#reader hates rich people but tolerates this one

[targaryenluvs]

— ALL GROWN UP

pairings: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

summary: you were always tigris's annoying rich friend to coriolanus, but once he returns from 12 you seem to be irresistible, not only to him.

warnings: normal coryo in all honesty, jealousy, flirting, p in v, oral (m), choking, kinda subby coryo - for a bit, time gap he spent a year in 12 (i got lazy this is short and basically just porn with slight plot)

a/n: hehehehe first fic of 2024 kiddos besides the klaus one!

your laughter was the last thing coriolanus wanted to hear, ever. it was still annoying when he was here, and it was still once he returned.

"there's no way!" tigris giggled a loud as you joined in.

"tigris?" he called out to her, waiting. "coryo!" tigris yelled as she ran to him, his arms open for her. "it's so good to see you, you’ve been so busy." you laughed, "your hair, it's worse in person." would you shut up? who were you to interrupt a family-

your night dress was black, short, barely below your crotch. lace details, messy hair, you were nothing short a of a dream, and it was messing with his head. he was so use to hating you, your stupid gorgeous face and here he was, dumbstruck. “y/n?” you nodded with a sweet smile, “how are you coriolanus?”

he sighed, “exhausted, between the university and dr gaul, it seems i’m stretched thin these days.” you nodded along, “it seems you’re well on your way to success.” he inhaled, not use to your kind words, “thank you.”

apparently you were staying with the snow’s for a week or so, much to coriolanus’s elation. surprisingly, in the time he’d been away you’d become, tolerable. it sure as hell had nothing to do with the sway in your walk, your sweet eyes looking up at him and your new found confidence, no he just felt nice.

he was itching to get a taste.

he’d seen you out and about, talking with almost all the people around. a kind smile aimed at quite literally everyone. almost every guy in the restaurant seemed to know you, and he couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

didn’t they know you came for lunch with him?

shouldn’t they know better?

you weren’t his, yet.

it was late at night, you needed something to drink.

grandma’ams tea isn’t exactly the most refreshing. you were in the midst of scouring the kitchen for a teabag of actual flavour when you’d heard him behind you.

“looking for this?” he held the jar in his hands, “actually, yes.” you walked over to grab it and he only held it higher, “coryo, please.” he grinned, “coryo huh?” you placed your hands on your hips, annoyed, “yes, now if you don’t mind.” the jar clattered on the counter and you quickly swiped it away. “would you like some?”

in the reflection of the glass cabinet, you saw him shake his head, “i’m in the mood for something else.” you giggled at his vagueness, “oh? and what might that be mr snow?” his smirk was all you needed to know what he was hinting at. “you’re playing a dangerous game here coryo,” he feigned confusion, “am i now?” you smiled, “yes you are.” he was behind you now, breath heavy and hot on your shoulder, “i might be, question is, are you willing to play?”

his lips were on your neck, light as ever, open mouthed kisses all the way up to your cheek. “cory” he gathered your hair, swinging it over your shoulder, “cory? that’s new.” you smiled, “i know. i’m going to take a shower, wanna join? to conserve water of course.” as if they need to, they had more than enough money now.

“to conserve, of course.”

the hot water rose steam, surrounding you as coryo watched from outside. the fog covered up all the parts he wanted to see, and his night pants seemed smaller. soap running all over you, soft hands trailing down. “i think you’ll get a much better view from in here.”

he ripped his clothes off, practically stumbling around in the soft glow of the guest room lamp. he’d been waiting for so long. ten minutes. his hands massaged your scalp, washing it off remaining shampoo and conditioner. ridding your body of any soap, your shoulders, your stomach, your thighs.

and soon enough he pressed you against the wall, imprints of hands staining the glass. you were both unbearably needy, messy kisses and desperate touches. you revelled in his grasp, you felt as if your skin was on fire. “y/n, please.” he whined. you giggled at his begging, “please what coryo?” you stroked his dick as he groaned out, “suck me off. now.” you laughed at his words, “pretty bossy for someone who was whining like a little bitch two seconds ago.” he was about to protest but your warm mouth on him seemed to shut up all forms of protest.

“oh god.” he leaned his head back on the wall as you dug your nails into the back of his thighs. the water pouring down on the two of you made coryo glisten, his abs looking especially sweet. droplets of water fell down from his hair onto you.

as if you weren’t enough the view of you on your knees, your tuts on display was more than enough for him to explode down your throat. “fuck, when did you learn to do this slut? you been practicing f’me?” his attempt at regaining control had you suppressing your laughter.

but his hand in your hair tugging you to your feet, crazy eyes and a very attractive smirk? “only for you cory.” you wrapped your arms around his neck and gently kissed him, “all for me.”

“please, cory. i need you.” you leaned your head against his as he directed his cock to entrance, teasing you. “you want it?” you nodded your head vehemently, “god just please, fuck me.” he kissed your cheek before pushing in, “anything you say baby.” you moaned out at the feeling of him in you, filling you to the brim. you felt unbearably hot, between the running water and coryo rutting into you it felt like heaven.

you can feel the wetness dripping down your thigh, mixing in with the water, “messy girl, aren’t you?” your hands dug into his shoulders almost painfully, “jump up.” wrapping your legs around of his waist, his hands cupped your ass. his pace is unbelievably brutal, “such a bitch to me, making me look weak.”

you shook your head, “didn’t mean to, didn’t mean to i swear.” you mewl, hot tears streaming down your cheeks, as coryo lets out throaty groans.

“stop crying.”

“i can’t, you feel so good!”

“stop crying or i’m not gonna let you cum.” his hand tightened around your throat, cutting off your airway. the dizziness paired with his thrusts inside of you was absolutely delicious. he let up only to mark you before returning to it.

“not yet," his grip around your throat tightened as coryo continued thrusted into you, obviously chasing his own high. "you'll cum when i do.” please cum. you thought, please please please.

his hips slowed down as he groaned, “fuck, all for me yeah? all grown up, aren’t you baby?” your nails marked up his back as he grunted, the hot water seemed to make the fresh marks hurt all the more. coriolanus loved the stinging, almost as much as he loved your cunt.

“cum, cum for me.” you weren’t sure if your release came before or after, but all you felt was unwavering pleasure and relief. you rested your head in the crook of his neck, you were so exhausted. “you did good, so good y/n.” coryo praised you as he pressed kisses to your forehead.

“let’s get you cleaned up yeah?”

#coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus x you #coriolanus snow x female!reader #coriolanus snow x fem!reader #hunger games x reader #hunger games fic #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus imagine

[lowkeychenle]

And Then It Was [ZCL] (M)

Description: After your marriage with Chenle was arranged by your parents for a company merger, things with him aren't quite like you expect. In your life full of obligations, he's determined to finally give you the ability to make your own choices. Genre: Smut/Fluff/Angst (arranged marriage!au, rich families using their children as business mergers yk) Content Warnings: Rich, generational family trauma, family secrets, reader in her men suck era, explicit, protected sex, mentions of pregnancy (no actual pregnancy in the fic), reader feels obligated to have children, explicit, unprotected sex, use of the pet names 'baby' and 'darling', dirty talk, oral (f receiving) Word Count: 28.2k Pairing: Zhong Chenle x fem!Reader (features Jeno, Jisung, Jaemin, and Mark, but mostly Jeno and Jisung! (sorry idk where Renjun and Haechan are in this fic?????)) A/N: Y'all tumblr really f'in hates me because it was so difficult to format this fic? like it did not want to let me put the whole thing on here. So if the last section is oddly formatted, that's why and I'msosorry :'( (p.s. thank you so much for 700 followers!!!)

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Chenle’s hand grips yours loosely, resting between the two of you right on the crack between the couch cushions. All of this is a formality, down to the smile plastered on your face. It started out simple, like something out of a movie, honestly, but even movies have to roll the end credits at some point.

“So, tell us the story of how you met,” the interviewer begins, crossing her legs as she looks at you in complete interest.

“We’ve known each other for ages,” Chenle says.

Lie. You’ve known of each other for ages. You’re only here with an oversized ring on your finger to complete your family’s merger with Chenle’s. What big news that was, two heirs of two of the biggest companies around the world falling in love. If only that were true in the slightest.

“Wow, way to make it sound romantic.” You laugh, reaching across to push his arm—gently, of course. “He makes it so lackluster. But to be completely transparent, it wasn’t…anything crazy. We did meet years ago, and we’ve been friends since then. Gosh, probably since we were sixteen?”

“Fifteen,” Chenle corrects you and sends an award winning smile your way. You’d be inclined to believe him if everything wasn’t scripted.

“He always has been a little more detail-oriented than me.”

The interview drags. You and Chenle were officially married just over a month ago, and while you know it’s your owed duty to your family, you wish optics weren’t so important. After all, legally binding yourself to secure a company was one thing, but physically binding yourself to a man you barely know? You wouldn’t dream of it. Even holding his hand feels odd, not to mention his palms are sweaty.

Your honeymoon had ended shortly before the interview. You’d been gone for four weeks, and it was the last bit of privacy you’d have when it comes to your ‘relationship’ with Chenle. You got to know him enough to where you’d be comfortable sharing an oversized house with him, but there were still a lot of mysteries between you two—mysteries you were sure would never get solved. There are a lot of good things about Chenle. He’s smarter than most people you’ve met, he knows how to make jokes and take them, he’s nice to look at, to hold a conversation with, but you don’t love him. You’d been of the mind that you wanted to marry for love since you were young, but some things are overshadowed by your duties. By money.

“There aren’t many people in this world that don’t just…immediately bow down to powerful men. It was…interesting to say the least, because throughout my entire life I’d always just been given respect. From the moment I met (Y/N), I knew I’d have to work for it. For her respect, I mean. She’s just as confident and much more intelligent than any other man I’ve ever worked with.” Chenle squeezes your hand.

That wasn’t in the script. It’s almost enough to have you break character and forget your next line. “Is that so?” You quirk an eyebrow at him, and he chuckles.

“Tried and true,” he replies with ease. “You really are extraordinary, you know.”

Can’t script a blush rising to your cheeks. It’s something about the way he makes direct eye contact with you that has your face burning.

Grinning, he turns back to the interviewer. “I have a lot of things to be grateful for in life. Truly, I do. I’m very fortunate for all of the good my family has done for me and for having things set up for me from the start. One thing I never could’ve imagined was that it could get better. Meeting her changed my life, and if I had to, I’d give everything else to keep her next to me.”

That time, your smile does fall, but you quickly catch yourself. Your heart picks up its pace in your chest, but you know it’s all part of the script. It has to be. He’d never give up his money, his family, his lifestyle for something as simple as you. You desperately want to pull your hand away, but you’ll wait until the cameras stop rolling.

As soon as you and Chenle are behind the tinted windows of his car, you drop his hand and scoot all the way over to have some semblance of peace. None of this truly makes sense to you. You’re much too young to be worried about your marriage to another person equally as young as you, yet you can’t help but mull over each word that left his mouth today.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“Of course.” You pull your phone out of your purse and scroll through your social media with a sigh.

The driver pulls away from the spot, and after a few minutes, you look over to find Chenle watching you.

“What?”

“Is that it?” He clasps his hands together in his lap.

You scoff. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are we to keep acting while we’re alone, too? It’s exhausting.”

“You don’t even want to…try to keep getting to know each other? You’re just done?” He pauses, tongue wetting his lips. “We’re here for the long haul, (Y/N). We signed a legally binding contract. Divorce isn’t an option ever. We may as well try and—”

“All due respect, Chenle, I’d rather not know you. What happens if I do, and then I hate everything about you? Ignorance is bliss. Why risk hating you when I can just tolerate you instead?”

“Is it the hate you don’t want to risk?” His question catches you off guard, the confidence laced in his tone sending sparks of irritation through you.

“Are you insinuating that you think I could fall in love with you?”

“There’s no insinuation. I’ll tell you with full certainty that you would.” Chenle’s dark eyes narrow, and he shifts in his seat. “You fear failure. But a marriage failure would be easier if you’re not in love, right? No feelings to cloud your logical judgment.”

“For such a smart man, that was an incredibly stupid statement.” You scoff, setting your phone in your lap. “This is a job, not a marriage.”

“Not according to our sealed certificate.”

“Burn it for all I care. I’m not here for you. I’m here for my family, so I could’ve been married off to anyone. Don’t think that means I’ll allow you to control me. What’s mine is still mine. If I choose to see someone outside the marriage, that’s my own choice.”

“Ah.” He inhales slowly. “You’re already in love.”

“Wrong again.”

“Then why is that the first thing you say?”

“Because I have a duty to you. An obligation. But that does not mean you’re obligated to my heart.” You look straight forward, refusing to acknowledge the heat of his stare boring into your side.

“At least make sure you’re using protection.” He clicks his tongue.

“That was also in the contract. Didn’t you read it?” You tap your foot. “‘Extramarital relations require usage of effective birth control methods, and I may not bear another man’s child.’”

“I’m sorry, what?” He gapes at you. “Are you serious right now?”

When you laugh, his eyebrows furrow deeply.

“What’s funny?”

“No, no, I just forgot. You’re the man. You’re expected to stray from the marriage because you obviously don’t have everything life can offer. It’s okay for you to get someone else pregnant because you don’t have to physically have the child. Ridiculous.”

“And you think that’s my intention? Seriously?”

“It’s an expectation in every arranged marriage, I assume.” You cross your arms over your chest. “I don’t care what you do, Chenle. Just act like you respect me at least.”

“Okay, now hold on.” He scratches his forehead, his thought process basically written out across his face. “You were the one that mentioned extramarital relationships. I was never going to suggest it because I’d never do something like that. I don’t care what our…relationship is like, it’s still a marriage. You’re my wife, whether we like it or not, and I’m not going to do anything that would undermine you or the legacy you’ve already created. Regardless of what you believe, I do respect you. Honestly.”

“I…” you trail off, swallowing roughly. “I’d prefer silence for the rest of the drive.”

Chenle runs his tongue over his teeth, but he nods.

“Do we have to share a room?” you ask as you take your earrings out. Placing them on the vanity in front of you, you stare at Chenle through the mirror, watching as he removes his suit jacket and tie.

“We don’t have to do anything.” Chenle shakes his head and untucks his shirt from his pants. “If that’s what you want, I’ll stay in another room.”

“What?” You frown. “This is your house. You should keep the master bedroom.”

“Stop thinking like that,” he says, working on his buttons. “It’s yours now, too.”

He stops halfway down, grabbing his shirt and sweatpants to change into.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” His voice seems different, almost cold. Distant.

“Chenle,” you call out, turning in your chair to face him directly.

He sighs, stops, and looks back at you. “Yeah?”

“Before you go, can we…get something out of the way?”

“More things.” He presses his lips together in a thin line, but eventually nods and takes a few steps closer. “By all means.”

This time, it’s your palms that are sweating. You grip the armrest and flounder for the words you want to say. It’s rare for you to get flustered or shy with anyone, so acting this way in front of him has heat rising to your cheeks.

“We’re expected to have children,” you finally spit out. “Heirs. We carry two legacies on our backs.”

He shifts on his feet, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he glances away from you. “This is what you want to get out of the way?”

“I…I just think it’s a good idea for us to put our…expectations out there early.”

“About sex or babies?”

“The only reason we’d ever…is to have babies.” You try to maintain your strong facade, but the conversation makes you more nervous than you’d care to admit.

“Right, because thinking that you’re sleeping with me out of obligation is incredibly sexy.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “We don’t even have to have sex to get you pregnant, you know. There are other options. Do you even actually want children? Or is that purely out of obligation as well?”

“Everything I do is out of obligation.”

“Not anymore.” He walks closer, resting his hand on the edge of the vanity. “You’re my wife now. You do what you want, and you do it for you. No one else. Understood?”

You stand up, obliterating the minuscule distance between the two of you. Your chest almost brushes his, and you’re nearly distracted by his half-unbuttoned shirt. Tilting your head, you scan over his face.

“You’re saying there’s not anything you want from me?”

“Wanting and demanding are two very different things.” He doesn’t back down, his impenetrable gaze locked on yours.

“And what is it that you want?”

“For someone who doesn’t care, you sure are inquisitive,” Chenle remarks.

“Don’t let my level of interest stop you.”

His eyes narrow. “How long have we known each other?”

“I can tell you our first real conversation was just over six months ago. We were informed of this…situation.” You sigh. “Why?”

“I was relieved to find out it was you.” He gulps. “To know that you are someone I’m…attracted to. That we could maybe one day have something real in the wake of this…joke of an arrangement.”

“Relieved?”

“Yes.” He nods without hesitation. “And that is what I want. A real life, real love, real family. And while everything else may not be ideal, I’d never force you to give me any of those things. As I’ve said, you’re free to make your own choices. Whether they include me or not.”

His voice is soft, barely carrying over to you from his spot mere inches away. Your heart pounds in your chest from his proximity, his words, him. You don’t want to risk anything, and the consequences far outweigh the rewards of a relationship like this.

“Good.” You nod. “I’ll remember that.”

“I expect nothing less.” He takes a step back, unintentionally shattering the tension between the two of you. “Have a good night, (Y/N).”

But for some reason, once he closes the door behind him and leaves you alone in this giant, extravagant bedroom, you truly wonder what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into.

“I mean, is that a bad thing?” Jisung’s voice carries through the phone, shuffling around with documents in the background.

Your cousin always did have trouble seeing things from your side. You sigh. “It is a bad thing. Why can’t he just be a normal man? I’m not going to beg anyone to impregnate me, if that’s what he’s waiting for—”

“(Y/N),” he says, tone laced with disbelief. “After that whole conversation, that’s what you got out of that? That he wants you to beg him?”

“What else am I supposed to get?” Crossing your arms over your chest, you study yourself in the mirror. Despite the stress as of late, you still seem miraculously put together.

“That he actually cares about you. And wants something real.”

“Then his family picked his wife incorrectly,” you insist. “I’m here because I was told to be. And why risk a lifetime of unhappiness and hate when we could just…tolerate each other?”

“Not everything has to be—”

“You were supposed to be on my side for this.” Your chest deflates, and you put him on speaker to apply your lipstick and put your earrings in.

“I’m always on your side, even if you think I’m not. I’ve met Chenle, too. You could’ve been much worse off for a company merger.”

“Right, so I should be grateful?” You snort. “Grateful that my husband doesn’t want to have—”

“Insufferable,” your cousin cuts you off. “You’re insufferable. The whole world is not out to get you. In the position you’re in, you need every single ally you can get. Chenle especially. He’s one of the most powerful men in the country. Imagine what that could do for you.”

“Yes, because powerful men are so enticing for me.” You roll your eyes.

“You don’t have to love him. Nobody expects that of you, but you can at least be friends with him.” Jisung clicks his tongue. “Give him a shot, okay? He’s not an asshole, and from what you’ve told me, he seems to be trying with you.”

You tap your fingers on the vanity. “I have a business meeting with him and his board. Guess I’ll see you in a few.”

“That you will. Talk to you soon.”

As the line cuts, you head out of Chenle’s—your—room, and head down the hall and out the door. Today is a new day, and the first way to present your dominance to your husband is to talk business. You’ve always been good at keeping your composure. While the buildings for your family’s company and Chenle’s were on opposite sides of town, the merger gave you unlimited access to both. Chenle was his own respective CEO, while your father still held the technical title at yours.

COO had been sitting in your pocket for years, and your father told you the only way he’d relinquish his CEO title onto you is if you married. And produced an heir without any public miscommunication. Essentially, your heir would, under no uncertain circumstances, be conceived and birthed in a conventional way.

You’re the last one to arrive in the conference room. The walls are mostly windows, overlooking the bustling city below you. You inhale deeply at the sight, and Chenle looks up at you, standing as soon as he finds you in the room. The rest of the board follows suit, and you almost scowl at the realization that the only open seat is right next to your husband. You don’t recognize any of them since this is solely for Chenle, but he insisted you were to be included on all business discussions from the moment you were married.

You stand next to Chenle, staring down at the five men around you. “Sit. Standing on my behalf is a waste of time.”

All of them listen to you, Chenle included, leaving you the lone pillar in a room full of money.

“Thank you for waiting for me.”

You don’t ever apologize for being late. Some things are out of your control. Sitting, you move your chair closer to the table. Chenle leans in, close enough for his lips to brush your ear. “I told you to just drive with me.”

You turn to him, unintentionally scanning over his face while he’s so close, and give him a small, fake smile. “And I told you I travel alone.”

It’s the first time you see annoyance pull at his brows. The only thing it does for you is make you give yourself a mental tally mark. Winning is your strong suit.

“Late on the first day isn’t a good look,” the man in the back on the right says. “It’s almost as if it’s not important to you.”

“First day?” You raise your eyebrows at him. “Bold of you to assume I haven’t been involved from the moment I signed a wedding certificate.”

“That’s hardly an excuse—”

“Jaemin,” Chenle interrupts him. “It won’t happen again. Leave it alone.”

Anger bubbles in your stomach as you watch the man at the end—Jaemin—immediately back down. Your words weren’t enough, but the second Chenle opens his mouth, the argument’s over? With the group of men, you talk financials from last quarter. You follow along easily thanks to the binder of data Chenle provided you with. Stopping on the fourth page, you frown.

Leaning over to Chenle, you nudge his shoulder. When you point at the page, his eyes follow. You turn your head to whisper in his ear, “This charge isn’t itemized. Little amounts may be fine, but a $143,000 charge with no itemization from one of your departments can’t be normal.”

“You’ve got sharp eyes,” he mutters, almost appreciatively.

“Obligations make you that way,” you return, brushing your hair back as you lean against your chair. Chenle’s button-up sleeves are rolled to his elbows, the tip of his pen tapping on the table as he listens to Jisung talk.

Chenle’s smart not to bring anything up just yet, as he’s likely to do more research before asking his team what is going on with something like that. You cross your legs and listen intently, but most of it is beyond your scope in his company, anyway.

“You’ll also have to decide on new positions as well.” Another man speaks up from beside your cousin.

“And what positions are those, Mark?” Chenle asks.

“COO and CFO nominations for the board to vote.”

“There isn’t any need for nominations for COO.” Chenle frowns.

“Why’s that?” One of the men, Jeno, follows up.

“Isn’t it obvious? The only person qualified for such a role is my wife.” Chenle crosses his arms over his chest, but this time, you can’t stop your outward reaction. Your jaw drops as all eyes fall on you, and you give him an incredulous look.

“Are you serious?”

“Why is this a surprise?” he inquires, gaze meeting yours.

It’s a surprise because nowhere in your signed contract did it say you were entitled to a position of power at his company.

“(Y/N) is an excellent candidate. She’s done great things at my uncle’s company,” Jisung butts in, nodding at you. “If it were up to a vote, she’d have mine.”

“We’ll reconvene for the vote. I have several candidates for CFO listed in the binders you received today, so you may vote on those as well.” Chenle pauses. 

You don’t realize your leg bouncing up and down until his palm presses against your knee. The movement is undetectable to everyone else, but it makes every ounce of air dissipate from your lungs. You calm down in an instant, no matter how much you hate to say it, and you clench your fists together in your lap.

“For now, my wife and I are going home,” he continues. “Have a good and productive day today.”

Everyone stands as he does, and you stare at him briefly when he extends his arm out to you. In that split second, you make eye contact with Jisung, who nods in encouragement. You let out a nearly invisible sigh, but you wrap your fingers around the crook of his elbow and allow him to lead you from the room. Once you’re far enough away from everyone, he still doesn’t let you go, a somewhat proud half-smile on his face. “After you pointed out that discrepancy, I almost switched gears and made you CFO instead.”

“You’ll learn quite fast that numbers aren’t really my strong suit.” You don’t even attempt to remove your grip on him. “My attention to detail makes up for the…lack of numerical intelligence.”

“I hope I didn’t take you too off-guard.” He opens the door to the building, disconnecting your arms to place his hand on the small of your back to guide you.

“Please.” You chuckle and shake your head. “You? Take me off-guard?”

“Competitive, too, huh?” He raises an eyebrow at you as he glances around at the different people with cameras surrounding you. Whether to keep you away from them or to keep up appearances, his hand slides from your back to your hip, gently pulling you closer to his side.

“Let’s just say I stopped being invited to family game night,” you admit.

Once the two of you make it to the car, you barely realize you’re disobeying your own rule of traveling alone. He grasps your hand to help you into the backseat, ignoring the flashing lights behind him as he watches you slide over.

He gets in after you, closing the door with a huff. “That’ll be a headline tomorrow.”

“You helping me into the car?”

“You smiled at me.”

“We’re married.”

“Nobody believes it.” He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair.

After a moment of your silence, he reaches over to grab your hand. You surprise even yourself when you allow him.

“I’m sorry. It’s not your problem. And it doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks.”

“Don’t apologize.” You shake your head. “It doesn’t matter, Chenle. We’ll get our…obligations out of the way, and then you can find the love you claim you want.”

His jaw tightens as he looks forward, his grip on you loosening. “Right.”

“Why?” you ask. “Why is that what you want? With me, or with anyone.”

“Love is good for you.” He shrugs. “To have someone who actually cares for you more than themselves just because they want to. Ever since I was young, I wanted to marry for love, but I’d always understood it wasn’t in the cards for me. But I figured I’d at least be able to try. With whoever it was, at least I’d be able to try to be a proper husband.”

There’s much more complexity behind Chenle than what you initially gave him credit for. You figured he’d be the typical CEO, a man high on power who will do everything and anything to not only keep it, but to grow his influence. The version of him you see now doesn’t support that original thought, but you have a hard time believing it.

“Life is already dull and loveless as it is. Rich families don’t exactly enjoy time with their relatives. I figured you, of all people, would understand where I’m coming from in that aspect.” He fidgets with his wedding band. “I don’t want to bring children into a world where they won’t be loved.”

“You think I wouldn’t love my own children?” you ask.

“That’s not what I said.” He glances at you. “Children deserve a complete family. One with parents who not only love them, but each other. I didn’t have that growing up, and I refuse to put anyone else through it.”

“I see.” You understand his point all too well, but you don’t see the big deal. Even if you two were in love and had children, wouldn’t you still have nannies and cooks and all of the things that you had as a child?

“Again, I’m not forcing you into anything. So, you don’t have to try with me if you don’t want to. But I’m not searching for it somewhere else. Since we…are obligated to have children, I wouldn’t put them through a situation where they view their father as a cheater. When I signed that contract and the marriage certificate, I signed my life away to you. Sure, it wasn’t in a traditional way or necessarily…by choice, but we’re here.”

“Wow, you sure know how to woo a woman.”

“You’ve made your stance clear. All I ask is that whoever you…” he trails off and scoffs. “Whoever you decide to be with, you keep them away from any future children. And we’ll never force them into a marriage like this.”

“You want our children to marry for love?”

“Of course, I do.” He nods.

“Chenle, I…”

This time, you reach over to him to stop his excessive movement. The second your fingers wrap around his wrist, he stops.

“I think the same way you do. Hopefully, we respect each other enough not to be caught. Publicly or by children.”

“So, you really…There’s no chance? Of anything real between us?”

Your heart comes to a dead-stop in your chest, and the word ‘no’ hangs on the tip of your tongue, but for some reason, you can’t bring yourself to actually say it. It’s one simple syllable, but it’s so heavy in your mouth, you fear opening it will wreak havoc.

“I…I don’t know,” you reply, gulping.

He turns his hand so your palms are touching, and then he squeezes you gently. “All I ask is that you keep an open mind. It’s okay to let yourself have things you want, too. Not everything has to be an obligation.”

Before you can speak, the driver is opening the door for you and Chenle to get out. The two of you make your way into the house, but you’re honestly not sure where to go from here. You head upstairs toward the master bedroom to take off your dress.

“(Y/N),” Chenle calls, stopping you in your tracks. He continues, “I have to get clothes to change into. They’re still all in the master, but I’ll have the staff move them by the end of the week.”

You wet your lips. Standing on the third stair makes you taller than him, and he looks up at you with only kindness behind his brown eyes. You want to hate him. Or to only tolerate him. But through the moments of kindness, you know he’s the type of man you could be friends with. You could—

You stop that thought before it completes. “It’s your house. Do whatever you need to.”

He joins you on the third step and leans closer to you. “Wrong.”

“Wrong?” You tilt your head.

“Remember that everything I have is yours, too. This house belongs to you just as much as it belongs to me. As much as you hate to think so, I know you, (Y/N). The ball is in your court. You make the decisions around here, whether it’s what color the walls are or twenty kids running around the hallways. Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen.”

