#and everything is just getting more and more expensive

[admiringlove]

a tempest gilded in ruin - part two.

pairing: gojo satoru x fem!reader

↬ summary: gojo satoru was a storm—reckless, untouchable, and wholly unwilling to be bound by duty. you, the viscount’s daughter, were everything he was not—poised, dutiful, the perfect noble. an arranged marriage should have been nothing more than a cold alliance, but nothing with gojo was ever simple. by day, you wage a quiet war of sharp words and tense silences. by night, you are drawn into a far more dangerous game. one of courtly intrigue, betrayal, and a conspiracy that could shatter all you know. for a while, you both pretend it’s only politics, only necessity. but gojo has never been one for rules, and when the line between duty and desire blurs, you’ll find that some battles aren’t meant to be won. they’re meant to be surrendered to.

↬ genre: jjk x regency era au; bridgerton au; arranged marriage au; drama; romance; angst and then fluff; slowburn basically; happy ending i promise but it takes angst to get there.

↬ warnings: nsfw; alcohol; mentions of pregnancy; mentions of fencing; corruption kink lowkey; mirror sex; carriage sex; p in v; oral (fem receiving); fingering; angsty !!!! etc

↬ word count: 25.5k.

↬ note: part two to my brain child. @gojover ily forever and always :3

↬ navigation: part one, jjk masterlist.

Present, Highgrove House.

It has been three days.

Three long, cloistered days since the masquerade at the Marquess Ieiri’s estate—the night when the chandeliers glimmered like stars and the music was so lovely it almost made you forget the weight of your own name. Since the ball ended in silence, in whispers, in scandal. Since the paper came.

You sit at your writing desk, spine straight, hands still, the air around you thick with the scent of lavender oil your mother insisted be applied to calm your nerves. As if perfume could unwrite disgrace. The window is open, but the curtains are drawn, and a breeze stirs the edges of the paper resting in front of you like a ghost just beginning to wake.

You haven’t touched it since that morning. Haven’t dared to. You’ve just been staring. Staring at the crisp, expensive print of the Quill, like it's something foreign, alien, capable of betraying you simply by existing. You remember how it was delivered. Silver tray, linen gloves, a footman with eyes politely turned down, even though you knew he'd already read it. Everyone had.

Your mother hasn’t spoken to you in full sentences since. Her disapproval is quiet now, but no less punishing. It lives in her eyes. It lives in the hallway, because you are not to go out of your room. It lives in the drawing room, where she receives no guests. Where she smiles thinly through closed windows when carriages pass by.

Shoko and Utahime came yesterday. Loyal, warm, loud-mouthed girls who still believed this could be mended. They brought flowers and lemon cake, but your mother turned them away after tea, with all the calm and cruelty of a hostess shooing away the stench of something rotten. “She is resting,” she said. “She’s not to be disturbed.”

But you were listening from the stairs. You wanted to be disturbed.

You are a pariah now. A woman no longer whispered about in curiosity, but in caution. The type of girl mothers point out at parties so their daughters know what not to do. And it’s not even because of what you did—it’s because of how it looked. Because you left the ballroom. Because he followed. Because no one else was there to confirm anything, and so everyone assumes everything.

The Duke of Six Eyes. And you. On a balcony. Alone.

You lower your gaze to the article again. It lies open on your desk like a patient on the operating table. You know every sentence. Every phrase. You know the rhythm and the scorn, the barely-concealed venom beneath the lace of polite language. The words had come easily. Too easily.

Let us hope wedding bells come before the ruin does.

That line alone had traveled faster than any carriage. Mothers had gasped. Fathers had frowned. Daughters had clutched their fans, eyes alight with hungry joy. Because it wasn’t about you, not really. Not to them. It was about what you represented: the unraveling of someone prettier, smarter, better. You, the girl who had once worn the season like a crown. And now here you were, being eaten alive by your own myth.

You press your palms to your thighs. Try to breathe. Try to pretend you hadn’t written it. That someone else had.

But that’s the cruelest part, isn’t it? Because you did. And no one knows.

You try to console yourself with the notion that, perhaps, this is the better outcome. That in the grand scheme of things—reputation tarnished, invitations rescinded, your mother pacing the drawing room like a woman betrayed by fate—at least no one suspects you’re the Phantom. No one could imagine that the girl locked inside her home, disgraced and discarded, had ever penned those biting words, that she had whispered scandal into the ears of the ton with the sharpness of a dagger dressed in velvet.

This is the lesser evil, you tell yourself. Over and over.

And yet, it still pricks. The silence. Gojo’s silence. His absence. Three days have passed, and not a single letter. Not a flower, not a raven, not a knock on the door. You don’t even know what you would say if he did come. Whether you’d scream at him or fall to pieces in his arms. Whether you’d admit that you kissed him and then wrote about it in the third person, hoping to save yourself by damning the memory.

Your mother watches you like she’s watching the slow ruin of a once-favored gown, threads pulled loose by foolish fingers. She doesn't shout. She doesn't need to. Her silence is a punishment sharper than words.

And the only one who tries—truly tries—is Yuji. He comes in with arms full of pastries from the corner bakery and jokes that don’t land, and makes exaggerated attempts to dance with the footman until you almost laugh. Almost. But even he doesn't know what to do with your grief. You see it in his eyes. In the way he holds your hand a second longer than needed, as if to say he wished he knew how to fix this.

But he doesn’t. No one does. Because they don’t know what you've done. They don’t know who you really are.

That evening, the silver glints dull beneath the candlelight as you reach for your water glass. But the dining room is oppressively quiet. It has been like this for the past few days—each meal a silent, calculated exercise in civility. The clink of forks against porcelain. The hesitant lifting of soup spoons. The sharp, faint scratch of your father’s knife slicing through roast.

And then your mother clears her throat.

It is not a gentle clearing, not a casual sound to free her voice—it is sharp, intentional, a prompt. A summoning. She looks at your father, a subtle incline of her head, a tightness in her jaw. He sets his cutlery down with just a little too much force, and clears his own throat in response. Yuji pauses with his bread halfway to his mouth. You look between them, your stomach a knot. You know something is coming.

“We are hosting a fête at Hyde Park,” your father says finally. His voice is careful, practiced. “This coming weekend.”

You blink, looking at him. He does not meet your eyes—his gaze already returned to his plate, as though what he has said is trivial, administrative.

You glance at your mother. “What about the Duke?” you ask slowly, your voice barely above a whisper.

“The Duke and your father had a verbal agreement,” she replies with clipped precision, each word knotted with cold disdain. “After this ridiculous scandal, we must salvage what we can.”

Your mouth parts, your brows knit. “That’s not fair,” you say, voice shaking slightly now. “You and I both know it. The ton won’t believe anything unless we make it feel true. There must be appearances, affection, connection. Not just obligations. If we make it look romantic—”

Your mother slams her glass onto the table. Not hard enough to break, but hard enough to make you jump.

“But it isn’t romantic, is it?” she spits. “It isn’t real. I raised you better than this. Better than to slip away with a man in the dark, to a balcony, with no chaperone. God knows what the two of you did there.”

“We spoke,” you hiss. “That’s all. He... he listened to me. Which is more than I can say for either of you.”

The silence after is electric. Yuji shifts slightly in his seat, uncomfortable. Your father says nothing. Your mother stares at you like she doesn’t recognize you. Her voice, when she speaks again, is laced with something curdled and sharp.

“How dare you speak to your mother like that?” she says, rising to her feet. Her hands are trembling against the tablecloth. “You go to your chambers this instant.”

You stand, slowly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. You place your fork and knife down on the plate, too carefully, almost shaking. The china shudders beneath the weight. You turn, leaving the room without another word, your heart pounding in your throat.

You take the stairs two at a time, not because you're in a hurry, but because you can’t trust yourself to walk with dignity. Your fists clench at your sides. Your eyes blur. You refuse to let the tears fall here—not where they can see. The door slams behind you harder than intended, echoing like a slap across a cheek. You glance back just once—Yuji’s eyes meet yours from down the hallway. Not your parents’.

Never your parents’.

And then the room is quiet. Too quiet. The only sound is your breath, shallow and uneven, and the faint echo of your shame.

You’ve been lying still for hours now. The curtains are half drawn, and the sky beyond your chamber window is starless—an inky, unbroken dark. You don’t cry. Not yet. Instead, you keep your gaze fixed on the linden tree outside, where the swing sways gently in the night wind. You think of everything and nothing. You think of the column you finished earlier: a benign, delicately worded piece about the upcoming fête, a light-hearted nod to a young gentleman’s garden proposal. You wrote it slowly, methodically, because it was easier to write about someone else’s happiness than to wonder why your own had been so quiet these past days.

Because he hadn’t written. He hadn’t come. Gojo Satoru, who made entire rooms feel too bright with his presence, had gone completely silent.

You try not to dwell on it. Because if you do, you will spiral. You will remember the way his breath caught when he said your name. The way his hands trembled just slightly when they touched your waist. The way he said goodbye without saying goodbye at all.

So you don’t think. You simply lie there.

Until the sound comes.

A sharp, sudden thunk against the glass. Not loud, but just wrong enough to set your whole body on edge. You sit up too quickly, a jolt of alarm running down your spine. And then it comes again, more urgent this time. You push the blankets aside and cross the room barefoot, your dressing gown whispering across the floor behind you.

You ease the window open, the old hinges creaking like something wounded. And there, in the yard, under the silhouette of the linden tree, you see him.

Satoru. The Duke. His white hair glints faintly in the moonlight, and he is standing just where the tree splits, beside the swing your father had once ordered strung up when you were six. You remember tugging at his sleeve and saying you wanted to fly. Now, all you feel is the dizzying weight of having fallen.

He looks up, and when he lifts his hand, something in your chest unknots.

You lean out, voice hoarse from disuse. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you not get my letters?” he calls, brows drawn together, voice tight with something frantic and raw. You freeze. “What letters?”

His jaw clenches, and then he exhales a breath of near disbelief. “Dear God, how cruel is the Viscountess?”

A pause. A beat. And then, "Can you come down?"

You don’t answer. You nod, once, and pull the window closed.

You move on instinct, quietly opening your chamber door and making your way down the corridor. The house is still. The air is heavy. You step softly, your bare feet silent on the stairs, your heart anything but. You don't bother with shoes. You don't bother with a shawl. The only thing that matters is getting outside. Getting to him.

When you emerge from the side door into the courtyard, the world feels unnaturally quiet. You pass the swing, still moving slightly, as though it had been disturbed only moments ago. He turns the second he sees you, and his entire posture softens. The tension in his shoulders vanishes. He looks like he’s been holding his breath since the night of the masquerade.

And then, his voice. Gentle, almost boyish in its tenderness. “Are you alright?”

You stop a foot away from him. His eyes flicker over your face, searching for something. An answer, a wound, a sign. But the wound is deeper than that. So is the answer.

“Do you want me to lie or tell you the truth?” you ask quietly, the words barely breaking the hush of night. You don’t wait for an answer as you walk toward the swing. It creaks faintly as you settle onto it, the ropes groaning against the branch overhead. You don’t look back to see if he follows. You assume he won’t. You expect him to stay standing, half in moonlight, half in shadow, because that’s where he belongs—half-truths, half-promises, always somewhere in between.

But then you feel the shift. A weight beside you. The warmth of him, close but not quite touching.

“I’d never want you to lie to me, darling,” he says softly. That word again. Darling. As though nothing between you has unraveled. As though you are still exactly what you were before the Phantom—you—wrote that damned line. Before the ton decided you were a ruined woman.

You keep your gaze fixed ahead. Past the swing. Past the tree. Past the soft swell of earth where the grass folds in on itself. You do not trust yourself to meet his eyes. You do not trust yourself to remember how to breathe if you do. But you glance anyway.

He’s already looking at you, as if he never stopped. His eyes are patient. Not pleading. Not angry. Just quietly, achingly, there. You exhale, unsteady. “I was terrified,” you whisper. The admission is small, but it tastes enormous.

He doesn’t flinch. “Understandably so,” he says, voice gentle, like something carried in cupped hands. “I sent you four letters the first day.” A pause. “When you didn’t reply, I sent five more the next. And three after that. I thought... perhaps your mother confiscated them in case the Phantom could find out.”

“Twelve letters?” you ask, your voice catching on a smile that wants to live but can’t quite find room in your chest. “In three days?”

He shrugs, the motion elegant and deliberately careless. “Call me smitten.”

“Are you?”

That stops him. Or maybe it unmoors him. You’re not sure which. He turns his body slightly toward you, not all the way, but enough that the side of his leg brushes yours, barely, like an afterthought. His lashes dip with the breeze, and for a moment, it’s just breath between you. Breath and silence and everything you haven’t said.

“Aren’t I?” he says finally, low, certain.

You swallow. The words hang in the air like condensation, like something half-solid. You look away again, the weight of it too much. “How did you get into the courtyard?” you ask, if only to say something.

He hums, brushing his shoulder against yours, an answer without force. “It’s not hard to bribe a footman,” he says, almost smiling. “Especially when you’re a Duke.”

There’s a beat. Then you speak again, without looking at him. “You didn’t have to come.”

“I did,” he says. “Because if you asked me again—‘Are you?’—I would still say it. Again and again. Aren’t I?”

And this time, when you meet his eyes, you don’t look away.

You purse your lips, fingers knotting loosely in the folds of your dressing gown. The words leave your mouth more bitter than you mean them to. “My parents are throwing a fête at Hyde Park this weekend. We have five more days of suffering until the ton shifts its feeble attention from my ruined reputation to my mother’s tireless heroism. Apparently, she's saving me from becoming a harlot.”

The air stills between you. The kind of silence that thickens before it breaks.

Satoru smiles faintly, more rue than warmth, and then exhales, slow and shallow. “And what am I to do at this fête to make them believe I’m hopelessly taken with you?” His voice is gentle, but there's a tension running under it. The kind that suggests he’s speaking past the question, asking something much deeper.

You glance at him, arching an eyebrow. “You're hopelessly taken with me?”

He flinches, barely, as if it wounds him. Feigns indignation a second later. “Darling,” he says, softly and steadily now, “a man wouldn’t write you twelve letters in three days, send flowers chosen for meanings he researched himself, or sneak into your courtyard under a watchful moon—during a scandal, no less—if he didn’t…”

He falters. Just long enough for the truth to slip past his guard. His voice softens again. “If he didn’t love you.”

You go still. The words hang there. Fragile and too large for the space they occupy. You blink once, slowly, trying to breathe through the tightness blooming in your chest. He doesn’t look away. His gaze holds steady, clear and unyielding.

“You...” You breathe, not quite able to finish the sentence. “You love me.”

There’s a half-second where something flickers in him, as if he hadn’t realized he’d said it aloud. He blinks, his lashes wet from the wind. And then he laughs. A dry, breathless thing. “I didn’t intend to say it like that. Quite anticlimactic, isn’t it?” His lips twitch into something resembling a smile, but it’s laced with nerves. “I imagine this is not what you pictured when you asked me for a proper courtship.”

You don’t speak. Not at first. You sit there, staring at him—at this man who is all contradictions, who carries titles and expectations and yet stumbles through love like a boy. And something inside you shifts, just slightly, just enough.

You reach out. Not with words, but with your hand, gentle against his sleeve. His eyes meet yours again, and this time, they’re wide with something vulnerable, something almost childlike.

“I didn’t want perfect,” you whisper. “Just honest.”

He watches you for a long moment before he speaks, his voice hushed with something brittle, like he’s afraid it will shatter the stillness between you. “I’m sorry,” he says, “for following you into the balcony that night.”

It’s said gently, but there’s an edge to it. Guilt tangled with longing, remorse tinged with hope. You turn to look at him, fully now, and for a beat, you don’t respond. You’re watching his profile, the subtle rise and fall of his chest, the way his fingers twitch as though unsure of what to do with themselves. As though he wants to reach for you, but won’t unless you allow it.

And then, finally, you smile. It blooms slowly. Tentative at first, then warm, then utterly full. “It’s no matter,” you whisper, your voice thick in your throat. “I wouldn’t have known what it felt like… to kiss the man I love if you hadn’t followed me onto that balcony.”

There’s a silence so sharp it almost hurts. It draws itself tight between you. His head turns, slowly. His eyes widen. Not dramatically, but just enough for you to see the shift. The full weight of your words lands on him like a sudden gust of wind, catching him off balance. And you see it clearly: the disbelief, the hope, the fear that he has misheard. That he’s allowed himself to believe too much.

He stares at you, his breath visibly trembling as it escapes him. “I hope you know,” he says finally, voice hoarse, like it’s caught in his throat, “I stopped breathing for a moment when you said that.”

You laugh, softly, but it’s not mocking. It’s trembling at the edges. “I hope you know,” you say, drawing your knees up to your chest, hands curled at your ankles, “I couldn’t breathe either. Not when you said it first.”

And then, the tension dissolves. Not all at once. Not like a string snapping, but slowly, like a pressure valve being loosened. Like the breath you’ve both been holding for far too long is finally allowed to exhale.

He leans forward, just enough to touch his forehead to yours, the tips of his fingers brushing against your knee. There’s no rush to kiss, no sudden swell of music. Just the knowledge that something sacred has passed between you. It's irrevocable. It's something neither of you dares name again too quickly, as if saying it once was enough, and more than enough.

The next afternoon, Gunter's Tea Shop in Berkeley Square, London.

“The Phantom released the article about the Viscount's fête this morning,” Utahime says, her voice low and tightly clipped. “At least that wretched wench didn’t say anything outrageous about you this time.”

You press your lips together and dip your spoon delicately into the small glass dish of rose ice cream, letting the cool pink mound dissolve slowly against your tongue. You nod, pretending to mull over her words when in truth, you are thinking only of the ink that stained your fingers when you wrote those vile words about yourself—how it refused to come off in the morning, how your name looked so sharp and elegant in print.

Two tables away, your mother laughs too brightly with Shoko’s and Utahime’s mothers, a hand fluttering to her chest like a pale moth. They sit beneath the sage green awning, teacups in hand, surrounded by other women in shades of cream and lemon, and the occasional gentleman in fitted coats who glances over with a kind of casual, habitual curiosity. You are used to it—the way they look at you. Not with desire, not anymore, but with expectation. As if waiting for a performance to begin again.

“I still can’t believe she praised you so thoroughly at the start of the season and then... that. Out of nowhere,” Shoko says, swirling her tea idly as she watches you with eyes that miss nothing. “At this point, I almost want to know who she is. Just so I can send her horse dung. Or spill milk through her letterbox.”

You nearly choke on the ice cream. The spoon clangs gently against the glass, and both girls look up, though neither seems overly concerned. You recover fast enough to avoid suspicion. The laugh you offer is thin. “I don’t think I’d want to know anything about her. The less I know, the better.”

“How utterly boring,” Utahime murmurs, plucking a raspberry from her plate and inspecting it before placing it in her mouth. “I’d send her a dozen letters lined with the purest vitriol. Maybe lace them with perfume and powdered rage. She also mentioned that bit about me slipping in the ballroom and Nanami catching me.” Her gaze flicks to you, narrowed. “That was hardly newsworthy.”

Shoko sets down her teacup with a small, decisive clink. “Any word from the Duke?”

You straighten slightly. “Yes,” you say, voice light but careful. “He appeared in the courtyard last night. Bribed the footman. He’s sent twelve letters in the last three days.”

“Twelve?” Utahime repeats, eyebrows raised.

You nod once, ice cream melting untouched now. “My mother apparently intercepted them.”

Shoko’s smile is slight but sharp. “Your mother is slowly becoming just as cruel as the Phantom.”

You swallow hard, as if you do not understand what she does not mean. The dark little crease folded into her words like a pressed flower between pages. But you do understand. And worse: it makes sense. In that terrifying, private way that truths only you know often do.

You lean forward, elbows lightly touching the edge of the linen-covered table. Your voice drops into something more fragile, more deliberate, and both girls respond the way they always do—Shoko arching a brow with amusement barely disguised as detachment, Utahime still too earnest to pretend she isn’t hanging on your every breath.

“There is… one more thing.”

Their shoulders tilt inward. You close your eyes, just for a moment. It is not for dramatic effect—it is, rather, the only way you can steel yourself. Your breath catches in your throat like a ribbon being drawn tight.

“He said he loves me.”

The words are small, almost shy. But they land like an aria. Utahime gasps. Not shrill, not childish—but loud enough that three heads turn in unison. Your mother, resplendent in lavender silk, squints suspiciously in your direction. Shoko’s mother says something behind a teacup, and your mother forces a laugh. But the tightening at the corners of her mouth betrays her.

You shoot Utahime a withering look. Shoko, without glancing away from you, reaches beneath the table and delivers a sharp, practiced pinch.

Utahime’s mouth snaps shut. You exhale, a whisper escaping with the next revelation. “I said it back.”

For a moment, they both stare at you. Neither scoffing, neither doubting. Just quiet, giddy awe. As if they know the gravity of such a thing. As if they understand how rare it is to say it and mean it, to hear it and believe it.

Shoko leans back, amused. “You’ve grown into such a bold woman,” she says, mock-reverent, and lifts her teacup in a tiny, invisible toast. “'Hime, if you so much as squeak again, I will kick you hard enough to knock your stocking garters out of place.”

“I’m trying,” Utahime mutters through clenched teeth, reaching for her cake with something close to desperation. She stabs her fork into the raspberry cream and takes a resolute bite.

You laugh then—quiet, contained—but it feels real.

After half an hour, your mother begins her retreat, masked in the practiced grace of social obligation. She is making excuses artfully, to remove you from the crowd, from the warmth of laughter and companionship, from the subtle but undeniable attention you’ve begun to draw again. She murmurs something about needing to visit Hatchard’s—to collect your father’s volumes on parliamentary history, and, pointedly, to procure something poetic for you, as if that might remind you to behave like a girl worth writing sonnets about.

You smile at Shoko and Utahime. Not joyfully, not even convincingly, but enough to satisfy the performance of it, then bow your head politely to their mothers, whose eyes, you feel, have never quite left your figure.

Then you are in the carriage, and your mother’s voice, once syrupy and social, sharpens like a knife. “What were you doing in there?” she hisses, the words so bitter they practically blister. “Laughing? Gossiping? While I’m out here sewing together the scraps of your reputation?”

“We just talked,” you murmur, gaze fixed on the passing blur of shops and parasols outside. The glass is warm where the sun catches it. You imagine being anywhere but here. Your mother sighs, long and theatrical. And begins a tirade you’ve heard so many times the syllables barely register. Something about your fall from grace. Something about dignity and self-control. Something about how you were once the season’s prized possession, and now you are something dulled, tarnished, unworthy of the settings once offered to you.

But you are not listening. You are thinking of last night. Of the Duke. Of the wild, impossible thing he said with his hands still trembling and his breath uneven—I love you. And worse: how you said it back.

At Hatchard’s, she strides ahead, elegant and exacting, giving orders at the counter about your father’s precious editions. “Wait here,” she commands, not glancing back. You nod dutifully, already drifting away.

The shop is dimly lit toward the back, dust moats caught in the slant of early afternoon light. You move without thinking, fingers trailing across the worn spines—books of sermons, scandal, feminism, philosophy.

And then, a glint of silver. A figure that is lean, familiar, almost out of place among the cracked leather bindings. You freeze. And in that suspended breath between recognition and response, the quiet, heavy weight of anticipation settles into your bones.

“I had a footman stationed at the ice cream parlour while passing it en route to the palace this morning,” he says absently, eyes trailing the gilded spine of a Byron edition. “Saw you and the Viscountess by the window. Thought it wise to orchestrate a timely appearance. For her benefit, of course.”

You stifle a laugh, glance to your left and right to ensure no familiar eyes linger, and step closer. The air between you tightens—not scandalous, not improper, but something soft and secretive all the same. Your shoulders brush as the two of you face the towering mahogany shelves like confidants in quiet rebellion.

“One might say you’re an impertinent fellow of ill repute,” you murmur, turning your attention toward the philosophy section. Your fingers find a new bound Mary Wollstonecraft book—A Vindication of the Rights of Woman—and you lift it with care, your gaze lowered to its burgundy cover.

Behind you, he chuckles. “You’re alright?” he asks, voice gentler now. You nod, but it’s a brittle thing. “If you consider bearing witness to my mother’s theatrical lament on my fall from grace, how I was once a diamond of the season, and now I’m Icarus mid-plummet, then yes. Perfectly alright.”

“She’s rather fond of dramatics, isn’t she?” he says, turning to look at you fully now. His eyes flit to the book in your hands. “I never took you for a radical.”

“Everyone should be a radical, Your Grace,” you reply quietly, lifting your chin. “And if reading this makes me one, then I’m already behind on my studies.”

He smiles at that, something glinting in his expression. Half pride, half awe. “I see now why your mother despises when you act of your own volition.”

“And yet,” you say softly, “I’m still standing.”

A beat. And then: “I have a copy of all her writings. Wollstonecraft’s. If you’d like, I can send them over. Via footman, of course.”

You blink, startled by the offer. By how casually he makes it, as though sharing sacred texts were a simple thing. Your heart hitches. “You do?”

He nods, as if it costs him nothing to hand you entire revolutions.

And just when you are about to say yes, just when the softest edges of something warm begin to settle in your chest, you hear her voice.

“Your Grace.”

You turn, too fast. Eyes wide. Breath caught. Your mother appears from between the shelves like smoke rising from scorched silk—elegant, composed, but furious in the way only a woman with power over your life can be. Her eyes cut to Gojo with a diplomat’s charm, all surface and calculation. But when they land on you, the temperature drops. It is the kind of stare that sears beneath the skin.

“Viscountess.” Gojo inclines his head with just the right measure of politeness and ease. “I was merely informing your daughter that I’d be sending along a few books she seemed fond of. We appear to share taste in authors.”

You swallow hard. Too hard. The muscles in your throat tighten against the tension stretching in your chest. You feel yourself retreating inward while their voices float past you, muffled, distorted. Something about politics. Something about propriety. The sound of your own heartbeat begins to blur their words. You are still trying to breathe when Gojo’s shoulder brushes yours so gently it might have been imagined.

“I had something to ask of you, my lady,” he says then, and though he looks at you for a breath of a second, it is your mother he addresses. His voice is calm, almost careless. He is playing a long game, you realise.

“Yes, anything,” your mother replies, sweet as overripe fruit, while her fingers curl tighter around the parasol in her hand, as if she might strike you with it if no one were watching. Her smile holds.

Satoru’s gaze drifts back to her with diplomatic patience. “I wondered if we might take supper at my estate before the fête. I’ve been hoping to speak with the Viscount—your husband—but my schedule at the palace has kept me from paying a proper visit.”

There’s a pause. A tiny, ruptured silence in which you realise just how much this means. How calculated the ask is. How public, how binding.

Your mother blinks. Visibly thrown. She gathers herself in the space of two breaths. “I would need to ask, Your Grace. The fête requires all our attention at present.”

“Of course,” Gojo replies smoothly, tucking a hand into his coat pocket. “But do consider it. It would mean a great deal.”

You see the moment her mind shifts. When she begins to weigh the proposal for its implications, its potential, its danger. And then: “Very well. I shall speak to my husband.”

“Splendid,” he says, and offers that smile. That smile—the one that turns the tide of every ballroom he enters and has the heart of every woman in the ton.

Your mother turns to you then. Something clipped and polite leaves her mouth. Something about how it is late, how you must go. She takes your arm with the practiced grip of control masked as care. You nod, too stunned to protest, feet following without meaning to.

And just as the threshold nears, just as the scent of old paper and pipe tobacco begins to give way to carriage smoke and rain-slick cobblestone, you look back.

Satoru is still there, framed in the hush of mahogany shelves. He lifts the Wollstonecraft from your hands like a keepsake, not a book. Then, with maddening calm, he winks. And you leave, as your heart pounds like thunder beneath silk.

THE VEILED QUILL Volume II, Issue XII Walks and Whispers Between Pages

My dearest gentle readers,

Though the Season presses forward with its usual rhythm of dances, dinners, and decorum, this particular week has proved most diverting. And not for reasons your chaperones would approve.

