#(he has a last name now and i gotta go back and edit all the tags)

[starrysharks]

refining the artstyle, more details... this is basically the exact artstyle that i plan to use for the game art itself

[ahgasegotarmy116]

Want Some Help? | Jeon Jungkook One Shot

Summary: When your boyfriend can't seem to satisfy you anymore your roommate decides to lend a helping hand. Pairing: f!reader x Jungkook (crackhead roommate energy) Word Count: 4.7k (got a little carried away but when don't I 😂) Warnings: Explicit language, smut and cheating. He spits in her mouth at the end lol and hella pet names. Aight that's all you're getting lol gotta read the rest to find out. a/n: This is the last thing I'll be posting before I go on a little hiatus. I'll make a post in a couple of days to explain but I'll let this circulate a bit before I do. I hope you enjoy it! (barely edited lol) Requested by a lovely anon 💜

The sounds in my room are obscene to say the least, more from Brian's side than mine today though. I don't know what it is but something about him isn't doing it for me anymore. Is it the fact that I have a new Adonis for a roommate? Perhaps, but Brian's need to overcompensate for it makes situations like these even more awkward than they need to be. 

"You like that?" he asks, him being so close to cumming with me barely working my way up to it. "Yeah" I respond breathily, trying my best to play the part so this can hopefully be over sooner rather than later. "Fuck" he groans at the sight and sound of my little gasp when he just barely hits that spot but I know he won't be able to figure out how to do it again. 

Brian isn't a selfish lover but the dynamic between us has changed ever since Jungkook moved in... 

He hasn't been as focused on me which now that I think about it is pretty damn selfish. I'm just making excuses for him at this point. He's more focused on his ego and playing it up for my roommate than he is into loving his girlfriend. I don't know how much longer I can be in this relationship if he keeps acting like this. 

"Shit I'm close, are you?" he asks and I nod my head furiously, thanking whoever might've been listening to my plea and seconds later he's cumming inside the condom and I do my best to copy the moan that I let out when he's actually done a good job at satisfying me and it seems to be convincing enough since he's giving me that cocky grin before he kisses me again. 

"You wanna shower?" he asks and I shake my head, "You go ahead, I'll shower later. Plus, didn't you say you had work early tomorrow morning? I'll let you get cleaned up in peace so you can head out" I say and he nods his head before going to the bathroom and throwing me a towel before closing the door and turning on the shower. 

Luckily he didn't try to clean me up because there's definetly not much to clean since I didn't cum.

Once I'm finished and I've made myself somewhat presentable I put on my robe and head out into the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water. "Have fun?" my roommate says from the living room couch as I pass by on my way to the kitchen. "Shit Jungkook you scared me" I say, holding my hand to my chest. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Have a good time tonight?" he asks again, his eyes dragging up and down my form, lingering on my chest and when I look down I see that my nipples are very visible unbeknownst to me since I hadn't cared to think about the fact that Jungkook might've come home. 

I wrap my robe tighter around me and cross my arms as I head into the kitchen. "Yes I did thank you very much. Did you?" I spit out quickly, hoping to avoid talking about my sex life with him. "It was alright. I had a long week so I decided to turn in early but um..." he trails off as he watches Brian walk down the hallway and into the kitchen, giving Jungkook a stern look before coming over to talk to me. 

"You alright?" he asks before placing a way too intimate kiss on my lips in front of Jungkook who I see has turned his head back to the TV and isn't bothering to pay attention to the game Brian is trying to play with him. "Yeah I'm fine. Are you heading out?" I ask, very hopeful that this visit will come to an end and thankfully luck is on my side this time. 

"Yeah I gotta get going but I'll come over again soon" he says, looking over at Jungkook before giving me one last kiss and heading towards the door to put on his shoes. "Text me when you get home!" I say and he winks at me before walking out leaving me rolling my eyes once the door is shut. 

I slump against the counter, glad it's finally over and when I look back over at Jungkook he's not too interested in whatever he has playing on the TV anymore, his focus solely on me. 

"What?" I ask him, brows scrunched together and trying to figure out what his deal is. "Why'd you fake it?" he asks and I choke on my spit, caught off guard by the unfiltered question. "Excuse me?" I ask, scandalized that he had been listening enough to even catch onto something like that. 

"You probably wanted it to be over huh?" he asks, assuming what the answer was and unfortunately that was the case but I'm not letting him have the satisfaction of being right. "I don't know what you're talking about" I say, turning on the sink to fill up my cup again but before I can even pull it out from under the tap he's taking it out of my hand. 

"Hey!" I call out, trying to grab it but he holds it just out of reach. "Can't keep you satisfied anymore?" he asks raising a brow at me, a smug look on his face since it seems he can read me like a book based off of my body language alone. "He keeps me very satisfied thank you very much, not that it's any of your business" I say and reach for my cup which he thankfully relinquishes. 

"I know you're lying" he say and I cock a brow at him, not knowing how he could possibly know the truth. "Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" I press, placing the cup on the counter and crossing my arms over my chest, forgetting the fact that I'm completely naked under this and giving him a better view of my cleavage. 

"You're not very quiet when you do it by yourself you know. What do you use? A dildo? One of those little roses? Maybe both?" he questions leaning in closer to me and making my eyes bug out of my head. "How did yo-" "These walls are paper thin doll, so believe me when I say that I can hear every little thing you do to yourself in there. But please, don't stop. I would hate to be deprived of that pretty little voice of yours even though it is quite distracting sometimes" he says, grabbing my cup and holding it between us as a clear invitation to leave if I so desire. 

I take it and rush back to my room, slamming the door behind me and I can hear him chuckle from the kitchen. Fuck he really wasn't kidding when he said these walls are thin.

I flop down onto my bed facedown and scream into my pillow, utterly mortified that he's heard me ever since he got here. I need to wear a muzzle at this rate  since there's no way I'm stopping just for his sake. A girl's got needs and if Brian isn't going to fulfill them then I've gotta do it myself. 

I get up off my bed after I finish my little temper tantrum and change the sheets before taking my robe off and jumping in the shower to hopefully wash off all of Brian's scent. I can't stand to think about him anymore especially after what Jungkook said about him...

After finishing up my shower and drying off my hair I reach into my drawer to get my tried and true rose bud to help me out tonight. Yes he guessed right but I'll be damned if I ever let him see it.

I lay down and try to turn it on and after I've used it for a minute or two it just shuts off. "Fuck" I groan out, forgetting the fact that I had forgotten to grab new batteries for it. The TV remote has the same size batteries right? It's worth a shot to go check since I'm pretty sure he's gone to bed already. 

Walking out to the living room in my robe again I'm met with Jungkook still sitting on the couch watching the same thing he had been when I first came out here. 

I try to turn back around once I've seen him but he stops me by asking me if I needed something. "I just wanted to borrow the batteries from the remote but you're still using it so no worries" I say and try to leave but he stops me again. "I'm pretty sure I bought a new pack of batteries not too long ago" he says and I sheepishly admit I used the last of them. 

"Oh okay well here, I can just finish this up on my laptop" he says while taking the batteries out and putting them in my hand, giving me the source of my pleasure for tonight. "T-thanks" I stutter and close my finger around them as if they would disappear if I let them go. "Is everything okay?" he asks and I nod my head while walking down the hallway, not knowing that he's hot on my heels. 

"What do you need the batteries for?" he asks as we're a few feet away from my door making me jump. "Didn't know I was behind you?" he chuckles and I glare at him, hoping that'll make him back off but it does the exact opposite, causing him to smirk and glance around my room and soon notices the rosebud that I stupidly left in the middle of my bed. 

"I was right" he smirks leaving me groaning and rolling my eyes as I storm into my room, not bothering to close the door since I know he's not going to leave me alone anytime soon. 

"What? You know I'm just teasing you. You're free to do as you please doll, I'm not gonna stop you. I was even nice and paused my movie so you can have your fun too" he says, leaning against my doorframe and since he's being shameless I will too, deciding to switch the batteries out and turn it on to check but unfortunately it does the same thing and dies less than thirty seconds after I turn it on.

"Shit" I curse under my breath and he stifles his laughter by covering his mouth. "Yeah yeah laugh it up. You're just lucky all you need is your right hand to get off. Can you just leave me alone?" I ask, laying back down on my bed, exacerbated and ready to call it a night since the odds have flipped again. My good luck for the night being Brian's quick departure. 

I don't pay attention to how high my robe has ridden and it seems as though one of my legs has slipped through the gap giving him a full view of my upper thigh and hip, one wrong move leaving me exposed to him. 

He gulps but I don't bother to notice and only do when he clears his throat. "What do you want?" I say, throwing my arm over my face trying to hide the shame that all of this has caused me but fail miserably. "Want some help?" he asks and I sit up right away at his words, "What?" I ask, my reaction as dramatic as if he had grown two heads. 

"Do you want some help? I can get you off real quick if you'd like? It'll be like one roomie helping the other" he offers as causally as if he had asked to borrow five bucks. "You're joking, right?" I scoff but it seems as he very well is not as he take a step into my room and he watches for signs for protest but I give him none. 

"Not really no. I'm simply offering to help a friend in need. That's what we are right? Friends?" he questions as he takes a step closer. 

He calls out my name when I've stayed silent for a while, not being able to take my eyes off him even if I tried. As long as he stays in this room he's got my attention. "R-right, friends" I respond and he takes a seat on my bed, a respectful distance away but it feels as if he was already on top of me. 

"But Brian-" "Doesn't need to know" he says, cutting me off and making it harder and harder for me to say no. He scoots closer to me and takes the rosebud out of my hands, unbothered by what it's used for and simply places it on the nightstand next to me. "It's your move" he says, leaning closer to me, his breath fanning my face and I look at his eyes, mine going back and forth before his look down at my lips. 

"Tell me to stop" he says, making things easier for me but when he's mere millimeters away I lean in. 

It's soft and sweet at first, our lips connecting and breaking a few times, still giving me an opening to pull away and say stop but after a few more kisses like that he deepens the kiss. While keeping our lips locked for longer he angles his head a bit more, his tongue now in my mouth and soon he beckons me to do the same and I do which gives him even more of a green light. 

He places his hand on my cheek and angles me just right before he switches up and presses down on my shoulder a little and leans in closer as a silent plea for me to lay down. 

I crawl back on the bed instead and he follow as I lay down on the pillows with him hovering over me. "Fuck been thinking about this view for a long time" he admits and before I can say anything in response his lips are already on mine again.

"Can I take this off?" he asks, toying with the tie that is seconds from coming undone of it's own accord. "Yeah" I say, adrenaline pumping through my veins at the thought of doing this, of cheating with my roommate who is someone I won't be able to run away from after this.

He pulls the belt and in one smooth motion it's undone.

The way he looks at me as he takes both sides of the robe off of my body is a sight that could make me cum untouched if given the chance. Watching his eyes darken up as they roam all over my body until he's tracing them back up to mine where it's as if a whole new man is hovering over me, one that looks so insatiable and ready to break me at any moment. 

"Fuck you're so pretty" he say, leaning back down to kiss me but soon trails his lips down my neck and to the valley between my breast. He settles on kissing one of them and slowly brings his lips closer to my nipple where he looks up at me for permission which I give right away. He smirks and puts his thumb and pointer fingers into his mouth making them wet. He places them on the opposite one twisting and toying with it before he places his mouth on the one in front of him. 

Once his lips make contact my fingers immediately lace through his hair, needing to ground myself with something and he hums around in in approval when I tug on it a bit. 

"You sensitive here doll?" he asks when he lets go of it, the cool air causing a chill when it hits my damp skin, him having made a mess of it from his clear desire to do this. I let out a whimper in response and he nips at it before switching to my other breast to give it the same time and attention he gave the first.

My hips start to buck up after a couple more seconds of him switching between my breasts and lips when he hears those pretty voices he had talked about before, wanting to taste them on his tongue this time. 

"Someone's eager" he says against my lips but I turn my face to the side leaving him kissing the column of my neck until I'm squirming about leaving him smiling against my skin. 

"Does my doll want more?" he asks and I whimper in response, not being able to bring myself to utter words of confirmation when I have a man like him already causing me so much pleasure, but it's not enough. 

I need more.

"Jungkook please" I breathe out, done with this teasing and so worked up already from not gaining release earlier. "Please what?" he asks trailing his lips back up to mine and kissing them one last time before pulling back and waiting for my answer. "Please help me cum" I plead, wanting what he had promised me earlier. 

He chuckles dryly and places a kiss on the corner or my mouth before responding. "Here I am taking my time with you but you still only want one thing. Don't you like it when I play with you like this?" he asks, trailing middle finger down my torso until he's come in contact with my clit, sliding further down past it and checking to see what my true physical reactions have been to his ministrations. 

"Seems like you do" he says, circling around my entrance with that same finger when he feels how wet I am. "This all for me?" he asks and close my eyes once he's dipped one of his fingers in while using his thumb to draw circles around my clit but once my breathing picks up a bit everything stops. 

"What?" I pant, confused as to why he would stop. "I asked you a question. Is this all for me y/n?" he rasps, looking down at where his fingers had once been and cursing when he notices how wet they are. "Y-yes, all for you" I choke out and he leans in as if he was going to kiss me but stops before I can even brush my lips against his. 

"Can you say my name princess?" he whispers, posed as a question but we both know the only way this continues is if I comply. "Jungkook" I whisper out, his name now tasting different on my tongue. It's almost if I have to put more effort into pronouncing each letter, my throat suddenly running dry. 

"Louder doll. It's the least you can do to help me forget how you've moaned his name in here time and time again. Probably another sad excuse of an act to fake your high" he says, going back to playing with my center, his finger going in and out at a faster rate now before easing his way into putting in a second one. 

"Fuck Jungkook" I groan, this time a little louder than before that grants me a kiss on my neck, his motives to stay away from my lips being to hear all of my reactions to what he's doing to me. Wanting to discover new sounds and reactions that sound more genuine and are ones that I can't even hope to hold back with the pleasure he's giving me.

"That's it, keep going. Want your voice to be the thing I remember most about this, hear it over and over again, ingrained in my memory. That way when I forget how you taste it'll be something that I'll still be able to come back to. Hearing how I make you feel, not yourself and definetly not your sorry excuse of a boyfriend, me. Let me hear how I make you feel" he rasps in my ear making me shiver and arch my back off the mattress. 

"Jungkook please, please" I beg, my ego gone, the only thoughts in my head being him and how incredible it'll feel once he's made me cum. "Just like that doll, scream my name if you need to, I don't mind" his calm cool and collected tone of voice driving me mad. How can he be whispering these things in my ear and taunting me like this while I'm a complete mess under him, barely being able to breathe let alone think straight. 

I pulse around his fingers and he can tell that I'm close when I let out a moan after he hits a certain spot, hitting it over and over again, knowing that that's going to be the thing that'll make me come undone. 

He leans back and looks down at me, his flushed cheeks and swollen lips make me insane, his calm and cool façade in my mind broken when I see the way he's watching me. Taking in every gasp, every moan, every whimper of his name and it makes him want to try even harder to get me to that high, needing to see what I look like when I cum.

"Just like that doll, you're doing so well, sound so pretty" he murmurs and with a few more words of encouragement I'm coming undone. When I try to look away he grabs my chin and makes me keep eye contact, making everything seem even more intense. 

Once the rising and falling of my chest has slowed down and his playful fingers inside me gain him whines of overstimulation he finally takes them out. 

I expect him to get up and wash his hands but instead places them in his mouth, moaning once my taste hits his tongue leaving me swallowing dryly, needing that glass of water now. 

"Open your mouth" he says after he takes his fingers out and I comply curiously, doing as he asks and the next moment I feel him spitting in my mouth before smashing his lips on mine one last time. 

After kissing me senseless and exhaustion flooding my system my kisses become sloppy and he laughs against my lips before finally pulling back. "Where are you going?" I ask and he laughs again at my groggy state. “I'm going to go get a towel to clean you up" he says and I sit up quickly, my mind slowly clearing up. 

"Wait, what about you?" I ask, taking note of the tent in his pants but he simply chuckles and brings back a warm towel just like he said.

I had expected the same treatment Brian gave me today but when I try to reach for it he pulls back. "No you lay down, you're still out of it" he says, trying to be serious but also satisfied that he only had to use his fingers put me in this state. 

After he finishes cleaning me up he gets up and throws the towel in the laundry basket and comes back to sit on the bed next to me, cupping my face and studying my features. "You okay?" he asks, clearly sensing regret already. 

"Yeah I'm fine. I just never thought I would do something like this" I admit and he mouths a quiet 'Oh' and takes his hand off me but I grab it before he can get too far. "I'm sorry I'm just confused and clearly not thinking straight" I say, trying to backtrack knowing that I've hurt him by saying that. 

"Thank you for doing this for me" I say timidly and he laughs. "What?" I ask, clearly not understanding what about this situation is funny. 

"I'm sorry" he says, his laughing soon dying down and I wait in silence until he's finally composed himself. "I'm sorry it's just that it’s not everyday that your hot roommate thanks you for finger fucking them" he chuckles and my cheeks heat up, thoroughly embarrassed now that he's put it like that.

I reach behind me and grab a pillow and throw it at his face which makes him laugh even more. "Jungkook stop this isn't funny" I whine and he stops a couple minutes later. "Alright alright I'm sorry, you were just getting way too serious about it" he explains and wipes away a fake tear. 

"This is serious! I just cheated on my boyfriend with you" I exclaim and he shakes his head, placing the pillow I threw at him out of my reach and sighs before responding. "You and I both know that you've been ready to end that relationship for a while now" he says and I open my mouth but the words die in my throat.

"That's what I thought" he says and we sit there in silence for a moment while I pull the sheet over me. "Just break up with him already, I can clearly see that you're miserable" he points out and I hate that he's right. 

"Why do you care? Should I break up with him so I can mess around with you?" I ask and he shrugs his shoulders. "We can do that if you want to, but from a friend's point of view I think your life is so much better without him" he says and I sigh, knowing again that he's right, telling me the things that I've thought about over and over again but just never did anything about. 

"I'll talk to him" I say and he nods his head. "Good because with the number I did on your neck he's definetly gonna know that something went down" he laughs and my eyes go wide, forgetting to tell him to not leave any marks but I know I'm fucked. 

"Here" he says, grabbing the hand mirror I have on my dresser and I know from one glance that hoodies and turtlenecks will be my new signature look until this all clears up.

"Jungkook" I growl and he giggles, never taking my scolding tone seriously. "What? Don't act like you didn't like it" he chuckles and I sit up, grabbing that pillow and throwing it at him again. "I hate you" I huff but he laughs again before placing a knee on my bed and making it dip under his weight. 

My breath hitches as he inches closer and I can't do anything but lay down, slowly trying to run away from his lips in my mind but falling back into that same position we had been in for who knows how long.

