#it would be nice if I could mess around with lower stakes. if it wasn’t my actual one precious life.

[quillsandtypos]

The Edge in Revenge

Words: 3k

Warnings: smut, degradation, female oral receiving, sexual edging, and underage drinking mentioned (NO SEASON 2 SPOILERS, I just started watching season one but I needed to get this out of my head)

Pairings: JJ Maybanks x fem!reader

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JJ really shouldn’t have been the one to underestimate what you were capable of doing in the name of revenge. He’d been fucking with you all day. It had started that morning, you were alone in his kitchen as the other Pogue’s were still asleep. He had you pinned up against the wall lightly sucking on the side of your neck. As he trailed down to your collarbone he suddenly pulled away. You furrowed your brows at him but he just winked and smirked before he walked away; leaving you wet and confused.

Then later after lunch he managed to get you alone before you and the other pogue’s went out on the water. You were still inside grabbing the cooler, as everyone else was already on the boat. He snuck up behind you unbeknownst to you. You felt his hot breath on his ear. “You need help with that princess?” he asked cockily. You felt his warm cock press against the back of your ass, and his hand was at the small of your back.

“Oh definitely,” you responded eagerly. You turned to him as he easily pulled you in with one arm around your back, and the other at the back of your neck. Your lips interlocked, and you hungrily kissed him back, almost begging for more. But just as the time before, he quickly pulled back. Grabbing the cooler from behind you and heading out the door. With a ‘thanks!’ and a barely contained giggle. Oh he was a dead man, you decided right then that revenge was most definitely an order.

So you came up with the perfect scheme. If he wanted to play that game, then he would quickly learn who he was quite literally playing with.

“Ki,” you said. You quickly pulled her away from the boys. “I need a favor, I need you to get JB and Pope away from JJ.”

“Do I even want to know?” she laughed.

“It’s in the name of revenge,” you offered hopefully. She let out a long fake sigh.

“Hmm, let me think,” she took a long pause.

She cracked a smile. “I’m just kidding, you should’ve started with the revenge part.”

“Yes! Thank you,” you said, hugging her tightly.

“Come on JB, we’re gonna go help Pope with whatever he’s doing in the kitchen,” she said, pulling him along.

“What? Oh, okay,” John agreed confusedly as he awkwardly followed her.

And so then there were two. You casually flopped yourself down on JJ’s lap, who seemed slightly startled at first, but then just wrapped his arms around your waist. As much as it was a sweet gesture, you didn’t sit there to be sweet, so you needed to ruin the moment. Lightly, you rolled your hips back so you went right across his dick, and then rolled forward, making sure to move slowly but applying a small amount of your body weight as pressure. You weren’t certain he was giving you a look that could kill, but you didn’t bother looking. But what you did do was speed up a little bit until you felt his dick grow hard.

Smiling a smug grin you moved to get off of him. But his arms helds you there. He swiftly pulled you down onto his chest so your right ear was directly next to his mouth. “When we are alone next, I’m gonna fuck you till you’re screaming,” he whispered lowly.

You adjusted your head so you could see his face. “As if you could ever have that effect on me,” you smirked.

“Care to up the stakes then? Or are you too chicken?” His eyes gleamed, and at the same time so did your’s.

“Name your price,” you said confidently.

“If I can get you to beg, then you owe me a six pack of beers.”

“That’s it?” you asked, surprised.

He raised his eyebrows, “Fine, a six pack of beers, and you have to go skinny dipping with me next Friday night.”

“But I have to work next Friday,” you suddenly remembered.

“What? Not feelin so cocky now princess? Afraid you’ll lose?” he taunted.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Of course not. So what do I get if I can make you beg?” You poked him in the chest for emphasis.

“Alright, if you win, then you get me as your personal boat driver, or person who gets you things, or whatever,” he offered.

“You sure that’s quite a high bargain JJ?” you now taunted back.

“Yeah, I’m not worried,” he replied cockily. He offered you his hand to shake and you took it.

“Prepare to be my personal maid,” you said.

“You better prepare to beg,” he countered.

You moved off of him just as your friends came out of the kitchen. “You guys wanna come with, we’re going for a night swim?” Johnny B offered.

“Nah, we might be out later though,” JJ answered before you could.

“Suit yourselves,” Pope shrugged. Kiera sent you a wink before also heading out the door with them.

JJ and you practically booked it to his room as soon as they shut the door. You quickly grabbed a condom from his drawer where you knew them to be by memory. You turned to throw him the condom to see that he was already on his bed with his shirt off. Every piece of your body was drawn to his chest and the way his back muscles looked in the low light, but you weren’t going to let him know that. So you deflected.

“Someone’s eager,” you commented.

“I-” JJ started to defend himself but the comment got stuck in his throat as he watched your movements. You began slipping your shirt off to reveal a black bra that was sheer, and lacy around the straps and underwire area. It pushed your boobs up nicely and accentuated your cleavage perfectly. JJ was a mess.

“This is so not fair,” he groaned, his jaw practically on the floor.

You knew the effect the lingerie would have on him, which is exactly why you picked it. “What? You too chicken J?” you said, using his taunt from earlier.

Your words made him recover quickly. “No, of course not,” he scoffed.

“That's what I thought you’d say,” you smirked. Now you let your jean shorts fall to the floor, so you were able to show your black thong, which was not as fancy looking, but you knew it would practically make JJ lose it.

You were right, he looked like you had placed him under a spell. When he finally snapped out of it, he pointed next to him. “Bed princess. Now.”

He was almost making this too easy. “I don’t know about that. How about please?”

JJ nearly opened his mouth, but quickly caught himself before he could say anything. “Fine, I’ll do it myself,” he smirked. He moved off the bed, to grab you. You tried to avoid his hands, but there wasn’t much room to run around, so he easily caught you. He threw you onto his bed, and you let out a small yelp of surprise. Before you could even think about running off again, he jumped on the bed, flipped you onto your back, and pinned you. His knees were on your hands, effectively keeping you from touching him.

“Are you going to be a good slut and scream for me?” he asked. His face a few inches from yours.

“Not a chance J,” you smiled.

“Have it your way then, but either way, you’ll still be moaning my name.” His arms lowered so he could dip down to kiss a couple inches above your collarbone. His knees still held your hands in place. He sucked hard against your skin, making sure to leave marks.

“Wait, no marks JJ,” you told him.

“Should’ve told me that sooner now everyone’s gonna know that you lost a bet,” he teased.

“In your dreams,” you scoffed.

JJ didn’t have a comment on that, but went back to work leaving you many bruises that you would have to cover the next morning. Oh how you wished your hands could be in his hair at the moment. He made an agonizingly slow trail down to your bra, before removing it and throwing it onto the floor of his room. He then started sucking on one of your breasts letting his lower lip just gently brush against your nipple everytime he sucked above it. He had found out about the spot driving you crazy the first time you had sex, and now you were strongly wishing you had never told him.

You had your mouth clenched rather tightly so that no moans would escape your lips. Unfortunately for you, your boyfriend noticed that.

“Come on y/n, just let it out. You know that no one can make you cum like I do,” he taunted.

Luckily, his temporary break gave you a chance to get control of yourself again. “Fuck off,” you retorted.

“Yeah, that was kinda the plan.” He grinned devilishly.

He must’ve realized that he was not going to get you to break by doing that, and instead moved farther down to pull your panties off.

His head ducked down to your pussy, but he made eye contact just as he did so. “You still feeling cocky?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Alright, then let’s see how long that lasts since you’re such a slut for me,” he said with a wink before ducking his head fully down. He sucked another hickey on the inside of your thigh, and he slowly started licking towards your pussy. You could practically feel his tongue against your clit, but he was taking his sweet time.

“Stop teasing,” you finally groaned out.

“Is that begging I hear?” he questioned.

“No, I’m telling,” you said matter of factly.

“Yes ma’am,” he agreed with a chuckle.

His tongue slowly started lapping across your folds, occasionally flicking along your clit. Oh god you were in heaven, but simultaneously in hell because you couldn’t make a peep. His tongue once again licked across your spot, and you had to slap your hands over your mouth to keep a moan from escaping your lips. You could feel the smirk on his lips, but you weren’t going to let him have the satisfaction of knowing how much he was affecting you.

A few whimpers nearly came out of your body, and your hands were nearly shaking from trying to hold it in. But all of a sudden you realized that letting it out may be to your advantage, hearing your noises of pleasure, always had quite the effect on him.

So you did. Every moan, and whimper you let him hear. He thought that he was getting to you, which truthfully he was, but the game was far from over.

“You’re eating me out so good,” you moaned.

Your plan was already working; you noticed that he started to pick up the pace.

“Oh god JJ!” you screamed as he licked over a good spot on your pussy.

He continued licking in that exact spot which almost made you want to give up the bet right then in there. You felt shivers go through your spine as your core started to heat up but you were too stubborn to lose yet.

“No one fucks me like you do,” you moaned, knowing damn well the effect it would have on him.

Your plan seemed to have worked as he quickly took off his shorts, put on the condom, and just as his cock was about to enter you, you stopped him.

“Beg,” you insisted.

“Y/n fucking pl-” You had nearly had him, but he managed to stop himself before the words tumbled out.

You smirked, as he finally realized what you were doing. He however was now hell bent on making you lose. JJ climbed back on top of you with new vigor. “You’re smart, which is exactly why breaking you will be so much more fun,” he taunted. His head went back down again.

Your hands entangled in his hair as he went back to licking every single nook and cranny that he could find. “Fuck,” you whimpered as he once again licked your even more sensitive clit. You could feel the tension burning in your core, and a tingling sensation starting to spread all over. You started to buck your hips from the stimulation, and JJ was quick to force you back down. As his flicking became more rapid, you felt your body start to tense up.

“JJ I’m gonna-” you had started, but suddenly he had stopped.

“Beg,” he told you. And as much as you wanted to give in you were determined to knock the cocky grin off his face.

You sat up on your elbows. “Make me.”

JJ looked delighted by your answer. “That’s fine I got all night.”

“Inside me JJ,” you told him. You knew he wanted to make you beg for that as well, but you knew that he wanted to be inside you more.

He thrusted his cock into you and you did your best not to slide backwards from him pushing into you. “Oh my god you’re so wet for me, you really have been waiting.”

After he had checked on you he began slowly thrusting into you, going deep into you. “Oh shit,” he moaned. He would have to explain a lot of scratches across his back tomorrow but quite frankly you didn’t care.

“JJ!” you half moaned, half screamed as he went down again.

“You’re such a dirty slut for me aren’t you?” he taunted you.

You wanted to have some sort of retort but all that came out of your mouth was another moan, which just egged him on more.

“Come on, I know you’re tempted.”

Truthfully, you were extremely tempted, but you could surely outlast him right? But then you had an idea, he couldn’t stop it if he didn’t know what was coming. So as you felt your body starting to be strung out again you did you best to keep your breathing the same, and to not move around as much. But just as you felt the tension building he stopped.

“JJ?” you groaned in confusion.

“You seriously don’t think I don’t know when you’re going to have an orgasm?” he laughed. He pushed his hair out of his face and grinned down at you.

“Y/n you might as well just give up now, and spare yourself,” he suggested.

Collecting what small amount of strength you had left you said “Not a chance.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he smirked.

The warning was evidently very necessary, your whole body was starting to feel ten times more sensitive than it usually did. Every thrust sent a wave of pleasant goosebumps through your body. Your legs were shaking, and your voice was admittedly starting to go away. Your body felt like it was screaming that it wanted to orgasm. He started to slow down, but you were so close. You attempted to buck your hips into his to get the feeling back but he held you down. With a satisfactory grin on his face, that you needed it so bad.

“You’re not getting an orgasm unless you beg and we both know that I could fuck you for hours,” he taunted.

“Fine, fine, fine, please, please, please let me cum J, please. I am begging you,” you whined.

“That’s all you had to say princess,” he smirked. Finally his pace picked back up, to a more rapid one.

“Fuck you feel so good,” you moaned to him. There was no point keeping it in now. Your hips bucked in rhythm with his, as he moved in and out. But his rhythm slowed down as what you recognized as his climax.

“Oh god,” you heard him say as it finally hit him. His moans of pleasure only sped up your’s. “Fuck,” he moaned on top of you. But he managed to push himself back up to go down into you a couple more times for you to reach your climax.

Your whole body felt like it was on fire with tingles. The feeling spread from your stomach to your breasts to throughout your whole body. Your legs began to shake and you couldn't form words anymore. The only coherent thought you could form was how good you felt. Even after you had reached your climax, you had a sense of euphoria that you just couldn’t shake.

Eventually, you felt JJ start to move out of you, and you both whimpered slightly from how sensitive you were. You saw him take the condom off and throw it away. You lay in bed, still breathing heavily.

“Give me your hand, we’re going to the bathroom,” he said sweetly, but insistently. You groaned but you didn’t protest.

After you had used the toilet, you both flopped back down in his bed. It was quiet for a couple minutes before JJ spoke up.

“You know I’m really excited to see what beers you get me,” he teased.

“Shut up,” you laughed, lightly smacking him in the arm.

He lightly smacked you back. “Oh and don’t forget to call off for Friday tomorrow morning,” he grinned.

“I hate you,” you said as you rolled over.

“I love you,” he said sweetly, as he wrapped his arms around your midsection.

He always had a way of making you happy. “Love you too J,”

“Goodnight princess,” he said as he kissed your cheek.

“Goodnight JJ.” And you quickly fell fast asleep in his arms.

Needless to say, the other pogue’s weren’t worried that you never came outside. They knew where they would find the two of you the next morning.

#quillsandtyposwrites #q&t- obx #obx #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank one shot #outer banks #outer banks one shot #q&t- x reader #outer banks x reader #outer banks season 2 #outer banks smut #jj maybank smut #jj maybank x reader smut #jj maybank x pogue!reader #obx pogues #the pogues #smut #jj maybank x y/n smut

[plussizeappreciationfics]

Series: Just the assistant..?

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Plus sized reader

Summary: [Y/N], Tom's personal assistant knows that she shouldn't have fallen in love with her employer but she just couldn't help herself. When she thinks that her biggest wish is about to come true, a third party arrives and makes her question whether she'd ever have a chance to escape her situation and simply be loved back by the person she loves the most...

Warning(s): None, I think?

Word count: 5,2k

Picture(s) found on: Pinterest/Google

CHAPTER ONE: Ignition

"Just a few more minutes until they call, do you want something to drink?" (Y/N) asked Tom as she made her way to the kitchen, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest as the tension rose in his living room. 

He had been sitting on the couch, frozen on the spot while staring into space with his phone clutched tightly in his hand. He couldn’t voice the intense waves of anxiety and nervousness coursing through his body, time seemed to pass slowly. One of the producers of Harold Pinter's Play "Betrayal" was about to let him know whether he had gotten one of the main roles or not.

Tom had auditioned for the play a while ago and had desperately hoped that his performance was worthy enough to act the play out on the stage. He had always loved theatre, the interest had never decreased throughout the years. Harold Pinter was also a writer Tom had always looked up to as his plays always inspired and touched him on a deep level that not everyone was able to understand.

 "Tom" (Y/N) called out again.

He had never answered her question which had made her turn on her heel and focus her gaze on his tensed back and shoulders. He still hadn’t moved a muscle as his brain was clouded with too many thoughts at the same time. His assistant let out a soft sigh, her heart fluttering as she longed to gently place her hands on his back and give him a soothing massage. God...I just want to feel you relax under my touch. Whisper my name in a state of longing...

She bit back a craving hum as her eyes continued to appreciate his backside, he obviously needed some time to himself and wasn’t in need of any liquid refreshment. She turned back around and walked into the kitchen while hoping and praying that he’d get the role as he really deserved it. 

She empathised with his every emotion and felt anxious herself, a habit she had when loving someone. Once in the kitchen, [Y/N] quickly walked over to the fridge and took a bottle of water out of it, popped open the cap and let out a soft hum when the cool liquid made its way down her throat. It had been dry and itching for a little while but she didn’t want to leave Tom’s side. She was his biggest supporter, not just the assistant that had been loving him for three years now.

She couldn’t distinguish whether she ever crushed on him or just immediately found herself loving him. She had been a silent admirer of him and his work before she got the amazing (and well paying) opportunity to work as his personal assistant. But she was a professional and strictly made herself keep all the romantic feelings she had for Tom on the down low, she knew that both of their images were at stake if she’d dive into the cliché “employee messing with their boss” mess.  

It was easier said than done but she quickly developed some quality acting skills that prevented the British gentleman from even guessing her true feelings about him. She didn't want to jeopardise her job as it was something she really loved and appreciated doing.

"[Y/N]!" Tom called out in panic, causing her to place the water bottle on the kitchen counter and run back into the living room, where she found him standing in front of the coffee table with his phone still in his hand. The anxiety clouding his eyes quickly vanished the second he looked at his assistant, her presence immediately had calmed him down.

His loud ringtone echoed through the room.  “W-what should I do?” he questioned, feeling like he had lost all common sense while his heart beat harshly against his ribcage.

She chuckled and shook her head while pointing at his phone. “Accept the call!”.

He frantically nodded, letting his thumb slide across his screen before holding his phone to his ear. [Y/N] let out a shaky breath, this was finally the big moment and she was glad that she was the only one who got to witness it. He never put up a show in front of her during these types of moments and that was one of the many reasons why she loved him; he unconsciously made her feel so special on an almost day-to-day basis.

“Hello?” Tom spoke before a nervous laugh escaped his lips, “Gerald, how are you?”, his manners were impeccable while his facial expression turned serious. A big frown crept onto his face, he bit his lower lip and slowly nodded his head. The room got silent  and the assistant didn’t know what to do; she was silently contemplating whether to have a seat on the couch or stay on her feet, ready to walk away in case he wanted some privacy. 

A smile appeared on her face when the actor looked at her again, smiling brightly and motioning with his hand for her to take a seat on the couch. Her stomach fluttered in delight at the fact that he wanted her near and witness this exciting moment with him. 

She made her way over to the couch and was about to sit down when a loud gasp escaped his lips, a smile stretching across his handsome face. “Thank you so much! I-I can’t believe this! Thank you, thank you!” he happily spoke out and then chuckled. She stared wide eyed at him as she quickly caught onto what was happening.

He had gotten the role.

[Y/N] barely could hide her grin as she felt the anxiety disappear like a heavy weight being lifted off her shoulders. An overwhelming urge to reach out for Tom’s handsome face and press her lips against his overtook her senses. But she knew damn well that that was something didn't have the right to do. So, with a soft sigh she fought her inner voices and body parts to stay still and not do something she'd regret. 

Words couldn’t describe how proud she was of him, he was perfect for the role and she couldn’t wait to see the whole production come to life. Tom would have the time of his life and gain more experience in the industry which could lead to his next job, once the play would be over.

“I certainly will!” Tom laughed and nodded his head, snapping [Y/N] back to reality. They locked eyes and just grinned at each other.  “Thanks again, have a nice day. Bye!”, a loud laugh escaped his lips as he tossed his phone onto the couch and surprised his assistant by charging towards her and then quickly engulfing her in a tight embrace.

“I got the part! I can’t believe it!”

“Congrats, Tom! I knew you’d get it”. [Y/N]’s knees almost buckled as her arms were wrapped around his broad shoulders, his delicate scent filling her nostrils. Her body instantly relaxed and she felt lightheaded, she wished for this moment to last forever, this is where she felt to belong. In his arms. The actor gave her another squeeze and let out a relieved sigh, his body enjoying the intimate embrace, the sensation surprising him greatly. They had hugged countless times (which had always left [Y/N] a sensitive mess like in that current moment), but this time it felt different for him.

Her delicate scent mixed with her sweet perfume  made him close his eyes, his soul suddenly being at peace. The feeling of her soft and squishy body made him bury his head in the crook of her neck and gently sigh out in pleasure. She clenched her jaw in order to stop herself from gasping out loud as an intense shiver coursed down her spine. Tom had never hugged her this way, his beard tickled her sensitive skin and she loved every second of it. 

Her heart skipped a beat before playing a loud song against her ribcage, this felt like a dream. A delicate dream she hoped to never wake up from. The room was silent, their soft breathing being the only thing whispering through the atmosphere as the actor continued to enjoy the feeling of having his assistant so close to him.

 Pleasant tingles coursed through his body as he absentmindedly gave her another squeeze, her beautiful face appearing behind his now closed eyelids. No one spoke a word. Just two souls initiating their passionate connection.

 “Tom” [Y/N] whispered after a few minutes, needing to end the moment even if it made her heart ache. But she knew that if she wouldn’t speak up, he would and probably conclude that they’d been hugging for way too long and inappropriately. When he hummed softly and opened his eyes, he gave her one final squeeze before slowly pulling away and smiling at her. He didn’t regret anything.

 He drank in the sight of her beautiful face, his eyes sparkling suddenly. “We need to celebrate this!” the excitement was slowly bubbling up again in his stomach. The assistant let out a chuckle and pulled her out her phone from her jean pocket. “Sure, who do you want me to invite?” she questioned while trying to get down from the delicate high she still was on. His cologne mixed with his mesmerising scent still lingered in her nose and her heart even ached more now.

 Her fingers slightly trembled while typing in her passcode before she went on the message app, ready to send out a dinner invitation to Tom’s closest friend group. She cleared her throat and looked up again, her heart skipping another beat when she saw him smile brightly at her like she was the most delicate creature walking the earth...

 “How about I cook something just for the two of us and we can celebrate with Ben, Charlie and Idris tomorrow?”.

 [Y/N] let out a breathless chuckle and nodded her head, “Sounds great…”. Words couldn’t describe the euphoria pumping through her blood. Even though he hadn’t officially asked her out, she still felt happy and excited to spend some more time alone with him. She didn’t have high hopes of  something happening but just being in his presence was more than enough for her to soothe her cravings temporarily and that made her gladly accept every opportunity to be alone with him, work related or not.

 “Great! How about Chicken Fettucine Alfredo?”. She grinned, nodded and put her phone back into her pocket. She was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do next, a part of her wanted to throw herself back into his arms and another one to get back to her house and let the previous, intimate moment dawn onto her. 

She chose the latter.

 “I-I’ll go freshen up and finish some tasks for you. Let me know when you want me back” she smiled at him one last time before walking towards his front door, knowing that the actor was staring at her back. “Okay, I’ll send you a text message!” Tom gently called out and watched with a smile on his face how she waved her hand in the air to indicate that she had heard him. [Y/N] then had left his house seconds later.

 “Mhm…” the actor whispered to himself, suddenly feeling his stomach sink. The happiness and excitement simmered down while he sat down on his couch and leaned back. His eyes fell shut and he thought about what just had happened: He had gotten the role of one of his favourite plays and felt like he was dreaming. He couldn’t wait to start the project and try his best to captivate the people with his talent all over again. He was going to play Robert, a man whose wife was having an affair with his best friend of several years. 

 He was impatient to find out who was going to be casted as the other two characters: Emma and Jerry. He appreciated and loved his work so much, but knew that he wouldn’t have gotten this special part if it weren’t for his assistant who had strongly encouraged him to audition for the play. 

 [Y/N].

Tom could barely express how much she had changed his life for the better when he had hired her three years ago. He just had broken up with his famous ex-girlfriend and was being bullied by her fans so much that he disappeared from the spotlight once his work schedules were cleared. 

His friends didn’t see him often as he hid away in his house, trying to tune out the discomfort and regret he felt from letting the whole world focus on his relationship. He was known for keeping his private life private, but the love he had felt for her had made him disregard his own strict rule and boundary. To be publicly ridiculed was one of harshest lessons he had to learn.

That's when his agent suggested hiring a personal assistant to help him keep his profile on the down low until he’d feel better. 

[Y/N] was hired not too long after his hiatus from the public eye, her job had been to see what roles the entertainment company Tom was signed to had to offer and also fulfill personal tasks like going grocery shopping or sending out birthday gifts and so on. But with her already having caught serious feelings for him, she had a natural urge to also take care of him, not as her boss but as a confidant and comforter.

 It was her bright, charming and loving personality along with her soothing and encouraging ways that slowly brought Tom out of the protective bubble he had created around himself. A strong friendship was quickly formed while he felt himself change back into this natural self. A better self.

[Y/N] became his silent rock to lean on while continuing to work for him. When he was back to his naturally charming and funny self in public and private, she had become conscious about her feelings for him. She was surprised (but also very relieved) that no one had suspected anything. Benedict and his wife Sophie, Idris and his Wife Sabrina along with Charlie and his wife Samantha all had quickly grown to love her as a part of their friend group.

The assistant was way more loosened up with the actors wives as they had a very close and strong bond as women. Around the male actors, she was a tiny bit more reserved but just to keep up the professional “I am not hopelessly in love with my boss and don’t want you to know about it” act. 

But Tom was just as supportive of his assistant when life became difficult for her too. Often placing a comforting hand on her shoulder or back while fighting the urge to hold her close and promise to take care of whatever issue she was facing when she couldn’t keep the tears to herself anymore. Tom and [Y/N] had come a long way together, individually and as friends.

“Bloody hell” 

Tom muttered when realising that he had zoned out for a good ten minutes. His stomach was doing flips but he didn’t feel sick or nauseous. The overwhelming urge to feel [Y/N] so close to him again had left him craving for more ever since she had left his house. 

He bit down onto his lower lip when he remembered the delicate sensations tingling through his body, the intensity was something the actor hadn’t experienced in a long time. Or ever. He shook his head, snapping himself out of his little daydream and shot up from the couch. “I should go grocery shopping for tonight’s celebration” was what he muttered to himself before picking up his car keys from the small coffee table and saying his goodbye to Bobby who had waltzed into the living room with a wiggly tail. 

Tom chuckled, petted his beloved dog and then made his way towards the front door with a pleased smile resting on his handsome face.

~~~

“Fuck, why am I like this?” [Y/N] cried out in frustration as she was standing in her full length mirror, staring at her naked body wrapped in a towel. She just had gotten out of the shower, her skin was glistening and glowing from the lotion she had applied to her body, her hair moisturised . She was scanning her body from head to toe and slowly felt herself become insecure. She had this lingering feeling that the hug she had shared with Tom had a deeper meaning. 

 Her conscious refused to let go of the matter and she found herself wondering if he’d ever be interested in her. Her eyes continued to scan her body from head to toe, every thick bump and curve being intensely observed. “Stop it” she hissed at herself, shaking her head and trying to distract her craving heart from the fact that it might had found its perfect match. “I’m just the assistant” [Y/N] reminded herself before stepping away from the mirror and walking over to her closet.

 She didn’t want to overdress for a simple celebration dinner, and quickly decided on a simple and comfortable outfit for the private event; a pair of black jeans, a white, long sleeved shirt with not too much cleavage and a black jean jacket in case she'd get cold.  

It took her a few minutes to get dressed before she focused on her hair and light makeup. She chose to not wear many layers of makeup. Tonight she preferred a natural look that would also enable her skin to breathe easily. Once she was done, she gave herself a final look in the mirror and nodded her head in approval.

 She looked beautiful, as always.

 “Let’s do this then” she whispered to herself and then made her way out of her bedroom. Now all she needed was for Tom to let her know that he was to welcome her back into his house.  “Okay, it’s nothing special” the assistant muttered to herself while suddenly feeling her heart starting to beat faster in her chest.

 This was the usual habit she had whenever she was about to see the British actor: reminding herself that her deepest desire wouldn't become reality and to keep herself in check. [Y/N] had been in love and had loved a decent amount of people but never had she felt these intense emotions for someone. 

She had been with the most charming and loving or shitty and selfish people, the heartbreaks she had gone through were either very painful and long lasting or quick and rather painless. It always made her wonder how Tom had been able to sweep her off her feet in such a delicate yet simple manner, and why she loved him stronger with each passing day.

The plus sized beauty was now in her kitchen, eating a granola bar while sitting at the counter. The silence in the house smoothly encouraged her to relax for a little while and unwind. She had finished the few tasks she had to do for her boss; making sure that his stylist had the suits ready for his public appearances that were coming up in a few days.

A BAFTA event was just around the corner and Tom had gladly accepted their invitation as he was one of the many ambassadors. The organisation had planned a few games with delightful prices such as apprentices abroad for upcoming musicians, actors and artists or tickets to Tom’s upcoming play to encourage people to get in touch with their creative self. 

The actor was thrilled to meet new people and witness others from different backgrounds, to witness them earn amazing opportunities to either learn, travel or create themselves artistically.

[Y/N] wouldn’t join him to the event. She had a lengthy list of new things to work on for her boss. The final Avengers movie would be released in the theaters in a few months but Tom wouldn’t join the press tour as he’d be on stage here in London. But his own Loki series had gotten the green light so he’d have to start meeting up with the creative writers and producers to see how they’d bring the series to life. It was obvious that Tom would be booked and busy for at least a year.

[Y/N] got lost in her thoughts again, absentmindedly finishing her granola bar while planning her following weeks ahead, she knew that stressful days were ahead but she didn't mind that at all. At the end, she'd get her job done.

It took her a few minutes to snap out of her daze before her phone loudly notified her that she had received a message.

From: Tom

Finally, she thought to herself while unlocking her phone and reading Tom’s new message.

To: Me

I’m done cooking, waiting for your presence now 😊

From: Me

“Aw” the assistant cooed with a wide grin on her face, the message was so short and simple yet it made her feel like she was floating on cloud nine. Especially because Tom rarely used emojis, so to see that she was worthy enough for a smiley face filled her heart with joy.

To: Tom

Her thumb hit the sent button before she hopped off the kitchen stool, her heartbeat increasing again as she felt a rush of warmth and excitement ripple through her body. 

I’m on my way 😊

[Y/N] took her purse off the counter and placed her phone in it before taking out her keys. Her footsteps softly echoed through the air as she made her way to the front door with a gorgeous smile resting on her face. She couldn’t wait to see her love again.

“Wow” was the first thing Tom whispered once he swung the door open, his eyes immediately were blessed with the sight of [Y/N] standing right in front of him. Their eyes sparkled while staring deeply into one another. “Hi” [Y/N] whispered, her body relaxing instantly while waiting for the actor to welcome her back into his home.

~~~

“Hello” Tom finally spoke, his heart pounding so hard that he was afraid she’d be able to hear it.  He took a step aside and widened the door, “Please enter”. The assistant thanked him before walking into his house, not noticing how he closed the door while whispering a soft “You are so beautiful” into the air. 

“It smells amazing” she complimented while already having placed her purse on the small coffee table in front of his couch, now patiently waiting for the actor to turn around and interact with her.

Tom took a few seconds to lock his door before finally turning on his heel and biting back a grin when his eyes landed on [Y/N] again. Her beauty and presence were sucking him into a delicate whirl of endless contentment, but he didn’t fight it. “Thank you, I hope you’ll enjoy the meal. How about a drink first?” he suggested while walking over to her and playfully holding out his arm to her.

She chuckled and happily linked her arm with his, his cologne mixed with his scent filling her nostrils while they made their way into the kitchen where she could hear the soft sizzling filling the air. Tom led her over to the big counter where he already had set the table and everything else up, some candles included. It looked like a romantic dinner.

[Y/N] clenched her jaw to stop herself from voicing how pretty everything looked, it looked like a meal for lovers, not employer and employee. But she swallowed her thought, not wanting to risk saying anything that could ruin the smooth and delightful vibe. So with a soft sigh, she turned around and gently thanked Tom for preparing the celebration dinner.

“Don’t even mention it” he chuckled and made sure that she was comfortably seated before he rushed over to the pans and pots and started to serve her the celebration dinner. Her mouth watered at the delicious sight and she couldn’t wait to dig in. But she patiently waited until he was done with his own plate and was seated before she rose her glass filled with non-alcoholic Peach Moscato. [Y/N] wasn’t planning on getting drunk as the next day would be very hectic for her.

"To you” she gently spoke, her heart fluttering in her chest when Tom copied her actions and smiled brightly at her. “No, to us” he added and let his glass with the same drink clink against hers.

“I didn’t do anything” the assistant responded with a soft chuckle before taking a quick sip of her drink and humming in delight. It tasted delicious. “You’re the actor who went to the audition” she added before lifting her fork and smoothly digging it into a piece of diced and seasoned chicken.

Tom shook his head while following her motions, “You did a lot actually. I wasn’t sure whether I was good enough to even audition for the role. But you encouraged me and supported me from the beginning to the end, and I can’t thank you enough for that [Y/N].

Once his words left his mouth, the room fell silent. 

[Y/N] and Tom just looked at each other, so many unspoken emotions flashing past their eyes. The tension had shifted again but not to something awkward. It was like their souls were communication as the sparkles in their eyes never left. They only thought about each other and how grateful they were to be in that intimate moment with one another.

The actor couldn’t stop thinking about how he suddenly longed to be close to her again. Feel her warm and soft body pressed against him, have her scent make him forget about the world and just focus on her. His lips tingled, the urge to feel hers pressed against his overwhelming him.

[Y/N] was thinking the exact same thing, the attraction she had felt for him only became stronger with every passing moment. Her breathing became quicker when her mind started to picture how it would feel to kiss him…Hold him close while letting their lips melt together as one with nothing but love and passion.

“T-Thank you” was all she was able to say as she snapped back to reality and realised that she hadn’t responded to his kind words. Tom nodded his head and gave her a bright smile before both of them continued to enjoy the food together.

“This is scrumptious” the assistant praised with a hum before taking another bite, trying to play it cool while she felt the heat and warmth course through her body. Tom chuckled and bowed his head, blushing at the simple compliment, “I’m happy you’re enjoying it”. What he didn't voice was how he had spiced up the simple recipe, the need to impress [Y/N] driving him through the short time of preparing the meal.

The two of them then continued to eat while talking about their upcoming vacations, the production of the play wouldn't start until a few weeks and the Loki series was months away from being filmed.  [Y/N] didn’t want to just talk about their work and happily listened to Tom voicing his desire to travel to Asia again for two weeks. He then told her about filming Kong: Skull Island in Vietnam and Hawaii. Throughout the dinner, his hand found hers numerous times and he gave it a gentle squeeze before sliding it back and either taking a sip of his drink or finishing his plate.

"And so I had to explain to my boss's ex-girlfriend that he had wanted the engagement ring back but that he was too embarrassed to come and collect it himself! After he had been caught red handed cheating on her!" [Y/N] finished explaining the crazy story about her previous employer, clasping her hands against her cheeks and shaking her head at the awkward memories.

___

Tom was having a delightful laugh, his cackles echoing through the kitchen while trying to imagine how his assistant must've felt in that moment. "That is just crazy! I assure you [Y/N] that I won't ever ask you to do such a thing for me" he chuckled at the end and shook his head.

