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hearts-hunger · 1 year

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Chapter One: A Flash of Steel and Silver {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You've been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy's most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 4.7k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, harassment, historically accurate misogyny

A/N: My sweethearts! This is my very first time doing an au like this, and I'm very excited to share it with you. I have no concrete plans for this series, and no update schedule - I'm just seeing where the wind takes me on this one. I know it's different from my other fics, but I really hope you like it! ♡

Pirates.

The word alone struck fear into the hearts of the people of Sapphire Bay, sending them inside to lock their doors and close the window shutters with a firm crack. Those devils marked by the branding iron were hated and feared, considered with a mix of awe and horror and morbid curiosity. To meet one meant certain death; for the superstitious, even to speak of one meant the calling down of hell’s rapacious wrath upon the new world’s fragile kingdom of islands. Everywhere, in hushed voices and cautious glances at the western horizon, people dreaded the coming of those demons. Pirates.

You had learned to fear them just as much as anyone, the threat of them always lingering in the back of your mind, but there was an insatiable curiosity that held you captive any time you so much as heard them mentioned. Your late father, the former governor of Sapphire Bay, had spoken of them often; you’d grown up on snatches of conversations heard from the other side of his study door, tales of murder and thievery and drunken escapades, stories of freedom and bravery and adventure.

Those stories had continued to fascinate you even as you became a woman, and you were more interested in them now than you had been as a child. Lucky, then, that you’d been betrothed to Commander Kit Drake of the battleship Black Smoke; his own closed-door conferences about the pirates that roamed the seas provided an endless diversion to your hungry imagination.

Hearing those stories was perhaps the only lucky thing about your betrothal, and you reminded yourself to try and think of other silver linings as your lady’s maid dressed you for dinner at the Commodore’s estate.

“He’ll tell me how beautiful I look,” you said to yourself, touching light fingers to your lightly rouged lips. “Surely he will.”

“Indeed he will, miss,” your lady’s maid said as she styled your hair. “You’ll be the jewel of the bay this evening, all sparkling in the candlelight.”

You met her eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Tabby. You’re very kind.”

She smiled. “Have you decided what necklace and earrings you’ll be wearing tonight, miss?”

You brushed a hand over your deep blue bodice. “I suppose the sapphires would be best, wouldn’t they?”

“As you say, miss. Commander Drake will surely be pleased to see you wearing his gift.”

Tabby finished your hair, a relatively understated crown of curls, and spangled you with trinkets from your jewelry box that could have fed and housed a family for several months. You touched a hand to the blue gem that rested in a swath of silver, the centerpiece of the heavy necklace that felt more like a collar for a dog than a gift of love from your fiancé.

“There you are, miss,” Tabby said when you were ready. “I’ll tell the footman to bring the carriage ‘round.”

The Commodore’s estate was right on the bay, a sprawling mansion that put even your father’s estate to shame in sheer grandiosity. Several carriages stopped outside the main doors, ladies in fine dresses and men in naval uniform stepping out to join the group that filed into the golden, candlelit hall inside. Your attention was drawn to the sea as you waited, watching the way the moonlight dashed itself to bits across the glittering surface of the water.

“My dear. You finally made it.”

You looked over from the bay to the door of your carriage. “Kit.”

A frown tugged at your fiancé’s expression. “You mustn’t call me that here, dearest, you know that. Commander Drake or ‘sir’ will suffice.”

You flushed, wishing you’d remembered that rule. “Of course, sir.”

You accepted his hand when he offered it to you, and you looked up at him with girlish eagerness to see if he’d comment on your appearance.

“I wore the jewels you gave me at our engagement,” you said quietly.

He gave you a distracted glance. “Oh. Yes, I suppose you did.”

“Do you... do you like them?” you asked, crestfallen.

He breathed a short sigh. “They’re lovely, my dear. Let’s not tarry, shall we? I’m afraid you’ve already made us late.”

He offered his arm, and you hung off of it as a good young lady should. Your head turned back to the sea, just for a moment, and you thought you caught a glimpse of a shooting star reflected on the waves.

“We’ve got to double our presence on the coasts of the southern isles. We’ll rout them simply by being there in force. They wouldn’t dare to try and attack any of the ports there if we made our presence more obvious.”

You took a sip of wine and tried to look bored, knowing that the quickest way to get navy men to stop talking of pirates was for a lady to show an interest in their conversation. If they didn’t consider you too delicate or stupid for that kind of talk, they’d fear for some kind of longing to spark within you, the same kind they allowed to rage unchecked as they sailed on their mighty seafaring vessels.

“No corsair in these waters is a match for any of our fleet,” Kit argued. He gesticulated and narrowly missed your wine glass as you set it down. “I say with conviction, gentlemen, that there is no need to add even a single ship to those we already have out of port.”

“Maybe they’re not a match for your ship, Commander,” said a lady on the opposite end of the table. You glanced over with mild panic, wishing you could tell her merely to listen, but the gentlemen she was interrupting didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve heard you gentlemen say the Black Smoke is the fastest ship in the Royal Navy,” she said, and there was a flirtatious intonation to her voice that drew the men in like moths to the flame. “However, I’ve also heard it said that there is a pirate galleon in our waters that can match it for speed.”

“Name the ship,” a lieutenant challenged.

The lady smiled. “Starcatcher.”

The name caused a flutter of excitement to stir in your breast. Starcatcher. It certainly sounded like a fast ship, and no vessel in the Royal Navy had such a wonderful name.

“Nonsense,” Kit said, waving her remark aside even as he trained his attention on the coy curve of her mouth. “The Starcatcher is a myth told to frighten new deck hands. No such ship exists.”

“No?” the lady asked with an elegant lift of her brow. “And what of its sister ship, the Indigo Streak? Some men say it can disappear into thin air.”

“Some men are fools,” Kit said, and his smirk betrayed his arrogance. “No doubt you’ve heard these same men claim to have seen the witches that serve as the figureheads of each ship.”

“They’re not witches,” another man protested. “I’ve heard they’re meant to be Nike and Themis, goddesses of victory and justice.”

Kit scoffed. “Victory and justice, indeed. Even if these ships did exist, what victory and justice could be won outside the King’s authority?”

“Pirates don’t consider the King’s authority legitimate, though, do they?”

All gazes swung to you, and you felt a wash of embarrassment follow the heady flush of having impetuously offered your own opinion. Kit’s face went pink with anger.

“What a pirate thinks of the King’s authority means little,” he said sharply. He took your hand under the table and gave it an uncomfortable squeeze, leaning close. “And what a woman thinks of it means even less, my dear, so I suggest you keep such foolish thoughts to yourself.”

He released your hand with disdain, and you shied away from him as far as you could. You understood perfectly well why the lady with the deep red lips was allowed to speak and you were not; her comments were meant to incite men to braggadocio and pride, and yours only called into question their self-assurance. You would not speak merely to stroke a man’s ego, pirate or King’s man or anyone in between; most at the table considered it better, in that event, for you to keep your mouth shut entirely.

You took another long drink of wine and tried to keep your hands from shaking. Of a sudden, everything was overwhelming; the sound of tittering laughter and silver forks against china dishes, the smell of dozens of different perfumes, the heat of the candles that cast flickering beams onto jewels and gold buttons and silver sword handles. You felt pressed in on all sides with an extravagant meal you couldn’t hope to finish in front of you, men to the right and left of you, servants behind you to tend to your every need should you so much as wave an indolent hand.

You took a deep breath, as deep as you could with your stays laced as tightly as they were, and dug into the reserve of feminine gentility and self-control that had been trained into you since birth.

“Commander,” you said quietly, touching your hand to his sleeve. He ignored you, and desperation clawed at you.

“Sir,” you said in a pleading whisper.

With a frustrated huff, he turned away from his companions and met your eyes. “What is it?”

“I beg your pardon,” you said. “I — I suddenly feel quite ill. My head, it’s...”

He snapped his fingers, and a footman came to his side to await his instruction in perfect silence.

“Attend the lady,” he said, gesturing to you with impatience and contempt. “She’s taken ill, apparently.”

The footman bowed his head. “M’lord.” He pulled your chair out and gave you his hand; you took it, offering a feeble excuse to those few who noticed your departure and cared to comment.

“Shall I show you to one of the guest chambers, m’lady?” the footman asked when you were safely outside the dining hall.

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I wonder... could you help me find the gardens? I would be so grateful for a breath of fresh air.”

“Very good, m’lady,” was the man’s response. He escorted you to the gardens. “Shall I ring for a lady’s maid to accompany you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” you said. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

He bowed. “M’lady.”

A bit of the peace you so dearly needed was found out in the garden, and you wandered in the cool darkness of the shrubs and trees blossoming with flowers of every hue. You took a deep breath of the warm night air as you walked over the cobblestones, closing your eyes for a moment to drink in the quiet of birdsong and the ever-present hush of waves upon the shore. You longed to go down to the water, if only for a moment; what relief it would bring to feel the cool waves lapping at your ankles, to feel the salty breeze skim over your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover’s hand. You opened your eyes and felt its dark, silver-scaled presence call you like a mother to a child, begging you to leave the world you knew behind.

“Foolishness,” you whispered, pressing your hand against the merciless shackle of sapphire and silver that hung about your neck. You could never leave. You would be here, always, looking out upon the water, wearing its color on your breast, never quite close enough to touch.

You heard your name called from a direction opposite the ocean. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you did not allow yourself to breathe the sigh that waited ever-ready at your lips.

“I only needed some air, Commander,” you said without turning to him. “I’ll be well enough to join the ladies in the parlor after dinner.”

Without warning, Kit grabbed your wrist in a punishing grip and spun you towards him.

“Turn to me when I call you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Do not presume to speak to me with an air of indifference.”

Your blood ran cold at the anger in his face. “I didn’t — I wasn’t trying to — ”

“I knew you weren’t ill,” he said, squeezing your wrist tighter. “You left because you wanted to shame me, didn’t you? Or perhaps because you were petulant about my correction?”

“No,” you said weakly, trying to tug your hand from his grip. “Please, Kit, you’re hurting me.”

He took your jaw in his other hand and squeezed it. “I told you not to call me that. Do you mean to respect me at all tonight? Or shall I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”

You paled. You tried to find your voice to try and calm him, to apologize, but another man’s voice broke in before you could.

“Take your hands off the lady.”

Kit released your jaw, more out of surprise than any desire to obey. You tried to pull out of his grip, but he held fast to your wrist.

“Who spoke?” Kit asked into the darkness of the garden. “Show your face.”

“Take your hands off the lady, as I said,” the man repeated. “I’ve got a pistol aimed straight for your heart, Commander, and I assure I won’t miss.”

Kit’s face flushed an angry red. To your surprise and relief, he let you go, and you put a few steps of distance between you.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way?” Kit thundered. “I demand that you to come into the light and show yourself.”

No sooner had he spoken than a man sauntered out of the shadows of a copse of palm trees, a flintlock pistol held in an almost lazy manner in Kit’s direction. The hilt of a cutlass on his hip caught the light of the moon.

“You demand it, aye?” the man asked. His long hair was dark, his frame lean and hard-muscled; he was practically indecent, his cotton shirt unbuttoned to reveal a collection of necklaces that rested against his tanned chest. You blushed and averted your eyes when he looked at you.

“Makes you wonder,” he continued conversationally, turning his attention back to your fiancé. “Perhaps your King ought to call you Demander rather than Commander.”

Kit put his hand to the hilt of his saber. “What are you, boy?” he said derisively. “Beggar? Thief? Be on your way before I arrest you for harassing an officer.”

The man’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile as he returned his pistol to its holster at his waist.

“Go ahead, Commander. Though I doubt if you’ll find there’s any jailhouse to throw me in by the time you do.”

Kit looked the man over in confusion and absolute fury. He opened his mouth to speak, but an explosion from the outskirts of town effectively cut across him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kit raged. He looked to see the billow of smoke from the direction of the jailhouse, then whipped his head back to look at the man.

“You’re a fool to attempt a prison break,” he said. “There’s plenty of brigs in the fleet to throw you and your worthless comrades in once we collect all of you.”

Kit drew his sword, and the man had drawn his and disarmed Kit in a flash of steel and silver quicker than you could see it. Kit’s sword clattered across the cobblestones and skidded to a halt at the man’s feet.

“I’d be careful who you draw your sword against tonight, Commander,” the man said. He kicked the saber back towards Kit. “You won’t find my men as forgiving as I am.”

“Your men?” Kit blustered, shame and fury mottling his face. “Who the devil do you think you are?”

A cocky smile lit the man’s face, and you found it somewhat maddening and almost alluring. Confidence radiated from him like warmth from the sun, and you watched in fascination as he took a step closer to Kit.

“You don’t know me?” he asked. He lifted his sleeve; just above the white bracelet he wore was the scarred mark of a pirate.

“You gave me this, Commander Drake,” the man said. “Though I suppose you were only a lieutenant back then, weren’t you?”

“Scum,” Kit spat. “I should have known. I’ve branded enough of your kind that you all run together into one wretched mass.”

“I see,” the man said. He sheathed his cutlass again even as Kit bent to retrieve his, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of a duel. He tilted his head towards the Commodore’s house.

“In that case,” he said airily, “I’d love to be the one to tell you that the wretched mass is running together in your Commodore’s estate as we speak. Taking your jewels, your gold, your spit-polished swords that have yet to taste blood. It’s only a matter of time before they interrupt your little dinner party, I fear.”

As if on cue, pandemonium erupted from inside the house. Doors burst open, sending a flood of screaming party guests outside with pirates right on their heels, each of them armed to the teeth and crowing with delight.

“Filthy pirate!” Kit howled. “I’ll have you and every one of your men hanged for this!”

“Oh, Commander,” the man said with a winning smile. “You’ll make me blush with that kind of talk.”

Bang. A bullet whipped past the three of you, slamming into the trunk of a palm tree and sending out a shower of splintered wood. You flinched and raised your arms to shield yourself.

“Aye, watch yourself,” the pirate called to whoever had fired. He sounded only mildly annoyed rather than fearful for his life, and you wondered if it was bravery or stupidity that made him so calm.

Suddenly, Kit grabbed your arm and snatched you close to him. For the second time that night, he held you in an iron grip, and there was little you could do to fight him off.

“You’ll tell your men to let me go,” Kit said, panic crawling into his voice. “You’ll order them not to shoot me, because if they do, they’ll hurt the lady.”

You startled at the knowledge that your fiancé was using you as a human shield, offering you as a bargaining chip to a pirate. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held you fast.

The pirate scowled. “Coward,” he spat. “What sort of man are you, Commander?”

“One not condemned to death,” Kit said, a maniacal glee in his voice. “Not tonight.”

He started to drag you with him as he made his way out of the garden, heading with slow steps towards the docks rather than the house where screams and gunfire still rang through the air. You kicked and clawed, begging him to let you go, terrified that a bullet meant for him would kill you too.

“Let me go, Kit!” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks. “You worthless coward, let me go!”

“Silence yourself!” he hissed in your ear. “Once we’re well away from this, we’ll both be safe.”

He clapped a hand over your mouth, and it only made your panic and anger worse. You had to get free of him — he was squeezing you so tightly, you couldn’t breathe —

In a last, desperate attempt at freedom, you bit down, hard, on the soft junction between his thumb and first finger. He bellowed in pain and released you.

“Bitch!” he howled, backhanding you across the face. The force of it made you dizzy, and his signet ring cut your cheek; you stumbled backwards, falling in a tangle of blue skirts to the unforgiving stone walkway.

“Right, that’s it.”

You heard the pirate’s voice as if from somewhere far away. You looked up with a bleary gaze; he stood next to you, his pistol held aloft and pointed right at Kit.

“No!” you shrieked.

You grabbed at his leg to try and stop him, somehow, blind devotion for Kit urging your forward. The pirate didn’t even seem to notice you, and your whole body flinched at the sound of gunfire. You squeezed your eyes shut even as sobs wracked your body.

“Come on, lass.”

You felt the pirate's callused hands reach to help you up, and you reacted in terror-stricken instinct.

“Don’t hurt me!” you begged, trying to get out of his reach, woozy with fear and pain. “Please, don’t hurt me. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone you killed him, I promise.”

“I didn’t kill him,” he said harshly. “Quit fighting, lass. I won’t hurt you, but you have to come with me.”

You looked up at him, and his face was blurry through your tears. “But you’re a pirate.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And your only chance of making it out of here alive.”

He offered you his hand, and you didn’t see any other choice but to take it. His grip was strong and steady, firm enough to help you but gentle enough to keep from hurting.

“Attagirl,” he said when you were standing. “Steady, now. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” you breathed. For some reason, you didn’t let go of his hand. “Where are we going?”

He nodded towards the bay. “My ship. You’ll stay there until all this settles down, and then I’ll take you back home.”

Shattering glass brought your attention to the house momentarily; a raging fire billowed out of the broken window, sending great clouds of smoke up towards the sky.

“Unless you live here,” the pirate said. “In which case, you’ll have to find other arrangements.”

You could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, bewildered and dazed. “But... why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

He looked over your shoulder towards Kit, who lay groaning and weak in the grass with a bullet wound to the shoulder. His expression held nothing but disgust and contempt for your fiancé.

“I don’t like to see a lady mistreated,” he said. He gave your hand a gentle tug. “Come on. This way.”

You followed after him, helpless not to, feeling outside of yourself as you tried to think past the pain in your jaw and the overwhelming fear that still held you captive. He led you through the garden and down to the Commodore’s private docks where a skiff was waiting.

“Wait.” You stopped and tugged on his hand, and he turned to face you.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of urgency to his voice.

You looked to the skiff and then back to him. “How — ” You swallowed nervously. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

He looked a little lost for a response. “I don’t know, lass. I believe you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust a pirate?” you asked, choking a little on the words.

He gave you a grim half-smile. “Could be worse.”

“How on earth could it be worse?”

He didn’t answer you, distracted by the sight of several more skiffs approaching the docks. You followed his gaze and saw they were coming from two huge galleons further out in the bay.

“Heavens,” you breathed. You didn’t know how you could have missed them, but they suddenly loomed like two great monsters on the surface of the water.

He pulled you towards the boat. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “The second wave’s coming in soon, and they don’t mind me as well as I’d wish them to. I’d rather you not be out here when they come.”

You met his gaze. “Second wave? There’s more of you?”

He huffed a short, mirthless laugh and ushered you into the skiff with little grace. Your became hopelessly tangled in your skirts and sat uncomfortably on the opposite side from him.

“You may wish to take off some of those cumbersome overskirts, lassie,” he said, taking the oars and rowing you out to the giant ships. “You’ll get them caught in something and get hurt.”

You blushed vividly. “Take off my skirts?” you repeated, incredulous and mortified at the idea, though you noticed you didn’t sense any salacious undercurrent to his suggestion. “I certainly will not. Just because you run around in a state of undress does not mean I will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

You sat in silence as you came ever nearer to the twin galleons, feeling a caving pressure in your chest as they loomed closer. You looked around for something, anything, to distract you; against your better judgment, your gaze landed on the movement of your pirate rescuer’s strong arms with each pull of the oars.

You looked away, chastising yourself for such foolishness in the face of everything else that had happened.

When you reached the closer ship, you looked up at the cargo net that hung over the side with more than a little trepidation. How were you ever going to climb it in your dress?

Your pirate — when had you started to think of him as your pirate? — gave a theatrical gesture to the net. “Ladies first.”

You huffed, feeling anger at your situation start to override any other emotion. All you’d wanted tonight was to have a nice, unexciting dinner, and yet here you were, standing before a pirate and about to board his ship in the middle of the night.

“Very well,” you said tartly, dredging up some reserve of courage and feistiness from whatever was left in the hollow of your chest. With some difficulty, you reached under the waist of your blue overskirt and untied the two underskirts and hoop skirt underneath. He had the decency to avert his gaze, at least, but your face was still hot with embarrassment as you shimmied out of them and slipped off your uncomfortable shoes.

When all that was left to cover your undergarments was your overskirt and bodice, you stepped in your stocking-feet onto the first loop of rope on the cargo net.

“Mind your gaze, pirate,” you said, managing with a fair bit of exertion to climb the net. He scaled it with you, quick and nimble, and gave you a grin when he reached your perch.

“Pirate sounds such a dirty word when you say it,” he said, and there was a teasing lilt to his voice that gave you the strangest fluttering sensation in your chest. “You’d better just call me Jake.”

Oh, but you didn’t like knowing his name. Not one bit.

“Fine,” you said, tearing your gaze from his. “Mind your gaze, Jake.”

He grinned. “Only if you mind yours, lass.” He stepped up another rung and climbed the rest of the way with ease. You gave a dejected sigh and continued your laborious ascent to the railing of the ship.

When you reached the top of the net, Jake was waiting for you. He offered you a hand up, and it was only with his help that you managed to get aboard without falling on your face.

You looked up when you were steady. “Oh, dear.”

Several pirates stood frozen along the deck, watching you with a mix of shock, hostility, and undeniable interest. Each one of them was armed, sword hilts glinting at their hips and pistols tucked into belts that looped over their barrel-sized chests.

“Easy, lass,” Jake said, taking hold of your arm again. You barely registered that you’d made a sudden, jerky movement to flee the ship and go back down the net, but he’d stopped you before you could go anywhere.

“None of my men will hurt you,” he promised, and when you met his eyes with a terrified glance, you saw that he meant it.

“I have to trust you on this, too?” you asked feebly.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Aye. You’re getting the idea, lass.”

He let you go, a testament to his trust in you not to try and run, and nodded to the stairs before you.

“Allow me to escort you to my quarters,” he said.

You flushed. “Y-your quarters?”

“Indeed. Where I shall leave you to your own devices and come back out to be with my men.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Oh. Very well.”

You’d taken no more than two steps towards the stairs when another man appeared at the top of them, his features strikingly similar to Jake’s but done up in dark makeup that matched the black clothes he wore.

“Why, my dear Jakey,” he said with a glittering smile. “What have we here?”

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geminisecrets · 2 years

Text

Soul Meets Body

Warnings: 18+ ONLY! NSFW! Explicit sexual content, coarse language, oral sex, smut, unprotected sex, alcohol, I think that's it???

Word Count: 6.8K

Summary: Just a smutty, wintery, friends to lovers, college Sam AU!

Authors Note: Surprise!!!!! It's Sam instead! We absolutely cannot write the Jake one anymore without hating it all and cringing, but we managed to crank this bad boy out in like 3 days instead so... we hope you like it!

Y’all are super duper fuckin' rad for telling us what you think about our stuff. ☯️

Requests are open :)

Join our tag list ✨

“You’re such a drag,” Sam slurred, finally letting go of my hand, before shuffling back into the mass of dancing bodies. ‘I don’t dance’ is the understatement of the century. The idea of moving my body like that in front of a mirror, alone, in my room, is enough to make me cringe, let alone on a dance floor at a crowded bar.

There was no bite in his tone, but I rolled my eyes at him nonetheless. He’s known me long enough to know that it doesn’t matter how many G&Ts I’ve had, I will not be joining him on the dance floor. I stay perched at the high top table we’d been drinking at for hours, now. As I shift my hips, I feel the indent I’ve molded into the velvet cushion.

What I lack in confidence and a carefree social presence, Sam more than makes up for. It’s been that way since we first became friends. I met him a little over a year ago through our mutual friend, Danny. Dan and I were in the same chem lab during our freshman year and Sam was his roommate. The three of us became fast, easy friends and our individual friends melded effortlessly into our dynamic.

We find ourselves, now, without those friends for the first time on a Saturday night, maybe ever. Sam and I had hung out alone before, sure. We’d studied together, ran to grab coffee between classes, helped the other stumble back to residence after a night out, but we’d never planned something like this. I don’t know if we ever would, had this opportunity not fallen into our laps.

“A bar promotion, Sam? Seriously?” I’d asked.

“Come on, I know it’s not really your scene, but it’s December twenty-seventh. Everyone else will be home for Christmas.” He whined, puppy dog eyes in full effect, as he kneeled in front of my chair.

“Sam–” I started, ready to beg him to stand back up and not make a scene in the middle of the library.”

“Just go with him so he’ll shut up, please,” Danny whispered, nose shoved deep in his textbook.

“The tickets are free,” Sam continued, folding his hands and placing them neatly on my knees. “That old guy at the radio station gave them to me.” I stayed quiet, eyes searching his as I considered the plea.

Sam and I would be the only two out of all of our friends to be on campus for Christmas. I hadn’t been on speaking terms with my parents for years and his internship at the local radio station prevented him from taking any time off this season. ‘The newbies get the holiday shifts, sorry, kid,’ they said.

I knew he was going to win me over eventually. I had absolutely no reason not to say yes. No plans, no family to see, no other friends around.

“I’ll buy you as many gin and tonics as you can handle,” he finally said, wagging his eyebrows, “maybe more than you can handle, if you’re lucky.” A grin slowly spread across my lips as my eyes squinted at him, really testing the waters to see if he was serious.

“Fine, deal.” I caved.

“Yes!” He exclaimed a little too loudly for our current setting. Danny shoved his shoulder, nearly toppling him over, as I slapped a hand over his mouth, giggling quietly in the crowded library.

The more I watch him, now, the more I really do, for once, wish I was the dancing type. He looks so genuinely happy singing along and swaying his hips. Uncoordinated and awkward as he may be, he’s having fun. It isn't until one of the girls next to him turns around to back herself into him that I felt a different feeling entirely. As she swivels her ass back against him, his eyes shoot to mine immediately.

I wasn’t expecting that. I barely have time to change the look on my face, let alone wrestle with the feeling in my gut before his eyes meet mine. My knee-jerk reaction is to raise my eyebrows at him and smile, giving him a weak thumbs up to show I’m impressed. He laughs, tossing his head back and mocking me with a returned thumbs up.

I look back down at my phone on the table and contemplate faking an emergency to get some fresh air. When I chance a glance back up at the couple, I regret it immediately. The knot of regret in my belly comes from two distinct places. First, I was seeing something I really didn’t want to see: Sam’s hands wandering low on her hips, his middle finger tugging on her belt loop, pulling her closer to him with the rhythm of the music. Second, I was face to face with exactly the feeling I’d been pushing down since the moment I saw Sam walking toward me with Danny a year and a half ago.

I’d been trying incredibly hard for months to compartmentalize my feelings for Sam. I knew he was off limits the second Danny had introduced him to me, but as cheesy as it sounds, the heart wants what it wants. I’d forced myself to look the other way when he’d smile at me. I’d told myself the way he touched my side was nothing more than a gesture. I’d pushed down all the butterflies I’d feel when he told me a secret or brushed his hair behind his ear.

But tonight? There’s no stopping it. It hits me like a brick wall. I’m face to face with the reality that I’ve been falling for him all this time. It’s as I feel my heart rate begin to speed up and my breath come a little less evenly that I know I have to do something. Leaving isn’t an option. Way too obvious and I don't want to ditch him. I go with option two and order myself two more shots and a double gin and tonic.

With a deep breath and a quick prayer that it wouldn't all come back up, I down the shots and the drink in the span of sixty seconds. After a few deep breaths, I decided to stop ‘being a drag’ as Sam had so eloquently put it. I brush my hair behind my ears and make my way to the dance floor. I keep my phone and glass of, now just ice, in my hand like some sort of security blanket as I weave through the crowd. At first, I was sure I didn’t want Sam to see me; I didn't want him to notice that I had ventured out into the sea of bodies. Of course I don't really know how this kind of thing works. I’m relying completely on the liquid courage to move me. When I assume I’ve made it to the middle of the crowd, I close my eyes and think back to all the cliched instructions I’d heard before. Things like: don’t move to the music, let the music move you. And, pretend no one’s watching.

The more I feel the alcohol in my bloodstream, the more those cliches start to make sense. I sway there for a few moments, hips feeling the beat, before I feel a body press up against my back.

“Sorry–” I start, turning around to see who I’d bumped into.

“You’re good,” a pair of bright blue eyes replies, smiling. “This okay?” he asks, hands moving to my hips as he swayed us along to the song. I nod, a blush rising to my cheeks as he brings my hands up to place them around his neck. He hugs me closer as the song changes to something a little slower, the bass thumping so loudly, I feel it in my tummy. The song is something I’d heard before. A classic, but some modern, bastardized version of it. I smile thinking about how much Sam must be hating it.

I continue thinking about Sam. As Blue Eyes’ hands creep a little lower on my back, I imagine they’re his. As the bassline in the song begins to build, I run my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and wish it was longer, softer, lighter. When I touch the tip of my nose to his neck, I imagine this is how Sam smells, warm, soft, and a little sweaty, but I press my lips against it anyway. I feel the groan vibrate out of his throat as his hands dare to dip into the back pockets of my jeans.

My heart begins to race. Muted, thumping, and heavy, I feel it deep in my chest. Longing. Desire. Carnal and raw. I’m starting to understand the appeal of not being a wallflower on nights like tonight.

“Sam,” I murmur.

“It’s Ben,” he laughs. I pull back to look at him, humiliation painting my features. “It’s okay,” he says, lips at my ear.

And that’s when I see Sam walking toward me with a surprised smile on his face. He winks at me and backs away, but as soon as he does, I want him closer again. I want him to feel how I felt watching someone else’s hands all over him. The logical side of my brain tells me he won’t care. He doesn’t have feelings for you like that, why would he give a fuck? But, the very drunk, much louder, side of my brain is yelling at me to try anyway.

With a smile, I look up at Ben and shake my head, “I’m fine!” I assure him. With my hands on his cheeks, I press my lips to his. In the back of my mind, I’m willing Sam to still be standing there. Ben gives into me, holding me tighter as his lips slot into mine. Getting brave, I lick into his mouth.

“Mmph,” he grimaces, pulling back, “gin.”

“Do I taste like a pine tree?” I ask, trying to taste my own breath. He chuckles and nods.

“I hot pine tree, but a very drunk one,” he states. “Where are your friends?” he asks. I look over his shoulder to see Sam standing by the bar, fiddling with his straw, trying to make it look like he’s not watching me. I’m sure he’s imagining this is what it would be like to see a unicorn or, more likely a train wreck. Ben’s line of vision follows mine and when he and Sam make eye contact, Ben nods, signaling Sam to come over.

What was supposed to be a sexy attempt to make him jealous now makes my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I feel like a kid getting in trouble. Sam sucks the rest of his drink down and abandons it on the bar to stalk toward us, a smug look on his face.

“Hey,” he says loudly, over the music, “you good?” he asks. I nod.

“I hope I see you again,” Ben says, kissing me on the cheek before meandering away from us.

“What was that?” Sam asks. I bury my face in my hands and lean my forehead against Sam’s chest, groaning.

“I’m so embarrassed,” I mumble.

“What?” He calls, clearly unable to hear me.

“Can you just dance with me?” I look up at him, asking pathetically.

He feigns shock and delight, gesturing to himself dramatically. “Moi?”

I roll my eyes and make an attempt to escape to the bathroom, but he grabs my wrist and stops me.

“Hey, hey hey,” he chuckles. “I’m teasing. Of course I’ll dance with you.”

I let him pull me closer. The song changes again to something with a little more soul. Another classic, but this time with much less autotune and unnecessary techno- drum tracks.

“Finally, someone in this hellhole has taste,” he yells.

“Enough,” I laugh, hugging my arms around his neck. He reciprocates, holding me closer to him and moving to the beat of the music. I still feel a little stiff, despite the fact that I can barely feel my feet due to the amount of alcohol in my system.

“You’ve gotta loosen up,” he says into my ear. His hands travel to my hips and he sways them for me. He’s joking at first, dramatically rocking them right to left, but when I pull back to look at him, his eyes are burning holes through mine. “Like this,” he says. He nods his head to the beat, lip caught between his teeth and hands at my hips again, this time taking another step impossibly closer, chest pressing against mine.

I feel it again. The butterflies, fluttering so rapidly I fear I might vomit them all up. Instead, I close my eyes and focus on the way his hands feel on me. They’re warm and big and they’re slowly digging harder and harder into the skin at my waist.

He’s signing along now and he takes a big step back, grabbing my hands in his and spins me around so that his chest is pressed to my back. Immediately I feel a shift in the energy between us. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the way I practically feel his heart hammering against my back, but whatever it is gives me the courage to test the waters and press my ass back against him.

He seems to approve and shows me just that by bringing one hand around to rest over my belly button and the other to brush the hair over my shoulder so he can press his lips to the shell of my ear.

“There you go,” he coaxes.

That really is all the encouragement I need to let my hips move on their own accord, grinding against him slowly and as coordinated as I can. It takes all my focus to get the rhythm down, but the way he moves behind me helps me keep time.

My right hand moves to cover his on my stomach and the left grips his thigh as I brace myself, letting him keep both of us upright. The hand on my stomach bravely slips under the hem of my top, resting just above my belly button. My heart is beating so forcefully that I’m sure he can hear it. I let my head loll back against his shoulder and as I look up at the bright flashy lights in the bar, I begin to feel dizzy.

“Fuck, Sam,” I say, holding on to his arm a little tighter to keep my balance. I try to communicate that I need to sit down or go home or really be anywhere but here in this hot, crowded, flashy bar.

“I know,” he says, squeezing at my waist again, misreading my signals entirely, “I’ve wanted this for so long.” My eyes dart open and at this point I’m sure it’s the gin messing with my perception.

“Yeah?” I ask, standing up a little straighter, turning back around slowly in his arms to face him.

“Shit, is it okay that I said that?” He asks, eyes searching mine, but his are just as glossy and gazed over.

“Sam, I think we should go,” I say, convinced that he’s completely delusional and possibly even more fucked up than I am. He cringes visibly and runs his hand through his hair. “Come on.” I take his hand in mine and lead him through the crowd, past the bar and to the coat check. I rummage through my pockets, but realize Sam has our tickets. He reaches past me silently and hands them to the girl behind the counter. In turn, she hands us our coats. We shuffle past the group of people at the door and step out onto the street.

The second we’re outside, the better I can breathe. The urge to vomit subsides and I can think a little more clearly.

“Fuck, it’s freezing,” he winces, walking briskly down the sidewalk. It’s clear that denial and avoidance is the route he’s choosing and, truly, I can't blame him, considering that was the game I played with my feelings for him for as long as I’d known him.

“Let’s Uber, please, my fingers are going to fall off,” I whine. “There’s no chance I’m making it all ten blocks back to my place.”

“Just stay at mine, it’s only three blocks if you cut through the park,” he slows down slightly, allowing me to catch up. “Plus, nothing sobers you up like the brisk walk back home,” he explains.

“Fine,” I relent, not in the mood to argue, “but if my fingers freeze off from frostbite, you’re going to have to type all my papers next semester.”

The walk back to his residence is, in fact, brisk. It’s also relatively quiet. Other than a few remarks from both of us about how cold it is and how much we wish we were already inside, it’s silent between us.

I shiver underneath the awning of his building as he fumbles with this keycard. Finally, he swipes it and we’re inside. I follow him up the familiar path to room three hundred and fifteen. When he unlocks the door, I find Danny’s side of the room completely spotless. Bed made, desk chair pushed in, even his nightstand is tidy and clean.

Sam’s side, on the other hand, as usual, looks like a bomb went off. There’s laundry littering the desk and unmade bed and open books and vinyl records covering every other surface.

“Do you want the bathroom first?” He asks, gesturing to the tiny ensuite to the left.

“No, you can go,” I offer. He doesn't seem to put up much of a fuss and grabs change of clothes before shutting the bathroom door behind him.

I suddenly feel incredibly vulnerable. The room is dark except for the light from the street lamps shining in between the slats of the large blinds and the small salt lamp on Sam’s nightstand. I hug my coat tighter against me and sit on the edge of Danny’s bed. I do my best not to get lost in my thoughts as I hear the toilet flush and the water run from the sink.

I hear it over and over as I stare at the mess of sheets and pillows on Sam’s bed.

“I’ve wanted this for so long.”

Surely he was just wasted and horny. He would have said that to anything with a pulse at that point. The more I thought about it, the more I could practically feel him, warm and hard against me as he moved his hips against my ass. The click of the bathroom door opening shocks me out of my own head.

“All yours,” he offers, stepping into the bedroom in nothing but a pair of old boxers. Slut.

Two could play this game. I hadn’t planned on sleeping over, of course, so I brought nothing with me. I rummaged through Danny’s drawers until I found a baggy t-shirt and take it with me into the tiny bathroom. I haphazardly rub at my face with what I beg, is a clean washcloth and some warm water in a very lame attempt to take my makeup off. Part of me knows I’ll regret even trying in the morning, but two AM me could not care less. I swish a capful of mouthwash around in my mouth and pray that does the trick for the time being. I look around for a brush after I change into the t-shirt, but can’t find one.

When I open the door to the bedroom, it’s a little brighter. Sam had turned on the small lamp on Danny’s nightstand.

“Brush?” I ask, assuming that between the two of them there had to be one kicking around.

“Top drawer,” he offers, gesturing to his dresser as he scrolls on his phone from under the covers. I try to ignore the way his eyes peek over the top of the screen and land on my bare thighs.

I follow his direction and fish out a paddle brush from the drawer. Mindlessly, I brush through my hair and mosey back into the bathroom to drink as much water from the sink as I can before turning off the light and crawling into Danny’s bed. I reach over and click the light off, realizing that, thanks to the walk home and the bastardized nighttime routine, I’m feeling incredibly sober at this point. I thank God that I’m going to bed drunk, but wish I was fucked up enough to be able to pass out easily. I know that’s not going to be the case tonight.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Sam finally says.

“Thanks for asking me,” I reply, stretching my legs in an attempt to get comfortable in the foreign bed.

It’s quiet. Really quiet. I can’t hear cars or people outside the window. I can’t even hear Sam shuffling in the twin bed next to mine. All I can hear is the faint ringing in my ears and the sound of my own breathing.

I don’t know what time I eventually fall asleep, but when I wake up, it's the first thing on my mind. Before I even open my eyes, I hear him say, “I’ve wanted this for so long.” It’s still dark out. I lie still for a few moments in the eerie quietness of the early morning before I can’t take it anymore.

As quietly as I can, I slip out from underneath the covers, grab my bra and top off the floor and zip my coat up over Danny’s t-shirt. It’s as I’m slipping my shoes on, that I look up to see Sam rolling over. I freeze like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar and hear the low, evenness of his breathing again, insinuating he’s fallen back asleep.

I allow myself a good ten seconds to take in the sight before me. The only light in the room is emanating from the dim salt lamp on his nightstand. God damn him for looking so soft and perfect in the low, warm, pink light. His hair delicately falls onto his cheek as though it was placed there for a photograph. His bare back rises and falls slowly as he hugs the pillow underneath him. His lips are plump as his cheek, pressed against the pillow, squishes them into a pursed kiss.

He looks so beautiful, I’m afraid that if I stand there looking at him any longer, I’ll cry. So, instead I click the door open. I think I’m in the clear until I hear him sleepily call my name. Fuck.

“Yeah?” I whisper, turning back to look at him as he squints up at me, the harsh fluorescents from the hallway tarnishing the picture painted by the warm light of the lamp.

“Where are you going?” He whispers.

“Um–” I start.

“You don't have to go,” he grumbles, sitting up.

“No, Sam it’s okay, go back to–”

“I can’t go back to sleep thinking you’re leaving because of what I said,” he confesses. He looks so gentle and genuine and docile sitting in the mess and tangle of blankets. I sigh and close the door behind me, accepting that I won’t be escaping easily tonight.

As I drop my bag back on Danny’s desk chair, Sam turns the other lamp on, illuminating the room further. I can see him more clearly now. I can see the sleep in his eyes, but there’s an urgency behind them, like his mind is far more attentive than his body is at this hour of the night.

He leans back against the wall, facing Danny’s bed, sheets covering him from the waist down. I can feel his eyes track me as I shrug my coat off, left once again in only Danny’s oversized t-shirt. I crawl into Danny’s bed and mirror his position. Facing him with the covers pulled up around my hips. It’s quiet for a moment, but the silence is saying so much.

“I thought you were just wasted,” I grin, unable to make eye contact. He breathes a laugh out of his nostrils.

“I was,” he confesses, “but…I stand by it. I’ve thought about pretty much that exact scenario quite a few times.” I can feel the blush rise to my cheeks as I pull my knees up to my chest and cross my arms over them. I rest my chin on my forearms and look directly at him, hoping that by making myself smaller, I can hide away from the very real panic bustling up my chest. “Please say something, you’re killing me, here,” he laughs uncomfortably.

“I have too,” I finally admit. His face lights up at that and I feel my heart start to pound. I imagine it keeping time with his, the beats in sync with one another.

“Yeah?” He smiles. I nod. “Cool.”

“Cool.” I echo. It’s quiet again and I can't help but notice the way he’s shifted in his bed, the blankets falling lower on his torso.

“I really want to kiss you,” he admits, boldly. “Can I kiss you?”

I nod again. “Yeah, you can kiss me.” When he doesn't move, I begin to feel dread rise in my throat before he says:

“I wanted to make a move but… you’re gonna have to come to me,” he says. “Don’t think I could, in good conscience, make out with you in Danny’s bed.” I laugh and throw the cover off of my legs, sliding off of the bed and taking the three steps over to Sam’s. He welcomes me by lifting his duvet, making room for me to join him under the covers.

“Better,” he says, once we’re side by side. His hand reaches out to cup my cheek and he shakes his head and chuckles in disbelief as he leans in to press his lips against mine.

Everyone always describes magical first kisses with someone as fireworks, but this doesn't feel explosive at all. It’s hot, yes, I’m warm all over, but I’d describe the heat more like lava. It’s slow, languid, all consuming. His hand moves from my cheek, around to the back of my neck, pulling me in closer, guiding me.

Our kiss breaks with a smacking sound. “Sam?” I murmur. He hums in reply. “What about Danny?”

“You’re thinking about Danny right now?” He pulls away to look at me, hand still in my hair. I can’t help but laugh, lips hovering over his.

“I just– I don't want to fuck things up with our friends.” I admit. “Like will things be weird when everyone’s back?”

A sly smile grows on his lips. “They already know.”

“They– how?” I ask, pulling back to see his face clearly.

“No, not about– this–” he gestures between us, “but Danny definitely knows how I feel about you.”

“Oh,” I smile. “Okay, and he wasn’t weird about it?”

“Who do you think gave me the idea to beg you to go with me tonight?” He asks. That’s all the validation I need before climbing into his lap and kissing him again. The sound that comes from the back of his throat as I straddle his hips is enough to bring me to my knees. His hands grab at my waist as mine tangle in his hair. I can’t help but smile to myself as he sucks my lower lip into his mouth. It was starting to get pathetic, the amount of times I’d dreamt of this moment with Sam.

The kiss gets heavy fast as I test the waters by ever so slightly swiveling my hips in his lap. His lips move to my neck as his hands on my waist replicate the motion by moving them himself. I can’t contain the huffs of air coming from my open mouth as he controls my hips just like he had when we were dancing at the bar.

“Oh my God, Sam,” I whisper. He responds by biting into the flesh at the juncture of my neck and shoulder.

“Lay down for me?” He asks quietly. I obey, climbing off his lap and resting my head on his pillow.

“This okay?” I ask, lifting the baggy t-shirt up above my belly button, implying that I’m ready to take it off. Sam kneels above me, straddling my hips, looking down at the exposed skin and reaching out to touch.

“What if I wanna do that part?” he asks.

“You wanna take my shirt off, Sam?” I tease, returning the smile. He nods, reaching for the hem.

“Um–” I take his hand in mine, stopping his actions. “Where are your manners?” His lips part like he’s about to speak, but then shut into a sly grin.

“Well, excuse me.” He puts his hand on his chest, sinking down to sit on my thighs that are spread slightly below him. “Not very polite of me, was it?” He takes my hands in his and lifts them above my head until they’re pinned against the pillow. His lips hover centimeters from mine when he says, “May I, pretty please–”

“–with a cherry on top–”

“–with a cherry on top, see your beautiful body?”

“‘Course you can.” I smile, pursing my lips out to reach his. He kisses me back with fervor, hands trailing down my arms and down to my sides, sliding under my shirt. His hands are warm and calloused, but not rough like I’d expect a musician’s to be. He keeps kissing me as his hands explore my torso, finally cupping my breasts. I break the kiss with a gasp as he kneads them roughly, lips moving back to my neck. I hum out my satisfaction as he contrasts the firm grasp he has on me with gentle, wet, sucking kisses to my neck.

His hands begin their path south as do his lips. I arch my back to accommodate him pulling the t-shirt over my head to toss onto the floor.

“Perfect,” he mumbles, looking me over and leaning back down to press kisses to my sternum and down to my belly button. The fingers of his left hand move to hook into the waistband of my underwear and I feel panic rise up in me.

