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glossyloner · 4 days ago

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sweet girl

6.6k | mechanic!Eddie Munson x coworker!Reader | Smut

Eddie's trying to rebuild his social life, with little success. When he finally has something to celebrate, he invites you and some guys from the shop out for drinks - his treat. When you're the only one who shows up at the bar, he finds himself seeing you in a new light.

anon asked: Eddie goes out one night and sees the funny kind but not attractive girl from work at a club. He sees her in a new light. NSFW idea

Notes: Reader is a little insecure. Soft dom!Eddie/needy sub!Reader. Gareth makes an appearance, but I (the author) am not very nice to him. Or his grandma.

Eddie's always been a little bit of a flirt. Nothing too crazy - he's always considered himself pretty good at reading the room - but sometimes just enough to get himself into trouble. Between that and his bad reputation, there's a reason his boss normally has the girl at the front desk handle all his transactions with customers.

Working at Kovach's took some getting used to at first. He's a social person, freak or not, and his coworkers… Well, they're outgoing in some ways, but they're not much like Eddie. Not nerdy, not big into his kind of music. And while he's been able to skate by with coworkers in the past by being charming and funny, the coworkers who've liked him the most are usually women. And, well, there aren't a lot of girls working at Kovach's Auto Repair. As a matter of fact, there's only one: you.

While Eddie knows his way around a car, he doesn't always know how to handle the sausage fest that is Kovach's. He's not an unmanly guy, but he's not exactly one of the boys, either. So more often than not, when Eddie's feeling social, he finds himself leaned against the front desk, teasing you about little things. How carefully you write when you total up parts and labor, the way you've actually got a preference for brands of copy paper.

Today's been a good day. Eddie's made a fair bit of cash from wrapping up a big repair - uninsured driver, hit a deer - and all that work has paid off. He's going out tonight to celebrate, and of course, you're invited.

"Me?" you ask, brow furrowing in disbelief as he plucks a cupcake out of the Tupperware dish beside you.

If Eddie notices your surprise, he doesn't mention it. "Yeah, duh," he says flatly. "You ever been to Crafter's?" It's a little brewery that opened up in the center of town. It's not the Ritz, but it's a little classier than The Hideaway. Over the last few years, Eddie drinks a lot less than he used to, so he prefers a quality drink when he does, instead of whatever glorified nail polish remover will get him drunk the fastest.

He's got no shame as he crams about two-thirds of the cupcake into his mouth. It's yellow cake and blue-dyed buttercream frosting. Eddie wouldn't just kill for the sweets you bring in on Fridays - he'd die for them. You gave up a long time ago on expecting Eddie to stick to one, so you've started bringing a little extra. For the whole crew, of course. Just in case.

You shake your head. "No, I've never been."

"Well, consider it a date," he says casually as he licks icing off his hand. "You, me, Gareth, and whatever other unlucky schmucks here don't already have plans for the night."

It doesn't go unnoticed by you that Eddie just assumes you don't have plans. Unfortunately, he's right, so it's hard to be mad. It's been a while since you've gone out anywhere, so you really can't blame him.

"Alright," you shrug.

Eddie throws a little side-eye your way. "'Alright'?"

You laugh at that. "What do you want me to say, Eddie? 'Oh, benevolent overlord, thank you for this blessing. I'd never be invited anywhere without you.'"

His grin is worth the teasing, and he throws a wink your way. "Now, that's more like it," he says, pointing in your direction. Then, he leans back in to snatch another cupcake, and you swat his hand away. He heads back into the shop with his hands up in surrender, wicked grin all but promising he'll be back to try again.

Surprising absolutely nobody, none of the guys from the shop come. Eddie's been trying to get to know his coworkers better, but it's been an uphill battle. Not everyone is keen to be seen associating with him in the first place. Plus, most of them have worked there since the shop opened. They're all somewhat older than Eddie and usually have wives to get home to or some sportsball event on TV.

But Eddie's been working hard to keep an open mind and an optimistic outlook. It's hard to do - harder than ever - but it's also more important than ever. Somewhere in the aftermath of all the shit that's gone down in Hawkins, he realized the only way he was ever going to have a life was to start acting like, one day, he might have one.

So he tries to let it roll right off his back, like a duck in water.

Gareth showed up, which is at least better than no one. And you should be here any minute now, assuming you keep your word. And he doesn't take you for a liar.

"What's this girl's name again?" Gareth asks, frowning at his cider. He doesn't love meeting new people and isn't very good at remembering them, either. He's already met you once, when he brought his car into the shop, but Eddie supposes maybe he wouldn't remember your name, either, if he'd only ever interacted with you once at the checkout counter.

It's not that there's anything wrong with you. It's just that he wouldn't exactly consider you memorable. You're punctual and diligent. You do a good job working the front desk, but Eddie's not sure what would even make a receptionist stand out in a place like Kovach's, or what would qualify one for employee of the month.

You're not what Eddie'd call a knockout, either. The guys at work don't make up excuses to come and lean against the counter all casual-like, just so they can lay eyes on you. They don't ask you out for dinner, or offer their "services" - the single employees or the customers. It's not like someone would take a look at you and run for the hills, but you're just… a regular person. Exactly the kind of girl Eddie would expect to see working the counter at Kovach's.

So no, you're not exactly memorable. But you are cool, in a sense. Your uncle runs the shop, so you're not afraid of making fun of the other mechanics with Eddie when you've got downtime. (What's he gonna do? Fire you?) And you're always willing to help Eddie squeak in last-minute orders for parts, even when you should tell him to wait until tomorrow. And the thing that makes you the coolest is that you look at Eddie like he's somebody, which is a lot better than he gets from anyone else at the shop, except for Kovach himself.

Eddie reminds Gareth of your name for the third time since he invited him to Crafter's in the first place. Says it nice and slow, then spells it for good measure with a mocking tune.

He never even sees you coming when you pull the barstool away from the high-top and climb onto it. One second, there was no trace of you, and now, here you are, in all your glory (or lack thereof).

"You spelled it wrong," you say by way of a greeting. You don't look directly at him, but you're not looking at Gareth, either. Instead, you lean slightly toward Eddie, bending over at the waist to place your purse on the ground between his seat and yours. Your hair brushes his arm, and he pulls back, trying to give you some space.

When you sit up straight, you flash Eddie a half-heartedly apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout that." Then you look across the table. "You must be Gareth?" you ask.

Eddie blinks, realizing he's fumbled the intro already. "Oh, yeah." There's something about your arrival that's thrown Eddie off-kilter. It's probably just that he expected he'd see you walk through the door - that's part of why he chose this table in the first place.

Gareth, for his part, doesn't seem fazed at all. He just says "yep," as though having a bit of personality might actually kill him.

"No Greg?" you ask Eddie.

He shrugs. "They all said no, except for Michael, who said maybe, which means no."

Gareth whistles lowly at that and shakes his head, taking a big swig of his cider. Eddie wrinkles his nose in response. Gareth's never learned how to savor anything. He drinks to get drunk. Eddie used to, too; now, he doesn't remember what he enjoyed about it.

"Wow, Ed," Gareth drawls, "your social life is reaching new heights every day."

Eddie doesn't even dignify Gareth with a response. There's plenty he could make fun of Gareth for, but he knows this game well. Eddie's got the advantage of knowing both of his guests, and you and Gareth don't know each other at all. Leave it to Gareth to try and build a bridge by making Eddie the butt of the joke.

He doesn't mind, not really. It's probably better than Gareth ignoring you all night.

So instead of reacting to Gareth's stupid jab, Eddie looks at you intently. "Want anything to drink?"

You cock your head to the side and look at the glass he's got his hand wrapped around. "What are you drinking?" Your voice is soft; he can just hear you over the low thrum of guitar and voices of regulars.

Eddie's been experimenting with mixed drinks since he started coming to Crafter's, and he's challenged himself not to drink the same thing twice all summer. It started as a bid to make conversation with the bartender on duty during his first visit. Now it's turned into a collaborative quest to test the limits of what Bartender Nick can do with the supplies available to him. Eddie's had some real stinkers as a result - last week, it was some atrocity that had the consistency of egg drop soup - but this one's not bad at all.

"Coffee and Coke," he tells you, like that's a normal thing to be drinking.

You don't seem impressed. Even worse, from your expression, you're a little revolted. "Seriously?"

"Well, yeah. It's like an espresso martini but with Coke." You don't seem convinced. "Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. I'll buy you one if you'll give it a chance."

"I think I'd rather have a drink menu."

Eddie sighs theatrically, but like a diligent host, he pushes his barstool back and stands. "Your loss," he says, waggling his eyebrows. "Food menu, too?"

"Yes," Gareth chimes in, looking bored as usual.

"Be nice," Eddie warns Gareth, signaling that he's keeping an eye on him before weaving through bodies and chairs to the bar. That's all he needs, is Gareth scaring you off before you can even settle in.

For better or worse, before Gareth even receives the appetizer he ordered, his mom calls the bar, asking for him, and he has to leave. Grandma had a fall, and his mom had to take her to the hospital but forgot all of Grandma's meds at home. Eddie asks if he's going to be okay, but Gareth doesn't let on like he's worried. He says it doesn't sound too serious, and despite how much Gareth pretends he doesn't care about anything, Eddie knows he's a Grandma's boy through and through. If it was a big deal, he'd be acting like it.

"Poor Grandma," you say with a contemplative frown after Gareth leaves.

Eddie'd never given a lot of thought to the prospect of getting older and what that must be like until '86. He never really thought he'd live to be old. Now that he's determined to do so, that kind of stuff weighs on his mind more than he'd like. He makes a mental note to take some flowers to Gareth's grandma tomorrow, after sleeping off whatever level of hangover he leaves Crafter's with.

As if like clockwork, one of the servers brings out the appetizer sampler. Eddie asks her to put Gareth's purchases on his tab. Gareth tried to insist on paying for himself earlier, but Grandma's unfortunate fall means that he isn't there to stop Eddie from covering the bill.

You and Eddie split Gareth's appetizer, and you chat a bit about you. While you're always friendly at work, you don't talk about yourselves much at all - just small talk and the like, and those awesome desserts you bring. You talk about how you moved back to Hawkins after college, that your family had lived here for a while when you were young, and then when you struggled to find a job after college, your uncle agreed to hire you. You tell him about your little shoebox apartment above the general store on Main Street.

He tells you he plays guitar, and that he and Gareth used to be in a metal band together, called Corroded Coffin. You talk about music quite a lot, comparing notes - the unexpected things you have in common, the funny differences in your tastes. Eddie's softened up a little in the last several years and has been trying to expand his musical horizons. He confesses that he's got a soft spot for Madonna.

It's when you laugh at his admission that something shifts in his mind. When you arrived, you sat between him and Gareth at the circular table, meaning you're directly to his left. You're sitting so close, he hasn't actually gotten a good look at you - although, he guesses he wasn't really trying. But when you laugh, he sees up close the way your eyelashes flutter, the way your smile touches your eyes. And your eyes - they're full of affection instead of judgment.

Eddie's seen you nearly five days a week for months now, and talked with you at least once each of those days, and yet, he's never really noticed you. Not the way he's noticing you now. He can't help but smile at the sound of your laugh, and against his will, his eyes follow the slope of your nose, the curve of your lips. You feel impossibly close. He didn't even see it before, the way your shoulders are tilted in towards him, and the way he's also turned slightly on his barstool, leaving you only a few inches apart.

When you place your elbow on the table and support your cheek with your hand, he sucks in a breath and leans back, blinking. He's been drinking, but he's not drunk. Not drunk enough to cause the warmth in his belly and chest, or the muddled feeling in his mind.

"I'm gonna go grab another drink. D'you want another one?" he asks with a nod toward your empty glass.

"Oh," you say, perking up, "sure!"

"Alright, what do you want?"

You're already sliding off of your barstool behind him. "I'll come with you. I don't trust you with my drink." Eddie's brow furrows at that before you interrupt his train of thought with another laugh. "Not like that - I don't remember what's on the menu, and you clearly have bad judgment," you say, waving a hand at what used to be his drink.