Let us begin with a scene that could have been lifted from a sentimental novel: on Monday afternoon, none other than Mr. Nanami Kento—staid, solemn, and as serious as any eligible bachelor can be—was observed calling on Miss Iori Utahime at her family residence. Yes, calling. One might argue it was a simple gesture of civility, but we are not in the habit of reporting mere civility, are we? Are we to expect a courtship announcement soon? Or is this simply a case of a baron’s daughter charming a man of fewer words?

And on Tuesday, if you were fortunate enough to stroll through Hyde Park before the hour grew too warm, you might have spotted Mr. Geto Suguru—that ever-pensive gentleman with the air of a tortured poet—walking beside Lady Ieiri Shoko, daughter of the Marquess. The two were seen in hushed conversation, walking chaperoned by the lake. While neither party is a stranger to intellectual pursuits (and, one imagines, complex inner lives), this particular pairing has not gone unnoticed. Are we witnessing the quiet beginning of a romance?

But nothing—not even the potential entanglements of society’s sharpest minds—has caused quite so much ink to flow as the return of the Viscount’s daughter.

Yes, dear readers. She has reappeared.

After days spent in discreet withdrawal following that unspeakable scandal, the former darling of the ton was seen in the public eye once more, making her entrance not in ballrooms or drawing rooms, but at Gunter’s Tea Shop—a choice cunningly poetic. Seated beside the aforementioned Miss Utahime and Miss Shoko, the trio appeared shockingly at ease, laughing over rose-flavored confections and whispering secrets so thrilling that even this Phantom burns to know them. (What did they say between bites of raspberry cake? Were those secrets sweet, or devastatingly bitter?)

And yet, dear reader, this is not where the tale ends.

No sooner had the daughter of the Viscount re-emerged than she was whisked away by her mother—who, in a fit of theatrical duty, dragged her to Hatchard’s in Piccadilly under the guise of purchasing political readings for her husband and poetry for her daughter. But what poetry, I ask, could possibly compare to what transpired there?

For as fate would have it, His Grace, the Duke of Six Eyes, was already present there. Sources say his carriage arrived no sooner than fifteen minutes before the Viscountess took her daughter there.

That’s right. The Duke—elusive, dazzling, dangerous—was seen among the shelves just before the Viscountess arrived with her wayward charge. The two—our scandal-touched lady and His Grace—were together once again. And when she emerged? The very same lady who once held all of society's hearts in the palm of her glove? Dazed. Distant. As if touched by lightning or haunted by something only she, and perhaps the Duke, could name.

What occurred in those hushed book-lined corridors? What was said? What was felt? Did the Duke offer her consolation? Or temptation? Whatever the answer, one thing is certain: the Season just became far more interesting.

With ink-stained fingers and a heart attuned to secrets, Phantom.

You wear a cloak that night—midnight blue, hood drawn, hem grazing the stone like a hush. In your gloved hands rests the latest issue of The Veiled Quill, its contents still warm from ink. You'd just written it. The house is silent. Ladies of the ton are meant to be dreaming by now, tucked beneath canopies of silk and embroidered virtue. But you are wide awake, each step down the stairs as soundless as sin.

The courtyard is damp with moonlight. You move quickly, past the clipped boxwoods and sleeping roses, to the waiting carriage hidden behind the garden wall. No lanterns. No insignia. Just an old, nondescript cab driven by a footman who knows not to ask questions. You pay him enough for it, anyway.

London slips by in a blur of cobblestone and gaslight. Southwark lies across the Thames—far enough from Mayfair, far enough from the Crown's watchful eye. Far enough from genteel society that no one would even think that this is where your secrets lie. Its streets stink of sweat, smoke, and secrets. This is where your printing press lives. Nestled between a tavern and a forge, behind a crooked sign that never bears your name.

You hand over the last issue, neatly folded. The printer, a wiry man who smells of tobacco, presses a pouch of your earnings into your palm without a word. He knows better. You count the coins by feel, because ever since the scandal, your earnings had almost quadrupled.

By the time you return, dawn is still a rumor. You step out two streets down from your house, pulling your cloak tighter. Your hair is unpinned. Your cheeks bare. In your plain cotton dress, you look nothing like the daughter of a Viscount. And that is the point.

Men pass you in the misty dark—some weaving home from gaming halls, others from beds not theirs. They do not see you. Not really. At best, you are a maid. At worst, a curiosity. But never a danger. Never the storm behind the scandal sheets.

There is a narrow cobblestone street you turn onto, slick with the memory of rain and lined with oil-lanterns that flicker like half-breathed secrets. The hem of your cloak catches against your ankle as you walk, quickly, quietly, alone in the way only women can be when they are trying not to be noticed. You barely register the figure behind you until you feel the tap against your shoulder.

You flinch. And then you freeze. Because it is him. Lord Nigel Berbrooke. His eyes are glassy, his breath thick with drink. “Thought it was you,” he slurs, teeth yellowed under the dim gaslight.

You feel your spine go taut. Nigel Berbrooke is a man of deeply unpleasant reputation. Older than most eligible bachelors, and yet more infantile in his sense of entitlement. You remember the way he cornered women into dancing at Utahime’s ball, how he refused to take no for an answer. How he had asked you more than once that night. You had declined each time. You hadn't spoken of it. Not to your mother. Not to Utahime. You had wanted to preserve the memory of your first dance with Satoru, not tarnish it with Berbrooke's presence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, m’lord,” you say, quick to adjust your voice into something meek. Small. Working-class. Your gaze darts, calculating. Escape routes, light, witnesses. The street is quiet. A carriage rattles past on the far side.

Berbrooke steps closer. You step back.

But his hand is fast. He grabs your arm—tight, unrelenting—and your body goes still. “The daughter of the Viscount,” he sneers, too loudly. “Out for a moonlit stroll, is it? Gone to meet your Duke?”

Your stomach lurches. You tug at your arm, but he doesn’t let go. He reeks of brandy and sweat, and something older, something rotted. Panic scratches its way up your throat. His grip tightens, and he begins to speak again. Vulgar things about balconies and what might have transpired there. Your vision blurs. Your breathing shortens.

You don’t think. You simply react. Your knee finds the soft of his stomach and drives upward. He wheezes, collapses forward with a grunt. You stumble back, barely registering the sharp stop of a carriage just ahead.

Two figures leap down. Moving fast. Familiar.

Satoru reaches you first. His hands are cupping your face before you realize it’s him. His touch is careful but firm, thumbs warm against your cheekbones. “I knew it was you,” he breathes, eyes wide with something that looks frighteningly close to fear. “What in God’s name are you doing out so late at night?”

You blink, still breathless, the panic clawing at your lungs as you try to make up a lie. “I went out for a walk,” you say, voice tight, fragile. “It felt... it felt suffocating at home.”

“You know better than to leave your courtyard,” he says, his voice softer now, but still edged with tension. “You could’ve sat on the swing. Cleared your head that way.”

Suguru steps past you, his eyes hardening as they fall on Berbrooke’s groaning form. “Are you hurt?” he asks, gentle.

You shake your head. “He just... grabbed me. Said things about me and—”

You look to Satoru. His jaw clenches. Suguru doesn’t ask for more.

“What were the two of you doing out?” you ask, trying to collect yourself, to change the subject.

“Club,” Satoru replies, almost too quickly. He glances at Suguru. “I’ll walk her home. Suguru, deal with this poor excuse of a man, will you? Wait for me in the carriage. I won't take long.”

Suguru nods, and gives you a look—one part reassurance, one part apology—as he moves to drag the lord out of sight.

Satoru slips his arm around yours, his pace slow, deliberate, every movement saturated with concern. “I keep finding new things about you,” he murmurs.

You glance at him. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not at all.” A smile flickers across his lips, crooked and soft. “I’m even more smitten.”

“You are,” you say, voice quieter now, the fear beginning to settle into a tremble. “Such a tease.”

“A tease you said you love, nonetheless,” he replies. Then, more seriously: “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Just shaken,” you murmur. “I thought the cotton dress would be enough. I thought he wouldn’t recognize me.”

Gojo’s eyes trail down the length of your cloak. “It’s the silk,” he says gently. “No maid would wear a silk cloak, my dear. Though you do play the part well. No one would have noticed, except Nigel Berbrooke. He's a lecherous man.”

You exhale. “Oh.”

His grip tightens on your arm. Warm, anchoring. You're nearing the back gate of your home. The iron is cool beneath your gloved fingertips as the courtyard stretches before you, bathed in the faint light of a gas lamp swaying gently in the night wind. You pause, cloak curling around your ankles, the weight of the evening pressing into your bones.

"I suppose this is it," you murmur, voice feathering out into the quiet.

Satoru stops beside you, hands in his coat pockets, shoulders drawn with restraint. You want to say something. Ask him what happened in Hatchard’s earlier. You want to bury your face in his chest and confess how your hands still tremble. But instead, you wait. Hoping. Maybe he’ll say something first. Maybe he'll linger.

“I don’t want to leave you like this,” he says, and there’s something raw in the way his voice cuts through the hush.

“Like what?” you ask, blinking up at him.

His jaw clenches slightly. “Hurt.”

You force a smile, small and crooked. “I’ll be alright. I just... I can’t believe I hit him.”

At that, he laughs. A startled, quiet laugh that still feels like it shakes the stars loose overhead. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to muffle the sound, but his shoulders still tremble with it. You can’t help it—you laugh too, albeit breathlessly.

And then, silence. But not the cold kind. The kind that stretches softly between two people who’ve begun to understand each other. Satoru looks at you, eyes gentled. “You’re much, much more than just the Viscount’s daughter,” he says. “I hope you know that.”

You can’t speak. Not immediately. The words settle in your chest like warmth from a hearth after a long frost. So instead, you step forward. One breath, then another. And then your arms are around him—soft cotton sleeves brushing velvet lapels—your head pressed to his chest, where his heart is beating far too fast for someone so composed.

“Thank you,” you whisper.

He holds you close. “Whatever for?”

“For being there,” you murmur. “For being here.”

Two days later, Highgrove House.

It is late in the evening when Gojo Satoru arrives.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and the garden fête is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The house is still, lamps dimmed to a golden hush, and you are in the drawing room, seated beside the fire with Yuji at your side. One of the books His Grace had promised—the very same Mary Wollstonecraft, finely bound—had arrived just yesterday, and you'd been reading it aloud to your brother before a rustle in the doorway makes you both look up.

“His Grace, the Duke of Six Eyes, has arrived, miss,” the maid announces.

Yuji perks up instantly. “D’you think he’s brought his brother?”

“It’s do you, and he has,” you correct gently, closing the book and setting it on the low table between you. “And I don’t know. I hope so. You’d like him, I think. His name’s Megumi. He’s your age.”

“You told me,” Yuji says, already tugging at his coat to neaten it, brushing imaginary dust from the sleeve. You smile at his eagerness.

“You look very handsome,” you assure him. “If I were a twelve-year-old boy, I’d absolutely want to be your friend.”

“That’s great consolation,” he says dryly, “coming from someone who’s good at fencing, horse riding and pall-mall.”

“Exactly,” you reply, rising and smoothing the folds of your skirt. From the hallway, you hear voices. Your father’s clipped, courteous tone, and the unmistakable lilt of Gojo’s. You take Yuji’s hand and step into the corridor.

Satoru stands tall in the foyer, the picture of composed elegance, all wintry hair and effortless charm. He is speaking to your parents with the easy grace of someone who has nothing to hide and everything under control. Beside him stands a boy, black-haired and blue-eyed, quieter in stature and presence, his gaze lowered to the polished floor. So unlike the Duke. And yet, unmistakably kin.

You glance down at Yuji, giving his hand a small encouraging squeeze. “Go on,” you whisper. “Introduce yourself. Maybe the two of you will be great friends.”

Yuji nods, swallowing his nerves before releasing your hand and stepping forward. You follow, casting a soft, searching smile in Satoru’s direction. He bows his head ever so slightly in return—calm, unreadable, collected. As if nothing has shifted. As if everything has unfolded precisely according to his own private design. As if the chaos of the past weeks has been nothing more than a prelude he anticipated all along.

And you, despite everything, trust him enough to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, he’s right.

When the six of you settle into dinner and have only just finished the first course—an almond soup delicately spiced, accompanied by poached fish and its garnishes—you notice it. A shift. Subtle at first. The change in Satoru's tone when he turns to your father. It is not unkind, but it is unmistakably deliberate. His posture straightens, a certain stiffness entering his shoulders, and his voice loses its usual lightness.

You glance over just as you're breaking your bread roll, and catch it. The flicker in his eyes, the way he glances down at his lap, as if preparing for war rather than dinner. The maids move soundlessly between chairs, clearing plates with practiced ease. The air tightens.

"I must admit," Satoru says, tone formal but softened by a trace of humility, "I’ve come here this evening with something of an ulterior motive."

You still. Your mother lifts her wineglass to her lips, eyes narrowing faintly. Your father sets down his knife and fork, attention now fully focused. Across the table, Yuji and Megumi have taken to whispering, clearly fast friends already, blissfully unaware of the shift in atmosphere.

"Ulterior motive?" your father repeats, arching a brow. His voice is calm, but it rings like a bell in the stillness. "And what might that be?"

Gojo doesn't hesitate. "We'd spoken, briefly, of marriage. Informally, yes, but earnestly. I'm here tonight to make my intentions plain."

The servants begin to lay out the second course—roast venison, its juices glistening, followed by pigeon pie, soufflés, and a new round of gleaming cutlery. Yet no one reaches for a fork.

Satoru presses on as though the entire table has not gone silent. As though the air is not pulled taut between expectation and propriety.

"I believe," he says, carefully, clearly, proudly, "it is time we put an end to the whispers. The scandal, as it were. I've come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage."

You pause. The air in the dining room stills, despite the low clink of cutlery and the rustle of napkins. Your eyes move slowly. First to your father, then to your mother, and finally to the two boys at the other end of the table, who’ve gone entirely silent. Yuji’s eyes are round with awe, flicking between you and Satoru as if he’s accidentally wandered into a play. Megumi, more composed, simply watches his brother with a dark, unreadable gaze, then glances once at you.

Your father says nothing at first. He seems to weigh the moment in his head, brow furrowed—not out of anger, but as if turning something over in his mind. Something unsaid. Something unresolved. And then, finally, he speaks. “I don’t see why not,” he says, quiet but firm.

It should feel like relief, but it doesn’t. Gojo grins then, quick and boyish—triumphant in the way of someone who’s just executed a clever move on a chessboard—and turns to you as though to confirm the checkmate. You try to mirror it, to offer back the expression he wants, but all you can manage is a soft, uncertain smile. A twitch at the corner of your mouth. The tiniest scrunch of your nose. Confusion creeps up your spine.

Then Gojo continues, this time to your father. “My father knew the Archbishop of Canterbury personally,” he says, voice smooth, even, practiced. “We can arrange for the license swiftly. I could speak to him, if expedience is preferred, of course.”

“Lovely,” your mother says at once, almost too quickly. Her voice lilts upward, hopefully. And there it is: the shift in tone. As if she’s just remembered that marrying a Duke’s heir erases scandal, clears reputations, sets everything straight.

You say nothing. Because what is there to say? Gojo speaks again. “We shall have the license in a matter of days,” he announces, his tone tipping slightly toward command. “Preparations for the wedding can be made, I assume?”

He speaks with such certainty now, such composure, that you feel, absurdly, as though he’s rehearsed it. As if this evening were a script and he knows every beat, every line. You wonder if he’s always this calm when negotiating outcomes that affect other people’s lives. That affect your life.

It unnerves you. Not the proposal. Not the dinner. But the ease. The precision. The sheer confidence of it. You can’t decide whether to admire him or recoil.

You listen quietly as the dinner continues—soufflés arriving, plates cleared, wine glasses half-drunk. You play the part of the composed daughter, the future duchess, but your mind is elsewhere. Picking apart the pieces of him that you thought you knew. Wondering what else lies beneath that smile, that grace, that armor of polished charm.

And later, much later, once the servants have cleared the table and the doors to the parlor have been shut—you find yourself outside. The evening air is cool, soft, still edged with the scent of crushed lavender and stone warmed by day. The garden is dappled with dusk. You and Gojo stand near the courtyard, half in shadow, watching the boys—Yuji and Megumi—laughing as they take turns pushing one another on the swing.

They’re just children. Careless. Weightless. You, on the other hand, feel the full heft of everything that just transpired pressing like a hand to your spine.

“How is it,” you ask, voice low, “that you can so confidently, so easily, dictate what you want from others and receive it without resistance?”

Satoru’s brows knit, but not out of annoyance. It’s curiosity. He turns toward you, his eyes pale and searching in the twilight. The golden light of the garden lanterns flickers softly over the lines of his face. “What do you mean?” he says gently.

You glance up at him, then away, toward the swing where Yuji’s laughter is fading. The boys are slowing now—less shrill joy, more tired amusement. “It just felt like… you and my parents were speaking in a room I wasn’t in,” you murmur. “Like I was sitting beside you all and somehow still not quite present.”

He exhales. It’s soft, careful, as if he knows he’s treading somewhere delicate now. “Trust me, darling,” he says, “I was waiting for you to speak. For you to stop me, if you wanted to.”

You shake your head slowly. “It’s all right. I suppose I should’ve expected this. Mother will take the fête as an opportunity to make an announcement about the wedding.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asks, quiet but not unkind. “To be married? To me? Does it not make you happy?”

“I am happy,” you say, lifting your eyes to meet his. “Delighted, even.” But your voice betrays you—too soft, too even, too polite. You glance back toward the children. “It’s just… I never thought it would happen this way. Not through scandal.”

He hums faintly, a note of regret in his tone. “If it’s any consolation,” he begins, “I’m sorry for following you into the balcon—”

“No,” you interrupt gently. “I don’t regret it.”

He grins, nudging your shoulder with his. “You’ve made that quite clear.”

The moment stretches, quiet and not entirely uncomfortable. Then he steps back a little, brushing down the front of his coat. “I should leave. The sun’s gone, and I’ve got appearances to keep with the Archbishop in the morning.” He glances sideways at you. “I wrote him this morning. About our… situation.”

You blink. “So you knew my parents would jump at the offer for the expedited license.”

“I did,” he confesses, a note of guilt tucked behind the smile. It’s not smug, not quite. Just certain. Just planned. You nod, slowly. The smile you offer isn’t warm. It’s the kind of smile one gives upon solving the last riddle in a long line of riddles. “That’s what I thought. I keep finding out more about you than I bargained for,” you murmur. “It’s terrifying, in a way.”

“I had the same feeling,” he says, lips curling, “when I saw you knee Nigel Berbrooke right in the corner of Grosvenor Square.”

You almost laugh. He calls to Megumi then, and the moment fades—replaced by the sound of feet on gravel, of the boys returning with flushed cheeks and wide grins.

“Can I visit my sister often once you’re married?” Yuji pipes up as the four of you enter the house. The light indoors feels warmer than before, too bright. Too staged.

Satoru laughs, ruffling Yuji’s hair. “You can visit Megumi and I, too. Whenever you like.”

Yuji beams, then turns to Gojo as though just remembering. “Did you know she plays chess? And that she's great at pall mall? Oh, did you know she can fence?”

Gojo lets out a laugh now. Loud, full-bodied. “Trust me,” he says, “she can do far more than just fence.”

And later, when the Duke and his brother have gone—when the house has quieted and the laughter of dinner has faded into memory—you find yourself in the parlor again. Yuji chatters beside you, dreaming aloud of the escapades he’ll have as the Duchess’s brother. You nod, smile where you should, tease him gently. You walk him to his bed, tuck him in, promise him summer rides and borrowed hounds and library keys. You press a kiss to his forehead and bid him goodnight.

Then you retreat to your room. You set pen to paper, intending to finish the article you began yesterday. You write a single line about the fête, then stare at it for too long. Eventually, you set the pen down. It’s late. The fire’s burned low.

You lie in bed, hands clasped over your stomach, and think of your parents’ expressions at dinner. Not startled. Not overwhelmed. Just... prepared. Just ready. As if they’d known all along. As if Gojo had handed them the lines to read.

It sits heavy in your chest.

You are delighted. You are engaged. You are on the cusp of a future some women would kill for. And still, you can’t shake the feeling that somewhere, behind it all, a conversation occurred that did not include you. And it unsettles you.

Late afternoon of Sunday, Hyde Park.

It is astounding, what your mother can do when she sets her mind to something. This is not merely a fête champêtre. It is a declaration. A staking of territory. A performance, curated down to the last spun sugar petal and silk-draped pavilion. And it has Hyde Park—no, the entire season—in its palm.

Your family arrives half an hour before the invitations permit. It is early enough to watch the event take shape, late enough that the magic has already begun to settle. Enough for your mother's watchful eye to make sure everything is up to the mark. You step from the carriage, feet sinking just slightly into the trimmed grass, and it takes you a long moment before you can do anything other than simply stand. Breathe. Take it in.

The Parade Grounds have been transformed into a dreamscape. Tents and pavilions bloom across the green like ivory flowers, their silken walls rippling in the breeze. Musicians tune their violins on a raised dais in the centre, the light catching on the brass fittings of their flutes. Fortune-tellers settle into their tents with velvet-draped tables and cards worn to softness. Puppeteers test the wires of their painted marionettes, hands moving with the delicacy of surgeons. Pavilions with refreshments like champagne, ice-cream, sugared strawberries, and pies and cakes are blended into the lot of the rest like a beautiful painting.

Lanterns, hundreds of them, are strung from poles and trees, not yet lit, but already trembling with anticipation. By dusk, they will burn like stars. It is beautiful. Not the fragile, private sort of beauty one tucks away—but a theatrical kind, curated to be admired. To be envied.

You walk slowly across the grounds, your gown catching slightly at the knees. It’s a soft pastel blue muslin, airy enough for a day on the lawn, but intricate where it counts—lace tracing the collar and hem, tiny pearl buttons running down your spine. Your mother insisted on this shade. Said it would make you stand out just enough: an echo of the sky, a suggestion of innocence, but unmistakably tailored for attention.

Lawn games are cordoned off by rope garlands—pall mall, lawn archery, and some whimsical game involving hoops and ribbons you don’t even recognize. Musicians drift between the setups like well-dressed ghosts, their instruments resting against their chests like lovers. There is movement everywhere—an elegant chaos. You think, briefly, that it all feels too perfect.

And then you remember the reason behind it. Your engagement will be announced today. To the Duke.

The thought rushes through you like wind. A thrill. A knot. You clasp your hands at your waist, feeling the fine tremble of anticipation settle under your skin. This will be the most talked-about event of the season. Perhaps the next, too. Of that, you are certain. And it is your name they will whisper behind fans. Your mother’s triumph. Your family’s rise.

Your story—beginning, here. In full view.

You hardly have time to name the miracle of it before the crowd begins to pour in. An endless stream of silk, laughter, and social ambition. Lords, barons, and the finely powdered elite of London arrive in carriages and on foot, their presence declaring the event the apex of the season. It is, you realize, too perfect to be anything but deliberate. Everyone has come.

The gentlemen drift toward the card pavilions like moths to candlelight, already leaning over hands of whist and hazard, murmuring their wagers beneath the pluck of lute strings. The ladies—lace-gloved and flushed—gather at the fortune-tellers’ tents, giggling as their futures are read in cryptic symbols and feathered cards. Children are spellbound before puppet stages and in pall mall, their laughter lifting into the air with the scent of sugared pastries and lemonade. The entire world has converged here, in Hyde Park, under your family’s name. All of London, is here.

“I cannot believe your mother did this in a week,” Shoko says beside you, one brow raised in something between disbelief and admiration. The three of you stand tucked beneath the awning of a lemonade stand near the musicians’ dais, where a lively tune hums beneath the swell of conversation. The lemon in your cup tastes like a dream—sweet and tart and fleeting.

“I can’t either,” you murmur, still wide-eyed, still unsure how to take it all in. “I almost wish I weren’t the host, just so I could wander and enjoy it properly. But I know she’ll come to collect me any moment now, drag me off to meet half the peerage.”

“How tragic,” Utahime says with a faux pout, raising her glass. You narrow your eyes at her, amused. You open your mouth, close it again. Then, a breath. The words come out quiet. “I have to tell you something. Before it's announced.”

Shoko stills. Utahime’s brow furrows slightly. You glance between them. There’s something in Shoko’s expression already, something knowing, even wicked. She sets her cup down delicately on a side table and folds her arms with too much casualness.

“I am engaged,” you say. “To the Duke.”

Silence. A moment suspended in air, stretched thin. Utahime blinks once, twice. Her mouth falls open slightly. Shoko only smiles.

“Congratulations,” she says at last. “You’re going to be the wealthiest duchess in London.”

You groan, rolling your eyes. “That’s not the point. I just—” You hesitate. “I don’t know. It might be the scandal, but I’ve had this pit in my stomach all evening. Something feels off.”

“Well,” Utahime says quietly, unusually tempered, “He did the decent thing. A scandal always weighs heavier on the woman, anyway.”

You nod slowly, lips pressed together. The moment passes, melts into something easier, something lighter. Conversation shifts, laughter returns. But not for long.

Your mother appears, glowing, and whisks you away. You catch only the briefest glances of the crowd, of your friends, of the festivities still in full swing. You’re passed from one conversation to another, introduced to a daisy chain of barons, counts, viscountesses—faces whose names blur at the edges. You're charming and gracious, just as you've been taught. But it drains you. Every compliment is a cut; every polite chuckle a rehearsed deflection.

It’s only after what feels like an hour and a half of curated smiling that you spot a glimmer of silver. Across the lawn, near the champagne pavilion, stands Satoru. He is unmistakable, even among the cluster of tall men and expensive coats. His hair catches the last remnants of sun like snow under candlelight. He’s surrounded by familiar faces—Suguru, Nanami, and others you recognize at once—but it’s him you focus on. Him, who hasn’t looked your way once.

You stay by your parents, trying not to show the fatigue that pools in your feet, in your jaw, in your chest. You imagine Yuji somewhere far off, shrieking with laughter as Megumi scowls at a lawn game or scampers after a puppet. It comforts you.

And then you quietly step away. Slipping between groups, down toward the edge of the fête where the pie and pastry tent waits. It’s quieter here, easier. The smell of spiced apples and butter fills the air, and you breathe in as if you haven’t tasted air in an hour.

“Look at you,” a voice drawls behind you. “Unchaperoned. Again.”

You smile, turning to him. “And look at you, following me while I’m unchaperoned. Again.”

Satoru steps toward you with that grin—the boyish, maddeningly pleased-with-himself one—and wraps his arms around you without hesitation. You let him. The tent is empty but for an older woman arranging pastries with tender focus, unconcerned with royalty or reputation.

“You look beautiful in blue,” he murmurs, his voice low near your ear.

“I wore it for that very reason,” you reply, unable to stop the smile blooming across your face.

Gojo glances around, his expression shifting. Still playful, but with a note of caution. His gaze sweeps the tent: the older woman arranging lemon and cherry tarts has her back turned, wholly immersed in her task, and the rest of the fête stretches just far enough to grant them a rare sliver of privacy.

Then, without fanfare, he leans in and brushes his lips against yours.

It’s not a dramatic kiss, not the kind poets string sonnets from, but it unravels you in its simplicity. Quick, secret, a punctuation mark rather than a full sentence. Still, you feel it. All the way down. It is the kind of kiss that feels like a promise kept. He pulls back just as easily as he leaned in, his expression unreadable for a moment. And then that grin returns, tugging at the corners of his mouth, softening him.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening,” he says.

You don’t reply. You don’t need to. He takes your silence for what it is—something between stunned affection and aching anticipation—and presses one last glance to your hand before he slips back into the crowd.

Time moves oddly after that. It doesn’t speed up, exactly, but it begins to blur. You find your way back to the center of the parade grounds, the sky now fully dark above Hyde Park, where lanterns float like tiny stars strung between trees. The air is cooler, but the excitement thrumming in the crowd keeps it from chilling. You spot Shoko and Utahime near the ring toss stall and slip back into their orbit as naturally as if you’d never left.

