#he did nothing i'm just really very weak for handsome men and also he look like a sweetheart gdi

[rey-jake-therapist]

Lost Souls: chapter 2

Chapter 1 is here.

Summary:

"She knew it was foolish, but in that moment, it made her feel like she was in control again. She didn't have any expectations for anything to come of it, but she didn't care. At best, he would ask for her number and never call her. At worst, he wouldn't even bother because she was just a girl he picked up in a bar. And that was fine. He looked at her so intensely that her knees went weak." What would Mina refrain from doing what her husband seemed to do so easily? That's exactly what Mina thinks as Jake, the handsome stranger she met outside, comes back for her. Quickly, things get steamy... Too bad her past will abruptly get in the way.

Notes:

I've got to put a TRIGGER WARNING on this one: there will be a flashbacks of a rape that Mina went through in this chapter. It will be very brief and I don't go into details.

"You came back!" Mina replied, amused, before settling onto a barstool. She took off her coat, deciding to stay a little longer after all, and pretended not to notice her new "friend's" eyes following the movement of her coat and lingering on her bare shoulders.

"Yeah, I realized I gave you my favorite lighter," he said nonchalantly. "I miss it."

"Do you want me to give it back? I can do that," Mina offered cheekily.

"Nah, it was a gift! But you can have a drink with me, so I know where it is when I need it," he replied. "If you want to, of course."

"It's not like I have better plans," Mina admitted. "But I've been trying to get a drink for half an hour now. Do you think you can do better?"

The man chuckled. "Nothing could be easier," he claimed.

Here, in the mottled ambiance of the dimly lit nightclub, Mina could see him more clearly. He was incredibly handsome, with prominent cheekbones and a sharp jawline. His sharp blue eyes looked deep enough to get lost in. He knew he was attractive, as evidenced by his irritatingly smug smile. But as much as Mina wanted to wipe it off his face, she also didn't want him to leave. Not yet, at least.

And yet, Mina knew the type. Most likely a jerk. Everything about him screamed "I'm broken, I need to be fixed," but she had met too many men like him when she was younger. They were all so charming, with eyes full of empty promises, who took but rarely gave and were too lost to care. Mina had shed a tear or two over men like him before deciding to avoid them at all costs.

However, tonight was special. Nothing mattered anymore tonight, and how could he hurt her more than she already was anyway? Besides, he seemed to know the bartender, who approached them, swaying her hips and smiling - at him, of course - and Mina desperately needed a drink, maybe a fix even.

"Jake, it's been a while!" The beautiful, dark skinned brunette swiftly collected empty glasses from the bar, cleaning as she went.

Mina mentally noted his name, Jake. She liked the sound of it. It suited him.

"Has it really been that long? Did you miss me?" Jake asked, his voice sugary sweet.

The bartender laughed, admitting that she had missed him a little. Jake ordered a whiskey on ice and nodded towards Mina, signaling for her to place her order.

"She's been waiting for two hours, she's dehydrated! What are you paid for?" Jake teased, receiving a playful tap on the arm.

"Says the guy who serves pricey wines to snobby customers at a fancy restaurant! I bet you make twice my salary with your tips, you lazy bum," the young bartender retorted. "You couldn't last a day in a place like this!"

"Ahem," Mina cleared her throat. She appreciated their playful banter, but she was thirsty and eager to be served at last. She ordered a beer from the bartender, who apologized for being swamped with work. She returned shortly with their drinks and then went off to attend to other customers. But before leaving, she told Mina,

"Watch out for that guy!"

Jake looked mildly offended, but Mina just shrugged and responded after taking a sip of her beer, "Well, I'm not perfect either."

Jake gave her an intrigued look, but he was wise enough not to question her. Instead, he suggested they clink glasses, which Mina gladly accepted.

"So, Jake," Mina began. "You're a bartender at a restaurant. Is it your day off, or have you just finished your shift? By the way, I'm Mina."

"It's my day off. But like Corinne said, I'm a clown with an easy, overpaid job," he admitted, sounding almost proud. "But enough about me. Mina, Mina... What a lovely name. I don't hear it often, but it sounds familiar," he added.

“It’s from Coppola’s Dracula,” Mina explained, feeling slightly embarrassed. Jake looked surprised, prompting her to elaborate, “It's my mother's favorite movie. She watched it while she was pregnant with me. It's about Mina, who's believed to be the reincarnation of Dracula's dead wife. My mom ate that stuff up,” she chuckled nervously.

“I remember that movie. There are lights of red in your hair.. Isn't the redhead girl called Lucille, or Lucy? Something like that?” Jake inquired.

“Yeah, Lucy! I suppose my parents didn't want to name me after Dracula's whore,” she laughed nervously again before taking another, larger sip of her beer.

Mina suddenly realized how long it had been since she last talked to a stranger. It was exciting and refreshing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she sounded like a dimwit and that Jake would soon abandon her to find someone more intriguing to chat with.

She froze as she noticed something unexpected. When Mina paid attention to a man's eye color and his ring finger, it meant she liked him a lot, which was why her heart skipped a beat when she saw a ring on Jake's left hand.

“I didn't think you were married!” Mina feigned relaxation, but her heart wasn't in it. It was one thing to mess up her own marriage, but it was another to ruin someone else's.

“Married? Since when? With whom? Why didn't anybody tell me?” Jake asked, astonished but also amused at her claim. He seemed genuinely surprised, so Mina pointed to the large ring on his finger, which, upon closer examination, looked more like a signet ring than a wedding band.

“What's this?”

Jake quickly looked at his ring, then burst into laughter.

“Oh, this! Okay, it's on that finger, but it's not that type of ring. It's a gift from a young lady who's very dear to me, and I'm never going to take it off. I can't, I promised her.” He explained with a solemn tone.

“I see,” Mina whispered, not entirely satisfied with the answer. “And why aren't you with her instead of having drinks with a stranger in a bar?” She teased him.

Jake winced.

“Because it's already late, and she's probably asleep now, dreaming of princesses or whatever else twelve-year-old girls dream about,” he explained earnestly.

Mina groaned but couldn't help but laugh. Jake smirked and continued, “It's from my goddaughter Emily. She gave it to me two years ago to protect me. See, there's a cat! She says I'm like a cat because I never answer her father's calls but show up whenever I want to. She's a clever one!”

His smile grew wider as Mina's face turned red. She giggled and admitted, “I suppose I look foolish now.”

“No, you look jealous. It's alright. I like that,” he teased her, his smug grin returning. She rolled her eyes but didn't protest. She smirked and finished her beer instead. She was so thirsty that she had drunk it quickly, but she knew it wouldn't be enough.

“Speaking of…” he paused, mimicking the gesture she had made moments earlier. “…wedding rings, I have eyes too. What brings you here?”

Mina smirked and let out a long, weary sigh.

“It’s complicated,” she conceded.

Jake appeared receptive, even ignoring a phone call to give her his undivided attention. Mina shared fragments of her recent history, carefully chosen. She recounted her husband's infidelity and the searing betrayal she had experienced due to the unique circumstances. She also confided in him about their dysfunctional relationship and her urgent need for distance. She even admitted she wasn't entirely certain she wanted to return home anymore, not after the conversation she had had with Johnny earlier. She withheld certain details she had only divulged to Keisha. Disclosing all these facets of her life to a stranger was much easier than she had anticipated, Mina realized with a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps it was due to the numbness she had felt after her last conversation with Johnny, but she no longer felt anything at all. It was so liberating...

Jake was a good listener. He abstained from offering any commentary or guidance, which she was grateful for, but suggested that she might need something stronger than a beer.

"I loathe whiskey if that's what you're implying," Mina retorted, wincing at the thought.

Jake leaned closer and whispered with a seductive tone that sent shivers down her spine, "Nah, that's not what I had in mind. Do you trust me?"

Mina arched her eyebrows.

"Trust you? Trust you for what?"

Jake didn't respond, a behavior she instinctively identified as his modus operandi.

He summoned Corinne again with a commanding voice, already shouting for the second time. Even though the bartender cast an irritated look his way as she was already serving other patrons, she hastened over to them. Mina smirked, still pondering what Jake had in mind.

"Still here?" Corinne teased Jake. "Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend by now on Valentine's Day?! It's already past eleven, her shift must have ended by now!" She teased him, before winking at Mina. Mina was slightly disconcerted to learn that he had a girlfriend, but Jake's flustered expression was too comical not to chuckle.

"What girlfriend?" Jake queried, feigning ignorance but sounding unconvinced.

"You're asking me? Simone told me that you have a new girlfriend from the restaurant! I trust Simone when it comes to you. Plus, I know you've slept with all your coworkers, so it was just a matter of time before you banged the newbie!" Corinne added, while serving another client, who had taken advantage of her availability to order a drink.

“Ouch, bad idea…”Mina couldn’t help but comment on the ongoing discussion between Corinne and her new friend.

“You know Tess?” Corinne asked with curiosity.

Mina wondered for a few seconds what made her think that and looked puzzled, then shook her head and replied after an embarrassed giggled,

“Absolutely not, I’m not even from here. I was just saying, it’s always a bad idea to date a coworker. For me, at least! I never do it. It’s surely fine as long as everybody’s having fun, but it can quickly turn a workplace into hell on earth. I saw it happen too many times!” She added.

"Thank you!” Corinne exclaimed, before pointing a varnished nail on Jake. “See? It’ll cause you trouble someday. But don't come here to complain, ‘cause I’ve warned you!”

As Jake scoffed but side-eyed Mina, who grinned mischievously in response, Corinne continued,

“Anyways, Simone: she said that girl had spent the year chasing you, what took you so long? Oh, and that you'd probably break her heart. She also said it wouldn't be her problem, this time. Are you at odds with Simone? She seemed pretty upset a couple of days ago…

"Simone's full of shit," Jake grumbled. His smug smile was gone and he looked uncomfortable. "If Tess was my girlfriend, I would be with her, it's that simple. We're just having fun. That's it! Now can you be a doll and bring us two shots of tequila with lemon and salt? Please?" He then asked, slightly aggressive, and visibly nervous.

Corinne must have felt the sudden tension he displayed, as she grew cold and served them what he asked.

Mina, who had wisely remained uninvolved in the strife that opposed Corinne and Jake, raised her eyebrows when she heard his order.

"Tequila?" She asked, an ounce of skepticism in her voice.

"Yep! That's why I asked if you trusted me. I intend to get you really drunk tonight because my gut tells me you need that, but I need you to be comfortable or… it won't work," Jake explained, mischievous. He then took off his jacket, revealing a white t-shirt and an athletic torso.

"Honestly, it's way too early to trust you yet. Good luck for getting me drunk though, I'm a tough one,"

Mina then smirked and licked the skin between her thumb and her forefinger before sprinkling a small pinch of salt onto this area. Jake imitated her. They both licked the salt and raised their glasses to clink, downed their tequila shots and bit their limes, eyes locked on each other. Mina always enjoyed the sourness of the lime on her tongue and how it broke with the bitterness of the tequila. And she was enjoying Jake too, a little bit too much.

Another round of shots followed, then a third one, a fourth, a fifth... They chatted about everything and nothing: Mina especially caught herself being chatty about her current situation, while Jake remained very quiet about his.

After each round he came closer to her and almost never broke eye contact, except to look at her lips. His eyes, made of the deepest blue, seemed to gaze directly into her soul and made her feel weak, in a strangely good way. She knew now he wanted to kiss her as much as she did, and enjoyed the delicious feeling of being desired but wanted this moment to last as long as possible. Everytime she met someone she liked, this moment between the first words exchanged and the first kiss was the moment she preferred. There was nothing at stake yet, nothing life changing anyways. It was a comforting realization that if they parted ways now, no harm would be done.

Perhaps, in the future, they would reflect on this brief encounter with fondness. The moment was a respite from the pressures of life and the uncertainty of what the future held.

Mina felt a strong urge to touch Jake's bare arm as it casually rested on the bar, but an invisible string seemed to hold her back. She relaxed a bit when Jake pointed out her inhibition and began to giggle. “Mind you, I’m still not drunk. Only jetlagged!" she claimed, before laughing out loud as Jake put on a skeptical face. She revealed that she had been working as a waitress at a fancy restaurant for six years, but had decided to pursue a professional reconversion. After much contemplation, she had decided to return to her abandoned informatics studies and found a school. As she had experience in hacking, she explained to Jake that it seemed only logical to specialize in cybersecurity and pursue “a more lawful path”, as she proclaimed with a touch of mock solemnity in her voice.

It seemed to impress Jake, especially when she disclosed that she had hacked into her school's computer network at fifteen to lower her ex-boyfriend's grades after catching him cheating on her. Not stopping there, she had also exposed the illicit pictures stashed on her math teacher's hard drive, involving underage students.

“I would have never guessed. You don't strike me as a computer geek at all,” Jake pointed out.

Mina scoffed. “You mean I don't fit the stereotype? We're not all like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory!” She playfully teased him. “My stepfather’s a computer engineer and a genius who once hacked the FBI just for kicks. So, I don’t really have much credit; he taught me… Everything.” She emphasized the word ‘everything’, but Jake was way too impressed to catch on.

“He did what, for kicks?!”

“It was a bet with a friend,” Mina responded, shrugging.

No longer wishing to dwell on the topic of her stepfather, she abruptly turned to the bar and, after a few minutes of waiting, ordered another round of tequila shots. Jake seemed to sense she was shutting herself down, so he proposed they head to the lounge for a smoke. Mina cheerfully agreed. She knew she would quit smoking again eventually, but now was not the moment to exercise prudence.

The smokehouse was as crowded and smelly as Jake had described it. It was so cramped that moving without bumping into someone was difficult, and Mina had to apologize three times before they found a corner where they could smoke and talk quietly.

Jake stood so close to Mina that she could still smell his intoxicating cologne. His presence and the way his deep blue eyes stared into her soul were captivating. Mina still had Jake's lighter, so she lit his cigarette. They exchanged a brief smile as they puffed on their cigarettes, but Jake's phone started ringing again. Although he groaned and seemed reluctant to answer, Mina saw the name 'Tess' on the screen and felt empathy for this girl she didn't know at all.

"Why don't you pick up? You could say that you're busy and not interested in seeing her, perhaps? She might be worried about you," she said with a voice she wanted to sound severe.

Jake expressed his disapproval with a scoff, although Mina could sense a hint of regret in his sour expression.

"She shouldn't," he grumbled. Despite his reluctance, he eventually answered his girlfriend's call after an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, I missed your call. Sorry... I'm not going to the Home bar tonight, babe. No, I'm at home. I was just dozing off. Why? There's music playing because I turned it on. Are you doubting me now? ‘Cause this shit ain’t gonna fly with me, you know that!"

Mina found it amusing how Jake was trying to avoid his inquisitive girlfriend's questions, but she suddenly remembered her obligation to her best friend and her baby.

"Christ! I forgot about my best friend and her baby," she whispered as she slapped her forehead.

Jake looked confused, but he was still busy arguing with the girl over the phone. Mina pulled out her phone from her bag and switched it on for the first time since she had returned to the Omega Lounge.

She dreaded what she might find on her phone. She had hung up on her husband and hadn't given him a chance to call her back. She knew that there would be at least one, if not several messages waiting for her, but she wasn't in a rush to find out.

The first text was from Keisha, who informed Mina that everything was fine and that she, Ewan, and Zahra were back home. Mina felt slightly guilty for not responding to Keisha's message, but she promised herself that she would make it up to her friend in the morning.

The second message was a voicemail from Johnny. Mina took a deep breath and listened to it while Jake was still on the phone arguing with his girlfriend. She thought she was prepared for the worst, but she had clearly underestimated Johnny's anger. The atmosphere in the smoking lounge was hot and stifling, but Mina couldn't help but shiver as she heard her husband's voice tearing down their marriage, calling it a "scam," and regretting the day he had met her. He also said he was happier with Lyla than with her, claiming that it was only natural for him to laugh and communicate with someone, something he had always found impossible to do with Mina. Johnny repeated that he had never been happier or felt more free than he did now that she was gone, and urged her to stay in New York and never come back.

Despite knowing that Johnny was only trying to hurt her as revenge for her sudden departure, Mina was overwhelmed with emotions and tears streamed down her face. She wanted to stop the pain, but her fingers seemed frozen on her phone. When the voicemail finally ended, and the artificial female voice informed Mina that there were no new messages, she wordlessly dropped her phone into her purse.

" The child is grown

The dream is gone

I have become comfortably numb, " she heard Pink Floyd sing in her head.

Mina finally became aware of Jake's genuine concern as she turned to him, her eyes now awash with tears. She realized he must have finished his conversation long ago, and her heart sank as she wondered for how long he had watched her.

"Is everything okay? Did you get bad news?" Jake inquired, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Mina recoiled and stepped back, overcome with emotion. She turned away from him, ashamed of her tear-stained face. She had hoped to keep her emotions in check, but Jake's kindness had opened the floodgates, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

"I need to go to the bathroom," she choked out between sobs. "Please watch my things. I'll be right back."

Mina did not look back to see Jake's reaction. She knew it was risky leaving her purse with a man she barely knew, but her intuition told her he was not a thief and wouldn't leave before she returned to the smokehouse. Being alone in this unfamiliar place scared her more than the thought of her money being stolen. She rushed through the crowded nightclub, determined to find the bathroom.

As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, Mina was appalled to see mascara streaks running down her cheeks, giving her the appearance of a haunted, grey-eyed witch. She quickly wiped away the smudges and tried to tame her wild curls, which she hated. They reminded her of him - the man who used to love them. She scrutinized her cleaned face in the mirror, taking note of her striking features - her glamorous curls, her perky cheeks, her full lips and her big grey eyes made her undeniably pretty. Mina knew Jake would eventually invite her to his place for a final drink, but she was unsure if she was ready to take that leap. What seemed so simple to others always terrified her, raising questions she wasn't sure she was prepared to answer.

Mina longed to retrieve her phone from her bag to listen to Johnny's voicemail again, but she remembered she had entrusted her purse to Jake and shook her head in frustration. The realization that she might lose not only her means of payment and identification but also Keisha's and Johnny's phone numbers paralyzed her. She had never bothered to memorize Johnny's number or backup her contacts online. If Jake decided to abscond with her purse, she would be stranded and forced to file a complaint that would most likely be futile. She imagined herself on the street, standing at her apartment door, begging Johnny to let her in and confessing she had made yet another mistake. She recalled his harsh words echoing in her mind - "You always think you're better," "Find someone who loves you more," "I knew her better in two days than you in three," "You say we're toxic, but you're toxic," "Don't bother coming back…"-

Suddenly, Mina was jolted from her reverie by the sound of female voices, signaling the arrival of other women in the bathroom. Without a second thought, she retreated into one of the stalls and waited for the strangers to leave. But to her dismay, it soon became evident that the young women were here to stay, snorting cocaine away from prying eyes. Hearing these familiar sounds stirred up old demons in Mina, reminding her of a time when she would take anything that could be snorted or injected, without any regard for herself or others.

The temptation to join in became too strong, and she couldn't resist leaving the stall to ask the girls if they had any left to sell her. She explained that she didn't have her purse, but her boyfriend was waiting for her in the smoking lounge with it. She offered to pay them there, and to her surprise, one of the girls, a brunette, offered her the remainder of the cocaine with a smile, insisting she didn't need the money.

Mina felt a twinge of guilt as she walked back to the lounge, knowing she was on the brink of falling back into her old habits. But as she caught sight of Jake's handsome face in the crowd, all her reservations dissipated. He was smoking, as usual.

"Hey, I'm back!" she exclaimed, relieved to see him.

Jake teased her, "Long time no see. If you hadn't left your stuff here, I would have thought you ran away!"

Mina couldn't help but smile, and impulsively snatched the cigarette from his mouth and put it in the ashtray.

Taken aback, Jake didn't resist when Mina pulled him towards her and kissed him. It was a brief, impulsive kiss, but the delighted surprise in Jake's eyes made it all worth it. She knew it was foolish, but in that moment, it made her feel like she was in control again. She didn't have any expectations for anything to come of it, but she didn't care. At best, he would ask for her number and never call her. At worst, he wouldn't even bother because she was just a girl he picked up in a bar. And that was fine. He looked at her so intensely that her knees went weak.

"I've been wanting this for a while now," Mina admitted with a tender smile.

"I've been wanting this since the moment I saw you," Jake whispered huskily.

