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dari-ede · 2 years

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In the Middle of the Night: Ch 21

Chapter 21: "Whenever I Get Around You"

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

MASTERLIST

Summary: As Bangtan prepares for a new chapter in their lives, they head to their private property in the forest for a songwriting workshop. As a songwriter and producer they have worked with for years, I’m asked to tag along. I was ready for the heavy workload and small amount of sleep during the workshop week. However, I wasn’t ready for the storm that came that changed my friendship with Namjoon forever.

Pairing: Idol!RM/Namjoon x OFC

Genre: Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Smut

Rating: M (language, sexual/adult themes in other chapters)

Status: COMPLETE

Warning: Familial problems, mother/daughter issues

***********************

-Thanksgiving Day-

It was a good thing that Namjoon had his schedule full the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Their first show was in a couple of days and they were using every bit of it getting ready for it. Thankfully, they had been given Thanksgiving day off so they would be able to attend dinner.

The guest list was less than 20 and most knew each other, so I was sure everyone would be comfortable. My brother, Sebastian, was my writing partner and on most occasions when I wrote songs for the guys, he had assisted, so the guys knew Seb pretty well. Not to mention that on several occasions, my brothers and Ky hung out with the guys when they visited LA.

It was getting close to noon, the time I had told everyone to be there. My tia Jia and Jinny, her daughter, were helping me set up. The three of us had prepared all the food and we were finishing things when the first round of people rang the door.

It was the guys, always punctual. I welcomed them at the front door and they made their way into the house, eyes gawking over the place and commenting on how beautiful my home was.

Namjoon made his way to me, brushing his lips against mine. When I pulled away, those deep dimples threatened to turn me into a puddle of mush.

“I forget how huge this place is. It’s amazing how close you are to the beach,” Hoseok said, his mouth and eyes fully open.

“This must be millions of dollars,” Jungkook muttered, his head peaking to the backyard.

I didn’t comment, not comfortable with confirming how right he was.

None of the guys knew, not even Namjoon, but the reason I was able to afford this home was due to an inheritance left to me by my grandfather. When he passed, he had left a fortune behind. My mother gained a wealth of her own as a recording artist and hired a financial advisor who assisted in setting her children up for life. It was one of the few good things she did for me and my brothers. By the time I was 24, I had enough to buy my dream home: a house large enough to fit a large family comfortably with a beautiful view and proximity to the beach.

While I was raised privileged, I didn’t flaunt it. Another good attribute my mother instilled in us since childhood: being humble. While I owned this lavish house, the items inside tended to be pretty modest. I was more than willing to spend a good amount of money for a solid house with a breathtaking view, but I wasn’t about to waste money on luxurious furniture when I could buy something similar and cheap from IKEA.

“Do you still have the chairs on that cliff?” Yoongi asked almost excitedly.

“Oh, yeah. Can we go out there sometime today?” Namjoon looked like a little kid, ready to jump up in excitement.

The guys had visited the house a few times. Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung tended to gravitate toward the pools—one was outside and the other was inside and heated. Hobi was in love with the setup of my closet, Jin admired my wine cellar, and Namjoon and Yoongi were drawn to the cliff in my property that overlooked the ocean. It was actually my favorite spot in my home as well. I liked going out there with a good book, notebook, or camera.

“Yeah,” I answered them, smiling at their cuteness. “We can go now or right at sunset. It’s my favorite time of the day.”

“Can we do both?” asked Yoongi.

I was about to say yes when my tia Jia and Jinny came into view.

They all exchanged pleasantries with each other. Jinny had met the guys a couple of times, so she was shier than usual. The boys tended to be quiet at first meeting someone, so there was an immediate awkwardness. However, my aunt was quick to make everyone feel at ease. Everyone was laughing in no time.

We took the guys over to the appetizer area so they could start eating. Of course, we made sure there was a combination of savory and healthy food to choose from. They were getting ready for a show, after all.

As the guys chatted with my tia Jia and Jinny, Namjoon pulled me to another room.

At first, I thought he was wanting to find a secret corner to make out in, which I was totally up for. However, I was quickly disappointed.

“How did your brothers handle the news?” he asked curiously.

I frowned, not sure what he was meaning.

He looked confused by my confusion. “About us?”

The realization hit me. I had promised to tell my family about Namjoon by Thanksgiving. Yet here we were and I had failed to keep that promise. I silently cursed at myself.

“You haven’t?” he asked, a look of disbelief and almost concern on his face. “Why?”

I was at a loss for words. “I’ve been so busy with planning everything that it slipped.”

There was a flash in Namjoon’s eyes. One that I had rarely seen. And never towards me. He wasn’t just irritated, he was pissed.

It made my stomach become unsettled. “It was an honest mistake,” I tried to explain quickly. “I’ve told Ky, Jinny, and my uncle John, so it’s not like I’m keeping it a secret on purpose.”

The glare did not waver. “Kyong guessed it on his own, you said so yourself weeks ago. I’m sure your aunt is the one who told your uncle. It was only Jinny you told. And that’s only because her parents and brother knew—you felt obligated to,” he accused.

My heart rate picked up. I don’t know why I lied. It was an impulse—quick thinking to save my ass. I should have known Namjoon not only would have sniffed out the lie right away but be quick to call me out on it.

“I’m sorry,” I said defeatedly.

“About not telling them or lying to me?” he asked, his eyes digging into mine.

Suddenly, I could feel an inner frustration building inside me. But I wasn’t sure who it was geared towards: myself or Namjoon? I had acted stupid, not thinking before speaking and hurting Namjoon in the process. But I was also upset with him for not waiting until after dinner at least to discuss this. There was a group of people in the other room, soon more would be joining. Why bring this up now?

“Both,” I answered him, hoping he could drop this until tonight.

“Are you sorry for both, though?” he wasn’t letting this go.

He had pushed me to my own irritation. “Why are you picking a fight right now? There are guests out there. Did something happen that’s making you take your anger out on me?”

“You’re trying to turn the tables around and it’s not going to work,” he shot back.

God, he really wanted a fight. I closed the door, ensuring more privacy and giving me the liberty to meet his heat with mine.

“That’s not what I’m doing. If you want to discuss how you feel about my fuck up, I’m totally up for it. But we have people outside and I have a feeling this discussion is going to last a pretty long time. Is it really wise to have it now?” I wanted to snap at him fully. But I was trying to be calm and logical.

He had a lot to say, I could feel him holding himself back. But he saw my reasoning. He took a breath after a long moment and gave a short nod.

I took a breath myself and met his eyes. We looked at each other for a long moment. I could hear him telepathically letting out his frustration at me. And I took it. I deserved it.

He settled down after a while, his eyes softer, but the hurt and anger were still there.

I stepped in, feeling safe to do so. Placing my hand upon his face, I guided his head to bend to mine. Staring right into his deep, warm cocoa eyes, I made another promise. One I fully intended to follow through with. “As soon as they come in through the door—whether together or separately—I will be telling them.”

There was a hesitation in his stare. He didn’t automatically believe me.

And it felt like a stab in the stomach that he didn’t. “Ok?” I asked, sounding desperate.

Maybe it was my tone that moved him. He took my face in his own hands and caressed me, his features softening with concern. “Ok.”

How he immediately forgot his frustration and was now worried for me squeezed my chest. I wanted to apologize. Get on my knees and wish to take back making him feel sorry for me. That’s why he had forgotten his own emotions: my well-being had taken president.

His concern and consideration for others made him deserve everything good in this world. It was impossible for anyone who was blessed to get a chance to know him not to fall into his gravity. My soul was already pulled and now attached to his skin. And I was getting drawn in deeper. And I was scared to shit of it because I wanted to be fully engulfed in him. So much so that I didn’t care if I lost myself in him.

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

In the next hour, more guests showed up: Ky and his family were the next ones, followed by my Tio John, and finally, my brothers and their spouses arrived together. The ones missing were my parents. They lived 30 minutes away so I decided to give them some time before getting too worried. Plus, I had to do some damage control and speak to my brothers.

To show Namjoon I was serious about not being ashamed of our relationship, I made sure he was with me when I pulled my brothers aside to tell them about our relationship.

Not that I really needed to vocally proclaim it. As my brothers, Namjoon, and I made our way into an empty room, my brothers knew what was up.

“How long has this been going on?” My oldest brother, Seb, did a once-over on Namjoon as he motioned the two of us. He crossed his arms, purposely flexing his muscles. He was a couple of inches shorter than Namjoon, but he was a former boxer and still regularly hit the gym, so he was heavier set.

I could sense Namjoon getting a little nervous next to me, his eyes almost bulging out.

Vic smirked and followed our brother’s lead. He was slimmer and slightly shorter than Seb, but the countless tattoos on his arms, hands, and neck made him look intimidating as fuck.

I had to give it to Namjoon, he continued to keep his head high, even though I was sure he was internally shaking. Any other guy would have run to the door.

But I wasn’t about to let this game of my protective brothers continue too long. I stepped forward and pinched both of them in the arm.

Instantly, they turned into wimpy, little boys.

“Ow, that hurts!”

“Ayyyyy! Que mala!”

As they licked their wounds, I stood protectively in front of Namjoon. “We’ve been dating for a couple of months. Yes, it’s serious. No, not many know about us. No, I haven’t told Mamá y Papá. Yes, we understand the risks—both personal and professional. Yes, it’s worth it. And no, you cannot—and I repeat—you cannot take him to the speedway as a rite of passage. Any other questions?”

“What do you mean we can’t take him to the speedway?” asked Vic, looking appalled.

“How else do you suggest we get to know him if we can’t take him there?” Sebastian asked at the same time.

I gave them an incredulous look. “You’ve known Namjoon for almost a decade. You’ve hung out with him plenty of times.”

“That’s in the studio or when it’s all the guys together,” Seb reasoned.

“Then take him out for drinks—have dinner with him,” I suggested.

They continued to fight their case for the remainder of the day. They wouldn’t let it go.

I was pleased Namjoon found it more entertaining than annoying. He knew my brothers’ intentions were good. I had shared with Namjoon long ago that when first started dating, my brothers kept their noses out of my relationships. However, after my asshole ex damaged me, they became over-protective, always wanting to meet my boyfriends. I couldn’t be too upset about their method, especially when it seemed to work. The guys who tended to treat me well had been the ones my brothers gave full approval to. But I wasn’t about to admit this to them.

As the day continued, Bangtan and my brothers began to bond. My brothers weren’t as fluent in Korean as I was. They pretty much understood it but had trouble forming sentences. But this wasn’t a problem for them, all were enjoying the company.

I started noticing it was getting closer to serve dinner but my parents hadn’t arrived. I made my way to the kitchen to clean up a little, Namjoon joining me.

Namjoon did the dishes while I cleared and cleaned the counters. “How should I address your parents?” he asked, looking anxious.

“What do you mean? You’ve met them before. Call them by their names,” I said.

“That was before—and years ago when we were only friends. Things are different now,” he insisted. He was starting to bounce around on his heels, looking anxious.

I understood him; I remembered how stressed I was when I interacted with his parents during the online concert. “Just call them Mr. and Mrs. Luna. Be sure to use ‘sir’ when addressing my dad. You’ll have him eating out the palm of your hand. He always complains about how my generation seems to have lost its manners.”

“I thought it was Mexican custom to use their first name, not last. Shouldn’t I be calling him Señor Pedro?” he asked with a serious look.

He had such a thick accent when he said it, I couldn’t help the laugh that came out.

He gave a shy smile at my reaction. “Did I pronounce it that badly?”

I nodded. “You sounded really white.”

“I’m Korean!”

“Yeah, but you sounded like a white guy saying it.”

A brighter blush crept across his cheeks. “I should start learning Spanish.” He had a look in his eye like he was starting to make plans on hiring a private Spanish tutor once he got back to Korea.

I needed to squash the idea, quickly. I took his face in my hands so I could have his full attention. “Handsome, if you take on another hobby, it’s going to eat up the small amount of free time I have with you. Please don’t hire another tutor.”

He presented me with his dimples. “Ok.” He leaned in and claimed my lips with his.

“Thank you,” I said, giving him a kiss of gratitude.

“Get a room,” came a voice behind us.

Victor and his wife had entered with a couple of more dishes. I stuck out my tongue at him.

“We’re getting pretty hungry out there, sis. Any update from my mom and dad?” he asked.

I looked down at my phone for the 30th time in the last half hour. “Nope.”

“I’ll call them to see where they are,” suggested Victor as he took out his phone.

“I can do it. Go ahead and keep everyone entertained,” I told him. My middle brother tended to be the life of the party—a personality similar to Hobi’s. I would prefer he was with the guests, keeping the mood light.

He turned to his wife, Debi, and they shared a look.

“What?” I asked, catching it.

“You’re the host, Maya. It’s best if you’re out there instead of Vic. Let him handle it,” Debi said, trying to appear to be covering something.

I turned to Namjoon who looked as puzzled as I felt. I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one feeling something was off. And as much as I wanted to question my family about their odd behavior, I just wanted this taken care of.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it.” I got my phone out and selected my mom’s contact before anyone could intercept it. I headed to an empty room, closing the door behind me.

My mother answered after a few rings, “Bueno.”

“Hey, where are you guys? We’re getting ready to start dinner.”

“Oh, were we invited?” My mother’s tone was short and venomous.

I tried to ignore the fact that my skin was crawling. “What?”

“Here I thought you were having a small gathering with your friends for the holiday instead of having a proper meal with your parents.” The amount of bitterness that was coming out of my mother’s mouth was enough to melt my cell phone.

She constantly did this. Spoke in riddles when she was angry and expected me to know the reason for her anger. It was a game I always lost in.

Unlike the argument with Namjoon that I could push back until some other time, this argument with my mother couldn’t wait. I walked over to the restroom and closed the door, ensuring no one outside could hear.

“Madre, will you just tell me what you’re upset over instead of being passive-aggressive?”

“That’s a big word for you. Miss College Big Shot is putting her degree to good use.” It was snide comments like these that made me believe my mother resented me for leaving home so young to go to college. I had used the excuse that I wanted to better myself when, in reality, I had wanted to escape. College had been the way out. And my mother had taken college to mean I thought less of her because she had never gotten more than a high school diploma.

“Will you not dodge the question and tell me why you’re so upset with me?” I demanded. I had no time for her games. I had a room full of guests waiting for me, including a very excited boyfriend who was looking forward to meeting my crazy mother.

“Well, if you really must know…” she started. I could practically imagine the smoke coming out of her nostrils, she sounded so frustrated. “This is supposed to be a family holiday and you invited all those friends that we did not all agree to. Friends that you have chosen over your own blood these last two years.”

I finally pieced everything together. It was jealousy. It was resentment for me choosing to stay in Korea rather than coming back home. “Madre, I was in Korea for work.”

“You could have worked here. There is plenty use for a songwriter in LA,” she snapped.

“I needed a change in scenery,” I tried to explain.

“You wanted a change in not seeing me, just admit it. You were tired of me. You wanted as much distance between us as you could make.” She was trying to make me feel guilty.

But it wasn’t going to work. I had stopped feeling guilty a long time ago, but that didn’t stop me from getting upset myself. “I was dealing with a breakup, I hit a wall with my music, my contract was up, and a main executive felt me up in one of the label’s offices as he not-so-subtly suggested I do him a sexual favor if I wanted a better contract. So, no, it had nothing to do with wanting distance from you. I was busy trying to take care of my mental health.”

My mother went quiet. I wasn’t sure if she was going to respond and I honestly didn’t care to know. I didn’t have time to do this with her.

“I’ll talk to you later. I have a room full of loved ones waiting for me. I don’t have time to play this little game. Call me when you’re ready to talk face-to-face and have an actual conversation. If you choose not to, then I’ll see you for Christmas. Goodbye.” I hung up and took a deep breath, trying to settle myself down. I could feel a knot forming in my throat and my eyes begin to burn a little, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t do this right now. I couldn’t handle my mother and my issues right now.

Taking another breath, I settled myself and walked out of the room.

Outside, waiting for me was Namjoon. “Everything ok?” His soft, deep cocoa eyes looked gently down at mine.

I saw him reach out to me. I wanted to lean on him; let out the frustrated tears while wrapped in his embrace. It was so fucking tempting. His arms looked welcoming. However, the part of me that refused assistance with an emotional problem teamed up with my pride and held me back. I swallowed down the knot. “Just a miscommunication with my parents. I thought they would be going to Mexico next week but apparently, they already left. They should be back by Christmas, which is most important.” I needed to lie. I didn’t feel good about it. But telling Namjoon the truth felt embarrassing. And also, I knew he would insist on dealing with my emotions. And I couldn’t deal with his sweet and considerate nature right now. It would make me fall apart.

The look on Namjoon’s face was hurt. Instantly, I forgot about my frustration and felt his disappointment.

I reached up and touched his face. “I’m sorry. I know you really wanted to meet them. I was kind of excited for you to see them too.”

His eyes stayed on me, the pain still there. “I heard you arguing with her.”

I was confident he hadn’t heard any words, but just muffled sounds. I didn’t want to lie to him, but if I was honest, he wouldn’t let it go. “I was upset over the miscommunication. I’ll handle it with her later. I just really don’t want to talk about this right now.”

He wanted to insist, but held back and gave a nod, not saying another word.

We made our way back to the party and I tried to find the energy to fake some happiness.

We gathered in the round, turntable in the dining room, which seated us nicely.

For the next half hour, we all dug in and munched on the numerous dishes. There was plenty of praise I was receiving from my ceviche that I made with tilapia.

Talk of how good the fish tasted reminded me of something Jin had brought up a while ago. I turned to my uncle John. “Tio, Jin is the one who is interested in going fishing during his stay.”

One of the things Jin had wanted to do in the States was fish. I had mentioned my uncle John managed a fishing company that could take him fishing. Tio John immediately agreed to take Jin out to sea. With both of them present, it was the perfect time to have them discuss it.

My tio turned to Jin. “I would be more than happy to take you with us. Currently, yellowtail is what we’ve been catching.”

Jin gave a bow of gratitude. “I would be very happy with that. Thank you very much.”

My tio turned to me. “Mayita, you want to send him my information?”

I nodded, took out my phone, and messaged Jin my uncle’s number before I could forget.

“Maheeda?” Jin asked as he looked at me with confusion.

“Mayeeta,” I corrected him. “It’s what my family calls me.”

“That’s her way of saying you’re not allowed to call her that,” Jimin said to Jin jokingly.

“Yeah, just her family,” Hobi added with a smile.

I nodded, playing along.

Jin shook his head with a mocked sad look on his face. “Really, Maya. Here I thought we were more than friends.”

“More than friends?” Seb said with a look of shock.

“Is there something you need to discuss with your brothers?” Vic asked me. “I thought it was only Namjoon we had to square up—I didn’t think we had to intimidate two guys.”

Jin looked confused by what Vic said. He turned to Namjoon and asked for an interpretation. Jin understood English quite well, but Vic used some slang and spoke too fast.

Namjoon let Jin know what was said while trying to hold back laughter.

At hearing what Vic had said, Jin shook his hand vigorously, his face burning red in embarrassment. “No, no, no!”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Beto, Seb’s husband, interceded. “Maya, are you and RM actually in a polyamorous relationship with Jin?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I said playfully. “Namjoon is too much in love with Jin.”

Namjoon shook his head, didn't say a word, and took a sip of his wine. He turned to me, cocking his eyebrow at me and giving me a look that sent shivers down my spine. It managed to travel all the way down to my pussy. I was wet in that instant as he stared at me from the corner of his eyes.

The table laughed, paying no attention to the heated look Namjoon was giving me. I was more than grateful; I did not want my family to see me aroused. Awkward. I took a sip of my own wine.

We had fun with this for the rest of the night, never missing an opportunity to make Jin feel embarrassed.

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

A couple of hours later, everyone except the guys left. The guys wanted to go down to the beach. Thankfully, not many were down there due to the holiday, so we were all enjoying most of the beach in private.

Currently, I was having a playful spat with Jin. He had just pouted about something.

“Why are you so whiny?” I asked, teasingly.

Jin continued to pout and looked insulted by my question. “Well, how should I react?”

“Like the 40-year-old that you are,” I said, not missing a beat.

Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook let out booming laughs.

This only made Jin let out an exasperated noise. “Ya, I just turned 30—in Korean years. How are you going to say I’m such an age?”

“Jagi, in less than two weeks, you’re going to be 31.”

“Can’t you let me enjoy it until then?!” He looked so red.

I couldn’t stop laughing at his reaction. I almost fell backward onto the beach. Thankfully, Namjoon’s arm caught me and kept me sitting up.

“I’m done sitting here with you.” Jin got up and went to join his youngest brothers along the water. Yoongi was off in the distance taking a lone walk and watching the waves in solitude.

It took a moment to realize Namjoon and I were sitting alone.

“So when did your parents leave?” asked Namjoon almost out of nowhere.

I frowned, confused by his question. “Leave?”

“To Mexico. When did they leave?” he asked, his face straight as he looked right at me.

It took a long second for me to fully understand his question and to respond. “Just yesterday. I think.”

“You think?” he asked, looking thrown a little off. “They told you they had left but didn’t tell you when?”

My heart rate picked up. “I didn’t get too many details. We mostly argued.” That last part was true.

Namjoon turned away, giving a slight nod. I quickly picked up on his clenched jaw and furrowed brows, but he looked the other direction before I could pick up his full mood. He looked like he wanted to say something. Was this still about my not telling my brothers?

I didn’t want to pick a fight just yet, especially with the rest of the guys present. I said nothing.

Thankfully, Jimin and Hoseok made their way back to us, sitting next to us on the sand. Jin and Jungkook were playing some sort of tag game as Taehyung took photos. I had no idea where Yoongi was.

“So, who’s going back to Korea right after the concerts?” I asked Jimin and Hoseok, wanting to cut through the tension. I could feel Namjoon’s cold energy radiating next to me.

“Jin-hyung, Jungkookie, and me,” Jimin responded. “I’ll be spending the holidays with my parents in Busan. But that won’t be until late December.”

“Who will be looking after your house?” I asked.

Jimin and his brother were roommates. Usually, when Jimin was gone for work, his brother or parents looked after his home. However, if they were all going to be in Busan, I wonder who was going to be looking after his home. He had several plants.”

“No one. I have a friend who’s going to check in from time to time and will look after the plants. It’ll only be for a few weeks,” Jimin explained.

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. The truth was my attention kept going back to the man next to me who seemed to be sulking. His back was now fully turned towards me. I felt something dig into my chest.

Doing my best, I pulled my sight away from him, wanting to give him his privacy.

There was a feeling someone was looking at me. I looked up and noticed Jimin’s and Hoseok’s concerned faces. They were staring at Namjoon and turning to me, worried.

I gave them a small shake, signaling them to not say a thing.

They gave a nod and turned away, respecting our privacy.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Jimin’s warm eyes silently asked if I was ok. I gave him a smile and nodded, not wanting to worry him. He rubbed my arm softly, squeezing me kindly.

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

MASTERLIST

#rm fanfic #rm x maya #rm x reader #rm x oc #bts fanfic #inthemiddleofthenight #namjoon fanfic #namjoon x reader #fluff and smut #fluff #hurt/comfort #hurt #Spotify

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gaykarstaagforever · 1 year

Text

Sorry I haven't posted more about Sherlock Holmes but I'm reading The Sign of Four, where Watson is gay for a lady the whole time. For some reason it isn't as compelling to me.

Also,

I don't know if calling a woman ugly with bad skin but then marrying her is just an 1890s thing or a closeted gay thing, but this is what Doyle wrote.

This was 3 years after A Study in Scarlet, and now Sherlock is doing cocaine AND heroin. And is also an amateur boxer? I didn't finish it yet, so we'll see what other wacky antics he gets up to.

I know Doyle kills him 3 years after this. Then 8 years after that, he got back from the Boer War and was bored or poor or something and wrote Hound of the Baskervilles, arguably the most famous Holmes story. But it was conveniently set before Holmes died so Doyle didn't have to deal with that yet.

I read that one first. Probably set myself up for trouble, because Holmes and Watson shooting at a fake demon dog on a haunted moor is going to be hard to top. I mean Study in Scarlet had Mormons forcibly marrying teenagers and assassinating people, which was wild, but not quite as fun.

So far The Sign of Four only has Watson totally being in real love with a woman he just met, who he knows is about to inherit a fortune in jewels.

Good on you, John. Now you won't have to pawn the family watch for drinking money again!

