#and I continuously have to drop whatever I'm doing to handle every little thing for her

[imwritesometimes]

I just want a life where my mom isn't so much of an asshole that on like a bi-monthly basis my eyes hurt by the end of the day from crying so hard cause she's such a fuckin giant dick

[littledes1re]

Hiii, i love your writing. Could you please do one where you and Joel just started dating. And maybe go to a little event or social gathering and he sees a lot of guys looking at you and talking to you and he gets jealous and sad. Thinking you deserve better, younger and he gets insecure. But you make sure he knows you love him. Thanks!!

My Old man

Warnings: Joel is insecure, Age gap!, lots of fluff!!!

It wasn't the first time he'd felt this way. Countless times when you two went out for dinner together or were invited to some event in Jackson, you were stared at. The staring was from young men who wanted to dance with you, who thought you were pretty, hot. But the other old men were staring too. And even the women. They spent the evening gossiping about how the hell you could have landed as a pretty young girl with an old geezer like Joel. Is he holding you hostage? Is he manipulating you? You'd heard it all.

But you never paid attention to this. You were happy with Joel, more than happy. All those other men in Jackson could never give you what Joel gives you.

But Joel still took it to heart.

The looks from others, the gossip. He knew this would happen after he held your hand and said he wanted to be with you. He had his doubts; he never thought you, a beautiful young woman, could ever love him. But you pushed those doubts away every time. You loved him more than anything in this world, and you showed him that, every day.

You saw his face. Pouting and eyebrows furrowed. Deep in thought. This event was a small dance, nothing serious. Joel didn't even want to go, but Maria insisted. Every time any of those men even glanced at you, he got jealous and had a sad face, that looked down on the ground, just thinking. You couldn't bear to look at it much longer.

"Maria, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well, so Joel and I are leaving early."

You worried Joel with that. He immediately set off alarm bells and asked you if you were okay. When you got home, the questions continued, but you had something else on your mind.

“You mr.miller gonna sit down and we will have a little talk about something.” His face was all confused while you pushed him gently down to the couch, making him sit down.

You sat down on the coffee table in front of him, his sweet eyes never leaving you, like an obedient puppy.

“Baby. My old man. There is nothing in this world that I want more than you. And only you.” You could see his face drop and even heart drop at that.

He sighed into the room, looked at you with a certain exhaustion, and sadness. Uncertainty. "Don't look at me like that, Joel. I mean it, and you should know it."

"Sweetheart, I—I just don't know what you see in me. Heck, these guys that look at you are all fit, they can go with you to those stupid events without whining about their backs, can keep up with you and they don’t have a past.”

You couldn’t believe your ears. You sat up and gently sat down his lap, his cosy pullover hugging you just right.

“I can’t believe you think like that, joel. I don’t care about any of these guys. I don’t care about you ‘not being fit’ which is not true by the way—“ you stopped pointing at his crotch and winking, earning a chuckle from him.

“I don’t even want to go to these stupid events either, look— we went because of maria. Nothing more. Wanted to be home with my man and watch some stupid movies he loves so much.”

“Hey—they ain’t stupid.” He chuckled again.

“Yea yea, whatever. But this is what I really mean joel. Since I came to jackson you were the only one in my eyes. Didn’t care about your past, didn’t care about your back, didn’t care about the fact that you were grumpy—“

“Wait now you are putting extra things in there”

“Sh sh. Didn’t care about any other boys. I saw you and the way you handled things turned me on, your way of demanding, taking care of people, being so stubborn but also the kindest of them all. The one who came to my house because I skipped patrol one day and asked if I was okey.”

His sweet eyes turned glassy, as he held you on your hips and squeezed, letting out a little smile.

“You’re too good to me, baby.”

“Nah, it’s not being good, i’m telling the truth.” You nodded, gently stroking his hair, playing with his curls. “Of course, everything is going slower, of course there are things that you can’t actively do. But I love it just because of that. I enjoy slow evenings on the porch with you. I enjoy waking up late and drinking black coffee that tastes like poison—“ he let out a giggle.

“And I love your wood carvings, your handsome face, your white hair that suits you so much, that grumpy face you always make whenever you need to read something with your glasses.”

You looked into each other’s eyes, he leaned in and connected your lips.

“Can’t believe I have you, baby. My pretty girl.” He cupped your face softly, giving you a peck on your forehead.

“Promise me you are gonna stop having these thoughts about yourself.”

“Can’t really stop them, but I will try and do my best from letting them get me.” He whispered, nodding his head to you.

You put your forehead to his and looked into his beautiful brown eyes, the world around you going silent.

“I love you, joel.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

Taglist: @vickie5446 @a-goose-on-mars @thatgirlmendo @ihearttdilfs @pickyeater13 @sweetiegirl16 @keseqna @shivispunk @kyloispunk @meetmeatyourworst @joelmillerswife9 @iveseenstrangerthings50 @idrkman @cuntyhunty22

[gothicfied]

Kang Dae-ho / Player 388 Headcanons

Pairing: Kang Dae-ho / Player 388 x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of death/dying (typical squid game stuff), other than that it's just fluff

જ⁀➴ Considering the nature of this environment and the people you're surrounded by, you didn't speak up or made yourself noticeable at all. You kept your thoughts and worries to yourself, pretending like it didn't bother you that the players around you were being killed off left and right. And, it worked: no one seemed to bother you or notice you in the first place. Except for one guy.

જ⁀➴ Your bed was directly under Dae-ho's. After being so rattled up by Red-Light-Green-Light, you just sat there on the thin mattress, staring down at your food. The commotion next to you about Gi-hun, a previous winner of these games, didn't interest you at all. Your attention was drawn to Dae-ho though, when he dropped down from his bed with a loud thud.

"Oh," he looked at you with a concerned look, "hey there. Are you okay?"

જ⁀➴ Kickstarting your 'friendship', if a friendship is even possible in this place, you were kindly accepted into Gi-hun's little group, alongside In-ho, Dae-ho and Jung-bae. From the beginning, it seemed like Dae-ho was more concerned with your wellbeing than his own. He'd often share his meals with you, as a general act of kindness. And, it warmed your heart, considering he kept nagging Jung-bae for his milk or water or whatever it was.

જ⁀➴ He'd always keep you an arms length away from him at most, feeling responsible for your survival during the games. He was a marine after all, he needed to protect you, no matter what was to come. You'd show your appreciation with hugs and endless thank-you's when saved from literal death. Dae-ho would just laugh it off, claiming that you'd do the same for him. And you definitely would.

જ⁀➴ Dae-ho's a sweet guy with a good heart, refusing to continue the games in the next voting, even if it meant he couldn't pay off his debt completely. Not only did he hate to see other players die (obviously), but he was genuinely scared to lose one of his friends. Especially you. He developed an undeniable adoration for you and he was determined to get you out of here, so that he actually has a chance of living a normal life with you.

જ⁀➴ Your presence alone made him nervous, in the good way, of course. While the others started to notice, you seemed to be oblivious. You'd accept every little compliment with a smile, say something nice back and then go on with your task, completely missing the fact that Dae-ho's cheeks were turning a bright pink. And, to be honest, he was really glad you didn't seem to notice at first.

જ⁀➴ Before lights out, he'd lean down and whisper a quiet "Good night." and after you wake up, you'd be greeted by a fairly cheery "Good morning!". Dae-ho just needed to reassure himself that you were safe and alive, wanting to be the last thing you see when you go to sleep and the first thing you see in the morning, too.

જ⁀➴ When it was your turn to guard the makeshift safety spot that Gi-hun made you guys set up, Dae-ho would stay up alongside you. He'd tell you to go back to sleep and that he could handle doing a double shift, but you refused, wanting to have some alone time with him. His voice was soothing in a stressful time like this and he, somehow, always found the right words to say to calm you down.

"Look, I know we didn't meet under the right circumstances by any means," he started, tucking some of his hair behind his ear, "but I'm still glad we did. You're really brave, you know?" You just chuckled, leaning your head on his shoulder. "I'm really glad we met, too."

જ⁀➴ Whenever Dae-ho was showing signs of distress or discomfort, you'd try to distract him or comfort him by side-hugging him and speaking reassuring words. You noticed that, while he did his best to protect everyone, he definitely needed that as well from time to time.

જ⁀➴ When not being able to sleep at night, you'd sit up and look if Dae-ho was awake as well. For some reason, as if he had developed a sixth sense for you, he'd wake up, feeling your eyes on him. If you try to apologize he'd wave it off, inviting you up to his bed to talk.

જ⁀➴ Even if these beds were small for two people, you'd manage to lay down comfortably, his one arm wrapped around your waist, to keep you from falling off. Your head rests against his chest while you talked his ears off about something Dae-ho couldn't focus on. His mind was just filled with you and the feeling of your body against his.

જ⁀➴ You guys definitely fell asleep like that.

જ⁀➴ And Jung-bae definitely made everyone look before waking you up.

[spicycinnabun]

SO excited for the results of this make me write. It was so hard to decide and I wish I could do them all but I think I will ask for 🤖🤖🤖 or ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 whichever you get less of 🥰

I've got about six other beep boop asks in the queue lol, so I'm going to go with ❤️‍🩹! Let's rewind to before the break-up. c:

♡

They were cuddling on Tommy’s couch. Tommy was behind him, hands resting protectively on Buck’s belly. He had been doing that a lot lately—holding him there, touching him there. Buck wasn’t sure if Tommy was aware he kept doing it.

Buck hadn't said anything. He didn’t want to call attention to it and risk having Tommy stop. Because he liked it. Okay, more than just liked it. His body was sending him strong signals about what the Alpha wanted, and it was making him a little stupid with need.

His heart sped up.

Of course, Tommy noticed. One of his hands started rubbing in a hypnotic, circular motion. “What's up?”

“I-I’ve been thinking,” Buck started, trying not to get distracted by the petting. His eyes closed. “I’d like to spend my next heat with you.”

“Oh?” Tommy said, after a small intake of breath Buck couldn’t really decipher.

He didn't say anything else, waiting for Buck to elaborate on his thoughts.

Buck had never enjoyed his heats. Dreaded them because of how desperate they made him, among other undesirable attributes, but maybe it would be different with Tommy. Every time they’d gotten hot and heavy with each other, it was so good, an intense burn that kept building.

Buck was used to being a service omega, but with Tommy, he hadn't fallen into that role. He didn't feel like a wind-up toy, only good for one use, one purpose. His world had been shaken and turned upside down. He actually felt kind of giddy, for once.

“Y-you said I could set the pace, but I also don’t want to pressure you,” Buck continued. “If you’re not ready yet or don’t want to, that’s totally fine. Or if we get to the middle of things and you decide it’s too much—t-that I’m too much—you don’t have to stay.”

That already went unspoken, but Buck wanted to assure Tommy that he had an out. He wasn’t stuck with Buck if he got too whiny, too needy, too clingy. Like he always did.

Tommy’s grip on him had gone slack. He was silent for so long Buck had to sit up and turn around. Tommy looked… kind of horrified, actually.

Buck’s stomach twisted. That was definitely not the reaction he’d been hoping for.

He backtracked. “O-or! Secret third option: We can forget this conversation ever happened and go on a fun date after my cycle is over. I was looking at this new sushi place the other day that has—”

“No.” Tommy let out a slow breath, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, I’m just still trying to process what you said. You think I would leave you in the middle of your heat? That's ludicrous, Evan. Even if, for whatever reason, I couldn’t continue, I wouldn’t abandon any omega like that.” Tommy tilted Buck's chin up gently, eyes filled with sincerity. “Especially not my omega. Have past partners done that to you?”

“Uh.” Buck swallowed hard, feeling suddenly very off-kilter and overwhelmed. “Yes? I’m… you know, a l-lot to handle. D-difficult. E-e-exhausting. It’s okay.”

“Oh, it is so far from okay,” Tommy said. His scent had changed, no longer relaxed. Filling the air with an edge of bitter anger he was trying to keep at bay.

Buck didn’t know what to do, so he followed his instincts and hugged his Alpha. Tommy's tension released. He hugged Buck back. They nuzzled each other, Buck focusing on Tommy's scent gland.

“And now you’re comforting me,” Tommy added with a weak chuckle of disbelief.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Buck murmured, burying his nose in Tommy’s shoulder and kissing it.

“I’m upset for you, Evan. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way. You're none of those things.” Buck made an involuntary sound, and Tommy squeezed him. “I’m going to take care of you, okay? I’m going to show you what a heat is supposed to be like.”

♡

tag list: @chococara25 @lemon-drop151 @bidisasterevankinard @cannibalhellhound @theallyandhisbeast @loulou-land @harmonic-intervention @manifestingchaoticvibes @notacyborg @tedious-waffle @ginny-lala @figuringitoutaloud @monstertrucksactually @eliotwaughdeservesbetter @know1udno @styxhuntress @all-the-feels @perfectlyhopefulruins @espressopatronum454

[rottenraccoons]

Hey there! I'm in the process of developing a VN romance game, but I currently have no idea how to go about promoting it. I have some social media pages for it, but they don't get much traction. Do you have any tips for pre-release promotion and marketing? I'm thinking about Tumblr specifically because I think my target audience is more likely to be here, but tips for any social media (ex. Bluesky) would be helpful.

Thanks!

Aw, hey, thanks for reaching out! I always love seeing new romance VN projects pop up, it's exciting to see this community grow!

That said, we're probably the wrong team to ask about pre-release promotion. If you look back in our Tumblr archive (I've linked it to just show 2022 stuff, before we had enough traffic to drive 1+ posts a day), you can see that we made only one post about Obscura before it dropped and that was the day before it released. If you want to look at what I would consider an excellent pre-release campaign, take a look at @ravenstargames and how they promoted their game in advance of their Kickstarter and demo release (also check out the demo, it's excellent!!).

That said! I can offer some general advice (which got super long, sorry!!), based on my own experiences.

First things first, what do you want your social media platform to do? For us, we have a Twitter and Bluesky that we use primarily for news and updates, because those platforms are good for short messages and discoverability. We want people who find us there to follow us somewhere else (Tumblr or Discord) where there's more robust and deeper interactions. Tumblr and Discord are pretty lousy for discoverability, but they're pretty great for building deeper, lasting relationships with players!

And different platforms are helpful for different things! Tumblr is a really text-friendly platform (and image friendly, but I think basically every platform that isn't video-exclusive does images well) and has some really robust tools for interacting with others via reblogging and asks, so leaning into that kind of content can really pay off! Images are also great! Audio and video, not so much.

It's important to remember that marketing is work. Basically any studio that can afford it will hire someone to handle marketing and communication, and it's a legit job with important skills. It's okay to start slow and take your time to learn your craft! It took a long time for us to get the kind of audience and response that made this Tumblr more-or-less self-sustaining, and that's true of most marketing efforts. While you're taking your time you can also test things out, find your voice, see what kinds of posts work and what don't.

(It's also worth noting that when you're just starting out as a dev, you're going to be fighting against the normal disadvantage that no one knows what your game is going to be like and so you have to fight harder for their interest. The marketing for something like A Date With Death is extremely impressive and worth praise and attention, but Two and a Half Studios is also a really well-established romance VN studio. They have a built-in audience. Even we had a little bit of an audience from Flamebait Dating Sim, which showed that if nothing else we're at least competent goofuses. If you feel like you're swimming upstream, check if that feeling continues once you've got something playable out.)

That said, whatever platform you choose, you should be posting somewhere public semi-regularly! There's nothing quite as discouraging as seeing a cool project, checking their social media, and seeing nothing's been posted in several months. Most people will not join a Discord to check if a project is still ongoing, so if you're using Discord as your primary communication platform, post somewhere else too for the love of bob.

And be social! Don't just approach other devs because the marketing would be good, but if you like someone else's game then you can say so! In the indie sphere a rising tide lifts all boats, and so we like highlighting other cool projects (especially ones that are relevant to our players)! You'll notice I did it just a few minutes ago 😉

Besides that, there's some smaller tips:

don't be apologetic about marketing, your followers are following you because they're interested in the project

see what other teams at your scale and point in the development cycle are doing and adapt what's working to your project

be yourself! A huge advantage solo devs and tiny teams have is that they can represent themselves as authentic human beings, whereas bigger teams have to represent a company. Companies can still be fun and playful, but the vibe is different (and usually not as good)

there's a fuckton of good game marketing resources out there! A lot of it is not going to apply 1:1 to VNs, just due to the nature of the genre, but the general advice is still good. This talk about how people use Steam isn't about pre-release Tumblr or Bluesky marketing, but I'd still consider it required viewing since it's all about discovery and hooking audiences (and the section at 28:15 about indie romance authors gave me a real lightbulb moment holy moly).

[whisperofwonder]

Departures & Arrivals

Timeskip!Iwaizumi Hajime x reader (gender neutral)

POV: You are one of Iwaizumi's college classmates in California, and there's definitely something between you, but it takes two trips to the airport to figure out exactly what.

2k words | Slight angst with a happy ending

You navigate through the crowded lanes in front of the airport, finally coming to a stop in front of the correct gate. Hajime turns to you before reaching for the door handle.

"Thanks for dropping me off," He says for what's probably the fifth time. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course," You wave it off, "There's no way I'd let you pay the crazy prices for an uber. We're broke college students." You laugh, and he answers it with a smile. "You need me to help get your luggage?"

