck," Marie cried, her body trembling as the most intense orgasm of her life washed over her. Her muscles clenched around Jordan, her nails digging into the other woman's skin as she rode the waves of pleasure.

Jordan's own orgasm was just moments away, the visceral sight of Marie's pleasure almost sending her over the edge. She thrust harder, their bodies moving in perfect sync until she was crying out too, her own release shaking her to her very core.

They collapsed onto the bed, their bodies still entwined, both of them panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath. Their chests heaved with every breath, their bodies slick with sweat and desire.

"That was..." Marie began, her voice hoarse from her orgasm. She trailed off, feeling their steady heartbeat on top of her.

"Jordan?" she looked up to see that they somehow managed to fall fast asleep on top of her, soft snores leaving their mouth.

Marie smiled a bit, not having the heart to push them off her.

I'll deal with it in the morning.

didn't expect this to be a four parter but love the ideas swirling in my mind. the last two (technically last one) should be done by or before Friday. can find this on my ao3 here

Besitos!

#gen v #limoreau #marie moreau #jordan li #jordan li x marie moreau #mariejordan #marie moreau x jordan li #limoreau fic #a little sad but not really

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00127am · 5 months

Text

QUEEN OF CLUBS : a charismatic woman in a position of power

@ rollthedice detective chittapon leechaiyapornkyul can't seem to beat you, the vision casino's own high roller, at any game of cards (or any odds of gambling for that matter). but he can stop your repeated attempts to rob the vision's vault. ⤷ word count 1.1k

🃝 🃝 🃝

“What a coincidence, Detective. Who knew you’d try your hand at poker,”

Ten laughs, tossing back his head and meeting your narrowed eyes. “I’m feeling lucky,”

“Oh?” your lips curve into a knowing smile, “So am I. Mind if I join you?”

There’s a slight hitch in his breath at your question, one which he hopes goes unnoticed (it doesn’t, but you refrain from any such taunting remarks). He beckons to the open chair to his left with a sweeping hand and a flicker of something quite unreadable behind pretty, dark irises. “Please,”

As you take your seat, the private eye is able to fully take in your appearance. And this time, his breath really does catch-- stalling in his throat as you lean back in your chair, staring him down with full, unwavering attention. You’re something else. And the dollar green dress which is ensnared on every curve and arch of your stature isn’t exactly helping matters. Nor is the way you keep toying with the cigarette caught in between your slender fingers. Or the way his eyes keep darting to your stained, puffy lips every chance he gets. It’s just professional curiosity he tells himself. Nothing more and nothing less.

“You got a light?”

You’re looking at him expectantly, head angled in a way which makes him feel like he’s the only person in the room. As if your attention truly belongs to him and him alone. But then the illusion is shattered with a slight twitch of your lips as amusement trickles into your eyes. He’s painfully transparent to you. So utterly infatuated that you can’t help but struggle to hold back a laugh. There’s a slight frown on Ten’s face as he answers, digging his lighter out of his pocket. He knows you’re toying with him, teasing (and it’s working, not that he would ever admit it). How annoying.

Along with his lighter, he slides out his own cigarette-- putting it between his lips and biting down with fanged canines. He lights it--eyes fluttering to meet yours in the process--and before you can outstretch your hand, he slides it back into his pocket where it disappears into the shadow of the fabric. That earns a reaction, a flash of annoyance on your pretty face which disappears as quickly as it came-- so much so that Ten can’t be completely sure that he didn’t imagine it. The detective leans back in his chair, arms falling against the rests below them comfortably. His legs are spread as he slouches, taking a long drag of his cigarette. This time, he’s positive about the occurrence of your reaction as your lips snap into an irked scowl.

He chuckles, looking at you with cat-like eyes. His voice is low and taunting, matching the darkened expression of his irises. “Need a light that bad, huh?”

You hold back a scoff, teeth biting down upon your tongue to keep from snapping out a harsh rebuttal. You hope he can’t see your latent annoyance but you know that he can. He notices everything. Every stammer in your expression and jolt of your fingers. Every minuscule hesitation in each and every one of your actions and words. It’s irritating. Infuriating, even. You have him in the palm of your hand and yet, you find yourself to be as crystalline as glass. You don’t like being somewhat out of control of a situation, even if it is just by a millimeter.

Blinking down to his cigarette, you pause for a moment and consider. Rolling your tongue over every flirtation, every comment and silver-tongued compliment you could possibly muster. The man in front of you isn’t exactly making it easy. Tongue caught in between his smug grin, slim fingers tapping some melody on the cushy fabric of the chair he occupies. An occupation that happens to be performed with legs spread wide, the slightest buck of his hips as he readjusts. A movement that makes you see red.

“Can’t help an addiction,” is the response you decide upon and despite all attempts for any semblance of smoothness in your tone, your words come out grated through grit teeth. And oh god, Ten would smoke three packs a day if it meant seeing you give him that reaction again.

But before the detective can even think about relishing in his small victory against you, you’re standing up. And it only takes a painfully long second for you to be hovering over him, knee placed neatly between his thighs and hands resting just above his shoulders-- careful not to graze them with even the slightest touch. He shudders at the unprecedented close contact, hair raising on the back of his neck and mouth feeling dry. You’re slow in your motions to place your own cigarette in between cherry-red lips, watching his every response with a steeled gaze that makes him take a sharp intake of breath. And then, you lean forward pressing your cigarette against his own in one fluid motion.

He never noticed the exact coloration of your irises or the small, dark beauty marks underneath your eyes. Nor did he catch the small scar slicing through the bridge of your nose or the slight divot in your chin. Or the way your eyelashes fawn on your cheeks each time you blink or the fashion in which small strands of hair lick against your flesh. All of these things, like most others about you, unnoticeable with distance.

A decreased distance that makes his heart feel like it’s going to implode, his entire body reacting to your proximity like a dog in heat. It’s embarrassing, the way he unconsciously leans into your touch, desperate for any sliver of affection. Head spinning and lips parted as he wets them with a lingering tongue. Eyes batting up at you as his breath stutters into silent pants, eyebrows furrowed in a humiliating show of what you find closest to need.

But then, you’re gone. Sitting back in your chair with crossed legs, a lit cigarette, and a self-satisfactory smile. You take a drag, never moving your eyes from your entertained observation of the man to your right. This victory, much larger than his own, rivals him in every way. As if through this, you have set him straight. Once again reaffirming the food chain. Your lips have quirked into something much more arrogant, expression staring back at him saying “I win” in every way but words.

The detective isn’t quite sure he would be able to tell you what had just happened if you asked. But he’s not sure that he would mind if it happened again.

“Thanks for the light,” you purr, turning to the direction of the dealer and beckoning him over with two fingers, “Ever the gentleman, Detective Lee,” Ten swallows, hard.

taglist. @yangasm @misted-dream @evilsailorsenshi @yeosangsbiceps @222brainrot @scinclaitnoir thank you for supporting roll the dice ♡

@ previous @ home @ next

🧾 © 00127am 2024

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daughter-of-melpomene · 4 months

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𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆… 𝐌𝐘 𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄

❝ Audrey Beiste was absolutely no stranger to bullying or how cruel other people could be. Having lived with her aunt Shannon, known to most others as Coach Beiste, since she was seven and her father had gone to jail, she had always known very well what other people thought of her and the only family she really had. She had heard people mocking her aunt for the way she looked and sounded, calling her every single mean name in the book and, when it was adults who were doing the insulting, only smiling condescendingly when young Audrey had attempted to stick up for her auntie. And Audrey herself was no stranger to taunts and insults, either; she’d been being bullied for her size since she could remember, mocked with loud pig snorts or yelled suggestions to eat a salad almost every time she walked down the school halls.

She’d never let it affect her, however, at least not the cruel words directed at her; Audrey was the kind of person to always choose kindness and sunshine, and she did her best to honor that principle, constantly having a sweet smile on her face and a positive comment on her lips, even when those around her rolled their eyes at it and went right back to insulting her. The only pain or anger she ever allowed herself to show, outside of defending her aunt against people who were old enough to know better than to be so rude, was in the pages of her songwriting notebook, in the lyrics she spent most of her free time jotting down and singing out loud to make sure they sounded right. She put her pain into those lyrics and kept the notebook that housed them close to her heart, knowing in her soul that one day she would turn them into actual songs that could be used to prove wrong all the bullies that had told her she would never amount to anything.

