#what about that number 7 that barely played last year?

[fazcinatingblog]

I thought this meant he was dating some hunk from the Freo men's football team and am sorely disappointed upon clicking the article

[4ranghaes]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ bnd with pregnant!reader

ot5 bnd x reader [fluff, afab!reader, pregnant!reader]

a/n - i just felt a bit weird writing woonhak, considering he’s younger than me idk,, hope you still enjoy!!!

sungho🎀 [4 months along]

“wait! wait, wait,” he said quickly, slamming the car door on his side before running round and opening your own.

you chuckled, “thank you, ba–”

“here,” he said, taking your hand, placing his other hand on your back as he helped you out the car.

“sungho,” you sighed, as he rushed to grab your bag and lock the car before ushering you inside, “sungho!”

he stopped, turning to you. he’d just reached the front door of your house, key in his hand as he stopped.

“you need to stop fussing over me,” you laughed, “i’m fine. i’m barely even showing yet!”

sungho sighed, placing his hand protectively on your back as the two of you walked inside, “i know. i’m sorry, i just– i already worried about everything when you were just you! now it’s you and our baby, in one person?! everyday i think i’m going to combust when i think about it.”

you collapsed on the sofa, your body tired and achey. even if you weren’t showing, pregnancy was still doing a number on your body. you laughed at your husband’s words, beckoning him to your side, “i need you to be normal, for my own sanity. and i need you to calm down, for your own health.”

he nodded, leaning on your shoulder, wrapping his arm round your waist, “i’ll try.” he sighed in contentment, his thumb rubbing gently on your stomach, “that was a good scan today.”

you nodded, placing your hand over his, “i love hearing their heartbeat.”

sungho grinned, looking to you and nodding, “i know, makes it feel real that there’s a little person in there! i can’t believe it.” he quietened down again quickly, massaging your legs he knew were aching, kissing your forehead softly. “son or daughter?”

you chuckled, placing your hands over your stomach and humming, “i have no idea.”

“come on,” sungho jeered, “mum’s instinct?”

you smiled, butterflies erupting at the sound of being called mum for the first time, “the instinct is that they’re beautiful and loved, no matter what.”

“yeah…” your husband hummed, “but a daughter would be lovely, right?”

you giggled, nodding as you played with his hair, “and you’d spoil her completely, i’m sure.”

riwoo 🦦🍡 [3 months along]

“was that a dream?”

you hummed, rubbing the sleep from your eyes before snuggling into your husband’s chest, “what?”

“last night,” he said, staring at the ceiling. he glanced at you, a small smile on his face as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you close. “i could swear i had a dream that you told me you were pregnant.”

you giggled, “hmm, i wonder why.”

riwoo chuckled, “i can’t believe it. i feel like i need to do something… tell someone? buy something?”

you laughed, “just hold on. i think we should wait until 20 weeks to tell people. that’s what they suggest, anyway.”

“sounds good,” he nodded, sighing with contentment, “wow. i mean, before the years over we’re gonna have a baby. at christmas! oh wow. do you think it’s gonna be a boy or a girl?”

you giggled, closing your eyes from sleepiness, “i don’t know, sanghyuk.”

“i need to research,” he hummed, stroking your hair, “i don’t know anything about pregnancy or babies.”

“did you know they can already hear?” you smiled, rolling onto your back and placing your hand on your stomach. nothing was showing, but just the idea was exciting. riwoo looked shocked, scooting down the bed and resting his head on your chest, his hand on your lower stomach.

“they can hear me?” he smiled, stroking the skin softly.

“yeah,” you said, stroking riwoo’s hair, “go on, say something. i’ve done it a couple times.”

“okay,” he chuckled, humming for a moment as he swiped his hand over your stomach, “hey baby. i– i don’t know anything about you yet. haven’t even seen a scan. but i’m your dad. um… i guess you’ll get to know me pretty well. i’m excited to meet you, in 7 months. it feels long, but i’m sure it’ll go by quickly, and then you can celebrate christmas with me and your mum. speaking of your mum… you’re inside her now, so she’ll take good care of you. but i hope you treat her well too, don’t make her too ill. um… i don’t really know what else to say so i’ll say bye for now but i’ll speak to you again soon, okay? i’ll play you one of my songs too! feel free to kick or whatever to respond if you like it–”

“five months.”

“hmm?”

“usually you don’t feel the baby kick until five months,” you smiled, stroking your husband’s hair back as he turned his face to look at your face now, instead of your stomach.

he frowned, “that’s so long.”

“come on, we have to get up now,” you groaned, stretching before sitting up.

“okay,” riwoo sighed, pressing a quick kiss to your stomach and leaping out of bed, “i’ll start the coffee— oh.”

you grumbled, glaring at him, “don’t rub it in.”

jaehyun🪻🐕 [6 months along]

“hiya pretty girl,” he said, bursting into a smile as you wandered into the living room.

you glared at your husband, “don’t patronise me.”

“i’m not,” jaehyun laughed, “come on, sit down, i’ll rub your feet.”

“you will?” you asked, almost tearing up in gratitude.

“of course!” he exclaimed, voice soft like a melody as he helped you onto the sofa before pulling your legs up so they were resting in his lap.

“sorry i was grumpy,” you said sheepishly, as he started massaging your sock-covered feet and legging-covered calves.

“it’s okay,” he beamed, “be as grumpy with me as you want, my girl! you’re carrying my baby.”

one of his hands trailed up to rest on the bottom of your rounded stomach. you smiled, placing your hand over his before dragging it upwards to where your daughter’s little feet were kicking repetitively.

“woah, harsh!” he gasped over-dramatically, rubbing the spot with his thumb.

jaehyun was good at leaving you to your own devices during pregnancy, knowing that too much worrying and fussiness would be overbearing for your already over-loaded body and mind, but sometimes you didn’t mind a bit of fuss.

“do you want anything particular for dinner?” he asked, moving back to massaging your feet.

you hummed, “no, i don’t have anything in mind. you can choose.”

“okay,” he said suspiciously, “but i’ll check with you first, yeah? i want you to eat.”

you smiled, nodding and going back to your phone.

“oh check your emails, by the way,” he said, barely even looking at you as he spoke, “i ordered some things for the nursery.”

you clicked on the app, eyes widening at the confirmation email you’d received that morning. “some things?! jaehyun, this is the whole nursery!”

“well we needed to get it done, right?” he shrugged.

“oh thank you,” you cooed, removing your legs from his lap and instead cuddling into his side, “how did you know i was stressing about that last night?”

“you wrote it on a post-it note to remind yourself, and then forgot to put it up,” he chuckled, kissing your forehead, “no need to worry anymore, though.”

you sighed, pregnancy brain ruining your ability to even think anymore, “thank you, love.”

“that’s okay, pretty girl,” he smiled down at you, “and hey, why don’t we go clothes shopping soon? hmm? you know we’re gonna love that.”

you smiled, nodding as jaehyun pressed a soft kiss to your lips, “you’re the best.”

taesan 🎸🐈‍⬛ [7 months along]

“dongmin, have you seen my tape?”

“woah,” he smirked, sitting up on the bed as he ogled you in the doorway.

“what?” you sighed.

you were stood wearing nothing but a crop top that only covered your boobs nowadays, with booty shorts, and your hair which had finally had a wash after a week was put away messily.

“you look gorgeous,” he blinked, face unwavering as you rolled your eyes.

“please,” you scoffed, practically waddling over to your husband.

he smiled, “no, i’m serious. i don’t think i’ve ever been more turned on. god you’re sexy.”

“oh my god keep it in your pants! i’m already pregnant,” you rolled your eyes, standing in front of him, “now can you answer my question?”

“your tape? oh the belly supporter one? yeah, it’s in the dresser,” he hummed, “i’ll get it, you sit down.”

he swapped your positions so you were sat on the edge of the bed and he wandered over to grab the tape, coming and helping you stand back up to put it in position.

“how could you possibly find me sexy right now?” you laughed, looking at yourself in the mirror as you planned where to put the tape to support your body the most.

“cause you’re all mine,” he murmured, kissing your shoulder as he stood behind you, “and everyone knows it. and you’re so cool, you’re carrying a person, our person.”

you smiled, taesan’s hands snaking round your waist and resting on your stomach as his head rested on your shoulder.

“sorry i find cool and powerful women so sexy,” he shrugged.

“wow you’re such a feminist,” you laughed, taesan shaking his head as he chuckled. “speaking of, how’s the nursery coming along?”

“nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about, princess,” he hummed, kissing your shoulder as he went and grabbed his laptop off the bed, “in two weeks it’ll be done, and we’ll be fully ready for our little guy. okay?”

you nodded, smiling as taesan continued to stand behind you, admiring you in the mirror. you basked in the moment for a while longer, sighing in contentment as you leaned against his body.

“fuck,” you cursed under your breath, seeing a large wet spot appear on your crop top.

“fuck,” taesan murmured, “i need to get you pregnant more often.”

you glared at him, “not helping.”

leehan🪸🐠 [5 months along - warning: mentions of like,, being able to see the baby move? some people find that gross so i wanted to leave a warning😭]

“y/n?”

“up here!” you called from the bedroom, as leehan came through the front door after work.

you heard your husband sprinting up the stairs, two at a time as he usually did, appearing in the bedroom doorway with a goofy smile on his face.

“hey, how was your— woah.”

he stopped his question, looking at your rounded stomach which was seemingly moving beneath the skin.

“this is so freaky,” you chuckled, “i mean, interesting. but weird, right?”

“that is so cool,” he said, quickly coming to the side of the bed and kneeling down, peering closely at the skin.

you laughed, “she’s really in there, huh?”

“hey, baby,” leehan spoke, poking your stomach gently, “why you wriggling so much? you uncomfortable?”

you chuckled at his words, stroking the hair on the back of his head as he resting his chin on the mattress.

“wah,” he spoke, placing a hand flat on your stomach, letting it be moved by your unborn child, “wah. hi baby, it’s daddy. remember me?”

“i hope so, considering you speak to her twice a day,” you laughed.

he smiled, kissing his fingers and pressing it to the skin. he continued to blink, in a quiet fascination of your baby, and of you, for carrying her inside you.

“is it uncomfortable?”

“no,” you shook your head, “feels weird though. i couldn’t even describe it if i wanted to.”

he nodded thoughtfully, “how long has she been doing this?”

“all afternoon,” you said, before adding sheepishly, “i phoned the doctor at first. they were a bit pissed at me, i think, cause it turns out it’s absolutely nothing to worry about. but i just thought this movement seemed excessive, right?!”

“yeah, they’re a dick,” leehan said, voice almost emotionless, “you’re just worried for your baby, you’re being a good mum.”

you smiled, “thanks, love. anyway, they said she’s probably just moving position, but it’s early enough that they’re confident she’ll move back before it’s time to come out.”

“she’s just an acrobat, hmm?”

“or a dancer, maybe?” you smiled, leehan looking at you shyly before looking back to your stomach.

“i want to name her sua,” he said, suddenly.

“sua?” you repeated, “as in… water themed?”

he nodded, “either that or i name her after a fish, so it’s up to you.”

you laughed, leaning over and kissing his head, “sua sounds perfect.”

[7-deadly-cats]

killing me softly | 4

K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

✿ G E N R E ✿ she fell first, he fell harder | slice of life | drama

✿ P A I R I N G ✿ s1!rafe cameron x overthinking!reader (f)

✿ C O N T E N T W A R N I N G ✿ swearing, suggestive language, overthinking, light tension

✿ S U M M A R Y O F L A S T P A R T ✿ you spent the day overthinking after rafe had texted you out of nowhere almost immediately after your first project session. waiting for his response, you ended up distracting yourself at the beach with cara where no one other than jj maybank interrupted your little hangout. later at home, you find yourself enjoying texting with rafe and you even agree to another project session for the next day.

✿ W O R D C O U N T ✿ 4.5k+

✿ A / N ✿ this one's longer than the last three, whoopsie. also, fyi molly will play an important role later (for the better or worse 😇), so she’s not just a random boring side character i came up with lol. plus, replaced the “slow burn” genre tag with “she fell first, he fell harder” bc it fits better (i still don’t wanna rush things). anyway, i hope you guys enjoy, and i'd love to hear what you think about this part <3

xx ᓚᘏᗢ

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

W E E K O N E // T U E S D A Y

7 : 4 0 A M

With tired eyes, you sank into your seat next to Cara in the third row of the bio lab. Getting out of bed this morning had been a struggle.

And to make things worse, it was Tuesday—first period biology with Mr. Martin, the oldest and slowest-talking teacher at Kildare Academy. On top of that, you’d barely gotten any sleep last night because the events of yesterday had kept you up.

In seven years, you’d exchanged maybe a handful of sentences with Rafe Cameron, and then suddenly—BOOM. Project partners. A shared lunch. And then you’d texted with him. For someone who usually did the bare minimum when it came to their crushes, this was a full 180.

Of course, you couldn’t stop obsessing over how awkward you’d been during lunch yesterday, not to mention the horrible 'fuckboy' misunderstanding ??? And oh God—that had just triggered a full mental highlight reel of every embarrassing moment in your entire life.

Diagnosis: chronic overthinker.

“I saw Rafe in the parking lot earlier,” Cara murmured, a wide grin spreading across her face. “And girl, he looked hot. And I don’t mean frat boy Cameron hot—I mean, there’s-something-different-about-him hot. I was gonna take a picture for you but knowing my luck, the flash would've gone off.”

You stifled a laugh. “Very thoughtful of you, C, but I’m gonna see him later anyway.”

“Ooooh, so you guys set up a second date?” she teased, nudging you with her elbow. “One day after the first? That’s moving fast.”

Heat rushed to your face, a sheepish smile appearing on your lips. “I was referring to Econ class. But yeah, we did set up another meeting for the project.”

“Mhmm, for the project…” Cara smirked.

You twirled your Apple Pencil between your fingers, frowning at your iPad “You’re reading too much into it.”

Cara raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not reading into it enough, girl. He went out of his way to get your number when he could’ve just asked you at school. Hell, he probably could’ve found it in some random party or class group chat.” She shook her head. “But no—he made it a point to track it down, which, by the way, is basically his way of showing interest. And now, he’s making plans to see you again. Rafe isn’t exactly known for putting effort into schoolwork. So yeah, safe to say it’s not just about the project.”

Her words were dangerous because they gave you something you really didn’t need—false hope. And sure, everything she was saying kind of made sense. But you knew better.

“Maybe, but we don’t know that. So there’s no point in getting all delulu,” you said quietly.

“Oh, Y/N!” Cara’s voice came out louder than intended, earning her a sharp look from Mr. Martin.

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she mumbled an apology in her best teacher’s pet voice before turning back to you. “With that attitude, nothing’s ever gonna happen.”

She wasn’t wrong. But wasn’t this just you being realistic?

“I'm not saying play easy to get but also don't choose not to play at all,” she urged. “Rafe might seem untouchable but he’s just a guy. A very attractive one, but still—a guy.”

Shit, yeah, she's right.

You nodded, then met her gaze with a small smirk, remembering the chat with Rafe yesterday. “By the way, he’s just as much of a Ruthie hater as we are.”

Cara clasped her hands together dramatically (Martin shooting her another warning glance). “Oh, I love that. Bet Cameron has some top-tier gossip. You know he’s got insider knowledge.”

You bit back a laugh. “Guess I have to recruit him now.”

“That’s the spirit!”

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Next up was geography. Molly Crane slid into the seat beside you, her red hair styled into a cute updo.

“You look way better today,” she noted, referring to yesterday’s little bathroom meltdown before you met with Rafe.

Pushing away the memory of your little half panic attack, you smiled. “Yeah, turns out the milk in my cereal was expired,” you lied.

“Oh no,” she winced. “That happened to me once. I was stuck in bed for two days with stomach cramps. But glad you recovered quickly.”

Her laugh was infectious, and you found yourself grinning along.

Molly was genuinely the sweetest person in Figure 8. She even worked part-time at a smoothie shop run by some old Pogue guy who couldn't do it anymore.

God created Ruthie Whitmore and sent Molly Crane as an apology.

Speaking of the Devil… You had the privilege of spending the next two periods in her delightful presence.

Her obnoxiously loud voice was already ringing through the hallway, carrying over from inside the classroom.

As much as she pissed you off, you couldn’t ignore the fact that you were excited to see Rafe again. Texting with him last night had been fun—but today, there’d be no screen to hide behind.

It’s fine. You got this.

When you stepped into class, most students were already seated. Either talking about last weekend’s party or flexing about their latest Daddy-funded luxury cars. Others, like you, had just gotten back from break and were still finding a seat.

Ruthie, of course, was at the front, wearing a tight top with an obnoxiously low neckline, deep in conversation with her best friend Gracie about… whatever. Who cared? Why were you even listening?

Just as you set your bag down in your usual window seat in the front row, a voice spoke beside you. “Do you really wanna do this to yourself?”

You blinked, stunned, and looked up—

—straight into Rafe Cameron’s smug grin.

His storm-blue polo made his eyes pop in an almost criminal way. It also clung just right to his frame, and holy fucking shit, he smelled so good.

And Cara had been right—something was different. He looked even better than usual… somehow even more confident than he already was.

Oh, great. Here we go again.

Your face heated as you gave him a confused smile. “What?”

“Ruthie,” he said flatly. For a split second, you thought she might turn around in offense, but she was too busy running her mouth to notice.

You raised a brow at him, to which he just scoffed, clearly unbothered. “She knows I don’t fuck with her.”

Literally or figuratively?

Wow, chill.

Still, you weren’t entirely sure where he was going with this. You fiddled with the strap of your bag, an awkward smile on your lips. “It’s not like I can just go sit on the other side of the school.”

Hadn’t we agreed—no more dumb jokes?

Rafe huffed out a small laugh, then tipped his chin toward the back of the room. “Last row should be far enough.”

…

Was that… was that an invitation? Shit. YES.

OKAY, UM—

You stared at him, a little too stunned to respond. If he hadn’t meant it like that and you just randomly decided to join him in the back, this would be beyond awkward.

Rafe raised a brow, his smirk widening. “So you are a nerd.”

And with that, he turned and walked toward the back of the class.

IT WAS AN INVITATION.

FUCK FUCK FUCK, MOVE, YOU IDIOT.

You clenched your jaw, shoving past the second-guessing thoughts trying to creep in, and followed him.

You almost walked right into him when he stopped at the row of desks by the window. A knowing smirk played on his lips as he glanced back at you. “Rebellious.”

Heat rushed to your face as you furrowed your brows. “I just don’t wanna be labeled a nerd.”

Rafe scoffed amused but before he could respond, Mr. Collins voice cut through the classroom.

“Whew, okay, sorry for the delay, guys. Had a little incident in the teachers' lounge.” He cleared his throat, then his gaze landed on the back row. “Cameron, Y/l/n, flirting's reserved for after class. Now sit down if you would.”

Holy fucking shit. Not even noon, and today was already a disaster.

All eyes were on you. Some students chuckled, while others (the girls, let’s be honest) rolled their eyes, or shot you two—specifically you—annoyed looks.

Heat spread across your face like wildfire as you quickly dropped into the chair next to Rafe, only for your bag, to nearly body-slam his right side.

“Fucking shit, is your dad Mike Tyson or something?” Rafe muttered, rubbing his arm with an amused smirk.

Okay. That’s it. You’re cursed. There was no other explanation for the absolute insanity of the last two days.

At least most of the class had already turned back around to listen to Collins ramble about some irrelevant teacher drama.

Face burning, you yanked your bag onto your lap. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. You okay?”

Rafe huffed a quiet laugh, nodding. “The Golden Shore's looking for a bodyguard. Might wanna apply.”

You stared at him for a second before raising a brow, unable to hold back your tongue. “I’d rather crash a Cut house party than step foot in that place again.”

The Golden Shore was the peak of Kook pretentiousness. You’d visited this nightclub once with Cara and some other friends but 99% of the people were just there to show off their expensive clothes and jewelry, not to actually have fun. Not all Kooks were like that, obviously, but that club attracted the absolute worst of them.