🫥

#sherlock holmes #john watson

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lonely-lost-soul · 3 years

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A Pirate's Life for Me

Cover Art Done By: @fridaydev-draws and @friday-dsv (Dreamsmp x reader) Pirate Au! Love Interests: C!Wilbur, C!Techno, C!Dream, C!Sapnap, C!Quackity, and C!Schlatt

~~~

Salt burned your lungs as you tossed open your window with a loud bang, the seagulls perching on your flower boxes screeched in protest and flew from your window. “Fucking sky rats get the fuck out of here you heathens!” You snarled out the window shaking your fist at the bothersome birds, the sounds of the ocean crashing on the shore filled your ears as well as the chatter of the dock workers. You let the breeze blow back your hair and you heard someone calling your name from down below.

“Good morning (Y/n)!” You glanced below you and grinned,

“Morning Eret!” They waved back enthusiastically their dress spilling around their ankles, a basket of fruit was balanced on his hip. “Opening early today? I'm sure your patrons would be happy to start their drunken stupor early,” She held a hand to his mouth snickering and you shot them a look.

“If that gets more money in my pocket then so be it, I won't complain too much.” You shrugged, “Will I still see you later tonight?”

“Always do dove, how can I resist a drink from my favorite bartender.”

“You can’t it’s my charm.”

“Will the both of you shut the fuck up!” Another man’s voice growled from another open window, “It’s too early for your bullshit.” You saw Eret click his tongue but smiled up at you despite the man's protests,

“I’m heading to the market anyway. These fruits won’t sell themselves, I'll see you later.”

“See you soon!” You closed your windows once more, but not before urging your daisies to grow one last time. You tossed open the curtains allowing light to spill into your cozy home, a small carpet was in the middle of your room. It was a deep red and the pattern was made of gold yarn, aside from that everything in your residency was made of dark wood. Your shelves were littered with books and empty cups, and your old worn journal sat open on your desk. It was filled with childhood memories and you continued to write in it to this day, it was easier then, things were simple and everything was innocent and new to you. Now your days were filled with sea fairing idiots who liked to drink themselves stupid, but you could handle yourself, you always kept your father's dagger on your thigh at all times. Those who were frequent customers knew not to mess with you and those who were new learned their lesson within the first ten minutes of meeting you. You inherited the bar from your father, a kindhearted man who died a few years before today, leaving you with the bar and the dagger you had on your hip. You fished through your closet pulling out your clothes for the day, your dress was a gorgeous light coffee color and came down to your ankles. The bottom was flared and had dark brown panels on the sides, it faded inward to a light green then back to the coffee color. The corset around your waist was a dark brown with light green trim, you tied it tight with a small huff making sure your waist was sinched perfectly. The sleeves came down to your elbows allowing you to move your arms freely while making drinks. The top of the dress ended just below your collarbone, you strapped your dagger to your thigh before lacing up your knee-high black boots.

You thought back to your tavern downstairs, you were fortunate enough that you weren’t running this entire operation yourself. You ended up hiring help and they were like family and you knew they saw you as such as well. Most of the girls didn’t have a family of their own so you gave them room and board, also money, of course, you weren’t a terrible boss! You opened the door to your room, you watched Cecil, the tavern’s mascot trot out of Juniper’s room. The border collie liked to switch up which rooms he stayed in protecting every one of your girls when you couldn’t be there for them.

The first of your girls was Adelaide or Addie, she was one of the first to fall under your care. She was around your age, a motherly type, sheep hybrid, who cared for the girls, and always gave the drunk patrons with mommy issues a shoulder to cry on. Her long brown hair always hung down her back, she typically worked tables, served food and drinks, and always got a generous tip from patrons.

The next girl was Judas, a squid-enderman hybrid who was taller than you could ever wish to be, although intimidating you couldn’t meet a kinder woman. A jack of all trades the woman helped out wherever she could, black-ish purple hair curled around her shoulders and some people came specifically to hear her sing. Her voice was like rich velvet and lured men and women in like a siren.

Juniper was after Judas, a demon hybrid who was naive but you’d be a fool to underestimate her. She worked beside you at the bar, she can make some mean fruity drinks, Eret always preferred her drinks over yours. Freckles adorned her face and shoulders, her light brown hair curled down to her middle back, purple horns sprouted from the top of her head. You wanted to adorn it with gold jewelry and you were saving up to gift some to her.

Yeti was a human woman like yourself, she didn’t bother with those who were rude or obnoxious. She kept to herself only really talking when she was spoken to or when there was an opportunity to crack a rare joke. She typically stayed on the sidelines, out of the scenes and Yeti liked to help Judas decorate her sets.

Zig was a kind young adult, they got along with everyone who came inside the tavern. Soft emerald eyes drew people in, and they tried to make sure tensions within the bar didn’t rise and start a fight. There would always be one or two that’s just natural, but one look at Zig and his magic words and they seemed to disperse, not wanting to hurt the kid’s feelings.

Vendetta was the tallest member of the group you had taken in, she was stunningly beautiful and didn't take shit from anybody. She was a guard dog if you will, making sure no one fucked with any of the girls in your tavern. While Zig did their best to keep people under control sometimes they couldn’t win. That’s when Ven would step in and ‘kindly’ escort them off the premises with or without force.

The youngest member here was Luvena. She was a moo-bloom hybrid with soft brown hair that sprouted flowers, her cow ears would twitch when she was excited and followed Addie around like she was her daughter. Addie took her under her wing and was training her to be a perfect little waitress, absolutely warming customers’ hearts. Luvena also loved to give out flowers, she was a fan favorite bringing new life into the tavern.

Cecil barked seeing his mama and scampered over to you, you poured food into his bowl as Juniper wandered into the hallway. Her head rested on the doorframe as she gave you a tried wave, “Morning (Y/n).”

“Morning Juni, We’re opening a little early today. Take your time I’m not expecting a big rush of bar patrons this early.” You assured her and she gave a sleepy nod,

“I’ll be down as soon as Ven’s out of the shower.” She yawned, “This beauty doesn’t come naturally.”

“Hardly darling you’re gorgeous just the way you are.” You reassured with a wink, Juniper flushed a little, happily laughing beside you.

“Just go wake the others will you, you flirt!”

Tossing your head back you gave a happy laugh heading down the hallway to make sure everyone was awake and ready to go for later. Addie and Luvena shared a room so she was in charge of waking up the youngest member of the tavern. Judas was already awake making breakfast for everyone when you headed downstairs, Zig was sitting on the counter beside her, they were the designated taste tester.

“Good morning Miss (Y/n)!” Zig chirped, the young adult hummed fondly, “Sleep okay?”

“Absolutely. What about you both? Thank you for making breakfast Judas.” You hummed fondly and Judas had a shy smile on her face.

“I slept well thank you.” Judas hummed softly, “Also it’s my pleasure. Want to make sure everyone’s healthy and alright.” She let out a little squeak as you wrapped your arms around her body, you barely came up to her chest,

“Judas please marry me,” You complained, “Your breakfast is always heavenly and you care for everyone. Please be my wife.”

“(Y/n)! Please.” She sputtered face turning a dark purple, Zig made a noise of protest and held his hand in the air.

“If she won’t marry you I will!”

“Zig! I’d be honored!”

Their entire face lit up with excitement and they hopped off the table to hug you tightly, you hugged them back and pressed a fond kiss to the top of their head. “I got to open up the tavern, you mind setting the table for me Zig?”

“Sure Miss!”

You sent Judas a kiss in the air which her face burned at, quickly going back to her cooking. You smiled eagerly and unlocked the door to the tavern, you shoved a bucket in front of the door to keep it open. The salty ocean air wafted through your nostrils and your eyes sparkled wondrously.

Today is going to be a good day.

Almost immediately a particular bastard caught your eye,

“You’re here early.” You mused raising an eyebrow,

“Heard you were opening early today sweetcheeks,” His voice was a low baritone, rough from years of smoking and drinking. Horns curled around his fluffy ears that stood out against his gruff exterior, he was a ram hybrid at its finest. “Figured I’d take the opportunity to get a special drink from my special girl,” He mused looking you up and down drinking in your figure. You scoffed at the retired man, he dressed like he was cosplaying captain jack sparrow, the gun’s in his belt just added to his costume and so did his large ruffled shirt, he was never one to forget his gold jewelry.

“Where’s Quackity?” You ignored him sitting him at his usual table, he frowned but you knew he was taking it as an opportunity to stare at your ass. He slid into the stool and put his feet up on the table, his boots were muddy but you could only control him so much. He was too much of a regular to get scared off by your threats and scolding.

“He’ll be in at his normal time. He’s not much of a day drinker, although can’t say I’m complaining. Having all your attention on me and all, considering I’m the only one in here. That being said, I’ll have my usual sweetcheeks.”

“Stop calling me that,” You scolded with a certain fondness that was reserved for the man. “You’re lucky you’re my favorite regular Schlatt,” you gave his ears a fond pinch and he bleated. He sent you a scalding look as you walked away, although the look soon fell as he got a good look at your ass once again.

“I’m your only regular sugar tits!”

“Schlatt feet off the table.” Addie criticized whacking his boots with a rolled-up menu, he rolled his eyes but dropped his feet to the floor. “You should know this by now, we go through this every day.”

“Yeah, yeah little lamb I’m on it. Judas here?”

“She’s always here,” She huffed spreading the menu down on the table. “Do you want your usual or something different? Should I get Quackity’s drink ready too?”

“Nah just stick with mine, for now, tell Judas I’d like to see her.”

Addie clicked her tongue and placed her hand on her hip, “fine. But if you’re just going to grossly flirt with her as you do with (y/n), then keep it to yourself.”

“You’re not the boss of me. Just because you look like an old hag-” The way she glared at him sent a chill down his spine, “shit babe take a joke will you.”

Eventually, people began to file into the tavern, as the morning faded into the afternoon and then into the evening. The tavern was bustling with life, Judas’s elegant voice traveled through the crowds and her voices seemed to float above the voices. Quackity joined Schlatt by his side seemingly irritated by a conversation they were having, Schlatt was about five drinks in at this point, which was much less than his usual, and Quackity on his second.

“What are they talking about?” Luvena asked swinging her legs as she sat on the bar beside you. Her moobloom ears twitching every so often as she tried to eavesdrop on their conversation,

“Vena it’s impolite to eavesdrop.” You scolded bopping her on the head lightly, she whined and rubbed the top of her head.

“I wasn’t!” She argued as you rolled your eyes, you looked over at the two men to find Quackity looking over at you. His hand was raised in the air, one finger was up summoning you to get him another drink.

“I’ll be back, why don’t you talk to Ven while I’m gone. She’ll keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter!”

“Good thing she doesn’t want to babysit your ass either, now shoo.” You motioned her to hop off the bar and she did so with a long, dramatic sigh. You looked over at Ven who gave you a silent nod, letting you know she’d watch out for the youngest member of your band of misfits. Meanwhile, you grabbed Quackity another drink and walked over to the two men at the table, “Someone order a drink?”

“Aye! Mamacita! Fancy seeing you here.” Quackity purred a bright smile spreading across his face seeing that you were the one to deliver his drink,

“Hey Big Q,” You greeted placing the drink in front of him, “You doing okay?”

“Better now that an angel walked into my sight,” He flirted and you rolled your eyes. “What? It’s true! You always brighten my day you know? Ow!” Schlatt hit his ex-first mate over the head,

“Take a breath lover boy. Thanks for the drink sugar tits.”

“You’re welcome, what were the both of you talking about if I may ask.” You hummed grabbing some of Schlatt’s empty glasses, an uncharacteristic frown came over both their faces. “Oh? Touchy subject?”

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Just dishing out some old problems, most of which are better left unsaid.” He aimed that statement at Quackity, his jaw seemed clenched and Quackity’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

“Well I just want to remind the both of you,” You passed the tray of empty glasses over to Addie as she walked by, she took them swiftly. You grabbed the side of both their heads and pressed them against your chest, not that you knew but both men’s flushed to the tips of their ears. “No physical fights are allowed in this tavern. If one starts I won’t hesitate to kick your fucking asses. Got it?” They looked over your chest and locked eyes with one another, after years on the sea they could read one another’s facial expressions rather easily and at that moment they shared the same thought,

‘They should fight more often.’

“I said, got it?”

“Yes ma’am,�� The repeated simultaneously as you pulled away,

“That’s what I like to hear-”

“(Y/n)!” Vendetta’s velvety voice called out from behind you, you turned and saw a group of newcomers file into your bar. Your body tensed momentarily,

Pirates.

Schlatt turned his head to follow your gaze and he tensed from behind you, “fuck me.” He growled and Quackity raised an eyebrow at his captain, he turned to look over his shoulder and his face lit up.

“Sapnap!”

The pirate who had a white bandana tied around his forehead glanced over at him and a smile lit up across his features. “Quackity? Is that you?”

“My man!” He stood up from his chair heading over to wrap the man in a hug, “I haven’t seen you in years, man.” You zoned out of their conversation eyes locking with a few of the other pirates who walked into the tavern. Vendetta and Addie both greeted them, but everyone who was under your care knew to keep their guard up around pirates. From what you could gather there seemed to be two crews, a crew of what only seemed to be two, Sapnap was included. The fire demon was still talking with Quackity, while the other man took in the view of the tavern, he had shaggy blonde hair, and had a few scars across his face. A porcelain mask sat on top of his head, a forest green cloak was around his shoulders, his hood was lowered around his neck. A sword was strapped tight against his hip and there was another dagger that seemed to be tucked against his side. His eyes gazed towards you and he winked teasingly with a coy smile, you scoffed looking over at Addie.

“Seat those two gentlemen yeah? Be careful, I’ll tell Ven and Yeti to keep an eye.” Addie looked at you, concern written on her soft features but she nodded. While Addie departed, you noticed Ven talking with the other group. Luvena was hiding behind Vendetta’s long legs, although a tall blonde boy seemed very keen on talking to her. You smoothed out your dress and moved towards the group of three, you eyed them up casually. The blonde looked to be around Luvena’s age, he had a shit-eating grin on his face and his uniform matched that of the second tallest in the group. The second tallest was clad in a light blue jacket with large golden buttons on the red collar. He had a cream-frilled shirt underneath and a black belt holding up his brown slacks, those were tucked into black boots. On his back seemed to be a guitar and was the only one of them not holding a weapon, but you knew better than to assume with pirates. His curly brown hair seemed to bounce every time he talked, he seemed to be the ringleader but there was no doubt that the real ringleader was the hybrid standing beside him. He was taller, on par with Vendetta in height, he had long pink hair that was tied in a ponytail on top of his head. A few pieces framed his face elegantly, there was no doubt he was the captain of the little crew that was in your tavern. He had a white shirt on with a deep low cut ‘V’ it showed off a good portion of his scared chest, around his shoulders sat a deep red jacket but his arms were outside of it and crossed over his chest. He seemed content on letting his second in command do all the talking, his red eyes were the only ones to meet yours. His head tilted upwards and before Vendetta could stop him he walked over towards you,

“You own the tavern?” His voice was a low monotone and it sent an array of pleasant chills up your spine.

“I do,” You raised an eyebrow crossing your arms over your chest, “Names (Y/n). You are?”

“Captain Technoblade of the ship Odyssey, I was hoping you had a few rooms and a table available. My brothers and I are pretty exhausted, we’ve been sailing all night.”

Brothers, they certainly didn’t all look alike, but then again you certainly had a mix of girls in your care. Your tongue swiped against the top row of your teeth, “Why don’t you and your brothers take a seat at the bar for now. Juniper will be happy to serve you, I’ll see if we have some free rooms available.”

“Thank you, once you return I’ll introduce them to you if you’d like,” Technoblade bowed his head before turning back to get his brother’s attention.

“I’d like that thank you.” You gave a nod motioning for Vendetta to follow you as you slid behind the bar with Juniper, Judas had also taken a spot sitting on the bar. You figured you’d let her know as well, considering she was another adult figure in the group. You knew either Juniper or Judas would fill in Addie considering the three were close. “Ven, can they be trusted?”

“Not too sure about the masked man, the one Quackity seems to be familiar with seems decent enough. He’s a fire demon though, could smell him from miles away, we all just need to be cautious.”

“Agreed,” Juniper added tapping her finger on her chin. “We should just try to curb all fighting if at all possible, what did the captain of the other group ask you?”

“They want a room, I’m about to check to see if we have availability. Thoughts on that?”

Judas let out a low hum her eyes followed both sets of pirate groups around the tavern, “I say if we have availability let them stay. They seem harmless so long as we don’t mess with them, which we’d never do.”

“Plus I can always stay awake to keep an eye on them.” Vendetta tapped her nails against the table,

“You sure.”

“As if I’d let anything happen to any of you, you’re my family.”

You all smiled softly, and you noticed Judas’s eyes widen, “Zig! Get that out of your mouth this instant!” She shot up from her spot and over to the person in question. The three of you laughed fondly at the nonsense, meanwhile, Juniper saw the three brothers sit at her bar. She moved away from you to greet them, you immediately could tell she was taken with the second eldest brother.

He seemed to be an absolute lady killer.

Vendetta ruffled your hair before going back to stand at her place by the door to keep the peace. You headed up the stairs to the rafters to check on the extra rooms you had, “Excuse me?” You tensed visibly turning around to face the man in all green. His eyes were mesmerizing, a fierce jade green to contrast his cloak, “Do you happen to have two rooms available?” The man held up two fingers to clarify his request,

“Do you usually start introductions with a blatant request like that?”

He chuckled a smile spreading across his lips, “I’m Dream and you gorgeous?”

“(Y/n), it’s your lucky day I’m about to check and see if any are available. My tavern is a hot commodity tonight.”

“Well, I can see why,” he spoke and you raised an eyebrow and tilted your head to the side.

“Oh?”

“It has the hottest owner around. Word spreads fast.”

You couldn’t believe this man was making your cheeks burn, he chuckled softly taking a step towards your figure. “Oh really, word spreads that fast on the open sea, Captian?” It was his turn to turn light pink, but he covered it up quickly with a chuckle.

“Touché.”

“I’ll get on that room for you and your friend. Take a seat, for now, this part is for guests and staff only you know?”

“So I have you all to myself?” He cheekily mused, he stepped towards you and before you knew it you were pinned against a wall. His hand suddenly brushed against your cheek, it was cold in comparison to your warm cheek. You felt Dream’s thumb brush against your cheek slowly, “You know...being on the open sea alone does something to a person.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” You mused pushing your forehead back against Dream’s, “All alone with only your crew with you.” Taking his other hand within your own you slid it up to your hip, you saw his entire face turn red as he stared down at your chest. “You’re probably missing a little love in your life, aren’t you Dreamy?” He nodded dumbly, his eyes still not leaving your chest,

Perfect. You weren’t going to let some pirate boy get the better of you.

He let out a grunt of pain as you spun him around and pressed his head into the wall with your elbow, your other hand has his pinned behind his back. “This hallway is for staff and guests only,” You purred in his ear before letting him go and swinging your hips before heading up the stairs fully. From behind you, Dream’s face was a deep, dark red and he had to clear his throat. Dream wasn’t going to let you go after that, I mean look at you, tough and able to hold your own, it awakened something inside him.

After checking up on the rooms you headed back down into the main hall, three-room keys in your hand. Glancing over at the scene in front of you, you saw Juniper dancing in the middle of the tavern the flirtatious brother at her side. Judas was sitting beside Schatt and Quackity at the bar, Addie was tending to Technoblade and the blonde at their little table. Dream and Sapnap were whispering to one another in the corner but still seemed to be enjoying the show. Vendetta was smiling softly by the door, beside her were Luvena and Zig both playing various instruments. You noticed Eret was also amongst the crowd, she had a brilliant grin on his face, it was flushed pink with alcohol and you smiled to yourself.

It was peaceful, and for a moment you forget half the patrons were scoundrels or pirates.

That was until the man dancing with Juniper locked eyes with you, his eyes lit up and he spun Juniper off into Addie’s arms. She giggled snuggling into the mother sheep’s arms, you heard a distressed “Juni! I’m holding glasses!” Before your vision was overtaken by the handsome flirt.

“Hello love,” He hummed, “May I offer you a dance?”

You were about to refuse but you saw Yeti, who finally made her appearance as it was getting closer to Judas’s set, giving you a big thumbs up “I’d be honored.” You responded taking his hand within your own, he pulled you out onto the dance floor and you felt his other hand politely hover on the small of your back. He allowed you to lean into his touch as he began to elegantly spin you around the dance floor, you were almost embarrassed to say felt like a princess. “Maybe I could get your name?” You asked above the music, “Since it seems you’re my dance partner this evening?”

“Wilbur Soot my love.” He hummed proudly, “The first mate of the ship Odysseus at your service. Plus I play music on the side.”

“Well now you need to play for us,” Wilbur twirled you around in a circle,

“Maybe one day. If you give me your name?”

“(Y/n) (L/n).”

“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

“I was right.” You commented biting the bottom of your lip trying not to smile,

“About what?”

“You.”

“Ah? Already talking about me I see? Is my manliness and gentlemanly qualities that renowned?”

“Not exactly.” He picked you up slightly and pulled you into a low dip, “I was right in thinking you a nothing but a flirty playboy.” Wilbur almost dropped you, you squawked grabbing onto his neck. He began to laugh as you clung to his chest,

“Alright love. You caught me red-handed.”

Wilbur set you on your feet hands on your lower back, you were pulled close to his chest. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“I get them for free hon. I own the place.”

“Oh...oh.” He paled a little, “I didn’t fuck up our chances of getting a room did I?”

“Nah lucky for you and your brothers, I have you covered, same with your buddies over there.” You motioned to Dream and Quackity’s friend, Wilbur’s face paled as he felt the chilled room key get placed in his palm. “What’s your little brother’s name?”

“Tommy.”

“Tell them both we serve breakfast free from 7 am to 10 am.” He nodded as you walked past, Wilbur meanwhile turned to look at Technoblade. It seemed he had his red eyes on the couple the entire time they were dancing. He held up a room key, it was labeled 205; Technoblade nodded his head before leaning back and talking to Addie once more. “Dream!” You called throwing a hand up into the air, instead of Dream, Sapnap looked up he nudged Dream with his elbow. The man was now wearing his mask, but at least you could tell he was looking at you,

“Well hello, darlin’ you must be (Y/n). Name's Sapnap. Dream told me about you, so you have good news for us I hope?”

“Pleasure, I'm sure he told you all about me,” He nodded, his eyes taking in your body especially your ass. “Got you both a room key, your neighbors. Across from the other crew of pirates. Just don’t fight and we won’t have any problems.”

“You mean those jackasses are staying?” Sapnap complained loudly, looking over your shoulder at the other crew members.

“You both didn’t think you were the only patrons, did you? This is a business after all.” You, tossed the keys their way, Dream caught it with ease and Sapnap fumbled it only a little bit. After they were in their hands, you waved them off with a flutter of your palm you turned around to go speak with Judas about her set but before you could take a step you saw Schlatt stumbling up from his seat. “Ah shit,” You knew what was about to happen, you weren’t paying attention to the ram hybrid so who knew how many drinks in he was. You felt responsible, for a while you and Judas had been trying to help Schlatt with his addiction. You couldn’t help but wonder what exactly set him off for him to get this drunk, Quackity caught him in his arms with a grumble. The man was a drunken mess, and as you approached you could hear his slurred speech and could practically smell the alcohol on his breath. “Schlatt,” You spoke carefully and as soon as you got close Schlatt detached himself from Quackity and lunged at you. His head was buried in his chest, he almost purred like he was very happy to be there, you rolled your eyes and ran your fingers through his hair. You were mindful of his horns but he seemed pretty eager for you to touch them,

“(Y/n).” He whined although it was muffled against your ample chest, “Why do pirates have to fuck everything up?”

“What are you on about Schlatt? No one likes pirates.”

“They’re gonna take you away from me, sugar. You’re my safe space, this tavern is my safe space.” You sighed listening to his drunken ramblings, you grabbed his horns and pulled him away from your chest.

“This is my life Schlatt, I’m not going anywhere trust me. Plus my family is here, they need me. So try not to worry okay?” You slicked back the hair on his forehead before planting a fond kiss there, everyone in the tavern narrowed their eyes at the scene. Even your girls were green with envy, at the sight of their lovely boss kissing someone who wasn’t them. He leaned against your lips eyes fluttering closed,

“Well, well, well if it isn’t Captian Schlatt? Or ex-captain if I remember correctly.”

“What?”

You turned your head and felt Schlatt’s arms wrap around your waist and held you close to his chest. The touch was protective and you felt your heart skip a beat, why was he protecting you, and why did you actually feel protected?

“Has the drinking finally caught up to you? Or was it the fact that you lost your so-”

Was that Dream's voice?

“Shut the fuck up.” He snarled and you were shoved behind him into Quackity’s arms, you felt less protected. “I’m not that person anymore and you fucking know that,” Vendetta came to stand beside the both of you a hand was placed on your shoulder protectively. You knew she was desperately wanted to step in and you held up a hand to stop her.

“This isn’t good…” Quackity murmured, “They’re going to fight. Schlatt’s going to get himself fucking killed.”

“Calm yourself. We won’t let it get that far.” Ven grumbled eyeing you waiting for your signal. But you were lost in the conversation or argument, the two were having, you couldn’t believe Schlatt was a pirate. He was so...he just didn’t...he was a drunk okay? That didn’t exactly shout feared pirate to you!

“Oh, are you sure? I remember that look, that’s the look you’d get before you stomped someone’s lights out. No wonder your son disappeared under mysterious circumstances-” Dream was shoved against one of the poles holding up the building. He grunted and Schlatt’s arm was pulled back ready to punch, but his arm was stopped by smaller hands,

“Pardon me Mr. Schlatt but you know how we feel about fighting in our tavern.” Addie bubbled, she had a smile on her face but it wasn’t kind, it was full of warning.

“Get the fuck off me, sheepie. This doesn’t fucking concern you.” Schlatt shoved her away and as soon as his skin made contact with her body he made a sound of distress.

“(Y/n)...” Addie murmured quietly, your father’s dagger was embedded in Schlatt’s arm,

“Fucking hell you bitch!” He snarled baring his teeth, you glared at him twisting the dagger he yelled in agony.

“Touch one of my girls again and next time this dagger is going right into your back.” You ripped the dagger out, splattering the floor with blood. He grabbed his arm tightly and looked at you with slight betrayal in his yellow eyes. “I mean it Schlatt, Quackity take him home.” The man nodded looking at you longingly, he muttered a quiet ‘Sorry’ before escorting him out of your tavern. “You,” You glared harshly over at Dream, “Go to your room.”

“You’re not my mother.”

“Then find another play to stay.” You spat, he turned away and you looked over at Addie, “Are you alright?” Your voice turned tender as you cupped her cheeks. She nuzzled against your palms and nodded her head,

“I’m fine. You didn’t need to-”

“Yes, I did. No one messes with you. With any of you on my watch.”

The sheep hybrid made a little sound as her bottom lip trembled, she wrapped you in a tight hug which you accepted without hesitance. Judas walked over next and wrapped you both in her arms, pretty soon you were surrounded by your girls and Zig.

All of them had the same mindset: comforting both you and Addie.

It was good to be loved.

Wilbur watched the scene curiously and glanced over at Technoblade who stood up from his chair.

“I think that’s our cue to leave for the night.” He looked over at his first mate, Wilbur nodded in agreement grabbing his guitar from the chair beside Technoblade.

“They...Techno were they talking about Tubbo.” Tommy whispered to his brother, his brow furrowing in concern as they all climbed the steps up to their room, “You don’t think-”

“It just might be Tommy.” Technoblade tilted his head to the side, “Guess that’ll be something we ask him when we get back to the ship tomorrow.”

“Well, this trip is going to be way more fun than I thought.” Wilbur snickered lighting a cigarette, taking a long drag, before letting the smoke curl out of his mouth and up into the rafters. ~~~

Tag List: @v01dw4lk3rz, @jam-bombs, @abovenyx, @glitterydigitalart, @phoenixaesthetic19, @luluwinchester, @boiled-onionrings, @pastelmoonwitche, @roxy3457, @alovestruck-fool, @victory-is-here, @mack4676, @fiorenc, @theoneandonlyyeti, @bloodrose0723, @sandyy-woo,

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coriel-muroz · 2 years

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Huntsville Revived #131

Spring - Days 1-3, Household 20: Beatrix Whitachre; Amin Sims; Jimmy Henderson; Gina Knight

Beatrix Whitachre is 35 years old. She’s opinionated, loud, passionate, and an artist. A Romance/Knowledge Sim, she refuses to be influenced by the expectations of others.

Her parents, Bruno and Beverly, had set the perfect example by being the exact opposite of a good match. Bruno had unfortunately spent much of his life closeted before finally admitting he was gay and spending his twilight years with Geoff Miller, the love of his life. Beverly had then married Goopy GilsCarbo, who had been a decent step-father.

Beatrix loved love. She enjoyed taking as many lovers as possible. Her relationship with Amin, Jimmy and Gina, however, was much more intimate and important than that.

Unlike the other three in this relationship, Amin Sims was Popularity first, Romance second. Which meant that he got all the loving he needed at home from two woman he adored, as well as the excellent company of a like-minded man.

At 39, Amin was successful in his chosen career of law enforcement. He considered himself very lucky in all aspects of his life.

Jimmy Henderson had never expected to commit himself to anybody. But the freedom he found in his relationships with Beatrix, Gina and Amin, which allowed him to do whatever he wanted, but then to come home to a supportive family, had changed that perspective.

The 30 year old Romance/Fortune Sim used his popularity as a reknown Ashford City Fireflies to meet all kinds of woman.

The bond had also helped open his eyes. Beatrix’s twin sister, Belinda, was in a relationship with an Alien named Athena. He had never been a fan, but as he got to know them personally, he realized that perhaps the stories he had heard as a youth were propoganda.

Gina Knight, at 27, is pure Romance. Currently a web designer, her artistic side connects with Beatrix, while her interest in fitness is part of her bond with both Jimmy and Amin.

While legally Beatrix is the sole owner of the house, inherited from her mother and step-father, the four view each other as equal partners in the life they are making together.

#Huntsville Revived #thesims2 #ts2 #sims 2 #Household 20 #Beatrix Whitachre #Amin Sims #Jimmy Henderson #Gina Knight

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ve1vetyoongi · 4 years

Text

better with you | 02

Chapters: index

Pairing: Seokjin x female reader

Genre: fake dating/arranged marriage!au, smut, angst, humour.

Word count: 18k

Summary: A part time job as a chef at Paradise Resort seems like the perfect way to spend your summer and save up some spare cash to open your own restaurant back home. That is until you cross paths with the CEO’s son who threatens to fire you if you don’t help him inherit his trust-fund-baby-fortune. How? By making you his fiancé. Well, his pretend fiancé at least.

Warnings: (mostly) fluffy smut, unprotected penetrative sex, handjobs, oral (f recieving), creampie, spanking, lots of pining hhhhhh.

A/N: HELLO omg it’s literally been so long since i updated this fic and let me tell you it was so fun to finally write for these characters again!!! thank u for everyone who has sent lovely asks about the first chapter and for waiting so long for the next one! ily and i hope ur all staying safe and well during these crazy times my honeybuns <3<3

"Seokjin," You gasp. "N-not here."

Fingers toy with the hem of the expensive sequin dress you found wrapped up in tissue paper on your bed that morning, edging agonizingly closer to the damp throb between your legs that under normal circumstances would require immediate attention from Seokjin -- if only you weren't in the back seat of one of the Kim's private cars.

