#I need to stop getting distracted... she's waiting for me...

[lucenra]

Triggered

𝓟airing ↳ Jinu X F!Reader

𝓘𝓷 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓬𝓱 .. Reader tries her best to ignore her ex.

𝓦arnings .. flashbacks, mentions of cheating

𝓐uthor's note .. inspired by jhene aikos song triggered everyone are normal humans in thid

It’s been a year and a few months since you and Jinu broke up. You’ve been handling it pretty well. The popular K-Pop group HUNTR/X, also known as your bestest friends in the whole world, have been helping you get through it. You finally managed to get him off your mind.

Until..

You went out with the girls to get Rumi’s tonic juice. Everything was fine, until a group of boys walked into the same alley. Mira and Zoey immediately started thirsting over one of the guy’s abs, while Rumi scolded them, and you just shot them a look. Not that you could blame them.

Then, another guy appeared behind them.

"…Jinu?" you whispered to yourself.

Your breath hitched, and Rumi instantly grabbed your arm once she realized who it was. Jinu looked at you with yearning eyes. And just like that, the memories flooded in. Every date, every joke, every moment you bonded, every gift exchanged—it all came rushing back. Your heart ached. Burned. It felt just like it did when you first found out he cheated.

But for some reason, you couldn't bring yourself to look away from him.

Luckily, the girls stepped in before it could go any further. Before you knew it, you were being pulled away, your arms in their grasp. As you looked back, Jinu was still staring.

"Are you okay Y/N?" Zoey asks as her hand is still on your arm.

“Yeah.. yeah. Don’t worry about me. It’s fine.” You sighed, trying to convince yourself.

Mira let go of your shoulder, arms now crossed. “I’m gonna kill that bastard. Who does he think he is showing up here? Ugh. Pisses me off.”

“Thank you, Mira.” You laughed softly.

“Hey,” Rumi chimed in, trying to change the mood, “why don’t we just get your mind off things? Watch the Saja Boys perform or something?”

You nodded. Anything to distract yourself.

What you didn’t know was that you were about to see your ex again—this time, on stage.

“What the…?” Mira muttered as the same group of boys from earlier suddenly appeared and began singing. All the girls turned to look at you. You just pressed your lips together and stared at your feet.

“This is just amazing,” you muttered, Rumi then feeling bad for you.

But surprisingly… the song was actually catchy. So, you decided to stay and watch. Every time Jinu sang, his eyes were locked on you.

Wow. What a unique way to get your ex back.

♡

After the performance, the group mingled with fans. You were about to leave when someone grabbed your wrist. You prayed it was just someone letting you know you dropped something.

Of course not.

“Wait, Y/N. I want to talk to you,” Jinu said, desperation in his voice.

“Yeah, no thanks. I’m good,” you replied flatly, yanking your wrist out of his grip and following the girls.

He ran after you. Persistent.

“Can we please talk?” he asked again, this time placing his hand on your shoulder.

You shrugged him off. “You don’t get to touch me anymore. And you sure as hell don’t get to have a conversation with me,” you snapped.

He stood there, stunned. You walked away, pretending like none of it happened.

♡

Later, you lay on your bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything in your mind. What you said. What he said. Were you too harsh? Were you being rude?

No. He deserved it.

But… maybe he changed?

Your thoughts spiraled, too fast to control. You needed air. So, you went out for a walk, hood up, hands in your pockets, AirPods blasting music.

Eventually, you walked into a convenience store to grab a snack. Hood down now, you were scanning the shelves.

“Why don’t you get the blue Takis? I know they’re your favorite,” a familiar voice said behind you.

You turned. Of course. Jinu.

“You just never stop, do you?” you scoffed, brushing past him, your shoulder bumping into his.

“I really want to talk. That’s all.”

You moved to a different aisle, but he followed you like a puppy.

“What is there to talk about?” you asked coldly.

“I just need a chance to show you I’ve changed. I want a second chance. Please,” he begged.

You stood there, arms crossed. Silent.

“Please,” he repeated, softer this time.

…

“Well…”

[sharieb]

hello! just wanted to say I LOVEEE the way you do non-mc content. that being said could i request a headcanon on: lets say non-mc and the LI’s broke up because the dudes were still hung up on MC (they end up regretting it lol). then later on see non-mc in public who has moved on to someone else who is doing everything they guys failed to do.

The One Who Never Got It Right

Pairing: LADs x Non-Mc reader Genre: Angst (Breakup regrets) Writer's notes: Thought I could be getting more fluffs to do, but instead I got slapped in the face with this one, welp, no rest for the wicked, I guess 😅

He sees you across the bustling Skyhaven terminal—laughing, radiant, clinging to the arm of someone who isn’t him.

The man by your side is kind-eyed, attentive. He holds your bag, listens intently, and actually smiles when you talk. He doesn’t look distracted or distant—he’s there. Present.

Caleb halts mid-stride, fingers curling around the edge of his datapad. For a moment, it’s like the mission debrief in his hand doesn’t even exist.

He remembers every time he cut conversations short, gave you half his presence, let you walk beside him in silence because his mind was always elsewhere—on MC.

He thought you didn’t notice. That you’d wait. That maybe you’d always be around until he figured himself out.

Now you’re smiling in ways he never earned.

The worst part? You glance his way. See him. Then look away just as easily, returning to your conversation without missing a beat.

He used to be the safe place. Now, he's just a distant name in your past.

Later that night, he types a message to you. Deletes it. Writes it again.

In the end, he just stares at your contact photo for hours, then shuts off the holoscreen. And for the first time in a long time, Caleb can’t strategise his way out of the ache in his chest.

Mission Log 6.14.3A — Deleted Draft I saw her today. Not MC. Her. The one who asked me to be present. To try. To stop living like the past was all I had left. I thought letting her go would make me noble. Thought I was sparing her the weight of being second to a ghost. But maybe she wasn’t second. Maybe I just never gave her the space to be first. And someone else did. I hope he keeps holding her the way I never learned how to. I hope he never makes her feel like a placeholder. …I hope she never looks back.

He saw you at a gallery opening.

You're dressed in something elegant, arm-in-arm with a gentle-faced man who looks at you like you're art incarnate.

The moment hits him like a palette knife to the ribs.

You’re glowing—not in a spotlight way, but in a quiet, contented kind of joy he never could give.

He flashes his usual grin to the crowd, but his fingers twitch at his side.

Because of that new guy? He’s whispering something in your ear. And you’re laughing. That laugh used to belong to Rafayel, once.

But he made jokes about still missing MC. Let you hear silence when you needed security. Let you fade beside someone else’s memory.

Now?

Someone else painting you with attention. Frames you with love.

He downs his champagne and pretends to care about the next exhibit, but he draws you three times from memory that night.

None of them capture your smile the way he just did.

He doesn’t stop drawing until dawn. Each page is more desperate than the last.

 Sketchbook Entry — Page Torn Out She asked me once what I thought love looked like. I told her it was impossible to capture - always shifting, always out of reach. But she caught it. She was it. And I? I framed her in glass and called it finished. She wanted a mess. Partnership. Splattered hands and stained shirts. I gave her monologues and empty wine glasses. I thought she was a phase. A warm red before I returned to ash. But she was permanent. I saw her smile today. It wasn’t for me. And for once, I couldn’t paint a damn thing.

He was leaning on the railing of a shadowed walkway, scanning the crowd below on a recon run, when he spotted you.

You're tucked into the side of someone unfamiliar—someone laughing with you, their hand laced with yours, feeding you a bite of something sweet.

The softness on your face is devastating. It used to be his. It was once the only softness he’d let himself keep.

He stays hidden, watching.

That guy kisses your knuckles. And you smile like you trust him completely.

His chest tightens, fingers twitching. He almost drops the comms unit in his hand.

You’d begged him once to try, to stop comparing you to MC. To see you. He hadn’t known how to let go back then. Now?

He’s thinking about how that man just wiped whipped cream from your lip without flinching—and how he never even learned your coffee order.

“Idiot,” he mutters to himself, pushing off the railing.

But he doesn’t go down there. He’s already done enough damage.

And this time… someone else didn’t waste the chance. He hates it. He admires it.

Mostly, he regrets that it wasn’t him who made you stay.

Encrypted Voice Log – Never Sent SYLUS.ENTRY_097.BURNOUT Timestamp: Corrupted “She looks better without me. You’d think that’d piss me off, wouldn’t you?” “It doesn’t.” “Not really.” “He holds her like he’s not afraid she’ll disappear. Like he’s not too busy sharpening knives to hold her with both hands.” “I didn’t know how to do that. Couldn’t stop chasing shadows.” “I told myself she was a game. A way to forget.” “But she was never small. Never temporary. She waited for me to look up. I never did.” “He did.” [long pause] “She’s not coming back. Good. Let her stay gone. Let her stay whole.”

It’s late in the museum observatory, and Xavier’s here to recalibrate a projection model—until he looks down from the upper dome and sees you.

You're walking hand-in-hand with someone else through the starlit halls. Laughing. Calm.

The person beside you spins you under their arm, and you twirl without hesitation, radiant under the artificial cosmos.

He stands frozen in the upper dome, unseen.

You once asked Xavier to dance. He hesitated, too quiet and too caught up in thoughts of MC to say yes.

But that stranger below? He didn’t hesitate at all.

And you look so light in his arms. So free.

Xavier leans his forehead against the glass, breathing deeply.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, even though you can’t hear him.

His star map reboots beside him, scattering constellations. But for the first time, he doesn’t reach out to correct them.

Because he knows now, you weren’t meant to orbit him forever.

And you didn’t. You became your own universe. One that he was never brave enough to explore.

Private Memoir Entry – Unpublished I was always afraid I’d look at her and see someone else. So I never truly looked. Not the way she deserved. She asked me once if I was choosing to heal with her or without her. I said, “Without.” She nodded. Didn’t cry. Just left. And now I’ve healed. Or so I pretend. But sometimes I think healing isn’t a choice. Sometimes it’s a cost. I gave up the one person who saw me in the shadows and stayed. And someone else saw her light and danced into it.

You’re seated in a corner café with a man Zayne doesn’t recognise—easy smiles, shared laughter, his coat wrapped around your shoulders.

Zayne was on his way to deliver lab files to the main district med unit but now… he can’t move.

His gaze locks on the way the man leans in to tuck your hair behind your ear. How your eyes crinkle with joy.

It’s the kind of comfort Zayne never offered you—not because he didn’t care, but because he was too distracted chasing clarity with MC.

You once told him you felt like his second choice. He never answered that. And now, someone else treats you like you're the only choice.

He doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t approach.

But that image burns in his mind for weeks. It replays in the sterile quiet of his clinic, on late nights when no one needs stitching up.

And when he returns home, he finds one of your old letters still tucked inside his medical textbook.

He rereads it, fingers trembling, and realises too late—he could’ve loved you right, if only he’d let himself try.

His next patient finds him staring into nothing, stethoscope in hand, utterly elsewhere.

Medical Log – Never Filed Patient: N/A Status: Unreachable Treatment note: Emotional detachment leads to unintentional abandonment. Prognosis: Permanent loss. Notes: She used to come into my clinic with little things. Fake injuries. Paper cuts. Just to be near me. I knew. And I let her pretend. I let myself believe I had time. That once I stopped thinking about MC, I could finally give this girl the pieces I hadn’t sealed away. But healing is slow. And people… they don’t always wait for your hands to stop trembling. She’s warm now. She’s whole. And I still wear gloves to hold my regrets.

[23bilss]

billie long distance phone sex smut 👀👀

overseas

| ★ warnings ; phone sex, fingering, usage of (cunt)

| ★ note ; hallo.. this was rushed..

| ★ taglist ; @billiesmainwife @bilswifee @st0nerlesb0 @si1verl4ke

the light from your phone was bright, as you were laying on your back relaxing and thinking about how much fun you and billie are gonna have when she comes back from her tour.

she’s currently having a concert on a boat, which seems.. impossible.. but its something!

your phone buzzes, the light making a spot on the ceiling which isnt useful because you still cant see whos calling you.

when you rolled on your side to the way your phone was, it was the love of your life.

billie.

her messages popped at the top of the screen slowly

baby?

i need help im so fucking. horny.

please answer.

please mommy?

you loved when she begged, even though she was the top during this relationship she always begged, and begged, and begged.

she knew you had power over her and tried to listen to her best abilities, but shes just a bit hardheaded and did shit anyways.

you called her back, she answered on the third ring and all you heard was heavy breathing and slow wet noises in the background, her soft whimpers picked up and you blushed knowing she wanted you and only you to help her.

‘her special girl’ she always called you.

“mama?” she stuttered out and the noises stopped, the breathing from billie was the only noise filling the room.

“yes baby?” you whispered in the voice she always loved hearing, especially when your voice got low

she whines and you hear the sheets rubbing against her clothes, moving as she moves. so desperate for you to help her, so weak and tired.

“you want my help?” you asked, teasing her, knowing she already begged you heard her whisper ‘yes’ multiple times, the wet noises getting progressively louder.

“hey, hold it and talk to me baby.” she groans and everything stops, billie sighed and cleared her throat

“hi. i had i nice concert, the waves were so pretty i got distracted.” her voice was soft, and smooth.

like she was dying to talk to you all day.

“that sounds great baby, im glad you had a nice time,” you smiled and giggled, the way she was holding on for dear life with horny and being touch deprived

“what songs did you sing?” she was quiet then spoke.

“lunch, chihiro, my boy, halleys comet, everybody dies, xanny, the diner, getting older, your power, happier than ever, then male fantasy.” she was whining, slow and low.

you could hear her little whimpers here and there so you just let her go.

“you can go back to it now” she turned her camera on this time and set it up so you could see what she was doing.

before anything she popped her airpods in and started going, her fingers were pumping slow and steady.

“faster.” you whispered, and she started speeding up. the quickness of her fingers made her cunt wetter and wetter, juices flying everywhere.

“another finger, two isn’t enough.” you softly said and she stopped for a moment, then pulled her pointer finger in.

she started slow—getting used to the feeling. then she finally started speeding up. her soft moans were filling your bedroom and hers.

billie started slowing down, “i didn’t tell you to slow down eilish.” she sped up again, the way her fingers moved, she was waiting for this moment.

she started losing her arm strength, when she stopped, cum poured out of her slowly, dripping onto her black sheets.

“you did so good f’me.” you praised, “now clean yourself up, and show me.”

she slid her fingers out, and licked it all up. in between her fingers and around, everything you could imagine she did? she did it.

billie then stood up and grabbed the sheets and ripped them off the bed, unable to lay on something damp. “i love you.” she said before getting in the shower for about 20 minutes.

after 20 she got in bed, only the underwear on. “i love you more baby.” you whispered and she dozed off to sleep.

[girllblogging777]

IN WHICH you force spencer to help you with the only thing he doesn’t know about. makeup.

the video of your makeup routine pops up on your phone, and you press the mic to record the voiceover, a smile on your face “go ahead baby…”

spencer braces himself, rolling his eyes “remind me why i agreed to do this again ?”