Rafe raised a brow, looking more confused than amused. “And I’d rather shoot myself than hang out with a Pogue.”

You smiled, but it faded fast when you realized… he actually meant that.

“I thought your dad was originally from the Cut.”

Okay. That did not sit well with him.

Rafe’s jaw tightened as he tilted his head, an irritated smile creeping onto his face—one that sent a weird, uncomfortable feeling through you. “The fuck do you know about my dad?”

Thin ice, girl. Very thin ice.

“I just meant—”

“What? You think you're better because both your parents grew up in Figure 8?” His tone was sharp enough that a few students in front of you turned their heads.

First of all, how the fuck did he know that? And second, what the hell was his problem?

You scowled, shaking your head in annoyance. “What? No!”, you shot back, harsher than you intended. “What does someone’s background have to do with whether they’re ‘better’? This— I don’t give a shit about stuff like that. If anything, it’s impressive how your dad worked his way up.” You raised your brows at him. “That just makes him even more respectable, doesn’t it?”

And there it was again—that look. Slightly raised brows, eyes subtly widening, lips pressed together like he wasn’t sure how to respond.

But just as quickly, it disappeared behind a lopsided smirk. “Shit. I thought that attitude yesterday was just an act.”

Now you didn’t know how to respond.

Was he messing with you? Or was he just covering up how ridiculously over-the-top his reaction had been?

Something told you it was both, and for some reason, that left you feeling… unsettled. Rafe’s moods flipped so fast, you didn’t know what to make of it.

For now, you decided to go along with it.

You gave a small, awkward shrug, your eyes flickering down to your fidgeting fingers. “This got nothing to do with attitude. I'm just saying what I think.”

“So do I,” he replied, but the sharpness from earlier was gone, replaced by something more playful, almost like a challenge.

You met his gaze, and for a second, you swore he was testing the waters again. But for what?

“Ms. Y/l/n,” Mr. Collins cut in loudly. “Since you and Mr. Cameron seem to be deep in discussion, I assume you were just going over the answer to my question?”

Oh. Fuck.

You bit the inside of your cheek. Of course, you had no idea what the hell he was talking about, and by the look on his face, he knew it too.

Even worse, half the class was now staring at you like you and Rafe had just gotten caught doing something inappropriate.

You forced a polite smile, ignoring Ruthie’s smug expression from across the room. “Could you repeat the question, sir? Just to make sure I heard it correctly.”

Collins’ lips twitched slightly. “Of course. When two companies are in direct competition but neither wants to be the first to lower their prices, what economic principle is at play?”

Economic principle… how the fuck would I know? Shit. It's some kind of theory, right?

You felt heat creeping up your neck.

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught Rafe rubbing his nose. Barely audible, he muttered, “Prisoner’s dilemma.”

Good enough.

“That would be the prisoner’s dilemma,” you answered.

Collins nodded, and without breaking eye contact with you, he said, “Correct. Thank you, Mr. Cameron.”

Shit.

“Would you care to explain the origins of that theory?” This time, his question was directed at Rafe.

“It’s a classic game theory move,” Rafe said, not missing a beat. “If one company cuts its prices, they get more customers. But if both drop their prices at the same time, they both lose out. So, neither does it—nobody wants to be the one getting screwed over.”

Holy shit.

Collins nodded again. “Can you give me a real-world example?”

Rafe shrugged. “Seabrook Club and Bluewater Country Club. They both want to attract the richest members but if one suddenly lowered their membership fees, it’d make them seem less exclusive or some shit. So they both keep prices high because neither wants to lose that luxury appeal.”

Okay. The confidence with which he just laid all of that out was so fucking attractive, you almost forgot to breathe.

“Very good. Thank you, Mr. Cameron,” Collins said, looking pleased. Then he turned back to you. “Perhaps next time, Ms. Y/l/n, you’ll focus a little more on my lesson, rather than your new seatmate.”

Yeah.

And you’d really thought this day couldn’t get any more humiliating.

After the absolute train wreck that Economics had been, you were beyond relieved to hear the bell finally ring.

At least you’d managed to avoid a third public humiliation. Not that it couldn’t still happen at some point…

Rafe, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered. When you’d awkwardly thanked him for saving your ass, he’d just shrugged and said, “If you hadn’t answered, Collins would’ve called on Ruthie, and I wasn’t in the mood for that shitshow.”

Still, it had been a nice gesture, even if Collins had definitely seen right through it.

Not that you’d been able to focus on anything for the rest of class anyway. First, your brain had been stuck in an endless replay of your mortifying failures. And second—YOU HAD BEEN SITTING MERE INCHES AWAY FROM RAFE CAMERON.

Not across from him. Not at the table next to him. No, in a seat right fucking next to him. Sometimes, your elbows almost brushed, and—Jesus Christ, what the hell was in his aftershave? Crack? He smelled insanely good. If you’d been ovulating, you probably would have jumped him like some rabid werewolf.

BAHAHAHA AS IF.

You were about as far from that kind of action as one could possibly be. Taking a walk to the sun seemed more realistic.

And even though class was finally over, the stress and heart palpitations weren’t. Because now, you still had to get through working on that damn art project.

Which meant—at least, you thought it did, since you hadn’t talked about it since yesterday hahahah—that you and Rafe would be eating lunch together again.

Unless, of course, he was already sick of your constant embarrassment and decided to eat somewhere else instead.

Honestly? You wouldn’t blame him.

As you packed up your things, you caught a glimpse of Rafe checking something on his phone, his brows pulling together slightly. Then you felt his gaze shift to you.

Oh God, had he noticed you—

“Shit, I totally forgot Kelce wanted to make pizza at his place today,” he muttered, sounding somewhere between annoyed and indifferent. Whether that irritation was real or just for show, you had no clue.

Okay… two options here: Either he’d actually forgotten, or he was using this as an excuse because he’d just realized you were a walking magnet for awkward situations (as if that hadn’t been obvious from the start).

You forced a casual smile, trying to ignore the tiny pang of disappointment. “No worries, we’ll just reschedule.”

Rafe slung his backpack over one shoulder, eyeing you unfazed, “Or you could join us.”

ALERT. ALERT. BRAIN SHUTTING DOWN.

Wait, what? Was he serious? Was he messing with you? WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING???

This had to be a joke. Why would he want his random project partner crashing whatever hangout he had planned with his friends?

Completely overwhelmed, all you could manage was a dumb, “To Kelce’s…?”

The worst part? It wasn’t what you'd said. It was how you'd said it—like Kelce was some kind of bizarre alien creature that simultaneously confused and disgusted you. (Which, okay, wasn’t that far from the truth if you were being honest.)

You opened your mouth to correct yourself but Rafe beat you to it with an amused scoff. “Shit, now that I think about it, I’m not sure I wanna eat his pizza either. He’s been on some insane gym grind lately — probably stuffing two pounds of protein into the dough.”

You let out a breathy laugh, cheeks still warm. “Sounds like you don’t exactly share his enthusiasm.”

“Oh, I do.” Rafe lifted his brows challenging, adjusting his backpack strap just enough for his bicep to flex slightly—barely noticeable, but definitely intentional. “I just don’t need to be on the same type of shit he’s on.”

Of course, your eyes immediately dropped to his arm and of course, you turned bright red. And because the universe had clearly decided to make you suffer today, of course, he noticed and that smug-ass smile crept onto his face again.

SAY SOMETHING. QUICK. BEFORE THIS GETS EVEN MORE AWKWARD.

“Yeah, then I definitely don’t wanna mess up your grind,” you blurted out with an awkward smile. “Besides, I wouldn’t wanna just show up unannounced.”

Rafe shrugged, furrowing his brows slightly as he pressed his lips together in a careless meh. “Don’t give a shit what they think. Kelce brings some random chick to our hangouts all the time.”

Okay. And how exactly were you supposed to take that?!

Was he just saying it to prove that it was okay for him to bring people along, no matter who? Or—and this was the part that sent a weird, uncomfortable feeling through you—was he putting you on the same level as one of Kelce’s random hookups?

The second option made something twist in your stomach, and none of those feelings were particularly pleasant.

“Shit, don’t make that face,” he said with an amused but slightly exasperated smirk. “It’s not like I’m inviting you over to fuck or some shit.”

WHAT THE FUCK. WHY WAS HE SO STRAIGHTFORWARD???

Your stomach dropped, and the heat in your face flared up all over again. You quickly shook your head, brows furrowing. “What?! No, what the fuck—I know!”

TOTALLY BELIEVABLE.

Rafe held your gaze for a moment, then slowly nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. “Good. Then let’s go.”

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The door of the Mercedes swung open, and Rafe slid into the driver’s seat. With furrowed brows, he tossed the keys onto the dashboard and dropped a wad of cash into the center console.

He looked… pissed.

Which, in turn, made your nerves tense because an entire car ride filled with awkward silence would actually kill you.

You fiddled with the strap of your bag in your lap, and even though it wasn’t really your business, you found yourself asking, “Everything okay?”

Rafe frowned, eyeing you irritated for a second, before he shook his head as he fastened his seatbelt. “Yeah. That guy's just a fucking idiot.”

You nodded, immediately regretting having agreed to this. Sitting here felt weird. Wrong. Surreal.

And as Rafe pulled out of the parking lot, you couldn’t help but wonder how many girls had already sat in this seat before you.

That, in turn, made you feel ashamed because it wasn’t your place to care. You had no right to judge him for anything.

I’m not his hookup, not his date, and definitely not his girlfriend. I’m his project partner in what’s probably the most boring class of his life.

Ugh, dude please, drop that pick-me mindset immediately.

You pulled your bag a little closer and turned to stare out the window.

It was so embarrassing but this whole situation was stressing you the fuck out. It was just too much change all at once. On top of that, Rafe—objectively speaking—was a very complicated person. He was impossible to read and you were never a hundred percent sure when he was joking, maybe flirting, messing with you, or actually being serious.

It was overwhelming, to say the least.

And yet, at the same time, the whole concept of Rafe Cameron was finally starting to take some kind of shape. He was still practically a stranger, but there was a certain thrill to figuring him out, to see what kind of person your longtime crush actually was.

“What?” Rafe’s voice pulled you from your thoughts.

You blinked, turning your head slightly. “Huh?”

A knowing smirk tugged at his lips but his gaze stayed on the road. “Don’t tell me I scared you off earlier.”

HAHAHAH YOU MEAN JOKING ABOUT INVITING ME OVER TO FUCK.

You smiled sheepishly, feeling your neck heat up. “What? No, of course not. I can take a joke.”

Rafe raised a brow, glancing at you for a second. “Then why am I receiving bad vibes from your end?”

You chuckled, genuinely baffled. “I'm not giving off 'bad vibes'.”

“Oh, you definitely are,” he shot back, waving a hand vaguely in your direction. “Arms crossed, legs locked together, staring dramatically out the window like you’re in some—pfft, I don’t know—some shitty Netflix movie or some shit.”

A quiet laugh left your lips, and warmth crept into your cheeks. “I... just don’t think your friends will be thrilled to have me randomly show up at Kelce’s,” you admitted.

“Shit, you’re nervous about Kelce and Topper?” Rafe looked genuinely amused and met your eyes for a second. “Kelce constantly talks out of his ass, and Topper doesn’t say shit when it actually matters. They're gonna disappear the second we start working on this art shit.”

…

Was this his weird way of reassuring you? Because if it was, it was kind of working.

You glanced down, smiling slightly to yourself. “I’m just saying, I would’ve been fine with rescheduling. I feel bad crashing your little guy hangout with school-related business.”

Rafe shook his head, scoffing amused (or annoyed, you couldn't quite tell). “You scared hanging out with three guys or what exactly is your problem?"

Yes.

"No", you replied irritated, your voice a pitch higher than usual. "Of course not. All I’m saying is you didn’t need to rearrange your plans."

Rafe’s brows twitched into a furrow for a second, a crooked smile spreading across his face. "Shit, you think you’re receiving some kind of princess treatment? I'm not rearranging my plans for you, I'm combining two things that happen to fit into my schedule."

Princess— what the fuck?

You shook your head, face flushed. “I—don’t twist my words.”

“I’m not. I asked if you wanted to come along and you said yes.” He shrugged. “And now you make it seem like a problem.”

Shit, he was right.

“I know”, you said, shaking your head. “I mean, I just thought—“

“Yeah, you think too much”, he replied mockingly, locking eyes with you for a second.

"That's not..." You hesitated, then nodded in resignation. “I know.”

There was no point in hiding the truth, especially if he'd noticed.

Funny enough, you caught a flicker in Rafe’s expression. He’d probably been expecting a comeback, not a quiet agreement.

When the car slowed to a stop at a red light, he leaned over without a word, reaching for the glove compartment. Instinctively, you shifted your legs toward the door.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, opening it and grabbing something before tossing it onto your lap.

You flinched as the cool, colorful object touched your skin.

“A fidget spinner?” you asked, letting out a baffled laugh.

“Wheezie’s,” he said, leaning back into his seat. “Makes her shut up when I drive her to volleyball practice.”

Okay, first of all, he was driving his little sister to volleyball practice? Very cute. Second, what the fuck was that supposed to mean?

You smiled uncertainly, raising a brow at him. “So, you want me to shut up?"

He scoffed, driving on as the light turned green. “Sure because you're such a bigmouth." Shaking his head, he gestured with one hand in your direction. "Nah, your nervousness is just pissing me off", he said but there was no real bite in his tone.

Your cheeks flushed as you struggled to come up with a response. It was obvious you were kinda anxious given the circumstances, so there was no point in denying it.

Absentmindedly, you spun the fidget spinner between your fingers, watching it whirl. Oddly enough, it worked—it helped you settle your nerves and quiet your thoughts.

Or maybe it was the thought that, in his own strange way, Rafe was trying to calm you down. And that in turn, made a warm feeling erupt in your chest. (Not to mention the butterflies in your stomach doing some crazy backflips).

A soft smile tugged at your lips as you kept your eyes on the spinning toy. “Your sister seems pretty cool.”

Rafe scoffed, amused. “She’s annoying, though she knows how to keep her shit together better than most people.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at that, the tension in your body seemingly fading away for a moment.

…Only for it to return minutes later when Rafe turned into Kelce Statter’s driveway.

Your fingers let the fidget spinner come to a halt as the motor of the Benz quieted down. The biggest challenge would await you inside the house.

Because the moment you stepped out of the car, two more very intimidating obstacles were waiting for you: Kelce Statter and Topper Thornton.

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K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

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T A G L I S T F O R M If you're only interested in this series, it's enough to drop a comment, no need to fill out the form

@ursogorgeous13 @my-name-is-baby @moneybaby07 @jjasmiineee @sttaejoon-blog @vogueprincess @princesspeaxhh @wtfisastiles @wefelldowntherabbithole13 @rafes4

[chuusheartattck]

THAT’S THAT ME ESPRESSO (TTME)

Chapter 32- Flashback mary ☕️

*This is a flashback chapter to Y/n and Scara’s high school days*

It was homecoming day, not any homecoming, but the last one you were ever going to experience in high school. It was your senior year and you wanted to make the most out of your last year of high school.

Your morning started out normal. The group chat was buzzing with excitement. They were also happy that Scaramouche was going to be hanging out with the group after being away for a while. He was always with his other group of friends, the ones you tried keeping away from.

You knew that Scaramouche was nothing like his friends. It was just upsetting that he wouldn’t publicly stick up for you. Despite all that, you and Scaramouche still called every night and shared things about each other’s day. He was good company to have.

The weeks leading up to the dance you both didn’t have a date. The two of you teased each other and called each other bitchless for not going with anyone but friends. However, without either one asking, it was pretty much unspoken that you two were going together. Only nobody knew, maybe besides Hu Tao and Childe. You two were also going in a group of friends. Nevertheless, as long as you hung out with him throughout the night, you didn’t really care.

You got ready at Hu Tao’s house. You both were running a bit behind schedule, mostly Hu Tao making both of you late. The two of you were supposed to meet up with the group to take photos but that didn’t happen.

When the two of you finished getting ready it was already 7:15, homecoming started at 7:00.

“Hu Tao we are so late.”

“It’s fine! The others are barely on the way there now. Even if the line is long to get in, we can just cut with people we know.”

Hu Tao’s time blindness made you concern but you shrugged it off. Her parents were driving you there. There weren’t any official plans on what to do after but someone is most likely throwing a party. Nobody knew who yet.

Hu Tao was wearing a short but simple burgundy dress. Her hair was styled into her iconic pigtails and you thought she looked very pretty. However, she got some new black high heels and can tell she was struggling to walk.

“Are you ok?” You asked as the two of you descended down the stairs.

“Yeah I just need to break into these shoes more,” Hu Tao held onto your hand and the staircase railing to prevent herself from falling.

“By the end of the night you’re going to take those things off.”

“I hope not. These were expensive and I want to make them last.”

You playfully shook your head and got to the bottom of the stairs. Her parents were already waiting for you both.

“Hu Tao you look so gorgeous! Y/n you look amazing as well!” Her mother complimented you both.

You thank her and noticed Hu Tao’s dad taking out his phone for pictures.

Hu Tao tried protesting against it saying how late you guys were but eventually gave in. After a few photos, her mom was driving you both to the school. Teyvat High School only booked venues for winter formal and prom. Homecoming was always at the school. Luckily, it was an outdoor school.

“Is anyone there already?” You turned to ask Hu Tao.

She was texting the group chat so you didn’t bother to look at your phone yourself, “Lumine said they’re all in line already. They’re at the back and the line is long apparently,” She replied back.

“I hope they play good songs this year. Last year was kinda boring.”

“That’s because last year you went with some complete weirdo.”

Hu Tao wasn’t wrong. The year prior, you were talking with someone and you two went to homecoming together. You both left an hour in because his friends wanted to go somewhere else. You wished you had stayed longer but you didn’t want to complain. You two never dated because you soon found out he only wanted you because you were a trainee. Instantly broke it off.

You two finally arrived and it already 7:50. It was dark out but you could still see the number of students in line. There was security watching the line as well to make sure that nobody was cutting.

When you two got out of the car you heard some people gasp and point at Hu Tao. Sometimes you forget she’s a rapper under a big company. You quickly spotted your friends and waved to them. Only Lumine noticed and grabbed the other’s attention. They motioned for the two of you to come into line with them but a guard was watching. Fortunately, he spotted some other people trying to cut into the line and started to walk towards them.

You and Hu Tao wasted no time merging into line where your friends were and acted like you were there the entire time.

The group was all there, Cyno, Kazuha, Aether, Thoma, Lumine, and last but not least, Scaramouche.

You and him made eye contact and he looked really good. Granted, he was wearing a normal suit that looks like every other guy there but he was wearing the dark purple tie you said he should get.

“The fuck are you staring at?” Scaramouche glared at you with a dirty look.

“Not your ugly ass,” You move away rolling your eyes, “I was looking at how pretty Lumine is.”

Lumine was wearing a blue dress that complimented her figure. She reminded you of Cinderella with her blonde hair.

“You barely got into line and you two are already fighting,” Kazuha sighed.

“You two need to settle this feud in bed,” Cyno laughed.

“I would rather listen to Hu Tao’s shitty song on repeat than ever get into bed with Y/n.”

“Who are you calling a shitty song?” Hu Tao yelled back.

“Ok! Time for shots!” Aether interrupts. He swung his arms around you and Hu Tao’s shoulders, handing you guys a small shot bottle of Tito’s.

“There was more but we pre gamed in the car and could only save you one bottle each,” Aether explained.

“Maybe if you weren’t so late you could’ve gotten more,” Scaramouche chimed in.

“You sound obsessed,” You grumbled cracking open the bottle. You made sure to turn away from the security guards so you don’t get caught.

As you were chugging you felt the burning sensation of the vodka pour down your throat. Alcohol never tasted good, you just wanted to loosen up more.

Cyno thought it would be funny to slightly tilt the bottle as you were drinking, causing the remaining alcohol to spill all over your mouth and onto your outfit.