"Good, because that experience made me add lots of terms and conditions to my general contract. I've actually been rejected a few times because those who had been interested in hiring me didn't approve of my demands" the assistant chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Like I have no issues going grocery shopping for you but I won't do your dirty laundry or buy lube and condoms for you at 3 o'clock in the morning...". The last phrase made Tom almost choke on his spit before he burst out laughing again, his cheeks starting to hurt from all the smiles and laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed or enjoyed someone's presence this much.

"Shit, Tom. it's almost midnight! We've been eating and goofing around for hours!" [Y/N] gasped in panic, not having realised how fast the time had rushed by. She quickly got up and took her now empty plate, strutted over to the sink and was about to wash it when Tom's voice stopped her.

"Don't even think about turning on the sink, [Y/N]. Let me do this" the soothing yet amused tone in his voice made the assistant roll her eyes and simply place her plate in the empty sink and turn around with a defeated look on her face. "Fine! But I better get going then, thanks again for the meal, it was delicious".

Tom grinned at her and joined her at the sink, both of them washing their hands before drying them and making their way out of the kitchen. "It was my utmost pleasure, [Y/N]". No words were spoken after that as the assistant collected her purse and made her way to his front door, feeling like she was floating on cloud nine.

"Let me know when you get home safely, okay?" Tom whispered while surprising her again with another gentle hug, his arms and hands welcoming her delicate body again. All poor [Y/N] could do was nod her head and close her eyes for a few seconds, no thoughts clouding her head as she lost herself into the embrace.

"Goodnight" she then whispered while pulling away, looking one last time at his handsome face before creating some space in between them, her heart feeling like it was about to combust into flames. "Goodnight beautiful, thank you for being you" Tom whispered, the sparks glistening in his eyes as he watched his assistant bite her lip to prevent herself from grinning like an idiot.

The two of them shared another gentle moment before [Y/N] turned around and left Tom's home. He watched her walk down the front porch and to the drive in where her car was parked. The man couldn't keep his eyes away from her, she was all he could think about and he couldn't stop whispering her name every few seconds while watching her drive off into the night... 

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-Emmanuelle 💋❤️

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddelson #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddelston imagine #tom hiddleston x plus size reader #tom hiddleston x plus #plus size reader

[fluffywings13]

Throwing The Gauntlet

Keigo looks up from his phone when one of his gloves is thrown down into his lap, meeting his adopted son’s sparkling green eyes, and looks down at the glove in his lap. “Are you—”

“Yes.” The teen nods firmly. “Yes I am.”

He looks up at him sympathetically. “Bad day.”

“Yes.” The teen nods just as firmly. “Yes it was.”

“Understood.” The hero tosses his phone over his shoulder, quickly followed by his glove, and boosts himself up with his wings. “Same stakes?”

“Yes.” The teen nods just as firmly again. “Same stakes.”

…

“I don’t know why you think you can challenge me.” The hero smiles at the teen’s shrieking giggles as he scratches under his baby toe with the talon of his index finger, their match had been one for the record books, the teen had held his own for a good length of time, until he decided he’d had enough of being Mr. Nice Guy and went after his belly button, claiming victory over their well fought battle. “I always win, you know I do, I know I do, I know you know I know I do.” Keigo grins at his son’s squeals when he scratches his talon down the length of his sole. “How are you already losing it, I’m not even doing anything.”

Keigo is well aware of the fact that the boy is fourteen, but that will never stop him from being his adorable little cutie bird, the little cutie bird that used to follow him around his agency hidden under his wing, peeking out at everyone they stopped to talk with.

Izuku squeals and arches his back when two talons scratch over the arch of his foot, pressing his chin to his chest, fanning his toes out before clenching them tightly, jerking his captured foot around in an attempt to get away from the two talons. He shakes his head when a talon scratches at the ball of his foot, arching his back again, turning up onto his left side, feeling the grip around his ankle adjust itself to accommodate his change in position.

He likes it, he likes these moments, he likes being able to goof around with his dad, especially after a bad day or the man’s been extra busy and their schedules don’t line up so they can be together. Make no mistakes, his dad still takes the time out of busy days to make sure he knows he’s thinking about him, he’ll come home after a long day, deep into the night, and he’ll feel him pulling his blankets up over his shoulder, warm lips brushing over his temple as he drifts off to sleep. He likes these moments, he loves them, where his dad and him get to mess around, to bask in each other’s presence.

Izuku likes it.

The teen squeals when a talon strokes down the middle of his foot. “Just think, I got two feet to play with, and we haven’t even gotten to those toes yet.” He scratches under the teens toes with his talons and smiles when he squeals again, cackling madly, toes fanning out and wiggling frantically. “I know all about these toesies, yea I do, I know all there is to know about them.” Izuku screams with laughter when the hero holds his toes steady and scratches at the pad of his big toe lightly with his talon. “What’d ya say, should we play with these toes, have we waited long enough?” The greenette shakes his head frantically. “We haven’t, you want me to keep playing with your foot instead, those toes not ready yet?”

“Oh, I’m gettin’ me them toes.” Keigo scratches at the teen’s heel lightly. “And boy, am I gonna get them toes too.” He reaches over his shoulder. “I’m gonna take one of my feathers.” He plucks a small feather from his left wing. “I’m gonna put it just about here.” Izuku shakes his head when the hero threads it between his last two toes. “And, I’m gonna saw it just like this.” The teen squeals loudly when he starts brushing his feather back and forth, cackling loudly, his toes wiggling as he jerks his foot around. “Just like this, this is nice, I’m glad you threw down the gauntlet.”

The teen squeals and cackles, yanking on his foot, squealing when the feather moves to his next two toes. His dad chuckles softly, turning the feather over, and starts tracing shapes over his sole, and he shrieks shrilly, tugging on his foot desperately, especially when he finds a bad spot just above his heel, a spot he knew full well was there, and focused on it for a while longer. “How about we move on to that other foot, I can feel it wiggling around, it wants some attention too, doesn’t it?”

Izuku shakes his head frantically. “Nohohohho! Plehehhehehehease! Nohohohoho ihihihit dohohohohoesn’t! Dahahahahahahaad nohohohohoho!” (No! Please! No it doesn’t! Dad no!) He squeals when the quill of the feather starts scratching lightly at the ball of his foot. “Dahahahahahad! Dahahahahaaadddyyy! Nohohoot thehehehehheeere! Nohohohot thehehehehehere! Thahahahhaat’s nohohohohot nihihihiice! Yohhohohhou’re beheheheheeing meheheheheheean!” (Dad! Daddy! Not there! Not there! That’s not nice! You’re being mean!)

“No, I’m being very nice, me being mean would be doing this.” The hero grabs his other foot, holding both up by his ankles, and mentally threads feathers between his toes. “This is me being mean, kiddo.” He wills his feathers to move and the teen screams, kicking desperately, a feather between each toe, howling with laughter. “This is mean, don’t you think, was I being nice before?” Izuku can only nod, laughing too hard to form words, this was mean, this was dad being mean, he was being nice before, he regrets saying he was being mean now. “Hows about we just sit here for a few minutes before I pick another spot, how’s that sound, let’s say, five minutes, five minutes of feathers between your toesies, sound like a good plan?”

“NOHOHOHOHOHO NOHOHOHOHOHOO! IHIHIHIHIT DOHOOHOHOHOHOHOESN’T! MOHOHOHOHOVE MOHOHOHOHOVE PLEHEHEHEHEHEEASE! IHIHIHIHIHI CAHAHAHAHAHAHAAN’T TAHAHAHAHAHHAAKE IHIHIHIHIT!” (No no! It doesn’t! Move move please! I can’t take it) The teen manages to scream between fits of uproarious laughter. “DAHAHAHAHAHAHAAD PLEHEHEHEHHEHEEEASE! GEEHEHEHEHEHEHET THEHEHEHEHEEM OUT! GEHEHEHEHEHET THEHEHEHEHHEEM OHOHOHOHOHOUT! PLEHEHEHEHEEASE! NOHOHOHOHOHOT FIHIHIHIHIVE MIHIHIHIHINUTES! PLEHEHEHEHEEASE!” (Dad please! Get them out! Get them out! Please! Not five minutes! Please!)

“I could though.” The hero teases gently. “I won, that mean’s I get to do whatever I want to you, those are the stakes remember. You win, I’m your personal slave for the day, I win, I get to play with you for however long I want. I won. You’re stuck at my mercy. And I’m not feeling particularly merciful today.” The teen pants and giggles when he calls his feathers back to his wings and drops his feet. “But, because I love you so much, I’ll move on. Working my way from bottom to top. Where next?”

Izuku just giggles breathlessly, watching the hero climb up over him, laying himself over his legs. He shakes his head pleadingly when feathers curl around his wrists, and he struggles against them, when his arms are lifted above his head, watching in horror as his shirts pushed up over his belly.

Keigo pokes at his lower belly, and he bites his lip, twitching and swallowing giggles with every poke. “Now we’re on the tummy. This tummy’s really in for it, I know just how bad this tummy is, I’ve had years of research.” He pokes up to the sides of his belly button and pauses there. “Guess what’s gonna happen to this tummy, go on, give it your best guess.” The boy merely shakes his head. “Want me to tell you, just get it out in the open, pass the guessing altogether.” He wiggles his fingers slowly and those adorable giggles pick up just a tad bit more. “It’s gonna be tickle tortured.” The hero claws his two fingers in sharply and the teen bursts with a loud squeal, bucking his hips, kicking his legs as best as he can under the hero, against the feathers holding them in place. “Oh yea, right there, right there’s real good.”

The greenette squeals shrilly laughter, twisting and turning, rocking from side to side, trying to get out from under those two fingers. Just two, all he needs to break him is one or two, that’s it, no more then that. He throws his head back and arches his back, pressing into the fingers, which makes him drop back down, and curl inwards slightly. His squirming is so much that the hero curls his arms down around his hips as he continues wiggling his fingers on the sides of his belly button, humming under his breath as though he wasn’t holding down and torturing a howling and squealing cutie bird.

“I’m gonna be mean to this tummy, I’ve just decided, in return for saying I was mean to those toes, if you think I’m being a meanie, then I’ll be a meanie. And that means….” The hero pinches down the sides of his belly and at his hips, until he arches his back again, and snakes his arms underneath him, curling around him to keep him from moving too much. “Berries. Lots and lots of berries.”

Izuku begs, he begs between fits of squealing laughter, already lost and nothing was even happening, for him not to do berries, which only makes him want to do them more. “Pleheheheheheease! Dahahahahahad nohohohot thohohohohose! Eeeeeieaiiaiaiaaaahhahahahahahahahahaa!” (Please! Dad not those! *squeal*) He squeals when the hero’s head dips teasingly. “Plehehehehehease! Nohohohoot beheheheheheherries! Plehehehehheeeeiaiaiaaiaaahahahahhahahahaa!” (Please! Not berries! Ple--*squeal*) He squeals when the hero’s head dips again. Why is he squealing despite no raspberries being laid down, because they’re that bad, that’s why, even the thought of them makes him want to squeal, and the hero’s head dips. “Eeieaiiaaiaaahahhahahahahahahahaa nohohohoho! Eeieaiaieaaahahhahahahahahhahaa stohohohohop trihihihihicking mehehehehee!” (*Squeal* No! *Squeal* stop tricking me!) Keigo grins and dips his head again. “Eeieiaiaaahahahahahahhahaaa!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop tricking you.” The teen regrets his words when the man takes a deep breath and buries his face in his belly, blowing a long harsh raspberry out over his belly button, and he screams. “AAAAAHAHHHHAEEEAEAAEEAAIAAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAA NOHHOHOHOO WAHAHAHAHAHAHAAIT EIEIAIEAIAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA AAAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA DAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAD EIEIAIAAIAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAA!” (No wait! Dad!) He squeals when his dad takes another deep breath and buries his face in the side of his belly before blowing another raspberry, and again when he takes another deep breath and blows a raspberry over on the other side of his belly, and screams when he takes a deeper breath and blows out a harsher raspberry over his belly button. “AAAHAHAHAHHEHHAHEHHEAAIEAIEAIAAIAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA AAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAA EIEIEIAIEAAIAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA AAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAEHEHAHAHEEAIEIAEIAIAIAAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAAHAA DAHAHAHHAHAAD! STOHOHOHOHOHOP! STOHOHOHOP EIEIAIAEAIAAHAAHAHHAAHHAAHAAHAAA AHAHAHEHHEHHEAHAHEAIAIAIAAIAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! (Dad stop! Stop!)

Keigo does not stop, he continues blowing raspberries all around the teen’s belly, basking in his high pitched squealing laughter, he loved it, as someone who never got to do these kinds of things in his previous life, he admittedly took advantage of the fact that he did get to do them now.

He blows his last raspberry and pulls back, smiling at the panting giggling mess left in his wake, and gives him a few minutes to catch his breath, because he’s nice like that.

Before raising his hands, hovering them over the teen’s belly, and making him giggle again.

He dips his fingers, and the boy squeals softly, arching his back, right into his wiggling fingers, and Izuku shrieks, dropping himself back down rather quickly. “I’m gonna get you, nestling.” The teen shrieks softly, shaking his head, giggling harder when the hero’s fingers dip down again, they don’t touch, but it still makes him squeal softly. “I’m gonna get you.” He shrieks and squeals softly, arching his back, meeting those wiggling fingers again, and he shrieks once more, throwing himself back down. “It’s gonna tickle, isn’t it?” Keigo dips his fingers again and Izuku giggles harder, shrieking, trying to suck in his belly. “You love the claws, don’t you, they sure love you.” The teen shakes his head frantically, giggling wildly, watching his hands as though his life depended on it, and their distance above his bare belly. “This tummy is gonna get it. I know every little ticklish spot you’ve got. I know just how ticklish this tummy is, I’ve done plenty of research.” Izuku shrieks and shakes his head, trying to suck in his belly, and hold it there, no easy task with his belly shaking with the force of his giggles. “They’re almost there. I’m gonna get you. I’m gonna get you and it’s gonna tickle so much.” The hero smiles playfully. “So, so much.”

Izuku inhales when the fingers stop wiggling, hovering just over his belly, and shakes his head again, biting his lip harshly, just staring at those fingers hovering precariously. He screams when they finally dig in, clawing into his belly viciously, arching his back into the fingers as he presses his chin to his chest. “Coochie, coochie, coo, cutie bird.” The hero claws at the teen’s belly for at least a good three minutes, clawing around, fingers vibrating in, basking in his shrilly squealing laughter. “How about we go back to where we started, huh, back to that one real bad spot.”

Izuku shrieks and shakes his head, even as the hero leans over his belly button, index fingers touching just outside it, on either side. “Nohohoho! Nohohoho dahahahahad nohohohoo! Nohohohot thehehehehere!” (No! No dad no! Not there!)

“Not where?” He digs his fingers in and the teen screams as he bucks his hips, squirming and twisting side to side, kicking his legs again. “Not here?” He wiggles his fingers in on either side of his belly button. “Does my lil cutie bird have a ticklish tummy?” Once again, the hero curls his arms down around his hips to keep him in place. “He sure does, my lil cutie bird has a super ticklish tummy.”

Keigo hums and leans over, resting his chin on his palm, and waits for the teen’s wild giggles to calm down. “Of course, we can’t forget the best spot, the primo most tickly spot, can we?” The greenette giggles brightly when he circles a finger around his belly button, shaking his head wildly. “Oh yea, right here, this little button, best spot ever.” He stops twirling his finger around and smiles. “And, in it goes.” Izuku screeches when he dips his finger in and starts wiggling around, arching his back and throwing his hips from side to side, trying to suck in his belly, but losing the ability to do so when the hero twists his finger around and he screams and squeals. “Does this tickle, cutie bird?” He smiles when the boy nods frantically. “Does it tickle bad?”

“Yehehehehehees! Yehehehehehehes! Gehehehehehet ihihihiihit ohohohout! Pleheheheheease gehehehehehet ihihihihit ohhohohohohout!” (Yes! Yes! Get it out! Please get it out!)

The hero’s feeling a tad merciful, so he gives another three minutes of wiggling his finger in that special little belly button, before pulling back, and resting on his elbows. He just smiles. His smile makes the teen giggle.

Izuku squeals when he leans forward, arms resting along his sides, and dips his head toward his belly. “Eieieaiaieaiaahahahahahahhahahaa! Nohohohoho!” (No!) The hero leans over just an inch to the right and dips down again. “Eeeaiaiiaiaaaahahhahahahahaha dahahahhahaad! Nohohohoho!” (Dad! No!) His dad is suck a tease. “Eeieiaiaiaaahahhahahahaahaa stohohohohop! Stohohohop teheheheheasing meehehehehee!” (Stop! Stop teasing me!) Keigo grins and bows again and the teen squeals. “Eeieiaiaaahahahahhahahahahaha aahhahahahahahhahahaa dahahahahhaad!” (Dad!)

He grins mischievously and takes a deep breath, falling forward, he buries his face in the kid’s belly and blows a harsh raspberry into his belly button, Izuku squeals loudly. “EEEIAIAIAIAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA DAHAHAHAHHAHAAAD EIEIAIAAIAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA AEEIEIAIEAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA AAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOHOHOHO MOHOHOHORE! EEIEIAIAIAAIAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA NOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEEHERE!” (Dad no more! Not there!)

His enjoyment is at the kid’s expense of course.

He laughs into the boy’s belly when he somehow, no one is quite sure how, manages to worm his right hand out from his feathers and buries his fingers in his hair and tugs desperately.

That mean’s it’s time, and he blows on last long raspberry over the teen’s belly button and pulls back. Flopping back against a stack of pillows, he smiles fondly as the teen curls up, curling his arms around his belly as he giggles deliriously.

The winged man nudges him with his foot. “C’mere, nestling, I’ll rub your tummy. No sneak attacks. I swear.”

Izuku eyes him carefully, his dad’s well known for his sneak attacks. “Let me see your hands.” The hero laughs softly and raises his hands, no crossed fingers, no valid argument, so he pushes himself up, crawls over to the man, and turns, flopping down over his lap, humming in delight when a large warm hand rubs his tummy soothingly. “Thanks dad.”

The man hums. “Feel better?”

“Yea,” the teen yawns and nods. “I feel better.”

“Good.” Keigo rubs a small circle over the middle of his son’s tummy and smiles when the boy purrs softly. “Take a nap, little one, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

#my hero academia #fanfic #tickle fic #ticklish!midoriya #ticklish!deku #tickle monster hawks #parental hawks #my hero academia hawks #pro hero hawks #mha takami keigo #papa bird #adopted midoriya #lee!midoriya #lee!deku #ler!hawks #ler!takamikeigo #fluffy #mha fluff

[mighty-ragnarssons]

Knocked Up | Modern Vikings AU | Chapter II

Relationships | Modern Ivar x OC Warnings | some smut, a little angst, violence, harassement, teenage pregnancy

Keep up with the previous chapter here [chapter 1]

First of all let me thank you for the amazing support. You guys are the best! I hope you enjoy this one as well :)

You can read in AO3 as well (click here).

Chapter 2

Days passed and still no text. Ivar was tempted to drive by the apartment he’d left them at, but that would be crazy, right?  He should’ve never told her to use his number in case of emergency. What if that was why she didn’t contact him? Instead he tried to let it go although it wasn’t easy. He’d go to class in university, he’d party with his brothers, he’d smoke some things to keep his mind away, but nothing really worked. Once he was obsessed with something, that was it. 

It didn’t help at all when Hvitserk came home one day saying he’d seen Ivar’s girl.  

“What do you mean?”

“That girl from the other night. The one you’re so hung up on. The pretty blonde” Ivar had to stop himself from growling. Why couldn’t his brother just tell him already? Hvitserk was clearly amused at the whole situation. “I left the gym and went to try that new coffee shop downtown, know which one? Well, she’s an attendant there. And you know what, she looks really cute in an apron” Hvisterk teased, seeing how Ivar’s teeth clenched slightly. “Cute and nice. She offered me a coffee and a muffin, saying it was to thank me for the help. Damn fine muffins. I might have to go there again for one of those sweet things.” 

While Hvitserk daydreamed of muffins, Ivar was thinking about having them as an excuse to pass by the coffee shop. He couldn’t stay away and this was the perfect excuse.

“Did she tell you to visit again?” Ivar asked, taken aback for a moment. His older brother, much like the others, was the town’s heart breakers. Hvitserk’s pretty looks and dazzling smile could get him anyone he wanted. Perhaps he’d already bewitched the girl. 

“I guess so. She works there, isn’t she supposed to say that? ‘Have a nice day. Come again!’ I’m pretty sure she says it to everyone. But if what you are asking me is that I got her number or anything, the answer is no. I actually asked her out again but she didn’t take me seriously” Pretending to be hurt, he put his hand over his heart. “Perhaps she is not into Ragnarssons. Interesting, uh? There’s always a first”

Stupid Hvits, Ivar wanted to say. How could his brother go after the girl he clearly had staked a claim on? 

“Did she tell you her name?” This little detail was something he couldn’t stop wondering about.

“Now that I think about it, no, I don’t think so. I was too distracted by her pretty smile to ask about that” Well, now Hvisterk was really just trying to mess with his brothers “Tell me, little brother, will you crawl into that coffee shop right now?” he joked “Take my advice: lose the puppy face before going.”

“So funny I forgot I to laugh”

Hvitserk was wrong. Ivar didn’t crawl to the coffee shop right away that day, although he wanted to. Instead, trying to be rational, he waited a couple of days and decided to drop by after his classes in university. He could always pretend he went there to study, although that was something he rarely did. He just really wanted to see the girl again. She hadn’t left his thoughts since that night.

However, to his dismay, she wasn’t there. There were only two attendants and none were his  nameless girl. His heart sunk a little,  but disappointment was something he was used to. It no longer left a bitter taste to this mouth. He stayed, nevertheless. After a couple of hours working in his computer in the company of a whipped cream coffee and one of the famous muffins - his brother was right, they were a delicacy, he was finally willing to admit defeat. It’s not like he could even ask about her, not really given how her name was something he didn’t know yet. so, the afternoon definitely didn’t go as he had expected. 

Frustrated, he put his computer back in the bag and left the payment on the table. With the help of his crutches, Ivar stood and was on the way out, almost making it past the door but stopped seconds before the door opened, almost hitting him.

He would’ve been mad, but it was her coming in. 

“It’s like we can’t stop meeting like this” he chuckled. 

The blonde girl looked surprised. “I’m sorry. It seems I have a bad habit of bumping into you” 

Because there were clients trying to go through said door as well, both Ivar and the girl stepped outside. 

“You’re leaving?”

“And you’re just getting here  now?”

“I guess your brother told you I worked here”

“Well, yes. But I was just passing by. My university is just a couple of blocks away. I’ve been meaning to try out this since it opened and I needed to study” 

He regretted saying this almost immediately. Would she get the idea that he  was not interested in seeing her again? 

“I only work here after classes” she informed, while  mindlessly flipping her hair away from the side of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Ivar didn’t miss a single movement of hers, wishing he’d been the one doing that for her. 

What the fuck, Ivar? Focus, he was trying to tell himself. 

“It was nice to see you, Ivar. I don’t think I thank you enough the other night. You really helped us out. Not many would have done that” She smiled a little “I gotta go in or else I’ll be late for my shift” She moved closer to the coffee shop’s door. 

He didn’t want to see her go, though “Maybe we can meet one of these days?”

Looking conflicted, she bit her lip “Perhaps we'd better not" she said “It’s like I told your brother… I have a lot going on, with school and work and.. well, I’m sure you’re busy too” 

Ivar was shocked. Was she really dismissing him that quickly? He wasn’t one to take ‘no’ for an answer. “There’s always time if the company is good”

“You’re Ivar Lothbrok. One of the Ragnarssons”

That settled it. The first time he heard her saying his name, it sounded so good. This time? She was not as impressed, it seemed.  

“And so what? What stories have you heard that led you to believe I won’t be any good company?” his voice was raised and succeeded in making her feel uncomfortable. 

She shot him an apologetic look. “It doesn’t matter, Ivar. I’m sorry, I really have to go inside. Please, do know that I’m grateful for your help and I wished things were different”

“You just don’t want to hang out with a Ragnarsson, I get it” his accusatory tone made her flinch. Although his expression was carefully controlled, she saw in his eyes that her rejection stung. “Before you go, allow me at least to say a proper goodbye. I don’t know your name yet”

For a moment he thought she wasn’t going to tell him anyways. All of this was going terribly. But then she surprised him “My name is Eva.  Eva Jørgensen”

Bitterly, and before walking away, he proceeded  “Then I guess this is goodbye,  Eva Jørgensen. Have a nice life.” 

“Goodbye, Ivar Lothbrok”

Her rejection stung far more than he wanted to admit. It felt worse than his previous rejections, not just because of the blow to his ego, but more because he cared a little for her, had since the night he helped her in the club, and somewhat he’d been expecting things to go differently. How stupid he was feeling. 

It didn’t take long for his ill temper to grow as he drove back home. Finding out that a party was taking place in the Lothbrok home didn't improve much of his mood, either. Moving through the crowd of people into the living room, he saw Sigurd playing DJ in a corner, looking high as fuck by the looks of his attempted dance moves. Not far from him was Hvitserk surrounded by a bunch of ladies. Ivar recognised many of the faces among the more than a hundred people. 

“Brother” Ubbe showed up behind him. He was still in his business attire, looking completely out of place from the rave “Sigurd claimed we need to make use of the house before our father comes back. Texted everyone we knew.” he explained, opening a beer can. Only then he noticed his little brother’s somber expression. “What’s eating you? You look like you could use a drink”

“I sure do. Actually… You wouldn’t happen to have any pills with you? In your personal stash”

“Ivar… I’m not sure that’s a good idea”

“C’mon, don’t be a killjoy” 

“Is it for the pain?” Ubbe asked, but reckoning it wouldn’t be. Ivar’s eyes were not the strongest shade of blue like they used to be when he’s suffering more than usual. 

“Ubbe, will you fucking give me some or not?” he snarled.

“Look, I don’t have any at the moment. Maybe Hvitty does, but he looks like he’s already under the influence of them. Why don’t you just come out to the terrace, drink something and chill? I’m sure your shitty day will get better if you stop being so grumpy” 

“Spare me the bullshit. I’m out of here” 

Holding tight to his crutches, Ivar went to his room. It was the only room on the ground floor so the blasting music could still be heard from it. In need of releasing some steam, he took the matters to the gym they had on the basement floor, also known as the man cave. Getting one beer from the bar they kept down there, he decided to throw punches on the boxing bag, which he could only do from a seating position. When beers were no longer satisfying him, he took it to the bottle of vodka. Ivar just wanted to have his mind distracted from the beautiful Eva.

At some point, when his sight was already blurry and he had collapsed on a red couch, he thought he was imagining things for he’d swear there was a girl who was making her way to him. He tried to blink but his vision wouldn't get any better (no doubt too much alcohol and physical pain had taken over him). The world slightly dark around him, Ivar felt a set of hands pulling his t-shirt, then pressing onto his sweaty torso first, then down towards his pants.  The next thing he feels is his lower lip being bitten. At the metallic taste of blood, he regained consciousness just a bit, but enough to discern the blonde girl who now had her hand inside his pants. 

“Margrethe, don’t fucking play games with me” he said dangerously. 

Margrethe only continued to look mockingly into his blue eyes. “So vulnerable and at my mercy, Ivar. Still, you don’t get it up, do you? Why do I even bother?” A mean laugh rose from her throat “Ubbe said you need some cheering. I guess I felt sorry for the poor little Boneless”

Something snapped in him.  His ungovernable temper got the best of him. With the accumulated irritation of the day upon him, he suddenly grabbed her arm and forced it off of him. Muttering between his teeth, he warned “We 'll see about who’s at mercy here”. He could be a crippled, but he was not weak by any means. His hand was not on her neck so hard that Margrethe fell back against the couch, and stayed there with her hands spread out against him, trying to get off his grip. 

“IVAR! What the fuck are you doing?” 

Suddenly Hvitserk was pulling him away, making Ivar collapse on the floor. Margrethe jumped to the blonde brother’s arms in no time. 

"He's crazy. He’s absolutely mad!”  She whined, burying her face in Hvitserk’s chest. “Take me out of here” 

To complete the party, the rest of the brothers showed up as well, all of them taking Hvitserk’s side and looking down on their cripledl brother. Their looks were one that Ivar had spent his whole life loathing: one of pity and superiority. 

“You’re drunk, man. Crawl back to your room, cripple” 

It was Sigurd speaking, of course. Margrethe was his favorite. Ubbe simply shot him a disappointed stare before the four of them returned to the party.  

Ivar stood on the floor laughing hysterically until he realized what he had done. It didn’t matter that Margrethe was not a saint. She loved to miserly tease him just so she could humiliate him next. It still didn’t give him the right to go against a woman, though.  Shame poured over him.

Alone on the cold floor of the basement, a single tear ran down his cheek. What a fucking miserable day.

The following days were no better. His brothers were giving him a silent treatment since the party. Sigurd could barely look at him without snorting. And without his brothers Ivar really didn’t have anyone close, not really caring for his colleagues at university. 

There was one person. Floki, the oldest friend of his father Ragnar and Ivar’s mentor. 

Ivar dropped by the bay where Floki had his workshop, where he worked on the sailing boats that had coined him the best boat builder in all of Norway. He now ran a successful company called North Sails. Usually Ivar would go spend his afternoons there and would even help a bit, but his mind wasn’t in the right place at the time and Floki kindly dismissed him after Ivar almost ruined a custom-made pine wood deck by spraying the wrong product. 

For the most part of the week he had been lonely, which wasn’t something new, but it still bothered him. To pass the time, he worked out more and even went to all his classes and not skip some as usual, but none of that really helped. So that late October afternoon he had resigned to spend it indoors, playing playstation, which was something he usually delighted in beating his brother at, but not this time as he was by himself.

Until his phone beeped. At first, Ivar didn’t pay much attention, but then another text message flashed his screen and a word caught his eyes. Eva. 

He immediately grabbed the phone, sliding into the messages from the unknown number which read: 

‘Sorry to bother, but I don’t know who else to ask for help. Can you come to the coffee shop? Asap’

‘It’s Eva’

Less than fifteen minutes and many crossed red lights later, Ivar parked his SUV right in front of the coffee shop, not minding it was a forbidden parking area. Although it was past the normal closing time, the lights were on, yet the door was closed. On a normal week night, the street wasn’t as busy as during the day, and but a couple of guys in a corner, it was all empty. 

Ivar first tried to look inside, then knocked. He was worried, wondering what help Eva needed. Was she in trouble? Was she hurt? Ivar surprised himself by figuring out that all the grudge he was holding against her was gone, completely replaced with worry.

He let out a  sigh of relief when she came up from behind the counter and came to open the door, allowing him inside. The look of relief in her face did not escape him. “Thank you for coming, especially after the last time we..uh...met”

“What’s going on? What’s the matter?”

“This might be silly, and I’m sorry for making you come all the way here, you did tell me to contact in case of an emergency and this might not be one and I’m sorry  -” 

He cut off her nervous rambling “Eva, just tell me” 

“My stupid boss went to watch a football game and left me the keys to close up the space, even if it was not on my schedule. Some guys dropped by. It was really difficult to get them to pay and leave. But they're not gone. When I tried to step outside and wait at the bus stop, they started coming my way and calling out. I rushed back here and locked myself. I was so nervous I texted you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking”

“Don’t apologize.” His jaw clenched. His face hardened, and he started to rise with a hint of violence “Stay here” He commanded before turning his back on her and walking out of the coffee shop.

“Ivar, what are you going to do!”

“Damn, Eva, stay inside”

But she wouldn’t and followed him into the alley. Ivar actually recognised the four guys propped against the wall, acting all tough. The Ragarnasson stood his ground, not feeling nor looking the least intimidated for being outnumbered. 

“Nothing to do tonight, boys? You can always go home and catch up with the last episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians instead of creeping out here” he gritted through his teeth.

“Who do you think you are?” one of them stood to face Ivar. 

“Oh, the brave one of the group, no? Get your asses out of here before I make you regret coming” Ivar warned seriously. 

“You think I’m afraid of you, cripple?”

Don’t say I didn’t tell you so, Ivar thought before head-butting the guy in the nose. The scumbag immediately fell to the ground, dazed. Ivar stomped his crutch over his chest.

“If you ever come near her or the coffee shop again, I'm going to break the rest of your face. And after I do that, I promise I'll break every bone in your body, one by one. Trust me, I know how much it hurts to have your bones broken. You don’t want that happening” He lifted his foot a fraction and the guy whimpered “You know who I am. I am Ivar Lothbrok. I might break a bone, but I can never break a promise. Do you follow me?” 

After Ivar let him, the guy rolled over. He seemed scared enough, his hands covering the bloody nose. The guys were looking at Ivar like he was mad and that scared them enough to leave as soon as they helped their friend get up. 

When they were finally alone, Ivar turned back to face Eva, thinking he probably scared her off as well. Yet there she was and the next second he knew, Eva launched herself at him, giving him an unexpected firm hug. He definitely hadn't seen that coming. 

“Thank you” As she stepped back, she looked a little embarrassed as if realising a boundary had been crossed “I’m sorry.”

“You apologize a lot” She blushed. “I’m glad you texted me”

“I didn't know who else to text… I don’t know many people in this city yet.”

“Do these guys hang around here much?”

“Sometimes” she bit her lip nervously. “Tonight was the first time they tried  to come for me. I usually don’t do night shifts alone” 

For a moment he wondered what could’ve happened. Anger build up within him, making him wish he’d beat the crap out of those stupid guys. 

“I don’t think they’ll try again. If they do, they’ll have to do deal with me”

“Again,  I really do not know how to thank you enough, Ivar”

“It was no trouble” he replied, with a smile that made him look more handsome than ever, or so she thought. 

“It was trouble. Are you hurt?” Again, without thinking, she came closer to him inspecting concernedly “Are you hurt? You head butted that guy strong” 

“I’m fine, don’t worry”

“Well, I am worried. Let me at least give you some ice”

He followed her inside and sat waiting for her to return with a bag of ice. The inside of the coffee shop was welcomingly warm in sharp contrast to how cold he didn’t realize was outside. “Lean back” she instructed and he followed suit, putting his head back. Eva had to stand so close to him that her body touched his as she placed the ice bag gently on the swelling of his chin. She bent over him, her lips puckered in serious concentration as she tried not to hurt him. Other than his mother, no one had ever been so gentle with him before. Gradually as he takes in her closeness, he smells her perfume, surprised that it is  something spicy, sweet and lovely altogether. 

“I’m sorry you got hurt. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen” 

“This is nothing. I grew up the youngest of many brothers. Can you imagine how many times we wrestled while growing up?” 

She smiled, causing him to do so as well. After how he treated her the last time they met, he thought she wouldn’t feel comfortable with him again, but it didn’t feel that way. He felt...at ease with her. Just like he did when they had first met. 