When her aunt decides to take a job offer to coach a struggling football team in Ohio, Audrey hopes for a fresh start, a place where she and her aunt can begin again away from those who tormented them. But her illusions of the grass being greener in Lima are quickly shattered when she starts attending McKinley High - a fatphobic word painted on her new locker and a slushy in her face ruining one of her favorite sweaters will do that to a person. Desperately trying to find a place where she can be free of judgement, Audrey auditions to join the school’s glee club, and there she finds a great deal of drama and divas, but also a group of people who love music as much as she does and who accept her as she is, because they’re all freaks in the eyes of the rest of the school, after all.

However, it’s also there that Audrey quickly develops a crush on one Finn Hudson, an awkward football player with a heart of gold, and the first boy who’s ever called Audrey pretty. But of course, there’s also the issue of Finn already having a girlfriend as well as a complicated relationship with his cheerleader ex, and anyway, someone like him would never go for someone like Audrey, even if they’re part of the same chaotic, unusual found family… right? ❞

General Taglist: @hiddenqveendom, @auxiliarydetective, @foxesandmagic, @artemisocs, @reyofluke-ocs, @endless-oc-creations, @stanshollaand, @ginevrastilinski-ocs, @luucypevensie, @ginger-grimm, @arrthurpendragon, @fakedatings, @impales, @claryxjackson, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @eddysocs, @lucys-chen, @oneirataxia-girl, @ocappreciationtag.

#my ocs #introducing my ocs #ch: audrey beiste #oc: audrey beiste #fic: cardigan #queerocs #ocapp #ocappreciation #ochub #allaboutocs #fyeahgleeocs #glee oc #finally making a finn love interest!!#all of my ‘glee’ girlies may cheer now

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alloftheimagines · 2 years

Text

steve harrington | why him?

masterlist | taglist | ko-fi

words: 2.3k

warnings: 18+. read with care.

reader has an abusive boyfriend, no on-page violence but the aftermath of it, bruises and blood

prompt: steve/reader being best friends but have always secretly had feelings for each other but they both think the other doesnt feel the same which is why they never acted on it. so the reader is in an abusive relationship and tries to hide it which is easy since their bf tends to hit them places that are easy to hide and avoids their face, but one day the readers bf gets really pissed and hits them on the face leaving a pretty bad mark and the reader runs away from him and walks home. and then steve drives by and sees them and gets out of the car to offer them a ride and the reader tries to hide their face but steve makes them look up (ima sucker for chin tilts LMAO) and sees the bruises and gets pissed and is like who did this/if it was the first time and the reader breaks down and shows him her arms/other marks. then steve admits his feelings/reader admits theirs and it just ends really fluffy and sweet?

tags: @whiskeypowder @lil-stark @findleynovadachs111 @cultofmunson86

You’re shaking. It’s all you feel as you stagger through downtown Hawkins, the taste of coppery blood on your tongue and your ears ringing. He hit you. Your swollen bottom lip wobbles as you remember, again and again and again. He hit you. Your boyfriend, Dean, hit you. In front of his friends. At a party. On your face.

He used to at least save it for places easily hidden. Used to at least try not to advertise the fact that he beats you to half the town. But tonight he was too drunk to care — so you ran. And this time, you’re not sure his pathetic attempts at grovelling will be enough to get you back. You’re not sure how you’ll ever look him in the eye again.

You startle as a figure emerges from the lit doorway of Melvald’s, instinct pulling you back. You push your hair around your face in the hopes the stranger won’t notice the bruise and stop you. Hawkins is a nosey town, and you can’t bear the thought of the rumours spreading; people you love finding out that you’ve let your boyfriend treat you like dirt for so long. You’re supposed to be strong. You’ve fought monsters. But you always hoped that Dean wasn’t a monster. That maybe, in time, he’d stop being so angry.

A stupid hope. One that got you here, alone on a Friday night, broken.

“Sorry,” the late-night customer says quickly as the door swings shut behind him. You know that voice, and dread drops in your stomach like a stone. It’s dark, and he’s lit only by the lights behind him, but you’d know that tall head of hair anywhere. Steve Harrington. Your best friend. If there’s anyone you wouldn’t want to know about this, it’s him. He treats you like you’re a hero after the way you helped him with the Demogorgons and Vecna. The way you fought.

That illusion will be shattered if he finds out.

You bow your head, turning the other way, but—

“Y/N?” He grabs your wrist with his free hand, the other balancing a paper bag of groceries. “Hey.” He grins as you turn back to him, praying praying praying he won’t see.

“Oh, hi. I didn’t realise it was you.” You cringe at your stilted attempt at a lie.

“What’s going on?” Instantly, his eyes narrow, shiny and suspicious, and a lump gathers in your throat. “You okay?”

“Yep. I’m good.”

Steve doesn’t look even a little bit convinced. “Y/N…”

“I need to get going, actually—”

“Great. Let me give you a ride home.”

“No,” you answer too quickly, fidgeting nervously. “No, I’m going to walk tonight. It’s a nice night.”

He scoffs, corner of his mouth sinking with a smirk. “What? You can’t walk home. You live on the other side of town. Come on—”

“Really, Steve. It’s fine.” You tuck your hair behind your ear as you grow flustered, realising too late that it’s a mistake.

He’s on you in a minute, squinting as he steps closer. “Whoa, hey…”

You turn your head quickly, but he’s quicker, his fingers resting beneath your chin and slowly tilting your face back to him. And you want to disappear, because anything would be better than this.

“Is that… Is that a bruise?” Disbelief fills his voice. "And dried blood?"

“It’s nothing.” You snatch yourself away sharply, putting space between you again. “I fell at a party. That’s all.”

“Y/N…” He reaches out, and you slap his hand away, growing more uneasy, more devastated, by the minute. He can’t know. He can’t.

But you glance at him and already know he does. His wide, brown eyes are full of suspicion, of knowing. He warned you away from Dean the first time you laid eyes on him in senior year, but you were too arrogant to listen. You thought you’d be the exception to Dean’s games and bad attitude. And you were. For a while. Just long enough for you to grow attached so you wouldn’t be so quick to walk away.

Steve looks stung now, arm floating back to his side carefully. “We don’t lie to each other,” he whispers, eyes glistening with hurt. “Don’t lie to me. Please. I want to help you.”

“No.” You shake your head, tears beginning to stream freely down your cheeks. “No. You want to say ‘I told you so.’”

He frowns. “You’re my best friend. Jesus. Do you think I’d be that cruel? I’m worried about you.”

You have nothing to say to that, too busy trying not to break down in front of him.

His upper lip curls with contempt, and for a moment, you think it’s for you. You feel sick. But then he murmurs, “It was him, wasn’t it?”

“No.” Your voice wavers, and you may as well have told the truth.

“Please don’t bullshit me.” His plea is soft, desperate, and you can’t do it. You can’t lie to him. Not when all you want to do is collapse into him, feel his warmth around you. You should be stronger. You should be braver. But you only feel safe when you’re with him, and all you want is for him to protect you. Tell you it’s going to be okay.

You need your best friend.

He senses it the way he always does. He must, because his resolve weakens and he sighs. “Come on, sweetheart. Let me take you home.”

You don’t have it in you to fight this time.

***

‘Home’ turns out to be Steve’s house, but it isn’t all that surprising. He’s opened up plenty about how his parents are rarely home. How he sits in a giant, empty house all day, alone, and when they return, things aren’t much better.

You’re glad to be here. You’ve worked hard to make plenty of time for Steve so he doesn’t have to feel lonely anymore, with movie nights every weekend and barbecues in the summer. In a way, this place is home for you now.

He guides you into the kitchen, sitting you down on a stool. You squint against the bright light when he switches it on to get a good look at the damage. He hisses, jaw clenching for a moment before he turns away and roots through the freezer for frozen peas. You can tell he’s working hard not to explode, back muscles rippling with tension until he finally comes back and sits on the stool opposite. Without a word, he presses the frozen bag of peas to your tender jaw. The pain makes you flinch.

“Sorry, baby,” he whispers. “I know it hurts, but it’ll get the swelling down.”

Baby. He’s never called you that before. He’s never treated you like you’re fragile before either. You hate it. You hate that you’ll never be the person he thought you were again after tonight. You’ll always be changed to him now.

You take the bag of peas from him and ice the bruise yourself, turning away to avoid his burning gaze.

