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#were standing out on the trail panicking in the dark with just their phone lights on
tallymali · 6 months
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boyf left the house to go to the pub and ended up accidentally leading the search for a missing child?? predicaments follow this man everywhere
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Hello, can I request a Peter Sutherland x fem reader in which they are married and she is kidnapped , and before they kidnap her she call the night agent number and Peter is so worried and panicked and all that stuff. You can add whatever you want.
hi! omg i love this request thank u sm :)
pairing: peter sutherland x fem!reader
READER IS ROSE LARKIN'S SISTER.
warnings: TW: KIDNAPPING, VIOLENCE do not read if you are triggered by these tropes, KNIVES, cutting, stabbing, abuse, swearing, hurt
PART 1
the first thing you noticed was the pressure against your wrists, as if they were knotted tight with a rope. your eyes were blindfolded, and it was so dark you couldn't see anything. your head pounded, and you began to breathe heavier, panicking.
someone seemed to notice your heavy breaths and pulled off your blindfold. blinking your eyes to adjust to the bright ceiling lights, your vision blurred and then refocused to see a man standing in front of you. peter?
no. it wasn't peter. peter would never tie you up without your consent. it was someone else, someone dangerous, you knew that for sure.
"this is (y/n sutherland)?" the man murmured to a woman with a clipboard standing next to him.
she nodded in response, then said, "rose larkin's sister."
you blinked when you heard your sister's name. "what did you do with my sister?"
"she's safe," the man told you, tilting his head as if to examine you. "and she will continue to be safe," he paused. "if you cooperate with us." his accent was strong, definitely russian.
you nodded your head vigourously. anything. anything if it meant your sister would be safe.
"good. that's what i thought." he murmured something inaudible to the woman next to him, and she left the room without a word.
"who are you? what's your name?" you asked.
"you can call me mr crawford," he said.
the man seemed relatively young, only a few years older than you, it seemed. but it was as if he was used to this, to this type of life. he had a young face, but his eyes told stories of pain and suffering. you almost sympathised with him.
"you are quite beautiful, aren't you?" he asked, but it didn't seem he wanted a response. "i can see why mr sutherland likes you so much."
he must have seen the confused look on your face. "your husband, he is a night agent, no?"
your eyes dawned in recognition. "i have no idea what you're talking about," you lied straight through your teeth.
"liar."
the man got up from his seat, walking over to a table that you'd only just noticed was filled with surgical equipment, which could hurt you.
or worse, kill you.
your eyes filled with fear as he picked up a sharpened knife. one stab of that into your heart and you would be dead.
strolling back over to you, he said, "there's no need to be afraid."
crawford leaned over you, trailing the knife down your cheek and to your neck. "i said, is he the night agent?"
you shook your head, and he dug the knife into your skin without warning. you screamed in pain as blood poured from your neck onto the knife, already dripping red.
"call the number," he said, pulling the knife out of your neck. you didn't give him the satisfaction of even whimpering in pain.
"no."
the man chuckled under his breath. "you're a strong one, aren't you? well then, i guess i'll have to find your sister ins-"
"I'LL DO IT! i promise, please, just don't hurt her-" you shouted, the pain of potentially seeing your sister hurt trumping your stab wound.
smiling, mr crawford passed the phone over to you. he untied your wrists, leaving your legs still tied up so you couldn't escape his grasp.
one of your bruised hands pressed down on your neck wound to stop the bleeding, the other coming up to dial the phone.
it rung once, twice, then peter answered. "hello?"
hearing his voice, you sobbed into the receiver. "(y/n)? is that you? are you okay? please, princess, i need you to answer."
you couldn't formulate words, but by this time mr crawford had already snatched the phone from you.
"i have (y/n) with me. she is alright, safe, but she will not be if you do not meet me with the papers in an hour. where it all started. the metro station." he hung up the phone.
"and now we wait."
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you can read part 2 here!
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softlyspector · 2 years
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“You’d be a great dad.” + Marc?🥺
You'd be a great dad + Marc Spector
A/n: this made me very very soft
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"Thank you!" You say to the barista, stuffing a bill into the tip jar on the counter before you grab your order - two iced coffees and paper bag of assorted pastries.
The foot traffic outside the bakery is heavy, the day of sunshine and warmth calling most London residents outside. You cross the street, scanning the crowds for Marc, who is decidedly not where you left him.
The streets are clogged with people - laughter and the energetic buzz of a nice summer day surrounding you. Condensation drips down your fingers, beads along the plastic cups in your hands, ice melting fast.
But you don't see the dark head of hair you're looking for, the soulful doe eyes you love so well.
A crowd of tourists passes in front of you, a couple of sunbathers glaring up at the shadows you cast across them, and you're thinking about stopping to pull out your phone to call him when you spot him.
Marc is stooped on the ground, hands on his knees, speaking to a child.
You carefully move forward, a smile tugging at your mouth. You can hear the low, soft cadence of voice, the placating way he speaks. The little girl holds a stuffed bear, hair in pigtails as she hiccups and listens to Marc.
"It's okay. We'll find your mom. Can you tell me what she looks like?" Tears still stream down her cheeks but she takes Marc's hand when he offers it to her.
"Hey," you say softly, "Who do we have here?"
Marc glances up at you, a slightly panicked look in his eyes. You smile and crouch down too. "This is Darcy," Marc says. "She can't find her mom."
Darcy nods her head, tiny fingers curling harder around Marc's. "This is my friend," Marc says, giving your name. "We'll help you find your mom."
"It's okay, honey," you coo when tears start to drip down her cheeks again and Marc swipes some of them away gently. Darcy reaches out for your hand too, settling her little one on where you grip the cups and snacks, "It's all right, even I got a bit lost earlier. We'll find your mum in no time."
You and Marc stand, clutching sticky little fingers between yours, Darcy between you, as she tells you in hiccuping little words what her mom looks like.
As you search, Marc asks Darcy questions to distract her, listening carefully to her answers. Does she like school? What's her favorite color? Her favorite animal?
He gives every question its due thoughtfulness and comment, his brow furrowing as he nods along with her, like it was incredibly dear and important that he knows she likes rabbits.
You're moving back in the direction Marc says he saw Darcy approach from when you hear a woman calling out - her voice high with panic. Darcy bolts out of your grasp and into the arms of the approaching woman.
The woman is grateful for your help, for helping her daughter when she was lost and alone. "Just turned my back for a moment and she was gone! So worried. I'm glad she found the pair of you."
When she and Darcy are trailing away, back towards a picnic blanket and snacks, little giggles drifting back toward you, a small, "Thank you, Marc," half-warbled through snot and quickly drying tears, you pass Marc his drink and fold his free hand between yours.
"Sorry it's a bit melted."
Marc shakes his head, tugging you along the path as you offer the bag of pastries to him. "Not your fault, honey."
"You okay?" You ask, watching Marc closely, sunshine and shade casting his face in and out of shadow. You watch the circles beneath his eyes fade and shift with the shift of light, like the pull of the ocean tide against sand.
"Yeah," he answers, sounding a bit unsure.
You bump your shoulder against his, squeezing his fingers until he sighs and his shoulders loosen. "It's just hard to be around kids."
You hesitate for a moment before the words on the tip of your tongue can escape. But, its something you think he should hear. "You were a natural with her though. You were so calm and gentle. I think she felt very safe with you."
Marc doesn't answer, doesn't look over at you, his gaze set firmly ahead, his mouth a grim line.
The shadows try to win, but they're battered back when you lean your chin against his shoulder. "I'm not just saying that either. You know me." You press a kiss to his cheek. "I think you'd be a great dad. If that's something you want someday."
Marc scoffs and doesn't reply, brow furrowing as he tugs you close.
When you settle on a free bench a few minutes later, slowly and lazily eating through the pastries in the sun. "She said her mom told her to look for someone that looks like they'd help her. Like another mom. But she picked me instead," he says suddenly. "Before you got there. She picked me, outta all those people."
You cup your hand around his wrist. "Good choice on her part. You handled her so well. She wasn't afraid, just upset."
"Do you want kids?"
"Maybe someday, I dunno."
He shakes his head. "I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I can give you that," he says gently. "But if we did, I know you'd...I know they'd be safe with you."
The double meaning of his words is not lost on you, thoughts of his childhood flitting through your mind.
Your throat goes a bit tight, a lump forming at the back of your throat. "With you too, Marc," is all you can manage without tears slipping out.
Marc smiles, lets you touch the edge of his jaw, before he reaches for another pastry.
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bullet-prooflove · 2 years
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Sleepless in New York: Mike Dodds x Reader
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Your phone was buzzing, you could hear it vibrating through the wooden nightstand as it yanked you from the deepest sleep you'd had in months. You reached for your phone and suddenly found that you couldn't physically move. For a second you panicked, sleep making you groggy and disorientated. You opened your eyes and for a second you found you couldn't breathe.
Mike's face was inches from yours, he looked peaceful. A boyish innocence shone through, as his hair flopped over his face. You heart began to beat harder in your chest, you could feel it thud in your ribcage as you stared at his sleeping face.
God, I am weak.
There was a part of you that savoured this, that enjoyed the sense if security that came from this man. The other ninety five percent wanted to run screaming. That was self-preservation at it it's best.
Somehow, you managed to turn over, de-tangling yourself from his arms was not as easy. His lips grazed the back of your neck, as you squirmed lightly, finally managing to shift his body, so that he ended up lying flat on his back, sprawled out across the bed.
Thank God Mike was a heavy sleeper.
You found yourself standing over the bed watching the rise and fall of his chest, smirking at the light snore erupting from him. Typical Mike you thought, reaching out to brush the hair from his forehead. You stopped dead before your fingers touched his skin.
What the hell were you doing?
You curled your hand into a fist.
This was not good. You withdrew from the room quickly, finding your clothes where Mike had placed them to dry yesterday on his radiators. You remembered his smile as he spread them out across the surface. Warmth flooded all of your senses, as you cast a glance back at the bedroom door longing to take that step forward and climb back into bed again.
You shook it off. There was not a chance in hell you were letting this happen. You refused to develop feelings for Mike Dodds, because a long time ago you had fallen for him. Then he'd taken your heart and broken it into a thousand pieces. He'd made you what you were today.
Damaged, broken, incapable of commitment.
You disposed of Mike's NYPD t-shirt and tugged on your own clothes, still slightly damp from the rain the night before.
You snatched up your purse before bursting out of the apartment door as if the hounds of hell were on your trail.
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It was early, the bright light was shining in your eyes through the slats in the blinds as you perched at your desk, reports clasped firmly in your hands. Despite your cool, calm exterior you were freaking out.
You didn't do this. You didn't stay over at guy's places. You weren’t the sort of girl, that guys took home to mom. You were the casual one, the one that always got laid and walked away because it was easier to do that.
Yet somehow this morning you’d woken up wrapped in Mike's arms. His face buried in your hair and his body curled around yours. His scent came back to you, a masculine scent, twinged with soap and fading aftershave. It was hard to walk away from that.
"You left early this morning." Mike commented his voice still husky from sleep.
You turned to face him as he stood before you. There were dark circles underneath his eyes. He didn't look like he'd slept much at all. You said nothing, instead your gaze fixated on the paperwork in front of you.
"So, your back to being the Ice Queen again?" Your head snapped up, the anger in your eyes blazing as you starred him.
"Don't call me that." you snarled.
"You did exactly the same thing now as you did last time, you are shutting me out."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm trying to work."
"Your shift doesn't start for..." Mike checked his watch. "Another three hours. So, let's just cut the bullshit and get down to the point."
Mike crossed his arms over his chest as you looked away.
"You're freaking out." he stated.
"I am not freaking out." You exclaimed quickly.
"You seem to be forgetting the fact I know you. I have dated you before, I know the way you think." he paused, his expression softening. "You asked me for comfort last night, and I gave it to you."
You said nothing.
"How can you be so cold about this? Last night you were practically begging me to take you home and now you're trying to pretend it didn't happen. You're acting just like you did then." Mike snapped.
"You broke my heart remember..." you said jabbing your finger at his chest. "You decided you didn't need me, and you ended it. Do you even know what that feels like? You were the only person who saw everything. The only person who knew who I was."
"You agreed with me. You said that it was the right thing to do." Mike reminded you.
"What was I supposed to do? If you wanted to leave, there wasn't a chance in hell I was going to try to make you stay. I wouldn't have been fair," you told him, shaking your head.
"Neither is this." Mike gestured to the both of them. "You come back into my life as if everything is just the same. Well, it's not, it's different. I am different. We can't keep acting like a pair of teenagers with all the hormones racing. I can't do the casual thing with you."
"I don't trust you Mike, I want to but... I just can't. You don't remember what I was like for me back then. You were the only one I had, the only one I could really hold on to. I can't get hurt like that again, especially not by you." You told him.
"Then we both know where we stand." Mike said, crossing his arms over his chest. "This doesn't go any further that it already has."
You found yourself shrugging.
"Whatever you say Mike."
You watched as Mike turned his back on you and strode toward the elevators.
Some things were best left alone and Mike Dodds was one of them.
Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee
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spookyspaghettisundae · 4 months
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The Most Beautiful Thing
The hiking trail snaked its way through dense pine woods.
Light faded fast that wintry day, allowing fog and gray clouds to swallow crystal blue skies while sunset neared. After a week of amazing weather, it all changed, and threatened to turn beautiful vistas into a dreary landscape.
None of this put a damper on their vacation. Both halves of the happy couple were enjoying their hike. Their activity in the great outdoors and its fresh air helped strip away a lot of baggage that had been piling up over the course of a stressful year.
Snow and dirt crunched underneath the spikes on their shoes. Despite the weather, the trickle of water in a nearby creek and the mist rising from it all lent the bleak colors of a late overcast afternoon an almost magical atmosphere.
Cold and crisp air had turned cheeks rosy, matching the sunny disposition on both their lips. Lips that connected for a romantic kiss when they paused, here and there, enjoying this getaway from their otherwise busy lives.
They paused to snap photos here and there, allowing picturesque portrayals of nature to dwarf them in idyllic images. Lush green trees and uncut stones rose from pure white grounds. Artists could only envy nature for painting such beautiful pictures onto the canvas of the couple’s shared experience.
They laughed. They had almost slipped while taking a selfie, standing upon a ledge over the creek, catching each other and preventing a cold and wet crash.
When they huddled over the phone to view this most recent shot, their laughter died. The smiles on their faces froze.
Captured on the photo, they both glimpsed a shaggy silhouette in the back of the image between their heads. A humanoid figure, almost hidden by the shadows of trees.
Right behind them.
When they turned, that figure was gone.
Only the snap and crack of wood, and darkness between the trees where such a figure may have been lurking.
Their hearts pounded at an accelerating pace.
“What the fuck?” she asked as both their heads swiveled, searching their environs in a growing panic.
He glanced down at the phone’s screen again, as if a second take would make the frightening apparition disappear from the digital image.
Yet there it was, still. Staring back at him from the frozen picture. Their previously smiling faces framed a shadowy figure. Judging by the spot it was now missing from in nature, the figure must have measured several heads taller than them. Only separated by the distance of rocks on both sides of the creek.
“Holy shit,” he said. Tremors shook his voice. “Did—did we just… catch Bigfoot on camera?”
The fear stayed, yet it shared its spot in his beating heart with sheer excitement.
Another crack of a branch somewhere, too far away to be within sight, but close enough to slice through the quiet of the forest’s hiking trail.
Her head snapped one way, then the other, in panicked search of the source of that sound.
“Holy shit, Gabs,” he said, the excitement growing with every word. He shook her arm in one gloved hand, gripping the phone in the other. “Do you think we could prove Bigfoot is real?”
“No,” Gabriella muttered. Then her words cascaded out in angry fear. “Theo, we need to get the hell out of here. We—”
“Have no reception, I know! Come on, think! What if we could find, like, actual proof of Bigfoot?”
No other branches snapped. The woods had fallen deathly silent.
Instead, Gabriella’s head snapped around and she glared at Theo. Terror burned in the fire behind her eyes, consuming the fuel of ire at her boyfriend. Now, she shook his arm, a tug to go with every syllable of imploring him.
“Don’t be stupid! Everybody thinks these pictures are fake! We need to get the hell out of here!”
Theo’s face fell, and the excitement in him shrank with any shred of courage he may have fooled himself into thinking he had. His head swiveled again as he looked for any clues.
The shaggy silhouette only appeared on the photo. Only trees and snow and stone and creek made up their surroundings.
Fear fed paranoia, and the couple started to feel watched.
Gaby tugged at Theo’s arm. He needed no further motivation because that paranoia was tugging even harder at him.
They resumed their hike downhill, down the hiking trail, on their way back to the parking lot and inn.
No longer did the couple enjoy their vacation. All thoughts of it had been erased, replaced by a fear of being followed.
Of being watched.
By a shaggy figure.
The woods around them remained silent, only casting back echoes of every sound they made. Snow crunched twice as often, twice as fast, conveying a sense of hectic. Their pace had doubled. Tripled. Any faster, and they would be jogging.
No longer did the couple exchange words, no longer did smiles grace their lips. No longer did they pause to take pictures, or breathe in the scenery, or even appreciate each other’s company.
They both just wanted to get the hell out of these woods. Off this mountain. Hell, out of the entire state.
At the very least, the terror of seeing that figure on the photo subsided into a simmering fear after minutes of hurrying back down the trail. Soon, the fear had folded into a lurking dread, the possibility that they would wind back up in the cozy inn, where a cozy fire warmed the lobby, and they could laugh over their fright and how ridiculous it all was.
Like, Bigfoot? Really?
Snap, crack.
The couple froze.
Straight ahead of them, the shaggy figure emerged from behind a boulder and trees.
In plain sight, it looked even more terrifying than the still image captured on Theo’s phone.
At first, it crouched, then it rose to full height. Bigger than any man. In a huge hand, shrouded by dark and shaggy fur, the figure gripped a club—a huge bone?
And those eyes, so yellow, they stared at the couple, unblinking. The figure gauged their reaction, then a big foot descended into the snow, making almost no sound whatsoever, and betraying its sheer size and the weight it had to bear.
Theo yelped in fear and turned, yanking at Gaby’s arm, and almost tearing her down as he threatened to drag her with him when he made to run.
She shrieked when they stared at another shaggy figure.
Behind them. The second figure stared back from the shadows between the trees, a silhouette identical to the one on the photo, more slender than the one with the bone club. This figure, too, crouched over snow.
As the couple froze and gasped, the slender one rose to full height, its shoulders stayed hunched, and long fingers curled—poised to grab, and rip, and tear. The silhouette was poised to lunge
To charge. To charge at them.
Crunch, snap, crack.
The heavier one advanced, then the slender giant mirrored its motion behind them. Closing in on the couple.
Instead of shouting at Gaby to run, Theo only emitted a croak. These shaggy giants had robbed him of any speech. He slipped away from Gaby and ran without warning. She immediately followed.
And the shaggy figures gave chase.
No longer silent in their footfalls, snow crunched from four figures. The two giants pursued the fleeing couple. Thudding, thundering, big feet pounded the ground behind them.
The spikes attached to the couple’s hiking boots helped them keep their footing in the snow, preventing them from ever tripping or falling.
But it didn’t help their speed.
The shaggy giants gained ground, catching up to them. Ragged breathing, a gruff grunt, a feral growl—
A roar.
Theo yelled for help.
Gaby screamed.
No longer holding onto each other, they ran. They fled. Headless in their flight, they stumbled and lurched and leapt to gain grounds, but the two hairy giants came closer. Ever closer, each leap and bound shrinking the distance between them.
A glance shot back over a shoulder only served to amplify the terror.
Mere steps behind them.
Gaby shoved a branch and dove under it, letting it smack one of their pursuers in the face. CRACK! The branch broke.
CRUNCH, a swing of the bone club crushed her skull.
Theo screamed as he saw the blood splatter. Steaming hot drops of crimson sprayed onto his cheek.
Gaby’s gaze went blank as she fell into the snow, limbs resting at unnatural angles, all crumpled like a lifeless doll, with more blood gushing out from her head, and staining the forest grounds bright red.
CRACK, CRUNCH, CRACK, the bone club absorbed some crimson of its own, spraying bits and blood all over as it crashed down on Gaby’s skull repeatedly.
Theo imagined this more than he witnessed because he ran. Courage was not among the commodities he could afford now, as terror gripped him, and adrenaline pumped through his body, speeding him up, driving him to run for his own life. For while the giant with the bone club continued to bludgeon Gaby, the other continued to chase after Theo.
Not even afforded space to wonder if she could be saved, he only tried to save his own hide. Another feral growl drove him to duck, just dodging as a huge hand swiped at him and missed. The shaggy giant tripped and lost grounds, giving Theo a chance at escaping by a few steps.
The banker burst out into a crazed, maniacal laugh. Then he tripped, which cut that burst of laughter short, and he fell. The world spun around him as he tumbled downhill, hitting every tree on the way down. Snow crunched and scraped his cheek, branches cracked, and a bone snapped along the way.
Once the world stopped spinning and his fall had been broken by a dozen trees and the bitter cold of the creek’s water, he groaned.
He crawled.
He crawled into the shadows. His leg no longer obeyed, but when it did, it silently screamed at him with excruciating pain. A jagged bone edge stuck out of the fabric of his pants.
So, he crawled. Dragged himself through the dirt, towards the welcome embrace darkness, now his only hope of escaping his pursuer—escaping by hiding. Blood and pain clouded his vision as he followed only instinct, crawling into a cavernous spot, away from that biting cold water that had seeped into fabric underneath his top layers.
Theo crawled, deeper, ever deeper into a hole.
Snap, crack, CRUNCH.
The pursuer caught up, stopping on the ledge above the creek.
Theo held his breath. His heart pounded. His broken bone throbbed.
After moments that felt like an eternity, the pursuer turned and left.
CRACK, snap, crunch.
Still, Theo held his breath. Screwed his eyes shut, only to see the horror the bone club crashing down on Gaby before his inner eyes.
He waited even longer, lying to himself that she could be saved from these monsters.
The only sound that reached him was the trickle of water from the creek.
Out of sight, out of mind? Or had the shaggy figure given up for some other reason?
Theo gasped for air. His lungs were on fire as he caught his breath.
He had already crawled into a narrow spot, vanished into the dark, without leaving a trail that could easily be pursued, towards—
A light?
There was light down there, in the depths beyond a winding, natural corridor of this cave. It took all of Theo’s fortitude not to scream; to not scream from the pain in his throbbing leg, nor the horrific vision of reliving Gaby’s skull caving in from heavy blows, and—
Light. Scintillating, shifting, glittering, like he was nearing a disco ball.
Was he losing his mind? Was he delirious from the agony of his injury?
He crawled towards the light. Perhaps there was a person down here who could help!
He crawled towards the light, to peel away the illusions, in a desperate attempt to hold onto anything that may have resembled hope.
Theo reached the light. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.
Beautiful.
It was breathtaking. The most beautiful thing he had ever beheld. For a split second, all pain and horror was wiped away at the sight of this light.
An brightly glowing orb hovered above the ground. The apparition looked like thousands of shattered shards from a broken mirror, each of them combined into a warm glow that illuminated the cold dark of this cave.
Theo grappled with raw emotions, enthralled by the vision, desperate to find help, and driven to survive somehow. Was this real?
It felt real. It looked real.
A trembling, gloved hand of his reached out, extending as temptation eclipsed all other emotions and imperatives. Temptation to touch that light. Reality threatened to peel away before Theo, yet he snapped back into the horror of his predicament.
His leg still throbbed and he gritted his teeth as to not shout in pain again. His shin had fractured in a way he needed to set; he knew that much with certainty.
Rolled onto his back, and quaking to his very core, he bristled at the thought of needing to set his bone, of needing to bandage himself. Of possible infections.
He needed to avoid those things, those damned Bigfoots or whatever those human-shaped monsters were, and limp his way back down to the town to get help.
Horrors now bloomed in his mind.
Gaby… oh, no, Gaby…
He relived her death again. That vision of the bone club turned red, crushing her skull more with every successive blow.
Another growl tore him from that living nightmare.
This growl filled the cave around him, and shook him to his core. Deeper, and more severe, this growl did not match that of the shaggy giant’s.
It was the growl of a dragon. A demon. The growl petered out, pregnant with bestial hunger.
Theo stared into reptilian eyes. Their surfaces reflected the glowing orb behind him, and mirrored his own face—again a mask of terror and despair, slack-jawed, and helpless where he lay on the ground of the cave.
Was it a crocodile? No, its head was far too wide, and large. It reminded him of a hippo in size, lined with many sharp teeth. It filled the entire corridor he had crawled through to reach the light.
The creature’s maw widened, and a new growl erupted from the creature’s throat. This curdled Theo’s blood and instilled him with the certainty of death.
The Purrusaurus lunged forward and when its jaws clamped down, they broke most bones in Theo’s body.
He almost screamed at the top of his lungs. Almost.
Teeth and tongue pulled him in.
Another CRUNCH, and that maw snapped shut a second time, swallowing any scream before it could happen, and chewing on the little human.
The glowing orb of light glistened in the Purrusaurus’ reptilian eyes.
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yourtamaki · 3 years
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the broken melody of us
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matsukawa x f!reader
word count: 4k
request: mattsun hurt/comfort + neglect?
warnings: hurt/comfort, neglect, body worship, praise kink, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, creampie, cockwarming
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it was a song and dance at this point. a well rehearsed play with a blinding spotlight on the exhausted actors onstage. both of you go through the motions, no life behind the words you’ve spoken so many times they held no meaning anymore. you don’t know why you keep up the charade. you never expect a different result yet still you pick up the phone everyday and call your boyfriend. 