Eventually, as Eva released the ice bag, their distance grew a bit. Ivar had to keep himself from growling in disappointment. 

“Oh shit!” she exclaimed after looking at the time and jumping to grab her things “The last bus just went by. Fuck!” 

“Let me drive you home. There’s no way I was going to let you wait for another bus anyways”

“I don’t want to cause you trouble anymore. You already had quite a share”

“Don’t be silly. I won’t take no for an answer”

Driving her home took longer than he imagined. She lived almost out of town, which made him figure it would be around forty minutes by bus. Driving took a little less time. Time which they did mostly in silence, although it looked as both wanted to start a conversation without really knowing how. 

“You can drop me off here”

“Are you sure?”  There didn't seem to be many houses there, mostly warehouses and shops. 

“Yes, I live nearby.”

“I can drop you off at your doorstep”  She seemed troubled which made him guess “You don’t want to be seen with me”

“It’s complicated, Ivar”

“You said that last time” he snorted, disappointed once again.

“You’re right. I did.”

“You have a look on your face that tells me you’re about to say sorry again”

“Well, I was. I am.” How had he read her so easily? “I wish I could explain it better. I can get in trouble if my family realizes something happened and that I took your ride. That is all. Ivar, I really owe you thanks for your help” her hand reached his instinctively. Eva looked up at him with a thankful gaze before getting out of the car. 

He watched as she disappeared in the distance and drove off afterwards, not knowing how to feel about all of this. He had wanted to talk to her, learn more about her, ask her what was going on and on what terms they were on. He wanted to ask her if she’d text him again. 

He wanted to tell her he wanted her to.

To his amazement, she did. Text him, that is. He was already in bed when his phone bipped. 

‘I really thank you, especially for helping me out twice already. I promise trouble doesn’t usually follow me so often… I also want to apologize for the way I approached you at the beginning. I'm sorry about that. Let me know how I can make it up to you. Good dreams, Ivar.’

That night he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Tags: @adrille88 @istorkyou @heavenly1927 @youbloodymadgenius​

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#knocked up fic #my fiction #vikings #vikings fanfic #vikings fic #modern vikings #modern vikings au #modern ivar #modern ivar au #ivar #ivar the boneless #ragnarssons #ivar lothbrok #ivar x oc #ivar x original female character #fanfic #fic #fanfiction

[weelittleweasley]

Focus | Harry x Reader

Prompt requested by anon: As seeker for Ravenclaw, it is your job to focus on the game, not on how cute the Gryffindor seeker is. You know that Harry has a crush on you, so you decide to use it against him during a quidditch match.

Warnings: None! Lots of a flustered Harry :)

Word count: 2.0k

Flirting was not your greatest skill. Sure, you weren’t awful at it, but you were much better at making jokes, or doing well in school, or baking. But flirting was not your special skill. Even when you had a crush on someone, you were never the person who went out of their way to talk to them or flirt with them. Instead, you stuck to the sidelines, observing them and talking to them when you were approached or when it felt natural to strike conversation. Besides, there were many people who were interesting enough for you at Hogwarts.

Well, all except for Harry. He was the Chosen One, yes, so he had that title going for him. But you found how awkward and silly he was particularly adorable. The way that when he talked to you, he’d push his glasses up with his finger, looking down as he did so to not make eye contact with you. How he awkwardly shift side to side when he talked to you, rocking back and forth. Potter was sweet in a boyish way.

Not to mention, you loved watching him play quidditch. The Ravenclaw watched every match, even if it wasn’t their own, in order to study the other team’s strategies and devise a game plan that way. When you watched Harry play, you were in absolute awe of how talented he was on that broom, zipping back and forth, catching the Golden Snitch with what seemed like no effort. He was naturally so talented. Made sense if he was the Chosen One.

You were recently new to the Ravenclaw quidditch team, only being a new addition last year, promoted from Chaser to Seeker. This raised the stakes. The Seeker was a pivotal member of the team and you took a great sense of pride knowing that you team trust you and thought you were talented enough to be the starting Seeker. What brought you anxiety was the fact that you would have to be head to head with Harry in your next match and future matches.

Harry was a skilled quidditch player, but you did have a few tricks up your sleeve. Even though you were committed to playing a fair and fun game, what was stopping you from using your assets to your advantage...Those assets being that you knew Potter has fancied you since year five when he had accidentally spilled pumpkin juice on your Divinations textbook. Why not use that in your favor?

So there you were in the Ravenclaw locker room, changing for the match, thoughts prancing around in your head. You wanted to win this match fairly, but at the same time, a part of you wanted to sneakily use the tricks you had up your sleeve. “What are you smiling about, (Y/L/N)?” your captain, Roger teases. “Something you wanna share with the team?”

The team looks in your direction as your mouth goes dry. Should I tell them? you think. What do I have to lose? They can only say no. “Well,” you start, pulling on your boots. “I happen to have some information that could be valuable to scoring a win today for Ravenclaw,” you shrug as you watch your teammates reactions.

“Well, don’t just keep it to yourself now!” Cho pushes. “What is it?”

The rest of the team chimes in, pushing you to tell them what information you had. You smile and look at them. “Long story short, I know that the Gryffindor seeker has a certain soft spot for yours truly. Maybe it could serve as a distraction..” you trail off, uncertain about how the team would receive it.

Much to your surprise, Roger laughs victoriously, high five-ing the people around him. You see Cho’s expression falter a little, you knew she had a history with Potter. But you gives you a thumbs up. If it meant winning the match, you guys were more than okay with using this information for their benefit. “Alright, no time better than now to prove yourself,” Roger sighs. “How about we, uh, plant the seed, folks?” he asks and you chuckle.

Rising from the bench, you follow Roger’s instructions and leave the locker room, on the hunt to find Potter. It didn’t take to you long, he was in the hallway about to enter back into the Gryffindor locker room when you stopped him. “Harry!” you call out to him with a smile.

Harry flips your way, a small smile creeping onto his lips. “Oh, (Y/N), hi! Uh, what’s up?” he asks, leaning up against the wall, trying to act cool. You saw right through him as he nervously gulped and fixed his glasses, a habit of his.

Smiling, you stand right in front of him. “I wanted to just come out here and wish you good luck. I know we’ll be playing against each other, but why not show some friendly sportsmanship?” you teasingly push his arm as he chuckles. “It’ll be my first game playing as starting Seeker and it’s going to be hard going up against someone as naturally as talented and athletic like you are,” you massage his ego.

This makes Harry blush a deep shade of crimson. “That’s, erm, that’s very kind of you to say,” he clears his throat. “I’m sure you’ll be brilliant.”

Harry tries to leave to enter back into the locker room, but you weren’t done with him yet. You really need to shake him up a little bit before he headed out onto the field with his team. “Do you have any tips?” you call out, making him stop in his tracks and turn back to you. “You know, for my first game out there? I can get,” you take a step towards him, hands brushing, inches apart from each other, “very distracted.”

You nibble on your lower lip, batting your eyes at him as Harry’s eyes widen and his cheeks flush. He gulps and inhales a shaky breath. “I’ve got tips,” he nods his head wildly. “Um,” he stutters, trying to think of something to say as he notices how close you were to him, him trying desperately trying to show restraint from closing the gap in between you two. “Listen to your captain, don’t think too much, and, erm, have fun.”

Smirking, you reply, “Good to know. Thanks, Potter. See you on the field.” You plant a swift kiss to his left cheek, sending him a wink before walking away abruptly, leaving Harry a confused mess as he watched you return back to your locker rom. “Alright,” you huff when you return, everyones’ eyes on you. “Consider the seed planted. Let’s play.”

------

There you were, sat on your broom, eyes laser focused alongside the rest of your team. You felt ready. Victory could very easily belong to Ravenclaw today. As you looked around, all of your teammates gave each other encouraging smiles and thumbs up. You felt great. You did let your eyes glance over to Gryffindor and you snuck a peak at Potter, who looked a bit unsettled. He was cute when he was flustered. You watched as Ginny Weasley asked him if he was alright, you giggling to yourself as Harry looked at you and then looked immediately away when your eyes met. He was distracted. Just like you wanted him to be.

The whistle blew and off you went, zipping through the field. You were a woman on a mission. Get the golden snitch and end this game as simply as possible. 

You came to a halt, sitting on your broom still for a moment, as you lost sight of the snitch. “Where’d you go now, eh?” you say to yourself. Not far behind you is Harry, him also losing sight of the snitch. “Look who decided to join the fun,” you tease. Harry tries to ignore your comment keeping your head in the game. “Not never nice to ignore people, Potter. They may end up helping you when you most need it,” you wiggle your brows before the snitch zips past you both. 

The two of you look at each other and the dart after the golden snitch which flies at an unearthly pace. You had never flown this fast in your whole life. You and Harry are riding side by side now, him glancing over at you every once in awhile making you laugh, “Eyes on the prize, Potter?” you tease.

“You wish,” Harry teases back before you dash in front of him, cutting him off sharply. “You know more than you let on about, huh,” he refers to your quick and smart quidditch playing. 

Shrugging, you retort, “A lady never tells her secrets.” Harry has now cut you off before taking a sharp left, following the snitch outside of the arena. “Merlin,” you breathe as you follow the Gryffindor, not too far behind. Why not have a little fun? you think to yourself. You bump your broom into Harry’s, earning you a look as you laugh. “Loosen up, Potter. It suits you.”

With that, you follow the snitch, taking lead, veering left and right around the arena. You are gaining speed, and you hear below you that Ravenclaw is in the lead by 10 points. You smile to yourself. Victory was so close. It was just in your reach. The snitch was going to be yours.

As you think of victory, Potter has a final trick up his sleeve. Below you, Potter flies, cutting you off sharply, making you veer right so you don’t crash into him. You groan in annoyance. Now he was taking the lead as you tried to catch up to him, but it was far too late. 

In one swift motion, Potter grabbed the golden snitch right from the air and the game was over. Without even looking at you, Harry flies back down to his cheering teammates as you silently curse. Disappointed, you fly down to your team who you give apologetic smiles to. They’re disappointed, but not angry with you at all. “You gave it your best shot, (Y/N), and it was a valiant attempt. Especially since it was against Potter,” Roger gives you a side hug as you smile. “You still did brilliantly.”

“Thanks, everyone,” you sigh. “Even though we didn’t win, I’m still ready to go back to the common room. I heard there’s still some leftover fire whisky from last week’s win,” you suggest as everyone laughs and cheers.

Walking back with your team, you think did I just waste that time flirting with Potter for a whole lot of nothing? Before you answer your own question, a voice from behind you speaks up, “(Y/N)!”

You turn around and see Harry jogging to catch up with you. You tell your teammates you’ll meet them inside, earning a few ooohs from a few. “Hi,” you smile. 

Harry fixes his glasses on the bridge of his nose, scratching the back of his head before mustering up the courage to do what he was about to do. “I, um, just wanted to say good game,” he chickens out. You sigh, knowing that he wouldn’t do what you hoped he would. You nod your head and turn back around. “Wait!” he stops you before you can go. You raise your brows as if to say Yes? “I, erm...” he trails off. Just do it, Harry. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me...sometime soon. Whenever you are free. I know you’re busy, but I figured I would ask...just in case. But if you don’t want to that’s perfectly fine as well.”

You can’t help but giggle at his rambling which in turn makes him smile. “That sounds nice, Harry. I’d really like that,” you admit with a blush. 

“Brilliant,” he beams. “Fantastic. Um, how does this Friday sound?”

“Meet me at seven in the Ravenclaw common room,” you tell him before trotting off with a small smile on your lips.

You may have not won the game, but you just won something so much better.

#harry potter #harry potter fanfic #harry potter imagine #harry potter x ravenclaw!reader #harry potter x reader #harry x reader #harry imagine #harry potter x ravenclaw #harry potter oneshot #harry potter smut #harry potter fandom

[dontcallmecarrie]

you mentioned Loki as a potential ship originally and now i’m curious. if it isn’t too spoilery, can you talk a little about how he’s going to play into this au? is the invasion going to change much?

Honestly? I was thinking of having a different inciting incident entirely.

Partly because for all I love the first Avengers movie, even now despite everything— from a writer's perspective, it is very very obvious the plot was meant for something cinematic rather than practical.

I mean, the big final battle in New York? Exquisite in terms of fight scenes and banter and whatnot, really great way to show team dynamics [...for the few minutes we had them *cries*]— but having all of the enemy coming from a single conveniently-located chokepoint that can be easily destroyed, with no backups?

I'm pretty sure others have mentioned this before, but long story short: if Loki had been seriously trying, he would've fought a lot, lot smarter.

So here, we'd be scrapping that part. Also because that way Loki has a way easier time of things, because the in canon the New York battle was framed to have a lot of parallels with 9/11 and that means just about everyone in the country's out for his blood and that way lies a headache if I were to try and slap a fixit on this so might as well just avoid that situation entirely.

So.

In this AU, Loki shows up later, and we have a different reason for the Avengers to assemble. Or, maybe he still shows up, but he's a lot smarter about this, and the only people chasing after him is SHIELD because he stole their shiny Tesseract and nobody's entirely sure what it does but they really, really want it back and partway through, Loki breaks free of Thanos' mind control and decides he's going to do his own thing.

I...honestly don't know, this wasn't something I've thought about much.

What I do know is that in this AU, Loki ends up joining Cabal for the express purpose of messing with Thor and giving his little friends a headache and hey, turns out there's already a club with that goal!

So now Cabal has a master magician in their ranks, an expert illusionist and it's a really good thing he just wants to mess with Thor because if he'd wanted to, he could do some serious damage.

As it is, Victor von Doom keeps pestering him for anything involving magic and Justin keeps telling him to ease up with the questions, let the resident alien breathe and Ivan's just shaking his head and turning back to his latest blueprints and the Winter Soldier pops in to say hi before going back to chasing another lead on the latest HYDRA offshoot trying to make itself a nuisance.

aka you know how everyone wanted the Avengers to have good team dynamics? Well, here Cabal's way ahead of the curve. Yay, unintentional team-as-family feels!

Loki's mostly just trying to settle in and deal with his own personal issues, and Justin, as the unintentional founder of Cabal, ends up spending a lot of time with him.

Showing him around Earth, maybe giving him a cover via hiring a disguised version of him as a PA or bodyguard— you get the picture. Justin is Loki's tour guide, basically, and ends up helping him a lot just by being an outsider willing to lend an ear as Loki vents to someone who isn't constantly going "your father cares about you, he just doesn't show it" or "you need to see it from his perspective" or any other sort of well-meaning but ultimately incredibly invalidating platitudes.

Just...listens, and nods along, and offers self-help books if he ever needs it. And therapy. And food, and...

...a lot of resources, actually, now that Loki thinks about it.

At first, Loki was wary, because this random stranger introduced himself with a polite smile and treated him with a respect that makes him incredibly uncomfortable but... for the longest time, Loki couldn't quite put his finger on why?

it's what happens when you're treated with basic human decency after a lifetime of not experiencing such thing, is what it is; not that Loki'd notice until way, way later.

So at first that's the main dynamic going on, lots of suspicion and "okay, what's the catch, why are you being so nice" and it takes a while for him to accept that Justin is just Like That— and that's right around the time that things start shifting as Loki lowers his guard and truly starts enjoying himself.

He has friends, now: people that care about him for him, and not his connection to Thor. He does what he wants, and doesn't have to worry about anyone's disapproval, or how this reflects on Asgard, or... well, you get the idea. Loki's in a much better place, now.

Now his pranks on Thor stop being as dangerous. No less annoying, mind, but...way less "I have turned every single pigeon in New York City into [insert x inconvenient and potentially hazardous creature here]" and more "I have just discovered what rickrolls are, prepare for the next ten hours of your friends' internet to be nothing but remixes of Caramelldansen".

Still same net result, but the stakes are different.

And all the while, Justin's a constant.

He's charming, polite, kind. He pushes the people around him to be the best versions of themselves, no matter what that is.

For the longest time, Loki can't quite wrap his head around it— especially when he gets wind of Justin's childhood, finds out what his family's like.

What his father is like.

And just like that, Loki has a new mystery to poke at, in between brainstorming ideas to mess with the Avengers, or drafting lesson plans so Victor stops bothering him about that latest array.

Justin acts very, very differently, compared to the people who should have influenced him, and... Loki is curious as to why.

.

Cue added incentive to get to know Justin better, and ta-da! You have Loki's train of thought for this AU.

On Justin's end, there's not a lot of people he'd feel comfortable getting together with: first because when he was younger, everyone his physical age got automatically younger-sibling-zoned [because past life influence], and later because they had to be as emotionally mature as he was to feel comfortable even thinking about having a relationship.

Loki, however? As the centuries-old alien god who's Seen Some Shit, there's a lot he can bring to the table.

Ta-da! My train of thought for how this ship would work, if we went this route.

#No Hero [Downward Descending] #I got an ask! #Naught replies #replies #My writing

[sunlit-squid]

I don't care about everyone else! i care about you, SQUIDWARD! (simping softness asks)

For those who don’t know, my ask box is open. Send me a simping softness prompt, and I’ll write a short sbsp ficlet for you. ✰

so, uh -- i might have gotten a bit carried away with this prompt. it’s definitely longer than a ficlet, but oh well. either way, it was a lot of fun to write! selfish spongebob is so rarely explored.

fic under the cut. also, just in case, cw: drinking, drunkenness, etc.

Spongebob rose bright and early, long before his foghorn alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. With a cheerful shout, the poriferan jumped out of bed, earning a disgruntled “mrow” from Gary, who was still asleep nearby. Stretching vigorously, the sponge leaned down, planting a soft kiss atop the snail’s shell.

“Gary,” he whispered, practically vibrating with excitement. “Today’s the day!”

Turning away, Gary simply replied “mrow”, in a disdainful way that most certainly meant “whatever.”

Undeterred, Spongebob ran to his calendar. Sure enough, the day’s date -- July 14th -- was circled in bright-red, permanent marker, with the words “My birthday!” written neatly across it. And just below those words, was a tiny drawing of Squidward’s face, with dozens of little red hearts surrounding it.

Making his way over to the window, Spongebob gazed out at Squidward’s moai in the distance. He sighed, dreamily. What was Squidward doing right now? Probably sleeping, in that adorable dress of his.

The sponge lingered there, staring dazedly out at the moai, for perhaps a moment too long. Then, remembering himself, he sprinted to the bathroom. Once inside, Spongebob pointed a finger at his own reflection in the mirror.

“Enough beating around the bush, Mr. Squarepants!” he yelled -- much to Gary’s annoyance. The sponge lowered his voice down to a soft whisper. “Today, you tell him how you feel.”

His reflection simply shrugged. “I mean, okay,” it said. “But this is like, the 57th time you’ve said this.”

“Oh, shush.”

-0-

The party was supposed to start at 6:30, but Spongebob, in a manic cleaning fit, had the entire house ready by noon. This year, the party was themed around As The Tide Turns, a very polarizing-but-popular soap opera, especially in Bikini Bottom. If you were a Bikini Bottomite, you either watched the show genuinely, or ironically -- there was absolutely no in-between.

Spongebob and Squidward both genuinely enjoyed the show. It was one of the first things they bonded over, back when Spongebob started working at the Krusty Krab. Through the window to the galley, the two coworkers would talk for hours about the show, and whatever drama was center-stage for that season.

It got to a point where Mr. Krabs -- who only watched ATTT ironically -- got on them both, for shirking their duties.

“If yer gonna flirt,” he’d said, “do it on yer own time.”

So, Spongebob started coming over to Squidward’s house on Friday nights, when the new episodes would air. In fact, even when the show was between seasons, Spongebob still came over, just to watch reruns. It was one of the few times Squidward would (begrudgingly) let Spongebob inside, with no complaints.

Spongebob hummed softly to himself, his eyes scanning the small clipboard in front of him. Food, decorations, party games … Check, check, and check. Everything was present and accounted for -- and he had to admit, the house looked spectacular.

Every room was themed around a different, iconic arc in the ATTT series. His living room, filled with chalk drawings, crime scene tape, and red-string boards, was inspired by the murder mystery arc. His kitchen, decorated with leftover Halloween gear, was inspired by the vampire arc … and so on and so forth. Each and every room had its own particular, careful design -- and in all, it was probably Spongebob’s most intricate and detailed party to date.

That was because it had to be. Spongebob had a plan, a carefully detailed plan -- one that was sure to sweep Squidward Tentacles right off his … er, tentacles. And it went like this:

Squidward and Spongebob’s favorite arc, in all 42 seasons of As The Tide Turns, was the murder mystery. In the arc, the dashing Detective Heartthrob, accompanied by his sidekick-slash-lover Joey, must bring a heinous mass murderer to justice. At the climax, it is revealed that Detective Heartthrob is the true killer -- having been hypnotized by a witch, who was also his evil twin sister, for some reason. In the end, Joey must kill Detective Heartthrob, in a tragic display of love and sacrifice.

The season was thrilling, silly, and emotionally traumatizing, to boot. For months after the finale, Squidward and Spongebob would not shut up about it -- much to the annoyance of Mr. Krabs.

Either way, Spongebob had set up an elaborate, original mystery game, inspired by the events of the show. Each attendee would get a “random” card, assigning them a different role in the story. Squidward would be Detective Heartthrob, and Spongebob would be Joey.

Together, they would embark on an original mystery, one that Spongebob had devised all by himself. After he and Squidward solved the mystery together, and the party was over … Spongebob would finally, finally confess his feelings.

Of course, Spongebob had, more or less, rigged the game to ensure this would happen. Which was cheating, sure, but this was for love! So it couldn't possibly go wrong.

-0-

It went wrong. Almost immediately, in fact.

For one, the party started at 6:30 -- and, nearly two hours later, Squidward had yet to show up. Spongebob spent those first two hours lingering by the door, staring out the window towards the moai, and forgetting to refill the punch bowl. Sandy, ever the observant one, noticed immediately.

Pulling Spongebob aside, she asked, in a hushed voice, “Hey, partner. You good?”

“Oh, I’m -- I’m great!” chirped Spongebob, putting on his worst, most unconvincing smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Uh-huh,” said Sandy, flatly. “This about Squidward?”

Spongebob blushed, immediately. The squirrel sighed.

“I thought so,” she mumbled, folding her arms across her chest. “Did he say he was gonna come?”

The sponge nodded. “He said, ‘I’ll see if I can make it work’, which in Squidward-speak, is practically a yes!” groaned Spongebob, staring up at Sandy with his huge baby blue eyes. “He’ll come, right, Sandy?”

Sandy hesitated. She didn’t really know Squidward that well … but he did seem to have a soft spot for Spongebob. Awkwardly, she replied, “I mean … I can’t say for sure, but he did say he would try. Let’s be patient, okay, Spongebob? Maybe he just got caught up with something.”

Spongebob sighed, then repositioned his face into its usual chipper smile. “Alrighty. You do usually know what’s best, Sandy.”

“I sure do,” she giggled. “Oh, and Spongebob?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t cut his cable this time,” she said, before walking off to get more punch.

-0-

By 9:30, the party started to go a bit haywire. At this point, practically all of Bikini Bottom was at Spongebob’s house, except for Squidward -- and Larry thought it would be a great idea to play Truth Or Dare: Extreme Edition. The rules were pretty much the same as Truth Or Dare: Standard Edition, but with one exception: each subsequent truth or dare had to be more extreme than the last.

It started off alright. A few people were dared to take off their pants, or do a somersault down Conch Street while blindfolded. However, as the game progressed, the stakes grew astronomically. At one point, Patrick was dared to eat half of Spongebob’s pineapple. Later, Sandy was dared to juggle three of Plankton’s bombs, while riding a unicycle. Even later, Larry and Mr. Krabs were dared to switch shells and wrestle -- which wasn’t really destructive. Just disturbing.

The dares were stupid, but if there was one thing Bikini Bottomites had, it was a complete lack of common sense. Or any sense, really.

It certainly didn’t help that as the night progressed, the partygoers grew more and more … inebriated. The punch itself was non-alcoholic, but apparently, Karen and Plankton had taken it upon themselves to bring their own alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

By 10:30, Squidward still hadn’t shown up yet. Several people had either passed out or thrown up. And the pineapple was a complete disaster.

Spongebob sighed. He was seated on his living room sofa now, watching as the partygoers reveled inside (and outside) his home. Of course, the sponge was happy they were enjoying themselves -- but this day was supposed to be about him, and … well, nothing had gone as planned. His entire house was destroyed, it would take days to clean up the mess -- and Squidward hadn’t even bothered to show up! The nerve.

“Hey Patrick,” muttered Spongebob, waving a tired yellow hand at his drunken best friend.

Immediately, the starfish stumbled over to him, drink in hand. “Wha… haha … whasss’ up, Spunchblarb?” he slurred.

Spongebob pointed to the drink in Patrick’s hand. “Could I have that?”

Patrick grinned widely. “Yeeeeeahh! Now -- now, yer talkin’, buddy!” And with that, the starfish handed Spongebob his first drink of the night.

-0-

About three drinks in, Spongebob Squarepants was well and truly intoxicated. Which was nice, in a way. Now, the world was a weird, misty haze, and he didn’t have to worry about his pineapple being destroyed, or his party being ruined, or Squidward, or whatever. Now, he could just be peacefully drunk and stupid, just like everybody else in his house. Blissfully unaware of the world around them.

As the night went on, Spongebob began losing track of time. What time was it? Midnight? 3:00 a.m.? Did it even matter?

Over the course of one very stupid evening, Spongebob made more than a few bad decisions. For one, he bought like, ten mops online. Which was both counterproductive (he was a sponge) and financially irresponsible (he was also a frycook). Later, the sponge swam to the surface of the ocean to see how long he could breathe without water. He fainted within the first ten seconds, and had to be retrieved by Larry. After that, the night became a dizzying blur. Spongebob was certain he had been driving, at one point, and also dancing, and maybe singing?

Either way, several hours later, Spongebob was still dancing in his living room, a lampshade stuck on his head, when he felt something on his shoulder. Turning woozily, the sponge tried to get into “kara-tay” position, and ultimately failed.

“Who -- what -- stay back! I’m warning you!” shouted the sponge. “I know … er, kar .. karat … carrots?”

There was a familiar sigh, then a soft chuckle. “Oh, you moron,” came a voice, a voice that Spongebob loved so dearly, even in this drunken state. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“Squ … squib … ?”

“Yeah,” said Squidward, wrenching the lampshade off of Spongebob’s head. “It’s me. Sorry I’m late.”

Spongebob looked up at Squidward -- and in his inebriated, hazy stupor, he couldn’t take it. He loved him so much, and for so long. It hurt. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. “Squi -- Squidward, you -- you came,” the sponge stammered, his bottom lip quivering. “I -- I didn’t think …”

“Hush,” said Squidward, looking around the room. “This is, uh … wow, you really had a rager, huh? I didn’t think you had it in you, Spongebob.”

Stepping away, Squidward began picking up random items off the floor -- the punch bowl, some photographs, and a spilled carton of milk. The octopus had to step over and around several bodies, which were lying passed out on Spongebob’s floor.

“Listen, I’m gonna try and find a way to get everyone home,” said Squidward, sifting his way through the pile of garbage and bodies. “Everyone else is knocked out -- ”

Spongebob had had it. He’d had enough. He’d planned out this whole day perfectly, just for Squidward to not show up, for his whole house to be demolished in the chaos. Sure, he was glad everyone had a good time, but deep down, Spongebob was a little selfish, and deep down --

“I don’t care about everyone else!” shouted Spongebob, clenching his fists at his sides. “I care about you, Squidward!”

Squidward, startled, nearly dropped everything he was holding -- and before he could properly respond, Spongebob fell over, unconscious.

-0-

For once, Spongebob didn’t wake up to the sound of his foghorn. Instead, he woke up to the sound of the television nearby. Very soft dialogue wafted its way over to the sponge, bathing him in its pleasant familiarity.

“Why, Joey, I think you’re right -- the killer is closer than we seem to think!”

“Then we best get cracking, Detective Heartthrob!”

Groaning, Spongebob sat up -- a dull, throbbing pain coursing through his skull. Dear Neptune. What happened last night? There was the party, the drinking, and … Squidward, maybe? Spongebob felt his heart drop at the thought of his neighbor, and sighed. He hadn’t gotten to tell Squidward how he felt. Attempt 57 had failed. Miserably.

Blinking slowly, the sponge looked around, and with surprise noted that his bedroom was not a mess, like it had been during the party. In fact, it was squeaky clean. The only thing out of place was the living room television, which had been moved to the end of Spongebob’s bed. The TV was playing an old rerun of As The Tide Turns, from the murder mystery arc. A smile tugged at Spongebob’s lips. How ironic.

Wait a minute. Who moved the TV?

Just then, there were footsteps on the stairs -- the tell-tale pat-pat-pat-pat of someone with four legs. Squidward. He was still here! Steeling himself, Spongebob sat at attention, gripping the blankets tightly.

When Squidward entered, he was holding a tray of food and wearing a long pink apron. When he saw that Spongebob was now conscious, the octopus jumped, nearly dropped the food, then steadied himself just in time.

“Squidward!” said Spongebob, cheerily. “You’re here!”

“Of course I’m here, you nitwit,” muttered Squidward. “Who else was gonna clean up that messy party of yours?”

Squidward crossed the room to place the food tray on Spongebob’s nightstand. Once there, the octopus shoved a glass of water and two pills into the poriferan’s hands, with one simple command: “Drink.”

Spongebob did so, gratefully. Then, he asked, “The party … what all happened?”

“I don’t know, but it was a mess,” sighed Squidward. “I’m pretty sure half the town was completely passed out by the time I got here. I’m surprised the cops didn’t get involved.”

“Oh,” said Spongebob, feeling very guilty all of a sudden. “Did -- did everyone get home okay?”

“Yeah,” said Squidward. “Listen, don’t -- don’t worry about it, okay? I took care of everything. Your house is clean, Gary is fed, everyone got home. That’s all.” Squidward’s cheeks were stained red.

Spongebob smiled, his heart jumping happily in his chest. “Thank you, Squidward.”

After a moment of silence, Squidward brought the food tray up to Spongebob’s lap. “You should … you should eat that,” he muttered, then took a deep breath. “Look, I … I’m sorry I was so late, alright? The truth is, I … I got caught up.”

With a mouthful of food, Spongebob asked, “Wif whaf?”

Squidward grimaced. “You’re disgusting,” he snapped, then looked away, blushing brightly. “Anyway, I … was trying to get ahold of your birthday present. It was supposed to be delivered here, to Conch Street, yesterday -- but I guess there was a mix-up, and it was instead delivered to Conch Road, which is … in an entirely different town. Several hours away.”

Spongebob blinked. “You drove all the way to get it?”

Squidward scowled. “Whatever,” he snapped, pulling a small red present box from beneath Spongebob’s bed. “Either way, it’s here. So, I guess … open it, maybe.”

Shoveling down the rest of his food (much to Squidward’s disgust), the sponge quickly shredded the pristine red wrapping paper to reveal -- a boxed set of the entire As The Tide Turns series. The extended edition, with all the bonus scenes and commentary tracks. And to top it all off -- the box was signed by the stars of the show.

Spongebob looked up at Squidward, eyes shimmering with shock and awe. “Squidward, this is -- this is amazing, I thought they didn’t sell these anymore!”

“Oh, trust me,” said Squidward, shuddering. “You have no idea what I had to do to get my hands on that.”

“Let me guess,” said Spongebob, holding up two yellow hands to form finger-guns. In his best Joey impression, the sponge said, “You had to kill a lotta folks, didn’t ya, Detective Heartthrob?”

Squidward chuckled immediately. In one suave motion, he leaned against Spongebob’s bed, and pointed a finger-gun of his own. In his best Detective Heartthrob impression, the octopus replied, “I did, and I don’t regret it at all, Joey!”

The two laughed for a good long while. Then, suddenly embarrassed once more, Squidward looked away. Taking a deep breath, the octopus said, “Look, Sponge, I -- last night, you said something kinda weird, and I wanted to know if -- if maybe --”

“Huh?”

“You said -- you only cared about me, not anyone else, and I -- I wanted to ask,” stammered Squidward, “... what exactly … you meant by that.”

Spongebob’s eyes widened. Oh, barnacles. Did he really say that? Well … there was no hiding it now. Gripping his sheets tight, Spongebob steeled himself for what was to come. “It means I … I wanna keep hanging out with you, Squidward,” said the sponge, staring down at his yellow knuckles. “I wanna hang out with you more than anyone else.”

Squidward swallowed, hard. “Sponge, what are you saying?”

Spongebob looked up. Their eyes met. “I like you,” said the sponge, smiling nervously. “A … a lot.”

A long moment of silence passed. Spongebob’s heart hammered furiously at his chest. Then, Squidward sighed, and picked up the ATTT boxed set. Walking over to Spongebob’s TV, the octopus inserted the first disc, grabbed the remote, and returned to Spongebob’s side.

Lifting the blankets, the octopus said, “Scooch over.”

Spongebob blinked, then did as instructed. “Why?” he asked.

“You really are an idiot,” muttered Squidward, climbing into bed with him. “It’s a Sunday, the Krusty Krab is closed, and we have a whole boxed set to watch together. Might as well start now.”

Spongebob smiled, happily. “So -- so you -- ”

Squidward rolled his eyes. “If you must know, yes, I … I like you,” he snapped. “I’m not gonna drive halfway across the ocean floor for just anybody, you know.”

Spongebob grinned stupidly. “I guess not.”

With that, the show began, its melodramatic theme tune echoing pleasantly across Spongebob’s pineapple home. And just below the bed, Gary let out a soft, contended meow -- which almost certainly meant “finally.”

-0-

References:

The line about cutting Squidward’s cable is a reference to the episode “Party Pooper Pants”, in which Spongebob cuts Squidward’s cable to get him to come over for a party.

#sbsp #my fics #spongebob squarepants #squidbob #spongeward #spongebob #squidward #ask #asks #sunlit-squid

[vannyvancan]

"mr assassin" Roommate!Shinsou Hitoshi X F!Reader Part 2

Part 2 of your Roommate/Assassin!Shinsou is here! First of all I wanna thank y'all for liking the first part so much! In this part we go deeper in darker theme of it, so just a fair warning.

my masterlist. Hope you have a great day and happy reading!

Tw for : Assassin!Shinsou theme, female reader,  gun usage, slight insecurity, NSFW for the most part on the later chapters, drug usage, corrupt government talk, harrasment

Day five of living with your new roommate. He hadn't shown much of an interest in harming you...

That was swell.

You huffed out a breath of relaxation when the realization hit, but not also that, things weren't as bad as you expected! The thought you'd get a nasty roommate who would leave much more bigger mess than you was on the mind... but he seems to be the one who cleans as well? A welcome surprise indeed.