“How long?” Steve asks quietly. “How long has he been hurting you?”

You shake your head, tears stinging your eyes again. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters, Y/N. Please, tell me.”

You squeeze your lids closed, head throbbing as well as your jaw. “A couple months.”

Steve pushes off the stool so quickly that the chair legs squeal against the tiles, raking his hand through his hair as he huffs and paces. “A couple months,” he repeats incredulously. “How the hell didn’t I notice?”

“Because I hid it.”

“Why?”

“Because… I thought…” You gulp down a sob. “I promised myself every time it would be the last time. But then he’d come back and he’d grovel and he’d make me feel special again, and I couldn’t give up on him. I thought I could help him. I thought I loved him. But I can’t. I don’t. And it’s pretty damn clear he doesn’t love me.”

“Fuck him!” Steve erupts finally, voice echoing through the kitchen. “He’s a piece of fucking shit, Y/N. You deserve so much better than this. I told you that. Over and over I told you you could do better—”

“You told me you wasn’t going to say ‘I told you so’!” you half-yell, half-cry.

Steve falls silent, nostrils flaring. He looks at you with more concern, more care, than you know what to do with. “I’m sorry, okay? I just… I never understood. I never understood why it had to be him.”

Because the one you’d really wanted was always dating other women or else hung up on his ex. Because you wanted to get over your best friend. Or maybe you wanted to make him jealous.

And hadn’t it all backfired?

Steve bites his lip, expression pained as he walks back towards you. Gently, he tucks your hair behind your ear, and you can no longer escape his gaze. “You can’t go back to him this time.”

“I know.”

“Promise me.”

“I won’t, Steve. I promise.”

“If he ever hurts you again, I swear to god…” He warns.

You massage your temple, resting your forehead against his chest as the sobs finally build to bursting. Your shoulders shake as you try to keep them silent, but still, Steve wraps his arms around you, drawing soothing circles along your spine.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. I’m right here,” he murmurs into your hair. You clutch onto him for all it's worth just to make sure it’s true. “I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

Your hair sticks to his clothes as you break away to look up at him. He’s never said that either, and it makes you burn with something altogether different. You want so badly for him to mean it differently to how you know he does. You want him to be in love with you.

“Even now?” you ask. “Even when I’m not strong anymore?”

“You’re always strong, This doesn’t change anything.” He swallows. “I’d never hurt you. You know that too, right?”

You sniffle, cupping his jaw. “Of course I do.”

“Then why…” He licks his lips, looking away. “Why him? Why not… why not me?”

The question leaves you speechless. You stare gormlessly up at him, trying to understand. “What?”

“I would give you everything if you let me. But you don’t let me. You choose an asshole. A dick who hurts you. I don’t understand why.”

“Steve…” You can barely breathe, fingers curling harder in the bag of frozen peas. “We’re best friends. I didn’t think you felt that way about me.”

“How the hell could I not?” he asks.

It doesn’t feel real. None of it feels real. What he’s saying… “I thought you were still in love with Nancy.”

He scoffs as though the idea is ridiculous.

“You never told me,” you continue. “You never asked me out.”

“I didn’t think you wanted me to.”

Your heart begins to thunder in your chest. “I was afraid that if we went down that road, we’d ruin everything we have.”

“But you did feel something?” he asks, so still you wonder if he’s still breathing too, or if he’s as frozen as you and the damn peas.

You shrug in an attempt to play it down. “I…” But you can’t. Suddenly not telling him how you feel doesn’t seem like an option. You’ve already lost plenty tonight from playing it safe. From choosing the first guy who asked you out, the first guy who gave you attention. What's the point in pretending now?

“Yes.”

His face flickers with surprise, and something else. Relief, maybe. He inches so close that you can smell his cologne, feel his warmth. You have to tilt your head to look at him.

“I’m going to need time, Steve.” The thought of another relationship, even one with the man you trust more than anything, overwhelms you too much tonight. You need to remember who you were before Dean. You owe it to yourself.

Steve presses a soft kiss on your forehead. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

He takes your hand, lowering back onto the stool. You can’t stop looking at him; can’t stop breathing him in. God, all that time wasted. All the nights you suffered with Dean when you could have been falling in love with your best friend. It doesn't seem right.

But you trust Steve’s word. If he says he isn't going anywhere, then he isn't. So you squeeze his fingers gently and lean into him, resting your tired head on his shoulder as his arm snakes around your waist.

“Want me to kick his ass?” he murmurs.

You wrinkle your nose, shaking your head. “No. I want to be strong enough to kick it myself.”

“Then let me know when you’re ready. I’ll cheer you on.”

You almost laugh. Almost. “I’m tired, Steve,” you admit instead.

“I know, baby. Let’s go to bed.”

So that’s where you go, together, and though neither of you make a move, it feels like the start of something good. Finally, something good.

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biaswreckingfics · 2 years

Text

Blurred Lines: Part 13

Pairing: Kim Sunwoo x Female Reader

Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers AU, Roommates AU, Fuckboy AU

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: Kim Sunwoo

Previous Chapter

Slowly, you open your eyes and take in the sunlit room. Warmth surrounds your body, and you sigh in contentment. You couldn't be more comfortable if you were laying in a bed of clouds. Turning your head slightly, you find Sunwoo's face on the pillow next to you. His arms are still wrapped securely around your body like he didn't let go of you the entire night, and your legs are tangled up in each other. This is a complete 180 from the way you woke up yesterday.

You admire his face as he sleeps. The way his eyelashes splay across his cheek and his plump lips are slightly parted makes your heart flutter. He's so pretty that it almost hurts. A part of you wants to reach up and lightly run a hand over his smooth skin, but you're scared to shatter the illusion in front of you. If you move, you might wake him up, and then your leisurely staring will have to be finished.

A bang sounds in the cabin, followed by Haknyeon's mumbled swearing. With a wince, you glance at the bedroom door, knowing all too well what he's feeling right now. You do pity him, honestly, but you don't feel bad for taking his spot. Then, you wouldn't have woken up to this beautiful sight in front of you.

You look back at Sunwoo to find him silently watching you. You jump, slightly startled by him being awake, and he closes his eyes with a light smile on his face. His arms tighten around you, intent on holding you for a little while longer, and you curl yourself into him once more.

"Good morning," he finally says, in a deep, gravelly morning voice that has absolutely no business being that sexy.

You're suddenly glad your face is below his because the sound shocks you to your core, sending tingles throughout your body. It's definitely showing on your face as you stare in disbelief at his neck too. Which… How have you never noticed how pretty his neck is? Why is everything about this man so damn attractive?

"Morning," you squeak out before it can become awkward.

"How'd you sleep?"

"I never want to get up from this spot. I'm so comfortable right now."

His arms tighten around you. "Then, let's stay here all day."

You know if you look up at his face, you're going to see his mischievousness twinkling in his eyes. The two of you in bed all day? That would undoubtedly lead to only one thing because you're sure you'll have zero self-control when it comes to the man in front of you. Now that the two of you have crossed a certain line, there's absolutely no going back.

More swearing comes from the living room. You pull back and look at Sunwoo with a grimace. "I don't think Haknyeon had such a good night."

Sunwoo shrugs his shoulders. "Better him than you."

You lightly swat his chest. Even if you agree with him, you shouldn't say it. He grins and lets out a sexy, "What? You don't agree?"

"Behave," you try to give him a stern look, but it immediately dissipates.

"I don't know how to behave." His hand presses into your back, and he tugs you impossibly closer to him. When he leans toward you to give you a kiss, you quickly put your hand up to cover your mouth and lean away.

His lips kiss your hand, and he pulls back with a pout. "Let me kiss you."

"No kissing until our teeth are brushed," you tell him, leaving no room for argument.

He rolls his eyes and leans toward you again. "I don't care about your morning breath. I want a kiss."

"I care," you push him back. "We've kissed once. We're not at the morning breath stage yet."

He gives you a sad look, but you notice the smile slowly creeping in. His arms casually move up your body, making you suspicious. When his hands grab each side of your head, you bring both hands up to your mouth to block him, but he doesn't go for your lips. Instead, he sprinkles your face with kisses. It's actually much more of an attack as he peppers them all over your eyes, nose, forehead, and cheeks.