“you think you’ll be home in time for dinner?” 
sometimes you get a different, automated message. “maybe. might have to stay late,” or “can’t, i’ve gotta finish something up,” or your least favourite. a simple, clipped, “no.” 
“don’t stay out too late.” you should cut this part from the script, he never listens. 
“i’ll try.” 
“i love you.” this line is always to be spoken quietly, followed by holding your breath while you wait for his response. it’s the only reason you make these calls. this is your only chance to hear him say it and pretend he means it as much as he once did.
“love you too.” the line goes dead, the lights dim and he’s gone. you’re alone on an empty stage staring out at a bored audience. bored of the foolish protagonist who keeps them locked in the theatre, playing the same ending over and over and expecting something to give, to change. they watch on, silent and judging while you barter away what little dignity you have left. 
let them watch. 
the rejection doesn’t sting as badly as it used to. you’ve learned to bear it, swallow down the hurt that sits like a stone in your gut and go about your day, filling it with any meaningless errand that would stop your mind from wandering back to him. 
mattsun was subtle, you could give him that much. the way he slowly pulled away from your arms until you could hardly remember how he felt beneath your palms. the realization that you don’t really know your boyfriend anymore was slow to hit you but it knocked the air out of your lungs when it did. it crashed down on you when you woke in the middle of the night and turned to stare at his back gently rising and falling with every breath. his hair is longer then you remember and you don’t know why the thought has a lump forming in your throat. you focus instead on the broad expanse of his back. he’s tense, even in sleep, shoulders rigid and you’re sure if you could see his face, his brows would be furrowed. subtle changes that are enough for you to realize you’ve been shut out of his life.
you used to know him. when you were university kids who thought the future would never catch up to them and spent countless days in each other’s company. it wasn’t so much you knew him, it felt like you were him. and he was you. less attached to the hip and more intertwined with one another. you two were of one mind, to the point where you knew what the other needed before they’d even say it. 
your mattsun who was always just a text away. 
your mattsun who would indulge your late night drives, who would look at you with a permanent crooked smile on his face and love in his eyes. 
“you think we’ll always be like this?” you said one night, straddling him in panties and a baggy hoodie in the backseat and lazily kissing beneath the stars. and because he was yours and understood every little anxious thought that crossed your mind, he didn’t question why you were asking, didn’t make you explain what you meant, didn’t try to make a half assed joke about it. 
his hands trailed up your sides as he contemplated his answer, sending shivers up your spine. “probably not. things always change. we’ll change with them.” 
“what if things get worse?” 
“they might. but what if they get better? just cause it’s different doesn’t mean it's scary, angel.” 
“i know. but i hate thinking about it cause things are so good right now. i want it to last forever.” 
“we got time. let’s make the most of it, yeah?” he gripped your hips, slowly grinding you against his growing bulge and pulling you back into a kiss, sighing as your lips slotted together. you took control of the pace and grinned against him when a groan spilled into your mouth. 
“is that your way of saying we should hurry up and fuck?” 
“it’s working, isn’t it?” before you could pull your sweater up over your head, he cupped your face and brought your forehead to his, sincerity shining through his dark eyes. “i’ll always love you. that’ll never change. got it?”
“got it.” you managed to push the words out despite the lump that formed in your throat. he kept his eyes locked on yours as he slid your panties to the side and sank inside you, the familiar stretch a welcome one. 
it was nothing special, one night of many spent panting into each other’s mouths with an unspoken promise still hanging from your lips. but it was a memory you circled back to often, so often you could hear the echo of his vow ring through your head. 
your fears came to pass not long after that. life caught up and tore him from you, leaving you a shattered mess in the aftermath. you tried to fit jagged pieces of yourself back together in an attempt to remake the person you used to be but what stared back at you only left you keenly aware of the empty space he used to reside. 
these days, you like going to the roof of your apartment and letting the wind blow through those countless gaps in your soul. you feel whole for a short while as it whistles through you, the air filled with the broken melody of you, of the relationship that slips past your grasp more everyday. it’s shrill and ear piercing and leaves goosebumps littered on your skin. 
you can’t stop listening to it. 
it’s where you were now, staring out as the sun dipped below the horizon and listening to the haunting sound that’s been your only company in recent memory. later, you’ll go home and crawl into bed desperate for any warmth and no time to miss the heat of a body next to yours. your phone lights up bright in contrast to the darkening sky and it takes you a few moments of staring blankly at the screen for it to sink in that mattsun is trying to call you. 
this isn’t part of the script. 
you don’t know your lines. 
and yet you find yourself answering anyway, hitting the green button before the call drops and you raise your phone to your ear silently. 
“are you okay?” his voice comes out rushed and strung together almost before your phone is pressed to your ear. 
“why’re you asking?” 
“remember that time you failed that essay? i think it was third year and you hid in your room all day and wouldn’t answer the phone?” you did remember. how you couldn’t bear to face the world that day with the crushing weight of failure hanging over you and how shocked you were to see mattsun standing at the front door. “did i ever tell you why i checked up on you?” 
“no.” 
“the whole day i felt, in my gut, like i needed to see you. i can’t describe it, it was like a stab that just dug deeper until i went to your place. would you believe me if i said i have that feeling right now?” 
“i- i would.” you say quietly, wondering if he could even hear you over the roar of the wind. 
“are you okay?” he repeats. there’s a weight behind his words that has tears springing to your eyes. 
“no, issei ‘m not.” 
“i’m almost home, i’m parking right now. i’ll be up in a few minutes, okay? wait for me, angel.” 
you were always waiting for him, weren’t you? what's a couple more minutes? you hang up and try in vain push down the wave of anxiousness that hits you. it’s just mattsun, you try to remind yourself. even if it’s been awhile since you’ve really felt like a part of his life, he’s still the person you fell in love with. right?
even if the issei from the past would never have made you feel so alone. the issei that was free from the hardships of real life, of 9-5s and bills due and rent to pay. you miss that issei, mourn for him on empty rooftops everyday. maybe he’s still alive somewhere within this new issei but it’s not like you would know. 
you head off the roof, shivering slightly as you make your way home. the days were only getting colder, you should’ve known not to stay out for so long. you were trying to get your shaky hands to cooperate and unlock the door when you hear the elevator dings open and your name being called out. 
“you weren’t home?” he asks, gently prying your keys from your grasp and opening the door for you both. as soon as he locks it behind you, his hands are covering yours once more. “baby you’re freezing.” 
words. where were your words? you couldn’t call up any as he brought your joined hands to his mouth, blowing hot air on them and rubbing them between his to warm them up. this is the closest you’ve been to him in who knows how long and you couldn’t summon up a single sentence. it’s not your fault. his attention has always stunned you into silence. 
he thought you were painfully shy the first time you met and though that was half true, you mostly found yourself silently panicking about the handsome man that suddenly sat beside you. the professor had paired the class off to discuss the readings for that lecture and your interest had only come to life when you saw the dark haired man make his way to you. 
“i’m gonna be honest.” he said as he plopped down beside you and showed you the blank document open on his laptop. “i have no idea what we’re supposed to be doing right now. do you?” 
it was his eyes, you decided much later, hugging your pillow and staring at the text you just received from a new number. you came alive under his gaze like you could finally catch your breath, everything dull until his eyes landed on you. you don’t believe in love at first sight, this was something different. it was the dust of collapsing stars finding each other once more. it was strings of fate being braided together. it was more profound, more important than love and it all happened in a moment. 
you nodded in response to his earlier question though it was clear neither of you were paying any attention to what was going on in class, too caught up in the small bubble that surrounded you and drowned out the rest of the world. 
“matsukawa. i’m- my name’s matsukawa.” you must’ve given your name in return judging by the smile he gave you in return. “so what’re we doing, partner?”
this time, you forced a proper response, intensely aware of how you held yourself in a way you’ve never been before. “yeah, she just wants us to talk about today’s reading.” 
matsukawa watched you pull up your notes, resting his head in his hand while you began explaining the general concepts. you paused when you noticed he was still looking at you and not at the notes you had angled towards him. 
“am i explaining it okay?” 
“we’re a month into the semester, how have i not noticed you before?” 
“guess you don’t notice something you’re not looking for.” 
just then the professor grabbed everyone’s attention, the student’s quietly migrating back to their seats but matsukawa stayed where he was. instead, you could just hear him speak under his breath, more to himself then to you but you still managed to pick it up, your face going hot as it echoed in your head. “trust me, i’m looking now.” 
the memory leaves you more vulnerable than you expected, soft in his arms as the numbness finally fades and the shaking stops.
“where were you?” he says.
“the roof.” his brows furrow, lips pulled down in a frown. it’s strange feeling yourself falling back into reading him so easily, not needing him to ask to know he wanted you to explain why. “i like going up there. this place is too quiet with just me in it.” 
the longer you watch him, the more you pick up from his body language. the confusion then understanding that flits across his face, the underlying care you’re so familiar with as he smooths his thumb over the back of your hand. but more than anything you start to see his guilt. his muscles are rigid with it, it swims in his eyes that never quite seem to meet yours. 
“i’ve fucked up, haven't i?” he finally says when he realizes you won’t be the one to breach the subject. 
“issei…”
“no, i have. things have been so endless, i feel like i’m half awake and i’ve hurt you because of it.” 
you squeeze his hands, trying to reassure him. “just talk to me. please.” 
“i hate it. work is nonstop, everyday is the same shit over and over. it’s just a wave that keeps knocking me down and i can barely get my footing before it pushes me down again. and every day i think about quitting just to get ready the next morning. 
“if i was alone, if… if i didn’t have you i would’ve quit so long ago but i want to give you the life you deserve and i can’t do that if i’m broke. and it all might be for nothing cause i might’ve lost you already.” 
the confession ends with mattsun clearing his throat, blinking fast and concentrating solely on your laced hands. you can’t seem to catch your breath, struggling under the weight he had carried silently until now as he finally shares the burden with you. 
“you haven’t lost me, issei. look at me.” you wait until his eyes meet yours before dropping your voice to a whisper. “you haven’t lost me.”
“i don’t deserve you.” 
“it’s not about deserving, i chose you. i chose to love you, i chose to stay when things got bad. yeah, you hurt me.” it’s impossible to miss the full body flinch at your words, “and i’m not ready to forgive you just yet. but that doesn’t mean i’m giving up on us. i don’t want you working yourself to death for me. i don’t care where we live or how much money you spend on me. i don’t need all of that, i just need you. got it?” 
“got it.” you see his adam’s apple bob as he swallows down whatever feeling overcomes him, “i’m sorry.”
“i know.”
“tell me what you need, please. i need- i need to make this right.” 
you answer by leaning forward and mattsun meets you halfway. the kiss is soft in contrast to the way you bundle the front of his shirt in your fists, afraid the moment might end before it’s even begun but mattsun takes his time cherishing you. there’s regret and gratitude and love that dances across your tongue and the taste has pressure building behind your eyes. 
it isn’t enough. you need him closer, need him to line the cracks of your soul with his touch. you pull just far back enough to break the kiss and mumble against his lips, “more, ‘sei please. i’m so cold.” 
“anything you want, pretty baby. let me make you feel good, yeah?” 
his lips crash back down on yours with renewed eagerness. there’s a desperation that wasn’t there a moment ago fuelling you both and urging you to stumble blind into the bedroom, barely letting your mouths detach as you fumble and undress each other. 
it’s not until you’re naked before him that your head clears a bit and shyness comes creeping in. he cups your face as though he could sense you curling into yourself and simply says, “beautiful.” 
the utter conviction in his voice is enough to dispel any insecurities before they have a chance to latch on and you turn your head to kiss the center of his palm, silently telling him you were all right. together you land in a tangled heap in bed, his half hard cock resting on your thigh. mattsun kisses his way down your neck, licking and sucking at every sensitive spot he had mapped out over the years. 
“issei…” you say, impatience tinging your voice as you feel your core throb with need. 
“i’ll get you there, angel, you know i will. let me take my time, i missed you.” 
true to his word, he began kissing every inch of skin he could reach. your tits, your stomach, your thighs all the way down to your ankles, he made sure to shower with affection. it’s nearly overwhelming. you knew you were starved for his attention but it feels like something breaks loose inside you the longer his mouth trails over your body, whispering declarations into your skin that left you tingling in his wake. by the time his fingers dip between your legs, your thighs are sticky with arousal, clit thrumming and begging to be touched. 
“look at my pretty baby’s pussy. all wet just for me?” 
“mhmm ‘s all for you, issei.” 
he hums, swirling his middle finger around your entrance and pressing the thick digit inside with ease. it’s only a few pumps later he adds another, stretching out your gummy walls. his other hand drifts over your mound, his thumb finally giving your clit some attention as his fingers graze over a spot inside you that has your hips rising off the bed. 
“stay still. you want to be my good girl, right?” the quiet authority that radiates from mattsun has you clenching around him, doing your best to do as he asks and keep your legs spread for him. “there you go. you’re taking me so well, baby. you’re close, aren’t you? i can feel it” 
mattsun loves showing off how well he knew your body, how it never took long for you to crumble beneath him. a few more idle circles with the pad of his thumb and your orgasm washes over you, rising gently and leaving you relaxed in its wake. 
that state didn’t last long as he replaces his thumb with his mouth, sucking at your clit that twitches against his tongue, still sensitive from your high. “issei! w-wait please give me a sec-” 
his glare is enough to cut through your babbling, his fingers never slowing in their strokes against that sweet spot. you let out a low moan as he adds yet another finger, the stretch just shy of uncomfortable but it’s quick to fade into pleasure once again. the flame in your gut is far more intense this time and you can’t stop the whimpers he pulls from you. you thread your fingers through his dark curls, tugging on them and pulling him deeper into your folds.
“that’s it, princess. cum on my tongue and i’ll stuff you full, i promise. you can do it, c’mon baby.” 
the encouragement has the coil in your gut tightening once more and the lewd sounds of mattsun lapping up every drop that escapes you is enough to snap it. when the blood stops ringing in your ears, you realize he’s shifted your positions. he’s sat cross-legged on the bed with you pulled into his lap, legs locked around his waist. his cock is pinned between your stomachs, smearing precum on your skin and your mouth waters as you catch sight of the blushing tip. 
he whispers your name to grab your attention, naked devotion plain on his face when you gaze up at him. “i love you.” 
this. this was your breaking point. the words you longed to hear every time you picked up the phone for those dreaded calls. your vision blurs with tears that well up and spill down your cheeks before you could blink them away. “you do?” 
“i do, baby, with everything i’ve got. i-“ he falters for a moments, visibly steeling himself for what he wanted to say. “i want to spend the rest of my life with you. there’s not a future i can picture that doesn’t include you. you’re it for me.” 
“i want that too ‘sei.” you hiccup, more tears trickle out faster than you can wipe them clear. 
you feel his whole body relax, hands rubbing at your sides to soothe you. “don’t cry, angel. wait till i’m inside you at least.” 
“shut up.” your laugh comes out watery but it feels good to smile. “how do you go from sweet to nasty so fast?” 
“just wanted to see you smile.” you try and fail to suppress another grin that only widens when mattsun peppers your cheeks with loud kisses. “so pretty and all mine.”
“all yours.” you repeat, grinding your soaked folds along the underside of his cock. “and you’re mine, right?” 
“that’s right, princess. go on, take what’s yours.” 
sinking down on mattsun feels like coming home, the empty ache finally gone as he fills you and you both moan when he bottoms out. there’s no way for you to bounce in this position but you find that you don’t mind. you feel closer to him like this, what little space there is between you vibrating with how vulnerable you both were. 
it’s relaxing, slowly rolling your hips against each other, not building towards anything and indulging in the other’s touch. your hands roam across his broad back, sucking dark marks into his neck while he grabs at your ass, kneading and groping so possessively you clench around him. 
“fuck.” he groans next to your ear. “keeping squeezing me with that princess cunt, you feel so fucking good. just like that, good girl.” 
“issei…” you whimper, pressure gradually building in your gut as your grinding gets sloppy and legs grow weak. 
“what is it, baby? use your words.” 
“want more, ‘sei i want your cum.” 
“yeah? want me to fill up this greedy pussy and keep you warm with my cum?” he leans forward, keeping you cradled in his arms as your back hits the mattress, your legs still crossed around his waist keeping him as close to you as possible. 
you nod, half delirious with need and mattsun begins thrusting in earnest. his cock is so thick he nudges against every sensitive spot along your walls, his tip battering just below your cervix and hitting so deep you swear you can feel it in your throat. his hands pry yours open from where you had been gripping the sheets and laces his fingers with yours. a swell of love rises in you and has you gasping for air as he fucks you into the mattress. you can’t even hear your own moans over the squelch as you grow wetter and wetter and the smack of his heavy balls against your ass.
your orgasm takes both of you by surprise, ripping through you so violently you’re left a shaking mess. mattsun’s hips stutter, bucking wildly into you as he nears his own high and you stare in awe as he reaches it. it’s a sight you’ll never get enough of, how beautiful he looks as he spills endlessly inside you, mindlessly grinding it deeper with his softening cock. 
“you okay, angel?” he asks, pulling you in for a sweet, lingering kiss. 
“mhmm. can we stay like this?” you weren’t ready to put any space between you, not so soon after reconnecting.
“‘course we can.” he settles over you, knowing exactly what you need. his weight a reassurance that grounds you in a way words never could. it’s a conversation in its own right, one that could only pass between two people who knew each other as well as you knew each other. in the quiet afterglow he tells you that he’s here with you. that you were going to work on being okay again. that he wouldn’t let you feel that lonely ever again. and you believe him with every fibre of your being. 
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dedicated to: @honeykeigo @ohno-otome @keigobaby @saintdabi @toshidou @sawam0chi
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dancingamongstdust · 3 years
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Creepypasta Scenarios - First Meeting (Part 1)
Ben Drowned
You had promised, sworn on your very life, that you wouldn’t laugh. It was an oath. One to be taken very seriously.
“Using your hand to muffle the sound still counts as laughing.”
Part of you felt really bad but that made you snicker even harder. Your best friend, at the very least, did appear extremely shaken about the entire thing. She sat on the edge of the couch with her arms crossed. Dark bags had formed beneath her eyes and her attention seemed unable to stray from the Nintendo 64 that sat between you.
“I’m sorry,” you said. “But you have to understand how this sounds. You’re telling me that you’re being haunted by a literal video game.”
She pulled her legs to her chest. The amount of weight that she had lost recently couldn’t possibly be healthy. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Have you considered talking to a psychiatrist?” you offered. “Or perhaps selling this game?”
“He would kill me.”
You picked up the Nintendo 64 and stared at the main menu of the game. It looked pretty normal to you. You fiddled around with the settings to turn the music down. “I really think that talking to somebody about this would help.”
“That’s what you don’t understand,” she said. “I want to stop playing. I want to speak to people but all that he wants is for me to continue trying to beat the game. There’s no way to win! The entire thing is rigged!”
“Have you looked up a guide?”
She groaned. “Nobody’s going to listen to me.”
An awkward silence fell over the room and you shifted around in your seat before offering some coffee. She accepted but the kettle had barely been boiling for a few seconds when her phone chimed happily.
“Oh look, he wants to play now,” she muttered. She thrust the device to you. “Take a look for yourself.”
The notification had come through an app called CleverBot. It was a very simple ‘hi’ message that didn’t really seem all too haunting. You opened it up and clicked around the app for a little. “Looks like just a chatroom,” you said. “Why’d you download this?”
“I didn’t. I just woke up the one day and it was on my phone.”
You closed the app and returned to the home screen. It immediately reopened and the same message popped up again. An identical thing happened the second time. And then again.
“This looks like a virus,” you said. “It’s probably best to uninstall.”
Clicking on the button made the icon disappear for a short while but it was quick to reappear. This time, when the chatroom opened itself, the message had changed to simply say ‘rude’.
You pursed your lips. That was suspicious enough for you to understand her potential worries. “I don’t think that it’s haunted but you should probably take it to a professional to have it wiped or something. And maybe consider less porn in the future?”
Your joke fell flat but it died when the chatbot began typing. Not too long after, another message had come through.
‘I don’t hang out in such places.’
“Can…” you trailed off. “No, there’s no way that they’ve hacked the microphone, right?”
‘Don’t need to hack in to hear what you’re saying.’
The colour drained from your face and you quickly glanced towards your friend. She didn’t seem panicked, even when you showed her the message. If anything, her expression was resigned as though this was a regular occurrence.
You didn’t get too much time to respond when a horrible static sound came through her phone. The screen began flashing and blurry images raced across it. A distorted version of the Majora’s Mask theme song started playing. It felt like your ears were bleeding. Scared, you threw the phone to the floor and, with a shattering crack, everything stopped.
For a while, you stared at it but then she said, “He’s going to be pissed with that.”
There was a chime from somewhere on your right. Your own phone’s screen lit up. Nervously, you reached over to check on it.
A single notification stood there, from an app called CleverBot.
‘You Shouldn’t Have Done That.”
Bloody Painter
The park was busy this time of day and filled with an awaiting audience – whether they were interested in watching the performance or not. Many seemed to appreciate it though, taking the flyers handed out by your group.
It was nearing midday when you ran out of pamphlets. You stretched and pushed your hair away from your face, relishing in the feeling of sun against skin.
Your gaze drifted across the park’s patrons before settling on one that you had been watching since the beginning of your performance. He didn’t look up much. A sketchpad sat on his lap and tousled brown hair hung over his face. You hadn’t caught his attention once but he had certainly kept yours.
“Can you hand me another lot of flyers?” you asked one of the other girls with her.
She handed them over and you put on your best grin before making your way to the tree he was sitting under.
He looked up when your shadow fell over his sketchbook. His work was considerably abstract and nothing that you could identify with ease. There weren’t too many colors though.
“Hello!” you greeted cheerily. “I don’t mean to bother but what did you think of the show?”
He blinked up at you. “I didn’t see it.”
The man was a master of deadpan but you didn’t allow your smile to drop. You lowered the flyer and sighed, “That’s a shame. It’s so rare that we have attractive people at our shows… you should consider coming to our actual performances sometime. Everybody loves musicals.”
He didn’t even react to the compliment. No smirk or even a blush. It was as though you hadn’t spoken one word.
“I’ve seen your face before,” he said. “You do this kind of thing quite often. Don’t you get tired of people staring at you?”
You chuckled. “I wouldn’t be in this line of business if I was too self-conscious. When they stare for too long, I like to imagine that it’s because I’m the most beautiful person they’ve ever seen.” Running your fingers through your hair, you offered him your most dazzling smile. “And if you remember me, that’s a certain compliment.”
“You can take it whatever way you want but it doesn’t mean anything.”
It was tempting to give up. Flirting with cute boys was only entertaining when they responded with… something. This boy just stared.
“So you’re an artist, right? You’d have a good point of view on whether or not I’m actually pretty.”
“My opinions on people are rarely accurate.”
His response made you uncomfortable, though you couldn’t quite put your finger on why. Something of a warning twisted in your stomach. A light had lit behind his eyes but it didn’t seem like something you wanted to tie yourself to.
It appeared it was time to give up your pursuit. “Well, I really should get going. Perhaps I’ll see you at the next performance.”
His eyes drifted to the pamphlet that you held. “Were you planning on giving me that?”
“Offering it but you don’t have to –“
“I’ll take it,” he said, putting down his pencil and holding out his hand. “Your show wasn’t too entertaining but I enjoyed watching the performance you just put on. Rather like a peacock strutting its feathers.”
So he wasn’t oblivious then… just teasing. You had no idea if it showed his genuine interest or if he was merely taunting now.
With a slight scowl, you passed it over. He tucked it into his sketchbook and then closed it, standing up. He was scrawnier than you had anticipated but he still had a considerable height – holding at least a few inches over you.
“Thank you,” you said.
He left without another word. You rolled your eyes and made a point to ignore any thoughts about him for the rest of the day. Perhaps you shouldn’t have given him your information… after all, that flyer had your full name and everything.
And you knew absolutely nothing about him.
Candy Pop
Hospitals were the worst places in the world.
They smelled too clean and looked too false. You generally avoided them as much as possible unless it was absolutely necessary. When a close family member found themselves locked within the walls, unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to stay away.
You wrinkled your nose as you walked into the room. The sterilized smell burnt you.
Most of it was what you had expected but the young, child-like scream made you jump and nearly drop every gift you were holding.
Your aunt jumped up from her chair beside the hospital bed. “What’s wrong?!” she asked, fussing over your cousin.
She was barely over eleven and had badly injured her leg during a biking competition. Your mom had told you that everybody in the family was going to visit her, encouraging you to go together in order to drop off some gifts.
“I’m sorry,” the little girl said quickly. “I don’t like balloons and I thought… it doesn’t matter. Sorry.”
You moved them behind you a little, trying to block her line of sight. “No, no, I should have asked first. You could have been allergic to latex or something and then I’d be feeling really bad about it.”
“She’s been particularly on edge thanks to these awful nightmares,” your aunt explained.
“Nightmares?” you asked.
The little girl seemed pale at its mention, pulling her blanket up to her nose and watching everybody wearily. “They’re just bad dreams,” she said. “You said that they couldn’t hurt me.”
Her mother hurriedly rubbed her shoulder and offered a warm smile. “They definitely can’t,” she reassured.
“Are they about the fall?” you asked.
“Sometimes.”