You began to choke and cough.

“What the fuck!” You yelled in between coughs. Your throat was stinging and becoming increasingly dry. You were hoping to get inside soon so you can grab a water bottle.

Only Cyno and Aether bursted out laughing, everyone else tried holding back their laugh. You wiped your mouth and tried wiping down the wet spots on your clothes. Not even inside and your clothes were already ruined.

You guys were about to head inside, quickly you and Hu Tao threw the tiny bottles into a bush. The school would probably just find it later.

After getting checked in, you immediately went over to a table to grab some water to soothe your throat. This time, you drank away from your friends.

“Where should we go first?” Thoma pipes up. The school had a big budget and the student council spent all of it on a DJ, food trucks, gaming trucks and photo booths.

“Let’s go in the mosh pit!” Hu Tao suggested, pointing to the crowd of people in the distance.

This was high school and their version of a mosh pit is just jumping up and down while also shoving people when their favorite song plays. It’s fun for a little but you feel like you’ll get trampled after a while.

“I’ll sit this one out. I want to take photos first before sweating off my makeup,” Lumine says, sitting down at a nearby lunch table.

“Yeah I’ll wait till after we take photos, my mom will get pissed if I look terrible in them,” Thoma replies, sitting down next to Lumine.

Kazuha sits down on the opposite side of the table, “Mosh pits aren’t really my thing. We’ll wait here until you guys are done, then we can go to the photo booths. Is that ok with you guys?”

“Boo you’re no fun! But ok we’ll only be in there for a little bit,” Hu Tao replies as she sets downs her purse onto the table, “Watch my bag.”

The rest of you make your way over to the crowd.

Fein by Travis Scott began to blast through the speakers. You saw people rushing in and took it as a sign to do the same. Luckily, Hu Tao didn’t mind shoving people out of the way. She grabbed your hand and all of you guys made your way in.

Despite holding onto her hand, it still felt like you were going to fall. You were jumping up and down to the song but there were more people coming in and bumping into you. The mixed smell of sweat and Dior Sauvage made the air feel hot and heavy.

You were going to need a break soon. However, the next song being Family Ties by Kendrick and Baby Keem didn’t want to make you stop. More and more people were coming in and you were getting pushed around.

Your grip from Hu Tao was slipping and it really did feel like you were going to fall. You quickly grabbed onto the arm of the nearest person, which happens to be Scaramouche.

He looked at you and noticed your predicament, “Dumbass,” He muttered, rolling his eyes as he interlocks his fingers with yours.

You couldn’t help but smile and continue jumping. His grip was a lot stronger than Hu Tao’s which made you feel more safer. You weren’t worried about anyone noticing since everyone was occupied with not getting trampled.

After a few more songs played, you felt a tap on your shoulder. Your breath hitched thinking you had been caught. You slowly turned around and felt relief when you realized it was only Cyno. Granted, he didn’t know anything about you two but it would’ve been worst if it was a stranger.

“Hey, let’s take a break Aether doesn’t feel well and I don’t want him throwing up.”

You nodded and whispered to Scaramouche who also nodded and stopped jumping. You held Cyno’s hand as he led you two out of the mosh pit, like the buddy system.

As the three of you got out, you felt the cold night air against your skin. It felt nice after being in that stuffy environment. You didn’t realize how much you were sweating and panting. You looked down and noticed you were still holding Scaramouche’s hand.

He scoffed and quickly pulled his hand back.

Whatever.

You made your way back to the table and saw Aether with his head down and groaning.

“Holy shit are you ok?” You asked concerned for your friend.

Aether simply put his thumbs up in the air. He wasn’t too good with tight spaces. You sat down next to him and Lumine. She was the more famous twin but you were never really close with her. She was always away filming and doing photoshoots. You sometimes wonder how he can be related to her.

“Can you get up already? You’re so dramatic.” Lumine sighed, pinching her nose bridge, “The photo booth line is going to get longer the more we wait.”

“Is that anyway to treat your brother?” Aether mumbled, he looked up to glare at his sister before putting his head down again.

“I should’ve eaten you in the womb,” Lumine shot back.

After a few minutes, Aether was feeling less nauseous and was ready to take photos.

Fortunately, there was no line and all eight of you squished your way into the photo booth. It was quite spacious but it did feel tight being all there together. There were props and signs laid out inside and everyone took something.

The booth only took four photos. In the first photo, you and Thoma had your arms around the other person’s shoulders and pointing at each other. In the second photo, you did a simple peace sign. In the third photo, you were hugging Hu Tao.

In the last photo, Kazuha accidentally elbowed Scaramouche which prompted him to almost fall. Due to everyone cramped up next to each other, you all came down with him. The photo captured everyone trying not to fall and nobody looked their best, except Thoma. He was the only one who looked at the camera and posed.

Everyone got out and waited for the photos to be printed.

“I apologize to the person’s ass who I grabbed while trying to keep balance,” Aether says, scratching the back of his head.

“I think that was mine dude,” Cyno replied laughing.

You rolled your eyes, “Scara is so weak that he stumbled when Kazuha barely tapped him.”

“See how weak I am when I punch you in the face,” Scaramouche grumbled as he took the photos from the machine, handing them to each person.

You looked down at the photo collage as you all began walking back to your table. You smile fondly at what would only be a distant memory in the future. Your senior year had only started but it will quickly end before you could even blink.

You didn’t want to miss out on the good memories like this one.

.

.

.

Everyone had split up after a while to do different activities. You all agreed to meet up when the night ended but for now, you lost everyone and didn’t know what to do. You had just came out from the mosh pit and your feet were hurting too much to continue. You decided to take a small breather somewhere far away from everyone.

You went up the stairs that leads to one of the buildings that had a balcony where you can see the football field. You would come up here when you were bored with class and wanted to walk around.

Only this time, it appears you weren’t alone. You noticed a familiar figure already looking out. One of which you were hoping to get alone time this night.

He heard your footsteps and turned around to look at you.

“Can’t you see I was here first?”

“Can’t you see that I don’t give a fuck?” You scoffed and stood next to him. He didn’t move from his position.

Scaramouche sighed and took out a pack of cigarettes.

“How did you get those pass the security?”

“I have my ways,” He said while putting one in his mouth and casually lighting one.

He took a long drag and exhaled, making sure to clear out the smoke with his hand. He silently passed it onto you.

You took it from his hand, “If we get caught we’re getting suspended.”

“Maybe they’ll suspend you but definitely not me. I’ll just have my agency contact the school.”

“You and your fame.”

“Something you wouldn’t know about.”

You scoffed, “In case you forgot, I was on that idol survival show. People still know me.”

“Yeah but who didn’t debut.”

You stood silent. It was pointless ever getting into a petty argument. He knew how to silence you every time.

You only took out your phone in response.

“Let’s take a photo together!”

“Hell no. Don’t you have the one we took with the others?”

“Yeah but I want one with just us. Let’s take a 0.5 photo.”

“No.”

“Too bad we’re taking one anyways.”

Scaramouche rolled his eyes and got closer next to you. He looked straight at the camera as you took the photo. When you were done you looked at the photo.

“See how cute we look!”

He side eyed you, “I’m the one that looks good. Not so sure about you though.”

“Fuck you.”

Scaramouche tried to hold in his laughter as he looked away from you.

“Kidding. You look better than normal,” Scaramouche says, putting out the shared cigarette and throwing it off the ledge.

You weren’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

“Thank you? Uh, you too I guess,” You huffed, leaning forward against the railing.

There was a moment of silence shared between the two of you as you both stared at the football field in front of you. The distant sound of music only filled the air. It was a comfortable silence and you wished it would last forever, staying by his side like this.

It was cold up on the balcony and the night breeze caused you to shiver a bit. Scaramouche of course noticed.

“Are you cold?”

“No.”

“No,” Scaramouche mimicked your voice, “Yet you’re starting to shake more than a tweaker waiting for his next fix.” He said in his regular voice as he took off his suit jacket and put it over your shoulders.

“I didn’t ask for your jacket,” You tried protesting. You secretly enjoyed it though, that’s why you held it closer to you.

“Do you want it or do you want to continue being cold?”

You didn’t respond.

“Exactly,” Scaramouche huffed in annoyance.

You enjoyed moments like these. Ones where it was the two of you alone and you can talk freely like this. It made you upset whenever it ended, because you knew he would go back to ignoring you in the hallways.

You were getting lost in your thoughts and his words from earlier kept coming back.

“Who didn’t debut.”

It was silly to get stuck on that. You knew the votings were rigged, everyone did, but it still hurt. You gave it your all and worked hard to debut but it wasn’t enough.

You had gotten back to school and it was all anyone could talk about. You’ve gained sympathy and comfort from others, but it didn’t make the failure any less painful.

It made you realize how things can come and go so quickly. That’s why you had a bittersweet feeling about being in your last year of high school. It has been a rough four years and you were glad to not be able to see some of your peers, but what about your friends?

The friends that have been supporting you through everything. They’re going to be studying in different universities. It’s going to be hard to keep in contact and you’ll be trying to train your ass off to debut.

“Do you think after the school year ends, we’ll still be in contact with each other?” You piped up, breaking the silence to look over at him.

He hesitated for a moment before replying, “I don’t see why we wouldn’t.” Not sparing a glance at your direction.

“It’s just your popularity is rising and if I don’t end up debuting then it’ll be hard to keep in contact with you. It’s easier to continue seeing each other if we’re both in the entertainment industry,” You managed to say, looking away from him this time.

“You’re worried I’ll forget about you?”

“You’re making me sound desperate,” You mumbled, hint of annoyance in your tone.

“The company would be stupid if they only keep you as a trainee forever. You’re not untalented and you put in the effort. Some look helpless on stage, but not you.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his words. Despite Scaramouche being an asshole half the time, he knows when to be sorta nice.

You two often shared things that were troublesome. It was almost like the other one knew what the other one was feeling at the moment. It was something special you two had. Even when one of you was being emotionally constipated, you both still tried your best to give advice to the other person.

“Though, you can work on your dancing skills,” He quickly said.

Never mind. Moment ruined.

You smacked him on the back of his head. He always humbles a person after giving a rare compliment. Most of the time it’s backhanded.

Scaramouche was about to say something but the two of you heard footsteps coming from behind you guys. You both froze not wanting to turn around, afraid it was someone that would freak out if they saw the two of you together.

A familiar voice rang through both of your guy’s ears, “Y/n? Scara?”

You both turn around to see Thoma standing there. You sigh a wave of relief when you see your friend. Though, he’s definitely confused on the close proximity you and Scaramouche are sharing, but doesn’t say anything.

Instead he says, “It’s almost over. Let’s head back to the car. Do you guys need a ride?”

You both nod in unison and begin to follow Thoma back. You silent give Scaramouche his jacket back. It’d be a scandal if people caught you with him like this.

The three of you silently make your way to the parking lot where the others were. You didn’t realize how many of you there were until you thought about the car situation.

“Ok there’s no way I’m fitting all of us into my car,” Thoma sighed pointing at his suv.

“Too bad, make it happen. You have a big enough car. Two people can sit in the trunk, three people in the backseat but someone has to sit on someone’s lap, and the other person sits in the front,” Cyno suggested.

Everyone agreed right away, however, Thoma hesitated before agreeing begrudgingly. That’s how you ended up sitting in the trunk with Scaramouche. Lumine, Hu Tao, Aether and Cyno were all in the backseat. Aether sitting on Cyno’s lap and Kazuha in the front seat.

Before you even left the parking lot, you guys were discussing on where to go.

“I heard Keqing is throwing an after party,” Cyno mumbled, barely heard from Aether sitting on him.

“Dude I swear if I feel something hard underneath me,” Aether grumbled, clearly him sitting on Cyno’s lap was not his first choice.

“I can say the same for you,” Cyno argued back.

You didn’t know how you and Scaramouche ended in the trunk. It was pretty spacious given the car model so it wasn’t too uncomfortable and you both had leg room. You just sat on opposite sides from each other.

“Can we get food? I’m lowkey hungry as fuck right now,” Kazuha mentioned. While everyone was arguing on who sits where, he silently hopped in the passenger seat.

Everyone agreed and that’s how you ended up at In-N-Out at midnight. It wasn’t packed but you guys stood out due to your attire. It’s not like you guys gave a fuck though.

After you all finished with your food, you guys decided to go to the park since you didn’t want the night to end. It was around two in the morning and you were sitting on a bench watching your friends mess around at the playground.

It was nice to see everyone goof around. However, it brought you back to that bittersweet feeling you noticed before. Seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter. There's this warmth in your heart, knowing how much joy you all bring to each other. At the same time, there's a tinge of sadness because you realize this might be one of the last times you’re all together like this. It's your last year before you all go your separate ways, and you can't help but cherish every moment, knowing that soon, things will change.

After a while, everyone got tired and Thoma dropped everyone home. You put the photo booth photo on your dresser, next to the photos you had of your friends.

.

This is the memory you had just remembered as you stare at that photo. The photo of your friends at your last homecoming. Setting the photo down, you look back at your phone. You haven’t contacted your friends since school has ended, even though you promised. Things have gotten busy but you miss them dearly. One day, you’ll have a reunion and it’ll be like the old times.

Masterlist II Previous II Next

A/N: Sorry this took a while I’ve been busy studying for tests 😓 Also as a little hint: this friend group is the same one in my next xiao smau (except for thoma he’s a replacement) so this is what would happen if xiao wasn’t in the picture at all :) Also i tried to write the mosh pit scene based on experience 😭 Do not go into one in heels my feet were so bruised and bleeding by the end.

ALSOOO lmk if you guys want your users to be added to this au and i’ll make you a twitter user :)

Synopsis: You’re a new idol that just debuted under ‘Fontaine Entertainment’ with your new single ‘Espresso.’ You just graduated high school which means all your classmates are shocked to see you into stardom. Including your old situationship, who happens to be an actor.

Taglist: @skyoverkill1 @quacking-simp @lolmeowing @astro-stars @kaitfae @sl-vega @scarawiki @yuminako @samyayaya @skyvella @kur0kki @practicoi @kukikoooo @scaraenthusiast1 @shutingstar @lloovvv @moonjellyfishie @miy-svz @xionri @lalalaloveallmydays @hearts4lizzzz @kathiwis @state-of-grac3 @morgyyyyyyy @scaradooche @theyluvkatt @meigalaxy @noirechomps @crimxeorcremeexistspeacefully @vxcmx @ariesloves @cayl33n @animeobsessed56 @heartsforni-ki @feikyuu @ichcocat @strayharmony943 @chscklvr @kunikissr @jiminscarmex @sp1ng @bananasquash @aceakariii @thegalaxyisunfolding @ariilies @hisfuture @automaticpatroltragedy @sartrst @cheriswag @kokomiskiss @albedomestic-airline @lxkeeeee @sundays-prince @wvvyq @amurotoorudesu @ennsposts @illu-fu @vitanye

[madamechrissy]

Up in The Air

♡ ♡ Pairings ♡ ♡ Suguru Geto x Fem Reader

♡ ♡ Warnings ♡ ♡ MDNI- Breeding kink (Suguru needs twins duhh) ass smacking, anal play, Suguru is obsessed with reader's ass, blow jobs, cunnilingus, multiple orgasms

♡ ♡ Word Count ♡ ♡ 7,035

♡ ♡ Summary ♡ ♡ You have been jilted at the altar by your groom, Mahito, who has led you on for years. Your best friends, Maki and Yuta, suggest to go on this Honeymoon alone, to get away and find yourself again. On the plane ride, you run into a gorgeous man on a business trip, who holds your hand when you say that you're terrified of planes, Suguru Geto. You all fall into easy conversation, and there's chemistry, he makes you feel better than you had in a long time. You think to ask his number, when he realizes that his room has fallen through.

Well, you have a big honeymoon suite, and you suggest he stays with you. What can go wrong? Not like you don't wanna straddle him or anything...

Chapter 7 - Masterlist Playlist

Chapter 8

3 days till Vacation ends

You stretch the next morning, with the sun filtering through the windows, bright against your eyes. Your entire body is aching with all of the… well, exertions, it had been put through the past few days. Your pussy throbs just a bit, and your thighs are so sore, when you sit up in the big bed.

You look over to see the rumpled blankets and sheets next to you. You rub your hand against it, smiling a bit, remembering last night with Suguru. Your nose starts to smell something sweet, and you, like some cartoon character, want to follow the trail, and as you stand, your feet on the fluffy carpet beneath you, the sounds of clanging hit your ears.

You also hear some… is that Suguru’s sexy voice singing!? You pad out to the kitchen area, smiling at this vision in front of you. Suguru is at the stove, shirtless with just his boxers on, framing that rather nice ass he has, you can’t help but bite your lip, watching the strong muscles in his back move.

He’s singing softly, but… it sounds so good, as you come closer, and realize he must have earbuds in, as he doesn’t turn to see you yet, you get to enjoy more of him… being him. Although you are undoubtedly head over heels (let’s be honest you were when he held your hand on that plane) there was still so much to learn about him. While you were an open book, he was a bit more reserved.

You hope to get that chance, as your chest tightens just watching him. He's got a wooden spoon in one hand, and with the other, he's flipping a pancake into the air. It does a little twirl before landing perfectly back into the pan with a sizzle. You giggle at the sight, and finally he catches sight of you and smirks, winking charmingly at you, then putting the pan back on the stove, turning the heat off.

“Morning Princess.” He comes to you, taking out his ear buds, before pulling you against his bare chest. You grin, as you see he has a little batter on his cheek, swiping it off for him, fuck he looks so gorgeous, he’s got this tan from all the sun, making his skin glow from the sunlight streaming in. You run your hands down his chest, exhaling.

“Good morning, handsome.” He cups your face, bending down and kissing you, and you just melt, as he presses his lips against yours, as you feel the heat from his hard body, filling you with desire, with…

You’re a love sick teenager basically.

You just fawn over him.

You look up at him with glittery eyes, smiling, trying to hold back to urge to just spout it out- “Suguru Geto I love you”- yeah no. You’d let it slip because your brain gets stupid when that man fucks you, how could you think when his cock wrecks your pussy and your thoughts are jumbled? But even right now you gulp it down.

He needs time and that’s fine, it’s better than fine, you did not ever expect even that, even him asking you to be his girlfriend. Now it’s a million times worse, these feelings, growing so quickly it should scare you, but it doesn’t. You’d spend so damn long hating your body, hating your personality, and Mahito had been what you perceived as some ‘gift’ when in fact, he had wasted so much time.

You shake yourself out of your reverie, looking at the pancakes he’d made, a whole stack of them. “This looks amazing, oh gosh! Suguru you cook?”

“Of course I do. Thought I’d treat you, Princess. You looked so sleepy and cute so I didn’t wake you.” He flips the last pancake off, and your hand goes to his back, trailing down his spine and he moans softly. “Hey now, these will get cold if you keep that up.”

“You’re so sweet to do this. Thank you!” He tugs at your ponytail, shaking his head, his eyes lidded as he looks at you.

“It’s nothing, love. Sit down, let me make you a plate.” You eagerly do as he says, sitting down at the little table you all honestly had barely used so far. “How many do you want?”

“Like one is fine. Or two!”

“Three it is.”

“That’s too much, silly.”

“How you gonna keep that nice big ass if you don’t eat!?” You snort in laughter, blushing then, as he continues to make you feel so much better about your body, the thing that Mahito had shit on you over. You loved to work out a bit and naturally had a little muscle, and yeah, a big ass. And though men had complimented it, back then, Mahito’s words had…

“You’re so silly, Suguru. It’s mostly from me and Maki squatting at the gym, and genetics.”

“Uh-huh, but you need food for that, be a good girl and eat for me.” You sigh, smiling up at him, resting your chin in your hand. He makes it hard not to spout endless I love yous.

“Two then.” He grins, as you shoot a wink, and he places two on there, then hands you the syrup, coming to sit next to you.