“Wait, wait,” I gasp, grabbing his hand. Sam pulls away to look at me, eyebrows furrowed with concern. “I just… I’ve never…”

“Oh, shit I’m sorry,” he tries to understand. “Oh, that’s okay, we don’t have to–” He sits up immediately, wiping the spit from his chin and running a hand through his hair.

“No, no, I’m not, like– I’m not a virgin, I just,” I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the words that are about to come out of my mouth. “No one’s ever–”

“No one’s ever gone down on you before?” He asks. I shake my head. “Ever?” He clarifies.

“I mean I guess I don’t blame my boyfriend in highschool and the guy I was seeing last year just said he wasn’t into it,” I shrug.

“But he probably expected you to blow him, right?” Sam asks, leaning back in toward me, his elbow resting on the bed between my hip and the wall.

“Yeah, I guess. We didn’t date for that long, though, and–”

Sam interrupts me with a call of my name and then proceeds, “I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do, but,” his eyes wander up and down my body and his hand sneaks below the fabric of my shirt, toying with the elastic of my underwear. “I really want to go down on you.” I feel the heat in my cheeks and I know I must be bright red.

“You want to?” I question, finding it hard to believe. “I thought guys just put up with doing it. Like it was a chore or something.” The smirk that slowly rises to Sam’s lips will be permanently etched into the fabric of my mind.

Sam clicks his tongue disappointedly, sitting up to hover over me once again. “You were wasted on such selfish lovers,” he says, lowering his body down on top of mine and kissing the skin just above my breast, his lips trail higher and higher, sucking a line of kisses up to my ear before whispering, “can I show you?” he asks, “can I show you how good it can be? For both of us?”

“Okay.” I breathe, tilting my hips up to grind against his, showing him how much I want just that. He groans into my neck as he grinds his hips down to meet mine. I can feel how hard he is and it makes me dizzy with desire. “Okay I want you to.”

“Promise me,” he confirms.

“I promise,” I nearly laugh. “Believe me, I want you to.”

“Okay,” he whispers, kissing my cheek. “Thank you,” another kiss to my jaw, “thank you,” kiss, “thank you,” kiss, until he’s pressing the most gentle pecks to the skin above my belly button. He looks up at me beneath his eyelashes and I can’t quite see him over the swell of my breasts, so I shift up onto my elbows, gaining confidence.

“You look good between my legs, Kiszka,” I smirk as he, once again, hooks his fingers into the waistband of my underwear and pulls them down my thighs. Gently, he spreads my knees apart and gets down on his stomach between them. The confidence I had built from Sam practically begging to eat me out shrivels and dies the second he’s face to face with the most intimate part of me, but once again dissipates as he presses kisses to the insides of my thighs and pubic bone.

“You look pretty good from this angle, too.” He says before finally licking one slow stripe up my center. He closes his eyes and I thank God because I’m sure the way I’m practically drooling and sweating watching him do this is the farthest from sexy I could get. Slowly and methodically, he licks up and down my center, getting me used to the feeling of his tongue on the sensitive skin.

Just when I’ve started to collect my breath, he flattens his tongue and adds more pressure to his licks, flicking his tongue up at the end as he reaches my clit.

“Oh, fuck,” my hips jump away from the mattress at the feeling of the tip of his tongue teasing me. His right hand moves from where it was at my side to flatten over the skin below my belly button, attempting to hold me still against the bed.

He surprises me by alternating licks with gentle sucking my clit between his lips. I squirm underneath him, releasing my elbows from underneath me, no longer strong enough to hold myself up when I feel his finger slip between my folds.

His lips and tongue focus on drawing firm, wet circles around my clit as his finger slowly slides into me.

“I need you, Sam,” I moan with my face turned to the side, voice muffled into the pillow. “Fuck me. Please.”

“Gonna make you cum first, gorgeous,” he says, “can you do that for me?’ I nod. “Tell me,” he pleads, “tell me you’ll cum for me.”

“I will,” I promise as he adds another finger.

“You will what?” he taunts.

“I’ll cum, I’ll cum,” I huff as his fingers pick up speed.

“Cum for who?” He continues his interrogation.

As I’m about to answer, he curls his fingers upward inside me, causing me to gasp and yell, “you! Fuck, I’m gonna cum for you.”

“Alright, alright, no need to shout,” he grins, using his lips to return to the work he’d started on my clit.

“Fuck you,” I groan with absolutely no malice, gripping the sheets in my hands as he licks and sucks at me.

I know he can tell I’m close by the way he keeps his pace with his fingers and tongue and I cum around his fingers moments later.

“Thank you,” I breathe as he kisses my thighs while I come down. “Come here,” I reach out for him. He crawls up beside me and kisses my cheek. I turn my face to the side and catch his lips in a kiss. I move to sit up and he makes room for me to press him back against the foot of the bed, straddling his hips.

“I don’t think we’re very fairly matched here,” I say looking down at the layer of fabric between us.

“Allow me,” he says, reaching down to pull his boxer briefs off.

“Ah, ah, ah–” I stop him. “What if I wanna do that part?” I parrot his sentiment from earlier. He crosses his arms behind his head, fully relaxing into the mess of sheets and pillows underneath him.

“By all means,” he smiles up at me. I lean down to kiss his lips as my hands palm the hard bulge between his legs. He moans into my mouth as I squeeze and pump his cock over his underwear before sliding them down his legs.

My lips press against his cheek, down his neck and back up to his ear. “Are you gonna fuck me, Sam?” I ask, hand reaching back down to palm at his now bare cock.

“Jesus,” he sighs as I lick the shell of his ear, gaining momentum with my strokes.

“Hmm?” I press.

“Yeah,” he says, “yeah I’m gonna fuck you.” I hum approval in his ear as I line myself up over him.

“Gonna let me ride you?” I ask, teasing the tip against my center.

“Yeah,” he breathes, “you think you’re ready to go again? Not too sensitive?” he asks, reaching down to brush his finger over my clit.

“Fuck you,” I flinch at his touch, breath huffing out of me in a laugh. He leans up to kiss me again, sliding his tongue into my mouth and his hand into my hair as I lower down onto him. I stay still for a moment, adjusting to the size of him before lifting up and back down experimentally.

“Yeah, that’s so good,” he praises. I find a rhythm, bouncing up and down, feeling him slide almost all the way out before going back in again. I brace myself with my hands flat on his chest as he holds my ass in his hands and pumps up into me harder and faster.

“Oh my God, Sam,” I huff, trying to catch my breath as he hits my g-spot over and over. I reach down between us to circle my clit, chasing the orgasm I can feel building again. When Sam notices, he sits up, causing me to fall onto my back on the bed as he repositions himself and before I have time to think, he’s moving behind me so that we’re both on our sides.

“C’mere,” he says, taking my knee and lifting it under his forearm, spreading me open once again. “Can you hold your leg open for me?” he asks, pressing kisses to my neck as he repositions himself at my entrance. I agree, taking my leg, as he did, hooking in the crook of my arm. “Perfect, you’re doing so good. You’re perfect.”

I rest my head down on the pillow as he slips back inside of me, finding that same rhythm, but this time, snaking his hand down under my arm to touch me. I feel his lips at my ear as he rocks his hips against me, dragging his cock in and out and this new angle feels even better. I know I’m not far from another orgasm, and that’s confirmed when Sam’s fingers trace down my stomach and start to circle my clit.

Our breaths become more and more ragged and desperate as we climb toward release together.

“I’m gonna cum again, Sam.” I whine, clenching around him and before I know it, that warm, tingly euphoric feeling is washing over me. Sam moans and curses, face buried into my hair as he pulls out and finishes in his hand.

“Fuck,” he breathes, and it’s quiet for a few moments before he brushes my hair to out of my face and presses soft kisses to the back of my neck.

“I don’t think I have the energy to change these sheets,” I admit.

“Oh absolutely not,” he agrees.

“Don’t tell Danny?” I suggest, motioning to Danny’s bed, implying that it’s a more suitable option for us tonight.

“Don’t tell Danny.” Sam laughs in agreement.

Masterlist

Taglist:

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#sammy kiszka #sam kiszka x reader #sam kiszka gvf #sam kiszka smut #sammy gvf #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet smut #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet #greta van fleet fanfiction #gretavanfleet #greta van fleet au #sam kiszka au

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indigostreaking · 1 year

Text

Hearts Aflame

Chapter 7

Start over here.

(Chapter six)

Firefighter!Danny x fem!reader

Warnings: JAKE POV, fluff, angst, language, drinking, sass..I think that’s really it this time 😅

Word count: 4.4k

Jake's POV

After putting it off as long as I could, I finally pulled in to Dan and Sam's driveway. It wasn't that I was avoiding them—or anyone for that matter, but I was not looking forward to hearing Danny gushing over his new girl. The prolonged bout of singleness had made me a little bitter towards couples, especially disgustingly happy ones like Danny and y/n. I climbed out of the car and grabbed my guitar case from the back seat, but I had to hide my startled jolt when I heard the front door shut abruptly.

Illuminated by the dull light of the moon, she looked almost ethereal, save for the annoyed look on her face. "Hey there, darling," I called out as I casually strolled closer. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized she wasn't alone, and I couldn't contain my laughter at that reaction. She spun around quickly, with a bright smile replacing the frown that was there seconds ago.

"Hey, Jake," she replied softly. "You're late." The gentle scold was followed with an easy laugh. I bit back my smile, forcing myself back into a bored facade.

"Which of my brothers am I to blame for you leaving in such a hurry?" I asked as cooly, still trying to sound flirty without overdoing it. A fine line. Honestly, if I were a better man, I wouldn’t be flirting with her at all…but alas, here we are.

"Um, none of them. I've just got some animals to take care of at home," she said nonchalantly. I nodded while internally trying to decipher if I felt more relieved or disappointed that she wouldn’t be here.

After a beat of silence, I finally snapped back to the present and replied, "Alright..until next time then, y/n." Then I stepped past her, up the stairs, and on to the porch as she hurried off.

Despite my better judgement, I looked back, letting myself watch her climb in to the waiting car. When I turned to head inside, I was met by my twin's face as he walked out the front door. "Chasing after Daniel's girl?" I teased with a smirk, knowing exactly which buttons of his to push. Getting him riled up was one of my most treasured past times, never failing to entertain me.

"What? No." He replied quickly. "I just wanted to make sure that you were here.." I knew he was lying, especially when he looked past me to watch y/n’s Uber back out of the driveway and disappear down the road. It would appear that my dear brother was more infatuated than he let on. Interesting. I tucked away this bit of information..a little rainy day fun, if you will.

"I get it," I admitted a little too honestly. "She's got that fuckable girl next door vibe that some people seem to love," I amended, purposely stoking the fire that was burning within him. His eyes cut back to me and narrowed in disgusted anger.

"Fuckable? Really, Jacob?" He asked incredulously, but I just smiled and shook my head in amusement. "That's not really saying much coming from you, you know?" He was smirking now, as he finished, "You'd fuck a hole in the wall with the right motivation."

"I think the word you're looking for, brother, is lubrication," I replied, letting my words lilt with the slight British accent that I had inadvertently adopted from time to time. Then I smirked and quirked an eyebrow at him—poking the bear, metaphorically speaking—as I pushed even more of his buttons before letting him off the hook with a lazy chuckle. He was seething when I pushed past him and finally stepped inside for band practice.

~*~*~

"Does he ever come home anymore?" Josh asked loudly as he stoked the fire with a long stick. I took another long swig from my beer and turned towards Sam, curious to hear the answer.

"No!" He groaned, and continued to play tug of war with the dog. "He's lucky he still pays his part of rent...otherwise I'd start charging him child support," he rolled his eyes dramatically, but there was no way for him to hide how much he actually enjoyed having Smokey around. Josh and I both forced a laugh for Sam's benefit, but the air felt oddly heavy. "He's been busy with work, and helping y/n with the resc—OH SHIT! I forgot to tell you!" He exclaimed, interrupting his own train of thought. I glanced at my twin, sharing a knowing look before we both gave our little brother our undivided attention. "I went over there the other night to check on this—nevermind, the why isn't important. Anyway, I was standing in the kitchen, and I could hear them," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. My eyes widened, and Sam continued, "Then she walked out completely naked, and before I had a chance to even realize what was happening, Danny came running out with a lamp!"

Josh erupted into laughter, but I managed to bite mine back. "Was he naked, too?" I asked out of curiosity, but internally groaned at myself for asking such a dumb question.

"Of course he was naked, Jacob! Poor Smokey was so traumatized that I knew I had to get him out of there," he replied dramatically.

"Yeah, before Daniel could beat you with his..lamp," Josh teased, taking his turn wiggling his eyebrows now. I couldn't hold my laughter in any longer as it sputtered out of me while I was mid-sip of my beer.

"Oh fuck off," Sam groaned, effectively ending the conversation. We let our laughter die down with the fire, drinking and chatting well into the night. Sam eventually disappeared, which wasn't unusual for him when we drank, but it was my turn to groan when my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

After fighting to free it from its denim cage, I struggled to get my eyes to focus on the messages that popped up in rapid succession. I fucking hate group chats.

Sammy boy-Oh Daniel! we r going hiking 2noro

Sammy boy- I know u r off wrk...

Sir Daniel- Sounds fun! Me and y/n will meet you at the house around 6am. You should probably stop drinking now, though...unless you feel like hiking with a hangover 🤪

Sir Daniel- That means you, too, twinsies 😏

I rolled my eyes at how well he knew us, and looked up to see Josh grinning from ear to ear. "S’gonna be fun!" he cheered enthusiastically, only slurring his words slightly despite the small mountain of cans he had collected throughout the night. I just finished my drink before putting out the fire and heading inside.

~*~*~

My alarm was blaring when I picked my phone up off the end table to see it was barely 5:30am. Fuck drunk Jake. I groaned, stretching and yawning before rolling off the couch and sneaking in to the bathroom to claim the first shower. I washed and rinsed as quick as I could, even brushing my teeth in there before turning the water off and stepping out onto the bathmat. I hurriedly dried my hair a little with my dirty t-shirt, then draped my towel around my hip before heading back to the living room to wake Josh. The idiot had slept on top of a pile of blankets in the floor instead of in Danny's bed or on the other couch. He claimed that he wanted to cuddle the dog, but as soon as he passed out, Smokey trotted off to sleep in bed with Sam. "Go shower before Sam gets up and hogs all the hot water," I instructed plainly as I pulled on my jeans from yesterday. He groaned in response, pulling the corner of a blanket over his eyes in protest. "I'm serious, it's too early for me to deal with you two dueling divas," I snarked, nudging him with my foot once more before stepping around him and trudging in to the kitchen. After I pulled on a plain gray shirt that I snagged from Danny's room, I pulled out three glasses from the cabinet and the blender.

Within seconds of the bathroom door clicking shut, Sam let out an exasperated sigh. "You guys suck! Even in my own house, I've gotta shower last?" He said loudly as he moped into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Smokey followed close behind, curling up to fill the spot beside him. I ignored the complaints and continued rummaging through their cabinets to put together a cure for this god awful hangover. "Fuck it, I'll just get the first one after the hike," he muttered as he leaned back, closing his eyes to catch just a bit more rest. I watched him eagerly as I pressed pulse on the blender, nearly collapsing into a fit of laughter when he levitated off the couch in shock.

"You sound like you could use a dose of Oliver's famous hangover cure," I said smoothly, in my best British accent as I poured my concoction into the glasses.

"Fuck you," he groaned, holding up his middle finger before nuzzling his face into Smokey's fur and murmuring his grievances to someone he knew would listen.

The front door opened before I could say anything else, and y/n walked in with the same bright smile she always sported. "Morning, guys!" She chirped happily as Danny flowed in behind her, resting his hand on her hip. Smokey launched himself at her, nearly tackling her to the ground once she was here. Sam was clearly offended deeply, because he threw his head back dramatically and held his hand to his chest as if he was wounded beyond repair.

"I already loaded a cooler in the back of my Jeep, but we'll probably need to take both—where's Josh?" Danny interrupted his own statement after realizing why he'd been able to talk for so long.

"I've got everything we need right here!" Josh announced loudly as he came waddling into the room carrying a large cooler, clearly loaded down with supplies because I could hear it sloshing with each step. Where he had gotten it from, let alone gotten his 'supplies' from, I may never know.

"Works for me,” I replied before quickly tossing back my drink without so much as a cringe. “Come drink your medicine, boys!" I called them over as I washed my glass then put it back in the cabinet. They hadn’t moved, so I waited impatiently, cocking my hip out and raising my eyebrows. Josh groaned and begrudgingly sat down the cooler before hauling Sam to his feet and dragging him to the kitchen island. I handed them their glasses with a pleased smile. They both took a deep breath, clinking their glasses before gulping the mixture down with a choked cough. Danny and y/n laughed at the theatrics before turning and walking back out the door. Josh raced after them, never wanting to be left behind. Sam and Smokey trotted along behind him, while I finished washing their cups and the blender. Once I put everything away, I made my way out, passing Danny as he ran back in to grab Josh's forgotten cooler.

Danny's Jeep was loaded down with coolers and guitars, per usual, so I ended up babysitting Josh and Sam, also per usual. Daniel held open the passenger door for y/n, and she giggled when he slapped her ass as she climbed in. It was nice seeing him so happy, but it annoyed the shit out of me to watch it. I’m not built to be single while my brothers are not, even if it’s just Danny. He deserved it, all of it, all of the love and happiness..but the universe forcing me to watch it seemed cruel. I climbed in to the driver's seat of Josh's white Jeep, and he was already happily settled into the passenger seat. He had been working on queueing up a playlist for the drive, and Sam had already made himself at home in the backseat with Smokey.

After driving for a while, Josh turned the music down abruptly and asked, "Is it weird that y/n is the only girl going with us? Like, do you think she feels weird or awkward?" His question seemed odd, but it intrigued me.

"Y/n doesn't care about stuff like that," Sam replied confidently. "She'll be fine...won't she, Smokes?" He reassured us before devolving in to unintelligible baby talk as he spoke to the dog.

"You think he’s right?" I asked nervously, glancing towards my twin. A smile played at the corner of his mouth as he studied me.

"Why? Did you have a girl you wanted to invite?" He asked in a teasing tone, causing me to roll my eyes. I tried to focus on the road, but I could hear the shit-eating grin as he continued, "Roster looking a little slim, huh, Jakey?" He elbowed my side playfully.

"Fuck off," I replied with a low chuckle. "Like you're doing any better," I shot back with a smirk.

“Like you’re doing any better,” he parroted back to me in a sing song tone before flipping me off and turning up the music to tune me out.

We pulled in to the gravel parking lot right behind Daniel and Y/n. The sound of the pebbles crunching and scattering under the tires was almost nostalgic, reminding me of all the time we had spent camping as kids. I had barely put the car in park before Sam had was tumbling out of the Jeep with a leashed Smokey in tow as he practically sprinted up the trail. The shithead didn’t grab anything but the dog, a back pack and his Danny pack. I sighed as I shut off the engine, slowly unbuckling as I watched Daniel and y/n unload the coolers and drag them up the trail. Josh disappeared, presumably to the back of his Jeep, so I made my way over to Danny's to grab the guitars.

"I'll come back for those later if you'll help me grab the tents," Josh shouted. I turned, cocking my head to the side until I saw his head pop out from behind his car. "Yeah?" He asked eagerly, waiting for my acceptance of his bargain.

I closed the trunk of the black Jeep with only my guitar case in hand, and trudged over to help. "Yeah," I muttered, grabbing one of the large tents while josh grabbed the other, a hatchet, a long stemmed lighter, and a bottle of starter fluid.

When we finally caught up to everyone, Sam was already rolling around in the grass, wrestling with Smokey while the lovebirds lounged nearby giggling and watched them. "Tents! Are we camping?" Danny asked excitedly when he saw us.

"Fuck yeah we are! Get your muscles over here to help set these bitches up," Josh shouted giddily. "Pardon the language, mama," he added with a tinge of embarrassment and guilt in his tone. Y/n just laughed and turned back to Sam and Smokey while Danny trotted over to help.

"I'll go get the wood for the fire," I announced, laying claims to my favorite camping chore. I dropped the tent and carefully placed my guitar case beside it before stepping through the tree line and in to the woods. As I wandered around, enjoying the brief silence and solitude as I searched for some nice, dry wood to start the fire. I was interrupted when a set of soft footsteps crunching through the leaves crept up behind me.

"I thought you could use some help," y/n said as she fell into step beside me. I smiled lazily as I continued scanning the underbrush for downed limbs to break up and bring back. Y/n followed my lead, bending down to gather smaller sticks and twigs for kindling. "So…should I be worried about spending the whole weekend alone in the wilderness with the 4 of you?” She asked in a joking tone, but she seemed a little anxious and unsure.

"Maybe..." I smirked over to her, pausing for just a little too long before adding, “Only if you’re worried about being bored to tears by Danny’s endless preaching about fire safety, Sam’s ‘nature walks’, or Josh’s…Joshness.” She gave me a pity laugh, rolling her eyes as she bumped her shoulder in to mine.

“What about you? How are you going to bore me to tears?” She asked with another laugh, watching her feet as we walked through the woods.

“Hmm…probably with my devastatingly good looks, or maybe my boyish charm?” I replied, kicking a stick away from her right as she reached for it.

“Fuck you!” She squealed, shoving me away as she reached for the stick again.

“Fuck!" I exclaimed abruptly once I noticed the light trickling through the trees. "Come on," I grabbed her hand, forcing us both to drop our bundles as I urgently lead her through the trees until we were at the edge of the forest. I proudly turned to her, smiling as I watched her big, doe eyes fill with awe.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, mostly to herself as we stood there together, quietly witnessing the sun rise and crest over the blue mountains in the distance, painting them purple while the pink and orange tones painted the sky around them. The moment was lost when voices came bubbling through the woods behind us.

"See? I told you we'd make it," Sam sassed the other two, clicking his tongue to call the dog to his side. Josh strolled up beside me, rolling his eyes as if he was saying 'Can you believe this guy?' I stifled a laugh, trying not to notice as Danny wrapped his arms around y/n, smiling down at her lovingly before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"How are you so beautiful?" He whispered in to her hair, breathing her in. She giggled and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him far enough away that she could stretch up on to her tip toes and kiss him tenderly. “An angel,” he murmured in to the kiss, causing her to giggle even more.

"I'm gonna head back and start the fire," I announced loudly. No one said anything as I marched back to the woods, gathering the discarded bundles from earlier.

When I got back to camp, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the two large tents were already set up and placed perfectly with a few logs leaving the perfect half circle home for the fire. By the time the other 3 came back, I had already got the fire started and steady. The rest of the day was spent taking naps, planning the big hike tomorrow and going on little adventure walks to explore the area around our camp.

By the time the sun had finally slipped below the horizon, we had huddled around the fire with beers in hands. "You gonna play that thing or did you just carry it all the way up here to look cool?" Y/n teased with the slurred confidence that you only gained from alcohol. Everyone laughed but I quirked an eyebrow at her in genuine surprise.

"Alright, alright, darling, take it easy." I held up my hands in defeat before reaching down to rescue my guitar from its case, letting it settle into my lap as my fingers grazed across the beveled frets. "Got any requests?" I asked y/n before glaring at Sam and adding, "I swear to god, if you say Freebird, you won't be leaving these woods.." The threat was empty, just as all of them always had been, but it served its' purpose to let Sam know that I was serious.

"Always so aggressive," he mumbled, leaning his shoulder against Danny as he finished, "That's why you're my favorite brother." Daniel beamed at him, draping an arm over Sam’s shoulder and leaning in as well.

"You're mine, too, Sammy," he replied sincerely and without a hint of hesitation.

"Um…rude!" Josh chimed in, feigning offense and eliciting a laugh from the group. Y/n leaned against Danny’s other side, and in response, he coiled his free arm around her middle. He gripped her tightly, pulling her back flush against his chest as he leaned in and whispered something that made her blush.

Once she recovered, she answered with a tipsy smile, "No requests, just play whatever you want, Jakey." I could feel the suspicious eyes on me, but I ignored them as I combed through the ever growing catalog of songs and riffs in my mind. I began to strum, letting my eyes flutter shut already losing myself in the music as my fingers deftly danced across the strings. Suddenly, words began to fill my head, bobbing around to the melody until I had to sing. My voice came out shakey, but smoothed out once I felt Josh's hand on my shoulder as he hummed along

She's a woman in a dream

The one that makes you fall in love

Though her face is never seen

She is what this love is of

The words faded from my mind as they tumbled from my lips, and the music filled the cool night air before finally melting into the breeze. I felt oddly relieved yet raw once I opened my eyes and glanced around the group. Danny and y/n were lost in their own little world, giggling and fawning over each other. Sam was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed as he absentmindedly toyed with Smokey’s floppy ears. The dog had laid his favorite toy duck in Sam’s lap before resting his head beside it lovingly. “That was beautiful, brother,” Josh whispered with a gentle squeeze of my shoulder. “I’m gonna put the baby to bed, holler if you need me,” he added before pushing down on my shoulder to steady himself as he rose to his feet. I chuckled softly as I watched him gingerly shake Sam to wake him before leading him towards one of the empty tents with an arm around his waist.

“Heading to bed already?” Y/n called out after them, sounding a little disappointed.

“Sam must have tuckered himself out playing with Smokey all day,” I answered for them, half jokingly.

She smiled sleepily, stifling a yawn as she stood up. “I gotta use the little girls’ tree before bed, will you put up the food?” She asked Danny softly as I placed my guitar back in its case. He nodded and she disappeared into the wooded area behind the tents.

“I really liked your song,” Danny said as he diligently put everything back in the cooler. I nodded, focusing more on carefully adjusting the fire and making sure the wood was stacked in a way that it could burn all night. “We should finish it and add it to the setlist for the next show,” he added he tied the trash bag tightly before stepping away to hang it high in a tree a ways from camp. ‘To keep the bears away.’

“I’m gonna grab some more wood so we don’t have to worry about it in the morning,” I called out just loud enough for him to hear. What sounded like a muffled ‘okay’ was enough of a response for me, so I grabbed a head lamp and turned it on to light the path through over uneven ground. I had to weave my way through the trees to find a few large limbs that had fallen during a recent storm. While stomping a few of the more bitter pieces, I heard a whimper in the dark. “Y/n? You out here?” I asked cautiously, scanning the area around me searching for her small frame.

“Over here,” she replied quickly. I must have stumbled over every rock and root as I closed the distance between us, but I found her sitting flat on her ass, clutching her right ankle. “I must have stepped wrong, or stepped in to a hole or something,” she explained between sniffles, wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

“Hey, none of that,” I chided softly. “You’re okay,” I whispered soothingly as I knelt down in front of her. I smiled up at her, and explained, “I need to get a look at your ankle, but I promise I’ll be gentle..” She nodded, giving me permission to proceed, so I carefully lifted her injured leg and placed her foot on my elevated knee. She cried out, but nodded again letting me continue. She took a deep breath as I rolled up her pant leg as delicately as I could, revealing a swollen ankle that had already begun to bruise. If my memory served correctly, this needed ice and elevation to stop the swelling. Thank god for all my years in sports and scouts.

“Is it bad?” She asked anxiously, wincing again as her weight shifted slightly.

“No, it’s not bad,” I replied calmly. “I’d like to carry you back to camp, though. Don’t want you putting weight on it, until a professional can get a look,” I added, still maintaining my calm demeanor and offering a gentle smile.

“No..I mean, you don’t��I can do it,” she protested, pushing away from me as she tried to rise to her feet. She quickly collapsed with a whimper as she started to cry again. A wave of hurt and embarrassment washed over me when I realized what her concern was. She was afraid I couldn’t carry her…

I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t keep the snark out of my tone when I asked, “Do you want to sit here by yourself while I go fetch Daniel, or will you quit being a stubborn ass and let me carry you?” She huffed a sigh but ultimately realized this was the easiest option and gave up, lifting her arms like an overgrown toddler.

“Good choice,” I said smugly as I snaked my arm under her knee and the other behind her neck. She looped her arms around my neck as I slowly lifted her up, but she winced and dug her nails in to the back of my neck as her foot dangled freely. Realizing my mistake, I shifted my grip tipping her backwards to allow her ankle to rest against my forearm. “Let me know if you need me to go slower,” I said plainly, afraid that I’d hurt her with too much movement.

She nodded in response, so I began the journey through the woods and back to camp. I plotted each step as carefully as I could, glancing down at y/n periodic to check on her. She smiled up at me and playfully pinched my bicep as she giggled to herself. “You’re stronger than you look, Jakey,” she teased. I rolled my eyes before turning to face her tipsy ass, intending to say something snarky back, but I was struck dumb by the way she glowed in the moonlight. Ethereal. As if caught in a trance, I found myself trying to chart the constellations in her eyes until she giggled and looked away, mercifully breaking the hold I was under. “I’m so sorry, I—” she began—she was apologizing to me? I furrowed my brows and shook my head in disbelief as I I cut her off.

“No! You shouldn’t be—I mean, I’m the—Please don’t apologize to me. I should apologize to you. I mean I am so sorry..” I hardly recognized my own voice as I stumbled over my words. “Let’s just get you back to camp so we can take care of you, yeah?” I sighed, smiling down at her until she nodded in agreement.

Danny must have been watching for one of us to return, because he noticed immediately when I emerged from the tree line with her in my arms. “Oh fuck!” He exclaimed as he closed the distance between us with a few long strides. “Is she—Are you okay?” He asked, shifting his attention from me to her.

“I’m okay,” she reassured him, reaching out and tracing her fingers along his cheek. He smiled down at her, then turned back to me obviously waiting for an explanation.

“She either tripped or stepped in a hole on her way back. Her ankle is pretty banged up—it’s already bruised and swollen. We need to get it elevated and iced,” I explained calmly. He carefully reached under her, lifting her from my arms and carrying her to the empty tent.

After grabbing the ibuprofen from my bag, I overheard Danny whispering, “This is gonna hurt, but only for a second." Seconds later, I could hear y/n stifle a whine as he adjusted the pillows to keep her foot high enough. "Hey, Jake?" Danny called out, ready for the ice I had promised to retrieve.

“Right here,” I affirmed as I opened the flaps of their tent. She looked sleepy as she waved at me with a wide grin. I shook my head, but couldn’t bite back my smile. “Okay, so 20 minutes of ice every hour, and make sure she gets 2 of these every 4 hours,” I instructed Daniel as I tossed the bottle of ibuprofen inside. He gave me a look to remind me that he is well versed in first aid care. “Right. Well, have a goodnight, Daniel. Let me know if you need anything,” I said calmly, reaching in and squeezing his shoulder gently. He offered a curt nod before turning back to y/n and setting a timer in his phone as he placed the bag of ice on her ankle. “Goodnight, y/n,” I mouthed behind Danny’s back, sneaking in a cheeky wink, which made her giggle.

When I made it back to my own tent, I loosed a breath that I had apparently been holding, then wiped my sweaty palms down the front of my pants. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself like Josh had shown me, then snuggled in to the sleeping bag that had been reserved for me. I loosed another sigh as my head hit the pillow, covering my eyes with my forearm. What the fuck was today?

Tag list: @kiszkakissess @jake-kiszkas-smirk @spark-my-nature @pippin-jay @myleftsock (if you used to be wowkakashi or whollyfreeamongststars, I need your new handleeee so I can tag you again!)

#hearts aflame #firefighter!danny #greta van fleet au #danny wagner #firefighter danny

21 notes · View notes

basiccortez · 2 years

Text

Toxic ➢previous chapter || next chapter ➢word count: 5.k ➢warnings: mentions of torture, mentions of abuse, unhealthy coping mechanisms, mention of past character death, mentions of unprotected sex ➢Ghosts Masterlist || S&S Masterlist || playlist

THIS IS AN AU. A complete work of fiction. Nothing in here is a reflection of how the boys act or how they are. It is purely an act of fiction.

It was raining when the plane touched down on the tarmac in the small private airport. She could remember the last time she was at this airport, except she was leaving everything behind her, and going back home to essentially start a new life. Y/N O’Phalen’s green eyes took in the surroundings, the black SUVs, the nicely dressed men with guns tucked in their waist bands. She sighed and looked over at her parents who were in a conversation, as the plane settled on the ground.

“How long are we here for?” Her older brother, Cillian asked.

“A couple days,” Maeve said, the matriarch of the family. Her beautiful brown hair made her stand out from the rest of them. All three of the O’Phalen children had deep coppery colored hair that glistened in the light, “Y/N will stay behind, start tampering with the information and files the federal agents have.”

Y/N sucked in a breath and clenched her jaw, “There a reason I have to be the one specifically to do it? Cillian can do it too.”

“You know that what they have is more sensitive to you,” The leader of the family spoke up, Galen. His cold blue eyes made her shiver. She knew that she was the only one who could work fast enough to get in and tamper with the evidence and information without being caught. Cillian was smart, but not nearly as smart as her.

Y/N stood up first, making her way towards the door of the plane. One of her body guards helped her down the stairs of the plane as her family followed behind. She watched as her father helped her mother down the stairs, keeping an arm around her. Y/N had always admired her parents' love, knowing that finding love in their line of work was few and far between. It usually ended in heartbreak and misery. Galen and Maeve had been lucky.

“We’ll be in and out, you’ll be back home with your baby before you know it,” Maeve said, reading the look on her daughter’s face. It was the first time in almost six years that Y/N had been so far away from home, and it was an eternal battle to not run away and have the plane turn back home.

“Y/N,” Cillian called out to her. Y/N turned and walked over to him, “Aidan just rang.”

Her heart stopped and her mind went to the worst case scenario, “What’s wrong?”

“Cian is sick. He’s running a fever.”

“I need to go,” Y/N said and pushed past Cillian only to be stopped by Galen, “Da,”

“No. He’s okay, he’s home with Aidan and the maids. He will be okay,” Galen explained and Y/N looked over at her mother, trying to reason with her.

“Listen to your father,” Maeve said, “You’re here for business.”

“It’s also my job to be a mother,” Y/N argued. She sighed looking at her parents, knowing that neither one was going to budge and let her get back on the plane to go home to her son, “If he gets worse, I am on the first plane out of here and back home. Fuck all the-”

“Remember why you are here, what you are here trying to protect,” Galen said. Y/N nodded and looked down at her shoes. He sighed, and gently led her over to the black SUV waiting to take them to one of the Kiszka hideaway houses.

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Between Danny and Sam, it only took about a week to gather addresses and send them out. Josh had made a list of mafia families that were arriving, and placed them in various stock houses around the Kiszka mansion. Danny let Sam do most of the work on finding the families, knowing that he could work quicker at it than Danny could. Besides, Danny tasked himself with trying to figure out why Josh would invite the Irish Kings. Her name and picture had been on Danny’s mind for the past week, the recurrent dream that he hadn’t had for years had come back, making him wake up in a cold sweat at night.

“Josh,” Danny said, stopping the mafia leader in the hallway. Danny looked down the hall, before pulling him into the office, “We gotta talk about the Irish Kings.”

“What about them?” Josh asked, not looking up from the ipad in his hands, “I don’t really have time to argue about it, Daniel.”

“Why the fuck would you invite them anyway?”

“I had no choice, we’ve been business partners with the O’Phalens for years. They got cold feet after my father stepped down and were ready to burn the whole bridge when Jake died. I have to prove that we are still worthy of doing business with them.” Josh explained, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You know what they did. You know what she means! He has no fucking clue about any of it,” Danny said in a hushed whisper. Josh clenched his jaw and looked away from Danny.

“Look, whatever happened six years ago is a ghost of the past. You need to get over whatever personal vendetta you have against them. Remember, the fucker that killed your parents is dead. Galen wasn’t the one who ordered the hit,”

“I don’t give a-”

“Hey,” Sam said, standing in the doorway of the office. Danny stepped away from Josh, and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. Danny looked down at his dress shoes, not bothering to look up at his friend as Sam stepped into the office and gave Josh the list of addresses, “Took a little longer than I thought, guess I’m kinda rusty.”

“I don’t think it’s rust,” Josh said looking at the printed ink, “These old fucks have been in hiding for God knows how long, I’m amazed that you found all of them.”

Sam smirked to himself, “It’s easy when you’re me.”

“Yeah, yeah, now go get your dick sucked,” Josh said and walked out of the office leaving the two friends there. Danny shuffled awkwardly, looking up at his friend. Their relationship had been strained in the past three years with Sam’s new habits. Danny had his fair share of club nights and girls in college but it all changed when he fell in love with her.

“I’m going out tonight,” Sam said, “Josh probably wants me to have a babysitter, so you’re more than welcome to come with me.”

Danny nodded and looked around the office. He really didn’t have an excuse to say no to him, usually he was busy training guards or working on things for Josh, and could just brush Sam off. But Sam hadn’t asked Danny personally before to go out, in the past it had just been a given that he would go with the Kiszka brothers. Danny fiddled with the ring on his middle finger and let out a sigh.

“Sure,” He agreed, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Cambridge MA, six years ago . . .

Danny locked his phone and turned his head to see Sam at his desk, hunched over his laptop. He slid off of his bed, shuffling over to Sam and placing a hand on his shoulder, “Alright, shut that shit off, we’re going out.”

Sam looked up at him, confused, “Why, I’m in the middle of doing homework Daniel.”

“I don’t care, we have been summoned to a party. Come on, there will be hot chicks, alcohol, I’ll even listen to you complain about the music for at least ten minutes.” Danny said, lightly shaking Sam's shoulders.

Sam thought about it for a minute before letting his head fall back, letting out a groan, “Fine.”

Danny pumped his fist in celebration before turning and opening his dresser to pick out something to wear.

By the time the two were walking up the steps of the house, the party was in full swing. Sam and Danny made their way inside, picking up cups of some awful concoction that would at least get them drunk. Danny followed through on his promise, listening to Sam complain about the music for a while before being pulled away from the wall by a pretty little brunette and her friend.

Sam remained against the wall, occasionally engaging in small talk with a fellow student or two that were taking a breather before heading back into the crowd. He noticed the rotation of girls that Danny had, grinding with someone new seemingly every time a new song came on. His eyes scanned the crowd, wondering why he had even followed Danny, when he saw it, a vibrant head of red hair making its way through the crowd. He straightened up, readying himself to kick off of the wall, when he saw who she was headed for. His shoulders deflated when she reached Danny, tapping him on the shoulder. The moment his friend turned to her, she was hidden from Sam’s line of sight.

“You know, I never did believe it when I heard the phrase ‘it’s a small world’, but I guess I was wrong.” She said, her eyes tracing over Danny’s frame, “Don’t make a scene, Daniel.” Danny rolled his eyes as he grabbed her body, pulling her back against his chest to blend in with the rest of the college students. He swayed their bodies to the music for a couple seconds, before speaking to her.

“What are you doing here?” Danny asked, his tone sharp as he glared down at her.

“I could ask you the same thing.” She said, raising a brow at him.

“I’m not telling you shit-” Danny said, being interrupted halfway through his sentence by her hand flying up in front of his face.

“Hold up, they’re playing my request. Figured this could be your song, seeing as you’ve found yourself quite the roster of girls here.” She dropped her hand, flashing a smug grin as ‘Womanizer’ by Britney Spears began to play, “I’ll see you around.”

She pushed off of Danny’s body, and Sam watched as she disappeared into the crowd, and Danny stomped his way over to him. The second Danny reached the wall, he was complaining, “Can we go, I’m done with this.”

Sam chuckled, raising his brows at his best friend, “What? Don’t like Britney Daniel?”

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Sam always complained about the music in the club, no matter what was being played. Danny had always allotted him ten minutes when they first walked in to get all the complaints out, but he was surprised when Sam didn’t have a single thing to say about the loud bass thumping through the speakers. Instead, Sam placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder and wandered over to the bar to get himself a drink. Danny watched him until he walked downstairs to the dance floor, getting lost in the sea of people. Danny ordered himself a drink and then returned to the balcony to keep an eye on Sam.

Sam had drawn out the terrible pop song as he felt the girls dancing on him. His hands were roaming the body of a short dark haired woman, who smelled like cheap perfume and vodka. Sam took a swig of his drink, and wrapped his hand around her throat. He pulled her back against him, and tilted her head up, gripping her chin, making her open her mouth. He spit the alcohol in her mouth and then kissed her. She moaned at the feeling of his lips crashing against hers. Sam pulled back from the kiss and looked up, noticing a flash of red hair.

There were certain sounds that Danny would always remember, one of them was the fake American accent, that was way too comical to be true. Danny cursed himself as he looked over his shoulder and saw her red hair as she sat at the bar ordering a drink. Danny pushed himself off the balcony and walked over to her.

“Hey, Max, two Irish car bombs,” Danny said, standing next to the red head. She smirked and looked at Danny, “Sorry. . . hit too close to home for you, Clover?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t get my hands dirty with explosives,” She said to him, dropping the fake accent, and letting her thick Irish accent come out, “Nice to see you again,”

“What are you doing here?” Danny asked, his eyes scanning along her figure. Her outfit was a stark contrast to those he used to see her wear. A latex crop top and tight black jeans hugging every curve she had. She watched as his eyes looked her up and down, and smirked. She stood up from her barstool and walked over to the railing of the balcony.

“I have business to attend to, figured I’d show up in time to attend the fundraiser.” She explained, her eyes flickering down to the dance floor below them, easily spotting him amongst the crowd, “He’ll be there I assume.”

“He will. What’s the business you need to attend to?” Danny asked, looking at her.

“Family stuff, people have information that I’d rather them not be in position of, I intend to change that.”

“This wouldn’t by any chance have to do with-”

“Yes, exactly that.” She interrupted his sentence, locking eyes with him, the two of them sharing a silent understanding not to speak of it.

“Still keeping secrets. . .”

“I wouldn’t talk about secrets, Daniel, last I recall you still have some skeletons in the closet.” Danny clenched his jaw at her words. She always knew the right buttons to push when it came to the curly haired bodyguard. She checked her watch, finished polishing off the last of her drink before placing the glass on the bar and turning to Danny, “You still like to dance Danny?”

He raised an eyebrow at her, watching as she pulled her phone from her pocket, unlocking it and looking up at the lights before pressing a button. In an instant, the lights changed to a brilliant green color, and the music changed. Her smile widened as she watched his expression change.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He groaned, throwing his head back in an almost pained laugh as she backed away from him.

Down on the lower level, the change of lighting caught Sam’s attention, stopping his makeout with the black haired girl, and standing up from the couch to search for Danny, as the opening to an all too familiar song began to play through the speakers

“Superstar, where you from? How's it going?”

He began to laugh upon realizing exactly what song was playing, his eyes finding Danny at the bar already looking down at him. He was about to turn and walk up to join Danny at the bar when he saw her red hair again. He was for certain that it was her, there was no mistaking it from the music change to the flash of green lights. Danny watched as Sam followed her with his eyes, and quickly ran down the stairs to intercept him from chasing after her. Danny’s body collided with Sam’s right as he was making his way down the back hallway.

“What the fuck?! Let me go,” Sam said, trying to push his friend off of him.

“No, I can’t let you-”

“Back off, Daniel,” Sam said, mustering up some strength to shove his best friend. Danny was caught off guard by it, and stumbled, letting Sam get past him. Sam quickly ran out the back door, just as he watched as she revved her motorcycle, her red hair sticking out underneath her blacked out helmet.

“Clover?!” He yelled for her, but she took off into the night, leaving him even more confused.

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

He had been watching the screens for days, his eyes feeling like they were ready to cross. Their division had gotten word about the Kiszka family deciding to have a ball, many world leaders and officials were going to be there. But he was more focused on the criminals who were flying in. More specifically, the family that flew in from Ireland.

“It was her, you should’ve been there last night,” One of the young women in the office talked about. She was new to the case, having been brought on to replace one of the agent’s who had died years ago, “I don’t even think we need to open plan decoy, she’s here!”

“She’s smart though,” He said, as he stood up from his desk. He looked at the various pictures of mafia families he had pinned to a board. Strings, note cards, sticky notes, and colorful tape were all covering the board with small notes on who everyone was and what their links to the crimes were, “We need to use something against her. She was around six years ago with Agent Castillo. She’d rather die than give up information on her own family.”

“That’s it!” The woman exclaimed, and walked over to the picture on the wall, “Her own family.”

He froze, looking at the picture of the little boy. He smirked and walked over to it, removing the pin and holding it in his hands, “We’ll give them the night, let them get to see each other again. Then we give her a call.”

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Sam was up early the next day, which was surprising to everyone in the mansion. The maids and butlers were used to Sam waking up around two in the afternoon and sauntering out of his room in need of a drink. But Emile was surprised when he came down, dressed in a suit, his hair tied back in a neat bun, and asking for coffee and a bagel. She was happy to see the young boy look more like his old self and not the shell of the person he used to be.

Sam went straight to his office, logging into his computers and going straight to the CCTV of the club last night. He pulled up all of the cameras, surrounding himself with black and white videos of the hours that he and Danny were at the club, trying to catch a glance of the red headed woman who was there. Sam scanned the footage, slowing it down and zooming in when he thought he saw her.