You settled down in one of the chairs as your own mother began speaking to her sister. They were able to discuss everything from the colour of grass to what they thought would be the best country to live in. You weren’t particularly interested in what they were saying and, after a while of trying to chirp in, you just let the lack of sleep catch up to you.
Your dreams came to you quickly, faster than usual and sharp in an uncomfortable sort of way.
You found yourself standing in a large field. The sky was grey and the grass tall enough to reach your knees. Everything felt bright. It hurt your eyes to stare at anything for too long.
Normally, dreams didn’t feel as such, but you were certain that this was one. There was no purpose to where you were. No inclination to walk in a specific direction or try to understand what was happening.
Just confusion.
You took a step forward and a soft wind wrapped around you. It brushed through the grass, dancing around the trees. Something was watching.
You turned and two, glowing lights floated above the ground.
Slowly, mist gathered around the two spots. As you stepped back, it began to solidify – quickly forming a more recognisable shape. The figure tilted its head to the side and a slight jingling sound filled the air. It stepped forward then and the glow faded from its eyes, revealing just what stood before you.
He was a jester, though certainly more modern than the old king’s versions. Blue hair hung around his shoulders and his entire outfit jingled with hundreds of bells. A smile graced his face and he stepped forward.
You moved away.
His smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed. The mist appeared again and he vanished into it.
You looked around frantically. He was gone. The wind picked up unexpectedly, howling in your ears. You raised your hands to shield your face and something grabbed your wrist. Before you could turn to see, you hurdled away from the meadow and awoke spluttering for air.
“Are you alright?” your aunt asked.
In the corner of your eye, you swore you saw a blue jester but, when you turned to look, he was gone. “Yeah,” you said, rubbing your chest. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Your made eye contact with your cousin and swallowed thickly. The look on her face said it all.
Clockwork
Every night, without fail, you saw her sitting there when you arrived home from work.
She always wore the same thing and, initially, you had thought that she would play on her phone for hours at a time. It didn’t appear that she had a phone, however, as you came to realise. Whatever she was holding was circular and fit perfectly within the palm of her hand.
You mentioned it to the building manager the second time she was there until like two in the morning. He had said that they thought she was homeless but, as far as they could tell, she wasn’t dangerous. You reassured him that your worries weren’t about her presence due to any perceived problem but he had just nodded.
She never moved while she was waiting. Not even to adjust her weight or brush the hair from her face.
A few of your neighbours used the very eloquent reasoning that she was merely crazy.
Occasionally, you heard children from the area parroting their parents. Rumours abound that she was a ghost who would attack anybody if they spoke to her. You scoffed each time it was said but many believed the stories.
You were arriving home late one night when you spotted her sitting in the usual spot. It was strange for you to feel anything beyond exhaustion on the nights when hospital jobs ran too long but this time, a strange anticipation settled itself in your stomach.
“I’m sorry,” you said. “Are you okay?”
Her hair was dirty and her coat looked as though it hadn’t been washed for years. Now that you were close, you could make out what appeared to be dried blood on her shirt.
“Go away,” she said, shaking her head from side to side.
“I have medical experience,” you responded. “And I know some good places to stay in the area. I can –“
“Good for you,” she sneered. “Leave me alone. You’re going to make me miss it.”
The object she was holding was an old pocket watch. It looked like something you would find in an antique store and pay insane amounts of money for. Though, it didn’t appear to be working. The clock hands sat at a set time and didn’t move in the slightest.
“I want to help you if that’s okay,” you said.
She forced out a laugh that sounded as though it physically pained her. “You want to help me?!” she cackled, throwing her hair over her shoulder. “Isn’t that sweet.”
You stumbled away from her and clasped a hand over your mouth. Her face…
Her mouth was torn to pieces, jagged cuts that ripped through the skin there and had been crudely stitched back together. But that wasn’t the worst. No, the worst part of it was her left eye that had a pocket watch shoved into the socket and forcefully stitched there. The injury flared red with infection and pain.
“What’s wrong little doctor?!” she cawed. “No longer feeling like saving the poor girl you found on the side of the road?”
You steeled your resolve and straightened. “I’m still willing to offer help if you need it,” you said in your strongest voice. “That injury is severe and needs attending to if you want to save the eye.”
The eye was definitely gone and she knew it as well, scoffing at your offer. “No chance of that. Why do you people like pretending that you care?”
“I do care.”
She responded with a mocking expression and stood unexpectedly. “Sure you do.” She tapped the front of the pocket watch with her nail. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get to work. I nearly missed it thanks to your nagging. I’ll see you tomorrow, doctor.”
And she marched off into the night.
Dark Link
The vase that you were holding was beautifully polished and almost brand new. As you lifted it, something rattled around within.
“Why are you selling this for such a low price?” you asked.
The woman was middle-aged with a falsely high voice and bright, darting eyes. “It was a gift,” she said. “But I decided against keeping it. I wasn’t sure how low the price should be but it’s not like I’m losing any money.”
You decided against buying it, thanking her and walking away quickly. While you were looking through a few pieces of jewelry, your arm was grabbed and a small object pushed into your chest.
“Here you go!” you friend chimed. “Consider it to be a late birthday present!”
You took the game cartridge and examined it closely. “Zelda, again?” you asked. “I’ve already tell you that –“
“Yes, yes, I know that they’re not your thing but if you haven’t tried all the games then how are you meant to know there isn’t just one that you like?”
Sighing, you took the game and dropped it into your purse. It was dirty and definitely well used. A bit of black paint flaked off on your fingers.
Another game for you to keep in your cupboard and not look at again until months later when you were asked about your opinion on it. It wasn’t your fault that you didn’t have the console you needed and the simple answer of ‘just buy one for cheap’ wasn’t always available.
But in the coming weeks, you quickly realised that this wasn’t just another game.
At first, the things that went wrong were too minor to even pay attention to. Electronics started breaking frequently until the point where you had replaced your stereo twice in a week and no longer had a television. After that, you started feeling sickly and uncomfortable whenever you were in the house. A feeling of imposing nature settled upon your shoulders.
You spent more time away from home, staying away for as long as you could. When you tried to dogsit for your brother, the pup wouldn’t even enter the house.
It was late at night when you woke up in a cold sweat. Nausea coiled in your stomach and your heart was beating at the speed of light.
At first, you had no idea what had woken you.
And then you heard the rattling.
It was coming from the next room over. As though somebody had taken hold of your desk and was shaking it as roughly as they could.
You scrambled for your phone but it wasn’t there. It was sitting in your office.
You took a deep breath and slowly stepped from your bed. Your head felt fuzzy, as though you weren’t able to wake up properly. Every step was slow and lethargic.
Stumbling toward the door, you gingerly grabbed the handle. As you opened it, your mind caught up with your body and you remembered that you shouldn’t just burst in on a potential invader.
But it was too late.
The person, for it had to be a person, stood in the middle of the room. Its body was so dark that it blended in with the shadows surrounding it. Two bright red eyes shone, illuminating enough that it showed some of the creatures ashen features. It had sharp features that were definitely human. Though as you stared at it, you knew that it was anything but.
It smiled and began turning into small squares, pixelating into the air and disappearing into something behind it.
You flicked on the light as fast as you could but it was gone. Sitting in the middle of the desk, the black cartridge seemed to emit its own darkness.
Dr. Smiley
The building was beyond restoration, crumbling and derelict. You were sure that it hadn’t been occupied for at least a decade. Perhaps even longer.
For months now, you had been going through the motions to have everything approved and organised. You had gotten clearance, hired the workers, discussed things with any neighbours, and even paid extra for the best machinery to get everything done quicker.
And now they were refusing to do anything.
“I’m sorry, and I will compensate for the time wasted, but my men are saying no,” the on-site manager said. “I know you’re not from these parts but we’ve always known there’s something wrong with this building. Rumours and superstitions abound and I wouldn’t blame my men for not wanting to anger a ghost.”
“They’ll be pissing off something far worse than a ‘ghost’ if they continue refusing to even go in there,” you snapped.
He glanced towards his workers and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Once he left, you turned your attention to the house. Why anybody would have wanted a house in this location was beyond you but now that you had inherited it, you could see potential.
Although the entire place was probably crawling with all manners of disgusting flora.
Perhaps you could use that to get the health counsel to do the job for you.
They will still talking and you could see the weariness on their faces. Sighing, you stalked your way to the front door and pushed it open with one hand. It creaked with the effort.
You stood with your hands out towards the men. “I’m going to walk this entire house!” you called. “And if your ghost doesn’t accost me while I’m there, then I’m going to be expecting you to all get on with it, alright?”
Nothing immediately jumped at you when you entered. The door struggled to open and it swung shut on its own accord. If that was the haunting that they were talking about…
A roach skittered along the floor in front of you, darting under a derelict sofa stained with an unknown substance. Several of the windows had been broken so it wasn’t surprising to find that graffiti and markers had been used to etch various names into the walls.
You walked through a destroyed kitchen, passed a bedroom with a smashed crib, and even kicked open a door that led to a filthy storage room.
No ghost jumped out at you.
Problems started presenting themselves when you walked down one of the hallways and pushed open a bedroom door. The entire room felt set apart from the rest of the place with almost-new curtains that had been drawn shut. Blankets covered the bed, dirty but still there. You immediately thought somebody may be squatting there but your concerns changed when you noticed the wall.
Black mold. It crawled its way up the side, covering most of what had once been white wallpaper. You brought one hand up to shield your mouth and stepped out, slamming the door closed.
If there was an infestation then you had to get the health department immediately. This was –
Your thoughts were interrupted by something grabbing you. Panic filled your mind as a sharp weapon was pressed against your throat.
“Well now, I just know that you don’t have an appointment,” a voice said close to your ear. “I don’t like trespassers.”
Thinking on instinct, you threw your head backwards as hard as you could. There was a satisfying impact followed by a loud yelp of pain. The weapon around your throat moved away so you kicked the guy in the shin and bolted for it.
The house felt bigger while you were running but nobody came after you. You didn’t hear any footsteps or other sounds of a chase.
Bursting through the front door, you winced at the bright light. The house hadn’t seemed nearly that dark until compared to the outside.
You collided with one of the workers in your rush and nearly knocked everybody to the ground.
“What’s happened?”
“It was that ghost, I’m telling you.”
“We warned her, boss.”
You cleared your throat and straightened up, making eye contact with each man individually. “There is no ghost,” you said. “Only a squatter who I shall deal with using police force if needed. However, I do believe any construction will have to wait because I saw an excessive spread of black mold within the house.”
They all spoke amongst themselves, discussing options. You glanced back to the house and allowed your attention to find its way to the bedroom window. Though fleeting, a masked face peered out at you from within.
Eyeless Jack
In many ways, what happened that night was your boss’ fault.
Having just finished working a double shift that ended at almost 1 in the morning, you were exhausted upon returning home. You walked past the neighbouring apartment with only one thought on your mind – sleep.
It was then that you heard a thump coming from within the house, followed shortly by a muffled scream.
Tired, you had to pause to register what was happening and, by the time your brain caught up, your heart was in full-on panic mode. You slowly reached into your pocket and dialed the emergency number as slowly as you dared, whispering into the phone and being reassured that a police presence would be arriving shortly.
Your neighbour was a young man though, just out of rehab and beginning to make his way through life. The longer you stood and waited for the police, the guiltier you felt.
So you reached into the pot plant and pulled out his spare key. After a short while of building yourself up, you unlocked the door and crept inside.
It was dark with the outside world shrouded via heavy curtains. You could barely make your way through the unfamiliar apartment and you didn’t dare turn on the light. Damn, you were extremely tired.
Part of your brain suggested that you had imagined the whole thing. It was a byproduct of a sleep-addled mind or something. That would be embarrassing to explain to the police and to your neighbour. Would you get charged for breaking and entering or could you blame it on your tiredness?
Your doubts didn’t get much further than that because somebody grabbed you from within the room.
A horrible iron-filled scent attacked your senses as you took in the bedroom. It looked like your neighbour was tied to the bed though he wasn’t moving. Somebody stood behind you, their breathing heavy and their grip strong.
They pushed your wrist closer to your back, preventing you from wriggling free of their grip. A blade, small and yet sharp, pressed against the side of your throat.
“Trying to play the hero, are we?” snarled a voice. “Have you called the cops?”
The blade pressed against your skin and you quickly spat out a yes.
“Probably right before you came in, if not earlier… I’d have enough time to kill you but then you’d be an absolute waste. Nowhere to stash a body around here and they’d comb the entire area if you were missing…”
“I didn’t mean –“
You were shoved forward before you had a chance to react. In the dark, you couldn’t make anything out and you hit the wall unexpectedly. Now, far enough away, you turned and tried to make out the face of your assailant. He melded in with the shadows and you ran your fingers along the wall until you found a light switch.
The lights flickered on and you gasped.
He wore a dark blue mask, a black ooze dripping from the eye sockets and onto his hoodie. There was no reaction to the lights. Not even a blink.
“Don’t you want to beg for your life?” he asked. “The other one pleaded nearly constantly until I shut him up.”
“You killed him…”
“He isn’t dead, just unconscious,” the man scoffed. “I try to avoid killing them, if I’m able to.”
“The police will be here soon,” you warned.
“Oh I know. That’s the only reason that I’m leaving this very minute.” He made his way over to the window, never turning to stop facing you. The bedroom window slipped open without a sound and he began climbing out. “I’d keep my doors locked if I was you. Plenty of unsavory characters live in these parts.”
And just like that, he was gone.
Glitchy Red
Your younger cousin squealed excitedly, holding the game to her chest in joy. “I love it so much!” she said. “I can’t believe I used to think Pokémon was for babies. At first when the music randomly cut out, I did think it was super weird but I’ve gotten used to it now.”
“I don’t think it’s meant to do that,” you chuckled. “But cheap versions, you know?”
It was good to see that your last-minute gift hadn’t gone to waste. You had been worried that the present’s fun would be lost on your video game-hating cousin but she had actually decided to give the game a shot. Now you had somebody in the family to speak to which was extraordinarily exciting.
“What are you meant to say to Red when he asks you whether or not he’s a joke?” she aske unexpectedly. “I know that if you say no, he goes away, and I’ve been too scared to try the other option.”
You frowned. “I don’t actually remember that part of the game.”
“Really? But it happens so often.”
When she realised that you really hadn’t encountered anything like that in the game before, she told you to wait a minute and came back with her game.
“There was one around here,” she said, loading in. “Just give me a second and I’ll find it.”
You stayed much later than you had originally intended to that night. The two of you played through a lot of the game, waiting for the moment when Red would break the fourth wall and demand to know about your opinions on him.
It never came.
The game ran incredibly smoothly. It was quite odd. There weren’t any hiccups along the way nor horror-style glitches. The music didn’t even cut off which was apparently rare accourding to your cousin.
After a while, she sighed and handed it to you. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why it’s not breaking. I’ll go make us some food.”
You continued playing while she was gone, enjoying the memories that came with the game. It was as fun as you remembered until about five minutes after she left. The music just shut off unexpectedly and, no matter what you did, it refused to come back at all. Any other sound effects worked fine though.
“So you’re just programed to break when only one person’s in the room?” you joked.
Perhaps that was a bad choice.
Unexpectedly, a loud static erupted from the console, so ear-aching that it felt like your ears began to bleed. The game took on a horrible red tint and Red appeared on the screen, a dialogue box appearing beneath his blackened form.
AM I A JOKE TO YOU?
Horrified, you immediately shut down the game and threw the cartridge as far away from you as possible. You raced at full speed into the kitchen, nearly knocking several things over along the way.
“You have got to throw that game,” you wheezed.
“What? Why?” she asked.
“There is something really fucked up with that game…” you said. “That thing with Red is absolutely not meant to happen. It felt like he was staring into my soul. You have to throw it out the moment you can. I will buy you another one but do not keep that.”
“Oh, alright,” she said, seemingly confused but nowhere as shaken as you were.
A faint static came from the living room, sending shivers down your spine.
Hobo Heart
Tears flowed down your face despite your best attempts to remain composed. “I’ve known for a while now,” you managed to say.
Your ex-boyfriend seemed shocked, though not entirely upset about your admission. “How long –“
“Since last week,” you said. “Though I’ve heard it’s been going on for considerably longer.”
He shifted his weight and took a deep breath. You recognised this behavior from the past, already hearing the words you knew were coming. The apologies and the false regret, the promises about not doing it again, and then the eventual guilt-tripping. If you heard the latter, you weren’t sure your resolve would hold.
“Goodbye,” you said firmly.
“Wait!”
You ignored the calls, making your way home at a steady place. A few people offered you concerned looks so you rubbed away the tears and took a few deep breaths.
Several months of your life had been completely wasted. You had put so much time and energy into a person who didn’t care one ounce about you.
Just great.
You turned onto your street and made your way to the house across from your own. The woman who lived there was always busy and she only came home to feed her dog before disappearing again. Thankfully, she trusted you to spend time with Bruno.
Bruno came racing over to the gate and jumped up for head scratches. He was a beautiful Afghan Hound with a dark coat and bright eyes.
“At least I know that you’ll always be by my side,” you said, running his fingers through the dog’s fur.
A tear slipped out and you quickly rubbed it away. You dug around in your bag and took out a couple treats, offering him.
A second bark brought your attention to the street.
Standing there, a small white dog with a scruffy coat stared up at you. It looked friendly enough and, after cautiously checking it out, you crouched down and gave it a treat.
“Hello,” you cooed. You gave the pup a few scratches and smiled. “How are you doing, hm? No collar? But you must have an owner because your coat is all groomed and soft. Did you get out or slip your leash?”
You looked around the streets to see if anybody. Nobody jumped out so you gave the dog another treat and brought it into the garden with Bruno to protect it from cars.
The two barked and played with little issue and you messages friends and family about the events of the day.
It was about half an hour later when the air was starting to get chilly. You stood and the small scruffy dog began barking excitedly. Its tail whipped through the air and it jumped up against the fence. A man wearing a white hoodie was standing down the street. You glanced at the dog, scooped it up and made your way to where he was.
“Excuse me,” you said. “I think that I found your dog.”
He turned to look at you and you startled slightly at his rather unusual face paint. A white skull was painted onto his face, similar to something you would see at a college convention.
He glanced down at the happy dog and sighed. “So that’s where he got to.”
“I’m sorry if you were looking for him. I took him off the street to protect him from any cars or anything.”
“It’s fine. He always shows up eventually,” the guy said. “You can just put him down. He’ll follow me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Then he turned and started walking away. You hurriedly put the dog down and it immediately bounded after him, falling into step directly beside him. They disappeared around a corner and you returned to your own house.
The day had gotten much warmer suddenly.
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witchesofferngrove · 3 years
Note
Hi, I hope you're feeling better! If you're still taking prompts, maybe you can do 35 (grabbing the other's hand to pull them back to them) + 13 (frustrated kisses) for C. You're an amazing author and your characters are amazing.
Cora/Colton Calloway + grabbing the other's hand to pull them back to them + frustrated kisses!
_
"C'mon babe, let me buy you a drink," the person slurs in your ear, leaning far too close to you than your comfort levels allow. You can feel their hot breath on your neck, the stench of alcohol oozing all over your face.
You wrinkle your nose and force a polite smile. "Really, I'm fine. I'm just waiting for a friend."
The person leans in even further, almost knocking their head against yours, and you swing back just in time before collision. You desperately search the bar for C, eyes scanning every single passerby. They must be here soon, right? They text 'almost there' 10 minutes ago. Where are they?
"Clearly they don't appreciate you, babe," they slur again, trying to throw their arm around you, but you expertly manoeuvre your way out of the gesture and put out a careful hand to keep some distance between the two of you. "The name's Riley. Let me take care of you."
You check your phone for the 6th time to see if C has sent a text or anything. Nothing. You look up to face your current leach with another, forced smile. "That was them sending the text, I should really--"
But you don't get a chance to leave the encounter before their hand clamps around your bicep, pulling you back towards them. "C'mon, babe," Riley coos, setting your hair standing on edge.
That's how it's going to be then? You grit your teeth, feeling the familiar tug of magic in your gut. Let's see how you like this.
A definite spark of heat erupts in your free hand, it runs like a fever in your veins, lighting up your insides with a satisfying fire. You raise your hand.
"Let them go," a voice growls, and you twist around to find C towering behind you, something... different in their expression. Something dark. Something you haven't ever seen before.
"Get lost," Riley snarls back, though under the pressure of C's glare, they relent and release their hand from your arm. You jolt back, ripping away from their presence as soon as you're able. "You clearly weren't missing them. Now they're spending the night with me."
"What about any of that exchange before told you they want to spend even a millisecond of time with you?" The smile that stretches across C's pink lips isn't friendly, and it isn't their usual crooked grin, either. No, C smiles and it's feral. A predator staring their prey right in the eye. C takes a step toward Riley, towering over the other, and Riley drops their gaze to the floor, then back to yours, before setting their sights to the bartender.
"Would you like me to point out just exactly how repulsive you are?" C grabs Riley's bicep when they try to walk away from them and yanks them back. Panicked, Riley sends a look your way, a deer caught in the headlights--or more precisely, exactly between C's unhinged jaw--before trying to desperately jerk away from C's steel grip. "Huh, so you don't like it when someone grabs you and won't let go?" C clicks their tongue, and you can see their grip tightening around Riley's arm, their fingers digging into their skin. "Funny, since you were just doing that to my friend."
"They get it, C," you mutter, eager to not let the night end with C getting arrested over a bar fight. You grab their arm to tug them away from Riley, but they remain rigid in place. Damn all that training. "Let's just go. C, let's go."
But C ignores you, leaning closer to Riley's ear. "C'mon babe," they sneer, echoing the words Riley said to you not even 5 minutes ago, "let me take care of you."
Riley's eyes are wide in their head. It seems even the alcohol in their bloodstream doesn't stop them from seeing just how much they fucked up. "I get it, I'm sorry. Look, I'm sorry." They turn to you desperately. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Just--just let me go, alright?"
"C," you say, trying to pull them away from Riley again. "Let them go! They get it. Let's actually enjoy our night and leave that lowlife."
C momentarily meets your eye and sighs, nodding. The smirk drops from their lips as they shove Riley away from them, sending them reeling to the floor. "Get the fuck out of here and never come back."
Riley scurries away, promises falling out of their lips as they rush to the door of the bar, glancing back at you and C every few seconds to make sure you're not following.
You don't. Instead, C turns to the bartender and orders your drinks, knowing all your favourites off by heart. But whereas C returns to wearing their crooked grin, their posture once again relaxed, you can't help but feel... irked.
Folding your arms across your chest, you raise an eyebrow at them when they sneak a glance your way.
"What?" they ask, taking a seat at the bar. "They didn't have your favourite drink, I know. This one's just as good though."
"That is not it," you mutter back, rolling your eyes. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"
C pauses, their eyebrows furrowing. "I'm confused."
"What's confusing you?" you ask, feeling the bitterness on your tongue as the words leave your lips. "You just had to stroll in here, my knight in shining armour. You loved scaring that person, loved feeling like you were there for me."
"They were a creep," C says slowly. "I don't understand your problem."
"My problem," you all but shout, "is that you think you can stroll in here after 8 years and we can pick up right where we left off. That you think it's all good between us. That you can come in and protect me like I'm yours. Well I'm not!" You take a deep breath, your heart hammering like war drums against your ribs. You stare into C's pale grey eyes, something like regret shimmering in those stormy depths. But you ignore the butterflies unfolding in your stomach, swallowing hard. "You lost that privilege a long time ago. I'm doing just fine without you. I don't need you protecting me."
There's a long pause as C stares at you and you stare at them. It feels like there's a rope, a noose, tied around both your necks, getting tighter and tighter. It feels like your lives are tied to each other's, even if neither of you want it. Like if one of you chokes, the other will too.
"Well?" you ask finally, unable to stand the silence much longer.
"Well?" they echo back, raising an eyebrow in response.
You groan, throwing your hands in the air in frustration. "Well, say something!"
"What do you want me to say?" they ask, never once breaking eye contact with you. You can feel your heart in your throat, throbbing like it wants to beat out of your body.
"Something!" You exclaim back, feeling the frustration mounting again. "Anything."
"I've already explained to you why I left and why I had to cut contact," they say calmly, as if they have rehearsed this very argument in the mirror every morning. "You know everything. I've said all there is to say. This part's up to you."
You take a deep breath, trying to calm the raging blood in your veins. You can feel electricity humming underneath your skin--the rage in your body responding to the magic like a moth to a flame. They haven't changed, not a single bit. They're still the same unbelievably frustrating, irritating, argumentative little shit they were when you were best friends in high school. Except now they don't even have the decency to get angry during your arguments.
"You're unbelievable, you know that?" you say, shaking your head and releasing your arms to stab a finger into their chest.
They take a step towards you, their breathing slow and steady. This close you can smell the mint on their breath, the scent of fresh laundry of their fancy, clean clothes. You didn't even note that they put in effort for tonight, but for some reason, the idea of their freshly pressed shirt and the spritz of perfume in the air suddenly makes your mouth dry.
"Am I?" they ask, their voice surprisingly soft, as they lean in closer so you can hear them over the sound of music and chattering voices in the background. C is close enough now that you can see the specks of blue in their grey eyes, the rough edges of the scar above their top lip.
"Yes," you manage to force through your lips, though you swallow hard as you glance into their eyes again. You're angry at them, you remind yourself, folding your arms across your chest again. "You know exactly what you're doing."
C's lips twitch at the corner into the barest smirk, and they lean even closer towards you. "And what am I doing?"