"Why not?" Seokjin mumbles against your neck, the way his plump lips nibble the lobe of your ear making you shiver. "I know you're wet for me. Nobody has to know if I just..."

His palm cups your heat brazenly, and you have to bite back a moan, cheeks flushing when Seokjin chuckles low and gravelly against your ear. Your arrangement as you've taken to calling it has been going on for a few weeks now, Seokjin dragging you along to family outings and fancy dinners as his fiance and rewarding you with sensual rendezvous and get-to-know-me time in between.

"I know you want it, sweetheart." He drags a finger down your panties and you whimper. "Just say the magic word, and I'll give it to you."

Oh god. You are so weak for his touch, and he knows it. The things Seokjin's tousled hair and cocky smirk make you feel should be illegal. Anyone would think you have the sex drive of a teenage boy, constantly eager to jump his bones just looking at him. But not now, not here. The windows might be tinted, but you are sure you spot the chauffeur's eyes drifting to the backseat in the rear view mirror.

"Sir," The driver coughs, eyes trained politely to the steering wheel. The car has stopped at some point, not that either of you noticed. "We have arrived."

Seokjin flashes you a satisfied look as his hand reluctantly slips out from beneath your skirt so he can fish around in his back pocket for his leather wallet, throwing a couple fifty dollar bills on the front seat as a tip. "Thanks, Pierre."

You're still busy straightening your skirt when the car door opens and a black-gloved hand helps you out onto the sidewalk. You can't help but blush ferociously when you meet the driver's knowing gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. "No problem, sir'"

"I'll take it from here." Seokjin nods to the driver and slips his elbow through yours. Pierre lifts his black cap, before getting back into his shiny Mercedes and whizzing off into the city traffic.

Your legs shake in your stilettos, partly because you're not used to walking in anything other than your beat up converse but mostly because of the reassuring smile Seokjin sends your when when he see's you glancing around nervously.

You're in a upper class part of town, the street lined with shiny black cabs and designer boutiques with French names you can't even pronounce. You can't help but feel out of place, like the eyes of every passerby see right through your immaculate rich facade and see you for the ordinary kitchen girl that you really are.

"Don't worry," He leans down, pressing his lips to your ear so only you can hear as he pretends to adjust your diamond necklace. At least you think its diamond...what would you know? "You look beautiful. Just relax."

A small smile plays on your lips. Beautiful. It makes your heart flutter like a butterfly between cupped palms, even though you know it shouldn't. That's been happening a lot lately, and you don't like how easily he can make you melt. Snap out of it! You tell yourself.

Still, his reassurance makes you feel more at ease than before, and you straighten your shoulders with a new found confidence as Seokjin takes your hand in his, even if it is just for show. You have to make the fiance thing believable, after all.

"You still haven't told me where we're going." It's true -- Seokjin is good at keeping secrets. Probably because he knew that you'd say no to most of the crazy situations he seemed persistent on putting you in.

"Don't hate me," Seokjin eyes you carefully. You narrow your eyes, with a nod that says go on. "Hyejin wants us to go dress shopping."

"You bought me this new dress this morning?" You smooth down the front of the floaty summer dress that hugs your figure.

He coughs, eyes averting yours. "Wedding dress shopping."

That's when you come to a stop on the sidewalk outside of an elegant white-brick bazaar, eyes widening at the glaringly white dresses styled on mannequins that stare at you from behind the floor to ceiling windows.

Seoul Bridal - For All Your Wedding Dress Needs.

Your blood runs cold. Oh no.

You grip his hand tighter. "I'm going to kill you."

Seokjin is already pushing open the door with a chuckle that mingles with the tiny tinkling bell that rings out and announces your arrival. Too late to kick off your stiletto's and run.

"After you, sweetheart."

"Welcome to Seoul Bridal," A pretty lady with curly hair in a striped pant suit welcomes you inside with a hand shake. Her name tag says Wheein, and you can't take your eyes off the red lipstick on her teeth. "It's nice to finally meet you, Seokjin."

"The pleasure is all mine," Seokjin responds, voice deep with a suave charm that makes the girls behind the reception desk giggle unashamedly. For some reason you have to resist sending a glare their way, not missing the way your chest burns when Seokjin flashes them a dazzling smile. "Hyejin said you had some ideas for Y/N's wedding dress?"

"Of course. We have everything ready. We just need to get some measurements first." She smiles at him courteously, then whips a tape measure out of her trouser pocket which she wastes no time in wrapping around your waist. "Arms up, please." She murmurs as she slides the glasses balanced on top of her head behind her ears so she can get a better measurement of your shoulder width. You send an eyeroll Seokjin's way when you hear him snort bemusedly at the sudden man handling.

While Wheein bites the cap off a pen with her teeth and scribbles down the size ratio of your waist to your hips for future reference, you finally get the chance to take in the boutique properly. The sweet scent from the bouquets of white roses all over the room fills the air and the walls are painted a blush pink to match the faux fur rugs. Streams of sunlight pour through the chiffon curtains making the racks of blindingly white wedding dresses of all sizes and designs glow invitingly.

"Which one am I trying on?" You ask absentmindedly, nodding towards the sea of satin and lace hanging delicately from pink hangers.

Wheein looks up confused, then her nose wrinkles with distaste."Oh, none of these darling. You deserve the very best." She starts walking quickly towards a back room, heels click clacking as she beckons you to follow her with a crook of her finger. "We received some luxury designs from two of our best designers in London and Milan just this morning -- oh! And it looks like the dress from Paris just arrived!"

She shuffles you and Seokjin into a private dressing room, seating you on an elegant couch upholstered with grey velvet. Seokjin picks up one of the gossip magazines on the coffee table and helps himself to the complimentary cupcakes, all while you wring your hands together nervously, Wheein emerging from the large closet with three white garment bags.

"Here they are! Oh, how exciting." She claps her hands together with a beaming grin in your direction. With a flick of her wrist she removes all three bags, revealing three of the most beautiful dresses you've ever seen. You must look dazzled, because Wheein crosses her arms triumphantly. "Hyejin knew you'd like them. Just wait until you see the veils..."

She disappears into another room, and you're left gawking at the garments set in front of you like a goldfish. Fingers trembling, you reach out and touch the first one. It has a giant poofy skirt, like something you imagine a princess would wear, and you imagine how it would float down the aisle like a real life cloud. The second is more slinky, with shiny beads littering the bodice that glint silver beneath the glow of the chandelier and the third is made from gorgeous lace that shows skin in all the right places.

"How much did these cost?" You hiss to Seokjin, ripping your hand away like your touch alone might burn a hole in the fabric.

"Hm?" He says through a mouthful of cake, eyes widening when he takes in the dresses for himself." Too much, probably. Hyejin went a little over board but honestly, these aren't as bad as I was expecting." Seokjin runs his hand over the lace one, and nods approvingly. "You should've seen the rejects. One had a trail longer than my monster coc-"

"I can't try on any of these!" You splutter, arms hugging your torso. They're too beautiful for someone like me, is what you want to say, but you don't. "I'll look dumb."

"Just do it." He leans back against the wall with a roll of his eyes. Like this is all nothing to him. "It's not like you actually have to get married in one of them."

Ouch. His words sting, even though you know they're true, and you're reminded of the real reason you came here in the first place. It makes your stomach turn, how he can go from the sort of sweet Seokjin you know when you're alone to the cold, arrogant rich guy in the drop of a hat.

You turn away so he doesn't see your frown, when you catch a glimpse of something white in the corner, poking out from beneath a dust sheet. Your curiosity gets the better of you, and before you can help it you're crossing the room and ripping the sheet away to reveal another dress; except this one makes something in your chest flutter.

It's simpler than the others. Tiny white roses are stitched into the sleeves, the neckline dipping into a V shape where the bouncy chiffon skirt meets the satin waistband. It's straight forward, uncomplicated. Just how you like it.

"Have you decided which one you want to try on first?" Wheein's shrill voice calls, but it's drowned out by the blood pumping through your ears.

"That one." You breathe, pointing at the dress that you can't help but reaching out to touch.

"That one? Are you sure, darling, I'm sure we can find something more fancy--"

"No!" It comes out too loud, and you cover it with a cough, turning to send her a pleading smile. "I mean, no, no thank you. This one, please. I want to try it on."

"You know, when Hyejin told me Seokjin was finally getting married I just knew you would have to be something special." Wheein says once you're safely alone in the dressing room, away from prying eyes and mischievous ears. "Suck in."

"Hm?" It's all you manage to get out as you're strapped into a boned under-corset that feels like its trying to squeeze every last breath out of you. You're so close you can smell her floral perfume.

"It's just that I've had so many wedding dresses made that never made it to the aisle. Honestly I was starting to think Seokjin would never settle down..." She trails off, lip tugged between her teeth as she helps you step into the floaty white dress, tying the belt into a bow at your waist before stepping back to admire her handy work. "But now I see what made him change his mind. You make a beautiful couple."

"Oh." You realise she's looking at you, a blush creeping up your neck. "Right."

If only she knew the truth.

You start to turn towards the mirror, but she plants a hand on your shoulder hurriedly. "Nuh uh. No peeking yet." You feel your face drop. "Don't look so worried. It looks perfect. He's going love it."

"I...I have to show him? Now?" You shift uncomfortably. The shoes are rubbing your soles and the sleeves sort of itch. "Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the wedding dress before the big day?" You ask sheepishly.

"This is just the rought blueprint," Wheein reassures. "It doesn't count."

"I..." Your voice breaks. The thought of Seokjin sat out there with his roaming eyes seeing you in this dress makes your stomach churn. "I'm nervous."

"Don't be. Save that for the big day." She bites her lip, stepping back to look you up and down like there's something missing. Her eyes light up, and she digs around in a leather trunk in the corner to retrieve a sparkly tiara which she tucks neatly into your hair. "There. Perfect. Now lets not keep him waiting, hm?"

"Holy shit."

The words leave your mouth before you can think better of it.

Your reflection stares back at you, wide eyed and awe stricken, except it doesn't look like you at all.

The dress is beautiful. There's no denying it. It hugs your waist perfectly and the skirt waterfalls down to your ankles in just the right way. Wheein tugged your hair over your shoulders so the sweetheart neckline shows off just the right amount of collar bone, tiara sparkling beneath the soft light. A matching veil partially covers your face, and you've never felt more beautiful than you do now.

It's almost enough to make you want to believe that this is all real. That you're marrying Seokjin. That you get to walk down the aisle looking like...this.

"I don't see why I have to get all dressed up, Wheein, it's no big deal -- woah."

The door flies open, and your eyes snap up to meet Seokjin's in the mirror.

He has half of his seventh cupcake hanging out of his slackened mouth, his hair gelled back and tousled to reveal his forehead, and his piercing brown eyes that can't seem to decide where to look, glancing up over your exposed shoulders and down to your ass and back again, like he can't get enough.

He's lost his casual slacks from earlier, seemingly under Wheein's instruction, now clad in a black suit and matching shiny-toe'd shoes. His tie hangs slack around his neck, like he tugged it loose, and he fiddles awkwardly with his cuff links as he tries to get a grip over his roaming eyes.

"Y-Y/N you look--"

"Beautiful, right?" Wheein straightens his shirt, fastens his cuff links and knocks him beneath the chin to remind him to close his gawking mouth with a tut. He nods, speechless. "I'll leave you two to talk."

The door shuts behind her, and the room suddenly feels quieter than now you and Seokjin are alone, him on one side of the room, you on the other. You dare to meet his eyes and you find them staring straight at you, the glint that's usually there replaced with a wonder that's soft and gentle around the edges. You melt beneath his gaze.

He clears his throat, scratching a phantom itch at the back of his neck. It's the first time you've seen Seokjin seem sort of...awkward?

"C'mere." His voice is low, filled with something you can't quite put your finger on. "I want to see you."

You have to remember how to get your feet to work, hesitantly putting one in front of the other to cross the room. Seokjin stands with his palms clasped, a small smile playing on his lips as you close the space between you, and you swear you can hear the wedding bells already.

After what feels like ages, you stop a few paces away from him. He steps towards you carefully, flipping the veil out of your eyes like he's done it a million times before.

"Hey." You whisper. You don't know what else to say, but it makes Seokjin laugh and the sound makes your chest squeeze.

He looks dapper in his suit, like a real groom, and as he leans in closer, closer, until there's barely any distance between you, you can smell his cologne.

Your eyes fall shut instinctively. You almost swear when you open them there'll be a pastor and a pair of rings and Seokjin will be saying I do--

"You scrub up pretty well, huh?" His breath tickles your ear, and your eyes snap open to punch him in the chest playfully.

"I could say the same for you, mister."

A thumb grazes your jaw, tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. "Whoever gets to marry you is one lucky bastard."

The pounding in your chest is so loud you're sure the whole store can hear it. His lips are inches from yours, parted and plush. You've kissed them plenty of times before but only in the height of passion. Never like this. Not when his touch feels like a jolt of electricity running straight from his body and right into yours.

Just when you think he's going to give in and close the distance, he turns your face in his palm and plants a peck on your cheek. It's soft, careful. Like he's not really sure of it himself, his hand running through your hair before he takes a couple steps back with a shake of his head. Like he almost did something he shouldn't have.

"What time do you have to be at work?"

The question breaks you out of your trance. You realize he's staring at you expectantly, waiting for an answer. "Oh--not until this evening." You manage to choke out.

"Good. Then you're all mine for the afternoon." He grabs another cupcake from the stand and disappears behind one of the fitting room curtains. "Hurry and give the dress back to Wheein and I'll call Pierre to come pick us up."

"Where are we going?"

You hear him snort. "You'll see."

"This is where you wanted to take me?"

The late afternoon sun sparkles on the surface of the Paradise lake like diamonds. It's peaceful here at this time of day, the gardeners already disappearing into the lounge for a late lunch, rows of pastel canoes tied up to the dock bobbing in time with the chirping birds.

"Well?" Seokjin huffs impatiently. He's stood in the hull of a dark blue canoe that he stole from the boat shed — or borrowed, as he put it, since everything here belongs to him anyway — hand extended towards you. "Aren't you getting in?"

You narrow your eyes and nod towards the sign that says NO BOATS ON THE LAKE AFTER 4PM in curly gold letters. "Isn't that breaking the rules?"

Seokjin raises a brow, jangling a set of keys. "I own this place remember? Besides, I stole the boat worker's keys so we can stay for as long as we want."

The breeze ruffles your skirt, a shiver running down your spine when you peer over the edge of the dock and see your sheepish reflection staring up at you from the water, rippling and watery around the edges. You never did like deep water, and the thought of getting in that rocking capsule of death makes your stomach churn.

"It looks cold," You point out, grimacing at the clear blue water. "What if we fall in? Do you even know how to steer this thing?"

Seokjin shoots you a look, like you just said the dumbest thing he's ever heard. "Pfft. Of course. I've been taking rowing lessons since I could toddle."

Of course he has. You roll your eyes. Rich kids, huh?

"Oh come on, it's fine!" He jumps up and down as if to demonstrate just how safe, but the boat just rocks manically side to side and he has to grab the dock to steady himself before he plunges straight into the lake. He flashes you a sheepish smile. "See?"

You cross your arms, unconvinced. "Yeah, I think I'll pass."

Seokjin slumps into the canoe with an exaggerated sigh. "Well goddamn, I'm sorry for wanting to do something nice. We don't get much alone time so I thought—" He waves his hand at you in frustration, starting to unravel the rope keeping the boat secured to the dock. "You know what, fuck it, I'll just go by myself—"

"Wait!" Something about the disappointed frown on his face makes you change your mind. Fuck it. "I'm getting in."

He pauses, and then his lips curve up into a small smile. Not his usual too-big-too-polite smile; the kind of smile you reserve for special moments. The glint in his eye is back, and if your legs weren't already jelly, they are now.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He stands up and puffs out his chest, offering you his hand again, which you take this time.

"Don't be an idiot." You flush. "The lake just looks inviting today."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." He chuckles, before his arm wraps around your waist so he can throw you over his shoulder and tip you into the canoe.

"Seokjin!" Your knuckles whiten with how hard you grip the edge of the boat that tilts left to right sickeningly with the impact of your limp body being man handled into the hull. "Be careful!"

"Okay, okay. Just sit back. Relax. Enjoy the view..." You wobble over to the wooden seat opposite him, grateful for the way the boat balances out on the surface of the water. "Let me take care of everything."

You have to admit the view is beautiful. Dangling your hand over the edge of the boat, you let your fingers swirl through the cool water, and listen to the hum of a speedboat nearby. The sun has turned the water a yellowish hue, like liquid gold.

When you look back up at Seokjin, the sight of his lightly perspiring skin glowing beneath the stream of light as he unties the left oar practically takes your breath away. You almost want to reach out and see what it would feel like to touch his cheek, run your hand down his chest where his flesh peeks out from the top of his dress shirt...

"Ah, shit!"

There's a light splash and you're snapped out of your trance, a pair of sheepish eyes staring back at you.

Yeah. Never mind.

Seokjin peers over the edge of the boat, watching as one of the oars floats into the middle of the lake. The canoe has already floated just out of reach of the dock, so without it you are stranded.

You let out a panicked groan. "I thought you knew how to steer this thing?"

"I do!" He grunts, a flush creeping up his neck. "Besides, I said I knew how, not that I was good at it."

He fumbles with the latch beneath his seat which opens to reveal a secret compartment, inside of which are a pair of life jackets, and, much to your relief, a spare oar.

"Aha! We're saved." Seokjin pulls it out and waves it at you with a look of satisfaction.

You roll your eyes and settle back into your seat as Seokjin grasps both oars and starts to row. "Wow, my hero."

"Don't thank me too hard." He snorts.

You shoot him a look, and he breaks into laughter, the sound melodic enough to have you joining in and before you know it you're both chortling uncontrollably. It feels easy, nice.

Your laughter dies out into a hazy giggle, and you shut your eyes, letting the sun caress your face.

"You're nothing like how I expected you to be, y'know."

Seokjin splashes you gently with the oar. "What did you expect?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Stuck up, selfish rich dude with an ego complex?" You snort, but Seokjin's chuckles have disappeared now. His brows are furrowed when you open your eyes, and you feel sort of bad for ruining the ease that had settled between you. You shift awkwardly. "Can you blame me?"

"Huh," The boat floats beneath the shade of a weeping willow, the scent of white blossoms and freshly cut grass filling your senses, and Seokjin hauls the oars into the boat so he can rest for a while. "You know, it pisses me off that everyone sees me that way. I don't want to be that guy."

"Why?" You're surprised by his honesty. There's a sincerity in his voice that you've never heard before.

"I just...I just try and fit in. To make everyone happy, I guess."

He avoids your gaze, looking out over the lake with his chin in his palm and his shoulders slumped. Your heart twists.

"If it helps, I don't see you as that guy anymore." You shrug. "When we first met I thought you were just like everyone else at Paradise. But you're...different from everyone around here. Nice. Underneath all the designer of course." That earns a snort from him. "Why do you hide that side of yourself?"

"You're hardly one to talk about hiding, kitchen girl." He crosses his legs and points a finger at you. "One minute you're calling me a douche and shooting arrows like an Olympian and the next you're getting all insecure when I call you pretty or something."

You feel a blush rise in your cheeks. Insecure? Is that how he sees you?

"Do not." You mumble.

"You act like you're so much better than me for being good, and then have a fit when I say something nice."

"Well, I never asked you to call me pretty. That wasn't part of the deal." You pick at an invisible piece of lint on your skirt. "I figured you were humouring me."

Seokjin's eyes turn serious. He leans forward, like he's about to take your hand or something but changes his mind.

"I know...that what we have is weird. I know I ask you for a lot, and we're supposed to be strictly friends with benefits but—" He sighs, trying to find the right words."I like spending time with you. Like this. Just us."

You feel giddy, suddenly shy beneath his gaze. "I do too."

"And I always mean what I say, Y/N." A breeze ruffles his hair, and he shoots you a grin. "Like I said earlier, whoever gets to call you theirs is one lucky bastard."

I'll be yours, you want to say, but you know it would be futile; someone like Seokjin could never belong to you, and that's exactly why you don't belong here.

"Oh shit."

Before you can respond, Seokjin's expression is turning grave as you both watch with matching horror as the spare oar splashes into the lake.

"Please tell me there's another one underneath there." You nod towards the storage compartment with wide eyes.

"Nope." He scratches his neck awkwardly and shrugs."That was our only one."

"Then shouldn't we call for help or something?!"

"No, I have an idea. You lean over the edge and I'll hold your legs."

"Me?! Why can't you do it."

"Because I'm heavier, duh? I'll tip the boat." He links his fingers together pleadingly. "At least try, or else we'll be stuck out here all night!"

You cup your hand around your watch face to block the glaring sun. Your kitchen shift starts in forty five minutes and you can't afford to be late. Namjoon will certainly fire you on the spot.

"Fine!" You wobble to your feet and slide over to his side of the boat. "But you better not let go, or I'll kill you."

Seokjin salutes. "Scouts honour."

Before you can change your mind, Seokjin has both hands wrapped around your thighs and you're sent hurtling head first over the edge of the boat, face inches from the water's surface.

With a grunt you extend your arm, and your fingertips barely brush the oar, sending it further away.

"Fuck!" You call over your shoulder. Seokjin is red in the face with extortion, and you feel the boat rock as you lean further out. "I can't go any more or we'll tip!"

"Just a little more!" Seokjin yells back. "You've almost got it."

"Okay...almost..." You shift a little more and aha! The oar is just within your grasp! Until you hear a low buzzing coming from behind you, and you hear Seokjin yelp, his grip on your legs starting to slacken... "Jin? what are you doing?"

"Get off me!" He yells, letting go of you in favour of slapping something on his shoulder wildly, and before you can give him a piece of your mind the canoe loses its balance and tips upside down, sending the pair of you hurtling into the lake.

You manage to hold your breath before you go under. The water is an icy shock on such a warm summers day, your limbs flying into action and scrambling wildly until you break the surface and take a heaving breath.

Wiping the tendrils of dripping hair from your eyes, you glance around for Seokjin, but he's no where to be seen.

"Seokjin?" You call, panic evident in your voice. "Where are you?"

Bubbles appear on the surface of the water, and before you can let out a sigh of relief, a hand grabs your ankle and yanks you back under the water.

When you surface, choking and spluttering, you're beneath the cover of the upturned canoe. Seokjin grins at you, whole and in one piece and perfectly alive, and you can't help but feel pranked.

"Hey, sweetheart." He drawls, running his fingers through his soaking hair. The shadow of the rippling water reflects on the underside of the canoe, turning his skin a pale blue. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Seokjin!" You yell and he jumps when you start splashing him wildly. "What the fuck was that?"

He shields his face with his hands."It was a bee! I'm allergic."

"So? I was hanging out of a fucking canoe!"

"Oops." He's chortling now, and it echoes beneath the canoe. "Did I let go?"

You splash him again, and he grabs your hands with his to stop you from sending another tsunami his way. His palms are warm compared to your clammy ones and his eyes are watching you fondly, but that just pisses you off even more. "Okay! Okay! I get it, I'm sorry okay?"

"You idiot! Now I'm all wet and I'm totally going to smell like trout at work and—"

"Just shut up for a second would you?" A hand brushes the tangles of wet hair from your cheek, and before you know it a pair of plump lips are crashing against your own.

"Mmf!"

You're surprised at first, but there's something so tender in the way his hand cups your chin to pull you closer, how his arm curls around your waist, and before you know it you're grabbing him by the collar and kissing him back wildly like the world is ending and you're the last two people on earth.

"You're kinda cute when you're mad." Is what Seokjin whispers against your lips when he pulls back, out of breath.

"Oh." You breathe, a smile beginning to play on your lips. "Okay."

It's like you're in your own little bubble. Just Seokjin and you. You and Seokjin.

Until it bursts.

"Holy shit! Are you guys okay?" The sun is glaringly bright when the canoe is ripped away from your heads, and you have to squint through your fingers to see the figure swimming towards you.

"M-mr Kim?"

Seokjin jumps back from your body at the sound of his title, his hand letting go of your wrist. It falls into the water limply.

"That's me." He coughs, straightening his tie, like he isn't soaking wet and it's somehow going to make him look more professional.

"I didn't know you were rowing today..." Your eyes focus, and you instantly recognise Taehyung, the Paradise lifeguard. You have met a couple times at staff meetings.

Shit. You turn your face to the side, and hope he won't look to closely.

"I wasn't." Seokjin deadpans, gesturing to his soaking appearance. "Y/N and I thought we would go for a swim."

"I— oh." You muffle a chuckle at Seokjin's sarcasm and the wide eyes of the life guard who seems utterly stunned.

It doesn't seem so funny when he turns to you suddenly, eyes scrutinising, and offers you his elbow.

"Here take my arm, we have to get you two dry."

You glance at Seokjin carefully, but he just nods for you to go ahead, so you take Taehyung's arm and let him pull you back to the dock, Seokjin leisurely kicking on his back behind you like he doesn't have a care in the world.

Once you're safely on dry land, Taehyung disappears into the boat shed before returning with a pair of towels which he drapes around your shoulders with a concerned look.

"Take these. You aren't hurt, miss?"

"No." Seokjin answers for you with a roll of his eyes. There's a bite in his tone. Is he...jealous?

"Good, this is why we say no boats after 4..." Taehyung sends Seokjin a stern look, and you feel the tension rise when he just clicks his tongue in response. "I should really report this to my supervisor."

"We won't do it again," Seokjin's eyes bulge when you grab Taehyung's forearm. The lifeguard seems surprised himself, looking you in the eyes for the first time. You turn on a sickly sweet tone and bat your lashes. "We can keep this between us, hm?"

"I...I suppose so." Taehyung coughs, but then his eyes narrow. "Hold on a second. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Your mouth turns dry. "I..."

"No!" Seokjin jumps in between you, wrapping a protective arm around your shoulder. "She's not from around here."

His face has turned a deep shade of red, and you can feel his heart beating rapidly against your back. Anyone would think he was embarrassed. Then again, what did you expect? You are just a kitchen girl after all.

You nod slowly. He sighs with relief. "No. We've never met."

Taehyung scratches his chin, stepping back to get a better look at you. "It's just you look super familiar..."

"We have to be going now!" Seokjin stands up suddenly and grabs you by the hand. He squeezes extra tight, swinging your interlocked fingers where Taehyung can clearly see them. "Thanks, uh...Taehyung?"

"My pleasure, Mr. Kim." The lifeguard looks startled by Seokjin's sudden departure, but steps back to let you pass. "Be careful next time okay?"

"Yup, we will kid."

"Thanks!" You call over your shoulder, as Seokjin is already dragging you away from the lake and up the steps to the grand veranda that lines the resort.

"Thanks?" He rolls his eyes. "Y/N, the lake is like a foot deep, it's not like we were gonna drown."

"He was nice..." You bump his shoulder playfully. "Why? You jealous?"

His cheeks flush pink. "No! Of course not, I just...didn't like the way he looked at you."

You reach the top of the steps, and Seokjin slows down to a leisurely walk once he's in the clear. From here you can see the whole of the resort, sprawling greenery and luxury living in all its glory.

"Speaking of, that was a close one." You laugh. "He totally almost recognised me."

"Yeah." Seokjin laughs too, but then his face drops. "You're right. That was close."

"Seokjin?"

He stops, and turns towards you. His hand drops to your waist, lifting you up so you're sat on the balcony's edge, and then his mouth is capturing yours once again.

This time something feels different. It's desperate, but timid. Passionate but broken. It leaves you breathless.

He pulls away first.

"Jin, what just happened—"

"I..." He swallows thickly and looks away. "I shouldn't have done that. I've gotta go. I'm sorry."

It's then, as he turns and hurries down the back staircase towards the plaza and leaves you all alone on the veranda, that you realise you had never let go of his hand, not even for a second.

"I had fun tonight." Seokjin says as he drops you off at the Paradise gates after an evening spent perusing high fashion wedding venue magazines with Hyejin over tea and finger sandwiches. "Hyejin looked like she was on the verge of a stroke when I suggested walking down the aisle to The Thong Song."

Seokjin boasts a simple T-shirt and tailored pants tonight, the turtle neck draped over his shoulder unnecessary on such a warm and sticky summer night blessed by the lingering caress of the day's blazing sun. The drive slopes downwards, Seokjin's angular shadow a contrast against the twinkling lights that blur Paradise into a picturesque backdrop of pristine white brick, and a warmth spreads through your chest as he beams at you.

"I thought it was a fine choice," You muse, suppressing a giggle when you think back to the way Hyejin dropped her teacup at Seokjin's suggestion, eye twitching in disgust. "We're not even engaged yet and she already has our entire wedding planned out."

Oops. Seokjin stiffens. Your laughter comes to an abrupt stop, face reddening with embarrassment at your slip up. Of course you aren't engaged. You never will be. At least not to each other.

He's been weird like that, lately. Ever since that day at the lake when he left abruptly, seemingly shaken up, you've been walking on egg shells around him. One wrong word could send him flying away with that same scared look in his eye. And honestly, you still don't understand why.

All you know is that things have been different since you almost got caught at the lake. Sure, you've continued to hook up like normal, but Seokjin seems to be making a conscious effort to be more distant around you. You haven't talked about what happened that afternoon on the veranda, but it's clear something did; Seokjin hasn't kissed you since.

If Seokjin notices your poor word choice, he doesn't mention it. "Pretty sure she has my entire life planned out too." He murmurs almost bitterly, despite his face boasting a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes. You figure it's better not to press him further.

He walks beside you to the end of the drive in a relative silence that feels all too loud — not awkward per se but filled with a definite unspoken tension that has you hiding behind your hair, eyes trained to the ground because you don't know how you are supposed to look at Seokjin when it was just you and him.

Moments like this, not heightened by passion or under the watchful eyes of his family are rarities. You take a deep breath and try to savour the taste of geraniums which lingers in the air from the gardens and the closest thing to normal you have ever experienced around Seokjin.

Despite the the emotional distance Seokjin seems intent on keeping in place, every physical step seems to edge you closer to him, eyes trained to the way his shoes sidestep until you are practically shoulder to shoulder. Seokjin doesn't so much as look at you as he does so and you are content to think he is too deep in his own thoughts to notice the way your bodies cling to each other like magnets, until the tips of his fingers brush against your palm in a delicate touch that may have been perceived as intimate had he not ripped it away with a pained expression, like he touched an electric fence or something.

You have admit that you felt it too. The spark as they describe it in romance movies. It was more of a tingle really, warm and fuzzy as it fizzed all the way from your hand to a spot in your chest suspiciously close to your heart that was beating a little faster now as you imagine how it would feel if he took your hand in his.

Except he doesn't. And when you glance up at him he is no longer engaged with his own thoughts but rather staring at you with a questioning look, brows slightly furrowed, and embarrassment replaces the fuzz in your veins when you consider for a moment that perhaps he was reading your mind and the completely inappropriate thoughts for a fake bride to have for her fake husband along with it.