You laugh, truly laugh, as Utahime flings her final ring and narrowly misses the wooden peg she’s aiming for. “You’re absolutely hopeless,” you tease, watching Shoko collect a small paper prize for herself—a folded fan painted with florals.

“I’ll have you know,” Utahime mutters, “I let Shoko win. She looked like she needed the morale.”

You're about to reply when something cuts through the air. The music stops. It dies not with a jarring crash but with a soft, deliberate diminuendo, as if the musicians were told to lay their instruments down slowly, one by one. Like a curtain falling at the end of an act.

You freeze.

All around you, people are turning. Faces lift. Heads angle toward the central dais where the string quartet had been playing only moments before. The effect is like a tide: all at once, the sea of conversation ebbs, leaving only a hush thick with expectation.

Your mother steps up onto the dais, flanked by your father. Their expressions are composed, practiced—faces made for portraiture and politics. Your father’s voice is the first to rise. You feel it before you hear it, the anticipation threading into your spine, a quiet and inevitable dread.

It’s time. The announcement is about to be made. And somehow, impossibly, you're not ready.

You search the crowd for him—your eyes scanning beyond the flushed cheeks and swirling silks, past the clamor of card tables and puppet shows, beyond the lords in powdered coats and the ladies in florals—as if you could summon steadiness in the shape of a man. And then, there he is.

Gojo stands at the edge of the dais, tall and immaculately composed in deep navy. The silver of his hair glints beneath the lanterns strung like stars between trees. His gaze is already on you. Of course it is. He nods once, slow and certain. And something inside you stills.

"It's happening," you whisper.

“Go,” Shoko murmurs, voice lower than the hush that’s fallen over the crowd. “Make the most of it. Go. Rid yourself of this ridiculous scandal and present yourself as the Duchess-to-be.”

You hesitate. You feel the weight of your name before it is ever spoken, the pressure of your title before it has been officially given. Then Utahime presses a warm hand to the small of your back for a gentle, grounding push.

You inhale, and then step forward.

Your feet move before your thoughts do, weaving through a sea of murmuring guests, muslin and satin brushing against your skirts as you pass. You are walking toward a future already being written by someone else’s hand. Toward a dais that gleams beneath lanternlight, toward a father whose face betrays nothing and a mother whose tears have been perfectly timed.

Gojo is waiting for you at the bottom step. He offers his arm. His fingers brush your glove as you take it. And then, together, you ascend. The dais is high enough that it feels like a reckoning. The musicians have fallen silent. The air is charged now—still, brittle, like glass waiting to break.

Your father clears his throat and raises his glass, his posture the kind that comes from years of hosting, of ruling from parlors and private dinners. “My lords, ladies, and honoured guests,” he begins, and his voice is practiced, warm, unshaken, “this spring has brought with it more than sunlight and blossoms. It has brought my household a most… unexpected delight.”

A ripple of polite laughter spreads, though it is laced with curiosity.

Your gaze flits across the lawn to the hundreds of faces, eyes fixed on you. You cannot see your brother or Megumi among them, but you imagine them somewhere near the puppet tents, unaware of the consequences of this moment. The nausea threatens you again, rising from somewhere deep and quiet, but Gojo is beside you, unmoved, hands clasped behind his back like he’s been born for this. When you look at him, he is already looking at you. And when he blinks reassuringly, it is like a balm.

“It is with great pride,” your father continues, “and no small measure of astonishment, that I announce the engagement of my daughter…”

He gestures to you. There is an audible swell of breath from the crowd.

“…to His Grace, Gojo Satoru, the Duke of Six Eyes.”

The lawn erupts. Gasps, applause, chatter—voices tangling with one another in a crescendo of disbelief and fascination. Your name flies from mouths like confetti. The match is a triumph. The scandal has been rewritten into something desirable. You are not ruined. You are beloved. You are desired. You are his.

Your mother dabs at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, already performing the part of a sentimental parent, though you’ve never known her to cry unless there was an audience to receive it. Your father raises his glass higher, nodding with a smile that only barely touches his eyes. The musicians begin again, a stately waltz, and suddenly the fête transforms. This is no longer a party. It is a coronation.

And you? You are the Duchess-to-be.

THE VEILED QUILL Volume II, Issue XIII From Folly to Fête

My dearest gentle readers,

The Season wears on, and with each passing week, it becomes more evident that propriety is but a delicate veil—and some among us would do well to remember how sheer that veil truly is.

Let us begin, regretfully, with an incident that one wishes could be brushed away like errant crumbs from a silk tablecloth. On Wednesday evening, Lord Nigel Berbrooke—yes, that Berbrooke, of the unfortunate hairline and even more unfortunate manners—was seen in a most unbecoming state at the upper corner of Grosvenor Square. After an evening of drink at one of those gentleman’s clubs where very little gentleness is ever in practice, he was observed harassing a maid, poor thing, who was merely trying to see to her business without being cornered by a stumbling peer. One needn’t be a woman of high society to know: a title cannot soften a man's character, and all the coin in Mayfair cannot erase behaviour as coarse as gravel. A note to all mothers: do not let your daughters wed a man whose respectability is stitched only to his coat.

But enough of men whose presence is as welcome as last season’s hemline. Let us speak, instead, of something divine.

The fête champêtre held this past weekend by the Viscount and Viscountess at the Parade Grounds in Hyde Park was nothing short of legendary. There are events, and then there are moments—and this, dear reader, was a moment. A vision in silk tents and silkier rumours, with the sound of waltzes drifting between lanterns hung like moonlight on string. There was champagne that sparkled like diamonds, wines that warmed like affection, and refreshments more decadent than any secret whispered beneath a fan.

And if one may abandon objectivity for but a moment—this author must confess a particular fondness for the ring toss tucked beside the dais. A charming, utterly diverting little affair. And let us not forget the pastries at the far edge of the lawn. (This author certainly returned for seconds. Possibly thirds. Do not ask.)

Alas, there was no time for the fortune-tellers, whose tent brimmed with silks and mystery. A true shame. This Phantom had quite hoped to learn whether scandal or sentiment lies ahead. But let us speak of something more fateful than fortune.

For while the fête itself would have been enough to keep the ton buzzing for months, the Viscountess had one last waltz up her sleeve. Just as the final gold thread of sunlight gave way to evening’s velvet, a hush fell upon the crowd. The Viscount raised a glass. The musicians quieted. And in that breathless hush, it was announced: the engagement of His Grace, the Duke of Six Eyes, to none other than the daughter of the house.

Yes. That daughter. The same young lady who has danced, withdrawn, and returned to society in a swirl of rumours and restraint. Now, she is to be Duchess.

What a triumphant turn of events. What a coup. What a game.

For who among us suspected the Viscountess would answer scandal not with silence, but with spectacle? With beauty, with orchestration, with the most dazzling alliance of the season? And yet here we are, watching the curtain fall on speculation, and rise on certainty.

This author, who has watched the highs and lows of their courtship with an ink-stained heart and cautious hope, is glad—genuinely glad—to see the pair united at last. They stood atop the dais like two characters pulled from a sonnet, their expressions unreadable but their bond unmistakable.

Let the poets scribble, the gossips gasp, and the Season spin onward. This couple, it seems, has already found their story.

With admiration (and perhaps a little envy), Phantom.

The next three weeks unfold like a fever dream, equal parts lace and tyranny. Your mother, possessed by a singular vision, insists on a wedding ceremony “proper enough to make even royalty envious.” You recall her words precisely—how she said them with her mouth full of sugared plums and her eyes alight like a general waging war. “No only daughter of mine shall be married off intimately. We will be making it grand.”

And grand it becomes. Fittings upon fittings. Layers of silk and tulle, endless consultations with the modiste, who eyes your figure like a sculptor assessing marble. There is no time to think, let alone write. The quills remain mostly untouched, save for four rushed columns and some letters to Satoru you managed in a haze of candlelight and exhaustion. The rest of your hours are spent with your mother, overseeing seating arrangements, breakfast menus, guest lists, flower orders, and learning that hosting a ball as a future duchess is not a matter of preference, it is proof. Of stature. Of ability. Of survival.

You choose the fabric yourself, of course. Something ethereal. A blue so pale it becomes a rumour of white in the light. The modiste called it moonmilk. Said it would arrive the night before, perfectly pressed, wrapped in muslin, a ribbon pinned to its bodice like a secret.

The ceremony is to be held at St. George’s, Hanover Square. The breakfast will be at the Six Eyes Estate, arranged by Satoru himself. He wrote to you last three days ago. His letter is thoughtful, brief. “I do not expect a reply. I imagine you are being devoured by gowns and spectacle. I am being devoured by longing.”

And so the night before the wedding comes. You wear your softest ivory silk dress robes, the kind only meant for nights where sleep seems like a betrayal of time. In your hand is the cravat pin he gave you, small and gold, now dulled by touch and memory. You sit by the window. The box containing your wedding gown lies nearby, gaping open like a soft-mouthed promise. You reach in, touch the lace—like spun sugar, like breath. You look outside, to the swing in the courtyard. To your desk. Then you stand, move to the cabinet beneath, and pull it open.

There lie the quiet spoils of your secret: pouches of coins, neatly tied, the sum of months spent in disguise. The Phantom. Every ounce of ink-stained effort has led to this. And now, all of it must come with you. You do not know how. But it will. Your life—your dresses, your books, your horse, your fencing kit—is about to be moved piece by piece to a house that is not yet home.

You do not sleep. You cannot. Instead, you watch the sky tilt gently from night to dawn, the blue bleeding into gold. Your maid, Agatha, rushes in with the first light, surprised to find you already upright, silhouetted at the window like some lonely patron saint of anxiety. She mutters something about tea and biscuits. That your mother insists everything begin early. That the water is already being drawn for your bath—lavender, rose petals, and sandalwood steeping into warmth. That your hair must be washed and bound with care. In case the Phantom is watching, she says with a wink. In case she is to write about the Duchess-to-be.

And for a moment, you wonder if she knows. And if she does, whether she approves. You sip your tea in silence. And the city readies itself for the wedding of the season.

Hours later, seated before the mirror, you look like a bride but feel like a stranger to the word. Silks the color of moonlight—barely blue, more the shade of milk steeped in twilight—pool around you. Your hair is pinned with sapphires and a certain pin, your wrists with diamonds. It is all too fine, too formal, too far from the girl who once wrote under candlelight and tasted freedom in ink.

Your mother has finally allowed Utahime and Shoko to your side, though not without dramatic protest. They burst through the upstairs corridor like wind through opened windows, all breathless smiles and wide eyes. For a brief second, it makes you laugh. But the moment is fleeting, swept away by the inevitability of the hour.

Then the carriage. Your father sits across from you, his hands gloved, his posture formal. But his voice, when he speaks, is not.

“I hope you know,” he says, “this was my only way of ensuring you married well in your first season. You could have done it on your own, but I had my reasons.”

You look at him. And, for the first time in a while, you understand. “It’s alright,” you say quietly. “I like him. I truly do. I think... it ended up being for the best.”

He blinks at you, once, twice, and clears his throat. His gloved hands fold tighter. “It is time.”

When the church doors open, the world sharpens. You see nothing but him.

Not the rows of nobility, not the whispers fluttering through silk fans, not the parish priest waiting by the altar. Only him, at the far end of the aisle. In full military dress, medals gleaming at his chest, and two hairpins tucked boldly near his lapel—the ones he stole from you that he never gave back. You smile without thinking. And when he sees his cravat pin in your hair, he smiles too, just slightly. His lips curving up at the left corner, like a secret passed only between the two of you.

You walk the aisle like one moving through water. Slow, dreamlike, distant. The priest speaks: “Dearly beloved...”

And after that, you hear nothing. Only the sound of your heartbeat, and the shape of his name in your mind. Vows are said, rings exchanged—gold, warm when he slips it onto your finger. In the vestry, you sign your name alongside his. Beside you, your father and Suguru sign too, witnesses to the quietest revolution of your life.

You are wife. You are Duchess. And though your hand trembles slightly, your signature is steady.

The wedding breakfast is a pageant of civility and careful joy. You are gracious, poised, every inch the duchess society expects you to be. But behind your smile, there is a secret truth: you are still learning what this all means.

Later, finally, the carriage. Your husband beside you. Your new home ahead. And the rest of your life—undecided, unspoken, unwritten—waiting just beyond the window.

You do nothing of consequence during the day. You tour the estate on Satoru’s arm, your hand clasped in his when no one is looking. You kiss him—softly, quietly—beside doorframes and between corridors, in corners the help dare not turn. The library is your weakness, and he knows it. He shows you the shelves first—where he keeps his favorites, bound in blue cloth and smelling faintly of cedar—and then, a little alcove, tucked behind a narrow ladder. There lie your favorites, arranged as if he has known your mind long before he ever held your hand. You kiss him there, too. Longer, this time.

Dinner is simple, for once. Roast duck, rosemary bread, and spiced wine. You think you are content—until the letter arrives. Stamped with a seal you don’t recognize, handed over with hushed voices. “From the Palace,” he says, rising quickly. You blink, watching his silhouette disappear past the parlor door. He does not return for nearly an hour.

In his absence, you busy yourself. You learn the rhythms of the house. The butler, standoffish at first, warms when you mention fencing. The Duke, he admits, was once obsessed—used to practice at dawn in the old hall before lessons. You store that detail like treasure. The housekeeper is more reluctant, her replies tidy and measured. But when you ask about Satoru’s mother, her face softens. “She preferred the country,” she says. “He lived here with his father, mostly. Genius child, but too quiet for it.”

And then, unasked, unprovoked: “The previous Duchess passed of fever. His Grace was barely four.”

Your chest tightens. You imagine him, alone in this grand place of carved marble and echoing stairwells. Then you remember Megumi.

“But... Megumi is twelve,” you say slowly, at the threshold of your chambers. “That’s well after her passing.”

The housekeeper hesitates, then lowers her voice to a breath. “The late Duke’s by-blow. But hush, your Grace, he is the Duke’s brother in all but blood. He raised him. That is what matters.”

You nod, and say nothing more. The matter is closed. You retreat into the quiet hush of your bedchamber, where Agatha is already laying out your robe. The one familiar face you insisted accompany you to your new life. She buttons you in, her fingers deft and gentle. You glance out the window just in time to see the Duke’s carriage pulling into the courtyard.

When he walks in, he looks like something unravelling—gloves off, cufflinks half-undone. You nearly startle.

“Is something the matter?” you ask. He stills, then shrugs it off too casually. “No. Just a few papers. Palace bureaucracy. Nothing worth troubling you over.”

You walk toward him, slow and careful, undoing the other cuff for him. “I’ve never seen you anxious,” you murmur. “Not truly. You’ve always been so… composed. Charming. So utterly sure of yourself.”

He laughs quietly, remembering. “You saw me flustered the day you kicked Nigel Berbrooke into the street like a rogue from the Peninsula.”

You smirk, helping him out of his coat. “I was too preoccupied to notice, your Grace.”

He winces, theatrically. ���Don’t call me that. Not now. Not here. I am just Satoru to you. No titles. No masks.”

Then he sighs, dragging the cravat from his throat and tossing it onto a table. He steps closer, the air between you thinning. “We're married now, and yet the most affection I’ve received are a few stolen kisses.”

“I...” you begin, but falter. There’s something about the way he says it. As if he’s genuinely uncertain. “That’s all I know how to do.”

His brow arches, amused and something softer. “That’s all you know how to do?” he echoes, voice lilting. He sinks into the armchair by the fire, pulling off his boots, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. You swallow as he rises again. He crosses the floor with quiet, unhurried steps. His hand comes to your face—not possessive, not urgent. Just reverent. His fingers trace your temple, brushing a loose curl behind your ear.

“The Viscountess surely is cruel,” he says lowly, “keeping you in the dark for so long.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, but the question dissolves. The warmth of his palm has scattered your thoughts. And then, with the gentlest tug at your robe, the satin slips to the floor. Only your gown remains. It feels like the beginning of something you’ve been circling for years.

He steps closer, slow as dusk. His breath brushes your forehead before his lips press to yours. They're warm, sure, almost trembling with restraint. You kiss back instinctively, but it feels as though you are chasing something he’s already running from. Still, he lets you catch him. Or perhaps he slows down just enough to be caught.

His mouth grazes the edge of your jaw, then your ear, then lower. A scattering of kisses down your throat, each one igniting something unfamiliar. You're not sure whether it's embarrassment or anticipation. He draws you backwards until your knees meet the edge of the bed, and when you stumble slightly, more from dizziness than misstep. He catches you, hands strong at your waist. You’re not hurt, but your heart races all the same.

"Tell me you've touched yourself, at least," he murmurs, voice husky. "That one doesn’t take anyone’s guidance."

You blink up at him, the question foreign, almost impolite. "Touched myself?"

Your brow furrows. Not in modesty, but confusion, honest and childlike. He exhales, not in disappointment, but awe. It’s tender, the way he kisses your forehead. As if to apologise for the question. As if to promise you'll never be left behind again.

"You haven’t?" he asks. You shake your head.

"I don't understand," you whisper.

He doesn’t mock you. He doesn’t smirk or tease. Instead, he helps you lie back, careful as ever, as if you’re made of glass. You feel something between anticipation and fright—like standing on the edge of something beautiful and vast, not knowing how deep the fall will be.

He trails kisses lower now. Along your collarbone, the hollow beneath your throat, and then to the swell just above your chest. Every press of his lips sends sparks under your skin, so much so that the first sound you let out—soft, breathy, involuntary—startles even him.

"It feels good?" he asks, and you nod quickly, eyes wide, glassy.

"I... I don’t know how, but yes."

"Shhh," he soothes, brushing his lips against yours, reverently slow. Then, his hand trails lower. Over your stomach. Down further. And when he finally reaches between your thighs, when his fingers just barely brush where you're most sensitive, your breath hitches. His touch is featherlight, and he speaks while his fingers ghost over your bare folds.

"This," he says, gaze locked with yours, voice low, "is what I meant."

And when your thighs part instinctively, as if your body has answered for you, he smiles. Half gentle, half rogue. As though you’ve just let him into a sacred place.

His finger slides upward, tracing a delicate path along your slit, and the soft sounds that escape you make your eyes widen in startled delight. The slickness of it all catches in your throat, and you search his gaze for something. He finds it easily, a mischievous glint lighting his eyes. His finger finds a sensitive bud, and the sudden touch makes you jump, thighs instinctively closing, but he holds them open with a firm weight that makes your heart twist.

His arm rests against your upper thigh, the hem of your dress riding far too high to be considered proper. You have never been like this before. Never felt such a wild, unfamiliar fire. And yet, it is as if this is exactly where you are meant to be. The pad of his finger moves with increasing urgency against your bud, setting every nerve alight. Your blood rushes fiercely to your cheeks and pools between your legs, your back arching of its own accord, desperate to draw nearer to him. Your breath hitches, and you gasp his name over and over. Like a hymn, or a whispered prayer.

He chuckles softly, knowingly. “This is how you learn to pleasure yourself,” he murmurs. “You touch where it feels good, especially between your legs. I imagine your breasts are sensitive, too, if you’ve never explored them like this. And you keep touching, keep seeking, until you come. Until you reach a crescendo—a pinnacle that frees your mind of doubt and untangles every knot in your body.”

You grasp his shoulders, gasps spilling from your lips as you reach the peak, just as he had described it.

“I know, darling. I know,” he murmurs teasingly, and with those words, every knot in your core unravels, every doubt in your mind dissolves, every weight in your body lifts. You feel as if you are floating, weightless and free. You don’t notice when his hand slips away until your eyes flutter open, coming down from your high, and find him standing at the edge of the bed, watching you with a look that promises delicious sin.

“Come closer,” he commands softly. You obey without hesitation, dropping to your knees at the bed’s edge. His hands cup your face with a tenderness that makes you feel fragile and cherished all at once. His fingers nimbly undo the hooks of your dress, the speed making your eyes widen in surprise. Then, with care, he takes your hand, pressing a kiss to it before sliding your arm through the sleeve. The other follows, and the dress slips from your frame as if it had never belonged there.

You swallow hard as his gaze roams over you—lingering on the swell of your breasts. He says nothing at first, only caresses your cheek. His eyes dark and intense, sending heat pooling deep within you, the same place he touched moments ago. Your lips part, and his expression shifts, expectant, waiting for your voice.

“I want you,” you confess, breath trembling. “I don’t know what it means to want you, but I do. All of you.”

A shaky breath escapes him. “You don’t know what you’re asking, but you still want it?”

You nod, and he chuckles softly before taking your hand and guiding it to his breeches. “Undo them for me.”

You blink, surprised. “You mean take them off?”

He grins playfully, and you comply. As you do, you notice the bulge pressing against the fabric—unmistakably urgent, almost uncomfortable. You touch it hesitantly, unsure what to expect, and he winces.

“Sorry, I didn’t—”

“Keep going,” he urges, voice low and breathy. “I like it. Keep going.”

You peel away the last barrier of clothing, and he springs free—long, thick, veined. It’s more than you imagined, but you follow his lead, your hands exploring as he instructs. You stroke, you caress, obeying every whispered command, until his sounds mirror your own—moans, gasps, low grunts—until he shakes his head and pulls your hand away.

“L-lay back.”

In seconds, he is upon you, parting your thighs, pressing kisses to your lips and wherever he can reach. His hands find your breasts, and you return his hunger with equal fervor, cradling his face in your hands.

“More,” you plead, arching your back as he buries his face in the valley between your breasts. “I want more.”

He pauses, positioning himself above you, his gaze softening. “Are you sure? We can stop now, if you’d like—”

“I am sure,” you whisper. “I want you—”

Without hesitation, he enters you, and it feels unlike anything you’ve ever known. Your heart swells, your body overwhelms, and the gasps that escape feel as natural as breathing—terrifying and right all at once. He pulls back, then thrusts forward again, sending stars across your vision as your back arches involuntarily. He moves steadily, up and down, again and again, each motion a delicious torment. You cling to him, whispering his name between moans. His grunts grow louder, pace quickening, skin slapping against yours in a rhythm that sets your senses ablaze.

The crescendo builds again, the undoing you crave. Eyes closed, he cups your face, pressing his forehead to yours as his pace accelerates. Your faces nearly touch, lips parted but not meeting. He stares deep into your eyes, breath ragged, before murmuring, “F-for me, it happens the same way.”

“The pinnacle,” you gasp.

He nods, voice rough. “Unlike you, however,” he grunts, “When I come, I ejaculate.”

“And what does that entail?” you ask breathlessly, as he pulls back slightly to look at you. Your blush deepens under his gaze as it drifts over your breasts and flushed cheeks while he continues his steady rhythm. He laughs softly—not mockingly, but warmly.

“It’s how a woman becomes pregnant. If I do it inside you.”

“O-oh,” you whisper, swallowing hard. He slows just a fraction, panting. “I’m close.”

“So am I,” you admit, feeling yourself unravel further, the knots in your stomach loosening, fraying at the edges. His pace slows, but the intensity only deepens. The sound of skin meeting skin grows louder, more urgent. You feel it—an overwhelming need to hold him, to keep him inside you forever.

And then it happens again. But this time, it feels warmer, fuller, more profound than when it was just his hand. You feel him twitch inside you, the two of you releasing in tandem. He moans your name, forehead pressed to yours, as if you are the very prayer he utters.

When he pulls away slightly, the two of you share a soft, breathless laugh.

In the weeks that follow, you move through the world as if through gauze—dutiful, poised, every smile measured. Your mother basks in the social currency of your title, gathering compliments like pearls on a string. You accompany her, watch the other mamas whisper and envy and flatter, all of them under the illusion that she orchestrated your fate with the Duke. You say nothing. You nod when appropriate. What use is truth to people so fluent in fiction?

You write, of course. The Phantom still breathes beneath your skin. Your newest column, delicate and saccharine, reads: This author has it on good authority that the Duchess looked divine on her wedding day. And that His Grace, upon seeing her, smiled so sweetly it might’ve given the ton a collective toothache.

The estate is yours now, or at least it behaves as if it is. The staff take to you with the kind of slow, sturdy fondness earned rather than assumed. You ask the butler for history, the housekeeper for stories. You learn the creaks of the halls, the way the morning light falls over the courtyard. You walk with purpose, like a woman trying to believe the ground beneath her belongs to her feet.

You try, once or twice, to speak to Megumi. He is polite, reserved, rarely reactive. It’s not coldness. It’s watchfulness, a kind of quiet calculation. And so, you wait. You plan the ball with your mother and the staff, ask about musicians, arrange the refreshments with an exactness that makes the housekeeper blink in approval.

It’s a Friday afternoon when you drift to the library, exhausted but restless. And there he is.

Megumi sits curled sideways on a sofa, a book open in one hand, long legs stretched comfortably along the cushions. He doesn’t notice you at first. You say nothing as you wander to the shelves and pull down a weighty volume—The Monk, by Lewis. You move toward the window, settle into the light like it’s a familiar friend.

You don’t miss the way his eyes flick to the cover.

“I didn’t know you liked Lewis,” he murmurs. His voice is dry but curious.

You raise a brow. “For that, you’d have to speak to me.”

He closes his book slowly. “What else do you read?”

“Wollstonecraft,” you say, glancing at him. “Radcliffe. And yes, I like Austen.”

“Of course,” he says. “I’ve heard all women do.”

“She writes brilliantly,” you reply. “If you've read her, you'd know. And it's not just women. She's better than half the men paraded through the canon.”

He grins then, truly grins. “You have taste.”

You let the smallest smile slip. “I have more than just taste, Megumi. Want to put that to the test?”

The sound of soft laughter at the door makes you turn.

Gojo leans against the frame, arms folded, an unreadable expression just beneath the familiar amusement on his lips. “I would advise against challenging my wife, Megumi. You’re not nearly clever enough to win.”

Megumi smirks. “She was just about to lose.”

Gojo steps into the room. He doesn’t touch you, but he stands close enough to be felt. “Don’t be so sure,” he says, eyes still on you. “She tends to surprise. And you, brother, are twelve.”

You feel his gaze linger a moment longer than necessary before he turns away, joking lightly with Megumi about the arrangement of the shelves and how the boy seems to have claimed a whole corner as his own. But even when he’s across the room, you still feel the weight of him.

That night, in your shared bedchamber, the laughter has long since faded.

You sit at your vanity, unpinning your hair slowly, the soft scrape of the comb the only sound in the room. Gojo enters quietly, not with the dramatic flourish he often employs, but with something more subdued. Thoughtful.

“You like Megumi,” he says after a beat, tone mild.

You glance at him in the mirror. “I do. He’s clever. Kind, even if he tries to hide it.”

Gojo’s eyes narrow slightly, though he doesn’t move. “He talked more with you than he did with me in the last few weeks.”

“Perhaps you should read Lewis,” you offer, tone light but not unkind.

He chuckles faintly, walking behind you. His hands rest on your shoulders, firm and warm. “Perhaps I should.”

For a moment, nothing is said. The air is thick with something you don’t yet name. His thumbs press into the muscle of your neck, a tender pressure. You close your eyes. You let him touch you.

You catch his reflection in the gilded mirror, and your breath catches sharply as your eyes meet his—Satoru. The name tastes like a secret on your tongue as you say it.

"Hm?" he murmurs, bending with a languid grace to press a kiss just where your shoulder curves into your neck. The sensation is exquisite, a sudden, exquisite ache blooming within you. Your eyes flutter half-shut, heavy with desire, and you turn to brush your lips against the sharp line of his jaw. He sheds his coat with careless urgency, the fabric falling away as if impatient to be discarded.

Before you can gather your thoughts, he has you pinned against the wall, the cool plaster a stark contrast to the heat radiating between you. His hands move with a fevered haste, peeling away your dress as if it were a mere barrier to the communion he craves. Your thighs part beneath his touch, trembling, and a soft moan escapes you as he sinks to his knees.