You giggle, trying to twist your face away, but he doesn't let you. He kisses you all over until he's satisfied enough to stop. When he pulls away, you slowly open your eyes to watch for his next move. He hovers above you, smiling down at your now flushed face before he slowly leans down and gives your forehead one last kiss. You completely melt into a giant puddle below him.

He falls back onto his side next to you, and you finally let your hands fall from your face. You turn to face him, and he watches you for a moment with a gentle smile.

"This is how I want to wake up, every day, for the rest of my life," he quietly says, catching you off guard. "Though, I'd like to kiss those beautiful lips of yours also."

His words leave you in stunned silence for a moment, but you're finally able to pull yourself together. "I'd like that too."

Eric and Sophia's voices join Haknyeon's out in the living room, and you know your private moment is about to be interrupted soon. You move your body completely against his and tuck yourself into him for a little while longer. His arms wrap around you, and the two of you lay there until you hear Eric goading you on from the living room. With a sigh, you both move to finally get up.

Before you're even fully standing, the bedroom door flies open, revealing a nosey Eric and scaring the shit out of you and Sunwoo. Once Sunwoo regains his balance, he closes his eyes and lets out a long, suffering sigh.

"You know, I'm not above reporting you to the police and accusing you of stalking," Sunwoo tells him before pushing past him into the living room.

Eric eyes Sunwoo as he passes and then turns his searching gaze onto you. The two of you stare at each other for a moment before Eric turns around and follows Sunwoo.

"I can't tell if I'm upset about finding you both boringly clothed or not," Eric sighs.

"Excuse me?" Sophia asks while Haknyeon mutters, "Good grief."

You move out into the living room to find the other two draped across the couch. Sleep is still in their eyes as they try to wake up. Sunwoo leans against the wall next to the bedroom door, pointedly ignoring Eric.

You glance over at Haknyeon and give him a sympathetic smile. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not as good as you did," he grumpily replies.

"I slept great because I didn't hear a single peep in the cabin last night," Eric smiles smugly. “Not even the tiniest scuffle of a bed frame.”

Sunwoo rolls his eyes and wordlessly heads into the bedroom. He comes out seconds later with a pile of clothes and goes straight to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Haknyeon looks over at Eric with furrowed brows. "You know you're being really annoying, right?"

Eric scoffs. "You think I didn't get shit from him when I started dating Sophia? This is sweet, sweet revenge."

It finally clicks in your head why Eric is so persistent when it comes to Sunwoo and you. First, he is enjoying messing with Sunwoo, but also, it's pure payback for whatever Sunwoo did to him. Unfortunately, you’re collateral damage.

The sound of the shower turns on, and Sophia suddenly sits up with a curse. You look over at her curiously, noticing her glancing at the bathroom door. "What's up, Soph?"

"I left my phone in there… Do you think you can get it for me?"

You nod and move to the bathroom door before suspicion overtakes you. You look back at her with narrowed eyes. She quickly throws her hands up and shakes her head. With her wide eyes, she looks like the perfect picture of innocence, and you're satisfied this isn't the duo messing with you.

When you knock on the door, you hear Sunwoo's muffled "come in". You slowly open the door and peek in, eyes going wide at the sight in front of you.

Sunwoo grins, standing clad in his boxer briefs while he brushes his teeth. His eyebrows raise when he sees it's you, and he asks around the toothbrush, "You coming to join me?"

"In your dreams, Sunwoo," you reply as you do your absolute best not to ogle his nearly naked body.

"Have I dreamt about you showering with me?" He pretends to think. "Oh, absolutely. Now, it's just up to you to make it happen."

He sends you a wink, and you roll your eyes. "Just focus on brushing your teeth."

You glance around the small room, but Sunwoo has you so flustered that you've nearly forgotten what you came in here for. Soph. Sophia's… Sophia's phone! Yes, that.

"Is that what you’re looking for?" Sunwoo asks, pointing at the wanted object at the end of the counter.

"Yes, thank you," you respond as you move past him to grab it. You keep your eyes solely fixed on her phone and take deep breaths to keep focused. You almost yell at yourself for being so ridiculous. You literally just saw his body yesterday. Granted, he didn't have on tight underwear that hugged his package… quite nicely, if you're being honest… and you are so not thinking about Sunwoo's dick right now.

You grab the phone and nearly trip over yourself to get out of the bathroom. Sunwoo's laugh follows you as you slam the door shut. When you look up, you see Sophia's startled face right in front of you. She glances at the closed door behind you before looking back at you, attempting to keep the smile from reaching her lips. You shove the phone into her hand and immediately close yourself in the bedroom until the bathroom is free and you can get ready.

When you join the rest of the group for breakfast, you've already mentally prepared yourself for the teasing. Luckily, Sunwoo came out before you, so you're selfishly hoping that he got the majority of it and that the rest of them got it out of their systems. Of course, the moment you drop into a seat, it's like they become rejuvenated.

"There she is," Hyunjae smirks at you. "I hear that your cabin was quite boring last night."

Sunwoo sighs loudly. "Are we really doing this again? Really?"

Hyunjae throws a glare his way. "Don't ruin my fun."

"How was everybody's sleep?" You ask, hoping to get them to focus on something else.

Chanhee immediately groans in response. "Those couches are no joke. I see why you all were having such a big fit yesterday."

Hyunjae furrows his brows before shaking his head. "I'll ignore that since you now understand our pain."

"Well, I slept blissfully because it was so -"

"Shut it," Sophia interrupts Eric, stopping him from bringing the conversation back to you and Sunwoo.

Eric frowns as Sunwoo stands up from his seat, telling Sophia "thank you" when he passes her. Your eyes follow him to the table you all have set up for meals, and you silently watch for a moment as he makes himself a plate. You can't help but think about how cute he looks with his hair all poofy and nearly drowning in his baggy hoodie.

A throat clearing catches your attention, and you turn to see Kevin smirking at you.

"He's so cute, isn't he?" Kevin dreamily asks, fluttering his lashes like some 80's movie lead.

You playfully smack his arm, partly because he’s messing with you, but mostly to get him to stop doing that thing with his eyes. It's creeping you out.

"Yes. He is very cute." You give him a smug look in return to show him that his teasing won't get to you. When a smile grows on Kevin's face, you think he's amused by you, but you quickly learn that's not the case.

"I hope you're talking about me," Sunwoo's low voice vibrates in your ear, causing you to slightly jump.

He lets out a low chuckle, not moving any further away from you. His warm breath tickles your neck, and you do your best to fight off a shiver.

"Sorry. I was actually talking about someone else," you quietly respond, turning to face him.

He pulls away with a frown and looks down at the plate in his hands. "I guess I'll just give this lovingly made breakfast to someone who actually thinks I'm cute then."

Your eyes fall down to the plate he's holding in surprise. Cut up fruit, scrambled eggs, and jam-covered toast greet your eyes and your mouth parts. "You made that for me?"

"Well, not anymore," he pouts. "I guess I'll just have to eat it myself."

He turns to walk away, and you quickly grab his hoodie to stop him. "Of course, I was talking about you. You're the cutest boy here."

As a smile grows on his face, Kevin scoffs. "Now, I wouldn't go that far."

"Nobody asked you," you respond as Sunwoo places the plate on your lap.

You hear a couple of "awes" come from around you as you happily eat the food Sunwoo prepared for you. You look up from your plate to see some of the group members looking fondly at Sunwoo like they're proud of him for what he did. You'd laugh if you didn't feel so warm and gooey on the inside.

Sophia throws a glare at Eric. "Why do you never do anything like that for me?"

You nearly choke on your eggs as Eric sputters in response before he turns on Sunwoo. "Quit making me look bad!"

When you look over at Sunwoo, you see him ignoring the couple. He's watching you eat the food he gave you with a content smile on his face instead.

Once you’re finished eating, you notice most of the group has migrated over to the playset behind you. Getting up from your seat, you throw your plate into the trash and make a dash for the swing Sangyeon had just vacated.

Changmin blinks at you in surprise when you plop down next to him. "Where the hell did you come from?"

You grin and immediately push off from the sand. You've always loved swings, and just because you're an adult now doesn't mean that childlike playfulness has left you. You'd still have a competition to see who can swing the highest if someone was interested.

A smile grows on your face as you lightly swing back and forth. The slight breeze pushes your hair around, and you bring your hand up to push it away. In the process, your eyes fall on Sunwoo, standing across from you with his hands in his pockets. He smiles at you, which is enough to cause your heart to thump, but then he takes it a step further and sends you a wink as well.

