#i have to put a spoiler warning here now in case you are planning on watching it (i would not recommend it unless you are me) because the

[arcanefox207]

The Wolf You Feed (Part 2)

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Rating: Explicit, 18+ MDNI

Word Count: 5.6k

Part 2 / ? (Ongoing Series) (AO3)

Summary: Set in a fictional New England town, you fall for your handsome, intense and outdoorsy neighbor while renting out your parent's vacant summer home during a brutal winter.

Warnings: No Outbreak, AU but with TLoU characters, Large age gap (Reader is 29. Joel is 50). Pet names but no use of Y/N. Reader is smaller than Joel and has hair he can grab. POV Switching. Series contains Angst and lots of Smut (to avoid chapter specific spoilers you can expect things such as but not limited to Unprotected PiV, Cream Pies, Oral, Masturbation, Dom!Joel, Subby reader, Pining, Infidelity) 

A/N: In case you are just jumping in, you can read Part 1 here. Part 2 is more smut heavy! I aim to have Part 3 out much sooner as time allows!

A O 3 | M A S T E R L I S T | N O T I F I C A T I O N S

Comments / Reblogs are so incredibly appreciated and give me the motivation to write 🧡

Without further ado... for your reading pleasure.

It’s late on Saturday morning and you have a pot of coffee brewing while you shower. You stand in the stream of hot water far longer than you need to. Your thoughts shrouded by your evening with Joel Miller. How rough but passionate his touch was. How he made you get on your knees for him. How he tasted and how badly you wanted… needed  more of him. Your hands trace over tender spots where he held onto you and you relish the memory. 

He tested your obedience and you followed his orders. You hope it turned him on as much as it did you. You liked surrendering yourself to him. Despite his roughness you felt safe with him. You couldn’t explain it yet but you could feel that his burly facade was hiding something softer. 

You finally step out onto the cool tile and dry off in front of the mirror. You pat your hair down with your towel and when the steam starts to dissipate you catch how happy you look. An old you that you have not recognized for a long, long time. 

You smile to yourself and resolve to put Joel out of your mind for now or nothing would be getting done today. 

The coffee helps wake you up enough to plan out your morning. There is a light coating of fresh snow and the sky looks gray and ominous. A big storm is expected to hit overnight so you head into town to pick up some food and provisions. You make a quick stop at Grind when you see Marlene’s car parked in front.

There are a few customers and you are surprised to see Marlene working. By her expression, she wasn’t too pleased to be there.

“Hey!” You greet her as you approach the counter. “You got stuck working today?”

“Yeah, someone called out.” she rolled her eyes. “Don’t feel too bad for me, it’s your turn next.” she jokes. A teenager is busy checking out a customer and another is making a latte. Marlene steps away for a moment to chat with you.

“So…” she prods. “How did it go?” You fail to hide your smile and thoughts of Joel overtake you once again. 

“It went… great.” 

“When can I meet him?” 

You laugh nervously at her question.

“Lets not jump ahead. Right now it’s just something… casual.” 

She is skeptical of your reply and stares at you for a moment, trying to will more out of you, but you don’t give in. 

“Ok. Whatever you say.” She rolls her eyes again. “I have to get back to work, but you are going to have to tell me sooner or later.” She points at you and furrows her brow. 

“Yeah, Yeah.” You joke. “See you Monday!”

You leave the shop and cross the street to the grocery store. The place is mobbed and the shelves wiped out of the most in demand items. You grab a few things and chat with your mom who calls you to check in. Rather, to tell you all about her excursions and gossip about people you have never even met. You don’t mind and just tell her things are going well, you like your job and let her ramble on, not really listening. Mindless chatter in your ears while you shop. 

She does catch you off guard when she mentions hearing about the storm and “Joel will plow for us if we ask him to” casually. Your ears perk at the mention of his name but you act cool and collected. You don’t like the way she volunteers his services so nonchalantly. It strikes a nerve in you and reminds you of how she always insinuates you are incapable of being responsible. It makes you feel defensive for Joel, too. Her disregard for his time further illustrating how self centered she is. This was one of the factors that pushed you away for so many years. 

“Your father will call him later—” 

Absolutely not. You interrupt her sternly mid-sentence. 

“Mom. I will take care of it.” The last thing you want is your parents harassing Joel or trying to control you from across the country. This was a string you needed to make clear was not going to be attached to your current living arrangement.

“I have things under control.” 

“Oh… ok then.” Her tone is short and then she is off talking about her beach plans again. This goes on for another 10 minutes and by now you are in the checkout line. You say your goodbyes and calculate another week or two before you have to do that all over again. 

You hadn’t really considered the snow aftermath but you had a shovel and your car would be good enough to get out of your driveway… probably. You were not going to bother Joel regardless. 

The call puts you in a bad mood as you drive home. The spitting snow reminds you of the impending storm. The cheerful start of the day is gone and replaced with a heavy feeling.

You drive past Joel’s house and wonder if he is home and what he is doing. Wonder if you should call him. Wonder why he has not reached out to you either. You don’t want to be that girl. It’s not like you and him are anything. You shouldn’t be expecting anything from him. However, you still feel a faint sting of disappointment. Maybe he had his fun and that was it. Self doubt poisons your mind but you try to swallow it back. 

The rest of the day you spend eating junk food and watching movies on Netflix. You fall asleep on the couch early in the night before forcing yourself into bed. The wind and snow has ramped up and your power flickers. 

You pull your comforter tightly over you and take one last look at your phone but you already know there is nothing from Joel. 

Saturday Night (Joel POV)

Joel sits up in his loft on his worn out couch, strumming his guitar. He takes a sip of his whiskey, neat, and poorly mouths the words to his song. 

He plays a few more riffs but feels distracted and unfocused. All attempts to keep busy have been ineffective today. He spent the afternoon preparing his truck and stacking firewood. Once that work was done he had nothing but free time.

The truth is, you have been on his mind. It was hard not to think about you. He had only explored the tip of the iceberg with you and wanted more. He knew it wasn’t right to pursue you for a magnitude of reasons, but the desire was not waning. He felt things with you that he had not felt in a long time. Feelings he was afraid to give in to.      

Joel replaces the guitar in his hands with his phone and hovers your name in the recent contacts.  This isn’t the first time today he has almost called you. 

What are you doing, stupid. He thinks to himself. 

He shuts down the moment of weakness and locks his phone. He knocks back the last of his whiskey and heads downstairs. He turns on his TV to the local news and listens to them fuss over the storm. He knew tomorrow would be a busy one for him with his side hustle as the plow guy many locals depended on. Just another thing to keep him busy. 

He goes to take a shower before calling it an early night.

The shower is hot and comforting and in no time his mind is wandering back to you. He thought about your brief evening together and how intriguing you were. How bold you were. How tight you were when he was fingering you and how needy you sounded.  

He puts a fist against the shower wall to brace himself and hangs his head low so his shoulders block the bulk of the water. He uses his free hand to wrap around his semi-hard cock. He remembers your playful hold on him and gently strokes himself. It doesn’t take very long to get hard as he relives that moment in his mind. His strokes get harder and faster and he wishes he was fucking into you and not his own hand.

He groans as he comes and watches his spend drip down the shower walls and into the drain. His few moments of bliss quickly fade away. He balls his fist in frustration at his unfulfilling release. He needs more. He needs you. 

Your Sunday morning begins with anything but peace and calm. You are startled awake by the grinding sound of heavy metal dragging across pavement. You look outside your bedroom window and see the snow has blanketed everything and there are still a few lingering flurries dancing in the sky. The trees are struggling with bent over branches coated in ice and snow. 

Leaving your warm and cozy blanket fortress is the last thing you want to do. You lazily grab a hoodie to pull over your oversized shirt you slept in and your pajama shorts and make your way to the front of the house. The floor is cold on your feet but the air is warm. You cranked the thermostat before bed, making you feel rebellious in the moment but it seemed silly and wasteful now.

You look out the front window that faces the driveway. There you see Joel Miller in his truck, plow attached, barreling towards you and crashing into a snowbank he started building up. He looked so serious and professional backing up his truck with an arm stretched across his seat as he looked over his shoulder. He was so focused he was not aware you were watching him and his scowl at work. 

It doesn’t take long before that familiar ache between your legs returns. The longing to let Joel have his way with you. A desire that is getting harder and harder to ignore.

The realization that you look like you just woke up from bed hits and you scramble to the bathroom to run a comb through your hair and brush your teeth. You can hear the drag of the plow continue as you finish up and then rush to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. The stove clock reads 7:32am. Way too fucking early for a Sunday morning.

You hear his truck door slam and the sound of crunchy snow under his boots. He is walking with a heavy foot and grabs the shovel leaning by your door.

Joel is shoveling your walkway, weaving a modest path for you to get from your house to your driveway without trudging through the snow. You can hear him grunt as he tosses the heavy snow out of the way. What would have taken you probably an hour takes him just a few minutes. 

He plunges the shovel into a snowbank when he reaches the end of the path and leans on it to catch his breath. He looks exhausted and rightfully so. You want to comfort him in whatever way you can. At least offer him some respite to show your appreciation. As much as you hate to admit it, you would have been totally fucked if you had to tackle your driveway with your inadequate self. Joel saves the day, again.

You crack open the front door and call out to Joel, reluctantly interrupting his moment of peace. 

“Hey!” 

He slowly turns in your direction when he hears your voice. His eyes scrunch as he makes out your figure hanging out the door. He gives a lazy wave of acknowledgment. 

“Come inside and warm up? I made coffee.” 

He picks up the shovel to return it and makes his way towards you. 

“Yeah, ok. Just for a minute” He follows you inside.

Joel closes the door hard behind him and scuffs his boots on the mat to get off any snow. He brushes his hand quickly over the top of his head to knock off any lingering snow and unbuttons his jacket. He empties his pockets and puts his wallet and phone on the end table. He saunters over to you as you hand him a fresh cup of coffee, black. 

“Thanks.” He manages a smile. He returns to the living room and groans as he lowers himself to the couch. He recklessly sips his piping hot beverage and seems immune to the searing heat and delighted to have it.  He rests his mug on the table and leans back and closes his eyes. His hand comes up to his brow as he pinches his thumb and finger together across his eyes.   

You lean against the doorway between the rooms and sip your coffee. You notice how tired and worn he looks. His damp hair is shiny. His heat is melting the last few snowflakes and making him look messy and wet. His jacket is open and disheveled and his flannel undershirt is haphazardly draping on him as he slouches back. 

Despite all that he is still as handsome as ever and you like seeing him this way. Vulnerable in this out-of-character state. 

“Tired.” He grunts with his eyes closed and it snaps you out of your thoughts. “Been a long morning.” 

You take a few steps towards him to close the gap.

“I’m too old for this.” He sneers as he looks at you with lazy, heavy lids.

“You didn’t have to worry about me, you know…” Your voice trails off as you wonder if he was there on his own volition. You can’t help but ask. You need to know.

“Did… did my dad call you?” 

“No.” he answers firmly with a suspicion in his tone, almost sounding offended. 

“Good. I mean, thank you. That was really nice of you to come over.” You pause and smile at him. You feel guilty, but also have never had someone so capable looking out for you before.  

“I was going to shovel it.” 

He raises his brow at the ridiculous claim.

“No you weren’t. Wouldn’t have let you if I saw ya out there.”

“Well.. Thank you.” 

“S’nothing. I don’t mind… having an excuse to see ya.” His brows raise and wrinkle in the middle. He has a softened expression as he looks into your eyes. 

Your heart skips a beat and is heavy in your chest, you wonder if he can hear it beating. Having an excuse to see you. You replay it in your mind. He wants to see you. You feel stupid for getting carried away thinking otherwise.    

You put your coffee down next to his and casually walk around to the back of the couch. There is a force compelling you to comfort him. Encourage him to relax. That fluttering feeling in your stomach surges. Joel Miller is exhausted on your couch and isn’t going to be putting up much of a fight if you fuss over him and you want to fuss over him. 

You stand behind him and reach your arms down and spread them slowly from his shoulders down to his sides. He lets out a tiny moan as you circle his taut muscles. You pinch and massage them as you go. You lean forward and bring your mouth just behind his ear. 

“You don’t need an excuse to see me.” It comes out softly and seductive. You can feel his body tense under your words. 

You rake your hands back up to his shoulders and curl your fingers under his open jacket. He halfway cooperates as you tug the jacket off his shoulders and pull it away from him. It's wet and heavy and most of the snow has melted into it by now. You toss it on the back of the couch and return to his shoulders. Your hands massage him and you can feel his muscles tight and knotted under your grasp. His head tilts back into the couch as he lets you tenderly work him.

“Feels good. Really good.” He says in a low, almost inaudible tone. His exhaustion has let his body surrender to you and he isn’t fighting to be in control. 

You lean forward again and plant your mouth on his jawline with a sensual kiss. His damp whiskers prickle your cheek as you drag it against him and go to his ear.

“Let me take care of you.”

He makes a deep, throaty sound in response. 

His flannel is damp and hot and he looks so uncomfortable and stuffy now that he has been inside a while. You slide one of your hands down to his chest and unbutton his shirt. You are halfway down and he reaches his arm up and curls his fingers behind your neck, pulling you down to his mouth. You can feel the shift in the room, like you woke a sleeping bear. 

“Come here.” He uses his free hand to tap his lap and loosens his grip on you.

You walk around to the front of the couch and stand in front of Joel. His legs are spread and he is still lazily slouched back but he motions for you to join him. His half unbuttoned shirt teases you with his thermal undershirt peeking out, still hiding his bare skin. At least you are getting closer.   

You step towards him and move to straddle him on the couch. You have a leg on each side and he puts a hand on each hip under your baggy sweatshirt. 

His hold is tender but makes you melt when you feel the wingspan his fingers have on you. His thumbs brush over your hip bones and trace down to the soft skin just above the crease of your thigh as he casually dips them along your waistband. His touch sends sparks through your skin. 

He lazily stares you down with a narrow gaze over his nose, still resting his head back. 

“Keep going.” He closes his eyes as your focus goes back to finish unbuttoning his shirt.   

As you get close to his jeans you can feel him hardening and straining against the zipper.

You pop open the button and carefully unzip him. His cock springs loose in his boxer shorts. It teases you behind the cloth barrier and you reach for his waistband so you can grab a hold of him. His fingers dig into your sides and he pushes you back slightly to make you stop. He fights through the laziness and is now fully alert. 

“You want my cock?” He grits through his teeth.  “Think it’ll fit in your pretty pussy?” He drags one of his hands to your center and grabs you through the fabric. He smirks as he can feel you are wet and damp through your thin sleep shorts. His fingers sneak into the leg hole of your shorts and he teases your clit through your cotton underwear. You clench remembering the stretch from his thick fingers deep inside you just the other night.

“Yes–” your words catch in your throat as he pushes your underwear aside and thumbs over your folds. He barely touches you and opts to tease you instead, deliberately feathering over your swollen clit. You reach down to grab the wrist of his occupied hand and grind into his fingers. Your body craves the friction. 

“Fuck me, Joel.” 

His eyes darken and with a devilish smirk he takes his hand back and watches as you slide off him to take off your clothes. He looks at your body with a sleazy ferocity. If any other guy looked at you that way you would have slapped him, but not Joel Miller. You want his attention and you like the way it makes you feel when he is eyeing you like a starving wolf.

You pull off your hoodie and shirt and toss them to the piles of clothes building up on the floor. You stand in front of him completely naked. Exposed.  Joel brings out a side of you that makes you feel confident and bold. The way he looks at you with intrigue and desire encourages you. You take a brief moment to tease him back and drag your hands over your breasts and one continues down to your cunt. 

Joel stirs in his seat. He is so easy to rile up. He pulls off his flannel and kicks off his boots. His thermal long sleeve remains hugging his body in all the right places. He arches forward as his hand grabs his thermal from the back and pulls it off over his head. It makes a prickly, staticy sound as it brushes over his hair. He tosses it to the ground and for the first time you can fully take in his body without so many layers hiding him. 

His broad shoulders and chest taper down to a narrowed waist. His body is rugged and defined. For an older man his physique had been well maintained thanks to his lifestyle. His tanned skin and his messy, dark hair with silver streaks sends tingles through you. You have never been so physically drawn into someone before on a level that almost felt primal. 

His eyes sweep your body up and down as he drags his thumb along the side of his mouth and rakes his fingers through his scruff on his chin. He bites his lip while he drinks you in. 

“Damn, baby.”  He curls his thumbs inside the band of his jeans and tugs them down along with his boxers. He kicks them off his legs and reaches towards you, wrapping around the back of your thigh and beckons you to return to him. 

“Come ‘ere”

Your eyes gape as you take in his sheer size. It is intimidating but makes you ache with desire. 

You are back in his lap straddling him with little coercion needed. You stretch an arm behind you to hold yourself up and the other touches yourself. This position lets him take all of you in; bare, exposed and wanting. Wet and needy for him. 

His hand reaches for his throbbing cock. He palms himself with a few labored strokes. He is already beading precome at the tip. You feel a pang of jealousy and wish it was your body wrapped around him. He catches the hungry way you are looking at him. You catch how much he likes it. 

“You wanna ride this cock?” He brushes the tip against your opening and you let out a whimper in response and lurch forward. You brace yourself on his forearm and your other hand pushes against his chest to keep yourself upright. His skin is firm as you grip into him. His body hot and radiating like a furnace.    

“Haven’t gotten you off my mind since Friday.” He confesses. “Thinking about how tight my cock would fit in you.” He teases you with the tip again. Your whimper grows into a needy moan making him harder. Making him want you that much more. 

He crudely spits into his hand and rubs it along his shaft and then he notches it at your entrance. You can feel your body begging to be filled with him and you’ve been wet since you woke up to him in your driveway. You’ve lost count how many times you imagined Joel fucking you. He puts his hands back on your hips with a rough grip and you move your hands to his shoulders as you slowly lower yourself onto him. He helps keep you steady. 

“Joel! Fuck–” You moan. His thick cock sears your skin as it stretches you. He is slowly splitting you open inch by inch and you have never felt more full. He lets you control the pace for now, with pained restraint. He searches your eyes to make sure it isn’t too much. He knows he is a lot to take but the slowness is making him go insane. 

Joel lets out a grunt as he gets closer to bottoming out inside you. Your walls clench around him and the sweet pain from the stretch subsides as your body adjusts to his size. You slowly ride him up and down until you have him fully sheathed inside you. Your body is so full you don’t even have room to form complete thoughts. You can only focus on his burning hot heat inside you, tearing you open. Every moment before this pales in comparison.

“Fuck. So tight.” he snarls. His grip on you tightens as he pulls your body up and then thrusts into you, hard. He keeps the pace slow but more forceful than you were. He tries to be gentle but you can feel his patience slipping away.

One hand drags to his biceps where sweat is glistening. As he lifts you his muscles flex and contract he makes it seem so effortless to maneuver your smaller frame. Everything about Joel is big and strong and rigid. The epitome of masculinity.

Each thrust up into you makes you dizzy. You can feel yourself on the verge of orgasm, cock drunk and blissed-out. His heavy breathing and hitches in his voice send you over the edge as he pounds up into you. You ride the wave as he fucks you through it. Your arms entangle in each other and your bodies slap together, sweaty and panting. Your incoherent words and moans heighten with each thrust.

He makes you feel alive and pleasured in a way that you have never felt before. It is intoxicating. 

As you start to come down from the high you feel him getting close to his own release but he is still reserved and careful with you. Through gritted teeth he tries to keep his pace steady and builds you back up, never quite letting you recover.  

“Joel, Don’t… don’t hold back.” You manage to get out of your lips. You stare into him with hooded eyes and can only imagine how fucked out you look. He brings one of his hands up to the side of your face and strokes his thumb tenderly across your cheekbone.

“Ok, baby.” 

He leans into you and in a sweeping motion he twists and lays you back into the adjacent couch cushion. It is more of an oversized loveseat and not very ideal. He barely loses contact with your body as he positions himself above you. You can feel his weighty cock press into you and pin you in place as he leans forward, crowding you in the cramped confines of the couch.  

His mouth is on yours; rough and messy. He bites at your lip as he pulls away and reigns in his focus. Your legs clamp around his sides and your arms hold onto his neck. Your fingers snake into his hair and you grab hold of him. He slides his hands down your sides so he can hold you close as he resumes fucking into you. 

With this leverage, he somehow hits you deeper than before. His cock kisses the deepest parts of you again and again. Your sides bruise as he grips you harder. All his gentle inhibitions have been replaced with raw, unhinged furor. 

His pace quickens as you can feel him coming undone inside you. He is in a frenzy fucking you hard and deep and his grunts get louder. The heavy feel of him dragging out of you and shoving back with such force has you crying out his name along with a steady stream of expletives. 

You are so close but you beg your body to hold on, you don’t want the feeling to end. You want to live in this moment forever being trapped under Joel and being filled with his cock. You moan out his name as the second orgasm explodes through your body.  

“Fuck, baby..” his body quivers as he tries to hold out long enough for you to peak. 

He suddenly sits up and groans as he drags completely out of you. You whimper at the loss of him inside you and his wet, leaking cock slaps onto your belly. He strokes himself once with a heavy fist and grunts as hot ropes of cum spurt onto you. You relish being branded in his release. It coats your stomach and drips messily onto your cunt. You revel in the last fleeting moments of your orgasm being shared with Joel’s.   

He languidly strokes himself a few more times until he is empty. His chest rises and falls quickly as he breathes shallowly. His muscles weaken as the high from his climax rolls through him. 

He leans forward and presses his forehead to yours. The sticky mess spreads between your bellies as his body pushes into you. It's lewd and you love it. You love how filthy Joel makes you feel. All you can smell is sweat and sex and Joel.

He presses a kiss to your forehead and then sits back to catch his breath. Your bodies untangle and he goes back to his original spot on the couch. You stay laying back lazily with a leg draped casually over Joel and the other bent at the knee. You still need a moment for your legs to be in any condition to work properly. 

One of his hands rests on your thigh and he grazes it with comforting drags of his fingers. He doesn’t say anything but the gentle contact from him is welcome. The connection you share now is so contrasting to when he was railing you. It is a side of Joel that feels like a privilege granted to you.

The calm is interrupted by a vibration of his phone. Joel reluctantly picks it up to look at the screen and groans with disappointment. He answers it but doesn’t stop rubbing you gently while he conducts his business. 

“Fred, I’ll be there in 20.” 

You can’t make out the other end entirely but you can detect a man's voice. He doesn’t sound happy.

“Yeah, I’m running behind. Your house is next.” Joel tries to placate him. More chatter and you start to feel bad for holding him up. 

You move off of Joel and make your way towards the bathroom to wipe up the mess on your belly and grab your silky bathrobe off the door.  

“Ok, Fred. Be there soon.” You hear him hang up and toss his phone down with a grumble. He turns in your direction as he stands up to pull on his jeans. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I gotta’ go.” His tone is solemn now. You pop out of the bathroom and catch him using his undershirt to wipe up his mess. It’s gross but you like seeing him being comfortable being a typical, nasty man in your presence. Points for being resourceful.

“I heard. Didn’t mean to hold you up.” 

He glares at you and smirks as you make your way back to him. 

“Didn’t mind one bit.” He takes a few steps towards you to meet you halfway and kisses you on the top of your head while he wraps his arms around you. He breathes you in with his embrace and it feels so perfect being wrapped up by Joel. A final moment before it all ends and he pushes away from you, reluctantly. 

“And s’not a big deal. Snow aint going anywhere.” He says as he puts his flannel on, sans the thermal, and starts to button back up. 

His messy hair is mostly dry now and even more unruly with wild curls. You feel that fire inside you building again. It’s insatiable. You don’t want him to go. 

He laces up his boots and gathers his things. 

“Ok. I’m gonna hop in the shower.” 

“Ok, baby.” You exchange a final look and go your separate ways. You feel his eyes on you as you return to the bathroom. 

When you go back to the living room he is gone. All that remains is his dirty shirt and an empty coffee cup. 

Sunday Night (Joel POV)

After a few more hours of plowing Joel returns home. 

He takes a shower just long enough to wash the sweat and stink of exhaust from his body.

He pours himself a whiskey and collapses on the couch to relax. 

His body is weary, but his mind is still firing. It has not stopped. He has to face the reality that he is falling for you, whether or not he should be. 

He pulls out his phone and stares at it blankly. Hesitating. He scrolls through his contacts until he finds the one that he has been avoiding. He knocks back his drink and sends the text.

Joel: Tess. We need to talk.

Thank you to @magpiepills for beta-ing 🧡

Love to my ladies that mean everything @magpiepills @legendary-pink-dot @youandmeand5bucks @exquisiteserotonin @for-a-longlongtime @sparklefarts38 @pink-whiskey-woman @redhotkitchen 🧡

#joel miller fanfic #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #the last of us #joel miller smut #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fandom #joel miller #the last of us fanfiction #NewEngland!Joel #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x you #the wolf you feed #twyf

[reiderwriter]

At Long Last Love Has Arrived

Final Chapter of That's What You Get

Summary: After a hard case, the team gathers in a celebration of love and friendship.

Warnings: suggestive content, no smut. Spoilers for Seaaon 7 Episodes "Hit" and "Run."

A/N: This is it! This is the final chapter! It's been a long journey and I'm so thankful to everyone who liked, commented, reblogged, and generally followed along with the story! And to anyone who is here now that it's finished: Thank you as well! For now, this is everything I have planned for this series, but I might add a few epilogues a few months down the line!

For everyone waiting for my last week of kinktober content, thank you for being so patient! I'm hoping to get it all finished and the backlog up this weekend, so let's just count this as a super special weekend special!

As always, you can find my masterlist here and the series masterlist here!

It was late in the day when the case finally wrapped, and you'd never felt more relieved to have come out of a case unscathed. 

JJ was a wreck, obviously, having had her family targeted and believing on multiple occasions that she was about to lose her partner. Emily was acting strange, too, and you were growing more concerned with her, especially after she'd put herself in harm's way to save Will. 

The team was exhausted, and you gladly slunked away that night, practically falling into your own apartment as you tried to bury a day of close calls. Spencer followed you, of course. The two of you sat silently together after the days events, just thankful to have company, really. 

Your husband (you were still warming yourself up to that title) sat, jaw tensed, on your couch, book in hand and hair a mess as you sat beside him, slowly sinking further into the couch as you thanked the gods that everyone got through that, but especially him. 

"Spencer," you whispered, looking at him to see if he'd notice your small sounds. No reaction.

"Spencer." You tried again, still in a whisper, but he still didn't make a move. Sighing and falling further into the couch, you decided just to go for it and laid your head in his lap quietly, closing your eyes and finding a comfortable position. He didn't bat an eye, though, simply tangling a hand through your hair and gently stroking it until the comforting repetition pulled you into a dreamless slumber. 

He tried to wake you up gently a few hours later, but the shrill ring of his cell interrupted his gentle touches. You gasped and startled up, almost headbutting him but instead ending up face to face, close enough to hear the hitch in his breath as he caught you just before you collided. 

"Sorry… I must've fallen asleep." Your voice was low, mostly because you'd let your gaze fall down to his lips, getting distracted by his proximity. 

"You did." He said, stroking your back and looking just as distracted. 

"We should probably pick that call up, right," you suggested, but you were already being drawn into his orbit, noses practically touching.

"Maybe we should," he replied, but instead of moving to do so, he simply tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and pulled your face up to his. The slant of his lips against yours was calming, so sweet and familiar, and so goddamn good that it helped drown out the pitchy screech of his phone. His hand stayed firmly on your jaw, controlling your movements and showing you exactly what he wanted in these stolen moments.

As the kiss went on, it grew hotter, a gentle flame searing your chest as you begged his lips to put it out, needing more and more of him. His hand left your jaw, falling instead to your ass as he pulled you on top of him fully, letting you straddle him as he kept your lips connected. 

You were entranced, letting him devour you to your heart's content. You wanted to move your hips to feel more of him at your core, but he had a firm grip and wasn't letting you go that easily. 

"Talk about topping from the bottom," you laughed into his ear as you pulled away for a second, pushing your hair behind your ear before he grabbed you and pulled you down for another hungry kiss.

"Don't get bratty, Y/N, we both know you're a pillow princess," you laughed at that and he took advantage, pressing his lips to your neck as he finally let your hips fall to meet his. Your laugh morphed into a hiss as you desperately clung to his shoulders, head thrown back in the bliss of what was to come. 

The ringing had stopped, thankfully, and honestly, it was so far from your mind that you'd almost completely forgotten what had woken you in the first place.

Until it started again, except this time it was vibrations in your pants and you practically moaned out loud before clapping a hand over your mouth and bolting from Spencer's lap, grabbing your phone as fast as you could while Spencer barely contained his enjoyment of the situation. 

"This is Y/N." You said into the receiver as you glared daggers at him. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but considering Doctor Reid just let my call ring out, I think I might have." David Rossi's barely contained mirth was evident even through the phone, and you mouthed some bad words at Spencer as he grabbed you and pulled you down into his lap again. 

"Since that wasn't a question, I won't be dignified it with a response. Is there anything you need, Rossi?" You asked, tipping your head back against Spencer’s shoulder but not letting yourself relax just yet. You'd never be able to live it down if you made any mistakes on this call. 

"Somehow, the knuckleheads around me keep getting engaged and married, and as a generous soul, I find myself wanting to help them." 

"Who got engaged?" You said, suddenly perking up. It'd been a tough day. Some good news and a celebration were direly needed. 

"Relax, I'm getting there. Are you and your now seemingly permanent husband free tomorrow night? A little birdie may have told me about a certain blonde finally giving into a proposal today. That same birdie may also have already flown out a Mrs. Jareau to bare witness."

"David Rossi, has anyone ever told you what a wonderful man you are?" 

"Not enough, I'm sure."

"We'll be there. What time?" He told you the details, and you whispered them into Spencer's ear, knowing that was just as good as jotting it down on paper. 

"And Rossi?" You said, as you were about to say your goodbyes, "thank you. For everything." The call ended and looked back up at Spencer from your place on his lap. 

"I think we have another shotgun wedding to attend." 

–X– 

Waiting for JJ to come down in her wedding dress, you were reminded again of what a truly wonderful choice of husband you had made. 

The two of you had arrived together at the wedding, but had made a small attempt to separate yourselves for now, not wanting to take the attention away from JJ and Will on their big day after their nightmarish week. You'd had a quick wink from Penelope, though, and a wiggle of the eyebrows from Emily, which made you chuckle as she handed you a flute of champagne. 

"You look incredible, Mrs. Reid." She said under her breath, and you giggled a bit but called her off as best you could. 

"Laying low for now, so keep your mouth shut, Agent Prentiss." She stuck her tongue out at you, and the two of you burst into laughter as you enjoyed the peaceful ambience Rossi had created in his back garden. 

"If Rossi ever re-retires, he should think of pursuing a career as a party planner. I know writing is working out well for him, but damn, that man could make a killing." Emily joked, catching your attention for a second, but you were distracted, eyes watching Reid from across the lawn. 

He was crouched down beside Henry, showing the eager, bright-eyed boy a magic trick. He looked so happy, so genuinely engaged with Henry, focusing his entire attention on him, that you couldn't help but watch on fondly. You knew how it felt to have his attention devoted entirely on you, and you felt your skin grow warm as you imagined how he would be with his own children. 

With your children. 

"Looking a little feverish there, Y/N. Baby feverish." In embarrassment, you looked away, letting your eyes fall around the lawn to anything but Reid as you tried to stammer out a response. 

"Whatever could you mean? Oh, would you look at that, Hotch is calling me over, see you." 

A skilful exit it was not, and now you'd forced yourself to go and make awkward conversation with your boss for a few minutes to escape the cackles of laughter escaping Emily behind you. You felt your ears glow red as you slowly marched across the lawn, convinced that someone was going to try and extinguish you before you reached your destination. 

Luckily, Beth saw you approach before Hotchner did and called out to you, extending a smile and a greeting. 

"Y/N, you look lovely. It's great to see you. How have you been?" You exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a while before Hotch cut in again. 

''Beth, I think the ceremony is starting soon. Would you mind finding Jack for me while I discuss something with Y/N?" He dismissed her effortlessly, and you suddenly dreaded the conversation that was about to come, noting your slip up from a few nights before. 

"Y/N, I don't mean to pry, but I've been meaning to ask you about your relationship with Spencer." Your eyes opened wide as you blinked at him again for another second. 

"Hold on, you don't know?" He looked down at you with a furrowed brow, somehow thinking you'd both misunderstood the conversation and where it was headed. 

In all honesty, you'd jumped to the conclusion after his warning over the phone the day before that he'd known about your relationship with Spencer. It didn't really make all that much sense to you, but you thought he must've been your second witness, only because there were very few people with the power to keep Penelope Garcia silent. But now, you wondered if you'd been wrong.

"Don't know what? Y/N, I'm simply asking a question about your physical relationship with Reid and if you think it will color either of your judgements on cases." 

"Physical… oh my god." You begged the earth to swallow you whole at that point. 

"I'm correct in thinking you two had relations whilst we were staying in Las Vegas, am I not?" His brow stayed furrowed as he fished for more information.

"How… How did you know?" 

"Spencer babbled about Star Trek in the lobby that last morning in Vegas. He seemed nervous, and combined with your suspicious attitude, it wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Plants aren't great hiding spots, Y/N." 

"Oh god," you groaned again, a hand falling to your mouth to cover your shocked face as you took everything in. He'd practically known from the start, even if he hadn't really known. "So you want to know if we can be trusted to stay impartial in the field." 

"Simply put, yes, it is a concern of mine. The FBI technically frowns on casual hookups between employees, but in this case, if you can work professionally-" 

"We're married," you blurted out before you could stop yourself. You almost enjoyed the shock on Aaron Hotchner's face as you dropped that bombshell, as momentary as it was. 

"That certainly…changes things." He considered your words for a moment before opening his mouth again. "We can talk about this in the office on Monday. For now, congratulations are in order." 

As you clicked your glasses together awkwardly, Rossi gathered everyone's attention, ready to begin the ceremony. You took your place next to Spencer and let him grab your hand and squeeze it for a moment, sharing a look before you turned your gaze back to JJ and watched as her mother walked her down the aisle to marry the love of her life. 

His hand in yours was warm and constant, and he held you so softly that you felt like you were floating. He'd been worried that morning that you'd feel slightly forlorn at the wedding ceremony. After all, you didn't have much of one, even if he'd promised you 100 do-overs and vow renewals. 

But standing here with him, you found yourself feeling thankful simply that he was there with you. Your wedding had been perfect, and you gladly applauded JJ and Will as they finally kissed at the altar, wishing them all the bliss that you felt in that moment. 

The party was a blast and you had an amazing time eating, drinking and dancing with all your guests, gladly taking the opportunity to hog Spencer for a few dances, enjoying how you were able to shamelessly cling to him with no one batting an eye. Your joy and laughter spilt out every time he swung you around and pulled you into him, abuzz with love. 

You were almost glad when JJ called you all in for a quick speech, grateful to let your feet have a rest - Spencer may have been dancing enthusiastically, but he was still Spencer, and your toes had been attacked a few times in the course of your few dances. 

"I want to say thank you for coming here tonight, and, of course, thank you, Rossi, for hosting this beautiful wedding. It's not every day we get to celebrate a wedding in the BAU, let alone two in one year, so I'm just thankful we got to come together to celebrate like this." 

Will looked perplexed by her side as she raised her flute to start the toast. 

"Hold on, who else got married?" 

Your eyes widened as you stopped your champagne flute by your lips, suddenly catching on to the thread of conversation. 

"Oh my god, it was you!" You shouted, jumping up and probably confusing every single guest in attendance. "JJ, you- you were the other witness!" You stood there shaking a pointed finger at her, semi shocked. 

"Witness to what?" Morgan asked tentatively, wondering what he'd been left out of for a second. 

"I guess the cats out the bag. Sorry, Spence." 

"Why are you apologising to Spencer? Who got married?" Derek's questions were going unanswered, though, as you blubbered in the middle of the crowd suddenly put the pieces together. 

"You know, the FBI really shot themselves in the foot when they let you go over to Homeland. You're good." You cracked a smile at JJ, and she smiled back, just as you felt a hand on your back. 

"We didn't want to announce it here and hijack your wedding, but since you kinda let it slip first, would you mind if we…?" Spencer vaguely gestured between you, just as JJ let him take the floor, her and Will standing off to the side as Spencer turned the both of you around to face the crowd. 

You tried to meet his gaze as he did  but his eyes stayed trained on the crowd in front of you instead. Still puzzled, he began to talk, and you listened. 

"Last month, we chose to get married in Las Vegas," he started and braced for impact as he looked out at the audience. "And- and it seems like most of you knew that?" He'd theorised that most of your team knew already, but he wasn't prepared for just how many of them stood looking back at him with a sheepish 'yes, we know' look on their faces. 

