#again sorry for the delay - i wanted to answer faster I just got stuck on How to do so in a fulfilling waysnfjdjfjdjcjscj

[unluckyxse7en]

Tell me about that book you read as a kid that made a strange and specific impression on your psyche?

(Sorry I didn't answer this sooner!! I was Stuck on it and then forgot 😭 )

(Edit: FUCKER GOT HIDDEN IN MY DRAFTS BASED ON WHEN I GOT THE ASK, NOT WHEN I SAVED IT SO I THOUGHT I LOST IT, SORRY IT'S EVEN LATER...)

I came up with a few books that might've qualified for this - "Freedom" by Angela Dorsey (one of many horse girl books, of the ghost horse variety) or "The Fire Within" by Chris D'Lacey (one of many dragon books - and I think my selection alone speaks volumes about me lmao)...

I think I've decided to talk about "House of Stairs" instead, by William Sleator. It might be an easy answer because it WAS strange and specific as books go, but it's one that's always consciously stuck with me whereas the other two books I think informed me on a creative subconscious level more than anything.

Full disclaimer - everything written from here on is based on dim recollection. I read it just once in middle school, a time I barely recall at all, and some elements are probably distorted/wrong based on how I envisioned things. But I'm writing it as is because it is SUCH a strong memory even if it's off in places, and I think that more precisely answers the heart of this question than if I pulled up a summary online and described it from that.

I'm also hoping to find a physical copy to own at some point, so part of this is because I'll be interested to come back to this and see how much I described poorly or entirely wrongly.

So that said. House of Stairs.

"House of Stairs" is, in essence, a story about sociological experimentation - the focus of the book is on several teens who get trapped in a labyrinthine space that lives up to the book's title, a reference to the M.C. Escher painting of the same name:

You can already see how this is the "easy" answer for a strange, specific impression.

The building they're trapped in is all white, stairs going up and down no matter how far you look - or go. They're trapped with no discernable exits and no resources, for unknown reasons and an indeterminable amount of time.

So then comes the actual experiments.

Aside from stairs, stairs, and more stairs, there ARE landings, here and there - and some of those landings have little stations with buttons on them. As the kids discover, if you push the button, you get food.

...Until suddenly, you don't.

Then the kids have to sort out, is it broken? Can they wait until it gets fixed? Should they try to fix it themselves or go elsewhere in search of the exit?

This leads to many things - heightened emotions, thoughts and theories, tension, arguments - until suddenly they're rewarded with food again.

Well. No one pushed the button, what happened this time?

And so it goes on, until it becomes clear - the stations are conditioning them, training them with rewards to silent tasks fulfilled. And as the book goes, the kids divide into camps - those who want to listen implicitly to the station, and those who don't. The station starts rewarding harmful behaviors to boot, to see just how far they're willing to go, so the focus of the book narrows to the protagonists who search for a way out.

The book is a YA novel so it ends with them finding the way out of course, being recognized for staying strong and finding a way out, and of course the innate reward of getting out despite the adversity. But the premise of this book itself stuck the strongest with me.

It raises questions like, what if that were to happen to me? What would it take? It's easy to claim you'd be strong-willed and find a way out, only because by knowing the book you know a way out exists. But in practice it's much harder, especially without that knowledge. How long would I last, would I immediately fall into the camp that follows the prompts? Would I resist but fall to its sway? Or, would I fall to the enemy camp, once it became clear they wouldn't get rewarded otherwise?

Sad thing is, as fantastical as the space itself sounds with its descriptions - almost akin to a white void with stairs stretching forever - the overall concept of a space being created for such a purpose doesn't even strike me as all that out there, and I think that suggests it's definitely left an impact on how I view the world.

It's just outlandish enough, and yet there's people all the time who would do such a horrendous thing, in the name of research... or perhaps even just their own amusement.

Honestly I barely remember the ending - how they got out, life after. In a manner of speaking, I think I too got trapped in the house of stairs - only unlike the characters I'm still stuck there, poking around the place and contemplating just how much - or little - it'd take for someone to create such a thing in reality.

Hopefully that answers the question in a satisfying way ^^; I was stuck on this for a bit since, as mentioned before, a lot of my childhood has been lost to memory issues - it was hard determining what books impacted me how, when I barely recall what I was like before reading it, you know?

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

wrapping legs around your partner

- Lucian x Peter

(Sorry if I’ve requested this one before)

❤️

Sorry for the slight delay, I went to make homemade soup!

This is for the urban explorer au, because I was talking about it the other day. (And you haven't answer for this prompt before, haha, I don't think anyone has!)

On with the fic!

--

"This place smells like wet death." Peter said as he fiddled with his camera.

Lucian looked at the warped floorboards, where dark stains were very obvious, along with even darker patches that might be a terrible mold. He could hear water dripping from somewhere inside of the old, abandoned house they were inside of.

"Well, clearly." Lucian commented and knew that Peter was giving him a hard look for his tone. "It's not an unfamiliar smell."

"Guess you're used to it from living in sewers before." Peter said before letting out a whoop when he got his camera working. It had taken a bit of a tumble the other night when they tried exploring and ended up getting chased out by some angry people who were doing... something in there, Lucian wasn't sure what exactly.

"Hm." Lucian chose not to really acknowledge that, even though Peter was correct. "I don't think this home is structurally sound. Why explore it?"

"Cause I haven't seen anyone else do it, and it was requested." Peter commented as he walked around, starting to narrate about the old home as Lucian kept a distance away. He sniffed the air, trying to see if there might be a nest of sorts here. Peter was right, it did smell of wet death, but then again, animals rots and so does wood, and both gave off dreadful stenches went wet.

As he went to investigate a room, he heard a loud crack and then a shout of alarm and pain. Lucian was quick to rush over to a set of stairs, where he found Peter at the bottom of them, his leg stuck the broken second step from the bottom. He was groaning, rubbing his head.

"Are you alright?" Lucian asked, helping him up.

"Not... really." Peter grunted, looking at the steps with the light of his headlamp. The stairs looked worse than the floor, covered in black mold and it was clear the old wood was rotten to the point of brittleness.

The hole Peter made nearly took out the whole step, and the step before it clearly had been close to breaking as well. Lucian removed Peter's leg, wincing at the slowly forming stains of blood on the dark pant leg. "I think you damaged your leg."

"Fuck." Peter frowned, trying to move it this way and that. "Hurts to move it, might take a bit to heal tonight." He then hissed when he gave his leg a good shake, his foot... uhh...

"Might have to carry you back to the car." Lucian sighed. "We'll just have to film another night, this place it too unstable, and I do not want to risk you falling through the floor."

"Uhg, fine." Peter said, though he clearly did not protest when Lucian lifted him up. In fact, he was quick to wrap his legs around Lucian's waist. "Was plannin' on doing this to you later, but I guess now is fine."

"What, hurt yourself and then get picked up by me?"

"Nah, more like... get you back to the flat, have you have me pinned to a wall with my legs around you like this, and you're-" Peter smirked and Lucian shook his head, heading for the door, careful of where he stepped.

"Not until your leg is better, you heal faster than a human, but it still takes a bit." Lucian reminded him and Peter groaned, calling him a kill joy.

--

Give Peter a few hours, then he'll get Lucian to do what he had planned.

[elizabeth-blood]

Kai x Fem!reader

@witchyykitten

Warnings - boner, car sex, vaginal sex, cumming, cockwarming, chocking, swearing

Kai saw your walking past, you obviously didn’t see him because he was sitting so Kai grabbed your wrist and pulled you down to look into his eyes. Your eyes widened after your delayed reaction. “Oh sorry. I didn’t see you, Kai.” The way his name rolled on your tongue made his dick harden. He obviously liked you but you couldn’t see the signs. Kai let go seeing that he hurt you. “Sorry, I just wanted your attention.” You smiled and sat next to him. “I was going home but I don’t have anyone to pick me up and I left my phone home. And I’m sorry for asking but-.” He immediately answered before you finished. “Yes.” You giggled at his fast reaction.

(In the car)

You looked out the window and watched the water drops fall elegantly. Kai pulled into an empty parking lot. He turned to you and sighed. “Y/N.” You turned and titled your head at his face. “What?” His face became pink and his chocolate eyes breaking eye contact with your pretty face. “I’m in love with you.” You widened your eyes and raised your eyebrows. The silence became loud, you finally broke it after it became awkward. “I love you too.” Kai looked back into your eyes. You leant over to him and quickly kissed his lips. Kai’s face was bright red. He leant over and started making out with you, violently. You moved back and moved to the back seat, he immediately followed you. He was already taking off your clothes (and his). Kai leaned over you and started violently making out again. He stuck his dick in you making you moan and moved erratically. “Shh. It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He said right before he aggressively fucked the hell out of you. Loud moans escaped your lips, making him get closer to cumming. Your walls tightened around his dick. “Oh fuck. Kai- please. Stop.” He didn’t listen and just went faster making you cum. Your legs shook as he continued going. You grabbed onto his long blue hair, not knowing it turned him on. Kai immediately came inside of you. Filling your holes. He collapsed on your body making it unable to breathe. His cock was still inside you. “Oh my god. Kai, I’m sorry I don’t know it would go this far.” Your legs still shaking. Kai got up and kept his dick in you. He was going for round two. He put his hand on your throat and made a tight grip around it. You moaned, grabbing onto his hand that was chocking you. “Kai!” You loudly moaned his name as he aggressively pounded your pussy. Kai groaned at the sight of you. A whimpering, hot mess in front of him. Your legs started shaking again. Suddenly a wave of pleasure completely erupted your body making you squirt. Kai got off you and sat on the seat in front of you. “You did good baby girl.”

[wakaoujisenhime]

Hi Hi could I request Kuroko, Kagamai, Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara reaction to their s/o who's into photography and loves to take photos of them because they think their the most beautiful muse. They say things like "the light is hitting you perfectly please don't move until I take this picture." something like that lol

A/N: anon…this, THIS is a masterpiece of an idea and I love you for it (๑♡⌓♡๑) please enjoy! ♥️

Tags: the boys [KKMMA] x reader ✅ SFW ✅ fluff ✅

━━━━☆ ━━━━☆ ━━━━☆

Kuroko:

ok so the first time you took a picture of him was during lunch break

since he usually likes to spend his free time in the classroom while eating his homemade bento, the moment you became a couple you’d always join him

one day you were a bit late because one of the teachers had held you up, so you quickly texted him an apology for your delay and told him you’d be there soon so he can start eating without you

when you finally arrived, you immediately proceeded to apologize but promptly shut your mouth as you saw the scenery before you

Kuroko was reading one of his many novels, his elbows propped on the very edges of his desk, bento box and chopsticks untouched before him, blue eyes fixated on the text before him

everything about this was perfect as is, but what really gripped you and made you unconsciously reach for your camera, that you always had dangling from your neck, was the way the morning sun hit his face casting an ever so small shadow that only further accentuated his beautiful and calm facial features

as if in trance you gently push the small button on top of your camera and the shutter goes off

surprised by the sudden sound he turned his head in your direction and wanted to greet you but you cut him off even before he uttered a single syllable: “Tetsu, don’t move! The way the sun hits the back of your head right now is perfect…I just need to take a picture so bear with me for a moment.”

the way you had your left arm outstretched to stop any of his movements while your eyes were hidden behind the small rectangular object didn’t stop your boyfriend’s light blush to spread across his cheeks

he wasn’t used to being the only one in a photo so that alone made him a little nervous and embarrassed, but your silent comments and compliments on how his hair looked even more remarkable under the sunlight or how his facial features managed to perfectly cast shadows on his face that made him look more mature made his heart race faster than any game

luckily for your lover, this situation showed him another side of you that he rarely got to see, and who was he to interrupt your adorable mumbling just because of his embarrassment?

.

since then you used any and every opportunity to take his photo, whether it was in Maji Burger as he drank his usual smoothie or when he waited for you in front of a fountain in the park where you scheduled your date

when he finally asked you about it you proudly announced: “I’m sorry, but I can’t help the fact that my lover is such an amazing model for basically any type of photo! I always thought that you were hiding your beauty beneath those bangs and turns out I was absolutely right!”

you continued showering him with compliments until he couldn’t take it anymore and shut you up with a gentle kiss

“If it weren’t for your keen eye, I could’ve continued hiding myself and avoid the other’s gazes”

“Do you hate being the center of attention that much?” you whispered out, your eyes directly peering into his own big ones

with a smile he gently caresses your cheek and answers: “Your attention is all I need.”

Kagami:

Kagami was aware of your fascination for photography, I mean how could he not be when every time the two of you were out together for different reasons, you’d always take your camera with you and snap a photo or two

what he wasn’t aware of though, was what or better said who the subject of your images was

every time you reached for your camera the lens was always aimed in his direction and it never bothered him, because he figured that you were taking a photo of the scenery behind him so he never bothered to pose, smile, or anything of that sort

one day though it made him wonder whether his presence might disturb whatever images you’d taken so the next time you aimed your camera he turned his head, looking directly into the object’s circular lens, and just as he was about to say something the familiar sound of the shutter shut him up

“Perfect…that might be the best one yet” you silently praised and smiled to yourself

W-Wait a second…

“(Y/N)?”

“Hm?”

“What did you just photograph?”

you looked at him with slightly wide eyes, confusion spreading across your face as you answered: “Why of you of course”

and that’s when it clicked

all this time you’d taken pictures of what he thought to be the nature and scenery but in actuality, it was him you’d focused on

“W-Wait! You mean to t-tell me that I wasn’t in the way of your photos a-and that you actually photographed–“

before he could finish his sentence he realized something else that made him blush even harder

Perfect…Absolutely breathtaking…I’m so glad that I took my camera with me…The lighting and wind make you even prettier…What tranquility and gentleness, I’m in love…You’re so beautiful

all these comments that he’d brushed off, thinking that they were some kind of weird quirk of yours that resembled his captain’s whenever he talked about his samurai series, now made perfect sense

when the reality of the situation hit him he couldn’t help but bury his face in his hands and grunt at his stupidness, meanwhile, you tried to wrap your head around what Kagami had been believing up until today

looking at him being that frustrated with himself made you chuckle, but it also made you feel bad since you never directly told him so you decided that now might be the best time

with a gentle smile, you once again raised the camera to your face, waited until his figure became the focus and blurred the background, and gently pressed down the shutter

the sound made the young man beside you flinch and ever so hesitantly glance up to you with a dreading expression on his face

after pushing some of the buttons you cozy up to your boyfriend until your shoulders touched and showed him the image you had just taken with a proud smile

“I’m sorry for not telling you about it, but if I shared the fact that you’re my muse with you, you probably would’ve never allowed me to take any” you reasoned as you looked into his eyes and observed the way his cheeks reddened the moment you called him your muse

“I’m your muse…?”

you nodded and showed him a few other photos that all showed him do average everyday things such as eating something, chatting on his phone, warming up, etc. and even though they weren’t that special, the way you managed to capture him, his expression, and even some of the background made them all look professional

“Taiga, you’re such a nice guy that you would’ve probably offered to be my model if I had asked you to, but I wanted to capture that raw beauty of yours, the one that you display on every basketball match and that was the only way to do it…or at least that’s what I thought”

you paused before returning to the most recent image

“Having you being aware might be better after all…just look here at the way your eyes sparkle and your posture, both tense and relaxed at the same time gives off the impression of confidence and a tinge of uncertainty, both summing up your profound character that I love so much”

listening to your explanation made his heart beat harder against his chest and to stop you from fawning even more he covered your camera with his big hand and murmured: ”I-It’s fine already…I get it”

after seeing yet another unexpected expression on your boyfriend’s face you tried to get another shot of him, but this time he tried his best to avoid you and the two of you ended up chasing each other around the park, attracting the attention of many fellow visitors, but to you, it was as if only Kagami and you existed

Midorima:

one afternoon during the end of basketball practice, you had joined your green-haired boyfriend with his supplementary exercises, observing him and the perfect way he shoots one three-pointer after the other

you’d asked him long ago whether it was alright with him to take his photo and despite the many protests he’d agreed under the condition that it happened during basketball practice

unfortunately, the way he played didn’t manage to ignite the spark you needed to snap that one photo you’ve always been hoping for, neither his skills nor his playstyle were to blame for that, there was just something missing that you couldn’t name

the way you sighed caught Midorima’s attention and made him stop mid-throw so that he could take a glance in your direction and when he saw the disappointed face you made it made his heart ache

“Is something the matter (Y/N)?” he suddenly asked as he sat beside you, towel in one hand and his drinking bottle in the other

you shook your head and tried to play it off, blaming your bad mood on one of your earlier classes and the complaisant boyfriend he was he let it go (also partially because he was afraid that if he prodded further you’d get mad)

out of the corner of your eyes, you could see how he took off his glasses and started cleaning them

and that’s when your heart throbbed

the way his long fingers carefully handled the fragile black frames, the skillful and cautious way he removed any speck of dust from the glass, mixed with the way some of his green hair’s strands stuck to his slightly sweaty forehead, and lastly his beautiful long eyelashes were what won you over

before you knew it, you had grabbed your camera and had taken a photo of his profile, the shutter’s sound startling both him and you

“D-Did you just take a ph–”

“Shush! Stay just like that!” you blurted out, your hand on his chest to restrict his movements and keep him in that exact pose he was right now

with a reluctant expression on his face, he avoided looking in your direction, hoping that you wouldn’t notice the light blush spreading across his cheeks, meanwhile you smiled to yourself at his futile attempt and once again snapped another picture…

.

thanks to that one coincidental photo you managed to take back then, you finally knew what you have been missing all this time, namely your boyfriend being himself and not the Midorima Shintaro from Shuutoku who never missed a shot

in order to achieve that “normality” you had to take as many sneaky shots as possible, but they unfortunately never stayed as secretive as you would’ve wanted them to be because he either caught you mid-photo or your own comments betrayed you

Just like that Shin, look more to the side!

Leave your glasses be, you’re even more beautiful without them!

Don’t touch your hair! The way it is right now compliments your face perfectly!

Even if you scowl at me, you still look good!

he’d always run up to you afterward, blushing at the entire situation and no matter how much he ended up protesting, scolding you, or trying to take the camera from you to delete the photos, he never truly was upset about it

the reason Midorima let it all slide was because he enjoyed the way you smiled when you looked at the images you’d taken

the way your eyes practically sparkled mixed with the slight flush of your cheeks made his heart race every single time

“Is something wrong Shin? You’ve been staring at my face for quite a while.”

embarrassed of being caught by you, he squeezed your nose and stuttered: “I-It’s nothing, k-keep looking at y-your photos!”

