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lottesreads · 24 days

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Why Me? - Part 10

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Forbidden relationship, ANGST, violence, nightmares, mentions of PTSD, mentions of child abuse, swearing, mentions of anxiety and panic attacks, smutty (smut-ish?) (horny thoughts, idk), mentions of drinking, Rooster being ok for once. (Let me know if I missed any, there's just a lot going on in this one)

Word Count: 13.5k (IM SO SORRY)

Summary: You're facing the consequences after Phoenix's party, knowing what you want isn't fair to you or Bob. After a bit of a setback, you go back to work more than ready to prove to yourself you are part of the squad for a reason. And it doesn't take long for you and Bob to realize avoiding each other isn't the right way to go about things.

A/N: An extra long part, just for you lovely bunch. I just want to personally thank each and everyone of you for sticking around! I am so sorry this took literally two months to get out, but ya girl was going through it man. I wrote and re-wrote this part so many times and I hope you all like it. Again, I love to hear what y'all think!

I should also mention I was listening to TTPD on repeat while writing, so do with that what you will.

Masterlist

Despite the cool temperature seeping through the night air, your skin is unbelievably hot. From your head down to your toes you are burning up. Right as you think you have it under control and can go back inside to the party you’re reminded about what happened moments ago and the cycle starts from the beginning. Your tongue runs over your lips as you attempt to get your breathing under control again, but the taste of Bob lingers. What did you just do?

Bob is doing all he can right now. Which is simply sitting behind the steering wheel of his truck, staring at the dashboard with his heart in his throat. He just kissed you. Well technically, you kissed him first, but the second one… He started that one. Right after he told you what he promised himself he never would.

His forehead falls to the stitching of the leather wheel as he lets out a breath. It was like you appeared from his thoughts when you followed him out the back door. It took everything in him not to look at you because he knew if he did, he would have ended up telling you exactly what he did. And then you apologized. On behalf of some woman he wasn’t interested in, who was kinda mean to him. The embarrassment of his supposed “date” for the night making out with Rooster was shortly overthrown by your hands on his face, tugging him into what he would call the best part of his night, no- year- lifetime? Ugh. He takes his glasses off, rubbing the bridge of his nose. You’ve got him all messed up. Either way, it wasn’t a dream this time, and you told him you wanted to kiss him. You’re the one that initiated it! That must mean something, right?

He keeps running over what happened, trying to figure out where to pick up from where you two were interrupted. Ok, first he confesses his feelings, two, you kiss him. YOU kissed HIM. And you told him you wanted to, which is why three: he kissed you. Oh god, he kissed you, held you, and everything about it was… perfect. Your lips were so soft against his, you smelled like flowers and tasted like his favorite soda. But then, before you could do or say anything else, the back door was opening, and now he finds himself behind his steering wheel. Oh god, did he really just leave you there?

Placing his glasses back on his face, Bob stares out the window of his truck at Phoenix’s house. You were probably still out in the backyard, or maybe you went back inside after he abandoned you. Either way, there’s no way he can walk back inside and act like everything is normal. Not now, maybe not ever. His hand falls to his key in the ignition, and as slow as he can, he turns it, roaring the truck to life. Before he gets too far down the street, Bob takes one last look in his rearview mirror, the glow from the house getting dimmer the farther he drives away.

-----------------------

It’s not long after you’re able to collect yourself to your utmost ability that you quietly creep back into the kitchen. The party is still in full swing in the living room, and Phoenix catches your eye as you head toward the front door without anyone else noticing. She slips away from Rachel for a quick second, heading in your direction.

“Are you heading out?”

“Yeah”, you reply apologetically. “Thanks for having me over.” Her eyes roam over your face, as yours dart toward your feet, hoping she won’t notice something’s off.

“Ok…”, she lets you go, “Thanks for coming over, it means a lot to us.” Her face gives you a shy smile, something you don’t see her sport a lot. It makes you forget about your own dealings for a moment and remember why you came over in the first place.

“I was happy to. Rachel’s a keeper.”

“Oh don’t start getting all sappy with me”, she teases as she gently hits your shoulder. You’re halfway across the lawn when she calls out to you one last time. “And Mantis?”

“Yeah?”, you ask, turning toward her voice.

“If you see Bob will you just tell him I need to talk to him?” Your mouth goes dry, and you force a small smile to your face.

“Uh-huh”, it comes out a little more squeaky than you hoped, but she understands you nonetheless. She closes the door and you turn back to your car, face heating up once again.

Somehow you managed to drive home, AC on blast, trying to cool yourself down. Flashes of Bob’s rough hands being so gentle with you alight your senses, giving you butterflies. You can practically feel his lips on yours, the way he gripped your waist, ran his hand up your back, has you closing your eyes, somehow hoping you’d be able to feel it all again. You can’t help it as you walk to the front door, but the feeling of his lips chasing your own has your mouth shifting into the smallest smile. Everything is right with the world as you reminisce, but you know from experience that good things never last.

-----------------------

Your mind is hazy as Bob’s lips move in sync with your own. It’s comfortably warm as his hands trail down your sides, your own moving up into his hair. He stops, just for a second, and you’re able to look around at your surroundings. It’s your room, but it’s not yours. It’s the room in your mom’s house back in Ohio. It looks the same way it did the day you started packing. Like it’s been perfectly preserved in time. Only, Bob is here, and there’s a mysterious haze surrounding the two of you. That panicky feeling starts to rise as you notice each and every detail your mind had stored away long ago, you didn’t even remember how many picture frames you had on your dresser until this very moment. All four of them sit in their exact spots, each depicting a moment with your dad, Carole or Bradley.

Bob’s mouth makes its way back to your own, and you forget about where you are, allowing yourself to get lost in this dream. Each moment spent not focusing on Bob paints a clearer vision of the place you spent a majority of your life wishing you could escape. But right now, all you want to do is stay. Your feet lead the way to your twin bed, pushing Bob onto the pink covers as you straddle his lap. You so desperately need to know how it feels to have him in this position, but your mind, only knowing what it feels like to kiss him won’t allow you to fulfill your fantasy. You push harder, needing to feel him all over. He starts dragging his lips down your neck as you grip the back of his neck, trying as hard as you can to hold on to him in the only place you know you can. Where there isn’t an outside world telling you it’s against some rule to feel the way you do.

A car door slams shut, disrupting your flow. Your blood runs cold as you freeze in his hold. Your heart thrums in your chest as you sit quietly in his lap, waiting for the following sound of the front door. He continues to kiss up your neck, distracting you as you sit and wait. You flinch as the front door is forcefully closed. You’re vaguely aware of the ghosting of Bob’s hands, his lips, but you wince with each clack of a heel up the wood paneling of the stairs.

You know it’s not real. You know it deep down. But the sound is uncanny as the click of heels gets closer to your room, and now you can barely feel Bob anymore. As if this dream version of him can sense what you’re thinking, he turns your head as you collide your lips together. You can’t hear anything, feel anything other than Bob, and the recent memory of what it felt like to kiss him. The rest of the room is slowly wiped away as you and Bob part, choosing to just hold him instead. You can almost make out the beating of his own heart, as if he were real. The dresser, like a fog, slowly drifts away, the frames on it, the few posters on your wall, your desk. It’s as if you were never teleported back here in the first place.

Moving your head, you take a glance at Bob. You’re still perched in his lap as he gives you a gentle smile. A peaceness falls over you and this hazy version of him. You move to touch the freckle at the base of his hairline, only to feel nothing. That’s something you wish you could have done before now, so you could do it a million more times. You see his head move to kiss your wrist, but feel a breeze where his lips meet your skin. Leaning down, you softly connect your lips with his, at least you know what that feels like. But that only means you will torture yourself with the memory. It does its job now to soothe you into a calm state. For a few brief moments.

The doorknob twists as a large wind sweeps through the room, knocking the door into the wall. Your heart leaps out of your chest as your mother stands in the doorway, smoke practically fuming from her ears.

“YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!”, she screams. Your hands attempt to grasp on to Bob for dear life, but as you look down you’re only holding air. Bob is nowhere to be found. You squeeze your eyes as hard as you can, bringing your hands up to your face in an attempt to wake yourself. Rubbing as hard as you can so hopefully once you open them she’ll be gone. The all too familiar feeling of sharp nails and the pressure of your mother’s hands wrap around your wrists, forcing you to look into her borderline black eyes. You’re paralyzed in fear, shaking in her grasp as she squeezes tighter and tighter.

“DO YOU EVEN HEAR ME?”, she screams, tacking your name on at the end. First and middle, cursing a pang through your nervous system. A response you thought you had rid yourself of until this very moment. A hand moves to squeeze your cheeks together, stopping you if you even had the guts to say anything. It hurts. It hurts like it did when you were seven, when you were seventeen, and that’s what scares you the most. If this is still a dream, how can it hurt so much?

“YOU NEVER THINK!”, she screams in your face as you try to lean away. Her breath is the same, spearmint gum with an undertone of whatever wine she got into this time. You feel so weak in her hold as she pulls you closer. In a split second the pain from her grip is gone until her palm cracks against your cheek. Hard enough to have you falling off your bed. The palms of your hands tingle as you fall, and it feels like an eternity until your back hits the hardwood flooring.

You awake with a gasp, then a groan as you blink your eyes open. There’s the soft glow from the morning sun streaming through the blinds of your window. Your heart feels as if it’s about to beat out of your chest, it’s hitting your ribcage so hard. The glow falls on your dresser, the one from IKEA your dad insisted on getting you when he started renting the house. The house. The home your dad made in North Island. You look for the picture frames on top, there’s the ones of you and your dad, and Carole, but none of Bradley. You’re home, you’re safe.

Your head falls to the cool wood of your bedroom floor, the sweat oozing from your pores causing your skin to stick to the material. Your back and shoulder are a little sore, probably from falling off your bed, but your wrists and face feel fine. Even so, you lift a shaky hand, eyeing any possible bruising. Nothing. Just the faint green from the fading bruise on your knuckles. You kick the blanket twisted around your legs, rubbing your eyes to avoid tripping to the bathroom. There you turn the faucet on, running your hands under the cold water then splashing some on your face. An attempt to ground you in reality as you stare back in the mirror. Only, you can’t see yourself. You can only see every defining feature that reminds you and everyone else of the monster from your nightmare.

The blood rushes to your ears as your fear makes way for anger. It eats you up, taking over your senses the longer you stare. The face of a person who doesn’t care if you live or die stares back. Throwing down the towel you were using to dry your hands, and clad in your pajamas, you race down the stairs. You barely register your dad asking what that noise was, but you don’t stop, set on making it to the front door. You didn’t even bother putting on shoes, not like it matters, as you start walking. Where to, you don’t know. You just need to feel something real. Know there’s life outside of your head. Away from her.

“Where are you going?”, your dad asks from the front door, you’re a house down when from the lawn he yells your name. And even though it’s coming from your dad, you still flinch, making you all the more mad. He’s taken aback as you turn on your heel.

“I’m going for a fucking walk! Is that ok with you?”, you yell back. He stands there nothing short of aghast as you clench your fists at your side.

“Where the hell did that come from? Are you ok?”, he asks as he holds his hands up in surrender, trying not to set you off anymore than you already are.

“I’m fine”, you spit. The recoil on his face coupled with the worried look has you feeling the tiniest bit remorseful. “I’m sorry, I just- I need to be alone right now.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I just wanna know when you’re planning on being back.”

“I don’t know, just give me a minute.”

“You’re just gonna walk around barefoot then?”

“I don’t fucking know”, you huff. “I’ll be back. You don’t need to worry about me.” Without sparing him another glance you start walking. Your dad sighs and curses under his breath as he watches you storm off in one of his old t-shirts and your plaid pajama shorts.

You do as you say. Walk. That is until a flash from your dream causes a tremor in your hands you’re doing your very best to ignore. The image of her standing in front of you, in your mirror has you shaking in anger, and that’s when you start running. Where to, you don’t know. You just need to get away for one goddamn second. The slam of your bare feet against the cement hurts in the best way, letting you know this is real. It’s not some nightmare you can’t escape from.

It’s not fair. The way she haunts you, ruins every good thing you get your hands on. You curse the fact that ever since you were little people were always telling you how much you looked like your mother. She lingers in the mirror every time you try to look at yourself. It makes you wonder if she sees you whenever she catches sight of herself. Then again, you always thought one of the reasons she despised you so much was because you reminded her of your father. A constant reminder of her biggest mistake in life.

The only real way you know time has passed is the way the sun rises slightly higher in the sky. You haven’t stopped running since you started, and it isn’t until the feel of sand beneath your bare feet slows you down. Your calves are burning as you trudge your way across the warm grains. It gets colder as you get closer to the water, and once the salty waves lap at your feet you stop.

Quickly realizing how out of breath you are, you back up and fall into the warmer sand. Your hyperventilating moves into gasping breaths as your chest heaves. You glance up to the light blue sky, then down to the deep blue of the Pacific. You’re reminded of Bob’s gentle eyes, and his kind smile. You allow yourself to get angry again. Just for a little bit. He left you last night. After saying those wonderful things about you, and then granting you a moment you won’t be able to forget in this lifetime. And again, in your dream. He left. Just like everyone does. Not that he had a choice. You can’t be selfish and expect him to stay when you know it’s a risk for the both of you. You hang your head, placing it in between your knees as you hug them closer to yourself. It’s just not fair.

You could ask yourself why. Why after almost 11 years of not seeing your mother, why she still haunts your nightmares. But you know. You were doing something you shouldn’t have. Every time you misstepped, misspoke, she was there to punish you. And even now that she’s not a part of your life, she will always exist in that little part of your brain that punishes yourself. Maybe the two of you aren’t as different as you like to think.

-----------------------

After a restless night, much to the chagrin of Sylvia, who ultimately decided to sleep on the floor rather than next to the twisting and turning of her dad, Bob checks his phone. There’s a couple texts from Phoenix asking him to call her, one from Fanboy confirming their movie night later in the week, but nothing from you. To be fair, he was the one who ran away in the first place, but every time he picked up his phone to draft a text to you, it seemed all wrong. What could he say through a text that could convey how he felt, or how much he wanted to talk to you again? Tossing his phone to the pillow next to his own, he huffs out a breath, running a hand over his face. Everything is just so confusing.