Shinsou was an enigma, waking up early at five am, neatly sorting his clothing and coming back late at 11 pm, he didn't seem restless, which could only mean he probably has a second accommodation where he rests and eats as well. It also explains why he only had one bag with him which you had decency and never saw what was inside. Besides...

He had given you a glare yesterday when you stared at it for long with those white pupils of his.

Even though he was soft spoken, he always managed to find a way to poke fun at you before he left. Granted, you were quiet surprised when he made you a french toast every morning! He barely knows you, but you were grateful to have found a roommate that in one way or another showed his gratitude. Afterwards, you felt obligation to one up him and return the favour. Now dragging your dear friend out, you giggled at the phone text from Uraraka as she immediately started spewing jokes about your potential 'future' with him.

„What an idiot.“ You grinned to yourself, walking down the street to the meeting place, you were about to go shopping with her, you still had to supply yourself with comfortable winter clothing.

„Y/N!“ Uraraka's voice reached your ears.

„Hey! Long time no see!“

„Very long time indeed!“

Uraraka rushed her step to give you the biggest hug there was. She was the sweetest friend and was always there for you no matter the circumstances. Now both of you dragging yourselves in the clothing store

„You just got off from work right? How was it?“ She asked, looking at time, it was now 5 pm.

„Tiring, its even worse because they fired colleagues before summer so now all of us have extra hour of work.“

„Oh no. But at least you will be rewarded more no? More hours equal more pay.“

„Nope, it's the same job in the end, they just extended work time.“ Frowning at the work contract on the mind, it was a very high chance it will drastically change soon as well.

„It's very... bad.“ You nervously laughed as you walked together.

„One time they fired someone from storage, only to replace them with boss's relative. By law its forbidden, but they made up a name for the new position that does the same job in storage. So it seems valid, but its not.“

„Ah... it happened here as well, but uhm.“ Uraraka started

„Hmm?“

„There's been some disappearances from our parent company, we are having a bit of a rescheduling on our own as well.“ Uraraka nervously chuckled and scratched the back of her head, it was quiet obvious there's been some action going on on her end as well.

„But enough about that, how's Shinsou~?“ She teasingly leaned in and poked her pink cheek.

Your mind shifted to the now roommate, the intimidating figure had you stuttering for a second. Obviously, Uraraka shouldn't of hung out with Mina so often back in college days, because it was so obvious she wanted to pull out some flustering on your end as well. Her curiosity especially hit the peak since she heard your voice hit higher notes when talking about him.

„I-I.. U-um. Okay, fuck! I can't!“ Both of the palms now covered your face to hide the embarrassment.

„Ahah! Is he that hot? You didn't react like that for so long!“

„Shut up!“ You huff out „It's enough that he made a toast for me yesterday, now I don't know how to return the favor. I want to get close to him, but he's unapproachable.“

The brunette put a finger on her lower lip in deep thought.

„Maybe if he's so busy, you can make him little lunches in a box, since he's so busy.“

„Uraraka, that's so childish.“

„It's not! You have to show him your soft side! Poke around, maybe he likes it.“

„My soft side?“

Grimacing as she advised, you were afraid of getting your feelings hurt. Now hesitantly picking up shirts and pants from the shopping stand, you managed to pick decent clothing for the upcoming winter before the prices skyrocket, it was expensive already but you managed to find something cheap. Your eyes trailed to find a plain white scarf, it was really nice quality, and rather cheap, but the sudden thoughts redirected to Shinsou as fingers tried out the material.

Maybe its not a bad idea to try and open up, you'll try but there should be equal effort on his end as well. Now snatching the scarf from the stand, you both bought your things and left the store, suddenly being nudged on the shoulder by the pink cheeked individual, you let out a relieved laughter while walking home for today.

...

„No, no! Please, Spare me!“

„I'm afraid job's a job.“

„No, please! My wife-!“

-SNAP-

„... Operation successful, returning to the main area. Prepare for body disposal.“

„Roger that Mindjack.“

On the broad daylight, Shinsou had eliminated yet another target for today, this time it was a business man whose life spiraled down in gambling addiction, the man who had hired him said he owned too much and knew too much to be kept alive.

Drugs and gambling went hand in hand, it was no different that the client probably had some shady stuff going on on their end as well. Shinsou had to keep his eye open on this one as well.

„Dispatched him quickly?“ Shoto came by side to Shinsou while adjusting dark gloves on.

„Yeah.“

„Good. Let me help you up.“

Several moments later, a truck came by to pick the dead body up, Kirishima's disguise as a trash driver made both of them cringe for a moment, but quickly brushed it off as Shoto and Shinsou threw it away. The cleanup crew should get rid of their traces now, all he has to do is get away as fast as possible from here. Shoto and Shinsou entered in the truck and drove in silence.

„You blocked the spot quiet nicely Shoto! Made a nice clearing for Shinsou to execute.“ Kirishima praised

„I merely blocked the parking lot. I don't see it being worth a mention.“

„Man, but missions like these always for newbies rely on stalking and timing. And this was perfect.“

„Nothing is perfect in this line of business.“ Shinsou ripped off his gloves and cracked his own neck to relieve tension. „Karma will hit you back hard if you don't know what you are doing.“

„Yeah yeah, it isn't very manly if you're in it just for cash, I mean... I'm rooting for justice and y'all, don't go thinking I am blind to what you guys are doing.“

Shoto and Shinsou fell silent. It was hard to swallow the truth, the car ride to the safe house wasn't long, soon Kirishima hit the brakes and came to a stop to the small abandoned storage house on the outskirts of the city. Shoto jumped out to take care of the body while Shinsou assisted with it, after they were done, Kirishima checked the contract for the job well done and handed the payment. A block of dollar bills now in their hands, the digital transfer of money would raise eyebrows in eyes of banks, so the money transfer was best if it was physical.

„Here you go boys! Boss says that the next contract is gonna be handed out tomorrow, you are free for the rest of the evening.“

„Tomorrow already?“ Shinsou asks.

„Yeah, what did you mean with that question?“

„I was thinking of looking into the client of the previous contract. Do some research and possibly eliminating him.“

Kirishima clicked with his tongue while Shoto huffed out and fiddled with the block of money in his hands.

„Sorry man. Solo contracts wont get you money, and gateways like us wont help you since we put too much at stake. You are on your own if you are gonna kill someone who is off the list.“ Kirishima explained

„Why would you even do it?“ Shoto asked, „Its not like the guy did you anything bad.“

Before Shinsou could answer Kirishima pat his back two times before turning on his heel to store his equipment away and head home himself for today.

„Mindjack has always been like that, even before you started working with. He sorta goes off on his own at times, seeking who needs killin' and who doesn't. That's why we hired you Shoto.“

„Can't blame me for doing what I think its right.“ Shinsou lowered his head, „All I need is time, That's why I was taken aback when a new contract was announced for tomorrow.“

„Alright alright, Mr. Assassin. You'll get your time. Someday. For now, this handsome manly man is going to go home for tonight! I'm going to get myself some hot bath.“

„See you Red. I'll be going too, Goodnight Mindjack.“

The departure was short, Shinsou took his bag and changed clothes before heading back, the bad smell could of easily rub off on him and he didn't want you to start speculating things. Even though he mostly ends his victim's lives in a way where no blood can be shed, it was a close call when she started eyeing the bag yesterday. He hated it, but he had already planned out way's to kill the roommate he was living with for any situation if she found out his true work.

'I don't need any of you to help me in my solo hunt.' He thought to himself, putting his black leather jacket on and helmet, he checked out his surroundings before revving up his bike and driving away.

The evening was busy as people were going back from work, it was 6 pm after all and he was stressing out on the fact that he will have to see his roommate. Maybe he could take a spin? Or start investigating on his own, but he didn't have time, he needed it. Rumbling of the bike eased tension he had from the committed crime, but only barely. As he came to a red light he slowed down and realized he was shaking badly, he knew it was not only from the setting sun and chilling air slowly creeping in, but also of stress. The realization that he might get caught always hit him harder after it settled in his mind. He inhaled deeply and eyed the nearby passengers. His eyes land on a woman in distance he never thought he would run into.

It was you, and you have been on your way to the flat with things you've gotten. The fact you saved up on the flat made you relax and indulge in the little shopping spree with Uraraka and groceries. You smiled from ear to ear nevertheless the tiredness creeping on you from the day.

„Mm...“ You sighed and rolled your shoulders.

„Maybe I'll make the thing she told me.“

You honestly looked like a happy child after realizing now that you have a roommate who pays for half of the expenses, you have extra cash to buy for things and make food at home. It wasn't a big deal to go out and buy something since it was cheap to buy a box of instant meal, but you wanted to cook your own food for a long time now. As you looked in the grocery bag and already beginning to think of the recipe you'd think for it, you suddenly bumped onto a stranger who didn't quiet follow his surroundings either. The harsh impact almost made you fall behind flat on your backside, but you managed to find balance. 'How rude-!' you thought.

„Ah-! S-sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you sir-„

„Watch where you are stepping wench-! I swear, women like you need to fucking know their place and stay at home.“

Excuse me?

Since when did this idiot have any right to find you to get his frustrations out?

You frowned at his sentence, knowing better not to engage with a random incel on the streets at evening hours, whose breath reeked of beer and bad hygiene, you decided to clutch your bags and pass by him hurriedly.

„Don't fucking ignore me!“

„Hey! Let me go!“

The man captures your wrist harshly and doesn't let go, now pulling you towards himself, he makes your belongings and your body stumble forward. His other hand wrap around your waist and starts dragging you along with him. Trying to shake yourself away only resulted in him recapturing you. He started laughing and you only now realize he quiet probably meant to bump into you.

He was trying to kidnap you-

„I said you are a bitch! Now you'll know your place-!“

„Let me go!“

Closing your eyes, the strong grip bruised your wrist and you yelped in pain, Your eyes veiled with tears as his disgusting sweaty hands found their way on your thighs to try and attempt to carry you, but the hold that was on you was suddenly broken free and a strong impact of a punch made the man fall flat on the ground. You were quiet sure you heard something broke as well.

„Agh! Son of a-!“

The adrenaline spiked in your veins and you immediately snapped out of it to see what was going on. Another hand rested on you almost protectively, you raised head to see a dark dressed figure that was very familiar. You were quiet shocked to find Shinsou held you close to his chest, wasn't he supposed to work until very late? You hear his quickened heartbeat and deep breathing as he gazed into the eyes of an attacker. Clutching onto him, you immediately felt more sorry for the drunken individual that had attacked you. Hooded eyes with dark eye bags were visible with blood rush, he stared down at his victim like a prey.

„I honestly can't believe how uncool you are, attacking a woman.“ He tilted his head on the side „Piss off before I do anything worse.“

The drunkard scrambled to his feet, he held onto his nose, groaning in pain inflicted by just his one punch.

„You fucker-! You broke my fucking nose!“

He charged again at Shinsou and you. This time, Shinsou quickly dispatched him by a high kick in his stomach, stealing all the air from his lungs. He hunched over and fell flat face forward, deeming him now unconscious. Your mouth went agape at his form, even though there were no visible passerby's, the drivers could certainly call police and at any moment and both of you would get caught.

„Shinsou!“ You panicked, finally reacting at the scene.

„Come on, lets get the hell out from here. He's bad news.“ He pat your shoulders and helped you scramble the bags that were on the ground.

He led you to climb on his bike that you were quiet hesitant to get on at first, he didn't let you get acquainted as the time was limited and you let out a noise of protest at first.

„We have no time, grab onto me.“ He revved up his bike and it rumbled.

„You just gonna escape like that!?“ You asked „What gives he's not gonna blame it on us? The police-“

„Police is not going to do shit.“ He glared at you „Unless you want to call them right now and deal with this sort of mess on Thursday evening, be my guest.“

You whined again, thinking thoroughly on his words you knew he was right so you followed his orders. If anything Shinsou was a witness if both of you ever end up getting caught. Holding onto the bags in your hand, you decided it was a better option to leave. Now climbing on you adjusted yourself in back of seat, the view in front of you were of his back, now starting to get illuminated by the street lights. He smelled nice, despite it being closed off by the leather jacket, his vibrant purple hair was flattened by the helmet, and you couldn't shake off the thought that you were about to hold him. You let your left hand slip around his stomach while your right one grips his shoulder.

Fuck, he was solid.

The gas made you back up a bit and grip on him tighter as he violently sped forwards to escape the scene. You hid your face in his back and held onto dear life. You weren't acquainted with bike's, most of your life was spent driving in cars and public transport, but you were quiet thankful to have him tell you when to lean on sides as you took turns.

„Just like riding a bicycle“ He claimed.

You relaxed after he talked more about it, there was something about him being calm in this situation made you very thankful. If he hadn't shown up...

Well, you wouldn't like to think about it.

He slowed down and stopped as the lights turned orange, then red, he took this opportunity to check on you. Shinsou leaned back and turned to you.

„You okay?“

„Y-yeah, still a bit shaken up about it. I... think I'll be fine. What about you?“

„I'm good.“ He replied shortly, his curt expression not giving anything else away.

In his mind, there wasn't anything he could do to help, the thought of comforting a victim was very alien to him. He could manage dispatching the person quickly, but he would rather much leave a therapy session to others. There was something about how he emotionally closed off himself that helped him do what he was working for, but it was never in favor when someone needed emotional support, like you right now.

His thought process was interrupted by a white scarf now gently falling around his neck.

„Your facial expression doesn't quiet match your body language Mr. Shinsou. Here, have this, your body is shaking.“

„What is this?“ He asked, tenderly reaching for the soft white fabric and letting the warmth of it settle around his neck.

„Its a scarf... I was planning on giving it to you. You are a good roommate to me.“

His eyes lit up at the realization, his knee was thumping up and down in nervousness from what he had been overthinking about, whats wrong with this woman? Is she going to be the one giving him the therapy session? He better not go soft now. The light turned green and you took a last turn to your place and he parked nearby. Both of you got off and he helped you by giving you a hand and with the bags.

„You didn't have to.“

„That's not true, I had to! I know work's probably putting a lot of strain on you just like mine is, and I know you mean only well, hell, you've been cooking an extra toast just for me.. and now you saved me.“

Both of you came to a stop as you entered the building. You sighed a little bit as words of gratitude escaped you

„And I just want to say.. Thank you."

Wide eyed like a kitten, he seemed so innocent if he didn't act so suspicions all the time. But this time you were so happy on seeing your roommate warming up to you. He was speechless for a solid second, he raised the scarf just a little bit to hide his mouth and nose.

Was he blushing?

"You really think that huh?" He asks, it was a simple question, but it got you stuttering madly and you looked onward, taking big steps as suddenly your flat was the lifeline of a place to be in right now. Shinsou himself didn't want to admit it but looking at you being cheerful after the events set his mind at ease.

"O-of course! A-and don't think that that you are ever a bad person, whoever is telling you bad things at work... They are wrong, because you are actually a really nice person... I think." You said without looking back.

„Now you are just sprouting nonsense.“ He chuckled and followed closely behind.

„Come on! I'm gonna cook us dinner. We are gonna feast.“

#bnha shinsou #bnha shinso hitoshi #shinso hitoshi x reader #shinso hitoshi #shinsou hitoshi #mha shinso x reader #mha shinsou #shinso #shinso x reader #shinsou hitoshi x reader #shinsou #bnha reader insert

[buildmeafairytale]

Rhavor Part 2: NSFW

A part two to my drider story for @acreepqueen​, 18+ to read (NSFW). Hope you guys like it! 

Part 1

You and Rhavor’s romance had been going on well, with more stolen moments and heated kisses taking place between the two of you. You’ve kept your relationship a secret, and while you would love nothing more than to hold his hand out in the open, you have to be tactful considering your positions. Your father is an understanding king and grants you many freedoms, but you are unsure how he would take this. 

 You had done little more than share kisses and sweet touches, the two of you trying to take things slowly. You wanted your relationship to not be a secret before things got more serious between the two of you, and this being your first experience with a man also played a part. He had also eluded that there were a few drider courting customs that he wished to take part in with you, and you could not contain your excitement. The romance of it all took your breath away. 

It was a training day for the guards, and usually on these days you and your sisters would busy yourselves inside, sticking together a bit while under watch from guards not in that rotation. It was a training day for Rhavor, though, and you had yet to see him train. You convinced your sisters to come watch the guards, Anna needing much less convincing than Priscilla, but they indulged you nonetheless. 

The air is crisp as winter is approaching, but when you get down to the training yards you spy Rhavor without clothing. He is using a staff and training with an orc, and you can not take your eyes off of his back, the muscles rippling with power. Anna leans over and whispers “you’re drooling” into your ear. She is probably correct. You sit and watch, Rhavor waving at you when he sees you. He spars with a few other guards, and trains some of the newer ones. You look across the courtyard and see maids whispering, their faces red and giggling with their eyes trained on your guard. You are not one to get angry or jealous, but you’ve never had someone worth getting jealous over. Or possessive, maybe, since Rhavor was absolutely yours. Realistically, the maids were your friends and would never knowingly make eyes at a man who was yours, but it wasn’t like they knew any better. 

You were sitting with your lips pursed and an annoyed look on your face when Rhavor came to greet you and your sisters. “Princesses, how nice to see you all,” he greeted with a bow, ever so polite. You all greeted him, your greeting more stiff than you planned. His brows furrow, and you felt bad at his confusion. He had done nothing wrong, after all. It wasn’t his fault he was so handsome. 

“Yes, well, lovely seeing you Rhavor, we must be off now! Please see that Vivie gets back to her room alright!” Anna said, giggling while leading Priscilla away. You tried to speak up and go with them, but they were too quick. 

“Well, Vivie, I suppose I will take you back to your room and then retire to my chambers for a bath, if that’s alright.” He asked, tilting his head at the peeved look on your face. You never knew that you harbored such a monster inside, all you wanted to do was stake your claim on your guard and keep all others away. He was beautiful, and he was yours, damn it. You just nodded at him, knowing he would ask you what was upsetting you once in private. 

Once you get through the door, you give him no time to ask. You pull him down towards you, and meet his lips with your own. You are more frantic and needy than ever before, your hands running down the planes of his chest. He recovers from his shock quickly, pulling you towards him and invading your mouth with his tongue. You moan loudly, glad no one else can hear you in the tower. You part with his mouth, only to move on to kissing down his cheek, his jaw, and his neck, where you proceed to give most attention to. You suck and nip at the skin, excitement running through your veins as he lets out a breathy noise that sounds very much like your name. 

His lower set of hands come up to hold your backside, pulling you up and against him. You wrap your legs around his long waist, feeling positively tiny in his embrace. This only spurs you on, giving you more access to the expanse of skin at your disposal. Something primal has overtaken you, and you want to leave your marks on him, let everyone know he is taken. You pull back a bit to observe your marks, deep purple and running down his neck and shoulder, and a twinge of guilt comes with the massive satisfaction of seeing them. You go slower now, the urgency alleviated by the physical proof of your affection. You kiss and lick the discolored skin, gently now. 

One of Rhavors hands that is buried in your hair brings your mouth back to his, where he nips at your lip before sucking away the sting. All of the sudden there is a knock at your door, and the both of you are forced away from one another. You quickly adjust yourself and throw a blanket at Rhavor for him to cover the numerous love bites left on him. 

“Yes?” you call out in a cracking voice, hoping no one is going to barge in. 

“I’m sorry to disturb you Princess Vivian, however your father has requested that you and your sisters, as well as your personal guards, accompany your father to an early tea in the garden.” A voice calls, one of the older butlers. You thank him, and are grateful he only had a message and did not actually come in. You look at Rhavor and start to giggle at his disheveled state; anyone would have immediately known what you were up to, if not from the hickeys but from the bulge in his abdomen he is trying to hide. He lets out a breathy laugh and comes towards you. 

“I’m unsure what has come over you, my love, but I am not complaining,” he leans in to brush his smiling lips against your own. “I will be back as soon as I am... more decent, to escort you to your father.” One more kiss and he scuttles away, and you look in the mirror to see the damage. 

Your lips are swollen and slightly bruised, your cheeks are red and your hair is a mess, and you feel a bit floaty as well. You quickly ran a brush through your hair and put on some lipstick, hoping that would look somewhat presentable. Rhavor knocked on your door again, and you two started for the gardens. He was clad in his armor, which luckily covered the majority of the marks you left. He held out an elbow for you, and you graciously slipped your arm into the nook of it. He smiled at you, still tilting his head as if to figure you out. 

“What is the matter, lovely? You seem a bit wrapped up in thought.” He asks, and you look up at him. 

“Are you...angry? That I left all those marks, I mean?” You whisper to him. He grins back at you, a teasing smile you have grown so fond of. 

“Darling, I will proudly wear any mark you decide to bestow upon me. Any reminder of your affections is welcome.” He kisses your other hand, happy to be able to fluster you as he does. 

“I just,” you cut yourself off, not wanting to seem jealous, but he asks you to continue. “All the maids were looking at you!” you blurt out quickly, nervous but not wanting to hide your feelings. “They were all looking at you, during training, and no one knows that we’re-whatever we are.” He looked at you a bit stunned, but his grin soon came back, wider and more devious than before. He looks around, making sure the two of you are alone. You were outside of the castle, not quite to the gardens, when he crowds you against a stone wall of the castle, looming over you.

“Oh, is my princess a bit possessive? I rather like that, Vivie,” he nuzzles at your neck, and your breath catches. “Nothing wrong with marking your territory princess. I would only hope you let me return the favor sometime, darling.” He places a gentle kiss behind your ear, and a squeak manages to escape you. He pulls away, composing himself and holding out his arm as if nothing ever took place. Your head is spinning and you hold onto him, not expecting such an enthusiastic response. You cannot help but think of him returning the favor. Thoughts of Rhavor, his dangerous looking mouthparts and teeth around your neck, him biting and sucking at your skin that would bloom so brightly under his ministrations. What would he be like, jealous of another? Would he react like you, staking his claim and seeing to it that you knew you were his? Your thighs clench together at this thought, and you feel a quaking in your lower abdomen. 

You lose these thoughts for now, seeing your family and the guards waiting for your arrival. You are seated, and the captain of the guard stands by your father. He starts to speak and is informing you all about rumors of a plot against your father, involving you all. Your guards were originally appointed due to threats of royal kidnappings, and it seems that this was becoming more and more of a threat. They did not want to scare you, but were only concerned for your safety. More guards were to be stationed around the castle, and you tried to take it more seriously. It was hard, though. You had always known your father to be invincible, and the castle walls always felt so safe. Not only did that assuage your fears, but you knew anyone who wanted to get to you would first have to get through your drider, which would be no easy feat. You listened attentively anyway, and willed this to go on faster. The guards asked questions, and looked at castle blueprints while your father assured you all he would do everything in his power to keep you safe. 

The meeting goes by slowly and Rhavor is solely focused on the task at hand. After the meeting, you all eat dinner there as well, which is less intense than the prior proceedings. Rhavor is still discussing new precautions with the guards, and you’re afraid you’re going to end up locked away in your tower at this rate. 

It is decided that a second guard will be placed outside of your chambers at night, as well as a curfew instilled until the threat passes. You weren’t upset, considered you went to bed early most nights anyway. Your sisters were not as easy going about this but your father had assured them things should be back to normal soon enough. 

Rhavor escorts you back to your room, and finally has the bath he has needed since training. When he comes back to your room, you are hoping for a continuation of the earlier events, but he seems genuinely worried about the rumored threat. You settle for reading a romance curled up in bed while he looks over castle blueprints some more at your table. The few times you tried to get his attention, you were met with a smirk. “Tease” you call him, muttering under your breath. 

 “Say something darling?” He asks, and you shake your head, giggling at him. 

You fall asleep with him like that, his presence soothing you. 

Days pass and precautions are taken, but not nearly enough. 

You shoot up from your bed as you hear a loud noise outside your door. You hear a yell, and you quickly realize there is no other way out of your tower without going towards the yell. You are still half asleep, but your heart is racing and the adrenaline is taking hold. You take a deep breath and scream as loud as you can. Rhavor will come running if he hears you, you hope. At the sound of your scream, though, three men break down your door. 

“Shut up!” one yells, lunging for you. You are not deterred, and you keep screaming, trying to run out of his grasp. He misses, but one of the others does not, grabbing you and pointing a knife at your throat. 

“If you’re trying to call you spider, he’s barricaded in his room. We aren’t stupid, little bitch, now stop screaming before I cut out your tongue.” He hisses this at you, spit flying in your face. You think you’re going to vomit, and now that you’ve quieted you hear it. Rhavor, downstairs, is barreling against his door. The man with the knife grins at you, his teeth yellow and rotting. “Don’t get your hopes up, he ain’t gettin out.” He twirls the tip of the knife along your collarbones, and you hear glass breaking downstairs. 

“Sounds like her little guard is getting angry.” One of the other men comment in a sing-song voice, laughing at your obvious state of distress. 

“How about we make him even angrier?” he asks, dipping the knife towards your cleavage. A scared noise comes out of you, and at that moment your tower window is thrown open. You can feel that it's Rhavor, and if you hadn’t the stiffening from the man in front of you would have been answer enough. You knee him and wrench away, running for Rhavor’s form. 

In one fluid motion, he places you so that you are sitting on his thorax. He charges towards the men, throwing one into the wall, knocking him out cold. The next takes a hit from the butt of his scythe, crumpling to the ground. He has saved the one with the knife for last, and you don't want to watch what comes next. You bury your face in between his shoulder blades, and you hear Rhavor swing his scythe through the air. You gasp, but do not look. You hear footsteps going up the stairs, the sounds of more of the men coming for you. 

“Hold on Vivian, we are going out the window.” He gives you no chance to respond, only climbs out of the tower window and descends, making a point to stay away from the window to his room as well, where you suspect the barricade has been removed and men will soon be entering. You have never been scared of heights, but this is a scenario that surpasses just a fear of heights. You are holding onto your guards back as he is free climbing a tower. You hear a whimpering noise, and it takes you much too long to realize that it’s coming from you. “Shhh my love, I would never let you fall, that is a promise. We are almost down, I am going to jump now and we are headed to the barracks to rouse the rest of the guard.”

“Jump?” you whimper, but before he can respond there is air rushing past you, and you feel him land, taking the impact of the fall but seeming fine. He takes off in a sprint, towards the barracks you presume, your face still hidden in his back. He rips the doors open, and is throwing out orders and briefing guards before you even process where you are. Everyone is moving quickly, and you realize you have now opened your eyes. Several orcs are already dressed in their armor, and running to the castle. You hope that they are finding your sisters, surely you would be the least important target to these people. You feel Rhavor’s hands on yours, before he is peeling you off of him and setting you on a bed on the barracks, wrapping you in one of the sheets there. 

“Oh, I’m still in my nightdress,” you mumble, not really looking at anything in particular. Rhavor is looking at you and you see his mouth moving, but all you hear is blood rushing in your ears. You reach up and go to smooth the crease in his brow, humming to yourself. He is crouching before you, and you are unsure how long this goes on. There are other guards milling about, some being sent to other barracks and others checking for more intruders and reporting back. 

You start to feel less like you’re underwater, and Rhavor’s words start to make more sense. It’s mostly nonsense, but comforting nonsense. “You are such a brave little princess, holding onto me so tightly. So glad you have such strong lungs darling, so glad you yelled for me. I will always protect you, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there faster. I should have killed him for laying his hands on you, I will do everything in my power to make sure that never happens again,” He goes on and on, and you feel your heart rate slow down. You have no idea how long you have been here, but suddenly your father, sister, and their personal guards file into the barracks, your father taking you in his arms. This is when the dam breaks and tears start to fall. He shushes you and rocks you back and forth, while your sisters hug you as well. Your father releases you, and you sit with your sisters. You hear him thank Rhavor for keeping you safe, and inform him that the men are being held in the dungeon, along with the several others that were coming into your room when you fled. They will be questioned and everyone involved will be taken in, that you have faith in. 

Your sisters were not targeted, which you are glad to hear. You are unsure why they picked you, but your father told you they thought you would be less guarded due to being the youngest. Everyone is awake now, and unlikely to go back to sleep, so you all head back to the castle. Rhavor is still by your side, and if anyone notices you holding onto his hand, they don’t say anything. The maids fuss over you, making you your favorite foods and trying to comfort you while some of the butlers are cleaning your bedroom, erasing all traces of what happened. People also start to clear Rhavor’s room, but it is in much worse condition. 

“Although some may think it indecent, there is plenty of room for another cot in Vivian’s room. After the events that took place tonight, I think it best for you to stay there with her, at least until your quarters are fixed.” Your father tells Rhavor, and he agrees, still frustrated with himself he was not there to protect you. You agree with your father, it is a good idea. You also know that once you are a bit recovered from the night's events, you will be enthused about sharing a room for very different reasons. 

The hours go on and night makes way for day. You are exhausted, and your sisters pull you into Priscilla's room, where they tuck you in and sleep next to you. Four guards are stationed outside the door, and even though it is almost midday, you finally manage to get some sleep. 

The days recovering from the attack, you and Rhavor cling to one another. He sleeps in your bed, the two of you rumpling up the extra cot every night to avoid suspicion. You feel so sneaky, but having him in your bed holding you is worth it. Both of you are still flustered, him more overprotective and shadow like than ever before. He never outright doesn’t let you do something, but he is very good at directing your attention to an activity he finds to be safer. If you want to walk the grounds or spend the day in the garden, he will often find a way to get you to stay in the library or walk with you inside of the castle instead, or setting up a picnic on the roof. It’s endearing and you know he is worried, but you’re starting to get a bit stir crazy. It comes to a head when you start getting a bit snippy at him. You don’t try to be, really, but you need space being nice about it hasn’t been working. After being a bit of a brat all morning, you pull Rhavor aside in the library. 

You hold his hand and take a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I know this is stressful for you, but I’m safe! And I’m going to go crazy stuck inside all day, so I’m going to the gardens, and you should take some time for yourself too. I’ll have another guard stick close if that makes you feel better, love, and I will see you before dinner.” You leave no room for an argument, and while he is sputtering a bit, you kiss him on the cheek and walk off. You are hoping he won’t be too peeved later, but odds are he will follow you at a distance anyway. 

The time alone was nice and much needed, but after a few hours you were wishing for Rhavor’s presence once again. The ideal situation would be him enjoying the outdoors with you, but he was busy trying and failing to remain unseen by you while doing rounds in the garden and peeking at you intermittently. You sighed and closed your book, wondering if starting an impromptu game of hide and seek would be too cruel when your love was already so wound up. You were feeling playful, though, and figured it wouldn’t hurt too much. You simply moved to be behind one of the pillars in the gazebo, and waited, stifling your giggles. It didn’t take long before he came barreling in, his back to you. You snuck up behind him, yelled out “gotcha” and jumped on his back. He jumped and turned to bare his teeth at you.

“Not funny Vivian,” he growls out, moving to hold you in front of him. You play with the hair at the nape of his neck, pouting up at him. 

“I thought it was funny, plus, you’re making the gardeners anxious with all of your pacing.” He kept up his grumbling, but finally decided to sit with you. By the time you were ready to go inside, the both of you were in a much better mood. You retire to your chambers, and Rhavor seems to grow anxious once again. 

“I have something for you, Vivie,” Rhavor says, and he proceeds to hand you a blanket made out of his silk. It is unlike the one he used to teach you, in that it is much larger, thicker, and the design seems much more complex. It is beautiful and soft, and you are sure he spent a lot of time on it. You take it from him, your face split into a wide smile. 

“This is so beautiful, thank you! No one has ever given me something so nice before.” you admit, pulling him down for a kiss. He kisses you back, so sweetly, and pulls away. 

“It is part of courting, for driders. It symbolizes our desire and ability to keep you warm and provide for you. I’ve been wanting to make you one ever since I taught you how to knit all those months ago.” He admits, a hand coming up to run through his hair. The sweet intent behind the gift does not go unnoticed, and it makes you love it all the more. 

“I have something for you too!” you say, full of excitement. You spread the blanket out on your bed, before going into a trunk to pull out the one you knitted for him. “I was going to wait until the Giving Days, but now seems like a much better time for this.” You hold out the deep purple blanket that reminds you so much of the color his cheeks turn on the rare occasions he is shy, and his reaction is very enthused. He lets out a gasp, and takes the blanket from your hand. He takes his time admiring it, and tells you how much you’ve improved. 

“My princess, come here,” he beacons, and pulls you close. He bends down, laying kisses all over your face, wrapping his arms around you when you giggle and twist away. His lips then meet yours, and what started out as a chaste kiss turns into something carnal rather quickly. You feel his shirt slip to the side, his marks from you still there, and you feel hungry for him. You press yourself to him, and let the noises building in your chest escape you, him eagerly swallowing them. You aren’t sure how to convey how much you need him, but you try, pulling him towards your bed. He lays you down on the blanket he made for you, and pulls back a bit. His eyes run over you on the bed, and he lets out a deep noise that makes your thighs clench together. 

“It looks as though you are in my web Vivie, it makes such a pretty picture,” he says while one hand is caressing your face and one of the lower ones is running up your calf. You do not have enough wit left to respond to this, you only open your thighs and arch up, hoping he continues to touch you. “Say the word and I will stop, princess, all you have to do is ask.” he tells you. 

Your hands go to his arms, and you plead with him to continue. “Don’t stop, Rhavor. I want you, all of you.” The teasing look he often wears melts away, and he plasters himself against you once again. 

“You honor me, my love,” he whispers into your ear, his mouthparts and fangs brushing against your cheek. You pull at his shirt, wanting nothing more than to run your fingers over his skin. He quickly obliges you, and throws it off and away. Rhavor pulls you towards the edge of the bed, and his lower two hands get higher and higher on your thighs while another is moving from your shoulder to your breast, a light brush that has you keening. His hands that are under your dress move and grab your ass, bringing the apex of your thighs to meet the growing bulge in his abdomen. You cant up your hips, gasping when you find the friction you so desperately seek. 

“Rhavor, please, more,” you plead with him, not knowing what you want but knowing you need it like you need air. 

“Shh, I’ll take care of you,” He says, not so frantic anymore. He leans down to softly kiss you, and helps you take off your dress. Once it is off, you feel like you can breath again, and Rhavor’s many eyes are trained on the rise and fall of your chest. He leans down, swirling his tongue around your nipple, and you tilt your hips up to grind against him once again, causing the both of you to let out a gasp. A large hand of his comes between your legs, rubbing your wetness through your smallclothes. You’ve never felt something so pleasurable, and you mewl and rub against his hand as if you were a cat. You feel in the back of your mind you should be embarrassed by your actions, but all you feel is pleasure. 