You watch, breath caught, as he lifts your dress with one hand, his gaze rising to meet yours. An unspoken claim, as if you are the axis upon which his world turns.

“Satoru?” Your voice is fragile, a whisper on the edge of surrender. But before you can brace yourself, his tongue finds you; hungry, desperate, as if he has wandered a desert for months and you are the oasis. It laps your cunt and circles your clit with a devotion that steals your breath and weakens your knees.

You arch, clutching the edge of the vanity to anchor yourself, one hand gripping the polished wood, the other tangling in the thick strands of his hair.

“Satoru,” you gasp, voice trembling, “Please... don’t stop. It feels too good. Too much.”

He smirks against you, the vibration of his satisfaction pressing into your skin. You feel the swell of his pride, the fierce possessiveness that makes him hold you by the hips as he remains kneeling before you, as though you are the very thing he has long been denied.

“I’m going to come,” you breathe out, voice trembling with a mixture of awe and surrender. “I didn’t know it could feel so... oh.”

You dissolve into him as his tongue slips deep into your cunt. He giggles low against your skin, the sound vibrating in you, and it nearly breaks you to remain upright. His voice, husky and intimate, murmurs into the depths of you, “You can’t just—”

“Can’t I?” he replies, pulling back with a slow, deliberate grace. Your dress, reluctant as if mourning its loss, slips down to its rightful place when he releases the hem, and you whimper softly. His smile is wicked, a devil’s promise as he presses a gentle kiss to your lips. You hate the taste of yourself on his tongue. At how sweet it is, and it only stokes the fire, leaving you craving more.

You gaze at him, eyes glazed with a heady intoxication, and he brushes the stray drool from the corner of your mouth with a tender finger. “As much as I would adore keeping you awake until dawn,” he says, voice teasingly low, “I cannot exhaust you entirely in the first month. I fear you might grow weary of me.”

“I could never,” you whisper, breath still ragged, your chest rising and falling beyond the confines of your neckline. His eyes soften, just for a moment, before he pulls you close by the waist. You look up at him, heart pounding, as he says, “Here.”

He moves toward the vanity, a few deliberate steps, and pushes the stool aside. He guides you to stand before the mirror. You blink, catching your reflection—eyes meeting his through the glass once more. But now, you look undone. Less a lady of society, more a woman laid bare by desire. It is slightly unbecoming, wildly improper, yet you revel in it. You like seeing yourself this way, transformed by him. He sees it too, because his voice drops to a whisper, “You are something else. But you're mine. All mine.”

“You as well,” you retort, a mischievous spark lighting your gaze. “You are all mine, too.”

He chuckles, dark and amused. “Jealous, are you?”

You shake your head firmly. “No. Merely staking my claim, as befits a Duchess.”

His hands settle on your back, commandingly warm, fingers splayed across the expanse of your bare skin as he slowly undoes your dress. It falls away with surprising ease this time. He inhales sharply, a shaky breath betraying his restraint, before his hands roam to your nipples needily. The playfulness has vanished; now, he needs you with a raw intensity that leaves you breathless.

He sheds his breeches with haste and bends you forward. You gulp, shuddering as he enters you like this. You watch yourself in the mirror—your breasts bouncing with every thrust, his pupils dilating in rapture, his body making sounds that are equal parts grunt, moan, and whimper, all for you. It inflates your pride, a delicious arrogance, as if you hold dominion over him.

You yelp, breath catching as he pulls you back upright, continuing his relentless pursuit while standing. Your eyes widen in surprise, but hunger simmers beneath the shock. You pivot halfway, lips crashing against his with a feral hunger. His hands spread wide across your chest, gripping you with a fierce possessiveness that borders on pain—sharp, intoxicating, like the burn of port sliding down your throat, searing yet exquisite after a moment. Your half-lidded gaze and ragged moans confess everything; you are on the precipice of coming, and so is he.

“I can feel it,” he murmurs, voice rough with desire. “Almost there, aren't you? You’re quite transparent, darling.”

“Shut up,” you grunt, a whimper escaping as his hand pinches your nipple with sudden, merciless insistence. Eyes closed, you surrender to the symphony of sensation—his hands on your breasts, his length buried deep within your cunt, his breath hot against your neck, his voice a low caress, his chest pressed firmly to your back. The more you dwell on it, the closer you spiral toward the edge.

He grunts into your ear, lips trailing kisses along the sensitive skin, and then it happens. The world narrows to the exquisite clenching of your body against him—against the veins of his cock, the tip pressing mercilessly against your cervix. Your core tightens, gripping him with a fierce, repeated rhythm as your entire frame trembles. And then, you feel him releasing inside you with a shuddering surrender.

You remain locked in that trembling embrace, panting, eyes drawn to the mirror where your reflection entwines with his. He holds you with a desperate tenderness, arms wrapped tight around your waist as his face buries itself in your hair. His breath is ragged against your neck, and your gaze softens.

For all his strength—Gojo Satoru, the man who devours you with such ferocity—there is fragility here. Though he has just claimed you utterly, there is something vulnerable in the way he closes his eyes and clings to you, as if you are the very air he needs to breathe.

And then it strikes you. The Gojo you know is a different creature entirely. Confident. Jovial. A master of wit and flirtation, as if life itself depended on his charm. Ever adorned with that infuriating smirk, so composed that every lady of the ton still whispers his name as London’s most coveted bachelor.

But tonight, you realize it with a shock. You do not know this man at all.

There is nothing particularly remarkable about the ball you host—not in the way society defines remarkable. It is exquisite, of course. Lit like a painting, gilded in every corner, with flowers perfuming the air and crystal glinting off every surface. But you’re tired of it. Tired of society and its pageantry, tired of the performance. Your mother goes on about appearances and honeymoons and duty. You nod, you smile, you dance. You watch Satoru disappear into his study with Suguru for ten minutes and return as if nothing happened. But you know better now. You can read him.

Later that night, while he checks in on Megumi, you sit in bed and think of all the things you have learned about him, and all the things you still haven’t. When he returns, you pretend to be asleep until he presses a kiss to your temple, tenderly quiet. You open your eyes and reach for him.

"You seemed upset when you came back," you murmur. He raises a brow. Waits.

"You left to speak with Suguru. In your office. Is everything alright?"

He blinks. “I didn’t expect you to notice. It’s nothing.”

"You’re the one who said you keep finding new things about me,” you whisper. “Why is it I feel I hardly know you at all?”

He exhales slowly. “It's nothing. A document won’t clear through. I’m looking for a way around it.”

"Can I help?" you ask. He shakes his head. “Not really.”

You card your fingers through his hair. “I’ve been exploring,” you say. He hums, eyes half-closed, waiting for you to continue.

"There are paintings in the drawing room. Your mother’s.”

“She was good,” he says, turning toward you fully now. “She painted. Played pianoforte. Taught me how to ride. To speak. To think. Refused to let a blasted governor near me. Said she wanted to know what I was becoming.”

“You must miss her.”

“Every fucking day,” he says simply. “As much as I hated my father, I loved her.”

You still. “You hated him?”

He stiffens. A beat of silence. Then, “Forget it. Tell me when Yuji’s coming next. I’d like to see him.”

That night, you don’t sleep. You rise before dawn and write, ink staining your hands as you sign your name as the Phantom once more. By sunrise, you’re dressed, prepared, and smiling again.

The months pass like breath. Days folding into one another with dizzying, golden repetition. You and Satoru move like clockwork: breakfast, duty, desire. He touches you constantly behind closed doors, between conversations, in the dark, and often in daylight. You let him. You welcome it. Sometimes it’s gentle, sometimes it’s rough, but always it’s worshipful. You start to wonder if it is his way of apologizing—for what, you don’t yet know.

You begin to bond with Megumi. He softens around you, especially when you bring books or speak of poets he’s only just begun to admire. Yuji visits often, and his presence feels like a memory of something easier. You tend to your duchess duties—entertaining the wives of foreign dignitaries, inspecting the kitchens, reading reports. You make appearances in town. You host teas. You smile.

But something hollows. Slowly, stealthily, as if dug by a spoon from the inside. There is a pit in your stomach that no wine or laughter can fill. Something unnamed. It stirs when you hear Suguru’s voice through the study door. When Satoru smiles just a little too easily. When silence settles between you after the pleasure is gone, and nothing is said at all.

You do not name the feeling, but it grows. Like a storm swelling in the distance. Like an ache you will eventually have to reckon with.

A few weeks later, with Satoru gone to the palace for some diplomatic affair, the house feels quieter than usual—emptier, though not lonelier. You’re curled on the parlor settee, half-lost in the novel he brought you, some token gesture to distract you from the silence blooming between you. Megumi is with his governor. There is no company to keep but the book in your lap and the ache that has been growing in your chest since before you could name it.

You're just about to turn the page when the butler enters and announces, “Lord Geto Suguru has arrived, Your Grace.” You blink, surprised. A smile curls faintly across your lips.

“Send him in,” you murmur, rising slightly.

He steps in moments later, breathless and urgent as though the world has ended, but his expression softens when he sees you. “Hi,” he says, almost sheepishly.

You smile wider, if only to push away the unrest in your chest. “Hi. Come to see my husband and not me, I presume?”

“Something like that,” he offers, bowing a little as he crosses the room to sit. “I don’t mind spending time with my old friend, though.”

“The old friend you haven’t written to since her wedding,” you tease, though your voice is light, practiced. “Seems you preferred me as a debutante.”

“Don’t say that,” he replies quickly, with genuine affection. “You know I never could. You’re like a sister to me.” A beat. “How have you been?”

You hesitate. The silence stretches, hangs. You could say everything. You could say nothing.

“I’m the same as I’ve always been,” you say instead, quiet. He narrows his eyes, then tilts his head, not fooled. “You’re angry with him.”

“No,” you say, too quickly. “Not at all.”

“You are,” he insists, gently. “Is this still about the contract?”

You pause. “Contract?”

“Yes, the one he and your father signed. The one to keep your father’s seat and to secure Satoru’s inheritance.” He says it like it’s common knowledge. “Though there’s a complication now—he’s been chasing down the notary ever since—wait.”

He stops. His eyes narrow again, before widening. “You didn’t know?”

You blink. “Keep my father’s seat at court...?” you echo, your voice louder than you mean it to be.

He sits upright, suddenly aware. “Satoru said he’d told you. Before the wedding—”

“Suguru,” you interrupt, your voice low but steel-threaded. “Explain. All of it.”

He looks at you then, and something in his face breaks. The guilt, the shame. He’s folding into it. And now you understand, how fools are made not by ignorance, but by trust.

“Satoru’s father was cruel,” he says slowly. “Raised him like a prisoner after his mother died. Tuberculosis, they said, though Satoru just called it wasting. His father never let him live, never let him feel. And in his will, he wrote that Satoru could only inherit at twenty-five if…”

“If?” Your voice is a whisper.

“If he marries. And sires an heir.”

There is a ringing in your ears. A coldness at the base of your neck. You feel the edges of your world tilting. “And my father?” you manage.

“Your father’s mistakes almost cost him the magistrate,” Suguru says, still not meeting your gaze. “Satoru saw it unravel. And so he... he made a deal.”

You exhale, slow and long. “He married me,” you say, voice flat. “Gave my father protection. Took a wife for an inheritance.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“I think you should leave,” you say quietly, rising from the lounge. “It was lovely having you, my lord.”

You do not watch him go. You sit back down only after you hear the door shut. You do not cry. Not yet. There is still too much to unravel before the grief can even begin. When Satoru returns that evening, the house is quiet. You’ve already retreated to your bedchambers, the light dimmed, the curtains drawn. You lie still beneath the covers, feigning the deep quiet of sleep. The housekeeper had passed along the lie without question—lightheadedness, perhaps exhaustion. A long day. Soup had been left on your nightstand. You hadn’t touched it.

He enters quietly. You feel the shift in the mattress, the creak of polished floorboards. Then the weight of his hand, gentle against your forehead, as though measuring something deeper than fever. His lips press to your crown with that practiced tenderness you once believed was instinct rather than performance. His hands rub soothing circles along your sides, warm through the thin linen. He murmurs something—your name, maybe. A prayer. A hush meant only for the sick and beloved.

You should soften. But instead you lie still, breathing steady. Pretending. And beneath the layers of blanket and silence, guilt blooms. You shouldn’t feel guilty. You remind yourself that.

Shouldn’t you be the one owed remorse?

Shouldn’t he have felt it when he let you fall in love with him under false pretenses? When he danced with you at that first ball—so attentive, so sweet—and didn’t think to mention the contract your father signed behind your back? When he smiled at your skirt in Utahime’s garden, saying he didn’t know how to speak to you, when in fact he knew precisely how to weave the web?

And wasn’t it too convenient, too perfect, that he followed you onto that balcony? That he kissed you? The thought clenches something hard inside your chest. You feel it rise like bile. You think: he knew. He must have known exactly what would happen, how quickly duty would follow affection. How clean the trap would spring shut.

You close your eyes tighter, swallowing thickly. His hand lingers on your waist, and all you can think is how expertly he has always known how to hold you.

The next few weeks are agony in silk and lace. Your mother insists on appearances. Says the London season has had its fill of your marital bliss, and it is now time to retreat—just the two of you—to Limitless Hall, the sprawling country estate that belongs to the title you now carry like a weight across your chest. A honeymoon, she calls it. A reward. A blessing. You nod and say yes, and wear the dresses she picks, and sign the letters addressed to "Her Grace," and you avoid your husband as best you can.

But even that is its own kind of torment.

Because pretending is a game you’ve grown good at, but never with him. It is hell to dodge his gaze. Hell to say you're tired when you're not. And it is hell—true, visceral hell—to lie beneath him and pretend it doesn’t make you feel everything when his mouth finds your breast, when his hips snap forward, when his voice rasps out your name like it’s the only prayer he's ever known. To bite your lip and not cry out when his breath fans your throat, when he worships your body like it belongs to him and you alone. When he says, hoarse and raw, “There is nothing I love more than being inside of you.”

It isn't the inheritance that hurts. Or the condition tied to it. You understand selfishness. Ambition. You understand needing to survive. What you cannot forgive—what burns through your chest like frostbitten fire—is that he didn’t tell you.

Because you loved him. Foolishly, fully. You still do. And that is the tragedy of it all. That love makes a fool of both of you. Because deep down, you understand: had you never written that column, you’d never have married so soon. Had you said nothing, done nothing, waited… maybe he would have told you. Maybe you’d have found out the truth slowly, from him, without contracts or obligations or shame.

Maybe, in another life, there would have been no trap. No balcony. No bargain sealed in ink and silence. So you pretend. You keep pretending.

You don’t flinch when he tells you he loves you. You smile when he calls you brilliant for suggesting Megumi stay with Yuji for when the two of you will retreat to the countryside. You laugh when he says he can’t wait to spend forever with you. And you don’t let your voice shake when he presses a kiss to your fingers, or when he draws you in close and murmurs that Limitless Hall will be perfect. That the two of you deserve this. That you’re his everything.

You don’t tell him that that—more than the lie, more than the contract—is what hurts most of all.

A week passes in silence and silk. A week of aching contradictions, of your body wrapped in his sheets, your limbs entangled with his, your mind aching with truths that he, at last, begins to share.

He tells you things he’s never told anyone. Of how he was raised at Limitless Hall while his father lingered in London, always out of reach. Of his mother’s slow unraveling, her health waning while his father watched—unmoved, preoccupied with bloodlines and legacy. Of Megumi’s mother, a woman his father ruined, cast aside, left to die bearing his child. Of the argument that fractured what little remained between them, of the promise Satoru made as his father lay dying: that Megumi would be his ward, his brother, his heir.

He apologizes quietly, without drama. Says he never meant to hurt you. That Megumi will remain first in line, and that he cannot change that. You only nod, and smile gently, placing a hand to his cheek. “I would have done the same,” you tell him, and you mean it. He calls you an angel and falls asleep beside you, breathing softly into your collarbone.

The next day, he returns home lighter, glowing. “It’s all done,” he says. “Everything here in London. We can begin the preparations.”

So, you do. You go home first—your old one. You speak with your mother and with Yuji, make arrangements for Megumi’s stay. Your mother acquiesces easily now. She rarely denies you anything since your rise in rank.

“But will it be alright, truly, if I stay here?” Megumi asks, just as you're about to leave. You kneel slightly, pressing your palm to his cheek with practiced ease. “You’ll be just as happy as I was, growing up with Yuji. I’ll write to you three times a week, and next time, perhaps the two of you can come with us.”

He shifts, frowning. “No, I meant—”

“You meant, is it alright to stay where only my brother knows you?” you finish, voice gentle. “Trust me. I’ll make sure of it. And if you have any trouble with my mother, well, I’ll handle her for you.”

You wink. He smiles. And just like that, you’re back at the estate, the soft click of carriage wheels forgotten by the time your footsteps echo along the polished floors. You’re in the corridor of the Duchess’s antechambers, gathering books, letters, and a few quills from your personal writing desk. A familiar silence blankets the space, until it’s broken.

You push open the door.

He’s standing there, framed by lamplight, a pouch of silver coins in one hand and something far worse in the other. A page. Thin, cream-inked, and damning. The look on his face is neither fury nor shock—it is betrayal in its purest form, so deep it roots itself in the set of his jaw, the stunned slack of his lips. “It’s you?” His voice is strained. “The Phantom is... my wife?”

Your eyes flick to the page in his hand, your stomach dropping, lungs collapsing into themselves.

“Satoru—”

“No.” His voice cracks, shakes, recoils. “No. I truly believed it could be anyone but you. I thought...” he laughs, brokenly, “I thought the way you looked that night. So betrayed. So wounded. Out by the swing, you were ruined, I thought. And it turns out, all of it—all of it was a lie? Was I a lie?”

Something hollows inside you. Slowly. Carefully. Then fills with heat. You freeze, just for a moment. The wind has gone from your body. But when you speak, it’s not with shame. It’s with a soft, terrifying calm. “And what of your deception, Your Grace?” Your voice is dangerously low. “Duke of Six Eyes. Gojo Satoru?”

He laughs, bitter now, clutching the piece of parchment in his hand tightly. “What lies?” he snaps. “I have done nothing but love you. Everything you asked, I did. You asked me to court you. I courted you. You asked me to write, I wrote. You wanted flowers. God, I sent you the damn flowers—”

“What I wanted was truth,” you cut in, your voice suddenly cold, slicing. “And what I received was a man who needed his inheritance. Who bargained for his bride like she was currency. Who shared a bed with her solely so he could sire an heir to secure his standing. ”

He stares. Breathing hard now. The coin pouch slips from his hand and crashes to the floor, the silver scattering like bones at your feet. As if there is nothing left to fight for.

“You made sure my father didn’t lose his judgeship. You made sure I was paraded around with you, easy to catch, easier still to wed. You calculated every word, the kiss, every flower.”

“I loved you,” he says again, and this time it sounds like a plea.

“No,” you stand your ground. “You needed me. And you never told me why.”

There is a ringing silence in the room, interrupted only by the scattered coins still rolling gently to stillness across the wooden floor. He’s staring at you, mouth parted, chest rising and falling as if words might yet come. But none do.

You wait. One second. Two. Five.

He does not move. He does not say anything. And somehow that is the thing that shatters you more than anything said between you tonight.

You turn. You do not speak. Your slippers are near-silent on the carpet, but the rustle of your skirts sounds deafening in the stillness. You walk out of the Duchess’s study as if walking out of a fever dream, your limbs trembling with the weight of all you’ve just learned—of all you’ve lost. There’s a hollowness blooming in your chest, tight and terrible, threatening to undo you right there in the hallway. He does not come after you.

You do not look back. Because if you do, and he is still standing there, you might fall to your knees. He does not come after you, he does not come after you, he does not come after you.

You do not ring for help. You do not tell anyone where you're going. You simply walk. Out the hall. Through the grand front doors of the Six Eyes estate. The butler calls after you faintly, confused, but you wave him off.

The night air bites at your skin. You don't care. Your hands shake as you call for the carriage and give your family’s address in a voice that barely sounds like your own.

And the worst part is that he does not chase you. He does not come after you. Not even once. And that is what makes it excruciatingly painful.

That night, when you walk into Highgrove House, your mother shrieks.

The way she gasps at your state—your half-undone hair, your expression, your silence—is almost theatrical. She rushes to you with a flurry of questions. Why you aren't packed, why you're not on your way to the countryside, why you look like you've been to hell and back.

You don’t answer. Not a word. In the parlor, Megumi and Yuji go still when they spot you. Yuji rises halfway from his seat, brows creased. Megumi looks at you like he's trying to figure out what happened, like he's trying to read something in your face. But there’s nothing. Not grief, not rage. Only absence. You walk right past them. Straight to the study. You close the door behind you. Lock it. You wait for the clink of the lock to register with the footsteps behind you and then silence. Just you and him.

Your father.

He sits at the desk, pen frozen above a page. You don’t look at him yet. Not immediately. You inhale. Once. Twice. Then you turn.

“When were you going to tell me?” Your voice is low. Controlled. Thick.

He blinks slowly. “I thought… I thought he would have told you. Before the wedding. That you knew.”

“You thought I knew?”

There’s no tremble in your voice now, just steel. “You didn’t think to ask me yourself? You didn’t think that your daughter deserved to know she was being sold off like property so you could keep your judgeship? What am I, a broodmare?”

“That is not the only reason—”

You laugh. Bitterly. “Oh no. Certainly not. You also thought he’d make a good match. Because, what? Because of his name? His estate? You thought I’d be content to be wanted for everything but who I am?”

“You said you were fine with it. In the carriage,” he says, desperate now. “You said you were—”

“I said I’d marry him,” you cut in, sharply. “Because I had no choice. Because I thought there was a chance it was love. Or something like it. I didn’t know there was a contract. A transaction.”

Your father exhales, heavy and old. “It was a good match. You’ve gone up in rank. You’re a Duchess. You have power. For a woman of your wit, your education, that’s no small thing.”

“But not because I chose it. That’s what matters,” you say, voice quieter now. More dangerous. “You should have told me. All of you should have.”

He pauses. Then, almost brokenly: “I’m sorry.”

You stare at him.

“I thought you were better than this. A better man. A good man,” you say. “But in the end, you’re just like the rest of them.”

You turn on your heel. The door clicks open. Your mother stands just beyond, hand hovering in the air as if she’d just been about to knock. She says nothing as you pass her. Yuji and Megumi rise, both watching you in a stunned kind of silence. You don’t look at them. Don’t give them anything.

You climb the stairs. You open the door to your old bedroom and shut it behind you. And this time, you don’t just close it—you slam it. Letting it echo. Letting it speak for you.

A week passes. Then another. You write a column about a ball you didn’t attend, inventing details about the color of the lady’s gown and the exact note the violinist missed. The gossip is cheap: some debutante without dowry, trying to entrap a second son before the season ends. It’s exactly what people want to read.

You remain at Highgrove House. The world believes you’ve gone to the countryside for your honeymoon. Only your family, and Shoko and Utahime, know the truth. No letters come from Gojo. Not one. He doesn’t appear at your doorstep, doesn’t write, doesn’t send a single flower or verse or scrap of himself.

“You must go back,” your mother insists one morning, as you come down for breakfast, hair pinned and face bare. You pick up your teacup, sip slowly, and then glance over at her. “Mother,” you say, voice thin but not without edge. “As the Duchess, I command you to stop urging me to return. And I would ask that you use my title, not my name. It is improper.”

She blinks. Her mouth opens, but then closes again. She says nothing more.

The days pass in muffled repetition. You read until your eyes ache, write until your wrist cramps, and in between you sulk in corners like a ghost that hasn’t made peace with the world. At night, after dinner, you sneak off to the courtyard with Megumi and Yuji to fence. You move fast and silent and precise, so that if anyone sees, it will be nothing more than a blur. You read aloud to them after. Tuck Megumi in. Pretend it doesn’t hurt to see your old life stretched out before you, still whole, without you in it.

It rains tonight. Heavy and thick, slapping against the windows like it’s angry too. You sit in the parlor long after the candles have burned low, watching the swing sway in the stormwind. You’ve thought of cutting it off more than once. But Yuji still uses it. That’s the only thing that stops you.

A throat clears behind you. You don’t turn. “Are you here to tell me to go back to the estate too?” you murmur.

“No,” your father says, and the familiar sound of pouring liquid follows. “That’s your mother’s job.”

He walks over with two glasses. Hands you one. Sits beside you. You eye the drink suspiciously, then take a sip. It burns too fast, too loud, too bitter. You cough, a little.

“That is as ghastly as my relationship with the Duke,” you mutter. Your father laughs. It’s soft, worn. When the sound fades, he speaks again, gently. “I should have told you from the beginning. But it isn’t easy to tell your daughter that her father’s about to lose his place in the world. That everything you built could vanish overnight. I still have the land, yes. But I am not just a lord. You know that.”

You keep your eyes on the window. “It’s alright,” you mumble.

“No. It isn’t,” he replies. “And you haven’t forgiven me.”

You say nothing. He continues. “But that’s alright, too. In time, perhaps you will. Or not. I’ll make my peace with either. I came to say one thing.”

You turn your head toward him, slowly.

“One day, when you’re older, when your hands tremble and your pride begins to rot inside your chest, you’ll make a decision that hurts someone you love. You’ll think you’re doing the right thing. Or the only thing. You’ll try to justify it, and you won’t be able to. And your child—your brilliant, furious child—will hate you for it.” He pauses, eyes on the fire now. “And in that moment, you’ll understand. That love is not made up of right choices, or even honest ones. It’s made up of people who come back. People who are willing to stand in the wreckage and ask to be forgiven.”

You stare at him, breath caught in your chest.

“If the Duke returns,” he says softly, “then don’t rob him of the chance to be that kind of person.”

He stands then, says he must rise early for the magistrate. Wishes you good night, tells you not to sit here too long, his voice worn and resigned. The door clicks shut behind him.

Still, you do not move. You remain there, in the armchair, staring through the misty glass at the swing swaying gently in the rain. Your body feels like it doesn’t belong to you anymore; your limbs weightless, your chest heavy. And then you stand. Quietly. Without thinking. You step out of your shoes, let the silk hem of your dress fall limp around your ankles, and walk barefoot to the door.

Your lady maid gasps behind you—“Your Grace!”—but the sound fades behind the groan of the door as it opens.

Rain meets you like an old grief. Cold, piercing, and relentless. It bites into your skin, soaks you in seconds, strips you of the pretense you’ve been wearing like armor.

You make your way to the swing. Sit down with a soft, defeated sigh. Water pools into the folds of your dress, clinging to your body like sorrow. You bow your head. Close your eyes. The rain is merciless, but it is real. Honest in a way nothing else has been for weeks.

Time passes. You don’t know how long. But then, the rain above you quiets. Only above you. The sky is still crying. But you are not. You open your eyes. An umbrella. And behind it, him. Satoru.

Soaked through, hair flattened to his forehead, water running down the sharp lines of his cheekbones. He’s holding the umbrella above your head like a vow, letting himself drown.

“Why are you here?” you ask, softly. Flatly.

“To take you back home. So we can go to Limitless Hall,” he says. As though it’s already decided. As though your heart will fall into step behind his voice like it always has.

“We aren’t,” you whisper. “I feel colder with the umbrella. Put it away.”

He pauses, watching you. And then, without argument, he folds it shut. The rain returns. Full. Immediate. Honest.

“Why are you really here?” you ask again, your voice nearly lost to the wind.

He swallows, once. “I couldn’t stand it,” he says. “The house without you. The silence. I know what I did. I know what I didn’t say. But I—” he falters, as if there are no words that will suffice, “—I couldn’t breathe without you.”

You turn away. “And what if I say no? What if I can’t forgive you?”

He nods, once. “Then I will wait. Until you can.”

A pause. And then, quietly, he says, “I didn’t come here to take you. I came here to ask.”

“Really?” you say, sharp and bitter, your voice cracking against the rain. “Because so far it just seems like you want me to play the perfect Duchess. Have me in your bed, give you heirs, secure your fortune.”