You're angry, you insist, you're angry, you're angry, you're--
Staring into C's eyes again. Their lips are close enough to yours that if you just tilted your head they would touch, you would taste the mint on their breath, feel the soft press of their mouth on yours, you could tangle your fingers into their blonde curls, tug on them in a way you can't help but think they'd like.
"You're infuriating," you mutter, but there isn't any force behind the words. All you can think about is their arms wrapped around you, their hands on your skin. All you can think about is them. "And utterly unforgiveable."
C tilts their head, their lips brush against yours. "I'm sorry you feel that way," they whisper, and then their mouth is on yours, first soft, slow, but then C's tongue trails along your bottom lip, and you move your lips together. Hard, and fast. You unfold your arms and wrap them around their neck, moving your hands into their hair.
You tug a little harder than you'd like to admit, but C moans softly into your mouth, and you pull them closer. C pushes you against the bar, their hands travelling underneath your top, digging into your skin hungrily.
Because C Calloway truly is infuriating.
And they never like to lose an argument.
_
Hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for the kind words!
- Tori
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raggaraddy · 3 years
Text
Sugar Daddy turned sour
Request: Hi!!!! read all of ur works its all amazing cant believe ur new.. can i request for a yan sugar daddy taehyung x reader x yan sugar daddy jungkook. they found out that that y/n have 2 sugar daddies and they lost their sanity(as if they even have that)...Thank u and YOU GOOD,KEEP GOING💜💞💞💞💞😘😁
A/N: I don't know how to post a reply to a personal message yet because I am new and Tumblr deficient 😅 But I hope you like the scenario ^-^ thanks for the request 💜
Here for Part 2
Summary: Juggling two guys and getting everything you want from them has always been easy for you, and Taehyung and Jungkook are no exception. Or so you thought.
Trigger warnings: Mentions of non-con, assault, cheating, violence.
Yandere! Taehyung
Yandere! Jungkook
Sunday.  Taehyungs day.  
You open your webcam, checking your eyeliner quickly in the startup view as you wait for the Tae to pick up on the other side. He pops up quickly a beaming smile filling his face.  
“Y/n! Baby, I’ve missed you.” He’s radiant. As happy and as bubbly he always is. 
You go along listening to him excitedly run through his past few days, telling you everything in excruciating detail as he jumps from one half-finished thought to another. He may be an adult but he certainly has a young soul. The whole while you feign attention, your fingers continually fidgeting with the diamond necklace or the matching bracelet he had sent you a few weeks back.
“How was your weekend?”  He finally gets around to asking. 
“Not so good. I always have to work so much," You complain, batting your eyes at the camera.  
“You could always quit and come live with me.” He jokes-but not really. It’s a topic he has raised 3 times already.  And you have the same answer ready as always. 
“Daddy, you know I’m a strong and independent woman. I could never let someone else pay for me.” You pout, running your tongue over your lower lip while pushing your chest up a little to draw attention.  “It’s just my rent is so expensive. I feel like I work just to pay the bills.” 
In truth, your rent is already being covered by someone else.  But he doesn’t need to know that. 
While you continue to run through the fabricated details of your weekend, Taehyung is distracted, looking down at his phone.  You know what's happening. It’s like a game. And you’re winning. Your banking app sends a notification, letting you know that K. Taehyung has just sent you a payment. 
You open it up. Yep. That's rent for the month.  Or more, money for that new TV you wanted.  
“Oh! Daddy, noo.” You whine down the camera. “You can’t.  I am okay. Really. Please don’t spend your money on me.” You frown if only to stop the smile that is fighting to fill your face. 
“I want to baby. I have the money, and I just want you to be happy. Don’t stress about bills okay. I’m here.” 
Sometimes, it’s almost too easy.  
“Okay Daddy, if you insist.”
Tuesday.  Jungkooks day.  
With Jungkook it’s a much more straightforward transaction.  He has said he wants to pay for you and he hates the back and forth pretences.  He just wants you to say thank you, smile pretty, and give him all your attention.  
“Do you need anything more for the week?” He asks through the camera.
“No Daddy, you take such good care of me. Thank you.” You smile. 
“You still have the weekend of the 14th off?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively.  Off-screen you quickly scan through your calendar.  
14th, 15th and 16th: Jk weekend.  
Hmm, that came up quicker than you expected. You try to keep your booty calls with them as far apart as possible. 
“Of course, I’m so excited! I haven’t seen you in weeks.” You say, it been less than 100% truthful.
“Months.” He corrects with a surreptitious undertone.  
“Where are we staying this time?” 
You always insist to stay in hotels. Because ‘your apartment feels too busy and mundane, and you want the time you spend with him to be magical and undistracted’. Honestly, you just don’t want him, either of them, in your personal space. You purposefully chose boys who live a few hours away.  It’s hard enough to keep them separated in your everyday life with them being far away. It could only get messy for them to know where you live and how to reach you in person.
You’ve certainly gotten smart at this. Arranging the two men into different days of the week, scheduling them into your calendar to keep them apart and unaware of the other. Both had specifically said very early on that they do not want to share you with anyone else.  And that you were all theirs. And while both of them seemed to trust you, you knew their reactions would be unpleasant, to say the least, if they found out about the other. 
Sugar Daddies can be so possessive. 
But while both these men are very handsome, money is better and more reliable than boys. And if they are stupid enough to spend it all on you, why should you care.
The week passes quickly and it’s the 14th.  Once more you find yourself in the lobby of a 5-star hotel. Jungkook arrived in town early and sent you a message with the room number. 
Time to actually work for your money. 
You knock on the door only to find it slightly open.  Entering there is a trail of rose petals lining the floor leading into the suite. All the lights are dimmed with a warmth of candlelight filling the room. This is so typically Jungkook. Pulling out all the stops to try to impress. 
Dropping your bag at the entrance, you close the door behind you and explore inwards.  
“Daddy?” You call out in a singsong voice. Your heels clack on the tiled floor as you round the corner into the living room. Jungkook is sitting on the lounge, one leg crossed over the other, arms rested up over the back. You smile at seeing him. You always seem to forget just how stunning he is in person. 
“Which one of us are you referring to?” A deep voice startles you from behind. You jolt, spinning to see Taehyung standing behind you leaning against the wall.  
Holy fuck. 
Your mind starts to jumble through what is happening. Thinking about what it was that might have given you away. Evaluating how much they may know. And planning your next move.  
Damn it.  You doubt you’ll be able to smooth talk your way out of this with Jungkook. He’s too direct and absolute. So you’ll just have to accept that that relationship is over. However, you might be able to salvage this situation with Taehyung if you play your cards right. Being defensive should do the trick.
“What is this?” You snap, keeping focused on Taehyung. “This is such a violation of my privacy! You keep smothering me Taehyung! See this is why I tried to find someone else to hang out with.” You stomp your foot. He would always wrap around your finger so quickly with the little girl act. 
“Ha!” He blurts out a short laugh in contradiction to how you expected him to react. “Wow. No, go on. I want to see where this is going.” 
“Do you think we only just found out about each other?” Jungkook pipes up, coming from the couch. 
You sigh. You had almost saved enough for a holiday to the Maldives too. But they seem to know too much. Fine. You can burn both relationships. They were starting to get too clingy anyway.  “Whatever.” You roll your eyes. You got all you could from them. Time to move on to the next.
As you shrug them off, Taehyung steps into the path of the front door. 
“Where do you think you’re going?” Both he and Jungkook start to close in tighter. There is a cold tone to his words. Something far too close to a threat for your comfort. Even in heels, both men naturally stand taller than you which usually wouldn’t bother you. But with an unsteadiness to your footing and a very short dress on, in a dark room with two men you have used and spurned, you are feeling even more vulnerable than you feel you should. 
“Move.” You order. 
A smirk on his lips, Taehyung lifts his hand up and backhands you, knocking you back a few stumbled steps. You gasp, your hand clinging to your cheek, eyes wide in shock. He starts forward, Jungkook intervening, standing between the two of you. 
You can not believe he just hit you! He has never done anything like that before.
“No, don’t do that.” He stops Taehyung as he starts to swing again.  Shaking all over, you’re relieved that one of them is seeing sense.  You take the outstretched hand of Jungkook, lip trembling from the burn on your cheek. He draws you closer and you wrap into him for protection. In the same motion, his free hand swings down punching you in the stomach, doubling you over, dropping you to the floor. “If you hit her head, she might get spaced out. I want her to feel this.”
His words send a chill down your spine. This can not be happening.
“Are you crazy!” You gape, trying to speak while gulping down air. Your head is dizzy, your lungs burning.  Kicking off your heels for better movement, you climb back up to your feet not wanting to engage either man. Eyes focused you look past Taehyung to the door, storming forward. “I’m leaving. We’ll forget all of this, okay.” You bargain through short, panicked breath. 
Taehyungs large hand slams you into the wall, pressing his palm against your shoulder. He follows Jungkooks lead, pounding his fist into your gut. And then again. And again.  His hold removes letting you free and you plummet to the ground, crying within broken huffs while cradling your battered torso. 
“You’re right. That is better.” He laughs at Jungkook. 
“Stop!” You beg, unable to raise your voice above a soft yelp. 
“What's wrong baby? You wanted two men. Now you have them.” Taehyungs bright smile returns to his face. This time with an entirely different meaning than it had ever had until it shifts into a straight, harsh look that you have never seen from him. “Didn't you always say you wished there was some way you could repay me?” 
“You said that to me too.” Jungkook joins his side, both hovering above you, trapping you between them, the wall, and the floor. 
Leaning down Jungkooks hand follows you as you squirm away from him. His fingers wrapped around your throat and lift you up, keeping you against the wall. He takes advantage of you being stuck, leaning into you pressing his lips to yours as you resist as much as you can. 
“Baby, you’re going to pay us back for every dollar we spent on you.” He snarls. 
Taehyung turns your face to him, also forcing a kiss on you. “Don’t worry, Y/n, you’ll see that we know how to share.”  
Part 2
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482 notes · View notes
melo-yello · 3 years
Text
💤Can’t Sleep💤 w/ 💥🪨KiriBaku🪨💥 HeadCanons
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Pairing(s): KiriBaku X black!reader, Eijirou Kirishima X Katsuki Bakugou X black!reader
A/N: fluff and ANGST. Like lots of ANGST. I had a rough week and honestly not very much sleep. What can I say. Sue me, I wanna hug and somebody to watch a movie with.
💤💥🪨 Lay on your stomach opening and closing your eyes as you try and convince yourself to sleep. Kirishima snores softly with an arm around Bakugou’s waist. He’s been pretty stressed lately so he gets to be middle spoon. Baku in turn has an arm draped over your shoulders.
💤💥🪨 The soft and peaceful looks on the boys’ faces are nothing but safe and warm and reassuring . Yet here you are unavailable to close your eyes long enough to drift off to sleep. Each time you close your eyes your heart attempts to tear a whole through your chest. The dim red light of the clock reads 2:56 as you slip out of Baku’s embrace for a glass of water
💤💥🪨 You settle on Jasmine tea instead. Quietly pulling a the kettle from the cabinet and turning on the tap just before placing it on the stove. You busy yourself in your phone in order to banish any form of thought from your head. Soon just blankly browsing through TikToks as you wait for the water to boil
💤💥🪨 The hair on the back of your neck stands at attention as you hear heavy footsteps and the creaking of the bedroom door. Short angry grumbles are traded with deep groggy grunts as the footsteps close in on your position. You glance up to see the time is now 3:22 and you hear the kettle whistling for the first. Mostly likely what woke your boyfriends to begin with. You scowl at the kettle.
💤💥🪨 “fuck you.” you curse under your breath snatching up the kettle to quiet it’s shouting as the two set of red eyes fix on you in the dim light of kitchen. Kiri’s long red hair pulled back into a messy plat, and Baku’s fluffy ash blonde sticking out in all directions except for the right side flatten to the side of his skull
💤💥🪨 “Oí, Chuchu Soul, do you have any idea what time it is?!!” Baku squints tiredly placing a hand on his hip. “That’s actually a good one.” You giggle surprised by his creativity. “I know right?! And they used to call him uncreative.” Kirishima smirks between a yawn. “ Well?” Bakugou’s features don’t change. More likely mad that he’s awake at this ungodly hour than anything else. “Was it another panic attack, Pebble?” Kiri questions walking to rest his hand on your lower back. You don’t acknowledge his soft gesture and busy yourself with pouring the newly hot water into your large mug with it’s awaiting tea bag.
💤💥🪨 “Run that shit back, Eiji?!? When was this?” Bakugou’s foggy apathetic sleepiness raises to concerned confusion . You curse under your breath for the third time tonight. Kiri racks his tired brain for an explanations as he trades tired glances between the temperamental blonde and the vaguely suspicious one blowing at tea. “Pebble you didn’t tell him about Friday Night?” He frowns looking down at you. “...i forgot...” you whisper sipping the overly hot tea and burning your tongue. Hell you wouldn’t have told him either, but he was right beside you when it happened.
💤💥🪨 That Friday night. You couldn’t speak. You stood in a dark room. Small and cramped. No windows. No doors. Just glowing ink on one wall in barely legiable font. Prove It. As soon as you touched the lettering it went blood red and the water began to pool at your feet. You begin to lose your composure trying to find an exit. In seconds the water is at your waist. Then your neck. Then the ceiling. Like that you’re choking and sputtering trying to find. The walls go translucent. Larger than life figures with unmistakable silhouettes and Pro hero customs hold your box in each hand. You bang tight fists to gain their attention. Your blood mixes with the water and you could barely breath. You thrashed across the sheets desperately trying to snatch yourself from your current nightmare. Suddenly Kiri shaking you awake and he’s coaching you into breathing again.
💤💥🪨 The memory of utter helplessness washes over you all over again. You sigh in frustration as tears pool at the corner of your eyes. “Come here, Pebs.”
💤💥🪨 Without another word, Kiri scoops you up bridal style and takes a seat on the couch placing you in his lap. Baku takes the seat next to him gently taking the hot tea from your trembling hands. You hadn’t even realized they were shaking until you touched his steady ones. “Babes, we hafta talk about this. Including Friday, this makes 3 days of shitty sleep. That’s not good or sustainable, Knucklehead.” Bakugou sighs placing the mug on the coffee table before wiping away a tear rolling down your cheek.
💤💥🪨 “It’s not like I don’t wanna do better, Kats. Eiji. I’m just...” you trail off mid explanation. You clasp fingers over your soft lips. Opening twice to speak, but only croaks come out. You try very hard to find a tangible reason for your reluctance to sleep, but there were none. Kiri squeezes your shoulders reassuringly and plants a gentle kiss on the top of your bonnet.
💤💥🪨 “We know you’re trying, love. It’s ok to be scared sometimes. Even the resident hardass, Katsuki still gets nightmares.” Kiri offers doing his best to let you ride these feelings out while comforting you as well. “Yea.”Baku’s grip tightens at the mention of his own nightmares before leaning his head on your legs
💤💥🪨 “I just can’t trust it ok! It’s scary. I’m panicking in sleep now?!! I’m only getting worse and now I crying about. FUCK! I’m just a scared bitchy crybaby who can’t sleep.” You sigh overwhelmed by all the physical closeness and their consistent and unwavering support. You mentally kick yourself for the not realizing sooner that you trusted them enough to hurt like this in front of them. There’s something that unnerves you about that. Tears streaming at full force at this piont
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💤💥🪨Kiri holds you firmly to chest tucking your shaking form under his chin. Baku moves to wrap an embrace overlapping Kiri’s arms. “Just let it all out, Babygirl.” He hums leaning his head on your shoulder. Your chest tightens and your fingers curl into angry fists. Suddenly your frighteningly fierce temper rears it’s ugly head.
💤💥🪨 “No no no NO! Stop It! STOP ACTING SO NICE! STOP ACTING LIKE I DESRVE THIS! BE DISAPPOINTED! BE UPSET!! TELL ME TO TRY HARDER! TELL ME TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF! TELL ME IT’S EASY! REALLY EASY! BE ANGRY I’M FUCKING IT ALL UP! BLAME ME! I BLAME ME! I blame me... I blame me for not being...better.” You fume trying to push them away. You do your best to squirm out of their gentle comfort and tender embrace your lovers have you wrapped in. Neither one of your boys moves. “No way, Pebs.” Kirishima says resolutely. “Not a fucking chance, Teddy.” Bakugou nods with the same unchanging confidence. The rage in your chest melts as fat tears and roll down your brown cheeks.
💤💥🪨 A heaving and broken sob racks your entire body as you fall apart in their arms. Anger subsides into terrified uncertainty and overwhelming futility settles in its place. Tears and mucus flood down your face and soak Kiri’s t-shirt. Sniffles from above draws you out of the dark thoughts swarming around you. Surely enough tears drip slowly down Kiri’s cheeks. Instinctively you cup his face with trembling hands. “...Sorry.. I’ll be strong...just gimme a sec” he mutters as his broad shoulders slump and he moves to bat away the falling droplets. Bakugou grabs his hand and kisses it while wiping the red head’s face. “Eijirou, you don’t have to. Not right now” You sputter between choppy breaths.
💤💥🪨 His usually unwavering features muddy with insecurity. A fairly uncommon expression for someone so death defyingly optimistic and confident. “But it’s what I’m good at. If I can’t be strong for the people I love most then what good am I?” He retorts apathetically tightening his grip as the tears still trickle. You slink an arm around his hips, and place your face to his chest. “Bullshit. You’re plenty strong enough for us, Eijirou. Stop being so hard headed!” Bakugou raves putting a hand behind his neck and his forehead against his for emphasis before continuing, “You’re allowed to feel more than one thing. You are complex and unique and fearless and fearful all in one. You’re human, Eiji. It’s ok.”
💤💥🪨 “Katsuki, you’re so compassionate and kind.” You hum softly and absentmindedly almost. You don’t know why this observation came but it just feels right. Eiji smiles leaning in the blonde’s embrace. “Honestly Kats, you love remarkably deep and painfully unselfishly. Thank you.” Kiri hums kissing his cheek and you do the same. Hot little tears rest at the corners of his dark red eyes. Most of the public thinks he’s some kind of angry asshole devoid of any softer emotions. Comments on your relationship often criticized Katsuki for snagging partners ‘much nicer than he deserved’. And just like that you are scooting over to make room for Bakugou in Kiri’s lap. 
💤💥🪨 “Such a shitty little week.” Baku sighs with misty eyes. There’s a small comfort in the collective collapse washing over the three of you. All of you holding the hurt from the others in hopes it would just fizzle away like a bad dream. It didn’t. You sob, Kiri sniffles, and Baku lets two hot tear slip from his glassy eyes. None of you break contact with each other. Your fingers linked with Kiri and Baku’s in the opposite hand. A head glued affectionately onto the red head’s broad shoulder. After what seems like a lifetime and you can’t cry anymore and feeling a surprising amount of relief sinks onto you, you clear your throat.
💤💥🪨 “Wanna watch How to Train a Dragon?” You rasp with tired and strained vocal chords. “I’ll get the popcorn.” Kiri sighs kissing each of you on the cheek as he ushers you both out of his lap. He sashays into the kitchen to find a bowl and the popcorn. Baku stands handing you your cool tea as he grabs the remote. Flipping decisively through Amazon Prime, he queues up the movie as he settles onto the far side of the couch to lay out fully. You sip contently tucking your knees to your chest so you can press the soles of your feet into his. “That tickles.” Bakugou deadpans wiggling his own toes. Soft giggles flutter out of your chest.
💤💥🪨 Kiri strolls back in the room with two large bowls of popcorn and a blanket on each arm. He bows presenting them to their proper owners. Movie theater butter for Baku and kettle corn for you two to share. You sit your now empty mug on the coffee table as Kiri retakes his original spot and you settle comfortably into his lap cocooning you both in a cozy weighted blanket. Baku draped in a light throw typically the first to complain about being hot. The DreamWorks title sequence floats across the screen, and wave of peacefulness falls over the tired trio. Less then five minutes in, you and Bakugou snore quietly as Kiri’s heavy eyelids fight to watch the next couple scenes
495 notes · View notes
drxwsyni · 3 years
Text
Paths That Lead Home
Yandere Fae!Tooru Oikawa x f!Reader
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Synopsis: In returning home for a family reunion, you’re rescued from being lost in the expansive forest behind town forever. The saviour who calls himself Tooru offers to help you make it through the night of awkward small talk and prying relatives, only for a small thing from you in exchange.
a/n: This is my part for the Lovesick server’s October collab, with the theme of Monsters & Mythical Creatures! Be sure to go give the other super awesome stories in this collab a read!!
5.2k words
Warnings + Themes: Dubcon (w/ praise, dry humping, oral [receiving]), alcohol use, stalking, implied captivity, predatory behaviour.
_____
“Have you settled down with anyone yet, dear?”
“How are your studies coming?”
“My, you look exhausted―are you getting enough sleep?”
“Have you been taking care of yourself?”
“Sweetheart, if you’d like I can introduce you to a few people―you’ve got a beautiful personality.”
• • •
God, you hated family reunions.
Somehow your relatives always managed to be so blissfully unaware at the way their words jabbed at your self esteem. Or maybe they were aware, and truly liked seeing the hints of pain flickering across your face at the intrusive and backhanded questions.
Normally you’d be able to stick it out, but tonight’s gathering had truly brought the worst of the worst. Your hometown was small, and word got around quick that a gathering was being hosted in your uncle's home. It was his fault you were being unceremoniously weighed down with such negativity.
It was his fault you had to run from it.
Maybe if he didn’t not-so-subtly wrap an arm around your shoulder, pulling you to the side and whispering, “Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private, sweetie,” you wouldn’t have fled into the forest behind the large abode.
You all but shoved the greatly unwanted attention away, feeling sick to your stomach as you sought fresh air and un-suffocating surroundings.
The sun still hung in the sky, casting a warm orange hue against the clouds as it slowly set for the night. You crossed your arms over each other, hugging your frame in an attempt to stave off the fall chill as you ventured into the forest’s clear cut path.
Ever since you were a child, the stunning natural beauty of the thick woodland area behind the town always amazed you. It offered an escape, a place to restore your innocence in losing yourself with the rustle of the trees, the breathtaking and vibrant colours of untouched nature. You’d venture down the path, and each and every time, you’d return feeling anew. Whatever ailed you upon breaking past the forest wall was casted out of your body as you happily soaked up the calming atmosphere.
Right now, it was exactly what you needed.
You were practically on the verge of tears as your feet carried you out of the house, twigs snapping underneath the soles of your shoes as you drew further away from civilization. The wind blew past you, cold stinging your eyes and making you wince as you hurried into the woodlands.
It was so easy to get lost in the passing surroundings, trees tall and nature alluringly overgrown. It looked almost ethereal, the sight pulling you deeper.
Before you knew it you’d slowed into a walking pace, heart settling in your ribcage, calmed by the refreshing air and secluded space.
But you were no longer on the trail.
Once you sensed a tinge of panic swelling in your chest, you knew it would only serve to make things more difficult, distracting you as you tried to make sense of where you were.
It was fine, you were fine. You’d explored these woods countless times when you were younger. Surely finding your way home wouldn’t be hard. Just head back the way you came, no problem.
The brisk run you took certainly did something for you, a wave of exhaustion sedating nerves that may have you breaking down under the weight of your own self hatred. For getting lost, which would never have happened if you’d refused the invite to your family reunion. Which you would’ve never received if you cut off those toxic relatives the moment you left town.
And now you were trying to go right back to it, because you couldn’t stay in this forest forever, and you’d got the relief you came for.
With the setting sun, it became increasingly tasking to discern the ground you walked upon. Your search for the narrow path yielded nothing as of yet, and you could’ve sworn that you passed by the same cluster of trees three times now.
While before you may have thought you could still be heading in the right direction, the sudden appearance of hills in your way would prove otherwise.
When you turned around, the area you came from looked quite similar, valleys of thick foliage and steep inclines.
It wasn’t reassuring, to say the least.
You had your phone, but upon closer inspection you found that there was no cell service all the way out here. In any normal case it’d just be best to stay where you were and wait for someone to find you. But these woods were greatly unknown, condensed enough where visibility was dangerously limited, and screams for help would be muffled with the bush.
Your only option was to keep moving forward, and pray that you’d find your way out somehow.
Travelling across the landscape was slow―you fearful of losing your balance on the uneven terrain. The last thing you needed was a sprained ankle, and so you treaded carefully up and down the hills. Nothing that met your eyes was recognizable. With the natural light dimming fast, you knew it wouldn’t be long before you would have to pull out the flashlight on your phone.
When your searching eyes landed upon a flickering light in the distance, you didn’t know whether the feeling of shock or gratitude was more powerful.
Almost blindly, you made your way towards the beacon of light. You watched as it grew brighter, and the closer you got, more gleaming appeared.
What you once thought was a single source was actually many smaller ones.
It was a house built into the side of a steep hill. Lanterns hung from posts and nearby trees, lining the cut walkway all the way to what must have been the front door.
In a place of seemingly unending forest, the existence of life was truly baffling.
Seeing it’s light, the warm illuminate coming from the windows and contrasting the harshness of the encroaching night—it had your feet moving before your mind could make any sense of what to do. A shaky and cold hand came up to the wooden frame of the door, prepared to inquire on whoever was living in this strange little abode.
As your knuckles rapped against it, the door pushed open with ease.
Instantly, the smell of homemade baking and the warmth of a lit fireplace washed over you. With a glance over your shoulder, it wasn’t hard to favour the welcoming atmosphere of this strange home over the foreboding and thick woodlands behind you.