Murasakibara:

taking Murasakibara’s pictures wasn’t an issue, you simply asked him and he agreed with no resistance whatsoever

you were over the moon at first and even made sure to have your camera with you at all times so that when an opportunity presented itself you’d be ready

from a pedestrian’s point of view, you looked like a cute touristic couple which consisted of the somewhat bored boyfriend, who agreed to have his photos taken for your happiness, and you, who couldn’t hold the excitement of being together with this young man back while happily snapping one pic after the other

their thoughts weren’t that off from the truth, you truly were delighted to be able to practice your hobby, and even having the tall young man as your model made it even better

thanks to the amount of muscles he’d gained from his daily basketball training, his height, his beautifully long and purple hair, his constantly relaxed expression, and his surprisingly gentle facial features, your boyfriend was already photogenic as is so any photo you took was downright breathtaking

and yet, those fulfilling feelings were rather short-lived

as time went by and you shot one photo after the other you came to realize that you hadn’t managed to take a single photo where he genuinely smiled or grinned

getting him to do either was nearly impossible, even for you

all you ever managed to summon was a very loving and gentle smile that resembled that of an angel; it was so pure that you could read all of his emotions from it, but that smile was reserved for your cuddle sessions that always ended up with him almost crushing you with his embrace and his low giggles as the result to your mixed reactions

“(Y/N)-chin, let’s go over there and sit down…I can’t walk anymore”

you giggled and took his hand that he’d extended to you, following him to a bench that was protected by a couple of trees, which cast down a perfect shadow on the wooden surface

the young man plopped down as if he’d ran for hours without a single break and wrapped his big arms around your waist, burying his face in your tummy

his childish behavior made you giggle and you softly caressed his head

“Didn’t you want to eat your snacks?” you asked after a short while, only to receive a silent growl as an answer

“Let me stay like this for a while…please”

his cute way of pleading with you only broadened your smile, which turned it into a grin as soon as an idea popped into your mind

with one hand still on his head, you used the other to aim the camera lens at the young man’s head as you asked your lover to look up at you

it took him a short while to comply because he kinda had the feeling that you wanted to ask for yet another photo, but he ultimately gave in and cast his purple eyes up to you

still smiling you glanced at the small screen on your camera in order to make sure that everything was perfect when you subconsciously blurted out: “Everything about you is charming Atsushi, the way the wind caresses your hair, perfectly accentuating your gentle face’s features…I’m so glad to have you as my muse”

…

…

your eyes went wide as you noticed the change in his expression

his cheeks had taken on an unexpected shade of deep red, one that you’ve never seen on him before; his eyes were a bit glassy and maybe equally as wide as yours, and his mouth was slightly agape

“Wha-! What are you saying (Y/N)-chin?!” he screamed out and once again hid his face before you could manage to snap a picture of this rare expression

“Atsushi, wait don’t hide! Let me take a photo!”

your protests fell on deaf ears and no matter how much you struggled or tried to loosen his grip around your waist, his strength made sure to make all of your attempts futile

“I-If I let you see me like that…I won’t be cool in your eyes anymore a-and I don’t want that” he finally admitted in a low voice

it took you a short while to comprehend what exactly he was trying to say; and when you did you couldn’t hold your laughter in any longer, ruffled his hair, and kissed the top of his head, waiting until he had regained his composure and returned your affectionate gestures

Akashi:

having the famous Emperor as your lover was like a dream, but when it came to keeping things a secret you were at a clear disadvantage because this man read you like an open book

no matter how hard you tried to act innocent or clueless, he’d always be able to add two and two together and expose whatever you were hiding within a matter of minutes

same goes for your fondness of photography and the fact that you had your eyes set on him as your muse

one day when you visited his home the two of you were in the living room and he was playing a round of shogi against himself while you sorted your camera’s gallery

when you took a glance at the young man your heart throbbed

the soft light of the sun that managed to come forth between the many clouds of that day shone right at him; in order to block the light from disturbing his vision, he’d leaned his chin on his hand and let his fingers extend to the corner of his mesmerizing eyes; a soft smile adorned his lips as his left hand stretched out to move one of the many wooden pieces before him

you couldn’t help it and immediately proceeded to take a picture, successfully catching him off guard

“Did you take a picture of me?” he asked without shifting his line of sight from the board, a hint of amusement in his voice

“Mhm, I did…sorry” you apologized before sighing to yourself, “it’s just that you looked really beautiful and I thought it’d be a shame if I didn’t use the opportunity.”

being called beautiful was something he wasn’t used to, so as he heard that word pass your lips, he froze up and finally tore his attention away from the game, and now gazed at you with a warm smile

“You can take more if you’d like.”

“R-Really?”

and with that, he became your conspirator in your mission to take as many photos of him as your camera’s storage could handle

.

“Just like that Sei…look more to the lef- yes, perfect!”

you spat one command after the other as the young man before you held onto the reins of his gorgeous white horse and let his hand gently run along the animal’s head

after snapping a few more photos you looked at them in silence, an unusual scene for your boyfriend

“Is something the matter (Y/N)? Aren’t you satisfied with these?”

your head shot up and you violently shook your head, explaining that it was nothing and you were just lost in thought; even though he quickly realized that you weren’t telling the truth, he chose to keep silent until you were ready to tell him what truly bothered you

unexpectedly, your silence lasted longer than he’d hoped for and no matter how unique he tried to organize these little photo sessions you did, your mood never seemed to improve which frustrated him

when he saw you sitting on the couch all sad and unmotivated while you scrolled through your camera roll, he immediately turned around and went back outside to his garden to mull over ways in which he could help you out

so to distract himself, he picked up his basketball, started dribbling, and began perfecting his shooting

the sound of the ball hitting the wall caught your attention, causing you to get up and search for its source

when you opened the front door you were greeted by a similar sight as the one back when you’d first taken Akashi’s photo which made you smile

“Sei-chan, that’s what I was looking for” you whispered as you subconsciously took a photo of the exact moment where the young man jumped and gently threw the ball against the wall, simulating a layup shot

still unaware of your presence the young man wiped his sweat with his shirt’s collar and the moment he felt your arms wrap around his body he jumped ever so slightly

before he could ask you anything, let alone say something, you kissed his cheek and whispered: “I knew it…you’re always beautiful, but the moment you shine the brightest is when you’re being yourself”

moved by your words he turned around, returning your embrace and kissing your lips as he then proceeded to hide his blushing face and glassy eyes from you by pressing you closer to himself

[nateezfics]

BUSINESS CALL

♔ PAIRING — hongjoong x reader

♔ GENRE — smut, fem!reader, dom!hongjoong, sub!reader, ceo!hongjoong au

♔ WARNINGS — smut, semi public sex, sex while one is on the the phone, unprotected sex, overstimulation, riding, light choking

♔ WORD COUNT — 1.6k

♔ SUMMARY — after hongjoong runs late at work due to an important call and misses your dinner, you decide to make the business call a lot more interesting for him.

You knocked on the door tentatively and then waited for a response. You had half a mind to just waltz in, but you didn’t want to walk in on something you shouldn’t. You knew that a closed door meant that your fiancé was busy with something important and didn’t want any visitors. Normally this was something to do with his company. You huffed and glared at the door. Of all nights to be stuck late at work, it just had to be this one. You waited a few beats longer while your arms were folded across your chest, heel clad foot tapping on the marble floor impatiently. You checked your phone to see the time and rolled your eyes. 7:15PM. You had a dinner reservation at 7:45 at a restaurant across the city. You were going to be late.

You threw caution to the wind and made the decision to open the door. Luckily it was unlocked. You were met with the sight of the familiar office and all its lavish furnishings. You gazed straight through the large window wall and out into the city before your eyes found the desk where your fiancé sat. He was gazing down at a bunch of papers, fixed hair loose across his face from where he’d ran his fingers though it. The clicks of your heels was what got his attention. He looked at you in surprise. If he was upset by your intrusion, he didn’t show it. You wouldn’t have cared, though. “You’re still working?”

Hongjoong sighed and sat the papers on the desk. He ran his hand though his hair as he leaned back in his chair. His tie was slack around his neck and his sleeves were rolled to his elbows, suit jacket tossed over one of the arm rests. The sight had your heart beating a bit faster, but you paid it no mind and instead focused on your annoyance. “Yeah, I am. I’ve got some spread sheets and reports to look over and it’s taking me longer than I planned.”

Your hands went to your hips and he sighed again, knowing full well that meant you were about to unleash a lecture on him. “Hongjoong, don’t you remember? Your birthday dinner is tonight. We’re going to be late!”

His head fell back into the chair as he groaned. He’d obviously forgotten his own birthday dinner. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I forgot about that.”

You huffed. “Clearly.”

Hongjoong offered you an apologetic smile. “If you can just give me a bit longer. I have a business call I got to take in just a bit that I can’t miss. It’s why I have all this paperwork.”

“A business call?” Your tone grew steadily more annoyed. “Hongjoong, I made reservations! And you promised we’d celebrate your birthday together.” He opened his mouth to reply, but you cut him off. “You’re the CEO for crying out loud! Can’t you just reschedule the call?”

He shook his head. “This call is vital. It’s with an investor that I’ve already delayed too many meetings with. The call has to happen.”

You huffed for what felt like the millionth time that night as you went to sit at one of the chairs in front of his desk. You glared and you were certain if looks could’ve killed, he would’ve been a dead man. “You owe me.”

Hongjoong smirked. “You’re more upset about this than I am and it’s my birthday dinner.” He reached a hand out to you, but you didn’t take it. He withdrew it. “I’ll make it up to you, baby.”

You made an unconvinced noise as you got yourself comfy in the chair. You watched him as he went back to work. It was only just a while longer when his phone began to ring and he answered immediately. You paid his conversation no mind. All of their business jargon went over your head, anyway. Very quickly on you grew bored and the annoyance was bubbling inside you. You had a wicked idea come upon you, one that would surely earn you a stern punishment. You decided to act upon it regardless of the outcome and really you were a glutton for punishment at heart. You sauntered your way around his desk to stand at his side, making him look up at you with confusion. You gave your best puppy dog eyes while you motioned to his lap, silently asking him to let you sit with him. Despite the current call, he pushed the chair back and allowed you to straddle his lap. Your dress rode up your thighs as they spread over his lap and you felt pride swell in your chest when you noticed the way his eyes flitted downwards. He kept going with the call but you began to grind your hips down onto his crotch.

Hongjoong’s hand immediately went to grip your thigh both out of surprise and as a warning. You giggled when he shot you a stern look. You disregarded him and kept gliding your hips over his lap, cock steadily growing harder inside his pants. His fingers were digging into your thigh, but that only spurred you on more. He took the phone from his ear. “Don’t play with me,” he mouthed to you.

You smirked just as you pressed into him a bit harder, feeling victorious when a grunt slipped from his lips. He wasn’t able to stop you like he wanted because he couldn’t speak without the other person on the line hearing. He was growing frustrated and you didn’t miss the way he began to stutter when he answered. Another grind of your hips was the final straw. His next few actions were so quick you almost didn’t realize they happened, but the feeling of his freed cock against your thigh made you notice that he’d undid his pants. You got the message and positioned your heat just above his tip. You pushed aside your underwear and sank down onto him, walls stretching easily due to you already being wet from the way you had been grinding on him. You sighed as he filled you, but apparently that was the wrong thing to do. Hongjoong’s finger pressed into your lips. “No noise,” he whispered in between his conversation.

You nodded as you began to ride his cock. You bit your bottom lip when he withdrew his finger to stifle your noises. He felt too good inside of you, making it impossible to keep quiet, but you were going to do what you were told. You bounced on him, motions slow and thought out. You wanted to go faster, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to control your volume if you did. Even still, the slow glide of his cock inside you was still working you up to your orgasm and suddenly you were growing worried. You weren’t exactly quiet when you came and normally Hongjoong adored your screams, but it was more than likely that the investor on the phone wouldn’t want to know what exactly was happening on the end of the line. Your hands rested behind you on his knees and you shut your mouth tightly. Your high approached you swiftly and whimpers began spilling from your lips despite your best efforts to keep them held in.

Your fiancé gave you a warning look just as his free hand rose to wrap around your neck. “Shhh.” You were trying, but the pleasure of your orgasm was getting too strong for you to be able to keep yourself mute. His grip on your throat tightened and this only helped somewhat. You found it incredibly hot when he choked you. Pitiful, shallow breaths tumbled out of you as you continued to ride him, his hand maintaining its pressure. You heard his voice as he spoke, but your hazy brain couldn’t quite process them. Your hearing was muffled as your body started to succumb to the bliss.

Your rhythm was erratic and as you came down on his cock, something snapped and your high was coursing though you. A high pitched noise escaped you and even his hand on your throat couldn’t silence it. The investor must’ve heard it, because Hongjoong’s eyes widened as he paused. You still couldn’t quite process his words, but you were able to register the way he suddenly put his phone on the desk, the call apparently over. You cried out as he stood swiftly. You were sent flying backwards and soon you were met with the cool surface of his desk. Your mind was spiraling.

Hongjoong’s lips were at your ear. “You’re lucky I was able to come up with an excuse for that noise you made,” he spoke, voice clipped. “Can’t have him knowing how much of a slut my fiancé is for me, right?”

You moaned aloud and for the first time that night you allowed it to ring out freely as he began fucking you at a bruising pace. Your hands gripped the edge of his desk as your body lurched back and forth. The papers underneath you crumpled. “F-fuck, Hongjoong…”

He smirked down at you. “Such a filthy little slut you are, pulling tricks like that just because you’re impatient.” His laugh wasn’t one of humor, the sound sending chills down your spine. He fucked you harder, deeper and soon you were falling apart for the second time, cries loud inside his office.

Just as you began to come down you were lifted up into your fiancé’s arms. He flipped you over and your front side collided with the desk. Your hands tried to brace yourself, sweaty palms flat on the now creased paper. You cursed as his cock filled you again. You were sensitive and tender from the overstimulation. You sucked in a breath as he resumed the strong thrusts of his hips, his mouth finding its way to your ear.

“Here, let me make up for forgetting tonight’s dinner,” he cooed. A hand gripped your hair. “I’m going to fuck you until you’re begging for me to stop, until you have no voice left and the only thing you can do is be quiet.”

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you though!!

[yandere-daydreams]

half-spider half-human yandere with a darling who has arachnophobia

I think I’ve just been in a Yandere!Monster mood this week - I don’t know how else to explain what I’ve been posting, recently. Can you blame me, though? They’re so easy to run from, so easy to be afraid of… It’s only natural that they make good Yanderes.

Title: Arachnophobia.

TW: Spiders, Dehumanization, Mentions of Injury, and Mentions of Death. 

~

It’d always been the legs, for you.

You weren’t squeamish. If it hadn’t been for the legs, you wouldn’t mind spiders at all. The uncharacteristic fuzz that coated their bodies, those unblinking eyes that were too big and too small at the same time, their distorted proportions and awful fangs and general wrongness, you could take all of that, even if you didn’t care for it. Their legs were the only thing that got to you, the only thing that made you fear the tiny, harmless creatures beyond all reason. You weren’t blind, you knew there were much worse things to be scared of, and yet, nothing sent a chill up your spine like the thought of an insect no bigger than your thumb crawling up the back of your leg or finding its way into your hair, its steps so light and silent, you wouldn’t know its there, not until it’s already made its fangs at home under your skin. It’s irrational, or, it was irrational, at least. It used to be.

Ikto wasn’t harmless. You didn’t have to tell yourself not to be afraid of him.

If anything, you should be more afraid than you’ve ever been. It wasn’t like he hadn’t given you a reason to be.

You cried out as you collapsed, the noise somewhere between a defeated sigh and a desperate scream, too quiet to do you any good but too loud to go unnoticed in the stillness of the darkened forest. It’d been childish to go into the woods alone, it’d been stupid, and you’d known that when you came up with the idea. Still, you hadn’t thought it’d been stupid enough to get you killed. The legends told of a creature who spun web like rope, who could string up a group of hunters in translucent silk so quickly, they wouldn’t have time to notice they were being trapped, not before it was too late to get away. You weren’t a hunter, though, and you didn’t mean him any harm. You’d told yourself that a glimpse would be enough for you to overcome your fear, all you needed to do was look at him, and you’d never think twice about the spiders in your garden or the dark corners of your home again. But, you’d tripped, made a mistake, stepped on the wrong branch at the wrong time and earned a throbbing ankle and the attention of a monster for your efforts. It was so hard to navigate through cobwebs when you were running. It was so hard to navigate at all when you were crying.

And, as you collapsed to the dirt, weak sobs still racking over your chest as pain shot from your heel to your knee like hot trails of pure fire, you began to wish he’d just killed you when you interrupted his meal. That would’ve been kinder than letting you think you might’ve had a chance.

After a moment, you forced yourself to grit your teeth, moving to push yourself up, but it was already a moment too late. Without warning, without sound, something tapered and unyielding dug into the space between your shoulder blades, pushing you flat against the ground and giving you a minute to fight back, only pulling away then you failed to struggle against its strength. You already knew what it was, what it had to be, but you still found yourself holding back a gasp as you were unceremoniously dragged onto your back, clenching your eyes shut in an effort to delay the inevitable. It was an exercise in futility, but you didn’t open them again.

Not until something soft and familiar brushed against your cheek, and your entire body jerked up involuntarily. You had to fight not to scream, the awareness of just how dead you were making the pangs of your injury pale, in comparison.

If Ikto had any intention of making your slaughter swift, though, you couldn’t tell. He simply towered above you, watching with four pairs of eyes as you scrambled back, using what was less of your courage to put an arm’s length of distance between you and your hunter. You had to wonder why you’d ever thought you stood a chance against him. Standing, you would’ve only come to his waist, to the junction where his grey, thick flesh faded into a black exoskeleton, so sleek and so impenetrable, you knew the tiny dagger you’d brought for your protection would be useless before it was even in your hand. You could barely see his face, but you didn’t have to. Everything, from the mocking tilt of his head to the way his shoulders tensed and bounced upward in a stifled laugh, made his amusement clear. His tone did little to aid your blossoming humiliation, the heavy drawl only making you bow your head, your fear nearly overpowered by misplaced embarrassment. “I thought you’d be faster, human.”

You bit the side of your tongue, but you were speaking before you could stop yourself. More to quell your own nerves than to get on his. “I thought you’d be a better hunter, beast.”

That earned a breath of a chuckle, so airy and so dry, you might’ve missed it if he had anything to compete with. Unfortunately, no animals skittered from tree to tree to distract you, no birds sang to divert your attention. You couldn’t blame the woodland creatures for making themselves scarce. You’d avoid Ikto too, if you had a choice. “Awfully brave for someone who just stumbled into my web,” He started, bringing a hand - a human hand, thankfully - up to his chest, pouting in an exaggerated show of his offense. Despite his size, he moved soundlessly, stepping between dead leaves and over obstacles in a slow, seamless circle around you as he continued. Evaluating you, only speaking to keep himself entertained. “I was having such a nice night, too. No heroes come to slay me, no champions shouting to face me to prove their worth, no interruptions. Just me and my prey.” This time, you got a sigh. A shake of his head. A step too close, a spindly leg coming just a breath too near, leaving you shaking and digging your nails into the dirt, trembling as he looked on. “And then you came along and ruined it.”

“I’m lost.” The lie was spat hastily, forced out too quickly to be believable. This time, when he edged closer, you brought your knees up to your chest, curling into yourself defensively. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I don’t want to be here, I’m just… I can’t find my way home. I don’t know what to do. If you let me go--”

“If I let you go, you’ll get stuck in one of my webs and I’ll find you weeks later, starved and dehydrated and begging for my help.” He paused, pursing his lips, settling in front of you. When he crouched, his knees bending into jagged points and his arachnid stomach nearly brushing against the ground, you went tense, but you didn’t dare to move. You didn’t dare to look at him. You didn’t dare to think, not when it felt like he was prying into your mind a little more with every second he spent staring you down. “It might be nice. I’ve never heard someone plead for my help rather than my mercy. I try not to play with my food, but I wasn’t expecting something so small and so tempting to stumble into my territory. Certainly not something with the nerve to expect me to believe such a boring excuse.” A growl seemed to edge its way into his voice, absent of the primal reverberation it should’ve contained, full of something manufactured, painfully learned. You might’ve felt sorry for him, if he hadn’t been close enough for you to see the dozens of harsh, pointed teeth that prevented him from bridging the gap. “Are you that eager to get this over with, human? Do you want to die?”

You didn’t hesitate, shaking your head furiously as his smile returned. Unconsciously, your fingers twitched, ready to search the satchel strapped to your side for any weapon you could find, but in the blink of an eye, the burlap sack was speared through, flicked to the side with little more than a tear of fabric and the rattle of its content. “Please, I didn’t mean to--”

“I’ll compromise.” Again, he cut you off, standing to his full height, taking your wrist as he did so and dragging you to your feet, his grip not loosening when you winced, attempting to favor the foot that wasn’t trying to detach itself from your body. “I won’t kill you. I’ll take you back to my den, make sure you’re attended to, but you have to come with me willingly. Say you’ll behave, and I’ll make sure you don’t have to limp your way into the loving jaws of the nearest wolf.”