You gape at him, face red as he leans away from you and continues up the stairs without looking back at you. Once he’s far enough away, you clear your throat and pat your cheeks. Regaining your composure, you follow him up and find him working on the buttons of his shirt, his tie discarded on the bed.

“Does this bother you?” he asks. “I can go.”

“What makes you think it bothers me?”

“You’re staring.”

You head over to the closet instead of responding to him, more than ready to put pants on instead of the dress that’s much too tight for comfort. Once you’ve picked out your new clothes, you stay where you’re at and reach behind you for the zipper. After a few moments of struggling with it, you finally give up and decide to use your resources.

“Chenle?” you call out.

When he appears in the doorway, his shirt is absent, and you were pretty sure he’d been wearing a belt before. His arms are crossed over his chest as he leans against the frame, awaiting you to tell him what you need. You don’t have to actually speak. Instead, you turn your back to him and pull your hair over your shoulder. He hums behind you, keeping a respectable amount of distance before he grips the zipper.

“What did you do before me?” he asks, hesitant to pull it down.

“Staff.” You shrug. “But I mostly wore things I knew I’d be able to—”

The familiar sound and the rush of cool air against your heated skin as he reveals more of you has your breath catching in your throat. You cut yourself off, immediately reaching up to hold the dress to your chest.

“I’m a very accommodating man, (Y/N).” His voice sinks into every inch of you. “If you need something, tell me. I’m your husband. It’s quite literally my job to ensure you’re happy, darling.”

The heat radiating from his bare skin so close to yours has every thought in your brain flying away. Logically, there’d be nothing wrong with giving in to your temptation. It’d been a long time since anyone had touched you, and the man behind you is your husband. Physical attraction had nothing to do with emotions or feelings, so it was okay. One thing you’d never be able to deny is how he’s one of the most beautiful men you’d ever met. Your parents could’ve chosen much, much worse for you.

His voice centimeters from your ear startles you out of your trance. He says, “I wonder what you’re thinking about. You seem a bit distracted.”

“Wouldn’t you love to know.”

“Truly.”

“I need to change.”

“Do you?” He trails a finger up your spine. “You’re so soft. What an odd comparison to that steel wall you’re forcing yourself to keep up.”

“I think you’re forgetting your own boundaries.” You clench your fist into the fabric of your dress. “This wouldn’t be real.”

“What even is this?” His breath fans across your neck, and you’re sure you feel the sublest brush of his lips on your skin. “Tell me where you think this is going. After all, I’m helping you with your dress like a good husband.”

“My dress was dealt with minutes ago.”

“Darling.” He tsks. “If your dress was dealt with already, it would be long, long gone.”

Even like this, you refuse to let him win. If this were to be the extent of your relationship with Chenle, you’d be fine with that. You crave satisfaction, and you also know this is a means to an end. This may be the key to giving your family those fucking heirs they want so badly. In a bold move, you release your grip on the fabric and allow it to crumple at your feet.

“What?” You tilt your head, grinning when his breathing halts. “Are you the only one who can deliver?”

He places his hand on your hip. “Can I touch you here?”

“Mhm,” you inhale sharply when he squeezes, trying your best not to roll back against him.

“Here?” he whispers, splaying his fingers out along your stomach.

“What’s your goal?” you ask, looking back at him over your shoulder. “You seem like you want something from me.”

His face is much too close to yours, but for some reason, it does little to bother you. When his lips part, you don’t mean to squirm in his touch. His eyes sweep over your expression, his touch edging just a little further downward until he can play with the lace hem of your panties.

“I’ve told you what I want already.” His gaze locks on your mouth. “Everything. I want it all.”

You gulp, unable to speak for fear of making a fool of yourself.

“What about me makes this hard for you?” he asks.

Despite the softness of his voice, your proximity to him means you see the hint of hurt swimming around in his dark irises. The heat of his bare skin on yours has everything inside you awakening, but you can’t give him what he wants.

“The choice is yours.” He takes a deep breath. “Going forward, the choice is always yours to make. I’m yours in any way you want me.”

The atmosphere around you is so warm, charged, you can’t help the way you struggle to breathe. You lean closer to him, and when your lips brush his, his grip around you tightens. Before he’s able to initiate a real kiss, a knock sounds on the bedroom door.

“Mr. Zhong, you have a visitor.”

“God damn it,” he curses under his breath, annoyance replacing whatever vulnerability you’d just seen. Stepping away from you, he grabs a shirt for you and hands it to you.

You accept it quickly, embarrassment flooding through your system as reality sets in and you realize what you’d done. He stops in the doorway, stealing one more glance at you before he runs his fingers through his hair and walks out.

“What the fuck?” you mutter to yourself, patting your cheeks.

Your skin where he touched you suddenly feels much too cold, and you give yourself a few moments to calm down as you search for a pair of pants to put on. You pick your dress up off the floor and put it with your dirty laundry. You tie your hair up to get yourself to cool down, and then you follow Chenle out to see who saved you from making a decision you wouldn’t be able to come back from.

“You came all the way here to deliver a report?” Chenle’s voice cuts through the air before you’re able to see him, and you hear the agitation flooding through it.

You round the corner and stop at the top of the stairs, finding Chenle in the foyer with one of the men from the meeting earlier standing right inside the doorway with a binder. He’d slipped his shirt back on, retucked it, and even rolled his sleeves up. His hands are deep in his pockets.

“It couldn’t wait,” the man says.

“There are plenty of things that can’t wait in this world, and they wait anyway, Jeno.” Chenle shifts on his feet. “But you’re here, so give it to me.”

Jeno hands Chenle the binder, and he opens it. At the realization of what it is, the latter’s eyes close.

“You’re telling me that this has been going on for years?”

“Before you were even CEO, yes.” Jeno nods.

“My father knows about this?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What is your father supposed to know about?” you ask, finally making your presence known as you make your way down the stairs.

Chenle turns to you, his jaw clenching as his gaze travels on its own accord. “The amount you pointed out earlier. It’s not just one payment. There’s…an entire binder full of payments to someone that aren’t accounted for. That’s $143,000 a quarter, for longer than I’ve even been able to—”

“Should she really be involved in this?” Jeno grabs Chenle’s arm.

“She’s the COO of the company.” Chenle frowns at the other man. “And she’s my wife. If this is going on, it affects her, too.”

The other man releases him, and you join Chenle at his side. At this point, even pressing your arm against his is far too much contact for you, yet you crave it all the same.

“It’s new for them,” you remind your husband. “They’re not used to me yet. They’ll learn in due time.”

“Right.”

You hold your hand out for the reports, and he gives it to you. You flip through, noting the dates corresponding with the payments.

“I wouldn’t bring it up to your father,” you mention.

“What?” Chenle recoils. “Why not?”

“These charges have been happening for years,” you point out. “There’s a chance he might know about them. That he could be the one—”

“That’s impossible,” Chenle interrupts you, his posture immediately straightening out as he stands rigid.

“It’s not.” You keep your voice soft in an attempt to neutralize the situation, and you reach for his wrist. “All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t rule anyone out. We need to keep this within a circle while we do research. No one else can know that this has even been caught.”

As soon as your fingers wrap around him, the tension in his body melts away. He lets out a sigh, wets his lips, and nods. “You’re right. We’ll look into it.” He turns to Jeno. “No one can know about this. This stays between the three of us.”

“Of course,” Jeno confirms. “I’ll leave you with that information now. Have a good night, you two.”

“Thanks,” Chenle says.

Jeno leaves, the echo of the door closing behind him leaving you and Chenle draped in an awkward silence. You place the binder on the table on the glass table, turning to face your husband.

“Are you alright?” Chenle asks.

“Me?” You raise your eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He gives you a pointed look, one that tells you he’s in no way wanting to beat around the bush. “Don’t do that.”

“I’m…okay, yes. Maybe a little flustered, but I didn’t…hate what happened, if that’s what you’re asking.” You avoid his gaze, rolling your eyes as you stare off past him to the ornate details of the front door.

“We’re married,” he points out.

“Yes, I’m acutely aware of that fact, thank you.” Your fingers find the band of your wedding ring.

He pauses, but his gaze leaves goosebumps all over your body as he trails over you. “It’s clear we’re…attracted to each other. And you’re still sure you’d rather not attempt a real relationship.”

“We’ve talked about this.” You glance around, like the staff overhearing is the most embarrassing thing you’ll deal with.

“Not enough.”

“What else could we possibly add to that?”

“I don’t want us to tolerate each other, (Y/N). At the very least, we should try to be friends.” He takes a step closer to you.

You’ve been confronted by a lot of men in your life. There have been even more men who doubted your abilities, but none of them had ever intimidated you. Chenle, standing in front of you with a determined look on his face, intimidates you. A part of you—no matter how small it may be—knows he’s everything he says he is and more. He could give you the life you’ve always wanted, but you’re sure you don’t deserve it. Not until you’ve fulfilled your portion of the contract and take your place as CEO. Only then can you allow yourself to let go.

“Do you want me?” he asks. “In any way?”

“I don’t want to,” you tell him honestly. “But I do.”

“When we were on our honeymoon, or the semblance of whatever that was, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About how we were forced into this arrangement, yet none of it…None of it feels wrong. You may not have paid me much attention beforehand, but for years before we were ever to be married, I’ve admired you. Your willpower and the way you hold your own. The independence you have. Your autonomy. I envy you.”

“Why? Why envy me?”

“Look at yourself.” Chenle puts his hands on your shoulders and turns you to look into the floor-length mirrors against the wall. “I’m not talking about how beautiful you are, even though that’s definitely an added bonus. I mean the utter tenacity you have flowing through your veins. The way you can command attention the second you walk into a room. How you’re unafraid to put men with decades of more experience in their places. You are…unapologetically yourself. This life, one of business, is significantly easier for me as a man, yet you’ve absolutely bulldozed everyone in your way.”

“Chenle—”

“I’m not done.” He taps his fingers against you.

Seeing him standing behind you in these mirrors is making your heart race, your brain jolting with electricity, and inexplicable thoughts running around your mind. He looks good like this. He watches you fondly, the admiration in his gaze evident.

“But you’re honest, too. With your intentions and with the way you want to live your life. I wish you’d give me the chance to prove how things could be, but like I said before, these choices are yours alone. Don’t get that confused with me not wanting to try. Because I’ll keep trying as long as you want me in…whatever way.”

You turn to him, craning your neck to look at him with your hands flat on his chest. “I’m beginning to think you’re crazy.”

“If trying to give my wife the life she deserves is crazy, then I’ll gladly claim that title.” A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “Something tells me you might come around someday.”

“I wish you saw things the way I do,” you mutter.

“I think the same way. But as much as I understand your fears, they shouldn’t hinder you in your life. You’re allowed to explore all aspects. Business. Joy. Intimacy. Love.”

“And you’re an expert on intimacy?” You raise your eyebrows.

“Expert might be a strong word, but I won’t ever lie to you. I’ve been in love in the past and gotten hurt because of it. But every heartbreak is worth it if it leads you to the person you were made for.” His hands slide to your hips, fingertips barely applying any pressure. “If we find we’re not good for each other, I’d let you go. You’re bound to me in a legal sense only. Paper. It means nothing unless we make it mean something.”

“You…scare me,” you breathe out. “This scares me.”

“We’re doing something right, then.” He lets out a short chuckle. “But I like this. Being close to you. Knowing that we’d be so much better as a team than as roommates.”

“I’ve always worked alone.”

“Does that mean you’ve never been in love?”

You shake your head. “Never. I don’t give myself the time to feel things like that.”

“So, feel.” His finger brushes below your chin, angling you so your eyes meet his. “Tell me what you’re feeling right now.”

“I—”

“Don’t think. Feel.”

“I…I’m nervous. You can’t be real. I’ve only been burned in the past, but it feels like you’d…just keep me warm. I don’t know if I want that.” You gulp past the unexplainable lump in your throat. “It’s…overwhelming.”

“What can I do to help you?” Chenle asks. “Whatever you need. Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”

“You.” Your voice almost refuses to work. “I want you, but I…I need time to see if that’s really it or if I’m tricking myself in order to fulfill these stupid obligations set for me.”

“Which obligations?”

“Heirs.” You avert your gaze, but he gently pulls you right back.

“Take whatever time you need. I mean it. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not going to push you into any situations like that.” He reaches up and plays with a strand of your hair. “But there are…plenty of ways to explore that side of our relationship without pregnancy being a risk. Or a reward, if that’s what you view it as.”

Your face burns. Never before has a man made you blush.

“With that in the open, does removing the pregnancy factor make you want me any less?”

You contemplate. While you’d love to say that portion of your contract was the last thing on your mind, you thought of it frequently. But thoughts of what he’s mentioning has your insides twisting and turning in every way, with or without heirs being involved. When he touched you earlier, his hands on your bare skin, that genuinely wasn’t a thought. You want him for personal gain, but not in the way you originally assumed.

“Never less,” you murmur. The warmth around you becomes unbearable, yet you still find yourself shivering. “I think we need to come back to this at a different time.”

“Of course.” He takes a step back, allowing cool air to rush over you. Grabbing the binder from the table, he gestures for you to follow him into his office. “Shall we move on to some numbers, then?”

Finally, you laugh shortly. “Yeah. Yes, that sounds good.”

After two hours of studying the documents, spreadsheets, and all the other information Jeno brought for Chenle, the two of you have gotten as far as discovering the payments were sent to the same bank account. Stress is written across his face, and eventually, you slide the binder away from him.

“You’re going to run yourself into the ground,” you scold him. “It’s time for a break.”

“What time is it?” he asks, massaging his forehead.

“Almost 8pm.” You lean back in your chair and cross your legs.

His lips part in shock, and he checks his watch. “Fuck. I’m sorry, I didn’t even…you haven’t eaten yet.”

“Neither have you,” you point out.

“We’ve already established that you’re more important.” He lets out a sigh, partially filled with frustration. “You know what? Why don’t you get changed and we’ll go out?”

“Together?” Your eyes widen.

“We’re married. It’d be weird if we went by ourselves.”

“Right, of course. Um, anything in particular I should wear?”

“The choice is yours.” He grins, and like it’s the easiest thing in the world, robs all of the oxygen from your lungs. You realize then that you don’t see him smile much, but the pang in your heart can only mean you want to see it over and over again.

“Okay.” You nod and stand. “Give me ten minutes.”

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“You sure you don’t want to pick?” you offer one last time.

“While that would honestly be an honor, darling, I’m trying to prove a point here.” He lifts himself to his feet and reaches across the desk to close the binder. “I could use a drink.”

You give him a small smile before you exit his office. Once he’s out of sight, you practically bound up the stairs. You’d been on dates before, sure, but this feels different. You know better than to let yourself look too far ahead, so once you’re in your closet, you want to make sure you wear something nice. You pick a dress you’re sure you can get yourself out of. Unlike your outfit from earlier, this one isn’t as tight to your figure, and the soft color matches you well. For business meetings, you only wear black. Wearing bright colors hasn’t ever brought you success, but you figure you can wear the purple for a date with your husband.

A date. Is it a date?

That part of it doesn’t matter. This dress makes you feel good about yourself, truly. Disgust immediately sends a shiver down your spine when you realize you’re beginning to ponder how Chenle will perceive you. He’s a man. You could wear a trash bag and he’d think you did something revolutionary. Brushing the skirt of your dress off, you grab a pair of heels, slide them on, and head back down the stairs. He waits by the door, his suit jacket back on and buttoned in the middle. He turns at the sound of your shoes on the floor, and he freezes in his spot.

“What?” you inquire.

“I just…I’ve never seen you in that color before.” He clears his throat, but his cheeks tinge with a light, barely noticeable pink. “You…it suits you well.”

“Thank you.” Before you attempt to leave the door, he grabs your jacket from the rack and drapes it over your shoulders.

“It’s cold, darling,” he mutters, making sure the fabric is secure on your shoulders.

“You don’t think it ruins the outfit?”

“Not a chance. Jacket or not, it’s my favorite of yours.”

“Relax with the compliments. You’re making me blush.” You brush your fingertips against his shoulder and exit the house.

“My hard work is paying off. Good to know.” He closes the door behind him and guides you to the car with his hand on the small of your back. “I’ll stop with the compliments if you ever stop deserving them. Which I doubt will happen, by the way.”

The drive is thirty minutes, and the city is still bustling by the time Chenle is helping you out of the car. His palm against yours makes your stomach flip, and you’re beginning to hate this effect he has on you. It seems like it hit you out of nowhere, and you’d prefer if it were to sink back into the depths of hell where it came from in the first place. But before you know it, you’re a glass and a half deep of wine, you’ve eaten enough pasta to get you through the night, and Chenle’s in the exact same boat you’re in. Between the two of you, you’ve finished a bottle, and it seems as if your husband is debating ordering another one.

You hide a laugh with another sip from your glass and shake your head. “I cannot believe we’re this out of order.”

“The order doesn’t matter as long as the end result is desirable. Isn’t that true?” He quirks an eyebrow at you.

“Mm, I’ve always been an order of operations girl. Everything has to happen in the exact right way.” You set your drink down and rest your head on your palm.

“I just realized I know…nothing about your past. Please, tell me what the younger version of you was like. What kind of trouble did you get into?”

“Wow, what makes you assume I got into trouble?” you tease him, unable to fight your smile.

He sucks in a deep breath and pats his legs. “God, I’m not sure. It couldn’t be the way you never take no for an answer or how you absolutely run over everyone in your way.”

“I’ll have you know that I am a very composed human.” You run your tongue over your teeth.

“I’d expect nothing less, to be honest.” He gives you a soft smile. “And for the record, I enjoy those qualities. There aren’t many people in this world that would be unafraid of calling me out if I’m doing something wrong.”

“You mean earlier.”

“I mean in general, but that does apply, yes.”

“I only want to be a balance for you.” You look down at the red liquid in your cup. “We’re meant to complement each other now, yeah?”

“I think we were the most strategic pair…ever.” Chenle nods.

“Can I be honest with you?” You take another sip.

“Absolutely.”

“You asked me earlier what about you makes this situation hard. Or what about you makes it hard for me to…let go of certain views.” You clear your throat, dreading the conversation more than you’d care to admit. “I feel like it’s…because a part of me knows the greatness we’d be capable of together. But I’ve worked hard to build my own greatness, and I can almost guarantee the second this becomes real, my greatness becomes ours.”

“Ah.” He purses his lips. “I won’t lie to you. There will be people that see it that way. But by being married to me, those people already exist.”

“I’m not talking about other people. I don’t care about them or their opinions.” You finish off your glass.

“You…you mean me?” His eyes widen in shock.

“That is a fear I have.”

He flounders for a second, and he scrambles for words for the first time all day. “I’m sorry, I just…I’m not sure if there’s anything I can say to make this better. I…(Y/N), I know my promises probably don’t mean much to you at this point, but I’d never discount you like that. Or take credit for anything you’ve done. How can I make that clearer?”

“It’s not your issue to correct.” You chew the inside of your cheek. “It’s mine. And I don’t say it to make you feel responsible, but as a forewarning, I guess. Being a woman and working my way to the top just to have…this thrust upon me is a little redundant.”

“You never wanted to marry in the first place.” It’s not a question.

“That’s correct.”

He blows out a long breath and looks down at his hands, twisting the wedding band on his finger. “You never saw this in the cards for you.”

“I knew I’d eventually have to marry for company purposes. My father would never let himself die before he knows I’ve carried on his line.” You snort and shake your head. “But I figured all of these types of marriages were the same. People signed their paperwork and barely acknowledged each other unless it was to reproduce.”

Chenle lets out a laugh. “Your word choice is interesting.”

“Shut up, you know what I mean.” You cover your mouth as you join him in laughter. “I just never thought you’d be…you.”

“I live to prove to you that you can have everything. We can be happy, have a real family, and still be at the top of our field. Both independently and together.”

Fortunately for the both of you, Chenle doesn’t order the second bottle of wine. Instead, he pays the bill and leads you from the restaurant with his arm wrapped around your waist. He opens the car door for you, and as you place your hand in his to enter, he squeezes your hand gently. Once you get home, the two of you separate at the top of the stairs, him heading off to a spare room down the hall while you step into the room that technically belongs to him. You change without interrupt, your silk nightgown soft on your skin as you climb into bed.

You stare up at the ceiling, tracing along it with your eyes as if you were drawing a map. Where the destinations were you had yet to figure out, but you imagined a whole new world up there, one where you didn’t have to have this wall up. One where you didn’t have to fight tooth and nail for a shred of respect you more than deserve. One where you didn’t have to be scared of what Chenle was trying to offer you.

You sigh, clutching the blanket to your chest. The wine has since settled in your system, yet your blood still runs warm. The map on the ceiling becomes mountains, oceans, continents. It forms real shapes, real geography in your mind, but you find the destination right in the middle is where you truly want to be. When you look at your phone, the time is already past 2 a.m., and you’re not anywhere near tired. You’re startled by the knock. You shuffle out of bed, crossing your arms over your chest as you crack the door open slightly.

Chenle stands there, hands buried deep in his sweatpants. His eyes sweep over you as you open the door wider.

“You’re up,” he comments.

“I couldn’t sleep.” You shrug. “You’re up. And here.”

“I was hoping I could talk to you.” He pauses. “I can’t stop thinking, and I just really don’t want to be alone right now.”

Your heart skips a beat. As much as you hate it, warmth spreads through your entire being at the thought of his first idea being you.

“This is your room, Chenle. I’m not going to tell you you can’t come in your own bedroom.” You step back to give him space to walk in, but he stays put outside, staring at you as if he’s seeing straight into your soul. You give him a pointed look, but give in. “Yes, it’s okay for you to come in here. I’d prefer company as well.”

He shuffles past you, tiredness clearly weighing down as the bottoms of his feet slide across the hardwood floor. You watch him closely, admiring him. Quickly, you realize that he fits into any room he walks in. He belongs anywhere and everywhere, and within moments, he makes you feel something you’ve only ever been able to provide for yourself until this moment—safe.

“Sorry,” he whispers with a sigh. “I need to stop thinking.”

“Trust me, I get it. Me too.” You stand with your arms still crossed over your chest and you rock back and forth on the balls of your feet. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”

“I shouldn’t bore you.” He waves you off and sits on the edge of his bed. “How are you adjusting?”

“I’m okay. I’m not complaining about my accommodations.” You move and sit next to him, putting your hand on his knee. “You won’t bore me. If something’s bothering you, I want to try and help.”

His eyes sparkle even in the dark. The landscapes of the map you drew reflect in his gaze, and you swear you see every mountain, every body of water, entire worlds forming in his irises. How have you never seen this before? Why are you seeing it now?

“The payments,” he murmurs. “The idea that my father might know about them. Might be facilitating them. It’s driving me up a fucking wall.”

“When I said that, I didn’t mean to upset you.” You reach over and grab his hand. “We just need to take precaution when it comes to situations like this. If it is him and he knows we’re onto him, it might be…a bigger issue than it needs to be.”

“I know that. I guess it’s the idea that he’d be capable of something like that.” Chenle stares down at the way your thumb traces against his skin.

“You look up to him.”

“I did. I do. A lot, actually, so this seems so…backwards. That’s a lot of money per quarter, you know? I could only imagine what it’s going towards.” He turns his hand around so your palms are touching, and he gently intertwines your fingers. “Sorry, I should’ve asked if this was okay.”

“It’s more than okay. Don’t worry about me. Keep talking.”

“My parents never really loved each other. They grew to love their life together, but not each other. And despite that, I had a decent time growing up. They were good parents to me, and that’s what truly matters at the end of the day, but it makes me wonder if they’re…not these great people I’ve made them out to be in my head.” He lets out a short chuckle. “This sounds pathetic.”

“Hey.” Before you realize what you’re doing, you reach up to cup his cheek and bring his gaze back to yours. “Don’t talk like that. You’re not pathetic. These are valid concerns, and if you’ve been lied to for this long, you have every right to be upset.”

You’re so distracted by him, you barely even recognize the softness of his face. Your thumb runs gently along his cheekbone, and you watch as the frown fades from his features. Something you can’t recognize forms behind his irises, yet it still feels familiar. How do you explain how the normal beat of your heart hurts? How do you tell him that seeing him upset like this feels like needles running along your skin?

“My father would tell me I was foolish for hoping for love,” Chenle whispers. “He said it was a waste of time, since any man as busy as we are just isn't suited for it. For families.”

“If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I would’ve agreed with him.” You squeeze his hand and give him a small smile.

“Something changed?” he asked.

“I don’t think that way anymore,” you admit. “Now, I’ve realized it’s about the amount of effort someone is willing to put in. It has nothing to do with time. We make time for those we care about.”

He leans into your touch as his eyes flutter shut. You admire the angelic glow the stars leave on his skin, and despite how tired he is, he’s still so fucking beautiful. Your throat dries at the sight, and you hate how it feels like your insides are at war.

“I like this,” he tells you. “Being with you like this.”

“Me, too.” You smile, even though he can’t see you. “You should try and sleep though. You’ll be exhausted tomorrow.”

His chest visibly deflates, and he places his hand on top of yours to pull it away from his face. “Of course. I…I’ll get going.”

You recoil, but you don’t let go of his other hand. “Oh. Is that what you want?” Nerves crawl around in your stomach. You figured he’d stay with you tonight, in his own bed. That maybe the two of you would learn to be better comforted by each other’s presence.

“You’re tired, and I’m keeping you up. I was inconsiderate.” He clears his throat.

“No, no,” you quickly interject. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m only worried about you, so I was hoping you’d stay with me.”

“In here?” he asks.

You nod. “Yes. If it were my choice, you’d stay.”

“Damn, you got me there.” He delivers a tired grin and ultimately agrees. “I’d love that, (Y/N). Truly.”

You let him settle in beneath the comforter first, and he lifts it to allow you room to slide in next to him. Neither of you say anything else, but things seem to fall together naturally. He opens his arms, you push yourself against his chest, and then he wraps you up tightly in his warm embrace. He smells faintly of cologne, a soft, woody scent that engulfs you pleasantly. Despite the way you failed to fall asleep earlier, you struggle to remember a time you’d ever fallen into your dream world faster.

When you wake without Chenle in the morning, you’re sure you dreamed the last portion of the night. That is, until you see that it’s almost 10 am. You gasp and launch yourself out of bed. You never sleep in this late, so you quickly dress yourself and get ready for the day. Chenle’s side of the bed is mussed, so you determine it was, indeed, not a dream, and you make sure you look as presentable as your normal standard before you go downstairs to find where your husband disappeared to. The smell of breakfast emanates from the kitchen, so you naturally gravitate that way. When you step into the room, you’re taken aback by the company present. Not just your own parents, but Chenle’s as well. Your husband stands at the end of the table, clearly stressed with all of the people in your kitchen. He notices you first and breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of you.

“Wow,” you say as you approach Chenle and stand next to him. “Were we expecting everyone today?”

“Nope.” He chuckles and, much to apparently both of your surprises, he leans down and presses a kiss to your cheek. “Everyone showed up an hour or so ago.”

Through the burning of your cheeks, your gaze shoots up to his and you lower your voice. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You looked really comfortable.” He shrugs.

“(Y/N), Chenle was just telling us that you’re accepting the COO position at his company,” your mother butts in. Of course, business talk immediately.

“Yes, we—”

“Isn’t that a little early? And don’t you have enough responsibilities as COO of my company?” your father grumbles, and you already start to shrink into yourself in his presence.

“She’s more than capable,” Chenle defends you. “If I didn’t think she could handle it, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Don’t interrupt their family discussions, Chenle, that’s rude,” his mother scolds him.

“This marriage was a merger, was it not?” Chenle raises an eyebrow. “Doesn’t that technically make our families interconnected now?”

“We’ll consider them officially connected when she’s had her first child.” Your father points his finger at you. “Speaking of which, what’s taking so long?”

Your jaw drops, and you shift uncomfortably. It’s one thing to talk about your husband getting you pregnant with your own father, but him being so comfortable spitting things out like that in front of Chenle’s parents as well has you feeling queasy.

“We’ve been married for two months.”

“Your mother was pregnant after three weeks.”

“I don’t really want to hear about you impregnating my mother—”

“You’re making excuses, (Y/N), you know what’s on the line here.” Your father tsks at you, sipping from his water glass.