You forget to pump your legs as you stare at the bold boy, which, of course, he notices. He notices everything about you. The momentum of the swing slows down, and you allow it to come to a near stop in favor of tuning into the conversation around you. Various members of your group are draped over the scattered playground equipment. Some sit on the wooden deck at the top of the slide. Some slowly spin in a circle on the merry-go-round. Others sit in the sand, but they're all talking about one thing: their futures.

Looking down at your flip-flops, you try to picture what you're next year will look like. It's likely your last year of university unless you decide to pursue higher education. Plus, your roommate will be back soon from her time abroad. Will you stay at your apartment? Will you move? What will the rest of the group do? Will they stick around? Will Sunwoo? What are his plans?

A hand brushes against your back, and you tilt your head up to see Sunwoo hovering over you. His eyes search yours for a moment before he asks, "What are you thinking about?"

"The same thing everyone else is."

He hums in acknowledgment, looking less worried about it than you're starting to feel. "Want me to push you?"

"Push me towards what?" You ask in confusion, causing his eyes to sparkle in amusement.

"On the swing, you dork."

Embarrassment floods your system, but the look on Sunwoo's face tells you that you have nothing to be embarrassed about. "Okay."

You face forward, only jumping slightly when Sunwoo's hands wrap around your waist. He pulls you back to give you momentum. The thought that he should be holding the swing and not you crosses your mind, but you ignore it. You like when his hands are on you, and you'd like it even more if he kept them there.

He pushes you forward, and you grip the chains tightly as you fly through the air. The sudden commotion causes the group to look your way. Soon, the topic of the future is pushed aside, and you're all back in the present where you should be. Eric gets up, yelling about how he wants to be pushed too. He marches toward a flabbergasted Changmin and pouts until he gets his way.

Sunwoo must've enjoyed the reaction you had when he put his hands on you on the swings, or maybe it was that combined with the shivers you got when he spoke in your ear, but for the rest of the day, he decides to mess with you some more.

A twinkle stays in his eyes as he finds more reasons to make you flustered. He brushes against your back whenever he walks by or leans over you to grab something every single chance he gets. He teases you the moment he can see it affects you, and it quickly becomes a game to him. He clearly likes to see what he can do or say that gets a reaction out of you, and he likes to see if he can do it quicker each time. Throughout the day, you become more frazzled until you're positive you feel like a giant, raw nerve ending. One touch from Sunwoo, and you're nearly coming out of your skin.

There are even moments when you feel heat travel through your body, quickly settling in your lower abdomen, and you need to grab a drink of something cold to calm you down. You're unsure if his goal is to turn you on or if he's just messing with you, but you can feel the tension cord inside of you getting close enough to snapping. A dangerous intensity is building between the two of you, and you knew the climax was coming soon. Hopefully, literally.

When dinner comes around, everyone pitches in, doing what they can to make it flow seamlessly. So, when someone asks you if you can run to the furthest cabin to grab some spices from the kitchen, you jump up without hesitation, especially since that cabin is yours.

You make the trek to the small, wooden building and go straight to the kitchenette when you get inside. You go to the one cupboard on the left side and throw it open, surveying what's in there. Some of you brought your own spices, and even better, the owner of the cabins had some here for you already. The only issue is that they're on the top shelf, and pushed all the way to the back of the cupboard. Now, you're not too short to reach the top shelf of the cupboard, but the back of it? Come on.

The sound of the back door closing catches your attention, and you glance back to see Sunwoo approaching you. A part of you groans, wondering how he'll mess with you this time, but the other part of you is happy to have someone else's help. Sunwoo glances up at the spices and looks back at you.

"Need some help?"

"Yes, please," you turn to face him, happy to give up.

His voice drops an octave as he asks, "And what do I get out of it?"

You scoff. "To eat dinner."

He laughs at your sass and comes to a stop in front of you. Before you can get out of his way, he places both of his hands on the counter, trapping you between them. Your eyes widen at his sudden proximity, but you manage to keep it together… until he smirks at you.

"I don't know if I can really reach them from here," he says with a fake frown on his face. "I think I have to get closer."

He closes the distance between the two of you until your bodies are flush together. There's no room for you to step back, as you're already pushed against the counter, so you swallow and meet his stare. He admires your face for a moment, and a hint of pride burns through you when you see his throat bob.

You smirk at him in satisfaction until his face starts to get closer to yours. Your tough girl act diminishes instantly as your eyes fall to his lips. The urge to even pretend you're playing a game disappears because you care about nothing else except for his lips on yours. His eyes fall to your lips, and just when you think you're going to get what you want, Sunwoo whispers, "Got them".

Confused, you pull back from him. You search the amusement on his face to figure out what the hell he's talking about until he brings his hand up to your view. The two spice bottles you were reaching for sit in his relaxed grip, and a myriad of emotions hits you: irritation, disappointment, and annoyance.

You roll your eyes and push at his chest. "You're so fucking annoying."

He laughs. "What? Did you think I was going to kiss you senseless?"

When you don't respond, his smile slowly slips, and he licks his lips while his eyes fall to yours. "Did you want me to?"

"You know damn well I wanted you to, you asshat," you tell him, letting all of the frustration he's built up in you today come out.

"That's all you had to say, babe." A seriousness washes over him that startles you. When he puts the spices on the counter and invades your space again, you know the game is over. This is checkmate, and the winner is taking all.

When you focus back on his face, you notice his eyes are concentrated solely on your lips. Your tongue darts out to wet them, and his gaze fleets back to yours a moment later. The two of you stare into each other's eyes. Each of you lost in your own thoughts and feelings.

Sunwoo brings his hand up to your face, lightly spraying it on your cheek, and your eyes fall closed. His thumb travels to your lips, and he gently swipes it across the bottom one, causing them to part. Your eyes flutter open slow enough that you might as well have been waking up from a deep sleep. Sunwoo starts to lean toward you when a voice has you both pausing.

"I told you they'd be in here sucking each other's faces off."

The two of you pull away from each other, but only slightly. Glancing over Sunwoo's shoulder, you see Chanhee and Changmin watching you. One with his arms crossed in disgust and the other with amusement.

"At least they're still clothed, or this would be really awkward."

"Get out," Sunwoo throws over his shoulder through gritted teeth. He doesn't even bother to turn around and face them.

The amusement now rests on both of their faces. It's obvious they think it's funny that the younger one is kicking them out of the cabin. At the moment, though, you're in the same mindset as Sunwoo.

"Well, we can't go anywhere without the spices," Chanhee responds, causing Changmin to add, "Yeah, some of us would actually like to eat dinner tonight."

He pauses for a moment, thinking about his words before elaborating for absolutely no reason. "Like actual dinner. Food. Not whatever the two of you -"

Sunwoo quickly pulls away from you, grabbing the spices off the counter and marching toward the two older boys. They fight to keep the smiles off their faces as he shoves the spices in Changmin's hand.

His voice is so low that it nearly sounds like a growl when he says, "Don't come back."

Chanhee laughs loudly before turning around and walking back onto the deck. Changmin nods his head. "I'll let the others know you won't be joining us tonight."

"Do that," Sunwoo responds, watching the two walk away before turning his focus back on you. You've never seen him act this way, and holy hell is it a turn-on.

The two of you stare so intently at each other that it feels like there's no space between you at all. The air is heady with sexual tension, and you're not even sure a knife would be strong enough to cut through it. He stalks toward you - really, that's the only way to describe it - and resumes his earlier position. His hands easily caging you back against the counter.

He leans forward until his mouth is just below your ear, causing his warm breath to tingle against your neck. You shiver, allowing him to see how affected you are. When he drags his nose lightly against your neck, you tilt your head to give him more access while your eyes nearly go cross-eyed.

"I want you," he says, in a voice so low and hot that you nearly whimper. "So. Badly… I don't think I can wait another second."

"Then, don't," you whisper back.

He stiffens for a beat as his brain processes your consent. Then, he immediately moves into action. His lips lightly kiss your neck before he attaches them, and he starts nibbling on your skin. His hands move to hold your waist while yours go to his chest, finding their way up to his neck. He pulls away the tiniest bit. Just enough for his lips to lightly brush up your neck, along your jaw, and then finally to your lips.

This isn't the same sweet, soft kiss you shared in the lake. It takes all of two seconds for it to become desperate. Your hands dive into the hair at the nape of his neck, and you tug him harder against your lips as you tilt your head.