You didn’t respond, but you flinched, and that was enough of an answer for Ikto. With a sharp, sudden pull, you were off of your feet entirely, dragged against him and held there with one arm, his free hand pressing against the back of your head, encouraging you to lean into him, to be affectionate. You wanted to push yourself away, to tell him you didn’t need his pity, that you’d rather take your chances with the most rabid of dogs than with try your luck with him, but your ankle pulsed and your body ached and you needed his help more than you wanted not to. And when Ikto began to walk, when you caught a glimpse of a long, inhumane leg moving easily over the uneven terrain, you weren’t sure if you could even move.

You weren’t sure if running was an option, not if he’d be the one chasing you.

“It gets lonely, occasionally,” He admitted, his voice so soft, you almost didn’t hear him. You almost wished you hadn’t been listening, by the time he thought to go on.

“And I’ve always liked the idea of keeping a pet.”

[bridgyrose]

Ruby chuckled a bit as she watched Penny shove forkful after forkful of food into her mouth, practically moaning after each bite. “You should slow down. If you eat to fast-” 

Penny started coughing after a bit, trying to dislodge a chunk of meat that got stuck. “H-how… how do you do this?” 

“By eating slowly and taking your time. But humans arent meant to eat that quick.” Ruby sat down next to Penny, giving her a soft smile. “I know you’re getting a lot of new sensations, but its okay to take things slowly.” 

Penny nodded, feeling her heart start to beat faster as she looked at Ruby in her own body. She wasnt fond of the idea of having feelings for her own body, but knowing it was Ruby… She looked away and blushed a bit, putting a hand to her cheeks as she felt her face warm up. “R-right. Maybe… maybe you can help do this right. I mean, if I have to be you for right now-” 

“Of course I will,” Ruby replied, gently picking up the fork and knife and trying not to break them. “Besides, your father told us we need to try to keep others from noticing what’s going on. If they ever find out-” 

“Find out what, Penny?” 

Ruby nearly jumped as she turned around, giving a nervous smile to Ciel. “O-oh, you know, just… spending a bit of time with my girlfriend.” 

“And you’re approximately-” Ciel pulled out her pocket watch and let out a sigh. “-an hour late for our training session. I’ve been looking around all over for you.” 

Penny flinched a bit, not realizing that she had forgotten about the training session with everything that had gone on. “Right, I should get-” 

Ruby quickly covered Penny’s mouth, giving a nervous chuckle. “I’m sorry, I had forgotten all about it. A uh… mission came up and ‘R-Ruby’ and I were needed to clear out grimm.” A hiccough escaped her mouth, causing her to immediately put a hand to her mouth in slight embarrassment. “It will not happen again. I’m sure we could reschedule-” 

Ciel grabbed the back of “Penny’s” shirt and started dragging her off to the training room. “We do not have time to reschedule this. It’s unlike you to forget about something you had promised, but we’ll make up for the lost time.” 

Penny sighed as she watched Ruby get dragged off, slumping a bit in her seat. “I will have to make this up to Ruby.” She stood up to follow, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. 

“And where do you think you’re going, Runt?” asked Harriet. “You and I have a training mission scheduled.” 

Penny paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. She very well couldnt tell Harriet that she wasnt Ruby, mostly because she knew Harriet wouldnt believe her, but that would also be throwing Ruby under the proverbial bus. But she couldnt exactly say she was Ruby because that wasnt exactly true either. “I… am needed by the General-” 

“Wrong answer, kid.” Harriet deployed her weapon, using the exo-skeleton arms to pick “Ruby” up and drag her away for the mission. “You said you wanted to work on your speed and now’s the best time to do so.” 

Penny struggled to get free, no longer feeling the strength her other body had given her. She gave up after a few seconds of struggling, letting out a heavy sigh. “I… alright…” 

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

General Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked over what was left of the experimental rocket that was supposed to get Amity just enough altitude to send a message to the rest of the world. “Let me get this straight: you destroyed this in order to free it from a geist that had made it part of its body?” 

Weiss looked away, hesitating for a moment as she tried to get her words together. “W-well, it wasnt exactly… us…” 

“There was already some sort of explosion from the dust.” Blake pulled out her scroll and showed a few pictures of the site she took. “Considering what Ruby and Penny had gone through, we’re pretty sure the rocket was the cause of the explosion.” 

Ironwood nodded and let out a sigh, turning away from the rocket and looking out the window behind his desk. “And how are Miss Polendina and Miss Rose doing? They’re still recovering, correct?” 

Yang nodded. “They’re both recovering but I’m not sure they’re fit for combat right now. Still a bit shaken up from the explosion and Ruby has a wound in her side-” 

“Then I’ll let Doctor Polendina know that he has full access to anything he needs to get them both back on their feet. We need Amity to work if we’re going to defeat Salem. And when you see Ruby, send her up to my office.” 

“Y-yes sir.” Yang took a deep breath and started walking out of Ironwood’s office, her prosthetic shaking a bit. 

Blake noticed and gently took her hand to try to keep her calm. “Everything’s going to be alright. You said it yourself, Ruby and Penny are recovering-” 

“That’s not it.” 

Weiss looked at Yang curiously. “Then what is it?” 

Yang quickly moved Blake and Weiss to a quiet spot in the hallway, making sure no one was listening in. “Ruby and Penny arent… exactly themselves anymore.” 

Blake sighed. “You’re going to have to explain what you mean. Did something happen to make them lose their memories?” 

“N-no, they’re literally not themselves.” Yang hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. “They uh… their minds are… switched.” 

Weiss blinked a couple times, keeping a straight face as she spoke up. “They… switched minds?” 

“I know it sounds crazy but Ruby is Penny and Penny is Ruby. I… I dont know how it happened but it had to be something in that explosion with that rocket. You saw the dust and even you couldnt recognize some of it.” 

Weiss thought back to the geist they saw, trying to remember what dust was attached to it. There was plenty she knew she recognized, but then again, some of the dust didnt reflect the light quite right. Almost like they shined in a kaleidoscope of colors… 

Blake shook her head and started walking back to the dorms. “I’m sure you’re just imagining-” She stopped in her tracks as “Penny” flew through the wall, nearly hitting her. 

“Penny” rubbed the back of her head, letting out a sigh. “How does she control these things…?” She turned her head and smiled as she saw her team. “Hey guys… er… I mean… Sal-u-tations! Did you find the rocket?” 

Blake and Weiss both turned to stare at Yang, who had a smug smile on her face. 

“Yeah, we found it.” Yang walked over to help “Penny” up, shaking her head and keeping her voice in a low whisper. “I thought you were supposed to be trying to keep a low profile until we figured out how to fix this, Rubes.” 

“I’m sorry but there isnt exactly an instruction manual-” 

“*Manual download commencing,*” chimed a voice in Ruby’s head. 

Ruby paused for a moment as letters and data flashed in front of her eyes, filling her mind with everything she needed to operate her new body. “Okay… nevermind. Guess there is one.” 

Weiss slowly walked closer. “R-Ruby? Is that really you in there?” 

Ruby instinctively saluted to Weiss, giving a smile. “Ruby Rose reporting for duty. Now if you will excuse me, I need to show Ciel that I’m combat ready!” Without a delay, Ruby rushed back to the training room, letting her floating array out and using it to guide herself through the walls. 

Blake hesitated as she watched, slowly raising a finger. “Should… we be concerned?” 

Yang nodded, turning around to thead to Peitro’s lab. “We should let Pietro know what’s going on.”

[ayukaze]

oof did i come in late? can i have "do you want a hug" with either mimato or taiora? whichever you prefer! :D

I know you sent this ask eons ago, and I’m so sorry I never got around to writing something for this prompt!

I signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo today and well this seemed like a good place to start, and luckily I was able to include both Taiora and Mimato, though the latter should be read with a comical lens.

The setting is a filler episode in the reboot where Taichi and Agumon end up doing their own thing and the other kids rush after them to help them as things get out of hand, but Yamato is the only one who reaches him on time and even he has his hands full and isn’t able to rescue Taichi from an explosion, so this is what happens after that ⬇️

Sora’s eyes sought him, in between all the dust and the rubble, his brown, unruly hair easily distinguishable. She drew in a sharp breath as the dust started to clear gradually and the rest of him came into view as well. Moving faster than the others, she was by his side in an instant, swiftly navigating her way around the debris, she stretched out her hand the minute she reached him and even despite his eyes looking out of focus and his vision disoriented, Taichi immediately grabbed onto her hand and with all her remaining strength Sora pulled him to his feet. He staggered as he rose slowly, but she reacted instantly and supported him by putting his arm around her shoulder and letting him lean onto her frame. The other kids, and their Digimon, were probably watching them, but right now the embarrassment of being so close to Taichi did not matter to Sora, since the guilt of not being able to protect him in time was gnawing on her insides at a ferocious speed.

“Are you okay, Taichi? Where does it hurt the most? There must be a first aide kit in Jou’s getaway bag, I’ll treat your wounds right away!” She spoke as quickly as possible as they dragged their feet along the ground, there was no time to waste after all, she had to make up for the delay in their arrival.

“Sora...Agumon, where is he? And Yamato, is he okay?” He replied with his own questions, his voice was slow and drained and when she turned to glance at his face, she saw that he could barely keep his eyes open.

As much as Sora wanted to get started on his upkeep, she knew Taichi wouldn’t sit still and only damage his wounds further till he knew everyone was okay, so she quickly scanned the debris again, in her rush to be by Taichi’s side she had completely forgotten about Agumon, but to her relief, she saw Piyomon and Tailmon had already pulled him out of the rubble and were attending to him along with Koushiro and Hikari.

“Agumon’s okay too, look!” She said, pointing with her free hand in the Digimon’s direction, but it took Taichi some time to lift his head and follow her gaze, “And Yamato’s perfectly okay, MetalGarurumon was able to fly him out of the explosion just in time.”

“That’s great.” Taichi whispered with whatever remaining strength he had, with his heart soothed, he relaxed further into Sora’s hold, leaning towards her more heavily than he had at first, with his eyes half-closed he murmured an apology to her.

“You need to worry about yourself for now,” Sora muttered to herself under her breath, but heard Taichi let out a chuckle, and she couldn’t help but send a frown his way, how could he be reckless with his own self and still have the heart to care about others’ well being first?

“Coming from you…” Taichi chuckled, and attempted to form a grin but could barely manage half a smile and the whole attempt ended up with his face looking contorted out of pain.

“This isn’t the time to joke around, Taichi,” Sora gritted her teeth as anger flashed through her ember eyes and they came to a halt, she turned her body slightly to face him, her voice cracking slightly and eyes shining with latent tears, “You could’ve seriously hurt yourself back there, and Agumon too! Just because you got a lucky break doesn’t make what you did okay.”

Taichi remained silent, out of exhaustion or because of a lack of excuse, Sora didn’t know, but she did know that the kids had spent the past hour in a wild chase attempt to find him and help him after he had rushed out on his own while they had been asleep. She didn’t know what would’ve happened if Gabumon hadn’t been woken up by Agumon’s voice and alerted the others, she didn’t know what would’ve happened if Yamato hadn’t sped up ahead from the rest of them to lend Taichi a hand, she didn’t know what she would’ve done if they’d arrived just a moment later.

“I’m sorry I made you worry, I thought I was doing the right thing…” He trailed off as the hand that had been wrapped around Sora’s neck slid down suddenly, “Thank you, Sora.” His voice was just above a faint whisper and before she knew it, Taichi had both his hands around her neck and his head resting on her shoulders as he let out a deep, relieved sigh that made Sora’s whole body freeze on the spot.

Out of all the time and places in their lives did Taichi really need to pick right now to give her a hug, Sora screamed inside her head, as she felt her face heat up under the watchful gaze of all their friends and their Digimon, she turned her head in an attempt to tell Taichi to back off a little bit so she could help him out of the debris and onto plainer ground and finally begin looking after his wounds, but she saw that his eyes were now comfortably shut with a small smile playing on his lips as he took deep, routinely breaths that made Sora realise that he had fallen asleep in her arms. She struggled to keep him upright, as he was heavier than he looked and had no choice but to put her own hands on his shoulders to steady him, making their position look more and more suspicious to the spectators surrounding them and her cheeks turn redder at the thought of all the misunderstandings that this might cause.

“Taichi, you idiot!” She cried out, embarrassed by his actions and frustrated that she could barely move a muscle and yet no one else come forward to help her, “Jou, a little help please! He has completely passed out!” Sora called out, she couldn’t see where the rest of the kids were because Taichi’s big hair was blocking her view, but she could trust in her senior to jump into action if asked to.

And sure enough, the navy haired senior was at her side in a moment, helping undo Taichi’s hold on her frame, when she sneaked a look at him in the process, Taichi’s face looked peaceful and content, and displayed no signs of being caught in an explosion and being stuck under heavy debris up until a few minutes ago. And while Sora was grateful to know that he was happy and healthy, and most of all, safe, she decided she would still hold him accountable for his sudden and intimate actions when he woke up, whether he’d done it intentionally or not, was something she didn’t wish to ponder on.

~

Mimi quietly watched the scene unfold in front of her, she’d always thought that Taichi and Sora had been a little too upfront with all the smiles and deep gazes they sent each other’s way on a daily basis, but hugging in plain sight was a little out of bounds even by her standards, they were still only 10 years old after all. It did however, manage to perk up everyone’s attention as the recent events had left everyone tired and exhausted, both mentally and physically. So it was a bit relieving and exciting, when Taichi suddenly wrapped his arms around Sora’s necks and grabbed everyone’s attention, even Koushiro and Hikari, who had been concentrating hard on getting Agumon to regain his energy, stopped their attempts to turn and pass a surprised look in the couple’s direction. Next to Mimi, Jou’s mouth fell wide open and their Digimons, Palmon and Gomamon, let out surprised squeals.

Yamato, who had been sitting crossed legged with nothing but exhaustion filling his azure eyes as he stared blankly at the sky, while Takeru and Patamon consoled Gabumon with compliments over his quick rescue next to him, straightened up and turned his attention towards Taichi and Sora, which made Mimi want to turn to the blond instead, because she hadn’t ever seen him this interested in his surroundings right after a battle and that piqued her interest.

She studied his face carefully, there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes, which went away as quickly as it appeared and left Mimi with no choice but to speculate about what it had meant. Was Yamato annoyed by what was happening in front of him, did he too disapprove of this bold move from Taichi, or was he jealous that his friend had beaten him to the task? Mimi just couldn’t come up with a correct answer, no matter how much she peered at Yamato’s deadpan face. And then Sora cried out for help and Jou rushed over to assist her, and soon Taichi was being carried over towards them on Jou’s back as Sora trailed behind them, her bright red cheeks and ears visible to anyone with a decent eyesight.

So Mimi once again turned her attention towards the seated blond, this time she even lowered herself to level her gaze with him for a clearer look, and noticed that while his face was still as devoid of expression as ever, there was a sense of dissatisfaction in the blankness, as he watched the trio make their way towards them. Sensing her presence however, Yamato leaned back as he noticed that Mimi was sitting down quite close to him, immediately his face was taken over by an annoyed expression while his eyes darkened as he put his guard up.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked her, his voice agitated but also a little anxious, and Mimi wasn’t sure what to attribute the latter to.

“No, I was just wondering.”

“Well can you do that from a bit far away?” He demanded, a pinkish tint settling on his ears as he did so, making Mimi more confused about what was causing the blond, who was usually so adept at keeping his cool, to get so fidgety.

So of course she leaned in further towards him, in an attempt to study him even him more carefully, and immediately he leaned back and the tinge around his ears deepened. His whole body was radiating exhaustion which made Mimi feel a bit guilty about not being able to assist him enough during the battle, she was grateful however, that Yamato and Gabumon had given their all to make it to Taichi and Agumon on time and that both the duos had managed to come out of this safe and sound, with some injuries to boot in the latter’s case. So she smiled brightly at him, hoping to convey that she appreciated his efforts, but it seemed to make him even more flustered than before, and Mimi was taken aback by his expression, she’d thought Yamato was as smart as Koushiro and yet he was acting extremely dumbfounded and peculiar right now.

Then it clicked, the content look which had been visible on Taichi’s face after the hug, the one that made it seem like all the fatigue and weariness of the battle had disappeared from him, that could be what the blond was pining for too, to feel relived and refreshed after a hard day of work.

Satisfied with her conclusion, Mimi grinned as she tilted her head and met Yamato’s panicked gaze with a cheerful one of her own, “Do you want a hug too?”

And before she knew it, Yamato’s whole face turned a deep shade of red as his eyes went out of focus and he passed out in front of her.

x

[acebladespades]

For the sicktember thing, 9 with Nameless King, please? Thank you! 😊

Title (Do not) let him eat cake!

Fandom: Dark Souls

Characters: Nameless King, Ornstein, Gwynevere, Smough, Artorias, Sif.

Word-Count:2911

AO3-Link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/34321024

Summary: Eating too many cakes in one go may not have been as fun as Gwynsen had thought...

Prompt: I am not sick

I am so sorry for taking so long!! Life got in the way but I finally finished your prompt :D I hope you like it, writing this was fun!

@sicktember

It was the smell which lured him out of his way and guided him to the dinning hall. Deep down, he knew there was something of importance he was meant to be doing. There was someone waiting for him.

Unconsciously, Gwynsen tried to remember, but all his thoughts faded into the background of his mind once he saw the tower of freshly baked pastries carefully placed on the table.

They exuded a sweet and delicious steam, the spicy scent of marzipan.

There were plenty, enough to feed a small army or a very hungry court.

Or, in Gwynsen’s case, a god of war with a grumbling stomach and a watering mouth.

Well, marzipan cakes are my favorite. Gwynevere finds them overly sweet and Gwyndolin often says they would rather lick a basilisk’s eyeball than to take a single bite of these sugary abominations. Oh Dolin, always so melodramatic.

Gwynsen carefully took one of the cakes in his hands.

So, surely, these were baked for me. The cooks must have wanted to surprise me. They are too generous to me. I shall see that they are rightfully rewarded! But first…

“I shall feast!” He opened his mouth and prepared to take the first bite.

“No, Gwynsen!”

But all he ended up biting was thin air and almost the tip of his tongue when, with a swift swing of her hand, Gwynevere took the cake away from him.

“What the--” Gwynsen said after his jaws recovered from the forceful impact of his empty bite. “Sister, where did you come from? And more importantly, why have you stolen my cake? Could this be fraternal betrayal?”

Gwynsen’s heart started to break at the mere thought of his own sister turning against him; thankfully, Gwynevere soon proved him wrong, but not before giving him a small slap on his head.

“Please, stop fooling around.” Gwynevere said with a heavy sigh as she placed the marzipan cake back in its former place. “Father will not approve of you eating his desserts. You know well how finicky he is about his midday cravings. Do you remember the time he destroyed the East tower with one of his lighting spears just because his pastries did not have enough powdered sugar on top? Because I do, and so do the cooks. I created many lovely memories in that tower. I loved that tower, brother, I really did.”

Gwynevere’s gaze became dark and sharp.

“Sister, please. You are scaring me.”

“Oh, I am sorry. I got a little carried away.” Immediately, Gwyenevere went back to her laid-back and cheerful demeanour, but her determination had not waned. “In any case, you shall have none of these baked goods. Unless, of course, you convince Father to share a few of them with you, but we both know that taming a rageful dragon would be an easier task, so really brother, don’t waste your time.”

“Ask Father?” Gwynsen snorted, half amused and half angry at how ridiculous the idea was. “Please. I would rather kiss Smough on the lips.”

