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just-another-author-i-guess · 1 year

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Judd smut in Y/n's car? 😈

JUDD SMUT IN Y/N’S CAR !!!

Tags: fem! Reader, porn without plot, well I mean they talk like a little before they fuck, driving under the influence?, okay literally don’t do that pls idk why they did it in this fic, being low key inappropriate in front of kids, more weed smoking 🫶, judd has a HUGE HORSE COCK, he also degrades Y/n quite a bit, also like semi public sex??, it’s literally in a car, and once again very unprotected sex, PLEASE WRAP IT!!

Summary: they fuck in Y/n’s car after Judd got his taken away lmfao

Author’s note: SORRY this took me so long to write for some reason,, I hate school so much oml 😡 I was originally going to finish and post this yesterday but like then I got a bunch of unsolicited dick pics and I got scared and didn’t feel like writing smut anymore 🧍🏻🏃🏻‍♀️ anyways,, I’m back today and I’m fine, just traumatized. I love being a woman fr 💩

Judd smut in Y/n’s car

Word count; 3,9K

(smut under the cut)

Judd took a long drag of his cigarette, exhaling most of it through his nose but having the decency to turn his head slightly and exhaling the rest through the barely opened window.

He flicked the burned tip out the window as well; cinder falling down and gathering in the cracks of where the window sat in the door.

“You drive like a fucking grandma— drive faster,” He instructed.

You didn’t turn your head from the road. “I’m actually driving exactly what the speed limit allows. Fuck off. “ You grumbled.

The two of you were on the way back from one of Judd’s deals, which you were almost late to because Judd decided to leave 10 minutes behind schedule, forgetting you had to drive and refused to go too far over the speed limit. The deal itself had been pretty uninteresting; you sat in the car and watched as Judd handed the guy a plastic back and he handed your boyfriend the money.

He got his car hijacked (parentsjacked) two weeks ago, because he got caught lighting an old building on fire. You were there too, actually, too drunk and stoned to care in the moment; but because Judd could be a pretty good boyfriend at times he covered up for you.

“Yeah. Whatever. I need at least one of us to have a car.” He said, when you asked him about it.

Immediately after, you had been prompted to Judd’s personal Uber. Not to mention he had to hide most of his,, not legal substances in the trunk of your car, hence why you were now even more adamant on following traffic rules as to not get pulled over by the cops.

(Or found out by your mom, who already wasn’t a very big fan of your boyfriend)

His raccoons had also made themselves at home in your backseat, at the moment the two of you were alone in the car but often there would be a couple of them napping in the back.

Judd grumbled something in response that you didn’t quite hear, but you retorted; “Shut the fuck up. Why can’t you just act like a passenger princess, or something,”

He opened and closed his mouth, cigarette hanging on his lips. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

You smiled a little. “That’s what you are, babe. You’re my passenger princess,”

Blinking slowly, he put the cigarette out in the ashtray he had placed between the front seats and stared at you blankly. “What the hell are you talking about? You think I look like a princess?” He was baffled.

You suppressed a chuckle, and turned your head quickly to gauge his reaction. “I forgot you’re too edgy to use tiktok,” You murmured. When you opened it on your phone, he would sometimes stand behind you and glare at the screen over your shoulder, but that was all the exposure he’d had to the app.

Judd frowned. “Why don’t you pull over and I’ll show you who the real fucking princess is.” It was half a threat, but none that you took too seriously.

“Oh, yeah? You’d have to pay extra for that, Uber drivers don’t normally fuck their costumers.” You answered coyly, but he didn’t find your quip nearly as funny as you did. You turned back to the road, making sure you weren’t about to run into any middle schoolers as you neared Bridgeton Middle School. Judd didn’t say anything– but you felt his large hand slither up your leg, enclosing around your thigh and squeezing the fat there softly.

He looked out the window to his side, refusing to grant you attention while he continued to massage your thigh; and glaring as you pulled into the parking lot. Judd had convinced you to skip school that day, so you could drive him to his stupid deal and you could smoke and get McDonald’s after. The first part of his plan went without a hitch, until you got incredibly high-horny and you ended up fucking in the bathroom at McDonald’s as well. Unfortunately, you had to leave sooner than intended; in a daze and desperate to sober up before you went and picked Jessi up from school. Coincidentally Nick as well, since, you know, Judd's parents took his car.

You parked and turned to Judd, crawling half over to his seat and forcing him to look at you. His glare lessened as he stared at your grinning face so close to his; leaning in. You kissed him softly once, then twice, then three times, giggling and pulling away whenever he chased you. He growled and the hand on your thigh went to your waist, he pulled you in and was just about to kiss you properly, forcefully and roughly when a series of knocks came to your window.

It was Jessi and Nick. You averted your head and let Judd kiss your cheek instead, gently pushing him back as you sat back down in your seat. You motioned for the two to come in.

Jessi opened the door, and allowed Nick to crawl inside first. “It smells like weed and junkfood in here.” She commented, a slight question in her statement as she crawled in, too, and closed the door behind her.

You turned your body halfway in your seat, coming to face her. “Sure.” You ignored her comment. “Had a good day at school?”

Both her and Nick nodded reluctantly. “Yeah. Can you help me with some maths-stuff later?” She asked and you wrinkled your nose; Maths was not something you were particularly good at, but you nodded and agreed to help her anyways.

Judd’s hand returned to your thigh and you glanced at him– he was staring blankly at the kids, but he met your eyes with raised eyebrows, indicating he wanted something from you. You hummed. “Hey, Jessi, how about hanging out at Nick’s house for a while?” You looked to Nick, who flushed slightly and nodded in agreement.

Jessi’s mouth tightened as she looked at Nick, and then you. She new that when you asked her that, you really meant; “Hey, Jessi, it would be more convenient for me to drive straight to Judd’s house so we can fuck.”

“C’mon Jessi, we can watch a movie or something,” Nick added hopefully. You smiled, a bit tightly as you looked at Jessi and she reluctantly uncrossed her arms and agreed. “Okay, fine. But can we do that stupid biology assignment together then, instead?”

Nick agreed happily, and the two quickly got a rather animated conversation started. You drove out of the parking lot, Judd’s hand increasing in height on your thigh till he was toying with the hem of your skirt. You flushed, gently pushing his hand down a couple times so Jessi and Nick wouldn’t see, but it ultimately was a losing battle.

The two’s conversation turned to background noise as you drove towards your destination, as fast as you could; now way faster than the speed limit allowed. Judd’s incessant caress of your thigh made your heart beat so much faster and your finger’s grip the steering wheel so much tighter— you could feel him staring hungrily at you the whole time too, seizing you up with that small twitch of his lips that meant he was going to fuck you till your legs were jelly.

‘Step on that goddamn speeder, sugar! Look how he’s eyeing you.. like a big, hungry wolf,’ Connie’s claws locked around the back of your seat, and she moaned when his nails slightly scratched at your fishnets; lifting them and making them slap against your thigh.

You gasped, and sent him a glare that bordered on a sultry pout. “I can’t,” you muttered to Connie. “I’ll actually run someone over if I go any faster,”

Your monstress shook the seat harder. ‘They won’t mind giving up their life for some sweet, sweet lovemaking baby~’ She purred and you glanced at her briefly, with a scandalised expression.

“I really don’t think you should be saying stuff like that,” You retorted, focused on evening out your breathing from the slow teasing of Judd’s warm hand. Then he leaned in, squeezing your thigh in a death grip and placed a long, slow kiss under your jaw

“You changed your mind about fucking your Uber costumer yet?” He drawled, deep voice dragging a whispering growl all the way up your spine.

You shivered. “I think I have,” you breathed back and felt him smile triumphantly against your neck.

He cackled darkly. “Good. You better drop the fucking attitude,” Then, he snapped your fishnets again, watching as thin, red lines appeared on your thigh.

Connie moaned loudly again, fanning her hands in front of her face before dramatically laying down on the floor of the car, between the front and back seats.

“Ew. Can you two not?” That time it was Nick speaking, arms crossed over his chest.

Jessi nodded in agreement; her gaze was locked on where Judd was touching your thigh, burning into you. Your boyfriend in question slowly retreated his hand, half turning in his seat to glare dissatisfied at your two passengers.

Nick shifted uncomfortably and whatever insult he had died on his tongue. “What? Are you fucking jealous or something?” He sneered.

The younger shrugged and looked away. “No.”

Judd grunted, gravely and deeply. “It’s not my fault you can’t get your little prick wet,” He wiggled his pinky finger for emphasis.

You failed to hold back a giggle and gently slapped his arm. “Don’t tell thirteen-year-olds to have sex, you ass,” You scolded, halfheartedly through and smiled as you came to a stop in front of the birch house.

“Okay, get out you two!” You called over your shoulder. “We’ll be right in— I’m just gonna park.” You bluffed, and didn’t miss the way Jessi rolled her eyes at you as she slammed the car door behind her.

Connie rose from the floor to sit in the middle seat in the back. ‘Yeah, park Judd’s dick right in your pussy!’ She drawled, making obscene gestures with her hands.

Judd was quick to point you to a nearby parking spot, concealed a bit by a willow tree with low-hanging branches. As soon as you were parked, you unbuckled your seatbelt and Judd was reaching for you.

He pulled you to him by your waist— settling you down over his lap, straddling him. You whimpered as you felt him against you, already straining in his pants. He grabbed greedy handfuls of your ass with one hand, having the other settle on the back of your neck and pulling your hair. He held your head in an iron grip, making sure you wouldn’t avoid his kiss this time around.

Then, he kissed you. Roughly, deeply, tongue invading your mouth almost instantly. You mewled as he bit your lower lip, arms wrapped around his neck and fingers gently pulling on the short hairs at the back of his head.

You were already moving your hips, without thinking about it and he wasted no time in aiding you; thrusting upwards while holding your hips down and helping you rock back and forth.

You were already quite sensitive from your earlier rough fuck in the McDonald’s bathroom, your clit swelled and started twitching almost instantly. The rough drag of denim on your panties was almost too much, but the sloshing of warmth in your lower belly kept you going— rutting yourself harder against him.

He moved from your lips, you let out a soft, whiny sigh. “You wanted it that bad, huh? You’re already so fuck-drunk,” He commented, that wicked smile pulling at his lips. He squeezed your asscheek hard. “Up.” He instructed, and shakily, you lifted yourself up to stand on your knees instead of sitting on him.

You held his shoulders for support, definitely not expecting him to bring both his hands under your skirt and roughly ripping your fishnets apart right under your pussy. He let them rip all the way down your thighs and you looked at him wide-eyed.

“I’ll get you new ones, baby.” He grinned, a bit coyly as he pushed your panties aside. His cold fingers gently brushed your folds and you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about your ruined tights. Your breathing hitched and you desperately bucked your hips, trying to get him to touch you further.

His other hand returned to your hip, to hold it in place and keep you from rutting yourself against his fingers. He gave a warning growl, brows drawing together as he concentrated on the task at hand. He teased your folds apart with his pointer, feeling how warm and wet you already were. You were pulsing, almost, starting to clench before his fingers even entered.

“Judd—“ You moaned. “Do— do something.” You pleaded with him.

Connie was going crazy behind you as well, both her and Maury were sitting in the backseat contributing to an animated conversation. Your monstress shook Maury by the shoulders, yelling at him to get Judd to do anything.

‘C’mon! Fist her already!’ Maury roared, kicking the seat you and Judd were sitting on.

Your boyfriend inhaled sharply, pressing his thumb to your swollen bud— forcing a breathy, drawn out whine out of you. He retaliated by pressing down harder, slowly moving his thumb in a circle that had you desperately bucking into his hand.

He could feel your warmth leaking, wetness gathering and threatening to fall before he finally, finally gave in and shoved a finger into you. He looked at you, drinking in your expression as he burrowed one, long finger into your cunt.

Connie cheered and you cried out Judd’s name. He made a ‘come hither’ motion, slightly scratching deep within your walls right where you needed him. He chuckled, darkly as you clenched around his finger.

“Want one more?” He asked— pressing down on your clit deliberately right as you were about to answer.

You nodded your head, burying your face in his shoulder. “Mhm! Judd— please!” You wiggled your hips in emphasis.

“Good girl.” He praised you, adding a second finger as promised. He pumped them for a little while, relishing in the moans you tried to conceal in his neck and grunting at the occasional bites you left.

Then, he suddenly stopped moving, but not withdrawing his fingers. You whined pathetically in protest. “Relax, slut.” He said. “Fuck yourself on my fingers,”

You didn’t need to be told twice, immediately you were bouncing up and down on his hand; trying to bring them as far into your pussy as possible. You clawed at Judd’s shirt, pulling the neckline down so you could properly bite him and conceal most of your whiny moans.

He groaned, ripping his head back and allowing you more access to ravage his neck. You could feel yourself dripping, warm liquid gathering in Judd’s palm and running down his forearm. He pressed your clit harder, feeling your cunt clench tightly around his fingers— his cock ached at the thought of feeling your little pussy around him again.

The car filled with loud squelching sounds, every time you rose and fell back on his fingers. Your pace fastened in time with Judd’s assault on your clit and you cried out; “Please—please, more! Judd, please!”

“Yeah?” He drawled and you lifted your head from his neck slightly to nod your head. Then, he curled his fingers and touched a spot that had you seeing stars. You cried out, loudly, as his fingers began thrusting into you violently. Along with your combined forces, you moving your hips frantically and him rolling your clit with his thumb and scissoring his long fingers inside your pussy, you reached the edge quickly.

Judd sneered. “You gonna cum?” He knew the answer already, could feel it in the way your little pussy throbbed and clenched around his fingers.

Your thighs burned from your rapid movement, shaking as liquid flames consumed your belly. “S’good, s’good— yes,” you breathed, clawing at Judd’s chest.

He bend his fingers inside you again, breathing into your ear in his nice, deep voice. “Come on my fingers, pretty girl. C’mon.”

Again, you definitely did not need to be told twice. The coil in your tummy snapped, and you fell apart with a loud cry of your boyfriends name. He continued finger fucking you through your orgasm, until you were even puffier and so sensitive that you were shying away from his hands.

He grinned gleefully. “Good fucking girl,” he praised you, rubbing your clit in slow circles again, before finally pulling out and allowing you to rest on his knees.

You sat, feeling your own wetness drip underneath you as you tried to catch your breath— Judd however, wasted no time, unbuckling his pants and pulling his fat cock out.

You swallowed at the sight, how fucking hard he was and your pussy clenched again— as if it wasn’t already sore and abused. Subconsciously, you rutted your hips a bit forward, grinding on his knee as you watched him stroke himself. He hissed, hand tightly fisting the base of his cock and making its way to his leaking head; you timed your movements with his stroking.

“C’mere.” He grunted, hands leaving his swollen cock in favour of grabbing your hips and pulling you towards him.

On instinct, you reached forwards and grabbed his dick, standing on your knees again so you could sink down on him. You only managed to get the head in, before one of his large hands wrapped around your wrists; stopping you.

“You take what I give you, slut. Pull shit like that again and I’ll have you on your knees instead, got it?” He growled, his other hand restraining your hip in a death grip that was sure to leave marks on your after— long, purple finger prints.

Though the thought of sucking him off wasn’t terrible, your pussy ached so pathetically and you knew the only thing that would satisfy you was Judd’s cock rearranging your guts. So you whined, but nodded and let him guide you back.

He leaned the seat back a little, Maury yelped and moved away from his place behind you to make space as Judd leaned back. He lifted his hips up, emphasising what he wanted from you.

You reached out a shaky hand, closing it around his base and moving up and down just like he had before. He groaned, teeth clenching as you smeared his pre-cum from top to bottom, massaging him to the best of your ability. Still, you couldn’t ignore the harsh clenching of your hole as he kept you empty. You slowly started grinding against his thigh again, hoping he’d let you.

“Judd..” You sniffled, eyes close to filling with tears. “I need your cock inside me, please.”

You could almost feel Judd’s dick hardened in your grip, and he growled and sat up a little straighter. “Jeez. You whine like a bitch in heat,” He commented, rather smugly.

He beckoned you with his fingers again, and you raised yourself right over his cock but waited to sit down. Judd hummed in approval, guiding his cock with one hand and you with the other, till the head was making its way inside you.

You sighed, relieved, trying to relax your throbbing pussy so Judd could fit. He groaned. “You’re so.. fucking tight, relax.” He said, as he forced his way further inside you.

When he finally bottomed out, you moaned, loudly. He didn’t move right away, so again you took matters into your own hands and started softly rocking your hips.

He grabbed your hand, placing it over your belly to feel the bulge his cock had created inside you. “Feel that, baby? You’re so full, aren’t you?”

You barely registered the question, burying your face in his neck again to hide the way your whole expression screwed up in pleasure. “Mhm.. s’big, s’full.” You slurred.

Then, Judd started moving, bouncing you in his lap like a cocksleeve while you wailed into his shoulder. The stretch was almost unbearable, you felt him bruising your cervix each time he moved— the fit was so snug you could feel every ridge and vain on him.

He lost himself in the feeling of your warm, soft pussy, having tuned Maury out a long time ago he fucked you mercilessly, entirely focused on reaching his own end. He lifted his hips off the seat to pound into you from below— you could feel him in your belly, your clit scraping over his lower stomach every time he moved.

It was too much— you were already close to reaching your end, clenching so tightly around Judd that he cursed and could barely move.

“Feel good, you little slut?” He grunted, blunt nails digging into your sides.

You nodded desperately. “Good.” He said. “Then cum for me again, you’re so close, right? I can feel your little pussy clenching around my dick so tightly, god, you’re such a fucking whore.”

You kinda wanted to say something back, but with his rough thrusts and the way your eyes rolled to the back of your head and crossed; you couldn’t really deny him.

The air in the car felt electric as you came for a second time, bursting and feeling a flush of warm liquid spill from you and cover Judd’s cock. He groaned as you creamed, warm little hole sucking him in and fighting to keep him there. His breathing went erratic, and he bounced you harder, faster, to chase his own orgasm.

“Fuck! Shit, you’re so tight,” He growled through clenched teeth, fucking you so hard the car shook and he was sure to leave bruises. Your legs had gone numb by the time he took your hand again, placing it back on your belly right in time with his release.

His cock throbbed and he came. Hard. Thick ropes of warm cum filled you, stuffing you so full you could feel your belly swell even further under yours and Judd’s combined hands.

He leaned in and bit down on your neck, keeping his own noises as quiet as possible but making sure to leave your neck swollen and blue. You moaned softly as he bit you, not having the energy to shy away from the borderline painful overstimulation.

When he came down, you collapsed into his chest— breathing heavily. You sat like that for a while, the car’s windows had been fogged up and the only thing you could hear were your combined breathing.

‘Atta girl!’ Connie slithered around you, patting you on the head. You just mumbled incoherently in response, still too sex drunk to function.

Maury did the same, ruffling Judd’s hair as he leaned his head back against the seat and praising him— all of which Judd ignored.

“You’ll have to carry me back.” You muttered, after a long while.

Judd chuckled hoarsely, moving you a bit to pull out of you and tug himself back in his jeans. “Fuck no.”

You slapped his chest, gently, and pulled yourself up to look at him directly. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“Then I did a good fucking job.” He snarked, leaning in and kissing your temple.

Well. It wasn’t like the two of you needed to be somewhere, relaxing in your car for a bit actually did seem like a pretty good option— and so that’s what you did.

God,, why am I horny for a fucking cartoon character wth 💀✋

Tags: @dlfvrr , @bxbyyyjocelyn (lemme know if you want to be tagged!)