Bartender Nick had called it a Monkey Gland, whatever that means. Eddie's not even sure what was in it, just that it was a lot in the flavor department.

Eddie lets you lead the way to the bar, and oh, man, that was a mistake. Now that he's more than a foot away from you, his curious eyes are quite busy, and that's not a good spot to be in when trying to keep up in a crowd.

You've done your hair, is the thing - not like you do for work, but something softer and more feminine. He noticed your makeup earlier, your striking eyes, but he failed to notice the hair. Or your dress, for that matter; it's a tight little thing that ends at your mid-thigh. It fits like it was made for you. He's never seen you out of uniform, or wearing anything but non-slip tennis shoes. Your strappy heels draw his attention, glinting gold in the overhead lights.

You look like you dressed up, is the thing. Yeah, your outfit is cute. Yeah, you're more relaxed tonight than you ever are at work - and more conversational. But you look like you tried. Do you try like this for all your social events? Did you dress up for Eddie?

Did you come to Crafter's with the intention of going home to a place you've never been? Or do you have an "afterparty" he's not been invited to attend?

By the time you reach the bar, he's sweating, and it's not just his hair. It's you.

"I thought you weren't having anything you've already had this summer," you tease as you climb back onto your barstool. You just got a refill of your usual, but Eddie's changed from some obscure cocktail to a piña colada.

"Maybe I've never had a piña colada before," Eddie says, raising his eyebrows at you.

"I don't believe you."

Eddie simply sips through his straw in response, pink lips wrapped nicely around the black plastic.

You're feeling warm from the alcohol, and making conversation with Eddie is as natural as anything. Eddie's always a little bit of a charmer at work, and sometimes you struggle not to blush, but this is different. His not just charming tonight - he's flirtatious. You wonder if he's like this with all of his friends. Although, you can't imagine he'd flirt well with Gareth.

After a little while if shooting the shit, Eddie's posture grows a little more stiff. He leans back on his barstool and rolls his shoulders. "Thank you for coming out tonight," he says, just loud enough for you to hear him over the music, but low enough that you have to lean in.

"Yeah, of course," you say with a smile, surprised at the gratitude. "I wouldn't have missed it." Although, it's just now occurring to you - none of the guys from work came, and Gareth had to leave early. If you hadn't come, Eddie'd be spending tonight at the bar all by himself. The thought reminds you of birthday parties from your past, the ones where everyone said they'd be there but nobody showed.

Eddie's so genuine and so lively, you can't imagine him sitting in a bar all by his lonesome, waiting for someone to come who never will. Maybe it's just your little crush talking, but Eddie is… He's friendly and witty and oh my God, he's even hotter with his hair down. Someone like Eddie - it's baffling to think he could ever be stood up, by friends or otherwise.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Heat rushes to your cheeks as soon as you say it, and Eddie's brown eyes widen a little. You didn't exactly mean to ask. It just came out as soon as the thought crossed your mind. But you don't retract the question.

Clearing his throat, he says, "No, I'm not seeing anyone. Why do you ask?"

You feel a little bold, although not quite assertive. You look down at the table as you say, "I was just curious if anyone else would be coming to meet up with us."

After a beat of silence, Eddie's fingertips graze your thigh, just above the knee. When you look up at him, his brown eyes are warm like caramel. "It's just us."

Eddie doesn't know how it happened. It's like his fingers moved of their own volition, but he could swear he feels a spark when his skin meets yours. Your eyes haven't left his, but you take a sip of your drink through the little black straw, and then he feels you press into his touch, ever so slightly.

Every time Eddie's ever talked to you, he's noticed how kind you are, and how funny. But he's never before noticed the exact shade of your eyes, or—Jesus Christ—the scent of your hair. It's coconut. The smell is intoxicating, and it leaves him wanting more. So much that when his chest brushed against your shoulder at the bar, the only thing he could think about was coconut. He opened his mouth to ask for a lemon drop and ended up ordering a piña colada instead.

"Do you—" Eddie cuts himself off abruptly. For a moment there, he was almost so lost in your eyes that he forgot himself. You're his coworker. Your uncle owns the company he works for. The first place that's really given him a chance. It's a terrible idea.

But he doesn't miss the way your jaw drops, lips parting just slightly. "Do I what?" you ask. Slowly, you lift your leg up and cross it over the other, leaning just a bit closer in your seat. And Eddie can see it. He can see the way you want him, too. It's in your eyes. It's in your touch as you lay a soft hand on his forearm. It's in the flutter of your lashes as you look up at him, like you're waiting for him to give you something. Something he'd love to give.

Earlier today, Eddie had only ever thought of you as a friendly coworker, a buddy, maybe a confidant of minor indiscretions. Tonight, he can feel the charge of the static between you, can almost see the desire rolling off of you in waves. He knows what it feels like because it's vibrating at the same frequency of his own.

Eddie's been keeping a slow pace for his drinks, slower than he thought he would. His intention tonight was, despite his usual attitude, to get absolutely plastered. But he's been so caught up in chatting with you that he's only had three drinks, and it's been two and a half hours. And he's not even finished the third.

You're on your second, and he doesn't know your tolerance, but your eyes aren't glassy and your movements aren't that languid, too-slow pace of someone who's beyond tipsy. No, you're both a little tipsy at worst.

Your thumb brushes over the mottled scarring of his bat tattoo, and his breath catches in his throat. Finally, against his better judgment, he asks, "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Eddie's presence in your apartment is almost unnerving, with just how aware you are of him. You haven't had a guy over since you moved into the place six months ago, so for it to be Eddie, the funny guy from work who's way out of your league, is mind-boggling.

There's an awkward density to the air. It's surreal, is the thing. He's hanging his leather jacket up at the front door beside your raincoat, and your eyes are zeroed in on your feet as you undo the straps of your heels. Eddie takes his time unlacing his combat boots beside you. If he's as nervous as you are, he doesn't let on.

His hand brushes against your hip as you stand, ready to support you if you were to stumble. When you look up at him, he pulls you in close, one hand resting at your waist, and the other delicately cupping your jaw. His touch is gentle, like he's afraid you might shatter, or worse, run away.

You don't miss the way his gaze flickers to your lips and his own part slightly with anticipation. He leans in just an inch or two before stopping himself, big, brown eyes looking into yours. "Can I kiss you?" he asks, his voice a low murmur.

Your breath catches in your throat. This is the way you get out of this awkward feedback loop in your head, you think. The overthinking, the wondering what changed for him, why he suddenly wants this when he's never seemingly looked at you twice. This is how it ends - by you taking his cues. You've thought about touching Eddie close to a hundred times, at this point, and now that you've got the opportunity, you don't know how to close the deal.

So you nod quietly and follow his lead.

For all that Eddie's fingers are calloused from working on cars and playing guitar, his touch is gentle. He strokes the pad of his thumb over your cheek, his breath warm on your skin as he presses his lips to yours. Your eyelashes flutter as your eyes close, and you try to relax into him, hands finding his waist. His lips are softer than you would have expected, and he kisses you like…

It doesn't feel like an easy score or a one night stand, really. He moves slowly and methodically, but not without urgency. When he pulls back just enough to breathe, his lips find yours again quickly, and you inhale the scent of his cologne through your nose - bergamot and cinnamon. Your lips part slightly as his fingertips graze the soft skin behind your ear, and when they do, you feel his tongue brush gently against yours. It startles you a little, and you pull away, cheeks burning.

Eddie leans back to see you better. "You okay?"

Embarrassed, you nod and bite your lip. "Yeah, I'm fine. You just surprised me is all."

Cocking his head to the side, he asks, "Good surprise, or bad surprise?"

"Not bad."

His eyes search yours, and he cradles the back of your head with his hand. "You're sure you want to do this?" When you hesitate to respond, Eddie tips his head toward the couch behind you. "Why don't we go sit down and talk it out?"

As he leads you to the sofa, you complain, "I don't think we need to talk, really."

He shoots a look your way that says he begs to differ. "Honey, we're not getting anywhere if you can't talk to me about how you're feeling." When he sits, he turns his body to face you, one leg pulled up onto the couch and the other hanging off of it. Uncertainty all over your face, you mirror him, dress riding up your thighs.

Eddie politely pretends not to notice, instead taking your hand in his and leveling you with a look of genuine curiosity and a hint of concern. He hesitates to begin, not sure which route to take to steer the conversation in the right direction, but after a second, he finally just asks, "Are you attracted to me?"

Your cheeks burn hot at the question, but you nod. "Yeah, I am."

"Okay," he says, drawing out the second syllable. "Do you like me?"

Your brow furrows, like you're not sure why he would ask. "Of course I like you."

He strokes the back of your hand with his thumb and asks, "Okay, so what's going on? You seem nervous." After a beat, he says, "Is it because of Kovach?"

You wrinkle your nose at that. "Don't talk about him," you say quickly, like you're trying to put your uncle out of your mind as quickly as possible. "No, it's not that; it's just… are you actually, like, into me?" Eddie's taken aback by your question. You can tell from the way he blinks in response, so you continue. "You've never acted like you had any particular interest in me before, and then tonight, it's like something has changed, but—Do you actually want me, or do you just want someone?"

There it is, Eddie thinks, the big question.

He lets go of your hand and sits up a little straighter before asking, "Have you ever been somewhere before, like a neighborhood you drive through all the time, and thought it was a nice neighborhood but never thought too much about it?" When you make a face, he says, "Seriously, just humor me. Think about it."

Even though it's silly, you try to do as he asks. You imagine your drive to and from work. It's a short one. You follow Main Street, and then go out toward Maple, and then on to the edge of town. And between Maple Street and Kovach's, sure, there are some pretty nice houses, and some average ones, but overall, it's a decent neighborhood.

"Yeah, I guess so," you say hesitantly.

Eddie perks up a little at that. "Okay, so you're driving through this neighborhood that you go through every day, and part of what makes the neighborhood nice is all the individual houses. So you pass the first house, and it's decent, you know, you like the house alright. And you pass the second one, and it's pretty good, too. And you start thinking, okay, this must be an alright neighborhood. And then on down the street, there's, like, this beautiful house. It's got nice siding and brick, and the lawn is manicured really well, like the people who live there must really care about their house. It's got the white picket fence and everything. It's the American dream."

You laugh, a little awkwardly. "Eddie, I really don't understand what you're getting at here."

"You're the neighborhood," he says quickly, as though that makes perfect sense. "And it's like all the houses in the neighborhood are parts of you that I've seen before. But it's like, today, I saw this fucking beautiful house in the neighborhood, on a street I'd never gone down before, and all I could think about was how gorgeous that house is - and how much I like this neighborhood."

You make a face.

"Seriously," he says, leaning in a little closer. "I see you every day, and you know what? I like it when you bring cupcakes, and I like it when you make fun of the other guys and shitty, asshole customers with me, and the way you let me get away with putting in last-minute parts orders, and the way you get embarrassed when I catch you reading, and—"

He can see it in your eyes and the little crease between your furrowed eyebrows - he sees the way it's dawning on you now, but he says it anyway.

"I didn't realize how much I like those things, but tonight, when I got to see you really just be yourself instead of who you have to be at work - I loved that. And I love seeing you dressed like this, and acting a little more confident, but it's not just about the way you look. I feel like, for the first time, I'm really seeing who you are. And this isn't just a decent neighborhood to me anymore. I just realized tonight that this is a really nice neighborhood, a beautiful one, and I'd move there if one of the houses were up for sale. But before tonight, I just hadn't seen enough of the neighborhood to know."

Your voice is smaller, softer when you look up at him through your lashes. "Eddie…"

He licks his lips, brown eyes searching yours, and then he asks again, "Can I please kiss you?"

This time, you feel it - that electricity that binds you, the same spark that simmered in the current between you both at the bar. You don't bother answering him, just raise up onto your knees and close the gap between you. Your fingers slot themselves into Eddie's hair, that soft, curly hair you've been dying to touch for ages, and as your lips meet his, he pulls you in closer, standing to his feet. On paper, it looks like you're following his lead, but Eddie feels the insistence in your touch as your press your hands to his chest, guiding him backwards to the bed in the corner of the room.