“because you love me, obviously” you answered with a shrug, and a tilt of your head.

“right. i do”

you gesture your hand towards your phone, signalling him to finally start talking. internally, you’re giggling, because you once again got him to indulge in your weird little activities he doesn’t know the first thing about.

“ahem, so… hi, hello everyone, whoever’s watching this video of my beautiful girlfriend making herself even more beautiful. i’m spencer… spencer reid - the boyfriend, and i’m supposed to explain what exactly she’s doing in this clip.”

you grin and give him a thumbs up, motivating him to keep going.

“so, she begins by washing her face with some fancy cleanser, which is very important because it maintains hydration, prevents breakouts, exfoliates and removes dead skin, - too many details ? right, sorry.”

he purses his lips when you glare at him, amused.

“then, she proceeds to use some serum, as well as eye cream and moisturiser, which surprisingly works wonders - don’t ask why i know, just… i know. and she also uses sunscreen, as all of you should because, well… it prevents aging and skin cancer.”

but then, the clip shows you opening your makeup bag, and his eyes widen a bit.

“uh, now’s the part where my IQ slashes to 60… this is uh… foundation ? oh no, that’s concealer to conceal blemishes and eye bags she doesn’t have - damn babe, i could use some of that too. now this is foundation ! she puts it on her hand for… some reason, and applies it with a brush… so, that’s kinda like painting-“

you facepalm yourself. painting ? really ?

“wait, why is this so dark ? oh, she’s drawing shadows with a stick… to try to make it look like her nose is tiny and her cheekbones are sharp… baby, you really don’t need that-“

okay, this was really getting amusing to watch, especially because he was analysing the video so carefully, his brows furrowed as he stared at the phone.

“glitter ! liquid glitter… on her cheeks. wait, that’s why you always look so glowy… gives her that ethereal look, you know ? i very much approve of the glitter. oh, and that’s blush. i know that too. but my favourite blush is the one she gets when i kiss her. or the one she’s got right now because i’m very much embarrassing her-“

he’s looking up at you, smiling like an idiot before you point back at the phone.

“right, sorry. i got distracted. baby, who’s even gonna watch that, seriously ? this is some fancy powder… i don’t exactly know what it’s for, but it originates from ancient egypt !”

“spence, come on”

“this is mascara, i know that too… woah, is that some kind of torture device ? hey, what are you doing to your lashes !”

you giggle, covering your mouth as he goes on about the lash curler.

“this is a pencil. for her lips. she uses it like twenty times a day, but i don’t know why. it tastes bad too. oh, and the lipgloss of course, couldn’t forget the lipgloss.”

his words are slowed down, because he’s too busy staring at your lips on the screen.

“uhm… and now she’s spraying something all over her face ? i’m guessing that means we’re done, damn, that was something. thank you for listening, i hope you enjoyed this video because i sure did - enjoy the video, not voiceovering it”

and with that, you take the phone from his hand, pressing the stop button. he lets out a relieved sigh, looking at you with puppy eyes. “how did i do ?”

“not bad at all, spence. but glitter, really ?”

of course, over the next few weeks, the girls at the BAU never stopped teasing him about it. jj kept calling him a “lovefool” and when emily asked penelope for her lash curler, they both warned him “careful, genius, we’ve got a torture device in the room”

okay, makeup may not have been the subject he mastered the most. but he was still glad he had complied and made the stupid video with you, because the smile that had formed on your face back then might have been the most precious thing he’d ever witnessed.

no makeup needed.

[platypus-brained]

Okay so hold on, what's your opinion on "Deconstructing Doof"?

I was going to cover that episode and the newer Season 5 episodes in general but stopped because -> that post was soooo long <-

Anyways, this is a episode that I’ve seen people complain about because they wanted it to be more realistic on the actual therapy part (this is Phineas and Ferb though) and that Linda was neglecting Candace

I’m gonna be honest I’m not going to argue that Linda was being a good parent in this episode because the way the writers handled it was frustrating!!!

Candace: “I told you, my therapist is giving a talk!”

Linda: “I’m so glad you’re talking to someone about this. It’s all-”

Candace: “Come on, it’s already started!”

We’re not sure when Candace started therapy or if it was her idea or not but apparently Linda’s glad she’s talking about it with someone that’s not Stacy for a change

Anyway, what they made Linda do so she stays “oblivious” wasn’t funny if that’s what the writers were going for because I didn’t see anyone who found it anything but annoying

*Screen changes to show Candace with her eyes blacked out*

Dr. Shamai: “A teenage girl convinced that her brothers are time-traveling space voyagers who build elaborate inventions that mysteriously disappear each day.”

Linda: *rummaging through her purse* “Now where is that lip balm? What did I miss?”

Anyone else think Linda could have ADHD because she could not stay focused and would constantly get distracted. I feel like the writers could’ve had her pay attention to the presentation but not believe a word of it when the proof disappears and it wouldn’t have left the fandom as annoyed

Dr. Shamai: “Client 1 even told me her brothers are making a flying disco blimp tonight!”

Candace: “We’re gonna bust Phineas and Ferb once and for all!”

Linda: “Sorry, just ran to the bathroom. What’d I miss this time?”

Dr. Shamai: “The question at hand, is this all a delusion or could it all be true?”

Candace: “This is my moment! Woo-hoo! This is about meeeeeee!”

Linda: “Omigosh, I never realized that. Okay, bye. *takes out earbuds* Sorry, honey. Your Dad called with an antique emergency.”

Again I argued Linda is not perfect! She’s flawed and you can argue characters need flaws to be “human!” But this level of deliberate inattention was crazyyyyy

Again can we consider she might have ADHD or something? Also why did everyone’s purses fall like dominos??? Curse you, cartoon logiccc

Dr. Shamai: “My proof! Oh, my beautiful proof! What happened to my... Wait. The disco blimp! It’s real! It’s all real!”

Candace: “Yes, yes, YES!!!” *stands up and accidentally knocks over Linda’s purse*

Linda: “Oh, my things.” *causes chain reaction of everyone in the audience to drop their bags*

Then the writers think that the end where Linda and Candace hug makes up for all of that? Noooo!! No, it doesn’t! Unless we see Candace with a new better therapist in a future episode but the chances of that are slim

Linda: “Candace, perhaps we should get you a different therapist, one that won’t get dragged offstage in a public meltdown. That was a lot. Are you okay, honey?”

Candace: “Okay? Mom, I feel great! What Dr. Shamai went through just once completely broke him! I go through that every day! And look at me! I’m doing just fine!”

Linda: “Mmm, I’m so happy to hear that.” *hugs Candace*

*Candace’s eye twitches during the hug, which shows she’s not actually okay*

I use the pnf wiki transcripts to save time when I use a character’s lines in these posts and here’s what the wiki said:

(She gives Candace a hug, but Candace’s eye twitches indicating that she is not in fact fine.)

And here’s what the pnf wiki summary said:

“Linda suggests that Candace get her a different therapist, but Candace refuses as she feels great about that someone else went through what she went through. However, it might be suggested otherwise as Candace twitches her eye as she hugs her mother.”

Is Linda a good Mom in this episode?

Nope! I hate how she acted! I looked up who were the writers and to my surprise it was Olivia Olson and Martin Olson (who saw that coming?)

So is Linda a bad Mom in general?

Again that’s your opinion! But if you base your opinion mostly on this episode and ignore all the episodes that show Linda is trying (failing miserably but trying at least) then I’m kinda talking to a brick wall

Basically, do YOU think the good moments outweigh the bad?

And hasn’t your own Mom or a person in your life ever unintentionally hurt or ignored you? Especially when you were young? Do you still love them?

In conclusion, Candace and Linda are both doomed by the narrative!!!!!💥💥💥

Thanks for the ask!🩵

[kikiiidym]

The Spark That Shattered Us

Warnings!: Burn injury, emotional trauma, shouting, Leo loses control. Pairing!: Leo Valdez x reader A/N!: Angst & Hurt

It started with silence.

The kind that crawls between two people who love each other but can’t seem to stop hurting one another. The kind of silence that comes after too many ignored conversations, too many half-swallowed truths.

And Leo had been ignoring you for days.

You waited outside Bunker Nine as the sun began to set behind Half-Blood Hill, arms crossed over your chest, fighting the chill in the wind. Leo had locked himself inside again. For hours. No food, no messages, just the clank of metal and the low hum of welding magic.

You weren’t mad that he needed space. You were mad because he never told you why.

When the bunker door finally groaned open, he looked exhausted. Soot smeared across his jaw, goggles pushed back into his wild hair, and those bright brown eyes—usually so full of mischief—looked dull and hollow.

“Leo,” you said carefully, stepping forward, “we need to talk.”

He didn’t even stop walking. “Not now.”

You moved to block him. “Then when? When you’ve built another invention to keep yourself distracted? When you’ve ignored me for another week? I’m not going to just sit around waiting for you to fall apart in silence!”

He stopped. His jaw clenched. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” you snapped. “You think I can’t see it? The way you haven’t slept. How you flinch when someone touches your shoulder. How you’ve been shutting me out ever since the Typhon mission—Leo, I know you. You’re breaking, and you won’t even let me in.”

He scoffed, a bitter little laugh under his breath. “You don’t know anything, okay? Just drop it, would you?”

“I won’t! You keep pretending everything’s fine when you’re spiraling, Leo! You think if you just smile and build enough machines, it'll keep the nightmares away?”

He looked at you then. And something in him cracked.

“You don’t get it,” he said, voice low and dangerous, the way a storm is quiet right before it breaks. “You don’t get what it’s like to be me. To have fire crawling under your skin all the time. To be afraid of your own hands.”

Your breath caught. “Leo—”

“I killed my mom.”

The words hung in the air like poison. You knew the story, but he’d never said it out loud to you. Not like that. Not with that look in his eyes—like he was still that little boy, kneeling in a burning house with flames licking his fingers.

“I was eight,” he continued, voice rising, shaking. “She screamed my name and I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t control it. And every time I lose it—even for a second—I see her. I hear her scream. And now you—you keep pushing me like I’m made of steel and not glass on the edge of breaking—”

“I’m not trying to push you,” you whispered, heart pounding. “I’m trying to love you.”

“I didn’t ask for that!” he shouted. “I didn’t ask for you to try and fix me! I’m not some broken project for you to tinker with!”

You recoiled like he’d slapped you. The words cut deep.

“I never said you were broken,” you said, voice trembling. “But you don’t get to yell at me for caring.”

“I didn’t want you to care!” he yelled, throwing his arms out in frustration. “Because one day I’m going to screw up—really screw up—and I don’t want you to be close enough to get hurt when I do!”

And then, the mistake.

You stepped forward. Reaching for him. Tears in your eyes.

“Leo, I’m not afraid of you—”

He flinched backward, snapping, “I said stay back!”

And the fire burst out of him.

You didn’t even have time to scream. The flame ripped through the air like a dragon’s breath, wild and violent and desperate. Heat washed over you, knocked you off your feet. The pain didn’t come right away—not until the adrenaline ran out.

Then it hit.

Your arm. Your side. Your neck. Skin blistering, fabric melting.

You hit the ground hard. Gasping.

Leo stood frozen. His fire sputtered and died.

You were crying—not sobbing, but the kind of tears that come from raw, shocked pain. Your hand trembled as you touched your neck, came away with skin peeling and blackened cloth.

He dropped to his knees beside you.

“Oh gods,” he whispered, panic overtaking him. “Nonononono—no. I didn’t—I didn’t mean to—”

You didn’t look at him. You couldn’t.

“I—I was just—I didn’t even aim—I wasn’t thinking—”

“I know,” you said, your voice cracking. “You weren’t thinking about me at all.”

Leo’s face crumpled. “I’m sorry,” he choked. “I’m so sorry. Please—please don’t hate me.”

The wind howled through the trees. Somewhere far off, campers laughed by the lake, completely unaware of the devastation just wrought in front of Bunker Nine.

You curled inward, trying not to sob as your body throbbed in waves of searing pain. “I trusted you,” you whispered.

He couldn’t touch you. He couldn’t do anything.

All the fire in the world, and he was helpless.

He rocked back on his heels, breathing hard, chest heaving. Tears carved trails through the soot on his face. He stared at his hands like they were foreign. Like they belonged to a monster.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he whispered. “I swear on the Styx, I never wanted to—”

But you didn’t answer.

Because love wasn’t supposed to burn. And Leo Valdez— Leo burned.

[brainrotcharacters]

We Need A Win

This request from @chimckenns went something like "🥺🥺🥺" like she really felt the need to pull that shit on me

Tags: Smartass's and Aaron's serious conflict days are behind them, bodily liquids and various positions, a desk?, rough sex, they come twice and the second time is gentler, I'm not pulling punches part 2, etc.

-

If the both of them were being perfectly honest, they forgot why they were arguing. As it stands, with Smartass riding Aaron's hand, and him panting into their mouth, whatever it was must have not been so important.

"I hate―" Aaron angled his wrist, and Smartass's moaning melted into mewls. Aaron laughed, lightly kissing them on the mouth. "I hate how gorgeous you are when I get you like this."

Bracing an arm across his chest to pause those distracting kisses, Smartass stood from the stool chair and took Aaron's hand away. The top part of his undershirt were undone, black necktie dangling over a tantalizing slash of that skin that Smartass ached to pepper with kisses. One of the buttons still rolled across the floor from where it was ripped open ― neither of them remember who did it.

"What the fuck did I tell you about these things, Aaron?" Smartass made quick work undoing his belt with one hand, watching an enjoyable, frustrated expression cross his face when he realized Smartass's arm kept him at bay. "It's bad quality unless I can take it off."

Aaron listened to the sound of his belt buckle. He waited until Smartass reached for his zipper before grabbing the base of their throat and pushing them toward the nearest wall. Not hard enough for their head or tailbone to hit, but enough that their arm across his chest faltered, and the hardness between his legs pinned Smartass's hand between them. Another moan of protest escaped their mouth when they tried to grind their hips against him, but could only wrap their ankles behind his back.

That was the same sound Smartass often made when he had to shut down their proposals. Even then, Aaron wondered if they'd make that sound when he was between their legs.

He leaned in for a searing kiss, groaning into the cavern of Smartass's mouth. "Speak for yourself. Who said you could fucking wear these around me again?"

Aaron ran a deliberate hand across the form fitting vest that framed Smartass's chest for his viewing pleasure ― lower, and around to the half undone pants that showed off how lethally pristine their back profile was. Squeezing their ass once, Aaron pulled them closer by the waist. "You're spiteful. Bitter."

"Oh, taste me before you decide that." Smartass freed their hand, running a thumb down his Adam's apple as if mapping the path of their inevitable pleasure.

He pried their mouth open with his forefinger and middle finger, pressing down on their tongue. "Too much shit is coming out of your mouth. Suck."