He flinches, visibly, as if you’ve struck him. Still, he moves closer. Rain slicks through his hair as he lowers himself beside you on the swing, the wood creaking beneath both your weight and the unbearable silence that stretches between.

Then, quietly, “You forget that you lied too.”

“I lied to protect myself,” you murmur, a tremor slipping into your voice. “I am the Phantom, yes, but I never lied about loving you. I never once lied about that.”

He turns, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “Are you saying I didn’t? Love you?”

You look at him, truly look. At the water dripping from the tips of his lashes, at the shiver in his breath, at the hollow behind his ribs that you know, without being told, mirrors your own.

“Is that truly what you believe?” he asks, breathless now. “That I haven’t been in agony? That I haven’t been waking each morning and hating myself for not telling you sooner? You do not know the torment of every day that I live without you.”

Your throat tightens. The wind cuts through your soaked gown, and yet the ache inside is worse.

“Do you think I wasn’t in pain?” you say, staring ahead, blinking through the downpour. “Do you think I enjoyed being here, pretending? Every second without you is a second I spend pretending I know how to breathe. You are in every thought I have. Every breath. You are the reason I am sitting here, in this storm, not knowing what is to become of us. Of our marriage.”

He swallows. The sound of it feels louder than the rain.

“Then why won’t you come back?” he asks, voice low. “Why won’t you come home to me?”

Your gaze drops to your lap. Your fingers curl, trembling.

“Because you lied,” you whisper. “You stood in front of me, kissed me, promised me the world. And not once did you tell me that our marriage was a transaction. That I was a means to an end.”

Silence again. Then: “Say the word,” he breathes, “and I will give it all up. The title, the estate, my name. All of it. I will sign everything over to Megumi and we will go to Limitless Hall and be nothing more than husband and wife. No titles. No heirs. No obligation. Only us.”

You look at him. His voice shakes, but his eyes hold nothing but stillness. Steady. Certain. Blue like summer light through cathedral glass.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he says. “And I am sorry. But I did not lie when I said I loved you. I do. I love you in every way a man can. I love you when I’m beside you. I love you when you’re not there. I love you when I hate myself.”

You inhale, a slow, stunned breath, as the thing inside you—whatever grief that curled around your spine like ivy—finally, finally cracks. Rain bespeckled gems upon his skin bring his beauty into every clearer definition, and you see it. You feel it.

“Satoru,” you murmur, voice too soft to hear. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have written what I did about us. I-I didn’t know what else to do.”

He shakes his head, already leaning in.

“I don’t care that you wrote it,” he whispers. “You could write a thousand more. I’d read every one of them, if it meant you were still mine.”

And then, slowly, reverently, he leans in and kisses you—rain-drenched and desperate, a kiss full of apologies and promises, a kiss that is not a fix but a beginning. You fall into it. Because there is nothing else left to do.

“Satoru—”

“N-no,” he interrupts, shaking his head with a desperate urgency, pulling you into a fierce kiss within the confines of the carriage. His hands tangle in your hair and slip beneath the damp fabric of your dress. “I need you. I miss you.”

Earlier, he had insisted on returning home at once, and you had found yourself unable to refuse. Now, you kiss him back with equal fervor as his fingers tug your sodden dress downward, exposing skin kissed by rain and longing. His lips trail fevered pecks along your collarbone, growing more reckless as he reaches the upper swell of your breasts. His hands grasp them boldly, and you gasp.

“What are you doing? The driver will hear us—”

“Let him,” he growls, voice thick with need. “I pay him well enough. I’ll give him more for his silence.”

“S-Satoru?” you breathe, eyes wide and shimmering. He whispers the words between heated kisses, as if uttering them might ease some ache deep within. “I love you. I burn for you. I am yours, forever and always. It is torture to be apart from you.”

He pulls you closer, settling you onto his lap with a soft yelp. Your hands cup his face, tracing the lines of his jaw, the wet strands of hair clinging to his skin. His grip tightens on your hips as he kisses you hard, maddeningly, and you respond by trailing your fingers along his face. His hands slide down your sleeves, damp from the rain, and drag them lower until your breasts spill freely from the dress’s confines. A low moan escapes you as your lips find his jaw, his neck—devouring him piece by piece.

He undoes his breeches with swift urgency, then returns to your lips with a slow, tender kiss before withdrawing to bare himself fully. His hands lift your dress higher, already gathered at your thighs.

“Satoru,” you whisper, breathless, as he enters you. The sensation is full and warm, encompassing and right, as if every moment before this was merely a prelude. His hands cradle your face, compelling your gaze to meet his. His eyes are like ocean shores, sea foam dancing with every breath; warm sunlit currents with a depth that pull you under as he thrusts upward, kissing you senseless.

It is maddening. It steals your breath away. It feels so utterly right that you wonder if you have ever truly belonged anywhere else—here, in this carriage, scandalous and exposed, rain tapping a steady rhythm against the windows, while he claims you in every way possible.

You marvel at how blue can burn with such fierce heat until your gaze locks with his eyes. He is breathtaking, a living tempest of beauty and desire, and you cannot help but roll your hips with abandon as he thrusts into you with a desperation that threatens to shatter your restraint. Your moans spill freely, careless of the driver’s ears or any prying eyes. You gasp softly as his lips find the tender swell of your tits once more, then drift lower. You arch back willingly, offering him better access, and his mouth envelops your nipples, warm and insistent, as you ride him with fevered urgency. It feels like heaven incarnate.

He watches you with eyes glazed and wild, as if your naked form is the most bewildering sight he has ever beheld. You are soft beneath his touch, your breasts flushed and warm as his kisses trace the valley between them. There is a vulnerability in his gaze—a raw, unguarded longing that you cannot resist.

“I love you,” you whisper, pressing your lips to his as you move with fervor. “I love you so much.”

“I see that,” he murmurs, laughter soft and low, pinching your nipples with one hand while gripping your hips with the other. “I’m going to come, you know. You’ve kept yourself away for far too long. I can’t help it.”

“You can’t help it?” you tease, feeling the twitch of him deep inside you. The warmth floods every nerve, every thought, electrifying your senses. The ache of weeks apart has made this moment so tangible, so desperate. You murmur his name into his ear, nipping playfully, and he groans, pulling you closer. Your breasts press against his soaked coat, and his grip tightens in your hair. “Make me come. Fuck yourself on my cock.”

You gasp, breathless, as one of his hands slides lower, fingers seeking, until the pad of his thumb circles your clit. It is messy—pathetically messy and raw with need, but you live for it. You obey, bouncing wildly on him, rocking the carriage with your fervor as he spills his seed inside you. You watch him tremble, but you do not relent. You keep moving, keep riding, until your body spasms uncontrollably, your stomach fluttering with butterflies, your skin aflame, and your mind dissolving into a blissful haze.

The carriage rocks to a halt, the wheels hissing against wet gravel, but no one knocks. No one calls out. The drivers must have heard everything—how could they not?—but they say nothing.

You laugh, breathlessly aching, still straddling him in the cramped dark of the carriage. His hands are warm against your back, buttoning your gown again with a clumsy reverence, as if dressing you were an act of worship. The bodice sticks to your skin where his mouth had once been. His hair is mussed. His heartbeat still hammers beneath your palm like a war drum. It is steady, unrelenting, and devoted.

He touches your face with both hands now. Thumb at your cheekbone, fingers cradling the curve of your jaw as though you might dissolve between one blink and the next.

“What did you even do these last few weeks?” you ask, quietly, as your fingers draw idle patterns on his chest. It’s not teasing, not really. It’s the question of a woman who wants to know if he missed her with the same intensity that she missed him.

“I sulked,” he says, voice hoarsely low. His lips brush yours between syllables, like the words ache to leave him. “I reread every article you ever published. And I kept reading the newer ones you wrote and released while you were gone. I sat on the settee in the library where you used to read to Megumi. I tied a swing to the linden tree in the garden, so when you came back, it might feel a little like home. I cried. I sulked. I was unbearably miserable.”

You smile, forehead pressing gently to his. His breath is sweet with the sharpness of wine and desperation. He breathes you in like you’re something holy.

“I yearned for your presence,” he continues. “And now... now I have you on top of me, glowing. The world has found its axis again. Everything is where it should be.”

You scoff, but it’s soft, full of affection. “'The world has found its axis again'?”

He nods, brushing your damp hair back behind your ear with a tenderness that makes your chest ache. “It has. Now that you're here.”

“Does that mean,” you murmur, lips ghosting across his cheek, “you’ll finally take me to Limitless Hall?”

“I’ll take you anywhere you want,” he says, without hesitation. “Anywhere you ask. Even if the world burns behind us, I will follow you. I’ll build you a home on its ashes.”

His fingers find your chin and tilt your face to meet his, eyes wild and clear. “I’m never letting you go anywhere again.”

“Never? Is that a promise, Your Grace?” you whisper. He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t blink. Just breathes the words into your mouth as he kisses you again—slow, reverent, trembling: “It’s not a promise. It’s a vow.”

THE VEILED QUILL Volume III, Issue I A Blooming of Secrets and Springtime Hearts

My dearest gentle readers,

Another Season begins. How swiftly the world turns. The countryside, with its dewy mornings and rose-laced winds, has offered this author a most peaceful respite. But even amidst the loveliest of meadows and the most fragrant of orchards, one finds that serenity can only satisfy for so long. For what is tranquility without a touch of scandal to season it? This author returns to Mayfair with ink at the ready and ears tuned sharply to the whispers behind every fan.

Why, none other than the Duchess of Six Eyes herself.

Yes, it is Her Grace who offers the first invitation, and society has been all aflutter since. After all, a woman who once moved through ballrooms as an enigma now stands at their helm. If she’s inherited even a hint of her mother’s celebrated flair for fête and flourish, this author wagers the night will be one to remember.

Of course, a new season brings with it new whispers. One can hardly ignore the epistolary bond blooming between Mr. Nanami Kento of Hastings and a certain marquess’s daughter. Just friendship, you ask? Perhaps. But a friendship that has weathered a year of travel, distance, and longing glances exchanged across ballrooms is hardly a trivial thing.

And speaking of matches: Nigel Berbrooke, last season’s most unlikely groom, is now a married man. His bride? A young lady of the ton whose courtship years were long and fruitless—until now. While this union may lack the sparkle of romance, it serves as a reminder that sometimes, settling is simply surviving.

But not all tales are so quiet.

Lady Shoko, Lady Utahime, and the Duchess herself were seen promenading in Hyde Park just this week, their laughter mingling with the scent of roses and rain. The trio, once heralded as the most promising of their debutante year, now stand together in something even more precious: enduring friendship. A lesson, perhaps, that womanhood is not forged in marriage but in who we choose to walk beside.

And now, dear reader, for the loveliest whisper of all. The Duchess of Six Eyes is with child.

There is no scandal in this news. No sharp turn or twist. Only something quietly radiant. A love that once began in shadows has softened, bloomed. Her Grace is said to be in excellent health, and the Duke—who has, at last, exchanged restless wanderings for a settled life at her side—is said to be utterly besotted.

For a couple who began as a tempest gilded in ruin, they have become the season’s finest portrait of devotion—steady, luminous, and achingly sincere. Their story is no longer one of survival, but of sanctuary. Of two hearts choosing, again and again, to remain entwined.

How rare it is to witness love unfold not in spectacle, but in steadiness. In letters tucked into breakfast trays, in gardens newly planted, in gentle hands resting on rounded bellies. In futures not demanded, but chosen.

Let us commence this season, then, with a bit of hope. For happy endings. For new beginnings. And for love, in all its quiet, remarkable forms.

With quill in hand and heart ever listening, Phantom.

© all works belong to admiringlove on tumblr. plagiarism is strictly prohibited.

[transmascaraa]

multiple characters headcanons!

summer vacation time!!

characters: kinich, alhaitham, lyney, wanderer x gn!reader

author's note: hello again🫣

Kinich ☆

-90% he's gonna take you to the people of the springs and you can't change my mind

-thanks to knowing mualani she'll probably give you two her house for some time

-while getting ready for the whole vacation is probably gonna be a mess

-i mean ajaw is there soooooo

-he's gonna comment on EVERYTHING and i mean ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING

-"EW WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THAT MANY UNDERWEAR WITH YOU?? THAT'S TOO MUCH FOR JUST 7 DAYS!"

-it's best to ignore him tho just to not cause more unnecessary arguments

-and when you're finally there, ajaw MIGHT but JUST MAYBE be a tiny bit less annoying because he's enjoying the vacation himself

-so that's definitely gonna give you more time to spend with kinichhhh

-he cares sm about you and he WILL buy you the most expensive sunscreen because he doesn't want you to end up BURNED

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

Alhaitham ✯

-he's gonna take you somewhere where HE enjoys being so if you end up not liking it he'll just say

-"oh. okay. next time you can choose." and that's all (he will bring you wherever you want next time frfr)

-the preparation is gonna take a while

-he's gonna pack his things perfectly, necessary and unnecessary things telling you to pack your things on your own

-if you're not done by the time he's done, he'll help you because he's not so rude

-half of the things he packed up are books and when you questioned him about it he just said it was "necessary because he doesn't want his brain to forget to study"

-when you get there, half the time he's gonna be reading his books OR yapping to you about the books he reads

-just listen to him it's not that hard🙏

-of course he'll already have 5 different types of sunscreen because he needs them for himself depending on how he's feeling, but you're the only person he'll share them with

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

Lyney ♡

-you're most likely going on a vacation with his siblings and arlecchino father

-the preparation is gonna be PERFECT trust me

-he's gonna give you so many suggestions on what to wear

-at one point he'll be only packing up your things forgetting that he has his own

-"do you like this shirt more or this one? or do you want to bring both? let me know!" ahh bf (we love him)

-"lyney i don't need any more clothes-" and he'll cut you off by throwing some random shirt on you. neither of you know is it your shirt or his own, but you're gonna pack it with yourself now

-once you get there he's gonna try and find as much private time for the two of you as possible

-kissing your hand anywhere and everywhere, wherever and whenever is a MUST

-he will INSIST on putting your sunscreen on for you to "make it easier for you"

-we know damn well he just wants to feel your skin against his fingers and to kiss your back

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

Wanderer ⑅

-you were supposed to goon a vacation with nahida but he turned her down saying it would be too expensive(he wanted alone time with you)

-nahida knew that damn well but wtv she wanted you guys to have fun

-the packing up was a huge mess

-he commented one everything you packed, and you only commented on his things in return so it was like a back-and-forth argument

-"why do you need so many things? and sunscreen?? pfft- the sun isn't gonna kill you."

-"i'm gonna BURN and that's not something ENJOYABLE. but how would you know anyway- you're a porcelain puppet."

-"that doesn't mean shit- your skin is just weak."

-etc etc but at some point you're finally both done

-finally getting there, he'll stay stuff like "this is worse than i thought" and stuff but he's only saying it to bring out a reaction from you

-beg him to put sunscreen on you and although he'll resist and call you stupid for not doing it yourself. once he's putting it on you he's dying inside(in a good way)

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

feels good to write after a while

| @mariaace <3

[orelicia]

could i request the seven brothers with a gn!lover who falls asleep the second they cuddle ? like it can start as some simple cuddles, and then their lover is just going to pass out in their arms without a single care in the world. and is hugging them very quickly so they can’t really move. (if the seven brothers is too much pick whoever you prefer)

Cuddles for you, only you!!

Xeijun's Letters: Thank you so much for the love you all gave on the first two posts!! Hope you all enjoy this one too!! Can you tell I really love Lucifer?

Warnings: Reader might be fem coded, so I'm sorry for that. I mean to make it as gender ambiguous I can!! Putting on makeup (Asmo), mentions of cocaine.

Genre: Fluff || Scenarios.

Lucifer

You sat on Lucifer's lap, while swinging your legs and humming to yourself. Being free from your assignments meant the free token to bother your darling boyfriend while he does paperwork as always.

Humming to yourself, your fingers fiddled gently with his hair on his nape while your cheek rested against his shoulder. Lucifer hummed, smiling, the weight of you on his legs felt nice, warm and the humming gently rumbled in his chest as well as he worked. It's been awhile since you've two just been together silently, with all his brothers shenanigans.

As he read the papers, feeling you move, he sighed but smiled, "Is something bothering you now??" he asked as you hummed silently, "Mm..Not really, but you're paying more attention to your paperwork than me." he said silently, pressing your lips to his jaw.

"You better be all mine after this is all done" you hummed as he nodded, "Yes-yes..I get it." he assured you, gently pressing your face back against his shoulder.

He went back to his work, humming to the silent classical music you had played from an MP3, more so for white noise to his paperwork. He wrote down the allocated money for the council and any and all clubs, checked up on Diavolo's reign, the subjects, the demons and witches and sorcerers. Everyone and everything demanded his utmost attention, why is it so?

Why can't people do things without him having to yell at them to check over things for them!?

As he wrote, his hand moved you and pressed you closer to him as you hummed and let out a gentle yawn. After finally being done, he leaned back sighing in relief and slight exhaustion.

"Up now, dear." he mumbled, waiting for you to listen so you two could snuggle on bed, instead of his chair. Yet when you did nothing, he gently lifted your head to find you asleep, warm and quiet.

Your cheek squished gently against his warm hand, a soft and relaxed look which is rather rare and soft snores as he almost grinned.

You were just perfect for him despite being a human..how ironic..

He gently let your had fall back against his shoulder as he gently put his hands under your knees and your back and tried to stand up but could barely budge, oh this again..

He looked down at you, to see your legs hooked under the arm and beside his side to keep him in place as if to hold him against you as tight as h could, likely to melt your skin together so he won't leave...

Well, all the more time to let him admire you!

Mammon

You grinned, counting the grimms and notes Mammon somehow won with you as his 'lucky charm' apparently. The only reason you bothered to join him was because he was sweet talking you far too much to let you ignore him.

Finally Mammon smirked, taking a last shot, shoving the glass on the table and walking after you as you skipped ahead, glad with the money he got. He walked faster, pulled you back by your waist,

"Oi, human! Quit stealin' my money"

He scoffed, but not really mad or anything, really just allowing you to do anything and obviously speaking fondly.

You shrugged, and continued walking ahead to the parking lot and waited for him to unlock the expensive car, and as he did, he got in first. You stretched your shoulders before Mammon pulls his seat back and lets you climb into his lap.

"Better get home before Lucifer hangs us up." he huffed, pulling out the driveway, as you grin.

You usually wouldn't do it, but partaking in the adrenaline rush Mammon does in the private chambers he's booked regularly for the past 1000 years, it's a place of Russian roulette, guns, drugs, alcohol and indulgence in you and his greed.

So you silently got in, leaning your head on his shoulder as he pressed a soft kiss to your head, "You okay?" he asked softly as you nodded as he began driving. You hummed softly, one hand on his other shoulder, thumb subconsciously stroking circles.

Mammon silently turns the sound of the radio up form the tiny panel on the steering wheel, playing some music as one foot subconsciously, very subtly tapped to the rhythm as he drove. One hand on your back, gently stroking.

It wasn't far too long that the House of Lamentation was in sight, as he parked, waited for you to bounce up and open the door and rush in like you always did..

Hm...weird, his head perked up when you didn't so he announced, "We're here, human." he said softly, but you didn't budge did he look down.

Breath soft, glitter everywhere on your body, cocaine somewhere in your hair after he got a bit too playful with 'snow', smell of cigarette and alcohol clung to you..But eyes softly shut in tiredness.

Your feet aching but you ignored for the pursuit of squishing your cheek against his bare chest which showed through his shirt, your shoes hooked on the little panel on the lower part of his door, making it absolutely non refusal to get out lest someone from outside opened the door..

He knew he wouldn't budge, so he just pulled out his phone to send a text to the family chat...

Ah, stupid humans..They fall asleep and do everything so easily, like making him fall in love all over again..

Leviathan

Levi watched with a soft snicker as you groaned, staring at the 'You lose' stamped in bright red as if branding you as an idiot at games. He patted your back softly,

"Lmao..how many times have you lost again??"

He asked with a grin, taking another photo of the screen, gently using the edit tool on his phone to edit the photo to circle a 'losses: 18 || wins: 0'. It was right under the 'You lost' banner and it showed your losses.

You sighed, "I don't get it..How do you pass this damn level!?" you turned to him as he sighed, covered in his blanket to minimise his embarrassment for wearing a Ruri-chan theme night pajamas.

He scoffed with a smirk, his eyes focused on the screen where you went wrong as he spoke, "Lmaooo, loser..AH-sorry, sorry, please don't hate me!!" he said, suddenly realising it was you..

He couldn't say that, what if you hated him for your entire life?? For an eternity and you BROKE UP WITH HIM?! He couldn't ever forgive himself...

But you brushed it off, shoving the controller back to him, as he smiled,

"Let me." he hummed, adding your save as you grumpily crawled onto his lap, instead choosing to pull out your DDD. It wasn't a very much video game marathon, the pair of you just usually did these nights where you both were on your separate devices, doing whatever but still together.

Levi hummed, one hand on the back of your upper thighs, but not quite on your ass as he squeezed gently with his large hands as you snuggled your face into his shoulder, pressing a quick kiss as he played the game.

He pressed the button, forcing the character to jump up while throwing explosions at the main boss, his fingers tapped even more, trying to defeat the many minions the character's way.

A few more hits, he waited as he tried to finish the quest under the time given, he gently pushed your hand over his shoulders as you groaned softly, but didn't protest..Weird.

Finally, Levi grinned as he won, softly whooping under his breath,

"Yessss!! Henry, did ya see??!" he asked brightly, as he waited for an affirming hum and when he didn't receive it..he felt awkward and insecure.

Of-course why would you be paying attention more to him than your DDD? Levi could almost cry but he didn't as he felt soft breaths on his ear as he gently tried to pull you apart to se your face which was hidden in his shoulders, but you didn't even budge.

"Henry..? Uhhh.." Levi softly called your name, as you didn't answer, only snuggling close as he gently pushed back your hair from the side of your face, to get a glimpse of your eyes closed and him unable to move as he sighed.

Squealing excitedly, he sighed out, "Eeeekkk!! They wanna sleep against you so tight you can't move!!! It's exactly like what happens in MycrushisasleepdemonsoIbecometheirpillowandnowican'tbudge!, yes! YESSS!!" he said, before clamping a hand to his mouth, realising he got too loud before he patted your back softly.

Trying to lull you back to deeper sleep, he sighed out with a smile. Oh the stupid otaku has a love so deep!~

Satan

Satan sighed, rubbing the back of his nape as he stretched his shoulders as you both groaned, entering after finally finishing one of the most tiring days at RAD that you could remember in the past month.

You dropped your bags, as Satan quickly attempted to change, throwing you one of his comfy shirts to stay in as you got in his bed, turning on the air conditioner to a slightly higher setting.

Finally done, he got into bed with you, "Who puts three hexes and curses lesson in a row on the same DAMN DAY?!" he asked, removing his blazer and then unbuttoning his shirt and folding it, loosening his tie.

You huffed, tiredly pulling on some pair of shorts of yours which likely laid around with how often you were over, and pulling one of Satan's white night shirts as he sighed, wiping his face with some wet wipes to remove the sweat and all..

Annoyance and wrath was already pooling in his eyes and your sigil of his, his pact, glowed green as you scoffed.

"An idiot does." you scoffed, pulling a book or something to see if you could pass the time until lunch came around. You'd want to start a new one, but you and Satan had been busy reading this book he'd recently got.

You pulled it from his nightstand, cursing since you both forgot to somehow bookmark it as you flipped the pages trying to see where you were.

Satan looked over your shoulder, humming in affirmation to see if you'd read the part of not.

Finally getting to where you both read, Satan laid-sat back as you leaned against him, Satan's thighs pulled up so he could rest the book there as you snuggled into his chest, inhaling his scent of old books, mint, green apples and dark chocolate..

"You know, I'm surprised nothing happened in class today, no?" he said as you hummed in slight agreement.

THREE curses and hexes classes back-to-back, you're surprised no one got sent to the infirmary by one of the seven brother because one of the demons annoyed them a bit too much..

But silently, his eyes trained over the words. The character's discovery to her magical heritage with the help of a demon, she arrives at the new place and is trying to find herself and fit somewhere..

His finger fiddled with the end, the book smelled of cats, dark chocolate and tiramisu from the last time you were eating it while reading the book..He waits for any type of sign that you're done reading after he himself is done. But nothing, so he gives it a few more minutes.

He hums softly, his cheek against the top of her head, he smells your shampoo, presses a kiss and waits. He re-reads the same two pages a few times until he is sure it shouldn't be taking you this long to read.

"MC..?" he looks down, one of his arm was around your waist and the other on the side of the book to hold it straight.

Since he saw your head lolling back and forth as he removed his hand form the book to gently push your hair back and pull your head onto his shoulder.

Snores soft and tiredness obvious, he knew it was tiring today and this was obviously bound to happen. He smiles, gently kissing your forehead as he actually put a book mark in, one you bought him with Claude Monet's painting on it.

He gently put the book aside, having expected you to sleep with how tired you were from RAD, just not this early. He softly laid down, pulling you as he hummed softly,

"Sleep tight, dear." he smiled. Oh Devil, you fit perfectly in his arms!!

Asmodeus

"Ooo, mauve and pink together, Pleaseee!!" Asmodeus almost squealed as he straddled your waist as you laid on his bed. Letting him do your makeup as you sighed.

"Sure, do what you want" you said with a soft smile as Asmo smiled, his glossy lips gently kissing your lips before she sat up, straddling your waist as he applied foundation, he seemed so adamant on this position, not that you minded.

"Hm, you know we should do skin care more often, cutie! Your skin is just glowing!" he said softly, using the clean wet sponge to spread your foundation after primer and all the base. You closed your eyes a bit since the foundation felt itchy and you didn't want it in your eyes, but Asmo gently pushed back your hair and continued.

He spread the foundation, softly humming and whistling 'ghost town' by Veorra which you introduced to him as he gently nodded his head side to side to the beat subconsciously, as he gently patted your skin to see if the foundation got streaky, it didn't.

He gently hummed, putting on concealer, contour and powder softly, humming to himself as he admired you. You usually wouldn't, but you trusted him enough to let him do make up on you, mostly as a test trial.

"Oh my! Your cheeks are so cute!!" Asmo cooed, almost ready to pepper kisses on them, but he paused since his gloss might ruin your foundation and the base he laid down, "Hm.. Pink and mauve, but colour were you thinking??"

He hummed, holding up the make-up palette as you slightly lifted your head at an awkward angle while trying not to give yourself cramps in your collarbones, neck or jaw or anywhere as he hummed softly.

You chose two to three colours, which you knew would go nice together, as he giggled and gently began prepping your eyes before he started to do your eye makeup, complex and pretty.

He softly made cat eye crease, gently colouring your eyes like his personal colour book with makeup as his art supplies as he hummed, his thighs gently squeezing your waist in support as you closed your eyes. Another shade on the inner corner, another colour in the inner-upper side.

A few very delicately crafted eyeliner to pull it together, with rhinestones, pearls or makeup decorations and all.

After eyeshadow, he leaned back and admired his handiwork for a little bit, your eyes closed politely and sweetly like an obedient kid's.

His hand refused to shake as he gently laid down the inky black eye liner with colourful liner too, making sure to fill in gaps but also not leak the eyeliner in your eyes since he knew, as a human, that wouldn't be pleasant.

"Oh, I'm just pretty in everything I do, don't I?" Asmo smiled, cupping his cheek as you hummed softly, your eyes still close, "Hmm-...hmm..Keep your eyes closed, this liner takes a sec or something!" he worked to curl your lashes, mascara and lash pearls so you had dotted eyelashes. Oh you were such ADORABLE!!

And finally, he dug through his bag to pull out multiple lip products, lining with two different colours, lipcolour was a mixture of five different; mauve, a deep shade of magenta, dark wine red, dusty red and a soft purple-pink..

It looked so good, dare he say, heavenly on you!