“Sir, all due respect, but it’s not like we knew each other very well. We’re both still getting comfortable with each other. And we’re young. We have plenty of time to have children.” As soon as the words leave Chenle’s mouth, you reach over and grasp his hand. It’s not visible below the table, but he squeezes you in reassurance.

“And what happens if she were to die tomorrow? My bloodline dies with her?” Your father narrows his eyes at Chenle. Your heart sinks in your chest, and you scratch your forehead.

“Even if she were to be pregnant, if she died tomorrow there wouldn’t be an heir either way,” your husband replies.

“Is there a reason we’re having such a lovely family reunion?” you butt in, hoping to curve their conversation.

“Do we need a reason to visit our daughter?” your mother asks.

“Typically, yes.” You shrug. “You never show up unannounced.”

“Oh, I take it they haven’t seen the tabloids,” Chenle’s father mentions.

You stand from your spot and pull your phone out of your pocket to check. You hear Chenle whisper something to the group before he pushes his chair back to join you. Despite the anxiety crawling up your spine, the warmth of him right behind you calms you.

“They came here because there’s a couple articles of people being shocked that we like each other?” you hiss, tossing your phone on the counter.

“Breathe,” Chenle tells you, putting his hands on your shoulders. “They’ll eventually leave us alone, but we’ve got to placate them for now.”

“Placate them?” You turn to him and raise your eyebrow. “You exchanged words with my father.”

“He said stupid things.” Chenle shrugs.

You chuckle. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ah, but you said the people are surprised we like each other, so I’m assuming you enjoy how ridiculous I am.” He bites back a grin when he sees you blush.

“God, you’ve got to stop doing that.” You push gently at his chest and walk back to your parents and your in-laws.

“I’m not sure this is really something that should have blame assigned,” Chenle’s mother says. “I’ve seen married couples go years without children.”

You curse under your breath. Of course, this is still the topic of conversation.

“That’s not how it works in this family. Heirs come first immediately after marriage.” Your mother sips from a champagne flute.

“Well, that’s hardly Chenle’s fault—”

“He’s a man. How hard is it to impregnate a woman?” Your mother scoffs. “Please, she’s not ugly by any means.”

“Mother, dear God,” you snap. “Why in the world are we still talking about this?”

“I’m sorry, are you questioning my son’s…viability?” Chenle’s father narrows his eyes.

You want to combust into flames right then and there. The immediate assumption that the reason behind you not being with child yet is that Chenle simply can’t get it up. How fucking great.

“I’m just saying, there were other men contending for a contract that were more than willing—”

“That’s enough,” you shout.

You have four shocked faces staring at you, and you feel Chenle go rigid behind you.

“I am beyond tired of this conversation already. We’ve only been married for two months, and that’s just not enough time. I barely even knew him when I married him, and we’re trying to do this the normal way. As normally as we can.” You pause. “I’m the one that wants to wait. And it is a want, not a necessity, so neither of us are…sexually dysfunctional.”

Chenle holds back a laugh behind you, but four sets of eyes are still on you. And while it’s technically not the truth—as you’ve stated multiple times you’d be okay with having an heir quickly—you’d rather this portion of it fall on you than on him. Your parents would lose their minds.

“And let’s not forget that (Y/N) is a human with a career that’s just as important as mine,” your husband adds. “Having a child at this time could put her back immensely after all the hard work she’s put in. If she wants to wait, nobody should have a say in that other than her.”

With every word coming out of Chenle’s mouth, he gets more and more attractive to you. You wish today had been a simple morning, truly. One where you’d wake up with him next to you and he’d hold you for however long the two of you could stand to stay still for.

“You should be happy we’re trying to do this properly.” You cross your arms over your chest.

“Love is a waste of time in a business arrangement.” Your father sets his empty water glass on the table.

“I agree. It’s better to get the obligations out of the way first, and then worry about trying to create something real,” Chenle’s father agrees.

“Right, because that worked out so well for you,” Chenle says.

Today was going to be a long, long day.

Your parents and in-laws stayed for another hour, and then they (thankfully) willingly left on their own accord. As soon as Chenle closes the door behind his parents, you sigh in relief and slump your back against the counter. He approaches you without a word, and almost like it’s instinct, you wrap your arms around him. Running his fingers through your hair, he holds you as close as he can.

“I’m sorry my parents implied you’re impotent,” you mutter, and you and Chenle burst into laughter at the same time.

“Wow. Clearly the only two options for an explanation as to why you’re not pregnant within two months are impotency or your husband not finding you attractive. Which, for the record, neither of those are an issue.”

“Gross. But thanks, I think?” You lean back slightly to look at him and find him smiling at you.

“Just being honest. If I was impotent, I would’ve told you before we married for business purposes. And if you don’t know how attractive you are at this point, that would be one of the world’s biggest mysteries.” He pulls you to him until your chest presses against his. “But, since I was so rudely torn away from my beautiful wife this morning by our nosy, no fucking good parents dropping in like we’re fifteen years old, I wanted to thank you for last night. Since I couldn’t earlier.”

“Thank me?” You frown and tilt your head.

“I needed that. I didn’t even know it, but I needed it,” Chenle tells you.

“Of course,” you murmur. “You never have to be alone for those moments.”

“Just for those moments?” He fakes a pout. “Does that mean I have to go back to my own room?”

You give him a pointed look, and then pretend to be lost in thought momentarily. “Pretty sure that’s only when you make me mad. I guess married couples argue and then the wives send the husbands to the couch. But in this case, there’s an extra bedroom. Or twenty.”

“Can I…can I try something?” he asks, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Yeah.” You nod.

“Close your eyes,” he mutters.

If he was anyone else, you’d be asking a million questions. But this is Chenle, and you’ve grown to realize he’s exactly who he said he is. You trust him inexplicably.

“Wow,” he says. “Not even a sarcastic comment. I think I’m winning you over.”

You open one eye, push at his shoulder, and then close it again. You’re more than tempted to open them again when his hands cup your cheeks. His thumbs caress your skin, and your breath gets caught in your throat. Your heart races in anticipation as you await his next move, craving whatever it is he wants to give you. You gasp quietly when you feel his lips brush yours, and your body tenses.

“Relax,” he whispers. “It’s me.”

You don’t give him the opportunity to finish closing the distance between you two. You do it for him. Pushing yourself forward, you seal the kiss with him quickly, wrapping your arms around his shoulders to keep him close to you. He curses against you, and you follow suit when he wraps his arm around your waist and lifts you onto the counter. For a brief moment, he pulls away from you, chest heaving as he pants.

“Chenle.” You hate that it comes out as a whimper, but you love the way he reacts to it.

He kisses you again, harder this time while one of his hands tangles in your hair and the other sits on your thigh where the hem of your dress is. Instinctively, to make your dress ride up your legs more, you lift one and hike it up around his waist. The fabric slips past his fingertips, now resting much higher than it was before. You pull him closer until he’s right up against the lace of your panties.

“Fuck,” he curses lowly, digging his nails into your skin. “You’d better think this through, darling.”

A shiver runs down your spine, but heat floods your core. You need him.

“Please,” you whisper to him, watching as his eyes darken right in front of you. When you let your hand travel down his body, you smirk at how his length hardens further beneath your touch.

“Shit.” His hips unintentionally thrust into your hand. “Fuck, we should stop.”

You drop your head against his shoulder, retracting your hand away from him. “Well, impotency definitely won’t be a problem.”

He kisses up your neck. “Sorry. I don’t want to get carried away. Or even more carried away, I guess.”

“Look at me.” You wait for him to listen to you. “You don’t have to hold back if you don’t want to. Your desires are just as important as mine.”

“Before we…do anything, I need to make sure I have condoms.” He clears his throat and removes your leg from around his waist.

“Wait, what?” You frown and lean away from him. “What do we need those for?”

“Are you serious?” He takes a step back.

“Well, yeah. We’re married. We need to have children, why would we use condoms?” You run your fingers through your hair.

He sighs and runs his hands down his face. “We talked about this. I was under the impression that we were figuring this out first and then worrying about how and when we’d have children.”

“We can’t do both at the same time?”

“Did you ever think that maybe I don’t want kids yet?” He tilts his head at you and narrows his eyes. “Yes, I understand that’s part of the deal and why we’re even married in the first place, but I don’t want to even risk having kids if I don’t know it’s really me you want.”

Embarrassment floods through you, and you slide off the counter and send him back a few more paces. You pull your dress down and grimace at the thought of being in a position like that.

“After everything we’ve talked about and the time we’ve spent together, you really think that’s not true? You think I don’t want you?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. All of this is confusing. And then our parents are here pressuring you into having a kid, and you’re—”

“Oh, my God.” Your jaw drops, and you brush off your skirt. “You’re literally the one who kissed me. And then you put me on—God forbid I ask a simple question, right? That must mean I’m trying to jump your bones to get my way.”

“(Y/N), that’s not what I said—”

“Maybe not, but that’s sure as hell what you meant. And here I am, like a fucking idiot, letting you touch me when you think that fucking low of me.” You clench your fists at your side, and you’re unaccustomed to the way your heart twists so hard in your chest. “God, fuck you.”

You turn away from him and stomp off, painfully aware of your over-exaggeration. The logical side of you begs you to calm down, since both of your concerns are valid, but the side of you you’re experiencing for the first time is stronger than what you’re accustomed to. When you make it upstairs and to your room, you sit on the edge of the bed and force yourself to breathe. Chenle’s assumption hurt you. It’s as simple as that. You’ve let yourself like him, and now he has this power over you. With a simple miscommunication, it feels like everything is falling apart before it even begins.

You blink rapidly to stop the tears from welling in your eyes, and eventually, you’re more annoyed by your reaction than by the actual situation. The door creaks open, and Chenle walking in makes relief flood through your veins. He moves over to you and sits down next to you, reaching over to grab your hand.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

You nod and lean into his chest, craving his comfort. He sighs, wraps his arms around you tightly, and strokes your hair. With your ear pressed against him, you hear how his heart beats just as hard as yours.

“I think we both got a little carried away there,” he murmurs.

“Yeah,” you agree. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I got so upset.”

“I’m sorry, too.” He kisses the top of your head. “It’s never my intention to hurt you. Or to make you regret anything we do.”

You sit there in silence, appreciating the comfort he gives you simply by being next to you.

“I was…I don’t know. Embarrassed, I think.” You chuckle at yourself, but you don’t find it funny at all. “That you would think I’d just…do that without being truthful to you. I’ve had a lot of men assume things about me throughout my entire life. Because of my success, it’s either from my father handing it to me or because I slept my way to the top. So, I’m sure you can see why I had trouble comprehending that as anything else.”

“And I hope you know that’s not what I was thinking at all. I know how much of an influence your parents have had on you. All I ever want to do is make sure you’re making your choices for you. I never communicated that I would want to use condoms if we started sleeping together because I didn’t really assume we’d get there.” He squeezes you closer to him and takes a deep breath.

“I’m also sorry for yelling at you.” You scrunch your nose up and look at him. “That was…really weird.”

“Weird?” A small smile pulls at his lips.

“I’ve never felt anything like that before. And it’s scary that you have that kind of power over me, even if I know you wouldn’t use it against me intentionally.”

“Learning how to manage those feelings will come with the territory. Have some faith in me, alright? I’m not saying things just to bring you down.” He tilts your head up, his gaze scanning over your face. “I want you to be happy. Obviously, bonus points if I’m a part of that happiness.”

“You are.”

“Good. You deserve only good things in life, and I need to make sure you get them.”

He leans down and presses his lips to yours, gently working your mouths together. You sigh into him and tangle your fingers in his hair. Everything about this feels good. It has warmth spreading in your chest from knowing someone in this world cares for you beyond what you can give them. You know he wants you, but you also know he’s going to have your best interest in mind.

He breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against yours. “We’ll learn each other, darling. Everything will work out the way it’s meant to.”

Whether intentionally or not, you and Chenle keep your distance from each other for a couple days. Today, however, you’ve no choice but to be around each other later for the board meeting, where they’ll vote on the CFO position. And your COO position, but Chenle made it very clear that the vote was simply a formality. You choose a black dress, zip it up, put your earrings in, and head downstairs, where your husband waits for you by the door. He looks at you as you stop on the bottom step, a loud clack coming from your heel.

“Yes?” You tilt your head at him.

“Are those earrings new?” He buttons his suit jacket.

“Not new.” You shake your head. “I just haven’t worn them since we married.”

“Right.” He walks over to you and offers you his arm. “Do you like receiving new things?”

You loop yours through his and allow him to guide you toward the door. “I guess that would depend on the context of receiving.”

“If I buy things for you, will they be well received?” he asks.

“You think you know me well enough to buy me things I’d enjoy?” You bite back a smile as he leads you outside and to the car.

With his hand on the small of your back, he helps you into the backseat before following. “I think I’d figure it out fairly quickly. I’m a smart man.”

“They…would be received. Maybe not well, but received nonetheless.”

He chuckles and shakes his head, relaxing against the seat. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“I can’t make it too easy for you.” You purse your lips, and without much thought, you scoot closer to him and place your hand on his.

“I don’t think easy is the right word for most things when it comes to you.” He laughs, turning his smile toward you.

“Most things?”

“Being with you is easy. Or around you, I should say. You’re pleasant company. Easy to have an intellectual conversation with, easy to relax around. Those are the easy things.”

“Wow.” You bite back your grin. “You sure know how to woo a woman.”

“Not just any woman,” he interjects. “My wife.”

“Your wife.” It’s the first time you’ve called yourself that out loud, and it has a weird, unrecognizable feeling sprouting in your stomach.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it seems like you’re coming around a little bit.” He nudges you gently. “I’m not sure how it’s possible, but I’ve missed you the past few days. After the other day, I wanted to give you space in case you didn’t want to see me, but I should’ve thought to ask you.”

He stares down at where your hands are connected, his thumb rubbing against your skin.

You fight the urge to touch his face again. “I…I’ve missed you, too, I think.”

“You think?” Humor laces in his tone.

“I don’t know. I’ve never wanted to be around someone like this before.” You shrug, heat gathering in your cheeks. “Forgive me while I navigate whatever’s going on inside my brain.”

“I want to know everything you’re thinking,” he murmurs, brushing your hair behind your ear. “Every joke, unimportant sentence, emotion, process. I want to know you.”

You lean forward and press your lips to his without a single thought in your head, but he reciprocates with ease. Almost as if he’s not taken off-guard in the slightest.

“I could get used to that,” he says against your lips. “No more silence, okay? I don’t want to be away from you.”

“No more silence,” you agree.

When the two of you pull away from each other, your eyes widen at the sight of your lipstick on his lips. You grab his arm to stop him from getting out of the car and use your thumb to wipe the excess away.

“Made a mess, did you?” He grabs your wrist to stop you. “You don’t want anyone to see that you like me that much?”

A grin follows his words, and he grabs his handkerchief out of his pocket.

“No one can know I actually have a heart,” you interject, watching as he wipes his mouth.

“Alright.” He puts his hand on your knee and squeezes. “Are you ready?”

If there’s one thing you know for sure, it’s the overwhelming attraction you have for Chenle. You take him in for a moment, the dark sweep of his hair parted to reveal his forehead, the way he grips you, the way he watches you as if you’re the only person in the world to exist.

“Before we go,” you start, chuckling quietly at yourself for the question you’re about to ask him. “Did…did you ever get condoms?”

His lips part in shock, and he blinks and flounders for words for a solid few seconds before he clears his throat. “I…I mean, I did, but not because I thought we would—it was just a precaution, you know?”

“Do I make you, Zhong Chenle, so nervous that you’re stuttering right now?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He pats your thigh. “Absolutely, you do.”

You silently thank whoever made this car for the partition between the driver and you and Chenle. “I could do so many other things to you that are so much better.” You gently touch his tie, wrapping your fingers around the fabric and pulling on it to bring him closer to you.

“I truly have no doubt that’s true.” He wets his lips. “If we don’t get out of this car in the next ten seconds, I’m having the driver fucking turn us around. We can’t miss the vote.”

“I guess receiving the title of COO is a little more important than banging my husband.”

“Fuck, I need to get out right now.” He glances up at the ceiling and throws the door open without any more hesitation. Like usual, he turns and offers you his hand.

You take it gratefully, and you loop your arm through his once your feet are safely on the ground. While you follow his lead, you realize something that has the gears in your brain turning. Chenle is the only man you’ve ever accepted guidance from. As miniscule as it seems to allow him to walk you inside, you can’t deny how you’d willingly follow him wherever he may go.

The vote does go off without a hitch, and not even half an hour after you receive your title, you’re in an office plugging away at whatever work needs to be done. Unfortunately, you’re awfully distracted by the thought of Chenle by himself down the hall. A knock on the glass door jolts you out of your thoughts. You see Jeno standing there with a file in his hands. You beckon for him to come in, and he gestures at the seat as if to ask you if he can sit.

“Please.” You nod, folding your hands together. “Did you need something?”

The man hands you the file. “We were able to trace the owner of the bank account, and an address associated with it. I…I figured it’d be best to leave this information with you, given that this could be sensitive information.”

You open it, glancing through the charges. “It started with a different bank account and name.”

“It did. Payments were originally made to a Liu Shuye, and just over two years ago, the bank account switched to a Liu Sujia.” Jeno pauses and takes a deep breath. “I think it’d be better for you to do this portion of it on your own.”

“They have different surnames.” You tap your pen on your desk. “And you’ve never heard of this person before today?”

“Not once.”

“Very well.” You sigh and close the folder, gaze meeting Jeno’s. “Thank you. I’ll look into this further and determine at what point Chenle needs to be involved. For now, Jeno, keep this between us.”

“Of course.” Jeno nods and stands. With a quick bow of his head, he moves to the door. “He’s a good man, (Y/N). Chenle, I mean. But he feels too easily, so tread carefully with whatever you find.”

“I will.”

Once Jeno departs, you cross your arms over your chest and stare down at the information delivered. These payments were made for years, so you’re unsure of how this could relate to Chenle in specific, but you feel an overwhelming resolve to make sure whatever this is doesn’t hurt him.

Chenle came to get you from your office at almost 7pm. He refused to let you work any longer and insisted he had to take you home. Your mind has been turning since Jeno brought you the documents, but you leave them buried in your desk and lay your head on Chenle’s shoulder for the duration of the car ride home. Once you're inside the house, Chenle takes your jacket off your shoulders and hangs it. You turn to him and grab his hand.

“Come to bed with me?” you ask.

“Of course.” He gives you the softest smile, and as you walk up the stairs, he follows closely behind you.

The two of you step inside his room. Chenle closes the door and then wraps his arms around your waist and tugs your back to his chest. He buries his head in your neck, a hum escaping past his lips.

“Are you tired?” you ask him, reaching up to play with his hair.

“No,” he mumbles. “I just want to be close to you. It’s been a long day, and you make me feel better.”

“Is that so?” You face him and tilt your head.

“I was scared to fall for you, too,” he whispers. “For anyone, but especially you. I know the reasons we’re here are vastly different from a conventional marriage, but I already wanted you before all of this.”

Your heart thuds in your chest as you realize his use of past tense. He was scared. Does that mean he already has fallen for you?

“C’mere,” you mutter. “We can be closer.”

“Are you sure?” He cups your cheeks, thumbing your skin. “I know we’ve gone back and forth a couple times, but I need you to know you don’t have to do anything for me. Ever.”

“Kiss me, Chenle.”

All events of the day are forgotten as soon as his lips are on yours. His hands explore along your back, fingers clenching onto the fabric of your dress as he inhales shakily. When he pulls away, it’s only for a second, as if he can’t stop himself from going back for more.

“Please tell me this means something to you.” He gulps, his words punctuated by kisses as he turns you around and walks you backward. “That I’m not crazy for wanting you the way I do.”

As the back of your knees make contact with the bed, you grip onto his shoulders, breathless from the passion behind his kiss. “You’re not crazy. It’s terrifying how fast you’ve become all I think about. Your smile and your laugh and the passion you carry. This means everything to me.”

His eyes sparkle in the lamp-lit room, a warmth dancing around in them you’ve never seen from anyone before. He finds the zipper of your dress, slowly pulling it down.

“I hope you truly know how fucking exquisite you are,” Chenle murmurs, removing the fabric from your body and returning his touch to your back to explore your bare skin. “I don’t want to fight these feelings anymore.”

“Do something about it, then.”

The heat radiating from him keeps the chill of the air in the room off of your skin, and after he guides your back down on the mattress, he haphazardly tosses his suit jacket away. You scoot back to give him more space, and he climbs on top of you. You part your legs further, nearly gasping when he takes his spot between them, pressing against you as if he were made to fill that space. As he takes your lips with his own, you work on the buttons of his shirt. Your hands shake, making it difficult, but he doesn’t mention it. He keeps kissing you like he’ll die of thirst the second he pulls away.

You finally get the last one, and he sits up briefly to rid himself of the extra material. Before it’s even completely removed, you reach down for his belt. He stares at your hands as you unbuckle it, but you don’t have time to slide it off him. When his mouth crashes into yours again, you lift your hips up.

A quiet, needy sigh passes through his lips. “God, I fucking need you so bad.”

“I’m yours,” you tell him. “Show me how much you need me.”

He grinds down against you, and his hard length slides against the wet spot in your lace panties. That time, you do gasp. It’s been much too long since you allowed yourself pleasure by another’s hand, and you crave that closeness with Chenle.

“Can I touch you?” he asks, voice rough.

“Please.” You nod. “Touch me wherever you want.”

He curses under his breath, but he presses his lips to yours once more, then along your jawline, down your neck, and paying attention to the valley between your breasts. He squeezes the right one, rubbing his thumb against your nipple through the somewhat thick material.

“You’re so fucking pretty.” He nips at your skin, and you already know he’ll leave marks on you. Pausing, he takes a deep breath. “You—you’ve done this before, right?”

“Done what?”

“Sex.”

“I have. Why?”

“No, I just…you said you’d never been in love before and I didn’t want to just assume that you—”

“Just keep going.” You blush, but he listens to your command without hesitation.

When his mouth continues downward, leaving a trail of his saliva on your stomach until he reaches the hem of your panties. He tongues along the band, his eyes flicking up to yours.

“Good God,” you whisper, the urge between your legs becoming far too much for comfort. “What are you doing?”

“Getting my fill.” He leaves open-mouthed kisses along your inner thighs.

When his thumb brushes your clit through your panties, your hips jolt. You curse, grasping onto the sheets as you prepare yourself for whatever he has planned. He smirks at your reaction, and as he pulls at your underwear, you lift up to urge him to move faster. He wraps his arms around your legs, his hands pressing your hips down into the mattress. Even though he opens his mouth to speak to you, his eyes don’t leave your glistening core.

“You can stop me if you change your mind. Just tell me.” He gulps, wetting his lips like he’s struggling to hold back.

“I won’t change my mind,” you reassure him.

“But you need to know it’s always an option.” He squeezes you gently, and without awaiting your response, he slides his tongue from your entrance to your clit.

No matter how embarrassing it is, you can’t stop the whimper escaping you. His tongue flicks your clit one, two, three times as he digs his nails into your skin. Pleasure isn’t entirely foreign to you, but you’re sure it’s the way your soul has begun craving Chenle’s that makes this so much better than anything else you’ve experienced. His grip on you keeps you from squirming too much, but you try regardless. As he steadily moves over your clit, your back arches off the mattress. Whines leave your mouth as you run your fingers through Chenle’s hair in encouragement.

He takes your sensitive bud into his mouth, sucking to add pressure, only to release it and start all over again. You lift yourself on your elbows to watch him, all while practically pushing his head further between your legs. His eyes are closed, and seeing his lips work on your core has to be one of the most erotic things you’ve ever witnessed.

“You taste so fucking good,” he groans, the vibrations against your entrance sending shivers up and down your spine.

You feel yourself approaching the edge. Your body tenses, but your high won’t take you. Cursing quietly, you lift your hips in an attempt to figure out why the hell you can’t get out of your head. Chenle pulls away from your core, pressing kisses to your inner thigh. “Relax, darling. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.”

“Please just…” You drop your head back on the mattress and let out a defeated breath. “I want all of you.”

He leans over to the bedside table and grabs a condom, trailing his lips up your body once more until he reaches your neck. His teeth graze your skin. “You can trust me, (Y/N). I’ll take care of you.”

“I do,” you mutter, running your fingers through his hair. “I swear I do.”

“It’s not me you have to convince.” He nips your collarbone. “We don’t have to keep going if you’re not ready.”

You shake your head. “I’m ready. I want you.”

“Okay.” He nods, pulling back to meet your gaze. His features are soft, nothing short of adoration in his eyes. “Try not to think about it too much. Just feel.”

“I’ve never been good at that.” You chuckle and grin at him.

“I’ll show you how, baby. I’ve got you.”

You crane upwards to kiss him, and he meets you in the middle. Tasting yourself on his tongue has you sighing into him, and you push at his pants in hopes that he’ll take the hint. He pauses to rid himself of the rest of his clothing, and then slides his hands beneath you to unclasp your bra. You arch your back to give him more space, and soon enough, nothing separates you from your husband anymore.

“You’re sure?” he asks you again, grabbing the wrapper once more.

“I want you,” you confirm.

Despite the confidence you usually feel, something here feels more…vulnerable than you’ve ever been. Your heart flutters in your chest as he opens the condom and slides it on, and you spread your legs further as he climbs over you again. No man has ever made you nervous before, even in similar situations, but something with him is different. You care about him. You want him to feel good, too, and you crave his promises of taking care of you.

“Need you to relax,” he whispers, peppering kisses on your jawline as he lines himself up with your soaked entrance. “Close your eyes, darling, just let yourself feel.”

You tilt your head back to give him better access to your neck, and you listen to him. Through the darkness, you see the world you drew on his ceiling, the one with beautiful landscapes, overarching mountains, fresh, clean streams, and you sigh in content. The middle of the map, the location you craved to be in, is right here. With him. His breath catches in his throat as he slides inside you, his length stretching you. He gulps and rests his head on your shoulder as he attempts to steady himself. You tangle your fingers in his hair, combing through the midnight strands. After both of you calm down from the initial overwhelming movement, you wrap your legs around his waist and lock your ankles together, tugging him up to kiss you. His lips work softly on yours, and he slowly grinds against you. He pulls out until only the tip is inside, and as he pushes back in, he moans into your mouth. Your body shudders at the sound.

“Tell me how it feels,” he says, chest pressed to yours. “How do I make you feel?”

“Chenle, I—” You blush despite the situation.

“You don’t have to be shy with me, baby. Let me help you.” He repeats his previous movement, and you watch as his eyes flutter from the pleasure. “I can tell you how it feels for me.”

You nod. “Please.”

The pace he sets is slow but has electricity coursing through your veins anyway. He continues to pull out almost all the way, just to allow you to experience the entirety of his length rubbing against your inner walls.

He gulps, pressing his lips to your ear. “You’re divine, darling. You’re squeezing me so tight, I could stay here forever. It’s like you were fucking made for me, soaked and so fucking warm, baby, you take me so well.”

Everything he does is like a lightning strike, every fiber in your muscles breaking down as you yearn for this completion. You know you’ll never be able to stay away from him. Even if you don’t finish, this journey is just as good as the destination.

“Feels like I’m on fire,” you whisper. Thankfully, your eyes are closed, or he’d see them roll back. “You’re everywhere and it’s still not enough.”

He picks up his pace a bit, and a moan tumbles from your lips. He holds himself up on one of his elbows, his other hand gripping your thigh.

“That’s it.” He kisses you, gently biting at your bottom lip as he pulls away. “I could never have enough of you. Need you always. Forever.”

Your heart thuds against your ribcage, and despite the pleasure clouding your brain, you allow those words to sink in through your skin and bones, deeper still until they reach your soul. There, they repeat over and over again until they’re permanently tattooed upon every recognizable piece of yourself. The hand on your thigh skirts downwards, his palm pressing on your abdomen as his thumb brushes your clit. You jolt and whine, digging your nails into his shoulders. He curses, but doesn’t let up. As the knot forms in your stomach, you open your eyes to watch Chenle, his face scrunched in pleasure as your walls flutter around him as your high approaches. He doesn’t look away from you, and as you lift your hips to match his thrusts, his fist clenches the sheets next to your head.

“So fucking wet,” he groans, his thumb never faltering in pace as he rocks his hips against yours. “You’re so perfect, darling. Gonna let me feel you cum?”

Between the slide of his length inside you and the pressure on your sensitive bud, you’re dazed at best. You nod, gripping onto him.