“Brother, don’t be like that, for underneath that grotesque armor, lies a skilled kisser.”

“What?!”

“I said I would never want to do so either.”

“Gwynevere, that’s not what you said.”

“Brother, don’t you have places to be?” Gwynevere interrupted him without shame. “Isn’t it time for your daily training with Ornstein? It is not proper of a god to leave others waiting for long.”

Ornstein!

So that had been his original task before he had become distracted by the mesmerizing aroma of the cakes.

“I shall go to him at once.” Gwynsen exclaimed. His treacherous stomach seconded him with a loud growl.

He looked at the cakes again.

I’m already late for our training… so truly, you wouldn’t mind waiting for a few minutes more, would you, Ornstein?

Ornstein would definitely mind, and Gwynsen knew it.

I’ll think of a way to make it up to him later. Right now, there are more important matters at hand. And I know the way to turn things into my favor...

“Nevy, please.” Gwynsen looked around to make sure no one was around. Once he made sure there were no witnesses, he joined his hands together and looked at Gwynevere with hazy and sad eyes. “Let me have one. Father will not notice its absence, I promise. Please my dear, wise, beautiful, patient, smart, noble, brave--”

“No, Gwynsen.” Without mercy, Gwynevere interrupted her brother’s overused list of compliments. “I already told you no.”

“Then I hope you know how to explain Father about those little kisses you steal from Executioner Smough everyone now and then.”

“Oh dear… you know about it? Yes, I should have expected it. Gossip travels faster than light in this place.”

“So it’s true?! Gwynevere, you really should be more mindful of your secrets and your words. You are not what I would call subtle about them. And why, sister? Why Smough?”

“I think the right question here is ‘ Why not Smough?’ ” Gwynevere answered, winking an eye to Gwynsen.

“Gwynevere, stop. You’re killing your big brother.”

Unrepentantly, Gwynevere chuckled. “Don’t you worry, it was all a jest. Very well Gwynsen… if only to keep this small rumor between us, I shall let you eat one of Father’s cakes. Just one, understood? Now, if you excuse me, I too have someone to meet. He awaits for me in the west tower. And that someone’s name is Smough.”

Lighting power began to manifest around Gwynsen’s frame.

That bastard! How does he dare?

Gwynevere laughed at his reaction. “Oh brother, you are so easy to fool.”

She gave him a small pat on top of his head to calm him down. Gwynsen had just succeeded in controlling his temper when Gwynevere pulled him closer to her and whispered, “Seriously now, don’t come by.”

And with that, she was gone.

“My dear sister and the Executioner? No, I will not allow it!” Gwynsen exclaimed, his voice echoing with ruthless determination, the same way it did every time he commanded his soldiers to battle. “This is a transgression I cannot overlook! Wrathful lighting shall be your punishment, Smough! You shall curse the day you were--”

His stomach growled again.

Almost unconsciously, one of his hands reached for a marzipan cake.

“By the first flame, they sure smell good.”

His fury started to disappear, and it was completely forgotten when, at last, Gwynsen took the first bite.

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

“Master!”  Ornstein welcomed him as soon as Gwynsen entered the training grounds. His apprentice and friend did not bother to hide his anger at his pronounced delay. “What took you so long? We were supposed to start our training two hours ago. I had to listen to Artorias’ anecdotes this whole time. And don’t get me wrong, Artorias is my beloved friend and you know how much I care about him, but I swear, if I ever hear one more story about Sif’s antics...”

“What?” Gwynsen had heard only half of Ornstein’s rant. He wanted to pay attention, but it was difficult for him to focus on anything else other than the torturous knot on his stomach.

It hurt more than a dragon fang stuck in his gut after failing to evade the beast’s jaws. Gwynsen didn’t know how he was still standing, or how his fever had not melted his brains yet.

Oh, nonsense. I’m fine. Am I not the god who slays dozens of dragons and comes out of their fiery attacks unscathed?  I am fine! I just need to walk it off.

“Oh… Oh yes, Artorias.” Gwynsen said, doing his best to sound amused. “Where is he? I thought he would be joining us.”

“He had to leave. It was time for Sif’s daily walk.”

“Wait, the wolf walks his master?”

“What? Master, what are you talking about? Sif is the wolf, Artorias is the knight.”

“Oh… right.”

An awkward pause followed, one in which Ornstein took off his helmet and revealed his concerned expression to Gwynsen.

“Master, is everything alright?”

Ornstein’s worry was like a wake-up call for Gwynsen.

“Of course it is! “Gwynsen replied with the most forced smile he had ever made in his life, even more than when he had to pretend to be happy in his father’s presence. “ Why would you ever think otherwise, Ornstein?”

“You are sweating, your face is red, your legs are trembling.” Orbstein observed, unamused but still concerned. “And you keep embracing your stomach as if you were hugging an invisible lover.”

“Ornstein, don’t tell me you’re jealous!” With gigantic effort, Gwynsen straightened his back and unfolded his arms. The sharp sting in his stomach came close to making him gasp; to conceal it, Gwynsen cackled instead. “There is no such thing as an invisible lover in my arms! Ornstein, you say the wildest of things!”

An agonizing sting pierced Gwynsen’s stomach.

I am going to pass out.

His sight blurred and his belly burned as if he had swallowed the First Flame like it was wine.

No!

Gwynsen stomped his feet. Lighting energy shattered the ground below his sandal.

No, I am not sick! I am fine. My stomach is simply overreacting at the memory of my sister and Executioner Smough sharing kisses.

His stomach growled louder than a furious dragon.

Why Gwynevere? Why did you brand that image on your brother’s mind?

“Master, you are not well!” Ornstein exclaimed with great concern. “We need to take you to Lady Gwynevere. She will know how you heal whatever ailment is--”

“Nonsense!” Gwynsen countered, making Ornstein jolt back in surprise. “My sister is quite busy, you see. He is tending to Smough at this time of the day, and not in a chaste way.”

“What?” Gwynsen and Ornstein said at the same time.

Realizing he had spoken more than he should have, Gwynsen quickly gave Ornstein a strong slap on the back. “It was a jest! Ornstein, you are such a stick in the mud! You need to loosen up and relax, for laughing and resting are also fundamental parts of a knight’s training.”

Before Ornstein could protest, Gwynsen wielded his spear and readied his fighting stance.

My stomach is going to explode. Oh Father, what will you see when you gaze upon the scattered guts of your first- born?

He would probably say something akin to “Oh Gwynsen, look at the mess you made! You are a lost case, boy, you truly are!”

“Oh Father, you insensitive knave!”

“Master, there’s no need to be rude.” Ornstein protested. He too had wielded his spear and had readied his stance.

“No, I was not talking about you, Ornstein.  I was talking of my big, dumb, stupid… No, it doesn’t matter.” Gwynsen shook his head and focused. “Let’s begin. Come at me and try to land a hit, Ornstein. I will treat you as I would an enemy, so don’t hold back.”

“Master, I really think we should take you to your sister instead.”

“You talk too much! Battles are not won with words, but with arms!” Gwynsen charged at Ornstein. For a second, the adrenaline of battle, even one of training nature, erased any trace of pain. For Gwynsen, it was like a blissful and distracting gift.

I knew it. I knew my pain would go away on its own.

Gwynsen closed his eyes, rejoicing in his healthy and numb stomach.

You were no foe for this god of war, marzipan cakes! Your sweet and delicious ingredients are no match for my iron guts. MY IRON---

The rest of his victorious thought remained forever unfinished after an explosion of burning pain, born from the impact of the blunt side of Ornstein’s spear, spread from his stomach to the rest of his body.

Perhaps… I am sick.

Gwynsen thought as the darkness of unconsciousness took over his world.

Just a little bit.

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

“Last time, Gwynsen.” Gwynevere said to her brother with anger as she and Ornstein helped Gwynsen keep the vasin still on his lap as he emptied his stomach inside it. “That was the last time I ever trusted you and your insatiable hunger!”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.” Gwynsen stuttered in a small pause his intestines gave him. “My will may be strong, but the marzipan was stronger.”

He wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by another gush rushing up his throat. Once he was done, Gwynevere and Ornstein put the vasin down on the floor and tucked him in bed.

“Well, I have to say,” Ornstein sighed with little enthusiasm, “this is not how I pictured my day would go. There was supposed to be more training in it and less vomit.  At the very least, I am glad you are feeling better now, master. Next time, don’t try so hard to pretend you aren’t feeling well.”

“And while you are at it, how about you also try not to devour four hundred marzipan cakes in one go like some hungry animal?” Gwynevere added as she glared at her brother. “God of war… The only thing you are a god of is gluttony!”

“Four hundred marzipan cakes?” Ornstein said in disbelief, only adding to Gwynsen’s shame. “Master, how could you have done such a thing? And here I was starting to think one of the cooks had tried to poison you! Four hundred cakes! And worst of all, why didn’t you ask me to join you or save some for me? You know they are my favorite too.”

“Dragon Slayer Ornstein!”

“N-no, no.” Ornstein turned crimson and began to stutter. “What I meant was… I was just saying… Oh, bollocks.”

“Ornstein!” A newcomer exclaimed. He entered the room and carefully closed the door behind him. “Such foul language in the presence of Lady Gwynevere. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Gwynsen, Gwynevere and Ornsteind stared at Artorias at the same time.

“Hey now, do not look at me all at once.” Artorias chuckled nervously. “No, seriously, please stop. I’m getting self-conscious.”

“Artorias, what are you doing here?” Ornstein asked. “I thought you were walking Sif.”

“I was, but Lord Gwyn summoned me. He told me about what happened with Lord Gwynsen and his poisoning. Something about marzipan cakes? I am not sure. Honestly, I stopped listening to Lord Gwyn soon after he started talking.  I don’t know the details, but he assigned me one task: to be Lord Gwynsen’s one and only companion during his recovery. I told Lord Gwyn that you would be more fit for the job, Ornstein, but he insisted I was the one to do it. He also told me how much Lord Gwynsen is fond of my anecdotes of Sif…. Oh master, I had no idea you felt that way. Worry not, I have plenty of stories I have not told you yet. I’m sure they will be a fine diversion while you recover!”

Gwynsen closed his eyes and cursed his father in his mind.

Father, you vengeful twit! I knew you would not let my mischief go unpunished! It was just some cakes… is this truly the punishment I deserve? You are cruel, Father. Cruel.

“But at the very least, I’m not alone.” Gwynsen said under his breath with relief and gratitude. He opened his eyes again and smiled. “For I have my dear sister and loyal friend by my side.”

The words died in his mouth when he saw neither Gwynevere nor Ornstein around. The only evidence they had left behind of their presence in the room was the open door they had forgotten to close during their hurried escape.

“Nevy?” Gwynsen whispered in despair. “Orny?”

But they were gone.

Only Artorias was there with him.

Artorias and his endless anecdotes of Sif.

“Do not worry master, I am sure they will be back soon.” Artorias said, pulling a chair closer to Gwynsen’s bed and sitting on it. “In the meanwhile, how about I tell you about the time Sif answered the call on nature inside Smough’s helmet and he only noticed once he put it on? That was a day Smough will not forget....”

Father, if I ever turn against you, know that this was the reason!

Gwynsen thought as he hid his head under the pillow.

As for Artorias, he kept talking and talking.

This was the reason!

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

It didn’t take long for Artorias to regret having left his master behind.

“Oh Lady Gwynevere, we should have not abandoned your brother. We should have remained by his side.”

“And listen to the time when Sif chewed on Father’s favorite sandals and almost brought doom upon us all? Do forgive Ornstein, but I think I shall pass. Besides...” Gwynevere turned around and stared longingly at the West tower. “There is someone waiting for me, and his name is…”

“No, I do not want to hear it. My mind shall not be branded as my master’s was!” Ornstein covered his ears and escaped from the scene. He did not know where he was going, but anywhere was better than staying there. As he ran, he kept chanting, “If I don’t hear, it isn’t real. If it isn’t real, it won’t haunt me!”

Gwynevere watched him go and laughed, unaware that Smough was standing behind her and had witnessed the whole thing.

Before he too walked away, he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“By the Lords,” he lamented under his breath, “it is always the same thing with these gods and their knights. Every day. Every darn day.”

[sapphic-yearning-lesbian]

This is chapter three (Chapter one & two)

Namaari learns more about Raya finding herself even more smitten.

Warnings: Brief mention of alcohol (80 proof)

Word Count: 3299

Each character is aged up roughly ten years. I have a timeline on my AO3

--

Resuming from previous chapter

"I'm surprised you actually came," Raya said, smiling as she slowly shifted her posture to be sitting on the edge of the bed. Namaari quickly got up from her seat and helped her sit up, placing her hand on Raya's back to stabilize her. Raya felt electricity where Namaari's hand lingered.

"I am, too," Namaari answered truthfully. 

Raya was content with Namaari's honest answer, for now. As she could see the fear and nervousness behind Namaari's actions, so trying to calm the other, she chuckled before speaking. "Can you hand me my call button, please?" Raya said in a gentle tone, smiling at the other. Namaari nodded as she used her free hand to grab it off her chair, handling it to Raya. "I'm still not allowed to walk to the bathroom by myself, so--" She said as she felt her cheeks turn red. 

Namaari just smiled, because technically she could help Raya to the restroom, but clearly, Raya didn't want that. "Yup, your whiteboard says BMAT 3," she says in a scoff as she cups her right hand, tucking her hair behind her right ear. Raya presses both her lips together, trying to hide the fluttering in her stomach caused by Namaari's shy mocking attempt; somehow, she pushed through it and rolled her eyes.

"Sure it does, but my normal, not nurse friend, wouldn't know what that abbreviation meant," Raya answered with the tiniest smirk, causing Namaari to smile before tilting her head towards the call light, signaling Raya to press it; which she did. "I need an assist to the restroom, and could they bring me some hygiene supplies as well. Please and thank you." The person on the other side of the intercom assured her someone would be in soon.

"That didn't sound like a patient talking; it sounded more like a nurse." Namaari teasingly said, which caused Raya's cheeks to tint in a light shade of red.

"Guess we're both guilty then," Raya said before coming to a realization. "Damm, we both suck at being just everyday people who aren't nurses." They both burst out in laughter, but Raya quickly stopped as the tightness in her chest was highly uncomfortable. Shaking her head and grunting, she spoke again, "It hurts when I laugh, but I'm just so funny." She said, laughing once again, this time biting her bottom lip as she felt the painful sting in her chest. Namaari's laughter dying down as a frown replaced it

"You're going to hurt yourself," Namaari softly stated as she looked nervously at the other who was just smiling back at her. She sighed before a smile appeared on her lips, "You're not even that funny," She declared, raising an eyebrow at Raya, whose smile widened.

Knock Knock 

"Hello. My name is Boun, and I'm your nursing assistant for today," said a young man as he walked into the room with all Raya's hygiene supplies. He smiled at Raya. "You must be Ms. Hart."

"No No No. We will not have that! You will call me Raya." Raya stated as she waved her hands in front of her causing Boun to laugh.

"Of course." He looks up at Namaari. "Are you doing a check-up? I wasn't aware. I would have waited." Namaari shook her head rapidly to the sides.

"Yes, I work here, but I'm not on her health care team, and I'm not even a resident," Namaari said awkwardly; she knew the blue scrubs would cause problems. 

Boun just raised an eyebrow before nodding and walking over to Raya. He was there to supervise that she didn't accidentally fall, as she was caple of moving on her own. 

Raya was still experiencing pain. She had three total broken ribs; Two caused by Tong and one by the CPR that saved her life. Ribs don't magically heal; it takes upward to a month to heal, so she had a very long journey ahead of herself. She also had a surgical incision that takes a minimum of two weeks to heal. 

If Raya were to fall, she could further injure herself or delay her healing process. For these reasons, her doctors agreed she needed a nursing assistant to supervise her when ambulating (walking); This didn't bother Raya. She just dislikes how slow her movements are.

--

Namaari was standing by the window talking on the phone when Raya came out of the bathroom. 

Once Raya's gaze returned to Boun, he smiled at her; he was standing on her right side, hoovering his left hand over her back while his right hoovered in the front. He didn't touch her, but he was ready to steady her if she lost balance.

"I understand, mother. I'm sorry for forgetting about our morning brunch." Namaari said sincerely into her phone. "How about we get together for dinner? I'll text you the details. Goodbye, mother." Raya watched as Namaari turned her attention to her, smiling warmly before looking back at her phone ending the call.

"Can I sit on the couch? I've been stuck in that bed for days." Raya said, turning her attention to Boun again, who nodded and assisted her to the couch. 

Once Raya was situated on the couch, Boun placed her call light near her before excusing himself. Namaari quite timidly sat on the other end of the sofa, looking at Raya's hair before chucking and saying, "I ordered us some breakfast from the cafeteria, and because you're a patient, we actually get the good food."

Raya knew her hair was a mess, and she tried to brush it, but the comb the hospital provides only pulled on her hair, making it frizzy while failing at untangling it. She smiled awkwardly, knowing she didn't look her best and she was in the presence of a goddess. 

Raya glanced over Namaari's face. Her hair was also a slight mess but not even close to hers. She tried to hide her smile as she saw the smugly eyeliner. She concluded that  Namaari was breathtaking, even with a face full of messed-up makeup. 

Namaari sensed Raya's mood change, so she stood up from the couch, walking to the chair where she had her personal bag. She carries a small brush at all times; she has straight hair, and so much as looking at it causes it to get tangled. Namaari also carries small elastic hair ties. That will have to do, she thought as she walked over to Raya, holding her supplies with a huge grin on her lips. "May I brush your hair? It's faster that way." Namaari warmly whispers as she watches Raya's eyes light up with joy before nodding yes. 

Raya slowly shifts her posture so she's entirely sideways, throwing her legs over the armrest with a scrunch of her nose. She then felt as Namaari sat behind her before gently undoing the two braids on top of her head. She heard Namaari sigh as she ran her fingers through her braids, undoing them completely. That's when Raya felt her once tense shoulders relax under the touch of the other. She hummed before saying, "Thank you for this and saving my life."

"Saving your life was a team effort and part of the job, Dep La." Raya's felt her face insistently on fire, and she knew her cheeks were tinted in a deep red. 

"That's not what Atitaya said." Raya blurted before pressing both hands to her lips. 

Taken back, Namaari removed her hands from Raya's hair, raising an eyebrow. Is Raya also flirting with Atitaya? Is she stupid for sitting here and doing her hair when she's flirting with another? "You've been talking to Atitaya?" Namaari huffed as she grabbed her brush and began detangling the ends of Raya's hair. Trying to ignore the sting she's feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

Namaari put herself out there, and she's practically getting rejected... OR is she thinking too much into it?

Raya sighed before whispering, "Atitaya and Sisu were involved before my incident; I only found out about it once I woke up from surgery having caught them kissing." She chuckled before continuing, "Atitaya has been coming for an hour before her shifts to visit Sisi; you've come up once or twice."

Namaari smiled as her jealousy seemed to ease. That seems way more logical. However, she is still confused; she had to hear this from Raya and not Atitaya. "I call Atitaya my best friend, and I had no clue she was chasing Sisu--Good for them!" She chuckled, and she began to run the brush through the rest of Raya's hair. "What has she said about me?" She asked hesitantly. A part of her didn't want to know, but the curious side of her needed to know.

"Not much...But she did mention your battle with trust issues and that you looked extremely shattered, saving my life."  Raya shrugged her shoulders, "I've kinda clung to that, hoping it was true," she admitted in a whisper.

Namaari flinched, briefly surprised by the lack of confidence in Raya's tone. "I don't know what to say..." she confessed as she put the brush down, as she had fully untangled Raya's hair. Namaari watched as Raya's shoulder's resumed their previous tension before she pushed herself forward, moving away from her. "Like I can't explain why...or how..." Namaari announced before sighing, "I'm not good with expressing my feelings, but I'm here, and I'm trying."