"No," He shakes his head, "I've got it. Don't bother getting out." You nod, and he finally opens the door as you pop the trunk. You roll the window down as he turns for the door, pulling his suitcase behind him.

"Have a good time back home!" You call out. "Send lots of pictures!" He turns back and lifts his hand in a wave.

"Of course I will," He promises, flashing you one last smile before he turns to go. You watch his retreating back for a few moments before rolling the window back up and putting your car in drive.

It's bittersweet, watching him leave. You know he's been looking forward to going back home for a few weeks this summer, and that he's been feeling a little more homesick than he'll admit. Still, your life is going to feel just a little bit emptier without him around.

You sigh, turning the music up a few notches as you pull onto the highway. You can't get the evening a few weeks ago out of your head.

The two of you had been dancing around it for months. Your friends recognized it in the mildly flirtatious back-and-forth, the way you always ended up sitting with your shoulders touching, and that you somehow found a way to spend nearly every weekend together. You recognized it in the tug in your middle that you felt whenever he was around, in the strange certainty starting the moment you met him that this was someone you've known all your life. Someone you connected with on a level you didn't even realize existed. You'd never felt this way before.

"Hajime, I really like you!" You'd finally blurted out. You aren't sure if that means exactly the same thing in Japan as it does to you, but judging by the look on his face, you can only assume it does. For a few moments, he only looked at you, different emotions playing across his face, then closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"I can't," He finally said, sharply, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, that was - I mean -" He paused, and you watched him parsing the English together in his head, heart falling into the pit of your stomach. "I can't do that to you." He said more softly. "I - I've thought about it," He admits. "But I don't want something... casual." He finally settled on the word. You're left reeling, because he's admitted to having feelings for you and turned you down in the same breath.

"And after I graduate, I know I'm going back to Japan," He continued, "And I can't ask you to deal with whatever that involves. I can't ask you to choose between me and the rest of your life. So I think it's better if we just stay friends." He paused. "Because I do want to be your friend. I think you're pretty great," He added with a small, sad smile.

Even turning you down, he's the nicest guy you've ever known. "Okay," Is all you could say, softly, pasting on a brave smile. "Friends, then."

It's not as though you haven't considered what it would mean, being in a relationship with him. You do have a life here in the U.S., and a family, but you're confident in knowing that it's something that will always be here, waiting for you, no matter where life takes you. With your major, you know you could find work anywhere. Even before meeting Hajime, you'd had dreams of living abroad. Japan doesn't sound like such a bad choice.

You haven't told him this, not in so many words. You don't want him to think this is something you're saying just to be with him. The future is a big thing to promise on what might turn into a few dates before you decide to go your separate ways. Still - if he was open to it, you'd be willing to try.

The next morning, you wake up to a message letting you know he'd arrived safely, shortly followed by a photo of the Sendai airport. You smile at your phone, telling him you're glad that he made it home.

The following days are punctuated by photos and messages, painting you a picture of a place called Miyagi - somewhere you'd had no reason to know existed until you'd met a certain dark-haired sports-science major. Suddenly, it seems like a very important place indeed.

You reciprocate, sharing snapshots of your hometown, places you can't help thinking you'd love to share with him in person. As time passes, the messages grow more and more frequent, and longer as you try to cram exactly how much you miss him between the words without admitting as much.

One morning, you've just poured yourself a cup of coffee and curled up on the sofa to enjoy it when your phone rings. To your surprise, Hajime's name shows up on the screen.

"Hello?" You answer hesitantly, a little worried at first that something might be wrong.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" Even across the phone line, the sound of his worried voice is a welcome sound.

"No," You laugh softly, "I just poured my coffee." You lift the mug to your lips and take a sip.

"Good," He says in a huff of relief. "Time zones are weird."

"They are," You agree with a chuckle. "So, what's up?"

"I couldn't sleep, and - I thought I'd call you. Texting isn't quite the same," He admits. You picture him, maybe sitting cross-legged on the bed in his childhood bedroom, and you press your smile to the rim of your coffee mug.

"No," You agree. "It's not." You haven't ever really talked on the phone with him before. You saw him so often, you hadn't ever felt the need to, but this is nice. "How is it being back in Japan?"

"It's been really great," He says quickly. "Seeing my parents and my friends again has been nice. In a way, it almost feels like I never left. But is it weird that I also kind of miss California?"

"No," You say softly, biting back the fact that you miss him. "California misses you, too," You say more lightly, drawing out a warm chuckle from him that you feel in the pit of your stomach.

"What about you?" He asks then, "Anything exciting going on?"

You shift to a more comfortable position, hugging a throw pillow to your middle and taking a breath. You hadn't known how to share this with him via text. "Well, I just heard back from this company in Norway. They're really interested in having me work for them, starting with an internship this fall. I could transfer to a university there to finish my degree."

"Oh," He says quietly, and you hum in response. "That's great!" His voice brightens, but it sounds fake even through the phone. "So... you would move to Norway?"

"Yeah, I would," You confirm. "If I decide to accept," You add. "I think living abroad would be exciting." You aren't dropping any hints, you tell yourself. Just stating the facts. A year ago, Norway would have done just as well as Japan, or any country, really. A year ago, you probably would have already accepted this opportunity by now.

"That sounds like a great opportunity," He says, "I'm happy for you."

Are you really? You want to ask, but you don't.

"Thanks," you say instead, and find an excuse to move on to another topic. You chat about his travels in Japan with his friends, and your recent trip up the California coast. By the time the conversation winds down, things feel almost normal between the two of you again.

"I should let you get to sleep," You say finally, after he stifles yet another yawn.

"Yeah," He says reluctantly, "You're probably right." He pauses. "One last thing," He adds. "You can totally say no, but would you mind picking me up at the airport when I get back? My flight gets in on August 9, at 4pm. I can always ask Adam to do it if you-"

"I'll be there," You say quickly, before he can finish. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay," You can hear the smile in his voice. "Thanks."

For a few moments after you hang up, you don't move from the couch. Talking to him again, hearing his voice, it stirred up everything you'd been trying so hard to keep at bay.

As the days pass, your correspondence is relegated to shorter messages and quick photos. Things between you feel just a little more stilted than before. Slowly, you're beginning to accept the truth, something you'd been trying so hard to ignore.

I can't just be your friend. You've practiced it over and over in your head. It's going to hurt to say, but you can't go on like this. If Hajime doesn't want to try to make a relationship work - and you can't blame him if he doesn't - then it will be better for both of you if you don't see each other anymore. You even have your perfect escape route - Norway. You tell yourself you'll wait to give them your final answer until after August 9.

Driving to the airport, the gnawing pit in your stomach grows with every mile. This may be one of the last times you see him. You're terrified that you'll chicken out before you can even give your carefully planned speech. You're terrified it can only lead to goodbye. You can't even allow yourself a sliver of hope, because it will only hurt that much more in the end.

Waiting in the lineup of cars, you watch the streams of people passing by for a familiar face. Craning your neck, you finally catch sight of him stepping through the doors, and you can tell the moment he spots you, because a smile breaks across his face. You clench your fist to strengthen your resolve.

Getting out of your car, you move to the trunk, making sure there's plenty of space. It looks like he's returned with an extra suitcase. When he finally approaches the car, only a few feet from you, you look up at him again. "Welcome back!" You say, attempting to put as much cheer in your voice as possible.

He doesn't answer, and instead lets go of his suitcases and strides purposefully through the remaining space between you. Before you can react, his lips are on yours, a hand at the back of your neck to keep you steady. You let out a small, surprised sound before you return the kiss automatically, fingers bunching into the material of his t-shirt as if to prove to yourself that he's really here in front of you - really kissing you like he means it.

When he finally pulls away, his cheeks are flushed, and he's breathing heavily. "I want to see where this goes," He says breathlessly. "I want to be with you, if you'll have me?" What a silly question, as if the way you'd shamelessly pressed back into his kiss hadn't been answer enough. You can't help but smile back.

"Yes," You say quickly, eyes searching his face, taking in very part of him.

"I know it won't be easy," He adds, "And I know we'll have to be long distance, at least for a little, but I want to try. I want to put in the work, because I know it will be worth it."

"Yes!" You say again, giddy laughter bubbling up, "I'm ready," You nod, "I'm ready to do whatever it takes. To be with you." Your smile feels like it's splitting your face in half.

There are long conversations ahead. There's so much to discuss, and so much to prepare for. It won't all be easy. For now, though, Hajime pulls you close and kisses you again, the press of his lips assuring you that, no matter what, it will be worth it.

[boba-at-323]

Stay-home dates with RIIZE !!

Note : OMG !! I had so much fun writing thisssss <333 || DID NOT PROOFREAD PLEASE || Also Idk what to tw but I have mentioned snacks a whole lot of time + I TRIED MY BEST TO MAKE IT GENDER NEUTRAL BUT LIKE SINCE IM FEMALE SO EXCUSE ME ;-; please enjoyyyy !!

Osaki Shotaro <3 !

Hmm, not a big fan, but as long as you're happy he is too !!

Omg !!

You ask him to film TikToks with you and he's MORE THAN HAPPY !!

So like you've saved a lot of trends and dances you wanna recreate with him.

He's so excited and gets all giggly over it!

Takes it a little too seriously…

Like you're looking at him with your jaw dropped and eyes wide because how did it take him one look to literally MASTER the dance.

Laughs embarrassed when you praise him !!

But you tell him that he's too fast for you ';-; so he apologises and suggests teaching you the dance step by step!

The two of you continuously burst into fits of giggles when something goes wrong.

ITS JUST SO FUNNY BUT IN A CUTE WAY FOR SOME REASON

You'd film like 29837209 TikToks and just have fun goofing around.

You might also end up exhausted on the floor reviewing the videos you filmed.

Thinks you look very cute and asks you to do this often with him!

Might get bored if you don't have a lot to do.

HOWEVER !!!

Would love to talk to you about anything really.

I feel like he's someone who enjoys conversing, so you might actually start having deep conversations that will last for hours.

Hmm rating 8/10 PLS HES SO ADORABLE <3

Rest of the members under the cut !

Song Eunseok <3 !

This man is literally so chill with everything.

Like you'd suggest going for a picnic on a volcano and he'd be like "lol ok."

Okay, maybe not that much but yk what I mean !!

So yeah you're probably sitting with him binge-watching some anime or series.

He's quiet the whole time and is actually very immersed in the story.

However, he will be passing comments every now and then.

And I tell you, these comments are so out of pocket???

Like you can't help but burst out laughing.

And he's just gonna look at you like "😐".

AS IF HE HADN'T SAID THE MOST FUNNIEST THING YOU'VE HEARD ALL WEEK.

So yeah be prepared cuz the witty comments he's gonna slip will crack you so bad.

Like it actually makes you question how his brain works

ESPECIALLY HOW HE DOES LITERAL STAND-UP COMEDY WITH THAT SERIOUS EXPRESSION !!!

But it's okay, that just means he's having fun!

Also, it's very hard to concentrate on whatever you're watching cuz he looks so pretty next to you.

Like you keep on looking at him, smirks 100%

"Yeah I know I'm too hard to resist"

GETS COCKY BUT CAN YOU BLAME HIM !!!

Also makes sure you get your share of snacks!!

I'd rate it a solid 9/10 cuz it's really entertaining!

Jung Sungchan <3 !

HE IS NOT ENTERTAINED BY THE IDEA !!!

But after much convincing, he gives in.

"At least we get to spend time together, right?"

YOU'RE BAKING TOGETHER YIPPIEEEE!!!

But what happens is like,

You're standing there tying your hair back, you ask him for help with your apron.

Gets a little too touchy

You have to slap his arm away and give him a death glare.

Pretends he doesn't know what he did rn 😔

Is actually a very good helping hand.

Like helps you out, follows everything you tell him to do, however...

Has his doubts, and totally shakes his head if he thinks smth is going wrong.

"Y/n are you sure it's 2 cups sugar?" "I don't think we should be using butter…"

NOOO ENDS UP GETTING KICKED OUT OF THE KITCHEN BECAUSE

Like he said, he takes up a large radius.

So this clumsy baby probably toppled over a lot of things, making a very big mess ;-;

Apologises repeatedly with sad puppy eyes 🥹

You kiss his cheek and tell him it's fine

Though you ask him to sit it out and let you handle the rest of the process yourself.

YOU DO DECORATE WTV YOU MADE TOGETHER SO HES VERY EXCITED FOR THAT !!!

I'd rate it a 4/10, this man is NOT meant to be confined to a small space.

Park Wonbin <3 !

Would prefer them actually !!!

He'd absolutely LOVE to cuddle with you throughout the day.

Like he'd just be clinging onto you telling you literally everything that happened to him cuz for some reason he gives me yapper vibes

Though he'd appreciate listening to what you have to tell him, leaving a trail of kisses all over your neck.

Also he LOVES your voice so much omg !

So he can also pull out his guitar and have a serenade with you (english 💀).

Would ask you your favourite song, and if he doesn't know it WILL make sure he knows it the next time you guys have an at-home date

If he knows, he plays it for you encouraging you to sing.

you tell him you think your voice sucks.

A DRAMATIC GASP COMES FROM HIS DIRECTION !!!

"Nonsense idc i just wanna hear your pretty voice <3"

Literally heart eyes for you once you start singing,

Like might actually melt, give you the softest, most lovesick gaze EVER !

There is a possibility he ends up messing up the cords cuz you distracted him !!!

He's so cute pls </3

Omg also, the two of you might also end up in the kitchen cooking smth together, blasting a playlist he made for you!

But you don't know that <3

He actually so desperately wants to do cliche romantic things with you but is too shy to initiate </3

It's giving that "Idk how to flirt so I'm just gonna stare at you till you marry me" meme

HOWEVER !!

Be prepared for endless back hugs because he's just so SO soft for you <333

Anyways yeah 11/10 (+1 is probably cuz I'm so down bad for him)

Hong Seunghan <3 !

My manz I miss him all day everyday ;-;

He's so sweet I tell you, agrees to literally everything.

Putting mbti and stuff aside, I think he'd actually plan out a few activities you could do together.

Like if you're going over to his place, hes prepared snacks and stuff for you.

Hmm !! Video games are a must I believe !!

Like I read he plays FIFA online???

SO yeah, if you know how to play, the both of you would spend hours playing together

I don't see him getting very competitive but will whine if you keep on beating him!

However, will also compliment on how great you are at the game!!

HE FEELS PROUD I TELL YOU !!

However, if you don't know how to play and absolutely suck (like me ;-;)

HE'D BE SO EXCITED TO TEACH YOU !!

When you mess something up, or like if you can't understand something, the pout on your lips makes his heart EXPLODE.

Like he thinks you're the most adorable ever, he'd start squealing if his pride lets him.

Ends up attacking you with kisses and hugs.

The game is long forgotten, just a clingy Seunghan showering you with love because of how adorable he finds you.

I'D RATE IT AN 8/10 TBH BECAUSE HE'D FORGET WHAT PERSONAL SPACE IS !!!

Lee Sohee <3 !

SPENT SO MUCH TIME THINKING SOMETHING FOR HIM 😭

Unlike Seunghan, I can see him playing board games and such with you!

For example, the two of you could be sitting on the floor playing UNO.

But that got boring CUZ HOW DO TWO PEOPLE EVEN PLAY UNO !!!

So takes out a Jenga set because he thought it was very entertaining!

Both of you are screaming SO much when either chooses the wrong piece to remove.

HOWEVER, HE'S USING THE SPECIAL SKILLS EUNSEOK TAUGHT HIM!!!

Which is unfair to you and you WILL whine about it.

"All is fair in war and Jenga"

HIS WORDS NOT MINE !!!

Laughs at you because you're definitely the one who's going to topple the tower over.

So yeah you all spend a lot of time giggling and screaming over board games!

OMG ALSO !! Thanks to Anton, he bought some Lego sets too!!

You all start good but eventually get so frustrated because you can't find one tiny piece.

Ofc you give up and spend the rest of the evening with his karaoke machine !!

HE !! WANTS !! TO !! SING !!

And please you're just so mesmerised the whole time he's singing.

Like woah??? His voice is so good even when he's goofing around? INSANE!!

Though you aren't losing to him, so the both of you get SUPER competitive.

RATING THIS A 7/10 !!

Lee Anton <3 !

Like Wonbin, he'd also enjoy stay-at-home dates.

I can see him enjoying doing anything, to be honest.

Like for example, the two of you could just be lying next to each other sharing with each other reels you see.

Or just him listening to you telling him some tea from your workplace/college etc.

Sitting on the bed together with a variety of snacks sprawled around.

Like Sohee, I can even see him building Legos in silence with you cuz this guy is so patient !

Oh also!

He'd pull out his laptop and shyly ask if you'd like to listen to the music he's created.

After listening, your face is the shocked Pikachu meme.

"Woahhh my boyfriend is so cool :OOO"

Get's blushy over the compliments you shower him with.

Brushes it off saying it's nothing.

THATS A FREAKING LIE LEE CHANYOUNG!!

NEways, teaches you how to try making music.

Laughs if you cry about how difficult it is, he thinks it's adorable.

You ask him to delete the trash you've made, but he creates a separate folder to save everything you've made with him.