“Thanks, looks so yummy. Mmm, it is yummy!” You nibble on the fluffy pancake, moaning then.

“You gotta be sexy even eating hmm?” Your heart flutters, looking over at him, his handsome face lit by the sunlight, casting shadows against his chiseled cheeks, his tongue darting to lick syrup off a lip.

“Says you, looking like pure sex over there.” You run your bare foot up his leg then, and his brows raise as he peeks down.

“You playing footsie with me, bratty girl?” You just grin, chewing another bite.

“Maybe I am.” You slide your foot higher, until it’s on his thigh, and he grunts then, brows drawing together.

“I should teach you a lesson about teasing.” You continue rubbing your foot against that strong thigh, until your toes tease him where he’s semi hard, and his eyes narrow at you.

“Something… up… Sugu?” You sip on your coffee, smirking, and then you gasp when he’s grabbed you so quickly, slinging you over his lap. You squeal at that, wriggling then. “Hey!”

“Hmm how many smacks.” He trails his fingers down your shorts, before shoving them down, exposing your ass to the cool air. You shiver, starting to feel wetness already as his big hand connects with a loud smack.

“Oof!” It stings, and he hums, contentedly, rubbing your ass then.

“Fuck it bounces so nicely. Mmm, I say a few more. What do you say, my bratty Princess?” You shiver at that, at his caress, at him asking permission in his own way, as if he really needed to. But that’s who he was. He always made sure things were okay with you.

“I think I need… a few more. I’m very bratty this morning.” He chuckles, and you feel his body shaking with that, before he smacks you again, admiring it.

“Look how it jiggles.” He smacks it again, alternating cheeks, until you’re a mess, moaning and grabbing onto his lap helplessly. “Think I’m obsessed.”

“With my ass?” You peek up at him, your face is flushed, your eyes glittering, as the pain makes you wetter. He grabs your ass with his hands, squeezing and grinning, that crooked little grin, the one that makes his eyes crinkle.

The one you love.

“I am an ass man. It’s true. But obsessed with your moans, those little cries from the back of your throat.” You tense, as his words wash over you, in that husky tone, as he finds your slit, his grip on your ass cheek tightening. “How wet you get. How pretty you look when you blush.”

“Fuck.” Is all you manage, and when he slides a thick, long finger in your entrance, you cry out in pleasure, wetness seeping out around it.

“Yeah… fuck.” His voice is gruff, husky, and you feel him, so hard under you, as his hands slide up.

“Sugu… Please.” You whisper, and before you know it, you’re on his lap, straddling him in the chair, his eyes hungry, those full lips parted as he looks up at you, exhaling and grabbing your hips tightly. Your hands go to his shoulders, as he hastily frees himself, cock slapping against his belly button, before it starts disappearing inside your greedy little cunt.

“Princess… I… oh god…” Suguru moans, head falling back, long hair falling softly against his shoulders, as his teeth come to worry his lower lip. You cry out as you take him in, inch by inch, stretching and filling you.

“Mnh… it’s so-ah!” He yanks you down, shoving all the way in you then, filling you to the brim, against your cervix. You’re gushing around him, having trouble even catching a breath. “Sugu!”

“You’re so tight, fuck.” He exhales, lifting you up, just to jerk up his hips and slam back into you again, and you pulse around him now, gushing around his thick cock. Your eyes roll back, head falling as you roll your hips, feeling him impossibly deep against you, and he yanks your top off. “Pretty perfect tits.”

“Ngh-ah- Thank-mnnh-” You can’t form a word, not when his hot mouth takes one of the peaks of your breasts, sucking on it, and it’s so sensitive you cry out, and he’s got his eyes shut, brows low, his hands digging in your waist, thumbs against your ribs, as he fucks up into you.

“Oh my god.” He whispers, and when he looks up you see his cheeks, dusted with pink, pupils blown out so much his eyes look like pure honey. Your thighs squeeze his then, as you struggle to move, with all the pressure inside driving you insane, so close to cumming already. But then he stands, making you squeal, your legs wrapped on his hips.

“What are you-” Before you know it, he’s got you up on the table, and he’s shoved the plates over, they fall to the floor and you giggle, breathless, as he glares down at you.

“You can still laugh, huh? Gotta fix that.” His tone, how dark and sexy he gets, as he slams his cock inside you, and your head falls back on the cold wood of the table, and he is rhythmically pounding into you. “Stopped-ha- that laugh. Yeah?”

“Y-yes-yes-yes, Sugu yes.” You’re muttering as he throws one of your legs over his chest, your heel resting on his shoulder, pulling your hips and sliding you down his length, filling you so deep you can’t take it. You start nearly squirting wetness around his cock, as he fucks into you, and it’s dripping down your ass, down to this fancy table he’s wrecking you on.

“Cum all over me, Princess. Need to feel that perfect little pussy tighten around me.” You couldn’t stop it if you tried, screaming out, back arching, as he rolls his hips and presses in, bottoming out inside you, his hand sliding up to your throat, groaning as he feels you.

“Sugu s’fucking good. S’much… cum too…” You stutter as his hand wraps tight around your throat, thumb pressing up under your pulse point, looking to you for the okay, and you eagerly take his wrist, nodding.

He moans out, squeezing the sides then, cutting off your oxygen, you start feeling that pressure and his cock fucking into you, harder than he had yet, and you’re adjusting to it, slippery so that he’s in and out with ease. His free hand is on your soft tummy then, pressing down, and fuck if you don’t feel him there, his cock, just wrecking anything you have.

“Love looking at my hand around your tiny little throat.” He says, husky, moaning as he speaks, as his muscles bunch while he fucks into you, his abdomen tightening, looking so good you can’t take your eyes off it, except his face? Even prettier.

Your eyes lock, as your face reddens, as he’s rolling his hips and the tip of his cock kissing your cervix, grinding then, and you begin to feel everything exploding, stars bursting in your eyes, vision fuzzy. You cry out silently, clinging to him desperately, as your orgasm hits, washing all over your body, goosebumps everywhere as your cunt gushes on his cock.

Your ears ring and you feel like you’re floating, so blissful, as you keep cumming, as he fucks you into another orgasm, and you’re on that brink when he releases your throat then, picking you up and sliding out of you. You whine at that, weakly grabbing on to him, greedily sucking in air, he kisses you deeply before turning you, bending you over the table now.

“Wanna watch this ass jiggle while I fuck you so good.” His voice is so husky, his hands so powerful, as he puts you where he wants you, owning you, arching your ass up and sliding back in then. “Oh-fuck-s’good. Princess.”

“Mnh, Sugu!” Your voice is hoarse as you cry out, as he starts hitting it from the back, long cock slamming your already abused cervix. Your breasts are pressed against the table, hands desperately clinging to it, knuckles going white, as his hands press those dimples in your back.

“This ass, so fucking nice ugh. Princess, let me smack it again?” You nod, eagerly, and he pulls back just a bit, smacking it hard. “Look at that handprint. Need another.”

He smacks the other side again, stinging and burning, but it’s so good, you love the pain, it makes your walls flutter around his thickness. He hisses at that, and smacks you again, thrusting harder and faster, and shaking your body with each thrust, until his hands pull your ass cheeks apart, and you feel spit sliding down your ass, hot and sticky, somewhere Suguru hadn’t touched yet.

“Sugu- you…” He’s slowing down now, one hand running down your spine, the other caressing between your cheeks, and you’re trembling, cunt throbbing at overwhelming sensations he brings.

“Can I play with it, Princess? Only if you want.” He asks, husky, and you bite your lip, nervous, looking back at him, seeing his pupils blown out, desire mirrored in his handsome face, looking entranced by you.

“You’re really obsessed with my ass.” You tease, he laughs a bit. “And did you just spit on it!?”

“Sure did. I’ll do it again.” You watch him, and the look of it is so lewd, so naughty, you can’t take it, whining and pushing your ass out.

“Just like… you wanna touch it? It’s hard to think with your cock in me mnh.” Your head swirls, and his thumb slides around the little hole then, and you shiver at such a feeling.

“Really wanna finger it. If you want.”

“That sounds so freaky!” He laughs, then you sigh, nodding shyly. You feel his thumb, slick with your arousal and his saliva push in, so slow, stretching your little hole out, and you can feel your body tightening around his cock. He hisses as you clamp down, pressing in and out of your ass while his cock hits that spot. “Oh god!”

“Is that-ah fuck- okay Princess?” He asks softly, as he fucks your pussy, his thumb in your ass still, pushing deeper, it’s a painful stretch but it seems to just push you further, make you wetter.

“It’s good, it’s good.” He’s gripping you hard then, and you hear the smacks as he snaps his hips against the fat of your ass, and then he’s got a finger in your ass instead of a thumb, and you whine out, hips bucking at it, and you feel your ass stretch around it, making little noises as he goes in deeper.

“So tight, fuck. Pussy and that little ass mmm. Perfect Princess.” You’re lost in the sensations, lost in his touch, lost in how much he makes you feel, and you just let go, sobbing his name out as your body trembles and spasms, your orgasm so intense it makes your knees buckle, and now you can’t even hold up, you’re pressed against the table, legs useless.

“S-Sugu-ru. S’good yes please. More.” He groans then, fucking your cunt with his huge cock, fucking your little ass with his finger, and you’re spilling all over him, tightening around him, overstimulated and blinded by how good he makes every bit of you feel.

“Close Princess. Let me paint this pretty ass, yeah?” You tense a bit in anticipation, as it was not something Geto had done with you yet.

“Mnh, go ‘head, cum on me Sugu.” He groans, fucking you into another orgasm before he yanks out, and you feel hot, sticky white ropes decorating your overheated skin, and hear Suguru moan low in his throat.

“Holy fuck that is so hot. I need a picture.” You giggle at him. “Just kidding, love… but not really?”

“You’re somehow a gentleman and a total perv.” He smacks your butt cheek one more time, laughing a bit. “FIne, get your phone and take one.”

Suguru runs.

***

Two Days till Vacation ends

“Breakfast was so good, thank you Princess.” Suguru says softly, as he helps you wash dishes after you had just made him food, and how bad he just wants to eat you , honestly.

“Your pancakes were fluffier!” Your cheeks are pink, your eyes are glittery, and you’re so gorgeous then, when aren’t you, but you have a little sunburn that’s making you even cuter. That’s all he can ever think of, touching you, tasting you… he can’t ever get enough. “What are you thinking about, handsome?”

He’s thinking about how fucking happy he is, how much he never wants to leave, how he just wants to keep you safe from the world. He thinks of how badly he loves to please you, to see how many times he can make you cum, how messy he can get your little pussy… 

As the last plate clatters into the drying rack, Suguru turns to you, a wicked glint in his eye. "You want to know what I've been thinking about, Princess?" He asks, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.

"What, Sugu?" You dry your hands now too, then he’s there, big hands on your hips, gripping, you tilt your head to look up at him, meeting his honeyed eyes.

"This." Before you know it, he's lifted you onto the counter, your legs dangling over the edge. The cool marble sends a shiver through you, and he kisses you deeply, his hands sliding up the outside of your thighs.

“Mnh!” You’re meeting his lips for each kiss, his tongue, sliding into your mouth then, before he pulls away, leaving you breathless, and looks at you with an intensity that makes your heart race.

"I want to taste you again," he murmurs, his voice a low growl. And with that, he's spreading your legs wide, your feet dangling, and he's on his knees in front of you, your pussy starts dripping like on command. God anything he does makes you wet, but especially when he just… worships you like this. “Want me to, Princess?”

You lean back on your elbows, running his silky long locks back, trembling as he kisses up your thighs, teasing you with feather-light touches until you're squirming. “You don’t have to ask, of course I do, Sugu. Please .”

His mouth is hot and wet against your skin, and you feel yourself getting wetter by the second, that tightening in your tummy as he slides off your shorts, leaving you bare to his gaze. Suguru kisses right next to your glistening pussy, sighing, his hot breath making you ache, gripping his hair maybe too tightly. Then you grab your ponytail.

“Wait…” He peeks up, and you sit up more, taking his long silky locks that fall in front of his face, and putting them up in a ponytail. He smirks at you, looking far too attractive now.

“Some expert now, huh? Coming prepared.” You giggle, shaking your head and running a thumb down his lower lip softly, but the giggles stop when his tongue is there, sliding through your folds, and you gasp. He's so gentle, his hot tongue circling your clit slowly, and it sends shockwaves through your body. 

You could never get used to this, how intense he is, how he devours you like you’re his meal.

He looks up at you, those chocolate eyes full of heat, and then he sucks on your clit, hard, surprising you, but it feels so fucking good. You’re whimpering, arching your back, and he moans against you, vibrations making you tremble, your breath catching as he plays your clit like an expert, sucking and humming, his hands spreading your thighs apart.

“Cumming-Sugu! S’good…” Your entire body grows taut, stomach sucking in as your head knocks back on the cabinet above you with a thud, and he just hums again, until your orgasm crashes over you, and you're clutching the edge of the counter, your toes curling with the force of it. “Ah-f-fuckk!”

Suguru laps up every drop, his face buried in you, fingers gripping so tight against your plush thighs as you fall apart, and when you finally come down just a bit from that high, he stands, kissing up your stomach, leaving a trail of wetness until he reaches your mouth.

“Taste so fucking good, Princess.” He whispers, and you lick yourself off him, swiping your finger against his chin, then he groans at the sight, as you reach down and find him, rock hard against his boxers, making him exhale, his brows drawing low.

“Fuck me, Sugu, please .” You pout, giving him those eyes that drive him insane, and of course he’ll fuck you, god when didn’t he want to be inside you?

Suguru never wants this to end.

As he slides inside of you, you scream out, gripping his strong back, as he slides his thick cock in your eager little pussy, and fucks you right on the kitchen counter.

God you don’t ever want this to end.

***

Last Day of Vacation

Suguru is caressing your waist, as you all stand on the balcony in the night, the wind flowing through your hair, blowing the little sundress you wore around your legs. Suguru feels so good behind you, so good holding you, his strong arms, his chin resting on your shoulder, his breath on your ear. Your hands gently hold his forearms, as you lean back into the embrace.

The moon is a silver sliver, hanging in the dark sky, surrounded by glittering stars peppering the expanse of the sky, reflection on the ocean, which looks black in the night, waves gently crashing the shore. The sound of the waves is a soothing rhythm, the saltwater in the air hits your nose, along with Suguru’s scent, one that you just adore, fresh and clean.

You lean further into Suguru's embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. His hand moves to rest on your tummy now, and you feel the flutter of butterflies, all the past week he’d… cum in you. Fucked you. Even talked about how he wanted to breed you. It feels so intimate.

You've only known each other for a week, but it feels like a lifetime, like he is the only one to ever truly understand you, since that moment you met. Every moment together has been a stolen piece of time, something so special, that you’re just terrified to let it go, to go back tomorrow morning. This has been your little paradise, and now the real world will come knocking.

“What are you thinking about, Princess?” Suguru turns your face to look up at him, his dark eyes glowing amber in the night. “Tears…” He wipes two tears that trail down your cheeks.

“I’m just thinking how lucky I am, to be in your arms. How happy this week has made me. How beautiful you are, inside and out.” He exhales, grip tightening, he turns you around to face him, your back leaned against the railing, as you look up at him, caressing his chest, bared slightly in the kimono he wore.

“Princess, I’m the lucky one. I haven’t… ever been so happy.” He says, huskily, you tremble in his hold, as his words soak in. God, how he just looks at you, like you are so precious, makes your chest tighten.

“Me either, Sugu.” He bends down and kisses you softly, cupping your face in his big hands, and you fall into it, lips molding to form to his, those sparks like electric tickling your skin.

“Let me have you, Princess, one more time here.” He says softly, and you nod, sniffling then.

“I’m yours, Sugu.” He exhales at that, and then you let him pick you up, carrying you to the bed, sliding your dress up, kissing down your tummy, until his head is between your thighs.

You cry out as his mouth finds you, mouth gently kissing your entrance, tongue slipping around your clit. He eats you desperately, hungrily, moaning against you and vibrating against you and making you soak his mouth. He laps you up, every bit, sounds filling the silent room with the wide open balcony, the white curtains blowing in as you scream out.

Then, you’re flipping Suguru over, kissing down his hard abdomen, which tenses as you lick down below his belly button, that little trail of hair there tempting you. Then you take his length into your mouth, he brushes your hair that’s falling like a curtain against him, as you suck him deep, tip brushing your uvula.

“Princess, fuck you’re so good…” He urges you on, as you’re swirling your tongue around him, tasting that precum on his tip.

Then, you’re on him, sinking inch by inch, tip entering your hot, wet entrance, stretching you and making you gasp. You all had fucked many times this week, but the first thrust always took a lot, his cock wasn’t something you just got used to, no it was thick, long…

“Perfect!” You cry out, as his hands grab your hips, rocking you down on his length, watching with a groan as his cock disappears inside of your tight little entrance, entranced by it.

“Perfect. Perfect.” He whispers, urging you up and down, grabbing your ass, gripping it tightly and shoving all the way inside of you.

Your head throws back, your breasts in his face, bouncing, and he greedily sucks on the peaks, squishing the fullness of them in his big hands, you whine out as he plays with them, rough palms against soft skin. You fall forward, wrapping your arms around his neck, clinging to him, and he’s fucking up into you, deep powerful thrusts, slamming your cervix.

“Suguru! I’m gonna… oh f-fuckk, there, there!” He’s pushing you down, his breath hot against your lips as he stares into your eyes, his are lidded, thin ring of honeyed brown wrapping dilated pupils, then one of his hands brush your hair back.

“Beautiful.” He murmurs, making emotion catch in your throat, as he jerks his hips up, shifting his position inside your little cunt, and you’re shivering on top of him, cumming hard, your brow furrowing, lips parting as you cry out. “That’s it, Princess, cum all over me. Good girl.”

“Ohmyfucking-” You’re moaning into his mouth, his hands running up your back, having grown slick with sweat from riding him. Then he’s flipping you, putting your leg up high and thrusting in deep, hitting your cervix again and again, until you’re losing all your senses, but you don’t want any senses.

You just want Suguru.

He’s leaning down, his heavy weight on your breasts, his knees digging in the soft mattress, sinking you down further, the soft light from the starry sky outside casting shadows against the planes of his face. A face you love, lips, cheekbones, that cleft in his chin, that sharp jawline… that smile… but mostly? Those eyes, the slanted ones that look right into you.

You love his face.

You love the way he makes you feel.

You-

“Cum for me, Princess. Need to feel you around me.” He whispers gruffly, and you nod, sucking in a breath, as he fucks you deeper, as his hand finds you between your bodies, rubbing that little bud.

“Sugu-I…” You gulp it down, you hadn’t said it since that night, and he had not returned it. Now you were, well, scared. Scared to scare him away.

“Look at me when you cum.” Your eyes meet his, and you melt, as he’s rolling his hips, hitting your g spot then your cervix, and your clit, it’s all too much.

The pressure inside your tummy burst, and you’re gushing around him, so intense you can barely see, and Suguru’s still rubbing your clit back and forth, overstimulating you now. You’re wriggling under him, and he’s smirking, as you cum again and now your manicured nails are digging into the perfect skin on his back, and his head falls back at it.

“T’much, Sugu. T’much can’t take-mnh!” He’s unrelenting, and you’re about to cum again and it’s overwhelming, his rhythm getting jerky, hips stuttering.

“One more time, Princess. One more. With me.” He slams his lips on you, hands on your thighs, pressing deep inside you, and when he’s shooting hot streams of cum inside you, groaning on top of you, clinging to your body as he pumps, that ends you, you can’t take it.

“Love you-love you. Love. You. Sugu.” You’re mumbling incoherently, as he’s coming down a bit from the high, looking down at you then, his lips parting. You shake your head, kissing him. “S’okay, Sugu. Don’t need to say it. I’m sorry.”

He exhales, easing out of you then, laying on his side and pulling you against him, and god you fit so well. “Don’t say sorry, please. It’s nothing to apologize for… if anything it’s so-”

“No, no. I shouldn’t.” You’re tearing up then, breaths coming in little pants, and he frowns, holding you tight then, bringing you against his broad chest, so that you hear his heart beating against your ear.