In turning back to the front entrance, you peaked your head in before stepping through the threshold. “Hello? Is anybody home?”
Silence continued to hang in the air as you ventured further, curious eyes swiping over the visible rooms. You ended up in what you assumed was a living room, finding the place to be authentically rustic. Wooden furniture, cozy knit blankets and shiny lit candle sconces hanging off the walls.
The home was quite honestly breathtaking, such a cozy environment. It made you wonder who could be living h—
“It’s been quite some time since I’ve had visitors.”
The sudden smooth voice came from behind you, prompting you to startlingly turn its direction. At a loss for words, because you’d blatantly trespassed onto someone’s property, and they’d caught you in the act, you stared wide eyed at the man before you.
Brown hair, matching the colour of his eyes, tall and fit, his long sleeve shirt that was rolled up to the elbows being tight enough to highlight his lean frame along with dark denim jeans―overall dressed quite nicely for living in the middle of nowhere. He was regarding you with an almost playful look, confusing you as you’d expect him to be downright appalled at your unwarranted intrusion.
The man awaited an answer for a few seconds, and in finding you still speechless, he let out a light chuckle. “Perhaps I should introduce myself—you can call me Tooru. I suppose you’re quite lost, little wanderer?”
He slowly drew closer, taking cautious steps, moreso to not scare you off.
His approach did break you out of your stupor, and suddenly there was no filter on the words tumbling from your lips. “Oh, god. I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. It’s just I went too far into the forest and I couldn’t find my way home and then out of nowhere I found this place. I should’ve never just walked in but the door was open, and I called out to see if anyone was here but—”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. No need to fret, I’m not upset—quite the opposite in fact. These woods are dangerous, you were lucky to have found my home before nightfall, dear.”
Nervously, you toyed with the ends of your sleeves, opening your mouth to apologize further.
But he had other ideas.
An inquisitive look crossed his strikingly handsome face, “You seem troubled, perhaps I could ease your mind?”
Dismissively, you waved your hands. “N-No, I’m fine, really. Just concerned with finding my way back is all…”
That gleaming smile returned to his face, “Oh well I knew that, cutie. I was talking about something else—what made you come into these woods.”
Still standing in the place he found you, you watched as Tooru walked past and took a seat on the couch. He patted the spot next to him.
A slight crease formed between your brows at the proposition. “It doesn’t really matter, it’s kind of stupid to be honest, so…”
“Don’t be silly, it has to be serious if it had you fleeing into the forest.”
The comment made you pause for a second, because you never told him you ran away. But, judging by your disheveled appearance, and how panicked you were in general, the assumption was technically understandable.
Before you could question it, Tooru spoke up once again.
“Tell you what, cutie. I’ll make you a deal—you explain to me why you ended up here, and in return I’ll help you get home.”
Now, you questioned his sanity more than you questioned your own. “That’s hardly fair, I mean...what do you get out of that.”
Quite comfortably, the man leaned into the couch, legs spread and head tilted back ever so slightly. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, “Your company, it’s lonely out here after all, and I don’t think I wanna see you off just yet.”
At that, you realized that without his help, the odds of you getting home were slim to none. If all it took to get back was some idle chit chat, then so be it.
With a respectful distance between the two of your bodies, you sat down onto the cushiony couch. Hands folded on your lap, you began reciting the ailments of the night to his strange request.
Tooru listened patiently as you went on, gently encouraging you to keep going when you felt shy under his gaze. At the times you felt you were oversharing, he only reassured you that you were doing everything but the sort. It was the deal, after all.
Almost thirty minutes had gone by, you detailing the detestment you held for your relatives, what they’d said and why it was entirely offensive and unwarranted. How you’d escaped into the expansive forest once you reached your breaking point, remembering how the atmosphere always used to calm you when you were upset as a child. Maybe you rambled a bit too much at your appreciation for the entrancing backwoods, but Tooru didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.
If anything, you could almost see a hint of genuine warmth flash across his features as you noted how you admired the natural and effortless beauty of the place. How it seemed to overflow with tranquility, and that you were immensely thankful it remained untouched for so long.
By the time you were done, Tooru was forced to hide the intense swell in his heart at your innocent adoration for the forest he watched over.
You hadn’t changed one bit...
He was devastated the day he learnt you had moved out of town, fearing the worst for your impressionable little self. Tooru only knew you as the young girl who would frolic in the forest to and fro using the path he built so you wouldn’t get lost. Before he could do anything about the growing obsession he had, you slipped right through his fingertips.
He was so sure if you ever did return, that hopeful gleam in your eyes would be turned dull. But here you were, sitting right next to him, only thanks to him subtly scooting closer. Telling him all about how much you found solace in the woodlands, like he didn’t already know that fact in great detail.
The fae sensed your energy the moment you stepped foot past the tree line almost an hour ago, like his own personal breath of fresh air.
He regarded your bashful face at how you once again unintentionally rambled. Tooru wasn’t complaining in the slightest, since the reason you’d returned to him also served as the perfect opening.
“Well, in any case I know you don’t deserve to be treated like that. Such a shame how hurtful people can be.”
Averting your eyes and instead focusing on the lit fireplace, you responded. “I’m guessing most of them just don’t realize what they’re saying is hurtful. But even then―my uncle really couldn’t be any more creepy.” You laughed off the admission, even though the reality had a nervousness stirring inside of you.
“Hmm, I think you just need a little something to ward them off. Why don’t I sweeten the pot a little?” Tooru leaned forward, suddenly much more seriously engaged. “I’ll head home with you tonight, get them off your back. It’d be weird if you left and never returned, and there’s no way you’re going to survive the night if your family acts as nasty as you say they do. I only need one small thing in return, it’s a good deal if you ask me!” While the offer sounded very enticing, him knowing just as much as you that his presence would certainly fend off much unwanted attention, the last part did unnerve you.
“What exactly do you want?”
Tooru stood up from his spot, holding out a hand for you to take. “That’s a surprise for later, my dear. I promise it will be worth it, what do you say?”
Unsure, you hesitated to accept him. But the fearful emotions of throwing yourself right back into the cesspool of prying family members was powerful. Tooru seemed like a good man―he didn’t freak out in finding you uninvited in his home, nor did he push you away when he found you were quite clearly distraught. He was offering to help you make it out of this god forsaken family reunion alive, and only for an apparent small price. Although you didn’t exactly know what that price was, the part of you dreading what would happen should you return alone was more than willing to take your chances.
Gingerly, your smaller hand took hold of his, letting him help you up from your seat.
Quite pleased with your reaction, Tooru took the unspoken agreement and gave you a reassuring smile.
“Perfect, let's get going then.”
_____
The music playing around you seemed like a distant noise, reverberating through the room but not really being something you could focus on. Not when you were so wrapped up both mentally and physically in the way Tooru had you held against him. He spun you to the beat of the song a couple times, his smile wide at the way you carelessly giggled at the action.
Since the both of you returned to the reunion, which by now had turned into a small party, you’d certainly had more than a few drinks.
Neither of you seemed to mind, as your newfound caretaker only facilitated your energy.
In seeing you with this man who was certainly more than easy on the eyes, your once greatly offensive relatives suddenly were behaving the exact opposite as they once had. Most of them left you alone in fact.
Keyword: most.
As the upbeat song came to an end, Tooru could tell you were growing quite tired. He was a great dance partner after all, and it genuinely felt like a workout to keep up with his stylish moves. In an eased motion, he pulled you back into his chest, leaning down to speak into your ear as another song began playing over the speakers.
“How ‘bout we take a break, huh pretty girl?”
With a gentle and reassuring squeeze of your hip, you somewhat mindlessly went along with the suggestion, nodding in response and letting him lead you away from the dance floor. Granted, the ‘dance floor’ was just the outside patio, large enough to serve the purpose as it was no secret your uncle had the wealth to own such a large estate. Tooru kept your hand in his as you both made your way back into the home.
At least you were doing that, until the host of the party, owner of the house and irritatingly touchy uncle that served as the main force which drove you away once tonight stepped into your path.
“Hey there, sweet pea. Where ya headed to?” It was clear he too wasn’t anywhere near sober, the stumble in his step, along with the beer bottle in his hand giving him away.
Before you could answer, Tooru made a point in gently pushing you behind him.
The consideration warmed your heart―but maybe it was just the booze.
“Just taking my girl inside, excuse us.” He made a point to step around your uncle, only to get a warning in the form of a sweaty hand on his shoulder.
Your uncle pushed him back slightly. “Now hold on there, I wanna talk to my niece.”
“And she doesn’t want to talk to you, fucking pervert.”
While your reaction was a little delayed, your uncle’s certainly was not.
He reared his arm back, the one with the bottle in hand. “Why, you little―” As he swung the makeshift glass weapon, a look of pure shock cemented in his features as Tooru gripped the man’s wrist in one hand, still holding your’s with the other.
You hadn’t a clue what Tooru was doing, but somehow the defensive act brought your uncle to his knees. He let out a wordless scream, dropping the beer bottle and letting it shatter against the stone patio.
“She’s not your anything, you’re nothing to her. Just a creepy piece of shit old man―got it?”
He tried wrenching his arm from Tooru’s grip, but it didn’t budge an inch. “The fuck? You her boyfriend or somethin’? Let her decide for her damn se―”
With a particularly harsh twist, you hear something pop in your uncle's arm, before Tooru let him crumple to the ground. You couldn’t even make a single move to stop what was unfolding, the tight grip Tooru had on your own hand a deterrent enough.
With senses still dulled with the influence of countless drinks, you weren’t sure whether to be horrified or relieved that your uncle was getting what he deserved.
The scowl across Tooru’s face as he sneered down at the pathetic man was blood chillingly harsh. “She means more to me than she’ll ever mean to you―that’s all that matters.”
With that, you stayed tormented with conflicted thoughts as you were pulled away from the party. Tooru kept his hold on you firm, unrelenting as he pushed past your relatives and finally away from the house.
At the tree line, right where the path you went down earlier tonight started, you finally tugged at his hand. “S-Stop, Tooru..” It came out as more of a whine, backed up by the way your feet dug into the ground.
He halted abruptly, turning to face you, causing you to lightly crash into him. You could feel his amused chuckle vibrate in his chest, no signs of whatever deeply unpleased vice that once held him still existing now that the two of you were alone.
“Night’s not over yet, cutie. Gotta take you home, we made a deal remember?”
Placing your hands against his broad frame, you pushed yourself away from him, which wasn’t very far when his arms were securely wrapped around your waist. “But, m-my uncle. He looked hurt…”
Slender fingers held your chin, tilting your head up so that your glassy eyes met his soft brown ones.
“He’s fine, don’t worry your pretty little head over that, alright? Just let me look after you for now.”
You knew he was talking about the way you were nearly falling over under the influence, but it didn’t stop the frustrated look from forming on your expression. The way he so casually brushed off how he effortlessly laid out your uncle didn’t sit right with you.
Quite tenderly, Tooru switched to cup your face, thumb absentmindedly swiping across your cheekbone. “You look so cute when you pout like that.”
To his declaration, you pouted more.
Not before a quick pinch of your cheek, Tooru swiftly scooped you up bridal style, starting down the path of the forest. The sudden action made you squeal in surprise, not expecting the sheer strength he exhibited. It was like you weighed nothing more than a feather, him playfully hoisting you further into his arms.
“Hey! Put me down, I can walk jus’ fine!”
He kept his entertained gaze fixed ahead as he responded. “Not gonna happen, just enjoy the ride, we’ll be home before you know it.”
In a final attempt, you annoyingly and weakly pawed against his chest.
“Quite your squirming, it won’t get you anywhere, little wanderer.” Pointedly, you felt his arms constrict around you, effectively pinning you against him, as if you weren’t already stuck before.
A deep and tired sigh escaped your lips. “S’not my home, whatever…”
Having resigned to his will, you slumped against him.
Tooru’s lips quirked up into something a little less soft, more mischievous. Eyes glinting in the moonlight, if not a little brighter now that he was going home.
Not that you saw, having closed your own in favour of a small cat nap while he carried you away from the stresses of the night.
_____
It’s been maybe an hour or so since you decided that you were grateful for not just the way Tooru handled your repulsive relative, but really for spending the whole night with you in general. From making sure you weren’t lost in the forest forever, to playing the dutiful knight, and now, how he was so hospitably entertaining you back in his home―Tooru really did feel like a dream come true.
He was charmingly charismatic, held an almost innate concern for you, honestly making you regret how once you sobered up, you’d have to part for your return back to your own home in the city.
But right now, that’s not what you wanted to think about.
Especially not when you were so comfortable, unable to remember at what point you clambered your way into his lap on the couch, but not really caring. Tooru looked at you like you were the sun, stars and moon, and you returned that gaze through dazed eyes and wetted lashes.
More tears pricked as you straddled his hips, intaking a sharp breath as his mouth slotted against yours once again before he lightly nipped at your bottom lip. It wasn’t the first time he’d done that tonight, you having been in this position for quite some time now.
That didn’t stop Tooru from greedily pulling you closer, fingers digging into your hips as you unconsciously ground against him, a familiar warm sensation budding inside you.
“Such a pretty little thing, you are.” He leant in for a chaste kiss, leaving you wanting more as he pulled away once again. “So goddamn pretty.”
A high pitched whimper tumbled from your lips as your hips picked up a shaky pace, dragging your clothed heat back and forth. Tooru let his hands slide down your body and under the hem of your dress, you shuddering at the heat of his palms when he pushed the fabric up, returning his grip to your bare hips. Still dangerously intoxicated, you didn’t mind the way he pulled and pushed you down on his hardened length in the slightest.
Speaking in between the small kisses he was leaving across your jawline, his breath had goosebumps rising on your skin. “Feel what you do to me?” Tooru met your movements by grinding up against you, the harsh fabric of his jeans pressing against your sensitive clit and earning a mewl from you.
“So needy for me, aren’t you?”
He let out an airy snicker, seeing your desperate expression as he lifted your hips up just enough so that your bodies weren’t touching. His strength was unrelenting as you tried to keep moving.
“Ah, ah, ah. Not yet―first, you hold up your end of the deal―” Tooru leaned forward, whispering in a low and teasing tone, “―and then I’ll give you what you want.”
He was right, you really were needy, because the question of your obligation came out almost instantly. “Please, whatever you want, it’s yours.”
Before answering, Tooru gave pause to land a soft kiss right under your ear.
“Tell me your name, pretty girl.”
A bout of confusion washed over you, causing you to pull back. You regarded him with curious eyes.
“...That’s it?”
The wordless encouragement of the reassuring smile he gave you didn’t do much to ease you.
“That’s it.”
Tooru was clearly waiting for an answer.
Meanwhile, you pondered why this moment spurred a distant and nearly forgotten memory. Maybe it was the strange glint in his eyes, but a moment of clarity washed over you at an all too familiar event.
Back in your old home in the very town you were subjected to travel to for the reunion tonight. When your grandma would scold you as a child for venturing too far into the woodlands you were currently so deep in. A bedtime story that you tried not to take seriously, because part of you knew it was just meant to scare you into submission.
Tales of monsters that looked like humans. Mischievous beings who prayed on innocence, hiding in the forest and luring people deeper. Promises of a better life just being a clever play of words, twisted to hide the true meaning.
“Nasty creatures indeed, my dear. Once they get you, we’ll never see you again. You don’t want that to happen, right? You’ll get snatched up, lost in their games of power when you least expect it, and it’ll leave us devastated. You wouldn’t be so selfish, let those tricky things without a soul take you from us. You’re smarter than that, I’m sure…”
Those warnings instilled fear into the hearts of your peers, their parents and elders telling them the tried and true tale.
Not for you though.
Back into the thick of the bush you would go, and you’d return every time. Just like tonight, you thought you were lost, but even then you found your way home.
While you reminisced, Tooru’s hand drifted lower, playing with the waistband of your panties. The light brushing against your skin brought you back.
“Why do you need my name?”
When Tooru hesitated to give an immediate reply, a voice resembling the cautionary tone of your grandma’s warned of danger to be had in his presence.
Yet with his words, the concern for wariness vanished.
“Well, I think it’s obvious―” In a swift motion, Tooru brought your clothed heat back down, need stirring inside of you and building once again, “―that you’re staying the night.”
“And…” Careful, so as not to startle you, he laid you down on the couch, taking his place above you. “...You know my name, so you know what you’ll be screaming later.”
Nimble fingers hiked up your dress even further, you remaining wantonly complacent as he left a trail of kisses down your stomach.
You felt your body flush with heat, squirming as he slowly made his way lower, peppering every inch of your skin with equal amounts of attention.
Tooru gave you a look filled to the brim with lust, one that was dark, but that fact only made you want to clench your thighs together if he wasn’t holding them apart. “Don’t you think it’s fair that I know the same for you?”
The way his gaze flickered to the wet spot forming on your panties, that cocky smirk he held in knowing just how much he was affecting you made you feel restless.
He began littering the inside of your thighs with small marks, latching on to spots here and there before stopping completely.
“Your name, and then I’ll make you feel better than you’ve ever felt before.”
Lower lip quivering, you wracked your mind in a final moment of decision making. But as his thumb slipped beneath the thin fabric, a soft pad pressing down on your bundle of nerves, there really wasn’t anything you could do to hold back.
“(Y/n).”
For a second, neither of you moved. But Tooru was a man of his word, and you’d been so good for him.
He didn’t want to waste any more time than necessary. Not after all these years of waiting for you to come home.
“Oh…” Leaning up, his fingers hooked under the waistband of your thin covering, whispering smoothly. “(y/n), (y/n), (y/n)...”
Perhaps it was just your inebriated mind playing tricks on you, but as Tooru slowly and teasingly removed your panties, eyeing the string of arousal that clung to the fabric, it seemed like he was nearly glowing. Yet, you didn’t really care, passing it off as the flickering light of the fireplace, much more concerned with the way his hands glided up your bare legs, parting them with a firm grip.
Tantalizingly so, he dipped back down to your heat, watching as you clenched around nothing when his breath fanned against it.
Finally, his tongue delved in between your folds, dragging a long and languid stripe up and causing your breath to hitch. He let out his own groan of relief, the taste of you flooding his mouth, being the sweetest nectar to ever grace his senses.
Now it was his turn to look up at you through beautifully long lashes.
Tooru soaked up the way you waited patiently for him to keep going, behaving so well for him, being exactly where he wanted you to be. Melting right into his hands, in his home, where nobody would ever find you―deep in the territory of his forest.
So compliant, not even realizing the deciding moment of your fate, naively and unknowingly giving yourself up to him.
It was only fair that he rewarded you for such good behaviour tonight. Over and over again, until you’d be begging for him to stop.
You failed to notice how his eyes lit up, swirling with newfound power, and all because of you.
“Just relax, (y/n). I’ll take good care of you.”
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As Long As You Need (Reader x Adam Sackler)
Summary: Adam and Reader are hookup buddies. Adam gets concerned that you don't want to see him for a few weeks and comes over to check on reader. Reader is struggling with anxiety/depression and Adam comforts them through a panic attack.
Warnings: Depression, anxiety & panic attacks
Note: This was the fic I wrote for the Summer 2021 @adcuficexchange for LondonID!🥰 I hope this fic is something that resonates with people, I know mental health is a vast and personal subject but I hope something hits home. Even if it's just some beautiful care from our favourite gremlin 💕
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The light of the day was fading slowly and the grey cover of dusk was slipping its way into the room. You lay in bed, head tucked against the pillows, body exhausted with the expense of the energy anxiety was taking from you. You felt empty and yet full to the brim, your mind weighed so heavy that you could barely move most days. The second you heard the loud thumping knocks on your front door you jolted as if waking up from a bad dream.
“Kid you in there?” Adams voice came, muffled by the thick wood of the doors between you, booming through your silence. You realised in that moment that you hadn’t spoken to him or seen him for a while and as someone who was a pretty regular occurrence in your life it suddenly felt strange to hear his voice after such a long time, you pulled your phone out from under the pillow and unlocked it. Your eyes screwed shut at the blinding light, but peeking through your eyelashes you checked your messages. Your last text to him had been nearly 3 weeks ago, then the page was just filled with him texting you again and again. All of which, in the haze of your mind, you had ignored. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to see him; you craved his cheeky smile, soft hair and adorable galaxy of freckles that smattered his skin. It was just the thought of having to explain the tornado that was tearing you apart that felt like a crushing pressure you couldn’t bear. Basic daily life was enough, sometimes too much, so anything on top of that you had shut out.
You curled yourself into the sheets a little more, pulling them around your shoulders. Although they were soft cotton the brush of them across your overly sensitive skin felt like sandpaper dragging over a raw exposed nerve. You stayed as still as possible whilst his knocks continued to echo through your apartment.
In a way you wondered if you had any obligation to him at all, you guys just hooked up every now and again after meeting at a mutual friends birthday party a year or so ago. Nothing serious, no dates, just fucking. He scratched an itch for you so you didn’t have to brave the dating world that daunted you. He was fun, he made you laugh but he didn’t pressure you to spend any more time with him than coming over to hold you face down into your mattress allowed.
The knocks turned to bangs of a fist and you pulled your blanket over your head, maybe he’d just go away if he thought you weren’t home. Your body thrummed with the disturbance of your comfortable silence and it made you uneasy. A slight nausea rippled through your throat. “I know you’re home” his voice bellowed, you closed your eyes and didn’t respond. “Open the fucking door kid” he shouted, he didn’t sound angry but you couldn’t quite make out the tone. He’d never used it before around you that’s for sure, he almost sounded worried. Then there was more thumping on the door, “Kid, for fucks sake your sweet old lady neighbour is looking at me like I’m fucking nuts, open the door”
You sighed and slung yourself off the bed onto your feet. The rush of movement made your head spin; your muscles and joints ached with a lack of energy. You tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the main room of your apartment, hoping that he couldn’t hear your deliberately soft padding footsteps. With your eyes trained on the door you didn’t notice the chair sticking out from the table and you bumped it as you passed. You froze dead still waiting to see if he’d heard it.
“I can hear you rustling around in there. Just open the fucking door and talk to me”
“I don’t want you to see me” you replied hesitantly, not raising the volume of your voice too high knowing he could hear you through the door now. The croak of your voice finally speaking was crackly and broken. “Why not?”
“I… I don’t look great” you looked at yourself in the reflection of the painting hanging on the wall. In the glass you could just about see yourself looking back; your hair was greasy and dishevelled, your eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with red and dark circles created a deep shadow underneath them. You suddenly balked at how awful you actually looked, you hadn’t showered in a few days and it really showed. Your face looked kind of gaunt with the limited food and sleep you’d given yourself for the last few weeks, mind always racing with one thought after another. The racing thoughts only leaving space for the basics of working at your laptop for 8 hours a day and activities to numb your mind till a restless bedtime. “Are you kidding?” he scoffed, thumping his fist once against the door, “I’ve seen you sweating, crying and covered in my cum… I don’t think you looking a little messy is going to be bother me” You cringed at how loud he was talking and in your embarrassment you frantically pulled the door open, “Jesus Adam don’t say that so loud my neighbours will hear y-“ you paused mid-sentence when you saw how he was looking at you. He was shocked and trying to hide it but his eyes were wide with sympathy. You instantly went to close the door on him again but he put his overly large foot in the way.
“Nope, no way! You opened it, I’m like a vampire, you’ve got to let me in now” he smiled cheekily. You sighed and let go of the door walking away from him. “Listen I don’t know why you’re here” you said, voice trailing behind you as you made your way to the couch hearing him step inside and close the door behind him, “I don’t really think I’m in any fit state to be fucking anyone” “I’m not here to fuck you” he retorted, for some reason that kind of stung. “Then why are you here?” you said, nestling into the couch cushions as he firmly placed himself standing in front of you. Adam was staring down at you with that intense glare he always seemed to have and you squinted your eyes, hurting due to the light from the windows, to look up at him. “Why am I here? You haven’t talked to me for like… three weeks. What the fuck do you think I’m doing here? I thought I was going to find you rotting in the bathtub or some shit” You rolled your eyes “I’m fine” “Oh right this…” he paused, flailing his arms at the quite frankly disgusting state of your living room, “… this is ‘fine’?” “This is as good as it gets” you muttered under your breath. He scoffed and you looked up at him, you took a second to take him in. He’d clearly run here, the beads of sweat were trailing gently down his temples and had matted the curly little front pieces of his hair. The outfit he was wearing, a dark blue cut off tank top, grey knee length shorts and heavy tan work boots over cream socks, would look kind of uncoordinated on anyone else but something about Adam always just… made sense.
“What do you mean?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing.
“Nothing” you rolled your eyes again, “You know you can just go right? I don’t even know why you’re bothering”
“What are you talking about kid? I wanted to make sure you were alright. You went all ghost on me and I was worried about you”
“Worried?” now it was your turn to scoff, you could feel the sickening panic rolling around inside your stomach and you needed him to leave.
“Yeah kid… worried” Adams voice suddenly had a tinge of anger behind it and it made the panic swirl harder around inside you.
“Well I don’t need you to worry about me. That’s not your job, your job is to fuck me and leave. And you’re good at that. So you do your job and I’ll do mine”
“Not true” he retorted, face screwed up a little against the harshness of your words.
“You were the one that set those rules Adam” you replied, frustration tainting your words “You don’t need to act like you give a shit”
“Hey when I commit, I really commit” “Commit to what?” you shouted, losing a little of your patience as your ears started to ring and the blood pumped through your body like a steady beat of music. “Commit to you!” he yelled back “We may not be dating or whatever but when I want someone in my life I work for that. Clearly you don’t…we are supposed to be fucking friends after all!”