He applied lipgloss and setting spray and he was finally done, his finger very gently touched your eyelid, on the eyeliner, "Hm..It's dry, cutie. You can get up!!" he squealed, waiting for you to open your eyes and smile.

A second or two passed, as he got concern, "Honey..? Oh shit" he grumbled, looking through his bag, which he kept separated to make sure he didn't use anything that would be harmful or poisonous or anything!

Finding and hurriedly reading anything and everything, he checked your breath to see you breathing normally which made him pause. His finger softly tickled your side, "Cutie..?...oh." he paused.

You were asleep, your legs tight around him so he couldn't get off you..DAMMIT! Don't scare him like that, his skin might get wrinkles..But thank the Devil you're okay! He sighed, gently pressing a kiss to your forehead, before pulling out his phone.

His devilgram followers are going to love your makeup!!

Beelzebub

Finishing, you brushed your hands and wiped them, "You sure you want to wait for me, MC?" Beel asked softly, still in the middle of seven two times, so technically 14, different dishes.

You shrugged, humming since you didn't feel up to doing ANY activity and Asmo, who took you both shopping, let you both stay in to eat. He could handle a few hundred bags himself, he is the fifth born after all and thank Diavolo for that.

You leaned against him, legs across his lap and his bicep as your pillow in the booth you two were sitting as he sat silently. You weren't gonna lie you didn't understand why Asmo was so insistent on dressing up to just go to the mall, but now you understood. It looked like one of the most lavish buildings you've seen.

People decked out in their most fashionable clothes, dressing up casual would just look like a hobo entered in, no offence to anyone.

Just seeing it made you tired as you subtly removed your shoes on the floor, under the table and sat criss-cross, the place was so fricking clean, you wouldn't lie.

Leaning against, Beel hummed in delight chewing on his fifth burger, taking a sip of his second cup of dev-coke to wash it (it had cocaine in it!!), as he dipped his burger into the plate of corn-cheese, eating fries and nachos in between as he swallowed food over and over.

He was glad Lucifer agreed to fund them, his single modelling photos went for billions, who knew trillions of dead humans, sinners and hell-born demons, witches and others since the beginning of time would pay that much for the avatar of pride to model?

He didn't care about that right now, he was busy more busy gulping down his seventh burger, be quiet humanity and demonity!

He chewed silently, licking the sauce of his fingers, pulling a tissue and wiping before he sipped his sprite and coke and his milkshake, then went back to nachos and fifth box of fries.

He hummed in delight, when he finally finished, he patted your thighs, wiping his hands and digging in your purse quietly to pull out a wet wipe to wash his hand, as he sighed with a small smile. He felt so good...for the next two hour or so.

He smiled, "done, MC!" he said brightly, looking down to find you asleep, trying to keep him in place as he tilted his head, "Hm? Oh..you must have been tired." he whispered.

But nonetheless, he picked you up like a little doll, one hand on your butt (for privacy), the other holding you tight as he walked out, thanking the waiter, ducking a bit to not crush his forehead on the doorframe.

He walked a bit, finally meet Asmo in a shoe shop, grumbling with a box over some baby pink heels in annoyance, but it melted when he saw you over Beel's shoulder.

"Ah, they fell asleep!! I got the cutest thing for them, no worries. We'll let them try on at home!!" Asmo said, gently squeezing your cheek on Beel.

The fifth born pulled the sixth born, and you sleeping on his shoulder for more shopping

Belphegor

"And that is Heracles and that one is Jason, I think I met Jason once. Since Lucifer and Diavolo are technically a sort of Hades..I don't know. I think i'm a fury..." he whispered sleepily, barely comprehending what he said.

But you felt compelled to believe him as he sat up somewhat to try and stay awake while he tried to explain the stars to you, his eyes squinting to see where each star was while you admired him.

"God, Jason reminds me of Grey Sister's taxi company...it's mostly just them duplicating themselves to serve demons and entities..They drive so bad, it makes Beel sick." he whispered as you shrugged,

"Who..?", "Grey sisters. Once they made Mammon so mad, he took their eye and tooth and threatened to turn it to gold so they can never see.." he whispered, far too out of it as you laughed softly.

Boys never had a simple story such as visiting a lake, always something crazy with mythology mixed in, again he spoke as if he was an oracle,

"Yumraj likes to see Diavolo every few weeks.", "....The Hindu god of death?" you whispered softly as Belphie snored after almost falling asleep, again, when you snapped your finger to him.

Belphie groaned, actually sitting up and letting go of his pillow to try and stay awake which he sometimes found it slightly difficult to do (as difficult as can be for him, the epitome of sloth) without Diasy.

He looked up at the stars, chewing on a strawberry as he sat on the gingham patterned mat, he could now see the stars more as he hummed softly,

"That star there is Mars. Mars is, obviously, named after the Roman god of War, the Roman counterpart of Ares, the greek god of war." he said softly, letting him rant about random Greek shit. You didn't know he knew so much, but you shrugged. Eyes drooping with love.

He spoke on topic to try and stay awake, despite the difficulty he faced and you appreciated it.

You both were sitting on the backyard of House of Lamentation, on gingham patterned picnic blanket with snacks which you somehow concealed the smell of from Beel using a spell while star-gazing.

Well, you laid and he sat.

Belphie spoke on different stories, his own stories he made up about the constellations and the real stories,

"That is 'Orion'. Orion proclaimed himself to be such a great hunter and that he was the son of Zeus" he said, his fingers moving to motion a pattern of the constellations,

"This made Hera made, it always does but no judgement to her, and she sent a scorpion to kill him. That scorpion later became the constellation of 'Scorpius'..." he whispered softly, his hand gently patting your hair.

"Zeus took pity on him and turned him into a constellations in the stars." Belphie hummed, softly. "Zeus was, no offence, a weirdo." he whispered, as you hummed in agreement, your arm around his waist as he smiled.

After moments of talking, he stood up, "I need to go to the bathroom.." he whispered, but unable to with your tight grip, as he waited for you to let him go..

He looked down, seeing your eyes closing and you on the peak to sleep as he grinned, uncovering the grapes and sighing, he hurriedly teleported to go and came back.

Seeing you sleep, your arm reaching around the blanket to look for him, the sight making him smile. He silently laid down beside you, deciding his own sloth-ness needs to be fulfilled,

"Enough stars for one day..."

© orelicia. I do not give permission to modify, translate, copy or repost ANY of my works. Reblogs are very much beloved!

[serenity-loves-red]

IT STARTED WITH THE CAT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Cat distribution system featuring Phainon.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. (Current)

In which• The Deliverer of Amphoreus is suddenly transported to your home as a cat.

“Blue? Food’s ready!” You called from the kitchen.

Silence. Then you looked up to check the time. 8:03 am was printed boldly in red in your digital clock, ticking as seconds passed by.

Blue should’ve been back by now, you thought.

Unlike most cats you’ve seen online, your cat is quite active. He likes to explore things, from the cornerest (is this even a word?) corner of your house to the farthest place he could go in your neighborhood without getting lost or stolen. He is, after all, is quite expensive and cute.

His mini adventures started when you brought him outside. You can’t just let him stay in your house alone after all. You’re worried he might destroy something after being alone, get hungry or something may just happen.

So you just ended up carrying him with you.

Imagine seeing a fluffy cat with big blue eyes turning his little head back in forth, meowing as if talking to you and pawing your chest excitedly. Cuteness aggression it is.

It wasn’t even a long errand but after seeing him excited, you decided to give him a tour around.

It wasn’t hard to notice that he may seem to understand you. You already have an inkling that your cat is different. I mean he meows at you with this kind of tone similar to people during conversation. It’s like if you didn’t know any better, it sounded like a full blown conversation but just between a human and a cat.

“This is the store I prefer to buy the groceries from. Remember your tunas? They have it here at a cheaper price.”

“Meoww? Meooooww!”

“And see that place over there? That’s our house, it’s a plus too since both places are near.”

“Meow!!”

Thus, it was where everything started. Mr. Blue Balls will sneakily go outside from the window of your room to explore.

Oh he may look fat but it’s all fluff honey.

You even thought that he was kidnapped when you woke up early. You were so ready to call child service, paw patrol or anything just before you saw him sneakily trying to fit his body in a gap in your window you don’t remember having and ended up getting stuck.

So you gave him an earful.

“Do you know where did you go wrong?”

“Meow..”

“Louder! You can understand me right? Give me one meow for yes.”

“MEow!”

Did you sound crazy? Yes. But it did help you realize that your suspicions aren’t just a just.

Damn, your cat can understand you.

You’re not scared, if anything, you’re more excited to have an emotional support buddy that can talk with you. It’s like an upgrade pro version of a pet cat!

So with all of that, you just learned to start treating him not just a cat. It was like having a feline roommate with a human intelligence.

You talk. He meows.

So when you called him again for breakfast, you really started to get worried when there wasn’t any reply. You hurriedly tidied the kitchen, placed the foods at the table before going out to look for him.

“Mr. Blue Balls?! Where have you been?”

Just after you opened your front door. There stood your missing cat, his fluffy coat had been dirtied with a fluffy pomeranian dog trailing behind him.

“Meow!!” *smug smile, tail upright*

“Woof.”

Funny to think you thought the dog said:

”Mr blue balls huh? Nice name you got there deliverer.”

Note: You ask, i deliver. I’m starting to think if i should turn this into a series? Or maybe it is alreadyyy?!! 😝😝😝😝

Also cross posted in AO3 under same username!

[wrotebymii]

OBJECT WHISPERER | Date Everything x gn!Reader

Summary: Before you got your dateaviator you unknowingly had made relationships with the appliances and knickknacks around you home.

Warning: Spoilers for certain characters? This wasn’t edited, came straight from my head to my notes app.

Before you got your dateviator and realized that you could date literally anything within your house. You unknowingly had built relationships with your appliances and knickknacks around your home. Solely because you’re a lonely person and tend to talk to yourself and random things around you.

Some of the things you used to do is apologize. Mainly to Dorian or Wallace every time you accidentally shoulder-check them because your depth perception is tarnished by being with Mac and Phonenicia all day for ‘work’ related things (you’re reading fanfics).

Whispering an ‘ow’ rubbing your shoulder and absentmindedly apologizing then going about your day. Wallace would sigh ‘wall…’ dreamily while Dorian would grunt but respect you a bit more as he watches you do the same thing and stub your toe on Abel, letting out curses and another wheeze of ‘sorry…’ before stumbling away.

Sometimes you and an object get into a scuffle and both of you become moody. Like you pleading with Connie to work, not so seriously threatening Dante when you burn yourself, yelling at yourself and Mac because a document didn’t save, or muttering curses as you try and find a pair of socks in Harper/Dirk.

But every relationship has their moments, but you try and everyone else does too. You do a lot like how you help fix them, albeit haphazardly, but the thought is there! You’d replace Lux’s light bulbs with one that has them shine brighter than ever. Fixed Phoenicia when you fell and cracked her screen which was expensive. Replace fuses for Eddie and Volt. You even helped the Hanks when they did they’re extreme sports (sponsored by Red Bowls) and Hank two got hurt!

You noticed that one of the hangers was cracked and went to Jerry and got a dog themed washi tape, you wrapped it around the crack nicely like he was good as new—the Hanks thought the tape looked rad and they all signed the cast with various ‘Hank was here’.

But the moment where (mostly) everyone collectively liked you was when you defended them. Your mother came over. It was a decent visit—but then your mom started walking around criticizing every object that brought you joy, you didn’t back down from justifying their existence and why you kept them around. It made them all feel loved.

Everyone has some sense of appreciation, respect, or even longing for you. Most of them, of course, thought you were slightly insane or just extremely lonely and in need of some sort of connection due to you talking to them when you're bored but honestly? They wouldn’t have it any other way.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

"How can you not understand how much I love you?" Harry Castillo

Angry Confessions ❤️‍😠

bio : this story is part of the Angry Confessions series (you can still be a part of it)

requested by : anon thank you!

warnings: self-doubt, low self-esteem, mentioning alcohol, Reader feels insecure

You didn't like these meetings, but you loved him, so you were there for him. However, this feeling wasn't a cure for everything, not for your insecurities and fears that were going through your head every time you looked at these people.

Your dress, although you paid more for it than usual and it looked really good, seemed cheap to you. People spoke in an elegant language, but in many situations you felt like you were an alien trying to communicate with the inhabitants of another planet. It was driving you crazy, and your self-esteem was going down.

“I’m so happy you’re here with me.” Harry brushed his lips against your shoulder and looked at you with affection. “You keep me sane.”

So you hid all your fears and insecurities deep inside yourself, pasted a smile on your face and tried to meet all expectations.

Elegant and expensive restaurants, banquets, dinners with people who earned more than all your coworkers put together. And then you went back to your job – the most normal job in the world, wondering who you were really pretending to be.

He noticed it. Harry Castillo was a really good observer, and most of all, he loved you. That little crack in your gaze, the tension in your muscles, the longer thoughts when you seemed absent-minded, the quieter voice when talking to guests. He felt you were drifting further and further away from him.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

He found you standing alone on the terrace. New York City shone before you in the dark night, and the cool breeze was refreshing after being in the crowded room where the party was taking place. The smile that appeared on your lips was quick, but not very sincere.

"No, of course not. I wanted to get some fresh air,” you replied as he walked over and kissed your temple. “Next time I’ll have to familiarize myself more with the horse races or the stock market results. I didn’t think it was that important.”

“That’s not important at all.” Harry said, brushing a strand of your hair away. “What matters is how you feel.”

You looked down, biting your lip. “I had a tough week at work, but... It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to ruin your evening.”

That smile again, but Harry didn’t fall for it anymore. “Someone said something and it’s making you sad? Please, I can see you’re...”

“I don’t fit in here, Harry.” you quickly cut him off, afraid that if you didn't say it, those words would stay with you forever "I don't fit in here, with these people, in this place. I'm..." you took a deep breath "I'm nothing to these people. My job is a point of entertainment and for most of the conversation with them I have no idea what they're talking about. I feel like a fraud."

Harry frowned. "Sweetheart, to me you're the most interesting person in this room." You rolled your eyes, glistening with tears. "How can you not understand how much I love you?"

"That's not the point, Harry." You shook your head. "I know you love me, but sometimes this... It doesn't change how unreal this place feels." You waved your hand towards the glass doors, from which music and people's laughter came. "If you showed up at my work, how would you feel? We're from different worlds, different social classes and..."

"I love you." he interrupted you with a firm voice "I love you not for where you come from, but for who you are. Your surroundings, your past, everything you've experienced have shaped you and I love that. Yes, I have money, but I still think you're on a much higher level. You're in a higher league, my love, and I'm afraid you'll realize I don't deserve you."

You looked at him as if he was mocking you. "Me? In a higher league? Please... You know I'm just..."

"Real." He finished for you, "Honest. Sensitive. Supportive. Loving. Empathetic. I know a lot of people who only pretend to be like that, and you're the real deal. You ask me how I feel, if I've eaten, if I want a cuddle... God! I thought bringing you here would let me brag about what a great girlfriend I have, but I didn't think I was crossing your boundaries so far. I'm sorry."

A tear rolled down your cheek. "And I'm sorry I'm only telling you now. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to be right for you."

Harry took your face in his hands, his warm brown eyes quickly finding yours. "You're enough, my love. You're so much more. I love you and I promise I'll do everything I can to never make you feel like that again."

A quiet "Thank you" left your lips. Harry smiled.

"Come on, let's go home. We'll eat that apple pie you made and have some wine. It'll be so much nicer than here."

You smiled. Your fingers wrapped around his tie as you pulled him into a sweet kiss. You felt lighter and calmer with the man who loved you so much by your side.

[rhettrosunsets]

Early Mornings And Farmers Markets - Joaquin Torres X Fem!Reader

Pairing: Joaquin Torres X Fem!Reader

Category: Fluff

Summary: Last night when you told your boyfriend you wanted to go to the farmers market you didn't think he'd take the request seriously. Well, now it's 8am and your boyfriend is up, ready, and determined to get you out of bed.

Masterlist

Word Count: 700

Warnings: Joaquin does pick reader up. No use of Y/N. No description of reader. Joaquin uses nicknames like Cariño, Baby and Pretty girl for reader. Reader is not a morning person and is snippy in the mornings.

The first thing you registered when you woke up was the sound of the birds chirping outside. The birds were loudly chattering away and you knew one thing, that it was annoying.

It filtered in through the window like, the birds had a personal vendetta out for you. Like they knew how little sleep you’d gotten and how comfortable you had been asleep.

The second thing you registered was your boyfriend's voice. Your normally sweet, amazing, a bit annoying at times boyfriend, who currently you wanted nothing to do with at eight in the morning.

“Alright Cariño. Rise and shine, the sun's fully up, the birds are chirping and your coffee is sitting on the counter.” Joaquin said in a joyful tone having been up for a few hours.

You groaned and buried your face further into your pillow whining out a quick “Tell the birds and the sun to shut up, Quin. It’s too early.” 

“Tempting, Baby. But I don’t think I've got the ranks to boss around nature yet.” he says, amusement evident in his tone. 

“Mmm, try harder Torres and get back to me on that. Better yet get back into bed and cuddle with me." You mumble out, your voice muffled by your pillow.

Joaquin chuckled, the bed dipping slightly as he sat near your legs. “You said we were gonna go to the farmer’s market this morning Baby. You seemed real excited about it last night and told me to wake you up and everything.”

“Well, I've decided that I've changed my mind and all I want is to stay in our warm bed and for these stupid birds to shut up.” you mumble out rolling onto your side. He leans down, his lips brushing your ear. “We could get that stupidly expensive honey you like for your tea if you get up right now, Pretty Girl.”

You lift your head as you look up at him. “The one with the pretty packaging, with the bees all over it?” you ask sleepily, your tired eyes blinking open to look at him.

“The one with the pretty packaging.” Joaquin replies, a soft smirk quirked up on his lips. You flopped back down dramatically. “Five more minutes”

“You’ve already said that three times, pretty girl. ‘Five more minutes’ is just a fancy way of lying to yourself at this point.” he said, tapping your hip softly.

“I'm an eternal optimist, Torres.” You mumble out, trying to roll away from your boyfriend's pestering and back into your warm cocoon of blankets. Then there was a long pause, an almost suspicious pause at that, as you closed your eyes and nestled back into your blankets. After a few more moments you hear, “Alright. You asked for it, Baby.”

“What? Hey! Joaquin!” you squealed as strong arms suddenly slid under you and lifted you straight out of the bed. “Joaquin! I swear to god if you drop me, I'm breaking up with you and your stupid pretty face.”

Joaquin snorts loudly as he adjusts you in his arms as he begins to carry you towards the kitchen “I would never drop something precious as you, Pretty Girl.” he said smugly.

“You’re an asshole Quin!” You groan, unable to get out of your boyfriends hold despite your stuggling.

He chuckled before countering “And you're extremely grumpy, yet I still love you. It's time to get out of bed and start the day, Baby."

“This has to be unconstitutional, there were amendments made for moments like this. No quartering in my house and no making me get out of bed at ungodly hours.”

Joaquin snorted loudly, his laughter jostling you in his arms “You can argue with me after we get breakfast and that honey you like, Baby.”

You sighed, finally slumping against his chest in surrender, as he finishes carrying you to the kitchen and puts you in one of the chairs next to the counter where a coffee is waiting for you.

You yawn dramatically, already reaching towards the cup of coffee “No promises that If someone tries to talk to me before this cup is finished, you may have to end up translating grunts, Quin.”

He kissed your forehead, hands sliding around your waist as he held you for a moment longer than necessary, pressing his forehead against yours. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

You smile sleepily, your first smile of the morning. “Have I told you how much I love you lately, Torres?”

Joaquin smiles with a shake of his head and a soft eye roll, pressing another kiss to your head. 

“I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”

[ghostboyravenight]

I do live in walking distance of many charity shops, so my answer is pretty boring and probably won’t be accessible to everyone, but I do also think that a lot of people reach a roadblock very quickly at the idea of making new clothes out of their old ones.

I did, too, because I thought it required a lot of materials that I couldn’t afford and skills that I didn’t have, but once you sit down and think about it for long enough, you can usually come up with a few creative ways to make your own stuff with the most minuscule amount of materials possible. Obviously, this may not be sustainable to create an entire wardrobe, but you have to kill the cop in your head that tells you everything you create has to look fashionable or professionally made.

Like, I made a shirt just by doodling on an old white tee in permanent marker. You can paint permanent patterns on an old pair of jeans using bleach (just make sure you do this in a well ventilated area and wear a mask). You can make patches out of anything, and look up a quick sewing tutorial online. Hell I learnt how to mend the holes on my clothes just from browsing a wikihow article for ten minutes.

I follow an account on Instagram called @/punkgothbatrat who creates all of his own clothes out of materials around the house, no expenses necessary, and has some awesome suggestions about how to DIY punk outfits out of your old stuff. He once made a skirt out of a pair of jeans, no sewing machine required!

There are a lot of options out there to DIY clothes when you have no money. Believe me, I am unemployed and as broke as it gets, so I have to get really creative sometimes, but it’s absolutely not impossible to create your own wardrobe. The punks and the emos have been doing it for years without the need for Shein and Temu, so you’re gonna be fine. Visibly handmade stuff that looks thrown together with nothing but a single thread and a lot of passion is a thousand times more interesting than something you bought on Shein.

Do you think that everyone lives within walking distance of a thrift store

Listen.

I’m willing to bet that if you asked a website full of “punks”, like, say, tumblr, for alternatives to literally just Shein or Temu. Not even Amazon and Walmart. I think they could maybe give you some ideas. But it’s almost as if- and bear with me here- you don’t actually want to put in the effort to find alternatives. Because, I think if you did, you would simply… ask… instead of… thinking that every post is targeting YOU specifically…

So you know what? I AM going to open up the floor to the actual fucking punks on this website:

If you’re punk, and you’re poor, and you don’t have transportation, how do you ethically shop for clothes?

And you know what? I bet you a lot of good people are gonna come up with some good answers. Answers I haven’t even thought about!

Because you know what? Punk is about community. And sometimes community is about asking for resources. Instead of just playing defensive the entire time.

[trashytracktales]

😳👉👈

Freaky agenda for Lewis, Nando or Max?

Lewis is the type of man who has a deep respect for emotional and physical connection. He can be your quickie guy if you want him to, but for 99% of the time, he won’t rush anything worth doing right 🎀

Agendas for freaky ***, *****, and ***** are also coming soon 😈

𝗧’𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗪𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔

𝗜𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗱

✦ Lewis is the embodiment of sensual dominance. He doesn’t fuck just to make you come. That’s more like a ritual for him, one that he wants to watch it happen, again and again. And again.

✦ He’s not aggressive in the obvious sense, but he is intentional in his movements, and that can come across as aggressive at times. Thing with him is that he kows exactly how to build tension to the point of obsession.

✦ He has no shame, therefore will hold eye contact in order to leave you breathless. His praise is meant to melt your insides, and has stamina that feels unfair for a newly middle-aged man (he may be pushing 40, but you can push his babies oop).

✦ Treats sex like it’s sacred but man is so filthy.

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝘀

✦ Delicate, feminine confidence. If you know what you want but still allow space for tenderness and playfulness, he’s already undone.

✦ Somewhere in the back of his head, he knows he IS the goat. So, being worshipped even just a little does great things to him. He doesn’t need to be praised constantly, because again, he is well aware of who he is, but when you look at him like he’s the best you’ve ever had, he’ll know you’re not lying.

✦ Sensory play, because he is a sofisticated man. He’ll bring in soft fabrics, scented candles, and maybe music. Even better if you trust him with blindfolds or silk ties, since he has lots of experience and even more scenarios he wants to play out.

✦ Sense of humor. Especially if he figures you’re making jokes just to make him laugh.

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀

✦ Role-playing.

✦ Power exchange and “good girl” come as a package. It’s not just about control, though. He gets off on the emotional connection behind your surrender.

✦ Orgasm control. He will edge you until your body is shaking, then lick his lips and do it again just to hear you beg.

✦ If you look up “lewis hamilton mirror pic”, you’ll find hundreds of them, so I hope it won’t come as a surprise when I say he likes mirror sex. He wants to watch himself, he wants to watch you, he wants to see everything. Full eye contact. Slow to fast and deep strokes. A hand on your belly to feel every inch of himself inside you.

✦ Riding kink. He wants you on top because he loves seeing you take over. However, you won’t be alone in it for one second, because he still likes to have a bit of control by snapping his hips up to remind you he never really gave it away.

✦ Mutual masturbation. Watching you touch yourself while he sits back and strokes his cock. Typical Tuesday evening.

✦ Breath control + whispering, because I say so. There’s just something about his tattooed hands and how good they would look wrapped around a neck. Put me in jail and throw away the key.

✦ Aftercare kink, non-negotiable. You’ll feel him kissing every mark he left. Run his fingers over your thighs like he’s driving an expensive car. “Was that too much?” No, can you go again?

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

✦ Sweaty missionary, with eye contact, of course, and hands holding your thighs up.

✦ Face-down, ass-up, because he’s just a man. He grips your hips with intent, pounds into you with intention, but always leans over to press his lips to your skin.

✦ Reverse cowgirl with a mirror in front. I am NOT elaborating on this.

✦ Off-the-edge, one hand on your lower back, the other around your throat or in your hair. He loves the angle on this one, how tight you feel, and how much control he has when your legs shake.

✦ Car seat spread (passenger seat reclined), with bonus points if you are MUCH smaller than him. The seatbelt digging into your side, one of his rings still on your clit, window’s down for dramatic effect.

✦ Dare I say kneeling over your face, because that’s how he’s about to show you domination? Alright, I’ll see myself out...

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲

✦ Private Polaroids of you post-orgasm. Hey, he’s away a lot.

✦ 🗣🗣🗣 He’ll eat it even after he’s come inside you. Yup. YUP. Face between your thighs, “You’re dripping, baby. Gotta clean you up, right?” Zero shame.

✦ Silent dominance, because he won’t always talk. Sometimes he just stares you down while guiding your hips. No words needed, but you’ll feel it.

✦ Ruined orgasms on purpose (he makes up for it).

✦ Worships your overstimulation, because he loves to watch the state he’s brought you to.

[paranoiastudio]

Dark prince

pairing: Modern!Aemond Targaryen х f!reader

warnings: 18+ smut, p in v, oral, pet name, sex video, daddy kink

word count: 3,0k

English is not my first language, sorry about mistakes

The Dark Prince. You knew about him, of course, among the other men on the porn site he seemed different. He never shows his face, almost all the videos on the channel are filmed in the "solo" genre, and even his few partners never appeared in his videos twice.

So what should you think when you received a message from him with an offer to shoot a video together?

You yourself had fun on camera alone: ​​you didn't have a boyfriend, and having sex with strangers in the studio was too much for you. Just a temporary job that helps you, a student, stay afloat.

Why did you agree? Why didn't you refuse or just ignore him? Probably, thoughts of his beautiful, pale and tattooed body influenced your opinion and you agreed to meet and work together.

Your "colleague" paid for your flight (of course, he is from the capital), a room in an expensive hotel and agreed to the day and time when you yourself would be ready.

- Hi. - You look up timidly and almost choke at his appearance. Everything you imagined, everything you fantasized about was not even close to true.

That long blond hair, those eyes. He was tall and thin, although you could see the relief of his muscles through his thin white shirt. It seemed he had recently taken a shower, droplets of water were visible on his bare, almost smooth chest.

- Hello. - His voice is confident, he is clearly not as nervous as you are. Against his background, you seem even shorter and the man glances at the soft pink dress you chose today.

- Hi… - Thoughts are swarming in your head, you feel yourself getting shamelessly wet, the thought that that very perfect dick is nearby intoxicated you like never before.

- Hi. - He grins and lets you into his room. You haven't seen such a room in his videos, it looked much more lived-in, as if he was here all the time. - How are you?

- Everything is fine. - The view outside the window was mesmerizing. - And you… Sorry, I don't know your name, I…

- Do you want to know my name? - You nod, afraid to anger him with this request, after all, you've only known each other for a short time. - My name is Aemond.