“Fuck,” Sam cursed, “You’re too fucking smart for us, Clover. . . but not that smart,” Sam bit his lip as he clicked on one last camera, one that was positioned in a bottle of alcohol on the bar. Sam sat back as he watched the moment she walked towards the bar, his heart dropping as she looked right at the hidden camera, and then the footage goes dark, “Fuck!”

Sam sat down at his desk and ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the locks, trying to think of what he could do. He lifted his head up and looked at the image of her, her features so perfectly presented in front of him. He gently touched the screen almost as if he were to reach in and caress her soft face. Even through the black and white footage, he could see her electric green eyes and dark red hair. Sam sat back in his chair, studying her face over and over, watching that three second video of her walking to the bar and smiling at the camera before it all goes dark.

Josh was on the verge of a mental breakdown as he was trying to finish the checklist for the ball tonight. He had been working on this project for over a year, between trying to find a location, locating the mafia Kings, finding enough security, and everything else that came with hosting some of the world’s richest criminals under one roof. Josh was really feeling the sting of the pain of not having Jake around. He had always prided himself with being organized, but there was something about not having the presence of a strong leader like Jake. The closer and closer the ball got, the more and more Josh found himself talking to Jake, asking him for some sort of guidance.

Josh was looking over some order of champagne on his Ipad when he walked by Sam’s office, seeing his stare at the monitors in front of him. Josh looked down at his watch and then back at Sam, confused as to why he wasn’t dressed in his tux to go to the venue for the ball.

“Yo, what the fuck? We are leaving in 15 minutes!” Josh said, walking into Sam’s office, snapping him out of his daze.

“Huh?” Sam said, jumping and turning to face his brother, “What, what time-”

“Go get fucking dressed!” Josh yelled at him.

“So-sorry,” Sam said, shutting down his system and standing from his chair.

“Look, I’m not sure what the hell is going on with you lately, and frankly I don’t have the patience to really care,” Josh said, grabbing Sam’s arm and stopping him, “But you need to get your head screwed on tighter. I can’t protect you, I can’t save you, I’m too busy trying to save myself right now. So figure your shit out, or I guess I’ll start planning your funeral next.”

Josh let go of Sam’s arm and walked out of the office, still muttering something about the champagne order, worried they didn’t get enough. Sam watched him walk away, and then back at the picture of his screen. He shook his head and left the room, making sure to lock the door and then went to his room to get ready for the ball.

The venue was decorated beautifully, with gold, red and white sprinkled throughout it. The old Gambino mansion was a safe haven, tucked in the woods of Tennessee, not many knew of its existence, unless they were in the mafia world. Even though most of the preparations had been done prior to the ball, Josh was still walking around making sure everything was perfect. He, like Danny and Sam, were wearing perfectly tailored black tuxes. Josh had added stitching of red flowers into his coat, making him stand out from the other two. Everyone was dressed in their best, giving off the Old Hollywood/Great Gatsby vibe that Josh wanted. Sam could care less as the very first thing he did when he walked in was order himself a drink.

“Ah, my favorite brothers-in-law,” Gianni Santiago smirked as he walked in and saw the Kiszka boys.

“Gianni, you old bastard,” Josh smiled and hugged him, “Been too long.”

The Kiszkas and the Santiagos kept in touch after the funeral. Paulo had been the most distant out of the three boys, burying himself into his new position as head of the family. Narciso had found himself taking over all of his sister’s business from her multiple clubs in Italy, to the fashion line she had been working on before coming to the States to marry Jake. Gianni, though still the wild card, had been over to visit the Kiszkas and his sister’s grave more than any of them. Danny and Gianni had made a special friendship, both of them bonding over shared trauma.

“How are things?” Gianni asked.

“As to be expected, I’m sure Paulo has told you all about it,” Josh explained and Gianni rolled his eyes.

“Yeah. That fucker has a bigger dick up his ass than my old man ever had. I think it's because of her death. . . He still blames himself.” Gianni looked down at his maroon colored loafers, “Anyway, where are the drinks and the bitches?” Gianni smirked at Sam and Danny. Sam walked over and threw his arm around Gianni, walking away and talking about possibly visiting the club if the ball sucks.

The three of them found a spot in the corner of the large ballroom, near the bar and decided to stay there as they drank expensive whiskey and caught up on the last year or so of their lives. Sam watched as Josh walked around the room, greeting the mafia Kings and their families as they entered. Sam knew how important this night was to his brother, so he decided to cut it easy with the alcohol consumption. Sam was only half listening to the conversation between Gianni and Danny, when he felt Gianni nudge him.

“Who invited the Moss King?” Gianni said and pointed to the striking emerald green outfits, pale skin and red hair of the members of the O’Phalen family.

Danny clenched his jaw and brought his drink to his lips, “Josh’s idea.”

Gianni laughed and said something else, but Sam paid no attention as he watched her walk down the steps, her green dress flowing behind her as she held onto another man’s arm. Her red hair was pinned back, exposing her neck, which Sam wanted to place soft kisses along. She walked with her head held high, something Sam had always loved about her, as she reached the bottom of the stairs and then greeted Josh, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

“She’s real. . . She’s alive. . . ” Sam said and tried to step closer to her, but was stopped by Danny. He looked at Danny with wide eyes and Danny just shook his head. Sam watched as she followed Galen O’Phalen, the head of the family, over to meet various Mafia Kings, each of them greeting her with a hug and a kiss, “She’s. . . ?”

"It's not my story to tell," Danny mumbled and took his hand off of Sam's shoulder and walked over to the bar with Gianni.

Sam was frozen as he watched her. She was still as breathtaking as ever, and she still seemed to conduct all the attention on her. She glanced over at Sam, giving him a sad smile, and Sam felt his heart break in his chest all over again. All he wanted to do was to hug her, to kiss her, but the woman in front of him wasn't the same woman he remembered from all those years ago. This woman was different.

She smiled at something that Paulo said, and then glanced over, catching Sam’s eye. She looked up at the balcony, and then back at Sam. Sam followed her eyesight again as she looked at the balcony and then nodded. He watched as she excused herself from the men and then waited a couple minutes before doing the same and going to find her.

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Cambridge MA, six years ago . . .

By the time Danny was finished grumbling to Sam, the song had changed, and Danny was once again being beconned by one of his many girls. Danny looked back at his friend, the person he was supposed to be protecting, making sure he was okay with him disappearing back into the crowd. Sam knew that Danny had already surveyed the area, making sure it was safe for Sam to be at. Sam hated it, but he knew that it was important for Danny to do his job.

“Go enjoy yourself, it was one song.” Sam said, waving him off and watching as he was pulled back into the crowd. Danny clapped his friend on the back as some fake blonde came up and grabbed his hand. Danny’s eyes went straight to her ass as they pushed through the crowd.

Sam smiled, watching as girls swarmed to his friend, and after a few more minutes of leaning against the wall, he decided to go outside for a breath of fresh air, and a smoke. He kept his eyes on his feet as he made his way towards the back door of the house, making sure not to step on anyone's toes as he shuffled through the crowd.

The sliding door was shut, so as he slid the glass door open, he caught the attention of a familiar red haired girl. His eyes caught hers, and a small smile forming on her lips caused Sam to trip on the frame of the door. He caught himself, straightening out before shuffling over to the railing where she was standing, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Quite the entrance.” She said, her accent catching him slightly off guard. Sam blinked a few times, his mouth opening and closing as she watched the gears in his head turn, trying to come up with something to say.

“Yeah… you know what they say…” He started, rubbing the back of his neck, “I don’t know what they say about stumbling when trying to talk to a pretty girl.”

Another giggle fell from her lips, her cheeks reddening at his comment. She lifted a hand from the railing, holding it out to him, “Y/N.”

He smiled,”Sam,” placing his hand in her own, he gave it a small shake, “I saw you earlier, I was hoping we’d run into each other.”

— — — ♰♰♰ — — —— — — ♰♰♰ — — —

Sam moved quickly as he walked down the dark hallways of the mansion, searching for her. His heart was beating fast as he had awaited this moment for six years, although he pictured it very differently. He wasn’t in the very expensive tux he had on, surrounded by mafia members, no, he was back in Cambridge at the little cafe down the street from his dorm room. And she wasn’t dressed in an expensive dress, she was probably wearing ripped jeans and some shirt she had stolen from his room.

Sam paused for a moment, as he turned the corner, seeing her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight, as she stared out in the dark forest. She looked interily ethereal, like a goddess, something Sam had only seen in his dreams. She could hear his footsteps, and broke out of her trance and looked at him.

He wanted to hate her, he had planned out what he was going to say to her the moment they met again. He had practiced the angry words he wanted to say to her for just disappearing without a trace. But all that left his mind the moment he was standing within arms reach of her. All he wanted to do was pull her in for a kiss, to hold her in his arms in case this wasn’t real. In case this was all a dream and his mind was just playing another cruel trick on him.

“Y/N. . .”

She turned to face him completely, and smiled, “I knew you’d find me eventually, Sammy.”

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concreteburialplot · 2 months

Text

Wallflower 🌸

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x Fem!Reader

Series Masterlist: Here | Crossposted: ao3 | Word Count: 7.6k

Summary: Overwhelmed at your first college party, you catch the attention of the most popular guy in the room. Not only does he offer a comforting escape from the chaos, but he also provides a place to stay when your roommate kicks you out for a hookup.

Warnings: mutual pining, panic attacks, overstimulation, alcohol consumption, college parties, frat boy!danny lol, minor altercation / brief angry sam, hint of forbidden twin?, weed, one bed trope technically?, very soft, enchanted by TS vibes, 18+ MDNI

A/N; This is my first fic for gvf, pls be kind 🥲 - this is a work of fiction and does not reflect any members of the band or their real lives/actions/etc. - i hope you like it 🥲💞🌸

It was only your 3rd weekend away at university and your extremely extroverted roommate somehow talked you into a frat party. You followed Katie into a massive, bustling house illuminated only by strobe and neon lights. The air was thick and hazy with cigarette and marijuana smoke, making your nose scrunch up at the pungent smell.

She pressed a gentle but firm hand on your back and nudged you forward, not realizing until then that you had been frozen in place.

Katie somehow managed to glide through the crowd effortlessly, skillfully maneuvering without bumping into anyone. She even asked someone for directions to the kitchen, to which they eagerly pointed out the way. It was so foreign to you, the concept of speaking to strangers and receiving such kindness in return so quickly. Perhaps it was her brighter face and friendlier persona that made the difference.

Following the directions from a blonde girl wearing only a bikini, you made your way across the house into a surprisingly spacious kitchen. The room had an unconventional layout, resembling a triangle with an oddly-shaped island at its center.

There were people scooting around the edges of the crowded kitchen trying to reach the liquor bottles and jell-o shots strewn across the counters. Surrounding the ample island were party goers all engaged in a rowdy conversation. You followed their focus to the one commanding their attention and landed on what could quite possibly be the most beautiful man you’d ever seen. Long brunette hair flowed past his shoulders and had a slight wave that framed his face perfectly. Even in the dim light of the kitchen you could make out the sharpness of his features. The air in your lungs seemed to vanish and your ears tuned out the booming laughter and thumping party music. Your chest swelled with a feeling of rampant heart rate and your stomach dropped into a flurry of butterflies. Suddenly, you felt even smaller and more out of place than you’d ever felt perhaps in your entire life.

Your life-of-the-party, sunshiney roommate wrapped her fingers around your wrist and dragged you to the group of people on the opposite side of the island, next to where the stunning man stood. She made it to a tall male in a t-shirt with cropped sleeves, large enough to show his ribs.

“Danny!” Katie exclaimed, getting his attention.

“Oh hey!” He smiled wide as he turned away from the counter to face her. “You made it!”

“Y/N this is Danny,” She gestured to the boy with dark curly hair that was tucked beneath a backwards cap, “I met him at the bookstore yesterday.”

You wondered what sort of magic Katie possessed that allowed her to make friends everywhere she went.

He kept a kind smile on his lips as he waved to you.

“Hey.” You sheepishly smiled and waved back to him.

Your roommate gestured back to you, “Danny this is Y/N.”

He gave you a soft grin before directing his attention back to your roommate. “Did you ever get your textbook situation figured out?”

The party had only grown more unruly in the short time you’d been there. You slunk into the background of the lively kitchen until your hips met the cold counter. You tugged at the pink top Katie had lent to you in an attempt to cover a bit more of your midsection. Not only had she persuaded you to party tonight, she also convinced you to borrow some of her clothes, since yours were too “casual comfy”. She managed to get you into a baby tee paired with a high-waisted white skirt paired with your usual white Converse. You didn’t necessarily feel exposed or vulnerable in the outfit, it was just not your preferred level of comfort.

Loud cheering rang through the house and even though you could tell it was from a distance, the loud sound still made you wince. Almost immediately afterwards, a clearly wasted man in a tank stop shoved his way past you, pushing you into the granite counter. The encounter caused you to tuck your crossed arms even tighter against your body.

“Sam,” Danny spoke over the blaring music to the male that was keeping the group laughing to get his attention. “Sam,” He repeats, though the lanky boy was too caught up in whatever conversation he was in to notice. Danny gently tapped his shoulder which finally got the boy to look over at him. “I’m gonna go find Josh.” He nearly yelled over the music and thumbed over his shoulder towards the living room.

“Okay.” The male nodded in acknowledgment.

Just as his gaze fell from his friend, it landed on you. It was clear that he didn’t expect there to be anything to get his attention as he blinked to do a subtle double take. His eyes flickered over to his friends across from the geometric-shaped island. He snapped right back into the flowing banter like a puzzle piece. The ease of how swiftly he melted back into the conversation reminded you a lot of Katie and her magic socializing powers.

While Katie didn’t originally know the people beside you, it only took for her to ask them to pass the tequila for a friendship to be born and for you to have a mixed drink in your hand. You swirled the contents of your plastic red cup, watching as the ice cubes crashed into each other. It felt as though you’d faded into the background and became one with the cabinets and counters. You weren’t anywhere near as outgoing as her and you knew nobody else at the party. It was just you and the shitty alcoholic punch that was quickly getting watered down in your cup.

“Well, you sure look like you’re having fun.” Spoke a voice from beside you. It wasn’t until then that you realized you had zoned out. Your eyes snapped up to the now half-empty kitchen, and you wonder when it was that everyone cleared out, including your roommate. Finally, you followed the voice and trailed your eyes up to find the long-haired boy from before.

Your cheeks heated up and your gaze immediately dropped back down to your cup. “Oh um, yeah.” You forced a quick smile back up at him. “Having a great time.”

He let out a laugh that was more reminiscent of one someone would offer after a witty joke. “Well that was incredibly convincing.” He said sarcastically although his tone was light and playful.

You could feel the redness spreading on your cheeks getting caught in your (quite obvious) lie. “I just don’t know anyone here.” While it was the truth, it wasn’t exactly the whole reason you were miserable. “Except for my roommate, who,” You sighed and motioned towards where she had stood before. “Disappeared on me.” You let your arm fall to your side in utter defeat.

“Well, let’s fix that.” He said, holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Sam, I’ve also been known to go by Sammy, Sammy Boy, whatever tickles your fancy really.” He grinned, big and wide, and most importantly, kind .

You offered a small, timid smile back before reaching out and slipping your hand into his. “Y/N.”

His smile only grew as he firmly grasped your hand and gave it a good, firm shake. “An honor to make your acquaintance.”

You couldn’t help but giggle at all his eccentric verbiage. “Nice to meet you too, Sam.”

The alcohol must’ve been hitting your system more than you thought since you probably would’ve barely been able to speak a single word to this man if you had been sober.

“Is this your party?” You asked, trying to cover your bases before talking any more shit about the ensemble.

He laughed hard that time, “Me? In a fraternity? God no.” He shook his head and took a sip of his beer. “It seems like everyone ended up at this party, even you, Wallflower.” He offered a playful smile.

Your cheeks burned hot at the nickname even though it was meant to be comical. “Oh,” You chuckled nervously and your gaze fell back to your red cup. “Parties just aren’t my thing, my roommate just dragged me here.”

“What couldn’t you like about a party like this?” He stepped back and stretched his arms wide. If you weren’t mistaken, his tone sounded half facetious. He smiled then stepped back towards you. “Besides the god-awful music, of course.” He kept his grin as he took a sip from his beer bottle, a lime wedge clunking against the glass walls.

You chuckled at his theatrics, he was quickly becoming one of the most interesting people you’d ever met. “The music isn’t so bad, not really my taste but, it’s not the worst part.” You shrugged. “It’s mainly the people.” Your gaze followed past the boy, through the kitchen arch entrance into the living room where the hoard of college students danced and mingled. “Too many people.”

“You sound like my brother Jake.” He laughed fondly. “He loves to party, but with the right people. That’s why he’s not up here. My other brother though,” He peeked over his shoulder at the party. “He’s in there somewhere having the time of his life right now.”

“And you?” You questioned, turning your face up to him. “Why aren’t you out there?”

The corners of his mouth turned up like it was the easiest thing in the world, like forming a smile was what he was born to do. “Well, because I’m talking to you, silly.” He stated as if it was obvious.

Heat rushed to your cheeks once more. “Oh, well I don’t wanna keep you from your friends.” You shook your head and tried to keep your eyes on him as you spoke but failed and your gaze fell back to the melting ice in your cup. “I’m sure they’re waiting for you.”

“I’m not in a rush.” He replied simply, keeping his focus earnestly on you. “I’m sure that I’m the last thing on their minds right now.” He joked.

“I suppose you’re probably right.” You chuckled and met his eyes.

Suddenly, a visibly wasted frat boy fashioned in a neon green tank top shoved his way between the both of you. The abrasive action not only shoved Sam backwards but also bumped into your cup splashing a bit of drink onto your shirt. You gasped at the unexpected force then hissed at the coldness now spreading across your skin.

Sam set his beer down harshly on the island, hard enough for the glass clank to ring through the small space. “What the fuck man?” His tone was irritated but not quite angry yet, until his eyes noticed the blue alcohol bleeding across your baby pink top.

The boy, who looked like his name was Kyle, drunkenly smirked at the remark, as if irritating Sam seemed like fun to him. “You should be thanking me for getting your girl wet.”

You’d only known Sam all of maybe 30 minutes but you could tell he wasn’t one to pick fights, however you questioned that truth when you watched his brows lower at the male. He stepped towards him with a strongly pointed finger. “Really bold of you to be so disrespectful to someone who could easily get your ass kicked out of here.”

The boy scoffed at him, “Oh what are you gonna do, ban me from every party?” He asksd as if it’s a joke.

“That exactly.” Sam stated calmly though you could tell it was anger he was suppressing. “I know every fucker in this house, all I’ve gotta do is point you out, and boom,” He shrugged casually. “Say goodbye to every party of the year.”

It was obvious that the boy only half believed him but the threat of being exiled from the campus’ largest and most anticipated parties had his eyes widening.

“That’s what I thought.” His arm swung towards the kitchen exit. “Now get the fuck out, and don’t let me see you again.”

He nodded quickly and sped out of the kitchen. When Sam’s gaze returned to you it quickly softened and his hands immediately found your arms to comfort you. “I’m so sorry.” He apologized even though it wasn’t his fault. His eyes landed on your chest though you knew it wasn’t disrespectful. “Here.” He swiftly pivoted behind you to snag the roll of paper towels, snapping off a few squares before dampening them in the metal sink beside you. He brought the dampened pieces and went to help clean your shirt but stopped himself before making contact. His chocolatey eyes snapped up to you with a look of apology. “May I?”

You were stunned by everything that had just occurred so you just nodded. His touches were gentle, patting the colorful stain away. “I’m sorry that happened. I know you just said how you were already overwhelmed with everything.”

You sucked a breath in through your nose trying to steady your breathing, attempting to act normal even though the event overstimulated you enough to border a panic attack. “No it’s okay, I just-“ You closed your eyes and let your chest fall as you exhaled. “This stuff is just, it’s a lot.” You kept your focus off of him feeling somewhat ashamed of it. You’re in college, something so minor at a party shouldn’t bother you, right?

He paused his actions to glance up at you before returning to his work on your shirt. “Don’t apologize. Like I said, my older brother Jake doesn’t like crowds either.” He informed softly, taking extra care to not touch you too much or make you uncomfortable. “I’m used to this.” His shoulders pulled into a shrug.

“Thanks.” You nodded, grateful for his kindness. You allowed a quiet fall between you as you focused on calming down. After a bit of him going back and forth with new paper towels with little success, you sighed looking down at the vibrant blue splotch. “It’s okay, it doesn’t look like it’s gonna come out.”

The edge of his mouth curved into a slight frown knowing that despite his best efforts, you were right. “I’m sorry.” He added the last used paper towel onto the pile beside you. “Hey, let me at least get you a fresh shirt.”

After cleaning up the mess of paper towels, he led you away from the crowd and upstairs to rows of ample bedrooms.

“I thought you weren’t a part of this frat?” You asked as he went directly to a specific door.

“I’m not,” He twisted the doorknob to a surprisingly empty bedroom. The rest of them seemed to be …preoccupied. The room looked like a stereotypical college dorm just in an elaborate fancy house. There were sports posters on each side of the walls above two separate beds, along with soccer and golf gear spread over the floor. It was surprisingly clean but you wondered if that was by design, if it was only clean because they anticipated having company tonight. Without turning the light on, Sam found his way to a wooden dresser and dug through it. You furrowed your brows in confused concern since he just informed you that this was in fact not his room. If you knew him better you’d scold him and ask what he was doing rifling through someone else’s belongings but you held your tongue in favor of curiosity.

The moonlight peering through the window casted a sparkling light across his features. He seemed to glow, the light loved his smooth tan skin, the sharp edges of his face and the honey in his eyes. It felt wrong to ogle at him like he was some Greek sculpture but you couldn’t help it. He was just so beautiful .

You promptly averted your stare when he finally turned back to you and held out a folded shirt flat on two hands like a gift. “That guy your friend was talking to in the kitchen? That’s my best friend Danny.” He smiled fondly, evidently proud of his friendship. “He does live here and so I end up crashing here all the time so, I have some backup clothes.” He tilted his head to the shirt. “It’s clean, you can borrow it for the night if you want.”

You couldn’t help the small smile that crept up to your lips at his gesture. You gently took the rusty brown shirt and thanked him. He led you to the nearest empty bathroom for you to change.

Being alone in a bathroom at a party tended to be a great place to gauge where your head was at so, when you stood in front of the mirror and assessed yourself you noticed a couple things. You looked absolutely ridiculous with the giant blue splotch across your chest. There was a slight warm redness in your cheeks indicated that you were a little tipsy but not enough to numb your fingers or lips. And finally, a fluttering had made home in your tummy and a smitten grin kept threatening to creep across your lips. You wondered if the pink in your cheeks was truly the alcohol or something else entirely.

After you changed into the borrowed shirt, you stepped out of the bathroom to find Sam leaning against the stairway railing mindlessly waiting for you. Once his eyes finally landed on you, the edges of his mouth tugging into a smooth and soft smile. “Ah, it looks great on you!” He exclaimed with an arm stretched out to his side before softly landing on your shoulder.

The warmth in your cheeks worsened at his compliment, which you quickly tried to squash by telling yourself that he’s just being nice. “Thanks.” You replied in a voice smaller than you intended.

If this had been any other night, with anyone else, you would’ve definitely already been on your way home by now, but you couldn’t possibly cheat yourself out of time with the most interesting person you’d ever met. Even so, the idea of going back to the chaos downstairs wasn’t appealing at all.

Almost as if he could read your mind, he straightened up a bit like he’d just thought of an idea. “By chance, do you happen to play pool?”

Your brows furrowed and your head tilted slightly like a confused puppy. “Um, a little, a long time ago. I don’t really remember how though.”

His lips tugged into a wide smile. “Perfect! Let me show you something, follow me.”

Now, it wasn’t your brightest moment, letting a random boy at a party lead you downstairs into a basement but for whatever reason you trusted him. He was far too kind to be devious – besides, what sort of sinister person wears a cream-colored knit sweater to a frat party?

You followed him down some carpeted steps into a brick-lined basement. You looked around the room taking it in fully. While it was still busy with people, the atmosphere was much different. The music was softer, and the chatter wasn’t nearly as loud. The room was full of games, from pool tables to air hockey to darts and even some arcade games. It was accompanied by an espresso-colored leather couch and wooden bar stocked with what looked like every bottle of liquor imaginable. The basement was much more your speed than upstairs would ever be.

Sam must’ve noticed your amazement, giving you a tiny smirk. “Much better, isn’t it?”

“Worlds better.” You grinned up at him in gratitude, though a twinkle of fear sparked in your stomach at the thought that he may just leave you there to rejoin his friends upstairs.

That worry melted away when he was instantly greeted by nearly everyone in the room. You were beginning to learn that he had friends everywhere he went. The only one you recognized was Danny from earlier which surprised you since he seemed like the life of the party earlier and it was his party after all. Next to him stood a shorter boy with long brown hair somewhat reminiscent to Sam’s. In opposition to Sam’s sweater, this boy wore a button down held together only by the last two buttons before being tucked into his jeans. Your eyes couldn’t help but follow the long corded, crystal necklace that laid down his exposed chest. When you heard Sam’s voice beginning introductions, you blinked your eyes up to the mystery boy’s face only to find his eyes already on yours with a smirk. Your cheeks burned in hopes that neither of them noticed your wandering eyes.

“Well you already met Danny, but this is my brother Jake.” Sam grinned introducing him. “Jake this is Y/N, Y/N this is Jake.” He gestured between you both.

Jake smiled at you but you took note of the corner of his lip curling into another smirk. “Nice to meet you, Y/N.” He pulled the pool stick he was using off the table until he stood it up beside him holding it like a staff.

“Hey.” Your lips tugged into a tightlipped smile as you tucked a loose piece of hair behind your ear before waving at him.

Sam then grinned wide and clapped his hands together, startling you a bit. “Okay! Now you said that you don’t know how to play, right?”

“Not really, no.” You shook your head, stepping back to turn towards the vacant pool table parallel to the one Jake and Danny were playing on. Your eyes lingered on the green fabric table top and tugged your bottom lip between your teeth as you realized that you absolutely did not remember how to play.

Sam noticed your lingering apprehension and placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "Don't worry, it's easy! I'll walk you through it, Wallflower." He said the nickname in a playful manner, poking light fun at your timidness.

Out of the corner of your eye you caught Jake take note of the nickname and it made you wonder why - was it because it was clear why it was your nickname or the fact that Sam had already given you one?

He picked up a pool cue and handed it to you, demonstrating how to hold it properly. "First, you want to get your grip right. Hold it like this," he said, gently taking your hands and positioning them on the cue. His touch was soft but firm, and resembled electricity against your skin.

You tried to mimic his stance, but it felt awkward and unnatural. Sensing your struggle, Sam stepped closer, his chest barely brushing against your back. "Here, let me help you," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. His hands gently adjusted your grip and guided your arm into the correct position. "Now, keep your eye on the ball you're aiming for."

You nodded, trying to focus despite the buzzing in your stomach. Sam's presence was both comforting and extremely nerve-wracking. "Like this?" you asked, lining up your shot.

"Exactly," he confirmed with a large, prideful smile. "Now, just take a deep breath and strike."

You took a breath, steadying your nerves, and struck the cue ball. It rolled smoothly across the table, colliding with the intended target and sending it into a pocket. Your eyes widened in surprise and delight. "I did it!"

Sam laughed, clearly pleased with your success. "See? I told you it was easy."

As you and Sam continued to play, Jake wandered over, with a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Hey Sam, I got a few pointers to give, don’t you mind?" he asked, already picking up a pool cue before the other answered.

Sam’s tone and deadpanning glare made it obvious that he was used to but far too old for the competitive big brother behavior. "Alright, Jake, let's see what great pointers you got." Sam rolled his eyes already knowing where this was leading but stepped back with a good-natured chuckle to keep peace.

Jake sauntered over, exuding a casual confidence with every step. While he and Sam both oozed confidence, they were much different in their own ways. Sam was self-assured in the way he could be the center of attention in any room by being solely his authentic self. Jake’s composed demeanor was different. He didn’t make himself the center of attention in the room, he just was - you’d barely been in the room 60 seconds before he captivated you.

Jake stood beside you, his presence more imposing than Sam's, but there was a playful glint in his eyes. "Alright, Y/N, let's see how you're holding that cue."

You showed him the way Sam had taught you hold, feeling slightly nervous under his intense gaze. He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Nah, you've got it wrong. Here, let me show you."

He moved behind you, much like Sam had, but his approach was different. Jake's hands were firmer, his touch more assertive. He adjusted your grip with a practiced ease, his fingers lingering on yours for a moment longer than necessary. "You need to be more confident with your shot," he said, his voice low and smooth. "Pool is as much about attitude as it is about skill."

Sam watched from a distance, his expression unreadable. You tried to focus on Jake's instructions, but his proximity was a bit overwhelming. "Like this?" you asked, adjusting your stance under his guidance.

"Exactly," Jake replied, his breath warm against the shell of your ear. The sensation alone had goosebumps erupt across your skin. "Now, don't hesitate. Just go for it."

You struck the cue ball, and it collided with the intended target, sending it into a pocket with a satisfying clink. Jake's grin widened. "See? Not bad at all."

You glanced over at Sam across the room, who surprisingly gave you a thumbs up, his smile genuine despite the shift in dynamic. "Nice shot, Y/N!" he called out.

Jake stepped back, leaning against the table with a satisfied look. "Alright, Sammy boy, she's all yours again," he said with a perpetual smirk and a wink in your direction.

Sam rejoined you, his demeanor as warm and patient as ever towards you but you caught him shooting a slight glare over at Jake. "Great job, Y/N. You did so good!" Even though Jake’s proximity had your heart thumping, you were happy to have Sam’s comforting presence back.

Blood rushed to your cheeks at the compliment, “Thanks.” You replied meekly. Between Sam being well, Sam, and Jake’s oddly competitive behavior, you had to admit that you were a tad overwhelmed with it all. Although, it wasn’t necessarily an entirely bad feeling just, a lot for someone who never went out all that much before. It was a lot and your social battery was quickly depleting.

You ended up finishing your rounds with Sam while Jake and Danny continued to play their own game. Every so often you found yourself peeking over at Jake who was cool and focused with a cigar perched between his fingers.

Surprisingly, you won your game but wondered if Sam had let you win. Regardless of whether your success was genuine, it filled you with a rush of accomplishment. If the night hadn’t been so long already you might’ve even initiated another game, but the ache of sleep started to weigh heavy on your bones.

You rounded the table with a smile wider than you’ve had in weeks, thinking that maybe college wouldn’t be as scary as you spent so much time stressing over.

“Thanks for teaching me.” You used both hands to keep the cue in place while you leaned against it tiredly.

“Ah, you were a great student.” He waved away your politeness.

You blinked up at him, finally able to see his face clearly in the better lighting of the basement. He looked even more striking under the warm glow, the soft yellow light highlighting his beautifully sun-kissed skin. His features were defined, with sharp angles and a complexion so smooth it was almost unreal. But the most captivating part of him was undoubtedly his eyes. In that light, they were a mesmerizing shade of dark caramel brown, drawing you in and momentarily distracting you from everything else.

“Oh, um,” Blood rushed to your cheeks, turning them a deep pink. “I don’t think so, but I had a really good time.” For some reason the admission felt vulnerable.

He smiled, “Well, I’m glad. I did too.”

You glanced over to the circular wall clock to find that it was well past 1 am. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize it was so late.” You sighed and met Sam’s gaze again. “I really should get going.”

“Oh,” He faltered a bit, “Did you need a ride? I’m sure I could find someone sober around here.” He twisted his body around to check the room for any candidates.

You chuckled and shook your head, setting your cue on the pool table. “No it’s fine, I was just gonna walk.”

“Oh, I can’t let you walk home alone! There’s creeps out there!”

You mulled it over in your head and while you didn’t want to inconvenience him further, he had a point that hadn’t dawned on you yet. “Well, I wouldn’t wanna bother you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s no bother at all.” He gestured towards the exit upstairs. “You ready?”

You nodded and followed him up the stairs. Despite it being so late the party still raged on and kept the house chaotically crowded. Before you could really process an escape route, Sam grabbed your hand and began weaving through the crowd. You knew it was just precautionary and in reality it didn’t mean anything, but the action still filled your tummy with rampant butterflies and your chest with rapid thumping.

Once you were safely on the porch, he released your hand and looked down at you. “You okay?” His brows curved up in concern.

“Yeah.” You nodded with a small smile. It was almost embarrassing how brave you felt after surviving a rowdy frat party.

“Okay good.” The smile he gave you was so sincere it almost made your heart ache. “Which way we headin’?”

“That way.” You pointed to the left where the freshman dorms were located.

“Cool, I live that way too.” He hopped off the porch while you opted for the three steps down he had skipped.

You were both grateful and disappointed for the fact of your dorm was rather close to the party. As much as you craved your bed, it meant the end of this night with him would come sooner and you weren’t sure you were ready for that just yet.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but,” He prefaced a question, “Was that your first college party?”

A gush of warm August wind washed over you, blowing your hair back. You let out an embarrassed chuckle, “Was it that obvious?”

He let out a genuine laugh, “Not necessarily.” He lied, his shoulders pulling into a shrug. “Just a hunch.” He teased in a way you could tell wasn’t meant to be malicious. Even though he couldn’t relate, his words somehow sounded completely understanding.

You fidgeted with your fingers since you didn’t have pockets in your borrowed skirt to shove them in. “You see, I have a history of being dragged to parties.” You joked even though you were exaggerating just a bit, only being ‘dragged’ to maybe 2 large high school parties, 3 if you count the one in middle school. You weren’t a stranger to alcohol or partying though, just preferred it in small, controlled settings with people you knew. “Like I said, I just don’t like strangers.”

“Well, strangers aren’t always bad.” He leaned a little in your direction with a raised brow.

You giggled, “I guess you’re right.” And paused, “Afterall, I met Jake.” You pressed your lips together, trying to stifle a laugh at your own joke.

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at you with a completely deadpan expression and eyes filled with mock disapproval. The sheer dramatics of his reaction shattered your resolve, and you burst into laughter, throwing your head back.

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” he said, rolling his eyes with exaggerated exasperation, a playful smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m jokinggg!” You defended nudging his shoulder and felt better once his smile returned to his lips.

You went to follow him once he resumed on the designated path but stopped short. “Hey, actually this is my dorm.”

He spun on his heels crunching the gravelly asphalt beneath his shoes and pointed up to the brick building. “You live in Lakewood Hall?”

“Yeah?”

“I live in Lakewood too!” He exclaimed in a way you’d never seen someone be so excited over something so mundane. You were certain that he could probably find joy in just about anything life had to offer.

“Really? That’s cool. What floor?” You attempted to remain nonchalant about living in the same dorm as this wonderful man you thought you may never see again.

“3, you?”

“Wait, same! How have I not seen you around?” You asked then began walking towards the keycard protected door.

“I don’t know.” He said, “I guess maybe because like I said I spend most of my time at Danny’s?” As he spoke, he slipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a keycard. The door's light blinked green, and the lock clicked open, confirming that he did actually live there too.

Once on your floor, you headed to your door and felt your stomach drop when you spotted a dreaded sock on the handle of your door. Katie must’ve ended up with that tall tattooed boy you’d last seen her dancing with. You let out a defeated sigh, not knowing where else to go at this hour.

Sam laughed and tilted his chin at your door. “Good for your roommate.”

You shook your head, “Yeah good for her, not for me, I have nowhere to go now and it’s like 2 am.” Both anxiety and anger began to fizz in your chest.

“Hey, it’s no big deal, I’m just down the hall.” He pointed in the opposite direction of your room. “You can come chill with me. If you want.” He made it a point to add the last bit, not wanting to push you but definitely looking to spend more time with you.

“Oh no, no.” You shook your head vehemently. “I’ve already bothered you enough tonight, I can’t possibly intrude on your bedtime.”

He laughed hard at that one, “It’s no big deal, I’m a night owl.”

“Well, I-”

He rolled his eyes playfully before getting behind you and grasping your shoulders gently pushing you down the hall. “I’m not leaving you out here alone all night.”

As much as you wanted to protest, just about anything sounded better than sitting alone in the hall for god knows how long.

Once he opened his door and flicked the light on, your eyes widened. It was so much different than Danny’s - most notably the smell. Before the door was even fully open you were smacked in the face with a mix of patchouli incense and weed, each one trying to cancel the other out. He closed the door behind you as you fully took it all in. Aside from the potent smell the first thing you noticed was the two beds pushed together, a clear indicator that he didn’t have a roommate. Next was the giant earth-toned mandala-patterned tapestry that hung above the beds while the wall across the room from it was covered in vintage records and posters of various artists. Unlike the sports gear in Danny’s room, Sam’s floor was littered with instruments, more than you’d ever seen in one room outside of a school band room.

“Whoa.” Was all that managed to tumble from your lips.

“Cool ain’t it?” He stretched his arms out wide with a proud grin. “Got this place all to myself.”

“Lucky.” You muttered, still a bit salty you weren’t lying in your own bed right now. “You play all of these?”

“Yup!” He plopped himself on his double bed. “I’d play something for you now, if it wasn’t so cliche.” He joked.

You wanted to protest but you weren’t about to argue with the keeper of your temporary sanctuary. As you scanned the room once more you noticed a couple things - thumbtacks shoved into every decoration and the bong casually out on his bedside table next to a glass jar full of green. Your brows furrowed, “How do you get away with all this?”

He shrugged with a cocky smile, “I know people.”

“I wish I knew people.” You replied sarcastically.

“Well, ya do now.” The edges of his mouth pulled to a soft, kind grin. It was really beautiful the way his features always seemed to light up any time he smiled.

“You’re right.” You agreed mischievously, walking over to where he sat. “I know Jake.”

His smile fell flat at your joke. “You think you’re so funny huh?”

You giggled, “Yeah, I do.”

His eyes glanced up at your face and lingered there longer than he intended. Now it was his time to study you - not that he hadn’t already been doing that all night but now that you were alone together and he could properly take you in. He cleared his throat when you tilted your head a bit at his stare.

“You wanna smoke?” He offered, gesturing to the glass bong that was poorly fashioned to look like a vase.

You shook your head, “No thanks, I think the alcohol was enough for the night. But you can if you want, I don’t mind.”

Although it was traditionally his bedtime routine, he didn’t mind skipping that night. “No I’m okay, I was just offerin’.” He tilted his head towards an expansive vinyl shelf. “You wanna pick somethin’ to play?”

Normally, Sam was a show-and-tell sort of guy but he was interested in what you’d choose.

You twisted around to the long row of stacked cubicles full of records. As you stepped closer to them and ran your fingers along the spines you noticed they were all weathered with tattered edges. Almost all of the records were older artists, some big names but also some you’d never heard of. You were tempted by the only modern one you spotted being Hozier but it was obvious he wasn’t a fan of newer music and you wondered if this was some sort of test. If it was a lighthearted test, the last thing you wanted to do was seem uncultured by picking the only modern artist you saw. You thought hard about a Fleetwood Mac record but instead, you opted for an Elvis one and spun around to showcase your pick.

“An Elvis fan? Interesting.” He eyed you curiously. “Wouldn’t have initially pegged you for one. But I’m familiar with those too, Josh is a huge fan of the king.” He chuckled, pushing himself off the thin mattress to set it up on his record player. “May I?” He outstretched his hands to take the record from your grasp.

The truth was that your knowledge on music was quite limited to mostly newer artists, except for the names everyone knows. It made you wonder if there was a world that existed where he’d be the one to help you expand your musical palate.

You shrugged, “I just like his music.” Then obliged to his request and handed the record over for him to take it gently.

He carefully removed the black disc from the worn sleeve. “ ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ you know this is a live recording right?” He questioned as he spun the record by the edges with his fingertips.

You playfully rolled your eyes at how naive he assumed you’d be. You stumbled a bit in your turn towards the bed, the alcohol and fatigue starting to weigh you down. Finally, you reached the edge of the bed and plopped down. You watched as he precariously placed the record down and set the needle at its edge. It was a buzz at first before the grand orchestra intro broke through the silence like a punch. “Mhm, I do.” You hummed. “I love old live recordings. I think the banter with the audience is funny. Things were so different then.”

He let out a small chuckle, “You’re so right actually.” He crossed the room to a mini fridge filled with what you saw a glimpse, just a bunch of drinks. “Water?” He plucked a fresh cold one out of the glaring white interior and held it out for you.

“Yes! Thank you!” You let out an excited sigh of relief as the alcohol and exertion had dried up your mouth.

You snatched the water from his grasp and cracked it open before taking a greedy gulp. In the moment, that crisp cool water going down your throat felt like heaven. Your finger tapped your phone screen to illuminate it for the time, it was almost 3 am and you had no messages from your roommate. You sighed and flipped the phone upside down. “Nothing from Katie. Looks like I’m locked out of my room for the night. I don’t wanna intrude on whatever… is going on in there.” You’re focused on the water bottle in your hands, crinkling a bit with your fingers. “I can get out of your hair though, try to find a cheap motel or something.” You anxiously fiddled with your thumbs at the mere idea of doing that.

“Don’t worry about it, really. You can crash here, it’s not a problem.” He said, taking a sip of his own water. “You can even have my bed if you want, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, oh absolutely not!” You protested, using your arm to slice through the air.

“Then you don’t mind sleeping next to me?” His voice was smoother than silk and it made a buzz fall to your core. You were now regretting your decision to debate his offer. How on earth were you supposed to fall asleep in the same room as him nonetheless beside him.

“Nope, don’t mind!” Your voice coming out squeakier than expected and it brought warmth to your cheeks.

His brows furrowed and perked up a bit at your response before following it with a playful smirk, like he had picked up on your nervousness and found it flattering. “Alright then.”

He pulled open a drawer from his oak dresser and pulled out a stack of clothes before making his way to the small bathroom. When he emerged, his top half was baring his tanned skin while long sweatpants rode low on his exposed hip bones. You couldn’t help your eyes from taking a glance over, then quickly diverting your gaze away to not be caught admiring him.

He tossed his dirty clothes into a half empty hamper and made his way to the bed. He crawled beside you on the other side of the bed, pulling the gray duvet up over his shoulders. Despite he kept his distance, you could still feel the warmth radiating off of him. Against your better judgement, when you finally sunk into the bed you laid facing him since you weren’t ready to knock out just yet. His sheets smelled like cologne, woodsy and herby, similar to the patchouli in the room but with some added notes of bergamot and cedar.

You tucked your hands flat in a prayer position under your cheek, looking at him. His brown eyes were already on you, a hint of surprise in them at your chosen position to face him.

“Thanks for saving me today.” You said quietly, just then noticing that he’d kept the record playing softly in the background.

“It’s no big deal, Wallflower.” He matched your gentle tone with a soft smile. As silly as the nickname was, it didn't stop the swelling in your chest and the flutter in your heart.

“I had a lot of fun tonight.” You added genuinely. Even though you got abandoned at the party and locked out of your dorm, it had been the best night you’d had so far since the semester began.

He chuckled softly, his eyes flickering to your lips before meeting your gaze again. "We'll have to do it again."

You mirrored his glance for a moment, then smiled up at him. "Yeah, I’d really like that."

A comfortable silence settled between you, filled only by the soft music playing in the background. The warmth of his presence and the cozy scent of his sheets made you feel safe and content.

Between the long night and the calmness he brought, your eyelids grow heavy. As you let your eyes give way to slumber, a smile lingered on your lips, the events of the night replaying in your mind. In this unexpected place and with this unexpected person, you found a sense of comfort you hadn't anticipated. And for the first time since starting college, you felt truly excited about what it might bring.

Next Chapter -> 02 - I Can See You

Taglist; @deathblacksmoke @sacredthefran @measuredingold @persuasivus @broken0mens

A/N; Thank you so much for reading! Lmk how you liked it and if you want a part 2 🫣

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writingcold · 8 months

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Hi. Well. This happened. I was working on my fic The Dead and CD&FE pushed its way to the fore and ran away with every brain cell I had. I'm nearing the end of this little love story and thought I would start putting it out there. I plan on starting to post up towards the end of February - but it will once again be a completed fiction.

A huge thank you to @edgingthedarkness for reading this, editing this, screaming at me over this. As well as to @takenbythemadness for just listening me ramble. Love you 💚

18+ Series Fiction Jake X fem reader (reader insert) My first full length fic for reader insert. Yikes.

Summary: A night of celebration has you crossing paths with Jake during the era of the Black Smoke Rising EP release. You have just graduated with your Masters and you are officially on your way. Jake helps you to celebrate that night with an endearing one night stand. What should have ended on that special night turns into a winding path that crosses decades, relationships and fleeting embraces with the man that haunts your dreams.