He brushed her lips gently, teasingly, sending shivers down her spine. She knew he was testing her. As the tip of his nose brushed her cheek, Mina opened her mouth, inviting him in. Emboldened, Jake's arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in his warmth. He pushed her roughly against the wall, and Mina moaned as he deepened the kiss. She clung to him, running her hands under his shirt and across his soft, sensitive skin. He shuddered and grabbed her hands, raising them above her head.

"Slow down, we're in a fucking smoking den," Jake whispered, followed by a short laugh.

Their breaths were heavy and loud as a growing fever took over them. Jake pushed her against the wall, still keeping her hands up and locked, and gave her another passionate, deep kiss. He wasn't just kissing her but devouring her like a feisty meal. His lips tasted of cigarettes, whiskey, and danger. Mina almost lost herself when he began to focus on her neck, licking and biting it. He was everything she had tried to escape from for years, but it was too late to turn back now. Not that she wanted to.

Recalling what she had in her pocket, and suspecting that Jake was a user, Mina gently pushed him away and, showing him a naughty smirk, revealed the small pouch of cocaine given to her by the girl she met in the bathroom.

"Hey, look what I found... interested?" she asked.

Jake raised his eyebrows and claimed he did not expect her to be into drugs, to which she replied that she was full of surprises. He then stated that he knew of a place where they would not be disturbed, and before Mina could ask where it was, his knuckles were sliding against hers and her hand was in his. She felt a warm rush over her whole being as he pressed his palm against her own and led her through the dancing crowd to a staircase she had not noticed before. She attempted to get an explanation from Jake, but he only encouraged her to follow him, his hand still holding hers.

They found themselves in front of a door that Jake opened and closed behind them as Mina entered. The room was dominated by a large table with eight chairs that occupied almost all of the space. Only a green plant in the corner provided a bit of cheer, but it was clearly parched. Mina watched Jake remove his jacket in silence and toss it onto the nearest chair back.

"It's a conference room," Jake announced. "They sometimes rent it during the day to companies that require a venue for their meetings," he explained.

"I thought you didn't like it here, but it seems you know every dark corner of this place!" Mina scoffed. She took off her coat slowly, relishing the sensation of his hungry eyes devouring her.

"I didn't say I wasn't offered a tour once or twice," Jake retorted.

"By Corinne?"

"Possibly…"

Jake grasped her by the waist and pulled her firmly against him. Mina squirmed, but suddenly her husband's face appeared in a corner of her mind, condemning her. Mina froze and shied away from his lips. Then she remembered that Johnny had done far worse. Keisha's advice was: “have fun”. Keisha would probably not approve of her using what she had in her pocket, but she was not present to stop her.

Mina shook the small pouch of white powder under Jake's nose.

"Guests first!" she quipped, with a small smile at the corner of her lips.

Jake chuckled, but took the pouch and used his credit card to prepare two lines. He then snorted the first one before making way for Mina. She hesitated for a few seconds, too brief for Jake to notice that she was not as confident as she seemed, but enough for her to convince herself that she was in control. She had quit drugs seven years ago when she met Johnny, who had been a tremendous support in helping her stay away from drugs. There was no danger of her relapsing. Not for one line... She wanted that line, and she wanted that man.

Everything will be fine.

As Mina swiftly snorted her line of cocaine, she sensed Jake's eyes fixed on her. The sensation of the drug infusing into her bloodstream was all too familiar, as if she had never stopped doing it. She felt instantly rejuvenated and more self-assured.

Suddenly, she gasped as Jake lifted her hair and delicately caressed the small hairs at the back of her neck. She knew he was teasing her, but she relished the attention. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine when his finger traced a line down her bare back, only to be halted by the barrier of her synthetic dress.

"You've got a tattoo down there," Jake murmured, his breath hot on her neck. "Is it a cherry tree?"

"It's a cherry branch," Mina replied, smirking. "It runs all the way down to my lower back."

"Nice, can I see it?" he asked, toying with the zipper of her dress. Mina's heart raced as she gripped the table with her hands, but she still answered weakly, "Sure..."

She heard Jake's breathing quicken as he unzipped her dress and pulled it apart to reveal the tattoo it concealed. He traced the pink flowers and followed the light brown line of the branch. Mina bit her lip in excitement, allowing Jake to continue. He pressed his body against hers and slid a hand under her dress to caress her thighs, while his other hand went to her shoulder and slowly slipped the straps of her dress off. Mina bit her lip harder, shivers running down her spine as Jake's fingers followed the curves of her body down to her hips.

"Your skin is so soft," Jake whispered into her ear with a deep, hoarse voice, before his mouth ravaged her neck with sudden, passionate kisses. Mina let out a cry of pleasure, which turned into a long moan when he pulled her hair to gain better access. She squirmed and pushed her hips against his erection. Jake growled and bit her tender skin, then slipped a hand into her panties. Mina stopped him, however, and turned to face him, eager to touch him as well.

She realized his eyes were a dazzling shade of cobalt blue as he looked at her breasts and whispered, "You're gorgeous..."

They exchanged a brief smile before Mina pulled his face towards hers and kissed him passionately. She then cheekily asked, "You don't expect me to be the only one like this, do you?"

Mina fiddled with Jake's shirt, indicating that she wanted him to take it off. He chuckled, but complied, revealing a torso and arms covered with tattoos and inscriptions. Mina blushed and ran her fingers over his silver necklace, stroking his chest hair before drawing him close and kissing his neck with the same fervor he had shown her. Jake moaned with pleasure, sliding his hands back under her dress and pulling her panties down to her feet. Mina gasped with excitement as he lifted her effortlessly onto the table.

"Spread your legs," Jake ordered.

Panting, dripping wet, Mina obeyed without a word.

"Good girl," he murmured, smirking.

"Don't be so sure of that…"

Jake’s smile grew larger. He dove on her to steal a kiss. Grinding her against the table in a tight embrace, he then put a hand between her legs. Feeling her wetness, he groaned with satisfaction and toyed with Mina’s desire for a few seconds, visibly enjoying the sight of her squirming and the strangled sounds that came from her mouth. Her moans intensified when he slid first one, then two fingers inside of her. She circled his waist with her legs and bit his shoulder to smoother the waves of pleasure that shook her to the core while he kept circling her clit. When she felt the orgasm coming, she pulled on his hair while her nails digged on his flesh so hard Jake let out a small scream followed by a brief laugh.

And then, as unexpected as it was unwelcome, the first flashback came.

The sound of another laugh, a way more sinister one, followed with the vision of her stranded on the hood of a car, helpless and terrified. ‘No!’

Mina blinked to chase the vision away. She kissed Jake and whispered in her ear,

"Fuck me,"

Jake met her words with a grunt of approval but kept caressing her, letting Mina unbuckle his belt and drop his pants to reveal his thick hard member. She took it in her hand and started stroking, making him moan and groan while he looked for a condom in the pocket of his jeans. Jake then pushed her down the table and lied on top of her, panting and grunting. Mina gasped, once again taken aback by the violence of his moves. She didn't dislike it, but she was once again unpleasantly distracted by another flashback.

Her shirt brutally ripped off her chest. A slap on the face, and injunction:  "Shut up!"

Mina tried to close her eyes and shook her head to kick the memories out. But it didn't work; soon, she couldn't tell if she was still in the conference room of the Omega Lounge with Jake, or battling with two men in an isolated parking lot in Los Angeles. She felt Jake's hands on her but could only hear a voice that haunted her nightmares for weeks,

"Hold that bitch down ".

" No," she whined. She begged, swore she wouldn't tell anybody. But he wouldn’t stop hurting her. He had told his friend he'd be next. "Just hold her down!"

"No, please stop it!" she screamed, forgetting where she was. “Just stop!!" She yelled again, trying to push an invisible enemy away.

Dumbfounded, but quick to react, Jake stood up immediately and retreated, taken aback. When Mina recovered her senses and saw his face showed no anger but only deep concern, shame took over her as she swiftly jumped off the table. Jake asked what happened but she shut him down and put her clothes back on as quickly as she could, all while avoiding eye contact with him. She was mortified, unable to speak after what was one of the most embarrassing moments in her entire life.

"Mina, don't…"

"I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I'm so, SO sorry," Mina abruptly interrupted Jake, before storming out of the conference room. She stubbornly ignored Jake as he tried to stop her and ran down the stairs so fast she almost missed a step. 

Barely conscious, Mina tried to run through the merry crowd of the Omega Lounge, but was slowed down by the dancers who bumped into her. She was crying and probably looked like a freak, Mina thought, but she didn't care about that now. She only wanted to leave the damn place but was still too disoriented to find her way out. The beats of the music resonating in her head were so loud it gave her a headache, and her head was spinning. Mina soon felt sick as if she was going to puke and the shivers on her arms made her realize at last she had left the conference room without her coat. She let out a groan of frustration as her empty hands also told her she had left her purse there. .

"I just need some fresh air. I'll go look for them after. Jake will probably be gone.

Feeling her cheeks were wet with her tears, she calmed down and dried them, then spotted the main entrance of the nightclub and walked decidedly towards it.

Just as she was going to open the large heavy door guarded by the tall and hulking Tony, a hand firmly grabbed her arms and stopped her progression. Taken aback, she abruptly pulled away and turned around to find herself in front of Jake, whose handsome face showed concern and disbelief.

"He must think I'm crazy,"

Mina still refused to meet his eyes, certain that she would die of shame if she did.

"Look I said I'm sorry," she muttered between clenched teeth, "I don't know what to tell you! It has nothing to do with you. I just want to go home now." She bit her lower lips as she realized she had said the word 'home', despite knowing that where she was coming back to was nothing like 'home'.

Tony, Keisha's friend who Mina had met the first time she had entered the Omega Lounge and had told her she could ask him anything, put himself between her and Jake and asked her, not before throwing a cursory glance at Jake who rolled his eyes,

"Are you alright? Does he bother you?"

Mina opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly interrupted by Jake, who ignored Tony and addressed her with undisguised impatience.

"I thought you might need these," he said, proffering the black coat and handbag he had been carrying under his arm. They belonged to Mina, and she felt her face turn crimson with embarrassment. Jake could have simply left her things on a chair and forgotten about her, but instead, he had chased after her.

Mina was flabbergasted and stuttered out an incoherent apology as she put her coat on. She stared at the floor, praying that it would open up and swallow her whole. However, Jake's tone softened, and he said, "You need food."

Mina was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you ate something?" Jake replied, his concern evident.

Mina scoffed but then had to admit that she hadn't eaten a proper meal since she had boarded the plane to New York. "I don't know… Does a cookie for lunch count?" she asked with a tired voice.

The shadow of a grin passed over Jake's lips. He suggested that she head to a nearby burger joint, which he described as "not bad." After an awkward silence, punctuated only by the loud electronic music blasting through the nightclub speakers, Jake wished Mina a good night and left the Omega Lounge.

Mina stood dumbfounded for a few seconds and stared at the large entrance door, her mind blank. Then, driven by an impulse, she left the nightclub and spotted Jake's tall, lean silhouette already far away from the Omega Lounge. She didn't know why, but she ran after him.

"Jake, wait!" Mina shouted, running as fast as she could to catch up with him.

Let me introduce you to the characters Mina and Jake

Chapter 3 is up here!

#sweetbitter #jake sweetbitter #jake x oc #fanfiction #jake gifs

[hongssami]

vague posting this in hopes to stop seeing sf9's jaeyoon on my dash

#he did nothing i'm just really very weak for handsome men and also he look like a sweetheart gdi #i am currently on his kprofiles page it's bad my dudes #anw please refrain from putting jaeyoon on my dash or i will have no other choice but to look at him #thank you have a great day #wingkkun babbles #dl

[forcebewitht]

You Must Really Be A Diamond...Because You're Still Shining For Me  (Aftermath Overblot!Jamil Viper X Reader) 

It had now been about an hour or two. Since Jamil fiercely kissed you. Since Jamil went on a rampage with the students as he Overblotted. Since your friends were swatted away like mere flies into the depths of the Scarabia Dorm. But, even still, Jamil kept you by his side and treated you like his little queen. And you, hoping that your friends would come and eventually bail you both out, simply played along. Jamil gave out orders to the Scarabia residents here and there, soon followed up by a sweet remark or brief quip to you. "Bring out the food and drinks! Today, we celebrate the day that simpleton of a sultan was overpowered and made way for someone more capable! Ahhh...I feel so refreshed...I've got an endless supply of magic…[Y/n], darling, won't you be a sweet little thing and tell those peons what you want? It also would make your Sultan very happy to hear your adoring words of praise once more~'' One of the Scarabia residents hung their head low, now groaning out a reply to the prior command like a zombie. Soon, the entire group was groaning out their praises, to which Jamil released a chuckle of triumph. "Hahaha...that's right. Tell me more about myself." Your nerves were shot, but nothing made you jump more than hearing some familiar voices pitch in. "You are incredibly handsome…"  That voice belonged to Azul, who very swiftly yet soundlessly seemed to be slinking through the crowd towards you. Once he caught your gaze, he sent you a wink that seemed to relieve your prior stress. Grim was next, gently stepping around the crowds of Jamil's brainwashed Scarabia residents. "Tall...and dark…"  Grim almost had a start when he looked at your current appearance, but given a slight head nod from you, he kept his mouth shut and kept going. Next was Jade, who was following closely behind Azul. "Your eyes are so angular...so intelligent…" Next was both Floyd and Kalim, who both flashed you bright smiles to ease your prior anxiety even more. "You're so fashionable~" "You look super strong, you know!" Nodding along with your friends, you gently pet Jamil under his chin. "I'm spellbound." Jamil's lips curled into a grin at you, allowing his head to turn. "Mmmmm...what a wonderful compliment…" Then, the other voices seemed to hit him all at once. His head snapped back over, his eyes widening in shock. "Geh- you're all-" 

Jamil seemed utterly shocked to his core as he slowly stood up, having a snake curl around your waist and gently place you on the ground beside his throne. "I sent you all flying into the middle of the desert! How did you get back here so quickly?!" You were silent and quick to slink back over to your friends as they began to explain..well, more like boasting- how they used Kalim's Unique Magic to fill up a river, along with Jade and Floyd's eel forms, to swiftly swim back over. Upon seeing you standing back with your team, Jamil's gaze softened for a moment, as though he was truly hurt. Then, it hardened all over again as he released a growl. Kalim soon stepped up with a determined look, everyone else getting into their battle poses under your direction. "I challenge you, Jamil...for the seat of Dormhead you stole from me. I plan to take it back." Jamil folded his arms, his prior, cold gaze growing even harsher at Kalim's claim. "I stole it? Hmph...big talk! Even though you're the one who stole everything from ME!" You blinked a few times in shock, allowing your head to tilt. There it was again...that same, faint sparkle near Jamil's heart as you had seen with Riddle, Leona, and Azul's hearts before. Like it was calling out to you for help. A sudden burst of power caught your attention, your gaze flicking back up to Jamil's. "Let me show all of you a taste of my true power! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" 

And with that, Jamil charged, already heading straight for Kalim. You were swift enough to dodge out of the way as Grim launched a fireball right at Jamil. It shot him right in the chest, the male releasing a grunt at the impact. His snakes flared and all hissed at Grim at the same time. With a swirl of his hand, one of them came off and began to swiftly slither towards Grim. It began to bite at the air, hoping to grasp the monster in its fangs. Grim began to run around in a circle, shouting something about not being a fan of the little pest in terror. Jade and Floyd both stood back to back, the two of them now launching their own attacks at Jamil. Jamil took the one from Jade but swatted the one from Floyd right back at him. The Tweel went flying into a nearby pile of carpets, to which Jade looked back to his twin to check on him. Once he was certain he was alright, given a thumbs up from beneath the carpets from Floyd, Jade continued his prior assault. Right after said attack, Kalim charged for Jamil, the two men now quite literally wrestling on the ground. Snakes began to nip and bite at Kalim, but the red-eyed boy held his ground. Using his Unique Magic, he began to pelt the snakes with water, making them hiss out in pain. Azul was swift to dart over to Grim, taking the head of the snake that was chasing him and crushing it under the bottom of his cane. Grim then turned, and with a battle cry, set the snake on fire. The snake soon dissolved into nothing more than pure ashes, to which Grim and Azul quickly high-fived and shared a smile for their efforts. Jamil soon kicked Kalim off of him entirely, now sending him flying right into the pile of carpets where Floyd had just been crawling out. The two boys collided with each other, now both Floyd and Kalim being within the pile at the same time. A snake curled around Jade's throat, now promptly choking the Tweel out. He began to choke, raising his arms and attempting to pull the snake off of him. You and Azul charged at the same time, Azul swiftly unlodging the snake from Jade's throat with his cane, and you smacked it down onto the ground with a nearby vase you had picked up. Shards of the antique flew everywhere as the snake hissed in pain. Grim charged over once more, setting this snake ablaze like he had with the one before. Once it was nothing more than ashes, Azul held onto Jade with an arm while you fished Kalim and Floyd out of their pile. Soon, your group turned their gazes onto Jamil, and they all began to fire multiple spells at once. Despite his overpowered state, Jamil was vulnerable due to his hysterics, like the others had been before. It didn't take long for Jamil to crouch onto a knee, those sparkles from before now seeming to trickle from within his very heart. 

His voice was weak and pained now. "Number...one….I thought...I could finally be free…." Now grasping the light, you arose and dashed to Jamil's side. His eyes weakly flickered up to meet your own. You gently held out your hand with a warm smile. Silence passed over the dorm. While Jamil seemed reluctant at first, he eventually took your hand in his own with a tear in his eye. You took hold of his other hand, now swiftly pulling him to his feet and ripping him towards you in a hug. Though he was taken aback, the male soon hugged you back, tears gently beginning to cascade down his face. Your vision began to turn white as a light was cast over both you and Jamil, making your group cover their eyes. You knew what time it was. Soon, you could see the foggy images and memories begin to play out of Jamil's past, his voice strong and clear despite you feeling like you were underwater. You could hear both his voice as a child's and Kalim's along with him, your form soon being swiftly pulled through the various scenes Jamil's inner self played out. "The earliest memory I have is of my parents bowing their heads in submission to Kalim's parents...I loathed seeing them like that." You turned your head as another memory popped up, one of Jamil's parents telling him to keep a losing streak up to Kalim. Your heart wretched at the sight. Shouldn't parents only wish the best for their children? "Kalim's family is way above my own...which means...he is above me. Therefore, whether it's grades, athletics, or games...I can never allow Kalim to surpass me." The coldness and pain in Jamil's voice as he spoke was undeniable. Your gaze softened even further than it had before, for you could see Jamil's hooded form standing directly beside you now as he kept on speaking. "To keep pace with Kalim, I pretend to be incapable of anything." Another memory of Kalim and Jamil began to play out as the figure of Jamil beside you seemed to stiffen. "...You haven't beaten me. I've been letting you win all along. With that airhead look….pay attention, Mr. Oblivious!" Another memory began to play out, but this time, it was of both Crowley and Kalim speaking. Crowley mentioned something about...a transfer? You soon felt your opinions on Crowley begin to shift. Was he really so easily bought? "Adults always say the same thing. "I'm sure you understand". But, who is going to try and understand me?" Jamil's hooded head soon turned to face you, his body turning to follow suit. He looked exhausted and pained. Kalim's voice soon came through the memory once more. "We have to work together, Jamil! Okay! Ahaha!" Jamil's body and voice began to shake as his eyes were filled with utter rage at the mere sound of Kalim's voice came through. "...E-enough…" Kalim's voice soon came through once more, his voice even brighter than before. "Jamil is the only one who'd never betray me!" Jamil began to shake even more, now beginning to curl in on himself in rage despite standing up. "THAT'S ENOUGH! Kalim, as long as you're there….I-i…I'll have to live my life handing everything over to you! I-i….even I want to be...number...one…" Your lips soon curled into an inviting smile. You turned to face Jamil as the last memory faded out. Taking both of his hands in yours, you beam up at the boy. His gaze soon flickered over to meet yours, silent tears running down his cheeks. But soon, his legs crumbled and he fell to his knees. You caught him and held the male close, allowing him to silently sob in your arms. Your vision soon began to fade to black…..