“Princess, I-”

“No. Don’t say something to make me feel better.”

“What? I don’t-”

You lean up and kiss him, tears salty on your lips as the aftershocks of your climax rock through you, and you’re just trembling in his arms, his hand rubbing up between your shoulder blades, pulling you impossibly closer. He exhales into your lips, God you’d die to hear him say it. You yearn for it.

“I don’t wanna pressure or rush you, I just couldn’t stop myself. I try so hard to not say it constantly.” You’re whispering against his lips, and he kisses your forehead sweetly, pulling a blanket on you then and covering you.

“Don’t hold back with me, please, Princess. I don’t want parts of you, I want to have all of you.” At that you’re sobbing now, and he’s there as you’re shaking with the force of it, wiping your tears delicately.

“It d-doesn’t bother y-you, Sugu?” He laughs a bit, the sound is darker than you are used to.

“Bother me? The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen saying she loves me? After getting to cum in her perfect pussy? Looking at me with those well fucked eyes? Yeah no, I’d say I'm stupid lucky.” You manage a little smile, your tear-soaked lashes lowering over your cheeks. “I am not as open with my feelings, I’m scared too you know.”

“You are?” He nods, prominent adam’s apple bobbing up and down his throat as he gulps, his chocolate gaze drinking you in, making your breaths calm as he reassures you more and more.

“Scared shitless. How has someone I just met gotten so special so quickly? Taken up so much space here.” He puts your hand on his chest where his heart is thudding steadily. You bite your lower lip, splaying your tiny hand on his big chest, kissing him once more, slowly, sensually.

“I have a little spot in your heart, Sugu?” You ask through watery eyes, voice shaking just a bit, and he smiles, that upturn of his lips.

“You have a very big spot, you nearly take over it. Please keep being open, and be patient, I’m not as brave as you. Short little brat.”

“Hey!” You shove at him, but he’s tickling you now, making you giggle, then cry out, you all end up a mess of tangled sheets. Until you’re both kissing, so desperately, so passionately, falling into each other, endlessly.

“I’m so sad we’re leaving.” Suguru whispers soon, as he’s holding you from behind, as you fit perfectly in his arms.

“I am too. But, this won’t end, right? Just we won’t have the time.”

“We’ll make time. Fuck you on my desk at work.”

You flush, turning to look at him. “What!?”

“Absolutely. This ass bent over? Umph.” You giggle at that, shaking your head as he grabs said ass.

“You’re so obsessed with it!”

���Sure fucking am. It’s a close favorite, but pussy and pretty face win. Face number one, but they come close.”

“You’re so silly. I can’t pick a favorite part… I guess, the entire body second? And this gorgeous face first. Especially these eyes.” He laughs a bit at that, pressing kisses across your face. “I can’t wait to introduce you… if you want… to my friends? My mom? Is that weird so soon?”

“No, it’s not weird. I look forward to it. And you’ll meet my friends, trust me they’re all messed up.”

“I’ll fit right in!”

You both laugh at that, and then before you know it, you’re asleep in Suguru Geto’s arms, the man you’ve so quickly fallen head over heels for, with a weight in your heart as you think of going back home.

Sometime in the night, you’re tossing and turning, and screaming out in your sleep. Suguru wakes up, his eyes shooting open, and he looks down at you, his heart racing, feeling you tremble in his arms. His chest tightens as he stares at you, worry in his throat, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

“Princess?” He whispers, stroking your hair, and you whimper a bit, your eyelashes fluttering, still caught in the throes of your nightmare.

“Not good enough… not… I’m not.” Suguru’s heart aches at that, as he looks at your beautiful little face all contorted, and he tries to gently shake you, but you’re stuck in this.

“You’re more than good enough. Princess, please.” He kisses your forehead, continuing to shake you, but you’re all tense.  He wraps his arms tighter around you, his chest to your back, trying to soothe you, but your body keeps shaking, a tear slipping down your cheek, glistening in the moonlight.

“Not good ‘nuff. Dad left… Mahito was right, he was… right.” Suguru tenses at the mention of your ex fiance, the one who talked so disgustingly to you. And he doesn’t feel right hearing about your father in your sleep, he doesn’t know if you want him to know. He continues to shake you, laying on you now and tapping your cheek.

“You’re perfect. Perfect. He was wrong. Baby wake up.”

Your jaw clenches, your entire body, as if you’re in a night terror, and he slowly realizes he can’t wake you. So he just rubs your stiff arms gently, feeling emotion in his eyes as he watches this pain you’re in. He doesn’t know if he can help with this, with this unconscious pain.

“I’m here. It’s Sugu… please.” His voice breaks a bit, as you take a shaky breath, flipping over on your side, curled in a little ball.

“Don’t leave me. I’ll be good, I'll be better.”

Fuck.

Damaged didn’t even begin to describe what this man has done to you, Suguru gets fucking furious now, seething as he watches you crumble, when you deserved to have a sweet dream. And now you’re holding yourself, and he comes to cuddle you, pulling you against him.

“Sugu. Sugu, please.” Suguru brushes your now messy hair back, taking a ponytail off his wrist and putting your hair up, feeling how damp you are at your scalp, a thin sheen of sweat on your body.

“I’m here, Princess. Not going anywhere.” You seem to calm down, as if his words finally hit somewhat, much to Suguru’s relief.

“Love you. Love you Sugu. Don’t go. Please.” Suguru struggles with his emotions now, as you so desperately cling to the arm that is around you.

“I’m not leaving. I’m here.” You finally settle some, your tense body easing under his gentle rubs, and you leave him… breathless, hurt for you, angry for you, and protective of you.

He will never let you get hurt again.

***

“My jaw hurts.” You touch it gingerly, as you and Suguru are waiting at the airport, and Suguru looks at you, softly, a little sad almost. “Oh no, what’s wrong!”

“You had a nasty nightmare. It was rough.” He says, and he looks tired, bags under his hooded eyes as he rolls both of your bags and you follow.

“I’m so sorry! I kept you up-”

“Don’t apologize for bad dreams. I just wish I could have got you out of it.” You all wait in the line now, and you hold him around his waist, in the busy airport, people everywhere around you, but it feels like just you and him.

“Thank you for trying. I do have bad nightmares but I haven’t since… Well, since I’ve been with you. Was I talking in my sleep?” You look up to see his side profile, his eyes looking down a bit, making you tense against him.

“Yeah, quite a bit. It was… private things, and I don’t want to mention it, because I want to wait for you to tell me.” You sigh, mind wandering, did you scare him off? He’s so tense, did he… “Hey.”

You look up then, as he lets your bags on the floor and cups your face. “Yes, Suguru?”

“I’m not leaving okay?” At the words, out of nowhere, you start blinking back the tears, emotional as you look up at him.

“Thank you, Suguru. Thank you.” He nods a bit, kissing you gently, right in front of anyone who could see. Mahito had been ashamed of you, but Suguru? He seemed proud.

“Cheer up Princess, we’re gonna have a good flight. Mile high club maybe?” You flush then, as he chuckles, and pulls you against his chest.

You all sit in the same seats you did last time, but now you’re both right against each other, your head on his shoulder, his big hand possessive on your leg, and as the turbulence hits, you’re unafraid. Suguru is holding your hand, brushing his fingertips along your delicate knuckles, kissing your hand like the damn gentleman he is, with those soft, firm lips.

“Ugh, I love you so much.” You curse then. “Shit!”

“It’s all right. Don’t hold back. I’m here, okay?” He’s so supportive, as he kisses your cheek now, brushing back your hair. “So who are you meeting first? My crazy ass best friend maybe?”

You giggle at that, heart aching for him, tummy in knots. “I’d love to meet your best friend. Family, friends, whoever you want to introduce me to. I’d love you to meet my mom too!”

He hesitates a bit. “Do you… have a dad too? Sorry if that’s too personal.”

Your heart stutters, as you look down and think about him, the man who left you at age ten, the man you’ve not had in your life. The original man to make you feel not good enough. “I don’t have a dad, no. My mom, she’s amazing! You’ll freaking love her so much, and she’ll love you.”

“I look forward to it. Your dad… is not in the picture?”

“Not since I was ten. Don’t really remember much. He just left one day, so it’s been me and mom.” You look away, shoving in deep emotions.

“I’m glad you’re close.”

“Do you have parents, Suguru?”

“Uh… no. I don’t.” At that you blink, staring up at him, your heart in pieces, how could you not know this about him!? How had you not-

“I am awful, why haven’t I even asked!? I’m so sorry. I’m too selfish and absorbed in-”

“Stop it. Now,” he orders, and you suck in a breath. “I didn’t ask about your family until now either. I didn’t have time between…” He leans in, caressing your cheek gently, mouth on your ear. “Fucking your brains out, now did I?”

Your body reacts vividly, you can’t even breathe, as desire hits, of all the positions Suguru had you in, of all the kisses, the hands entwining, the orgasms all over his face, his mouth, his hands. His hand on your thigh squeezes gently, and you shift in the airplane seat.

“Y-yeah, I didn't have time, cumming so much… to ask.” You whisper back, and he pulls back with hungry eyes. “I want to know you, Sugu. All of you.”

“So do I, Princess. Give it time.” He was right, no wonder he did want to wait a bit unlike you, a spouting mess of feelings. You nod, and he captures your lips in a searing kiss, one that makes your nipples tighten against your bra, makes your thighs rub together. “Is my Princess so insatiable?”

He pulls a blanket over you both then, raising the arm rest, and you tremble as he looks around, then smirking down at you with a seductive glint in his chocolate eyes. You bite your lower lip, and then his hand slides up your thigh…

“Suguru…” You whisper his name, and he raises a brow.

“Yes, Princess?”

“What-”

“Shh. Gonna get your mind off things.” His hand slides under the blanket up your thigh, then he cups you under your dress.

You gasp.

Chapter 9

Ao3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56577688/chapters/147289141

[opal-owl-flight]

Welp cue Neo 3 getting themselves in so much danger that 3 has to save their dumb a*s.

HAPPY BIGGEST RUN!! Guess it kicks off the high action segment of the Neo3 arc :)

(this ask has been sitting in my inbox awhile.)

Neo3 refers to working with Agent 7 and going undercover in Grizzco during the biggest run.

more notes on what transpires in the biggest run below!! Id draw more of this out but Im v tired wdkefk

Before the comic above, there is the matter of pre-biggest run preparations.

"|We'll have to protect right on our home base.|" signs the captain, their eyes steely and cold. "|We have to evacuate everyone.|"

"Aye aye. But I beg to ask -- how are we supposed to protect our identities?"

3 clacks their beak.

"|Dont wear the uniforms. Let us appear like a legendary team taking initiative.|"

"I-if I must suggest, Captain."

They turn to face the newly recruited Agent 7, whos shaking as he spoke. "...I-I can loan us all some Grizzco gear. Itd hide our identities really well."

"Ah, so we play into their game." Says Neo3, anger barely hidden in her half-snarling voice. "Id rather die than wear that."

"Then you can help Three find the root cause of that song theyre hearing." Says 4, "Since you can hear the dirge as much as the hordes can."

3 is so proud of their agents being so capable...

They nod their head. "|Sounds like a plan. Four, join Agent 7 in evacuating the citizens.|"

4 rolls her eyes, grabbing 7s arm. "I wont let you down. And Ill make sure Agent 7 here doesnt, either."

"Hey! Ow! Thats uncalled for! Raaain!!!"

--------

The comic takes place after the source(s) of the so called "Death Dirge"s locations are found (so its 3s next set of commands after the blurb above).

For context, Inkadia and the Splatlands had built infrastructure on migration routes for economical reasons or whatever and thought the salmonids a nuisance. Think of dams being built on irl salmon routes. Or cities being built on dangerous areas (volcanoes, fault lines, etc) and adapting to the danger. The mindset for big runs is "we'll deal with them when it happens." Instead of. Making room for them.

This biggest run is the biggest migration that uses a route thats been hasnt been used for several hundreds of years.

In the middle of the CITY.

Not only that, The Death Dirge is actually Grizzco using devices emmitting magnetic fields to attract BIG numbers and to make them all gather as close to the city as possible (like, attracting even the ones using the other migration routes/the other turf stages).

3 and Neo3 had found these sources and 3 set about dismantling them (alone for the first two, with Neo3 in the last since her task was accomplished). The last one however involved a mechanical defense system that includes a mech (which 3 had to use a well-placed special on to destroy, and as a consequence is very worn out after) and a harpoon trap system thats meant to catch whatever is messing with the devices without the permission to (Grizzco expected that some clever salmonid might get ideas). Thats why 3 gets GOT there...

Theres also 3 mentioning Neo3 getting caught. Grizzco has been interested in Neo3 awhile because of her salmonid-like adaptations.... but thats all I can say for now :)

As for Agent 8, shes in the Memverse by the time the biggest run happens. Having her own anguish abt the platoon being resolved separately before she returns in the middle of the chaos to help out. And also say what she needs to say to 3 and 4...

[browneggs]

omg i haven’t listened to the oliver podcast episode abt his dogs was it bad.. why did it make you homicidal

sigh okay well first of all tw for animal death and injury and aggression

this is not dogs but i do have to first say the thing about his cat is so uniquely evil to me it’s like beyond discussion. he willfully let it outside onto his property knowing there were coyotes out there. and then it got ripped apart by coyotes. and he frames indoor/outdoor as wanting to give the cat a “shorter life but a better life” awesome👍🏽 i love british culture

but the dog thing. so hes got 3 dogs and 2 of them, bear and oak, are male anatolian shepherds. these are livestock guardian dogs that are bred to display aggressive traits, especially same sex aggression, and they are obviously fucking huge, and on top of that his in particular are not genetically stable they come from some kind of hoarding backyard breeder situation. well on the podcast he reveals that bear and oak got into a fight last year. he says they were playing normally and that oak indicated he wanted bear to back off and bear didnt and kept him pinned and then it escalated into fighting. these dogs apparently were attacking each other for multiple minutes and did not respond to oliver and his partner trying to separate them and bear in fact redirected onto oliver and bit him. and at the end of this both dogs were almost dead. and after 7 months apart now theyre trying to reintegrate the dogs so that they can be off-leash in the same space together but never alone. and also he’s too attached to bear and his partner is too attached to oak for them to consider permanent separation/rehoming.

well obviously this is an incredibly concerning situation because (1) i guarantee the dogs were not playing normally before they started fighting and its just that he and his partner are not equipped to read their body language (2) the kind of risk they are taking in this situation is absurd and could cause unimaginable harm THE DOGS TRIED TO KILL EACH OTHER and they barely stopped them how are they going to respond if and when it happens again??? (3) i would not risk bringing my dog with a severe bite history to my workplace where unfamiliar dogs could show up at any time or new stressors could be introduced or any number of risks but thats just me (4) in the podcast he literally is like i should have brought bear with me here and then he basically indicates that bear might have been suspicious of/not social with the hosts dog (who could literally be bear’s dinner that thing is small) so clearly bear does still have some issues w other dogs. and then theyre both like awww it would have been fine! and this is after he tells his story about how his dog mauled his other dog.WHAT😀 (5) i have looked at the dog trainer he works with and im pretty sure this guy still believes in like dominance theory and also idk what fucking dog trainer worth their salt would be like this whole situation is fine we should definitely reintegrate your ticking time bombs.

so anyway all of this pissed me off really bad and i HATE this kind of white vegan animal rights activist and also the whole time on the podcast it genuinely does not feel like he understands the gravity of the situation or like the context that led to these things happening. the level of risk assessment is not good even in the space of this one hour and even a pretty experienced dog owner would be challenged by keeping two same sex/dog aggressive male lgds . so

[realwitchieshit]

She's Workin' at The Pyramid

Summary: Ava convinces Melissa to let her plan a group outing for Melissa's birthday. Ava, being Ava, takes the group to a gentleman's club. While there, Melissa spots a familiar face.

Warnings: sexual content (no smut....yet), stripper!reader, mom!reader, reader's daughter is implied black/ biracial, ava being a matchmaker in her own ava way, barely proofread oopsie, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Word Count: 3.6k

Note: i was listening to frank ocean and this came to me. i don't know how strip clubs work so probs innacurate. if you guys want a second smutty part, let me know!! if this flops... i'll delete it and pretend this never happened. anywhooooo enjoy!

Melissa glanced up at the clock next to the doorframe, school was going to begin ten minutes and there was no sign of her student, Londyn. By this time in the morning, Melissa should be in the midst of hearing a play by play of what happened in the time that she stepped foot out of school to the moment she had walked back in from your daughter. If she had recalled correctly, it should be your week with Londyn and you had never dropped Londyn off past 7:45.

She could text you, just to make sure everything was okay. You had given Melissa your number at open house last year and told her to feel free to text you if she felt Londyn had been falling behind. Londyn never did, but the two of you would text occasionally. Your texts were usually about Londyn and funny or cute things she had said or done. She decided against it, though, telling herself there was no reason to worry.

Just as she decided to not text you, the sound of heels moving at a pace of a speed walk started getting close. The sound kept getting louder and louder until you came into view, with Londyn in tow. You had on a full face of makeup and your hair was done, it looked like you were going on a date. Your outfit had also caught her attention, a gray fur coat and a pair of six inch heels. She could also see the bottom of your skirt, red, sparkly, and a bit sheer. Her jaw tensed at the mere thought of you dressing like that for someone else.

"Good morning Ms. Schemmenti!" Londyn greeted excitedly, walking over to her cubby to hang up her cubby.

"Good morning, Londyn!" Melissa said back, matching the little girl's enthusiasm. She turned back to you. "You're all dressed up."

You chuckled, "It's... a work thing. Here's the permission slip for that field trip."

As you reached out to hand her the paper, your coat opened just the slightest bit and Melissa got a view of your hip. She could see the cut outs along your hip that ran up your waist as she took the paper. You covered back up and Melissa nodded slowly, "Thanks. Well, have a nice day."

"Thanks, you too. Be good, Londyn, I love you, baby." You waved at Londyn.

"Bye Mama! I love you more!"

"Impossible! Do you think that's possible, Ms. Schemmenti?" You asked, with an exaggerated dumbfounded look on your face. Melissa chuckled at you.

She played along, feigning deep thought. "Mmm, I dunno. How much do you love Londyn?"

"To the moon and back!" You declared proudly.

"Gee, that is a lot." She turned to Londyn. "How much do you love your mama, Londyn?"

"To Jupiter and back!" Londyn declared just as proudly, but a little louder. You gape, looking between her and Melissa before letting your arms flop down by your sides.

“Woah! To Jupiter?” Melissa asked, Londyn nodded confidently. “I think she’s got ya beat, Mom.”

You huffed before pointing at Londyn, “This isn’t over, little Miss.”

You broke out into a smile before blowing Londyn a kiss and waving at both her and Melissa goodbye. As the sound of clicking heels got quieter, Melissa smiled to herself at the interaction. Any time she would see you with Londyn, it seemed like she was the happiest kid in the world. You always did her hair, from various pineapple updos to braids with fun parts and colorful beads hanging from the bottom of them, and she was always dressed in cute, girly outfits that matched her upbeat personality.

Londyn ran up to Melissa, practically vibrating with excitement. "Ms. Schemmenti! Do you wanna hear about my day?"

"I sure do, but you'll have to be quick since Mama dropped you off later." Melissa removed her glasses and sat them on the desk, ready to hear the little girl's rambling.

Londyn giggled, "Yeah. I think Mama got dressed in the dark 'cus she's dressed funny."

"That she is, hon."

Then on, you would show up in your strange outfits more often. Melissa wanted to ask you about it, but she thought it may be a bit inappropriate. She'd hate to come off how Barb did when she practically harassed that mom with the "Bitch" tattoo on her chest, so she ignored it. Londyn was still the same happy-go-lucky girl she first met a year ago, so what was the issue?