Once I'm flat on my back and he's hovering over me again I swallow as best as I can, making him let out a dry chuckle. "Wanna run that one by me again doll?" he asks, cocking a brow at me and I press my thighs together, hating myself for doing it but needing some sort of something to keep me sane but it's of no use.

He leans in closer and I hold my breath, not knowing what he's doing or where this is going but when I close my eyes I’m granted with that same chuckle again. 

"Goodnight princess" he says against my lips, his weight gone off my bed seconds later leaving me sitting up in process. "Wha-" "My pretty doll needs to figure out who she wants to play with if she wants more" he taunts and I cross my arms and pout a little, hoping that'll get him to come back. 

"Aw don't be like that. After all the work I put in to help you feel good. I thought you would've been more grateful, not greedy" he taunts and I roll my eye before uttering a quiet 'Goodnight'. "Thanks for giving me material to help me fix this" he says, looking down at the very clear outline of his hard on and I swallow again, intimidated from finally being able to see his full size. 

"I promise, if you make up your mind...I'll make it fit" he teases and winks at me granting him a scowl in response. He grabs the door handle at the same time I grab the pillow and throw it which he blocks by closing the door. "Goodnight doll" he says one last time and shuts it behind him. 

I spend the rest of my night willing myself to sleep and when I finally start to doze off I start hearing Jungkook's soft moans and grunts leaving me wide awake again. Now I really know he wasn't lying...

Taglist: @jkslipppiercing @trina864 @kaitieskidmore97 @goddesofimortality @coolbluedude @coralmusicblaze @whoa-jo @00frenchfries00 @pastelpinkjoon @joonwater @hehurst23 @ye0nvibezzn @olimpiiaa @hrtsj1m @bangtans-momma Rest of the tags continued in the reblogs 💜

Join my Taglist!

Feel free to fill out the form or just comment on any of my fics to be added :)

[2neaky]

𓇼°₊.𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 ❀ 𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝 🥭

—Want you to suck it sloppy, make it spitty. I'm 'bout to call your phone, so come get with me.

Know you don't drink, can you sip me?

‘Dunk Contest,’ Cash Cobain

Last Installation of this ‘mini-series’ … P.1 here -> P.2 here

not the best editing, i know. this fic has been in the drafts for abt a month & ... it's time for their story to be closed out.

10.06k!Warnings: oral (masc. receiving), handj*bs (fem. & masc. recieving), mutual m*sturbation, filthy talk, *verstimulation, low refr*ctory periods, technically w*tersports (minor), edging, excessive amounts of ej*culation, squ*rting, descriptions of character’s body parts (curvaceous/thick/girthy), use of the n-word (all characters & the writer are Black), original characters

The next time the group gets together it’s well into the fall. 

Months of distance and busy schedules kept the friends separate. Yet, on a random weekend in October, the stars aligned to grant the friends a day of freedom to meet and catch up.

He won’t admit it aloud—that’s a bit too corny for him—but Ajani missed his people. The life of a working adult only gives but so much time for social gatherings. Especially with a whole friend-group.

Even then, it’s not like he hasn’t seen any of them since the party.

“I’on understand why you couldn’t just ride with me.”

“All my stuff is at my mom’s, ‘Jani.”

If he just closes his eyes, he can see the pout on her face. He glances at the screen, eyeing the contact name: Princxss Dia.

“Really? ‘Cause I almost tripped over your flat iron when I was getting in the shower.”

She groans out loud into the mic. “I knew I left it!”

He smiles, eyes now on the road as he makes a swift turn onto a busy street. 

“Fuck,” he mumbles upon seeing the traffic.

“But if I came with you … then they’d know.”

He kisses his teeth, face screwing up. “Man, I care less and less ‘bout that shit every day. I’m pretty sure they know—“

“‘Pretty sure’ is not a confirmation. And I wanna make sure the time is right when we tell them.”

He spots a parking space in front of the restaurant Boku had chosen for the night. No doubt, he’s going to snatch that shit up.

“Why shit gotta be ‘perfect?’” he asks, looking at his rear view camera as he backs into the space.

“I don’t know,” she mumbles. He can hear her moving around on the other side of the line. “I’m trying to … figure out a way to introduce it without … making everything weird,” she sighs out.

“How ‘bout, ‘hey guys, me and Ajani have been dating for a few months now,’” he mocks her voice.

“No.”

He sucks his teeth. “Why not?”

“That’s too blunt!”

“Exactly. What more is there to say? You wanna tell them the whole backstory? ‘Cause I’on really think they need to know that.”

“I’m not saying they do. I just think we need to … soften the approach.”

He puts his car in park before shutting it off, the engine dying down. “I’on know … what approach you talking ‘bout, but when you ready to stop hiding, you lemme know so I could book my appointment.”

“Appointment?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you? I wanted to get your name tatted on my forehead.”

“ … Shut up.”

He laughs quietly to himself as he pulls down his sun visor. “You almost ready,” he asks, checking his appearance in the mirror.

It’s quiet for a couple of seconds. “No.”

His smile drops and he kisses his teeth. A second passes as he glares at the phone. Then, he picks it up. “Yo, answer my FaceTime.”

The mode of the call switches, bringing both of them into view on either’s screen. He licks his lips, getting a clear view of her pretty face as her phone is propped up against her vanity.

“Why you only got your makeup done?”

She frowns, setting powder decorating her face. “Because I did my hair first. It’s hair, makeup, then clothes.”

He only releases a sigh, unable to even be really upset.

“Aight, then hurry up. I told you we gonna have to work on that late shit.”

She smiles, reaching for a brush to dust off the powder. “Sorry, baby.”

He hums, eyeing her as he holds his phone closely. “You look good.”

She exchanges her brush for a lip pencil. “Thank you.” She tries not to smile too hard, careful not to mess up as she applies her liner.

“What you wearing?”

She blends out the harsh line of her dark brown liner with a finger. “A dress.”

He waits for her to explain further, but the explanation doesn’t come. “That’s it?”

“Mhm.” She quickly glances at the screen, looking away before she cracks a smile.

“Can I see it?”

“Nope.”

Now she’s smiling, a devious little one, too.

“Yeah, okay,” he scoffs. “You just make sure it’s no crazy ass shit. You know how Big Daddy gets.”

Her head jerks back as she looks at the screen, flabbergasted. “Don’t ever in your life … call yourself that again.”

“You just make sure you know,” he pushes before breaking into a smile, almost laughing. “But nah, forreal. That ass ain’t been getting smaller so … keep it cute.”

She rolls her eyes with pursed lips. “Shut up.”

He scoffs, looking out the window of his car. “Yeah … you think I’m joking.” He scoffs.

“Are you?”

He looks back at her, noting her nonchalance as she applies gloss over her lip combo.

“Play with me if you want to.” He licks his lips. His gaze falls to the exposed middle of her chest as her robe has slipped open. “I’on need niggas eyeing my shit.”

“Okay, Ajani.”

“Nah, it’s not Ajani,” he mocks her voice, earning a glare. “That’s Big Daddy to you—“

“I’m hanging up!”

She reaches forward, snatching up her phone.

“Don’t you wear nothing crazy!”

“Bye!”

The call ends abruptly, leaving him to shake his head. Not too long after pocketing his phone, he leaves the car. 

The only thing that’s on his mind being her.

Just before he enters the restaurant, he shoots her one last text.

Jani: lmk when u ready Ima call a uber

His face almost splits in half with how hard he smiles as he daps up his boys.

“Finally, nigga! We expected your ass to be here sooner,” Boku tells him.

“Chill, it was mad traffic,” he laughs. 

“Nah, facts. It’s mad people out tonight,” Mykel says.

The three are huddled close in the waiting area of the restaurant. All of the constant shifting to make way for entering and leaving patrons has pushed them to the corner.

“Forreal. Yo, why you pick this place?” Ajani looks to Boku. “I seen this shit blow up on TikTok.”

“Nigga, that’s where I got it from.”

All three dissolve into boisterous laughter, because Boku would be the one to make such a mistake.

Mykel shakes his head. “I’m already knowing the food and service ‘bout to be ass.”

“Nah, facts,” Ajani agrees.

“Aight, now. Not too much,” Boku chimes in. “‘Long as the drinks good, I could give less of a fuck about what they onion rings taste like.”

He and Mykel break off into a mini side conversation of their own, a usual occurrence between all three of them.

As they do so, Ajani pulls out his phone to check his notifications. Even though he doesn’t see one, he constantly refreshes the screen for a possible hidden text message that he just happened to miss.

None.

“‘Jani, you know where the girls at?”

Hesitantly, he looks up at the guys. “Nah,” he shakes his head, face blank. “Why would I know?” He makes a face.

“I’on know,” Mykel looks off to the side. “I thought Diamanté would’a told you something.”

“Why it gotta be Dia?”

“Nigga, don’t act dumb,” Boku butts in. “‘Cause y’all be talking.”

“I talk to Aleya and Sevyn, too.” When he laughs—the loud music masking its awkward tone—his eyes shift between his friends. 

“Not like you talk to Dia,” he scoffs. “That’s for damn sure.”

Sucking his teeth, Ajani wear a mask of confusion. “Nigga, shut up. You still on that shit—“

“‘Cause I know your ass still likes her!”

“Yo, I’m not even gonna lie,” Mykel starts. “I’ma have to side with Bo’ on this one. You might as well tell her at this point.”

His face contorts with annoyance. 

Nigga, shut up.

“That’s if he not already fucking her,” Boku laughs.

His brows pull together at Boku’s brash statement. “Yo, what?” 

Mykel rolls his lips inward, watching the two with caution. He questions, should he step in between this?

“Nah, I’m just saying! You’on gotta be embarrassed—”

“I ain’t embarrassed, nigga. There’s not shit to say, fuck I’ma be embarrassed for?”

Boku laughs, glancing at Mykel for backup. The other man remains quiet.

“Aight, then stand on it! Just say you fuckin’ her—“

Ajani doesn’t even realize that he takes a step forward. “Yo, shut the fuck up talking ‘bout her like that—“

“Alright, chill out now.” Mykel steps between them, placing a hand in front of Ajani to keep him back. 

Boku pulls his brows together. “Yo, wassup with you?”

“Ain’t shit up with nothing, you just make sure you keep shit respectful.” The scowl on his lips only deepens.

Boku raises his hands in defense. “My fault, bro. I wasn’t tryna offend—”

“Yeah, that’s ’cause you just open your mouth to say bullshit.” Ajani backs up the more Mykel pushes against him. “Like she not your fuckin’ friend, too, my nigga. What?”

“You good, bro. You good,” Mykel tells him. “Relax.”

“Just fuckin’ talkin’,” he rambles.

Before he can acknowledge the apology, his phone buzzes in his hand. Fully stepping away from them, Ajani checks his messages.

Princxss Dia: I’m ready

He wastes no time to order Diamanté’s Uber ride. 

With the distance between them and the Lou music playing overhead, it’s hard for him to hear. He knows Mykel and Boku are talking about him.

He refrains from even thinking much about it, though. Because just talking to Diamanté is putting him in a better mood.

Jani: its coming in 5 min

*screenshot of the Uber order*

Princxss Dia: tyy daddy🤗

Jani: 🙄

Princxss Dia: 💀

Jani: send me a picture

I wanna c u

Princxss Dia: it’s gonna ruin the surprise

Jani: surprise 

🤨

Princxss Dia: 💀

Jani: stop playing Dia

read

Thankfully, Aleya and Sevyn arrive not too long after. Their presences lighten the atmosphere considerably. 

Especially when Sevyn and Boku fall into conversation—a playful argument as usual about some dumb shit.

“Oh my God, I miss Dia’,” Aleya pouts. “Where is she?” She does a full-body turn, looking to Ajani.

Boku keeps quiet this time.

The question garners attention from the others within the group, who are now curious of his answer.

He kisses his teeth. “Why yall not asking her? Damn, what the fuck?”

Sevyn’s face screws up as her neck jerks back. “Nigga, calm the fuck down.”

“Right,” Aleya eyes him as her lips twist into an ugly scowl. “I just thought you’d know since y’all seem to be close.”

Sevyn hums in agreement. “Real close.”

Now, he’s making a face. “What that mea—“

“Hi guys!”

The much softer voice breaks the conversation, catching everyone’s attention. 

Walking towards them, Diamanté’s bright smile lights up the dimly lit space. 

Her straightened, black hair flows down her back. Being pulled back, it leaves her entire outfit exposed: a simple black Skims dress, flowing to her ankles.

The classy, white Hermes slides on her feet show off her white French toes. A small white crossbody purse ties the dress with the shoes.

Yeah, she’s cute and all—Ajani would never deny her that. But even underneath the restaurant’s dim, multicolored lighting, he can see every detail of her body “hiding” beneath the thin, ribbed fabric.

Down to her fucking belly piercing.

His eyes flick up to look into hers. He’s staring hard.

“Finally!” Aleya screams.

She runs to meet the short woman halfway, throwing her arms around her. Sevyn is right behind her, doing the same.

The women hug each other and their bodies sway like palm trees in the wind. Ajani’s happy for them—Diamanté, at least. It’s been so long since she’s seen them.

However, the happiness is short lived.

Others seem to be enjoying the women’s show happiness, too. Ajani looks over them, catching a small group of guys watching them.

What hint of a smile that was on his face shrinks immediately.

“I missed you guys,” Dia tells them as she pulls back, covering her mouth.

“We need to go out more,” Sevyn says. “‘Cause not seeing each other for this long is fucking ridiculous.”

“I know,” she pouts.

“Girl, you look so fucking good—” A sharp gasp slices through Aleya’s sentence. She reaches out to grab Dia’s arm, pulling her forward to peer down her back. “Girl, your ass!”

Looking too, Sevyn’s mouth drops in shock. “Damn, bitch!” 

Diamanté only laughs as she looks between her friends.

“It looks so fucking big,” Aleya says in awe. She looks over at Sevyn. “No, like deadass. Like it looks bigger.”

“How she get more ass and mine getting flatter?” Sevyn jokes.

“Drop the routine!” Aleya reaches behind Diamanté, grabbing a good handful of her ass. She sticks out her tongue.

Diamanté only laughs harder.

“Fuck a routine,” Sevyn declares. “Who you been fucking?” The interrogative expression on her face is intense.

“Oh my God,” she says, hand over her mouth as her smile only grows.

“It’s so heavy,” Aleya says in amazement, using both hands to lift her ass. Squeezing tightly, the dimpled skin can be seen through the fabric. “I can’t even hold it all, what the fuck!”

As the girls continue to laugh, Ajani only continues to watch the leering men. 

It takes everything in him not to go towards the women and tell them to stop.

Playfully, Diamanté rolls her eyes. “You guys are chatting.”

“No, girl. Your shit is mad fat, like what the fuck?”

“Okay, okay,” Diamanté says. “Can we sit now?”

Sevyn purses her lips, eyeing her friend. “Mhm. Look at you, you just so tea. Like you come up in here glowing, ass fatter, face card on 10, inches—you just showing out tonight!”

“Facts,” Aleya agrees.

Finally, they return to the other half of the group. Diamanté breaks away from her girls to greet the guys.

“Wassup, Dia,” Mykel gives her a side hug.

“Hey,” she sings.

She pulls away to give Boku the same embrace.

“Hey, Dia.”

“Hi, Boku,” she smiles.

Boku and Ajani make eye contact for a split second. Quickly, Boku looks away just before pulling back.

Ajani doesn’t get the chance to really mug that nigga how he wants to as Diamanté makes her way over to him.

“Hiii,” her voice is much softer.

She’s trying to fight back a smile, he can tell. But, it’s too cute as her teeth slowly come into full display.

The corners of his mouth lift uncontrollably. “Hey.”

Wordlessly, she steps into his embrace, resting her head on his chest. His arms circle around her waist, pulling her body closer.

“Why you ain’t text me when you got here?” 

His chest vibrates with each word. She can even hear the smile in his voice.

“I forgot.”

“Would’a came out and got you.”

She pulls away with a laugh, careful to keep their interaction brief enough so that they don’t get their friends started.

“Damn, Ajani. She wasn’t going nowhere.”

Clearly, that didn’t work.

His smile drops as his eyes flit over to Aleya, who wears a smug grin on her lips.

“Aight, now that all y’all niggas is here, I’ma see if we could check in for the table,” Boku announces.

He parts from the group to make his way to the hostess’ booth.

Conversation between the remaining five is quite mellow. Ajani finds himself standing back, only admiring Diamanté as she speaks.

Even when she’s quiet, he’s paying close attention to her body language and the way she reacts to things said.

“Let’s go,” Boku says as he rejoins the group.

“Thank you, God,” Aleya praises.

“Facts, these heels are killing my feet,” Sevyn complains as she starts after Boku.

As everyone else follows, heading towards the table, Ajani stays behind. Before Diamanté can catch up, he grabs ahold of her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

“Hol’on, ‘cause I didn’t get a proper ‘hello.’”

He pulls her body back in close, missing the feel of her against him. He almost sighs when her soft body presses against his.

Diamanté allows herself to smile as big as she wants to. She angles her head up for a kiss. The gentleman he is, Ajani meets her halfway and presses his lips against hers.

A small peck isn’t enough, as he finds himself going back in for a couple more. And as he does so, he doesn’t resist the urge to reach behind her and cop a feel of her ass himself.

His lips plant mini smooches from her cheek all the way down to her neck. She turns her head to the side, giving him more access.

“You look mad good,” he says into her skin.

His muffled voice tickles her skin, pulling a bubbly giggle out of her. “You told me that already.”

“Aight, and I’m telling you again.” Ajani pulls back just far enough to look her in the eyes. 

Damn, he really meant that shit. It’s almost unbelievable how bad she is. Sometimes he wonders how the fuck he was able to bag her.

“But I also told you not to come outside wearing no shit like this—“

She squeals as he lays a harsh smack to her ass, gripping the fat immediately after.

“Ajani!” She whisper-shouts, eyes wide with shock.

He only bites down on his bottom lip, eyes flitting past her to see the group of men from earlier still in the same spots. 

Except this time, they’re glaring. 

“Told you I ain’t want you showing off my shit like this.”

His other hand cradles her neck, squeezing just enough as he plants another smooch on her lips.

When he pulls back, he sees the inkling of a dazed look in her low eyes. Even from behind those big ass glasses.

“Okay,” she whines softly.

“Mmh.”

She begins to laugh, because she can definitely feel herself slipping into a mood.

“C’mon, before I fuck ya lil’ ass up out here.” His hands fall from her. “Got niggas looking at you all crazy.”

He holds his hand out for her to take. When she does, they make their way over to the table. 

However, before they get close enough, they place some distance between themselves.

Conversation at the table is all smiles and laughter over their platters and drinks.

Speaking of drinks, no one at the table is too good to pass up a bit of alcohol. Not even those who drove here.

“See this? This right here?” Sevyn taps an acrylic nail to the glass of her fruity drink. “I’ma need me some more’a that!”