When the backs of his legs connect with the mattress, you slide your hands up to the hem of his shirt and begin tugging it up his torso. Your lips part from his just long enough to pull the shirt over his head, and then you're back on him, pushing him down by the shoulders until he gets the memo to sit down at the foot of the bed.

A moan escapes you as your hands find his abdomen, palms pressed flat against the firm muscles you've only seen in glimpses at the shop. Eddie laughs at the needy sound that spills from your mouth, and he hooks one leg behind your knee, rolling over to pin you to the mattress. "Oh, honey," he coos, all sticky sweet sympathy. "You've been wanting this a long time, huh?"

If it was anyone else, you'd probably feel patronized, probably take offense. But you know Eddie, and instead of offending you, it only makes you want him more. Nodding emphatically, you tug him closer by the belt loops. "Think about you a lot," you confess, your breath catching at the end as he presses a soft, languid kiss to your neck, beneath your ear. Hitching your leg higher up his waist, you press your hips against his, searching for relief.

"Mm, do you?" His hands roam your body, caressing the outside of your thigh with one and hiking up the hem of your dress with the other. His smile is a little smug. "What do you think about?"

You don't think you could feel embarrassed right now if you tried. Your response spills out of you of it's own accord, on a breathy sigh, as he lowers the strap of your dress and kisses along your collarbone. "Think about your - mm, your fingers," you whimper. "Filling me up, getting me ready for you."

"Yeah?" he pulls you onto his lap, then. With his hand, he cups your heat through your panties. "These fingers?" he murmurs, stroking you through the thin fabric.

Wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you brace yourself for his touch, hips squirming slightly to give him better leverage. You're on fire now, pulse thrumming hard and fast in your throat. "Eddie, please."

"Oh, honey," he says, looking into your glassy eyes, "you don't have to beg. I'll give it to you, I promise."

You can't help it - when he hooks his fingers into the side of your panties, pulls them aside and grazes his fingertips against your clit, you whine and dig your nails into his back. This isn't just sensitivity after a dry spell. You need his touch like you need to breathe. Now that you have it, it feels so surreal that it's painful.

"Let me take these off, sweet girl," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You do as he asks, and the maneuvering is a little awkward, but the anxiety is gone. When you settle back into his lap, he strokes the hair at your hairline and pulls you to his chest, letting you slump against his shoulder.

Eddie presses the pad of his thumb into your folds, and he listens to your sounds to help guide him. After just a couple of seconds, he finds your clit again - confirmed when you whimper and spread your thighs a little farther apart for him.

"That's it, baby," he coos, sweeping a broad circle around your clitoris before using his middle finger to trace a trail all the way down from your labia to your hole. Your walls clench at the sensation, and he must feel it because he hums soothingly when you do. Then, just as he presses one fingertip to your entrance, he asks, "D'you touch yourself like this?" You nod against his shoulder, shame and embarrassment completely absent from your mind. He dips his finger inside you, just to the first knuckle, before pulling out again. "You imagine it's me touching your pussy like this?"

He doesn't wait for your response before sinking his finger deep inside you, all the way down to the chunky, silver ring at his third knuckle. You cry out in response, thighs already shaking with anticipation. "Eddie," you whine, lifting your hips up to fuck yourself on his finger.

"You should have said something, baby," he says, syrupy sweet. "I'd have taken care of you a long time ago if I knew you needed me so bad."

Normally, his cockiness might be sexy, but right now, it's more frustrating than anything. You grit your teeth as he works another finger inside of you. The stretch is so delicious, you lose your train of thought for a moment, walls clenching tightly around him. It's made even more difficult to think when he resumes rubbing little circles into your clit with his thumb. For a few seconds, the only thing you can do is surrender to the pleasure and moan into his shoulder.

Just when you're starting to adjust, he curls his fingers forward, toward your pelvic bone, and you gasp at the sensation. He tries different angles, but it's only a matter of seconds before he finds that spot, the one that fills you with blinding, white-hot pleasure. Before long, you're chanting his name like it's a life-saving incantation, and you're barely able to get a grasp on what's happening before your climax hits, hard and fast and way too soon, and suddenly, you're cumming all over his fingers. When you cry out his name, your voice sounds ragged to your own ears, like it's coming from someone else entirely. Your hips buck against his hand, silently begging for both more and less at the same time.

He works you through your orgasm, tells you what a great job you've done, how beautiful you look while taking his fingers. Wrenching a sob from your throat with one hand, he uses the other to rub your back, soothing you with touch and praise.

When you finally finish, you push his hand away half-heartedly, clitoris too overstimulated to handle anymore of his ministrations. Eddie laughs and eases you down onto your back, then presses a soft kiss to your temple as you try and catch your breath.

He takes your hand in his and kisses the back of it, gentleman-like, as though he didn't just make you cum all over his lap merely seconds ago. Your brain is seemingly stuck in overdrive, thoughts incoherent.

When his hand grazes your thigh, you look over at him, where he lies beside you, and his expression is serious - the most serious you've ever seen it. "Can I touch you again?" he asks, and your mind races at the thought.

Of course he can touch you, you think, but you don't know if you can handle it. "I-I'm sensitive," you say, looking into his eyes for any hint of disappointment.

"Sensitive… here?" He taps a finger just to the side of your clitoris, and you nod, curling into him. When you do, he asks, "What if I don't touch you there? You think you could handle that?"

Headlights shine through the window above Main Street and ricochet off the walls, casting Eddie's face in just a glimpse of light. In that moment, you can see it highlighted all over his face, the desire smoldering in his big, brown eyes. And you know you'd give him anything he wanted, even if you felt like you were going half-insane with over-stimulation.

Swallowing thickly, you nod. "What do you wanna do?"

He walks his fingers across your arm and pulls you closer. His voice is low as he murmurs, "I wanna take my time with you… wanna see how pretty you look when you cum on my cock."

Normally, that kind of talk might make you feel embarrassed from it's crassness, but instead, it's the flattery that makes you bite back a smile. "I'm not pretty," you say. Your voice holds no conviction.

Eddie's fingers cup your jaw, tilting your chin up so you can't look away when he says, "You're beautiful to me."

#fic rec

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glossyloner · 5 days ago

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when you said you'd fuck your lieutenant, you never meant for him to overhear. (18+)

you were sitting with a group of girls in the mess. a typical thursday after training, scooping terrible mushy peas into your mouth and trying to pretend like you cared at all for the unseasoned mash it was in your mouth.

a classic game of who would you do? a game that wasn't very hard on a military base⏤the men might be the scum of the earth, but they worked out for hours a day and were the only warm bodies near you for a majority of your time. the group of girls you had befriended had an unspoken rule not to hook up with each other⏤shit gets messy when you're in close quarters, so you keep it tactical and go for the brainless studs that walk around you (no matter how much you all complain about getting head that finally feels good).

the 141 are not unpopular choices that always come up. nakeema drools over gaz. emily constantly swoons over soap, who she refers to as her "fellow countryman." a few of the girls have intense daddy issues and try not to giggle like schoolgirls when they bring up captain price.

you're apparently the weird one when you mumble out ghost's name between bites of cold ham.

"huh?"

you get a flurry of wide-eyed stares and surprised scoffs. you keep chewing, looking around.

"what?" you shrug.

"ghost? the one with the shittiest personality in the entire world?"

"are you kidding me?" you roll your eyes. "we're not talking about future husbands. i'm thinking about huge man in my bed. besides, you're really gonna tell me that i'm the weird one, when you're panting over some meathead that licks the seat after you get up from it?"

"i thought soap was a panty-stealer."

"he's a dog, that's what he is," you roll your eyes again.

"and ghost is literally the most closed-off, weirdest guy...i mean he doesn't say anything. and he just stares...like he's looking right through you. it's off-putting."

you pick up your tray and stand up.

"yeah, well...fifty quid says his dick is the size of my forearm."

the girls laugh, and you try to hide your smile as you go to drop off your tray. when you turn, you pause momentarily. in the doorway, staring right at you, is none other than your lieutenant.

you tighten your grip on the metal of your tray. you have no idea now how loud you were. did he hear you say his name? did he hear anything you said about him?

oh shit oh shit oh shit, my ass is gonna get handed to me by HR⏤

he just blinks your way, and then he disappears. your heart releases, and you let out the breath you were holding. you need to be more careful and keep your voice down.

after you drop your tray off, you push the doors open to the mess hall, turning to make your way back to your quarters. when you step out of the building, ghost is there. he's standing, leaning against the wall, eyes on the door as if he was just waiting for the opportunity for you to come out.

you stop there, looking at him. for a few seconds, you just meet his eyes, trying to feel him out. there is no denying the way your throat closes up at the way he looks you up and down.

he definitely heard you.

you freeze up when he stands up straight and starts to walk towards you. it's then that you realize how much bigger ghost is. when he comes to stand at your side, the top of your head barely reaches his shoulders. you swallow as he tilts his head down, dark eyes lidded, and then one gloved finger traces a line from the bone of your wrist to your elbow. he kisses his teeth under the mask, and he shrugs.

"mmm..." he hums lowly. "not quite, love."

oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck⏤

"ngghhh..." your mouth falls open as he spreads his legs, pulling down his zipper. like the nasty man he is, he's not wearing any underwear, and your tongue flops out when he pulls his cock free and lets it hang heavy before he takes it into one gloved hand and gives it a nice stroke.

for the third time, you make sure the door to his office is locked, and then you're getting onto your knees, crawling towards him.

"we can lie," you whimper, resting your cheek on his thigh. ghost chuckles low as he thumbs over the weeping tip, red and angry as he squeezes. "you're nearly there, anyways...so big...just like i knew you'd be."

"yeah?"

"mhm," you bite your lip. "knew you'd be nice, too. not so scary."

"y'r not scared o'me, love?"

"not when you're about to come in my mouth."

"right...fuckin' hell⏤"

you spit it back into his mouth after. tongue on the underside of his cock, letting his cum linger inside. you climb into his lap after and push his mask up, kissing him wet and sticky as you use the slick on your palm to get him nice and hard again. when you sit down on him, he groans, big body all tense and heated as you bring it back down on him heavy and hard.

fuck, he's in your throat, in your guts, you might be hallucinating the bulge in your belly, but you're going to fantasize about this for days when you sit with the girls and have to lie about the most insane lay you've ever had.

ghost might be fucking weird, but his cum is warm inside of you, and his tip curves just right to touch that soft spot and make your vision go blurry. does it matter that he can't hold a conversation when he can wipe your thoughts with a few thrusts of his hips?

does it matter that the girls called him scary? that he struggles to break eye-contact? that he doesn't know how to change his tone so people can tell the difference between a bad joke and a horrible insult? does it matter that he has the most insane, horrifying dead fish eyes when he's making you forget your own name in favor of his own?

you suck it out of his mouth later. after you've sat on his face and ruined his mask, after you've cum on his tongue and nearly deafened him with how hard you squeezed your thighs around his thick head, you put your mouth to his and lick it from between his teeth with a hot groan. he's weird, and he's blunt, and there's no room for anything but perfection when you're under lieutenant riley's command, but right here, in his bed, there's no rank. there's just a really fucking awkward, giant bear-man, and a dick to match that energy.

when you wince trying to sit at the table at breakfast, the girls are all over you. you're staring into dead-fish eyes when you smile and say, "i'll be taking that fifty quid now."

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glossyloner · 8 days ago

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glossyloner · 8 days ago

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JOSEPH QUINN as JOHNNY STORM — The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

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glossyloner · 8 days ago

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absolute menace but still such a good boy :')))

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glossyloner · 10 days ago

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Date Needed For Easter Reunion. Desperate.