"Wait, how do so many of you know?" He glanced around the crowd, landing on Rossi's gloating face first. 

"Don't look at me kid, you told me about it, and I kept my mouth shut."

He turned to Emily next. "Y/N sent me a text meant for someone else, and I tortured the information out of her after that." 

Exasperated, he looked down at you before shaking his head and looking at Hotch. 

"I expressed some concerns about your… involvement earlier, and Y/N informed me about your relationship status." He explained, tone serious in that mocking way only he could carry off. 

"And I was there, and so was Penelope." JJ filled in the gaps, leaving you feeling particularly bashful at Spencer’s side.

In a second, though, you were consumed by giggles as Morgan whipped around on Penelope dramatically. 

"Et tu, baby girl? Am I seriously the only one who didn't know?" Morgan glanced around receiving pats on the back from the crowd as they slowly trickled back to the dance floor, picking up extra drinks as they went. 

"No, I'm there with you, Morgan. JJ didn't even tell me you guys were dating." Will said, looking genuinely taken aback once again. 

"Oh, well. That's probably because we didn't actually date. We just got married." You replied, feeling your face flood with heat as you stuttered the words out once again. 

"You're telling me I had to almost die to get JJ to agree to marry me, even after 7 years of dating and a child, and you managed to convince a woman to do it in one night in Vegas?" Will seemed genuinely impressed, and with a laugh, gave Spencer a clap on the back awkwardly as he offered his congratulations. 

Penelope led Morgan away to console him, and the other happy couple walked back to the dance floor again as well, leaving you in the arms of your husband, as you finally had to face your small mistakes. 

"So, Mrs. Reid, whatever happened to keeping this to ourselves for a while?" 

"Honest mistakes, both of them, I swear." He took your hands in his and pulled them up so he could kiss your wrists before gently dropping them and pulling you in at the waist. 

His mouth fell to your ears as he spoke again. 

"And I was so looking forward to using one of the methods we brainstormed the other night." You stood confused for a second as he pulled back to watch your expressions, your mouth twitching the second you realised what he meant. 

Ring. Motel. Loud sex. And breeding you until he knocked you up. 

Clearing your throat, you wrapped your arms up and around his shoulders, hanging yourself off him, putting yourself at his mercy as you fluttered your eyelashes up at him. 

"Well, I wouldn't want to spoil your enjoyment now, would I? I'm sure we can still find the time to try those methods out." 

The excitement in his eyes was almost comical, and you genuinely yelped as he literally swept you off your feet. 

"Spencer, what are you doing? Put me down!" 

"No, you're coming home with me, Mrs. Reid. Sorry, it's official now. You're mine."

"And I'm not going to forget it easily, now put me down." 

"And let you go back on your promise to let me do some very dirty things to you? Never." 

With another startled squeak, he carried you through the crowd and right to the doors, carrying you all the way into your new life together.

At long last, your love had arrived, and he was carrying you away into your future.

🏷 @w-windyy @multifandom-on-the-side @reidandhotchsgirl @babybluecakes @hugyourlungs @prentissesredtanktop @reidscaffeine @bethanyhaas01 @average-sunflower @academiareid @sailortongue @daddy-dotcom @high-functioning-cosplayer @anniewhalelover @abbyshmaby @isabel-ffl-xoxo @sujan39 @frxcless @bluestuesday @busy-buzzing @breadbrobin @maxinehufflepuffprincess @l0v3cam @booksandwonderlands @myescapefromthislife @ferrjulie @scoobydoopoo @aelinismyqueen @littlesingingbean @jamiemuscatosslut @xohoneybun @anchovy89freya @dysphoricsanity @ghostheartbeat @casss2111 @rebloggiest-reblogger @wishyoudaskme @imawhoreforu @academiacoffeelover @softservepunk @andiebeaword @r-3dlips @wakaladjarin @ratbastardchild @mcira @danika1994 @stargurl99 @whovianwholikesgirls @whovianwholikesgirls @doriantomybasil

#spencer reid #criminal minds #spencer reid x reader #reiderreplies #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid smut #mgg #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fandom #spencer reid x self insert #series: that's what you get #completed series #spencer reid fluff

[captainsophiestark]

The Hard Call

Azriel x Reader

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Requeted by Anon! Nonnie, thank you for enabling me to write about Az and Flynn, I absolutely love you for it ❤️ Feel free to drop by any time you want to talk anything SJM-related! Hope you like this, and good news, I have a Flynn fic coming in the next couple days too!

Fandom: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Summary: Azriel made the hard call when he had to, but he's feeling pretty guilty about it.

Word Count: 1,610

Category: Angst, Fluff

WARNING: House of Flame and Shadow spoilers below the cut!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I swore under my breath as Nesta jammed Ataraxia into the back of the Daglan, the Asteri, whatever it was called. Black blood spurted out of its mouth, but a moment later, the thing—Vesperus—pushed back against the tip of the blade and removed it from her chest. It shouldn't have been possible for something to survive a direct hit like that from Nesta and that sword, but a lot of things from the past few days shouldn't have been possible.

When a fae female had landed in a heap on the River House lawn in front of my mate, I knew we were in for some strange new challenges. But never in a million years could I have predicted the journey she'd led us on through tunnels apparently running all under the Night Court, straight into the heart of the Prison. And now we were facing down one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe, just me, Az, and Nesta, with the female Bryce as an unreliable additional ally.

I tightened my grip on my sword and tried to calm my racing heart as I stood shoulder to shoulder with Azriel. We'd gotten through countless life and death situations together before, but for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure we'd be able to get out of this one.

Vesperus gave Nesta a horrifying smile as the wound in her chest quickly healed. I glanced to Az, but he kept his eyes locked on the monster before us.

"Ataraxia didn't work," Nesta breathed. "The Trove-"

"Do not summon the Trove," barked my mate. Based on what we knew about this thing before us, I immediately agreed. "Don't bring it near her."

"But-"

"Not even for our lives," he snarled, leaving no room for argument. The same harsh resolve solidified itself in my mind, and I braced myself for the possibility of a last stand. At least if we went down, it would be fighting side by side with my mate.

A flicker of shadows floating softly over my shoulders was the only indication that my mate felt the same. The Daglan grinned, and I got ready to pounce.

****************

Hours later, I sat slumped in my favorite chair in the Velaris townhouse, trying to recover from everything that had happened under the prison. We'd managed to kill the Daglan-Asteri, despite Bryce trying to question it, no matter the risk to our world. But she had gotten away in an impressive display of power, which meant her world's Asteri might have a chance at using her to find us.

Needless to say, when Az, Nesta, and I had made it out of the Prison, we'd had a lot to debrief about with the rest of the Inner Circle.

Nobody was happy about the situation we now found ourselves in, but for the time being, there was also nothing we could do about it. So once we made a basic plan to try to gather information and prepare in case something from that other world came back, we all split off for our separate tasks. Az still had a few things to go over with Rhys, but I was free for the time being, so I'd come to my favorite cozy spot in Velaris to try to come down from the insane adrenaline that had been pumping since Bryce got here.

One perk of Rhys and Feyre building the River House and Nesta keeping Cassian at the House of Wind more often was that the townhouse, my personal favorite location, was often free for Az and I to use as our own. I closed my eyes in my favorite armchair by the fire, still in my fighting leathers, and focused on taking deep breaths to try to get the tension out of my shoulders.

I'd actually almost managed to drift off to sleep when I heard the front door open and shut heavily. I didn't need to look to know Az had just arrived, so with a deep sigh to drag me back from the edge of sleep, I raised my head and turned to look at my mate.

"Everything figured out with Rhys?" I asked. He nodded once, moving into the room with a face like stone. I frowned, sitting up and paying a little better attention as he took a seat on the couch, his gorgeous hazel eyes never leaving mine. "What's wrong?"

A muscle in Az's jaw ticked, and I knew he was mustering a response to my words. Despite his reputation as the unreadable spymaster, all our time together as friends and then as mates had given me a leg up on everyone else who tried to read his expressions.

I stood from my seat in the armchair and moved to sit before Az on the couch instead, taking his hands in mine. His eyes searched my face, and I let a small smile work its way through the exhaustion, trying to put him at ease. He could take however long he needed to, and I'd be ready to listen when he wanted to talk.

"I'm... sorry."

I raised an eyebrow. "For what, exactly?"

That muscle in his jaw was working over time, the rest of his face the same inscrutable mask he'd worked so hard to perfect.

"For what happened in the Prison. For... being willing to let you die down there, rather than risk Nesta summoning the Trove. You deserve a better mate than that."

My jaw dropped, shock preventing me from responding for a few small moments. Az just kept staring at me, and even though his face didn't show it, I could feel the guilt eating him up at his core.

"Az, you have nothing to apologize for!" I finally managed. One of his eyebrows quirked up and he frowned, expressing doubt at my words without speaking one of his own. I huffed and squeezed his hands tighter.

"Listen to me, Azriel. The reason you are my mate is because you made that decision in the Prison. We both know that letting something like that into the world with a weapon like the Mask is an unacceptable option, as long as there is anything in this world we can do to prevent it. If the Daglan or the Asteri or whatever she was had gotten her hands on the mask, it probably would've cost the lives of everyone we've ever cared about, and the rest of this world along with it. Nothing is worth allowing that to happen."

Az ground his jaw, his gaze softening and his eyebrows furrowing as he continued to scan my face.

"Are you... sure? Cassian and Rhys... I think they'd tear the world to shreds for their mates."

I just shrugged. "For what? If the world is gone, if the cost of that choice is absolutely everything else, then what's the point of saving each other in the first place? We'd have nothing left, other than the blood of the world on our hands."

Az grunted, and I shifted closer to him, bringing one hand up to cup his cheek.

"Az. I love you, so much, and a part of that love is because you're not so selfish as to risk throwing the world away for me. Especially since, more likely than not, we'd be dead anyway not long after she got that mask. Neither of us is selfish enough to make a call like that, and I love that about us. The only thing that matters is that we stand together as long as we can, and I knew damn well in the cave that if either of us was going down, we were going down side by side, fighting to our last breath. Obviously I'm happy we both made it out of there, and I'm not saying we shouldn't fight for each other, but that call you made today? I'd be pissed if you'd made a different one."

Az studied me for another second, and I let him see every truth and emotion written in my face. Finally, he sighed, the tension going out of his shoulders as he reached out and pulled me closer to him, arms around my waist. I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck and tangling my hands in his hair. We'd almost died today, and I wasn't about to take the fact that we were both still here together for granted.

"Have I mentioned lately how happy I am to have you as my mate?" Az asked, his voice a little gravelly as he leaned in closer to me. I smiled, leaning forward and letting my lips ghost over his own.

"Yeah, actually, you have. But I'll never complain about hearing it again."

Az smirked, then gently closed the last of that distance between us, his lips brushing softly against mine. I leaned into the kiss, eager for more contact, and I could feel Az's smirk widening right before I deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me as tight to his body as possible, and I tangled my hands in his hair, letting myself get swept up in him.

I'd meant every word I'd said to my mate, about the choice he'd made and how I felt about it. But I was also incredibly happy it hadn't come down to the cost of our lives, and that we'd made it out of there together. And now that Official Night Court Business had been taken care of, I intended to fully celebrate and appreciate Azriel, and the fact that we were still here together. And I knew he intended to do the same.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989

#a court of thorns and roses #azriel #a house of flame and shadow #crescent city #acotar #azriel x reader #azriel fanfiction #azriel imagine #azriel oneshot #a court of thorns and roses fanfiction #acotar fanfiction #the night court #bryce quinlan #nesta #rhysand #the inner circle #azriel shadowsinger #acotar oneshot #acotar x reader #acotar imagine

[pharawee]

Gather around, fellow BL aficionados, it's time for part four of my Pit Babe novel commentary.

(And if you want to catch up, here are parts 1, 2 and 3.)

A word of warning: since I'm pretty far into the novel now (every post summarises five chapters) expect heavy spoilers, plot twists and revelations.

Oh, and omegaverse shenanigans. So many omegaverse shenanigans. You've been warned.

Also, a small warning for talk about and the aftermath of SA. As usual, please take care. 💜

Now, where were we? Oh, yeah: Way is the big bad enigma and he's been hypnotising Babe all this time - but gently (tm) because, you see, Way really, really loves Babe so that makes it all right...

Yeah, no. Get fucked, Way.

Currently, Way is still passed out on the floor, but as soon as Babe has come to terms with whatever the hell just happened, Charlie (who came to Babe's rescue just in time, remember?) offers to wake him up.

How? Oh, that's easy. He can put people to sleep at will. It's one of the many powers he absorbed from other powered alphas. That's his whole thing: he steals powers and just keeps them - like Rogue in X-Men but without any of the downsides. And as long as he's alive, the powers stay with him, never to return to their previous owner. Unless they die, in which case Charlie loses that particular power forever. Which in turn means that if Charlie dies... but keep that in mind for later.

Oh, and another one of Charlie's powers: changing his scent at will. Goddammit, Charlie.

As for how he knew that Babe was in danger? Jeff told him because he can see into the future. X-Men omegaverse, here we go.

But anyway, when Way wakes up he's confused because the last thing he remembers is SAing his supposed best friend. Now there's Charlie staring daggers at him, and one very angry Babe. Since Way is pathetic (but not the good kind) he attempts to explain: yes, he's actually Babe and Charlie's adoptive brother. Their father sent him to lure Babe back home and, well, get him pregnant. That was ten (10) years ago.

But, you see, Way is such a nice guy (tm), he didn't want to force Babe! Instead, he set out to ruin him for everyone else, thereby making it impossible for him to grow or heal or trust or love. Whenever Babe met someone he connected with, Way swooped in to poison his mind. And whenever Babe recoiled from that new connection, he turned to Way - the only person he could 100% trust. Or so he was made to believe.

So the Babe we meet at the beginning of the novel (and series) isn't really Babe at all. It's the version of Babe Way wants him to be - and for what? For ten years of pining and mindfuckery? What the hell kind of plan is this?

Oh yeah, the kind that gets you punched in the face. Thank you, Babe, you're really speaking my mind here.

And this is the part where the novel really shines because it doesn't just gloss over the implications of abuse. It doesn't leave Way's many empty apologies uncommented:

"I know what I did was unforgivable. I—" "Did you just realize this? Are you like this because I found out just in time?" Babe's voice boomed as anger flared in his heart. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, he couldn't. "When I'm unconscious, you can assume it's okay to do it, right?" "I didn't want to do it at all…" "I don't care!" Babe shouted. "The point is, I don't want it! And you have no right to do this to me!"

But when Way's attempts to nice-guy himself out of his predicament don't work, he tries to shift the blame onto Charlie. Because Charlie lied too and, after all, didn't Way warn Babe about him?

Yeahhh, he's still trying to manipulate Babe. Way isn't sorry at all, he's only sorry he's been caught. Or, as the novel aptly puts it:

For Way, this might be like a love confession. But for Babe, it was no different from admitting his crimes.

But the novel doesn't leave it at that.

"So what's next?" Babe asked in a calm voice. "Should I thank you?" "What…" "I asked if I should thank you because you didn't rape me?" [...] "Should I thank you for not forcing me to bear your child?" "Babe…" “Even for my life, my body, and everything about me, I still have to wait for your mercy?”

And that's that. Ten years of (false) friendship have been erased just like that.

Really, I'm sorry for adding so many quotes but this whole chapter is just perfect in its blunt directness. It excels in giving Babe back his autonomy - the very thing Way has taken from him.

We'll return to our regularly scheduled omegaverse shenanigans after this bit:

"Did you know that every time you said that [there was never anyone suitable for me], it made me feel like I didn't deserve anyone's love?" [...] "And it's as if the only love I can receive is love from you…" Babe's sobs were so loud that his voice trailed off, but he took a deep breath and continued talking: "…but you never asked me what I really want." [...] "You only care about your own desires. You want to have me. You want to have children. You tried to make me love you and then agree to have children with you. Even though you always knew that I never wanted to have children." "I know you don't want to have children. And I know why," Way replied with a look that seemed to understand. But Babe knew that he didn't understand anything, not at all. "But because I know. That's why I want to change your mind." "It's not your job to change me."

And then, when Way has the audacity to try and hug him, Babe throws him over his shoulder and slams him right onto the floor, and even Charlie is like, damn, guess for a moment there I forgot how amazing Pit Babe is.

Damn right he is!

Later that night, things are winding down and Charlie insists on staying with Babe - just to make sure he's all right. Because unlike some people (!) he actually knows when to give Babe some space, and so he settles down on the couch in the living room while Babe stays in his bedroom.

But, understandably, Babe can't sleep. There's too much on his mind, none of it particularly good. He misses Charlie and, really, he's in dire need of an emergency hug.

It's Babe who approaches Charlie (only of course Charlie knew all along because he has super hearing now and he heard Babe's tossing and turning. Goddammit Charlie). They reconcile and it's really sweet because, in stark contrast to Way, Charlie's apology is heartfelt and reassuring and full of compassion. He also knows that Babe has been through a lot, so when Babe engages in their usual ritual of make-up sex, Charlie is hesitant:

Babe is so strong that he can lift bigger people and throw them to the ground. But believe me, no one is mentally strong enough to not be hurt by dirty things like that.

I just love how clear and concise the novel is on this part.

Anyway, they talk it out and Babe says that he wants to try anyway. What follows is a really sweet sex scene (but don't worry, Babe's still getting railed by his daddy to his heart's content - some things just don't change). There's talk about wild horses. I don't know why and honestly I'd rather not dwell on it.

Meanwhile, Way is being chewed out by Khun Tony (aka everyone's least favourite adoptive father). He's quite a bit upset but, honestly, what did he expect? He's the one with the stupid plan in the first place. Why did he even agree to let Way pine into Babe's general direction FOR TEN YEARS until he maybe catches feelings? The dude can hypnotise people! Just order him to do his evil immoral job!

But anyway, it's too late now. Babe's powers are already gone so breeding him (whyyy...) is pointless. Tony has a new target now: Charlie.

To my immense relief even Way is like, ew.

But it matters little because daddy dearest has contigency plans in place (and where were these plans TEN YEARS AGO - worst evil alpha breeder ever!). He orders Way to leave X-Hunter and return home immediately - and who knows, once Charlie is out of the picture Babe might end up as leftovers for him. Okay then.

In happier news, Charlie wakes up the next day with Babe's hand on his, well, little Charlie. I'm not being a prude here, that's what Babe calls it. It's a whole conversation, followed by - you guessed it - more sex.

Something is different this time, however. Without hesitation, Babe tells Charlie that he loves him, and then he asks him to be his boyfriend - to which Charlie eventually agrees. More sex happens. Actually, all of this happened during a blowjob which is very on brand for Babe. Things get disgustingly cute when Babe realises that this is the first time they're ~making love~ as boyfriend and boyfriend. This leaves him incredibly shy. Thanks to Way's meddling, he never had a boyfriend, after all. This is his first time being in love, and it's exactly as adorable as it sounds. Only with more mindblowing sex.

This includes sex in Charlie's supercar after a training session right on the racetrack (again I ask, have you even seen the interior of a racecar? How? Where? And who's cleaning this up? The mechanics??) as Jeff and Alan watch from afar.

"Why don't the two of them get out of the car?", Jeff said quietly as he looked at Charlie's car which had been parked near the finish line for a while and he saw no signs of it coming down.

Oh, my sweet summer child.

But yes, I'm happy to report that Jeff and Alan are probably going to be a thing in the novel too. This Jeff isn't a mechanic though. He doesn't even study engineering but oceanography (because he likes the ocean even though he's never seen it - live your dreams, my dude!).

As they sit and bicker, Jeff is suddenly struck by what seems to be another vision of the future. Whatever it is, it can't be good because it makes Jeff cry. Uh-oh.

He asks Charlie to meet him at his condo, and Charlie immediately notices that something's wrong. Only this time it's not Babe he needs to worry about. It's all of them.

I'm worried too but mostly for my own sanity.

Remember when I first explained about Tony's evil breeding program? Ah, those were easier, more pleasant times. Because now Tony figures that if he can't get an enigma to impregnate Charlie, he'll just get Charlie to impregnate an omega (because apparently there's a 50% chance that the baby will be an alpha with special traits - why is this novel explaining Mendel's laws of omegaverse inheritance to me?) .

Jeff is an omega.

And this is what Jeff saw: if they don't act now, at some point in the future Tony will have Charlie and Jeff brought back "home" and use aphrodisiacs on them (one up for the trope counter!). Jeff will get pregnant and as soon as their baby is born Tony will dispose of both Jeff and Charlie. This will cause Babe to seek revenge and get killed in the process.

What did I just read?

The novel keeps this from us for a while, and just casually mentions that Charlie isn't overly worried. He even finds the time to be jealous when one of Babe's old acquaintances shows up to Charlie's next race. They argue. The race starts without them reconciling, so naturally that means Charlie has an accident during the race.

It's bad enough that he's transported to the ER. But as the whole team anxiously awaits any kind of news, Babe realises in dawning horror that his heightened senses are slowly returning to him. He can hear Charlie's slowing heartbeat and the doctors fighting to reanimate him.

He listens as Charlie is pronounced dead.

The novel then cuts to Charlie's funeral which is only attended by a handful of people, mostly members of Team X-Hunter. Babe does not cope well at all but at least he's got Alan and Jeff to take care of organisational things.

Speaking of Alan and Jeff. These two have grown quite a bit closer. Close enough that Jeff asks Alan to let him take a look at Charlie's crashed car. The police are already investigating but Jeff wants to see for himself. Hm.

Meanwhile, Babe is alone at his condo, going through several stages of grief all at once (really, it's heartbreaking but so is the length of this post so I'm trying to keep things short). He's interrupted during the bargaining stage by someone knocking at the door. It's Way and he's come to offer his help. Babe might be grieving but he's not stupid, and so they meet up at a coffee shop nearby.

Way all but confirms that Charlie's accident was Tony's doing. What he meant to do was incapacitate Charlie but unfortunately Charlie died. OOPS. What a brilliant plan, really.

Seems like even Way has had enough of Tony's evil schemes so he's banded together with another enigma in order to bring Tony down. Said enigma is actually Tony's eldest "son" who seems to have escaped from his control to do his own (financially very successful) thing and bide his time until Tony eventually slips up.

That enigma is none other than Pete.

That's right. Pete and Way have teamed up to bring down Tony, and they're asking Babe to help them. Babe tentatively agrees.

While this is going down, Jeff visits some random uncle's secluded house. He's greeted by none other than Charlie (now somewhat worse for wear but very much still alive) who's faked his own death with the help of a man named Reval. Charlie feels guilty for lying to Babe again but they can't involve him in this: once hypnotised, he's still under Way's influence (uh-oh...) and could risk all of their careful planning.

Their plan? Getting rid of Charlie's powers before Tony can get to them.

This is where Reval comes in. He also has powers: he can somehow disconnect an alpha (or omega or enigma, I suppose) from their powers - which is apparently a very difficult and time-consuming process (and would otherwise kill the alpha), especially with someone with as many powers as Charlie.

Why does Reval do this? Oh, he's Babe's real father who's been in hiding until now out of shame and guilt (and some memory loss). Surprise!

Also, very convenient. 🤡

#pit babe #pit babe the series #pit babe spoilers #bl meta #pit babe meta #jane watches stuff #these are getting longer and longer #but i'm invested now and if you're still reading this then so are you probably

[yan-lorkai]

*vibrating in excitement for platonic yanderes*

Ok, so I haven't watched black butler in years, imma re-watch it soon tho, so if none of this makes sense it's cause my memories shit and you can just ignore this lol

Anyway, here's my idea/request, Obv platonic yandere Ciel with a young reaper reader (14-16)? Like maybe they meet through Grell who mentors the lil reaper. Or maybe like a young ghost reader, he meets during an investigation or smth.

Your free to pick which one obv, anyway. I hope you are having a wonderful day luv, make sure to eat and stay hydrated!

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: Lemon, I made you wait a little but I finally finished this request hehe, despite having changed it a little and distorted some historical facts. Funfact: Ouija boards were created in 1891, but for the sake of this fic let's all ignore that Ciel was born in 1875; btw yesterday was his birthday. Congratulations Ciel <33. Also, many people have a hc that his real name has something to do with stars, hence the nickname present in the fic. Having said all that, I hope you enjoy Lemon, I loved writing this! Happy reading everyone!!

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warnings: Platonic yandere content, spoiler about Ciel's brother in case nobody knows about it, ouija board and some typos probably!

Ciel likes to watch the sky. He likes to watch how the clouds race to overtake each other, he likes to watch the sun dancing alone in its place, twirling its colorful skirt of orange, yellow and pink during the hours that pass until finally the moon takes its place.

Quiet moments like this now, where he just sits in his armchair, his work all done and Sebastian far away, is when he can think about the things he's lost. But also the ones he won. If Sebastian had any knowledge about such thoughts, Ciel would certainly be subjected to his jokes and mockery.

The demon, while bound by the contract, could still make fun of his little master and he knew exactly how to embarrass the young lord. But Sebastian didn't need to know how the boy thinks about his twin brother, his parents, the employees and his childhood friend, Y/n; If they were alive now they would be maybe thirteen or fourteen, just like him and his brother. It was a fateful day, indeed.

The murder, the cult, Ciel hates remembering it, but he doesn't know how to let it all go. He's a child and there's no one he can ask for help - even if there was, perhaps his pride wouldn't allow it. He didn't ask for help when he was kidnapped, he didn't ask for help when he went through countless assassination attempts, nor did he ask for help with difficult tasks that the queen assigned him. He was the Phantomhive heir, the family's leader, he couldn't just simply ask for help.

The count narrows his blue eyes at the brooding darkness that has settled in his office, counting how many grains of sand fall into the hourglass and how long he has left in peace before Sebastian shows up to annoy him.

Maybe fifteen minutes.

With enough time for the boy to put his small plan into action, he pulled a wooden board from one of the drawers and placed it on the table. Ciel, by and large, was not superstitious, but recent events had left him puzzled. Moreover, he had a demon as his butler, a boy with super strength as his gardener, a sniper as his maid, and a soldier as his cook. In any case, he had even encountered death gods.

Therefore, if he suspected that the presence lingering over his shoulders while he worked or the entity hiding his items and making them appear in different places was something to be investigated, then he would investigate until his doubts were cleared. The giggles and whispers were becoming unsettling. Of course, he heard voices, but they were the voices of occultists, screams and cries from when they died at the hands of Sebastian.

But this particular voice was incredibly irritating and almost familiar.

Ciel scanned the wooden surface, wondering if he was a fool for buying it. The boy was almost certain that Sebastian knew about the board, but he decided not to comment; the butler had been rather distant since they returned from London that morning. Ciel didn't mind, quickly reading the rules and holding the pointer in his hands, trying to see something through it.

There was nothing… yet.

Ciel laid the pointer on the board and sighed, placing his fingers on it, ready to start. He hadn't said anything yet, but an aura already seemed to completely envelop his office. Or maybe he was anxious; he couldn't tell.

"Is there anyone there?" Ciel murmured, his firm voice echoing in the silent room.

For several moments, nothing happened. He really didn't expect anything to happen, judging this whole thing as something foolish that only became popular because of the horror stories that circulated in cities. He stared at the board intently, each letter in cursive, every mystical symbol adorning it, waiting for a response that would satisfy him. Impatiently, he repeated the question once more.

"Is there anyone there?" He looked at the pointer and then around. "If there is, give me a sign."

This time, the pointer began to move slowly across the board as if the entity on the other side was drowsy, gliding from one letter to another with a calmness that Ciel himself didn't possess. Ciel watched with intensity, his expression impassive. But inside, a strange feeling took hold of him.

It was real, after all. As real as shinigamis or Sebastian. He stifled another sigh in his throat.

"Who is there?" He asked, the words leaving his lips with determination.

Who behind the veil was tormenting him, holding on to him tightly so as not to be pulled into the forgetfulness of eternal sleep. He put more force on the pointer as if everything depended on the answer he would receive.

The letters came together to form words, and Ciel remained focused, but a hint of skepticism was present in his gaze when the words spelled out a name. Your first and last name.

"Y/N?" He wondered aloud.

Ciel may have lost a lot, but he also gained a lot. He gained another family, gained new friends allies, gained a new chance.

And yet… He hadn't gained you back. Or had he?

For a second, he let the pointer rest on the board, feeling a heavy sensation settle in his chest as he thought about the days when you used to stay by his side when he was bedridden with asthma, telling him your silly stories and jokes, all while holding his hand and looking tenderly at him. You were his best friend. And he missed you a lot.

And now you were here. You were here.

He placed his finger on the pointer again, still feeling doubtful if it was really you or some other spirit. Confidently, he asked something that only you knew. "What was the nickname that only you called me, and why?"

The nickname you used for him when it was just the two of you. Not for his brother, not for Ciel. If it was really you there, you would notice the small differences, as you did when you were alive.

The pointer moved, taking with each movement a beat of the young earl's heart. One by one, the letters formed a nickname forgotten by time and bitter memories of the only Phantomhive still wandering through this tedious world.

"Pleiades, that's what I used to call you." There was a pause, and Ciel felt his entire body trembling with the confirmation that yes, it was you on the other side. He straightened up in his chair, trying to show that he was calm — little did he know that you could perceive how surprised he was.

And you would tease him about it later.

"Just like your hair, they are blue, an optical phenomenon caused by the dispersion of light in the Earth's atmosphere." You explained, nodding as if he could see you. Ciel rolled his eyes but almost unconsciously smiled.

"I see you remain a know-it-all." He teased.

And you stuck your tongue out at him, moving your arms to make the chair he was sitting in slide backward. Ciel's cheeks immediately turned pink as a little yelp escaped his lips. He hadn't expected you to have more tricks up your sleeve, but soon he regained his composure and cleared his throat, watching you move the pointer.

"One of us has to be clever," You chuckled. "Obviously, I'm the smart friend."

Ciel let out a long sigh. "Your knowledge is all random, though."

You shrugged. What importance did any kind of knowledge have now that you were dead? You said nothing for a few minutes, running your fingers over the wood of the board and the supposedly mystical symbols. Being dead was boring, different for everyone, and you weren't even sure how your soul managed to escape the shinigamis for so long.

But you had one certainty; you were stuck in this world for some reason still. In many stories, there would be an unfulfilled desire or a want, and you had several, but you had made peace with the fact that you could no longer fulfill them. So what was still keeping you there?

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Ciel nodded, gesturing with his hand for you to continue.

"Can you free me? Can you invite me out?"

Ciel had already broken some rules, especially the one that said he couldn't play alone and that the player should have a form of spiritual protection, whatever they had faith in — a crucifix, a talisman, anything. Ciel, however, had a mark on his eye, so you assumed that nullified this rule. Did that thing serve as a protective mark, though?

The boy remained silent for some time, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of taking such action. To bind a spirit to himself, to the world of the living, when he knew he should let you rest in peace, when he knew such agreements were dangerous.

But he was still the selfish earl who liked to monopolize your time; he was still that same sickly boy who needed a friend. And no one else could be his friend but you. Only you understood him, after all.

He nodded.

It was foolishness, but not even Sebastian could have stopped him. He pressed the pointer harder, desperate for it to work, but of course, it would work if you were already in front of him, the dead proof that there could be life in death.

"I invite you, Y/n, to leave this board."

A warm feeling flooded your chest, as if your skin were kissed by the sun again after so long. You savored it for a moment, smiling, feeling strangely more alive than before, and withdrew your hand from the pointer.

"Can you see me?" You asked, your voice hoarse from not speaking for months.

But Ciel didn't seem to understand, not yet at least. So you touched his cheek as you did when congratulating him on a chess victory, and he felt it, his eyes widening as he assimilated the situation. You figured that now that you touched him, he could hear you, so you asked the question again.

And slowly, he nodded. You could only imagine what he thought of your bloodstained shirt and disheveled appearance, so different from the one you once proudly preserved. Times change, and so do you, and you were like this now, a lost ghost that not even death seemed to want.

You smiled, squeezing both of his cheeks and watching him shudder. It was good to see him, good to be back, even if nothing would be the same. Nothing could ever be the same again, but being able to touch him again after so long, you didn't hesitate to hug him.

You were together again.

#yandere kuroshitsuji #yandere black butler #yandere ciel phantomhive #yandere ciel #ciel x reader #ciel phantomhive x reader #yandere ciel x reader #yandere ciel phantomhive x reader #platonic yandere #mutuals requests

[rashomonss]

A HUMANS WRATH

Part XI

previous part

taglist: @miridiums-writing, @zerchila, @aeongiies, @xmoogx, @coffeeandtealol, @food-lover9000, @l0diluvs, @vichsy, @valeriele3, @entolomaeden, @acaribeau, @sillybeanzo, @jessiegerl, @capricorn-anon, @crescentworld, @g-l-1-t-c-h-3-r, @chumbinhoeba, @chaos-n-kindness, @strawberryfire17, @zenxvii, @misscaller06, @luminarysol @simpinginthecorner, @your-next-daydream, @bontensbabygirl, @crxwned-mxnarch

a/n: so this is totally unrelated to the story and obey me entirely but if any of you are bsd enjoyers did y’all read chapter 107?? y’all almost didn’t get a new chapter of this story bc of that damn chapter. it made me want to jump off the nearest 50ft building. I wanted to die after reading that fr, so bc asagri made me cry we’re getting double angst for this chapter. anyway I’m done with my rant now enjoy!

oh and p.s. I’m putting which perspective you’re reading as since some found it confusing last chapter. the original is og MC, and the wrathful human is wrath! MC just in case it’s confusing!

warnings: slightly longer chapter, lesson 16 spoilers, descriptions of dying, choking, mentions of blood, abuse of pacts (slightly)

a success for one side

The perspective of the original

“Lucifer was there really no other way we could have done that?” Levi asked, struggling to get up off the ground. His whole body ached and blood dripped from his mouth pooling onto the planetarium ground in heavy amounts.

“Levi close yer mouth, you're gonna lose more blood if ya keep it open” Mammon said, making his way over to his younger brother.

“Yeah there could have been a different way of doing this, we’re not all masochists, like you Lucifer” Satan spat. Blood then fell from his nose onto his shirt and he cursed in response.

“In my defense I never agreed to this” Asmo yelled. “My whole body is covered in bruises and blood Lucifer! I have a photoshoot on Monday!”

“Belphie’s out cold” Beel said, moving closer to his twin ignoring the blood falling from his face.

“That’s no surprise, Mc really did a number on him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was out for a few hours because of it.” Satan sighed.

“I’ll take him to your room, Beel.” Lucifer said, walking over to pick up the youngest.

“Lucifer ya look like you're gonna fall over” Mammon said watching the oldest slowly walk over to their younger brother.

“I’m fine,” He stated. “For now we should focus on cleaning ourselves up and heading after Mc”

“I doubt Mc wants to see us right now…” Levi sighed.

“Levi, close your mouth” Mammon yelled as blood began to fall on him.

“Ahh!” Levi screamed.

Mammon sighed and helped Levi and the rest of his brothers get up after Lucifer left with Belphie. If he’s being honest he doesn’t remember much of what happened due to blacking out halfway through your wrath episode. After you were done he and his brothers each woke up laying on the floor with pools of blood surrounding them.

He honestly didn’t like Lucifer’s plan of taunting you into a pact, but sacrifices had to be made if they wanted you to stay here.

You needed to stay here.

More often then he and his brothers would like to admit they really did miss their Mc. However they did love and enjoy your company just as much. Their only wish was that their Mc was just like you.

Interacting and having fun with you was always bittersweet in a sense since it reminded them of a time before the incident, a happier time before everything went downhill.

If only you could have forgiven them.

It didn’t matter how much they did miss their own Mc, because they were going to keep you here in their place. You reminded them of the personality they were used to, it was as if this other version of you currently with them had completely forgotten about the incident and moved on with their life.

Sure you had a breakdown or two about your feelings but they sincerely apologized about what happened and you forgave them, causing them to finally be able to move on as well.

They all believed everything was going great, after all you never complained or spoke about anything being wrong with them so they were blind to the truth. You went along with everything and anything they did which made them desire your attention and affection more. These demons were so touch starved for you to the point of it becoming a problem.

However they weren’t going to lie, seeing you that upset really did hurt them. Most of them disagreed with Lucifer’s first plan to make a pact with you, and the second plan made the brothers split in half. The third and last plan was the one they currently just carried out.

It was because Lucifer had the bright idea to upset you so much that you’d finally be willing to make a pact with him for your enjoyment. Belphie also making a pact with you was a bonus, after all the youngest finally got what he wanted, even if it did cost him.