#big mouth #judd birch #judd birch x reader #headcannons #big mouth x reader #judd birch smut #smut #Judd is so pretty omg

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diorkyeom · 3 months

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THE @diorkyeom / @fairyhaos AO3 FIC REC LIST: PART 3

masterlist. part one. part two.

part three of all the ao3 fics that i've read for seventeen which i've loved, kudosed, and proceeded to download so i'll always have with me! lots of these are fics that have been in my library for a while that i just never got round to reccing, so expect a lot of verkwan in this haha

(list is in order of titles!)

By Any Other Name - bapilli

verkwan, omegaverse, oneshot

i don't even read omegaverse so idk how i even ended up reading this in the first place but. it's actually sooo so sweet. their dynamic is just sososo gentle and hansol just Likes seungkwan SO MUCH and it's So obvious and it makes me want to sob in my hands a little bit. this fic gets bonus points for its hurt/comfort elements and the gentle reassurance it has.

Give Me A Chance To Be Yours - lillupon

meanie, uni au, pining, chaptered

listen guys. there is So Much stuff in the meanie tag that if i rec a meanie fic, you just know it's the best of the best. the whole best-friends-who-act-like-theyre-dating thing is delicious But add that with oblivious mingyu and pining wonu and a confession not taken seriously and jealousy and you have an absolutely stellar fic. and wow, guess what, that's exactly what this fic is

Green (With Leaves) - kaiteki

soonhoon, plant shop au, chaptered (but short)

no bc why is literally the gentlest, sweetest, fondest soonhoon characterisation ever and why is it so accurate???? i Love dramatic soonyoung and dry humour jihoon and their fun little dynamic put into the loveliest friends to lovers plot ever. y'all know that i prefer strangers/ friends to lovers over e2l for soonhoon any day and this fic does it rly well

i'm all about you - checkyeshoshi

verkwan, football (soccer), chaptered

honestly seungkwan as a firecracker of a football coach is something ive Never thought about before but it also makes so much sense???? and hansol just being The Guy dragged into the team's shenanigans is so adorable and very much him imo. also seungkwan basically just gawking at hansol's muscles the entire time >>>

Insomnia - Mistehri

soonhoon, canon au, ib insomnia zero 1, oneshot

soooo soft and soooo sweet!!! i love little canon fics bc theyre always so self indulgent and i love that for the author. also adorable jihoon who can't sleep without soonyoung?? that's absolutely adorable and i cried a bit bc my heart was Melting at how soft they are

pack off the sunset glow - orphan_account

verkwan, roadtrip, non-idols au, oneshot

*clenches fists* i love these gay little boys so so much. it's so chaotic and fun and you literally can imagine everything that happens here and seungkwan being a dramatic mess as usual makes everything soo so much better

PEACH. - petitseok

seoksoo, non-idols, age regression, twoshot

honestly ive never even read those caregiver + regressor fics before but this one :((( instantly the best one of those types of fics ever like. i don't even know what made me click on it but it's So sweet and devastating and regressor!seok now has my heart bc of course this lovely man with big doe eyes should get to act like a 3 year old every now and then to relax

The Tiger On The Mountain - natigail

soonhoon, magical realism, shapeshifter hoshi, chaptered

hnnghghfh listen. people really underappreciate the potential for hybrid fics and shapeshifter fics that hoshi's tiger agenda brings, but this uses it really well! i love the interleaving of fantasy into Totally Normal Lee Jihoon's life and dude,,, the cliché tropes r all just so good

What's In A Name - thanku4urlove

verkwan, non-idols, fluff, crack, oneshot

seungkwan is so!!! himself!!! in this fic and i literally even have one section of this fic screenshotted bc i screamed about it to my friend since it was such an on-point seungkwan characterisation. also user thanku4urlove literally writes the best verkwan fics. i think i've recced their fics in every list so far

your name is a triangle - universefactory(jaeminjeno)

soonhoon, idolverse, established relationship, oneshot

mild misunderstandings and soft relationships. that's it, that's the fic. soonyoung is Sad and Sulking but jihoon is there to knock some sense into him and all is fine once again :D okay but also the way that the members r just so caring in the fic is vv sweet too

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anincompletelist · 5 months

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year in review: favorite lines! :D

hi friends! so this is entirely self-indulgent (both the part where I share my own work and the part where I tag you all to do the same) but I feel like we all have those special pieces of art/fics that just mean a little more to us but don't really get a chance in the spotlight. plus, any time is a good time for a bit of shameless self-promo and supporting friends! rules and my own contribution below! <3

RULES: there are no rules! I am quite literally making this up as I go so please don't take this too seriously ksjhdkh. feel free to share your top three/top five/however many favorite snippet(s)/line/quotes/paragraphs from your published fics (or wips, I don't care!) and don't forget to share the link of course! see below for an example.

here are mine!

from Sure As the Stars in the Sky:

They’re both honest people, sometimes to a fault, but Henry’s truths are private, quiet, and Alex’s are loud. From the day Henry met him he’s been brash and earnest, unafraid to speak his mind even when he’s scared, without making sacrifices or harboring fear of punishment for doing so. It’s both intoxicating and infuriating. Alex screams to a crowd of thousands of supporters, holding up bright posters with encouraging messages, and Henry screams into his pillow. When Alex speaks everyone listens, when Henry does he’s stifled, told to quiet down, to get back in line. Alex tries and succeeds. Henry tries. And tries and tries and tries and tries and still it isn’t enough to make any real difference. His whole life he’s felt linked to Alex in a number of ways. He’d taken comfort in their similarities despite their disagreements on more than a few occasions, because it’d been so nice just to have the knowledge that someone out there in the world had some idea what he was going through. That maybe he wasn’t as alone as he often felt. He and Alex’s paths converge at many points, but this is not one of them. Henry rolls over and presses his face into the pillow again, stays there until all of his senses have redirected toward something else, until all he feels is the constricting of his airway and the rush behind his eyes, until his instincts force him to lift his head again, to take a breath, to survive.

from take my hand if you can take me as I am:

And it’s probably just a power play. It’s probably just something that Henry enjoys in the bedroom that’s unrelated to anything else. Lots of people like choking, Alex reckons. But here, now, it feels like— it feels like Henry, Prince Henry, who holds a tremendous amount of power over the whole of his entire country, Henry Fox who tries so hard to balance it all on his shoulders without ever complaining or asking for help even when it’s ripping him apart, Alex’s Henry who shows up in shifts at the oddest of times with his sweet words and his soft, kind heart and his quiet hope — it feels like all of those versions of Henry, each with an equal amount of power, handing a bit of that over for a moment. Like he’s letting Alex have another little piece of him, offering it up like the most precious secret, asking nothing in return. Like he trusts Alex to hold it, to hold him, because he knows he’ll push him only as much as it takes to shake off the dust so he can shine again, never enough to shatter him beyond repair.

from praying our bridges don't make waves:

Alex’s chest burns. Here he is, standing in a bedroom Henry never asked to be in, with someone that’d never been a part of his plans, putting his gentle hands and tender lips on Alex’s roughness even when he’s dirty, even when he’s broken. Even when he doesn’t have anything to offer him but that. Even, even, even. Even when Alex is drifting somewhere miles away, Henry draws him back.

from but I can count on you to tell me the truth when (I've) been drinking and you're wearing a mask:

The ceiling of Alex’s dorm room is cracking in one corner. He knows because he stares at it a lot these days, in between going to classes and lacrosse games. It hadn’t been there when he moved in but it’d steadily grown since that first year. Alex wonders if somehow it’s his fault.

tags: YA'LL THERE'S NO PRESSURE AT ALL BUT ALSO PLS DO THIS SO I CAN APPRECIATE YOU AND YELL AT YOU IN THE TAGS! @affectionatelyrs @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @firenati0n @kiwiana-writes @daisymae-12 @read-and-write- @inexplicablymine @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heybuddy-drabbles @firstsprinces @sparklepocalypse @littlemisskittentoes @getmehighonmagic @wordsofhoneydew @nocoastposts @zwiazdziarka @luainthewild @england-would-fall @iboatedhere @magicandarchery @gayrootvegetable @raysletters @tintagel-or-cockleshells @eusuntgratie @ninzied AND ALSO ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE PLS TAG ME ! also might try to come up with some writer asks for end of year stuff too, but we'll see.

I'll see you all for wip wednesday! I hope you're all well! :D

#my fics #tag games #rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb fic #firstprince #red white and royal blue fanfic

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decayedgloria · 7 months

Text

obey me characters and their visions

Or what I think are their visions idk it’s 3 am and I just found out I failed my pathology exam so here’s a crossover of two games that provides me an escape from this putrid reality 😁

also just trying to get rid of drafts rn

Tags: sfw, pure crack speculation, I’m going insane, obey me demon brothers and undateables and luke, genshin impact visions, everything here is MY OPINION and should not be taken seriously, feel free to disagree with me

Lucifer

-He strikes me as the type to either have a hydro vision or a geo vision

-more leaning towards hydro

-hydro vision holders tend to be dedicated to their work and uphold their own view of justice, more often than not being protectors of some sort i.e Candace and Aaru village, Ayato with the Kamisato Clan

-I draw parallels between him and Ayato because they both have gone through hell and back for their families (often literally) and have had to salvage tarnished reputations in order to protect said family

-also very rich and elegant men who have a “dark side” that most aren’t aware of

-It’s also just every hydro character being really sophisticated and elegant tbh he fits the vibe I think (minus Childe but he has his moments)

-Geo because, well… look at him. He’s prime geo vision material. Like a rock solid wall holding up the HOL but like he’s also hanging by a thread lol.

Mammon

-Geo Vision, Hear me out on this.

-Not only does it suit his color palette, but if you think about it, Mammon places a lot of responsibility on himself to be a good older brother to his siblings (despite falling short most times), we see this especially during Nightbringer

-Geo’s thing is literally responsibility. Every geo user has some sort of responsibility that they themselves have chosen to undertake, whether or not they can handle it

-They’re all also quite stubborn. Once they’re dead set on something they will never let it go, and on top of that they also protect either someone or something

-Every geo user has a goal relating to something to do with material or status: Ningguang and the Tianqiu, Noelle wanting to be in the KOF, Zhongli wanting to retire (lmfao). Mammon wanting to be rich (and wanting him and his brothers to be at the top of the Devildom in Nightbringer) literally fits.

-Mammon, despite being a goofy character, fits into geo so perfectly it’s actually insane.

-Mammon and Itto are the same person. I’m not elaborating.

Levi

-Electro vision all the way.

-It’s no surprise. Canonically he’s seen as a weirdo, even by his brothers (not me tho I love my men a little pathetic) and he doesn’t spend much time mingling with others, so of course he’s gonna be singled out

-almost every single electro vision holder is outcasted by at least one society; Beidou being cast out of her village, Fischl being thought of as eccentric because of her personality, the literal electro archon becoming a shut-in

-He would absolutely get the vision probably in like the early part of Nightbringer when we got stuck in the TSL universe and he had to make a decision

-(if you’re wondering why I keep bringing up Nightbringer it’s bc it’s the one I’m currently playing ok)

-Levi also passes the “I have a scary animal that helps me fight” thing. Henry’s quite formidable when he’s back to normal size :)

Satan

-Hm, thinking about it and at first I’d say dendro is the obvious answer but there’s also quite a few other contenders actually.

-Pyro is one of them, and when drawing parallels Diluc comes to mind (obvs grumpy men stick together always.) As the avatar of wrath, he’s like mad 80% of the time and I can imagine him raining hellfire upon everything (and he has, best believe).

-But also he’d fit the “passionate” description, he’s so passionate about books and magic that he’d literally kill for a book that he wanted (and did I’m pretty sure). He’d also be considered passionate for hating Lucifer so much I think

-he also has quite the past to fit with a pyro user, especially during Nightbringer when he’s still coming into terms about being basically a baby demon and learning to confront his brothers and finally accept them

-Dendro is quite obvious for him. He craves knowledge from books, and I’m sure if he were in Teyvat he’d find his way in the Akademiya just to get into the House of Daena’s restricted section

-I think either or could be his vision, depends on which Satan you’re talking about (Nightbringer Satan and main timeline Satan are two vastly different individuals)

-if you really wanna get into it tho, cryo/electro's pretty... fitting. Especially for nightbringer Satan. Even if his brothers try not to make him feel like it, he will always be different from them; the fact that he basically was made to replace Lillith in a sense, and he distances himself away from them because he just doesn't fit in.

-all in all he's so versatile realistically he could have like 4/7 visions since his character is so dynamic between the two games

Asmodeus

-Now this was harder to come up with, but after giving it some thought I think he’d have an Anemo vision

-think of it this way. In Nightbringer take a shot everytime I bring that game up his whole arc in the beginning was learning to let go of the celestial realm and accepting the fact that he was a demon now, effectively granting himself the freedom to love himself once more

-Anemo is the element of freedom right? He fought himself and his inner demons for freedom like that, which happens to a lot of those who are granted this vision (Wanderer and Xiao moment)

-Thats really all I have for him. Tbh, the only other vision I could see him wielding his pyro, but I couldn’t think of anything else I can say that hasn’t already been said

-another short anemo king go figure (he and heizou would get along I think)

Beelzebub

-another one I had to really think of, but upon further deliberation with myself I'm thinking pyro again (the default vision lmfao)

-Yes. Passion for food, he'd get along with Xiangling quite well (too well, imagine her in the devildom holy shit)

-Also pretty passionate about working out and protecting his brothers, so there's that lol

-I am stumped on him bc he's like lowkey just there bro like

-how would he even get his vision idk man

-but imo pyro is the default vision so he gets it (feel free to disagree with me)

Belphegor

-If you think this guy does not have an anemo vision you are wrong

-like dead mf wrong he is anemo all the goddamn way

-he lost his sister and still blames himself for it, but he also wants to be free with his brothers in the devildom

-the other vision i would give him is electro because he does tend to like, shut himself off or whatever so there's that

-but he's 100% anemo I don't make the rules sorry

-first tall male anemo user?? (surprisingly he's 5'10 guys it's probably all that sleep he does lmfao)

Diavolo

-hmmmm, such a hard decision I wonder what vision I would give to the literal prince of hell- pyro.

-jk jk let me explain

-Pyro, because as I've stated before, it is both the default vision imo and also the vision for those who are passionate IMO (I cannot stress this enough)

-Diavolo is very passionate about RAD, and the whole "demons getting along with other species" concept is something he has been working very hard on (man is trying to end specieism in the obey me verse)

-on top of his outgoing and friendly personality, pyro really does fit him like a glove. I could make an argument for geo because he shoulders a fuck ton of responsibility for the devildom (esp in nightbringer) but like

-he is warm and friendly and strong, perfect pyro material

Barbatos

-I needed to think about this one for a bit, but after further deliberation with the screams that echo in my head, I am confident in saying that this man has an anemo vision

-if he were in the genshin universe he'd def be one of the shady people from celestia (bro is literally istaroth but i digress)

-as much as anemo fits him aesthetically, I also want to point out that he just... gives people freedom? Like the first half of nightbringer was him finally fulfilling someone's wish to go to heaven to see their lover

-he also just parallels a lot with venti, idk i just see him being very fitting with an anemo vision

-like, he's immortal yet does not look it (Scara, Xiao, Venti), downplays his power to appear "normal" in a sense that he won't be an immediate threat to those perceiving him (Venti), saw a pyro kid and decided to adopt them and begrudgingly take care of them no matter how annoying they are (Xiao and Hu Tao though I may be reaching)

Luke

-bro does not have a vision yet (jk its cryo)

-I feel like he'd be given a hydro vision solely for the fact that he is changing his, quite frankly specie-ist, ways lol (like eula hello?)

-he is quite shy when mc first met him, the only reason why he didn't immediately get mad at them is because they weren't a demon and that's saying something

-he tends to be very guarded around said demons, often becoming aggressive when interacting with them but he's warming up. It's like a wall of ice slowly melting through the mc and simeon's guidance

-he also reminds me of mika for some reason

Solomon

-he has an electro vision and yes, it's exactly the same situation as Lisa

-though he doesn't need one (none of them do tbh), I feel like he wanted one just for shits and giggles like I definitely see him being a descender on Teyvat

-he's literally the most powerful human in the obey me verse, of course he's going to be viewed differently from others even though he "tries" to not be too overt about it (very, very big emphasis on tries. I think he only does it for mc atp)

-I feel like he'd get along well with the electro ladies as well, particularly Miko and Lisa (Gorou and Luke need to hide like asap)

-in all seriousness though, he just fits into electro so well given all the character traits present in electro wielders

-another vision I could see him having is dendro, partly because he's always down to have more knowledge about magic that he doesn't know yet and is in constant pursuit of creating pacts with the demon brothers

Simeon

-another hydro wielder :)

-calm, collected, elegant, sticks to their principles- classic hydro archetype tbh I love him so much

-again, very similar to Lucifer's reasoning but he leans more towards hydro wielders like Nilou and Candace I think, who are quite relaxed but won't hesitate to protect what they love and fight for what they deem is right

-spoiler warning: he literally got cast out of heaven for the mc.

-as I've said before, there really isn't anything I can add that I haven't said before, other than the fact that Simeon would definitely enjoy Xinqiu's company and possibly get along with Furina when discussing acting and the arts

-other than hydro, I don't think any other vision suits him tbh (big maybe on anemo but like, it doesn't really fit tbh)

I am so fucking bad at character analysis but here you guys go

the labor of my sleepless night while i gather more motivation to write the second chapter of madame neuvillette

also i am so very tempted to start writing for other fandoms but this blog is enough for now tbh

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madameaug · 9 months

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Meet the Streamer || JJK x OC

The official continuation of 'Meet the Mod.'

Pairing: Jungkook & Jennette

WC: 3.1k > (longest fic I've written so far)

Jennette was rudely awakened by the sound of bottles hitting the ground. She cracked one eye open, still trying not to lose her gateway to drowsiness. Instead, she recognized the back of her little sister's head, Asia. She was sifting through her makeup box. From what Jennette could see, she already had two of her Fenty Beauty lip glosses in her hand.

"Asiaaaa." Jennette groaned at her meddling sister. Asia too often 'borrowed' makeup from Jennette without trying to return such items promptly. Jennette didn't mind sharing products with her sister, but she hated when Asia just took things without asking.

"Uh- good morning, sleepy head." Asia put the tubes back in their designated container. Her hands were behind her back.

Jennette trudged over, giving daggers to her sister. She bent down and picked up the other makeup items that hit the ground. Thankfully, they were just lip glosses and lip liners, not expensive items.

"Don't you have school or something? Why are you in here bothering me?"

"Today is a teacher workday, so I don't have school." Asia cheesed, showing her pink braces. The two sisters were completely different when it came to their aesthetics. Jennette loved her minimalist wardrobe. Tops with funk color schemes and her endless supply of mom and flared jeans. And the occasional boot heel or wedged sandals.

While Asia ensured getting dressed was a production in itself. Her outfits were always coordinated with themes of pink or white. If Asia were blonde and blue-eyed, she would resemble the pop culture icon Barbie. There wasn't a time in which Asia didn't wear something pink. 'If it wasn't pink, then it wasn't right.' Her words. The sixteen-year-old had also taken a liking to cosmetics but makeup specifically. Asia could do a full face ranging from soft glam, kawaii, to even the 'siren' look growing popular on social media.