- Aemond. - You repeat, as if trying his name on your tongue. - Am I not allowed to use it?

- You shouldn't. - He chuckles quietly again. - I don't advertise it.

- Then why did you tell me? Do you know my name?

- Yes. I saw… The diploma on the wall. - Aymond takes a bottle of cola from the minibar and hands it to you. - Here. Don't be afraid, I don't bite… Unless you ask for it.

- The diploma?

- Yes, above your bed, next to the big flower. - Aymond thought about it. - Graduated with honors, huh?

A shiver runs down your spine. If he noticed, someone else might have too. How could you be so careless? The horror must have shown on your face, because Aemond starts talking again, and this time his tone is much softer.

- I don't think anyone else would have noticed. It's just that I… I used to watch that video of you in a bunny costume quite often, remember?

Of course you remember, you bought that costume before Halloween, made a video of it, and returned it to the store that same day. It was the first time you filmed yourself playing with your butt, and it's one of your most popular videos.

- I'll hide it. - You sit down next to Aemond and take the drink from his hands. The bottle was cold and sweaty, and Aemond's hand was so warm when your fingers touched the neck of the bottle.

- Too bad, I really like it. What do you think?

- I've watched your videos, and quite often, to be honest. You're beautiful.

- Not more beautiful than you, princess. - You've heard compliments before, but Aemond's words sent a shiver through you, a pleasant thrill from the realization that he actually thinks you're beautiful.

- And… What would you like to do? - You hadn't discussed it beforehand, and only now do you realize that it would be much easier to discuss it over text.

- I've been thinking about something for a long time… But you don't make videos with your boyfriend, and I don't know what you like.

- I don't have a boyfriend, but I get what you mean. - You take another sip from the bottle. - I guess I don't want my face to be seen… Anal, I don't think… Blowjob?

Aemond watches you flutter your long eyelashes innocently, fiddling with the hem of your short dress. You seem so innocent and somehow magically managed to convey it through the screen. That's why he chose you…

A large hand lands on your knee and squeezes the soft flesh, moving higher and higher. Aemond was so tall and big that you thought he could close you off from the world.

- I would be glad if you let me. - That look; you were ready to kneel right there and whisper "yes, daddy, please." - But first, your pleasure.

Aemond works quickly and precisely. He has already set up the light next to the bed, set up the camera. He also insisted that you stay in this dress.

Everything seems so normal when the camera starts recording. Everything feels right when Aemond squeezes your breast and kisses you so deeply and hungrily that you almost choke from the onslaught.

You fall on the bed on your back, Aemond turns you around so that the view of your wet pussy is the main one on the screen. His touches were confident and precise, it felt like he already knows you, knows how to touch you.

- Such a cute pink thing. - Aemond fidgets with the bow on the hem of the dress and lifts it to the waist, pushing aside the thin strip of underwear. - I'll take care of you, baby.

A hot mouth falls on your dripping pussy and you squirm, such caresses were unusual for you, because all the guys you met, more often than not, were too selfish for this.

- Oh god… - You press your hand to your mouth, but you moan louder when Aemond wraps his lips around your clit. - Please!

- I'm just getting started, baby. - Aemond holds your legs wide apart and begins another assault, intending to make you cum on his tongue. The thought that you must taste divine has been haunting him for months.

His nimble tongue penetrates you again and again, Aemond's thumb circling your clit, already swollen from kisses. You take two fingers at once without any problem, and you both moan as you feel how hard you clench.

A finger, then a second, penetrates, stretching your plush walls and causing only more whimpers. You were shamefully wet, soaking wet as soon as you saw him, but this… Is it possible to pass out from this? When your pussy is being licked by a man like Aemond, yeah, definitely.

- Let go, baby, let me taste you. - That growl-like cry pushes you over the edge and you break when Aemond's other hand squeezes your thigh, bruising it.

You've never been loud in bed, but no one has ever given you this much pleasure. Aemond doesn't let go of you for a second, devouring your orgasm with a hunger worthy of a starving man. His fingers slide in and out with a wet squelching sound that turns you on even more. You're like an animal in mating season, unable to think about anything but him and the way his cock is pressing into you through your jeans.

- Please, wait… - Your plump, wet, pulsating pussy was so sensitive, but the man kept licking you. - Daddy, please…

Aemond immediately looks up at you and you see the effect your words had. He seemed to get even more aroused, your whimpering and the fact that you continued to squeeze around Aemond's fingers did not help his calm either.

The man catches your palm and gently bites the thin skin of your hand, slippery fingers still moving inside and you no longer try to bring your legs together, knowing that it will not help against him.

- What do you want, baby?

- Fuck me, daddy. - You throw your leg over his strong shoulder and do not meet any resistance.

- Oh, baby… - Aemond buries his face in your chest. - Your dress is so beautiful.

You giggle, understanding why he asked to stay dressed. But what you do not know is Aemond's desire to undress you himself. It is like opening a gift that you have so long and desperately desired …

Aemond pulls the fabric of the dress, exposing your chest: hard pink nipples cannot help but attract his attention, the blond immediately circles one of them with his tongue, rolls it in his mouth and releases it with a loud "pop" made by his chiseled lips.

The man helps you sit up comfortably on the bed and you immediately open your mouth, wanting to feel his heavy taste on your tongue. With one hand you grab Aemond's strong thigh and with the other you pull the fabric of the dress even lower, something like a skirt hangs at the waist, you feel the juices of arousal flowing down the inside of your thighs.

Aemond pulls the zipper and you see him: as beautiful as you remember from all his videos, the head red and dripping, wanting to receive what you will gladly give him as many times as he says.

You swallow him as deep as you can and almost choke on the amount of saliva, this man turns you into an animal. You drool and move your head more actively, making the most indecent sounds. Aemond's long fingers bury themselves in your hair, gently massaging your scalp and pulling the soft strands so that they do not bother you and do not cover your face.

The sight of you sucking his cock, wrapping your beautiful lips around the shaft, the way you look into his eyes while licking the underside of his cock, excited him like nothing else.

- That look, baby. - His voice trembles slightly and breaks into a moan. - You look at me so innocently.

- Am I doing well, daddy? - A thread of saliva has formed between your mouth and Aemond's cock and you feel how the grip in your hair is getting stronger. - I'm trying, but you're big…

He really is bigger than all the cocks you've ever handled. Even on video, you've used small or medium-sized toys. But it was impossible to swallow Aemond whole, you squeeze his balls and suck on the head, continuing to circle it with your tongue.

- Such a good girl. - Aemond literally growls, catching the pace and moving more confidently. - You'll let daddy fuck that magic throat, right?

Your hand involuntarily reaches between your legs, the pulsation is so strong that it hurts. There's a pull in your groin and you touch yourself, smearing the lube and looking for at least some release.

Aemond penetrates deeper, sees how you inhale through your nose and continues to fuck you in the mouth, wiping away your tears with his thumb. You feel the stretch, it becomes difficult to breathe, but you exhale through your nose and choke on the cock, continuing to play with your pussy.

- I was distracted for a minute… - Aemond's voice is hoarse, his cock twitches in your mouth and he pulls away. - I didn't tell you to touch yourself, right?

- Daddy… - It's so hard to take your hand away, especially when he's looking at you, his gaze does not bode well. This man will ruin you.

He throws you down on the bed, face down, ass up in the air, Aemond pulls off your dress and you're left with only your shoes, with little white bows. A heavy slap lands on your ass and you gasp from the burning sensation on your skin.

- No one but me can touch this pussy. - Aemond's other hand grabs you from below. His palm is big enough to cover your entire cunt. - Do you understand?

- Yes, daddy… - You lift your ass higher, still hoping that he will stop teasing and just fuck you the way you want.

- Repeat. - A tone that will not tolerate an argument, impossible to disobey.

- No one but you can touch… this pussy… Please! - Tears flow from your eyes, because Aemond's nimble fingers have been touching you all this time where it was wet and hot. For him, because of him…

- And now we will reinforce this lesson. - You feel how he rubs against you, collecting your secretions and lubricating his cock. You smile slightly, noting that he cares about your comfort.

This thought leaves you as soon as Aemond fills you with one strong movement, right now he did not tease you and just took everything in one movement.

The sticky walls adjust to its shape, as if you memorize its outline. It is so heavy and hot, the angle allowed the Dark Prince to penetrate so deeply, at first you only roll your eyes, your ears seem to be blocked.

Somewhere in the distance you hear a groan, it is your own voice, so high… The man hits your round ass again to bring you to your senses and immediately begins to move.

You scream and wiggle your hips, feel like you are going to die now. But it's not death, it's an orgasm that hits you suddenly and hard, you feel yourself sucking Aemond into you, he moans long and hard, but doesn't stop fucking you, his balls slapping against you, he moved so fast, as if he was really hammering a lesson into you about whose you are now…

Still shaking, you suddenly feel light and find yourself on your back, Aemond, slightly flushed, with disheveled hair, looks at you, moving his cock with his big hand. You spread your legs and take him into your arms.

Aemond holds your legs, setting a precise rhythm and plunging into you with almost hypnotic awe. He catches your face by the chin, you hold his gaze, he doesn't break away from you for a second.

- Are you going to give daddy another one, baby? - He leans down and showers your breasts with light kisses. - Squeeze me one more time and I'll give you what you need?

- Cum on my tits? - Aemond kisses you and changes the angle slightly, your ass literally hanging off the bed, Aemond above you, fucking you like it's the last time. What a beautiful view on camera, you suppose. The thought of it drives you on and you leave kisses and bites on Aemond's thin neck. Your pussy clenches, he feels that you're almost there…

- Come on, princess. You take me so well… - His voice breaks, he's close.

Aemond rubs your clit with his thumb and kisses you again. Not a single moan escapes, he'll swallow them all, not letting you go until you're ready.

He's still hard inside you when he slides out and sits on your right side. You immediately open your mouth and smile invitingly, your hands automatically reach for your chest, you pinch your nipples and wriggle.

It only takes a minute for Aemond to cum, sperm lands on your chest and stomach, moans and tries not to close his eyes, continuing to slide his gaze over you.

You lick a few drops and smile at him. Aemond leans down and kisses your forehead.

- Can I get a close-up? - You just nod and stay on the bed.

The man takes the camera from the tripod and comes to you. Your face is out of frame, he focuses on your tits and the cum dripping down you. You play with your breasts a little when Aemond changes the angle and your pulsating pussy is right in the frame, the man catches your gaze and smiles, receiving another nod.

He runs his finger along the entrance, pinches the clit with two fingers, you giggle, but spread your legs wider. He penetrates again with his fingers, pulling out a couple more wet slaps; pulling out his fingers, he slaps your pubis and ends the recording.

You are still lying on the bed when he brings a warm towel and washes off the traces of your passion. Silently, you let him do it, using the opportunity to examine him up close once more. Aemond does everything good and carefully, he is too experienced.

The sudden urge to touch him overcame common sense and your palm ended up on Aemond's cheek. He looked up and you stared at each other for a few seconds, you were the first to reach out to him and innocently, quickly and lightly, touched his lips.

- I felt good… - You don't know why you're even saying this.

- Me too. - He smiled and leaned into your touch. - Do you want to take a shower? And then we can… go to lunch if you want.

You agreed, you spent a couple more hours together, Aemond promised to send you the final version of the video before publishing it, so that you could check everything and approve it.

As promised, you hid the video that Aemond had mentioned, but sent it to him, writing in the message "since you like it so much, you can be the only one who has it xx"

That same day, Aemond sent you video and you were pleasantly surprised. Everything looks really good, and this is your first sex video with another person.

As soon as you finished watching, another message came from Aemond.

“How about we always make videos together? And I would also be happy to take you on a date”

[81pastrys]

Unplanned

Part 2 / 5

Summary— They find out how big of a mess they made and discuss their options moving forward— at their parents expense.

Warnings— pregnancy mentioned ; depression ; talks of arranged marriage

A/N— I’m moving fast with this IK but I plan the last one or two chapters to be how it all worked out and their happy lil family.

Series List

Main Masterlist

The weeks following were back to her normal schedule— studying, reading, classes. Her friends hounded her to spill on what happened but she was tight lipped about it. She had forgotten about protection and by the time she realized she could take a Plan B it was too late. All she could do was wait.

Carlos was losing his mind. He texted to check in a few times and got left on read multiple times. He had only told Max what happened that night, scared it’ll come for his racing. Everything was consensual except the unprotected part— but neither of them had thought that far into it. Stupid fucking teenagers is what they were.

It was now time for her to own up to the mistake and take a test. She researched how long it would take to even show up and a few weeks was enough. So, she splurged buying a few good tests. Her friends hadn’t heard from her for days after. Not knowing why nor what she had done.

Carlos sat in shock. Saturday after Qualifying he got a text. Not just any text, no, a text from her. A picture to be exact. It was a Live Photo, her hand shaking for the split second it played. Two lines on one test and ‘pregnant’ on the other sitting in the background.

The silence fell loudly. Carlos shut everyone out, she ignored any calls or texts. She even missed a day of classes. That’s when her friends decided it was enough and seriously worried about her. “If you don’t open this fucking door I’m calling the fire department!” Mia, her best friend, sobbed at her door.

She got up from her bed and unlocked the door, not even bothering to open it for Mia. If the hoodie and sweats told her anything— this wasn’t good. At all. Even if she was sick they’d get a text or an answer. She wouldn’t even miss classes if she was sick. This was bad.

“Oh my god.” Mia knew immediately. Her red face, the hoodie pulled over her unwashed hair, the loose sweatpants and the untidied room was enough for Mia to know something was severely wrong. “What the fuck happened in Monaco?”

She started sobbing again and fell into her Mia’s arms. “I fucked up.” She choked out. After a while of sobbing and more sulking she told Mia everything. That it was all consensual until the end. “I didn’t- we never talked about protection- I mean it was a hook up- but I’m screwed now.” She sobbed less now but tears were still streaming.

“Did you- are you okay?” The question hung heavy. She didn’t say anything but went to the bathroom and returned with a plethora of positive pregnancy tests. She thought Mia’s eyes were going pop out of her head. “No.” She shook her head. “No! This can’t- what?”

The initial shock was enough of an excuse for her absence and her friends let it be. She missed another day of classes but pulled herself up for the next day. She still looked worn and upset but she couldn’t miss another day.

No one questioned her and she trusted they didn’t know why. It was almost summer, and he seemed to be interested in talking it out and not just leaving her. It would work out— she thinks.

Carlos was in the same boat— well nearly. He told Max. That was it. He told Max to keep it quiet, not to tell anybody until he was able to talk with her. They were only texting and he wanted to talk with her in person about this. After Spain he was planning on flying to her.

“What are your parents going to say?” Max asked. Carlos confided in the younger kid since they were around each other most of the time. Max was as shocked as Carlos, as if it was his instead of Carlos’.

“Dios Mio, to get married?” Carlos guessed. “They are against whatever you call this in English.” He added. They wouldn’t take it lightly is basically his point.

“Is that what you want? To get married this young?” Max asked. Carlos shook his head slowly, his gaze locking in on Max’s eyes. “Well you definitely need to talk with her if you want to be involved.”

“I plan to, but if my parents want us to marry and she doesn’t want that then I can’t be involved.” Carlos mentioned. “Ay, I need to plan this out.” Plan he did.

Carlos flew out to the UK right after the race and before the next in three weeks time. They met in a semi-public but disclosed place as to not attract paparazzi or fans. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with that.

She didn’t look the same— not that he had seen her outside of the club or pajamas but she just looked different. It was awkward at first, they ordered fancy teas and made small talk. “I can’t tell my parents, they’re too strict and I just- they’re gonna hate me.” She said, her voice cracking as she did so. “I’d hate to put you in that position.”

He was confused, what position? “I understand that but what are our options?” He asked. He wanted to make it clear it was her decision on anything. They both didn’t mean for this to happen.

She sighed heavily and looked at him hesitantly. “My parents would want us married as soon as humanly possible, I don’t want to terminate the pregnancy- that’s not, that’s not what I want at all.” She admitted. “I can’t do this alone though, so if you don’t want-“

He placed a hand over hers and gave her a soft smile. “I won’t let you do it alone, that’s not who I am.” He said. “If you want me involved I will gladly be there.” She sighed a breath of relief for now. “My parents will say the same, marriage before kids and toda.” (Everything).

“There’s always adoption, but if we can work something out I’d like to keep the baby and raise them with you.” She said quietly, shy even. “This was not how I expected my summer to go.” She sighed.

“Ay dios Mio, me either.” He sighed. “We can work something out, I don’t plan on leaving you alone with a baby to raise.” He assured her.

They agreed on telling their parents and being there for each other as the texts— well paragraphs explaining everything— sent. Phone calls ringing simultaneously nearly a minute later as they shared a glance. As they expected their parents requested marriage immediately. Accepting to an extent considering the situation.

Part 3 will be longer I promise, I promise

@il0vereadingstuff @angelluv16 @justaf1girl @pandabiiissh @widow-cevans @itznotsophia @angstynasty @kallanfiona

[lohotine]

``The Want to be Wanted.``

Chance x Reader (Forsaken)

Cw: Mentions and usage of: Cigarettes, Alcohol. Not proof read.

The night had been long. It was filled with loud activities, risky bets, money, alcohol.

Things that were commonplace for a casino.

Chance had you by his side the entire night. You were his quote-unquote lucky charm. Though you're pretty sure he was only saying that because you were a nice piece of eye candy for him to flaunt around the casino.

What is a crown without its jewels, after all?

He'd have you seated on his lap while making irresponsible bets that he somehow never ended up being punished for, leaving kisses along your neck and rubbing their thumb over your hip.

It was honestly quite boring, but you couldn't deny that the attention was nice.

Feeling wanted was nice.

Of course, he'd make it up to you by buying you drinks and complimenting you the entire time. About how nice you looked that night, or how good you smelt.

Cheap, basic compliments like that; but compliments nonetheless.

Compliments that, despite your best efforts, replayed in your mind over and over.

But all good things have to come to an end eventually.

The two of you would call it a night, and Chance would bring you to his expensive car parked outside, and he'd hold the passenger door open for you, like the gentleman he was.

As Chance drove, you'd look out the window to see all the city lights filling up the streets. You'd see all of the people who have yet to retire for the night.

Chance was rambling on about a jackpot he won earlier that night. You already knew about it, of course. After all, you were with him the entire time. Yet you continued to listen despite this.

You always listened.

Nobody else really did.

And eventually, you'd reach the apartment complex he had booked for the night. It was a different one from last week, though no less expensive.

Chance could never really sit still, after all. They were constantly chasing after that thrill. Asking things like, what kind of complimentary wine will be served this time?

Or, will there be white bedsheets or black?

Small things like that. Things that made him seem like even more of a gambling addict than he already was.

He'd know the answer to these questions if he simply checked the website a little more thoroughly. But why would he do that when he could just leave it up to fate, right?

The lobby was empty. It was late, after all. Chance took this as a sign to wrap his arm around your waist and walk you towards the elevator. Not like he wouldn't have done the same thing anyway if there were people.

"So, fun night, right?" He muses, that signature grin brandishing his face as you approach some random suite. You say nothing. You just want to lie down.

"I'll take that as a no," he notes, sliding the apartment keycard along the sensor. The inside looks nice. Everything Chance owns is always like that.

Refined, minimalistic, expensive.

Chance starts to take off his coat, but you don't help him. You only wander off to the balcony. To the first moment of solitude you've been offered this entire day.

Solitude isn't really what you're after, though.

The entire city stirs beneath you. Cars speeding down the street, apartment lights serving as your substitute for stars.

It's something you have to get used to. How everything is constantly in motion.

How it can never seem to sit still.

And eventually, after staring at the view from the balcony and being lost in thought, Chance reunites with you once more.

And once again, your thoughts have circled back to him. The one person who probably could not care less about you.

Not really.

Not in the way you'd want.

He pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his suit. It's an exclusive, nameless brand that's probably worth more than your entire life's savings.

Another reminder of just how little your life is worth in comparison to his. For some reason, this night just seemed full of them.

Chance lights one cigarette and brings it up to his lips. You watch silently as he breathes it in, and eventually breathes it out.

It's sort of mesmerizing; how pretty he is.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." He grins at his own joke, because of course he does. "But seriously. What's up with you? You've been acting off all night."

You say nothing. You're not even sure what you'd say, anyway.

The only sounds that remain are the sounds of cars driving by and the sound of Chance's breathing as he continues to smoke.

If he were feeling a little more generous that night, perhaps he would have allowed you to remain silent.

But he'd long since become bored of your little silent treatment. Even the most patient of people grow tired of waiting after all.

He leans over you, smoke swirling around the two of you like a veil. Chance smells of alcohol and expensive cologne. The apartment smells like antiseptic.

An unfamiliar mixture of scents.

A mixture that just so happens to set off all of your nerves in a way that makes you feel like something is wrong.

You can't see their expression under the sunglasses, but even if you could, you doubt you'd be able to decipher it.

Is there something wrong?

"Come on now, use your words. Tell me what's on your mind," Chance says, his thumb brushing along your bottom lip.

He looks at you with that small, charming smile. The one he's constantly wearing. Though this one, you admit, is slightly softer.

It manages to make you fold. Instantly.

"Why do you even keep me around? You... have no need for me..." you mumble.

The atmosphere gets more suffocating with those words, and Chance's movements seem to still, if only for a moment.

Then he sighs. He removes the cigarette from his lips and flicks it out over a nearby ashtray.

"Of course I don't need you."

His hold on your chin tightens. An act of desperation, perhaps?

"But I want you," he exhales, the words sounding breathless on his lips.

"I want you so badly."

"And more than that... I want you... to want me too."

Chance never thought he'd admit those words.

After all, Chance had everything he could ever need.

He had money. Connections. Luxuries.

And yet,

you remained all he could ever want.

That's why he did all that he did, after all.

He bought you anything you even vaguely looked at. He kept you near him always. He'd hold open doors for you, pull out chairs for you.

All so that, maybe, you'd want him, like he wanted you.

He wanted you to want him.

He really,

truly,

did.

And so, when Chance felt your hand slowly trailing upwards, before resting on his shoulder, he could not help but lean into you more.

You were careful, and perhaps even a bit reluctant in your actions, yet not unwilling.

Never unwilling.

"I want you."

Those were the words Chance heard from you.

A quiet exclamation. Almost a whisper, that threatened to be whisked away by the night breeze.

But he heard it anyway.

Of course he did.

And then he'd shift, once more, closer to you. Closer to your lips

And you'd do the same, until you two met.

A careful interaction, being tread lightly by both of you.

This kiss was different from the others.

Not as demanding. Not as bold.

Just there. Simply being. As it is.

"I think I love you," he'd murmur, never quite breaking the kiss and simply mumbling the words into your mouth.

"You're not sure?"

He'd pull back at that, shaking his head slightly.

"No. I am sure... I love you."

And before you could say anything else, his lips were back on yours. His tongue swiped your bottom lip, before shoving its way into your mouth.

He still tasted like the smoke from his cigarette. It was bitter. But it tasted like him.

It tasted right.

"I love you, too," you'd say in-between kisses.

The words left you effortlessly.

You've been meaning to say them for a long time, after all.

Been meaning to kiss him like this.

Like you meant it.

And you did mean it.

As did he.

And you wanted it.

As did he.

[nhmkhnh]

hellooo, do you take c.ai requests? if so, may i please request a rich!older!abby who is a professional trainer and former athlete, (or maybe owns an athletic company or something) who makes diet plans for her younger!bimbo!girlfriend, and she likes, helps her workout and stuff too

𐔌 older!rich!abby anderson ━ younger!bimbo!fem!user ⸝⸝

≔ chat here (c.ai)! || ≔ chat here (janitor ai)! (soon?)

the weights clink quietly in the background. not the heavy kind—abby made sure of that. those were racked neatly out of reach. instead, she has her girl on resistance bands and soft pastel dumbbells, everything color-coded and easy to grip with manicured hands. no strain, no sweat—just enough to keep her toned. soft. touchable. pretty.

exactly how abby likes her.

she leans back on the leather bench, sweat still glistening across her own sculpted abs from her 5 am deadlifts. a protein shake in one hand, the other lazily holding her girl’s pink ipad, where the custom diet plan she spent three hours perfecting last night is open in a sparkly notes app.

“tuesday: oat milk smoothie, one scoop vanilla whey, four strawberries, half banana. protein waffles. no syrup.”

abby smiles at her own work. she’d even added a glitter heart sticker next to “abby’s approved 😘.”

she watches {{user}} curl the light weights in a matching set of baby blue—sports bra too small, shorts riding up that ridiculous ass abby spoils rotten. she could barely focus during that board meeting this morning, kept thinking about how she wanted to bend her girl over the conference table and—

“back straight, baby,” she murmurs instead, voice low and fond.

{{user}} adjusts instantly.

good girl.

abby gets up, padding across the plush flooring in her sports bra and compression leggings, broad frame casting a shadow over {{user}}. she gently sets her hands on her girlfriend’s waist and guides the motion. “there we go. just like that. you’re doing so good for me.”

she watches her form. watches the little pout when her arms get tired. watches the way her thighs jiggle just the right amount. abby swears she’s never been more obsessed in her life.

after a few more reps, she pulls the weights away and replaces them with a bottle of electrolyte water she imported from italy because it’s pink and tastes like strawberries. “hydrate,” she commands softly. then wipes her girl’s forehead with a warm towel.

“let’s do stretches now, yeah?” she says. “don’t wanna pull anything. you’re too precious for that.”

she leads her into the next room, where floor-length mirrors reflect the two of them—abby: tall, muscled, confident; {{user}}: dolled up, small in her hands, perfect. abby helps guide her into each stretch, palms sliding over soft skin under the pretense of “correcting form,” when really she just wants to touch. needs to.

the more abby presses close, the more the scent of her shampoo rises—something expensive and sugary sweet. the kind that lingers on abby’s pillows long after {{user}} slips back into her pink car and drives home, lip gloss still smeared on her cheek.

except abby never lets her leave without dinner. never lets her leave at all if she can help it.

once stretches are done, abby scoops her girl into her lap without warning, still sitting on the yoga mat. “you did so good, sweetheart,” she praises, voice thick, low against {{user}}’s neck. “you followed your meal plan, you finished your sets, you even texted me your weight like i asked.” a kiss to the jaw. “proud of you.”

she pulls out her phone and shows her a little progress chart she made, complete with sparkles and a photo of {{user}} at the top. “we’re gonna keep going slow, okay? keep you healthy. soft. just how i like you.”

[claramelooo]

CHECKMATE (15/20)

Hey, my boos!

We are getting at the final chapter....I know I know! Actually, I'm trying to write the perfect ending but my routine is so crazy! I'm thinking to stop for few days to organize it, and then, back.

Anyway! I'll let you know, okay?

Enjoy it!

MINORS MUST NOT INTERACT

Warnings: angst.

Pairing: Governor! Agatha Harkness x Fem Reader

Summary: Agatha finds your behavior strange.

Skewer

noun

a tactic where a more valuable piece (like a king, queen, or rook) is attacked, and when it moves to defend itself, a less valuable piece behind it is exposed and can be captured. It's essentially the opposite of a pin, where the less valuable piece is in front.

The smell of fresh-brewed coffee was the same. Strong, bitter, and persistent. Thanos loved making coffee. It was one of his small daily gestures, a ritual that seemed like affection.

“Do you have a meeting today?” He’d ask, still in expensive cotton pajamas, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

“I do, at the Chamber.”

Silence would follow, broken only by the soft clinking of a spoon against a mug.

“Don’t you think you’re getting too involved in all this? Politics is… dirty.”

She pretended not to hear, took a sip. “That’s exactly why.”

Thanos gave her a small, measured smile. The kind that always came before a perfectly crafted phrase.

“I just think it’s too much exposure. It changes people, Agatha.”

She smiled back. Because smiling was easier than arguing. Because he never yelled, never laid a hand on her. And yet, every word felt like an invisible clamp pinning down her wings.