ITS ART TO HIM !!! HOW CAN HE THINK SMTH YOU'VE CREATED IS TRASH?!?!?!

Plus he treasures it so much like only if he could somehow just make you feel how much it means to him !!

SO YEAH !

Pretty cute, very cozy, overall nice experience 10/10 <3

Thank you for reading reblogs and reviews are appreciated ! <3

Title : Stay-home dates with Riize || Word count: 1652 || Genre: fluff ! || Pairing: Riize x implied Fem!Reader (tried making it gender neutral pt.29382938)

[babyangelsky]

My Favorite QL Lines of 2024 💖✨

Welcome to Babyangelsky's 2024 Wrap Up! To commemorate my second year of watching QL dramas, and my first year of actually talking on my blog, I've compiled a series of lists to celebrate all the QL things I loved this year!

Please feel free to take my categories and make lists of your own and tag me in them if you do!

💜 All the lists can be found here! 💜

There are two things that will make a line or piece of dialogue stand out to me: the words themselves or the delivery. Sometimes it's only one of those things and sometimes it's both. When it's both? That line is going to stick in my brain for all eternity.

♡ From: Unknown

Listen. Listen. This wasn't just my favorite line of the year, it's one of my favorite lines in any piece of media I've consumed ever. EVER. IN MY WHOLE LIFE. It dethroned my former favorite BL line with the devastating force of a thousand suns. The longing and the love and the horniness are unspeakable and immaculate. Qian is going to hear those words echoing in his head for as long as he lives and so am I.

♡ From: Unknown

Another one from Unknown, which started us off so strong this year that it immediately became of one my favorite BLs. Yuan was just so reassuring and comforting in this scene. He's always been Qian's light and he will continue to be and that makes me so happy.

♡ From: Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

I just really liked the delivery of this one. I also appreciate someone who appreciates a good expression. If Ishida wasn't so completely gone for Mitsuya-sensei, I bet Noguchi would show him a good time.

♡ From: Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

*the sound of pained wailing comes from over in the corner*

♡ From: Kidnap

Was Kidnap a deeply unserious cotton candy show? Yes and I'm not here to tell you otherwise. But one thing it handled really well was Q's journey toward healing, which is a rare and lovely thing to see. This line and this moment were a part of that journey. Even though Q may still have nightmares sometimes, he knows he's no longer alone and that he has the tools and the support to help himself through.

♡ From: Love Sea

IT WAS HOT. THAT'S IT THAT'S MY REASONING, IT WAS THE HOTTEST THING MAHASAMUT SAID THE ENTIRE SHOW.

♡ From: Our Youth

*screams into one of those couch pillows*

The second I heard this line I thought to myself "Oh. This show is gonna be one of those." AND IT IS. The way Haruki's voice drops to a raspy whisper? The way the scene is silent except for the very soft sound coming from the TV? The way they're just so aware of each other?

*screams again*

♡ From: The Loyal Pin

This is my favorite line in Anin's confession monologue but the entire thing is beautiful and it's delivered beautifully by Becky. She's expressing so much and there's so much desperation and love and frustration in every little quiver of her voice. It's spectacular.

♡ From: Love Sea

And this was the realest and the pettiest and bitchiest thing he said the entire show, and for that I am deeply grateful. I hope to one day have the opportunity to say this about someone. Character of all time.

♡ From: Cherry Magic (Th)

I think it screams speaks for itself really.

♡ From: Jack & Joker

*more pained wailing comes from over in the corner*

♡ From: High School Frenemy

Yes yes yes, it's technically a bromance whatever but it's a BL to ME and I used up all my restraint not adding them to the couples list.

This is very far from being the most unhinged thing that Saint has ever said to Shin but it was so earnest and there was so much love and he endured so much pain so Shin wouldn't have to and they just have my whole heart. They love each other so much and this hug meant so much.

♡ From: The On1y One

I've written about this line before but it deserves to be talked about again because I still think about it all the time. It's one of those cases where it isn't so much the actual words that stuck in my brain, but the delivery. The cadence and the tone and the emotion. This was a spectacular performance from Liu Dong Qin and he deserves all the praise in the world for it.

I really hope we get that second season 🥲

♡ From: At 25:00 in Akasaka

This is me watching these shows. I feel seen and represented by this line and I've used it very often as a reaction image.

♡ From: The Trainee

I HAVE STILL NOT RECOVERED FROM THE "PHI" I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE "PHI" I WILL SCREAM ABOUT THE "PHI" FOR THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS.

♡ From: Our Youth

I was actually just going to include the kiss line in this list but THEN HARUKI HIT ME WITH THIS STEEL CHAIR AND LEFT ME SCREAMING ON THE GROUND ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

It's the delivery and the words and the utter SILENCE and the tension simmering beneath it all and just--

Exquisite. It's exquisite.

♡ From: Love for Love's Sake

The sheer earnestness of this line. The disarmingly sweet expression on Yeo Woon's face. The very cute, very subtle little pout. I love everything that's happening in this scene. Absolutely everything.

♡ From: Battle of the Writers

Not just this line specifically, but Pie's entire confession, which was one of the best and most earnest confessions we got all year. So much so that it's almost a crime that he and Ozone weren't the main couple. Even though there weren't many people who watched this show, everyone deserves to experience this confession in its entirety so allow me to transcribe it:

"What do you want me to say? You want me to say that...I have inappropriate thoughts about you? That I care about every little thing you do? To say that...I don't know when I started liking you? To say that, in Chiang Mai, I couldn't control my heartbeat when I was with you? Or to say that when you were with Min, I couldn't help but feel jealous? To say that at my nephew's wedding, I couldn't resist stealing a kiss from you? I don't want to complicate things. I don't want to get involved with you. I don't want to love you. But I also want you to stay with me."

[angel-of-the-moons]

Eccentricities

Yandere!Miguel x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: NSFW, Dead Dove Do Not Eat, DDDNE, Yandere themes, mental manipulation, obsessive behavior, allusions to violence, blackmail, angst, masturbation, Tyler Stone is also a warning lmao

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Yeah, after a million years, it is me! I'm sorry it's been so slow to update, y'all; things have been... *A lot*. Seems like every time I get a one-up something else happens, like my dad being in and out of the hospital for example.... As I stated in my previous post, this story won't be continuing for much longer!

Part 3

Taglist: @vineberries9 @irmiki @autismsupermusicalassassin @obi-mom-kenobi @rin-matsuoka345-blog @loosecan @6thhokageswife @selarus @heyohalie @sapphire-and-ruby @night-spectrum @famouscattale @thespaceinbetweennothing @lazy-idate @toshimoshiko @saharadesertaj @flaps200 @amelialysm @fried-milkfish @zaunsin @darksidescorner @renareyouhere @vide0-vamp @reverieblondie @bunnibitez @kaqua @peterbparkersburger @tojishugetiddies @aisyakirmann @itslariette0 @xxeclipze @oharasfilipinawife @amber-content @ixanne2006 @miguels-aranita @scaleniusrm @stopxplease @blueapplesiren @ruexvn @jadeloverxd @theitchbbbb @realifezompire

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Pt. 4

You had gotten so used to the quiet and privacy of Miguel's mansion that you weren't entirely sure how to handle when the infamous Tyler Stone dropped by for a visit. You certainly didn't enjoy the energy the man put off, nor the looks he would send your way as you "entertained" him until Miguel arrived home; having sent word to Lyla that he arrived.

You noticed that even Lyla seemed uncomfortable with Tyler's presence, her holographic avatar was actually fidgeting when you looked at her. Whatever went on between Miguel and Tyler must not have been very good, judging by how perturbed Lyla was with the older man.

"So... You're the little mouse that my boy Mike has hired, eh?" Tyler grinned, swirling the wine in his glass around as he watched you wipe down and clean the bar. You were well aware of his eyes tracing the entire shape of your ass as you kept your back turned to him.

Yes, having him leer at you wasn't enjoyable... But you preferred it if he looked at your ass instead of your chest or face. Something about that man's gaze made you very uncomfortable; it wasn't at all like with Miguel. You felt safe with him... Even if sometimes he came home from work with the energy of a man ready to catch a criminal charge. You had chalked it all up to the stress of running Alchemax; and now, having his former boss just show up out of the blue while he was gone...

How the hell did Tyler Stone even get in? You assumed only you and Miguel had the passkey to get in. So, how--

Tyler grinned once again, tapping the rim of his glass with one of the gaudy rings on his fingers, catching your attention once again. "Well, sweet-cheeks?"

You grit your teeth and turn, giving him your best sweet smile, "Ah! Right, yes, sir. I'm Miguel's housekeeper."

"And a damn fine bartender..." Tyler hummed, downing the rest of his wine in one swift gulp, licking his lips of the excess as he eyes you up and down once again. "In fact, I'm thinkin' about snatching you out from under my boy... What do you say? Your job will come with all the perks I'm sure Mike holds from ya... A nice fat check..."

His hands constantly groping you...

Your shoulders stiffened, his offer making your blood curdle; "I--"

"She's off-limits, Stone." Miguel's deep voice rang out from the threshold.

You sighed with relief, looking over at him, holding back a shocked gasp. Miguel looked... Disheveled. His face was sweaty, chocolate locks stringing around his forehead, droplets of sweat rolling down his sculpted cheeks.

He straightened his posture as he stalked towards the bar, casting you a soft look before focusing his attention squarely on Tyler, the look in his eyes from behind his red lenses just exuded one word: murder. You almost swore Miguel was about to reach out to snap his neck, until Tyler clasped Miguel's larger hand in his, shaking it with a laugh.

"Ah, don't be so serious, Mike." Tyler laughed like Miguel wasn't currently staring daggers through his skull. "I was just proposing a business deal with your lovely little maid, here!"

"You wouldn't be trying to poach my own employee from me, would you, Stone?" Miguel asked, his voice relaxing to a more soft pitch; his body language still tense but not so aggressive. You could tell there was some definite bad blood between the two men.

Your fingers fiddled nervously with each other at the obviously thick tension in the air, "Miguel..."

"Ah, don't worry, querida." Miguel assured you with a smile, his gaze softening once it landed on you. "Tyler and I need to have a private discussion. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off..."

You nod, swallowing hard. Something was off, but you weren't willing to risk pissing Miguel off in any way, despite how gentle he seemed with you, even in the face of the former CEO of Alchemax. You quickly placed your cleaning supplies in the cabinet and scurried out of the room, closing the doors behind you.

Tyler didn't fail to notice how Miguel tracked your movements from the corners of his eyes as you left, and a shark-like smirk made his lips quirk dangerously. "Oh, now I see why you're not so keen to let me take her from you."

Miguel scowled at the older man, "Why the hell are you here, Stone? Don't bullshit me."

Tyler pressed his hand over his own heart, feigning innocence. "Why, Mike! I would never bullshit you, my boy... Wouldn't dream of it, in fact."

Miguel glowered, his temper already short from dealing with a troublesome Kraven variant that wrought havoc in another universe, plus an "incident" in one of the labs at Alchemax. Tyler's sudden manifestation was testing his patience.

Oh, he had so looked forward to coming home, having a nightly drink with you... maybe work some aggression off. Maybe he could have convinced you to help...

But now, that little fantasy faded in the light that was his sperm donor's annoying fucking mile-long smile. That stupid fucking face that reminded him so much of his own, sometimes he couldn't stand to look in the mirror.

"Don't play coy. Tell me why you're here."

Tyler raised his thick brows, his forehead creasing from the slight wrinkles, there. "Mike--"

"Miguel." The tall man hissed.

"Mike." Tyler corrected, pouring himself another glass of wine. "I've heard you've been a little distracted, lately. A little... scatter-brained. So unlike you. I came to see what was bothering my boy in his personal time--"

"I'm not your fucking child, cabrón." Miguel snarled, breaching Tyler's personal space and standing almost nose-to-nose, "Now stop. Fucking. Pontificating."

He sighed deeply, frowning softly at Miguel's "mood". Oh, how he hated when he got like this. Too uppity for his own good, too ambitious. And after what happened between them... rather dangerous.

Oh, if he only knew how dangerous he was...

"Fine. I checked your financials and saw you had arranged a payroll to a rather cute houseworker." Tyler peered at Miguel almost boredly over the rim of his glass. "As well as some purchases for very small cameras, a number of which happen to be waterproof..."

Miguel felt the hair bristle on the back of his neck. Tyler had.... He had implanted a bypass-shunt program into his personal files? Without Lyla picking up on it? How the fuck did he manage that?

He must have hired someone to do it. He had to have hired someone to do it!

His fists clenched and his jaw tightened microscopically; but Tyler seemed to pick up on it anyway as he casually sipped his wine.

"Oh yes, I've been keeping an eye on you. Can't let my most promising progeny be left to his own devices for very long, now can I?"

"You--"

"How often do you spy on the girl, hm? I imagine watching her undress is rather titillating." He smirked, "She has a very nice body... Almost wasted just being looked at..."

Miguel grabbed Tyler by the collar of his 10,000-credit suit, bunching his fists and lifting him off the stool, sending some of the wine splashing from the glass and onto the bar top; snarling Miguel spits at him. "You stay the fuck away from her, you hear me, Tyler? If you so much as lay a pinky on her, I will--"

Tyler laughed, completely unfazed by Miguel's aggression. "Careful, now, Mike... Wouldn't want some evidence of your little Rapture addiction slipping out and making its way to your pretty little doll, no?"

Miguel snorted, his nostrils flaring as his face heated up. He dropped Tyler back in the stool, turning to stomp away, his fists balled and chest heaving to control his rage, just barely controlling himself enough to avoid burying his talons in the meat of his palms.

Tyler sighed, downing some more of his glass, "We wouldn't want the public finding out that the great Miguel O'Hara was a junkie, now do we?"

His head was abuzz; adrenaline pumping so hard through his veins, he could feel that primal urge to just reach out and snap Tyler's neck. Hiding or disposing of the body would be easy enough, concealing any other evidence would also be a snap. Unfortunately, if anybody knew he was coming over to Miguel's...

Fuck. Tyler also probably had some kind of implant to contact emergency services in the event his heart stops or he's severely injured. Then, Miguel would obvious be a shoe-in for a brand new jumpsuit; not one of his own design.

The multiverse would suffer, another Spider-Man demonized by the public for murdering a man who outwardly appeared somewhat decent...

Then, it felt like a tension wire snapped; realization dawned on Miguel as clear as a sunny summer day.

Tyler was baiting him. He wanted him to snap.

He wouldn't give in to his cheap taunts.

Miguel forced his body to relax, reaching up to slick back a stray strand of hair, and turns to give Tyler a cool smile, "Well... if that were to happen... I would have to tell them where the Rapture came from. How you used it to control me, manipulate me, threaten to kill me."

Miguel felt sick glee at how Tyler's smile instantly fell, and the Hispanic man tipped his head to the side, his smile eerily calm.

"Oh... You thought I didn't have evidence of that? Now, imagine how the public will react when news of me being your illegitimate son--the result of a disgusting affair--gets out?"

"You--you wouldn't." Tyler spat, throwing the wineglass to the ground and shattering it, the red liquid running out to pool around it, soaking into the grout in-between the tiles like a thin, watery pool of blood.

"Your mother would be--"

"I don't give a fuck what Connie deals with. She's had her dose of karma a long time coming... and it's honestly only fitting that I be the one to deliver it." Miguel sneered, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Tyler swallowed, glaring up at his own flesh and blood like it was Hercules fighting the lion. Only... it was up to anyone's guess who would emerge the victor of this bout.

But... He knew that Miguel was much larger, much stronger, faster--younger...

It was an uphill battle and he currently had a bullet wound to his knee.

So, Tyler Stone relented in the seething rage that was Miguel O'Hara. He adjusted his coat from where Miguel has mussed it before, wiping up some of the wine on the counter with his handkerchief before tossing it to the floor indignantly.

"Very well, Mike... I'll leave your little toy alone. But... do be careful enough to take care of your toys in the future. Don't want to forget what happened to your last girlfriend..."

That slight sting didn't hurt as much as he'd hoped, Miguel merely jerking his head to the side, his lip curled in an irritated snarl. "Get out of my house."

As the smaller man began to walk briskly out, he gave Miguel a smirk over his shoulder; "Y'know, my boy... some stuff really is genetic. You don't realize just how much like me you really are."

Miguel scoffed, his body finally relaxing as he turned to clean another one of Tyler Stone's messes, wiping the bar you meticulously cleaned for him clean, tossing the piece of cloth into the nearby trash bin, and turning on the little disc-shaped cleaning bot to clean up the shattered glass and suck up the wine.

"Lyla." Miguel sighed as he took off his sunglasses, his hand shaking as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, boss man." She greeted hesitantly. "Whaddya need?"

"Find out how Tyler got into the system. How he got past you. I'm going to upgrade your code later with stronger firewalls, too." He said, staring at her flickering avatar.

"Yeah, believe me... I don't like him getting past me. It feels... gross. Violating." She shuddered.

Despite changing her programming to see the logic in his words by default, Miguel was emotionally attached to Lyla. For a long time, she was his only true friend. She was there for him after the Rapture incident...

And to now watch as Tyler had essentially brute-forced his own program onto Lyla felt akin to some form of assault on her; one of his greatest creations to date.