As he stares at the ceiling, his phone starts to buzz. He squints at the screen after reading the name, surely it can’t be. Grabbing his glasses and placing them on his face he double checks the caller I.D. So he had it right the first time, huh. Maverick’s contact name comes up as it continues to buzz, and Bob answers it with a shaky hand. There’s no way this was on purpose. The only reason he even had his number was so Maverick could coordinate everything for the initial beach day. And then he told everyone to keep his number for emergencies.

“Hello?”, Bob asks as he breaches the silence of his room.

“Bob, hey. It’s Maverick.” Ok, so he does know he called Bob.

“Hey, Mav. What’s up?”

“Listen, I’m sorry to bother you, but it’s Mantis.” Bob swallows, trying to clear the frog in his throat at the mention of you.

“Is everything ok?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. She ran out in a hurry this morning and she hasn’t been back since. I normally wouldn’t worry, but she left her phone and it’s already been a while. Listen- have you seen her at all?” Bob’s thoughts are running through his mind, wondering if you’re hurt somewhere.

“No sir”, not since you had your hands all over him last night. His face heats up at the thought, but immediately he refocuses his attention on worry, clearing his throat. “Not since last night. Have you checked with Phoenix?”

“Yeah, she hasn’t seen or heard from her either. I just thought that since the two of you are friends she might have said something. Did she seem ok last night? Or did anything happen?” Bob’s heart sinks as the thought that he might be the reason you’re gone moves to the forefront of his mind.

“Um- yeah she seemed fine last night.” Bob’s mind is reeling, you did seem ok. You seemed to be enjoying yourself, actually. But then again, maybe it’s not about him. “I can go out looking for her”, he rushes out.

“No, that’s ok. I think Phoenix is already doing that. Stay put, maybe she’ll show up at someone’s house”, he sighs. Bob can tell he sounds stressed. He can almost picture him standing on the front porch of your house, waiting for you to come back.

“Ok. Will you just uh- have someone let me know when you find her?”

“I will. Thanks Bob.”

“No problem, sir.”

-----------------------

The beach has gotten a little louder, a little hotter since you arrived. But all you’ve been doing is staring out at the waves. The cool breeze shifts loose hair around your face, the unruly locks that haven’t been taken care of after you woke up this morning. The weight of a hand on your shoulder takes you out of your trance as you quickly try to move out of the grasp.

“Get the fuck away from me!”, you yell. The hand retreats almost as fast as it landed, and squinting, you look up to identify the face.

“Whoa, easy there Hulk. It’s just me”, Natasha lets out as you readjust yourself in the sand to your previous position. Wordlessly she sits down next to you, making sure to keep a safe distance.

“Sorry”, you whisper so quietly you’re not even sure she heard it.

“It’s ok”, she responds softly. She lets the two of you sit in the silence, anticipating what you’re going to do next.

“How long have you been out here?” You shrug in a silent response. “What’s going on?”

Your mouth twitches as you stare at your feet. Shifting the sand in between your toes. “Nothing”, you lie. “I’m fine.” You hear her take a deep breath before she speaks again.

“Your dad called me, asked if I’d seen you at all.” Internally you scoff. You told him you’d be back, it’s like he won’t let you do anything now- “That was two hours ago”, she finishes her thought. Oh.

“I didn’t- I didn’t know.” You shake your head slightly. It had only felt like you’d been here for 10 minutes. How have you been here for longer than an hour? You don’t dare to look over, you know that the brown eyed gaze of your best friend is already looking you over in worry.

“It’s ok. Do you wanna head inside?” You squint at her words, confusion clouding your mind.

“Inside?”

“Yeah, just inside the-”, she stops mid sentence, redirecting her questioning, “Mantis, do you know where you are?” “I’m at the beach”, you respond flatly.

“Ok. Do you know which beach?” Swallowing, you look around for the first time since you arrived. There’s a lifeguard station with the number 6 on it just down to your right, and you can still hear the faint hum of cars from the road behind you. “That’s ok”, she lightly responds, deciding you do not actually know where you are. “Let’s go inside.”

She allows you to stand on your own, just knowing that you’d follow her. When you turn around, she directs the two of you to your right, and there it is. The Hard Deck. Somehow you had made it all the way from your home, down to the Hard Deck, without stopping. You fold your arms, keeping them close to you. Penny is already waiting at the back door, granting you a small smile as you walk up the couple steps to the bar. Phoenix stops you before you go in, placing a pair of sandals in front of you to step into. Huh, you didn’t even notice she was carrying those. It’s only after you step inside Penny’s sanctuary that you realize how bad your feet and legs hurt.

They sit you down at a table and slide you a glass of water. Neither moves to touch you, even as Penny sits down with you while Phoenix steps aside to call someone, presumably your father. You’re quiet as you stare at the grain of wood in the tabletop.

“Are you hungry, hun?”, she asks as you continue to stare at the table.“I can fix you something in the kitchen”, she offers as you glance up at her, giving a small shake of your head.

She sighs before starting again, “I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear right now, but when my dad started having flashbacks and nightmares, it really helped him to talk to someone. Got him an actual diagnosis which helped with treating it.” You furrow your brows as you cock your head slightly.

“Diagnosis for what?”

“PTSD”, she grimaces as she tries to cover it with a half smile. She probably thinks this is some work-related thing

“Oh- this isn’t, it’s not Navy-related”, you’re a little slow to correct. She sighs again and reaches her hand out for you before thinking better of it and placing it in her lap.

“Just because it doesn’t come from being in the Navy doesn’t mean it’s not real.�� You clench your jaw and look away right as Phoenix finishes her phone call.

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Nat drives you home in silence as you mull over Penny’s words. Was it really that obvious you had a nightmare? It just hadn’t happened in so long. You thought it wouldn’t come back. That she wouldn’t come back. She promised she wouldn’t be a part of your life, you guess that’s just her lingering charm that’s sticking around.

“What started it this time?”, she asks. You turn from staring out the passenger window and glance at her. The dream comes back to you in flashes, Bob’s hands on you, your lips over his, and then… You flinch slightly at the glimpse of her face in your head, the feeling of her grip.

“I don’t want to talk about it”, you respond lowly.

“OK”, she replies.

“How did you know where I was?”, you question as she spares you a look before turning back to the road.

“I was already out looking for you when your dad called and said Penny thought she saw you sitting on the beach. She wasn’t sure what you would do if she approached you, and I had to convince Mav not to book it down there himself.” You’re eternally grateful for Phoenix for knowing exactly what you needed in that moment.

“He’s just overreacting”, you try to shrug it off. She parks in front of your house, and you cringe at the blue Bronco in the driveway. So he really just called everyone, huh?

“Is he, Mantis?” She looks over to you, and you look down to your fingers for solace. Deciding you’re not up for a conversation you move on.

“Thanks for coming to get me.”

“I always will, you know that.” And you really do. Phoenix has been there more often than not to pick you up when you fall. She was the one person you could count on back at the Academy, and she’s been there for you ever since. Especially when you weren’t even sure you could trust your dad to let you stay in school. Even when she graduated two years before you and went on to flight school, she never kept out of touch.

She follows you up the steps to your door, and before you’re able to step one foot into your house, your dad is pulling you into a bone-crushing hug. You’re a little uncomfortable, and you’re sure anyone can read it on your face.

“Dad”, you wheeze, “Dad I’m fine.” He moves as you push him away, only to hold onto your upper arms.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”, he raises his voice, causing you to flinch. “Do you know how worried I was?” You didn’t actually see him before now, but Rooster is grabbing his arm, urging him to let you go.

“I’m sorry. I just- I needed to get out for a second.”

“A second? A second- You were gone for hours. You didn’t have your phone with you, didn’t have any shoes, you’re still in your pajamas for Christ’s sake!” With every word he throws at you, your brow furrows and your lip trembles a little more.

“Mav”, Rooster starts as he grabs your dad’s attention, “Ease up, man. You’re scaring her.” And even though he might be a little bit right, just the sound of his voice irritates you to no end. Him and his stupid Hawaiian shirt. A switch is flipped and you’re back to being angry again.

“No one fucking asked you Rooster. Why the hell are you even here?” He blinks at your sudden change, and shakes his head, trying to find an answer.

“Hey!”, your dad exclaims as he turns back to you with wide eyes. “He came over here because I was worried. I didn’t know if you went to someone else’s house, or were kidnapped, or god forbid, were hit by a car or worse!”

“Well obviously I’m fine.”

“I know that now. But it still doesn’t explain what you were doing for so long, or how you even ended up at the Hard Deck.”

“I told you I was going for a walk. And I don’t really think I need to explain myself to you.” You brush past the two of them without sparing a second glance, but you can hear your dad following after you.

“We are not done here!”, he yells up the stairs as you close the door to your room.

-----------------------

Bob is aimlessly walking around his kitchen as Sylvia stares on in confusion. They just got back from a run, and instead of resting like they usually do, he’s still pacing. He knows your dad told him to stay put, but if there was a chance that maybe he could find you while with Sylvia, he was gonna take it. He’s heard nothing from anyone since he first picked up the phone this morning, and that was hours ago. He’s starting to get really worried about you.

Deciding that walking around isn’t going to help anything, he decides to take a shower. He’s undressed, about to hop in when his phone starts ringing. He doesn’t even check who it is before he answers.

“Hello?”

“So you won’t answer my texts, but you’ll pick up a call? Good to know Floyd”, Phoenix’s voice echoes in his ear. He forgot all about them in the chaos of this morning.

“Is she ok?”, he immediately asks, ignoring her question. She sighs from the other end of the phone.

“She’s home and… she’s safe”, she utters as Bob takes a breath of relief.

“Is she ok though?”, he urges. She’s silent for a moment as he waits for an answer. “Phoenix?”

“It’s not that simple. She’s been through a lot.”

“She told me… about her mom.”

“She told you?”, Bob can tell by the shock in her voice you probably haven’t had the same kind of conversation with her. “She’s never actually said anything to me. Just that her mom wasn’t very nice. I kinda figured it out after we started rooming together and she’d wake up crying, just drenched in sweat. She wouldn’t let anyone touch her and- God I shouldn’t even be telling you this.” Bob hangs his head and nods as if she can see him. As much as he wants to know, he also knows that if you haven’t shared it with him yet it was probably for a reason.

“You’re probably right. Where- where did you find her though?”

“She made it all the way to the Hard Deck. Craziest thing is that she didn’t even know where she was.” Bob huffs out a breath and rubs his forehead. You seemed completely fine last night. And for some reason, he feels like he’s to blame. He didn’t stick around after to see if you were ok, or if you regretted any of it. God, he’s such a dick.

“Geez”, he breathes out.

“Yeah. Listen, just ignore my texts. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Bob’s grateful she’s thinking the same as him. What happened with Emily last night really doesn’t take precedent right now. He’s just so glad you’re home.

“Ok, see ya tomorrow.” And with that he ends the phone call. His shoulders slump as he turns the handle on the shower, the water runs as his mind is clouded with thoughts of you. Worried ones mostly.

-----------------------

The water is as hot as it can go as you wash the morning from you. Dirt from your feet makes the water murky as it swirls down the drain, the sweat from your nightmare and all the running is washed away as you clean yourself.

Stepping out, you quickly change into a clean set of clothes. Something comfortable, because you have a feeling you’re not going anywhere else today. Most likely back to bed to overthink your entire existence again. Taking your hair out of the towel, you move to wipe the fog off of the mirror, but you pause at the first swipe. Dark circles hang underneath your eyes, frame the face you wish didn’t belong to you

You’re tired. Your body, your mind, are all tired. You’re tired of trying to hold in your tears, of trying to be angry in order to cover up the fact that you are actually very scared of becoming the woman that you see in the mirror. Someone with the capability to ruin other people's lives. Falling to the floor with a thud, you allow yourself to cry. You barely hear the knock coming from your bathroom door, but you wipe your nose on your sleeve, and reach up to unlock the door.

Your dad is immediately on his knees in front of you as you reach out to him. His arms wrap around you securely as you sob harder into his shoulder.

“It’s ok sweetheart. I’m here”, he reassures you. “You’re ok. Just let it out.” You start to cry even harder at his words. You were so mean to him earlier, and why? Because you were mad at your mom? At yourself?

“I’m sorry”, you manage to speak through broken cries.

“Shh, hey. It’s ok. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I was just- so worried about you.” He rubs at the back of your head as you cry harder. He holds onto you a little tighter and you let him. It’s not suffocating or claustrophobic, it’s comforting. He’s somehow able to convey in his embrace that he’s not done fighting for you, that he’s sorry he ever let you down in the first place. “I got you”, he whispers as he kisses the top of your head.

-----------------------

You aren’t at work the next day. He should have expected it. After everything that happened he still hasn’t texted you. He wanted to reach out, but thought better of it. Knowing you, you might feel more embarrassed than anything if he brought attention to the fact that your dad called him. Even so, it feels… off. For the first time in weeks he doesn’t save a seat for you at lunch. And then out of the blue, as Phoenix sits down across from him, Rooster sets his lunch bag next to hers. He glances up with wide eyes as Rooster gives him a cordial smile

It’s quiet for a moment as the three of them dig into their food. As Bob reaches for a baby carrot, the table shakes. He moves to look up at Phoenix who is trying and failing to discreetly glare at Rooster. He can only assume the movement was her kicking him under the table. Rooster clears his throat, garnering Bob’s attention. He rubs his mouth before looking back at him.

“Listen, Bob, I’m really sorry about Saturday.” Oh this is where this is going.

“Oh, there’s no need to-”

“Yes”, Phoenix cuts in, “there is. Please continue, Rooster.” Rooster winces at her words, and ultimately turns back to Bob.