You kiss and lick at the skin of his chest, nipping across a nipple, an action that causes him to make a teasing growl back at you. He pushes aside the cloth covering your core, and explores you with one of his deft fingers. He pumps it into your core, coaxing more moans from you. A thumb comes up to trace your lips, and you take it into your mouth, flicking your tongue on the end. Your eyes are wide as you stare into his, this eye contact only broken when he adds another thick finger to your core, stretching you for him. His hand leaves your mouth as you reach down towards his bulge and trace your fingers around it, delighting in the way he shivers at this touch. You feel him grow and his phallus unfolds from within. It is a deep and vibrant purple with black veins spider webbing across it. You trace it with your fingertips, your hand looking so small in comparison. His hips jerk when you get near the end, and you wrap your fingers around it. You move your hand up and down over the length, enjoying the feel of it and delighting in the way Rhavor is following the movements. He has not stopped pumping his fingers into you, and when he curls the long, angled digits your legs snap tight around him. You arch up and bring his length to your wetness, looking at him as you do. He pulls his fingers out of you, hushing you with a kiss at the sound you make once you’re empty. 

“Do you want me to continue, princess?” he asks you, and you nod eagerly, adding on a strangled out “Yes” for good measure. 

At this he takes himself in hand, coating himself in your wetness. You grip onto his shoulders as he breaches you, mouth falling open at the feeling of being so full. He goes slow, and the stretch is significant. He does not move yet, only bends down to kiss you, whispering praises about how good you feel and how lucky he is to have you. It feels like his hands are everywhere, the four of them caressing and rubbing at your skin. A strangled noise escapes you as you try to move your hips, and fireworks are taking off behind your eyelids at the feel of him. You feel as if you are floating away, but his touch grounds you. A hand is on the side of your face and Rhavor turns you to look at him. He pulls back and then thrusts forward, a shaky breath leaving him and a pleasured “oh” is punched out of your lungs. He keeps the pace slow and deep, neither of you wanting any more of him to leave your body than necessary. A set of hands were on your breasts, rolling and tugging on your nipples as another were propping your thighs open for him. You shared a kiss that was filthy, biting and full of tongue, and as Rhavors abdomen brushes above your entrance your entire body goes rigid. A deep moan escapes you as you screw your eyes shut, and it feels as though lightning is running through your entire body. You gasp for air and try to keep moving with Rhavor. He holds you tight, dragging out your pleasure before his hips stutter and he buries himself within your heat, your name on his tongue as you ripple around him.

You feel tingly everywhere, and your blissed out expression is mirrored by Rhavor. He shifts his weight to the side, and keeps his face buried in your neck. He kisses you as you come down, wrapping you in his blanket. You really do look as though you are caught in his web, and you have never been happier. You would formally announce your relationship in the morning. 

#monster #monsterlover #monsterboyfriend #monster lemon #lemon #drider #drider boyfriend #monster x reader #female reader x male monster

[baepsaesbae]

Heal Me, Kill Me Ch.1

Pairing— Kim Namjoon x reader (only in this chapter), Kim Taehyung x reader (main focus) ft. Yoongi

Genre— Vampire!Taehyung x Vampire Hunter!y/n, ANGST, smut +18, comedy (i tried)

Warnings— Death, violence, oral (f receiving), fingering, explicit unprotexted sex

Word Count— 7.6k

Summary— You’re one of the best vampire hunters in the world. That's to be expected when your parents are the best of the best. Your life had solely revolved around ruthlessly killing vampires. You were essentially a cold blooded machine. However, things take a turn once you meet Kim Taehyung, your latest target.

A/N— Huge shoutout to @dee-ehn for this beautiful banner! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, please let me know what you think! 

You didn’t choose this life. You had no past trauma that spurred you on to take this path. Most vampire hunters became hunters because a loved one was murdered and they wanted revenge or some bullshit like that. Not you though.

You were born into this lifestyle. Your parents were allegedly the best hunting team in history. They were usually too busy with work, so you were practically raised by the faction itself. The grandmaster of the Vampyre Extermination Company (VEC for short) was your main parental figure. 

While normal children went to school, you were being trained in combat. The only lessons you had were those pertaining to vampires. You knew everything there was to know about them. Being the youngest member of the company, it was clear that you were a prodigy. 

By the age of 13, you had already killed 5 vampires. Most seasoned hunters only kill 5 in their entire lifetimes. You were incredibly smart, and used your youth to your advantage. 

That was ten years ago. You had lost track of your kill count (not that it matters, it’s officially documented somewhere). You were now the youngest person ever to achieve the Expert Hunter title. 

None of that fancy stuff matters to you. You get assigned a job, and you do it. That’s all it was. In fact, you were on a job at this very moment. 

You were all dolled up sitting at the bar of a very busy nightclub, with a drink that you had no intention of drinking. Your assignment had been spotted frequenting this club quite often. He preyed on young women (as most of them do) and many of them had gone missing from this location. 

You had on the skimpiest dress you could find. Its low cut neckline coupled with a push-up bra had your breasts nearly spilling out of the dress. Its tight material clung to your body to reveal your curves. You absolutely hated it. 

“Why are you alone, pretty girl?” a drunk man stumbled up to you. He definitely wasn’t your target.

“I’m waiting for someone to kill,” you replied nonchalantly.

“To kill? That sounds kind of scary,” he put his hand on your waist.

You grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing the man to cry out in agony. 

“I don’t have time to waste on you. Get out of my sight or else I’ll break your wrist,” you warned with cold indifference.

The man scampered away as soon as you released him. You refocused your attention on the crowded dance floor. It’s possible that the vampire would smoothly dance with a girl before luring her to her doom.

You began to sigh in frustration when there was no sign of your target. Suddenly, the room’s temperature dropped. The hair on the back of your neck stood up, and goosebumps covered your body.

He had arrived.

There was no doubt about it. You felt a malevolent presence as soon as he entered the buidling. Your eyes scanned the club again, in search of the source. Finally, you found him.

There was a tall handsome man standing in front of the dance floor, surveying it as intensely as you were surveying him. He glanced your way, causing you to freeze up. When your eyes met, you shot him a coy smile, and turned to your drink.

Hopefully that was enough to pique his interest. You debated on whether you should sip your drink or not, to make you appear more vulnerable. It didn’t take long before a deep voice rang in your ear.

“Are you waiting on someone?” a seductive voice asked.

You could already tell he was using his charms. One of a vampire’s many tricks was their gift of persuasion and seduction. Supernatural powers were involved, of course, but their good looks helped seal the deal. 

“Maybe. Maybe not,” you replied before sipping your drink. 

“If you were, you probably wouldn’t have smiled my way,” the man took a seat beside you.

“Ah, you got me there. You’re a sharp one huh?” you smiled.

“In more ways than one, dear,” the man chuckled before extending a hand, “I’m Namjoon. Pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m ___. The pleasure is all mine,” you shake his hand, taking note of how eerily cold it was. This was definitely him. 

The night went on with playful flirting and shallow attempts at getting to know each other. You were well aware that everything both you and Namjoon said was a lie. Namjoon insisted on ordering you a drink after you finished the first one but you politely declined, saying you’ve had more than enough for one night (another blatant lie). 

Namjoon finally made his move. He leaned over to you and kissed your exposed shoulder. 

“You wanna get out of here?” he asked. You could feel how heavily laced his words were with mystical persuasion. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” you kissed his cheek. 

It wasn’t hard to flirt when your target was so attractive. In fact, that’s how most of your hunts have gone ever since you got older. You’d seduce them into letting their guard down, and kill them when they weren’t paying attention. It was a slight perk that vampires were much better at fucking than humans, but you were willing to keep that information private. 

Back at Namjoon’s apartment, he wasted no time getting you undressed. You were passionately making out with him on his bed when reached down to palm his clothed erection. Namjoon released a guttural moan.

“So impatient,” he chuckled, kissing down your throat. 

His hands wandered down between your thighs, rubbing your clit. He kissed his way down your stomach, pausing before your heat. He delicately flicked his tongue down your folds. You bucked your hips up, begging for more. Namjoon slid in his long slender fingers while his tongue worked your clit. 

He expertly curved his fingers into you, hitting that special spot perfectly. His intensity picked up, causing your cries to get louder. He held you down as you started to squirm beneath him. He sucked on your clit as he rapidly pumped in and out of you.

You came without a warning, your body shaking from the impact. Namjoon licked up all of your juices. Your chest was heaving as Namjoon kissed a trail back up to your lips. His eyes were darkened with a dangerous hunger you were all too familiar with. 

Going any further would be dangerous, but you couldn’t help yourself. He was too alluring to resist, plus your motto was that there’s no harm in having a little fun. A satisfied smile crept across your face after you tugged off his bottoms. His dick was just as big as you imagined, and you needed it inside of you immediately. 

You immediately straddled Namjoon, lips still locked as you lowered yourself onto him. You moaned into his mouth as he filled you completely. Your hips moved on their own accord, leaving you no choice but to enjoy the ride. Namjoon let you take the lead, enjoying an unfamiliar balance of power in the bedroom. His hands rested on your hips as you rocked back and forth.

“You’re so hot. I could stay like this forever,�� Namjoon praised.

“Have you ever been tied up before?” you asked before kissing his ear. As much as you wanted the night to continue, you knew Namjoon was at his limit. Endorphins were high, right now would be the perfect time to devour you.

“No, I haven’t. I’m usually the one doing the tying. But I’m always willing to try something new,” Namjoon smirked.

“Wait here then. And close your eyes!” you giggled.

Your legs were wobbly as you made your way to your discarded bag. You were delighted when you reentered the bedroom to find Namjoon still closing his eyes.

“Good boy,” you cooed while taking out silver chains.

“Are those chains I hear?” Namjoon sounded excited.

“Yes, I’m gonna chain you up real good. You’ve been a bad boy,” you whispered into his ear. Namjoon groaned, and you noticed his cock twitch. 

With impossibly quick motions, you wrapped the chains around Namjoon’s wrists. The silver burned his skin upon impact. There was no need to chain up his legs, as the silver severely weakened him. He tried to wiggle free of the chain but it was no use. His eyes darted open to see you smiling down at him.

“There’s no use in struggling, Namjoon. These chains are pure silver and are anointed with holy water for extra measure. I am ___, from the Vampyre Extermination Company. You have been found guilty of numerous kidnappings and murders,” you say as you take out a wooden stake.

“Fuck you, you bitch!” Namjoon spat at you, fully baring his fangs.

“That’s not very nice, dear. You were so sweet to me before. Well, before you were going to kill me of course,” you laughed as if it were a joke, “Thank you for showing me a good time. May your soul rest easy in the next life.”

Namjoon bared his fangs at you while you plunged the stake into his chest. Blood gushed out of his wound. Cries of agony filled the room. A few moments later, Namjoon’s body turned to dust. The job was complete.

You made a call while getting dressed. Your clothes were soaked with blood, but that was nothing new. 

“Hi, I’m gonna need a clean up crew at this address. Nothing super messy, just burn the bed I guess. Yeah, the mess was pretty much contained. Mhm. Yeah. Ok thank you,” you say curtly.

Back in your hotel room, you rewarded yourself with a bubble bath (after a shower of course). With most of the blood scrubbed off, you relaxed in the fragrant water. You had a habit of reflecting on your life after every job.

Was your life ever going to be normal? Probably not.

Were you going to die on one of your jobs? Probably.

Do you enjoy your job/life? Maybe? You couldn’t tell. 

You did acknowledge that you loved the thrill of the hunt. You enjoyed acting weak and innocent, only to violently kill your targets. The sex and stuff was a nice bonus too. You were taught that vampires prefer to ‘wine and dine’ their prey. Apparently happy people make for happy meals. Due to this, it’s quite common for vampires to seduce their victims before devouring them. 

‘Do vampires make other vampires?’ you asked when you were a child.

‘Yes. But they rarely do that because they are solitary creatures. Also, only the strongest vampires can turn humans since it drains their own life force tremendously,’ was the answer.

You got an assignment about once every month. During the time that you don’t have anyone to kill, you enjoyed traveling. The VEC pays handsomely. You never understood where all the money came from, until you were told that the deceased vampires’ assets get transferred to the VEC. How that happens, you had no clue. But it doesn’t matter; you get paid well enough to travel wherever you wanted to at a moment’s notice. 

You perused the internet for flights to France. You’ve been craving macarons lately. You were about to buy a ticket when your phone rang. You groaned when you saw the VEC caller ID.

“Hello?” you answered.

“___. I need you to come down to HQ immediately.”

“Grandmaster?” your eyes widened. You never got a direct call from him. Whatever this was, it must be urgent. 

He hung up as soon as he delivered the message. Typical. He’s a very straight to the point kind of guy. 

There goes the rest of your relaxing evening. You packed up all of your belongings. A driver was already waiting for you in the lobby. Again, you had no idea how the VEC can be so quick and efficient, but you’re thankful for it regardless. 

The car brought you to a private airport, in which a jet was already ready for you. 

‘This must actually be serious,’ you thought. The VEC was boujee, as they usually flew you out first class, but the private jet is a first.

Within a few hours, you had finally arrived at HQ. You were greeted warmly upon entrance. After a quick congratulations on another successful job, you were escorted to the Grandmaster’s office.

“___. Please take a seat,” the grandmaster said as he paced back and forth.

“Is everything okay, Yoongi?” you asked. You always dropped the formalities when you were alone together. This man had been more of a parent to you than your actual parents, with whom you only had fleeting encounters with.

“It’s your parents. ___, I’m so sorry. They were killed on a hunt,” Yoongi placed a firm grip on your shoulder.

You silently processed the news. More than anything, you felt shocked. Shocked, because they were supposed to be the best hunters in the world. Shocked, because you felt nothing. You felt no sadness, no anger. You were so detached from your parents, they might as well have been strangers. 

Yoongi on the other hand, looked like he was about to break down. He had known your parents for a long time. They were practically family to him, just like you. 

You get up to embrace Yoongi in a long hug. You seldom showed true acts of affection, but this was as genuine as it gets. More than anything, you felt sad for Yoongi. You couldn’t fathom what he felt. You couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose a loved one, mostly due to the fact that you didn’t have any loved ones. Yoongi may have been the closest thing to it.

You helped sit Yoongi down. After he was seated, you poured him a drink. Lord knows he needed it. 

“Did their target kill them?” you asked, breaking the heavy silence.

“Yes. Their bodies were drained and left out in a field. I began to think the worst when your parents failed to make two check in calls in a row,” Yoongi took a swig of his drink.

“Their target must be pretty powerful…” your voice trailed off.

“He is. I knew he was strong, but taking out our two best? Inconceivable,” Yoongi scoffed, “I’m gonna kill the bastard with my own hands, I swear to God--”

“I’ll go,” you interrupted.

“You?” Yoongi blinked, “Absolutely not. I already lost your parents, I can’t lose you too--”

“You haven’t been in the field for years. A male vampire would never trust you, so you would have to resort to immediate violence. If he took out both of my parents, then his physical strength must be no joke,” you stated the facts.

Yoongi looked at you dumbfounded before taking another long sip of his drink. 

“Fine. But I’ll go with you--”

“No, you won’t. Your presence will blow my cover.”

“I can stay in the next town over.”

“Just to snoop around and fuck up my hunt? No thanks.”

“God, you’re so fucking stubborn, kid. How about this? Give me a night to concoct a safe alibi for you. I get to plan out how your first encounter with him goes. You can choose to kill him on the spot, or go for your usual route,” Yoongi raised his eyebrows as he said the last bit. 

“Works for me. I’m pretty sure I can’t suddenly kill him without the element of surprise and a shit ton of luck.”

“You’re willing to seduce your parents’ murderer?” Yoongi couldn’t hide the concern in his voice.

“This is just another job to me. A job is a job. Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way. That’s what you’ve always preached to me,” you shrugged.

That was Yoongi’s last straw. He pulled you in for a tight hug as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He kissed the top of your head.

“I’m truly sorry, ___. I never should have let you into this world. Your parents insisted that I train you. I should have refused, and let you live a normal life,” Yoongi apologized.

“Yoongi, you did nothing wrong. I’m perfectly fine the way I am. Believe it or not, I’ve probably saved a lot of people from becoming someone’s midnight snack,” you try to lighten the mood. 

“I just worry about you, you know? It’s almost as if you’re my own kid,” Yoongi sighed, finally letting go of you, “Come back here tomorrow morning at 10am. I’ll have your assignment by then.”

“Please get some sleep, Yoongi,” you squeezed his hand.

“I can’t sleep. Not like this. To be honest, I’m afraid that I’ll dream about your parents,” Yoongi admitted.

Noticing that you didn’t know how to respond, he quickly dismissed what he said.

“I think the alcohol is getting to me. Don’t mind me. Go to sleep, kiddo,” he patted your head.

You excused yourself and headed to your room. Your new target has sparked intrigue. You were in awe at how powerful he must be. You concluded that he must be clever. Your parents knew every trick in the book. They knew how to hunt and kill every and any type of vampire. At least, you thought they did.

You drifted off to sleep. Your last thoughts lingered on the vampire who killed your parents. 

That night, you had a strange dream. 

You felt trapped. You couldn’t move your body. All of a sudden, you were freezing. The sound of water surrounded you. Everything was pitch black, and soon, it was getting harder to breathe. 

“I loved you” you heard a muffled voice say. 

You woke up in a cold sweat. What the hell was that? You couldn’t remember the last time you had a nightmare. You weren’t even sure if that could be classified as a nightmare. After getting up to drink some water, you went back to sleep without giving it a second thought. 

“Yoongi, this is literally the worst cover you’ve ever made,” you admitted as you examined the file he handed you.

“I worked on it all night! I believe it’s foolproof,” Yoongi argued.

The bags under his eyes got impossibly darker, hinting at the fact that he probably did work on it all night. Upon realizing this, you decided to tone down your criticism. 

“Maybe it could work. I’m just worried that I won’t be able to play the part,” you stated. 

“I feel like this role is more natural than just being a flirt. But, of course, I could be mistaken,” Yoongi gave you a disapproving glance.

“Okay whatever. Yes, I’ll make it work,” you rolled your eyes. 

You were flown out to the target’s town the next day. Your living arrangement had already been prepared. You found yourself settling into a small cottage surrounded by a forest. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

It was oddly freeing being able to go on a mission in normal clothes. There was no need for revealing and uncomfortable clothing. You didn’t have to beat your face with makeup or worry about how your hair looks. Yoongi emphasized the importance of being plain. You needed to be someone who could easily sneak up on the target.

So, with a regular t-shirt and jeans topped with a jacket, you made your drive to the target’s location. Even though Yoongi’s plan was less extreme than you’re used to, the possibility of it taking a turn for the worse was still present. After all, this was the monster who murdered your parents. You couldn’t afford to let your guard down. You took a deep breath. It was now or never.

You pulled up to an impressive mansion. From what you could tell, there were no neighbors for miles. The house looked like something from a horror movie. The yard was overgrown, and the building was decrepit. 

There was a large fountain in the middle of the front courtyard. Unfortunately, the fountain had been neglected. The water was filthy and the statues were covered in moss, making them unidentifiable. 

Now standing in front of a grand, or rather, once grand front door, you mustered up the strength to knock. You firmly knocked on the door three times. A minute passed, and you couldn’t hear anything from inside.

You tried again, knocking harder and for a bit longer. There was still no reply for a couple of minutes. You began to think maybe he had left. Or maybe he was so weary of strangers that you’d have to force your way in.

You tried a third time. You were about to yell, ‘Hello? Is anyone home?’, but the door slowly opened.

From behind it, peered out the most beautiful being you’ve ever seen in your life. He was so effortlessly stunning that you forgot why you were there for a second. A tall man with dark hair gave you a quizzical look. 

“Can I help you?” his deep voice vibrated.

“Hi! I have a flower delivery for a Mr. Tom Davis?” you presented an extravagant bouquet of flowers to him.

“Sorry, you have the wrong house. Which is an incredible mistake, as I don’t have any neighbors remotely close by,” the man was still standing cautiously behind the door.

If you couldn’t lure him out, it would be damn near impossible to kill him like this. On the other hand, you weren’t too eager to try and have him invite you in.  

“What really?” you glanced at the address, then dropped your jaw in surprise, “Oh my god, you’re right. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! My first delivery, and I already botched it,” you began to mumble as you turned back to your car.

This was a calculated mistake, of course. This was all a ploy to make you seem naive and vulnerable, just in a more innocent way than you’re used to. 

“Do you need help with directions?” the man called out to you. You smiled, this is just what you’d been waiting for. If you could just catch him off guard, you could easily lop off his head with the silver short sword hidden in your jacket. 

“That would be awesome!” you spun around happily. 

You walked back up the steps and approached him before he held his hand out.

“Stop right there,” he commanded.

You froze still in your tracks. He wasn’t using any magic, but his sudden request was unexpected. 

“Can you hand me the delivery papers from there please?” he asked, avoiding eye contact, “Sorry, I’m not good around strangers.”

You wordlessly handed him the papers. You were dumbfounded. Vampires were the masters of suave and the epitome of seduction. This man gave off no such presence. Other than his otherworldly attractiveness and subtly powerful aura, you never would have pinned him as a vampire.

You quickly put yourself back on high alert. Maybe that was his plan. Maybe he was a more passive vampire. Those were rare, but still a possibility. 

“If I’m not mistaken, I think you took a right instead of a left at the crossroads that led you here,” he said quietly as he held out the papers for you. 

Now you were flabbergasted. You took back the papers, but awkwardly lingered on his front porch. How would you come back? You couldn’t use a delivery excuse again, that would make him even more suspicious. Your mind raced as you thought of something to say or do.

“Those flowers are beautiful,” he observed.

“Oh these? Yeah I guess. Flowers are supposed to be pretty, aren’t they?” you laughed nervously. What was he trying to do?

“Yes, they are pretty externally, as are most things in life. But I think their true beauty lies within their intent,” he slightly opened the door wider, revealing half of his body.

“These flowers have intent?” you asked, genuinely curious.

“For example, this Mr. Tom Davis either loves his partner a lot, or whoever is sending these to him loves him a lot,” he gestured towards the bouquet, “A mixture of orchids and wax flowers is a nice way to express a lasting love, patience, and sometimes even lasting wealth.”

“These flowers say that much?” you were amused.

“Only to those who listen, I suppose,” he seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

“I wish I knew as much about flowers as you. I don’t know jackshit about them, and I was just bequeathed an entire flower shop,” you sighed. You hoped he would take the bait and prolong the conversation. 

“You own a flower shop?” his face lit up for an instant before his features returned to a more somber state, “And, I’m sorry for your loss.”

 He almost had a cute boyish charm about him. His condolences seemed sincere, not at all like the false statements you were used to being fed by his kind.

“Well, I guess I do now. I have no idea how to run it, so I’m kind of freaking out about it. I have all these orders but I’m not even a certified florist. Oh, and thanks,” you shrugged, hoping to give off the illusion of helplessness.

“I don’t mean to overstep any boundaries, but maybe I could be of assistance?” he offered, his eyes finally meeting yours.

Something happened at that moment. You felt a pang in your chest as soon as your eyes met. Those weren’t the eyes of a hungry predator. Instead, you saw only kindness and maybe something else that you couldn’t quite place. Maybe Yoongi was wrong, maybe this wasn’t the right target.

“Are you sure about that? I don’t want to overwhelm you,” you took a step closer.

“It may be a nice change of pace for me. I don’t socialize much these days,” he chuckled. Seeing him smile made your heart skip a beat. It was so wholesome. Part of you thought you saw a flash of a fang, but another part of you wanted to deny it. 

“Well, you would be more than welcome to come visit my shop! I promise I won't bite,” you winked at him, extending your hand.

You noticed that his smile faltered at the mention of biting, but he quickly dispelled his observable unease. He slowly reached his hand out to meet yours. You prepared yourself for the worst, as he might yank you into his home with enough force to pop your arm out of its socket. 

Instead, you were met with a firm handshake. You gave him the name of your flower shop and politely excused yourself. He shut the door as soon as you were off the porch, but you still felt his eyes on you.

You got back into the car and stared at your hand. There was no doubt about it. His hand was just as cold as every other vampire you’ve encountered. It wasn’t the type of cold you could blame on poor blood circulation. No, it was the undead type of cold. 

As you drove back to your cottage, you admonished yourself. Why did you feel disappointed that it actually was the target? You should rejoice. You can avenge your parents (not that that really mattered to you). You’re a step closer to getting this job done and going home.

But you couldn’t quite decipher what you felt. You felt as if you had a genuine interaction with him. God knows how long its been since you’ve actually gotten to be yourself. You always had a role to play. 

Even though you almost fell for his stupid smile, you couldn’t detect a hint of magic. Nothing he said was laced with magical words of persuasion. There was no shroud of alluring lust that you could feel. 

You plopped onto your bed. You needed to focus. 

‘All you gotta do is kill the target. Easy peasy,’ you thought to yourself.

You figured you should do your routine check in call. Yoongi was probably worrying himself sick. Usually calls are spaced out every few days, but a call on the first day would ease Yoongi’s nerves.

“Hello?” Yoongi picked up after the first ring.

“Hey Yoongi,” you greeted him. Usually he doesn’t answer these calls, but this job was an exception.

“Thank god you’re okay. How did it go? Did you kill him?” he asked eagerly.

“No, I didn’t have an opening,” you sighed.

“How are you going to meet him again? Don’t tell me you tried to seduce him…”

“No, I did not. Stop assuming that! He has a weird appreciation for flowers, so I told him he can come by the shop. I don’t know why you gave me a florist alibi, but it worked out perfectly.”

“Honestly, I don’t know either. The alcohol mixed with sleep deprivation had me thinking funny things,” Yoongi admitted, “Either way, I’m glad you’re safe. What was he like?”

“He was...nice?”

“...nice? Did you just call the monster that murdered your parents nice?” Yoongi asked in disbelief.

“I don’t know how else to put it. He was weird. He didn’t act like a stereotypical vampire. He didn’t use any form of magic. He was oddly shy. I even began to doubt he was the target until I shook his hand. His hand was eerily cold, so he’s undead for sure,” you explained.

“Sounds like a peculiar case. If you run into trouble, call my personal line, got it?” Yoongi ordered.

“Yes sir,” you affirmed before hanging up. 

The next day, you headed to the flower shop that the VEC had set up for you. It was a quaint shop that looked like it had been part of the local town for years. Another impossible feat achieved by the VEC. The town itself was quiet. It was mostly full of elderly folks whose family had moved on to bigger cities. 

The shop was filled with flowers of every color. A myriad of different species were spread across the interior. You sneezed the second you walked in. Good grief, this place was gonna have your allergies fuck you up. 

A pile of papers were piled up on the front counter. Upon examination, you groaned. Yoongi is SUCH a bastard. He actually gave you flower arrangement orders that needed to be fulfilled. 

‘It will help with the authenticity of the shop! Every order has already been prepaid so you have to make them. Have fun~’ he wrote in his instructions. 

“You fuckin piece of--” you were cut off when you heard the front door chime.

“Hi! Welcome in,” you exclaimed quickly as you turned around.

An elderly couple had entered the store. They kindly greeted you, saying they thought it looked so pretty from the outside that they had no choice but to come in. 

You watched them from behind the counter. You were oddly moved by how sweet they were to each other. They held hands the entire time. The man smiled fondly whenever the woman pointed out a pretty flower. They laughed together as they strolled through the store.

You felt as if you were invading their privacy somehow, but what else were you supposed to do? They were your only customers, so you had to pay attention to them.

Soon your attention turned towards the front door. Would your target actually show up? Vampires are creatures of pride, so they aren’t ones to break a promise. However, this one was different. Maybe he won’t keep his word. That would suck. It would make approaching him even harder.

The old couple shuffled over to the counter with a dozen roses in hand. Together, they had 6 white roses and 6 red roses. 

“Would that be all?” you ask with a smile.

“Yes ma’am,” the man replied, handing you money.

“Call me old fashioned, but roses are my favorite flowers,” the woman said to you.

“They’re my favorite too, a classic can never go wrong,” you reply happily.

“Do you know why this bouquet is special?” she asked you. 

“Please enlighten me, you say, leaning over the counter.

“Red and white roses together symbolize unity. I’m so happy I was able to find unity with my soulmate,” the man answered, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.

“Oh stop, you sap! The poor girl doesn’t care about old farts who are in love,” the woman playfully slapped his arm.

“I think it’s incredibly sweet. I’m happy for you two. Please enjoy the flowers!” you bow to them.

“Don’t worry dear, you’ll find your own soulmate too!” the woman called out to you as they left the store. 

After they had left, the store quieted down. Your only company was your own thoughts.

Soulmate? Love? It’s not that you didn’t believe in that stuff, it’s more like you didn’t believe that stuff was for you. Your line of work was extremely dangerous. Any hypothetical loved one of yours would constantly be in harm's way. 

By the end of the day, you managed to finish 2 extravagant bouquets. The town’s post office was more than happy to deliver your finished products. It appeared that they didn’t get much work nowadays. 

This became your routine for the next few days. An entire week had passed, and there had been no sign of your target. Patience wearing thin, you began to think of another excuse to go to his house. Hopefully this time, he would be less cautious. Rain poured outside as if to mimic your growing anxieties. 

You had grown strangely fond of the flower shop. Being among the pretty flowers was calming. Putting arrangements together was a new challenge that you’ve never faced before. It was, perhaps, the most peaceful time you’ve had in your life. It was almost as if you were living a normal life. 

The front door chimed, and you automatically called out a greeting to the potential customer. You weren’t answered. That didn’t really bother you though, as you were engrossed in reading the day’s arrangement orders. How the hell did Yoongi get so many?

“Hello again,” a familiar deep voice disrupted your focus.

You looked up and once again faced the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen. He had finally arrived. He looked less cautious than before, but still nervous nonetheless. 

“You actually came!” you exclaimed, you couldn’t tell if the excitement was genuine or not.

“I always keep my promises. I’m sorry it took awhile for me to get here. I had to wait for...uh…” his voice trailed off.

“For?”

“The weather.”

“The weather?”

“It’s easier to travel in gloomier weather. Preferably rainy,” he answered concisely.

“That’s odd,” you noted. Of course, you knew the reason why. Sunlight would instantly kill him.

“I suppose I’m rather odd,” he glanced around the shop, “You have a wonderful set of flora here.”

“Thank you! I can’t really take the credit. I just sell them, not grow them,” you say bashfully.

“But it takes a keen eye to pick the best ones,” he replied, examining the flowers closely.

“Everything was here when I arrived. I’ve just been selling and making shitty arrangements,” you slowly crept towards him. 

Now was your chance. You could land a fatal blow while the weirdo gawked at flowers.

“You’re making arrangements?” he whipped around to face you with inhuman speed. You couldn’t help but jump back.

“Yeah! I have a ton to go through. I had no idea this place was so popular,” you say quickly, trying to act natural. He was too unpredictable to do anything rash. 

“Do you need help with those?” he asked.

“Actually...if you don’t mind…” you gestured towards the huge stack of papers on the counter, “Maybe if you can give me some tips, I can make them faster! And hopefully they’ll turn out prettier.”

“Sure,” he nodded. 

The rest of the day was spent making arrangements together. He had a talent for picking the perfect flowers and giving them the perfect placements. You were in awe. Was this a secret vampire power? Or was this guy just weirdly into flowers?

“Hey, I never got your name,” you say. You realized you had only labeled him as “the target” in your head. 

“Ah, yes. I’m Taehyung. Kim Taehyung,” he gave you a shy smile, slowly extending his hand to you, just as you did to him during your first encounter.

“Pleasure to meet you, Taehyung! I’m ___,” you replied, giving him a firm handshake.

Taehyung went back to arranging flowers, but you froze in your place. Your eyes grew wide in shock. Your jaw silently dropped. It was a good thing Taehyung couldn’t see your face, or else he’d think something was wrong.

Which there was. Something was definitely wrong. How could you be so stupid?!? You gave him your name. Your real name. One of the most important rules about vampire hunting is to keep yourself as anonymous as possible. Vampire hunters are excellent liars. And you usually were as well. You’ve never slipped up like this before. Was he charming you somehow? You couldn’t detect a hint of magic anywhere. 

“___? ___ did you hear me?” Taehyung waved his hand in front of you.

You snapped back to reality.

“Sorry, I guess I zoned out for a second. What did you say?” you gave him an apologetic smile. Not only did you give him your real name, you also just zoned out in front of an extremely dangerous vampire. What the hell is wrong with you today?

“I asked which flower embodies you the most,” he said.

“What? Like personality wise?” you couldn’t help but chuckle, “That’s a weird question. Are you a walking Buzzfeed quiz?”

“Buzzfeed? What is that?” Taehyung looked confused.

“It’s a news company. Or an entertainment company? They basically write clickbait articles. But they also have personality quizzes for literally anything. But wait, what kind of flower would I be? I don’t know,” you answered him.

“Why don’t you know?” he asked innocently.

“Because I’ve never been asked that before?” you were genuinely amused by this guy, “But I guess I’ll humor you. Let’s say I’m a rose.”

“Why a rose?”

“Cuz I’m beautiful, duh. And I can be thorny if you’re not careful,” you winked. 

Taehyung seemed to seriously mull over your answer. It was silent for the next few minutes. You meant to come off as playful, but maybe he took you seriously? You couldn’t figure him out at all.

“I don’t think that was a sincere answer,” Taehyung finally said.

“Pardon?”

“I don’t think that was a sincere answer,” Taehyung repeated, “I think you just said you’re a rose because you don’t know many other flowers.”

“Alright, which flower do you think I am then?” you asked, now slightly annoyed. 

You were taken aback by how odd this vampire was. He was much too pensive. Too thoughtful. Not once did you feel any lust or hunger in his aura the entire time he’s been in your presence. Not even when you were at his mansion. 

“I can’t answer that,” he replied as he tied a ribbon around a finished vase.

“Why not?” you inquired, taking the vase from him.

“I don’t know you. I can’t make an accurate judgement,” he shrugged.

You couldn’t believe him. Any other vampire would have said something charming. They would have picked a pretty flower to ‘compare to your beauty’. It was the perfect question to show off their charisma. 

“Which flower do you think you are, then?” you asked. 

“Belladonna,” he answered without skipping a beat, “Which is also known as deadly nightshade.”

“And why are you a deadly nightshade?”

“You would understand if you knew me,” he stopped what he was doing to look you in the eyes.

His gaze was piercing. He was an enigma that you became determined to solve. Everything about him was intriguing. 

“Is that a threat? Or a flirtation?” you questioned, amused.

“Which do you want it to be?”

“Preferably not a threat.”

“Then take it as a flirtation.”

“Well now that just seems disingenuous.” 

Taehyung laughed. It was a real, hearty laugh. His deep laughter echoed around the room. You joined in his laughter. You were actually enjoying yourself. To be quite honest, your guard was completely down. You trusted him. You actually wanted to befriend him.