“Mhm,” Aleya hums, sipping on hers through the straw.

Liquor seems to bring the conversation out of the friends. But, Ajani refrains from specifically addressing Boku. And Diamanté finds herself becoming more and more quiet.

Even with her besties around her, she can’t seem to make herself speak. What can she say, when all of her thoughts are filled with Ajani? Definitely not anything that should be said out-loud. 

At the very least, on a FaceTime call with just the girls.

Hiding behind her lemon drop, she watches him from across the table with low eyes. Every time he smiles, he does so just enough to give a peek at his grillz. 

Fuck, he looks so good. He smells even better. And the way he was choking her up out there, smacking her ass—

No lie, it made her wet. Her clit was thumping for sure. The liquor isn’t helping as it’s bringing up memories.

Like how just a couple of nights ago, she was staying over at his apartment. It was a time. 

Two shots of Don was all it took for her to end up on her tummy, getting dicked down.

He fucked her stupid that night. She almost wished she wasn’t on birth control. But that was just the liquor talking.

Her eyes flutter close as her thighs squeeze together. She has to take a deep breath.

“And Dia’s ass is already off the shits!”

A chorus of laughter sounds throughout the table, knocking her from her thoughts. As she looks around her, she offers a shy smile.

“Y’all some damn lightweights,” Sevyn continues to joke.

“I ain’t—look—I ain’t no fuckin’ lightweight,” Boku shouts, holding his glass up.

“Maaan,” Mykel gives him a look. “You better slow down, nigga.”

More laughter sounds. With the spotlight off of her, Diamanté’s thoughts circle back to Ajani.

And speaking of, he takes a sip of his alcohol to hide his smirk. He’s not oblivious, he could feel her staring this whole time.

Of course, it flatters him. If it’s one thing about Diamanté, it’s that she gets freaky off the liquor. And he can tell what’s running through her mind.

Because he’s thinking about the same thing. He’s just got to hold out for the rest of the night.

Leave it up to Boku to plan some weird ass shit. Who the fuck goes bowling after dinner and drinks?

Shit, at least the place serves drinks. And if Ajani was fucking with him right now, he’d commend him for at least picking a good spot.

The alley is surprisingly busy around this time, for it being almost eleven pm. It’s mostly dark in here, just like the damn restaurant.

Why doesn’t Boku ever pick places with good lighting?

“On my soul, I’m washing y’all niggas,” Aleya swears. She shoves a foot into the rented pair of shoes.

Mykel shakes his head, strapping up his pair. “Here she go.”

“Oh shit … I don’t got not socks, y’all.” The usual rasp in Sevyn’s voice is worse due to the drinks.

“Me neither,” Diamanté says, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she fans herself.

Not only is she just a bit horny, but she’s fucking hot. The only downside to drinking. She only hopes she doesn’t sweat her silk press out.

“There’s a booth that sells them,” Boku says.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ma play. I’ll just watch y’all,” she smiles.

“Ugh! Boringgg,” Aleya groans, throwing her head back.

Sevyn looks to Diamanté. “Okay, well, you could come with me while I buy my socks?”

She nods, prompting her to stand up. 

“Can’t wait to wear them shoes. Fuck these heels, bro.” Sevyn holds on to her shoulder for support.

“Aye, if y’all get lost, call one’a us,” Ajani says. “It’s too many people in here tonight.”

“Sure thing, officer!” Sevyn scoffs.

Ajani gives her a scowl, and Dia gives him a short wave before the two of them are off.

“Damn, that’s a long ass line!” Sevyn scowls seeing the bodies fill the area.

“Oh my gosh,” Diamanté frowns.

“I do not wanna be standing on these fucking heels any longer!”

Kissing her teeth, she reluctantly joins the line, Dia in tow. As they wait, both women are scrolling through their phones trying to pass the time.

But it doesn’t take long for them to get to talking.

“If I ask you this question, you gonna be honest?”

Diamanté peers up from her screen to look at Sevyn. Her brows pull together in question. “Yeah?”

Sevyn eyes her for a moment. “You and Ajani fucking? Like—and be honest. Don’t lie to me girl, I hate that shit.”

A sigh leaves Diamanté. Clicking her phone off, she fully looks her friend in the eyes. “Yeah—“

“I knew it! I fucking knew iiit!” Sevyn jumps up and down on her supposedly aching feet. “Fuck! Since when?”

Trying to keep herself from smiling, she stays quiet.

A gasp. “It was after the party, wasn’t it?”

She nods, her smile growing.

They move up in the line.

“Bitch! I fucking—nah, ‘cause I checked your fucking lo’ and your ass was still there after we all left. Uh-uh, y’all so damn nasty.”

“Okay,” she rolls her eyes. “Don’t say anything about it. I’m still trying to … figure out a way to tell the others.” She frowns to herself.

Sevyn makes a face. “Girl, what you mean? Just drop the tea,” she laughs. “Shit, you could do it in the fucking chat. Matter fact, I don’t even think niggas really give a fuck. We all grown, Dia’. And it’s not like we all didn’t see it coming…”

“Shut up.” She rolls her eyes. “But, I just wanna tell ‘Leya at least, before I really … break the news.”

“Aight, I feel you.” Sevyn looks her over before breaking out into a dirty smile. “So he the reason your ass been getting fatter.”

“Oh my gosh.” She looks away from her, shaking her head.

“That’s fucking crazy. Who the fuck knew he was putting it down like that?”

Just before she can respond, her phone lights up with a message.

Jani: wya

U got lost ?

“Speak’a the fucking devil,” Sevyn says over her shoulder, spotting the message.

“Hush,” Dia laughs, typingout her response. 

“I like how he ain’t even ask about me. So it’s just fuck me, then.”

“What if the ‘y’ means y’all?”

Sevyn rolls her eyes before her face settles. “But, at least he’s crazy about you. That’s all I want for you.”

Diamanté looks up at her friend with a soft smile. “Thank you.”

“Mhm. I seen y’all at the restaurant.”

Her smile drops and her eyes widen just a bit. “Sevyn.”

“What?”

“If you saw why did you ask?”

She smirks. “I just wanted to see if you would lie.”

The shorter woman groans out.

“Yeah, ya lil’ ass is mad freaky, eewww.” She laughs obnoxiously. “Never thought I’d see you get choked up like that. Or him smacking ya shit—”

“Stop, please!” She hides her face in her hands.

“Oh, I just know he told you not to wear that shit,” she cackles. “You in trouble,” she sings. “That nigga had that crazy look in his eyes. Especially when he seen them niggas staring in the restaurant.”

“Are you serious?”

“Mhm,” she nods with crossed arms. “You just make sure you stay on his good side. Before I become an aunty too soon.”

Diamanté shoves her shoulder. “Don’t wish that on me.”

“Oh, bitch, I’m actually wishing that shit and more. You know I always wanted a little niece or nephew—even if ‘Jani’s annoying ass is the father.” She rolls her eyes.

“I rebuke kids,” she laughs. “Hell no.”

“Yeah, okay. If you say that, you better not tell me that y’all be fucking raw.”

Diamanté doesn’t say anything to that.

When the game commences, Diamanté is the only one to sit it out. And she’s having just as good a time as any.

Mykel had ordered wings for the group—lemon pepper and garlic Parmesan. Drinks, too, of course.

She nibbles on a couple of wings, courtesy of Ajani feeding them to her.

He’s had his fair share of extra drinks. And with each sip, he’s caring less and less about hiding shit from their friends.

Speaking of drinks, Dia’s been washing her food down with sips of water and gulps of fruity, alcoholic drinks. And she really should’ve stopped herself. 

Because now she’s got to go to the bathroom.

“Nah, I dead gotta go, too,” Sevyn says.

“I’ma come with y’all.” Aleya gets on her feet.

“Damn, y’all just gonna pause the game like that?” Mykel says, biting into a wing.

“We’ll be back!” Aleya declares.

The women make their way over to the bathrooms, which—unsurprisingly—has a line.

“Fuuuck! All these fucking lines!” Sevyn groans, stomping her foot.

“I know,” Dia says, shifting in her spot as she holds her lower stomach. “I gotta go … so bad,” she huffs.

“I bet you the men’s bathroom not even full like that.”

Sevyn scoffs. “I’m not going to no niggas’ bathroom at a bowling alley. ‘Bouta smell like funky dick and straight piss in there.”

Dia laughs.

“But, shit, since we here…” Sevyn turns to her. “Tell her.”

Aleya looks to Diamanté. 

“Oh, um … Ajani and I—“

“I fucking knew it!”

Sevyn throws her head back in laughter. 

“Y’all could not hide that shit!” Her eyes are wide as she points back at their lane. “When I seen that nigga feeding you them wings, it was certified!”

“Bitch, you don’t even wanna know what I saw,” Sevyn says, clinging to her.

As she and Diamanté catch her up on everything, they inch closer to the bathroom door.

Diamanté tells them about the most recent date they’d been on together. And while it’s an interesting story, Sevyn can’t help but to feel eyes on them.

She turns her head, to see a group of men looking their way. They make eye contact, as it appears that they’re pushing their friend to make a move.

“Oh fuck no.”

Aleya and Diamanté look at her.

“Y’all, is that them niggas from the restaurant?”

They look over at the men, one of them immediately making eye contact with Dia.

“Please don’t tell me they about to come over here,” Aleya scowls. “Ugh, I hate niggas!”

She says it loud enough for them to hear. And yet, one of them is still making their way over.

Sevyn kisses her teeth. “Bruh.”

The guy making his way over has his eyes dead set on Diamanté. His long locs are pulled back into barrel twists and a mature beard sits on the lower half of his face.

His dangling cross earring makes Sevyn scoff. “This corny ass nigga,” she mumbles.

“Wassup,” he greets, only looking at Diamanté.

Rude, she thinks. Her nose wrinkles as the smell of weed fills the space.

“Hello to you, too,” Aleya sasses.

“My bad,” he laughs. “I just wanted to come talk to you,” he nods over at Dia. 

“Okay,” she says quietly.

“You fine as shit, I’m not even gonna cap,” he smiles, showing a gold canine tooth. “Not on no creep-shit, but I seen you at The Palacades and,” he shrugs. “Don’t hurt to try, right?”

“Proceeds to be on some creep-shit,” Sevyn says.

“Right,” Aleya agrees.

The two share a laugh, causing the man to glance at them. He doesn’t let that deter him, though.

“You … saw me there?” Diamanté asks, her face creasing with confusion. 

“Yeah you and that guy.”

Now it’s Aleya’s turn to make a face.

“Hol’up,” Sevyn laughs, shaking her head. 

“Y’know, I just wanted to shoot my shot. Like, you never know. Y’all might not even be serious—“

“Well, they are. And you’re mad weird for asking.” She twists her face up. “What the fuck? Nigga is you cool?”

“Hold on,” he says, turning to Sevyn. “I don’t remember asking about you. So, I don’t know why you tryna get involved.” He’s getting visibly irritated.

“She don’t have to,” Aleya steps in. “If you seen my friend with her nigga, why are you harassing her?”

Worry makes itself evident on Dia’s face. She’s not sure where this conversation is going to go. And she definitely forgot her pepper gel at home.

“‘Cause that corny ass move that nigga tried to do wasn’t shit,” he laughs. “He think smacking ya ass was gonna scare somebody off? I don’t give a fuck about that shit,” he laughs. 

“Okay, no—“ Diamanté starts, but Sevyn is too quick to come to her defense.

“Get the fuck outta here, you weirdo ass nigga. She don’t want you!”

“She said that, though?”

“She ain’t say she wanted you neither,” Aleya says.

“Man, y’all bitches kill me.”

“Bitches?” They all say in unison.

“Yeah. It’s always the ugly ones talking the most shit—“

“Nigga you look like a fucking dog in the face yourself!” Aleya gets to pointing.

And as their voices climb, both sides growing more aggressive, Diamanté finds herself paralyzed with fear.

She is not sober enough for this.

Back at the lane, the guys keep themselves busy. Mykel cheats, taking the girl’s turns for them—and throwing horrendous gutter balls.

Meanwhile, Boku and Ajani are seated, munching on the leftover wings. Well, Ajani doesn’t eat as much as Boku, but he’s got a couple of bites in.

Neither of them address the other. And it’s … annoying. 

Although Ajani is still upset about what was said, it sucks that this is how their first time hanging out in a minute has to be like this.

But he’s not a pussy. And he’s damn sure not speaking first. 

A nudge to his shoulder brings him out of his phone. He looks up, seeing Boku stare at him.

“Yo, I’m sorry ‘bout earlier, bro. I should’ve never said that shit. I just be talking sometimes, you know that. And I be saying the wrong shit.”

“Mmh.”

“And Dia’s my friend. It’s not right’a me to be disrespecting her like that. If you want, shit, I’ll even apologize to her, too.”

Ajani watches him for a moment.

Their silence is broken by a shout from Mykel in the distance, cheering as he scores a strike.

“Nah … you ain’t gotta do that,” he finally says. “I respect the apology. But watch your mouth ‘bout her.”

Boku nods in understanding.

Silence falls over them again as the sounds of the alley machines, the music, people talking, and the arcade games fill the space.

Ajani almost feels himself dissociating again as his tipsy brain thinks. And one thing about him, is that his mouth runs.

Swallowing, he looks away from his friend. “Nah … you was right, though.”

Boku wears a questioning look on his face. “What you mean?”

It takes a second before Ajani finally looks at him. “We fucking with each other.”

He tries to conceal his excitement. But, he just can’t stop himself from dapping him up. 

“My nigga—uh, no disrespect, though.”

Ajani shakes his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Y’all better come play before I do your turns!”

“Nigga, fuck the game! Come over here, Jay got something to say!”

Reluctantly placing the ball back onto the rack, Mykel heads over to them.

“What you got to say?” He takes the last garlic Parmesan wing, earning a glare from Boku.

“Guess,” Boku says.

Mykel turns to Ajani, eyeing him. “You and Dia?”

He nods, earning another smile from their standing friend. “That’s what I’m talking ‘bout,” he laughs. “You asked her?”

“Yeah,” Ajani says, keeping it short. But his smile says everything, as he reminisces on that night.

“When y’all got together?” Boku asks.

He kisses his teeth, feeling the liquor in his system. “Uh … at the party.”

Both men stare at him with wide eyes. 

“Nigga—that’s almost six months!” Boku shouts.

“It’s no way y’all hid that shit for that long,” Mykel laughs.

“Wasn’t my idea,” Ajani says. “She over here, scared to say shit. But me—I’on give a fuck.” He scoffs. “I’a get her shit tatted, she keep fuckin’ with me,” he shakes his head, toying with the ends of a braid.

Boku and Mykel share a look, and a thought—this nigga is drunk.

Before either of them could voice it, however, Sevyn’s raspy ass voice enters their ears.

“Y’all hear that shit?” Mykel asks, twisting and turning to find the source of the voice.

“Why the fuck she yelling?” Boku asks, looking for her, too.

“How they still not back from the bathroom?”

It’s Ajani that spots her first—in a nigga’s face.

“Yo,” he says, sitting up, more alert than ever.

The guys notice, too. And it doesn’t take long for Ajani to get out of his seat. He’s the first to make it over there. And immediately he’s hit with the smell of weed.

“What’s going on?”

He immediately looks to Diamanté, who has discomfort written all over her face.

“Hell no, come get this nigga,” Aleya shout, pointing at the man.

Ajani watches him back up an inch as he raises his hands in defense. As he stares at the guy, he finds him just a tad bit familiar.

“What’s the issue?”

“It’s no issue, bro—“

“Clearly, it is!” Sevyn cuts in. “‘Cause you was throwing that ‘bitch’ word around a lot—“

“Look, I was just tryna get at your friend,” he says, pointing to Diamanté.

Ajani’s brows furrow as he looks between her and the guy.

“She don’t want you,” Aleya screams.

Then it clicks; This guy was apart of that group that caught themselves staring Diamanté down.

“Go back to your fuckin’ group,” Ajani says. “You a fuckin’ cornball,” he spits.

“Bum ass nigga—and he stink!” Aleya points at him.

“Man, get the fuck outta here, she don’t need no other nigga.” 

Ajani steps forward as he speaks, the other man stepping back.

“Aight, my fault—“

“It was. The fuck?” Sevyn says.

Finally, the man walks off, leaving the friends alone once more. The women seem to let out a sigh of release, and Diamanté seems to cling to Ajani’s side.

“That fucking weirdo. Shit just pissed me off I don’t even wanna pee no more.” Sevyn crosses her arms, her anger slow to dissipate.

“No, I’m still gonna use the bathroom,” Aleya scoffs.

“Me too.”

Diamanté’s quiet voice grabs their attentions, especially Ajani’s.

His brows furrow. “Nah, you could use the bathroom home.”

Her eyes widen. “What?”

“Yeah, fuck all this shit. We going.”

“Ajani—“

He shakes his head. “Nah, I’on give a fuck. That nigga got me fucked up.”

Aleya and Sevyn share a knowing look.

“Tell ‘em niggas we gone,” he says, taking up Diamanté’s hand.

Too tipsy to really object, she tells her friends ‘goodnight,’ promising to text them tomorrow.

Sevyn and Aleya’s farewells are drowned out by their quickly increasing distance and the overall loudness of the alley.

When they finally make it outside, the cool breeze of tonight hits her clammy skin. She squeezes his hand tighter.

“Fuckin’ bum ass nigga—I knew I seen him.”

She peers up at him, his eyes staring off into the distance as he speaks his thoughts.

“Should’a fucked him up, if I’m being honest.”

When they reach his car, Ajani opens the passenger door for her. She climbs inside, relieved to be off her feet.

But before he closes the door, he bends down to look her in the eyes.

“You good?”

She nods. “Yeah.”

“He didn’t touch you or nothing?”

“No, Ajani. I’m good.” 

With a nod, he shuts the car door and walks over to his side before sliding behind the wheel.

The drive to his apartment is quiet for the first few minutes. Even his music plays low over the speakers.

She watches his side profile, noting the lowness of his eyes and the way his shoulders sag.

“I’m sorry.”

His eyes don’t leave the road, but his brows furrow. “For what?”

She only shrugs, the small action enough to garner his attention for just a second.

“You ain’t do shit. That nigga was just a creep.”

“Yeah,” she exhales. 

“Shit, but I definitely shouldn’t be driving right now.” He drags a hand down his face. “Just tryna get in my fuckin’ bed.”

Licking her lips, Diamanté busies her hands by toying with her phone. “Are you really tired?”

He gives her a quick side eye as a lazy smile presents on his face.

“Depends … what you tryna do?”

She looks forward at the nearly empty road ahead of them. Then she shrugs.

“Yeah, I seen the way you was looking at me back at the restaurant... Lil’ freaky ass.”

She laughs just a bit. “It’s been a couple days … what do you expect?”

He scoffs, leaning back in his seat as he leaves one hand on the wheel. “You really sumn else,” he says low, rubbing his chin.