Content Warnings: Adult situations, adult relationships, all sorts of sexual encounters. Warnings will be present on each posting. Silver Fox Jake (just putting it out there)

I have a lovely playlist that is by no means in order of events in the story, but if you want to get a feel of where we're heading:

If you would like to join the taglist - you can find it here

Currently - here's who I do have on my taglist:

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter @sammysvanfeet @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @jaketlove @gvfmarge @becinabubblegvf @wildbluesorbit @sinarainbows @thetroublegetssoloud71 @gracev0609 @gretavangroupie @fleet-of-fiction @edgingthedarkness @itsafullmoon

If I have missed anyone, I apologize. Just let me know if you want to be added OR if this isn't your thing and you want to be removed.

#jake gvf #jake kiszka #greta van fleet #gvf #cd&fe #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fanfiction #jake kiszka smut #jake kiszka fan fiction #greta van fleet fanfic #greta van fleet AU #jake kiszka AU #Spotify

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hearts-hunger · 1 year

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Chapter One: A Name Like a Death Knell {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: A prince, a priest, a warrior, and a huntsman. They serve the god of the wood, and they have no choice but to obey when the Master demands a queen.

Pairings: Josh x Reader, Sam x Reader, Jake x Reader, Danny x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 2k | Warnings: blood, violence, dark magic, possession, religious themes, elements typical of a dark fantasy au

A/N: What a day to meet the master, huh? This au is based on the MTM music video, and it's a complete wild card for me. I'm using it as a place to explore all kinds of dark fantasy elements. I'm very interested to know what you think, and I hope you like it! ♡

Joshua awakes in darkness.

A breath is drawn from his chest like the string of a bow, taut, trembling; the sound of it mixes with the hum of the forest, the crickets and nightingales and the voice of the river. The air is cold, colder than he remembers it being when he fell into his dreamless sleep. He knows the prickling of his skin, the sudden shivering, the way his breath curls upwards in thin clouds — he knows these things like an old friend now.

“Samuel.” He reaches out in the darkness. “Samuel, I need you.”

His brother is awake in an instant. Even in sleep, Samuel is attuned to the sound of Joshua’s voice; he listens for the change of it, waits for when it will turn cold, dark, hungry.

For now, his brother’s voice is soft. “He’s coming.”

Samuel doesn’t ask if Joshua is certain. He can feel it too, that familiar shaking in his hands, and wills himself to be steady. He rises, moving sure-footed through the darkness; a lonesome wolf howls far in the distance, its cry made hollow in the trees.

“Hurry,” Joshua says. His voice is thinner now.

A third brother, a broken one, limps soundlessly from his guard post into the circle of trees where Joshua and Samuel stand. The sword at his hip is heavy, and the cold twines bruising fingers against his frame.

“What is it?” he asks. His eyes are the only thing left, the only part of him that he can trust; he watches as Samuel strips to almost nothing before pulling a long white robe over his body.

“God’s hand,” Jacob mutters. He whistles once, sharply, into the dark; a pair of glowing eyes opens and shimmers in the branches of a nearby oak.

“He’s coming,” Jacob says, watchful as the bright-eyed figure alights from the branch and lands like a cat on the ground, silent, graceful. He studies the figure’s shadowed face. “Are you Daniel?”

Sharp fangs show in a crooked smile. “Guess again.”

Jacob sighs. “Never mind. They’ll need a fire.”

The fanged creature hides its teeth and blinks once, twice, three times to rid its eyes of the feline glow. Soft brown takes its place, and worry finds a home in the curve of the mouth.

“What’s happened?” Daniel asks. Even his voice is different.

Jacob nods to the circle. “They need a fire. Your friend declined to help.”

Daniel shakes his head and bites the mark on the side of his hand, adding to the scars from teeth he’s set there before. “Not my friend.”

He gathers wood for the fire, broken ash and birch limbs cracking like ice across the surface of a frozen lake. Joshua flinches at each sound, his ears ringing, his head pounding; he hopes that the pain will not be as harsh tonight.

Daniel steps away when the fire is steady, flames curling and licking over the dead wood like serpent tongues. His eyes flicker again in the firelight.

“The hemlock,” Joshua urges, a creeping, frantic dread writhing like a living thing in his chest as the flame grows. He can feel it like a clawed hand around his heart, squeezing against the tender flesh.

Samuel ignores his brother. He knows which herbs he needs, which tinctures he must use; he mutters incantations to himself in a tongue that only he knows, a ghostly sort of song that makes it hard for Daniel to stay rooted. Everything must be perfect, and Samuel takes his time; he takes the herbs in his red-gloved hands, rolling dried flowers between his fingers until they crumble into a fine powder.

Jacob sucks a sharp breath through his teeth. “He’s nearly here.” The pain is always worse when he comes, and it webs over his hip, his chest, his shoulder. He knows if he traced it with his hand it would follow the path of the white scars etched into his skin.

A shadow passes overhead, blocking out the light of the moon and a thousand trembling stars. Each breath comes in silvery tendrils now, and the forest grows quieter with each passing moment.

“Samuel,” Daniel says quietly.

“Silence.” Samuel’s voice is harsh. “The wine.”

Daniel brings him the wineskin in perfect obedience, watching as Samuel pours a draught into a silver cup. He mixes a portion of herbs into the syrupy wine and hands the cup to Daniel.

“Make him drink,” Samuel says. “Cut his hand, this time.”

Joshua is silent, still, closed-eyed when Daniel comes to him. Daniel touches a gentle hand to his cheek, and Joshua startles.

“Oh,” he breathes. “Daniel.” He studies his brother’s face as Jacob did. “You are, aren’t you?”

Daniel presses the cup into Joshua’s hand. “Watcher doesn’t like this part. It’s only me.”

Joshua takes the cup, and Daniel pulls his dagger from its sheath; the blade catches the light of the fire and glints back against the flames. Joshua drinks the wine, swallowing down the bitter mix, and extends his arm to Daniel.

“I’m glad,” Joshua says, and there is enough softness to his voice to know he’s still there, at least for a moment. His entire arm is trembling, from his fingers to the crest of his shoulder. “I’d rather it was you.”

Daniel takes Joshua’s hand and cuts its swiftly, drawing the blade across his tender palm. Joshua gasps with the pain of it; blood wells in the hollow of his hand, and Joshua closes his eyes and turns his head when Daniel holds the cup underneath to catch it.

Daniel kisses Joshua’s bloody palm. “I serve the god of the wood.”

Joshua’s eyes sting with tears. It’s harder to breathe now. “Your service is counted as merit to you.”

Daniel takes the cup to Samuel and leaves Joshua’s blood smeared on his mouth, a blessing, a baptism. Joshua holds his hand awkwardly, blood dripping to the forest floor, and each drop sizzles where it meets the soft, springy undergrowth. Acrid smoke rises from the places his blood has burned the forest.

“Jacob,” Joshua rasps. “Your turn. Quickly.”

Jacob limps into the circle of trees and kneels before his twin, leaning heavily on his sword. He pulls roughly on the collar of his shirt, exposing the top of the long, winding scar.

“The pain won’t last,” Joshua says. “Remember this.”

Jacob grits his teeth. “Just do it.”

Joshua paints his brother’s scar with his blood. Jacob groans and flinches away from the touch as every nerve along the jagged scar comes alive with pain; he bows his head and rides the wave of torment with an anguished cry.

When the worst of it has passed, Jacob looks up at his brother, his blood- and sweat-slicked chest pumping with greedy breaths.

“I serve the god of the wood,” he gasps.

Joshua feels little distress at his brother’s display; the cold is too hungry now to give space to the warmth of pity. “Your service is counted as merit to you.”

When Jacob rises, his pain is gone, and he walks to Daniel’s side without a limp. His body is mended, for now, blood and bone knit back together until the magic runs thin again.

Blood on the mouth, blood on the chest; the last brother receives a streak of red on either cheek, and Samuel offers his pledge with solemn dignity.

“I serve the god of the wood.”

The ringing is unbearable now, Samuel's voice merely a thread of the cacophony weaving through his head. Joshua answers the way he must, and his voice has teeth.

“Your service is counted as merit to you.”

Samuel spreads the herbs over the fire, and clouds of smoke rise from the flames in a sparking blue haze. Joshua comes close to the fire, breathing in the fragrant smoke; the pain is gone, the ringing silenced, both rising to a crescendo before they vanish as sudden as death.

Then, like a thumb nail in the tender flesh of a ripe fruit, Joshua feels something else come in with the final breath of smoke.

“He’s here,” Jacob says.

Joshua’s hand raise of their own accord, one bloody, both shaking. His breath is sporadic, choking. His eyes roll back in his head.

“Don’t let me die,” he gasps.

“Be at peace,” Samuel tells him.

Everything goes black.

—

The shuddering inhale is torn from Joshua’s chest like the breath of a drowning man. Everything is spinning; he sways and only stays upright with the help of ready hands.

“What did he say?” he rasps.

He feels the rim of a cup against his mouth. “Drink, first,” Daniel says.

The water is cool, soothing the grit of another voice in his own throat. He’s lowered to the ground; one brother holds him, another tends his wound.

“God’s hand,” Joshua curses, shaking his head to rid it of the blinding dizziness. “Samuel, make it stop.”

“Be still,” Samuel says, panting and breathless. “I cannot help you. Have patience.”

Joshua squeezes his eyes shut and tries to calm his breathing. After a long moment, he opens them again.

His brothers sit with him beside the dying fire. The sky is lighter now, well past the dark of night, pale fingers of sunlight stretching over the cool gloom of morning. He knows he was gone for hours, and feels a residual shiver race across his skin.

“Are you well?” he asks, looking over his brothers. Jacob sits beside him, supporting him with a steadiness Joshua has missed in his twin. Daniel is the one mending his hand, rubbing salve over the wound, bandaging it with a strip of cloth. Samuel sits just across, peeling his gloves off, sweating despite the cool of dawn.

“Well enough,” Jacob says. Even in his voice, his brothers can tell that his pain has subsided. They all dread its return, but for now, he is hale and whole as he ought to be, as he was before.

Samuel accepts the waterskin Daniel gives him, taking long drinks to slake his thirst. Joshua knows that the visits are just as hard on his brother as they are on him, perhaps moreso; Samuel stays awake, and it is he who must ensure that the ritual unfolds as it should.

Joshua puts his head in his hands. His head is woozy still, full of incense and ringing like a death knell with one word, one name, over and over.

“Corinne,” he says.

Samuel nods. “Yes. That’s her name.”

Joshua feels ill. “Who is she?” He cannot bear the thought of dragging anyone else into this Stygian nightmare with him, but a hunger that does not belong to him aches in his chest.

Daniel’s eyes flicker until they are not his, gold and fire-bright. “A little queen for the god of the wood, perhaps?”

Jacob scowls. “No one asked you, Watcher.”

Fangs show when Watcher snarls, but he doesn’t dare speak back to Jacob. Not now, not when Jacob fairly glows with strength and vigor from the blood-blessing he's been given.

“Let him go,” Samuel tells the sprite. He takes Daniel’s hand and presses against the sigil in his skin. “Now, Watcher.”

“No fun,” Watcher says, sullen. He makes Daniel shake all over, a great heaving shudder like a dog shaking off water, and leaves.

Daniel groans and touches a hand to his head.

“I could feel him,” he says. “I tried to keep him quiet, but it’s getting harder.”

“You need rest,” Joshua says, gentle.

Daniel’s smile is thin. “You need rest.”

Sam shakes his head. “No time for it. We’re going today.” He looks to Jacob. “Do you know where it is? The place he spoke of?”

Jacob nods. “South.”

“Warmer,” Joshua says tiredly. “Of course.”

He looks up at his brothers. “Who is she?” he asks again. He doesn’t want the answer, but he must know.

Jacob grimaces. “Watcher was right. She’s... she’s meant to be your wife. He's chosen her.”

“My wife,” Joshua breathes. “No. His wife. My body.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Does she know? Or am I to snatch some girl from her home under cover of night?”

“You are to do as he commands,” Samuel says, wary and serious. “You must obey.”

“We all must,” Joshua says bitterly. He studies the bandage on his palm, lets his gaze travel to the scars that shine white all over his hands, his arms, his shoulders. “I serve the god of the wood.”

“Your service is counted as merit to you,” Samuel says, trying to comfort him.

Joshua sighs heavily. There is very little comfort to him now.

He stands, and his brothers stand with him.

“Very well,” he says. “We'll go south, and there we shall find a queen for the Master.”

Read chapter two!

— I'm not tagging my regular crowd, because this isn't my regular kind of fic. I will however tag you sweethearts who seemed excited for it! @starcatcherkiszka @llightmyllovee @sammyscherub @starshine-wagner

If you'd like to be tagged in this fic, please send me an ask! ♡

#lowkey nervous to post this because it's so different for me but uhhhh here's one for all you witchy blood kink girlies ig <3 #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf au #greta van fleet au #gvf fanfiction #josh kiszka fanfiction #jake kiszka fanfiction #danny wagner fanfiction #sam kiszka fanfiction #maddie writes stuff!#appetence fic

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samfkiszka · 2 months

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Paper Bag: Chapter One

Vampire!Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Hunger Hurts, and I want him so bad, oh, it kills…

★・・・・・・★

Forced to move back to your father's hometown the summer before your first year at college, you had resided yourself to the fact that the next few months were going to suck.

But that was before you were reacquainted with Danny next door. And before you got a brand new job at a dusty old bookstore run by an eccentric old woman. And before Jake walked into said bookstore, poised to turn your entire world upside down.

Word count: 7,169

Warnings (for this chapter): Light cursing, very vague mentions of a grandparent's passing, maybe some slight spelling errors… (that's literally it)

Chapter 2

Master list

taglist form if you’re interested <3

★・・・・・・★

The incessant whining of a nagging mosquito awakens you from your daydream of sunnier places and brings you back to reality; the reality that you were moving thousands of miles away from your quaint beach town to the vast green that sped past you now. Your father was busy droning on and on about how good this change was going to be. You had to stick your head out the window to stop from losing it inside the interior of his brand new car, a gift from his equally brand new job that had moved him back to his hometown. Sure, you knew deep down you were only going to be there for a summer, and then thankfully it was off to college. Three grueling months of living in this damp swamp that was being passed off as a town. Smacking the side of your neck, you pull your hand back to glance at the gruesome sight. The mosquito twitches involuntarily in your palm, surely a reaction to its untimely and swift death. You could already feel the tingling itch rising up, and by the splatter of blood drying in your hand you knew it was too late. With a sigh, you roll your windows up and turn back your dad who was grinning entirely too much for your liking.

“Can you at least pretend to be happy about this? I know you’re only going to be here for a few months, but I would appreciate it if you tried.”

“I just don’t see why you couldn’t have waited until after I moved out,” you grumbled. This had been a source of tension between the two of you for quite a while now. It wasn’t like you were going to make any friends. Without the help of school you were going to be utterly alone for the next summer. You already missed your friends deeply, longing to see them as soon as possible. But unless they could somehow save up enough for the cross country flight, it seemed to you that you were doomed to a summer of absolutely nothing.

“I know it’s tough. But try to be a little understanding. You used to come here all the time with me to visit Grandma and Grandpa, remember?” He looks away from the road for a second, his face painted with hope. His smile falls when he sees the angry look you’ve been sporting for the entirety of the ride from the airport. “Come on, please, just… cut me some slack. This is going to be great for both of us.”

You hum in response, not knowing what else to say. He sighs, gripping the steering wheel and clearing his throat as the car pulls into a gravel driveway leading to a house that is simply too big for the two of you. It was the kind of house meant for a much larger family, and in its youth that was exactly what resided between its brick walls. Your father, along with his many siblings, spent their youth terrorizing your poor grandparents until they grew up, leaving them alone. Your grandfather’s bird feeder still inhabits the front porch that you had spent many a summer afternoon occupying. You were certain that the room you had always slept in when you visited, the room that was now expressly yours, would be the exact same as it was in your childhood. Just as this house had seemed untouched by time, as did every neighboring one.

Your father, obviously attempting to get back on your good side has hauled what little bags you had packed up the porch steps, setting them down to unlock the door. Thanks to his arrival merely a week before yours, mostly everything had been unpacked. You were silently grateful that you would not have to spend days unpacking painful memories. Not that you were in the mood to thank your father for anything in particular right now. All that was left to do was sulk in your new, yet familiar, bedroom. But before you had the chance to angrily stomp up the stairs, the old doorbell that you didn’t even know existed rang out through the house. You peer past the entry way as your dad heaves the heavy oak door open, revealing a slightly familiar face.

“Hello, Daniel.” Your father welcomes the boy in, seeming exasperated at his appearance. If this Daniel had noticed it, he simply ignored it, grinning ear to ear and surveying the room.

“Danny,” he corrected swiftly before continuing, “I was just wondering if-”

As if your father could read minds he waves in your general direction, answering Danny.

“She’s here. Not in the best of moods, but-”

“I can hear you.” You interject, striding into the room and taking Danny’s appearance in. He was wearing a shirt that seemed too small for him, and his remedy for this was clearly chopping the sleeves off. He was too tan for the apparent lack of sun in this town, and he took every opportunity to flash his perfect teeth at you.

“Hey! It’s nice to finally see you again!” He reaches his hand out and you take it hesitantly. His skin is far too warm considering it was barely sixty degrees outside.

“Again?”

“You remember the Wagners, don’t you honey?” Your dad casually drops the name as if it would enlighten you any further. It’s not like you had ever spent longer than a week here. Of course you didn’t remember the Wagners.

“I’m Danny, I live across the street from your grandparents- well, from you guys,” He offered, dropping your hand and casually stuffing his back into the pockets of his shorts, “You used to hang out with my sister when you were younger.”

You rack your brain, trying to pull up any memory that would help. You get vague flashes of a boy your age, somehow recalling a sister slightly younger than the two of you that you always preferred to play with.

“Oh!” You gasp, feigning surprise and hoping it satiates both him and your father, “Yes Danny and Josie. Of course I remember you two.”

“Daniel has been stopping by all week asking when you’d be here,” Your dad mumbles to you, and if this information embarrassed Danny he surely doesn’t let it show. As if tired of this boy’s presence, your father drifts out of the room leaving just the two of you to talk.

“Sorry about all that,” you mumble apologetically, “I’ve been in a shitty mood all day, I think I set him off.”

“No, It’s definitely my fault. I really have been bugging him all week,” Danny laughs so effortlessly that it almost puts you at ease. Maybe you weren't as friendless as you thought you’d be. “Josie went to summer camp this summer and I’ve been insanely bored,” he explains.

“You didn’t go with her?”

“Nah, too old. Kinda thought I’d stay here and cause a bunch of trouble,” he laughs easily again, “Plus, I’ve got a summer job down at the golf course. Certified cart boy,” he finished with a sense of unearned pride and you bite back a laugh that was sure to come off as harsh.

And in all honesty, a summer job didn’t seem like an awful idea. Sure, you knew it was a bad idea to set down roots considering you were leaving soon enough; but, could it really hurt to make a few friends? To have a reason to get out of the house every day? And it’s not like a little extra cash wouldn’t help.

“Are they still hiring?” You ask, your voice laced with hope.

“No,” he frowns, looking sincerely sorry that he won’t be able to offer you a job. “But I heard the bookstore down on Sun Avenue is looking for a cashier, ” He added with another pearly white grin.

Sun Avenue. How ironic, you think to yourself, mulling over the idea. A bookstore doesn’t sound half bad anyway, in fact it seemed a near perfect fit for you.

“That would actually be great! Is there a number I could call, or-”

“No, don’t worry. I know the owner!” He beamed. Of course he knew the owner. Danny seemed like he knew the entire town. “If you want to meet me there tomorrow, I can introduce you to Mrs. Palmer. I’m sure she’ll love you. She’s pretty desperate too, most people leave during the summer. I bet she’d hire you on the spot.”

“Yeah, trust me, I’d rather spend my summer anywhere but here too.”

“It’s not all that bad,” he mumbled, a look of hurt crossing over his otherwise overly joyous face, “You can always hang out with me.”

You felt bad for a moment. For a boy you barely knew you were eager to make him smile and laugh again. It was nice to have someone in your corner despite your unwillingness to be here.

“That’s true. I’d love to hang out with you. And, yeah I can meet you at the bookstore tomorrow. I really appreciate it,” you reply earnestly, unable to stop the smile that spread across our face mirroring his own. His positive energy was honestly infectious.

“Great! I can meet you there tomorrow around noon!” He beams, bouncing with excitement and making his way to the door. Your dad reemerged from wherever he had been hiding as soon as Danny left.

“That kid has got to be on something,” he shakes his head, eyeing the door like Danny could bust in at any moment. “Or maybe I’m not used to someone smiling that much.” He nudged your side, attempting to get back in your good graces.

“Hah hah hah,” you mumble sarcastically, rolling your eyes and beginning your trek upstairs to your room. The door creaks open and you are pleasantly surprised to see your dad had decorated it in an almost identical fashion to your old room. Staring at the posters that adorned the walls, you started to feel like maybe you had never left home at all. The bed was even slightly bigger than your old one, a concession you were pleased to make. Flopping down with a huff, you glare at the ceiling, noticing the glow in the dark stars you had foolishly placed up there one year were still stuck to the ceiling.

Exhaustion from your early flight washed over you. You were never really a morning person. Fighting the urge to fall asleep you gently lift up, staring out the window at the setting sun. The clouds covered up what could be a beautiful scene, the usual pink and orange hue you were used to back home suddenly replaced by gray and green. You pull the purple curtains closed, grimacing at the ugly hue you had picked out when you were younger. Maybe you’d be able to convince your dad to replace them with newer ones. You were, afterall, displaced and depressed.

The floorboards were awfully loud as you went from room to room, making a mental map of each one. Your father had left his parents’ room untouched, evident in the fact that your grandmother’s glasses still sat on her nightstand. You smile softly, not lingering too long before you make it to the bathroom to ready yourself for bed. Everything in this house seemed to make unnecessary noises, the knobs on the sink squeaking as you turned them around to allow the water to flow out. After a confusing few moments of trying to find where your father had put everything, you were ready and back in your room. Your bed was a lot more comforting than you recalled, lulling you to sleep quickly. Not even the nervousness of meeting up with Danny could keep you up. Soon enough you were gone, dreaming of home.

But the good dreams didn’t last as long as you had hoped. What started off as a pleasant image of your old backyard full of friends and sunshine was soon replaced with something much darker. You can’t quite make out the scene, but soon you were thrashing against the covers and slamming a hand to your neck. When you pull it back a speckle of blood is adorning your fingers. You realize with a groan that you had scratched the mosquito bite so hard in your sleep that it had begun to bleed. You had dark blood under your nails and you wince at the faint burning feeling that now plagued your skin. Shaking your head as if it would expel the dream, you lean up to peer at the alarm clock settled on the bedside table.

Despite your rowdy dreams you had managed to sleep in well past when you had planned to wake up. Massaging your temples you remember your promise the day before to meet Danny at the bookstore.

Ambling sleepily across the expanse of your new room you tore your curtains open to reveal another gloomy day. Somehow you managed to get ready with clothes scattered around several open suitcases and your vague remembrance of where your dad had put everything from the night before. Traipsing down the stairs, you peer into your dad’s office, mumbling a good morning that he barely acknowledges as he continues to work on something clearly more important. The kitchen is all but barren and you wonder how he had been surviving the week before you got here. You make a mental note to stop at the grocery store after the bookshop, and you leave a note on the fridge for your dad telling him where you were going.

The walk into town is uneventful, but you are shocked that you somehow remember how to get there. It’s like your feet carry themselves, subconsciously remembering this area from when you were younger. Your odd dreams from last night are distant in your mind, and you ignore the nagging thoughts that urge you to go back to it. Soon enough you’re standing outside Palmer’s Books and More!, greeting an always cheerful Danny. He had traded his sleeveless tee for a somewhat more appropriate outfit, one that you soon realized was his work uniform, yet he still sported his pearly white grin.

“You okay? You look a little tired,” he teases, poking your side and earning a glare from you.

“Gee, thanks,” you grumble, smoothing out your shirt and suddenly feeling very nervous, “I didn’t sleep great last night. Do I really look that bad?”

“No! You look great!” He flushed, but came back quickly. “Mrs. Palmer is gonna love you, I swear.”

You frown, anxiety coursing through your body. He pushes through the door and the two of you are immediately greeted by an older lady, who you assumed to be Mrs. Palmer. She was smaller than the both of you, her stature swallowed by the oversized white sweater she was wearing. Everything else about her seemed too big in comparison to her height. Her glasses covered half her face, magnifying her piercing eyes. She grinned at Danny, eyeing you suspiciously.

“Hello, Daniel! You brought a visitor?” Everyone in this town was entirely too cheerful for you, you decided.

“Yes ma’am. This is my friend I was telling you about! The one that just moved here.”

You don’t have much time to wonder when he had had the time to talk to her about you specifically. You introduce yourself, leaning down to shake her hand. You are thoroughly surprised when she pulls you in for a hug instead, knocking the wind out of you. Danny stifled a giggle and you mentally prepared to kick him as soon as you were out of view from anyone who could chastise you for it.

“Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you,” she began rambling, “I knew your father when he was just a baby. I went to school with both of your grandparents. Well, it was just a tragedy when they- But, of course… Yes, that is simply the passage of time. I missed your family dearly, I am so pleased that you’re back.”

Not knowing what to say in response to all that, you simply smile as she pulls back and wipes a lone tear from her eye.

Was everyone in this town crazy? You wonder, as she leads you and Danny around the store. Despite obviously being here a thousand times before, Danny listened in awe as she explained the history of the store and where everything was located. She never once offered you the job, seemingly operating under the conclusion that you were without a doubt the newest- and only other- employee of her shop. Not that you minded in the slightest; the idea of a formal interview was much more frightening than whatever this was.

“So… Can you start today?” She asks, wringing her hands together. She had a curious habit of pausing as she spoke, starting sentences and never quite finishing them.

“Today?” you try to hide the shock in your voice. It’s not like you had planned much today besides restocking the empty kitchen, but you wouldn’t mind the mind numbing tasks. The job didn’t seem very hard, and not a single customer had walked in since you and Danny had begun your little tour.

She stared up at you hopefully, and you felt your stomach twist. How could you say no?

“Uh- Yes! Yes, of course, I can start right now!” You try to sound as excited as possible, eyeing Danny nervously as he continues to sport his all too familiar smile. Surely this wasn’t how real jobs operated.

“Amazing!” He clapped his hands together loud enough that you almost jumped, “I’ll come visit you after I get off and we can walk home together.” He bounces out of the store, waving at the both of you.

Mrs. Palmer vanished for a moment, coming back with a name tag that she had hurriedly scrawled your name on. She explained how the cash register worked, and although it was very intuitive, you were grateful for the extra explanations. The longer you focused on menial tasks the less time you had to dwell on everything; your new home, your new friend, your strange dreams. Of course as soon as she realized you understood, she vanished once again.

Your shift passed by slowly, only a handful of people stopping by to purchase new arrivals you had never heard of. A few of them recognized you, reaching across the counter to hug you or shake your hand. You were almost ashamed to admit that you did not know who any of them were. Your theory that everyone who lived here was entirely too gleeful was proven even more correct with each passing hour. Despite the gloomy weather, everyone brought in the same cheery disposition, and as the sun began to set you wondered how you could ever fit in without radiating the same sunshine they all did. The store was mere moments from closing when the door rang once more, causing you to look up from the paperwork Mrs. Palmer had asked you to fill out as part of your unofficial application.

This customer seemed different from the rest of the earlier visitors. For one, the grin that graced his face was nowhere near as ear splitting as everyone else’s. It was better described as a smug smirk. Secondly, the almost blinding paleness of his skin felt more fitting for this weather than the tan everyone else was sporting. He almost floated around the shelves, and you tried not to stare as his long fingers danced over the books. He chuckled at seemingly nothing, and you shook yourself out of your stupor. You hadn’t meant to look for so long; well, you hadn’t planned on getting caught. Surely, no one could blame you for being unable to pry your eyes off of him. You have never seen someone more beautiful. His long brown hair fell in slight waves past his shoulders, framing his nearly bare chest. He was wearing a black button up, opting to leave only the bottom two buttons fastened. His neck was adorned with several silver necklaces, and despite the setting sun he had a pair of circular black sunglasses covering his eyes; which you were sure were just as gorgeous as the rest of him. His face was nearly indescribable and yet you couldn’t stop yourself from attempting to take in every detail. In fact, every prior thought had left your brain; you were absolutely consumed by this man. You take him in again, trying to drink in every small feature that made him up. You slowly realized he couldn’t be much older than you. Once the haze wore off you were able to digest his almost boyish face. You were just wondering if Danny knew him when you heard him let out a sharp laugh at absolutely nothing.

The sound jolted you from your thoughts and you suddenly felt the need to pay attention to anything but him. You fix your eyes on the old cash register, pretending to be extremely occupied with the amount of money in it when he suddenly clears his throat. You jump back, wondering how he had made it across the store so quickly when he smirks again. Any other person would have you rolling your eyes at their superior attitude, but something about him made you shrink back.

“Hello. I was wondering if you had Candide in stock yet?” His voice was sickeningly sweet, as if his tongue was dripping in honey as he spoke.

“Candide?”

“You know… Voltaire?” He continues, pulling his sunglasses off to reveal a pair of striking ochre colored eyes.

“I.. I literally just started today. Um, I could help you look… I-” You stammer out as Mrs. Palmer comes ambling out of her office.

“Jacob!” She exclaims happily, holding a rather worn book gently in her frail hands.

He slightly bows to meet her, graciously accepting the book from her and gently tucking it under his arm.

“Thank you, Evelyn. How much do I owe you?”

You couldn’t help but huff out in annoyance at his dismissal of you. For some odd reason you felt the need to prove yourself to him. He grins again, letting out a quiet chuckle you were sure Mrs. Palmer didn’t hear.

“Absolutely nothing!” She waved dismissively, quickly turning back to her office.

“Don’t be silly!” he called, pulling a black leather wallet out of his pants. He pulled out several bills, pulling her back and slipping them into her palm in a discreet handshake. “I have more money than I need and nothing to do with it.” He smiled sweetly, his pink lips stretching across his rather pale skin. His soft, yet alluring, voice seemed oddly familiar to you. Maybe you had met him before, years ago. It’s not like this was a very large town. Mrs. Palmer flushed, waving him off but still pocketing the cash he had handed to her. She waves a quick goodbye, fluttering back to the office she so enjoyed to disappear to.

Yet, Jacob stayed put, only turning to you once you both heard the slam of the office door.

“I don’t think I know you,” He whispers, his boots making quiet clicking noises on the linoleum floor.

“I… Well my dad and I, we just moved back here. Um, I used to come here every once in a while though. My grandparents live here, or they did before-” you cut yourself off, feeling like you were telling him entirely too much.

“Hmm.” He hums as he flips through his recent purchase. He was much too nonchalant for your liking. Usually, you would prefer this kind of behavior, especially after spending a day interacting with some of the most cheerful people you had ever met. But you wanted, no you needed, him to like you. “And, you are…?” He inquires, and you quickly respond with your name.

“And you’re Jacob.” You posit.

“Mhm. Just Jake is fine.”

Jake didn’t seem as fitting as Jacob, which truthfully didn’t seem to fit him very well either. He seemed like he belonged in a century much earlier than this one. The way he spoke, the way he held himself, he just simply did not seem real.

“You’re not walking home alone tonight are you?” He wondered aloud, barely addressing you, and you immediately felt defensive.

“No, my friend is walking me back.”

“Good. You have no idea what kind of… monsters are lurking these streets,” He leans across the counter slightly, his face inches from yours. The teasing lilt in his voice only served to intrigue you more.

As if you summoned him Danny comes sauntering in, his usual grin fading as soon as he spots Jake. Jake had pulled back the second the bell attached to the door rang, and he turned gracefully on his heel.

“Ah, Wagner. Nice to see you again,” Jake’s smug smirk was back, and Danny grimaced at his words.

“Kiszka,” he grumbles, skirting past Jake. Jake glides out, and Danny follows him with his eyes until he is fully out of the store. “God, that guy gives me the creeps.” He shivered to emphasize his point.

“You know him?” you ask as you gather your things, shooting a quick goodbye to Mrs. Palmer.

“I know of him. He moved here like two years ago with his brothers. They’re all really weird. Their younger brother went to school with us but he never really bonded with anyone. They kind of all just stick to themselves. Well, Jake goes out and about a lot, mostly at night,” He begins, holding the door open for you as you both start down the sidewalk and towards your houses. He glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot before continuing, “I kind of feel bad for them. No parents, no other family, just each other. But, they’re kind of… freaky,” he whispered the last word and you giggled at his reluctance to speak freely.

“Don’t laugh! I swear, that guy is everywhere.” He glanced around him as if to emphasize his point.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were scared Daniel.” You tease him, nudging his side. But he didn’t laugh back.

“I'm serious. I’d stay away from that guy, there’s something super off about him.”

“He seemed okay to me.” You shrug, more intrigued than put off. “What do you mean they have no family?”

“I don’t know a ton about the story, just what I heard from around. But… I think their mom and dad died a few years back. Maybe a car accident or something? And as soon as Jake was old enough he adopted Sam, even though they aren’t much older than him. I’m not sure how it works honestly. They live in this huge house just outside of town. No clue how they afford it, none of them work,” he scoffed, obviously annoyed by their mere presence in his town.

You hummed, taking in all that Danny had said. And yet all you could think about were his striking eyes… and how beautiful his face was. You didn’t really care if Danny thought he was dangerous. From what you learned, he seemed like he had been through a lot, especially for someone so young.

“I know I can’t control you, but just be careful, okay? He really gives me the willies.”

You had arrived at your front door. The glow from the porch light illuminated his face, which was creased with worry.

“The willies? I can protect myself, I promise.” You take his hand and wrap your pink around his, “Pinky promise,” you emphasize.

He smiled softly again, squeezing your finger and reluctantly letting your hand go.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Can’t let you walk to work alone.”

“Not with all those monsters, huh?” You tease.

“Yeah, yeah. No monsters. See ya,” he calls, already heading over to his house.

“Night, Danny.”

With a sigh you heave open the heavy front door, waving goodnight to your father who was so entrenched with work he was barely able to acknowledge you. Trudging up the creaky stairs, you wondered how so much had changed in the span of twenty-four hours. With the prospect of a biweekly paycheck and a slightly overbearing new friend, living in this sunless town seemed slightly more bearable. Not to mention your meeting of a rather… interesting stranger. You tried to push all thoughts of Jake out of your brain, to absolutely no avail. Something about him invaded all your senses from the moment he stepped into that damn bookstore.

You fall onto your bed rather ungracefully, shoving your face into your pillow and groaning. Barely a day in this town and you’ve already developed a slightly unhinged and rather unhealthy obsession with a stranger you barely just met. Part of you hoped that he would be a regular customer, and from his interaction with Mrs. Palmer, you were sure he would be. You’d be sure not to mention your secret hope to Danny, considering his reaction to the very short interaction he shared with Jake. Danny’s odd prejudice aside, he hadn’t said anything truly worrying about the man.

You slept peacefully that night, no more strangely vivid dreams to plague your mind. In fact, when you woke up you had absolutely no memory of dreaming at all.

Work was agonizingly slow the next morning. Even the walk to the store with Danny was surprisingly uneventful. It didn’t help that the entire day you had been hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. Even just his passing silhouette in the street would ease the slight ache in your chest. You weren’t one to obsess like this, especially not over a man you didn’t know. But you longed to get to know him, to learn what made him so intoxicatingly alluring,

And to your surprise, and satisfaction, he did show. In fact, an entire week passed and he visited every single night you occupied the space behind the register.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. He would come in, speak to you softly, purchase a worn book, and leave the store as soon as Danny popped back in to escort you home. You had grown increasingly fond of this routine. Deep down, you assumed this is all you were going to get from him anyway.

That was until Saturday night.

Of course, he caught you entirely off guard when he arrived. He glided in gracefully, once more at night, all while you were absentmindedly stocking a dusty front shelf. He cleared his throat calmly when you failed to notice his arrival, and you nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the abruptness of it all.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” He murmured casually, his voice just as velvety as you remembered.

“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty easily startled,” You chuckle nervously, wiping your hands on your pants and turning to give him your entire attention. “Can I help you with anything?” You try to ignore the slight shaking in your voice as you fail to look him fully in the eyes.

He had opted to forgo the pair of glasses he usually wore when you crossed paths, leaving his extremely vibrant eyes on full display. Once again he was wearing an almost completely unbuttoned shirt, allowing you to take in the expanse of his bare chest. He was close enough now that the barrier of the front counter was gone that you could make out the dangly pendants that decorated his neck in extreme detail.

“Maybe,” he mused, a pleasant look washing over his features, “I’m looking for another book.”

“Yeah, most people who come in are looking for books,” you try to tease, failing to do so when your voice shakes slightly. “Anything in particular?”

“No. If I'm being quite honest I came in here to see you again,” he professed, grabbing a book and flipping through the pages before sliding it back into its proper position. “I seem to have failed to come up with a good enough lie in time though… I had more than enough time to.”

“Honesty is usually the best policy.” You steady yourself, trying to ignore the quickening pace of your heart at his admission. He smiles widely, and you wondered if he could somehow hear the palpitations.

“Usually. Sometimes it’s much more appealing to lie,” He paused for a moment, seeming pensieve, “I wouldn’t mind rereading something by Camus.”

“You’re really into French literature, huh?” You ask, leading him down to the aisle where you were sure to find something by his requested author. “You know, most people come in here looking for a good romance novel. Maybe a really bad mystery. You might be the only person who’s ever seen this part of the store.”

“I find that most people here don’t look that deeply.”

You wondered if this had something to do with how people thought of him. Throughout your morning walks with Danny you had come to learn that he wasn’t the only person in the town that harbored negative feelings towards the elusive Kiszka brothers. You still couldn’t quite understand why. He seemed more than perfectly fine to you.

“Ah…” he whispered, pulling a battered copy of The Stranger off the shelves. He blew the dust off the cover and turned it over in his hands. “I always enjoyed Camus' perspective on life.”

“Really? So, ‘life has no meaning and death is the only certainty in life?’”

“I said I enjoyed his viewpoints, not that I agreed with them. I simply find them entertaining. Death is never guaranteed, and life certainly isn’t without purpose.”

“So what do you suppose is the purpose of life?” You continue, choosing to ignore his claim that death isn’t everyone’s promised ending.

“Isn't it all about creating your own purpose?” he observed, finally looking back up at you. He studied your face for a moment, and you felt overwhelmed by the sudden attention. You thought, for just a mere moment, that his eyes flickered down to your lips before they skirted back up to your eyes. You shied away from his eye contact, coughing nervously and turning back to face the shelf.

“Very philosophical Jacob.”

“Jake,” he corrected.

The two of you stood in silence for a beat, and you were completely unsure of what to say next. You had glossed over his profession of coming in to simply see you, and now you wished you hadn’t. On a better day, with someone who was easier to talk to, you would have teased him. Maybe even mustered up the courage to flirt with him. But something about Jake terrified you.

He cleared his throat again, and you were pleased to find him looking ever so slightly nervous himself.

“I was… I was wondering if you would like to go out with me one night.” The words lacked his usual self assuredness, which shocked you slightly.

You tried to stop your jaw from completely detaching from your skull. Surely you had gone so far past the point of delusion that you were now hallucinating- rather vividly, you might add- that Jake was… asking you out. He seemed to grow impatient and slightly frustrated with your lack of a response, and yet he composed himself better than you could dream of.

“Go out? Me?” You mentally punch yourself for not being able to come up with a better response. Your desperate need to make him like you only grew stronger with each interaction. You wondered if he knew how he affected you, and by the way you could barely look at him you were sure he did.

“Preferably. I’d hoped I made that clear,” he laughed, and your heart skipped a beat. You wondered if his was pounding quite as hard as yours. He smirked again at absolutely nothing.

“Um,” it was like you had forgotten every word in the English language. This was so thoroughly unlike you. Usually you had more than enough to say.

Say something! Anything!

Your brain was positively screaming at you in a voice that surely didn’t belong to you.

“Yes. I would love to,” you say definitively, unsure how you had even gathered the ability to speak when he was staring at you so intensely.

“‘Perfect. Tonight?” His tone was eager and you wanted to soak in the hopeful look that knitted his brows together.

“I- Danny. Danny’s already walking me home tonight…”

Goddamn Danny.

As if on cue, he sauntered through the door of the building. He was less than pleased with Jake’s nightly visits, and he didn’t bother to hide it. He was never anything less than frustratingly punctual to interrupt your conversations. It seemed his slight distaste surrounding him had grown to near hatred. He always seemed to grimace when you brought him up, despite your attempts to not sound too interested when you spoke his name.

“I’m sure he won’t mind walking home alone without you for just one night.” Jake’s usual velvety voice was back in your ear.

You began to say something before Danny had fully made his way to where you and Jake were standing. You instinctively stepped away from Jake, not really understanding why. Danny’s usual grin slowly faded into a scowl, and you wished you could understand why he harbored such a strange resentment for him.

“C’mon, I wanna get home soon. I think it’s about to start raining,” Danny mumbles, reaching for your arm. He was staring daggers at Jake while he spoke.

“Wait- Just one second Danny,” you give him a sympathetic look, hoping he can sense that you need a moment alone. He grumbles under his breath and steps away, just enough that you can still see his tense shoulders as he leans against a wall opposite you and Jake.

“I’m sorry, he’s just…” you pause, searching for the right words, “How about tomorrow night? I’m off, you can pick me up at home?” You suggested, worried he would hate the idea.

“Of course.” He smiled as you rushed to the front, scribbling your address down on a scrap of receipt paper.

“Beautiful,” he says, staring down at the smeared red ink, “I’ll see you at 6.”

That’s all he leaves you with as he walks out of the store, not bothering to bid Danny a passing glance. You suddenly feel like you’re going to pass out as Danny turns to face you, the anger on his face replaced with a pleased look. He was always happy to see you. He gives you a moment to gather your things and you walk in silence for a while. You can tell he’s itching to say something by the way he’s bouncing around and refusing to meet your face.

“Danny, if you don’t spit it out I’m going to go crazy,” you eventually announce, surprising so much so that he stops in his tracks.

“I just… wanted to know what you guys were talking about is all.”

He sounded like a dejected child, and any other night you would have laughed at his immature tone. But tonight your nerves were entirely too ramped up to indulge his antics.

“He kind of asked me out,” you state matter of factly.

“Kind of?”

“Okay, not kind of. He’s- he’s taking me ... somewhere tomorrow night.” You winced, scared that he would… Well, you couldn’t imagine him angry. But you were more than aware that he didn’t like Jake, and he certainly wouldn’t enjoy you going on a date with him.

To your surprise, he didn’t say anything. This was more than shocking considering he had spent the past few nights on a nonstop tangent about the Kiszka family. You learned about the three brothers: Jacob, Joshua, and Samuel. You learned about the big house that was occupied on the outskirts of town, the big house that no one had ever really visited. For someone who seemingly couldn’t stand the family, Danny knew quite a bit about them. You figured it was unfair that you knew so much about Jake, regardless of how true it was, when he knew nothing about you. You supposed that would be amended tomorrow night, though.

Danny told you about the youngest, Sam, and how he had excelled in school. According to him, Sam was smart enough to be accepted into any Ivy League college. And yet, he stayed in this little town that had nothing to offer. You found that endearing, though you were sure not to reveal that insight to Danny. He never shared a single piece of information that would allow you to understand why he distrusted them, and you had begun to wonder if he ever had a real reason.

And despite all this, he stayed silent. You had spent those earlier nights wishing he would shut up about Jake, and now you found yourself silently begging him to say something again. Even if he screamed, cursed you out, begged you not to go out with him.

Why do you care so much? The little voice from earlier whispered in your head. You didn’t have an answer.

Danny walked in stunned silence until he stopped at the last lamppost before reaching both of your houses. When he finally spoke it startled you.

“I told you I have no control over you. It would be insane of me to want that. Look, I really just want you to be happy. And… I don’t really hate the guy. Just freaks me out a little. That’s it. Seriously.” Though he didn’t sound like he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth.

“Thank you,” you start, shifting on your feet as you whisper, “I mean it. I know it’s stupid but… you're my only friend here. I wouldn’t wanna piss you off or anything.” You try to laugh but it catches in your throat. Why do you care so much? This time it was your voice screaming at you. “If it makes you feel any better it’s not gonna be anything serious. I'm only here for the summer,” you reminded him, much to his dismay.

“Yeah. I know. Only for the summer. G’night sunshine,” he breathed softly as he led you to your door.