A few weeks later, Melissa was walking back to her classroom from taking her class to the art room and when she got there, Ava was sitting in her chair.

"Ava? Whaddya doin' in here? Ashley left to get lunch." Melissa said, very unsure of why Ava would be in her classroom, she never did observations.

"Oh, yeah, I know. I sent her out to get it. I'm here for you." Ava clarified.

That confused her more. Ava never came to see anyone unless she had some kind of crazy idea. "Me? What for?"

"I know it's your birthday next Friday, so I want to plan you a party."

"Why would you plan a party for me, Ava? We never see each other outside of work."

Ava sighed, "Yes, and I want to change that. So, I'm planning you a party and I'm inviting everyone."

"Ava, I'm not letting you—"

"Too late, I already told Janine, Gregory, and Jacob." Ava interrupted with a bright smile.

"What about Barb?" Melissa asked.

"She's going on a weekend trip with her husband." Ava sensed Melissa's resistance before she added, "I'm trying to be nice, Melissa. Just let me do this, please."

Ava put on her best puppy-dog eyes and stuck out her bottom lip for emphasis. Melissa stared just back at her, continuing to participate in this standoff. It quickly became apparent that Ava wasn't going to back down, which made Melissa sigh.

"Fine, Ava. Where is it gonna be?" Melissa conceded.

Ava smiled brightly at her, "A club. I'll order you an Uber."

Ava stood up and left abruptly, leaving Melissa just as confused as she had when she walked in.

On the day of the party, Melissa had spent the entirety of the car ride wondering about Ava's motives. Why, after a couple years of working together, did she want to do something like this for Melissa now?

When Melissa arrived at the club, she could hear the music from inside the big building. She inspected the outside of the building, it was a brick building, a big neon yellow sign that said "The Pyramid" in cursive letters. She sighed to herself before walking in past the bouncer, regretting ever agreeing to do this. Her regret increased when she was inside the club.

The club was dark, but what Melissa could see shocked her. There was a large stage in the middle of the club, a long pole running all the way up to the ceiling. On the poll was a woman wearing only a lingerie set, dancing to a song she recognized as Megan Thee Stallion. In front of the stage were various tables and there were rooms along the walls next to the stage that had couches and a table, presumably for higher paying customers who wanted the best view. There were many girls walking about the club, some of them being pulled aside to go dance for a specific person.

Before she could storm out and text Ava angrily, Ava had appeared next to her and had begun dragging Melissa to the private section where everyone was sitting. Janine and Jacob looked like they were trying to convince themselves they were having a good time, while Gregory looked straight up uncomfortable. When Janine saw Melissa, she stood up and grabbed the gift bag that was sitting on the table.

"Happy birthday, Melissa! Jacob and I got this for you." She said, handing the bag to Melissa. She took the bag and opened it, moving the crepe paper around to get to the actual gift. She pulled it out and examined it. It was a Jalen Hurts jersey that had to have cost them a lot. Because of that fact, she refrained from telling them she already had one.

Instead, she smiled at the younger teachers and thanked them both, putting the jersey back into the bag and setting it back down on the table. She sat down next to Gregory and he turned to her.

"I didn't know what to get you, so you can ask for something and I can get it for you."

Melissa chuckled, waving dismissively, "Don't worry about it, kid."

Ava showed up again, her smile unwavering as she handed Melissa a beer. She took it and sipped on it while she talked with the group.

"You know, I actually think exotic dancers should get a lot more credit than they do. It takes a lot of core strength and the ability to entertain a crowd to be one." Jacob said out of nowhere, trying to be as politically correct as always.

Before anyone could respond or even acknowledge that he said anything, the DJ cuts the music and begins talking to the crowd.

"Alright, how're y'all doin' out there?" He asked. The crowd answered by cheering loudly. "Good, good. Well, next up in our lineup of lovely ladies is The Pyramid's princess. Please welcome to the stage, Cleopatra!"

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers, Ava being one of the loudest in Melissa's opinion.

"You know her?" Melissa asked.

Ava smirked and pointed her finger at Melissa, "I do. You might recognize her, too."

"What? What are you talking ab—" Melissa cut her sentence short as she saw you strut your way to the end of the stage. You were dressed in a black, sheer bodysuit that was littered with rhinestones that caught the light of the spotlights. You didn't have anything on under the bodysuit, save for two x-shaped pasties on each of your nipples. Your heels were black and sparkly as well as imposing in height, Melissa watched in awe as you navigated the stage with ease in them.

You began dancing sensually on the stage to a song she didn't recognize and she turned to Ava, fuming. She was about to chew her out until she stood abruptly, pulling an absurd amount of dollar bills from her purse.

"What are we doing, sitting over here? Let's go have some fun!" She announced, waiting for everyone to get up. The three teachers all tensed visibly at the mention of getting anywhere near the stage.

Ava rolled her eyes and grabbed Melissa's arm, "Whatever, c'mon birthday girl."

Melissa was once again dragged by Ava, but this time over to the edge of the stage. She gave Melissa about half of her stack of ones and began throwing the money onto the stage. Melissa also threw some, trying to keep up appearances. Truthfully, she was entranced.

At some point, you had ended up on the floor of the stage, shaking your ass in a way that made her practically drool. Ava held up a folded one towards the stage, you spotted her and crawled enticingly up to her. Melissa's jaw tensed, the intense eye contact you held with Ava made jealousy seep into her. She could only hope you didn't recognize Ava as you took the bill from her with your teeth, the encounter feeling very sexually charged. With the bill still in between your teeth, you glanced at Melissa before doing a double take. You dropped the bill in shock, but quickly snapped out of it, continuing your performance. Because she was so caught up in your performance, she failed to notice Ava disappearing like the ghost she apparently thought she was.

By the end of the song, Ava had returned and Melissa was none the wiser. She felt hot all over, the personality you showed on stage was completely different from the one she saw at school, and it excited her. You gathered your tips and made your way backstage, leaving Melissa feeling just a tiny bit disappointed.

You dropped all of your money onto your makeup station, pulling the money someone had stuffed underneath your bodysuit by your thigh and between your breasts. You counted it out, writing down on the slip of paper that you used to keep track of the tips you made. Once you did that, you put the cash into your purse and put your purse into your locker. You had pulled off your heels to start getting ready to leave, your shift ending soon, when your manager came into the dressing room.

"Hey, Cleo, can you do one last private dance before you leave? It was a special request for the customer's birthday." She asked, looking a little apologetic.

You sighed, "London's with my mom right now, I gotta get home so I can get her ready for bed."

You really didn't feel like being up close and personal with a customer at that moment, you were sweaty and you were sure you didn't smell the greatest.

"She's willing to pay extra. Come on, just one song and then you can go home."

The idea of extra money had made you change your mind in an instant. "Let me put some perfume on. What room?"

Your manager smiled gratefully, "Room 4."

With that, she left. You huffed and took off your bodysuit, it was pretty but it wasn't the best material for grinding up on someone for five minutes. You looked through the outfits you brought with you, trying to find the least intricate piece you had. You settled on a backless purple one piece that had fake pearls along the edges of the fabric. You put it on and looked at yourself in the floor length mirror, adjusting your breasts and putting body tape on them to avoid a slip during the private dance. After putting your heels back on, you gave yourself another examination in the mirror, this was one of the first outfits you bought to dance in yourself. The deep u-neckline stopped right above your navel, showing off just the right amount of skin that was expected of you.

You gave yourself a few sprays of your perfume and put on some deodorant. You checked your makeup in the mirror, and then went off to the private room. As you walked there, you wondered who would've requested you specifically. They paid extra so they must've had disposable income, so maybe you would get some extra money from them if you did a good job.

Melissa was sitting on the velvet couch in the room, unknowingly waiting for you. After your performance, Ava had brought Melissa to this room. She questioned her the entire way, only receiving a sly grin and being told to wait in the room. She accepted her fate and sat on the couch, scanning her surroundings. It was a small room, the floor and walls the same as the rest of the club and the LED lights were set to pink and slightly brighter than the lights on the dance floor. Next to the door was a dial and buttons for the lights and a bigger dial for the music.

She knew she would be receiving a lap dance and she had an inkling you would be the one to give it to her. She was at war with herself as to whether or not she thought that was a good thing, her mind going back to how confidently and fluidly you danced on stage. You weren't the first stripper Melissa had seen before, but seeing you on stage had ignited something within her. On the other hand, she had not noticed any indication that you felt the same way about her that she felt about you; you were always kind, but nothing more. She worried that this would be crossing a line with you.

Melissa's train of thought was interrupted by the door opening, and just like she had guessed, you came into the room. Melissa's gaze ran down the length of your body, lingering on your chest longer than it should have. While she ogled you, your eyes adjusted to the light in the room. You finally processed that it was Melissa in the room and you gasped.

"Melissa!?" You exclaimed. You opened the door and checked the room number, and sure enough, it was room 4. You closed the door and turned back to her.

"Uh, hi." She replied awkwardly, it was all she could think to say.

"What are you doing here? My manager told me I was requested, did you—"

"Oh, no! God, no. Ava did." Melissa interjected, nearly jumping from her seat.

"Why would she do that?" You asked, crossing your arms under your chest, unintentionally pushing up your already barely-covered breasts.

Melissa fought the urge to look at your chest, sighing. "It's my birthday, it's a part of my gift, I guess."

"Why'd she request me?"

"I think... she knows I find you attractive." She muttered the last few words, if the music had been turned up a little more you wouldn't have been able to hear what she said.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise, "You think I'm attractive?"

Melissa didn't miss the hint of hope in your voice, her own eyebrow raising as you came closer to her.

"Yeah, I'm not blind." She scoffed, like you being attractive was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look, I know you probably don't want to do this, so you don't have to."

You did want to, though, and Melissa's confession had made you want to do it more.

"Who said I didn't want to?" You asked, walking slowly up to Melissa. "I mean it is your birthday, right? Why not have a little fun?"

It didn't take much to convince her, she had already gotten all worked up from seeing you on stage, so having the opportunity to see you dance like that for her was certainly not unwelcome.

"Yeah, okay. I can have some fun." Melissa said, nodding as you leaned down and braced your hands on top of her knees with a grin.

"Great. Now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself." You instructed, leaning in so your lips brushed against her ear. "You're not supposed to touch, but I think I'll make an exception for the birthday girl. Our little secret."

You stood up straight and walked back towards the door. Your heart raced as you turned up the music, your nerves trying to get the best of you. You sighed in relief when you recognized the song that was playing over the speakers, you often got songs that you had never heard, leading to some lackluster dances. "Often" by The Weeknd filled the room, a song that you had heard so many times you wished you would never hear it again.

You began dancing for Melissa, starting off outside of her reach to tease her and build anticipation. You were able to see her fingers twitch in her lap, itching to reach out and touch you, and you smirked to yourself. You closed some of the distance between the two of you, now dancing close enough that she could occasionally reach out and caress your waist and thighs. Every time you felt the brush of her fingers on your skin, your breath would hitch and you had to fight the urge to pause your movements to enjoy the feeling.

As the end of the song came closer and closer, you decided to end the dance with a bang of sorts. You got even closer to Melissa, straddling her lap and grinding down on her to the rthythm to the music. Melissa's hands wasted no time in grabbing your hips, pressing into your soft skin lightly.

"God, hon... you're good at this..." She commented, sounding breathless as she watched your body and how it moved in her lap. Her hands drifted lower, now caressing your ass.

You smiled down at her, wrapping your arms around her neck and pulling her closer. "You're too sweet."

Melissa's eyes dragged up your frame until she was looking directly into your eyes. Her pupils were blown and her lips were slightly parted, she looked like she wanted to take you right then and there. You watched as Melissa's gaze flickered from your eyes to your lips to your eyes again and, before you could think better of it, you started leaning in. Melissa leaned in as well, meeting you halfway as your lips connected.

The kiss was heated, your fingers tangled in and occasionally pulling at Melissa's hair, and Melissa's hands skimming from your ass up to the underside of your breasts. You whimpered into her mouth as her thumb ghosted across your nipple, a shiver going down your spine. The song had long been over when the two of you finally pulled apart, your lips swollen and your chests raising and falling rapidly as you caught your breath.

"That was... wow." You said, breaking the silence.

Melissa chuckled breathlessly, her hands still on you. "Yeah, you could say that again."

"Do you want to, um, come back to my place?" You asked, sounding hopeful. Melissa didn't hesitate with her answer.

"Yes, absolutely. I need to get my hands on you."

You smiled brightly, leaning down to leave a chaste kiss on her lips. "Alright. I've gotta go clock out and then I'll meet you out back."

Melissa nodded and you stood from her lap before leaving the room. She chuckled to herself, shaking her head. She was definitely going to have to thank Ava later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@blkmxrvel asked to be tagged ! lmk if i should make a taglist :)))

[tanukiwarrior]

HEY I ALWAYS LIKE DOING ASK GAMES BUT NEVER FIND THAT MANY SO HERE MAKING MY OWN RANDOM ASS ASK GAME!

1. Hot Cocoa? What toppings? What kind?

2. How do ya like ya coffee >:3

3. How do ya feel about pumpkins?

4. If you met a frog named Herbert, would you give him a lil kissy?

5. Favorite fandom you're in where you haven't seen/played/read the source material at all?

6. Squash or Zuccini?

7. Favorite Number?

8. If you could give any kajui esc monster a hug (godzilla, king kong, etc) would you? Who is it? Why?

9. QUICK YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO A GALLA BY SOME BILLIONARE FUCK WHAT'RE YOU WEARING?!?!

10. Would you rather suffer a papercut between all your fingers and toes or have to spend 6 hours at a fancy resturant with your least favorite ex²?

11. You get ONE creature from fiction as a pet, what is it? How expensive would it be to own?

12. Have you had a rodent of any kind as a pet before if so how did it die?

13. Would you rather have all your bones and nails on your body grow 12 times as fast or have x-ray vision you have no control over?

14. If you could go back in time and tell your younger self that santa clause isn't real, would you for shits and giggles?

15. Would you rather be hit by a cybertruck or 12 semi-trucks?

16. You get to recast any one movie where everyone is Adam Sandler or Chris Pratt, what movie is it?

17. Perpetual Cheeto dust on all fingers that you can't remove for a month or the first 23 seconds of "Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows" for 2 weeks?

18. Would you rather be stuck at the bottom of the sea or in deep space?

19. Would you rather have all insects be 12 times bigger or all reptiles 4 times bigger?

20. If you could drasticly lengthen one season of the year, which one and for how long?

21. If you could everrrr so slightly alter the taste of water by just enough that it's barely noticeable, what flavor and why?

22. You're about to get into a fight with Chuck Noris, what are your last words?

23. You get to change the sun's color, what is it now?

TAG YOUR FAV ASSHOLES BELOWWWWW

[pers-books]

I Really Hope I'm Wrong, But Doctor Who Might Have Set Up Kate Stewart's Exit After 13 Years

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 4, "Lucky Day."

Jemma Redgrave has played Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, known professionally as Kate Stewart, since Doctor Who season 7, episode 4, "The Power of Three," but season 15 might have just revealed her time on the show is up. Kate creates a direct connection to Doctor Who's classic era, as she's the daughter of Alistair "the Brigadier" Lethbridge-Stewart - a recurring UNIT ally to a number of Doctors before the 2005 revival. Although joining the show in 2012 means Kate's debut in Doctor Who's modern era arguably came pretty late, she has made some excellent contributions to the franchise.

Redgrave's presence among the cast of 2023's "The Giggle" means she has worked with every main actor to play the Doctor in the modern era, other than Christopher Eccleston. She first encountered Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, so although she never crossed paths with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor, that was rectified when Tennant returned as Fourteen for Doctor Who's 60th-anniversary specials. As the experienced leader of Doctor Who's new UNIT team, the Disney era has given Kate a more regular group of colleagues, but it may be over barely after it started.

Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 4 Suggests Kate Might Be Fired Due To The Conrad Situation

Kate's team had to fight a different kind of battle in "Lucky Day".

Millie Gibson's return as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who season 15's "Lucky Day" poses an interesting challenge for Kate's team. After converging on a supposed Shreek attack in a small English village, the scenario turns out to be nothing more than a stunt by Think Tank. The conspiracy theorist group, led by Jonah Hauer-King's Conrad Clark, staged the scenario in an attempt to "prove" that UNIT is a front for the government to charge UK residents more tax under the guise of protecting them from aliens. This is a new situation for UNIT, and one that it's ill-prepared to handle.

The events set in motion by Conrad ultimately lead to the real possibility that Kate could be dismissed from her position, as it happened on her watch.

Conrad is an unusual kind of Doctor Who villain, which is what makes him so compelling. Rather than being a bloodthirsty alien, which UNIT would know how to handle, he spreads disinformation about Kate's team that not only prevents them from doing their job, but also creates doubt among the relevant governmental bodies that fund UNIT. The events set in motion by Conrad ultimately lead to the real possibility that Kate could be dismissed from her position, as it happened on her watch. An even worse scenario could be that the UK branch of UNIT is dissolved entirely.

Kate Stewart Will Still Appear In Doctor Who's Upcoming Sea Devils Spinoff

The War Between the Last and Sea will still have Redgrave among its cast

Kate still has a job by the end of Doctor Who season 15, episode 4, "Lucky Day." However, that may not be the case for long. Either way, Jemma Redgrave is still confirmed to appear among the cast of The War Between the Land and Sea - an upcoming Doctor Who spinoff miniseries. The show will heavily focus on UNIT's exploits and a conflict with returning Doctor Who villains, the Sea Devils.

It's currently unclear whether Kate and her team will be acting in an official capacity during the spinoff, or whether they're saving the world in the name of duty, regardless of whether their affiliation with UNIT has been severed. Kate reveals in "Lucky Day" that Mel Bush (Bonnie Lanford) is already en route to Sydney Harbor, stating that something is happening there that sounds suspiciously like it could be the imminent Sea Devil threat. So, the mission is already in motion, and a headstrong woman like Kate isn't going to be stopped from heroism by something like standard procedure.

What Happens With The Sea Devils Could End Kate Stewart's UNIT Career For Good

Kate's future could hinge on her victory or defeat against the returning Doctor Who villains

It almost doesn't matter if Kate has gone rogue in The War Between the Land and Sea, or if she is still serving UNIT in an official capacity. After the Conrad situation, her entire career could hinge on whether she can help thwart the Sea Devils. If she succeeds, then it'll probably be enough for her superiors to forgive or reinstate her to her previous position. If she fails, but manages to survive, then it will likely be the final nail in her professional coffin.

I would be surprised if Kate ended up fighting on the front lines in The War Between the Land and Sea. Although her father was a soldier, Kate is more of a hands-on tactician and leader than an outright warrior. That said, she has enough fire in her to step up if that's what's required of her in the Doctor Who spinoff. A large part of what happens depends on whether she and the others still have access to UNIT resources. If not, she may have to get more physically involved than usual.

Kate's Relationship With Colonel Ibrahim May Be Setting Up Her Happy Ending

Doctor Who is hinting that Kate's exit won't be miserable

After debuting in "The Giggle," Alexander Devrient's Colonel Christofer Ibraham has gradually been unveiled as a love interest for Kate Stewart. It's now confirmed that the pair are in a romantic relationship, which gives both of them more to lose on a personal level in the challenges that lie ahead. While their entanglement could be viewed as a source of concern due to their dangerous line of work, it could also be a subtle foreshadowing of Kate's potential Doctor Who exit.

Kate has served her country well during her years with UNIT, and she deserves to ride off into the sunset to enjoy the parts of life, such as love, for which she hasn't had time.

Although Col. Ibrahim is a good character in his own right, immediately giving him a romantic connection to Redgrave's character feels like too much of a coincidence to ignore. Kate has served her country well during her years with UNIT, and she deserves to ride off into the sunset to enjoy the parts of life, such as love, for which she hasn't had time. Introducing Col. Ibrahim is a good way of doing that.