Sunwoo deepens the kiss, letting his tongue explore your mouth in a way you didn't have time for last time. He pushes his body hard against yours, using the counter to his advantage. When his hand goes to your thigh and he lifts your leg up to get closer to you, you're thankful for the hard surface behind you. You whimper in the back of your throat, and when Sunwoo grinds against your clothed core, that whimper turns to a moan.

Sunwoo groans deeply, and you feel his member hardening against you. The desperate kiss becomes so much more. It's hot and heavy, punishing. You feel your mind slipping away from you. All you care about is Sunwoo's body against yours in an almost feverish way. Neither of you is holding back. You're showing each other all of your cards. It's like the floodgates of your feelings finally break open and wash over you.

Just as you reach a crescendo, Sunwoo slowly lets go of your leg and slows down the kiss. When he leans back, you try to catch your breath and slow your heart rate down. Sunwoo's not in a much better position. He's just as out of breath and flushed as you.

The two of you blink a couple of times, searching each other's swollen lips and dazed eyes. You both silently make the decision that this is it. It's time for this to go all the way like you both desperately want, and there will be absolutely no holding back.

Tagging: @wooya1224 @lilyujin @brie02 @itbtoblikethatsometimes @internetmemeofficial @timedoesntliketolisten @jungkooksworld18 @ja-jjangmyeon @noempathyy @sunwoosclouds @cowboyjaehyun @sanghak-enthusiast @simpforsunwoo @en-boyz @lavayeon @rindomo @kunxcii @love-svt @winterbeartaehyungbestboy @ilovechanhee @jisungsleftcheek @sunwoahkim @allorysayshi @thethreekims @dontflailmenow @dearestbutlost @sunwoossunflowers @flwrtbz @cloudsficrecs @ohgeezitsbreadgenie @glxwingstar @asjkdk @maybeifyoutrieddd @auroraichimaru

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nerdzzone · 2 years

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A Ghost of Christmas Past

Summary: After being kept apart by their busy schedules, Madeline and Chris reunite for the holidays.

Part of the Back To You series

18+

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December 24th 2012

“Merry Christmas!”

There are things in life - songs, smells, certain tastes - that trigger a feeling and take you right back to another moment in time. For Madeline, Lisa’s welcoming greeting as she swung open the door of her house with the sounds of Christmas music blasting out somewhere in the background was one of those things. She was immediately filled with the same comfort and contentment that she’d been lucky enough to experience every holiday season for as long as she could remember. No one had to work, the kids were done with school, there were no commitments weighing on anyone’s mind and for the next few days no one had anything to do but enjoy one of the rare times that everyone got to be together.

It was without a doubt her favourite time of year and she could already feel her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling as she returned the greeting, chorusing with her parents as Lisa ushered them all inside.

“I’m glad that you made it,” she commented as they slipped out of their coats and left their wet boots by the door. “As soon as the forecast changed last night and they said we’d be getting all this snow, I was worried you’d get stuck in New York. Chris even started looking at flights just in case the roads were too bad, but I think the airport is already getting pretty backed up too.”

Even just the mention of his name had Madeline’s heart fluttering with excitement and while she was looking forward to catching up with Lisa as well, she couldn’t hold back the question that had been burning in her mind since they’d been walking up the path to the door.

“Is he here? Is he home?”

They’d been texting all day as she updated him on their ETA, but he had mentioned earlier that he had a few errands to run so she wasn’t sure if the fact that he hadn’t appeared with Lisa to greet them was because he wasn’t there. However, before Lisa had a chance to answer, her dad jumped in.

“Wow,” he chuckled, glancing at his watch. “She made it almost one whole minute before she wanted to ditch us for Chris.”

“I just spent five hours in a car with you, Dad,” Madeline pointed out with a roll of her eyes. “I think we’ve had enough quality time together.”

“It’s fine, Chris has been the same. He’s been counting down the minutes until your arrival since he got here. We’re just not important anymore,” Lisa teased, continuing before Madeline could argue that claim. “He’s in the kitchen, he’s been helping me bake.”

Unable to wait even a moment longer, Madeline quickly excused herself and hurried off towards the kitchen.

Once again, it had been far too long since she’d seen Chris. Their original plan was for him to join her parents at the closing night of her recent show and drive back to Massachusetts with them after a few days of last minute Christmas shopping in the city - as was their tradition almost every year - but he’d been held up in L.A. with some press and meetings that he had no way of getting out of and he’d had to cancel their plans. They’d both been disappointed, but over the year and a half that they’d been together they’d gotten somewhat used to the stretches of time they were forced to spend apart.

However, that didn’t mean they were any less relieved and excited when they were finally reunited and as Madeline walked into Lisa’s kitchen - greeted by the sight of a very flustered Chris stirring a bowl of ingredients together - she had to admit that the feeling of complete joy that she got every time they finally reconnected was almost worth the pain of any distance between them.

“Oh, man,” Madeline giggled, catching Chris’ attention as a grin slid onto his face. “I wish I had my phone on me, the internet would love this.”

“I dunno about that,” he argued. “Photographic evidence of me ruining Ma’s cookies might shatter some illusions about me.”

“You ruined them? How?”

Madeline crossed the kitchen to look at the tray on the oven as Chris shrugged.

“I dunno, I followed her instructions and did everything she said, but they don’t look like hers.”

He gestured to the plate on the counter where the successful batches sat and Madeline immediately knew the issue.

“You used too much sugar,” she informed him. “That’s why they’re darker, but they’ll probably taste fine - especially after they’re decorated.”

“How do you know?” He asked as he leaned on the counter beside her. “I used exactly how much she told me too.”

“Sometimes even just a little bit too much can make a difference,” Madeline shrugged before a smirk slid onto her face. “But I know because I’m a woman of many talents.”

She flipped her hair for dramatic affect and the imperfect cookies were suddenly gone from Chris’ mind.

“I’m familiar with many of them,” Chris matched her smirk, reaching out to pull her gently towards him until she was pressed against his body. “I’ve missed you.”

The words fell from his lips as a sigh and Madeline smiled as she let her hands slide up to rest behind his neck.

“I missed you too. I hate it when we’re both so busy.”

“It’s the worst,” Chris agreed. “And I’m really sorry about missing your show…”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive you,” Madeline sarcastically informed him. “You’ve only seen me in the Nutcracker every year since I was twelve.”

“But still,” Chris smiled. “Every time is an absolute pleasure.”

If he hadn’t sounded so sincere, Madeline would have rolled her eyes, but she knew that he really did mean it. Ever since she’d started dancing, Chris had been her number one fan. Most teenage boys would probably consider going to ballet recitals to be a cruel form of torture, but Chris not only went to every recital that Madeline had, but he did it enthusiastically. He listened when she ranted about things she was struggling with, he celebrated with her when she had success and he genuinely took an interest in her life in the dance world that not many of her friends did. She knew that it could be hard to relate to, but he made an effort to understand and support her right from the start and she was incredibly grateful to him for that.

“You’re sweet,” she told him as her smile shifted into a smirk. “It’s a shame that your baking isn’t as good as your charm.”

Her teasing remark earned a dramatic gasp from Chris, but before he could voice his protests, she stretched up to silence him with a kiss. It was another feeling that truly felt like home to her. Every moment she was with Chris filled her with a contentment that was hard to find when he wasn’t nearby, but any moments of soft physical touch that they were able to sneak in amongst the chaos of their lives always had her feeling more love than she ever thought was possible.

Unfortunately, having their parents in the house was somewhat of a hindrance to their alone time and they pulled apart as they heard the sounds of them walking into the kitchen.

“Are you distracting him?” Lisa teased. “I left him with an important job to do.”

“He’s doing it wrong anyway,” Madeline smirked. “He used too much sugar.”

She moved back towards the tray to hold up a cookie as evidence of her claim despite the many protests coming from Chris, but it was her mother’s voice that got her attention.

“Oh, Madeline,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Clean yourself up!”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but the snickers of laughter from Chris had her immediately suspicious.

“What? What are you talking about?”

She craned her neck to try and see what had drawn everyone’s attention, but Chris smirked and told her to hold still as he pulled out his phone. She scoffed as he honed his camera in close to her bum and when he showed her the picture - with two floury hand prints clear on her leggings, one either side of her ass - she snorted out a laugh as she rolled her eyes.