You watched him make his way into his own home, but you stayed glued to the porch long past his departure. Staring at the cloudy sky that was beginning to pour down, you were able to make out one star that was shining a lot brighter than the others. You were too old to believe that wishing on a star would do anything, but that wasn’t going to stop you. You pushed down the embarrassed version of yourself that was screaming at you to not believe in something that foolish, and you silently mouth a single wish before heading inside and collapsing in bed.

#Jake Kiszka #Danny Wagner #Josh Kiszka #Sam Kiszka #Jake Kiszka x re #Vampire!Jake Kiszka #greta van fleet #greta van fic #jake gvf #gvf #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiskza x reader #jake kiszka fic #gvf fanfiction #yes this is a twilight au #jake kiszka is edward cullen #and danny is jacob black sorry

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joshsindigostreak · 3 months

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Oh, Danny lane…the inspo that is flooding my mind right now for a summer college AU!Danny one shot right now:

Plot to be revealed soon…

Taglist under the cut

Tag List: @roving-blade , @readyforthegarden , @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine , @wideminded-dreamer , @runwayblues , @wildbluesorbit , @llightmyllovee , @rhythm-of-space , @sacredthefran , @writingcold , @alwaysonthemend , @wetkleenex-gvf , @josh-iamyour-mama , @lightsofthe-living-gvf , @gvfcinema, @sacredthethreadgvf , @losfacedevil , @jakekiszkasbuttsweat , @shutupdevvie , @hearts-hunger , @gretavanfleetposts , @ascendingtostardust , @mackalah , @andromeda-raine-gvf , @jake-kiszkas-smirk , @gracev0609 , @sacredjake , @earthlysorrows , @gvfpal , @myownparadise96 , @itsafullmoon , @gvfmelbourne , @twistedmelodies , @that-witchy-pan , @gold-mines-melting , @texas-bbq-pringles , @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface , @sadiechar , @char289 , @stardustvanfleet , @sunfl0wer-power , @holdingup-fallingsky , @bladenotblaze , @gretavanlace , @lipstickitty , @jjwasneverhere , @josiee-gvf

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!!

#danny wagner #greta van fleet #danny gvf #danny wagner x reader #college au #summer love #heat and cicadas #hehehehe

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emsfallingsky · 6 months

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Of Fate and Fury

Pairing: Danny x Acotar au x female!reader

Word count: 19.1k

Warnings: 18+ ONLY! sexually explicit content. Enemies to lovers, M dom f sub, violence, gore, fighting, mating, unprotected sex, (kissing, fingering, choking, name calling, praise, cursing, oral sex (f recieving), dirty talk, breeding kink, hair pulling).

It had been a long day– a very long day and you were completely wound up. Your body was tense and overwhelmed and it seemed like nothing was easing the fire that left your blood boiling.

You quickly finished up your task at hand and set yourself on a determined mission, storming up the stairs that led to the training ring atop The House of Wind. You didn’t hesitate one bit as you led yourself across the ground, kicking up specks of the tan dirt beneath your feet. But as soon as you grabbed a sword off one of the racks, you felt all their eyes turn to you.

Without any hesitation you immediately started swinging your swords at one of the wooden dummies, silently cursing at yourself from the instant strain in your muscles from not being warmed up.

You didn’t care though. All the pent-up emotions and frustrations came flying out of you with each swing of your sword. You gritted your teeth tightly together, letting out a deep grunt as you hit the blade of your sword directly against the torso of the dummy before you. You could feel the vibration of the sword as it collided with the soft wood, traveling all the way up the expanse of your arm.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the fae warriors standing frozen in place as they watched you. The sheer formidable force of them flanked into you but you ignored them.

You turned on your heel, spinning yourself around as you flung your arm backwards and hit the shoulder of the dummy. As you spun, you caught sight of their varying expressions. Some of their eyes were wide with their eyebrows raised and others looked at you blankly, but you could read their annoyance on their face. Thankfully, none of them decided to interfere, allowing you to continue unleashing yourself on the piece of wood that was slowly starting to chip and splinter with each hit.

You weren’t sure how long you had kept at it but pretty soon you were an exhausted and panting mess. The muscles in your back and biceps were practically screaming at you and your thighs had started to shake from using them to push yourself as you flung yourself at the target.

It wasn’t long before you found yourself collapsing to your knees in the dirt, struggling to catch your breath. The sword had dropped beside you, but you kept a loose grip on the pommel, not fully wanting to give into the exhaustion that was starting to sweep over you.

The hair you had tied back in a braid had come loose and now stuck to the side of your face and neck. Sweat covered every inch of your body and dripped down your neck as you continued to kneel in the dirt, trying to catch your breath.

With your hair draped around your face, you barely took in the black boot, scuffed with brown dirt that came to a stop beside your limp hand. You sucked in a breath and slowly lifted your head. When you peered up, you saw Daniel. The Illyrian warrior, second in command from Cassian, who was in Rhysand’s inner circle.

His long curly hair was tied in a knot above his head, but he had managed to leave the bottom half of his hair loose, letting the rest drape over his broad shoulders. You could see the layer of sweat that soaked through his white tank top, surely from his earlier sparring. It was hard to ignore the dark whirls and patterns tattooed along his arms that rose higher along his neck and plunged down beneath the edge of his shirt that covered his chest.

Daniel crossed his arms over himself, making you notice the thick muscles of his chest and biceps that rose through his shirt. He stared down at you with nothing more than a blank face, his eyes stone cold and distant. You would have looked away in fear if it weren’t for the fact that you were too tired to care. If it wasn’t that it was the sight of the muscle that feathered in his jaw that shut you up.

“You are exerting too much of your energy…you’ve worn yourself down completely,” he said, his voice flat and monotone.

“I don’t care,” you muttered back, your own jaw now clenched.

Daniel shifted his weight to his other foot and raised his eyebrows up at your response. “Are you sure about that? You know you could have injur-”

“I don’t…care,” you repeated again, this time making sure your words were laced with a hint of malice.

Daniel shot you a glare and you watched him turn his head to the side like an animal observing its prey. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice and facial expression didn’t falter once. You glared up at him and brushed the sword away from you as you climbed onto your shaking feet. You held his eyes but when you turned on your heel away from him, you could feel tears start to well in your eyes. All you had wanted was to let out some of your pent-up anger and frustration…not be bombarded by an Illyrian general.

You strided across the ring, not acknowledging Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel or Jake who stood there watching you. You had made it across the ring and were about to reach the top of the stairs when you felt a firm hand clasp your shoulder and spin you around. Instantly, you knew it was him and refused to meet his stare. If you had, you would’ve been able to see the glimpse of worry that sparked across his face.

“You don’t get to walk away when I’m talking to you,” Daniel spat, his grip on your shoulder squeezing just enough to make you feel your muscles start to protest. You refused to look up at him, feeling all your anger start to boil to the surface once again. You didn’t have to look up to see him take a step closer to you, his body now so close that your face was practically pressed against his chest.

“Now,” he says, tightening his grip on your shoulder, making you hold back a wince, ‘What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you muttered, still not being able to raise your eyes to meet him.

Daniel clicked his tongue against his cheek, sucking in a small hiss, not believing a word of your bullshit. His hand slid off your shoulder and then you found yourself frozen in place when you felt his hands grip the underside of your chin and tilt it upwards, so you were now forced to look at him.

“I’m not going to ask again,” Daniel said, his voice low and hoarse, ‘What’s wrong, YN?”

You found yourself clenching your jaw, your eyes becoming cold while you glared at him. “I need to go take a bath,” was all you said as you turned yourself on your heel and began to walk away from him.

You were instantly stopped as you felt that same stern grip on your shoulders and could feel the eyes of the other accessing the scene. You turned back on your heel and ripped his arm off of you. “Do not!” you said, hissing at him.

You stormed down the steps and stomped into your room, slamming your door closed. You were just starting to undo the top of your tunic when you heard your door fly open and slam into the wall so hard that it made the room shake. You knew who it was before he started talking and you ground your teeth so hard that it made your jaw ache.

“What the fuck has gotten into you?” Daniel yelled; the once calm tone he held before now completely stripped away. You turned yourself quickly around to see him far closer than you had expected, leaving you to have to tilt your head up as he towered above you.

You aren’t sure what gets into you, but you find yourself taking a challenging step towards him. All the work you put in to fend off the anger now seeming useless as you feel your blood start to turn once again.

“I thought I told you I wanted to go take a fucking bath! I don’t need you as my fucking babysitter Daniel!” you snap at him, your chest now rising and falling quickly while you struggle to maintain an ounce of any composure you had left.

Daniel seems to weigh your words and takes a step back, but his face doesn’t falter. His eyes seem to mirror yours as they ignite with anger of their own, making his hazel eyes glow golden- flame like.

He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head in the direction of your bathroom. “Fine, go take your damn bath but I’m going to be waiting right outside for you.”

“You will leave,” you hiss, pulling back the top of your lip to give him a flash of your elongated canines. It didn’t seem to do anything, and you watched him lean against the door frame, cocking one of his brows up. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says in a stern voice, not one word faltering.

“Get the fuck out of my room Daniel!” you scream at him, your hands balling into fists beside you.

“Or what Y/N? What the fuck are you going to do about it?” he asks, pushing himself off the wall to only then halt his steps right in front of you. His gaze is hard and unwavering as he peers down at you from over the tip of his nose.

You couldn't help it- contain it. The anger within you was screaming, pleading you to let yourself go and unleash everything you had upon him. So, you did.

Without really processing it, your hand that was curled into a tight fist beside you flew up at lightning speed to deliver him a hard smack against his cheek. You might’ve gasped or heard your breath hitch as you realized what you just did but you couldn’t hear or process anything from the roaring of anger that rumbled in your ears.

Daniel didn’t falter one bit as you struck him. His body didn’t move an inch. The only sign to show that it had happened was the red, angry handprint on the side of his cheek. Danny gave a slow blink while the corner of his mouth started to tilt in a smirk. He clenched his jaw and his eyes slowly slid back to yours.

You don’t back down. You stay planted right where you are, not showing him any sign of guilt, fear, or remorse for your actions. Daniel struggled to maintain the smirk growing on his face. He tilted his head to the side, studying you- a predator's stare. Most people would immediately back down if an Illyrian male looked at you that way but notyou.

Daniel sucked in a breath and clenched his jaw, flexing the muscles that lay beneath his skin and took a step closer, bending down so his face was merely inches away from yours. “That was cute,” he said, his breath hitting your cheeks. “But no.”

You clenched your own jaw, feeling your teeth protest against it. You were then the one to smirk and you let your eyes slowly drift down to his lips that were so close, they nearly brushed against yours. His eyes followed your own, noticing what you were now staring at. You decided to use it to your advantage.

Your eyes drifted back up to his and then you bit the bottom of your lip, a sinful sight with him being as close to you as he was. His reaction was just what you were looking for. His body seemed to halt, and you swear you saw his breathing stop for a second.

It was an extra second you didn’t take for granted as you quickly reached a hand around his side, plucking a dagger that hung from his leather belt. You clutched the dagger in a firm grasp, pressing the blade against his side. If Daniel had an ounce of fear flowing through his veins, he didn’t show it. “I would be very careful if I were you,” you draw out in a hiss. Daniel’s wings twitched in annoyance and the muscles that built his firm chest and ran along his arms flexed as he held your stare. You pressed the blade against him harder. “Get. Out.”

Daniel sent out a rumble of his power that threatened your hands to almost release the blade flush against the side of his abdomen, but you pushed past it. You were defiant and you would not stand down.

Daniel’s eyes flicked down and then back up to yours, the lick of flame that was once in his eyes now grew strong and mighty. Wildfire. The golden flecks in his eyes now moved as the flames raged and danced within them. “Put down the blade,” he growled.

It took every ounce of your strength and will not to send that dagger plunging straight into his flesh. “Get out of my room and I will.”

Daniel let out a huff of annoyance but then smirked at you, surely analyzing you as nothing more than a piece of meat. “You wouldn’t dare to stab me with it.”

You shook off the glare from your face, instead replacing it with a sweet smile. “Try me,” was all you said as you whipped the dagger, slashing it against the fabric of his shirt. You made sure the blade didn’t cut him though. You just wanted to prove it to him that you were not afraid, and you would not back down from a challenge.

Daniel glanced down to the town fabric of his shirt now hanging loose against his side. He raised his head to look back at you but before your eyes could meet his, he lunged and grabbed your wrist in his hands. He moved so fast that you couldn’t even process how you ended up slammed against the stone wall of your room. It reminded you exactly who you were dealing with. His power, his strength, all of it…All of it was coming from a fae Illyrian warrior.

Daniel pushed you back so hard and with so much power that it made the back of your head thump against the wall. You back groaned as you felt the hardness of it press into your spine. Both parts of your body instantly began to throb, and the pain left you groaning.

The dagger in your hand dropped to the floor as his hands on your wrist tightened, threatening to shatter the fragile bones beneath your skin. He was so big. So full of strength and unweighted power. His hands were so large that they almost wrapped twice around your wrist. “Stupid, stupid girl,” Daniel growled in your face. Once again, he was so close to you that you were practically left sharing the same breath as him. He wasn’t wrong though…Stupid. How very stupid it was for you to be challenging him.

Every inch of your body was screaming. Screaming with pain, rage and absolute fury. You lifted your face that had tilted downward from the force which he threw you against the wall and beckoned to look up at him.

Once you did, you held his stare. You were breathing hard, your chest rising and falling with each deep breath you took. Your whole body was left shaking as a mixture of emotions rose to the surface. Fear, rage and something else you couldn’t quite put your finger on but nonetheless, your fighting spirit was still left thrumming against your veins.

You clenched your jaw and then moved your tongue around in your mouth, drawing up saliva on your tongue. You purse your lips and then spat directly onto his face.

Daniel closed his eyes and turned his head to the side as your spit hit him directly in the center of it. He shrugged one of his shoulders up and wiped your spit off of his face. When his eyes came back to yours you knew you were unmatched. Your throat bobbed as you swallowed but he was not done letting you know just how stupid you were.

He moved both of your hands over your head and then pinned your wrists in one hand while his other wrapped around your throat and squeezed it in a tight grip. “Are you trying to piss me off?” he growled. All you could do was respond with a strangled groan, your eyes now growing completely wide.

Danny gripped you by the neck harder and pulled you forward, making you arch your back and neck up at an awkward angle. His wings rustled again, clearly showing you just how impatient he was growing.

He pulled you closer towards him, so the tip of his nose brushed against yours. “Answer me,” he growled again. You couldn’t. All the words that were on the tip of your tongue vanished and it felt like your head was swimming each time he tightened his grip on your neck, depriving you of oxygen. You opened your mouth to respond but you couldn’t. You just stared at him; your brows knitted together with your jaw hanging loose. You tried to wriggle yourself away from him but between the grasp he had on your neck, wrists and the wall that dug into you. For the first time in a long while, you were utterly helpless.

Using all the strength you could muster, you finally choked out something…his name. “D-Danny,” you stuttered in between a strangled gasp. It was the only word you managed to get out before the doors of your room flew open and Rhysand, Cassian and Jake stood there. Their faces all conveyed the same thing. Utter shock.

Daniel glanced behind his shoulder and when he saw them, he seemed to snap out of his anger induced fury. He instantly let go of your wrist and neck and you slumped down to the floor coughing while your own hands clutch your neck as you try to pull in oxygen.

Cassian and Jake were immediately upon Daniel, grabbing him by his shoulders and yanking him back. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Cassian snaps at him. “You could’ve fucking killed her!” Jake shouts.

Rhysand quickly walks over, crouching on the floor beside you. When you look up you could see only worry and concern shining in his eyes. He places a gentle hand on your knee and asks, “are you alright?” The only answer you could manage was a small nod of your head while you continued to gasp and sputter for any air you could wield into your lung. His eyes soften further, and he tilts his head down. “Are you sure?”

“Out,” you said in a voice that is merely a whisper. “Everyone get the fuck out.”

Rhysand, Cassian and Jake all exchange glances, Daniel’s eyes look everywhere but your own as he stares down at the floor. You can see the muscles in his shoulder twitch, but Jake and Cassian’s hands tighten on him.

Rhysand looks back at you and nods before rising off of the floor. Rhysand walks by the three men but stops before Daniel. “You and I are going to have a little chat,” he sneers before leading them out of the room. The sound of the door clicking into place is the only indicator that they had left.

You don’t move from your spot on the floor. Instead, you invite the welcoming cold of the marble floor against your skin. You draw your knees up to your chest while your brain makes any attempt to start working again. What the hell just happened?

Your brain starts to turn, sending you down an endless hole as it replays all the events that just unfolded before you. You were shocked. At Daniel, yourself…all of it. You knew he had every right to defend himself. Every right. And the words he spoke were nothing but the truth. ‘You stupid, stupid girl’.

Yes, so utterly stupid. Why you found yourself unable to back down and just stop, you didn’t know. All your emotions stirred within you, leaving your chest feeling like a heavy weight pressed down upon it. You felt so…hollow.

It took you a few seconds to render that tears that started to fall down your face and you pressed your knees further against you to cradle yourself. Your shoulders began to shake as you released everything into the world. You would be lying if you said you didn’t know how you ended up here, but you did. And it was all but entirely your fault.

So, you let yourself cry…and cry and cry. You let out all the emotions within you; all the rage, the anger, the fury…then the sadness, shock and guilt that came along with it. Images flashed in your head. The hand he placed on your shoulder when you went to exit the training ring and how in that moment his face looked so soft and full of concern for you. Only then to be stripped away as the image of his face with nothing but primal rage plastered on it as he pinned you against the wall.

You could again feel that anger start to swirl within you but you pushed it down, so it was only a soft hum in your veins. Despite everything, there was something else that prodded and poked against the walls of your brain. Something you couldn’t quite understand or begin to explain. You pushed that thought aside, you would come back to it another time.

You weren’t sure how long you sat there crying and holding yourself, letting your own body be the sweep of comfort that you would allow. But soon enough, you were exhausted. You could feel the marks of where your tears fell down the sides of your cheeks, leaving them to feel damp and sticky where they rested against your knee. Your eyes burned and you were sure that if you were able to see your own reflection you would notice how red and puffy they were.

You let out a deep sigh and finally raised your head, letting your eyes readjust to the dim lighting of the room. You were completely exhausted, but you still had your mind set on what you initially came in here to do. Bracing a hand on the marble floor, you pushed yourself to your feet and strode past the door leading into the bathing chamber connected to your room.

With a twist of your hand, you turn the knob of the bath, making sure to twist it all the way to the left to get it to the highest temperature. You wanted it hot- scalding, so that when you slid in, it would burn and sting against your skin before it left you feeling numb completely.

You begin the process of removing your clothes, having to peel them off your body as they stick against you with sweat. You had just removed your pants and were straightening your body when you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You turned your head to fully face the mirror and what you saw made your gut swirl.

A red mark shone on your neck, wrapping around it entirely. You leaned yourself further into your reflection and when you did, you were able to see the faint mark of where Daniel’s thumb had dug into the side of your neck.

You lifted a shaking hand to your throat, lightly brushing your fingertips against it and had to hold back a wince. The area was so sore and tender. How did you not render how hard he was choking you?

You yet again pressed down all the emotions stirring within you and swirled yourself around and strode for the bath. Good. Let that mark he left on your neck be a reminder, not for you but for him. Let him look upon it and feel all the remorse and guilt for ever laying a hand upon you. Let it be a reminder. Gods, how you now regretted not plunging the dagger into his flesh so he would have his own reminder of who he truly was dealing with.

You sat in the bath for what felt like hours, letting the scalding water grow cold and frigid. If not the heat of the water being able to welcome you then the icy water would also do the trick, letting it numb you to the core and making your teeth chatter against themselves.

As badly as you wanted to stay in the water, you couldn’t stand the way your skin started to feel. Your fingers were pruney and rigid and the water was so cold that it only made the bones in your body ache.

You lifted the drain and set it on the lip of the tub before you pushed yourself out of the water. You didn’t bother with grabbing a towel and instead reached for the fluffy robe that hung on the back of the door. You bundled the soft, velvet like fabric around you and let it breathe its warmth back into your body.

You strode out of the bathroom but not before taking a final glimpse in the mirror to see the angry bruise around your neck that was slowly starting to turn to a deep shade of purple.

When you made your way back into your room, you looked out the window to see the sun starting to set over the snowcapped mountains. It’s light making the sky flush with pinks and purples- a rather beautiful shade of purple compared to the ugly mark that was left around your throat.

You walked over to your wardrobe, opening the wooden doors of it and gazed at the clothes before you. Your hand drifted over to a tunic but stopped and instead grabbed for a sleek lilac colored evening gown. The sun setting is what alerted you that it was now dinner time and instead of staying in your room to grovel over the event that took place, you wanted to make a stand against him if only to prove a point.

So yes, the evening dress would do just that. Instead of opting for the tunic that would cover your neck you chose the gown with its thin straps, leaving your shoulders and neck bare. You thought about grabbing one of the necklaces that was laid out your vanity but no- let it remind him.

Slipping on a pair of flats, you opened the door of your room and descended the steps, leading to the dining room with your chin held high. Let it remind him…

When you first came around the corner you could hear the deep voices and laughter filling the space, but they were immediately silenced when you first stepped into the room. Everyone’s eyes- Rhys, Cassian, Jake, Azriel and lastly, Daniel’s laid upon you but then slowly dipped down to your neck. Good.

You didn’t acknowledge them or give any sign that you noticed their eyes staring at you or your neck. You silently strode up to the table and it felt like all the air in the room stilled and had been sucked up.

You took your place at the table next to Cassian leaving you to sit directly across from Daniel. Jake and Azriel sat along either side of him and Rhys took the head of the table.

When you sat down, you could feel Daniel’s eyes upon you, and you met him back with a cold and unwavering stare. You could still see the imprint you had marked across his cheek, but you also noticed the bruising around his cheek bone and the split lip. Rhys had certainly had a little chat with him.

Daniel’s eyes cast down to your neck and then you were left hearing your own blood starting to thrum in your ears, feeling all of its fury work its way back up. Rhys stayed silent at the head of the table and watched the two of you silently battle, seeing who would be the first to yield. Cassian did the same and you could feel his body stiffen beside you as his eyes darted from you to Daniel.

You finally ripped your eyes away from Daniel, but your face was still sneering even as you looked away. This wasn’t you yielding to him –no, never that. This was you telling him fuck all the way off.

A deep sigh escapes you and you reach for the wine in the middle of the table. You slowly pour out its content into your glass, the room still cold and silent with all eyes set on you–watching and awaiting your next move.

You take a sip of the wine and see Daniel’s eyes fixed on yours over the rim of the glass. It was the way he stared at you that truly pissed you off. All signs of anger were gone from his face and instead his eyes were soft and full of worry. You hadn’t expected him to give in so easily–so quickly. You had wanted him to go down swinging and fighting. You had wanted to fight and argue with him.

You slammed down your glass, gripping it so hard the tops of your knuckles turned white. Cocking your head to the side, you looked at Daniel and let your eyes slowly rake up and down his body. A chuckle escaped you and you leaned forward to rest your elbows on the table and then clutch your hands in front of you. “You know what’s funny?” you ask, letting your eyes sweep over everyone at the table, pinning them in a hard, unforgiving stare before solely landing on Daniel.

Daniel’s glare returned to his face, and he looked back in a way that was rather unsettling. His tongue pushed against his cheek, and he cocks an eyebrow up as to ask ‘What?”

You took one of your arms off the table and sat back in your chair, draping it over the backrest so you appeared loose and casual “For as long as I could remember, I always dreamed about having a necklace that was full of diamonds and deep, rich colored rubies. Oh, but wait,” you lift a hand to your neck, “Well now I do. And I guess, I can owe that all to you,” you say waving a hand in Daniel’s direction.

Everyone in the room stills and you can see them all trying to come up with something to say to ease the burning tension. Your eyes linger on Daniel, and you watch as he blinks and drops his head. “Fuck,” he mumbles under his breath.

Your eyes narrow on him and you shift further back in your seat. “What’s wrong Danny? Is it not as beautiful as you imagined?” Daniel’s eyes were still looking down, utterly fixated on his hands placed in front of him on the table.

After what felt like ages, he slowly lifted his head to meet your stare. You could see every line sketched upon his face, conveying just how bad he truly felt. It was almost enough to make you cave but you would not yield. When he spoke, his voice was low and soft- barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

The thrumming in your ears returns, making you clench your steak knife placed next to you. His eyes immediately spy your hand wrapping around the utensil and you swear you could see his body grow stiff– as if he were waiting for you to plunge that knife into the side of his neck.

His eyes then turn away from the knife and come back to meet yours. He takes a deep breath, and you see his throat bop as he swallows. “C-can I ask you somethi-”

“No, you may not,” you say through gritted teeth. Daniel seems utterly stunned and at a loss for words. He looks back to your neck and it seems to truly cause him pain as he looks upon the angry bruise. He opens his mouth to say something but immediately shuts it and lets out a sigh that makes him sink back into his chair.

You suddenly push your chair back and rise to your feet, your hand still firmly wrapped around the knife. You look back over at Daniel and lean so far over the table that your face is only inches away from his. You lift the knife from the table and point it at him. “If you ever do anything like that again, I won’t even give it a second thought before I cut off the part of you,” you angled the knife down, “that deems you as a man. Do you understand?”

Daniel seems to wince as you point the knife downwards. He doesn’t look at you while he says, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good,” you say and send the knife down onto his plate, piercing a piece of meat on it and sliding it onto yours. You sink back into your chair and take a bite of it before you turn to Cassian. “And how was your day, Cassie?” you say, smiling at him around your fork.

Cassian shifts his once tense body, snapping out of whatever trance he was in as he watched us. “My- my uh, my day was good,’ he says with a small cough, ‘Although it certain wasn’t as interesting as y-”

“Watch it,” you hiss.

“Sorry,” Cassian mumbles.

You turn your eyes to look over at Rhys and see him stiffen under your gaze. “And how was your day, High Lord?” Rhysand blinks and takes a sip of his wine before he says in a short and low tone, ‘My day was…fine.”

You place your hands back on the table and smile at him, reaching for your glass of wine, taking a sip. “Didn’t have to wrap your hands around anyone’s neck then?” The muscles in Rhys’s jaw flex and his eyes dart over to where Daniel sat. “No. No I did not.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that our High Lord knows how to behave himself. Such a shame that others cannot…” Rhysands eyes drift to yours and he holds them. “Are you trying to insult me?” he asks, wrapping his hands around his glass.

Shit. “No sir,” you say, your voice dipping a bit as you hold his stare, unblinking.

“Then may you explain the need for such a comment?” You can feel the tops of your cheeks flush feeling utterly embarrassed at the lack of being able to control your own tongue. You clear your throat, “Respectfully sir, that is none of your busine-”

“Then why bring such things to the table?” he asks, cutting me off. All you can do is lower your head and nod. “I understand, sir.”

Rhysand sits back in his chair, but you can still feel his eyes burning into you. “Now are you done?”

You clench your jaw, your hands gripping hard around the knife in your hand. “No…so may I be excused?” Rhys seemed to weigh your words, but he sighs and waves a hand at you. “Yes, you may be excused.” You give him a small nod and scoot your chair back. You let the knife clatter onto your plate and stride out of the room, aiming for the staircase, not bothering to take one glance behind you.

You enter your room and shut the door behind you. Now being in the comfort of your own room, you feel like you can finally let your guard down. You walk over to your bed and sit on the edge of it, letting out a deep sigh. You bring your hands to your now unbound hair and rake your fingers through it, trying to sooth yourself. It was working but then you hear a knock at your door. “Go away,” you say through gritted teeth. The person on the other side of the door seemed to pause. The voice then finally speaks and it’s the last person you want to see.

Daniel’s voice is on the other side of the door. “C-can I come in?” he asks, softly.

“No, you may not.” The pause is longer this time, and you think he has accepted the defeat and walked away but his voice calls again. “May I please come in and talk to you?”

You let out a deep sigh and pull your hair at the root. “Go away Daniel.”

“Y/N please, I need to talk to you,” he pleads, his voice cracking.

Gods why? The sound of his voice cracking as he said your name sent a ripple into your chest and threatened to make you cave but once again, you had to brush it aside.

“I thought I told you to fuck off!” you yell.

“Y/N please. I have things I need to say to you.”

You are not sure why or how but with the exhaustion tugging at you, you no longer felt like putting up a fight and so you say, “Fine.”

The door to your room slowly opens and you see Daniel slinking into the room. He sweeps his eye around the room letting them stop at the wall he had you pinned up against before letting them rest upon you and you see him recoil at it.

He softly shuts the door behind him before taking a few steps into the room and then halts. He looks over to the chair placed beside your bed and then glances at you before making his way over to it to deposit himself in.

Your arms are crossed over your chest, watching his every move. When he slumps into the chair you send a glare his way. “What do you want?” You ask sharply.

Daniel looks over at you but then looks away. He rests his elbows on the top of his knees and bows his head. He brings one of his hands up and rubs it over his face. “I- look, can we just talk?” You grit your teeth and keep that cold gazed fixed upon him. “I'm waiting.”

Danny brings his hand down from his face and rests it against his leg, leaving his hand to hang limply over the side of it. “Can I just ask you som-”

“Oh for fucks sake Daniel! Look you better make it quick because I’m at my fucking wits end with you,” you snap, waving your hands in front of you.

“Before I ask this…can you promise me you won’t get angry with me?” Your arms go back to cross over your chest. “I cannot make such promises.”

“Well then just promise me you will listen without interrupting me.” You clench your jaw at his words but give him a small nod of your to him to let him continue.

Daniel swallows hard before he takes a deep breath. “May I explain why I put my hands on you?”

You scoff and roll your eyes. “Oh! So, you’re not here to apologize then, instead you're going to try and justify your actions? Real fucking smart,” you say and then push yourself off the bed and stride over to him.

Daniel doesn’t move back as you come to step in front of him. Instead, he angles his head to look up at you. He brings his hands together in his lap and clutches them. “You’re right. I am not here to apologize.” All you could do was expose your canines to him as you hissed.

Danny sits back in the chair, moving one of his hands to adjust himself as he spreads his legs open. Gods.What a cocky and arrogant bastard.

“Yes, I did put my hands on you but let me explain exactly why I did so.” You snarl at him and take another step to stalk towards him. “I thought I told you I’m running out of patients.”

Danny remains stationary as you snarl down at him. He puts his arms over his chest and sank further back into the chair, crossing his ankle over his knee, making his foot brush against the fabric of your dress. Fucking prick.

“Let. Me. Explain,” he commands in a stern and unwavering tone that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on its end. You pray to the Gods that he won't notice the change in your scent as a small ripple of fear rolls up your spine. You push the fear aside and cross your arms over your chest and then lean down so your face is in front of his. “Speak.”

Daniel holds your stare, and you can see that cocky smirk starting to spread over his face, but he quickly washes it away. You straighten yourself back up and wait for his words. “What I did was out of pure rage. Is it something that I wish I hadn’t done? Yes. However, that does not negate the fact that at that moment I was not thinking clearly.”

You let out a deep chuckle and throw your head back. You take a step away from him and turn on your heel, holding your hands behind you. Most people wouldn’t dare to turn their back to such a powerful male, but you didn’t care the slightest.

With your back to him, you can practically feel his eyes roam over your body as they take in the deep cut out of the dress that exposes the skin of your back to him. You then stop your steps and swirl back to him and you were right. His eyes were lingering on your body. “I bet you are thinking of other ways to harm me right now huh?”

Daniel sucks in a breath and leans himself back over his knees, his eyes going back down to stare at his hands clenched before him. “I’m going to have to be very careful with this,” he seems to whisper to himself. Your eyes narrow on him, your brows scrunching together as you try to piece together what he could have meant. “With what?”

Daniel peels away his gaze from his hands and sets them on you. “With you.”

You feel your body stiffen. You? What could he possibly want from you? “W-what about me? Do you wish to harm me or strangle me again?” Daniel’s eyes seem to grow wide, and he shakes his head. “I wish to do neither of those things to you.”

You don’t why the question comes to mind, but it comes out of your mouth before you can even stop it. “Then, then what do you want to do with me?”

Danny’s body seems to grow rigid, and you watch as his pupils dilate. One of his hands releases from his own and you watch as it sinks into his thigh. He uncrosses his legs and lets his eyes rake over your entire body and it leaves you still and utterly breathless. “I would like to ask you a personal question, Y/N.” That seems to do the trick and snap you out of it. Your eyes narrow again and you feel your anger start to stir and something else. That same feeling from before. “And why the fuck would I allow you to ask me such a thing?” you hiss.

“Listen you may say ‘no’, but just let me ask you the question.”

“You know I’m armed right?”

You watch his eyes as they look over to the knife on your dresser. You let out a small laugh and shake your head. “No, that isn’t the knife I’m talking about.” Daniel nods and clears his throat. “I’m aware. So let me ask you this. I know that at this moment you are not going to forgive me for my actions, but I would like to know if you would consider it one day?”

You give him a small shrug and turn back on my heel away from him with my hands still clasped behind my back. “Who’s to say?”

You hear Daniel loosen a breath behind you. “Then may I ask you one more question?” You whirl back on your heel to face him. “I would be very careful with how you wish to proceed,” you snap back, your eyes narrowing on him again.

Daniel takes note of your body language and the growl that came from you. His eyes again sweep over you. “Would you be open to the idea of possibly starting a relationship with m-”

Your body grows utterly stiff but then you find yourself unable to contain the fury that sweeps over and blinds you. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” You yell, stomping over to him. “Why would I ever do such a thing, huh? S-so I can grant you the liberty of possibly inflicting harm on me? A-and how would you even know, huh? How would you even know if there is some sort of bond between us? O-or the sheer fact that I would even accept it? Are you actually out of your fucking mind?”

The pure fury that flies out of you leaves your body shaking. Daniel takes note of it and holds up a hand, his eyes growing wide at your outburst. Your body halts seeing his hand being held up. Daniel leans back against the chair and sighs. “If you would have let me finish my question before you decided to interrupt me, I would’ve explained further.”

“Then what the fuck do you mean ‘relationship with me’?” You hiss as you push aside his hand and lean over him.

“What I meant was a civilized relationship. Get your head out of the fucking gutter Y/N,” he hisses back but you could see the amusement that started to spread on his face. Your body stiffens and you pull yourself away from him. “Oh,” is the only word you find yourself able to say.

Daniel leans back in the chair, and you see him smirk as he runs a hand through his curls. “Mating bond though? That’s cute,” he says with a small laugh. You feel heat rise to your cheeks and this time you know it’s not out of anger. “S-shut up,” you say but your voice falters.

Daniel moved his body and sat up slightly in the chair, his arrogant smirk still plastered on his face. “Why? Do you wish to find out?” he says in a cocky tone, this time letting his eyes linger on curved parts of your body without trying to hide it. Your hands bawl up to fists at your side. “No. No I would not,” you say through clenched teeth.

Danny sighs and slumps back into the chair. 'Shame, cuz’ I wouldn’t have minded. I’ve always wondered if you are crazy and reckless in the bedro-” You hiss again and find yourself leaning back over so your face is right in front of his. “Oh!? So, you just want to ‘mate’ with me? Is that it?” you shout into his face.

Daniel’s eyes dip to where the front of your dress hangs down, exposing the upper part of your chest to him. He slowly lifts them back up and stares right into your soul. His eyes seem to gleam, and you know it has nothing to do with any sort of rage. When he speaks, his voice is low and gravely. “I’m going to be very honest with you Y/N…yes.”

That was it. That was your final undoing.

You reach under your dress where you kept the dagger strapped to the side of your thigh. You pulled it out of its strap and pressed it against his neck. “Is that what you came in here for? To tell me just how badly you want to fuck me?” Daniel doesn’t move away from the blade- doesn’t even try to push it aside. “No…but what if I said yes, then what?”

You grit your teeth and angle the dagger closer to his neck. “And why the fuck do you think I would ever grant you the access to share that part of me?”

Danny swallows and you see his throat bob against the blade. “Because I think you’ve thought about it before– I know you’ve thought about it before.” Your hand that clutches the blade starts to shake. “S-shut up,” you stutter out.

You don’t know why you didn’t try to deny it or why you didn’t immediately protest as such an outrageous thing. And maybe, just maybe his words held an ounce of truth in them.

His eyes hold yours and don’t make any sign or indication of looking away. “I know Y/N. I see the way you look at me…how your eyes sometimes linger over my body. I know because that is the way that I find myself looking at you. I know.”

Your mind had gone completely blank. Not at him stating that he knew your eyes would sometimes linger, but at his own confession. The fact that he looked at you the same way with nothing but hunger and desire.

“I thought I told you to shut up,” you spit back at him, tilting your body so you hovered back over his face. Daniel does nothing except gaze back. His eyes began to swirl with smoke and flame.

The mixture of emotions that courses through you makes your head spin. You knew it was true. All of it. There were times when you had come into the training ring and found yourself unable to take your eyes off of him. The way his muscles shifted each time he flung his sword and how by the end of it, his body was drenched in a layer of sweat that made those muscles of his glisten under the rays of sun. You knew that he noticed you watching him– could sense your eyes on him but he never acted upon it. All he would do is cast you a knowing glance and a smirk would be upturned on his face. All you could do was glare at him and then quickly avert your eyes, feeling warmth spread over the tops of your cheeks.

Leaning yourself further into his face, you press the dagger closer against his skin. “So what?” you say, with a cock of your eyebrow. Another small challenge for him. He swallows and lowers his voice to that gravely and dark tone that makes chills form across your skin. “So…would it be such a bad thing?”

Your chest tightens at his words, and you feel yourself not knowing how to think– let alone act. You open your mouth to say something snarky back, but no words seem to come to mind. With a shaky deep breath, you let yourself finally give into that nagging feeling that had been pestering you all day.

With your legs failing to collapse under you, you deem yourself to take a step forward. Then another so you are now standing between his legs. You can see Daniel sink his hands into the soft cushion of the chair like he was fighting against every instinct that raked through him not to reach out and grab you.

Another deep breath and then you move one of your legs and lift it over his. Then you follow with the other, so you are now sitting on his lap, straddling him. Daniel’s body stiffens beneath you, and you once again spot his hands sinking into the cushion, clawing at the fabric. You wouldn’t be surprised if you saw small tears in the fabric the next day.

His eyes close for a moment and you can hear him mumble a curse under his breath before he lets out a ragged breath and looks back at you.

You look at him over the bridge of your nose. “I-if you think that there is even the slightest chance of having a mating bond,” Gods, the words felt strange and foreign as they rolled off your tongue, “then now would be the time to prove it.”

Daniel doesn’t know what to do as he is pinned under you. His heartbeat pounded so hard and fast that the noise appeared to be rattling his brain. All he could do was blink up at you. Was she really going to allow him to try something or was this just another one of her games?

Daniel swallowed thickly and you could feel his body tremble beneath you. “I- I would like to try something…”

The cloud and whirlwind of emotions starts up again, feeling like it is ripping you from the inside out– gutting you. It’s worse than the feeling of a blade piercing your skin. You swallow and your eyes dart over the expanse of his face. “W-what is it?” you ask, your grasp started to loosen on the dagger.

The muscles in his jaw feather and you feel him shift beneath you. It takes everything in you not to gasp at the feeling of his body moving beneath yours.

“There is a way…to test it. To see if there is truly anything that lies between us. Would you be open to finding out?” Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth, but you manage to find the words. “H-how? What is it?”

“There’s a certain gesture–no gesture is the wrong word for it,” Daniel says stumbling over his own words, “I don’t really know how to phrase it other than it being a sort of test. But if it does happen to work and there truly is some sort of bond in place, then it should be almost instantaneous.”

You feel your body grow tense. You weren’t sure exactly what he had in mind and that only made the wheels in your head start to turn. For the first time, you let your guard drop in front of him and show him the nerves that made your body start to tremble.

Daniel’s face grows soft, noticing the change in your demeanor. “Hey, hey, it’s nothing crazy or anything that will harm you…I promise you this Y/N,” he says, and you watch his hand come off of the cushion and raise it but then he drops it. It was like he was going to reach out and caress the side of your face but then opted against it.

“What is it Danny?” you ask with a soft voice but you make sure to pull yourself back together and manage to throw in a snarky comment. “And don’t be smart about it. I can already feel your other gesture poking into my leg,” you say with a small smirk.

Daniel’s mouth curves upward into a smile and you see his eyes quickly dart to where you are seated on his lap. “Yes, there is also that, but allow me to show you what I mean.”

You feel your body burning once again as you grow impatient. The tip of the blade angles deeper against his neck and presses, letting it sink into his skin but not deep enough to truly cause any harm.

Daniel tenses beneath you and you watch as he turns his head slightly to try and put some distance between himself and the blade. He sucks in a deep breath, and you see his face harden, his brows narrowing in on you. “You may not like it. You have to fully submit yourself to me.”

Your body grew stiff and rigid. Your mind instantly felt leadened as you realized just exactly what he was saying– what he was asking you to do. And you couldn’t. You would not.

What Daniel was asking of you was something that was far too much– too invasive…too intimate. The idea of it extinguished the growing fire that filled you and burned it away. The sheer thought of having to submit yourself fully to him and having to willfully show him everything made your stomach turn.

There were things you couldn’t even bring yourself to acknowledge but you knew these things had happened and you felt nothing but shame and guilt for the things you had done. For him to even ask you of that, to fully allow yourself to show yourself to him– all the good, the bad and the ugly…it was all too much.

“No,” you said softly and when that fog in your mind cleared, you started again, this time your words sure and steady. “No! I- I can’t! I will not lower my shields for you!” You try your best to control the trembling racking through your body, but it feels all too much. You weigh his words again and the trembling continues.

You swallow and blink, trying to shake away the racing thoughts that blur your vision. You tried. You tried with all you might to remain strong in front of him, but it was too much. You let your eyes drop, your hair cascading in front of you to shield him out. If you were to have taken a glance, you would’ve seen the softness that crept onto Daniel’s face.

“Why? Why not Y/N?” He says, his voice coming out as nothing but a whisper.

Your chest ached at the softness of his voice. The softness of it, the vulnerability in it as if he was truly trying to understand what burned underneath all the fire and anger you held in your heart. He was trying to understand. The thought alone made your eyes line with tears.

You sucked in a shuddering breath and lifted your head. When your teary eyes met him again, you saw his face ripple with what looked like desolation and sorrow but not only that. Pain.

The hand clutching the knife against him was now limp as your eyes searched his face, really searched his face. You took him in, letting your eyes linger on the parts of him that you hadn’t dared to let yourself get lost in for too long. His strong cheekbones, his chiseled jaw, the way in which his prominent nose stood from his face to arch down at the end to form a point. A point that led down to his plump, sensual lips.

Your eyes flickered back up to his and you saw his browns come together, trying to read through every thought that washed within you. “B-because…I don’t trust you Danny,” you whispered to him. Danny actually winced, he winced at your words. The thick column of his neck bobbed as he swallowed again. With a slow and steady hand, he reached up and tucked back loose tendrils of your hair behind your ear. You felt yourself shudder against the touch and you knew it wasn’t from fear.

His hand brushed against the side of your cheek until his fingers crept under your chin and held your face there. This touch, this touch was far different from the hands that had been wrapped around you earlier. They were weary and seemed a bit unsure.

“I know Y/N…a-and I’m sorry. Truly I am. But, just,” he sighed, “Can you at least put the knife down?” Your fingers again wrapped themselves around the handle of the dagger but then you slowly loosened them and dropped the dagger. The sound of it clattered to the floor and you glanced at it briefly before your eyes slipped back to his. Danny let out a shaky breath and you felt his body relax under you.

“Good. Okay, now will you try? W-will you let me…please?” There was such uncertainty in his words, and you saw his eyes dance around your face trying to read the blank expression plastered on it.

Slowly, so slowly you nodded your head and relief washed over his face. But it was instantly gone as you stiffened your body and stared him down. “Wait. I want to try first. Let me in your mind.” Danny’s eyes grow wide a bit, surely taken back by what you now laid out before him but then the expression was gone. He nibbled against his bottom lip but then gave a small incline of his head. “Okay.”

His words were the confirmation you needed, and you gathered all your strength inside you, felt it coil and rip into your veins. Daniel dropped his hand from your face and laid them back over the arms of the chair. With your hands now free of the dagger, you slowly let them come to rest on top of his. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to touch him, you did but you knew that the added connection would help you. Would wield you in a way to him. A sort of lifeline if you needed it.

With a final shaky breath, you let your gaze harden on his. The room was silent as he stared back at you blankly as if to show you know he was no threat and that for you…he would do this for you.

Slowly, you let your eyes close, keeping the frame of him wielded inside your brain as you sent a blind hand out to try and find just what you were looking for.

Everything was dark as you pushed your power forward and your face contorted into a grimace as you concentrated. Your jaw clenched as you pushed yourself further but still. There was nothing.

“I-I can’t find you,” you said, feeling your eyes shift back and forth behind your eyelids. Your hands that rested on top of his now gripped the top of his hands as if doing so could help you further.