He had every right to be mad, you had barely treated him like a human being lately and the wash of guilt made your heart start to jump in its rhythm. You could feel the brush of heat up the back of your neck and your pulse thudding in your ears. You shook your head wishing away what you knew was happening; the panic of the overwhelming sense of everything was rising up from your toes. He couldn’t see you like this, it was too embarrassing.
Although your breath was basically coming out like gasps you looked up at him and firmly said “Please leave”
He shook his head “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re avoiding me. Did I do something?” You stood up from your seat on the couch but didn’t get very far, your body felt over stimulated and you couldn’t get your mind clear enough to decide where to go to escape him. So you started pacing back and forth, hands clenching and unclenching at your sides.
“Adam please just go” this time your voice betrayed you even further, the tell-tale break in your speech giving away the tears that had begun to brim in your eyes. You pushed the base of your palms harshly into your eye sockets, rubbing away the tears. “Hey hey hey” he said softly, reaching out for your wrists and you flinched back, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“
“Please just leave!” you shouted, panicked breath coming out of you in heavy pants. “I can’t breathe” you whispered to yourself turning away from him. Your tears, now virtually unstoppable, cascaded down your cheeks as the panic truly set in. You swayed slightly as you began to feel light-headed.
“Tell me what you need” you heard him say, but his voice felt like it was miles away from you even as he stood mere steps away with his hands outstretched slightly in your direction.
This was it, you were officially going crazy. You couldn’t even handle a simple conversation or own up to your shitty actions. You stole a glance at Adam, his eyebrows were pulled down with concern watching you and a wave of nausea rolled up into the back of your throat. He was going to think you were insane after this, this was the last time you were ever going to see him and this was how you were acting. You felt your cheeks heat up, burning with panic and embarrassment. One of the only things that kept you afloat, the only thing had made you happy as of late, was going to walk out. You could imagine him telling his friends about the crazy chick he used to fuck on the side, “She just totally flipped out on me, honestly man fucking nuts” you could practically hear his voice already, full of mocking vitriol towards you.
Then you really started to hyperventilate, chest aching with the weight of your gasps, but something in the back of your mind gave you respite… that wasn’t Adam. That wouldn’t be how he would act. He was kind. You glanced up at him as your hands began to shake violently.
“I-I’m sorry” you stuttered out, you felt your body collapse underneath you as the room began to spin around you. He dove forward to catch you as your body buckled down to the hard wooden floor.
“Come here” his voice was gentle and barely audible to you but he held you tight, this time you didn’t flinch and he quickly gathered you into his arms in the fear you would move away from him again. “It’s just a panic attack, you’re going to be okay. I’m right here, it’ll be over soon” As he pulled you into his chest, seating himself on the floor with you, he stretched his long legs out around you so his whole body was caging you against him. Your breath instantly started to slow down as the warmth and closeness of him soothed you. He didn’t speak too much, he just calmed your mind with hushed whispers of “Shhh” and “You’re going to be okay”.
You clung yourself to him, vibrating with the force of the trembles that were wracking your body. Your teeth chattered in your head causing you to screw your eyes closed in pain. Your fingers wound tight in his shirt as your breathing finally began to even out. Your body released some of the tension that was winding your muscles tight and you leant a little more into his chest.
“H-how did you know?” you stammered, voice barely above a whisper as you regained your breath.
He shrugged “My mom used to get them… and my sister for a while. I’m used to it.” he smiled softly, lips merely twitching up at the edges as he gauged your reaction. He stroked his large hand through your tangled hair, massaging his fingers over your scalp as your body relaxed and you sighed. “Better?” he asked, placing a careful kiss to the top of your head. You nodded, the scent of his cologne and sweat drifted over you as you kept yourself gripped against him, not quite ready to be moved from his warmth.
“You didn’t have to do this” you croaked, looking up at him now. He shook his head and rolled his eyes jokingly, a smirk coming over his lips as he does it.
“You know we don’t just have to fuck right? We can be more than that.” he chuckled, holding your face gently with one hand, “We can also talk, we are friends right?”
You nodded again, looking up at him with wide glassy eyes. He kissed the tip of your nose and you scrunched it.
“Listen maybe we’re just friends for a little while. We can… get lunch or walk through the park when the weather gets better. Whatever you want” he shrugged, you smiled at the level of effort he was so clearly trying to give. Adam hated stuff like that, lunches out and walks in the park; he often said how trivial it all seemed to him. He liked to be at home in his own little world. So the fact he was offering to make you feel better was more than enough to bring a smile to your face. You nodded and giggled when he pumped the air with his fist in celebration.
“And you know, if you need someone to come with you to therapy or whatever I can do that too” he mumbled clearly unsure how you would respond, “You still go to therapy right? I know you mentioned it a while ago and I figured-“ he began to ramble nervously. You pressed your hand into his chest and nodded.
You pushed yourself up a little and placed a kiss to his cheek, “That would help, thank you”
He shuffled a little and rose to get to his feet before extending a hand out to you. You clasped your hand across his, so much smaller in his grasp, and used his body weight to pull yourself up on unsteady legs. He wrapped his arms around you a little bit, his body hunched over yours protectively.
“But first, you need food… and a shower” he paused for a moment, making small grunt-like thinking noises as he looked you over. Then all at once he dipped and gathered you up in his arms, you squealed loudly and wrapped your arms around his neck “What are you doing?” you protested through unsure giggles.
He didn’t say anything but started walking towards your bathroom. He kicked the door open with the toe of his boot and swung his arms so that your head just missed the door frame. He propped you, sitting upright, on the edge of your bathtub before reaching up and turning on your shower. He gestured for you to stand as the water began heating up behind you. Soft clouds of steam quickly started to rise up around the room and he nodded with satisfaction. He tentatively tugged at the base of your oversized-hoodie and you raised your arms above your head. He slipped your hoodie off in one swift motion and dropped it to the floor beside you both. You self-consciously crossed your arms over your now bare chest and he smiled down at you. He placed a kiss to your forehead before kneeling down to wriggle your panties off your hips and down your legs. You shuffled shyly, despite the fact he’d seen you naked so very many times, and stepped out of them as he reached your ankles. He tossed them on top of your hoodie, placing a tender kiss to your stomach as he knelt in front of you, before standing back up to his full height “I’ll get you fresh stuff and wash those” he noted, almost to himself as he spun you by your shoulders so you had your back to him. “You get in there” he pointed to the steady stream of hot water creating billows of steam in the small bathroom, “And I’m going to make you some soup, you still have cans of that chicken one you like?” You nodded once and he placed a firm kiss to your shoulder. With his hands on your waist he placed a final kiss to the top of your head before his touch left you completely. You smiled at his constant need to show you physical care, it was like he understood how even simple affection could heal even the worst of the pain your brain could throw at you. You turned to look over your shoulder as he left the room; like he sensed your hesitation he stopped and turned to look at you with a sweet smile…
“I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I’ll stay with you as long as you need me too”
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drmmyrs · 3 years
Text
Remember Me (Becca x MC) Part 2
Hiii I’m back. Sorry again for the delay 😬I had such a hard time writing the ending so thank you so much @samanthadalton for all your help 😘Also, a big thanks to M anon for their suggestions and song request which I used some of.
tag list: @samanthadalton @crazzyplays @uselesslesbianfr @baexpoppy @alexroyard @alexlabhont @veenast @noixngn @sillyandcutewizardstuffs @doey-eyes8 @itszdavenport (If you wanna be added or removed or just prefer a certain ship just let me know ❤️)
Read Part 1
Pairing: Becca x MC (Emily)
Warnings: some swearing
Word Count: 2289
It's been an hour since Emily last came into my room to remind me of my doctor's appointment. And it's been about thirty minutes since I've been ready to go, physically at least. Naturally, I tried to get Chris to come with me instead because he's my boyfriend, right? Ughh fine, ex-boyfriend. But can you blame me, though? How am I suppose to move on when I literally have no memory of some sort of breakup or closure? I stare at the dull beige-colored ceiling, a view which has me panicking in the mornings right after I wake up, before I remember that I don't live at the sorority house anymore. I then close my eyes and get comfort in the memories I have left, my only anchor on the reality I knew, away from this freakish place with the people I don't even give a shit about.
After a couple more minutes, I begrudgingly get up with a groan and trudge downstairs, finding Emily waiting on the couch. She smiles upon seeing me, but I don't return the gesture, being genuinely annoyed at the prospect of having to spend an incessant amount of time with her. So instead, I walk past her towards the door, my heels clattering on the wooden surface. Emily then follows behind me from a distance, careful not to invade my space. Once outside, I walk straight towards the passenger door of Emily's junk of a car, grabbing the handle as I glare at Emily impatiently, waiting for her to unlock it. As soon as unlocked, I sink into the seat, slamming the door close harder than I intended. Emily, though, takes a second before going in, eyeing the seat suspiciously as if it might shatter anytime. Once seated, she places her hand on the gear stick, slightly trembling. And then it dawns on me, I may have forgotten about the accident, but it's probably still fresh from her memory, terrorizing her at every reminder. All this time, I've been complaining about how unfair everything is for me, not once considering how it may have affected her.
"Who was driving?" I ask. It may not be the best thing to talk about right now, but I have to know.
I see Emily flinch at the question, and before she even opens her mouth, I know. She looks out the windshield, her voice cracking when she replies, "I was."
I nod. My mom told me it was a drunk driver running a red light that hit us, so I don't blame her at all, not anymore.
"Is it–" The words come out sharp, so I stop and soften my voice. "Is it the first time you drove since?"
Emily doesn't reply immediately; instead, she shifts the gear and steps on the gas pedal as we begin to make our way towards the hospital. She grips the steering wheel tightly, anxiously looking at the road, her eyes obsessively sweeping for any oncoming traffic at every intersection.
"No. No it's not but..." Emily trails off, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the steering wheel tightens.
But it's her first time to drive with me in the car. I turn my head to look out the window, knowing full well I can't ease her fears. How can I when I'm the living reminder of everything she lost?
---------
I immediately regret my outfit choice as soon as we get into the waiting room, the frigid temperature biting at my skin, sending sharp pains like that of a needle across my exposed skin. I try to play it cool, but a shiver escapes my body, desperate for any source of heat. A few seconds later, a jacket appears in front of me, held by Emily who is wearing an annoyingly cute little smile on her face. I mumble thanks and take the jacket, placing it over my shoulders, smelling the scent of lavender as I bask in the comfort of heat.
I take out my phone and browse my socials, catching up on all the events I missed–or forgotten–while ignoring the get well soon messages from both people I know and don't know that have been piling up ever since the accident. A few minutes later, the doctor calls my name, and as I stand up, Emily does as well but then sits back down almost immediately, clearly unsure if her company is welcome.
I roll my eyes. "Come on."
---------
After a useless consultation–apparently, they can't do much to help me regain my memories–Emily suggests we stop by an ice cream parlor not far from here. I assent, but only because I need the comfort of a sugary snack right now, and it's been ages since I had one, or at least I think so.
We reach a store I don't recognize, replacing an office space that, while I never paid attention to before, was a pleasant fixture in my reality, not this... eyesore. I shake my head; I can't keep living in the past. I follow Emily into the store, reminding myself that this is my reality now.
Inside, the floor is patterned with alternating pink and black tiles, and the walls are coated with somewhat fresh pink paint adorned with decors that scream ice cream as if one might stumble into the shop looking for lunch or something.
"Welcome t–ah Emily and Becca! I haven't seen you girls in a while."
I turn around to see a guy, probably in his mid-twenties– smiling at us like...  I shoot Emily a side-eye. She, of course, fails to mention that the guy working here is buddy-buddy with me. So, is this the kind of couple we were? Those who frequent an ice cream parlor enough to be on a first-name basis with the ice cream guy? I internally groan in disgust at the thought.
"–Becca." I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear my name. Emily and the ice cream guy are looking at me expectantly.
"Sorry I didn't hear," I mumble.
"You'll be having strawberry, your usual, correct?" says the guy with a wide smile.
I do want strawberry, but I shake my head and say, "Vanilla," just to spite him, annoyed how some stranger knows my favorite ice cream flavor.
"Ooh, trying something new today, are we? One rocky road and vanilla coming right up," he announces in an annoyingly high pitch voice. I struggle not to roll my eyes.
"Where's the bathroom?" I ask, which is met by a look of confusion followed by a laugh.
"You know wh–" 
Emily quickly interjects, "The bathroom's there, Becca," pointing at a door at the back of the store.
I excuse myself and go to the bathroom, heading straight towards the mirror. I stare at my reflection, nitpicking every tiny detail that has changed throughout the years, changes I don't recognize at all. A tear rolls down my cheek, but I quickly wipe it away. I'm Rebecca fucking Davenport; I don't cry. I grip the sink tightly, overcome with a new resolution. I know who I am; they don't, convincing myself more than anyone else.
Once finishing up in the bathroom, I head back outside, noticing a different aura in the room. Emily is holding our orders with an apologetic look while the ice cream guy regards me with pity, something I've grown used to in the past few weeks. I take my ice cream from Emily, not meeting her gaze, and walk out of the store, striding ahead of her towards the car, not once looking back.
--------
On the ride home, silence weighs heavily between us as Emily bites at her lower lip, either contemplating what to say or waiting for me to go off on her. After an awkward amount of time, Emily finally breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry I–"
"Forget about it," I cut her off, too exhausted to engage with her. I think about the previous encounter, wondering if that would be my norm. Unfamiliar people coming up to me, sharing inside jokes and anecdotes while I stare blankly at them, wondering if I should explain my situation or just ignore them, being the bitch I know I am. I stare out the window, seeing all the changes in the city, musing about the memories I may have had alongside them, memories that I may or may not recover. It's as if an impostor had been living my life for the past two years, and now I'm forced to follow in their footsteps. It's obvious I had changed a lot during those years, my previous enemies becoming my closest friends, my greatest rival supposedly becoming the love of my life. Was she the love of my life? Was I happy with Emily?
It's already dark outside when we arrive home. I notice a few cars parked down the road, something unusual considering this is the only house for at least a couple of blocks. What do I know, though, it's not like I remember much about this place. I turn my attention back to the house; the lights inside are turned off, leaving a lone street lamp and the car's headlights as the primary sources of light, accentuating the jagged grey bricks of the house, almost giving an appearance of something sinister. This is ridiculous; I chide myself for being scared of a stupid house. 
Emily walks ahead towards the door while I follow a few steps behind. As soon as I walk inside, the light turns on, and I'm greeted by a chorus of surprise echoing throughout the house, coming from people whom I only recognize half of. I stare at them blankly, unimpressed but just mostly confused. My mother walks over to me and gives me a big hug.
"Happy birthday, sweetie."
Birthday? I inconspicuously look at my phone. Huh. I could've sworn I've seen the date today at least a few times. A few moments later, Emily steps forward with a cake in her hands.
"Happy birthday babe," she says, immediately followed by a look of horror. "Becca. Sorry."
Of course Emily had planned this. It doesn't really matter if I wanted to have a stupid party. She had to go ahead and decide for me.
"Go ahead and blow out the candles," my mom urges.
I blow out the candles, faking a smile for my mom. As much as I want to storm into my room, I'm not about to break my mom's heart by causing some unnecessary drama.
--------
Just a few moments into the party, and I'm already exhausted–people lining up to greet me, asking how I've been doing since the accident. I realize that most people here don't know about my condition, which means I have had to engage in quite a few conversations about the things I've supposedly been doing for the past few years, things I have no recollection of, to which I gave vague answers to avoid having to explain everything. 
I down my fourth glass of virgin cuba libre, eyeing the display of alcohol with contempt, resentful that I can’t drink because of the medicine I took earlier, when Zack drags me across the room to play some truth or dare with a bunch of people, some of whom I don't recognize. Thankfully, if there was one thing the sorority has taught me, it's that you don't have to know someone to ask the right questions or expertly avoid the common ones. That is of course until someone asks you the most unexpected question.
"Do you have a date for the wedding yet?"
I stare at them blankly, fumbling for words. Wedding? 
"I–I–"
But before I can make up an answer, Kaitlyn arrives with Emily in tow, and that's when I notice it, the ring on Emily's finger. I gasp for breath, feeling like the air is taken out of my lungs. And I almost don't notice it when Kaitlyn takes out her guitar and starts singing, joined by the others.
When all the tears are rolling down your face And it feels like yours was the only heart to break When you come back home and all the lights are out And you're getting used to no one else being around
Oh, oh, I'll be there
I look at the unfamiliar faces, singing their hearts out, gazing at me fondly. I then turn my gaze to Emily's ring finger, and sitting on it is a small but glistening diamond and part of me chastises myself for not noticing earlier. I feel the entire room’s eyes on me and suddenly, it becomes too much for me to withstand. I stand up, scrabbling to go to my room, footsteps following behind me. Once I got on the stairs, Emily shouts my name from behind, and I stop at the sound of her voice, turning around.
"We were engaged? Why didn't you tell me?" My voice comes out harsher than expected and it seems to take Emily by surprise too because she just stands there motionless, speechless. “Marriage is a big thing Emily, that’s not something you can just conveniently not tell me.” I let out a frustrated groan, momentarily letting the anger wash all over me before I’m left with a bitter feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I’m sick of having random people tell me things about my life which I can’t even remember when my own fianc–” I stop, not even being able to say the word, shaking my head as the agony brought by my predicament proves to be too much. “I can’t do this. I'm sorry," I croak before running towards my room, slamming the door behind me. I then curl myself in bed as the tears fall freely.
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amor-immortalem · 3 years
Text
I Could Care Less (About You)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
A/N: I wanted to write something around the time when Arella first got to the devildom. We all know Mammon didn't like the MC very much. It's my own thoughts that he was especially mean in those first few weeks up until they made the pact and I kind of wanted to explore that in terms of his and Arella's relationship.
It all started with small acts of kindness. Taking the fall for him when items would go missing so he wouldn’t get strung up from the ceiling, saving a plate for him when he was late for dinner, letting him copy her homework when he didn’t finish his in time. Mammon can’t understand it. He and this human hardly know anything about each other but here she is, doing little things that would make his life just a little bit easier. Hell, he’d even stolen multiple objects of value from Arella and yet she never ratted him out to his brother despite knowing damn well who did it. She just let it slide.
If he’s being honest, it scares him. Did she like him that much or could she possibly want from something from him? Mammon was sure she was gearing up to ask for a favor from him. He decided whatever it was he wouldn’t do it. He may have had the task of looking after this human forced upon him by Lucifer but he wasn’t about to sit back and comply with it.
The demon made sure to let the human know what an inconvenience she was to him almost every day- most typically whenever he had to cancel his own plans to escort her around town. She took it like a champ though, never seeming to let it bother her. She was so kind it was almost annoying. Maybe it really didn’t bother her. That must be the only reason she’s pestering him now. He did have to give her credit for her persistence though.
“Come on, Mammon! Lucifer left me in charge of the grocery shopping and I can’t go out alone or I’ll get eaten.” Arella said as she trailed after the Avatar of Greed. Having only been here in the Devildom for only a handful of weeks, she was still actually afraid that a lower demon might make a snack out of her.
“Ask one of my brothers ta take ya. I got plans and you’re not ruinin’ ‘em this time.”
Had any of the other brothers been home, Arella gladly would have asked one of them, but they weren’t- not even Mr. Shut-In himself! It was just her and her insensitive guardian demon.
“They’re not home, you know that.”
“I don’t give a shit, human! You got a phone. Just text ‘em. Now scram! I got a poker game ta get to and you’re holdin’ me up.”
“B-but-”
“Diavolo almighty,” Mammon groans as he turns to her, “I guess ya didn’t hear me clear enough the first time so I’ll say it again nice’ an’ slow for ya so try to keep up, ‘kay? I do not care about you. I hate the fact that I have to babysit ya. You could get eaten and I couldn’t care less. Infact, my life would be considerably easier if ya weren’t around. Got it?”
“O-Okay,” Arella squeaked under the intensity of the white-haired demon’s gaze. “Understandable, have a good night then.... hope you win a lot.”
“Whatever,” Mammon huffs with a roll of the eyes. “I don’t need your well wishes.” With that, Mammon turns and heads out the door.
As she watched him go, Arella bit her lip to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Once she was sure the demon was gone, the human sank down to floor, quiet sobs shaking her small frame. All she wanted was just an hour or two out of his time and he wouldn’t even give her that. She had never felt so resented before in all her 21 years of life- not even when her mother was alive had it ever been this bad. Now, as she wiped at her eyes, it really set in that she was left with no other option but to do this alone- gods forbid she ask one of the others for help and then it somehow get back to Lucifer that Mammon wasn’t doing his job. She would never hear the end of it from the greedy demon.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The trip to and from the store had gone smooth enough. No demons had really bothered to pay her any mind, not even when she slipped off one of the higher shelves and smacked her head on the shopping cart resulting in the ugly bruise that had formed on the outer edge of her right eye. Bruises were something Arella was used to covering up, so it would be a simple enough task. She only had a little way left to go before she made it back to the House of Lamentation, but nothing can ever be easy for Arella.
Standing at the gates, blocking her path, was a small pack of demons. She had seen them eyeing her up in the halls at RAD during the passing periods. As they turned to her, Arella panicked- her heart rate skyrocketing as her body screamed at her to run. She wanted to but her feet wouldn’t move. It wasn’t until her brain processed that they were moving did her body actually turn to run. By then it was too late, they were upon her in seconds, knocking her to the ground with a tackle as she struggled and let out a scream.”
“Lookit you,” the one she presumed to be the leader smiled as he brushed some of the hair away from her face. “You sure do look tasty. I wonder where we should start first with you... dark or light meat?” He took a hold of her wrist, pulling it toward his mouth. He was about to bite down when...
“Hey! The fuck do the five of ya think you’re doing?!” The Avatar of Greed snarls as he watches the scene unfold in front of him. He had been in a good night after having won nearly all the games he’d played tonight before decided to call it quits- now it was soured. “Ya know what? I’m feelin’ generous tonight, so I’ll give y’all five seconds to get off that stupid human before I gut ya and string ya up by your entrails.”
He only needed until the count of one and a change into his demon form before the pack of demons made the right choice and booked it. The Avatar of Greed let out an irritated sigh as he walked over to Arella and hoisted her up by the arm.
“You’re fucking lucky, ya know that, girly? If I didn’t come home when I did, you’d be dead right now. How are you that damn stupid, huh?”
“’m sorry, I-,” Her voice was small and a little bit slurred as she tried to get her footing.
“I don’t wanna hear any excuses, right now. Just get inside the house go lay down or somethin’- whatever it is that you humans do ta calm down.” He gave her a bit of a rough shove and she scrambled for the doors while he gathered up the bags she had dropped and brought them inside the house.
Arella made a beeline for her room and curled up under the covers. Her headache from the fall earlier was even worse and now her arm was hurting from the strength of Mammon’s grip when he pulled her up from the ground.
“I want to go home....” she sniffled quietly into her pillow. “I should have never done this.”
The human thought she’d find a place for herself on this exchange programme but now she thinks this was all a big mistake. She had no idea what exactly she was signing up for only that something in the back of her mind yelling at her to do so. These last few weeks had done nothing but to serve her late mother’s words as true: that she was trash and so deserved to be treated as such.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Out in the kitchen, Mammon is unloading and putting away the groceries that weren’t crushed or broken after the incident outside when he came across a bag filled exclusively with cup noodles. There had to have been at least twenty of them that she had managed to cram into the bag- all in his favorite flavor no less. A look of surprise crossed his face. He had only mentioned this in passing to her once before and he wondered how she managed to get her hands on them as this specific flavor was kept on the top shelf of that section. Not something that would be a problem for someone as tall as himself but for her? She was 4’11”! She would have had to scale the shelfs just to have even the smallest chance of reaching them.
Setting the package of cup noodles he was holding down, Mammon looked to Arella’s door before looking back to the noodles. Again, those questions rang in his head. Just what was her deal? He thinks, she’s always doin’ all these favors for me and never asks for anything in return from me. Well, no I can’t say that... She did ask one thing of me and that was ta go grocery shoppin’ with her because she was afraid ta go alone- for me ta do the one job Lucifer assigned me and I essentially told her ta fuck off. The demon thinks back to their earlier exchange- how he could see the fear in her eyes and the tears that were starting to form right before he left. Great.... Now I feel guilty... I should probably go apologize and see if I can get her to stay quiet ‘bout this whole thing...
Knocking on the door- something the demon hardly ever did- Mammon waited for a response. When he didn’t get one, he just let himself in. “Arella I-!” He stopped as there was there was a noticeable flinch from under the covers.
“I’m sorry!” She squeaked out, “Don’t hurt me.”
He raised an eyebrow at her response. Did she really think he was going to hurt her somehow? Well, all things considered, the demon can’t say he’s really all that surprised. He grabs the ends of the duvet and yanks it off of her, watching as Arella curls up and raises her arms to shield her head as if readying herself for blows that would never come.
Mammon knows that response all too intimately from the times where Lucifer would beat the ever-loving fuck out of him for indulging in his sin.
“Hey, calm down, okay. I ain’t gonna lay a hand on ya like that. Not only would Lucifer have my head, but I ain’t about beatin’ up on girls anyway.” He kneels down at the side of her bed and is horrified to see an ugly bruise marring the skin beside her eye. She does eventually calm down and pulls her arms away from her head after a few minutes of nothing happening. “Atta girl, now look at me,”
When Arella does open her pupils are dilated and now the demon is a little concerned. Humans’ pupils aren’t supposed to be that dilated, are they? That would mean... Mammon fishes his D.D.D. out of his pocket and shines the flashlight right in her eyes.