Rating: E Words: 23.6k Tags: Soap x f!reader, Dead Dove Do Not Eat, unreliable narrator, unstable!reader, self-inflicted brainwashing, gaslighting, manipulation, strangers -> ???, non/dub con, cnc, wrestling, Erectile Dysfunction, Catholicism, biting, marking, non-consensual kissing, non-consensual marriage, religious delusion, oral sex (f and m receiving), piv sex, craigslist meet-cute, dirty talk, implied stalking, mild kidnapping, implied past abuse, on the run!reader, Johnny has a traumatic brain injury, breeding kink, unsafe bdsm dynamics, non-consensual sub training, fingering, cockwarming, hand jobs

Summary: You need an escape plan and respond to an ad online looking for a date. John Mactavish doesn't exactly offer you freedom in exchange.

<-Date needed for Easter reunion. Desperate.

[casual encounters]

“I'm a recently discharged, disabled veteran(medical: TBI) who never had time to date but has a very nosey (very catholic) family that asks a lot of questions. My mam just wants to know someone is taking care of me (can take care of myself) so I may have lied to her and told her I was dating someone. Which is where you come in.

You are:

-single

-willing to lie

-looking for a holiday in Scotland

-able to sit through mass

I will pay you in:

-my mam's cooking (it's good)

-free trip to the highlands

-whatever you want to steal from my sister's closet

Date is needed for my family reunion on Holy Saturday so I can reassure people I’m not going to accidentally die alone in my flat.

You stare at the man across the table from you and try to catalogue his features. If you don’t break him down piecemeal then the weight of his good looks might cause you to buckle. Two eyes, electric blue. Staring at them too long forces your gaze to wander away from them to other parts of his face. Two lips, pink and quirked into a crooked smile, showing off slightly discolored teeth. Coffee, you think, glancing down at his steaming cup. Your eyes drift up to his again, and again you find them drifting away. One bold pink scar at his temple, star shaped and cutting through his closely shaved hair in a single jagged slice. Your eyes linger on it until he reaches, almost sheepishly, to touch the thing.

“Aye, let’s get that out of the way first.” John agrees with your silent staring. You shake your head and focus on his eyes again, on the slight crease between his brow that speaks of unease.

“Oh, no it’s-” you hesitate on the words, “You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to, we can just ignore it.” He stares at you and you tack on, “I’m sorry for staring.”

“Nae the first person to stare, willnae be the last.” He hums. It feels like a reminder of sorts. For him you’re sure, but the familiarity of his tone makes you feel oddly… included.

“Does your-” You stop yourself from asking if his family stares, that feels a little too personal in a way that you can’t be with a stranger, “-Does your family already think you have a girlfriend?” You ask instead. John laughs and it’s so deep and throaty that it catches your breath in your chest.

“Aye, been tellin’ them I had you for a while now.” He nods, “Been dyin’ tae meet ya, but I kept putting it off.”

It’s your turn to nod. You understand that. It’s easier to keep a lie going than have a new one to tie together.

“Y’are a bonnie thing,” John mumbles, his lips catching against each other, his tongue weighted and his brows drawn low, he swallows before enunciating, “so sweet Ah cannae believe someone else hasnae sunk their teeth intae ya.”

You’ve held his gaze too long, the violent blue shivers and shakes, with the strain of staring back at you. You feel your left eye twitch and jerkingly look down at your folded hands on the table. The color of your knuckles looks thinner, strained by the clench of your fingers against the wood. Anything to keep the anxious shaking at bay. Impatient to get away from the public eye, but grateful for the chance to meet a stranger with so many witnesses.

Your brain tries to latch onto John’s… compliment, and you brush it off. The doctor had said traumatic brain injuries make people impulsive, make it harder for them to police what they’re saying and doing. You can’t hold it against him if his inside thoughts roll off his tongue into the outside.

Actually, you feel sort of bad for taking advantage of the guy. You need him more than he needs you. The quick escape he offers isn’t one you take lightly, and this ruse is more reliable than anything else. It’s just… he seems nice. The way he fusses with his jumper reminds you of a puppy trying to walk with shoes on for the first time. He’s big and uncoordinated in a way that you should find endearing. His hands shake, his fingers plucking at the hem of one of his sleeves as a way to divert the energy. He squeezes his fingers into a tight fist when he notices you staring.

“Another gift from the bullet that had me discharged.” He huffs, “Makes mah mam worry seein’ me shake, made mah captain worry too.” The words are bitter in his mouth and you meet his gaze against your better judgement. “S’why they tossed me, cannae have a trigger finger this itchy.”

“Your mum must love you a lot.” You offer, the words feel hollow in your mouth. What’s that like, you wonder, having a parent that cares enough about you to worry over something like the tremor in your hands?

John smiles, turns his gaze down to his fist and spreads his fingers out onto the table. It’s warm. The sort of expression that people with normal families have.

“Ah ken,” He shakes his head, “but she’s getting older, cannae have her running down to London for every doctor’s appointment.”

“Oh,” you frown, “that would be annoying.” Though you can’t say you aren’t envious. Had your family ever done the same for you? It was always a fight just to stay home from school, you know wouldn’t drop a thing for a doctor’s appointment much less driven across the country.

“Ahm a grown man, dinnae need mah mam fer mah PT.” John insists. “Mah sisters are bad enough with all their badgerin’ me.” He sighs. “They mean well, Ah s’ppose, shouldnae fault them tha’.”

“Well,” you falter. It’s more than just taking advantage of one guy, you’re conning an entire family just to get yourself out of a situation of your own making. He should find someone else, someone better suited for dealing with a family that so clearly cares about him. But he’s not going to, you need this. You plaster on a smile and tell him, “It’s good you’ve got me, we’ll convince them you’re doing better than ever.”

John’s eyes flick to yours and you get the distinct impression of someone looking through rather than at you. It sends a shiver down your spine and you scramble to explain yourself before John can call your bluff. “I’ll make sure to tell her how capable you are, I mean.” You supply. John nods, his smile cut by his teeth in a way that feigns sincerity better than your mother ever could.

“Gonna have to convince more than just mah mam and sisters,” he reminds you, “Plenty of kin for ya tae meet.” You must make a face because his smile grows to a size you’re sure must hurt his cheeks. “Got more than 50 people comin’ tae the reunion, more than that cannae take the time off for travel.”

You sit back in your chair with a rush of breath. Fifty? Fifty people. Fifty strangers you have to lie to for a whole day. Fifty names you’ll have to pretend to remember. Jesus.

“Jesus.” You mumble.

“Aye,” John hums, “it’s His doin’ that Mactavishes are a fertile brood.” The way he purrs it makes your stomach clench. You’re missing the context that haunts his voice, and you shake off the feeling in favor of changing the topic.

“So how long is the reunion?” It’s inelegant but it gets the job done. If John notices he doesn’t show it, immediately humming and bobbing his head like he’s trying to think. He crosses his arms over his chest and you’re struck by how big this guy is. Not uncoordinated then. John’s biceps strain against the bulk of his jumper, his broad chest squeezed between the trunks of his arms in a way that makes him look bulky. His shoulders roll back to a broad, square set that makes his neck seem thicker. You should get the impression that he’s putting on a show for you, but there’s no flex to his musculature, just the unquestionable presence of strength.

Strength that always seemed to haunt the silent wishes of every other man in your life, now personified and stripped of the authority to use it.

You swallow down the interest that slides to settle warm between your legs.

“I can drive up Friday night, then the reunion is Saturday, and Mass on Sunday.” He counts off eyes roaming around the shop. He-

Well, you don’t know how to describe it. John’s mood seems to change as quickly as the wind, his bright bubbling air turning teasing then wistful or purring and now this serious tone. Business-like where you would have sworn he was flirting with you. You glance at the scar on his temple, the pink seam of it seeming more obvious with each symptom that adds itself to the list. You wonder if he’s also forgetful, impulsive, if he’s prone to short tempers. You wonder how his vision is, and the thought of him driving suddenly makes you very nervous.

“I can drive.” You tell him quickly. He blinks at you and you find the air changed again, his expressions more open than you’ve seen even in children --perhaps that’s it, perhaps it’s not his mood changing so much as it is an openness that you’re not used to, you tell yourself he wears his heart on his sleeve, and find the thought somewhat relaxes you-- a gentle parting of his lips and soft raise of his brow that says you’ve caught him off guard.

“Ya wouldnae prefer flyin’?” He asks, and you cringe. You had mentioned in your emails that you were looking at flights, and he’d generously offered to compensate you. At the time you’d been eager to snatch up the opportunity, but now? Now the thought of leaving this man alone, with his shaking hands and poor vision, to drive for hours up to Glasgow felt wrong. You were already taking advantage of his need for a body to get yourself out of trouble, you couldn’t let him die in a road accident too.

“No, I-” You search for an inoffensive answer, something that doesn’t make you sound like the terrible person you are, “I think it would be better if we arrived together, right? Happy and in love?”

John studies you for a moment before pouting his lips briefly and nodding, he hadn’t considered that you suppose.

“Aye,” He says slowly before he tips his head ever so slightly, “an’ we are happy an’ in love people, aren’t we, hen?”

“Oh definitely,” You agree. There’s something nervous and fluttery in your chest at his tone. Something that squeezes tight and fawns before you can chase the feeling down. It makes him smile, and the wide toothy grin he fixes you with crooks your stomach as quickly as it crooks his lips.

“Then we’ll drive up together.” He agrees.

Despite the short notice you manage to get a hotel booked for Easter. It makes you feel a little slimy, squirms in your stomach oddly, but you plan on dipping out right after mass and leaving John with his family. If they’re as doting as he makes them out to be then he’ll have no trouble finding his way home. Besides, he already offered his car for the drive, so it’s not like he’s totally stranded. You made your peace with the sort of person you are long ago, you shouldn’t feel so bad leaving some disabled veteran in better hands.

It’ll be a nice little vacation in a beautiful place, you’ll do something touristy, and then start figuring out your new life. You don’t deserve the vacation, but you don’t deserve a lot of things. John does though, for all you’re sure he’s been through, so you make yourself happy to play house with him. At least he’s not bad to look at. You could do worse, and you have.

You’re almost surprised by how short the bus ride to his flat is. He’s so close-by but you’ve never run into him. You recognize one of the patisseries you pass and hesitate to continue the rest of your walk at the prospect of getting a slice of cake. You check your time and decide to stop in for a road trip snack. You can give John this kindness at least. You hope he likes sweets.

Of course your detour leaves knocking on John’s door feeling like a herculean task. You raise your fist and hold it there for what feels like ages, your mind running a million miles a minute trying to spin out all the worst case scenarios.

This is insane. Actually insane. You’re running off to Scotland with a man you don’t know to meet a family that might not even exist --though you did spend a good few hours googling the Mactavish clan and what do you know John’s face is front and center, along with his discharge notice (ouch)-- just to get away from- well, you know what you’re running from. No sense dwelling on it when you’re so close to your new life. You learned your lesson with the Austrian, you’ll get away from John as soon as you’re able to and disappear into the highlands. Maybe you’ll herd sheep.

You knock on the door with your confidence renewed and John pulls it open immediately, his eyes wild, his hair disheveled and his shirt on inside out. His breathing is haggard and you watch him quickly end a call with someone marked only by a skull emoji, the tinny voice on the other end sounds rough and unhappy before it’s cut off. John offers you an apologetic smile and scratches the back of his neck.

“I thought you weren’t coming.” He says by way of explanation.

“I, um-” you hold up the bag of biscuits, “I stopped for a snack, for the road.” You check your phone. “I’m only a few minutes late.”

“Right.” John shakes his head, blinking his eyes as his brows draw down, like he’s trying to clear it, “Sorry, that- of course you’re not late, why would you be late?” He trails off, muttering to himself as he turns and stalks back into his flat. He seems to remember you and turns back to the door. “Come in, Ahm just finishin’ packin’ up.”

“It’s just the weekend.” You tell him, shuffling into his flat. You keep close to the wall and try not to look like you’re looking around. It’s sparsely decorated. Honestly it reminds you of those “male living space” memes that float around occasionally. The guy has a folding chair set up at a card table and not much else. You try to tip your head to get a glance at the bedroom and catch the corner of a mattress set on the floor. You grimace at the thought.