"Jamil….JAMIL!"  Kalim's voice was the first thing you heard as you began to reawaken. Your eyes fluttered open and you turned your head to the side. You and Jamil had both passed out side by side, still holding each other's hands. Soon, you begin to sit up as Jamil did the same. "Ugghhh….my head...where am…" Jamil slowly turned his head to you, then to everyone else. They were all crowded around the two of you. Everyone began to give their relieved statements, Jade and Floyd being the pair to help you stand completely. You hung back as Jamil and Kalim began to teasingly reconcile. Azul even began to praise Jamil on his tactics and intelligence and offered for the male to join Octavinelle, which Jamil declined with a wild smirk. Soon, you made your way over to a nearby fountain and sat down, letting your finger gently trace circles in the water below. The sound of footsteps caught your attention, to which your head turned. It was Jamil, who was now pulling his hood off. His gaze met yours and softened, the male's head now slanting at the sight of your figure. "[Y/n]. If it's not too much for me to ask….may I…" Soon gathering what he meant, you slid over for Jamil to take a seat. Jamil exhaled in relief, now taking his place beside you. His gaze soon trailed back over to the water as he seemed to carefully mull over his words. Thankfully, you were the one to begin to speak first. "If this is about the whole Overblot thing and the...lovely outfit change? Don't worry about it. I was fine." Jamil glanced over, already chuckling at your rather blunt statement. "Ah...you are rather bright. Although, I truly must...apologize for before. And...I know what you saw. What you heard. What you felt. We were both right there, after all. I….did not mean to lose my composure. You may hate me for that, little diamond...I will take it in stride." Jamil placed both of his hands onto his head, allowing his eyes to screw shut. You could have sworn you saw a few tears pricking his eyes. Glancing over to a blossoming vine nearby, you gently pluck a bright jasmine flower from the vine. Turning to Jamil, you learn over, now tucking this jasmine flower into his hair. Jamil's eyes flicker open in shock, his expression now a bit more loving than before. "....What...after all I did...you still…" He seemed to be at a loss for words. You smiled once the flower was in place, now taking both of his hands in your own once again. "Don't you worry, Jamil. I'm here for you. Now and always. Though I can't do anything about your struggles in the past, I can help you push through to the future. I've got your back." Jamil's eyes filled with tears once more, one breaking free from the rest and trickling down his face. He wipes it away with a hand, releasing a breathless chuckle at you. Then, he begins to smirk, now taking another jasmine flower nearby and placing it into your hair. "...Just know I won't go easy on you, either. I'm through with that." Jamil sent you a wink and you allowed your head to slightly tilt back in a laugh. "Ohhh, I didn't think so. I don't think I'd have it any other way. Just, promise me something? Don't turn into Medusa again, okay? Snakes are slimy." Jamil began to laugh right along with you at your quip, the two of you enjoying each other's company for the time being. Once your laughter had died down, you both met each other's gazes. Without a second thought, the two of you seemed to drift towards each other, a sweeter kiss than the one from before being shared. Jamil hummed into your lips as he gently cupped your face with his hands, a breeze being swept over your two forms. 

As you both separated, Jamil's gaze had softened once more. "You must truly be a diamond, [Y/n]...because you're still shining for me."

((Hey Hey Hey, everyone! Its finally here! I had a complete and total ball writing this one! The pain yet eventual happiness is real here! Next up will be Aftermath Overblot!Azul Ashengrotto x Reader! Hope you all enjoyed and I hope you have a fantastic day~💖🌹

Fanart Link: https://www.zerochan.net/3013185

#disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #disney #jamil viper #jamil viper x reader #overblot jamil #overblot jamil x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #original writing #twst jamil #twisted wonderland jamil

[forever-rogue]

Hello! Congrats on your follower milestone! 🥳🥳Can I request the prompt "Are you hitting on her for me?" with Pero Tovar? (I love the grumpy Spaniard) I'm a sucker for some hurt/comfort, but you decide where you want to take this. Thank you so much! 🥰🥰🥰🤗

Here we have just some soft, fluff! Enjoy!

Pero Tovar x Fem!Reader ; warnings: none

Pedro Characters Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

Working at the small, aging tavern wasn't an ideal situation but it was enough to pay the bills and then some. Plus free drinks every now and then. And getting to meet some interesting characters. Maybe it wasn't bad at all.

You had a lot of leeway and flexibility and if anything or anyone or anything ever got out of place, you were quick to put an end to it. Your fiery and no nonsense attitude had quickly earned you a reputation that you didn't mind.

So it was interesting when one particular man caused you to experience a bout of nerves. And hells, it wasn't even a stranger...this man had come around many times before whenever he was in the area which seemed to be an awful lot lately. Perhaps the mercenary had laid down his weapons and decided to take on a more and quiet life.

You'd catch his eye almost as soon as he'd walked in, offering up a nervous smile while he gave you a nod of acknowledgment. Was that a smile gracing his own features? 

Pushing away any thoughts - innocent or more lusty - you went back to preparing drinks for the Spaniard and his companion. It was just his usual, nothing fancy, and you quickly padded over to give it to them. Both men thanked you politely and you quickly scuttled away, ready to hide behind the counter. Your cheeks and whole body felt like they were on fire. And from what? A five second interaction in which you couldn't even meet his eyes? Pathetic, you chided yourself. 

Grabbing your previously discarded rag, you went back to scrubbing at the grimy counters.

The little looks and glances that were stolen between the two of you weren’t lost on either one of you. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

And so, it appeared anyway, the two of you continued your little cat and mouse game for some time. And what a wickedly fun little game it was - Pero, you’d learned his name some time ago but found it too intimate to use it, even think it to yourself, would come in and spend his evenings having a drink and reading by himself or in the company of another. He’s started to make it a point to greet you eagerly, and try to hold small conversations with you, coaxing out bits and pieces of yourself. In turn you did the same to him, trying to get to know as much as possible about the former mercenary. But it had never led anywhere more than friendly conversations or lingering looks and salutations. The idea of proposing anything more seemed to knock the wind right out of your sails. Instead you continued to dance the same dance, going round and round again. 

Maybe one day you’d get over him. Him - Pero Tovar - the one that had managed to make you feel small and weak. Yet somehow...you thoroughly enjoyed how he made you feel.

»»————-　♡　————-««

It was several months later when his companion, a man who’d also seen quite often, couldn’t take it anymore. But then again, there was only so much that could happen before it all gave way and snapped.

After a quiet round of drinks, the man had seemed to be having a lively discussion with Pero before shaking his head in amusement at the dark haired man. He stood up and shamelessly pointed at you, something you instantly noticed before making his way over. The look on Pero’s face was of shock and awe as he wished his friend would sit back down. 

“Wait,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “are you hitting on her for me?”

“You’re seemingly never going to do it,” he insisted with a coy little shrug, “might as well be me. I’m just pushing you both in the right direction!”

“I implore you to stop,” Pero groaned as his friend just gave him a wicked smirk but continued to walk towards you. He sighed heavily, wanting to slam his head on the table, “fuck.”

“Hello,” the pleasant voice caught your ear by surprise as you jumped from behind the counter where you had been organizing some supplies. Almost stumbling over your own feet, you caught yourself before offering him a small, but nervous smile.

“Hi,” you sounded as nervous as you felt, despite your best efforts, “h-how can I help you?”

“What was your name?” he asked as you gave it to him, trying your best not to glance back over at Pero, who was very pointedly looking away, “my friend over there, Pero, he’s quite smitten with you. He’d never admit it of course, but I figured if he wasn’t going to make a move I would for him.”

“I-I-I...umm. What?” seriously you couldn’t have heard him correctly. Pero...smitten with you? Impossible, “surely you have me mistaken for someone else. I’m just...I’m just…”

“The apple of his eye?” he challenged as you felt your whole face warm up, “he has not stopped talking about you for months. I told him that if he doesn’t gather up his courage and actually speak to you, I would do it for him. So here we are.”

“Oh,” you couldn’t but grin at his words, feeling Pero’s dark eyes on you, as he tried to read your reaction from the distance, “I...I’m quite fond of him too. He’s very kind...and handsome. He’s not like the others around here…”

“He’s a Spaniard!” he joked as you both laughed, “but if it should please you, I’m sure he’d be over the moon to enjoy your company.”

“Ay, that may be true,” you grinned from ear to ear, “but however, I still have duties to attend to.”

“How about we swap?”

“What?”

“Yes,” he held out his hand for the rag you were clutching onto, “how hard can it be? You speak to him, and I’ll handle the counter. Not like it’s terribly busy here, right?”

“I...okay,” you handed over the rag and shuffled around the counter, pulling your apron off and making quick work of discarding it as well, “thank you!”

Slowly making your way over to Pero, you watched as his face shifted through a series of emotions as he tried to remain calm. But before you fully approached him, he jumped out of his seat and pulled the chair opposite him out for you. Stopping short of him, you extended your hand to him, and he easily wrapped it up in his own, giving yours a firm squeeze, “Pero.”

“Querida,” he whispered softly before pointing at the chair. You sat down, wondering what the nickname - not that you minded. It sounded lovely coming from him either way, “I’m sorry about all that. He doesn’t know when to shut up.”

“It’s no matter,” you promised softly, “he’s right...I’ve been...wanting to spend time with you too. I just didn’t think it would be something that you wanted as well.”

“Of course it is,” he admitted, almost shy as a flush of red crept into his cheeks, “I’d really like that, I just needed a push in the right direction apparently.”

“Well,” you grabbed the old mug of ale on the table and knocked it against his, “cheers to that.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

Six Months Later

“Pero,” you grinned at the tickle of mustache as he kissed along your jaw and neck, your name spilling reverently off of his lips. You couldn’t help but as his hands found purchase on your waist as you tried to give him a gentle push back, “anyone can see, silly man!”

“Let them see,” he insisted in a low, teasing voice, “what are they going to do?”

“Brand us as the sinners we are,” you reminded him as you pulled his face up to meet yours, “they’re all the same - just like us - but you know how people get.”

“Then we’ll run away,” he suggested softly, and you weren’t sure if he was joking or quite serious. He traced a hand over your features, gently resting his hand on your cheek before pressing a chaste kiss to your forehead, “we’ll go and live in sin by the sea - just the two of us.”

“What if I wanted more than living in sin?” you asked softly, biting on your lip as you tried not to seem too forward, “I want it all, with you my love.”

“I will marry you in a heartbeat if you want it,” he promised as you nodded before beaming at him, “and make the most honest woman out of you for the world to see, while remaining sinful behind closed doors.”

“Such lofty promises,” you stole a quick kiss, “but will you make good on it? Truly?”

“Of course,” he insisted with a soft nod, “you are everything, querida, and I will give you everything you want.”

“A cottage by the sea, marriage, and perhaps a babe or two?”

“Consider it done,” Pero grinned from ear to ear as he picked you up and spun you in his arms, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Pero Tovar,” you whispered softly, “more than you will ever know.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

Permanent Taglist: @secretsweetscollectionblog  @sheridans-dynamos  @queenbbarnes  @persephonesnebula   @ah-callie  @blushingwueen  @thisis-theway @rosetophighlander  @rae-gar-targaryen    @hiscyarika  @readsalot73  @huliabitch  @ollyoxenfrees @coffeeandtodd  @beepbeepsephy   @scarlettwitcher  @nerdyknightwritersblog  @choicesarcade  @arrowswithwifi  @everythingaboutnothingstuff  @suckerfor-fanfics  @bestintheparsec @javihoney  @aeryntheofficial  @hail-doodles @engineeredfiction @aeryntheofficial  @asgardianvamp21  @keithseabrook27  @karmezii  @dearspacepirates  @thatsuitlooksgoodonyou  @paintballkid711 @mrpascals @lv7867 @artsymaddie @gooddaykate @rosiefridayrogersunday @heyitmelexie @criminalmind1927 @justanotherblonde23 @coni-martina @thewayofthemandalorian @phoenixhalliwell @lucifer @cosmoschick @kochamcie @linkpk88 @leaiorganas @nikkixostan @haley-the-comet @chibi-yuki @computeringturtle

#pero tovar #pero Tovar x reader #pero tovar x fem!reader #pero tovar x you #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #the great wall #forever-rogue's follower celebration

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

💎💍TO CATCH A THIEF💍💎

Prompt: Inspired by the song: To Catch A Thief by Lovage

Word Count: Really Long, girl 😩

Pairings: 1930’s Mob! Roman Reigns x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, smut (implied), murder, manipulation.

Tagging: @ziasaph , @marlananicole , @akiko-tanaka , @nicolewoo , @saccreigns , @mindofasagittaruis , @reigns-5sos , @auawdo , @lustyromantic , @babydee17 , @yungbludjazz360

Notes: As cliche as it sounds, I’m a truly lover of music and love different genres. I love to be able to show different types of bands/ projects/ music that sometimes people might not even know exists. So this little fic is inspired by one of my favorite music projects EVER: LOVAGE (it has Mike Patton on it, so of course I would love it! The man has been my musician crush since I was 9 years old! And he’s amazing, so). Y’all know the drill loves,sorry for misspellings,english isn’t my first language (bla bla bla),check out my other stories if you’d like to(it would make your girl here very happy 😊) You can check them out on my Masterlist. Okay,now let’s get to the fun part, shall we? Hope you’ll enjoy 😉

Of course I’ve heard of them and of course they’ve caught my interest! The Reigns’s and Uso’s were one of the biggest gangsters families among the USA, who were responsible for the biggest robberies across the country.

The current rumors spreading around the neighborhood swore they were here, hiding from the authorities, in our small little town.

And I would give anything to meet one of them. As the daughter of a prostitute, my only fate was to follow my mother’s footsteps but I am more ambitious than that! The only way to prosper in life is to be completely feared. Be feared not respected as Machiavelli himself taught. And I know, for a fact that, that is completely true! Growing up in the red light neighborhood had proved to be quite the life lesson, actually. ‘Don’t trust the police’, ‘Make alliances with criminals’, ‘Trust no one’, ‘Don’t snitch’, ‘You never hear or see anything’, ‘Mind your own business’, ‘Don’t allow people to mind YOUR business’, ‘Show no emotions’, ‘Always be smarter than your enemies’, were a few of those rules. People think that, for a woman to be perfectly successful in the 1930’s she needs to be a trophy wife, nothing more than a beautiful face with zero brains and a pair of open legs to a rich husband. But they are wrong! You see, any woman can use her beauty and charm to manipulate and conquer whatever she wants, but she can only maintain that manipulation power if she’s smart enough. I’ve had the town mayor, Mr. Heyman, gift me a beautiful diamond crown (that originally was meant to be his wife’s birthday present) just with some charm and sweet nothings whispered to him. I didn’t needed to warm his bed for it, I just had to be smart enough to understand his weaknesses and say the right words! I know what I want, so I get it, and believe me when I say: I will have Roman Reigns all to myself.

Things were disappearing in my neighborhood

Once again somebody was up to no good

I saw that you were wanted, but not like I wanted you

And that's when I knew I had to be with you

And that's when I knew if I didn't, I'd be through

To end my grief I'd have to catch a thief

Your love was my relief my love is your release.

Ah! Mayor Heyman’s high society ‘charity gala balls’ (aka meet your husband’s new mistress), were the most futile yet amusing events of this town. I wasn’t a high society woman, economically speaking but again I’m good at saying the right things to the right people. So it’s no surprise to see my name in the mayor’s guest list.

I entry the big doors of the city hall wearing my most recently acquisition: an emerald green velvet dress (gifted by the Senator John), my high heels (Another gift from Mr. Smith, the banker) and my hand purse (from the all so lovely Mayor Heyman)...Speak of the Devil.

“Y/N” He greeted

“Oh, Mayor Heyman. What an honor” I smiled sweetly

“Believe me, it’s my honor, dear” He kisses my hand in an flirtatious way. And it’s a good thing I’m great at keeping my gag reflex in control.

“Oh please, I’m the one who has to thank you for always reminding little old me for your tremendously chic events. I can’t express my gratitude enough for you always having so much compassion in your heart!” I scoot closer to him, slightly fixing his tie “It is such a shame that you’re a married man, mayor Heyman, I would have loved to be your wife” I whispered softly

He gulped “I can change that” He smirked

“Oh please, mayor!” I stepped back with a offended look on my face “As a Christian woman, I cannot support divorce! That is some type of thinking that will lead us directly back to sodom and gomorrah! I can’t believe you just said that to me” I make the sign of the cross

“I am so sorry, Y/N it was not my intention-“

“I am not a prostitute or a home wrecker, mayor Heyman! I am a woman devoted to the Lord and I will not accept or tolerate that type of language or insinuations towards me!”

“I am deeply sorry Y/N, I truly am! Let me make it up to you. Here” He fastly signed a blank check “Please take this”

“I can’t” I whisper, pretending embarrassment

“Please, Y/N! It’s the least I can do. You can use it for whatever you want, no matter the price. I could never offend you! You’re such an amazing woman. Please accept it!” His pleading eyes let me know I had him hooked.

I ‘reluctantly’ accepted “Well, thank you, so much” I murmur with tears upon my eyes

“No, I’m the one who has to thank you, for dismissing my ogre behavior” He smiled “I’ll leave you now, so you can fix your makeup”

“Thank you, mayor Heyman”

Once he’s out of my sight, I can drop the naïve girl routine.

“Impressive” A deep male voice spoke from behind me

When I turn around, my knees almost failed me... it was him.

“I beg your pardon?” I ask

“The little stunt you just did with the mayor, was truly impressive. I swear that if I didn’t saw you get out of your naïve christian woman character I would have one hundred percent believed too” He smirked

“Mr. Reigns. That’s a compliment coming from you”

“You know who I am”

I shrugged “I’ve heard a few things here and there”

He gets closer to me, until our faces almost touched

“Yeah? Tell me, Y/N. That’s your name right?” He asked and I nodded

“What have you heard, Y/N?”

“How your the head of the table on your family’s business” I mumbled

“How does a woman like you, know about my family’s business, Y/N?” He walks forward, making me step back until I my back reached a closed door.

“I was raised on the streets”

Roman’s eyebrows raise in surprise “Really? You don’t seem like the streets type” He said, caressing my cheek.

“I had to learn how to be more polished if I didn’t wanted to become a hooker”

“I see” He buried his nose on my neck, inhaling deeply my perfume as his hands rested on my waist “And I imagine your perfume is also a result from a similar scene with the mayor” Roman whispered in my ear

“The senator not the mayor” I cackled

He amusingly laughs on my ear “You have friends in high places, huh?” His hands moved up, cupping my breasts through the dress

“People use what they have, Mr. Reigns” I look into his eyes “You use you intimidating strength” I squeeze his biceps “And I use my womanly charm” I batted my lashes “They’re both means to an end”

Come into my window

It's open every night

That's where I'll be waiting

I'll keep off all the lights

I'm lying on my bed

Crown jewels on my head

The loud knocks on my front door made me quickly get up. Going down the stairs I can see a tall manly figure waiting for me to come and answer. I grab my Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless gun from the little drawer on my cupboard.

Placing my finger on the trigger I opened the door.

“Yes?” I ask harmlessly

“Mrs. Y/N?” The tall Samoan man asked

I nodded once

“My name is Jey and I’m here in behalf of Mr. Reigns”

I nodded again

“Why don’t you come and take a ride with me?” Jey coldly smiled

I'd never give you up

So come in from the cold, let your guard down

I'd hide you from the cops

Don't be frightened now my love

I'll take the life of crime, all to make you mine

The hotel room is big, fancy and very expensive by the looks of it. If I had to take a lucky guess, I would say that he’s not paying for anything in here, it is all a curtesy from the mayor.

“I’m glad you came” Roman smiles

“Did I had a choice?” I tilted my head

“No, you didn’t” He chuckled “Can I offer you anything to drink?”

“Are you going to drug me if I say yes?” I joke

“Depends on your answer to my proposal” He smirked

“Proposal?”

“Yes” Roman got up from his chair coming to stand in front of me

“You see, Y/N. You’re a very, very interesting woman. Ambitious, smart, charming, intelligent and gorgeous. You’re not easily scared, in fact, it looks like you enjoy danger” He pulled me closer to him, until our bodies were pressed together “I could use a woman like you in my business. At the gala ball you told me about your goals in life and I could see with my own eyes you successfully work your magic on every men in that room. So, what I propose to you is: come with me, I’m leaving town tomorrow and I would like for you to come with me, be a part of my team, use your looks and your brain to our favor.”

“And what’s in it for me?” I asked

“Money, power, jewels...Anything you want” He sincerely said

“What if I would like to add you to that package?” I whispered

Come in off that roof top

You're so handsome dressed in black

See you in the shadows

I'd like to see you on your back

Take this precious treasure

And I will treasure you

Roman smirked “So be it! If you want me too, then you can have me”

He leaned down, capturing my lips in a famished kiss. Pushing me down on the bed, his broad body hovering over mine, grinding, kissing, biting, panting, pounding and moaning until the first rays of sunshine from the next day peaked through the curtains...