“Right. Um, turns out Emily thought she was being set up with me the entire time. Not you, which explains why- uh everything happened the way it did”, he chuckles awkwardly. “Anyway, so I’m sorry about that kind of wrecking your night.” Even though his glasses are sitting perfectly on his face, Bob pushes the bridge of his wire frames even further onto his nose as an excuse to distract himself from the awkwardness of this conversation.

“Listen, it’s fine. Really.”

“Bob”, Phoenix whines, “No it’s not. I’m sorry, too. Apparently I never even told her your name. Just that you were one of my friends, so she naturally assumed it was Rooster.” Emily was honestly the last thing on his mind since that night. It all seems so trivial since yesterday. He just wants to see you. Confirm with his own eyes that you’re alright. Right now it kind of feels like you fell off the face of the earth, even if he did see you two days ago. It was two days too long.

“Phoenix”, Bob levels, “It’s ok. I wasn’t putting too much pressure on anything working out anyway.” He starts to play with his food, kind of the same way you do whenever you’re uncomfortable. Just moving stuff around, never actually picking anything up to eat. He can’t help but have every thought wander back to you somehow. He wonders if you’ve maybe done the same thing about him, but he quickly rids himself of the thought. Why would you do that? Just because he overthinks and rethinks everything doesn’t mean you do, too.

Your hands are trembling as you open the car door and head into base. Not in a bad way. Not at all. You need to get in a jet. Need to feel some sort of control over anything in your life. In the air, that’s where you feel free. You have to be laser focused on what you are doing at all times, there is no voice in your head telling you to be better, or that you’re not good enough. If she had it her way you wouldn’t be there at all. The world of aviation is one where your mother’s voice is silent. She simply doesn’t exist. You’d like to keep it that way.

So yes, your hands are trembling. And you welcome it. It’s the incessant thumping of your heart against your rib cage as you get closer to the classroom that is bothering you. Bob. You haven’t seen or heard from him since Saturday. Since you kissed him. But this is a professional setting, one where under its rule you are not allowed to feel the way you do for him. Or him you, apparently. So, you’ll pretend for both your sakes that nothing happened. It’s the way it has to be. That way you can’t ruin his life. Can’t- won’t be like the one person you swear you would never end up like.

And then, right as you walk in the door, Bob’s eyes are on you. His cheeks pinken just the tiniest bit at the sight of you. But more than that, there’s a look of relief on his face. Before you can give him any kind of indication you notice him, his attention is being directed away by Fanboy. Deciding it’s best to let it slide, you walk past Nat on his other side, giving her a slight smile as she winks at you. And even though before the day even started you had decided to avoid looking at Bob, it is so damn hard as his profile sits right in front of you. Rooster’s still mandated to sit next to you, so his incessant breathing helps to distract you.

The rest of the day until lunch is entirely boring until you’re given your chance to get up in your jet. There’s the regular spiel from Maverick about which maneuvers you’re going to practice, and then there’s another storm warning. A so-called hurricane is supposed to sweep southern California over the weekend, so they’re trying to give everyone as much air-time as they can before it starts. Fine by you. You don’t even care that you’re paired with Hangman, that’s how badly you need to get back up there.

Settling into your seat, you take a deep breath in, and out. This is what you were made to do. There’s no other feeling quite like it in the world, and your hands tingle as you grab the yoke, just waiting for the all-go. The roar of the engine is so loud you can hardly hear your own thoughts. Just the way you like it. You twitch in anticipation before Hondo gives you the hand signal, waving you for take-off.

Before you know it, you’re back on the ground, and the next group is getting ready to go up. You stay close to your jet while Phoenix and Bob pass to get to theirs. You don’t notice his glance your way, but as you take a quick look he’s already climbing the ladder into his seat.

-----------------------

Bob isn’t exactly sure where the two of you stand at this moment. He knows that right now at work is not the best place to discuss any of it, but he also knows that he can’t go on pretending forever that Saturday night didn’t happen. And then there’s the fact that something happened on Sunday to set you off, so he decides he’ll just wait for you to approach him. He doesn’t want to add any more stress to your life, just glad you seem to be in better spirits. He still saves you a seat at lunch, but 10 minutes pass before he decides you’re not coming. Phoenix finally fills an empty seat across from him, and before he can ask where you are Fanboy takes the seat he is no longer saving for you.

“Ok”, Fanboy starts, “I’ve got all three Indiana Jones on blu-ray that I can bring over since those are the only ones that matter, you still ok to do it at your place?” Bob nods at the plans mindlessly, eyes staring down at his untouched plate of food.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“You sure? Cause last time I was over your dog avoided me the whole time. She fucking hates, me dude.” Bob winces and holds back a small laugh.

“She doesn’t hate you. She’s just… shy.” He explains.

“It’s true”, Phoenix cuts in, “Although, the last time I saw her she finally let me pet her. It was amazing.” Bob smiles at her as he finally digs into his lunch. Sylvia had already taken a quicker liking to you than anyone else Bob has introduced her to. It’s kind of a shame she won’t be seeing you as often as he’d like anymore. And just as the thought of you pops into his head, he spots you walking over to another table. Damn it.

-----------------------

As much as you like talking to your dad, you absolutely despise having to go over what you missed yesterday. Which is why your lunch was cut approximately 15 minutes short today. He was nice enough to make lunches for the both of you today, so with your brown paper bag in hand, you make your way over to the mess-hall. You stop right after entering, trying to find an empty seat among the crowd. You spot Bob and your heart skips a beat. Fanboy is in your seat, and even though there’s an empty spot next to Phoenix, Payback sits down before you can move. It’s probably for the best. As much as it hurts, you need to stay as far away from Bob as possible. It’s the only way you know you can’t ruin his career. Or yours for that matter.

Taking in a deep breath, your eyes move to the corner of the room where the only empty seat remains. Great. Begrudgingly, you make your way over to the table and place your lunch before you as you sit. Rooster’s eyes widen as he slowly chews his bite of food at your action. He’s still staring at you as you open your bag. Rolling your eyes you finally decide to speak, “Don’t look so surprised.”

“Am I not supposed to be?”, he asks as he swallows his food. Exasperation crosses your face as you take a bite of your pb & j. You don’t even pay attention to him as you rip into your food, but you can still feel him watching you. “What?”, you ask with a mouth full of peanut butter.

“Nothing”, he shrugs as you raise your brow at him. He clears his throat before gingerly asking, “How are you feeling?” You squint your eyes and dust any crumbs from your hands before folding your arms across your chest.

“What is this? What are you doing?” He shrugs again.

“What? I can’t ask you how you are?”

“Why are you doing it though?”, you counter. He looks away as he mutters an explanation.

“I just- I want to see how you’re doing.”

“Really? Or do you just want to know if I’m going to blow up on you again? How about this: ask me how I’m feeling again and find out.” He guffaws at your cavalierness as you move back to eating. Although, he really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“Ok sheesh, Miss bossy”, he comments. He just really knows how to get on your nerves, first with Sunday, then with Emily, now this stupid nickname he used to call you when you were mad as a kid.

“Oh come on, with that little stunt you pulled with Emily you should be happy I haven’t ripped into you even more.”

“Listen, for your information I already apologized to Bob about that whole….”, he pauses to motion with his hands, “...ordeal. And Emily thought she was being set up with me so… I am not the one to blame here.”

“Oh yeah? And who is?”

“Ask Phoenix! The woman never even told her Bob’s name!”, he laughs as you give him a slight smile at the absurdness of the whole situation. It’s quiet for a beat as you ponder his explanation.

“She really didn’t tell her his name?”

“Not a damn letter. And the man only has three.” You breathe a small laugh at his comment as he shakes his head. And for a second the two of you sit there and smile, enjoying the playfulness you once shared as children. Which causes you to remember a nickname you haven’t heard in years that he uttered seconds ago.

“And by the way, it’s Lieutenant bossy now. Brad Brad.” He chuckles and shakes his head, the two of you coming to some sort of silent agreement. You feel like a kid again, in a good way this time. It almost makes you forget about the six foot WSO with the beaming blue eyes sitting tables behind you.

You somehow make it the whole day without a real interaction with Bob. You’ve caught fleeting glances of him, and he seems so… normal. Like nothing happened at all. It makes you nervous, even more so than usual. But, you keep telling yourself that it’s for the best. If the two of you ignore everything, life can go on. But there’s still the tiniest part of yourself that longs to know what he’s thinking. Wants to know him more than you do. Just another voice you have to try your best to shut off.

-----------------------

Bob can’t help but tap his foot as he waits for the day to start. If you weren’t going to say anything to him, he sure as hell wasn’t going to bring up anything to you. He checks the time on his watch. Five minutes before your usual start time, but you, Halo, and Phoenix aren’t here yet. He alternates looking at his watch, and glancing at the door as the room starts to fill in. It goes on for a couple more minutes until you finally enter. He’s nervous again. Overthinking every little thing, he averts his gaze before you get the chance to look at him. His boot is still hitting the floor even as you take your seat behind him.

“Floyd”, Hangman barks, “Leave the tapping to Fred Astaire, will ya?” Bob turns his head at his remark, giving him an embarrassed smile.

“Sorry”, he mutters before turning to your father at the front of the room. He spotted you out of the corner of his eye, about to say something to Hangman, but thinking better of it as Cyclone entered the room. You could almost hear everyone adjust in their seat to sit up straight as he made his way to the back of the room. After the dust settles and Maverick takes a second in between talking, Bob swears he can hear the quietest tapping of a pencil coming from your desk.

-----------------------

You’re not paired with Phoenix and Bob… again. Which you’re grateful for, you guess. But you also miss talking to your friends. Flying with them. It’s funny, really. You joined the Navy because you wanted to be like your dad, and you found aviation fascinating. And now, you’ve found your own community, your people. Even if it was one of the hardest things you’ve had to do, the first time you stepped foot in a jet you knew it was what you were meant to do.

You’re all back in the classroom after your first flights of the day, discussing once again what could have been done better. There’s all little tweaks Maverick suggests to everyone, not just you this time. And it feels good knowing you did a good job.

“All in all, great job everyone. Have a good lunch”, he excuses the group. You move to grab your stuff and head to the mess hall before your dad calls out for you. “Mantis, would you stay back for a second?” Nodding, you drop your stuff and take Phoenix’s seat in the front row as he rounds his podium.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m doing good”, you nod, “Feeling good.” He chews on your words for a second before double checking.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah”, you laugh, kind of annoyed at the moment. But you understand where he’s coming from, “Flying’s been helping. A lot.”

“Good. That’s good.” He moves back behind his podium, shuffling a couple of pieces of paper before opening a file. “Cyclone”, he starts as you tense at the name, “has been talking to me. About you.”

“Am I in trouble?”, you ask out of reflex.

“No”, he reassures you. “Quite the opposite actually.” Hanging his head, he looks down at the papers before him. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was nervous. “He’s been keeping you in mind for something. Just wants to make sure you’re up for the challenge.”

“Another mission?”

“Looks like it”, his gaze is stern as he looks at the file, but as he looks back to you his eyes soften. “Are you going to be ok to do this?” With that look you know he’s not just asking as your Captain, he’s asking as your dad. Your eyes soften with his the slightest bit as you smirk.

“Always, old man.” He chuckles as you smile with him.

“Ok”, he shrugs, “Training for this one won’t start until this storm moves out. I’d expect an announcement from Cyclone sometime next week. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Will do, Captain.”

Your hands are trembling again as you navigate the halls to find a vending machine since you forgot to pack your own lunch this morning. It’s a good sort of nerves that make their way through your system. The training for the last mission was brutal, but good. It kept your mind off of anything of real importance. That’s just what you need right now. A distraction. Which is where your mind is at right now as your brain fills itself with incessant thoughts of what you need to do to prepare as well as a bag of chips, but you’re hitting something and falling to the floor before you can process what’s happening. The sound of a handful of what looks to be peanuts roll on the floor, but you can still hear an, “Oof”, through it all.

Your eyes widen as you look over to the man sitting on the floor in front of you. His eyes mirror your own as the two of you share the longest moment together since this past weekend. Shaking your head, you move to stand as he does.

“I’m so sorry Bob”, you start as he dusts himself off, “I didn’t see you.”

“That’s alright”, he rushes out as he looks over his almost empty bag of peanuts. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you either.” He’s trying his best not to look at you as he starts to pick each individual peanut off the floor. You rush to help him and he still doesn’t look your way.

“You don’t need to do that”, he tells you as the two of you clean the floor.

“I do, it’s my fault”, your hand is already full as you find the nearest trash can to throw the ruined peanuts away. You spot the vending machine he must have just bought them from, tucked in its own little hallway. Before he can stop you, you’re already checking to see if you have enough change before locating their spot in the case. There they are, B4.

“What are you doing?”, Bob complains as he throws his handful and the bag away. You continue to reach in your pocket, not bothering to answer him as he already knows exactly what you’re doing. “Mantis, c’mon. It’s ok. You don’t need to do that.” He watches you bite at your lip as you put in the first two quarters until all you’re left with is a penny. It’s obvious you were going to buy something for yourself. But he’s also pretty sure that the penny in your hand is the same one he slipped you in Phoenix’s kitchen, and the flick of your eyes to his as you clench your fist around it confirms his suspicions.

He swallows as you press the buttons on the machine. The spiral whirls as you give yourself the confidence to speak. Not look at him. Just speak.

“Bob, can we- can we talk?”. The bag drops to the bottom of the machine with a large thump, almost triggering the laughing of Hangman and Coyote as they walk through the hall behind him. He turns as they walk, his eyes wide as he looks back at you.

“Here?”, he whispers.

“No”, you whisper back as you glance over his shoulder. You bend to grab the bag, and grip it tightly before holding it before him, “Later.” You determine for the two of you. He reaches out to the clear bag of peanuts, accepting your offer as you walk around him and into the mess-hall.

Bob’s palms start to sweat as he watches your retreating form. He rounds the corner expecting to see you sitting with Rooster again, but there you are. Sitting at your usual seat next to his vacant one. He stops in his tracks, surprised at your actions, but quickly moves back to the table. Phoenix shoves her own bag of chips your way as you accept with a gracious smile. Your ability to switch mindsets so quickly baffles him as he sits next to you with a smile. The same kind of one you return to him, the ones that don’t quite reach your eyes. He’s not gonna make it through this conversation.