Closing time had rolled around. By some miracle (which was Taehyung) you managed to get through half the stack of orders. Finished bouquets were scattered across the shop. You profusely thanked Taehyung for all his help.

“All of these are so beautiful! I really could not have done it without you. I feel bad for my previous orders now…” you realized that your bouquets were hideous compared to Taehyung’s.

“I can come help you finish the rest of your orders tomorrow, if you’d like,” he offered.

“Are you sure? I can’t pay you for all your help just yet,” you paused to think if you should offer to hire him.

“Don’t worry about that. Money is not a concern for me. I genuinely would like to help you. At first, it was because of my appreciation for nature. After today, I think I actually enjoy your company,” he smiled.

“Wow, you actually enjoy my company? I’m flattered,” you rolled your eyes, but couldn’t contain your smile. 

“You should be, I generally don’t like company,” Taehyung leaned in to close the space between you two. 

He was now extremely close. His face just inches away from yours. You could smell his cologne, the scent made him even more alluring. You caught yourself slowly leaning closer to him. You instantly snapped yourself out of his spell.

Pulling back, you looked around the room. You couldn’t find it in you to meet his gaze, even though you felt his eyes on you. You were surprised once you realized that there was still no hint of any magic. What had just happened?

“God, there’s a lot of vases I gotta carry to the post office,” you say after clearing your throat.

“I can help,” Taehyung replied, already beginning to gather up vases.

“You don’t have to! You’ve already helped a bunch today. There’s a cart around back that I can use,” you didn’t understand why you were getting so flustered.

“Please allow me to help you, ___. I’m stronger than I look,” Taehyung gave you a reassuring smile. Of course he was. 

“If you insist. I’ll go get the cart,” you happily fetched the cart.

What is this feeling? Were you actually enjoying yourself? You completely forgot that you had to eventually kill him until you were outside by yourself. The thought disappointed you. You quickly shook your head. This monster killed your parents. He’s a monster. A bloodsucker. A beast that must be slain. 

Even knowing that, why did you feel so conflicted? Your time with him today was surprisingly enjoyable. He was so unpredictable. Your sparse conversations felt natural, as if he really just wanted to get to know you. 

Taehyung helped you load up all of the vases onto the cart. He even pulled the cart for you, accompanying you to the post office. The trip was mostly done in silence. Every time you tried to spark a conversation, he would reply curtly, not giving you much to work with. It was rather peculiar for a vampire to be quiet or shy. 

He walked you back to the flower shop after the deliveries were dropped off. You both lingered in front of the entrance, not really knowing what to say.

“So, you’ll swing by tomorrow?” you asked quietly.

“If that’s okay with you, yes. I’d like to make bouquets tomorrow too,” Taehyung nodded earnestly. 

“That’s 100% good with me. I’ll see you tomorrow!” you wave at him before turning towards the shop door.

“___--”

“Yes?” you turn around.

“I--nevermind. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Taehyung awkwardly bowed before departing.

His weird standoffish tendencies never failed to entertain you. It somehow added more charm to accompany his handsome face. 

You lay in bed later that night, recounting the events of the day. 

Did you enjoy hanging out with Taehyung today? Yes, more so than you could’ve imagined.

Did you have the opportunity to kill Taehyung today? Yes, multiple if you were willing to take risks (which you usually were).

Why didn’t you take a risk? You weren’t sure. It wasn’t that you were trying to be cautious, in fact, you were very careless the entire day. 

Did you catch yourself almost trying to kiss him? Yes.

Hopefully he didn’t notice that last part. You tried to play it off as soon as you realized what you were doing. 

You pulled out your phone to call Yoongi for a second mission check in.

“Hello?” Yoongi answered.

“Sup Yoongi,” you greeted him casually.

“Did you kill the target yet?”

“No, but he came into the shop. He didn’t let his guard down the whole day.”

“The whole day? Was he in the shop all day?” Yoongi sounded confused.

“Yeah, he helped me make bouquets--”

“He WHAT?!?” Yoongi yelled.

“Calm down. He actually helped me get through a shit ton of your stupid orders--”

“You’re telling me that the bouquets I ordered for victims families’ were made BY a vampire? God, you gotta be shitting me, ___,” Yoongi grumbled.

“I think I have to play the long game with this one. He’s too unpredictable for me to land a fatal blow in one strike,” you explained.

“Be careful, ___. I’m glad he didn’t attack you today. Kill him as soon as possible. Then you can come home, and your parents will be avenged,” Yoongi said before hanging up.

Yoongi’s final words swam around in your head before you fell asleep. 

Published October 2nd, 2020. No editing, copying, translating, or reposting allowed. All Rights Reserved © 2020 Baepsaesbae.

#bts smut #kim namjoon smut #kim taehyung smut #bangtanarmynet #btswritingcafe #bangtanshadowfamily #ksmutclub #vampire bts #taehyung fanfic #kim taehyung x reader #kpop fanfic #bts angst #bts comedy #taehyung angst #namjoon angst #vampire taehyung #vampire namjoon #bayanihanboost

[deadlyflan]

Figuring out the OCs from an as-yet-unpublished TMNT fanfic. Come meet my AU.

October 1 - Journey - 1,635 words. Donatello. Helen. Rated G.

A formal knock and a nervous voice pulled Donatello from his work in the barn.

“May I come in?” It was one of the girls. Well, probably all of the girls. They didn’t go anywhere without one another even now. The side door on the barn stayed shut. They were legitimately waiting for permission.

“Come on in.” Donatello turned off the propane to his blowtorch. He wouldn’t be shaping sheet metal or piping while the girls were in the barn. A ringing hammer would kill the conversation. He pushed back his goggles and peeled off his homemade workman’s gloves. Stepping around the beginnings of his geothermal heating system, he wiped his brow with the edge of his canvas apron and pulled up in surprise. It was just Helen.

“Helen? Is something wrong?” Donatello snagged his bo staff, ready to take off towards the farm house immediately.

“No.” The turtle woman toyed miserably with the edge of her oversized sweatshirt. “Yes. But no.” Her bald head alternately shook and nodded; the faint striping on her cheeks contorted with her distress.

“Okay.” Donatello spun through a quick assessment. She wasn’t out of breath, so she hadn’t run down to the barn. But she was at the barn alone—Helen and her sisters were never alone. It absolutely terrified them. Some more than others, but still, they had to be line of sight with another sister or there was crying. Speaking of crying, Helen had started sniffling. Okay, something was wrong. “Here, pull up a seat.”

Helen scrubbed her face on her sleeve viscously and slunk over to one of his pair of work stools.

Donatello hopped up on his own and waited for her.

Her boot raised and lowered a few times in confusion and she scowled at the stool.

He realized the problem pretty quickly. “If you spin the seat clockwise, it should lower.”

None of the girls were athletic or even very coordinated. Yet another holdover from being raised in a laboratory: not much in the way of sports education. Add in Helen’s petite frame? She might be five foot in her boots. Maybe.

Still, he wasn’t Michelangelo, to go lifting and moving the girls like they were children. That wouldn’t help them. They were adults. They deserved the respect of equals. Everything was an opportunity to learn and Donatello had always learned best by doing.

Several squeaky revolutions later, Helen had hauled herself up onto the stool. She huffed and picked at the loose bolts on his work bench.

“You came down to the barn by yourself?” Donatello wanted to take the opportunity to praise her—encourage her, anyways. Independence was a horribly difficult thing to learn as a 19 year old. She deserved to celebrate the big steps.

She stared back at him and her beautiful face smushed up like a green tomato. “They were so mean to me!!” She sucked in a huge gulp of air and quickly shook her head. “No. No. They weren’t mean. They weren’t mean. They’re good girls! We’re good—They were—they just didn’t listen to me!” She tried to pull her knees up to her chest, felt the stool wobble and gripped the work table. She hunched over and pulled her sweatshirt down over her knees instead. “Th-They always lis-sten to me!”

Ah. Sister dynamics. Remarkably similar to brother dynamics, but distorted by their lifetime in captivity. Donatello picked his words carefully. “What did they not want to listen about?”

“They didn’t want to take a bath at b-bath time.” Helen’s face read of utter betrayal. The schedule was sacred. “M-Michelamj—My.Kell.Angie. MICHEAL. AN. JELLO,” she staggered through his full name, and somehow still made it sound contemptible. “He said we were going to get dirty in--in--in the kitchen anyways and should bathe afterwards! Even Dinah agreed!” Oh, that must have been a blow to her ego. Dinah never disagreed with the schedule or with Helen.

Donatello bit his lower lip. This was wonderfully low stakes. No one was bleeding. The world wasn’t ending. He knew she didn’t think this was funny. He wasn’t going to laugh at her. She was genuinely upset. Relief was already flooding through him, though, and she was still crying. Terribly unfair of him, really.

She stared at him, waiting for him to agree that Mikey’s plan was obviously madness. “Who w-wants a bunch of d-dirty turtles handling the food?!”

“I’m sure he had everyone wash their hands, Helen.” Donatello fought the corners of his mouth. He would not smile.

“I know! I know! But if we wait to shower, w-we’ll use all the hot water when you all need it for your sh-showers after practice!" She bounced her fist on the work table. "And I-I h-had t-treats for them,” she started strong, but trailed off in a mumble because she wasn’t supposed to be stashing food ‘treats’ for her sisters outside of the kitchen. It brought ants. And mice.

Donatello bit back a sigh and let the ‘treats’ pass. He and his brothers had had food caches all over the place when they were younger and food was harder to come by. It was habit that came with food insecurity and fear for the next meal. Not something that could be undone overnight. Really, Helen had been doing better. Or hiding it better. But trust had to go two ways, so, as far as he knew, she had been doing better.

“So, if I understand correctly, you came down here to the barn, by yourself, because your sisters listened to Michelangelo’s suggestion that they postpone bath time until after they made a mess of themselves and the kitchen?”

Helen nodded and wiped her face on her sleeve again.

“Did you take a bath on your own, then? Since they chose not to bathe right away?”

“No! I don’t want to take a bath alone!! I don’t want to be alone!” She sat up straight, popping her knees back out from under the sweatshirt.

Donatello held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “But you walked down here. By yourself. Alone.” He watched understanding dawn on her features. They smoothed out as her mouth opened and her brows rose. “That was a brave choice.”

Helen blinked at him owlishly, her giant honey-brown eyes, rimmed in red from crying. She sniffed to clear congestion from her nose. “I…?”

“Chose. You chose to come down here on your own.” Donatello let himself smile a little.

“Like how my sisters chose to listen to Michealanjello?” She frowned and pulled her sleeves down over her hands.

Donatello shrugged, but didn’t contradict her.

“This is. This is what April and Master Splinter were talking about, isn’t it?” She almost whispered as she put the pieces together. “Learning to make decisions?” She swallowed thickly. “I thought it was a weird thing to talk about. We answer questions and make decisions all the time. But they meant. … decisions by— or for— or alone. Ourselves.” She considered the revelation with a pensive flick at the bolts on his table. “I … I don’t like it.”

Not what he’d been expecting to hear. “Don’t like it?”

“They chose Michealanjello over me! I don’t like it!” Helen’s light yellow stripes bunched righteously between her brows. She deflated. “I chose you over them, though. I. I left them behind.”

“Hmm. I think it’s not quite that dire, Helen. Mikey’s suggestion was solid. I’ve seen what he kind of a mess he can make in a kitchen. And, for what it’s worth, there would be plenty of time for the hot water to refill before after-practice showers. Though it was nice of you to think of us.” Donatello took a shot in the dark. “I would bet your sisters didn’t know about the treats?”

She wouldn’t make eye contact.

“Right. So they made their best judgement based on what they knew. That isn’t choosing one person over another.” He swiveled a little and eyed the geothermal heater panel to gauge where he had left off. “They probably miss having you up there. Michelangelo too.” Even if she kept getting his name wrong, or maybe because she kept getting his name wrong, his brother adored having Helen around.

“But I’m here. Away from them. By choice.” Helen’s eyes filled up again, but the pending tears were guilty. She’d abandoned them.

Donatello cocked his head to the side. “It can be helpful to get away from siblings sometimes. Vent your feelings a bit. Talk about what’s bothering you. You can always go back when you feel better. I don’t think you chose me over them so much as you chose not to be upset directly at them while you were keyed up. That’s still a good sister thing to do.”

He could see a few places on the metal where he got the angles wrong. He would have to reheat those elements and shape them correctly before he went much further.

Helen sat in silence on the stool for while before sliding off. She closed the distance between them and gripped his forearm just before he could pull on his working glove. Her three fingers squeezed a light staccato pattern on his skin. One of the girls’ silent signals, but Donatello didn’t know this one. The girls rarely used their secret language overtly, and Donatello swallowed with a the sudden knot of implied trust tightening his chest. That had meant something, hadn’t it?

“Thank you.” She let go. “I choose to go back to the house.” Her delicate chin rose with determination and she smiled just enough for her dimples to peek at him. Those dimples were criminally unfair. No wonder Mike put up with her butchering his name.

“Alone?” he asked.

Helen hesitated, but took a deep breath and confidently stated, “Yes.”