You hear him muttering to himself and do your best not to eavesdrop too much. You’re sure he’s stressed about going to see his family, and you’re even more sure that living like this isn’t helping. Maybe his mum is right and he really does need the help. You feel that ever present pang of guilt start to gnaw at you at the thought. Fuck.

You’d read up a bit more on traumatic brain injuries --always eager to go the extra mile for someone else where you couldn’t for yourself-- and the idea that John had been living with virtually no support, his family a hundred miles away and his house barely fit for habitation, makes you really fucking sad. This guy probably lost everything he’d been working towards in the army, and now he’s living in this shitty flat with nobody around to care about him. And you’re taking advantage of his desperation to prove he isn’t the incapable man his mum is worried about in order to get a free trip and a new life. You’re really despicable.

Looking around though it’s pretty clear he isn’t taking care of himself. You don’t see any PT equipment or pictures, there’s not even a second chair or dishes in the sink. It’s like no one lives here. Even you had keepsakes tucked away in your “weekend” bag. John’s got a whole lot of nothing.

“Sorry,” John sighs, hefting a packed duffle bag over his shoulder, his entrance jolts you out of your thoughts and you nearly crush your biscuits in surprise, “movin’ y’ken?”

“Sorry?” you blink, “Moving?”

“Aye.” John nods, dropping his bag to rifle through it, he tugs a pillbox free and opens the Friday morning tab, shaking the couple tablets into his waiting palm. He takes the pills dry before zipping the bag. “Back up tae Glasgow, be closer to mah mam an’ all that.”

“Oh.” You feel heat burn your cheeks, that explains the empty apartment. Guilt pokes at you again, you’d put him in the same category as his mum, incapable of taking care of himself. God. Are you a bad person? You are. You know you are, but are you this sort of bad? The “tbi automatically means this guy is dysfunctional” kind of bad?

You didn’t think you were before all of this.

“That’s nice.” You cover. John hums as he stands.

“Isnae nice, means Ah’ll ‘ave ‘er breathin’ doon mah neck, taggin’ along tae the doctor like she’s ne’er seen mah heid on straight.” There’s no anger in his voice, just a gentle exasperation that reminds you of a pouting puppy. You cover your mouth to hide the smile it inspires. John flashes you a grin and you know you’ve been caught.

“Dunna be blate, laugh if ya want tae.” You let out a short giggle and cover it with a cough.

“Are you going to get less intelligible the closer we get to scotland?” You tease. Another smile, and a roll of John’s eyes.

“Aye ya ken mah mam’s gonna love ya, now yer actin’ out.” John grabs you and pulls you against his chest. The action is so familiar and affectionate that it makes you stiffen. Your stomach drops and you go rigid. Something shifts behind John’s eyes and you have to tighten more to keep tremors from running through you. Those bright blues feel electric, a flash of lightning before thunder, an unstoppable natural force that bears down on you with no warning but that quick burst of light. He doesn’t release you, and you can feel the pop of his shoulders as he rolls them, tipping his head to the side just enough to properly look down on you. He clicks his tongue and a shiver rushes down your spine.

“Relax hen,” it’s an unkind suggestion coated in false charm, “it’ll never fit if you’re wound this tight.”

“What- what?” You stutter, fingers shaking to find the right place to push to get him to let you go.

“Ah thought we were a happy loving couple,” John reminds you, “Cannae flinch like this.”

“Right.” You settle your hands against his chest and push. It’s like trying to move a brick wall. He barely budges, in fact you think his arms might tighten their hold on your waist.

“Got plenty of time tae get ya used tae me, yeah?” He hums, and leans closer. You duck your head to avoid meeting his gaze, or anything else, and feel his nose against your hair. He takes a long inhale and you squeeze your fingers into fists.

Impulsive, you remind yourself, he has a brain injury that makes him unable to control his impulses. That’s all it is. That’s all it can be.

“Do ah scare ya hen?” John’s voice rumbles so low in his chest that you feel it under your fingers. The question startles you enough to jolt you back to his gaze.

You’re free of his grasp as soon as you look up. John’s bent to grab his duffle off the floor and you have just enough room to catch your breath.

“Of course not.” You lie. You’ve dealt with far worse than an overly touchy man with a brain injury. Overly touchy men giving out brain injuries, for one.

“Good,” John nods, tugging his bag up over his shoulder, “We’ve got a long drive ahead, no sense gettin’ scared now.”

Right, the drive. You’d almost forgotten about it. At least you can rest easier knowing John’s probably not stupid enough to let his impulses take over if you’re driving.

John’s hand is on your thigh as soon as you get out of his garage. He barely moves it when you complain about not having room to shift gears. It’s big and warm and entirely too high on your leg to not be distracting. Your traitorous body reacts to it immediately, your pulse quickening as your cunt throbs. It’s been a while, but you still remember what it feels like to have a man touch you, and it feels an awful lot like the wide spread of John’s fingers across your thigh.

“So um,” You try to think of anything to talk about while John’s thumb rubs hot against your thigh, “we should probably get our story straight.”

“Told everyone the story already.” John says, and you struggle to find what that might mean. Is his hand moving higher on your thigh? You can’t keep your thoughts straight when he’s touching you like this. “Dating for six months, met in a coffee shop, you’ve been wanting to meet mah folks but time’s never been right.”

“Right.” You mumble, “John, um-”

“Johnny.” He cuts you off, “You call me Johnny.”

“Johnny,” You restart, “could you, uh, could you move your hand?” He gives your thigh a squeeze so tight it almost hurts, and slides his fingers up your thigh to rest just at the junction of your hip.

“Already know your lines,” he jokes, you think it’s a joke, God you hope it’s a joke, “Just gotta ask me if ya want somethin’, hen. Ahm a doting boyfriend after all.”

“Right.” You repeat, your knuckles creak with how tightly you grip the steering wheel.

His hand leaves you and your body reacts to the loss almost as violently as it had the initial touch. A chill crowds the space Johnny’s hand used to be, and threatens to wrack through your spine. You squeeze your thighs together quietly. It’s fine, you’re fine. He said he’d start getting you used to being touched, that’s all it is.

“So what are you into?” You change the topic.

Johnny is silent for a while, so long that you chance a glance over at him. It makes you nervous taking your eyes off the road, but you lose a moment tracing the strong line of his nose as you watch his profile. He glances at you and you lock your eyes on the road again.

“Art.” He says finally. You nod. Art is good, you like art.

“What sort of art?” You prompt. You can’t fault him a stilted conversation you suppose, you did change the subject rather abruptly.

“Sketching,” he tells you, before thinking better of it, “pencils and charcoals. Never got into painting, too hard to take into the field.”

That must be it, it’s a reminder of his time in the military. You’re bringing up bad memories with such a simple question. You must have a talent for sticking your foot in your mouth if it’s this easy for you to stumble upon touchy subjects.

“That makes sense.” You nod and attempt to end the conversation, “You’ll have to show me some of your sketches sometime.”

The shift in the air is immediate. Even in your periphery you can tell Johnny’s perked up at the idea.

“Really? You’d want tae see ‘em?”

“Of course,” You shrug, keeping your eyes forward, “I like art.”

“Maybe ya could pose fer me sometime,” Johnny grins. “Ah’d make sure ya looked as bonnie as ya dae now.”

You laugh at the compliment, a weak attempt at covering your discomfort. You don’t need any buttering up, the false affection of it rings so hollow in your ears that it’s almost painful. It’s an unwanted politeness, an engagement in the conversation that makes you sick at the thought of engaging with. You don’t need to see yourself in graphite, it’s bad enough seeing yourself in the mirror.

“Or maybe ah’d draw ya nude,” Johnny muses and you shut your mouth hard enough to hear your teeth click. “That’d be braw.” He hums, looking out the window, “Could have ya spread those bonnie legs and show me yer cunt. Ah’d make sure tae get real close and get a good look, talk tae ‘er real nice ‘til she’s drippin fer me, no fun drawing’ ‘er dry.”

Your eyes flick to him, your chest tight. He’s looking out the window, his chin cradled in his hand, as if he hadn’t said anything at all. You could almost believe you imagined it, but there were too many words, too detailed, to delude yourself into thinking you’d misheard the rumble of the engine.

You press your thighs together, fix your eyes on the road, try to ignore the man in the seat beside you. What are you supposed to say? Do you say anything? Is he hoping you’ll pull over and open your legs, pull his head between them and let him make good on his desire to talk to your pussy?

The thought sends a shiver through you. You can’t say if it’s good or bad but it certainly catches Johnny’s attention to see you shudder. His teeth flash in the sun, and you know you’ve been caught.

“Aw hen, ya like when Ah talk like that?” His hand finds your thigh again, too high for you to mistake it as anything but what it is, a promise, “Ya want me tae tell ya how good ah am with mah tongue? Or are ya wet just thinkin’ about it?” He’s leaned closer, his hand squeezing your thigh so tightly it hurts, his shadow taking up too much of your periphery. “Fuck ah can smell it on ya-” His hand jumps to cup your cunt, and you freeze, “-warm, wet, little cunt. Stupid little girl. Should’ve worn a skirt so Ah could stick mah fingers in that pussy of yers and have a taste.”

Your heart is beating out of your chest, your face burning as hot as the rest of your skin. He’s right, fuck he’s right. You’re aching, barely holding back from shifting in your seat and rocking against his searching fingers, all from a little dirty talk. You can’t open your mouth, can’t turn, can’t even move from the rigid position you’ve found yourself in, too scared that the barest twitch will make Johnny pounce,

And make the car crash.

You can’t be responsible for another death.

Johnny’s mouth opens, his body leaned far over the center console of the car (too far to survive a crash) and you feel his teeth scrape your neck.

Your body moves on its own, your shoulder jerks and you loosen your hand from the steering wheel to push him away. He goes willingly, laughing as he falls back into his seat and his hands leave you.

“Are you trying to kill us?” You demand, you can barely catch your breath, barely hold onto the boiling heat in the pit of your stomach.

“Ach, just havin’ some fun with ya hen,” He placates, “won’t it be easier holdin’ mah hand now that we’ve got that over with?”

You glare at the road and tamp down the heated humiliation that threatens to rise over you. No, you don’t think it will be. Especially not when you catch Johnny palming himself, and just know that’s the hand he’ll grab you with.

You can read the full fic here

#fic rec

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glossyloner · 10 days ago

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— David Cronenberg, Consumed

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glossyloner · 14 days ago

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HIIIII (another ask bc I have ideas)

I need need need sunshine reader who is always bubbly and fun and grumpy rhett and someone suits on reader and makes her sad so now rhett has to fight a batch (maybe slash their tires)

Where Wanting Isn’t Wrong

A/N: when my cherri asks, i DELIVER 🍒💌 did cherri send this like a month ago? …yes. am i sorry i’m late? …also yes 😭 and yes, this is a little long... Warnings: blame the dust, blame rhett, blame me wanting something that’s not easy but real. Masterlist Feedback and reposts are appreciated ☀️

The morning smelled like sun-warmed grass and cheap lemonade, the kind the PTA sold in Styrofoam cups for fifty cents, a line of sticky-handed kids waiting while you poured, bright and easy, your laughter ringing out as you ruffled hair and handed out cups with that smile everyone in Wabang knew.

You were a light in this dusty town, the kind that made people pause, made them think maybe today wasn’t so bad. That made Rhett Abbott stop dead in his tracks when he caught it from across the schoolyard.

You didn’t even see him at first. He’d shown up because Perry made him, a truckload of hay bales for the petting zoo you were setting up with your class, because it was the kind of thing you did, volunteering when no one else would, organizing a fundraiser so the kids could go see the state fair, your clipboard clutched against your chest as you gave instructions to parents who never listened.

Rhett tried to drop the bales and leave, quiet, unnoticed, his boots scuffing gravel, hat pulled low, eyes avoiding the way you were bent over tying a kid’s shoelaces with a soft word and a gentle pat.

But you looked up, saw him, and your face cracked into that wide, warm smile, your hand lifting in a wave that made his throat tighten.

“Rhett! Thank you so much for bringing these, we couldn’t have done this without you!”