Smartass glared even as they obeyed, hands grasping to pull his pants down. Aaron shook his head mockingly. "Aww, you can't touch me yet, baby. Not until you cum on my face."

Their toes curled. They loathed that nickname―absolutely abhorred how Aaron purring that petname made their skin feel too tight and made their legs spread wider.

He pressed a tender kiss to their right cheek, touching where his fingers had gotten slick with Smartass's saliva. "If you let go of my hair while I taste you, I'm going to stop. I promise you that."

Tying Smartass's hands behind their back would have made them comply easier than hearing those words, but they nodded. In two swift movements, Aaron removed his fingers and dropped to his knees. He hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of Smartass's pants, managing to free one leg that he slung over his shoulder before he started feasting.

Smartass gasped against the back of their hand, before remembering the verdict he laid out and twisting their fingers into his hair. Focus, goddamnit. Don't let him win.

They commonly saw red whenever Aaron pissed them off. Rage and the urge to hit something was the status quo, their day to day. But Smartass often saw black spots in their vision when Aaron didn't hesitate to lick and suck them dry. And that anger revealed itself as a need for touch every single time.

Aaron tapped the meat of Smartass's thigh, and they peered down to see him already glaring up at them. Smartass whimpered, panting. "Fuck, you can't do that, Aaron. I do-don't work for you anymore. You shouldn't...!" You shouldn't be so focused, was what they failed to say. But he knew that.

His saliva-coated fingers pumped, and Smartass could imagine those same strong hands gripping a pen too hard. His voice was muffled. "Don't tell me what to do."

"My god...!" Smartass moaned toward the ceiling, and distantly thought no other word could describe the man between their legs. What, in fact, were they even fighting about?

Aaron could relax when he wasn't talking. Tasting and gulping down everything Smartass had to offer now, he never felt more in his element. He laughed against the deepest, most intimate parts of his partner, causing Smartass to buck their hips in pleasure. This was so much easier to focus on.

"No―" Smartass's legs started buckling, their fingers in Aaron's hair squeezing even tighter. "No― dammit, no! Stop!" A grin spread across their face.

Aaron put his mouth off of their head with a loud pop. "Are you holding out your orgasm on me?"

Smartass could only push their palm on the side of his head, fingers grasping at his scalp. He licked up their center, hot breath fanning where they needed him most. "I told you not to fucking do that."

Aaron remembered why they were arguing. For this entire week, both of them had no time for each other. They brought work home every now and then if they weren't already in the middle of another overtime. Aaron could only afford a chaste kiss in passing, and an empty, comforting "I know" whenever Smartass fake cried after him everytime he walked away. They both had to concentrate ― to deserve the time they spent with each other.

It meant they weren't necessarily fighting. He thought, curling their fingers into that spot he knew Smartass always whimpered over. It was more of a releasing of mutual frustration that wasn't directed at each other.

Aaron smiled as the sweet flavor of their pleasure warmed his tongue and filled his throat. Smartass's hips trembled around his head, blocking his hearing to the moans and curses flying out of that pretty mouth. He lapped up as much of it as he could, running soothing hand motions across their hips.

"Give me." Smartass panted after Aaron's stained mouth as he stood to his full height. "Give me, give me, give me―"

Aaron pressed his fingers around Smartass's chin and kissed their cum into their mouth. He hummed in pleasure. "You're so good for me. Well done."

That was the same tone he used whenever they presented a proposal to him, before he had to send it up to the higher ups. Smartass wondered if he wanted to fuck even back then.

"You're not gonna do that again today." Smartass murmured in intervals, suckling Aaron's tongue and licking the liquid off of his teeth.

He thumbed a line across Smartass's jaw, angling their head to consume their mouth deeper. He sipped back the cum that they haven't already swallowed. "Stop me from tasting you. See what happens."

Fire shuddered between Smartass's shoulders, twin to the one twisting at the base of their spine so soon after they came. "I'm not afraid of you. You're mine."

Linking their ankles and arms together around his body, Smartass panted eagerly into Aaron's skin. "I can take everything you dish out, you know that."

Refusing to miss a beat, Aaron carried them in his arms toward the bedroom, shedding their clothes the entire way there. Smartass extended a hand to help remove their vest. Then, they placed Aaron's tie between his teeth.

"There. So fucking pretty." Smartass kissed him again, simply for the sake of being able to do so.

Only Aaron's undershirt and Smartass's second pant leg remained when they beelined for the bedroom. The back of Smartass's left shoulder collided against the doorframe, and they hissed in pain.

"Shit," Aaron braced an arm tighter around their frame, using his other hand to massage the spot. "Sorry, baby. That was my bad."

"I think my bone is broken." Smartass whispered dramatically. "It's fractured. I'm bleeding internally. I see the light of heaven!"

Aaron giggled, gently setting them down on a desk. "I don't think so. You're not going up there after everything you did to me."

"You're not exactly pure yourself either, motherfucker." Smartass giggled up at him, entirely aware of the cock that was devastatingly close to their center.

"Thank fuck for that, huh?" Aaron grinned, and slowly put himself in.

Aaron sounded hot when he was either yelling at Smartass or moaning as he put that gorgeous cock inside them. It curved right this side of delicious pain that they had to pay attention, matching every roll of his hips and milking him for all he was worth.

"Every time," he panted into Smartass's shoulder. "Every damn time... You feel so good around me..."

The next groan splintered Smartass's throat on the way out, and they murmured hoarsely into Aaron's lips. "Fill me up. Fuck me right now. I swear to you, you're gonna come first."

"Is that a guarantee?" He challenged, winding an arm to clear the desk on either side of them. Aaron looked at his partner in the face as he slowly rolled his hips, driving more of his cock deeper into Smartass's welcome heat. He smiled at the sight of that jaw dropping, and another sweet whimper escaping those lips. "That's that same spunk you threw at me back at Vesta."

"Damn fucking―" they involuntarily clenched around him. "―right it is. Aaron, don't stop."

He placed an open mouthed kiss on Smartass's temple. "What do I get if you come first? Bragging rights?"

"You're fucking full of yourself." A wicked grin sliced across that pretty face before Aaron felt hands on the back of his neck, and around his torso. Smartass thrusted up into him, swallowing more than half of his length.

"And you―" Aaron choked on air, pulling out slightly before slamming his hips into theirs, his cock fully snug between their legs. Gasps and groans escaped them both as they held eye contact. "You are fucking full of me. So who wins?"

It was all a dance. A life-or-death waltz of this infuriatingly smart mouth and that specific neck tie. To the untrained, it was emotional and chaotic ― the yelling, the insults, the threats. Only a select few of Smartass's and Aaron's peers know it for the calculated, precise ping pong that it was.

"Do something for me." Smartass splayed a hand on his bare chest, and he stopped. The affection in his face broke Smartass's heart. "Don't pull out."

They lifted one leg around him, turning in place so they were on all fours. They nearly pulled their other side to brace against the hard, unforgiving desk when Aaron gripped their hips. "Wait, wait. Feels so amazing. Hold on a second."

"Cumming already?" Smartass smiled over a shoulder, bucking their ass on his cock. "Come on. Give up."

Aaron laughed through his teeth and yanked Smartass into place. Another groan at the sensation of them wrapped around him got caught in his throat. "No."

Good. Smartass shifted their attention to the mirror mounted on the wall next to the desk. The glass pane was regularly cleaned so they could clearly see the single-minded focus on Aaron's face as he fucked them from behind again and again and again ―

"Beautiful." He grasped a fistful of Smartass's hair, twisting the rest around his fist before tugging high enough to kiss the top of their head. "Look at you, baby. You look incredible."

Smartass giggled, not entirely conscious of their physical body anymore except for where they were joined with him. They grasped the edges of the desk, rolling their hips back against his thrusts. "You feel incredible. Fuck, Aaron... Fuck!"

Another rough groan escaped Aaron as he nibbled Smartass's shoulder, groaning into their skin.

Smartass gasped, "This was all I could think about while working. You, balls deep inside me. Nothing else gets to me so fucking good...!"

Aaron dipped a free hand between Smartass's hips, breath labored as he laughed at the sound of Smartass's slick essence. "Yeah, it gets cold at my office, you know. It knocks me out at worst. And I can't have you sucking my cock from under the desk anymore, with those pretty eyes watching me cum for you."

Don't cum. Don't you dare fucking cum. Smartass grabbed the side of the desk closer to them, trying to draw distance from Aaron's other hand. "Why not?"

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Aaron was grinning as he gripped Smartass's hair, pressing them against the mirror's surface. His other hand returned between their legs. "I'm not fucking done with you."

Word for word, he said that to Smartass whenever they stormed out of his office. Same tone and all.

Smartass arched their back, dragging their insides up and down the length of him. Another string of curses escaped Aaron, as his cock began twitching each time he bottomed out.

"I'm close," they intertwined their fingers with his, bringing it to their pounding heart. "Come with me... Aaron. Please."

Aaron abandoned his pace, slamming his hips against theirs. The hand he held around their hair dropped to their hips. "I'm here. I got you, I'm with you. Breathe into it, baby. Breathe."

"Okay." Smartass threw their head back into his shoulder and held their breath. Then with a final thrust home, Aaron guided them through a shuddering exhale, their walls milking his cock with a vice-like grip. "F-Fuck! Aaron...!"

He groaned hoarsely into their shoulder, thumb massaging circles on their hip. "I know. I know, baby. Hold onto me."

When the aftershock of what they've done mixed with the clarity of what they have left to reach, they managed to whimper. "Bed. Now."

Aaron pulled out, watching their combined essences trickle down Smartass's thighs as they stumbled onto the sheets. Brows furrowed in focus, they turned onto their back, lifting both legs for Aaron to admire what they've done.

"Fuck it back inside me." Smartass giggled.

"Jesus." Aaron grinned, eyes darting between Smartass's face and that beautiful spilling substance between their legs. He wetted his bottom lip with his tongue. "You're gonna kill me, baby."

He joined them in bed, gathering as much of their cum on his tip before sliding it back between Smartass's legs. This time, they went on a more luxuriant pace, feeling every vein and curve where they were joined and became one.

"We're both too busy." He kissed the words into Smartass's mouth. "We didn't fight. I forgot if we were."

"Me too." Smartass giggled bashfully. "Shit, you're so hot. I love you."

Aaron offered a mocking smirk. "You getting soft on me when I'm fucking our cum back inside you?"

Smartass clenched around him, and they both moaned. "Yes, you asshole. Now say it back."

"I love you." He chuckled into the kiss, willing the words to reach down their throat, and reach the heart they adored. Even with his cock snug and warm between their legs. "I love you. I trust you. And thank you for being with me."

Smartass drew their tongue across his teeth, and Aaron melted into their taste. "I love you. In every way we both know... Aaron, I am yours."

And after they came together for a second, more tender time, Aaron promised to cuddle for five precious minutes before finding a towel and a couple of water bottles. Smartass was in the middle of lamenting the warm absence he left in bed before he returned to the room, naked as the day he was born with the necessities in hand.

"Behave." He chuckled, watching Smartass's attention remain on his cock. "We're both tired."

"Speak for yourself." They blink up at him, reaching for one water bottle and the chocolate bar he also had.

Aaron lightly smacked them in the ass, turning them on their stomach to wipe down their legs. Smartass jumped at the warm dampness of the towel, and he laughed. "Are you sore anywhere? How's your shoulder?"

"Oh, I forgot it got hit." Smartass giggled over a mouthful of chocolate. They offered the rest of the bar to him. "You? Anything I can massage out?"

"I think I just needed to stretch it out, actually." He kneaded the muscles on Smartass's thighs and ass, kissing one cheek for good measure. Then he thankfully received the chocolate. "Thanks for that too, by the way."

Smartass giggled into their shoulder shyly. "Oh, you're very welcome, baby! I'm happy to do it!"

Climbing over them, Aaron slung his arms around their front, gathering them towards him. He started peppering their neck with kisses. "So good for me. So, so good. We'll need to take a shower in a while, okay? Don't forget."

"But you'll hold me first, right?" Smartass summoned that challenging edge to their tone again. "You fucking better, Aaron."

They looked back to see his hilariously incredulous face. Then he nosed the back of Smartass's ear. "You don't have to tell me twice. It feels amazing to hold you right now. You have no idea."

Smartass nestled back into him contentedly. "I have some idea."

"... So, who won?"

"Nobody. We came at the same time."

"That's boring. One of us should win."

Silence, then... "Are you open to shower sex?"

[babygirlbenji]

Birds of a Feather - Ben Chilwell

A/N: So this might just be one of my favourite fics I have ever written... she's a big hefty girl at just over 3k words, but it's just super sweet fluff from start to finish.

Warnings: None, fluff, friends to lovers, big confession of love at the end so be sure to stick it through!! Let's get into it eeeek I'm so excited for you guys to read this

'God, you two are just two peas in a pod!'

'What do they say about birds of a feather?'

'Seems you two come as a package deal.'

These remarks, and general reiterations of them, were said regularly to you and Ben throughout your shared childhoods.

Having been born merely two weeks apart, having mums who were best friends, having grown up just a few doors down from each other, it was incredibly rare that you were ever apart. Your personalities were pretty much copy-pasted (though that may have also been a byproduct of spending so much time together), and your senses of humour were so similar that often, you'd end up finishing the joke or saying the punchline of the other person's joke.

Ben moving away to Leicester had no impact on your bond, and him ending up at Chelsea followed by Crystal Palace was even better, as you'd scored a job working in operations at a luxury health club in south west London. As his career progressed and you advanced at your job, one thing stayed constant: the two of you were never far away from each other.

You were there through it all - the Champions League victory, his ACL injury, his low patches, his upset with Chelsea. In turn, he'd supported you through all your trials and tribulations, from being at the end of the phone during your days of struggling through your university course, to helping you through the endless circle of job applications, rejections and interviews after you had graduated. He'd credit you with inspiring him to take the move to Palace, as your new role at work was at a club not 10 minutes from the training grounds, so it was easy for you both to see each other.

But of course, neither of you would risk your friendship to address the unspoken feelings between you. Ben would never want jeopardise nearly 27 years of friendship by admitting that he'd been in love with you since he was about 16, when he saw you at prom wearing a beautiful navy dress with a sparkly bodice (he'd never forget the sight of you, for as long as he lived). Nor would you ever breathe a word of why you could never hold a boyfriend for more than 6 months, because they could see that no matter how much you liked them, it would just never match up to the way you loved Ben. It was just a distraction and a means to an end.

As you settled into your new role and new club, and as he found his feet at Palace, you'd found a comfortable rhythm to life - as best friends. Nothing more.

'Alright Leo, I'm gonna pack up and head off home!' It was finally the end of your week, and you'd had such a hectic day that you could hardly wait to get home and put a film on. As you packed up your laptop and other work bits, your phone buzzed with a text. Fishing it out of your pocket, you saw that it was a text from Ben:

At home, Harv and Tom are coming over for dinner and want to see you, would love to see you too x

A smile graced your lips; you loved spending time with the boys, and this sounded just like what you needed after your day.