Asia was talented, and Jennette always encouraged her to take her hobby seriously. Chasing your passion could open the door to opportunities never seen before. She knew this first hand. Watching her favorite streamer, Jungkook, go from fifty viewers to thousands in four years. If chasing your passion allowed Jungkook to become the second highest-paid steamer (behind Kai Cenat) then she was confident that Asia could do something similar.

"Oh, I'm taking flicks with Mimi at the mall today. So I have to look cute."

"Is that my crop top?" Jennette squinted her eyes, ignoring what her sister had previously stated. The fabric on her body caught her attention.

"Oh, this old thing? I'm sure you weren't looking for it."

"Asia, I literally just bought that. The tag is still on it." Jennette held onto the tag from the online store where she purchased the magenta long-sleeved crop top. Jennette was trying to add. More color to her closet since she wore business trousers five days a week. Working in a government office didn't allow for a lot of color to be in her wardrobe.

"Well, it's pink and matches my outfit for the day."

Before Jennette could continue fussing with Asia, her phone rang. She rolled her eyes at Asia before shooing her out of her room. She answered the phone without looking at the caller ID.

"Long time no see Mang."

"Jungkook?" Jennette's eyes almost burst, hearing his voice come through the call.

"Uh yeah, you expecting someone else to call you?"

"N-no."

"Good. But I wanted to call you to talk about yesterday. What happened in the chat wasn't cool. The behavior was uncalled for, and I apologize on their behalf. "

"Jungkook, you don't have to apologize. A lot of those comments didn't faze me."

Jungkook paused on the other side of the line. He was sitting in the same position as he was on stream. Knees up to his chest with his arms engulfing his knees. He was relieved Jennette wasn't sulking about the comments. Most of them picking fun at her skin imperfections. The same skin imperfections that Jungkook had. The bright light he streams in front of drastically hides the remnants of picking his white heads in high school. Acne scars were just a part of growing up, which is why he didn't even think twice when he saw the similar imperfections on Jennette.

"Well, I still want to make it up to you somehow. My treat."

"Okay." The response came out before Jennette even processed what Jungkook had asked her. She just agreed to see Jungkook in person. The Jeon Jungkook, the hot streamer she had been watching since she was a sophomore in college.

Straying away from the original purpose of the call, Jennette and Jungkook made small talk. Making herself more comfortable on the bed, Jennette laid on her stomach. Her feet swung in the air, laughing at the corny story Jungkook was telling her.

"Wait- wait. So your friends physically fought over dumplings?" Jennette tried to catch her breath from her hysterical laughing. She imagined two high school students throwing down their bookbags and tussling each other over the small package of dumplings that Jungkook described.

"Yess! Neither of them were really fighting; it was more like grabbing each other and cussing."

Jungkook enjoyed listening to Jennette laugh. It slightly contrasted her usual tone of voice, which was direct and full of sarcasm. It was light and goofy. Jungkook also joined in the laughter upon hearing Jennette snort in laughter.

"Oh my gosh." Jennette covered her mouth with her hands. Her face was hot with embarrassment.

"Ignore that, please."

"No way. I wish I had recorded that, you sounded so cute just now."

Jennette face-planted into her comfort, wanting to hang up the phone.

"Did you call me cute?" Her head popped up.

"Actually, I called your laugh cute, dumbass." Jungkook teased.

"Ha ha ha smartass."

Jungkook remembered a similar dialogue from the night before. The feeling of deja vu, pausing his movements for a second. All that was missing was the eyes of thousands of viewers, and the impending face reveal. Seeing an outlet to tease Jennette some more, Jungkook proposed a question.

"Can I see you?" Jennette's heart rate increased yet again.

"Your face, obviously. That's the only thing missing from our little deja vu just now."

"What about the steam. You're missing that too."

"Yeah, but now it's just us, so you should be less nervous."

Jennette wanted to laugh at Jungkook's incorrect statement. She wasn't nervous about showing her face to the stream. Many of those people she followed or interacted with outside of the stream. The real reason why she was so nervous about showing her face was Jungkook. In the past year, Jungkook had started maturing into a different person.

He was more than a guy who made her laugh with his gaming fails or funny story times. He was the guy who would talk to her in the eerie hours of the morning, laughing about nothing in particular. In those late hours, she was getting to know the real him. The version of him that she and few others had access to seeing. She felt special knowing that she could crush on Jungkook, the person, and not the famous streamer. But this self-realization didn't come out as smooth and simplistic as hoped.

A viewer kept typing during one of his streams, hoping to get Jungkook's attention. She was spending points to get the AI robot to repeat her lustful comments. Drooling over his recent lip piercing. Maybe if it was a viewer that she was familiar with, she would have ignored the thirsty comments. But Jungkook, feeding into the audacity of the commenter with his relentless flirting, hit Jennette in a low spot. Icky feelings of jealousy were bubbling in her gut. With no hesitation, Jennette clicked on the username, banning them and deleting her comments. In her defense, it was a temporary ban, and they were allowed to chat after 24 hours. But reflecting on that moment, she knew she had to address the elephant in the room. Her feelings for the streamer were more than platonic.

Too afraid to confess, she suffocated those feelings under the guise of being grossed out by his flirty ways. When deep down, she wished the direction of such flirtation was towards her.

"Mangy Pangy?" Jungkook called out.

"Yeah? Sorry, just tuned out for a second."

"I asked if you would let me see your face again?"

"Nah, I'm good. Once is enough."

"Guess I'll just have to wait till I see you in person." Jungkook faked his disappointment. He stepped in his closet looking for what he was going to wear.

"I guess so."

"Try not to think about me too much." Jennette cooed over the phone.

"Real funny Mang."

"See ya!" Jennette hung up the phone, flipping onto her back. She kicked her legs in the air before squealing to herself. She was meeting up with Jungkook, of course she was over the moon.

Not long after she hung up she got a text message from Jungkook, containing the address of the place they were going to meet up.

"Let's get dressed." She spoke to herself, opening her door to see Asia stumble back.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"Umm, no. I dropped my lash and was trying to find it." Asia got on her knees before patting the carpet, attempting to cover her tracks.

"You have both lashes on your face." Jennette folded her arms over her chest. "But that doesn't matter. Can you do my makeup? I'm meeting someone and want to make a good first impression."

"Oo la la." Asia wiggled her eyebrows.

"Cut it out." A smile peeks between her lips. "I'm gonna shower and be back."

With a tap of her designated shower playlist, Jennette smothered herself in lavender-scented body washes. Lavender was her go-to scent in the fall time. Wrapping her towel around her body she stood in the mirror, thinking about what to do with her hair. Not want to do too much, because she would get getting her knotless box braids next week. Tapping her lip she thought about doing an updo buff or unraveling her twists for a twist-out look.

Deciding to go with the twist out, she decided to finish getting dressed. It was a latte brown maxi dress, a fall staple in Jennette's closet. On top of the dress was a knitted- holey shaw that was a cream color. Her shoes were fuzzy slip-on Uggs. Turning in the mirror, Jennette admired her outfit. Loving how seamlessly the outfits came together.

" 'Bout time." Asia said as Jennette sat on her bed. Her makeup brushes were laid out as she looked at her big sister's face. She turned her head from side to side, thinking about what style to do for her big sister.

"I think we are gonna do a 'natural' beat." Asia started working her magic on Jennette's face.

---- all irrelevant details laterrrr----

Jennette sent her 'here' text to Jungkook, stepping out of her car. It was a little bit cooler than she had anticipated. Walking into the building with her hands tucked under her armpit. The bell above her head rang as she stepped into the artsy building. It had funky wallpaper. Different abstract art pieces covered the wall.

"Mang?" Turning to her left, she saw Jungkook walk up to her.

Damn, he was finer in person. Jennette thought to herself. She smiled before embracing the hug Jungkook gave. His summer tan was still present, giving him an olive skin complexion. He smelled so good, masculine yet fresh. Jungkook's attire was all black and casual. It was an athletic set, loose full-sleeve shirt, black jogger pants, and white sneakers. Jungkook kept a mask over his face and a baseball cap.

"Where are we?" Jennette and Jungkook walked deeper into the hallway. Jennette could pick up the smell of paint getting stronger as they reached what appeared to be a classroom.

"I remember you said how you wanted to do a pottery-making class. So here we are." The pair stood in the doorway of the pottery class, looking at the other people settling into their spaces.

Jennette wanted to release another squeal. She recalled the conversation about a pottery-making class. It was true she wanted to take a class for the experience but also for the romantic vibes. As a kid, one of her favorite television shows had an episode in which the female main characters made pottery with their brief love interest. Jennette wanted to recreate that scene with her boyfriend. A key detail that she purposefully left out in the conversation.

"This is too much, Jungkook. Here I was thinking we were gonna get ice cream or something."

"You're someone in my circle. You deserve more than some ice cream."

Ugh, Jennette just wanted to melt. Jungkook motioned her over as they chose their station toward the back of the classroom. The instructor entered the room, passing out smocks for everyone to tie around their waist. Jungkook was able to do his quickly, but Jennette struggled slightly. The string for the smock getting caught in her knitted shawl.

"I got ya." Jungkook stood behind Jennette, tying the smock around her waist without a second thought. At this time, he noticed how much her figure was on display. Jennette wasn't an outwardly curvy woman; she leaned more on the slim slide. Nevertheless, she still shapely. Most of her weight bearing on her thighs, with hips wide enough to give her a 'pear' physique. Out of respect, Jungkook made sure his eyes didn't wander too long below her waist.

"Thanks."

The instructor lectured on the proper technique of making a bowl or plate for twenty minutes. Everyone in the room was attentive and listened to every word that he said. After speaking, he permitted everyone to mix their clay and water. Then, he flipped a switch that caused everyone's station to spin slowly.

Jungkook found himself glancing at Jennette. He was just taking in her appearance. Her bottom lip tucked in her mouth as she focused on the wet clay before her. Her hair looked like cotton ball clouds compared to the twists he saw last night. He could tell that she put effort into her appearance. He's spent plenty of time in hair and makeup to understand the true art behind it. Finding the perfect shade, understanding contour, and color correction. It was a science. It made him feel good that she also put effort into her appearance, as he did the same for her. He shaved his peach fuzz and styled his bed hair. He was growing out his hair, so a middle part would have to do. He clipped in as many earrings as possible and matched them with silver rings on his fingers. Regardless he felt a little warm, knowing that Jennette took this much time just to hang out with him. Despite her mature look, she looked like her true self with the purple-framed glasses.

He loved how large her eyes looked in the glasses. The close proximity allowed for him to see the different beauty marks underneath her frames. They were sporadically placed around her eye, but still pretty nonetheless. Blinking fast, Jungkook stopped the one-sided staring contest.

"Tada!" Jennette held her clay, placing it on the table allowing it to solidify and harden. Just as the instructor had demonstrated, she made a bowl that was even on all sides. It was nicely done.

"Wow." Was all Jungkook could get out.

"Pffft!" Jennette burst out in laughter before looking at the shape Jungkook had made. The shape was neither a bowl or a plate and looked very inappropriate at first glance.

Jennette was laughing so hard that she couldn't even speak. Her semi-dirty hands fanned her face to prevent tears of laughter from messing up her makeup. Genuinely, Jungkook thought he knew what he was doing, but the pottery before him proved otherwise.

"Why did you make a dick?" Taking in breaths to get out her question, Jennette went back to laughing. Slightly embarrassed, Jungkook felt his ears getting warm.

"I wasn't trying to make that. Had I known you were going to be an art critic I would have chosen something else to do." Jungkook explained, trying to re-shape the clay. His struggle was on display making him feel more embarrassed than usual.

"Poor baby." Jennette got behind Jungkook, taking his big hands and putting his hands in position to make a proper bowl. Jungkook watched their skin tones contrast, as Jennette held onto his hands so delicately. Her face was so close to his, that if he turned slightly then his lips would be on her cheek. Jennette talked Jungkook through the steps to make the bowl, without a condescending tone.

Truth be told, both of them were basking in the closeness of each other's bodies. It didn't feel weird or unnatural. Perhaps the years of friendship curved any feelings of awkwardness. But there was something deeper. The growing connection could only be caped as friendship for so long before it would become hilariously ludacris. Intimacy was the word that would pop into both of their heads. But it was a word that neither Jennette nor Jungkook would be comfortable to place on their relationship.

Jungkook and Jennette left the pottery place before purchasing some boba tea. They were sitting outside on a bench, enjoying the cool fall breeze.

"Thank you for today. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would." Jennette admitted, sipping her berry-flavored boba tea.

Jungkook bent over in fake pain with his hands to his chest. "You didn't think you would have fun with me? Wow, Mangy Pangy that hurts."

"You're never gonna let that nickname go huh?"

"It's kinda embedded in my vocabulary. Can't help it."

"Excuses?" Jennette rolled her eyes.

"Plus, only I call you Mangy Pangy, so it should mean something." Jungkook playfully nudged her shoulders.

"Yeah. Yeah." Jennette swatted at Jungkook.

"I wanna take a picture to remember this." Jungkook pulled out his phone, swiping through his apps to get the camera icon. With his arm extended, he took several pictures of him and Jennette. She did simple poses; a smile, a peace sign, and a wink.

"We do look good together," Jungkook stated.

"Your girlfriends won't like to hear that."

"They'll get over it. Watch this." Jennette watched Jungkook tap his screen several times, unsure what plan he was acting out in front of her.

" 'Sup chat. Guess who I am with." Turning his phone screen toward you, you leaned in smiling for the camera. The chat erupted as if there was breaking news. Text was jumping, and exclamation points were everywhere.

No way!! Mang is so lucky!!! Mang is so pretty !! Jungkook marry me not Mang !!

"We had such an amazing day. We made pottery and finished drinking boba. I'm hoping that we can hang out soon." Jungkook put his arm around Jennette's shoulder. Jungkook looked at how bashful Jennette was acting, secretly loving every moment. Jungkook looked at Jennette through the camera, staring at her once again.

Jungkook staring mad hard Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

Turning his head to look at Jennette. Jungkook looked at her dual-toned lips. He can't lie and say the thought hadn't crossed his mind. But he wasn't sure if she would accept the advancement.

"It's a quick stream, y'all. I just wanted to show y'all who I am with." Jungkook ended the stream. His eyes wandered back to Jennette, noticing that his eyes were already on him, too. No longer beating around the bush, Jungkook lept with his words without a second thought.

"You think you could be a little less obvious with how much you like me," Jungkook smirked.

"Excuse me???"

"You're not denying it." He teased in a sing-songy voice.

"You make me sick, Jeon. So sick." Jennette pointed a finger down her throat, fake gagging.

"You don't have to admit it right now, Mangy Pangy. Cause I haven't come to terms with my crush either."

"Oh really, now." Jennette couldn't help but smile. Embracing the warmth Jungkook's body radiated, she laid her hair on his shoulder. She was on cloud nine. Nothing felt real, that so much could happen in a singular day. Jennette would forever remember the day she met her favorite streamer.

A/N: Yall got any favorite streamers/ Youtubers??

I wasn't going to make a part 2, but I was so kindly asked by: @mundayoonimnida hope this met your standards !!! <3

#x black reader #jungkook x blackreader #black writers #jungkook #jungkook imagine #black fem reader #jeon jungkook #black oc #kpop x black reader #bts x black reader #black army

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vampyrsutton · 2 years

Text

KyouxTohru~Mating Season

Summary:

When the boys start avoiding her with no explanation, Tohru gets worried and asks the younger Sohmas, and well, she's always one to help.

Ao3 Tags:

Mating Cycles/In Heat, Kinktober, Kinktober 2022, Scent Kink, Getting Together, First Time, Mating Bites, Biting, Fluff, Insecurity, Kink Negotiation, post-sex cuddles, Hair-pulling, Cunnilingus, Oral Sex, Cat Dick, Sort Of

Notes:

My notes for this read "I am why we can’t have nice things."

Sorry if this is OOC, but someone had to literally almost die for these two to get their shit together in canon so liberties had to be taken lol

"Hey, Tohru. No bodyguards today?" Hatsuharu asks with a tilt of his head as he stretches.

Tohru blinks, confused before she must realize what he means, and visibly slumps. She's quickly putting her usually carefree smile back in place though.

"No, not today. I guess they weren't feeling well or something, but Kyo refuses to even be in the same room as me." She can't hide the way her shoulders slump this time. "He actually growled at me, but I don’t know what I could have done wrong and even Shigure's holed up in his rooms so I can't even ask him."

"That's weird." Hatsuharu agrees, sounding a bit distant as though in thought. "Hey, Tohru…what day is it?"

"Um…May 5th? Why?" Tohru asks with a tilt of her head, confused by the sudden topic change.

Haru nods sagely in understanding. "Ah, that makes sense then."

"Huh? What does? Are they okay?" Her eyes widen before she looks around and her voice drops to a whisper. "Is it a zodiac thing?"

"Ding ding ding," Haru responds dryly. "First day of summer in the traditional calendar. It's when most of the animal mating seasons overlap so I guess most decided to sync up there at some point in the past. I'm pretty sure I join next year and Momoji's just going to be a menace. …I think Ritsu and Kagura are in fall and winter. Yuki should have already been done though so that's weird." He mumbles thoughtfully.

Tohru, meanwhile, has momentarily stopped functioning as she stares at the ox blankly. "Huh?" A blush is slowly creeping up her face.

"Haru!" Momoji suddenly appears to lightly thump the taller boy on the arm with a pout. "Have some tact. You're going to break poor Tohru!" He scolds.

"Ow," Haru says flatly. "She wanted to know what's wrong with the others."

"There are better ways to say it." Momoji huffs before turning to Tohru with a look of concern. "Are you okay, Tohru?"

"Huh? Yeah! Why wouldn't I be!" She squeaks, standing straight. "It's natural! Nothing wrong with it! Perfectly natural! All good here!"

Momoji chuckles, leaning up to pat Tohru on the head. "It's okay to be embarrassed you know? We appreciate how accepting you are, but you just learned that your housemates are in a magic-induced horny haze. You can be embarrassed."

Tohru squeaks again but shakes her head. "No, um, that's not why I'm embarrassed. Really it's not. My mom was a bit wild so I'm really not as innocent with that stuff as people think." She swears as her face grows darker. "It's just..well…I said Kyo growled at me, right?"

Momoji frowns but nods. "Was the cat being a big meanie?"

Tohru shakes her head quickly before her brow furrows in a frown. "No! …Well…I don't know? He said I smelled, but his pupils were blown and he kind of cracked the door frame with how hard he was gripping it. I thought it was a little strange that he didn't fight Yuki dragging him back upstairs, but I was too busy apologizing for apparently smelling, but now I'm wondering…" She makes a dying noise. "No, that's just silly. There's no way."

Momoji and Hatsuharu share a knowing look even if they're both ready to scream if it means these fools will understand.

"Tohru." Momoji starts in one of his rare moments of seriousness. "Why don't you talk to him? Hatori said we're still coherent and able to make decisions, we're just a bit more willing to listen to instinct and our inner desires is all." He smiles. "That was probably his cat trying to get his butt moving." He giggles now when Tohru's face darkens once more.

"Get moving…what?" She blinks. Is there steam coming off her face? It feels like there's steam coming off her face. "Um, uh, what about Yuki?" She jumps, wanting the subject changed. "Hatsuharu said it was weird for him to be acting strange right now?"

Momoji smirks a little but accepts the change. "It is probably his rat throwing the same fit as the cat but for that one grey-haired girl from student council."