The flush that caresses your cheeks is nearly as vibrant as the rose bushes which line the drive, perfectly pruned and as beautiful beneath lantern light as they are in the day and a perfect reminder of your embarrassment as you create a relative distance between your body and his. That way you were sure you could keep your hands - and your thoughts - strictly to yourself.

Far too quickly you find yourself turning the corner onto the street where you always part ways, the stoney gravel evening out into the same boring old scuffed concrete that winds through the entire city, a clear indication that you were leaving behind the Paradise grounds and entering the not so pristine visual of reality.

Usually you were glad to be on your way, sick of talking about neck lines and lace types and the way your shoulders ached from nodding politely at people who got wine drunk on weekdays but tonight you feel like you could keep walking with Seokjin forever in this strange bubble of unspoken words.

But you know as soon as he stops dead beside you that the bubble has already burst, floating away just out of your grasp like the false reality you live at Paradise.

"I'll be going then." It's quiet out here, not a trace of the music from Jazz night at the bar or the laughter of couples crossing the plaza to their suites after a few too many Chardonnays. Seokjin opens his mouth and then closes it again while you fidget awkwardly. "Thanks for a good night."

The way you say it sounds like he took you on a real date, one that you were supposed to thank him for. It's too late by the time you realize that a boundary has been overstepped when Seokjin doesn't return the genuine smile you shoot him as you turn to leave.

"Wait!" The click of your shoes against the sidewalk halts at the serious husk in his tone, jarringly loud against the silence. "I need to ask you something."

His face is partially lit by the street lamp you find yourself beneath, casting half of his face in a golden glow that emphasizes the shadow of his lashes against his cheeks when he closes his eyes, as if to briefly collect his words.

Despite your better judgement, probably blinded by the normality you had fallen into, you press him further. "What is it?"

"Listen Y/N..." Seokjin scratches the back of his neck and you shift awkwardly in front of him, chest suddenly tightening with a niggling dread. "You haven't told anyone about us have you?"

"Us?" Your eyes widen. Since when did Seokjin start referring to you as a pair? You tilt your head quizzically. "I mean, your sister and your parents know —

"No, I mean the things that we...do in private." The summer evening suddenly turns chilly. Seokjin must notice when your face drops, the way you hug your arms to try and keep hold of the warmth that had practically singed each of your nerve endings just a moment ago.

"Things?" You splutter. "Is that all they are to you?"

You can't help it. The way Seokjin talks when you are intimate, the way he kissed you so desperately that day on the veranda -- it made it feel like those moments meant more to him. He was damn convincing - when he told you that he wanted you, you believed him - and you can't help but feel cheated.

Seokjin's brow simply furrows, flummoxed by your sudden outburst. "Yeah, I mean we had an agreement — isn't that all they are to you?"

An agreement.

The way he says it sounds like your relationship is strictly business. As if he's paying you for a service - which, in his own way, you suppose he is. Sure, you knew he wasn't really going to fall in love with you in the way he told his family he loved you but you thought he at least felt something — no, you were sure he had at the lake. Maybe you were just confusing pleasure with intimacy.

Still, the way his finger points at you accusingly makes a hot rage rise in your chest but you simply take a shaky breath and plaster the closest thing to a grin on your features as you can muster.

"Of course they are." The sweetness in your voice is a little too forced, but it goes unnoticed on Seokjin who lets out a sigh of relief. "None of this means anything. I know that."

"Good. Then we're on the same page..." He still looks slightly unconvinced - you can just make out the way he narrows his eyes doubtfully in the dim light - but he doesn't have time to press further before a black car rolls into the drive and he clasps your wrist to pull you across the paving and into the shadows. "Watch out!"

Seokjin suddenly yanks you closer to him, your chest nearly pressed up to his. You almost mumble a thanks, idiotic enough to think that his only motive is to prevent you getting flattened by a Mercedes Benz nearly invisible in the night if not for the crunch of tyres against gravel.

But then you feel his breath hitch when he catches a glimpse of your white kitchen uniform reflected in one of the tinted car windows, sending a salute towards the security guard in the drivers seat with fingers crossed behind his back, and you silently condemn yourself for thinking he cared about anything other than his reputation even for a second. You go numb.

You look between your bodies where your hand dangles limply in his grasp. Just a moment ago you were envisioning how it would feel for him to hold your hand in his, the way his skin brushed yours enough to give you shivers. Now it just made the hollow ache in your chest throb with a cold emptiness.

Seokjin strains his neck, only releasing you from his hold when the glow of headlights disappears around a corner and you are smothered by darkness again.

Seokjin's sigh of relief stings. The words never leave his lips but you can tell what he was thinking. Phew, now I don't have to explain why I, almighty Kim Seokjin, was conversing with a staff member after hours. Lucky escape!

A smile appears on his face, as if you were supposed to share his relief. "So, same time tomorrow?"

You feel yourself stagger away from him in shock. Seokjin is many things but you didn't think he was heartless. It's enough to send you over the edge.

"Clearly we are not on the same page." You spit. "Actually, you know what? No. I'm busy tomorrow."

Seokjin scoffs, running a hand through his hair. "Doing what?"

"I have things to do." Your emphasis on the word makes his eyes widen,

"Oh great!" He barely raised his voice before glances behind him warily, making sure there was no one around to see him getting heated. When he turns back his voice is nothing but a harsh whisper. "And what do you expect me to tell my family, huh?"

"Tell them that your fiancé to be had to go do the job they actually pay her to do." The way he laughs breathily makes your fists clench at your sides as you turn on your heels and stalk down the street before he can see the way your face reddens with a combination of hurt and anger, though not before you are calling over your shoulder despite knowing it would only fuel the fire. "Unless you're too embarrassed to tell them who I really am."

"You don't seem to mind when you're cashing in your favours." He calls after you, hands on hips with a bitterness lacing his voice that makes your heart twist painfully.

You hear the way your pulse quickens, the lump in your throat growing bigger and bigger as you stop dead. "What?"

"Y/N, I didn't mean that I —"

"So that's what this is? You are embarrassed of me?" Your voice raises incredulously. "Is that why you've been so weird with me since Taehyung almost recognised me at the lake? You're scared someone will snitch on you to your rich friends?"

"No, I--"

"No what, Jin?" You let out a hollow laugh. "I thought I meant more to you than that."

Seokjin pinches the bridge of his nose. "It's just you and I...we could never be anything more, you know that right? I don't want you to get the wrong idea. We don't come from the same background and it would be..." He pauses. "Inappropriate."

"It's too late, anyway. Forget I said anything." Tears streak your cheeks hotly and you hide behind your hair, determined to hide your weakness from him. "This was a mistake."

You start to walk away, but then you're running, as fast as you can away from Paradise and all the hurt. The sound of Seokjin's tennis shoes hitting the concrete picks up as he follows you down the path, calling your name, and for a moment you think he's going to comfort you. Tell you that he was sorry and that none of this was meaningless to him after all.

But he doesn't.

"I'll text you!" Is the last thing he calls before you disappear around the corner out of sight. You want to sneak a look over your shoulder, see him standing there at the end of the street beneath the street light.

Instead you resist, letting the bitterness pooling in your stomach rise up and burn your throat like bile. "Don't bother!"

Either he listened or he didn't mean it when he said he would text you.

The anger that ran hot through your bloodstream after your fight with Seokjin has faded to nothing but an indescribable emptiness and regret.

You haven't heard from him in three days. That is a long time where Seokjin is concerned and completely out of character.

Even on normal days, when you had a day off from pretending to be his fiancé, Seokjin would find a way to make you laugh by sending you a low angle selfie from the dinner table at one of his father's business conferences or a cheeky message to let you know he'd just seen you walk past the golf court wearing the red sundress that he liked.

You couldn't remember when Seokjin became a normal part of your day. Just like brushing your teeth or washing your hair, you had become almost expectant of a vibration against your thigh at work or the ping! of your ringtone before you went to sleep or even a heated make out behind the restaurant when you just couldn't wait any longer.

So when it all suddenly came to a stop, you were sure you were going crazy. All you were left with was a feeling of emptiness, as if something vital was missing.

It wasn't even as if he owed you anything, not really - it was true that the romance wasn't real and even the sex was just sex to him; but at some point you had to admit you had crossed some kind of invisible barrier. In between lying to his family, public "dates" flavoured by champagne and hanging off his forearm at celebratory cocktail parties, you and Seokjin had become friends.

(Sort of. If you ignored the parts where his lips made you lose your breath or the night's that ended with his head between your legs.)

So god forbid you expected something from him after your fight the other night. A sign that he cared, if even a little bit. An apology for the way he'd deliberately tried to hurt you.

That's how you find yourself checking your phone anxiously on your kitchen shift breaks, refreshing your inbox obsessively and trying to ignore the heaviness weighing down your chest with each passing hour without even so much as one of the cheesy emojis he used way too frequently to be ironic lighting up your screen.

He even stopped dropping by the restaurant under the guise of a casual lunch like he usually did. You found yourself on edge, breath fogging up the glass of the window with your disappointment every time you heard the door zip open and you rushed to greet him, only to be met with someone utterly not Kim Seokjin.

You thought you saw his broad figure dipping into one of the other restaurants across the plaza instead one afternoon as you left work and you couldn't help but wonder if he shamelessly flirted with the kitchen staff there, too.

It hurts knowing that it was so easy for him to cut you out of his life completely when he had become such a constant part of yours. It hurts knowing that he probably wasn't even thinking of you when he was the only thing on your mind.

And to make matters worse, it seems that the tight smiles and vacant nods you shoot Jimin as he divulges the latest and greatest Paradise gossip he overheard while serving at some fancy dinner party last night didn't do a good job at hiding the melancholy gloom which hangs over your head.

He's still talking as you swipe your cards to check out of work, charmingly holding the door ajar for you to slip outside the restaurant where you told Jungkook you'd wait for him to join you.

The air is cooler than expected against your face, the first time that summer where the sky is covered by splotches of grey cloud that refuse to let any blue peek through like an ugly patchwork quilt that mirrors your ugly mood.

"Y/N, didn't your hear me? Mr Kim's wife literally grabbed him by the balls and threw him out of the building when she caught him cheating with the waitress — wait, are you okay?"

Jimin is already half way down the limestone stairs, too caught up in his own dramatic storytelling to notice the way you stand rigid at the top. The phone in your palm is lit up with the same three words that have haunted you all day — NO NEW MESSAGES — but Jimin's question breaks your trance for a moment.

"Huh? No, I'm fine." You assure, slipping the device into your back pocket, swallowing thickly and mustering up a watery smile you hope will appease him before he can ask any more questions.

It doesn't work.

"You've been acting weird all day." Your legs feel wobbly as you close the distance between you, like the very foundations of your body are beginning to give in to the weight that has set up camp in your chest no matter how hard you try to ignore it.

"I have?" Jimin is peering at you with narrowed eyes, not malicious necessarily but inquisitive. They narrow further when you sigh shakily, averting your gaze to the shirtless gardener who mows the green lawns that spread out as far as the eye can see into perfect lines, counting the distant rose bushes as a distraction from the impending tears that have begun to well. "I don't want to talk about it."

Jimin throws an arm around your shoulder a little too roughly to be comforting, following your stagnant gaze. "Damn he's kinda cute." The lack of witty remark from you when he lands a jokey punch to your shoulder seems to finally perk Jimin's attention. "Tell me, are you and Mr Kim Seokjin having trouble in Paradise?"

Jimin lets out a snort at his own pun before he spots the sullen look on your face, covering his impending chuckle with a cough and releasing you from his grasp to sling his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "Oh shit, really?"

You simply sniff in response, allowing that to be confirmation enough, slumping down onto the grand staircase and letting your face fall into your hands.

Jimin plonks down beside you, sidling up until your knees touch, the simple act of comfort making the tears that had been threatening to emerge all day prick hotly at the corners of your eyes.

"I messed up, Jimin." Your voice is muffled by your palms but that doesn't mask the way it wavers slightly, Jimin's hand immediately rubbing soothing circles into your back. "I think he's mad at me."

"Why?"

"Because I basically told him that I kind of have feelings for him—"

"You did what?" Jimin grabs you by the elbow, alerting the atention of a guy in a velour tuxedo leaving the restaurant who gives the hot tears staining your cheeks a funny look. "Hold up, go back. You have feelings for Seokjin?"

Even with vision blurred by tears you can see the wide eyed expression on Jimin's face. You cross your arms in a pout. "Well you don't need to say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like the idea is completely crazy or something."

Jimin runs an exasperated hand through his hair. "So you mean the truth?"

It isn't the way he says it so much as the realisation that he is right that stings. You bow your head, a few silent tears rolling down your cheeks until you can taste their saltiness. "I know, I know. I'm not good enough for a person like him, I was stupid—"

Jimin shakes his head gently, placing his palms firmly on both of your shoulders and forcing you to face him head on. "Listen up because I'm about to serve you a cup of piping hot real shit, okay?"

You wipe your nose noisily on your sleeve, giving him a curt nod. "Okay."

"The reason you and Seokjin will never work out has nothing to do with you so I won't accept any of that mopey shit." Jimin shakes you vigorously as if he is knocking some sense into you, and you offer him a tearful giggle. "Truth is, Seokjin can't see a good thing when he has it because there is no room in his rich ass heart for anything other than money and his reputation."

"But—"

"No buts!" Jimin shucks up his sleeves until they cover his hands like paws, using the fabric to dab away your tears, unphased by the growing damp spots on both of his cuffs. "The sooner you realise that Seokjin's issues are not your issues the better."

Your tears are dry now. You're pretty sure Jimin's pep talk ended your momentary wobble but your voice still sounds slightly hoarse when you speak. "It just felt like more when we...you know..." You wave your hands around wildly hoping Jimin will fill in the blank, which he does with a click of his tongue.

"Then you need to stop sleeping with him immediately."

"What?"

"You know what I think?" Jimin links his arm with yours, pulling you alongside him. "I think that you're confusing intimacy with actual feelings."

Maybe he's right. It's natural for emotions to be heightened when Seokjin is making you literally fall apart beneath him, probably for him too which would explain the intimate things he had said. Perhaps all this time you were just confusing loving the way he made you feel for loving...him. After all, you had always thought the regular Seokjin was kind of an asshat at times. Of course you didn't have feelings for him!

"You know what? I think you're right." Jimin raises his eyebrows in surprise, as if he was expecting you to be harder to win around. You slap a palm to your forehead. "I can't believe I actually thought I caught feelings for him for a second."

"Happens to the best of us." Jimin grins. "If I was getting dicked down by that beautiful god of a man then I'd want to have his babies too. Imagine how cute they'd be..."

"Jimin!" You smack him playfully before leaning across to rest your head on his shoulder, his chuckles vibrating against your cheek. "You just basically told me he's an asshole."

"And I stand by that!" He defends, letting his own cheek rest against your hair. "But you can't deny that he is fucking inhumanely gorgeous..."

"Are we talking about Kim Seokjin again?" A dry voice appears somewhere behind, making you jump and pause your laughter. A glance over your shoulder reveals none other than Jungkook, arms crossed and a sullen vibe emanating from the way his thick brows furrow so deeply they almost connect. Come to think of it, he always seems to be moody where Seokjin is involved. Huh.

"Why? Are you gonna try and tell me that he's not that buff again?" Jimin scoffed, stiffening ever so slightly beside you and refusing to even glance in Jungkook's direction.

"No, I just don't see why we have to always talk about him." Jungkook puffs, blowing his bangs out of his eyes bitterly. "Besides, I just saw him outside the kitchen and his body isn't that good. I'd hardly say 'sculpted'."

Huh? Seokjin? Outside the kitchen...

Neither of the boys seem to share your bewilderment, launching into a spat heavy with a tension that had been building long before. "And what would you know, anyway?"

"I go to the gym!" Jungkook flexes his arm, earning a scoff from Jimin to which he frowns. "Look!"

"You saw Seokjin where?" You breathe, butting into the squabble and drawing two startled looks when you jolt to your feet, wiping off the back of your leggings.

"O-outside the kitchen...why? I assumed he was waiting for you..." Jungkook is wide eyed, blinking with a lack of understanding considering his previous absence. Jimin has already wrapped his hand around your wrist to pin you in place.

"He is?" You nibble your lip.

You imagine him leaning up against the wall outside the kitchen, probably looking at his watch impatiently as he waits for your shift to finish. He never could wait for long so perhaps he'd even already left, storming off to go let his anger out in a game of extremely competitive table tennis with a retired CEO in the lounge.

But there's a chance he is still there and that he was waiting for you and even though every fibre of your being screams that it is a bad idea, you just want to see if it was true. If he really was thinking about you. If you'd misjudged him after all and a part of him did care.

"Y/N this is a bad idea." You're already bounding down the steps when Jimin tugs you back to offer a slice of reality. "Remember what we just talked about? Not catching feelings." He draws the last word out and wiggles his eyebrows which only makes Jungkook even more confused.

"It'll be fine Jimin," You brush him off though it sounds a little like you are pleading with him. Carefully dislodging your wrist from his grip, you plaster a reassuring smile to you face that doesn't seem to appease his anxious foot tapping. "I won't let him get inside my head. I'm not confused anymore, see?"

"Fine. Knock yourself out." Jimin steps back, gesturing for you to go forth which you do far too quickly for his liking, flashing him a thumbs up before turning your back and disappearing down the steps before he can protest any further. "But promise to call me immediately if you get horny feelings again!"

The way your heart thumps in your chest as you speed walk around the building has to be unhealthy.

You slow down as you get closer to the corner that obscures the back of the restaurant from view, taking cover behind a bush pruned into a perfect ball.

There he is.

Your breath hitches. It's almost as if your brain tricked you into believing he was a figment of your imagination these past few days without him. Like you made the whole thing up. But no, here he is and he's breathing and he has blood pumping through him just like you and he's so real that it hits you like a freight train.

For the first time this evening, the sun pokes it's head out from behind the clouds, a small crack opening up in the sky that sends a stream of soft golden light cascading across him. And almost as if in unison, it feels like the light shines right through the Seokjin shaped cracks in your heart as you watch his eyes flutter shut at the kiss of warmth and his arms reach above his head to lean into the light in a leisurely stretch.

It almost feels like you are seeing him for the first time all over again.

If Seokjin didn't let out a sigh of impatience in exactly the way you imagined he would, shaking his head and throwing his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts in defeat, you would have been content to just watch from the sidelines like you promised Jimin you would.

Perhaps you wouldn't have rushed out from behind your camouflage of foliage, sending a garden gnome flying in a crash of broken china in your haste. And even more importantly, perhaps you wouldn't have found yourself calling out for him to stop.

"Seokjin!" Your voice sounds small but the word flies out before you can slap your hand over your mouth to keep it in. It's familiar on your tongue, like coming back home after a long trip, and you savour the taste.

"Y/N?"

Seokjin stills at the crunch of your shoes approaching him tentatively, shoulders squared as if weighing up his options - fight or flight? - and just as you think you are mistaken and he didn't want to see you after all, he's taking flight - straight towards you and drawing you into his arms in an uncomfortably tight bear hug.

His chest hits yours with a force that makes you literally lose your breath, hairs on your arms rising as you feel his warmth encapsulate you completely like a comforting blanket.

The sudden embrace stuns you to a shocked silence, arms pressed to your sides stiffly as he buries his nose in your hair and takes a deep inhale. Is Kim Seokjin smelling your hair?

You have to admit the scent of his cologne makes you giddy, a little woodier around the edges than you remember it to be which you put down to the still slightly sticky and sweaty gym clothes hugging his torso. Under normal circumstances you would've been grossed out but the heightened thump of your heart in your ears acts as an ample distraction.

For a moment you forget about Paradise and the argument and the door to the kitchen beside you that could open at any moment. It's just you and him again, and you're melting.

You could stay like this forever, if his grip didn't tighten considerably, as if he was trying to squeeze the breath straight out of you and hold that too, and you are pushing his chest away from your body with a cough. "Jin — can't breathe!"

Seokjin lets you go — reluctantly, settling for holding you at arms length instead — and you are sure you spot his neck flush at the nickname you used accidentally.

"Sorry." His gaze dips to your feet and then drags all the way back to your puzzled eyes as if he is taking all of you in, like you had changed since he last saw you or something as if that wasn't just three days before. A lazy smile appears on his face. "Missed you, that's all."

His words are slightly breathless and punctuated by a shake of his head as if he can't quite believe he's saying them either and the honesty is so unlike him it makes your chest ache.

"Then why didn't you call?" There's a snipe in your words that seems to jolt him out of his sunny disposition, mouth downturning into a frown, arms dropping from your shoulders and going limp at his sides instead as if he is coming to his senses. "You're the one that's been avoiding me."

His shoulders droop awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"It just didn't make sense why you would stop talking to me—."

"No, not for avoiding you — well I am sorry for that," He explains. "I mean for the things I said. The other night."

You furrow your brows, stunned. "Why?"

"It was mean and...truthfully I couldn't face you because of it." He drags a hand down his face and presses his back to the wall in defeat, giving you a perfect view of the regret that makes his jaw tighten.

With a sigh you sidle up next to him, careful to leave enough space between you so that your arms don't touch. Deja vu masks the ordeal and you realise it's all too similar to the first time you met in this very spot, watching the very same plaza except today it's still bustling with life beneath the orange glow of the setting sun and you have to squint to see it clearly.

You clear your throat. "I thought it was because of the things I said. About us."

"No!" His exclamation is a little too quick, too loud, and he looks embarrassed, following it up with a gruff "Don't be stupid."

"Well don't worry. While you've been avoiding me I've had plenty of time to think it over and you were right after all."

His nose scrunches, a habit of his you've noticed before that gives him an air of innocence. "I was?"

"Yeah, I think I must have had a few too many glasses of champagne at dinner that night." Your laugh is hoarse with the effort it takes to force it past your lips. "I'm happy with our agreement how it is. You don't need to worry about me going all crazy on you again."

"That's...good." His adam's apple bobs. He seems unconvinced by his own words. "Good. I'm glad."

Then he smiles and your heart throbs so hard it could explode so you just smile back and join in with his nervous laughter.

"So we're okay?"

"We're okay."

There's nothing left to say; now it's clear where you both stand. So why is Seokjin opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish?

"Is that all you came here to talk about?"

His laughter stops, and then he coughs and puffs out his chest, returning somewhat to the cocky Seokjin you are used to.

"Actually I was thinking...it's getting kind of late. It would be bad mannered of me to let you walk home alone."

"Why? I always walk home alone?" Seokjin never seemed to possess the worry you can see in eyes before when he dropped you off outside the club and watched you disappear into the night multiple times a week.

"For protection. Just in case." He rolls his eyes, as if it should have been obvious.

"It's okay, I've got pepper spray in my bag plus it's like 5 PM—"

"No. Protection for me." He suddenly pleads. "My mind will start to wander if I go back to my apartment alone again."

Seokjin seems so serious you know you can't reject him now without your conscience taking a beating, so you choose to say nothing at all. You want to be there for him, but at the same time you know you're only going to get hurt. The toe of your shoe draws circles in the dirt. "I don't know what to say."

"How about you don't say anything and just come to my place instead?" Your neck snaps up. He's never invited you to his place before. It always seemed like an inappropriate boundary to cross considering you are hardly even friends let alone lovers. "That way we both win."

You smile and he seems relieved. "I guess, just for a little bit."

"Great! Think of this as you doing a favour for me."

"Again?" You roll your eyes teasingly.

"I repay you don't I?" He sees your face fall. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that—"

"I know." You butt in. "It's fine. Really."

A silence falls in the same way it did the night you fought and it seems neither of you know what to say next. Truthfully you're just glad he doesn't seem mad at you, his quiet company a familiarity that tells you nothing has changed between you.

That is until he leans in a little too close and his fingers brush your wrist. You swallow thickly and wait for him to push you away again, when you feel him hesitate.

This is supposed to be the part where he pushes you away again, looking at his hand in disgust or wiping it on the back of his pants like he touched something dirty.

Instead, he reaches between you to link his fingers carefully with yours. It's like you are suddenly filled with helium, at risk of floating away if the feeling of Seokjin's warmth beside you wasn't there holding you to the ground.

"Is this okay?" You ask with wide eyes, nodding down at where his slightly clammy palm smothers your own.

He nods. You melt.

"You were right, the other day." Seokjin squeezes your hand comfortingly. "I need to stop hiding how I really feel."

You've never been to the residents part of the resort before. You never dared. But truthfully, by the time you realise you are walking not floating, you are already half way across the plaza.

Seokjin guides you around the circular fountain spitting water from the mouth of a cherub, carried by the breeze as a fine mist that feels cold and refreshing against your hot cheeks and marches you up a marble staircase to the resident lodge which rises up out of the ground like a beautiful half moon of white brick, stylish balconies decked with jacuzzis, chiffon curtains and a sea of people who fit Seokjin's class perfectly.

A tired looking doorman stands posted to the entrance and despite feeling Seokjin stiffen beside you, he never lets go of your hand. Not even when the doorman gives you a once over, an eyebrow raising at your casual attire.

You wait for Seokjin to force the doorman to sign an oath of secrecy when his eyes widen at your interlinked fingers, except the moment never comes. He simply rubs his thumb across your knuckles soothingly, striding straight past the doorman and holding the gilded door open for you to slip through himself.

You mumble a thanks, letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding and hope Seokjin can't feel the way your heart thumps against your rib cage uncontrollably. For what reason you can't quite decide — is it because you're conditioned to fear getting caught with Seokjin or because he doesn't seem to care?

Seokjin doesn't let go of you until he has to press the elevator button, and it feels ten degrees colder when he does. Your curious eyes take in the perfumed lobby, grand staircase winding upwards as far as the eye can see, lined with a carpet that's intricately embroidered with gold thread. Paintings line the walls which makes the place feel like some sort of museum and you half expect someone to ask you for an entry fee.

Then the elevator's ornate doors open with a ping you thought only existed in movies and Seokjin's hand is back and shuffling you into the elevator at the small of your back, refusing to leave even once you are inside.

The elevator is lined with polished mirrors and you do a double take when you make eye contact with your reflection, nearly reaching out and tapping the glass to check they are real and not the kind you find at a carnival that make everything look distorted. The way Seokjin pulls you closer to his side makes you look like any one of the other normal couples who frequent the resort, if you ignore the way your baggy cardigan contrasts his head to toe designer outfit.

Seokjin's too busy humming along to the classical music which crackles through the speakers overhead to notice the way your gaze travels to him. You know he wants to make you think that none of this affects him like it does you and his unbothered attitude would have worked had you not noticed the way his cheeks have a pinkish tinge, even in the dim yellow glow of the elevator.

The elevator opens, and you follow him down the hall only to find out Seokjin lives in one of the penthouses. You shouldn't be surprised but when he swipes a shiny key card and the lock beeps with a little green light that tells you the door is unlocked, you can't help the way your mouth gapes. Almost as if you were expecting it to flash red instead, denying you entrance and reminding you that you didn't belong in a place like this.

"Aren't you coming inside?" Seokjin has already crossed the threshold, wiping his polished shoes on the gaudy WELCOME mat inside while you stand awkwardly in the hallway, peeping through the crack of open door. You suddenly feel self conscious in your cardigan and leggings, as if you should've dressed up or something.

Seokjin seems to sense your hesitation, fingers finding your wrist with a smile. "You'll catch a cold out there."

He tugs and you don't resist, letting your feet follow him inside. "It's summer. And we're inside, Jin."

"Well how would I live with myself if I took the risk?" The click of the door locking echos from the high ceiling and you swallow thickly knowing there's no going back.

Inside, the suite looks like a luxury hotel room, like every last penny from the royal Mint had lived and died there.

It's open plan, the grand chandelier glimmering in the evening sun casting miniature rainbows across a living room consisting of pristinely white sofas sporting an array of throw cushions that look as though they have never been moved, collecting dust in the same way as the open magazine on the marble coffee table and the empty coffee mug beside it that look like they were placed there to create the illusion of the space being lived in.

Everything feels a little too pristine, a little too perfect like it materialised straight out of a furniture magazine.

The far wall is entirely glass, floor to ceiling windows looking out over a view of the entire resort; with a squint you can just make out the soft lights of the restaurant you know well, reflection shimmering like gold dust on the surface of the undisturbed public pool. An array of caddy boys on the golf courts collect stray balls and haul clubs back into the lodge and beyond that the vibrant gardens, a blur of pink roses and green hedges from where you stand but still a pleasant sight against the evenings pale blue sky.

Seokjin hums to himself as he flicks on all the lights, disappearing around a corner until you can't hear the click clack of his shoes against the tile anymore. You don't know if you are supposed to stay with knees knocking in the living room or if he was expecting you to follow him; but you presume the latter is true when his voice rings out into the room, jolting you from your shameless study of his living space.

"Have you eaten?" You shake your head in a silent no even though he can't see it, somehow managing to get your legs to carry you beneath a decorative arch and into the kitchen where Seokjin stands with his head ducked into a fancy looking fridge - even the most basic of appliances seem high tech, a touch pad visible on the front for what purpose you don't want to even ask. "I don't know about you but I'm famished."

"I was on my way to find something to eat when we — when you saw me, actually." The correction is quick but it makes your stomach feel funny. Since when did it start to feel normal to refer to you and Seokjin as a "we", as if you are anything but his accessory?

"Perfect." He emerges from the fridge with an armful of tupperware boxes balanced beneath his chin, foot kicking the door shut before he dumps the entire load onto the marble kitchen island that separates you from him.

"How about you stay for dinner?" He flashes you a small smile, corner of his mouth blowing the bangs out of his eyes, and your heart practically skips a beat.

It's just a formality surely, the polite thing to do. The Seokjin you knew was usually eager to get you out of his hair.