You quickly typed out a response:

Would love to!! Just finishing up at the club, will stop by Waitrose and pick up dessert then come to you x

'Who are you texting with that goofy grin?' Leo teased. Your boss was a flamboyant Venezuelan who you just adored. He was one of the few people at work who knew how close you were with Ben; as the place you worked for was in London and very close to both Chelsea and Crystal Palace, you both agreed that it was best that you keep your friendship with him low profile, and that he would probably get hounded if he came to see you at work.

'Oh, just Ben! He's invited me round for dinner and movie with his mates, ideal.' Leo waggled his eyebrows.

'He did? So when are you guys going to go on a date?' You couldn't help but roll your eyes playfully.

'Come off it, Leo, we've been best friends basically since birth. He sees me as a sister, he'd never look at me in any other way. It would essentially be incest.' You couldn't help but giggle at your words, but they did have an achingly real truth in them; Ben would just never see you as anything other than a best friend, an unofficial sister.

'Whatever you say, babe,' Leo replied. 'Have a good weekend!' You hugged him goodbye, and made your way out of the club, bidding your colleagues goodbye as you left.

It was a short walk to the Waitrose up the road. You picked up a strawberry trifle and a cheesecake, just so everything had something they liked, before heading to your car and starting the 20 minute drive to Ben's house. Since transferring to Crystal Palace, he'd purchased a modest but beautiful home in Wimbledon. You'd helped him pick it out, and had advised him on things like decor and furniture (he was a typical bloke, and was useless about things like that).

You let yourself in using your key, and dumped your bags in the utility room by the front door.

'Hello, I'm here!' Walking through the large, airy hallway to the kitchen, you found Ben at the oven stirring something in a pot.

'Hey, you, how was your day?' He hurried over and caught you in a brief but tight hug, rubbing your back like he always did.

'It was okay, just glad the week's done now. Are the boys here yet?'

'Nope, they'll be here in about 10, which means you get first pick of the film.'

'Tangled!' Your suggestion made him laugh; Tangled was your favourite movie of all time, and he'd lost count of how many times the two of you had watched it together.

'I love that movie just as much as you do, love, but I'm not sure how keen Harv and Tom would be to watch it.' Ben's smile lit up his whole face, as it often did when you were together. You were one of the few people he could be totally honest and up front with, and it spoke to his comfort around you that he could be his authentic self with you, without fear of judgment.

'They wouldn't know a decent film if it slapped them round the face. Anyway, that's my pick, and we can take their picks once they get here and we can poll the options. Whichever film gets the most votes is the one we watch, and I can put money on it being Tangled!' You were so confident in this, that it made Ben laugh more.

'You're funny. Would you grab me a colander, please? Just need to drain the pasta.'

'Sure.' You got up from your seat at the island and went over to where the kitchen supplies were, grabbing the colander and giving it to him.

'Thank you, sous chef,' he chuckled.

'What else can I do to help, chef?'

'Just sit there and look pretty.' This easy banter, this semi-flirting, was commonplace in your interactions with Ben. You'd always hoped that it meant something, but you knew the potential consequences if you were off in your assumption that his feelings for you went further than friendship, so you never took it further than banter.

You retook your seat at the island, and caught Ben up with the gossip at work. He listened intently, offering exactly the right reaction to each part of the story. Hearing about the crazy instances that took place at your work was one of his favourite pastimes - being in a customer service role, based in Clapham, you had plenty of stories to keep him entertained. Everything from rude members to having to call the emergency services, he had heard it all, and he listened to each and every story with unmatched interest.

The doorbell rang a few moments later, and you went to answer it as Ben was still preparing the last of dinner.

'Y/N!' Tom cheered as he and Harv barrelled into the house. You were suddenly caught up in a three-person hug, not knowing whose arm was whose.

'Hey, guys, so good to see you!' You laughed. Being best friends with Ben as long as you had meant that Harv and Tom were also your best friends, and you couldn't wish for a better group of people to hang out with.

Tom and Harv followed you into the kitchen, and the four of you settled into easy conversation and banter. You felt a distinct sense of belonging, as you sipped your wine and enjoyed the company.

'Right!' Ben clapped his hands together. 'Dinner is served, we'll sit at the table, should all be set up.' Ben had made his signature chicken alfredo, complete with a leafy salad and garlic baguette. It made you think back to coming home from uni at weekends, and if he was home for an evening, he would make this same dish for you. It was probably your favourite that he made, but everything he made was delicious. He was definitely the cook out of the two of you.

'Looks amazing, Ben, thank you for cooking.' You sat down and helped yourself to some salad and a couple of pieces of garlic bread.

'So, Y/N, how's work? Had to call the police again recently?' Harv asked. His question made you laugh; the last time you had hung out, you had had to call the police to your place of work, and since then, it had become a running theme of conversations of which emergency service you'd had to call.

'Luckily, no, not since our last update! Although we did have to ring the non-emergency medical line for someone the other day.' And you launched into the story of how someone had rolled over on their ankle, and they weren't sure whether it was broken so you called the non-emergency line to get their opinion. They took themselves off to the nearest A&E, and were luckily okay.

'Your work sounds insane sometimes, I don't know how you deal with those uppity members. If I were a member there, I'd be the nicest person ever,' Tom said earnestly.

'Thank god, I get enough grief from you outside the workplace,' you clapped back, making Ben laugh. 'Nah it's okay, most of the members there are nice. It's the ones who are rude one day, and then turn up the next day and act all sweet and sugary. They're the ones you really need to watch out for. Harv, how's things with you?'

Harv shrugged.

'Not bad, just same old.' Harv's updates weren't major, still at his job and enjoying getting to know the girl he was speaking to. Tom's life was similarly uneventful - looking for a job in media, going steady with his girlfriend who was abroad on a hen do.

As dinner progressed and dessert was consumed, you felt yourself getting slightly more tired. You were excited to curl up on the sofa and watch a movie, and just switch off your brain for a few hours.

You got up and stretched. 'I'm going to pop to the bathroom before we start our movie, alright boys?' Ben looked up and smiled at you.

'No worries, love, we'll be in the snug.' Both of you missed the pointed look that Harv and Tom gave each other.

While you were in the bathroom, you quickly checked your phone to see if you had any messages from work before you switched off your emails for the weekend. There was one that needed your sign off for something, which you gave, and you then turned off your emails. Anything that came in now could wait until Monday; for now, you were in rest mode.

You finished your business, and on your way into the snug, you stopped off at the kitchen to refill your water bottle. As you did so, however, you heard hushed voices from the snug.

There was a slight air of trepidation as you padded silently over to the door to the snug, wanting to know what the boys were talking about.

'So when are you going to ask her out, bro?' That was Harv's voice. It had a sense of excitement about it, as if he couldn't wait to hear what Ben's answer was.

'I don't know, I kinda don't want to ruin what we have, you know? We've been best friends for, what, 27 years? I don't want to ruin that. She's clearly happy with where we are, I don't want to put her in an uncomfortable position if she doesn't feel the same way.' Ben's voice. Were they talking about... about you? There was no way. Ben felt the same way about you? After all these years of hoping and pining after him? Your heart was pounding so hard that you were worried that they could hear it. It felt like you'd just run a marathon.

'She clearly feels the same way. The way she looks at you, the way she laughs when you make a stupid joke... just do it, dude.' Tom was always the voice of reason in your friend group, and you wanted to shout, scream that he was right, you did feel the same way.

'You guys are seriously crazy, but if you say so. I really like her, I just don't want to ruin anything.'

There was a sound of rustling, as if someone had got up from the sofa. You careered away from the door, not wanting them to know that you had heard, and busied yourself with your water bottle.

'You ready, Y/N?' Ben appeared at the door, and your heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Knowing what you knew, and the fact that he didn't know that you knew... It gave you an odd sense of excitement. It didn't help that he looked so devastatingly handsome, dressed in black joggers and a faded grey hoodie. So simple but he looked so cosy, it made you just want to bundle yourself up in his arms and never leave. His hair was fluffy and that little bit of stubble across his chin was just... perfect. He was perfect.

'Yeah, yeah I'm ready, just coming in now.' He stepped out and made his way over to you.

'You ok? You seem a bit distracted.' His words, and how genuinely concerned he seemed, made your heart swell. So, too, did the way he gently rubbed your arms and looked directly at you.

'I'm absolutely fine, Benji, don't you worry,' you whispered. He smiled gently, and brought you into his arms for a hug. Your head was against his chest, just under his chin. You sighed contentedly, but couldn't help but wish that this hug meant more than it did. 'Love you, Benj.' Your voice was slightly muffled against his hoodie. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of your head.

'Love you longtime.' The words you often signed off each call, each FaceTime, each hangout with. They had rung true since the moment you first spoke them to each other, just as friends, but now... dare he think that they meant more? With you curled up in his arms, feeling so like you were exactly where you belonged, Ben decided to take the biggest risk of his life. 'Y/N, I need you to look at me when I tell you this.' You broke apart from his embrace, confused. 'As in, like, I really love you. Like I've loved you since we were 16, when I saw you in that puffy gown at prom. I've loved you at every movie night, every win, every loss, every transfer, every laugh, every heartbreak since then. And I know it's a massive risk telling you this, as I could be jeopardising our entire two decade long friendship, but I couldn't spend another day not telling you how I feel. If you don't feel the same, it's okay, and if you never want to see me again, I understand, I just...'

And then you kissed him. It felt like the only reasonable thing to do. You kissed him as if your life depended on it. You kissed him in a way that made you feel like you were going to run out of air, but it was so addictive that you didn't care. Not one bit. And he kissed you back, a small smile on his lips as he did so. It was 27 years worth of kisses, packed into one. It was the best first kiss of your life.

'I love you too, Benjamin. I just hate that it took so long for us to say it like that.' He chuckled and used his thumb to gently wipe away a tear that you didn't even realise was falling down your cheek.

'We've got the rest of our lives to say it. Might as well start now.' You giggled through your tears. How lucky were you to call this gorgeous man yours?

A chorus of cheers coming from the snug room broke off your magical moment. You had completely forgotten that Harv and Tom were even in the building.

'Yes Chilly!'

'About time, Chill!' You started to giggle delightedly, Ben bundling you back into his arms.

'Does this mean I get to pick the movie?' You asked cheekily, although your giggles turned to squeals as Ben started to tickle you. 'Oi! If I've been upgraded to girlfriend after 27 years, I'd expect the girlfriend privileges to start right from the off!' You continued to giggle and squeal as Ben tickled you relentlessly. Your arms found their way around Ben's neck and he pulled you in again for a sweet kiss, both of you grinning at each other in between kisses. In that moment, you'd never felt so loved, so cherished in your life. You knew right then and there that this was the man you would meet at the end of the aisle, the man you would one day welcome kids into the world with, the man you would grow old with.

As you and the boys settled into the sofa, you and Ben snuggled up together like two birds of a feather, you whipped out your phone to check your messages one last time. As you did so, a notification popped up:

Harv's Phone would like to AirDrop you a photo. Accept?

You clicked accept, and your heart instantly melted when you saw that it was a photo of you and Ben in the kitchen, big grins on both of your faces as you held each other. It was the sweetest photo anyone had ever taken of you, and you instantly set it as your new wallpaper.

An idea popped into your mind, and you went to message Leo. Attaching the photo to a message, you simply texted him:

So when you asked about Ben asking me out on a date...

You sent it, and he immediately responded with:

OMG!!!! So happy for you babe, that man will love you for the rest of your life. Xx

And you had absolutely zero doubt in your head that no truer words had ever been spoken.

[crow-winged-wolf]

I need motivation to finish and post my story. So... I'm posting the first "chapter" here, so peeps can criticize (Or go wild over!) my writing lol. Also, don't be surprised if black and white sketchy doodles crop up, a few scenes have stuck in my memory and I want to doodle them. Probably no color, but doodles yes lol. This chapter is called "Dinnertime" in my lineup of chapters, (Not ready to name drop the fic yet) It comes early in the story. The first full chapter that isn't the intro chapter. I truly hope you like it, you can read it below the cut. (Nothing NSFW, but the story as a whole is 18+. This chapter is PG 13 tho lol)

Dinnertime

She came into the dining hall to the sound of Lucanis busy at the kitchenette, Spite apparently over his shoulder and muttering something that was making Lucanis appear frustrated.

“No, stop suggesting that.” Lucanis growled, Rook catching his frustration.

“Spite, stop.” She commanded, the spirit looking up at her and scowling. She cocked an eyebrow at him, but couldn't tell if it helped at all as Spite grumbled something in her direction, but fell silent for the moment.

Lucanis sighed, shaking his head. “Thank you, but he's relentless today.”

“I'm sorry, I tried.”

“It's fine.” He nodded. “Do you need something? It's close to dinner, so I don't suggest eating anything, but if you want some coffee while you wait, I made a fresh batch.” He chuckled, motioning to the steaming coffee pot off to the side. Rook graciously took a mug, sipping at the slightly too hot liquid as she perched herself on the counter behind him.

Whatever Lucanis was cooking made her stomach ache with suddenly discovered hunger, her coffee now unsatisfying in comparison. She decided to strike up a conversation to distract herself from the hunger pains instead of just suffering in silence. “So, what were you and Spite arguing about before?” She asked as she rested her elbows on her knees, crossing her ankles and swinging them idly. It seemed like he wanted to answer her, but thought better of it and shook his head.

“Nothing that concerns you, Rook.” He mumbled.

“You sure?” She chuckled, Lucanis nodding hesitantly. “Okay.” She mumbled. For a Master Assassin, he was extremely transparent around her. “So, that smells amazing and somewhat familiar, what is it?” She asked, staring at the large pot of gently bubbling food. Lucanis hummed as he stepped away from his culinary creation, Rook watching in intrigue.

“I made chicken scampi, since I found out you are very much not a fan of fish.” He turned to find her sitting on the counter, looking rather proud of herself for being in his way. He wanted to be upset, but couldn’t quite summon the anger needed, instead settling her with a raised eyebrow. “It doesn't pair well with coffee, but… I have a few bottles of wine at the ready that work much better.”

Rook stilled, eyes flickering between the dinner simmering on the stove, and him. “You… you didn’t have to do anything special for me.” She stammered, sitting up slightly as he neared her.

“Yes I did.” A smirk pulled at his lips, Rook unable to suppress the smile that was trying to crack her face. She wasn’t used to anyone going out of their way for her when it came to her picky tastes, this was… good different.

“That sounds great, I'll tell the others!” Rook grinned, moving to get off the counter, but halting as he rested his hands on either side of her legs and leaned in close to her, caging her in.

“You’re on my counter.” He mused quietly with a smirk.

Rook smiled back, tipping her head to the side in unsaid defiance.“Well, you’re welcome to remove me, if you want.” Her voice was a low purr, her eyes darkening.

“Maybe I…” He stopped, eyes searching her face, then stepped back. “Sorry,” He breathed, Rook catching his wrists. Not again. He wasn't chickening out again. She pulled him into a hug, sighing over his shoulder.