“I’m so close,” you whimper. “God, I want it so bad.”

Chenle adjusts his hips, and the next time he thrusts in, he hits a spot that has you seeing stars. You’ve never unraveled like this before, but your body shakes as overwhelming pleasure takes over, your vision spotting as you cry out and grip onto your husband. Your toes curl as he quickens his pace, and it doesn’t take much longer for him to press himself as deep as he can to finish in the condom. His body slumps on top of yours, his chest heaving as he presses his lips across your hot skin.

“(Y/N)...” he says between pants. “Oh, my God.”

You let out a breathless giggle. “I didn’t do any of the work.”

“Promise you, just you being here is more than enough for me.” He kisses your cheek and gently removes your legs from his waist. “I’ll be right back.”

You stop yourself from whining at the loss of him inside you, but as he goes to dispose of the condom, you get yourself clothes to put on. You slide a new pair of panties on before setting your silk pajama set on the bed.

Chenle’s arm wraps around your waist, and he presses his back to your chest. “What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed.” You chuckle. “What should I be doing?”

“Absolutely nothing.” He presses a kiss to the base of your neck. “Supposed to be naked in bed and waiting for me.”

“Ah, is that so?” You pretend to be in thought, tapping your fingers on his wrist.

“Mhm. Don’t you know bare skin-to-skin contact promotes good bonding?” He pulls you away from the foot of the bed and guides you back to where he left you. “Bet you’ll sleep better, too.”

The two of you climb into bed together, and despite the way your internal temperature is much too high, you still thrive in the extra warmth of his embrace. You rest your head on his chest, his nails gently scratching up and down your back. He falls asleep first, his steady breathing nearly lulling you as well. You adjust your head on the pillow so you can see the softness of his features, and you allow yourself to reach up and trace along his cheekbone. If anyone had asked you at the beginning if you’d ever thought a moment as intimate as this were possible, you’d quickly tell them no. There was no way you’d ever let yourself be so vulnerable with anyone. Especially not someone who has no obligations to you other than legally marrying you.

But this is more. It’s so much more than a business arrangement, and maybe a part of you has always known that. It wasn’t hating him you were scared of, but loving him.

But here you are. And you’re long past falling.

Your morning is unfortunately hectic in the wake of the events of last night. Of course, you should’ve expected moments of relaxation in your marriage to be nearly non-existent, but neither you nor Chenle wanted to get out of bed. Despite that, today you planned on going to the address listed on the bank account. You roped Jisung in, even though he didn’t know all the details. He’s your cousin, after all, and he wasn’t going to let you do anything potentially dangerous on your own. Although, you’re not sure he could do anything in a ‘dangerous’ situation anyway. He may be physically giant, but he truly acted like a teddy bear.

You and Jisung sit in the backseat while the driver takes you to the house, and you’re flipping through a binder of papers while Jisung is on his phone.

“You know.” He pauses, waiting for your attention. “I stopped by your house last night.”

You turn to him and frown. “You did? How come I didn’t see you?”

“When I arrived, the staff said it would be best not to interrupt you at the time. They didn’t really say why, but I can only imagine. Either you and Chenle were in the process of murdering each other, or you guys are really going all in on the heir making.”

Your face heats up and you scratch your head. “I—I took your advice, is all. We’re kind of trying to figure things out, I think.”

“Uh huh. So the turtleneck isn’t a strategic move?”

“Park Jisung!” You push his shoulder. “You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“No, of course not.” He bites back his teasing grin. “I’m just saying, it’s good that you’re opening up to him. You guys are pretty much stuck together, so you should at least try to make the best of things.”

“But yes, we are certainly…making the best of things.” You grin to yourself and focus back on your binder.

“So, I can stop hearing your dad complain about no heir news soon?” He rolls his eyes. “That man is truly insufferable.”

You shake your head. “Can’t say the possibility is zero, but we used protection, so probably not. And yes, my father is insufferable. When he came over last time, he implied Chenle was impotent in front of both of his parents.”

“I’m shocked by both—why not try for pregnancy if you’re already sleeping together? And why would you not being pregnant after two months mean Chenle’s impotent?”

“You just live for drama, don’t you?” You quirk an eyebrow at him. “My husband would prefer to only have a family if it’s a real one. Meaning we would love each other. And I don’t question my father’s logic. I’m not sure how he got as far as he has in business when he lacks so much common sense. Like I’m a breeding mule or something.”

“Huh.” Jisung pauses and slumps back against his seat. “Aren’t you lucky?”

“Luck has nothing to do with it, Andy. None of this is short of hard work.”

Your driver opens the door, and before Jisung can respond, you’re stepping onto the sidewalk. The house in front of you is in a suburb, an exact replica of everything else around it. It’s not remarkable by any means. For someone making over half a million dollars every year, they sure do still live modestly.

“Don’t say a word,” you warn Jisung. “I’ll handle this.”

“Considering I have no idea what’s going on, I will happily let that happen.”

You stop at the front door, knocking three times. Standing completely rigid, you wait for anyone to answer. Once it opens, you’re confronted by a surprised woman. Her hair is long and black, reaching the center of her back. Brown eyes widen in shock.

“You can’t be here.” She moves to shut the door, but Jisung stops it over your shoulder.

“I’m—”

“You’re Chenle’s wife. I know who you are.” Her jaw tightens. “You need to go.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not an option. I’m here on company business, because apparently someone decided sending $143,000 a quarter to your bank account was acceptable. You can let me in, or we can make a spectacle out here. It’s your choice.”

The woman, who can’t be too far from your age, blinks through her frustration and opens the door wider for you to step inside. You do, and she gestures to the couch.

“Have a seat. I’ll grab us all some water.” She exits the room, and you and Jisung sit down on the couch.

Despite you being resilient in hiding your nerves from people, Jisung is able to read you like a book. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Jisung warns you quietly. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

“Right. Only her being familiar enough with my husband to only use his first name. Not a big deal at all.” You clench your fists together.

“You said he had no idea about the payments.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t know her.” You shake your head. “He has no idea I’m here.”

Movement catches your attention, and you see eyes peeking around the corner. Your jaw drops before you can stop yourself, and then the small child steps into the open. You grasp onto Jisung’s sleeve, and those conclusions he told you not to jump to? Yeah, you dive into them.

“Who are you?” he asks. He can’t be more than four, and he looks achingly familiar.

“Jisung,” you whisper.

Jisung leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m Jisung. Who are you?”

“My name is Yichen.” He walks over and sits on the coffee table in front of you and your cousin. “I’m almost five.”

“Wow,” Jisung feigns surprise. “You’re getting so old.”

“That’s what my mommy says, too.” He scrunches up his face.

You’re struggling to breathe at this point, and that’s when Sujia decides to come back. She curses under her breath the second she recognizes her child in the room, and she quickly sets the glasses of water down before shooing him back up the stairs. You’re suddenly, painfully aware of Chenle telling you he’s been in love before. Of knowing there are women out there he’s wanted in the same way he’s sure he wants you.

“I think I’m going to puke,” you whisper to Jisung, careful not to let Sujia hear. “You don’t think…?”

Before Jisung can confirm or deny whether your suspicions are valid, Sujia sits across from you on the couch. The first thing you do is look for a ring on her finger, and when you don’t find one, you feel an unmistakable lump form in your throat.

“Why are you here?” she asks. “I’ve done everything I was supposed to. I haven’t told anyone anything, and my son and I are peacefully living far away from everything.”

“That’s the issue. I haven’t the faintest clue who you struck some sort of deal with for this money, nor do I know why. And if you want the payments to continue, you’ll tell me everything.”

“Is there something in specific you’d like to ask?” She frowns.

“What makes you say that?”

“You suddenly look like you’re ready to rip my throat out,” Sujia retorts.

“The child. Is he Chenle’s?” you blurt out before you can stop yourself.

Sujia visibly recoils, eyes widening as she glances between you and Jisung. “You…Are you joking? Of course not. Chenle—dear God, Chenle’s my brother.”

You swear your life flashed before your eyes, and as you drop your head into your hands, you let out a shaky sigh of relief. Your heart still races, but it starts to slow at the news that your husband doesn’t have a secret child.

“I’m sorry, your brother?” Jisung asks. “I wasn’t aware Chenle had any siblings.”

“No one is. That’s why we’re receiving the payments.” She pauses, wetting her lips. “Chenle’s father—our father—met my mother many years ago. I see him quite often, and he’s aware he has a grandchild. I figured he never told Chenle, and this confirms my suspicions. Considering his parents never divorced, I can only assume it’s because she is also unaware.”

“He recently became aware of the payments.” Because of you. “And quite honestly, I don’t think this news will sit well with him.”

“Don’t.” Sujia shakes her head frantically. “Don’t tell him. We…We need that money, okay? And he has full power to take it away from us.”

“Do you know anything about him?” you ask her.

“Just what our father told me.”

“Chenle is exponentially kind. He’d never simply cut ties and leave you to struggle. It’s not like you lied to him by choice.” You take a deep breath and brush your skirt off. “He’s the best man I know. And for that reason, I could never intentionally keep this from him. I’m sorry.”

“I understand.” Sujia runs her tongue along her teeth.

“And on the off chance he doesn’t continue payments, I will personally make sure you’re okay.”

“You actually care about him.” She tilts her head at you.

“It’s hard not to care for someone like him.” You stand up. “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time. And for thinking your child was my husband’s. Thank you for talking to me. Can we exchange numbers? I can keep you updated on how things go.”

You make haste of retrieving her number, and then you and Jisung leave the house. Once you're back in the car, you let out a long, pent up breath. You tug your fingers through your hair and curse quietly.

“Are you okay?” Jisung asks.

“Honestly? I’m okay now that I know this isn’t Chenle’s fuck up.” You nod. “I think I need to pay his father a visit.”

“You’re going to confront…his father?”

“I’m going to confirm the story, obviously. And if it’s true, I’m going to tell him what an incredible fuck up he is.” You turn off the emotions switch, your face going stone cold. “Chenle looks up to that prick.”

When you arrive at his parents’ house, you’re greeted by staff and Chenle’s mother. Jisung opts to stay in the car, and his mother rushes to bring you further into the house.

“Ah, (Y/N), what a pleasant surprise.”

Not if she doesn’t know about the secret child.

“What brings you here?” she asks.

“Chenle requested I bring these files for his father. Is he here?” You smile at her.

“Of course. He’s in his office. It’s down the hall, all the way to the back on the right.” She pats your shoulder.

You bow your head to her in thanks, and then you make your way down the hall. Knocking once, you await his confirmation to walk in. He sits behind the giant desk, glasses hanging on the edge of his nose. You note a lot of Chenle’s features come from him, but you can’t believe how vastly different they truly are.

“(Y/N).” He leans back on his chair. “Was I expecting you?”

“No.” You approach him and drop the paper with her bank account information on it. “Liu Sujia.”

His eyes widen, barely noticeably, and he looks at you. “Where did you hear that name?”

“Did you think no one would notice payments that high to a random bank account? From the company?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. A bank account means nothing. You can’t even be sure I was the one facilitating such payments. Chenle has been CEO for years now, so it’s been under his nose, too—”

“I don’t need your excuses. Or your explanations. You’re not my father, and quite frankly, I don’t care about the state of your family.” You glare at the man in front of you. “But I also spoke with Ms. Liu. She has a child. Your grandson, and Chenle’s nephew. You think he doesn’t deserve to know?”

“If you don’t care about the state of my family, why are you doing this now?”

“Because I care about my family. And the second Chenle married me, he became part of it. And while you may not love your son, I do. I won’t let you lie to him.” The words fall right out without a second thought, and you fight the embarrassment of admitting your feelings to his father before Chenle.

“So, why come here? Why not go right to Chenle?”

“I’m sure he will have his own things to say to you later. I wanted the chance to let you know, objectively, what a selfish asshole you are. Your son idolizes you for the life you built for him. For showing him that a man can be loyal to a wife he may not love, if not for his child’s sake. But you weren’t. Everything he respects you for is a lie, and you’re despicable for being okay with that.”

“How dare you come into my home and talk to me this way?” His eyebrows furrow in anger, and he leans forward, but you don’t even flinch.

“I don’t fear you,” you hiss at him. “You are human, just like everyone else. If you deserve to be scolded like a child, I have no problem being the only one with enough balls to do it. If you lose Chenle because of this, I hope you lie in your fucking grave. I’ll pay people to dance on it.”

You turn your back on him, throwing the door open and stomping down the hallway before you give him the opportunity to say anything else. Sending a smile towards Chenle’s mother, you nod once at her before walking back outside to your car.

Gaining the courage to tell Chenle takes much longer than you’d like. You get back to your office, finding Chenle waiting for you. He smiles at you, one of his genuine, happy ones, and presses a quick kiss to your lips as you approach him.

“I never thought I’d find a time where the CEO’s not busy,” you tease him. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured we could take a break and go get some lunch.” He tugs you closer. “It’s been a long day, and all I want is to be with my wife. Is that so wrong?”

You purse your lips and tilt your head. “Wrong? No. Crazy? Maybe a smidge.”

“Wow, you just called me crazy. That hurt.” He chuckles.

“How about we just order something and eat it here?” you ask. “I have a bunch of stuff to do, but I would love for you to be with me.”

“Of course. What did you want to eat? I’ll tell the secretary to order it.”

“Whatever you’re thinking is good,” you tell him, leaning back on your desk. “I’m not too picky.”

“I’ll be right back.” He kisses your cheek, and when he closes the door behind him, you let out a sigh. It feels like you’re lying to him now, but you couldn’t drop something huge like that on him now.

Not when he was looking at you with such affection. What if you telling him this makes him hate you, too?

When he comes back, he sits across from you and rests his head on his palm. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” You frown at him. “What do you mean?”

“You’re just acting…different, I don’t know. Is this about last night? Did I do something wrong?” His forehead creases with worry, and your heart sinks in your chest.

“No, no, last night was good. I really liked last night.” You try to fight off the embarrassment at your words, but it doesn’t work very well. The tips of your ears burn.

“Okay.” He reaches across the desk and grabs your hand. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on. As long as I’m not the one making you feel that way, I can wait until you want to talk about it.”

“Chenle,” you whisper, squeezing him. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you.” You glance down. “For not being what I expected.”

“I want to take care of you. Not because I think you can’t, but because I want to. I can be a safe space for you, and I’d never do anything to harm that image.”

You stand up and walk over to him, grabbing both of his hands. “I think I might be able to let you do that.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this.” He pulls you closer until you’re straddling his lap. “You amaze me every day.”

“We’re at work,” you scold him.

“I don’t see you trying to move,” he teases, palms exploring your back. “I was kinda sad we had to rush this morning. I would’ve loved to just lay there with you for as long as possible.”

You relax on top of him, fighting a smile as you study him closely. “I need to stop wearing lipstick.”

“Why?” he asks. “Do you wanna kiss me again?”

“I want to kiss you a lot.” You nod.

“I can wipe lipstick off.”

“What if mine gets smudged?”

“Tell people to mind their business. We’re newlyweds.” He watches your expression as his hands dip down to grip your ass through your dress. “I think the newlywed era started yesterday. Because all I want to do is be with you. All over you. Inside you.”

“Jesus Christ, Chenle.” You smack his chest. “Composure.”

He grins. “C’mon. You were thinking it, too.”

“We certainly can’t do it here,” you tell him.

“It’s my building.”

You give him a pointed look. “I’m trying to get your employees to respect me. They won’t if they think I’m here simply because I let you screw me on the desk.”

“I gave you the position before I ever even slept with you.”

“They don’t know that.” You roll your eyes and clamber off his lap. “There actually is something I wanted to talk to you about later at home. Are you leaving at a decent time?”

“I figured we’d leave together whenever you were done. If that’s okay.” Chenle clasps his hands together in his lap.

“Perfect.”

Before you do anything else with him, you need to tell him about his father. You just hope you don’t lose your husband in the process.

You bring the binder home with you. On the car ride home, you loop your arm through Chenle’s and rest your head on his shoulder. He can sense your nervous energy and tries to soothe you with a kiss to your head. You and Chenle go upstairs, and you sit on the edge of the bed. He follows suit despite your nerves transferring into him the longer you stay silent.

“I wanted to talk to you about that charge we found.” You put your hand on his knee. “And it’s a lot, okay? So I just want you to listen to me.”

He frowns but nods in response.

“Jeno and Jisung helped me with it. Jeno found out the account belonged to a woman, and there was an address associated with it. Jisung went with me to the house, and when we got there, I met with the woman.” You pause and scratch the top of your head. “She has a little boy. He’s almost five. And to be honest, it was a possibility in my head that you might’ve…I don’t know, accidentally fathered a child, but thankfully, it wasn’t that.”

“(Y/N), who is she?”

“She’s your sister. Your half-sister, I guess.” You gulp, refusing to make eye contact with him. “And the little boy is your nephew.”

“Oh.” His voice shakes uncharacteristically, and he inhales.

“Your dad has been paying her and her mother off for years so you and your mother didn’t find out.” You close your eyes. “And she begged me not to tell you because she’s scared she’ll stop receiving her money. Which I get, honestly, but I couldn’t keep this from you. Not when I know how—”

“(Y/N), please. I need a second.” He drops his head in his palms. His jaw tightens, and he angles his gaze to the ceiling.

“Come here,” you murmur, opening your arms for him. Immediately, he melts into your grasp, resting on your chest as you stroke the top of his head. “I’m so sorry.”

He grasps the fabric of your dress in his fist as he uses you to ground himself. “The whole time I admired him for being better, he just fucking sucked?”

You can’t tell if it’s anger or sadness that makes his voice shake.

“You’re sure?”

You nod. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that,” he tells you. “You didn’t do this.”

“No, I didn’t, but I love you, Chenle. I hate seeing you like this.” You and Chenle both tense up. He lifts his head to look at you, and your heart nearly shatters at the welled up tears in his eyes. You keep looking at him, more than nervous for his response.

“What?” His voice is hoarse, almost like it’s caught in his throat. “What did you say?”

“It’s not important right now, okay? I wasn’t thinking.” Your own tears form, and you try your best to blink them away. “No thinking, just feeling didn’t really work in this situation, huh?”

“You love me?” He cups your cheek and turns you to him. “Do you mean that?”

“Are you kidding me?” You scoff. “Of course, I do.”

You shouldn’t have done that now, given how overwhelmed he is, but it truly slipped out. He stares at you in shock, and when he parts his lips, a tear slips down his cheek. You shake your head, reaching forward and wiping it away with your thumb.

“Don’t cry,” you say. “This is all so much, I shouldn’t have dropped that on you like this, I’m so sorry—”

“Stop apologizing. Please.”

“I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

“Darling, at this point, you’re the only one who hasn’t.” He rests his forehead on yours. “And you…you loving me makes all of this worth it. Nobody has that power over me when I have you by my side.”

“I do. I love you.” You sniffle and hold him tighter.

“I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you walk into the room. I love you when you’re a thousand steps ahead of me, and I love you when you’re walking my pace. All the time, without fail and without reprieve.”

Every bit of oxygen is stolen right from your lungs, and all you want to do is scream and cry and punch his father in the face. Such a pathetic man doesn’t deserve a son like Chenle.

“Zhong Chenle, you’ve broken me in all the best ways. That terrible wall, the shell around my heart…I don’t want to face the world alone anymore. I need you with me.” You rub your thumbs along his cheeks, swiping up the next couple tears that fall.

“I will be better than my father. Than yours. We’ll do this the right way, okay?” He inhales sharply.

“I don’t doubt that one bit.” You lean forward and kiss his forehead. “What are you thinking? What do you want to do about all of this?”

“I’d like to meet her. My sister. And my nephew.” He chews the inside of his cheek. “She won’t have to worry about money. We’ll have to stop paying her through the company, but it’ll come out of our personal account. If that’s alright with you.”

“Somehow, I had a feeling you’d say that. Of course, that’s okay with me.”

“Can you set that up please?” he asks softly. “I honestly don’t know how, and she already knows you so…”

“You don’t have to explain. I’ll do it.” You run your fingers through his hair. “You’re the bravest person I know. Not everyone would handle it the way you are.”

“We’ll figure this out, yeah?”

“Between the two of us, there’s not a problem in this world we couldn’t solve.” You kiss the tip of his nose and stand from the bed, holding your hand out to him.

“What?”

“I was thinking we could take a bath. Help each other relax.”

He gives you a tired smile and nods. “That sounds amazing.”

You start the water and put a more-than-appropriate amount of the bubble bath liquid in it. Tying your hair up to prevent it from getting wet, you smile to yourself when you feel Chenle’s hands on your waist.

“Need some help getting this off?” He tugs on your dress.

“I might need help with everything,” you hum, letting your eyes flutter shut as he unzips your dress.

Once it's thrown across the room, you unbutton Chenle’s shirt, pushing it from his shoulders. Soon enough, both of you are beneath water and bubbles, and his arms are locked firmly around your waist. You rest against his chest, allowing the lavender scent to soothe your stress.

“Y’know what we’re missing?” you mumble. “Champagne.”

“I can have someone bring it to us. Just say the word.” He kisses your temple.

You shake your head. “We’re naked.”

“They’re professionals.” He laughs and squeezes you. “And I can have them leave it in the bedroom.”

“Right, and make sure there’s a heart made out of flower petals on the bed.” You roll your eyes.

“You can have anything you desire, (Y/N). You’re my wife. The sky’s truly the limit.” He explores your skin out of curiosity, mapping his way around your body.

You sit up and look over your shoulder at him. “You know what I want?”

He raises his eyebrows in response.

“I want it all.” You grab his hand. “I want you. The good days and the bad ones. Whatever trial comes our way, I want us to figure it out together.”

“Do you…Do you actually want children? Or is that something you feel like you have to do?” he asks.

“Honestly, I don’t know. There was a brief moment when I met Sujia and Yichen that I thought…I thought that he could’ve been yours. I mean, he looks like you a little bit, but he’s your nephew so that’s not weird. When that became a possibility in my head, it hurt. Stung, is more like it. I guess I figured that any children you’d have would be mine as well, and to think there were others you might have—”

“Darling,” he coos, tightening his grip on you. “I promise you, I do not have any secret children. Nor will I ever. You will be very, very aware of any child I have. I don’t want them if it’s not with you.” He presses a kiss to your shoulder.

“That’s good.” You nod and lean back against him once more. “We have time to think about it, right?”

“Take as much time as you need.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You hesitated to have Chenle meet Sujia so quickly. A week passes before you consider reaching out to her, and you know Chenle is waiting for it. She has to be too, at this point, probably worried about whether or not her money supply was going to be cut off. He has yet to confront his father, but you assume that will come with time. For now, you’re curled up next to him in bed, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear. Finally, it’s a rest day for you both, and you get to spend the whole day with him uninterrupted.

His fingers run through your hair, a deep breath passing by his lips. “Darling.”

“Hm?” You move closer to him, burying your head in his neck.

“Kiss me?”

You don’t hesitate to do as he asks, humming against his lips as the two of you connect. He shifts to his side to get closer to you, his hand trailing from your hip, down your leg, until he finds the back of your knee. Pulling your leg over his waist, he shuffles closer to you, pressing his body to yours.

“What are you doing?” you ask him, smiling.

“Loving you,” he replies easily, sliding his hand back up to your ass. The thin fabric of your shorts does little to hide the sensation of him squeezing you. You don’t mean to gasp, but you attempt to distract him by tangling your fingers in his hair.

“Tell me what you want.” You pull back to get a good look at him.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” he admits. “How fucking good you made me feel.”

“More.”

“You’ve been telling me you love me for a week now and I haven’t been able to hear it when I’m inside you. God, I never thought I’d be like this. It’s only been a week.” He squeezes you harder, pushing his hard length against you.

As he grinds himself slowly into your core, you curse and wrap your arms around him. “Why did you wait this long?” you ask him breathlessly.

“Didn’t wanna push you.” He kisses along your neck, nipping wherever he can reach. “Don’t want you to think this is all I want. Fucking been hard all day, darling. Every time you walked into the fucking room all week, instantly ready to bend you over.”

Your body shudders as you process his words. “Why don’t you lay back? Let me take care of you.”

“I need you so bad,” he groans. “I could cum just hearing you talk like that.”

You push him onto his back and quickly straddle him. Rolling your hips, you curse under your breath as you feel his hard length against your clit.

“Chenle,” you mutter, trailing your hands beneath his shirt. “Do you prefer ass or tits?”

“That’s an odd question.”

“You won’t regret answering.”

“Ass.”

“Perfect. Do you have a condom?” You raise your eyebrows at him.

“They’re in the bedside table—darling, I didn’t prep you yet—”

“You’re not the only one who’s needy,” you interrupt him, quickly moving to grab one of the wrappers. Before you climb on top of him again, you kiss his cheek. “You’re allowed to do whatever you want, my love. You don’t have to ask.”

You shove your shorts and panties down, and as you pull at his sweats and boxers, his fists clench at his sides. His length smacks against his stomach, and he wraps his fingers around himself to relieve some of the ache. You didn’t get to see it much the first time, but you take a second to appreciate just how fucking pretty he is. He’s so hard, it’s probably starting to hurt.

He runs his thumb over the tip and gasps. “Baby, please.”

You waste no more time in getting the condom on him, and then you straddle his lap again, but backwards this time. As you quickly sink down on his length, taking him all the way inside, he moans loudly.

“God, you’re so fucking hot.” He drags his nails down your back until he reaches your ass, and then he grips you tightly with both hands. “You needed me, too, huh? Dripping all over me when I haven’t even touched you yet.”

You brace yourself on the mattress between his legs, and set a fast, steady pace. He moans every time you sink all the way down, and your fingers curl into the sheets. You easily ignore the ache beginning in your thighs when you listen to him and how good you’re making him feel. He spurs you on, his moans slowly turning to higher pitched whines.

“Can we—fuck, can we try something?” Chenle asks, gripping your hips to hold you still.

“Whatever you need.” You shakily lift yourself off of him, and he quickly moves from below you. He removes his shirt before aiding you in doing the same.

He guides you to arch your back, your face pressed into the mattress as your walls clench around nothing. His tip catches on your clit, and your body jolts, but you grip onto the sheets instead.

“Gonna fuck you good, darling. Wanna hear you the whole time, got it?” His voice sends needles of pleasure pricking into your spine, and you know you can ignore everything else once he’s buried inside you.

“Yes.” You nod. Your fingers curl into the sheets as he slides in. The angle has you seeing stars, and your mouth falls open at the sensation.

His hands squeeze your ass as he starts slowly, the rub of him against your walls making your legs tremble already. You worry briefly about being too distracted, but as reaches around you to put his hand between your legs, all thoughts besides the way he feels completely obliterate. He rubs your clit in pace with his thrusts, his breathing uneven as he works your body as if he’s touched you for years. You barely recognize yourself when your moans slip past your lips. You’ve never let go like this before, and through your daze, you push yourself back against him. He tentatively smacks your ass, light enough to make you crave the contact. You can’t breathe as you curse.

“Again,” you whine, your entire being on the brink of collapse. “More.”

“Earn it, baby,” he commands. “You know what I want to hear.”

You let out a shuddering breath as his tip nudges that spot inside you. “Fuck, I love you. I need more.”

He smacks you harder this time, and the loud, needy moan that pours from your lips gets distorted by the way he starts to slam his hips against you. His fingers speed up on your clit, and you’re already teetering on the edge. Sounds of your arousal emanate around the room, mixing with both of your moans. His skin clapping against yours has every muscle in your body craving the release you know is so, so close.

As your high smashes into you like a tidal wave, the pleasure is so overwhelming, you cry out and clench onto the sheets. Chenle curses as his thrusts begin to falter, but you barely hear him. You’re much too sensitive, and you whimper as his fingers still work your bud. Without warning, he pulls out of you. You whine at the loss, attempting to push back, but he grips your hips and flips you onto your back. Gasping at the sudden movement, you grab for him as he climbs over you.

“What are you doing?” you ask breathlessly.

“I need to see you, darling.” He inhales sharply as he pushes back inside you. “And kiss you.”

His lips connect with yours as he keeps his steady pace. His chest rubs yours, the heat almost unbearable as your tongues fight for dominance. A groan slipping out of his mouth interrupts your kiss, and next thing you know, he’s as deep as he can get, panting against your collarbone.

“Fuck,” he whispers. “I love you.”

“Me too,” you reply, breathless as you run your fingers through his hair. “I love you, too.”