6 MONTHS LATER

“What do you say about we take a drink, Mrs. Reigns?” Tony, my husband’s arch enemy and Capo of the Italian Mob asked

“I would love to” I smile sweetly as I hook my arm in his. Going to the back alley.

“I figured it was already time for you to leave that husband of yours for a real man, you know? And I knew you would come to me, sugar” Tony winked

“You’re right, Tony. I do need a real man” I smirked to the shadows when the gun fired.

Tony’s body fell down by my side on the dirty alley street

“But you didn’t thought you were that man, right?” I cackled

Roman’s arm circle around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

“Hello Tony” He smiled “Did you really thought you could have her?” Roman chuckled “C’mon, we both know she’s too much of a woman for you! You can’t handle it! I bet you’re regretting to have thought with your dick now, don’t you?”

“She will leave you eventually Reigns. Just wait for it!” Tony spat

I pressed my high heel on his chest wound, pressing it down and making Tony scream in agony

“You watch your mouth, you fucking fat pig! You know nothing, you ARE NOTHING! I would never leave Roman for you” I laugh “I will never leave him for anyone” I smile at him, aiming to his head and pressing the trigger right afterwards.

We'll run away my dear

Some place special have no fear

We'll even change our names

We'll be kinky, we'll be strange

I'll take the life of crime, all to make you mine

All to catch a thief

Your love is my relief, my love is your release

Your love is my relief, my love is your release

All to catch a thief

“You are perfect” Roman whispered, kissing me vigorously in front of Tony’s dead body. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here” He opened the passenger door of his Rolls Royce and I enter it.

Once we’re driving through the highway he says

“I can’t wait for us to get to the hotel” Roman kisses my hand, intertwining our fingers “I’m going to fuck you senseless” He growls

And I can’t help the happiness smile that spreads on my lips..

#roman reigns one shot #roman reigns x reader #roman reigns #roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns smut #roman reigns imagine #wwe x reader #wwe smut #wwe one shot #wwe imagine #wwe fanfiction #masochist writes #Spotify

[babygirlkiki1016]

Masterlist

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Company

"Do you have to leave?" Lani asked as she handed me my bag, she was always the nervous one.

"Yes, it's important. Take care of things while I'm gone, I have faith in you Lani. I'll be back before you know it." Lani was like a younger sister to me, the one always hiding behind the older one. While I was going to be missing, I put her in charge of the kingdom. She knew how everything worked, she was always there next to me when I was taking care of business anyhow. Of course, after a few days of traveling to the shire I wanted to turn back to see if she was alright, but I knew I had to keep going. And eventually, I stood in front of the green door with a dwarven letter carved into it. Taking a deep breath I knocked, and the voices I had heard went quiet. It's just a bunch of dwarves, nothing to be worried about. The door opened to reveal a hobbit, not as tall as me but he was up to my shoulders.

"Uh, c-come in." He steps to the side, and I walked forward, they must've been expecting me. Setting my bag down by the front door, I took in everything. It was small and cozy, I wish my home looked like this. Continuing on I came across the thirteen dwarves Gandalf had mentioned.

"This is Y/n Y/l/n, I believed she could be a wonderful asset to our quest." The raven-haired man couldn't keep his eyes off me, it was like he was dazed, now that I think about it every dwarf's gaze was still on me. Including a young man about my height, maybe even taller. I smirked, hello handsome, my cheeks burned a shade of crimson as I realized my thought process. Gandalf nudged the man to get his attention, and he snaps out of his trance.

"My name is Thorin Oakenshield, it is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." He bowed his head slightly, giving me a small smile.

"You won't be saying that in a few seconds," I muttered, Gandalf swallowed nervously as he said his next words carefully.

"I should mention, that Y/n is also...The Queen of The Digonisks. The Soul Of The Black Dragon." Everyone's eyes widened, but no one said a word except the blond man in the back.

"What's a Digonisk?"

"There dragons, and murderers." Thorin glared at me with a fire in those blue orbs. I just rolled my eyes, of course, that's what he thought of me. Yet how could we be the murderers when their kind slaughtered mine? "I want her out, that filth cannot come on this quest with us."

"'That filth' has a name you know, and for your information, it's not really up to you now is it?" I exclaimed, he went to protest but Gandalf held out his hand to silence him.

"She can help us Thorin, she has the ability to take down Smaug. She might be the only one who can."

"I don't care." He abruptly stood, not even a foot away from me. "Leave, or I'll strike you down where you stand." Silently, I conjured a dagger and placed right against his side making him gasp.

"You'll be dead before you can even draw your sword, you should be thankful I came to help. I could've easily said no and let karma continue it's pace. Especially after what your kin did to us, you took my home, killed my people! Your no better than Smaug himself. Now sit." I forced him back into his chair, his hand gripped tightly on his blade. He wants to play does he? Bring it on.

"Enough!" Gandalf stood, making the room fill with darkness. "I brought her along, and so she shall stay, if you try to lay a hand on her I won't hesitate to lay one on you." He was furious, but as he sat back down the room turned back to normal. Each dwarf was scowling at me, except the two in the back. Right, they don't know the history between us.

"It was nice meeting you, your majesty." I bowed, and turned back towards the door. "I'll be outside, tell me when we're leaving."

"Wait! You haven't even heard about-" Gandalf stands but I raise my hand, silencing him. "At least stay and listen." I stopped, I already new of their quest, there was no reason for me to be in this room. And none of them probably didn't want me to stay anyhow.

"You can sit by us." The man in the back offered, patting the seat next to him with a smile. The other's hissed at him but he ignored their comments, making my way to the end of the table, I sit between him and the blond. Both were slightly blushing, and staring at me with those beautiful eyes though trying to make it less obvious. Thorin continues to eat his stew, making very little eye-contact with me.

"Perhaps we could do introductions? I still only know two of the people in this room."

"Right, that would be best." Gandalf agreed, and he pointed to each individual as he named them off. "Here you have Thorin, the leader of our company. Bofur, with his brothers Bomber and Bifur, then Dwalin, Balin, Gloin, Oin, Dori, Nori and Ori. Then last but not least the two next to you, Kili and Fili." None of them seemed happy, if looks could kill I would've been dead the moment Gandalf mentioned what I was. When Gandalf named off Kili, he winked at me while slightly smirking. I winked back making him look away embarrassed, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked, looking over at his king, who nods.

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms."

"And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hill say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked, Thorin hesitated as he stated his answer.

"They will not come." The other dwarves become visibly upset, I decided that this might take awhile. So I played with the little flame that came from my finger, it didn't burn me for I was immune to fire. I was in my own mind, my own little world while humming a melody.

"Can she please leave?" I heard Thorin whisper, leaning closer to the wizard. "She does not belong here." Gandalf knew nothing would get done if I stayed, so he gives me a pleading look. Happily I left the table, and headed back outside, it felt nice out here. Sitting on the pavement I watched the stars, they were a lot farther away now. My kingdom was high up in the sky, higher than the mountain of Erebor. It's far above the clouds where no eye can see, Gandalf made it that way with the help of my mother's grimoire. He made what's called a floating island, only digonisks and wizards can enter. I heard the hobbit door open, and out came Kili with a bowl of food.

"Here." Kili smiled handing me a bowl of stew. "I thought you would be hungry, so I brought you some stew."

"I'm not eating that, especially not from a dwarf." He slowly brought it back to himself, he seemed upset for some reason.

"It's not poisoned if that's what your worried about." He muttered, sitting down next to me. "Here I can test taste it." He quickly took a bite, showing that it wasn't fatal. He handed it back to me with a look of hope.

"Thank you." I took it from him, and hesitantly took my first bite. It tasted delicious, even my people didn't have soup made like this. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Ah no, Bombur made it, mostly for us but I figured you were hungry." Well at least he had some manners, he's certainly more nicer than Thorin. "Don't worry about my uncle, he just, he told me why he hates your kind. Even though that happened, you weren't the one doing the killing."

"Of course he's already spreading rumours." Kili glanced over at me with curiosity. "How about you hear my side of the story. Believe which ever one you want, it won't matter." Cause soon my people will be set free, and each and everyone of you will be filled with guilt. "My kin aren't killers, the village of Hargen had been over run by orcs. We were the first ones to respond to the crisis, and we had driven out the enemy. Yet when the dwarves showed up, Thror believed it to be us who slaughtered them. That wasn't the case, blinded by rage he started rumours about us, saying we weren't peaceful and that we were murders. There already had been rumours, but that was mostly because Digonisks are extremely powerful. The people of Middle Earth knew that if we tried, we could over power them. When they started making rumours, they thought that we would go hide in the shadows. Yet we stilled stayed strong, and when that wasn't enough..." A single tear slipped down my cheek, the horror that occurred in that building was enough to make someone insane. I quickly wiped it away, I can't let him see me weak. "...The dwarves became the true monsters, them and mankind had invited us to the grand ball. I was only a child then, but I remember I was so excited to see the tiny men that roamed our world. Most of us had showed up, and when the doors closed the explosions started."

"...I'm sorry you went through that, but if you hate dwarves so much. Why come and help us?"

"There is something in that mountain that proves my kin is innocent. Reports from Thror himself about what really happened that day. And I intend to find it, so my people can be free once again. That's the main reason why Gandalf brought me here, he showed me a letter from Thrain. Explaining where to find the reports." He looked back to sky, wondering what to say next. I continued to eat my stew, and once I was finished he offered to take the bowl from me.

"Come back inside, surely if you explain to my uncle what's in that mountain he won't hate you as much." I hadn't thought of that, but what if he decides to go burn the papers before I get there? Though he seemed like a respectful man, and if we are going to be working together on this journey then he has to see me as an ally.

"Alright, might as well give it a try." He smiled and grabbed my hand dragging me along with him. "K-Kili wait!" He seemed more excited than I, as we passed each dwarf grimaced at the sight of me.

"Uncle!" Kili exclaimed catching Thorin's attention, he immediately separated our hands. Stepping infront of his nephew he pulled out his sword, pointing it at my neck.

"I suggest you put that thing away, wouldn't want a wizard and a Digonisk fighting you now do you? I have come to show you something, it might make this trip a whole lot easier." He didn't budge, reaching into my cloak I pulled out the same scroll Gandalf had brought me. Thorin slowly took it from my hands and undid the ribbon, his eyes widened in shock at his father's handwriting.

"How did you get this?" He looked back to me, he had hope that his father was alive.

"Gandalf gave it to me, it's the main reason I'm here." Thorin seemed to be more at ease with me in the room now. Did he actually believe his father's words?

"What does is say Thorin?" Balin asked coming closer, Thorin couldn't believe his eyes. Gradually he handed the scroll back to me, and all I saw was remorse in those blue orbs.

"It was written by my father, he says that in my grandfathers room the truth about her kind remain. The real reports about what happened that day in Hargen, if this is true then..." He couldn't finish his sentence, a thousand emotions appeared at once.

"This doesn't mean anything, it could be a lie. Those reports could show something different, but we still don't know if the evidence lies in the mountain." Dwalin interrupted, making the furious look on Thorin's face return. Well so much for that, Gandalf sighs in disappointment. Even he had hope that Thorin would be reasonable, I went to head back outside but Thorin grabs my arm.

"If your coming with us, then you have to sign the contract. I won't be responsible for your death, nor do I feel like dealing with a bunch of angry dragon slayers." Balin, kindly handed me a piece of paper, inside read the rules and what not. They would not be responsible for anything that happens to me, which was fine but if I were to die who would set my people free?

"I want to add something to this, if I am to go on this journey and I die. You must set my people free, get the reports from your grandfather's room and show everyone that my people are innocent. That is all I ask." He seemed shocked at my request, although I didn't want to trust him with this kind of task it was the only way my people would be safe after I'm gone.

"Get me a pen." He grumbled, using my magic I summoned an ethereal white feather. He watched as I wrote down my terms and signed it, then when I handed him the pen he couldn't help but stare at it. It glowed brightly in his hand, never had he seen something like this. After examining it he signed his name on the line, then handed the pen to Balin who signed it as a witness.

"Welcome, Queen Y/n to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." He smiled, that made me feel somewhat welcome. At least he has manners like Thorin's nephew, maybe all dwarves aren't so bad.

"Your welcome to stay inside, get as much sleep as you can. You'll need it for the journey ahead, I have a feeling we're going to be needing those wings of yours." Gandalf suggested but Kili and Fili perked up at his comment.

"Wings? She has wings?" Kili asked coming closer, taking off my cloak I spread them. "I didn't even realize the you could fly!"

"They look a lot smaller when folded, but yes I have wings. There easy to hide under a robe, and not very noticeable." He reached over to touch them, I flinched slightly as his fingers ran over the scales.

"May I?" Thorin asked with a light blush on his face, how could the king under the mountain have rosy cheeks? I nodded, watching him cautiously as he ran his hand over my skin. He let out a small smile as he stretched them farther to get a better look. "They're huge, how could they be so small when tucked away?" He muttered, but when he realized he was getting a little into this he stepped back. That stern look returning to his features. "Get some sleep." That was the last thing he said before walking away, at least he's somewhat warming up to me. I settled in the corner of the hobbit's house away from everyone else, surrounding myself with my wings to keep me warm. After a few minutes of silence, I heard voices again except this time it was the dwarves singing a song. "Far over the Misty Mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away ere break of day. To find our long-forgotten gold." Thorin's voice was most audible, and for some reason, it soothed me.

"The pines were roaring on the height, the winds were moaning in the night. The fire was red, it flaming spread. The trees like torches blazed with light." I sang along, which made the dwarves silent. The song wasn't unknown to me, everyone outside of the shire knew the story of Erebor. After a moment they sang along after I joined, but softer than before. Maybe because they loved my voice? Or maybe my voice soothed Thorin and he wanted to hear more, as he reassured me.

@fili-is-my-lover @lunariasilver @kirenia15

#the hobbit kili #kili imagine #fili x oc #fili and kili #thorin x reader #thorin oakenshield smut #gandalf #the company #bilbo x reader #the hobbit x reader

[lokislittlecorner]

(AU) We were both young... Chapter 1

Pairing: Loki x Reader x Dark!Thor

Warnings for the chapter: 

Warnings for the series: (Not all of it is certain!!!) Angst, fluff, blood, violence, smut, hurt/comfort, Non- Con.

Notes from the author: It will probably be very dramatic and dark that much I can tell. I also never really sat down and took on such a big project but here we are I guess. There may be smut but I’m not sure yet since I normally don’t write it we’ll see how it goes once we reach that part. I tried to be as non-specific as possible - Skin tone, height, weight, etc. If you see something that isn’t inclusive please reach out to me so I can change it! Hope you enjoy my little project.

Summary: You were promised to Thor Odinson firstborn and the next king of Asgard, which made it impossible to not meet his brother Loki Odinson. He seemed to handle you differently from how he should've right from the beginning on. The Royal family had a lot of secrets and things hidden from everyone, including you, especially you.

Word count: 2400

A pleasant tune was playing and with your ear pressed tightly against his chest, you could hear a soft heartbeat. It calmed you down as you slowly danced away. The faint smell of cinnamon and rainy days was either on him or his elegant dark green jacket. You took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent. It felt like a dream. You felt how his chest vibrated as his voice reached through to you. "Are you enjoying yourself, dear?" You had always loved his voice, slivery and gentle yet demanding and sharp if he wanted it to be. "Very much so." You almost whispered back, fully absorbed in the moment, wishing it would never end but it did.

You sat at the window, an old book filled with honey dripping poetry in both your hands. A quiet sigh escaped your lips as you looked up, observing the raindrops and how they softly hit the window, making those beautiful sounds. It wouldn't be long until this wasn't your home anymore and you would move into the golden palace, surrounded by guards and other royalty. Every other young woman would be incredibly thankful and overjoyed just by the thought of marrying the firstborn Odinson but not you, never could you be part of the king's family. Intrigues and rumors, secrets and betrayal, everything you hated about the upper families and soon you would be part of it all. A knock on your door let you snap back to reality, you didn't even have the time to answer as your father was almost standing in front of you already. "My little (Y/N), I hope you are well today and ready to depart?" His deep voice made you shiver, of course, he wasn't here to check if you were alright but to see if the gown and the makeup on your face were fitting for tonight's occasion. "Yes, father. The maids already prettied me up." A bit of sass could be heard behind your words but not quite enough, so your father had nothing something to hold against you. 

He shook his head, grumbling something under his breath that you couldn't quite make out. "I wish you to behave tonight. We don't want to make a fool out of ourselves in front of the royal family... right?" He raised a brow, his arms crossed in front of him. A dark chuckle left you, if only you could embarrass the family enough so you wouldn't have to do all this crap but that was impossible. "Of course not father, I will be on my best behavior." and with that, you closed the book.

A carriage was already waiting for you and your father. It seemed like he would let your mother stay in the small castle to handle the little land which the family owned. The golden frame almost sparkled in the light of the undergoing sun, six strong white horses were pulling the heavy wagon. The Royal family wanted to impress their guests as it seemed. The heavy dress swayed around your ankles as you entered it, dark grey tulle, and only the best materials were used to make it. The ride was quiet, only the horses and the splashing of puddles were to be heard. A look out of the window and it seemed as if the storm only grew in power, lighting, and thunder raged over the sky as soon as the sun had vanished from the eyes of everyone, the cold night had finally arrived.

The palace was shining in all it's golden glory, seen hundreds of meters away from it already. A loud sigh left your trembling body. Was it fear? Anger? You couldn't tell anymore. The shouting of servants presenting the arriving guests could be heard and as soon as the carriage stopped, your family name was announced too. You could feel your heart pounding against your rips, legs weak, all seemed so overwhelming. The door opened and you could see other guests walking up the Palace stairs, servants everywhere, other carriages, and a hand ready to assist you. Now there was no running away anymore.

You took the gloved hand and set one foot after another, exiting the carriage and stepping onto the beautiful stone floor, inhaling the scent of the rain and the night. Your father followed after, his steps were heavy and you could hear him right behind you. "Lady (Y/L/N)! It seems as if you forgot your mask." The servant who just helped you out of the carriage informed you and looking around you realized that indeed everyone was wearing one, even your father put one on at the moment. "I am terribly sorry! I wasn't informed that this would be necessary" You tried to explain yourself and the man in front of you gave you a kind smile. "Do not worry" He turned and talked to a group of women dressed in the same attire, maids supposedly. They nodded and rushed away once the servant turned back to you. "A mask will be handed to you at the entrance, have a nice evening my Lady." He bowed down and you let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you very much" Who knows what father would have done to you if you were the only one without a mask, standing out like that. Your feet carried you in the direction of the tall doors which lead into the palace, royalty from far has also come to visit as it seemed and right next to the doors you saw one of the maidens with a smile on her lips. "We were informed that you might need this my Lady" She bowed down a little and handed you a black mask that would cover the upper half of your face, silver and many little gems decorated it, truly beautiful. You put it on immediately, it was finished with a soft fabric on the inside so it wouldn't disturb you. With a nod and a smile, you proceeded to enter your golden palace.

The tables were decked with the finest foods, guests already dancing to such lovely music, and young ladies in the corners of the ballroom were giggling about the handsome new gentlemen. 

Your father grabbed you firmly by the arm. "Now go and search for your prince. I want you to lure him in perfectly just how we taught you" Your stomach turned at those words, your family did indeed show you how to win the hearts of men and the attention of others, manners and manipulation were now your weapons. "I will do my best father." With that, you freed your arm out of his grip and made your way deeper into the halls, finally out of reach from him. Maybe you could sneak out later on? Get some fresh air and some freedom before every minute of your life becomes a nightmare, you shook your head, that thinking wouldn't get you anywhere not today or in the future.