I Really Hope Kate Stewart Isn't Finished With Doctor Who

Jemma Redgrave would be a big loss as a Doctor Who guest star

As rewarding and logical as it would be for Kate to step away from UNIT after defeating the Sea Devils in The War Between the Land and Sea, I would also hate for the spinoff to be Redgrave's final time in the role. If she is ejected from her position because of Conrad's actions, it would be a very unfair way for Kate to leave the show after all her hard work and the effort she has made to uphold her late father's legacy.

Plus, Redgrave's performances as Kate Stewart have a brilliant way of giving the scenes in which she appears way more gravity than they would have without her. She's a brilliant actress who is perfectly suited to the role. She's not the only instance of this in Doctor Who, but if it's possible to retain her rather than end her arc, I think the show should certainly do that. If she does leave, at least her episodes will remain as a testament to her Doctor Who character.

[hopeforchanges]

Optics Part 7

feeling particularly romantic coming home from Scotland, so here's a power couple au update feat. an obikin wedding that goes slightly awry as one does:

[part 6, part 5, part 4, part 3, part 2, part 1]

****

The champagne flutes sweat under the skylight.

Everything else is perfect—painfully, expensively, obscenely perfect. The rooftop garden has been transformed into something out of a dream: orchids spill from silver vases, fairy lights drift in a soft web overhead, and a quartet plays an instrumental version of “Across the Stars” because Anakin Skywalker is nothing if not dramatic.

He stands there.

Waiting.

Waiting.

The stylist warned him his hair would fall by the hour mark. The suit—custom, ivory, and sharp enough to slice—suddenly feels too tight in the shoulders. His palms are damp. His stomach’s gone hollow. And still, no sign of Obi-Wan.

Padmé shifts uneasily beside him in her bridesmaid’s gown. She opens her mouth to say something, but he shoots her a look.

Not yet.

Twenty minutes pass. Then thirty.

The quartet starts their song over again. The officiant clears their throat. The press, carefully locked outside the venue, is likely already salivating.

Anakin keeps his face neutral. Trained. He’s been doing this for years. Public love. Public pain.

But inside? Inside he’s coming apart at the seams.

Where the fuck is he?

****

Obi-Wan Kenobi is bleeding.

Not from a wound, but from a thousand tiny political paper cuts. Security detail rerouted. His car intercepted by protestors screaming about corruption and scandal. Then a staged phone call from the Governor’s office. Palpatine.

Of course.

Obi-Wan grits his teeth, ditches the wrecked town car, and jogs three blocks in his dress shoes like a madman. His tie’s in his pocket. His jacket’s slung over one arm. His lungs are burning but he keeps going.

He’s late.

And it’s his fault, even if it’s not.

The guard at the event venue tries to stop him. One look, and Obi-Wan flashes his senator badge, rage in his eyes, and the man stumbles aside.

He bursts through the glass doors, chest heaving, hair windblown—

And he sees Anakin.

Standing alone.

At the altar.

Eyes wide, face pale, shattered.

Obi-Wan stops in his tracks.

Anakin sees him—and walks away.

****

The dressing suite is empty except for the echoes.

Anakin’s already torn the boutonnière from his lapel. It lies crushed on the floor. He’s pacing like he wants to burn holes in the tile.

Obi-Wan steps inside, breathless. “Anakin—”

“No.” Anakin holds up a hand.

“Let me explain—”

“You were late to our wedding, Obi-Wan!”

“I know.”

“You left me there. In front of everyone.”

“I didn’t want to. Palpatine intercepted the car, the protest was staged, the call—”

“Oh, amazing,” Anakin snaps. “So I was stood up because of optics.”

Obi-Wan flinches. “That’s not what happened.”

“You always do this!"

“That’s not fair.”

“No? What is fair, then? The way I looked like a complete idiot in front of my entire family? How the reporters will say you changed your mind last minute?”

Obi-Wan moves closer. “I didn’t change my mind.”

Anakin stares at him, eyes wet, face broken.

“I wanted to say the vows,” Obi-Wan says quietly. “I wanted to say them while holding your hands and looking you in the eye and telling you that I love you, and I choose you, and I don’t care if it tanks my numbers or costs me everything. I wanted it to be perfect.”

Anakin closes his eyes. “It was perfect. Until you didn’t come.”

“I’m here now.”

“Too late.”

Obi-Wan steps forward again, closing the space. “Then let me do it now.”

“What?”

“The vows. Here. Just us.”

Anakin hesitates.

But he doesn’t walk away.

****

They stand face to face, barely breathing.

Obi-Wan reaches into his pocket and pulls out the new chain, gold and delicate, with a ring looped through it. Not the one from the ocean, but another. Same engraving.

He holds it up.

“This is for you,” he says. “So the world doesn’t know we’re back together. But you will. Every time you touch it, every time someone asks what it is and you lie—you will know.”

Anakin takes it slowly, fingertips grazing Obi-Wan’s.

“You love so loudly,” Obi-Wan whispers, “and I love too quietly. But I swear, Anakin—I’ve loved you this whole time.”

Anakin swallows hard.

Then speaks.

“I wrote new vows.”

Obi-Wan raises a brow.

“I had a whole speech planned. But I wrote new ones.”

He pulls a crumpled napkin from his pocket. Clears his throat.

“I used to think love was supposed to feel like a movie. Grand gestures. Thunderstorms. First kisses under fireworks. And then I met you.”

He looks up.

“And it wasn’t loud. It wasn’t perfect. But it was true. It was the first thing that ever felt real. You made me feel like I wasn’t pretending anymore.”

Obi-Wan is stone-still. Staring at him like he’s witnessing something holy.

Anakin folds the napkin, quietly. “I’m still angry.”

“I know.”

“I’m still embarrassed.”

“I deserve it.”

“I still love you.”

“I know that too.”

Obi-Wan takes his hand.

“I’ll fix this,” he says.

Anakin pulls him in by the lapels. “Then say it.”

“What?”

“The vows.”

Obi-Wan meets his eyes. “You are my light in every room. My stillness in the storm. My reminder that there is always something worth choosing, again and again. I love you, and I will keep loving you, even if you throw ten more rings into the sea.”

Anakin laughs. A real one. It slips out like air after drowning.

“Okay,” he says. “Fine. I forgive you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

****

But because Anakin Skywalker is still Anakin Skywalker ...

The ceremony happens two hours later.

Quiet. Private. No press. Just Padmé, Bail, Ahsoka, and a minister with no last name.

The cake’s half-melted. The string quartet went home. But they say the vows again anyway. They kiss again anyway. They hold each other close on a rooftop as the sun sets over Manhattan, the sky split wide with orange and gold.

And that chain, with the ring, glints against Anakin’s collarbone.

A secret.

A promise.

A new beginning.

[ashwhowrites]

you said you wanted eobinfics so I WILL DELIVER 😍

What about robin and reader who plays basketball, she showed up to a game because of band but forgot half of the music because she spotted a pretty player on the court, robin immediately had a huge crush on reader and of course reader noticed the cute French Horn player, who looked like she was desperately trying to understand what's going on

Adorable. I love this idea!

I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting <3

Court crush

Robin has been in band for years, a class her mother made her take starting in elementary. Robin felt like an absolute dork carrying her French horn everywhere and felt even worse wearing the hideous outfits high school made her wear.

Robin hated playing at the sports games. The judging eyes of all the jocks heated her skin as embarrassment flushed through her. She hated cheering them on when they were making fun of her. Plus Robin didn't understand sports. Basketball? The ball goes in the net. Football? Tackle and run. Hockey? Tiny black thing and net. She barely understood what she was cheering for.

But then Hawkins high school started a girl's basketball team, and Robin was more than happy to cheer on girls for a change. She was simply a girl after all so of course she eyed every player. But number 7 had Robin gripping her French horn for life. She was incredibly attractive. Her hair was thrown up, the basketball jersey loose against her body, and the baggy shorts. Robin was captivated by her.

Robin didn't notice the instructor, she didn't notice that the rest of the band was setting up their instruments to play. Her eyes were focused on number 7 as she warmed up on the court.

Throughout the game, Robin tried to focus on the music, but the notes got lost in her day dream.

~~~

Y/N expected to feel eyes on her, she was a player on the court after all. But she felt someone staring at her, like a very hot gaze that followed her every move.

After the game, Y/N packed up her bag and switched out her shoes. She still felt eyes on her, so she looked around. The band was putting away their instruments, all except one girl. She had short brown hair, a deer-in-the-headlights look, and tan skin. Y/N offered a small smile as the girl continued to stare, but the girl seemed to be in a zone. Y/N offered a wave, the action caused the girl to snap out of whatever daydream she had. Her eyes went wide and she quickly looked away. Her head down as she gathered her instrument, most of the band already leaving the stands.

~~~

Robin prepared for the game, this time praying she had a grip on herself compared to last time. But the second the players ran out of the court, Robin found herself in that trance all over again.

And again

And again

"This is like the sixth game you've been messing up and playing a different song. What's going on?" Vickie asked another player that Robin stood next to.

Robin felt the heat of embarrassment cover her skin. She didn't want to admit she'd been checking out one of the players and her mind turned to mush.

"Lot going on." Robin shrugged, Vickie gave her a look but left it alone. Robin cursed at herself for being so obvious. She put her foot down and made herself pay attention to the whole game and not just the pretty girl.

As the game finished up, Robin felt like she could take a deep breath. She never knew how hard it was to keep her eyes off of someone.

Robin hummed a song as she packed up her instrument, excited to spend her Friday night at Steve's and eat tons of junk food. Probably spend the night talking to Steve about the pretty girl.

"excuse me?" Robin heard a voice coming from behind her, and a tap on her shoulder.

Robin turned around too fast, her foot getting caught in the bleachers. She winced as she fell backward, her hands preparing to catch herself when another pair of hands grabbed her hips.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," Y/N said a smile on her face. Robin blushed as the girl held her in place. She was even more gorgeous up close. Even when she was all sweaty.

"No! It's fine. That's all me. I'm super clumsy. I trip over my own feet all the time. Ever fall up the stairs? I do! I once even fell out of a car, how is that possible?" Robin ranted, her mouth coming out with random words as she lost her breath. Robin couldn't help but notice she ran completely out of breath, catching her breath as she took in the silence. She went to apologize when the girl spoke up.

"You're cute, what's your name?" The girl removed her hands from Robin's hips, and Robin couldn't help but wish she kept them there.

"Robin, Robin Buckley!" Robin said, throwing her hand out.

Y/N eyed her hand, but gladly accepted. She shook the nervous girl's hand, "names Y/N."

Even her name was gorgeous.

"You're really good!" Robin said, proud of herself for coming up with a compliment.

"Well, I have to believe you since you watch me more than my coach." Y/N teased, a smirk on her face that made Robin's stomach flutter.

Robin didn't know what to say, she was embarrassed to have been caught. She tried to stutter something out.

"It's okay. If the pretty band girl wants to stare, I'm honored."

"Pretty?" Robin smiled, she wanted to giggle but couldn't bear to embarrass herself anymore.

"Very pretty." Y/N said, her smirk now a smile as she handed Robin a piece of paper.

"If you ever want to go past staring, give me a call," Y/N said, throwing Robin a wink as she walked off.

Robin looked down at the paper, excitement filling her as she saw the number written with a heart at the end.

Steve was so going to hear about this.

[mowowow]

imagine u have a shitty old car that doesn’t have Bluetooth so pick 7 albums u play on CD!! (Or tape!!!)

tagged by @thestralsofspinnersend and I’m in despair because 7 is too few lmfao I did a 50 albums thread on bluesky some months ago and I was already like!!! leaving some great ones out!!! LOL but I tried to focus on... being in a car and how it reminds me of traveling every few months with my dad when I was a kid? cause driving itself is sth I hate/haven’t done in 15 years but I’ll pretend I’d be alone on some sort of magical road trip where there are no other cars around

also I’m not picking my fave albums ever, just the ones I think would fit being on the road. which is why most of these are not even on my bsky list because the criteria I used there was one artist - one album (for instance... my fave by Bey is Lemonade, Reny is #2)

1. Beyoncé - Renaissance

I mean? Talk about a great sing-along masterpiece, I’d be blasting the trifecta that is CUFF IT/ENERGY/BREAK MY SOUL with those smooth transitions and go even louder with CHURCH GIRL/PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA/VIRGO’S GROOVE

2. Iron & Wine - Beast Epic

This was harddddd because I also think that Our Endless Numbered Days should be here but anyway! Iron & Wine is the definition of road trip music if you're in the countryside, especially if you’re going through places full of trees all around. I’m thinking especifically of this area close to my city where the trees on both sides create an arch over the road where you can barely see the sky, it’s amazing

3. The Beatles - Revolver

This is mostly nostalgia. I barely listen to them these days but this is my fave Beatles album because for me it was always about the fun/cheesy songs with them and not the so-called “masterpieces” lol (though nowadays I know Run For Your Life, for example, is the type of lyrics I’d hate) and like, my relationship with my dad is not what it used to be but I still have the memories of us looking up Beatles lyrics on my computer when I was a teen so we’d both sing along to them. my dad is the one that made me start studying English when I was 14 (I hated it before that) and a lot of what I learned was through music and lyrics back then

4. Skank - Ao Vivo em Ouro Preto    

This is a Brazilian band that has some of the most beautiful and fun songs in our popular culture imo, so I’d get to blast the most romantic tracks like Balada do Amor Inabalável (roughly translates as “Ballad of the steadfast love” but of course it loses its beauty like that lol) and have fun with the lyrics of Saideira (Last Round... of drinks... where the chorus is basically all the ways you can call a waiter at a bar) and Garota Nacional (National Girl lol)

5. Sabrina Carpenter - Short n’ Sweet

OH I LEAVE QUITE AN IMPRESSIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN 

the perfect sing-along album too and I looooveeee her sense of humor!!!

MY GIVE-A-FUCKS ARE ON VACATION

6. Arctic Monkeys - AM

I mean. I MEAN. I don’t even care about cars but like? This is IT, y’know, lmao. Just think of the R U Mine music video. SO. MUCH. FUN. to sing along to this in a car. and I did that with my dad and sis last time we were on the road together, cause luckily for me at least some of what my 15yo sis listens to aligns with my taste lmao. I already talked about this album/era in another music post a few weeks ago but also let me just say I include Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You because what do you mean that didn’t make it into the album

7. Dir en grey - THE MARROW OF A BONE

again, not my fave by my fave band (that’d be DSS) but I absolutely LOVE this album. Great for when you’re angry or sad or just wanna vibe with the great fucking bass riffs like Toshiya you are a GENIUS (they all are) and this is from the era where there were SO MANY memes and parodies also this album is just great live. GRIEF is only second to umbrella as my fave live song by them

Honorable mentions: Lianne La Havas’ self-titled, Rihanna’s ANTI, Sara Bareilles’ live at the Fillmore, Roxette’s Greatest Hits, Britney Spears’ Blackout

tagging @mortalscience @oh--youprettythings @kellykadesperate @jonny-versace @impishtubist @languagelessonswolfstar @outromoonyy

[youcouldmakealife]

SOTM: Bruno Roy, various Roys (Morgan/Theo); contraband

For the prompt: Does Bruno Roy notice the tension between his poor rookie and Theo in the house?

Bruno would like to think he’s a pretty observant fellow. His teammates would certainly describe him that way. He’s been keeping an eye out for his younger teammates practically since the start of his career, and that takes paying attention, because fuck knows most of those guys would rather get their teeth knocked out than actually ask for help.

His wife would probably disagree, though. She’s the one who notices what’s up with the kids, always filling him in. He doesn’t know if that’s because she's more observant, or if it's because he spends close to half of his time on the road during the regular season, sees his kids less than his teammates, most of the time.

If that’s it there’s nothing he can do about it, and honestly, the last time he was around for an uninterrupted stretch, laid out with a groin injury, his kids were as happy as him when he got cleared to play, and Celine was the happiest of all. He is, he’ll admit, not very good at staying still, and there was a lot more of that than he’d like on bed rest. He’s best in motion.

But with three of his kids firmly in the teen years now, the problems are multiplying. Matt barely leaves his room unless food or school’s involved, and there’s a hell of a lot of reluctance on the school thing. Alexia’s reached the baffling stage of teenage girlhood Bruno won’t even pretend to understand, where everything that used to make her happy makes her mad instead, plus her friends are all dicks. Celine puts it a little more diplomatically, but they’re in agreement on that one.

And Theo, well — Bruno thought the hard part was over after Theo came out to them, and it mostly was — before that he and Celine spent an entire year debating whether they should tell him they knew or wait until he was ready to tell him, and they were getting precariously close to the first one when he sat them down.

But now Celine says something’s up between Morgan and Theo, and scoffs at him when he says he hadn’t noticed. He’s sure she’s not wrong, and he might worry if it was anyone else billeting with them, but Morgan? Morgan’s the opposite of a worry.

“Morgan’s a good kid,” Bruno says. “It’ll probably work itself out.”

“It hasn’t yet,” Celine says. “And it’s been awhile.”

“Can’t be that bad if I haven’t noticed it,” Bruno says, and that’s when he learns just what his wife thinks of his observational skills.

Frankly, he doesn't think she needed to laugh that loudly.

*

Bruno keeps an eye out after that. Not that he doesn’t keep an eye out, but, you know, he keeps a focused eye. Like the difference between casually watching a game and scouting the opponents. And of course, now that he’s paying close enough attention it’s pretty obvious that as usual, Celine is right.

‘The vibes are off’, as he’s pretty sure his kids would say. Also pretty sure that they’d call him embarrassing for saying it, like he doesn’t share a locker room with kids barely older than them. Houses a good number of them too, though thankfully it’s been one at a time. They’re all good kids — his teammates and his children — but they can be, well —

Matt slinks out of the kitchen, hunched over in a hoodie, arms wrapped around his torso. Bruno doesn’t need to be around 24/7 to recognize that trick. And unless Matt’s suddenly gained a significant amount of weight in one area and one area only, Bruno suspects he’s smuggling something. A bag of chips, Bruno believes. Family size too, it looks like.

“Matt,” Bruno says from his spot on the couch, and Matt guiltily pauses, one foot on the stairs. “No chips before dinner. Also, no eating in your room. Take your pick on which rule you’re breaking.”

“I don’t have chips,” Matt says.

“You pregnant?” Bruno asks, and Matt sighs and pulls a bag of chips from where he’s been hiding them under his hoodie. They keep the AC on high, but not that high: hoodie is an immediate tip-off smuggling’s happening. Well, that or that his kids have been in Texas too long.

“I could have been pregnant,” Matt mutters as he goes up the stairs, which is an argument so nonsensical there’s no way Bruno should be dignifying it by replying.

“No you could not have been pregnant!” Bruno says, because it’s an argument so nonsensical Bruno can’t help but reply, dignity or not.

The front door opens just in time for someone to overhear that, because of course it does. Morgan stands frozen in the doorway, wide-eyed, looking like he’s considering turning right around and walking away rather than deal with whatever he just walked into. Bruno doesn’t blame him at all. It’s kind of a wonder they keep letting him billet rookies, though Kai and Grigory did okay, he supposes, considering the level of Roy exposure they got. Morgan’s struggling. He’s too nice a kid for his own good, honestly.

“I was talking to Matt,” Bruno says.

“Um,” Morgan says, then smiles weakly without asking a single question, even though he must have a dozen of them. Too nice for his own good, like Bruno said.

“He was smuggling chips,” Bruno says.

“Under his hoodie?” Morgan asks, relaxing, before shutting the door behind himself and slipping off his shoes.

See? In this house hoodies are only used for smuggling. Even Morgan knows it, and he’s only lived here a few months.

“I didn’t know I lived with the KGB!” Matt yells from upstairs.

“That doesn’t exist anymore!” Theo calls from the kitchen — Bruno didn’t even know he was there, but say something wrong and he’ll appear from nowhere just to correct you, like a genie that provides fun facts instead of wishes. Also not so fun facts. Usually they’re not actually fun facts.

“I’m sure they haven’t stopped spying or anything,” Theo says as he comes into the hallway. “They just changed their name.”