Raya chuckled after hearing Namaari's weak confession, but she knew deep down it was just enough. 

In all fairness, Raya is not a flirt! Most of the time, women chase her, so she sits back and catches her prey without even needing to bat an eyelash. But four days ago, she was high on adrenaline and had an unknown amount of liquor in her system; The mixture of these two gave her the courage to put herself out there for the first time. Apparently, it worked, but she feared that Namaari wanted the confident and sensual Raya she met a few nights ago. 

How was Raya going to tell her?

Was Raya going to risk losing Namaari before she even had the chance to have her?

Yes, she would risk it all... because she wasn't going to start anything with Namaari based on a situational event. 

"Thank you for trying," Raya huffed before bringing her hands up to her face. "I need to be honest; The flirting and the confidence a few nights ago were effects from my 80 proof." Raya was prepared for Namaari to leave or laugh at her; instead, Namaari placed both her hands on Raya's shoulders, leaning closer. Raya could now feel Namaari's breath travel up and down her spine.

"This isn't new's to me; you wreaked of it. " Namaari answered, chuckling as she pulled away from Raya, watching the girl shiver as she did. "You give the alcohol a lot of credit; everything you say can be portrayed as flirting, and your confidence has only faltered once since I've been here." 

"Everything I said that night was honest, but sober me wouldn't have been so upfront with you," Raya admitted laughing as she moved her hands from her face placing them on her thighs. She wined once she felt Namaari's hands leave her shoulders but quickly relaxed when she felt her hands now on her scalp, gently massaging it before braiding it. "Just because I wouldn't expect you to reciprocate." 

Namaari gruffed, amused by that statement as she patiently started braiding Raya's hair into a loose french braid; to keep it out of her face and prevent it from getting tangled again. "I'm technically paid to reject patient advances politely, yet here I am. On my day off braiding your hair." 

"So, what made you come?" Raya reasked, hopeful Namaari had a better grasp of her emotions or was capable of identifying them.

Namaari finished the braid. She held it with her left hand while her right hand brought two elastics up to her mouth, stretching them before placing them on Raya's single braid. "What if," She admitted, which caught her off guard. She heard the other hum, sounding happy with the answer.

"What if is good. I can work with, what if." Raya felt her inner stress vanish. What if means different things to everyone but to Raya, this phrase brought hope. 

Namaari smiled as she let go of the other's hair. As the braid rested on her back, she realized the gown was loose. She couldn't see much, but what she did see were defined and muscular shoulder blades. She gulped, feeling heat redate through her body; she quickly shook her head, forcing herself out of her thoughts before they got sinful. She timidly brought her hands to the yarn of the gown before undoing it; she felt Raya stop breathing, and her body went still. So Namaari quickly tightened it before retying. She quickly pulled her hands away, yet Raya stayed still, and her breathing didn't resume. So she felt obligated to say, "Raya?" 

After a few seconds of forgetting how to function as a human being, Raya came back to earth as she heard Namaari say her name. How beautiful her name sounded rolling off Namaari's tongue. She could listen to her say her name all day. Raya rolled her eyes in pure embarrassment. She took a few deep breaths before humming in response. That was safer than speaking right now as she could still feel the warmth on the back of her neck where Namaari readjusted her gown. She could hear the other chuckle behind her as she cleared her throat to speak, "So Sisu mentioned something about you being a trauma nurse during the incident. Do you work here? At Kumandra Memorial?"

Raya rolled her shoulders before shifting her position. She slowly moved her legs off the armrest before turning her body to face Namaari. She now rested her lower back against the armrest as she lifted her left leg onto the couch bending it and pulling it closer to her torso. Her right leg was still dangling while she grabbed onto her left leg with her hands pulling it as close as humanely possible. Once Raya was comfortable, her eyes meet Namaari's. She couldn't help but smile when she felt her pulse increase and her palms moisten, all the while her stomach was experiencing immense fireworks. "Yes, I'm a nurse practitioner like yourself, but I'm specialized in trauma. And I technically don't work here yet."

Namaari raised her eyebrows as a slight grin appeared on her lips before speaking, "Technically? Elaborate!" She watched as Raya pressed her lips together, which sent Namaaris heart adrift with how gorgeous that small action looked.

"My father is a general in the five-nation military, so I enrolled when I turned 18. The military paid for my education, so I specialized in trauma to help injured soldiers. When I was 25, I resigned as a soldier but stayed in the military as a nurse. Three years later, I finally applied to work here, and they hired me quite rapidly..." Raya started as she found herself laughing. "Four days ago, Sisu, another friend of mine named Tong, and I went to a bar to celebrate my new job. The rest is history." 

Namaari felt her jaw fall as she gasped before looking Raya up and down. "You're a military nurse? That's wow," Namaari wanted to say hot. The realization Raya doesn't only wear scrubs, but she uses military uniforms. Or she was hoping she still did because that would be very attractive. "What a funny coincidence! I've never been part of the military, but my mother is a training sergeant. I was raised and trained as a soldier, and I lived on the Fang base growing up. You know before the war that united all the lands," Namaari stated as she unknowingly leaned her face closer to Raya. That's when she noticed a tattoo on Raya's left upper ankle. Two thin, solid black lines with an inch of space between them. In the middle of the two lines was a joyful grinning face with blush and a headband. Overall, it appeared to be a band tattoo with negative space. What initially caught her attention was the somewhat small mandala art within it. Raya must have seen her staring at it because she gently moved her foot, causing her to notice a font,

"Be Brave, Be Strong, Never Waiver," Raya stated as Namaari read the ink engraved on her skin. "My Ba said those words to me as he left for war when I was 12. I've lived by them ever since." Raya smiled, looking at Namaari's wonder-filled eyes. "Wait, you haven't noticed my tattoo's" Raya blurted as Namaari looked at her and nodded no. Raya chuckled as she brought her right hand up, showing her the wrist. She had tattooed her family's heirloom: a wavy sword with a Susiduatu, the dragon where the blade meets the handle; It was small but her favorite tattoo. Namaari chuckled as, with her right hand, she unclasped the watch on her left hand. Once the watch was gone, a tattoo of two daggers was visible: crossed upon each other. 

Namaari watched as a smile wide from ear to ear plastered on Raya's face. She then watched as Raya reached her right hand to gently brush the skin on her left wrist, making her gulp in nervousness. She brought her gaze back to Raya's knee and the arm grasping it; that's when she noticed another band tattoo, this time on Raya's left bicep. It was a slighter ticker solid black line and in the middle was a tattooed gem in a light blue. Namaari snickered as she was also hiding a bicep tattoo under her white coat; she would wait to tell her, or rather, show her. Namaari wanted Raya to want her for more than her muscular physique. "Do you have any more hidden somewhere?" she said, raising an eyebrow scanning Raya's body respectfully! To this, Raya grinned.

"Wouldn't you like to know! I guess you'll have to wait and see," Raya said, biting her bottom lip as her face leaned closer to Namaari. Her right hand gently massaging Norse code's into Namaari left palm. 

Namaari felt completely smitten by Raya's. And this feeling only intensified as she felt the other gently writing letters onto the palm of her hand. She wanted to look down at her hand because it was currently sending electricity through her body, but she kept her gaze on Raya. That's when she noticed her coffee eyes appeared to have a hint of gold, or was she imagining that? She was taken out of her thoughts as she saw Raya lean forward, so she also leaned in without putting too much thought into the action.

Their faces were inches apart, and they could feel each other breaths on each other's skin. Raya closed her eyes, allowing the kiss to be up to Namaari. Namaari licked her lips before closing her eyes to close the gap.

Knock. Knock. 

Namaari jumped back as Raya stayed in her previous position opening her eyes. Namaari was flustered, and Raya seemed more amused than embarrassed; she just chucked before speaking. "Come in"

"Hello, I'm Trinh. I'm from dining. Can you please state your full name and birthday, please?" A kitchen staff member said as he walked into the room with a tray of food. Namaari, still quite embarrassed, looks away, trying to hide the brush slowly creeping its way onto her cheeks. Raya's right hand fully resting on Namaari's left hand. Raya looked at Namaari briefly before returning her gaze to the new presence in the room.

Was Namaari going to kiss her?

"Hello Trinh, my full name is Raya Hart..."

--

7/30/21 : I intended to post part four today but life is crazy. I have’t had the chance to finish it. It should posted before 8/03. Long story short: I will not have my laptop this weekend where I comfortably write. SORRY for the wait in advance!

[fieryhonesty]

“Talked with a friend about how bad bus drivers are where I live and how many times I landed on somebody or somebody has landed on me. Somehow felt like to write a short fic about it, ended up being more from real life than I dare to admit. N-no! it’s not like that!”

Words: 2714

Genre: fluff, modern AU, gn!reader

"-and that's it for today. Don't forget to review, the exam will mostly contain questions based on this topic. The results will gradually affect your grades." 

With those words the professor has left the room. It was the last class of the day and obviously he didn't want to waste any minute. Hurrying to his car not to get caught in traffic. 

You were idly sitting at your desk, not even paying attention to others packing their stuff and leaving the classroom. You are slowly the last person in the room. You didn't listen most of the time and had no idea what the professor was talking about. Your mind was drifting everywhere, it's too hard to stay focused on classes. Especially when your mind is overflowing with ideas.

Last night you had talked with one of your friends. You two knew since elementary school and despite choosing different schools and paths you remained in contact. She knew everything about you including the passion for writing. It was just a hobby of yours. You had never planned it to be your career.

 In fact not so many knew about it. People around you knew you were writing something in your notebook. But you are a student, probably writing some notes for school or something. And you always hid your writings when somebody was approaching. Even if they asked what you were doing you just said 'rewriting my school notes, hehe.'

Except that one friend nobody has any idea about your passion. Perhaps it's for the best as you are really shy about it. The thought of other people seeing what you write or how you write is kind of terrifying. Publishing your stories never crossed your mind until your friend got fed up one day. Telling you to just go and publish it. There was no room for negotiations.

Your shyness slowly disappeared, at least when it came to publishing your works online. People didn't know you, your name or who you are. They knew you under a nickname and that's it. You felt safe and happy as you got quickly recognized and fans were leaving supportive comments. 

Writing is your way to express yourself and your emotions. Talking to people face to face is quite harder. You don't have the time to think it through and usually say the first thing which comes to your mind. Sometimes ending up saying some weird stuff which embarrasses you. That's why you rather don't initiate talk or talk really rarely. 

You are most talkative around your best friend and family. Everything else is just giving you anxious feelings. You'd love to start talking with others, especially if they are talking about something you are also interested in. But you are simply not that kind of person who would randomly join in and talk. Sometimes you wish all conversations could happen in written form, that way you would be the star.

You wanted to pull out your notebook and write down some of your thoughts but you realized where you are. Looking around the classroom, it's only you. Sighing for yourself. It will have to wait until you arrive at your apartment. Quickly packing all books into your fancy bag and rushing to your locker. 

You were actually sharing the locker with another person but they are sick at the moment. Their half is clean as ever, books neatly folded, cup and coffee hidden in the back part of the locker. They actually made you into the coffee addicted person you are now. At first you didn't like it but eventually fell in love with the bitter flavor. 

Sometimes you fetch some latté on your way home, thinking of where you would be without caffeine. It's probably one of the best things which happened to you during your university days. So many sleepless nights as you were studying for exams or writing until early morning. 

Changing into your comfy shoes, wrapping a scarf around your neck and dressing into the coat you loved so much. It's so warm and cool looking, makes you feel badass whenever you wear it. One last glance over your stuff in the locker in case you had forgotten about something. All set. Time to catch a bus.

Knowing about you had missed all early buses and will probably get stuck in traffic. Which is fine by you, your earbuds and music is ready. Luckily you didn't have to wait for too long at the bus stop. But it was enough for your cheeks to start freezing. As always you stood at your usual spot. Not feeling like sitting as you do it the whole day at school and home. 

Wrapping one arm around the pole, leaning a bit at it. There's not many people with you on the bus and so you can monopolize the pole and the area around it. You put down your bag as it was quite heavy and your shoulder was starting to hurt. Pulling the phone out of your pocket and browsing news. 

Not really paying attention, just mindlessly scrolling through articles. Sometimes reading the first few sentences before you go back and keep scrolling. 

As expected the bus was moving slowly, the delay was getting worse and worse. Checking the time, you had already spent here over ten minutes. If the bus had moved by a few meters, it's a lot, let's say that. Delays are quite normal at this hour so you don't really sweat it. Looking back to your screen, resuming your news browsing.

After a couple of minutes the bus finally got out of the major traffic and quickly catching up with the delay. As expected the ride was faster than usual, hopefully still within the speed limits. However you won't know this, all you know is the roundabout you will reach soon won't be funny. It's quite a steep one and even if the driver will take it very slowly you will have a hard time balancing yourself.

You are prepared, actually holding tight the pole instead of leaning on it. You have a perfect posture to keep yourself stable. Maybe your grip on the pole is a bit too convulsive. As you feel unpleasant pressure in your wrist. The moment you ease the grip a little, feeling how your feet are sliding. Before you tighten your grip again you fly forward. Trying your best not to crash into the person who was sitting there.

Despite all of your efforts you land on them. You are in shock but more than that you are embarrassed. As you tried to pull back and regain your posture. Feeling hands on your shoulders. Apologies are about to roll out of your lips but they are faster.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Up until now you didn't realize it's a guy you fell on. His long crimson locks tied into a ponytail. At first you thought you had landed on a woman. But his hoarse voice assured you he is anything but a female. You are too close to him for your comfort, his scent already entered your nose. Feeling how heat is rising in your cheeks. This is bad. His crimson eyes were darting around your face, looking for any sign of injury.

'This is embarrassing, say something you idiot!'

"Uh, yea. I... I'm terribly sorry!"

Your voice nearly betrayed you. The last word could be barely heard which made you even more wishing to just be able to vanish. Staring at the male unable to think what to say. Feeling relieved when the bus has stopped as he lets go his hold on you. If you could, you could have dug yourself in a ten meters deep hole and never climb up. 

Quickly murmuring out another apology. Grabbing your bag and jumping out of the bus. It doesn't matter if your stop is still far away. You'd rather walk the rest or wait for another bus than stay in that one.

It was already dark outside when you arrived at your place. Freezing and tired. Trying not to think of what happened earlier but you couldn't get the male's scent out of your nose. It was like he is still next to you, the sweet smell of vanilla. 

You let it be as you tossed the bag into a corner in your room. You are too hungry to think about anything. Making some quick cup noodles and eating them while going through another writing and editing session.

Days were passing by. Always the same: school, ride home and then either study or write. You had forgotten about what happened a few days ago, not even mentioning it to your close friend who had been hanging out with you here and now in chat.

It's Friday and you are feeling like chugging one quick latté. Perhaps you will sit there for a while and write a bit. You sure do like the atmosphere in café shops especially with playing jazz. Sitting in your corner, peeking at other customers here and now. Just to be sure nobody is approaching you. 

You ordered your regular and are waiting for the waitress. In the meantime you pull out your small notebook and read through the latest ideas. You usually write short things there, like drabbles which sometimes turn into much longer stories.

When a cup with your favorite drink landed on the table you looked up and shot a quick smile at the waitress. She answered with the same gesture before checking on other customers.

You fished for a pen in your bag. As soon as the tip of the pen touched the paper, a group of guys entered the shop. You didn't look up to check on them. Why would you anyway? You came here to chill after school, enjoy your drink and possibly write a few lines. Well maybe if you did check, then you would have noticed the redhead from before. 

He was dragged here by his friends as they got this stupid idea to look at girls. Starting here at café and moving to other public places. He didn't want to. He is kind of tired after the long week but that's also the reason why he is here. Too tired to search for excuses. And he knew he would need valid ones especially for his little brother whose idea was all of this.

As he sat with them, quite unbothered by their talk about the waitress who just took their order. Pulling out his phone to finish reading something he started during lunch break. He agreed to tag along not join into their jewelry observations as they call it. They could be talking about anything and he wouldn't pay mind to it. 

Only to be brought back to reality when Childe snatched his phone away. Grinning at him.

"C'mon Diluc, your social media can wait. Cute girls won't~"

The scarlet haired male rolled eyes at the ginger.

"For your information, reading stories is not the same as browsing twitter."

"Oh? What I am hearing? I didn't know my big bro is into reading inappropriate stories."

Diluc shot a glare at the bluenette. Reconsidering if it's worth his time to argue about it. If anyone is reading smuts here, it's Kaeya. Why is he hanging out with his brother again? 

Childe waved with his phone in front of his face in a very taunting manner. But didn't evade when Diluc reached for it, sliding it back into his coat. Looking around the café and then he noticed you. He was not sure if it's really you, the person who fell on him on the bus a few days ago. But when you looked up to take a sip of your latté he saw your face.

Something inside of him felt like to get up and go talk to you. But he can't. Or? Can he talk to you? A total stranger whom he met only once and under strange circumstances? For some reason he really wanted to greet you at least. He resisted the urge for long enough, at least until Kaeya didn't notice where he was looking and said something about it. 

Grabbing his cup and slowly approaching you. He didn't know what he was doing or why he was doing it. When he was close enough to your table, clearing his throat, asking if he could join you.

Your eyes shoot up to the not so familiar voice. Widening when you realized it's the same guy from back then. Feeling like your stomach was being squished. Just when you had forgotten about that embarrassing moment. 

All what you managed was a nod, observing how he sat at the chair opposite of you. Nervously smiling at him. What should you say? This is awkward. 

"Um-" 

You both started in unison, exchanging embarrassed looks. You motioned to him to start.

"Hi, uh. Hope I'm not disturbing?"

"No... not at all." 

You put your hand over the notebook instinctively. It's a habit of yours, hiding it from anyone's eyes.

"I'm Diluc and you are-"

"That person who landed on you on the bus, yes that’s me." 

You deadpanned. Can't help it but smile a little, finding it funny. The guy who you fell at, the one who should be mad at you. He is trying to talk to you and what's better he also seems to be nervous while talking. Feeling a bit relieved as it probably won't be only you embarrassing themselves.

He chuckled a little at your words. Kind of wishing to know you more than just a person who fell on him. When you tried to apologize once again he stopped you, saying it's fine. To change the topic he asked for your name and where were you going back then. 

When he found out you are also an university student he felt relieved a bit and more at ease. You had something in common, something you both could relate to. As the talk between you warmed up enough, when the first uneasiness faded. You talked about your hobbies, of course you didn't want to tell him about your big passion and said you are reading.

Which wasn't that much far from reality but unlike him you didn't read from known authors or big titles. In fact most of your reading were stories from other passionate writers, mixed with random novels here and now. 

"Oh, I also happen to read stories posted on the web. Some people are really talented."

He admits and flashes you something that one could describe as a slight smile? But really quick so your brain barely registers it. 

"Hey um, I know this will be strange. But I kind of enjoy our talk, it's much more..." He trailed off as he was thinking how to put  it without saying anything bad about his companions. Who are probably scheming or coming up with various ideas how to use this against him. 

"What I mean is, you act like a person in your age unlike my brother."

You tried not to laugh too much. Giggles escaping your lips. Truth to be told you were also enjoying this little talk between the two of you. This was probably the very first conversation you had with a stranger. And they didn't seem to mind your awkwardness. 

It feels like you two understand each other. Both are interested in literature, have to deal with school troubles and have something unique to each of you.

Looking up into his ruby eyes. "Yeah. I'm enjoying this too. Why didn't I fall on you earlier?!"

Both of you laughed at that remark. 

"If you don't mind, we could do this more often?"

"You mean me falling on you on the bus or drinking coffee?" 