A light tap on your shoulder brought you back to the ballroom and you turned around to find a tall dark-haired man in front of you. "You seem lost my little dove" His voice was like medicine to your soul but you couldn't make out who it was. His mask covered almost his complete face, nothing but his lips and the piercing green eyes were to be seen. "Oh I am certainly not but it is very kind of you to be so concerned about me, may I ask who I'm talking to?" You put on a sweet smile and let the honey slip into your voice. A dark chuckle vibrated from his chest. "My My you don't seem to be from around here as it seems." He took a step towards you and you felt how a shiver went down your spine. "Let's just enjoy ourselves, no need for names." He said offering you his hand and with every cell of your body you knew that it was wrong to take said hand but you couldn't fight the urge to know more about him, he sparked an interest deep within you. "Only one dance, sadly I have other plans for the evening." You placed your hand in his and immediately he pulled you closer. "That's too bad, you seem like a great company and so familiar too." He snaked one arm around your waist as you placed your hand onto his shoulder. "Well, I am certain we have never met, I would remember you for sure." The next song played and you could feel how he lead you both perfectly along with the rhythm, he was a marvelous dancer as it seemed. "Oh, I'm sure you would." He answered with a grin as he spun you around. "Do you know the King's family?" You still had to find Your prince or father would make sure your head was not on your shoulders anymore once you arrived back home. "Yes, I do so, very well even. On the hunt for the princes My Lady?" His grin just grew and he pulled you closer to his chest. "On the hunt for one at least, I want to learn more about him." A rush of heat reached your cheeks, dancing with your teacher at home was one thing but with a charming stranger was another. "Maybe I can help you then? Which one of the princes were you looking for?" You seriously had to think for a moment, it seemed as if you were losing your mind. "The firstborn, Thor Odinson." The grin on his face vanished in the blink of an eye and his body tensed up a bit. "Are you sure that he is the one you were searching for?" His voice was sharper than before and the look in his eyes became dark. "Very much so" You sighed and continued. "I am promised to him already, so even if I wanted things to be different it wouldn't matter." You felt how your heart became heavy and the lump in your throat grew until it was getting hard to swallow. He simply said; "I see." The song slowly came to an end.

"You might have found him" He stopped in his tracks, letting go as he looked over you. "I see you're already making yourself familiar with my brother?" The whole atmosphere changed as the two men stared at each other "I heard that you were on the search for me."

So this was your future husband? Long blonde hair, blue eyes, looked like he came straight out of a fairytale but if that was Thor then that must've meant that you were dancing with... "Loki Odinson?!" You turned to him and he chuckled quietly. "The one and only" He raised his mask a little so you could see his face. "Already trying to trouble my future wife?" Thor made a step forward and laid a hand on your shoulder, it didn't feel right. "I would never do such a thing, I was simply chatting with her about how nice the evening is." A dangerous grin came over him and he stepped back from you and Thor. "My apologies to both of you, I didn't want to cause any problems." You showed your respect with a small curtsy and you felt how the tall blonde softly squeezed your shoulder. "Do not worry Lady (Y/L/N) everything is alright." Thor gave you a small smile, his brother however tensed up as soon as your name fell "Lady (Y/L/N)? As in (Y/F/N)?" You nodded. "How do you know me already?" 

One swift motion from him and the mask on your face was gone, you yelped in surprise and took a step back, only to bump against the older brother. "Loki! Have you finally lost your mind!?" Thor called out and pulled you closer to him.

"What is it with you!?" Loki almost screamed at you "How can you be so ignorant?" His hands were balled into fists, he seemed angry but the look on his face was different, almost like he was... hurt? " I - I'm sorry I don't know what you mean." You hastily said but he was already storming off, pushing away other guests and making his way deeper into the palace, leaving you perplexed and a bit scared.

"Do not listen to him" You heard Thor's deep voice behind you, trying to comfort you as it seemed. "He was never the one for friendliness" You were still looking in the direction in which he basically fled. "If you say so." You lost yourself in a sea of thoughts the waves of questions coming over you one by one. How did he know you? Why would he be so angry and why didn't you remember him?

“Will you allow me the next dance with you, My Lady?” Thor’s voice let you come back to reality and you turned around to face him properly, now back to the original evening plan of being a sweet little girl for your prince. “Of course My prince.” You answered with a setup smile and a curtsy. “Please no need for such formalities.” He chuckled and pulled you closer to him, he was in his armor which didn’t give you much warmth, he was also way more muscular than Loki, his movements weren't as elegant. The list inside your head was going on and on.

Both of you danced together for a few more songs but your mind was somewhere else, everything that happened today was so strange and surreal you would've expected so many things but not what really occurred. It got late and the first guests were leaving already, trying to get out before everyone else would want to do so too. "It was such a pleasure to meet you." You said with a sweet smile. "I do hope we meet each other again before the wedding and everything." Thor returned the smile and placed a kiss on the back of your hand. "I do hope so too My Lady and again apologies for my brother." Right, you almost forgot about that part of the evening. "It's alright, siblings can be difficult, I guess?"

Reach out if you want to be tagged in the next chapters or other fanfiction thanks for reading <3

He nodded and you removed yourself from the conversation with a quick goodbye. Now you only had to find your father to finally leave this damn palace.

Chapter 2

#loki #loki x reader #loki imagine #loki (marvel) #loki odinson #loki smut #loki x reader angst #marvel loki #marvel #marvel fanfiction #loki fanfic

[iwrestlenow]

Many More To Die, Chapter 12

TITLE: Many More To Die (Chapter 12)

FANDOM: Sanders Sides (Necromancer AU)

SUMMARY: While the assassin makes another attempt on Roman's life, the necromancers find help from an unexpected source--and an all too brief reunion between Logan and Roman has some disturbing results.

SHIPS: Logince (Logan/Roman), Moceit (Patton/Janus) and Dukexiety (Remus/Virgil)

WARNINGS: None really, not this time.

Told you this one would come faster. XD It's bigger than most, because the next one is gonna be a whopper--and also, the next installment will be the last! But fear not: I'm already planning a sequel.

...and tbh, I can't stop writing these adorable jerks so you'll get lots more stories outta me. :P

NOTES: This is based on the gorgeous piece of art by @gretacticdraws that can be found here. I ended up writing a ficlet for it, and then my brain got swallowed up. Breathe at me wrong, and I’ll write more…hell, who am I kidding? I’ll write more anyway because this? Is self indulgent drivel. XD

Also located at AO3 over here.

1022, A.A.

“Pass the glue?”

Logan blinked, slowly looking up from his jacket to gradually focus on Roman's face. Watching him rise from something that had swallowed his whole attention was hopelessly adorable—a thing he could never tell Logan to his face, but could never hide the smile that crept across his face when he watched Logan surface like a pearl diver.

He saw the moment Logan's face shifted, the moment he finally returned to reality. Scanning the craft supplies scattered on the riverbank around them, he located the glue pot and passed it to Roman with a curious frown.

“What are you gluing?” he asked.

Roman held up the white mask he'd selected to go with his costume for the final night of the Festival that Logan had invited him to.

“Feathers! I want to be one of those things you showed me in the graveyard—the creatures etched on the one tombstone?”

“Angels.” Logan reminded him. “You know their wings go on their back, not their face.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “I know that, Starlight. I can't exactly get a pair of wings for my costume on such short notice, though, so I...Logan?”

Roman set his mask down, scooting closer to the other boy with a cold lick of concern in his belly. Logan was staring at him with an intensity that made him want to squirm, and his face had gone completely ashen.

“What's wrong?” Roman asked, reaching for his hand. “Logan, are you all right?”

Logan blinked, drawing a trembling breath before briskly shaking his head as if to clear it.

“I—yes, I am fine. I just...” He trailed off, and that look was on Roman again.

“Why did you call me Starlight?”

Roman couldn't stop himself from frowning, confused. Gesturing to the jacket in Logan's lap, he shrugged.

“The beads you're sewing onto it—it looks like the night sky. It's—it's just a nickname, like Specs. I won't use it anymore if it bothers you.”

“No,” Logan insisted, “it is perfectly acceptable, it's just...it surprised me, that's all. Starlight is actually the name I use for the Festival. As I told you, we forsake our identities at the celebration, so we all use different names. Mine is—is Starlight.”

Roman watched Logan blink, and would have accused Logan of lying except that Logan never lied. He took things too literally, he was just...not the kind of person who did it. Not with Roman, at least. So if he said he was fine...

So why did he look like his whole world had been shaken?

“...Muse.” Roman spoke before he could think about it.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Muse.” he repeated, feeling confident about the decision. “That'll be my name for the evening. Muse.”

Logan just stared at him for a long moment before huffing, shaking his head as he scooted across the grass until he was leaning against Roman's side, shoulder pressed to Roman's arm.

“You're not required to do it. You're not part of the tribe.” Logan pointed out.

“It's your tribe, though—and I don't want to be disrespectful.” Roman insisted, reaching for the bag of feathers Logan had brought for their costume work. “Besides, I...I like it. I understand it. It's all to make the dead feel less alone, isn't it? I want to help.”

Roman focused very hard on picking the feathers he wanted to glue to his mask...and tried not to pay attention to the way Logan's head tipped to rest against his shoulder and just stayed that way for a very long time.

**********

1033, A.A.

“So that's how you did it—this is a problem.”

Roman blinked, shaking his head. He hadn't lost consciousness, he was certain of it.

...well, relatively certain.

Glancing around, Roman realized he was in his father's bedchamber, held fast by a palace guard on either side. He tried to tug free, but they held him fast, staring straight ahead with glassy, unfocused eyes and blank expressions.

“Don't bother—I've been rotating soldiers through dungeon detail for years. Nearly all of them are mine now.”

Roman's chest seized with cold, cloying horror and disbelief. He could feel warmth in the hands that held him, see their chests rising and falling with breath...

He turned to the man standing before him—salt and pepper hair and overly tanned features, with piercing blue eyes Roman was starting to realize he should have known on sight.

Colonel Mori—if only he'd remembered before this moment...

“The same curse you used on my father, I take it?” he asked, proud of how level his voice came out, clear and firm.

“Something like that.” Mori replied, idly tossing a familiar ring into the air, catching it, and repeating the action with casual thoughtlessness. “It's always been a specialty of mine—generational curses. You only have to curse a single man, and an entire bloodline or brotherhood will fall...would, at least,

if not for you and that idiot progeny of mine.”

Roman wasn't aware that he'd lunged until he had one guard's arm around his throat to hold him back. He'd actually slipped free, and found it hard to breathe until he consciously stopped trying to wrestle free of his captors.

“Logan is not an idiot.” he snarled. “He's stronger than all of us—he's the best man I have ever known.”

And just like that, he was aware of all the memories that infernal talisman had been holding back—the stolen moments, the beauty of learning new things about Logan's people...the purity of that young love that had been stolen from him.

He thought of Logan now, that lean and handsome face hardened by ten years of imprisonment...and how it opened up to him the night before, how Logan tucked against him in his sleep and clung to every touch like it would be taken away from him, just as he had when they first met...

Mori's hands were suddenly on him, gripping his chin and yanking his hair until Roman was staring directly into his eyes.

“Logan Crofter is a good man—and that is his downfall.” Mori spat as his eyes began to glow with an unholy orange light. “Good men have too many rules and too many weaknesses.”

Roman tried to shake his head, but couldn't fend off the impossible grip of the necromancer before him, the light of his gaze causing a slow, dull throb through his skull.

“Decent men have rules to keep them decent. Evil men like you have rules so they can revel in breaking them.” Roman replied flatly. “Good men don't need rules. They simply choose and act.”

The pain in his head grew, forcing Roman to close his eyes—but the light was still there, behind his lids and in his brain, turning the dull throb into a burn.

“So I'm looking forward, Colonel, to watching you face a good man with no rules—and nothing to lose.”

Mori's laughter was grating in his ears as Roman slowly began to lose the ability to think coherently.

“He has one thing, Your Highness...he has you. And I'm going to make sure he comes to find you so I can get what I want: the soul of another Lazari.”

There was some shuffling, a voice—and Roman's blood ran cold as he hung helpless in the grip of a guard and lost his hold on reality.

“Remy Somnum! Bring me Lord Janus. It's high time I added his life to my collection.”

“Yes, Master.”

********** 1023, A.A.

“You're certain this is where it is?”

Roman nodded as he finally opened the padlock on the door of the long abandoned storeroom, deeep in the bowels of the palace dungeons. “The locator spell Remus gave me works. He knows more about magic than half the court mages, even if he can't use it.”

“Picking locks as well.” Logan observed with a raised eyebrow.

Glancing over his shoulder at Logan, Roman just grinned at his expression.

“Remus didn't teach me that.” he declared, pushing the door open and ushering Logan in ahead of him. “If I'm going to be king one day, I shan't rely on anyone else to rescue me—what if I have to break free of some prison or shackles?”

Logan stepped into the room ahead of him, but immediately stopped and turned to face him, looking at Roman with blue eyes that glittered with something Roman couldn't name, something that made it hard to breathe.

It happened so fast he almost couldn't process it—Logan's hands in his tunic, the sudden feel of warmth crowding his front...

The soft, firm, smacking press of a kiss to his mouth that made his heart, and the rest of the world, stop.

For long moments, they just stared at each other, Logan seemingly reeling as much as Logan was.

“I...I am—I'm—apologies.” Logan stammered, trying to busy himself with straightening his tie instead of holding onto Roman's tunic. “I did not mean...that is to say—I just—your intellectual moments, they just—you're so—and I--”

Roman snatched up Logan's hand, pressing his lips to the back of it. He could feel Logan trembling, and Roman felt his heart tremble in sync with it.

“Me, too, Starlight.”

For a second they just stood there, Logan's hand in his, and Roman's heart...

He had never, not once in his short fourteen years of life, ever felt so tranquil or so powerful, and definitely not both at the same time.

Roman forced himself to be the strong one, releasing Logan's hand so he could shut the door and finally take proper stock of the room.

There was barely any light through the bars on the small window in the door, but Logan moved forward with purpose, locating a torch and lighting it with some spell Roman didn't recognize—one that ignited a dazzling blue-white flame that was far clearer and brighter than the golden flicker of normal torchlight.

The layer of dust covering everything in the room was so thick Roman could feel the urge to cough bubbling in his throat just from breathing the air. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and could have made it easy to mistake the space for a library save for the fact that there were very few books on any of those shelves.

“It's like some kind of storeroom.” Logan observed. “That, or...perhaps a trophy room?”

“I told you,” Roman reminded him, “this palace is full of hidden nooks and crevices—places to hide, or to hide something you don't want anyone else to find. I hardly ever notice this door, but the locator spell sure did.”

“So...who does this belong to?” Logan wondered aloud, venturing over to one of the shelving units that had a few books scattered throughout. “And if these are trophies, what are they trophies of?”

Roman wondered the same thing, so intensely it took him a moment to realize Logan was no longer by his side. Shaking himself, Roman crossed the room carefully, painfully aware of the layer of dust his feet were disturbing as he came to stand beside Logan in front of the shelf. His eyes scanned over the objects and books displayed there until...

“Here!” he suddenly blurted, reaching up to pluck a book off the shelf. “This binding matches the Tomes in the palace library.”

Passing the small, leatherbound volume to Logan, he watched as Logan ran his fingers over the cover with a strangely thoughtful look, head cocked just slightly before he opened the volume.

“Is that it?” he asked hopefully. “The geneaology?”

Logan stared at the first page, shaking his head. “No...I mean, it is one of the Tomes, the one you likely said would have the magical bloodlines of the royal family, but—Roman, this was hidden for a reason. It's one of the Forbidden Tomes.”

“What?! Weren't those lost before the fall of the Animator?”

“Affirmative...this one, however, is quite new. Old still, mind you, but maybe two hundred years old at the most.” Logan looked up at Roman, eyes wide.

“I think this volume is a reconstruction.”

That rattled around in Roman's head, untethered and incomprehensible. “Who would be old enough to be able to rewrite one of the Forbidden Tomes? And how do you know how old this book is?”

Logan just stared at it...then flipped a couple of pages before going weirdly still.

“I can...it's an incorrect description, but I can hear it. The Tomes are written in mystical dialects, languages laden with power. My power.”

He lifted his head, meeting Roman's gaze head on with an intensity that stole Roman's breath.

“The mystical dialect this book was composed in is Mairome—the language of necromancy.”

Roman couldn't get his voice to work for a long moment as Logan turned back to the Tome and began reading, eyes flicking back and forth at a speed that was vaguely dizzying, trying to consume every nuance of the page, drinking it all in.

“What...what does it say?” he finally managed to ask aloud.

Logan didn't answer for a long moment. He shut the book gently, his gaze cast downwards.

“It says,” Logan finally answered, “that King Thomas Roman I is the name of the Animator.”

“...that can't be true. That...that means...”

“It means that the king did not slay the Animator—it means your ancestor assassinated the king. It means the Necromata have a legitimate claim to the throne.”

Roman ran his hands over his face, dizzy with the onslaught of information. “Who knew this that they had to take this book from the palace library and hide it here?”

“I think I know that, too.” Logan croaked, handing the book to Roman. “Start here—you should be able to read it.”

Roman accepted the book and peered at the page. Most of the text was a blurry mess of gently glowing lines and strange symbols, but some of the words were written in clear, plain English in various parts of the page.

When he was done, he passed the book back to Logan, reeling.

“Mori...I know that name.” Roman realized. “What are these?”

“They are the True Names of the monarchy.” Logan replied. “I know the name as well—it is the name of the man who tried to kill me when we first met.”

“...you never told me that.”

“I did not know his place among the palace guard—if he was someone close to you, I feared for your safety if he knew you were aware of his crimes.”

“Corporal Mori...he's a member of the dungeon guard.” Roman murmured. “My brother and I used to sneak into the dungeons to play at adventuring when we were little—he was a new private back then, and cruel to both of us. But...Logan?”

“Yes?”

“The name in there, below Thomas Roman I. Is that the Animator's son?”

Logan swallowed thickly. “It is.”

“But...but his True Name is Crofter...that's your last name.”

“Affirmative. At least...it was. Just as Mori's name was once Thomas Roman Sanders.”

Roman couldn't speak around the sudden tightness in his throat. Instead, Logan spoke for him.

“The Animator...he's not your ancestor, Roman—he's mine.”

Then the door of the storage room opened, slamming against the pile of detritus behind it.

Roman froze. Logan, however, snatched the book and rose.

“I'll lead him away—get back to your rooms at once, and look after Virgil.”

“Logan--”

He was cut off by another abrupt kiss, this one on the cheek.

“We'll get out of this, one way or another. I swear it on the Spider's Thread.”

Then Logan was gone, diving between the legs of the figure in the doorway to lead him away from Roman's location.

********** 1033, A.A.

“Paddock.”

Patton looked up from where he was crouched beside Logan's prone, writhing body. Logan's eyes had rolled back into his head and he was muttering incoherently while he twitched and twisted with an agony Patton could only guess at.

The voice that had spoken aloud belonged to a prison mage he recognized. The man was tall, dark, and tanned. He was handsome, mostly—he always wore dark glasses that hid his eyes, so it was difficult to be sure.

“What're you doing here, Somnum?” Remus asked sharply. He was awfully fast, next to Virgil one minute and the next standing beside Janus in front of Logan's prone form so Patton could only see Master Somnum through the space between their shoulders.

“Remy—the name's Remy, you fuckin' killjoys.” the mage sighed. “Will you just move already? Patton can vouch for me.”

“I can?” He asked uncertainly. Patton's nostrils flared on reflex, trying to scent the air—and immediately felt his magic rise, all animal instinct and threat.

The smell of death, old and ripe, was on the air. Not the smell of corpses or long settled dust, but death, fresh damp grave dirt and sticky in his lungs like worms crawling.

But...

Patton turned to Virgil, crouched beside him, and put a hand on his shoulder. Virgil just looked at him, then at Remus and Remy, and nodded before focusing on his brother again.

Patton stood and came to stand next to Remus. He could feel more than hear the subsonic hiss building in the back of Janus's throat nearby, and found his gaze to reassure him before he faced the prison mage.

“He knows my True Name.” Patton admitted. “Janus can confirm it...but how?”

Remy didn't answer right away. He just stared at Patton, making him feel squirmy stomach and trembly. Breathing felt...not hard, but strange, and he wasn't sure if he liked it--

Reaching up, Remy removed his dark glasses.

“'Cause mine's Graymalkin.” he replied softly.

“What does that mean?” Virgil snapped testily. “Quoting Macbeth at each other won't--”

Patton didn't hear the rest. As far as he knew, Black Dogs and Heralds couldn't fly, but he couldn't feel the floor under his feet anymore...

...oh. Oh, he couldn't feel any of his legs anymore. The world was spinning, too—kind of like playing Statue Maker as a boy, grabbing his friends' hands and spinning, spinning, spinning before he had to stop and strike a pose--

“Patton.”

Patton blinked, and suddenly drew a deep, shuddering breath into his lungs before he started coughing. He—oh, he hadn't been breathing. That wasn't remotely good, willikers!

As he tried to get his breathing normalized, Patton found he was on the floor, being cradled in Janus's arms. His forehead was tucked against the scaled side of his neck, a lovely contrast of cool scales over warm skin and so much softer than anyone would think scales could be. As Patton calmed, he drifted, and gently rubbed his forehead against those scales, sighing at the soothing texture of their satiny surface brushing his skin, the edges gently catching in ways that sent pleasant little buzzes of sensation  from his forehead to skitter over his scalp.