He is looking at you expectantly, your throat suddenly dry as you try to muster a response, an excuse. The word that immediately crosses your mind is no. This is dangerous and you know it. But then the bite in your stomach is back and despite knowing an I shouldn't be here in the first place would have been more appropriate, your lips betray you with a simple, "Yes." And the way that Seokjin's face lights up in surprise has every regret falling away as you relish in the knowledge that he is actually happy to have you.

"I thought I would have to bargain with you. You're usually stubborn with me." Shiny bar stools sit tucked beneath the little kitchen bar set up beside him, a few expensive looking champagne bottles littered across the surface. He pats one of the plush cushions in a gesture for you to sit which you graciously do, even as you scoff at his words and silently wonder why someone who lives alone needs so many seats.

"Because you're usually trying to get me to do something ridiculous." You chide. "And besides, I'm hungry."

"So you're just using me for my cooking skills, huh? I didn't think you were that kind of girl." Seokjin eyes you cheekily, hands fiddling with the dials on the stove with a pout. "How do you turn this thing on?"

You let out a sigh of mock despair, joining him at the counter and turning the knob until you hear a familiar click as the gas ignites, basking the kitchen in a blue glow. "If your 'skills' end with me getting food poisoning I'll never forgive you Kim Seokjin".

"I think I can handle a simple pasta dish," He retorts, but not before sending a pot from the utensil rack crashing to the ground with a clatter. "Maybe I spoke too soon." He picks up the appliance, holding it out to you sheepishly, a flush caressing his cheeks now.

You click your tongue but in no way maliciously, instinctively filling the pot with water and pulling open a few drawers in search of some other equipment. "Where do you keep the spoons?"

"Top drawer." You hear him call, settling himself into the askew stool you previously occupied, kicking his feet up onto the opposite stool and making you internally wince when the soles of his shoes settle on the white leather cushion. "Can I ask you something?"

Something in his voice changes, a seriousness that you aren't used to with him. In fact the only time you'd ever heard it was last week on the lake, when he admitted he felt like an outsider at Paradise.

You dump the pasta and lean against the counter to face him. "Sure."

"Do you think I'm an asshole?" He asks quietly.

You pause. "Sometimes." Eyes narrowed, you let out a sigh. "Why?"

"I'm sorry." Seokjin sounds small, and he wrings his hands together awkwardly. "For making you do all this for me, and then acting like a douche."

You push his feet off the stool and take a seat opposite him. Your mouth is dry, so you say nothing. He looks at you expectantly. Like he's hoping his apology will make up for the stinging hurt that still lingers in your chest every time you remember the look of shame in his eyes when he almost got caught talking to you at the gates. You flash him a sad smile, and he sighs when he realises it's not enough.

"God, I'm so fucking lame. What normal guy has to get a girl to pretend to be his fucking fiance?"

"What normal girl agrees to pretend? If you're lame then I'm just as bad." You chuckle, somewhat bitterly. "If you're so embarrassed by me, why don't you just tell your family? Then you won't have to worry someone will find out who I really am."

There's a sharpness to your words that makes Seokjin wince.

"It's not that I'm embarrassed of you! I'm...embarrassed of me." Seokjin rushes. "I just can't tell them. It would break them if they knew we've been lying."

Oh. So all this time he wasn't afraid someone would find out your real identity...he was just worried about disappointing his family?

"I always knew I was going to marry some nice girl from upstate and take over Paradise one day," He continues. "But now it's actually happening and I'm realizing I'm not cut out for this."

His head falls into his palms, forehead creased. You can tell this has been weighing on his mind for a while, and part of you feels thrilled that he trusts you enough to confide in you.

"I want to be the man they want me to be but I don't know how much longer I can pretend."

You slide your hand over the counter and cover his. He looks up, surprised, when you give it a comforting squeeze.

"I think you're just scared." You whisper. "I know you Seokjin, and you'll be an incredible CEO."

He puffs out his chest. "Pfft, I'm not scared."

"You're scared you won't be as good of an owner as your dad." You say. "And you're scared that you won't love the girl who you marry like you're supposed to."

Seokjin falls quiet, like what you said hit a nerve. He frowns. "I know what it's like to love someone. And those other girls -- the ones my parent's tried to set me up with -- they were nice and all but... I didn't feel it with any of them."

"You can't force love." You offer him a sympathetic smile. "Sometimes it just pops up in the strangest of places. It just happens."

"You're right." He smiles back, and shakes his shoulders like a weight has been lifted. His eyes soften fondly. "Hey. How do you always seem to know exactly what to say?"

"One of my many talents,"You laugh as you instinctively start to dish up your meal. That's what working in a kitchen does to you. "Including making incredible pasta."

The smell of carbonara wafts through the kitchen, and he rubs his stomach gratefully.

"God I love you." Seokjin says breathily, threading his hands through his hair and looking at you in wonder.

"What?" You go slack, the metal spoon between your fingers hitting the ground with a tinny crash.

Seokjin blinks twice before rushing to cover up his mistake. "You know what I mean."

You do know. But a part of you wishes that you didn't know, that you could pretend that the words that spilled from Seokjin's lips were real and true and meant something.

Not that it matters anyway. You aren't in love. You are just pretending to be. So why does it feel like a ton of bricks smushed your heart when you realise this was probably the only time you would ever hear him say those words, even if he didn't mean them how you wished he would?

You pull your bottom lip between your teeth before it can start to wobble and bend to your knees to retrieve the spoon. Seokjin is already ahead of you, leaping out of his chair to grasp the metal at the exact same time.

A gasp passes your lips when his hand covers yours tightly, the contact accidental but enough to send tingles up your spine like it always does. Except this time, it seems he feels it too, because when you dare to look up he is staring at your almost interlocked hands in wonder.

"Is now a bad time to repay one of your favours?" His voice is hoarse.

"What—"

Seokjin's fingers hook beneath your chin, tilting your head towards him so that he can press his lips against yours in a tentative kiss, swallowing your words in transit.

The kiss is slow and languid, the way he slots his plump bottom lip between yours making you melt instantly. His cheeks are warm and soft in your hands as you cup them, the action feeling just as natural as the warmth blossoming in your chest when Seokjin moves his mouth in time with your own with an impossible tenderness.

He sighs into your mouth like he'd been waiting forever to do this, and you feel a similar satisfaction, finally able to curb the craving for him that has been aching inside you since your last encounter when he left you standing alone on the veranda.

Seokjin's fingers trace up your arms tentatively, hairs raising wherever they touch, before tangling them in the hair at the base of your neck and pulling you ever deeper into the kiss, not just with pure desire like you were used to but with a yearning to hold you closer. For the first time you let yourself succumb to your senses, protective guard over your heart shattering as you get lost in the scent of his woody cologne and the roughness of his simultaneously pillowy lips.

By the time he pulls back you are already breathless and he is too, lips parted slightly, breath tickling your nose.

"Sorry." The curve of his lips tells you he didn't mean it. He wanted to kiss you. You melt. "'S cause I missed you, that's all"

"C'mere." With a breathy laugh you pull him closer to you again by the collar, mouths crashing together in a tangle of teeth and tongue this time that makes you burn with a hunger to commit every caress of his lips to memory, blood running hot as he tugs your bottom lip between his teeth like he wants to devour you right then and there. "I want you."

His hands search your body making you shudder, swell of your chest pressed to his as he slips his burning hot palms beneath your thighs to hoist you onto the kitchen island, uncaring when the spice rack rattles precariously. His lips never leave yours, tongue sweeping into your mouth in a way that has you panting for more, suddenly desperate to feel his warmth against you without the damn barrier of your leggings between you.

"Wanna take you right here so bad." Seokjin breaks away, eyes glazed over and slipping from your swollen lips momentarily to take in your quivering body, slotting himself between your welcoming legs. "God, you drive me crazy."

His hair tickles your cheek when he lets his face fall into the crook of your neck as if accepting defeat, his self control hanging by a thread in the same way as yours.

"Then take me." It's hushed whisper but it makes Seokjin groan, his hands rubbing flat circles into the tops of your thighs but never getting quite close enough to the ache that pulses between your legs, as though he can't trust himself.

"Don't want you to do something you'll regret." Seokjin sounds pained as he nips at your neck, lips sucking marks into the flesh obscenely while his tongue soothes the burn, your eyes squeezing shut at the sensation.

"I could never regret you." You stammer between quiet whimpers when his teeth attack the sensitive spot behind your ear and in that moment you believe every word. "I promise."

Seokjin leaves one last wet kiss to your jaw. "Open your eyes. Look at me." His hands tremble when they take your face between them and hold your already damp forehead against his. You obey, biting your lip when his own lustful eyes stare into yours with a gentleness. "Promise. You want this — me?"

Your heart throbs. "I promise."

"Then how could I refuse?" With a peck to your lips Seokjin hoists you over his shoulder like you are weightless, blood rushing to your head as you come face to face with his butt.

"Let me down!" You laughed as he carries you through the apartment, pounding your fists against his back playfully. He only tightens his grip, landing a sharp smack to your ass that has you quieting down quickly. "Ow!"

"Don't pretend you didn't like it." His voice is muffled as he lets you down but you can still hear his smirk before he even comes into view. Your back lands on top of a plush mattress, silken sheets a welcome cold against your skin which still burns from Seokjin's touch. You manage to glance around the room briefly, taking in the elegant matching silk drapes and the luxe gold trimmed furniture which makes it feel like a hotel room you probably could not afford.

But then Seokjin is hovering over you again and the way his eyes darken as they rake across your body captures all your attention.

"I wouldn't mind if you did it again." You hum coyly, enjoying the way his pupils dilate as he swallows a groan. Seokjin grips your ankles and lands another slap to the flesh of your ass that has you panting and choking on your own smirk.

"Such a slut, hm?" Your knees fall apart instinctively as he leans over your body, leaving a few lingering kisses across the expanse of your chest that peeks out of the top of your tank top, all while your fingers find the hem of his gym t-shirt. "God I love your ass."

"I'll fuck it myself if you don't hurry up." The way your hips buck up give away your impatience, never quite meeting the painfully visible tent in his crotch and gaining the friction you so desperately search for. Your panties are soaked through and clinging uncomfortably to your dripping folds by now, the heat between your legs pulsing unbearably.

Seokjin chokes at your threat, eyes rolling back as he pictures the image you painted. "F-fuck, I'd love to but maybe another time." Your lithe fingers manage to get his shirt over his shoulders, throwing the garment somewhere behind him and sucking in a gasp when you take in Seokjin's naked torso beneath the warm glow of his bedside lamp, toned and slightly damp with anticipation. "Gotta take care of this cunt first, hm?"

His palm cups your mound obscenely through your leggings and you whine at the first contact you'd received all night, eager to have him touch you without the barrier of your clothing. "P-please." The way you twist your hips needily, trying to grind your throbbing clit against the heel of his palm makes him laugh lightly.

"Sit back, get comfy." He helps you slide up the bed, arranging a selection of tasseled throw cushions behind your head until he's satisfied you are adequately supported, kneeling between your legs to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and press a prolonged peck to your parted lips. "Want this to be good for you."

"It's always good for me." You assure, fingers trailing fleetingly down his chest and feeling him tense above you at the ticklish contact. Seokjin makes quick work of your top, leaving you quickly in just your bra which you graciously save him the trouble of undoing by snapping the clasp open yourself.

The way he gazes in awe at your bare chest makes you self conscious, hands coming to cover the flush that caresses your face until he rolls one of your hardened nipples and lets out a sigh in unison with your own when your hands fall away, unable to focus on anything other than the tingle of Seokjin's touch and your own shallow pants.

"You're so pretty." His words make your chest blossom with warmth and you arch into his touch, air cold against your hard buds until Seokjin takes one of them into the heat of his mouth and reduces you to a gasping mess beneath him.

As soon as he comes up for air you manage to wriggle your hands between your flush bodies, latching on to the waistband of his gym shorts and sliding them down his thighs along with his boxers as soon as you catch his nod of confirmation.

His cock springs free, hard and already leaking against his stomach. Seokjin hisses at the cold air against his length. You wrap your hand around his girth, lidded gaze watching the way his face twists with a pleasurable agony with each flick of your wrist. He's hot and heavy in your palm, impossibly hard and your entrance clenches when his cock pulses against your palm, forcing him to swallow a moan and stop his hips from thrusting into your hand. You are suddenly hyper aware of how empty you are, another bout of lust pooling in your stomach as you anticipate how good he would fill you up, length enough to stretch you out perfectly.

When your palm twists around the angry reddened tip he just about looses his mind, falling forward to grip your shoulder with a bruising grip, uncaring when a few choked groans spill into your ear. You take pride in the way he falls apart so easily until his large palm covers yours and halts your ministrations all together.

"Stop, fuck—" He squeezes his eyes shut, letting out a hiss as he tries to regain his control, length twitching and drooling against your bare stomach. "Nearly came, shit." Seokjin's chest heaves with laboured breaths, cheeks flushed as he grips the base of his length firmly.

"I'm that good huh?" The teasing tone makes his eyes snap up, the scarlet tint to his cheeks deepening.

"No — I mean yes — but mostly I've been imagining this for a while." He seems slightly sheepish and you find it cute, feeling a little pang in your heart when his nose scrunches with shyness at his confession. "Got too worked up too fast."

"Guess you don't want me to suck you off for a bit, then?" You ask almost hopefully, your heat growing ever wetter at the thought of his girth fucking your throat mercilessly.

"There's plenty of time for that, princess." The glint in his eye is the same as the one he had that day in the locker rooms, except this time you trust his words knowing that nothing could stop you coming back for more.

"Guess I'll have to save my skills for another day, then." Seokjin chuckles at the pout that graces your lips, swatting your hand away before it could stroke his length again. "Unless..."

"Brat." The shake of his head is affectionate.

"Don't pretend you don't like it." You echoe his earlier words and he rolls his eyes to your amusement.

"Touché."

He holds your gaze for a little too long, the way his eyes soften at the edges and his lips part cutely too intimate for you to deal with in the moment so you focus on the neglected ache between your legs instead.

You interrupt the moment before you let a piece of your heart flutter straight into his hands. "Hurry up and get inside me, idiot!"

"Okay, okay jeez!" Seokjin raises his hands defensively before he shuffles down the bed, eye level with your crotch.

You can't help the way you arch off the bed as he peels away your leggings, whining shamelessly when your swollen folds finally hit the air.

Soon enough you feel Seokjin's hot breath hovering over your slit, making your clit pulse even more desperately if that were possible. Before he could devour your heat like you wanted him to, you are reminded of his own self control. "'S not fair, is it?" You slur, head spinning with lust as he spreads your lips with his fingers, taking you in completely.

"Not going to eat you out this time, don't worry," The sight of him looking up at you with pleading eyes from between your legs, lips inches away from your clit, is enough to have the coil in your stomach tightening, sure you could cum just from the visual alone. "Just a taste?"

You nod, too breathless to speak, and he runs a flat stripe up your dripping slit, the contact enough to make your legs shake and your head fall back against the cushions. He places a single kiss to your clit which makes you quiver before he climbs back up so you are eye level. "Can't get enough of your pussy," Your breath mingles, his lips glistening with your arousal just inches from yours. "Could taste you forever."

"You can." You whisper.

His tongue traces your bottom lip languidly. You can taste yourself just barely on his lips. "I don't deserve you."

Seokjin supports himself on his forearms, hovering over your body and taking his cock in his palm to line it up with your entrance.

"Ready?" He scans your face for any concerns, any suggestion that you are having second thoughts. Even your small smile and the shameless twists of your hips as you tried to impale yourself on his cock wasn't enough to appease him, apparently. "Promise?"

The tenderness in his voice makes you lose your breath in a mixture of shock and warmth. This has to be a dream. "Promise."

Seokjin's lidded eyes light up and he finds your hand where it tugs on the sheets beside your bodies and carefully interlinks your fingers. The callouses on his fingers, the grooves of his palm and how it slots perfectly into yours is starting to feel familiar. You don't have time to dwell on whether the action was supposed to feel as romantic as it did before he's pushing the tip of his cock against your entrance which clenches with every inch until he bottoms out with a guttural groan of his own.

The slide is slow and languorous, allowing you to feel every ridge of his cock drag against your walls, the stretch burning a little as you tried to accommodate his girth.

"So fucking wet for me, huh?" It's true; you can feel your arousal dripping down your ass, his hips meeting yours with an audible squelch that was testament of his affect on you. You feel his cock twitch inside you, his nose scrunching as he resists slamming into you straight away to allow you to adjust. Instead he focuses on rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs into your hips, taking in your bare form with a fascination. "So fucking pretty underneath me like this."

"All for you." You manage to stutter between hard pants as he snaps his hips back until just the head of his cock remains at your entrance and you whine with the impossible emptiness. "I'm all yours."

"Promise me." It comes out as a command but it's tainted with a softness that makes your cheeks burn with more than just lust.

"I promise. I'm all yours."

That's all it takes to have him slamming back into you, hips meeting yours repeatedly with a loud slap which is almost drowned out by the soft moans that spill from his lips into the crook of your neck. He's more vocal than you were expecting and it drives you crazy.

"Fuck, I'm close." His breath hitches at your words, tongue snaking out to wet his lips as he shudders closer to his high. With a pained expression he pauses mid thrust, head barely inside you as he searches your face for answers with desperate eyes. "Where can I—"

"Inside me." You buck your hips, whimpering when he slides back into you to the hilt as if he can't help it. "Wanna feel you fill me up."

"Shit, okay." He stutters as your fingers move the bangs stuck to his sweaty forehead, his neck and shoulders glistening slightly in the deep glow of the room. "God, you're so tight."

By now you are clenching around him wildly, the heat between your legs getting hotter with every drag of his cock against your velvety walls. With his next thrust he hits your sweet spot deliciously, the mewl that leaves you alerting him of the fact and he watches with a dark amusement as your eyes roll back and you lose yourself to the feeling.

"Mmf — g-gonna cum." Seokjin's thumb rubs circles into your throbbing clit in time with his thrusts and the pressure is enough to have you falling over the edge, vision fading to black as Seokjin fucks you through your high.

"That's it, cum for me baby," He coaxes, thrusts turning sloppy as you feel him release inside you, the feeling of him coating your now sensitive walls almost too much. "S-shit."

You don't realise your eyes are squeezed shut until Seokjin's palm cups your chin, his face a picture of pure bliss when your lashes finally flutter open. There's barely any distance between your noses, his breath lightly tickling your parted lips and you're sure he can hear your heart thumping against your rib cage, loud in your ears as he closes the distance between you in a lazy kiss that feels indescribably intimate with him softening inside you.

"I don't deserve you." He says again, voice croaky this time. "You could do better than me."

"Shut up," His cheek presses to your chest, warm against your clammy skin. "Don't be silly."

"There's something I need to tell you..." He begins, cut off when you sit upright abruptly, eyes wide. "It's nothing bad. Well, it might be depends on how you respond. It's just that day on the lake, when I saw how Taehyung looked at you, and when I thought I lost you, it made me realise that I'm—"

"No, not that." You begin feeling around for your underwear. "I think the pasta boiled over!"

"Oh shit!" He joins your search for clothes, rolling onto his back beside you, though you don't miss the frown that appeared on his face. "Guess I can wait a little longer."

#bts smut #bts #seokjin smut #ksmutclub #smutcentralnet #seokjin fluff #seokjin imagine #seokjin fanfic #bts fanfic #btswriterscollective #btsguild #kwordsmiths #bangtanarmynet #thebtsclub #my writing #fic: better with you

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writing-frenzy · 4 years

Text

I Wouldn’t Risk It (SVSSS Fic)

Summery: In which one annoyed Shang Huan does not know why he puts up with a certain Demonic Cultivator- “I owe you.” ah, that’s right.

Warning: some Violence and blood, and cursing. All good things to be found in svsss canon~

(In which @hamelin-born is a terrible, wonderful enabler, thus this is how it came about.)

EDIT: Part of Wager verse, first Part HERE

----

“Welcome to- oh wait it’s you.” Shang Huan started to greet some incoming customers, only to give the pair that came in a flat look instead.

“Greetings Uncle Shang!” Cao Mei, an actually adorable raven haired girl, her purple eyes so dark one could almost think they were black if it weren’t for certain lighting here and there. Puberty was obviously treating her well, seeing she must have been 19 at least, was developing some curves, her baby fat also finally melted off. But despite this, Shang Huan was unmoved, as for one, he wasn’t a fucking pedo, and two, he could easily see that same matching intelligence and calculation she inherited from her grandfather’s own dark purple eyes.

As expected of Wife #45; not only a knock out beauty in the making, but even had more IQ points then most, along with a more developed character and backstory then a lot of his later wife plots.

Though, he could admit he was taken off guard with her story then most; the cause of that being one certain person-

“I see the place hasn’t burnt down yet; congratulations for that.” was huffed by said anomaly, making Shang Huan focus his deadpan face on the other.

“Thanks, my kitchen staff is always trying though.” and no sooner were the words spoken, then what sounded like multiple firecrackers going off in said kitchen... He could even swear he saw what looked like a blue firework of a bird fly out from there, before one of his handy golems ate it as it passed...

Closing his eyes, Shang Huan counted to three, before opening them once more; he would never be able to count as high as he really wanted, but time was rarely on his side, so three it was. Hazel eyes once more opening, Shang Huan was able to look at a source of many headaches, one Dark Poison Sect Leader, Cao Xiaowen, a true doting grandfather who still looked like he was only in his late 20s, his blood red hair peppered with black from all the resentful energy surrounding him, and greys from stress of life actually catching up with him.

And a character that was never in Proud Immortal Demon Way, but yet again from one of his other stories; a Demonic Sect Leader that had just been a random background character, just to flesh out that world a bit more. He had only named because while he could get away without naming the Sect the guy made, it wouldn’t make sense to have Cao Xiaowen be nameless, seeing as he had bullshited a whole bunch of techniques this infamous and well known demonic cultivator was supposed to have made...

Making a face at that smiling face before him, Shang Huan felt some regrets; just some more to add to his pile stashed in his closet and under his floorboards, but what can one do? Especially with a story that seems to make sure he can never forget any of them, always seeming to push willing to push cheery, willful mistakes into his face.

i.e. the Demonic Sect Leader before him.

But then again, to see these two characters, Cao Xiaowen and Cao Mei connect here, in this living world of PIDW and other mash ups, was honestly rather amazing, just with Demonic Cultivation and the same last names... It was as fascinating as it was paranoia inducing. Cao Mei had been just another revenge wife plot, the young woman wanting vengeance against her Mother for killing her loved family members along with trying to kill her... as well as to save her young baby brother, who their Mother was trying to mold into her perfect image of Sect Leader. The girl had only been able to survive for as long as she did because one of her dying relatives had sacrificed themselves, turning themselves into her Spirit Familiar and protecting her...

.... And as for Cao Xiaowen, when he had mentioned how he went down in his end in his own story verse, Airplane had only said that it was due to betrayal and sacrifice, that being the only ending he gave the character...

(How many other fucking throwaway lines does he have to worry about ohmygodwhyisthishislife-)

“...So, why do you choose now to darken my doorway?” Shang Huan asked, the unspoken ‘I-know-you-hate-this-place-much-less-willing-to-bring-your-beloved-granddaughter-with-you.’ not said, but easily heard.

“... You would be glad to know, but I must now introduce you to Sect Leader of the Dark Poison Sect, Cao Meihui.” Cao Xiaowen introduced as he motioned to the young girl. Shang Huan stared for but a moment before closing his eyes once more, even as whispers broke out all around them in his place, from the gambling tables to even the bar and restaurant.

This time he allowed himself to count to 10, as a treat.

“Follow me this way, Elder Cao, Sect Leader Cao.” and with a simple hand motion, a few of his workers already getting things done, the Ruby Room already to entertain his ‘guests’. It didn’t take to long after all, with his standards and staff precision, but he needed to make sure there was nothing to spy on in this conversation.

Because oh, does he have a lot to say right now.

Once the door was closed and all the silences spells and talismans in place, Shang Huan rounded on the now sitting pair, letting his hands slam on the service table before him.

“Can you not?!” Shang Huan seethed, even as Cao Xiaowen grinned, his heir now leader beside him shifting ever so slightly beside him, smartly making some space between them.

“Why, Shang Huan, what ever do you mean?”

“You politic in my place again and I will make sure to show the world just how much I can beat you into the ground.” was practically growled, Cao Xiaowen smartly raising his hands in surrender as he did. “Why the hell did you even need to do that, didn’t you already get the stalker bitch killed and dispersed last year? I distinctly remember being there for the mad ramblings.”

-Urgh- he never wanted that much TMI into someone’s deluded sexual fantasies, especially rounding around this who-me? Demonic Cultivator! Body stealing and marrying the guy’s son just to get a possible chance at him, and then killing him and half his family when she still couldn’t get what she wanted to spite him?

Shang Huan doesn’t move, but that still doesn’t mean he’s not fighting a shiver of repulsion at the thought. Seeing the way Cao Xiaowen grimaced at the reminder, Shang Huan was actually starting to feel in a better mood.

“While she and most of her supporters are now gone, traces of those who still hold sympathies for her and her ideals still remain.” the man scowled, even as he took out a small sachet, handing the small plain back over as he did.

Hmmm, spicy roasted melon seeds; say what you will about the man, he did know his bribes at least.

“They’re also trying to push my little didi to be the next Sect Leader, even though he never wanted it in the first place!” Cao Meihui scowled in turn, taking out a beautiful, yet still deadly battle fan to fan herself. “Really, he has suffered enough under that woman’s ‘care’, he should be able to choose however he wishes to live in life!”

Shang Huan doesn’t even wince at those words, even as he thinks on the poor fate of canon fodder Cao Yun, a young boy desperate to leave his harsh home circumstances, even joining a certain Righteous Sect set to be doomed and destroyed, loosing his home once again and setting him in turn on a doomed quest to stop Luo Binghe...

Well, considering the boy had left home at 15, and had only just turned that this year, maybe that path could be prevented; there were still plenty of other Sects still up and running when his protagonist came into power, maybe he could join one of those?

Still though, maybe he should give the kid a transportation talisman for his birthday; you can never have too many of those after all.

“That still does not explain why you had to announce Young Mei right in front of my store.”

“Please, it’s the perfect place too; not many completely neutral places around anymore, what with Hua Hua Palace trying to police everyone and dragging the other Righteous Sects into it... Speaking of which, they haven’t bothered you after last time, have they?” Cao Xiaowen asks, with what looks like could be actual concern in his eyes.... Ha-

“I’m pretty sure they won’t forget my warding anytime soon; not to mention the rest of the towns folk’s farewells.” Shang Huan replies dryly, remembering just how all those golden pricks were beautifully thrown from his store, some of his staff even joining in on the beatdown the protection brought forth. If he remembers right, it soon became a whole town wide event to run them all out.

And when you have a whole town seemingly a melting pot filled with Spiritual beings, humans, and demons, they definitely are going to have their wounds to lick.

“But again, my place is, as you said Neutral; so why are you bringing in politics here? Announcements of a new Sect Leader should be only at official events or places that one is already allied with after all.” The Owner of the Gilded Plane asks lightly, those hazel eyes taking on a deadly touch, like molten liquid gold is taking over bronze, a sunset of colors being the last of the sky you will ever see, easily to see it all reflected in the blade at his side.

(Ah, how terrifying, seeing the threat of Fortune’s Favored all out to bare, Dujin Xue at his side, the spirit weapon willing and bloodthirsty to take out any threat to its master.)

For a moment, all is silent, before finally, the red haired cultivator takes from his sleeves, a few boxes simple in their decorations and yet obviously of the finest Jade.

“I almost forgot; I have with me some of the finest of Blight and Poison Talismans with me, not to mention my newest creations; a Pipa made with Blood Drain White Wood and using heart strings of an abyssal creature, painted with curse residue.” Cao Xiaowen motions to an opened box with said black and purple instrument with white accents, truly a work of art and power, even unbound as it is, no master to really work those deadly strings just yet.

Another box is soon opened as well, revealing a twin pair of daggers, their blades white with a beautiful red handle for a hilt. “Not to mention these Ancient Necromancer’s Bone Daggers, recently uncovered in an old tomb, plenty of resentful energy and dark desires just waiting to be unveiled in any upcoming battle, madness in but a cut to be delivered...” the former Sect Leader says, a bit of sweat coming from his brow, those dark eyes uneasy even as he hides behind his bluster and charm. His granddaughter, Cao Meihui watches intently, her own dark eyes worried even as she is awed by her beloved grandfather’s work, and the man who can make him so nervous.

The one Fortune’s Favored watches and listens, and waits, even as he is showcased all the wares most people would die to get their hands on, each item worth more then most lives to some.

“... I will give you a warning and you will be Marked for it; there will be no next time if you try and pull this stunt again, you hear me Xiaowen?” Shang Huan allows, eyes turning back into that warm and soft hazel, even as he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as he does. Well, at least he now has more good things in store for his gambling patrons, who will no doubt go crazy for these goods.

(Never noticing how the familial pair relax, a breath of relief taken for their own that this gambit actually worked, even if they are now Marked by all the staff.

Best behavior is a must for now at least.)

-----+-----

~15 Years ago~

Cao Xiaowen, once just regular Cao Xiao, was a man most would never dare cross; as a Demonic Cultivator, you wouldn’t even be able to escape through death. He had cultivated carefully along his chosen path, having no talent for what was Righteous roads, so turned down to darker paths and alleys to get what he wanted. He had been smart about it, and equally talented for Demonic Cultivation, becoming a Bounty Hunter to be able to hide just what practices he used.

Not only did it get him much needed gold, but the resentful energy and blood of the wicked were quiet useful on his path. Unlike other Demonic Cultivators that sought to take in the energies as fast as possible to form their Obsidian Cores, killing innocents, and eventually needing Cauldrons in the end to balance themselves and to go farther in their Cultivation, Cao Xiaowen went for a more steadfast pace.

He first started with crafting items of Resentful energy, talismans and amulets to get a better feel for the delicacies of the energy he chose to work with. With time and effort, along with plenty of meditation and blood on his hands, he found a cultivation path that suited him rather well, untraditional as it was for the usual brutal force most Demonic Cultivators usually went. His path was like a slow acting poison, letting the wicked energies ever so carefully, ever so gently gather into his meridians, building up a steady foundation before he ever focused on building his Core.