But... the shreds of his conscience began to thread together as he remembered you. The cameras, the stalking, having Lyla be hypocritical and spying on your personal business...

"You... You know everything I do is to keep her safe--both of you safe, right, Lyla?" He asked softly, staring down at the little robot as it chirped as its cleaning cycle was finished, returning to its charging dock.

"Well, yeah.... I saw the crime reports... saw how that guy probably would have killed her... and... well." She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked up at him, a brow quirking upwards. "I mean... the cameras are just as good for safety, right? Like how people put baby monitors in their kid's room, or to spy on the nanny. Keeps her from getting hurt even where she should be safe..."

Miguel smiled warmly at her. Yeah... she was programmed to see his logic, but... hearing it made him feel much better.

"Thank you, Lyla. Let me know if anything goes wrong with her personal stuff, alright? I want to make sure Tyler isn't spying on her, too." He turned to begin leaving the room, "I'm going to work this adrenaline off. Make sure my Pequeña Ave is relaxing like I told her to, hm? When you're not busy sorting through the bullshit Tyler pulled, that is."

"Can do, boss!" Lyla chirped happily, giving him a little salute. "Have fun gettin' those reps in!"

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You couldn't find Miguel in his office, the lounge, his bedroom, the bar, at the pool... the only other place you could think of was his small gym.

He didn't seem to have had a good day at work, and Tyler's presence only seemed to worsen it when he came home. You wondered what exactly happened between them to make their relationship so hostile in the first place...

But, you shoved that curiosity to the side. You decided to try and give Miguel a little pick-me-up. You remembered the story he told you of he and his little brother sneaking off to enjoy their snack of mango and chili salt.

You cut the mango in half, pulled the large seed pod out of the middle, and halfway sliced the halves into little cubes; and finally sprinkled on the chili salt. Afterwards, you placed the snack on a tray with a nice, ice-cold bottle of his favorite sports drink. If he was in the gym, he would definitely need to replenish some electrolytes after working out.

As you walked down the hall, you noticed Lyla's avatar following you. "Hey, Mamacita." She said. "I'd steer clear of the boss. Mr Stone-head reeeeeeeally made him mad."

You wiggled the tray a bit and gave her a smile, "That's why I'm bringing him this, Lyla. Snacks do wonders for mood improvement!"

She tilted her head, taking a moment to respond. "Oh. Right. Good idea, actually..."

You noticed her seemingly distracted nature today, which was almost unheard of for the AI. "You ok?"

"Yeah, going through my files before Miguel puts in a new update for me tonight. Gonna get me a niiiiice makeover, program-wise." She grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at you. "I'll be pretty indisposed however; one, from going through my millions of lines of code, and two; he's gotta put me out while he works on me."

You chuckled, "Ah, well I'll leave you to that, then. Hope the update goes well."

Lyla gives you a snarky salute before her avatar disappears as you near the gym. As you reached the arching threshold--no door, you noticed some time ago; he apparently liked a bit of an open floor plan when it came to that--you could hear the sounds of him grunting, huffing, and swearing. It sounded like he was working hard.

You round the bend and open your mouth to announce yourself--until you see why Miguel was really making those sounds.

His back was to you, shirt abandoned on the floor by the dumbbells. He sat in his boxers, pants discarded the same way his shirt had been in favor of working out almost entirely naked.

Or, well.... maybe it started with him working out--until he went to the weight bench and it devolved into something else entirely.

The mirrors lining the opposite wall gave you a perfect view of him despite him sitting with his back to you. His boxers were shoved hastily down to his thick thighs, leaning on one hand as his other one slowly stroked up and down his rigid, leaking cock. Miguel's head was tipped back, his eyes closed in frustrated pleasure, sweat making his body shine as though he had almost appeared oiled-up. His usually well-kept hair was messy, tacking to his forehead and scalp with thick layers of sweat.

The sight immediately sent a throb down to your core; heat roiling and pooling low in your belly and had you biting your lip in equal parts mortification, shame, and arousal.

He grunted, grinding his teeth as he tipped his head down again. You quietly jumped back out of sight as he looked down and opened his eyes, growling as his hand circled the head of his dick before twisting and stroking back down.

"Fuuuuuuck." You heard him sigh. "That's it, bebita... fuck, I'm close."

Your heart hammered in your chest as you imagined who he could possibly be picturing in his mind's eye; what dream woman he probably had at his feet, between his legs, worshipping the thick shaft he stroked in his hand

You pinched your thighs together, feeling your arousal already begin to soak through your panties, threatening to breach the fabric of your pants. Your face heated up, flushing with color as the sounds of him pleasuring himself assaulted your ears in the all-too quiet house. Hell, it felt like he was being so loud, his sounds of self-pleasure drowned out the blood rushing in your ears.

You couldn't contain your curiosity, and peek around the corner again. Miguel had his eyes closed again, a blissful crease prominent on his brow as he bucked his hips in time with his hand.

You watched as he snagged his plush bottom lip between his teeth, his face twitching as his hand jerked faster, the thick precum dripping down his cock and coating his fingers, assisting in the glide as he fucked his own hand, his release imminent.

You squeezed your legs together even tighter, taking care not to jostle the tray in your hands and not make any noise that would give you away.

This was... wrong. You should turn around, and leave your treat to him in the kitchen for him to find on his own. You should...

You swallowed the gasp that wanted to come from you as he muttered something to himself, something you couldn't quite make out--before the thick ropes of his cum spurted from the tip of his cock.

Continuing to stroke and pull, to lengthen his orgasm as long as possible; to ride the high further, Miguel rolled his head back with a gutteral moan, his cum splattering on the floor mats below him, his legs trembling.

As he began to even his breathing out, you turned and as quickly and quietly as possibly rushed back down the hall to avoid being caught--and maybe attend to the pressing matter that stained your panties.

Miguel however--

Miguel knew you were there. He could smell your perfume as you made your way down the hall, hear your soft footsteps and conversation with Lyla.

He grinned as he looked into the mirror, his eye tracking where you had once been peeping in on him. He could smell you the moment you got wet; hear the way your heart thudded in your chest as you spied on him.

He had been edging himself; not intentionally of course, but with how frustrated and angry he was, Miguel had been dancing on the edge of a climax for most of the time. Until he caught your scent, the smell of your wet little cunt filling his senses and making his mind buzz with his budding orgasm before driving him over that peak.

He wondered what you thought of the sight. You were aroused, certainly. You very much liked what you saw. He almost hoped you would walk in, and offer your own soft, sweet little hands to stroke him to relief.

But ah, you were a polite girl. Scurrying away like a frightened little mouse before getting caught and possibly pissing him off.

Miguel heaved a heavy sigh as he grabbed his sweat rag from beside him, wiping at the mess he made of himself. Despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but smile.

Maybe getting into your head was going to be easier than he anticipated.

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Part 5: I have no idea Imma be real with y'all

[lokisprettygirl]

Step Out Of Line (Bill Skarsgard! Eric Draven x Female Reader) (Alternate Universe) (18+)

Read chapter 9 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 10

Summary : Eric loses his mind without you by his side.

Warning: 18+, smut, non consensual sex, mention of drug addiction, grooming, mommy kink, age gap relationship, emotional cheating, marital abuse, sexual abuse, consumption of weed

Tapping on the arm of the couch Eric fidgeted a little. This was his fourth session with Doctor Mary Adams, the first day he didn't think he'd even say a word to this sweet old lady but he said a lot, he hadn't even realised he had so much to say to begin with.

“What's bothering you today Eric?” She asked him, her voice kind as ever. But then this was her job, she had to be kind to him.

You on the other hand, you didn't have to be anything to him but you were, since the moment he met you, you were everything he wanted in his life..

“Just something she said one night” he responded hesitantly.

“She? Dolly?” She asked him so he shook his head, he didn't want to talk about her today.

“No y/n” he answered.

“What did she say?” she tilted her head, her pen tapping against her notebook in soothing rhythmic motion.

“She told me that i didn't have to be good ..that i wasn't bad..that she wanted me just the way I am”

“And how does that make you feel?” she asked gently so he looked around as if searching for appropriate words.

“Scares me, all my life I have been told otherwise. For my mama I was always bad, bad for making a mess, bad for crying, bad for asking for food when I was hungry, bad for wanting a toy to play with, bad for not being able to handle it when drugs got too much, bad for being born and ruining her life-” his voice trailed off as he thought of his childhood.

“And with Dolly.. she needed me to be good, she always wanted me to be good for her, if i wasn't good, i wasn't worthy of anything. I had to be a good boy, smile when she wanted me to, cry when she needed to see my tears, always had to be good and do whatever she wanted” his voice shaking with the weight of his trauma but he continued.

“But with her, she is just there, she doesn't ask for anything, she just gives, she pushes me to do things because it benefits me and not her” Eric’s voice trembled, his thoughts unwinding slowly. “She doesn’t punish me when I mess up. She doesn’t keep score of my mistakes. She doesn't even realise how strange it is for me to be around someone that doesn't expect me to be a certain way”

Doctor Mary tilted her head, her pen still now.

“Do you think it’s hard for you to accept what she's offering you??” she asked in an encouraging tone, wanting to make him open up to her.

“Yeah. It feels like… like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like it can’t be real. Like she’s going to change one day and say ‘Just kidding, you do have to earn my affection like you earned for theirs”

“Has she given you any reason to feel this way?”

“Never. She's an angel in human form, i just fear someday she'll wake up and realise I'm not worth her troubles, that terrifies me, makes me feel weak”

“It's normal to feel scared” She leaned forward slightly as if to assure him. “You’ve survived people who treated you like you were nothing. But maybe now you’re learning how to live with someone who treats you with the respect and decency every human deserves. That’s not a weakness, Eric. That’s healing”

He nodded as she said that but there was something else bothering him too since that night.

“I just feel too clingy with her..not just emotionally, but in every way, I want her near me all the time, close enough where I can see her, touch her, hear her, smell her. The moment she's out of my sight I feel suffocated, I feel scared that she'd leave” she nodded thoughtfully as he finished.

“That's fear Eric and it's valid, when we have been starved of real affection and finally get it, our system latches on to it. And there’s no shame in that. You’re not broken, you’re responding to something you didn't have before, your life is changing now, and it's going to be hard but you'll learn to see it from the perspective of freedom rather than fear”

As the session ended Eric stepped out of her office, you were at the reception area mindlessly scrolling on your phone, he watched you for a few moments before he reached closer to you.

“Hey” you smiled as you stood up. He immediately wrapped his fingers around yours “How was it today?”

“Fine ..we talked about things that had been bothering me”

“That's good..do you feel lighter?” you asked as you both sat down in the car.

“Kind of” he said softly as he began to drive. He wasn't going to tell you that all he talked about today was you.

“Are you hungry?” You asked him as you caressed his scalp, your fingers treading down the nape made him shiver.

“No” he responded in one word so you looked at him.

“Are you really grumpy because I'm making you go to therapy?” you asked as you took the seat belt off and turned your body towards him so he immediately parked the car at the side of the road and stared at you.

“First of all don't do that when I'm driving” he said as he leaned over you to fasten the seatbelt.

As he looked you in the eyes, your eyes were down on his lips, the way you bit on your lips subconsciously made him wonder if you wanted to kiss him as badly as he did.

“I'm not grumpy..I am grateful” he murmured softly.

“You're not mad about it?”

“I could never be mad over something you are doing for me because you care,” he answered with utmost sincerity.

“Mmm is it so?”

He nodded before he moved away from you.

As you both reached home he sat down on the couch as you had to go get ready to meet Clara.

When you came back downstairs in that beautiful low cut dress he stared at you intently and shamelessly, not even bothering to compliment you, his eyes said a lot.

“Are you sure you don't want to come?” You asked him as you texted Clara that you were ready as she was going to pick you up.

“Yeah..no..i mean what would I even do there..I'll just relax here, besides i need rest for tomorrow”

He said to you, trying to sound confident.

But deep inside he was losing his mind already at the thought of being all alone here. You walked closer to him and leaned down to hug him, he breathed in deeply as he felt his body pressed up against yours. He did need his rest for the shoot tomorrow so you didn't press either.

“You call me if you need anything” you said to him so he nodded.

“Have fun”

The moment you stepped out of the door, the silence creeped in every inch of his existence. The house lost its vibrance, it just seemed empty without your presence, your laugh, your aura, Dolly's bedroom door began to haunt him, reminding him of the years he had spent with her, of memories he wanted so badly to forget.

He turned the tv on to fill out the silence but it didn't really help much, he couldn't sit still so he got up and moved to the kitchen to find something to do, his hands itched to touch you, it was a sensation he had never felt before, sensation of craving someone so intensely.

“What the fuck is wrong with you man?” He muttered to himself as he opened the refrigerator and closed it.

He ended up leaning against the kitchen counter, staring at the floor like it might give him answers. His fingers drummed restlessly on the marble surface of the counter. She’s just out with Clara. It’s not forever. She’ll be back. Don’t be fucking weird about it. He chanted to himself.

“It's good that I'm in therapy now” he muttered as he made his way upstairs but instead of going to his own room he went inside yours instead.

Your comforting smell made his senses feel calm for a moment.

Lying down on your bed he buried his face in your pillow like an idiot, breathing you in. God, how had this happened to him?

His phone buzzed in his pocket so he took it out but it wasn't you, it was a notification from his instagram account though. He scrolled through his profile when he noticed he had message requests.

He sat up as he opened them to kill time, it was from random people he didn't even know or have met before, he noticed Tom And Bianca had followed him so he followed them back but then he spotted a familiar name in the messages requests.

ClaraDarla

“Huh?” He opened the message to see what she had to say.

Hey Eric. It's Clara here, heard about the divorce. I hope you're doing okay xo

Her first message read, it was from the day you both had bumped into her at the mall.

That looks sick ❤️

She had responded to one of the bts stories you had put up from the Aura Shoot.

Thanks

he responded finally. He was obsessing and he knew it wasn't healthy but maybe she'd tell him something about where you two were and what you were doing.

Clara responded quicker than he expected.

Of course! You were amazing in that shoot. Didn’t know you had it in you, honestly ;)

Eric stared at the screen for a second, unsure how to reply to that. He knew Clara wasn’t trying to be rude, probably just surprised. He started to type, deleted it, then typed again.

Did you two make it to the place okay?

A moment later she responded.

Yeah, we’re here. Two guys have already hit on us ..haha

Eric’s chest tightened as he read that.

He knew you looked good. He saw you. But something about someone else confirming it, that people were staring at you, admiring you, hitting on you, it made him uneasy. Not because he didn’t want you to be appreciated but because deep down, he feared someone might make you fall in love and treat you right before he had the chance to even begin.

He typed one more message to send to Clara.

Hope you guys have fun

She responded immediately.

You can come if you want.

He read the message from the popup notification but didn't respond, he then locked his phone and tossed it beside him on the bed. Laying back again, he stared at the ceiling while clutching onto the shirt that was strewn around your bed, the shirt you had worn this morning. He brought the fabric up to his face and just kept it there for a minute. His fingers twitched with the urge to text you directly, but he didn’t want to come off as possessive. Or clingy. He was already painfully aware of how much space he took up in your day.

He ran a hand down his face and muttered, “This is insane…”

But then his phone buzzed again so he reached for it instantly.

Eat lunch or else

He couldn’t stop the grin that broke across his face. He sat up immediately to reply.

Yes mam. Thank you for the reminder..

You responded with a heart emoji. He kept checking his phone after that to see if you'd text again but you didn't. He threw the phone down on the bed again before he pulled the blanket over his body.

Maybe if he could just fall asleep, that would be fine.

He closed his eyes, trying to settle his breathing, trying not to picture you laughing at someone else’s joke or smiling that smile you often gave him.

Three hours later when you reached home, the house was too quiet, except for the faint humming of the television, no sign of Eric downstairs so you figured he was in his room. But then as you opened your bedroom door you found him all curled up in your blanket.

You stood in the doorway for a second, just watching him. His face was buried in your pillow, his hair a little messy from all the tossing he must have done. His breathing was slow, he was asleep, clearly, but even in sleep, his hand clutched at the edge of your shirt like his life depended on it.

Your heart ached a little at the sight. because you knew what this meant. He hadn’t just missed you. He had needed you. You knew he was clingy with you, you had teased him about it as well but this was different, no guy had ever made you feel this way before, you didn't mind his clinginess, not one bit. Who wouldn't want a beautiful boy like him to cling to them? But it worried you too, the thought of leaving him alone for long terrified you.

You placed your purse down on the dresser before you stepped across the room to reach the bed, you didn't want to wake him, you just wanted to turn off the lights, let him rest his chaotic mind but it was as if he had felt your presence.

He immediately sat up and stared at you as if someone had awakened him from a bad dream. His eyes were still heavy from sleep so you smiled. There was something so sweet about this tall handsome man just curling up in your bed like that.

“You're back” he said to you before he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer, resting his head on your torso, your fingers immediately finding the familiar way around his scalp..

“Missed me?” you asked softly, your tone was gentle and not teasing so he looked up at you with his big beautiful eyes.

“I know it's stupid”

“Mm no..it's not stupid to miss me..I missed you too” you mumbled reassuringly.

“No you didn't” he said like a child so you got down on your knees on the bed, his cheeks still between your palms.