Finally, he lifted his head—and found Remy kneeling in front of them, staring at Patton.

His eyes were pure onyx, from sclera to pupil—solid black orbs in his head, barely glinting in the light of the room. They were the eyes of a hijacked body, a resurrection gone wrong. The owner of the body was gone, and another soul had taken its place.

A soul Patton was fairly certain he knew.

“Patton?” Janus's voice, a question.

Slowly, Patton nodded.

Remy sagged visibly in relief. “You remember...Paddy, I'm a Reaper. I can help Logan. Will you let me?”

Feeling more like himself, Patton nodded again. Without thinking, he twisted and tipped his head up to kiss Janus's cheek before he got shakily to his feet.

“Virgil, Remy's gonna help.” he announced, still watching Remy with a secret fear that this would be a dream and that he'd vanish.

“Fuck you. I don't--”

“He's my brother. Please, Virge.”

There was silence for several moments, but then Remy was moving off some indication from Virgil, and Patton twisted to watch Remy drop to his knees at Logan's side. He touched his forehead, taking his hand and watching him closely.

“Motherfucker knows the only real way to kill a Lazari, and he's using the king to do it.” Remy muttered. “Let's see...nerd's Claim is holding, that's good, but his mind won't hold up under the Baccanal...lemme see, gurl...”

Remy shut his eyes, bowing his head. As he did, Patton suddenly felt a gust of warm air touching the back of his neck, making him flinch and whip his head around.

“Easy, Sin-ammon Roll.”

Prince Remus was there, his hand a buzzing gnat in Patton's awareness as it sat on his shoulder. He was watching Patton with a look he couldn't read—his features were like Janus's, well schooled into calm lines, but his eyes were clouded with some very turbulent emotion.

“Is the prison mage really your brother?”

Patton opened his mouth to answer, but no sound was coming out. The words were all there, but they were sort of...clogging in his throat, too many coming too fast, all fighting to escape at the same time. Fortunately, Janus's arms were suddenly there again, wrapped around his waist, cradling Patton back against his chest, warm warm warm and comforting in their familiarity.

“Patton was four years old when his brother died.” Janus stepped in. “Remington Morell was not quite fourteen—essentially executed in the street. Patton told me when they were children...their mother loved the Scottish play. Quoted it all the time--'I come, Graymalkin' when Remy called for her, 'Paddock calls' when Patton would cry.”

“...but the kid died.”

“Yes, but...it's the black eyes. They indicate the presence of a Raptor.”

“Like the dinosaur?” Remus asked.

“Like a body thief—a soul that hijacks a coprse during a botched resurrection.” Janus sighed, rolling his eyes as Patton twisted his head to look up at him.

“Ohhhh, I mean—wow.”

“Lucky for me, children age in Shadow.” Remy's voice piped up. Refocusing on Logan, Patton realized his best friend wasn't writhing and muttering anymore, just...laying there, asleep. Seemingly, anyway.

“What'd you do?” he asked, gently removing himself from the circle of Janus's arms to move towards Remy as he stood.

“Guided Logan to the Loom of Memory.” he replied. “It'll protect him for a while, and let him communicate with Roman if I'm right about how those two are bound—Mori's got the king under the Baccanal.”

“Cursing him with madness?” Patton breathed, his stomach churning with horror as he covered his mouth with both hands. “That's forbidden, Remoo.”

“Yeah, well, the Animator ain't known for playing by the rules, gurl.” Remy replied with a shrug. “So burning away a man's mind, one layer at a time until he's a drooling vegetable? Totally on the table.”

Patton felt something loosen in his chest as he grinned up at the other man. “You really are Remy, aren't you?”

Remy opened his mouth, brow furrowed with confusion—then understanding filled his features and he grinned, laughing. “Ah, geez—Remoo. You started calling me that when you were two 'cause you couldn't say Remington.”

“It's the only thing I remember really well.” Patton admitted, rushing forward to fling his arms around Remy with a choked laugh that quickly melted to tears.

“Mom and Pop kept your Vigil every Festival—but I never stopped.” he giggled wetly. “Every day—I had an altar in my room...”

“I know.” Remy soothed, holding onto Patton tight and reaching up to tousle his curls in a manner that Patton didn't recognize, but still felt weirdly familiar. “I heard you. Why do you think I snuck back when I realized you were in trouble?”

Patton pressed his face into Remy's shoulder. The smell of the mage's trade clung to him, acid and alcohol and herbs, but under that was something that set of primal echoes in Patton's head of family home safe loved, loamy earth and fresh rain.

Remy held on tight, just for a few seconds, but when he pulled back Patton felt steadier than he had in a very long time.

“We need to get the Lazari outta here.” Remy instructed. “It's a long story, but I was sent here to drag Lord Scaly off for execution. Plans changed, now I'm takin' you all somewhere safe.”

“Where's that?” Virgil asked, flinching when Remus swooped in to gather Logan up into his arms before Virgil could.

“Long story, tell you when we get there. Everyone move.”

********** When Logan opened his eyes, he was home.

It was a very familiar part of his home, however—none other than his childhood bed, wrapped in a familiar pair of arms.

Lifting his head, he had to fight not to lose his composure when he saw Roman's face. His head was nestled into Logan's pillow, features slack with repose...

Then tense, a low noise of distress rumbling in his chest, vibrating against Logan and shooting straight to his marrow.

Reaching out, Logan dug his fingers in beneath Roman's ribs. Fortunately it worked: immediately, Roman woke up with a squeal that was wholly undignified, and melted immediately into giggling he promptly cut off.

“Roman, it's okay...shhhh, you are safe. It's Logan, I'm here.”

Roman stared at him with a blank, unfocused look that scared Logan—actual fear he could not deny any longer, cold and cloying and sticking to the inside of his chest. Those green eyes were glassy and unseeing...they did not know him.

Very deliberately, Logan reached for Roman's hand, meshing their fingers together. He held them up in Roman's eyeline.

“Hold on...do not let go.”

That struck a chord, bringing some focus back to Roman's eyes. After a moment that stretched into eternity, Logan felt Roman's fingers tighten around his. Roman stared at their joined hands, mouth working soundlessly...

“I...never have.” Roman finally replied. “I never will.”

Logan's throat closed up, his eyes burning.

“Swear it on the Spider's Thread?” He hated how small his voice sounded, how desperate.

Recognition finally sparked in Roman's eyes.

“...Starlight.”

Logan lost control then, flinging himself into Roman's arms. Roman let himself be bowled over onto his back, let Logan stretch out atop his body, press his face into the curve of Roman's neck, and just held on tight as Logan wept for the first time in ten years. Deep, heaving, wretched sobs that Roman soothed him through, a hand running over his back, Roman's deep and beautiful voice murmuring soothing nonsense directly into his ear.

Time passed. The slow, steady rhythm of Roman's fingers gradually smoothed the jagged edges until he could reach out and touch them without getting cut open again.

“Did you know?” Logan finally asked, lifting his head to meet Roman's gaze.

Roman stared back up at him, uncomprehending as his fingers drifted up to caress Logan's cheek. Logan found himself unable to resist leaning into the tender touch.

“Did I know what?”

“That day by the river—before the Festival. Did you know that you changed my True Name.”

“...not until we found the Tome. I...suspected something happened, but wasn't sure until we read about your grandfather.”

“What about later? When you came to me in my cell and gave me my new Name?”

“I...I'm not sure. I know I wasn't supposed to remember what you were to me, but...”

But he had. Reaching up to catch the hand Roman still had pressed to his cheek, Logan felt like he understood. Not really, but...but that was the point.

Roman never should have remembered enough to care about Logan, yet he'd come to find him, and helped him in his moment of need.

“I think,” Logan began hesitantly, “that it is as Grandpap often says. The stuff of Shadow—the things we are not allowed to know.”

Roman frowned pensively. His brow furrowed with it, and Logan let himself surrender to the temptation of bowing his head and kissing that line away.

“Miracles.” Roman murmured. “Shadow brought to the light.”

Logan made a sound of affirmation, nose brushing along Roman's hairline.

“Or an outsider brought to the Loom of Memory.”

Roman shifted under him, seeking out Logan's gaze with wide, curious green eyes.

“Is that where we are?” he asked, awestruck.

Logan nodded, running his fingers through Roman's hair.

“It is...and time moves differently here.” he explained, mouth hovering over Roman's.

Time Logan was going to take...because if Logan was Lazari, that meant he had power. If he was descended from the Animator, the First and most powerful, he had more power still. If he was bound, soul to soul, to the ruler of all the Kingdoms, Logan had power beyond magic.

He had all the power, maybe more, of his ancestor. Power enough to corrupt.

So he allowed it to corrupt him. He let himself be ruthlessly selfish.

He was not going to allow Roman to be taken from him again.

Never again.

********** He expected to feel a warm, strong pair of arms around him when he rose from a deep and restful slumber...but instead, his groggy mind was rattled by voices.

“So you've just been...what? Fooling him into thinking you were zombified? That's hot, don't get me wrong, but I don't see how he'd buy it.”

“Gurl, greedy men are dumber than a bag of hair—ain't that right, Emi?”

“Eh—yes, sweetheart. Basically, anyway. It takes a great deal of focus and power to control as many dead as Mori currently is.”

“That's why our people don't normally do it—raising a corpse is way different from resurrecting someone to life. Grandpap told Logan off for even suggesting the raising of more than two corpses at the same time. It's doable, but I think five is the limit before you risk madness under the weight of all those deaths.”

“So these are really zombies? Not people he resurrected? Gosh, that's just...scary.”

“Easy, baby brother—none of 'em are coming the fuck near you. That's why I got a heart-healer on my side...they don't tell people that they study necromancy on the side, y'know.”

“Remy, please. We don't...er...well, we don't study all of necromancy. Just necromatic theory—its relation to the mind. The function of the Cleansing, body theft, the psychological toll of magic...that's sort of how Remy and I met. I'm a bit of a bookworm...”

“Shhhh, he's waking up!”

Finally opening his eyes, he moved to sit up, reaching, fumbling until strong fingers caught his.

“It's okay, Loganberry—you're fine.”

“Logan—where is he?”

That was the moment he froze, his question coming out...strange. Deep, but not deep enough, well enunciated but too stiff.

“Logan?”

That was his voice...but it wasn't his voice saying Logan's name.

“...something's wrong.”

He looked around in confusion. Something was wrong with his eyes, the world fuzzy and haloed in blurs of color. He could recognize Remus only from the color of his tunic and the sound of his voice.

“Remus? What's happening?”

“Hold on—Virgil, his glasses.”

He didn't wear glasses, what the--

Then a pair was being set on his face, and the world suddenly came into painful focus. He was laying on a low couch in one of the palace offices. Remy and the heart-healer, Emile Picani, stood off to one side. Virgil and Remus knelt by his side now, with Janus and Patton wrapped around each other by the window.

Trembling, he lifted his hands in front of his face.

Pale. Slim. Long, lean fingers that had run through his hair so greedily, touched him so tenderly, blunt nails scoring skin in the depths of his mind...

“...Roman?”

Lowering Logan's hands—now his hands—Roman looked into his twin brother's eyes, into the face that he shared with him.

Or had at the start of the day.

“Please tell me that my brother did not just swap bodies with the fucking king?” Virgil squeaked, looking visibly ill as he swallowed thickly.

Roman, wearing Logan's skin, nodded slowly.

“I think he did,” Roman replied, “and in doing so...he just gave Mori exactly what he wanted.”

#necromancer au #sanders sides #fanfic #fic #logan sanders #roman sanders #janus sanders #virgil sanders #remus sanders #patton sanders #ts creativity #ts dark creativity #ts morality #ts deceit #ts anxiety #ts logic #my name is liz and i swear to god i will fic again #this is all the artist's fault i'm just the hapless writer that stumbled across it

[trillhouse-lh]

Mask

The Avenue. One of the most prestigious clubs in Great Lake City, a local legend in the nightlife scene. Those who weren't living it up on the dance floor mingled near the bars, combatting the pulsing music with casual conversation and laughter. The atmosphere, as always, was electric; to one man however, it was little more than an annoyance. Just endless, meaningless noise.

He kept his distance from the throngs of partiers, seated at a booth with a glass of scotch-Johnnie Walker Blue Label, at $65 a shot-which he sipped at slowly, looking out upon the herd with disinterest. Practically attached to his side was a younger woman, a blonde bombshell of the caliber that most men would kill for. Young, shapely body, luscious lips, tight sequined dress that left little to the imagination… and of course, a head full of air. She leaned into the man's side, checking herself in a pocket mirror and freshening up her cherry-red lipstick. Once she was sure she looked perfect, she closed the mirror with a snap and placed it in her pocket book.

"I wanna dance," She said. Her boyfriend didn't respond, nor did he give any sort of indication that he'd heard her at all. The woman frowned and gave his arm a little tug. "Babe, I wanna dance."

"I heard you the first time," The man grunted. "I'm not in the mood." His companion gave an almost childish pout.

"But I am. You promised we could dance…"

"Later, then." He said cooly. The woman sighed and crossed her arms, giving the busy dance floor a longing gaze. The man didn't care. He simply sipped his drink, his attention focused nowhere in particular. Most would assume that his pensive stare was that of a man lost in thought, but that was far from the case… he was simply existing, present in body but not in mind, barely even cognizant of the beautiful woman latched to his side. She was meaningless to him, after all; just another idiotic young tart barely out of high school, all too happy to leech off an older, wealthier man rather than make something of herself. She was no different from those who had come before, nor those who would come after. Good for a bit of fun and nothing else… to be used and then discarded once he'd had his fill.

A toy. Nothing more than that.

"Babe, come��on," She huffed, giving his arm another tug. "It's a nightclub! Are you really going to just sit here all night?"

"I said, no."

"But I'm bored!" The young woman whined; it was clear from her tone that she was starting to get frustrated with her boyfriend. "I want to dance now-"

"Go, then." He said plainly. "I'm not stopping you."

"Ugh!" She scoffed and turned away from the man. "You've been a real jerk lately, you know that?!" She waited for a response, but received little more than a vague grunt of irritation. "...Fine. Fine!" She snapped, pulling away and sliding out of the booth. "I'll go dance by myself, then. Come find me when you're ready to stop being-"

"Won't be necessary," The man cut in, leaving her words to die on her lips. "You go right ahead and enjoy yourself. I trust you'll be able to find someone looking for an easy fuck." She stared at her boyfriend in disbelief, as though she'd somehow misheard the man's words.

"E-excuse me…?!"

"Do I need to simplify it for you?" He muttered. "I'm tired of you. Fuck. Off." The woman glared at him in silence, her body quaking in indignant rage. Nobody had spoken to her like that before… what man in their right mind would reject her? She grit her teeth and reeled back, her palm open to deliver a forceful slap.

The man caught her by the wrist without even looking.

"Ow!" The woman hissed, trying to pull away from the man, but he didn't loosen his grip in the slightest. On the contrary, he only squeezed tighter, so tight that the woman swore she could feel her bones creaking. "Y-you're hurting me," She gasped. "L-let me-" Her protests faded to a faint croak as, for the first time since they'd arrived that night, the man looked her in the eye. His gaze was cold, empty, devoid of life… as though there were simply nothing behind those gray eyes. No compassion. No anger. Nothing. It felt like he was staring into her soul, daring her to make a scene. Finally he let go and the woman grasped her aching wrist, shrinking back under his icy gaze. She lingered only a moment before her lip started trembling and she turned, hurrying off to God knows where. Not that he cared; he simply scoffed as she ran away, and with that little annoyance dealt with he turned his focus back to the crowd. None seemed to have noticed what happened, or at the very least if they did they knew better than to do anything about it.

With that, the man simply continued sipping his drink as though nothing had happened at all. It was nothing new, after all… he'd kicked far, far better women than she to the curb before, and he had no doubt he'd do so again. It was all part of the game, and it was a game he knew how to play better than damn near anyone.

It was also a game that he'd grown tired of as of late.

He'd learned from a young age that the world's pleasures belonged to those willing to take them. It was something his father had quite literally hammered into his skull as a child… in truth the sole thing he was grateful to the piece of shit for. The strong came out on top, while the weak were rightfully trampled underfoot. So he became strong. He rose to the top while his father fell to the bottom… meeting his end at the bottom of a staircase, his neck broken after the drunk bastard took a tumble.

A tragic accident, of course.

Since then, he had come to live by those words. He rose to his station. Money, power, good looks, women, he had it all. That which wasn't given he was all too happy to take. Those who challenged him would soon come to regret it. And yet, through it all, he maintained his public image… that of a legitimate businessman, gentleman, and generous philanthropist. Because he knew how to play the game. He knew how to get what he wanted, and was willing to wear whatever mask he needed to do so. As such, winning over brain-dead bimbos like her was child's play. And much like a child's plaything, he was growing increasingly bored. Perhaps it was time to mix things up a bit.

The man scanned the crowd, his lifeless gray eyes flicking between the offerings with little apparent interest. The club attracted a fairly diverse crowd, from young to mature to everything in between. Some were there with friends, others to meet new people, and of course there were those just looking for some company for the night… hussies, as far as he was concerned. He had little time for them.

...Oh?

The man stopped, his gaze lingering on one figure in particular. He could see her through the crowd, standing at the bar in an attractive blue dress and a lovely pearl necklace. She seemed to be glancing around, as though looking for someone, and as she turned her head he took a moment to study her face. She was a beautiful woman, not too old nor too young; her makeup, while tastefully applied, was just excessive enough that it was clear she had something to hide. No doubt she was starting to show her age and feeling particularly self-conscious about it.

Next, her body language: she was shifting in place anxiously and looking around, chewing her lower lip with a forlorn expression. She was upset, clearly. Her hands? No ring. Unmarried and aging, how sad. Her drink? Cranberry juice, from the look of it… not a drinker. Recovering, perhaps. Still, very peculiar for a non-drinker to be standing around at a bar unaccompanied. Perhaps she was waiting for some friends to return? No… she looked too upset for that. Nearly heartbroken, in fact. As if to confirm his suspicions the woman took out her phone and checked the time, taking another futile look among the crowd before sadly putting it away. Though his expression remained impassive as ever, his mind got to work piecing together the puzzle. This woman intrigued him. He would have her. And in a matter of seconds, he'd worked out how. With that, he polished off his drink and slid out from the booth, flexing his neck before straightening out his posture. As he weaved his way through the crowd, politely apologizing to those around him, his lips curled back in a friendly smile and his glare softened into a gentle gaze that made his cold grey eyes almost seem like a sparkling blue under the lights.

He put on the mask.

The downtrodden woman stared idly into her glass, lightly swirling it and watching the cranberry juice ripple within. She should have known this would happen… he'd been so non-committal when they'd set things up, but she'd been foolish enough to convince herself things would be different this time. Well, no point in lingering here alone… she may as well pay for her drink and head home to drown her sorrows in a pint of ice cream. She tried getting the bartender's attention, only for some red-headed seductress to call him over for another round. The woman sighed again and took a sip of her cranberry juice. Typical.

"Guy stood you up, huh?" The woman was snapped from her self-pity by a low voice beside her. She glanced over, finding a stunningly handsome man leaning on the bar. He was tall and barrel-chested, with perfectly-styled blonde hair and a strong jawline. Clean-shaven. Well-dressed. Million-dollar smile. For a moment, she was simply taken aback by his sudden appearance,

"I… excuse me…?" The man raised his palm and let out a chuckle.

"Sorry if I'm being presumptuous. You just looked like you could use some company, that's all," He said. "I'd offer to buy you a drink, but…" He flicked his eyes towards the cranberry juice, and the woman seemed to snap out of her stupor.

"Oh, um… n-no, it's quite alright," She said with a small smile. "You're not wrong. On either front, sadly." The man frowned and shook his head in empathy.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Can't say I haven't been there myself…" He muttered before that charming smile appeared once more. "Well, if it's not too bold of me to say, anyone who would leave a woman like you hanging must be out of their damn mind." The man shot her a wink and her cheeks flushed a light pink.

"Oh, stop…" The woman said, giggling into her palm. The man chuckled again. She took a moment to study him, taking in his chiseled features and masculine physique. He almost felt like a model straight out of GQ, the epitome of class in addition to his naturally good looks. Not to mention that he seemed to be an absolute gentleman to boot… and, perhaps most importantly, he seemed interested. She averted her eyes and took another sip of her drink, her cheeks reddening by the second.