"The latter. If I see you on the same bus I'll make sure you sit."

You two had talked more after this. Way longer than both of you expected. When Diluc checked the table where his companions were sitting before he noticed they are gone. He didn't think of checking his phone. But once he does he will find a message from his brother.

「'Seems like you had found somebody to spent night with, don't worry about your lil bro and enjoy~ 😘 '」

[generalfoolish]

Feel The Heat

Part Four: Fragile Bird

Rating: 18+ (minors take a hike)

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, more past relationship stuff, meddling friends, general anxiety stuff

Word count: ~2.5k

Pairing: Frankie “Fish” Morales x OC Juniper Collins

Summary: June attends a Benny Miller Fight

A/N: Hey babes! Sorry for the delay! #MandoMay2021 has ruined my brain. Enjoy, anyway 💕

Masterlist | Part Three | Part Five

June was kicking herself the whole way to school. She felt so foolish. As fast as the fear and anxiety had set in, it had dissipated. She didn’t know what was true and what her mind was twisting to fit into the worst-case scenarios she had construed. It felt impossible to pick herself out of the rut of her mind.

But then, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Maybe she was spiraling for a reason. Her last relationship had imploded, and it was beyond messy. She was aware, better than most, that things weren’t always what they seemed.

June parked her car, and went inside. She was early. But, at least inside her classroom she could shut the door and really think things through. That shred of privacy was what she needed, June decided as she jogged to the main building. She entered the security code, but locked the door back behind her.

Once in her room, she dropped her bag on her desk and sat down heavily.

Time to tell yourself some hard truths, June:

Terry was your fiancé. He left you at the altar. And took your dog.

Terry had kept the honeymoon tickets and went on the trip with another girl.

And that girl was one of your bridesmaids, and supposedly, a good friend.

Terry had made some really sketchy moves behind your back and fucked you out of a lot of money and left you reliant on your family and friends.

It was years ago, and you aren’t over it. You hate Terry, but you have a big, gaping whole where your heart should be and it’s filled with sadness and hate.

But you really like Frankie.

You really, really like Frankie.

June swallowed hard, and pulled her phone out. She keyed open her texts and typed a long message out. Then deleted it. Then re-worded and re-typed. Then deleted it again.

A knock at the door broke the spell. Sam stuck her head in, and gave a pitiful smile.

“Hey, lady…” June nodded her into the room.

“Morning, Sam.”

“Sorry, about setting you up on such a bad date.” June’s facade slipped into a frown.

“How do you know it ended badly?” Sam’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Weeeeell, Santiago told me a few minutes ago.” June looked at her phone’s time and groaned. Frankie worked fast.

“It didn’t end the best. It’s my fault.”

“I want to make it up to you!”

“I can’t go out tonight.” She told Sam, already shaking her head. June was feeling a little more hungover than she normally liked on a Wednesday morning at seven a.m.

“Not tonight, silly. Friday night!” Sam perched on her desk, and beamed down. “I doubt you have plans then.” She added with a playful wink.

“I was going to grade.” June told her flatly.

“Great! You’ll come with us.”

“Us?” June asked, her tone skeptical.

“Yeah, it’s a fight? It’s one of Santi’s friends.” June knitted her eyebrows together in disbelief.

“I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

“Fish isn’t going.” Sam told her, like that solved every issue.

“It’s still very third-wheelish. Grading isn’t glamorous, but it beats going on a date with you and your boyfriend.” June told her with a laugh.

“It won’t just be us! Will and his wife, and Ben, but he’s fighting.”

“So...fifth wheeling?”

“Or, maybe you hit it off with Ben!” June gaped at her.

“You aren’t trying to set me up with another guy in this friend group are you?” The dust hadn’t even settled from last night.

“Oh no. He is hot though. Maybe just get you finally laid?” June scoffed.

“Santi tell you that too?”

“Ha! No, I just guessed. You don’t seem like the type to put out on the first date.” June flushed at the comment, trying to not remember what she had said to Frankie.

“I’ll think about coming.” June told her, after a beat of silence. Sam clapped, and made her way to the door.

“Junie, I am sorry it didn’t work out.” June nodded and smiled. Sam meant well, even if her presence had distracted June from her text. She only had a few minutes before kids would show up, and she wasn’t sure what to say.

Anything was better than nothing.

“I’m sorry. Hope you’ll let me explain.”

~~~

June adjusted her t-shirt when she got out of her car. She couldn’t believe that Sam had actually talked her into coming out. Especially, considering it was Frankie’s friends. Especially, since Frankie hadn’t said anything back to her text. She hesitated beside her car door, and settled on just leaving. Why had she even come at all?

“June! I’m glad you came!” Busted. June looked over to see Sam sliding out of a large pick up. Sam ran over and hugged her tightly. “Relax!” She told June’s tense shoulders.

“Hey!” A man called out from the other side of the truck. “That wasn’t even in park, lady.” That must be Santiago, June thought. Sam was right, he was attractive. Heat crept up June’s neck at some of the stories Sam had shared.

“You were stopped, Santi.” Sam told him, rolling her eyes. “This is June, June this is Santiago.” June smiled shyly, hoping beyond hope that she wasn’t about to get raked over hot coals for what happened with Frankie. Instead, Santi smiled warmly.

“Nice to put a lovely face to a lovely name.” He told her, a bright smile dancing on his lips. A charmer, for sure.

“You too. Sam speaks highly of you.” He laughed, a warm, chuckle.

“I’m sure it was too much. Will and Becka are already inside, if you guys want to head in.” Santi placed a hand on Sam’s lower back and led the entourage inside. To June’s surprise they headed straight for the locker room. Two men and a woman were standing in the room, talking in hushed tones when they walked in.

“Santi!” The younger man called out, he must have been the fighter, the only one in gym clothes. Ben, June thought, trying to recall his name.

“Benny! You remember Sam, of course!” Benny, or Ben, smiled brightly and nodded, before whisking her up in a hug. When his eyes landed on June, the smile faltered.

“I thought Fish was with the kids.” June turned, wide-eyed to Sam, who shook her head quickly. “Oh, well, June, right?” He recovered, extending his hand. June took his hand reluctantly, but cut her eyes to Sam all the same. What was this?

“Well, we’re going to find the seats, you boys can give him the pep talk alone.” The woman, who must have been Becka, announced.

“That was weird, huh?” Sam asked, laughing.

“Yeah, real weird.” Becka agreed, looping her arms through both Sam and June’s.

“What’s going on?” June asked, her throat feeling tight.

“Well, you’ve been bummed out about your date.” Sam started.

“And, Frankie has been inconsolable.” Becka finished.

“Is that right? He never responded to my text. I asked him to let me explain, he just didn’t give me a chance.” June kept her arm in place, but felt her heart beating faster. This had been a disaster. Why would she inject herself into a situation where she was surrounded by people who knew Frankie intimately.

The hall ended in the arena, and June slipped behind Becka and Sam. Whatever answers they had were held off because of the blaring music and loud chatter. June hadn’t really expected such a crowd. It seemed Benny was a popular fighter. Becka led the group to a roped off section near the ring, and dropped heavily into a chair.

“Will’s grabbing drinks. Beer, okay?” Becka asked, peeking around Sam to June.

“Yeah, a Corona or Modelo.” June answered. She’d have to remember to venmo money to Becka later. Or just make Sam cover her, for dragging her here in the first place.

“So, what’s going on?” June asked again, leaning in closely to Sam.

“Don’t get mad,” Sam started, smiling wolfishly. June squeezed her eyes shut. This was a setup. “It’s just so you can talk!” Sam added, defensively.

“This is a horrible place to talk.”

“You agreed to come. It was pretty obvious, right?” Becka added, laughing. June groaned, knowing well that Becka had a point. The whole night had felt staged, and yet, here she was anyway.

“I tried to talk to him.” June argued, ignoring Becka’s comment.

“Better in person, I guess.” A gruff voice sounded behind her. She turned quickly and tried to keep her composure. Frankie.

He looked good, she thought, her eyes grazing over him. Another flannel, another cap, but he was working them out. His scruff seemed fuller, and she wondered if he’d been sleeping well, the dark circles under his eyes told her probably not.

“That’s right!” Becka laughed, grabbing her drink.

~~~

It was a set up. Frankie saw her from far away, and his throat dried up immediately. She looked amazing, all tight jeans and t-shirt. That ponytail, he was in trouble.

He hadn’t done a great job of responding to her attempts to talk. To sort things out. He was still burned from the morning after nothing happened.

A phone call to Santi that morning had confirmed his suspicions. What had happened was weird. Santi took some time to dig up intel on her, and Frankie felt a little weird about it. Until, that was, he saw what she’d been through. He could understand her hesitancy. But what he couldn’t scrub from his mind was how she had looked on top of him, pupils blown wide with lust. How she’d sounded wrecked when she asked him to fuck her, fuck him out of her system, she’d said. He had spent a lot of time in the shower, and in the dark of his bedroom, thinking about that.

But, he still hadn’t answered her. He didn’t know how. He had felt like he had had a door slammed in his face, and was hesitant to knock again. There was no guarantee that she wouldn’t pull away again, and he didn’t want that. He wanted to be let in, and he wanted her.

When the boys asked him to a fight, he had agreed immediately. Becka called in the sitter, and it would be a good break from the hard work of the farm, he had told himself. It wasn’t until he was holding as many cups of beer as he could carry, and he was staring at June that he realized it was a setup.

He didn’t know if she knew, and it didn’t matter. If she was here, that meant something. What, he wasn’t sure yet, but definitely something. He felt his ears start to burn as he approached, and heard the conversation was on him. Him ignoring her.

“Better in person, I guess.” He said, attempting to offer an olive branch. June looked like she was about to pass out. She was as clueless as him. But, her eyes on him were more hungry than anything.

“That’s right!” Becka laughed, and grabbed a beer from him. He handed one to Sam, and offered one to June. She took it hesitantly, fingers brushing his against the wet cup.

“Outside?” He asked, glancing at the watch on his forearm. There was plenty of time until Benny fought, and he had a growing suspicion that she wasn’t actually all that into the idea of a fight. He led her outside, his hand hovering on her lower back. Partially, because he didn’t want to lose her in the crowd, but mostly because he wanted to be close to her. It was driving him crazy.

In the parking lot, she whirled on him. Her beer sloshed a little, but she didn’t seem to notice the drink on her fingers.

“I’m sorry for the morning, but why didn’t you say anything?” She asked, tone more hurt than the indignant she was going for. He gaped. He didn’t have an answer. Not the time to respond reactively, though. This was already a mess.

“I thought some time would help.” He told her quietly. He was way out of his depth. She paused, not having anticipated a level response from him.

“It might have.” She conceded. He wished he could read her mind. “I am sorry. You’re the first person I’ve felt anything more than passing attraction for since my ex. It was messy. I thought I was past it. Clearly, I’m not. I think that things happened quickly, and it freaked me out. And I thought about when we first met, and…” He grimaced, knowing what she was thinking. He hadn’t given her a great first impression. Or second, or third.

He realized, dumbly, that he had been thinking the worst of her, but she had seen the worst of him. He reached out, not thinking, and rubbed her cheek.

“I’m sorry. Let’s just take it slow. I don’t mind waiting, but I have to kiss you now. Is that okay?” He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, and was vaguely aware that it made his voice raspy. It didn’t matter, all that mattered, was that June nodded. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

[cherryblossomtease]

Part 5b

18+ only

warnings summary masterlist

You’re sad, not cruel, so you serve tea at the little table sat by the bay window, the lace curtain a lovely backdrop to the dark mood. Neither of you saying much as you do.

He’s watching you, his pretty eyes fixed on your every move as you pour and open the sugar. He holds up his hand to refuse, but accepts the milk and when you sit, he dares to look at your face.

“Thank you for letting me come,” He says.

You nod.

He is looking at the ribbon you’ve taken to wearing around your neck when your collar is not high and you look away, angry, embarrassed…

The Baron clears his throat and reaches across the table to take your hand but you draw it in and look at him holding nothing back. “First you did not write! Then you did not come! Everyone else did! My poor sick father made the trip. It nearly killed him but he came,”

He sits back with a sigh.

“You were here the entire time were you not?”

“I came as soon as I heard.” He confirms.

You don't know if this makes it better or worse.“Then why? Was it too hard for you? To see me cut open?  You wanted to wait until they stuck me back together, or am I too ugly now?” You want to say more but your words are stifled by the tears that betray you and fall over your cheeks which you quickly brush away.

He leans in again hushing you in a soft stream of Sokovian… “Draga devojko…you are the most beautiful woman, there are no exceptions to this. What’s happened to you can not change that, nothing can change that. When I first met you, yes, I saw your lovely eyes your sweet smile, I heard you sing of course but it was when I got to know the woman beneath that your beauty was revealed in truth.”

You blink up at him licking a tear from your lips.

How can someone who has not looked at you in nearly a month, who has left you questioning every word, every action and every assumed feeling say something and nearly erase all of that hurt.

You shake your head, your smile sardonic at best as you speak. “I still don’t understand….” This is said about many things, but you start at the beginning. “I was, so looking forward to that night. Everything seemed perfect. I saw him, in the audience you know...”

“Who?”

“The man who came to hear me sing. He came just for me. I believe he wanted to write a show and cast me as the lead. And when John said there was a message for me. Well I knew it would be from you.” You stop and take a quick sip of your own tea needing to steady yourself. Your hands are shaking. You haven’t said any of this out loud yet you realize. “When I—when I saw that it was not. I think that was the moment I knew you wouldn’t be coming back. Even if they hadn’t…” You touch the ribbon. “Just to find someone else standing where I’d hoped you might be made it clear to me that you had really gone. But I still had my voice I still had something. So after, when I lay in bed waiting just to speak, just to be able to say good morning to my nurse; I knew what it felt like to have nothing. I’ve never had nothing before.”

Your confession surprises you. It’s true. Even as a child with an empty belly you had your fathers stories to distract you from hunger. At Augustines you had Brigitte, in the streets you had determination and on the stage you had your voice. This summer you had the Baron.

And then, for those long lonely days and fitful nights you had nothing.

It was such a dark place, you’ve only just begun to pull yourself up from the pit. Having him here has sent you reeling and you feel as though you are flailing wildly for something to grab onto, anything to stop your world tumbling back into the abyss.

You don’t even realize that he’s come to you. He’s pulled you up and into his arms and you let him, though at first you are numb. He is after all the one who has caused so much of the pain, and he still hasn’t given you an answer, but the calming way he whispers to you, his language so soft and soothing, it does something, like breaking a dam and the tears come in a wave.

His arms are tighter until you think you will suffocate but you don’t care you are surrounded by him and you feel safe.

You haven’t told him yet, you don’t know if you will but you saw the obituaries.

Charles Jones. The name of the man who did it. The name of the man he killed.

You’d asked around and found out that he’d had his throat cut, and all the way. No rose stems to soften the blade for him.  The other that stood out only did so after Serena was found in her apartment inconsolable.

Unidentified man.

His name was Vasily Karpov.

They said it was suicide. That his body was unidentifiable, but it was figured out by the people who run the streets quick enough, and when word got back to your end of the city, you knew.

The war rumors had preceded anything you’d eventually learned about the Baron’s gentle nature on your own.

So, he would kill for you, but would he apologize?

You pull back and look up to find his eyes a bit red and misty.

“Why didn’t you come?” You ask again.

He gives a laugh, not because it’s funny, but because you are a most determined woman.

Smoothing your hair from your face, he kisses your forehead and cradles your cheek.

“Before this," He says glancing at your neck. "I had business abroad. Things left over from the war that I had no choice but to attend to. Things that could put you in danger if I were to say. But know this. I always meant to come back to you. I always meant to write. These unfortunate circumstances delayed my return and I am sorry. And after that..." He pauses, looks you over again and sighs. "Because I was scared.”

Though your frown is deep and stubborn, you feel yourself letting go of some of that anger. “I suppose I can forgive you for the letter. But you are not a coward Baron.”

“No… But I was scared to go through it again.”

You look away for a second, which is all it takes for you to make sense of it and your mood changes entirely.

“I have never known pain like it before.” He tells you, waiting, watching to see if you can even begin to understand.

To lose the one you love and a child? No, you can't. Only someone who has will ever know.

But you empathize finding it hard to imagine  that anyone would put themselves in a position to feel that sort of unbearable hell again. You can not be angry with him for that, though it will take time to heal the raw spot in your heart from all of those lonely hours spent not knowing why he hadn't come.

You look up at the Baron and for just a moment imagine what his life has been. You turn your physical pain into the loss he has endured and it threatens to make you mad. Quickly you reach up to lay your hand against his face until you mirror his gesture and you hold one another.

“I hope you never know it again.” You say, meaning it with all your heart.

His brows turn down at your kind words and it seems your compassion has him on the verge of breaking. You sense it; his fragility just waiting to feel safe enough to be seen. In an attempt to feel anything but the never ending hurt you now both seem doomed to share, you do what your body tells you to and surprise the Baron, pulling him down into a kiss, the soft sound of his muffled reaction against your mouth making your stomach flutter.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders as he bends to lift you up, his arm around the small of your back. You peek to see his eyes closed, his long lashes a little wet with tears that never fell as he happily submits to your solution to so much sadness.

Shutting your eyes again you sink into the kiss, your lips pressing against his as your tongue dares to enter his warm mouth and you find that kissing him feels as natural now as it did before all of this.

He easily carries you through from the parlor to the little sitting room where he goes down onto the settee with you on top of him; inhaling and exhaling one another until you pull away with a moan as his mouth finds the soft, sensitive and unscarred places along your neck. But when he gets close to the ribbon you make him stop.

“I thought you had forgotten me” You scold him softly breathing harder.

He looks so sorry. “Will you forgive me?”

“In time.” You say sitting up. “In time I think I can forgive a great many things.”

The Baron’s smile is wide and warm. Your lips meet again as you give in to everything you’d missed over these last few weeks.

It feels so good to have him here, so alive in your arms, no threat of him leaving, at least not yet…

Your hands move faster, his start to grab. You bury you fingers in his hair, your face rubbing against his, your mouth open as you consider more than the kiss… but, not yet.

“Wait” You breathe feeling the pressure start to mount when he pulls at your gown. “Please, I—I know you must think that I have done this before but, I have not.” You say leaning back to see him, your hands still on either side of his face.

The Baron is staring at you for so long you smile feeling nervous and see that he seems upset. “What is it?”

“I realize I’ve made it seem as though I would treat you as any other man might.” He says, still holding you by the small of your back.

You drop your hands and look away. You want to reply in a way that doesn’t dismiss his kind nature but you also hate that it’s true. “You’re a good man, but I’ve learned to expect it.”

He hangs his head with a sigh. “Then I have let you down in more ways than I imagined.”

“That’s not so.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No. I am a… I was a stage girl. I know what that means. Good man that you are, so do you.”

He groans looking away. “Najdraža, this world is not kind to women. I know it as do you. But you do not need to make such allowances for me. I was wrong to assume.”

“Thank you” You say, somewhat stunned. You never thought you’d live to hear any man say such a thing. “You may regret those words” you tease with a smile to which he laughs softly but there is a seriousness in his eyes when he looks at you again.

“That is not possible draga devojko, do you not know? Have I not made it clear?”

You shake your head with a wonderful nervousness.

He takes hold of your face and keeps you close, the soft depth of his voice resonating in your chest as he speaks “I love you, as I have never loved anyone.” He looks away and back. As if this isn’t enough he goes on “I will be honest with you now, yes?”