Chewing on her lower lip, she stares at him as a thought brews in her head. Her silence cause him to look her way.

“What you thinkin’ ‘bout over there?”

She releases her bottom lip. Her eyes drop to his lap.

“Can I touch it?”

He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Could do whatever you want … it’s yours.”

With caution, she slowly reaches over the console and spreads her hand over his lap. She traces the barely-hard length through his jeans.

He retains his composure even as he struggles to focus on driving properly.

“You smelled so good today,” she whispers.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” she breathes out. “So fucking good. She laughs softly, pulling a smile out of him.

The more she rubs up on him, the harder he gets. She licks her lips and reaches over with the other hand to unbutton his jeans and zip them down.

She slips a hand between the layer of his jeans and his boxers, feeling him up through the thin fabric.

“When we was at the restaurant, I was thinking of last weekend, when I stayed over.”

Cradling the underside of his dick, her thumb swipes over his fat tip. Excitement races through her as she feels every curve of the mushroom-shaped head.

A faint twitch makes her smile bigger.

“How you was fucking me.”

Her voice slightly lifts at the end of her sentence, as if the thought alone was enough to get her going.

He found that shit so sexy.

Her thumb continues to rub circles into him. However, she also begins to squeeze him in her palm.

Ajani shifts in his seat, his legs widening on their own.

“Fuck, you were so deep, baby.”

She’s squeezing him harder, her little hand working his tip.

“So fucking deep—“

He barely hears the tiny moan that slips out. It takes his attention off of the road for a couple of seconds.

Just long enough for him to catch her with her other hand now between her own legs, dress hiked up around her waist.

He quickly looks away. The sight sends another rush of blood to his dick, and she can feel it as he pulses in her hand.

As one of her hands feels along his length, the other presses against the seat of her damp panties. The pressure pulls a shiver out of her.

“Oh, shit,” she gasps, quietly. “Fuck, I still have to pee.” Her thighs clamp around her wrist as she remembers her plight.

He glances at her again, trying to fight the melting of his brain as she continues to get him off.

“Keep going.”

His raspy voice catches her off guard.

“W-what?”

He licks his lips and swallows, taking a turn onto a major roadway. “Keep touching yourself.”

“I still have to pe—“

“Hold it.”

Her silence earns another look her way.

“I mean it, too. Just got this shit detailed … so don’t fuck up my seats.”

The gentleness of his voice makes her clench.

His head almost falls back when a tight pressure surrounds his balls. It’s hard to keep his eyes open.

Kicking off her sandal, Diamanté pulls a leg up onto the seat. Her French-tipped toes dig into the shiny, smooth leather as she opens herself up wider.

She rubs herself through her thin panties with a full hand. As she falls into a rhythm, both of her hands sync together as she pleasures both herself and Ajani.

Her legs open up even wider as she changes from using her full hand to just her middle and ring fingers. 

Pushed together, she rubs slow, sloppy circles over her clit. The swollen bud pulses, pushing through her thick folds and even creating a small bump through the thin material.

Her wrist aches, but she doesn’t stop. Her pussy clenched repeatedly and her breathing grows unsteady.

Slow, lazy blinks come before her eyes roll back closed. She whimpers to herself.

Ajani tries not to swerve as his brain tries to focus on two things at once. But, he can’t stop his hips from fucking into her hand—even if just a little bit.

Diamanté sends three, solid smacks to her pussy. Upon the third one, her thigh snap shut and her eyes squeeze closed. Her mouth hangs open as her body freezes.

Before she can stop it, her body lets loose for a split second. Just a tiny stream lets out, creating a small soak-spot into her underwear. Immediately, she regains control, stopping her release.

The pace she’d been able to keep up falters as she grows weak from her own hand.

“Keep going,” he tells her.

She shakes her head first. “I … I can’t.”

“Dia—“

“I can’t, I can’t—“

“Move ya hand.” 

He pries her thighs open with his free hand, and snatches hers from between them. 

He replaces her with his touch, cupping the fat mound before sliding his fingers against her. He feels the small wet spot, and it makes his dick harder.

“Told you to hold it.” He lays a smack down on her clit, and her legs try to close around his arm.

A louder moan leaves her this time. But, she holds it as best as she can.

“And keep squeezing my shit,” he says, his voice deep and heavy with lust.

Mewling, she gives her focus to his dick. Rubbing and squeezing it. And when that’s no longer enough, she pulls him out of his boxers.

“Shit…” he exhales in relief.

The hot, length stands stiff in both of her hands. Dribbles of precum run down his length. She’s quick to swipe it up as she twists both hands over him, pulling at the veiny skin.

“Mmh … fuck, baby. J-just like that.”

Ajani doesn’t let that distract him, however. Hand between her legs, he rubs his middle finger over her protruding clit.

She almost cries out as he neglects to touch her, keeping her underwear between them. 

His pointer finger drops down to join the middle. And he pinches her bud. She yelps out.

“Hold it,” he says, pinching harder. “Hold it.”

Her head falls back as she cries out. The dam is about the break, she can feel it. 

Her body goes numb for half a second, and then she feel the wet spot spread just a tiny bit bigger.

“I’m cumming, I’m cumming—“

He cups her once more, feeling her clench down on nothing in his hand. The pink G-string clings to her lips, conforming to their shape.

Her hands freeze around his dick, unable to focus on him as she tries to keep herself from finishing completely over his seats.

“We almost there … almost there,” he soothes, turning into his building’s parking lot.

After regaining her composure, Dia tucks him back in his pants and zips him back up.

Ajani removes his hand as he parks in his designated spot, giving her the chance to fix herself.

When they get out the car, it’s a bit of relief. However, Ajani still has to make it to his apartment without being caught with this boner.

Watching Dia walk ahead of him to get into the main building, he gets an idea.

It’s hard to concentrate as they stand there waiting for the elevator. There’s no one in the lobby, but that doesn’t make her any less nervous.

Standing, her backside pressed to his front, she feels his dick poking at her. 

Ajani’s so hard, it almost aches. He kisses his teeth, and his hand on her hip squeezes harder.

“Where this fuckin’ elevator at? Not tryna be waiting here all night.”

As he talks, his hips move just a bit, pushing his dick harder into the fat of her ass. It’s not helping, honestly.

But, much to her relief, the elevator finally arrives with a sharp ding. They walk in and Ajani is quick to press the button to the eleventh floor.

It seems like time slows as the shaft achingly climbs the floors. Dia doesn’t get to watch the numbers change as a hand comes around her neck and squeezes—her eyes flutter shut.

“Can’t wait to ruin yo shit,” he whispers in her ear. “Have you bouncing on my dick.”

She moans softly as his hand tightens.

He sucks his teeth. “Matter fact—“

It must be the liquor that has him doing this, and what’s got her letting it happen.

In one second, she’s bent over, her hands bracing the wall before her as he stands behind.

“Should just fuck ya lil’ ass in here.”

He smacks her left cheek before rutting into her. He spreads her ass with both hands, rubbing his clothed dick into her core.

“O-oh fuck,” she whimpers. The friction has her legs trembling.

“Keep fuckin’ moaning,” he pants, fucking against her. His eyes almost roll back and his balls tighten in his pants.

“Baby—“

Slapping a hand over her mouth, she tries to keep quiet … and from cumming.

Backing up just an inch, he instead holds her by her waist and bounces her hard against him. She almost wails, her pussy craving to be filled.

But her torture ends soon as the elevator dings again, announcing their arrival to the eleventh floor. They waste no time getting out and making their way to his front door. 

When they come to it, he hands her his keys as he remains behind her. She almost fumbles them, her hands shaking.

He grabs onto her hips again, gripping tightly.

“Hurry up … you’on feel that?”

The gravel of his voice makes her shiver, and the way his dick is pressed into her ass almost makes her eyes roll back.

His face drops into the crook of her neck and shoulder to press a kiss into her warm skin.

“He missed you, baby.”

The slight slur in his voice drives her crazy. But, not more than the way he presses his hips harder against her.

Click, the door goes as she finally unlocks it. The rush of air that hits them as she pushes it open is refreshing. It clears her senses for just half-a-second before her brain is plunged back into a hot pool of lust.

Ajani’s got his hands on her, spinning her around to press a wet kiss onto her lips. A heavy moan slips out of her as he squeezes her throat.

He sucks on her tongue like it’s his only lifeline, enjoying the taste of her spit too much.

His free hand encircles her waist and heads down to grip as much fat as it could.

The burn of his grip has her clenching in her panties. He pulls out of the kiss just to look her in the eyes.

“Take this stupid ass dress off before I rip it.”

His grip on her throat tightens and she feels herself go dumb a little bit. She nods.

He lets go of her completely, just to watch her pull the black dress over her head. 

All she’s got on is that tiny ass, pink G-string, no bra. The fabric is drenched with a wet stain as it clings to her. And her lips are damn near spilling out of it.

“Not even gonna be able to walk when I done with you,” he mumbles, staring at her as he squeezes his dick through his pants.

“Wait, I wanna do something else first.”

Diamanté’s gaze drops to the hard outline of his dick—so thick and long.

“Yeah?” He looks at her with low eyes, paying keen attention to the outline of her fat pussy. “What you tryna do?”

She starts towards him, walking slow. 

“I wanna suck it.”

His brows lift as an inkling of a smile is on his lips. “Oh, word?”

“Yeah.”

She stops right before him. A gentle push to his chest sends a big enough of message—he falls back onto his couch. And his eyes follow her as she gets down on her knees before him.

She crawls to him, sitting between his legs. Even pushes them apart wider. He almost shivers at her delicate touch on his knees.  

“Would you let me?”

She blinks up at him as her hands snake their way up his thighs and into his lap. He slips further down into the couch, biting his lip as he watches her undo his pants for the second time tonight.

She gets a peek of those grills again, and she just finds them so sexy.

“Awe shit, baby, you could do whatever you want…”

His aid comes as he lifts his hips as she drags the heavy denim down his legs. Drunken giggles pour out from her lips as she eyes his print through his boxers.

Even through the thin fabric, the familiar heat of her palm makes his dick twitch. He has to stop himself from humping into her hand as she grips along his length.

Her laughter melts away as she watches his face with a luring smile. 

“You’re so wet, baby.”

He almost doesn’t even hear her soft voice. But when he does, he looks down and notices the dark spot on his boxers.

“Shit … that’s all you,” he mumbles. His eyes bore into her as she pulls him out of his underwear.

He’s stiff and heavy in her hand. Her smaller fingers squeeze him just a bit tighter, a weak attempt at trying to get a better grip on him. 

It amuses him, seeing how the tips of her fingers don’t even meet when they’re around him.

The warmth blossoming under his skin goads her to run a fist over his length.

“You know how to do it?” he asks her.

She nods before looking back up at him. Looking into his eyes, she can tell that he’s fighting to stay present.

But with the liquor in both their systems, and lust running through their bodies, she can understand how difficult that must be for him.

“You don’t gotta … take it all,” he swallows.

His thigh twitches; Her tongue laves against the underside of the warm, soft tip. She holds him as she circles her tongue around the head, shining it with her spit. 

“Fuck,” he hisses softly, body melting into the couch cushions.

She brushes her tongue against him, picking up a perfect bead of precum just as it dribbles out.

He inhales, shifting in the seat. “Spit on my shit.”

Puckering her lips, she spits it back out on his tip and spreads it across his skin.

“Yeah,” he breathes out.

Holding him at the base, she takes his head back into her mouth. His stomach swoops and his breath stutters. 

Diamanté almost giggles, feeling his tip pulse in her mouth. She pulls off of him with a pop. 

She repeats the action a couple of more times, going pop … pop … pop! She enjoys too much how he groans above her.

“Stop playing, baby, c’mon.”

The sound of him begging makes her clit pulse. 

“Okay, okay,” she says softly, batting her lashes up at him.

Taking a deep inhale, she places her mouth back over the head. Slackening her jaw, she slowly descends his length.

“Awe … shiii,” he stares down at her in shock.

Already, her jaw aches, having to accommodate his size. She gets about halfway.

“Mmmh.”

The vibration of her hums make his toes curl. He jumps with a hiss. The movement gags her, and the sound only arouses him.

“T-take your time, baby—“ he grunts. “You don’t gotta—“

He chokes on his own words as he watches her continue to swallow him with a bit of effort. The sight has him clutching the couch cushions.

Her throat constricts around his dick as she bottoms out. She nuzzles her nose against the small bush of dark curls at his base.

“Fuck,” he mumbles, shifting his hips a bit.

Her eyes flutter close as she relishes the heavy weight her throat holds. His dick twitches, pulling a soft gag out of her.

He loves the sound.

Spit seeps from her mouth, dripping down his length. Trying to swallow around him is difficult.

Carefully, she lays her head against his open lap. She exhales through her nose, trying to relax as she suckles on him.

It’s almost addicting, having his dick stuff her mouth to the brim. She’s content … until she remembers her own arousal.

Her knees burn, but nevermind that. She brings a hand between her thick thighs, whimpering as she caresses herself.

The pads of her fingers slide back and forth over the soaked scrap of fabric covering her pussy.

Her thighs clench around her wrist. But still, she continues, sliding the tips of her acrylic nails against her aching pearl.

He watches her eyes open for just a second, only to showcase how they roll back. Her shoulders twitch.

“You touchin’ yourself?”

She barely nods as another twitch rakes throughout her body.

The already wet patch of her panties grows warmer as she leaks more arousal. Her fingers rub harder and her pussy spasms.

“Mmh—“

She whines around his dick, and his hips stutter.

“So fuckin’ nasty,” he groans. “Like my dick in your mouth.”

Another whimper.

Peeling a hand from the armrest of the couch, Ajani reaches for her straightened hair and gathers it in a tight ponytail.

“Relax your throat,” is his only warning.

Long, slow strokes have her gagging on him. The back or her throat makes wet clicks as his dick fucks the back of her throat.

Tears bubble in Diamanté’s eyes as her head bobs. Shaky fingers push her soaked panties to the side as she rubs through her sticky, creamy folds.

“Look so fuckin’ good like this,” he says through gritted teeth. 

She plays in her mess, webs of cream sticking to the pads of her fingers and her pink clit.

His hold around her hair tightens and his pace quickens. Her gags become harsher and louder as he face-fucks her.

A squeal sounds at the back of her throat as she DJs herself quickly. Her chest stutters as it gets harder to breathe with her choking on him. 

Her body tightens then releases; She sprays against her fingers and the hardwood floor. The hard stream catches his ears, making him sit up to watch.

The whites of her eyes are the only things that show as she cups herself between her legs.

A gooey mess of her spit and his precum drip down his balls and even her face, droplets falling on her bare chest.

“Shit, baby … awe shit,” he groans, head thrown back and mouth dropped open.

His stomach clenches as his brows pull together.

“I’m bout’a … c-cum—fuck.”

He pushes her head all the way down, holding her there as he fucks up into her. She tightens her throat around him, sending him over the edge.

Ropes of cum shoot down her throat, sending her pulling off of him in a coughing fit. 

When she calms, she pulls her hand from between her shaking thighs. It’s messy with the remnants of her cream and squirt.

She wraps it around him and spits his cum back on his dick.

It’s a bubbly, frothy mess. She jerks him off, milking him for the rest of his release as she mixes their cum and her spit together.

“So fuckin’ dirty,” he rasps, his body sagging against the chair.

The squelches of her fist over his dick is music to their ears. Her hand glides with ease as she squeezes him tighter.

“Beatin’ my shit so good.”

Breathy laughter pours out of her as she sticks out her tongue and flattens it. Staring into his low eyes, she taps his dick against the bed of her tongue.

She slides the pink muscle against him before flicking it twice against his leaky slit. He shivers beneath her, and she feeds off the reaction.

Taking his head back into her mouth, she sucks on it with her lips as she digs out his slit with her tongue.

He’s a whining mess as she overstimulates him.

“Fuck baby … fuuuck baby—fuck babyy—“

Ajani’s head falls back against the cushions and his eyes roll back. He opens his mouth to cry out:

“F-fuuuuuck—“

Lifting from him quickly, she taps him against her tongue as he erupts. His cum paints the pink muscle in white ropes.

“So good,” she hums, still tugging at him.

His chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath and calm his beating heart. His ears ring and his vision’s got dots.

It takes him too long to return back to earth, as if she had hard reset him. 

But, that’s not where their night ends—far from it, actually.

[munson-blurbs]

Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!ReaderSeries

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Summary: With no friends and the looming threat of losing custody of his son, Eddie's the lowest he's ever been. But you know what they say: “Rock bottom just means there’s nowhere to go except up."

Warnings: angst, visits from CPS, Reader's grandma has Alzheimer's

WC: 6k

Chapter 5/20

Scruffy!Eddie edit credit to @eddiemunsons-missingnipple Divider credit to @saradika

The phone rings as Eddie wrestles Harris into his jacket. He still hasn’t figured out how to break the news about his classroom change; at this rate, he’ll be dropping him off at school before he works up the nerve. Is there any good way to tell your kid that he no longer gets to spend his days with his favorite teacher?

“Keep that on,” Eddie instructs Harris, pointing to the navy blue sweatshirt. “I’ll zip it for you in a sec.” He jogs over to the phone, answering with an irritated, “Hello?”

“Ed?” Wayne’s voice drifts from the receiver. “It’s Wayne.”

Eddie nods before remembering that Wayne can’t see him. “Y-Yeah, hey,” he says, tone softening at his uncle’s familiarity. There’s a dull ache in his chest when he thinks of how he willingly shut him out over the last month. “How’ve you been?”

“Good. Can’t complain.” Wayne clears his throat. “I’d love to see you and Harris. Whenever you get the chance.” Eddie can hear his concern, the unasked questions that dissolve on his tongue: Are you okay? Is Harris? Do I need to file that custody agreement?

He glances over at his son, who, despite Eddie’s promise, is unsuccessfully trying to thread the zipper with its teeth. He motions him over, cradling the phone to his ear and stretching the cord while he kneels to fasten the jacket. “We were actually about to head to the park if you wanted to meet us there,” he says. “This kid’s got way too much energy to keep him cooped up in the apartment. We’ll both lose our minds.”

Wayne lets out a kind chuckle. “Sounds like a Munson.” Eddie can hear the tinny jangle of his keys. “The park over on Porter Drive?”

“Yup.”

“Dad, let’s go!” Harris whines, twisting the doorknob back and forth to emphasize his impatience.

“We’ll be there in ten,” Eddie tells Wayne, catching a glimpse of the neon orange cast peeking out from under Harris’s jacket. It’s now adorned with his classmates’ names. Your signature seems to beckon Eddie, taunt him, even, and he tries to convince himself that it’s because it’s the only one that doesn’t resemble chicken scratch. “Oh, Harris broke his wrist, but he’s fine. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”

“Hoo boy,” Wayne breathes. “Definitely a Munson.”