“That wasn’t too much, was it?” He peppers kisses anywhere he can reach—your neck, your chest, your shoulders.

You shake your head. “No, I’m just a little surprised. You can tell me when you want me, you know. You don’t have to wait for me to initiate.”

“It’s been…an interesting week, you know?” He pulls out of you, kissing you softly one last time before he goes into the bathroom to get rid of the condom. When he comes back, he lays down on top of you again. “I came twice.”

You recoil, angling your head to look at him. “Just now?”

“Yep. Came when you were on top of me, too,” he hums in content. “And I’ll have you know that’s never happened to me before.”

“Had someone on top of you or finished twice?”

“The second one.” He pauses. “But I—”

“You don’t have to explain.” You snort. “I have a past, too.”

“That’s good. Don’t wanna move,” he mumbles, pushing his head further into your neck.

You laugh. “Don’t, then.”

Chenle falls asleep fairly quickly, and you kiss his forehead before wiggling out from under him. You grab a new pair of panties and slide them on before grabbing one of his button-downs. It’s much too late for any of the staff to be out and about, so you grab your phone and head to the kitchen. When you look at the screen, the worry settles back in the pit of your stomach. Sujia had texted you forty-five minutes ago, asking you for an update on the situation. After a week, you think Chenle has probably had at least a little bit of time to come to terms with everything. You text her back to let her know Chenle wants to meet her, and then you get your water. You don’t want Chenle to ever feel hurt like that again, but it’s not going to just disappear. You know better than that. But it doesn’t change how seeing him so upset broke you to pieces, too. If you could, you’d ruin anything that even tried.

He was right all along.

Being in love doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It makes you stronger. Gives you a purpose other than what is required of you when you’re from certain bloodlines. From the beginning, you were sure Chenle would never—could never—mean anything to you, and even though he told you otherwise, you had to find out for yourself. You’d start wars for him. You’d do anything to make sure he was okay, because at the end of the day, he truly is the only person to love you without conditions involved. He cares for you not because he has to, not because he’s forced to, but because he wants to. Because he chooses to. You refill the glass for Chenle and head back upstairs. When you open the door, he stirs, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he turns and sits up.

“Where’d you go?” he asks, running his fingers through his hair.

“Water.” You hold the glass up and set it next to him on the bedside table. Standing at the edge of the bed, you look at him, unable to fight the small smile forming.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“You’re just…” You chuckle and shake your head. “Shut up. You’re just really cute like this.”

He holds his arm out to you. “Pinch me. I’m pretty sure I’m still dreaming.”

“Oh, you’re hilarious.” You smack at his wrist.

He tugs gently on the bottom hem of the shirt you’re wearing. “I like this on you.”

“It was the first thing I found.” Embarrassment climbs through you. “Sorry, I should’ve asked.”

“What part of that sounded like I wanted you to ask?” He snorts. “You’re always welcome to anything here. You should know that by now. But you’ve been away from me for way too long. C’mere.”

He opens his arms for you, and you chuckle and climb into bed next to him. When he lays on his side, he tugs you to follow suit. You listen to him, staring into his eyes while his thumb rubs on your hip through the white fabric.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

“For what?”

“For trying with me. Not running away. Letting me love you. The list is honestly endless.” He kisses your forehead. “Not to mention I really would’ve fucking lost my mind with all of that stuff last week if you hadn’t been there.”

“Speaking of.” You shuffle closer to him. “She wants to meet you. And I really think you should do it, because at the end of the day, she’s your sister, you know?”

Chenle hesitates, thousands of emotions crossing through his gaze like a storm. “You’re right. You can set it up for whenever, and I’ll be there.”

“I’m sorry this happened, Chenle.” You intertwine your fingers with his. “And I want you to know that, no matter how you’re feeling, you can tell me. I want to help you process.”

“I’ll be okay, darling. Truly. It’ll just take some time getting used to it. I do think it’ll be nice to have a sibling, although she’ll probably hate me for…I don’t know. Being legitimate?”

You laugh, burying your head in his neck. “You’re not taking her money away, so I doubt she’ll hate you.”

He hums quietly, sleep still heavy in his voice as he pulls you flush against him. “I shouldn’t be able to love you this much yet. Slow down, would you?”

“You, of all people, should know that those words do not exist in my vocabulary.” You close your eyes and breathe him in. “I love you, too.”

Sujia sets the day for the upcoming Saturday, and so while the days pass, you witness Chenle slowly lose his mind. He’s not upset at Sujia at all, but he obviously is with his father. It’s an incredibly large secret to keep from your family, so he has every right to those feelings. The entire car ride to her house, he’s squeezing your hand so hard, you fear he’ll cut the circulation off. His leg bounces restlessly, and the frown hasn’t left his face once today. The driver opens the door, and you get out first to at least attempt to lessen your husband’s nerves. You’re unfortunately aware of the straggle of photographers waiting for the two of you. While you’re not sure how they found out about this, you’re not worried about them in the slightest.

Once Chenle’s on his feet, you loop your arm in his. “Be calm. There are cameras, so at least wait until we get inside to freak out.” “Yes, ma’am.” He sends you a sly grin. The two of you approach the door, and you knock. Sujia opens the door quickly, ushering the two of you inside to prevent herself from being seen. Chenle removes his sunglasses, and you take them from him to put in your purse.

“(Y/N), it’s nice to see you again,” Sujia greets you. You nod at her. “Likewise.” “Chenle, you’re a little more intimidating in person.” She clasps her hands together. “Are you guys thirsty? I’ll get some water.” “Actually,” you say, patting Chenle’s arm. “Why don’t you two get your sibling introductions out of the way, and I’ll just play with Yichen. He’s my nephew, too, after all. And I’m pretty sure I scared him last time.” The two of them both flounder for words, neither of them wanting to be without you in a moment like this.

“It’ll be okay. Seriously. Neither of you bite, and Sujia, he’s actually really sweet. He just looks like he hates everything.” “As you can see, my wife is my biggest fan.” He presses his lips into a thin line as he fakes a glare. “Anyway.” You smile at Sujia. “I assume the child is upstairs?” “Yes, but if you want him to not be scared of you, you may want to refer to him by his name or something other than ‘the child.’” She scratches the top of her head.

“God, there is so much I could learn from you.” You separate from Chenle’s side and head for the stairs. Much to your pleasant surprise, your nephew…in-law? is already stomping down the stairs. “Oh.” The kid purses his lips. “You’re back.” “I am.” You nod and scrunch your nose up. “I figured while your mommy talks to my husband, we could…I don’t know. Play a game or something? Do kids do that?” “You’re weird.” Yichen grimaces. “But you’re nicer this time than you were last time. So yeah, we can play with the Switch.” You don’t end up actually playing, but you do watch Yichen’s game with interest. Leaning forward with your elbows on your knees, you analyze the process he uses when he plays every round.

“You’re smart,” you comment. “My mommy tells me that, too.” He nods, seemingly unaffected by your compliment. You pause for a moment. “Does your mom…compliment you a lot?” “Uh, I don’t know.” Yichen doesn’t start the next round, but turns to look at you. “Does your mommy compliment you a lot?” You laugh. “Yeah, no. Definitely not." “Are you—”

“Yichen,” Sujia calls out. “Can you turn the game off please? There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Without a second thought, he turns the Switch off and yells to his mom to tell her he’s ready. He sits next to you on the couch, folding his hands together in his lap. You’ve met a lot of children in your day, but you never imagined one could be so well-behaved. You see the panicked look on Chenle’s face as he walks in. A laugh almost erupts from you, but you hold it back. The man is meeting his nephew for the first time and can’t seem to shake the nerves away. You can only imagine what it’ll be like when he meets his own child. You tense the second that thought crosses your mind.

When?

A legitimate chill runs down your spine, and then you realize how close Chenle has gotten. He squats down in front of Yichen, and Sujia leans against the archway into the kitchen.

“Hey,” Chenle starts. “I’m your uncle. And you’re my nephew.” “Oh, wow.” You really didn’t think it could get any worse than you. “Do you know her?” Yichen nods his head towards you. Chenle smiles. “Yeah. That’s my wife. So that makes her your aunt.” “She said her mommy doesn’t compliment her.” His eyes widen. “Is she a bad person?” Your husband lets out an exaggerated gasp. “No way. She’s the best person I know.” “How?” “Well, she told me about you and your mommy when nobody else did. She’s really, really smart and, c’mon, she’s gorgeous. What else could I want in a wife?” Chenle grins, sending a quick glance your way. “I guess you’re right.” Yichen shrugs. “Do you wanna play a game with me?” “Absolutely.” He nods in response. You stand to give Chenle room, touching his shoulder lightly as you go to stand by Sujia. Leaning on the wall next to her, you quickly realize attempting to take your eyes off of your husband is futile. “He likes kids, huh?” Sujia asks. “He really likes family,” you reply.

“Do you want children?” “Oh.” You chuckle to yourself and fold your arms over your chest. “I’m not sure. But we…don’t really have a choice. We signed a contract and heirs are part of the deal.” “I’m sorry, but I really don’t envy you,” she tells you. “At the end of the day, it’s not that bad, though.” “So, you and Chenle actually love each other.” She hums, tapping her foot. “I feel like that’s rare for people in your positions.” “It is,” you agree. “And honestly, had it been up to me at the beginning, we wouldn’t even be…friendly. We’d be tolerating each other.” "Wow, he fought for you.” Humor laces in Sujia’s voice. “Well, I told him that I’d rather tolerate him than learn one day that I might hate him instead. He was entirely right when he said it wasn’t the hate I was scared of. It was love. Of relying on someone else.” “At least you can rest assured that he would be a good father.”

You don’t respond for a moment, watching Chenle interact with his nephew. They must win something in the game, because they dramatically high five each other. The smile on Chenle’s face is wide, and your heart flutters as a result.

“Yeah.” You fight your own grin. “Yeah, he really will.”

You and Chenle are at Sujia’s for hours. It’s clear the two of them are similar, and thankfully, your husband seems to enjoy having a family member other than the ones who have disappointed him. Yichen warms up to you both, and by the time you’re leaving, he’s hugging you both goodbye and asking when you’ll be back. Chenle is still smiling as he leads you back to the car.

“That went a lot better than you thought, huh?” You ask as he helps you into the backseat.

“I don’t know what I thought.” He shakes his head. “But it’s cool not to be an only child. Even if it’s unconventional, you know? And that little kid is freakin’ cool.”

You lean on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re making the best out of this situation.”

“Actually, do you mind if we make one more stop?”

“Of course not. Where to?”

“I think it’s time I had a conversation with my father.” He pats your leg. “And I could really use your support.”

“Chenle.” You tilt your head at him. “If you don’t know by now that I would follow you anywhere, you’re not as smart as I originally thought. We may have to reconsider this whole thing.”

He sucks in a deep breath through his teeth, holding back his laugh. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that contract is pretty air tight.”

“Damn.” You roll your eyes and kiss his cheek. “You’re so lucky I love you.”

“The luckiest.” He lifts your hand up to his lips and kisses your knuckles. “Can’t even joke about that one.”

Chenle isn’t even nervous as the two of you approach his father’s office. He grips your hand tightly, but his resolve has never been stronger. Despite him doing this on his own, you feel an odd swell of pride deep in your chest. You’re so proud of the man he’s always been, and how he only ever wants to be better. His father already knows what’s going on the second he sees you both. At that point, Chenle releases your hand and drops his folder on the desk.

“What’s this?” his father inquires.

“A lawsuit,” Chenle replies nonchalantly.

You almost gasp in shock. And while you shouldn’t be enjoying the awkward tinge in the atmosphere, you feel like you need a bag of popcorn right now.

“I’m sorry?” He recoils in shock.

“You seem to forget that when I became CEO, you no longer had any claim to the company’s profits. And if I did my math correctly, which I did, $143,000 a quarter is roughly $572,000 a year, which is a grand total of $2,288,000 from the four years I’ve been seated in the CEO position.”

“Chenle, you have no right—”

“You don’t tell me what I have the right to do, actually.” Chenle buttons up his suit jacket. “So, you’ll be paying me back the money you owe me. That you stole from me to protect your little secret from getting out. But that must really suck, because you actually delivered a handwritten apology letter to Sujia and to your wife and your mistress and me and the employees at the company that’ll be announced in about ten minutes. To the whole world.”

“Your mother cannot know about this. Whatever you’ve done, you reverse it immediately.” The angry expression on his face does nothing but make Chenle grin.

“Your secret’s out, Dad. Crazy how you had two children and never learned how to be an actual father.” Chenle brushes himself out and points at the folder on the desk. “I’d read that. You might wanna think twice before fighting it.”

“You’ll understand one day,” his father replies. “There’s more to life than marriage, and it’s only a matter of time before you—”

“I will never be like you.” The smile immediately falls from his face. “I love my wife, and I’m not a fucking coward. I don’t need a second family because the first one wasn’t good enough for me. This is the last time you’ll hear from me. And you won’t be receiving any money from my company again. I hope you’re happy with yourself.” 

Your heart pounds in your chest, your lips parted in shock as you realize what’s happening. Your husband turns his back on his father, gently holds out his hand to you, and shoots one last ice cold glare over his shoulder as he leads you out of the room.

As soon as the door shuts behind you, you laugh in disbelief. “Chenle, holy shit.”

“Dude, my adrenaline is fucking crazy right now.” He chuckles and blows out a deep breath. “That was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life.”

“This might be terrible to say, but I am…so attracted to you right now.” You blush as you squeeze his arm.

“So, nothing but good things today.” He helps you into the car.

Once he shuts the door behind him, you climb onto his lap and kiss him. He groans in surprise, his hands immediately finding their place on your ass.

“What? You like when I put people in their places?” he teases you, leaning forward to barely brush his lips on yours.

“There were a lot of things I liked from today.” You unbutton the first button on his shirt. “It was…very hot of you to absolutely destroy a man like that. You held your ground and…I don’t know. The tone of your voice was sexy.”

“My God, am I learning things about you today.”

“If it helps you, I’m also learning things about myself, so.”

“Mm, please tell me what else you’ve got hidden up your sleeve.” He squeezes your ass gently, pushing you closer so you feel him hardening in his pants.

“I think…we should throw every single condom away. Permanently. We’ll have an endless amount of babies for you to play games with. Of course, you’ll also have to tell them I’m gorgeous, but—”

“You’re serious.” His jaw drops, hope sparking behind his eyes. “Darling, you better not be joking about something like that.”

You shake your head. “I’m not joking. You were on to something when you said you wanted everything. A real life, a real love, a real family. Why don’t we have it all?”

“Right now? You want kids now?”

“If we’re gonna have twenty, we really have to start now, otherwise I’m gonna be too old—”

He cuts you off with an earth-shattering kiss as he pulls you flush against him. His fingers tangle in your hair, and you giggle into his mouth. The only thing that separates the two of you is the door opening.You gasp and climb off his lap, clearing your throat and fanning your cheeks from the embarrassment of getting caught. Your husband grips your hand and pulls you towards the house, and you can’t stop the profuse laughter escaping you as he apparently decides you’re walking too slowly and hoists you over his shoulder.

“Oh my God, Chenle, put me down.” You can barely speak through your laughs.

He only listens to you once the two of you are inside and he’s able to set you on the kitchen island.

“If you’re doubting it even a little bit, darling, you’d better tell me now.” He kisses down your neck. “Because I don’t care how fucking long it takes, we’re not stopping tonight until I get you pregnant.”

“You’re crazy.” You push his shoulder. “You have no way of knowing if you’ll—”

“Baby, don’t ruin my fun. Tell me if you really want this.”

“I do, Chenle.” You cup his cheeks, smiling at him. “I want it with you. They all need to look like you. I want at least one boy and one girl, and they’ll be best friends because—”

He kisses you again, groaning as he slides his hand beneath the skirt of your dress. “Keep talking.”

“Um, I just really think you’d be a good dad,” you say, lifting your hips so he can pull your panties down. “And, uh, you’ve proven how much family means to you, so it makes me feel safe. I—shit.”

He presses two fingers to your clit, and your body jolts. Chuckling, he traces along your pulse with his lips. “How are you so wet already?”

“Well.” You let out another breathless laugh as you grind your hips to match his pace. “It so helps that my husband is the hottest fucking man in this universe.”

“You think so highly of me,” he hums, teeth grazing your ear lobe.

“You’re cruel for this, you know.” You rock upward, and your head lolls forward. “Teasing after you clearly feel how badly I want you is just…so rude.”

“I’m sorry, baby. Please forgive me.” He moves down to your entrance and thrusts two of his fingers inside you.

You cry out, holding onto his shoulders. With a frustrated groan, you push his jacket off of him. He curls his fingers and pumps faster, thumb returning to your clit.

“Fuck, Chenle, wait.” You smack at his wrist. Even though you don’t want him to stop, you want more. He stops immediately, pulling back to look at you.

“What? Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay.” You kiss him hard. “I need you inside me right fucking now.”

“First of all, you just scared me.” He tsks as he unbuttons his pants. “You need my cock so bad you can’t fucking take what I give you?”

Oh, he knows exactly what he’s doing. You shudder at his tone, shuffling closer to the edge of the counter. He pushes his pants and boxers down to the middle of his thighs, and your mouth waters at the sight of him. He’s hard, tip leaking precum as he spreads your legs further. The fabric of your skirt prevents him from having enough room, and the dark look in his eyes sends another burst of wetness to your core.

“Love how these skirts look on you but fucking hate how I can’t fuck you in it.” He taps your hip, and you lift yourself up so he can unzip it and tug it down quickly.

You barely even pay attention to what his doing when he pulls your ankles up to the edge of the counter and spreads your thighs apart until they begin to ache.

“Now, isn’t that a fucking view.” He wets his lips as he wraps his fingers around his cock. Thrusting into his fist a couple times, he uses his other hand to tease your clit.

“Chenle, please.” You gasp, tugging him closer.

“You’re so fucking wet, baby, I can see it.” He drags his tip along your entrance, pushing in just enough to watch the head of his cock stretch you open. He’s entranced by the way you take him so easily, his eyes focused on where the two of you connect.

Your pleasure intensifies simply by watching him so drunk on you, just appreciating the way you take him. You feel every vein in your body buzzing, and you can’t help it but to push your hand between your legs and rub your throbbing bud while he’s entranced.

“You have no fucking patience,” he hisses, grabbing your wrist and pushing it away. You whine at the loss, but his glare stops you. “I’m trying to enjoy my wife’s pussy, but she’s just so fucking needy, isn’t she?”

“Oh, God.” You grip onto the edge of the counter.

“Watch how easily you take me.” He flicks your clit. “Look.”

You let your gaze travel downward until you see his cock positioned outside your hole. Instantly, the room gets much hotter. You struggle to breathe, anticipating the stretch he gives you. His tip is covered in your arousal, but the rest of his cock has yet to feel you.

“Fuck me, Chenle,” you mutter almost incoherently. “I wanna watch.”

He finally obliges, nudging the tip between your folds again before sinking inside. He moves so slowly, you want to cry. You need more, and the stretch wreaks havoc on you when you’re watching. Every time he’d fill you up another inch, he’d pull out until his tip is barely caught inside you, and then sink in just one more inch. You’re losing your fucking mind, but you can’t take your eyes away from where he pleasures you. Finally, he bottoms out, the position of your thighs allowing him to press all the way against you, his pelvis hitting your overly sensitive clit.

“Are you ready?” he asks. “I need to fuck you.”

“You know I’m ready,” you reply, dazed from the pleasure of him seated so deeply in you.

He starts a steady pace, both of you still staring at the way you stretch to accommodate him.

“You feel so fucking good like this, darling.” He thrusts harder. “Nothing between us this time.”

You cry out when his tip hits your cervix. Your legs start to shake from how far they’re spread, but all you’re focusing on is the way your arousal shines on his cock when he’s pulling out of you. You feel every inch of him, and the way he rubs against your walls is so different without the condom. You’re fucking delirious, and every time he presses all the way inside you, the pressure on your clit has you getting closer and closer.

“You’re squeezing me so tight, baby,” he groans, moving his hand down between the two of you quickly. His thumb glides over your most sensitive area, and you can no longer hold back your sounds.

“Fuck,” you cry out, legs shaking as your orgasm lingers so, so close.

“Cum for me.” He slams into you. “Not gonna fill you up ‘til you cum, darling.”

You tip and tilt over the edge, convulsing as your high hits you hard. Chenle keeps rubbing you, thrusts picking up speed as he fucks you through your euphoria. He crashes his lips to yours as he spurts inside you, covering your inner walls with white as he pants. Your whole body shakes as you hold onto him tightly. Both of you are covered in sweat, but it does little to bother either of you.

“How does it keep getting better?” you ask. “You have that effect on me.” He shrugs, chuckling as he guides your legs around his waist. “And I wasn’t kidding. We’re not done yet.” “My insides are gonna be mush.” “What if I’m gentle next time?” He kisses along your neck. “If I fuck you with your legs up, apparently it’s more likely to happen that way.” “Insatiable.” You pull back to kiss his lips. “You’re lucky I am, too. Take me upstairs.”

You don’t make it all the way upstairs. Not at first. He decides he has to take you on the couch, up against the wall next to the staircase, the desk in his office, and then your bed. By the end of the night, you’re absolutely exhausted, but you’ve never felt so fucking good in your life. And for someone who thought you could never have it all, you realize just how damn close you are to having a perfect life when you have Chenle by your side.

#nct dream #chenle #nct #nct dream smut #lowkeyjaemle #nct imagines #nct scenarios #nct smut #chenle smut #chenle au #nct au #nct dream au #kpop au #kpop x reader #kpop scenario #kpop imagine #nct dream x reader #nct dream x y/n #nct dream chenle #zhong chenle

[rapz-rites]

Hearts

Damian Wayne x Reader

You and your soulmate can feel each other's heartbeat 

A/N: for @thesuperiorrobin btw I started writing this super late at night so it might not be the best but I hope you all like this

Word Count: 1.1k+

Warning(s): Barely proofread, loophole cursewords

You jolted up from your sleep. 4 times a week, 3 if you’re lucky. Like clockwork. Your soulmate's heart beats so fast, so hard, it wakes you up. You would think he was having a heart attack. 

You don’t know what your soulmate does that gets his heart beating so fast in the middle of the night. You found this whole heartbeat soulmate thing so stupid. Of all the things you and your soulmate had to share, a heartbeat, seriously?

On everyone’s 10th birthday, they start “sharing” their soulmate's heartbeat. It's not really sharing though, so you didn't understand why they explained it that way. Probably to romanticize it. 

You couldn’t go back to sleep until about 4am. But that didn’t matter because your alarm went off 2 hours later. You hated your life. Not only did you get no sleep because of your stupid soulmate but you had to get ready for school, a school filled with pompous a-holes. Luckily it was your last year and you only had a few more months left until you graduated.

~

You walk into class late, everyone looking up at you. Luckily for you, your teacher is nice enough to let it slide. 

“Hey” you said to the boy you usually sat by. His name was Damian, Damian Wayne. Yup. As in Billionaire “playboy” Bruce Wayne.

“What now L/N?” He asked. He looked up at you with an annoyed expression. Damn. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. 

“Do you think you could help me with number 5?” You looked at him with pleading eyes. “Pretty please.”

“Sure.” And he did. You didn’t really need help, you just wanted to bother and talk to Damian. 

The two of you were close acquaintances but not friends. He was you favorite pompous rich a-hole and you were one the most tolerable people at GA to Damian

After this class you were done. You were transferring books to and from your backpack when your best friend, Lienne, pulled up next to you. 

“What are you doing after school? Do you want to have a sleep-” If you didn’t stop her now it would turn into an investigation.

“I’m working at the clinic after school, but I can come over after and we can have a sleepover all you want,” you smiled at her.

“Ok. See you after work. Oh, and bring those chips I like please,” she says walking away. You chuckled at her.

You worked at a pet shop clinic. You loved it. You weren’t a people person, you were a pet person. I loved cats, dogs, and hamsters. Any domestic house pet you could get your hands on, you loved it. They were so much easier to deal with than people. 

You were peacefully playing with a hamster while it was quiet in the store. Suddenly 2 men rush in. You put the hamster back in its cage and turned to the 2 men. They both looked like they were freaking out.

“We need your help! Like it's an emergency,” the tall one said. He had jet black hair and a white streak at the front. Then the second one spoke up.

“It’s our brother's cat,” the other one said. He was shorter, maybe 5’10/11. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He handed you an adorable little tuxedo cat. You couldn’t help but awe at it.

“Sure, what happened? Our vet is currently busy, but I can check him out and get him to see him as soon as possible.” you walked them into an exam room in the clinic. As you were assessing the cat, your boss walked in. 

“What's going on here?” He asked. You explained what happened and gave your assessment of the cat to your boss. He complimented you on your good work and took over. You were happy until you felt a strain on your heart. Something was wrong with your soulmate. It felt like he was having a panic attack or something. You went to the front of the store to sit down. You were trying to steady your heartbeat to cancel his out. But of course as you sat down, someone walked in. It was none other than Damian Wayne.

“Where’s Alfred? Where’s my cat?” he asked. You walked up to him to get his attention. You were holding onto his arm while he was looking around frantically.

“Your cat? Is he a tuxedo cat?” He immediately looked down at you. “You’ve seen Alfred? Where is he?”

“Your brothers brought him in,” you explained to him calmly. You were already trying to calm your soulmate’s heartbeat and now you have to calm a frantic billionaire son. He was spouting nonsense you didnt want to listen to while you ushered him to a chair.

“Listen Wayne,” you said, shutting him up. “Your brothers brought him in. I assessed him and the vet is now with him. He's going to be fine”

You could tell your words helped, but he was still anxious. It was kinda cute that he cared this much for a cat. One time you saw him roll his eyes at a school assembly about suicide. But he was still breathing heavily. At this point your heartbeat was calm but you could still feel your soulmate’s fast heart.

You took Damian’s hand and put it over your heart, and you did the same to him. That's when you felt it. People who already met their soulmates said once you know it's this indescribable, thrilling feeling. They were right. It was like time stopped and nothing else mattered. Your hearts synced and that's all you both felt. You both stared into each other’s eyes. You opened your mouth to speak but was interrupted. 

“Are we interrupting something?” The tall brother asked. You quickly moved back from Damian, putting your hands at your side.

“Yes”

“No”

You both spoke in unison. You looked at him, but he was glaring at his brothers.

“So what did Dr. Goldwin say?” you asked, smiling before it got awkward.

~

“OMG OMG OMG!” Lienne squealed, jumping around her room. “YOUR SOULMATE IS DAMIAN WAYNE.”

You weren’t surprised at her reaction when you told her. She always had a knack for the dramatics. As she was jumping around, spouting how beautiful your wedding was going to be, you got a text from your “future husband”.

Damian ☹️: Hello Y/N

                    Let’s go out on a date Saturday

                    Send me your address and I'll pick you up at 2pm

Y/N : I’d love to go out with you 😉

You’ll tell Lienne once she calms down. She's going to freak.

So… what do you think???

I’m working on request so plz don’t think I forgot abt those.

#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne #damian al ghul #damian al ghul x reader #damian wayne x female reader #damian wayne x y/n #damian wayne x you #batfam #batfam x reader #dcau #dc universe #dc comics #jason todd #tim drake #damian al ghul wayne #damian al ghul x female reader

[zeroxxlhero]

Mean Girl Headcannons

Warnings: Caste AU, modern universe, loosely based off of Mean Girls, reader is tall, enemies to enemies with benefits, mentions of sex, underage drinking, rich! bitch! Historia, delinquent! Reader, use of marijuana

Pairings: Historia Reiss x You

Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

Mean girl Headcannons would include:

Historia immediately disliked you from the start. Because what do you mean this 6’4 tall bastard called Hitch a bitch to her face and walked off like she didn’t know who the fuck she was?

She could never catch you alone because you’re always suspended from fighting or skipping class so whenever you do come to school, she makes it her mission to make your time here complete shit.

Tries, miserably, and somehow ends up embarrassed but strangely turned on because she’s never had someone put their foot down and tell her off.

You two argue all the time. Every. Single. Day. Like, as soon as she sees your face, she goes to insulting you and you’re quick with the same treatment, not caring who her or her family was. The teachers have to pause the lesson and get you two calmed down, which takes at least 30 minutes. Mr. Ackerman has to put you in a separate class each day because he doesn’t want to hear any of it.

LOVES flaunting her body off to you because she knows you want her despite how much you say you don’t. Relishes the way you squirm and get embarrassed when you try to hide a boner because her skirt is too short or her tits were spilling from her shirt.