Tohru regrets her decision, but is, luckily, saved by the bell as she squeaks a goodbye before running off.

"Talk to him!" Momoji laughs after her.

Tohru doesn't have an answer for her friends as to what happened and why she's still red when she returns to the classroom.

She's not sure she'd be able to tell them even if she could.

~~~

"Oh, welcome home, Miss Honda." Yuki smiles tiredly when she stumbles into the kitchen with grocery bags. "Good day at school?"

Tohru can't help her little squeak as she straightens before nodding quickly. "Yes! Sorry, yes. School was fine. I- um- I talked to Hatsuharu and Momoji though. Um, thank you for helping Kyo back to his room this morning!" She stumbles with a bow.

Yuki blinks in confusion before giving one of his pleasant smiles that even Tohru knows spells someone's doom. "So they told you, did they?"

"Yes, but only 'cause I was worried!" She quickly assures, finally putting the bags on the table. "You all just suddenly started avoiding me and no one would tell me why. …I figured it was zodiac related since it was all three of you so when Hatsuharu asked where you were, I said what was wrong and he told me why…sorry." She mumbles near the end, bowing once more.

Yuki's face changes to surprise before he sighs in defeat. "No, we should have told you somethingat least. Apologies, Miss Honda."

"No! No, you're fine. You were probably just embarrassed, right?" Tohru shakes her head, waving her hands a bit. "Hatsuharu said it's weird for yours to be this late so that probably doesn't help, especially if you were trying to keep it a secret, but um-" Tohru buries her face in her hands as she groans in annoyance at her own stumbling before gesturing at the shopping bags. "I picked up some Pocari and extra food. I wanted to at least pass a note to Kyo about this morning, but otherwise, I'll leave you guys alone. Just let me know if you need me to pick anything up or to pass along any messages or um yeah. Momoji said why yours is probably later than the rat's is supposed to be so just let me know-sorry!" She squeaks when Yuki crushes the water bottle in his hand with that smile back on his face.

"You're fine, Miss Honda. Thank you for these. I just need to have a word with a certain rabbit when I go back next week is all." He smiles, actually grabbing a sports drink and some snacks before heading to the stairs. "As for talking to the cat. I don't know if that's the best idea."

Tohru tilts her head in confusion. "Momoji said Hatori said you guys were still coherent, though?"

Yuki sighs, glaring up the stairs. "This is true, but the cat is still slightly more animalistic because of its other form. As much as I hate to admit it, at this point they'd rather die than actually hurt you and wouldn't do anything against your will, but I doubt you'd be leaving his den." He warns before looking back at Tohru. "So think carefully about what you want to do."

Tohru's face flames red once more as she squeaks, but nods her head. "R-Right! Gotcha!"

Yuki gives another tired smile before heading up the stairs. "I'll deliver these to him then. Have a good night Miss Honda."

"You too!" She squeaks.

~~~

Tohru, as promised, thinks about it.

God does she think about it.

She spends so much time thinking about it, actually, that by the next day, she's slumped over her desk, fighting for her life to keep her eyes open.

"Hey, Tohru?" Uotani frowns as she turns to her during a break. "You good?"

"Your waves seem quite troubled." Hanajima agrees, appearing next to them.

Tohru hopes her face isn't as red as it feels. "I'm fine, just didn't sleep well." Not a lie

"Something wrong?" Uotani asks before a snarl appears on her face. "Do we need to beat up some Sohmas?"

Tohru's too tired to even have much of a reaction. "They didn't do anything wrong, Uo-chan. I just have a lot on my mind." She mumbles sleepily.

Her friends frown at each other but really have no reason not to take her word for it.

"If you say so." Uotani sighs, kicking her feet up. "Just know you can talk to us though."

"I know. Thank you." Tohru smiles. "I'm gonna take a little nap before the next lesson. Wake me up when the teacher comes."

"We shall watch over you." Hanajima smiles. "Sleep well."

~~~

By the end of the day, Tohru is slightly more well-rested and has a note ready to slip under Kyo's door with a request to talk when he can.

She did have a lot on her mind, that was true, but at one point she had gotten up to use the bathroom and could hear him and was pretty sure she heard her name, and yeah they definitely needed to talk, especially if her suspicions were correct.

She freezes at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Shigure's house, though.

"Am I really considering ruining our friendship over this?" She mumbles to herself. "I do genuinely want to help him if he's struggling as much as it sounded, but will he get mad? …He might run off again."

"Ugh! That is it! I am tired of watching you two dance around each other. It is driving me crazy!" Momoji yells out of nowhere, he and Haru having followed her to see if she went through with it.

"Momoji? What are you-" Tohru yelps when she's suddenly hugged and there's a puff of yellow smoke. "What? Momoji wait!" She calls when a little yellow rabbit is running up the stairs with her note way faster than she can run. "Momoji!"

Hatsuharu sighs as he slowly follows behind the two, ruffling his own hair. "Yuki and Kyo are gonna be mad at us."

"Momoji, wait!" Tohru calls as she sees the rabbit dart around the corner of the stairs before there's a small squeaking noise. "Did you get hurt- oh, thank gods, Yuki caught you." She sighs in relief when she sees the taller boy holding the yellow rabbit by the scruff in one hand and the note in the other.

"Want to explain why we're having rabbit stew a week early." Yuki sighs in annoyance, not looking any more rested and radiating an aura like he might actually follow through with it if he doesn't like the answer.

Momoji is actively trying to get away, for once sensing that he's made a mistake as Tohru flushes red.

"He- um- was going to take my note to Kyo while I was second-guessing myself." She whispers, eyeing the cat's door in question.

Yuki stares at her blank-faced for a moment, glancing at the rabbit then back at her before finally sighing.

"You two can thank me later." He decides, choosing violence as he walks over and slides the note under the door himself.

"Wait, no!" Tohru yells, lunging at it even as she watches it disappear beneath the door and hears a shuffling on the other side. She shoots the two rodents the closest she can get to a dirty look as they head down the stairs before focusing back on the door. "Um, you can ignore it and pretend you never saw it if it makes you uncomfortable! Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, I-"

"Tohru, I can read." Kyo huffs through the door, sounding amused. "Back up a bit so I can focus though."

Tohru doesn't understand what her proximity to the door would have to do with anything but backs up to sit against the opposite wall nonetheless. "Sorry."

"You're fine. Stop apologizing…the rat was right, we should have said something or asked if you'd stay with your friends or something…You heardme?!" He coughs, sounding like he must have taken a drink

"Sorry! I couldn't sleep because Yuki said I should think about what to say before I talked to you and I was thinking a lot so I got up to use the bathroom and I didn’t hear a lot, it was just a moan that I thought sounded like 'Tohru', but could have just been the lack of sleep and wishful thinking and-"

"Wishful thinking?" His voice sounds strained now.

Tohru makes a bit of a dying noise as she hides her red face in her knees. "I'm going to shut up and let you read."

There's a sort of strained chuckle then a few seconds of silence before an actual chuckle.

"So you and the rat are why Shigure busted into my room this morning to throw condoms at me and tell me to man up with no context." Kyo sighs, leaning fully against the door now if the thump was anything to go by.

"He did what?!" Tohru squeaks, face entirely red now before thumping it back against her knees. "He must have been around the corner when Yuki and I were talking. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault he's a fucking perv." Kyo sighs, silent for a moment before he speaks up again. "So what do you want to do? You've apparently already heard my thoughts, but are you sure? I have no clue if I still transform or if there's more curse bullshit or what might happen. And I'm probably still going to be awkward when this is over. You said you're afraid of ruining our friendship, but I'll probably be the one to fuck it up."

"I won't let you!" Tohru declares, smacking the floor in front of her before squeaking again when she realizes what she did. "I mean that won't happen because I won't let things be awkward…or will try not to at least. I really like you, Kyo, but there doesn't have to be strings attached eith-"

A low growl from the other side of the door cuts off her rambling before there's an embarrassed cough. "Sorry…uh as much as I'm okay with strings, you're right that there shouldn't be-"

"That's not what I meant! I-"

"I'm the cat, Tohru. As much as you try to change it or ignore it, I only come with bad luck and baggage. It's definitely better if you don't tie yourself to the monst-"

"Kyo Sohma, if you finish that sentence, I swear to whoever god is-" Tohru warns, pulling out the full name only to be cut off.

"I'm just saying, you would be better off-"

Now it's Kyo's turn to be cut off as the door is flung open so he falls back into the hallway, butt-ass naked and in shock, as he stares up at a very angry Tohru. He watches her face turn red in embarrassment, but with the whole animal transformation thing and sharing a bathroom, it wasn't the first time she's seen it and whether this happened or not, he doubts it would be the last. This is probably why she's able to continue.

"No. Do not even think of finishing that sentence. I will try and probably fail to physically fight everyone who put those thoughts in your head, but I will still try." Tohru huffs with a stomp of her foot and a pout. Even obviously furious, she knows she doesn't look all that threatening.

She doesn't, but it's adorable and causing an entirely different reaction that he has to watch her eyes dart to when she notices before they widen.

There's another dying noise.

"Um, that doesn't usually look like that," Tohru whispers, pointing to what definitely looks like bumps at the base of his dick, and well guess it's his turn to be red.

"Uh, yeah, you said the rat told you the cat's a bit more animalistic, right?" Kyo mumbles, looking away and wondering why the hell he hasn't gotten off the floor yet to hide in his room.

"Yeah?" She nods, unable to make her eyes move away.

"Yeah, well cats usually have barbed dicks, but I guess the cat spirit decided to not be an ass about one thing at least so uh ribbed for her pleasure or however those things are labeled." He explains with a wave of his hand towards the treacherous appendage before he mentally kicks himself for drawing more attention to it.

"Oh." Tohru blinks, once again wondering if there was steam coming off her face. It finally registers to her that she's staring and she quickly turns around with a squeak. "I'm so sorry!"

Kyo, despite his own embarrassment, can't help but snort at the dork he's fallen for as he finally sits up. "I am literally sitting here with my dick out, but sure." He shakes his head in exasperation before curling in on himself when another wave finally starts hitting. "Fuck, Tohru, I'm sorry to do this but we need to figure this out now because I need to go back in my room ASAP and need to know if the door is staying unlocked. Either way, can you get me more shit from the kitchen?" He groans, already panting again.

Tohru turns back around quickly in concern before she realizes what he means and her face flushes before steeling herself in determination. "If you're okay with it, I'm helping." Being the goofball she is, she bows. "Please let me help!"

If Kyo wasn't fighting with his instincts, he'd probably laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but, as things stood, all he could manage was a strained chuckle. "Never thought I'd actually have someone begging to sleep with me."

Tohru's face flames red as she fidgets. "Is that a yes?"

Kyo sighs, but nods. "Yeah. Let me get back in my room so you can make it downstairs." A growl works its way from his throat when he tries to close the door between them. "Lock the door behind you when you come in."

Tohru's already making her way downstairs once the door is closed to gather snacks, water, and energy drinks before rushing, careful not to trip. She barely gets the door open again before she's pulled inside with a yelp and finds herself caged against the door by strong arms as she drops everything on the ground in surprise.

"Kyo!" She squeaks, heat rising to her face once more before she's frozen in place by intense orange, cat-like eyes staring into hers and the sight of fangs catching the light when he seemingly unconsciously runs his tongue over them, and she kind of wants to find out if that's turned cat-like as well and oh that's a new thought.

"Still okay?" He pants, pupils quickly overtaking orange.

She nods, not trusting herself to speak as she forces her eyes to remain on his face.

Have his shoulders always been that wide?

When did he get this tall?

God, she's glad Yuki and Shigure found her in that tent.

"Words, Tohru. Need words." Kyo sighs, fist gripping the wood behind her, and shit his claws were out.

A whine leaves her, but she sighs. "Yes. Still okay."

"Have…have you done this before?"

"No, but I know what to do at least?" She whispers, looking to the floor before her face flames and she looks to the side instead. "Mom didn't trust the school's sex ed so I know how everything works."

"Glad one of us does then 'cause I didn't get shit. Don't think any of us thought I'd get this far." Kyo chuckles in self-deprecation before his eyes widen when Tohru does her little imitation of a glare before kissing him. He's just starting to recover when she finally pulls away to bump their foreheads together. When did her hand end up on his cheek?

"No more of that. Please?" She whispers against his mouth, obviously embarrassed by her own actions.

He nods dumbly, trying to get any version of a brain back online, but then she kisses him again with a whispered thank you, and his cat must have enough of his dumb ass because suddenly there's a squeal and they find themselves in the pile of blankets that Kyo's been calling a bed for the past few days with Kyo hovering above her. He opens his mouth to apologize and moves to give her some space but notices her hand reach out and suddenly they're both flushed red.

"Um- I-"

She starts to stutter, but her actually reaching out for him was officially the end of his self-control as he cuts her off with a low growl and smashes their lips together in a much rougher kiss than he intended, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Tohru definitely doesn't mind. She'd rather he be a little rough than continue to be hesitant and skittish about it all and she was pleasantly surprised to find that his tongue was indeed textured. Not in the sandpaper way but definitely something she was hoping she'd get to feel in other places.

"Kyo~" She whimpers when they finally separate for air. "Clothes. Let me get my clothes off."

Kyo growls a little at the prospect of moving away from her, but he still makes himself, leaning back to help and outwardly purring when he uncovers her chest before noticing something.

He tilts his head.

"Is your bra the same color as my fur when transformed?" He finally asks, pleased when he gets to watch the blush travel down to her chest now.

"As I said, I spent a lot of time thinking about this and I guess that included picking out clothes." She mumbles, picking at the strap a bit.

The purring grows louder and he leans forward to kiss her again. "I like it." He rumbles, giving another kiss. "Like having my mark on you."

He's so close right now that even with her dark eyes, he can see how her pupils dilate at that and has to smirk a little. "Like that idea?"

Tohru has surrendered herself to the fact she's probably going to be permanently embarrassed during this but also doesn't anticipate her body's reactions to certain things.

"I- um- I guess so?" She nods, trying to look away.

Kyo doesn't let her, gently cupping her face. "No hiding during this. Please?"

She pouts slightly, but nods. It was a fair enough request. "Sorry."

"Thank you." He smiles, kissing her again before moving down to start kissing her neck as he tries to figure out the clasp on her skirt with his claws. Eventually, he just growls. "I'll fix this later." He warns before slicing through the thread of the clasps to get the damn thing off.

"What do you-? Kyo!" She gasps when she hears the thread snap before she's left in her matching panties.

"I know how to sew." He mumbles, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he looks her over with hungry eyes. "Not as well as you, but I'll fix it later."

Tohru opens her mouth to say something, but is quickly distracted by his tongue in her mouth again and can't help but smile a little when she hears the tink of metal on the shelf near them so he doesn't lose it.

It's fine she decides.

"Mmmm~" Tohru moans lightly when she feels claws brush her side, eyes snapping open in surprise and embarrassment to meet equally surprised orange.

"…So don't need to be gentle I guess?" He eventually huffs in surprise.

"Um…no. No, you don't." Tohru mumbles shyly.

Another low growl as he kisses her again. "Noted then." He smirks, before recapturing her mouth as his claws move behind her to figure out the bra now, purring when it pops open and she gasps.

He pulls her bra away, subconsciously stuffing it into a specific spot in his blanket pile as he moves his mouth down to run his tongue over a nipple and purrs when she gasps and arches into the touch.

"Kyo." She gasps, hands moving to his hair on instinct.

Orange eyes flick up to hers as he does it again and the little whine he gets this time makes the purring louder as he continues to lavish attention on her nipples. He has no clue what he's doing really, but something in him is telling him that this Is the right move and the little whimpers and moans coming from Tohru confirm it. It's not long before he gets nippy however and lightly bites at one, earning an immediate moan and tug at his hair that has him moaning as well.

He had to make that happen again.

Kyo growls, laying her on her back once more to move down until he gets to her shyly closed thighs that he shoulders his way between to get her underwear off, purring at the shy little squeak he gets when he manhandles them off.

Tohru knew what she was signing up for, but somehow the fact that she'd be naked in front of him slipped her mind, and mixed with the little display of strength that lets her watch his muscles flex has her flushed down to her chest once more, but she is now way to worked up to actually care beyond covering her face with an arm.

Kyo is too busy trying to get his brain to catch up with what to do with the thing in front of him to notice her hiding, but he apparently takes too long for his cat's liking as he's hit with another wave of need and groans. "Fuck, Tohru. I'm really not going to be able to hold back much longer."

"Then don't." She tells him, peaking down at his shocked expression from behind her arm. "I had an idea of what I might be getting into. Do what you need to." She insists even with her face bright red.

Kyo blinks at her in shock, but there's another spike and a growl before his hands are on her thighs, spreading her legs open and his tongue is licking into her and earning a squeal.

"KyO~ There, do that again." Tohru moans when his currently strange tongue passes over her clit and she almost screams when he sucks on it. "Kyo~!"

A loud purr rumbles through his chest at her sounds as he forces his claws to retract on one hand so he can work a finger where he knows his cock is supposed to go and oh that's gonna feel amazing. The purring only gets louder the wetter and louder she got until he has three fingers inside her and he managed to get her to arch off his blankets when he rubs a certain spot inside her.

"KYO!" Tohru moans, her thighs trying to clamp around his head on reflex, but they barely do anything against his broad muscular shoulders and why did zodiac nonsense have to shove it in her face for her to properly notice him?

Kyo doesn't say anything, a bit too focused on getting more noises out of her until another spike slams into him and he groans.

'Okay, okay, I get it.' He thinks at the cat as he pulls back, giving one long lick to watch her thighs tremble before using the slick coating his fingers to help slick up his cock before two foil packets are tossed at him.

"Use those. We still have to finish school, silly." Tohru pants, having thrown one of the discarded condoms and what was apparently a lube packet from Shigure at him.

Kyo unintentionally scowls, but follows orders, tilting his head a bit at the bumps on his cock as he gives a few experimental strokes. They don’t seem to affect anything so he doesn't hesitate any longer in lubing up his cock and lining up, glancing at her one last time to get a nod before he sinks in, both moaning loudly.

Tohru's legs lock around his hips as he sinks inside, toes curling as the ridges provided by the cat stimulate her more than she was ready for and the knot in her stomach tightens.

Kyo has just enough wits about him to know he should wait when he finally bottoms out, but thankfully for his sanity, he doesn't have to wait long before Tohru Is nudging him with her legs around his hips.

"Move." She gasps, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Kyo."

His pupils slit before swallowing the orange of his eyes once more as he plants his hands on either side of her head, claws digging into the sheets as he growls, pulling almost all the way out before snapping his hips back into the base.

Tohru throws her head back against what she's come to realize is a mound of pillows as he starts up a fast pace, clinging to him as she feels like she's going to fall apart. Her mom had once warned her that she probably wouldn't cum her first time unless she slept with someone experienced, but she really doesn't know if she was going to last and really couldn't complain.

Kyo was in a similar boat, senses currently a live wire, and was already overly sensitive from being multiple days into the mating season already. It was probably a good thing Tohru was so much shorter too because he had the overwhelming need to bite something and this way he could reach the pillows instead.

Or that was the plan anyway before a hand tangled in his hair to pull his head down for a kiss and a purr was dragged out of him when he felt her tongue slip into his mouth this time. It was definitely a welcome distraction until eventually, he felt her hand tighten in his hair.

"Mnnn~ Kyo~ I'm gonna-" Tohru gasps before she throws her head back on a moan and clenches around him as she cums.

Some noise that is probably a yowl rips itself from Kyo's throat as he fucks her through it, his own hips stuttering as he nears his release.

"Toh-ru…gonna- need to-" He growls as he struggles to get the word out and instead bites at the air to try and get his point across.

"…Just make sure I can hide it." She decides, panting and whining as she's kept at the peak.

Kyo's eyes snap down to a spot on her shoulder that her uniform would cover before he's lunging at it, biting down with a growl as he cums hard into the condom, the growl morphing into a purr as he comes back down. He feels Tohru spasm around him again and hopes that means she came again and he didn't leave her hanging as he licks over the bite on her shoulder.

Tohru whines in sensitivity when he finally pulls off to toss the used condom in the nearby trash before somehow still managing to flush red when she pulled close to his broad chest and a blanket is pulled over them.

"Kyo?" She whispers.

"Mine." He mumbles sleepily, holding her closer as a purr vibrates across her back. "Stay."

Tohru manages to look over her shoulder at his sleepy face curiously before smiling as she wiggles around to rest her head on his chest. "As long as you'll have me."