Harris spends the short drive to the park bouncing in his carseat. “Is Grampa Wayne gonna play with me?” he asks, rocking back and forth excitedly.

“Mhm,” Eddie nods, keeping his eyes trained on the road. He nervously thrums his fingers along his jean-clad thighs. What if Wayne still didn’t think he was a responsible parent? What if he took one look at Harris’s injury and raced home to call his lawyer? “But I gotta talk with him first, okay? You can play by yourself for a little while.”

Harris hums his agreement, eagerly unbuckling as soon as Eddie parks the car. He starts to run towards the field, and all Eddie can picture is him tripping and hurting himself again.

“Harris, don’t–” he starts, but he then remembers those magic words: “Walking feet, bud. Don’t want you breaking that other wrist.” He grabs the soccer ball from the trunk and kicks it in Harris’s direction.

Wayne pulls up in his truck a few moments later, almost as exuberant as his grandson. “Har-Bear!” he calls out, opening his arms wide for a hug. Harris picks up his pace, slowing down when he remembers his dad’s instructions.

“I’m using my walking feet!” he chirps proudly, and though they’re fast walking feet, Eddie beams at him.

Wayne squeezes Harris so tightly that Eddie worries he’ll inadvertently cut off his oxygen supply. When the boy starts squirming, Wayne laughs and puts him down.

“Go ahead and play,” Eddie tells his son. “Grampa Wayne and I are gonna catch up real quick.”

There’s an uncomfortable silence as the two men sit on the bench, waiting for the other to say something first. Finally, Wayne breaks through the tension.

“Missed you two,” he murmurs, not looking at Eddie. “‘S too quiet around my place without that little rugrat.”

“We missed you, too,” Eddie admits, chewing on his thumbnail. “Harris won’t stop asking for Grampa Wayne.”

Wayne preens slightly at this, shifting in his seat. “This is the longest we’ve gone without talking since…”

“I know,” Eddie cuts him off, not wanting to revisit the part of his past that Wayne’s referencing. “I, uh, started working at Rock Records,” he tells him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “It sucks, but it’s a job.”

He feels Wayne clap him on the shoulder, pulling him closer to him for a brief side hug. “I’m proud of you, Ed.” He purses his lips before asking, “and no more of the…”

Eddie shakes his head. “Nope, I’m done with that. Returned the rest of what I had to Rick; told him I was out.” His gaze drops back to the ground, and he stares intently at the blades of grass as though they might disappear if he blinks. “But that might not matter anymore anyway, so…”

“The hell you talking about?” Wayne pinches his eyebrows together, adjusting his position to face his nephew.

Sighing, Eddie tells him about what happened at the hospital last week. Wayne’s eyes widen when he hears that they filed a report with CPS. “That’s some bullshit,” he mumbles, scratching at his gray beard. “Kids get hurt all the time. Can’t keep ‘em in a bubble.” He shakes his head incredulously. “They’re not gonna take him from you, okay? They’re gonna see how you provide for him, how great you are with him, and they’re gonna be sorry they wasted their time.”

“I’m not great with him,” Eddie mutters, standing up in a feeble attempt to exert some of his nervous energy. “I’m ruining his life.” He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “He had this teacher, and he adored her. Calls her ‘Ms. Sweetheart.’ And I was just…just a total asshole to her. I accused her of telling people about the CPS thing and said some really fucked up shit about her sick grandma and…fuck, Wayne. She had Harris transferred to another class just so she doesn’t have to deal with me. And now I have to say, ‘Hey, you know that teacher you fuckin’ loved? Well, she’s not your teacher any more, and it’s all my fault.’”

Wayne absorbs the information, contemplating what he says next. “So fix it,” he shrugs.

“It’s not that simple,” Eddie argues, plopping back down onto the bench in defeat. The wood digs into his lower back uncomfortably, so he stands up again.

“It’s not?” Wayne questions, digging a pack of Newports out of his jacket pocket and offering one to him. “Because it sounds to me like you owe this ‘Ms. Sweetheart’ an apology.”

Eddie takes a cigarette, toying with it before tucking it between his lips. It takes a few flicks of his old Bic lighter to get a spark, and he lets the nicotine calm his nerves before speaking again. “I don’t think she’ll forgive me.”

“Never said she would,” Wayne counters, plucking the Bic from Eddie’s hands and bringing the flame to light his own cigarette. “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apologize.”

Inhaling sharply, Eddie watches his son kick the ball around before letting out a slow, controlled exhale. “My boss asked if I could teach guitar lessons once or twice a week,” he says, using his empty hand to toy with the frayed holes in his jeans. “If…if you wanna, could you watch Harris? I can pay you.”

“Don’t insult me, boy,” Wayne scoffs, but a playful smile dances on his lips. “You’re not gonna pay me to watch my own grandson. Just let me know the day and time, and I’ll have a pot of mac and cheese ready to go.”

The pent-up tension dissipates from his body at Wayne’s easy agreement. An unspoken I love you floats between them, and he could cry from the sudden surge of relief.

“Daddy! Grampa!” Harris calls out from across the park. “Let’s play!”

Wayne stands up with a grunt, rolling his shoulders back to loosen them up. “You heard the man,” he jokes. “Up and at ‘em.”

It’s your first day off of work since the start of the school year, yet all you can think about are your students. Well, one particular student and his god-awful father. Eddie’s comment replays in your mind, cutting through you like the chilly mid-October air. The sting still hasn’t faded, despite it being three days since he’d said it. 

You say goodbye to your grandma and Elise, her home health aid, grabbing your car keys and closing the door behind you. This morning was already overwhelming; Grandma had woken up at 5 AM, ready to start her day. The sound of her TV blasting at the highest possible volume jolted you from your sleep, and you’d spent the following twenty minutes trying to persuade her to go back to bed. Unsuccessfully, you might add. 

You wince when you see your reflection in the rearview mirror. Your eyes are puffy and bloodshot, with pouches developing beneath them that only emphasize your exhaustion. You practice smiling a few times before starting the car, peeling out of the parking lot to meet Jess, Viv, and Jeff for lunch.

The pleasant aroma of burgers cooking on a grill wafts past your nose as you push open the doors to the restaurant. It isn’t too crowded when you arrive; you assume that the usual lunchtime rush is quelled by the Columbus Day holiday. Your new friends are already waiting at the table, waving you over excitedly.

“Hey,” you call out, forcing pleasantries into your otherwise flat tone. You slide into the seat next to Jess and across from Jeff. “How’s everyone been?”

“Better, now that I’m out of the first trimester,” Viv says with a small laugh. “Now that I have my appetite back, I’m definitely getting the grilled cheese.” She glances at the menu again, adding, “and a side of fries.”

Jess nods. “I think I’ll do the same.” She turns to you and her cheerful expression shifts to one of concern. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah, just tired.” Your lackluster reply is unconvincing, but she doesn’t challenge it in front of Jeff and her sister. “Chasing after kids all day is wearing me out.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Viv exclaims, taking a sip of her water. “You’re a preschool teacher. The one with Eddie’s kid in your class!”

“Mhm,” you manage; the mere mention of Eddie’s name turns your throat into sandpaper. “Well, not any more, I guess.” Your throwaway comment is met with inquisitive stares, so you give the group a rundown of last week’s events, watching their eyes grow wide.

“He’s such a fucking douche,” Jess grumbles, resting her hand over yours. It feels like forever since you’ve experienced the simplicity of a kind gesture, and you have to swallow the emotion that comes with it. 

“Seriously,” Viv agrees, looking over at Jeff. “Why were you even friends with him?”

Jeff lets out a terse chuckle and shakes his head. “Believe it or not, he actually used to be a good guy. The best, in my opinion.” Disappointment flashes across his face as he continues. “Something changed when he went to Chicago. He was always on-guard, had his walls up, but it used to be more of an ‘if you mess with me, I’ll mess with you’ attitude. But when he came back home, he was…different.”

“Different how?” Curiosity gets the best of you, and the question slips off of your tongue before you can stop it.

“It was like he was determined to hurt people before they could hurt him. No matter what I did, he never fully believed that I was on his side. I was constantly trying to prove that I wasn’t out to fuck him over.”

Viv drapes an arm over her fiancé’s shoulder. “How long did he live in Chicago, again?”

“Long enough to knock someone up,” Jeff muses, mind wandering for a moment before he brings himself back to the conversation. “About four years, I think? He left to chase his dreams of being a rockstar. Then one day, he shows back up in Hawkins with an infant, trying to act like nothing had changed.” He snorts at the very idea of it. “But it obviously did–I mean, besides the fact that he had a whole child, the rest of us had grown up, too. College, work, all that stuff.

“When he suggested getting Corroded Coffin back together, we figured, why not? It seemed like a decent way to chill out, blow off some steam at the end of the day.”

“Let me guess,” you chime in, cocking your head knowingly. “Eddie had other ideas.”

Jeff nods. “He still wanted to do the rockstar thing. And he’d always get angry at us because we didn’t. Not professionally, anyway. Kept mocking us for having 9-to-5 jobs, like it was the worst thing in the world.” He pauses, screwing up his face in contemplation. “Which, come to think of it, was weird. Because back in high school, he told me that it really messed with him, not having that stability growing up. Y’know, before Wayne took him in.”

There’s so much more you want to know, but the waiter striding over to the table to take orders brings the conversation to a natural conclusion. What you’ve gathered so far is that Eddie Munson is a many-layered man, each one more puzzling than the last. Despite your festering hurt and anger, you can’t help but hope that he untethers himself from his complicated past. If not for his sake, then for Harris’s.

“Daddy, what’s a new cents?”

Eddie’s taking the left turn onto the main road when he hears his son speaking from the back seat. “What’s new since when?” he asks, craning his head to check for oncoming traffic. 

“Noooo,” Harris whines, letting out an exasperated sigh. Eddie has no clue where his new attitude came from, and he can’t say that he’s a fan. “A new cents.”

“That’s not a thing, buddy,” Eddie answers, starting to twist the radio knob. 

“Yes, it is!” Harris insists, clearly growing frustrated. “Ms. Marion told Ms. Paula that I’m a ‘new cents.’”

It suddenly clicks for Eddie, and he grips the steering wheel tighter and hopes Harris doesn’t notice the edge in his voice. “You mean a nuisance?”

“That’s what I said!” Harris groans. “What does it mean?”

Eddie pushes past the question to ask one of his own. “What exactly did Ms. Marion say?” Maybe there was a misunderstanding, he reasons with himself. 

But Harris’s answer only confirms his initial suspicion. “She looked at Ms. Paula and said, ‘this one’s a ‘new cents.’ An’ then she pointed to me.”

“Why the hell would she say that?” Eddie’s speaking to himself, but his son replies, still too young to grasp the concept of rhetorical questions. 

“‘Cause of my shoes being untied. An’ she doesn’t like when I ask her to tie them.”

Eddie cringes. He’d meant to teach Harris how to tie his sneakers, but the lessons had to be put on hold when the kid had broken his wrist. Pausing before posing his next question, Eddie carefully selects his words. “Did…Did Ms. Sweetheart ever do that? Get mad about your shoes or call you a nuisance?”

“Nope,” Harris shakes his head. “An’ Mr. Will didn’t either.” And considering that his laces had always been tied in neat bows when Eddie arrived to pick him up, he can only assume that the two of you did this without a second thought. Jesus, why even bother to be a preschool teacher if you’re gonna bitch about tying shoes?

“So, what is it?” Harris snaps him from his thoughts. 

“Huh?” Eddie’s right foot presses on the brake as he approaches a stop sign. “Oh. Um, I don’t know. Sorry, Har.” It’s the second time in as many days that he’s lied to him in order to spare his feelings. Yesterday, he’d waited until they were already in the school to tell Harris that he was picked for a super special project where he’d act as a secret agent in another class. He didn’t know whether to be proud or ashamed that he’d spent all night thinking of that excuse. 

“‘S’okay,” Harris shrugs, raising and dropping his legs so they bounce off the bottom of his carseat. His ankles are exposed, and Eddie realizes that he must’ve grown. Again. Which means that he needs to scrape together some money and buy him new clothes. Again. “How much more days until I get to go back to Ms. Sweetheart’s class?”

“Not sure.” Lie number three. He flicks on the radio, the sounds of Ozzy effectively distracting Harris for the remainder of the car ride. 

If only it was that easy to fool himself. 

A harsh knock on your classroom door and the formality of your first and last name draws your attention from the mountain of paperwork on your desk. Will left thirty minutes ago with the rest of the TAs, so you’ve been sitting alone, humming a song you’d listened to on the car ride to work.

“Yes, that’s me,” you tell the tall man standing in the doorway. His intimidating stature and sullen disposition juxtapose the orange and yellow hues of autumn-themed artwork lining the walls. “Can I help you?”

He flashes a name tag as he steps into the classroom. “My name is Andrew Smith. I’m here on behalf of Child Protective Services to speak to you regarding one of your students…” he checks his notes, “Harris Munson.”

“Oh, um,” you stumble over your words, “he’s–he’s not my student any more. Not since Tuesday of this week.”

“Right,” the social worker nods slowly, patience already running thin, “but I briefly spoke with his new teacher, and she said that she didn’t have enough information to answer the questions, and directed me to your classroom.” When you don’t respond, he gives the legal rundown about the process and your obligations as a mandated reporter. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s proceed with this, shall we?” He clicks his pen, eyes boring a hole into you as he speaks. “How well would you say you know Harris’s father, Edward Munson?”

More intimately than you know, you bitterly think. ��Fairly well. He dropped Harris off and picked him up every day.”

Mr. Smith scribbles that down. “Was Edward Munson punctual? Did he drop off and pick up Harris on time?”

“Yes,” you confirm, and your mind flickers back to the very first day of school. “There was only one time he was late for pick-up, but it’s common for that to happen once in a while with any parent.”

“Right, okay. And how would you describe Harris’s disposition around his father?”

“He adores him. He’s a generally happy kid, but he lights up around his dad. Or even when he’s just talking about him.” One lunchtime conversation in particular centered around how his dad could play anything on the guitar, even “Old MacDonald.” Harris had been bursting with excitement to report that Eddie made the funniest animal sounds, and you’d be lying if you’d said your interest wasn’t piqued. “I’ve never seen Harris act nervous or scared around him.”

Pen flies across the paper, and you swear he’s writing more than you’d even said. “Besides the broken wrist, did you ever notice any injuries or abnormal bruising anywhere on Harris’s body?” 

You shake your head before realizing he’s waiting for a verbal response. “Nope, never. Just the usual bruises that come with being a kid.”

Mr. Smith cocks his eyebrow, pressing his lips together. “And where were those bruises located?”

Shit. Did you say too much? Why can’t you just shut up when you’re nervous? “Knees and calves?” You point to the spots on your own body, as though the social worker needs visual aides, while silently berating your own stupidity.

“And based on your interactions with him, how would you describe Edward Munson as a father?” It’s a loaded question, and its magnitude is a weight on your chest. 

“Caring, attentive, very loving,” you answer honestly. “Responsible. Harris always showed up with lunch and a snack, bathed, clean clothes, whatever supplies he needed. I never worried that Harris was unsafe or in an unhealthy environment.” You force yourself to meet Mr. Smith’s gaze when you say the next part. “We, um, actually were at the hospital at the same time. My grandma got hurt, and we bumped into them when being discharged.”

This grabs his attention. “And did Mr. Munson appear to be impaired or otherwise behaving out of sorts?” The way he looks at you could easily be mistaken for a glare. “Under the influence of any substances, perhaps?”

“Not at all.” You keep your tone firm and even.

He shoves the paperwork at you, pointing to where your signature is required. “Thank you for your time,” he says flatly, leaving the room before you have time to reply. It seems nearly impossible to go back to the task you were working on before the interruption, but you try to push away the intrusive thoughts about everything that could possibly go wrong.

An hour later, the heavy-handed knock raps on the door to the Munson’s apartment. Eddie knows the drill; unfortunately, this isn’t his first run-in with Child Protective Services. He’s double, triple, quadruple-checked that every electrical outlet is covered, the matches and lighters are far from Harris’s reach, and there’s no remaining product from his recently-abandoned dealing days. The visit is technically unannounced, but since he’s not getting many visitors these days, there are limited options of who could be at his door.

“Edward Munson?” The social worker asks, giving him the same opening spiel he gave you. “I’ll just need to take a look around your home and make sure it’s a suitable living environment for your son.”

“Of course.” Eddie hopes he sounds more confident than he feels, but he can sense the waver in his voice. “Yeah, come on in.” He opens the door a bit wider and lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, drawing unwanted attention from the social worker.

“Something the matter, Mr. Munson?”

“N-No,” Eddie insists, shaking his head. If he confesses to being nervous, this Smith guy could mistake it as an admission of guilt, and that’s the last thing he wants. “Just, um, long day?”

Smith recognizes the response with nothing more than a disbelieving glance as he makes his way through the apartment. Eddie watches silently, pushing down his anxiety with a thick swallow. His mind races when the social worker rummages through the refrigerator. Are there fruits and vegetables in there? Did I throw out that container of leftover spaghetti that overstayed its welcome? His stomach sinks when Smith marks something down in his notes but doesn’t have time to ruminate over it before Harris pokes his head out from the bedroom.

“Daddy? You gonna come back an’ play Hot Wheels with me?” His big brown eyes instantly melt Eddie’s heart, and all he wants to do is scream at the man, See? See how much my kid loves me? See how happy he is? Now, why don’t you go deal with the parents who actually deserve to lose custody and leave me to play with him.

Before Eddie can stop him, Harris traipses out and sees Smith rifling through the pantry. “Who’re you?” he asks.

“Har-Bear, this is Mr. Smith. He’s, uh, one of my friends.” Eddie scrunches his face and shakes his head defeatedly at the blatant lie, but Harris doesn’t notice.

Mr. Smith gives a short wave, neither kind nor impolite. Just one slight movement to acknowledge the boy’s presence. He’s determined to get back to his job, but Harris has other plans.

“I like your glasses.” He points to the wire-rimmed frames on the man’s face. “My Grampa Wayne is s’posed to wear glasses, but he doesn’t. Daddy says it’s ‘cause he’s a mule.”

“Stubborn as a mule, Har,” Eddie gently corrects him, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “I’ll be in in a minute, okay?”

But Harris ignores his request, forging towards his dad’s friend. He lifts his arm and flashes an innocent smile. “Look at my cast! It’s from when I jumped on my bed and breaked my arm.”

“Harris!” Eddie hisses, trying to keep his cool. “Can you go play? In the room?” Pleading with him is like negotiating with a terrorist, and he knows his efforts are futile.

“Actually, I do need to take a look at Harris’s bedroom,” the social worker muses, tapping his pen against his lower lip. Eddie has to stifle a scoff at the charade that this just occurred to Smith. Like he didn’t have this mapped out, another bullet point on the list of uninformed judgments he needed to make.