HATES when you flirt with girls. She absolutely loathes it. Because you were going to be hers and she would make sure it stays that way. Bullies the girls you’re talking to and sometimes even threaten them with blackmail.

Whenever you do get embarrassed by whatever she said, she makes it her mission to show everyone and turn you into the school’s laughing stock. You get pissed and end up fighting some random guy that tried picking on you, only getting yourself suspended.

A weirdo that somehow knows where you live. Also, know what type of snacks and clothes you like. Also pays close attention to your interests and hobbies. If you see anything that you like but if you can’t get it, don’t worry, she’ll get it for you. Tries to be lowkey about it but you don’t know anyone else that would willingly spend money on stuff like that. Plus, there was only one person you knew who had the luxury of doing so.

Subtly invites you to parties. She’ll get someone that knows someone to invite you and sometimes you come, sometimes you don’t. When you do, you’re drowning yourself in shots and more liquor than you can handle. And when that happens, you always end up in one of the Reiss guest bedrooms.

Hates people pointing out that she likes you. Will yell and scream on behalf of her defense but will tell them to “shut the fuck up” most of the time. Only tolerates it from her close friends. Anyone else and she’s having the whole school on their ass.

The only time you two can relax around each other is when you smoke a blunt or two together. Either it’s in complete silence or you’re mouthing off to each other. All the teachers know you two smoke marijuana but they don’t say anything for the sake of keeping their jobs.

NSFW:

God forbids if you ever do snap and decide to pounce on the blonde out of frustration.

She’s nowhere near ready because you’re so much taller than her and your cock was definitely too big, so she’s intimidated. Can really only take up to 4 inches, maybe 5 but you’re around 6

Tries to be a brat about who’s on top but ends up with her face down into the pillow and her ass up, whining because you’re stretching her out and it hurts so good.

Purposely riles you up to have you slam her against the wall and fuck her until she goes quiet. Always apologizes during it but never truly meaning it, no matter how sorry she sounds.

Brags about how good she’s able to suck dick but she’s always choking on yours. Can barely get in half before she’s gagging and has tears running down her eyes, her throat raw and aching when you finally finish. People always ask why her voice is so choppy the next day…

Loves having her ass slapped and being degraded. Will submit instantly.

But praising is another story. Call her pretty and the girl will literally melt and have her feeling like she’s on cloud 9.

Definitely a squirter. Embarrassed about it because she’s never done it with anyone but you. Doesn’t happen every time but it’s frequently.

Could care less where you cum, rather it be in her, on her ass, her tits, or her face, she doesn’t care. She loves it either way. And if something was to happen, she could just throw money at it to get rid of the problem.

Kinks: Bondage, Impact Play, Asphyxiation, Masochism, DIY porn, Public Sex, Humiliation

Overall, Historia is a little shit and likes to annoy you while being a submissive bottom.

#aot x you #snk x you #aot fandom #snk x reader #historia smut #historia x reader #attack on titan #historia aot #historia reiss x reader #historia #historia reiss

[love-hatred-stuff]

cambio [change]

A/n: eyyy so pls excuse any mistakes I didn't proof read^^

• genre: angst, a little spice ofc, sub!rafe tho

⚠ warning(s): degradation, mean reader in general, mentions of drugs and addiction, smut, that's it ig, don't wanna spoil too much

enjoy fellas, love you and thanks for reading <3

Part 2

"Please-" Rafe cried, letting out a rough sob afterwards, interrupting himself.

You didn't say anything. You just looked at him, questioning your relationship at this point.

After a few seconds, he managed to calm down his sniffling and looked at you with his glossy eyes, shaking his head in disbelief of this situation.

"Please, just one more chance... I promise, I'll do anything!" He pleased with you, but you weren't in the mood.

"What are you begging for anyway? It's not like there's anything left to save." You monotonously stated.

Another sob from across from you. You hated seeing him like this, it broke your heart, but not more than he already did. Besides, he was responsible for all this.

"I know, I- I don't deserve it. You're right. I just... love you so much, and- and I can't breathe thinking about you leaving me." He wiped his tears aggressively. He didn't feel like he deserved to cry, he shouldn't be doing any of the things he was doing right in this moment.

You just scoffed.

"Ah- yes, poor you, Rafe. I'm so sorry, you're gonna have to live with it." You couldn't bring yourself to feel anything besides bitterness right now.

Rafe knew this would come, he knew someday you would find out and the bond you two shared would be destroyed. But he hadn't expected it to hurt this immensely. So all he could do was cry into his palms and wish this would all be just a nightmare.

"Do what you want, find someone that tolerates the shit you and your friends do, Rafe. But I'm not the one. See ya around, I guess." With that the door was closed behind you.

The following days, Rafe did not once leave his house, answered any texts or calls from his friends. He stopped letting anyone see inside his head. Because he was miserable and his head an ugly mess, he wasn't ready to fix any of that.

He decided that he would stop seeing his friends for a good while, if there was a slight chance you'd ever even think about taking him back, he would have to choose between you and them and making that decision wasn't even hard.

And if you still decided to live without him, he at least could show you he made some type of progress.

•••

After what felt like years, he finally managed to at least eat normally again and go to school every now and then. Of course his "friends" asked him several times what was going on with him but he just made up some cheap lie and continued his day without them.

Not seeing you for such a long time, hurt him and it was damn hard not crying himself to sleep every night because of how guilty he felt and of course because he missed you like hell and worse.

...

Just when the moment came when he felt like he was free of his awful mind for a minute, he saw something that made him feel like he was being stabbed. Several times, hard, and slow.

He was helping his dad with this event, garla, whatsoever, and it felt good because he was busy, doing something, no room for much thought. And then when he looked across the whole place just to breath and look at these filthy rich people, you caught his sight instantly.

First he almost smiled, remembering how beautifully you flipped your hair back while being concentrated on something or someone. Yeah and you were focussing on someone, what would be normal in a conversation, though you weren't having just a conversation. The guy in front of you he didn't knew, which made everything even better.

But he did actually see how his hands were squeezing your waist, like he owned it and you weren't doing anything besides smiling at him, showing your beautiful little smirk to someone that wasn't him, made him rage with fire.

And a few seconds later he realised he didn't have the right to be angry. Not anymore.

Before he could process what he just saw and that you were already leaving his sight with the tall stranger and the second after that you were severe meters in front of him.

Seeing how you recognised him and closed the distance between you two, he panicked. But it was too late to run away now.

"Hi, surprised seeing you here, thought you despised these kinds of events." You didn't smile at him but you didn't look bitter either, he couldn't make anything out of your flawless face and expression. You felt oddly foreign.

"Yeah, uh- just helping my Dad out." Was all he could bring himself to form.

"Nice suit aswell, you look different, Rafe." He wasn't sure you meant it as a compliment though. Maybe because he was starstruck on the way you said his name, as he always had been.

"You look as beautiful as ever, Ma- uh- Y/n." God, he could slap himself so hard right now. His thoughts didn't end there though, Mama, he loved calling you that, he always loved it when you controlled him.

"Oh no, don't say that. You really shouldn't." You could tell he was nervous, and that there was a question burning on his tongue.

You expectantly looked at him, waiting for Rafe to go on.

"Who, uh, who was the guy you were with just now?" Right when he ended that question he already regretted it, seeing the way you rose your brow at that.

"I- I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked that. You don't have to answer. I'm really sorry!" He whimpered, looking at his shoes in embarrassment.

"You really are curious, aren't you? His name is Ben, a boy I'm hanging out with. He's pretty decent." You explained to the boy in front of you.

"Ah, cool, cool." He just said.

You could tell he had to gulp down that information.

"Yeah, well, I gotta go now, so..., see ya." You gave him the tiniest smile, and that was enough to have him grab you arm, so you wouldn't leave him again.

"I miss you, Y/n. So much, you can't imagine. And it hurts but if that guy makes you happier than I could, you deserve it. I just wanna be good for you." He felt ashamed now, but he had to say it.

Again, no signs on your face, of what your head looked like after his confession.

"Tommorow, 9pm, my place, can u manage that, Rafe?" Was your answer, and he was so shocked like he never had been.

He needed a while.

"Yeahh, yeah. I'll be there, I promise. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, darling, you might wanna know why I'm doing this." After that you disappeared into the crowd.

The next day felt like it was never gonna end, Rafe couldn't stop thinking about you, and what you had planned for him.

He was sure you wouldn't take it easy on him, somehow he had to pay for what he'd done, well, besides having the worst time of his life after you left him, but still. He should be punished, and if he was honest, he was kind off scared of what was coming for him but no matter what it was now, he deserved it. After all, he'd practically used you for several months, and he never planned on staying with you so long, let alone, really falling in love with you.

He just wanted to make it up to you, be able to look at you again and think, that he's never gonna let you go.

Fast forward, at some point it was 9pm and he was standing in front of your house, not knowing what to do really. He just knocked a few times after taking a deep breath and waited for you to more or less greet him.

The moment you opened the door, was like he saw you for the first time, though you weren't wearing anything extraordinary. But the short pants and the tank top you were wearing, made him weak into the knees nonetheless.

"Nice, you showed up." You said bitterly, and he knew what you were referring to.

During your relationship you loved planning your dates beforehand, but soon you learned, it didn't mean as much to him if he stood you up or not, you forgave him again and again, because you were so fucking blind.

Rafe lowered his head in shame, waiting to be let in.

"Come on in, Cameron." You stepped aside, after some time of reconsidering if this was really a good idea.

Hopefully you could teach him some manners this time. Though you knew it wasn't going to be easy, you also knew how to keep him at your feet in the future.

A moment you found yourself standing in your luxurious living room, looking at your very much still handsome ex. You took a step towards him, wanting to have a closer look at him.

"You grew your hair out, I like it." Your fingers curled in his hair, giving him a good view as he could look directly down on you and your cleavage.

"T-thanks." He was nervous, you could tell, well he got reasons to be.

Rafe didn't know what to do really, he desperately wanted to touch you, too, but he knew he would be dead if he made a move now. Though it really was tempting. He hadn't touched you in such a long time, he couldn't resist gently putting his hands on top of your hips. And he regretted it the moment he did, he should’ve waited for permission, idiot.

Instantly you created a distance between you two, glaring at him with dark eyes.

"Fucking hell, why do think you can touch me? Was the time I Ieft you some space not enough for you?" You asked, but it sounded more like a threat to him.

His wide eyes now looked at you, mortified.

"No! I'm sorry! You just- I missed you, y/n! I couldn't resist the urge, I'm really sorry." You just sighed and rolled your eyes at his pleasing.

"Sorry, sorry, blah blah. You know you don't deserve to touch me, Cameron! And yet you can't stop thinking with you dick instead of your brain. You know, I'm slowly asking myself how you could ever make this up to me. Think for me, Rafey, think hard, what would you do?" You challenged him, as you always were.

"I'd do anything, everything you ask. I promise, just give one chance, please!" He whined, squeezing his eyes shot in embarrassment.

"Oh yeah?" You raised your brow in disbelief.

"Would you give up your friends for me?" You actually knew the answer to that and it was basically the only reason you let him inside this house again. And because, you can't deny, you couldn't stop loving this stupid asshole.

"Yes! Already did. I didn't hang out with them anymore since the day you left." His glossy eyes looked at you, hoping for forgiveness.

"I'm impressed. What would you do if I chose Ben, though huh? Would you let him touch me, Rafe?" The blonde gulped, having to process this unexpected question first.

"I- I don't know, I suppose, I should. You're... not my girlfriend right now, as much as I hate that fact."

You nodded slowly while grinning, agreeing with him.

"That's right. Say it, Rafe. I'm not yours. Not yours to touch, not yours to fuck, not yours to kiss. Not yours to look at anymore." The way you said that so effortlessly cold, made him stop breathing for a moment.

He looked at you, not knowing what to do or say next, you just broke his heart the second time.

"Say it, Rafe. I want you to look at me and say it." You commanded.

He knew you wouldn't be going easy on him, but this, this was evil, even for you.

"You're not mine." He paused, sighing before he had to continue.

"Not mine to touch, not mine to..fuck, not mine to kiss. Not mine to look at." Tears were already forming in his eyes, vision going blurry.

"Good job, baby. Now do me a favour and don't cry yet, yeah? Save your pretty tears, Rafe. Be good for me."

Oh you fucking knew how to play with him and not to mention; his feelings.

"I'm sorry, y/n!" He wiped the stray tears from his cheeks briefly before looking at you again, although it was pure torture at this point.

"Do you want me back? Does my baby want to make it up to me? Do you think you can ever win my trust back, Rafe? When I know you never saw me as an equal in the first place? It's disgusting what you and your friends did."

"Yes, I know that! And I will try my best to make it up to you, I swear I will change. I love you." He promised.

You nodded, somewhat satisfied.

"Start by going to your knees." You offered him a chance, that was better than making him say that you weren't his.

So he did. Looking up at you like a sad puppy.

"Good. No beg me to forgive you, or else we're done here." You him strictly.

He nodded and tried to find the right words for this. He never begged for anything in his life.

"I'm deeply sorry, y/n. I know that I played with your feelings for a long time, but really I hurt myself, too. You're everything for me, when I can't have you, I'm nobody. Please, take me back, and I swear, I will please you and protect you and love you the way you deserve. Please!"

A grin made it's way onto your lips, you should make him beg for you more often, humble him every now and then.

"Do you think, I should take you back? A rich addict, that doesn't know how to treat either his money as well as his girlfriend? Over someone that is humble, responsible and loyal?" You decided his torture wasn't quite over yet and you did realise that you enjoyed this way more than you should.

The dirty blonde boy kneeling infront of you whimpered quietly at the realisation you put him through.

"No, no. You shouldn't, I'm sorry for thinking you would. I just miss you so much y/n, I can't breath." He cried now, emotional limit reached.

"Oh no, Rafe. You know me, I'm just playing with you-"

"I promise I can be humble, responsible and loyal! I'm always loyal to you!" He cut you of in a desperate tone.

"Oh yeah? You didn't have fun with any other girls when you were on parties with your friends? Not once?" Actually you couldn't say what he did when he wasn't with you, but he ruined your trust, so you wouldn't be surprised if he allowed himself to have fun with some random drunk girl.

Though before that you always felt like he saw you as his only one. You didn't know what to believe anymore.

"No! I would've never! I don't have a mom, and my dad is not the best, but he taught me that if I choose to be with someone, I should show respect to this person and be loyal. Besides, I never felt like missing out with you, how could I? You filled my deepest desires and I think you are the only one that can." His eyes seemed honest to you, but as said, you didn't know if you could believe him.

"Real nice speech, Mister Cameron. Get up, I'm sure your knees hurt." You showed the tiniest bit of mercy.

"Are you sure?" He asked doubtfully.

What a good boy, you thought.

"Yeah, but don't you think I'm done with you, and certainly not that I forgive you." He wouldn't miss the warning tone in your usually sweet and lulling voice.

"Okay." Rafe stood up and although he was about a head taller than you, you still made him feel small with the amount of power you held in your gaze.

For a moment you just looked at him. He was still trembling a bit, but at least he wasn't crying right now.

"Tell me, Rafe. Did you touch yourself? Or did you let someone else take my place while I wasn't there?" Your questions now taking a whole different turn, he was surprised, and getting hot all of the sudden.

"No. I, uh, it didn't feel right doing it with someone else." He spoke quietly.

"So you touched yourself all alone, yeah?" You voice was softer now, much more gently than before.

"Ye-ah." He stuttered, not being able to hold your gaze this time.

He felt bad for being turned on so easily, feeling the blood rush downwards.

"What did you think of, while jerking off, huh? And look at me." The smirk plastered on your lips made him quiver in arousel.

"I, uh, I thought of you, y/n. Only you, your body is so perfect, there's not a thing in this world that makes me feel the things your body does." He admitted shyly.

"Interesting, so you're still the little slut I remember. You probably still have a higher sex drive than iq, isn't that right?" You were definitely teasing him now, and he couldn't do anything about it except hoping you wouldn't notice the boner forming in his jeans.

"Idk! I- I haven't had sex in a while."

You were impressed how corrupted he still felt because of you, but also quite proud.

"Right. Probably the reason why you're already having a painful looking boner right now." You let out a small laugh before taking you hand to his face and caressing his soft cheek.

Rafe panicked, scared this was the last straw because he couldn't think of anything but you touching him in the moment.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" You hushed him then, putting a finger on his slightly pouty lips.

"Sshh. Do you want to be touched?" You whispered in a seductive way.

He could only nod frantically due to your finger silencing him.

"Then I suppose we're done here. Go find someone that touches you, Rafe." Your expression changing immediately, just as his.

The excitement in his eyes go lost again, feeling not only humbled but also he was getting robbed of the possibility getting the only thing he wanted.

You took you hands off of him.

"What? Are you gonna cry again? I thought this is what you wanted." You played dumb.

"No! I don't wanna leave. I'm sorry for being so... aroused. You don't have to touch me, I just wanna stay a bit longer, please?" He was a mess by now, you could tell, just were you wanted to have him.

"Let me think... if you stop being so greedy and start doing what I tell you, you can stay. But only for one night, Ben's coming over tomorrow." The last sentence hit him hard, he had to gulp down that information.

"Is he your boyfriend now?" He wanted to know.

Was he fucking you, was he enjoying doing things to you that he wasn't allowed to think about anymore?

"Would you have a problem with that, Cameron?" You were getting angry again, he knows he shouldn't have asked.

"Yes! You're still mine, y/n. I don't want him to touch you!" But apparently he didn't know how to stop being greedy.

Suddenly he could feel your hand on top of his bulge, groaning in absolute agony. God, he almost forgot how heavenly you could make him feel.

"I. Am. Not. Yours. Rafe! You're so damn lucky that Ben isn't my boyfriend yet. I could touch you all over and leave you, begging to come." You dominance made him whine.

Rafe didn't feel so turned on in what felt like years after your fight.

"Please do something, y/n. Please!" He was fighting the urge to buck his hips against your hand, but he knew he wouldn't get anything at all if he did.

"Move your hips then. I won't do anything for an asshole like you are."

He immediately did, ignoring your insult, moving uncoordinated just to chase any form of friction against his straining dick.

"Oh, you are desperate, aren't you?" You laughed softly.

"More. Please, more y/n!" He wanted to grip your shoulders so bad.

You took his hand and guided it to you breasts letting him squeeze one of it sensually. With your other hand you squeezed him tightly, making him a desperate moaning mess.

"Thank you! Thank you, y/n!" He breathed out.

You two stayed like this for a minute before you could tell he was getting near the edge. One more squeeze and you let go of him, also taking his hand off your chest. Rafe let out a beautiful whine shortly before falling tears.

"It hurts, y/n." He cried, looking at you with pain filled eyes.

"Now you know how it feels. You deserve this, Rafe. Because you don't know how to follow some simple rules." You explained sharply.

"I'm sorry." After that he cried into his hands, realizing how bad his situation really was.

"Maybe you should go before it gets too late." Although you didn't like seeing him so miserable, you knew if he was able to endure this for just a little longer, you were willing to take him back.

"But- but you said I could stay for the night." He whined once again, finally looking at you.

"Well, I changed my mind."

Rafe let his head hung low again, not being surprised but still feeling his heart scrunch in pain.

"I hope you're not thinking that if you'd stay I would let you come. Because I won't for a very long time. Additionally to that you won't touch yourself or me, unless I give you permission. If you break my rule, you know what happens, Rafey, no chances for you left then. Decide for yourself if you want it to be Ben instead of you who's getting jerked off by me." Not a single emotion that you granted him to see on your face, he knew you were dead serious.

"How... long?" He asked carefully.

"I'm gonna tell you when the time has come. Now get home and remember my rules when you arrive, baby." You let your hand run through his hair, letting him enjoy this short moment of softness and care.

"Okay. Goodbye, y/n. I love you." He said before he disappeared behind closed door.

And the next morning was torturous, waking up with a boner that practically begged for a release and at the same time the guilt he had that ate him up everytime he thought about how much he'd hurt you.

Rafe didn't know when he was supposed to meet you again or if he had been completely played by you and he was never gonna get the relief he wished for so badly.

Besides that he was feeling awfully jealous. This Ben guy was probably at your place right now, getting to do everything he wasn't allowed to. Let alone him being able to see and touch you in response had him balling his fists with rage.

But, he has got to wait for you, and he was so thankful for yesterday, he didn't expect you to grant him so much pleasure.

••••••••

Although, after three days he began to worry you had been bored a little and decided to only act like you were looking forward to giving him another chance the other day.

He was currently driving on his boat around the coast with a friend he met in school, one of the good guys, because he knew it was game over if he would get involved with bad influences again.

They agreed on driving to the harbour, to get something from the shops nearby.

Walking through the shop, already having lost his friend in the process, Rafe saw his now rival, Ben.

He knew better than to approach him and start a fight, but unfortunately Ben was already walking towards him, watching Rafe intently while having a playful smirk on his lips.

When the moment came and they stood face to face, Rafe wasn't scared of getting physically hurt because he was basically already used to it, but he was scared to play his last card that could get him to win you back. For sure you wouldn't even look his way anymore if he would now abuse your little wannabe boyfriend in any way.

"Aren’t you y/n's ex? Heard a lot about you." Ben began the conversation.

"Yeah, I am. Is there a problem?" Rafe tried to be as kind as possible, concentrating to not give in to the urche of absolutely destroying the boy infront of him.

"Nah, man. Just wanted to get to know you before I steal your girl." Oh and with that he almost had him, fighting with himself if he should punch him right now or not.

Calculating that, it wouldn’t be much of a genius idea, so he let it be, although he was very close to making that mistake.

Rafe pressed his lips together in order to shut himself so he wouldn't say something that you'd make him regret. Looking blantly at Ben, not knowing what he was expecting him to say or do.

"Anyways, I'll get going, was nice meeting you..." He then drifted off, leaving Rafe and his thoughts alone who wondered where you'd be if Ben was here aswell.

He shook his head to get out of his mind again, finding it a bit weird how Ben had approached him. Literal scumbags must be your type, otherwise, why would you hang out with him, let alone date this guy? He couldn't find any logical answer to that so he began searching for the friend he came with in the first place.

Driving back to his place, Rafe's friend began talking to him about something that kind of peeked his interest.

"You know, there's this party tomorrow at some Resort here, I wondered if you'd go with me and some other friends of mine?"

At first he thought it was just another boring party like some he used to go to, and since he wasn't into those partys anymore since you broke up with him and he blocked Topper and all the other dicks, he almost brushed it off. Before he could, his friend added something that changed his mind entirely.

"Y/n will be there aswell as far as I know. You're friends, right?" He didn't know that you were actually his ex and far more than just a friend.

"Oh, yeah yeah, I know her. I'll go with you, why not?" He just pretended.

"Awesome!"

•••••••

The party was quite nice, the music on full blast, people being more open minded and talkative because they already had something to drink and not so much of these wannabe cool addict kids, like he once was.

Though, he wasn't really feeling it anyways, he was just staying so he could see you and maybe even talk to you. Of course, his new and much nicer friends were also there but he just acted like he was interested in what they were saying really.

One or two hours passed and finally, Rafe almost choked as he saw how beautiful you looked, a black silk dress hugging your body, just like a glove. You looked extraordinary and definitely were the eye catcher of this party. He honestly couldn't believe you were once going out with him.

"Dayum, you should introduce me to her sometime, Rafe." Some guy that he barely even knew hit his shoulder playfully.

He just shot him a glare and remained silent, watching how you moved passed all these people, how you held your glass of champagne, how your smile lit up the whole place.

When he realised someone snaked their hand around your waist and whispered something in you ear, flirting, and that one being Ben, his jealousy grew excessively in no time.

"Why are all the good ones taken man?" Someone in his group cursed.

"She's not taken, they aren't dating." Rafe replied dryly.

"Well what's he doing with her then? Being all touchy and stuff..."

"They don't match, she deserves better than him." He couldn't hold himself back from saying that out loud.

"Agreed." The others nodded.

--

Rafe tried not to stare at you the whole time, though it turned out to be quite difficult.

Fast forward, he and his friends had gone inside for some more drinks, but he just needed a time out for a moment so he searched for the bathroom.

Being done with that he exited the men's room. You awaited him and shoved him against the wall a bit.

"There you are, I was waiting to have a more private setting so I could just play with you some more." Your voice made him feel wobbly instantly, it sounded so sweet and rich of confidence, addictive.

Rafe looked at you with big eyes not having expected you to bless him with your direct presence today. His heart tripped just so it could beat two times faster than before as he locked eyes with you.

"Actually I've come to say..." You let go of him suddenly and he missed your touched the very second later, holding in a whine.

"You don't need to be jealous anymore, I'm breaking it off with Ben. I know you two met yesterday and he was dumb enough to tell me what he said to you. I'm proud of you for not punching him and keeping you mouth shut like a good boy. I shall reward you for that. Tell me what do want, Rafey?"

He was absolutely speechless, he couldn't believe his luck.

But you were getting impatient after some time that he didn't give you answer.

"Come on. You can use your words, before I change my mind."

"Take me back, please?"

"Don't you think that's a bit too much to ask? I thought you'd come up with something like a kiss... but I'm sure it would be good enough to watch me dumping the only other guy that could potentially fuck me, wouldn't it?" You just enjoyed playing with him too much.

"Yes, that's fine." Rafe answered but let his head hung low a bit in disappointment of his unfulfilled wish.

You faked some sympathy and gave his biceps a squeeze with your hand. The contact gave him butterflies.

"Don't be sad, darling. The day might never come, but that's alright, because I'll always have you by my side anyways. Isn't that right?"

Oh you were being so mean to him, his breathing stopped as he realised what you just said. His ribcage began to sting and his heart made jump after jump.

"I'm so sorry, y/n. I s- swear I love you and I didn't m-mean any of those things to happen. I didn't want to hurt you-" He fumbled with his words but you interrupted him like the devil you decided to be.

"Yeah, you just didn't care enough in the first place. You didn't give two fucks about the dates I planned for us, because I loved you and wanted to spend time with you. Rafe, you didn't even care about our anniversarys. The only thing you cared to attend to were those stupid ass partys to get your nose in some poorly manufactured coke. I sometimes thought you hated it so much being with me that's why you would always get yourself something to stay high."

God it hurt. It pained so badly to hear you talking about how you had loved him, past tense. Rafe just wanted to crush his head and destroy all those awful emotions he was feeling just now.

"No, no no no no. Y/n I-" He attempted but broke down crying midsentence, trying to wipe away his tears, but they wouldn't stop flowing.

"Stop, you're not making it better. I know it hurts, Rafe. I've been going through it for months before I broke up with you. I know what I'm making you feel like right now, and although I don't particularly enjoy watching you suffer, I just stopped caring. You stopped caring for me a long time ago. You had to loose me to know what you've broken. And I should better stop talking now. Sorry, I should go. Didn't mean to let it go this way. Have a nice rest evening, Cameron. Hope you dream of me." You winked at him, like he wouldn't be fighting with himself so he doesn't end up crumbling on the floor.

"Y/n, wait!" He shouted as loud as he could before you'd disappear again.

You slowly turned around, looking at him sweetly but expectantly.

"I love you, you know that? I do care, I promise, give me crumbs and I'll give you everything I have. I won't give up. You mean so much to me." His voice was weak but you heard him and you found satisfaction in the way he was so eager to win you back, you were almost considering to take the deal.

You got a little closer again, so you could hold that eye contact better.

"You're cute. Thank you, I know you care darling, look at you, you're a mess just because of me, and still you want me back? That adorable. I'm gonna keep you. As long as I got nothing else to do at least. I'll give you some attention every now and then. But you're gonna have to wait a little, I'm not going to praise you for nothing."

"Okay, yes. That's okay. I will wait as long as it takes." He nodded.

♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡

Let me know if you want a part two pls & ty

#rafe fanfiction #outerbanks rafe #rafe x reader #rafe angst #rafe smut #sub!rafe cameron #dom!fem!reader

[lizzieisright]

Okay just a little thing about characters in my Marvel AU: (I kidnapped Acrane women for it. Again)

Original six:

Captain America!Abby. She is untrusting but honourable, worn out already: the new world is foreign and weird and her adjustment is still ongoing. She still dresses like her time, but if Steve looked like a grandpa Abby just looks like your friendly neighbourhood lesbian. Fun fact! She had a small guy named Steve to teach her grandma computer courses. He also taught her how to not get tracked on the web.