“I’ll go tell the others dinner is ready.” She said morosely, Lucanis nodding. She waited until he hesitantly pulled away, sliding off of the counter and chancing another glance at him. She was close enough to just steal a kiss right now, but… She gently reached up, placing a hand at his collarbone. Hopefully that was enough for both of them. She saw his arm twitch, as if he wanted to place his hand over hers, but restrained himself. With a curt nod, she headed out of the dining area, Lucanis quietly watching her go.

I smell smoke. Meat charring.

“MIERDA!” Lucanis yelped, grabbing for the pot and stirring it, hoping it wasn’t actually burnt.

When she came back, it was with the majority of their companions, and to the sight of the table set for all of them, two plates in particular catching her eye. The wine glasses were already filled, the plates had food on them, they were side by side, and Lucanis was already sitting at one of them with his hands entwined and supporting his chin over it. He seemed deep in thought, sitting up straight when everyone came in. When Rook went to take a seat across from him, he gave her a disappointed look, glancing at the plate next to him.

Next to him? She circled around the table, pretending to examine the food in the pot before stopping in front of the set place setting. “Is that mine?” She asked gingerly in Antivan, glancing at the others to see if they noticed. He nodded shortly, Rook laughing quietly to herself. She set her hand on his shoulder as she swung her legs over the bench seat one at a time, sitting down and smiling clumsily at him. “Grazie.”

As she dropped her hand from his shoulder, he caught it under the table, leaning into her side. “We need to discuss your Antivan, you speak like an old nonna.” He murmured, his dialect different from hers and taking her a moment to recognize. Up until now, she knew he could speak Antivan, but didn’t know it was a different Antivan.

“Yes, it’s the same Antivan I’ve spoken since I was nine.” She laughed. “You’re the one mispronouncing shit.”

“Are you two gossiping about us in another language?” Harding giggled, looking between the two of them in a mock scolding manner. Both blushed as they shifted away from each other, a few of the others laughing at their reaction.

Dinner went by with fantastic company, and Rook discovering she loved chicken scampi. Lucanis was practically elated to see her devouring it so heartily and returning for seconds, many of their friends mentioning they weren’t used to the tiny Elf eating so much, but Nels didn’t care. This was amazing, and she was very vocal to Lucanis about it every chance she got. Mostly just to see him look embarrassed by the positive attention. She also had an inkling Spite was adding his own commentary too, as he was having difficulty looking at her at times.

When the others had left, she remained to help clean the dishes, Lucanis glancing at her out of the corner of his eye every now and again. “Is something wrong?” She laughed as she carefully dried the dish in her hands with the cloth, setting it on the pile to be put away.

“Curious about you.” He mumbled in Antivan, Rook stiffening.

“About?” She asked in Common, not playing into his game.

He gazed at her proper, a wry smile pulling at his lips. “Where did you learn Antivan? No one speaks like that.”

“Salle. Everyone in Salle speaks like that.” She laughed, Lucanis's brow furrowing. “What? I was a de Riva, this shouldn’t be a surprise to you. We de Riva live in Salle.”

He made a surprised noise in his throat, shaking off the shock and resuming his work on cleaning the dishes. “I forgot you were House de Riva. That makes sense.”

“How did you forget?” She giggled.

“It makes sense why you speak like a Nonna. Viago was your Talon.” He chuckled. “And you did tell me you were a de Riva while in the Ossuary. Unfortunately, I was focused on other things at the time.”

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense.” She nodded. “And I was House de Riva. I'm not as long as I'm exiled.” She murmured, her tone sad and pained. Lucanis noticed, smiling softly at her.

“We don't need to tell anyone, Rook de Riva.”

She laughed at how he rolled the r’s in her name, gazing up at him. “Well, as long as we are saying my name, it's actually Neliel de Riva.” She was partial to Nels, too, but one step at a time.

His smile grew wider, one eyebrow arching at her. “I was wondering. ‘Rook’ was a rather on-the-nose name for a Crow.” He dried his hands, holding one out to her. She took it cautiously, confusion etched across her face. “Lucanis Dellamorte.” He stated.

“I know who you are.” She laughed, even more confused.

“Yes, but did I introduce myself?” His smirk grew wider as Nels laughed louder.

“No you didn't. So Lucanis, and Spite.” She replied.

“And Spite.” He nodded in agreement, returning to washing the dishes.

“Who properly introduced himself by punching you in the face.” She muttered as Lucanis chuckled dryly.

You wouldn't let me. Talk to Rook. Spite grumbled.

“Yes.” He sighed.

“Has he done that recently?”

“No, he's gotten better since our agreement. Which reminds me, I should put a pot on.” He turned to attend to filling a pot with water and situating it on the stove, Nels looking around at the dining space. She remembered when they had first come to this place. Just the four of them. This whole area was dark, dirty, and lifeless. Shortly after Lucanis joined the group, he had it cleaned up and looking warm and inviting again. More chairs for the table, a fire in the hearth, and the pantry cleared out and replenished. She wandered over to the fireplace, turning a chair to face it and sitting down tiredly.

It was a rare moment of calm for her. She wasn't being called away, there were no urgent threats that she needed to attend to, no one was injured or dying. She could just sit and think. He caught the usually upbeat expression fade from her lips, her eyes dulling as the mask slipped and she set her arms on her knees and let her shoulders sag forwards. He knew that look all too well. She was tired. He wanted more than anything to bring her some form of comfort, perhaps tell her she could take the day off or something, but he knew that wasn't possible. The best he could do was gently hold out a mug of coffee to her, wishing to let his fingers start across her hand, her arm, her shoulder in support or comfort when she took it.

Instead, he pulled one of the other chairs over to sit in, close enough to count as company, far enough she was safely out of reach. She thanked him quietly for the coffee, blowing softly on the liquid before taking a sip.

~

Nels sighed forlornly as she crossed the small square, not entirely happy to have left the kitchen, both because it was dark, and because Lucanis was there. But she was exhausted, and falling asleep at the table was going to annoy him. And he would probably insist she use his cot if she was going to sleep, which would make her feel horrible for taking the only thing he could sleep on, even if it appeared painfully uncomfortable.

She winced as she searched for the source of the light. The fact that there was no day night cycle here was jarring. She was tired, but the light suggested it was the middle of the day. She waved tiredly at the Caretaker as he materialized at the base of the gaudy wolf statue, halting a moment later when he spoke.

“You are the only one to not shape your space to your needs.”

“Sorry?”

“No need to apologize, young traveler. Simply place your hand on the door and think about what you want.”

Neliel turned to regard the Caretaker properly. “Just… wish it into existence?”

“Yes.” Her eyes flickered to the dining area, the Caretaker noticing. “He requested repairs to the cooking area, more chairs for the table, and a chandelier. All fulfilled.”

“Ah. Well… thank you.” She mumbled, nodding. That room had been just a room she crashed in when exhausted for the longest time, it was going to be nice to have it feel more familiar. She dragged herself through the Lighthouse, pausing at the top of the hallway to her room, peering down the hall to the infirmary. She let out a short laugh as she drifted down that hall instead, pushing the door open slowly and letting it close behind her as she entered. “Varric? Hey, how are you feeling?”

~

“Neliel.” Spite rasped, the sound the closest to a pleased chirp he could manage.

“Yes, her name is Neliel.” Lucanis mumbled distractedly, trying to focus on his book.

“Nnnnnneliel.”

Lucanis rolled his eyes, glaring at the demon. “Are you going to keep repeating her name now?”

“Rook is easier. Neliel is prettier.” Spite purred, drifting closer to the door and reaching out. He recoiled from the barrier as the rune to keep him in activated, Spite frowning at the shock. Lucanis chuckled, shifting against the stone wall as he tried to pass the noise off as a cough. “You should visit Neliel.”

“No, I’m going to stay here.” He answered in that bored, flat tone again.

“She likes you. Won’t hurt you. Wants to be near you.”

Lucanis peered up from over his book at the demon. “Yes, I know.” He said slowly.

“Want to visit Rook.”

“Not tonight, Spite.”

“Not sleeping! Visit Rook! Neliel!” He advanced on Lucanis, stomping closer, his feet making no sound despite his attempt to be intimidating.

“Not tonight, Spite.” He said more forcefully, putting the book down to glare up at the demon, neither backing down. He might not have been as worried about being punched anymore, but he knew Spite had other ways of hurting him if he truly wanted.

“Not fair.” The demon pouted, crossing his arms and dropping to the ground like a child to sit in front of Lucanis.

“Sorry, Spite. A lot of things aren’t fair.” He mumbled. “We can visit later when everyone is waking up again. Or she might visit us.”

~

Nels was exhausted at this point as she dragged her feet down the hallway, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. Just a quick nap. She just needed to sleep for a few minutes. As she reached the door, she remembered what the Caretaker had said. Just… wish it? She pressed her forehead to the solid wood of the door, placing her palms on the worn surface, and closed her eyes. She wanted to be home. She wanted to be in her room again. The large bay window where her toxic garden grew, her bookshelves of stories and plants, the plush four poster bed with gentle indigo drapings, her sectioned off area for mixing her poisons… She really missed home. Fuck she missed home. She wanted her room in Salle back so bad. She had no idea if her belongings were even there anymore. Her plants were probably dead, her ingredients dried up, her bed repurposed for someone else to sleep in.

She sighed against the wood, opening her eyes slowly, staring at the dark grain in front of her face. She was foolish to think any part of the world would wait for her. That’s not how it worked, ever. She pushed the door open, sighing heavily and stumbling forwards to be met with that low, darkwood shelf, her trinkets littering the surface. As usual. Her eyes travelled up to… wait, was that her bed? The room was much different. In place of a fish tank, a hazy set of arched windows greeted her, a few empty pots littering the surface in front of it. Her bed sat against one wall, the ugly green couch stubbornly still in front of her with a shelf set along its back, but it seemed to fit in with the touches of green throughout the room. The walls were adorned with various Crow and plant related decorations where bookshelves didn’t cover, her new Antivan coffee press proudly displayed on a small cabinet to her right. Her direct left held her wardrobe and a chest for her weapons and weapon care.

What shocked her the most was the two side rooms. Two? One led to a washroom, complete with a tub, the other a small space with plenty of empty vials, decanters, tables, and wax. Makers blood, this was a poison mixing room. The whole place was reminiscent of her old room. She flopped down on the bed, moaning happily into the pillows. This could be her home. This was amazing. “Thank you!” She shouted at the ceiling, grinning wide enough to crack her face. This was what she needed.

[ultimate-trashy-blog]

DOOOOMMM WELCOME BACK I MISSED YOU

As always, thank you once again for putting me in the taglist. It’s something that i won’t stop thanking you for. I hope you’ve been well and was able to rejuvenate!

Idk where to even start with the story. I love to see y/n being able to be affectionate with the boys without it triggering anything. Seeing her being able to pat yeosang’s head and praising him with no hesitation still catches me off guard considering how they first started off. Y/n, Wooyoung, and San being in the same group is begging for a distraction so I’m glad yeosang was able to do his part lol Wooyoung is so real for wanting the Eiffel Tower after seeing Yunho and Jongho casually beating the Viper’s guards asses (I’m rooting for his dreams to come true lol). I would like to add how hot it was for them to get angry for y/n in the car. Honestly they all deserve the most sloppiest, toe curling, mouth watering— nothing but praise, love and respect with how much they care for her. I hope the answer Wooyoung gives y/n will help her overcome her trauma. She needs to be free from those shackles even just a little bit.

I’ll always be here waiting for another chapter. Please take your time and take care of yourself! Thank you for posting this chapter. You already know how I feel about your writing but I’ll shout it to the world if I have to. See you next time <3

C:IU CH 3

Chapter Three

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Pairing: Poly 0t8 Ateez x fem reader AU: Mafia/detective Genre: 18+ poly romance, action Word Count: Summary: "Threats" Warnings: 18+, gun violence, fist fighting, death threats, mentions of trauma, sex/suggestive talk AN: Dividers and banner made by me @potatographics. Usual beta readers tagged in masterlist! No editing done! Also- it has been a LONG time since i updated this series so if you are part of the taglist and do not wish to be notified anymore (i get it), comment and ill remove you from it <3

It wasn’t easy getting into the mindset of crime lords when their hearts were filled with turmoil over you, but the five men managed during the car ride.

At least until Mingi, in the driver seat, brought you up again. “So… I’m assuming everyone is aware of what the shitty fucker she went to see tried to do?” He winced at the feeling of Yunho digging his fingers into his thigh, glancing over and taking note of his tongue poking the inside of his cheek, an angry tell of his.

“And how aware are you of it, Malik?” Hongjoong spoke from the back, a hard edge to his tone as he sat between Seonghwa and Jongho. Their eyes met in the mirror and Mingi had the feeling he didn’t have the full story.

With a deep breath, he focused on the road. “I’m aware he tried to kiss her, but I didn’t press for more details, she was shaken up.”

“Oh he did more than that.” Jongho scoffed.

Now Mingi was even more confused, glancing at Yunho, then at Seonghwa, hoping one of them would clarify. It was the latter that spoke up. “He admitted to her face about- fuck I don’t even want to think about it- but I think it’s safe to say the only reason we don’t have one of Minjae’s men putting a hit out on this shitstain is because she wouldn’t want that… and we need his stupid fucking unit.”

“So you heard their conversation? Ah- I see.” Mingi didn’t know what was said but if it was enough for Seonghwa to be calling him a shitstain, then Mingi was all aboard the hate train. “Any idea why she was even there?”

Out of the four others, it was Jongho that spoke up. “Only an idea."

This had Hongjoong and Seonghwa turning to look at him in confusion, even the two in front were pretty shocked. “Well?”

The youngest didn’t meet any of their eyes. “She had been ranting to Yeosang about  wanting to arrest some of the guys that came into the bar and Yeosang explained that we can’t make any arrests ourselves unless they’re thought out otherwise it could backfire. She did ask if another unit made the arrest and handled the police work, if that was more viable.”

“Oh.” Hongjoong said it first, understanding where this was going. The rants they heard about through Yeosang were one of the few things that kept them hopeful you would come out on top of this whole situation; anger was a great motivator after all.

“That’s… not a bad plan actually. And she thought about that before knowing our plans.” Seonghwa smiled to himself, the pride and awe in his tone matched by Hongjoong’s grin.

“Well we’ll just have to carry it out won’t we? She tried it her way, we’ll try it our way.”

Mingi shivered at the undertone their leader spoke with, but no one protested. Instead, he pulled up to the quiet restaurant, taking note of a few cars on the street but that the building itself was dimly lit and only had two guards standing outside giving notice to what was about to go down. “Anyways, Viper time?”

The restaurant itself was a small mom and pop type that wasn’t even open in the evenings, they already had access to the camera’s inside and some audio thanks to their outfits and around the building with some bugs. The anonymity of the Black Pirates usually made it easy to scope out a place before a meeting, even if given just a few hours worth of notice. Having a tech genius on their crew also helped immensely, the buttons on their jackets and Yunho’s glasses serving as cameras and extra audio. They were nothing if not thorough.