After the barn was quiet, he found himself wishing he’d chosen to go with her.

~~~end scene~~~

@oc-growth-and-development

More about this AU tagged #tmnt chain reaction

#oc-tober #prompt list #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #tmnt chain reaction #tmnt donatello #tmnt oc #tmnt au #donatello #helen #sisters #siblings #found family #tmnt fic #trauma recovery #feelings are complicated #codepency #down on the farm

[lumosinlove]

Sweater Weather

(Some Notes: NHL All-Star game is when players from different teams are voted to play for their division. It’s a weekend of good press, skills competitions (like hardest shot, fastest player, best at puck-handling (which is what having “soft hands” means) and then three-on-three games of hockey rather than five-on-five. Lots of players don’t like going because 1. it sucks if you get injured in something so low-stakes, and 2. if you don’t get picked you get time off which is really nice mid-season. Another note, hockey players in the NHL use visors (just covers your eyes), while college players have to use a bubble (like plastic over your face) or a cage (bars over your full face).

Chapter xii

Remus woke up the morning of family skate to the NHL All-Star teams being announced, along with the captains. Sirius was captaining the Metropolitan Division, and Logan was going with him, while Snape was captaining the Atlantic Division. Regulus was going, too. Go figure. Remus stared down at the article on his phone, unable to decide if he was more elated for Sirius or nervous for him.

Sirius beat him to the punch with a short text that read, here we go.

It’s just bye week and all-star, Remus typed back. He’d let Sirius bring up his brother if he wanted to.

Fucking skills competition, Sirius replied instead.

Remus laughed. As if you don’t have the softest hands out there. You’ll beat Patrick Kane to the ground.

Sirius’ response was a string of heart emojis, plus a few suggestive hand symbols. Remus smiled at his phone until his mom finally emerged from the spare bedroom, ready to head to the rink.

Remus rubbed his finger over the face of his watch nervously as he walked into the locker room with Julian and his parents, although he wasn’t sure it was just nerves. There was a part of him, with his skates slung over his shoulder by their tied laces, that itched to prove himself. The other side of him, neck hot with nerves, was stuck in the past, swelling with feelings that were hard to kick.

“Hey, Loops,” Logan said. He was surrounded by three girls, also lacing up—expertly so, if Remus had to guess. His sisters he had mentioned last night.

It was the morning after the Christmas party and Logan looked a little rough around the edges.

“Hey, Tremzy,” Remus replied as lightly as he could while regarding Logan’s slightly red eyes. “Congrats on the All-Star. You okay?”

One of the girls looked over at him with sad eyes, then at Remus. The look was a little like a question, a request.

Logan didn’t really look okay.

“Yeah. And thanks. I mean, not sure it beats having time off but…” Logan grinned, then his eyes went to Remus’ shoulder. “Shit, you skating today?”

Remus laughed nervously. “Um. I mean, it is family skate.”

“Joining the pick up game?”

“Oh,” Remus began.

“C’mon, Loops,” Logan stood, a little taller in his skates. “My sisters are playing, too.”

“Your sisters,” one of the girls said, punching him in the thigh. “Are professional ice hockey players. At least two of us are. Maybe mention that.”

Logan looked down at her with eyes that turned fond in a way Remus had never really seen them. He said something in French that Remus didn’t quite catch, but his sister stood up with a coo and hugged him, calling him baby brother in French. Logan scowled but returned the hug. The other two dog piled around them, and Remus laughed. Even if something was wrong, Remus was glad Logan had those three.

“Remus, Remus, Remus,” Julian said, eyes gazing around the locker room. “Where do I sit?”

“Oh, um,” Remus glanced around the room for Sirius, but didn’t see him yet. “Here, Jules, let’s just…”

“He can have my seat.”

Remus looked up to see James smiling down at Julian.

Julian gave a little jump. “Really?”

“Sure thing, bud,” James motioned over to his stall. “All yours.”

Remus smiled at James in thanks and followed Julian who was already seated and petting the walls like they were a holy relic. He was in his BLACK jersey again, and Remus knelt in front of him to lace his skates for him.

“That’ll be our baby, soon,” Remus heard James whisper to Lily from behind him.

Lily made an excited noise. “I love you, Potter.”

He must have leaned down to kiss her because Logan shouted from his stall.

“Mon dieu, get a room!”

James just wrapped Lily up in his arms. “Family skate is for kissing.”

The Dumais kids ewed.

Remus laughed, his entire body feeling warm from the mood of the locker room. He’d never brought anyone to family skate before, and it made it all the better to have his dad kneeling near by to tie his mom’s skates, and Julian kicking excitedly in front of him as Remus tied his.

Julian was up and messing around with the other kids, Remus having taken his place in James’ stall to get his own skates on, when Sirius finally walked in. He was greeted by Celeste and the Dumais kids first, Celeste kissing him on the cheek and the kids wrapping around his legs like octopi. There was hollering about the All-Star game. Evgeni slapped Sirius on the back, grinning.

“Why you always Captain, hm? You too young.”

“He’s the best Captain!” Marc Dumais shouted, pressing his cheek to Sirius’ thigh.

Remus watched Sirius ruffle the kids’ hair, swatting at Evgeni. Sirius looked refreshed and happy, smiling and switching easily from French to English. Then, Sirius looked up at him. Remus gave him a little nod as he pulled the laces tight on his skates. Sirius’ eyes flicked down to them, and he grinned.

“Gearin’ up, Lupin?”

“You’re late,” Remus smiled.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, and then moved his eyes to Julian, ruffling his hair. “Ça va, Jules? Got your skates on, helmet, pads, jersey. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re ready for a game.”

“I am!” Julian said, eyes bright through the cage on his helmet.

The locker room was nice and crowded, rowdy with families. Remus looked around to see Sirius walk up to his parents with Julian in toe. He shook his dad’s hand and leaned in to kiss his mom gently on both cheeks. Remus laughed when he saw her blush. Remus tied off his skate and walked over there, if only to hear what Sirius possibly could be talking to his parents about.

“Re,” Julian said immediately. “Sirius wants you to play the pickup game!”

Remus kept his smile in place, and looked right at his mother, begging her silently with his eyes not to say anything. But her face was already a worried frown, like they had been talking about it. It didn’t sound like she’d said anything to Sirius though. His father was studying his face carefully.

“You’ll skate with us, right, Re?” Julian pleaded again, tapping his arm with his small gloves.

“Yeah, right, Re?” Sirius grinned, oblivious.

“Please, Remus, please, please,” Julian begged.

Hope began to step forward, her face nervous. “Julian, sweetheart, you know your brother—”

“I’ll skate,” Remus said quickly, with a smile. He took a breath and gave his mom a firm nod. “Of course, I’ll skate.”

Sirius didn’t look as happy as Remus thought he would. He had a soft smile on his face, but his eyes were trained on Remus’, like he was looking for something. “Hey,” he finally said, kicking his sneaker against Remus’ skate. “You have a stick?”

“Not with me,” Remus said, sensing Sirius’ way to get Remus alone.

Sirius narrowed his eyes playfully, then turned to Julian and his parents. “We will be right back.” He began walking before Remus could say anything and, heart in his throat, Remus followed.

Sirius led him into the equipment room where the racks of the different boys sticks were there to choose from.

“Re,” Sirius said the second they were alone. He glanced towards the open door, voice low. He looked unsure and even worried. “I don’t know…Look, your mom seemed a little…” Sirius sighed and re-started his sentence again. “I don’t know what exactly happened, but if it’s something about skating, I don’t want to force anything on you. I know I joke about it, but I don’t want to cross any lines. Ever. I want you to have fun, and if it isn’t, then…I mean, I don’t know, you said you still skate, I just thought…”

“Sirius, hey, hey,” Remus pressed a hand to his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I…my mom gets like that. It’s just…” Remus took a breath. “All it is is hold-over from when I was really torn up about having to stop. I just…I haven’t played, really played, with other people since. Unless you count seven year olds in the summers.”

Sirius worried his lower lip for a minute. “But…do you want to?”

“Yes,” Remus said, and realized it was the complete truth. “I want to.”

“You’re sure. Remus, tell me. You said to me that I can be open, and that goes for you, too.”

Remus felt a small twinge of guilt pass through him. Sirius looked so honest, ready for anything Remus could say. But Remus nodded. He was sure about this, about today.

“As long as you don’t mind me kicking your ass,” Remus said with a smile.

Sirius’ eyes lit up, then motioned towards the stick wall. “Pick one. I know you have a favorite.”

Remus suppressed a smile. “Bet you can’t guess who’s stick I prefer.”

Sirius laughed loudly at the joke, shoving Remus a little bit. It was a friendlier, more distanced reaction than he would have had behind closed doors, but Remus enjoyed it anyway. He could feel the warmth in it.

Remus kept his eyes on Sirius as, slowly, he reached forward and took James’ stick off the rack.

Sirius’ face dropped. “Really? You play with that little flex?”

Remus looked at him innocently, propping his chin on his hands over the top of the stick. “James’ blade has a nice curve.”

Sirius groaned out a laugh, covering his eyes. “Merde. You better not beat me up the ice with that thing.”

Remus only raised an eyebrow.

“Oh,” Sirius laughed. “Cocky, eh?”

Remus shook his head, twirling and testing the stick in his hands. “I’m probably so out of practice.”

Sirius studied his face, smile wide. Then, he jerked his head further into the room. “Come on, you’ll need gear for when we play.”

Remus was carefully assembling shoulder pads and a helmet for himself, Sirius leaning against the wall watching, when Finn appeared with June at his shoulder.

“Hey, Harzy,” Sirius said, then smiled. “June.”

“What’s up, Cap?” Finn said with a smile. “Thought I’d get J some skates before seeing everyone.”

“Family skate status?” Sirius said, then winked at June jokingly. “Really got him, eh?”

June laughed, messing up Finn’s red hair. “He’s a keeper for sure.”

They all talked some while Remus set his gear aside for after the little kids skated, and Finn found June a pair of skates that fit alright. When they started to head back to the locker room, Remus held Sirius back a moment.

“Okay, don’t think I’m weird,” Remus whispered. “But just, can you watch Logan’s face when we go in there and tell me if you see anything?”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “Sure?”

“Watch when Finn walks in. With June.”

Sirius sent him another confused look, but nodded as they followed Finn and June into the locker room.

There were greetings of “Harz!” and lots of chirping about Finn bringing a girl to family skate for the first time. But Remus was busy watching Logan. His head snapped up from where he was talking to Thomas and one of his sisters. His eyes went hard, and he turned fully around. His sister reached out and pressed a brief hand against his back. Like she was comforting him, but she didn’t make a show of it, just kept talking to Thomas.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other and Remus raised an eyebrow.

“Okay,” Sirius said slowly. He obviously still didn’t quite get it.

Remus laughed a little. “We’ll talk about it later.”

There was the chaos of filing the kids out onto the ice, some of the older ones holding up the littler ones. There would probably be a million and one pictures taken. Logan was holding Katie Dumais, spinning her around and making her shriek with laughter. Leo was there, too, at Logan’s side with Marc. They placed the kids between their legs, making them feel like they were skating fast while holding them under their arms. Remus looked for Finn, and found him skating hand-in-hand with June. He glanced at Logan once, but that was all.

“I always like family skate,” Lily said, stopping by his side on the bench. “When a bunch of boys turn into mushy puppies with kids.”

Remus laughed. “Yeah, true. You skating today?”

“Nah, don’t want to fall, you know?” She put her hand on her belly and tilted her head at him. “But I see you are, Remus Lupin, when has that happened before?”

Remus glanced out onto the ice where Sirius already was. He was with Julian, and it looked like they were having some sort of race. They started at center ice and Remus watched as they both took off—Sirius much slower than usual, but making a show of working hard with his arms. He let Julian win, making it seem like a tight race, and sprawled out on the ice at the end by the goal, as if he was exhausted. Remus thought his heart might burst.

“I guess I was convinced,” Remus said, smiling at Lily.

Lily was looking back at him, eyes shining. “Uh-huh.”

Remus raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Lily shrugged her shoulders, holding her cup of hot chocolate close. “Nothing. Black sure is cute out there with your brother, is all.”

“Yeah, he is,” Remus said, then blinked. “It is.”

“Re,” Lily said, turning towards him and looping their arms together.

“Lils.”

“I’m your best friend, okay?”

Remus laughed. “I think I know that.”

Lily looked at him for a long moment, lip between her teeth, and then pressed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Then, just remember it. Sound good?”

Remus nodded slowly. “Okay…”

Lily laughed. “Go, skate, keep James busy before he takes all of the children home with him. He’s worse than Pascal, I swear, it’s like he magnets to babies.”

Remus laughed shuffling down the bench to the door. “Good thing one’s coming his way.”

“Good thing!” Lily raised her cup at him.

Remus smiled, then took a breath. He grabbed James’ stick that he had cut down a little for himself, and he stepped out onto the ice.

He hadn’t realized how much he had missed skating with other people. He went out onto the ice sometimes, before the zamboni came to smooth it out for practice, but he was always alone. He skated over to where Sirius was still chasing Julian around, only now they both had sticks in their hands and Sirius was doing a very good job at letting Julian keep the puck away from him.

“Looking good, Jules,” Remus said, which made Sirius whip his head around. Remus felt Sirius’ eyes drag over every inch of him.

“Re!” Julian shouted, and then passed the puck to him. Remus caught it on his stick easily. He steadied it with a few quick passes of his blade before tapping it over to Sirius, who caught it easily enough save for the expression on his face. He looked intense and dazed, all at once. Not a moment later, he was being circled by Logan, still toting a giggling Katie, and was obliged to look away—but not without a promise that said he would be back. A few of the Weasley boys, Bill and Charlie skated over, too, chasing their younger brother Percy around.

It was chaotic and peaceful. Remus played keep away with Julian, and took a few pictures as Kasey played goalie for him, throwing himself left and right in slow motion.

“What a shot,” Kasey put on his usual stern face, but Remus could see the smile peaking through. Julian ate it up.

“Kase, look here,” Natalie was holding up a camera with her pink, fuzzy mittens, blond hair falling down from beneath her red and gold beanie with the number 30 embroidered on it.

Kasey eyed the camera mistrustfully, but as soon as he looked at Natalie, he smiled.

Sirius didn’t stick close to Remus the entire time, probably trying to avoid suspicion, and Remus saw him pouring hot chocolate for two of Logan’s sisters at one point, and then skating quietly with coach Weasley at another. Remus, from his past of playing hockey, never would have dreamed that family skate would feel just like that. A family.

Children were soon being ushered off the ice by mothers who knew very well that only a tantrum could follow this level of tiredness. Celeste sat on the bench with her children. Some slept immediately, others were all too intent on watching the action on the ice, mainly watching their fathers reemerge from the locker room in full gear—Remus included. Sirius hung back with him.

“You know what I’m thinking,” Sirius said quietly.

Remus looked at him through his helmet’s visor. It was strange, wearing one, after only using a cage all his life. “I think I could guess.”

“I’ll get you on my team,” Sirius said, then tapped Remus’ chest with his glove and pressed their helmets together briefly, before skating out to center ice. It took Remus’ breath away, and he took a moment, in the darker tunnel. He looked down at the Lions jersey he was wearing. It had no name on the back, just an extra that the equipment staff always had lying around, but it felt—real. Remus couldn’t think about it too hard without being pulled down towards everything he had lost. He followed Sirius onto the ice.

“Yo,” Finn called. “Let’s go, hooligans. Alright. Same rules apply. Light checks, nothing ham. No OT, we’ll just tie. Captains, as usual. Sirius. Dumo. Who calls what, gentlemen?”

“Heads,” Sirius said instantly. He always called heads.

Finn tossed the coin, and whistled lowly with a smile. “Tails. Sorry, Black. Pascal, first pick.”

Pascal laughed, tapping his stick against the ice. “I pick Remus.”

Remus knew he must looked about as surprised as he felt, and he couldn’t help laughing at Sirius’ efforts to control his face. Sirius covered himself nicely though, giving Pascal a shove.

“I wanted him on my line.”

“Too bad, you’ll get him on the face-off.”

“I’m really, really,” Remus began as he stopped beside Pascal. “Really not worth arguing about.”

“The puck will speak for us, non?” Pascal grinned.

Sirius took James after that, and then Pascal took Logan, and Sirius took Finn. Pascal called on Leo, and so Kasey went to Sirius. Thomas to Pascal, Olli to Sirius, and so on. It was a funny mismatch of positions and relaxed rules. Remus found himself to the side of Pascal and Sirius, face to face at center ice, quicker than he thought he would.

Finn was at his shoulder, jostling him a little bit. It was familiar, the way boys used to kick at each other’s skates before the whistle blew. It brought back a fire that Remus recognized. He dug his skate blade in and pushed back.

“Oh-ho,” Finn laughed. “Alright, Lupin, alright. Man, got more weight on you than you look, eh?”

Remus smiled at him. “Look alive, O’Hara.”

Moody dropped the puck, and Pascal won it. Remus watched him skate it into their own zone, dropping it back to Thomas, who skirted James, then passed it back to Dumo. Remus scouted around him, feet quick in their well-practiced cross overs.

“Dumo,” he shouted.

The pass connected easily. Remus caught it on his stick and turned to head up the ice, only to be met by Finn again. Remus lifted his left leg, as if he was about to shoot right, and Finn fell for it, diving. Remus pushed off in the other direction, and Finn shouted from his knees.

“What?” Finn scrambled to get back up.

Remus laughed, hearing shouts from the bench.

he hadn’t been sure if he’d remember everything at once, or if it would be a bit of a rusty learning curve. But he felt the stick like it had never left his hands, the weight of the puck a welcomed resistance. He passed it off to Logan who carried it around the goal, battling it out with Finn in the corner. Finn covered his back, pinning him against the boards, while his skate tried to wedge the puck away from him. Remus watched him say something, not catching what it was. Logan’s eyes went wide, and he broke free of Finn, shooting the puck back to Remus at the center line.

Remus was half way into offensive zone when a tap on the back of his shin alerted him to someone else’s presence. He could hear the sound of skates digging into the ice just behind him. It was familiar. He knew it was Sirius by the smooth, nearly seamless way he shifted his weight, completely the opposite of Finn’s more rough digs coming from his left. This was a tactic of Sirius’, coming up from behind. He’d lag along, like a trail, until the last second, where he’d poke check the puck into Finn’s awaiting arms. Remus knew this play well. He’d seen it one hundred times.

Remus pushed his skates, weight in his heels, and braked hard. He heard Sirius let out a surprised shout a second before Remus braced as Sirius collided against his back.

The momentum of his stop let Remus turn on a dime, puck still on his tape, and he was in front of the goal. Kasey was there, on the edge of the blue paint, glove raised. Remus could just see his eyes through his mask.

“What’s up Fruit-Loop,” he shouted.

Remus raised his stick, gave Kasey enough time to stand up, reading for a slap, and then sent it low on the ground. Right between his legs. The goal horn blared.

“Oh my fuck!” Logan shouted, and skated over and slammed into Remus in a hug, patting his helmet and bumping their foreheads together. “Yeah, Loops! Mon dieu.”

“I’m going to be kicked out of the League,” Finn said from one knee, shaking his head at Remus. “What the fuck.”

Pascal laughed as he skated over, wrapping an arm around Remus’ shoulders. “I wish I had bet on you, Remus. I would be a rich man.”

“That’s not,” Kasey began from his goal, patting his posts down like he always did. “That’s not okay.”

“It’s alright, baby!” Natalie shouted from the benches, voice echoing in the rink. She had her head on Lily’s shoulder. “I still love ya.”

“Ha ha,” Kasey yelled back, but he was beginning to smile. He turned around to do it, squirting some water into his mouth.

Remus looked for Sirius. He was standing there, a few strides away, staring at Remus quietly. His eyes were soft and his lips parted. He pushed his helmet straight on his head, the chin strap always too loose, and swallowed.

“Good one, Loops,” he said faintly, and smiled.

Remus didn’t bother to hide the grin of his own. “Thanks.”

“Lupin!” was shouted from the bench. Remus looked, and Coach Weasley waved him over the way he did his players—with one, beckoning finger. Remus felt his heart beat hard as he made his way over to the bench, followed by most of the team.

Coach Weasley stared at Remus, lips parted. “Why did my team medic just steal the puck out from the feet of my star player, Moody?”

Moody laughed gruffly from beside him. “Couldn’t tell you, Coach.”

“Putting the puck…between the legs of my star goalie.”

“Couldn’t tell you, Coach.”

Coach squinted at Remus. “That was a beautiful fake you pulled on Blizzard, there. Is there tape on you, Lupin? From when you were at Wisconsin?”

“Wisconsin?” Thomas shouted. “You’re telling me Loops went to my school and no one told me?” He clicked his tongue with a grin. “The fuck.”

“Um,” Remus laughed nervously. “I mean—yeah. Yeah, there is. Probably. If it’s still around.”

“Fuck me,” Sirius laughed. “I need to see this.”

“Tell me about it,” James shouted. “To the video room, people—”

“No, no, no,” Remus said quickly, glancing at the bench. Julian and his father, thankfully, were well occupied with Lily, but his mother was staring right at him. “Jeez, I’m not that good, I—really, guys. It isn’t worth it. At all. It all ended in a pretty…a pretty bad hit, so.”

That quieted them down. It was each one of their nightmares. One bad hit to end it all.

“Shit, Loops,” Finn said softly. “I’m sorry, man.”

Remus shrugged a shoulder, carefully avoiding looking at Sirius. “It was a long time ago now. Or at least it feels that way. I’ve been working hard, lots of PT to get most of it back but…you know. It’s hard to work your way back up once it all…falls.”

It was quiet for a moment, and Remus was just beginning to work out what to say to break the spell when Sirius spoke up.

“Well, now we know why you’re so good at helping us. You did it yourself,” Sirius smiled and shook his head before tilting his chin towards the ice. “Come on, let’s play.”

Remus caught his eye and sent him a thankful smile, and they skated back out onto the ice.

“Remus,” Pascal came to skate beside him as they made their way back to center ice. “Your face off.”

“What?” Remus choked. “No way.”

“Yes, way.” Pascal smiled and leaned over to tap his helmet to Remus’.

The other boys were moving into position. Sirius and Olli were positioning themselves on either side of Finn, while Thomas and Pascal moved on either side of Remus.

Remus began to move to the circle, leaning forward across from Logan. Then, Sirius skated forward and tapped Finn’s butt with his stick. “Move.”

Finn scoffed. “Why?”

“I’m your Captain.”

“It’s Christmas.”

“Then I’m Jesus, come on, allez.”

Logan cracked up from where he was waiting to drop the puck, and Finn lifted his stick to hit him in the balls—none too lightly.

“Fuck, Fish,” Logan groaned.

“Sorry,” Finn said sweetly, then turned to Sirius. “Fine.”

Remus felt like his heart was in his throat. He kept his eyes steady with Sirius’ as Sirius held his stick low across his body, bending down for the face-off. His hair fell across his forehead, and his eyes, usually steady on the ice, were playful.

“Hi,” Sirius said.

Remus swallowed. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Logan butted in, waving the puck. “Mes amies, come on.”

“Ma-is am-i-es,” Finn grumbled.

“Never speak my language again,” Logan said.

“I’ll leave that to you, eh, Fleur-de-lis?” Finn grinned at him.

Logan didn’t look at him, going quiet and turning back to the puck.

Finn’s eyes dimmed, and he caught Remus’ gaze on accident before looking away. Remus looked back to Logan, who chose that moment to drop the puck.

Sirius’ stick shot out and scooped the puck away from Remus with a laugh, sending it back towards Finn and Olli. Olli got to it first, skating out until he opened up a lane to knock it down to where Finn was waiting—only Remus was faster.

He caught the puck and pushed hard towards Kasey in the goal. Only, Sirius was on him almost immediately. He chased him along the boards.

“Ey!” Remus heard Pascal shout, and he only was just able to send the puck wrapping around the boards behind the goal before there was a heavy, warm weight pinning him lightly against the glass.

Remus expected it feel like it had, not too long ago. Being checked because he was an easier target, and then being checked because it was faster, because he was better. He’d always identified with Sirius on that note, the hostility that came with talent. He expected to feel the familiar twinge of panic.

But something in him seemed to know that it was Sirius. It was Sirius and the Lions and he was stronger now. He smiled and pushed back. Sirius held him, laughing.

“I want you with me always,” Sirius whispered quickly. “Out here, and everywhere.”

And then he was gone, pushing hard towards Pascal. Finn seemed to have taken to defense, and dived right as Pascal shot, missing by inches. Kasey caught it easily in his glove.

“Damn you, Blizzard,” Pascal yelled.

“Language!” Celeste called from the bench.

Pascal’s team won. Remus won. He got one more goal, while Logan got another. Sirius scored one, and then Olli. And then Pascal finished it up. The kids were back on the ice for a while after that, Julian hopping on his skate blades and clinging to Remus’ jersey. It made Remus’ throat tight, to see his little brother that happy at just him skating. Julian had still been little when he stopped. It made regret try and push its way back up, and he pushed it down as best he could.

“Re, you scored, you scored!”

“Still got it, eh, Jules?” Remus bent down so that they could tap their helmets together.

“Can you teach me the fake? The one you did on Harzy?”

“No, no, no,” Finn said as he skated by. “We are not spreading that around, Lupin child.”

Julian laughed and skated after him.

“Tag!” Finn shouted before Julian could, and darted away.

Remus felt light. Lighter than he had in a long time. He felt something tap against his leg and looked down. A puck had just bounced gently against his skate blade. Following its shot line, he found Sirius on the other end of it, stick poised, and with a wide grin.

Remus’ legs were burning, adrenaline pumping through him steadily, by the time they were walking back down the tunnel. The locker room was empty, most of the families waiting in the lounge with rowdy-again children, food, and Christmas sweets.

“Fucking hell, Loops,” Finn yelled over the music Logan had put on—some type of French rap that pulsed in the room. Finn pushed his sweaty hair out of his face. “Bitch-ass moves.”

Remus grinned. “Thanks, I think.” He unstrapped his shoulder pads, setting them on the floor at his feet. “Sorry I had to take you down, there.”

“Broke his fucking ankles,” James laughed. “Damn.”

“Breaks them,” Sirius chimed in, pulling his jersey off. “And heals them.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Finn waved them of, standing to strip off the last of his under-layers. “Hitting the showers, boys.”

Remus’ head snapped up from where he had been tugging at his skate laces. Instantly, he found Sirius’ eyes. Sirius’ tongue darted out to wet his lips, and then he bit back a smile and stood. Remus stared at the way he was holding a sweatshirt subtly in front of him, blocking most of his crotch. Heat stirred in Remus’ chest at the thought that maybe Sirius’ flushed cheeks weren’t entirely just from skating. He didn’t have to say anything as he slipped passed the showers, which were already noisy with the guys and full of steam, and out the door that lead to the PT and quiet room. To anyone else, it would look like he was heading to the bathroom, or maybe the kitchens. It was a perfect escape, and Remus knew to follow. He wanted nothing more than to follow. He tugged off his skates as quickly as he could. He could feel his dick filling in his pants, nudging against his tight boxers in a mixture of anticipation and adrenaline, and he wanted to get out of sight.

“Fuck,” he said, and Leo looked at him questioningly. “Left my phone on the bench, be right back.”

Leo glanced at the doors, then smiled at him. “Sounds good.” 

Remus walked through the music and chatter, passed the billowing, humid steam of the showers, and into the hallway. The noise cut off abruptly as the heavy door closed behind him. The door to the quiet room was cracked open, and Remus took a deep breath. He glanced behind him, then down the hallway, but there was no one. It was the holidays. It was the perfect storm. He ran a hand over his sweaty neck, and thought of Sirius’ expression on the ice as he nudged the door open and walked into the room. Remus knew Sirius had liked watching him skate, and now he wanted to see what he would do about it.

He had barely walked into the dark room before he was being pressed against the door, forcing it shut.

Remus let out a breath and leaned forward to kiss Sirius, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck, fingers lacing in his sweaty hair.

“Pretty fucking smooth exit strategy, Black,” Remus smiled.

Sirius only kissed back hard, and then broke apart with a gasp and took Remus’ hand in his own. There was a fine tremor to Sirius’ fingers.

“Touch me,” Sirius said. His breathing sounded shaky. He pushed Remus’ hand downward, letting him cup the large bulge in his under armour. It was hot through the tight fabric.

Remus could feel his own breath getting quicker as he reached passed the elastic of Sirius’ pants and pushed his hand inside. The moment he did, he sucked in a breath. Sirius’ boxers were damp and tacky through and through, his cock straining hard against them.

“God,” Remus breathed. He dragged his thumb along the heat of Sirius through his underwear, feeling the slickness. “How long?”

“Since you slammed into me. Do you even know how good you look out there?” Sirius leaned down and trailed his lips along Remus’ jaw. “Fuck, just looking at me across the face off like you do it every day, like—like you know how good you are…”

Remus put more pressure on Sirius’ cock, choking off his words. He reached in with both hands, tugging Sirius’ clinging pants and boxers down below his balls so that he could get Sirius in his hands, one working him in slow strokes while the other stroked beneath his balls. It was wet, and the strokes sounded loud in the quiet room. Remus felt his dick stiffen further, and pushed his hips against Sirius’ thigh. Sirius let him, pressing him further into the wall while Remus rutted against him.

“Can’t go into the showers like this, huh?”

Sirius’ laugh was half groan, and his hips bucked up into Remus’ fist. His dick was hot, the head rosy and dark from being trapped so long. Remus had the sudden image of Sirius having to go into the showers like this, hard and leaking steadily down his thigh. It sent a wave of heat through his entire body, aroused and—maybe a little possessive.

“Fuck, I love seeing you like this,” Remus said. “You’ve been this hard for…”

“Calmed down after the game a little. Then remembered that we’d have to shower together and…”

Remus sighed shakily, not looking away from the sight of Sirius’ cock in his hands. He pressed his thumb against the underside of the crown and watched the trickle of clear come dribble out. “Fuck.”

“I’m pretty close,” Sirius said, then reached for Remus. “Let me…”

“You first,” Remus gasped as Sirius cupped him through his pants.

“Both, both,” Sirius pressed his hips to Remus’, bent down to kiss him again.

Remus couldn’t help but laugh. “God, you are so…fuck, baby.”

Sirius pulled Remus’ cock free and he bobbed against his stomach for a moment, the release making Remus’ head thunk back against the door.

“Ow,” Sirius made a soft noise and tucked his palm between Remus’ head and the wood. “C’mere, Loup.”

His other hand wrapped around the both of them, making Remus cry out, and Sirius tucked his face into Remus’ neck, breathing in.

“I loved being out there with you,” Sirius mumbled as he bucked his hips, cock rubbing against Remus’, held tight together by his fingers. “I…I love the way you skate, Re, I love—” Sirius broke off then with a low noise. “Remus…”

Remus wrapped his arms around him, mouth against the strong muscle of his shoulder. He wrapped his hand around Sirius’, around them both. He could feel his orgasm building and pressed his forehead where his mouth had been to see. Sirius was leaking over both of their fingers now, hips moving quickly, fucking their hands. Remus thought about Sirius fucking him like that. The friction and image made Remus feel light-headed, made his mouth drop open and his head fall back, caught by Sirius’ palm. Sirius tilted it forward again, licking gently into his mouth for a kiss as the two of them broke against each other. Sirius came first with a low groan, and then Remus a few moments later. 

They rested there for a moment, still sweaty from the game, but hearts beating fast for an entire different reason now. Remus was sure, so sure, that Sirius had very nearly said—

“You never told me you were so fast.”

Remus looked up at Sirius, leaning into the palm that had fallen to rub gently across his cheek. “Jeez, that’s what a guy wants to hear after a hand job.”

Sirius laughed, eyes crinkling. “Jeez.”

Remus pulled him in for a kiss. “How long do you think we have before people start wondering where we are?”

Sirius sighed, leaning back briefly for one of the paper towels by the sink in the dark room. “We haven’t been gone that long. Didn’t take much, eh?”

Remus shoved at his shoulder, smiling as they cleaned themselves up, flicking the light on to give each other a once over.

Sirius leaned in to press a kiss on each of Remus’ still hot cheeks. “Orgasm glow.”

“I just worked out.”

Sirius laughed. “There’s a difference.”

Sirius went to open the door when Remus stopped him. “Hey.”

“Quoi?” Sirius said.

Remus kissed him gently, hand smoothing over his chest. “I loved playing with you, too. Really, I…I know that was probably shocking to hear about…” the hit, Remus wanted to say, but he really didn’t want to talk about it. He shook his head and smiled—a real smile. “I really loved today.”

Sirius stood for a moment, as if thinking, and then leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to Remus’ forehead. “Me too.”

They made it back to the showers—a few minutes apart—without incident. Most of the guys were back in the lounge with the rest of the family, and Remus showered quickly, pointedly not looking at Sirius—or anyone, really. It was strange, showering in the team showers, Logan and Kasey messing around in one corner, Sirius and James in another.

“Hey,” came suddenly and loudly from Sirius and James’ corner. James’ voice echoed off of the walls, making Remus look. It was easy to ignore the fact that they were all stark naked when James had reached out and was holding Sirius’ number twelve necklace in his hand.

“The fuck, hello, and this is what? Excuse me,” James leaned in to look at it.

Sirius’ eyes flickered to Remus then away, and he laughed easily as he batted James off. “Christmas present. From a fan. It was mailed to the rink apparently.”

“And you opened it?”

“No, Jen at PR says they go through everything, though. And this was, you know, legit, so…she asked if I wanted it.”

“Oh,” James said slowly. “Okay.” He turned around, water spray hitting the side side of his head, and gave Remus a very pointed look. Girlfriend, is what that look said.

“It looks good,” Remus said. “Maybe Lily will get you something that nice one day, eh, Pots?”

James scoffed. “Lily is getting me a baby. She never has to get me anything ever again.”

Kasey laughed, eyes closed and running his hands through his hair to get the soap out. “Getting is a strange word for giving birth, but okay.”

“They’re gifts,” James said, shutting off his shower. He flicked Sirius’ necklace one more time on his way out. “Some girl’s gonna be watching the National Anthem at the next game and freak the fuck out.”

“Maybe.” Sirius looked at Remus again, knowing smile on his face. Remus felt himself flush as his eyes flickered down his body.

It gave him a strange sense of security, showering, eating, playing with the team…being with the team. False security, he knew. Come January, he would be right back on the bench. He turned the water cold for a minute, letting it wash over his face, before switching it off and snagging a towel.

He was suddenly starving as the adrenaline wore off a little, and was thankful to his mother when, as he walked into the players lounge and wrapped an arm around her, she immediately held out a plate of food for him.

“You must be starving, honey,” she said. “And your brother really can’t get enough of that cake Celeste made, I have to get the recipe from her.”

“She would love that,” Remus said. “Where is Jules?”

“Over there talking to the Blizzard.”

Remus laughed. “You do know his real name, right?”

“Well, yes,” Hope smiled a little. “But the Blizzard is good fun.”

“Wow, mom, have a crush much?”

Hope just patted his arm. “I’m going to bring your brother and father one of these cupcakes.”

She smiled at Leo as he passed her on his way over to the food table behind them, hair dark from the showers and tall and lanky and with his sweet smile.

“Find your phone, Loops?” Leo said.

“What? Oh,” Remus could feel himself flush. “Yeah. Yes, I did.”

“Good thing,” Leo nodded, eyes strangely bright as he smiled and unwrapped a green and red cupcake.

“Hey, Finn never said anything about a girlfriend until last night. How long has that been going on?”

Leo’s fingers froze fractionally on the cupcake wrapper before he started peeling it carefully back again.

“Just a couple of months, I think,” Leo said carefully. Remus followed his gaze when he glanced over to where Finn and June were standing, lunch on paper plates in their hands, talking to Natalie and Lily. “She’s a mechanic. Guess I knew something was up when Finn kept taking his car in for, like, no reason. But, uh, she’s not actually over that much. I think he goes to her. Real nice though.”

“That’s good,” Remus nodded. “I’m happy for him.”

Leo just nodded and took a big bite, crumbs briefly lingering on his lower lip before he licked them away, glancing over at Finn and away again.

Remus hesitated, then said, “Is Logan all right? From last night, I mean. I know you followed him. He seemed…well, better now, but…”

Leo leaned against the table beside Remus and looked down at the sweet wrapper, folding it as small as it would go.

“Hey, Nut, I’m sorry, I didn’t…I shouldn’t be asking you this. That’s not fair on you, I should ask Logan if I think I need to.”

When Leo didn’t respond, Remus added. “It’s none of my business anyway, I was just—a little worried.”

“No, no,” Leo said finally, and, glancing once more at Finn, straightened up and turned so that his tall frame blocked Finn and some of the room from view. His eyes, which had been bright and playful a moment before, were serious. Worried. “Remus, I…I think you should talk to Logan.”

Remus blinked. “Well—you guys know Heather, I mean, a safe space, is always—”

“No,” Leo shook his head slowly. “I think you should talk to Logan.”

Remus held his gaze for a long moment, trying to piece everything out. But Leo, ever a goalie, was unreadable. Finally, Remus just nodded. “Okay. Alright, I’ll talk to him when we’re back in play, eh?”

Leo let out a long, shuttering breath. “Okay. Thanks, Loops.”

“Of course. Do…” Remus hesitated. “Do you need to talk, or…”

Leo smiled—a real smile. “No. I’m pretty well sorted.” Leo crossed his arms and, as he did, one hand pulled the sleeve of his sweatshirt up a little. There, around his wrist, was a bracelet Remus had never noticed before. It was a lanyard that looked like it never came off, and it was every color Remus could think of woven together in a rainbow.

Oh.

Remus’ eyes widened and snapped up to Leo’s face. “Oh.”

Leo laughed. “Yeah,” he clapped a large hand on Remus’ shoulder. “Oh.”

Remus’ heart began pounding in his chest almost immediately. He glanced around the room. “How—”

“Don’t fret,” Leo said, in his calming way. “No one else noticed. I can guarantee. Y’all good at hiding it, I’m just…” he shrugged.

“Attuned,” Remus rasped out, then coughed. “I’m sorry, did you say…y’all?”

Leo glanced at the door where Sirius and Logan and James had just walked in, Sirius smiling as he scooped up a giggling Katie Dumais into his arms.

“I understand,” Leo said simply, and then held out his fist.

The two words calmed Remus more than anything else. It wasn’t a I won’t tell, it wasn’t anything about keeping secrets. It was both of them acknowledging that it shouldn’t have to be a secret. It was Leo saying it was alright.

“Yeah,” Remus met his fist with a smile. “So, you and Logan, or…”

Leo sighed, then took another cupcake while looking wistfully over at where Logan had, rather sheepishly by the looks of it, approached Finn and June. He shook June’s hand, who looked at Finn with a smile.

“Something like that,” Leo said, then walked over to join them.

Remus blinked after him, attempting to process. His wide eyes seemed to catch Sirius’ gaze and he raised an eyebrow, mouthing a short, you okay?

Remus nodded quickly, shooting him a smile before turning and grabbing a slice of cake, just for something to do.

“Hey, hey, hey, Fruit-loop,” Thomas walked up, looking a little more frazzled than Remus had ever seen him.

“Hey, Talkie,” Remus said slowly, mind still pre-occupied. “Okay?”

“Noelle,” he said plainly before shaking his head, pressing a hand over his heart.

“I…Christmas?” Remus asked.

“No, no, Tremzy’s sister,” he said. “Fucking smart as hell. Gorgeous. Hey, do I look okay to you? I wished I could have scored a goal out there, but someone was tearing up the ice for me, eh?”

Remus laughed. “Sorry about that.”

“Hey,” Thomas ran his hands down his cheeks, brown eyes nervous. “I got bigger fish to fry now. Does she look like a cake or cupcake girl to you? She told me to bring her something good.”

They both looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. Thomas threw his hands up.

“Celeste’s cake, obviously,” he laughed. “Catch you on the flip side, Fruit.”

Remus nodded, amused. “For sure.”

Remus watched him head back over to Noelle, who was sitting with Celeste with Marc on her lap. She smiled broadly when Thomas walked back up, a smile that reminded Remus sorely of the one that had been a little lacking lately in her brother.

“Hi,” Sirius said, coming up with a sleepy Katie on his hip. He smiled at Remus, tilting his head. “C’est bon?”

Remus stared at him. What could he say? Hello, Sirius, I know you’re nervous about coming out as a queer hockey player. Would it interest you to know something about two of your teammates?

But Remus wouldn’t tell him. It wasn’t his secret.

“Oui,” he smiled instead, reaching out to pet Katie’s soft, dark hair. “C’est bon.”

#sweater weather #sirius black #remus lupin #sirius x remus #remus x sirius #wolfstar #wolfstar au #hockey!au #lumosinlove #Logan tremblay #Leo knut #finn o'hara #o'knutzy #wolfstar smut #wolfstar fluff #wolfstar angst #harry potter #Harry Potter au

[themagicmistress]

Heere’s an excerpt from the first draft of ‘Flowers, Soft Beneath My Heels.’ Scrapped most of it, but I liked this scene! Soo, here it is

~

Rumblecusp is a nice place. The sky is clear and has been most of the days they’ve been here. The air is still and windless save the light breezes that simply ruffle the tree leaves.

Despite the relative peace of the environment, which on any other day would be idyllic, her view of the town is one of slight chaos, and in a different way than it had been last night. People are angry, stone-faced and yelling at each other, faces darkened with rage. Yelling is fine. She has a feeling they’re just doing it to do something instead of nothing in their situation. Some, however, wander through the village with lost faces, looking pleadingly up at the sky as if for answers. It has none to give them, she knows. The Moonweaver has said her piece.

But Yasha’s not looking for trouble, or any of the previous followers of the not-god. She peers curiously around the village, trying to call back to mind the location Anola had told her to go looking for.

She has to knock on a few doors and then awkwardly backtrack as she’s met with more than one tear-streaked face until Yasha finds an older man with a long wispy beard and weary black eyes.

“No alcohol here,” he says roughly and goes to slam the door. She wedges her toe between it and the frame before he can. His eyebrows fly nearly to his hairline. “Of course,” says the man she really hopes is Kresh, “I could always reconsider.”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Yasha reassures and he leans back from her a bit. “I’m not going to hurt you,” She says more insistently and Kresh nods quickly. She stifles a sigh. “Look, I’m just looking to buy something nice for a friend and Anola said you were the person to go to.”

The pressure on her foot lessens and the door swings open. “Oh,” his face is sheepish, “Something sweet, right?”

“Yes,” Yasha tells him. Her heels ache and her heart’s still hopping a half-beat too fast from the earlier scare. She wants to be safe beneath the protection of the dome, her friends breathing warm beside her.

The candies are twenty-five gold, a bit more than mainland prices, but well worth it.

She sticks her head into the dome and there’s a second of relief as she sees them all sitting next to each other, not having moved an inch. 

“Jester?” Yasha makes sure her voice is quiet with Beau leaning against Caleb’s shoulder, the two of them having dozed off. “Can I talk to you?”

Jester looks up from underneath Fjord’s arm, who doesn’t appear to notice his own slow attempts to pull her closer. “Sure, what do you want?”

She hesitates. “Just about stuff. Stuff that happened today.” The cleric’s face falls and for a second Yasha feels bad but she didn’t want Nott or the others to bug the tiefling about the candies.

“Oh. Coming.”

They don’t go far from the dome, Jester’s steps short and hurried. She’s also reluctant to go far, to stray more than she needs to.

Yasha pulls out the small sack out and hands it to her. “Here. I thought you’d like these and I also thought you’d prefer to not share, so… here I am giving them to you away from the others.”

The moment Jester figures out what the rock-like amber stones are, her face lights up. “Yasha!” she gasps, and her face breaks into a grin, “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Well, I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, and tonight was a lot. So.” She rubs the back of her neck. “You deserve it.” 

Jester pops one into her mouth and groans and her stomach does a split-second drop as she thinks oh-no-I-messed-up before she realizes it’s a happy noise.

“These are so good!” Jester shoves the bag back into her hands, “They’re really sweet and sorta crunchy at the same time. Holy cow, I can’t believe you got these here, Yasha, because when we leave I’m never gonna be able to get them again.” Her words are a little garbled with the candy in her mouth, but then she gives a pointed look to the bag. “What are you waiting for, are you going to eat one already or not?”

“They’re for you,” she refutes.

“Yeah, but I want you to have one, so eat it,” she tells her flatly. Yasha eats the candy. 

It’s a little caramelly and it melts in her mouth, with tiny hints of vanilla, all flavours she only knows because of Jester. It spreads in her teeth, sticky but pleasing, and in the center is a hard middle she discovers is a nut as she grinds it between her molars.

The tiefling’s fingers are deft, plucking candy after candy from the bag. They don’t shake and her friend’s demeanor remains unbothered by the night’s events.

What had her face looked like, fingers clenched around green robes, eyes teary toward liquid moonlight? She can only see what Jester shows her now. Someone delighted, maybe a little too delighted, by a simple gift of confectionery. Yasha only knows how she felt, watching a friend drift into the sky, glittering with chains like early morning dew on spiderwebs. Her pulse drumming in her ears, a war drum, teeth clenched, sword clenched, and useless.

Would that she could fell a god for her friend, but Yasha has never been able to claim herself saviour.

“Wanna ‘nother?” Jester offers, face curious now. She swallows. “How are you, Yasha?”

She blinks, taken aback. “I’m fine. Jester, are you okay? That’s— that was a lot up there.”

The answer is immediate. “I’m—” Jester stops. Frowns. “I’m fine too. You don’t need to worry about me, Yasha. I got what I wanted, didn’t I?”

That’s one way of looking at it. She got what she wanted, so all the other stuff, herself gone forever, separated from her friends, the Traveler, didn’t matter. A rationalization, driven by necessity, like the kind Yasha made in battle. Help Beau before she’s impaled on those spikes below her instead of helping Fjord, it’s fine Caduceus is right there next to him, and don’t waste any effort on that last guy Caleb’s about to torch. A different kind of survival, the kind where you swath your hurts in anything that makes it stop just so that the raw and aching parts of you can shrivel and die inside your chest. Whether that means smiles or bloody fists.

“I don’t think you wanted this,” she says softly. “Things suck. And they’re going to keep being like that.”

Jester’s lips press together very tightly. She doesn’t look at her. Yasha has never thought of any of her friends as delicate, but now, she thinks that’s the problem. They’re strong. All of them. Strong enough to fight false gods and save villages and reverse death. Strong enough to face horrors most would never dream, and then lose. Someday, she fears they’ll go charging in somewhere they shouldn’t, into a chamber of laughing mouths, swallowing her whole. A clouded night and a clear moon leaving them devastated beneath it, one less to their number.

Not tonight. But it was close enough that her mind instinctively shies away from it.