“What the fuck, Mammon!” Arella recoils as she hides her face once more and Mammon turns the flashlight off. “You’re such an ass!”
“I knew it.” He tsks, “When did you hit your head? Was it when those idiots tackled you to the ground or did you fall off one of the selves at the store?”
“I didn’t hit my head!” The human retorts, “I’m fine, my head just hurts.”
“Ya got a concussion, ya dumb human! Now out with it. Ya very obviously fell and I wanna know when it happened and how high you fell from!” For someone who couldn’t care less about her, he’s surprisingly concerned right now. If she slipped off one of the shelves at the store, he would be in hot water with Lucifer.
“I said I’m fine!” Arella abruptly stood up, swaying as she did, glaring daggers at the white-haired demon who looked up at her with a look of shock. Where did his docile little human go? “And what do you care anyway!? You said it yourself: You hate me and I’m just an inconvenience to you!”
“Now hold on a tick, I never said that exactly. You’re puttin’ words in my mouth. And you’re gonna fall standin’ on the bed like that. You’re already wobblin’.” he may not have said the part about hating her outright but at the very least he heavily implied it.
“Just get out of my ro-” She let out a yelp as she went toppling forward and the demon rushed to catch her. She landed slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“See I told ya you were gonna fall.” He huffed as he readjusted her while she pounded her fists against his back, struggling against his hold on her as he headed back out to the kitchen.
“Mammon, you put me down this instant! I’m not a sack of flour!”
“Stop being a brat and let me help ya!” The Avatar of Greed says as he places her on the island counter top. “Now stay there while I get you some ice for that bruise and some medicine for that headache of yours.”
Arella just sits there in shock of what he said. He wanted to... help her? That was new. She’s drawn out of her thoughts a few minutes later when she feels of bag of ice being pressed against the bruise. She let out a hiss as she tries to move away from it but it’s then that she notices his hand holding the other side of her face so she can’t move all that much.
“Quit squirming, will ya. It’s just a bag of ice.” He looks into her eyes before shifting the bag of ice over and running his thumb over the outside of her eye socket. “Doesn’t feel like anything’s busted in there. Ya got off lucky, kid... here take these.” he has a pill in his hand
“I’m not a kid,” Arella puffs her cheeks out in a pout. “Why’re you doing this when you said earlier that you didn’t care about me...?” she takes the medicine with a swig of water.
“Don’t get it twisted. I’m only doing this because if Lucifer finds out that you went to the store without me, I’ll be hanging from my toes for the next of the week. I’d rather not have a concussion of my own from getting dropped on my head when he decides I learned my lesson.”
“I won’t tell him if you don’t...” she says softly, “You don’t have to be nice to me. I know I don’t deserve it...”
“Huh?”
“N-nothing.”
“Now hold on there,” The demon says as he moves the bag back to where it was before, “You’re not gonna speed past that and act like ya didn’t just say what ya just said.”
“It’s nothing really,” Arella eyes dart around looking everywhere but Mammon’s. “Let’s just change the subject.”
“Alright, you can answer my earlier question then. How did you fall?”
“I slipped while climbing down from one of the shelving units at the store.... and smacked my head on the shopping cart.”
“No offense, but you’re kinda dumb. You were tryin’ ta get those noodles down, weren’t ya? You could have just grabbed whatever was at eye level or in your reach. You would have been an easy meal for a demon if you had passed out.”
“I know,” She sighed. “But that flavor is your favorite and I got everybody else’s favorites. It wouldn’t have been fair to not get yours.”
“It ain’t worth a concussion, short stack.” Once he’s sure she won’t move away, he lowers his hand from the side that isn’t icing the bruise and places it over hers. “Thanks though. And... I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t think you’d actually go out and try to get yourself eaten because I said I wouldn’t care.”
“I mean, that wasn’t my goal,” She sighed. “But I guess that’s the mess I got myself into huh?”
“Ya wouldn’t have if I would have done my job and gone with ya...” He scoots her over and then hops up on the island counter next to her. “I don’t get you, ya know...”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re too nice to me. I’ve been a jackass ta ya but you never seem to let it bother ya. You’re always coverin’ for me when I steal things from the house ta sell and you never said anything after I stole that necklace and other things from you. You save my plate at dinner when I don’t make it right away and you’ve lied right ta Lucifer’s face on multiple accounts for me... why? Why do you do these things?”
“I just wanted you to be nice to me. I know I just kind of got forced on you...  I thought maybe if I extended the olive branch first, we could be at least somewhat civil with each other... but no matter what I did, it didn’t change the way you treated me so I just kept pushing harder and harder to see if maybe...”
“I get what you’re sayin’...” he hummed. “Let’s start over then... I’ll look out for ya for the rest of the year if you’ll forgive me... It would be ta both of our benefit.”
She nodded as he hopped down from the counter. “Alright, let’s go then.”
“Go? Go where?”
“Back ta the store, some of the stuff ya bought got damaged when those demons attacked ya.”
“Oh... Alright... This isn’t some kind of trick, is it? You’re not going to ditch me, are you?”
“Nah, I won’t. And if anybody wants to eat ya, they’ll have to go through me, first. Got it?” he says as holds his hand out to her. She hesitantly took it and he tugged her along after him as they headed out. She hopes that maybe they could even become friends at some point. That maybe- just maybe- this is a turning point for them.
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rocorambles · 3 years
Note
Can I req Ushiwaka having a fubu who is Shirabu's sister and one time she thought Shirabu was out so she invited Ushiwaka but Shirabu caught them in the kitchen. Up to you how it'll endd bc idk if you write incest or you're uncomf wid it. -🐢
I actually went fairly soft with this because I love the idea of Shirabu just being an overprotective younger brother and I took some liberty with exactly where he finds them doing the do~ 
 Warnings: NSFW
You know this isn’t what an older sister should do. You know there’s every potential for rumors to spread like wildfire if people found out exactly what type of relationship you have with the captain of Shiratorizawa’s prestigious volleyball team. You know the significant social consequences it could have for Ushijima, for Shirabu, for the entire team if their esteemed captain got caught in a scandal. But more importantly, you can’t help but feel the pang of guilt every time Shirabu looks at you like a surrogate mom, bright eyed and always excited to tell you about how practice was, how his day was despite the fact that he’s fully outgrown being just your kid brother.  
Would he still look at you with that love in his eyes if he knew exactly what you were doing behind his back with his captain? Someone else he has nothing but admiration and respect for? 
But maybe you don’t care nearly enough because here you are, continuing your secret little dance, plastering a cheery smile on your face as Shirabu tells you he’s going out for a study hangout session with some friends, pride mixing with shame inside of you as your heart soars at how diligent and hardworking your little brother is, only to have the feeling dampered by the text lighting up your phone.  
“Are you free?”
You snort when you see the text. Which person your age writes in complete sentences with perfect grammar, capitalized letters, accurately placed punctuation? For a booty call? 
Ushijima Wakatoshi. That’s who. 
You’re not even completely sure how this strange relationship had begun. Well, you do know, but you can barely remember the night, only foggy memories of a third-year house party and too much alcohol prevalent in your thoughts. But your face heats up when you remember despite the way your body was barely keeping it together, stumbling around like a drunken idiot, the immense attraction you had felt when you laid eyes on Ushijima in all his stoic and stiff mannerisms, glued to a wall away from the heart of the chaos. 
The last thing you remember is bounding towards him, olive eyes widening in alarm when your body presses against him and your hands hook into the front of his shirt, trying to pull him down for a sloppy kiss. And then you blank out. 
You find out the next morning that you had promptly passed out from the insane amount of alcohol you had consumed, saved from falling into a messy heap on the floor by Ushijima’s reflexes, and you groan when you remember the awkwardly hilarious photos your friends had taken of the giant athlete gently laying your limp body on the ground at his feet before resuming his uptight standing stance, looking strangely like an intimidating bodyguard guarding your passed out form splayed at his feet. 
Your friends tell you to laugh it off. People do stupid things when they’re drunk. Don’t sweat it. 
Sure, that’s all fine and dandy, maybe even true. But most people don’t have to see the victim of their drunk stupidity on a daily basis and you want to sink into the ground when you pick up Shirabu from practice, nowhere to hide from olive eyes that look at you with recognition. And your foot taps impatiently, wanting nothing more than for your brother to pick up the pace so you can leave your shame behind. 
But what you don’t expect is a large body making its way towards you, a looming shadow covering your body as Ushijima stands in front of you. 
“I wouldn’t mind repeating what you were trying to do last night when you’re sober.” 
Straightforward. Never one to beat around the bush. Never one to mince words. The sentence is everything you should expect from a man like Ushijima, but the implication of his words and the embarrassment it dredges up from your core make your jaw drop and just like that, the two of you are in the world’s most silent stand-off. But Ushijima is a busy man who doesn’t have time for...whatever it is you’re currently doing just standing there like a fish out of water, and without thinking you tell him your phone number when he asks, still in a daze as he politely bows to you before walking away. 
The rest is history. 
Your “hangouts” started off a little shakily with your shyness and his stiffness clashing against each other in a messy tango as you hesitantly and tentatively explored each other, tasting each other’s mouths, fingertips gently grazing warm skin, mapping out new territory. But Ushijima is a quick learner, sharp instincts and awareness making him a dangerous opponent in the bedroom, and before you know it, he’s seemingly completely figured you out. 
You’re left screaming, writhing, and moaning, a different sort of mess from the woman he had met that one night. And as prim and proper as Ushijima has been raised, he can’t help but want to wreck you even more, see just how filthy you can become because of him. 
Tonight’s no different and you’ve barely opened the front door to let him in before you’re swiftly being hauled up and carried by strong arms, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as you hungrily kiss each other, practically devouring one another as he brings the two of you down hallways and turns he knows like the back of his hand by now before dropping you on your bed. 
Clothes are being pulled off and haphazardly thrown, a slight shudder running through you as the cool air hits your body, quickly replaced by a warm body settling on top of you and you sigh in content as Ushijima’s body blankets yours in its comforting and familiar presence. But there’s nothing soothing about the way he roughly presses against your lips, one calloused hand gliding down your hips, squeezing in a way that has your back arching and mewling into his mouth, desperate for more, more, more. 
Ushijima is gifted in more ways than one and even after countless rounds of mind numbing pleasure, he still insists on thoroughly stretching you out, remaining firm about not moving forward until he deems you ready. For once, you are not a fan of his meticulousness, finding it almost torturously slow as he stays resolute in his decisions, gradually adding finger by painstaking finger inside of you, never increasing his pace, never increasing the stretch inside of you until you’re beyond ready, a thrashing pleading begging mess on the verge of frustrated aroused tears. 
Only when your pussy is gushing, juices leaking everywhere, salty drops trailing down your face does he finally press his tip against your entrance. Your nails claw into broad shoulders as he sinks bit by bit inside of you, the stretch always overwhelming and deliriously satisfying no matter how many times you’ve had him inside of you, and your mouth opens almost comically wide when he finally bottoms out inside of you, his balls pressing against your ass as he forces himself to still, letting you adjust to his generous size. 
But you don’t have his patience and you pointedly squeeze your tight walls around his cock, a sharp upwards tilt on your lips when the powerful man above you loses his restraint, groaning and instinctively thrusting his hips further inside of you from the feeling of you clamping down on him. And you know you’ve awakened the predator inside of him when a dark feral look gleams in his narrowed eyes, heart racing as he pins you down with a hungry look you know all too well. 
You’ll blame the loud clapping sound of skin against skin, the symphony of your pleasured wails and his grunts, the rustling of bedsheets and movement of bed frame, for not hearing the front door open much too soon as Shirabu returns home in search for a textbook he’d forgotten, intending to just quickly go in and out. 
He’ll blame his morbid curiosity and overprotectiveness of you, heart and mind already knowing exactly what he’s hearing from the direction of your bedroom, knowing he shouldn’t look through the open crack of your door to confirm his suspicions, knowing he should respect your privacy. You’re an adult now and this is what adults do. It’s fine. It’s normal. Yet he plants his face against the crack, eye narrowing as he tries to make out who the fucker is who dares lay a hand on his sister, only to jerk in surprise, accidentally creaking the door open further when he realizes exactly who is in between your legs. 
Both your heads whip towards the doorway at the sound of the hinges squeaking and there’s a tense stillness in the air as the three of you freeze, different varieties of mortification and shock expressed on your faces. And then Shirabu is fleeing, slamming the door shut behind him, a strangled stuttered excuse of needing to go back to his friend’s house echoing behind him as he makes a beeline back towards the entrance, itching to leave the seared image of Ushijima and you so intimately together far far behind.
He isn’t mad. He doesn’t know exactly what he is as a litany of emotions ransack him. But he knows he isn’t mad. 
Still in shock? Maybe. Mortified and unsure how he’s ever going to look his captain in the eyes ever again? Absolutely.   
But you’re still you and he can feel the guilt twist his insides at how distraught and panicked you sound as you desperately try to contact him, mentally wishing he was a stronger man ready to face his problems instead of shying from them as he tries to slowly process what had just happened. 
He knows the right move is to go back home, sit down with you, and talk it out. He knows that he’ll eventually go back home. He knows that he still loves you regardless of who you share your bed with. He knows all this and yet it’s daunting, the thought of returning and looking you in the eyes after what had transpired, his feet feeling like blocks of lead. But it’s a four word text from his captain that ultimately gives him the final push he needs. 
“Please come back home.” 
It’s jarring to witness the man he looks up to calling his house “home”. But...not in a bad way and Shirabu’s eyes stay fixated on that single word, mind playing imaginary scenarios of Ushijima walking with both of you back home, of you holding up a poster with both their numbers during volleyball matches, of you scolding both men to not slack off in their studies. 
He doesn’t hate it. In fact something curious and warm floats inside of him as his imagination runs wild and he can feel the scheming strategic wheels in his brain twist and turn the more and more he thinks about Ushijima and you. 
There’s not many men Shirabu would easily let into his sister’s life. But Ushijima? Ushijima would be at the top of that allowed list if he had one. And although he’s sure that what the two of you currently have is just a friends with benefits relationship (banking on the fact that his sister would never hide her actual boyfriend from him, even if it is Ushijima), he smiles, already planning ways to pierce both of you with Cupid’s arrows as he makes his way back home.
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hazel-light · 3 years
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Chapter Word Count: ~7,400
Total Fic Word Count: ~30,000
Genre: (Wedding) Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers, lots of bed sharing and every self indulgent fluffy trope possible.
Warnings: None? Lots of fluff? Occasional cussing? Some suggestive themes, moments, and jokes I guess. No smut or anything!
Disclaimer: I am not Daniel Sharman, and I do not pretend to know how he would act, speak, etc. This is fiction okay, there’s a lot of creative license, and potential to be OOC. Ricky isn’t mentioned because I started writing this before we knew he existed, so apologies for that. Also, if you’re DShar himself, please do us both a favor and don’t read this, okay???? Same if you know him 🙈
Title taken from the song Yellow Lights by Harry Hudson which suits this story quite a bit!
A/N: You thought I'd skip all the possibilities and tropes that come with the holidays?! Of course not. This is the final part to Yellow Lights. Thank you all for making my return to writing and posting so wonderful. I am so, so, grateful. I hope the ending lives up to your expectations. <3
The next month and a half passes by uneventfully. I try not to spend all of my time thinking about how great Rachel's wedding was, and equally try to ignore the wistful feeling Henry’s wedding left me with. Having Daniel be my fake boyfriend in front of my family showed me everything that I’d ever wanted; someone who fit in seamlessly, who loved me for me, with the perfect balance of romance and friendship. Whatever crush I had successfully buried when Daniel and I first met is now achingly hard to avoid. I curse my active imagination and optimism for letting me indulge in the moments of pretend, leaning too comfortably into our façade.
As a result, I don’t talk to Daniel much. He is busy finishing filming his project in London, and I try to focus on my life in LA. I’ve become paranoid that every text I send him is one too many, too annoying, or too bothersome. I figure I can reassess things when Daniel comes home from filming, and try to find my footing in our friendship again.
This seems like a solid plan until I’m on Zoom with my family for Thanksgiving. Since I’ve already flown back once this year for the wedding, and I’m planning to fly back again next month for Christmas, staying put for Thanksgiving was the economical choice. The call is mostly uneventful until the subject of Daniel comes up.
“Where’s that boy?” Aunt Judith crows from her spot at the dining table.
“Hmm?” I ask.
“She means Daniel.” Ryan rolls his eyes, bringing the iPad closer to her.
“Oh! Right.” I try to recover. “He’s still away filming his new project, actually, but I was able to fly out to see him at the end of September for another wedding, actually.”
Aunt Judith frowns. “That’s a long time to not see someone that handsome—” I start to laugh, “Are you sure he’s not cheating on you?”
Oh shit. It’s in this moment that I realize Daniel and I had never “broken up” as far as my family knows. I hear the rest of my family start sputtering in the background.
“Aunt Judith— you can’t just—”
“That’s awful, I—”
“It is kind of a long time, huh?—”
I try to keep a straight face. “Guys! It’s okay. He’s an actor, it comes with the territory. I expected this.”
“So you aren’t sure that he’s not cheating on you?” Ryan frowns.
“That isn’t what I meant, Ry. Daniel and I are fine. We’re really good, actually.”
“Well I certainly hope you’ll be bringing him home for Christmas then.” Aunt Judith huffs.
“It would be nice to see him,” Rachel speaks up for the first time, and her husband Nick nods. “I didn’t get to talk to him a whole lot at the wedding.”
I clear my throat, my mind racing. “You know, we haven’t actually talked about what we’re doing for Christmas yet; I’ll have to see what he’s doing— if he’s going to spend it with his family.”
“But you’re still coming home,” Ryan states.
“Yes, I am still coming home, no matter what.”
Ryan and Rachel’s mom, my auntie Kim speaks up. “I think it’s pretty common for a boyfriend to defer to his girlfriend’s family for the holidays. I mean, Ryan splits the day with Katharine of course, but Nick always came here with Rachel.”
“I hear you, Auntie Kim, but Daniel never gets to see his family so I’m not sure— all I’m saying is I’m not sure. He may very well come, and I will let you all know as soon as I know.” I smile tersely.
“Well hurry up, and find out,” Auntie Kim chastises. “Christmas is only a month away.”
When I hang up with them, it’s 7pm and I’m feeling antsy. How could I have forgotten that my entire family still thought Daniel and I were together? I’m not sure how to get out of this one. Tired of panicking alone in my head, I pick up my phone and dial Daniel before I can talk myself out of it. It rings and rings, and my anxiety that he won’t answer grows with each tone.
Eventually I hear rustling on the other line.
“Lauren?” Daniel’s voice crackles through the phone.
“Hi.”
“Are you alright?”
“What? Uh— yeah, I just needed to talk to you about something—” I glance at the time on my phone. “Oh god, no. What time is it there? I’m so sorry— I didn’t even stop to think about the time difference, I—”
I hear him suppress a yawn. “Lauren. It must be pretty important if you’re calling me AND rambling like this.”
“No, no, it can wait, I’m sorry— uh, go back to bed. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“Lauren,” he stops me softly and firmly. “Stop apologizing. What’s going on?”
I sit quietly, feeling like an absolute idiot.
“Lauren, come on. You can tell me.”
“I— we… we never broke up?”
He laughs. “Sorry, what?”
“We never broke up.”
“Am I still asleep, is this a dream?”
“My family still thinks we’re together and they asked me if you’re coming home for Christmas.”
We’re both quiet for a moment.
“Oh.” is all he says.
“I talked to them for Thanksgiving, and they were asking about you. I realized too late that they thought we were still together— because I never told them we broke up. I didn’t think it through this far.”
“Right, I didn’t either.”
My phone starts ringing, telling me Daniel’s trying to FaceTime me.
I accept, and I’m faced with a dark screen.
“Why are we FaceTiming?”
I hear a lamp click on and suddenly Daniel’s face is illuminated as he lays in bed, lines from his pillow still on his face.
“Figured we should at least be able to see each other if you’re going to break up with me in the middle of the night,” he teases.
I shake my head. “Not funny, this is serious, D.”
“I know, I know.”
“If I break up with you, they’re going to yell at me and tell me I’m a stupid idiot.”
Daniel laughs.
“And if you break up with me they’re going to hate you, which means they’ll hate that we managed to ‘stay friends.’ And if it’s mutual…..” I shake my head, thinking. “They’ll think we were lying.”
“Which we were.”
I sigh, “Which we were.”
“So,” Daniel pulls his blanket up higher. “What are our options here?”
“I don’t know, that’s why I called you.”
I watch him stare off into space and reminisce about when I got to see this sleepy Daniel firsthand in Cape Cod.
“I could come for Christmas…” he trails off and I frown.
“That seems like asking a lot. You’ve already given up a lot of your free time this year for me.”
He shrugs into his pillow. “Do you not want me to come for Christmas?”
I pause. “I mean, that isn’t really the issue here. You have to be tired of being in love with me by now.”
He laughs loudly — a stark contrast to the quiet of his room. “Yes, being in love with you is very exhausting.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“I’m kidding. Being in love with you is not exhausting. At all.”
I roll my eyes and say nothing. “I don’t think I can bear to break your family’s hearts at Christmas of all times.”
“Man of the year.” I drawl. “What are you supposed to be doing for Christmas? Going home?”
“No, usually I travel somewhere, but I hadn't decided yet.”
I hum in response.
“Kind of leaning towards traveling to Massachusetts now, if I’m honest.”
I look at him incredulously, only to see a playful grin on his face, but I know he’s serious.
“I’m not going to stop you if you really want to come. But I—” I swallow. “Eventually we’re going to need to plan for whatever happens after Christmas.”
He nods. “I know, we will. Let’s just enjoy Christmas together, first.”
I smile. “Okay. We can enjoy it. Together.”
He clears his throat. “I hope I’m not too rusty at this boyfriend performance, it’s been a few months.”
“Daniel Sharman has performance issues… I hope that doesn’t get out to the press.”
His eyes flash. “Bold, for you.”
I shrug. “You walked into that one, baby.”
“Well, you’re lucky you’re cute, darling.”
We look at each other for a moment, and I hope my eyes don’t give away how fond I am for this man who is willing to commit to fake-loving me, and putting up with my family, and who is setting the bar way too high for any actual real relationship I could hope for.
So much for reburying my feelings.
I break eye contact first. “I’ll let you get back to sleep. Sorry again for waking you up.”
“Do Not Disturb doesn’t apply to you, Lauren. Call any time.”
I smile softly. “Sweet dreams, I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
—-
I’m standing in the Boston Logan airport waiting for international arrivals; specifically Daniel’s flight from London. According to the board, his flight landed 15 minutes ago, so he should be coming to the lobby any time now. I bounce on my feet, simultaneously eager and nervous to see Daniel for the first time since parting ways after Henry and Claire’s wedding.
Eventually I see the hat and sunglasses I recognize from a selfie he sent me earlier, and I can feel my heart race. I begin walking towards him, and feel my pace quicken as I get closer. Eventually he sees me too and he’s grinning at me with his signature toothy smile that I missed so much.
When we come into contact I don’t know what the appropriate response is, so I simply grin up at him.
“Hi,” I breathe.
“Hi,” he smiles back, and before I know it he’s closer than he was before and he’s ducking down to kiss me.
It surprises me but I respond quickly, leaning up to meet him.
When it’s over he pulls back just enough to nuzzle his nose with mine.
“Missed you,” he says softly.
“Missed you most.” I smile.
He stands up straight, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder, threading his other hand through mine.
I can’t see his eyes, but I assume he must be looking around when he speaks.
“Oh, are you by yourself?”
The question catches me off guard.
“Yeah— well, Ryan’s in the car, circling so he wouldn’t have to pay for parking,” I roll my eyes.
He nods, “Sorry, then—“ he makes an inconclusive gesture. “Suppose I didn’t need to kiss you quite yet.”
My stomach drops and I smile tightly, “That’s okay— better safe than sorry. I get it.”
He tugs on my hand pulling me into a hug.
“I did miss you, though.”
“And I still missed you most.” I tease.
Daniel shakes his head, but doesn’t argue, pulling back from me and reaching for his suitcase with his freehand.
“Let’s get this show on the road.”
—-
I bring Daniel upstairs to show him around, and so he can put his suitcase in my room.
“Welcome to my childhood bedroom,” I announce, opening the door and leading Daniel inside.
“Wow, where little Lauren grew up,” Daniel teases looking around. When I first arrived home yesterday, I was quick to tidy up, and hide anything that was too embarrassing, but my room is more or less the exact same as I had left it when I was 18 and moving to college.
I nod. “Yes, many secrets to my backstory can be discovered in here.”
Daniel laughs.
Ryan appears in my doorway leaning against the doorframe.
“Just so you know, Daniel, my bedroom is on the other side of this wall,” he nods to his right. “I can hear everything that happens in here. The walls are thin.”
I frown, blushing, “Ew, Ryan.”
Daniel just laughs and smirks, “Got it, bro.”
I look at him incredulously, “Don’t encourage him.”
The two share a look and shrug, seemingly equally enjoying my discomfort.
“Dinner’s ready!” Auntie Kim calls up to us.
I use that as my cue, brushing past both of them to go downstairs, leaving their laughter behind me.