After giving the okay to Yeosang to connect to the car and their personal devices, Yunho was the first out of the car followed by Jongho, Seonghwa, then Hongjoong. As driver, Mingi stayed behind, also to keep an eye out in case an ambush or backup was called. Or worse: police.

Their demeanor shifted, Yunho behind the duo leaders while Jongho was in the front, stepping up to the guards and introducing them as the Pirates. He showed off his fingers as if to confirm, then the four were led inside.

Only a handful of men were in the restaurant, quite a few tables pushed aside but four men sat at one in the center, with a handful of guards around the room.

“Total of ten guards. Six here, two up front and two in the back.” Yeosang's voice rang in their ears.

“We already have four men not far from the back entrance, the two in the kitchen will be easiest to take out if things get dicey. The Leaders have a car out back with a driver so that would be their escape route. Sang is tapping into their communications now.” San added on followed by some chatter in the background.

It was maybe a relief when the four heard your voice, calm and focused. “The guard on the left behind the men- he comes into the club a lot. Likes flirting with one of the girls, Cherry. Woo says he's a huge gambler and owes the Boa’s money. He'd probably turn his back on them to pay those fees.”

Of course they couldn't reply, but a glance at one of the cameras from Hongjoong told the four watching they understood. 

Jongho and Yunho pulled the chairs out and had Seonghwa and Hongjoong sitting the next second.

The buffer of the four men sitting scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You expect us to believe you're the leader of the Pirates?”

“Do you want proof?” Hongjoong hummed out with a tilt of his head, eyeing the man down. “Because if you won’t be serious about these negotiations, we can leave and you can pay us the original amount you owe us within a month.” He moved as if to get up, just for the brute to get elbowed by the more slender man next to him, shooting him a venomous glare.

From left to right, it was the head of their prostitution, the actual head of the Vipers -who appeared decently older than the rest-, the brute who was in charge of the fight ring and last, the lanky man responsible for their drugs. Hongjoong cared more about the leader, since this was his first appearance- though that was their main goal. 

A face means they can find who he is outside of the Vipers. Even if that was all they got from this meeting, it was enough.

“Already have his face being run through our data, Captain.” The techie announced even if he didn't need to. Hongjoong knew he would, he trusted him.

If Yeosang managed to cough up any useful information, they could have even more leverage to make sure this meeting went just as they wanted.

He eyed the four of them, gaze harsh on the brute that had dared to question them. “Let us get right into it then. Mars.” He motioned towards Seonghwa who a moment later pulled a folder out from his bag under the leather cape.

Once it was in Hongjoong's hands, he was quick to place it on the table facing the other four. A contract with listed payments and pictures of the properties that they wanted as well. “We don't expect all of these, but these are the options you have. Our listed conditions in the contract however are non-negotiable.”

“A contract? You can't be serious?” The head of the fight ring scoffed again, not at all intimidated by the glares he received.

“We very much are. We take our work seriously, as well as what we are owed. You were warned our help was not going to be free. Or cheap.” Seonghwa added, pointing with a leather clad finger to the contract. “Three of the 6 properties. Different percentages of our cut on products. You get use of one of our docks, as well as contacts of smugglers willing to extend their contract with us to include you. We'll supply some men to make up for the losses you took, but we have free reign to scout any of your existing men as well.”

Staring at the monitors before you, the rest of the talk fell on deaf ears after Seonghwa had said that. The three around you were still laser focused on the screens, listening to the negotiations though only Seonghwa and Hongjoong did most of the talking. You stood right behind Yeosang, San to your left and Wooyoung to your right, the mic in front of you picking up any conversation the four of you had.

Wooyoung had praised them for their location choices, though you couldn't see what they were without leaning in closer and pressing your chest to the back of Yeosang's head; not that it mattered to you right now.

You were still reeling from the weight of Seonghwa's words. “Does that mean…” you whispered, drawing the attention of the two flanking you, “they can get you out of there safely?”

The fear that had risen up when the small war between the Red Wolves and Green Vipers had jeopardized San’s life had never gone away. You hadn’t dared to ask Hongjoong what he planned to get him out, afraid you would not like the answer at all. 

Now you had it. The alliance between the Pirates and Vipers was a perfect opportunity to pull San out without blowing his cover or causing any harm. The most efficient way as well, as he could still technically fight if he needed. Not that you wanted him to. “You tell me, sweetcheeks? What does that pretty brain of yours think it means?” San replied, his tone playful and you could hear the smirk in his words as well.

That was enough of a confirmation for you however, reaching for his hand on instinct as your expression softened. “You’re going to be safe now?”

San took your hand, fingers lacing with yours and his calloused thumb brushing over the back of your hand.

“I wouldn’t say safe- nothing about this job is safe Goddess.” Wooyoung felt the need to tease, bursting your bubble a bit.

San shot him a glare over your shoulder, moving a bit closer to you as his gaze settled back on yours. “While he has a point, I know what you mean. Yes it means they can get me out of immediate danger. So you don’t have to worry any more.”

Relief flooded you, muscles relaxing and letting out a breath that seemed to take some of the tension in your body with it. “I’m glad.” Still holding his hand, you tugged him a bit closer until you were side by side enough you could lean your head on his shoulder. You didn’t think about it, just did it, embracing the warmth radiating off him.

Wooyoung whined behind you, the screens forgotten for the moment. “Be touchy with meee~"

“No.” But you had a smile on your lips as he poked at your arm. “Focus baby boy.”

He sighed, but didn’t relent on the poking even as he turned his attention to the screen. “You guys should hurry up, I’m being deprived of attention now.”

“I don’t think now is the time for such banter, Woo.” Yeosang hissed up at him, motioning to the screens. It seemed you had missed an escalation of sorts as one of the Viper leaders was now standing and leaning over the table, glaring down at Hongjoong.

Hongjoong who was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, and a smug look on his face as he peered up under the hat at the man twice his size it seemed.

Even through the screen you could feel the tension, the charged atmosphere that would snap at the sound of a pin drop.

“I wouldn’t be acting so smug, little hobbit.” The brute snarled at the Captain, the next second 6 guns aimed at the four of your men.

Fear washed through you, detaching yourself from San’s arm and leaning against the back of Yeosang’s head to see the screen clearer. The man seemed unphased, fingers moving across his board as he was doing something on another screen- your eyes didn’t stray from this one.

“Easy baby, they’re going to be fine.” San attempted to reassure you, his hand sliding over your back, hesitating only when you flinched at the initial contact. “The vipers aren’t that dumb.”

As if to back up what he said, the leader of the four lifted two fingers and the guns were lowered. “No need for that, K, they aren’t a threat.” The man was pulled back to his seat by the viper next to him.

“Would you take us more seriously if we were?” It was Yunho who finally spoke up, a tick in his jaw you could see even in the dim light of the restaurant and camera quality. He was pissed, and now you wondered what you had missed.

What had been said or at least insinuated that would have Yunho staring at the men as if he was ready to kill them?

Nothing was said between the four leaders, but the first man, the head of their prostitution, nodded.

Your eyes widened in shock at what proceeded to play out on the screen. Yunho was quick, dashing around the table and disarming and knocking two of the six guards down, shot another in the knee with the newly acquired gun, and then tossed them to Seonghwa. Seonghwa had caught them with ease and pointed them directly at the two of the leaders that had stood up in the duration of Yunho’s actions: one at K, the other at the head of prostitution.

Jongho was much less graceful, the first guard he disarmed, he simply broke his wrist, resulting in a garbled cry as he took a hit to the stomach. He barely hit the floor before Jongho was swinging a punch at the next guard, grabbing his gun. This one was smarter, letting the gun go and bringing his fist up, connecting with Jongho’s cheek. He got one more hit in before Jongho started his own assault, handling him while he tossed the guns towards Yunho.

Who immediately pointed them both at the remaining guard. The one you had pointed out earlier. Yunho mouthed something to the man that had him dropping his gun in surrender and getting on his knees. Yunho kicked it away from everyone before pointing the guns to the back of the other two leader’s heads, while Jongho knocked out the guard then put the one who surrendered into a hold.

It had happened within half a minute, leaving you stunned.

“Still think we aren’t a threat?” Hongjoong mused, still in the same position he had been in before the brute had sat down. You didn’t relax until the guns were lowered and Yunho and Jongho were standing next to Seonghwa and Hongjoong again. Though relaxed wasn’t the right word; less on edge. There was blood on the side of Jongho’s face, probably from a cut that he wasn’t attending to. It raised the intimidation factor for sure, keeping the others in check.

“It’s always hot how those two handle things.” Wooyoung muttered under his breath, snapping your attention to him. Once your initial concern wore off, laughter bubbled out of your throat and fell from your lips. Small, choked giggles really. “What?! You can’t tell me it’s not hot?”

“I think you’re the only one who finds it hot when we pulverize someone.” San teased from the other side of you, laughing under his breath. “Looks like it’s settled now so no more fighting on their end.”

Wooyoung whined at that, a cute pout on his lips. “Damn. I was hoping Yunho could get a little bloody too. Maybe if they’re worked up enough I can finally get that eiffel tower I’ve been praying-”

“Wooyoung!” Both you and San gasp out while Yeosang looks up at him horrified. The culprit didn’t look the slightest bit ashamed however. “We can talk about this later.” San added on.

The man didn’t seem done with his fun though, leaning in towards you and whispering. “Don’t let him fool you, Sannie gets all worked up after a fight himself. The van we used for his cover- Sangie refuses to listen in because we fucked in it so much at first.”

The hiss behind you and Wooyoung’s pride at his words just had more laughter bubbling up from your chest. “Oh my god, I can believe that. You’re such a slut, it’s cute.” You bipinched his cheeks, not at all realizing you felt a bit lighter.

Not until you turned back to the screen and found Yeosang with his head back, looking up at you with a soft smile. A smile that was mirrored on the other two’s faces. Heat rushed up your neck and burned your cheeks as your focus narrowed in on the screen. It did seem to be going smoother, and Jongho did look fine despite the blood on one side of his face…

You didn’t let yourself hope until the four men were signing the contracts provided, the leader shaking hands with Hongjoong. The older man paled when Hongjoong said a name, but he recovered quickly. So Yeosang had found out about him. When had he told Hongjoong? Perhaps when you were distracted.

“Good job Sangie.” You patted his head gently none-the-less, feeling as if he deserved the praise in the moment.

“Just doing my job… they’ll be coming back soon.” Yeosang didn’t look up, but you assumed he was a bit bashful. He never took your praise well.

Before you could lay more praise on, you were being pulled back by Wooyoung. “So- Sangie can handle it from here. Let’s get a medkit ready for bear and I should have enough time to tell you a story! How about a story of a wickedly handsome rogue spy and the very beautiful and badass cop who wins his heart?”

“Heard that one before.” You teased, knowing damn well he was talking about him and you. “How about… the one of the two undercover morally grey hotties that infiltrate an illegal fight ring?”

Wooyoung perked up at that. “Oh? Are you curious about the van stories? Could always recreate the scene for you.” He was leading you over to the kitchen that also had some medical supplies in one of the cabinets.

With a glance back at San who was still with Yeosang, a soft smile tugged at your lips. “Something like that. I never wanted to ask about the undercover part, just in case it worsened my fear of San’s inability to get out of the mess. But now… I’d like to know more. How it started. Why San. And yes, maybe about this van.”

Setting the kit down on the counter, Wooyoung continued to pull out more needed items. “You know, San told you it was purely sexual the day I kissed him in front of you… you know that’s a lie right?” He was nonchalant with it, but it reminded you of the day regardless. Your surprise when this new person kissed the man you were getting attached to. “When we started this mission, it was a turning point for us. I know he told you I saved him or whatever, but I don’t think the shackles really fell for him until the Vipers.”

Realizing there was more to the story than an undercover identity and a lot of sex in a van, you sat down on one of the stools, all your attention on the man across from you. There were a lot of reasons this piqued your interest, but none greater than the need to know how San broke free of his trauma.

Maybe it could give you the answers to break free of your own. “Tell me.”

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[lostinthewoodsomewhere]

Finish this piece of work, get it sent off, then I can reward myself by re-visiting Jesse in Night Springs... maybe some Control... I miss her...

[sweetandglovelyart]

I decided to try designing a Metadede child and a Taransusie child, this is Meta Knight and Dedede’s daughter Cintia and Taranza and Susie’s daughter Clover. Before anyone asks how they exist, my lore for them is that both of them are clones, but instead of being cloned from one person they’re cloned from a combination of two people. I have more backstory about them and explanations for their names under the cut.

I wanted to give Cintia a moon-themed name (because of the moon theme in the final battle against Meta Knight and Dedede in Kirby Fighters 2), and I also wanted her to have a Spanish name because of Meta Knight’s accent in the anime. However, I didn’t want to call her Luna since she’s a princess and I didn’t want anyone to confuse her with the My Little Pony character Princess Luna. Cintia is the Spanish version of Cynthia, which means moon/is related to the moon goddess Artemis, so I called her that instead of Luna. The little gold and black design on her crown is supposed to be a crescent moon to further convey the moon theme. I feel like Meta Knight would call her by her full name most of the time but he might call her “mija” (“my daughter” in Spanish) or “pingüinita” (“little penguin” in Spanish) as a little affectionate nickname lmao, Dedede and most of the other characters would just call her Cindee.

For Clover, I wanted to give her a floral/plant themed name since she’s the princess of Floralia (in my AU of things Taranza becomes the king of Floralia after the events of Triple Deluxe, so that makes Clover a princess). Four leaf clovers are also symbols of good luck, and each leaf of a four leaf clover represents luck, faith, hope, and love, so I thought that it would be a nice meaningful name for her. Her full name is Clover Maxine Haltmann, she has Susie’s last name since Taranza doesn’t have one and her middle name is Maxine in honor of her grandfather Max.

Clover is the first one to be cloned, when Taranza and Susie are engaged and are preparing for their wedding. They go visit another planet to establish diplomatic relations between Floralia and the aliens on that planet, and after they mention that they’re getting married soon the aliens ask them if they’re planning to have kids. Taranza and Susie explain that they can’t have kids the usual way since they’re different species and that wouldn’t work, but the aliens are experts at cloning and have technology that allows them to clone children for couples who are different species. The aliens clone Clover as a wedding gift for Taranza and Susie, not realizing that the two of them saying that they couldn’t have kids didn’t necessarily mean that they wanted to have kids lmao… it all works out though, Taranza and Susie didn’t expect to get Clover but they’re still happy to have her and they return to Popstar with her. After seeing Clover, Dedede and Meta Knight decide that they want to have a kid, so they go visit the aliens and ask them to clone one for them, and that’s where Cindee comes from. I drew Cindee and Clover as little kids here so I could give them some outfits and convey their personalities a bit, but I’ll have to draw them again as babies.