“Why did you think I texted you?” you asked him softly before you kissed his forehead.

“Because you're an angel” he wrapped his arms around your body, his face burying in the crook of your neck, he knew he seemed pathetic, clinging onto you like he needed you to breathe but he couldn't help it.

“God you smell so good” he murmured against your skin, making a shiver run down your spine. His voice desperately filled with an ache, as if he had been wanting to feel your warmth since the moment you stepped out of here.

“So do you” you mumbled softly, fingers running through the base of his neck, tilting your head to the side you pecked on his cheek gently..

And suddenly everything was right again in his life, the walls had colours, the house felt warmer, his heart wasn't pacing anymore, wasn't threatening to bust out of his chest.

“I feel pathetic” he murmured quietly, as if he was ashamed of having feelings.

“You shouldn't, missing someone is not pathetic”

“I didn't just miss you..I craved you, without you, this house is just bricks and bones, without you it becomes the place where I lived with her for years” he said, his voice childlike.

“And that's okay, it will take time, to make this house feel like home again, to forget what it used to be and to cherish what it is now” you responded, your fingernails running behind his ears in soothing circles.

“I feel so broken I can't even imagine my life without you anymore”

“You're not broken, you're bruised and bruises fade with time, you just need to heal and sometimes healing comes in pieces, you're not alone in this you know that right?” you pulled him away slightly to make him look at you, his eyes shimmering with plenty of emotions.

“I know,i just don't want to be too much to deal with”

“You could never be..not to me”

He wanted to believe that, he really did.

“Can I sleep here tonight?” He asked you, voice unsure as if you'd deny him..when had you ever denied him though? He was right about you not being able to say no to him. You pressed him down on the bed slowly to answer his question, he allowed you to lower him down as you wished.

"What did you do in my absence?" You asked him as you looked down at him, something about the position and your gestures made him feel so small but in a good way, a very good way.

“Just stared at walls, drove myself crazy trying to not text you.. sneakily asked Clara about you” you smiled as he said that. You knew that already, she was blushing the moment Eric had responded to her text.

“She's so into you” you said as you leaned over him, his breath hitched at the position, you were practically on top of him.

“Not my type” you smiled again at his straightforwardness.

“Mhm i know what your type is” his face flushed at your words.

“Then you should know my type is in her own league, nobody comes close to her, she's otherworldly” he whispered softly, his eyes glancing over at the slight cleavage of your dress. He wasn't even hiding it, he was unabashed about it, he needed you to know he thought about you like that, that he had sinful thoughts about his sweet angel.

“Says the boy no woman can resist” you said as you booped his nose, making the heat pool around his ears.

‘It's just my face they like..they don't know me”

“Well most of them don't deserve to know you..I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again” he chuckled, though his eyes had moistened again, you always knew what to say to him.

“Mmm you're going to keep me in your purse to protect me?” he asked, cheekiness creeping its way back now that he wasn't losing his mind anymore.

“You're too tall for me to do that but if i could i would”

“I'd like that alot. I'd love to be so small you can carry me around like a pup” you chuckled as he said that. It was almost amusing, he was a giant at 6 '4 but deep down he was just a boy wanting to be loved and appreciated for who he was and god you were going to appreciate the heck out of this gorgeous man. That's what you always wanted to do, even when he wasn't yours, even when he belonged to your mother.

“Mmm are you feeling better?” You asked him softly.

“Much better”

“I'll go change, then we can eat? You're not going to sleep without dinner” you said to him as you got off his lap, much to his disappointment. He kept his eyes on you as you grabbed a set of pyjamas and a tank top from the closet and moved to the bathroom. He breathed in deeply to calm his nerves and to soften the erection your closeness had caused.

But then he heard the shower running and his thoughts haywired again, he could picture it all in his head, your naked body under the warm shower, your fingers running over your skin to cleanse the soap. He wondered if you ever thought of him when you felt naughty, if you ever touched yourself thinking about him.

Later that night as you both got back to bed, he tried his best to maintain the distance. He didn't want to suffocate you with his presence all the time, it was enough that you had him in your bed. He tried so hard to be good but then he gave in, because he remembered your weakness, your inability to say no to him, so he scooted closer and closer until he had his chest pressed into your back, curves of your behind pressed into him, your body moulding into him perfectly.

And you didn't say a word, you let out a sigh of contentment instead as if you were waiting for him to do it. His hands began to trail all over, starting from your arm then he'd trace them down from your waist to your thighs before bringing them back up again.

A moment later you turned on your back so he stopped, he wanted to be respectful but then you grabbed his hand and placed it over your throat ,the tank top gave him plenty of skin to play around with, he gently caressed your exposed skin, fingers running mindlessly, you shivered slightly as the pad of his fingers ran over the edge of your curves, his fingers dangerously close to slipping inside the fabric. Your fingers clutched around his bicep as he traced your curves from over the fabric of your tank top.

It was too much, too much for both of you so you turned to him and snuggled into him to stop his wandering hands. Besides, he really needed his beauty sleep tonight.

Next morning you sat at another one of his projects, it was for a magazine and it went really well. He wanted to go home but then both of you were invited to a private party by the photographer so you figured it wouldn't hurt, besides you didn't want him to ruffle any feathers in the early days of his career.

His place was everything you had imagined it to be in your head, loud music pumped in your ears, smell of alcohol and smoke strong in the air, beautiful people all around, but turns out they were the least of your worries today.

In the corner of the room you saw it. Saw the table lined up with the white powder, a man cutting it skillfully into lines, you didn't really need to be told what it was. It wasn't uncommon for people to do drugs in this industry, wasn't really something unheard of.

But as you caught Eric staring at the table with that glint in his eyes, you knew you had to get him out of there before he'd fall back to old habits.

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Taglist @mariaenchanted @malenoradgn @loushaw131460 @wiseyouthinfluencer @muchwita @urmomsgirlfriend1

[girlnadian]

Hi Five ^_^ hello... it's me, your mutual... So I saw you were doing kiss prompts for Valentines. Idk if I'm late since it's ending for me, but, um. I think it's obvious who I'm going to ask for, lol. If you do 66 from the kiss prompt for Theoken I will owe you my life.... they're my little guys...

kiss prompts — 66. staring at the other's lips, trying not to kiss them, before giving in

SORRY THIS IS LATE BUT I WAS SOOO HOPING SOMEONE WOULD ASK FOR THEOKEN tysm melli. i wanted this excse so bad.

651 words // divider

"That was stupid," Ken says. "You know that was stupid, right?"

"Shut up, dude."

"That was a creeper, Theo." Ken doesn't roll his eyes, but he's definitely doing whatever the verbal equivalent of rolling your eyes is. It makes Theo's feathers ruffle and his wings flare, indignant and embarrassed. He grits his teeth. Ken continues, "I can handle a creeper explosion."

"I know," Theo says. He drags a hand down his face, "What does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter," Ken seethes. "But you're the one that jumped in front of me. Why did you do that if it doesn't matter?"

There are a lot (a lot) of things Theo has come to admire about Ken over the last few months—they have a surprising amount in common. Ken talks about prisons and puzzles the same way Theo talks about PvP, with the passion that only comes from people who understand their craft beyond a surface level. Ken wants to be the best at what he does, just like Theo does. Ken is selfless and clever and snickers in a way that makes Theo's heart flutter. This, however, is something Theo goes back and forth on. When he's feeling especially down bad, Ken is determined. Right now, Ken is just stubborn.

Theo doesn't have an answer, so Ken keeps going. "I want to know why you always do this. It– It was a creeper today, what is it going to be next? Are you going to start putting your jacket down so I don't have to step in puddles? What if you got in front of an explosion that could actually kill you?"

And that's another thing: Ken is smart. Theo isn't dumb, but he's never had to be clever in the ways Ken has had to be. Theo has always thought, worse comes to worst, he could fight his way out of anything. Ken plans and then makes backup plans and is always prepared, but Theo has never needed any exit strategy other than himself. It's worked for him every time except for right now, with Ken standing in front of him, ears pinned and tail thrashing. Theo has long since learned to bite down the half of him that wants to cower in the face of a predator. He isn't weak. Still, he doesn't have a way out.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Theo tries, teetering somewhere between desperate and bitter. Ken falters.

"I don't," he starts, stops, and then shakes his head. "I don't need you to protect me like that."

This time, Theo does bristle. Maybe it shouldn't but it hurts. It feels like a dismissal; he feels like an idiot. It's far from the first time Ken has made him feel like that.

For lack of any other outlet, Theo reaches out to grab Ken by the jaw. The cat-hybrid startles, but doesn't pull away or struggle, even as Theo drags him closer. He tilts forward and braces his hands on Theo's upper arms to steady himself. Theo doesn't– he doesn't realize what he's doing until Ken is close. Really, really close. Normally it's Ken sidling into his space, coy and teasing, Theo has never–

"I do things like that because I want to," Theo says. He says it too quietly to be meaningless. "I want to protect you. I'm good at it. What's wrong with that?"

Something about the position dissipates all that charged energy. No, it's still there, it's just… it's different. Theo's eyes drop to Ken's lips unwittingly. He flushes before he remembers his sunglasses will hide the gesture—when Ken glances down in kind, it's out in the open.

Theo isn't weak. Ken might make him feel that way, but– Fuck it, Theo is not weak.

The hand on Ken's jaw moves to the back of his head, and someone (Theo thinks it's him, Ken will argue against that later) closes the distance.

[nevermindirah]

hi i'm prompting you because i'm a fandom criminal what prompts without being prompted: Gritty eyes when you stare into fire too long + The feel of fingers brushing together by accident :>

you sent me this ask in December, and then the other day (uh like a month ago now) you said:

what if the thing uma has to destroy immortals is like, going critical. somehow. and booker tries to sacrifice himself to save everyone

(cracks knuckles, smirks)

In the end, it wasn't that hard to convince Andy to get out of there. Nile was expecting her to at least argue, but when Joe got his shoulder under her arm and started moving her to where Nicky and Tuah had said they'd bring the van, she just went along with it. Letting Nile go in first is apparently a gateway drug to being more broadly sensible about mortality.

Booker covers Nile's back down the long hallway to the doomsday whatever thingy. That fake-oldest-immortal bitch really went for the cheesiest Bond villain shit in the end. Nile would roll her eyes if she weren't still looking out for errant goons.

They encounter no goons, no trip-wire bombs, not even a trap door to a shark pit. The nominally keycode-locked door at the end of the hallway is easily blown with a little of Booker's seemingly endless stash of c4. And then there it is, The Device, its many tubes glinting in the emergency lights.

She's looking it over for a power source when the other shoe drops.

"Go," Booker says. "I'll handle it from here. The team needs you to lead them."

Nile gasps like he's just punched her in the gut. How dare he— after everything—

"Go!" he says again. As if Nile hadn't heard him the first time.

Maybe this thing really can permanently kill immortals, or maybe it's just another fakeout, welded together from scraps of dead espresso machines to keep them distracted from yet another exhausting ploy by that exhausting weirdo. Booker's poking at it carefully, showing that he cares about his continued survival for the moment at least. Until what? He goes out in a blaze of glory, sacrificing himself to save her and the rest of their tribe?

The very idea of that hurts her. How dare he.

She finds herself getting up in his face. "What part of no man left behind," she says, "did you not understand?"

After everything, he has the gall to look surprised. "Nile…" he starts, but she cuts him off.

"No. You hear me?" Her hands twitch. She wants to shake him until he understands. "We're handling this together, and then we are both getting out of here. Alive."

He doesn't put up any further argument. Unfortunately, that doesn't do a damn thing to ease the knot in her stomach.

They work together in tense silence, but they do work together, as coordinated as every time they have before. Carefully examining all the many parts of this seemingly complex device finally pays off when Booker finds something Nile wouldn't know what to call, but she doesn't need to know its name, she just knows that the look on his face means Booker knows how to defuse it.

That head nod means he could use a hand getting access to the toolkit in the cargo pocket on his left pants leg. Nile doesn't say "I told you so" when she obliges.

Booker asks her to unscrew some of the tubes from the device to get them out of the way, but while she's doing that he's already making headway on the fuse whatever thing, easily switching one-handed between several of the thin tools in the kit he's got tucked under his chin. He's perfectly capable of handling this alone if he had to. The problem is he doesn't fucking have to, and he still doesn't seem to understand that.

"Remember the weird landmines we saw out on the tarmac on our way in?" he asks. When Nile nods, he points to part of the electrical panel he's been working on. "I'd bet anything that this sets them off."

Shit. Nile double-checks to confirm their coms still aren't working this deep into the building. They'll just have to hope that the others have gotten Andy far enough away by now.

If he'd come in here alone, all amped up on adrenaline and ready to sacrifice himself for the team, he might've just blown the damn thing up. Which probably would have set off a series of explosions under at least a kilometer of the only road in and out of the compound. Fuck that dramatic bitch so much and fuck Booker for playing right into her hands.

After several minutes of quiet tinkering, he hands her a chunk of the machine to set aside, complete with freshly cut red and blue wires like in the movies. Dare she hope they're about to be done here?

"Merde," Booker says under his breath. When she raises an eyebrow, he points to an interior section of the device.

Damnit. Those people at the lab outside Rome were in fact lying to them: here's a neatly labeled canister containing the doomsday virus they promised they had never and wouldn't ever synthesize.

"Can I ask you to hold the door open without you taking it to mean I'm trying to leave you behind?"

Nile blinks. For a moment she wants real bad to snap at him. "So you admit that's what you were gonna do, huh?" But that virus is very bad news. And the way he grimly smiles at her, maybe he's—

"I think if I vent this gas over here," he says with a tap at one tube, "I can then set off a chain reaction so the virus will burn itself up without risking releasing it."

"How sure are you the glass won't break?"

"Oh good point." He quickly unscrews one of the outermost remaining tubes, presumably one he's fairly sure is just full of regular air, and hands it to her.

It sounds like one of her mom's old-school Pyrex dishes when she knocks it with moderate force against the door jamb. "Yeah ok," she says when she sees there aren't any cracks. "Ready when you are."

Another minute or so of tinkering and Booker steps back from his handiwork to join her in the doorway. There's a remarkably pretty purple color flickering as whatever's left in the innermost tubes combusts.

The fire is contained entirely inside the tubing as planned, but Nile's eyes are still starting to feel gritty from staring at it. "How long do you think until we can be sure the virus is gone?"

"We should probably wait for the fire to burn itself out."

So that's what they do.

Nile is hyperaware of the empty hallway at their backs, but nothing and no one comes for them. The flame crackles with one last burst of destructive energy before flickering out. When her fingers twitch as if in sympathy with the flame, she feels them brush against Booker's. She didn't realize they were standing so close to each other.

Maybe her nerves are shot from a really damn long day but she could swear she just heard him gasp.

They both start talking at once. She doesn't catch what he says, and she's not really sure what she was gonna say, now that they've both clammed up and are standing here awkwardly staring at each other in the middle of a Bond villain's lair.

Nile's fingers twitch again, only this time, Booker moves to hold her hand. The little squeeze he gives her, the lopsided smile—

"Let's go home," he says.

Yeah, Book, she thinks, squeezing his hand back. Let's go home.

[sentanixiv]

Drunken Deeds

@emmithar-blog shared with me a scenario from a dream that I could not resist writing, so... blame her?

Dreamt of drunken Arthur running inside modern store where he keeps trying to lasso the little kiddy horse ride and shouting 'he's getting away!' each time he misses.

Modern AU; Tilly summons Hosea to help sort a situation with an inebriated Arthur.

cw: alcohol/drunkenness, grief/mourning, child loss

Drunken Deeds

Lord knew judgment weren't the reason Hosea went for him. Sinners like them, well. They knew better than to throw stones in glass houses and his being the fine, crystalline structure it was? Made it clear, in every ironic sense, that claiming piety wouldn't do more than put a new window in what had to be a solid wall. Only so many times even a silver-tongued shyster like himself could patch up the fractures and make the illusion of it being whole.

No judgment, then, spurred him into action when Tilly caught up with him between the aisles of books and across from the jewellery counter, his eye on a lucrative little piece kept displayed under lock and key. Had himself an angle, a real nice thought to go with the wilted widower, seeking something fine to honour his late wife. In his pocket, tucked in a velvet bag, he had the cheap glass duplicate ready to switch when the attendant turned to fetch him a tissue as his old eyes misted up with fond memory of dear, sweet Bessie - sadness summoned at the drop of a hat in his line of work, the years having dulled the ache of loss.

"It's Arthur," Tilly said in a hushed voice, looking over her shoulder to ensure no one peered to close at them.

"Arthur?" Hosea shook his head and set a gentle hand on her arm. "No, Arthur's not here, my dear," he assured her. "Dutch has him covered." In a sense. Keeping Arthur from trouble were a two-man job at the best of times, but with how close the young man'd become to the whiskey bottle of late, well. It meant a certain degree of supervision needed to keep him from drowning and it weren't his lifeguard shift quite yet.

Tilly fidgeted with the hem of her jacket, a lovely flowing yellow piece which lent her a sense of innocence that the world'd otherwise stolen from her sweet soul. "That's just it," she insisted. "Me and Mary-Beth both heard him holler and she's there right now, trying to talk some sense into him."