—-
After Christmas Eve dinner, Katharine stops by and the four of us decide to watch the classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m the last to arrive in the living room, and when I enter I immediately notice that Ryan is cuddled up with Katharine, and sprawled out over the entire couch, leaving Daniel sitting in the only other seat— the armchair.
I narrow my eyes at them, “Are you guys for real?”
Ryan looks at us and hums innocently, “What?”
“You took the entire couch.”
I see Katharine bite her lip in amusement, as Ryan shrugs.
“I assumed you guys would cuddle anyway. Can you not share the armchair?”
Daniel intervenes, “Of course we can. C’mon Laur.”
He pats his lap. I hesitate briefly before nestling into his lap, tucking my head into his neck.
“Am I crushing you?” I whisper.
“Not at all, you’re keeping me warm.”
I huff a laugh as he puts the blanket over us and Ryan starts the movie. The steady rise and fall of his chest brings me a sense of peace and I have to try not to fall asleep, especially when his fingers gently caress my arm and my leg where he’s holding me to him. I exhale, turning further into his neck and nuzzling into him.
“Tickles,” he breathes, just shy of a whisper.
“You smell good,” I tell him, letting my eyes close.
His chuckle reverberates through his body. “Thanks, darling.”
I feel my eyes shut and sleep take over. I start to come to when I hear the ending song come on, and it drifts into whatever dream I’m having.
“She asleep?” I hear Ryan ask.
“Think so,” Daniel answers.
“You need help waking her up?”
“No, I’ve got it, thanks though. Nice seeing you, Katharine.”
I hear footsteps retreat and feel a series of kisses pressed to my shoulder, as Daniel’s long fingers brush hair away from my face.
“Time to wake up, pretty girl. You can go back to sleep once we’re in your bed.”
I shake my head no, clinging to him tighter.
“Like this bed.” I murmur drowsily.
He laughs softly. “Promise we can cuddle there too.”
“Promise?” I ask, peeking one eye open.
“I promise,” he confirms, pressing one more kiss to my shoulder.
I lift my head to look at him, rubbing my eyes.
“There she is,” he smiles gently at me.
I smile back sleepily, the words coming out before I fully think them through.
“Wanna know a secret?”
“Tell me.”
I swallow, letting my gaze flicker down to his mouth for just a moment. “I like cuddling with you.”
“You do, huh?”
I nod.
“Well the feeling’s mutual. Let’s go upstairs and brush our teeth so we can cuddle more in your bed.”
“Okay,” I relent, getting off of him. He stands up after me and I instinctively lace my fingers with his, leading us back upstairs. When we’re brushed and changed, we settle ourselves in bed and I claim my spot tucked into his neck again.
“Sweet dreams,” he says, kissing the top of my head. I echo the sentiment and gently kiss the spot on his neck I’m closest to. His arms tighten around me and I’m falling asleep again.
—-
For once, I wake up before Daniel. He looks peaceful as he sleeps on his stomach, his arm across my waist, face half smushed into the pillow. I turn my head to look at the clock to see it’s about 9:30 and know the others will be waking up soon. I turn back to Daniel and card my fingers gently through his hair. Eventually his breathing changes and his eyes flutter open, still clouded with sleep.
“Merry Christmas,” I whisper, our faces just inches apart.
He pulls himself closer to me, nuzzling into my side and closing his eyes again. “Merry Christmas.”
It’s quiet for a moment before he speaks again, voice raspy with sleep. “Is everyone else awake?”
“No, I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anyone up and around… they might be soon. Usually we kind of wander downstairs around 10, and it’s just past 9:30.”
He hums in response.
“You can go back to sleep for a little while if you want,” I offer, still running my fingers through his hair. “I’ll wake you when it’s time to go downstairs.”
I start to think he’s drifted off to sleep again when he opens his eyes and looks at me. “No, I can get up. I want to give you your present.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I told you not to get me anything; you coming here like this with me— twice— is more than enough.”
He rolls his eyes, detaching himself from me and rolling out of bed. “And look like the asshole who didn’t get his girlfriend anything for Christmas? Not a chance.”
I sit up. “We could’ve lied about it—”
“Lauren,” Daniel looks back at me exasperatedly, leaning over his suitcase. “It’s Christmas. Please just open your present.”
He pulls out a neatly wrapped, thin rectangle and places it in my lap, sitting next to me on the bed.
“Merry Christmas, Laur.”
I carefully unwrap the package to reveal a framed art print, with a circle of stars in the middle; underneath it says “The Night Everything Changed” with the coordinates of what I assume to be Los Angeles. I look up to him with soft eyes, and he gives a one shouldered shrug.
“Saw an ad for this online— where you can get the night sky documented of any night you want, anywhere you want. I thought it would be nice to commemorate this past year, for us…” he trails off, and I hug the frame to my chest.
“Daniel, I love it— Really, really love it. It’s so thoughtful.” I reach out and thread our fingers together. “I’m going to hang this in my room. I want it somewhere I see every day.”
He smiles and squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you like it. I actually wanted to talk to you about something— in relation to this. I—”
We’re interrupted by a light knocking on the door, and we both turn.
“Are you guys awake?” Ryan’s voice calls.
“Yeah, we’ll be out in a sec!” I answer.
I turn back to Daniel who squeezes my hand and moves to get up, but I pull him back.
“They can wait; this is special. I want to hear what you have to say.” I smile at him warmly, but he shakes his head, lifting the back of my hand to kiss it.
“It’s alright, I’d rather wait and tell you when we have more time to talk.”
I frown. “Promise me you won’t forget?”
He laughs. “Trust me, I won’t forget.”
He moves to stand, pulling me up with him to go downstairs, but I stop him, wrapping my arms around him tightly.
“Thank you, D. It means a lot to me.”
He returns my embrace, placing a kiss to the top of my head.
When we pull apart, I take his hand again. “Time for Christmas. Your present is under the tree, by the way.”
Daniel laughs. “A present double-standard.”
I shake my head and lead him out of the room.
—-
I think we’re done with presents when Ryan surprises me, coming over to Daniel and I on the loveseat.
“This is for both of you, kind of.” He hands me a thin, narrow gift.
Daniel looks up, surprised. “Thanks, man. That was thoughtful of you.”
He looks at me, silently asking, did you know about this?, and I shake my head no.
I unwrap the package to find a small frame, with a one hundred dollar bill matted in the middle. I look at Ryan and furrow my eyebrows.
“It's the hundred bucks I said I’d give you if you brought a real date to Rachel’s wedding. Seeing as the same guy is here for Christmas I figured you earned it. Thought I’d frame it— but you can take it out and spend it on a date or something, I don’t care.”
Auntie Kim squints. “Sorry, you told her what?”
I roll my eyes and try to avoid the way my stomach sinks at the reminder of how this all started.
I feel Daniel’s hand on my knee. “Clever, Ryan.”
I look over at him to see him flashing his polite interview smile, and I instantly know he knows exactly what I’m feeling.
Auntie Kim stands and stretches. “I don’t get it, but I’m going to go start breakfast. Your sister and Nick are picking up Judith soon and then they’re coming over. Katharine isn’t coming until dinner, right, Ryan?”
As Ryan confirms, she walks out of the room. Ryan turns back to us. “Mind if I shower first?”
I shake my head no, still lost in my thoughts, and I hear Daniel tell him to go ahead.
We’re left alone and I feel Daniel’s thumb brushing my knee.
“Thank you for my presents.”
“You’re welcome— I’m glad you like them; they don’t beat your present for me though.”
He rolls his eyes and we sit for a moment, the framed hundred dollar bill still in my hands.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I look at him and shake my head. “I don’t know. Just an odd reminder of how this started, and that it’s going to have to end soon, I guess.”
Daniel frowns. “We haven’t really gotten to talk about that. Why don’t we table that for later— we still have a nice day ahead of us. Those are problems for tomorrow.”
I nod and smile at him, and he pulls me in to kiss my temple, and I hear the click of an iPhone camera. I look up to see Auntie Kim in the doorway.
“Sorry, I just wanted to tell you that the coffee’s on. It was too cute not to capture.”
Daniel stands up, offering me his hand. “Make sure you send me a copy. I’ll have to add it to my collection.”
I chuckle as I stand. “Let me guess; the album is called ‘Cute and Shit.’”
He grins. “How’d you know?”
—-
Christmas flies by. It’s filled with good food, wine, and everyone I love. It’s hours after dinner, and Auntie Kim has already driven Aunt Judith home before going to bed herself.
Ryan, Katharine, Daniel, and I are all still seated around the dining room table playing some kind of team card game, and everyone’s faces are red from laughter and wine.
I can’t help but watch Daniel, who is in some kind of hilarious argument with Ryan over some card he pulled. His eyes shine from the light of the chandelier, and his smile is big and bright, taking over his whole face.
It hits me in this moment that I’ve surpassed unlabeled romantic feelings; I am truly in love with this man. The realization consumes me until Katharine knocks her shoulder into mine giggling.
“Can you believe we love these idiots?”
“Sometimes it’s a hard pill to swallow,” I tease, giggling, catching Daniel’s eye mid-argument. He winks at me and I feel my already red cheeks flush even deeper.
“You two are so cute,” Katharine continues, watching our interaction. She lowers her voice, whispering to me behind her wine glass. “I was kind of worried that when you got a boyfriend he wouldn’t mesh well with our dynamic, ya know? But it kind of feels like Daniel’s always been here.”
Her words vocalize the thoughts that have been ringing in my head all day. “I know what you mean.”
Katharine dramatically clears her throat. “Are you two done? Is it our turn yet?”
—-
We part ways from Ryan and Katharine in the hallway, giggling and shushing each other in the wee hours of the morning. I shut my door behind me and waggle my eyebrows at Daniel.
“Uh oh, there’s trouble,” he teases. “Planning to seduce me?”
I shrug exaggeratedly and he laughs before looking around. “Fuck, where are my sweatpants?”
I giggle. “They’re literally right behind you on the chair.”
“Oh, thanks.” He grabs them before looking at me. “Can I change in here tonight?”
I flush. “Yeah, sure.”
After sharing a room together all this time, this is the first time we’ve changed in front of each other and the thought makes my skin tingle. I make my way over to my dresser, pulling out my own sleep shorts and t-shirt. I wiggle out of my pants and pull on my shorts, glancing over my shoulder to see Daniel, shirtless, adjusting his sweatpants on his hips. My throat runs dry, and I turn around to pull my own shirt over my head, reaching behind me to unclip my bra once it’s on. I bundle my discarded clothes in my hand, walking over to toss them in the hamper. I turn around to find Daniel already looking at me. He’s still shirtless and my eyes drift to his defined chest. He looks down as if noticing for the first time.
“It’s really, uh, hot in here.” He speaks again. “Would it bother you if I slept shirtless?”
I shake my head, mentally screaming. “No, it is warm,” I agree, reaching up to put my hair in a bun on top of my head.
He watches me intently, and I laugh self consciously. “What?”
“Nothing. Just thinking about how this was the best Christmas I’ve had in a while.”
My face lights up. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I see his grin quirk up, and know something else is coming. “I’d say it was almost perfect.”
“Oh?” I question, finishing my bun. “Go on.”
“We fit in a lot of classic traditions today, but we missed one that I’m quite fond of.”
I look at him, trying to think of what it could be, as he takes a step closer to me.
“There wasn’t any mistletoe.”
I swallow. “There wasn’t.” I pause, my mind racing. Before I can fully think it through I find myself offering, “But we could pretend?”
“Hmm?” He murmurs, taking a step closer to me so he’s right in front of me now. I know he’s giving me a chance to take it back, or make a joke; I’m nervous, but I don’t want to take it back. I just really want to kiss him.
“I’d really like it if you had a perfect Christmas.”
“And you?” He questions softly. “What would make it a perfect Christmas for you?”
Instead of answering him, I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him for a moment, pulling back to look him in the eyes. His eyes meet mine in some unspoken understanding, and then he’s dipping down to kiss me again.
He kisses me softly, delicately, like all the kisses at the wedding. He pulls back briefly to look at me, as if he still expects me to change my mind. I kiss him again, wanting there to be no doubt in his mind, and he kisses me back with purpose and passion, and I’m caught off guard by the weight of it. I gasp, and Daniel uses this opportunity to deepen the kiss, pulling me closer. It reminds me of our very first kiss back on his couch. My arms move around his neck, pulling our bodies flush together.
Daniel pulls away first, but barely, breathing hard, kissing down from my jaw to my neck.
This is definitely new territory for us.
I move my hands to his hair, and he groans at the feeling. I can’t help myself as I sigh breathlessly, a shiver running down my back. He grins against my neck, his teeth scraping at my skin and I moan softly.
“Wait,” I say breathlessly, a thought somehow flitting through my mind. “Earlier, didn’t you say there was something else I should know about my present?”
“I can tell you tomorrow,” he murmurs into my neck between kisses. “It’s time for bed.” He tugs me down onto the bed so I’m underneath him, resuming his kisses on my neck.
“This doesn't seem like going to sleep to me,” I tease.
“It is, shhhh, you’re dreaming.”
“That I’d believe,” I laugh, and Daniel smirks, moving so we're eye to eye again.
“Dream about me often?”
“Shhh.” I pull him closer, turning his words back on him. “You’re dreaming, go back to bed.”
“Happily,” he murmurs, kissing me again.
I bring my hands down to his bare shoulders, feeling his warm, toned skin against my fingertips. I gently drag my nails down his chest to his stomach, and I feel his muscles clench at my touch. I can’t help but smirk to myself as he pulls away to rest his forehead on my shoulder, letting out a shuddering breath. I bring my nails around his back, tracing up his taut muscles and across his shoulder blades.
I feel one of his hands come down, pushing my shirt up, his mouth pressing hot kisses to my abdomen. His nose takes over pushing my shirt up, exploring every new inch revealed with his mouth, his hand now running over my thigh, fingers squeezing occasionally, slowly climbing higher. As his hand reaches the bottom of my shorts, he lightly tugs at the fabric. He pauses, his blue eyes tentatively peering up at me.
“Can I…?” He looks nervous, like I’ll reject him. As if I have ever rejected him, or could ever manage to deny him. I’m not even entirely sure what he’s asking but I find myself nodding quickly. As he goes to tug my shorts down we hear a bang on the wall we share with Ryan followed by a crash, a “Shhhh” and a “Shit.”
We both startle and look over toward the wall, before looking back at each other and laughing softly.
“Ugh, I don’t want to know,” I say, shaking my head.
“You probably, definitely don’t.” He smiles at me before pulling his hand off my shorts, and my shirt back down, letting his fingers trace along the waistband of my shorts before he clears his throat. “We should, uh, get some sleep.”
I blink at the abrupt change in mood before nodding awkwardly. “Okay, sure.”
He rolls off of me, and I reach over to shut the lamp off. I’m hesitant to cuddle up to him, unsure if what just happened changed something between us, but I’m relieved when I feel his arm wrap around me the way it always does. Neither of us say anything, and I try not to think about the last few minutes, the firmness of his body behind mine, or the way my body’s buzzing— closing my eyes to try and get some rest.
—-
The next two days with my family go pretty much the same way as Christmas did. Daniel gets on swimmingly with everyone, and my heart aches every time I realize that once the holidays are over, our charade is going to come to an end—a permanent end— this time. I try to ignore that thought and enjoy my time, basking in the coupley moments in front of my family, and leaning into every touch we share.
I never get a chance to ask about my Christmas present; the time never feels right, and Daniel doesn’t bring it up either. Nothing happens between us like Christmas night; when bedtime rolls around we change in the bathroom and go straight to bed. We cuddle, but there’s no after-dark kisses or wandering hands. I wonder if Daniel feels as self-conscious about that night as I do; if he does, he doesn’t show it.
—-
We’re in my room packing to go back to LA in an effort to try to beat the inevitable New Year’s rush at the airport.
“I need to find something to wrap this in so it doesn’t break in my luggage,” I frown, holding up Daniel’s present. “It’s my new prized possession— nothing can happen to it.”
Daniel looks over and laughs. “Want me to wrap it in my sweatpants? That's what I did on the way here.”
“Okay, thank you.” I pad across the floor and pass him the frame, our fingers brushing in the process.
“Of course.” His lips quirk up as he carefully arranges the frame in his suitcase.
A moment passes, and I wonder if now is a good time to ask about my present .
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask—“
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you—“
We both stop mid-sentence and Daniel laughs, “Sorry what were you saying?”
I shake my head, courage gone. “No— sorry, go ahead.”
He looks at me curiously but continues, “Henry texted me; he and Claire invited us to their New Year’s Eve party. They’re having it in LA this year.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “Us? They want me to go?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, Claire apparently requested your presence specifically.”
“Oh, that’s nice of her. I usually stay in for New Year’s.”
“It could be fun— if you aren’t sick of me yet,” Daniel teases.
“Ha!" I laugh, "If you aren’t sick of me yet, more like.” I shake my head. “And don’t mind sharing your friends with me.”
“They’re basically your friends now, too,” he argues.
“I’m not sure one wedding constitutes that, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
“You should come.”
I stop and look at him.
“I’ll call a car and pick you up on the way.”
When I hesitate, he softens his voice. “Please come.”
I swallow, “Okay.”
I’m not a big party person, but I also know I don’t have it in my heart to deny him, especially after everything he’s done for me.
He grins. “Really?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
“Cool, I’ll, uh, let them know we’re coming.”
I bite my lip to suppress my smile and start planning my outfit in my head.
—-
When we arrive at Claire and Henry’s house on New Year’s Eve, I try not to gawk at the size. It’s massive and sits high on one of the tallest hills in LA, away from the noise of the city.
The first person to spot us as we walk in is, unfortunately, Eleanor. I’d hoped she was in London, and away from us, but alas.
“Daniel!” she squeals, throwing her arms around him. “I was so hoping you’d be here.”
“Hi, El,” he placates her with a strained smile. “You remember Lauren?” He gestures back to me.
“Laura?” she asks, disinterested.
“Lauren,” I correct, forcing myself to smile. “Nice to see you again.”
“Eleanor,” Daniel intervenes. “Could you point us in the direction of Henry and Claire, perhaps?”
She frowns, but quickly covers it up. “They were in the kitchen last I checked— we have just got to catch up later.”
“We will!” He agrees graciously. “Let us get a drink, and I’m sure we'll have plenty of time to talk later.”
Daniel puts a hand on my back, guiding me forward and into another room, which turns out to be the kitchen. He’s immediately drawn into a series of bro hugs and handshakes by Henry and some of his other friends.
“Lauren! I’m so glad you came!” I turn to find Claire by a table of beverages.
“Claire! So nice to see you, thank you for inviting me.”
“Thank you for coming,” she says, pulling me into a quick hug. “I told Daniel he just had to bring you.”
I laugh. “He told me you were quite persistent— I usually have a low key New Year’s at home, but this is a fun change of pace.”
“Can I get you a drink?” She asks, already reaching for a bottle of champagne.
“Sure, thank you.” I catch Daniel’s eye across the room; he’s being clapped on the back and led out of the kitchen. I smile reassuringly, hoping to communicate that I’m fine here. He seems to understand, as he smiles back and nods before turning back to his friends.
Claire giggles, bringing my attention back to her.
“You look at him with such heart eyes, it’s cute.”
I try to keep my face from panicking. “Sorry?” She laughs like my reaction is the funniest thing in the world. “Oh don’t worry, he looks at you just the same, so you’re fine.”
I chuckle nervously. “I think maybe you’ve got the wrong impression—”
She shrugs like we’re talking about something commonplace, like the weather.
“Maybe, it’s possible... but I don’t think so. Now come! There’s some other girls I’d love for you to meet.”
—-
I spend a good portion of the night talking with Claire and her friends. They’re all very kind to me, but eventually I excuse myself to get some air out on the balcony.
I’m looking up at the sky — it’s dark, dotted with faint stars and a distant passing plane — when I hear somebody come out and join me. As they settle next to me against the railing I immediately know who it is just by how comfortable I feel.
“Whatcha doin out here, LaurLaur? The New Year’s only a few minutes away.”
I grin at him. “Just getting some air and admiring the stars. From up here you can actually see them.”
He hums, looking up with me.
“It reminds me of a certain piece of art a certain someone got me for Christmas.”
He chuckles. “I’m glad you like it so much.”
“It was very thoughtful…. I wonder if any of the stars are in the same places as they were that night.”
“Which night?”
“The night everything changed. Your birthday.”
Daniel leans against the railing facing me, and looks like he’s about to say something before he changes his mind.
Eventually he speaks again. “Things are going to change again soon, right? You said you’re sure about the break up?”
I swallow, scoffing my shoe against the balcony floor.
“I mean, we still need to figure it out, but you can’t keep fake dating me forever. That isn’t fair to you.”
He smiles wistfully. “It’s not like there was anyone else I was trying to date.”
“I’m a lucky girl,” I lament, and Daniel blushes and shakes his head. “It’s a real shame we’re over, though," I jest, trying to lighten the mood. "I’ve never gotten to kiss anyone at midnight.”
His eyebrows raise in surprise. “Never?”
“Nope,” I pop the p and look down at my feet.
“Well.” He clears his throat conspiratorially. “We can agree not to bring our fake relationship into the New Year if you want, but if the kiss starts before midnight, I think we’d get by on a technicality...”
I laugh. “You really want Eleanor to hate me, don’t you?”
He grins cheekily and shakes his head. “Nah, I think I saw her latched onto some other poor bugger inside. We’re in the clear.”
I roll my eyes, looking back up at the sky. I feel his finger trace my arm, gently using my elbow to turn my attention back towards him.
His voice is softer now, “It’s up to you, but there’s no one else I’d rather kiss at midnight.”
I look into his eyes and realize he’s being sincere. My heart’s beating out of my chest. Yes, I want to kiss him, but I want it to mean something. I keep giving in because I know one day this is all going to go away, and I’ll be left with just my memories and heartache.
He must see some hesitance in my eyes, because he’s taking a step back.
“If you don’t want to, it’s fine. Really.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “Not trying to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do.”
I shake my head. “It’s not that I don’t want to, I just…” I trail off, looking over the balcony, trying to swallow my feelings, which have manifested as anxious tears in my eyes. I feel a tear escape, and I hastily reach up to wipe it away.
“Hey,” Daniel says gently. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t.” I let out a watery laugh. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m…”
I feel his steady stare, and I come to terms with the fact that I’ve really gotten myself into a mess that I can’t just smooth over. I’m going to have to tell him.
I take a minute to compose myself, and Daniel stays quiet giving me time to put my words together as I look anywhere but at him.
“I do want to kiss you, D,” I start slowly, trying to keep my voice steady, “but I can’t if it’s just another part of our fake relationship.”
He tugs me closer by hand, gently, so I have no choice but to look at him. I swallow the lump in my throat. “I… know this wasn’t supposed to be real. But it has been, for me.”
He shakes his head and squeezes my hand. “So then stop trying to break up with me.”
I blink at him, and he continues.
“The night everything changed— your star map— I wasn’t referencing the story we told your family about my birthday.” Daniel looks at me long and hard like I’m missing something totally obvious. “It’s actually the stars from a night a month or so later.”
A month or two— Oh. OH.
“The night Ryan FaceTimed me?” I whisper, afraid to be wrong.
He takes my other hand in his, lacing our fingers together. “Listen— Fuck. I’m in love with you, Lauren.” He looks at me so intensely and my head is spinning. “I love you, and I’m in love with you.”
“What?” I ask dumbly.
He licks his lips. “A wise woman once said to me, you don’t confess to ‘kind of like someone’ when you’ve already been friends as long as we have.”
I stare at him for a second, my cheeks burning. “Well your friend sounds pretty smart.” I swallow. “Because I love you, too.”
He laughs, relief flooding his features. He pulls me to his chest, crushing me and squeezing the air out of my lungs. Eventually he pulls back, hands cupping my face.
He grins and shakes his head. “She is smart, so, so smart, but I don’t want to be her friend anymore.”
“What do you mean?” My brows furrow in confusion, worried that somehow I’ve misread this whole interaction, my relief quickly being replaced by panic.
“Well.” He steps forward, keeping our faces incredibly close. “I’m hoping she agrees to be my very real girlfriend— that is, if she doesn’t break up with me first.”
I hear everyone inside start the countdown to midnight. I’m still looking into Daniel’s eyes in disbelief, my hands clinging to the front of his shirt.
When the countdown hits one, I’ve finally found the words I want to say.
“Happy New Year, boyfriend.”
He’s grinning as he kisses me, and I am too. It’s not our most elegant kiss, a mess of teeth and giggles, and whispered “I love you”s. We never stray too far from each other’s lips, kissing again and again like we can’t get enough— and maybe we can’t.
Eventually, we calm down a bit, and when we kiss this time it’s all-consuming, sucking the air out of my lungs. It feels like my love is fizzling to the top of my skin, and I feel it. ‘It’ being every indescribable emotion in our kisses this past year, but this time I know what it is: true, unadulterated, uninhibited love. I am in love with my best friend, who is now my boyfriend, and I don’t care who knows it— as long as he does.
His fingers press bruisingly into my hips before he pulls back just enough to look at me.
“Can we go home?” He whispers sheepishly, brushing some hair out of my face tenderly. “I’m kind of tired of sharing you with the public.”
I huff a laugh. “I know exactly what you mean.” I lean forward to kiss him one last time before pulling back to lace our fingers together, squeezing tightly. “Please— take me home, D.”
I don’t have to tell him twice.
---
tagged: @rogershoe @heyrowena @yunsh-17 @trenko-heart @dylxnshxrmxn
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