[hauntingblue]

Robin being scary collection

Kinda love how her eyes turn like mihawk's...

Luffy hitting crocodile with his blood will never not be hard af

Luffy ily part 746

Nami is asking Vivi to come with her and see all the world together.... I know it

Luffy and sanji in here.... Dumb of Ass and Kind of Heart (interchangable)

[chuluoyi]

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄

- sylus x reader

more than friends with benefits, definitely lovers. your relationship is one filled with banters, steamy nights, and secret strings attached... but when someone shows an interest in you, sylus won't hesitate to stake his claim for everyone to see

genre/warnings: 18+ suggestive content—minors do not interact!—jealousy, crack, fluff, smut, a dash of comfort, assassin!reader (not l&ds mc)

note: loosely a sequel to strictly (un)professional. how this snowballed into 3.8k... i don't really know :')

“Missus, please spare us!”

You shot an unamused look at the twins before you, who clasped their hands together, pleading for you to let them go.

“Why is it so difficult for both of you to say?” you hissed, crossing your arms together. “I’m not asking for much—just a recount of what happened!”

“Boss will have our tongues for this!” Kieran looked up at you, quivering. “No way, I want to live!”

“He’s terrifying…” Luke shuddered in fear, hugging himself. “You don’t know how frightening he is!”

You were holding both Luke and Kieran hostage, the tender preys, all because Sylus refused to reveal what you had been wanting to know these past few weeks.

“So you’re afraid of Sylus…” You fixed them with a steely glare. “But have you ever thought that if you don’t spill it now, I will be the one taking both your tongues?”

“—?! Missus, please!”

“Why are you bullying the twins?” A deep voice cut through the twins’ pitiful laments, and you let out an exasperated huff as your chance slipped away once more.

Speak of the devil, and Sylus shall appear. He looked at the scene before him as if you were all a bunch of kindergarteners.

Luke and Kieran immediately flocked to him. “Boss! Save us! She’s scary!”

And now you were suddenly the scary one. You rolled your eyes. "Your henchmen are useless."

Sylus glanced at you with a half smile, knowing what information you were squeezing the twins for. "Sweetie, just give it up. You'll find peace faster that way."

Was it wrong to be curious about what Sylus had been up to during the three weeks you were unconscious after the attack that literally took your life? Why was he being so secretive about it anyway?

“I know, you were so worried sick you didn’t even eat or sleep,” you taunted your lover with a wicked smile. “That’s why you won’t tell me about it.”

Sylus laughed outright. “Pftt. You’ve got quite the imagination. Good to know.”

Nothing much changed after that night of his confession—if you could call it that—to you. You were indeed no longer strictly his bedwarmer, but your banters stayed the same, if not even more sarcastic now.

“Chop chop, we have an auction to go to, sweetie.” Sylus placed his big hand on your head, amused. “Stop being a hissy kitten towards the poor twins and get ready, hmm?”

“I’ll definitely uncover it,” you shot him a resentful glare. “Just you wait and see.”

Such were your days with your true kindred-spirits lover. He would tease you during the day and turn you into a hot mess at night, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

In tonight's auction, you had one target: the broker for a new rising star firearms dealer. Sylus had been eyeing him, deducing his goods could be a nice addition to his armory.

And so, you went up to him. However...

“...Are you single, miss?”

Here we go again.

You forced a tight smile. “Sir, I’d appreciate it if we can stick to subject at hand.”

The man blinked, then quickly plastered on a wide grin to mask his surprise. “Oh yes! Yes, I-I’m sorry, I got distracted— well, I’d say this is a pretty solid MoU... but I’ll need to contact my boss first.”

This weirdo... you thought with boredom, is so transparent.

This wasn’t the first time you’d dealt with a situation like this. Granted, you were pretty and you knew it, but usually, more distinguished men would be a bit more subtle about it.

“Take all the time you need,” you encouraged smoothly, your eyes crinkling in an attempt to look friendly. “As you can see, Mr. Sylus has proposed the perfect bargain for this kind of dealings.”

“I wouldn’t argue with that. I assure you we’ll certainly try to accommodate his request.” The man nodded and gave you a meaningful look, before coughing awkwardly. “Uh, sorry, what was your name again, miss?”

Your faux smile remained perfectly still as you replied, “Mephisto.”

The man’s eyes roved over you, and he grinned roguishly. “Right. Still, I never expected Mr. Sylus’ secretary to be as beautiful as you, Miss Mephisto...”

This was tedious. Your patience was tested with every leering look he gave you. Sylus must know this already, and he's somewhere laughing at the sight of you dealing with this creep.

“You flatter me too much, I’m average.”

“No, no! I mean it!”

He knows... yet he wouldn't do anything about it. Not that you would expect Sylus to barge in like a man blinded by envy, but still, he was insufferable for not coming to you just like he had for Miss Hunter back then.

The man kept droning on and on about himself and everything else that had nothing to do with the business deal, and you were this close to dropping him and using your Evol to shut him up when—

He then turned to you expectantly. “Oh, there is a dance! Miss, would you mind if I have your first dance?”

“Oh...”

And it occurred to you... why not spice things up a little?

Sylus’ dark crimson eyes narrowed silently as he watched both of you from the island table while savoring his glass of wine, before he let out a loud snort.

That vermin doesn’t have a clue he is playing with fire.

For most of your interaction, the firearms dealer’s broker kept giving you suggestive looks, and occasionally brushing his hand against yours on purpose. He wasn't even trying to hide it, and it was amusing to see how aggravated you looked the entire time.

Adorable. Sylus found you incredibly endearing these days, from your pouts to your glazed eyes whenever he thrusted into you—

You were oh so delectable… at least until he saw you holding that lesser man's arm, as he led you to the dance floor.

A deep frown immediately formed in his forehead.

“What are you scheming now?” Sylus scowled, half exasperated and half in disbelief. “You naughty cat.”

He was even more irked when he saw how casually you wrapped your arms around that vermin, twirling and pressing yourself against him in a waltz. Seeing him trying to hit on you was one thing, but for you to reciprocate was just plain unacceptable.

—and to his ire, your audacity continued throughout the night.

. . .

“Miss Mephisto, do you play pool?”

“I do.”

“Then, will you play with me?”

Sylus was now burning with tendrils of anger, watching you from a closer corner. He had seen the broker put his hands on you so many times that he had lost count—during the dance, mingling with other guests, and while sharing hearty laughs. All in all, you were acting as if you had forgotten he was even here.

You were threading on a very thin ice and whether you realized it or not... you didn't seem to care.

"Ah, I think your stance is a bit off..." And to make it worse, the broker was definitely seizing every chance he could, as there was nothing wrong with your form—you often accompanied Sylus playing pool, so you were a pro—and yet he still got behind you, trying to drape his arms around your body.

That was the last straw. Enough is enough.

Before Sylus realized what he was doing, he stormed over to where you were, yanked your arm forcefully, and effectively separated you from him. He didn’t give a damn about the horrified shout from the broker or the judging looks from other partygoers as he dragged you by the hand out of the ballroom.

“Sylus!” you nearly shrieked when he kicked open a door to a meeting room and locked it with his black-red mist. He pinned you against the wall, and crashed his lips against yours in a searing kiss.

“Mmph!” You tried pushing him back, but he was stronger and held you in place, his tongue forcing your lips open as he pressed the back of your head toward him. His other hand slipped inside your dress—between your legs— two fingers in—

“—!” you couldn't even squeal as he devoured your mouth and the shock set in, feeling yourself getting aroused by the minute when his fingers did that scissoring thing and edged you further.

After he was done with your mouth, his hot lips trailed down to your neck and shoulder blades, sucking hard on several spots, making you gasp and moan.

"Hah... this... is the price to pay for testing me, sweetie," your lover growled his nickname for you with satisfaction as he noticed you trembling body, nibbling on your shoulder. "You want to get punished so badly, huh?"

"Ahh..." you threw your head back, clinging to him, grinding yourself against his fingers.

"Is it funny to you? Watching me see him touch you?" Sylus' unforgiving ruby eyes stared down at you like a lion eyeing its prey. "What an insolent little kitten you are..."

His fingers kept moving and thrusting inside you in an alarming speed, mercilessly hitting that one spot that could make you cry. He was seriously teaching you a lesson by forcing you to come undone right then and there.

"I-I...!" you tried to refute, but then you felt the knot inside you burst, and in the next second, you could feel yourself coming all over his fingers, shuddering, your breaths coming in pants.

Feeling faint, relief washed you when he pulled out his fingers. You leaned and clung onto him, pulling him closer, and Sylus finally saw what a mess he had turned you into.

Your glassy eyes focused solely on him, seemingly pleading—and those swollen lips, as well as the sizzling heat creeping up your cheeks—

“Ha,” he let out a low chuckle, a wicked grin curling his lips. “If I can still make you look like this, then I suppose I can forgive you.”

“You’re a meanie,” you mumbled breathlessly.

“You’re the mean one,” Sylus tutted with narrowed eyes, starting to pull away from you.

But then you pulled him close again and pressed your lips to his, this time with a gentleness that surprised him.

There was no malice or burning desire in your kiss. Strangely, it felt far more intimate. You pulled away, the heart-stopping swirls of his red eyes captivating you as you pressed your foreheads together.

“Needy, aren’t you, sweetie?” Sylus whispered, holding your gaze, his breath hot against your skin.

But right now, all of a sudden, you looked so vulnerable to him, as if any wrong word from his lips would shatter you. It made him almost feel guilty for manhandling you so roughly.

You didn’t respond, just wanting this closeness with him. Behind your snarky words and little schemes, this was what you wanted more than the release you just got. Sometimes, you still worried—did he want this too?

“What is it?” Sylus asked with a frown, seemingly concerned. “Talk. Tell me.”

“Nothing…” you replied in a small voice.

“Do you feel sick? Want to go back?”

You shook your head.

You weren’t usually this quiet. Sylus couldn’t help being restless at your sudden change. It felt awkward for him to do what he was about to do next, but instinctively, he figured it would comfort you a bit.

You felt a pang in your heart when he pulled away, but in the next instant, a wave of warmth enveloped you as he pressed you to him, burying your head against his sturdy chest.

For someone who deals with blood and gore, your body felt too soft and fragile, yet still fit perfectly in his arms. Though he had held you and made love to you many times before, it was only now that he truly noticed how small you were.

“You’re warm…” you murmured, your voice carrying a hint of a whine.

So needy and pliant… for him.

“My woman is such an enduring mystery.” Sylus mused, sounding almost as if he were lamenting. “Sometimes she’s a brazen kitten without a shred of shame, but then she pulls stunts like this.”

Your heart picked up the pace. You are... his. That was right. You were his woman in every sense of the word now, and he wasn't shying away from it.

But to cover your embarrassment, you could only come up with, “Can you not refer to me as cat...?”

He shot you an irked glance. “No.”

“He calls me by your bird’s name.”

“...”

“Sylus, you can’t murder him. Your deal will go down the drain.”

“Tch.” Sylus blew out an annoyed sigh, glaring at you. “By the time I get back here, you’re going back with me.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yes, yes.”

Honestly you were exhausted, and you wanted to nothing more than a good sleep. But you couldn't just leave the broker without preamble because this deal depended on him, and Sylus too had some loose ends he had to tie before the two of you left.

Strangely, all eyes were on you when you returned to the ballroom. You wondered why as you navigated the crowd until you met the broker you had fooled in so many ways.

“Oh, Miss Mephisto, you’re back!” he was visibly and utterly drunk, and you cringed at the strong smell of alcohol on his breath. But then you noticed his eyes seemed to be fixated on your—

Neck. You realized in horror.

“Oh... hic, t-that... I-I see,” he blabbered, coughing awkwardly as he stared at the marks on your neck. “Miss... so that man is... y-your lover...?”

“Uh...” It was a wonder he didn’t recognize Sylus at first glance. Perhaps it was because he was so infamous, but it astounded you how this person couldn’t even tell that it was him.

"I-I thought... w-we..." he hiccupped again heartbrokenly, before snatching a glass on the table. "Oh, I need more drink!"

You observed him, half cringing. "Sir, I just want to remind you that once the documents are signed—"

"Yeah, yeah! It will be done by the end of the week!" he yelled at you. "Miss, how about you have a drink too!?"

Suddenly, a glass of gin was shoved into your hand, and you let out an irritated sigh. Yeah, he might be right. A glass of alcohol would help you sleep better tonight, you figured, so you chugged it down.

"Huh...?" And it didn’t take you long to realize something was amiss. The dizzying sensation set in far too quickly, you felt so hot, and you had to lean on the table next to you to keep from falling.

“Are you okay...?” a waitress asked you with concern, but the only sound you could hear was your own violent heartbeat. Before you knew it, the glass in your hand slipped from your grasp and crashed into the floor.

"Oh, miss! Are you okay?!" the broker suddenly got a hold over your body. "Oh! It seems you aren't feeling well! Let me escort you to you room!"

Room? You barely discerned what happened when he led you out of the crowd. Your head spun terribly, and then suddenly throbbed, making you clutch it and cry out in pain, "Ah!"

It didn't make sense, no matter how you saw it. You had a pretty good tolerance, so for you to get hungover from a gin was just—

“Oh, does it hurt much?” he suddenly asked in your ear, making you shiver. “Don’t worry... it'll be bearable soon enough... I’ll make sure you will feel good…”

It's him! You realized. He spiked your drink!

His arms were now locking yours, steering you to go into the elevator. You took a deep breath before directing your speech manipulation evol on him— "Let go!"

He was immediately jerked away from you, but as a result, you almost crumpled, your vision swimming and your head pounding intensely. The pain made you feel close to passing out, and yet you managed to trek forward, leaning on the wall for support.

You had to get away from him before he could catch up to you. Panic set in, and when strong arms caught you, you convulsed, thinking he had grabbed you—

“Stop thrashing!”

“S-Sylus...?” You looked up, trying to focus on his face, but everything was so blurry.

“I’m here.” His voice was ragged, and you’d recognize it anywhere. “What happened to you? Are you hurt?”

“M-my head...” Your voice came out as a broken whimper, clutching at your throbbing head. “Hurts...”

You were feverish, trembling against his hold, and you reeked of alcohol. Sylus instantly realized something was seriously wrong and pressed your head into his chest to provide comfort. “Just a little bit longer—” his deep voice carried a subtle hint of alarm as he hoisted you up to his arms. “Hang on, alright?”

But just as he was about to bring you back, he caught the sight of a fleeing silhouette in the corner, and realizing who it was, his right eye blazed, black and red mist swirled in the air and restrained the broker, engulfing his screams.

“S-spare me! P-please!” the man pleaded tearfully, pinned on the ground, and Sylus approached him silently, looking down at him with so much spite in his eyes.

“A roach that doesn’t seem to know his place…” The corners of his lips twisted into a sadistic smile. “Whether you survive or not depends on you. Best hope you’ll last.”

Despite his pleas, he paid it no mind as he walked away with you in his arms.