Iron Man!Ellie. Cocky, explosive, genius. Lost her mom and Joel after a stupid fight, got angry and started building weapons because of it. After being captured and almost dying gets back into her mom's vision of Williams Industries and starts building things to help people, and because she is a fucking Ellie Williams she is as rich as before.

Black Widow!Reader. You're a Russian assassin who escaped to the US after getting on a bad side with a lot of people in Europe. Let's just say Shield missions to Europe are a big pain in your ass. You put up a polite smily front because your grim attitude is not something Americans appreciate. (Guess who will)

Hawkeye!Manny. He is just a funny guy who saved your ass back in Europe and because I wanted to have one guy on a team the same way they only had Natasha. Manny doesn't have a secret family on the side, he is just there making a little team of cold blooded sarcastic assassins with you. You don't need to smile as much around him.

Thor!Vi. Got sent to Earth for punishment and instead fell in love with the little world. She is still visiting her friend Darcy and gives her incredibly crazy love advice from time to time.

Hulk!Caitlyn. This one doesn't really make sense, but the comedic potential is good. ("How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero! I have seven" with Thor!Vi by her side can you imagine?). Caitlyn was too curious about Abby's story and tried to recreate the serum but ended up becoming a giantess who almost destroyed Harlem. She is very awkward and nervous, and hates being lied to. Tried to get away from gamma-radiation research and went away to help the poor with her medical skills.

Now others:

Fury!Sevika. Because these people need someone with no bullshit attitude. Sevika is constantly tired and smokes so much it's a miracle her lungs work. She is tough and doesn't tolerate anyone's shit. We don't know her story and we actually shouldn't.

Loki!Jinx. It's in the name. Vi's little sister who adored her, but when the time came to choose between her and humanity Vi chose humanity. And then it turned out her hair is blue for a reason and Jinx is not only adopted but also the child of an enemy. Jinx is out for revenge. She plans to destroy Earth with everyone on it to get Vi and then destroy Asgard to get Vander. (Also the comedic potential of Caitlyn repeatedly slamming Jinx into the floor)

Pepper!Dina. The only person who can make Ellie do something she doesn't want to. Dina gets shit done and done brilliantly.

Maria Hill is now also a Coulson and gets paid double.

#abby anderson x reader #abby anderson x you #abby anderson #cap!abby #marvel au #I also have a list for ca:tws characters #the movie rewrite is coming soon! #written on a knee

[justlikemebutsixfootthree]

Could I request George fucking you at a club hes djing at?

pairing: george daniel x f!reader

content: corruption kink if you squint, pet names, hair pulling, teasing, unprotected sex 

wordcount: 1736

this blog is 18+. minors, do not interact. this blog is a safe space. no hate or disrespect of any kind will be tolerated. all work is my own. do not reupload my work on any other site without my consent.

a/n: everyone say thank u anon for this GENIUS idea <3 also sorry for the awkward ending i'm only good at writing filth

“y’know george, i’m starting to think you're a bad influence.” you yell your words over the loud thumps of the bassline, echoing from the speakers of the club george was djing at. you’ve stayed at his side all night, whether he’s in the dj booth or at the bar ordering drinks. alcohol always makes him clingy, and he’s got an arm wrapped around your middle, keeping you close as he presses buttons and messes with dials on the soundboard.

“what makes you think that, gorgeous?” he feigns disbelief, his words at a lower volume than yours. you turn to face him and realise he’s leaning down. even with your heels on, your boyfriend towers over you and the majority of the people in the dimly lit club.

“well, for one, you snuck me into this party. i’m not part of the rich and famous, george, it’s a bit crazy, don’t you think?”

the drummer laughs, and brings the hand that’s not wrapped around you down to his setup. his fingers graze over his laptop keys, and the bassline of whatever song he was playing gets louder. your head was hazy from the multicoloured lights and the feeling of your tree-like boyfriend standing so close. he looked good. he always does at gigs, when he’s flush with confidence and bathing in the intense strobe lights. 

george’s dark eyes met yours, “i’m so sorry angel, how dare i corrupt you?” his fingers squeeze your hip, and a lazy smirk creeps its way onto his face, “but you’re still here, hm? my favourite groupie.”

his eyelids are low, and suddenly you’re glad for the distance being the two of you and the partiers. you bring your hand up, dragging it over his broad chest and under his coat. 

“i’ll have you know that i’m here completely against my will.”

george grins, and the music transitions into generic club music - heavy synth, heavy bass.

“and that’s the end of my set. come get a drink?” 

your fingers lace with his, and you walk to the bar. once drinks were ordered and in hand, he’s crowding you up against the bar. you’re luckily in a relatively shadowed corner, so when he starts pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses onto your neck, you don’t feel the urge to panic. 

“you still here against your will, love?” george has a hand in your hair, gripping it to keep your head tilted so he has access to your neck. his other hand is on your waist, squeezing gently. a shudder runs through your body at his words and his breath, and you tug at his sport coat impatiently. 

“don’t play around,” you breathe out. 

“aw, feelin’ needy already?” he asked teasingly. “i haven’t even touched you yet.” 

“i swear to god i’ll leave, george,” you begin, pushing him away, “matty and an open bar is never a good combination, i wouldn’t be a good friend if i let hann deal with him again.”

george grasps your wrists, “hey, hey, hey! matty will be fine, let adam nurse him back to sobriety. ” he pulls you in close to him again, and adds, “patience goes a long way, angel.”

you huff, and move away from him. he blinks at you, confused until you turn, grab his hand, and stalk through the crowd to a bathroom. you can hear his grin when you shove him against the locked bathroom door, and he mutters, “someone’s eager.”

you let out a huff of air and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. when you tried to pull away, he held you in place; dark eyes flickering over your rubescent cheeks. after a beat, he pulled you close to kiss you, long and deep. george tasted like weed and whatever sweet drink he had ordered.

his hand makes his way to your hair, and pulls - hard. his lips meet under your ear, and demands, “turn around.”

it’s an instruction, not an order, said with a sort of off-handed, expectant authority that rocks you off balance. you’re turning before you even have time to process when he presses himself against your back, hands sliding around your waist, and you have to steady yourself against the wall. you can feel the drag of his lips against your skin as his hands roam over you.

george’s free hand pushes your dress up your thighs, the dark material bunched up around your stomach and leaving you exposed to him. letting your forehead knock against the door, you softly groan as he pushes your panties to the side, middle finger moving up and down your slit impossibly slow. 

your head buzzes each time you feel his rings nudge against your clit, the muffled bassline from the song playing outside the bathroom the only thing that keeps you grounded as he adds another finger.

your (very cruel) boyfriend chuckles at your needy gasps and whines, and murmurs “relax.”his nimble fingers drag your slick up to your clit, circling it softly. eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, you feel the muscles in your thighs tighten as he speeds up his pace. 

“oh sh-shit, just like that, george.” desperate moans leave your lips as he circles your bud, his fingers moving faster until you can’t do anything except flail for purchase against the door. flashes of warmth rush over your body like waves, the coil in your stomach so close to snapping—until he drags his fingers away from you. 

your eyes shoot open, “george!—fuck you, i was so close!” you cry out. 

your (bully) boyfriend grins and kneels to drag your underwear down your legs. gingerly, you step out of them, and his large hands manoeuvre you until you’re bent over the sink, his crotch rubbing against your ass. 

“c’mon, you didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” his voice is condescending, head tilted to the side as he takes his sunglasses off and folds them, tossing them on the counter. his eyes glint beneath the dim bathroom lights, “need to see you cum on my cock. can i, angel?”

you nod frantically, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

outside, the music grows louder, the bassline reverberating through the wall and down your arms. you can hear him undoing his pants as he kisses your neck; leaving hot, open-mouthed gasps in his wake as you move your ass expertly on him.

george’s fingers move skillfully to loosen and unbutton his pants, and he watches you hungrily in the mirror. he gets his pants halfway down his thighs before he gives up, fingers moving to pull at the waistband of his briefs impatiently.

he reaches for your hips to yank you towards him, and pushes your chest firmly against the cold granite of the sink. as he leans over to lick and bite at the junction of your shoulders, you feel him line up to your opening and you open your eyes. george already has his eyes trained on you, watching your face as you feel him push in.

the stretch draws a low moan from your lips, and george watches the way your face contorts in pleasure as you take him all in. bringing a hand up to your neck, his fingers curl around the front of your throat and pull you up towards him. he takes the opportunity to yank you into a fervent kiss, the clash of teeth and tongue making him grin against your lips.

“takin’ me so well doll,” he mumbles against your lips, and grips your hips with the hand not around your throat as he finds a steady rhythm. 

“how’re you so—fuck, big,” you drawl, squeezing your eyes shut and letting george take what he wants.

"you feel so - " he starts, before letting go of your neck and pushing you down onto the sink, your cheek pressed against cold granite as george bites back a moan, “look at you, so fucked out.”

you take in a deep breath as your stomach tightens, “you made me this way, george,” you reply. “fuckin' corrupted me.”

he lets out a breathy laugh, and brings a hand between you and the counter. he runs his thumb up to your clit, and a broken sob escapes you as warmth blooms beneath your skin.

"always making me - makin' me come so quick."

"good," you breathe back, gasps coming out in needy pants.

george shoves his fingers against your aching core, and rubs you in tight circles as he fucks his cock into you. you’re panting into the counter; whimpering, whining, struggling to find purchase.

“ye - yeah, just like that.” you hiccup, feeling his fingers fumbling around your swollen clit, and the thickness of his dick as he stuff’s it into you.

the drummer's movements become sloppier, and he leans his body over yours, pulling up your chin to make eye-contact in the mirror. 

“so pretty,” he whispers. “you’re so fucking pretty.”

“ge-george.” your words are hiccuped. you feel so full, it’s hard to speak at all. to say other than his name, so you recite it like it’s the only thing you know.

“george, shit ” your words are punctuated with a whimper that starts from your diaphragm and crawls it's way out of your throat, pistoned by his hips and their gruelling ministrations. every breath that passes his lips is followed by a groan of pleasure. he's flushed, all sweat and shades of pink and red. his eyes are glassy, mirroring yours. 

he’s breathing hard against the crook of your shoulder, and when he makes this noise that's almost pathetic, that coil holding you tight, snaps and all at once you're gasping.

"shit - i-i’m cumming."  your walls flex and spasm around his length and george thinks he might pass out. you're still twitching and whining his name while he talks you through it, soft praise contrasting against his cruel pace. the sensation of your tight cunt is enough for him to cum right after you, warmth spreading inside of you as you hiccup, and try to catch your breath.

he stays there for a few seconds, massaging your hips with his fingers, sheathed in your heat, not moving. george leaned over to kiss your back, his hot breath burning across your damp skin. still panting, he doesn’t say anything, just pulls out as your legs tremble against the counter. 

george chuckles, looking at the mess dripping down your thighs, “i’ll clean you up, then we can leave.”

george chuckles, looking at the mess dripping down your thighs, “i’ll clean you up, then we can leave.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2023 justlikemebutsixfootthree - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, modify, or claim as yours

#george ⎕ ‧₊˚ #📨 - signed sealed delivered #the 1975 #the 1975 smut #fanfic #the 1975 fic #the 1975 fanfic #the 1975 imagine #george daniel smut #george daniel imagine #george daniel #george daniel x reader #the 1975 george #the 1975 imagines #the 1975 preference #the 1975 preferences #the 1975 one shot #the 1975 one shots #the 1975 fanfiction

[bingbongsupremacy]

Masquerade

Pairing: Ellie Williams x Reader

Warnings: Homophobia and abuse. Lowkey wrote this bc some ppl in my family are pretty homophobic and I figured I'd try to write out how I feel and all that shit. Anyways, that's why this is how it is.

Summary: Reader runs into a stranger who makes the boring dance she's forced to attend slightly more tolerable.

* Not Proof Read * TLOU Masterlist

Idfk how royal shit works so that part of this might be bad. Just play along.

*****

I look around at the happy girls twirling around me. How the fuck are they so enthusiastic about being here? These shoes are killing me. This mask is itching my face. My clothes are irritating me. I want to go home.

I danced with one man already, can't that be enough to please my mother?

I can feel her frustrated gaze on the side of my face. All she wants is for me to marry a nice man. A nice rich man.

What she doesn't understand-what she refuses to understand, is that she'll never get that. No matter how many times I tell her, she seems to think one day the right man will come along and change my mind.

" I take it you're not a dancer? " A voice asks from my side.

" Quite the opposite. I like dancing. It's the people I hate. The parties. The drama. My mother. " I nod slightly in the direction of my mother. She's thankfully been roped into a conversation with another socialite. At least she's distracted.

" Parties are...draining. " The woman agrees.

I glance over at her, my posture quickly straightening. Even with the dark lacey mask that takes over majority of her face, I know exactly who it is. Her elegant dark blue suit is a stark contrast in outfit choices from many of the other guests, most opting for black or white.

" Princess Ellie. " I mutter while taking a deep curtsy. " I had no idea. I'm so sorry. "

Of course, only I'd be luck enough to shit talk a royal dance to the person who helped throw it.

" Oh please. Stand up. " Princess Ellie's voice is laced with annoyance.

Confused, I look up at the woman.

" It wasn't my idea for this stupid party. Sarah's been wanting to throw one for weeks. Of course I got roped into helping her. " Princess Ellie doesn't move from her spot against the wall. She takes a sip from her drink, eyeing me up.

I shift, slightly uncomfortable.

" You're welcome to lean back against the wall. " She nods to my previously taken spot. A glimmer of playfulness shines in her eyes. " I don't bite, I promise. "

Carefully, I take my spot back to the princess. " If you don't like parties, why did you come? " I ask curiously.

Princess Ellie shrugs, her shoulders brushing against mine. " Had nothing better to do. Figured I might as well find some pretty girls to talk to . " She grins slightly.

A feel a warm rush climb up my cheeks.

Of course I knew Princess Ellie was gay. Everyone and their mother knows. It caused quite the controversy when she was first caught making out with her now ex-girlfriend in front of thousands of people at her 17th birthday party.

I thought it was nice. I didn't feel so...alone. It was nice to feel normal, like my feelings were okay.

My mother didn't think so. She refuses to attend anything with Princess Ellie, insisting it'll 'ruin' me further.

" What's your name, pretty girl? " Princess Ellie asks, turning her body towards mine. She leans against her arm, cocking her head to the side. Her warm green eyes stare into mine, sending a hoard of butterflies tumbling through my chest.

" Y/N. " I manage to reply. " Y/N of Weston. "

" Well, Y/N of Weston, I'd love to take you- " Princess Ellie is interrupted.

" Y/N! " My mother shrieks. She roughly grabs my hand, pulling my away from the princess. She quickly curtsies and mumbles a polite 'your highness' before turning to me. " Apologies, Your highness but we have to go. "

" But mother-" I being to protest, trying to pull away. The tightness of her grip sends pain through my wrist. " Fuck, mom! " I yelp. I can already feel the bruise forming. My mother doesn't let up.

" Y/N no. " My mother's eyes are fierce, an anger I've never seen before flashing through them.

" Lessen your grip! " Princess Ellie orders, her voice laced with concern. " You're hurting them! "

The loud music has died down. All attention has turned to us. My mother, now clearly embarrassed from the situation, pulls me more urgently.

" What is going on here? " A voice asks. All chatter around the room quiets down.

The king.

My mother's eyes widen. " You're majesty! I'm so sorry. My daughter...she's not listening. You know, children. My husband...he's fallen ill. I'm merely trying to get her home. Our page just sent news. He's had a stroke. Forgive me for disturbing your dance. "

My heart drops. " What? "

My mother doesn't look at me. " Your father has had a stroke. "

Fear runs through my body. No! He can't be ill. He was doing just fine earlier. What happened?

King Joel scans over my expression, trying to decide what to do. " You may go. But release your daughter. "

My mother nods, letting go of my wrist. " Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you. Come now, Y/N. We must go. "

I glance up at Ellie. Her face displays concern and disbelief. She quickly turns to her father, whispering something into his ear. He brushes it off, shaking his head.

My mother and I curtsy and quickly turn to leave. I numbly follow in her footsteps.

This doesn't make sense? How did the page get here so fast? Our home is hours away from the palace. How was he able to get here so quickly?

Once we're down the long row of stairs, my mother grabs onto my arm. " You know better than to fraternize with the princess. " She hisses, pushing me into our carriage.

Confusion fills my body. " What? We were just talking. "

My mother glares at me. " You don't talk to women like her. You know this, Y/N. "

A pit begins building in my stomach. " Dad didn't have a stroke, did he. "

My mother's gaze doesn't faulter. " No. You are no longer allowed to go to parties at the palace. If you can't find a suitor for yourself, I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands. I'll be picking a suitor for you. I already have the perfect boy. You're to be married in 2 months. "

My heart drops. " Mother, no! "

" I tried, Y/N. I really did. " She shakes her head. " I tried to let you grow out of this faze. To let you find a good man. You leave me no choice. You'll learn to love him just as I learned to love your father. "

" Please mother, you can't do this. " My voice is filled with desperation. I don't want to get married to a stranger. All I did was talk to Princess Ellie! " Please. "

My mother doesn't crack. " You'll thank me later. "

#ellie williams x reader #fanfiction #fanfic #ellie the last of us #ellie williams x you #ellie x you #ellie williams #ellie williams tlou #ellie williams x female reader #ellie tlou #ellie williams drabble #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams fanfiction #ellie williams x y/n #ellie x fem reader #ellie x reader #ellie x y/n

[la-pheacienne]

Okay nobody asked for this but I have some thoughts about Anna Karenina. I read that book in highschool and it was a pain in the ass but still a rewarding experience. I remember liking it, but at the end feeling like "okay, an adulterous unstable woman, at the time when it was written I suppose it was really ground-breaking, it doesn't seem that relevant anymore, who would condemn Anna today for wanting to leave her miserable cucumber of a husband for a hot blond horse rider with BDE, relatable, no one would stone her alive for that today, that was then".

Wrong. So Wrong.

It was obvious to me that Anna was unfairly punished by society for being human and the author intended to present it that way. Apparently, it is not so obvious to a big part of the readers. The discourse I saw online is extremely disturbing:

"I felt like she chose her lover over her son? To me she just seemed extremely selfish. She has a loving and rich husband".

"yes, she did ultimately choose her lover over her son. It's terrible that she lived in a culture that forced her to make that choice, but that's the choice she made. Her own happiness was more important to her than her child's. That's not a choice most parents would make".

"She is not even a good mother she hated her daughter when her daughter Anya was sick only thing that was important to her was that Vronsky didn't came home at the time so she started using opium".

"I don’t like her. She made a poor decision that left a child without a mother and a husband without a wife. Any woman who puts their own selfish desires over their family is not to be liked".

"I can not abide women who let themselves be pushed around so much by society and the moralists of the day; I keep wanting to give them a good shaking and say "Stand up for yourself, girl!"

"One of the reason that Anna is so hard to like is that she only defines herself in relation to other people. Wife to a husband. Mother to a son. Lover to Vronsky. Who was Anna? What did she like? What were her passions (besides men)"?

"Vronsky said that while Anna seemed only to have him to care for, he had many friends and many interests and responsibilities. Adults usually do. Anna was an eternal child, wanting gratification, indulgence, entertainment". 

The first observation is of course, how completely off the mark these takes are considering the particular female experience in 19th century Russia. Especially the comments about her not acting like an adult or her being boy-crazy are laughable, as if a woman in that time period could just "stand up for herself" or even define her life and choose her course of action indepentently of men in any fundamental way. As if she would have ever comitted suicide if she could do any of those things. If she could still keep the boyfriend and her son, if she could decide to have a divorce whenever she wanted to, if she could be allowed to simply exist on her own, she wouldn't have committed suicide. A person who commits suicide is a person who doesn't have a way out. She didn't. And it is pretty obviously stated in the text.

The second remark is that in this story we have a (female) character that is so appallingly victimized and crushed, entirely at the mercy of other men, circumstances or even pure chance, while at the same time keeping her personality, desires, and agency intact. This is why this story is so great and this is why these people do not get it. Tolstoy, consciously or not (probably consciously) really outdid himself precisely because he told the story of a victimized woman who was also kind of a bitch, to put it bluntly. She was both. You can't talk about Anna just by focusing on gender inequality. Being a victim of patriarchy is not all Anna was. Anna was selfish yes, she was irrational and obsessive and ruthless and she wanted it all and she wanted it now. It wasn't enough for her just to have an extramarital relationship, tolerated by social norms, allowing her to keep her son and her lover. No, that was not enough, she wanted to live with her lover freely, she wanted to make the rules and she didn't understand why she just couldn't. She felt terribly guilty for abandoning her son, yet she didn't give a single fuck about the kid she had after, the one kid she could actually take care of. Horrendous. Her husband offers divorce, she doesn't want it. He later refuses the divorce, now she wants it. She is not ready to travel and wants to wait, and when her lover tells her they have to wait one day because he wants to see his mother, she suddently wants to leave now. She is strongly advised not to go to the opera because that would bring herself and everyone around her misery, she goes to the opera. She does exactly the opposite of what she was supposed to do at any given circumstance. What she wanted was bigger than what life could give her, and she killed herself.

Now that may be Tolstoy just showcasing what happens to lusty restless adulterous women. Tolstoy, after all, had the misogynistic factory settings of his time. He was also a genius. I don't believe there is anything about this thrilling, vibrant, catastrophic portrait of a woman that came by chance. The inequality, the unfairness of it all is so palpable everywhere in the book, her absolute lack of freedom constrasting with the freedom of her husband lover and brother. All of these men can do whatever they want, they can fuck, cheat, dominate, determine their life and other's without any criticism or consequences whatsoever, and she can't even leave the house without it being a major scandal. She doesn't control anything in her life, she is completely ostracized. She is considered an actual criminal, a pariah, for having human desires.

And yet, despite all that, she has the audacity to want for herself. In her ultimate victimhood, seemingly at the loss of all agency she still does not let others define her inner world one bit. She absolutely defines her life, she makes autonomous decisions, she even defines her own demise by suicide. She chose this, she could have chosen differently, but she didn't want to. The social setting was horrible for women, but if she was slightly more reasonable she could have had a better outcome. She didn't want that. Crazy right?

And that's why modern readers cannot get this book. We are used to media that convey a "message", ready to consume on a plate with a pink ribbon. We are used to passively watching women reacting to horrors imposed on them, and feeling sorry for them. We are used to a Handmaid's tale type of social discourse. We are used to dystopias. We are used to good guy - bad guy dichotomies. We empathize with female characters getting killed, tortured, physically and sexually abused, because they are the victims. But a woman who dares to leave her kid and go away with her lover? Abhorrent. Inconceivable. It is so extremely difficult to empathize with a female character that is just palpably human, it is confusing, she is not victimized enough to deserve empathy from the modern audience. A victim is a symbol, it is an abstraction. Give a victim a mind of her own and human desires, and she is suddenly a whore.

Tolstoy in all his moralizing puritanical 19th century glory, gave us an actually "complex" (as much as I have come to hate the word) female character, and by "complex female character" I mean a fictional woman that maintains her spiritual autonomy while seemingly being entirely determined by other people or circumstances. I cannot say the same for the vast majority of "strong female character" models of contemporary media.

#anna karenina #aspa rambles #the parallels of this to asoiaf/fire and blood crack discourse about certain female characters are interesting #leo tolstoy #tw suicide #patriarchy #misogyny #russian literature

[sehodreams]

plus-size reader & (riize) mmbr are a business marriage. Reader's family is a hospital conglomerate, and mmbr's family is a pharmaceutical conglomerate. It's an obvious pairing for the prosperity of both families. reader & mmbr have never been intimate. mmbr regularly engages in one night stands, while the reader settles for vibrators. at some rich people gala, reader catches mmbr eyeing whom he's gonna take home for the night. she's used to this, but she's not used to how fucking obvious he's being. he's not even making an effort to legitimise their marriage. the reader makes a scene of wanting to go home, essentially denying her "husband" from securing a one night stand. the limo ride home is ice cold, silent except for the occasional sound of knuckles clenching in barely restrained rage. at home, the reader goes straight to the kitchen to pour herself an XL glass of sauvignon. As she's about to take a desperate sip, she sees her "husband" by her peripheral. Her hand moves too fast for her brain as it launches the sauvignon at the face offending her.

OMGG I LOVE IT AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Tw: cheating, words that could be sensitive about body image

In my mind I can already see Sungchan as the husband, I mean, Eunseok is also a good option but I don't think he'd be into one night stands, he prefers to have just one lover and to pamper her like a princess, showing you how much she was loved instead of you.

But oh god, I can totally see Sungchan looking around the room at your side, you looking at him embarrassed because he's so obvious that anyone near enough could see what was happening. When you saw a few recognized faces look over you both, you couldn't let yourself be seeing with Sungchan in that situation, those people would laugh at you at your expenses, something you couldn't tolerate, so you had no option but to pretend to be unwell, everyone looks at you worried and Sungchan has no option than to call your limo to take you both home, he can't let you go alone because everyone would interrogate him. Not giving him time enough to go and talk with who could've been his lover that night, you leave the place together.

In the limo there's a tense silence, you're looking at the window, disappointed in yourself for living a life like that all because of your family. He, on the other hand, furious because you ruined his night plans.

You had never been on friendly terms, he hates you because he was forced to marry you and you hate him because he was an asshole with you all the time, telling you how unmatched you looked, and judging everything you wore because you had your own sense of sexy and elegant style, saying it was ridiculous for you to try to look good when your body would never be it.

When the kitchen situation happened you both were first shocked, not expecting it from any of you, but then you were both mad, angry with each other and your lives. You disrupted his whole life, and he made you feel like you were the worst curse anyone could've ever received.

You were there, standing and looking at each other for a second, fuming, and when you recovered your senses again he had you sitting in the kitchen marble already, between your legs, kissing you with a fury you had never felt before, bitting your lips and molding your large tits over your strapless dress. Then, when you told him that you didn't want to be one of his many girls, he pulled down the top of your dress, showing your hard nipples and your full chest. He grabbed your chin with one hand, making you look at him in the eyes, and said, "That's not for you to decide, you're my wife, and you have duties to fulfill"

#riize x plus size reader #riize x reader #riize smut #sungchan riize #sungchan x reader

[cocoabubbelle]

My overall impression of this guy + the fandom’s reaction to him:

Oh cool, Twisted Wonderland made another character.

Hmmm, Judge Claude Frollo you say? This could either go really well or really bad.

Ok here’s his design; hehe they really nailed that weird bowl cut and dark eyeshadows. Nice hat m’dude.

Oh he’s from an entirely different college is this going to be an official thing and we’ll see more characters?

Student Council President. Checks out.

Does he have a name ye-! Oh wait here it is.

My brain: Rollo Flan??

*reads again* Ah, Rollo Flambé….?

*reads again to make sure bc third time’s the charm*

Rollo FLAMM.

Is it pronounced like FLAME or HAM??? Or DAME (the way the French pronounce it)?

Voice actor. Do I know this guy?

*sees the voice actor has worked on Haikyuu!! so immediately play his voice for my sister (who’s a fan of the show) to see if she can tell who it is.)

Also showed this character to my sister for her opinion:

“He looks like he’s 12.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

He’s interested in Malleus Draconia I see. As a rival? As a recruit of part of the student council?

Ngl him sniffing the hanky looking like Esmeralda’s scarf is sus (of course maybe he’s chronically sick and has a thing against germs, but still. Sus.)

Hmm, Jack Howl, Rook Hunt, Trey Clover, and Malleus Draconia are still my favorites visually and personality-wise, but I’m interested in how Twisted Wonderland is going to portray this character and add depth to him to make him likeable 😌

*checks to see what the other members of the fandom think of this guy.*

*lots of hate-projection from the haters already bc of the character he’s twisted from.*

*despite how the other beloved characters are derived from villainous characters.*

*also apparently he’s not allowed to be tall.*

*to be fair, calling back to my sis’s comment, “he looks twelve” 🤣*

*portion of fandom who like him and still bully him affectionately.*

* remaining fandom peeps already writing Rollo x Reader content.*

haters: THE OTHER DISNEY VILLAINS WERE ENTERTAINING FROLLO IS BASED OF REAL LIFE RELIGIOUS AND PREJUDICED JERKS IN POWER

Other disney villains:

Evil Queen Grimhilde: a fully grown woman and narcissist who 1) was an abusive, neglectful stepmother, and 2) felt threatened by a girl who BARELY entered her teens and reacted by trying to murder her in gruesome ways. A jerk in power.