"You know…" The man said as he pushed away from the bar and glanced over towards the dance floor. "I may not be the guy you're here to meet, but-"

"Yes," The woman blurted out, to her chagrin; she clammed up as the man looked back at her with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk, and cleared her throat before continuing. "I-I mean… I'd love to dance, if you're offering." The gentleman smiled and gave a small nod.

"It would be my privilege. Shall we, miss…?"

"Lori. Lori Loud." She said with a bashful smile, extending her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Chester Richards." The man said with a broad, gleaming smile. He took her hand gingerly and gave it a gentle shake. "The pleasure's all mine."

#sin kids #what she'd been missing #trillhouse #fanfiction #my work #chester richards #Lori Loud

[juminsmysticmc]

Hello~I'm so happy to request something again! So I wanted something about MC and Jumin in a date to a restaurant or a party and MC got poisoned? like someone tried to kill her and put something in her food or her drink ? and what would Jumin react to that if that's possible..Please feel free to ignore this if you don't like it! 💛

POISONED 

Woah! I love this kind of request! I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to tell me your opinion! 

By the way! This OneShot wasn’t corrected by @brendascorner so excuse me for the mistakes...but please enjoy the writing!Pairings: Jumin x Mc

Ending: Fluffy, Happy End

,,My love...you look wonderful…“ Jumin gasped when he saw you wearing your blue dress, your makeup fitted you perfectly, it wasn’t too much, it was just the perfect amount.Jumin put your chin up, ready to make his lips kiss yours.,,Mhhhh…“ he moaned as he tasted your lips.,,You taste just like a sweet cherry…“ he moaned, smiling at you and making you blush in a dark red tone.,,But you really don’t have to come along if you don’t want to...are you sure that your fever went down?“ he asked you, trying to make sure that you weren’t overworking yourself.You shook your head and touched his hand.,,I‘m okay now, Jumin. You took great care of me…“ you tried to assure him.Jumin decided to believe you and waited for you to be ready.

A few minutes later you approached him, making him look up from his phone.He smiled at you as you looked down at your shoes.,,Do I look good?“ you asked him.He nodded and got up, kissing your warm hand.,,You look amazing...I will have to hold you by my side the whole time…“ he joked, kissing your cheek.The two of you finally headed out. Cold air hit your cheeks, making you shiver a bit.The evening felt surreal. You somehow felt as if something was going to happen.Perhaps it was because you lied to Jumin and you actually felt indeed a bit sick. But you couldn’t think about it anymore, since Driver Kim arrived shortly after you stepped out and Jumin already helped you to get into the car.

The whole drive both of you spend sitting next to each other, your hand in his.,,This dinner party will probably have a weird atmosphere since a lot of business partner will feel as if their chance of finding new investors is in danger,“ Jumin began.,,But I think nothing will go wrong,“ he ended his speech, not knowing about a very important fact.The brother of a young man, which business failed because of Jumin, was the owner of the noble restaurant.He planned everything, the end of your evening was already set.

A few minutes later both of you arrived at the beautiful location.A red carpet led you the way to the entrance, which was beautifully decorated with a lot of plants and flowers.Two rather handsome men opened the gate, smiling friendly at you.Of course your husband didn’t oversee their eyes for you, his beautiful wife, and so he pressed your shoulder against his chest, making it clear that you belonged to him.You laughed at his jealousy, making him chuckle too.

Like always a lot of impressions were left on you. The different smells of the women’s perfume and the odor of the food. The dark lights which made the atmosphere and the classic music in the background.A lot of people came to greet Jumin and you. So many people that at some point your mind went blank.But with Jumin by your side you knew that everything would be alright.,,So, for now the ones we work with came to greet me,“ Jumin whispered, making you nod.,,We will first go to eat. Usually people sit next to other who are unknown by them, so that way they can tie new contacts and new business partners,“ he ended his speech.Suddenly you looked up to Jaehee, who was always perfectly prepared and knew what to do. Because you just felt helpless.Jumin made you sit down and then sat next to you.On your left Jumin and on your right a woman which smiled at you.

,,Is it your first time?“ she quickly asked you, making you feel caught.You nodded slowly and watched her chuckle.,,I can understand you. Don’t worry, you will get used to it,“ she kindly told you, making you feel at ease because of her kindness.,,Was it that obviously?“ you then asked her and began to talk with her.Jumin on your left smiled happily, at least you didn’t feel uncomfortable.

,,Women always tend to get along quickly,“ the man laughed.Jumin turned around, ready to respond when the man already held up his hand. ,,I‘m that woman’s husband, Dr. Kim Tae Heo, nice to meet you,“Jumin smiled, this was a nice tactic and you and Jumin felt perfectly into their scheme to begin a new business relationship.,,Jumin Han, nice to meet you too,“

The food arrived and Jumin forwardly asked the doctor what he really wanted and how he came to be invited.,,I got invited by my business partner who unfortunately closed down his business and so to find someone new he invited me. He himself however couldn’t make it,“ he explained.Jumin nodded and decided to listen to him and ask him what kind of business relationship he wished for.

,,Oh, this soup smells so good…!“ you whispered, making the woman nodd strongly.,,But yours looks somehow different…“ she added and suspicious looked at your soup.

,,I want to keep a close eye to poison,“ the doctor parallel confessed and began to slip at his soup.You happily began to eat your soup but tried to never get distracted and always look at woman which was named Chan Sook.She was a beautiful woman with long black hair and a wide smile.She looked noble but she didn’t look as if she thought better of herself.However you couldn’t help yourself but suddenly feel sleepy.,,Are you okay?“ she asked you.,,You look pale…“ she added.The waiter took the empty bowls from the table.,,I‘m okay, I was sick the last days…“ you mumbled, feeling somehow weird. It wasn’t your health that was still weak.Something was seriously wrong with your body but you wanted to ignore it.Your heart began to beat oddly quickly and you couldn’t help yourself but to breath hastier.,,Let’s go to the toilet…“ she whispered, trying to help you up.But as soon as you stood up, dizziness overcame you and you collapsed.Cold sweat dripped down your front as you slowly began to lose consciousness.The only word you could hear lastly was your name, which was called panicky by your husband.

,,So, why exactly do you want to keep an close eye to poison?’’ Jumin asked the man next to him.He clearly told Jumin what he wanted and why he was doing that. Jumin liked to listen to him, he had clear imaginations and knew where his place was. However Jumin didn’t believe that getting poisoned happened often. However the black haired man still didn’t know what was about to happen to you.,,This world is so bad minded. A lot of people die because they get poisoned and whether you believe it or no, some can slowly kill you if you’re weak. But with the right antidote you can stay alive,’’ he stated.Jumin and the man kept talking about that until their bowl was taken away.Suddenly Jumin heard your trembling voice and quickly turned to you.You were pale and you were trembling a bit.He wanted to say something to you but then you got up.Not long after you finally stood you then collapsed in front of his eyes.Jumin Han, the wealthiest man in South Korea saw his wife collapse in front of him and he couldn’t even help her.In that moment he was just like every other man and husband.

,,MC!’’ he yelled when you hit the floor.Everyone looked up and got up in fear. Jumin quickly kneeled down to you and tried to wake you up.,,My love! Tell me, what’s wrong?!’’ he asked you. Jumin never exposed any kind of feelings but right now he couldn’t stop himself to cry and worry for you.You looked at him, your lips were turning violet as you mumbled a ,,I feel sick…’’Dr. Kim Tae Heo quickly came down to you and looked at you.Without hesitating he put his ear on your chest to listen to your heart beat.Jumin looked at the man he just met how he tried to figure out what was happening with you.While Dr. Kim Tae Heo tried to help you, his wife ordered someone to call the paramedics.,,She...I can’t believe it…!’’ the doctor said.Jumin looked at him, he was anxious and also somehow annoyed that he didn’t tell him what was wrong with you.The man’s eyes looked at you with panic and then he starred at Jumin. At that point Jumin knew that something was going terribly wrong…,,Someone poisoned her…’’ Dr. Kim Tae Heo confessed and looked back to you.

Jumin observed the doctor for a few seconds. This couldn’t be true.The both of them just talked about that topic and now you were on the verge of death.,,Did you do that to show me your skills?’’ Jumin asked him angrily, believing the worst immediately.,,No, it wasn’t Tae Heo! Someone must have put anything in her food!’’  Chan Sook exclaimed.The young doctor told the paramedics how they had to go on, since this was a really dangerous moment.If they would move you too much, the poison could end up in your body quicker, and that would kill you immediately.,,I believe in was in her food. The poison she got is so strong that she would have tasted the deathly poison…’’ he mumbled, looking to the kitchen.Upon hearing these shocking words Jumin made everyone come out of the kitchen.

,,Run a background check on them all, I wanna see your results in three minutes!’’ he hissed and stroked your hair while the paramedics tried their best to save you with the doctors’ help.What will happen, if they fail? Will Jumin lose you? Will he have to live by himself? Without you and your cute laugh? Your wonderful smile and your heartwarming messages?Your good mood and bright attitude…Jumin began to sob your name, in his heart he begged for your well being.,,I will save her, Mr Han. And then we can talk about a business relationship…!’’ Tae Heo said, making Jumin look up for a short moment to feel the man’s decisive aura. He wanted to save you and gave his best.Indeed a few minutes later Jumin bodyguard came, revealing shocking news.

,,DID YOU POISON HER?!’’ he yelled at the man which was none than the owner…

,,I can’t remember…’’ you moaned a few days later. All your limbs were hurting right now and you were scared to even move a finger.Jumin smiled at you and kissed your hand all over again.,,You don’t need to...As soon as I found out who did this to you I made him vanish in the darkness of the cells. He probably wished to be never born. I will make him feel pain, you had to undergo a bad time because of him…’’ Jumin mumbled and kissed you.,,I actually wonder how you saved me…’’ you mumbled but closed your eyes, ready to fall once again asleep.,,Thanks to my new business partner…’’ Jumin still answered and thought about the man who saved your life....

#jumin han #Jumin #mm jumin #jumin x reader #mystic messenger jumin #jumin x mc #zen hyun ryu #yoosung kim #jaehee kang #saeyoung choi #luciel choi #saeran choi #jihyun kim #fanfiction #fanfic #mm fanfic #mm fanfiction #Headcanon #Mm headcanons #mystic messenger headcanon

[strayscenarioskids-blog]

Bad Influence - Bang Chan [M] Part 1

Stray kids Scenario

After a fight with her parents the quiet and reserved Roxeanne decides to rebel and get a tattoo.

The last thing she'd expected was to win over the interest of the tattooshop owner, bad boy Bang Chan and his gang.

____

Title: Bad Influence

Pairing: ( Roxeanne x Chan )

Word Count: 1.6k

Genre: gang, romance

Warnings: Later on, Violence

____

______________

Bang Chan

Two days ago

"Hyung.." I.N whispered while quietly handing me the book.

The police were suspicious of our actions and had ordered a search in the tattoo shop. That's alright, they wouldn't find anything anyways.

Before I.N could give it to me a officer put out his hand motioning for me to give it to him. I smirked before I handed it over.

"What's with this book?" The officer asked directly to Jeongin

I smirked and gave our youngest a pat on his shoulder, giving him the go to speak.

"Just a book with sketch ideas." He answered. The officer eyed me suspiciously before he looked at Jeongin again.

"So why did you gave it to him now?" He questioned.

"This book once belonged to my father, it's something personal I would rather not allow anyone to touch." I explained.

The officer scoffed and flipped through the pages, obviously hoping to at least find something.

This same man had been here at least once a week. It was obvious he was some sort of head from the police department and wanted to do the job himself seeming his men couldn't do it.

"And?"

"Found what you're looking for?" I asked.

The officer rolled his eyes before handing me over my sketchbook.

"Obviously not, because there's nothing to find here." Changbin spat out standing in front of me.

I laughed and told the younger boy to calm down. The point was obviously to not come off as aggressive.

The thing is that it weren't sketches at all. It were pieces of the map of Seoul. Valuable pieces to the gang whether they were for business, hiding money or hostages.

"Come on guys, we'll get them another time!" The officer spoke before giving us all a look and walking out with the others.

"I want you to find out everything about him." I told Minho.

"Already on it!" He answered. As expected Minho was a hard worker and did stuff without me having to ask him. That was his personality.

"What now?" Felix asked.

It was no surprise the guys were wondering how we could forward our business with the police breathing in our necks.

"Continue as usual, just watch out." I warned them.

The boys all nodded their head before going back to doing their daily tasks.

__________________

Roxeanne

Present

"You have to work harder." My father scolded while looking over my report card.

"90 percent is to weak for you, I expect at least 95".

"I'm sorry dad, I will work harder." I spoke. It were a few words but they did not mean anything. It only meant that I heard him, but I would not obey. I never did.

The last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene at dinner.

"How is it going with your ballet?" My mom asked.

"Good, it's going great." I answered politely. My mom proudly nodded her head.

"Work has been rough." My father spoke.

Nobody asked

Deep down I knew my mom was not interested to begin with, but my father was her money bank which meant she had to obey.

"Oh, how come?".

My father sighed. Here it comes.

"We went into the shop once again, but we still haven't found anything."

"These guys might be young but they know what they're doing. I think there might be a higher up." My father spoke.

What could he be talking about?

I don't wanna know and don't care either way.

"Roxeanne, you should sit up straight." My father scolded. I rolled my eyes before sitting up straight. Could he not leave me alone for once.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." He almost growled.

"I wished you'd put that same kind of energy in learning." He continued.

This man was driving me nuts.

"And I wish you would just shut up for once!" I yelled before getting up from my chair.

"Roxeanne, sit down, NOW!" My father commanded.

Instead I took a few steps back and shook my head.

"Roxeanne sweety, please sit down." My mother kindly asked. We were both aware of my father's bad temper and what would happen if we wouldn't listen.

"When I count to 3 and your ass is not on that table I promise you, you will be sorry." He yelled.

"One."

I'm not gonna do it.

"Two."

He can smack me to death for all I care.

"You know what, fuck you!" I yelled before walking away. I heard my father get up from his chair but before he could get to me my mom was holding him back.

"Roxeanne, go to your room." She spoke calmly while my father was making a scene. My father did a lot but one person he would not touch was my mother. He loved her and treasured her.

She did not had to tell me twice, but instead of running to my room I quickly grabbed my coat, my phone and stormed out the front door.

If I would be in that house a second longer I would probably go nuts. The best thing would be to go back home later, when my father was fast asleep and calm.

Luckily for me it was not that dark yet, but it probably would be in a hour or so. Perhaps I should go to a coffee shop and wait until my father calmed down.

Because we had just moved back to Korea I did not know the neighborhood very well, and it was actually the first time I would explore the neighborhood. The only thing I did not expect was to do it like this.

I opened google maps on my phone searching for the nearest coffee shop and started walking. This would not be hard right?

I thought. But after ten minutes of walking I noticed the path on my phone had disappeared and not only the path but also my surroundings.

This was not the same luxe neighborhood I lived in, perhaps I should ask for directions before I got completely lost.

Luckily for me there were no people outside, and the streets were quiet. I was not the one for

I walked into a street where I noticed a couple of stores. I was not the one for prejuidice but with the way how I dressed from head to toe in designer clothing it seemed as if there were any people they probably would bother me.

On the opposite side of me there was a tattoo shop that grabbed my attention. It was the only shop with the lights completely on. Stray kids, I read on a banner.

Maybe I could ask them for directions. I thought.

Or maybe, just maybe I should just get a tattoo instead.

Get it out of your head Roxeanne, why on earth would you.

Fuck it.

I crossed over the street and stood in front of the shop, second guessing whether I should really enter.

No Roxeanne, your father will murder you.

Just as I was about to walk away the door opened, making me bump into someone.

"Oh, sorry." The guy spoke with the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His eyes that were starring down at first looked into mine as he got a smirk on his face.

The guy looked legal but rather young. The smirk on his face made his cheeks go up giving him a squirrel 🐿 look. His dark brown hair was perfectly parted in the middle.

"Do you want to get in?" He asked rather surprised. I nodded my head before he smirked and stepped aside.

Before I could get in he gently grabbed me by my shoulder and starred in my eyes again. Flustered I quickly looked down.

"Are you here for Chan?"

"Who?" I questioned. Who the hell was Chan.

The guy laughed before he let go of my shoulder and put his cigarette back in his mouth.

"Stop bothering her and close the door, it's cold!" A voice could be heard from the inside.

The guy laughed before he bowed his head at me and walked past me. Flustered I walked inside of the shop.

"So, are you lost?" Another guy asked me. It was the same voice of the person who had told the other guy to stop bothering me.

He was standing behind a counter. This guy gave me statue vibes, but even then also he was very handsome.

In response I shook my head at him while still being shocked over his handsomeness.

"Aah you're here for a tattoo then?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"Do you already have an appointment?" He asked. Once again I shook my head.

"In that case..." He spoke as he smirked.

"Do you have a tongue?"

I choked in my own spit and nodded my head. Shit I'm doing it again.

"I mean yes, I do." I smiled.

The guy flashed his perfect white teeth and leaned over the counter to get a good look at me. As he looked at me I looked back at him, but all sudden we were interrupted by the ringing of a phone.

The guy chuckled before pushing some sort of button for a intercom.

"Chan, since it doesn't look like you're picking up that phone anytime soon, can you help this sweet customer?" He asked through the sound of the phone that was still ringing.

"On it." The voice spoke.

The guy gave me a wink before picking up the phone and walking away while still eyeing me with a smirk on his face.

What was wrong with him?

_________

You can continue reading this story on Wattpad. Link below.

#straykids #chan #bangchan #jisung #hanjisung #hyunjin #I.N #Jeongin #Seungmin #Woojin #Felix #Minho #ChristopherBang #jyp #gang #scenario #imagine #fanfiction #smut #kpop

[gaiyofanfiction]

If you get a chance,Am I allowed to request a Monsta X Jooheon Mafia AU where you're new to the city and he falls in love with you and your passion for life but have no clue what he does for a living so you're always wondering why everything goes so smoothly for you like finding a job, getting an apartment, people being nice to you, etc after you meet him. I'm not sure what sort of genre would be best for this so can you help decide that? Thanks! :)

Thanks for your request Anon! Jooheon is my bias from Monsta X and I’m totally excited to write this! I hope you like it

Reader x Jooheon Mafia!AU - “Precious Thorns”

You have just moved to Chicago and finally settled into your new apartment. Peering out your window to look at the skyline you sigh and say,”wow, this is it! The Windy City! I may have spent most of my savings to move out here, but I think I can go for a few drinks. Mama needs to wind down.” You start to put on your outfit; a cute slim black dress that went down to mid-thigh, fishnets with a rose design, and black boots with studs. Last but not least, winged eyeliner, a little bit of mascara, and a maroon matte lipstick to top it off.

Walking down the street you’re in complete awe by the bustling streets and the beautiful lights. You stumble upon a night club and decide to go in and have a little fun. The music is loud and there must have been at least a couple hundred people in the building. You squeeze your way to the bar and order a drink, “vodka and cranberry with a lime please.” Taking a few sips here and there you start to people watch and enjoy the view.

“You’re not going to dance?” asks a young, handsome man in a black suit with a cherry red tie. “Oh, haha. I’m a terrible dancer. I prefer to people watch and enjoy the music,” your say nervously. ‘He’s really good looking. I don’t know how he can make dark brown messy hair look so sophisticated.’ “So, why aren’t you dancing? What’s your excuse?” You take a sip of your drink while keeping eye contact. He moves a little bit closer and you try not to show that your heart is ready to jump out of your chest. “Well, unfortunately the only girl I want to dance with is busy people watching,” he gives you a sly side smile. “Well played, sir, well played.” You reach your hand out for him to grab and guide you to the dance floor.

“I’m serious though, I really don’t know how to dance, I might even step on your nice expensive shoes,” you jokingly say, but being very honest. “Just follow my lead, sweetheart.” He twirls you around like you’re a beautiful princess in a ball gown. Suddenly he brings you closer and his hand sits at your lower back. “You know, I don’t think our dancing matches the upbeat club music.” He stops. “You’re right, but who wants to conform?” He winks at you and smiles. ‘This man is killing me. He is way too charming.’