And the results for it were astounding; when compared to traditional Demonic Cultivators, not only could Cao Xiaowen hold his own with those stages above his own, he could beat even those whose Cultivation that was said to be an entire level above him. Not to mention just how devastating his spells and attacks were against those of the Righteous Sects.

It was no surprise that when he founded his own Sect, he had plenty of disciples to chose and pick from...But he wasn’t stupid.

He knew he had plenty of enemies all around him, some just jealous of his power, others hateful of just how he got it, being a Demonic Cultivator was a sin for some even if he only went after criminals. That he was a rather attractive even as his red hair was peppered black and grey, and even a few tigers acting like pigs to be fatten all came for him in the end. He knows people were waiting in the shadows, eager to take him down and steal everything he worked for, salivating over his abilities and life work...

Though despite it all, he never expected the betrayal to come so close to home.

“P-papa.” was stuttered out by his honestly rather adorable Granddaughter, the young four year old sobbing as she reached for him; his daughter in law smiling all the while even as she held one of his crafted knives to the little girl’s throat. He had to give it to her, not many women could still look so devastatingly beautiful, covered as they were in their husband’s blood. He never expected the raven haired woman to be so ruthless, honestly sure the woman loved his son.

Looks like he still has errors in his judgement, even at his age; taken off guard on what he though would be a simple material gathering mission, only to be crippled and threatened by a woman he thought he could trust even as she slit his beloved child’s throat before his eyes.

“You really shouldn’t have refused me all those years ago; this all could have been avoided if you had just agreed to be mine... oh well, too late for regrets.” The woman mourns softly, making Cao Xiaowen feel his brow crinkle, dark eyes confused.

But trying to parse the words of the mad woman was not something he had time for, seeing as his lovely little granddaughter was suddenly in his arms, the both of them finding themselves being pushed off a cliff, and into the Broken Jaw Ravine.

Using what remained of his spiritual energy in his blighted Obsidian Core, Cao Xiaowen was fully prepared to become his dear granddaughter’s Familiar Spirit to protect her...

When in the end, it turned out unnecessary; they ended up landing in a Spirit Capture Net. And judging by the pure color and Qi he could feel running through it, a high quality one at that. Feeling how it blocked him from using any of his spiritual energy and Qi, he looked to his darling dear grandchild, the (forcibly) retired Sect Leader couldn’t help but feel so relieved to see her shaken, but well at least in body.

And then he heard the cursing.

“What in the fuck you soggy old vulture of a corpse! Curses on your fucking clothing to never be nice and pristine, to always stub your toe on the corner, to be miserable even when you have your favorite food! Do you know how long it took to make that net?! Could you have fallen somewhere else? No, of course the skies would decide to shit on me with some young man in my beautifully crafted net! Probably jumped off for the heck of it knowing how fucking dumb most Demonic Cultivators are! ARRRHGGGG YOU DAMN WALNUT!” was practically ranted below them, a young brunet man yelling up at him, who couldn’t be more then in his 20′s. (Though rather impressively at the Peak of Core Formation from what he could sense.)

As it was, two pairs of dark eyes could only give the ranting rouge a wide eyed stare, even when, in the end, the young man let them down, hazel eyes narrowed in on them. He raised one brow at his child that was with him, but easily narrowed them back onto Cao Xiaowen’s own.

Ah, he could probably sense his power (use his weakness).

“So, this is how it is going to go down. I’ll help heal you and your kid, won’t even leave her in debt... tho your ass is mine; I say jump, you better do it and ask if this is high enough. You will owe me till the end of your day and then some, and in return I will benevolently help you out. You agree or should I leave you and the kid here for any unpleasant fates?” was the rather grumpy, if smartly given offer, Cao Xiaowen finding he can’t help but respect it, even as crudely as it was put. Looking down to his innocent little Cao Mei, the grandfather could only nod at the offer, no other recourse that could ensure his little gem a better chance at life.

And thus marked the first meeting between the terrible and powerful Dark Poison Sect Leader Cao Xiaowen, and the Rogue Cultivator Shang Huan, who would one day have a title even greater then his own.

Amazing really, how some things start (and others end).

-----

:D Here we are, another story from this verse; it was really fun! (even if I actually had to create a damn timeline to make sure everything was straight TTxTT)

Anyways, here is an ally of Airplane! Their relationship can be described as.

Shang Huan: Why do I put up with you again?

Cao Xiaowen: Because I have the best gifts bitch. *Inwardly sweaty*

But Also-

Cao Xiaowen: So... Demonic Cultivating involves a lot of... Dual Cultivating huh... And are those innocents being brutally murdered over there?

Rando: Yeah, ain’t it great? :D

Cao Xiaowen: ... *proceeds to make a cultivation path that involves as little Dual Cultivation as needed while also being one of the nicest ironically* Ah, that is better, better get more wicked blood~

These two were really fun to write together, and with PIDW, I can make as many ocs as I want~ So much to do, so much to play with~

Oh yeah, Shang Hua’s blade, Dujin Xue means Gilded Blood :3

Cao I picked for being a common last name, while Xiaowen means red skies. Mei means red gem, but for Meihui I liked the meaning of monstrous/demonic beauty~ As you can see, I had fun~

#SVSSS #Scum Villain Self Saving System #Scum Villain Self-Saving System #Shang Qinghua #Wager (SVSSS) Verse #Airplane Shooting Toward the Sky

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bechobbi · 3 years

Text

Fortune favours the bold - SamDrake x Reader - (Chapter 6)

Tags: @missdictatorme - @unchartedterritoria - @jodiereedus22 - @aliceriddell-aka-zephyr - @sicparvismagnaforsam - @mooraakath- @uncharted-trash-shar - @tennantmademedoit - @samdrakeftw - @sparrowspt9851 - @reachagalaxy - @irresistiblemonster @original-drake@sw33t-but-psycho @dragonjedihobbit @ellie-drake @fhujami@birdgirl69@mafiahobbit @spaskaalekha @avast-you-dirty-dog @shambhalala@fandoms-pizza-wifi-ym13 @missymysa

Wanna be tagged in/out? Just tell me!

For once, you took a day off "work" and enjoyed the sun and nature that surrounded the motel.

You needed to reflect. You would have liked to accept Sam's proposal immediately, but at the same time you didn't want to endanger anyone else except yourself.

You walked slowly on a dirt path in the small wood in front of the motel. It was a pretty remote place if it weren't for the 24-hour supermarket.

You would have liked to have a plan, you thought, but it wasn't like that at all and you didn't even know where to start. However, you had some information about your evil relatives, they had the money to do everything even make you disappear into thin air.

Part of you was hoping they had forgotten about you after all these years.

Was it really better to leave it to someone else like Sam said?

Small parrots caught your attention. Their feathers were bright green and their noises resounded in the air. They hopped pecking at the ground looking for food a few meters from you. They reminded you of your old house where, in the middle of the large flower garden, there was a fountain where in summer the birds went to cool off.

That memory convinced you even more to want to take everything back even at the cost of risking your life. Then you resumed your march and the parrots soared into the sky as you passed by.

Meanwhile at the motel Sam was making some phone calls:

“Hey old man, how are you doing? ... Yes, yes, I guess so ... Listen, I have a job that might interest you ... It is an inheritance ... Yes ... But the client has yet to give me a certain answer ... As soon as I know something I'll let you know ... OK, ok ... See you soon. "

He threw the phone on the bed and left the room to get a breath of fresh air. It was not easy to find someone, his bad friendships became fewer with the story of the marriage, he had had to cut many bridges because he wanted to start over.

The man had not remained idle while you were out clearing your train of thoughts, he had investigated you and your family.

Your parents were two patrons, two wealthy people who helped less fortunate kids to study and emerge. They were philanthropists, but also the black sheep of their respective families.

Your relatives, on the other hand, were rich stingy bourgeois and bad-hearted, and certainly did not look favorably on the choices of your mother and father.

Sam had even found a couple of newspaper articles reporting the discovery of two corpses, your parents’, but no mention of you.

The bodies had been found following an anonymous phone call received by the police. Together with them documents attesting to debts and tax fraud were found, which for the lazy and corrupt policemen they represented the motive for the death of the two people.

For them, your father would have killed your mother, after which he would have hang himself. A cliché.

“A big mansion, two rich people found dead in a suspicious circumstance, money, different opinions, corrupt police, a 'daughter' ... Interesting” thought Sam.

The man discovered that your mother had had a daughter, but she disappeared into thin air years later. No other births. The date of birth and your age did not match, so he deduced that you probably must have been adopted. Except that there was no sheet to prove it.

Sam needed to know more about you. So he waited patiently for your return plunging back into the search for more.

You came back from your walk, you were calmly walking to the room where you had spent the night. The sun was setting. You knocked on the door, but no one answered. You knocked again. Nothing. You decided to forget about manners and try to open the door. It was open.

"Who the hell is it that doesn't lock the door in such remote place like this ?!" you murmured to yourself.

Upon entering you noticed that the room had been rearranged, the bed had clean sheets and your dirty clothes, which you had left on the floor that morning, had been folded and placed on the desk under the window.

There was a scent of cleanliness and everything made you feel a sensation of warmth in your chest.

You entered on tiptoe almost for fear of ruining that order, you crouched on the ground to take off your boots. Once barefoot, you went to bed and sat down waiting for some sign of life, a noise, anything that would tell you where your roommate was.

Then suddenly the door of the bathroom opened making you jump, you saw clothes fly and land on the floor in front of the bed. You thought it best to emit a rattle to signal your presence and if it wasn't for that you would have found the naked figure of Sam in front of you.

The man promptly tied a towel around his waist and when he crossed the threshold of the bathroom he said:

" You're back!"

You were a bit stunned to see him shirtless and from the towel you could get an idea of the man's virility. A shiver ran down your spine. He was a captivating type, there was no doubt.

“Y-yes, I'm back. I-I tried to knock ... "

"Oh yes? I didn't hear" he said, running his hands through his still damp hair "I was taking a shower”. At the base of his neck, his hair rolled up into more accentuated curls than usual.

"Where have you been?" he asked you taking another towel and passing it over his chest.

It felt like the beginning of a porn movie.

"Ah-um, I took a walk in the woods in front ..." you looked away from him who was now smiling slyly.

"Do you like what you see?" he said.

You blushed and laughed "Idiot, stop it, you make me uncomfortable ..."

He laughed hard as he took clean clothes from a bag in the closet.

"I thought you weren't coming back."

Suddenly a detail struck you, the man's left side showed round scars.

"What are those?" you asked to distract yourself from your obscene thoughts.

"A little memory of Panama, you know I liked it so much that ... well ... I always carry it with me" he chuckled.

You felt the urge to touch those wounds, to understand if they were true or not. Your body moved by itself, you crawled over to Sam and reached out. Your index finger now was brushing those circles of brown and jagged skin. He didn't move, he stayed there giving you his side. You could perceive the diversity of the skin, however soft, and under it the muscles that characterized the figure of the man.

"Did it hurt?" you asked.

"Like hell" he answered in a low voice.

"How did you do?"

At your touch Sam let out a small muffled moan and said "...They shot me."

"... oh ..." you were captured by those jagged circles.

Then suddenly he moved away and said "Now you do understand why you shouldn’t play with weapons?"

"Sorry ..." you said realizing what you just did. You had just touched his weakest points. And he had let you do it.

He smiled putting on a clean white T-shirt, then with jeans and a pair of boxers in his right hand he went to the bathroom to get dressed.

He came out dressed, clean and fragrant.

"I thought we could go get something to eat" he proposed.

Your stomach felt more empty than ever, so you accepted.

You were walking towards the supermarket, you with your hands in your coat pockets and him smoking.

"You are the first person who decides to help me" you said.

Puffs of white smoke left Sam's lips "Well, if you had told someone what happened to you, maybe they would have helped you."

You weren't convinced then he added "Surely, if I hadn't found your backpack you wouldn't have told me anything, and you would have just run away like you always have."

He read your mind, so you bit your lip and smirking you said "How do you know this?

Sam looked at you from his height "I put and two together. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. I did these things too. "

"Then don't lecture me" you teased him.

"You're better than me, that's why I'm warning you" he concluded.

Finally you arrived at the supermarket, crossing the threshold the bell placed at the top of the door rang, signaling the entrance of customers.

"What do you want to eat?" Sam asked.

You just had to put anything under your teeth, so you ordered the attendant behind the bread counter to prepare you some sandwiches to eat on the fly.

During the preparation of what would be your dinner, you took a tour of the supermarket shelves.

Earlier, at the motel, you noticed the now empty bottle of Scotch, so you thought about getting one of the same brand. You grabbed the bottle and went back to Sam.

“I saw that you finished it" you said.

The man gave you a quick glance, then looked into his pockets and counted the money he had left.

"I think we would need a trick to get it" he winked at you and added "See how it’s done!"

With the sandwiches ready and the bottle of liquor you went to the cash desk where the usual swooning and provocative blonde whom Sam already knew was waiting.

"Hi handsome" she said.

"Hi honey, how are you?" Sam answered placing the items on the counter.

She leaned forward as usual to show her breasts "Now that I see you I'm fine"

"I guessed so" the man said letting his eyes wander over her.

"Who is she?" said the blonde pointing at you with her head.

“She is my little sister! We haven't seen each other for a long time, so tonight we wanted to celebrate "

The blonde was loudly chewing a chewing-gum and she was winking at Sam so constantly that she was almost annoying.

"You know..." Sam continued using his mellowest voice "I don't have enough cash with me ... So I thought we could make a trade, honey ..."

She melted like chocolate in the sun.

"What time do you finish, beauty?" Sam said moving closer to her face.

"At 11 pm I finish my shift ..." she said out of breath.

“I'll wait for you outside, what do you think? Me and you... ?" he continued.

She nodded biting her lower lip.

And that was how Sam got the free bottle of Scotch.

On the way to the motel you suddenly turned to the man "Are you really going?"

"Who knows" he replied.

You scrutinized it carefully and after a few minutes of silence you continued "I don't think you will go there"

"And how do you know?" he retorted.

"it's a feeling. You just wanted the bottle of Scotch, you don't give a damn about her "

"Atta girl, I see that we understand each other on the fly. You are impressive ... Furthermore she had floppy tits" he added.

It made you both laugh.

The evening passed quietly between Sam’s stories, time flew. It was a long time since you had such a good time, not to mention the fact that his stories were exciting.

Both of you were bit high from the alcohol and he seemed happier than when you first saw him.

"So?" you said interrupting the speech.

"So what?"

"...Will you help me?" you told him.

"I was waiting for you to ask me... I think so" he replied, lighting a cigarette.

You got up from the bed where you were sitting, you staggered towards him and, while Sam controlled your movements without understanding what you wanted to do, you approached his face. You gave him an intense look that left him breathless, whispered a "Thank you" and stole the cigarette from his hands.

He didn't resist nor react. He stood there motionless contemplating you. After a moment he recovered and laughed out loud "Hey that was mine!" he yelled.

Night fell, Sam slept on the floor to let you sleep in the bed.

The next day you found breakfast again and Sam was waiting for you to wake up sitting next to you on the bed, his back against the wall.

"Hey ..." he said "it's time to get up ..." he moved the locks of hair in front of your closed eyes.

Slowly you became aware "G-Good morning ..."

"Come on sleepyhead, there's coffee ... and... we have an appointment ..."

You sat down too, while Sam handed you the cup of hot coffee.

"Thank you..."

He smiled at you soflty.

Sipping the drink you asked him for more information about the appointment he had just mentioned.

"What do we have to do?"

"We have to meet a person the will help us."

You were surprised. Now you had two people to rooting for you.

"Oh..."

“Don't worry, you will thank us when done. Come on, go wash your face, he will be here soon. "

Taken by anxiety, you gulped the coffee in a single sip and catapulted to the bathroom to wash and dress.

After the shower you changed your clothes and decided to wear a dress that your mother had given you years ago.

Once out of the bathroom Sam couldn't help but notice a new side of you, a more feminine side that you apparently tended to hide.

He whistled at you and said "How cute we are"

You blush saying "My mother gave it to me years ago, I think it's the right time to wear it"

He looked at you from head to toe, made a grimace of approval and added "It fits you divinely."

You blushed again.

The magic moment was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"Here he is!" Sam nimbly jumped out of bed to open the door.

A middle-aged man with white hair and a bright look was out there.

“Hey Victor! Long time no see!"

"Hi Sam!"

The two hugged and patted each other on the back while you waited for introductions.

"So, Samuel Drake, will you let me in?" said the older man.

"You're welcome" replied the younger one and clearing his throat added "Ahem, this is the disinherited princess", he put both hands on your shoulders "She is Y / N Y / L / N"

"Hello ..." you held out your hand.

"My pleasre Miss, I'm Victor" he shook your hand. His grip was as strong and firm as Sam's, and from that detail you felt you could trust him too.

Sully took a seat in the chair in the room and you and Sam took place on the edge of the bed.

"So, where do we start?" Victor asked.

Sam waved at you to invite you to speak.

You were so uncomfortable having to tell about your misadventure that you were torturing your fingernails.

Sam noticed your discomfort, so he took one of your hands in his and squeezed them tightly to give you courage. With a smile he gave you another nod and pointing to Sully he said “You can rest assured. Victor and I have known each other for a lifetime, he is a person you can trust, just like me. "

The older man then spoke up and began "I did a lot of research on your family. And you ... you don't appear anywhere. To help you, we need as much details as possible. You can trust me, I give you my word" he concluded putting a hand on his heart.

You held your breath for a couple of seconds, then let yourself go.

“Ok ... I can do it ... I was taken into the house by Mrs. and Mr. Y / L / N when I was about 4 years old. I was part of one of the groups that they followed and to which they gave financial aid to study. Like me, many of my companions had no parents, however, among many, they decided to keep me by their side as if I were their daughter. Only later I understood why: I resembled their missing daughter. Similar eyes, similar attitudes. I heard rumors about this missing daughter of theirs, she wasn't dead, just one day she vanished into thin air. Not being able to have other children, the Lady taught me to call them mom and dad. I grew up with them, studied with them every day of my life. I lacked nothing and I was happy. "

The two men were attentive to every single word that came from your lips. Serious and silent. Occasionally Sam stroked your hands with his thumb and that comforting feeling made you feel good.

“Then one day… I was playing hide and seek with a partner of mine and… I happened to witness an argument between my parents and one of my father's brothers. He brought misfortune, I felt it ... I had never seen my father so agitated ... but at the same time he was determined to continue on his path. "

A tear ran down your face. You stopped your story for a moment as Sam's grip tightened. That gesture moved you and spurred you to go on.

“My father's brother used to say that my parents were doing something wrong and that they should think before doing such a stupid thing. I didn't understand what they were talking about ... I remained hidden listening all the time. Until at a certain point everything was clear: my parents had decided to adopt me and make me the only heir to their inheritance. My relatives, on the other hand, wanted the inheritance for themselves. But my father and my mother had already begun the procedures to adopt me. "

At the word inheritance Sam and Victor threw a knowing look at each other while you continued to unravel the facts.

"My parents ... wanted to remove all their family members from the inheritance because they were people who used the money only for their own purposes, while mom and dad invested in the less fortunate generations ... So to get the inheritance they would have to eliminate me. "

You grasoed Sam's hand and continued in a low voice "... Until one day I’ve found my father hanged and my mother motionless on the ground ..."

Sam interrupted "...Did you do the anonymous phone call?"

You nodded in tears "Yes ... Yes ... It was me who found them ... I felt the world collapse, so I did the wisest thing to do at that moment: run away. It wasn't easy, they tried to track me down, I had a fight with my father's brother, I shot him in the leg as a result of his assault, luckily I didn't end up in prison ... then I finally ran away and they didn't come looking for me anymore. .. "

Sully pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket, took one and lit it. He had to ease the tension of the moment. He took a puff of smoke and asked "How long have you been on the run?"

You looked up at him "About 10 years ..."

"Man..." Sam commented.

You dried another tear.

"Could you give us some information about your relatives or about this uncle of yours?" Victor asked.

"He is the most dangerous, the others are simply inepts, but him ... he is a true son of a bitch."

"I learned that he is a drug dealer" added the elderly man.

"Among the many things ..." you commented.

"... and it seems that he has some kind of bodyguard" concluded Victor turning to Sam.

Sam gave him a questioning look.

You looked at them with horror in the eyes and tearing your hand from those of the younger man you burst into a desperate cry "I'll never make it ..."

Sam wrapped you in his arms and you let yourself go to a convulsive cry.

The two men were now looking into each other's eyes. Then Victor said "The bodyguard is only one"

Upon hearing those words Sam felt relieved, but his attitude soon changed when the other man added:

"... she's a woman".

Sam shivered, his guts twitched, his sixth sense was telling him that if Victor had specified such a trifle it meant that in reality it was not at all, but it was a fundamental detail.

"... Do you believe that ...?"

Sully nodded.

"Fuck ..." Sam murmured bringing a hand to his face while he squeezed you with the other.

#sam drake fanfiction #sam drake x reader #sam drake #Samuel Drake #samuel drake fanfiction #samuel drake x reader #Uncharted 4 #uncharted 4 fanfiction #fanfiction #uncharted fanfiction #fanfic

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dibs4ever · 4 years

Text

DickBabs

Barbara walked up behind her husband linking arms with him . Her evening gown swaying, tickling her freshly shaven legs

“Babe did you seriously have to wear that” she whispered

Dick grinned looking down at what was strapped to his chest. His and Barbara’s 11 month old son was comfortably strapped to Dick’s chest in the baby carrier “Hey I love this thing”

Barbara couldn’t help but smile as she playfully rolled her eyes “I know you do handsome. But we are at a Wayne Gala and you are wearing a suit...there are thousands of people here because it’s our engagement party and our sons first official public appearance”

Dick nodded “Exactly the reason I have him strapped to me with his head snuggled into my chest. To hide him from all the cameras and the strange people coming up ogling ‘I want to hold him!’ “ Dick mocked

She smiled, loving how protective he was of their son “I know, but Dick we agreed the public was getting too curious about him. If we don’t let them get a few good shots and let some sweet stories spread then bad gossip would come and the press would potentially put Nate in danger in order to get a good glimps of him”

Dick sighed “You’re right” he unclamped the clips allowing the carrier to fall. He turned his son, who was dressed in a tiny tux that matched Dick’s so he was positioned on his hip.

Barbara grinned, she had taken her fair share of photos of her two guys while they had their privacy upstairs earlier. But They just looked so identical and cute dressed alike. Nate reached for Barbara letting out a small whine

“Such a Mommy’s boy” Dick joked as he passed his son to her

She kissed her sons chubby cheek before turning back to her fiancé “Oh gee I wonder who he gets it from”

Dick smirked scooting closer, kissing her cheek “I don’t know Mama, why don’t you show me?” He whispered in her ear

Barbara bite her lip as Dick pulled back

“Awe Young Grayson!” An elderly man with a cane approached them. Dick and Barbara both recognized him as the owner of a hotel chain . Which one? They don’t remember. All they know is he’s been coming to these things since they were kids, he’s extremely wealthy and has had many different wives. The latest of which was at his side now. She couldn’t have been much older than them

Dick puts on a smile. “Ah yes sir, how are you? “ he extended his hand for a proper shake

“I should congratulate you on both the beautiful bride and the offspring “ the old man waved

Dick smiled proudly “Thank you”

The blonde tugs at the old man’s coat “Awe honey look at the baby he’s so cute! I want a baby. Can we buy a baby?” She pouts . Dick and Barbara take this as an opportunity to sneak away. Only to run into a lady by the name of Rita Washington

She was a kind woman, in her 60’s who was a widow. Inheriting her husbands entire fortune

“Well would you look at you two cuties “ she smiled

The couple flashed her a grin back

“And this little ray of sunshine” Rita stepped forward touching Nathan’s arm “Wanna come to Auntie Rita?” She held her arms out. Knowing it would be good publicity Barbara passed her son to the woman. Luckily Nate didn’t cry.

“Awe hunny” the woman sighed as she lightly bounced the baby “I know what you’re feeling, you grow this human inside you for 9 months, go through hours of labor only for it to come out looking just like it’s daddy and nothing like you” she looked toward Dick

“Both my sons were the same way, luckily my daughter looks like me.”

Both Dick and Barbara laughed lightly,

Rita passed the baby back to Barbara. Nate laid his head on Barbara’s shoulder

“Awe he loves his mother doesn’t he?” The woman cooed

Barbara smiled “It’s partially my fault, I probably baby him too much” she ran her fingers over her sons hair

Rita shook her head “Oh sweetie don’t believe everything people tell you. Don’t think you need to rush and make him grow up cause it goes by too fast. The boy won’t be 20 and wanting to hang on your hip.”

Dick nodded “Even if he, is there isn’t nothing wrong with a man being attached to his mother”

Rita smiled “I like your way of thinking, you two take care.” She dismissed before turning

They didn’t make it 3 steps before they ran into Bruce, Jason, Tim and Stephanie

“There you three are, Ive been searching for you all night” Bruce spoke

Dick shrugged “Who knew when you shock a crowd with finally seeing your baby and an engagement it would keep you busy”

Tim rolled his eyes

“He looks so cute in his little suit!” Stephanie gushed

Barbara smiled “Yeah who knew Armani made baby sized suits.”

“Who knew people would pay $3,000.00 for a suit that will only fit for a few weeks” Dick chuckled

“Enough with the ’Who knews’ obviously we all knew’ Let me see my grandson” Bruce taking Nathan from Barbara’s arms without hesitation

Nathan batted his grandfathers cheeks causing Bruce to fight a smile

“Is it time for the circle of life ritual? Should I go get Alfred so he can hold the little Rugrat over the staircase while everyone cheers in admiration?” Jason thumbed

Stephanie stiffened a laugh “Whats with the backwards Superman backpack?” She asked instead

Dick looked down, quickly undoing the carrier he had forgotten about “Its not a backpack it’s a Tula Baby carrier with a Superman print.” He defended

“Plus Dick loves wearing the baby and making it well known that he ‘made it with his fiancé’ cause ’Who knew Dick and Babara were having sex....spoiler alert--everyone. Even Batcow knew“ Jason added

“Jason” Barbara grunted.

He smiled “Oh come on Barbie, let me take pride in the fact I’m the first in the whole family who knew you two were a thing. Our bedrooms we're next door to each other. You thought you were sneaking in and out of his bedroom window unheard? “

She smiled, he wasn’t wrong

Dick and Barbara were able to sneak away, entrusting the care of their son in the family.

Meanwhile, they wanted some privite time, after all this was a celebration of their engagement

Dick slammed Barbara up against the wall of the storage closet causing the Metal chairs of the nearby shelf to rattle.

“How-how many times do you think we’ve hid in this storage closet?” She stuttered

Dick shrugged as he began kissing down her neck “I dunno” he mumbled “10?”

She raked her fingers through his hair “Are you sure? We’ve snuck off a lot during gala’s growing up”

Dick looked up “Oh you mean just innocently sneaking off too? Like counting when we were kids.”

Barbara rolled her eyes “Of course you big lug!” She unhooked her legs and slid back to the ground.

Dick smiled “In that case countless times. Remember how Alfred used to purposely leave extra cookies in the kitchen for us to eat. “

She nodded as her eyes scanned the floor

Dick watched her curiously

“There it is.” She squatted down, the tight red dress making it difficult, she pushed a stack of chairs slightly aside, revealing two sets of initials carved into the wood shelving ’BG+DG=BFF’

Dick smiled ”I forgot we did that! We were what? 11?”

Barbara noddd ”Something like that” she watched as he bent down, pulling a pocket knife out of his sock, one thing Bats never did was walk around unarmed

”Watcha doing lover?” she asked

He smiled as he carved the shelving ”Updating it” he pulled the knife back, next to the old carving read a new one ”BG + DG Forever” with a heart around it

”You like it?” he asked

She pecked his lips ”I love it” she whispered before pushing him so he was lying down on the closet floor ”I love you” she whispered kissing his lips

”And I love you” he grinned back kissing her again.

#dickbabs #dick grayson #barbara gordon #nightwing #batfam headcanons

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earnestly-endlessly · 4 years

Note

hello! do you have any long, slow-burn fics to recommend? thank youuuu 💜

Dear anon, thanks for the request. I love long, slow-burn fics, so this is right up my alley. Some of these are on my favourite cherik fic list (which I am working on at the moment). I hope you enjoy these!

Slow-burn Cherik Fic Recs

Dark Embrace – blackwingsinthecold

Summary: Mutants are rare and far between. Enough so that much of humanity believes they don’t exist, despite numerous reports throughout the centuries. All that is about to change.

Charles Xavier used to be a criminal psychologist for the FBI and now he’s changed his career path to detective. Thanks to him, the crime rate in New York City has dropped over thirty percent. In large part due to Charles’s telepathic abilities that only a handful of people at the bureau know about.

Everything seems to spiral when a mysterious assassin touches down in the city and Charles can’t get a read on him like everyone else. At the same time, the loft next to Charles’s finally gets a new occupant after two years that provides a certain level of…distraction.

The boy with the heart on his sleeve – euphorbic

Summary: Charles loses a high-stakes bet to Raven and is required to get a tattoo. However, when he makes a disparaging remark about the art form, Raven’s acerbic mentor, Erik, steps in.

Or, the one where Erik and Raven are tattoo artists.

Anarchy in the U.K. – Yahtzee

Summary: “Good God, Erik thought. The Prince of Wales is gay.”

Charles lives in the unceasing glare of the public spotlight, yet keeps his sexual orientation a closely held secret, afraid he could lose his throne and force his deeply troubled younger sister into a role that would crush her. Erik, journalist and world traveler, has been a loner most of his life; he has little patience for closet cases. But a chance meeting in Kenya brings these two opposites together and sets in motion a love affair that will challenge the British monarchy – and their most deeply held beliefs about who they are, and who they should be.

The Marriage Bargain – kianspo

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr had made a fortune manufacturing steel in Europe. When he wished to expand to the New World, he discovered that no one would do business with him unless he was affiliated with one of the First Families, the creme de la creme of the NW aristocracy. When Lord Marko holds an auction to give away his 14-year-old stepson’s hand in marriage, Erik sees his chance and takes it. He has no interest in Charles himself, but now that he has him, can they make it work?

Comment: This story is amazing but is still a WIP as far as I know. Please don’t let that discourage you from reading because it’s amazing.

Sink or Swim – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is a struggling single dad of three kids with a burning hatred for Sebastian Shaw, the man who wronged him years ago. He’s tried to move on with his life, but a run-in with Shaw’s rude, spoiled omega, Charles, drags up old anger.

When Charles ends up in the hospital after an accident, Erik goes to confront him only to find that Charles has amnesia. In the confusion, Charles mistakenly assumes that Erik is his mate.

Erik knows he should clear up the misunderstanding, but how can he pass up this perfect chance for a little revenge?

(An Overboard AU)

White Nights – spicedpiano, tahariel

Summary: Duke Erik Lehnsherr of Ironhold needs an omega to carry on his line, and Earl Charles Xavier of Westchester needs an alpha to give him the political leverage he needs in order to make his sister Queen. An arranged marriage brings them together, but Erik’s lust for war and Charles’ hidden agenda threaten to tear them apart. In the frozen Northlands of Ironhold life is hard and cold, and both Charles and Erik must give up their pretense and see each other as they really are: perfect for each other, if only they’ll acknowledge it.