Maleficent: a sadistic being who enjoys looking down on those she deems inferior to her, (but heaven help you if you don’t treat her with the respect she’s entitled to), who *1) felt insulted for not being invited to a birthday party for a baby, so takes it out on the baby to get back at the parents, **2) takes advantage of the other heroes’ gifts and attempts to prolong everyone’s suffering out of a sick amusement from everyone’s misery but hers, and 3) is less concerned about her henchmen and pet crow’s vulnerable states and more offended by the audacity of the heroes finding loopholes and weaknesses in her magic so doesn’t cut her losses to back off and try helping her people and instead keeps trying to assert her dominance because she HAS to win. A jerk in literal power.

Lady Tremaine: An emotionally abusive woman who sees her children as a means of success and will not tolerate her stepdaughter having an ounce of happiness. A jerk in power.

Queen of Hearts: temperamental woman-child in power who 1) resorts to threats and violence when things don’t go her way, and 2) makes sure the system is ALWAYS in her favor and not for anyone who’s “wronged” her. A jerk in power.

Cruella de Vil: would have happily murdered newborn puppies had they had their spots. Uses her riches and influence to endorse Animal Cruelty. A jerk in power.

Gaston: Violent, Entitled, Narcissistic Misogynist/Sexist Womanizer who will turn on the charms long enough to try to get the woman he wants. Can’t take no for an answer. Is able to sway mob opinion because of his charisma and skill set and be one of the top dogs so to speak. A jerk in power.

Dr. Facilier: Conman extraordinaire who hates successful people and uses others to weasel out of debts he put himself in. Will aim for a willing stooge to aim for the top and seize control/influence from a person of perceivable authority. A jerk in literal power.

Ursula: Conwoman who makes sure that any deal she makes will always work out in her favor and will do anything to bring you down if it looks like you’re going to succeed. A jerk in literal power.

Scar: Jealous brother and uncle. Fratricide. Attempted Nepoticide. Wants to be in a position of power purely for the perceived personal benefits with no regards to his citizens’ well-being. Shifts blame from himself to others if things aren’t working out his way. Will only engage in a fight he’s started if there’s anything to put the other opponent at a disadvantage. A jerk in power.

Jafar: arrogant and jealous second-in-command who uses means to manipulate things to his favor. Classist jerk who will not follow up on his end of the bargain even if you fulfilled yours, or will use ambiguous words so that he does fulfill his bargain only at your expense. Will abuse his authority to objectify others. A jerk in power.

Hades: Bitter and Temperamental Boss man who rather make the most of an unsavory position thrown upon him, takes out his temper on others and makes elaborate schemes to overthrow his bosses, while making others do his dirty work for him as opposed to doing it himself. Makes deals for his own benefit. Sore Loser. A jerk in power.

Twisted Wonderland has been able to create characters TWISTED from their villainous inspirations and make them have reasons for their initial attitudes before overblotting, receive consequences for their actions that make them reflect on themselves, then actually go through character development that help them to become more heroic/tolerable. Not even all of them are shown to be remotely close to their original villain in motivation or personality. Again, I don’t think Rollo Flambé Flamm will be one of my top favorites anytime soon, and his predecessor is one of the most vile villains to exist in animated films, but I am willing to wait and see what Twisted Wonderland does with him and how he will contribute to the story.

Edit: Help why is this post so popular?

Also Spoilers below.

Rollo is indeed cray cray. But it is thanks to his cray cray that Malleus calls out to us by name.

See? He has a positive contribution to the plot 😆

Also, it looks like this version’s backstory will be mostly pulled from his original literary counterpart as well as his broadway counterpart.

So.

Looking forward to see how, if at all, Rollo overblots and/or gets redeemed following the other characters who overblotted and tried to kill everyone.

More Spoilers!

Rollo got his just deserts after the shenanigans he pulled, and with an appropriate callback to the words the Archbishop/deacon(?) threw in Frollo’s face in The Bells of Notre Dame song.

Mwahaha!

Something that piques my curiosity though. The other housewardens + Jamil were given opportunities to redeem themselves after the mess they caused.

Rollo looked like he was going to confess his sins (so to speak) when the other NBC students asked what happened.

Malleus doesn’t let him because he wants him to rot with his guilt a little longer.

Justice? Or is Tsunotarou still mad over not being invited and decides to be petty? 😆😆😆😆

* “felt insulted for not [actually] being invited to [the Festival for the City of Flowers], so [initially] takes it out on the [City of Flowers via angry lightning storm temper tantrum before he calms down so he can redirect his anger at the actual culprit, Rollo]”** “attempts to prolong [Rollo’s] suffering out of a sick amusement from [Rollo’s] misery”

Ah whatever Rollo kinda definitely in this case let’s be real had it coming.

Now we will see if he will forever stew in his guilt and self-loathing, or if the rumors over him transferring from/getting kicked out of Noble Bell College and attending Night Raven College are true and if he gets a redemption arc/becomes much worse.

Only time will tell since Twisted Wonderland so far has failed to disappoint regarding character arcs and story development!

#shenanigans #Disney #twisted Wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #the hunchback of notre dame #judge claude frollo #twst rollo #rollo flamm #disney villains #twst dorm leaders #calm down #and #keep cool #please and thank you #just my humble opinion #ok now you can go back to hating liking and/or romanticizing him have fun! #malleus x yuu

[inkovert]

SPILLED INK SATURDAY 》 Writeblr Discourse Series

Session 1: Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Welcome to our first session of Spilled Ink (get it? like spilled tea?), a new writeblr discourse series that I'm excited to introduce into the community. I wanted to start this series to generate some discussion and camaraderie within the writeblr community, but also because I think there are a lot of writer/reader/author-related topics and debates that crop up pretty frequently and I figured it would be interesting to hear thoughts and opinions on these matters from a writer's perspective.

So every Saturday (or potentially every other Saturday depending on how things go), I will post a topic of discussion. If you would like to participate in the discussion, you can do so one of two ways:

➸ Return to the OG post (which will always be linked in the title of the post) and reblog with your take on the topic, either in text or in the tags

➸ If you see someone's take on your feed and you want to chime in on something they said, feel free to reblog their response

I want to stress that the purpose of this series is to have healthy, open-minded dialogue about these topics and hear perspectives that you may not have considered otherwise. I think one of the beautiful things about writeblr is that it's rich with people from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences who can lend a wider perspective on the subjects discussed. That said, I'm asking that everyone who chooses to participate please be respectful when providing your opinion or when responding to someone else's. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how strong it is, but there's a difference between being opinionated and being borderline rude and antagonizing. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or hateful speech of any kind will not be condoned or tolerated. I want to set that bar straight now because future sessions will touch on topics such as race and sexuality, so I will always have this reminder at the top of the post for each session. I truly want this to be a safe space for people to share their thoughts freely and not be afraid to speak up, so just please be mindful of your words in your responses.

With that out of the way, the discourse question for our first session is:

How do you feel about the frequency with which books are adapted to movies/tv shows these days?

You know what I mean. When you open any social media platform these days and you're immediately bombarded with ads for the latest tv show or movie being released on Hulu or Paramount+. I've often wondered if writers or up-and-coming authors have any personal feelings about this. Do you find it exciting? Does it make you hopeful that your work could one day be on the big screen? Or is it a bit...irksome? Or are you completely indifferent?

Reblog and share your thoughts. Mine will be under the cut, below. 👇🏾

・❥・

I know it may seem like something absolutely trivial and harmless to some, so perfectly understandable if people are indifferent about it all. But I personally find it irksome.

I could be wrong about the increased frequency of book-to-screen adaptations compared to 10 years prior, but for me personally it feels like it's increased quite a lot. I feel like I'll see a book hyped by booktok and/or other online book communities all over my social media feed one minute, and the next minute it's announced that it's headed for the big screen. And for the author's in question, I'm sure it's thrilling, because it provides the exposure that authors need nowadays to sell their books and their brand. But it bothers me because...well, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it makes it more and more evident that the movie/tv industry is running out of ideas. How often do we hear about some 90s/00s TV show being rebooted for god-knows-why when no one asked for it? It's not a secret that the entertainment industry is running on fumes when it comes to generating original ideas for the screen. And the same way that reboots are a lazy way of pumping out entertainment for a consumerist audience, outsourcing ideas from authors because you can't think of your own is also just that - lazy. And the consequence of that, I feel, is that authors will begin to write stories with the intention that it will be visually consumed, thereby feeding into that book-to-screen pipeline.

I recently read a book from a sci-fi author whose novels I really enjoyed in the past, but with each new release of his the quality of his books decreased just a bit. And with the latest book of his I read, it was easy to pinpoint why. It was clear as day that he had written the book with the idea/intention that it would be put on the screen. I don't know how to quite describe it, but it felt like I was reading a screenplay, with certain storytelling elements ignored and with action scenes written like cue cards for an actor. It was like a slapdash job with the note "fix it in post" slapped onto it. And it was just so...disappointing. Not only as a reader, but as a writer. Writers are free to write screenplays, but they are considered screenwriters, not authors, and the craft that is required for each medium is a bit different. Neither is superior to the other, but there's a depth that goes into writing a novel or short story that isn't necessarily needed for a screenplay because the screenwriter will work in collaboration with the director and others to carry out the vision (I'm happy to have screenwriters on writeblr chime in on whether this is true, because I'm speaking off my own understanding, not known experiences). The end product of a screenplay is a visual. Whereas the end product for a novel is the novel itself, and how it stimulates the readers imagination. If we get more novels written with the intention of being translated to a visual medium, then all the typically necessary components like description, exposition etc no longer become necessary. I'm not saying that this is happening just yet. There are many quality novels that have received screen adaptations recently (Pachinko, A Man Called Ove etc), but luckily those authors were dedicated to the craft of writing and storytelling first. The movie and tv deals were an added bonus that came after. But what happens when you have an emergence of authors who have those priorities in reverse? Movie deal first to increase my exposure and worry about good storytelling second? It inevitably causes a change in the writing landscape (that I argue is already happening (see: future discourse session), and not necessarily for the better.

#spilled ink #session 1 #writeblr #pls appreciate the banner that took me several hours to make (bc I tried many different designs and styles) #and the clever ass title of the series that I've gotta give my irl friend credit for #really hoping that people engage with this so I can figure out whether it's worth continuing !

[call-sign-jinx]

Tangerine ~ You're My Top Priority

Summary: you and tangerine have an argument that ends up with you crying, you go to sleep after getting drugged and when you wake up tangerine confesses something.

Warnings: swearing, fluff, makeout, guns and i think thas it

A/N: hiya babes! if ur reading this i hope u find it great cos i acc enjoyed writing sommet for once. ill probs do more and requests r open so ye. adios hun xoxo

tangerine x fem!reader

To put it simply. I hate Tangerine’s guts. Why? Cause he’s a fucking twat and everyone knows it. Some people are just more tolerable to him than others. Me? I don’t take any of his shit cause I just don’t care anymore. When I were younger, I used to let people take the piss and use me for my kindness but as I grew older, I started to care less. It started to drain me being that nice all the time. So by the time I was about 15, I just... Cracked. What I mean is I realised who used me and who didn’t and the worst of them all was none other than Tangerine himself. He wanted me to do something for him and instead of finally saying no, I just snapped and let out all my anger out on him. Obviously he fought back, but I won anyway. And from that day, we both hated each other.

Now, I’m on a mission with Lemon, and sadly Tangerine, to bring the White Death’s son to him and also to bring a brief case. Simple but also not. I heard that some other people are after the briefcase so when Tangerine mentioned that we wouldn’t keep it with us for the train journey. I obviously had something to say.

“Why the fuck would yer leave it there without one of us ‘olding it? Ahaha you pleb are you ‘aving a giggle?” I tilted my head back as I laughed at Tangerine. Lemon let out a small giggle as he has always loved my accent. Tangerine just pulled a face at me that looked like disgust.

“Do you plan on holding it mate?” Tangerine wanted an argument, and so did I. So I was going to give him one.

“Nah, am not gonna ‘old it, yer 'olding you daft bastard." Lemon couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles. Tangerine hit his shoulder to try and stop him but all it did was make them go slightly quieter.

"Maybe if you grew a pair Tangerine, you'd get a job done without needing other people to do all the dirty work." I crossed my arms across my chest and Tangerine gave me the dirtiest look he could fathom.

"Who do you think you're talking to Baroness? You're only on our side cause we needed you for one thing then this bastard decided to let you join our 'team'." Tangerine pointed to Lemon angrily and I rolled my eyes as he continued to lecture me while Lemon put a hand on his chest in mock offense. I lay back into my seat and blocked his voice out.

"Oi! Just because you're rich from daddy's money you inherited when he died doesn't mean you have to ignore me you stuck up bitch." That struck a nerve. He knew my dad died when I was 16. I had to get pulled out of school because of it for a bit. He died because of something I did. Something I did cost him his fucking life.

"You know not to talk 'bout ma dad you fucking stupid cunt." My eyes began to tear up and I couldn't hold them in anymore. I stood up and went to the bathroom as far away from Tangerine as I could. I locked the door and sat there for a while. Guess it was long enough for me to fall asleep. I know, why on God's green earth is an agent falling asleep on a mission? I don't fucking know mate, I were just feeling tired since I had that cup of tea that man gave me. Fuck! It has halcian. I thought it were that in his fucking pocket.

I leaned against the wall and my eyes got heavier and heavier with every second. Until... I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I heard shouting and people fighting. I quickly woke myself up and psyched myself up to get ready for a punch getting thrown or a kick to the leg. I quickly opened the door and as soon as I stepped out I was met with silence. I looked to the left of me, and there were men down on the floor. Then I looked to the right, great. It were Tangerine post-fight with sweat glazing his face and exposed chest. God his body looked good in that sui- what the fuck am I thinking? No! He's a fucking prick. But he's a fit prick. Ugh it's fucking confusing.

"Oh my God, Ness! I thought someone had hurt you! Are you alright?" He cupped my cheeks and turned my head side to side to scan for any signs of damage. I rolled my eyes and pushed his gorgeous, veiny hands away from my face.

"Why don't you go get the brief case since thas what yer always worried bout. Fucking cumbag." I went to turn around and leave but Tangerine grabbed my wrist and held me in place. He looked at me and oh. My. God. I never noticed how blue and beautiful his eyes were. Baroness! Stop! He's been a prick since day 1, why now?

"Y/N, what do you mean? I care more about you than the briefcase. I always have. You're my top priority." He cupped my cheeks once again and heat were rising to my face.

"Anyway, besides the point. Where've you been this past hour? We kind of needed you a bit." He gestures his head side to side at the men down on the floor.

"Some fucking wankface man spiked ma drink. Am fucking livid and am gonna knock his lights out." Tangerine's whole demeanor changed. His went from soft and caring to pissed off and looks like he's about to kill everyone in his sight.

"Who the fuck did it? Do you remember what he looked like?" I looked to my left when I saw a figure coming towards us and it was the prick himself. I pointed at him and before I could even say anything, Tangerine pulled his gun out and shot him between the eyes.

"Jesus Christ Tang, bit of a warning next time?" Tangerine quickly put his gun away and apologised.

"By the way Ness, am sorry for what I said earlier. That wasn't called for and I crossed the line." He looked down to his shoes with furrowed brows.

"Tang, its fine. I've said some fucked up shit to you before. Some has been even worse than that and you just act like you don't care when I know it hits a nerve. Plus am tired of fighting all the time. Mates?" I put my hand out for him to shake but when he grabbed it he pulled me closer to him then pressed his lips against mine.

I was shocked at first but then I kissed him back and pulled him as close as possible by placing my hands on the back of his neck. He slowly places his hands on my waist and squeezes them as he does the same.

He swipes his tongue across my bottom lip asking for access. I open my mouth in response and it turns into a heated makeout, until both of us lose our breath.

"I think I wanna be more than mates darling." Tangerine smirks at me and I returned the expression. We then decide to go look for Lemon and head to the bottom of the train as quick as we can.

#bullet train tangerine #lemon and tangerine #tangerine #tangerine and lemon #tangerine bullet train #tangerine imagine #tangerine x reader #tangerine x you #bullet train #bullet train 2022 #bullet train fanfic #bullet train lemon

[onsunnyside]

:deep breath:

college football player!Ari and cheerleader!reader can have so many hurt/comfort tropes alongside the shmut, in this essay i-

ok but for realsies, injuries!! reader could get dropped during a halftime routine 🥺 ari getting asked out by sorority girls right in front of her 😖 quiet moments where everything's overwhelming but they try to comfort each other even though they get on each other's nerves for days

oh yes !! (drabble below)

your arrangement was exclusive to an extent. both of you were too proud to admit your feelings, which led to some jealous fits (on his part) and tantrums (on your part). you're constantly chased by some lovesick people, and he just has to sit back and watch, and you have to do the same too, especially when he's asked out by the sorority girls.

ari notices the littlest things: aka you limping off the field, trying to hide it with your loud cheers and gleaming smile. since there's a game going on, he can't just drop everything to see if you're alright, but he does keep his eye on you for the rest of the night. he even asks the water boy, jake to get you something to drink.

and after the game when you bring up his act of kindness, well, he just rolls his eyes bc "I'm just saving you the embarrassment and myself from the distraction—even though everyone already knows you can barely take care of yourself, miss spoiled little princess."

he says that as if you didn't grow up the same.

(bc i love frat!ari) he's in a fraternity on campus and lives with the rest of his frat bros while you’re at home with your parents in one of those rich and fancy neighbourhoods. oh, and his family lives next door to you, so you see him over the weekend and holidays, and when he invites his friends for winter/spring break.

it's even worse bc your parents are friends with his, and they constantly have barbecues and brunch, those days you just have to grit your teeth and pretend to tolerate their son, the disgustingly hot, selfish and irritating football captain.

being neighbours leads to several midnight talks, with his window right across from yours, you can see him doing homework at his desk or lying on his bed. perhaps it's because you've known each other for years, but he can read you like an open book.

"Are they fighting again?" He asks, referencing your visiting grandparents downstairs, stirring up arguments with your parents. It was the same every visit, and this winter break wasn't any different.

"Is it that loud?"

"Well, you're in your sulking t-shirt and fuzzy socks." He leans over the railing, the midnight breeze flowing through his balcony doors. "The last time you wore that, you and Andy broke up."

You cross your arms, "We were never together."

"Right, you were just going on dates and fucking in his car."

"And his family's boat." You wince as a loud slam echoes downstairs, followed by several other incoherent shouts. Embarrassment floods your body, all families fight, but you just hated Ari being a witness to your dysfunctionality. Who knows if he’d stoop that low and use it against you?

You've always held your own, and this stupid fratboy isn't an exception.

"No yacht or fancy summer lodge? You're downgrading, princess."

You stare at him for a moment, a wicked smile crawling onto your lips. "You know that one night after you won the home game, and you guys threw a party?"

"And I made you come seven times."

"Yeah, he broke that record."

Ari's smirk falls, a deep furrow settling between his brows. "That prim and proper asshole made you come even once?"

"He did, eight times to be exact. And I couldn't even walk, I had to stay in his big, comfy bed until the afternoon the next day."

"You think being a liar is gonna make me jealous?"

“I’m not lying, but you do seem awfully jealous.”

He clenches his jaw, his unbuttoned flannel flutters open, exposing his hairy, muscular chest. "We’re going for a drive."

“Excuse me?”

"It's either a drive or I hop in through your window again." He leans closer, his voice deep. “Or, you come over and I keep you until your horrid grandparents leave. Your choice, princess.”

#brandycranby<3 #wips ask #college football ari au #sonny drabbles

[gemini-sensei]

Hawk x Reader Angst

I don't know what this is and it ends kind of abruptly, but I hope you enjoy it. Just sorta came to me 🤷‍♀️ (unedited)

What if Reader is a former Cobra Kai who wants to be on the good side, but everyone makes it a lot harder for her to become one of them. They give her a hard time because she was in Cobra Kai for so long, did a lot of thing she greats, said even more things that she regrets. She does everything in her power to apologize and make it better, apologizing so many time, but it doesn't seem to work. She starts to think that everyone hates her and becomes withdrawn.

When everyone makes plans to hangout, she's not invited and she doesn't even try to come along after a while. They go without her and she just stays home. After all, she knows they only tolerate her because she's a good fighter.

There's only one person who gives her the time of day and that's Hawk. He understands the position she's in and tries to keep her spirits up. He's the only one willing to spar and train with her. He gets a few side eyes for it, but he doesnt care.

Things come to a head when everyone gets invited to a party. There's tension between the Cobras and Miyagi-Dos, but they keep their distance for the most part. Reader sits alone for a while because both sides don't want to be near her and everyone else has other people they'd like to hang out with. So she ends up getting a drink and keeping away from everyone.

Hawk eventually finds her all alone in a room, a few empty beer cans at her side and a fresh drink in her hand. He takes one look at her and knows she's fucking wasted. He sits with her so she's not alone, but she looks at him and asks him why.

"Because you shouldn't be alone right now," he tells her taking the drink from her hand. She barely has a grip on it. He takes a sip of it and sets it down out of her reach. "And you should probably stop drinking."

She shrugs. "What does it matter? No one cares."

"That's not true."

"Everyone hates me."

"Not everyone."

She stares at him. "Name one person."

"Me."

"Liar."

She looks away from him with a roll of the eyes and stares at the ceiling. They're just sitting against a wall, doing nothing. She feels like the weight of the world is on top of her, the pressure ready to make her implode.

Hawk shakes his head, ready to make his argument to her when she breaks.

"I just thought that I could do some good after everything I did... but I can't," she says and it's unclear if she's talking to him or to the empty room. She sniffles, then the tears start to shed, making tiny rivers down her cheeks. "I can't make any of it right. It's too late. I fucked it all up and now I'm going to die alone, stuck here, died to a life of loneliness."

"Stop that-"

"Everyone else is so much better than me. Good and kind and fighting the good fight. Sam and Miguel are gonna get married one day and have a ton of kids and grow old together. They'll get to be happy for the rest of their lives once all this karate bullshit blows over and I'll be all alone all because I thought I was somebody in Cobra Kai-"

"Reader-"

"But was a nobody. I was just a stupid puppet in this stupid game and now everyone hates me because I was rude and mean and tried to hurt you guys. I'll be all alone while you find a hot girl to be with and Demetri will become this crazy stupid rich guy with his own tech empire. You guys will be set for life, happy while I'm nothing but dirt-"

"Stop it!"

Hawk grabs her face and looks into her eyes to ground her back in reality. Her tears are fat and endless, her face hot with the havoc her emotions have beared down upon her. She cried hard, as if a damn has broken and her heart is gushing. It's wretched. It hurts. But as he stares into her sorrowful eyes, he realizes she needs to let it out.

So he hugs her and let's her sob into his chest. He holds her tight, trying to keep her pieces together as she crumbles. He never thought he'd see her so low, especially after training with her in Cobra Kai. If people though Tory was tough and mean, Reader was on a different level.

She didn't hold back, even when it came to people on her own team and the other Cobras had been careful around her. They knew if she wanted to, she'd kick them into next week, but that girl wasn't in Hawk's arms at the moment. Wherever she is, she's left Reader weeping in his arms. Maybe it's because she's drunk, but he doesn't care. He saw this coming from a mile away after the way everyone was treating her.

"It's gonna be okay," he tells her. He doesn't know if that's the right thing to say, but it's all he has. "They'll come around."

Reader shakes her head. "I don't know if I can do this anymkre..."

He frowns, rubbing her back gently. "Then don't."

She looks up at him, red and puffy eyes glossy. There's something lost in her eyes, hazy with drunkenness. "What would I do then?"

"Anything you want," he tells her. He pushes some of her hair out of her face. "Thisnisnt working, so find something else."

"But... but what would you do?" She looks so confused and drunk, but somehow sure of her question, as if it's a question she should be asking.

"Why would it matter what I'm soing?" he asks.

She blinks at him. "...what?"

He sighs and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay."

She's stopped crying, but Hawk waits a while long before offering to take her home. She accepts and he helps her up. They leave the party without incident, though Reader is leaning on him the whole way to his car. He gets her seated and buckled up, then starts driving.

She starts playing with the radio and he tells her to stop, so she sits back in the seat. But she can't sit still, so she's shifting and fidgeting. They don't talk much, not that she's saying much that makes a lot of sense.

When he gets her home, he manages to get her all the way to her bed. At that point he's dragging her, but he doesn't mind. As soon as she's laying in bed, she's practically a ragdoll. She's mumbling to him about how sorry she is that he has to do all of this for her because "I just can't do anything right, huh?" He tells her that's not true and it starts a small argument while he's taking her shoes off for her.

The next morning, he takes care of her whilst she's hungover, thinking she doesn't remember most of the night. Things are quiet, but he doesn't leave her side much until he has to. When it's time for him to go home, she's crawled into bed again to sleep off the dull ache left in her head and he says he'll see her around. But the next time he goes to the dojo, she doesn't show up.

Everyone else is a little confused, but not complaining. The next day she isn't there, they think she's sick. Then the next, they start to question it. Reader was a great fighter, why would she just up and quit? Hawk figures she at least remembered a part of their conversation that night and couldn't be happier for her.

However, the next time they're at a competition, he sees her in the crowd. And as the day goes on, he realizes she's only cheering for him.

[the-whispers-of-death]

saira and a troublemaker? like reader doesn't commit any crime, but he's loud. and annoying. and teachers hate him. he probably just wasn't expelled because his family's rich.

but. then. he and saira get paired up for a project. and she's so pissed, because reader doesn't do a shit in classes, he just annoys people. and she knows the project will be all done by her.

until the day where they have to meet (maybe in saira's house? stone scaring reader is funny to me) and... wow. this guy is smarter than she thought. like maybe the project is about something he really likes and he knows a little too much about it so he's actually useful?

and hey, he is a brat. considered a player, but he's not that much of a asshole to be honest, just a little bit annoying.

Saira was actually very iffy about whether you two should meet at her house or at a park, simply because Stone has very low tolerance for those who are disrespectful, even if they're kids. But Auntie Ashok is there and he's great at calming Stone down, so she brings you over and hopes you don't also piss off Auntie Ashok.

You two got paired up for an English project, you two having do to a literary analysis on Romeo & Juliet, one having to write on Juliet's character while the other writes on Romeo's character. It's boring and she almost expects you to slack off, but little does she know that you actually LOVE Romeo & Juliet, your mother read it to you a lot as a child.

So she's pleasantly surprised that you're doing work on the project with her and enjoys writing the paper with you. She comes to steady conclusion that you're not all that you seem, but her father on the other hand...

Stone makes you two sit out in the living room instead of her bedroom, simply so he can hear in case you try and get his daughter into doing some criminal activities. Yes, you've never committed a crime but in Stone's eyes that could be just that you weren't caught doing a crime. And he does not take it well when Saira tells him she'll be hanging out with you even after the project is done.

"Baba," Saira says, sounding exasperated as she watches her father pace around the kitchen. "He's a good guy, despite his reputation. He was actually a huge help during the project, he's really smart. It's just that the material the teachers give isn't what he wants to learn about."

Stone huffs and puffs. "You said it yourself that he doesn't do classwork, I don't want him around you."

Saira is on her last straw, the two of them having been on this topic for a half of hour. "Baba, I love you, but you don't get to choose who I hang out with. Not anymore. Now, I know you know that, so get off your high horse," she replies, glowering up at her father.

It's one of the few times that Stone giving Saira so much freedom backfired and it was a huge fight. The next time you came over to her house, Stone wasn't there and only Auntie Ashok was there to supervise the hang-out (and by supervise, I mean Kali only popped his head out of the kitchen to make sure you two were still on task every so often.)

Don't worry though, Stone only sulked for a few days before apologizing and admitting that he trusts Saira's judgement. Saira apologized too, knowing that her father was just making sure she was safe. He still doesn't like you much yet though.

#oc: Saira Mishra #task force 141 oc: stone #call of duty oc: stone #cod oc: stone #girl dad!stone #Saira & Stone #troublemaker!reader #tyler's asks #Tyler answers asks #Saira and Stone rarely butts heads but when they do they're both very stubborn #Kali has to act as a mediator for them #I hope everyone who reads these posts know that Auntie Ashok is Kali #I know I usually only refer to my OCs by their callsigns and not their real names #:)