-----------------------

Bob’s house has never been this daunting to look at. The white shingles are practically taunting you as you sit in your car. You don’t even know how long you’ve been sitting there, just delaying the inevitable. You immediately changed into some regular clothes after getting home, but sat on your bed for a good 45 minutes working up the courage to drive over here. And even then your car took a few minutes to get started. The voice in the back of your head told you it was a sign that you shouldn’t even bother coming over, but you knew that was an even worse idea than talking about what happened. Getting up the nerve, you vacate your car, and make it halfway up his driveway before a voice stops you in your tracks.

“Oh finally.”

“Rich, don’t be rude. She can probably hear us.” Turning your head, you find two men, probably ten or so years older than your dad, sitting on the front porch just to the right of Bob’s home. One’s got a mug of what you assume to be coffee in his hands, while the other nurses a glass of what looks to be wine. They’re both taken aback as you squint at them in the setting sun. “I’m so sorry about him, I told him to go light on the chardonnay, but…”, shrugging, he rolls his eyes at the other man.

“Oh, it’s ok”, you brush them off. Moving to take another step, his voice stops you again.

“It’s just, we were wondering why you were sitting there for so long”, the one you assume to be Rich pipes up. You suppose you were warned he hasn’t a filter this evening, but your eyes still widen the tiniest bit at his remark.

“Leave the poor girl alone.” Rich waves the other man off, turning back to you.

“We hardly see anyone coming or leaving that boy’s house, but we saw you leaving in a rush the other weekend and were just wondering-”

“We were not wondering anything, because we are not Bob’s nosey neighbors. Those are the ones on the other side of him, the Terrance’s.” You try your hardest to stifle a laugh as they continue to gossip.

“Oh do not get me started on the Terrance’s. ‘Oh Richard’”, he mocks, “‘It is against HOA policy to have a flag hanging in your window.’” You take a look around the well manicured neighborhood, taking note of flag poles proudly displaying the American Flag.

“But you can have a flagpole?” You ask.

“It’s not where it was that was the problem”, Rich responds, “She just did not want to see our beautiful rainbow among the red, white, and blue. That same red, white, and blue we served under, for her information!” The more level-headed one of the two reaches a hand out to Rich in an attempt to calm him. It pushes him further into his seat, and he takes a swig from his glass.

“Easy now, Miss-”, he turns to you as you’re taken out of your spectator seat in the conversation.

“Mitchell”, you reply. He smiles, and turns back to Rich who’s brow is set in a furrow.

“Miss Mitchell here probably has more important things to attend to with Bob”, he emphasizes, catching Rich’s attention,”Than sitting here listening to our quarrels with the neighbors.” As he moves his hand to motion over to Bob’s house, you take notice of the class ring on his finger, the ring that looks all too familiar to the one collecting dust in your closet.

“Do you?”, Rich asks, distracting you from the ring on the other man’s finger.

“Rich!”, he chides.

“I do- actually”, you shy away, remembering why you came over here in the first place. “But it was really nice meeting you-?”

“Oh how rude of me, I’m Harry, and this is my husband Rich”, he motions as Rich nods at you.

“Well, it was very nice meeting you Harry, and Rich”, you smile as you turn back toward the house. Taking a deep breath you move toward the front door. Clenching your fist in your hand, you raise it hoping it will knock on the door of its own volition, but you’re not sure if you’re ready. Screw it, you’re already kinda mad at him. He’s the one who left you and then ignored you at work! You never should have kissed him, even if you long to do it again and again.

“Do you think she’s gonna take longer on the porch than in the car?”, Rich asks in a poor attempt to whisper.

“No”, Harry gives in, “I think her arm will get tired by then.” Turning your head, Harry gives you a sad attempt at trying to look apologetic.

“I’m starting to think you’re just as bad as your husband!”, you shout from across the porch.

“I’m sorry!”, Harry shouts back, “This is the most exciting thing to happen to this neighborhood since Patty down the street got divorced!” You laugh through your nose, only turning back to the task at hand when the sound of the lock alerts you to Bob opening the door. You stare up at his ocean eyes as he blinks at the sight of you. Those same eyes flash in your mind from Saturday night, blinking rapidly before he-

“Hi”, he whispers. The raspiness of his voice catching you off guard.

“Hi”, you whisper back. His gaze moves to your still raised fist, and ever so slowly it moves back to your side. Without meaning to, your eyes fall to his pink lips and the feeling of his body against yours has you shaking the memory out of your head.

“Can I come in?”, you gently ask.

“Of course”, he responds, quickly moving out of the way to let you in. You’d usually slip your shoes off at the door, and as much as you want to spend longer with Bob, you’re pretty sure this is going to have to be a swift conversation. Just ripping the band-aid off.

Bob leads you further into the house, and soon enough you spot the fluffy black and white tail you’ve come to know and love. He must see you smile at the sight of her, because before you’re able to do anything about it, Bob is calling her over. “Syl, your best friend is here”, he taunts. Her head rises to rest on the cushion, and once she catches your eye she’s trotting over as you bend to pet her.

“Oh hey you sweet girl”, you praise her as she rolls on her back. Once her dad takes a seat on the couch, she’s up to grab his attention instead. You follow behind her, and for the first time, you are uncomfortable in Bob Floyd’s presence. It’s not even his fault, it’s your own. You watch him smile at her, scratching behind her ears until his hand stalls.

“Why are you ignoring me at work?”, you start. Taking in a deep breath, he sighs as he fidgets with his fingers. God damn those hands.

“ I could ask you the same thing”, he retorts, “But if I’m being honest I didn’t want to cause you any more stress than you were already dealing with. I thought that maybe if you wanted to talk you would come to me.” Stress? What stress- unless.

“Wait a second, what do you mean what I’m dealing with?” He hesitates before answering, still not looking at you.

“Your dad called me on Sunday.”

“Oh Jesus Christ”, you relent, “I had one bad day, I am fine now. I just wasn’t sure how to talk to you about”, you motion between the two of you with one hand, “this.” Bob’s staring up at you from beneath his glasses, that same look of pity everyone always looks at you with once they know. “See”, you point at him, “Right there. That is why I don’t tell anyone anything.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to pity me, or feel bad for me”, you huff.

“It’s not pity, Mantis. It’s worry. I worry about you”, he explains as your heart drops in your chest.

“If you really worry about me, then why did you leave me?”, you question. There’s the slightest tremble in your voice, one that most people wouldn’t pick up on. But Bob isn’t most people. He’s on his feet immediately at your words, slowly making his way over to you.

“I panicked. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to get you in trouble, I guess. And I just ran.” You feel for him deep down, your own panic had taken hold of you. It just didn’t present itself until you fell asleep.

“I’m sorry, too. For waiting this long to talk to you. And for kissing you.” His brows crinkle as he cocks his head.

“You’re sorry for kissing me?”

“I didn’t- I shouldn’t have done it.” Bob is quick to interject. He knew it. He knew it all along that you only kissed him because you felt bad for him.

“No, I shouldn’t have said anything. I never wanted to make you feel like you had to do anything you didn’t want to do.”

“Bob, I never said I didn’t want to do it. I just- I shouldn’t have acted on my feelings. I cannot stand to ruin your career, your life. I can’t.” His breathing just about stops, but he uses any oxygen he has left to swiftly correct you.

“How would you ruin it? I mean- you’ve already made it so much better.”

“Bob”, you sigh, “I will not let you give up your career. Or mine for that matter, over stupid feelings.”

“So my feelings are stupid?”, you glance back up at him as he furrows his brow at your insinuation.

“No! That’s not what I meant. Mine are.” You’re starting to wring your hands, it’s obvious you’re not getting your point across as eloquently as you would like.

“Well, what are your feelings? I told you how I felt, you never returned the favor.”

“Probably because you were already gone before I had the chance to say anything!” You argue. He frowns at your words, knowing it was a bad move on his part. “And it doesn’t even matter, Bob. It can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t ruin you! I can’t be selfish!”, you finally yell. He’s taken aback as you breathe heavily in front of him. It doesn’t even matter what he thinks, you look like you’re on the verge of another panic attack, so as slow as he can he walks up to your heaving form. He ever so slowly reaches out to your shoulders, and with a nod from you, he wraps you in his strong arms. You’re quick to wrap your own around him. His embrace is so warm, like finally being wrapped in a blanket after being out in the freezing cold for so long, only this time you know the cold is just waiting outside his front door to encase you once you leave. But you let yourself hug him, for the sake of getting to do it one last time.

“I can’t do that to you, Bob”, you whisper into his shoulder. He takes a step back and your arms fall from each other. He moves to push a piece of loose hair behind your ear absentmindedly as his thumb caresses the apple of your cheek. “We can’t give each other what we want.”

“You haven’t even told me what you want”, his deep voice whispers as he gazes at your face, almost as if trying to memorize every inch and freckle.

“You already know”, his eyes flick back between yours at your whispered words. Your faces are already so close to each other. All it would take was a simple push from either one of you to be kissing again. You exhale a shaky breath, and before either of you can do anything, Bob’s jumping away from you again at the sound of the doorbell. Sylvia is retreating up the stairs at the noise, and Bob realizes who it is.

“Shit”, he curses under his breath.

“Who is it?” Bob stands there staring at you, wincing as Fanboy’s voice carries from the hall to the living room.

“I hope you don’t mind man, the door was open. And I brought pizza!”, lo and behold Fanboy is walking into the living room a little surprised to see you there as you give him the fakest smile you can muster. “Hey Mantis, are you here for movie night?”

“Of course! Why else would I be here?”, you grit through your teeth as you turn to Bob. He’s avoiding your gaze as he takes a dvd from Fanboy to get it all set up.

-----------------------

So here you are. Sitting on one end of Bob’s couch while he is on the other, Fanboy sitting in between the two of you. Completely clueless. He takes his third slice of pizza from its place on the coffee table, then leans back into the couch as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. You’ve been sitting watching Raiders of the Lost Ark long enough that Indy and Marion have made their initial escape, and are now sailing away, comfortable as she starts kissing him better. From the corner of your eye, you spot Bob shifting slightly in his seat as you do the same. Fanboy is perfectly content, sitting against the cushions as the two of you think about the other night. And what was about to happen before he showed up.

Your eyes are taken off the screen as a shrill ringing comes from Mickey’s pocket.

“Sorry”, he mutters as he takes it out. “Oh shit, it’s my mom.” He stands as he moves to the front door, yelling on his way out, “Pause it for me, will ya?” Bob does as he asks and the two of you don’t make any motion to move. He stares at the frozen screen, of Indy and Marion being so intimately close together before he speaks.

“Would you do it again?” You look over to him as he stares ahead, and then back to the screen.

“Bob”, you shake your head, “We can’t, you know the rules-”

“I didn’t ask if you could. I asked if you would. If you would want to.” You’re left staring at Bob with a blank face as he takes a deep breath in, anticipating your answer. His jaw clenches as you give the slightest nod of your head. You can’t lie to Bob. Along with the feeling of safety he encases you in every time you’re with him, the fact remains you can’t lie to him, and that scares the absolute hell out of you.

“Would you?”, you whisper, unconsciously glancing at his lips. His eyelids flutter at your movement and he swallows.

“Yes”, it comes out more as a breath than an actual response, but you understand it nonetheless. You look away from him, the weight of his gaze knowing you both want the same thing too much for you to handle. The hand that was fiddling with the rip in your jeans moves to settle where Fanboy once sat. You can see it out of the corner of your eye as Bob slowly moves to rest his hand next to yours, almost as if he’s scared you’ll move away if he gets any closer. His hand only rests next to yours until he reaches his pinkie out to sit right against yours, testing the waters. You ignore this altogether, reaching your hand to clasp over his, squeezing as he squeezes back just as softly. It has been too long since the two of you held hands, and you couldn’t go one more minute without the feeling of his large hand encasing yours.

Turning his head, the two of you watch your hands as he rubs his thumb over the back of yours. You look towards him completely and chew your lip as he brings his gaze back to your face. And like the two of you are magnets, completely attracting one to the other, you slowly move your faces closer and closer. You can feel his breath on your face, your hand still over his as he squeezes it tighter until- the sound of Mickey slamming the front door closed jolts the two of you back to your ends of the couch. Your heart is beating out of your chest as you stare straight ahead at the tv, it’s gone black now from being paused for too long as you try to focus on the bouncing logo. Saved by the damn bell, you guess.

Mickey slumps back into the couch with a quick apology and the movie starts back up. Almost as soon as he sits down, you’re on your feet. Met with two pairs of wide eyes, you give a brief smile to Mickey.

“I have to go home”, you rush out with an apologetic smile.

“What?”, Mickey asks, “The movie’s not even over yet.”

“I know, but my dad’s waiting for me. You know how it is”, you attempt to excuse yourself.

“No I don’t actually, because I’m not in High School anymore and I don’t have a curfew”, he laughs. Your dad didn’t technically have a curfew for you, but after your little walk on Sunday, he did tell you he’d like to be in bed by a certain time. And he was most definitely going to wait up until you got home. Shrugging, you make your way around the back of the couch until Bob shoots up out of his seat.

“I’ll walk you to your car”, he urges. He follows you to the front porch, and softly closes the door behind you. The sun has long set by now and the only thing you can hear is crickets chirping. You can’t help but find the parallel to the last time you were outside on a night like this… with Bob. Only this time, you’re sure you are going to go home knowing that Bob can only be your friend, your teammate. He stops short of his lawn as you turn around.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”, you ask with a sad smile. He gives you the same one back, the good old courtesy ones you were so sure you were done seeing him give to you. He nods as you move to walk to your car, but the feeling of his large hand encasing your fingers and slightly tugging has you spinning back around and into his chest. While still holding your hand, his other moves up to your face, his calloused thumb rubbing back and forth over your cheek.

“Tell me to stop and I will. I’ll let you go and I won’t ever do this again.” His blue eyes bore into yours as your heart picks up speed. And you know you shouldn’t, but right now you just can’t care to give a damn.