All the Rest is Rust and Stardust – spicedpiano, tahariel

Summary: Charles Xavier is the world’s preeminent mutant psychologist, called in to consult for the CIA when a raid on a Hellfire Club safehouse discovers a severely abused teenager, Erik Lehnsherr. Taking Erik in soon leads Charles to struggle between his conflicting responsibilities as Erik’s guardian and psychologist, and his desire to give in to the dangerous dynamic that is developing between them.

Tuesday Plays the Piper – Sperare

Summary: In a world where the population is barely holding steady, those of either gender who are capable of bearing children are considered a prized commodity. In all places beyond Westchester, their rights are few–and, with Erik Lehnsherr poised to tear down the gates of the city, even that last haven is on the brink of destruction. But, for Charles Xavier, the consequences of conquest may prove to be more personal than political. No one quite knows why Erik is so set on capturing his old friend and partner in the war against Shaw: Charles is no bearer, and he’s disinclined to aid Erik in firmly establishing mutant supremacy once and for all.

Charles, however, is all too aware of Erik’s reasons. Erik knows things about him that no one else does–things which, if brought to light, would would mean surrendering far more than just a kingdom.

Ritual in Self-Torture – TurtleTotem

Summary: Shaw is King, Charles is his royal consort and Erik is a Knight/Lord. Shaw is sterile but his kingdom can’t find out, so he asks Erik to impregnate Charles.

He doesn’t know Erik and Charles are in love.

City by the sea – Black_Betty

Summary: It never bothered Charles that he essentially belonged to someone else from birth. Ever since he could remember he had been told stories about the mysterious prince who was his betrothed, and who one day would be called husband. As he grew older, Charles caught his thoughts drifting away from lessons under strict tutors, his mind slipping into the hazy daydream of his life yet to come…

These ties, how fast they break – ikeracity

Summary: When Brian Xavier died, he left behind his widow and three children: Emma, Charles, and Raven. But having only omega-heirs, Brian’s estate is entailed away to a distant relative, Kurt Marko and his son Cain. Emma was supposed to provide for them by marrying the very wealthy Erik Lernsherr, but two days after the engagement was announced, Emma elopes with her lover Sebastian Shaw. Left penniless and their family’s reputation in shambles, the suitors stop courting and society shuns them. Charles is forced to seek employment as a governess (or the omega equivalent) to support his sister and mother.

Surprisingly, the only one willing to hire Charles is actually Emma’s jilted fiancee, who recently gained custody of his deceased sister and brother-in-law’s daughter, Anya. Erik wants the best for his niece, and recalls Charles to be a clever and accomplished gentleman, though he by no means lets Charles forget that he’s there at his charity, and one wrong move and Charles will be out on the streets.

Charles bonds with Anya, eventually bonding with Erik and then feelings happen until the Markos arrive to claim their inheritance, when Cain falls deeply in lust with Charles. Despite Cain being boorish, crude, and having no respect for social mores, Charles accepts Cain’s proposal. Now he has to deal with jealous!Erik and the humiliation of a fiancee who loudly discusses the scent of his heat in public and privately threatens to fuck him ‘til he bleeds so he can’t even walk without remembering to whom Charles belongs.

Comments: I adore this fic so much. Unfortunately, it’s unfinished but this is an amazing read, especially if you’re looking for a proper slow-burn. Also, this one is on the kinkmeme at LiveJournal, and the format is annoying. Please don’t let that stop you from reading it though!

#cherik #fic recs #cherik fic recs #slow-burn #asks

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fairytalesofavalon · 3 years

Text

how to live with the consequences of your actions

Summary: Lamorak, the greatest thief in the kingdom of Virtue, decides to visit his last remaining relative, in order to reconnect. Only to end up betting his life on his skills as a thief after his uncle figures out who he is.

Warnings: Mentions of death, anxiety, swearing.

Short story: 4862 words

How to Live with the Consequences of Your Actions

Rain beat down around me, soaking my already drenched clothes. I pounded on the door, again, drawing my cloak tighter around me in an attempt to keep the cold at bay. Even this far south, I guess it was still cold during winter sometimes. After a moment, there was still nothing. I leaned over the porch railing to look inside the manor. Large windows sprawled up the side, light shining between the sand colored stone that made up the place. Someone was here, even if it wasn’t who I was looking for. I tried again, nearly rattling the entire door frame this time. There was still nothing, so I tried again and again and again.

I kept at it for a straight minute until the door finally swung open. Inside was a young woman, a pristine white apron over her navy dress. The maid took one look at me and already was clearly irritated. “We don’t take beggars, boy. If you wanna job at the stables, you’re going to have to come back in the morning.”

Right as she was about to shut the door in my face, I grabbed onto the edge of it nearly slamming my fingers inside. “Wait, wait, stop.” I pried it open just enough to see her face. “My name is Lamorak Gold… Well, Clarent Lamorak Gold. My uncle is Arturo Gold.” The man who runs this place, but I didn’t need to tell her that.

The maid just opened the door again, looking me over again before yelling back into the recesses of the house.“Gold, could you please come here for a moment.”

There was a bit of a pause before a man came strolling down the hallway. He reminded me of my father, well how my mother always described my father. Jet hair, bronze skin, but the bright blue overcoat with gold embroidery did throw me off. My uncle came to a stop right in front of the doorway, sneering at me before ignoring me completely and turning his attention to the maid.

“What does he want?” More than anything, he reminded me of all those idiots I’ve been robbing over the past few years. The way he tilted his head up, barely seemed to acknowledge either of us. I hated it. Not even ten seconds in his presence and I already hated him.

“This boy…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced back over to me. “He claims to be Clare… I’m sorry, what did you say your name was again.”

“Lamorak. Clarent Lamorak Gold. Your nephew.”

He just stood there, staring at me with a blank expression on his face. Finally, he mumbled two words to me. “Prove it.”

I dug inside the folds of my cloak, wrapping my fingers around the hilt of my dagger. But that’s all I did. For a brief moment, I could do nothing but stand there, staring down at my drenched cloak and mud covered boots. Then I forced myself to slide it out, handing the dagger to my uncle before I could stop myself.

Speaking purely as an expert in my field, the dagger was nearly priceless. One of a kind, adorned with a pearls, blade engraved with the scene of a sun setting over the ocean, awarded to a knight who demonstrated the virtue of sacrifice. The exact copy awarded to my mother. My uncle, a man who cursed my mother and refused to speak with her after she made the choice to come back for me, now held that. He turned the dagger over, examining every scratch and graze on the metal.

After a pause, my uncle nodded to me. “Well then, Clarent, come inside.” He didn’t even bother turning to his maid when he spoke. “Warm up some tea, I assume he’ll need some.”

She disappeared down the hallway. A more mundane place than I was used to, no expensive paintings, or shiny baubles, just pristine tan walls and white marble floors. I followed him down a few twists and turns until we arrived at a dining room. He gestured for me to sit which I did. Only then did he take the seat across from me. Sighing, he buried his face into his hands. After a pause he finally spoke.

“What do you want, Lamorak.”

“You’re, you’re the last thing I have left that I can call family. I...I just wanted to see you… I guess.”

“You guess?” His head shot up, eyes digging into me. “Lamorak, after the attack everyone thought you were dead. You just disappeared without a trace. Now you show up, nearly ten years later because you want to see your family.” He laughed to himself, rolling his eyes. “Oh, I see. If you really need money that badly, just know I’m not going to give it to you for free.”

“No, no it’s nothing like that. I...I just really wanted to see you.” There was no other way to explain it. I couldn’t even put it into words.

“Really, Clarent, you haven’t seen me since your mother deserted.”

His words hung in the air for a moment. That alone made me want to punch him in the face. But I kept calm, took a deep breath. “Don’t. Just don’t.” It was the very reason I hadn’t seen him. To him, my mother was nothing but a traitor. He’s the one who never spoke to us after she left the military.

“Don’t talk about it like you know what she's been through. She gave up everything just to take care of me.”

“Avalon didn’t even go to prison,” he said, voice completely calm. “Even if she didn’t have something like…” His voice trailed off as he gestured around the dining room. “Something like this. She shouldn’t have just been free to live her life after receiving the mark of a deserter.”

It was a nice dining room, much better than the one I had back when I had a home. But it was nothing compared to the things I’ve seen. It was foolish really, but I couldn’t help myself. I just started laughing.

“You think this is something.” I mocked his overly grand gesture. “I’ve stood inside the dining room in the Maiden’s Keep. There’s actually an entire mural spanning the ceiling. A giant coast, slowly fading into the ocean…” At that time, I was trying to prove a point. Even what he had was really nothing. We had less, much, much less. A small farm, barely enough to eat, other people spitting on us. She suffered everyday for that choice.

I did make a mistake. The mistake being that I mentioned the places my thieving had taken me.

Without another thought, I bolted for the door. Right as my hand touched the knob, my uncle’s hand was on my shoulder.

“As a matter of fact, I have been fortunate enough to see The Maiden’s Keep in person. I gifted Lady Marino the best mare I had from my farm. As thank you, her ladyship invited me to her palace to personally thank me. More of a glorified tour. The real question, however, is how you have seen that mural.”

I kept on cursing myself. Maybe I should have ran, but I still wanted to prove a point to him. That after everything Virtue put me though, put my mother and I through, that I still had more. Only three words came out of my mouth though. “I’m Virtue’s Shadow.”

He didn’t say anything at first. Then his nails were digging into my shoulder. “Should have expected that from her son, some rat stealing what hardworking people-”

“Hardworking people. I steal from idiots who inherit fortunes.”

“And that entitles you to what they have.”

I bit my lip staring down at the floor. What I do isn’t exactly the right thing to do, I couldn’t argue that. However they got their money, it still didn’t make it mine.

My uncle smiled at his perceived victory. “Well then, I should probably find a room that can hold you for the night.”

---

That room turned out to be some spare guest room on the fourth floor. He just shoved me inside and locked the door behind me. My uncle did have the foresight to have me searched, but it wasn't like he’d find every single lockpick hidden on me. Escaping would be easy enough. There was only one major problem. Arturo still had my dagger. That’s all that I cared about.

What was I even thinking, I nearly screamed at myself. I couldn’t have just kept my mouth shut. No, it was stupid to come back here in the first place. I just wanted to give him a chance. That’s what mother would have wanted me to do. Well, that chance has passed, now I just need to get out of here.

For the first few minutes, I just paced the room. He’d have people stationed right outside, meaning the door wasn’t an option. The window was out too. Jumping out from this height would shatter both of my legs at best and kill me at worst. I sighed, leaning up against some cabinet that I’m guessing was too heavy to move on short notice. There wasn’t much else left in here. Sheets stripped off beds, dresser emptied, the only things he bothered leaving was the bed, cabinet, and an end table in the corner.

Wait, I do have an idea.

I dragged the end table over to the window as quietly as I could. Ten seconds, I’d have about ten seconds. That’s if I get it on the first try. I picked up the table, smashing it against the window. A loud crash vibrated through the room, followed by shards of glass hitting the floor. That clattering was only topped by the sound of splitting wood that echoed up from four stories down. As soon as I caught my breath, I darted into the cabinet and shut the door.

Two guards stormed into the room shortly after. “Did he really?” One of them asked as he walked up to the broken window.

Out of the very edge of the slits, I could see the other guard creeping into the room. It wouldn’t take long for them to realize what happened. The first stuck his head out the window, craning his neck in a vain attempt to figure out where I was. All the while, the other slowly approached him, waiting for some kind of response. My heart was pounding, limbs screaming at me to run. But I made myself stand still, to breathe, to keep calm.

The first one looked to the other guard. I already knew what I needed to do before the guard even spoke.

“He’s still in-”

I burst out of the closet. Both were shocked, for a very brief moment at least. I darted for the door, getting halfway down the hallway before they even screamed after me. They would be expecting me to run, get out of here as soon as possible. But I still needed something. He would keep something like that close, his office or something.

This was a manor constructed during the reign of Queen Melina. Most of the time, offices or personal rooms were designed with hidden safes. Those were usually put on the second floor. I ran for the stairs, flying down the first few sets. Right when I got to the second to last flight of stairs, I hid inside another spare room.

They passed right by, just as I expected. I slipped out, ignoring the fear and ecstasy mingling in my head. I needed to get my dagger and leave. That’s it, I wasn’t risking anything by staying here longer than necessary.

With the path clear, it didn’t take me long to find my uncle’s study. It was fairly messy compared to the rest of the place. Filing cabinets covered the wall, small desk covered in papers tucked away in the corner, a window for an easy escape. I checked the cabinets first, sifting through land disputes with half of his neighbors, proof of pedigree for I swear every horse on his farm, and a couple other legal things I didn’t understand.

Slamming the last one shut, I dug through his desk for a moment. That is until I heard a knob turn. I was frustrated beyond explanation, but I needed to leave. Right as I opened the window, my uncle stepped inside. He took one look at me, then another at the open window, and panicked.

One step and this was all over. I still didn’t have my dagger. Not the best case scenario, but I knew where it was. I could always come back. “Well, uncle, I doubt you’ll see me again, even if I do come back.” I turned my back on him slowly. Right as I was about to step through, he spoke.

“I could give that dagger to the king, tell him where I got it from. Tell him who you really are.”

My stomach lurched at the mere thought. The only place I hadn’t broken into yet was the king’s palace and that’s because I valued my life. If he got a hold of it, shoved it in some vault, I might never see it again. More importantly, I didn’t want Mordred to find out that dagger belonged to me.

“Well, I guess I have your attention now.”

“What do you want?”

“Surrender yourself and-”

“That’s not happening.” Her dagger was the last thing she ever gave to me. It was the most important thing I owned. But I know she would slap me if I died over a piece of metal. “Now give it back and maybe I don’t come back and steal something else.” Looking back I want to slap myself for giving him a warning. If any of my targets actually knew for sure I was coming, I’d have been dead a long time ago.

He growled, then that rage turned to some twisted smile. “Well then, Virtue’s Shadow, it seems we’ve reached an interesting road. How about a bet.” He paused, purposefully drawing out the moment. “You win, I give you your dagger back, I win and you surrender quietly.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“I don’t trust you either. But it’s either this or I keep the dagger and you escape right now. What’s your answer?”

I cursed myself for even considering asking the question bouncing inside my head. “What’s the bet?”

“A little while ago, I won a mare in a bet with Redwoolfe’s stable master.” My uncle smirked as he said that. “I was keeping her as a surprise gift to Lady Marino. She’s a prize, strong, beautiful. Steal her by tonight and you win... And you remember what happens when you lose.”

“Fine.” I smiled, trying not to show how terrified I was. He couldn’t afford the same security as all the real nobles. That didn’t matter. I survived off of being smart. Patiently waiting for the right opportunity, watching places for days, planning for weeks. I couldn’t do anything in a night. Not only that, a horse was way different from a necklace or a ring.

“You do got a lot of horses.” He did run a breeding farm after all. “You mind telling me which one she is?”

“Dark brown, black mane and tail.” That stupid bastard smirked again. “She’ll be the one you can’t touch.”

“Whatever.” I turned back to the window. Regardless, he’d break our deal and just kill me if I stayed here any longer.

“Oh, and Lamorak. Don’t think about coming back for your dagger. You won’t find it.”

---

While my uncle was still getting the new details of his security sorted, I decided to pay a visit to his stables. It was a long building in the middle of an empty field behind his manor. Two rows of stables lined up next to each other, both leading to a fenced off pasture. It took me a moment to find her. A rather confusing moment since a few of his horses matched the mare’s description.

The one he was talking about was at the very end of the second row of stalls, a very intricate lock keeping her locked up. Nothing I’d ever seen before, just a twist of metal shaped sort of like a lock. If the thought of losing my dagger wasn’t screaming inside my head, I’d be intrigued. Instead, I knelt down in front of the lock and tried opening it.

After five attempts to figure out what it was and ten minutes, I gave up. By that point I couldn’t do anything but sigh, stand up, and look inside the horse’s stall for some other method. Nothing, well nothing except the giant bay mare currently walking towards the opening at the top of the door. She stuck her head out, swinging her massive head towards me.

“Hey, hey, girl,” I whispered. “Sorry, I don’t have anything…” My voice trailed off as she stared at me with those big soft brown eyes of hers. She reminded me a little of one of the horses back on mother’s farm. This entire place reminded me of our farm, smell of hay, manure, scratching of hooves. We didn’t have many animals, a few sheeps, horses. But it all just felt so nostalgic. Especially when she swung her head back around again.

“Really,” I said, rubbing her snout. “I don’t have anything.”

As if responding, she nudged my hand. I opened it, revealing an empty palm. That didn’t stop her from rubbing her wet nose across my palm.

“Alright, fine, I’ll find you something.”

At the very beginning of the stalls was a small supply room. It was locked, but… yeah. Soon enough I was sifting through sacks of oats, bales of hay, and a few pitchforks I nearly tripped over. It took me a moment to uncover a sack of carrots in the mess. Once I placed my hand on the knob, I heard the unmistakable sound of boots dragging against the stone floor.

“The two of you will stand right outside her stall.” It was my uncle, two other sets of footsteps following him. “Do not leave until two guards come to take your place.”

“When exactly will that be?” One of the guard’s asked.

“A half hour, fifteen minutes, it’s not going to be a set time, but it won’t be long. He’s smart, I’ll give him that. But he can’t fight.”

And if he constantly is rotating guards, I won’t be able to drug them either. Cursing in my head, I scrambled for some other option. Nothing, stealing that horse tonight was going to be impossible. As I heard my uncle passing by the door again, I wanted to scream.

This was it, I was going to lose my dagger. The king would probably hold some festival. Avalon Gold’s dagger, the disgraced knight who cast away her sins to defend her kingdom, returned from the clutches of the vile thief haunting all of Virtue. It pissed me off. Then Mordred flashed through my mind once again. Mordred, the very knight who convinced her to fight for Virtue again. The king might even award him with it.

That thought was enough to piss me off, but I was still at a dead end. It was still impossible to steal that horse. My options were growing thin. Tearing his manor apart, brick by brick to find my dagger seemed like my only choice. It was still stupid. Finding it would be impossible before morning.

I bit my lip pressing my back against the door. More options, I needed more options. Then I remembered something I somehow forgot. I’m a thief, I don’t need to play by his rules.

Smiling, I slipped out the door making my way back to his manor.

---

I didn’t exactly case the place before. Circling the manor a few times, I figured out a couple of things. One, he stationed most of his guards near the stables. Two, the one’s he did have were patrolling the second floor, exactly where I needed to be. Not like that ever stopped me before. Three, my uncle actually leaves the back door unlocked.

I turned the handle carefully, pusing it open just a crack. An empty kitchen, counters cleaned off for the night, staff long gone, only light coming from the windows. A nice place to figure out how to sneak up to the second floor. I stepped inside, standing straight up. There were two doors, one led to an empty dining room, the other upstairs.

Cursing myself every step of the way, I slowly opened the door and crept up the stairs. Most of the place was still dark, with the exception of the second floor. Before I was even at the top of the stairs, I was already regretting this plan. Then I heard the soft crunch of carpet under feet as the guards were heading right towards me. I nearly tripped running back down, slipping back into the kitchen just to be safe.

There were too many of them up there, halls were too narrow, too much of a risk hiding in rooms that may or may not be locked. Without realizing it, I was pacing around the room, nervously scratching my palm. I just needed to get upstairs.

“You just had to station guards here uncle, didn’t you.” The reason why didn’t exactly make much sense. I stopped dead in front of the door, peaking out to make sure they didn’t notice me. Maybe as a countermeasure if I decide to break in and steal something and try to hold that as ransom for my dagger. No, nothing in here was that valuable. Maybe some of his documents were worth something. Those he could replace though, it would be a pain, but he could. That’s not the reason and he wouldn’t position guards away from his prized horse for no reason.

No, I think I might know what’s going on. I went back outside, circling around to the front. Five horses were waiting out there, scraping their feet against the dirt impatiently. Well then, this should be easy. I went back inside, opening the door leading to the stairs just a crack.

Taking a deep breath, I screamed as loud as I could actually allow myself. “He got out with her and is heading back into town. Get after him now.”

I wasted no time shutting the door, pinning myself against the wall right next to the door. Very shortly after, there were footsteps pounding on the other side. Once five sets passed right by, I slipped out the room. The second floor was completely empty now, I headed for my uncle’s office, walking right out the front door the moment I had what I came for.

---

The morning after, I knocked on the front door once again. As I waited, I lit a candle, setting it on the edge of the railing for my third plan in case the other two didn’t work. After a moment, my uncle answered the door, seeming shocked as he stared behind me. A bay mare was loosely tied to the porch railing, watching the two of us.

“There, I did what you wanted.” I held out my hand. “Now give me back my dagger and neither of us will ever need to see the other ever again.”

He gritted his teeth, but my gut wretched as that slowly turned into a smile. “How foolish do you think I am, Clarent?” He brushed past me, heading down the stairs. “You see, Lamorak. I had my men paint a small red stripe right under her mane.” Brushing the hair aside, my uncle traced over where I assume the stripe would have been. “Just in case you tried to pull a trick like this.” He allowed her mane to fall back into place. “You really are smart… But I expect tricks like this from a thief.”

That wasn’t the mare I was supposed to steal, he was right about that. But then again, what did that matter. I stepped off the porch standing right beside him. My heart was pounding. Inside, out, without anyone seeing me, that’s how it worked. I never do things like this. Still, this was really my only option. I glanced over to him, giving him the best fake smile I could manage.

“Well, the horse isn’t exactly what’s valuable, at least alone.” I slipped the mare’s proof of pedigree out from my pocket, the one I had stolen last night. Stealing her was nothing, quick in and out of his own farm. No one was actually guarding her after all. “But this little piece of paper is what actually makes a horse have value. From my view, you’re out a horse and what the one you wanted me to steal is worth. To me, that’s stealing the horse.”

“The bet was-”

“The bet was I steal the mare. But no one cares about that. It’s not exactly going to be easy proving me wrong. I sell this horse and the papers to a fence and get out before he knows what happened. Well, most of them wouldn’t even care anyway. They’d be long gone before any buyer figured it out either.” It would be harder to move her maybe, but nothing a few lies couldn’t fix.

“What does it matter, Clarent. You still lost. I told you to steal that mare by this morning and you failed. However, I don’t exactly expect you to actually hold up your end…” His voice trailed off as he stared at me expectantly. I doubt he really thought I’d do anything, nothing but a vain hope that I would give myself to him. After the moment passed, my uncle just sighed. “A pity then, Lamorak. But I understand, even your mother couldn’t keep her word.”

He just watched after that. I know he was waiting for me to run, maybe attack him for insulting her again. It must have surprised him when I walked back onto the porch. When I stood right next to that candle. When I turned around to face him, holding the flimsy piece of paper over the fire. That panic that shot through him, the way his eyes widened, the way he reached out, I won’t lie, I savored every moment of it.

“Don’t.” All I had to do was move the paper closer to the fire and he froze. “You really shouldn’t have told me you won this in a bet. No real paper trail, no real proof. Just the word of one pissed off man. One who I am certain would snatch up an opportunity to screw you over.” I smiled, holding out my hand. “My dagger or I torch this thing.”

“You’re bluffing. If you can really sell that thing, why not do it?”

Because I would need to get rid of the giant animal that’s difficult to travel with without being noticed. I’d need to sell her in the nearest city for a quarter her value. Then all he’d need to do is buy her back, or even convince the guards she was stolen. And after that show I put on for him last night, I doubt that would be difficult.

“What would I need more money for, I have more than you ever will. While screwing you over would be nice, I’d rather have my dagger.” I flicked my wrist one time, paper nearly grazing the edge of the flame. “Just give it back.”

That air of confidence shattered, giving way to a boiling anger. Even then, he pulled my dagger out from his coat and slid it over to me. I picked it up, walking off the porch, pressing the piece of paper back into his hands. He seemed surprised, but it barely did anything for his anger.

“You just don’t want to be an oathbreaker or something. It doesn’t even come close to what you need to do to make up for your actions. Eventually, you’ll pay for everything.”

In the end, I was being foolish. After everything I just went through, I shouldn’t have stopped. Even just remembering it, I’m screaming at myself for turning around to face him, for looking my uncle in the eye as I spoke to him.

“I have been paying for it. Every night I slept in the gutters, every time I looked over my shoulder. Every day I live in fear, thinking that maybe this is the last one I get to see. I have nothing, no home…” I bit my lip, gaze darting to the dirt. “No family, nothing. I really have nothing but this. You have safety, security, a chance to actually have a family, a real life. I’ll always live thinking people will turn me in the moment they figure out who I am.”

I turned back around, walking back to the city. “And I live with that, uncle. I made my choices and I’ll live with the consequences if it kills me.”

#my writing #writers on tumblr #writing #fiction #fantasy #short story

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67-chevy-baby · 4 years

Text

Remedy

Pairing - Jared x Reader

Tags - Slight angst, FLUFFFFFF, language, and I think that’s it.

Word Count - 2,664

Beta - @winecatsandpizza

Fic Aesthetic - Yours truly

The Song I Chose - Off My Mind by Radio Company

Written for - @saxxxology’s Vol 1 Writing Challenge

A/N - So, I couldn’t find much about Jared’s sister. I don’t think she’s married, but just so y’all know I made up Trent, Max, and Macee. Also, there may be a part 2 to this. It’s my first Jared fic, and I’m not sure I write him well. At any rate, I hope y’all enjoy it, and I especially hope you like this Saxxy. I really tried to make this good. :)

To say you’d become a failure to your parents was an understatement.

From the moment you dropped out of college to pursue your real dream, they’d cut all ties with you. Honestly, it didn’t come as a surprise considering all they seemed to care about was what they wanted you to succeed in. If it didn’t benefit them, then they weren’t interested.

Finally realizing their true intentions was the straw that broke the camel’s back. You packed what little belongings you had and left for Texas, leaving your home-town in Ohio behind in the rearview mirror. The beat-to-hell car you inherited lasted you until the outskirts of Dallas, so you decided to hole up in a hotel with the last bit of savings you had.

After checking in and grabbing some snacks from the vending machine in the lobby, you headed to your room and splayed out on the bed. You scrolled through local jobs as you munched on a Snickers bar. Nothing really jumped out at you, but this wasn’t a time in your life where it was rational to be picky. If you were going to pursue becoming a singer, then you needed some cash to get you started.

Nothing really piqued your interest around Dallas, so you decided to span your search further. After an hour of sifting through different job opportunities, you finally came across one that caught your eye.

Full-Time Nanny in Avery Ranch Start Date: Mid-January 2020 Children ages: 5 and 2 months Hours/Rate: M-F 7:30am-5pm - $18/hr Serious Inquiries Only: (512)586-2463

Other than singing, babysitting your sister’s kids was something else you thoroughly enjoyed. Her husband had cheated on her, and they divorced soon after so you became a constant in their lives. Not that you weren’t before, but since you were a full-time student at the time you often watched them during your off time.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you called the number and waited. By the third ring, you were starting to get discouraged but then a woman’s cheerful voice answered.

“Hello?”

Talking on the phone was never a strong suit of yours. Especially not knowing who was on the other end, it always gave you anxiety. Taking a deep breath, you stammered out a response.

“Um, h-hi. My name’s Y/N and I saw your add about the Nanny position. I’d like to apply if it’s still available.”

You heard the woman clear her throat and some rustling before she came back on the line.

“Hi, Y/N! My name's Megan. Yes, the position is still available! Can you come over tomorrow at noon? My husband and I would like to meet over coffee to get to know you a bit better before we introduce you to the children.”

Well, you weren’t expecting that, but the desperate situation you were in won over the butterflies fluttering against your abdomen.

“Y-Yeah! I can do that!”

The warmth in the woman’s response was evident and it eased any doubts you had bouncing around in your head.

“Great! We’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. I’ll text you the address and feel free to wear something comfortable. Lord knows with two kids I won't be wearing my best dress."

You bid her goodbye and sighed into your pillow. Despite uprooting your life merely a day ago, things were starting to come together, and for once, you couldn't be happier.

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

Jared sighed as he walked through the airport. Another season of Supernatural wrapped and he was finally on his home turf again. The familiarity of the Texas air nipped his bare skin as he headed for the awaiting taxi. Tonight, he'd rest up and then tomorrow he'd go and see his siblings.

The ride to his studio apartment was short, but it allowed him to send a few texts and emails anyway. He tipped the cab driver generously and took the elevator up to his floor.

His apartment wasn't much, but it was enough for him. The entry area was small, bearing a hook on the wall to hang his keys, a closet for his coat and shoes, and a couple of light switches. Just off to the left was the living room. He had a black leather sectional and a nice entertainment center where he could watch the latest Cowboys game comfortably. The kitchen wasn't enormous, but he didn't need it to be. It had everything he needed and all the appliances were new enough. His bedroom was just the way he left it, his king-size bed unmade and his laundry in the basket by the bathroom door.

Jared tossed his suitcase on the bed and padded to the kitchen for a beer. He'd start laundry tomorrow. It wasn't like he had anyone to impress or anything. Ever since Supernatural gained its popularity, he'd shied away from serious relationships because he barely had time for himself let alone a significant other. Settling into the couch, he flipped through the channels before stopping on the movie Die Hard, one of his favorite Christmas movies. Before he knew it, he'd dozed off, his hard work and jet lag finally catching up to him.

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

You groaned and shut off your alarm. How was it already 6 AM? Forcing yourself to emerge from your warm blanket cocoon, you padded to the bathroom praying a hot shower would wake you up. Mornings were far from your favorite thing, and if you were going to meet with your potential employer then you needed to be somewhat presentable.

Once you were dressed and had some sustenance, you wore a simple pair of jeans and a comfortable top. Your hair fell neatly at your shoulders and once you applied a small amount of makeup, you looked less like a zombie than you imagined. Remembering to grab your card key, you slid on your flats and headed to the address that Megan had texted you.

The drive was nearly three hours, but you didn't mind. It allowed you to decompress and listen to your favorite Spotify playlist. Luckily, the rental car you managed to get had Bluetooth, otherwise you'd have to deal with the local stations.

Finally, you pulled into the driveway and allowed yourself to take a few deep breaths. The house was pretty big, two-story with a two-car garage. The yard was well kept and you could see the faint outlines of playground equipment down the street. Overall, it looked to be a nice, quiet neighborhood.