As Mammon finally finished cleaning up Levi and a few more of his brothers he couldn’t help but wonder where you were heading off too. You mentioned you had something to do after you dealt with them, he just couldn’t remember what it was…

After leaving the House of Lamentation you stormed in the direction of the Demon Lord's Castle, with the intent of speaking to the prince and his butler. Nothing but pure rage filled your thoughts as you clenched your bloody fists. You were going to demand them to send you back to your timeline no matter what.

As you reached the door to the castle you prepared to knock, however before you even got the chance the door opened revealing a smiling Barbatos on the other side.

“Good evening Mc, what brings you here? If I’m not mistaken I don’t remember arranging for you to come over.”

“I need to speak with Diavolo.” You simply stated, right now you were not in the mood to make small talk with the butler.

“Ah well we should get you cleaned up first and foremost you appear to be bleeding” Barbatos said reaching for your hand.

Reluctantly you let him take it and examine the condition of your bloodied hands and arms. “Don’t worry about it, it's not my blood anyway.” You said pulling away.

Barbatos’ eyes widened just the slightest as he gave you a surprised look before trying to speak again, only to get cut off by the prince himself.

“Mc are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Diavolo asked, slightly frantically as he made his way over to you pushing his butler aside in the process.

“Like I said previously I’m fine. I’m not the one you should be asking that question too anyway”

Diavolo looked confused then spoke. “What do you mean? Did you happen to get into a fight with some demons? Where are the brothers..?”

“At the House of Lamentation. Listen I didn’t come here to talk about them I came here to ask for help Dia”

“Of course Mc, but first I need to ask, what’s wrong? Are you in any danger of some sorts, if you are I assure you Barbatos and I can take care of it”

You sighed before speaking. How were you to go about telling the demon prince himself that you were from a different timeline? Your Barbatos told you not to mention that detail at all costs because it could somehow affect the future, however you didn’t know how much longer you could stay in a place like this. This timeline was beginning to bring out parts of yourself you tried so hard to keep hidden, who knows what else it could cause you to do if you stayed here any longer…

“I am not your Mc.” You stated.

Diavolo and Barbatos shared a confused glance at each other before you continued.

“I’m from a different timeline where different events have occurred, but somehow I got switched with your Mc from this timeline. I need your help to get back before I cause anymore damage here then I already have.”

It was silent for a few seconds, and the two who were standing in front of you stared at you with blank faces. Seconds soon turned into minutes and you began to get worried since neither of them showed any signs of responding.

Anxious now you prepared to defend your words until Diavolo smiled and walked towards you, with Barbatos soon following behind.

“Oh Mc, don’t worry I believe you, after all I could tell right away that you weren’t from here!” Diavolo laughed.

“Is that so…?” You said awkwardly.

“Of course! You’re much nicer and more understanding than our Mc. Your personality sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison. And it’s a bit suspicious when I get glares and eye rolls one day and a hug and nickname the next. No human I’ve met changes personalities that fast.”

“Ah I see…so then I take it you’ll help me get back?”

“Oh I think you misunderstand, I never said that.” Diavolo smiled.

“What?” You replied, taking a small step back.

“See, with you here the exchange program is producing wonderful results! Better than I expected actually. Well that and everyone here seems to enjoy your presence, including me. So you wouldn’t want to leave us so soon now, would you?” Diavolo said, invading your personal space. The demon prince was speaking with such a friendly tone it was as if you were having tea with him and joking around.

“I have to go home, I need to go home. Please believe me you all are wonderful but this isn’t where I belong. I feel suffocated here, and to be frank I don’t feel the same way I feel about my demons when I’m with you all.”

Diavolo frowned and sighed. “It’s okay, you’ll feel the same in due time, after all we’re all very alike right?”

Your eyebrows furrowed and you glared back at him. “No I won’t. I refuse to stay here because you don’t have a good relationship with your Mc. You need to figure out what the fuck you did wrong and fix it.”

“Don’t drag me here as a replacement to fix all your problems. Because if you do that then you are just like them. You have no concern for our feelings whatsoever.” You spat.

Barbatos then returned your glare and made his way towards you. “I understand you’re upset but I would appreciate it if you didn’t speak to the young master in such a manner. Don’t forget your place Mc.”

“That’s enough Barbatos.” Diavolo said, putting his hand up.

“If Mc won’t comply then we’ll just take them by force.”

“No you won-“

“Please don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be Mc.” Diavolo said, and that was the last thing you heard before blacking out.

_____

The perspective of a wrathful human

You were on top of Belphegor on the floor as he weakly tried to pry your hands from his throat. The demon in front of you was hanging onto what little conscience he had left as he watched your face morph into a smile.

“How does it feel to have your throat crushed by someone you so dearly placed your trust in?”

Belphegor let out a choked noise in response.

“Does it hurt? Finding it hard to breathe? I’m sure it must be very unpleasant” you said, then proceeded to lean down applying more pressure onto his throat.

Belphegor began to bleed from his mouth as you laughed. You kept spitting out nonsense about killing him as he tried to get you off, so in the process you proceeded to get his blood all over your arms.

This scene in general didn’t look too pleasant from afar, so you can believe the brothers utter shock when they busted through the planetarium doors frantic, at the sound of choking and laughing.

At first they feared the worst and thought it to be you choking and being killed again, however nothing could have prepared them upon seeing you bloodied and on top of the youngest brother.

Belphie looked utterly horrible. His complexion was paler than usual and the corners of his mouth began to turn purple and blue accompanied by red blood falling from the side.

When he heard his brothers enter the room his head instantly turned to face them and he unconsciously reached out for them.

After a second of silence due to trying to process the situation Lucifer and Beel were soon darting towards your direction faster than you had ever seen them. In seconds flat they were ripping you off of the youngest who was still out if it.

“Mc what in the Devildom is wrong with you?” Lucifer yelled, grabbing tightly onto one of your arms. He tried his best not to hurt you, but seeing his brother being strangled by you really set him off.

“Mc stop it now” Beel said, slightly raising his voice as he grabbed your other arm. He didn’t want to see you two fight, it broke his heart. The two people he cared about the most were going at it again, he couldn’t lose Belphie, but he didn’t want to let his temper get the best of him and end up hurting you too.

“Get off of me you damn demons” you screamed as they held you up.

“Mc calm down.” Lucifer said, grabbing your arm tighter than before.

“Shut up! I’m going to kill him, he deserves it”

“Mc stop!” Asmo yelled from afar.

“No, you don’t know what it's like, any of you!”

“What in the Devildom are you going on about Mc?” Lucifer said, at this point he was soon reaching a breaking point with you and this tantrum.

“You don’t know what it feels like to be killed do you?”

“To have your throat crushed. Or to feel as if your lungs are on fire from the lack of oxygen in your system. After that is the horrible headache and throbbing pain that consumes your head and your thinking. In a state of panic like that you then feel your limbs become limp as you try and free yourself. However due to the lack of strength you can’t do anything except deal with what fate has in store for you.”

“Dying is absolutely terrifying”

“However what makes everything even worse is the fact that afterwards I have to live in the same house with the same demon who put me through all of that and pretend everything is just fine. When in fact everything is just worse”

Lucifer and Beel’s grip on you had losend the slightest as they watched you squirm. Upon hearing your words they swallowed hard, trying to come up with some type of response, but before any of them could continue you began to speak again.

“If I kill him it will all be over.”

“What will killing Belphie accomplish, Mc.” Beel asked, then tightened his grip on your arm.

“Everything! All the nightmares will finally go away, all the panic attacks and breakdowns will stop. And maybe, just maybe I can have a normal conversation with other demons without my body being terrified for my life. Maybe I can be touched by a demon and not have my skin feel as if it will burn itself. Everything will be better once he’s gone” you screamed, trying your best to get free from the two brothers' hold.

The brothers stared at you in silence as they took in the severity of your words. Had you really suffered this much without them knowing? Had their Mc gone through this as well…? How long before their Mc got over it?

Did they ever get over it? How did their Mc feel about the whole situation, they never got to talk about it after all.

How many nights did they wake up in a cold sweat with tears streaming down their face, or how many nights did they stay up because they couldn’t sleep due to the nightmares?

You went through all this trauma by yourself without any of them being there to comfort you, no wonder you were upset.

However while the brothers were all thinking deeply about your words you were on an adrenaline high with no signs of coming down soon.

“Let go of me and stay out of the way. All six if you” you shouted.

The tone was that of a command, and no later than a second you were free and heading back to the youngest as fast as you could.

Lucifer cursed himself for letting his guard down, their whole purpose was to make sure you didn’t use the pacts but that plan failed.

As you jumped back onto Belphegor you punched him in the face causing blood to spill out the other side of his mouth.

“Mc stop please, don’t hurt Belphie” Beel yelled, trying his best to break free from the pact.

It was no use because his words fell on deaf ears. You were too busy beating the shit out of the demon you were on top of.

Belphie accepted what you were doing with an occasional grunt here and there as you continued to punch his face. He did feel bad, he felt horrible honestly, but if this made you feel better then he was willing to let you get all your anger out. After all he deserved it, is what he believed.

As the youngest brothers face continued to get bloodied, some of his brothers looked away while others tried their best to speak to you, Beel was the only one who was struggling to break free so that he could save Belphegor.

“Mc…” you faintly heard from the demon in front of you.

“What do you want? Don’t tell me you’re giving up already, I’m not done with you yet.”

“Please hear me out really quick, i promise it’ll be fast” he spoke dryly.

You gave him another punch before stopping for a brief moment. “Well get on with it”

Belphegor cleared his throat and tried to sit up the best he could to look you in the eyes. Sighing he then spoke.

“I understand it’s very selfish of me to tell you something like this, but I really want you to hear me out.”

You raised your eyebrows and then he continued.

“Mc I’m so sorry. Truly I really am, I was wrong about humans, I was wrong about everything. After Lilith’s death I was filled with so much anger towards humans. However I realize now that I shouldn’t have taken it out on you because you were only trying to help.”

“I never apologized to you after because I was too scared of what you would say. I was too scared you’d never forgive me so I swept it under the rug and tried to pretend it never happened. I’m just a damn coward. Only now did I realize my brothers and I didn’t ask how you felt. We just went on with life leaving you to deal with all the trauma.”

“I apologize because you should have never had to go through an event as traumatic as dying. I didn’t realize all those things you dealt with were because of me so I want you to know I’ll try my best to fix them now, if you’ll let me. If not then I accept whatever punishment you have in mind. “

“I just want you to know from the bottom of my heart I really am truly sorry. I love you so much Mc and if you forgive me then great, however I don’t expect you to. It’s selfish of me to ask you to make that decision, so I promise to deal with whatever you want to do, if it’ll make you happy”

You felt tears fall from your eyes onto the floor making it a darker color than it previously was. However you couldn’t figure out why you were crying. How long has it been since you actually cried like this?

You hit Belphie again as tears continued to fall, but this time your hits were much lighter and softer so they didn’t actually hurt the seventh born.

“Mc, I-“

“Shut up!”

You screamed. You didn’t want to hear him right now, you didn’t want to face the fact that an apology such as that one actually was sincere and filled with emotion, unlike the halfhearted apologies your demons gave you.

You now had to come to terms with the fact that you had finally gotten an apology from the heart like you had wanted. To you it didn't matter if they were your demons or not, all that matters was that Belphegor had finally apologized.

Belphie opened his arms and smiled, waiting patiently for a hug. Your eyes went wide as you stared at him for a moment, and after what felt like forever you slowly inched closer to him,

Hesitantly you leaned forward slowly into the hug, and once you hit his chest he engulfed you with his arms. You freaked out for a second but he reassured you that he was happy you chose to hug him.

“Mc thank you for trusting me like this.” Belphie said.

You held your head low and sighed before speaking.

“Just because I let you touch me doesn’t mean everything is magically better, you demons are so naive.”

Next part

a/n: so how are we finding about this chapter? there are a few things I do want to ask if you did notice, and a couple questions I have for y’all, you can think about these or just answer in the comments! i just want to understand what y’all think is all!

- first off, what do you think og MC did to the brothers to leave them that beat up?

- can you find the lesson 16 dialogue in the second part of this chapter?

- did you notice how wrath! MC was just happy with heartfelt apology? It didn’t matter if it was from their demons or the ones in the og timeline, unlike the og MC who didn’t quite feel filled with the other brothers apology.

- and lastly would you personally, forgive Belphie after an apology like that?

thanks for reading! <3

#obey me #obey me shall we date #omswd #obey me angst #omswd angst #demon brothers #obey me luficer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me mc

[itsohh]

AN: G/N reader, I really can't feel like things all about to go wrong in r6s.

Summary: Even though Rainbow was able to capture Deimos, you can't help but feel that things aren't quite right. Gustave is there to reassure you.

Word count: 582

Warnings: Spoilers?

Masterlist AO3

Stress had become a partner in your relationship: you, him and that debilitating pressure. Originally you had thought it would ease once Deimos was in custody but you soon found that wasn't the case. With Eliza now awake, everyone's hope seemed to be up. Sure there was a lot of anger throughout all the operators but ultimately moreal was up. 

Perhaps that's why you drew back and secluded yourself. Unable to bring down the mood, you stayed holed up in your joint bedroom with your focus on your gun. 

Your Barrett was treated like a child, cared and loved for. It took your mind off matters as you took it apart, cleaned it and then put it together. Again and again, the mindless task took your focus away from the stress. 

That was until the door clicked open. You didn't attempt to move nor did you lose your focus. A breath was exhaled from behind you and a few moments later you felt his gentle hands on your shoulders.

“I haven’t seen you all day.” He paused and you felt his lips brush against your cheek. “Almost all week.”

“We've both been busy.”

“Mmm, I know.” His lips pressed down into a kiss and your hands hesitated. “Tell me what's wrong.”

“Everything's fine. I'm alright.” 

Gustave's hands drifted from your shoulders down to your frozen hands and gently guided you to put the gun down. “We’re a team non? No need to start hiding from me now.”

His arms wrapped around you as he leaned over your body and hugged you from behind. Gustave's face settled into the crook of your neck and one of your hands settled on top of his. “We got Deimos…” 

“That we did.”

“I was terrified something was going to happen to you, watching the body cameras? Fuck.” 

Gustave pressed a kiss into your neck and grabbed your hand. He gave it a comforting squeeze before he raised it up to his face and kissed the top of it. “It can be scary sometimes. But our team did well. We worked well together. Elena, Julien, Sam and I all know how to look after each other.”

“I know, I know I just…” You let out a sigh in frustration. 

“I know. It's okay. Everything ended up okay. I'm here.”

Your head raised and slowly turned to look over your shoulder at him. He adjusted his and when your eyes made contact, his lips locked onto yours. 

The kiss was slow, careful but still full of desperation. As if he could disappear at any moment. Gustave rested his forehead against yours while his thumb gently rubbed your cheek. 

“He got him, we got Deimos.”

Your eyes cracked open and you grabbed his wrist, not to move it, just to hold it. “I know, I can't help but feel like we have given him exactly what he wants though. Like instead of us trapping him, we're trapped with him.”

Your voice turned to a whisper. “What if this was all part of his plan?”

“Then we put a stop to it. Together.” 

You opened your mouth to speak but promptly closed it and turned your body to fully face his. With a deep exhale you placed your head on his shoulder and welcomed his warm embrace. Gustave planted a light kiss on top of your head before he gently started to stroke your hair. 

You sighed into him and made a slight nod that rubbed against his chest. “Together.”

#r6s x reader #doc x reader #gustave kateb x reader #rainbow six siege #rainbow 6 siege #r6s

[absurdthirst]

Turkey, Dressing & Fake Boyfriends {Dieter Bravo x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 28.2k

Warnings: Fake dating, mentions of drugs, mentions of sex, masturbation, physical violence (one punch), oral sex (female receiving), unprotected sex, angst

Comments: Plans to visit your parents for Thanksgiving go awry when your boss, Dieter Bravo insists on joining you. The problem is...you kind of told your parents that you were dating the actor. Now he going to play the role of a lifetime and the lines between acting and real life are blurring quickly.

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

|| MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

“So I’ve made sure that there’s plenty of snack foods in the kitchen and all your favorite restaurants are already organized on UberEats and DoorDash in case nothing is appealing.” You check through your list of things to go over with Dieter before you leave. Even though you know that despite your next warning, he will be contacting you for every little thing. “Remember, I’m going to be unavailable for the next seven days. So don’t call me to ask where the toilet paper is, I made sure to stock every bathroom. It’s under the sink where it always is.”

Dieter follows you, finally realizing that you are telling him you’re leaving. “Where the hell are you going?” He growls, the fog of his latest high lifting and he doesn’t want you to go. 

“To my parent's house for Thanksgiving.” You remind him of what you said earlier. 

Dieter frowns, “that’s not till next month.” 

You snort, “it’s this Thursday.” 

He frowns even more, unable to remember the last time he attended a Thanksgiving. He hasn’t celebrated the holiday since before his parents died. With no family, he’s always just been alone and high, desperate to avoid the holidays. “You can’t go!” He whines, not wanting you to leave him alone. “I demand you don’t go.”

“I’ve had these plans for the last six months.” You huff, shaking your head and frowning back at him. You had halfway expected him to pitch a fit but you had been hoping that you could avoid it this time. “I haven’t seen my family in over a year and I’m flying out tomorrow.” You hate the pout on his face but you aren’t staying in L.A. “You will be fine. I’ve made sure you have everything you could want, even your cocaine.”

Dieter stomps his foot in protest, acting like the petulant child he can be. "No! You can't go! I don't - I won't let you. If you go....you're fired." He declares, even though he would never do that. You're the only person who will put up with his shit.

Your brow arches up as you stare at him. “Fire me?” That pisses you off when you are at his beck and call nearly 24/7 and deal with his 2AM calls when he’s lonely and can’t sleep. “Because I want to spend Thanksgiving with my family?” 

Dieter nods, his face twisted up in frustration. “Yes!” He insists, making you decide to call his bluff. 

“Fine, fire me.” You lock your phone and turn around to start gathering up your stuff.

Dieter stares at you in shock, unable to believe that hasn’t made you stay. “Fine.” He spits back, “then you’re taking me with you. I refuse to spend another Thanksgiving alone. You are taking me to your parents’ house for the week. You can take me with you so I can experience a proper holiday. I can’t be alone. You won’t leave me alone. I won’t allow it.”

Now it’s your turn to be shocked. Immediately feeling your stomach clench and your cheeks heat up. You can’t take Dieter home. You would be absolutely mortified. Not because of how he behaves, but because of the white lie you had told your family three years ago. “N-no!” You practically shout it. “You can’t meet my parents, you can never meet my parents!”

Dieter scoffs, "why? Are you embarrassed of me?" He gestures to his purposely tatty clothing. "I can be put together. I have more goddamn money than all of the fuckers in your small ass town put together and I -" He cuts himself off, knowing he's acting like a prick. "Why?" He asks after clearing his throat.

You can tell his feelings are hurt, the wounded look in his eyes giving him away. Dieter always lashes out when someone hurts him. You blow out an embarrassed sigh and squirm slightly. “Because I toldmyfamilyweweredating.” You mumble under your breath. 

“What?” Dieter demands, making you roll your eyes. 

“Because I lied to them and told them that we were dating!” You hiss, mortified you just had to tell your boss the truth.

Dieter frowns, “what? Why the hell did you tell them that?” He is processing, unsure of why you told them that, especially since he’s your boss. “Aren’t you asexual?” He asks and it’s your turn to look at him incredulously. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, nothing at all, but I’ve never heard you mention a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I just - I figured that dating or sex wasn’t your thing. Is that why?”

“I don’t have time to date.” You huff, pointing your finger at him. “I have a forty year old man child who calls me at 2AM when he wants someone to hold his hair when he’s puking.” You remind him. “The last boyfriend I had told me that it was too much and dumped me, three weeks after I started working for you.” The traveling didn’t help. You were constantly on location and that wasn’t in your dating life’s favor.

Dieter bites his lip, feeling guilty for taking over your life for the past four years, and he hates feeling guilty. He never does and it eats away at him. He is quiet for several moments and you start to fidget. “I can pretend to be your boyfriend.” He offers, wanting to make this up to you.

“No.” You immediately shake your head. “You can’t.” 

Dieter scoffs. “Why not? I’m an award winning actor. I can play being your boyfriend.” 

You hesitate, knowing that he would treat it like a role if he were serious about it and your parents have been annoying you about when you are going to bring Dieter to meet them. “You can’t be ….you, you know. They don’t do drugs or anything like that.”

Dieter snorts in amusement, “no shit. I doubt your parents are having orgies and snorting coke from someone’s asshole like my weekends. I can be a good boy.” He promises, fluttering his eyelashes, “I want to do this for you. I owe you for all the years of service. I promise you, I will take this seriously.” He vows, crossing the space above his heart, “I won’t fuck this up if you want them to actually think we are dating but I have one question…” You look at him expectedly, “why me?”

You can’t tell him that it’s because you talk about him all the time. He will think that you have some secret thing for him and then he will never leave you alone. “Because you’re the only man I spend time with.” You tell him, shrugging slightly. “Who else am I supposed to be seeing when I’m always with you?” You ask. “I got tired of them asking when I was going to settle down and find a man - and it just… came out of my mouth. Plus I told them that we were keeping it quiet for your reputation so they couldn’t spread it around my hometown.”

Dieter smirks, “fair enough. Your hometown folks are gonna shit themselves when they see me.” His ego comes out and he winks at you, “let’s do it. I gotta get some new clothes. Can you go get them for me?” He pouts, “you can dress me like a Ken doll for your parents. Make a good first impression…baby.” He winks, thoroughly enjoying this new role and he needs a wardrobe.

You roll your eyes at him, fully aware that he’s going to be completely full of himself. You smirk, deciding that you are going to make sure that you pay him back slightly for the bullshit over the years. “Fine.” You agree. “But just so you know, my parents are going to make you sleep on a pull out bed in the office.” You tease before you chuckle. “Remember…you wanted this.”

Dieter rolls his eyes, “surely your parents don’t think that we don’t fuck after we’ve been together for 3 years. I doubt they would be surprised to find out that we bump uglies as a fucking couple. Nah, we are sharing a bed. Besides…you might get a craving for some cock since it’s been so long.” He waggles his eyebrows.

You snort and shake your head. “Doubtful.” You hum, imagining how he’s going to be disappointed when they insist you sleep separately. “Why would I need cock when my toys work so well to make me cum?” You tilt your head and grin at him. “You better go to bed early Dieter. The flight leaves at 6AM.”

Dieter’s cock can’t help but twitch as he imagines you using toys. “Naughty. I like it.” He smirks until your next sentence registers. “Six in the morning? Jesus fucking Christ. I am gonna need some speed.” He tuts, “and coffee. Lots of Goddamn coffee. Six…I haven’t gotten up that early except for that call time on Hunger strike. Fuck. I - Okay.” He concedes, knowing he can’t argue when he’s trying to be nice.

You smirk, happy that you’ve managed to inconvenience him in some small way. You open your phone to make sure you can actually get him a ticket on the same flight since it’s so last minute. You know you will have to put him in first class even though you will be back in coach. Dieter won’t sit back in coach, and you don’t want to hear him whine.

Dieter watches you book his seat using his card, smiling when you book first class. “Upgrade yourself. Use my points, can’t have people saying I don’t treat my girlfriend properly.” He tells you and spins on his heel, “I gotta figure out how to smuggle my tea on the flight.” He says, making his way into his bedroom to get high and hopefully pass out.

You watch him go with a shake of your head. “God help us.” You muse to yourself. Now you have to go shopping for him to get him a wardrobe that is suitable for playing the role of your boyfriend.

****

Dieter sits there with his sunglasses on. The early morning flight has fucked with his equilibrium and he struggled to wake up without taking one last hit to tide him over until he comes home. “Bloody Mary.” He orders, not even looking at the flight attendant while he rubs his temples. 

“Dieter. It’s six thirty.” You gasp and he rolls his eyes, lowering his sunglasses to look at you, “exactly. It’s the middle of the fucking night.”

Huffing and turning away from him,  you put in your earbuds so you can watch some Netflix movie you downloaded. He acts like you dragged him here, but he had insisted he come. You hope that he doesn’t cause a scene at Thanksgiving. Lord knows he could make a scene. 

****

When you drive past the welcome sign of your small town, Dieter is instantly fascinated. He’s grown up in L.A, it’s all he’s ever known, so your small town has him asking you several questions like “is that where you went to school?” and “did you go to that store?”

You chuckle quietly as you drive him around the town on the way to your parents house. “Yes, this is my small town that I escaped to go to L.A.” You joke.

Dieter looks out the window with fascination and he smiles when you pull up outside of your childhood home. It’s beautiful and he loves how quaint it is. The autumn leaves covering the ground and they crunch under his new boots you bought him yesterday. “Ready?” He asks once you’re standing at the front door.

You are so nervous about this, worried about your little lie spilling out or Dieter somehow insulting your parents and family. You reach up and adjust the collar of the casual button down you had paired with a pair of delicious dark pants that made him look very sophisticated with the pea coat you had also bought. He looks every inch a successful actor and how you secretly think he should always dress. “If you are…baby.” You try it on, the words feeling slightly foreign in your mouth.

Dieter winks at you just as the door is opened, his stomach twisting a little with nerves but mainly at the way you call him baby. The door opens and an older man grins, looking at you with absolute love. "Hey squirrel!" Your dad greets you and Dieter mouths ‘squirrel’ with a frown as your dad steps out to wrap his arms around you, not even letting you step over the threshold.

“Dad!” You shriek happily, throwing yourself into his arms and grinning as your breath is practically squeezed out of you in the giant bear hug. “I’ve missed you so much!” Your words are muffled against his shoulder and he hums. 

“Not as much as we’ve missed you, sweetheart. Hate that it’s been so long.”

Dieter bites his lip, knowing it's his fault. When your dad pulls back to look at Dieter, he holds his hand out. "I'm afraid that would be my fault. Keeping her busy with my work it's great to meet you, sir." Dieter offers your dad what he hopes is a friendly and polite smile.

“Dieter Bravo.” Your dad has an appraising look on his face as he slowly reaches out to take Dieter’s hand. You’ve not said anything, but he’s kept up with the antics of your boss and apparent boyfriend in the news. Some of it troubled him but he also trusts you to make the right decision. “Nice to finally meet you.”

Dieter offers your dad an oscar-winning  smile. "It's great to finally meet my baby's parents." Dieter winks at you, reaching out to wrap his arm around your waist to squeeze. "Let me grab the bags, baby. You go inside." He orders, wanting to make this his best performance yet.

You try not to look shocked, knowing that normally Dieter leaves you to deal with the luggage - and everything really - while he does whatever he wants. “Of course.” You turn to your dad. “I’m assuming I’m in my old bedroom and Dieter is in the study?”

Your mother comes down the hallway, “don’t be silly, dear. You can share your old room with your boyfriend. You’re not fifteen. We know you have sex.” She snorts, and your dad covers his ears, acting like he doesn’t want to know. Your mom pulls you into her arms, sighing in delight. “Oh it’s so good to see you, sweet pea.” She coos, kissing your cheeks just as Dieter comes in the house with your cases.

“Hey mom.” You relax slightly, happy to see your parents even though they just put you in a very awkward position. 

“Where do these go, baby?” Dieter asks and you pull away from your mom, knowing he was going to be a little shit about this. 

“We are going to stay in my old bedroom, babe. Together.”

Dieter bites his lip to smother his smirk at the horrified look on your face when you turn away from your parents. "Oh that's great. I can't sleep without her." Dieter lies, "she's like my baby bear." He winks and your mother awes while your father wrinkles his nose slightly. "I'll take these upstairs then." Dieter says, winking at your mom before he makes his way upstairs with the cases.

“Sweet pea, he’s so handsome!” Your mother coos, turning to watch Dieter make his way upstairs. “So much better in person. I was so thrilled when you called last night and told us that he had changed his plans.” 

You had managed to smother their curiosity for why you never brought Dieter, claiming he had long standing plans with friends over the holidays and he used it to decompress from work. “He’s happy he could come, mom.” You bite your lip, wondering how long it was before Dieter shows his true colors.

“What about all the, uh, the scandals he had surrounding that last movie? Was any of that true?” Your dad asks, concerned for your well-being when you are in L.A and even more so with you dating an actor. 

“Hush, it doesn’t matter. She loves him and that’s all that matters. He looks after her, right?” Your mom looks at you, both of your parents waiting for your answer.

You want to laugh and tell them that you look after Dieter, but that would not be in your best interest right now. Instead, you nod, hearing Dieter walk through the upstairs and there’s a slight banging sound as he drops the bags that makes you groan. “He takes care of me.” You lie. “And most of the negative press was exaggerated. You know, create buzz about the project they had in the can.”

Your dad isn’t convinced but he lets it go, just excited to have you home, and your mom smiles at you. “I’m glad you’re happy, sweet pea. And you’re home! I made your favorite. You must be starving.” She guides you into the kitchen without a moment and Dieter comes downstairs, rubbing his hands on his pants after he discarded his coat on your bed. He spent a while looking around your room, laughing at the boy band posters but one in particular made him pause…the poster from his first movie. He files that away for later and nearly bumps into your dad.

“Did you find everything okay?” Your dad asks, watching Dieter carefully. He had noticed the other man had been upstairs for longer than just dropping off the bags, but he was a guest in his home, so he was going to be polite until it was necessary to not be. “Her mom made lunch if you’re hungry.”

“Starving.” Dieter groans, “I’ve only had a blood- tomato juice on the plane.” Your dad eyes him and he shifts, making his way into the kitchen and he sits down beside you. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks your mom.

You snort quietly, wondering if Dieter knows where anything is in his own kitchen. You’ve never seen him use more than the fridge. “Sure.” You grin at him playfully. 

“Honey, don’t tease him. I think it’s wonderful that he’s offering to help.” Your mother beams at him, obviously slightly starstruck to have a Hollywood actor in her house. You roll your eyes, wondering if she would be so happy if she knew how childish he could be, but you remind yourself that you’ve only told your parents great things about Dieter. 

Dieter offers your mom an award winning smile and she flusters, waving him off. “Stay seated. I’m nearly done.” She promises and your dad sits down. “So…how long have you two been together again?” He asks. 

“Three-” 

“Two years.” Dieter answers confidently and you want to hang your head. 

“No baby, it’s been three.” You say pointedly and Dieter’s eyes widen. 

“Yes. Three. I’m sorry. Three. I am terrible at keeping track. Oh shit, I guess I owe you something pretty for that mistake, huh babe?”

“Don’t worry about that.” You huff and your mom laughs. 

“I wish your father would have bought me something every time he forgot how many years we’ve been married!” She jokes, grinning at her husband as he walks into the kitchen. “I would have a lot of pretty things.” 

Your dad rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “I remember the day I asked you out.” He reminds her. “That’s the day we should celebrate.” 

Your mom clicks her tongue, playfully tutting at her husband, and you smile with affection. You’ve missed your parents. A lot. Dieter reaches for your hand, bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss there. Your mom sighs in delight and your dad is indifferent. “Guess it’s okay when he has so much money.” Your dad says, a little flippant, and Dieter can tell he doesn’t like him. 

“Only thanks to this one. If I didn’t have her working as my assistant, I doubt I’d be able to function every day to do my job.”

You squirm slightly, never used to Dieter acknowledging that you do anything for him. Half the time when you argue for time off or that you’re busy, you get met with ‘this is what I pay you for’. Even if the pay is generous, sometimes it’s not enough. “You know what they say, a good assistant makes the world go round.” You joke with a small laugh.

Dieter winks at you and your mom serves lunch. Dieter is starving and he doesn’t even ask if the food is certified local and organic. He groans at the sight of the comfort food. It’s been so long since he had a home cooked meal. Usually he has you buy ready cooked meals from the organic grocery store down the street. “This looks delicious.”

You are surprised that Dieter isn’t asking questions, but then again, you’ve found him to be ridiculous. When he’s slightly sober, he will question the pesticides used on the vegetables and if the meat was free-range, but when he’s high - he wants McDonald’s mystery meat. “Thanks mom, I’ve been craving your food.” You admit as you all start to eat. You groan at the first bite and close your eyes, enjoying the feeling of being home.

Dieter watches you eat, your groan affecting him a little but he pushes that aside to enjoy the lunch. It’s delicious and he understands now why you want to come home. With a sigh, he finishes his meal and rubs his belly. “That was incredible.” He compliments your mom, meaning every word.

“We’ll clean up.” You assure your mom, smirking over at Dieter. “He loves helping out so we can make this quick and then go over who all is coming this year for Thanksgiving.” You know your mom would love to put her feet up, she’s probably been up since the crack of dawn to make sure the entire house was ready for your arrival.

Dieter stands up, a little unsure but your mom looks so happy that you offer to clean up. He knows he has to help but he hasn’t loaded a dishwasher in years. He doesn’t remember how to even turn it on. “Um, hand washing?” He suggests.

It’s surprising he even thought about that, but you shake your head. “If you want to clear the table, I’ll start loading the dishwasher.” You can see the relief in his eyes. “We will have it done in no time.” He won’t have a clue about storing leftovers, but hopefully your mom and dad will go sit out in the living room and you can just take care of it yourself. 

Dieter nods, working on cleaning the plates off of the table. “Come on honey, let’s go get those decorations from the attic for next month. I can start untangling those lights.” Your dad offers with a chuckle and Dieter sighs in relief when your parents leave the room. 

“Gross.” He wrinkles his nose at the food left on the plate. “How do you do this shit all the time?”

There’s the Dieter Bravo you know and tolerate. “Someone hasn’t worked in food service in a long time.” You joke, remembering how he had talked about hating waiting tables while working on his big break when he was younger. “Or are you too big of a star now that you’ve forgotten?” It’s more likely he’s done too many drugs, but that’s another subject. “Just leave them on the counter and I’ll clean them off, you big baby.” 

Dieter pouts, knowing you are making fun of him but you aren’t wrong. Maybe he has forgotten his humble beginnings back when he was nineteen and figuring shit out. “I’m sorry. I just - I’m not used to this. Doing…normal things.”

“It’s fine.” You shrug and start scraping the dishes clean and stacking them next to the sink to rinse before you load them into the dishwasher. “It’s what I get paid for, right? Letting you do Dieter things and concentrate on your performances.” It’s enough for you that he offered, playing into your mom and getting her to think that he might help in the fictitious relationship you’re in. “Just - thank you for offering.” You offer quietly. 

He smiles, blushing a little from your gratitude. He never really gets to experience simple things like that and he realizes he should be more appreciative of you. “So what are the plans for this trip?” He asks, leaning against the counter and watching you work.

“Honestly? Not much.” You admit, a little embarrassed that there isn’t much to do where you grew up. “I planned on spending time with family mainly, maybe meeting up with some friends from school for drinks one night.” You give a small shrug. “Mainly just planned on relaxing, drinking a little too much and decompressing.” L.A. is a fast paced town and while you can handle it, sometimes you just need time to sit and absorb the silence. 

“Sounds boring.” Dieter snorts, continuing to watch you. It’s not that he doesn’t like slowing down and relaxing but it allows him to think and when he thinks, he gets sad about how his life has gone. Yes, he is an award winning actor, wanted by most directors in Hollywood, but it’s lonely. His parents didn’t really care about him, just the money, and his ‘friends’ probably wouldn’t be his friends if he didn’t have the fame and money. This is real. What you have is real and he is jealous of that. True family and friends who love you for you.

“Thanks.” You huff sarcastically and look over at him with slight annoyance. Of course he would think your life is boring, you aren’t snorting God knows what up your nose and begging random strangers to fuck you. “I can always book you a ticket back home tomorrow. Tell them that you had some production meeting come up.” 

Dieter shakes his head, “no. I promised I’d do this. I want to do this. Just…cut me some slack. It’s been for fucking ever since I’ve had to deal with this.” He reveals and you frown, “what? Family?” He nods and you sigh, looking at him. 

“I’m sorry. I know…I know it’s not easy but I can make up an excuse.” 

Dieter shakes his head and hears footsteps coming down the hall. “Play along.” He orders, shifting to stand behind you, leaning down to bury his face in your neck while his hands grip your waist.

Your breath catches in your throat, perfect for the scene when your dad walks into the kitchen to find the two of you like that. Looking like Dieter is kissing your neck or whispering intimately in your ear and you hate how your entire body fires to life under the innocent touch. “I-” Your father clears his throat. “I came to get your mom something to drink.” He explains, looking anywhere but at you when you turn your head. 

“Oh, uh, sorry.” You peel yourself away from Dieter, cheeks burning. 

Dieter bites his lip to smother his smirk, victorious in flustering you and showing your dad that you are a couple. “Sorry sir. She’s just too beautiful.” He coos, leaning in to kiss your cheek and your dad opens the fridge to get your mom her drink.