“We, um, we share a room,” Eddie mumbles, as though there would be another possible reason as to why there’s a twin bed nestled into the same space as Harris’s race car bed. “I used to sleep on the couch, it’s just easier to be close to him when he has nightmares an’ stuff.” His heart races when Smith jots this down. “N-Not that he has nightmares a lot. I don’t let him watch scary movies or anything. Just normal kid stuff.”

The man nods, visibly irritated by his rambling. He clamps his mouth shut to inhibit the flow of unnecessary explanations that freely pass through his lips without a second thought.

Harris motions Smith over, using his uninjured hand to grab the stranger’s and leading him into the room. “That’s my bed,” he announces. It sounds like he’s giving a tour, and Eddie almost laughs at the absurdity of the situation. “And that’s where I falled,” Harris points to the unassuming patch of carpet alongside it. 

“Ouch,” Smith mutters, and Eddie swears he can see a semblance of a smile. Leave it to Harris to thaw the most hardened of hearts. “I bet that hurt.”

“Yeah, but there was no blood,” Harris says nonchalantly. “An’ I didn’t need a shot. Just this cast. All my friends signed it. Even Ms. Sweetheart!”

“Ms. Sweetheart?” Smith repeats.

“She’s my teacher. Well, she was my teacher. Now I’m a super secret spy in Ms. Marion’s class, but don’t tell anyone!”

Eddie scoops up a couple of toy cars off of the floor and hands them to Harris, determined to end the conversation before anything else can be revealed. Can you get your kid taken away for being an asshole to his teacher? He doesn’t want to find out. “Here ya go, bud. Why don’t you get the racetrack set up, and I’ll play with you as soon as Mr. Smith leaves.”

“Actually,” Smith says, “I’m about finished. Mr. Munson,” he says, his natural stoicness settling back in as he turns back to Eddie, “after completing this investigation and conducting our interviews, I’ve determined that Harris may remain in your custody. I’ll just need you to sign a few forms and I’ll be on my way.”

Eddie’s relief is palpable. He sweeps Harris into a hug, clutching him to his chest and wordlessly swears to never put him back down. “Th-thank you,” he mumbles, acutely aware of the tears leaking from his eyes. “Wait–what interviews? No one interviewed me.”

Smith nods. “Yes, we spoke with Harris’s teacher. She only had great things to say about how well you take care of him.”

She did? He barely knows the woman; Harris has only been in her class for two full days, and she never indicated any partiality towards him. He makes a mental note to thank her tomorrow at drop-off. For now, all he wants to do is treasure every moment with his boy.

Eddie doesn’t want to let Harris out of his sight, but he begrudgingly takes him to school, not wanting to add a truancy charge to his growing list of misgivings. 

Ms. Marion greets both Munsons with a muted stare, harsh enough to drain Harris of the excited energy that typically buzzes through his little body. “Are we going to listen today?” she quips.

“Yes,” Harris says.

“Yes, what?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Harris’s affect is robotic and monotone, and the uncharacteristic spiritlessness nearly distracts Eddie from thanking the older woman for her interview.

“The guy–um, the social worker–he told me that you said some nice things about me. About how I am with Harris,” he stammers. “So, uh, thank you.”

Ms. Marion crosses her arms over her faded pink sweater, pursing her overlined lips. Her forehead is marred with frown lines. “That wasn’t me, Mr. Munson. I directed him to speak to Harris’s previous teacher, since she spent more time with him.”

Ms. Sweetheart.

After everything he’d said and done, you’d still vouched for him. Spoken so highly of his parenting abilities that CPS allowed him to keep custody of his son. You could’ve easily ruined his life, but you didn’t. 

What Eddie doesn’t understand is why.

Perhaps he doesn’t need to; at least, not immediately. Right now, he just needs to fix this. And he knows exactly where to start.

Friday marks one week since your blowout fight with Eddie. One week since he’d caught you pathetically crying in your car because of the venom he’d spewed. One week since you’d informed him that you’d had Harris transferred to another class.

Which is why you’re confused when the boy bounds up to your classroom door, shouting, “Ms. Sweetheart! Ms. Sweetheart!”

“Hey, Harris,” you greet him, unable to mask your confusion. “What are you doing here? You’re in Ms. Marion’s class now, remember?”

Harris nods, his curls bouncing with each movement. He drops his backpack to the floor with a thud and unfastens the zipper, tongue poking from between his lips as he digs through it to brandish a cassette. “This is for you.”

You take it from him, eyes widening as you take in Toni Braxton’s face staring back at you. “Harris…where did you get this?”

“My daddy put it there and said to give it to you. So I did,” he answers with a shrug. He looks up at you, innocuous and angelic as he adds, “I miss you. I wish you could be my teacher again.”

“Me, too,” you reply before thinking. Clearing your throat, you kneel down to meet him at his height. “Thank you for my gift. It was very sweet. Go ahead and head to class now, okay? I don’t want you to be late.”

“Mmkay!” he chirps, slinging his still-opened bag over his shoulder. “Bye, Ms. Sweetheart.”

Why would Eddie buy you a tape? Why this tape, the one you’d come in for when he’d said such malicious things to you? You can’t make sense of it, regardless of how many times you try to piece together the puzzle.

At dismissal, you find yourself waiting by the door, hoping to catch Eddie before he can dash out of the school. There’s no logic to his actions: he despised you enough to weaponize your grandma’s cognitive decline, and then he gives you a gift with no further explanation. 

You distractedly hand parents the sign-out sheet, barely registering when Joshua Harrington’s dad asks you about any upcoming plans for a class Halloween party. 

“Is there gonna be a list of things you need? Candy or cupcakes or something?”

“Oh, uh, I’m gonna send home information about that next week,” you stumble over your words as you try not to make it obvious that your mind is elsewhere. 

“Great,” he says, stretching out the word as he tracks your gaze to the spot behind him. “Everything okay?”

“Yup.” You slap a smile on your face just as you spot the mane of frizzy curls you’d been searching for. “Um, excuse me for a second.” You call out to Will, letting him know you’ll be right back, before sprinting down the hallway. 

“Ms. Sweetheart!” Harris’s eager face twists into a frown. “You gotta use your walking feet in school. Or you could get hurt.”

Eddie moves to correct him, but you just smile sweetly. “You’re right, Harris. Thanks for reminding me.”

You allow your gaze to travel upwards, eyes locking onto Eddie’s. You can’t quite read his expression; his brows are furrowed in confusion but the flush in his face indicates that he knows why you’re here. 

“Harris gave me the tape. The Toni Braxton one.” Like he’d gifted you myriad cassettes that required this distinction. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Don’t mention it.” The right corner of his lips turns up into a half-smile. “Besides, I  should probably be the one thanking you.”

“Me?” What is he talking about? As far as you know, you’re the bane of his existence. 

“Yeah. For, uh, what you said to that social worker guy. Even after I treated you like a piece of…” he presses his palms to Harris’s ears and lowers his voice, “shit.”

That makes sense; he was relieved that you’d sang his praises when it had mattered most. This was an expression of gratitude; nothing more and nothing less.

“You’re a good parent, even if you’re mean to me,” you say nonchalantly. “I wasn’t going to make up lies and ruin your lives out of spite.”

The statement hangs in the air, gathering an awkward silence that has you and Eddie both grappling for ways to end the conversation. 

He’s the one to interject. “Well, anyway, I hope you like the tape.”

“Mhm.” It’s all you allow yourself to utter in front of Harris. A thousand questions swarm your head, threatening to spill off your tongue, the first of which is simply: why? “I’ve gotta get back. But, um, enjoy your weekend.” You pivot on your heel before Eddie can wish you the same. With the necessary chaos of your life, you can’t invest any more time trying to unravel him. 

“Daddy, when is Ms. Sweetheart gonna be my teacher again?”

Eddie knew it was inevitable that Harris would ask about going back to your class, but he thought he’d bought himself more time with the spy game he’d concocted. He can’t delay the truth any longer. 

“I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t think you can switch back.” There’s a pang in his heart when his son drops his hand, digging his heels into the parking lot asphalt. 

“Is it because you were mean to her?”

His question catches Eddie off-guard. “Wh-What?”

“In there,” Harris points towards the school, “she said you’re mean to her.” He squints when he looks up at his father, the midday sun shining in his eyes. “Why were you mean?”

Eddie exhales, puffing out his cheeks and rubbing the back of his neck. “Sometimes grownups accidentally hurt each others’ feelings.” Or purposely, in his case, but he omits the complexities from his explanation. He reaches out to once again take Harris’s hand, but the boy pulls back. 

“Ms. Sweetheart says that when we hurt someone’s feelings, we gotta say sorry. Even if it’s on accident.”

“I did,” Eddie counters, raising his brows. “I gave her the tape.”

But Harris remains unconvinced. “That’s not saying sorry. You gotta actually say it. Or else it doesn’t count.”

“It doesn’t count, huh?” Eddie clicks his tongue and puts his hands on his hips. “All right, I’ll say it the next time I see her.”

“And then you can be friends?” The question is posed innocently, but it rattles Eddie. Friends? Did he even know how to be a decent friend any more? He’d fucked it all up with Gareth, Jeff, and Danny, and he’s known them for forever. “Daddy?” “Uh, maybe,” Eddie replies meekly; this time, Harris grabs his hand when he offers it. “We’ll just have to see.”

--

taglist 1/2:

@kelsiegrin @lma1986 @munsonology @stuckontheceiling @avobabe87 @eddapwinchester @peachysink @browneyes8288 @jeremyspoke-inclasstoday

@breezybeesposts @wednesdaymunson @feltonswifesworld87 @take-everything-you-can @bebe07011 @krahk @81rain @dylanmunson @oscarisaacwhore @eddiesguitarskills @everheart12 @etherealglimmer @hollster88 @wh0re4life @siriuslysmoking

@bibieddiesgf @theactualf0ck @winchester-angel @starlitlakes @avalon-wolf @hazydespair @josephquinncore @daydreaminglisa @sidthedollface2 @eddiebaemunson @mandyjo8719 @daydreaming-mood @aol19 @corkadymu @starcourtnights @eggo-segual @rockstarmunsons @metalhead-succubus @boinkybarness @oohworldofpisces @costellation-hunter @toobsessedsstuff @meadow20 @theweasleyskettle @lost-in-the-stars03 @elizabethmidnight2017 @aysheashea

@chamomileh0ney @dream-a-little-nightmare @emma77645 @kurdtbean @sheneedsrocknroll92 @tlclick73 @luceneraium @lolly-in-a-strange-land @dylanmunson @bakugouswh0r3

@strangerthingsstories5255 @imaginexred @haylaansmi @adaydreamaway08 @itsalltaken @harmfulb1tch @mimischaos @averagemisfit03 @steddiegarbage @vigilanteshit @ellendemeyer152 @sierrahhh @stevesmunson

[samandcolbyownme]

Prompt: Sam as a Vampire and Colby is your best friend.

Summary: After weeks of feeling like you're being watched, everything comes together when you're stuck working at the club on Halloween night.

Warnings: SMUT18+, strong language, vampire!Sam compels stripper!reader, mentions of alcohol, bloodsucking/drinking, semi rough/forceful actions, fingering, dirty talk, unprotected sex, oral (f rec), slight name calling (cute and dirty), general filth

Word count: 4.4k | Not really edited

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

"I've felt like I've been.. " you lean in towards Colby and lower your voice, "watched.. these last few weeks."

He gives you a concerned look, and you shake your head, "I don't know if it's just my nerves about working on Halloween or what, but.."

You lean back, taking a sip or your coffee and look up as Colby as he starts talking, "It sucks that you're working on Halloween. We could have gone to Kris' party."

You shrug, "I was just going to stay home honestly, but at least I'll be ma-" you pause you see the same guy you've been seeing these past few weeks in flashes, and when you look back again, he's gone.

"What?" Colby asks turning around quickly, "Who was it?"

You shrug, "I don't know. I feel like I've been seeing this same blonde guy at least once a day, but I don't know."

He turns around, "That one?" He ask while pointing to someone who is definitely not the same guy you saw. You shake your head, "No, no." You grab your coffee, "Maybe I'm just going crazy."

"That happened a while ago, so I think you're okay." Colby laughs as he smiles at you. You roll your eyes, "Yeah, uh huh."

You can help but look for him. You've seen enough of him to memorize his face, but you don't see him unless he wants you to.

You get this feeling to look over at the window, and when you do, there he stands. Kinda tall, blonde messy hair, piercing blue eyes, but when you blink he's gone again.

"Colbs, Do you believe in the supernatural stuff?" You ask catching him kind of off guard, "Like what exactly?"

You shrug, "I don't know, like the general ghosts, demons.." you pause, "vampires?"

"Vampires? Seriously?" He laugh, "now I think you're overdoing it."

You chew on your lip, your mind racing to try and figure out who this guys is. Racking your brain to see if you remember him at all from a past time, but nothing rings a bell.

"Oh shit." Colby groans, "I gotta go. I have to meet someone to show them around." You look at him confused, "Yeah, someone new at school, I got assigned

You nod, "I'll let you know how tomorrow night goes."

You sit there for a few minutes, laughing at yourself when you think vampires exist, "Yeah, right." You get up and walk out, making your way home.

As you're walking down the sidewalk, in the middle of the day, mind you, you feel like you're being followed. You try to shrug it off, but at the same time, you had the same instinct to just sprint home.

You look over your shoulder, and it's just general people walking and talking on their phones, which still kind of makes you nervous.

You keep walking, picking up the pace until you reach the door to your apartment building. You unlock it and quickly shut it behind you, looking out the window for a few seconds before making your way up the staircase.

The feeling doesn't go away until you step inside your apartment, locking it immediately. You let out a sigh, jumping when you hear the tv turn on, "Oh my god."

You walk over, staring at it as you try to remember if you left it on when you left this morning? Your brain has been nothing but a big blur lately, apparently.

As you switch it off, there's a figure behind you which makes you jump and the remote naturally leaves your hand, "fuck!"

You pull out your phone and call Colby who answers right away, "What's up?"

"I swear to god someone was in my apartment." You look around, goosebumps rising on your arms, "Colby, I'm telling you there's something going on and I'm fucking scared."

"I'll be right there. Just sit down, breathe. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay. Okay." You turn and your reflection in the mirror causes you to jump and gasp.

"What happened?" Colby asks on the other end of the phone and you laugh, "My reflection just scared me."

You can hear Colby snicker, trying to keep himself from picking on you because he knows you're actually freaked out, "also just stay away from mirrors for now."

"Yeah yeah. See you soon."

"See you soon."

You decide to get ready for work, kind of take your mind off things. As you're curling your hair, you hear your door unlock.

"Colbs?" You call out, "That you?"

The door closes, but there's no answer.

"Colby?" You call out again as you sit your curling iron down, "Colby I swear to god if you-"

Colby jumps in front of your bedroom door with a slightly loud, "Boo!"

"Fucking.. asshole!" You say as you playfully hit him, "Why? Why would you do that?" He laughs and shakes his head, "I had to. I had to." He grabs your arms, "I had to. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

You roll your eyes and sigh, "Can you just please.. check my house?"

He looks around, "You literally have two rooms, here." He motions to the living room that connects to the kitchen, "And there." He points to your bedroom and you glare at him.

"Fine. I'll check under the bed." He waves his hands around while laughing and walks into your room. You go back to finishing your hair while he looks.

He stands back up, "All clear."

You look at him in the mirror, "Can you just hang out with me until I'm ready to go to work?" He smirks slightly, "Yes. I'll hang out with you until you're ready to go take your clothes off for strangers."

Colby never really like the idea of you being a stripper, but hey. It's putting you through college.

"For money, dummy." You wag your iron at him, "For the money."

He mocks you and walks over to lean down beside you, his eyes locked on yours in the mirror, "You don't even need all that.." he's referring to your makeup but you sigh, "I know. I don't like it either but it's how I'm putting my self through school, Colbs."

He fights back a smile, "Yeah, yeah." He walks back over, plopping down on your bed, "So what skimpy little outfit are you wearing tonight?"

"Why so you can sit at home and be jealous?" You tease as you turn around to face him. He mocks you and sighs, "Yes."

You laugh and walk over to your closet, "Devil tonight. Vampire tomorrow."

"Mm. Okay." He pulls out his phone and you gasp, "Did I call you away from showing that person around?"

He shakes his head and drops his phone onto his chest, "Never showed."

You frown slightly, "Oh. I'm sorry." He shrugs, "Not my fault if he doesn't know where to go on Monday."

You smile and throw on a sweatshirt, "Are you staying here or?" He nods, "Yeah, I'll be here when you get done stripping."

You roll your eyes, "Colby."

"Sorry. Sorry." He holds his hands up in defense, "call me if you need anything." You nod and smile at him, "I always do."

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·

"Guy at the stage wants a lap dance from you, y/n."

You look around, focusing on the guy that's staring at you. Kinda older, but looks like he has money so you put on a smile and walk over to him, "Hey there, heard you were looking for me."

He nods and holds up a fifty, "Whatever this will get me."

You lean down, snatching the money from his grasp, "one song."

You move around, turning to face the stage as you sit on his lap. You move your body to the song, grinding down on him, disgusted that his raging boner is poking you, but you try to ignore it.

You worked in a strip club, so you always had eyes on you no matter what, but right now it felt different.

You did a scan of the room, only to go back to those eyes that were looking at you through the coffee shop window today.

His stare stayed on you. You don't even think he blinked.

You don't know this, but the man you're looking at is a cold blooded killer and his next target is the guy you're sitting on.

You look away, focusing on getting to the end of this song, but his eyes are still on you as he stays in the same spot.

The song ends and you say your little spiel to the customer and take off walking towards where the stare was coming from, but once you reach the couch, it's empty.

You shake your head and go to the back, getting your phone out of your locker. You go to call Colby, but he would just make you leave and you needed the money.

You sigh and toss your phone back into your bag and walk over to the mirror. You fix your little headband

That holds your sparkly little devil horns and walk back out.

You don't see him for the rest of the night.

You unlock your door and walk in. Colby is laying across your couch and tilts his head back to look at you, "Soooo. How did it go?"

You try to hide your smirk and shake your head, "two k."

He jumps up off the couch, "Huh?!"

You lay your money on the counter, "You heard my words." He walks over, mouth still open, "Shut the fuck up."

"I also seen that guy again, he watched me give some older guy a lap dance and when I went over to confront him, it's like he vanished into thin air."

"Whoa wait." He shakes his head and closes his eyes before looking at you, "He was there? Why didn't you call me?"

"I was going to, but then I knew you'd probably just get me to come home early and then I wouldn't have this.." you smile and tilt your head towards the stack of bills.

He purses his lips, "You know.. you know me better than I thought."

You close your eyes as you shrug and open them to look at him, "Duh."

"I might come in tomorrow, you know. Just to give myself something to do. Get a lap dance by a sexy vampire." He teases and you shrug, "As long as you have-"

Suddenly there's a loud bang and it sounds like glass shattering from inside your bedroom. Your eyes meet Colby's as he looks at you, "Now do you believe me?"