“Thank you, Theo,” Bruno says.

“You’re welcome,” Theo says, then, “Um.”

“I’m going to,” Morgan says, then heads upstairs without actually finishing the sentence, taking the stairs two at a time.

Okay, if it’s been like this the whole time, maybe Celine was right to cackle.

“Anything you want to tell me about?” Bruno asks.

Theo’s eyes dart toward the stairs, and Bruno swears he can see him debating whether it’s a better idea to flee, and potentially look like he’s following Morgan upstairs, or stay where he is and have to answer Bruno’s questions.

Looks the exact same in his house as it does the locker room, and Bruno’s roster has been young enough, in recent years, to see that struggle plenty of times, guys in a snit with each other, stuck on the road. Worst case is when you’re pissed at someone and they’re right ahead of you getting onto the plane. No choice but to follow, and if you’re going anywhere cold, you’ve got to deal with them putting their shit up in the overhead bins.

“Got homework,” Theo says, and retreats back into the kitchen. Bruno had forgotten about option three. That was an oversight, especially when it’s Theo: he always seems to pick the option Bruno hadn’t considered.

“Did you want—“ Bruno says, cut off by Theo’s “No thanks, it’s due tomorrow, bye!”

Bruno sighs, eyeing the stairs himself, then decides to go sit back down. If intervention is needed, he needs to call in the cavalry first, because he’s all out of ammo.

He's got chips now, though. So at least he's got that going for him.

[respectthepetty]

I think Mark is like… a vampire or something, does he ever sleep?

He is on every GMMTV SHOW!! I just keep thinking of that clip of him in school president when am he says “ I’m playing the vicar, the father and every other character” (or something like that! I forget!

so……. Would you like to Rate the shows Mark has been in? 👀

Anon, I cannot rate the shows Mark has been in because if Mark is in them, they have to be good, but I will rank them based on how much I loved Mark in them because I think he is beautiful AND talented (which is why this badminton world champion is on my list of GMMTV's best actors).

Ranked - Mark Pakin's Series

Honorable Mention - Cooking Crush - Dynamite

I think Aungpao is doing a great job as Dynamite in Cooking Crush, but I can't help but think what it would have been to see Mark in that role as originally intended. It sucks that Mark is overbooked, which I'm assuming was the reason he couldn't commit to Cooking Crush since he was filming Last Twilight, but it's a good problem to have for such a talented man, so I hope he continues to stay booked and blessing me with his face on my screen each and every year.

#8 - High School Frenemy - Chatjen

This show was barely announced, so it's possible it might not even make it to air, but that's not why it's last. The show is a remake of a Korean series, and word on the street is the original was not gay, like at all, which is wild since the entire pilot trailer for the Thai version seemed very homosexual to me! There was a rooftop and everything! But it also looks like our boy is about to be bullied, and I'm not here for it. Therefore, LAST!

#7 - Bad Buddy - Chang

Mark played in Bad Buddy? Notice that is a question and not a statement because, although I don't remember a lot of Bad Buddy because we have beef, I truly only remember Drake and Jimmy as friends since I wanted them to be a couple (Korn x Wai ghost ship!). I wasn't aware of either Marc or Mark playing Pat and Pran's friends. Mark was there when Pat got shot. Mark was there when they told Pran that Pat got shot. He is in the photo outside of the hospital room because Pat got shot, and I still am like, "Was Mark really in the show?"! I even had to look up what his character's name was on MDL. I still don't believe he was in it. I don't care what Our Skyy said. This is the Mandela Effect.

#6 - I Promised You the Moon - Mek

I do remember Mark in I Promised You the Moon, so this ranking is purely because I'm petty and got beef with this series, specifically Teh, which means Mark has to suffer too. Mark played Mek who was Teh's roommate. After Teh FUCKED UP, Mek was nice to him when he really didn't have to be because Teh was being an ASSHOLE to him, but that's why I loved Mek. He could've thrown hands with Teh in that room, but instead gave Teh some tough love by telling him his crying was annoying, and he needed to get it together. Then, he invited Teh to go eat with him. He still could've smacked Teh though and cemented this as Mark's number one role.

#5 - Last Twilight - Night

The only reason this is ranked this low is because I haven't had enough of him in the show. He is not the lead. He is a supporting character (AS USUAL, GMMTV!), so I can't expect him on my screen every single second, but I need far more of him in the last quarter of this series. Also, the show is setting up Night to be the cause of Day's accident, but it's too late for me to feel bad about any of this. I needed to know that information by episode three. Now we are over halfway done, Mork and Day are fulfilling the gay agenda, Phojai is about to get a rich husband, and Night is going to inherit a beautiful family, so let bygones be bygones, and GIVE MARK A LEADING ROLE ALREADY!

#4 - Only Friends - Nick

If I was really petty, this wouldn't have even been on the list because Nick should have been so much worse. He recorded Boston and Top having sex. He told Mew about Boston's non-consensual sex tape. He lied to Boston. And yet . . . I wanted him to do more! Nick could have blackmailed Top. Nick could've ruined Mew's life. Nick could've hurt Ray via Sand! Nick could've been a baddie, but instead he was a saddie. Mark finally got to kiss a homie, but at what cost? I feel Mark could've done so much more in this role. Honestly, all the actors could have, but they were held back, so here Nick sits in the middle. Not good. Not bad. Just average.

#3 - My School President - Thiu

This 'fit alone deserves our recognition because Mark was playing a high schooler yet looking too fine in this top. He needed to put that hotness away around those children. But in regards to his character, as you mentioned in the ask, he was EVERYTHING! He was trying to keep the student council solid since Tinn was too busy crushing on Gun. He was playing matchmaker. He was dating Por all season, and this is not up for debate. He was a director for the band's music video and was basically their manager. Homie was doing it all and still had time to look fine. What a guy!

#2 - Moonlight Chicken - Saleng

I wrote an ode to Saleng being my Thai primo. He lived for the chisme and was the biggest shit starter in the family, yet Li Meng called him first after the accident, and he was right there when their community mother passed away. Aof, who is behind Moonlight Chicken and Last Twilight, really let all the characters shine in this series, but Mark did amazing with the little amount of screen time he had, which gives me hope that his Last Twilight character will rise in the rankings as that series comes to a close. This role was so good that I was torn between this and the one I ultimately selected as number one, but honestly, both roles could be number one depending on my mood. Do I want family-oriented fun times Saleng or do I want . . .

#1 - The Warp Effect - Jedi

The entire cast of The Warp Effect was elite status. Every character was great. Every storyline was good. Every discussion about sex was outstanding. But Mark as Jedi lives rent free in my head, specifically the scene where after working out, he fucks his girlfriend from behind over the kitchen counter! Then, he experiences pain because he has a STI! This leads to an entire education about open relationships, sexual health, communication, and trans healthcare since his girlfriend is trans. Jojo was the screenwriter and director for both Only Friends and The Warp Effect, so I like that both of Mark's sexier roles are due to Jojo's vision, and I hope Mark gets to work again with either Aof or Jojo because Mark is at his best when he is allowed to play an adult man who knows what he wants and how to get it.

And believe me, he could get it.

[katyawriteswhump]

the freak in the penthouse part 12

E-rated (for sexual content), accidental millionaire eddie/sex-worker steve. On tumblr: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3.1 Part 3.2 Part 4.1 Part 4.2 Part 5.1 Part 5.2 Part 6.1 Part 6.2 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 or search #thefreakinthepenthouse :)

On AO3 FYI, I’ve basically imagined that Dustin and Suzie are roughly the same age as the others in this, so in their late teens and early twenties…

Chapter 12: reality check

Five Days later

Steve picked up the phone and dialled Eddie’s number. It rang twice, before the answerphone stabbed him with the same old jack-knife in the gut:

“Hi! This is Suzie.”

“And this is Dustin.”

“We’re not around right now—

“—or we’re having our downtime, together or apart, which is super important to us—” 

Jesus Christ, kill me already.

Steve had heard this message a dozen times. Dustin and Suzie sounded so goddamn chirpy, like they were going to explode into song. And Steve had endured waaaaay too many chirpy songs the last few nights, courtesy of Robin’s mom’s cassette deck.

He endured the rest of their nail-scapingly annoying message and braced himself for the Ding!

“Hi, this is Steve. Again. Look, I really need to talk to Ed—”

“Answerphone tape full,” recited an electronic voice, the polar-opposite of chirpy.

“Fuck!” Steve slammed down the receiver. 

Why wasn’t Eddie returning his calls?

Okay, Steve had been sleeping a ton the past few days, might’ve missed something. Robin’s leave was over today, and her mom worked really long shifts…

A muffled meeeeow had him looking up sharpish. Resident cat, Fernando, glared at him through the window.

“All right, I’m sorry I stole your couch. I don’t hate you, it’s your fur that hates me. Way to go making me feel even shittier about it.”

He glared back. Trouble was, this was Fernando’s home, not his. Robin had technically moved out last year, and he’d barely got a nickel to slot into the housekeeping kitty.

He was gonna have to sell his watch. Or the guitar. Dammit, he’d wanted to check in with Eddie first, but what choice did he have?

He leafed through the telephone directory for music stores, scraped together some loose change, and caught a bus across the city. On the journey, he missed his old Sony Walkman as never before. Thanks to Robin’s mom, ‘Mamma Mia’ by Abba ear-wormed through his brain. Uuuuuuurgh! He  hugged the glittery guitar case tightly and attempted to pep himself up.

Eddie said he was crazy about Steve. Steve sure as heck felt the same. 

“Yes, I’ve been broken-hearted, blue since the day we parted. Why, why did I ever let you go?”

“Shut the hell up, Agnetha,” he muttered, earning himself a scathing glance from a woman sitting close. But Steve hadn’t been broken-hearted when he left the hotel. He’d been scared shitless over that fact he was losing his memory as well as his mind. He still was. His future with Eddie had been the one thing he’d felt faintly optimistic about, and… 

“Look at me now, will I ever learn?”

No. No way. Eddie was a good person. Yeah, Robin had passed hours bad-mouthing him. No matter. Steve believed in Eddie. Well, he desperately wanted to. He was getting really worried about him—about whether he’d really been ‘cured’ of his agoraphobia, and about his overly sass-tastic and curiously absent friends. 

He missed him so much. Christ, it hurt.

In ‘Jivin’ Jams,’ Steve laid the guitar case on the counter and opened it. The store-owner’s brows shot sky high: “Where did you get this, son?”

“A friend gave it me,” said Steve. “There was a rumor it once belonged to Jimi Hendrix or something.” 

The guy stared at him, mega-intense, which Steve took to be a positive sign. Maybe he should play hardball, get competing offers from a bunch of stores.

“I’m looking for at least two-thousand bucks,” he ventured.

“I got some catalogues out back that should help me figure out what it’s worth. Gimme a tick.”

Steve shrugged. “Sure.”

The dude vanished. Steve waited, grinning when a track he knew—‘Friday I’m in love,” by The Cure—drowned out the Abba hell-loop in his head. He remembered this one. Yeah, he’d been flat on his back on that honking great bed, with his ankles looped around Eddie’s neck. While merrily fucking Steve, Eddie had sung along like an idiot:

“Monday, you can hold your head, Tuesday, Wednesday, stay in bed, Or Thursday, watch the walls instead, It's Friday, I'm in love…”

Christ, he missed Eddie’s dumbass ‘o’ face. He missed how Eddie always needed him to come too, loving it when Steve squirted across those lick-tastic tatts. Yeah, he missed… so much. If he got a decent amount for the guitar, maybe he and Eddie could rent a place together. Get back to fucking every day of the week…

He was still daydreaming, smirking vaguely, when the two policemen walked in. 

“I didn’t know it was stolen!” protested Steve. The son-of-a-bitch store-owner handed the guitar over the counter to one of the cops.

“Where d’you get it then?” asked the other.

“A friend gave it to me.” Steve’s legs started to feel wibbly.

“This friend got a name?”

Steve bit hard into his bottom lip.

“You think on it, and tell us when we get to the precinct, huh?” 

They took his knapsack and turned out his pockets. When the handcuffs came out, the bubble of panic in his windpipe ballooned.

“I didn’t know it was stolen,” he repeated, sort of on autopilot. They cuffed him anyway. Outside the store, the cool air smarted against his burning skin. “C-crap. No, please! Look… I… I didn’t know!”

He was guided into the back of their patrol vehicle and the door slammed shut. He shut his eyes, rested his head back, and battled his instinct to struggle against the cuffs.

OH MY GOD, EDDIE! YOU REALLY WERE TAKEN FOR A CHUMP!  

Unless he knew it was stolen? No. No way, no way. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. Okay… breathe. Keep calm, right? Shiiiiit! 

Steve had been picked up by the police once before. It’d been soon after he’d run from that man, when he was on the streets, and… Nope, nope, NOPE.

His mind grew as clammed up as his body. Which was probably how, breathing fast and shallow, he survived the short journey to the precinct. Still kinda dazed, he was uncuffed and processed. His rescue inhaler, which had been in his pack, was handed back to him. For the first time in a while, he managed to form a coherent sentence: “I need to make a phone call.”

As he was shown to the booth, his worries swerved off in a whole new direction. Dammit, he still didn’t know Robin’s number. He could try calling the hotel, see if he could get a message to her, but…

His unsteady fingers dialled the one number that’d etched itself into his heart. He knew it was gonna go to that ‘answerphone full’ message.

Shit, you are not gonna cry, Harrington, or you’re gonna be eaten alive.

“Hello, this is Suzie.”

“Oh Jesus Christ!”

“No, I’m afraid I’m not Him. This is Suzie Henderson. To whom am I speaking?”

“It’s Steve.” He swiped his knuckles across his cheekbones. “I’m, uh… um… Eddie’s friend. Is he there?”

“No, we don’t know where he is. We’re really worried.” She sure sounded less chirpy than in her message. “I thought Dusty tried to call you back. Have you heard from Eddie?”

“N-no, no. Oh my God. Oh my God, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening.”

“You seem distressed, Steve. Can I help?”

What choice did he have? He poured out his story, including how Eddie gave him the guitar he was accused of fencing, right till the call randomly cut off.

…

In the interview room, a tired-looking cop dumped a worryingly thick file between them.

“It’s a simple question, kid. Tell us how you came into possession of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, and we can cut you a deal. You sing sweet enough, you could skip all charges.”

Steve chewed his thumbnail, stared at the table: “I got it from a friend.”

“Listen to me. That guitar was stolen during an armed robbery at a house in Brentwood. You already got an arrest record. You don’t talk, you’re looking at some serious time behind bars.”

Steve gawked up at the interviewer, his thumb still half-caught in his mouth. He’d go to the prison for the guy he loved but…

This isn’t happening.

“Whoever you’re covering for, are they worth it? You scared they’re gonna come for you? We can put you in witness protection.”

Scared? Of Eddie? It was almost hilarious, and finally snapped Steve from his clammed-up funk. He giggled nervously.

“You think this is funny, kid? You can laugh your ass off in jail. You wanna recall your friend’s name for me now?”

“I… um…”

Eddie would want you to tell him, you idiot! He can probably help clear this mess up! There is also the teensy weensy possibility he’s skipped town, leaving you holding his seriously problematic baby…

“Look, I’m not exactly sure where he—“

The door flew wide and a young woman with fashionably frizzy hair and some serious shoulder-pad action stepped in. “Stop the interview. My name’s Nancy Wheeler. I’m Steve’s lawyer and I need a moment alone with my client.”

The interviewer looked mildly pissed then picked up his files and shuffled out.

Steve slumped back in his seat and blinked at his apparent saviour. Beneath the make-up and the power suit, she didn’t look much older than he was. She smiled tightly, pulled a chair around and sat down beside him.

“Woah, woah, woah.” Steve finally found his voice. “I don’t wanna sound ungrateful, but I can’t pay you anything."

“I’m not actually a lawyer,” she hissed, kinda apologetic. “I’m a trainee journalist. Friend of Suzie’s. She’s sort of into law as a hobby, and she’s clued me in on exactly what to say, so… sit tight, keep quiet. We’ll have you out of here in no time.”

…

Nancy did a lot of talking, and Steve eventually found himself leaving the precinct flanked by Nancy and Suzie. Suzie had brought her checkbook to pay Steve’s bail, though in the end, he hadn’t been charged.

He’d lost track of time during his ordeal, and it was past ten pm and dark outside. Before they reached the bottom of the precinct steps, a Volvo drew up, and its internal light switched on. A guy with curly hair and a ‘Vecna’s Doom Quest’ baseball cap wound down the window.

“Get in!” he yelled.

“Love you too, Dusty-bun.” Suzie headed around to the front passenger seat. 

Steve hesitated. “Uh, look, I appreciate the cavalry charge and all, but you’re, like, complete strangers.”

“Get in, Dingus!” Robin had rolled down the backseat window.

“What the heck are you doing here?” He climbed in, and she folded him into a clumsy hug. Nancy climbed in on his other side.

“Are you okay?” asked Robin.

“Jesus, what do you think? I got arrested, and.. I’m so confused.”

Robin launched her story, as Dustin drove off. When she’d discovered Steve AWOL, she’d freaked out. Then she’d called Dustin’s number, which she knew Steve had been trying all week. While garbling madly at each other, she’d learned from Dustin about Steve’s arrest. Dustin, meanwhile, gleaned that Robin had heard from co-workers that day about an incident at the hotel.

The same incident that Dustin, Suzie and Nancy had spent the last few days trying to get to the bottom of.

“What happened at the hotel?” asked Steve.

“We’re not entirely sure,” said Nancy. Steve wasn’t sure why they'd gotten a rookie journalist in tow. So much baffled him right now. “What we do know is that the police have charged Eddie with assault and battery. His disappearing act doesn’t exactly help his case.” 

“What? No way!” Steve couldn’t buy it. Eddie was one of the gentlest guys he’d ever known. Okay, there was that one time he busted his own knuckles, but…

"It's a pretty serious business," Robin was saying. "The only witness was Doreen. She swore that the so-called 'victim’”— Robin spluttered the word out like sour milk—“was blind drunk and walked into a pillar, but the police didn't buy it.”

“We’ve got to find Eddie before the cops do,” chipped in Dustin.

“Yeah, well, LAPD are the least of Eddie’s troubles,” snapped Robin. “I’m gonna gut him over this whole guitar business.”

Too fucking much.

After the rollercoaster of the past few hours, Steve felt basically punch-drunk. He groaned, rubbed his brow, then shaded his eyes from the dazzle of the streetlights. “Please just someone tell me you’ve got a clue where Eddie is.”

“It’s a work in progress,” said Suzie. “He never picked up his ride from the hotel. We’ve exhausted our leads locally, so we’re heading up to Oregon to see his uncle. Wayne won’t talk over the phone—”

“He won’t talk to us, period,” interjected Dustin. “But I think he knows something.”

“We’re going to Oregon?” Steve emerged from beneath his fingers. “Now? The cops told me to not leave town.”

“Dustin said he’d drop us home first,” said Robin. “I’d be delighted to wash my hands of Jon Bon Jovi’s evil stoner cousin for good.”

“He’s not evil.” Steve gave an enormous yawn, then zoned in on the one thing he knew for sure. “I need to find him. You go home, Robin. Fernando will scratch my eyes out if I spend another night on his couch.”

She bitched a bit more, including about how yuck and sweaty he was. Then she refused to leave him. He curled up against her—he couldn’t risk drooling on a complete stranger—and hunkered down for the long drive.

....

Part 13 on Ao3 Part 13 on tumblr

promise we’ll get back to Eddie in the next chapter. I needed to get a few more characters into play so we can finally get steddie on their path to healing and HEA… soon (ish!) 

Thank you for reading. Likes, reblogs and comments much appreciated and will feed the bunnies🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕

On tumblr: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3.1 Part 3.2 Part 4.1 Part 4.2 Part 5.1 Part 5.2 Part 6.1 Part 6.2 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 or search #thefreakinthepenthouse :)

On AO3 All my ST stuff on AO3