~~~

~Meanwhile, downstairs~

"You are absolutely ruthless when you're interrupted aren't you?" Shigure teases Yuki as they sit at the table during a break in their own cycles.

"Shut up, mutt. I heard you throwing condoms at him." Yuki snips, drinking his tea.

"Can you blame me?" Shigure gasps, slumping against the table. "It was painful to watch."

Yuki hates to agree so simply hums. Shigure wouldn't be the one having to hear them, but it was infuriating to watch them dance around each other. "At least we don't transform during this nonsense."

#fruits basket #fruba #kyo sohma #tohru honda #kyou x tohru #yuki sohma #hatsuharu sohma #momiji sohma #fruba smut #smut #fruits basket smut #kinktober #kinktober 2022

210 notes · View notes

bby-deerling · 19 days

Note

Could we get the directors cut on eat your heart out? I still think about that one often.

for those who haven't read it yet: eat your heart out

i was literally just thinking about this fic earlier because i reread it the other day <3 it's one of my favorite things i've ever written i think.

one of my favorite things to write is crack taken seriously. the initial idea for this was spawned by some comic i saw while scrolling through my dash of luffy telling law "my hungry ass could NOT be a heart surgeon" (after posting this people kept tagging me in another one where law takes out someone's heart and bepo goes "uhhh captain, are you gonna eat that?" which is equally funny to me) and tbh that resonated with me. as a luffy-pilled carnivore who loves stuffing a juicy rare steak in my mouth, i would probably be looking at those hearts in the cubes and lowkey salivating a little bit.

so then i got the idea of playing the concept completely straight and letting law play with your heart for a little while. to me it's so romantic in such a raw and visceral way, to trust someone with your entire life in their grasp, and to let them be gentle enough to leave a mark without damaging you. like reader says, it's intimate, in the purest of ways. law & the reader have a pre-established close friendship, to the point where this extreme demonstration of trust is all that needs to be said to seal the gap of things hanging unsaid between them, and i think that's beautiful. :)

#nonny<3

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welcometoteyvat · 3 months

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can i ask why you don't like xingyun? /gen not a shipper myself but i'm just curious since a lot of chongyun lovers love that ship, i've never seen anyone NOT like it

rant warning by the way, I accidentally got more and more annoyed writing this 😬

im gonna be honest the number one reason is because i see it everywhere

the first effect of this is that content depicting xingqiu and chongyun in a nonromantic manner get tagged as xing/yun, which is annoying to me. you can draw 2 characters together in a nonromantic manner and you don't have to tag the ship guys. it's real it's called being friends. the second effect is that there's never any content with chongyun and Other Characters. people are so hung up on him and xingqiu that chongyun almost never exists without xingqiu. like you might notice i have a tag for chongyun and hu tao (mostly platonic) stuff except that there are only 7-8 posts tagged with that, because although the "exorcist and girl who can see ghosts" dynamic would be so cool, nobody seems to think abt that bc almost everything with chongyun includes xingqiu. this also goes for chongyun and xiangling (who canonically makes him his cooling popsicles) and like random other characters whom he Could interact with and be friends with (ayaka and him is a crack friendship i talked about once, and ofc chongyun and xiao). i hate it. xingqiu got his mr worldwide arc with venti and albedo please depict chongyun alone with other friends (it literally doesn't even have to be romantic). of course, this might just be a separate problem that I'm conflating with the ship, but it annoys me. i'm not focusing on xingqiu's side because although fan content for like idk him and yun jin? him and hu tao? albedo? is also super rare, at least that stuff exists in canon.

the second reason is because xingqiu's prankster attitude towards chongyun annoys me

yeah i love my little shit son but idk, it's just annoying when people make him feed chongyun spicy food, play pranks on him that cost chongyun Something (losing face, wasted time, frustration) idk. i guess i don't like that his condition isn't taken seriously. i don't think it's bad to have friends who pull your leg but at least not in a malicious way? like iirc he's implied to have triggered chongyun's yang energy overflows at least a couple times, and it's like . why. why is it played for jokes the kid literally passes out. "(He) needs more practice. Especially… with eating spicy food, haha." bro please do not !! don't trigger his condition just for kicks! xingqiu's other pranks also annoy me, given that i hate being tricked, so some of this might be projection or smth idk, but like idk you can give him good suggestions for where to demon hunt instead of making up shit and then going after him to make up for any costs. it's just annoying i think chongyun gets annoyed but then later forgives him, as friends are, but i cannot imagine them getting together like this. unless it's toxic idk . if they're friends i can give a pass to the pranks and stuff but in a romantic relationship i don't think i could see this kind of dynamic being a good one

#please try not to reblog LOLLLLLLLLL everything's my personal opinion #tldr i have arbitrary preferences and also cy's my son (xq is my other son but theyre not together. gm is my 3rd son)#i got into genshin got attached to cy went on tumblr saw so much xing.yun art i assumed i was gonna like the ship. guess what #also congratulations anon you've met one of the few people who actively tries to avoid xy i feel like this is a rare pokemon achievement #(<- never played pokemon)#anon ask #asks #teyvat thoughts #again i will tell you that i wasn't as annoyed w xy before but now it's up there because there's no content without them making out and #i've grown more and more annoyed by it so now it's an notp idk

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wannab-urs · 4 months

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Dieter Bravo Masterlist

Main Masterlist | AO3 | Kofi

A Ghost of You - angst, fluff, smut | AO3

Type: loose fit series Status: complete, but additions possible Summary: This series jumps around the timeline of your relationship with Dieter Bravo, from the very first time you meet at a friend's party to a while after he's gone. It's a loose fit, was not written in order, can be read as standalone oneshots, and has no update schedule. The first fic I ever wrote is A Ghost of You (the fic not the series) so you'll also see some evolving writing styles throughout. Some are fluff, some are smut, all but one are angsty. Tags: I have warnings posted on every chapter but this series is Explicit and Mature. It deals with death, drug addiction, and toxic relationships.

Carry Me - fluff | AO3

Type: one shot, request Word Count: 1.2k Summary: You’re overwhelmed. Being a student at a very rigorous university and interning as a therapist for the local DV clinic is all getting to be too much. You’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown for real, but Dieter is there to lighten some of the burden. Tags: hurt/comfort, a rare non smut fic, general anxiety and frustration about being a student therapist, Dieter being kind of an idiot, brief mention of SA and DV (literally just the acronyms, no description whatsoever), Dieter is able to pick you up, Dieter calls you Shrink and baby, you and Dieter are roughly the same age, brief mention of oral f!receiving, no use of Y/N

For the Record - smut | AO3

Type: one shot, request Word Count: 2.9k Summary: You go to a record store looking for something specific and end up on a date with the owner. Tags: Dieter Bravo being Dieter Bravo, excessive name dropping of bands I like, grungy Dieter wearing Doc Martens and covered in tattoos, reader going to a strangers house like an idiot, kissing, fingering, oral f!receiving, unprotected piv (this is not real life. Don’t be dumb), one tiny little ass slap, praise, creampie, no use of Y/N

Scotty Doesn't Know - smut | AO3

Type: one shot Word Count: 2.8k Summary: Scotty doesn't know you're hooking up with Dieter Tags: songfic, smut, infidelity, dieter is a loser, scotty doesn't really deserve this he's just annoying, crack taken seriously, porn with the barest of plots, barely edited.

Dirt - smut | AO3

Type: one shot Word Count: 1k Summary: A twist on a scene from saltburn with our dear boy Dieter Warnings: alcohol and drug use, semi-public sex, dieter being a fucking freak, no use of y/n, reader is undescribed except for being AFAB and able to pull Dieter by his hair.

Scandal - smut | AO3

Type: one shot, discord prompt fill Word Count: 1.6k Summary: You get locked in a closet with Dieter at the Oscars Tags: semi public smut; forced proximity; reader has hair that can have bobby pins in it, is able bodied, is wearing a dress, and is an actress; the barest hint of enemies to lovers, but not really, oral f! and m!receiving.

The King Has Lost His Crown - angst | AO3

Type: Drabble, ABBA Drabble Challenge Word Count: 703 Summary: Dieter shows up on your porch Tags: Dieter being a pathetic loser, angst, drug mention

#Dieter Bravo #Dieter Bravo fics #Dieter Bravo fanfiction #Dieter Bravo x reader #Dieter Bravo x you #The Bubble fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal character fanfiction #ppcu fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfiction #nav #masterlist #dieter bravo masterlist

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foxymoxynoona · 9 months

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To Kill A King (Chapter 12)

Banner and linebreaks by the talented @awrkives

Summary: What’s more charming than Prince Seokjin? Nothing, obviously. Except maybe the rotating palace guests who each smile and bow and charm in an attempt to hide their true motives. Fortunately Seokjin has a close circle of friends (well, servants) who watch his back and endure his humor and help him navigate the tumultuous seas of heartbreak, love, and an arranged marriage, not necessarily in that order. If only they had helped him keep a closer eye on his bride-to-be’s handmaiden, who arrives with her own agenda… or maybe it would have been better if he had noticed her less? One thing is certain as this royal drama of the heart plays out: there are many people competing to kill a king.

Main Pairing: Prince Seokjin x Female OC Genre: Historical Fantasy World, political conspiracy, romance Rating: 18+ Content Warnings & story tags: includes explicit sex (mxf, fxf), possibly graphic violence/injury later, love and sex triangles or uh quadrangles?, sort of e 2 l, sort of bodyguard trope, sort of arranged marriage, a lot of plotting murder (it’s literally in the title), maybe character death, grief, pining, angst, love, oral (f & m receiving), I don’t know everything yet as the story is long and still being written

PREVIOUS | MASTERLIST | NEXT

NOTE: check out the Character & Setting Cheat Sheet for a refresher on who’s who

Seokjin surveyed his outfit, futzing with the high collar as Lord Sciurus pawed at the back of his hair and then his ear. Seokjin flinched and brushed him away, so the squirrel clambered to the other side and grabbed his earring. Seokjin gave in to his demands for attention and handed him another nut from the bowl at hand, which Lord Sciurus was more than capable of getting himself. At the crack of Lord Sciurus breaking into it, raining shell dust all over the shoulder of Seokjin’s dark blue jacket, the piggies came running into the room in a line and circled around Seokjin’s feet. He crouched down so they could run beneath his hand. Nutmeg decided she needed extra attention and put her little paws in his wrist to press it to the ground so she could nibble the end of his thumb.

“I already fed you all,” he reminded as Ginger ran through his legs. He’d taken breakfast in his private atrium, alone except for the sound of happily munching animals, as he wanted to be. He wasn’t spending as much time alone lately and it was exhausting him, to be frank. The masquerade, sparring, court, it felt like he had been pulled more wholly into the center of things than ever before Nasimiyu arrived and he wasn’t feeling superb about it. Obviously he knew it was coming, that there had been an expectation he would be stepping into royal heir role years ago and he hadn’t really; that getting married would be a sign to people he was ready to take his preparations as someday-king more seriously; that Nasimiyu herself believed she was coming here to marry a future king in more than just title.

But dammit, he was tired!

And that was why he hadn’t gone to the kitchen lately, or the dining hall, and requested breakfast in his room. Not because he was avoiding one Yoongi Min of the kitchens. Why would he avoid a cook? Preposterous.

He just wanted to make sure his sugar gliders Coco and Nilla were getting enough socialization. He had an animal handler who helped care for his pets so it’s not like they were ever alone any more than they wanted to be, any of them, but still. He knew he was their favorite and he didn’t want to be neglectful of them just because he had a fiance and a kingdom to learn how to run and a cook to avoid–

Not that he was avoiding Yoongi! He just didn’t know what to say to him. Well, he did know what to say to him, but he knew it was going to sound awkward because it wasn’t any of his business to ask Yoongi if he and Dulce were together now but also she was his fiance’s favorite maid so maybe he had some right to make sure Yoongi understood not to… you know…. Hurt her or get her pregnant too soon or something–

Seokjin curled his hand around the pouch hanging around his neck that Coco and Nilla had snuggled down in. Obviously it was great that Yoongi and Dulce had found each other. Great match, those two. He’d called it! It was a good development and he could be happy for his sort-of friend in a totally normal, not weird way, because what was there to be weird about?

So when his animals formed a guild to insist they had not been fed enough fresh treats this morning, Seokjin made sure Coco and Nilla were snug against his chest and set out for the garden to fix the delicacies himself, even though it ran the risk of running into Yoongi. Maybe he would luck out and this was a day off for Yoongi –although, come to think of it, he wasn’t sure Yoongi actually ever took days off.

Edmund caught up to him when he left his room, which wasn’t ideal because he wanted to be alone. He tried to just ignore the young bodyguard’s presence, wishing it was one of the older ones because they talked less. Jungkook was always his favorite, even though he talked a lot, but he was off. He took days off, why wouldn’t Yoongi?

Today was definitely not that day. Seokjin’s basket was only half-filled with crisp lettuce and swollen cucumbers and a few last straggler strawberries he’d found tucked behind the leaves when Yoongi strolled by with an empty basket of his own.

Seokjin expected Yoongi to realize he’d been avoiding him and quiz him on it immediately, but instead the cook just gave a nod in his direction –no bow, but it’s what Seokjin preferred, and they were mostly alone except for a few gardeners at the far end– and crouched to inspect the zucchini swelling from their spiky vines. He waited for Yoongi to say anything, or maybe voluntarily bring up Dulce and predict the questions Seokjin might understandably have about such progress in Yoongi’s life. He said nothing. Just selected two zucchini.

“Hey,” Seokjin called after only a moment. “Is that the only hello? Since when do you pick your own vegetables?”

“I’m trying a Paloman recipe and the zucchini need to be crisp but the gardeners brought mushy ones to me yesterday. They don’t want to waste the vegetables but I care about the quality of the food.”

Seokjin’s eyes bugged as he repeated, “A Paloman recipe? You’re using the royal kitchen for such private things?!”

It was ridiculous and Seokjin knew it as soon as he said it. They used the kitchen to make their own dishes all the time! And there was nothing out of line about Yoongi experimenting with new foods to feed the palace.

Yoongi’s eyebrow arched as he pushed up, and Seokjin hated the casual way he answered, “Well, the Princess requested it.” Seokjin’s embarrassment evaporated immediately –he never felt the need to hold onto it for long anyway– replaced by curiosity.

“Nasimiyu asked you to make it?”

“Yes, some dish her maid told her about. She asked me a few days ago to figure out how to make it.” He thought about it, then shrugged, “I think the maid’s birthday is coming up, maybe? I don’t know. I said I would try but it’s hard if I can’t just ask the maid about it.”

“By maid, don’t you mean Dulce, who we both know?” Seokjin laughed to sound casual about it too, because Yoongi was always so casual even when he cared a lot. Cool. “Why are you calling her like that, you think I don’t know? You can be forthright with me.”

This time Yoongi’s brows lowered and Seokjin felt like he’d hit on something directly, though the narrowed gaze was directed at two zucchini he compared in his hands.

“You know… that we both know Dulce?” Yoongi clarified with a glance.

“I know that you and Dulce are… I’m the royal prince, you don’t think I know everything that takes place under my roof? I know you two are together now. You don’t have to hide it from me! Did you think I would begrudge you a relationship?” For a moment, his words sounded sincere even to his own ears. They were sincere! His own thoughts were confusing him. Why wouldn’t he be thrilled for them? Unless Yoongi was only playing with her, which he clumsily tried to ferret out now, but perhaps Dulce wanted to be played with….? Seokjin decided to look closely and select the best zucchini for his animals, too.

For a long moment Yoongi didn’t say anything at all and Seokjin realized he must have made the shyer, quieter man uncomfortable. That wouldn’t have stopped him. He hated all the secrecy required for his life. People should feel free to be out and open, at least about their loves and affections. People took secrets too seriously. Life wasn’t made for secrets and shame.

“You think I’m in a relationship with Dulce,” Yoongi clarified slowly. “And you care.”

“I don’t care.”

“You sound like you care.”

“I care because– ah, you’re my friend, and she is Nasimiyu’s favorite, so I want everyone to be happy.”

Yoongi nodded like he’d expected this answer. He had a way of always seeming like he knew everything which Seokjin envied because it would be a very admirable trait on the throne. King Dong-gun did the same, actually. Seokjin ought to figure out how to emulate it.

“I see. You’re asking because you want to be a supportive friend and make sure your people are happy.”

“Wait wait,” Seokjin interrupted, waving his free hand. “I’m not asking anything.”

“You want to know if I’m having a relationship with Dulce.”

“I didn’t ask that, I already know and I’m saying I support–”

“I don’t have a relationship with her,” Yoongi said. “Not any more of a relationship than you do.”

Seokjin shook his head and assured him, “I know she stayed with you after the masquerade. You don’t have to hide your relationship from me.”

“Do you have me watched? Or her?” Yoongi asked and for a moment his voice had almost an edge to it. It harkened back to how Seokjin had discovered about Yoongi’s political activities in Marvono in the first place, when he’d innocently been enjoying his day in the city and come across the cook meeting with a shady character in a side alley. He’d overheard more than Yoongi ought to be talking about in an open location –which Seokjin gave him an earful about, before demanding to know everything so he could decide whether Yoongi being in the palace was a security risk. He knew he ought to just turn him over immediately, but he’d already grown fond of the cook and wanted to decide for himself. A copious amount of alcohol later, Seokjin had what was probably mostly true about Yoongi’s youthful passion to make the world better. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he’d been told everything, but between that and just enough poking into the environmentalist group Yoongi had been a part of, Seokjin didn’t have further concerns. Yoongi was retired now anyway, content to cook and drink –as he had been telling the man in the alley in the first place. I don’t do that kind of thing anymore, sorry. Seokjin had thought to himself good, because you clearly aren’t good at it anymore if you’re so easily found out!

Seokjin frowned at the accusation and insisted, “Neither. But when she leaves your room the morning after in the middle of the palace, people notice–”

“What people?”

“Jungkook,” Seokjin huffed, annoyed with the questioning, like he’d done something wrong. “Why are you so upset about it? I’m saying I don’t care!”

“I’m not upset. She slept in my dorm that night, that’s all.”

“You don’t have to be shy about it,” Seokjin insisted. Now that it was out in the open, he was determined to get the confirmation. “I’m saying I support it.”

“And I’m saying nothing happened.”

“Then why did she sleep in your dorm, huh? Women just wander by to spend the night in a crowded room with a bunch of men for fun?” Seokjin laughed as he said it, it was such a ridiculous suggestion.