Your voice carried, soft but somehow stronger than the heat rolling off the asphalt, and he fought the way his stomach twisted, nodding once, tipping his hat without meeting your eyes, his jaw working as he swallowed the words he’d never let himself say.

“Yeah,” he muttered, barely loud enough for you to hear, turning away, wanting to leave before you could get closer.

But of course, you did.

Your boots crunched on gravel as you jogged up, wiping your hands on your jeans, eyes bright.

“Really, thank you. The kids are going to love the petting zoo.”

Your smile didn’t falter, and that was the worst part, the way you looked at him like he wasn’t just Rhett Abbott, the screwup, the one who could never quite get it right.

He shifted, uncomfortable, eyes darting to the kids running past, to the truck, to anywhere but you.

“You need anythin’ else, just let Perry know.”

You opened your mouth like you wanted to say something else, but the whistle of a kettle from the bake sale table cut through, and you turned, waving as you jogged back.

“Thanks again, Rhett!”

He watched you go, that bounce in your step, the way you ruffled a kid’s hair as you passed, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, scrubbing a hand over his mouth before climbing back into the truck.

He didn’t look back, but he could feel you, the way you made the world around you warmer just by being in it.

—

He drove back to the ranch, windows down, the wind hot against his face, trying to shake you off, trying to tell himself it didn’t matter, that you didn’t matter, that you were just being nice, that it wasn’t for him.

That you were sunshine, and sunshine didn’t belong to anyone.

—

But later, when Perry teased him over dinner, elbowing him as Cecilia laughed softly, when Amy giggled about how “She is the best teacher, Uncle Rhett, she’s so pretty and nice,” Rhett felt that tightness in his chest again, pushing at the edges of his ribs, a pressure that made it hard to breathe.

“You gonna help out at the fundraiser tomorrow?” Perry asked, eyebrow lifted, grin lazy.

Rhett shook his head, stabbing at his food.

“Ain’t my thing.”

“Could be,” Perry drawled.

Rhett looked up, eyes sharp.

“Drop it.”

Perry put up his hands, still grinning, but Rhett could feel Cecilia’s eyes on him, warm and sad, like she knew, like everyone in this damn town knew, like the whole world was in on the joke except for you.

—

That night, Rhett sat on the porch, beer bottle sweating in his hand, the crickets loud, the stars sharp and clear.

He thought about you, your laugh, the smudge of flour on your cheek from the bake sale, the way your eyes met his and didn’t flinch, didn’t look away, didn’t judge.

He thought about the way you’d smiled at him, the way it had made something in him ache so badly he wanted to punch something, or pull you close, or both.

He took a long swig, swallowing hard, letting the bitterness burn down his throat.

“Don’t be stupid,” he muttered to himself, leaning back in the creaking chair, eyes on the dark sky.

You weren’t his.

You’d never be his.

But that didn’t stop him from wanting.

—

The next morning smelled like dusty gravel and the sweet tang of early summer, the kind that stuck to your skin before noon. You were there early, pinning up streamers on the chain-link fence around the schoolyard, hair tied back, shirt tied at the waist, humming under your breath as you directed volunteers where to place tables and fold-up chairs.

You were always there, Rhett thought. Always smiling, always making the tired look up and the grumpy pause, even if only for a moment.

He wasn’t supposed to be there. He told Perry he wouldn’t come. Told himself he wouldn’t come. But there he was, parked across the street, engine ticking as it cooled, watching you fuss over the lemonade table, your laugh floating over the hum of the small crowd gathering.

Then he showed up.

Caleb. Fresh boots, crisp plaid shirt, the too-bright grin of a man who wanted everyone to notice him. Wanted you to notice him.

He sauntered up, carrying a box of donated snacks, all swagger, throwing a wink at you that made Rhett’s hands tighten on the wheel.

“Well if it ain’t Miss Angel herself, brightenin’ up the whole damn parking lot.”

You laughed, easy and polite, stepping forward to take the box.

“Morning, Caleb. Thank you for bringing these.” “Anything for you, darlin’,” Caleb said, voice too loud, too slick, eyes lingering too long.

You didn’t flinch, didn’t drop your smile, just turned away, gesturing where the snacks needed to go, pulling your clipboard against your chest as you gave instructions to a pair of teens trying to wrangle folding tables.

Rhett watched you tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, your shoulders rolling back as you squared up to face Caleb again when he followed too close, leaning in like he had a right.

“Can I help with anything else, sweetheart?” Caleb drawled, leaning against the table, elbows spread wide, like he wanted the world to see how close he was standing.

“We’ve got it handled,” you said, still polite, still warm, but Rhett saw the shift in your shoulders, the way your fingers tightened around your pen before you turned away.

Caleb followed you anyway, stepping around a kid with a juice box, flashing you a grin like he thought it meant something.

Rhett’s jaw ticked, heat blooming in his chest, crawling up his throat, bitter and sharp. He forced himself to look away, to focus on the cracked dashboard of the truck, the sweat rolling down the back of his neck, the buzzing hum of the cicadas screaming in the heat.

“Ain’t your business,” he muttered to himself, fingers drumming against the steering wheel.

—

But he couldn’t leave.

Couldn’t tear his eyes away from the way Caleb hovered, the way you laughed politely at something he said, though it didn’t reach your eyes. The way Caleb’s hand brushed your arm, lingered for half a second too long, your shoulders stiffening before you pulled away, moving to help a kid adjust the sign on the lemonade stand.

It was a small thing, that moment, but Rhett felt it like a punch, the blood rushing in his ears.

—

Later, Rhett moved to the edge of the lot, leaning against his truck, arms crossed, cap pulled low. Watching.

Caleb kept orbiting you, always too close, always talking too loud, throwing jokes your way that made the PTA moms giggle, made the other men smirk, but Rhett saw your eyes darting away, your smile thinning at the edges.

“So, what’s a girl like you do after hours, huh?” Caleb’s voice carried across the lot as he leaned against the fence where you were stapling up a banner. “Grade papers, eat dinner, go to bed. Same as everyone else,” you replied lightly, focused on your task, not looking at him. “Aw, c’mon. A smile like that deserves better than microwaved leftovers,” Caleb pushed, stepping in, shadow falling over your shoulder.

Rhett’s knuckles went white where they gripped his arms.

—

You turned then, looking up at Caleb, your smile polite but your eyes cool.

“I appreciate your help today, Caleb, but I need to focus on getting this ready before the parents arrive.”

“I’m just tryin’ to be friendly,” Caleb said, leaning in, voice dropping, low enough that only you and Rhett, standing far enough to watch but close enough to hear, could catch it. “Unless you’re too stuck up for that, Miss Angel.”

Your jaw tightened. Rhett saw it, that flicker of steel beneath the sweetness, the way you squared your shoulders, chin lifting.

“I’m not interested. Back off.”

For a heartbeat, Caleb’s grin slipped, replaced by something colder before he forced the smirk back.

“Your loss,” he drawled, pushing away from the fence with a shrug that tried to play it off.

You turned back to your banner, fingers trembling just once before you pulled the last staple from your pocket, pressing it into the fabric with finality.

—

Rhett let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, tension snapping along his shoulders as he pushed off the truck.

“Don’t,” he muttered to himself, jaw tight. “Don’t do nothin’ stupid.”

But he watched you walk back to the tables, greeting parents with a smile, letting kids hug your waist, your laugh bright but a little tighter, your eyes flickering once across the lot where Rhett stood, meeting his for half a second before you looked away.

He stayed, arms crossed, boots planted in the dirt, watching as Caleb slunk around the edge of the event, trying to catch your eye, smirking when you turned away, whispering something to another ranch hand who chuckled.

Rhett’s hands twitched, rage simmering under his skin, mixing with something else, something he didn’t want to name. Something like want, like need, like the ache that burned low in his belly every time he saw you smile at someone else.

—

The sun dipped lower, the crowd thinning, the air cooling as shadows stretched across the lot.

Rhett didn’t leave. Couldn’t. Not when Caleb was still there, hovering, eyes on you like you were something to claim.

Not when you were there, sunlight in your hair, holding it all together, holding him together without even knowing it.

—

The fundraiser wound down with the taste of dust in the air and kids running through the last dregs of sunlight, parents laughing, cars pulling out one by one, the lot slowly emptying until it was just you and a few volunteers folding tables, the hum of cicadas rising with the cooling air.

You were tired, but it was the good kind, the kind you earned, the kind that made your skin glow as you wiped sweat from your temple, pushing stray hair from your face while you stacked leftover cupcakes into boxes for the staff lounge.

You didn’t see Caleb watching from the fence, didn’t see the way his eyes tracked the last volunteers as they left, didn’t see how he lingered, waiting until you were alone.

You were humming, the soft song you always sang when you cleaned up alone, because it made the silence feel less heavy.

—

“Need a hand?”

The voice made you jump, the cupcake you were packing toppling sideways.

Caleb.

You turned, forcing the polite smile, brushing frosting off your fingers onto a napkin.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it,” you said, moving to close the box, folding it carefully. “Aw, c’mon, sweetheart. Let a man feel useful.”

He stepped closer, boots crunching gravel, the sun catching the edge of a smirk that made your stomach twist, but you kept your voice even.

“I said I’ve got it.”

“Don’t be like that,” he said, hand reaching out, brushing your arm, lingering, thumb stroking the inside of your elbow like he had a right.

You stepped back, pulling your arm away.

“Caleb, stop.”

“You’re just playin’ hard to get, Miss Angel. Everyone sees it.”

The air felt thicker, pressing against your ribs as you held your ground.

“No. I’m not interested. Leave.”

“Don’t act like you’re better than me,” he snapped, the grin dropping, eyes hard, stepping in until your back bumped the table.

You lifted your chin, letting your eyes flash.

“I said. Leave.”

His hand snapped out, gripping your wrist, fingers pressing bruises before you could wrench away. The world narrowed to the smell of stale cologne, the heat of his breath, the weight of his anger.

“Let go of me.”

“Stop pretending you don’t want this—”

Your knee came up fast, slamming into his thigh. He stumbled back with a curse, loosening his grip enough for you to shove him, hard, your breath ragged.

“Touch me again, and I’ll bury you.”

Your voice didn’t shake. Your hands did.

Caleb’s eyes darkened, rage and embarrassment twisting across his face as he stepped forward again.

“You think you can—” “She said stop.”

The voice was low, calm, deadly.

Caleb froze. You turned, chest heaving, and there was Rhett, standing a few feet away, hands balled at his sides, hat low over his eyes, boots planted in the dirt like he was part of it, like nothing could move him.

Caleb let out a breath, scoffing.

“Oh, this what it is? You lettin’ Abbott here fight your battles?”

You stepped forward before Rhett could, shoulders squared, voice sharp.

“I don’t need him to fight for me.” “Doesn’t look like it,” Caleb sneered. “Get. Out.”

Caleb’s jaw ticked, spit hitting the ground as he glared at you, at Rhett, at the way Rhett’s body blocked your view, even though you pushed forward, refusing to hide behind him.

“Crazy bitch.”

You flinched, but you didn’t step back.

Caleb turned, heading for his truck, muttering under his breath, shoulders stiff with wounded pride.

—

You felt your breath leave your body, knees threatening to buckle, adrenaline making your fingers tingle.

“You okay?” Rhett’s voice, low, careful, like approaching a spooked horse.

You nodded, but your eyes were hot, throat tight.

“I had it handled.” “I know.”

Your eyes flicked to him, the way the tension in his jaw trembled, how his fingers flexed like he was holding himself back from tearing the world apart.

“Don’t—” “Stay here.”

And before you could speak, he was gone, long strides across the gravel, boots thudding, darkness swallowing him as he rounded the corner.

—

You stood there, chest rising and falling too fast, fists tight, the air thick with dirt and the smell of hot metal, your pulse drumming in your ears as you tried to decide whether to scream or keep it together.

You heard it first—a dull thud, a sharp grunt, the scrape of boots on gravel.

Then Rhett’s voice, low, dangerous:

“Don’t put your hands on her again.”