You fluster slightly and turn back to the sink, hurriedly rinsing off the rest of the dishes so you can load them into the dishwasher. It’s still to be affected by him being so close, it was just a scene to him. It didn’t mean anything and yet your stomach feels like it is filled with butterflies. “We’ll be done in just a minute,’ you tell your father. “Then we can help get the Christmas decorations out. Maybe Dieter can help untangle the lights.” 

Dieter wants to say no but he can’t so he nods, turning towards your dad. “Yeah. I can help. Just need a moment if you know what I mean.” He gestures to his crotch despite not being hard. 

Your dad looks at him in horror before he slowly backs out of the kitchen with a “I’ll let you kids to it.”

“Jesus Dieter.” You blow out an exasperated laugh, embarrassed that he had just said that to your father. “Don’t say things like that to my dad. You’re going to give him a heart attack.” 

Dieter snorts. “He knows you aren’t a virgin.” He argues but you huff. 

“Yeah, but it’s not like I talk about my sex life with my parents.” 

Dieter rolls his eyes, “who do you talk to about your sex life? Because it ain’t me.” He points to himself, “you know all about mine.” Albeit, unwillingly, but you know about his escapades, especially when you make a midnight condom run for him.

“When I did have a sex life, I would talk about it with my friends.” You feel a bit defensive, but it’s not like you can help that your schedule is so damn demanding that all you could possibly get was one night stands. You just aren’t that type of girl. No hating on anyone who was, but you liked having at least a little bit of an emotional connection. “But it’s been years, so that isn’t an issue.” 

“Years?” Dieter yells and you shush him, “years? You’re fucking joking. There’s - there’s no way it’s been years. You’re - well, look at you. Someone must’ve wanted to fuck the shit out of you. You’re hot. There’s - fuck, you must be a virgin again.”

“Shut up.” You hiss, looking around and praying that no one overheard his big mouth. “The last time I came close to getting laid was that audio tech on Time Again.” You roll your eyes, thinking about what a shitshow that had been. The studio had finally just canned the movie due to the pandemic and the fact that the production just kept dragging out. “But everytime he went to ask me out, you were calling and needing something.” You ignore the pleasure that is running through you because Dieter said you were hot. He would fuck anyone, so it wasn’t like that meant much.

Dieter shakes his head, “that asshole wouldn’t have made you cum. He could barely hold the mic, he would’ve disappointed you.” Dieter won’t admit it openly but perhaps he had sabotaged your dates on purpose for his own selfish needs. He feels a little guilty. A little. Yet it’s not enough to make him regret his actions.

You snort. “What were you fucking him?” You ask, feeling out of sorts that he’s so horrified that you haven’t gotten laid when it was honestly his fault. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” You shake your head and look down at his crotch. “Looks like your little problem is gone.” You tell him. “I’ll finish up here, you go help dad.”

Dieter huffs, “fine. I’ll go untangle the fucking lights but this isn’t finished.” He gestures between you and adjusts himself as he makes his way upstairs to help your parents with the lights. Your mom asks him question after question about L.A. His home, his family. “Oh my family are dead.” He reveals bluntly and your mom’s eyes widen, “oh my God. I’m so - I didn’t know.” Dieter shrugs, “didn’t really like my parents anyway.”

“Oh you poor thing.” Your mom tuts, her heart aching for him. “No wonder she makes sure to take good care of you.” She shakes her head. “You are welcome to come back whenever you need someone to pry into your life and worry over you.” She tells him with a motherly smile.

Dieter wants to be sarcastic but your mother’s kind look sends him into a tailspin. Affection. Shit, how long has it been since he experienced that? Genuine affection. It pulls at his heart and he offers her a soft smile, “thank you. I’d like that.” Your mom beams at him and your dad hands Dieter the lights, ordering for him to untangle them.

You finish the dishes and start the dishwasher before you wander out to where your father and Dieter are starting to untangle the lights. Dieter is already huffing, frustrated with the tangled mess. “Maybe we should put lights on your house this year, baby.” You coo, knowing that Dieter would never get on a ladder and put up lights on his Sherman Oaks house.

Dieter plays along, “oh yes. That would be good. We can get some blow up decorations too.” He waits until your parents aren’t looking and smirks, hoping you catch his drift.

You roll your eyes at his immaturity and then decide to give him back his own. “Oh yes! They have this twenty-five foot Santa Claus that would be perfect!” You squeal, rushing over and kissing him on the cheek. “I will go order it now. It will go perfect when I dress up like Mrs. Claus and make cookies.” 

Dieter’s jaw drops but he recovers when your mom looks at him with such joy. “Just put it on my card babe.” He says through gritted teeth despite smiling. Fuck, you are going to frustrate the shit out of him but he won’t let you win. He owes you a good time with your parents and he will make sure it goes off without a hitch.

You smirk, deciding that you actually are going to order the Santa, just to be a shit. You beam at your mom. “Isn’t he just the best? He spoils me.” You brag, reaching over and helping him untangle one section of Christmas lights that he had been staring at in frustration. 

“He does seem to dote on you.” Your mother hums happily, shaking her head. “I can’t believe we are just now meeting him.” 

Dieter smiles at your mom, “that’s my fault. I’ve been so busy and I just didn’t want to take away from her family time. My muffin deserves all the time she wants for her family.” He coos, leaning in to kiss your cheek, making your mom coo in delight.

“Muffin.” You huff softly and turn to give him a loving look. “I will knee you in the balls if you use that again, “ you hiss through your teeth as you cup his cheek. “I’ll hold you to that baby.” You promise, patting his cheek. 

You pat his cheek a little too hard and he hisses, narrowing his eyes for a second. He can’t believe how out of control this is getting. “Don’t worry snookums, daddy will look after you.” He coos the second half into your ear, wanting you to squirm in front of your parents. Your dad is cursing the lights, too busy to listen, and your mom is distracted by a broken ornament she found.

You shudder, early gagging at the term ‘daddy’. “Gross.” You murmur softly, never been a fan of some man calling himself daddy towards you. Instead of giving him the pleasure of winning, you widen your eyes innocently and bat your lashes at him. “Thank you, Daddy.” you coo sweetly. 

Dieter chuckles, knowing he got to you. He hates being called daddy. He isn’t your father, but he wants to get under your skin. He winks and you huff, making him chuckle as he continues working on the lights. “Oh, Dave called earlier, sweetheart. Asked about you being in town and said you should head over to the tavern for a drink.”

“Oh.” You brighten at the new, smiling at your mom. “Thanks. I need to catch up with him, it’s been a long time.” Dieter frowns, not knowing who you are talking about but he doesn’t like the way you light up. 

“Who’s Dave?” He asks and your dad snorts. 

“You don’t recognize the name of her childhood best friend?” He asks Dieter. “We thought they were going to grow up and get married one day.” 

Dieter looks at you, noting the dreamy look in your eyes, and even though this is pretend, he can’t help but get jealous. “You’ve never mentioned Dave, baby?” He frowns, tilting his head and looking at you with curiosity.

You shrug slightly, not wanting to remind him that he didn’t particularly care about your life in front of your parents. Dieter is normally very self centered. “We grew up together, dated a while in high school and then broke up before college.” You didn’t want to tell Dieter that Dave was the one who you had experienced most of your ‘firsts’ with, including losing your virginity. 

Dieter clenches his jaw, unsure of why he feels so fucking jealous, but he does. He nods, “I see. Well, I can’t wait to meet him.” He acts excited for your parents’ sake, knowing that the jealousy act won’t wash well with them. He continues untangling the lights, not looking forward to meeting Dave.

You frown slightly but you don’t say anything. “Yeah, I’ll give him a call and see about setting something up.” You hum. 

“Sweet pea, why don’t you and Dieter meet him tonight?” Your mom suggests. “Before the holiday prep starts. Go out and have some fun.” 

You bite your lip and nod. “Okay, I’ll go set it up now.” You agree. 

“What a wonderful idea.” Dieter praises your mom but his tone is full of sarcasm, not that she realizes it. Or your dad. He does not want to meet this fucking Dave but then he realizes something. “Does Dave have a partner? Maybe invite them too.”

You shrug slightly, unaware of what Dave might have going on in his life. Despite what your parents believe, you and Dave had grown apart. Long before college. You were still friendly, but it wasn’t like you were still best friends anymore. 

Dieter hates how you don’t immediately tell him Dave is married or has a partner. Or is gay. He hates it and he feels threatened by someone he hasn’t even met. When you tell him an hour later that you are meeting Dave for dinner, he wants to ask if it will be four of you but he bites his lip and decides to play it safe, dress nice, and see what this dude is about.

The rest of the afternoon passes quickly. Finally getting the lights untangled and tested, the burned out bulbs replaced so your dad can hang them up. When it’s getting close to time to meet Dave, you pull Dieter away so that the two of you can go freshen up. “We’re meeting in an hour. At least we can get a drink or three while we are there.”

“Or ten.” Dieter mumbles under his breath while he allows you to get ready first. He just needs to brush his hair and put on some new clothes. Usually he wouldn’t put in the effort but this Dave asshole is going and could potentially have the ability to take you away from Dieter if he decides he wants to get back together. He can’t allow that.

You freshen up your makeup and change into an outfit that is stylish and comfortable. You wouldn’t normally go to such hassle, but you are supposedly dating a Hollywood actor after all. You need to look worthy of him.

Dieter frowns when you come out of the bathroom, dressed up and refreshed for this dinner, and he doesn’t say a word as he stomps into the bathroom to get ready, brushing his teeth and his hair. He washes his face and can’t resist grabbing some of your lip balm, just to make him look kissable compared to fucking Dave. He comes back out in clean clothes and puts his shoes on, “you ready?”

You eye his change of clothes, approving of yet another outfit you picked out for him. “Of course baby.” You coo playfully. “Remember not to flirt with all the fans wanting your autograph.” You remind him, knowing that would get around the town quickly and then everyone would be feeling sorry for you.

Dieter rolls his eyes, “of course not. I’m nothing if not professional.” You snort at that and he pouts at you before he puts his boots back on, ready to drive to the restaurant where Dave is. After you bid goodbye to your parents, your dad telling you to tell Dave hello which made Dieter scoff under his breath, you drive to the restaurant.

“You don’t have to come.” You remind him, wondering why he is acting like a petulant child again. It’s almost like he’s jealous but you know that’s not the case. “I can drop you off somewhere so we don’t bore you to death.”

“No. No. That would look bad. I’ll be a good boy.” He promises, crossing his heart. “I won’t be bad. I just - it’s weird to be going out to dinner with your ex.” He settles on that as his excuse. He doesn’t even know who this Dave guy looks like.

“Please.” You scoff and roll your eyes. “You’ve fucked plenty of your exes.” You remind Dieter. “I’m sure food is involved in that process somewhere. Don’t you have a standing date with an ex wife to fuck on your divorce anniversary?”

Dieter shrugs one shoulder, “it’s good sex. She just hates me.” He justifies and looks out of the window. “That’s just sex. Not a dinner. We don’t talk. As for food…maybe some whipped cream but that’s all. Oh wait…there was one time with chocolate syrup.” He smirks as he remembers his ex from five years ago.

“Ugh, never mind.” You huff. “Anyway, Dave and I grew up together. We have history but we still managed to stay friends. Besides, it’s not like my parents know I gave him my virginity prom night.”

Dieter’s neck hurts when his head twists to look at you. “What? You - you naughty girl.” He teases, “tell me all the details.” He rarely hears you discuss anything regarding sex and he wants to know if Dave came in 30 seconds to make him feel better about meeting your ex.

You snort, amused that Dieter’s gone from scowling to now begging for details. “I’m sure that it’s the standard ‘losing your virginity on prom night story’.” You huff. “We booked a hotel room and stayed together, actually we left prom early.” You smile at the memory slightly. “It was sweet and awkward but I was with my best friend, so it didn’t matter.”

Dieter hums, staring at you as you smile. He lost his virginity to a big movie producer. She was double his age and thought he was cute. There were no feelings involved, just sex, and his desire to make it big in Hollywood. He hasn’t really had sex that involved emotions, unless you count the hate sex with his ex wife. Even during his marriage he never “made love.” He clicks his tongue, “how cute. Bet he came in 30 seconds and it was all over.”

You huff, annoyed that he’s being critical over something that happened a long time ago. It’s like he’s trying to belittle your experience. Yet another reason you don’t share with Dieter because it’s never quite good enough. “I’m sure you lasted an hour and made them cum four times when you lost your virginity.” You manage tightly. “Since you’re so perfect.”

Dieter frowns, trying to remember that fateful day, and he winces when he reminds himself of how quickly he came. However, the woman made him eat his cum from inside of her to get her off. He didn’t mind the taste of himself combined with her so he stayed there for an hour just making her cum over and over. It was a good oral experience. “I’m not perfect.” He whispers, feeling that insecurity looming over him.

You look over at him and see the uneasy look. “No, you’re not.” Your tone is softer, and you reach over to pat his leg affectionately. “I’m sure it took a couple of times before Dieter Bravo, Sex God was born.” You tease playfully. “I think it’s a requirement that everyone’s first sexual experience be fast. But he had also made sure I was ready, fingering me and so I wasn’t disappointed.”

Dieter nods, "that's good. Oral is my favorite for getting a woman fucking soaking wet." He says like he's declaring his favorite color and it makes your stomach twist when he offers you a wicked grin. When you pull into the restaurant parking lot, Dieter fidgets, adjusting his shirt that suddenly seems too tight. "We should probably hold hands." He says when you are both out of the car.

“Yeah.” You are more nervous than you want to admit, because of your history with Dave. You drift closer to Dieter and offer him your hand. “Just- please don’t, uh, you know. Make me look crazy.” You ask, feeling a little overwhelmed by your fake boyfriend meeting your first boyfriend.

Dieter squeezes your hand, "I'll be the crazy one." He promises, winking at you as you make your way inside of the restaurant. He is nervous, wanting to make sure this is a good impression. Your town is small so word would spread fast if they thought you weren't a couple. Dieter doesn't want to mess this up for you despite his usually blase attitude to life.

His hand around yours is comfortable and you guess you had never realized how large his hands are. You’re actually disappointed when he pulls his hand out of yours. Dieter opens the door for you and you give him a small smile, feeling his hand on your back as you walk up to the hostess stand but Dave stands up from a table and waves towards you. “Oh, there’s my party.” You tell her before the two of you make your way over. “Dave!” Your former boyfriend grins and immediately reaches for you, pulling you into a hug. “I’ve missed you!” He groans, hugging you tight.

Dieter stands awkwardly to the side, unsure of what to say or do until Dave stops the ridiculously long hug he’s giving you and turns to Dieter. “Hey man, I’m Dave.” He says, reaching out to shake Dieter’s hand and Dieter can’t help but squeeze a little harder while saying “it’s great to meet you.” He says it almost through gritted teeth but manages to spit it out before you all sit down. “It’s so good to see you. God, you look amazing.” Dave smiles at you and Dieter wraps his arm around your shoulder, “she does, doesn’t she? L.A agrees with her.”

You arch your brow slightly at the possessiveness in Dieter’s tone but you just lean into his side. “So how is everything going for you?” You ask Dave, wanting to keep the conversation flowing. “It’s been, what? Four years since we’ve seen each other?” As soon as the waitress comes over, you are going to need a drink. Despite your cheerful tone, this is awkward. 

“Has it really been four years? Wow. I, uh, I have been working mainly. Few dates here and there but nothing really worked out. Not since…” Dave trails off, his eyes fixed on the hand on your shoulder. “Anyway, how are you? Dating a movie star? Wow. Hollywood glamor every day I imagined?”

“Oh you know it.” You don’t roll your eyes but you turn and give Dieter an adoring look and reach up to smooth a few scraggly hairs before you look back at Dave. “But Dieter and I like to keep things private. Because the paparazzi can be brutal.” You do roll your eyes at that.

Dieter snorts, “yeah. Remember that time they nearly caught us when we were…ya know? They are difficult to avoid.” Dieter says with sympathy for himself. It wasn’t you he was nearly caught with but as an actor, he knows that the closer the story is to the truth, the more realistic it will seem.

“That was a close call.” You giggle and shake your head. “We learned that it’s not like being a teenager in the back of a car.” 

Dave squirms slightly, uncomfortable but he grunts. “Well, you spent a lot of time in the back of my car.” He reminds you with a smirk on his face.

Dieter struggles to keep the smile on his face but it’s hard. He knows he’s being childish, especially when you’ve had to deal with all of his escapades but he feels jealous about you being with Dave, experiencing your firsts with Dave.

“That was a very long time ago.” You laugh, relieved when the waitress comes over and you can order a drink. “I’ll have double vodka soda on the rocks with a twist of lime.” You tell her desperately, needing the alcohol. “Baby, what are you going to get?” You turn to coo at Dieter.

“I’ll have water.” Dieter says, surprising you. “You enjoy yourself. I can drive us back to your parents house.” Dieter offers, kissing your cheek before he settles back into his seat, his arm still around you.

Dave orders a Jack and Coke before he leans back and looks at you. “I have to admit, I was surprised when your parents told me you were dating your boss.” He confesses, making you frown slightly. 

“Why is that?” You ask, shaking your head. “I spend most of my time with Dieter.”

Dieter rubs your arm, “it’s hard to not fall in love with the woman bringing you food every day.” He jokes and Dave clicks his tongue. 

“What I mean is…I hope you didn’t feel pressured to be with him because he’s your boss. I’ve heard stories from Hollywood. You know, Harvey Weinstein and the Me Too movement. I just…I hope that’s not the case.” Dave says, offering Dieter a weird look.

“No.” That you can very adamantly shake your head over. “Dieter would never dream of forcing someone to be with him. He’s a very pro consent type of man and if he was turned down - before we got together - there was no hard feelings or attitude about.” You chuckle and look over at him. “It was more a question. ‘Do you want to have sex with me? No? Okay, cool.’ I’ve seen him strike out, but he doesn’t have to worry about that now.” You lean in and kiss his jaw.

Dieter is offended that Dave would imply that he basically forced you to be with him, but he lets it slide, not wanting to make a scene. He does, however, cup your cheek and bring your lips to his. He kisses you, deep and for a moment longer than appropriate as he shows Dave that he is with you because he wants you. “I would never force anyone to fuck me. If they want to, I will make sure they are shaking with pleasure by the end of it. She fully consented and now, I make her moan my name so loud we had the police called for noise complaints in a hotel last month.”

“Dieter.” You are embarrassed, both from the implication of the idea of noise complaints because of sex but also because of the way that you leaned into the kiss. You remind yourself that he’s an actor. He’s playing a role, it’s his job to convince people that you are really together. “Baby, don’t…” you whine softly, cheeks burning.

Dieter chuckles, “she gets embarrassed. She’s a screamer. Well, you know. Right?” He winks at you and leans back when the waitress comes over to set the drinks down. 

“Oh my God. You’re Dieter Bravo!” She squeals and Dieter smiles politely. 

“Yes, hi. How are you?” She practically faints and asks him to sign her order book. He obliges, asking her name, and hands her back the pen before she thanks him profusely and rushes off.

“Wow.” Dave frowns slightly, his eyes flicking over to you and he arches a brow. “How do you deal with your jealousy with women coming up to him all the time?” He asks you before he looks over at Dieter. “She was always so jealous anytime I talked to someone else.” 

You huff and roll your eyes, annoyed that this seems to be some kind of test. “I’ve grown up, Dave. I’m secure in myself and my relationship.”

Dieter picks up the vibe and smiles at you, “oh she has her fun too.” He implies with a wink, wanting Dave to feel like he’s missing out. 

Dave wrinkles his nose, “you get involved in those Hollywood orgies?” He asks in shock and Dieter responds before you can, “oh that’s the best part of being in Hollywood. Orgasms for everyone.”

“Dieter!” You hiss, smacking his thigh under the table. You can’t believe that he just said that to Dave. 

“And you don’t get jealous?” Dave asks him seriously, ignoring your embarrassment. “I wouldn’t want to share her if it was me.”

Dieter smirks, enjoying how uncomfortable Dave is. “I know she’s mine. She sleeps beside me, wakes up beside me. If someone else happens to make her cum, I enjoy watching her get pleasure. That’s true love. Having boundaries within your relationship, trust, and knowing that at the end of the day, you’ll only be in bed with one another. I am not a jealous man.” He lies there, knowing he’s already jealous of Dave.

Dave stares at him for a moment before he looks back over at you, trying to determine if you believed all that crap. You school your expression into one of complete bliss and curl into Dieter’s side. “So yeah, not much going on with us.” You joke, thankful to see the waitress coming with your drinks.

Dieter thanks the waitress and you all order your food, making Dieter grateful that this bullshit will be over once you’ve eaten. He isn’t interested in a pissing match with Dave. He highly doubts that you’d get back with a small town ex but Dieter can’t deny he’s worried that you’ll leave him. He knows he’d never find an assistant like you. He wouldn’t be able to replace you if you decided to get back with Dave and move back here.

“You know…..” Dave taps the table and looks over at you with a soft expression. “Everyone misses you.” He tells you. “Every time I run into our old friends they ask about you. You know Steve and Rachel? They got engaged last week, going to be planning a wedding soon. You always used to say you wanted to plan weddings.”

Dieter knows how good you are at planning, you fucking plan his entire life, and he wonders if that’s your true dream. “Is that what you wanted to do?” Dieter asks softly, wanting to know more about you, to understand you more. To help his role…of course.

“At one time.” You admit, shrugging your shoulders carelessly. “I like the details and I’m pretty good under pressure.” You shoot him a small smirk, thinking about all the times that Dieter is demanding the impossible and you come through for him. “Most people want their wedding day to be one of the happiest of their lives. I thought it would be pretty awesome to help foster that. But then I learned that wedding planning is a cut throat business.”

“So is Hollywood.” Dave retorts, “you’d be good at wedding planning. You always had such a good eye. You should reconsider it instead of running around after actors.” Dave glances at Dieter who shifts in his seat. “Do you enjoy being a runaround for him?” Dave asks you.

“Dave.” You huff, frowning at him. “That’s rude.” 

Dave shakes his head. “Seriously, answer the question. Do you enjoy it?” 

You blow out a breath and look over at Dieter. “Every job has good and bad moments, but you tell me that I could travel to Croatia or Japan to visit locations while Dieter is shooting a movie as a wedding planner here. Tell me I would have to replace my passport because my pages are full.”

Dave stares at you, trying to process that but he knows he could never give you that. “Don’t you want a family? To settle down? Get married?” Dave asks, feeling himself get a little desperate. It’s always been you for him. He hasn’t moved on. He’s tried dating but always failed when they couldn’t compare to you. He’s been praying you’d come home so he could see you but he never imagined you’d be with Dieter.

“One day.” You shrug because you would love to have a future with someone. Unlikely because of that same lifestyle that you had just defended. No one wanted to put up with being on call for Dieter 24/7, so you didn’t try to find love. “It doesn’t have to be right away. Or ever really.”

Dieter bites his lip, feeling guilty that you’ve seemingly put your life on hold for him. “Ever?” Dieter asks before Dave can. 

“Surely you want to have your own family? It’s all you talked about when we were kids.” Dave frowns, crossing his arms.

“I was also a child.” You remind him. “If I decide to have kids, I’ll have them. They are a lot of work and I don’t know if I want them anymore.” Taking care of Dieter is like having a large kid and you don’t know if you would want to do it for real. Probably would change your mind when you find someone you want to be with, but it’s not even on the table right now. “Ideas for how your life should go change.”

Dave shakes his head, "you've changed. Hollywood has changed you. You are - you're different." He observes and Dieter gets protective, reaching out to take your hand in his. 

"She's grown up." Dieter defends you, "she isn't a teenager anymore. She's all woman and she knows what she wants. I support her, no matter what she decides to do."

“Thank you, baby.” You squeeze Dieter’s hand, thankful that he had said the perfect words. Ones that you didn’t know you needed to hear from someone, although it’s surprising it came from him. Too many people constantly ask about their perfect vision for your life. You turn and press a small kiss to his lips. “I love that you support me.”

Dieter blushes a little at the small kiss you give him, unnecessary to sell the act, and he finds his heart thumping at the soft smile you offer him when you pull back. He squeezes your hand back, "always. I'll always support you." He means that, even if you decide to quit working for him, he'd still make sure you are okay.

The food finally comes and the conversation turns towards Dave. Listening to him talk about himself, and his plans for the future with veiled hints that he wants you to be a part of that, you can’t help but be glad Dieter is here beside you. You had broken up in college for a reason, you didn’t want someone planning out your entire life and you have to appreciate how much things change daily with your boss.

“So I think it would be nice if we could have lunch or dinner with just the two of us sometime. You know, to catch up properly.” Dave says brazenly after you’ve finished eating your meal that was filled with banal small talk about holiday plans and the new year. Dieter clenches his jaw, trying to not react because he knows that’s what Dave wants. For him to appear insecure in your relationship, even if it is fake, he doesn’t need to know that.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate.” You shake your head and frown slightly. “It would be rude to leave Dieter with my parents and to go out with you alone.” You are disappointed in the idea, knowing that he is fully aware of how rude he is being.

Dieter frowns at the cockiness that Dave exudes when it comes to you. It’s very controlling and possessive and he hates it. No wonder you broke up with this douche. “Besides, if she has any free time during this trip, it will be dedicated to us sneaking around her parents house while I make her cum as many times as possible.” Dieter says smugly and unashamed.

Your cheeks burn and you bite your lip, wishing for a moment that he actually meant that. It’s been a long time since you’ve cum from anything other than your own fingers or a toy. Dave shakes his head, leaning back slightly. “I still don’t believe this. You and Dieter Bravo.” 

You chuckle. “Yep. Who woulda guessed?”

Dave narrows his eyes, looking between you. "Something isn't right here and I am gonna find out what it is. You - you are a movie star. Oscar winner. What the hell would you see in her when you work with beautiful models and actresses?" Dave gestures to you and Dieter clenches his jaw. 

"What do I see in her? She's beautiful. Inside and out. The people I work with, they don't have souls. They only care about their looks, their status. This one...she sees the real me. She knows my good and my bad. She's seen me at my worst and she's still here. Most of those Hollywood actors would ditch me in a second if they had a sniff of a mental breakdown. She's been here through thick and thin and I never want to lose her. She is incredible. She is smart and she deserves the world. You, however, do not deserve her. I don't deserve her, but as long as she is happy, I will thank my stars every day that I am the lucky son of a bitch she chooses to be beside every day." Dieter finishes by looking at you, hoping you realize he means every word. He would be lost without you.

You swallow, moved at the way he made you believe what he just said. If this wasn’t a farce, you would be jumping into his arms to kiss him passionately. Instead, you turn back to Dave. “Wow, I can’t believe you just said that.” You huff, motioning to Dieter. “I’m apparently not pretty enough or good enough to be with someone like Dieter. Thanks.” You poke Dieter again. “Let’s go. I think this is enough ‘catching up’ for this visit.”

"Wait. No - I - I didn't mean it like that." Dave stammers as you and Dieter stand up. He stands up quickly, reaching for you, and Dieter wastes no time grabbing his hand to stop him. 

"If you touch her, I will have no choice but to put you on your ass in this restaurant. I had martial arts training for a movie, I know my shit." He threatens and Dave jerks his wrist from Dieter's grip. 

"Fuck you, Bravo. She's gonna see you for what you are...a user. You just use her from what her parents have said and I know she will leave you and when she does, she will come back here and be with me." Dave sounds so sure of himself, Dieter can't help but lash out. 

Growling, he jerks his arm back and smashes his fist into Dave's jaw, making him stumble and everyone in the restaurant gasps, some already have their phones out recording but Dieter doesn't give a shit. "She will never be with you." Dieter vows, shaking his wrist out and he grabs your hand with his free hand. "Dinner's on you, Dave." Dieter spits sarcastically and guides you out of the restaurant. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Shit." He whines, shaking his bruised knuckles as the facade drops.

“Oh my god!” You whirl around and grab Dieter’s hand. It was unbelievably hot to have him defend you like that, even if it was a little unwarranted. Still, you can help the way you had clenched and you want to just get down on your knees and suck his cock to make him forget about his hand hurting. “I can’t believe you did that!” You gasp out, shaking your head and brushing your thumb over the back of his red knuckles.

“Me neither.” Dieter winces. “I don’t know what came over me. I just - I couldn’t stand for him to talk about you like that. You deserve better than him. You deserve everything you’ve ever wanted and I know I’m an asshole who clearly makes your life a living hell but I do care about you. You deserve better than that asshole.” He tells you, looking into your eyes and the moon is high in the sky, making you appear ethereal.

“Thank you.” You whisper, wanting to lean in and kiss him but that’s not possible. He’s your boss and he’s only doing this because he didn’t want to be alone on Thanksgiving. Not because he loves you. “Let’s go back to the house and we’ll put a bag of frozen peas on your hand.” You offer, giving him a smile.

Dieter smiles, letting you guide him back to the car and you are quiet on the drive back to your parents’ house. It’s been an eventful day and Dieter is ready for bed. The fact that he’s sharing a bed with you is irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. He walks into your childhood home and your parents’ are still awake, watching tv. The tree is up but no decorations on it yet. “Oh hi honey. How was dinner? How was Dave?” Your mom asks eagerly.

You scoff slightly, shaking your head. “Dave was….insulting.” You tell your parents shortly. “Dieter ended up punching him and then we walked out.”

“What?” Your dad is shocked alongside your mom. “He what -? He punched Dave? Why the hell - why would you do that?” Your dad demands of Dieter who stands tall. 

“He was rude towards your daughter. He basically wanted her to move back here to marry him and have his kids. She said she wanted more than that and Dave decided to get nasty so I defended the woman I love.” Dieter states it so simply, it cannot be refuted.

You dad obviously doesn’t believe a word Dieter says and looks over to you to confirm it. “He’s right. Dave said that he couldn’t believe that we were together because he could have supermodels, why would he choose me. Insinuating that I’m not good enough.”

Dieter wraps his arm around your waist, “she is good enough. I work with lots of beautiful people but your daughter is beautiful inside and out.” 

Dieter squeezes your hip and your mom coos, “oh sweet pea. You’ve found a good one there. I’ll have to talk to Dave’s mother about what he said. It’s not acceptable.”

“Don’t worry about it mom.” Dave’s parents and your own have been friends for years. You don’t want to strain their relationship because of this. “I’m going to take Dieter to ice down his hand.”

Your parents don't say anything as you guide Dieter into the kitchen to find a bag of peas for his knuckles. He sits down at the kitchen table, watching you move around the kitchen and he admires your figure, noticing your ass. and his cock twitches in the pants you bought him. "I'm fine." He promises, hissing when you place the bag on his sore knuckles.

“I know, but I don’t want your hand to hurt anymore.” You murmur softly, reaching up and brushing his hair back. “Thank you for that again. I don’t know why he would say things like that.” You shake your head, disappointed in your former friend and lover.

Dieter leans into your touch, wishing you would run your fingers through his hair again. He sighs, "I am sorry if I - if I overstepped. I shouldn't have hit him but I just get annoyed by small minded assholes who refuse to accept others. Your life is yours, even if I kinda control it right now. It is your life and you should be able to choose what you want and who you want. He doesn't get to dictate that. Neither do I."

“If there’s one thing I can count on, it’s that you aren’t going to do things by half.” You smirk down at him and pat his cheek affectionately and step back to move towards the fridge. “Do you want something to drink?”

Dieter nods, “please baby.” It slips out without him even realizing it but he likes the way it sounds when he talks about you. He knows you don’t want him like that but you are starting to grow on him. He’s certain that he likes you as more than just his assistant. Seeing this side of you in your hometown is making his stomach twist.

You tell yourself that Dieter is just staying in character, you’ve seen him do it before. It would be easier to just act like a couple all the time so there aren’t any slip ups. “Of course.” You hum as you pull out some lemonade your mom has on hand. “Do you want some vodka in it?” You ask after you pour the glass.

Dieter offers you a wicked smirk, "is that sensible? Will your parents be mad if we drink?" He doesn't really know what protocol is for this situation and he guesses drinking booze isn't looked upon kindly when you are meeting your 'girlfriend''s parents.

“As long as we don’t get blitzed, my parents are okay. We normally have wine at dinner and there will be a couple of cases of beer at Thanksgiving.” You wink at him before you move over to your parents liquor cabinet. “Ta daaaah!”

He stands up, setting the cold peas down on the table, and he stands behind you to eye up the bottles. “Damn. Your parents have a supply. Do you have tequila in there?” He asks, his hand resting on your waist. He

“My dad loves tequila.” You reach into the cabinet and pull out a bottle of Don Julio. “Do you want this instead of vodka?” You shiver slightly, feeling his finger on your bare skin where your shirt had ridden up. You have to remind yourself to breath, feeling him so close behind you,

You lean back against him a little and he fucking loves it. He rests his chin on your shoulder as your dad enters the kitchen to grab his own drink. “Instead of vodka please baby.” He tells you, kissing your neck while your dad is in the room.

Closing your eyes, you pretend for a moment that he is kissing you because he wants to. Tilting your head to allow him better access as you uncork the Don. “Of course.” You hum, pouring a generous amount into the lemonade. “You’ll sleep good tonight.”

Dieter kisses your neck one last time, breathing you in, and your dad clears his throat before he makes his way out of the kitchen. “He’s gonna be like that every time I touch you, isn’t he?” Dieter chuckles, taking the drink from your hand.

“He is my dad.” You grin at him, “imagine having a little girl yourself and having some man kissing all over her when she’s grown up but she’s still your baby in your eyes.” The idea of Dieter with a baby is laughable, although you think he would be a fun parent. He would love them unconditionally and let them be themselves and teach them not to apologize for it. Once the diaper phase passed. You can’t see Dieter Bravo changing a diaper.

Dieter hums, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “True. I kinda get it. Jesus, can you imagine me with a kid?” He snorts, not realizing that you are thinking about just that. He imagines a baby with you, for one brief second, and he knows you’d be an amazing mother. “I know it’s your choice and you get to decide but you’d be an amazing mom. Hell, you put up with my shit.”

You chuckle and raise your brow at him playfully. “Why do you think I don’t have to have kids?” You tease. “I have my own giant man-child I take care of every day.” You wrinkle your nose at him and do the very mature thing - sticking your tongue out at him. “Although you’d be great as a father when they are potty trained.”

Dieter is taken back by your confidence in him being a good dad. He has never really imagined himself being capable. He’s too…Hollywood. He’s flighty at best. Irresponsible. “You think so?” He offers you a shocked look, unsure of why you’d think that.

“Of course.” You shrug. “You aren’t one that would try to fit your kid into a box. You’d let them figure out who they are.” You giggle slightly. “You would just need someone to be the disciplinarian while you’re the cool dad.”

Dieter grins, “someone like you.” He doesn’t realize what he said until he turns around to grab the bag of peas for his hand, flexing his sore knuckles but when it settles on him, he just smiles, turning to see your reaction. “Not that we would ever have a kid. You would never actually be with me.” He snorts, trying to hide the fact that that hurts him a little.

You sigh softly, seeing the flash of hurt that he can’t hide ride over his face before he takes on that ‘careless’ grin of his. “You wouldn’t want to be with me.” You counter. “I’d want you to be sober and not fuck anything that walks.” You remind him. “Despite what you told Dave, I’m not into orgies.”

Dieter bites his lip, “that doesn’t sound too bad. Just one person? Someone to share life with. Someone who wants to be with you even when the shimmer of fame and money has worn off. When the looks are gone and you’re old and wrinkly but they still look at you the same? Someone who knows you intimately and not just from your magazine covers. It’s - it doesn’t sound like a bad thing. The drugs keep me sane in a world that drains me for what I can give it. I’ve - no one has ever asked me what I wanted, only what I can give.”

You bite your lip, feeling the overwhelming urge to hug him. So you do. You take the two paces between you and close them, pulling him into a hug. “It’s because you take what you want.” You joke, wanting him to feel better and not be sad. “You’re Dieter Bravo, and you do what you want, when you want.”

Dieter’s hands hover for a second until he returns the hug, leaning in to bury his face in your neck. He just allows himself this moment to be vulnerable. He trusts you implicitly and he knows you will never tell a soul what he tells you…the NDA you signed backs that up, but he knows you won’t say anything. “Not all the time. Like right now…I want to kiss you, but I know that’s wrong. It would - I don’t want to lose you as my assistant, or from my life.”

Your stomach flips with butterflies and you can’t help but lean into his embrace more. “Of course you want to kiss your ‘girlfriend’.” You murmur. “That’s okay. I’m not going to hold this week against you.”

Dieter leans back to look at you, his dark eyes meeting yours to see any hesitancy in your gaze, and when he finds none, he slowly leans forward. The kiss is soft, unlike anything he’s experienced in recent times, and he kisses you just to kiss you. For nothing more than to feel your lips against his. His kiss is gentle, unhurried, and he tilts your head so he can deepen it just enough to make you breathless.