“You ever think that maybe you put too-high expectations on someone without knowing it,” Jester says, breaking the silence. She tugs at the sleeves of her high-priestess outfit, “And then they try to live up to what you want them to be, but they can’t and then it goes wrong and you know that when it does it’s because of you and kind of really your fault? Like you were the one to set them up for failure in the first place?” It all comes out in a rush, her voice wobbling on the edge of tears as she rambles. “D’you ever feel like that, Yasha?”

There’s a tumultuous set to the lines of her mouth, pulled back into a grimace, too stiff for smiling, too desperate for frowning. What do you say to something like that and how can she say it with Jester looking at her like she knows the answer to her question, the plea she’s making. How do I make it right?

She licks her lips, still sticky-sweet.

“You know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

“I know,” she whispers. And then, softly, an admission of guilt, “but I would have left you guys. I would have.” Jester chuckles. “How did this happen? I didn’t mean— I mean, how did I even make him a god?”

Yasha doesn’t know anymore than she does how to make Jester feel better now. To reassure her this wasn’t her fault, at its core, none of it. “I don’t know.”

“No. That’s alright.” No words have ever sounded so small.

She thinks of Zuala. She’s always thinking, at least a little, about Zuala, but right now she thinks of her pulling them up the side of a hill, a little ways away from the tribe, about the way her fingers had fit neatly between Yasha’s own and how the last thing she remembers before leaving Xhorhas is the sound of thunder.

“You ever think,” Yasha repeats slowly, “people choose to leave because of you? Or not you personally, but because of your decisions, the choices you make. And when you think back, you realize if you had done something different, they might not have chosen to leave at all?” Jester listens in rapt silence and then her mouth opens into a horrified little ‘o’ and Yasha forges on. “And then, if they’re going to leave, should I just go first so I don’t have to watch them do it?”

“Yasha, we’re not going to leave you,” Jester says, almost demanding, voice cracking with the remnants of tears swallowed back.

“No, I know. But I’ve always left you guys,” She says, the night cold against the back of her throat. “And today, you almost left us. You weren’t going to come back from that. We would have gone to get you, but would you have tried to come back to us?”

“Of course!”

“Even if it meant leaving behind the Traveler?” Yasha asks, “Even if it meant letting him take his punishment?”

Jester bites her lower lip and Yasha watches as a brief conflict plays out across her body, fists clenching and unclenching. “That’s not a fair question. I can’t answer that.” She says it like an apology.

Yasha takes a breath and accepts it. She expects nothing less from her, the girl who painted flowers in her room, who stakes her whole self on what she would do for her friends.

She can taste iron and bitter wind like dread in her mouth. “That’s okay. Just— just don’t leave in the first place. We would be sad without you. I’m not even sure what we would do. Probably just mope around all day. Get nothing done.” There’s a ring of truth to the words that hit too close to home to be even remotely funny.

Then, there are arms around her, enveloping and warm. “I’m not going anywhere.” The words are muffled against her chest, likely to hide the quiet sound of rasping around more tears.

“Don’t leave,” Yasha says.

“Do you think,” Jester asks, “ having to ask all these questions is worth it because at least now I have more family to keep worrying about?”

There used to be a hollow in her heart, one that now purrs in some kind of satisfaction and she allows it it’s victory. “Yeah. In a weird way, I’m kind of glad to have someone to leave.” The arms grow tighter around her and Yasha squeezes back comfortingly. “I don’t want to, don’t get me wrong, but if I didn’t have anyone to leave,” She hesitates, “I’d just be running away. If I leave, I know someone will miss me. I would exist in my absence.”

“I would miss you. Beau would definitely.” Jester pulls back, the rim of her eyes a little darker than before.

Her lips curve into a smile without her prompting, though she can’t quite bring herself to care. ““I have no plans to go anywhere unless it’s where the rest of you are all headed.”

“Good.”

The cleric is stiller, and though she hadn’t seemed outright distraught in the dome earlier, now she seems steadier. A port in the storm rather than the raging waves themselves, standing firm instead crashing out and into herself over and over.

“Does asking these questions help you usually?”

Jester shows the nearly-empty velvet bag of candy to Yasha who notices she has to almost unclench her fingers from their stiff position around it. “Not nearly as much as the candies.”

“You think,” she echoes in a mimicry of their earlier conversation, “you’re ready to head back?”

“Yeah. Yasha?” Jester asks, tucking away the little bag.

“Thank you.”

“You’re important to me,” Yasha tells her and finds a little more joy in the soft smile that graces Jester’s mouth as she does. “Thank you for staying.”

She keeps her eyes on her friend’s back, her steps not quite the light skip they are usually, but lighter now. A part of her wishes she could take their group and bundle them away from the world, cruel and unfair to the best of them. Another part looks at the sea line, just barely visible over the tips of forest trees, and wonders how long into the night she would have to trek to make it there before the others wake. If Yasha squints, she can see a tiny light somewhere between the waves. A lighthouse on the shore, maybe, or a star touching down where the horizon meets the sea.

Ahead of her, Jester runs her fingers through the little velvet bag Yasha had given her over and over again like she can’t help but remind herself of the gift. A smile still rests on her lips.

#critical role #yasha nydoorin #jester lavorre #the mighty nein #fanfic #dialogue heavy #my fic #cr

[hyperpsychomaniac]

The Woodchuck Leader Assessment - Chapter 4

DT17 Fanfiction

Summary: When Launchpad’s ability to supervise children is called into question, Dewey tags along on a Junior Woodchuck trip to support his best friend.

Chapter 1

Also cross-posted on fanfiction.net.

***

Dewey slipped into his and Huey’s tent. And found not only Huey, but Violet and at least a half dozen of the other Woodchucks.

“What…”

“Shh!” said Huey.

“Oh yes, I am claiming running through camp in my underpants,” said Doofus as he rubbed his hands together. “Back off; it’s mine!”

No one argued.

“Am I interrupting something?” Dewey snatched his pillow back from one of the other kids.

“We were discussing the implementation of stage 2 Competent Leader Protocols,” said Violet.

Dewey raised an eyebrow. “So what was stage 1?”

“Behaving for Launchpad.”

“And stage 2?”

The faintest smile touched Violet’s beak. “Only behaving for Launchpad.”

“Yeah.” Huey hugged his knees to his chest. “I’m not sure stage 2 is going to be enough, all by itself. I mean, LP’s great, but I don’t know if we can depend on him. If he can’t supervise us… it was like Mr Russell said, there’s nobody else. What am I going to do without my Woodchucks?!” He lunged at Dewey and dragged him towards him.

Dewey extricated his brother’s fingers from his shirt. “Calm down. I don’t care about your Woodchucks. But if what we’re talking about is going to help Launchpad…” Dewey chewed his lip. On the bus, Launchpad had just been, off. What the heck had happened between him and Mr Russell? It had to be something to do with the kid who drowned, but Launchpad didn’t want to talk to him. He was his best friend and Dewey knew if it was something important he’d want to share it with him. The fact he hadn’t… yeah, really off. “So, only behaving for Launchpad…?”

“A combination of multiple children needing walking to the bathroom, Doofus running around in nothing but his underwear…”

“Or, I could ditch the underwear.”

“No. … toilet paper, someone crying for their teddy bear, at least one item of Mr Russell’s clothing hung off a tree, and we make every attempt to respond to his orders with…?”

“Okay, Boomer,” said all the Woodchucks at once.

“Of course, the whole point is if Launchpad comes back we all immediately behave to prove he can control us,” said Huey, “or NO MORE WOODCHUCKS.”

“Boo,” said Dewey. “Huey may actually be right: it’s not enough. Launchpad needs better than that. You don’t just want to behave for him. You’ve got to prove he’s the sort of leader who would do anything to protect you. Here’s what we do: we set up a scenario in which some poor helpless child needs rescuing, because although we know Launchpad sometimes needs help with things, he’d never let anyone he cares about get hurt.”

“Yeah, who…” said Huey.

Dewey stood up and stabbed a finger into the canvas. “And I shall be your damsel in dew-stress!”

***

Launchpad flung the bus door open. “Aw man, LP. What are you doing?” He’d fallen asleep. Outside, the rain had lifted and the morning was wet and cold. “You can’t tell your Woodchucks they gotta sleep out in nature when you spend the night on the nice warm bus.”

He crammed his hat back on his head and jogged back down to the campsite. He slipped in the wet leaves and slid down a short section of the path, which resulted in a rather painful stop courtesy of a medium sized boulder, but at least it bought him a couple extra seconds.

Launchpad skidded into the campsite. It was quiet, too quiet. In his absence, Violet and Huey should have been awake and setting up a campfire for breakfast. But, maybe, he’d avoided the embarrassment of getting caught.

A tent flap opened and Jack emerged, rubbing blearily at his eyes.

Launchpad grabbed up a piece of firewood, then just pulled himself up short of pegging it into the firepit. He didn’t need to pretend to set up the fire.

“Well, there you are,” Jack grumbled. “When you said you wanted me to help I didn’t realise you were going to dump the kids on me for the entire night!”

Even with the realisation he didn’t need to look busy for Jack the man’s words made Launchpad’s heart sink. He’d messed up. He’d ditched his Woodchucks and even though an adult had been there to look after them… he’d left them alone with Jack Russell.

“Where are the kids anyway?” Launchpad lifted the flap to Huey and Dewey’s tent. Empty. Great. At least they knew how to take care of themselves. Nothing would be wrong. This was just something else for Jack to put in his report.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” said Jack. “I was up half the night telling kids to walk themselves to the toilet. And… where is my hat?”

Launchpad spotted it, swinging high up on a tree branch above Jack’s tent. “I think it fell into a tree.”

Huey exploded into the camp. “Launchpad! We went to get firewood… Dewey’s stuck on the bridge over the river!”

Launchpad’s heart caught. “Oh no, Dewey!”

“Wait, stuck on a bridge how?” said Jack. “Shouldn’t you just… go and unstick him?”

“He’s… really stuck,” said Huey, “Launchpad needs to come pull him out because, you know, he’s strong and a good Woodchuck leader, so…”

The other Woodchucks emerged from their tents, rubbing blearily at eyes, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Launchpad gulped. This was all he needed with Jack here. And then he felt bad, because this was about Dewey, not his assessment. He hadn’t been very nice to him on the bus last night. If he’d got hurt or got himself in trouble after how Launchpad had treated him, he’d feel terrible. At least being stuck on a bridge didn’t sound that bad. In fact, he did wonder why Huey hadn’t just pulled his brother off himself.

“Because he’s a good…” Jack slapped a hand to his forehead. “Launchpad, your damn kids are setting you up.”

“Just be quiet, my best friend needs me. Come on Woodchucks, to the river!”

Usually, it took a bit of coaxing to get them moving but they responded immediately. They all followed Huey, Jack trailing behind them and grumbling all the way.

The river was flowing fast after the rain last night and the roar made Launchpad’s guts tighten. This far down from the swimming hole the river cut through a gully with a rope bridge strung across, the water surging and gurgling beneath. Dewey was halfway across the bridge, his leg tangled in a loose rope, his top half hanging upside down from the bridge with his hands swinging. “Oh, help. I have fallen and my foot is stuck. I cannot get up.” At least he didn’t sound particularly panicked.

“This is ridiculous,” said Jack.

“Hang on, Dewey. I’m coming to get you.” Launchpad put a hand on the wooden stake that anchored the bridge.

“Wait.” Jack grabbed Launchpad’s sleeve.

Launchpad yanked his arm back, but slowed.

“Send these two out after them. They’re half your weight put together and their two pairs of hands will probably get that… classic example of a Woodchuck knot around that poor kid’s ankle undone a lot quicker.”

“That’s… a good idea,” said Launchpad, although the rope bridge looked sturdy and wouldn’t be in any danger of snapping under his weight.

Violet and Huey both exchanged glances. “It would be better if Launchpad did it,” said Huey, rubbing at the back of his head.

“Yeah, just as I thought. You cannot control these kids, Launchpad. You should’ve seen the antics they were getting up to last night. Pretty sure they’ve set this whole thing up to try and make you look good.”

“But I’m really stuck… urgh, forget it!” Dewey rolled himself back onto the bridge and tugged at the knot around his ankle.

Wait, he wasn’t really stuck? Oh. It finally sunk in. Launchpad turned to Violet and Huey as his chest tightened. “You two… set me up?”

“Stage 2 Competent Leader Protocols weren’t enough. We went to stage 3. Dewey’s idea… but yes,” Violet mumbled into her chest.

Launchpad squeezed his eyes shut briefly. “Dewey, come on, get off the bridge, its dangerous out there.”

“I’m fine. I just need to get this knot off… hang on…”

“And you two…” His two most senior Woodchucks looked at their feet. And though it hurt they’d pulled one over on him, Launchpad knew they’d only been trying to help. He swallowed, and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to set up something like this to help me, okay? I really thought Dewey was in trouble.”

“But it wasn’t just for you!” Huey burst out. “It was for all the Woodchucks. If they make you quit then no one will want us and we’ll have no more Woodchucks, and I… I can’t live without Woodchucks!” He fell to his knees and put his face in his hands.

“I too would find it quite devastating,” said Violet.

“Wait, who told you that?”

“I did, genius,” Jack snorted. “Along with a few other truths while you were pouting on the bus.”

Launchpad’s fists bunched at his sides. He’d left his Woodchucks alone with Jack. What had he been thinking? “Like what?”

“I explained how failure badges are supposed to work. Apparently you’ve been flashing yours around like some kind of trophy and giving these kids the wrong idea. Just like you did as a kid. It didn’t matter how hard I tried to get you to understand, I never could get the concept through your thick head.”

“Don’t speak to me like that. And how dare you make these kids feel like they should be ashamed of…”

“It’s not about shame! It’s about reality, and realistic expectations, and not setting these kids up for failure. I don’t know how you fluked your way through to a leadership role Launchpad, but when the cards come down you’re just going to get somebody killed! You know, like you did Calvin. At least then you were a kid; you had an excuse. Not anymore.”

Launchpad’s chest heaved, but this time he didn’t feel like running. “You have no idea, do you? We only went down to the river that night because we had something to prove. If you’d encouraged us instead of bullying us in front of the other kids, just because we failed a couple times, we would’ve waited until we had a chance to try for the badge again. We were kids, it was the only way we thought we could get you to stop. But it was never what were were good at or not, it was always you. You were in charge, Jack. You had the power. And you just used it to make us fell like we were never good enough no matter what we did!”

“Wait, Calvin… he was the kid who drowned?” said Huey tentatively.

Launchpad swallowed hard. “Yeah. He jumped in trying to save me.”

“Oh, Launchpad,” said Dewey. “That’s not your fault.”

“Yeah, I know that now.”

“I’m… I’m going to give you a hug.” Dewey picked himself up and rushed back, but tripped as the still tied knot brought him up short. He smacked face first onto the bridge, sending it swinging wildly, then rolled right off the edge.

Launchpad’s heart caught. “Dewey!”

The rope jerked taut and Dewey swung by his ankle above the roaring water below. “Oh, um, now I really do need help?”

Launchpad rushed out onto the bridge. He grabbed at the rope and started hauling it up arm over arm.

“LP, I’m really sorry,” said Dewey as he was slowly raised. “We didn’t think this out at all. I should’ve got stuck up a tree or something.”

Launchpad gritted his teeth and hauled on the rope faster. “Heh. Don’t worry about that, buddy. No harm done.” Come on. Come on. Because despite Dewey’s calm, Launchpad could see the knot he’d been picking at slowly start to unravel.

“Woah, maybe slow down? I’m getting dizzy.”

Huey and Violet must have seen it too. They rushed out onto the bridge and leaned through the ropes, reaching out for Dewey as he neared.

A frown creased Dewey’s beak. “Seriously guys, I’m fine…”

Launchpad yanked up another loop of rope and swiped at Dewey’s ankle. The bridge bucked, and the rope slipped free. Dewey’s eyes widened, arm outstretched, then his back smashed into the water beneath and he disappeared. He was gone for a split second, then he resurfaced. “It’s okay… can… swim…” He choked off as a slosh of water slapped in the face and went down his throat, and then the current pulled him away.

Launchpad’s hands tightened on the bridge. No. Not this time. He slid under the rope.

“Launchpad, you idiot!” Jack yelled. “You’re not going to be able to…”

The rest of his words were lost as Launchpad slammed into the water below. The shock of cold bit at him. The current snatched at him. Yeah. Far stronger than it looked. There was no way he was letting Dewey brave this alone. He spluttered, and surfaced.

“Launchpad! Violet and I are going to get a rope down steam. You got to get out before the waterfall.”

Of course there was a waterfall. Launchpad saw a flash of blue ahead and struck out with strong strokes, not so much moving himself through the water, but keeping his head above it as the current propelled him along.

Jack was right; there wasn’t a swimming badge on Launchpad’s sash. But that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to swim. Six months after everything had happened with Calvin, and after he’d convinced his parents he did in fact want to return to Woodchucks now Mr Russell was gone, he’d earned it. He could still remember Ms H, who was much nicer than Mr Russell, congratulating him and pressing the badge into his palm.

He’d stared at the embroidered circled as tears filled his eyes. “I… I don’t deserve this.”

She’d got down on her knees and put her hands on his trembling shoulders. “Sweetheart, its okay. I get it. You don’t have to put it on if you don’t want to. The badge isn’t the important bit. You’ve still got the skill, and as long as you know that’s there whenever you might need it you don’t have to prove that to anyone else.”

Launchpad choked as a wash of water slapped into his face. Keeping his head above water became harder and harder as the current picked up. He spotted his friend ahead, clinging desperately to a rock. This close to the waterfall, roaring clearly ahead of them now, the water snatched at Dewey and he whimpered as his fingers slipped across the rough surface. Launchpad let a really vicious snarl of water grab him and hurl him towards the rock. He grunted as his shoulder slammed into it and pulled Dewey into his chest just as the boy’s numb fingers lost their grip.

“LP…” Dewey immediately grappled for Launchpad, his fingers digging like claws into his neck.

Launchpad spluttered as he was shoved under. He heaved himself up out of the water with one arm on the rock, and clutched Dewey to his chest with the other. He hauled them both up high enough they were no longer in danger of getting dunked and the force of the water wasn’t strong enough to pull him away. “It’s… it’s okay… I got ya.”

Dewey’s breath came in spluttering gasps. “Sorry… I… trying to make you look good…”

“I know.”

“It’s cold.”

Launchpad started to shiver as the ice water bit into his skin. “Hey, Violet and Huey are working on it. They’re going to get us out. Probably use maths or something. They seem to be good at that.”

“LP, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do this to you… I didn’t know about your friend…” Dewey sniffed, and pressed his face against Launchpad’s neck.

“Right now I’m only thinking about you.”

A rope, attached to a short fat log, sailed out over them and hit Launchpad in the back. He grabbed it.

“Tie it to Dewey!” Huey yelled from the bank.

Launchpad untied the rope and looped it about Dewey’s waist. “You’re not going to drown,” he said, looking his friend right in the eye as his fingers automatically tied the knots he’d done a million times. “I won’t let that happen.”

“LP, look out!” Huey shouted.

A log spun down the river towards them. Launchpad jerked the knot tight about Dewey’s waist, then shoved him off towards the bank. He pushed his friend clear of the log, but it collected Launchpad across the middle, swept him off the rock, and dragged him under. The quickening torrent grabbed him, and suddenly Launchpad was back in the hell of breathless tumbling terror he’d found himself in as a child.

But at least he’d got Dewey out.

***

A long way below the waterfall, Launchpad pulled himself up onto the bank and heaved out a stomach-full of water. Clear of the torrent he gulped deep breaths, his head resting against his forearms, too heavy to lift.

It had taken every ounce of his strength to reach the bank. His body trembled with cold and exertion. He’d been tossed at the whim of the current, slammed into anything and everything. Even as an adult, as strong as he was, it had been terrifying. He’d thought there was no way he’d be able to save himself, right up until he’d felt the pebbles of the shore beneath his feet. He hadn’t drowned. But all he could think was how much scarier that ordeal would be for a child. How scary had it been for Calvin to fight to save himself in the darkness, and fail? Launchpad shuddered, and as he finally caught his breath his gulps for air became sobs.

“LP!” Huey skidded to his knees at his side. “Thank goodness, you scared us. Are you okay?”

“Dewey?” Was all he had the breath to say.

“It’s okay. We got him out.”

Launchpad whimpered and let his head drop back against his arms.

The pebbles crunched around him as the rest of his Woodchucks caught up with Huey. Launchpad felt small hands squeeze his arms and press against his back.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” said Huey. “Violet and I have everything under control. She’s called for help, and… all you gotta do is catch your breath.”

Chapter 5

#ducktales fanfiction #ducktales #dt17 #ducktales 2017 #launchpad #launchpad mcquack #dt17 launchpad #dewey duck #huey duck #violet saberwing #disney ducks

[masonscig]

more

pairing | mason x detective sofía olmos

word count | 2.8k

warnings | smut. very nsfw. minors keep scrolling

tags | @raleiighcarrera ; @pixeljazzy ; @lyuyu ; @bellarxse ; @bceky ; @twc-thoughts-you-didnt-ask-for ; @brightpinkpeppercorn ; @pixelsandkink ; @katbee ; @admdmrtn ; @agentsunshine ; @echohauville 

author’s note | well! the prompt is pretty self explanatory. and plus it’s mason. yall know its ab to get smutty. this is my first and only submission for day 14 (throat) for @31daysofwayhaven also kudos to all the writers that’ve managed to be consistent – hats off to you seriously! um i’m terrified bc this is my first mason smut piece so please be nice [kudos appreciated on ao3]

read it on ao3

•─────────────────•

He laced his fingers through her thick hair, reveling in the way his skin looked contrasted against the midnight of her hair.

On her knees, clutching his thighs with a grip that nearly broke the skin, his cock buried in her mouth, she took him all in. Her lips pursed around his head, tongue sliding against his shaft as he eased his hips forward.

“You almost got it,” he purred, watching as her mouth opened wider, lips tightening as he pumped into her slowly. “That’s it.”

Her throat pulsed, and he felt spurts of air from her nostrils against his lower stomach, sending a chill up his spine.

He held her in place, feeling her tongue writhe against him. A groan rumbled through his chest, his grip tightening on the back of her head.

The moment she choked, coughing, he pulled himself free from her mouth, his cock twitching at her initial gasp. Her eyes fluttered, gaze fixated up at him, spit glistening on her chin, her mouth parted as she hungrily gulped the air.

“Did you like that?”

She nodded, blinking rapidly. “Yes, I did.”

She stuttered, like she couldn’t believe she was saying it herself.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” she breathed.

“You’re gonna try to take it all for me, alright, sweetheart?” He smirked, one hand sliding from the back of her head to pinch her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

He leaned down, kissing her open mouth, tugging gently on her bottom lip, caught between his teeth. She groaned as he pulled himself back into standing position, belt buckle jingling at the movement.

“I know, I know, I’m hypnotizing, but I need to know you want this,” he laughed breathily, watching as she came to, nodding furiously.

“Yes, please,” she nearly whined, her hands clutching his thighs once more.

He repeated the first few steps, pumping himself in her mouth slowly, the short strokes making his eyes roll back into his head. He’d normally throw his head back and focus on the feeling, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the way her lips stretched over him, her rosy lipstick rubbing off at the corners, streaking down the sides of his shaft.

God, sloppy, messy head excited him. After all these years, all the people that sucked him off, he’d never get tired of that particular disheveled look.

But if he had to pick his favorite person wearing that look, it’d be Sofía. He wasn’t even close to being finished with her and he knew she wore it best.

He pushed a little farther into her mouth, deepening his strokes, feeling her tongue flatten against him.

“Fuck…” he moaned under his breath, inciting a hum from her, and when it traveled up his body, he was the closest to heaven he’d ever get.

The typical person would think Mason preferred the act of coming, the brief euphoric peak that overtook his already heightened senses a high he chased often – but it was completely the opposite.

He loved the chase – hunting, trapping, planning on how he’d go in for the kill. That was what excited him the most.

So watching her try her hardest to hold it all in for him was nearly pushing him over the edge. He couldn’t recount a time where he was that close, that fast.

He watched her carefully, pushing himself all the way in, her lips grazing the trimmed hair above the base of his shaft. She held eyes with him, squinting as she tried to hold back a gag.

Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, and her chest flexed, like she needed air. He pulled himself out of her mouth, watching a thick string of saliva drip onto the floor.

She gasped, eyes half lidded, lipstick smeared onto her glistening chin.

“You want more, sweetheart?”

She nodded, mouth open, tongue pointed. The tip of it grazed the head of his cock, making him inhale sharply.

This time, he pushed himself in all the way, a little rougher than before, eyes still locked with hers. The broken garble that came from her as he pumped into her mouth ripped a growl from him, every sound she made triggering an animalistic response of his own.

“Fuck, Sofía –” He breathed, gripping her jaw with his left hand, his other hand tangled in her hair.

She tapped his leg lightly, a gentle warning, so he pulled out once again, revelling in the way her desperate breaths sounded, the way her chest glistened, adorned with spit, the way her lengthy locks looked against her bare skin, freckled just like his.

“I can handle more,” she breathed, leaning forward to suck gently on his head, hazel eyes transfixed on his.

He’d been looked at before by a woman on her knees, but never like that. Something about Sofia brought out his most primal instincts. He couldn’t deny that she was stunning and as adventurous as he was – and something about that made him want to stake his claim on her.

Despite her voice, which was dripping with desire, her eyes were glimmering innocently, like every word she said doubled as sexy and sincere.

“‘Do you trust me?’ ‘Of course.’” It played on loop in his brain – the way the words fell from her lips without hesitation. Like a reflex. Like it was second nature to do so.

“If you want me to stop, tap my leg just like before,” he said, barely able to choke through the words as she lazily swirled her tongue around his tip.

She nodded, squeezing his thighs in anticipation.

He cupped her face around her ears, gripping her head firmly. This time, since she was eased into the idea, he went all in.

His hips snapped into her, burying himself in her mouth, watching himself disappear behind her pretty lips. Saliva bubbled out of the corners of her lips, leaking out and down her chin. Making a mess of her was his favorite thing.

His hands snaked into her hair again, this time gathering it at the nape of her neck. She groaned, evoking a soft “shit” from his lips, followed by a sharp intake of breath. He twisted the hair around his wrist like a dark rope until he could guide her bobbing head at the pace he wanted.

He felt her tighten her lips as he pumped into her, the heat of her mouth making him shudder. She dug her fingernails into his bare thighs, eyes watering, brows furrowed. Her knuckles were white with the effort, but she didn’t tap his leg.

She just kept her eyes focused on him like he was the only thing that mattered.

God how the fuck did she manage to make throat fucking into something more with a single look?

But he didn’t mind it. Or at least he didn’t think he minded it. He’d figure it out later. She didn’t say she wanted more than whatever their arrangement was. So maybe she didn’t. Maybe the look was nothing –

A tap on the leg broke his train of thought.

When he pulled out, she gasped, swiping the back of her hand across her chin, smearing the rouge color even more.

“Trying to clean up the mess I made?”

“Maybe,” she ran a tongue over her bottom lip, a soft, sultry smile blooming.

“Well, don’t. I worked hard on that,” he laughed breathily, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

“What’re you gonna do about it?” She whispered, one hand still firmly gripping his thigh, the other slung between her bent legs, grazing her inner thigh.

Mason hadn’t seen her since she left the meeting a trembling mess, her bounty weighing heavy on her conscience – as he expected.

He realized later that walking to her car, thinking about her on and off throughout the day, and the general uneasiness he felt at her absence was unmistakable – he was concerned for her.

He didn’t hate the feeling, but it tugged at him, distracting him from his normally laid back demeanor. He was on edge.

So days later, when he volunteered to visit the station to check on her and found out she was off for the first time in months, he jumped at the chance to see her. Smoothly, of course.

“Yeah, after the, uh, ‘news’ I kinda need a weekend to relax… but I don’t even know if I’m capable of that,” she chuckled, nervousness fraying the edges of her laugh. “I should be on high alert, you know? But instead I’m looking for a distraction.”

She chewed her lip and wrung her hands, staring out at the setting sun. The wind swept her bangs around, catching a loose strand in her glossy red-toned lipstick.

He liked Sofía like this. Deep in concentration, brows furrowed, gaze set. Quiet.

“I can help with that,” he said, matter-of-factly, breaking her train of thought.

“Huh?”

“I can help with that,” he said again, unwilling to explain.

“You don’t have to distract me, Mason. I’ll be okay,” she shrugged, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

She was way too easy to read – half of the time she turned him down because she wanted to hear him ask again. 

“You and I both know you’ve been waiting to get your hands on me since our meeting,” he said under his breath, stepping towards her, where she stood next to the front door of her car.

“And you haven’t?” She asked innocently, but challenging nevertheless.

She always did that and it both infuriated him and made him hard – she acted like she didn’t know that she was driving him crazy. But she knew. She had to.

“You know I have,” he grinned, taking another predatory step towards her, trapping her against her car. “I’ve been thinking about you wrapping those pretty little lips around my cock.”

Her mouth parted, but no words came. The flush that spread across her face was swift, like a wildfire of scarlet. He never really knew what would do the trick, so he found himself trying anything to get her to trip over her words.

“Do… you wanna come back to my place?”

He knew she was gonna ask but it didn’t hurt to hear it.

He knew she was gonna click the radio on, apologizing profusely when it burst through the speakers, grating at his ears.

He knew she was gonna refuse to look at him from the walk to the car to the apartment, like she was unsure it was really happening – or she was embarrassed.

He knew she was gonna lock the door behind them and immediately stride to the kitchen to offer him a drink. And he knew she knew that he would turn it down every time.

He knew she was gonna wait for him to be the first to make a move, darting across the room to wrap her in a frenzied kiss, feeling her melt in his hands.

He knew she was gonna eventually writhe beneath him, fingers knotted into his hair while his mouth worked its magic, her gentle moans of his name falling from her mouth so adoringly despite him never saying hers that way.

He knew she was gonna eagerly reciprocate since she strived for perfectionism in every aspect of her life, especially one where she knew the other person was more experienced than her.

But what he didn’t anticipate was the way it felt that time. The way he felt – the way she was acting. Something was different. Like she had something to prove… more than usual.

Wordlessly, he pulled her up from her knees, gripping her chin in one hand. He kissed her open mouth, revelling in the familiarity of her scents that enveloped him. The faint minty gum on her breath, the lingering smell of her floral shampoo, even the remnants of the lipstick on her chin smelled sweet.

“You always have something to say,” he nearly growled, backing her towards the countertop. “But you never tell me what you want.”

Normally they could manage to stumble back to her bedroom, but neither of them could wait. She barely had time to offer refreshments before his pants were at his knees.

He lifted her onto the counter, splaying her thighs out, ignoring her yelp as the cold countertop hit her skin, raising goosebumps on her legs.

“Mason…” she breathed, half-lidded gaze trained on him.

“Tell me what you want me to do,” he smirked, nipping lightly at the skin of her inner thigh, laughing softly as he heard her pulse jump. “Can’t do anything if I don’t know what you want from me.”

She chewed her lip and he half-expected her to blush again, but what happened was the complete opposite.

Her hands slid down her stomach, towards her lacy underwear – the ones she wore when she thought she’d see him (he noticed). She pulled the crotch to the side, exposing her glistening lips to him, parted, beckoning him closer.

“Make a mess of me,” she breathed, slowly swiping a finger upwards towards her clit, before circling it languidly.

Fuck.

He gripped her hips and tugged her forward, face fitting snugly between her thick thighs. The second he dragged his tongue through her folds, settling on working her clit, a strained whine escaped her lips.

“Mason – oh, fuck –” her breath quickened, her hips bucking slowly like she was trying to ride his face from her position on the counter.

He flicked his tongue against her with fervor, taking note of her short breaths.

“I’m close – please –”

Before she could chase her release, he kissed her inner thigh again, suckling her skin lightly, grinning as she let out a frustrated huff.

“You’re really gonna tease me like that?” Her voice was hoarse. They’d barely begun and she was already disheveled.

“You’re asking me if I’m teasing you? Sweetheart, you must be joking if you think I’m gonna let you get what you want so easily,” he grinned, slowly sinking one finger into her, curling it towards him, hair raising on his neck when the moan rumbled through her chest.

“And you’re asking me to beg?” She laughed through a moan, thighs flexing as he pumped in and out of her.

A growl rolled through his body, mirroring the moan that traveled through her own, like she’d passed the torch to him.

Whatever she was doing, he wanted more of it.

“No, I’m telling you.” He tried adding a second finger, but her hand was quick, grabbing his wrist and tugging him out of her.

“And I’m telling you to keep going. Make me come,” she said confidently, while her hands quivered, giving her away.

That line alone made him want to throw her leg over his shoulder and fuck her until she forgot her own name.

But her hesitation afterwards made him think twice.

“Make me forget,” she said, quiet and unsure, her demeanor nearly deflating.

Before she could take another breath, he surged forward again, flattened tongue licking precise stripes where she wanted him most, a firm hand holding her left thigh down, the other curled under her thigh, hand splayed on her hip.

“Oh my god – fuck –”  She sighed as he expertly swirled against her clit, her hand shooting out to grip his hair.

He wasn’t a masochist by any means, but the way her fingers were tangled in his hair, roughly guiding his face like she wanted – he didn’t mind the pain.

Squatting so that he could get a better view, he watched her expression contort with each stroke of his tongue.

He liked her like this, too. Deep in concentration, brows furrowed, gaze set. Loud.

Her mouth was prettiest when it stretched around his name. The drawn out “m” sound when she got lost in his touch, barely able to finish her thought, drove him wild.

But none of that changed her eyes – through her climax, she looked at him like he was it for her.

The twinge in his chest told him all he needed to know.

It wasn’t just a self indulgent fuck. He was doing what he did best to help her feel better.

He still had no clue what about Sofía drew him to her. But he wasn’t gonna deny there was some pull.

As her legs shook beneath him, and he tugged her over his shoulder to lug her to the bedroom, he shoved another realization to the side.

Yeah, the chase excited him, but Sofía’d already hunted, sinking her trap into him innocently – like she didn’t even realize she was doing it, despite clearly vying for a place in his life more than he ever tried with her.

He’d let her catch him. Just this once.

––––

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #twc mason #agent mason #n*fw #31daysofwayhaven #the more i read this the more i hate it so i have to post it GOD DSKFJSKDF #i know i keep asking for yall to be nice but please be nice <3 #nsft #my fic

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Fluffy Days ~ Jumin Han x Reader

Everyone, when they looked at Jumin, they saw him for his position as the Director and future CEO of one of the top 5 biggest, wealthiest companies in South Korea, so it was needless to say that, before thinking of how much he worked to perfect himself to be the best version of a professional director as he can, despite the title being given hereditary, people would still think of all the riches he was blessed with.

Many, like Zen and Yoosung, would envy him for having so much money and being able to do anything he could even dream of, including any weird fantasy like creating a wine line specifically for cats, or a cat brand...

And only he knows what else he thought of, but never tried to give form to.

However, very few ever looked at him for being a hard-working man, business-orientated, rational, logical and always putting the benefit of the company above all else.

But...

Was Jumin truly happy the way he was?

That question was answered one day, when a certain maiden called Y/N found a weird phone on the ground, and somehow found herself joining this charity organisation called RFA, and given her profession as a Vet, and having enough money for herself, and obviously not being a materialistic gold-digger...

Well, the brunet man of the RFA found himself completely entranced by this mysterious woman, who, in time, will end up being his girlfriend, and even more, his fiancee.

In due time, though, there is no rush.

The other important question that even fewer people ever ask themselves was...

Was Jumin never stressed out or over-worked?

And the answer goes pretty obvious that yes, he was, rather often, but he masks that and tries to cope with it by retorting to his childish self that has been long locked away, and yet, sometimes resurfaces when needed, so he does silly cat projects.

Now that he has a lover, however, he can allow himself to go on dates, that began rather fancy, but upon her protest, became more relaxed and casual, preferring peace and content to extravagance and luxuries.

They would go on a picnic in the forest nearby, take impulsive trips to what-ever place they felt like, sometimes throwing a dart on a world map on the wall and going wherever it lands, or going on shopping sprees for whatever self-care items they felt like, doing skin care routines together from time to time, cuddling together in the cinema room, eating commoner cinema snacks that he has to admit, aren’t too bad (although he won’t trade the ‘Melanin’ stake for popcorn).

There are, however, some days when he would just want to stay at home and cuddle with Y/N and Elizabeth the 3rd - Those days are definitely the most stressful and he needs to calm himself down before he bursts with weird emotions, which is something he prides himself to never do, and yet, he acknowledges the fact that it is not impossible, and he is still just a human, not a heartless robot as some claim he is.

As soon as he got home, Jumin sighed, going to his room, threw his blazer on the chair nearby, and folding up his sleeves, he let himself fall on his bed, looking at the ceiling with an exhausted and annoyed expression, before closing his eyes altogether, taking a few deep breaths to calm down.

Sighing at the deplorable state her beloved was in, she went to the bathroom and drew hot water, putting in some lavender bath salt, lighting up some incense sticks, some scented candles with lavender, vanilla and cinnamon, made the lights be dim, put bubble solution and waited until it was hot and steamy in the bath, as she searched for some calming Lo-Fi music, choosing some mountain sounds that had soft bird chirping and forest sounds included.

When everything was perfect, she threw in a Lush northern lights bathbomb, loving how great the purple and blue blended together, and went out, sitting on the side of the bed next to Jumin, gently brushing away the hair from his face and kissing his forehead.

“Come on, darling, I drew you a bath. Let’s help you relax a bit...Shall we?” she spoke in that soft voice that could always sooth his worries away.

He didn’t have the power to say much, but humming positively, he sluggishly followed Y/N to the bathroom, where his eyes widen and how aesthetically pleasing and relaxing the bathroom became.

It was almost like he never had any idea how relaxing a bath can be, and not as much of a ‘chore’ as he felt it was.

Y/N told him to take his clothes off already and get in the water before it gets cold, which seemed to make him chuckle in amusement, but did so without any protesting, and he found himself sighing at how good it felt having his sore, tense muscles tended by the hot water.

She pushed him gently down by the shoulders until he was up to his chin in water, then went to pour a glass of his favourite red wine for him to enjoy.

“Is this how you always take baths?” he asked in a lower voice. “Most of the time, yes. I make this ritual whenever I feel the need to properly relax, and it sort of became like a Pavlovian reflex, y’know?” she snorter in amusement, sitting on the ground next to the bathroom. “I see...Now I understand why you were always looking forward to them.” he nodded slightly in agreement. “I’m happy if it can help you as well. I haven’t seen you this stressed since the whole Sarah and Elizabeth the 3rd problem.” she gave him a sad smile, which made him look deep into her eyes with a pondering look. “I don’t appreciate too many unexpected things coming up all at once.” he nodded, leaning back once again. “What kind of music is this?” “Oh, this! It’s called Lo-Fi, and it’s mostly for relaxing. It has all sorts of genres and types, but this, in particular, is a mountain Lo-Fi. Do you like it? I know it’s different to the classical music you always had, but I thought maybe a little change wouldn’t hurt. I-I can change it back to Debussy and Vivaldi if you don’t like it!” she blinked, her eyes widening at the realisation that she messed up, but he could only chuckle at her cute reactions. “I don’t mind this. It’s pretty nice. Perhaps, as you said, a change in the usual routine wouldn’t hurt once in a while.” he gave her a soft smile, which left her weak to her knees. “Sweet. Let me pamper you up a bit, then.” she grinned, as she started applying a hydrating face mask, putting two big cucumber slices on his eyes. “Why...Are you doing all this for me, Y/N?” he asked, unsure of himself. “Why? Because you’re stressed out an you need to relax, obviously.” she spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes, I know, but...Why...?” he asked again, putting emphasis on the last world. “Ohh, I think I get what you mean. Because I love you, of course. I want to spoil you because you love me, and you care about me, and you make me happy, so of course, I want to do anything in my power to reciprocate and make sure you know how much I love you.” her words were so sweet and innocent that Jumin felt the burning need to throw away those stupid cucumber slices and look at her beautiful face, but decided against that impulse, so he won’t upset her and her thoroughly prepared routine.

After that, she took away the slices and gently washed away the cream-mask, in circular motions, as he massaged his face, and he truly felt in Heaven for the first time in ages.

If this wasn’t bliss, he had no idea what else could be.

And if that wasn’t enough, the shower gel she put on the sponge smelled like home-made chocolate, and as she gently rubbed his shoulders, arms and neck, he had to use all the self-restraint he had not to grab her arms and get her in the tub with him so he can hold her tightly to his chest and kiss her until he forgot to breathe altogether.

It lasted for at least an hour, but Jumin got a bit bored and restless of staying in the bathtub, and told the girl he’s done for now, she brought him his bath robe and told him to get in his sleeping wear while she cleans and organises stuff around the bathroom, as it was one of her little quirks, to have everything in order, which always amuses him since he does the exact same thing all the time, going as far as to scold Assistant Kang for not putting the folders on his desk at the exact millimeters specified.

As soon as she was ready, Y/N did a short night time skin care routine and went to her lover, cuddling with him and bringing out the laptop and putting on his favourite movie on the huge plasma TV that he only ever turned on thanks to her.

Jumin wasn’t even sure if he was paying attention to the movie, as he let Y/N hug his head to her chest, gently playing with his hair in a way that made him almost sleepy, yet very warm and content, his past stress and worries being long eradicated.

He remembered her saying that since she was very little, and even now, when she’s all grown up, she always loves crawling in her mum’s arms in bed and letting her play with her hair, as it was one of the few things that can combat her insomnia and help her sleep peacefully...

And now, she was doing it to him, and he felt more than honoured to be subject to such personal, intimate and comforting act of pampering.

That is the kind of privilege he would do anything to achieve, and it was happening to him, as the angel that his girlfriend is was always the one person who could somehow make him feel happy by merely existing.

Outside was a gorgeous night, and Jumin’s dormitory was illuminated by nothing more than the twinkling stars and the glorious silvery light of the moon that was looking over the two lovers holding each other under the covers of the master bed, while faint jazz music played in the background, as it was one of their little before-sleep rituals, still feeling the little euphoria from the movie they just watched.

“Jumin...I love you. And I’m really grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Never forget that, okay?” the h/c girl spoke in a gentle voice, as the man ran his fingers through her long locks, just as he would play with his cat’s fur, and she’d start purring. “I won’t forget, Y/N. I’m glad you were able to convince me to meet up with you, despite the circumstances, back then when we barely knew each other. No, actually, I am glad that you found that phone.” Jumin’s velvety voice spoke out, ringing in her ears. “Want to go out tomorrow? I have a free day tomorrow at the clinic. We can go have a walk through the forest or the park, if you want.” Y/N suggested, drawing shapes on the man’s chest absent-mindedly. “I don’t see why not. Elizabeth the 3rd is at V’s and I’ll have Assistant Kang erase everything from tomorrow’s schedule. I believe I had some meeting with another business with a group of women...Not something I’m too fond of.” he groaned slightly, making the girl chuckle and raise slowly, resting her form on her elbow. “What, you don’t want to throw around too many compliments and sickeningly sweet sugar-coated words in just one day?” she chuckled, a teasing smirk on her face. “The more I look at you, the more you remind me of a vixen. I don’t see any reason why I should carelessly throw around compliments to thirsty women who are only in it for my money and looks, when I could direct them all to that one person who holds my heart.” Jumin shot right back, making the girl dramatically put her hand over her heart, mimicking that she got shot by Cupid’s arrow. “Mon Dieu, my ears can’t believe what they’re hearing, are you sure you’re not trying to charm me again?” she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his lips, as one of her hands gently brushed away the fringe from his face. “There is no end line to the path to someone’s affections. I believe that once you found the special someone, one should continue to show their appreciation towards said person.” his words soothed her heart like a nice glass of rose syrup as he snaked his hands around her waist and brought her back into an embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. “You always know how to make my heart beat like crazy.” she nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck, giggling softly, making the man shiver slightly. “Just like a fox.” he muttered, chuckling lightly.

#mysmes #mysmes x reader #mysmes imagine #mystic messenger x reader #mystic messenger imagines #mystic messenger #jumin han x reader #jumin han imagine #jumin han #jaehee kang #zen #hyung ryu #yoosung kim #seven #saeyoung choi #jihyun kim #vanderwood #mary vanderwood 3rd #saeran choi #rfa #mystic messenger rfa #mint eye #magenta