Crisp air fanned your face as you walked to the front door. A couple knocks later you were face to face with a sweet-looking young woman. She smiled warmly at you before inviting you inside.

"Hi! You must be Y/N. It's so good to meet you."

Smiling back at her, you shook her hand and then noticed a taller figure walk up behind her. He nodded at you and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist.

“I’m her husband, Trent. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.”

You followed them inside and gasped as they led you into what had to be their living room. Your eyes wandered and marveled at how cozy and elegant everything looked. Not that it mattered to you, but you couldn’t help but think this couple had a lot of money.

“You have a beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. …”

It only just hit you that you didn’t know their last name. Megan brought you a cup of some wonderful smelling coffee and sat down on the love seat across from you.

“Stevenson. Our last name is Stevenson. Thank you for your kind words. We moved here a little over a year ago so I could be closer to my niece.”

You nodded and moaned happily at the taste of the coffee. This was one of the many things you enjoyed in life, a nice hot cup of coffee.

“Oh, does your family live close? That’s always nice, having family that lives close by. I used to watch my older sister’s kids all the time while she worked. They’re in school full-time now, so that’s why I decided to move here to hopefully pursue my dream.”

It amazed you that you felt this comfortable around the Stevenson’s so quickly. Normally, your anxiety would get the better of you and it’d be like pulling teeth to get you to share personal things about your life. Megan nodded and scooted over to allow room for Trent to sit by her.

“Yes, one of my older brother’s lives about fifteen minutes from here. He’s not home often though due to his job. He’s an actor and really only gets time off during the summer and the holidays. My other older brother lives about forty-five minutes from here. He’s an Orthopedic surgeon.”

“Wow.” You breathed. “That’s really awesome! I have always wanted to be a singer, but my love of kids made me want to wait a little longer to try and become successful at it. I probably would have had kids of my own by now if I was fortunate in the relationship department. I seem to always find the ones who are either already married or live in their Mom’s basement.” The three of you shared a laugh and you watched as Trent scrolled through his phone.

“This is our son, Max. He just turned five about a month ago, and in his lap is our two-month-old daughter Macee.”

You looked at them both in awe. “They’re beautiful! Max sure looks like he loves Macee a lot.” Just as you handed Trent his phone back, a small voice sounded from the foot of the stairs.

“Mommy? I can’t sweep…”

The three of you looked to see little Max standing with his teddy bear and rubbing his eyes. Megan opened her arms and set him on her lap, pressing her lips to his forehead.

“Hey, baby. You can sit with Mommy while we talk to miss Y/N.”

Your ears perked up at her words. Was she giving you the job? Both her and Trent shared a look and you could tell they were having a wordless conversation. Finally, Megan turned and gave you an excited smile.

“Y/N, if you’re up for it, Trent and I would love to have you as our Nanny. You seem very attentive and dependable. We have a spare room that you can stay in for the time being, and you’ll have your own bathroom.”

“Thank you both so much! I can’t wait to work with you and get to know your adorable children. When would you like me to start?”

Megan gave you a folder with a few papers in it to go over.

“These are just a few more things about us and the kids that I want you to know. You can bring your things over tomorrow night and then on Monday you can start.”

You bid Trent and Megan goodbye and headed back to your hotel. It was as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. You’d only been here a short time and you had a place to stay and a job. Now all you needed to get was a car and you’d better off than you were before you started your journey.

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

The sound of his phone’s text tone woke Jared from his slumber. He typed a quick response to his sister and stretched his tired muscles. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed he grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out the door.

His sister said to be at her house in a couple of hours, but he didn’t see the harm in getting there early. It would give him time to play with Max and Macee for a little while. The drive there wasn’t very long, and soon he was walking up the sidewalk to their front door.

He let himself in and could saw his sister in the back yard playing with the kids. Before he could head through the house out the back door, something caught his attention. A sweet melodic voice flowed through the upstairs hallway that made his heartbeat quicken. He moved so he could see better and caught sight of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She had long brown hair that waved a bit at the ends, was probably about five foot one, and her voice was mesmerizing.

He watched as she cleaned the kids’ playroom, her hips shimmying to the music she was listening to. It was then that he recognized the song she was singing. It was one of the songs from Jensen’s new album! Standing in the foyer, he let himself listen to you a bit longer.

Oh, and how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

You can only stay awake so long

While deciding what is true

I lean in for a kiss upon your shoulder

Realize it wouldn’t do, not with you

So, how do I get you off my mind

With you back in my bed

How do I get you off my mind

Can’t have you living in my head

Unbeknownst to him, his sister was watching him watch her, the biggest smirk on her face knowing that you had caught her brother’s eye.

“Her name’s Y/N, and she’s Trent and I’s nanny.”

Jared whirled around to meet his sister’s knowing gaze. He knew he’d been caught staring and was sure he was blushing furiously.

“That’s ah… I’m uh… glad you found someone suitable for the kids, Meg. I bet she’s great.”

“Uh-huh… I haven’t seen you look at someone like that since… well, since ever really. You like her.”

“What?! That’s… I mean… I don’t even know her. I just… her singing was um… really good!”

By now, you had finished cleaning the playroom and was prepared to relieve Megan so she could go out with her family. You heard her talking to someone and you assumed it was Trent.

“Hey, Megan! I finished cleaning the pla-”

Your words were caught in your throat as you looked down into the foyer. There, standing mere feet from you was your celebrity crush since you saw him on Gilmore Girls. Jared Padalecki. It took only a moment for things to click in your brain and you deduced that he and Megan were siblings.

“Y/N, this is one of my older brother’s Jared, Jared this is Y/N.”

“H-Hi…” You squeaked. He gave you a boyish grin and you forgot how to breathe. “I’m uh… just going to get a few things from my room…”

Once you were behind the closed door, you let out a shaky breath. How in the fuck did you manage to get a job at Jared Padalecki’s sister’s house?! Taking a deep breath you grabbed the Tonka set you bought Max and headed downstairs to the great room to play with him and Macee. Jared was in the kitchen with Megan, and you were lucky enough to be immensely distracted by Max to hear what they were saying.

“I’m telling you Jare, you should ask her out! I give her weekends off, and I don’t think she knows anyone here but us. I think it would be nice to show her around.”

Jared rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t know Megan… I just met he-”

“Oh cut the crap, Jared. You can make all the excuses you want, but you and I both know you like her. C’mon! Take a chance! She’s cute and you’re single. If you keep waiting around for the right person, then who knows how long you’ll be waiting?”

Jared contemplated his sister’s words as he eyed you through the kitchen. Who was he kidding? Megan was right. He sighed and swallowed thickly as he headed into the Great room.

“Here goes nothing…”

#saxxxology vol 1 writing challenge #jared padalecki x reader #jared x reader #'pala writes

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fortunatelyhauntedblackcherry · 4 years

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Moonshine - A Beetlejuice Fanfiction 02

Warning: language, slight mention of several mental illnesses, slight mention of bad childhood and trauma

Let's meet our main characters!

Beetlejuice: Do I really need to introduce our favourite, emotionally very damaged demon? He's beauty, he's grace, he's gonna set the place ablaze 🔥

Ariadne: 22-years-old, 160 cms tall, long dark chocolate-brown hair don't care, big almond-shaped emerald green eyes framed by extralong eyelashes that could cause a hurricane. Her oval face looks like an angry toddler's because those cheeks just can't get a little less puffier. She has full-lips, always painted in some extravagant colour. Her cuspids are modified to look sharp because every single one of us had a vampire phase... And some of us went a mile further. Her skin is pale and she has an hourglass-shape. She has some tattooes over her body (we're gonna come back to that in a later episode). She has a bitchy witchy aesthetic. She has a very dark and inappropriate, smutty, facepalm-worth humour and LOVES to joke with death (which most of her relatives hate). She knows how to use every herb that ever existed, how to cure sicknesses and what to drink when you are low... Although she has depression, anxiety, and many other issues. Hetero. Adores her cactus-collection and would kill for her pets, Minerva (cat) and Sirius (dog). She always reads 3-4 books at once, mostly fantasy, mythological stuff or Shakespearian drama. She LOVES to eat. Especially junk food or pasta she makes. Been a huge fan of horror since she was 6 and has a kink for slasher horrors. She's studying archeology and as a side-hustle works as a singer in a bar. Sews her own dresses and very proudly wears them.

Rei: 22-years-old, although a couple of months older than Ari. 175 cms tall, always-tired, dark moss-green eyes with extralong eyelashes (it goes in the family), but unfortunately she has to cover them with glasses (she rocks them though). Her face is heptagon-shaped, which makes her look older than her real age. That cheekbone could kill a man. Her hair is a very pretty golden copper, like the falling leaves in autumn that only cover her shoulders. She has full-lips too, but a bit thinner than Ari's, mostly painted nude. When she smiles you can see that she has a chipped tooth which she always wanted to get fixed but never got the time for it and now it's a part of her. Her skin is not pale, it's fuckin grey because the girl haven't seen the sun in months. She's a bit plump. Urban grunge aesthetic. She copes with depression with very dark jokes, or very bad dad-jokes. She's the living script of The Office. Hetero. Her job is her hobby: she's a streamer, plays videogames all day and night. Has a love/hate relationship with YouTube. Adores Minerva (cat) and Sirius (dog) too but thinks they should get a smaller dog too cause Sirius will kill one of them one day with his weight during bedtime. Caffeine flows through her veins instead of blood at this point. She loves the stars and could talk about them for hours.

Sofía: 24-years-old, 185cms tall (frickin giant yo), has a huge amount of light-coppery ginger hair, almost like Merida. Icy green eyes that could pierce through your soul but somehow remind you of a calm, cold morning by the sea. Her diamon-shaped face has a million freckles on it. She has bow-shaped lips with a heavy lover lip, with lipstick redder than wine. Her skin is pale AF and she's THICC. She is obsessed with chokers and always have one on. Either looks like a teenage boy or a hooker. She is definitely fiesty and has a serious temper issue. When things go down, you go down. She gets annoyed when any minor inconvenience happens. She bakes almost every day cause she has a sweet tooth for pies and cookies. Always exploring (always trespassing), always capturing the moments with her camera. She works as a free-lancing photographer and is very happy with doing whatever she wants. Lesbian AF but never came out of the closet for her parents. Collects crystals (and buys more and more) and would die for Sirius (dog). She bingewatches serial-killer documentaries all the time, than hates herself in the morning (stupid night-owl).

The girls are from Europe (not gonna specify) and they are half-sisters... Well, their father is the same but they all have different mums. Their father was a businessman and a car-racer (as a hobby) back in the day, which made him an excuse to never be home... He was never there, left one woman for another, never saw any of his kids grow up. The kids that only got to know about each other because of a mislabeled mail. The girls hate him (hate's a very strong word but it's appropriate in this situation) because everytime he and their mums meet, he humiliates them. But they have to put up with him because of his fortune they will inherit (let's hope soon).

The only good thing he ever did was to financially support the girls' education (because otherwise the moms would have sued him, so he had to) and buy his daughters a house abroad, in the US, to try their wings, and to provide a peaceful life for Ari after what she's been through.

He bought them a pretty Victorian-era house, which was rumored to be haunted.

That's why the girls chose it. Who doesn't like a good old spooky house? And anyways, ghosts can't hurt them... Can they?

#beetlejuice oc #beetlejuice fanfiction #lawrence beetlejuice shoggoth #beetlejuice #beetlegeuse #beetlejuice broadway #alex brightman #beetlejuice the musical #musical!beetlejuice #fanfiction #fanfic

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marshmallow-phd · 5 years

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Sins of the Father

Genre: Mafia Au

Pairing: Junmyeon x Reader

Summary: Soon after your second birthday, your parents were killed and you were adopted by your father’s best friend, taken away to their home country where you lived your life in peaceful ignorance. As far a as you knew, your parents simply left you large fortune to be released to you once you reached your twenty-third birthday. At least, that’s all you thought you were inheriting. When a famously ruthless mafia boss discovers your existence, you are left at his mercy. While under his roof, you learn more about your father than you ever wished you had, including the part of your inheritance that made you the most valuable person in the underworld. Hidden in a bank in New York City were files that held the darkest secrets of the mafia families and everyone in their pocket. With another terrifying leader’s eyes trained on you, you’ll learn to watch your back… and guard your heart, before your father’s past becomes your doom.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I 16 I Final

You were starting to realize that you had no real stubborn streak to speak of. No matter how much you wanted to just stay in that bedroom and stare at the ceiling or the wall, avoiding all contact with the inhabitants of this penthouse for the rest of the evening, you had to admit, you were getting bored. And thirsty.

Just as your resolve had broken, a knock came from your door.

“Who is it?” you called out.

“It’s Chanyeol. We have your stuff.”

Practically running to the door, you gladly yanked it open with excitement. Sure enough, there was the giant with several cardboard boxes beside him. Chen and Kai popped up behind him and the three of them started carrying the boxes inside your four walls. While it may seem a little trivial, having your things that belonged solely to you made you feel less isolated. This place would never be home, but at least you could be surrounded by familiarity.

“We grabbed most of your clothes,” Chanyeol grunted, putting the box in his hands down next to your bed, “but I think your sister took a few pieces, claiming them as hers.”

You shrugged. “It’s whatever.”

Chen dropped the two smaller boxes he was carrying into your closet and started opening them up to take out the clothes stored inside.

“You don’t have to do that,” you exclaimed, scrambling to try and stop him. Seeing as they all wore expensive suits, you didn’t want them judging your frugal style. You didn’t believe in spending a lot of money on clothes when you could enjoy what you wore for cheaper prices.

“In all honesty, I will unpack everything for you,” Chen volunteered. “The longer this takes, the longer we can stay away from Junmyeon.”

To not take too much advantage of his help, you started slipping shirts onto the empty hangers. “Is he that mad?”

“I’ve seen Junmyeon yell at underlings and shove things,” Chen admitted. “But this is new. He’s obviously pissed, but he’s forcing himself to hold it in. I think he took what you said to heart and doesn’t want to take it out on Baekhyun. Usually, Baekhyun is livelier, but he talked back to Junmyeon about bringing you here and then got forced to pick you up as a consequence. So, if it’s possible, don’t be mad at him, he was just doing his job.”

Your hands froze on the heavy sweater you were currently wrestling onto a white plastic hanger. Baekhyun had a puppy-like face that didn’t match the scowl he’d worn around you, making it easy to believe Chen about his usually more peppy personality. “I’m not mad at him. I just can’t figure out how I even got into all this.” Staring at the clothes that now occupied the once empty bars, you sat down on the floor. “I had plans, you know. I wanted to travel, see the world. Maybe find out where I came from. Discovering my father’s shady past and then being handed over to a mafia boss for a fake marriage wasn’t exactly on the outline I made.”

“You never know,” Chen offered sympathetically. “You could still do that someday.”

You laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, right. I’m stuck in this jail cell.”

“Junmyeon likes to travel.” Chanyeol popped into the closet, his hands in his pockets. “He likes the anonymity of it. I’m sure he’d take you along.”

For a moment, you contemplated Chanyeol’s suggestion. But then the thought of how you’d most likely have to share a hotel room with Junmyeon to keep the appearance as his “wife” and the image just grated on your nerves.

“If that’s my only choice, then I’ll just stay here,” you concluded. “That’s not real freedom.”

Chanyeol shook his head at your willfulness. Behind him, Kai rolled his eyes with sigh.

Xiumin, the eldest of the members, stepped into the walk-in and cleared his throat. “Boss wants to see us all.”

You got a few apologetic looks thrown your way as they all filed out of the closet. Left to finish off the unpacking on your own, you checked the items off the list you had made the previous night to make sure everything was present. One of the boys being kind enough to leave it on the bed before they slipped out.

There wasn’t much you had to call your own or that you really wanted to be brought over here. Most were just essentials so you could shower and not walk around naked. Only two picture frames, gently folded between your blanket and a few jackets, were important enough keepsakes to remind you of your old life.

One was the only evidence you had of your birth parents’ existence. The three of you were on a picnic blanket in a green park filled with trees and a blue sky painted the backdrop, smiling at the camera like an average family that knew nothing but happiness. Like there wasn’t a dark secret hidden behind the façade. The picture was obviously professionally done, with the lighting and colors adjusted just right to complete the look. In a fit of anger, you shoved the photo in the nightstand drawer, slamming it closed with more force than necessary.

The other picture was the one you preferred.

Taken on your third birthday, the first one you’d spent with your new family – your real family – it meant more to you than any expensive portrait. It wasn’t as nicely put together as the other, but that’s what made it special.

Minah was crying because she couldn’t have the first bite of the cake while Mingyu was absorbed in his video game. The pointed hat on your head off kilter and you had a spot of sauce on your shirt. But none of it mattered. Even now, you smiled down at the picture, your own goofy, toothy grin shining brightly. Taegun and Hyunmin were hovering over you, smiling at the camera as well. Little did Hyunmin know that just a second after the camera flashed, her nose would be covered in frosting and Taegun would be running away to the bathroom to hide.

Missing them terribly, you placed the frame on the nightstand where you could say good night to them before you went to sleep.

The last box was filled with little knick-knacks that you’d collected over the years: a jewelry box no bigger than your palm decorated with white roses, a beauty and the beast snow globe you’d bought when the family went to see the musical, among other odds and ends. They weren’t terrible important. You’d mostly put them on the list out of spite. After putting them in their places on the desk, you turned back to look for the more important items from your list.

However, there were only about four or five books thrown into the bottom of the box. Apparently underlining the word hadn’t been enough of a clue to whoever packed your things. Not only that, but your album was nowhere to be found either.

Seething, you snatched up the list and marched down the hall to Junmyeon’s office. Letting the anger drive your bravery, you pounded on his door with your fist.

“Come in.”

You stomped inside, pushing past the see of grown men to Junmyeon’s desk.

“What do you need, (y/n)?” Junmyeon asked with a very uninterested voice. He didn’t even bother to look up from the papers in his hand.

You slammed down the list on the desk, forcing him look up. “I wrote down the things I wanted brought here and most of them are here. But some were left behind and I don’t appreciate that.”

Sighing, Junmyeon set the papers down, staring up at you as he folded his hands in front of him. “And what was left behind?”

“When I asked for my books, I meant I wanted all of them, not just four.” You tried to keep your voice even and reasonable. Junmyeon was a leader and therefore used to negotiations. Being a hot head while he was still mad from this afternoon’s encounter was not the answer. “Also, the photo album isn’t here either. I even wrote down that’s under my bed so it’d be easy to find.”

Junmyeon glanced at the boys behind you. Following his gaze over your shoulder, you found Chanyeol looking guilty while Baekhyun just seemed annoyed.

“How many books do you have left?” Baekhyun’s voice had a layer of reluctance in it. If he was smart, he knew to just give in to keep the peace. You’d go along with most situations to make it easier for everyone, but this was not something you would compromise on.

“Enough to fill a whole bookshelf,” you replied.

Xiumin, who was standing behind Junmyeon, sneered. “We’re not delivery boys. You can live with–”

Junmyeon threw up a hand to stop him. “That is an awful amount of books for my men to carry up here.”

“Fine. They can leave the bottom two shelves there,” you compromised. The bottom was where you kept the books you didn’t read anymore as they were well below your interest and reading level. You’d kept them around simply for nostalgia’s sake. “But I also want the album.”

That seemed to satisfy him a little. “Agreed. In a few days, we’ll go back–”

“Actually, boss,” Chen chimed in. “I can go tonight. I’ve got all my work done for the…,” he flashed a concerned look at me before continuing, “for the thing you’re setting up. I’ve got the time.”

“I’ll go with him,” Chanyeol volunteered.

“Same here,” Kai added.

You gave each of them a small smile, appreciating their effort into making you more comfortable.

Junmyeon ran a hand through his hair. “Fine, just go.”

Feeling a small victory, you walked out of the office with your head held high. You stopped by the kitchen and reheated the food Kyungsoo had made for you earlier, your appetite at an all-time high since breakfast was your last real meal. Being in a slightly better mood, you were able to enjoy the food with more enthusiasm this time around. It was better than any restaurant.

“Barely here a day and you’ve already got most of them wrapped around your finger.”

Baekhyun sauntered into the kitchen, slinking down across from you at the island. You continued to eat, trying to put on the air that he didn’t intimidate you. It was a lie as you still remembered your introduction to him, but Chen had asked you not to go too harsh on him. Besides, you believed what you had told Junmyeon. You blamed the feared leader more than anyone.

“I think they’re just trying to make up for the fact that I’m here against my will,” you corrected. You chewed over a mouthful of rice before adding, “I’ll admit I wasn’t the nicest yesterday either, so I think we should just let yesterday slide and start over. Let bygones be bygones between the two of us.”

He narrowed his eyes as if he was studying your expression. There was a moment of silence. Ignoring it, you just continued to eat, letting him answer when he decided to do so.

Letting out a long breath, he extended his hand out towards you. “I’m Baekhyun, pick-pocket and conman extraordinaire.”

The giggle couldn’t be helped at his introduction. Taking his hand, you grinned, “Nice to meet you, Baekhyun. I’m (y/n).” You pulled on his hand, causing him to lean forward over the counter. Trying – and most likely failing – to be menacing, you lowered your voice. “If any of my stuff goes missing, I’ll stab you.”

He chuckled, sitting back and letting go of your hand. “You’re not exactly frightening, but don’t worry. There’s no fun in taking from you. Not to mention Junmyeon’s already on my ass.” He slapped the table, getting up from the stool. “Well, I have to get going. Don’t eat too much.”

Baekhyun was practically skipping out of the kitchen as he left you alone.

Three weeks went by and you slowly became accustomed to the new surroundings. While you thought you would go crazy being locked up in the penthouse, you sanity was kept at bay by the revolving door of babysitters. They hardly left you alone, unless you kicked up too much of a fuss about your privacy.

To pass the time, each one taught you about their role in the group, save Xiumin who was never around. Apparently, he was Junmyeon’s second-in-command so he went with him to all the meetings and work related events that the others didn’t have to attend.

You already knew Yixing as the on-call doctor, but that was about all you had really learned about him. He’d only helped watch you twice during the beginning and both times he’d been called away to patch someone up. After that, it was decided it was just better for him to come check up on everyone occasionally.

A slight sadness came over you every time he had to leave, but you didn’t protest. Not verbally, at least. His gentleness and child-like sweetness drew you to him. Even though you enjoyed everyone’s company, you hoped the others didn’t notice your special attachment to the doctor. His demeanor gave you a sense that this world you had been drawn into wasn’t all darkness and that it wouldn’t change you like you feared.

Chen, as the vanguard, was the one you were especially worried about picking up on your change of attitude when Yixing was around. He was highly observant and a master at extracting information without the subject even knowing it. If he was detecting anything about you, though, he never brought it up.

Kai was probably your second favorite out of the boys, although there was nothing romantic behind your enjoyment of his company. He was kind and charming, making you laugh easily. Kyungsoo warned you of his womanizing ways, but then backtracked, insisting that you were in no danger as the fiancé of their leader. You had no interest anyway, simply enjoying Kai when he was around. The boy practically lit up when you agreed to let him teach me how to count cards. He was the gambler of the group, able to swindle money out of even the most professional players. It was incredible the memory he had and his ability to calculate the math within seconds.

Kyungsoo didn’t approve of teaching you the tricks of the trade, but, it seemed, he didn’t approve much of anything that involved letting you know too much about their illegal business. He was a loner - something you identified with - preferring to stay away from the action behind his computer screen, hacking away.

What surprised you the most was Chanyeol’s position. He was the muscle and the surveillance. Security was his top priority, which would explain why he was your most frequent guard. He was so lively and laughed so much, it was hard to wrap your mind around the picture of him as the first to throw a punch despite his size.

The biggest mystery, however, was the youngest of the group. With just one look, Sehun could name the make, model, and year of any gun and take it apart before putting back together again perfectly. He had connections all over this side of the world to get the arms they needed for any job. But he was quiet. He often kept his distance, only occasionally joining in on whatever antics the boys were up to in order to keep you entertained.

Junmyeon was the one who was around the least. He was usually gone by the time you rolled out of bed and made it home around dinner time or a few hours after. Personally, you preferred the latter. Meal times with just the boys were animated, including the occasional sporadic food fight. When that happened, you would immediately hide under the table until the coast was clear.

In the times that Junmyeon joined the dinner table, the boys were more subdued. They still joked around, but their interactions with you were limited. At the head of the table, Junmyeon stayed silent. He didn’t allow business talk while eating, but every once in a while you would catch the smallest hint of a smile whenever Chanyeol did something clumsy or Sehun made a snarky comment. If eye contact was made with you during his rare smiles, it would quickly fade and his eyes would drop back down to his food.

This particular night, he was smiling more than usual and they lingered far longer than you’d seen before. His eyes soften when they met yours instead of going hard and indifferent like they usually did. You couldn’t understand where this change was coming from. It was making you uneasy.

When everyone was finished, you helped Kyungsoo clean up the kitchen. It made you feel not so useless since whenever he was around you weren’t allowed to even touch a frying pan to feed yourself. The noise from the dining room died down as everyone filed out to their own apartments scattered around the area.

Eventually you were left alone with Junmyeon retreating to his office. Though the sun was beginning to disappear under the city skyline, you were restless and not ready to turn in for the night.

Wandering the halls, your album that you had made such a fuss over popped into your head. Typically, you only went through its pages when you had something to add to it, but now you felt the need to leaf through it just for a sense of comfort, even if it was imaginary.

Taking it from its hiding space under your mattress, you made yourself a cup of tea and settled on the couch in the living room, your legs wrapped up in a blanket. You flipped through the pages at a moderate pace, stopping every once in a while to smooth out a picture or read a description you had scribbled down as to why you wanted to visit that particular museum or monument. Some places held legends or stories while others so imposing and fascinating that you needed to experience them for real.

You only made it halfway through the album before your eyelids began to droop. Around Greece, they were becoming too heavy to fight. By the time you made it to Sienna, they were closed completely.

The sun had set when Junmyeon finished reading through the security papers Chanyeol had put together for the event tomorrow. His back was aching from being erect so long and his head was pounding, demanding rest. Locking the papers up in the side drawer, Junmyeon sat his elbows on the desk, massaging his temples with his finger tips.

If he was honest, he was actually surprised at your behavior since you came here. The first twenty-four hours had been rough, but after that, things quieted down. You never tried to escape, you didn’t act out or trash the place. In fact, you seemed settled in and got along with his men. That was the only thing that bothered him.

You seemed to get along and genuinely enjoy the presence of everyone else, but would clam up the moment he walked into the room. Jongdae and Chanyeol were constantly telling stories about your sense of humor and how, though you were a decent blackjack player when following the rules, you couldn’t count cards or keep a straight face during poker to save your life.

“You know,” Jongdae had clicked is tongue, staring out the window during their driver earlier in the day, “you could actually try to get to know her yourself. Since you’re set on keeping her around to get the files, you could spend some time with her. Sure, she’s not like the other girls you dated in the past, but maybe that’s a good thing. Hell, maybe this could work out for real, you know?”

Junmyeon had to suppress a groan. “You talk too much, Jongdae. Besides, you heard her, she doesn’t like gangsters.”

“Yup,” he nodded, “I did hear her. She said she likes gentlemen. I’ve seen you in action, hyung. You can practically be Prince Charming when you want to be.”

Prince Charming. Junmyeon almost laughed. Since when did Charming run one of the largest underworld operations in Seoul?

“She’s not my type,” he insisted.

“She’s beautiful,” Jongdae pointed out. “In our world, that makes her everyone’s type.”

Back in the present, Junmyeon stood up out of the chair, rubbing his hands down his face. Part of him wondered if just breaking into the vault in New York would be easier. He could send Jongdae over first to dig up information to find out which bank the Closer had used to house his findings and then take it from there.

No, not possible.

Junmyeon already had targets on his back in his own country. No need to take it international.

Exiting his office, Junmyeon took two steps towards his bedroom before noticing the living room light was still on. Slightly irritated, he huffed his way over to turn them off. Though he could afford it, he tried to preserve energy when he could.

Just as he put his hand on the switch, he noticed you fast asleep on the couch. Carelessly lying on the floor was the album you’d thrown a fit about. Junmyeon picked it up, expecting baby pictures and documentation of your growth through the years. What awaited as he opened to the first page was something much more.

The first page was just covered with handwritten quotes about traveling and seeing the world. Each new sheet in the album was filled with pictures and brochures and little notes about different places you wanted to see. From what Junmyeon could make out, most of the places were related to your favorite books. You wanted to go to visit your favorite classical author’s birthplace. Some retelling of Romeo and Juliet had taken place in Sienna and, according to the print out folded beneath a photo of a two story building, you could stay in the same hotel that the main character did in the novel.

Junmyeon stared in disbelief at the woman sleeping on the couch when he came to the last decorated page. You weren’t as timid or simple minded as he’d thought. Part of him hated himself for what he had done. This was a girl with dreams, with expectations of where your life would go, and he’d taken them away just to fulfill his own.

Perhaps, when this was all over, he could allow you to go to one of these places. Not alone, of course. He had too many enemies for that. But maybe you wouldn’t mind if he tagged along, just to keep you safe. Even if he didn’t have enemies, it was dangerous for a young woman to travel the world alone.

Tucking the album under his arm, Junmyeon carefully lifted you off the couch, constantly checking to see if he’d woken you up. But you stayed fast asleep as he carried you to your room and laid you down on the bed. He pulled the covers up to your chin and placed the album on the nightstand. After brushing the tips of his fingers against your face, Junmyeon walked out of the room, praying that you wouldn’t hate him after tomorrow.

#exo #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo mafia au #exo mafia!au #junmyeon x reader #kim junmyeon #suho #exo gang au #exo gang!au #exo series #Sins of the Father

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