Yoongi shrugged, “I offered. She needed help getting out of her dress.”

“Ah! Yes, helping a woman out of her dress, famously not a thing you do before–”

“She said the Princess had put her into it but that Princess was busy now with a certain Prince.”

Seokjin’s mouth wavered, trying to find a joke that wouldn’t come as his neck prickled with a flush.

“I helped her change and stash the dress. Probably she didn’t want the other maids to know she’d been at the ball. Servants hate when other servants step out of their rank just as much as nobles do.”

“And then you asked her to spend the night before that’s what any friend would do.” Seokjin meant it sarcastically, but Yoongi either didn’t pick up on it or ignored it.

“She seemed a little… off,” Yoongi said with a shrug.

Seokjin blinked and looked at the vegetables in his basket. He ignored the hiccup in his chest.

“What do you mean off?” He felt very serious suddenly, like he couldn’t even pretend to be casual or playful.

“I thought maybe someone had been bothering her.”

“Why did you think that?”

“You have a lot of questions for someone who doesn’t care about any of this,” Yoongi mused, and Seokjin realized he had mindlessly followed Yoongi down two rows of the garden by now.

“I care if maids are being harassed in my palace.”

“She said no one did. Maybe she was drunk or just sick of being around nobles,” Yoongi suggested.

“She didn’t say anything to you about it?”

“Do you mean before or after we fucked?” Yoongi asked. Unfortunately Seokjin’s face seemed to do something against his will, because Yoongi grinned. “I told you we didn’t.”

“Now I don’t believe you!”

“We didn’t. But I’ll be sure to update you on any fucking I do in the future.”

“I don’t care who you fuck unless it’s– unless it might interfere with–” Seokjin broke off, not sure how to finish his own sentence in a way that didn’t sound strange. “Unless a member of the staff is being harassed. Then I need to know.”

“Well I’m not harassing anyway.”

“But you think someone else was?”

“I don’t know. She said no and she’s seemed fine again since the ball. Isn’t it enough to just be tired of the whole thing? She doesn’t belong there.”

“Yes…” Seokjin trailed off, thinking and also trying not to think too much. It made perfect sense that by the time Dulce left the ball, she was exhausted. And Nasimiyu couldn’t help her undress because she was undressing him. And she hadn’t wanted the other maids to know, so she’d needed a place to sleep.

The start Yoongi had given him with the suggestion someone might have bothered Dulce after Seokjin left and was no longer there to protect her was soothed. A lightness inflated his chest at learning all of this. Jungkook’s assumption had been wrong. Yoongi was not in fact in a relationship with Dulce, they had not even fooled around unless Yoongi was lying to his face, which he didn’t seem to be because why would he lie about something like this?

“Well you should just know you have my full blessing if you wish to pursue something romantically with her,” Seokjin said magnanimously.

“.... Thanks,” Yoongi said with an undeniable slowness to the single word. “You have a rat poking out of your necklace.”

“Not every small animal is a rat!” Seokjin glanced down to see Nilla peeking her little head out the bag and he decided it was time to take his gatherings back anyway and let them eat and run around before he needed to go do Princely duty things.

“If you say so.”

“I do say so. Good luck with your Paloman food. Let me try it too when it’s done, I insist.”

Yoongi waved his hand like he was the prince here and assured him, “I figured you would. Come by and you can help me make it if you want.”

That was tempting. Dulce’s birthday was coming up, hm? He tucked this nugget of knowledge away. How old was she anyway? He wondered if she’d make a fuss if he gave her another of the Kalamouche novels as a gift. She’d probably wonder how he even knew it was her birthday coming up and he’d say something smooth about just knowing things.

He whistled as he walked off with his basket, morning sun warming his skin. He preferred the winter but summer could be nice too, couldn’t it? He whistled and whistled–

And stopped when he crossed paths with the woman herself in the yard, near the kitchens.

“Lovely morning, isn’t it, fair Dulce?” he grinned, and continued on his way, resisting the urge to look back and see if she was flattered or confused or annoyed by the greeting. He worried he’d give away that he knew her birthday was coming up. Maybe Kalamouche was too generic, since he could just let her borrow the rest of them. Or maybe she’d like owning them herself? What was an appropriate birthday gift for a maid when you were the prince?

Well the Prince certainly seemed to be in a good mood. And why wouldn’t he be? Dulce hadn’t been with Nasimiyu in a couple days now, banished to other odd jobs for no reason other than that the head matron was a bitch and maybe believed the rumors swirling that Dulce had snuck into the masquerade. Dulce had expected Nasimiyu to notice and call her back, but probably she was still too head-in-the-clouds over the Prince’s massive cock.

And Dulce, to be honest, hadn’t minded the break. She’d spent the time thinking about heisting the painting as she cleaned silk slippers and pounded period stains out of underskirts, even though that ought to be a job for the laundresses. Dulce didn’t care for now. Mindless work was such a holiday from having to always be on alert and dealing with people. What a treat to be able to let her mind wander to something as exciting as a heist. With any luck, she wouldn’t even have to kill anyone.

But now she’d been summoned back, and if the Prince’s whistling and jaunty walk were anything to go by, Nasimiyu would be in a satiated good mood as well. Probably she hadn’t even noticed Dulce was out of sight for a few days, and she’d launch right into another nauseating monologue about sex with the Prince and Dulce would let her mind wander back to the way her arm burned scrubbing fabric against the washboard because that was preferable.

Dulce knocked on Nasimiyu’s door, where she’d been told the Princess had retreated for “letter writing and refreshment.” She noticed the dirt on the bottom of her skirt, since she’d been watching sparring in the yard when the matron sent for her, and tried to kick it off before deciding she didn’t care. Nasimiyu wouldn’t notice anyway. At the lack of response, she opened the door and dragged the overladen cart inside.

Nasimiyu sat inside at the desk near the window, actually writing letters after all.

“Hello,” Dulce called. “I’ve brought your refreshment, Princess.” She closed the door behind herself, proud of the proper address even though it wasn’t actually proper at all: a maid should never address her lady without being spoken to first, and use an honorific, not simply a title. She hated that she knew these things. She expected Nasimiyu to turn around and correct this faux pas with a bemused roll of her eyes.

Instead Nasimiyu continued to write something on her desk and just called over her shoulder, “Nice of you to show up.”

Dulce had expected this, though not in that tone, and pointed out, “I don’t control the schedule. Take it up with your head maid. She had me doing your laundry and shining your shoes.”

“Yes, you’ve ruined at least two pairs.”

“It’s almost as if I am not a maid,” Dulce quipped, parking the tray beside the table.

“Oh, should I have Mirta reassign you to something you’re more suited for?” Nasimiyu asked. “Like… fucking nobles? Oh, but you’re already doing that, even without orders to.”

If Dulce was less good at what she did, perhaps this sudden barb would have elicited some visible response in her. Instead she felt an internal jolt telling her she needed to be on alert: she noted the edge to Nasimiyu’s voice, and the tension now obvious in her shoulders, and the way the princess still hadn’t turned to look at her. Anger. Dulce let this acknowledgement ease her around the nervous twist in her stomach that somehow Nasimiyu had found out and was, as Dulce had expected, angry.

She kept her voice neutral as she leaned against the wall beside the desk, hiding any nerves or concern, and argued, “I believe your words were ‘You’re pretty and it’s the easiest way to get information from men’ as you commanded me to fuck for–”

“His staff!” Nasimiyu hissed, leaping to her feet. “Not fucking Lord Namjoon!”

Dulce gave her an innocent look and demanded, “Why, is Lord Namjoon off limits for some reason?”

“You know why.”

“I do not. He is a noble close to the Prince. You wanted to know about the previous fiance and Namjoon’s involvement–”

“Oh, you’re on a first name basis?”

“I think titles are ridiculous,” Dulce snapped, bothered by this whole conversation. So had Nasimiyu been the one to command her to laundry for several days? As what, punishment? She’d known Nasimiyu would be upset to learn this but honestly, it was so juvenile. “And so is your response. It’s sex. You have it too.”

“With my fiance.”

“Then what are you so bothered about Namjoon for?”

Nasimiyu grabbed Dulce’s arms and shoved her back against the wall, and Dulce let her spend this emotion, curious what Nasimiyu would actually say about it once her tantrum ended. She’d always found the limits of Nasimiyu’s violence amusing. She’d never had a physical fight in her life and Dulce didn’t think she’d be capable of it. Now she seemed intent on walking a thin line between truth and lies. Why not just admit she was obsessed with Namjoon?

“It’s not part of the plan,” Nasimiyu said.

“Everything is part of the plan,” Dulce countered, painting her own behavior with a broad, favorable brush stroke. “You have no reason to be bothered by my techniques to get information–”

“You knew you shouldn’t fuck Namjoon–”

“Why? So you could fuck him for information?” Dulce pressed. “Your parents were right, he’s distracting you.”

She hadn’t actually intended that to be the magnitude of attack Nasimiyu clearly took it for. She was just hot under scrutiny about a thing she felt secret shame over, and didn’t like that Nasimiyu was resisting her perfectly logical explanation about it. But Nasimiyu ran even hotter at this accusation and bashed Dulce back against the wall again and then delivered a harsh slap across the face.

This was not like Nasimiyu at all. Nasimiyu had never lashed out at her like that.

“How dare you accuse me of that,” Nasimiyu hissed. “I have my purpose for Namjoon and it is not to waste him now with some drunk fuck with a maid at a masquerade. He will be part of my cabinet once I am queen–”

Dulce’s eyebrows raised as she asked carefully, “Are you going to marry him once the Prince is dead?”

“I didn’t say that! But his mind–”

“Is probably clever enough to work you for a chair by your side–” Dulce began to point out. Nasimiyu moved sharply again as though to strike but Dulce didn’t flinch. Never flinch. The flinch gave power to the other person’s threat. Even if they struck you, a lack of response made their assault look feeble.

“He’s not working me. I’m trying to work him and he’s avoiding me! He’s being accused by spoiled brats of ridiculous dramas when he’s far too busy thinking about the future of this nearly ruined country to bother with some eighteen-year-old,” Nasimiyu said, spinning away. Dulce had no clue what she was talking about and just watched, waiting. Nasimiyu seemed wild with anger in a way Dulce had never been truly in the crossfire of. Always before it just resulted in Nasimiyu half-jokingly asked if Dulce couldn’t just take care of the problem person for her.

“He’s brilliant,” Nasimiyu continued, “and he’d be an incredible mind to have as part of my cabinet if you don’t go around fucking him–”

“That’s bullshit. He chose to fuck me and I’m sure there are plenty other women too. If fucking distracts him from his own policies then why do you need him? You’re not mad about that, stop lying to us both.”

“What do you know, what I’m mad about?!” Nasimiyu whirled on her. “You know me so little you thought I wanted you to fuck him. I told you to fuck Jungkook or Jimin! They’re–”

“What? Lower staff, like me? Appropriate for sex with your maid?”

Dulce hated Nasimiyu in that moment, for blaming her instead of Namjoon, for putting him on a pedestal, for being jealous of him.

“It’s not about that! I fuck you, don’t I? And I’m far above some lord–”

“Then what is it? I did what you told me to, I fucked for information with my disposable body.”

“That’s what you do.”

“That is not what I do,” Dulce snapped, getting as into Nasimiyu’s face as she could with the height difference. “You forget? I’m an assassin, not a whore. I’m not even a spy and yet you have me sneaking around this palace listening for drama about failed betrothals or the weaknesses of a royal family that don’t even hide them. If you just had a fucking conversation with your betrothed that idiot would lay it all out for you! But the only part of him you’re interested in is the part that can sexually serve you–”

“Jealous?”

“Are you jealous?” Dulce interrupted. “Of Namjoon, not of me. I’ve been by your side for years and–”

“Because my father is blackmailing you,” Nasimiyu snorted and turned away and crossed her arms like a sulking child.

Dulce let that hang for a moment, to give herself time to settle the internal chaos of that one confession.

“You know,” Dulce said slowly. “You know your father is threatening my family… and you didn’t do anything.”

“You don’t even like your family, you abandoned them years ago, and all he’s asking from you is to serve me. That’s not a hardship so what does it matter?”

“No? Do you want to go pound the period stains out of my skirts and shine my shoes?”

“You didn’t have to do that. You could have come to me when Mirte told you to do that. But you didn’t. Why not?” Nasimiyu spun with a fierce, cocky smile, like she already knew the answer. Dulce had wanted to lay low for a bit. She had expected Nasimiyu to be angry about Namjoon.

“I needed a break from you,” Dulce said. It was a weak answer though, and Nasimiyu seemed to gain strength from it, as if she saw some victory looming in the distance and could now reach for it.

“Because you knew what you had done. You knew I would be furious that you fucked Namjoon. You knew that–”

“That you have feelings for him?” Dulce pressed. It sounded ridiculous to say. She felt embarrassed for Nasimiyu. How embarrassing to have feelings for someone, especially in Nasimiyu’s position, but in anyone’s really. It didn’t even matter if the feelings were real or just infatuation, it was obvious now that Nasimiyu believed them to be.

“I do not.”

Dulce didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to rattle off the evidence of it: the trailing after Namjoon at the ball, the obsession over whom he danced with, and even before that, the obviously calculated attempts to be in his path, to strike up conversation. She saw in it now much of the same behavior Nasimiyu had when they’d first met, and suddenly this princess in disguise was constantly in the tavern, constantly the next table over, constantly offering to buy a round.

“Be careful. Having feelings for someone doesn’t mean they’re returned and it’s more likely to land you in shit.”

“Yes, because you’re such an expert at feelings,” Nasimiyu scoffed. “You’ve never let yourself feel anything for anyone.”

Part of Dulce wanted to confirm that. What a lovely way to be. She wanted to be like that. She wanted Nasimiyu to believe she was like that. And yet for reasons she could not explain, some strange weak part of her suddenly felt like the opposite was true, like she needed to prove Nasimiyu was wrong and claim victory for herself. Nasimiyu thought she knew her so well, that she was nothing but a cold, unfeeling machine? She didn’t know her at all.

“Then why did I stay behind?”

“Because my father is blackmailing you–”

“No,” Dulce interrupted. “That party in Lair that you insisted on going to because you wanted to part of that ridiculous short-sighted cult–”

“It was a political group, and they had good ideas! They wanted to change the world–”

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about because your death is the way they want to change the world, your whole family’s death and everyone like you,” Dulce interrupted. “They’d have slit your throat in a heartbeat if they knew who you were. But you wanted to be a hero and I told you it was a bad idea but you insisted on going and it got raided just like I said and there you were right in the middle of it.”

Nasimiyu wasn’t looking at her, rightfully shamed by this instance in which she had been so pig-headed and wrong, and tried, “We got caught–”

“No, you got caught. I could have escaped easily because I knew to plan my exit the second we walked in and you were too busy throwing yourself into it, like somehow you could convince them to make you their queen anyway. You were slow and stupid and instead of saving my own skin I stayed to protect you.”

“Which was ridiculous. I was perfectly fine. My father paid a small ransom–”

“To himself! He was behind the raid!”

“No, the Brothers of Sunset were–”

“Everyone knows the Brothers of Sunset are funded by the royal family of Marvono,” Dulce sighed, deeply annoyed with just how blind Nasimiyu could be.

“That’s a rumor. The Brothers of Sunset sold you to my father.”

“They didn’t need to. Open your eyes and look at your own family.”

Nasimiyu blinked at her. Dulce could practically see Nasimiyu’s thoughts warring with each other. But she couldn’t reconcile this, so she pushed it away, and argued, “It’s not like I have ever supported my father’s policies anyway.”

“What have you done differently? Now he will put you on the throne–”

“And I will finally have the power to do what I see as right.”

“You will be his pawn on the throne.”

“You’re such a bitch,” Nasimiyu cried and clenched her fists like she wanted to strike Dulce again. “You don’t believe I could have a thought in my head that’s not my father’s despite everything I have ever said against him. You know that.”

“But you’re angry with me for having sex with some noble you’ve taken a fancy to.”

“Because he’s mine,” Nasimiyu finally admitted, but surprised Dulce by adding, “And you’re supposed to be mine too. He’s not yours to fuck or kill.”

“Oh,” Dulce said as the truth came into sharp clarity. A truth she had known but until this moment tried to find all evidence to disprove. “I’m yours the way a dog is.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“You just did. I’m a bitch. I’m your bitch, and your fathers. Maybe that’s no different than how you are with the Prince or even how you want to be with Namjoon. Do you actually care about anyone or are we all just pawns in the end? You really are just like your father–”

Nasimiyu tried to box her ears but Dulce slid away as Nasimiyu shouted, “Don’t say that! Shut up! You’re so proud of yourself that you know where to twist the daggers! Who’s the monster, me or you? Yes, I am calculated in what I do to achieve my goal. Yes, people will get hurt. But my goal is the greater good and if some nobles get hurt along the way, so be it! How rich of you to judge me! At least I live by my principles–”

“When it suits you.”

“You kill for money. You fuck for information. You pretend to care to save your own skin.” Nasimiyu shouted and Dulce couldn’t pretend not to see the way emotion wracked her whole body. By comparison, Dulce knew she looked cold, exactly like Nasimiyu accused. She just couldn’t lose control the way Nasimiyu could. It wasn’t possible for her, not in anger or in joy.

“Then why did I stay during the raid?” she demanded.

“There was something in it for you! I don’t know what! Maybe you were in league for the ransom–”

“With your father who you know is now blackmailing me?”

“Maybe that’s a lie too! Just a stupid lie to lead poor stupid Nasimiyu along by the nose.”

“You’re losing your mind,” Dulce said slowly, realization and something akin to fear creeping in.

“I’m not going crazy, I’m realizing I can’t trust anyone, even you.”

Dulce had so many responses to that but gave none of them. Hadn’t she always believed that too, not to trust anyone but yourself? But she didn’t think that made for a good ruler, for what little she knew about it. The Prince seemed to trust everyone, the poor idiot, and it was going to get him heartbroken (again) and killed. But how could you claim to serve a kingdom if you didn’t trust any of them? The paranoia would destroy a kingdom.

Dulce didn’t want to be a part of this anymore. She couldn’t watch Nasimiyu’s downfall.

“Fine, then I’ll leave. I didn’t realize that noble egg-head was so important to you that you’d throw over your plan for him.”

“I’m not throwing anything over except a liar and a manipulator.”

“No? You’re going to pull it off without me? You don’t know the first thing about getting information from people. It requires listening, for one. It requires looking at a person when they’re right in front of you.”

“I do look,” Nasimiyu shouted and planted her feet and stared Dulce down, as if to prove it. It struck Dulce that Nasimiyu’s voice was loud and her words were sharp but her body language didn’t match. The pacing, the swaying, the lack of eye contact. Dulce wouldn’t pretend to understand Nasimiyu’s true emotions ever, but right now she seemed more like a floundering child than a princess with a dangerous father and the upper hand.

“Besides, you haven’t even learned anything. You fucked Namjoon for information? What information. Tell me, if your actions were so noble and not meant to hurt me.”

“Hurt you?” Dulce repeated. “You think I fucked someone to hurt you?”

“After I took the Prince into my bed? You’ve been prickly with jealousy ever since.”

Dulce would have rolled her eyes if she was stupid enough to allow an externalization like that. Instead she pressed,

“Which is it? Do I care about you or do I not care at all?”