When you awakened, your head was no longer pounding.

It took you a moment to realize there was a cool compress on your forehead, you were now in a clean oversized sweater, and someone was holding your hand.

Sylus. You looked up to find him asleep, sitting with his back against the headboard beside you. It was rare to catch him sleeping. In this moment, he looked defenseless, yet a faint frown lingered on his handsome face.

Has he been waiting for you like this, holding your hand all night...?

You tried to get a better look at him, but the rustle seemed to wake him up instead, as his eyes cracked open.

“You awake?” he asked, voice so sultry it woke all your senses up. “I was just shutting my eyes.”

“Aren’t you uncomfortable sleeping like that?” you asked.

Sylus turned toward you, his eyes still hazy from sleep. “What about you? Feeling better?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He placed a hand on your head, ruffling your hair gently.

“Really, you...” His stare was so withering it made question marks appear in your head. “I took my eyes off you for one minute, and you ended up with alcohol poisoning?”

“—? I didn’t know! But wait, what happened to that bozo?”

Sylus gave you a deadpan look, and you gasped. “You… didn’t kill him and have his body secretly disposed of, did you?”

“Just who do you think I am?”

“…a kingpin of an illegal syndicate?”

Your lover’s scowl deepened further at your response. “Nah, he got lucky. I only returned him with a broken jaw, broken hips, and two missing teeth.”

“Sylus!”

If he looked sleepy before, now he definitely looked wide awake. Sylus always sleeps at dawn, and you wanted him to rest more than anything, but now you were itching to ask him...

“Say... were you waiting for me while sitting like this too when I wasn’t conscious for three weeks?” You avoided his gaze, the question burning on your lips. Sylus had never given you a straight answer whenever you asked him about this.

This time too, he grumbled, “Why do you keep asking that?”

“Because I can’t ask Luke and Kieran, they look as if you’d set them on fire.”

Sylus went silent, not giving you any affirmation at all, and you huffed and unclasped his hand, pursing your lips together. “I see. You don’t care about me at all. Noted.”

You heard him sigh, before his red eyes squarely landed on you.

“When I was shot, you worried about me even when you know I’m going to be alright,” he suddenly posed the question on you. “Didn’t you?”

You nodded, and he tousled your hair again—the action alone somehow made you feel warm.

“Whatever you felt that day, that’s the same to what I went through during those three weeks. Multiply it by ten.”

“Huh!?” you rose up from the sheets in surprise, facing him.

Sylus then turned away from you, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. “That’s it, sweetie. I’m going back to sleep now.”

“Wait!”

You scrambled into his lap, clinging to his shoulder. Sylus begrudgingly opened his eyes again, a look of irritation on his face. “What?”

Multiply it by ten…? Heh. At this moment, you felt light and giddy, knowing that the two of you were now true lovers in every way that mattered even when you were faced with his sourness.

“Don't scowl too much!” you giggled merrily. You placed your fingers on the corners of his lips, gently lifting them to force a smile. “Honesty suits you much better, Sylus. It’s recommended.”

This cheeky woman... Sylus never thought the day would come for him to experience these myriad of emotions, much less for them to be incited by you.

He pulled you close, one arm around your hips and the other around the back of your head. Your lips met his in a passionate kiss that left no room for further conversation, only parting when you both needed to catch your breath.

“If you want me to, then don’t make me relive those nights,” he said with a sly smile, his crimson eyes glinting in the light and his voice like silk against your ears. “Can you?”

His tone softened your gaze, a warm sensation spreading through your chest. You responded with a playful snort, wrapping your arms around his neck and giving him another peck on the lips.

After your innocent make-out session, you nestled closer to him with a contented sigh, savoring the reassuring warmth of his embrace as you both drifted off again into the morning.

Epilogue

"Do you hear anything?"

"No, nothing..."

Luke and Kieran whispered amongst themselves as they tried to hear anything of importance beyond Sylus' bedroom. After their boss went back home with you passed out in his arms last night, they had totally expected the worst.

“Seems like she’s alright then…” Kieran concluded, stepping away from the door. “We should just go. If Boss catches us, we’re dead.”

The twins backed away from the door and went back to the living room, sighing in relief.

"But honestly, Boss has changed lately, hasn't he? He looks kinder, somehow."

"Are you sure, Luke? Maybe it's just when he looks at the missus. With us, meh."

“I still get chills thinking about when he destroyed the Protofield to dust after he found her following the explosion,” Luke gazed off in wonder. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, but it was also heartbreaking—especially when he tried to wake her and realized she was beyond help because the steel had pierced her heart…”

Luke and Kieran went quiet at the memory.

“Anyhow!” Kieran suddenly exclaimed. “All’s well that ends well! To be honest, I totally saw it coming that they'd end up together!”

“Ooh, you're right! They did a bad job of hiding it too, no less! I mean, one time, the missus came out of his room while—”

As the twins gossiped about their master and mistress, they were unaware that Mephisto the crow, perched nearby, was dutifully recording their conversation and would report it all to his master later.

[yoyomomiko]

I love your writing so much aaaa (⁠ﾉﾟ⁠0ﾟ⁠)⁠ﾉ

I need the monster trio's reaction to reader calling them "husband", could be an accident or intentional I just need it pls!!!! ( T﹏T )

pairings: monster trio x female reader

cw: reader is referred to as "wife", mention of suffocating/drowning in sanji's part, not proofread, probably contains grammar mistakes, english isn't my first language!!

wc: 1.3k+

— (a/n): tysm!! <33 i like writing for one piece characters so I love it when I get more requests for them >.< also, so sorry if this feels boring or short!! :(( -> m.list

— LUFFY

Luffy loves it when you introduce him to new people, but he's usually too distracted to pay attention. Until you call him your husband.

The moment the word leaves your mouth, his face lights up.

He repeats it INSTANTLY, grinning ear to ear. "Husband? That's me, right? You mean me?"

If you try to play it off and say it was a mistake, he ignores your protests and laughs. If he likes it, he likes it. And you're gonna keep calling him that, no matter what!!

He immediately starts calling you "wife" in return, but in the most casual way, like it's completely normal.

He doesn't fully understand what marriage means in a traditional sense, but to him, being your husband means you're his person.

If the crew hears about it, they all would have different reactions. Zoro snorts, Nami fights the urge to roll her eyes, and Sanji almost faints in disbelief.

Luffy, however, is completely unbothered.

If you tell him later that you only said it as a slip up, he just smiles and says "But you could mean it, right?"

He doesn't let it go. He starts using it as an excuse to do things for you. "Husbands have to share their food."

*Cue him stealing from your plate instead*

He loves how you blush when he casually refers to himself as your husband mid conversation.

If you ever genuinely called him that again, he'd get the biggest grin ever and he won't stop talking about it for hours.

He doesn't care about official ceremonies or rings. If you called him your husband once, that's enough for him.

——— ☆

You were introducing the crew to a kind old shopkeeper on an island, someone who had been chatting with you warmly for the past few minutes.

"Oh, and this is my husband, Luffy." You added casually, not even realizing it until the words were already out. You meant captain, not husband. At least that's what you wanted to believe.

Luffy blinked, tilting his head to the side, before a wide grin formed on his lips. "Yeah, that's me, I'm her husband!"

Wait, what? You froze, stiffened, locked in place. Did he seriously just agree?

The shopkeeper chuckled, a warm smile glued to their lips. "Well, aren't you two adorable? How long have you been married for?"

You opened your mouth to correct them, but Luffy beat you to it. "Long enough!" He answered confidently, throwing an arm around your shoulder.

You looked at him, eyes wide, stunned. He just grinned at you, completely unbothered. You sighed, deciding to let it go. For now.

— ZORO

Zoro is not the type to get flustered easily, but calling him your husband? Yeah, that'll do it.

He'd be calm on the outside, but on the inside, he's replaying that moment over and over again.

If you called him that in front of strangers, like introducing him as your husband to avoid weirdos, he'd immediately go along with it.

He doesn't see the need to correct you. If you called him that, then fine. That's what he is now.

If someone asked when you got married, he'll just say "None of your business." and move on.

He secretly enjoys watching you get flustered after realizing what you said, trying to cover it up and say it was just a small mistake.

"Didn't know you were that eager to make it official."

If Sanji overheard, it would be war. "YOU?! HOW DARE YOU–" "Shut up, cook. She said it herself."

He says "cook" as if it's a slur.

If you apologized later for the slip up, he would just simply shrug, saying that it's just some words, but the slight redness on his ears would say otherwise.

He wouldn't bring it up much, but if someone else called him your boyfriend or anything else, he'd correct them. "Husband." No explanation.

Zoro starts to lowkey like the title, but he would NEVER admit it.

He doesn't joke about things like this. If you seriously wanted to be with him in that way, he'd take it 100% seriously.

If you actually bring up the idea of marriage later, he's going to instantly agree.

He starts calling you "wife" just to mess with you!!

——— ☆

You were traveling through a town when an unfamiliar man started hitting on you. He was persistent, and you were quickly running out of patience.

Then, without thinking, you gestured toward Zoro. "Sorry, I'm here with my husband." You sighed as the man's gaze followed the direction you were pointing at.

You immediately regretted it. Zoro turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. The man scowled but backed off, muttering an apology before walking away.

You exhaled in relief, until you felt Zoro's gaze on you.

"Husband, huh?" He muttered, amused.

Your face burned, heart beat quickening. "I just said that to get rid of him."

The corners of Zoro's lips tugged upwards, forming a smirk. "Didn't mind it." He kept walking like nothing happened, leaving you flustered.

— SANJI

Sanji freezes completely the second you call him your husband.

For a split second, he actually imagined it. Being your husband. Starting a family. Then his brain shut down.

If you were introducing him to someone that way, he'd try to act normal, but would fail miserably. "Y-Yes, that's right, I'm her– her– her husband, yes–"

His heart would be racing.

If you called him that to avoid someone flirting with you, he'd immediately play along, but also fall deeply in love with you all over again.

If you told him later it was just a slip up, a small and meaningless mistake, he would dramatically explain the feelings he had in that very second. "For a moment, I lived in paradise."

He would start calling you "my wife" at every opportunity. "Oh, my darling wife, allow me to–" "Sanji, stop."

If someone else flirted with you after that, he's quick to place himself in the middle of you and the other person. "I'm her husband, thanks."

I swear bro this man is SO sassy.

Sanji would start daydreaming about an actual wedding. He also gets more protective than usual, standing a little closer, guiding you with a hand on your back.

If you genuinely meant it, he'd be the happiest man alive.

He swears to be the best husband in the world, treat you amazingly, kiss the ground you walk on.

Sanji will never, ever forget the moment you called him that. The moment you called him your husband. Those words remain imprinted in his mind, locked in a special place.

——— ☆

You were in a crowded restaurant, and the waiter was getting a little bit too flirty for your liking. So, without thinking, you immediately decided to shut him down, but not directly. "My husband will have the same order as me."

Sanji knocked over his glass of water, almost choking as he coughed severely. You turned to see him frozen, eyes wide, face completely red. You groaned, pinching your nose bridge. Here we go...

"Say it again, love." Sanji literally sparkled, practically glowing. His eyes held a childish shine, which you couldn't help but describe as adorable.

You sighed. "It was just–"

"Say it again."

You buried your face in your hands, already feeling your heart beat increasing. Gosh, why did he have to be so handsome?

"Sanji, stop." You mumbled, resting your chin in your palm, elbow propped up on the table.

"My darling wife, please–"

"Sanji I swear that if you don't stop this, I will hold you down underwater and watch you suffocate."

"I wouldn't mind that one bit. Dying by your hands is an honor, sweetheart." He winked, smiling as he leaned in closer, giving you a soft kiss on the lips.

He drove you insane. But in the best way possible.

★yoyomiko ★miko

[paracosmicka]

Primal Fears AU content but don’t worry it’s still sonadow

That last one is a repost from last year so if you saw the silly drawings but then read the thing in the bottom left corner and went “wait what the fuck”

It’s because it was an AU thing but I literally only had that drawn out and now you get some context at least:

In this universe Sonic is an assassin/bounty hunter/whatever you wanna call a guy that is hired to specifically to kill other Entities. He meets Shadow when they run into each other because they’re both following the same Avatar. Then they do the normal canon sonadow thing where the first interaction they have always ends with them fighting and beating the shit out of each other. And then they kinda calm down but then Shadow has a similar moment from the beginning of the IDW Sonic comics where he gets absolutely pissed that Sonic managed to distract him from catching the bad guy and zooms away before the two have another chance to speak again.

Here Shadow is a GUN field agent except in this universe GUN isn’t really military and it’s more focused on not only investigating (like the Magnus Institute) but also actively dealing with the Entities. Which sounds great except remember how I said they aren’t military well actually they kinda are because “dealing” with Entities and Avatars just means: throw it in the high-security prison that is guarded by other various Avarars that all work for GUN because it means they don’t have to get thrown in prison. So GUN is kinda like The Magnus Institute + Section 31 working together. So actually I guess it’s like the SCP Foundation.

One day Shadow goes into work and Sonic and there and I’m not really sure on what I’m gonna do in the plot to make him end up there (like maybe he’s undercover and just using GUN to get to his next target or maybe GUN does the “hey we’re gonna throw you in jail if you don’t agree to work for us” idk again not sure yet) but now he’s working with Shadow because they still need to catch that Avatar.

So now we’re sorta caught up, they’re at Club Rouge (and I realized I didn’t specify which Entity she serves in my drawing of her but people who guessed the Stranger ding ding ding here have some sonadow) because Sonic and Shadow need to kinda interrogate Surge and Amy, who are associated with the Slaughter. They have a band called Poison Rose and it’s basically just Grifter’s Bone but they perform rock music instead. And are also probably dating.

Anyway the Big Case™️ Sonic and Shadow are working on is investigating a bunch of spooky murders and they’re pretty sure whoever’s behind them is a Slaughter avatar. But not specifically Amy and Surge☝️ They’re kinda “allowed” to perform the Music That Makes You Die because GUN also has like an “informant” group of avatars they can rely on. These avatars don’t work for GUN, but they agree to chill out on the spooky stuff if it means they don’t get arrested for spooky crimes. So for Poison Rose, “chilling out” on the spooky stuff means that they have to force people to wear earplugs while they perform, which wasn’t specifically stated in MAG 42 if that works or not, not really sure of the magic rules of the Music That Makes You Die phenomena but yeah they gotta do that and probably some other stuff so GUN doesn’t arrest them. Like maybe no swearing or something lol.

Okay gonna stop there before this gets even longer explaining my AU because this was supposed to be just a normal sketch post but whoops.

Oh also I made a playlist for the kind of music Poison Rose performs but it was made private because I didn’t want anyone to stumble across it and be like “pshhhh this dumb person who makes public playlists of their AU that no one knows about what a loser” (me when I make up completely unrealistic scenarios in my head) but now here’s a post explaining that part of my AU so that person can’t make fun of me anymore