You nod, your lips pressed firmly together to hold in the breath and the tears

The Baron takes your hand looking down at nothing as he speaks. “I didn’t come to the hospital because I was scared to feel not only the pain of losing the woman I love again, but of being forced to sit by and actually watch it happen…” His voice gives out, broken by the emotion, and the tears that never came fall free. “The first time I was spared that misery. I did not think I would be so lucky twice.” He shrugs and you feel his free hand press a little harder against your back, “I am not a doctor mala ptica what could I have done? Burn castles to the ground, make men beg before they die. I can hunt and plot… but what is that when you are lying there dying and I can do nothing but watch.”

In answer, you gently smooth the tears from his face with your thumbs and fingers until he exhales sharply and uses the back of his own hand to dry his face.

Taking it, you turn his hand and pull him close, laying your cheek against the bruised knuckles he thought you wouldn’t notice. You kiss the worst of it and wonder how many times he must have struck the one he cut, or perhaps it was the one he threw from the window at the warehouse? It doesn’t matter, it’s finished now and you are thankful for his hands, capable of such vengeance, and yet gentle enough to show such love…

He is watching you, his eyes half lidded as he scans your face. “You know what I’ve done.” He realizes.

“I do”

There is a hint of worry in his voice. “And you will still have me?”

“I will.” You smile.

He turns his hand to hold yours and leans forward kissing you so gently you feel a shiver up your arms and legs.

“Do you love me?” He asks.

You brush the tip of his nose with yours. “Very much.”

“And will you let me care for you; right the wrongs I’ve done and help you heal from this?”

Your heart hurts as you answer “I will”

“Then please, would you call me by my first name?” He asks next, just barely kissing you again.

You place his hand flat over the top of your breast and do the same to him, feeling the steady, heavy pounding beneath his strong chest. “I would Helmut. I would always.”

His other hand leaves your back, you feel his fingers stroke up your neck and massage into your hair until he cradles you in one hand and holds your heart in the other. “And husband?” He asks finally, his brown eyes bright in the dim light of your theatre apartment.

Your smile gives away your answer before you say it, but you say it none the less.

“I will call you husband. And myself your wife, and I will say it with what is left of my voice.”

*

A wedding in a tiny country church and a reception held beneath the fire red and golden leaves of autumn may not be what the daughter of a Lord would have asked for. In fact a woman of status may have found it all rather disappointing. How fortunate then that you are the daughter of an artist, and the scene painted by natures brush is one you think of often as you journey by train to your new home in Sokovia.

By now the pamphlets will be full of the story as the usual source of tabloid fodder will have gone back to their country homes, leaving those left in the city starved for a good read. The mysterious Baron who married the stage girl just before winter should hold them off until spring —but you aren’t thinking of that as you glance up at the man who sits reading beside you now. Your husband.

When you smile at him he lays his hand on your knee, aware but glued to the page of the paper. One of substance and not gossip.

It’s not until the scenery begins to change that he looks up.

It’s all so wonderfully foreign to you. The pale sky you are used to grows a deep, heavy blue, and the trees are wide at the base growing narrow at their tops. Helmut watches out the window with you looking peaceful.

“Is this Sokovia?” You ask.

He nods. “The boarder. We’ll be at the station soon, and just at sunset.”

Sunset, you look back out the window catching your reflection.

You’ve put on your new coat in anticipation of the change in weather. The light brown fur frames your face. Your hair is high and modern. You look every bit the Baroness and in every way you are.

Every way but one.

Sunsets are followed by night…

You look back at Helmut again and take his hand, your heart beating so fast that you wonder if he can feel your quickened pulse in your fingertips.

[peachebunnys]

Pain, with love

pairing: Horacio Carrillo x reader

summary: Arranged marriages are tough, but add that with having to deal with a drug lord on the loose? Horacio Carrillo can only imagine what’s coming for him.  

warnings: non canon compliance? reader doesn’t appear much in this part, bad writing lol

a/n: I’d like to thank @angelicpascal​ for proofreading this chapter, they’re a literal gem <3 This is my first time writing x reader fics, especially for something that’s non-kpop related. This will be a mini-series that I hope you will enjoy :)  

3.02k words

Chapter One; 

Horacio steadies his hand on the steering wheel, feeling the cool leather texture under his skin as he grips it tighter. The air was becoming cooler, water droplets dripping from the roof of the car onto his arm that was resting on the wind down window panel. The slight drizzle was starting to fog up the windows, and despite the cool breeze, the humid interior of the car was starting to make Horacio sweat. 

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. 

The relentless ticking from his wrist watch echoed through the car, and his heavy breathing was a close second to being the loudest thing in the vehicle at that moment. The silence between him and the rest of the passengers was almost suffocating but Horacio was always a man of few words, opting to remain silent and not engage in small talk. 

The warm orange street lights reflected off the water droplets, casting shadows of all shapes and sizes onto the dashboard. Horacio looked out the window lazily, looking at the silver wedding band on his ring finger. It reflected the moonlight that was casting down on the streets of Bogota, the row of tiny diamonds sparkling like stars in the night sky. The radio was alive again, a mixture of English and Spanish from his men as they updated their status and whereabouts throughout the streets of Bogota. 

“Fuck!” 

Horacio glances over slowly, staring at the man next to him who had a cigarette held loosely between his lips, digging through his pocket for something that Horacio could only guess was a lighter. Horacio removes his left hand from the window and fishes for his own lighter, shoving it in front of the brunette who let out an appreciative hum. However, just as he was about to keep the lighter back in his pocket, the man next to him grips his wrist tightly, studying his ring closely. 

“Peña,” he warned.

“You’re married? When?” Javier looks at him shocked, eyes filled with pure disbelief, “Could’ve sworn you didn’t have it on last week.”

Horacio sucks in a deep breath, shifting in his seat to look at the DEA agent better, “It was arranged, last Saturday.”

Javier removes the cigarette from his lips, offering the other man the stick as he continues, “Arranged? Saturday? I thought we were close enough that you would tell me about these things, hell, even invite me for the reception at least.” He gives a mock hurt expression, taking another puff when Horacio declined his offer. 

Horacio simply shrugged, eyes looking out at the lights coming from neighbouring houses, “It was a small event, family only - couldn’t get you on the guest list even if I tried.”

Javier laughed at the remark, turning to look at Horacio with curious eyes, “so… arranged, huh? How’s she like?”

Horacio rolled his eyes at the question, knowing that despite the fact he didn’t want to answer, there was nothing else he could do except wait and kill time. The rain was starting to lessen, the sky becoming slightly clearer, showcasing the beautiful moon that shined with all its might. The weather was becoming unpredictable these days, and just as you thought the skies would get clearer, it starts to rain again. 

“She’s...” He hesitated, god what was she like? He thought about it for a moment, unsure of what to say to Javier. Ever since the wedding and after they moved in together, Horacio hadn’t been home much, spending his nights in the office to draft plans for the raid that they were currently stuck in now. “She’s nice.” 

“Nice?” Javier scoffs, “Is that all you’ve got to say? That she’s nice?”

The realisation that he hasn’t quite talked to her much, nor gotten to know her, dawned on him. Shame fills his entire being as he realises he must’ve seem like a complete dick to her over the past few days. Yes, getting married wasn’t what he wanted, but neither did she. The last thing he should be doing was distance himself from her, and not putting in effort to make this relationship work. 

And so he decides to call her, in the midst of this dull conversation he was stuck in with Javier. 

The least he could do now was to inform her he would be back late, not that she would say anything about it. He reaches out to the backseat of the car, taking the phone in his hand and dialing his house line quickly, hoping to catch her before she went to bed. 

One ring. 

Two rings. 

Three rings. 

The line picks up, the recipient responding with a hoarse ’hello?’ that makes Horacio suck in his breath again. What was it about her, or this relationship, that made him so nervous? Horacio Carrillo feared only a handful of things, and for some reason, the uncertainty of how this relationship would go was one of them. 

“Hello? Y/N?” he asks, “Did I wake you up?”

Your eyes shot open as you heard your husband on the other end of the line, confused as to why he would call at such a late hour. “Horacio? Is everything alright?” You knew he was working late this past week, but who could blame him? He was the leader of the Search Bloc, and you knew that by marrying him, things like that would be bound to happen. You lean against the dining table, eyeing the packed dinner you had kept aside for him to eat when he returns. 

For the past few nights, you’ve been keeping aside leftovers from dinner, only to find them completely finished when you woke up the next morning. It pleased you slightly, seeing that your husband was not a picky eater, adding this to the small list of things you knew about him. 

“Y/N,” he called out again, “I - uh, wanted to let you know that I will be home late tonight. I’m sorry for not telling you the past few nights.” 

You could tell that he was struggling to find words to say, both of you equally unsure of what to tell each other. 

“Thank you for keeping dinner aside for me, by the way.” He pauses, “They’re- they’re delicious”

You giggle at the awkwardness of it all, smiling at how sincere yet embarrassed he sounded over the phone. 

“It’s alright, I know you’re a busy man. And thank you,” you laugh, “what kind of wife would I be if I were to let my husband starve after he’s been cooped up in his office all day?”

You hear a faint chuckle from the other end, feeling your heart beat faster at how good that voice sounded. It was deep and genuine, and in turn, made you crack a smile too.

“I’ll see you later, goodnight Y/N.”

“Goodnight Horacio,” you whisper before hanging up the phone, and with gentle footsteps back to your bedroom, you went back to sleep. 

Horacio, on the other hand, looks out the window, phone in his hand and resting on his chest. He looks back at Javier who was now leaning against the window panel, bored to his wit’s end at how dreadfully slow this mission was going. Intel had mentioned that Gacha would be on his way here - his safehouse, at around ten thirty. But as Horacio stared at his watch longer, seeing the clock strike eleven-thirty - he could only guess that there was either a delay in plans or that intel had simply fed them the wrong information. 

With a heavy sigh, Horacio reached out to his radio, fingers running over the buttons with the intention of calling off the raid. It was a long night for all of them, a long uneventful night, Horacio thought. Just as he was about to push the large button, he heard it. The signal. 

“Gacha’s men in cars on 7th street, no sight of Gacha yet.” 

The message sounded shaky on some parts, with Horacio almost missing it entirely. He slammed the device down and started the car, glancing over to Javier who was tightening the straps to his bulletproof vest on him. With the intention of not looking suspicious, Horacio drove the unmarked police car slowly around the bend, entering the general area of the safehouse to be in position. With the house barely two hundred meters away from them, Horacio called all his units to get into position, waiting for the moment that Gacha shows up. 

The safehouse was dimly lit, with only some lights turned on inside. The harshly lit porch had illuminated the front of the house slightly, showing off the pristine white walls that decorated the exterior of the place. It looked like any ordinary family home, and Horacio was sure that they would’ve never suspected this beautiful property to be housing one of the world’s deadliest narcos. 

For months now, the Search Bloc, with the help of DEA agents Javier and Steve, have been tirelessly tracking down Gacha’s whereabouts, determined to take him down once and for all. Gacha had made it no easy feat, covering his tracks whenever he was on the move, making it close to impossible to ever pinpoint his exact location. Gacha, as Steve would describe him, was one slippery bastard. The man was always somehow wriggling out of their grasps just as they’ve almost got him. They were lucky though, that this time they’ve had an “informant”, one of Gacha’s ex men, that came straight to them with the information about his new safehouse. And they were sure as hell going to make use of that information in every way they could. 

Horacio ducks his head slightly, narrowly missing the street light shining on his face as a series of cars drove past him. 

One. Two. Three. Four. 

Leaning his head against the cool window panel, Horacio squinted his eyes slightly, trying to count the number of men in each vehicle. With the poor visibility from the rain, which was evidently getting heavier, he could only guess how many men there were. But that was never good enough. Horacio couldn’t afford any guesses, especially on a raid mission like this. He quickly fished out the radio again and called to one of his men, “Trujillo, how many men did you manage to see?”

Without a second to lose, Trujillo responded , “about four in each car, that means we have twelve men including Gacha. All armed.”

Javier cocked his gun and placed it in his holster, straining his neck to look out through the windscreen, “Everyone’s in position?”

Horacio simply nodded, radio inches away from his mouth as he radioed in to his men again, “I want everyone in position, now. Once I give the signal, all units close in onto the safehouse. Surround them.”

As the cars were parked outside the property, Gacha’s men had all swamped to seek shelter in the beautiful house, with a few men taking cautionary glances around them. All of them were soaked from the rain, and wore an exhausted look on their faces - which made Horacio hope that this was something they could use against them. The heavy downpour was starting to lessen, and Horacio knew he had to act quick if he wanted to use the poor visibility to his advantage. 

Once he was sure that it was the perfect time to strike, he gave the signal and exited the car, crouching a bit as he held the rifle out in his hands. He walked swiftly towards the safehouse, senses heightened to catch anything out of the ordinary. There were two men guarding the entrance of the house, both of which were too caught up in drying themselves to notice the Search Bloc men closing in on them and knocking them out cold. 

With Javier and Horacio standing on either side of the entrance, they took a quick glance at each other, guns firmly held in their palms and nodded. A swift strong kick was enough to break the door open, and the sudden impact had startled the men that were all in the midst of talking to each other. 

Guns cocked, shots fired. The bullets whizz past Horacio’s face, missing him by a few inches. His rifle started burning up quickly, like heated glass, while he fired at the nameless men that scattered throughout the room. His bulletproof vest hugged him snuggly as he hid behind the wall by the entrance, reloading his gun, panting heavily as he glanced at Javier who was doing the same. 

“From the back?”

Horacio turned his head to peek into the living room, catching a glance of Gatcha running out the back door. He signaled to Javier to head to the back, only for the radio to come alive again, informing that Gatcha had in fact already gotten away in his red pickup truck. 

“Peña! Red pickup truck, Chevy!” Horacio yelled from across the door, “let’s go!”

The two of them separated from the rest of the Search Bloc, hopping back into their unmarked Police jeep in hopes to catch up with Gatcha before he gets away for good. 

It’s true, isn’t it? These narcos are never as dangerous till you’ve almost got them?

Horacio grips the leather steering wheel tightly, stepping on the accelerator as hard as he could, barely missing all the other vehicles on the road as he drove past them. The cool breeze was a stark contrast to the heated weapon on his lap. The vehicle was in sight, with only a few meters away from their own car. 

Horacio could hear Javier call in to available units, indicating where the car was and where to corner it at. As Horacio continued speeding through the streets of Bogota, there was a sudden influx of bullets being shot towards them, some of which damaging the windscreen in its wake. With the screen shattered and rain clouding their visibility, Horacio rammed his vehicle straight into the pickup truck’s boot, sending it spiraling into a nearby streetlight. 

The other police vehicles arrived soon after, cornering the truck which made it impossible for Gatcha to escape this time. The men stayed behind their vehicle doors, opting to use it as a shield for when Gatcha finally came out of the vehicle- in which he did after a few minutes. Head bleeding, shirt torn and mouth in a downward snarl, Gatcha held out his pistol at Horacio, screaming a string of curses before pulling the trigger. 

Empty. 

The Search Bloc men started closing in to him, slowly and cautiously eyeing the drug lord with each step they took. Gatcha’s truck had slight smoke emitting from the hood, and Horacio knew that if anyone were to take a shot at it, it’d blow up instantly. 

“Nobody shoot!”

 Horacio held out his rifle towards Gatcha, biceps flexed at how hard he was gripping the weapon. “Gatcha! It’s over, lay down your weapon and we’ll take you in safely.”

The tension in the air was thick, with only the sound of nearby cars buzzing through the air. The streetlights weren’t very bright in this part of the city, but Horacio could see that Gatcha was reaching for something from the back of the vehicle. With his eyes trained on the short man barely a dozen meters in front of him, he soon realises what Gatcha was reaching out for.

His rocket launcher. 

“Everyone, get down!” 

He barely had time to register Gatcha blasting the heavyweight weapon at him, dropping down on the floor as the car behind him shot up in flames. The ringing in his ears was intolerable, and Horacio almost thought he was dead from the way his breathing slowed down instantly. He slowly turned his head behind, seeing the now burnt car behind him and how the windows had shattered next to him, with some pieces cutting deep into his skin. 

He turned back, to look at Gatcha who was now knocked down by Javier with the base of his gun, groaning loudly as he clutched his bleeding nose. The way he wriggled on the floor in pain resembled a worm, unable to move anywhere with all the guns pointed in his direction. Horacio placed his hands on the uneven ground, pushing himself up with determination and limped his way to Javier.

He could feel the pain from his injuries wash over his body, but he stared back at Gatcha with a look of determination. Finally, he thought, fucking finally. The sight before him was nothing like how he imagined it to be, and the sense of victory did not wash over him like how he thought it would.

The man that was on the ground, staring at him with stone cold eyes, was shorter than expected, and looked nothing like the demon that Horacio had thought of him to be. Just a simple man that laid on the cold wet roads of Bogota, looking like he was about to pass out any minute.

“Gatcha,” he breathed heavily, “you’re arrested, you son of a bitch. And I hope you rot in prison for the rest of your miserable life.”

The Search Bloc’s men soon came in and cuffed Gatcha’s hands, pushing him roughly into one of the cars. Horacio did feel a sense of relief though, that all their hard work thus far has finally paid off. A part of him was hopeful that when they interrogated him in prison in the next few days, that they might, just might, be able to finally get a lead on Pablo Escobar. 

Javier patted Horacio’s shoulder gently, a silent gesture to ask if he was alright. Horacio, in turn, nodded, letting out a huge sigh as he eyed his now destroyed ride back home. 

“Come on,” Javier reached out, “I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

Horacio waves his hand dismissively, carefully brushing off the dirt on his uniform,  “just send me home, Peña. I’ll be able to patch myself up there instead.”  

“Alright then, let’s go.” Javier starts the car, smirking as he watches Horacio slump back in the passenger seat, “wouldn’t want to keep your wife waiting now, do we?”

[perriewinklenerdie]

Rescue me (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Open Heart, Ethan Ramsey x MC

Author’s note:  Hello, hello, hello! Open Heart continues to wreck me, thank you very much. I tried to write fluff, I swear I did, but PB makes is so damn difficult. Maybe next one...

Anyway, this one is the rewrite of the scene in chapter 3 of book 2. It’s definitely not how it happened in the chapter, but angst took over, so I’m going to blame it on that :D

AO3 link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23160526

Tag list:   @paleweasels , @lilyofchoices , @hopelessromantic1352, @kittykatchoices, @valiantlychaoticbarbarian , @radlovedreamer , @usuallyamazinglyaverage, @palestazure, @cordoniaqueensworld, @universallypizzataco, @princess-geek, @faithhasnowords, @mightyfangirlofthefandoms, @drakewalkerfantasy, @timmagicktoad, @laceandlula, @greywitchyshots, @llamasgrl, @gingerjane15, @bucket-harrington , @marywrites-things , @ethanplaysfavorites , @mfackenthal , @betelgeusebee , @simsvetements,  @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction, @buzz-bee-buzz, @owleyes374, @cora-nova, @aworldoffandoms, @l822, @cream-ray, @ughhhxjazzy, @silverlitskies, @justendlesssummerfeels, @togetherwearerapture, @desmaranj, @edgiestwinter, @friedherringclodthing, @daisy-ashton, @waytooattuned, @choicesgremlin , @lapisreviewsstuff, @the-soot-sprite, @writerapprentice, @chasingrobbie, @choicesobsessedd, @cassiusownsmyass, @x-kyne-x, @thisperfectmemory, @drakewalker04, @rookie-ramsey, @jlynn12273, @thepinknymph @dr-brianna-casey-valentine, @a-i-n-a-a-s-h 

  Enjoy! <3

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

Ethan’s legs dragged behind him as he walked back to the hospital. He didn’t expect to see his Dad that day, let alone for him to meet Claire. The idea terrified him, and he wasn’t even sure why.

Maybe because you talk about her all the time with him and if she finds out, she’ll see right through your bullshit of a barrier.