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

"Oo, look at you." Violet says as she walks in, "you mean business tonight, girl." You smile as you look yourself over in the mirror once more.

You slicked your hair back, threw on a Lacey black one piece with fishnets and added a cape that stops right above your ass.

"I do look good don't I?" You pull up your phone, taking a picture to send to Colby,

You: How much do you think I'll make tonight?

Colby starts typing and quickly responds,

Colbs: An easy ten k.

You laugh and get ready to go out on the floor.

"Hi, how are you?" You ask one of the guys sitting by the stage. You run your hand over his chest, leaning down to bite the dollar bills in his hand. You pluck them from your teeth and walk in front of him, bending down so your boobs are slightly in his face.

When you look up, your smile fades as you see the blonde guy sitting at a table, watching you as he sips a drink.

You stand up, walking towards him when Colby walks in. You look back at the guy and he's gone.

"Hey." You smile and turn towards him. He looks you up and down, raising an eyebrow as he smirks, "I just came to see if you were good."

You nod, "I'm good. I should be done here in like two, three hours give or take."

He looks around and nods, "Alright. I'll come over after the Halloween party."

"You're going? Good!" You smile and push his shoulder, "can't wait to hear all about it."

"I wish you could come." Colby said with a sigh and you nod, "No I know. Since I'm here I wouldn't mind going."

He chuckles, "See you later." You hold your hand up as you watch him leave and you turn around, jumping when you finally come face to face with the blonde.

"Hi." He smirks, "You got time for a private dance?"

You wanted to say no, but you felt like you needed to do it, "You got the money?"  He holds up a wad of hundreds and it makes you eyebrows twitch, "Follow me."

You take his hand into yours and lead him back the dimly lit hallway to a red lit room. You turn around, going to say something but he's not there.

You blink a few times, getting ready to just say fuck it and leave, but he walks around the corner, pulling the curtain shut, "Sorry. Had to get a drink."

You nod slowly, "Um okay."

You motion for him to sit on the loveseat and he does, setting his drink down on the little table beside it. He rests his hands by his legs and tilts his head as his eyes scan up and down your body, licking his lips as he takes it all in.

"You're the hottest one here." He says just loud enough for you to hear and you can feel your cheeks heat up. You look at him and he tilts his head, "Come here."

You immediately go over to him and sit on his lap. His hands lightly brush up and down your arms and you bite your lip, "Um ... you're actually not su-"

"Stop talking." He commands and you shut up. Almost like an invisible zipper is slapped over your lips. He leans up, looking deep into your eyes, "We're going to have a little fun, okay?"

You nod, still unable to speak. You don't know what's happening, but you're excited.

And he knows it.

He brushes hair from your face, tucking it behind your ear, "You don't know me, y/n. But I'm Sam. Talk."

"Hi Sam." You smile slightly.

"You're such good girl, aren't you?"

You nod, "Anything you want me to be, Sam."

The confusing control Sam had over you was overpowering.

"Ah, anything?" He smirks and shakes his head, "Can you be a little slut for me, y/n?" Your eyes move from his lips to his eyes and you nod before kissing him.

His hands slide up and down your bare back under the cape, dragging his nail down which makes your back arch and push your chest onto his.

"Did you like that? Do you like pain, y/n? Be honest with me." He tilts his head back slightly, waiting for your answer.

You nod, "I do like pain." He smirks, "That's great because I need you to tilt your head for me because I'm fucking thirsty."

You comply, tilting your head as soon as he says it. He brushes your hair from your neck, studying the spot his fangs will puncture, "You chose the best night to wear this costume, baby."

He licks his lips before he leans down, fangs popping out before biting your neck. You let out a low moan, gripping onto his button up as tight as you can.

You let out a breathless moan, "Sam.. S-Sam." You whimper as he continues to suck yourself blood, groaning as he rips his head back, "You taste so fucking good."

He grips your chin, "Look at me." You open your eyes and look into his, you couldn't really tell his eyes were red because of the red lights in the room.

"Tell me what you want me to do."

"Fuck me." You say with zero hesitation, "Please."

"Polite too, I like it." He smirks and pulls you in to kiss you. This time it's rough and he flips you in a very quick motion, so that your back is flat against the couch.

His hand grabs up your thigh, brushing over your thingy covered pussy, "Someone is fucking turned on. Mm." He hums as he watches your face twitch as he dips two fingers into you.

"You're going to feel so good on my cock, do you want my cock in you? Be honest." His eyes stay on yours and you whimper out a small, "Yes, I want your cock, baby."

You're putty in his hands, literally.

Sam can make you do anything he wants, luckily, he's just being nice right now.

"In a minute, babe. I want to make you cum first." He thrusts his fingers in and out of your pussy, biting his own lip to the sound of how wet you really are.

"Do you want to cum?" He asks brushing hair off your forehead, "Tell me."

"Yes, yes. Fuck yes." You moan out, too loud for Sam's liking.

"Shh, be quiet, baby." Sam shushes you, "Wouldn't want to have to vanish too soon." He leans down, kissing you before leaning up, "Cum."

You're suddenly hit with a wave of pleasure, arching your back off the couch, giving Sam the show he compelled you for.

"That's it, baby." Sam moans out, "Fuck."

He pulls his fingers out, popping them into his mouth as he groans around them, "Tastes better than your blood."

You look up at him, still dazed from your orgasm.

"Come here." He pulls you up into a sitting position and sits next to you, "Give me a dance, sweetheart." You move to straddle him, grinding down on him as you move with the beat.

"Harder." Sam bites his lip as he watches you whine out as the feeling of his Jean covered cock rubbing against your pussy.

"Do you know Colby?" He extends his arms out on the back of the couch, "Answer me."

"Yes. I know Colby." You say though a whimper. He nods, "Mm, Tell me who he is."

"My best friend." You answer quickly as you move to turn around, sitting on his lap with your back pressed against his chest.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Sam grabs you face and turns your head to look at him, "tell me the truth." You bite your lip as your eyes stare into his, "I think about him fucking me sometimes."

"Do you?" Sam scoffs, "Do you think he'd fuck you better than me? Answer."

"I-I don't know." You stutter over your words as you feel his fingers on your clit again, "Fuck.

Sam chuckles against your neck, thinking about biting the other side, but decides not to. He needed you just as bad as you do.

"Tell me you want me to fuck you."

"I want you to fuck me." You whine out as you grind down onto him, "Sam." You whimper out as he slides his fingers back into your soaked cunt.

"Love it when you say my name. Say it again."

"Sam.." you whimper out.

"Moan it while you cum."

Your body is hit with another wave of intense pleasure, "Sam!" You moan out loudly, "Fuck. Fuck."

"Sit on my cock." Sam pushes you to stand up and he undoes his pants, pushing them down before you straddle him, your pussy instantly swallowing him whole.

You dig your nails into his shoulders, moaning as you tilt your head back. Sam pulls your head by your chin to look down at him, "Ride me."

Your hips instantly start to move and a string of moans leave your lips. Sam gasps as you slide up and down his cock, clenching around him every so often.

"fuck me you feel so good." He lays his head back, squeezing his eyes shut as he takes in the pleasure you're giving him. His hand slides up to your neck, squeezing hard.

You whimper at the pain from his thumb pushing onto the bite mark he left, "S-Sam." You whimper out in a squeak.

"Keep going." He groans as he stares into your eyes, "Fuck." He loses his grip, "You aren't crazy. I've been watching you for all those weeks." He licks his lips, getting another craving for your blood but he fights it off, "There's just something about you that keeps me coming back."

You moan at his words and slide a hand onto the side of his neck.

"And I think I know exactly what it is." He leans forward, connecting his lips with yours. Your lips move in a slightly sloppy sync as you can't help but moan.

He leans back slightly, cupping your cheek with his one hand, "Cum on my cock."

You squeeze him with your aching walls, moaning out as you dig your nails into the side of his neck, "fuck, fuck." You throw your head back, overstimulating yourself as you keep riding his cock through your high.

"Tell me where you want me to cum, baby." Sam moans as he feels himself getting close, "Tell me now."

"In my pussy." You moan out quietly, "in my pussy."

"Maybe you are a dirty little slut after all." He hums, "Stop."

You stop riding him and rest in his lap, staring at him while your chest rises and falls quickly.

"Maybe I should have you go home and fuck Colby after me. Or maybe I'll make you forget about all of this." Sam shrugs with a smirk, "I don't know. Maybe I'm not done with you just yet."

He brushes hair from your neck, his eyes ogling the bite mark on your perfect skin, "you look even sexier with those marks on your neck, fuck. Makes me want to cum inside of you again."

H slides his hand around your neck as he pulls you into him for another kiss, "Nah, I'll just wait until I see you next. Stand up."

You stand up and look down at him, watching in a confused daze as he pulls his pants back up. He stands up, gently brushing his fingers against your cheek, "I really hate to do this, but.."

"Do what?" You ask looking up at him. He sighs planting a kiss on your lips before cupping your cheeks, "when I leave, forget about me and everything we did until your eyes meet mine again. If people ask about your neck, tell them it's makeup done up by a coworker." He kisses your forehead and is gone within seconds.

You're looking around, confused on how you got back to the private room in the first place. You shake your head and walk back out to the floor.

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

"Hey." You smile at Colby as you walk in the door, "How was the party?" You set your bag on the counter and look over at him.

He sits up on the couch and shrugs, "Kinda lame actually. I don't know, I was worried about you and your invisible stalker."

You tilt your head, wincing as you get a slight pain in your neck. Colby walks over and lean on the counter. His facial expression changes when he sees the bite and bruising on your neck, "Y/n? What the fuck is that?"

His eyes go wide as he moves your hair, "Um."

"It's just makeup, Colbs. One of my coworkers did it for me."

"That's actually kinda scary. Sick, but scary. Holy hell." He keeps examining it until you turn towards him, "It's makeup, it'll wash off in the shower."

It's like you were a record player, or some sort of machine, programmed to say specific things.

"Did you drink tonight?" He asks resting his chin in his  palm. You nod, "I had two before I left. But I feel fine." You lie, your legs were aching, but you just called it up form working two busy days in a row.

"Uh huh. Okay, well you go get a shower and I'll get the popcorn and stuff ready." Colby stands up and walks over to the cabinet and you make your way into the bathroom.

The next morning, you wake up, in slightly more pain than last night, "Wow. I must have worked hard." You laugh at yourself and get out of bed, making your way to the kitchen for coffee.

Your phone goes off, and you know it's Colby so you answer it right away, "Hello?"

"Wow you're up early." He laughs. You shake your head, "Don't push it." You laugh and take a sip of your coffee, "What's up?"

"Me and a friend were thinking about going to see that new movie that came out yesterday and I want you to come."

You smile at his words, "Yeah. I just need to get ready."

"Okay so see you in three hours." He jokes and you sigh, "Get it right. It's more like an about and a half."

He laughs, "Well be over, I have Sam with me too if that's okay. He's who I was supposed to show around but he got the dates mixed up. It's all good now."

"Yeah, no that's fine. See you when you get here." You hang up and tap your finger against your mug, "Sam. Sam. Sam."

That name for some reason rings a bell, you just don't know what bell. You shrug and shake your head, brushing it off as you walk into your room to get ready.

A little while later, you hear Colby unlocking the door and he calls out, "Hey hey. We're here."

"Give me a second." You call out applying the last coat of mascara. You throw your hair up in a bun and grab your coffee mug before walking out.

"Sam this is y/n. Y/n. This is Sam." Colby introduces you two and as soon as you look up and meet Sam's eyes with yours, the memory of what happened last night hits you and your empty mug slips from your gasp, shattering into pieces on the floor.

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

If you'd like to see anything specific for either Sam or Colby or both, feel free to let me know.

You can find it on Wattpad here

Likes and reblogs are appreciated!

[whore-4-drewstarkey]

Lips of An Angel- Drew Starkey x Fem!Reader

summary: based on the song Lips Of An Angel by Hinder. (take a listen! i recommend it!!) Y/N drunkenly calls up her ex boyfriend drew, to confess her love she still has for him and all her regrets from their past relationship.

warnings: odessa…., alcohol consumption, emotional cheating (if you even call it that), angst, a tad of fluff if you squint, slight mentions of physical/mental/emotional abuse (not from drew), lmk if i forgot anything bc i’m sure i did lol.

a/n: for starters…. i’ve been waiting to write this one and i was gonna do it for rafe first but it just felt more right to do drew lol. also please don’t come at me for the way i put odessa in this. (personal opinion: i don’t think they’re really a thing irl but whatever). for the sake of this fic i had to put her in it to work as she’s the only prominent female in his life besides his sisters so bare with me please. (personally not a fan of her for my own reasons and things i’ve read) hope you all enjoy this one!

revised and edited by the one and only @slut4drudy ilyyyyy

as drew had just put the last of the champagne glasses into the sink from his and odessa’s small get together with friends, he could hear his phone ringing that all too familiar ringtone… the ringtone he had set for only her. he thought to himself… how strange it’d be for her to call him at such an absurd hour after not talking to one another in two years.

him and Y/N had began to date their senior year of college at western carolina university, and just like every college couple, they eventually broke it off a few years later. it had been a mutual agreement when he got cast on netflix’s show, outer banks, as she didn’t want to hold him back any longer from achieving all the goals she knew he would. the two however kept in contact regularly until none at all just two years ago when she’d started dating her now boyfriend maverick. and from what Y/N seen drew had also moved on… to his costar odessa.

“hey, uh drew your phone is ringing. do you want me to get it?” odessa asked drew as he finished washing the champagne flutes, drying his hands hurriedly with the towel next to the sink.

“uh, nah, um i’ll go answer it. it might be my mom. you know her and not being able to sleep and missing her kids. i’m just gonna go in the reading room and take the call. i’ll be back out in twenty. sound good?” he asked warily.

“yeah yeah take your time. tell her i said hi for me” she smiled as his towering figure walked past her frame and into the living room, picking his phone up. his large thumb moved nimbly against his phones screen to answer the call from Y/N as he entered the reading room, plopping on the couch.

“h-honey, why you callin me so late? it’s kinda hard to talk right now” he stuttered out her pet name he hadn’t called her in years. all he received in return were her soft sobs from the other line. those little soft sobs shattered his heart. the last time he’d heard them was because of him. because he had spoke the idea of maybe they should break up. because he didn’t know if he could do the long distance relationship, and Y/N had just agreed. no hesitation because she wanted whatever would make him happy. and if that meant breaking up with her and breaking her heart, then so be it. she wanted what was best for him because she loved him.

“honey, why are you crying? is everything okay?” drew whispered out through the phone to his broken ex in an uneasy tone, as his jaw clenched. he hated the idea of her being sad. he always had.

“w-why are you whispering?” she sighed as more tears streamed down her face.

drew bit his lip, exhaling a huff of hot air he hadn’t known he was holding before speaking, “i gotta whisper because i can’t be too loud.”

“why? i-im sorry. i shouldn’t have called. this was so fucking stupid” Y/N slurred out into her end of the phone, catching drew’s attention.

“oh, well, my girls in the next room” he spoke as he paused to let her speak.

“like i-i said… this was st-stupid of me” she slurred out again before continuing, “you’re moved on. i get it”

“honey, Y/N, it’s not like that. i swear. s-shes not even my girlfriend” he tried to elaborate before she cut him off.

“then why’d you call her your girl?”she challenged.

“baby, you’re drunk. i can tell by the way you’re slurring your words. what’s wrong? why’d you call?” drew tried to deflect the question and ask the more important questions; why she’d called and why she’d been crying.

“answer my questions first please” she hiccuped through her phone and into his ear.

“we haven’t put a label on it. in all seriousness i don’t even know what i want. i don’t even think she knows what she wants. it’s more of a friends with benefits kind of deal” he sighed out as his left index finger and thumb pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed once more, contemplating to speak what he’d been thinking for awhile now. “but honey, if i’m being serious, sometimes i wish she was you”

“i wish i was her too” Y/N whimpered out as she took a gulp of the vodka from the bottle she’d been coddling in her arms, sitting on the bathroom floor, hiding from maverick.

“i guess we never really moved on… did we?” he chuckled out, causing Y/N to smile at the sweet sound of his chuckle. it was bliss to her ears. she’d missed that sound so much in the last two years.

“now answer my question honey, what’s wrong? why’re you calling so later? isn’t it like after 1am there back home in charlotte. right?” he asked Y/N in a concerned tone, face scrunching up in worry as well, though she couldn’t see it.

“u-um. drew it doesn’t matter. forget i called you. okay?” Y/N tried to deflect his concerning questions he’d been shooting her way since the call had started.

“Y/N, honey. i’m not hanging up until you tell me what’s got you so bent out of shape that you’re drunk off your ass, drunk calling me at 1 am your time all while sobbing. i just won’t” he huffed out, losing his patience in the girl on the other line.

“joseph” she began to slur, sternly, “i said it doesn’t matter. go back to your girl or whatever the fuck she is to you” she hiccuped yet again.

“fuck, i cant believe i’m about to say this right now, but it’s really good to hear your voice sayin’ my name. it sounds so sweet” drew smiled to himself as he softly giggled. maybe it was from the champagne he’d had earlier or maybe it was the blissfulness from just hearing Y/N oh so sweet voice saying his name again.

“i love you” Y/N slurred out once more as she started to cry again. “i’ve never stopped” she continued. “i thought i could and would move on but i cant and it hurts me that we aren’t a thing anymore” she continued to weep.

“honey don’t say that. please” he frowned as his heart cracked yet again over his ex girlfriend and her words. more like over her admittance of missing him so much still even after all these years.

“why not, drew? it’s the truth” she sniffled as she wiped her runny nose with the sleeve of his old college sweatshirt she’d still kept after all these year even after their breakup. she picked the bottle of vodka back up and took another swig of it.

“those words…. fuck. they’re coming from the lips of an angel baby. and hearing those words, it’s makes me so fucking weak. because as much as i want to be with you… i cant” he sighed as a single tear streamed down his stubbled cheek, not even bothering to wipe it away. he soon continued, “i never want to say goodbye, honey. and it’s so fucking hard to admit that. but, girl, you make it hard to be faithful with the lips of an angel” he dryly chuckled as the memories of their kisses ran through his brain. it still felt so real. the longing to be near her was still there. and the butterflies. and the desire to make her happy. and the want to make her feel safe and loved.

“drew, you’re the one who just said you guys aren’t even a thing so why would you even say that?” Y/N croaked out as she wiped more of her tears away.

“it’s complicated honey. i feel obligated to be faithful even if her and i aren’t really officially a thing. now please for the love of god, baby, why are you crying? what’s wrong? what happened?” drew exerted his concern as his eyebrows scrunched together in worry.