"I'm afraid Miss Gaskill will run out of air before making any headway," he said. "Boy never did possess a lick of sense." Hosea gave her a crooked, confident smile - something to ease the tension that tangled her fingers together worriedly. He patted her arm gently, knowing that none of Miss Grimshaw's ladies aimed to cause a fuss when the matriarch weren't around to cause it for them. They were observers, sharp-eyed and sharp-witted, able to find the smallest opportunity and make it lucrative when the airs were peaceful.

That worried him some, then, that Tilly spoke of Arthur and hollering, a disruptive shift to her subtle efficiency. He paused, head tilted back with some consideration, then nodded as though his decision made - one already decided when she insisted on it being Arthur. Never had a son, him nor Bessie, and with his wife gone to heaven, well, Arthur were the best son he could hope for, so he'd always be ready to go after him. "Why don't I go speak with him? Then you and Mary-Beth can continue on your day."

Many things existed which Tilly Jackson could handle and he had no doubt that she'd've done herself justice here if he hadn't been around, but ability didn't mean comfort, nor the confidence needed to snap Arthur back off whatever track he'd gone down. The man wouldn't never hurt no lady, of that they all knew, but he could be right ornery and a headache all the same. Ruinous for a lovely shopping afternoon, or for a scouting foray hid amidst feminine wiles.

She smiled, a bright ray of sunshine and relief, and took his arm when he offered it, guiding them towards the back of the department store. The deeper they went, the more apparent it became that the ladies hadn't made the call to fetch him lightly. Hollering he heard loudly, and the plaintive requests from store employees doing their best to stop the chaos that'd started unfolding. He could hear Mary-Beth's voice pitched louder than the lady preferred, asking Arthur to let things go and come walk with her. A last-ditch appeal to those few gentlemanly manners he kept hidden beneath the gruff.

Then, as they came around the final corner, Hosea understood the extent of disruption his not-quite-son'd gone and done. Toys lay scattered everywhere, the aisle one for toddler treasures, and Arthur stood in the midst of it. Swayed more like it, glassy-eyed and clearly drunker than a skunk bathed in moonshine. He, in turn, faced off with a truly formidable opponent that seemed to have him bested: A small horse on four wheels, the sort that one might give a toddler to scoot around on in the house.

"Ye- You ain't gettin' no away, y'bastard," Arthur muttered, words slurred together as he readied up a lasso made from skip rope. "I ain't- You ain't-" The effort of talking too much, he raised up the lasso and cast out, missing the horse by a good foot. "Dang-- Stupid-- Horse, stop! He's gettin' away!"

Hosea gave Tilly one final, gentle pat on the arm and stepped away, an understanding sinking deep into his bones to what was going on. Three weeks ago had been the phone call that severed the faintest threads of hope for a life away from his past. Three weeks since Arthur broke his phone by punching it and his fist into the wall until something broke. The phone could be replaced, but his knuckles still bore bruises and half-healed scrapes from repeated impact against the brick wall. Three weeks since the young man'd been sober and, based on Hosea's own experiences with grief and liquor, likely three months or more until he'd return to it.

He held up both hands, calling up the attention of the employees and passersby that were staring wide-eyed as Arthur tried and failed once more to lasso the toy horse. "Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you to forgive my son," he said, voice one of authority and apology both. "Things have been quite difficult of late and, as you see, he doesn't have much sense to be dealing with it sober. My humblest apologies for the disruption - and I assure you, any damaged merchandise will be paid for." This he said with a hand over his heart, a promise he could later wheedle them out of. "If you could all just move along, I can promise there will be no further disruptions."

Mary-Beth, looking rather relieved, took that as her sign to start shuffling gawwkers away, while Tilly took a rather more blunt approach against the stubborn few clingers that remained. "Shame on you, with the phone? Would your mamma want you recorded when you're in need?" She shook her head and the filming rubberneck drew back, interest curbed and phone lowered. "Why don't I help you delete that, so no one needs know better, hmm?"

Content that the ladies had that part of the process handled, Hosea approached Arthur, who'd sunk down to his knees and held the skip rope tightly between his hands. "Okay, Arthur," he offered, calm and steady, as he crouched down. "Why don't we get up now, leave these folks to their day."

Arthur blinked slowly, focus broken from his horse nemesis, and looked up when Hosea offered him a hand. Bloodshot eyes, shadowed by weeks of drinking and despondency, flashed recognition, than the heaviness of understanding that he'd gone and screwed something up. "What're… 'Sea?" he mumbled, looking down at the skip rope, around at the toys.

There'd been a part of him that hoped to get Arthur out of there before he realized quite where he had ended up, and that part must've lost its bet with fate and luck. Hosea did not sigh, nor did he judge, as he let his knee rest on the ground, providing a barrier between Arthur and the few store employees left to deal with his mess. "That's right, Arthur, it's me," he assured him, reaching to gently pull the lasso from his hands. "Why don't you and I go for a walk?"

"That- Dutch said." Arthur shook his head, grasping blindly through the fog of intoxication for whatever sense had led him here. "Dutch said I oughta walk… get some air. Some space. Be good for me."

Hosea bit back the desire to curse, to pull out his phone and send Dutch a sharp text reminding him that Arthur needed folk around him, not to be sent away. Foolish, prideful desire to go off on one of his plans no doubt spurring Dutch to encourage the boy outside the confines of their safe house. "I think you've had plenty space for today," he replied, setting said the skip rope and shifting to haul one arm over his shoulders. "Let's get you up."

Arthur tried, lord did he, but he must've found and drank the good whiskey by the way his legs kept turning to rubber and dragging them down. Then, halfway through a third attempt, Hosea heard a small, choked sob and the man's full weight pulled them both to the ground.

"S'gotten away, 'Sea," Arthur muttered, miserable and hoarse as he stared at the little toy horse. "Don't- It don't matter hows far I try, he's…"

"Gone, Arthur." Small and softly spoken, for all the ache it awoke in his chest. He let the man slump there a moment, shielded him from prying eyes so the tears that tracked down his face had no witness to haunt him later. The mourning, the loss - he knew this pain. From going through it himself with Bessie, drunken and cussing for months on end. Now watching Arthur go through it, his heart shattered because it ain't never been true love with him nor Eliza, no. But Isaac? Weren't no love more true than that father to his son.

Lord knew judgment weren't the reason Hosea worked hard to get Arthur on his feet, thanking Mary-Beth when she came back and offered her assistance. And judgment wouldn't never be the result of seeing Arthur broke down like this, shattered since the day he got the call, the day he'd learned his son'd been taken from life. Judgment had no place here, never would - Hosea'd make sure of that, a small consolation for a young man dealt one of life's worst hands.

[griefabyss69]

Pull

Written for @steddiemicrofic!

[ AO3 ] [ Tip / Commissions post ]

‘EDGE’ wc: 509 | rated: T | cw: Weeeeed <3

Here's Eddie's side of The Hole Story (Rated E), there will be 3 more installments <3

There's a new customer at his picnic table and Eddie can't help but wonder about him.

Steve Harrington in all of his glory has Eddie secretly clutching the edge of his seat, white knuckles hidden beneath the picnic table.

There's something to his stride that presses his thighs together right at the last second before he shifts to the other leg, his crotch moving in his tight Levis. Eddie's eyes are stuck there, even as Steve gets close and slides in to sit, his jeans pulling against his thigh as he swings his leg over.

"Hey, you working?" Steve asks with a veneer of confidence that Eddie doesn't bother looking through.

It's a stain that every jock carries; what's underneath is usually pretty fucking dull.

"Yeah, pick your poison," he replies, tapping dramatic fingers over his "lunchbox".

Steve nods, mouth opening in an air-headed drop that sends Eddie's mind wheeling back to thoughts of his dick. His lips look real soft and he can probably take a pounding; one thing Eddie thinks being a jock is good for, even if there's no tackling in basketball.

"Uh, weed. Please.”

Steve licks his lips as his eyes flit over Eddie's face and he feels kind of like baiting him, so he licks his lips right back, taking his time, pressing his tongue into the bottom one. Lingering.

It takes a minute before Steve snaps out of it, blinking heavily as he looks away.

How thrilling.

"Uh-huh, how much do you want?" Eddie asks, licking the edge of his teeth just to fucking see.

"I dunno, whatever you'd smoke in a week?"

Steve seems unsure of himself now, and Eddie knows he likes power but he really shouldn't be into the broken cockiness; still confident in some ways, but he could also be some tragic ingenue in an old movie.

His long eyelashes don't help.

"Way too much for you to handle," he laughs, and opens his stash. "You got twenty bucks on you?"

Steve nods, takes out his wallet. His thumb runs over the edge of it as he considers him.

"I'm not a virgin, you know," he says, and Eddie feels something hot flare down from his head to his toes.

"You're the last person on Earth I'd call chaste, Harrington," Eddie says, fighting against a hard swallow.

Steve really doesn't have to be a virgin to be a convincing boy-next-door type. Not with the guileless look he gives him, the beauty of it sticking to Eddie's mind like glue even when he shifts into a confused sort of understanding.

"With weed, Munson. Not a virgin with weed," he corrects him, huffing.

Annoying Steve is… a little intoxicating; if Eddie’s to continue being honest with himself. So he grins at him and does a game show gesture over his lunchbox even as his mind scrambles to figure out a way to get Steve to blush.

"Don't get cocky," he says, and pulls out a bag of his better stuff, fresh, because he's a fucking sucker.

It's fine as long as Steve doesn’t catch on. Nobody needs to know that there's a limit to his jock tax.

[mmmmmmmmmmmmsoup]

MAN HUNT

OC X READER

warning: violence, kidnapping, y'know... yandere stuff

this is a long ass post mind you, so get comfortable. also, this is super unedited, so bare with me.

word count: 5,323

it was 8am in the morning, you were sitting down on the couch, drinking a warm beverage, reading one of the many books within the small home library you were spending your morning in. thats when john came into the room, a man with broad shoulders, brown mid length hair and some stubble to adorn his face. if he ever chose to wear a cowboy hat and live in the south, he'd blend right in. He stood right in-front of you and dropped a big hiking backpack at your feet, it seemed to be full of stuff with small things like rope and a pocket knife clipped to the outside of it.

"whats this?" you ask, looking up at him.

"your ticket to freedom" john says with a smirk, resting his hands on his hips.

"what?"

"well for how many times you've tried to run away from our lovely home, why not make things more fun?"

you don't respond back, you just give him a blank stare waiting for him to continue.

"I'll give you a week."

"you take whatever is in this bag, and the clothes on your back, and lets really see if you can make it through these woods, without me catching you."

your shocked, not believing what you've just heard. John, for a year now has been your captor, and has dragged you to his little home deep in the woods. he says things like, he "loves you" and that you two are "meant to be together", but people who love each other don't kidnap one another and take them away from the life they were living. As stated by john, you had tried to escape before, but he was always a step ahead of you. But this could be your chance, he was giving you an opportunity, even if he rigged it, there was no way you were saying no to this.

"when do we start"

"as soon as you get dressed." john's smirk widened.

it wasn't too long until you were in your closet going through which clothes to wear. obviously you needed clothes that could handle the weather, it was that time of year when it wasn't quite fall yet, but the days started to get a bit more chilly and the leafs started their change of colour. you had found some cargo trousers and a green plaid shirt which you layered with a white tank top underneath. all items of clothing were bought by john, including the hiker shoes you were now putting on. he had bought most of the things you now own, he mainly tried to keep it within your own style, but every now and then he would buy something he wanted to see you in or thought would be good for an activity. I guess you now know why he bought this outfit.

as you got ready, you were trying to remember all the survival tips you had learned through out the years, but there wasn't much you remembered, as it never came up before.

"i'm not sure if I've ever seen you with such a pip in your step before." john says, standing in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall, watching you get ready.

you grab the backpack and go to open it up to see what john has given you and what else you may need, but thats when john grabs your hand to stop you.

"woah sugar, you can't see what I packed you until the game starts"

"but how do I know if even I need anything?", you argue.

"trust me, you have everything you'll need, right in that bag "

you let out a huff, zipping the backpack back up saying something under your breath about how the last time you trusted him, it ended with you being tied up and in the back seat of his car.

if john heard it, he didn't respond.

you throw on the backpack and clipping in the straps that went across your chest and hips for more security.

"ok. so what are the rules?"

john smiles, "its pretty simple, you get a 4 hour head start, you can't come back to the house at any moment unless you forfeit, and if you manage to get away without me catching you within the week, your free to go."

you nod your head, listening close to the rules. soon after john walks you outside to the front of the house. you take in the fresh air, the pine tree's giving of their piney smell, the sun shining through the tree's, and birds chirping their morning tune.

"ok, your next step forward is when the game starts, you sure you don't wanna give me a kiss before you leave, darlin?" john looks over at you, he was clearly joking but there was a small hint of hope in his eyes.

"Nope." you start to run in a random direction, not looking back. you weaved through the tree's and jumped over rocks, trying your best to not let yourself run out of breath.

As you ran, john stood where you left him, watching you disappear into the woods, once you were fully out of sight john headed back inside to make himself a coffee. he wasn't too worried about loosing you, he had far more experience dealing with the woods and backpacking in general. This should fun, you can finally feel a little bit more free, and he will still get his soon to be wife back by the end of the week. its like a little detox!

your running soon turned into a light jog, trying to figure out which way you should go. you couldn't see much from the forest floor as the tree's were too tall. figuring that you shouldn't just go straight and make it easy for john, you made a hard left. after a bit your jogging had turned into a fast walk and went that pace for about an hour and a half, so you think. truthfully you didn't quite know how long it had been, and you forgot to check the time before you left, a stupid mistake but nothing you could do about it now.

after what you think has been 2 hours you took a break and rested, but not without going through your back pack.

here is what john packed you:

sleeping bag

a thin sleeping matt

water bottle

water cleaning tablets

flashlight

pocket knife

rope

1 pair of clean clothes (but with 3 pairs of socks)

a light rain coat

first aid kit

tooth brush/paste

lighter

spork

small metal pot

binoculars

small bags of dried food/meal prep (but only enough for 3 days)

and a radio

what the hell? firstly, why for only three days? was he anticipating that how long you'd last? fucking prick, you'll show him, your gonna get the hell out of here and hope to the gods that you'll never have to see his face again.

but when you held the radio in your hands, you fought with your self if you should turn it on or not. what if it was tracking your location? was that something a radio could even do? you weren't sure.

despite your thoughts, you turned it on, it was on channel #1. before even thinking you held the button down and started speaking.

"hello, hello, this is Y/N L/N I'm lost in the woods and I need help"

you waited for a response... nothing.

you switched to channel #2 and did the same thing.

"HELLO, HELLO, THIS IS Y/N L/N I'M LOST IN THE WOODS AND I NEED HELP!"

still no response. you nearly went through all the channels saying the same thing and still nothing, no sign of another person.

that's until you got to the last channel, channel #25. you spewed your cry for help and waited, the next thing you know you hear the sounds of someone picking up the call.

"hey darlin, miss me already? it hasn't even been a full 2 hours yet" your stomach dropped, it was john on the other end. you could practically hear his sly smirk.

it took you a while to respond not sure what to say.

"oh? did you get all shy and bashful on me? don't forget, you called me, sugar." john chuckled through the radio

"are you tracking me with this? that doesn't seem fair." you ask

"no no, I'm not doing anything like that, would ruin the fun. the radio is just there incase you hurt yourself and you need help... or if you get lonely on these cold nights" john laughs

your quick to switch off the radio, and put everything back in your bag. you heard everything you needed to know, he had also mentioned that it hadn't even been 2 hours yet. the anxiety of time was getting to you, you didn't want to get caught on the first night. so you started moving, back into the pace of a light jog.

john on the other hand was delighted to hear from you, he didn't think you would actually use the radio, this soon too. he was taking his time getting ready, he gave himself four hours but was more likely to leave a little later then that. He wanted this to last a little longer then 2 days and also wanted you to squirm a little, make you feel uncomfortable, and who knows, maybe after this you won't want to leave his side.

-time skip-

it had been hours, definitely past the 4 hour mark. the sun was starting to go down, and you needed to figure out where you were gonna sleep. you looked around, there was a log near by. the log would be good place to rest your head on and had a little area that would be good for a fire, so thats where you unpacked your backpack and set up for the night. you went around grabbing bits of wood and sticks, really anything that could light on fire, you weren't new to making a campfire, but you also didn't practice very much, you knew what you needed its just putting it together was the problem. you grabbed the lighter from your bag and stood your sticks into a tipi shape, putting things like dried leafs and or moss in the middle.

half an hour later, you were just about to throw in the towel and go to bed early, but luckily your little tipi finally caught a flame and you had a little fire to warm you and your food.

you grabbed the little metal pot from your bag and one of the prepped meals. it was all dried food so you would have to add moisture by adding some water. you only added half of the food into the pot, thinking to save the rest for another night, grabbing your water bottle you add a rough estimate of 4 table spoons of water to the pot. your water bottle was already half empty from the day, thinking you'll have to find some form of water will be tomorrows goal. you took your spork, mix your ingredients, and heat it over the fire. it wasn't not long until you realize the mixture is porridge, plain but food non the less.

after you ate all of your food, you licked the pot clean, so it wouldn't attract animals or be harder to cook for the next time. you were just about to set up your bed when you had a thought.