After a few drinks and getting to know each other a little more you finally ask, “So, how does a man like you become interested in a girl like me?” You twirl your straw around. “What do you mean my dear?” He tilts his head. “Oh c’mon, I’m just another punk city girl and you’re clearly a big businessman. The suit, nice shoes, and you even have a Rolex watch.” You raise your eyebrow challenging him. “Even so, it doesn’t mean I don’t know when to appreciate a beautiful rose such as yourself.” He leans against the bar table like he just won. “And every rose has its thorn,” a snide comment only you would say. He claps and chuckles at you. His phone rings and he answers it. “Ah, I see, I’ll be there in five minutes.” He hangs up the phone. “Well, it looks like I’m needed for a late press conference.” He slides a business card to you. “I’ll leave it up to you to make the decision on whether or not our paths will cross again. Till then, Y/N.” He winks and walks away with his hands in his pockets. ‘He is TOO good.’ You look at the card and read: CEO Lee Jooheon. ‘Ugh, he even has a sexy name.’

Two Months Later…

“I’m home!” You come walking in to your apartment and immediately take off your work shoes. “My dogs are killing me! Babe, could you please give me a foot rub?” He motions for you to put your feet up on his lap. “Anything for my jagiya. Now, tell me how was work?” You had explained to him that waitressing is really taking a toll on you and you’re not sure how you’re going to make rent this month. He genuinely looked sympathetic for you, but you didn’t want him pitying you. “It’s okay. I make things work out.” You giggle and head off to the kitchen. He remained on the couch thinking to himself.

The Next Week…

“You did what!? How!? I-I don’t understand.” You start to pace back and forth. “Honey, baby, relax. I have contacts everywhere. I told them how much of a hard worker you were and besides, they owed me a favor. So, I got you a new job as an executive assistant for a major law firm.” He gives you a silly grin. “I’ve been a waitress ever since I can remember! How am I supposed to fit this new role!?” You start to freak out. He grabs you and kisses you. “You deserve more. Just please give it a chance?” He stares at you with his puppy dog eyes. You couldn’t resist.

Another Month Passes…

“The people at the law firm are so nice to me! I’m so used to customers complaining about their meals that it feels like I’m getting the special treatment. Do you have something to do with this?” You furrow your brows. “Me? Whaaat? No way. Don’t be silly.” His phone rings and he continues to sit there and look at you. You roll your eyes, “aren’t you going to answer that? You pretty much get a call every five minutes.” He let the call go. He quickly pulls you in close and grabs your hand to kiss it, “you’re more important.” His phone rings again. You let him answer it this time. “DAMNIT WHAT!?” He explodes leaving you suddenly anxious. “You fucking get the shit situated and I’ll be there as soon as possible. Do not let him go.” He slams the phone on the coffee table and lets out a long sigh. You were left completely speechless. 

‘I have never seen this side of him. He’s always been so sweet and full of charisma.’ You tug on his suit. His shoulders drop from being tense and he turns around to face you. “I’m sorry you had to see that. *Ahem* It seems we’re having trouble with a client so… I need to go to work and sort this out.” He kisses your forehead and heads for the door. “By the way, I have you scheduled to move into my condo tomorrow. I suggest you start packing.” He blows you a kiss and closes the door behind him. ‘He did not just…’

Several Months Pass…

You have never been happier. You have a wonderful job, you live with your handsome boyfriend in his massive condo located in on of the cities most expensive high rises, and he even bought you a new car. But, you start to wonder. ‘It’s… It’s way too good to be true.’ It was your day off and you were totally bored with yourself. You start to think even more. ‘To be honest, I have no idea what company he even works for or where he goes most of the time. He never bothered to show me.’ You go snooping into his belongings and stumble upon his laptop. You went to Google maps and decided to track his footsteps. ‘God I feel terrible doing this… But, I have a right to know my own boyfriend and his whereabouts. Right?’ Your fingers clicked away on the keyboard. You finally found a destination he’s been to almost every day since the day you met him. You printed up the directions and headed for the door.

It was late and Jooheon already texted you that he probably wouldn’t be home till tomorrow because of an emergency business meeting. You were just a few blocks away from the destination. Your heart was pounding and you felt so uneasy. ‘Why do I feel like I’m being a horrible person? Oh my god, I’m stalking my own boyfriend!’ You arrive to the location. You sat in your car for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes. Swallowing the lump in your throat you take a deep breath in and head out to the building before you.

The location was fairly secluded on the outskirts of the city. You walk towards one of the side entrances and try to take a peak into the windows. Unfortunately all the windows were covered by closed blinds so you had to look around. “Ah, jackpot!” You found a basement entrance. The door was surprisingly unlocked and you let yourself in. There was nobody around. It was an interesting room. The only things in the room were a wooden desk with one lamp and some scattered papers. 

You looked at a few papers and started to notice a pattern. Each one had a picture of a man or woman with a written profile of the person. All of them had an ‘X’ over their faces except for one. You read that one’s profile. “…Several fraudulent accounts… Millions of dollars stolen… Five accounts of… MURDER??? And… RECENT ASSOCIATE OF JOOHEON!?” Your head was spinning and you had to prop yourself up against the table. ‘I’m starting to think I know nothing about my boyfriend.’ You hear yelling in the adjacent room and a loud crash. You try to peak in through the cracked door. 

“I didn’t take you under my wing so you could eventually undermine me and my work. I came from nothing and built an empire of my own from the little amount that I had. Did you really think that this would slip past me so easily?” You see Jooheon pistol whip the fallen man. You cover your mouth with a shaky hand. Jooheon starts to circle the man. “Do you know what we do with people like you? People that steal from me and my mafia?” He crosses his arms and whistles to his men. A couple men in black suits start to drag the man away. 

“Also, will someone please bring in my beautiful jagiya. We are not monsters here. Please show her some manners.” Your heart stops and knees become weak. You try to bolt away, but a strong man drags you into the empty room and forces you to sit in a chair. “My dear, I’m sorry you had to see such a sight.” He caresses your face with the back of his hand. “W-what is the meaning of this? Joohoney? I d-don’t understand… Why -” He covers your mouth. Tears start to fall down your cheeks and onto his hand. He licks the tears from his hand. “Are you afraid my precious flower?” He lifts your chin up although you flinch. “I think you will get used to it. Just let daddy do his work…” Suddenly he pulls your hair back making you shriek and he’s face to face with you. “But, if I ever see you back here again meddling in my business, we’re going to have a problem.” He gives you a kiss on your cheek. 

“Every rose has its thorn,” he says before he laughs maniacally and exits the room. You’re left in the chair, alone, and with an empty mind. You say to yourself with an insane look on your face, “and now I bleed from picking the rose with the most thorns.” 

#GaiYō fanfiction #requests #submissions #monsta x mafia #scenarios #kpop scenarios #monsta x #monsta x au #lee jooheon #joohoney #fluff #monsta x fluff #angst #monsta x anst #au #mafia #blinded by love

[artistclock]

WHEN IT WILL BE ME?

By: Cherry Mae Parohinog

Be the best or be nothing at all. Remember that no one remembers the second best or the rest for that matter. Aim for the top place. Always.

I had it in my head that individuals were constantly looking for attention and a good reputation. We lived for their compliments. Who doesn't like to be complimented? One positive word from you, they can live for a day. One positive sentence forms you, then they can build an altar and worship you. They can even kiss your feet.

"Our school's pride! Let us give Mr. Merritt a standing ovation! The well-known art competition was held in Manila. And, of course, congrats to Ms. Hernandez on her second-place finish. Thank you very much! Mr. Merritt, top one!”

Roaring applause was given by the crowd to us and especially to him. I don’t know if it’s because he’s drop-dead gorgeous or because he won. I bet my life, it’s the former.

When my name was called, I couldn't help but notice the host's low tone. See, second place means nothing. I also stood up and clapped. I didn't clap because I wanted to; I clapped because it was my initial inclination, and it was required by the program. And I should, because I'm one of the winners!

“Congratulations, Ms. Hernandez. Your arts are good and getting better.” The host mumbled to me and smiled with her lips pursed.

Comparative versus superlative adjective, I see.

Her words could no longer be heard due to the great weakness of her voice and the crowd’s loudness. I accept her compliment with a nod of my head. It would have been lovely to hear her praises, but they didn't last long in my ears. Her words sound rehearsed.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” I return the smile she gave to me.

Another medal and trophy to be cover with dust.

James Austin Merritt, the winner, in his custom-tailored tux from the back of the host, sashaying his way to us. His chiseled arms are highlighted by his serge coat. His tousled hair, crimson lips, flushed cheeks, and metal timepiece. His deportment now matched his brusqueness and arrogance so well. He looks expensive and extremely confident.

“I know I mentioned it before, but let me congratulate you again,” he says as he clears his throat. “Congratulations, Ms. Olivia,” He's in top form, with his cheeky smile on his face, and his right palms outstretched in front of me, indicating that I should take it.

This is the type of guy I should avoid.

“You, too, Mr. Merritt. You brought the school’s name again. I’m so honored to join you in that dazzling journey we had in Manila. You’re the best companion.” I clasped his hand in mine and smiled at him.

The words taste so wrong on my tongue. I can even taste the bitterness.

“You two did an outstanding job. And this handsome prodigy, oh, darling, make us prouder,” the host taps his right cheek. She has the look of a proud mother. I almost puked when I saw how sweet it was.

He turns his face toward me, allowing me to get a good look at his aristocratic features. “Not at all, Ma'am. Olivia is here, and she is the best at everything. As with anything! Did you happen to notice what she used in the competition? She used oil paint as well as poster paint! The beauty of her artwork is breathtaking! I'm lost for words to describe how stunning and talented she is. I was startled and mesmerized as I stared at her. I-I'm referring to her painting,” His prominent cheekbones turning a slight shade of red.

I stifle a little chuckle. I'd like to believe him. His comments, despite the oozing tone of sarcasm and stupidity, ring true in my ears. I only hope Mrs. Ronald, the host, agrees with us, although I doubt it. Her sour expression tells me so.

My hands are itching to hit him - no, beat him! Hmm… maybe later, Mr. Merritt.

“What exactly are you saying, Mr. Merritt? You won, which implies you're the best. What would happen to our department if you weren't there? A strong and confident man. Your artistic prowess is out of this world,” she shook her head, wanting to put a stop to the conversation.

Mrs. Roland may believe that a man has all the power, but this is not the case. I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe that women can accomplish just as much as men.

It appears to me that I am not as important as him and that I was only placed there to fill the gap. My achievement and trophy mean nothing to them.

“No, no, Ma’am. She’s also a winner in the competition too. I was so amazed at how good she was that I was ready to go home crying that day,” He shoves his hands in his pockets and glances over me. His left dimples popping out.

“Alright, Austin, if you say so. I'll leave you two alone now. I’ll just talk to someone on the other side.” She gracefully turns her back on us. Her sour expression remained.

“What was the point of that?” You want to court me?” My arms are folded on my chest.

His mouth fell open, and his brown eyes were as large as saucers and almost out of their sockets. He has a peculiar appearance. I nearly roll on the carpet!

“No. Never, Miss, but you can thank me though. And then I'll say, 'Welcome, Olivia.' How does that sound?”

I groan. As I looked at him, I wondered how someone could be so dumb.

“I appreciate your kind words, Mister. Hearing that made my day.” I mock him by pressing my palm to my chest and bowing slightly.

He mumbles an expletive under his breath. “Stop dissing me, please. The competition ended well and unbiasedly. And are we already friends, or am I imagining things? But for me, we’re already friends. We can help each other. We can also create beautiful artwork. What do you think?” He wiggles his eyebrow. As a result, he is quite attractive; otherwise, he would resemble Mr. Bean.

“No, we're not friends, and we never will be. Well, unless you are the firm believer of ‘keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer, then we can be friends,” I shrug my shoulder acting as a cool kid. I just need myself and no more.

His stares are so intense that I almost cringe.

“If that’s what you want, then fine. We’re enemies now.”

Perhaps it is true that when the universe aligns, there is a force that allows two opposing things to become one.

I let him see every inch of my heart.

On the floor was a jumble of canvases, paintbrushes, and paint colors. Images of hazy landscape sceneries, abstract paintings, and random people's portraits are hung, while some are simply lying against the wall. I watched him in the corner as he was serious about what he was doing. It’s like he’s the only one in the room and his painting is the most important thing in the world. His hand seems to be dancing to a rhythm that only he can hear. The veins in his arms protruded when the paintbrush kissed the canvas. His brow wrinkled and his crimson lips parted slightly. It's amazing to look at him in such a way that you wouldn't believe he's puerile and truant.

Let’s make art together. No rivalry between us.

His words break the high sturdy wall I built for anyone to protect myself.

“I'm hungry,” I said, although I'm not. All I want is for him to pay attention to me as well.

“Then, eat. I don't have your mouth,” he says. He didn't even look at me. He's really serious about what he's doing.

“You’re arts is romantically beautiful, Austin. It never fails to amaze me. I want to make you a statue,”

“Really? That's very thoughtful of you, Olivia. Thank you for your backhanded compliments. It's much appreciated. And I think... I'm going to cry. Could you please hand me a tissue?” He retorted.

Oh, God! Give me more patience.

Dropping my head back against my chair and dragging my breath through my nose. I prop my right elbow on the armrest and lean my head against my hand.

“Have you read what was posted in the bulletin? They’ll have competition again. Maybe you'd like to join?” Now he's focused on me and telling me something else. His words were vague in my ears. In a trance, I'm staring at a line of ants scurrying around the wall. What if I lose once more? A second-place finisher again? I don't want to lose. For once, I'd want to be on top. No, I always want to be at the top. No one but myself! The best of the rest!

I'm a sad little girl who craves attention and longs to escape reality. My anxiety began to attack.

I recall my father yelling at me, "I won't look at your trashy trophy, and I'm not proud!" He claimed that painting is not a career and that I cannot earn a living from it. The benefit here is that dad let me choose the course I wanted, which is why I chose fine arts, but how could this freedom feel so lonely?

He spews his venom at me for not being the best. I held my tongue and waited until he was satisfied with the damage. I can't blame him; he's one of the most competitive people I've ever met. He was distraught. It’s like I’m trying to hold hot water in my bare hands. So cruel. He has such a terrible opinion of me. I value the arts in all of their forms.

I believe in the power of words and their ability to affect people. They have the power to make or break you. They can even kill you.

“You’re worthless! You deserved everything bad that happened to you! All the hate! Why won’t you just die?!” I screamed as I stood in front of the mirror, pointing to myself.

And he made me feel unloved and unworthy.

I was immersed in thought when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

He looks at me as if he’s reading my mind and my soul, “Hey, I got you now. You’re doing your absolute best. Stop trying to control everything around you. Stop it. Stop thinking about the outcome of every situation, just enjoy the moment. Don’t be hard on yourself, Olivia.” His tone is gentle.

“If everyone turns their back on you, then look at me. I’m your number one fan, remember? I hope that’s enough.” He mumbled.

In response, I gave him my genuine smile.

People have asked me if I’m okay with placing second or third, and I’ve always said yes. That's the response they're looking for. They don't care about me. They simply want to pique their interest. That's all there is to it. That's why, in the end, you're the only one left in the dark, bruised, and defeated.  You didn't get the kind of attention you were hoping for. Who would want to hear from someone like me? Nobody knows who I am. This is how the world works

Jesus! I sound like a petulant child.

The afternoon zephyr gently ruffled my hair a little. I'm seated in my school uniform on the far side of the school's reading sanctuary section's concrete gazebo, surrounded by trees whose leaves are already falling and scattering on the sidewalk. It's a peaceful spot. The sound of the page of the book I’ am reading hurt the silence of the surroundings.

It tells the story of a wise man who can't seem to find himself. He was enslaved to the standard that society and his family imposed on him. Because of his intelligence, he lacked a friend. His diary was his lone confidante. In this journal, he writes down all of his thoughts and the words that are stuck in his head.

Why do I have an affinity towards him? Perhaps because we are in a similar situation. I recognize myself in him and can relate to him. If he utilized a pen and paper to write down what was going through his mind. In turn, I used a paintbrush and a canvas to express my feelings and resentments in life.

I was so engrossed in my daydream that I didn't notice the mighty Austin lounging coolly against the jamb of the gazebo, hands in his pockets, and chewing his bubble gum, which he even inflated and chewed again. Yes, he is sometimes gross. He chuckles awkwardly at me and takes the chocolate cupcake from his pocket. He uses his teeth to peel it off.

“I wish you a very happy birthday, Olivia. And I'm sorry I won't be singing you a happy birthday song. Now, Olivia, make a wish.”

I lock my gaze on him. I consider myself extremely blessed to have him. I close my eyes and whisper to the wind.

“Break those shackles, and watch me fly.”

My room opens with a loud bang, waking me up. I could see his familiar shape in my hazy eyes.

“Join the contest and show me what you've got.” He spoke it loudly and authoritatively. My father's actions surprised me. Isn't that the truth? I heard it very clear. My nails dug into the palms of my hands so deeply.

Take the risk or lose the chance. I'd go with the former, despite my reservations.

I shield my face from the light with my right hand. He, too, squints from the sun. I'm not sure why we decided to go for a walk in the middle of the day. I'm perspiring, and his neck is flushed. He unlocked the door for me when we arrived at the school's art studio. The door is excessively large and heavy. To open it, he must use all of his strength.

“How come this old door won't let a handsome man like me in? If this door is a woman, I'd say she's just trying to get my attention.” He winks at me as he turns to face me.

This man!

I take a seat next to him and maintain a comfortable distance between us. We're currently practicing. The crickets could be heard all around us.

To be honest, I had lost track of what made me happy. I've run out of ideas, motivation, and energy. I didn't have anything to look forward to. I close my eyes tightly.

“Yes, you’re doing it right. Stroke it slowly. Don’t get frustrated,”

“Everything is mediocre,” I scream, hurling the paintbrush. He took it and returned it to me.

“Slow progress is better than no progress at all, Olivia,”

“Easy for you to say. You’re famous. You’re so good. No, you’re the best! The greatest! Everyone loves you. And me, I’ am no one. A good-for-nothing daughter. Tell me… when it will be me?”

He blinks several times. Because of his heavy breathing, I notice his shoulders bouncing up. He's chewing his lower lip. In his eyes, I can feel his exasperation and sorrow. He reaches for my face and gently caresses my cheek.

“You know what, I think I should call it quits. My dreams are shattered all around me. From the start, everything is wrong. I can't function properly,” I grumble. I'm furious at myself.

I'm losing control of everything. I'm losing interest in things that used to excite me. It’s like I'm no longer a part of anything. My cheeks are flushed with tears.

“If that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right. And don’t compare your artworks to mine, or everyone, that’s just deadly. Everyone has their uniqueness. You are your person,” he whispers.

Despite his words, I am still empty. I'm desperate to get this emotion out of my system.

“It isn't that simple.”

The opinions of those around us have an impact on how we perceive ourselves. Austin, on the other hand, is arrogant, harsh, and blunt, but he can be a dark knight in sparkling armor. He sees right through people. He lives his life to the fullest.

I stare out the window. The car was moving so fast that the trees we were passing through swiftly vanished from my vision. I'm leaning against to it. I believe we are all dissatisfied individuals. We wish for something that we don't have. We envy people and things in various ways and on various levels. We wish to be that person and live their life. We desire things to satisfy ourselves. People are usually asking for something good, yet they are frequently asking for something bad. We just don't notice it, or if we do, we're too afraid to acknowledge it. People are also cynical.

I'm extremely nervous right now. Inside, my toes wiggled into my shoes. I can even hear my heartbeat in my ears and a strong throb against my skull. I'm feeling nauseous. My heartbeat quickened as fear swelled in my chest. Austin, on the other hand, appears to be a lost child at the playground. His eyes are shining with enthusiasm.

Today is the competition day. I used to think of him as my enemy, my tough opponent. But suddenly things are different.

“I'm drowning in anxiety and fear. Who wants to swim with me?” I asked him. We were in the park at the time. I'm sitting on the concrete bench, watching the kids play.

“Me. I can even bring some colorful floaters. You want that?” he answered me while licking his lollipop.

I lift my eyes and stare at him. He was looking at a large artwork in front of us, arms akimbo. He has a carefree smile on his face.

“This is it! The world has to be ready. We are here now, ready to conquer them,” He has a devilish grin on his face.

"Don't live too much in our head, Olivia. This time you are not alone,” He added, and continued watching the artwork, "I will not allow you."

The overthinking sucks that drove me to do some irrational things, as well as my anxiety, which accompanies me around and feeds my fear, are still here. Now all I have to do is revalue myself to forgive and love myself better. I'm going to improve with time.

And he’s with me now. We are here now. This is our now. This is the reality.

“And Olivia, it’s always been you.”

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