“Don’t you dare”, you whisper. His lips are on yours immediately as your hands tingle, moving to touch him wherever you can. He hums in surprise as your hand moves up to run through his hair. With one hand still on your face, the other slides from your hand to your waist as he pulls you closer against him. Your lips are moving so fast against each other, it’s hard to discern who deepens it, but you don’t really care as his tongue slides against your own. He’s kissing you like a man starved, and you know you’re just as hungry for him as you pull him against yourself.

It’s almost a mirror of the other night as you start walking backward, hitting the passenger side door of his truck this time. You can’t help but whine into his mouth as his hand slides to the side of your neck, just the feeling of his hand on your bare skin is enough to have you seeing stars. With your free hand, you run your fingers through the belt loops of his jeans, pulling him impossibly closer to you. With an “oomph”, he allows himself to press his body completely against your own. The pressure sends a tingle down your spine, and you’re quite positive that if he wasn’t holding you up, you’d be melting into a puddle at the feeling.

Reflexively, your hips move forwards to meet his as he sighs against your mouth. Allowing himself to take a miniscule break, resting his forehead against your own.

“Please”, he pleads as his lips graze yours. And even though the kiss is just about over, you know what he’s asking. “Just- just one more”, and who are you to not give into the pleadings of a man who wants exactly what you do? This is not what you came over here to do, but you kiss him with fervor anyway, as his spit-slicked lips meet your own once again.

If you weren’t so distracted with the passion fueled meeting of your lips, you’d almost think his belt buckle was hitting your pelvis. But you know for a fact as your fingers tighten in his belt loops that he’s not wearing a belt. And that’s how you know this is affecting him just as much as it is you. Oh god.

Almost as if he knows what you’re thinking, and just how turned on you are, he moves so his thigh is slotted in between your own. He must feel you clench your thighs around his muscled one. And the pressure just feels so good, causing you to whine one last time against his mouth before separating and resting your forehead against his chest. As much as you want to keep going, you know you need to end it before you go too far. Or before you get arrested for public indecency. Then again, you’ve already gone much farther than you should have with Bob.

“You ok?”, he breathes as he rubs at your neck, a hint of his southern twang peaking out with the ask. You’re still breathing heavily, but Bob feels you nod against him.

“Uh huh”, you muster before you look up at him. Clearing your throat, the two of you don’t break eye contact until you look to his pink lips, swollen thanks to you. You rub any remainder of yourself off of his mouth with your thumb before looking back into his wide-eyed blues. Your hand lingering on his face. “I’ll um- see you at work tomorrow?”

Bob can only nod, knowing full well that this was a goodbye of some sorts. Not as friends, not as teammates, but as whatever could have been. You would be remiss if you didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, so you do. With the gentlest touch of your lips against his, a stark contrast to what you were doing seconds ago, you drop your hand from the slight stubble of his jaw.

“I’ll see you tomorrow”, he whispers. You nod at him this time, deciding to not give him a smile you both know is fake. Slipping out of his arms, his hand lingers on your arm as you walk toward your car, until your fingers fall from his. He watches as you go, and takes a moment to stare up at the night sky with his hands on his hips.

That was a little more hot and heavy than he thought it was going to be, so he takes a moment to collect himself before walking back inside and pretending absolutely nothing happened. Taking his glasses off with one hand, he runs a hand over his face with the other. He forces himself to think of anything but you, baseball stats, mowing the lawn, picking up after Sylvia. That seems to help cool him down as he darts back up to the front door.

“What I wouldn’t give to be kissed like that.” Bob’s head whips over to his right, and takes note of Harry sitting on his front porch, taking a sip from his cup of coffee, sudoku puzzle to his side.

“Oh God”, Bob mumbles as he turns back to his house, not bothering to say anything else to the man.

-----------------------

Taglist:

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#why me?#top gun maverick #bob floyd fanfiction #bob floyd fic #top gun fanfiction #bob floyd x reader #mavdad #robert bob floyd x female reader

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paperstarwriters · 6 months

Text

To the Soft and the Cold

Optimus Prime x Reader

Warnings: fluff

Summary: Despite being a giant metal robot, sometimes people call Optimus soft. Despite being a soft squishy human, sometimes people call you cold.

Masterlist | Transformers Masterlist

Word count: 1,397

───・❅・❄・❆・❄・❅・───

"It's funny."

"Hm?"

The wind blew past you, sweeping through your clothes and cooling you down as the setting sun kept you warm. It would not keep so kind a temperature for long—the cold seeped in more and more with every passing minute—but in the Jasper desert a little bit of cool air was a welcome gift. Which, perhaps only highlights the strange disparity between you even more.

"Despite being the soft squishy human from a hot little desert, I'm seen as cold. Despite being the giant transforming iron truck from a planet made of metal, you're seen as...Soft."

Despite the beauty of the sunset and the growing hues of pink that burst across the horizon, Optimus never tore his optics from you—until now. Averted to the setting sun, he shifted so he was closer to you before he tucked his legs up to his chest, and leaned a little more against the rocks you stood on. His helm now within reach, you swept your hand across his audial fin ignoring the feeling of dust against metal.

Having spent so long in this little desert, the dust and debris has long since ceased to irritate you—even more once you met Optimus. It's far from the worst he's been anyways. Compared to some other times, this layer is at least very thin. It's a thing you've noted lately, how you would often find that Optimus only ever really had a thin sheen of dust overtop him, while some of the other bots like Bulkhead or Arcee, or even Ratchet seemed to have layers upon layers of sand and grime. At best, they only cleaned when it became awfully visible, at worst they'd clean only when the grime began to impede their functioning. You didn't blame or judge them of course. Cleanliness could take a bit of a back seat in the face of ensuring both your own and an entire easily squishable population's survival.

It made it easier to touch and feel him though. Sometimes you liked to think that it made it easier for him to feel you.

"Do you think so too?" Optimus asked, the fin you had been petting for a while now twitching slightly and encouraging you to reach for the bottom side of it.

Despite your temptations, you're cautious not to reach too far, knowing the twitch of his fins were hardly under his control. It's never really happened before, even as his fin twitched as your hand remained against it, but you still can't help the natural fear of a big metal object slashing through the air and slicing or crushing your arm.

"Think what?" you ask, sweeping your thumb across the metal you hold. It's hardly any movement at all, but you can see how Optimus relaxes at the feeling. It's a little hard to wrap your head around—how such a big bot can feel such a small thing—but you're grateful for the little kindness that you’re allowed to give.

"Do you think I'm soft?"

You answer immediately. You answer without thinking.

"Yeah."

His fins go still.

Could you really deny that Optimus was soft? When he leaned against the surface you stood on, placed his helm so close to you so that you could touch him. When he snuck the both of you away and carved time from his hectic and important schedule just to read poetry with you—Primus, not even just for you. When he'd offer to bring snow back for Raf to see, when Miko and Jack would struggle in their classes—a miniature, distracting problem in the face of planetary survival and war—but Optimus would still offer advice from his experience and knowledge as an archivist and help if he had an extra moment to spare. When he'd calmly console Bee or Ratchet or compliment any member of his team...

It was impossible to see him as anything but soft and tender and kind.

You knew, of course, that many criticized that. War was no place for a person to be soft. It lead to enemies being spared, left to kill another day, left to take another one of your own when you didn't take one of theirs. Optimus had been criticized many a time for that lingering trace of softness around Megatron, the sort that made him falter, and let Megatron get the upper hand.

Soft, perhaps, is an insult to someone like him.

"I mean when you're with us," you blurt trying to remedy Optimus' spiraling thoughts. "You're soft with the kids and your team, I don't think that it's a bad thing to be kind to at least—"

"I don't think you're cold,"

"…What?"

He lifts a servo and as gently as he can manage, he brushes it against your stomach and chest. It still manages to knock you back a step, but once you lean into his touch, you find comfort in the tender motions

"You're warm,” he muses, optics trained intently on the the contact between his digit and your torso. “You're soft as well."

The laughter that bubbles up in your chest isn't meant to sound mocking, but you can't help but worry if it does. You've received many cold criticisms for the cruelty of your delight, even when you never intended to mock or harm. It makes you guarded, weary.

When you look at Optimus, all you see is his soft blue eyes, bright against the darkening sky, and the softest little curve of a smile upon his lips.

Soft. Warm. Tender. When he looks at you like you hang the stars in the sky, how could you describe him as anything else?

"I didn't mean it like that," you grouch instead. Averting your eyes back to the horizon where the sun had already long slipped down. The hues of orange and gold are the only traces of it left, and the darkness approaches with astounding speed.

It's cool, and soft and, tender. A welcome relief against the desert heat.

The night is nice as well, but not nearly as kind to you as the cool metal of his digit.

"I know." Optimus chuckles a little, his smile growing wider.

In the face of it you can't help but run through anything and everything you could do to keep the broad grin on his face, knowing it was a fleeting rarity amidst all of his hardships. You wish you had met under better circumstances. Even if he was still an archivist rather than a powerful faction leader selected by an alien god, you'd still want to be with him. Perhaps then, without the weight of two worlds resting on his shoulders, you could wring a smile from his face and keep it there for longer than an hour.

Inevitably it falters, and eventually it falls away. You don't know what had caused it, but it strikes a pain in your chest all the same.

"I meant... In the way you refer to me as soft as well," Optimus clarifies, once again shifting his digit to rub patterns against what little of you he could touch. "You're warm. You're kind and sweet and tender. You say I'm soft as if you aren't warm."

Your body decides to take his words as advice, as your cheeks and chest grow warm under Optimus' scrutiny. Once more delight burst across his face, and his digits curl around you, to allow his thumb to press a little firmer against your warm chest.

"So warm..." he hums, delighting in your embarrassment.

You try, and fail to tuck yourself away from his scrutiny. You could have done a better job at it, you know, but the chance to watch the liquid delight wash over his features is a moment you would never squander. So you let him grin and ridicule you in silence, the delight in his eyes, combining with a pillow-soft look, as you settle down in your half-hiding position leaning against his thumb.

"So... Soft," you reply.

Despite your whisper, you know Optimus can still pick up the soft sound of your voice, so keenly attuned to listening for you. Even then, you continue to hide halfheartedly, still taking the chance to watch Optimus laugh and still trying to hide the warm look that was surely growing on your face.

You didn't want it to be too easy for him to prove himself right, after all.

#transformers #transformers prime #tfp #tfp optimus prime #tfp optimus x reader #Transformers optimus x reader #optimus x reader #optimus prime #optimus #optimus prime x reader #x reader #reader insert #gn reader #optimus x you #optimus prime x you #transformers x reader

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theweightofakiteofdreamsingold · 9 months

Text

Promise (1) – J. Kiszka

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, mature themes, virgin reader, teary-eyed Josh, fluff, unprotected sex (almost), oral sex (fem receiving) (almost), language, MINORS DNI

A/N: All these posts circulating about Josh leaning into people’s hands while they held him in Detroit inspired this fic. It’s gonna be some softie, first-time-ever smut with Josh, the V-card thief. 🥹

Bajabule,

-Han

“Is that thunder?” you asked, pausing to listen for the faint grumbling in the distance.

Josh paused to listen as well, his deep brown eyes fixed on the ever-darkening clouds above you. “I think so, but I didn’t see any lightning.”

The wind had started to pick up along the river where you and Josh had been kayaking with Jake, Sam, and Danny. You watched Josh as he paddled over to a big rock that was close to the bank, taking hold of it to still himself against the tugging current of the river. He looked up at the sky again, his brows furrowed in concentration.

After a moment, he paddled back out to you and the rest of the boys. “Looks like whatever this is is moving this way toward us. We should probably head out.”

The boys all muttered in agreement, and you all began to paddle downstream to look for a place to get out of the water. You’d been out on the river for at least half the day, but you were still bummed to have to go. Being with Josh and his brothers always lightened your mood.

You’d been seeing Josh for a few months now, and things seemed to be moving in a good direction. You spent a lot of time with him doing mundane things; going shopping at more farmer’s markets than you’d ever been to, visiting more record shops than you knew existed, and just keeping each other company when you had nothing else to do.

Josh was also a huge film enthusiast, so the two of you spent an abundant amount of time curled up on his couch watching movies of so many genres while Josh shared his thoughts on each one in real-time. You loved hearing him share how his mind worked, and you felt lucky to be able to have a peek at how he processed information. He was the most intelligent man you’d ever met, but it never felt intimidating to you. His brain and his heart ran on the same track, and everything he did and said was coming from a place filled with love.

Josh was tentative and understanding. He was soft. He had moments where you definitely questioned his thought processes, and he could be extremely impulsive and wild, but if the situation ever called for maturity, all of his antics disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Y/N,” Josh called, “you okay?”

Your brain caught up to your surroundings, and you never realized how far behind you’d fallen. You looked around you, and all the boys were a solid ten yards ahead of you.

“Yep, I’m- I’m good,” you called back, hastening the pace of your strides until you made up a little ground. Danny and Sam shared a tandem kayak, while you and the twins each had your own sit-ons, freeing up a set of hands to carry Josh’s kayak while he carried yours. You watched him as he shifted the weight of it over his head as he walked, watching the taut muscles of his arms as he did so.

Once you had all made it to where the cars were parked, the boys began securing everyone’s kayaks and paddles for the trip back home. Just as soon as they started on the first one though, you heard a monotonous rustling of the leaves in the woods around you. As the sound grew louder, you realized that it was rain, and that it was moving in a lot quicker than any of you had anticipated.

When it reached the lot of you, it was falling from the sky in a steady, but extremely heavy downpour. They boys made quick work of the rest of the kayaks, and before you knew it, you were all in your cars waving goodbye to each other behind tinted glass.

You were in Josh’s Jeep truck, shivering in the passenger seat as his hands moved swiftly over the temperature controls, doing his best to warm you up as quickly as he could.