“Chris!” She groaned as she quickly wiped away the mess he’d left. “You’re such a child.”

“I didn’t mean to!” He insisted despite his chuckles of amusement as he discreetly saved the photo that he’d taken. “Baking is just a messy job, but you should know that since you’re such an expert.”

“I’m not an expert just because I can tell how someone ruined a batch of cookies.”

“You said they weren’t ruined, you said they’d taste fine!”

“I was just trying to spare your feelings.”

Her inability to keep the grin off her face gave away her lie, but Chris shook his head in mock disbelief.

“This is unbelievable. I slave away all day and this is the thanks I get?”

“Sorry, kid,” Greg chimed in. “There’s no Hollywood yes-men here. If you mess up, we’re gonna call you out on it and hold you to the same standard as everyone else.”

A giggle slipped from Madeline’s lips at the indignation on Chris’ face, earning her a gentle swat on the arm from her disgruntled boyfriend and prompting his mother to step in.

“Alright, alright, leave poor Chris alone,” Lisa demanded as she rolled up her sleeves. “His cookies will be fine once they get a little icing on them, but if we don’t keep going then they won’t all be ready in time for the kids to decorate when they get here.”

“Are the rest of the decorations out yet?” Madeline’s mom, Connie, asked, waiting for Lisa to shake her head before she continued. “Then why don’t you three leave the baking to us and get the decorations ready for later?”

Madeline, Chris and Greg all nodded in agreement and Chris slipped an arm around Madeline’s waist as they followed Greg out of the kitchen.

It was another comfort-bringing Christmas tradition for the Evans and Daniels families. Every year for as long as any of them could remember, they’d spent Christmas together and before the big day they’d always gathered together to decorate the Evans family tree. Once everyone grew up and moved away, it became harder to coordinate a time when everyone was home to join in so they’d settled on making it a Christmas Eve tradition when it was guaranteed that everyone would be home.

So, that was how they spent their evening.

Scott, Shanna, and Carly and her family all arrived back at Lisa’s house just before dinner after spending the day enjoying the unexpected snowfall and the group settled in to eat their festive cookies - with Chris smugly noting that his cookies did taste just fine once the kids had smothered them in icing - and cover the tree in ornaments, reminiscing about all the years they’d spent together. It was refreshing for both Chris and Madeline to have those grounding moments - those moments that remained unchanged despite how busy their lives were - and they both soaked up as much family time as they possibly could.

However, they were also very much looking forward to getting time to have a moment alone. They’d stayed close together all evening - exchanging soft touches and gentle kisses whenever they possibly could, earning them plenty of teasing from Scott - but after the time they’d spent apart, they both craved the chance to be by themselves to really catch up. Which was why, when Connie yawned and suggested they wind down the activities for the night and reconvene in the morning, Chris and Madeline happily agreed.

Because of the unpredictable weather they’d been having, it had been unanimously agreed that everyone would stay the night in case the snow piled up and made driving difficult in the morning, but - after a brief discussion about sleeping arrangements - it was eventually decided that Madeline and Chris would spend the night at her parent’s house. It was only a couple of blocks away and well within walking distance and that freed up Chris’ old bedroom for his nephews to use. Chris dashed upstairs to grab what he’d need for the night and once he returned, they said their goodbyes and headed out into the snow.

It was calm outside as it always seemed to be after a heavy snowfall with the messy state of the roads keeping everyone home and the thick padding of snow on the ground seemingly absorbing all the sounds except for the crunching of their footsteps. Chris linked his arm with Madeline’s and pulled her shivering body close against his and they walked in silence until Greg spoke up.

“So, Chris, are you home for a while or do you have to race back to work right after the holidays?”

“Nah, I think I’ve got most of January to relax before I have to start thinking about work again,” Chris smiled. “Which means I get at least a month of being allowed to drink and eat things that actually taste good before I’m back on the superhero diet again.”

“It must be exhausting staying in shape like that,” Connie mused. “Especially once you start filming and work such long days.”

“Yeah, there isn’t much time to hit the gym once we start shooting,” Chris admitted. “That’s why I try to get in the best shape possible before so I have some wiggle room if I lose it a little as we go.”

“That’s a good plan,” Greg nodded. “And you know, I’ve actually been going to the gym lately too.”

That admission pulled a snort of laughter from Madeline, but Chris seemed genuinely intrigued.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep,” Greg nodded. “I’ve been trying to go at least four times a week so if you need any advice on getting swole, you just let me know.”

Chris bit back a laugh at the offer as Connie let out a groan and shook her head while Madeline giggled unashamedly and gave her dad a very skeptical look.

“Getting swole?” She questioned. “What does that even mean?”

“It’s slang, honey,” Greg informed her with a playful roll of his eyes. “It’s used in the gym rat community to describe someone with lots of muscles. Many people would probably use it to talk about your boyfriend, or at least they would when he’s in Captain America condition.”

“Hey now,” Chris smirked, lifting his free arm to flex his muscles in an attempt to demonstrate despite the thick winter coat that covered his arm. “I think I’m still pretty swole for an off-season.”

His use of her dad’s new slang had Madeline cringing, but her mother cringed for a different reason.

“Chris, please don’t encourage him,” she pleaded. “He got out of breath putting up our Christmas lights the other day, he has no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Because climbing up and down that ladder was hard work, that’s nothing to do with lifting weights!”

“Well, what about last week when you came home with a sore shoulder from getting too ambitious?”

“You have to push yourself, Connie,” he argued. “Or you’ll never improve.”

“But I think you’re supposed to make sure you do it safely,” Madeline pointed out. “You’re not supposed to push yourself so hard that you get injured.”

“It was one time!” Greg protested. “Most of the time I’m doing pretty good!”

His insistence earned a laugh from Madeline, an eye roll from his wife, and a smirk from Chris as he reached out to pat his back in a reassuring - but somewhat condescending - way.

“It’s okay, Greg, it’s a process. We can hit the gym together while I’m here and we’ll have you in superhero shape in no time!”

“Gee, thanks.”

Greg’s tone was flat as he was clearly unimpressed by the direction the conversation had taken, but - as was his nature - all was forgiven by the time they made it home. Considering what a long day they’d had - driving home from New York and all the celebrations that had happened that evening - everyone was happy to head straight to bed once they’d shed their wet coats and boots.

Madeline let Chris use the bathroom first, but when she finally came back to her childhood bedroom and saw Chris lounging on her bed in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs with a blissful smile on his face, she could barely hold back a grin of her own.

“I was hoping this outfit would earn me a smile,” Madeline admitted, referring to the short, red, and lacey nightgown she was wearing as she crawled onto the bed next to him. “But it seems like you’re pretty happy already.”

Chris chuckled and rolled onto his side, sliding a hand up and down the smooth material as he pulled her close towards him.

“I am happy,” he informed her, nestling his hips against hers and embracing the comfort of having her in his arms again. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

The sincerity in his voice has Madeline’s heart swelling in her chest as she lifted a hand to stroke his stubbly cheek and hooked her leg over his hip.

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Being here - at home - it always makes me feel good. Being around people who really know me, knowing I don’t have anyone to impress, it’s always the best feeling in the world,” he explained. “And now, getting to share that with you as my girl, not just a friend, it’s made a good thing even better. I feel like I need to pinch myself sometimes because I just can’t believe it’s real.”

“Awe, Chris,” Madeline murmured, feeling her emotions rising at his sweet words. “I feel the same way. I’ve always loved Christmas, but I have to admit that this year and last year have felt extra special.”

Chris nodded in agreement as best he could with his head leaning on the pillow beneath them before stretching up to press a soft kiss against her lips.

“I love you, Maddie.”

“I love you too.”

The sound of those words had the smile on Chris’ face reaching even wider before he captured her lips once again. His movements were still soft, his lips barely pressing against hers and the hunger that had built over their time apart had Madeline leaning in to deepen the kiss. Chris, however, had other plans and dipped his head, nudging her chin up with his nose as he trailed kisses down her throat. His hand that had settled on her thigh began to slowly creep up, pulling her temptingly smooth nightgown with it until the material bunched at her waist leaving Madeline exposed as he explored her soft skin.