You rounded the corner, heart in your throat.

Rhett had Caleb pinned against the side of his truck, forearm pressed hard against his chest, the other hand fisted in Caleb’s shirt. Caleb’s face was twisted, blood trailing from his nose, his eyes wide with panic.

“Rhett,” you called, your voice hoarse, steady. “That’s enough.”

Rhett didn’t look at you. His jaw was tight, shoulders tense, eyes fixed on Caleb with a rage so cold it made you shiver.

“You hear her?” Caleb spat blood, trying to shove Rhett off. “Your girlfriend says it’s enough.”

Rhett’s fist slammed into the truck next to Caleb’s head, hard enough to leave a dent.

“She’s not your business,” Rhett said, his voice like gravel.

You moved closer, boots crunching on the gravel.

“Rhett. Let him go.”

His eyes flicked to you then, dark, unreadable, before dropping to your wrist where Caleb’s fingers had left a smear of dirt and red.

Rhett’s jaw flexed once, twice.

Then he stepped back, letting Caleb stumble forward, gasping.

Caleb wiped his mouth, spit in the dirt, trying to cover the fear in his eyes.

“Crazy bastard,” Caleb muttered, backing away.

“Get in your truck and go,” you said, your voice flat.

Caleb hesitated, but your stare didn’t break. He glanced at Rhett, then back at you, before climbing into his truck and peeling out, tires spitting gravel as he fled down the road.

—

The silence that followed was thick, the only sound the rasp of Rhett’s breathing, your own heartbeat loud in your ears.

You turned to him, anger rising to your tongue before you could swallow it down.

“What the hell was that, Rhett?”

He didn’t look at you, hands flexing, blood drying on his knuckles, chest still rising and falling.

“He touched you.”

“I told him to leave. I handled it.”

“Didn’t look like it to me.”

You stepped closer, pointing at him, heat rising to your face.

“You can’t just beat the shit out of people because you decide it’s your business.”

His eyes met yours, and for a moment you saw it, the flicker of something raw, unguarded, terrified.

“It is my business.”

You froze, blinking, your hand dropping.

“Why?” you asked, your voice quiet, the anger draining into something you didn’t want to name.

Rhett swallowed, looking away, jaw working.

“Because I wanted it to be.”

The words hung there, heavier than fists.

You opened your mouth, closed it again, unsure whether you were angry or grateful or something else entirely, something that burned in your chest in a way you didn’t have words for.

Rhett took a step back, shaking his head.

“I need to go.” “Rhett—”

But he was already turning, walking toward his truck, boots crunching over the gravel, leaving you there under the harsh glow of the single light above the school doors, your arms wrapped around yourself, the night pressing in, your breath shaking out of you as you watched him go.

—

You didn’t sleep that night.

You went home, showered off the sweat and dust and the lingering scent of stale cologne on your arm where Caleb had grabbed you. You tried to eat, pushed food around your plate until the cat meowed and you set it down for him instead.

You replayed it over and over—the way Caleb’s hand tightened, the fear that turned to rage, the way you’d shoved him off, the way Rhett appeared out of nowhere, fists and fury and cold, hard rage.

And the look in Rhett’s eyes when you asked him why.

“Because I wanted it to be.”

—

You didn’t sleep that night, the ceiling above your bed glowing faintly in the dark, your mind replaying the way Caleb’s hand had clamped around your wrist and the heat of your fear twisting into anger as you shoved him off, replaying the thunder of Rhett’s boots on gravel and the flat crack of his fist against Caleb’s jaw, the way blood had splattered on the side of the truck, the way Rhett’s shoulders had risen and fallen like a man barely holding himself back, the way he wouldn’t meet your eyes when you demanded to know why, how his voice had gone low, wrecked, as he’d said, Because I wanted it to be, and how that had settled in your bones like something you didn’t want to carry but couldn’t let go.

You got up before dawn, pulled on jeans and an old T-shirt, hair still damp as you tied it back, the air sticky even in the early morning, and you didn’t think, didn’t plan, just grabbed your keys and drove, the road to the Abbott ranch familiar and empty, the sky slowly bleeding light as you passed fields that glistened with dew, your heart pounding in your chest as you rehearsed what you would say but none of it feeling right, none of it feeling enough.

You pulled up to the ranch just as the sun broke over the fence posts, painting everything gold and sharp, and there he was, near the corral, hammer in hand, fixing a section of fence that didn’t need fixing, his hat low, the muscles in his arms flexing with each strike as dust rose around his boots, sweat already clinging to the back of his neck, his entire body wound tight with that restless energy you had felt in him since the day you met him, the energy that made him look away whenever you caught him staring, that made him leave rooms you entered, that made him clench his jaw when you smiled at other men.

You stepped out, slammed the truck door a little harder than you meant to, the sound splitting the quiet morning, gravel crunching under your boots as you crossed the dirt toward him, the heat of the rising sun pressing against your back, dust swirling around your ankles as you planted yourself a few feet away, crossing your arms over your chest like armor as you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, felt it burn in your lungs as you forced out his name.

“Rhett.”

He didn’t look up, didn’t pause, kept driving that nail into the fence post with methodical violence, the wood splintering as the hammer cracked down again and again, the sound sharp and cruel in the soft dawn.

“Rhett.”

This time his shoulders tensed, the hammer pausing midair before dropping to his side, the muscles in his jaw ticking as he slowly set the hammer down on the post with deliberate care, like he was afraid of what would happen if he let it fall.

When he turned to face you, his eyes were dark and tired, the skin under them shadowed, his lips pressed into a thin line as he looked at you like he was bracing for impact.

“What do you want me to say?”

Your throat tightened, but you held his gaze, forcing your voice to stay steady.

“Anything. The truth.”

A harsh sound slipped from him, almost a laugh but empty, broken, as he shook his head, dropping his eyes for a moment before lifting them back to yours, letting out a breath that ruffled the hair falling across his forehead.

“The truth? Fine. I saw him touch you, and I wanted to kill him.”

You felt the words settle heavy in the space between you, the heat of them searing across your skin, anger rising to meet the fear and confusion you hadn’t had the time to process, your hands curling tighter around your elbows as you forced yourself to respond.

“I didn’t need you to do that.”

He scoffed, the sound low, bitter, as he took a step closer, the heat of him meeting yours, his eyes blazing.

“Yeah, you did.”

Your lips parted, incredulous, the flush rising in your cheeks as your pulse quickened.

“Excuse me?”

“You think I don’t see it? The way you’re always smiling, always being nice to everyone, how you act like nothing ever gets to you, like nothing can touch you, but he got to you, I saw it in your face, and I couldn’t—”

You shook your head, cutting him off, your voice rising as your heart hammered painfully against your ribs.

“He scared me, Rhett. That doesn’t mean I needed you to fix it.”

His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing, his breath coming heavier as he stepped closer, close enough that you could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, could see the way his chest rose and fell like he was trying to calm something inside him.

“I know you can handle yourself,” he snapped, his voice low but shaking, the veins in his neck standing out as he fought to keep control, “but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna stand there and watch some piece of shit put his hands on you like he has the right.”

Your hands dropped to your sides as you took a step forward, refusing to look away, your voice trembling with the frustration and heat that had been building in your chest for months, years.

“Why? Why do you care so damn much, Rhett?”

And there it was, the way he flinched, the way his eyes flickered with fear before he swallowed hard, shaking his head as if he could stop the words from coming out before they slipped past his lips.

“Because I can’t not.”

The silence that fell was so heavy it felt like it pressed down on your shoulders, the air thick and buzzing with everything unspoken, your breath caught in your throat as you tried to find words, but all that came out was a whisper.

“You think you get to just—what, beat the shit out of people who look at me wrong? You think I need that?” “No.” “Then what, Rhett? What the hell do you want from me?”

His chest rose and fell once, twice, before he let out a breath that sounded like it scraped his lungs raw, his eyes closing for a moment before opening again, dark and shining.

“Everything.”

Your heart stopped, the word echoing in your mind, your breath catching as you tried to swallow, tried to push down the way it made your chest ache.

“You don’t get to say that,” you whispered, your voice hoarse, “not after you’ve spent so long acting like I don’t exist, like I’m nothing to you.”

His eyes shuttered for a moment, his jaw clenching, before he stepped closer, so close you could feel the heat radiating off him, so close you could smell the sweat and soap on his skin, the scent of dust clinging to him like it was part of him.

“I never acted like you’re nothing,” he said, his voice low, rough, every word carrying the weight of something he had tried to bury. “I stayed away because I can’t give you the kind of life you deserve, because you deserve someone better, someone good, and I am not—”

“Don’t decide that for me,” you cut in, your voice sharp, your eyes burning, your hands shaking as you stepped closer, so close your boots almost touched.

“You don’t get to decide what I want, Rhett.”

He opened his mouth, closed it again, shaking his head.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“And you don’t know what you’re denying yourself.”

Your eyes burned with the weight of everything unsaid, but you refused to look away, refused to let him shut you out again, refused to let him retreat behind that stoic silence he wore like armor, because you were done letting him hide while you carried the burden of pretending you didn’t see the way he looked at you when he thought you wouldn’t notice, the way his jaw would tighten and his throat would bob when someone else made you laugh, the way he would leave the room with his head down, boots heavy on the floor, because staying was too dangerous for him, too close to everything he spent his whole life running from, and you let the words pour out, your voice low but fierce, layered with the ache you had kept buried for too long.

“You think I don’t see you, Rhett, you think I don’t see the way you watch me when you think I’m not looking, how you find reasons to leave when I walk into a room because you can’t stand to be close, how your jaw clenches so hard I can see it from across the damn room whenever someone else makes me smile, you think I don’t feel it every single time you stand near me, like the air changes, like the world tilts just a little because you’re there, and you think I don’t know what that means?”

His hand lifted then, hesitating in the space between you as if he wanted to reach for you but couldn’t let himself, couldn’t cross that final distance, before it fell back to his side, fingers curling into a tight, shaking fist, his eyes locked on yours, dark and searching, voice cracking under the strain of all the things he had never let himself say.

“Don’t.”

The single word was a plea and a warning, thin and breaking.

“Don’t what?” you asked, your breath catching as you stepped closer, refusing to give him room to run.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he ground out, each syllable heavy, painful.

“Like what, Rhett?” your voice softer now, trembling but unyielding, your chin lifted as you stared him down.

“Like I’m worth it.”

Your chest cracked open at that, something inside you splintering wide in the quiet between his words, something raw and terrified and real unraveling inside of you as you let out a slow breath that trembled on your lips.

“You are.”

—

The silence that followed was thick enough to drown in, stretching between you in the dusty morning air as the world seemed to hold its breath, the whisper of wind across the dry grass and the distant groan of the barn the only sounds that dared to break it, and you could hear your own heartbeat, loud and insistent, thundering in your ears as you watched the way Rhett’s eyes dropped to your mouth and then dragged back up to your eyes with that same war-torn look, like he was fighting a losing battle with himself, with the need that was carved into every tense line of his body, with the fear that clung to him like sweat.

“Don’t,” he said again, softer now, the word so quiet it almost disappeared, but it carried everything he couldn’t say out loud, everything he was too afraid to admit, everything that made him take a half step back even as his eyes pleaded with you not to leave him standing there alone in the wreckage of everything he’d tried to bury. “Rhett,” you whispered, and it came out as a promise and a demand all at once, your own fear swirling in your chest but overridden by the certainty that you weren’t going to walk away from this, from him, not now, not ever. “Don’t,” he repeated, the word a cracked thing, fragile and desperate. “Please,” you breathed, your voice trembling, your eyes searching his, refusing to let him retreat, refusing to let him hide from you, from himself, from the truth that was sitting between you like a live wire.

—

Your hand lifted slowly, fingers trembling with the weight of everything you felt, everything you had kept bottled behind polite smiles and quiet strength, and you reached for him, letting your fingertips brush the edge of his jaw, the roughness of stubble scraping against your skin, the heat of him sinking into your bones in a way that made your breath catch, in a way that felt like it was searing itself into your memory so you could never pretend you hadn’t felt it, never pretend you hadn’t wanted it.