It’s a fucking sin this man doesn’t just kiss everyone. You don’t hesitate to slip your arms around his neck and let him slowly deepen it. It’s everything you’ve always dreamed about a kiss and it’s almost like the ending love scene in a romance. Except it’s your boss and this isn’t real life. You pull back gently and smile at him, slightly breathless. “Better now?” You ask, wanting to know what he thought.

Dieter still has his eyes closed when you pull back, his heart pounding in his chest and this stupid feeling warms him but he doesn’t know what it is. When his eyes open and he finds you watching him, he can’t stop the silly smile on his face. “Much better.” He offers softly, staring at you. After a moment, he clears his throat and picks up his drink. He’s not sure how he’s gonna survive a week without wanting to constantly kiss you. “I, uh, wouldn’t mind having a shower. Can I - I'm gonna head upstairs.”

“Okay.” You feel a bit off kilter and some space from Dieter would be a good thing. “It’s the door right next to my-uh, our room.” You don’t know how you are going to sleep next to him for a week. “Towels are right there in the closet.” You need to make yourself a drink and calm down.

He nods and doesn’t look back as he heads upstairs, knowing that it’s gonna be difficult to act like you don’t affect him. He’s hard, painfully so, and he rushes to get into the shower so he can get some relief. Until he remembers his bruised knuckles and groans, working his cock with his left hand but it just isn’t the same. He thinks about you, thinks about him fucking you on your parents’ kitchen table, making you cum and moan his name. He’s soon spilling his cum and he washes it off of the wall. After wrapping a towel around his waist, he realizes he didn’t grab his boxers, so he sneaks into your room, hoping your parents aren’t around.

It’s been a long day, you hadn’t wanted to play twenty questions with your parents over why Dave had acted like an asshole, so you had decided to wait for the shower in your bedroom. Wanting to clean up after a flight and the disastrous dinner with Dave before you went to bed. So when Dieter walks into the bedroom, you look over. You’ve seen Dieter naked, many times. You don’t work for a man like him and not see him naked. But there is something about him still wet from his shower and in nothing but a towel that has you oddly flustered. “Oh- I was, uh, waiting for you to take a shower so I could.” You rush out, looking over at the posters so you don’t drool over his chest.

Dieter notices the flustered look on your face and he bites his lip to smother his chuckle. Deciding to tease, he grabs his boxers from his suitcase and drops the towel, displaying his ass to your face and he pulls his boxers on. “Shower is all yours.” He tells you, turning around to see you staring, making him smirk.

He’s your boss. You have to remind yourself of that several times as you gather your own clothes and your travel toiletry bag so you can wash the makeup off and brush your teeth. His ass is cute, in a tiny way but you’ve never minded that. You remind yourself that you’ve seen him in plenty of situations, even walking in on him fucking before. Just because he had punched your ex and talked about being a one partner kind of man didn’t mean Dieter wouldn’t get bored, or want that person to be you.

When you walk back into the bedroom, dressed in your pajamas, Dieter has to bring his knees up under the covers of your bed. They aren’t even silk but your legs on display have him hardening and he knows it’s because it’s you. He’s convinced you could be wearing a potato sack right now and he’d be hard for you. Seeing you in this environment has brought about a different perspective for Dieter. He wants you, he knows that, but he can’t have you when you are instrumental to his daily life.

You never wear sexy things to bed but you are glad of that now. The shorts and t-shirt are nothing fancy but they cover you since you are expected to share a bed with Dieter. “Nice to see you making yourself comfortable.” You tease, seeing him on the side of the bed you normally sleep on. “I take it you’re ready for bed? Have you taken your sleeping pill already?”

Dieter nods, taking off his glasses, and he shifts to lay down in the bed. He took his sleeping pill but he doesn’t really want to go to sleep just yet. He wants to keep talking to you. “You liked Backstreet Boys, huh?” He teases, looking at the posters on your wall before you turn the bedside lamp off on your side.

“Yes. I used to think that I was going to go to their concert and meet AJ and we were going to fall in love and get married.” You laugh at yourself, the painful crush of youth now something that is just a fond memory. “Be serenaded at shows. I actually bought tickets last year for one of their concerts.”

Did you go?" Dieter asks, shifting onto his side to face you. 

You bite your lip, hesitant to answer at first. "No. I didn't because, uh, you needed me to get your meds and food because you were in bed sick." You reveal, remembering the exact day because Dieter had a meltdown when you told him you had the evening off. 

Dieter frowns, trying to remember that night but then it hits him. He threatened to fire you if you didn't bring him what he wanted. Lost in the haze of drugs and the flu. "Shit. I, uh, I'm sorry baby." That name slips out again, the guilt already eating at him.

“It’s fine.” You shrug like it is no big deal, but it had been the last time you had tried to plan anything on your day off. It wasn’t fair for you to get your hopes up and then stand up the few friends you have. “I let my friends have the tickets so someone could enjoy them.”

Dieter is quiet for several moments. He has already decided he’s gonna make it up to you. He has contacts, perks of his career, so he can surprise you. Maybe he will see if he can pull off a small concert or a meeting. Something for you. “I really am sorry.” He reaches for you, pulling you into his arms so he can hug you. “I realize now that I’ve taken advantage of you and I am going to make it up to you. I couldn’t survive without you.”

The fact that Dieter would say that is surprising and you return his hug easily. Slightly more intimate because you are laying next to one another in a bed, but that is something he has to be used to. “I know.” You joke, grinning against his neck and rubbing his back gently. “You would lose your crocs and cry if I didn’t know your habits.”

Dieter just breathes you in, enjoying the closeness that doesn’t involve sex. It’s been so long since someone just cuddled him without anything else. He sighs your name, nuzzling his nose into your hair, and he closes his eyes. The sleeping pills kick in within about five minutes and he snores, his arms still around you.

You snort softly to yourself. Taking the opportunity to press a kiss to his jaw. Dieter hums and pulls you closer in his sleep and you grin. Closing your eyes, you tuck your head under his chin and get comfortable. Dieter Bravo often sleeps with a hugging pillow and it seems like that pillow is you tonight.

Dieter grunts as he dreams, imagining himself buried deep inside of you, making you moan his name. It’s a dream he’s never had before but right now, he’s hard in his sleep. Grinding against your hip, his cock digs into your flesh as he imagines being buried deep inside of your cunt. “Fuck” escapes his lips and he pants, seeking his high in his dream after watching you cum and moan his name.

You wake up very quickly, feeling his cock against you and it’s tempting to lay there for a moment and let him rut against you in your sleep. But it wouldn’t be right. Not when he is not even awake. Instead of trying to wake him up, you try to ease out of his arms, save him the embarrassment of knowing he was grinding against you in his sleep.

Dieter whines when you pull away from him, his hips thrusting against thin air where you once were and he whines your name. He was so close to cumming, literally one or two more thrusts, but you've disappeared in his dream and his cock aches but he doesn't wake up. Instead, he settles down again, another snore escaping his lips.

Your eyes widen when you hear your name, wondering if he was imagining you. Cunt clenching at the idea, because you had felt how large he was against your hip. Imagining how he would feel inside you. Shuffling off to the side, you press your thighs together and decide you need to shower so you can touch yourself.

When you get out of bed, Dieter wakes up, feeling the loss of your body warmth. When he hears the shower turn on, he slumps against his pillow, his cock aching. Figuring he has some time, he reaches into his boxers, pushing the sheets back so he can wrap his fingers around his cock. Groaning in relief, he starts to pump himself while thinking of you.

As soon as the water was warm enough to step into, you lean against the shower wall and slide your fingers through your folds. You moan softly and bite your lip so no one will hear you, even though the shower is running. Closing your eyes, you imagine Dieter touching you. Actually touching you like it was something both of you wanted, we’re desperate for.

Dieter grunts, biting his lip as he works his cock with his palm. Letting go for a second, he spits into his hand, groaning at the added wetness and he imagines you sinking down onto his cock, those beautiful eyes on him. Shit, he is so close. He glances around, trying to find a tissue or something, but he hisses, jerking himself a little harder until he groans softly.

In your own little fantasy, Dieter is on his knees for you, his tongue buried in your pussy while he begs you to cum so he can fuck you. Whining when your foot presses down on his cock, he grabs your hips and eats you like a man starved. “Oh fuck.” You whimper, feeling the coil in your belly tighten until your orgasm explodes in your veins, making you gasp out as your thighs shake.

Dieter hisses as his cock twitches, his cum painting his stomach and he pants out your name, eyes clenched shut as he imagines burying his cock deep inside of you, filling you up. It’s intoxicating to imagine but impossible and he hates that. He can’t ruin your working relationship. He grabs his t-shirt from the floor, wiping his cum from his skin, sleep threatening to overwhelm him again.

It’s probably wasteful to only shower so you can masturbate, but you clean up and get out. Hoping that you can go back to sleep for a little longer. Dieter is here and won’t be calling you at all hours so you want to take advantage of it.

When you come back into the room, Dieter has his shirt bunched up on the floor, and he is asleep again. His snores echo in the room and he wanted to fall asleep with you in his arms again but orgasms always knock him out. It’s part of why he loves sex so much. Amazing sleep.

You snicker to yourself, sniffing slightly and eyeing him for a moment before you crawl back into the bed. You thought you caught a whiff of something but dismissed it as your guilt conscious. Laying back down beside him and closing your eyes, smiling to yourself as Dieter drools slightly.

**** 

The noises from downstairs make Dieter groan, his head pounding a little, but fuck, that was the best sleep he has had for a long time. He realizes he is pressed against you, his hard cock pressed against your ass and he feels like a fucking teenager. He hasn't been this constantly hard around a woman since he was seventeen and horny for his housekeeper.

You groan quietly, stretching and pushing back against Dieter behind you. He’s warm, making you hum and snuggle back in that sleepy state where you are half awake. “Morning.” You mumble. “Sleep good?” You had surprisingly gone back to sleep and had the best rest in that extra two hours after your shower. You can feel that he’s hard again against your ass, but it doesn’t make you move away.

Dieter grunts, his hand on your waist squeezes a little tighter and he forgets for a moment that this isn’t real so he leans in to press a kiss on the back of your neck. “Slept really fucking good. You?” His voice is raspy from sleep, his mind still hazy and his cock still hard.

“Me too.” You hum, enjoying the tenderness even though there is no one to witness it. It makes you feel special and you can see why people are so upset when Dieter drops them.

Dieter kisses your neck again, still lost in the haze and he shifts to settle between your legs, resting his weight on his elbows as he kisses along the exposed skin of your chest up to your neck. You tilt your head when he kisses along your jaw and he presses his lips to yours. When you gasp, allowing his tongue to dip into your mouth. After a moment, his senses return and he realizes he is going too far, and he is going to ruin everything. He pulls back, scrambling to get off of you and he rushes out of your room with a “I’m so sorry” and he hides in the bathroom.

You frown, sitting up and staring at the door for a moment. Dieter never flees from intimacy, he seeks it out. It’s just another point to prove to you that he doesn’t want you. Dave’s words echo in your head and you wonder if he might not be right. If you aren’t good enough for him. Sighing softly, you climb out of the bed and open your bag to start getting dressed. It doesn’t matter, this is all just a show for your parents. 

Dieter locks the door, his heart pounding, and he stares at himself in the mirror. “What the fuck are you doing? You’re gonna lose her if you fuck up again.” He mutters, shaking his head. His hair is sticking up everywhere and his cock is still hard. You felt so good beneath him, you felt like everything he ever wanted and it’s killing him because he can’t have you. This isn’t real. You just want to fool your parents.

You dress and wonder how long Dieter will be in the bathroom. You don’t want him to be upset. You know this is a role for him. Instead of knocking, you set the clothes out for him and go downstairs to get some coffee.

When Dieter comes downstairs after getting dressed, he sees you at the kitchen table with your mom, and he feels awkward. He wanted to kiss you this morning without your parents around. He swallows harshly and leans down to kiss your forehead. “Morning baby.” He smiles at your mom, “morning mama.” He winks playfully at her, deciding to revert to his tried and true acting skills.

You grin when your mother flusters and flaps her hand at Dieter. He’s already won her over, and you know that will go a long way to winning your dad over. “Morning baby.” You get up to make Dieter a cup of coffee the way he normally takes it.

Dieter sits down, watching you as you get him a cup of coffee and he decides he's gonna take you out for lunch. Let you show him your hometown. He wants to see everything. "Thank you." Dieter kisses your cheek when you set the cup down and sit beside him. 

"Oh you two are adorable. I am sure there will be wedding bells soon." Your mom winks at Dieter who chuckles, "you never know."

“Mom.” You roll your eyes and shake your head. “Dieter doesn’t want to get married.” You had heard him rant about that ad nauseam when he was high. “He’s got to make sure to protect himself and marriage is actually a bad idea for someone who has as much as he does.”

Dieter frowns, “I, uh, well, that’s not strictly true. I could get a prenup and I was married once before.” He reminds you, shuddering a little at how much that shit cost him. “The next time I get married, I want it to be for love. No prenup. No big ceremony. Just focusing on the emotions.” He reveals one of his deepest desires.

“Dieter….” You frown at him, shaking your head. “No matter who you marry, you need to get a prenup.” You insist. “You have worked extremely hard for what you have, I want you to promise me that.”

Dieter reaches for your hand, “I promise.” He knows better than to argue with you and he leans closer to kiss your forehead. “Baby, I promise you we will sign a prenup.” He smiles, albeit a little sadly since it won’t be you at the end of the aisle. Shit, that was a thought he hasn’t had before. For a brief moment, he imagines marrying you. It would be easy to marry you. You know all of his bad habits, you know him inside and out and yet you haven’t abandoned him like anyone else. 

“Oh. You two are adorable.” Your mom coos, reaching out to rub your back. 

“I, uh, I want you to show me around your town. Then I want to get lunch.” Dieter says after you clear your throat.

You bite your lip, knowing Dieter probably wants to get away from your parents so he can get high. It’s been a day and for him that’s normally as long as he lasts before he has to take something to take the edge off. “That sounds good. Mom?” You turn towards your mother. “Do you need us to pick up anything while we are out? Last minute things before the store gets crazy?”

“Maybe you could get butter? I’m running low and I might need some for the turkey.” Your mom says and you nod. Dieter sips his coffee, ready to be alone with you again. He feels pressure around your parents and he wants to just be with you without the pressure.

“Of course.” You turn to Dieter. “I’ll go brush my teeth and everything and then I’ll be ready.” One thing you love about coming home is not wearing makeup for a few days. Not feeling like you have to look a certain way. It’s nice.

Dieter smiles at your mom, finishing off his coffee, and your mom leans closer to him. "So...are you planning to propose soon? You look like you are both so in love and I love seeing my baby girl happy." Dieter bites his lip, hating to lie for once in his life. Your mother is a kind woman and he knows he has to act his ass off. "Soon. I, uh, I've been seriously thinking about it." He reveals to her, making her beam.

“I think that’s wonderful.” Your mother hums happily. “You know, she’s loved being with you. Since she’s started working for you. She had a huge crush on you for years, so this is like a dream for her.” She reveals, recalling how you had gushed over his work when you were younger and moving out to L.A. When you had gotten your job working for Dieter, you had been ecstatic.

Dieter is surprised to hear that you had a crush on him. He always thought that you bitched about him any chance you could get so to hear you talking positively about your work, his heart is pounding in his chest. Dieter opens his mouth but before he can respond, you enter the kitchen with your purse and coat. "Ready baby?" You ask and he stands up. Your mom winks at him and Dieter offers her a grin as he grabs his own coat from your arms, gathering his boots from the mudroom.

“So where do you want to go first?” You ask after the two of you are out of the house and in your rental car. There wasn’t much to really do but you are willing to show him whatever he wants. “I can take you to my favorite hangout spot when I was a teenager.” You offer.

“I’m up for anything baby. You show me where you used to go. I just - I want to see what your life was like growing up here. I’ve never experienced a small town so I want to know everything, see everything. Even if it’s the library.” Dieter tells you, watching as you drive the rental car. He admires your profile, thinking you look so beautiful without makeup. Natural and gorgeous.

You grin, looking over at him before you turn on your blinker to take him over to your favorite little spot out in the park. It’s shaded, a perfect reading spot and it’s where you used to just get away. “This was always my happy place.” You tell him as you park the car.

Dieter looks around, already grabbing the door handle, and he is out before you can stop him. He stands on your favorite spot, closing his eyes, and he just enjoys the breeze, the silence. He fucking loves it. No wonder you loved being here. "It's beautiful." He says, opening his eyes to look at you when you appear beside him.

He looks relaxed. Even more so than he does when he’s blitzed out of his mind. It makes you smile, reaching for his hand and tugging him over to the spot you normally spread a blanket out. You had picked up one out of the mud room and grinned when you pulled it out of the oversized bag you always carry. “I always imagined dates out here.” You tell him. “Picnics and reading. Simple and intimate.”

"One day...when you actually find a man who deserves you." Dieter says, looking at you, and he offers you a soft smile. "This place...gives me a sense of calm. I don't even want to get high." He confesses, biting his lip as he watches you enjoy your spot. "I hope your parents like me."

“You’ve won over my mom.” You lean back and close your eyes with a smile on your face. “She always wanted to meet you, not because you are famous, but because I was ‘with’ you.”

“Your dad is another subject.” He guesses with a sigh, making you nod. “I’m trying. I don’t - I haven’t really had a lot of experience dealing with ‘in laws’ so I guess I gotta pull out the big shots to impress him later. Maybe I can get someone on the phone. Any actors he is a fan of?” Dieter asks, wanting to impress your dad.

“To be honest, I don’t know if he has any.” You joke, shrugging your shoulders. “He’s dad. He just wants to make sure that I’m okay.” You promise him. “He’s a little more difficult because I’m his little girl.”

Dieter nods, although he doesn’t quite understand that mentality. “Christ, look at us. I think we’ve acted so well during this that we almost think we are a real couple.” Dieter chuckles softly, even though his mind goes back to last night when he woke up and jerked off thinking of you.

You snort. “Because you are a damn good actor.” You praise him. “I think hitting Dave really sold it.” You smirk to yourself, mad at the other man more now than you had been at the time. “Just don’t let mom’s comments bother you. She thinks everyone should be married.”

“Dave’s a dick.” Dieter scoffs, looking down at his bruised knuckles that don’t hurt anymore unless he flexes his hand. “As for your mom, she just wants you to be happy. I wish my parents loved me like that.” He sighs, “they just wanted what I could give them.” He looks at you, noticing the leaf that’s fallen onto your jacket and he reaches out to remove it.

Humming, you crack an eye open and then close it again, completely trusting him. “Dieter, you are so much more than what you can give someone or your performances.” You promise him softly. “One day you’re going to find someone you want to be with and they are going to love you, not because you’re Dieter Bravo, but because under the drugs and bullshit, you are wonderful.”

Dieter chuckles, cupping your cheek. “You are just saying that. I know I’m the biggest pain in your ass and I don’t pay you enough to deal with me. I know - I was a dick to even demand that you didn’t come home for Thanksgiving. I know now that it was wrong and you can have any time off for holidays with your family. After we tell them we are broken up.” He adds, biting his lip as his thumb rubs your cheek.

You snort and shake your head. “I’m not doing that anytime soon.” You promise him. “When I tell my parents I’m single again, it will be nothing but trying to tell me all about the nice boy she met at the grocery store or asking when I’m going to settle down.” You huff, hating how your parents think you need to be with someone to be happy.

“Is that what you want? To settle down? Find a husband and have kids?” Dieter asks seriously, wondering if that’s what you are looking for. Or if it’s something only your parents want for you. He lowers his hand to rest on the blanket, shifting a little closer to you.

“Maybe.” You sigh softly and shrug slightly. “I can’t see anyone being cool with my work schedule.” You admit quietly. “And I don’t want to stop working for you. You drive me crazy sometimes.” You open your eyes just to roll them at Dieter playfully. “But I’ve also done things I would have never done because of you and I’m not giving that up.”

Dieter smiles at you, happy he’s given you opportunities. “One day…if you ever do find someone and you want to be free of me, I’ll let you go. I never want to hold you back…even from me.” He tells you, “I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

You frown slightly and shake your head. “My dreams have changed.” You remind him. “I only want kids with someone who wants to have an adventure with me. Not having the wife and kids and house as a status symbol.” You huff. “It seems like that’s all most men want if they want kids. They don’t want to actually raise them.”

Dieter nods in understanding, “I get that. I wouldn’t want kids with someone who just wants to be with me for my money or what I can provide. I want to be a good father if I ever get the chance. Be better than my parents but I know I have my own issues. I’m working on it.” He sighs and brushes his fingers through his hair.

“Yeah, you’ve cut back on the drugs since rehab.” You offer with an encouraging smile. Dieter would probably never not have some small chemical dependency, or if he does, it would be a lifetime commitment. “You just need to remember that everyone makes mistakes and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed.”

God, your words make his heart flutter and he knows you believe in him which is more than he can say for most people in his life. You truly care about him, want to help him, and he can’t stop himself from surging forward to press his lips to yours.

Gasping in surprise, you don’t push him away. Maybe there’s someone nearby for him to convince that you are a couple. Instead, you just lean into the fantasy for a moment. Sliding your arm around the back of his neck and pulling him closer like it’s a scene from a romance. Moaning softly into the kiss, you can’t deny that Dieter is a fantastic kisser.

Dieter groans into the kiss, sliding his tongue into your mouth and his cock hardens in his pants. You intoxicate him more than any drug ever could. He grabs your waist, shifting to lay you down on the blanket and he presses his body on top of yours, kissing along your jaw. “Fuck baby.” He groans into your neck.

Fuck. Dieter is slowly grinding against you and you feel the way he’s hard. For a moment, you want to believe that this is real. “Ahem.” The clearing of a throat makes you jump, eyes springing open again and you see one of the local deputies looking down at you. Another person you know from high school. “Hate to interrupt, but…..”

Dieter shifts to sit up, his hair muddled from your fingers and he reaches down to adjust himself. “We were just making out.” Dieter defends himself. 

The officer sighs, “sir this is a public park and we simply cannot allow - wait…aren’t you Dieter Bravo?” The cop asks and Dieter nods, shifting to stand up and he reaches to help you stand up too. “I freaking loved you in Cliff Beasts 6.” The officer exclaims and Dieter wants to laugh because he didn’t enjoy that movie at all. The script, the making of it, the aftermath. All sucked. Plus you weren’t with him because production didn’t allow assistants on set due to Covid regulations. 

“Thanks.” Dieter offers the officer.

“What are you doing here?” His eyes finally shift over to you and he says your name. “What are you doing making out with Dieter Bravo?” He demands, almost eager for gossip. 

You glance at Dieter and look back at Pete. You think his name is Pete. “We are home for Thanksgiving.” You explain. “Just showing Dieter around town, he’s here to meet my parents.”

“My beautiful girlfriend and I are just taking a moment to ourselves.” Dieter winks at you and wraps his arm around your waist. 

Pete’s eyes widen, “you - you are dating Dieter Bravo? Wow. L.A really was the best choice for you, huh? I know Dave was depressed when you left.” 

Dieter scoffs at the name ‘Dave’.

You reach out and pat Dieter’s arm. “It’s okay.” You soothe him before you look back at Pete. “They met yesterday. Dave was….less than kind so he’s not Dieter’s favorite person.” You explain with an almost proud smirk. “Sorry, we got caught up in the moment.”

“It’s okay. Hey, uh, do you think I could get an autograph?” Pete asks Dieter who nods, “sure man.” Pete grabs his booklet and hands it to Dieter along with the pen. Dieter quickly signs it for Pete, so used to doing this it’s second nature and when he hands it back to the officer, he beams. “Thanks so much man. You kids be careful.” He jokes, winking at you before he strides off.

“Well that’s going to be talked about all over town.” You huff, slightly embarrassed at being caught making out with Dieter. “Sorry.” You know that no one in your town has the connections to make this appear in gossip rags, but you’re sure Dieter doesn’t want to be connected with you beyond your parents.

Dieter chuckles, “you and I both know I’ve had worse stories in the papers thanks to the paps. They even got me naked once so being caught making out with the most beautiful woman in town was not the worst story to be spread about me. In fact, I kinda like this one.” Dieter winks at you, reaching for your hand.

You snort, not believing his comment but you are flattered nonetheless. “Maybe we should get out of here before we are overrun with curious gawkers.” You squeeze his hand reluctantly. “I know Pete will tell everyone he sees and you’re the biggest celebrity they’ve ever had here. The last one was some college football coach.”

Dieter chuckles, “fine. Come on hot stuff. Let’s go.” He grabs the blanket, folding it up, “besides, your mom will be waiting on the butter and I can’t disappoint your mama.” He grins, wanting to please your mom.

“Very true.” You wonder how long it’s been since Dieter has run errands like picking up butter. Normally he whines when he’s out of something he likes but he just has it delivered. “We can pick up something to cook for dinner. I normally make something for my parents when I come home.”

“Okay baby. That’s okay. Let’s go.” He’s kinda excited to just go to the grocery store. He hasn’t been for years and he is intrigued to see how things have possibly changed. You’re soon in the car and driving to the store. Dieter looks out the window at your town, the Christmas lights are up and Dieter wouldn’t mind seeing them on. “Can we come back later or another time to see the lights?” He asks you.

“Actually….” You grin as you look over at him peering out the window at the lights. “Every Thanksgiving night there is a huge Christmas light ceremony.” You explain. “It will be the first night the lights are turned on, they have vendors out here with hot chocolate and Santa’s ‘sleigh’ hay rides.” You have been looking forward to it. “It’s always fun.”

“Really?” Dieter’s eyes widen. “We gotta go to that. Please, can we go?” He asks like an over eager kid, desperate to see the lights turn on. He doesn’t do that shit back in L.A. Too many people rush him and he can’t handle the fucking influencers who have taken over everything in his home town.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to.” You promise, giggling slightly at his enthusiasm. “So yes, we’ll go and I’ll even get you tickets to sit on Santa’s lap.” You tease playfully.

Dieter offers you an indulgent look, “don’t tempt me baby.” He winks and you giggle, turning into the supermarket parking lot. He is excited and his stomach twists with something he isn’t familiar with when he looks at you. It’s too easy to believe you’re together, that this is all real. “I know what I’m gonna wish for.” He tells you with a wink.

You snort, putting the car in park and turning it off. “Well, you’ve already won an Oscar. So are we talking about a drug that doesn’t pop on a test? Or a year of no paternity claims?” Since he was famous, he had plenty of women come out and try to claim that he’s the father of their children. It always stressed him out and you hated it.

Dieter chuckles, albeit a little sadly, for those situations he puts himself in. When he thinks about it, he’s not entirely sure if it’s worth it. He has everything and nothing at the same time. Seeing you with your family…he yearns for that and he supposes he shoved down those feelings for years. “No. I, uh, I would wish for a family like yours.”

“Oh my family isn’t perfect.” You promise, pulling into the small grocery store parking lot and searching for a spot. The pre-Thanksgiving bustle has started and there’s plenty of cars already crowding the lot. “They are nosy and can drive me insane.” You laugh.

“Doesn’t matter. That’s what families are supposed to do and I - I miss that. I miss just having people there who love you unconditionally. I wish I had that. You’re lucky, even if your parents annoy the shit out of you, they love you so much.”

You hate that Dieter feels like he doesn’t have anyone like that for him. You both climb out of the car and it’s almost natural to walk around the front and hold out your hand for him to take. “I promise you that you will have that when you want it.” You murmur softly. “I know it will happen, you’re too good of a man for it not to.”

Dieter squeezes your hand, “thank you baby. One day.” He watches you for a moment as you grab a shopping basket and he imagines doing this with you every Sunday, just enjoying time together. Fuck, either he’s method acting or he’s getting too deep.

“What’s something you haven’t eaten in a long time?” You ask Dieter suddenly, wanting to make a meal he looks forward to eating. Obviously he would have to pretend he eats it all the time, but something special for him. “Anything you want.”

Dieter bites his lip, “it’s, uh, something kinda simple but I haven’t had it in a long time. Not since my grandma died.” He admits, hoping you can cook it but he’s not expecting it. “She always made the most amazing fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”

“Fried chicken and mashed potatoes?” You grin happily, knowing you can easily make that for him. “Done. Do you want green beans, Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach or collard greens with it?” You ask, knowing he needs some vegetable to go with it and Dieter hates salads. You guess it’s from all the people who live off salads in Hollywood.

Dieter thinks for a moment, “green beans.” He tells you, groaning at just the idea. Despite his usually healthy diet, he hates the fucking Hollywood rule that everyone has to be thin and fit. He used to be when he first started out but weight is getting harder to lose and after winning an Oscar, he finds himself giving less of a shit. His agent can get him jobs that allow for his form because he’s not going on one of those ridiculous diets.

Nodding, you steer the cart towards the fruits and vegetables. “Don’t worry, it will be good, I promise.” You grin at his skeptic look and pick up a produce bag so you can get some fresh green beans. “I sauté the green beans with onions and some bacon. Not healthy at all.” You tease playfully.

Dieter grins, “I love the way you think, baby.” He leans in to kiss your cheek just as a blonde woman appears with her cart beside you, saying your name. Dieter immediately doesn’t like the look of her.

You want to groan, but you don’t. Instead, you force a smile on your face as you turn towards the girl who had tried her hardest to make high school miserable for you. One of the reasons you left home and broke up with Dave. “Hi.” You offer simply, knowing it will piss her off to not be introduced to Dieter or any man really.

“Are you Dieter Bravo?” She gasps, noticing who you are with and Dieter wraps his arm around your waist, making her eyes widen. “Oh wow. I did hear a rumor that you were back in town but I never imagined you’d be - you would be hosting an Oscar Winning actor.” Janine says with a seductive smile towards Dieter.

Hosting. Your smile widens slightly and you turn to run your hand up Dieter’s stomach and across his chest. “Not exactly hosting.” You purr, leaning in and kissing his jaw, right where no hair grows. You’ve always loved that little spot. “Introducing Dieter to my parents.” You turn your head and roll your eyes slightly. “You know ‘meet the parents’ and all that.”

Janine’s eyes widen but she manages to school her features into a smile that most actors would be jealous of. Dieter offers her a smile and she looks between you. “That’s…unexpected. When I heard you were heading to L.A after breaking up with Dave, I figured you’d fail and come back.” She barks out a fake laugh, and Dieter keeps his grip on you tight. “Let alone find yourself an actor boyfriend.”

“Well I didn’t go to become an actress.” Your voice is sugar sweet and your smile sharp. “I just get the perks of traveling around the world while making sure Dieter has everything he needs.”

Dieter smirks, “oh she gives me everything I need.” He winks at you, his hand sliding down to squeeze your ass and Janine chuckles softly. 

“Oh. I see. It’s just sex. Makes sense. Sex on tap since she travels with you.” 

Dieter clenches his jaw, “that is not accurate. She blows my mind in bed but she also blows my mind with how kind she is, she’s fucking smart as hell and I wouldn’t survive without her. So don’t make assumptions when you are still stuck in this small town with your…let me guess, star footballer husband who knocked you up right after high school and he’s balding and fat and you are a resentful housewife trying to get your kicks insulting others who have been successful in their life without popping out a baby at 20 and depending on a man for their livelihood.”

Your eyes widen slightly with how on point Dieter is. Reading Janice like a book and it's a personal treat to watch her face turn a mottled red as the insult strikes home. Her face twists in anger and she huffs. "At least I didn't OD for the entire world to see while begging everyone for sex on set." She sneers, smirking over towards you. "You couldn't satisfy Dave so of course you couldn't satisfy a movie star." She gives a cruel little chuckle.

“Oh sweetheart. She satisfies me enough to make me an honest man. I guess you can’t say the same for your husband. Who was it? Next door neighbor? The nanny?” Dieter snorts, “Jesus. You’re the epitome of a suburban doormat wife and yet this beautiful woman here will be returning to L.A with me where we will enjoy the finest food in this country before I eat her out on my twenty thousand dollar sofa. Make her cream before she cums again on my cock. I’m sorry your husband hasn’t fucked you in months. You must have cobwebs down there by now. Anywho. We have stuff to do. My girlfriend is cooking us dinner tonight and then later, I’m gonna have dessert.” Dieter waggles his eyebrows.

You snort and slap your hand over your mouth while Janice turns and storms off. Shaking with laughter as you turn towards a smug looking Dieter. "Just make friends wherever you go, don't you?" You ask playfully, making him roll his eyes and huff. 

"She's a bitch." He snarks, making you nod in agreement. 

"Thank you." You murmur, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I hate her and you just made sure she won't talk to me ever again."

“You wouldn’t have to deal with these people again if it were up to me. Rude assholes. They are just jealous baby because they let this small town own them and ruin their dream. They didn’t take risks because they were shit scared but you, my brave beautiful girl, took risks and they paid off. Fuck them. Let’s go find the ice cream aisle. I wonder if they have a Christmas flavor.” He quickly moves on, grabbing your hand again to guide you down the aisle even though he’s never been here before.

You grin as you watch him walk with such confidence. He’s Dieter fucking Bravo and no one could hurt him. His armor in place and his cockiness even sexier now that you’ve had him stick up for you, protect you. “I’m sure they do.” You promise him with a wink.

**** 

Back at home, Dieter helps you with the groceries and is now watching you prepare the dinner while he sits at the kitchen table. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help?” He asks, your mom sipping on her glass of wine while she reads.

You lift a brow at him and smirk, knowing he doesn’t have a clue what to do in the kitchen. “Sure baby.” You purr and wink at him. “Why don’t you peel and chop the potatoes?” You offer as you turn to the spice cabinet to pull out the seasonings you need for the chicken.

Dieter comes to stand by you, grabbing the potato peeler, and he bites his lip as he tries to figure out how to use it. “Um…can you show me how to- uh, how to use it.” He asks, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Sure baby.” You keep your voice low so your mom doesn’t hear and take the peeler and the potato from him. “I know I spoil you and do it, but maybe we can cook together from now on.” You hum as you show him how to use it.

“I’d like that. I want to learn how to do some things for myself. Give you more of a break.” He murmurs back, stroking your back with his hand and he watches you show him how to peel the potato. Biting his lip, he takes over, nearly slicing off his finger but you tell him to be careful and he nods, working on peeling the potatoes for you.

You keep an eye on him as you wash the chicken and set it to soak in buttermilk and hot sauce. Mixing up the flour and seasonings in another bowl. Moving to crack the eggs to make the egg wash for it. “You’re doing great.” You promise him. “Soon you’ll be making me dinner and I’ll get to watch. It’s really sexy to see a man cooking for you. Reaches that cavewoman hindbrain.” You tease, making your mom snort and nod. 

“Yes it does. Your father is very happy when he cooks for me.” 

You sputter, nearly choking on your own spit. “Mom!”

Dieter chuckles, winking at your mom. “He’s a lucky man. I hope me and this one can be as happy as you guys are after being together for so long.” Dieter kisses the side of your head as he finishes peeling the potatoes.

You are still slightly horrified about your parents but you still manage to smirk. You would have to be together for that to happen but it’s still a sweet idea. “I’m the only one who can handle you.” You joke, bumping your hip against his.

“True.” Dieter grins at you, wishing this was real. It would be so easy if it was real. He would be with you and he could be himself. You know everything about him, even his worst moments. He stops moving and just looks at you, admiring your profile.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” You ask and Dieter shakes his head. Your mom watches with a grin on her face, pleased to see that lovesick look on Dieter.

Cooking with Dieter, or around him really, is fun. Your mom shares her bottle of wine and laughs as Dieter jokes and tells her stories, some you’ve never even heard. Often ones that involve you and you are surprised that he’s paid attention at all.

When the dinner is served, Dieter kisses your cheek to thank you and when he digs in, his groans reverberate and he can’t believe how fucking good this is. “Good?” You chuckle and he nods, swallowing the mouthful he had. 

“Fucking incredible. Shit, sorry.” He apologizes to your parents.

You mom scoffs and just waves at Dieter as if it’s not a problem. “Everyone curses.” She tuts and your dad snorts to himself, remembering when she had scolded him when he was working on the lawn mower. Apparently she was really enamored with your boyfriend and your dad smiles at you. 

“I bet you cook for him a lot, don’t you?” He asks. “She loved experimenting and cooking for us as a teen and her skills have improved a lot.”

Dieter sighs, “I wish but I have so many work dinners and we are away traveling so home cooked meals are hard to come by, especially when she doesn’t live with me.” Dieter says without even thinking about it.

“I have to admit I find that odd.” Your mother admits. “I thought all young people lived together now?” 

You blow out a raspberry and roll your eyes. “Mom. Not everyone does and I already work with Dieter. It’s so we have some space. Besides, he would get sick of me waking him up early.”