The discrepancy in her argument brought Nasimiyu up short. Dulce felt very proud of it. She was a person usually more clever with observations than words, but her ability to mostly suppress her emotions at a moment like this paid off. It was a skill Nasimiyu struggled with –unfortunate for a future queen.

In an attempt to fix her own twisted argument, Nasimiyu accused, “For all I know, you’re jealous of the prince, not me. You speak so highly of him and go all moon-eyed around him.”

Dulce didn’t even bother to respond to that. It was so ridiculous, so absurd of an accusation. Did Nasimiyu think she was some besotted child? Over that bumbling rat-brain who couldn’t even preserve his own skin enough to not get caught sneaking out of the palace in a disguise that consisted of nothing but slightly less-nice clothing and spectacles?!

Dulce had a thousand things she wanted to say in response to that but decided silence was the best. Refusing to dignify such a ridiculous accusation was all that she could do, and the longer the silence lasted, the more absurd she hoped Nasimiyu felt.

Instead, after an acceptable period of time, Dulce offered, “While you’ve been busy chasing after men, I’ve learned quite a bit. I fucked Namjoon to learn things and because of it, now I have blackmail material –he didn’t want anyone to know he fucked a maid.”

“That’s not how blackmail works, you’d have no proof if it’s your word against his.”

“Then how did you know?” Dulce bluffed, taking a gamble that it was not from a confession of Namjoon’s.

“You were seen… on purpose?” Nasimiyu asked. Dulce tilted her head, letting the gesture lie for her. Oops. She wondered who had seen them but decided not to ask and see if Nasimiyu just told her. People told you all sorts of things if you stopped talking and let them.

Nasimiyu considered this for a moment and her expression looked shockingly different as she mused, “Çiğdem didn’t know who you were when she saw you, but Lidmila figured it out by her description…” Yes, exactly like that! The description of it brought to mind a story Dulce’s mother used to tell her as a child, about a farm girl who went to a ball in disguise and won the heart of a prince, but she could only be recognized by her shoe. Dulce had thought that was stupid because how could the prince possibly love her if he couldn’t recognize her at all? You couldn’t know and love someone if you needed a shoe to tell you who they were. And also, why would a shoe only fit one foot in a whole kingdom?

Lidmila was a wild-card in this belated blackmail plan, since who knew she might tell, but Çiğdem seeing without recognizing her, and her being able to provide the dress and crown she wore as proof, were really perfect. She couldn’t have planned it better if it was on purpose.

Nasimiyu looked less sure of herself now and crossed her arms as she demanded, “What else have you learned? You’ve reported nothing to me. Are you reporting directly to my father?”

“No. I’m here to help you, not him.”

“He’s the one blackmailing you.”

“And why haven’t I killed him for it, Nasimiyu? Do you think I enjoy threats to my family? It doesn’t matter that they are nothing to me, they are still mine.”

“Because you can’t kill him,” Nasimiyu said. “It’s impossible.”

“He can die just like anyone else.”

“Then why don’t you?”

Because I think you would never forgive me and so for now I play along. Or maybe it really was because I’m not sure I can either. Hasimi did seem like something beyond a mortal at times. He didn’t even keep bodyguards with him at all times. Every assassination attempt –and there had been many– had failed, often by his own defense.

“He has bigger things to pay for than blackmailing me,” Dulce said. “If you become the queen you say you will be, you’ll make it happen.”

There. That appealed beautifully to Nasimiyu’s view of herself and Dulce could see it in the lift of her shoulders.

“Then tell me what you’ve found at once,” Nasimiyu said. Dulce suspected there was a silent threat in there. Tell me or I’ll send word to my father. Tell me or I’ll have you taken care of. It made Dulce glad that Nasimiyu didn’t know any real way to hurt her except to have her killed which, frankly, was not such a terrible thing. Nasimiyu wasn’t the torturing type, though Dulce had a suspicion Prince Hamisi was. And Dulce had no other weaknesses, emotional or personal. Nasimiyu didn’t even know where her family was in Paloma.

Just as Dulce began to think how queenly it was for Nasimiyu not to get over-specific in a threat, Nasimiyu ruined it be demanding, “Tell me or I will let me father know you are wasting our time and you’ve only come here to fuck nobles.” Of all things Nasimiyu could accuse her of, that was the most ridiculous. Yes, because Dulce loved doing anything with nobles besides killing them.

“Fine,” Dulce said, sorting through her mind for anything she felt safe telling this angry, spoiled princess. “The Queen and Lidmila’s mother were lovers.”

“What? Is that why–”

“She died? I don’t know if it was a suspicious death. The King and Prince both seem to genuinely mourn her still.”

Nasimiyu sighed, “That’s true. I don’t think he’d still be so racked with grief about her if he’d killed her.” Oh you naive fool, Dulce mused.

“He may not have cared. The King had at least one affair, maybe more, which the queen knew about and approved.”

“How do you know that?” Nasimiyu asked suspiciously. “People will lie–”

“I know people lie, and I know how to tell the difference. I won’t reveal my sources. It’s better to protect you.”

Nasimiyu didn’t push. The same woman who a moment ago had said she couldn’t trust Dulce anymore now trusted her again. She really was just upset about Namjoon. Dulce swore to never let herself get so tangled up in feelings as to behave this ridiculously. Quietly, internally, she began to untie the threads connecting her to Nasimiyu. It was for the best.

Instead of questioning her source, Nasimiyu pressed, “So there might be illegitimate children. That woman with the children in court that day!”

“I’m looking into it,” Dulce said. That was actually a good point, and worth investigating. Just because Taehyung had made it sound like his mother was the only one King Dong-gun loved didn’t mean anything. Children would believe anything about their parents until forced to confront the truth.

“Those may be people with motive to kill the king and prince…”

Dulce nodded.

“And Lady Aukem… Surely Lidmila doesn’t know. Unless… does she hope to have the same relationship with me? Is that why she’s always at my elbow?” She seemed to almost get caught up in this, then stopped herself. “But what of proof?”

“There are paintings in the Queen’s chamber that prove it.”

“Prove it how?”

“Sexual paintings made by the Queen herself.”

“Then you need to get those paintings.”

Dulce nodded, “I’m working on that as well. It has to be secretly done or the King will notice them missing and plan a counter for it. Those types of secrets only work with the element of surprise.” Honestly Dulce was sort of bullshitting because she didn’t bother with those kinds of secrets and betrayals but she seemed to have the gist of it from what she’d witnessed among nobles because the princess nodded like this was all true. Belatedly she realized she’d just spoken outloud a line from Kalamouche. Fucking mortifying…

“Very well. Bring me the illegitimate children and the paintings and I’ll think about forgetting you fucked up with Namjoon.”

“Do you think I would seek out a man like that for my own pleasure?” Dulce pressed because the lofty tone Nasimiyu used pissed her off, like suddenly she had decided she really was a high-born princess and Dulce was the farm girl she had to scrape off her shoe.

“I don’t think I know you at all,” Nasimiyu scoffed. “But if you are so committed to me and the dreams I have for Priva, then you’ll understand why I have to keep you at arm’s length now.”

“Because you want me to grovel.”

“To protect myself.”

“From what exactly?”

“Just go,” Nasimiyu snapped. “Go fetch those and act like the maid you’re supposed to be. No fucking nobles.”

“Turns out that’s exactly what a noble like Namjoon does.”

Nasimiyu tightened up with rage. Dulce hadn’t meant to escalate again, but it felt good to twist the knife like that after Nasimiyu had essentially confirmed Dulce was nothing to her. You are mine because I control you and who you fuck was not the same as you are mine because I care for you and desire you and want you only with me. Not that Dulce wanted to be loved or claimed but this was the confirmation she shouldn’t have needed that she should figure out how to protect her family from Prince Hamisi and then get out.

A lot of money from King Dong-gun and the Marvonese families heads on pikes for treason felt about right.

Dulce hated the part of herself that recoiled from the thought of that fate for Nasimiyu. She wondered if she could actually ever go through with harming Nasimiyu.

“I’m going, Princess, but it’s harder for me to find things when I’m busy with the laundry so think up another punishment for me.”

“GO.”

Dulce gladly did so, and recognized that could have gone worse, but it wasn't exactly a victory either.

Nasimiyu was ready to explode by the time the door slammed on the heels of Dulce. The whole argument had exhausted her. It made her angrier. It made her doubt. She had expected to vent her rage at Dulce for fucking Namjoon –who Dulce knew she was fond of, Dulce didn’t need to try and make her admit it– and then Dulce would apologize and promise to make it up to her and Nasimiyu would let her pretend that her forgiveness could be earned.

Could it? She wasn’t sure. She’d been so startled by her own anger at Dulce that she’d kept her away for several days, not sure what to do with her own feelings. She hated Dulce for fucking Namjoon. She hated Namjoon for fucking her maid. She’d meant to ask Dulce who had started it –desperate to hear that Dulce had seduced Namjoon, but also secretly hoping to hear that Dulce had succumbed to some evil charm of Namjoon’s. Which of them did she want to be the bad one? She wasn’t sure, because either one was a betrayal she had not been prepared for.

Her heart had betrayed her when Dulce brought up the manner in which she’d been caught. Nasimiyu had known back then that Dulce could have escaped. Nasimiyu had known Dulce stayed to protect her. She loved being Dulce’s weakness and it had made her complacent all this time. Even knowing Dulce was being blackmailed, Nasimiyu had figured her father was the idiot, blackmailing Dulce to do what she would have done simply by being asked. Her father just didn’t understand people.

But maybe she was the idiot. Her hope that Dulce might blame her indiscretion on jealousy about Nasimiyu fucking the Prince failed to come true. Instead Dulce made her sound like a stupid girl who men were leading around by the pussy, overcome with her own weak emotions in the face of the hard truths of life and power. Nasimiyu was plenty strong for those hard truths!

Even if that meant Dulce fucking Namjoon?

But that just felt so personal!

It made her doubt Dulce. It made her suspect Namjoon. It made her realize she couldn’t trust anyone if she was going to be queen. Maybe it was better that she was seeing people for who they really were right now, before she gained power, because people were only going to get worse once she actually ran the country.

It was this dark headspace in which Mindeulle found Nasimiyu stalking the corridors of the palace furthest from the gross, smelly ocean.

“Is everything all right?” she asked gently –as if Nasimiyu had only stubbed her toe, or run out of her favorite dessert!

“What is it?” Nasimiyu asked, assuming Mindeulle had sought her out. “I’m not in the mood right now, is it in an emergency?”

“In the mood for…?”

“Have you got something to tell me?” Nasimiyu demanded. The thought occurred to her that Mindeulle might also have some betrayal to confess to her now, why not? They barely knew each other but that hadn’t stopped Namjoon! And Lidmila! Was she just trying to get into Nasimiyu’s bed like her mother and the previous queen?

But Mindeulle just blinked and looked so startled that it made Nasimiyu back away from her own frustrated rage.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “It’s not a good week.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do? Or just… listen? If you’d like to talk?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Mindeulle looked stricken as she gave a slight curtsy, “Oh, I understand. I can’t begin to understand the pressure you must deal with.”

“I’m not patronizing you. Your brother is half to blame for my week and so it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Oh.”

Nasimiyu hadn’t meant to say that much but the innocent way Mindeulle looked at her pulled it out, damn her with those coal black eyes. Darker than her brother’s. Good, any difference between them would only serve Mindeulle well. She’d be better off if their similarities ended with the dimples and the smile they shared, poor girl.

“Actually, I wanted to tell you…” Mindeulle looked around the hall, then drew close. She hesitated at the last second and backed away, but now Nasimiyu wanted to know whatever it was. She was sick of people keeping secrets from her. She was going to be the queen, she was supposed to know everything first!

“What is it?”

“I spoke with my brother,” Mindeulle insisted, coming closer. “He swears on his life that he is no one’s penpal except the King’s, you could say, as he’s always sending letters, but the King rarely writes back so I don’t suppose that counts.”

It sounded like MIndeulle was nervous and rambling, which softened Nasimiyu the tiniest bit.

“I know you told me to question him or that I’m biased because I’m his sister, but I know it’s the truth. I’m his sister, I know how to make him fold if he tries to lie to me. Çiğdem is the one who asked to be his first dance. I think I told you, originally he asked me, and I told him it can’t be your sister, so he accepted when she asked.”

“But it’s a first dance,” Nasimiyu argued. “Surely he’s not so stupid he doesn’t understand–”

“He is that stupid about balls,” Mindeulle insisted. “He’s never cared for them and he doesn’t pay attention to that kind of etiquette.”

“He certainly had no problem refusing his future queen a perfectly appropriate dance.”

Mindeulle’s voice dropped to barely a whisper as she said, “Yes but I told you… he wants to be so careful after the last time.”

“You said that wasn’t true either.”

“But Prince Seokjin thinks it was and despite the way they fight, we love him as our brother. We’ll love you as our sister too. We never want to do anything, either one of us, to hurt you or Prince Seokjin.”

It rankled Nasimiyu something fierce. She thought Mindeulle must also be talking circles around her, to stand there and insist she knew the truth about her own brother when clearly she didn’t. They didn’t want to hurt her? Well Namjoon certainly had!

“Your brother told you he wasn’t with anyone that night?” Nasimiyu snapped. She grabbed Mindeulle and dragged her out to a small balcony overlooking the city, nearly kicking one of the chairs over in her fury. “Did he tell you that? Nobody?”

“I…” Mindeulle got that look on her face, like she knew Nasimiyu was laying a trap for her. Or maybe that she might be about to face a truth she didn’t want to hear. “I suppose I didn’t ask about anybody… I only asked about Çiğdem and being a penpal.”

“He fucked my maid,” Nasimiyu said. Mindeulle visibly flinched, her long lashes fluttering like hummingbirds with her rapid blinking.

“He… your maid? But…”

“Yes, my favorite maid. That’s who Çiğdem saw him with. Is that better? That he’s having sex with women so far beneath him, with no power to–”

“You don’t mean he took advantage of her. He wouldn’t–”

Nasimiyu wanted to say yes and fuel such a horrible lie, but couldn’t stomach it. Cruel and rapist were different and Mindeulle already looked so shocked that she balked at making it worse than the truth.

“I don’t mean he raped her, but can there truly be equality in that situation? And do you mean he didn’t stop to think I might not want him having sex with my staff? It’s an insult to my house.”

“I’m so– he didn’t know. He wouldn’t realize there was meaning behind it. Surely he just… he must have just…”

“Grow up, Mindeulle. This brother you idolize is just a man, same as the rest of them. They’ll fuck who they please and not think about who gets hurt. Honestly, in a garden at Seokjin’s and my ball?!”

Mindeulle covered her face and spun away, as if that truly made it even more horrible. Nasimiyu didn’t actually care about that part and was surprised to see how deeply propriety ran in Mindeulle. She looked on the verge of a complete breakdown now. Nasimiyu decided it must be true, that Mindeulle really did idolize and adore her older brother. And she was the one who had just shattered it. What, had Mindeulle thought her brother truly some virginal, reclusive thinker, above all carnal knowledge or desire?! That seemed so…

Innocent? Immature?

More gently, Nasimiyu sighed, “I’m sorry to be the one to make you understand all this. You’re going to be crushed if you don’t see people for who they really are.”

Mindeulle’s eyes ran over with tears as she turned and insisted, “I do see people for who they really are. I know my brother has a brilliant mind full of ideas but he misses the social etiquette and rules of propriety sometimes. I’m so sorry he’s insulted your house like this and I know it was not his intention at all.”

Nasimiyu wanted to argue with her. I’m not so sure that’s true. But she couldn’t because it would make her seem pathetic, to insist Namjoon wanted to hurt her. She wouldn’t be able to explain why. Honestly, she wasn’t even so sure herself, face to face with this woman who actually looked quite a bit like him, because what would be his motive? In what way did he get her by fucking her maid? He had no reason to want to get her. If he had any feelings for her at all, wouldn’t he be out to hurt Seokjin in his jealousy?

“I don’t know how to make this right,” Mindeulle fretted, wringing her hands. “I’m deeply sorry that his behavior has been offensive to you, and I know he will be equally as unhappy to hear it. I’ll go tell him now–”

“No,” Nasimiyu said, grabbing her arm. “No.” Fuck, the last thing she wanted was Mindeulle running to tell Namjoon he’d hurt her feelings. “I don’t need you to do that.”

“Then what can I do?”

“Nothing.” Mindeulle audibly gasped, so Nasimiyu hurried to force the words out, “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do about it right now except do our best and give it time. Perhaps you can educate him on proper behavior while he’s in the capitol, otherwise I suppose Prince Seokjin will need to.”

An idea formed in her mind as the name rolled off her tongue. Yes, that made so much more sense. This wasn’t Mindeulle’s mess to be tangled up in, but it would be an excellent one to enlist Seokjin into. He wanted a reason to hate Namjoon, so fine, she’d give him another that wouldn’t in any way tarnish her own appearance. Seokjin would chase Namjoon out of the capitol and he could use that brilliant mind of his to go back to doing what he was good at: writing long letters that now she wouldn’t read either. Maybe by the time she became queen, he’d earn her forgiveness or maybe he’d die in obscurity but at least he wouldn’t be around to tempt her away from her goal.

Not that she was still tempted! How dare he fuck her maid?!

At least not unless he begged, which she didn’t see him doing.

“And your maid,” Mindeulle prodded gently, stepping closer to Nasimiyu as if this was even more secret. “Is she… all right?”

“Do you mean did I send her packing? I’m not sure what to do with her yet,” Nasimiyu admitted.

“You ought to get rid of her, for sure! If she knowingly participated in something so offensive and insulting to her lady.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Nasimiyu agreed. “She has no excuse, she knew this would reflect badly on me and my trust in her. Am I supposed to keep her close, knowing she betrayed me this way? It’s so hard to know who I can trust these days.” The words tumbled out as Mindeulle tapped just the right hollow. She’d said her piece before she realized she had minutes ago decided not to trust anyone ever again.

Mindeulle seemed to forget her own distress and insisted, “Obviously you can’t trust her! She’s lucky if all you do is take her job!”

“What else would I do?” Nasimiyu asked, curious what exactly this innocent little sister would suggest as punishment.

“Her priorities are all wrong. There are places of learning in Therepin where she could work apart from men.”

“With other women? That’s no difference to her then,” Nasimiyu snickered, actually snickered because the thought of banishing Dulce from having sex with anyone ever again was so fucking funny. She wished she actually could do that! But Dulce would absolutely escape, and probably fuck all the women on her way out just to make sure it got back to Nasimiyu.

“Oh.” Mindeulle looked flustered as she turned away. “Well… you could at least banish her from Priva and send her far away to some awful place like… like Destin or Rinsk or–”

“She’s from Paloma. She hates it there, that would be a deserving punishment too.”

Mindeulle’s smile grew and she had a laugh like chiming bells as she agreed, “That’s clever and creative and deserved.”

“I’ll think about it. For now–”

“Please send her away, not us,” Mindeulle suddenly gasped out, then covered her mouth, “Oh, I interrupted you, I’m sorry!” Nasimiyu paused before responding because it didn’t feel like a Mindeulle response, for some reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. For a brief moment, it had sounded like someone else’s voice or reaction… but she wasn’t sure whose.

Just as quickly she shook the feeling off and assured her, “I’m not sending you away. As for your brother…. Well, I don’t have that power yet, I don’t know what I’ll do about that either. But be careful that you don’t get tangled up with any of it. Don’t go down with someone just because they’re family. You don’t have to be your brother.”