Deep down he knew that he shouldn’t want to run to her and tell her everything. He shouldn’t want to get closer to her again. Oh, who was he kidding, he couldn’t even fool himself. He was far too gone with her, he could try all he wanted to get away from her, but it wouldn’t change anything. It was futile, and after Claire left him alone with his father, he could see it in his eyes too.

The artificial lighting of the hospital greeted him upon entering, his feet carrying him to his office, where he knew she most likely was. The blinds were up, allowing him to see through the glass walls. That’s how his eyes found her, slumped over the table, deep in the article she was reading. Piles of books were a medical fortress around her, letting through just enough light from the windows to illuminate the pages she was focusing on.

It was his office. He shouldn’t be afraid to walk into his own office. Yet, here he was, hesitating, his hand itching to knock, to announce himself, to let her know that he was there. In another universe, he would stroll in there, take a seat next to her and stroke her hand while she studies. In the universe he lived in, all he could do was just get inside and ask her to walk with him to their patient.

Her head shot up and back towards him, her eyes growing wide with what he could only guess could be happiness. Happiness to see him? She closed the book she was reading with a sigh, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. A soft line on her forehead appeared, the one he knew was there when she was getting frustrated. The familiar itch to smooth it out returned to his fingers.

“Come on, let’s see how Lamar’s doing.” Ethan’s lips curved upwards slightly when she joined him by his side, a fraction of her body’s heat reaching his skin, warming him up pleasantly.

Their walk was silent, at least on the outside. In his head, he thought of every possible way he could either stop himself from wanting her or find a way to have her. This was exactly what he meant when he said they couldn’t be together. Exactly what he meant when his brain kept screaming at him that Clarissa Herondale was dangerous. She was addictive, at least to him she was.

He let her enter the room first, walking behind her. Maybe that was why he registered that something wasn’t right with a second or two of delay. The bed was empty, but their patient couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air, could he?

“Ethan… in his condition, Lamar’s a danger to himself. We’ve gotta find him.” Claire’s voice got steadier as she spoke, her posture got straighter and her whole being became more confident. With mutual agreement in their eyes, they broke into a sprint, passing the halls as carefully and as quickly as he could. He heard his voice calling out for security when one of the nurses screamed, grabbing their attention.

“Up there!”

Claire’s head snaps upwards almost at the same time as his. High above them, on the forth floor, he can make out a shape of a person, climbing the railing. A cold shiver ran down Ethan’s spine as the reality set in.

“That fall will kill him! Dammit, come on!” he cursed loudly, calling out for Claire, but she was already running, taking three steps at the time, racing with time and her own body. He didn’t waste another second, following her, at least one floor behind her.

“Lamar, please… what are you doing?! You’ll get hurt!” Liz pleaded with her husband, her hand extended towards him. He grinned, shaking his head at her.

“What are you talking about? We’ve done this a thousand times!” his eyes shift to Claire, who was fast approaching him, then smiles even wider. “Alex! Come on, you’re not a chicken, are you?”

“I’m not chicken. You’re the one who’s chicken. I found a much cooler place to jump.” She tried to keep her voice level, tried not to give away how scared for him she was.

“Seriously? Where?” he asked, curious, then threw one leg over the railing. A heavy feeling in Claire’s chest began to dissipate.  

“Come on, it’s this way. I’ll show you.” speaking slowly, she extended her hand towards him with a flicker of panic in her voice.

“Alright, fine. But it better be as good as you say.”

He took her hand and pulled, probably expecting to be dragged over the banister, towards safety. What he didn’t consider was how physics worked. A result was worse. So, so much worse. Claire’s hand, instead of helping Lamar get back onto the stairs, got pulled by him towards the railing. The velocity and the rapidness of the move yanked her forward, causing her to stumble over the banister.

With what seemed to her like the last of her energy, she grabbed the ledge of the glass screen with her second hand and hung on. She wasn’t an idiot; she knew that looking down right now, especially given the fact that she was afraid of heights, would cause her to faint and fall. So instead, she focused on the glass beneath her skin and the depth of her breaths, muttering in her head how it was all going to be alright.

Her panic didn’t allow her to hear Liz screaming when she saw the doctor fall over the banister. Didn’t allow her to see Lamar’s confusion when security pulled him away, as gently as they could in the situation he caused. And she certainly couldn’t hear the cry of absolute horror that escaped Ethan’s lips when he saw her disappear from his field of vision.

“Claire!” he exclaimed, moving up the stairs faster than ever before in his life. His muscles protested, his lungs screamed, but none of that mattered at that point. If he didn’t get to her soon, she would fall and die.

Or maybe she was already dead, and he just didn’t let himself admit that.

Regardless, he stopped next to a shaken Liz, then looked down into the atrium. His eyes met her green ones, full of pain and fear. His chest felt tighter, his breaths getting shallower, causing him to get lightheaded. He knew the signs of a panic attack when he saw one, and he knew that he was beginning to have one right this moment.

His hands grabbed her arms and pulled, desperate to get her back into his arms, back to safety. Back to where he knew he could protect her. As soon as she was on the good side of the railing, he fell onto the floor, Claire in his arms, and he felt like he could breathe again.  

“Dr. Herondale- I- I’m so s-sorry I d-don’t know how-“ Liz jumped to their side, sobbing and shaking, unable to control her emotions. Claire leaned away from Ethan, grasping Liz’s hand tightly.

“Don’t worry about it, we’re all fine. Do you think you can answer a few questions for me?” she spoke clearly, much to calmly for Ethan’s liking. When Liz nodded, she turned towards her fully, focusing on her. “Who’s Alex?”

“I have no idea…” Liz breathed deeply, still shakily, but she was visibly less panicked. Claire patted her hand sympathetically, then stood up slowly. Ethan immediately followed, keeping himself close to her.

“I… think I might know what’s wrong with him.” she muttered, walking away without another glance at the place that could have been the last thing she ever saw.

Ethan ran after her, catching up to her in the middle of the stairs. He touched her elbow delicately, making her stop in her tracks to look at him. He didn’t have to say anything, his pleading eyes were all she needed to know. Nodding gently, she wrapped her hand around his arm and allowed him to escort her back to his office for a moment of peace.

June and Baz were there when they arrived, but one glance at Ethan’s distraught expression and they both left, without so much as a word spoken. Claire walked over to the couch and sat down, her teeth chewing her bottom lip with passion. He couldn’t tell if it was a sign of her discomfort, her anxiety or the signal that the reality finally caught up to her. It definitely meant something else in literally any other circumstance than this. He’s seen her to it before, countless of times. When she was focused, when she was happy, when she was just fine, when she was intrigued. When she seemed to be falling for him.

Out of all of them, that one stuck in your head, didn’t it, Ramsey?

Something wasn’t adding up for him. It might have been the initial shock of the situation that didn’t let go yet, that prevented her from breaking down. Or maybe she was even stronger than he thought she was, and she would just get over it. From his perspective, he was sure of one thing.

He wouldn’t get over it.

Ethan could count on the fingers of his one hand the times in which he was terrified. He could still see it when he closed his eyes, the moment he realized that his Mother wasn’t coming home. The sheer pain in his Dad’s eyes, the emptiness of the house when they came back home and all her things were gone. He wished he could say that he was over it, but the truth was, he didn’t think it was possible for him to ever forget that feeling.

The moment he realized something was wrong with Naveen. The look on his face when he begged him not to say anything to anyone. The sharp pain, like a stab to his chest, at the mere thought of losing another parent. And the moment he realized he couldn’t help him. The moment he realized he would be alone once again, abandoned, but not in the same way.

The moment he knew that Dolores’s life was in danger. He didn’t have many friends, and even the ones he had seemed to be taken away from him, one by one. The sting in his eyes when he realized that she was dead, really gone, forever. The pain he felt when he saw little Ethan, alone in the big, cold world, without the person that would give it to him on a silver platter.

The desperation he felt when he heard of Claire’s hearing. She wasn’t a person he planned on getting close to. Looking back at it, he didn’t give himself a chance to back out of this, he never even stopped to think what that would mean for both of them, and when he finally did hit the brakes, it was already too late. He remembered being furious with Harper for forbidding him from testifying for Claire, but now he was realizing that she knew how he felt months before he did. She always was the smart one.

And now this. Possibly the worst fifty seconds of his life. He was pretty sure his heart stopped when he saw her get thrown over the railing, and then went into cardiac arrest when he reached her and saw her there. Helpless, tired and scared. He would never forget the look in her eyes, and how it morphed into one of calmness and security when she knew that he was there.

How was she so goddamn calm?

She was staring off, her gaze locked on the wall, like she wasn’t even there. He felt as though he could walk up to her and try to touch her, and his hand would pass right through her. Despite all that, he decided to not join her on the couch just yet. He needed a moment to sort through his own thoughts or they would overwhelm him.

3…2…1…

The first sign of tears approaching was the stinging sensation in the back of his eyes. His lower lip trembled, his vision got blurry, but despite all of that, he still tried to maintain the last pieces of his composure. Walking over to her, after all, he sat down, their bodies lining up with one another, the brushes of heat flowing between them. He felt a rush of electricity pass from her to him, or maybe it was from him to her, he wasn’t sure. He needed to stop thinking about what just happened, or he would lose it.

Too late.

The first tear trickled down his cheek, silently, easy to overlook, easy to forget it was even there. Second and third ones were louder, bolder. They demanded attention. Landing on the smooth skin on her hand with a sound that no one would ever hear, they accomplished what they wanted. Almost instantly, Claire’s hands ran to her face, wiping furiously the tears that were simply not there. Confused, and maybe a bit scared of what she would see when she looked at him, she slowly trailed her gaze up his chest, along the column of his neck, until she reached his face. A quiet gasp slipped past her lips when she saw how many trails of wetness were visible on his features, and how many more were being made or were about to be made. With a choked whisper of his name, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down so he lied down with his head on her lap.

It wasn’t right. He was the one that was supposed to be comforting her, not the other way around. But here he was, sobbing into the fabric of her pants, unable to stop the flow of feelings and emotions once they started.

“I almost lost you.” he managed to mutter without suffocating on his limited supply of oxygen in his lungs, but the words were like a punch to the gut for her. Up until this point, she didn’t think about it that way.

She could have died. She could have fallen from the fourth floor and be nothing more than a bloody corpse on the crisp white floor of the Edenbrook atrium. And Ethan would have to look it all in the eye and accept the new reality. And they would never get a chance to see where that ever so present feeling they got when they were near would lead them. She would never tell him how much she needs him.

He felt something hit his cheek. Then again, and again. When he turned to look up at her, he realized that the reality finally caught up to her. She was looking down at him with the most complex stare he’s ever seen, so intense that it made him sit up. His hand slowly rose to her cheek, wiping the tears away from her skin, tracing small patterns there. His other hand rested on her knee, an anchor of sorts, something that would keep him grounded, come what may.

Her movements were very much similar to his, but seemed more wanting, filled with more need. Need to touch, need to feel, need to have him close. One hand on the back of his neck, another on his side. And they held onto each other like drowning people held onto their lifelines.

Their forehead touched, softly at first, neither expecting the contact, causing them to stumble backwards for a split second before leaning back in. The peaceful comfort, the quietness of the room and a sense of stability, even if only momentarily, was enough to bring the calm after the storm has passed.

“I could have died. Without telling you-“ she whispered, her tone desperate and urgent, before she bit her tongue, closing her eyes in defeat. There it was. Again.

That goddamn barrier of yours, Ramsey. You’re going to trip and die because of it one of those days.

Ethan was never sure how it happened, but it seemed as though it all followed the same path, every time they’ve been there. His every coherent thought leaves him as soon as he gets close to her, and then they come back, right as he is about to let himself get exactly what he knows would make him happy. Deep, deep down, he knew that she was what he wanted, what he needed, but his rational thoughts were closer to the surface, and he didn’t even have the chance to entertain the idea properly. Not when he was with her, at least.

Screw the barrier.

He leaned towards her, pulling her into him at the same time. Their lips pressed against one another, barely touching, testing the waters. They didn’t have much time, and they probably shouldn’t be kissing in the office which had glass walls and where the blinds were up, but at that exact moment, he was beyond caring about all of that.

He kissed her. Really kissed her. Poured all of his pent-up emotions and feelings into it, hoping and praying that she would get them. She did. And she reciprocated them in earnest. Even if they couldn’t act on them anytime soon, they always had this moment. Right here, right now.

[jeawrites]

5 or 38 with cc. and dd? (krii7y)

(This was a fun one to think about! Thanks Anon!)

38. Stuck together (elevator stopped/Ferris wheel/etc.)

cc. “Why are you crying?”

dd. “You’re my favorite person.”

Jaren wasn’t the biggest fan of amusement parks. Well- that was a lie. He wasn’t a fan of the crying kids or the noisy teens that raised them, but he enjoyed the rides a fair bit. And, the food was good at some of the stands.

John was in a similar state, though he did prefer the slower paced rides more than the exciting fast paced things that his friends liked. Or, really it was that Jaren liked them. And, he really couldn’t say no to Jaren.

So, a whole day of ride after ride and a whole day of noisy people led to them being tired out by sunset.

Their fingers were laced as their arms swayed in sync together. The background music of the fair was completely silenced by the noise of the crowd. They were both beginning to get a headache and were ready to head home, really.

But, John had stopped walking, his eyes glancing to a ride that was coming up. “Wanna ride the Ferris wheel?” he asked, looking to Jaren with a pleading expression hidden in his eyes. He wanted to cool down and see the sight, plus he promised Tyler a good photo if he could snag it.

“Hm?” Jaren tilted his head and glanced at the ride as a grin slowly broke onto his face. “Oh, John you romantic,” he teased, sticking his tongue out at him as he got a slight tap on his shoulder.

But, John snickered as well. “Shut up, you know it’s not like that,” he stated, looking away in fake embarrassment. “It’s not like I like you,” he added in a pout.

Jaren laughed, covering his mouth with his free hand before shaking his head. “Really? Because I like you a lot,” he teased, bringing their intertwined hands up to kiss John’s knuckles gently.

John felt a blush form that time, and a real sheepish feeling spread in him. “O-oh,” he breathed, looking back and meeting Jaren’s kind smile. “You- that wasn’t fair!” he fired back. “I thought I was the romantic one?” he huffed before starting to walk, dragging a laughing Jaren towards the Ferris wheel.

The line was short, and the seats were secure and comfortable. The two sat across from each other, saying a thank you to the ride attendant as the gate door closed. Then, they were moving. Slowly circulating to the top and some, stopping just a bit off as the ride let people off and more on.

John took the opportunity to look around with a grin. “Lovely view,” he said, looking at the sunset with a soft look on his face.

Jaren looked at him, his heart melting at how gorgeous he looked in the light of the sunset. God, he loved him. He… his hands gripped at his jeans lightly and he looked out to the park as well with a bittersweet grin. “Yeah… real pretty,” he agreed softly.

John didn’t catch the tone, so he continued smiling and staring at the view.

But, after a good few minutes, he began to get a little fidgety, shuffling around and shaking the cart a bit to peer over the other edge. “Uhm… Hey- why aren’t we moving yet?” he looked to Jaren and met a similar worried look.

“Good question-”

“Attention riders- due to complications the ride will be delayed for the next hour. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

The two shared another look and then groaned.

“No way,” John stated, peering over. He could make out the little figures of a few people working on the machine at the bottom. He pouted some and leaned into his seat. “This drags,” he grumbled.

Jaren opened his mouth, but closed it to nod instead.

John did notice that.

“Are you okay? You’re not scared right?” he asked, concern leaking through his voice as he reached forward to gently place a hand on Jaren’s knee.

Jaren flinched a bit and turned away, nodding again. “I’m fine,” he answered, voice in a mumble, “just sucks we’re stuck.” He sighed softly and looked down at the view.

John frowned and shook his head some, but he sat up regardless and joined the silence.

Jaren felt… conflicted. Firstly, him and John were in a relationship. They’ve been on dates, they’ve cuddled, they’ve done it all- except sharing a first kiss. But, he felt a tinge in his heart because of how loosely it was treated. He didn’t talk about it- he always passed it off as the fact that they had come into a relationship as best friends so they were used to treating each other like that. Was that why he was so afraid of telling John he loved him?

He glanced towards the other, who was taking photos and probably texting the guys. Then, he glanced away and pursed his lips tightly. Now would be a good time to talk about it, right? They were dating- they’ve been dating for months, they were best friends for years, Jaren should be able to push the words out and say it. But, thinking about doing it and thinking about John… just rejecting the advancement hurt.

It wasn’t even that; what if John just didn’t want something that deep from them? What if he didn’t view Jaren like he viewed him? That was terrifying and he felt a pit form in his stomach as the thoughts formed- but most importantly as his mind screamed at him to talk, to have the conversation with him.

He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, wiping the tears away.

John quickly glanced towards him, his brows furrowing in concern. “Jare?” he asked, the concern returning. “Hey, hey… Why are you crying?” he nudged his foot gently with his own and leaned forward.

Jaren looked at him, lips quivering as he brought his hand up to wipe away the tears that were forming again. “I-I,” he breathed shakily and a nervousness passed through as he tried to smile but couldn’t. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly, a small sob pushing past him as he leaned forward, grabbing John’s hand’s shakily and gently. “You- you’re just my favorite person and- and,” he was stammering, words shaking violently as they left his mouth. He was nervous and loosing focus on the moment.

But, John squeezed his hands and dragged him back in. He inched closer and kissed Jaren softly, calmly.

It was soothing and the nerves left Jaren like a spell had been cast on him. The softness of the whole gesture reminded him of the days he would fantasize about this, when he would think about him and John being together in such a romantic way. The butterflies felt the same as they did then and he could feel them conflicting with the pit in his stomach, trying to fill it.

He felt dizzy with the mixture of emotions but his hands squeezed back to let John know he was okay. So, they pulled apart and he sighed gently, dazed but still sniffling a bit.

“Jare, I-” his breath hitched as the ride jerked forward, his grip tightening.

“Attention riders- apologies for the movements, we’re getting closer to the completion of the repairs. Thank you or your patience.”

Jaren’s heart had sped up twenty times faster, for both the sudden movement and the fact… that was their first kiss. The first of hopefully many and the first that boosted his confidence and made his heart swell up into such a loving sensation that it deafened him to the noise of the doubting thoughts he heard before.

He felt John remove one of his hands from his grip and place it on his cheek. He leaned a bit into the warm touch.

“Jare,” he spoke softly, rubbing his thumb on his cheek. “Talk to me buddy.”

Jaren was slow to process, but he took time with the words now, trying to formulate it right. “I-I’m sorry,” he said again, rubbing his thumb on the back of John’s hands gently. “I-... Look, let me start over,” he mumbled, breathing softly and sitting up straight, keeping the one hand he had been holding softly grasped. The free hand was brought up to wipe his tears.

He breathed out softly, slowly, regaining a calmer state than what he was in. Though, he was still shaky and he certainly wasn’t done tearing up.

“You… really are my favorite person,” he stated after a moment, “And I… I really,” his voice was shrinking. He couldn’t get the words out- he couldn’t!

John smiled. “You’re my favorite too,” John said, chuckling softly, “I… I love so much about you- of course you’d be one of my favorites!” He grinned at him sweetly, a kindness in his eyes.

But, Jaren disregarded all of that as the word love hit him like a brick. So, he couldn’t stop the sudden words as they flew out of his mouth. “I love you!” He tightened his grip on the hand and his eyes shined like stars. “I- I love you so much! You’re my favorite person and I care about you so much! I-I- I love you John!”

John stared in astonishment before his lips twisted into a huge smile and he leaned forward, pulling Jaren in for another kiss, only breaking apart to mumble; “I love you too, dummy.”

Jaren rated his experience a 10/10. He would totally get stuck on a ferris wheel again as long as he had John with him.