Dieter realizes his fuck and tries to rescue it, “we, uh, we find it works best for us. Fondness makes the heart grow fonder but I’ve been thinking of asking her to move in with me. We have just been used to living alone but I gotta admit, I hate sleeping alone. I want her next to me.”

You want to throw him a glare but your parents would see that. Great. Now they’re going to be wondering when you are moving in with Dieter. “Babe….you completely panicked when you asked your last partner to spend a weekend.” You remind him sweetly. “I understand and it’s completely okay. I know you love me.”

Dieter frowns at that but doesn’t argue, knowing your parents would find an argument strange. “We will talk about it.” He settles on that as you continue eating the meal. He’s disappointed that you don’t want to move in with him, even though this is a fake relationship, it’s starting to feel more and more real.

You sigh slightly, seeing the unhappy look on Dieter’s face. You know that he is putting on a performance but it’s so convincing that you want to rush to assure him that you will move in with him. Crazy because you have never thought that before but it is feeling like you are actually with him. Your stomach twists and you’re getting butterflies like you would if you were. This was a bad idea because you can feel yourself falling for him and after Thanksgiving is over, things are going to go back to normal and you’re going to be in love with your boss.

**** 

Dieter looks up from his phone as you walk into the bedroom. Dinner was awkward but manageable and Dieter relented to checking his phone even though he hates the damn thing. He had a few emails from his PR agent about him being in this town for Thanksgiving. Apparently people have posted photos of him with you. Dieter tosses the phone aside, watching you get ready for bed. “Dinner was delicious.”

“Good.” You grin, happy that he had enjoyed it, he had eaten two large plates and you’ve alway loved when people like what you make. “I can always make it for you at home sometime.” You offer easily. Moving over to your suitcase, you pull out your sleep clothes and start to change. He’s seen plenty of women and men naked so it’s not like it will affect him. It’s better than running to the bathroom to change and having your parents questioning why you won’t change in front of the man you supposedly sleep with.

Dieter swallows harshly, throat suddenly dry as he watches you change into your pajamas and his cock twitches as his eyes focus on your ass. He shouldn’t be looking but fuck he can’t help it. You’re gorgeous and he wants you but he can’t have you. “That - that would be nice.” He chokes out, watching you bend to pull the bottoms up, covering your ass.

“God I’ve forgotten how restrictive it feels to sleep with clothes on.” You grumble to yourself, making Dieter choke. “Sorry.” You look over your shoulder. “I would keep pajamas out so when you called me from your hotel room I could throw them on, but I usually sleep in panties or nothing.”

That makes Dieter hard and he places his hands in his lap to hide his problem. It’s not fair, you didn’t ask for this reaction and he won’t ask you if you want to help him. That would be crossing a line he promised himself he wouldn’t with you to protect your professional relationship. “Me, uh, me too usually.”

“I know.” You can’t help but give a little giggle. “You’ve given me plenty of free shows when you’re asleep, but it’s very different when that monster is pressed up against you.” You tease, grinning when he flushes slightly. It’s cute that he’s embarrassed even though he wouldn’t normally be.

Dieter clears his throat, “sorry about that. I’m sure you didn’t want that. I, um, have been dreaming so it’s hard to control it during my sleep. If that happens, just slap me. Wait, no, don’t do that. I might cum.” He chuckles awkwardly, “just shake me.”

You giggle again and you can’t help tease him a little. “So now I know you like when I threaten to hit you.” You joke. “‘Ohhh I’ll have you put on a cock ring so you don’t cum.”

“Don’t tease me baby.” He begs, his tone whiny as he imagines you don’t just that. “I’m serious. I can’t - I dreamed about you, okay?” He admits Like you tortured it out of him.

“I know.” You’re a little smug about that when he frowns at you. “You were moaning my name while you were grinding against me.” 

Dieter groans and closes his eyes. “I’m so sorry- I-“ 

You interrupt him, shaking your head. “Don’t be. I had to get up and get in the shower.” You confess quietly. “Otherwise I was going to jump my boss while he was sleeping.”

Dieter opens his eyes in surprise, staring at you with his jaw open, and when he asks you if that is something you'd want, you nod. Processing for just a moment, Dieter can't hold back. He surges forward to press his lips to yours, cupping the back of your neck as his lips slide against yours.

You whine, surprised that he is so eager, but you quickly close your eyes. Giving into the moment even though you know this is a bad idea. Your boss shouldn’t be touching you like this but you don’t care. You’ve felt him against you and you want to feel him inside you. “Dieter.” You gasp as he kisses down your jaw and bites your chin. “I want- fuck, will you have sex with me?” You beg quietly.

Dieter groans at your words, the words he dreamed of last night. “Yes, but first I want to taste you. Get naked. Now.” He demands, reaching for the hem of your tank top and when he flings it across the room, he ducks his head down to take one of your nipples into his mouth.

You shudder against his mouth, gasping out his name loudly before you remember you’re in your parents house. You don’t want them to hear you although it makes you even wetter to think about Dieter fucking you in your childhood bed. You reach down to try and shove the shorts and your panties down, shuffling under him to kick them off as you shamelessly writhe against his hardening cock. “Dieter….” You whine when he bites down on your nipple and your hand slides down to plunge under his boxers and wrap around his cock.

Dieter moans and tries to bite his lip to smother it as you grip his cock. “Fuck baby.” He grunts, taking your other nipple into his mouth, and he hisses your name when he releases it with a pop. Pushing your hand from his boxers, he shifts to lay between your legs, shoving your thighs apart and he groans at the sight of your pussy. “Beautiful cunt.” He comments before diving in, his tongue flattening between your folds.

Your eyes roll back and you whimper at the feeling of his mouth on you. That fucking annoyingly talented mouth. Sassy and bitchy at times but his tongue slides around your clit like a fucking pro, surprising you because you had always assumed Dieter wouldn’t want to take the time to eat someone out. “Oh fuck, oh fuck baby, it’s so good.”

He’s pleased at your praise, encouraging him to suck your clit into his mouth, sucking hard, and he groans when you tangle your fingers in his hair. He hisses against your wet flesh and he grinds his cock against your mattress while his tongue pushes deep inside of you.

“Fuck.” Your fingers tangle into his hair and you tug on it, needing him to make you cum. It’s better than your own finger and a toy. “Dieter, baby, please.” You beg, rolling your hips down frantically.

Dieter shifts so he can push two fingers into your cunt, his lips focusing again on your clit and he flicks his tongue over the bundle of nerves while his dark eyes focus on you. "Cum for me." He mutters, curling his fingers as he sucks on your clit.

You bite your lip, falling over the edge as his mouth drags you higher. Pulling you under the waves of pleasure and you have to let go of his hair to shove your fist in your mouth so you don’t scream out his name. Thighs clapping around his ears as you cum for him.

Dieter nearly cums from the way you have to bite down on your hand to smother your cries and he groans, working you through the orgasm until you are pushing him away and he shoves his fingers into his mouth so he can taste your orgasm that he caused. “Baby. I, uh, I don’t have a condom.” He grunts, kissing your thigh for a moment.

“Don’t care.” You gasp out. You know Dieter, when the last time he’s had sex was. And you took him to get tested for the insurance for the movie he’s going to be in after the holidays. You know he’s clean. “I- I have an IUD. I promise I don’t have anything.” You will completely understand if he doesn’t want to have sex without protection. Dieter is very conscious about that, given the number of women who try to claim their children are his. “But I can suck you off if you don’t want to-“

Dieter doesn’t even think about that, he just needs to be inside of you. “I trust you.” He promises, shifting to kneel between your thighs, gripping his cock and he starts to jerk himself while he looks down at you. “You sure?” He asks and you nod, “yes.” With that, he shuffles closer and brushes your clit with the head of his cock, making you moan. With a chuckle, he notches the head at your entrance and starts to slowly push into you. Shifting onto his elbows so he can press his lips to yours.

You moan into his mouth, hands gripping his shoulders and your nails dig half crescent moons into his skin. It’s perfect. Your legs wrap around Dieter’s waist, opening yourself up more so he can push deeper. “Fuck baby.”

He can’t speak. He just closes his eyes and pants against your jaw as he sinks into the tightest, warmest cunt he’s ever experienced. Maybe it’s because it’s you but he groans your name, stilling for a moment when he is fully inside of you.

All you can hear is his panted breathes in your ear. Shuddering at the way he fills you, you ache in the perfect way that will linger far after you’re done. “Fuck baby, you’re so good. God, your so big inside me. Filling me up.” You babble, needing to tell him how good it is, to make up for his total silence.

“Cos you’re so fucking tight.” Dieter practically wheezes as he starts to move. His hand grips your thigh, tilting your leg so he can get impossibly deeper and he’s in no rush, slowly rocking into you. You are soaking wet and it squelches with each thrust, making his cock twitch. “You’re so beautiful.” He murmurs, looking down at you before he kisses your jaw.

You hadn’t expected this. You had expected fast, frantic. Rushing to find pleasure since being told that he can fuck you. You whimper, rocking your hips up to match his rhythm. “I- fuck.” You are nearly overwhelmed by the slow drag of his cock against your walls, consumed by it. Pushing everything out of your head except the pulsing of his cock inside you and warmth in his eyes as he looks down at you.

Dieter hisses when you clench around him when he hits a spot inside of you that makes your eyes roll back. He clenches his jaw, focusing on that spot. His thrusts become deeper but no faster as he focuses on making you cum. He is usually a selfish lover but right now, his goal is for you to have a good time. He kisses your lips, sliding his tongue into your mouth for a languid kiss.

Over and over again Dieter steals your breath. Every deep thrust pushing into you and striking nirvana inside you. Your hands start to pull at him, sliding up and down his back as you silently demand more. Needing more from him now that you are allowed to have it.

Dieter gets the message, picking up the pace and he keeps his hips focused on that spot. His lips kiss along your neck, nipping and biting between kisses that he wants to sear into your skin so you never forget this. “Fuck baby. Want you to cum.”

“Going to.” You gasp out, clenching down around him again when he hits that perfect spot again. “Gonna- gonna cum all over that big dick.” You turn your head to kiss his lips, suddenly biting down on the bottom one to make him hiss. “Soak you.”

“Do it.” His response is slightly muffled by your mouth but you hear it. Two thrusts later and you do just that, soaking his cock as you clamp down on him. Making it almost impossible for him to work you through it but he tries, thrusting deep as you cry out his name.

You know your parents hear you, you know it. You’re being too loud but right now you don’t care. All you can care about is how perfect it feels. Making you choke back a sob when you realize this might only be a one time thing.

Dieter groans when you cling to him, pushing deep over and over until he stills above you, burying his cock deep inside of you as he paints your walls with his cum, your name is a grunt that escapes his lips.

You whine, loving the hot rush if his cum coating your insides. “Oh god.” You pull him down for a kiss and lock your legs around him to help him ride it out. Loving when he collapses on top of you and groans into your neck.

Dieter pants, struggling to catch his breath from the way his orgasm just knocked him sideways. Fuck, you feel so good. You are so good. He slides his tongue into your mouth, slowly kissing you as you both ride out your highs together.

You finally feel your body start to calm down. Both of you relax completely and there is a split second where you wonder what happens now. This is still your boss and you realize you’ve gotten caught up in his acting. “I should pee.” You whisper awkwardly.

“Go on baby.” Dieter says as he pulls out of you with a groan. Unable to stop himself from watching his cum well up at your entrance and he pushes it back inside of you. “Quick. Before it gets on your sheets.” He orders, shifting to lay down on the bed and he closes his eyes with a smile on his face.

You wrap your robe around you and dart out into the hallway to scamper into the bathroom. “Shit. What have you done?” You ask yourself frantically after you close the door. You’ve done the worst thing you could possibly do. You’ve slept with your boss and you loved it, setting yourself up for heartbreak when he wants to fuck someone else or just brings someone home. This didn’t mean anything to him, it was just sex or worse, his role as your ‘boyfriend’.

Dieter is asleep by the time you return, always knocked out after an orgasm, and he snores loudly when you quietly open the door and sneak back into your room. 

**** 

The next morning, Dieter wakes up to an empty bed, making him frown, and he groans as he gets out of bed, ready to shower and go downstairs to see where you are.

You are helping your mom make breakfast when Dieter comes downstairs. Today is going to be busy with Thanksgiving prep so you don’t have time to entertain him today. “Morning.” You tell him as you mix up the waffle batter.

Dieter leans in to kiss your cheek but you are stiff, making Dieter frown as he shifts to sit down at the table, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He watches you work with your mom, your dad reading the newspaper and Dieter just stares at you, wondering why you aren’t being your usual self.

You feel so damn guilty you can barely look at him. It’s not his fault you were dumb and fell for his performance. You just need to remind yourself that Dieter is a fantastic actor and he’s managed to make this seem real. You just aren’t a good enough actress to pretend you aren’t affected.

Dieter thanks you when you place a hot waffle down on a plate in front of him and he reaches out to caress your hip, smiling up at you while your dad digs into his breakfast. “You’re welcome” comes your cool reply and Dieter frowns, wondering what he did wrong.

You see the frown on his face and it’s hard to keep from leaning in and kissing him but it’s for the best. You can’t separate things like he can. You know that, it’s going to be hard to go back to being just his assistant. You need to put that wall back up, so he doesn’t break your heart, but you’re pretty sure that’s already happening.

When you sit down to eat, Dieter reaches for your hand but you pull it back, making him frown even more and your mom seems to notice the tension between you. “Everything okay?” Your mom asks you, her eyes full of concern as they flick between you and Dieter.

“Everything’s fine, mom.” You cut into your waffle and look up to give her a small smile. “Just didn’t sleep well and it’s hard to eat one handed.” You explain, looking around the table. “So what’s the plan for today?” You ask, wanting to take the attention off of your disaster

"Well, your aunt and uncle are arriving later. She's gonna help us with the food." They aren't actually your aunt and uncle, they are your parents' best friends who you regard as such. Dieter is wondering what they are like so he can make a good impression.

“Oh good.” Your smile brightens up and you look forward to seeing your honorary aunt and uncle. “I haven’t seen them in awhile and I know it will be good to catch up.“

Dieter smiles, "I'm excited to meet them." Your dad hums and continues reading the paper. Once breakfast is over, Dieter helps your mom clean up, telling her about his next project he's filming in Croatia. 

"You live such an exciting life. No wonder my little girl doesn't want to come home." She nudges him. Dieter smiles at her, "I will make sure she comes home more often."

You had run back upstairs to get dressed, snorting to yourself as you walk back into the kitchen. “You mean you’re going to get your own coffee or arrange your own schedule?” You pose it as a playful question but you pick up Dieter’s script changes every day and arrange for his entire life to happen smoothly, he doesn’t like you to take a Sunday off. So you can’t see him letting you come home more.

Dieter shakes his head, "I can manage. You deserve to see your family." 

Your mom tuts, "and you'll be with her of course. Maybe one day you'll be here with your kids...married." She winks at you and Dieter chuckles, "maybe. If she'd put up with me."

“Okay.” You give a small laugh and roll your eyes before you point back and forth between the two of them. “How about you two not plan out the rest of our lives, okay?” You huff playfully. “Mom will have you picking out names if you aren’t careful.”

"Alex and River. Gender neutral names because I don't want that gender reveal shit. I'm not starting a fire for that." Dieter says like he has actually thought this out and he kinda, maybe, already did this morning.

The speed in which Dieter produces those names makes you freeze. Wondering if he’s always had those in mind for real or if he’s come up with them off the top of his head. “Those are lovely names.” You can see your mom melting as she thinks about babies with those names. “You would want to be surprised? Or just not tell anyone what the baby is?” You ask Dieter, curious about things you had never thought of with him.

Dieter bites his lip, “I want to be surprised.” He admits, “plus I want to keep any family I have as private as possible. I don’t want them to grow up like I did. Surrounded by Hollywood and feeling that pressure. I’d want them to just be a kid for as long as possible and know me as daddy, not Dieter Bravo, Oscar winning actor.” He admits.

You bite your lip, understanding why he would feel that way. He was a child actor, a legacy and it had to be difficult growing up like that. “The fact that you are an actor should just be daddy’s job.” You agree, nodding. “I hate the idea of parading kids around for extra publicity and every time I see the paps hounding your pregnant co-stars and friends I want to smack them.”

“Jesus. If you were pregnant and they came for you like that? I’d probably be in jail.” He admits, knowing he’s had a temper in the past but he could really lose his mind if you or a baby were put in danger. He can see it though, having a family with you. Coming to see your parents. It’s all too real and that terrifies him but he also finally feels like he has a home and he wants to hold onto that.

Your father looks up from his paper for the first time that morning. “Good.” He grunts in approval, nodding in agreement. “I expect you to protect her when that time comes.” He says simply, making your eyes widen at the stamp of approval that he’s just given Dieter. It wasn’t if, it was when that happened. You swallow, hating that it’s not real because your father only really liked Dave but you hadn’t really brought anyone else to meet them.

Dieter is so pleased at your father’s approval, beaming at you, and he sips his coffee to smother his grin. Fuck, this feels too real. He isn’t sure how he is going to walk away after this is done when you’re back in L.A. “Baby, can I talk to-” Dieter asks about an hour later but the doorbell rings and you just look at him before you rush off to get the door.

Your father leans in, looking over at Dieter again. “She is going to be frazzled today. Why don’t you come help me get out the extra tables and get them cleaned up. Her uncle and I do that and drink some beer while the women cook and gossip.”

“Sure.” Dieter nods, standing up to wash out his coffee cup and your aunt and uncle come into the kitchen to greet your dad. 

“Guys…this is Dieter.” You introduce him and he flusters a little but puts on the charm as he greets your honorary aunt and uncle.

Your aunt appraises him suspiciously. “You have a very wild past.” She hums, narrowing her eyes as she watches him. “How did you manage to convince my sweet girl to date you? Completely not her type.”

“I have a wild past but that’s all behind me.” He promises, “she was in front of my eyes the entire time and one day, I finally realized that I’d fallen for her and for some miraculous reason, she wanted me too. The rest is history as she’s stuck with me now. She’s everything I never knew I wanted and needed.”

You feel your stomach sink, even as it twists happily. He’s such a fucking fantastic actor that you believe him. Right down to the soft expression on his face. You would swear that there is love in his eyes and it almost breaks your heart. “You can grill him later.” You promise her, shaking your head. “Right now we need to get into the kitchen.”

Dieter watches you go, his heart clenching at your hasty exit but he knows he doesn’t have control over you. With a sigh, he goes outside to help the guys set up the table from the shed and pretend like he knows something about football. Your dad seems to be okay with him and not against him so that works in his favor.

In the kitchen, you feel like you are being interrogated. "He doesn't look like Dave, doesn't look like your type." Your aunt is a wonderful person but you know that she had imagined you marrying Dave and having babies years ago. She hadn't been subtle in her questions about seeing him while you were home in years past and honestly, she was one of the reasons you had told your family you were dating Dieter. 

"That's the point." You huff, rolling your eyes. "I didn't want a man like Dave. In looks or in attitude."

"And Dieter is your type? My darling, he's just gonna get bored of you and cheat on you with some floozie. What if you are married? Pregnant? And you find out he's been cheating on you?" She asks, concerned about your future. "Men like that...they always put themselves first.”

You bite your lip, your aunt vocalizing all of your fears but you hate to hear it. “I- Dieter isn’t like his public persona.” You insist. “He’s loving, he’s vulnerable. He just wants someone to love him for who he is and not what he can do for them.” You swallow and look down at the pie filling you are mixing up. “It’s not like he’s asked me to marry him, so don’t worry about that.”

“Yet.” Your mom smiles, “I see the way he looks at you. It’s only a matter of time. He loves you. He clearly wants you to be his so I think…maybe by New Year you’ll be engaged.” She guesses and your aunt wrinkles her nose, “I’d turn him down. He isn’t ready.”

You huff and roll your eyes at your aunt. “That would be cruel. You can be engaged for a long time. And it’s not like Dieter hasn’t been married before.”

“Yeah and look how that turned out. Clearly he isn’t capable of being faithful or in a marriage. He isn’t the one for you, sweetheart. Best dump him when you get home and move on. Maybe you could move back…see Dave more often.”

“I’m not seeing Dave ever again.” You promise, annoyed that it’s always Dave. That there will never be anyone as good as Dave. “Especially after he belittled and insulted me.”

Your mom shakes her head, “he was an asshole. I don’t want her to be with someone like that. Dieter defended her. He looks after her. I like him.” Your mom smiles as she works on the gravy. “Go clean up and tell the boys that dinner will be ready soon.” She orders.

“Okay.” You move over to the sink to wash your hands and then you walk out the kitchen. When you get outside, you find Dieter and your dad wrestling with a table and your uncle wiping another one down. “Dinner’s almost ready.” You call out, smiling when Dieter’s head pops up eagerly. He’s loved the homemade food since you’ve been home.

"Yes!" Dieter exclaims, excited at the prospect of homemade food and he helps your dad and uncle carry the table into the dining room that has been cleared out for the other guests that are soon to arrive soon. Your extended family and friends. Dieter is nervous to meet the rest of your nearest and dearest but he will do what he has been doing.

You grin, shaking your head as he rushes upstairs to change into a nicer outfit for the meal. “You go get ready too.” Your mom coos, waving you out of the kitchen when you try to go back in. The pies are in the oven now, baking while the meal will be eaten. “Okay.” You climb the stairs and knock on the bedroom door, not wanting to walk in if he’s still changing.

Dieter calls out for you to enter as he buttons the shirt, standing there in his boxers. “Food nearly done? I’m starving.” He groans, watching you as you shut the door behind you. “Baby. Everything okay?” He asks when you stare at him.

You want to drool, to rub your hands over his body and touch him like you had meant to last night. Instead you shake your head. “I can’t do this anymore.” You tell him quietly. “I- it was a mistake. Telling them that you’re my- that we’re- I’m sorry.” You look away, not wanting to see the relief on his face. “I need to tell them the truth before they insist you propose and set a wedding date.”

Dieter frowns, “what? Why would you do that? It’s going so well baby.” 

You groan, “that. That’s why. That right there. You call me baby and it - it makes me feel…things.” 

Dieter chuckles, “yeah. We are - wait, good things or bad things?” He frowns, confused and his stomach twists.

​​You shake your head. “It doesn’t matter, Dieter. This is all an act for you!” You hiss quietly. “None of it is real and I just- I can’t do this!” You grab your makeup bag and the sweater you are changing into and turn around to flee, confused as to why he isn’t immediately agreeing with you. He should be relieved at being told he could go back to doing whatever he wants

Dieter moves fast, blocking you from leaving the room, and he boxes you in with his arms, his shirt hanging down. "Are you fucking serious?" He hisses, "you do realize that I came into this to do you a favor to convince your parents that I am in love with you and oh, excuse me for fucking actually doing it and wanting to be with you even though this morning you acted like last night meant nothing to you."

“You came here because you didn’t want to be alone.” You remind him, tears building up in your eyes and you shudder out a breath. “Last night was amazing but I can’t turn it on and off like you can Dieter. I’m not an actor.”

Dieter shakes his head, "it's not - I am not acting anymore. I might be a good actor but even I'm not that good." He shakes his head, "please baby. You gotta believe me because I - shit. I think I've fallen in love with you." He confesses, his eyes soft as the realization hits him, "it's real. What I feel for you is real."

Swallowing harshly, you blink back the tears, unsure of if he’s just so deep into this that he’s convinced himself it’s real or if he does love you. “Dieter, I-“ you start, your mom calling up the stairs for you to hurry up and you close your mouth, scared to say something that you can’t talk through right now. “It’s real?”

“It’s real. It’s real.” He cups your cheeks, leaning in to kiss your forehead. “It’s real. I love you.” He kisses your cheek. “I love you.” He kisses your other cheek, “I don’t want to be without you.” He kisses your nose. “I love you.” He brushes his lips against yours, “it’s real.”

“It’s real.” You whisper quietly, almost to yourself. Reaching up, you cup his cheek. “I- we have a lot to talk about.” You murmur softly, “but I love you.”

Dieter grins, pressing his lips to yours. He presses you up against the door, his hands gripping your waist as he crowds you and he’s so fucking happy. He is in awe of you loving him. You’ve seen the worst of him. You’ve seen every part of him yet you still love him.

You take another moment to kiss him, even though your mother calls your name again. Pushing against his shoulders slightly. “Okay baby.” You murmur, kissing his lips once more. “We need to go back downstairs for Thanksgiving.”

Dieter pulls back, knowing you need to get downstairs. He kisses your cheek, “let’s go. I am staaaaaarvinggggg.” He draws out the word as a whine and he quickly dresses in the pants you bought for today to make a good impression on the rest of your family.

You chuckle and shake your head, deciding that you will just change your shirt here before you freshen up your hair and makeup. “We can’t have you staaaaarvingggg.” You tease with a grin.

Dieter pouts at you for making fun of him before he winks, watching you take your shirt off. He stills for a moment, just observing how beautiful you and when you fluster, he waggles his eyebrows. "Later I want dessert." He smirks, buttoning up his shirt.

​​“You had dessert last night.” It’s your turn to pout and you can’t help yourself, not when you know that he’s yours. You step over to him and cup his cock. “I want to see how you react to your assistant sucking your cock.” You purr, winking at him as you squeeze him playfully.

“Jesus.” Dieter hisses, cock twitching under your touch and he closes his eyes while he pushes your hand away so he can calm down before he makes his way downstairs to see your family.

It’s probably a little evil, giggling to yourself as you finish getting ready. Making sure you look good before you walk over to him again where he is muttering under his breath. “Ready to go eat, baby?”

Dieter nods, buckling his belt, and he takes your hand to kiss the back of it. "Let's go." He murmurs, keeping hold of your hand as he guides you downstairs to find your family gathered in the living room, crowded in and chattering away as they all catch up.

Walking downstairs with Dieter is something thrilling right now. Your fingers woven with his and your heart pounding in your chest. It’s real. Instead of this being some scene where he’s acting like your boyfriend, Dieter is actually your boyfriend. Your cunt clenches when you imagine taking him back to bed tonight and being able to fulfill some fantasies of your own.

Dieter is beaming when he is introduced to your family members. His arm wrapped around your waist as he greets your family members, smiling and he kisses your cheek every now and then. When everyone is settled down at the table, Dieter is sitting next to you and opposite your younger cousin who is eyeing him suspiciously. “So how long have you two been together?” She asks.

You squeeze Dieter’s hand and before you let go and pick up your wine glass. “Let’s see, you asked me out when you were working on ‘Blown Away’ right? So that was two and a half years ago now. No- three years. I’m thinking about the reshoots.”

Your cousin frowns, “wait. Three years ago? That - Dieter was seen with a model. Kissing her outside of the Ivy in L.A. So he cheated on you?” She narrows her eyes and everyone looks at you and Dieter with curiosity.

Shit. You had forgotten about that. You shift in your seat and plaster an uncaring look on your face, as if it’s no big deal. “We weren’t….exclusive then.” You tell her with a shrug. “We were free to do whatever. It’s okay, he didn’t- there was no- he’s not-“

Dieter wraps his arm around you. “I made mistakes at the beginning of our relationship but she forgave me and we became exclusive. She is a saint to put up with my shit.” He responds coolly, knowing this was a possibility.

“Really?” Your cousin smirks and she pulls out her phone, obviously waiting for this moment to expose something. Your stomach clenches when you see a picture of Dieter kissing someone else. It was a pap photo that looks like it was probably six months ago. They hadn’t been posted in any gossip rags so you hadn’t even thought about them. “So…..you became exclusive six months ago? Or you just cheat and pray she doesn’t find out?”

Dieter curses in his mind since he forgot about that. Usually he doesn’t give a shit if the paps get him. He swallows harshly, “I’m- that, uh- it’s not.” He stammers, making you shake your head.

“Because we aren’t really dating.” You announce quietly, humiliated and wondering why you agreed to this in the first place. “When I told you I was dating Dieter it was to get everyone off my back. I’m not moving back home and I’m not going to get back together with Dave. He broke up with me in college because he wanted to sleep with other people. Told me he could see me satisfying him for the rest of our lives.” You hadn’t told anyone the real reason for the breakup, until now. “So I just said I was dating Dieter and he’s been wonderful, pretending to be my boyfriend. Until…” you shrug slightly, unsure if it’s worth saying that you’ve fallen in love for real.

“Baby…” Dieter is shocked at your confession and he shakes his head. “No. I don’t - it’s not true.” He stands up. “She’s lying. She doesn’t - she’s trying to cover up for me because honestly? I fucked up. I didn’t realize what an amazing woman I had right in front of me for the longest time and I realize that mistake now. She’s…she’s incredible and I love her. I’m in love with her and I want -” He shifts, pulling his chair out so he can kneel down beside yours. “Baby…” He says your name, “I love you. I’m sorry it’s taken me so damn long to get my shit together but I know you and you know me…all of me. Even the ugly parts and I was so scared of getting hurt again after my ex wife and I don’t want that to happen to us. I do, however, know that you are worth the risk. It’s real. We are real. Will you marry me?” He asks, being serious as he takes your hand.

Your chin trembles as you look into his eyes. It’s real. Those words you had affirmed to each other just a little while before in your bedroom. Your other hand, the one not clinging to Dieter’s reaches out and you caress his face. “You believe this?” Your cousin snorts, but you ignore her. 

“You’ve been hurt a lot.” You tell him softly. “Used and yes, you’ve fucked up. But you are so much better than you realize. Than you want to believe. You deserve so much more.” You look down at your hands and then back up into his hopeful, pleading eyes. “Yes.” You whisper. “It’s real and I will marry you.”

Dieter grins, shifting to stand up and he leans in to kiss you, his tongue immediately sliding into your mouth as he grips your hips. He is so happy, ridiculously happy, and he smiles against your mouth after your family starts to clap, all of them congratulating you except for your cousin. “I love you.” Dieter murmurs, pulling back to look at you.

“I love you too.” You promise, shooting him the happiest smile. You know that there will be plenty of questions and confusion. You will have to talk to Dieter and decide what you want your official story to be. But right now, you just want to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family and your boyfriend or fiancé - for real this time.

Dieter grins as he sits down beside you, your parents are smiling because you look happy despite your dad wanting to ask Dieter about those photos but right now, everyone celebrates your engagement as they dig into the dinner. After dinner and when everyone is in a turkey coma, Dieter takes your hand to guide you to your room, wanting to talk about everything but when he gets you alone, all he wants to do is press his lips to yours.

You grin into his kiss and push him back slightly after teasing him with a slight brush of your tongue over his lips. “Are you sure this is what you want?” You ask him quietly. “I don’t want you to regret this.”

Shaking his head, Dieter looks at you. “No. No. I won’t regret it. I promise you. I’ve done a lot of things I regret. I’ve done things that I never should’ve done. Things that will haunt me but being married to you? I couldn’t regret that. You know every part of me. The good and the bad. You are still standing here. I love you. I want you. I want you to be my wife.”

“Okay.” You know he can be impulsive but he seems to be serious right now. “Maybe we sit down with your people when we get back to L.A. to figure out how best to do this and have your lawyers draft a prenup.”

Dieter nods, knowing there’s things that need to be addressed but right now, he’s so happy. “We can do that.” His hands slide down to your ass, squeezing as he smirks. “I wouldn’t mind starting our honeymoon early.” He teases, leaning in to kiss your neck.

Dieter has always been horny, you know that, but there is something different about this. You don’t feel like it’s just the sex that he wants. “Yeah?” You wrap your arms around the back of his neck. “You want to maybe go somewhere for Christmas? Just me and you? Maybe a little cabin somewhere? I’ll pay for it.”

​​Dieter tuts, “you aren’t paying for shit. I have more money than sense.” You raise your eyebrows and he chuckles, “drugs killed a lot of brain cells baby.” He jokes and squeezes your ass again.“I want to just spend time together. Me and you. No bullshit. Just figuring out our future.” Dieter says and you smile, unable to believe that having Dieter pretend to be your boyfriend has turned into him actually becoming your fiancé. 

“Our future. I like that.” You hum and Dieter pecks your lips. 

“Me too. Mrs. Bravo.” He winks and you giggle, making his heart thump. “Now…where is the whipped cream? I want my dessert.” He waggles his eyebrows and you gasp playfully. It’s a Thanksgiving to remember. A fake relationship turned real and unbeknownst to you, it’s the beginning of many years with Dieter by your side. One of many Thanksgivings to come.

#pedro pascal #dieter bravo #dieter bravo x reader #dieter bravo x you #dieter bravo x f!reader #dieter bravo smut #dieter bravo imagine #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo the bubble

[irisinthemoon]

Until I Found You Pt. 1

[Pt. 1], [Pt. 2], [Pt. 3], [Pt. 4], [Pt. 5], [Pt. 6]

Since the event had came out, I had seen nothing but Yandere content of Rollo. Now, don't get me wrong, I like it but I also wanted to balance it out by adding in fluff and healthy relationships. Yes, this will have spoilers from the event, so beware. And while it is based on the event, there are some things I changed in order to make it fit better with the story line, so some will be my own creation. The Reader is not Yuu, she is her own person and have no connection to NRC. Thank you and please do read on!

Warning: Reader is hinted to have family issues, Reader is female, she is 18 years old since I am assuming Rollo is the same age considering that he is a third year and I wanted them to be around the same age range. This will be a series, but I am not sure in how long I will make it, probably all the way to Book 7 of the game. Two Oc's will be presented as the vice-president and secretary. Also, this is unedited, you may find grammar mistakes, hopefully not to many.

Characters: Rollo Flamm, Eliott Dupont (Vice-president), Jules Monet (secretary)

Summery: Being transported to a different world had not been part of [Name’s] plans, but neither was it to stay in it, yet here we are. She isn't complaining though, not when she has Rollo Flamm as company.

______________________________________________________________

Above into the horizon, you could just make out the first rays of sunlight kissing the night sky goodbye. The rays casted a warm and golden blanket around you, making you feel the warmth of the new day. This was how you started off your days in Noble Bell College, it was the only thing that you could consider normal in your terms. Even after being stuck in Twisted Wonderland for three months, you could not get used to the magic the city provided, or how their world was so different from yours. Sure, there had been similarities that brought you comfort, such as the sunrise you were witnessing. The sun’s warm rays kissed your cold skin gently, some of the heat bouncing off the golden bell that was behind you. 

The Bell of Salvation, it had been something you had stared in amazement the first time you saw it, even more when it rang and its magic swept the entire city in its protective embrace. While you may not be used to the magic of this world quite yet, you found comfort by just being in its presence. It was as if you had some connection to it, but you reasoned that it was mainly because it had been the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes. 

Bringing the thin blanket closer to your body, you sigh. Even if this world was so much different than your old one, you didn’t mind it. It’s not like you lost much in your old world. Family or friends were nonexistent to you before coming to NBC. There would be no one to grieve you or to look for you, not that your parents would put the effort into it. You wouldn’t be surprised if they just named you an unsolved missing persons case. At this, you chuckles, who would have thought you would end up like that?

Not that it bothered you, on the contrary, it brought you amusement. You always thought you would go out in a normal and boring way. Maybe die of old age, maybe you could fall down some stairs and break your neck, or you could be run over by a moving vehicle. Those were things you were prepared to expect, but not jumping into another dimension. That was for story books, fictional worlds that blended in with the worn out pages of your favorite books. 

You tug on a loose piece of threat in your uniform, mind deep in thought. You had thought about finding a way home when you learned about your situation. And it had kept you somewhat motivated for a while before realizing that you were just wasting your time. It hadn’t hit you until last night as you poured over a book from the school’s library. Why were you even trying so hard to return back? Sure, it was the world you were born into, the one you belonged in. But, there were no sentimental attachments that made you want to go back quickly. You were an only child, your parents often left you alone while they traveled for work, and you didn’t have friends as you preferred the silence that accompanied you since birth.

Looking at the worn out notebook that the student president gave you for your personal notes, you sigh once more. Should you just tell the headmage that you wish to stay? The staff at school were helping you find a way home, and since you had no desire to continue the search, it would be better to stop them. You didn’t want to waste their time for something you don't even want.  But if you do stay, where would you go? 

You were a magicless person, just because you were suddenly transported into a magical world didn’t mean you got some magical powers. Not that you wanted magic, you would have no clue what to do with it. But back to the original point, you wouldn’t be able to stay at NBC as it was a school for future mages, there was no place for you in this school. You could stay in the City of Flowers as it was the only place you were actually familiar with, but then there was the situation of where you would live and how you would be able to earn money for yourself. 

You were lucky the school was the one taking care of your expenses as they had to make themselves responsible for you. Still, the majority of the reason the school was paying for you was because of the student president. You had lost count in how many times the older boy had helped you. From tutoring you so you could keep up with your classes to showing you around the city so you wouldn’t feel lost. 

And while you do appreciate his help and efforts, you couldn’t help but feel like he was putting you at arm's length. 