As the shock of the cold rain wore off, you looked over at him and had to fight to keep your jaw from hanging slack. The usually puffy curls of his mullet sat closer to his head now in dripping ringlets. The water from his hair dripped onto his forehead and you watched the droplets make paths down the bridge of his nose to its tip before collecting together and dropping off, only to be caught by the pointed crests of his lips. The rest of his face glistened from being directly hit by the rain outside. You let your eyes travel down his neck which also glistened in what was left of the dim daylight to his shirt that was completely soaked through. You’d never thought anything of the fact that he practically lived in white shirts until now, and you couldn’t say you were disappointed in his color choice. You could see the curves of the muscles in his chest, more prominent now because of the cotton fabric that clung to his chilled skin. You wanted nothing more than to peel off his shirt and run your hands over his body; just to bask in him.

The thoughts running through your mind sent pangs of anxiety straight to your stomach. You’d never felt a yearning this strong for anyone you’d been with, but the fear of what he would say or how he would react to the fact that you were still a virgin overpowered your need for him.

You sat in the passenger side of his truck fighting an internal battle between reality and what you wanted with every fiber of your being. Your mind talked itself in circles the majority of the way back to his house. As he pulled into the driveway, you wondered what sort of thoughts were running through his mind.

At some point on the drive to his house, the rain had stopped, but you didn’t notice until the truck was shifted into park. Josh got out and came around to open your door for you. After he opened it, he paused, a grin spreading across his still-shiny face; his teeth shining in the light of the moon while the darkness hid most of the rest of his features.

“Come on, mama. Let’s get you warm and dry, huh?”

He offered his hand to you, and you took it, following him up the front steps to the door. As soon as the two of you were inside, Josh went on a hunt for towels and washcloths. He emerged from the hall with bath linens in one arm and a sweatshirt and a pair of boxer shorts in the other. His hair had started to dry, but the same couldn’t be said for his clothes.

“Here. I thought you might wanna take a hot shower to warm up, and I can dry your clothes for you if you want.” His brown eyes were sap-sweet and sparkling at you, his lips tilting up and a small smile.

“I’d love that so much,” you said quietly. “You’re the sweetest.” He handed you the towels and clothes, and you padded off to the bathroom.

Once you’d stripped off your wet clothes, you turned the water as hot as it would go, and you stepped inside. The air immediately felt thick from the dense moisture of the scalding water, and you welcomed it into your lungs, letting the water consume you entirely.

You heard the door of the bathroom creak, and you froze, naked and hot, under the shower head. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched Josh’s shadow through the thick plastic and second decorative shower curtains. His figure paused for a moment before picking up your pile of wet clothes and leaving the bathroom to toss them in the dryer.

Your heart beat faster the more you thought about the way he paused a moment before. You let your mind drift into what could have happened. He could have waited there. Waiting for you. You could have opened the shower curtain, wordlessly inviting him in. You could have had him right there if you had just done it. Just ripped off the band aid and opened that shower curtain. But you couldn’t. You were scared. Of what, you had no idea.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

After your shower, you towel-dried your hair and ran your fingers through it to get out the tangles. You slipped on the sweatshirt and boxer shorts he gave you, feeling apprehensive about not having any underwear while they tumbled in the dryer with the rest of your clothes. A heavy scent of sandalwood and patchouli wafted into your nose and made your chest feel warm. You took a deep breath, pushing your nerves as far down as possible before exiting the bathroom and walking up the hall to find Josh flipping through movies on TV.

“How do you feel?” he asked, “Warmer?”

You nodded, giving him a small smile before plopping yourself down beside him on the couch. He leaned back, one hand resting on the top of your thigh while he looked at you.

You watched his fingertips gently draw circles on your freshly warmed skin while his eyes trailed over your entire body, his lips turning up into another soft grin.

“What?” you asked, a smile spreading across your own lips in return.

His dark eyes flicked up to your face and he huffed a bit of air through his nose before he spoke, “I just really like the way you look in my underwear.”

You both giggled and you replied, “Well I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?”

He gave your thigh a little squeeze before moving his hand further up your leg. “I mean, there’s always another option,” he said, giving you an exaggerated look.

You rolled your eyes and grinned as he shifted next to you.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” he asked, focusing back on your leg.

“Mhm.”

“What were you thinking about on the way home?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, you’re usually never quiet like that. I figured something was going on. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

You paused, wanting to tell him that your were fine, but the images of him sitting soaking wet beside you in the truck and standing in the bathroom, coupled with figmented images of him between your legs and pressed against your chest flashed through your mind, and you found yourself speaking without realizing what you were saying.

You noticed that your breath felt heavy as you tried to stop the river of words that flowed from your mouth.

“I just want- I- I don’t know how to-.” You stumbled and tripped through fragments of thoughts.

You immediately felt his hands gently holding the sides of your face, his eyes warm and welcoming to you as he spoke, coaxing you to speak through your fear. “Tell me, sweet baby,” he purred, “What do you want?”

You swallowed hard. “You.”

His thumbs swept across the crests of your cheekbones. “You’ve already got me, baby.”

“No. Not- not like that,” you said, your voice moving into a whisper.

His lips sat parted as he processed what you were telling him. After a moment, he spoke. “How come you didn’t say anything before?”

“Because I’m fucking scared,” you said, an unintentional chuckle escaping mid-word.

“Of me?”

“No,” you started, the word a little more exaggerated than you meant for it to be, “not like you’d do something to me, I was just nervous to tell you that-.” You watched his brow furrow as he tilted his head, anxiously waiting for you to finish your sentence. “That I’ve never- I’m-.”

Every single feature of his face softened and you could have sworn you could see a tear or two in his eyes. His hands slid up your cheeks as he rested his thumbs against your temples with his other fingers in your hair, and he pulled you to his mouth in a needy kiss. He completely enveloped your bottom lip, lightly sucking it further into his mouth before he ran his tongue along its edge. His hands slightly tightened in your hair, gently pulling on the roots, making you shift against him, wanting more.

You slipped your arms around his neck and moved to sit in his lap, a knee on either side of his hips. He pulled you closer, taking a hand from your hair and smoothing it over your back as he artfully slipped his tongue between your parted lips. He continued with his tongue until you broke the kiss, pulling back from his mouth and taking a big breath.

His eyes stayed trained on you the entire time as you heaved against him. He leaned back up into you and touched the tip of his nose to yours.

“You’re sure you want this?” he panted, his voice thick and raspy.

“Yes,” you breathed back, your hands resting on the waistband of his sweatpants.

You felt his arms wrap around you and scoop you up, walking you down the hall to the master bedroom.

He carefully sat you on the end of the bed, and you quickly found his waistband again. You could see the bulge in his sweatpants from where his cock was pressed against the thick fabric. You swallowed hard as you hooked your fingers around the band and pulled down, watching the tip of his solid cock hit his lower stomach.

You felt a warm sensation spread between your legs as you marveled at him, noting the pronounced indentations of his hips and the length and girth of his cock. You squeezed your legs together as thoughts of how deep inside you he would be able to reach filled your head, making your pussy throb just by the sight of him. “Fuck,” you muttered, barely audible.

He gingerly tilted your head up to look at him. “What’s wrong, mama?”

“Nothing,” you said, swallowing hard again, “you’re j-just really f-fucking big. What- what do we do if it doesn’t fit?”

He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and but down on it softly, unsuccessfully hiding a smug grin. “It’ll fit. I promise.”

You raised your eyebrows at him, dramatically glancing from his face, down to his cock, and back up again.

His hands reached down and held your hips, swiftly lifting them up, laying you out on your back. You yelped at the quick movement and propped yourself up on your elbows. Josh hooked his fingers into the waistband of the boxer shorts you were wearing, his eyes trained on yours, waiting.

Your eyes widened, not sure of what was happening. He bent down and placed an open-mouthed kiss on your lower stomach before lifting his head just enough to be able to look up at you. You moaned at the sight of his soft brown eyes looking at you from between your legs; a sight that had been plaguing your mind for some time. He looked even more beautiful doing it in real life than you could have ever imagined.

“Lemme get you ready, mama. Let you cum in my mouth so you can get a taste for it? Hm? Lemme get a taste for you at the same time?” He punctuated his last question with a series of sloppy kisses to the insides of your thighs.

“Oh my God, Josh,” you breathed.

“Can I take that as a ‘yes?’”

“Yes.”

He immediately tugged the boxers down your legs and tossed them into the floor. He stooped down to stand on his knees in front of you, pulling you closer to the edge of the bed again. He gently laid your legs over his shoulders and leaned in close enough for you to feel his breath on your heat. He paused there, his big brown eyes locking with yours again. “Listen close,” he started, “You want me to stop at any time, you stop me, okay?”

You nodded, your eyes wide again.

“Promise me, mama.”

“I promise.”

#greta van fleet #greta van smut #greta van fic #josh kiszka #starcatcher #gvf #josh kiszka fic #greta van art #josh gvf #greta van fluff

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fandomxpreferences · 9 months

Text

Two Lines, Two Idiots Chapter Ten: Mojo Dojo Casa House

Series Masterlist

Pairing:Rafe Cameron x Maybank!reader, Twin!JJ Maybank x reader

TW:pregnancy, mild trauma (?), angst, I think thats it

Summary: You move into the house and some things dont go over well with your brother.

Word Count:1.8k

A/N: I dont love how this turned out but im going to stop nitpicking it and just post it finally.

After several nights spent endlessly scrolling and more credit card charges than you ever thought you'd feel comfortable with, you and Sarah have successfully furnished the entire house. It seems surreal as you watch the men scurrying around, assembling various items and moving them around to where you want them.

At 31 weeks pregnant, you're not allowed to do anything but watch and point. Before moving in today, Rafe had contractors come through and fix anything you weren't in love with. A few fresh coats of paint, some new flooring, and a couple random projects later, the house is everything you could possibly dream of.

You even have a soaking tub and a temperature-controlled mood shower. That was his one designated project and Rafe left no stone unturned, all the way down to the heated mirror and backsplash he swears reminds him of your eyes.

"Right there is fine." You smile, watching as the men set down a piece of the gray sectional.

"Son of a bitch!"

You and Sarah both jump at the sudden shout and look toward the stairs with wide eyes.

Despite the numerous sets of hands here specifically to handle the manual labor, JJ and Rafe have been upstairs in the room you designated as the nursery.

They'd insisted that it was the one job off limits; that they're men and they should be the ones to build all the babies' furniture. Based on the sporadic shouts and heavy swearing that occasionally echo off the walls, you're guessing it's not going as well as they hoped.

You glance back at the blonde when there's a loud thump from the nursery, half amused and half concerned.

"We're good!" JJ shouts, and you can't help but shake your head and chuckle at the two of them.

You continue offering directions as the movers take trip after trip to the truck, stopping every few minutes to take a rest while they bustle about.

You're in the middle of savoring a sip of lemonade when two arms wrap around your waist and startle you, forcing you to whine when some of your drink sloshes on the floor.

You're setting your tongue to scold someone when Rafe's giggle rings out and disables the bomb before it can detonate.

"Sorry, baby. Just wanted to see how my angels are doing." He soothes, and you relax into him.

"We were doing just fine until you nearly made me pee myself." You tease, and Rafe chuckles into your neck.

"Is everything coming together the way you want?" He asks, and you give a content sigh.

"Even better." You smile, and he can't help but match your expression.

"Good. Nothing but the best for you."

His lips leave a lingering kiss on your temple before walking away, and you watch until he disappears. Your focus is brought back to the task at hand, and you settle in for a long afternoon.

By five PM, you're all sat on loungers by the pool and laughing while smashing on pizza. It's the most it's felt like old times since this journey began, and Rafe memorizes the way your eyes crinkle when you're really smiling.

He thinks he could watch you forever; committing every constellation of freckles and childhood scar to memory as if they sit on his own body. Despite his initial hesitance, he's realized how much he's grown and it's all thanks to you.

Rafe has known of his love for you for a while, but this feels like something else. The way his body reacts just being near you and his brain seems to automatically calm down rings more toward the idea of a soul mate, and he can't help but think that his old self would be laughing right now.

His thoughts are interrupted by Sarah's voice, and he blinks a few times while turning his attention to her.

"Sorry, what?"

She quirks an eyebrow and gives him a knowing smile, but decides not to call him out for being disgustingly in love.

"I asked if you guys have started discussing names."

He shares a smile with you and nods, leaning back in the chair with his hand behind his head.

"We've talked about a few." He responds casually, and you giggle at the look Sarah gives him.

"And?" She asks while impatiently motioning for him to tell her more.

"We really like Jude or Saylor."

You nod and speak up before JJ has a chance to make a joke.

"For the girl, we like Isla or Juniper."

Sarah looks like she's seconds from turning into a pile of goo, and you chuckle.

"So what I'm hearing is that hes not named after his uncle." JJ pipes up, and you roll your eyes.

"We haven't settled on a name yet, JJ." You remind him, but this only makes it worse.

"I've still got a chance then?" John B asks suddenly, and you pinch the bridge of your nose dramatically.

"I love you guys, but we dont need any more duplicates. Besides, neither of them really go with Cameron anyway." You shrug, and JJ sits up straight so fast you nearly leap back.

"Cameron?"

Your face contorts in confusion and you nod slowly.

"Didn't I tell you they're taking his name?" You scowl, and JJ fidgets with his hat as his foot taps aggressively.

"Nah, but thats good though. I'm gonna head in."

He stands quickly and before you can react, he's bounding up the stairs to the guest house. You share a concerned look with the group before clambering to your feet to follow after him.

You don't bother knocking on the door, and just quietly let yourself in.

"JJ?"

He whips around when he hears your voice, and you're taken aback by the angry tears sitting on his lashline and beat-red face.

. He's wringing his hands as he paces back and forth, heavy and erratic pants filling the room as he tries to keep his cool.

"Why? I mean, after everything Ward has done. You told me you were worried nugget would turn into that evil bastard and now you're making it his birth right?"

The words sting and you physically recoil as if he's thrown acid at you. It's unfair and he knows it, but something takes over and he couldn't stop himself if he tried.

"What about Luke? What does giving him the name Maybank do, JJ? Give him a reputation as a thief and a drunk? The name Cameron comes with power, and I want him to do better than we did!"