“Steady yourself. You're coming on too strong and you're letting your emotions cloud over. Try to relax and ease yourself in,” Danny spoke softly. You let out a deep sigh to ease everything stirring within you. You flexed your hands out over top of his and then let them lay gently on top of his. You cleared your mind and let it go blank before you tried again.

Slowly you let your mind go and this time you could feel it creeping to something–for something. It was still dark, but it now felt you were being guided down a tunnel. You felt all of its twists and turns as you reached with a hand and let your hand brush against it, trying to find a sliver or weak spot within it. “I-it’s still dark. I still can’t find you, but I feel something…like I’m being carried somewhere.”

“Good. Keep trying, keep following that path. Let me guide you there. Just focus on the sound of my voice.”

You gave a small nod of your head and felt him shift under you. Then one of his hands slipped out from under yours and you almost cursed at the lost connection until you felt it gently placed on the small of your back, steadying you in his lap as he leaned himself forward. His breath danced along the side of your neck, your ear and felt it send a shiver down your spine that made your back arch slightly. “Follow my voice. Focus on it. The pitch, the words. Use it and let it guide you.” With your eyes still closed you nodded.

“Are you listening, Y/N?” he asked and the way that made your blood run hot but this time not with rage or anger. You could feel his breath hitting your ear and the tone he used lapped around you, making your breath shutter. You silently cursed at yourself when you felt your core pulse. “Yes,” you whispered, your voice suddenly stripped from you.

“Good, now just listen to the sound of it.”

“I’m listening.”

“Good,” he says so softly and you swear you could almost feel his lips murmuring the words against you.

You forced yourself to focus back on that task at hand and when you did– a small shimmering. An opening. You wanted to race to it, not knowing if the image would stay but you held yourself back. If you lunged for it too quickly it might vanish. Instead, you let your mind slowly creep towards it.

“I-I see it. I see a wall,” you said faintly.

“Describe it to me. What all do you see?” Danny cooed into your ear.

Your brows knitted together, trying to focus on just what it was exactly that was in front of you. It was solid and blank. Just a high stone black wall that was so high you couldn’t see the top of it. It just stood there, looming in front of you. You frowned again and shook your head. “I don’t know, i-it’s just a wall. A big wall.”

“Then you know what to do, Y/n. Go through it. Try to find a way through it.”

You squinted your eyes further together and tried to find a door, a crack, a sliver of something. Anything. But it was solid. A hand reached for the wall trying to feel for any weak spots but there was none. As you reached that blind hand towards it, you heard Danny shudder slightly at the nails now trying to scratch in and open his mind. “That’s it. Keep going.”

So you did. You walked yourself along the wall that seemed to stretch for miles and miles but there was still nothing. All his training had paid off. The wall seemed utterly impenetrable. You tried again, now trying to picture an opening. Trying to find any way through.

You were about to give up but then suddenly– it was like a window appeared out of nowhere. You were now the one to shudder as you slowly made your way towards it. “I- I see something.”

“What do you see?” Danny said, breathing down your neck. You felt his hand that was resting against the small of your back, digging into you a bit.

“It’s a window…a-and it’s open.”

“Good, now climb through it.”

You approached the open window and took a step forward. You were about to push it open and step into it but it was stuck. You grimaced and tried to open it wider again, but it didn’t move. You let out a deep sigh and shook your head. “I can’t get through. It’s stuck.” You had tried your hardest, but it seemed like it was no use.

‘I’m sorry,”’ Danny said but there was something off. He was speaking but the words didn’t come from his lips.

As soon as you realized just what had happened you felt yourself stumble into the window. You opened your eyes, them growing wide as you took in the sight of him. His body was now close, so close to you. He pulled back a little so you could see the full shape of his face before you. But even now, seeing him before you, you could also see inside his head. There were many different doors. Some were lighter and looked welcoming and others– others were dark and just looking at them made you feel unnerved.

‘W-wait…it worked? Can you hear me?’ you spoke to him now mind to mind.

You saw the own shocked expression flash across Danny’s face as he too realized that you had actually done it. You had gone into his mind. Were in his mind.

‘Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear me?’ Danny said to you.

You gave a nod of your head. ‘I can see everything,”’ you said as your hand grasped the knob of one of the more welcoming doors. You opened it and were met with a memory of him, Rhys, Cassian, Azriel and Jake who were all lounging on various chairs and couches. Their heads were tilted back in laughter as Cassian told a story about an encounter with a girl and clearly, she hadn’t known who he was– what he was and told him that she could very well take him up in a fight without a doubt.

The sound of your own laughter filled the room, and you watched Danny’s lips curve upwards as he let out a soft chuckle. More warm memories infiltrated your brain, and you smiled but then the memories vanished, and you felt yourself being shoved through another door. This one was not welcoming at all.

Images flashed in your head of– of war. It was bloody and gruesome, and you felt nausea turn in your gut as you beheld fallen soldiers, bloodied, and splayed out before you. They were scratched and bloody, so bloody. Some of the cuts were so deep that you could see the white of their bone at the opened gashes.

Your body was frozen, and your hand dug into his. His own eyes grew wide at the sight of your fear. “Out! I want out! Danny push me out!” you screamed at him this time the words came from your lips.

Danny beheld you in front of him, a frantic look on his face and then he grimaced, and you were instantly shoved out of the door and then slipped completely out of his mind.

Your breathing was heavy, and you panted, trying to calm yourself down from the images that were now permanently embedded in your head.

Danny slipped his other hand out from under you and reached up to troked the side of your cheek, but you flinched back. He instantly recoiled his hand and placed it back on the armrest. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why that door appeared, why it felt the need to push you through it. Are you okay?”

You gave a slow nod of your head, your breathing now coming out at a slow, even pace. You slowly braced your arms on the chair and pushed yourself off of his lap. Even though your breathing had slowed, your heart still beat rapidly under your chest.

You paced around the room trying to gather all the thoughts that invaded you and sort them out. If this truly was a test, then was that meant to happen? Were you supposed to see everything? The good, the bad and the ugly…all of it.

Danny sat perched in the chair, watching you as you paced the room. Ever so slowly, he pushed himself out of the chair and started to approach you. “Y/N,” he said but you couldn’t hear them over the thoughts that clouded and filled your head. He took another step and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. That same gentle touch from earlier that now seemed like a millennia ago.

“Y/N,” he spoke again, this time his voice sounding clearer.

You whirled around instantly to face him, not realizing how close he was to you and had to take a small step back. You were so frustrated and– and confused by what this all meant that it made you snap at him. “What does this mean?” you hissed at him.

Danny pulled his hand away from you and let it drop to his side. His own confusion was now written on his face too and he looked at the floor, shaking his head. “I know as much as you do. I know that people– Daemati can speak mind to mind…but mates? I…I don’t know if that is something that is granted or perhaps just happens? It is beyond the knowledge I possess.”

“I know, but what does this mean?” you signaled with your hand, pointing between the two of you. Daniel again shook his head and raised his eyes to meet you. “All I know is that you can now enter my mind and maybe I can enter yours, if that’s something you would allow me to anyways. But it works both ways. Even with or without the mating bond…it still means there’s some sort of connection.”

You took in every word he said. Both of you seemed utterly lost. While yes it may be something. It wasn’t necessarily the answer you were looking for. You looked at him and you felt your eyes soften as the question rose into your head. “But how do I know if you’re truly my mate?”

Daniel’s eyes took you in and something flashed in them– something feral and wild. A smirk marked his face, and he stepped forward closing the distance between us. “Well then maybe we should find out. It could be rather interesting. Do you want to play, Y/N?”

Your hands found his chest and you shoved him back as you scoffed. 'Prick.' You heard Daniel laugh and you cursed at yourself for not pulling your mental shields up. Daniel smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. He cocked a brow, that cunning smirk still on his face. “And here I was thinking that your anger towards me wasn’t anger at all. I think you rather enjoy it.”

You let your face harden as you glared at him. “What are you talking about?” You asked, mirroring him and now letting your own arms cross in front of you. Danny stared at you and his grin grew further. “Oh, come on, all the so-called anger you have towards me. You don’t think I’m that stupid do y-”

“Oh, it's definitely crossed my mind.”

Danny just rolled his eyes but let his hands fall to his sides. “I think all that anger is you trying to flirt with me. You like it. You like when we bicker and argue. It does something to you and I would be lying if it didn’t do the same to me.”You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “That doesn’t mean shit.”

Danny took a step toward you, and you could clearly see the challenge held in that step. “But it does. You want to play. You like it when we play.”

“Have you maybe thought that for one second that it’s because I think you’re an arrogant, annoying asshole?” Danny tilted his head back and laughed. “Oh, come on, we both know the answer to that. But I can see it– sense it when I’m around you and when I touch y-”

“Oh! Like you did early when your hands were wrapped around my throat?”

Danny’s gaze hardened and you watched the muscles in his jaw flex. “You know how sorry I am about that. I- that’s not what I meant,” Danny said with a shake of his head.

When his eyes met yours again, they had that feral gleam in them. He took another step towards you. “Don’t lie, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” You swallowed as you looked up at him. “Just now, when you were sitting on my lap, you felt it didn’t you? Felt the way my hands felt on your body, the way you arched into me when I whispered in your ear. Did you enjoy that?”

All you could do was stare up at him. You couldn’t begin to deny it because it was true, and it left your body trembling…your core aching.

You had had many lovers, some of them good, some of them…bad. But even with how amazing they were and how they left you pleased and satisfied it felt like nothing compared to the way his hands felt.

You had noticed it the first time he touched you. It was an accident. You were up in the training ring sparring with Jake, and you had stumbled back only for Daniel to wrap your arms around it to catch you but when he did…it felt like lightning had been shot into your skin. You had whirled around to see who it was who had caught you and when you realized it was him your eyes grew wide, but you quickly replaced it with a glare. The same look had been plastered on his face, but he only gave you a nod of his head to signal to go back to training.

“You felt it too?” Danny asked, looking at you once over. You stared blankly at him but gave him a small nod. “I think that’s when I knew.”

“Knew what?” You asked, your eyes narrowing in on him. Danny sucked in a breath and let it out. “It’s when I knew…you were my mate.”

Your eyes grew wide, and you just stared at him. Stared and stared and stared. The hands you had crossed in front of your chest dropped and you let them fall to your sides, your mouth gaping. “W-what?”

“Mate,” Danny said again, “you’re my mate.”

Mate. Mate. You were his mate. Your eyes scanned his face, searching for what? You didn’t know. Your body felt like it was a statue, and you felt your breath halt in your chest. Shaking your head, you closed your eyes, trying to process what he just said. You opened them. “I- what? How? W-when did you know?” Danny gave a casual shrug like any of this was normal. “I think I knew from the first moment I saw you.”

Your eyes grew wide, and your hands bawled into fists. “Y-you’ve known for that long, and you didn’t tell me?” Danny gave another casual shrug of his shoulders. “Well yeah…I-I guess I didn’t know what to say– if I should say anything at all.”

A scoff escaped you and you threw your hands back over your chest. “You knew…and yet you still didn’t tell me. Why? Were you afraid I might reject you…it?” Daniel’s face softened and you saw that doubt and uncertainty flash onto it. “I- yes. I was afraid you would say no-”

You took a step forward. “And what would you do if I rejected it now?”

Daniel stiffened and opened his mouth and then shut it. He took you in, really looked at you, the same way you had looked at him moments ago. And the way he looked at you, it ignited something under your skin.

“If I’m being honest…I don’t know. I think it would crush me…I’d get over it- I mean I’d have to.” You watched him speak with such sincerity and you felt that ache in your chest grow. Would it crush you as well?

You let out a deep sigh and ran a hand down your face. You dropped it only to see him standing there and you swear he almost looked uncomfortable. Perhaps this was rather uncomfortable. It was for you anyway, but you couldn’t imagine how it must’ve been for him since he’s the one who knew and had admitted it.

“I wait…I have questions. Sit,” you said pointing back to the chair behind him. Danny gave a small nod of his head and walked the short distance and plopped himself into the chair shifting his wings, so they draped around the back. He clutched his hands together as he balanced them over his knees.

You stalked over to him. “If what you’re saying is true…then is this why explain why we’re always at each other’s throats– feel the need to be? I mean what you said is true, I enjoy it…t-the playing, the taunting…the flirting. But is this the real reason why?”

Danny gave a small nod of his head and shifted in his seat. “Yes, I think that may have something to do with it. I don’t think it is much of a coincidence how easily we seem to rile each other up. I think sometimes we- well maybe more I would, I guess sometimes see it as a challenge, a way to almost invade me or my space but it almost felt…territorial, I guess. Like I wanted– still want to keep drawing you back to me because I knew…I know. I wanted to keep you coming back because that part of me deep down knew that you were mine.”

“And when you put your hands on me…. Was there something more behind that?”

Danny nodded slowly and let out a sigh. “I think it’s because I was frustrated. And believe me I know it wasn’t right– isn’t right but it killed me to know something was bothering you o-or hurting you and you wouldn’t tell me. And in turn, I couldn’t do anything about it. And it’s not because I could see that you were clearly upset…it’s because I felt it. I could feel something was wrong.”

“B-because of the bond?” you asked softly. “Because of the bond,” Danny echoed.

“B-but then why couldn’t I feel that? If you were upset or something was bothering you,” you asked with a small frown.

Another casual shrug. “Maybe because you didn’t know? But then again, maybe you did feel something but mistook it as your own emotions, whatever that feeling was.” His words made sense. You were always a bit moody, and your emotions always seemed to run high but there were times when you would feel a strong wave of emotion hit you and you didn’t know where it was coming from or why. But maybe these emotions were actually his all along.

You stopped short in front of him and the ache in your chest grew. Not for what he was saying but for him.Danny laid everything out. All the things he had kept to himself for so long that he had finally confessed to you.

His eyes stilled on you and something like fear flashed across his face– like he had said too much and regretted it. But no, you wouldn’t allow him to think those thoughts. Instead, you prowled closer to him.

“You know, I can smell you, scent you when you’re around. And sometimes, when a room is packed and crowded, I still can scent you and it’s strong. It rises above all the rest even when I can’t see you. Like something in my body knows you’re there and is telling me to go to you…” Daniel swallowed and leaned back a bit. “I know, because the same thing happens to me.”

“You can scent me too?” you said, taking another weary step to him.

“Of course, I can and sometimes it drives me fucking nuts. Especially when I know you’re there and can’t see you.”

The both of you stilled and blinked at each other for a moment. You took him in, his casual appearance and how he seemed utterly calm. “H-how are you okay with all of this? How do you look so calm?” Danny’s eyebrows raised upward, and his eyes grew wide. “Calm? I’m anything but that right now. I may not be showing it but I’m freaking out right now.” You gave him a small smile to try and reassure him and he returned it.

You stalked closer to him. “And just how do I reject or accept the bond?” Danny went utterly still and looked up at you. He blinked a few times and then cleared his throat. “Well, if you want to reject it, you do just that. Reject it. But if you decide to accept it…well the act seems rather silly but it’s something deeply rooted into our traditions.”

“And just what exactly is that?”

“The female offers their mate food if she accepts. But with that they also accept everything that comes with it. Embrace it, but not only the bond but who they are. It means they accept everything about that person regardless of the flaws they may have. It means that they claim them as theirs and they claim them as the same. As one.” You swallowed and nodded, absorbing all the information he laid out for you. Your eyes traveled to the nightstand beside your bed. You slowly walked over to it and felt his eyes on your back. If he was thinking about your movements, he didn’t voice them.

“But I guess there may be another way…another way we already know. And before you protest– no it’s not that. I mean of course it can certainly help in some cases but what I mean is touch. Some people know then and choose to accept it that instant if they feel it. But like I said…we already know that. Sometimes a pair can know just by looking at each other. It differs from everyone.”

You gave a small nod of your head as you closed the distance to the nightstand. “But even though we may have felt that…I didn’t accept it because I didn't know then,” you said as you opened the drawer to the nightstand. “That is correct. For us– well for you, you hadn’t known. So, in our case, it’s different,” Danny spoke.

You gave another nod of your head and rummaged around in the drawer and then you found what you were looking for. You grabbed it and held it behind your back as you walked back over to him. Daniel ran a curious eye over you as you stopped in front of him.

“Well, I may not have known then, but I know now.” Daniel kept that watchful eye on you, trying to understand just what you meant with your words. Your hand tightly gripped the item behind you and then with a shaky breath, you extended the hand out to him.

In it was a small chocolate wrapped in a red bow. His eyes grew wide, and he looked up at me. “I know it’s not much, b-but it’s all I have.”

Daniel smiled at you, truly smiled and he plucked the small chocolate from your hand. This wasn’t just an offering. It was a sort of union. A knowledge and acceptance that you would now be his and that he would now be yours.

You watched him carefully as he undid the tiny bow and plucked away at the wrapper. A small smile was on his face as he brought it to his mouth and when he did his eyes found yours. He held the small candy in front of his mouth, and you felt your breath catch not knowing if now he would accept. But then all the worries that clouded your mind soon vanished as he popped the candy into his mouth.

A relieved breath escaped you and you watched him chew and then swallow. And maybe you were too caught up in the moment, but you swear something shifted within you. And maybe he sensed it too because something lit up in those hazel eyes of his.

All you could do was stare at him, your mind racing at one hundred miles an hour as you realized what you had offered to him and what he had now gladly accepted.

The moment seemed to last forever as you both beheld the sight of each other. Mates. He was your mate, and you were his. That word echoed through you and felt foreign but something about it felt so…right. Danny was your mate.

Danny reached out a hand and gripped the fabric of your dress loosely and Gods. The sight of him seated below you with his head angled up…It tore through you and ignited a fire that burned so deeply that it felt like all of the worlds had tipped on its axis.

His hand slid up and cupped your thigh from behind, pulling you closer to him. His hand dug into while he pulled you in so close that his nose almost brushed the lilac fabric of your gown. It was enough to make your breath and body halt in their place.

Your hands were still hung loosely at your sides, and you rubbed your thumb over them, suddenly not knowing what to do with them– where to put them or if you should put them anywhere at all. Danny’s eyes glanced at them and then back up to you. ‘Just fucking touch me already,’ he said into your mind. So, you did.

Your hands lunged for him and grabbed hold of his face in your hands while climbing back onto his lap. He shifted back into the seat, his hands now coming to hold onto your waist.

You didn’t waste any time as you crashed your lips into his. The feeling of his lips moving beneath yours gave you the same electrifying feeling from the first time he had touched you but this time it was way more intense. Your hands and body worked on a mind of their own as they moved along him, touching, and exploring the parts of him that you had secretly pawned over for so long.

If you thought that you were a mess, then clearly it was nothing compared to how Danny had felt. His hands moved along your back, gripping you tightly to him as they did the same and explored your body. You could feel his breath tangled with yours and heard the sound of him groaning as he pressed himself further against you.

You felt one of his hands move to cup your backside while the other snaked further up your neck and grabbed hold of the nape of your neck. He gave a small tug to the hair there and your head tilted back, a low moan crawling out of you.

He tore his lips away from yours only to replace them along the column of your neck. Danny let out his own soft moans against you while he kissed and nibbled along the sensitive skin.

Your own hands traveled up his body until they were tangled in his curly locks. You came to the top of his head where half of his hair was tied up in a thin leather band and hooked your finger under it, letting his bounded hair fall down to his shoulders. He was so fucking beautiful.

Your hands and body were now frantic as every thought left your mind and there was only one left. You needed him and you needed him badly.

Your lips found his again and you practically melted into him when his tongue pushed into your mouth. If his scent was enough to drive you mad, the taste of him would make you go utterly fucking insane. Danny’s hands traveled back to your hips and gripped them, he shifted a bit and you felt his own madness poking beneath you. Your hands ran down the front of his body, feeling the hard, taught muscles of his chest and stomach until they gripped the bottom edge of his tank top and ripped it off of him, carefully minding his wings.

You brought your mouth away from his and peered down at his bare chest beneath you. You felt his hungry eyes watch you every move. When you looked down, you could see the tattoos that slithered along his skin. You had seen them before but never up close. You let your fingertips trace along them as if to mark a new imprint of your own against him.

Your eyes traveled along the expanse of him, and you noticed his golden tan skin that had small flecks of white lines– old scars. Some of them you noticed were cut so deep that his skin hadn’t healed smoothly and protruded out. Battle marks. Each from a different war or past encounter. Each a different reminder of all that he had faced in his past.

Your finger grazed over one of the more brutal looking scars and you casted your eyes up to his. “Do they hurt?”

Daniel gave you a soft smile and shook his head. “No.” You just glanced back at his body and gave a small nod of your head. One of his hands left your hips and came to cup the side of your face as he pulled your back to his lips. His kiss erases all those daunting and looming thoughts that plagued your mind.

You were completely consumed by the desire that raged and pressed into your veins. A groan escaped you when you felt his teeth nip along your bottom lip and it left your core aching. You nipped him back and felt him smile beneath your lips. “I knew you wanted to play,” Daniel mumbled against your lips. You smirked and let your mouth meet his again but not before you ground your hips against him. He hissed and his hands tightened on your hips. Play with me Danny, you spoke into his mind.

It seemed like those were just the words he had needed to hear because his hands slid to cup your backside and he rose up from the chair in one fluid motion. Your legs tightened around his waist, further pushing his hardness into you that made you cry out at the pressure.

He walked the short distance to your bed and gently laid you on it, not breaking the kiss. You felt him crawl up the bed, placing one of his hands beside your head while the other lingered on the crest of your hip.

You pulled back for a brief moment just to cast a glance at him and when you did– cauldron burn and boil you. He was propped on his knees, kneeling between yours. His bare chest in the dim shadows only seemed to further enhance the ridges and dips of his muscles. His dark curly hair that was now unbound came to hang around the sides of his face. His dark wings that were tucked behind him now were splayed out. And his eyes– God's eyes. They devoured you from the inside out and were completely wild, his pupils shot. A picture of purebred power only that could be crafted by the Gods hands.

Daniel’s dark eyes raked up the expanse of your body and you watched his chest rise and fall heavily. You pushed yourself up so you balanced on your elbows and reached a hand out and laid your palm flat against his stomach. You felt his muscles twitch and saw him look down at your hand, bringing his bottom lip between his teeth as that started to slide down lower and lower.

You let it stop at the top of his leather pants and you leaned yourself up into a sitting position as you ever so delicately began to undo the laces of his pants. You were able to see the outline of just what exactly was being held and bound against his pants and the sight was enough to make your hands start to shake.

Daniel’s hands came to rest on top of yours and you tilted your head to look up at him. A flash of concern was drawn on his face. “We don’t have to, you know,” he spoke softly, his hands tightening on yours to try and ease that shakiness. You looked away from a mere second but then quickly found his eyes again. “I-I want to.”

Danny gave a small incline of his head and then leaned down, so his lips tickled the shell of your ear. “Just tell me if it’s too much. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can, but I have been dreaming about this moment for so long that I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back.”

You felt your core clench around nothing as his words lapped against your ear. You continued with the task at hand and found your fingers quickly working to undo those final laces, this time trembling from anticipation alone. You got them undone and turned your head slightly and felt the side of his face against yours. “Please. Please don’t hold back.”

That seemed to be all he needed because he softly pressed his hand to your chest, and you fell back onto the bed. He gripped both of your thighs and slid your body down to him. He gave a small shift of his hips and fully pressed himself against you and that feeling alone had your back arching off the bed. You could see the outline of him behind his pants and knew he was big but it was nothing compared to how he now felt pressed against you.

Danny’s lips pressed against the bottom of your neck and slowly trailed upward so his mouth was once again hovering by your ear. “I was hoping you would say that because I have no intention of holding myself back.”

A moan ripped from your throat, and you found your hips bucking up, grinding them against him while you tried to ease the ache that made your wetness start to pool. Your hands rested on his wrist while he held them on you and pressed his weight against you while you writhed underneath him. “Please Danny,” you begged, “I need you so fucking bad.”

That fiery flash rose in his eyes and Danny leaned up a bit and let his hands quickly went to his own body. He tugged down his pants and revealed himself fully to you. Your eyes grew wide seeing the full length of him, his cock hard and glistening at the tip with his arousal. He was fucking massive.

He leaned himself back over you, bringing his mouth back to yours while his hand snaked up on the other side of your lilac dress, slowly dragging it upwards. The tips of his fingers brushed against the edge of your undergarments, and you bucked into his hand, signaling him further.

Danny let out a low chuckle against you and his finger dipped under the elastic and pulled it back and let it snap against your skin. A shock squeal escaped you and his laugh rumbled through you. ‘Such a sensitive thing, aren’t you?’

‘Pri-’ but your thought was quickly cut off when you felt him drag a finger against the fabric and come to stop right at the apex of those nerves. A moan escaped you and he removed his mouth away from yours and pressed his lips back against the side of your neck. Your hips seemed to have a mind of their own, slowly rocking against his finger while you tried to get some relief from the building ache that lingered between your legs.

‘Tell me what you want,’ Danny spoke into your mind, his lips still continuing to trail up and down the expanse of your neck.

‘You, I want you. All of you. Please.’

Danny let out a deep growl and moved his hand and grabbed the edge of your undergarment and tore it off you –literally tore it. You felt the fabric sting and burn against your skin, and he tossed it over his shoulder and let it fall to the ground.

‘How bad?’

‘So, fucking bad Danny.’

Without any hesitation, his finger brushed through your center and felt the wetness pooled there. “Fucking Hel, Y/N,” he growled. His finger made another pass through your wetness before it stopped at your clit and began to draw slow, coaxing circles onto it. You arched your back and a deep groan ripped through you. “Gods please Danny,” you cried.

Danny nipped at the skin of your neck and moved his body down further along yours. He continued those small, daunting circles and you watched while he placed kisses over the fabric of your silk dress until his head was between your legs.

With his other hand he slowly grabbed the hem of your dress and lifted it up. His eyes drifted to your face where your jaw was hung open, soft, shallow pants puffing past your lips while you anticipated his neck move.

Danny pulled up the dress and you were fully revealed to him now. His eyes stared right between your legs, and you heard him cursed under his breath, his tongue poking out to wet his bottom lip. ‘You look fucking delicious.’

You were about to respond back but the words were knocked from you when you felt the brush of his lips against the inside of your thigh. He licked and nipped at the skin, and you felt your legs start to tremble just from the touch alone.

He traveled his way up your leg, and you opened them further for him when they connected to the inside of your thigh where it met your hip. You cried out and released one of your hands from his wrist to tangle in his hair. You pulled at the root and jutted your hips up to try and catch his mouth. Danny let out a low laugh that sent shivers up your spine. ‘Is someone getting impatient?’

“Danny please,” you cried in a breathy moan. His fingers that were circling your clit stopped and you were about to try out again from the loss of contact but then you felt his tongue lick a stripe though you.

Your back arched and you released the hand from him to have it clamp over your mouth as a loud moan was drawn from you. Danny groaned as he tasted you and you saw his hips grind down into the mattress, trying to release some of his own tension.

‘You taste fucking delicious too,’ he said and licked up you again. You clamped your hand further down against your mouth and that hand he had stilled on your hip came up and yanked it away from your face. You looked down at Danny and saw his face set into stone. He removed his mouth from you and his jaw flexed. “Don’t do that again. If I’m going to make you cum, I want to hear every sound I coax out of you. I don’t give a fuck if others can hear. Do you understand?”

All you could do was nod and Daniel moved his head back down between your legs. His mouth clamped around your clit and this time the sounds of your pleasure filled and echoed off the walls of the room.

He sucked on your clit and then rolled it gently between his teeth, making your fist a handful of his hair. His other hand was back and you and started to draw lazy circles at your entrance. You were absolutely drenched, and his fingers spread your arousal around.

Danny moved his head to the side, taking his finger that was circling off of you. You whined and shifted your hips wanting more of him. His eyes flicked up to yours and you watched as he placed two of his fingers in his mouth and sucked. His eyes rolled back in his head while his tongue licked over his fingers and took in the taste of you. Your chest was falling rapidly and a heartbeat later you felt him push his finger into you and encompassed his mouth around your clit.

You through your head back, a strangled moan clawing its way up through you. You kept your hand fisting his hair while the other clawed at sheets of the bed. He was good with his mouth alone but his fingers…Gods. Both of them worked in tandem, licking and pumping into you and your body trembled and shook around him.

You were already so close, and he had barely scratched the surface. He groaned and it vibrated against you. His finger inside of you curled and brushed against that spot deep inside of you. You had never felt anything as intense as this. Nothing compared to this, and you knew nothing ever would now that he was yours.

Danny pulled his finger back and slid them back into you, this time adding another digit into the mix. He had worked them into you slowly but now there was determination in each and every one of his moments. He curled his fingers, continuing to sweep over the spot while his tongue worked on your clit. You were close. So fucking close.

Your breath grew faster and became more rapid. His eyes found yours and he sucked against your clit so hard that it had you shooting up. A low laugh rumbled against you, only making the pleasure grow stronger. He slowly pressed his hand to your chest to push you back down. ‘I know you’re close. I can feel how hard your pussy is squeezing my fingers…cum. Cum for me, Y/N.’

You bit your lip, looking down at him from your half-lidded eyes. The sight of him between your legs would forever be burned into your brain. His fingers gave another curl and with a flick of his tongue you came undone.

Your cries of pleasure filled the room and your whole body trembled as you shook around his fingers. You had never come so hard before and you could see stars dancing behind your lids while you arched your back so high you thought it might snap.

Danny removed his mouth from your clit but kept his fingers inside you slowly pumping them in and out while you rode out the length of your orgasm. His mouth peppered gentle kisses along the insides of your thighs, sometimes licking and biting but never enough to truly hurt.

He withdrew his fingers from inside you and moved his face back up and gave a small kiss over your clit. Your body shuddered and you heard him chuckle. “So so sensitive for me, huh?” Danny said in a low voice and then proceeded to further his point as he blew against that sensitive spot that made your legs shake. Danny let out a hum of approval and then moved from his spot nestled between your legs to climb back over you.

You let your free hand that wasn’t still tangled in his hair come to dance along his arm. Feeling the hard, strong muscle of it. Danny leaned down and brought his mouth to yours while his hands caressed the side of your face and neck. When he slipped his tongue into your mouth, you were able to taste yourself on him and you let out a deep groan.

Danny dug his hips into you, and you could feel his hardness pushing against the inside of your thigh. You moaned against his lips and felt him shift his hips, so his length was brushing higher and higher.

“Please,” you moaned, grabbing the underside of his arm as you tried to push him further against your mouth. All he did was hum against your mouth and you felt his hand come off the side of your neck to grasp the edge of your dress. He tore his mouth from you and sat back on his heels while he pulled up the fabric of your dress. You too sat up, raising your arms over your head as he pulled the silk dress off of you and let it drop to the floor.

Danny’s eyes scanned up the expanse of your body, the two of you now completely naked and bare before each other. You saw his cock twitch while he took in the sight of you and felt his hand slide up your stomach and then crept higher, pressing his palm between your breasts. ‘You’re fucking beautiful.’

Blush crept onto your face, and you gave him a soft smile. He brought his hand to the side of your cheek and swept his finger over the top of it, returning the small smile on your face. He slowly brought his mouth to yours and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this.’ Your lips started to move against his and you let yourself fall back against the bed and he fell with you. ‘Then please, give it to me Danny.’

Danny shuddered at your words and then shifted his hips, so he was closer to you. With his free hand, he grasped his length and began to drag it through your wet core. You moaned into his mouth, your back arching at the contact of him dragging his tip against your clit. ‘Just tell me if it’s too much’

You nodded and then you felt him drag his tip down further, so it was at your entrance. He pushed his hips and you felt him slip into you. Danny groaned and you let out a deep moan, your eyes growing wide at the sensation. He practically tore you in half. You gripped his bicep, and you watched his eyes that were fixated between your legs come to meet yours. ‘Shhh, just relax…you can take it. I’m not even all the way in yet.’

Your eyes grew wide but then you bit your lip and nodded to feel him give another push of his hips. Your back arched and Danny threw his head back, letting a moan slip past his lips. “Fuck Y/N.” He pulled his hips back and pressed into you again and you felt him slide in further, but you knew that still wasn’t all of him. You decided to wrap your legs around him and gave him a nudge to press into you further and he did.

“Oh, my Gods,” you screamed and felt your walls wrap around him as he pushed himself fully into you. Danny shuddered and fell onto his forearms to keep him upright. His mouth found yours and you felt your hands clawing at him to continue.

He brought his hips back, almost fully pulling himself out of you before he plunged himself deep into you. You gasped and your body lifted off the bed as pure pleasure swept over and encompassed you entirely. His pace was slow and steady–sloppy even but it made every inch of your body stand on end.

You brought your mouth back to his and let your hands travel along his back. Your finger gently grazed across the edge of his wings which made him let out a deep moan before you let them latch onto his shoulders. Your nails dug hard into his skin, puncturing it and you knew that marks would be left there. Good, you thought. You forever wanted to mark his entire body so he would forever be reminded that he was yours.

Danny moved his mouth away from yours and then you felt him bite where your neck met your shoulder. His teeth sunk in and all you could do was groan at the sensation. It hurt slightly but it felt so damn good.

He pushed away from you to grab both of your hips in his hands, angling your bottom half off of the bed and brought your body down against his. Something not short of a scream ripped through your chest while he continued to slam his hips into you, hard and utterly viscous. He told he wouldn’t hold anything back and he didn’t.

Each thrust of his hips knocked the breath out of you and your hands didn’t know where to reach, to grab for him, your own body, or the sheets beneath you. You were a complete fucking mess.

Danny’s muscles in his arms and across his stomach flexed while he pumped into you and the sight of him like this made your core tighten around him and a small curse fell from his lips. He bit his lip and watched where the two of you connected, the sound of wet skin ringing through the room.

Danny brought a hand off your hip and moved it between your legs and let his thumb circle against your clit. “Fuck Danny!” you cried and felt your legs start to shake. You felt them starting to close, only to be interrupted by his body between them and he smirked. His hand left your clit only to give you a small smack to the inside of your thigh as he pushed them open. “Don’t you fucking close those legs,” he growled and then his thumb was back to circling against your clit. Your eyes roll back in your head and your whole body trembled, feeling him hit that sweet spot hidden so far inside of you.

“D- Danny, I’m gonna cum,” you cried, your voice now sounding straightened and hoarse. “I know baby, I know. Let it happen. Cum for me,” he cooed. Your walls gripped him tightly and you felt him hiss. You tried your best to hold his eyes but found yourself unable to as they rolled back into your head.

One of your hands fisted the sheets and the other gripped his wrist tightly and soon you were plummeting into that fire. You shook beneath him and cried out, feeling that wave of pleasure sweep over your body. It felt like your soul was floating outside and above your body and the sheer pleasure that drove through you made tears start to form in your eyes. You felt yourself explode around him and you were left as a panting mess but that didn’t stop him.

Danny cursed and the grip he held on your thighs only tightened as he took you over and over again. With each powerful thrust he gave, you found yourself not knowing your name or seeming to remember you were a part of this world because this world, your world now belonged to him. The only thing you knew for certain was him. Danny. His name echoed like a chant inside your head and maybe it fell from your lips, but you were too encompassed by his actions and the pleasure he ripped out of you to know for sure.

He drove you further and further into that state of bliss where stars and colors danced with one another, and the sun and moon collided and filled the world in a fiery, bright flash. And then you felt it and you came utterly undone around him. Your body thrashed and withered underneath him and you felt the bond snap into place.

“Fuck Y/N!” he growled and continued with his merciless power, thrusting into your hard and deep while your body continued to shake around him. You knew in that moment he felt it too and it drove him utterly mad.

You could sense it in his body, the way he seemed to grow stronger and stronger with each thrust of his hips and it was either the dim lighting behind him but you swear that he seemed to glow.

With another couple of deep and powerful strokes, he collapsed on top of you, his chest now damp and sticky with sweat while he poured his release into you. Daniel’s breath was heavy and ragged, but his lips met with yours and his hips continued to find yours. ‘You’re mine Y/N. You’re fucking mine. You’re my fucking mate.’

“Say it,” you mumbled against his lips, already feeling him starting to coax another orgasm out of you. Danny gave another powerful thrust of his hips that rocked your entire body. “You’re my fucking mate,” he growled and the two of you found your release again and you traveled into that colorful world the two of you had created full of stars, light, and fire. He was yours and you were forever his. Your mate.

Tag List:

@gretas-sweat @dannyshair @itsafullmoon @peaceloveunitygvf @darianh07 @thunderstomp-and-tequila @gretasfallingsky @bathingin-thelight @jordie-gvf @withlovegvf @jazzyfigz @iliana-gvf

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sparrowofthedawnsworld · 1 year

Text

Princess Of The Prisoner - Pirate!Jake Kiszka AU

A/N: I’m BACK!! And god, is it good to be. I’ve missed you all so, so much. I thank you all for your patience and endless support. You all mean the world to me <3 I hope you all enjoy this - finally. I love you! (Only lightly edited for the moment).

WARNINGS: Semi-light Violence, bl00d, unconsciousness, fighting, use of weapons.

This is MAJOR 18+ Minors DNI! AT ALL. Bondage, kn!fe play, edging/orgasm denial, light overstimulation, fingering (F), oral (F&M receiving), choking, slapping, degradation, unprotected sex (be smart, be safe!)

Masterlist

•••

“I am no where near equipped for what you are asking of me.” You speak firmly to your father, fighting the intense urge to stomp your foot against the shiny, glassy floor like that of a child.

“If I didn’t see you fit, I would not send you.” Your father says to you, sounding just as sure of his plan as ever.

As always.

“I will not be used as bait for one of your enemies.” You straighten your back, holding his blazing and frustrated stare. “You’ve lost your sanity, father.”

“I have not asked you, I have told you what you are to do.” He remains stubborn and firm. “I expect him here no later than morning. Don’t disappoint me, dearest. Now, you best be off.”

Your face twists in the purest form of anger as you turn away from your father to leave him be at his throne. You storm across the palace, back to your own room.

“How could he put me in such a dangerous position?” you mutter to yourself, gathering up a new dress to change into for your days journey.

“Sending me off to find some god forsaken ship, to hunt down a man for him,” you continue to ramble to no one other than yourself and the over-decorated walls.

Or, so you think.

“Let me guess-“ The cook of your palace stands in your doorway. You have grown quite close with her, given she is one of the few women around anymore. “-You’re being sent off on a mission, per your father’s orders again?”

“Yes,” you sigh heavily, undoing your corset. “I must be off shortly. I’m essentially being used as bait for the captain of some ship, Jacob Kiszka.”

Her eyes look as though they are going to fall out of her head, “Do you not realize who that is, Princess?”

“I haven’t the first clue who he is, no,” you admit.

All you know is that his ship would be arriving sooner rather than later, and Jacob is after a specific sword of your father’s. You are not sure why the sword is so significant, all you know is that Jacob is indeed after it.

“I’m sure he’s some gross old man-“

“Far from it, actually. He’s quite young if I remember correctly,” she informs you, laughing lightly at your shocked expression.

“Young?” you scoff in disbelief. “There is no possible way…”

“Oh, but there is. He could only be a few years older than you,” she continues and laughs lightly at you, unintentionally adding to your frustration more. “Not to say that I am at all on board with your father using you, but I understand why he’s asked you. He’s just a young lad.”

“This is just absolutely ridiculous,” you huff. “Sending me off to capture some boy, who could probably still kill me with one hand, regardless of age!” Your arms flail around you in dramatic emphasis. “How do you even know this information about him?”

“He’s actually quite well known,” she answers, eyes falling to the floor. “But… how I know him personally is not relevant.”

A heavy silence falls over the two of you for a moment.

“I know very well that your father has taught you to be an incredible fighter,” she speaks up, softly breaking the silence. “…Perhaps if you’re truly so worried, you should take another man with you. Daniel, maybe?”

You think on her suggestion for a moment, ultimately deciding it isn’t a bad idea after all.

“Will you please retrieve him for me?”

“Of course, Princess.” She nods to you politely. “I should not distract you any further. Good luck to you, dear.. I shall send for Daniel for you at once.”

“Thank you,” you mumble under your breath, sending her a rather forced smile.

Gathering the rest of your things, you are going off to find Daniel yourself, but you realize he has finally come to you, by the soft knock at your door.

“Princess,” he greets with a charming nod of his head and a smile that can undoubtedly melt the coldest souls. “It was brought to me that you are in need of my assistance.”

“Yes,” you start, casting him your undivided attention, just as he is giving to you. “My father wants me to capture this Captain…Jacob Kiszka. He is after something of his and Father wants him taken care right away.”

“With all respect, Princess, shouldn’t you be demanding he send someone else to do such a job?” Daniel’s face turns immensely concerned and fearful on your behalf. “Jacob is a very skilled and clever man. You have no business-“

“-I’ve tried to change his mind all I can, but you know how he is,” you speak warily, cutting him off. “But that’s why I’ve asked for you. I would love for you to join me.”

Daniel’s eyes widen and the Adams apple of his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

“Princess, I truly don’t think this is-“

“-I have no other choice, Daniel!” You firmly cut him off once again. “Now… Are you coming, or are you going to stay here as though you are some sort of coward?”

Daniel is far from a coward and you know that without a doubt, but you have to convince him somehow.

“When are we to depart?” He caves, speaking through a sigh of defeat.

“Right now.” You nod curtly, grabbing your belongings and walking right past him.

He mumbles to himself from behind you, taking long strides to keep up alongside you, “What have I gotten myself into…?”

“Just look at it as an adventure, Daniel,” you jest in attempts to lighten the mood.

“And suppose one of us gets hurt? What shall happen then?” Daniel questions rapidly, speeding up to reach the door of the palace before you. “Ah! Do not dare to touch that door.”

“I am about to capture a thief and you are concerned about me opening but a single door?” you chide lightly, cocking an eyebrow as he opens the door for you anyway.

You step out first, waiting patiently for him to follow after you.

“And stop thinking in such worrisome ways,” you add, once he joins at your side. “You are quite frankly putting a thorn in my side.”

Your light teasing brings a small smile to Daniel’s face and he huffs a soft laugh before changing the subject entirely.

“How would you like to travel, princess?”

“On foot,” you tell him, taking off in the direction of the area in which Jacob and his ship are suspected to be coming to.

He looks at you with shock filled eyes, “Alright, you are officially out of all of your senses.”

“It is not that far from here,” you roll your eyes, the pair of you walking farther away from the palace. “They’re going to anchor at the closest point they can, but far enough away as to not be perceived from the palace.”

“And how can you be so sure?” He’s full of never ending questions.

“Enough questions, Daniel, seriously,” you sigh in slight annoyance. “It would be in your best interest to simply trust me.”

The two of you walk in silence for quite some time, taking in the nature around you and putting mental marks on things that you walked by, as to not leave any chance of getting lost on your journey back.

“How much farther are we going, Princess?” Daniel breaks down and asks yet another question.

You open your mouth to answer him, but the sounds of various voices shouting about, swiftly interrupt you.

“Stop.” You place your hand out to stop Daniel in his tracks beside to you. “Voices. I hear voices. Do you hear them, Daniel?”

He looks around, listening intently and after a moment or two, the same shouting fills his ears as well.

“I hear them.” Daniel nods, confirming that you are not losing your sanity.

Quickly, you put your plan of attack into motion.

“Daniel, whatever you do, do not leave my side.” You tell him, giving a curt nod as you made your way towards the tree line that followed the edge of the river bank.

The closer you get, the louder the voices become and the more your nerves threaten to overtake you.

You and Danny make your way through the trees, stopping just out of view of the surprisingly nice ship haphazardly docked just before the shoreline.

A beautiful, fit and young man treads his way through the shallow water and up on to the sand, looking far more put together than the rest of the crew surrounding him.

“That must be him…” you point towards him, Daniel’s eyes following your index finger. He nods, confirming your guess.

“Princess, please, let me take care of this?” Daniel pleads quietly. “There are far too many of them to take on alone.”

“Nonsense. I shall do what I was sent to do,” you insist. “We must figure out how to capture him without the rest witnessing. They will surely come looking, if they see us leave with him.”

“Not to mention that we walked here,” Daniel reminds you. “I suppose that means I will be carrying him back, surely?”

“You have always been incredibly smart,” you tease and answer his question all at once.

“Now, then! Now, then!”

Soft gasps are shared between you and Daniel, as who you presume was Jacob, starts to loudly gather in his crew.

“Now that I have the undivided attention of all of you dandy crewmen, I shall be off in attempts to get in to the King’s palace at once!” he begins to explain, voice somehow much louder and firmer than you expected it to be. “I hate to break one’s heart, but all of you are to return to the ship and remain there until I return! I cannot risk my plans being tampered with. Am I clear to all of you?!”

They all express their understanding in almost perfect unison.