Rollo Flamm, student council president, honors student and roll model was an enigma to you. Ever since he found you underneath the Bell of Salvation, he had made it his personal mission to make sure you were comfortable and that you would be able to process the fact that you didn’t even exist in this world. He had been there every step of the way for the last three months, to which you truly were thankful. 

Without him, you would have been just as lost as you had been when you woke up. But no matter how much you tried to thank him, Rollo simply told you that it was his duty to protect those vulnerable and that if he could help, he would. You couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to it. However, it was none of your business, so you let it be.

Even if you wish to get to know the white haired boy more. 

Flipping one of the pages of your notebook, you read the messy handwriting. Some of it was readable, other parts not so much. Flipping to the next page, you pause at a small drawing you had done not so long ago. It was just some flowers, nothing too specific, but one always caught your attention. 

One that you couldn’t help but always draw in red ink.

Soft footsteps along with the creaking of the old wooden stairs snapped you out of your thoughts. Closing the journal and placing it inside your student robes, you cross your legs and wait for the familiar voice that always manages to ground you. The footsteps reach towards the latch, you hear the soft huff Rollo makes before the creak of the latch door greets you. 

“Good morning [name].” 

With a smile, you turn around and greet him. “Morning president, how are you this fine morning?” Your voice was carried by the gentle wind, causing it to bounce off the walls of the bell tower. Rollo gives you an unamused look, one that you had grown fond of. To others, it would have looked like he was irritated but you pride yourself in the fact that you could read people like one of your books.

“I’m quite fine, I see that you are the same as always.” Taking a seat in one of the chairs at the corner of the room, Rollo pulls out the familiar basket that you had come used to seeing. Standing up from the edge of the bell tower, you make your way towards the boy and take a seat across from him. You watch him in silence as he pulls out two loaves of bread, some cheese that is wrapped neatly in plastic, some fruit in a container, and finally, freshly made orange juice.  

Your eyes followed his hands as he divided the food equally. It was something they had ever since you came to NBC. You adored moments like these ones, it allowed you to spend more time with the boy before your classes began. Plus, even if you did manage to find time to see him, he was mostly busy with his duties as a student. Especially now that the Masquerade that he was planning was close.

Still, you were glad he made time for you. 

“Thank you for the meal.” You said softly, waiting for him to finish setting his own food. The first bite was always heaven on earth. Holding in a moan at the heavenly taste of the bread (which you knew he makes himself no matter how much he denies it), and chewing it slowly in order to fully appreciate his efforts. Rollo keeps a close eye on you, not that you notice much as your full attention was on the bread in your hands. 

Next, you opened the cheese carefully, knowing how much Rollo didn’t like making a mess of the food. Especially when it was in the bell tower he adored. With a plastic knife inside the basket, you cut off four thin slices, two for you and two for the boy. With a small mumble of thanks, Rollo adds it to his bread, you followed his steps. 

Another set of heavenly tastes explode in your mouth with the addition of the goat cheese (which you also knew he made). Both of you ate in silence, only the sound of the birds waking up along with the ruffling of leaves accompanied the both of you. You liked these mornings, even if they were quiet and Rollo didn’t speak much. To you it was perfect.

Finishing the rest of the food along with the orange juice, you clean your fingers off with a napkin offered by the white haired boy. And just like the other mornings before this one, you get to clean alongside him. The peaceful quiet and the morning air put you in good spirits, especially when you share them with him. 

“How have your studies been coming along?” The question makes you pause as you wipe the table from leftover crumbs. “They have been well for the most part. I managed to understand the material from last class thanks to you.” Smiling at him, you continue to clean your space. “That's good, if you ever need my assistance, don’t hesitate to reach me.”

You hum in agreement, warmth spreading in your chest. “And you?” You already know what his grades are. After all, Rollo is the top student in the academy and the student council president. You know he is smart, but it doesn't hurt to ask in return. “Same as always.” And his response is short as ever. 

Looking at him while he busied himself packing away the utensils you used, you let yourself really look at him. His skin looked pale as ever, but it wasn’t as if it was unhealthy. Even with his paleness, he still had a healthy glow. However, when you looked into his eyes, you noticed how his eyebags seemed darker. At this you frown, was he getting enough sleep? 

Knowing him, he was probably getting the bare minimum of rest. 

Suddenly, his green eyes glance up at you. “Have you been getting sleep?” You asked. Rollo merely huffs as he always does whenever you ask a question that seems meaningless to even ask. “I have, why do you ask?” You raised an unimpress eyebrow at him. “Because I know the Masquerade you have been planning is next week, I know you want the students from the other schools to have a good time. Adding on to the fact that you still have to keep up with your other responsibilities.”

Instead of calling him out on his bullshit, you simply hid your worry and asked him about the Masquerade as an excuse to ask him about his health. As you had made note about it earlier, Rollo is an enigma that keeps you at arms length. While he spends time with you, he doesn't bother getting to know you or lets you ask any questions regarding him other than ones related to school work. Still, you made it work somehow, even when it still left you more curious about him. 

“The Masquerade is going on as planned…” Rollo paused for a moment, his face gaining that familiar scowl he seems to always wear when something irritates him. “However, the costumes I had ordered for our guests won’t make it on time.” 

“Why is that?”

“The student incharge of sending the request apparently forgot to do the actual sending.” Rollo sighs with an eye roll. “And now it’s too late to send the request.” His green eyes shone in the morning sunlight, allowing you to see just how pretty they were even with the anger swimming in them. To you they will always be as breathtaking as the first time you laid your eyes on them. “And then there is the matter of sending out the final invitations and finalizing the number of rooms we will spare for NRC and RSA students.” 

You watched carefully in how he began to pace in the small room in the bell tower. His black shoes made a sharp click-clack with each step he took. The red transparent sash-like on his hat swaying along with him. The rays of the sun just made his sharp features stand out even more, truly, no painting or picture would do him justice. 

You let Rollo rant even when he says he doesn't need to rant about his responsibilities. The sound of his voice soothes you, you liked the sound of his voice. Even when he talked about studies of your classes you shared, you truly didn’t care what the topic was about as long as you could hear him speak. 

“I can help you if you want.”

Startle, Rollo turns to look at you with those piercing green eyes. He blinks a few times, letting your words process in his head. “Help me?” He asked after a few seconds of silence. You nod your head, a smile on your lips. “I can help you with all three things if you want.” Rollo blinks again, the anger in his green eyes softening into a hidden amusement. “Will you be able to balance it out with your school work?”

You let out a small giggle, “Hey now, I know I may not have that fancy magic that students have here. But I am pretty capable of dealing with things such as invitations, reserving rooms for guests staying over for a couple of days, and designing costumes.” 

An unreadable emotion crossed Rollo’s eyes, the soft, hidden amusement vanished as the familiar anger took over. “You don’t need magic.” The bitterness in his tone startled you. While you were used to hearing him sound annoyed or angry, not once did you hear that kind of tone. Nor have you ever seen his eyes burn with so much distaste. “The students in this school along with the ones coming here all rely on magic like fools. Even with simple things such as writing or cooking, they always need the assistance of magic.” He turns to face the wall, the beginnings of a sneer forming on his lips before covering it with his purple handkerchief. 

You stare at him, uncertainty pooling in your gut. You had known Rollo had something against magic, even when he was a magic user himself. He didn’t voice it, but you could see it in the way he hardly used it unless it was necessary such as his classes or homework. And when he spoke of magic, he tended to avoid the conversation, even when Eliott and Jules, his vice-president and secretary, praised him for learning a difficult spell or told you of his unique magic. Rollo never once bragged about his magic. 

He simply covered the lower half of his face with a handkerchief and looked the other way.

You wanted to ask him about it, but never did. You could see and feel how that was a can of worms that Rollo was not going to open with anyone, less alone someone he just met. And you weren’t sure if you wanted to even open that can of worms, not if it meant pushing him or losing that little trust you work hard to earn from him. 

Instead, you did what you were best at.

“Well yeah, but I didn’t mean that I was useless without it. I just meant that I know how to do those kinds of things since back home, I used to help my parents with stuff like that.” Coming from a rich family meant making events to put the family in a good light. Which made you responsible for helping with invitations and booking rooms for the guests that would come along. 

“Writing invitations and making last minute bookings are no problem for me. As for the costumes, I can make them! I’ve done that before!” The anger in Rollo’s eyes dimmed, “...Will it interfere with your school work?” You shake your head, “Nope, I finished everything ahead of time since I wanted to have the day free for the Masquerade.” A light blush covered your cheeks. You didn’t mention that the reason you wanted that day free was because you wanted to spend it with him.

“You mentioned that you had experience with it, how come?” Glad that Rollo was no longer angry, you begin explaining. “Well, my family is kinda like a big name in the fame industry. My mom is an actress while my dad is a singer. Both tend to throw parties every couple of months, so I get stuck with making invitations and bookings for the people invited. It��s not hard for me to find good places for them to stay in and I know how to handle clothing situations.” 

The lord only knows how much you struggled to get used to it. Even at a young age, your parents’ fame was suffocating. Everything you did was being watched by hundreds of eyes, not once did you have a moment for yourself. You couldn’t go to school like most kids your age, and homeschooling wasn’t as exciting. That was many of the reasons you liked it here in the City of Flowers. 

No one knew who you were, no one to target you because of your parents, no heavy responsibilities other than doing school work, and being able to hang out with classmates and friends. It was all you could wish for, and from what you could tell, friends help each other. And you wanted to help Rollo, sure, the moody french-man hasn’t called you a friend, but you could tell by his actions that he did like you, maybe tolerated you at best.

Plus, back then, the things you did bored you to death. You didn’t have much of a choice in doing them and your parents never asked you if you wanted to do them. They figured that it would be easier to give them to someone who wouldn’t be able to say no when their assistants were flooded with work. And it's not like you could use school work as an excuse to not do it.

Rollo looks deep in thought, his purple handkerchief no longer covering his face. “Hey, it’s fine if you don’t want me to do it. I mean, it’s a big celebration, one that I heard is done yearly. Plus, NRC and RSA students are being invited for the first time, things need to be perfect.” Fiddling with your fingers, you looked away, missing the soft look Rollo gave you.

“It’s fine, I trust in your abilities. However, are you sure you want to also take over the costumes?” By the time you looked back at him, Rollo was back into wearing his poker face. “Sure! I have done some before when I needed to wear something.” And it was the only thing you could do that made your parents proud. A fashion designer from the great [Last Name} family. 

“Just give me their measurements and I should be fine.” You added before the negative thoughts took over. Instead, you stand up and walk towards him, a carefree smile on your lips. “How hard can it be? I am sure it’s only a couple of people.” And just as he has done since you started your stay here, Rollo offers his left elbow. “Ever the gentleman.” Intertwining your elbow with his, both of you make your to the latch.

Rollo huffs in amusement as he opens it and lets you go first. He follows you after he closes the latch and once again offers his elbow to you. Taking it again, the two students make their way down the stairs and into the entrance of the bell tower. Humming a small tune under your breath, you finally let out the smile you had been trying to hide. 

Just as both of you walked down the flower path to your first class, the familiar chime of the Bell of Salvation rings. Warm and gentle magic washes over you like the summer breeze making you sigh in content. Rollo hums, a calm expression on his face. 

“Very well then, I will let you help me. We only need to send one more invitation as I took care of the others. For bookings, the students from NRC and RSA are to stay on campus in the left wing of the school, the rest of the guests will be staying in different hotels offered by the city.” You nod along, mentally memorizing the important details. 

“The list of guest will be sent to you by Jules, you will sort them out into rooms based on their importance.” By the time he finished explaining the way the booking process was going to work, the both of you had arrived at your first period. Students were already flooding the halls, some talking to friends, others trying to do some last studying before their quizzes or tests. 

Letting go of his arm, Rollo turns to face you, a small, barely there, smirk on his face. “As for the costumes, we will need a total of 13 for NRC students and 2 for RSA. With all of them combined, there will be a total of 15 costumes needed by the second to last day of the Masquerade as the actual ball will be held that day.” His smirk grew a little bigger once he saw your wide eyed expression.

“Worry not [name], I will make sure you have help along the process. We will also be purchasing the material you will need, so don’t be afraid to request more if you need to.” Opening and closing your mouth like a goldfish, you could simply stare at him in shock. “F-Fifteen?!”

Now, you may pride yourself in designing clothes of any kind, but there has to be a limit! You couldn’t possibly do 15 costumes in one week! Rollo holds his purple handkerchief up to his face, his shoulders shaking as he looks at you with amusement. “I jest, some of the students from the fashion club managed to do most of the costumes. Unfortunately, they got flooded with other requests from the city and were unable to start the last one”

At this, you relax, but smile nonetheless. It was rare when Rollo allowed himself to joke around. “Great seven, you had me scared for a moment.” Poking his chest with your index finger, you laughed. “But I can definitely help with the last one! Just give me the measurements along with a reference picture of the person who will wear it.”

Rollo nods, then pauses. “Picture…?” You nod with a small hum. “Yeah, I need to see how they look like in order to make the costume in their aesthetic. Plus, I need to be able to see which colors will fit them best.” Rollo frowns, a bitter resentment flashes in his green eyes. “...Very well,” Glancing at the clock hanging by the classroom entrance, he mumbles under his breath. 

“Just come to the council room once classes are over. I will tell you what you need to do in better detail.” Before you could question him in his sudden change in mood, Rollo gave you a head pat, bidded you goodbye, and turned to take his leave. “Um! S-See you at lunch!” You had spoken before even thinking. Some of the lingering students gave you a glance in confusion. Rollo turned around, huffed, then nodded. 

“Yes, see you at lunch [name].”

You took that as your cue to enter your classroom. Taking your usual seat at the back of the class, you sigh. Contrary to what many said about Rollo, he was very expressive. Not in the physical way, but his eyes always let out what he was feeling at the moment. He wasn’t always like this though, back when you had met him, Rollo was hard to read. It was thanks to him getting somewhat close to you that you managed to read him like a book. 

And even then, there were certain emotions you couldn’t decipher when it came to him. Still, it was progress, and who knows, maybe you will be able to get closer to him now that you will also be helping with the Masquared’s preparations. 

With a delighted hum, you prepared your material for class. 

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland #twst rollo #twst rollo x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst masquerade #rollo flamm x reader #glorious masquerade #noble bell college #female reader

[mischievoushiddleston]

Pleasure With The Enemy

Pairing: Namor/Reader

Warnings: Smut

Masterlist here!

Warining: SPOILER FOR BLACK PANTHER WAKANDA FOREVER

The attack came as a surprise, not that of the CIA, but that of Talocan. She dimly saw Okoye struggling with the man with the blue skin, but then being thrown into the water. Y/N remembered looking to Shuri as she spoke to him, but was too weak to get up. How did she get herself into this situation? Oh yeah...she was friends with Shuri and helped her track down this scientist, Riri Williams. It happened every time that she let Shuri get her into these situations. She still noticed how she got some kind of mask before she fell unconscious again. When she woke up again, she was in a bed in some kind of underwater cave. Y/N looked around and saw Shuri and Riri standing there. Carefully, she stood up and called attention to herself.

"Y/N...you're awake," she said happily and wanted to hug them, but she stopped her. "What the hell am I doing here? Where am I anyway..." Shuri sighed. "In Talocan..." she said softly. "What?!" she said loudly, looking around, "I have nothing to do with any of this!" "Calm down..." "No, I won't...I want to talk to this Namor guy..." she said and walked to a gun, "I want to talk to Namor...Now..." Shuri came up to her, "Y/N, calm down...you know he's dangerous." Y/N looked firmly at her. "I'm in his realm either way, aren't I?" she asked, looking to the guard. "So?"

Shortly, she was taken to where Namor was. She looked around, impressed. It was beautiful, even though she was here against her will. Y/N saw him painting on something and took a deep breath. "I want to go home," she said, and he turned to look at her. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that right now," he said and stood up. She looked at him and noticed the wings on his feet. "The princess, the scientist and you will stay here until I find a solution, besides you know the location of Talocan..." "In case you haven't been informed...I've been unconscious the whole time and I'm here for Shuri...I have nothing to do with any of this," she said, taking a deep breath. Namor raised his eyebrows. "You're mad at her, aren't you?" "What gave it away?" she asked him, and he just smiled. "Actually, I was planning on talking to Shuri first, but I suppose I could do that a little later...Let me tell you about the history of my people..." he said and started talking about what danger there was and how it had all come to this in the first place. She sat and looked at the painter's clean and stroked it carefully. "I'd like to see Talocan," she said, smiling slightly. He put a hand next to hers as she looked up at him cautiously over his shoulder. She turned to him and looked into his eyes. "Not like this...you'd be dead in no time, but we have suits..." he said as he returned her gaze. Y/N raised her hand, not even knowing why, but she caressed his cheek. He seemed nowhere near as dangerous as Shuri had led her to believe, at least not to her. Carefully, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. "You should be careful, little human..." "Why?" she asked softly against his lips. "I am the enemy of Wakanda..." he said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Not mine, and there's nothing wrong with giving in to the lust," she said, kissing him. Namor wrapped his arm around her and passionately returned the kiss. She held onto his shoulders as he lifted her up. It all happened quickly, so she barely had a moment to consider her decision. Namor had lifted her and was carrying her to a reclining area. He didn't hesitate to undress her and pull her shirt over her head. She closed her eyes and gasped slightly as he kissed her neck, nibbling at the skin as his hands stroked over her body. He unclasped her bra and glared at her as he pulled it off her before reaching for her breasts and rolling her nipples between his fingers. "Namor..." she moaned softly, stroking his chest down to his erection, but removing his robe first. He kissed her passionately one more time, and then kissed down to take her nipple into his mouth and suck on it. "Take me, please..." Namor looked up at her and unzipped her pants before pulling them and her panties down and dropping them carelessly beside him. "I've never had anything with a woman from the surface world," he said as he slid his fingers to her pussy and lifted her leg over his shoulder. He sucked on the skin of her thigh as he pushed two fingers inside her, making her arch her back as she clawed at his hair. He began thrusting in and out of her, making her moan repeatedly. His lips moved higher and then licked over her pussy. "Namor!" she moaned loudly. Y/N arched her back as he thrust his fingers in and out of her, writhing inside her each time. She could soon feel her orgasm building inside her. "I'm cumming," she moaned, tightening around his fingers. He looked up at her, enjoying the way she was responding, and continued as he sucked faster on her clit. Suddenly she cumming around his fingers and moaning loudly. Namor pushed his pants down and reached for his cock. He pumped it a few times before crawling up and rubbing it against her entrance. Y/N pulled him down to her and kissed her passionately. She moaned and tasted herself. In one quick and rough thrust, he was completely inside her, surprising her as she had to adjust to him. She clawed tightly into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him. Namor began to pull out of her almost completely before thrusting deep back into her. The bed surface beneath them shook as he thrust roughly into her pussy. She could hardly get used to the feel of his cock inside her as he fucked her hard and fast. He put one hand under her and on the middle of her back so that she was close to him as he kept bumping against her G-spot. She clawed at his back and moaned. Her second orgasm began to build inside her. Namor sucked on the skin of her neck, moaning himself as she grew tighter around his cock. "Cum for me," Namor commanded her, and she grew even tighter around him, making it almost impossible for him to thrust in and out of her. Y/N arched her back and cumming around him. However, Namor didn't stop then, still thrusting into her fast and hard until he thrust deep inside her one last time, filling her pussy with his cum. She breathed heavily and looked at him. Y/N raised her hand to stroke his cheek, but was interrupted when she heard a voice. "K'uk'ulkan," a female voice said, and Namor glared at her before pulling out and dressing. "When I come back, I want you to have decided whether you're on Talocan's side or Wakanda's..." he said, leaving her behind. After a while, she got dressed and was taken back to Suri. During all that time, she was thinking about what to do, not knowing that the decision would be taken from her....

#Namor #Namor smut #namor the sub mariner #black panther 2 #spoiler #black panther wakanda forever spoiler #black panther wakanda forever #Namor One Shot #Tenoch Huerta #tenoch huerta smut #tenoch huerta one shot #tenoch huerta namor

[papercute]

i am very insane about dead plate and want to rant about the fourth ending. idk if i need to put this here but just in case: spoiler alert for probably all the endings and secrets of dead plate, as well as warnings for violence, murder, and cannibalism.

it really surprises me how vince in the fourth ending doesn’t savour rody, like at all, instead just taking him to the freezer and the eerie sound of sawing playing over the credits. especially since at the beginning of the confrontation in “best served hot”, vince bites off rody’s ear, and then you can see him licking rody’s blood off his hands during their conversation. it’s like he is savouring rody and what he can get of him now that rody is fighting back against him. vince wants to eat rody as part of a dish in order to be able to taste again and feel whole. and yet, when he sees rody is slipping out of his grasp, he immediately resorts to just eating him live, portraying desperation and a willingness to just forgo his plans and start eating.

so when the player is too slow to fight off vince and he finally gets the opportunity to stab rody as he’d wanted to, it surprises me that he is still composed enough to just take him to the freezer and prepare him like any other slab of meat. rody is very obviously special to vince in some way, so it feels off to me that he treats rody in the same way he treated manon, who vince admits to not caring about. i honestly expected him to just start eating then and there. to pin rody down as he inevitably struggles and screams and just start ripping into him with his teeth.

though, with how special rody clearly is to vince, it could also make sense that he takes him back to the freezer to cut him up; preparing him properly as a meal instead of just eating him with no preparation or anything could be interpreted as a compliment or special treatment. but i still think this is too logical of a decision for vince in his current, desperate state. as in this ending, we (both rody and the player) are seeing vince in his truest form: his most monstrous and uncontrolled, so i don’t think at this point he would have had the sense to go prepare rody like an actual dish. i think he would have been to focused on the eating part and would just skip right to it.

i also think that this would be fitting because of how it continues vince’s harsh but intimate behaviour towards rody. vince is always rude but when rody comes to work soaking from the rain on day 2, vince dries rody personally, even though rody is very capable of scrubbing himself with a towel. and when rody drops the rubbish, vince slaps him, before immediately wrapping up rody’s (really quite minor) cut himself. again, rody would have been capable of caring for himself, but vince insists on taking care of him. and then there’s the intimacy of vince inviting rody to his home after work hours, but then making him work unpaid. pinning rody down after fatally injuring him and then consuming him felt fitting because of this; the physical closeness and the sexual connotations of vince putting his mouth to rody’s skin contrasted against the violence and danger of it all feels like a suitable escalation of their previous interactions.

but i do understand this ending in it’s original form from a gameplay perspective — a player who hasn’t gotten the hang of fending off vince in order to get their desired ending doesn’t want to watch another super long cutscene with more live cannibalism if they’re disturbed by that sort of thing, they just want to get back to their save point and try again. or maybe the creator couldn’t or didn’t want to make a scene like that. so i understand it, i just don’t really like it lmao

#dead plate #dead plate vincent #dead plate rody #tw cannibalism #tw violence #dead plate spoilers #rody dead plate #vincent dead plate #vincent charbonneau #rody lamoree

[douglysium]

Episode 11 TMP Quick Thoughts

Housekeeping and Prologue

Hello, this is Douglysium and you might not know me as that guy who wrote over 100 pages of analysis on the Eye (which can be read on Tumblr here (https://douglysium.tumblr.com/post/735599414228484097/the-relationships-between-the-dread-powers-the) or Google Docs here (The Relationships Between the Dread Powers: The Eye- Knowledge is Fear and Ignorance is Bliss)) or as that guy who wrote an article on the Extinction (which can be read on Tumblr here(https://douglysium.tumblr.com/post/717929126195003392/what-would-avatars-of-the-extinction-be-like-a) and Google Docs here(​What would Avatars of the Extinction be like?: A TMA Speculation)). Suffice to say I might be a bit of a TMA fan. Also, spoilers for TMP up until episode 10. You can read my ramblings on the last episode here (Episode 10 TMP Quick Thoughts).

However, Protocol offers a very unique opportunity and experience for me because I didn’t actually get into TMA until after it was over and I binged all of it. So this is my first time experiencing something even remotely similar to what the original TMA fans probably experienced when waiting for each episode week by week and slowly having to put everything together with the limited information they had. So I decided to throw my hat into the ring since this might be my only chance to do something similar. However, I’m working on some longer form TMA content so I can’t spend as much time on these articles giving a bunch of super detailed thoughts. I will try to keep these short and that inevitably might mean some could have questions about why I think or predict certain things and in those cases I would probably recommend you read at least some of the two articles I mentioned above to get a better idea of where I’m coming from. This also means I won’t be giving you a play-by-play of every single thing that happens in the episode so I encourage you to listen to or read them yourselves and feel free to comment if you feel something is important.

These reviews are probably going to end up focusing mostly on the Entities and their manifestations as they are what I have thought about the most and spent the most time interpreting and there’s been a lot of… interesting theories floating around about how the Entities are manifesting that I want to go over.

Finally, I’m just going to say it right now, spoiler warning for all of The Magnus Archives. I know that Jon and co said one could start with Protocol and be fine, and while that’s probably true, media like this tends to be made in conversation with or take into consideration what came before it in the irl chronology in order to connect them. While I’m sure you could skip The Magnus Archives, I don't really see the point of skipping over it when we are already getting characters from TMA showing up in TMP in Protocol. So to me it’s pretty clear that if we want to understand the full picture of TMP and all the things it is trying to say then we can’t just try to pretend TMA doesn’t exist or scrub it away. Just because you could understand what’s happening without the context in broad strokes doesn’t mean you're getting all the nuances.

These articles are meant to be quick and short so sorry if there’s typos and if I don’t address every possible question or possibility. I don’t want to repeat myself too much in this series outside of the prologue so be sure to skim some of my other articles.

Episode 11 “Marked”

And we are back, baby. I’ve actually started writing this literally the second after I finished listening to the episode. I was originally planning to wait until the weekend to write this but I’ve become so excited I can’t help myself, and Rusty Quill has been on top of posting the transcripts when the episodes comes out.

As always, the episode is being told to us through some sort of device. In this case we cut to Celia via her phone. The transcripts make it clear what’s happening “A busy motorway nearby. CELIA is asleep on grass. She starts to make slightly distressed noises as she stirs. A lorry roars past nearby and she awakes with a start.” She obviously seems frustrated upon realizing something has happened again but she realizes something as she begins to pat herself down looking for her phone or some other (most likely communication) device.

CELIA 

“(to herself) Yes! Ok, phone in the pocket works. She starts tapping the screen.”

CELIA 

“(to herself) If it had signal. She sighs in helpless frustration.”

CELIA 

“Shit.” She stretches and starts trudging off towards the motorway. 

CELIA 

“Hold on, Jack, I’m on my way.” 

Celia probably comes from or has some relation to the TMA universe but what this entire situation has to do with it, if anything, is beyond me. I don’t know who Jack is and Celia implies that this entire situation has happened before. It is once again confirmed however that whatever is listening through all the electronic devices in TMP doesn’t need said devices to have wi-fi or internet connection to be able to do so. Which was further emphasized by the fact that it was capable of listening through a tape recorder last episode.

Now that I think about it, did Celia need the phone for communication or some other thing. It’s possible that she was trying to access something like a GPS or online map to figure out where she was or where to go but it’s unclear. I can’t say if Celia implying this has happened before means she has woken up at this exact spot or random areas in general. Considering her questions to Sam about multiversal and time travel I wonder if she attempted some sort of experiment which led to her appearing in this location. Is Celia trying to get somewhere in particular? Maybe she’s trying to get back to the TMA universe or maybe she’s trying to get somewhere new?

We cut to the OIAR offices via one of the computers. I consider the interaction we witness in this scene to be another enlightening one about some of the possible dynamics at play in the OIAR workplace. Alice clearly cares strongly about Sam and they like to tease each other a lot. Sam seems a bit down about finding no clues about the Magnus Institute and Alice tries to cheer Sam up. The two talk about where Celia and Gwen are but neither knows where they are. It makes sense that they would wonder since Gwen seems like a stickler for rules and it seems weird that about half the people working in this office have disappeared with no notice. Gwen brought Sam and Celia coffee while also mentioning “I’ve got a mocha for Celia and I was really looking forward to pretending I “accidentally” forgot to order Gwen anything.” Once again, highlighting how antagonistic their relationship is and how Alice can go beyond just simple teasing and towards just being outright hostile or mean toward Gwen.

Alice seems extremely nervous and mentions “ just… I dunno. When I left the coffee shop, it felt like someone was following me.” Sam jokes “Sounds like maybe you were more bothered by that “soggy ruin” than you admit.” but Alice asks him not to joke about it, which shows that she’s extremely rattled. This level of fear from being watched sort of parallels the Institute in TMA with how Jon was scared from a feeling of being watched in the Institute. In MAG 39 (Infestation) Jon says “Because I’m scared, Martin!. Because when I record these statements it feels… it feels like I’m being watched.” However, it’s clear that what Alice is probably feeling is related to whatever escaped from the Institute in the last episode. I wonder if that being is somehow connected to The Eye. It is an Entity connected to both the fear of being watched and even followed or stalked. Not to mention the creature came from the Institute, a faction that was at least aligned with The Eye in TMA.

However, there’s an argument that this could just as easily be something related to The Spiral, Stranger, Hunt, or some other Entity entirely. The Institute had dealings with all kinds of Entities, not just The Eye. The most obvious example of this is their Artifact Storage, which collected objects connected to various Entities. So it’s possible this is some other Entity’s Monster or Avatar that was being sealed and / or researched. Considering all the alchemical undertones I even have to wonder if it’s some sort of artificial creation like some kind of homunculus.

Sam offers to walk with Alice home, to which she appreciates, and they get to work categorizing their statements. We follow the statement that Sam is listening to as exposited by CHESTER.

This statement comes from emails being sent from Gordon J to Alison Leshi regarding “Padstow civil cemetery exhumations.” In case you don’t know, an exhumation is “the action of digging up something buried, especially a corpse.” Gordon starts off by explaining to Alison that everything is going as planned, despite the sudden cold snap, due to proper planning. He also says “We also did some load testing of the ground near the cliff edge, and it looks like there’s only a few graves where the erosion means we won’t be able to use the Bobcat, and that’s few enough that my boys can do that by hand.” The first few days of this project have gone smoothly and David, their medical examiner, seems happy with their precautions.

Gordon mentions “with all the precautions we’re taking, and while we’ve certainly had our fair share of lookie-loos, there’s not been any sign of the protestors you were so concerned about stirring up. I guess it helps that no-one’s been buried here for over a hundred years, so it’s not like we’re pulling up granddad. The sailors sleeping here haven’t seen mourners since Queen Vic.” I think Gordon raising the possibility that there could be protestors is interesting. I wonder if it’s simply the fact that people might be upset at the destruction of these graves or if there’s some other reason? For example, someone might see it as an important historical site or maybe they view this project as harming the environment in some way? If you want a more supernatural reason, it could be that someone is afraid that disturbing the site could anger someone / something?

Gordon gets more personal and talks about how this job means a lot to them. They say “I know we can’t have been the cheapest company to put in a bid, but as local lads we’ve been coming to this graveyard all our lives (even if just to sneak some booze as stupid teenagers), and now that the cliff’s finally giving up the ghost (if you’ll pardon the pun), it feels right for us to be the ones taking it apart.” I looked up the phrase “giving up the ghost” and it seems like it can refer to “to stop trying to do something because you know that you will not succeed.”

Gordon says they’ll get back to Alison when the job is done but they send an email earlier than expected due to some unforeseen circumstances, and apparently David told Gordon to update Alison on the circumstances despite the fact that Gordon thinks it shouldn’t throw off their current schedule. They encountered some human remains that seem like they are in quite good condition. “...for context, the containers they’re buried in are of really varied quality. I’d say just under half were buried in decent coffins that are still in good enough shape to remove and transport unopened. For others though, the wood has rotted to the point where it’s pretty much impossible to keep the boxes together and some were just wrapped in oil cloth. This means we’re seeing, touching and moving a lot of human remains directly. Don’t worry, this isn’t about a health and safety thing – we have all the right gear and David’s making sure we follow procedure. It’s just that one of the graves had a body in that was too well-preserved for the age it should have been. Or at least, most of the skin was in extremely good condition. The back was completely covered in this complicated tattoo of a ship sailing across an open sea towards an open horizon. It was really impressive.” Take note of the tattoo since this isn’t the first time we’ve encountered a complex and very visually impressive tattoo in TMP and it’s going to come up again in this very episode.

David says that they need a second opinion and some tests since if the bodies have been buried more recently than 1908 it would mean that the cemetery is technically a crime scene for legal reasons. Gordon also mentions that the graves have been getting to him with “I’ll be honest though, I’m glad of the break. Taking up all these graves is starting to get to me a bit. I almost feel sorry for doing it. The waves are so close and getting closer. If I were a sailor buried here, I’d take some comfort in that. As you can see I’m getting morbid. Short break will do us all some good I think. Will update you when I hear word.” These feelings seem like they could relate to either The Vast, The Buried, or The End with the themes of coffins and being buried in a grave potentially tying into The Buried or End but the vast ocean possibly connecting to The Vast. But let’s keep going.

David starts acting weird and Gordon asks Alison to give David a nudge for the sake of the project. “He’s still working on that body we found and he’s stopped responding to my emails. I got him on the phone, but to be honest he doesn’t sound like he’s in any real rush to complete the job and while he’s worrying about salt water and tattoos, we’re out here sat on our hands and I’m paying the lads by the day. It’s almost enough to make you dream of sailing away for real. Like that poor fella’s tattoo. Saying that, I had another look at the photos David attached and I’m starting to think I might have been wrong about it. When I first looked, I thought it was hopeful, a crew sailing towards the sunrise. But looking again, the sun is lower than I thought, and there’s a shape in the water behind the ship. I think they’re being chased by something. Creepy eh?” So Gordon’s dream of sailing away could potentially point to The Lonely, especially given that the Entity also has a connection to the ocean and ships with Peter Lukas and the Tundra, but the whole being chased could relate to The Hunt. While Entities do chase things all the time I could see the fear of sharks or some large sea creature attempting to chase you as potentially relating to The Hunt. However, it could also potentially relate to The Vast with the idea of something massive lurking in the water, like a kraken or whale. There’s also an argument for something like The Dark with something emerging in the night as the sun sets. Well, assuming that the sun in the tattoo is setting and not rising.

And here’s where the tattoo thing comes up again. Gordon says “Oh, and speaking of tattoos, you remember you wanted an update on local sentiment about the move? Well, I don’t know if this counts as resistance – hell, I don’t even know if they’re local – but there’s someone started poking around the site asking questions. Big snake tattoo up their arm and a bunch of other ink. Wouldn’t give their name, but claims to be a big deal “online”. Don’t really know what that means, but they’ve been asking questions about the body.” The person with the “big snake tattoo” up their arm has a description that almost perfectly matches Ink5 from episode 2 (Making Adjustments). When Daria describes Ink5oul (Pronounced Inksoul) she notes that they had “an absolutely gorgeous floral serpent design running up their arm and into their neck that was so vivid it looked ready to slither off their skin and onto the chair.” It’s clear that Ink5 probably has an interest in tattoos, like the one Gordon saw on the body. This person also mentions that they are a big deal online, which would be true if this is Ink5 since we know that Ink5 is a famous tattoo artist online and even does streams. This could even explain why the person in question didn’t give their name since if it was Ink5 we are only aware of their online username. Gordon even mentions that Ink5 said “...the tattoo is an “Oscar Jarrett”, and that’s a big deal to some folks in that community – something to with Sutherland Macdonald whoever that is. Dunno if that’s quite what you were worried about but thought you’d want to know.”

`I did some light research and Oscar Jarrett doesn’t seem like a style or type of tattoo. Which points to the idea that Oscar is a person. Considering all the tattoos we are saying Oscar might be comparable to Smirke in some ways. In the sense that in the same way there was special Smirkean architecture there could be special Jarettian tattoos if that makes any sense. Tattoos that are designed to have supernatural effects of some kind. It’s also possible that Oscar simply learned and taught some kind of supernatural technique, kind of like the techniques that The Boneturner’s Tale could grant someone in TMA or how Martin sort of ended up learning how to “disappear” by following Peter Lukas’ attempt to connect him to The Lonely. Oscar Jarrett and Ink5 are definitely people to look out for in the future. Sutherland Macdonald surprisingly did yield actual search results. He is apparently “a prominent English tattoo artist in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and the first tattooist in Britain with an identifiable premises open to the public.” This makes Sutherland notable for the same reason someone like Smirke might have been in TMA. A historical figure who somehow learned and / or spread knowledge about the Entities. Again, it’s possible that there are Macdonald style tattoos in the same way there is Smirke style architecture. It could also be that the Oscar Ink5 is referring to is in fact the body with the tattoo that Gordon found and Gordon just doesn’t know what they are referring to. It could also be that there are multiple tattoo artists or Oscar is some student or follower of Sutherland in the same way people like Jonah, Maxwell Rayner, and Mordechai Lukas all had a connection to Smirke via being students or associates. In some characters even explicitly got the idea of possible rituals from Smirke and his research, despite the fact that most weren’t concerned with Smirke’s ideals of balancing the Powers.