You watch him purse his lips and nod curtly while turning his back to you.

"Right, because we're just fuck ups. Nothing good ever comes from a Maybank. You'll get the name and notoriety, and I'll just be stuck here following in dads footsteps." He scoffs, and suddenly it all makes sense.

"Oh. You think I'm going to leave you behind."

You say it more to yourself than him, but the way his eyes cast down tells you he heard.

"JJ, I will never abandon you. Youre my best friend. Are you kidding? JJ I couldn't even bear the thought of moving ten minutes away, and being in this house while you were on a couch was never going to happen. If I go, you go with me. Always. You are nothing like Dad and you never will be."

Your heart shatters when you hear him sniffle, and you resist the urge to tackle him in a hug.

"I was just hoping that If they make something of themselves, maybe they can save the Maybank name." He confesses, and you cross the room.

"They may not carry the name, but they'll always be half Maybank. You dont need them, JJ. Youre saving our legacy all on your own."

Your head rests gently against his shoulder as he puffs out a breath of air, and you wrap your arm around his torso silently.

"No, everyones already made up their minds about me. Give it ten years and I'll be right where dad is."

He moves to stand but your fingertips dig into his flesh as you force him to stay still.

"JJ I swear to God, dont ever let me hear you say some shit like that again. Do you think if there was even a microscopic chance of you turning out like Luke that I would let you near the babies? You are the best brother and youre going to be the best uncle. Okay?"

He hesitates for a moment, hand rubbing against his chest the way it always does as he mulls over your words.

"Okay. " He finally accepts, and you smile brightly.

"Good. Now lets go rejoin the group and have a great night, yeah?"

He nods and slips his hat back on, hot on your heel as you the two of you make your way back to the poolside. You reclaim your seat by Rafe and squeeze his knee when he gives you a curious eyebrow scrunch.

You can fill him in later, right now you just want to spend time with your favorite people.

Your feet kick up to rest on the lounge chair as you settle in, warmth buzzing in your chest at the sight of your small little family.

"I love you guys."

This seems to draw everyone's attention, and it takes a second before they realize what you said and tackle you gently.

"Awh, we love you too. " John B teases while ruffling your hair, and five sets of arms engulf you.

"Ooh!" You half shout, sitting up straight as a pin and grabbing your stomach.

Everyone freezes, and Rafe's pale face combined with terror-stricken eyes is enough to make you crack a grin. As soon as they realize you are messing around, they all groan and stand up to make their way to the guest house.

"Okay, you ruined it. Thats fucked up." JJ whines, and you giggle loudly.

"Come on I had to do it at least once!" You reason, but it falls on deaf ears as they make their way into JJ's place and leave you with some privacy.

"That wasnt nice." Rafe smirks, and you roll your eyes while curling back into his arms the best you can.

"Maybe not, but it was funny."

He shakes his head at your antics and pulls you in tighter, always desperate to have the three of you within his grasp.

"I love you so much. I know this isn't going to be easy, but there's no one else I would want to do this with. Hell there's no one else I would do this with." He mutters, and his stomach flips when you nuzzle into him even further.

"I love you too, Rafe. Promise me we'll come out of this okay, Promise me we wont be that couple that splits up and has to co parent because we lost the spark." You almost beg, and your heart rate slows when he presses a kiss on your head.

"I promise."

For the first time, you allow yourself to believe him and pray that it doesn't destroy you.

@itsmytimetoodream @brynley-a-xoxo @whore4drew @houseofperfecttaste @everythingmarveltopgun @f4ll-for-you @athenabarnes @antagonize-me-motherfucker @writtenwordslover @madsnxo @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @starrystarkey93 @keylin1730 @fulla02 @loving-and-dreaming @evening-starlight @ibleedcalories @badasspizzalover @veescorneroftheworld @pinkpantheris @brooklynscherry-z @starkeylover @sebastiansstanswhore @lothiriel9 @katzarantos @gillybear17 @genius2050

#Rafe Cameron imagine #rafe cameron outer banks #rafe imagine #rafe x reader #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron angst #Rafe Cameron series #outer banks imagine #outer banks x reader #outerbanks imagine

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luminarai · 2 years

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you can’t tell me that dex isn’t exactly the type of practical control freak that gets 100% into baking bread in his senior year (and keeps notes on flour types, resting times and temperatures, sourdough starter progress, etc). it hits nursey like a fucking truck

#my art #omgcp #check please #omgcheckplease #william poindexter #christopher chow #derek nurse #nurseydex #ish #I used to live with a guy who was extremely into bread #and bc I bake a lot he’d launch into these in depth discussions of bread baking #meanwhile me who only makes the kind of bread dough that turns into cinnamon rolls: uhhhh

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themessedupsonata · 1 year

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You will be my world.

James Potter x Fem!Reader

Summary: James Potter never liked how the Autumn made everything seems so unsightly and boresome. That was until you steal his heart and make him change his mind about the autumn.

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: none, just tooth-rotting fluff. A slight mention of the first wizarding war, maybe?

A/N: Actually, my favourite season is spring, but I love the song ''we fell in love in october'' and I just couldn't stop myself from writing this.

James Potter hated autumn.

He loved summer because he could feel the sun kissing his skin and making him feel alive. Spring was the perfect time for him to gift his mom flowers and watch nature's beautiful cycle where animals found their mates. Winter was synonymous with Christmas (James' favourite holiday) and it was when he could play with his parents in the snow.

Autumn was just three months of sheer boredom. Nothing special happened in the Autumn. Everything was so… unsightly.

That was until he met you.

It was the middle of October and James' least favourite season was in full swing. Most of his neighbours were adults without children, leaving him with no one to play with for nine years, but that all changed that year when a moving truck pulled up in front of the house next to his with a car right behind. A couple got out of the car with a… Child.

A child his age.

James immediately turned away from the window and was already pulling on his coat to leave the house to greet you when Fleamont Potter stopped him.

''We live in a Muggle neighbourhood, Jamie, and you still don't know how to control your magic very well. I'll invite them to afternoon tea and we'll find out if they're wizards.''

Thank Merlin they were.

The L/Ns were a Muggle-born couple who met through their work at the Ministry of Magic. Their only child, Y/n, had inherited her parents' magic.

They were a very likeable couple and Fleamont and Euphemia quickly made friends with them.

''It's not dark yet, you could go out and play.'' Mrs L/n suggested.

Of course, James was over the moon to finally have someone to play with, but he felt uncomfortable being alone with you because so far you both only exchanged a ''Hi''.

The square that was a few meters from James' house was pretty empty at this time of day. You noticed that, so you suggested the two of you go over there. James happily agreed, but as soon as you turned your back to go down to the square, James scowled. He never went to the square in autumn precisely because everything was ugly. But he agreed because he wanted to please you so that you would like him and become friends with him.

Apparently, you didn't mind the dead look of the leaves on the trees. On the contrary, you seemed to be… Delighted with them.

''There are so many leaves on the ground! We can make piles of leaves to jump on!'' You suggested excitedly.

The idea didn't seem too unpleasant, so James nodded.

He never knew jumping in piles of autumn leaves could be so much fun.

The feeling of jumping on top of the leaves to feel their slightly hard texture, but not to the point of being uncomfortable, was strangely cool. For some reason, you two couldn't stop laughing and the banter went on for hours but you both could have sworn you were only playing for a few minutes.

When the two of you finally collapsed from exhaustion onto the floor, still giggling like the kids you were, you started moving your arms and legs. James watched you in confusion until he realized you were making an angel out of autumn leaves. He had never seen anything like that, but it looked fun and he decided to imitate you.

''Your angel looks great, Jamie!'' You smiled at him as you two finished your autumn leaves angels.

Tiredness had made your face redder and despite the slightly chilly temperature, there was a little sweat on your skin. your eyes were bright with teasing and your smile was so beautiful that James smiled back without even realizing it.

He hadn't realized what a pretty girl you were until that moment, and he felt like an idiot for feeling his cheeks and the tips of his ears heat up.

The moment was interrupted by James' mother, who said that it was time for you both to go home and that there would be plenty of time to play tomorrow.

James couldn't wait.

***

He had been looking for you all afternoon.

Until he finally remembered about your favourite tree and James felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner.

There you were, exactly where he'd assumed you would be, sitting against the big oak tree at the back of Hogwarts grounds reading a book.

''This one is new, isn't it?'' James asked, moving closer to you.

At age 13, you were both in the growing-up phase. This meant that James was a lot shorter than you and you never stopped teasing him about it.

''Yes Jamie, I started this one today because I finally finished Animal Farm yesterday.'' You replied, patting the space beside you on the floor for James to sit down.

''What is your new book about?'' He questioned as he rested his head on your shoulder.

He let you talk animatedly about your book while he was lost in thought without you noticing. He admired the orange and red tones of the leaves of the trees that made a strange but beautiful combination. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to feel the wind ruffling his hair even more and letting the slight chill envelop his soul. All this while he enjoyed the sound of his favourite person's voice.

You've been inseparable since that day in 1969. You played together daily. Your families travelled together and you studied at Hogwarts together. You were his best friend and he could never thank you enough for coming into his life and making everything more colourful.

But last week, he overheard a conversation between Dorcas and Marlene (He knew it was wrong to listen to other people's conversations, but the topic really caught his attention).

Dorcas spoke passionately about soulmates. How two people were born to meet and complete each other. How a soulmate could make you see the world more beautiful and make your heart feel at peace just being close to your soulmate. Soulmates could live a thousand lives without forgetting the comfort and love that the other made them feel.

It was then that James Potter knew.

You were his soulmate.

But he was too embarrassed to tell you. He wanted you to think he was cool, just like Peter, Sirius and Remus did.

Maybe you would think he was silly for being so sensitive when it came to you.

But one day he would tell you. You were his safe haven and damn him if he never told you that.

***

A war was approaching.

Very soon, a threat would come to terrorize the wizarding world and James feared for everything he loved daily.

His life, because James had dreams and plans and he wanted to try harder every day to be a better person.

His parents, who always had only given the best for James and provided him with a wonderful childhood that he would always be grateful for.

His friends, who stood by him in the good times and made him come to his senses when he was acting like an idiot. Who made him smile and taught him a lot about life.

You.

He didn't want to think about it too much.

Due to the thousands of thoughts plaguing him, James had been having trouble sleeping properly. Usually, he admired the stars in the astronomy tower, but today he decided to take a different route.

Just to end up finding you.

He knew how the threat to the Muggle-borns lives was being very difficult for you. And despite knowing how strong you were, he desperately wanted to take you in his arms and protect you from the cruel world that didn't understand that you were an extraordinary person who was so much more than a ridiculous blood status.

''Couldn't sleep either, Y/n/n?'' He asked quietly so as not to startle you.

You took a deep breath before answering.

''No, Jamie. I wasn't able to.''

You were sitting on a small hill, which was covered with orange leaves. You repeated your habit of patting the vacant space beside you and James sat down next to you.

''You know I'm going to die before I let anything happen to you or your parents, right?'' He stared at you, his face as serious as ever.

''Don't say that. Please… Don't say that.'' You started to cry.

James pulled you closer and you immediately buried your face in your best friend's chest and wrapped your arms around him.

He rested his chin on your head and stroked your back, letting you get it all out.

When you finally calmed down and pulled back a little (Just enough to look him in the eyes. You weren't quite ready to leave James' arms) before muttering.

''Thank you for always being there for me, Jamie. You're the best.''

Suddenly, the handsome boy with glasses grinned devilishly before attacking you with tickles.

That was a terrible habit he always had. From childhood, he would start tickling you whenever you were feeling down. He had learned to control himself over the years, but that bizarre nature of James was still there.

You immediately broke free of his grasp and started running while laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. James was laughing like crazy as he chased you and unfortunately you didn't stand a chance against him. Now you were both adults and James was much taller and stronger than you.

James threw himself at you, but you tripped and that's how you both ended up on the floor. Your chests pressed against each other and his lips were just inches from yours.

''Y/n/n… Can I kiss you?'' He asked with something glinting in his eyes.

You were completely frozen by the wonderful and at the same time torturous closeness because it still wasn't enough. His hazel eyes has always been your weakness and you could spend eternity admiring James Potter. But a few seconds later, you finally processed the words of his question and responded by pulling him by the back of his neck so that his lips finely met his.

***

If James had told his version of 10 years ago that his favourite season was autumn, little James would have laughed in his face.

But that was an undeniable truth.

He met you in an autumn, fell in love with you in an autumn, finally got to love you in an autumn, and now he was making you his wife.

In an autumn.

Despite all the devastation the war was causing, he found peace and genuine joy today. Watching you walk down the aisle in a beautiful white dress, looking like an angel, while promising to spend the rest of your life with him.

James Potter loved autumn.

And he could never thank you enough for that.

#James potter x reader #james x you #james potter #hp marauders #marauders #james potter x fem! reader #james poter imagine #marauders era #marauders imagine #writing #fanfic #james potter fanfic #imagine #fluff #oneshot #james potter fluff #childhood friends to lovers

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thesakuragarnet · 6 months

Text

Deal With The Devil (Dabi X Fem!Reader)

Summary: You've got a feeling that your sudden promotion has little to do with your boss finally recognizing your potential and everything to do with the strings your lover is pulling to bring you closer to him.

Part three of Dabi X Fem! Support Course Graduate Reader (Part 1; Part 2)

THIS WORK IS 18+ ONLY! S3XUAL TAGS WILL BE HIDDEN BELOW THE KEEP READING BUTTON!