“I’ll remember that, thank you. I mean, I’ll be careful. I don’t know what else to say right now, I’m just so sorry this happened… I don’t even know what to say to him about it.”

“It’s an awkward thing to talk about between a brother and sister. I’m glad I don’t have any brothers, though my sisters were enough.” It amused her to say, as if she wasn’t the one causing them headaches back home. One of her sisters had caught a rumor she was hanging out in a tavern once, and it had taken weeks of bribing (more like blackmailing about her underground horse racing) to get her to keep the secret. The other sister definitely would have gone right to their parents.

Nasimiyu felt comfortable knowing that she wouldn’t be the one kicking Namjoon out of Priva. She hoped she could convince Seokjin to let Mindeulle stay, or perhaps Mindeulle’s parents if that was the obstacle. She was one of the few young women who seemed to think mostly for herself around here, and Nasimiyu knew she’d miss her presence if she left.

But she was confident in her ability to manage it, and that helped calm her further. The anger still simmered, but it felt more in the background now. Soothed. She’d have a talk with Seokjin, Namjoon would suffer exile, Dulce would earn her forgiveness, and Nasimiyu’s plan would continue without a hitch. Maybe Mindeulle would prove herself even more clever but underutilized than her brother, and she would be the better advisor in the cabinet.

“Mindeulle, what sort of things are you passionate about? I knew a few of them, but join me for lunch and tell me more?”

“Oh! Well– yes, of course! I’d be happy to join you for lunch.”

“Come, let’s eat in the private dining hall, I’d rather not deal with people right now,” Nasimiyu said, and Mindeulle looked pleased to not be considered people. Working someone wasn’t the same as trusting them, but Mindeulle felt like a good replacement for now. There was something soothing about her, though Nasimiyu was glad she hadn’t groveled longer about her brother. It would have been annoying. Instead, she’d let her revenge fantasy rest for a meal; fighting left her very hungry.

Seokjin resisted the urge to nap through his afternoon sitting on council. Just barely. He even made a suggestion that sounded smart. It was about road repair and where the money could come from and the nobles on the council were not too happy about his tax idea which meant it was probably a great idea.

He was sent away with reports to read for the afternoon, which he did not do, but he convinced Jimin and Taehyung to compete in a trivia game which he made up on the spot, and which they were terrible at but it amused him a great deal. Everything just seemed to be going his way today, he couldn’t have explained his good mood for any other reason. He even found a book he’d been missing for weeks, just tucked away beneath some papers he must not have moved. It had belonged to his mother, just some historical account of something boring, but she had doodled pictures and notes in the margin, so he’d always held it close. He’d always felt like it was proof that his mother had struggled to grow into the role and take everything so seriously too.

The sun was shining, the Sunflower festival was just around the corner, and he had a beautiful fiance who had not turned away from his jokes at dinner last night. He grinned at the memory of it –he’d almost convinced himself she smiled at one!-- as he caught sight of her across the courtyard in the afternoon. He’d expected she might be resting in her room as she often seemed to do this time of day, but instead it looked like she was headed somewhere specifically; there was a purpose to her walk that he found interesting because he so rarely had that type of energy. He was a prince, he’d be on time when he got to where he was going.

His smile faltered when he glanced to the side and noted Namjoon leaning against a column, deep in conversation with a few other Therepin thinkers. Probably talking about profound….ly boring things.

But it looked like Nasimiyu was headed their way, and Seokjin found that intolerable. Not today, on this lovely day! He had a twisted thought that he wanted to see if she would be upset if he interrupted her mission to speak with Namjoon. He didn’t want her to speak with Namjoon. Was she actually growing fond enough of him that she could accept his sudden appearance?

“Nasimiyu!” he called, not caring that it would draw attention –or maybe glad it would, in case Namjoon got to witness his connection with this beautiful woman.

She looked over as he headed for her and, to his delight, the direction of her steps changed to meet him.

“Ah, were you looking for me too?” he joked.

“Yes,” she said. “Who else would I be looking for? I thought you might be in the stables, you seem to go there a lot.”

He didn’t think that was true but decided not to question it. Maybe she had been going to the stables hoping to go for a ride?

“Would you like to ride this afternoon?” he asked her.

“No, not today, it’s far too hot.” He thought it was actually a surprisingly mild day, but again didn’t argue in case he upset her and she stalked away in front of Namjoon. “I need to tell you something.” She glanced in Namjoon’s direction, barely perceptible if he wasn’t watching Nasimiyu so closely. “In private.”

Seokjin’s stomach twisted.

“Oh. I see, uh… we have many places that can be private here–”

“Can we speak in my room? Or yours?”

He automatically wiggled his eyebrows and readily agreed, “Yes, of course. Your rooms are closer, will that do?”

She nodded and led him there, expecting him to follow on her heels –which he did. It was only a few twists to get there, where he was glad to see the guard stationed and alert. There had been no more incidents since the dead body in the closet. No clues about who was behind it either, granted….

He shut the door behind them and tried to subtly glance around the room again. It was interesting to see her living quarters. He suspected she would want to keep her own rooms when they married, which was all right with him, even if he thought it was a little romantic when a couple chose to share a chamber. But it could be nice to each have their own space, too. Probably it would help her not get sick of him, and he wasn’t sure he could tolerate living with someone either, to be honest. He couldn’t quite picture Nasimiyu happy among his animals yet, but maybe she would surprise him!

He recognized his nervous distracted thinking for what it was. It wasn’t possible for him not to jump to the conclusion: she has fallen in love with Namjoon and is going to tell me. Everything was just too perfectly aligned with Delphine, he saw that now, even with how great the day was going and how blind-sided he was going to be at the words. He’d never forget how unapologetic Delphine had been and he’d realized in that moment she had only ever been play-acting at love with him. She must not have realized the words of love he’d sent her had been real. He’d wrung himself dry, making himself so vulnerable like that on paper, taking his feelings so seriously, but he had thought that was the road to a happy marriage and he had wanted one of those so badly. At least Nasimiyu wasn’t the sort to want that kind of romance. The two letters he had sent during their arrangement had both been answered painfully crisply.

Belatedly he realized she was talking, when she asked, “Do you hear what I’m saying?!”

“I… no,” he admitted because her face was upset enough that it would be folly to pretend. “Sorry, I was distracted by… say it again?”

“Seokjin!”

“I’m sorry. I’m listening, please say it again.”

“Lord Namjoon had sex with my maid.”

“Uh… what?” Seokjin was sure he had phased out and misheard. Maybe he’d let himself get too hungry and fainted and hit his head and his mind had decided to summon something from the drawer of my worst fears. For several heartbeats, Seokjin lived in the reality that Namjoon had done it again, taken his fiance once again.

“Seokjin! Don’t you care at all?”

“Not you,” he clarified, realizing his own confusion. Dulce wasn’t his fiance, Nasimiyu was. Namjoon hadn’t taken his fiance! He’d fucked Nasimiyu’s maid.

Of all the questions bubbling up in Seokjin’s mind, the one that eked out was, “Is Dulce all right?!”

Instantly Nasimiyu’s eyes narrowed as she demanded, “I didn’t say which one! Did you already know?”

“What? No! She’s… your favorite and you seem upset, so I assumed it’s your favorite one.” Also she’s the only one I know by name, he thought. And obviously it had to be Dulce. Of course it had to be Dulce because–

No. Did Namjoon go after her on purpose? He must have. He must have noticed she spent time in the kitchen with Seokjin and his almost-friends. Namjoon didn’t want to be as obvious as last time so instead he’d gone after Dulce instead of Nasimiyu. It’s like Namjoon lived to hurt him, like he woke up every morning and thought how can I ruin Seokjin’s life today? Anything Seokjin had, Namjoon wanted!

Not that Dulce was a thing. Or Seokjin’s! But why else would Namjoon go after her? What did Dulce have to do with Namjoon? Dulce wasn’t fond of Namjoon. She was just a maid, and no social-climber, and he’d never seen her seem the least bit interested in that wind bag.

The dread that ran through Seokjin’s veins was unlike anything he’d ever felt. Worse than when Delphine left him. Worse than when Seok-ho died. Maybe on par with when his mother died? Was that crazy?

“He… attacked her?” He couldn’t bring himself to even say the word ‘rape’ and fumbled it. He would kill him. Namjoon would die if he assaulted Dulce, there was nothing else to be done, there would be no trial or begging, he would die by Seokjin’s hand. Today. It was the first time Seokjin had seen a death so clearly justified.

Nasimiyu let out a noisy sigh through her nose and huffed, “Apparently not, but that doesn’t make it right! He’s a noble! She’s a maid. The power isn’t–”

“She wanted him?” Seokjin asked. Belatedly he realized he sounded just as angry because he was already on the path of righteousness and this was another bomb Nasimiyu had lobbed at him.

“It doesn’t matter! Even if she threw herself at him, that’s a member of my household and he had no right to take his pleasure with her,” Nasimiyu shouted. “But did she even feel like she could say no? He’s your cousin!”

“Barely. He’s very distant,” Seokjin immediately corrected. He wanted to believe Dulce had not been assaulted, that Namjoon would never stoop to such depravity. He also recoiled from what that meant: that Dulce had chosen to have sex with Namjoon.

“It’s not all right. He can’t go around preying on maids. He’s misbehaving and taking advantage of his position and–”

“Yes,” Seokjin nodded. All the things she was saying were true.

“It was after we left the masquerade,” Nasimiyu said. “He took her in the garden. People saw! She deserves better than that.”

Seokjin felt like his skin was on fire. Dulce deserved so much more than that! That Namjoon would not only seduce Dulce but in such an exploitative way was beyond what he could stand. He’d always known Namjoon was greedy and selfish but Nasimiyu was right, he knew that the Princess’ favorite maid was off limits.

But Seokjin didn’t think this was about Nasimiyu. No, this was about him. Namjoon had noticed the attention Seokjin gave Dulce. Maybe Namjoon had decided that Seokjin must feel a special way about Dulce, and this was his way of making a point. Of attacking indirectly. Maybe Namjoon was in love with Nasimiyu and jealous or maybe he just wanted to make assumptions and cause trouble for Seokjin, and he was using Dulce as a pawn. She didn’t deserve that. Had he even been good to her? Had he lied about his intentions? Had he misled her? Was she putting on a brave face every time he’d seen her since the masquerade?

Of course Namjoon had wanted her. She was radiant that night. But Seokjin couldn’t accept that Dulce would actually want Namjoon. It wasn’t possible. This was all a master plan by Namjoon to ruin everything again.

“I’ll handle this,” Seokjin said, already turning to go.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet,” Seokjin admitted. “But I’ll make this right. You and your staff are safe here and if he wants to play that game…”

“What game?” Nasimiyu asked after him but he’d already pushed open her door, riding the churning wave of his feelings.

Namjoon and Dulce. In the garden. After the ball. She’d looked like that.

And then she had gone to Yoongi. And Yoongi thought she was off and had offered her a place to spend the night, which she had taken him up on. She didn’t want to be in that dress any longer. And she couldn’t go to her lady for help because Seokjin was with her.

Maybe Namjoon hadn’t known who she was or maybe he’d known exactly. It didn’t matter. He’d fucked up and Seokjin was going to tell him so! For the first time in his life Seokjin welcomed the promise of confrontation.

It was easy to find him. He was still in the same courtyard, talking to the same men, probably about the same thing because Namjoon didn’t know when enough was enough. Like those long letters he sent Seokjin’s father. Like the flattery that had won Delphine’s heart. Maybe like a maid out of her usual role telling him no. Namjoon looked up at Seokjin’s approach. He even extricated himself from the conversation, taking a step towards Seokjin like he wanted to speak with him as well.

Seokjin didn’t need Namjoon to try and spin some web of lies about how this was different or he hadn’t known who she was or even if it was true that she had knowingly and willingly and genuinely wanted it. Seokjin would have put on a brave face and supported Dulce with Yoongi even though he wasn’t sure about it, but he would never support Namjoon.

So as Namjoon opened his mouth to lie, Seojin threw the first punch. It caught him square in the jaw and sent him stumbling to the side.

“What the–”

Seokjin swung again but Namjoon ducked this time and tried to grab Seokjin’s arm. It would take more than that to stop him though. Seokjin kneed him in the stomach, wrenched his arm free, and jabbed with his left, though Namjoon deflected it so it just barely scraped his head.

“What are you doing?!” Namjoon demanded.

“You think everything is just yours, huh?” Seokjin asked. “You think you can just have anyone?”

“What?!”

He shouldn’t have frozen like that; Seokjin got him right in the mouth. At another time, Namjoon’s lack of fight might have made Seokjin pause, but he was someone else right now. He didn’t recognize himself but he didn’t care, didn’t bother to question what was happening right now because it felt right and good. It was all he could do for Dulce, who hadn’t done anything but try to make a living in his palace. She ought to have been safe here from predators like Namjoon taking advantage of a pretty face and a power disparity!

This time Namjoon did punch back, a cross that caught Seokjin in the cheek because he tried to duck but not quickly enough. Seokjin wasn’t really a boxer, Namjoon would have him beat there, so as soon as Namjoon got into position, Seokjin kicked instead and then threw himself at Namjoon to try and wrestle him into a place he could… do something. Punch him more. He wasn’t a fighter, had never really brawled, and wasn’t sure what was the end goal here but it felt good to let his body do the deciding, just like it did during sparring but with justice behind each move now.

“Stop!” Namjoon bellowed. Seokjin was thrilled to discover that Namjoon kept underestimating him. Namjoon might have bulk and weight on him, but Seokjin was deceptively fast and strong and he got a good uppercut in as Namjoon failed to push him away. In the next moment, Namjoon pulled him close and tried to wrap him in a bear hug, which was both infuriating and embarrassing, so Seokjin fought harder to break free, leaving himself vulnerable to Namjoon’s fists in his belly. He couldn’t get momentum, but his brute strength was still annoyingly impressive for a scholar.

Seokjin didn’t know anything that was happening around them, everything was just a blur in the background as he and Namjoon brawled –falling to the ground one second, back to their feet the next. They stopped getting any good punches but it gave Seokjin space to order,

“Keep your hands off her. Keep your hands off every woman in this city!”

“What?!”

“Your force yourself on–”

“I didn’t force myself on anyone!” Namjoon bellowed, his words impossibly loud. “What are you talking about?!”

Seokjin managed to kick him away and panted, “You’re a noble. She’s a maid. Does that seem equal to you?”

Understanding flickered across Namjoon’s sweaty, bloody face as he gasped out, “You’re insane. I do think she’s my equal. I didn’t do anything she didn’t want to do. I don’t even know how you found out–” He broke off as Seokjin launched at him again. He didn’t want to hear these excuses. My name is Namjoon and I ignore real world power dynamics because they don’t exist in my head.

“She’s not yours!”

“So what, she’s yours?”

“NO!” Seokjin shouted and took an elbow in his mouth that left him sputtering. “She–”

“ENOUGH.” The low voice echoed off the arches and columns, followed by a sword sliding between them so quickly that Seokjin and Namjoon barely had time to leap apart. Seokjin turned to the intruder with alarm that was not lessened to see his Uncle Dong-suk. It didn’t matter that the man was family, the sight of him sent a shiver down Seokjin’s spine and across his skin. The fight left him in an instant as he felt the stinging echo of a switch on his back and on his hands, that heavy fist against his ear –never uncontrolled violence, but terrifying in its discipline. He’d struggled more with the immediate obedience his uncle expected than Seok-ho did and he had worked hard to paper over those lingering fears because he wasn’t a child anymore and his uncle did not have the upper hand here.

“What is this…” His uncle’s lip curled in disgust as he searched for a word that wouldn’t come.

Namjoon cleared his throat and swallowed but said nothing. He might not have the firsthand experience of this man’s harshness but Commander Dong-suk’s reputation preceded him. He glanced at Seokjin, as if prodding him that it was his job to respond.

“A drinking game, Sir,” Seokjin answered. “Deciding who buys the drinks later.”

Curse his tone. His uncle’s eyes narrowed. It must sound like a joke. Seokjin hadn’t meant it as a joke, he just was not willing to tell the truth. On one hand, maybe it was what Namjoon deserved, but in the face of it, Seokjin couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice him without further discussion. Or, more likely, Dong-suk would not give a shit about the maid in question.

Uncle Dong-suk looked between them again with that impenetrable scowl, then turned and strode off like he owned the palace and everyone in it. Not a further word, like Seokjin’s response was so asinine he to walk away so as not to strike them down.

The breath rushed from Seokjin’s chest in the moment before Namjoon grabbed his sleeve and demanded in a hissed whisper, “What the fuck is going on?”

“You know what’s going on. You seduced someone you shouldn’t have seduced.”

Namjoon looked hopelessly confused and demanded, “Why not? Do you own her?”

“No, but she’s a maid–”

“And? Perfectly capable of deciding whether she wants to fuck or not, and she did. Not that it’s any of your business, but it was perfectly consensual so what are you– what even was that–? Are you sure this is about a maid?”

“Yeah, keep your fucking hands off Dulce!” He didn’t mean to shout it. The adrenaline was still pumping but the fear and dread were making him sick rolling around together in his stomach and he didn’t like the insinuation that this fight was about anything else. What, like Namjoon stealing his first fiance and then not even having the decency to go through with the wedding? To deny her stolen love to her own face? That Namjoon was unabashedly in pursuit of this throne he had no claim on, and willing to lick King Dong-gun’s boots to get there? Or just fury at that smug face and how everything seemed to come so fucking easy for this man who defined his own expectations and did whatever he wanted and suffered no consequences for it ever?

Namjoon gestured with his hand and scoffed, “Do you want to fucking ask her yourself if she enjoyed herself?”

Seokjin spun and realized the courtyard was not in fact empty. Not crowded, but there were the three Therepin men, and two maids, and a groundskeeper, and Dulce standing next to Taehyung.

“Taehyung, what are you doing here?” Seokjin demanded, voice cracking. He blinked so hard his eyes hurt, hoping that Dulce would suddenly not be there and it was just another lie drawn up by Namjoon.

“Sorry, was I supposed to jump in?” Taehyung asked.

Namjoon called around the place, “Nothing to see here, move along. Like the Prince said, just a game to decide who buys drinks later. You know how it is. Boys will be boys or whatever…” He trailed off, voice dropping at the sound of pounding footsteps. Jimin and Jungkook burst into the courtyard and ran straight for him.

“Where’s Edmund?” Jungkook demanded, noticing the lack of bodyguard immediately. Seokjin hadn’t been thinking about it at all and realized he did not, in fact, remember the last time he had seen Edmund. He tried not to pay too much attention to the bodyguards, or at least in this instance had been distracted. Probably Edmund had disappeared when Nasimiyu pulled him into her room… no, he’d been gone longer than that…

Namjoon took a step back as Jimin bodied himself in between them and took Seokjin’s arm, suggesting, “Come, let’s clean you up for supper.”

“This isn’t finished,” Namjoon said. “You’re accusing me of terrible things that I didn’t do. Again.”

“Yeah, well–”

“Right this way,” Jimin insisted, pulling Seokjin’s arm. Hoseok sprinted through the arch now too, and Lady Zselyke behind him, and Seokjin realized this was likely the head of a flood of people come to see why the fuck the crown prince had been brawling in the courtyard like a drunk adolescent.

Hoseok bodied Namjoon along, and Seokjin let himself be dragged to his room, spent and confused and worried and ashamed and not fully understanding any of it except that he was very tired suddenly. Fighting was hard, that’s all, but he’d been right to do it. He had!

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