Gordon considers calling the police on Ink5 due to how much the tattoo artist seems to be creeping Gordon and their team out but Gordon decides not to as to avoid potential backlash from the public. Gordon’s next email involves him giving condolences in regards to David, which implies that the reason he was taking so long with the reports was due to an untimely death at some point. I wonder if David’s death was related to something he came across on the bodies? It could be that there was some artifact or one of the bodies was actually alive? It could also be that if something is indeed up with the tattoos then the tattoos themselves may have had some sort of effect on David? Did Ink5 kill David? Was David the person Mr. Bonzo was sent to target in order to create some sort of opening for Ink5?

Gordon apologizes for the perceived unprofessionalism and says “My thoughts and opinions on maritime matters will no longer be included in my emails. In addition, I should be most grateful if you could see fit to provide myself with appropriate authorisations to contact the medical examiner’s offices to follow up with the cadaver that has been causing such consternation.” Based on Gordon’s next email it seems like Alison thought Gordon was making fun of them or acting condescending since Gordie states “Look, I was not “making fun of you” but I’m not sure what you want. I’m emailing an employer about my work and am getting accused of my emails being “unprofessional”. That’s the best I can manage. I haven’t been sleeping much recently. Weird dreams. Shapes in the water and that. And before you say that it’s “unprofessional” to tell you that I’m just giving an explanation, That’s all. I need you to contact the examiner again, he’s dragging his feet. Besides, I want to see the body again. I dug him up, he’s my responsibility. I just need to see it. I need to know what’s in the water.” Considering the possible change in behavior I wonder if Alison encountered something that made them scared and afraid of people not taking them seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alison and / or David get their own statements in the future.

Gordon also mentions a lack of sleep due to “Weird dreams. Shapes in the water and that.” and also mentions “Besides, I want to see the body again. I dug him up, he’s my responsibility. I just need to see it. I need to know what’s in the water.” This desire to know and see something actually parallels an Entity like The Eye. The Eye, as I end up saying in every article, isn’t merely the fear of being watched but also being the watcher or seeing something you don’t want to. In MAG 200 The Eye is mentioned as having been born from the fear of one’s eyes showing them too much, and Gertrude mentions that The Eye is connected to a desire to know and understand even if in trying to do so you get hurt in the process. These themes also explain why Jonah can force information into the heads of people like Melanie and Martin. It’s the idea of knowing too much or being forced to witness things. Due to this The Eye also has a connection to, and tendency for cultivating, curiosity. Jonah mentions doing so to Jon with certain statements and we know he purposefully left files and information out to stoke Rosie’s more “nosy” personality traits. The Institute itself also sort of acts like bait for The Eye by attracting people looking for answers or closure via the information in its Archives or statements. Jon can also force people to give statements and thus make them relive and recount terrible events so that he can listen to them.

I’m bringing this up now because while I don’t think that what Gordon is going through is connected to The Eye the themes I am talking about will come up later anyway. Entities like The Eye also like to try to prey on the curiosity of people. I’m not saying Gordon is unjustified in being curious (even if I do find some of the behavior obviously strange) but that certain Entities have a precedent for preying on certain emotions or behaviors (like the desire to chase for The Hunt or anger for The Slaughter. No matter how justified that behavior may or may not be doesn’t always matter). You could also potentially relate some other parts of the statement to themes of The Eye. Most notably, the fear that protestors or other people might be observing the dig site, and the fear of being judged by the public. You could even point to Gordon sharing “too much” info to Alison with all the weird thoughts he’s having. Well, Alison seems to not like it, I’m not trying to say Gordon is crossing any sort of technical line or is even unjustified.

Gordon’s next email is titled “Examiner’s office break in” and Gordon insists that it was not him who broke into the examiner’s office and that Ink5 did it. “I saw them hanging around the office when I was waiting. Waiting so long just to see it, just to know what’s in the water. And they took it. They think they’re smart, but I saw them I know where they’re staying and if they think they deserve it they’re wrong. It belongs to the deep. I’m going to go get it and I’m going to find it and if they try and stop me I swear the ocean will claim us all. I can taste the salt and spray. It’s waiting in the water.” Once again a desire to know what’s in the water and the fact that Gordon is defensive of the idea that they might have broken into the office shows that Gordon is afraid what they said earlier about wanting to obtain the bodies might paint them as a suspect. The statement ends with

To: Alison Leshi ([email protected]) 

From: Gordon J ([email protected]) 

Date: January 20th 2020. 

Subject: Re: Re: Examiner’s office 

break-in 

There was a problem delivering your 

message to “[email protected]”

This email address is no longer in 

service.

This statement is a little interesting because it feels like a lot of the stuff is more passive or in the background. For example, while Gordon is perturbed, Ink5 doesn’t attack or tattoo them directly. Gordon’s thoughts and feelings about the water could connect to various Entities. Most notably, all the water stuff could connect to the Vast, Buried, or Lonely. All 3 of these Entities have a notable connection to either water or the ocean. The Vast via the fear of large things with the immensity of the ocean as well as the things the could be in it, The Buried with the feeling of drowning or being trapped / crushed underwater, and The Lonely via boating and how isolated being alone on the open ocean can make you. Gordon’s desire to sail away could relate to The Lonely or The Vast while his comment about wanting to be Buried in the graveyard could be connected to well… The Buried. Not to mention his desire to put the supposed corpse back where it belongs, in the grave, could also relate to The Buried.

If I had to pick the most likely Entities here I would argue The Buried and Vast. If I had to chose between the two I would have to say the Buried. The Vast does have an emphasis on the depp ocean, and Simon Fairchild even attempted to perform a ritual using a submarine and the deep ocean, but Gordon’s desire to bury the bodies seems at least somewhat similar to Hezekiah Wakely in MAG 152 (A Gravedigger’s Entity) and his desire to make sure that people stay in their graves. In the statement Hezekiah mentions “To my mind there are far worse fates. But he has in his head an idea to begin fitting the graves I dig with these new “safety bells” that he has heard of, so that any as might be alive below ground might signal us above for rescue. I dread the idea. If it had been me in that coffin, destined for the peace below ground, I can think of little that I would hate more than the jarring, clanging of a bell pulling me from my rest.” and he also mentions weird dreams with “I had a dream, then. I dreamt a rain had come. A terrible bitter rain that chilled my bones and turned the soil around me dark and sodden. The walls grew damp and slippery, their firm shape lost as they began to slip and crumble. And then all at once they collapsed, the grave filling in a moment with a wave of mud and wet dirt. In a single terrible moment of utter terror, it was atop and around me, covering my face and filling my lungs with its awful choking sod.”

While the emphasis on the deep could easily relate to The Vast, one of The Buried’s nicknames is actually “Forever Deep Below.” So someone referring The Buried as “The Deep” or something similar would not be without precedent, especially given its connection to drowning, being trapped underwater, and deep water in general. Gordon also says “It belongs to the deep. I’m going to go get it and I’m going to find it and if they try and stop me I swear the ocean will claim us all. I can taste the salt and spray.” which could imply that in a way they believe the ocean will bury everything. You could easily relate some of this to The Vast with the idea that the ocean has existed longer and will outlast the erosion of the land.

One part I actually really liked in TMA, despite how little it came up overall, is all the different names people would use to refer to the same Entity(s). So I wonder if, assuming the existing Entities are around in some capacity, Entities like The Buried will be referred to with different names in the Protocol universe. It wouldn’t surprise me if people started referring to an Entity like The Buried as “The Deep” for example due to the idea of being trapped deep underground or in the ocean.

Like always, there are some overlapping themes that seem similar to other Entities. The tattoo possibly depicting sailors getting chased could relate to The Hunt, I already mentioned some possibilities with The Eye, and the emphasis on graves, and dead bodies could parallel The End.

Ink5's appearance in this statement is forcing me to consider some things. I maintain that the statement in episode 2 screams “This is The Flesh”, or at least something similar to that Entity, and I believed Ink5 to be connected to The Flesh. But I remember someone also raising the idea that the effects of Ink5 tattoos could vary, which I considered a very likely possibility since Ink5 doesn’t start tattooing until they are inspired by Daria mentioning that they are an artist. Implying that Ink5 was working off of inspiration and what they make and potentially even the effects of the tattoos could vary from person to person. If this is true that could mean Ink5 is more like Smirke and isn’t directly connected to (or loyal to) a single Entity, or Ink5 could be connected to multiple Entities somehow. Maybe the specific tattoo they gave Daria was connected to The Flesh in the same way Smirke’s architecture was connected to the Entities in a way Smirke himself wasn’t always. It’s still very possible that Ink5 somehow is connected to The Flesh but is also capable of interacting with aspects of other Entities somehow.

We cut back to the OIAR office and Sam also notices the topic of tattoos having come up again and asks Alice if there is a way to cross reference cases.

ALICE 

“And? You already know the page to check the scores.”

SAM 

“Yeah… but I just thought it might be worth noting somewhere that they might be linked. There’s this tattooist, and I think they might be”

ALICE 

“What have I told you about thinking?”

SAM 

“Don’t?” 

ALICE 

“That’s right.” Alice sighs.

ALICE 

“(cont.) I don’t think there’s any way to mark cases as connected. They all come in standalone, that’s just how it works.”

Once again Alice’s whole “don’t think about it” vibe. I would argue the whole idea of “ignorance is bliss” and how knowing too much can hurt or scare you often relates to The Eye. I would argue that the OIAR or the computers are probably connected to The Eye, given all the statements and other stuff I mentioned previously, but I’m not saying Alice or Sam are secret Eye Avatars or something. What I'm trying to say is that The Eye likes to prey on certain behaviors, such as curiosity or a desire for answers, and Alice and Sam might have these traits. We know, for example, that Jon and Tim both ended up at the Institute because they were looking for answers about an encounter they had previously. 

Alice sighing and then proceeding to honestly indulge Sam’s question is interesting and I think is another implication that Alice is probably more curious than she lets on. Realistically, she has probably been burned from having a similar mindset to Sam or seeing someone else asking too many questions but she consistently ends up indulging Sam’s curiosity or giving honest answers anyway, instead of simply shutting it down and moving on. There have also been times where Alice is noted as listening to something in the transcripts “despite herself.” Implying that sometimes she can’t help herself or her curiosity gets the better of her.

All the cases being sent in standalone sort of parallels the Institute in TMA and how disorganized the Archives were when Jon was using them (due to Gertrude). Even in TMA the statements would sometimes have recurring characters but they weren’t organized by topic or people involved in the case. The most we tend to get about the organization system of the statements is that it’s usually just sorted by date (which could be confusing if two statements have the same date) and sometimes follow-ups on cases were performed for more info and context. So obtuse organization systems that make it harder to connect various details or events aren’t unusual for TMA.

I also once again have to wonder if Sam is being shown certain events on purpose in order to stoke his curiosity or to get him to do certain things. I find the idea that literally every statement is random to be dubious but that doesn’t mean literally every statement is handpicked. Which makes me wonder, once again, what Sam and co’s jobs are meant to accomplish. Are they just supposed to be “an archive of fear” and witness terrible events or someone someone / something doing anything with the information or statements they are given or categorize?

Gwen enters the room and she seems to be in pretty bad shape since Alice says “Christ on a peddlebike, what happened to you?” and Gwen says “(setting up at her desk) Tube was delayed. Points failure.” Gwen also mentions that she had trouble sleeping, but Alice doesn’t seem to waste any time making fun of Gwen despite Gwen’s sorry state. Alice doesn’t seem to spare Gwen any of the concern she has shown characters like Sam and Colin. Sam tries to get Alice to ease up on Gwen but Alice doesn’t seem to let off the ribbing. Gwen eventually notices the third coffee Alice had gotten for Celia but mistakenly assumes that the third cup of coffee was for her.

GWEN 

“(cont’d) (surprised) Hang on, did you get me a coffee?” 

ALICE 

“Uhh… 

SAM 

“Yeah. You like mocha?” 

GWEN 

“Yes. She takes the coffee carefully.’ 

GWEN 

“Thank you, Alice.’ 

ALICE 

“I… Sure. Whatever. Don’t get used to it. A slightly awkward silence.’

This interaction makes me wonder about some of the aspects of their relationship. Celia bursts into the room and Gwen grills her for being late (despite the irony of Gwen herself running late).

CELIA

“Sorry, sorry! I know, I know – there was an emergency at home I had to I’m sorry I’m late!”

GWEN

“Do you have any idea what the time is?”

ALICE

“I’m sorry, are you joking right now?”

GWEN

“I have responsibilities now, Alice. I need more of an explanation than just a “home emergency”.”

ALICE

“You arrived literally one minute ago!”

GWEN

“And I gave a full explanation for my lateness. Which, I might add, I didn’t actually need to do for a subordinate.’

CELIA

“It’s fine really’

ALICE

“No, it’s not. You don’t owe her anything! In fact, you should take her coffee as reparation.’

CELIA

“One of my radiators sprung a leak and flooded the lounge.’

GWEN

“I see. Well that’s understandable but don’t let’s make a habit of it shall we?”

CELIA

“Of course.’

GWEN

“See, that wasn’t so painful, was it Alice?’

Alice takes a breath for a devastating putdown.

SAM

“Let it go.”

ALICE 

exhales and sips her coffee instead.

GWEN

“Luckily, I don’t think Lena’s noticed, so you should be ok. She’s not as laid back as I am.”

Alice chokes a little.

CELIA

“Good to know.”

GWEN

“Great, well if that’s everything you all really should get to work otherwise you’ll never get out of here. Don’t let me keep you.”

ALICE

“(muttered) I’d like to see you try…”

GWEN

“(already departing) I’ll be in Lena’s office if you need me. She walks off.”

CELIA

“You ok, Alice? It honestly doesn’t bother me.”

ALICE

“I can’t believe she drank your mocha!”

So it kind of seems like Gwen is immediately letting her new promotion go to her head a bit and has already taken the role of a stern boss. However, based on Gwen’s reaction when talking with Lena later and how shaken she is from Mr. Bonzo, it’s very likely that this is Gwen’s way of coping or trying to deal with stress and fear (not that it’s at all healthy). Gwen’s behavior seems to rub Alice the wrong way, especially since it easily comes off as hypocritical since Gwen was also running late. The only difference being that Gwen is now Celia’s superior. This whole situation makes me wonder if any particular person is specifically at fault for Gwen and Alice’s sour relationship. Sure, Alice does come off as extremely mean to Gwen but I wonder if Gwen did something in particular, tried to strong arm Alice, or something else.

Gwen does appreciate the hypothetical gesture of Alice buying her coffee and it’s weird that despite all their bickering Gwen seems to immediately assume that the fact the coffee is for her and from Alice is a likely possibility. I wonder if Gwen has a different view of their relationship or just doesn’t care? In a previous episode Gwen mentions that Alice left “talkers” on to mess with her but I wonder if Alice simply left the statements running so she wouldn’t have to listen to the voices talking and Gwen merely assumed it had to do with her. This could point to the possibility that Gwen has a bad habit of assuming things are about her sometimes or even being a bit self-centered but I’m not sure. It is still possible Alice did in fact leave talkers to mess with her. I wonder if they had a more amicable relationship in the past? I also if Gwen does genuinely think of herself as being more lenient or forgiving than Lena and, by extension, sees herself as tossing Celia a bone.

Gwen leaves the others to their work and goes to talk with Lena. Gwen is clearly upset by her encounter with Mr. Bonzo. Gwen insists that the thing she saw couldn’t have been Mr. Bonzo because Bonzo is just a character played by a guy in a suit. Not to mention that the Mr. Bonzo at Nigel’s house apparently had skin, and appeared both sagging and sweaty. Lena assures Gwen that this was in fact Mr. Bonzo by saying “...He is one of our Externals” and “I’ll grant you that Mr. Bonzo is one of our more… obviously grotesque Externals but I assure he is a valued asset.” This implies that not all the Externals the OIAR works with are as monstrous as Mr. Bonzo. Which could mean that the organization works with various Avatars and Monsters, or at least some of the Monsters they do work with are more humanoid (similar to how the Distortion took on the appearance and personalities of people like Michael and Helen).

GWEN

I thought he was going to kill me!

LENA

“But he didn’t, which means you’ve passed the first part of your probation. Congratulations. Did you scream?”

GWEN

“What? No!”

LENA

“You should. It really helps one cope with the more affronting aspects of the job. And they usually like it.”

GWEN

“What was in that envelope I gave him?”

LENA

“A name and an address.”

GWEN

“But for who?”

LENA

“I’m sure you’ve already worked that out. But just in case you haven’t, keep an eye on the case loads over the next few days. It should become abundantly clear.”

GWEN

“I don’t understand.”

LENA

“Yes, you do.”

GWEN

“But… why?”

LENA

““Why” comes later. For now, it’s best you try to process the “what”. I’ll let you know when I have another liaison assignment for you.”

GWEN

“(defeated) I… Ok.”

Gwen opens the door.

LENA

“Oh, and Gwen?”

GWEN

“Yes?”

LENA

“Get some sleep. You look dreadful. Gwen closes the door.”

So here, Lena outright admits that Gwen could’ve died. Last episode I wondered if Nigel apologized to Gwen in case Gwen ended up hurt or killed. Lena’s comment about screaming confirms once again that the Entities are probably still feeding off of fear. We know from TMA that while a lack of fear can keep you safe, displaying fear only for it to wane overtime can cause the Entities followers or monsters to get bored or unsatisfied and just attack you directly if they know that doing so will make you scared.

The fact that Lena says that Gwen should know who’s address and name was in the letter given to Bonzo makes me wonder. It’s possible Lena knows that Gwen simply checked the letter out of curiosity or came across some statement with clues. It’s also possible that at least some of the statements the OIAR gets are somehow related to the organization’s Externals. Lena even says “I’m sure you’ve already worked that out. But just in case you haven’t, keep an eye on the case loads over the next few days. It should become abundantly clear.” Which could imply that at least some of the statements Gwen and her coworkers (I mean subordinates) sift through could have to do with the OIAR’s externals. Maybe it’s the OIAR’s way of following up on their agents or checking the results of their assignments? Or maybe it’s how the OIAR decides where and when to send their Externals? It could also just be The Eye feeding off of the fear present in statements again (something we know it’s prone to do). It could be that the Externals do their job and The Eye or some other Entity squeezes some extra fear out of what they do by archiving things related to the job. Is the OIAR working with others to try to start another mass ritual, or is it trying to stop possible rituals? Maybe their goal has something to do with some of the alchemical symbols present in TMP (such as the logo)?

Lena comes off as extremely cold in this interaction and it’s clear that Lena’s earlier assessment of Gwen might be right, Gwen is not at all prepared for this and doesn’t exactly know what she’s getting into. But this also makes me wonder what happened to the previous Externals Liaison. Did they die? Did they get promoted / demoted? Are there other Liaisons Gwen hasn’t met yet? If there aren’t who was communicating with things like Mr. Bonzo before Gwen took the position? Was Lena just delivering the letters herself? As always, there’s a lot of questions.

Conclusion

There’s a lot of stuff up in the air but currently whatever is going on with the Externals has grabbed my curiosity the most. Mostly in regards to what they could be doing and why. Is Ink5 an External? Was Mr. Bonzo sent to take care of David to make an opening for Ink5 or was Mr. Bonzo sent somewhere else that will show up in a later statement? Most of the stuff I say are possibilities I’m raising but my current guesses about what’s going on are 1. Smirke’s 14 is still around in some capacity (The Extinction could be too, but there’s no evidence one way or the other for that Entity being around) and these Entities are probably the same ones from TMA (if not they are extraordinarily similar) 2. Celia is probably from the TMA universe or at least has some connection to it 3. The OIAR is probably connected to an Entity like The Eye 4. For whatever reason the OIAR (and potentially other parts of the government) are working with various factions tied to the Entities. Whether they are using these monsters and people to fight more dangerous threats or for some other reason I cannot say. Maybe they are trying to set up a new ritual where all the Entities hold equal power? Or maybe they are actually trying to stop future rituals / threats? Who knows.

#TMA #TMAGP #The Magnus Archives #The Magnus Protocol #Theory

[cas-backwards-tie]

Chapter One: In the Dead of Night

Vladimir Makarov x Reader

The Long Road Masterlist

Summary: Soon after your fiance's murder you find yourself diving face first into enacting a plan to avenge his death. Regardless of your friend's approval, your wellbeing, livelihood, or future, you find yourself in it for the long-con.

Words: 2.2k

Warnings: Violence, Guns, Death, Major MW3 Spoiler, Main Character Death, Grief, Loss, Angst, Anger, Hatred, Revenge, Dark Themes,

A/N: This is... sooooo self-indulgent and utterly crack, tbh. I'd thought it up a while ago and keep thinking about it. I kept trying to think of a way to make it realistic, but... I just feel like there is no way of doing that, so I'm just gonna write it. However it goes, it goes. Also fyi I am using google translate so I really hope it's coming out okay. I do speak Russian, but only Duolingo tiny bit. divider by @saradika

You were prepared for this, you knew it was bound to happen one day, you just didn't know when that day would be. It only looks like, now, it's finally come. As you sit at the counter, stirring the bowl of oatmeal you'd just made and are trying your best to get to cool down, you can't help but think about the man currently in the other room.

You'd expected an entrance something akin to that of a Mission Impossible movie: a loud boom, doors knocked down, guns blazing, venomous words shouted in a language you've hardly begun to understand despite the tedious month of learning to the best of your abilities. Thunder cracks in the distance, rattling the windowpane in the next room; you don't know when the heavy downpour started, but it hasn't given any sign of yield since his arrival only a half hour ago now. Part of you can't help but think back to the myths and legends your husband... husband--your fiance--you remind yourself, mentally scolding as this isn't the first, and you doubt it's the last time you're going to mentally interchange the two words. Part of you can't help but think back to the myths and legends your fiance used to tell you.

The rain reminds you of the the way the Vikings would personify the Norse Gods to Earthly elements. Sure, you know some of the comics, like Thor, and Loki... but nevertheless, with your upbringing, the heavy pounding of the rain against the tin roof and the approaching thunder only makes your thoughts drift back to him. Johnny.

What would he think? What would he do? If he knew you were here... Maybe it's the spiritual part of you that never quite left, possibly having been ingrained from your grandparents when you were younger, or an aunt, an uncle of some sort, perhaps... but you think he'd do something silly like this. Come back as a thunderstorm, manifesting himself as something so threatening and dangerous, symbolizing his distress, unhappiness, and worry for you with torrents of rain, yet trying to protect you from the beyond even with lightning. Yet, you know that's impossible, and certainly not the case. Your heart begins to ache once more as you think of him, not wanting to get caught up, again, in the overwhelming grief you hadn't fully let yourself fall into. This is for him, you remind yourself once again.

"What are you giving her?" The voice comes from the doorway, and you're not entirely surprised by the venom in his tone, albeit taken aback. While he's not loud due to the (presumably) resting woman in the next room, you know that the lack of volume doesn't mean he wouldn't yell if the situation were anywhere else.

"What do you mean? This?" You quirk an eyebrow as you continue to stir in the little additives you'd put into the oatmeal: honey, sugar, and a pinch of salt. "It's oatmeal?" You explain, the confusion obvious in your tone as you hold the bowl up a bit, angling it for him to better see. As if the man has never seen oatmeal in his life; the thought would elicit a whirlwind of laughter from you any other time, or, more accurately, if it were any other person... but this was him. Makarov.

Vladimir Makarov: Thirty-six years old; born in Moscow Russia. Commander of Konni; the ultranationalistic private 'military contractor' group.

You'd done what research you could, found what information you had access to, some you didn't. Utilized what connections, resources, and favors were owed to you. Maybe some of them did it out of pity, out of guilt, or some other sense of failure on behalf of the SAS. Regardless, you'd set your plans into action, intent on making your promise to your late fiance come true. You will kill the man before you. It won't be today. No. After all, that'd be too soon, you have to earn his trust first. Only then, after he's comfortable, and settled, will you pursue your slow and agonizing torture.

"Христос," he curses, "she said you're poisoning her," he speaks slowly, a menacing quality to his tone as he unravels the crossed arms from his chest. Anger is evident in his irises as he stalks toward you with each step, eyebrows in a thick and harsh line. "I ask again-"

"The medication? Is that what you're talking about?" You ask. Feeling your own anger continuing to effervesce in your gut, you turn to face him on the stool, sliding from the counter. While he's still a couple feet away, you have to be more than a handful of feet shorter than him. Of that, you're sure. "Because from what I've deduced so far from being here, she bribed the last caretaker to not give her the medication on the agreement that she'd get more time off!"

He shifts his weight onto his left foot, eyes widening ever so imperceptibly, yet he remains quiet, so you continue. "They gave me her medication, told me to give it to her twice a day, so I'm doing that because she's been prescribed that medication. She clearly needs it, as per her doctor's orders. So unless you think the doctor isn't right, then, that's not my problem! I, however, am not surprised if she's telling you that since she obviously didn't even want me here in the first place."

Rounding the counter, you continue about your--at this point it could be considered daily--routine. Hand grasping your cool blue glass of water, you take a few sips while silently studying him. Despite having infiltrated his life and unknowingly (to him, ethically) disposed of his mother's last caretaker, you haven't officially met your late fiance's murderer till tonight.

KILLER

Slaughterer...! You destroyed him... You took him away from me. You're the reason he's gone. All the thoughts continue to run through your head rampantly, and you can't help but turn to face the wall opposite of him. Pretending to be busy with some of the drying dishes, you try to calm yourself. Acting on impulse and emotion will get you nowhere, you know this.

A heavy sigh permeates the silence that'd fallen between you, and there are the following taps of approaching dress shoes against hardwood floors. Quickly turning to make sure he neither invades your personal space nor dares to touch you, you're met with the visage of Makarov slumped at the counter, head in his hands.

You don't speak, you don't know what to say. Silence fills the space between you. Seeing him like this is weird considering all the stories you'd heard about him. Though you suppose even the most evil of men are still that... human. "How long have you worked as a caretaker?" He suddenly questions.

"A few years," you answer, swallowing the anxiety that starts to bubble up in your throat. "I started as a nurse and thought maybe I'd become a doctor, but it was... too much for me, and... not what I wanted to do. I discovered I liked helping people better as a nurse." It's not all lies, in fact, most of it is true. The only thing that meets your admission is silence, and that fact only raises the tension building within the cottage. Wincing at the rumbling outside, the sound does nothing to help the obvious discomfort you're experiencing finally facing him in person.

"And would you say you're good at your job?" He asks, eyes slightly narrowed in questioning as he slowly raises his head from his hands. The intensity of his dark brown eyes scream hostility and a hurt you can't immediately place your fingers on. Yet despite it all you refuse to waiver underneath his gaze.

"Yes. They wouldn't send me all the way out here otherwise. Not with a case like hers, Sir," you reply.

"Then what-" he tests, pronouncing each word clearly, "would you suggest I do?" He asks. There's a slight breathiness to his voice; with the thin windows, you can't help but feel as though the torrents of northern lake air through the meadow with its water.

Eyebrow raising in response, you're honestly shocked he'd ask such a thing. You're a complete stranger! A whirlwind of emotions go through you; excitement, bewilderment, shock, curiosity... you can't get ahead of yourself. With a sigh out, you shake your head. It may come across like disappointment to him, but really, it's to clear your head and collect yourself.

"Look... it's not something anyone wants to hear, bu-"

"Tell me!" He interrupts, demanding.

"But..." you emphasize, considering you were only putting up polite pretenses for show anyhow. "Really, family members do better when they're living with the family, even with caretakers to help. Whether you can't do it because you're busy or have other priorities, I understand."

"But at the end of the day, family members usually pass more quickly estranged like this on their own in a separate house because they feel lonely and like no one comes to visit. Maybe they have no one, or maybe they feel like they have nothing to live for anymore? She said you only visit her once or twice a year, if that... and while you write letters, that sometimes isn't enough for people, unfortunately. If you really want the truth."

Finished while your spiel, you shift your weight to the other foot as you place the finished oatmeal on the tray you reserve for his Mother. While, yes, you may despise him to the end's of the Earth... his Mother didn't do anything besides give birth to him. You accepted that the night you met her. Afraid to take another sip of your water, you stand in waiting, observant as Makarov seems to silently process everything you've said, his eyes shifting back and forth for a moment.

"I'll be back," he declares before sliding from the stool and rounding the corner into the small living space his Mother used to use more frequently. Shoulders sagging, a breath leaves you that you hadn't realized you'd been holding in. Onto your nightly routine with dinner, you attempt to distract yourself from the continuous torment of thunderstorm outside, meanwhile inside you can hear urgent demands in Russian faintly from the next room. It's clear he's on the phone... but with who? His goons, of course... right? Who else? But to kill you? To background check you? Do you need to prepare to flee?

As you stir the pot of soup you've just put on the stove, you can feel yourself start to sweat and panic. In an attempt to switch gears, you finish her dinner. Oatmeal ready, medication on the tray, you grab the lemonade you two had made the day prior and pour a glass for her before getting a steady grip on the tray and taking it down the hall. With a gentle rap of your foot as best you can against the doorframe, you announce your presence.

"Привет, Как вы себя чувствуете?" You ask, knowing the word for 'hi' and having figured out early on with the help of technology to ask how she's feeling.

"лучше теперь, когда он здесь." She responds with a soft but tired smile. It's a good sign that she's sitting up and alert at this time of night too. You don't understand the first part of what she says as she's talking too fast and you also don't have your phone out to capture what she says into your real time translation app, however you can grasp the last part. 'He's here.'

Placing the tray down on her lap, you shake your head and signal behind you with a frown. A second attempt, pointing to her, you give her a thumbs up and a smiling face for a moment, and then do the opposite. With a thumbs down and a sad face, you try again. "как дела?"

With a wave of her hand, she shakes her head now with a chuckle. "хорошо," she responds, lifting the spoon. "мой Володя!"

Whipping your head around, you find him standing there leaning against the doorframe most likely having been observing the two of you. Hopefully not for long... or maybe not at all since she would've said something. "она так просто с тобой разговаривает?" He says to his Mother, walking up to the bed and into her outstretched arms for the hug she craves.

"она не очень хорошо говорит по-русски," she quietly answers, holding him tightly for a moment, rubbing his back before letting go. With a pat on the bed next to her, she looks between the two of you. "My baby," she struggles to pronounce the word, "Vladimir." A proud smile sits upon her lips for a moment as she gestures to him. He smiles at her, too, and you nod.

"Yes, да. I have met your son just briefly. But it is good to officially meet," you tell her, even if you know she doesn't understand all of it. Shifting your gaze, he meets it with animosity. "Vladimir," you repeat.

"My mother tells me you are," he repeats your name, to which you nod, "it's a pleasure to officially meet you. Now that you're both here, I have news."

"News?" The question pops out of your mouth before you can stop it.

"Yes, news. Since you're taking care of my mother, you technically work for me. What you said stuck with me. You're right-" he shifts his speaking from you to his mother. "I've been a bad son to you, Mama. ты собираешься жить со мной." Again, he shifts his focus back to you. "We have to pack. You will both live on my compound from now."

~~~~~~~~

acronyms|translations:

Христос = christ

Привет = hi

Как вы себя чувствуете = how are you feeling

лучше теперь, когда он здесь = better now that he's here.

как дела = how are you

хорошо = good / fine / ok

мой Володя = my voldoya (nickname for vladimir)

она так просто с тобой разговаривает = she speaks to you so simply

она не очень хорошо говорит по-русски = she does not speak very much Russian

да = yes

ты собираешься жить со мной = you're coming to live with me

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forever taglist: @ohdamnadam , @safarigirlsp , @jynzandtonic , @moonlightsolo

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[chaoticdelinqueerwithglitter]

I'll love you better when I'm dead

(chapter 206 from Sanzu's POV)

(tragic MuSan drabble)

(link to ao3 in case some one preferes to read it there)

First of all...I'm sorry for this (not really but yes a lot at the same time, but I did this to myself too). An evil snail shared with me this AMAZING AND BRUTAL essay on Sanzu & katana-chan and reading the last pages about Mucho, this fic happened. So first of all...

GO, READ THE ESSAY NOW!

Summary: "We are both dying here today, captain."

[or why Sanzu looses his grip]

Warnings: Manga Spoilers. Major Character Death (chapter 206, duh). Hurt/No Comfort. Like for real, comfort has been slashed with a katana and is sinking in the bottom of the ocean.

The title is from "Love you better" because I listened in a loop for two days while reading the essay and writing this.

Oh, I played with Sanzu name (again, yes) but this time doing a full Jinx, ooopsie!

(English is not my first language, so be nice please 🙈)

It’s been six months since the Kanto Incident. Six months of planning for this day, of imagining how he’s going to punish that damn traitor. Of pretending his whole body doesn’t ache at the idea of killing the only person that made him feel like he mattered.

Haruchiyo is good at that, at hiding his true feelings from the world, lying to himself as much as he needs as a way of achieving it. He’s good at rationalize the overwhelming whirlwind of emotions that threaten to flood his mind all the time. He’s used to repress the pain, keep his anxiety at bay, bury all of it next to the memories he can’t face without having the need to scream and break everything at his reach (including himself).

Six months that seem to crumble the second his captain’s eyes light up when he spots him outside the detention center.

The ride is dominated by silence, that only breaks with Muto’s simple questions about how he’s been doing during this time. Genuine concern plastered on the face he’s supposed to hate. Haruchiyo wants to laugh hysterically at this, the irony that even now the older boy is only worried about him. Instead, he just gives short answers, knowing the other won’t push his boundaries.

They are finally at the wharf and his resolve flatters for a moment, overwhelmed by a kindness that he forgot how warm it feels.

“I’ve been waiting for this day...”

Haruchiyo trails off, talking mostly to himself. His hands grip the hilt of the katana, steading his inner turmoil with the reminder of why he’s doing this. The tangible proof of his vow, of the promise that gives him purpose. Wielding it with years of practice, preparing himself to strike a fatal blow.

‘Is that it? Is that the only reason I’m doing this?’

He hesitates, consciously loosening his grip on one hand and landing a sloppy cut that buys him some precious seconds.

“You damned betrayer!”

‘Liar, you made me think I could trust you, made me feel safe, seen. How can you say you love me when you couldn’t tell your treason would rot everything we shared?’

“Sanzu...?”

Muto looks at him in shock, trying to stop the bleeding with his hand and falling on his knees. He’s the perfect image of bewilderment, like he can’t comprehend what is happening, why is happening.

“I’ve been fooling you all along.”

‘I’ve been fooling myself, pretending this never meant anything to me. Pretending you never meant anything to me.’

Haruchiyo keeps talking, winning some time in order to collect his thoughts, to understand his own feelings in order to let them go and fully put his heart on the second hit.

“Remember our conversation that day when we were playing shogi? I said it, right?”

‘Do you remember how you told me I also mattered? You made me yearn for more, you were the first person that taught me to be selfish, to listen to my own needs.’

It’s almost ironic, realizing killing Muto is a sick way of putting himself first. Realizing this is personal.

“Protecting the king is the priority. You betrayed Mikey, didn’t you?”

‘You betrayed me, didn’t you?’

He takes off his mask, the scars reminding him of his place, letting go the faint illusion it could ever be somewhere else. That it could be next to his captain. He can’t forget it again, can’t keep hiding his devotion behind his craving for affection.

A sadistic grin on his face. That’s the new mask he’s going to show to a world that will never be the same for him.

“Now it’s checkmate.”

This time the cut is fatal, slashing a lot more than flesh and bones and severing the ties between them.

‘We are both dying here today, captain.’

Somehow, Muto hears the words he never says. But his will be the only tears shed, no one else will mourn the Haruchiyo that knew genuine love.

Sanzu can’t allow himself to grieve. He can’t be weak again, these seconds that felt like ages will be the last entertaining the idea he could be more than a loyal knight to his beloved king.

He made a promise and Sanzu is willing to do anything in order to fulfill it. Even killing a part of himself forever. His weakness, the love that tempted him to break free of his sacred vow. In a twisted way, he can’t avoid thinking how fitting it feels burying it with his captain.

Haruchiyo is dead.

Only Sanzu prevails.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers spoilers #me writing🌻 #tokyo revengers fic #drabble #kanto manji timeline #bonten timeline #hurt/no comfort #comfort is not here anymore #angst #sanzu angst #sanzu haruchiyo #muto yasuhiro #musan #tragic as fuck musan #but what's new #tr chapter 206 #katana-chan is here again #canon complicit