'what if john finds me while I'm sleeping? what if the light of the fire is giving away my location at this very moment?'

with that thought you scramble to pack all of your things, despite that the sun is almost being gone. you throw you backpack on and starting kicking dirt onto your fire and stomping it to make it go out. after your sure the fire won't re-lit it's self you hurry to move from your location.

'I still have to sleep, I can't expect to win this with zero energy' you think to yourself as you frantically look for another place to rest. but as you look around each spot looks the same and equally just as easy to get caught in. you sling your head back facing the sky, huffing out in frustration, you can already feel the tears forming. if give the sky one more good look before the sun is fully gone, you just see tree's.

...that's it. the tree's.

you ripped you backpack off, digging for your flashlight and some rope. you sling the rope around your arm and hold the flashlight between your teeth, while putting the backpack back on. your gonna spend your night in a tree.

you find a tree your pretty confident climbing, you start grabbing branch after branch raising yourself higher from the forest floor. once you feel like your high enough, you grab your rope and tie it around the trunk of the tree and with the other end tie around your waist. just incase you fall while sleeping. slinging your bag so it's in your lap, you grab your sleeping bag and somehow shimmy yourself into it. not the most comfortable, but the branches of the pine tree hide you from the outside world and also help keep heat in. as you try to doze off you think about how you got in this situation.

you were just a normal person who had just moved to the big city, you were lonely and looking for people to be friends with. so when john came through the door of your work place talking you up, you were more then glad to chat back. and at some point john was no longer the regular at your work, he was your friend, and you two hung out with each on your days off. you went rock climbing together, restaurants and cafe's, a few hikes here and there, just whatever was available. and one day after dinner together, john had asked you if he could show you something, just out of town. of course you agreed, he was your friend and hadn't shown any red flags at the time. but once you two past the city and kept driving, you were starting to get cold feet. you had insisted john turn around, and it got to the point you were screaming "JOHN IM NOT KIDDING, TURN THE CAR AROUND, THIS IS TOO FAR OUT". He insisted he just wanted to show you something very important, but everything in your head was screaming at you to get out. you remember grabbing for the door handle, despite the car still in fast motion, thats when john yoinked your hand back and pulled over, slamming the breaks. before you know it, your tied up, sitting in the back seat, with your mouth tapped shut. what a horrid memory, and the idea that you may have to relive that again.... just foul.

-time skip-

at the crack of dawn when the birds started to sing was when you woke up, you were glad to find yourself in the same spot as to when you fell asleep, but man... you felt like shit. you got as much sleep as you would think you'd get, sleeping in a tree, which is very little.

you shimmy out of your sleeping bag, fold it back into your pack, along with putting away the flashlight and untying the rope and clipping it back to your bag. As you climbed back down to the forest floor, you tried to keep an eye out for signs of someone being near by, non to your knowledge.

todays goal was as yesterday's, get as far away from john and that dam prison he's been keeping you in. but also, to find some sort of body of water, as you were starting to run low. you headed in a direction opposite from where you came from, and as you walked, it actually was kind of nice. breathing in the fresh morning air, watching the sun slowly rise above your head, at one point you even saw some deer. you'd hate to say it, but you were enjoying it.

-time skip-

hours had passed, with you keeping a good pace of jogging and speed walking, you felt confident about the distance between you and john, but you did begin to worry about finding water, wondering if you were even heading in the right direction of finding any. 20 minutes later however, that worry melted away. you could hear the sounds of rushing water, and in the direction you were walking, the tree's started to part ways. once you walked up to the tree line you saw a river, rushing bright blue water straight from the mountains. you find a rocky beach area where you can sit and collect some water, dipping you water bottle into the ice cold river. you grab one of the tabs in your bag, supposedly your suppose to drop 1 tab in your bottle and it cleans any dirty water and makes it safe to drink. after the tab dissolves and you shake it real well, you take a drink.

you don't think you've ever had water quite so refreshing.

as you take this time to re-gain your energy, you grab a granola bar from your bag, and munch down on it. it's not along after a chipmunk starts making it's way to you, clearly smelling your food.

you argue with yourself, if you should share with the cute animal, or safe it for yourself. in the end, you decided it wouldn't hurt you if you gave the chipmunk one small peanut from your bar. you placed the peanut in your hand and reached out to the it. the chipmunk was obviously sceptical of your donation, but it only took a minute until he was eating right out of your hand. you couldn't help but smile and enjoy the moment.

... that was until you heard a snap from the right of you.

you didn't move, and you tried your best to keep smiling, but in the corner of your eye, you saw him.

it was a shadowy figure hiding within the tree's and bushes, definitely human shaped. it couldn't be anyone else but him.

he wasn't moving towards you though, just hunched down, watching.

you could hear your heart beat in your hears, you struggled to keep your breath steady.

you slowly started to pack your belongs and act as if you didn't know he was there, and as you did you grabbed the pocket knife that was clipped onto your backpack.

you clipped yourself into your backpack, so everything was secure, you took a deep breath...

you ran.

back into the tree line, and in the opposite direction of your captor. you didn't dare look back, and you didn't need to, you could hear shuffling from behind you, of something moving through the bushes caching up to you.

you weaved through tree's, hoping to loose him, at on point you were running along side the river. trying to find any means of escape you saw some rocks almost making a bridge across the river.

you went for it. jumping rock to rock, and as you almost make it across, something grabs your backpack from behind, it pushes you down, half of your body landing on the rocks, the other half of you landing in the freezing cold water. john also in the same position as you, but with a grip on your bag.

"hey honey, long time no see. you were looking real cute back there, acting like a Disney princess, princess" john tried to keep a cool expression, but being dipped in freezing cold water wasn't exactly the plan, and you could see him cringe at the temperature change.

you tried to yank his hand away from your bag, but it wouldn't budge. you could only move so much unless you wanted to fully submerged in the water and taken down stream.

and john just kept talking, "y'know, I didn't think you'd spot me, but I guess thats why I like you... just full of surprises!"

john starts moving, trying to reach you with his other hand, hoping to pull you back on land with him. that's when you open you pocket knife. swinging the knife towards him, you manage to cut the palm of his free hand. he hisses in pain and lets go of you to cup his now bleeding hand, that's when you kick him over the rocks and fully into the water, he tries to grab at you, but the current takes him away before he can. your quick to stand up, not bothering to watch him float away, you begin to run. your soaked and cold to the bone, but you don't care, running is the only thing on your mind.

-time skip-

it had been... maybe 2 hours now? 2 hours of you strictly running, the sun was starting to go down, and you could feel your body yearn for warmth. you found a spot surrounded by wild rose bushes, so if anyone was in the area, you would be able to hear them first before they saw you, plus the thorns would give you a little more protection against people or animals.

you sparked a fire, a little faster then the night before, and soon you began to strip, taking off your wet clothes and laying them near the fire to dry, you grabbed the clean pair in your backpack. you also snuggled into your sleeping to try to warm up faster, while making food. after eating the rest of your porridge, you snuffed out your fire just enough so no flame or light was giving away your location, but enough that the coals and ash were still warm and hopefully would keep you warm through the night.

it didn't take you long to fall asleep, exhausted from chaise.

mean while john had managed to swim himself to shore 20 minutes after being swept away by the river. his hand was still bleeding but the water and washed most of it away, luckily it wasn't too deep of a cut, but infection was still a possible outcome. he cut his losses for the day, figuring you had probably ran pretty far already, not to mention the how far the river took him down, away from you. he was quick to set up camp, make a fire and dry his clothes. just like you, he also had a backpack full of anything he needed. sadly most of his stuff was pretty soaked and he had to lay out all of it in hopes it would dry before he went to sleep. luckily the radio was water proof so, that was still able to work. and while he was waiting for his things to dry and his food to cook, he figured he'd see if your radio was on.

"hey sweetness" he sang "you there?"

he waited for a response, but got nothing.

"I guess even if her's was on, she might be pretty mad at me for what I just tried to pull" john chuckled to himself.

"that's ok though, let her be mad, then after she can come home with me and be my darlin little wife"

john starts twirling his finger in the dirt, as he's dreaming of the day you two are married, then have kid together, and maybe another one if it works out.

he just couldn't help it, you just so beautiful, with such a strong spirit too, willing to fight for what's yours. your just a little confused and don't realize this life he's set up for the two of you, is your life. your new one, better life.

but that's why he was doing all of this, to make you realize you belong to him are meant to be together.

-time skip-

you woke around the same time as the day before, but this time you had a way better sleep. most of your stuff was pretty dry, a few damp patches but nothing too bad. feeling rested you packed your things and started your journey, you were on day 3 and still had a good amount of food and a full water bottle. part of you wanted to head back to the river and follow it down to hopefully a town or something, so you would have consistent water supply, but that was the direction john was and you didn't want to run into him again...if he was still alive.

was he still alive?

I mean that last time you saw him, he got swept up by the river, plenty of people have died in similar situations. if he was dead, it would then be safe to head in whatever direction you wanted

"mmm" you let yourself think for a bit, wondering what you should do.

you end up digging for your radio in your bag, you didn't want to call out to him, but for the sake of directions, you needed to know if he was alive or not.

"hello? anyone there?", you wait for a response.

....

"well shoot, if I didn't know any better, I would think that your checking up on me, darlin. you worried about me?" you hear john speak through the radio.

and that's all you needed to hear, he was alive, which meant you were gonna go up stream, rather then down.

"sugar? don't leave me hanging, I-" before he could finish his sentence and probably call you another pet name, you turned the radio off and tucked it back into your bag"

-time skip-

today was well paced and didn't run into any issues. the only reason for that though is probably cause john is trying to catch up, you didn't know how far the river took him after all.

but still no sign of a town or another human, just woods and more woods. you flipped through the other radio channels seeing if it had picked up on any new radios, still none.

you set up for the night, next to a mossy log that had fallen over some time ago. you had dug into your second bag of rations, only eating half of it so you could eat the rest for tomorrow.

and while you started getting ready for bed john, was still making his way towards you. he spent all day trying to find your tracks and on some sort of luck, he did. unknown to either of you john still had a good while to go until he reached you, but he knew if he moved while you slept, it was more likely for him to catch up faster.

-time skip-

day 4, and the sun rises once more. you awake and just like the last few days, your quick to pack up and be on the move. except theres a chill in the air, you can see your breath, and once you take a closer look around you, theres a light layer of frost covering the forest ground. it was pretty to see, how the sun shined on the plants and made everything sparkle. but that was enough looking around, you had to remind yourself that a loved obsessed psycho was after you.

you continue walking for about an our now, watching all the frost slowly melt from the sun's gaze, but you should have been paying more attention, cause if you were, you would have seen the rope you were about to pull with your foot.

the second it happened, you looked down and felt your stomach drop. 'shit.'

your immediately wrestled to the ground, landing on your belly, your feet being the first thing to be tied up. you try kicking john off of you, and although you hit him a few times, he doesn't let go. you try to rip your backpack off, so you can grab your pocket knife, but after tying you feet john quickly pins your arms to your sides.

'it was stupid to put the knife away.'

with all your might you try to get him off of you, and you do! but with you feet tied together, you can only crawl away from him. its not long till john grabs you by the boots and drags you closer to him, your fingers digging into the dirt.

"NO! NO! GET OFF OF ME!" you scream in full panic.

john throws your backpack to the side and starts to tie your hands behind your back. you begin to cry.

"NO PLEASE! LET ME TRY AGAIN, I CAN DO IT! I WAS SO CLOSE!"

your reliving your nightmare once more, not able to stop screaming and the tears from falling.

the next thing you know john stabs something into your neck, a syringe. the world starts to become fuzzy and your body feels heavy.

"it's ok darlin, don't cry. you did your best, but now you get to come home with me and lay in a comfy bed, with warm food, and running water." john caresses your cheek as he speaks to you.

you try to deny his words, but it just comes out as mumbles and soft little no's. john can't help but chuckle at the state your in, so harmless and weak.

-time skip-

you wanna say you remember how john got you back to his house, but you can't. he probably drugged you the whole trip, so you wouldn't struggle. but the next time you woke up, not drugged out of your mind, you were in the familiar bed you dreaded.

you had failed, you had one shot, and you fucking failed. this was gonna be your life, trapped in the woods with a man that was utterly insane.

for the rest of the year, you were gloomy a shell of who you once were. if john wanted to cuddle, you did without a fight. which made john partly happy, but he also missed that spark you had, the very thing he fell in love with. it wasn't till the seasons started changing once more, just between summer and fall until john dropped the same backpack in front of your feet and game you the same opportunity.

he tells you that, "it was so fun last year, why not do it again?"

and so you did, every year, and every year he caught you, but every year you got better and closer to escaping. learning to skills, reading more books about things like wild berries or how to tell which way is north.

it was weird, cause it kept you in line for majority of the year, doing most of the things john asked of you, but you had your spark back, you had something to look forward to.

there was a year where you had ran into a bear, and john fought it off for you, or the year you figured out which direction you needed to head for the best out come. there was a year you had managed to last 6 days before john caught you, your personal best.

but as the years went past, john eventually fulfilled his wish of starting a family with you. the year you were pregnant john refused to let you leave the house, and doted on you like a butler would to royalty, which wasn't too different even when you weren't pregnant. but you had thought that, that was the end for you and your chance at freedom was gone. but once your child had turned 1 year old, john dropped the familiar backpack at your feet once more.

except this time you had to take the child with you, or not go at all.

risk the health of your child? or risk your freedom?

what an awful choice to make.

the end.

how was that ya'll? was it too long, did i string it out for too long in some parts? pls tell me

[blue-slxt]

It Was Supposed To Be Us - Chapter 5

🔞Minors Do Not Interact🔞

A/N: We have reached the end of our story! Thank you to everybody that's interacted with this series. Every like, comment, and reblog mean so much to me. I hope you guys enjoy this finale. I'm not great at writing action scenes so forgive me if it's a little mid. All characters are aged up.

Previous Part

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of DV, PTSD, Anxiety, Violence, Blood, Smut, P in V, Fingering, Loss of Virginity, Creampie, I think that's it

Word Count: 4.7k

Summary: Neteyam takes care of Ralu.

Sleep seems to elude Neteyam for the night. Every time he closes his eyes, he’s haunted by visions of your beaten face and body. It’s devastating. His stomach twists with nausea and guilt. He tosses and turns trying to get comfortable, but it’s useless. Before long, the sun starts to rise. Neteyam knows his father will be up soon. He’s going to need his support if he was going to pull this off without actually killing Ralu. And, as tempting as that idea sounds in his head, he knows it’s not the smart thing to do. Neteyam sits outside of his family’s home sharpening his knife and waiting for his dad. And almost on cue, Jake appears from inside.

“Neteyam, you’re up early” he says a bit taken aback.

“Couldn’t really sleep” he says continuing his work on his weapon.

Jake lets out a big exhale sitting next to Neteyam on the ground, “Talk to me, boy. Tell me what’s going on.” Jake still wasn’t clear on the details of what all was going on. When he took Neteyam away yesterday, he didn’t speak much on why he did what he did. Jake knows his son well enough to know that he wouldn’t snap like that on somebody for no good reason, but he couldn’t help if he didn’t know the entire situation.

Neteyam drops his knife and uses two fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose while he comes to grips with everything. “He is not a good man.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that yesterday, but what you haven’t said is what makes you feel that way.”

“He…he hurt her, dad…” his words trail off as he finds himself needing to literally bite his tongue to keep the tears at bay. “You should have seen what he did to her…”, one tear slips.

Jake nods solemnly understanding the situation now. “Is she okay? Is she safe right now?”

“Grandmother and Kiri are keeping her in the healing tent.” His jaw clenches in frustration, “I should have been there. A man is supposed to protect his own and I failed.”

“Do not blame yourself. You couldn’t have known this would happen. And son…she isn’t yours.” Jake doesn’t mean it to sound as harsh as it probably comes across.

Neteyam looks his father in the eye, “She is in every way that matters.”

In this moment, Jake doesn’t see just his son, he sees a man doing his best to defend what is precious to him.

“Alright, so what do you want to do?”

…

Neteyam propped himself against a tree deep in the woods while he waited to carry out his plan. Even just with the waiting, he can feel how his blood is beginning to boil. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t nervous. But he wasn’t nervous about his plan failing. He was more worried about controlling his own wrath. As far as Neteyam was concerned, Ralu deserved whatever fate befell him, but his father discouraged him from being the one to deliver that fate. “Let Eywa handle that part.”

Neteyam hears footsteps coming his direction. It was time. He remains in his spot against the tree and watches the figures in the distance grow closer. Jake was leading Ralu to Neteyam. Jake had convinced him that he wanted to apologize for his son and get his side of the story. Jake didn’t truly care for whatever excuse or lie Ralu tried to come up with for what happened to you. Before he agreed to help with this, he had already gone to speak with Mo’at about your condition. He didn’t actually see you out of respect for your privacy and dignity, but Mo’at gave him a very clear picture of your condition. And she confirmed that however you were injured, it definitely was not from “falling in the woods” as you had described to her. He had heard all he needed to.

Once Jake and Ralu reached the clearing, Ralu locked eyes with Neteyam and stopped dead in his tracks. He looks between the two Sully men and suddenly realizes that he’s trapped. He weighs his options on if he should stay or leave. But his own ego and anger cloud his better judgement as he decides to stay and stand his ground.