“That will be all, then! Please, return to the ship right away!”

Like well trained animals, everyone files back to the ship as Jake stands around to watch on, ensuring not one person is staying behind.

He is so breathtaking… It almost drowns out the hatred that you already hold for him.

You shake your intrusive thoughts of the captain away, putting on your brave face to continue on with a new plan.

“Come, Daniel!” you yell in a whisper, creeping your way back out of the trees.

“Come on!”

Once you both make it out, he begins his frantic questioning once more, “What ever are we doing now, princess?!”

“Hush,” you silence him. “We must go back towards the palace. I believe it best that we ambush him there.”

He simply shakes his head in understanding, glancing over his shoulder quickly to be sure no one has spotted either of you and is following.

You stop at the bushes near the entrance of the palace, breathing heavily and shaking your head in exasperation as the two of you duck down out of sight.

Daniel lets out a frustrated and tired huff. “We are back where we started, princess. I’m starting to question your oh-so elaborate planning.”

“You are being such a sore thumb today. I beg of you to just do as I say.” You send him a pleading look.

Silence fills the air around the two of you for a while, until the cracking of rocks beneath boots captures Daniel’s attention.

“Princess,” he nudges at your shoulder. “The Captain is upon us.”

You peak through the flowers and leaves, eyeing him as he makes his way carefully up the path.

You catch yourself gawking at him again; the way he walks, his long tresses and the beautiful dagger hanging from a strap across his chest.

“Your majesty, please,” Daniel begs, knocking you from your trance. “Please, tell me what you want me to do.”

“I… I want you to wait until he walks by us. If we stay here, he won’t see us right away. Once he passes, we will attack from behind. I need him unconscious,” you explain quickly. “Once he is unconscious, I will tie his hands and you shall help me carry him to the cells.”

Just as you finish and Daniel gives you his quick, verbal understanding, Jake passes through the gates and bushes, slowing his pace and ducking every so often to avoid possibly being seen.

“I will tell you when,” you whisper into Daniel’s ear and he nods once.

The captain walks a few more feet up the pathway, ducking down behind a rose bush and unsheathing his dagger from its case.

Daniel copies him, pulling his own dagger from its casing.

“Now,” you mutter with unbridled urgency.

Daniel has Jake plummeting to the ground within seconds. You watch on for only a moment, before fear takes over and you feel the need to join him.

Groans and curses are being hurled between them, swings and bone crushing punches being thrown along with their noises of pain.

Jake holds his dagger backwards, swinging the handle towards the side of Daniel’s head.

“NO!”

You bolt towards them, taking Jake to the ground upon your collision - sparing Daniel of the bone-crushing blow that was mere seconds away from colliding with the temple of his head.

Daniel recovers rather quickly, throwing you off of Jake and taking your place on top of him.

One strong and well-timed swing from Danial is all it takes and the Captain falls limp against the ground as he goes unconscious.

Daniel falls away from him, chest heaving and covered in small droplets of blood here and there. His hand clutches over his chest, as he fights to recenter himself.

“Are you alright?” you ask frantically, pulling the rope from around your waist and tying it securely around the Captain’s hands.

“Just perfect, Princess,” Daniel chuckles sarcastically, dusting himself off as he stands to his feet. “Here, allow me.”

“I think not.” You swat his hand away. “Rest for another moment. I will take care of this.”

Once you have the knots tied, you stand up and let Daniel take over again. He scoops him up like a rag doll, throwing him over his shoulder as though the Captain weighs little to nothing.

You bend down and pick up Jake’s dagger, shoving it down into your pocket and following after Daniel as he starts making his way up towards the palace.

“How long do you think he will stay unconscious?” you ask, making your way through the lower levels of the palace.

“Not much longer, I’m afraid.” Daniel answers, stopping at the large cell at the end of the cold, dimly lit hallway.

“Just put him on the bed. I shall take it from here.” You order rather gently, confident that he can’t hurt you from behind the bars of the cell.

“As you wish.”

Daniel drops him down onto the bed and unties him carefully, tossing the rope to the side thoughtlessly as he goes.

Just as he finishes Jake lets out a low groan of discomfort and Daniel quickly makes his was back out of the cell.

You close the door and lock it, watching Jake for a moment to find that he is still mostly out of it, when there isn’t another sound to be heard from him.

“Do you wish for me to inform your father that we have the Captain?”

“No!” You look up to Daniel with panic-filled eyes. “I will tell him myself. He doesn’t know that you accompanied me and I would rather him not.”

“Understandable, Princess,” Daniel says. “I shall keep my doings to myself.”

“I am most grateful for you,” you smile up at him, placing a gentle hand on his bicep. “Thank you.”

Removing your hand from his arm, Daniel brings it up to his lips in a gentle kiss as he bows, “You are most welcome, your majesty.”

He releases your hand, standing upright and beginning his way down the hallway.

Before he gets too far, he turns back to face you with a serious look. “Princess?”

You whip around to face him also, “Yes, Daniel?”

“If anything is to happen and you need my assistance again, you know where I reside.”

Not awaiting an answer - knowing you understand without having to say so out loud - he disappears through the large door. The loud sounds of it closing sends an eerie echo around the concrete walls and floor.

You slowly turn back towards the cell, watching and listening to Jake intently for any signs of movement or noise.

“Bloody hell,” Jake’s voice rumbles in a low groan, his arms struggling to push his weight away from the bed he is sprawled across.

He finally gets himself upright, looking around in a pure panic at his surroundings.

Stumbling up to his feet, he spins around and freezes in place when his eyes land upon you.

“Oh, well is this not just lovely?” you speak rather tauntingly. “The captain is finally awake.”

“And you are?” Jake saunters up to the door, rough hands wrapping around the cold bars.

“Princess of The Garden, at- well… I am not at your service,” you stumble over your formalities, forgetting that you owe him not a single one. “Not much of a kingdom we have around here, more so a small, royal family on secluded land.”

“I am very well aware of practically all of that.” Jake bites matter-of-factly, full of anger.

There are a few moments of intense silence, the loud and unsteady breathing from Jake being the only constant sound.

“Would you be so kind as to remind me how I managed to get here?” Jake questions bitterly, clearly trying to contain his rage.

“Me,” you smile at him with hardly contained pride. “Well, me and another accomplice.”

“Quite weak of you to have to bring a companion along just to capture me.” Jake smirks, his face noticeably contorting in discomfort as he assesses with his fingertips, the bruises that Daniel had left on his jaw. “Someone ought to teach you how to fight.”

“You know nothing about my fighting skills,” you say dryly, sending him a death glare through the bars of the cell. “I would be a fool to travel alone, regardless of how well I fight.”

“You seem to be a bit of a fool anyway,” Jake chuckles, glancing up at you with bold eyes.

If you could smack him across his careless mouth, you absolutely would.

“Letting your father send you into such danger…” Jake shakes his head, giving you a judgmental once-over. He turns and walks towards the hard bed in the corner. “You aren’t cut out for such violence.”

“I wish you would stop speaking as if you know me.” Your arms cross over your chest. It isn’t a very good response, but it is as good of one as you can seem to gather. “You know absolutely nothing about me.”

Jake ignores the comment entirely.

“If I may ask, why are you still lingering, princess?”

The name falling of his tongue is like a drug. The most addictive drug one could find. Somehow he makes the most flattering and important name, sound so degrading.

You stand frozen in place for a few moments too long, struggling to find a genuine reason for staying around - of which you do not have.

He hums to himself, head tilting back slightly, “Just as I thought. You haven’t any good reason.”

You open your mouth to attempt some sort of protest.

“If I may, your majesty,” Jake stands to his feet and saunters back to the door. “You are quite the gem. So exquisite and beautiful…” he trails off for a moment, a sly grin spreading over his lips as he looks over you. “Too bad you are too feisty and disobedient for my liking.”

Your whole body begins to boil with various emotions; you’re flustered, angry and immensely intrigued by him. He is setting you ablaze in a foul, but irresistible way.

“And… you are much too disrespectful for my taste,” you seethe, faltering for a moment so short, you hope it goes unnoticed. “Speaking to royalty in such a despicable manner…”

“And yet, the royalty herself, seems to be enjoying it.” Jake grins wickedly.

You can’t tell if it’s your body’s attempt to be intimidating, or seeking closer proximity to Jake. Regardless, without really thinking, you step forward, “What makes you believe for a second that I am enjoying any part of this?”

“Many reasons, Princess…” Jake starts, speaking low and hushed. “You’ve taken at the very least five steps closer to this door. You could have left the second your… ‘accomplice’ dropped me in here.”

“You are terribly-“

“-Quiet, Princess. I don’t take well to being interrupted.” Jake cuts you off abruptly, holding up a single finger that you can not seem to tear your eyes away from. “I would almost say you enjoy being spoken to this way, don’t you? Everyone gets tiresome with constantly hearing praises… And I’m sure praise is all you know, is it not?”

“Perhaps.” The word leaves your mouth bitter and clipped. He is very much right - you both know that very well.

“Mhm, as I thought.” Jake grips the bars of the door above his head, leaning forward as far as he can go. “You know… I could show you so much more. Make you feel so much more.”

“And what could you possibly be hinting at with such words, Captain?” you question, attempting to throw his title back at him the same he had yours. Only to sound much more breathy than you intend.

“If only I had the keys to open this-“ He gestures to the large door, the only thing keeping the two of you separated. “-I could show you much better than I could ever tell you, your majesty.”

“Never in a million years would I consider letting you out,” you scoff, shoving the key that is now damp from your sweating hands, back into your pocket.

“Who said anything about letting me go?” Jake asks you. “Just join me. You have the key to leave whenever you so please.”

“And… if I do choose to join you…?” You narrow your eyes, taking in his blown out pupils and all the little details surrounding them.

“Then I shall do just as I have said and show you things you will never forget.” Jake promises lowly, leaning in closer. “Things you will never want to forget,” he adds.

Your faces are as close as they can possibly be, you can feel the warmth of his breath as he speaks to you.

Without once looking away from him, you hastily retrieve the key from your pocket and unlock the door.

Jake steps back, allowing you the proper space to slide the door open just enough to squeeze your body through and get into the cell with him.

You turn around and close the door, closing your eyes for a split second in attempts to slow your pounding heart and process what you have just done.

As you turn around to finally face Jake, he immediately outstretches his hand towards you and bows before you ever-so-slightly.

Hesitantly, you place your shaking, sweating hand in his and he brings it up to his lips, “‘Tis quite the pleasure, Princess.”

Jake places the first kiss to the top of your hand, holding your stunned gaze. He shifts his hold up to your wrist, his lips following and placing another kiss higher up.

He continues the same actions, kissing all the way up your arm, until his hand reaches your shoulder and his face is inches from yours.

Slowly, he backs you up until you can feel the uncomfortable firmness of metal bars against your back.

“You are truly quite the brave one for joining me.” Jake whispers against your ear. “Just to make things sort of even, I fully plan to tease you until you’re begging and pleading for my mercy.”

“And what leads you to believe I would ever beg someone like you?” You tilt your head back defiantly.

Jake only smirks In amusement, “Is that a challenge?”

“If you can make me beg, I will let you go and tell my father you didn’t dock where he expected,” you bet with him rather smugly… and stupidly.

“My, my. The princess is going to beg me like a whore and lie to her father?” Jake tsks with a faux disappointed shake of his head. “It seems I have corrupted the sweet, royal, princess already. And suppose your accomplice -as you called him- goes back and tells him…? What lie should be grand enough to cover us then?”

His nose is practically brushing against your own, a tension so unbearable further blooming between the two of you.

“T-That is not his place. My father didn’t know that I took him, nor will he. I asked Daniel not to speak of his hand in helping me, or even that we have you,” you inform him truthfully. “It was my duty to capture you and bring you here, not his. I shall be the one to tell my father what it is he must know.”

“Well, then, I suppose I can have my way with you.” Jake purrs, teasing his lips over yours. “Is that what you want, your majesty?”

“So many words and promises, but you’ve yet to show me a thing.” You just barely chase after his lips.

Grabbing each side of your face with both of his large and calloused hands, Jake connects his lips with yours roughly.

It takes you a moment to catch up to his pace, especially with losing every bit of air from your lungs within the very second his lips met yours. Your tongues move against each other, fighting for dominance as whimpers flutter from you and into his warm mouth.

He pulls away, breathless and practically hissing out his next words, “Sweet, sweet princess. You do not know a bit of what you have in store for yourself. Stay right there.”

Jake steps back from you with a finger pointed to the floor where you stand, bending down to pick up a lengthy piece of rope that you and Daniel had him tied up with not so long ago.

“Do you trust me?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes, amusement behind them as he asks you the ridiculous question.

You stare down at the rope outstretched before you - shocked, but you remain shamefully aroused by it all the same.

“Trust- trust you? You are nothing but a complete stranger,” your voice wavers.

“Nonsense. We have spent at least few hours in one another’s presence, now, haven’t we?” His crooked smile sends waves of heat to your core. “Stranger? yes, in some sense. But I’m not a complete stranger anymore.”

You drop your eyes from his, back down to the rope in his hands. Jake pushes it out a little closer to you, eyes deeply studying your cautious but curious face.

Slowly, you lift your hands up and lay your wrists over top of his hands, looking up at him in question as if to say, ‘is this right?’

Jake holds your burning stare and starts to wrap the rope around your wrists, binding them together tightly, but still comfortably somehow.

“Outstanding,” Jake hums, walking off to a corner where another small piece of rope has been discarded.

“Just one last thing,”

Jake makes his way back over to you, placing a hand on your shoulder and pushing you back a few steps until your back collides with the cold metal bars.

His hand travels from your shoulder, down your arm, until it reaches the rope around your wrists. Grabbing it, he watches your breath quicken as he lifts your arms up and over your head, securing them to the bars with a second piece of rope.

“Mm-“ you clear your throat nervously. “-And how do you presume you will be able to remove my dress in such a position?”

“Lovely of you to inquire,” Jake smiles wildly, pressing his body against yours and leaning in closer to your ear. “I just so happened to see this-“ his hand travels the corseted curve of your side, dipping into your pocket. “-the handle of my dagger shining, while you were standing outside the cell. Not only are you a princess, but a little thief.”

“Well- I...” you stutter weakly, feeling mindless for forgetting to leave it with Daniel.

“You what?” Jake presses, biting at the shell of your ear.

Your only response is your labored breathing, unable to form an intelligible response.

He unsheathes his beautiful dagger from your pocket, resting it over your chest.

“You think too little of my schemes, princess.” He places a kiss over your nose. “I already planned to take my dagger back to use just for this moment. Why take your clothes off with my tired hands, when I could cut them off?”

“Jake,” his name rushes out of your lungs in a heavy sigh.

He grabs you by the waist, turning you around to face the bars and skillfully cut the strings of your corset.

Turning you back around to face him, he pulls it off of your body with ease and continues on with cutting away at your other garments.

Each piece is slowly pulled from you, neatly cut and haphazardly tossed to the side by Jake’s calloused hands.

As he yanks the last piece away, you are then completely naked before him - eyes never lifting to meet his burning gaze upon you.

“Breathtaking, your majesty,” Jake all but whispers, seemingly a little lost in the site that he is beholding.

You draw in a deep breath, exhaling it even slower than the slowness at which you had taken it in, “I’m sure I look far more suitable than anyone you have ever laid with.”

Upon your overweening remark, your eyes finally meet with his and you swear you see fire flash within them.

“How witty of you, princess,” Jake snaps sarcastically, pressing his body into yours. “Haughty of you to assume you are not the one that I would graciously turn away.”

It stings, but somehow you know he doesn’t mean it. Part of you hoped he didn’t, at least.

“Your mouth is foul and full of disrespect,” you snap quietly; silently wishing your hands were free, so that you can act on the resurfacing urge to smack him.

Jake stays silent, bringing the handle of his dagger down against your stomach and slowly dragging it down. The golden handle makes goosebumps form across your skin, your hips writhing about ever so slightly in anticipation.

Just when the end of his handle is close to your heat, he jerks it away entirely.

Instead, he dips his own finger down farther to feel the wetness pooling between your legs himself.

Jake glances up at you with wild eyes, flashing you a wicked smile. “The princess, so proper and poised and innocent… soaked as though she’s dipped into the river.”

Adjusting his careful hold around the blade, Jake lays the handle right where it had stopped before he pulled it away. He continues its slow descent down to your clit, where it halts to rub in the slowest, softest circles.

“Oh, Jake,” you gasp, pushing your hips harder against it.

“Oh, that’s just lovely,” Jake smirks, leaning in to place kisses over your exposed chest. “My name sounds beautiful coming from that pretty little mouth.”

He uses his own hips to hold yours in place, so he that can move the handle of the dagger at whatever pressure or speed he so desires.

“Let me hear it again, princess… ‘Jake,’” he repeats his own name to you, as though you don’t know it.

“Jake,” he repeats again.

Trying to hold onto your defiance and composure, you harshly bite at the inside of your mouth to keep from doing as he asked.

“This won’t do at all, your majesty,” Jake clicks his tongue, moving the handle in faster circles, while his other wraps around your throat. “Did I not say I want to hear you again? Come now, let me hear what pretty noises you can make. I’m sure you’re fantastic at it, little whore.”

He presses the handle harder into your bundle of nerves, drawing firmer circles against you. It’s untamable; the noise that erupts from your lungs, echoing through the cold cell and likely even through the long hallway.

“So beautiful. Keep going…” Jake encourages, tilting his head back as he watches on to your pleasure.

Jake leans forward, his free hand securing itself around your jaw to tilt your head to the side. His lips meet with your neck, biting roughly at the tender skin and soothing the sting with the softness of his tongue.

A soft laugh floats out of him each time you whine or struggle against him and the rough ropes that secure you in place.

“Jake,” you whimper through a labored exhale. The feeling of sweet release is already beginning to bloom in the pit of your stomach.

“Is the princess getting close?” Jake questions with a sly cadence. “Already, your majesty?”

You choose not to answer him, in light of climbing to the peak of your orgasm without chance of interruption.

Alas, Jake is the least bit stupid.

“Are you trying to fool me, princess?” Jake asks lowly, slowing the circles that the handle of his dagger are making.

The urge to relent and beg him is already far greater than you anticipated, but you are determined to stand your ground.

“Not trying to fool you, only avoiding the act of begging a thief,” you speak breathlessly.

“That’s a shame,” Jake grins, trailing his hand down your body to your arousal. A single finger plays at your entrance, “I would let you cum if you were not so hell bent on being a stubborn little brat.”

Just to antagonize you further, he sinks his finger inside you, purposefully curling it upwards just shy of the sweet spot within you.

“Mm…”

A tight lipped whimper tumbles out of you, your body arching into his touch ever-so-slightly.

“Oh? Do you like that, princess?” Jake taunts, looking down the bridge of his nose as he watches you. “You love having attention on your pretty little pussy, don’t you?”

“I…” You aren’t really sure what you had planned to say, or even what you want to say. All thoughts are either jumbled, or lost entirely.

“You what?” Jake pries, sliding the handle of the dagger through your folds to collect more of your wetness.

The second the handle returns to your throbbing bundle of nerves, something snaps inside of you.

“Jake,” you whine, tugging at your restraints despite the incessant burn of the rope. “Jake, please!”

“There it is.” Jake’s smile is pleased and cocky.

Feeling ever so gracious, he pushes in a second finger and deepens their rhythmic thrusts.

Jake presses his lips to the corner of your open mouth, “Tell me how good it feels, princess. Tell me.”

“I-it feels s-so good. Feels so good,” you stutter, tempted to turn your head and capture his lips in a kiss, all on your own accord. “Please!”

“Please?” He parrots mockingly. “Please what, your majesty?”

The feelings of your impending climax finally starts to build once again. This time, you are not going to give it up.

“Please let me cum!” You nearly sob, rushing every single word from your mouth. “Please, captain, I’ll do whatever you want… J-just please let me cum.”

“Give it to me, then,” Jake demands. “Right now.”

The band of pleasure breaks within you, sending you into an earth-shattering spiral of bliss that you could not have ever prepared yourself for.

Your knees buckle beneath you, leaving the ropes binding your wrists to be the only thing holding you up. The sting of the rope not even registering, as cuts and burns surely form around your wrists.

“What a good girl you are for me, princess,” Jake praises you, removing his fingers from you first to wrap his arm around your body, holding you up.

“J-Jake,” you choke out, squirming in his hold against the overstimulation that he was beginning to cause you. “I- It-s-“

“Shhh,” he silences you, a little reluctantly pulling his dagger away from your core. “I know, princess.”

Studying your face, he takes in your half-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks. The slightest bit of pity took over him.

Jake tucks the dampened handle of his dagger beneath your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. “Will you be a good girl if I untie you? Hm?”

“Y-yes, sir- I mean, Captain,” you answer him, correcting yourself once more just for good measure. “Yes, Captain.”

Flipping the weapon around, he drags the tip of the dagger down your throat with only enough pressure to make it resemble a feather, making your breath hitch in your chest. Fear starts to rise back up inside you, along with adrenaline. The combination is intoxicating in a dangerous way.

“Will you truly?” Jake cocks a single eyebrow at you.

The sharp tip moves across your chest and down your stomach, goosebumps forming as you shudder.

“Yes! Yes,” you promise, breathing uneven and more labored than it has been so far.

The tip dips into your belly button, eliciting some sort of choked whimper from your throat.

Jake smirks at that, “Feels nice, doesn’t it?” He begins to trail it back up your body, the same way it had descended down.

You’re struck silent, unable to manage a single word.

Finally reaching your bindings, with two flicks of the dagger, the ropes fall from your wrists.

Your body immediately collapses forward into Jake’s. He tosses his dagger to the floor with a high-pitched clink, just in time to catch you.

“Falling at my feet so soon, princess?” Jake snickers, hauling you back up and guiding you to the bed.

“You forget yourself,” you scoff, clearly displaying your distaste for the thought of being at his feet. “One place you will never find me is at your feet.”

“No, your majesty-“ Jake tangles a hand in your hair, yanking your head back. “-You have forgotten yourself.”

Letting go of your hair, he hastily works to undo the buttons adorning his vest, pulling it away to be discarded onto the dirty floor of the cell - his shirt following directly after.

“What happened to being my good girl?” Jake inquires, stepping closer to you, his face mere inches from yours.

Your response is quick and confident, “Being your good girl is only applicable if you’re pleasing me, Captain.”

“Oh, is it, now?” Jake places his hand over your sternum, sliding it up until it splays around your throat and tightens there. “Is that not what I just did? Please you?” You struggle to draw in air as his grip stays unrelenting, his hold never once wavering as you slowly sink to your knees. “And you’re so needy and desperate that it still wasn’t good enough for you?”

He leans down to be eye level with you as he fires questions at your flushed face, “You’ll take what I feel so inclined to give you, your majesty.”

Jake releases his grip, standing straight up as he watches down on you, gasping to refill your burning lungs with air.

While you work on regaining some form of control over your own body and mind, Jake begins removing the rest of his clothes.

You look up, watching him attentively through your lashes. The perfections of his body are not lost on you.

“Perhaps we should try this again,”

Jake suggests, taking himself in his hand. Your mouth waters at the sight of him. His free hand cups your cheek, “Are you going to be my good girl?”

All you can muster is a nod, unsure that your voice can even function to its fullest abilities.

His thumb, gentle and featherlight in touch, traces over your bottom lip before sinking into your mouth, “Prove it to me, then.”

Your hands are reaching up to wrap around him, before your brain can even fully process the movement.

A kiss far too innocent for the actions you wre about to take part in, is placed over his tip. You hear the shaky breath Jake draws in, encouraging you to repeat the same little kiss once more.

You drop one of your hands down to your lap, sliding your hand down to his base. Sinking your mouth down over the rest of him, you can tell that his whole body shuddered from the pleasure you’re providing him.

“That’s it, princess,” he encourages you, his hand coming up to tangle into your hair.

The twitch of his fingers against your scalp, serves to enlighten you on his urge to push you further. Taking a deep breath, you take him as far as you can go, breathing through the urge to gag around him.

“Fuck,” he curses, hips jerking on their own volition. “Your mouth is too good for me, angel, but you look absolutely lovely taking me like a little whore.”

A whimper sounds from your throat, sending the slightest bit of vibration through him. You start to find a steady rhythm, his hand still resting in your hair.

Every so often, his grip will tighten when you do something he particularly likes. Within a minute or so, he is throbbing inside of your mouth.

“Fuck, alright- enough.” He pulls you away abruptly, breathing significantly more labored.

He takes a moment to gather himself, staring up at the ceiling, as if fighting to hold onto his composure.

“Stand up,” he demands, releasing his grip on your soft tresses.

You scramble up to your feet, dizziness plaguing you for a brief moment.

Jake takes no more than a single step closer to you, eyes scanning over the expanse of your naked body that is displayed before him. He reaches up, dragging the back of his knuckles along your temple, letting the gentle touch travel its way down your face, your neck and to your breasts.

The tip of his finger grazes over your nipple, causing your eyes to flutter closed as your breathing increases.

“Oh, the ways I could ruin this flawless body…” Jake trails off, dragging the tip of his finger down your stomach slowly. “So perfect and not a single blemish or mark in sight. A true beauty, you are, aren’t you?”

With every word that so gracefully purrs its way out of his mouth, he backs you closer to the bed.

“M… mark me.” The words fly out of you before you can stop them.

In one quick movement that you are far too dazed to notice, you’re laying beneath him. His cock rests against the inner part of your thigh, hard and still throbbing softly every few seconds.

“Mark you?” he repeats your words back to you in question. “How could I, your majesty?”

There is a playful cadence to his tone, very clearly telling you that he will gladly oblige to the idea.

Jake quirks a single eyebrow at you, “And how do you suppose I do so?”

Given the fact that you hadn’t meant to say it, you haven’t thought that far ahead. Visuals of the silver blade of his dagger lightly grazing your skin, replay in your mind. Along with the imagines of bite marks and bruises that you will surely have to find the means of covering.

“Speak up,” he grumbles, lips ghosting over the center of your throat.

You quickly come to the conclusion that you will allow him to do whatever he pleases, as undeniably insane as it is.

“Do what you wish.”

Jake sits up, bold, widened eyes boring directly into yours.

You stare at each other for a few long moments, before you watch the corner of his mouth twitch and curl up into his increasingly familiar smirk.

“Mmm,” he hums in acknowledgement to your words.

Both of his hands smooth over your hips and up to your breasts, where he cups them and brings his mouth down to capture one of your nipples in his mouth.

“Jake,” you whimper, gripping at the firmness of his bare shoulders.

“I refuse to mark you permanently just yet…” Jake says against your skin. His left hand retreats from your chest, palm harshly colliding with your thigh. “Temporarily, of course-“ his palm cracks against you once more, surely leaving a red tint in its wake. “-I suppose, will do for now.”

You inhale and exhale shakily through your mouth; hung open in shock and the slightest hint of pain.

“Take me, please,” you beg him pathetically.

“Take you where, your majesty?” Jake inquires, a teasing inflection to his voice. He knows.

“Right here,” you sigh, pressing your hips up into his. “You know what I want.”

Reaching between your bodies, he glides his fingers in between your folds - still completely soaked.

“Perhaps I do.” He toys around at your entrance, paying your clit the slightest bit of attention afterwards. “There’s a chance that I don’t, though.”

A low, sinister laugh erupts from his chest as he watches you squirm underneath him.

“Tell me, princess,” Jake demands, voice low and raspy. You can feel his cock teasing your entrance, just waiting for you to say the filthy words he wants to hear so badly. “Take. You. Where?”

Pathetic as it may be, a sob tears its way out of your lungs, “Take me right here, please...I want- need you inside of me.”

“She needs it,” he taunts, barely pushing into you. “Sweet little princess just needs to be fucked…turned into a filthy mess.”

“Oh, god- fuck-“ Your nails dig deeper into the skin of Jake’s back.

“Princess is no good for anything but getting ruined by the man she’s supposed to be capturing.” Jake pulls out almost completely, only to drive himself back inside of you roughly.

The moan that rips its way out of your throat is anything but pure and elegant, bouncing around the walls around you and likely beyond.

“Quiet.” Jake places a hand over your mouth, his other holding his body above yours as he starts to sharply thrust into you. “God forbid you get us caught… Get ME caught.”

Jake begins working his way up to a steady, brutal pace. The depths at which you can feel him is sending an almost unbearable pleasure through you. From the center of your body, out to the tips of your fingers and toes; the pleasure completely consumes you.

You can’t help the volume that your moans have taken on.

Jake attempts to silence you by capturing your lips in a hungry kiss, but it proves to be of very, very little help.

He pulls away abruptly, hand wrapping around your throat, “Shut. Your fucking. Mouth, princess. Will you?” He rasps into your ear through gritted teeth. “We can’t possibly have His Majesty hearing how much of a whore you are for a thief.”

Your head lulls back, face contorted in concentration and immense pleasure as Jake continues to fuck into you relentlessly. Mercilessly.

“Good girl,” Jake praises you, starting to lose control of his own breathing.

The hand wrapped around your throat, travels up to your face; a bruising grip forcing you to look at him.

“I want you to cum for me. Quietly,” Jake growls, adjusting himself above you to bring his other hand between your two bodies. His fingers find your swollen clit, “You can do that, yes?”

“Mhm,” you hum your response, afraid that if you are to open your mouth too much, the unholiest of noises are sure to free themselves from your lungs.

“Come on, then,” Jake urges, pinning your body in place on the rather uncomfortable bed with his own. “Let me have it.”

You feel that addicting burn spreading through the pit of your stomach, mere seconds away from taking over your whole body.

As soon as Jake watches your eyes roll back into your head and your mouth fall open into the perfect little ‘o,’ he crashes his lips into yours to ensure that all possible noises are muffled.

Even he groans lowly into your mouth, forcing your to swallow it down as he continues kissing you with mind numbing passion and fervor.

Your lungs start to tingle, your body buzzing and thrashing all at once; riding out an orgasm unlike any you have ever had.

Jake’s orgasm is only seconds after yours. He spills inside you, gasping to refill his lungs with air when he pulls away from you.

“Damn it,” Jake moans. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Bliss has overtaken the both of you, leaving you to bask in stunned silence for what felt like an hour.

“I… I must say,” Jake finally speaks up. “You are quite something, your majesty.”

For once, his tone doesn’t have any malicious intent or taunting cadence behind it. It seems genuine.

You gaze up at him, slightly shocked. “Thank you…”

He removes himself from above you, laying to your side closest to the wall, leaving you the space to leave the bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, hands on his chest, he reminds you of his previous promise, “You’re free to go if you please, I shouldn’t keep you here any longer, your majesty…”

You blink a few times, struck speechless by his sudden change. You think over your next decision carefully before speaking.

“I… I think I would like to stay here with you…” You tell him, settling back against the worn blanket.

Jake has turned to look at you, now, “What?”

Moving closer to him, you cuddled into his arm, “I want to stay here with you, Jake.”

You blink a few times, trying to rid your eyes of their sleepiness.

Suddenly, the loud slamming of the cell door startles you nearly senseless. You roll yourself over and sit up, all in almost one swift movement.

“Jacob?!” you yell, anger and fear flooding your entire body as you scramble up to your feet. “What ever do you think you are doing?!”

“No hard feelings, my Darling,” he starts with a faux, pitied smile. “You were absolutely magnificent. I almost brought you along. I’ll let them know to come retrieve you as soon as I step foot back on my ship.”

You mouth falls agape, your chest becoming dangerously tight as it heaves up, then shakily back down.

Jake pulls the key he had stolen from the pocket of your dress out of the lock, taking a few steps backwards before bending down and laying it gingerly on the ground.

He straightens, kicking the key just so. It slides towards the door with a few high pitched clinks, stopping just out of your reach.

Jake smiles brightly, shooting you a sly wink, “If we ever cross paths again, let’s revisit this…escapade, shall we?”

@shutupdevvie

@belovedsamuel

@gardensgatedaisy

@ageofbarbarians

@theweightofjake

@jake-kiszkas-smirk @stardustcatcher

@positivegvfthings @ascendingtostardust

@gretasmokerising @highladyofasgard

@doodle417 @groovyvanfleet

@greta-van-chaos @of-infinite-wonders

@skankforjakekiszka @demolitionndann

@sarakay-gvf @runwayblues

@colorstreammind @mybussyinchrist

@ofburningskies @streamsofstardust @twistedmelodies @gvfpal @joshsindigostreak @writingcold @juliensbakery @stillstreetjoshua @alwaysonthemend @gold-mines-melting @gretavanfanfics

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thewritingbeforesunrise · 9 months

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BALLERINA - Masterlist.

A Jake Kiszka AU.

Pairing: Physiotherapist!Jake x Original Female Character

Summary: Dancing had always been like breathing for Iris, so when a terrible accident occurs, she doesn't know if she would be able to get her life as a professional ballerina back. In these darkest times, a light comes to her rescue. Doctor Jacob Kiszka, a young and charming physiotherapist, will do everything in his power to help her dance, and breathe, again.

A/N: This is a little project I have been working on for quite some time now. I absolutely love AUs, so I decided to try and write something like this. This is a mini-fic, so it is going to be posted in chapters. I hope Physiotherapist!Jake steals your heart as he did mine.

Warnings: slowburn, talking of bad injuries, talking of depression and suicide (only hinted at), fluff, graphic sexual content (properly indicated if present in each chapter), Jake is a sweetheart, Jake in sweats.

Don't hesitate to let me know what you think about this!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen (Epilogue)

Oneshot - A Night In Paris

This story is completed.

If you are interested, you can join my general taglist here.

#greta van fleet #greta van fic #greta van smut #jake kiszka #gvf fic #fanfic #jake kiszka smut #jake gvf #jake kiszka x reader #jake kiszka AU

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writingcold · 7 months

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Hi. Welcome to the opening chapter of CD&FE. My plan is to post Wednesdays. This is a complete story, so I will be faithful to this posting day.

Pairing: Jake X Female Reader

Summary: This is an AU that starts with the release of GVF’s first EP, Black Smoke Rising, and follows along life paths over the course of twenty years. Part One: Y/n is on the verge of a huge change - and on the cusp of a big night of celebration. The friends head out for the evening, starting with catching a band at a pub, to which the guitarist catches your attention.

Content warnings: Language, smoking, drinking, sexual situations, oral (m & f rec), anal play, protected sexual encounter.

Word Count: approx. 13K (probably the longest of the parts, promise, maybe)

A tremendously huge thank you to @edgingthedarkness and @takenbythemaddness for all of your help with this. You’ve both helped me to at least make it not a total shit show. This is my first full length reader insert, first person narrative, so please be kind and forgive any and all errors.

Celebratory Drinks and Fleeting Embraces, Part 1

I woke up feeling like I was roasting under the sun, only to find that I was lying in a furnace otherwise known as Patrick. He was curled around my body, his sour breath in my hair. My lip twisted as an ‘ew’ passed my lips. I slid from the bed of my oldest, dearest friend feeling my skin crawl with sibling residue grossness. I’d known him since we were in second grade. Patty was always the pretty one in our relationship, but I never could see beyond the awkward childhood and weird puberty phases that we shared, not to mention all the heartbreaks, highs, drunks, and learning that we survived together. We had tried to kiss way back in fifth grade - just to get that over with, but ew. No.

“Oh, come on,” his deep voice was still heavy with sleep, “I was enjoying that thick ass of yours, Y/n. Come on back and snuggle for a while.”

“Fuck you,” I grumbled as he laughed. “You promised me a record if I put up with your little dinner party last night. Why are you trying so hard to impress those pretentious idiots? They are not your tribe, Patty.”

I didn’t bother with modesty. The man was the first one to see me naked, and he looked at me like I was sheathed in 12” armor plating that was slathered with poison, set on fire with a NO GO ZONE etched across it. He was wrapped in goo and toxic sludge that kept me at bay. And that's how we liked it. I dug through my suitcase to drag out a cropped tee and cutoff shorts.

“I know,” he howled into his pillow. “I hate it. I do. But I’ve got to start making headway with this stupid job so I can get to the next step.”

I rolled my eyes as I started dressing. He slid his tall, rail thin body out of the sheets to reveal he was clad only in his boxer briefs. I frowned. “God damn it, you could’ve at least worn shorts when sleeping with me. I do not need to feel that beast under the hood.”

“Just because your last three guys didn’t have horse cocks, doesn’t mean you have to discriminate against mine, doll,” he teased as he started to fish out clothes for himself.

I rushed around him for the bathroom, bag in hand. Damn if I was going to have to wait for his ass to get through his thirty minute wake up routine in the only bathroom of the apartment. I heard his protest, but I knew that I’d be through in less than 15 minutes if left alone.

I emerged ready to his raised eyebrow and sideways grin. I pulled him down and kissed his cheek with a platonic whisper of love against his face before ducking into the kitchen. Visits to Ann Arbor were getting harder to make. I moved to Lansing right after graduating. Pat had remained behind, working on his master’s degree while toiling away in the university system as a TA. I finished my graduate work while killing myself on sixty hour work weeks and had earned a job in St. Paul that was to start in a week. Patty was the first one I called when I got the news. Not my family. Not other friends. It had to be Patrick because he had been the only one that could understand that I just needed someone to tell me I wasn’t nuts for trying this route in life. Everyone else either didn’t understand what I wanted to accomplish, or they simply said I would fail. Fuckers.

A tour through the kitchen revealed that he had purchased real food for my stay. With a chirp of happiness, I settled into a bright sounding playlist before making us a feast while he showered. By the time he was out, dried and all sorts of gorgeous, I had quite the meal prepared. He pecked me on the mouth and yanked me in a tight hug.

“Mornin’, punkin,” he cooed as I started to push him away.

We laughed over food. He did the dishes and we strolled out the door.

“Did you call everyone?” I asked as we walked from his apartment to the main drag of town.

“The only one not able to come is Aaron. Bitch couldn’t get out of work,” he answered, stopping to look into the window of a thrift boutique. “That skirt would make your legs look amazing. Y/n, my treat. Let me get you an outfit for tonight.”

“I’d rather have the record,” I grimaced and whined.

He screwed his mouth to the side with a diminutive grumble as I yanked him towards the music store. It was already early afternoon, and the place seemed swamped with people. I was never really one for big, chaotic crowds. The sight brought me up short for a moment, until Patrick steered me to the side door. I slipped inside, finding the crowd gathered more outside the building and a few at the front of the store, around the cashier. It would be okay - I could handle it.

Pat, of course, was totally the opposite of me. He glibly ran at any and all kinds of action, and this being no different, I lost sight of him almost immediately. I turned my attention to the bins and displays, allowing myself to relax despite the edge of activity that I was so desperately trying to ignore. Stoned Jesus was oozing through the air as I moved down towards the more vintage stuff, my eyes landing on a familiar cover. I reached for it just as sharp, overly feminine laughter struck my ears in the worst way.

“No, seriously,” a coarse velvet voice invaded my space while flirting with the girls. “You’ll be there right? Tonight? Come on. Come to our show…”

I looked up just in time to see two long haired men, one a few inches taller than the other, guiding two very blushed out girls that are probably just wrapping up their freshman year. The four were giggling and flirty and just way too loud. I tried to turn my attention back to the album I had between my fingers: Deep Purple’s debut album. One of the girls literally squealed as the two men played along with them - not in a weird way, but just that frat boy manner that demanded their attention. I watched as they walked with the girls to the door with flyers in their hands and huge smiles and promises of being out that night. The taller one actually did the little toodles wave as the other retreated quickly. I caught how he rolled his eyes as if disgusted with his own act. Those chocolate brown eyes landed on me and he immediately straightened up as if he was caught being out of character.

I looked back at the crowd in search of Patrick, but couldn’t find him anywhere. For a moment, my insides flared with panic. He was still there. He was amongst the twenty or so people that were packed into the front of the shop. I knew it, I just couldn’t tell the bubble of anxiousness that had attacked my stomach to back the fuck off. I took a breath before returning my gaze to the record in my hands.

“That is a fantastic album,” a smooth voice, with just a hint of rasp and Michigan sass filled my ears.

I turned to discover those lush, chocolate eyes were on me and he was standing at an arm's length away. I nodded and gave him a small grin. “Yeah. I have this at home, just not this edition,” I said before I set it back in the bin and turned away.

ELO’s “Evil Woman” started to leak from the speakers. I sighed upon hearing it - that over the top intro hit something just right, every time. I didn't expect the pretty eyed man to stick around, but when I reached for another cover, he watched for what I was reaching for.

“If you have another edition of that one,” he started with a knowing look, “that means that you have a Gatefold. The one from Germany, U.K…?”

I grinned wider as I really looked into his face. He was pretty. Between a subtle cleft to his chin and a set of full lips, his expression was warm and welcoming. There seemed to be a familiarity between him and the taller man, but he seemed to have a more mature quality to him that drew me in almost immediately.

“South Africa,” I answered, watching as his eyes glitter with respect.

“Nice,” he said, his voice soft and almost whispered.

I set the unseen album back in the bin, knowing it was shitty and not worth my time. I moved down the next row with him tailing behind. I saw him take interest in a blues album as I spotted another possibility - a Neil Young that had gotten damaged in my last move. I feel him, though he remains at a distance. He’s not much taller than myself, but perhaps it’s his personality, or just his presence, that makes him seem much bigger than he actually is. His hair is almost fluffy as it rests just below his shoulders. The tip of his nose was sharp and begging to be booped in the best way. His mouth was sinful and I know I stared at it way too long.

I tore my eyes away just as he looked up. I was sure he'd caught me looking, again. I couldn’t seem to help it. He was totally magnetic. His lips stretched into a smile - an honest smile, not like the production bull shit he had been feeding those college girls. I held my album up just to see his reaction, and was rewarded with a few hummed notes of a deep cut that I knew well.

“I guess I should ask about those flyers you’re tossing around,” I said, putting back the Young and turning towards him fully.

“We just released an EP,” he said, his attention on another album that was closer to my spot. He reached close to me, but then seemed to think the better of it. “We’re playing tonight at Paul’s Pub. You should come. I think you may like it.”

I pursed my lips with thought. We were no strangers to Paul’s. The bar was a staple in our group from the time we were all starting out in school. I nodded, and looked back in search of Patrick once more. I saw him emerge from the crowd, flier in hand and a look of wickedness in his eyes. I turned my attention back to him, taking note that he was fingering an Otis Redding album.

His attention was snapped to the front of the shop and I saw his shoulders slump a bit as he began to shift back into his work. “We’re third on the rotation. Will you be there - about 9:00?”

I shrugged as he started to move away. “We’ll have to see.”

I watched as his tight, dark wash skinny jeans walked away. I finally let out the breath that I had been holding just as Pat stepped close to me.

“He gives big dick vibes, doesn’t he?” he remarked as I leaned into him.

“God, you’re such an ass sometimes,” I scoffed just as I caught the man’s eye as he turned to look back at me over his shoulder.

“But I’m right,” Patty said quietly. “I guess we’ll be starting out at Paul’s tonight.”

I flashed him my biggest, gooeyest doe eyes possible. “Please??”

“Only if I can buy that outfit for you,” he replied, eyes narrowed down to slits. “No t-shirt and shitty jeans. You’re going out in proper attire for a proper fucking celebration!”

He talked me into the whole shebang. I marched into Paul’s on Patrick’s arm dressed in the skirt that fell just below the knee with a slit that reached all the way up to my hip bone. A loose, sleeveless poet shirt with a plunge neck with a shit ton of ruffles that billowed against my breasts made me feel more than whorish in a very pretty girl way. I had let my hair spill down my back, but pulled up the sides with a jeweled tie. I looked hot, and I knew it. I could feel it. But the moment that we reached the friends, I knew I was by far not the best looking in the room - that was reserved for Jordan with her raven black hair and crystal blue eyes and stupid perfect skin. I wasn’t even second in our group - second was Sidney with her perfect ash blonde locks that curled at the ends and her doe eyes that made anyone stop and stare. Bitches. But I loved them and knew most of it was a ruse because they had intelligence on their side - they just used their looks for good shit.

It had been months since I had seen the group. We took our time catching up as the crowd in Paul’s grew. The pub was old-school cool with its weathered wood and dark lighting, dark atmosphere, and dark decor. It was the largest of the bars that we would visit on the night, sporting a full stage and enough room to cram in close to two hundred and fifty patrons in the main space, while the patio could hold another hundred souls easily.

I noticed that the bar was getting crowded while the stage was being switched over. I glanced at my phone, but Patty grabbed my wrist in his grip with a hard glare.

“Better not be working,” he growled as took my phone away.

“Why are we even starting here anyway?” Joey whined as he was handing out glasses of beer. “We always start at Benny’s.”

“Oh,” Patrick chuckled. “There’s a guy Y/n wants to fuck in the next band.”

Suddenly, I had eight sets of eyeballs on me. I shrugged. “What?”