He let his hands wander as he tried to savour the moment, but his need was quickly growing and his impatience had him quickly shifting her onto her back as he moved lower on her body and pushed the dress even higher until Madeline was eagerly pulling it over her head. He chuckled at the enthusiastic glint in her eye as he slid the rest of the way down her body until he was settled between her legs and when he parted her thighs, he let out a groan of pleasure at the sight.

“So pretty, baby,” he murmured. “I’ve been dyin’ to taste you all day.”

A smirk slid onto his face as he noticed the way his words made her quiver with anticipation, but he never could resist an opportunity to tease her as he slowly kissed his way up her thigh and pulled away when he reached the top. With her legs settled over his shoulders, he could feel her stroking his back with her feet as if she was urging him closer, trying to silently coax him into doing what he knew she wanted, but Chris was undeterred as he kept his movements slow and measured. Using a hand to spread her open to him even more, he gently blew on the damp skin he’d exposed and reveled in the soft whimper of pleasure his actions earned before moving away again to press his lips against her other thigh.

“Chris…”

His name fell from her lips in a whine as he toyed with her, taking his time as he trailed his lips and tongue all over her skin, everywhere except the spot she wanted him the most. He could see the effect he was having on her as the wetness gathered quickly between her legs and he felt a familiar sense of pride as seeing just how wet he could get her was one of his favourite challenges. However, while the time apart aided him in his task of working her up, it left her with much less patience then she usually had for his games and as he rested his face between her legs, letting the warmth of his breath wash over her, Madeline couldn’t resist the urge to press her hips up towards him.

Her eager actions earned a chuckle from Chris, but the tightening of his grip on her hips was a clear warning for her to behave so Madeline tried a different tactic as she let out a stream of mumbled pleading. Chris let her go on for a moment or two - enjoying the sound of her desperation - before giving in to her request and finally sliding his tongue between her folds.

The relief hit Madeline almost as much as the instant pleasure as his well-practiced tongue knew exactly what she needed. He traced over every inch of her, using expert precision to know just where to ease up and where to keep the pressure high, but as the sounds of her encouraging pants and moans of approval filled his ears, he reluctantly pulled away.

“Maddie, you know I love to hear you,” he assured her, feeling almost pained to have to finish his sentence. “But I don’t want anyone else to so you gotta keep quiet. Okay, baby?”

Madeline’s cheeks flooded with embarrassment as she knew who he was trying to prevent from hearing them and she eagerly nodded her head. He knew that in that moment, she would have agreed to almost anything to get him to return to what he’d been doing, but he trusted that she would do as he’d requested and settled back into the task at hand. Immediately, Madeline felt a rush of pleasure, her head falling back against the pillows as she bit her lip so hard that in her attempts to stifle herself she almost broke the skin.

Now that Chris had felt she’d been sufficiently teased, he was relentless and the sensation was almost too much for Madeline to handle. He focused his tongue on the little bundle of nerves that had been straining so desperately for his attention and he expertly lapped at it until he had Madeline writhing beneath him as her hands gripped the sheets. She whimpered out a warning of her impending release with another pleading request for him to keep going and as Chris tightened his grip on her hip once again to show he understood, he felt her fall apart beneath him.

Her hips instinctively pulled away from his touch as the muscles in her body tensed with pleasure, but he pressed forward and kept the pressure steady until she relaxed against the bed, panting from the strain of keeping herself quiet. He gave her a moment to catch her breath, returning his lips to soothingly kiss the inside of her shaking thighs, before moving back up the bed to soak in the sight of Madeline’s flushed cheeks and heaving chest.

“Chris…” She smiled, fighting to slow her racing heart. “That was amazing...”

“See?” Chris smirked. “The anticipation makes it worth the wait.”

Madeline knew he was right. She’d never admit it, but she loved when he teased her. She loved feeling so at his mercy and feeling like she wouldn’t be able to stand it for a moment longer when he finally gave her what she craved. She loved the slow mounting pressure and the smug look on his face as he teased her until she begged him to stop. It was a game she was more than happy to play, but that didn’t stop a smirk of her own from sliding onto her face as she slid a hand down to stroke him through the briefs he was wearing.

“You’re right,” she agreed as his eyes slid shut and he shuddered under her touch. “I was planning on pushing you straight onto your back to repay you for what you just did, but maybe it would be cruel to deprive you of a little anticipation too.”

Chris’ eyes immediately snapped back open with a warning look in them that had a shiver running down Madeline’s spine.

“I’ve had enough anticipation,” he assured her, moving his hand down to his underwear and shifting slightly as he pushed it down his legs and discarded it. “I’m hard as a rock. You know what going down on you does to me. Your smell, your taste, seeing you lose control, it drives me fuckin’ wild.”

She’d moved her hand back to stroke him once his last piece of clothing was out of the way and the feeling of him just slightly leaking confirmed his statement. Knowing that he was so worked up from pleasuring her, Madeline felt a fresh pang of arousal despite her recent release and she stretched up to press her lips against his as she hesitantly let him fall out of her hand before using her hips to maneuver him onto his back.

He let her take the lead as he rolled over and watched her straddling his hips, but once she’d lined him up with her entrance he couldn’t resist taking back some control as he thrust his hips up and slid himself inside her.

Despite the almost blinding pleasure he felt from finally feeling her tightly around him, he was immediately distracted by the sight of the blissful look on her face as a gasp fell from her lips. He settled his hips back on the bed and groaned as Madeline followed, but as he watched her shifting slightly as she tried to adjust to how deep the position allowed him to be, he found himself struck by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. The desperate need for relief that he’d been feeling moments before was suddenly pushed from his mind as he wondered how on earth he got lucky enough to end up where he was in that moment. To be with someone so passionate, so loving, so thoughtful and so fucking gorgeous had him feeling thankful for whatever he’d done in his life to deserve a chance with someone like Madeline and he was so unbelievably happy that she was his.

“Hey,” Madeline’s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she noticed his eyes growing glassy. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Chris croaked out, letting his hands run up and down her thighs as he fought to rein in his rising emotions. “Just can’t believe you’re really mine.”

It was an unexpected admission given the situation they were currently in and Madeline found herself quite caught off guard by it. It warmed her heart, but left her momentarily speechless and she leaned down to press her lips against his until she recovered enough to speak.

“I’ve always been yours,” she murmured, resting her forehead against his. “And I always will be.”

Chris nodded, not trusting his voice if he’d tried to speak, and took advantage of her new position to press his hips up towards her. The motion pulled another gasp from Madeline’s lips as her eyes drifted shut and Chris felt his emotions begin to simmer as a smile slid onto his face.

He knew her body and he knew her tells and he knew from her reaction that the angle of their bodies was letting him hit all the right places. After the time apart and the build up of watching her earlier pleasure, Chris was fighting to find some restraint, but he kept his pace slow and steady as he soaked in her stifled sounds and whimpers and focused on providing her as much pleasure as he could with every drag of his cock.

It didn’t take long for him to notice that she was getting close to another peak and he could see the strain on her face as she struggled to keep herself quiet. Chris felt a wave of pride that it was so easy for him to have her falling apart, but the genuine struggle he could see her fighting through had him taking pity on her. Using his hands that had settled on her ass, he tilted her hips just enough to increase the friction on the bundle of nerves he’d been teasing earlier and the change - along with some grunted words of encouragement - was all it took to have Madeline falling over the edge again.

The feel of her clenching around him as her lips parted in a silent cry of pleasure had Chris letting out a soft groan of his own, but he waited for her body to relax against his chest before he changed his rhythm. His thrusts grew quicker and more sloppy as he chased the release he’d been craving and it took barely a few more moments before he dug his fingers into her skin as he choked back moans of his own and came undone beneath her.

Madeline stayed where she was, smiling against his chest until she felt his heartbeat return to normal as she fought with a similar feeling of adoration that had overcome Chris. She’d spent her entire life thinking that Chris was just an unattainable dream and now - even despite the logistical challenges they often faced in their relationship with their need to often be thousands of miles apart - she was determined to make the most of every moment she got to spend with him.

Rolling off of him and curling against his side, Madeline struggled for the words to convey what she was feeling, but as Chris leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head, she knew that there was nothing that needed to be said.

That is, until Chris stretched out a hand to check his phone and a grin slowly slid onto his face.

“It’s after midnight,” he informed her. “Merry Christmas, Maddie.”

The greeting once again filled Madeline’s heart with a warmth and comfort that almost brought tears to her eyes and she pressed a kiss against his chest before she replied.

“Merry Christmas.”

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