Non-Spicy Tags: swearing, heavy smut, Dabi X Fem! Support Course Reader, making out, some g0re-y imagery/metaphor but none actually other than Dabi-typical b0dy horror

Word Count: 2,999 words

Tumblr Original <3

Spicy Tags: f0replay, mirror s3x, vag!nal s3x, aftercare, slightly rough s3x, pull!ng out, vag!nal fingering, gr!nding, d0ggy style, slight ma$turbat!on, 3dging, 0ral s3x, cunn!lingus, slight praise k!nk, slight 0ral fixation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things were getting dicey in the news. The League was on the move...meaning your lover was getting anxious. They'd had to relocate from their home base in Kamino Ward, and Dabi's visits were growing few and farther between. Not by his choice of course...he loathed being far away from you. There was an ache like no other burning throughout his body...just for you. It grew stronger with each passing day. Each new encounter was more possessive. More greedy. More needy. Filled to the brim with an intensifying passion. It was enchanting. Some intrinsic part of you wanted to say to hell with it all and run away with him. But...you still had a job...an important job at that. You were one of Detnerat's Support Item specialists, and, lately, they'd been asking way more of you than ever before. Rumors were spreading about some shifty work higher up...and...when the new requirements for your temperature controller popped up with new measurements...and a familiar-looking jacket to attach them to...you slowly began to connect the dots. You were making Support Items for villains...or at least, your company was. More specifically...your life's work was going to belong to exactly who spurred it in the first place. Touya Todoroki.

...

Once Detnerat's allegiance was revealed to its employees, Dabi decided he wanted you closer. You got a letter in the mail at the end of last week...from your boss...your boss's boss's boss... Re-Destro himself. It was something about a promotion, effective immediately, with instructions regarding new living quarters and a laboratory for you to carry out your projects. The next day, moving trucks arrived at your apartment complex, along with a stretch limo with a nearly silent and slightly rude driver. You panicked, packing what little you owned as quickly as possible.

...

The limo stops at Gunga Mountain Villa: an old architectural blemish hidden in the forests of the mountains. To your surprise, you quickly gathered that this was, in fact, the home base for the Paranormal Liberation Front...an organization that you knew Dabi had recently joined as a lieutenant.

Speak of the devil, the moment you step out, Touya Todoroki appears out of thin air.

"What a coincidence," He smirks sarcastically, looking down at you with a mischievous glint in his eye behind his indifferent facade. "I'll lead you to your new home, darling," He muses, and you fall into step beside him into the villa. The halls are bustling with all sorts of riff-raff going about their daily duties, and some of them give you confused stares, immediately looking away once a certain pair of cerulean eyes bores into them.

In the distance, you see a lanky figure brandishing a laptop; his long, inky black hair hangs loosely. You recognize him from Dabi's descriptions whenever he'd complain about his new colleagues.

"Is that-" Before you can finish your sentence, Dabi nods.

"Stay close. Don't talk to him," He murmurs under his breath, and you feel Dabi's arm wrap around you, pulling you close to him and draping over your shoulders as Skeptic approaches.

"Off to have fun with your little pet, I see," Skeptic snorts cynically as he walks, typing away and barely looking up.

"She's not a pet!" Dabi snaps, eyes burning as venom coats his voice, seeming to dare Skeptic to hurl any more insults. Luckily, the man keeps walking in the opposite direction. Dabi's jaw clenches as he squeezes your shoulder, walking even more briskly. He leads you up several flights of stairs and down a hall to a door.

Your heart stutters in your chest as Dabi opens it. You recognize the charcoal black walls...the black silk satin bedsheets...you'd seen it in pictures he'd sent you of himself. Though...there's a noticeable addition to Touya's bedroom. One of the walls has been replaced by a mirror, hung parallel with the bed on the opposite wall.

"The movers will set up the rest of your things in your lab. It's gonna be in the basement by the auditorium," Dabi yawns absentmindedly as you shrug off your backpack filled with blueprints. "But...this is where you live now. I guess," He shrugs, trying to sound indifferent, but you can hear the tension in his tone.

"So...we're sharing this room?" You raise your eyebrow, and the devious grin spreads across Dabi's face once again.

"Unless you have any complaints about it," He croons, turning to face you. The room is dimly lit, and Dabi pulls the door closed before taking a few more steps toward you.

"I know you've had a stressful day with the short-notice move...so why don't we relax?" He chuckles darkly.

"Remember as always. Anything you don't like. Just say the word. I don't mind," He whispers in your ear, and you nod. Even in his darkest moments, this is something you're always thankful for. Despite him being a literal villain, he's gentle with you...unless otherwise discussed. He's...deliberate with you. Sometimes it makes you wonder if he's scared the slightest wrong move will scare you off. The last thing you want is for him to disappear...after all...you'd only just recently gotten him back after all these years. He loved you. He truly, wholeheartedly loved you. It was a bit strange, considering how he was portrayed in the news and by the public. Sure, he could be called a monster for his patchwork skin and for the things he's done, but you knew a different side of him. A real side of him. A raw side of him. A side that...perhaps you were the only one to ever see. He cups the side of your face, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb...and sweetly connects your lips. You dissolve into his embrace, feeling his hand snake around your waist and pull you flush against him; both of your hearts pound in your chests as you kiss one another passionately. It's so easy to get lost in Touya's kiss, especially with how your lips fit together like a final puzzle piece. Every time he kisses you, it's as if the whole world suddenly makes sense. Nothing else exists but you and Touya.

Dabi's hand drops from your cheek, resting against the back of your neck and pulling you in as he slides his tongue against your top lip. You let him in, meeting his tongue eagerly with your own. The hand at your waist travels to your back, gripping the fabric of your jacket in a fist. He wants it off. Without a word, you start shrugging out of the sleeves, and Dabi begins to slip out of his own jacket. The conductor cuffs clink to the floor, but you'll worry about repairing them later. Dabi's kisses grow more hasty, lips sloppily connecting over and over and over before he starts to move from your lips to your jaw. His hands find their way to the buttons of your blouse, roughly unbuttoning it at a furious pace. You submit to him, letting him drag his teeth down to your neck, where he starts intensely sucking on your flesh. You gasp when his hands cup your breasts, squeezing them in a way that's borderline concerning, but you know he'd never hurt you...not in a way that you didn't consensually ask for at least. Hot and heavy breaths burst from your lips as your hands find their way through his charcoal-colored hair, eyelids fluttering as he bites down possessively. Slowly, you feel him leading you backward to the bed, and, the next thing you know, you're falling onto those inky silk sheets.

"Fuck," Dabi's voice is gravelly as he groans against your skin, and something stirs between your legs when you feel his clothed erection pressing up against you. Instinctively, you roll your hips, and Dabi practically melts into your arms, his resolve shaking as the muted stimulation sends shockwaves down his spine. Something snaps in his brain. His fingers start tugging your pants down, and you hurriedly kick them off with your shoes as your arousal grows. Dabi's lips trace down your body, licking between your tits and further down still, trailing down your stomach before stopping at the waistband of your panties. Teasingly, he hooks his fingertips below the elastic, plucking it so it gently snaps back against you. Blush tints your cheeks as he looks up at you with a knowing grin before he kisses your inner thigh, slowly snaking down your leg until he reaches your ankle.

"Take 'em off. On all fours, princess," Dabi commands, love lacing his tone as he briefly gets off the bed to finish disrobing. You follow his orders without a word, tossing your panties off the side of the bed before facing the headboard as you get on all fours.

Dabi clicks his tongue as you feel the bed creak.

"Face the mirror," He coaxes, and you shudder, following his instructions...you can see him climbing onto the bed.

Dabi's calloused hands trace over your thighs, gripping them tenderly as you hear a soft sigh from behind you. You lift your head, looking into the mirror as you were instructed, and you can see that your lover's eyes are practically glowing. The blazing cerulean bores into you, staring into your very soul...it's such a desperate longing gaze that he might as well be ripping the flesh off your body and leaving you completely bare to the bone. You watch him reach over, pulling the lube out of the nightstand drawer and pouring a generous amount on his throbbing cock. He shivers, muttering curses under his breath as he smooths it over, lazily jerking himself off as he stares at you.

"You're so fucking gorgeous, y'know that, princess?" He groans, bending down to press a slow kiss between your shoulder blades. The gesture sends shivers down your spine, and you can't help but stare in the mirror, as if in a trance, as he slowly starts to sink into you.

"Oh, God," Touya huffs, pressing into you until his hips meet your backside. The stretch feels so familiar, yet it still throws sparks across your vision.

"Touya," You stutter, and you feel him twitch deep inside you. He loves it when you moan his name...he's obsessed. Delicately, he starts rocking his hips, pumping inside you at a steady pace that wrecks your brain.

"That's it, baby," He pants, squeezing your thighs again as he pulls you to him, "Lemme hear you."

You can't help but dissolve into a stuttering, groaning mess as he fucks you, sweat dripping down your neck; Dabi reaches around, pulling you off your hands and knee and hoisting you up so your back presses against his chest. Your eyes practically roll back into your head as his hands travel roughly up your body, subtly heated fingertips pinching your nipples. Right as you open your mouth to moan his name again, Dabi takes one hand and forces your head to the side before giving you a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss. His tongue slides against your own, almost like he's trying to savor every inch of you. The sounds of skin slapping against skin echo throughout the room, the undertones of both your muffled, pleasured noises peppered throughout.

"Feel so good," Dabi growls against your lips, his voice cracking on the end of his words as he twists your nipples and licks a wet stripe up the side of your face.

"Back down, sweetheart," He rasps, gently taking his hand from your chin and putting pressure between your shoulder blades. You lower yourself back down on all fours, your body jolting as he picks up the pace. Pleasure boils in your blood as Dabi's hand travels from your nipple to make a swipe at your folds, getting a mixture of your slick and his pre before rubbing it on your throbbing red clit. You cry out, twitching against him, and you hear his dark, strained chuckle behind you.

"Is this too much for you?" He sneers, rutting up into you, but his movements start becoming hasty, and he's losing his composure. You can feel his cock pulsing, and you just know he's close. You can feel it in your bones...and you're skyrocketing to the edge yourself. 4

"Fuck-I'm-," Dabi stutters before roughly pulling out all at once, forcing a pained and confused whine from your lips before he reaches between your legs with one hand, pumping two fingers inside and thumbing at your pulsating clit as he fists his dick with the other. You pant heavily, weak moans falling from your lips as you watch everything with blurry eyes, tears welling up from the overwhelming emotions. It all feels too good. So...so good. The feeling is apparently mutual as your name softly rolls off of Dabi's tongue as he comes undone with a few more strokes, and you feel the heat spreading on your back. Dabi's fingers twitch inside you as his body shudders, and, to your dismay, you feel him slowly slip his fingers out as he sighs. Uncomfortably on the edge of your orgasm, you sink, forehead touching the pillow as he suddenly grips your shoulder.

"Hold tight, babe," He mutters before climbing off the bed. From the mirror, you can see him walking into the side bathroom. You close your eyes and grit your teeth as you hear water running from the bathroom. It's taking everything in you to not start touching yourself like an animal in heat. Finally, the water stops, and you blink through watering eyes to see Dabi walking behind you with a rag in his hand. Delicately, he touches the warm, damp fabric to your back, and you feel something in your heart twist as he wipes you down with an unusual tenderness. His other hand gently rubs at your shoulder, massaging until he finishes cleaning you up. He grunts as he sits back on his knees, carelessly tossing the rag into a laundry basket in the corner before suddenly grabbing your hip and shoving you sideways; you find yourself on your back, staring at the ceiling. Your eyes widen as you look down to meet his half-lidded gaze.

"Oh, no. We're not done yet. You think I'd be so cruel to tease you like that? Good girls deserve rewards," He croons, hooking his arms under your legs as he lays down. Before you can blink, he's dragging his warm tongue up your dripping slit, flattening it out so every inch of you is tended to. He dives into your pussy, and you feel the cold contrast of the staples on the side of his face pressing into your thighs as his hot breath teases your clit. Finally, he wraps his lips around the pulsing bud, sucking with a lewd desperation as he looks up at you with hungry eyes. Your back arches, head sinking into your pillow as your eyelids flutter shut, and you get chills when you feel the vibrations as he sighs into your folds.

"Eyes on me," He hums under his breath, and you obey, looking down at him as he laps up your slit. His eyes are glassy, probably from coming down from his own orgasmic high as he steadily coaxes you back up to your own. Still, those cerulean irises shimmer in the darkness of the bedroom.

"Fuck, I love you," He groans, tongue swirling around your clit as his hands travel up your thighs. You try to respond, but the only thing that you can do is just helplessly whimper in pleasure. Dabi's eyes close, breath hissing sharply through his nose as he switches his deliberate rhythm, tongue flicking and swirling in all the right places. The pleasure is consuming at this point, and you feel it building deep inside you, threatening to come crashing down all at once.

"Come in my mouth, princess," He rasps greedily between sloppy licks and suckles, the obnoxious noises filling your brain. Dabi can't get enough, and you can see, hear, and feel it. The way he's devouring your aching pussy. The way he can't look away from you. The way his breath gasps like he's trying not to moan at your taste. It's all so much. It's so...

You're gonna come soon. You can feel it in your bones and the way your muscles start tightening up. Heavy sighs and sobs of pleasure pour from your mouth, and, unconsciously, you hook your ankles around Dabi's neck. The villain melts, obsessed with the idea of being locked into you; he's determined to make you scream.

Suddenly, the waves of raw euphoria flood your body, and your body practically convulses, eyes almost rolling into your head and jaw dropping in a strangled gasp. Still, Dabi doesn't stop. He practically latches on, not caring that you're almost suffocating him with your thighs as they flex involuntarily. He breathes hard, eyes flitting closed again as a low groan rumbles in his throat. He holds you down, slurping up your fluids and eating you out through your orgasm. Finally, he pulls back, lips dripping and body shaking as he gazes up at you.

"Fuck," You sigh, shuddering as your head swims in the clouds and your muscles finally stop spasming. Dabi crawls up to you, grabbing the edge of the comforter and throwing it over the both of you before pressing a longing kiss to your forehead. He scoops you up in his arms, cuddling you close as he nuzzles into the top of your head.

"We get to do this as often as you want now, princess," He snickers, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you as close as humanly possible. His skin is warm, and the silk sheets feel impossibly soft against you. It feels...peaceful. It feels...like home.

"I love you, Touya," You whisper when you get your bearings, and you swear you hear him trying not to cry, but you don't look for confirmation.

"I love you, too," He replies, and you let yourself fall asleep in the arms of one of Japan's most dangerous villains.

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