He flinched under your touch, his eyes squeezing shut, his breath leaving him in a shaky exhale like he had been holding it in for too long, like the simple contact of your hand against his face was enough to crack something deep inside him that he had fought to keep locked away, and you didn’t pull back, didn’t let him retreat behind that wall of silence and fear he wore like a second skin, you simply let your palm settle against his cheek, steady and warm, your thumb brushing lightly along the rough edge of his jaw.

“Look at me,” you whispered, your voice low but steady, carrying across the small space between you like a promise and a command all at once, because you were done letting him hide from the truth, done letting him pretend you didn’t see him, didn’t feel him, didn’t want him.

His eyes opened, slow and reluctant, dark lashes lifting to reveal eyes that were glassy and raw, that held fear and longing and something so soft it made your chest ache, and for a moment he just looked at you, breathing hard, like he was trying to memorize every detail of your face in this light, in this moment, like he was afraid if he blinked you would disappear.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you said, barely above a whisper, but it felt like it echoed in the quiet, like it was the only sound that mattered, the only truth you needed him to hear.

He let out a breath, one you felt against your wrist, warm and uneven, and his hand came up, hesitating for a moment before it covered yours where it rested on his cheek, his fingers wrapping around your wrist, not to push you away, but to hold you there, to keep you close, to ground himself in the feeling of your skin against his, the reality of you standing there, refusing to let him hide.

And in that moment, in the heat of that silence, in the roughness of your breaths and the closeness of your bodies, with the smell of dust and hay and the sharp morning air between you, something shifted, something gave way, something finally broke open.

You didn’t know who moved first, or if it even mattered, only that one moment you were standing there breathing the same uneven air, your eyes locked on each other with a desperation that bordered on painful, and the next his hand was sliding up to the back of your neck, his palm warm and rough, his thumb brushing along the line of your jaw as if he was memorizing the feel of you, grounding himself in the reality that you were there, that you weren’t turning away, and your own hand was curling around the collar of his shirt, your fingers tightening in the fabric because you needed something to hold on to before you drowned in the way he was looking at you.

Your breath hitched as his forehead dropped to yours, the brim of his hat brushing lightly against the top of your head before he lifted it off with a clumsy, shaking movement, tossing it aside without looking, his other hand coming up to frame your face, and you could feel the tremor in his fingers, could see the way his eyes searched yours for any sign that you would pull away, that you would leave him standing there alone in this raw, terrifying moment he had tried to avoid for so long.

And you didn’t pull away.

You let your eyes flutter closed, let your lips part on a breath that felt like it carried every quiet wish you had ever made in the dead of night, every silent hope you had pressed into your pillow, every ache you had hidden behind your smiles, and when his lips finally touched yours it was soft, so soft you almost thought you imagined it, the lightest brush of rough lips against yours as if he was giving you one last chance to stop him, to step back, to end this before it began.

But you didn’t step back.

You leaned in, just enough for your lips to press more firmly against his, and that was all it took for something to break open between you, for the kiss to deepen, for the soft, hesitant press of his mouth to turn into something hungry, something messy, something real, your fingers tightening in his shirt as you pulled him closer, closing the last breath of space between your bodies, feeling the solid heat of him against you, the rough scrape of stubble against your skin as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his breath hitching against your lips in a way that made your knees weaken, made your pulse thrum everywhere, made heat bloom low in your belly.

And it happened fast, in the way storms roll in across the plains, unannounced but inevitable, when the air shifts and the pressure drops, when your body knows before your mind catches up that everything is about to change, and you let it, because you’re tired of resisting things that are meant for you.

Rhett didn’t reach for you like a man seeking comfort; he reached for you like a man who had decided to stop punishing himself, his hand sliding into your hair, not gently, but with a certainty that made your breath catch, tugging you forward as he lowered his mouth to yours, not testing, not asking, but taking in a way that made your stomach tighten and your knees soften, your fingers finding the front of his shirt and fisting it just to keep yourself standing upright.

The kiss wasn’t soft; it was alive, a push and pull, his teeth catching your bottom lip as you gasped, your hand sliding up to his jaw, feeling the roughness of stubble against your palm as you tilted his face, deepening the kiss because you wanted more, because you were done pretending you didn’t want everything he was trying to hold back.

You felt him exhale against your mouth, a low sound that was almost a curse, almost a laugh, like he couldn’t believe this was real, like he’d spent too long telling himself it couldn’t happen to let himself enjoy it, but you swallowed that sound with your mouth, pressing closer, your hips bumping into his, the sun at your back, the taste of dust in the warm air between breaths, the world beyond the fence line falling away as your lips moved against his.

When you pulled back, it wasn’t because you wanted to, but because you needed to breathe, your lips brushing his as you caught your breath, your eyes meeting his in the narrow space between, and for a moment there was no fear, no running, no doubt, just the two of you, here, now, in this place that smelled like hay and sweat and warm earth.

You smiled, a small, sharp thing, as your thumb traced the line of his cheekbone, your voice low, steady, alive with something that had been sleeping inside you for too long.

“Don’t think too hard about it, Rhett.”

And he let out a breath, the corner of his mouth twitching, and he shook his head once, short, almost like a laugh, before he kissed you again, harder this time, his hand splaying across your lower back to pull you in, to remind you he was there, solid and warm and real, and you let yourself lean into him, let yourself kiss him back like you meant it, like you had always meant it, like you would mean it tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

There was nothing gentle about it, and you didn’t want it to be. You wanted to feel it in your bones, to carry it with you when you left this spot, to let it remind you that some things are worth wanting, worth taking, worth keeping, no matter how hard you’d tried to convince yourself otherwise.

—

It was strange how quiet the world felt afterward, how the air seemed softer somehow, as if the wind itself was holding its breath, letting you have this moment undisturbed.

You didn’t pull away, not fully, even after the kiss ended, your lips swollen and warm, your breath a little uneven as you rested your forehead lightly against his collarbone, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, the warmth of him grounding you in a way you hadn’t realized you needed until this exact moment. You let your hand settle against his chest, the rough fabric of his shirt scratching your palm as you traced your thumb in small, absent circles, feeling the hard beat of his heart beneath your hand, steady and strong, like a promise you hadn’t asked for but found yourself accepting anyway.

Rhett’s hand didn’t leave your back, his fingers splayed wide, holding you there, not possessive but certain, like he wasn’t ready to let go, like he wasn’t sure how to step away now that he had let himself touch you, now that he had stopped running from what he felt and had let it spill out into the world, tangible and undeniable, painted across the dust and the morning air and the soft heat lingering between your bodies.

Neither of you spoke for a while, and it didn’t feel like silence so much as it felt like a pause, like the world giving you space to breathe, to find your footing again after the rush of something you had both spent too long pretending wasn’t there. You could hear the rustle of the dry grass in the breeze, the creak of the fence settling under the heat of the rising sun, the distant call of a bird overhead, but mostly you could hear him, the low, steady breaths, the way they caught slightly when your thumb pressed a little harder against his chest, the quiet exhale when you shifted just enough to look up at him, your eyes searching his face, trying to read him in this new light.

His eyes were softer than you had ever seen them, the harsh lines of his brow eased, the tension that always lived in the set of his jaw loosened as he looked at you, his lips parted like he might say something, like he wanted to, but the words caught, tangled up in everything else he hadn’t said, everything you both already knew.

You were the one who spoke first, your voice low, careful, but steady, like you were testing it, letting it carry between you without breaking the fragile warmth hanging in the air.

“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

His breath hitched, a small, almost disbelieving smile ghosting across his lips, and he let out a sound that was part laugh, part sigh, before he nodded, once, sharp and certain, his hand tightening slightly against your back as if to anchor himself to the truth of it.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice rough, the word scraping out of him like it cost him something to say, but there was relief in it too, soft and raw. “Yeah, we are.”

You felt the corner of your mouth lift, a small, honest smile, your thumb brushing over his shirt as you let your forehead rest against his again, your eyes closing for a moment, letting yourself sink into the warmth of him, into the reality of this moment you had both been dancing around for far too long.

“Took you long enough,” you murmured, the words teasing but gentle, the kind of soft laughter you hadn’t let yourself share with him before, the kind that tasted like relief and hope.

“Don’t,” he muttered, but there was no real heat in it, and you felt the way his chest shook under your hand when he let out a low laugh, the sound rumbling through you in a way that made your heart clench, made you want to pull him closer, made you want to keep him laughing just to hear it again.

You lifted your head, your eyes meeting his, letting the smile linger as you studied him in the morning light, the way it caught on the dark of his hair, the curve of his jaw, the softness around his eyes as he looked back at you like he wasn’t quite sure how you were real.

“I’m not going to break, Rhett,” you said softly, your thumb brushing against the side of his neck where his pulse beat fast and strong beneath your touch, reminding both of you that you were here, that this was real.

His eyes flickered, dark and uncertain, before they softened again, his hand lifting to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering there, brushing lightly against your skin like he was memorizing the feel of you under his touch.

“I know,” he said, the words low, steady, carrying a weight you felt settle in your chest, heavy but not unwelcome. “I just… I don’t want to hurt you.”

You let out a quiet breath, your hand dropping from his chest to catch his wrist, pulling his hand from your face only to hold it between yours, your thumb brushing over the roughness of his knuckles, the small cuts and bruises from the fight, your eyes meeting his with a clarity you hadn’t felt in a long time.

“You won’t,” you said, your voice sure, your gaze steady, and you saw the way his eyes widened slightly, the way he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He nodded, once, like he was accepting it, like he was letting himself believe it, and you stepped closer, your bodies pressed together in the quiet morning, the heat of him sinking into you as you rested your cheek against his chest, letting your eyes close as you listened to the steady rhythm of his heart, the warmth of his hand as it settled against the back of your neck, holding you there, holding himself there, in this moment you had both chosen, finally, without fear.

You didn’t need to talk about what came next, not yet, because there was time now, time to figure it out, time to learn what it meant to stay, to want, to keep, and you felt the way his thumb brushed lightly against the back of your neck, the quiet way he let out a breath, his head dropping to rest against the top of yours as he held you, and it was enough.

For now, it was enough.

—

That evening you had parted quietly, the weight of what you’d shared still humming under your skin, and when you woke the next day, you moved through your morning with a soft, uncertain lightness, your chest tight with the newness of letting yourself want something without apology.

The next morning came with a quiet you hadn’t felt in a long time, the kind that settled in your bones, warm and calm, as you moved around your classroom, sliding books into cubbies, checking the small plants on the windowsill, letting the morning light fill the room with soft gold as you tried to keep your hands from shaking.

You heard the knock on the door before you saw him, and when you turned, there he was, standing in the doorway with a cup of coffee in one hand, a small clay pot in the other, a tiny green sprout poking out of the dirt, and something about the way he held it, awkward and unsure, made your chest tighten, made your lips twitch into a smile you couldn’t hide.

“For your desk,” he said, clearing his throat, his eyes darting around the room before settling on yours, holding there, soft but steady.

You took the plant from him, letting your fingers brush against his, warm and calloused, and you set it on your desk, turning back to him with a small, real smile that felt like it reached all the way into your chest.

“You’re impossible,” you said, your voice light but your eyes soft, your fingers reaching for the coffee, your thumb brushing against his knuckles as you took it from him.

“Yeah,” he said, his lips twitching, a breath of a laugh leaving him as he scratched at the back of his neck, a flush rising on his cheeks. “But you still want me?”

You didn’t answer with words.

You set the coffee down, stepped closer, letting your fingers hook into the collar of his shirt, pulling him down to you, your lips finding his in a soft, quiet kiss that wasn’t rushed, wasn’t desperate, just was, and when you pulled back, you let your forehead rest against his, your eyes closing as you let out a soft breath, the world beyond the classroom door falling away for a moment.

“Yeah,” you whispered, letting the word hang in the quiet, letting it fill the space between you.

And it wasn’t everything, but it was Rhett's, and that was enough to start.

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