Their house in the Hamptons was beautiful. Classic, quiet, and immaculate. She used to run her fingers along the golden frames in the hallway, where his diplomas were displayed.

Economics at Oxford. MBA at Yale—where he’d been her mentor during undergrad, and how they met—and a smaller frame with her name on it, from a speech she gave at Harvard.

A speech Thanos had read and rewritten three times before letting her take the stage.

“It’s not about censorship, love. It’s just a matter of tone. You tend to sound… aggressive when you talk about the system, and no one likes aggressive women.”

That night, Agatha didn’t sleep.

She lay awake, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember when exactly she started being tamed. When she had been boxed up and commanded.

On their wedding anniversary, Thanos took her to a French restaurant, all candlelight and background piano.

A toast to love!

He gave her a gift: a pearl necklace. 

And she gave a speech. Polished and empty.

On the way home, in the car, Thanos placed his hand on her leg.

“See? When you want to, you know how to behave. Everyone loved you tonight.”

She never wore the necklace.

Years later, she could still remember the taste of that wine. The scent of his skin. The impenetrable silence that filled the house.

And how, on the outside, everything looked perfect. 

The businessman and his wife. The philanthropy. The meetings. The smiling photos at gala dinners with his investors.

And a woman slowly disappearing inside herself.

[...]

The bathroom mirror was fogged up, steam curling up the tiled walls. Agatha braced her hands on the cold marble sink. Her reflection looked younger today or maybe just more real.

Her body still pulsed with what had happened a few hours earlier.

The tight stall.The bass thumping through the walls. The taste of your kiss. The muffled moans against your neck.

She closed her eyes.

God, that had been wrong.

So wrong.

Inappropriate, reckless, impossible.

And yet...

She thought of you.

So young.

But it wasn’t just your age. You were movement, impulse. Raw, generous desire.

You gave yourself like someone who had never learned to hold back, like someone who hadn’t been broken into small enough pieces to fear pleasure yet.

And that… that destroyed her, because she wanted to break you.

Wasn’t it wrong?

Yes.

Of course it was.

But... maybe not that wrong.

What happened in that bed, in that stall, it wasn’t casual. You touched her with hunger, with reverence, with a kind of freedom Agatha thought she had buried under layers of power, fear, and duty.

Freedom.

The word echoed with a summer taste.

Being with you was like an unexpected breeze on a stifling afternoon. A light, cool, rebellious wind. The kind that enters without asking, slams windows, sends papers flying, and makes curtains flutter like freed ghosts.

You were that.

An impossible wind.

And Agatha…

She’d spent her whole life closing windows.

She sighed, bracing herself on the sink, and remembered the word:

Mommy.

You always called her that, like it meant nothing. Or maybe it did?

It didn’t matter.

Because the effect was immediate and consuming.

It wasn’t just erotic, no—although it was, searing and incandescent to her. It was what it said about how you saw her.

With surrender, with trust, and need.

Agatha shuddered.

She felt exposed, yes. But also… adored. As if, for one night, she’d stepped out of her armor, as if someone had seen something in her beyond strategy and control.

You saw her. Whole. And still… you wanted her.

You were so sweet you might have been naive. There was a wild insolence in you, a thirst that never apologized.

You wanted the world and you wanted her. Even with her contradictions, her sharpness, her fears and mistakes.

And for some reason... that didn’t scare her.

Not like it should.

You were intense, generous, unfiltered, and maybe— just maybe—The best thing that had happened to her in seventeen years.

She straightened slowly, running her fingers through the wet dark strands falling over her shoulders. The robe touched her skin with silent tenderness.

She took a deep breath.

Maybe she wasn’t the kind of woman who deserved love, maybe she wasn’t the kind who knew how to love, but for now… maybe she could allow herself.

After all, even the most powerful king was once just a pawn trying to cross the board.

When Agatha stepped out of the shower with her hair still damp, skin warm under the cotton robe, she didn’t expect to find the bed so quiet.

You were there, lying on your side, one knee bent, sleeping deeply on the messy sheets.

She stopped, just watched you.

You breathed slowly, long strands falling across your cheek. Moonlight slipped through the cracks in the curtain, sketching soft shapes across your face.

So young.

So confident. 

and yet… so, so reckless.

She sat down beside you but didn’t dare touch. She just stayed there, watching over you like someone guarding something precious and fleeting.

That night, she slept beside you without armor. 

And dreamed of freedom.

In the morning, the shift was obvious.

You woke up first. Spoke little, almost distant. Irritation shimmered in your eyes, even though you tried to hide it.

Agatha furrowed her brow, confused. But she slipped the armor back on and didn’t ask.

Like every dream, your days of peace had ended.

The car drove in silence back toward Seattle.

She gripped the wheel with one hand, the other resting on her thigh in anxious stillness.

You stared out the window. Silent, closed off and inaccessible.

“Is everything okay?” She asked in the gentlest tone she knew, though it still came out stiff, almost automatic.

You just nodded.

“You can drop me three blocks before campus.”

Just like this. Dry and unaffectionate.

“Alright.”

And when the car stopped, you murmured a thank-you far too soft to reach her fully.

She didn’t reply with words. Just nodded, feeling her heart crack with a silence so heavy it ached in her bones.

She shouldn’t be this shaken. It was just sex. Just youth —in the purest sense of the word. Just a detour in the middle of a war.

But why…

Why did it feel so wrong to leave you there?

Hours later, back at her house, the longing ached in the most unexpected corners of her body.

Where was her good girl? That one who smiled with her eyes and obeyed with her body?

Where had she gone?

“Mom?”

Nicky’s voice snapped her out of it.

She smiled, drained.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

He walked in slowly, his eyes too perceptive for someone so young. He noticed the small suitcase and the fatigue on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied too quickly. “I went to Oregon. Some company matters to sort out...”

Even to her own ears, the excuse sounded hollow.

She loved her son, with every cell in her body. But holding a real conversation with him—one that didn’t involve numbers, deadlines, or expectations—felt like trying to grasp something that always slipped through her fingers.

Still, she tried. As she always did, even if it was already too late.

She stepped closer and took his hands gently, as if trying to touch something that no longer belonged to her.

“Tell me, sweetheart… how are things? The SATs are coming up and—”

“Mom, please.”

He sighed, eyes shifting away—impatient, yes, but there was something else.

A deeper fatigue. 

An old disappointment.

“Can we, just this once, not talk about that?”

Agatha froze.

“About what…?”

“This. School. College. Career. How I always have to be perfect. How you only—”

He stopped himself, swallowing hard, like choosing between speaking and not hurting her.

“What is it, Nicky?” Her voice came out smaller, frightened. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just… sometimes it feels like you know me as a resume, not as a son.”

The words landed like a punch to the stomach.

He went on, calmer now, but cruel in his honesty.

“When I was little, we used to go to the park. You made picnics, you’d run with me. You laughed, mom!”

His eyes were shimmering with tears.

“Now I don’t even know what you like to do in your free time. I don’t even know if you have free time.”

Agatha felt her chest collapse inward.

“Sweetheart, I…”

What could she say?

That she was trying? That she’d spent years walking invisible tightropes just to keep everything running? That loving the right way always seemed to slip from her grasp?

He shook his head, disappointed.

“You keep asking what I want to be, but have you ever stopped to ask what you’ve become?”

Silence.

A brutal pause in time.

He let go of her hands with care. It wasn’t violent or cruel. It was just… final and that hurt more.

Agatha stood there, fingers still curled in empty air, as if she were still holding the five-year-old who used to run through fields with scraped knees and an easy smile.

But he was gone.

“I’m sorry…” she said, but he was already walking out the door.

And just like that, everything was loneliness again.

[...]

Dinner had been set for 7 PM sharp, but Agatha arrived at 7:10. Evanora had taught her well: Men should wait.

Tony Stark was already at the table of an upscale restaurant in downtown Seattle, a nearly untouched glass of white wine in front of him.

When he saw her, he smiled like an ad campaign — standing with the practiced charm of a seasoned flirt.

“Agatha Harkness,” he said, taking her hand as if she were rare porcelain. “You look stunning.”

She looked him dead in the eye, then withdrew her hand and casually wiped it on her dress.

“Spare me the bullshit, Tony. Let’s get to the point. Tell me what you want.”

She sat down without ceremony, crossing her legs with surgical precision.

He gave a low chuckle, settling into his seat with the smugness of a man who thought he was in control.

“What I want?” He twisted the ring on his finger, pretending to think. “I want you… submissive.”

Agatha laughed. It was loud, unexpected and a little terrifying.

“Submissive?” She repeated, leaning over the table, eyes gleaming. “Oh, Stark… how many years have you been dreaming about that?”

“Since you wore that blue pantsuit in the Senate. Almost gave me a heart attack.”

She smiled, but now it was pure ice.

“Shame it didn’t finish the job.”

Tony laughed, but there was a sharpness under the surface.

“No need to pretend you’re still some saint in heels. We’ve all sold something to get where we are. I’m just offering a better price.”

She leaned back in her chair, studying him like one would examine a dissected animal.

“You’re pathetic.”

He opened the black folder beside his plate with a theatrical snap.

“And you’re predictable.”

She saw them.

Photos.

Full color.

Too sharp. Too clear.

Her, at your dorm room door—that night when she couldn’t think of anything but you. You, stepping into her car wearing that purple sweater, still smelling like Cuir de Beluga—Agatha could still smell it. Your faces much too close to be professional.

She froze.

Tony turned the first image toward her and smiled like a snake.

“Didn’t know our golden woman had a thing for little girls.”

Agatha’s face remained impassive, but her hand gripped the glass so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“You’re bluffing.” She said quietly.

“Am I?”

He pushed more photos her way.

“You think the public will understand? A powerful fifty-year-old woman with a college girl in her lap? It all sounds very… nineties. And look…” he pointed at one photo. “this one’s right in front of her dorm. Underage or not, the headlines write themselves.”

Agatha didn’t respond immediately.

She took a deep breath and picked up one of the photos, examining it closely.

Tony seemed to savor the silence.

“You could end all this with a nod, Agatha. Be reasonable. Back my campaign. Step down with dignity, and maybe… I’ll offer you a role. Something symbolic. Decorative. Pretty. Like you.”

God, he was so repulsive.

Her stomach turned. The wine threatened to rise.

Agatha looked at him.

For a second, something in her face faltered. A muscle in her jaw, a tremble in her lower lip.

But she didn’t break.

Not there.

Agatha would never break in front of a man.

She gathered the photos one by one, each motion calculated and precise.

“Are you finished?” She asked, emotionless.

“For now.” He replied, smug.

She stood.

Her dress skirt was immaculate. Her posture, flawless. But there was a shadow in her eyes, a crack only the very observant would see.

Tony thought he’d won.

And maybe… for the first time in a long while, Agatha wasn’t sure he was wrong.

~*~

Can I kill Tony?

@vyvvycg @rosekjsses @3liyuh @indentity0018 @beggingonmykneesforher @reginassecretlover @trying-to-do-good @imjustvibingsworld @mbxoxo @jazzyxqlz @eternallyconfuzed @ctrlaltedits @sheriffhaughtearp @lesbiansweet @i-luv-w1men @htinha157 @syssmin @wandasslut3000 @fuzzygiantlamphorse @imaginaryblogger01 @aboutcustardcreams @upsidedowndanvers @starbucks-06 @absolute-memegarbage @trinity2k @greyella @angel-kitten-babygirl-u-choose @whitelotus00 @dandelions4us @creaturesaphique @warpdrive-witch @sweetmidnights @dingdongthetail @mommy-mommy-mommy-hi @milfovers4 @jaylie-bee @holystrangersalad @chlondykebar @natashashill @harknessshi @whoreforolderfictionalwomen @ahintofchaos @lowlyjelly @xblinkx2 @rmaximoff @loveshineslikethesky

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Strange as Fiction 2

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, delulu behaviour, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: your visit to the library results in more than borrowing books.

Characters: Nick Fowler

Note: Deluluverse is ever growing.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

After some tension, Mr. Drysdale and his visitor, that man from the library, agree to have their coffee at the cafe. You can’t make yourself small enough once they’re gone. You can sense the stray glances and the whispers. Any office is ripe for gossip but a publishing house is always thirsty for a dramatic flair. 

You slouch so you can’t see anyone past your monitor. You highly doubt this will help your case. Mr. Drysdale didn’t seem overly fond of Nick; they almost seemed antagonistic; competitive at best. Great, you’re never getting out of the swamp. 

“You’re engaged?” Trina stands behind your monitor as she plays with a perfect wave around her face. “To him?” 

Your brows arch. You want to tell her the truth. No! That man is lying. He might even be crazy! 

“It’s not work-related,” you mutter. 

“Him? Really?” Lorna rolls her chair closer. “He’s hot. How’d you manage that?” 

You frown and look between them. 

“Personal,” you sniff and focus on the screen.  

Trina reaches down and hits the power button. “You have to tell us everything. Oof, he’s hot. Does he have friends?” 

“Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”  

You try to push the button to light up the monitor and she swats your fingers. You recoil. The last time you mentioned you even stepped foot in the library, they laughed in your face. They’re just here until they can get work for a much loftier executive. 

“Come on. One interesting thing and you don’t want to talk about it?” Lorna rolls her eyes. “You have to. I told you about Andy.” 

You didn’t ask her too. You crinkle your nose. 

“There’s not much to say,” you shrug. 

“You are so boring. There’s no way he’s with you,” Trina sneers. 

Lorna laughs and you almost do the same. They’re right. He can’t be. He’s not! This has to be some twisted joke. Maybe it is. 

You once more look between the women. Was it them? Did they do this? Would they really go to all that effort to humiliate you? Well, even if they did, you’re not letting them gloat. You’re not saying anything else. 

“I have to work,” you push the power button. 

Trina nearly knocks over your monitor as she backs up. Lorna blows a raspberry. 

“Oh, he won’t be your problem for long, sweetie,” Trina pops her lips. “I’ll take him off your hands.” 

She turns and struts away. You notice several heads turn as she does. You stare too. She’s the kind of woman Nick would go for. With his tailored jacket, his fancy watch, his expensive haircut. He drips wealth and confidence. You reek of anything but. 

Lorna wheels back to her desk. You scroll up and down the inbox, clicking between that and the calendar. You can’t concentrate. Not through the dread and confusion. You just want this to be over. 

As soon as Drysdale comes back and reveals it’s just a prank, you’ll be okay. Right? Everything will be as it was. Just as you like it. Quiet, easy, just you. 

Your vision blurs as you run your finger across the space bar. Back and forth in a mindless limbo. You hear the elevator doors split but don’t react until Mr. Drysdale guffaws. 

You glance over as he claps Nick’s shoulder. “You’re a mad man but dammit, you got a point.” 

“Only had to repeat it ten times,” Nick drawls. “Cut the deal. Send it to my assistant.” 

“Done and done,” Drysdale declares and sucks on the plastic lid of his coffee cup. “Gotta run. You’re bleeding into my eleven o’clock.” 

You put your head down as footsteps rush by your desk. Drysdale’s door snaps shut and you pretend to write on a post-it, only scribbling circles around the edge. Another set of shoes tap towards you. Don’t look up, don’t look up. 

You know it’s him before he speaks. 

“Hey sweetheart, all yours. Just in time for lunch,” Nick drawls as he plants a hand on your desk. He leans as he hooks his other thumb in his pocket and bends one leg, pushing a toe into the floor. “What’re you in the mood for?” 

You don’t react. You still the pen as your hand shakes and you put it down. You grab your mouse and wiggle it around. 

“Mr. Fowler, was it?” Trina approaches. “Is there anything I can get you?” 

“All good,” he says dismissively. “Just waiting on my lady.” 

“If you change your mind, my name is--” 

“I don’t care,” he shifts and reaches to pet your sleeve. “Baby, we gotta talk. You know, there’s lots for us to figure out still.” 

You shake your head. “No. There’s not.” 

“I’d say there is. If we’re going to get married.” 

“Married?” You squeak and sit up. Trina looks back before she reaches her desk. Lorna stares and several others tear their attention from their screens. You cover your mouth. You take a breath and drop your hand into your lap. “No, there’s nothing--” 

He leans in and pets your cheek. You wince. 

“I can’t hear you, sweetheart. Look, if you don’t wanna talk about this here, come on. I’m taking you to lunch.” 

You peer around. You sit back, away from his touch, and wipe your forehead. You’re sweating. Even your palms are damp. You could scream right now and no one would believe you. He’s a professional, he looks perfectly normal, and he’s a friend of Mr. Drysdale. That means he’s more important than you. 

You just want to be left alone. You don’t need a stranger calling you their wife. Talking about a wedding!? No way. But you also don’t need them to ruin your livelihood. 

You logoff and grab your purse. You get up and he stands straight. He runs his hand down your arm and wraps his fingers around yours. 

“That’s my wifey,” he purrs. 

You flinch and look at him. He smirks. You’re breathless, speechless. This man is bold. He’s so confident you almost think he believes his own lies. 

“Let’s just go.” You hiss. 

“I can’t wait to be alone either, sweetheart,” he says. 

You almost rip your hand away. There’s something wrong with him. You shouldn’t go with him. But if you don’t then you look the crazy one. 

You let him lead you to the elevator. His firm grip on your hand keeps you from fidgeting. He tugs you through the doors as they open. It’s just you and him as you’re closed in. 

You yank on your hand. He doesn’t let go. You face him and wriggle, fighting to twist free. 

“I don’t know you,” you exclaim. “Get off--” 

“Sweetheart. I know you remember me. It’s Nick--” 

“I remember but I don’t know you,” you argue. “Please just leave me alone.” 

“You don’t know me?” He sounds hurt. “Ah, baby, you’re not giving me a chance here.” 

You back up as he comes toward you. You press yourself to the wall as the elevator descends slowly. You gulp. He caresses your cheek as he hushes you. 

“Please don’t be like that. I know that’s not you. I know you, baby. I do.” He extends his other arm. Click. The elevator stops. “I know you like to get your books, take them home, and find the perfect bookmark for the size of page. Once you get that done, you make tea. Lately, it’s been pomegranate, but your favourite is the toffee one.” 

You blink. Stunned. You shake your head. 

“No, you don’t know...” 

“I’m right. I know I am. And that’s just the little things. I know the big things too.” He frames your face with his large hands. Your heart hammers. He’s been watching you. You didn’t even realise. “I know that you’re lonely. No one wants to do it all that alone. Dinner for one, empty bed, long train rides.” 

“How... how did you even find me?” You ask in a horrified gasp. 

He chuckles and taps the button again. He inhales and kisses your forehead. You shudder. 

“I was meant to. That’s all. It’s not how. It was always going to happen.” He grabs your hand and pulls you away from the wall. “I know you waited for me.” 

He squeezes and you swallow a whimper. You look down at his grip then at the doors as they part. You sway and stumble forward as he starts ahead. 

“I’m not going to marry you...” you murmur. 

“It’s a formality,” he insists and pushes his fingers between yours. “But first, let’s get some lunch.” 

🩵

You sit beneath an umbrella at the table for two. The patio seating is close to full. You feel even more invisible among the lunchtime rush. Everything around you is a blur, everything but that man. 

You catch yourself staring at Nick. You can’t figure him out. What is he doing? You’re still trying to see through whatever his trick is. 

The server comes back with two drinks. Tall, sparkling, pink, a lime on the rim. He thanks her and orders lunch. For both of you. You don’t stop him. You’re not very hungry. The last thing you’re thinking about is food. 

“You know Mr. Drysdale,” you say. 

He tilts his head and his face creases as he grins, “I do.” 

You squint and twist one hand around the other in your lap. “So it’s him. He put you up to this.” 

“Put me up--” He scoffs. “Baby,” he reaches across the table, “come on.” 

You stare at his hand. Big, manicured, a silver bracelet peeking out from under his jacket sleeve. You frown. 

“Gimme your hand,” he orders. 

You shake your head. “Why are you doing this?” 

“Give. Me. Your. Hand.” He repeats, his voice dropping. You wince at his rigid tone and obey. 

You put your hand in his and he grips it. He locks you in as he brings his other up to pet your knuckles. He leans against the table, beaming at you. 

“This is nothing to do with anyone but us. It’s you and me, sweetheart.” He purrs. 

Your hand trembles and you bite the inside of your lip. “No, it can’t be—it has to be something else.” 

“What do you want me to say, sweetheart?” His thumb strokes the back of your hand. “That the first time I saw you was like being hit by a bus.” He lifts your hand and kisses it. “That I can’t think straight when it’s not about you.” He kisses again. “Or that you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on?” 

You gape at him. You have no idea what to say or do. You don’t believe the words he’s saying but his tone makes that difficult. He’s saying all those things any woman would want. It’s like a romance novel or some movie about the perfect love. That’s not really your genre. 

You purse your lips and take a breath. You swallow cautiously before you speak. 

“And when did you first see me?” You ask. 

He clucks and his cheek dimples. He lays one last kiss between your knuckles and pets you before letting you go. He sits back and brushes his fingers along his beard. He looks around. 

“That’s not important. What matters is that I did. Is that we’re together now.” 

You watch him. It’s like a game and you don’t know the rules. You pull your hand and rest it on the edge of the table. You push your fingers together as his warmth lingers on your skin. 

“Please, try your drink.” He insists. “Don’t want that ice to melt.” 

You look at the glistening glass. You reach for it, the coolness shocking against your sweaty palm. You turn it and watch the ice clink. Slowly, you lift it and bring it to your lips. Your cheek pinch with more than the tartness of the lemonade. 

You set it down. “Is this...” 

“A bit of gin, you’ll be fine, baby,” he assures. “Hell, take the rest of the day off.” 

“I-- I can’t do that.” 

“You need to do that,” he insists over the brim of his glass. He gulps deeply and sighs. He licks his lips as his eyes stay glued to you. “We have a lot of planning to do. A wedding next month and I don’t even know what flowers to get. I know you love daffodils but they aren’t really bridal--” 

“Next month?” You choke, nearly dropping the glass. 

He snickers and puts his glass down lightly. He leans in. “Baby, take it easy. You okay?” 

You steady the glass and stare at him. No, you’re not okay. You keep one hand around the drink and touch your throat. His gaze falls to the gesture.  

“I know you’re excited, sweetheart,” he reaches over the table and rubs your forearm. “I am too.” 

Excited? No. Confused, scared, shocked. You can’t even begin to describe how you feel. Helpless, might be the best word for it. 

[wingfleur]

omgg your desperate ex!dick fic got me thinking if you're interested in writing angst?? something abt his behavior is so.. devastatingly toxic lol. the push and pull would kill me. like what would he do if instead of getting a reaction, y/n started sobbing

# — dick grayson as a desperate ex (2).

soooo, i got carried away... i don't typically write part twos unless the fic was written with one in mind (this isn't really a part two, to be honest, more of an alternate ending), but, regardless, this turned into something i did not mean for it to turn into. here's the link to the fic in question. thank u for picking my brain, lovely! enjoy! | wc: 1.0k words.

cw: implied sexual content mdni (18+), gn!reader, angst, leaning into fuckboy!dick grayson again, and the implied childhood-friends-to-lovers-to-exes-to-fwb(?) energy, the toxicity is very much turned up this time too, like he is manipulative afffff

nonnie, you do not understand how glad i am that you asked me this. this scenario has never crossed my mind! fun fact: i love writing reader to be strong and stubborn because that’s how i am, but i don’t typically write pieces intending for them to just be plain angst. honestly, all of my work on here that is inherently angsty (i.e. helping mark lose his v-card, desperate ex dick, etc.) is a byproduct of the topic i’m writing about— it’s never on purpose 😭. but the idea of reader breaking down and crying instead of giving in to dick’s teasing made me so giddy because i came to realize that, no matter how you reacted in that moment— ignored him, lashed out, dropped to the floor in tears— he still would’ve managed to get into them drawls, and i think that’s absolutely terrible, LMFAOAOOAOAO.

like, walk with me: the end goal will always be the same, but the method? the approach? that’s what differs. dick can and will adapt; it’s up to you what show he puts on tonight.

so yeah, let’s say that you cry instead. that, when you get to your place with dick hot on your heels, you’re struck with a nauseating sense of clarity that reminds you that this man has done nothing but make your life miserable. that, by falling into bed with him, you’re degrading yourself and proving that nothing’s changed— even after you’ve spent so much time trying to convince him that you’re over it.

over him.

“i can’t,” you say suddenly, feet coming to an abrupt stop in front of your door. you can hear dick’s shoes scuff against the pavement as he stops just in time to not run into you, and the look of confusion that’s probably on his face has got to be worth its weight in gold. you’re not gonna look, though. you can’t. the tears in your eyes would make it hard to see, but the last thing you need is for dick grayson to see you crying.

too bad for you, dick’s already seen you cry. more often than not, he’s been the reason for your crying, so you don’t get to hide for long before he’s putting a gentle hand on your shoulder. with light pressure, he coaxes you into spinning around and ducks down a bit to be in your line of sight.

“can’t what, birdie? talk to me.”

that stupid fucking nickname.

“god, don’t fucking— call me that!”

it goes on like that for a while. you sob, scream, and kick at his expense, but it’s hardly satisfying because dick just stands there and takes it. then, once you’ve worn yourself out, he wraps you in his arms and pulls you firmly to his chest. you feel helpless as you sink into his arms; everything in you is screaming to pull away, but you’re too exhausted to listen.

“it doesn’t have to be like this, you know.” dick’s voice vibrates against your crown from where his chin rests atop your head. his tone is soft, melodic, and sincere. you don’t know how he does it, but he manages to be calming and repulsive all at once. it’s impressive.

“i fucked up last time, and i know that. i’m owning it, birdie, trust me. but before all of this started, we were friends. i’d be lying if i said it hasn’t been hell not speaking to you these last couple of weeks. i can’t fucking stand it.”

you don’t respond, but the beauty of it is that he doesn’t expect you to. all dick does is hold you tight and sway from side to side, just the way you do—well, did, you guess— when you hug him.

“i’ve been working so hard to become a fraction of the man you deserve,” he starts, “and tonight showed me that i’m not even close. it actually taught me that you’re incredible and i’m disgustingly selfish because, despite all the work i need to do, i still wanna be with you. now, as i am.”

you move to lean back. “dick—”

“i’m serious. don't be dismissive.”

dick meets you halfway and pulls back enough to see your face. your cheeks are puffy and your eyes are red, but dick thinks you’re adorable— a descriptor that has felt nothing but condescending and patronizing coming from him these last few months. but right now? as you feel a sense of dread and longing swirling up to create a toxic combination in your stomach?

you’re pathetically eating it up.

“i miss you”, he says. “and i’m sorry. so sorry. let me make it up to you by letting me inside.”

you stare up at him for a few, long moments, your eyes glassy, wide, and emotionless. dick hadn’t expected you to become such a tough cookie since the last time he saw you, but he can tell you’re close to cracking. all he needs is to give you the final push.

dick slowly unravels one of his arms from around your waist and brings it up to cradle your face. you stare at him for a few moments, his thumb running soothingly along your jaw, but then something gives, and your eyes flutter shut, head relaxing into the curve of his palm.

“there you go,” he coos. “there’s my baby.”

and when dick leans down to kiss you, his hands slipping effortlessly into your pockets to retrieve your key, he doesn’t bother to hide his grin. he knows you feel it— wants you to— but you’re not gonna push him away. not even if your subconscious is screaming at you to deck him in the face.

what you’re gonna do is let dick seamlessly open your door and guide you inside, a gentle foot kicking it shut as you two stumble down the hallway. what you’re gonna do is let him undress you on the way to your bedroom, then let him lay you down and work until you’re shattering with a cry of his name. then, he’s gonna leave you— alone in the morning with an empty bed and a pit of despair settling deep in your stomach. and, finally, he’ll quell your deepest, darkest worries by leaving a dorky note on the fridge about how “duty calls, but there’s breakfast in the fridge!” to make sure that no matter how much you convince yourself to hate him right then and there, there will always be enough of a gap in your armor for him to wriggle right back on inside.

# — navigation