Everyone looked back at Pat and his wicked assed grin that he was beaming at me. “Come on, punkin. Just admit that you let me dress you all up because you’re looking to get-”

“HEY!” Sidney shoved him in the chest before my dearest friend on the planet could finish.

The group laughed and I just sipped at my lovely Tito’s + cranberry like I was the most virginal bitch on the planet. I watched as the tall one from earlier and another were setting up the drum kit – a white kit with a Greta Van Fleet emblazoned on the kick face. I caught Pat talking to the rest about meeting the dark haired one and said he was really quite cool. I turned my attention away from the stage and instead ventured into actual conversation with the friends. We were, after all, celebrating my accomplishment. I was going to be a graphic editor for an actual fucking company that was willing to bank on my skills, and pay me quite well. I was the first of the group to reach their goal. I was also the only one to actually be done with graduate school and had been working already for nearly 18 months in the real world. Of course, Sidney wasn’t having it, knowing right well that I was avoiding what Patty had started.

“Who’s the guy? What the hell does he play? Name?” she grilled across her bottle of beer.

“Pretty. Don’t know what he does in the band. Have no name.” I summed it up in three tiny sentences and a smile.

She looked at me like I had two heads until her eyes moved to the stage and latched onto the tall, lanky one. “Well, if he’s indicative of those two…”

I grinned and turned my attention back to the stage. He was the damn guitarist. He was plugging into the amp and storming his fingers across the frets. My eyes were instantly locked on him as he nodded to his bandmates as they all started to warm up. A fourth prowled between them all, mic in hand shouting a hearty “Good evening!” like it was a damn arena. I glanced at Pat and he just watched me with a grin and knowing nod. I whispered a fuck as I looked back at them. He was dressed all in black - black boots, black, skin tight jeans, black button up that was cropped at his tummy and buttoned only by one button. His chest was bare save a grouping of necklaces that bounced gently against the tanned skin. He was seductive to look at. I sipped at my drink as they slid into a song that made everyone stop what they were doing to take notice of the upstarts on stage. They had a swagger that made me smile wide. Fucker was right - I did like it by the end of the first song.

“Fucking Zeppelin wannabes,” Joe jabbed with a snarl.

I rolled my eyes. Figures. I knew from the gossip Patrick had told me, Joe was in the middle of a break up with a real twat. I could extend him some leeway, but only so far. Pat told him that the next round was on him, since the rest of the crew decided they liked the band. I was spellbound as they tore through their set. The whole pub was bouncing and just absorbing everything the band fed them. The band had something that was endearing, but was rooted in a raw talent that was very clear.

I felt the heat of the pub swell around me and the energy that was fostered by them was electric. They were fun. They were certainly sexy. The singer belted across the crowd effortlessly, hitting notes that sent shivers down the spine and elevated the soul a few notches. There was a guitar solo in every damn song, but he was masterful in how he baited the crowd and kept them with him as he sped through an effortless performance. The bassist was flawless as he strutted around like on a damn cloud. Mr. Shoulders at the kit would’ve grabbed my attention, but he oozed - for lack of a better way of saying it - big dick confidence, and it had me by the pussy.

I barely registered that Joe had taken my empty glass and replaced it with a new one. He scoffed but Patty just told him to fuck off. I was enraptured. It was like he was reaching through my body and taking everything from every cell in me, but filling it with something that just evoked absolute joy, tinged with a heavy dose of heathen thoughts that needed to be quelled. My core was quivering with need while my brain felt like it was on absolute fire with him.

“What the actual fuck was that?” Sidney remarked as the crowd cheered for more when their set was finished. “Just…”

I realized that most of the group was just as blown over as I was. I took a slow swallow of my drink, closing my ringing and pulsing ears as the friends started to debate our crawl for the night. I didn't care much - just as long as we had our time together. I was only here through tomorrow night before I had to head for St. Paul. I knew in the back of my brain, most of these people I would not see again. I needed to make it count.

Twenty minutes of bickering later, I grabbed Patrick by the collar and shouted over the din of people that I needed water and not to leave without me. He kissed my cheek with a promise to stay until I was back. Yeah. I totally believed that one, but I snaked my way through the crowd to the bar. It was insane that the energy of the show still flowed through the space, leaving the closing act to really bust balls to top their act. I stood patiently, one hand waiting on the bartop in order to keep my spot amongst those that had far less patience than me.

“Beers for the band!” one of the bartenders called out with a pointed finger a few spots down from me.

“Thanks man!” a familiar rasp struck my ear.

I turned to look over my shoulder to see him; hair plastered to his throat and damp with sweat, still in his show outfit, but his shirt is totally open. I can feel my chin dip as my eyes widen upon him. He wiped a towel across his brow before shoving it into his back pocket. The word ‘sexy’ was not strong enough to describe what he gave off at that moment. I am not ashamed that I had to wipe at my lip to keep the drool at bay. His sparkle filled eyes turned in my direction and paused for a moment until it changed to recognition that caught me by surprise.

“Deep Purple!” he called, his mouth parting in a smile that knotted my guts painfully. “Is that you?!”

I laughed as he had to go around like twenty people to move a few steps to meet me at my side. His eyes raked across my body, taking me in. I’m sure it was a far cry from the poorly cut off shorts and shitty top from earlier.

“It’s me,” I cooed as he reached my side.

For a moment, I lost myself in his gaze. I was instantly overwhelmed by his appeal. The spell was broken as the bartender set an icy bottle of water at my fingers along with change. He let out a soft laugh that almost seemed nervous.

“Did you catch the show?”

“I did. You were right - I liked it.”

He flashed a cocky smile as his eyes dipped to my outfit once more. “Celebrating?”

I nodded as I took a drink of water.

“Anything in particular?”

I can’t help the buzz of energy that hits me as I smile huge and trilled, “ME! We’re celebrating ME tonight.”

“Oh my,” he said, his tone dropping into a panty incinerating level. “Occasion?”

“New job, new life, new city, new everything,” I answered with a happy nod.

“Amazing…”

Patrick’s notification blared and my cheeks pink a bit as I fumbled for my phone. I uttered a sharp ‘Fuck’ as I see they’re at the door and needed to get my ass out of there or be left behind. “I gotta go,” I said, disappointment in my voice.

“Ah, don’t go…”

“Friends are heading to the next bar.”

“Are you crawling?” he asked, his hand on my arm to slow me down.

I nodded and turned away. Fuck them. Why do I have to go…? Did they not— Fuck. Sometimes I hate my cockblocking friends.

Marklowe’s Tiki Bar banked on its Carribbean themed décor and bright colors that splashed across the walls and floor to the huge tiki covered bar set a super loud atmosphere, while the ginormous umbrella drinks made for a good landing place to just be idiotic. I ground down on Patrick’s thigh to the worst manufactured music ever, but loved every moment of it. The friends were bouncing around like it was their last night on the planet. Because each drink was the size of four, and were the cost of six, we kept our time in the tiki to a minimum. Jordan dragged me to the ladies room while the others were finishing up their drinks. As I was fixing my lipstick, she was talking about the job that was drawing her away back home to Houston. I could hear her stress over leaving Sidney behind. She was trying to rationalize waiting a year for her closest friend to graduate. I knew it was just fear talking. She would take that job and do very well as she worked towards her goal of being a partner in her mother’s law firm. I watched as she pulled out her phone with a scoff.

“They are heading for the door,” she groaned. “Fuckers. It’s like they want to sprint across the district tonight.”

I was the first to push my way out of the restroom, only to stumble over my own toes in my rush, running right against someone. Looking up, I felt my face blush as I was met with the rich chocolate eyes of the guitarist. He helped me upright, moving me flush against his frame. His hands drifted down my arms as all I could do was stare at him as his smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Just as Jordan’s hand wrapped around my wrist he asked, “Still having fun?”

I turned my body back towards his as Jordan started to drag me away. “Absolutely!” I called out.

I could not look away from the smirk that he shot me. Jordan gave me a look that could melt steel as we passed the bar in a near rush to catch up to the friends.

“Good god, girl! That’s the guitar player,” she said, unable to contain the bomb of her surprise.

I smiled wide as I looked back behind me once again, just able to see where he had been. “Pretty, right?”

Maxie’s Singing Bar continued the stupidity of the evening by adding karaoke to the mix. Patrick was insisting on singing with Sidney, so we waited. And waited more. I nestled into Patrick’s side, trying to avoid the barrage of questions about apartments, and the job, and ‘why the hell are you going to fucking St. Paul?’ I found myself being coy because, seriously? I was about to start getting some serious chops in my field, with a damn fine salary to boot.

“Come on, punkin. Let’s get another round of drinks,” Patrick replied as he slid out from the glittery plastic booth.

He held my hand all the way up to the bar. “You can’t let them get the better of you, Y/n,” he said as we waited. “They don’t get it. You’re the first one of us to grow the fuck up.”

The idea of being on a plan with one of those little paper bags shoved on my face was not appealing. I was silently begging for no hangover, despite the spin of alcohol in my veins. I just… Ugh. I spaced out as he ordered the round. My brain was fighting lists of stuff that I had packed weeks ago, along with movers and my parents flying in over the following weekend to ensure I was set up right. I desperately fought off the sudden urge to ask to leave. Patrick had asked to stop her when we were planning out the night. I knew it was probably the one time that he could cut loose with the ever lovely Sidney - the object of his eternal pining, although he would never openly admit it to anyone other than me.

I was startled as the bartender set a glass of ice water at my elbow. I smiled up at him. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You’re so old,” he teased as I batted my eyelashes at him.

“Why, just because I refuse to be sick off my ass tomorrow?” I asked before taking another drink.

He wrapped me up in a hug, holding onto me for a beat too long.

“Ugh, what the fuck is up with you tonight,” I scoffed as I made a face at him.

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“You’re like extra touchy feely and shit.” I noticed his gaze turned to Sidney and it’s like watching all of that man’s insides turn to absolute goo. I sighed deeply. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Patty.”

“Why the fuck not?” he asked, instantly defensive.

“I’m not telling you not to, just - she’s more focused than I am,” I reasoned, tracing figure 8s in the condensation on my glass. “You want way more than what she’s willing to give to anyone, including you, handsome.”

He didn’t say anything. I felt terrible as I realized I had just deflated him completely. I threaded my fingers through his and gave him a little squeeze.

“Maybe I just need to take what I can to get the fuck over it,” he said directly in my ear, the heat of his body matching the pain in his words.

“You’re better than that, dick,” I grumbled just as a bartender started to put up our order.

“Patty!” Sidney called as she strutted towards the stage and mics.

It was a rare moment of stillness that my dearest friend handed to me. My heart broke for him.

He nodded as he reached for a shot that had been set before him and downed it. “Love you. You got all this?”

I watched as he strolled towards her, putting back his persona on like it was his armor. Looking back at the bartop, I groaned. “No, I don’t got this, fucker.”

I tried to get Jordan’s attention, but she was too far up Joe’s ass to bother looking at me waving like a lunatic. As I’m turning back to the bar to see if I can spy a tray, my eyes caught on the front door as the guitarist and his group walked in. I froze, taking in what he was wearing - the dark washed skinny jeans, boots and a chopped dark red t-shirt. His wrists were filled with bracelets and there’s a long necklace that falls just below his pecks. A soft breath escapes me as his eyes seem to lock right on mine and the cocky smile greets me. I had no way to actually run, and could only watch as he approached, all full of swagger.

“Okay, third run in; time for introductions. I’m Jake,” he said as he approached, hand out as if he’s going to shake my hand formally.

“Well, counting the record store, it’s the fourth run in,” I remarked with a grin before I gave him my name and my hand.

Instead of shaking it, however, he turned his palm up, passing the pad of his thumb across my knuckles as he leans in against the bar. He had me so distracted that I did not see Pat reach across my blindside for his and Sidney’s drinks.

“We’re up!” he nearly squealed, retreating quickly.

“Make it super slutty!” I shouted after him.

Suddenly, because of the shift, I came up nose to nose with the newly introduced Jake. He tried to back up, but was trapped. I tried to move back, but there was nowhere to go either. A deep blush swept across my face as he let out a gentle laugh over our dilemma. I instantly breathed him in - all tobacco, sandalwood, lavender and him. His hands caught my arms to steady me and I let out a nervous giggle. A fucking giggle. As if it couldn’t get worse - it did. Patrick and Sidney started belting out “Love in an Elevator” in the most sleazy manner possible. I let out an absolute cackle before I could catch myself.

Jake’s eyes popped wide as he took in the scene unfolding behind me and I can only assume Patrick took my ‘slutty’ suggestion to the absolute max. I looked over my shoulder to find the pair grinding against each other in a nearly illegal manner.

“Oh my god,” I breathed, instantly trying to delete the sight from my eyes. I reached for the closest drink and took it down as fast as I could, only to find that it was my water. “Fucking figures.”

I regrouped and grabbed my beer and took a long, soothing swallow. He was watching me fumble the entire time, a smirk plastered on his mouth and those damn eyes just full of heat. “Sorry, that whore friend of mine is under the impression he needs to blow my life up at any given moment of every damn day.”

As if she knew that he was close, Jordan magically realized that I needed help with the drinks. I was shifting glasses around to make room for Jake’s order of beers and tequila shots as she sauntered up, tits out and hips swaying like she’s walking down a catwalk.

“That’s all right,” Jake replies, downing a shot with barely a grimace. “I’ve got three like that myself. At least you’re not related to any of them like I am.”

My brow furrowed as I set my beer down. “I was not getting Jonas Brothers vibes from you guys.”

His laugh was warm and inviting. “Damn, I hope not.”

“Hey-” Jordan called, leaning in close. “I’ll take what I can.”

I started handing over drinks, trying not to notice that she was trying to flash her amazing cleavage as she bent slightly into Jake. I couldn’t help the smug feeling when I realized that his eyes were either directly on me, or his own beer. She tapped the side of my foot before she made her way back to the table.

“Rude to keep us waiting, Jacob.” Another set of hands were reaching across his chest.

It was then that I noticed the similar ridge of cheekbones, the jawline, the mouth… I looked back at Jake and he must’ve seen what I found confusing.

“Twin,” he said with a little eye roll.

“Identical,” the other said with a little huff. “Hi, I’m Josh.”

My eyebrows shot up as the brother started walking off towards their table. “So not Jonas Brothers, but The Proclaimers?”

“Oh fuck no,” he laughed before taking another drink of his beer. “Are they supposed to be doing that?”

It was at that second that I realized Sidney and Patrick are no longer singing. I lock on Jake’s eyes and freeze. “I don’t know if I want to know…”

Why had I looked back at the stage? Why did I have to be a witness to such an event? I wanted nothing more than to grab hold of the cheapest bottle of behind the bar and douse my eyeballs with it.

“Ew,” I flinched as I turned back towards the guitarist, finding the space even more crammed and my hands were now on his very nice, very firm chest. I looked up into his face and he had this endearing look like he’s about to… Yup, he graciously wrapped a hand around my hip holding me close. My brain was just on the verge of rupture when I heard Jordan chirping about what was happening before them.

“I take it that’s not a good thing,” he whispered against my ear.

“Not really, no,” I sighed, nearly against his mouth as his lips part.

I wanted to fall into his mouth and lose myself in his touch. I was so damn close until I saw Jordan and Sidney fly out past us and the rest of the group straggling behind. I looked behind me and found a very upset Patrick, collecting their glasses and heading for the bar. I watched as he set the glasses down on the bartop and headed towards the door without a look at me.

“I fucking hate drama,” I sighed.

His hand tightened on my hip, bringing my attention back to him. I looked into his handsome face and smiled sadly. I puffed my cheeks out and shook my head.

“Just when this was getting interesting,” I replied, drawing a little squiggle against the skin just under his collar bone. “I better catch up with them.”

“You want me to -”

“Naw,” I said as I finally stepped away from him, instantly regretting the distance. “This is probably gonna get messy.”

“Maybe I’ll see you again,” he said with a soft grin.

I shyly tucked a hair behind my ear. “I hope so.”

I didn’t bother with a fast walk to try to catch up with them. Patrick was waiting just outside the door, smoke in hand and a mournful look etched across his features.

“What the hell, Patrick?” I scolded as I stole his smoke for a drag.

“Fucking Jordan,” he grumbled, rubbing his hands across his face. “Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know, Pat - maybe because you two fucked way back when…”

“Maybe. That was a ‘maybe’. We have no idea if we did or not.”

“If you wake up naked by each other, it’s pretty likely you did, you whore.”

I couldn’t stop my anger at that moment. The night was supposed to be about the friends - it was supposed to celebrate me getting the fucking job that I had dreamed about; the job I had worked my ass off for. I did not hide my disappointment.

“They just went into Benny’s,” I said, seeing Joe waving at us from the corner.

“I don’t want to be there,” he said quietly.

I rolled my eyes like a bad friend. It wasn’t even Sidney that put him off. She was… I didn’t really want to even think about it. He knew - Pat had to know that it would be short term. I just didn’t even want to broach that possibility. Was he willing to hurt himself just to say he had some time with her? That just broke my heart a little more for him.

“Fine. How about we get some coffee and sit out Benny’s,” I suggested, tugging on his sleeve. “Come on. My treat.”

I sat with my dearest friend on the planet as he processed what had happened. I listened to him as he knew - he just knew that it would be better to know than to always wonder. It wasn’t like she was plastered out of her mind. She had actually leaned in first and he just couldn’t stop the moment she touched him.

“It will never be what you want it to be,” I said quietly, holding the cup tight. “Sid has such an entrenched idea of what she wants to do, Patty. She hasn’t had anyone with any permanence ever. What you have to offer, alluring as it is, it’s not what she’s looking for. At least not right now.”

He let out a long breath. “I love the way she fucking tastes. How can I-”

“Stop.”

He nodded, getting my drift. He fiddled with the handle of his empty mug. I could feel him returning to normal, even though I knew he was hurting. I reached across the table and took his hand in mine to give a little squeeze.

I flipped my phone over to discover that Joe had sent a text that they were moving onto the pool hall. I loved playing pool. I sucked at playing pool, but I loved playing it. I put on my doe eyes with every intention of yanking my friend along with me if I had to. He smiled and seemed to find his resolve. We walked hand in hand to the end of the drag, finding everyone seemed to have the same idea. The pool hall was packed and I knew it was going to be impossible to get a table. Joe shouted out from a high top table that they had crowded around.

I saw Jordan and Sidney were already at the bar. I texted Sid our arrival and kept my eyes on her when she looked at her phone. Her eyes immediately move over to us, specifically Patrick. Hmm. Interesting. Perhaps her lack of steady company was not necessarily due to a singular focus on finishing college with a 4.0. What more, Pat’s gaze on her and it just feels - good. I smiled as Joe offered me his seat in order to stand. His voice was loud and liquor happy. No doubt he would be sobbing about the ex soon enough.

We fell into being normal once again. Jordan and Sidney returned with the round and we got back to our celebratory vibe. My ear caught the music across the room - someone had actually taken time to curate something good from the jukebox as some more obscure Black Sabbath worked across the din of the packed house. I sipped at my Tito’s + cranberry, trying to pay attention to those with me instead of the idea of being rudely interrupted from having time with the luscious Jake. The frustration of it made me squeeze my thighs just a bit as my long neglected core wept for attention.

We must’ve been in the hall for about an hour when we started getting antsy. No tables were opening up - at all. Sidney was leaning into Patrick’s shoulder and their hands were tightly together. Jordan was talking rapidly, Joe had his eyes on the ceiling. Things felt like they would spiral out of control at any moment.

“Hey, Y/n - isn’t that guy in that other guy’s band?” Sidney asked, her brows raised like she was trying hard to put her thoughts together. “I mean, isn’t that the singer of that band?”

I followed where she’s pointing, and sure enough, there was Josh with the tall drummer right behind him, carrying a couple of empty pitchers. I felt a little stutter in my chest as I looked around the room.

“Hey, punkin,” Patrick called to me, capturing my attention once more. “Help me at the bar, yeah?”

I knew what he was doing. Fucker. I slid out of the tall chair and held his hand as we made our way out for another round. I couldn’t help the little flutter of possibility that Jake would be in the room somewhere. If his hands on me earlier was an indicator, I had a glimmer of a chance of something to finish out the celebration - maybe? Patty got us to the bar, close enough to the two but far enough away to not appear like I was trolling them or anything weird like that.

We watched as the bartenders flew around that bar space. They were beyond busy. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Josh and the drummer were reaching for fresh pitchers. Just as they were moving away, Josh stopped.

“Shit come on,” I heard him say sharply. “You can’t stay just a little longer?”

I turned to look at the pair to see Jake had joined them. Was he leaving? Fuck. No. Okay. I could be totally smooth about this, right? Pat was leaned over the bar to give our order and was totally unaware of my awkwardness to give me any help at all. I was a big girl. I could do this. Just one foot in front of the other. Just move the damn feet…

I ducked in between the crowd and started in his general direction, hoping that he’d catch my eye before I’m right on top of them. Just as I was about to chicken out, those searing brown eyes touched my face and stopped. The other two glanced over and Josh patted Jake's chest before walking away with beer filled pitchers towards the pool tables.

“Fifth time charm?” he asked as he closed the space. “Drama over? You look to have survived.”

I smiled wide as he drew so close I could breathe him in. My brain caught fire with all of him as he reached out, his fingers brushed against my arm until he took my hand in his. “Yes,” I answered, trying not to shout over the loudness of the space. “Drama over. Last stop of the night, but we’ve already been waiting on a table for over an hour.”

“We’ve got a table,” he said, brows pulling together as he looked back in the direction of the far back corner. “We don’t mind sharing. Wanna join in?”

I glanced around at Pat at the bar and the friends at the high top. Just to get away from the crowded singular table would be nice. I see Patrick step away from the bar with another pitcher and in need of help with glasses held in his paw of a hand. I raise a finger to Jake and try to help the best I can.

“Oh, look who you found,” he remarked as Jake moved towards us.

“We’ve got a table. Tell this friend of yours we are more than happy to share,” Jake said, taking a couple of the drinks from Pat.

“Yeah, friend. If he wants to share and all…”

Jake tightened his hold on my hand with a little tug, as if I would say ‘no’. Jake took off in one direction, Pat in the other to retrieve the group. I’m being guided along, eyes planted on the ass encased in denim that leaves me knowing that I’m a terrible person for the thoughts that are suddenly raging through my skull. The man’s thighs were making me drool as he turned to the side to slide between people, making sure that I was still with him, even though he held my hand tight. I grinned at him, careful not to drop my own drink as we bobbled through the crowd.

Their table was at the very back of the pool hall - the farthest from the bar, but took advantage of a bartop that followed the corner and provided plenty of space to accommodate everyone. I quietly hoped that Joey would be polite and keep his sour take on their music to himself. Patrick was in the lead with the others trailing behind. Introductions were fast, with Sam and Josh and Danny blending in right away. A new game was racked and underway within moments. I stood to the side, watching Pat and Sidney on the other side of the table just stay close to each other. There was a vibe there that was hard to not see.

“After that last place, I thought for sure my chance was used up,” Jake remarked, eyes on me with a smile in place. “Looks like whatever drama there was, love prevailed, huh?”

I felt my smile spread as I tilted my head. It was hard not to feel a bit squishy over how he put the soon to be very brief love affair between friends. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “For now at least.”

It was just fun to drink and play pool and be stupid with these four men. Jake and Pat teamed up against Sidney and Joey. I sat back as I watched that man look very sexy sprawled on the pool table, ass and thighs on display and I just couldn’t look away. And he knew it. He so knew that I was blazing holes into his flesh with my eyes in the most disrespectful manner possible. What more, the way his eyes passed across my skin etched paths that I so wanted him to explore.

The next game, Jake was looped into playing with Sam against Jordan and Joe. Pat asked me to join him for a smoke, and the guitarist watched as I blew him a kiss and followed my friend. The clock was edging closer to two as he handed me a cigarette and waited for me to light it.

“That man wants to tear you up, love,” he said calmly, with a face that fought to keep straight. “I think I’ve lost count how many times Jordan has tried to get his attention, but he only has eyes for you, Y/n.”

I got a grin that I cannot hide, so I don’t bother. I let out a tight breath before taking a long drag. “Yeah and you and Sid are looking pretty damn cozy.”

“It just feels good,” he replied, eyes falling down on the sidewalk.

“You’re going to have to have a serious conversation before you lose in this, Patrick,” I said firmly. “I won’t be here to pick up your pieces. I can’t handle thinking that you’re hurting on your own.”

“I know. You’re right.”

I flipped my hair over my shoulder as a warm summer breeze struck my frame. I was going to miss it in Ann Arbor. I had been missing it terribly, already. Lansing was… well. It was Lansing.

“So, what are you going to do? I don’t think I can watch you flirt with that man without any kind of outcome,” he said with a silly grin. “I mean it’s so obvious he’s interested.”

I shrugged. “Not sure.”

“Bull shit.”

I looked up at my friend, finding support. He’d never judge me for what I wanted to do, even if it were to be a one night stand with the most gorgeous man. Hell, even if that man was okay looking, I could count on Pat to just respect the fact I was doing something to make myself happy.

“Look, if I were you - hell, if you don’t, maybe I will - but,” he started, letting out a laugh that filled me with confidence, “I think you need to march that ass in there and tell that man exactly what you want from him and see what happens. I bet you he runs you out of here in ten seconds flat.”

I rolled my eyes and took the last drag of my smoke. Following Patty back inside, I was trying to think about how to sugar coat what I was going to say to Jake. By the time we got all the way to the back of the room, and my eyes fell onto him leaned up against the bartop, feet crossed at the ankles, face relaxed, eyes on fire, I just knew I needed to be as direct as possible. I walked right up to him and he slid a hand across the small of my back as I leaned against his body. I stared into his eyes, finding them welcoming. His lips parted as I brush mine against his as I push past to land next to his ear.

“I’m getting my ass out of here - new town, new life,” I whispered, fighting the urge to lap at his earlobe. “Will you be the end of my night? Help me celebrate?”

I feel his body shift fractionally as he brings his other hand up to rest between my shoulder blades, nearly locking me in place against him. Our mouths were not touching anything, but just passing along as if mapping out where to kiss, where to taste, where to… His tongue passed across his bottom lip as he stood up fully, threading his fingers with mine.

“Danny,” he called out. “You’re good bunking with them other two?”

He didn’t even wait for an answer, just started walking out with me in tow. I could hear Patty’s cackle behind us. The exhilaration that had begun to pump through my chest nearly made me choke. We reached outside and he paused, eyes trailing up and down the street.

“Where are you staying?” I asked as we started to cross the street.

He points at an older hotel that is just down the way and I am thankful I will not have to wait too much longer. He held the door open for me and we crossed the abandoned lobby towards the elevator. After a minute of waiting, he shook his head, the tell of his own impatience. He chuckled as he spun us to the stairs.

“I’m just on the second floor anyway,” he said, once again holding the door for me.

Before my foot landed on the stair, he held me back, turning me to face him. God, he was pretty as he crashed into me, his mouth hard as he nearly consumed me in our kiss. Our hands were everywhere all at once as we fumbled up the stairs. I gasped as my back met the wall at the landing. His hands were on my face and in my hair and on my hips, and on my… FUCK this man seemed to be as thirsty for touch as I was. His mouth on my throat made me moan a bit too loud. It was enough to make us move up the stairs once more, but two steps up, we were searching for touch again. I nearly tumbled as I yanked him towards me so I could start to rip at his belt. He caught me, crashing his mouth into mine, fingers pressed into my hair with a soft groan as I released the leather bind of his jeans.

There was no hiding intent. We banged down the hall, bumping into walls, furniture; unable to break from each other’s touch. He held me close as he slid the key card into the room’s lock. I sucked on his ear lobe, laughing as he couldn’t get the timing right to push down the door handle when the lock unlatched. It took two tries before he finally grumbled and had to push me back just a bit to get us inside.

The room was not remarkable, even though the only thing in my head was him. His fingers caught the slit of the skirt and tucked inside as I feasted on his tongue. He barely brushed the boyshorts I was wearing and growled wickedly when he found I was drenched through the cotton of the garment.

“Ready for this, aren’t you?” he asked as I nearly ripped off his shirt to reveal miles of his skin for me to mark and explore.

“Honestly, if you don’t get that monster in you pants in me right now, I may have to-”

He grabbed my hips and spun my ass around and bent me over the desk chair, forcing my hands down onto the seat. “You think I’ve got a monster dick?”

I whined a bit as he jacked up my skirt and slid down my panties, giving me a hearty pinch across my bottom. He was humming as he planted a kiss directly on the dip of the small of my back. I felt him lean back and hear the tear of something. I looked back to see him taking out a condom and rolling across what I had suspected all along - fucking monster sized cock was about to send me into orbit.

“Like that, do you?” he asked, voice husky as he rolled the latex across his length. “Big enough?”

I didn’t hide it, I licked the drool from the corner of my mouth with a pitiful moan. “You gonna fuck me good with that, aren’t you…”

A sound between a moan and a chirp pounds itself from my throat as he lines himself up against me. “Be a good girl now. This is all for you.”

He had me clenching around him on the first thrust. He was playing me like his cherry red guitar, eliciting sounds from me that I had never made before. The stretch and sting was top tier as he set a pace that was like one of his guitar solos. He had one hand on my clit while the other pressed against my spine, dipping under the thin fabric of my shirt and pushing it up, as if relishing each bump and twist of my bones until my shirt was pushed up and over my head to pool at my wrists. I was full on panting as he stood me up, still buried deep within me. I shoved the chair aside as he bit into my ear and throat. I was pressed to the desk, cheek down on the laminate with my feet kicked wide so he could have even better access to my pussy. He brought one hand down to palm my ass and he ruthlessly pinched at my breast as he plowed forward. I looked back at him to find his eyes hard on me, his mouth open with a feral breath.

“I will suck that cock tonight,” I demanded, pushing my ass back on him.

“Holy fuck you will,” he concurred, digging his hands into my hips.

He reached out, taking hold of my shoulder, slowing down to press into me so deep I thought for sure he would split me in half. My face fell forward as I sighed over the new rhythm. My skin became drenched in flame as he bent over me, lips on my bare shoulder.

“Cum hard, pretty girl,” he whispered before he flicked my earlobe with his tongue.

My chest exploded as I collapsed forward fully on the desk as I sprayed my climax out onto him. He let out a low groan as he came right after, pulsing into me a few more times before coming to a stop. We both struggled to catch our breath. He twitched and shuttered before he gently pulled himself from me. His palm came down on my back with a whispered ‘stay here’.

By the time he returned, my breathing had gone from ‘holy shit I can’t breathe’ down to ‘I just finished power walking after that lush ass, sir’.

“This is going to be a little cold,” he said before pressing a washcloth against my swollen cunt. I barely flinched as he cleaned me up gently. I started to reach for my panties, but he stopped me. “I’m not done celebrating yet. Are you?”

I grinned as he shyly pressed a kiss to my forehead. I watched as he moved back to the bathroom to clean up further.

“Why don’t you get out of that skirt and meet me on the bed, Y/n,” he said when the water was turned off.

“Which one is yours?” I asked as I draped my clothes over the chair.

“Uh…” He strolled out of the bathroom, his own clothes over his arm, his cock flaccid but still impressive against his thigh. He tossed his clothes on top of the now forgotten desk and steered me towards the bed by the window. He pressed every inch of skin to mine as he kissed me, backing me up until we both fell onto the mattress.

To say we made out is an understatement. I lost myself in his touch: his mouth, his hands, fuck his body. Every press against me made me quiver with anticipation.

“So,” he said in between kisses to my mouth. “New city?”

“St. Paul,” I answered before dragging his lip in between my teeth.

“Job?”

“I’m joining a graphic arts company who contracts with venues for entertainment and corporate events,” I said quietly.

He paused and looked me in my face. “I wouldn’t even know what you do, but it sounds like you’re going to work with the big talent in my field.”

I shrugged. “I will sometimes.”

He kissed me hard once more, his hands sliding down my back. I threaded my fingers in his hair as he kissed down my body. I was already flooding between my thighs as he parted them to make room for himself. He passed a callused finger across the stripe of downy curls, planting kisses to my hip and the top of my thigh.

“I wasn’t planning on being close up ready,” I whisper, blushing over the idea that I had not totally groomed down there for the night. “Sorry…”

He hummed, kissing down in between the curls. “I like it,” he sighed as he breathed in.

I watched as he placed a chaste kiss to each side of where my thighs met my labia. I sucked in a breath as he brushed his lips against the delicate skin, his nose ghosting over the hair. He smiled wickedly as he tongued my clit after pressing me open for his whim. He rolled his eyes up on me, taking in how my breasts bounced a bit as my breath came a little faster. He made eye contact as he sucked me in, circling my nub as he did so. I squeaked. I fucking squeaked and I am not ashamed that I squeaked. He settled in and I had the bed cover knotted in my hand on the right, and tugging at his hair on the left. He blew across the curls before rising up a bit, taking a moment to really look across my body. I felt like a beautiful mess that he was laying claim to.

“Good?” Jake asked, leaning his head against my thigh.

“Yes,” I sighed, unclenching my fingers against his scalp. “So good.”

The corner of his mouth tugged before he lowered down, sliding in one finger as he pushed his tongue against my entrance. I released a gasp as he went into work. My words got filthier the longer he worked my pussy. He hummed, cooed, whispered against my flesh and I begged him for more. I will not say that he was edging, but he would bring me to a high, only to gently let me down a bit before taking me higher than before. It was a beautiful thing that this man was doing to me - it was worship and I accepted it wholeheartedly.

“How about we shift to 69?” I asked as he licked my slit.

He grinned as he pulled himself up and turned around to slide his arms under my thighs to yank me wide open for him. I rolled his balls between my fingers as I nibbled on his thick tip before sinking him down my throat in a hard thrust.

“Holy fuck,” he gasped, as I tugged him while hollowing out my cheeks to let him go with a pop.

“Good?” I asked, trying to look around the heavy cock that was immediately growing hard against my hold.

He nodded as he watched me do it all again. I raised an eyebrow at him before I let him go again.

“I need your words, cupcake,” I said with sass in my tone.

“You’re going to fucking kill me, aren’t you, Y/n?” he muttered before pushing two fingers deep inside me with a firm curl to make me buck my hips.

“No more than what you are doing to me,” I gurgled the words before I began to love on him.

The sounds I was able to draw out of him pulsed into my core and radiated up through my entire body. Fuck this man was better than the little deaths he shot through me. I drew his balls down before tucking a finger to the space behind them. He jolted against me before settling back down. I sucked him down hard before pressing into the spot again with purpose. He let out a startled moan. I let him fall out of my mouth, giving the base of his length little kitten licks to soothe him for a moment.

“Don’t tell me no one has ever done this for you?” I whispered, looking through my own tits at him.

“No,” he said quietly.

“I can reward you so good for the head you just gave me,” I said gently, tickling my finger across the space once more. “But only if you want me to, Jake.”

He lifts his frame a bit higher to come to rest his forehead on my pubic bone. “You’d do that?”

“Oh hell yes,” I answered with a confident smile. “But only if you want it.”

His eyes narrowed a bit, watching as I continued to lick and lap at his shaft and base. His breath was spiking with anticipation as he licked at his lips. “Do it,” he said, his voice filled with rasp.

I took him back into my mouth hard, plunging him in and out quickly to cause the spit to build on my tongue. He’s grinding into me until I hold his hips still, letting him fall from my lips and I scoot back a bit to spit into his already spread cheeks. He gasped out a string of curses as I swirled my middle finger into his velvet. I planted kisses to his thigh as I pumped his cock the best I can at the weird angle. I watched his face as he relaxed, allowing me to sink my finger in slowly. His jaw dropped as I blew across his balls. He groaned as his cheek came back down on my thigh. Both hands were gripping the bed cover tightly. His eyes were shimmering with pleasure as I began to stroke in and out. He sounded beautiful as I tried to see his face, but he’s angled so that I really couldn’t see him, like he was afraid he was going to crush me if he laid down flat.

“Jake?” I asked, before pooling more spit in my mouth to blow it to his hole for more lube.

“Oh my ever loving fuck…” he ground out.

I grinned before I leaned in a fraction, just close enough to lick at the base and his balls once more. Suddenly, he came all over my chest - hard and loud. In his surprise, he lifted himself, my finger still deep within him as if he just realized what had happened. I withdrew and he hissed as he climbed away, cheeks blazing red.

“Jake?” I asked, afraid to move for fear of making a mess.

“Just stay right there,” he said loudly. “I’ll be right back!”

I heard the water at the sink turn on and him deep breathing like he was in a panic. He kept repeating himself, “Come on, come on, come on, come on…”

I awkwardly crossed my legs and tried to be modest, but it was rather difficult with cum that was pooling and dripping off my chest. He rushed back, and I could see he was absolutely flustered and more than a little embarrassed.

“Hey,” I said gently, trying to get his attention as he began to wipe at the mess.

“Oh my god,” he sighed as his cheeks reddened all the more. “I’m so sorry I did that. I - fuck…”

“Hey, Jake,” I repeated, reaching out and touching his arm to stop him. “Why would you be sorry for that? That was something beautiful.”

“Well I fucking cummed on your tits like a two pump chump, Y/n,” he remarked as he went back to wiping me off. “What the hell…”

“No,” I said, catching his hand once again. “Did it feel good?”

“Well, obviously,” he said sharply. “Maybe a little too good.”

“No one’s done that for you. You didn’t know what to expect. Did you like it?”

He stood up as I took his hand. Finally, he made eye contact and the redness of his cheeks began to fade. It was like he was realizing that I was not scolding him for cumming so fast. He grinned before setting back into wiping himself off me.

“I liked it,” he admitted. “I’m pissed that I couldn’t hold on for more.”

I watched as he finished his part and I pushed myself up on my elbows. “Well, is the celebration done yet?”

He laughed. Like threw his head back and laughed as I used his words. He shook his head. He said he’d be right back and took off back towards the bathroom. I will admit, watching that ass sway was a sight to behold. He returned with a couple bottles of water. He opened one before handing it to me.

I waited for him to settle in up against the headboard to lay back against him. I listened to him breathing for a long while. He drew little pictures into my arm as we just collected ourselves and the time we have shared. I was nearly on the verge of dozing when he shifted, drawing my attention back to him.

“I want to make out more,” he whispered against my mouth. “It’s like I can’t get enough of you.”

It’s my turn to laugh a bit. I kissed him deeply before heading to the bathroom for a moment. I took my time in cleaning myself up. I swore I could still feel the heat of his mouth against my skin. It made me smile as I made my way back to him. I paused, finding him sitting up against the headboard, eyes closed and fully relaxed. He was really breathtakingly handsome. He took his hand from his hair that he had been holding and it swished down around his shoulders. He held his hand out for me to join him and I slid in. He rolled me onto my back and brushed my hair back away from my face.

“You’re so pretty,” he whispered before placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.

His body flooded me with warmth and need once more. This kiss was slow and unhurried. We trailed caresses across each other as if relishing the moment so as to not forget it. We were literally moving in two opposite directions - no matter what. This was going to be it, and it was like we were both very aware of that fact. I knew I was just going to enjoy my time in this man’s hands for as long as I could. I rose up against his side, allowing him to wrap his arms around me to bring me in flush. I absorbed his body heat as he stuck his tongue deep within me. I could get used to the way this man kissed me. Damn.

I straddled his middle and brought myself up enough for him to drag those magical fingers back through me once more. Jake hooked his arms under mine and rose up to flip me back so that I was back on my back.

“Hold on,” he replied as he slid off the bed and went to a duffle bag. He returned, tearing open a condom. His eyes flicked to mine as he set the open package on the nightstand. “Sorry. Just needed one of those things.”

“Thank you,” I said as he sunk down against me with a searing kiss.

It did not take long for him to have me panting once more. He tugged and sucked at my breasts. He pushed my legs wide and placed my hands on my knees to hold close to my sides. I watched as he quickly rolled the thin piece of latex onto his shaft, all the while, he encouraged me to keep myself going. He gave a little laugh as he lifted my hips and slowly entered me. We moaned in unison. My head fell back, chin pointed at the ceiling. He was inching in and out, ensuring every point within me was being stimulated. He would pause, buried so deep and give his hips a little grind to make me whimper with joy. He watched my face so closely, so attentively that I wanted to weep. Each strike he soothed and kissed at my skin, soaking me and wringing me out like I was his doll.

He gathered my body up and held on to me tight as he began to move with purpose. I took his place in grinding against him, staying with his body each time he withdrew only to return with force. I held onto him with all that I had. I knew my sounds were filling the air all around us, mixing and melting with his own. It was beautiful and fleeting and mind altering as he fucked into me. I lowered my hand, grabbing his hand firmly and he sucked a deep breath.

“Try that again?” I whispered my question with his face buried in my neck.

“Yes…” he answered back, scraping his teeth against my shoulder.

I pushed my thumb into my mouth, putting as much slick as possible onto it. I pushed on his thigh to get him to open a bit more as he continued to work me. Gently, I pressed the tip of my thumb against his entrance once more. He groaned and I paused, just giving him a little swirl, a little time to adjust to my touch. He whispered he was ready and I pressed as he buried himself to his hilt. We gasped out over the sensation. I had no intention of giving traction to my touch, just to give him this bit. I hooked my digit back and forth, turned it back and forth as he fucked into me harder. I could feel my body tightening, sprinting towards my high. I looked up at him. Sweat formed on his brow as his teeth were sunk into his bottom lip. I was struck by his absolute beauty and nearly cried out because of it.

He looked me right in the eye and slammed into me. I gasped out. I couldn’t hold out any longer. He repeated the move until I was near screaming his name with my thumb in his ass. Satisfied that he had gotten to me, he dropped his chin to his chest and ground into me hard until he came hard. I let my hand drift back to my side. He held tight, planting little kisses across my collar bones. I wiped his hair back from his forehead, trying hard to catch my breath once more.

“Fuck I don’t want to move,” I sighed as he kissed the top of each breast.

“I got it,” he said softly, letting me go.

He stopped and grabbed his boxer briefs on his way to the bathroom this time. I held myself steady as he cleaned himself up before coming back with a fresh wash cloth. He started to wipe me up, but I took over, sitting up and heading towards the bathroom. I took hold of my clothes and shut the door behind me.

I looked fucked out. It was the only thought that struck me as I glanced in the mirror before I sat to pee. That man had just fucked me and I admit I loved every moment of it. I could smell him on my skin. I could feel his heat still in my skin. I wiped up and put myself slowly back together. I gathered my hair up into a messy ponytail and tied it up with the flimsy jeweled tie. I washed most of the smeared makeup off and stood back with glimpses of the memory of what had just happened dancing through my thoughts.

I stepped out of the bathroom to find him scrolling through his phone, the pile of his clothes next to him. He looked up with a sleepy grin.

“I have bus call in about ninety minutes,” he said as he stood up. “Everyone is meeting downstairs at six to head out. There’s a diner that’s open. You want some breakfast? I have a bit of time.”

I shrug as I reach for my own bag. “Maybe.”

I caught sight of myself once more in the mirror over the desk. Fuck. I had never done something like this before. Short term, benefits only hook ups, sure. But one night stands with essentially a stranger? Never. A bubble of panic formed in my chest over not knowing how to handle the situation. But it’s exactly what I wanted from him. One night. A night of celebration. He ducked into the bathroom to take care of himself with a hesitant smile. I glanced out the window. It was fucking four thirty in the morning. Bars were closed. I was two blocks from Patrick’s apartment…

Silently, I tucked my purse under my arm and paused at the bathroom door. My chest felt like it was on fire. I was going to just say ‘I’m heading out’, but instead, I found my hand on the door handle. I walked quickly down the hall to the stairs and down into the still abandoned lobby and out the door. My heart was pounding so fast that I was afraid I was doing something wrong by just leaving. It was awkward and I didn’t do ‘awkward’.

I didn’t stop until I got to Patty’s place. I could hear his voice in his room calling out.

“Y/n? What are you doing back? I’m…” he called from behind his door.

“Just keep fucking her, Patrick. I’m just getting into the shower,” I said loudly, much to the shrill chirp of embarrassment by Sidney. “I’m just gonna crash on the couch.”

And that was it. My night of celebration was over, washed down the drain of the shower. I hoped that Jake was smiling as he headed out from Ann Arbor. I knew I’d be wearing this fucking smile for weeks to come…

(banner cred to @ saradika and mdni divider by @ cafekitsune)

And away we go! I hope you liked this first part of the story! I do have a tag list, let me know if you want to be added, or fill out the form here. See you next Wednesday! @lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter @sammysvanfeet @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @jaketlove @gvfmarge @becinabubblegvf @wildbluesorbit @sinarainbows @thetroublegetssoloud71 @gracev0609 @gretavangroupie @fleet-of-fiction @edgingthedarkness @itsafullmoon @anythingforjtk @seenoversundown @klarxtr @hollyco @lyndz2names

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