“Okay, I see what this is” his arrogance is obvious in his tone.

Jake and Neteyam exchange a glance and Jake gives his son a small nod before he walks into the woods a bit. He’s close enough to come running in case anything goes wrong, but his main purpose for standing there was in case Ralu attempted to run.

“Let me guess, this is about your little girlfriend, isn’t it?” Neteyam takes one step towards him, “Don’t you dare even talk about her. Be grateful I even left you a tongue to speak with.”

Ralu smirks at him, a smug display of his amusement. “You may be the son of toruk makto, but you need to learn to keep your hands off other people’s things. That bitch had it coming.” Neteyam had heard enough and lunges for Ralu knocking him over. Ralu kicks Neteyam off and attempts to take a swing at him, but he dodges. Neteyam takes a swipe at Ralu with his knife and manages to make a shallow cut on his outstretched arm. He pulls his arm back to look at the cut.

“That the best you can do?” he taunts.

Neteyam is unphased, “Says the only one bleeding.”

Ralu launches himself at Neteyam and manages to get him into a hold that Neteyam can’t quite maneuver out of. Instead, he flips around the knife still in his hand and cuts across Ralu’s abdomen. It’s not deep enough to cause any serious damage, but it is enough to make him release his hold. This makes him retreat from Neteyam in pain and give him an opening. Neteyam snakes around staying close to the ground and grabs Ralu from behind and wrestles him down to the ground. His legs lock and hold Ralu’s while his arms have him in a headlock and his knife is alarmingly close to his throat.

Ralu struggles against Neteyam’s hold, but with no success. The threat of Neteyam’s knife pressing into his skin makes him finally go still.

“You will never come near her again, do you understand?” Neteyam hisses in his hear. “She is not yours and she will never be yours. And if I ever, ever see you even so much as look at her the wrong way, I will personally see to it that you suffer an excruciating end.”

Ralu scoffs. He doesn’t think Neteyam actually has it in him to follow through on his threat. Neteyam is seeing red as he flips the knife in his hand and jams it through Ralu’s shoulder. He screams out in pain and writhes in Neteyam’s hold. He pulls it out and presses the very tip of his knife into the skin on Ralu’s throat coaxing out a single dribble of blood. “Answer me!” Neteyam was fully prepared to do away with this man for good and deal with whatever fallout came after.

“Neteyam!” Jake calls out to him. When he turns to look at his father, he has a stern look on his face urging him to do the smart thing.

Ralu knows he can’t actually beat Neteyam and he’s ready to end this whole ordeal finding you not to be worth all the trouble. He begrudgingly agrees with a nod of his head.

Once Neteyam is satisfied, he sets him free and watches as he gathers himself to leave. “And do not go to the Tsahik for your injuries. She will not help you.” Neteyam calls out after him.

He falls to the ground catching his breath when Jake comes over to him. He had quickly looked over Ralu as he left and, from what he could see, Neteyam had done what he needed to. He checks in on his son, “You did good, son.”

Neteyam offers his father a small smile and a nod, “Thank you, sir.”

…

“You don’t think anything has happened to him, do you?”

“I already told you, I don’t even know what’s going on. But this is my brother we’re talking about. I’m sure he’s fine. Now, hold still while I check your eye” Kiri tells you while looking over your face. You had been borderline pestering her all day about Neteyam and whatever he was planning to do. Your anxiety had ramped up as the hours dragged on. He had asked you to wait for him inside the tent and you did, but you couldn’t help the worry that still plagued your mind. How long were you meant to wait? Kiri did her best to reassure you, but she didn’t know exactly what was happening either. She had minimal information as she had only partially overheard the conversation between her father and Mo’at. She didn’t know what her brother had planned to do about Ralu, but she trusted that if their dad was with him, he wouldn’t go off the deep end.

She continues inspecting your wounds from the other day and is pleased to see the swelling around your eye going down slowly, but surely. And your body no longer felt like the fire of a hundred suns. It was now more of a dull ache. You still weren’t in ideal condition, but it was leaps and bounds from how you first walked in.

“Thank you, Kiri. For letting me stay here for the night and taking care of me.” You were truly, deeply thankful that she gave you a safe place to recover. Even going so far as to physically stand in the way of danger to make sure you stayed safe.

She grabs ahold of your hands and squeezes them tight. “Mated or not, you are family. We take care of each other.”

You can feel yourself getting choked up so you try to change the subject, “So, how do I look?”

She follows your lead, “Much better than yesterday. I’d say it’ll take another day for the swelling to go completely down, but it’ll still be bruised for roughly another week.” She lets your hair fall back in front of your face. You preferred to keep your eye covered while it heals.

Immediately after, Jake and Neteyam come into the healing tent and Jake bends down to give you a once over. “How are you feeling, baby girl?” “Oh, I’m much better today. Thank you. Kiri has been taking really good care of me. I owe her a lot.”

“Don’t be silly. You never owe me.” She says standing up.

“Is she okay enough to go for a walk?” Neteyam asks her.

“Yes, just take it easy okay? Your wounds physically look better, but don’t push yourself if it still hurts.” Kiri answers from across the tent.

Neteyam holds his hand out to you and you take it. He leads you out of the tent and your eyes subconsciously dart around the area around you. Neteyam can feel your unease and notices the curl of your tail. He gives your hand a reassuring squeeze, “It’s okay. I promise.”

You swallow hard following his lead. You let him lead you through the forest and he helps lift you over large branches in your path that you would normally be able to hop over with ease.

“Neteyam where are you taking me?”

“Oh, like you can’t guess?”

You playfully roll your eyes at him. Of course, he’s taking you to your spot.

It seemed like it had been forever since the two of you came here together like this. Out in the open in broad daylight. No worries about sneaking out under the cover of night.

Neteyam leads you into the center of the clearing and helps you to sit while he kneels in front of you.

“Any particular reason you lead me all the way out here?” you ask genuinely curious. It’s not that you didn’t love being here or being here with him, but why right now?

“Actually, there is. It’s because I couldn’t think of a better place to say this.” He takes a big breath trying to calm his own nerves.

“Listen, we’ve known each other for most of our lives now and ever since the first day I saw you, I knew. I knew that I wanted to be with you forever. I knew I could never live without you again. When we promised to be together, that was the happiest moment of my life. And with everything that’s happened recently, I couldn’t help but feel like I let you down. As soon as I returned, I should have stood my ground and declared my intentions with you, but I didn’t and it caused you to get hurt. I should have protected you.” “Neteyam, you—” he holds his hand up to stop you. He already knows that you would say it wasn’t his fault and that he couldn’t have known what would happen. And even though the logical part of his brain understands that, it still brings no comfort to his still-aching heart.

“I knew I had to do something to make it right. I promised you I would take care of it and I did.” “What did you do?” you’re almost scared to ask.

“Please do not worry about it. Just know that he will never come near you again. You don’t ever have to worry about him.”

His words ring through your head while you process them. Just like that? It was over? You wouldn’t have to be on high alert anymore or live in fear? You were free? He holds your hands and locks eyes with you.

“But I wanted to officially ask you if you’d do me the honor of letting me court you and being my mate.” He smiles at you, but his eyes are scanning your face looking for any little indication that you may reject him. He, of course, finds none.

“Do you really still need to ask?” your expression is overjoyed and Neteyam takes his first real breath since he started talking.

“You couldn’t have honestly thought that I would reject you, did you?”

“W-well, it’s been such a long time and I just wanted to be sure. A-and…” Neteyam starts to ramble just like he always did any time he was flustered or nervous. It was adorable and you can’t hold back the giggles especially when you notice the slight purple color starting to stain his cheeks.

You hold his face in your hands and his words trail off at your touch. “’Teyam, stop talking. The answer is yes. It was always going to be yes.” He captures your lips in a tender kiss and your heart soars. Everything was finally falling into place.

…

Over the next week while you heal your wounds, you and Neteyam find your footing as a new official couple. He courted you just like he said he would, showering you with the most extravagant gifts. Rare beads, intricately woven accessories, beautiful flowers, your favorite foods, you name it. Neteyam probably would gift you the moon itself if you were to ask for it.

It was still difficult some days, though. Even after your physical wounds healed, your mind still stayed vigilant at all times. It would cause you to jump at sudden sounds or touches.

Poor Neteyam looked so forlorn the day he tried to reach out and hold you and your instincts made you flinch away from him without you meaning to. He insisted that he understood why you reacted the way that you did. It still made you feel awful, though. You didn’t want to still be afraid, especially not of the one person you felt safest with. The one person you never had to be scared with.

It took time. A lot of time. Some nights, you still had nightmares about it all. His voice and touch still so vivid in your mind that you would swear he was there in the room hovering over your sleeping body in the middle of the night. Of course, he wasn’t actually there. Only Neteyam resting next to you and who would hold you a little closer to himself when he felt you stir awake from your midnight hauntings. Soft shushes and whispered words of reassurance would calm you back into a state of sleep.

Ralu truly never did dare to even look your way again. You would catch sight of him among the clan and it would make you pause briefly in your steps, but he never gave you so much as a glance. Neteyam never really told you what happened between the two of them, but you settled on the decision that it was probably for the best that you were left out of the loop. If you had to guess, though, it probably had something to do with the new scar he was sporting on his shoulder. In truth, how he did it didn’t really matter. The only thing that mattered was that you were out of the nightmare. You had your person. He was yours and you were his.

…

It was finally time. The day had come when you and Neteyam would finally be mated before Eywa. Your heart thunders in your chest gazing up at him under the glow of the Tree of Souls. His star-like freckles glowed a little brighter accentuating his features.

The ceremony had come and gone fairly quickly. Your union was acknowledged by the Tsahik in front of your families as they cheered and sang prayers for you both. Prayers of a long, happy partnership and many healthy children. After the ceremony, they sent the two of you off to have some privacy for your first night together. It was Neteyam’s idea to come here specifically. And you were so happy you let him choose. The setting was beautiful and buzzing with an energy that made everything feel even more alive and connected.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little nervous. You knew what was expected of mates. But you had never been touched in that way by anybody else. Your biggest fear was that it would hurt. You had tried to experiment a couple days ago in preparation for this night. You hesitantly and carefully tried to push one finger inside of yourself, but panicked at the feeling and cut the experiment short. It was frustrating. You loved Neteyam with your whole being and you wanted him to become one with your being. You wanted him to touch you. You couldn’t stand the thought of the last man who had laid hands on your body being Ralu. But could you really go through with this?

“What is wrong, yawne?” Neteyam asks you knowingly.

“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?” you try to brush off his question.

“Your tail is doing that thing again. I know something is on your mind. Talk to me, tíyawn.”

You breathe a big sigh, “I think I’m just nervous. Now that we’re mated, I want us to…you know…do what mated people do. But I am nervous that it is going to hurt because I’ve never had anything inside before.” Your head drops in embarrassment and your eyes cautiously look up at Neteyam who is only smirking at you.

“You are too precious”, he says kissing your forehead. “We do not have to do anything that you are not ready for yet. And, when you are ready, I promise to be as gentle as possible.” “But I want to do it now. I want to become one with you.”

Neteyam thinks for a moment before he speaks again, “Here, let’s try this.” He pulls his queue forward and you follow him. “When we make tsaheylu, we’ll be able to completely feel each other and I will know how best to take care of you.”

You nod your head processing his words. The tendrils at the end of your queues dance wildly in front of you. You both bring them closer together until they meet in the middle and hold one another melding the two of you together.

Both of your pupils blow wide open as your minds take in all the new stimuli from not only your own bodies, but each others’ too. You can feel Neteyam’s breathing and heartbeat as if it were your own. Every single sensation he feels is coursing through your body all the way down to the feeling of the ground beneath his feet and the ends of his braids resting on his shoulders. It’s overwhelmingly euphoric.

You make the first move to reach out and touch Neteyam’s face and press your lips to his. He wraps you in his arms kissing you back deeply. You happily open your mouth for his tongue to explore. You both settle down on your knees and he lays you down on your back. Using one of your hands, you push your top up to reveal your breasts. Neteyam’s hand freely roams about your body massaging your soft skin. His fingers trek down your chest and waist and right past your loincloth to rub messy circles on your clit. Your breath hitches in your throat and Neteyam swallows the moan you let out. He breaks the kiss so he can watch your face.

“I’m going to put one inside, okay? Just breathe for me.” You take a big breath and as you release the air, Neteyam pushes one digit into your heat. The feeling is indescribable. It’s not quite uncomfortable, but it’s unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. When he slowly starts to pull out and push back in, it feels like a lightning strike in your body and you love it.

Now, Neteyam can feel himself getting harder by the minute. Feeling your tight, slippery walls squeeze around his finger has his head spinning thinking about how good it would feel around his dick. It’s even more intensified by the bond you two held, feeling your pleasure radiate through his own body.

Once he feels your body relax more around him, he pushes in a second finger. The stretch is a little more intense, but still not anything you couldn’t handle. Your breath is heavy in your chest as you look up at him. “Neteyam…”

“You are doing so well, tíyawn.” He kisses your lips again and takes advantage of the way your body melts into him to push one final finger into you. He can feel through tsaheylu the dull sting that comes from being stretched like this for the first time. He holds his fingers in place just long enough to let the feeling pass for you before he moves again.

“’Teyam…please…I want it.” Your big doe eyes look up at him pleadingly.

Fuck, you were just too precious for Neteyam to ever deny you anything you wanted. Plus, he was just about at his own limits of his patience. He pulls his fingers from your core and the sudden emptiness makes you wince lightly. He helps to pull your loincloth off and you raise your hips to help him. He pulls the knot on his own loincloth loose to let it fall to the ground.

Your eyes widen seeing him for the first time. He’s big. Too big. There’s no way something like that will fit inside of you. Your nerves are starting to get riled up. Even without tsaheylu, Neteyam can feel your anxiety. One of his hands finds your chin to lead your eyes back up to his. He reassuringly rubs his thumb against your skin, “Slowly, okay? Just focus on me.” You re-steady your breathing and nod your head. You close your eyes when you feel his tip prodding at your soaking entrance. Neteyam pushes his hips forward towards yours and his tip presses on past your folds and right into you. You gasp and grit your teeth trying to push past the feeling.

Neteyam slowly inches himself further into you. You wince and whine at the feeling. “Shhh…just a little more. You’re doing such a good job.” It was as if he was pushing your organs to the side to make room for himself inside of you. It was almost suffocating how full you felt. But his soft voice and the caress of his fingers on your face help strengthen your resolve. Suddenly, he stops moving. “You can look now.” Your eyes lower to find your pelvises pressing together and a small bump poking through your abdomen. The sight normally would’ve horrified you had it not been for the immense pleasure coursing through your veins.

“Are you okay?” Neteyam’s patience is thinning by the second, but what little is left of his better sense urges him to go slow for you and make sure your first time is a good one. But damn if the way you were choking his dick didn’t make it difficult.

You nod up at him letting your body accommodate him. “I’m going to move now.” Your eyes cross at the drag of his tip along the spongey part of your walls as he pulls out and pushes back in. A small whine leaves your lips and your fingers hold on to Neteyam’s shoulders to give you something constant to focus on while you adapt to the new feeling.

Before you know it, the pain starts to dissipate and your chest falls dramatically letting out a breath you hadn’t even recognized you were holding onto. Your body relaxes fully and lets Neteyam in. His hips rock into you a little faster testing the waters and more moans fall from your lips. “’Teyam…” Neteyam feels just about ready to snap hearing how his name drips from your tongue in ecstasy.

He thrusts into you with more force and the sounds it pulls out of you triggers a carnal desire in his brain that his eyes are desperate to see as they roll back listening to you. Nevertheless, he pulls them back into place to find your half-lidded gaze on his face and parted lips calling his name. He’s positive he’s never found you more beautiful than this moment right now. But he craves to see your beautiful expression twist into something sinful. He can’t stop himself anymore from starting to pound into you.

“Ah..A-ah! Ah, Neteyam!” your hands feel around and search the ground around you for something to hold on to as you feel the pressure building in your stomach. Neteyam’s hands find yours and he threads his fingers between yours while he pours all his feelings for you into his thrusts. Both of your eyes look down between you to see the small bump in your stomach disappear with every retreat of his hips and re-emerge with every push forward. The sight is enough to drive you both to your release.

“’T-teyam! Gonna…g-gonna..” you can’t even grasp the words as your orgasm comes to the forefront of your mind.

“Do it. Cum with me.” He’s mere seconds from painting your walls completely white.

Your orgasm hits you like a truck and it’s prolonged by Neteyam continuing to fuck you through his own release deep inside you. His thrusts grow slower and gentler as you both come down from your highs. Your vision starts to refocus and your body goes limp. Neteyam slides out of you and your body tries to remember its original shape before he had made space for himself.

“Are you alright, tíyawn?” the lustful haze of Neteyam’s mind is clearing and his expression is slightly concerned while he checks on you. But your sleepy smile reassures him and you nod your head. “I’m more than okay.” Your hands wrap around his neck and pull him down to kiss you again.

He rolls you both onto your sides and you break the kiss to rest your head against his chest. “Can we do that every day?” a small chuckle rumbles in his chest as he kisses the top of your head.

“We can do it as much as you want, yawne.”