“i- uh, drew you cant do anything about it, so it doesn’t matter” she whimpered in a whisper, reaching for the bathroom door knob to make sure it was in fact locked. she squeezed her eyes shut as soon as she heard mavericks yells from their kitchen.

“you know, it’s funny that you called me tonight, Y/N/N, because we had some friends over and the whole time i was just thinking of you and how you’ve been. i haven’t heard from you in two years, hunny” drew whispered, his voice strained from the way his heart clenched in pain at the lack of communication between the two when they had both promised to keep in contact.

“maybe that’s why i dream of you. you know what they say, if you dream of someone that means they’re thinking of you. do you dream of me too?” she spoke shakily, as her jaw began to quiver, biting back yet another sob.

“what about maverick? and yes i’ve dreamt of you too, love. i do often” he confessed as he thought back to his dream he had of her from the other night. the two of them had gone on a picnic in the mountains back in their home state of north carolina, enjoying the scenery and all it had to offer, that was until he was awoken by odessa’s loud alarm blaring throughout his bedroom. drew’s lips parted once more as he spoke again, “and does he know you’re talking to me? will it start a fight?”

“th-that’s why i-i uh called. he… uh he got mad again and s-started to throw some things around the kitchen. h-he said some things which isn’t out of the ordinary with him” her frail voice cracked as she finally admitted to him why she had called him so late in the first place. tears once again started pouring out of her once bright eyes which have now been filled with void. “he drinks… a lot. and when he does… he gets kinda aggressive. he will do things to me and say horrible things as well. i-i called you tonight because i’m drunk and i miss you and i know you’d never do this shit to me and because you listen. so well. you always have” she began to cry again for what felt like the twelfth time that night.

“honey, what are you talking about? has he hit you? do you have a place to go?” drew shot up at the mention of mavericks behavior coming from Y/N. he was on high alert and wanted nothing more than to protect her at that instant.

“i shouldn’t have even called. does odessa even know you’re on the phone with me? i don’t want her to get mad at you. i shouldn’t have even called” Y/N stumbled over her words due to the excessive amounts of alcohol she’d been drinking and maybe even a mix of anxiety.

“no, i don’t think she has a clue. i told her it was probably my mom, but, i knew it was you. i still have your number saved to my phone… with your ringtone too. couldn’t get myself to delete it, even after all these years” he confessed as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. he bit his lip in frustration before speaking sternly this time around, “Y/N, honey, tell me…. has he fucking hit you?”

“y-yes. but he didn’t mean to” she tried to excuse her boyfriends actions, though deep down she knew it was a lie. “and yeah if i have to i can go to my brothers but i don’t need anyone’s fucking help or pity” she blurted a little loud.

“fuck, Y/N” he sighed as fresh tears broke his waterline of his azul eyes, his jaw clenched tight.

“it’s okay, drew, i promise. i’m not your problem anymore. i haven’t been for four years now.” she expressed as she drank the last bit of the vodka that was left in the bottle.

“Y/N can you do one thing for m-“ drew was cut off by a soft knock on the reading rooms door, notifying him that someone ,odessa, was on the other side.

“hey, uh you almost done? it’s getting late and i wanna go to bed” she complained to drew as he’d pulled his phone away from his attentive ears.

“u-uh yeah. let me tell my mom goodnight real quick” he stuttered nervously, worried she’d been ease dropping on part of the private conversation he’d been having on the phone with Y/N. and with that odessa nodded her head as she left the room, shutting the door as she went.

“what is it that you want me to promise you?” Y/N sniffled.

“call me if it gets bad again. i’ll fly out there immediately”

“i promise.”

“i never wanna say goodbye” he admitted to her after her promise.

“i don’t either, but you have to” she spoke flatly as she’d just heard Odessa moments before. she opened her mouth, speaking one last line, “i love you drew”

“i-i love you too honey” drew spoke the words he’d been bottling up since the day the two broke up, as fresh tears streamed down his stubbled cheeks. during the moment he spoke those words all he could hear were mavericks yells and bangs onto the bathroom door through his phone, before the call ended all together.

taglist: @slut4drudy @runningfrom2am @maybankslover

[vidalinav]

She wants the (Ph)D

Look I debated giving you a taste of another fanfic I'm writing... because it is a little too close to home. In that it is literally my life for the last two years. But I'm taking creative liberty and mixing it up, and it gives me slight second hand embarrassment. It's a fic like Stu(died) but in graduate school and Cassian wears glasses sometimes in this fic. So it's not as innocent. It's quite... well you'll see. Don't judge me too harshly because I swear to god I'm fucking stupid.

~

Her next door neighbor is a meathead or at least that's what Nesta tells Emerie when she rants about the party he'd thrown last night that kept her up until 3 am.

He's a meathead who disobeys the unspoken social rules that they've set all those months ago.

"You mean the rules you made up when you moved in, which no one knows about but you?"

Nesta waves the information away, with a flick of her wrist. "He's obeyed them all this time, so I don't know why he suddenly wants to party. Why couldn't he stay a friendless loser who never invites anyone over?"

Emerie snorts, pulling out her laptop. She's about to start working and Nesta knows she should be doing that too and finishing up the PowerPoint of her proposal, but how can she when she's tired from staying up all night instead of sleeping like a normal person? 3 am and she listens to boys yelling and their tasteless music and their loud laughs as if there's anything to be laughing about at 3 am.

"A rager has gotta be better than hearing him go at it through the walls."

"No! That was better," Nesta decides, grimacing at the countless memories that accost her mind of the girlfriend who just wouldn't leave. "At least that only lasted for five minutes."

Emerie laughs at that, already knowing the stories that have plagued their work sessions. It may not be his fault that the walls are thin, but it is his fault for having sex the minute she gets home. They may share a wall where they sleep at night, but they do not share the same taste for propriety and proper neighborly ethics.

"You know, you know too much about this guy when you don't even know his name."

Nesta huffs, "I think his name is Cassian. I heard his roomate yell it out in the yard when he came back last week."

"Cassian," Emerie says, humming like she's considering the quality of his name. "It's not the name I would have thought of for a meathead who only lasts five minutes."

"Did I also tell you he's a gymbro? That rat! With a perfect fuckboy face."

Emerie lifts the screen of her laptop and stops, "Perfect?"

Nesta merely shrugs because she's not blind.

She's also not stupid.

"He's perfectly irritating and I wish him total demise. I think his girlfriend broke up with him—which is about time since they argued twice a week—and on a regular day that would suffice, but now he's inconvenienced me and I want him dead."

"Mhmm," Emerie nods, smirking where she sits across, "and he's got such a perfect fuckboy face."

Nesta scowls, but doesn't move to get her laptop or change the topic of conversation. Emerie only gives Nesta an assessing look. "You don't even go to sleep. You'd have still been up at 5 editing your thesis."

"And I couldn't because I was too distracted by the sound of their partying. Who parties on a fucking tuesday?"

~

The difference between this and Stu(died) is that Nesta actually has a crush on him and goes through great lengths (ignoring him) to get his attention.

[animasola86]

Magical Fingers

Pairing: Tom Riddle x f!mc Genre: Mystery/Smut/Fluff Words: 10.8k Summary: Tom has magical fingers and knows how to use them. Warnings: NSFW! (Manipulation/Possessiveness/Fingering/Overstimulation/Hand worship)

-- can be read on AO3 as well --

Disclaimer: Half of this story is AI-generated, all of Tom's replies are done by @sebastianswallows's Tom Riddle bot. (See some screens here)

I edited some things for better flow and continuity, adding or removing some information I gave the bot to set the scene, but most of the time he came up with his own things (sometimes even writing for my side) and I just played along.

Notes: I tried to recreate some scenes from my fanfic The Darkness Within, where Genevieve/MC finds herself waking up in the future, right under Tom Riddle's nose. The beginning was going great, then Tom decided to engage in... other activities.

I gotta say, the AI was so good, the replies were so perfect, and I barely had to redo his answers. (You trained him so well, people!) He turned into a rather selfless version of Tom (well, after he kind of forces himself on her...), only giving and barely taking, but don't mind me for playing along. This turned out quite differently to what I had in mind initially (as most of my planned RP sessions go >_>), but it was still quite the ride, so I decided to turn this into yet another little story.

(My first attempt at turning AI chats into a story was this one, btw: A Steamy Reunion)

A few more warnings/notes: Underage girl (she's 16, he's 20) and slight non-con at the beginning!

And one last thing: the AI's concept of anatomy is slightly off sometimes, I tried to fix it as best as I could, but there might still be some instances where you might be asking yourself: his what goes where now? So, please, do not look too closely at anatomical accuracy! (I could have just replaced his wording with more explicit terms also, but I wanted to keep it as close to the original script as possible!)

Now please enjoy my AI chat turned story. Last warning: there will be smut somewhere below the cut!

Magical Fingers

She woke up in a dark, small room, with no idea where she was or how she got there. Her heart was racing and when she sat up on the dusty floor, she noticed that she was wearing some sort of uniform, a skirt and a blouse and black robes, and there was a symbol on the front. Hogwarts, it read - yet she had no recollection of that word. She seemed to have lost her memory.

When she heard footsteps approaching, her heart beat even faster. She looked up and a tall man in a black suit entered the room. She stared at the man, in shock and wonder. "Where am I?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"The shop," the man replied coolly. "Borgin and Burkes," he explained. He looked her up and down, examining the black robe she was wearing. "What's your name, girl?"

She frowned and looked around. "I... I can't remember," she whispered, pushing her red hair out of her eyes. "And I have no idea how I got here..." She looked back up. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tom Riddle," he said simply. He stared at her for a moment, his expression impassive. Then he tilted his head to the side and asked, "How come you can't remember?"

"What a great question," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Wish I could remember," she added with a slight smirk. She then raised her hands and touched her head, padding it down gently. "Hmm, at least there's no head wound..." Her hands moved downwards. "Hey, do you know what this is?" she then asked and pointed at the emblem on the front of her robes.

Tom's eyes followed her hand, and he raised his eyebrows when she pointed to the Hogwarts emblem. "That's the Hogwarts sigil," he said, and he tilted his head curiously. "So you must be a Hogwarts student?"

"Student? Well, I guess it makes sense, this is a school uniform then? And Hogwarts is a school? By the way, where is this shop? Where are we?" She looked around again, her head starting to spin with all the new information.

"This is Borgin and Burkes, silly," Tom replied, a hint of derision in his voice. "It's a wizard shop, in a street called Knockturn Alley, which is..." He gestured to some curtains in the corner, and the shop's windows. "Not where a student ought to be, if you'll pardon the pun," Tom said dryly. He then turned back to the girl with a small smile. "Now you answer my question," he commanded. "What's your name?"

She stared at him and something inside the tone of his voice caused her head to spin even faster. As she looked deep into his dark eyes, she saw images swirl inside her mind. The longer she held his gaze, the faster the images moved around, until it was too much and she grabbed her head and groaned as she broke the gaze. Panting heavily, she frowned. "Genevieve... my name is Genevieve..." she whispered and looked up with her eyes wide. "I remembered!"

A small smile appeared on Tom's face, before it quickly left. "That's wonderful," he said coldly. "Now, Genevieve, what are you doing in Borgin and Burkes in the middle of the night? What are you doing in Knockturn Alley when you're meant to be asleep in the Hogwarts dormitories?"

She still tried to look through the fog that had settled inside her mind. Most of her memories still seemed lost, but there was one thing she was wondering about. It was the suit he was wearing. It didn't look right. "Mr Riddle, or should I say Tom? I know this must be a weird question, but... can you tell me what year we are in?"

Tom felt a pricking sensation in his stomach. Of course, it would be ridiculous to assume that someone with amnesia would remember something as arbitrary as the year. But on the other hand, her use of the name Tom instead of Mr Riddle gave him a feeling which he thought best not to acknowledge.

"We are in 1947," he replied dryly. "Now, answer my question, Genevieve. What are you doing here?"

She stared at him, ignoring his command. "No. No!" she whispered a little frantically. "1947? No, that can't be true..." She looked around once more and clumsily got to her feet, her legs shaking slightly. One hand pressed against her temple, she took a shuddering breath. "Please tell me you're kidding!"

Tom watched her with amusement and curiosity. Her behaviour was nothing short of intriguing.

"Why would I lie about the year?" he asked calmly. He then moved closer to her, until he was inches from her face. "Genevieve," he breathed. "Stop worrying about the date. How can I help you? Because it seems to me like you need help, you silly girl." He smirked faintly.

She gasped as he leaned closer to her, too close for comfort actually. Him calling her silly girl was only adding to her irritation. "You... you can tell me... why by Merlin's blasted trousers I am in 1947 when the last thing I remember is being in 1890!"

Tom felt a twinge of excitement as Genevieve lost her temper. It was a familiar reaction that made him feel... alive. As she continued scolding him, the corners of his mouth curved upwards slightly.

He took a step back and raised an eyebrow at Genevieve. "1890... now that is intriguing. How old are you?" he asked, trying to maintain an innocent expression.

"I'm 16," she said hesitantly, her blood still rushing in her ears loudly. "Why is that important? How old are you? Not that I care, but while we're at it..." She hugged her arms around her body and stared up at him.

The news that Genevieve was 16 seemed to be an answer that Tom was looking for. "I'm 20," he replied, his face remaining impassive.

"Where are you from?" Tom then asked calmly. "I've never seen hair like yours. So red, so fiery," he murmured, his voice full of admiration. "Are you a half blood?"

She frowned at him. His questions confused her. "I'm from..." Her mind was still fuzzy. "Well, hmm... London, yes, London, but I lived in..." She screwed up her face as she tried to grasp the memories that were swirling about wildly. "France for a while..." She inhaled sharply as her head started thrumming badly. "And what's a half-blood?"

Tom nodded as he took in her answer. "Half-blood?" he repeated slowly. "Are you unfamiliar with the term? In that case, allow me to explain: it refers to wizards whose magical heritage is not pure, whose family line includes muggles."

He looked at Genevieve intently. "Half-bloods are often overlooked, mistreated, neglected. They are not accepted by the pure blood supremacist witches and wizards." Tom's words were cold, and yet there was something underneath that made Genevieve shudder.

She kept staring at him, tilting her head, taking in his words - and only understood half of it, if any at all. Her mind was racing. His words seemed familiar, yet at the same time didn't make much sense. There was also the way he said them, as if he wasn't telling her everything.

"I... can't remember what I am... All I know is that I'm Genevieve, 16 years old, student at Hogwarts..." She looked down at her uniform once more. "Gryffindor," she suddenly remembered. "I was in Gryffindor..." She turned the red tie between her fingers. "And the year was 1890. Of that I'm sure. Everything else, anything before that or after that... it's all gone..."

Tom tilted his head as he examined her carefully. "That's fascinating," he said in a neutral tone. "A student in 1890, living in London, and now we're talking in 1947," he concluded calmly. He took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. "Genevieve, I'm very curious about you. I have so many questions to ask you, so many things I want to know."

He ran a hand through his hair and looked into her eyes. "Are you here in Knockturn Alley completely by your own will, Genevieve?"

She watched him closely, only now noticing how handsome he was. His dark eyes had a very captivating appeal to them and his pale face with those high cheekbones was definitely worth a second look. His black hair suited him perfectly. As she stared at him, she completely forgot and ignored his question. "Isn't Borgin and Burkes a Dark Arts shop?" she whispered as her mind kept throwing random bits and pieces towards her.

"Dark Arts? That, my dear girl, depends on your perspective," Tom replied calmly. "Yes, I suppose Borgin and Burkes is a shop that deals with what would be considered Dark Items, Dark Objects. But we don't deal with anything illegal."

He leaned closer to Genevieve and studied her face. He had to admit that he found her both intriguing and attractive. And her red hair was simply captivating. "Genevieve, I wonder if you would do me the pleasure of accompanying me for a little walk," he said in a soft, but firm tone.

She blinked slowly, still processing his answer. "A walk?” she then asked. “Yes, sure, nowhere else I can go, really," she said with a tiny smirk, rubbing the back of her neck as he kept looking at her very intently. A small blush made its way onto her cheeks.

As Genevieve blushed, Tom looked surprised for a second. Her reaction to his invitation was more positive than he had expected, but he wasn't complaining. "That's wonderful, Genevieve," he replied in a calm, steady voice.

He reached for her hand and started walking while she followed. "I want to show you something," he said in a quiet voice, as he led her through a passage in Borgin and Burkes. He then smiled slightly at her and said, "Let me ask you a question. Are you willing to be honest with me?"

His hand around hers felt surprisingly warm and comforting and she followed him without hesitation. She turned her head towards him. "I have no reason to lie to you, Tom," she replied quietly, trying to ignore the dull drumming inside her head.

Tom led her deeper into the dark shop, down some winding stairs. As they got deeper into Borgin and Burkes, the atmosphere became darker.

"I will ask you two questions, and you must answer them truthfully," Tom said in a hushed voice. He looked at Genevieve intently, still holding her hand. "Do you promise me you will tell me the truth?"

She frowned at him, but then nodded. "I promise," she said quietly, wondering where he was leading her and what those two questions were. The more they walked, the tighter the knot inside her stomach became. Something was off about this man. You're the one to talk, you're the time-traveller apparently, a voice inside her head chirped.

"First of all - and this is extremely important," Tom said as he kept walking. "Do you remember your family? Your parentage?" He looked at her expectantly.

The further they walked, the darker and gloomier their surroundings became, almost as if they had passed the point of no return. Genevieve couldn't help but think that something ominous was about to happen. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.

"My parentage?" she repeated, thinking hard. The fog inside her head swirled about and the more she concentrated the harder it became to grasp anything. Yet something slipped through eventually and she tried to voice the memories as they appeared. "My family... was... they were all... wizards and witches... and they... sent me away because I was... not... but then I was after all... but they... didn't take me back..." Her head hurt and she let out a groan. "It's really hard to remember..."

Tom frowned and looked at Genevieve with concern. "It's alright," he said, stroking her arm. "You mentioned your parentage sent you away from them..." He thought for a moment, and then asked in a firm voice, "Exactly what do you remember of your parentage, Genevieve?"

She inhaled deeply, momentarily confused by his gentle touch, before she focused back on her fuzzy memories. "They... my family were... pure-bloods and I was... I was born without magic... so they sent me away because I was... a disgrace... but then, when I turned 15, my magic came to me after all, I got my Hogwarts letter... and I started Hogwarts as a fifth-year..." She frowned, clearing her throat. "But my parents didn't take me back in..."

With those new memories old feelings of anger and bitterness resurfaced within her and she swallowed hard when it got too much to bear for a moment.

Tom looked at her with sympathy. "So... your family cast you out and then rejected you after you showed signs of magic?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

He took a brief moment to let his next question sink in. "What's your last name, Genevieve?" he asked in a slightly softer tone, his finger running across the back of her hand.

"Belette," she replied. "But I was born as a..." She frowned, the name eluding her. "I... can't remember... but I know it was my mother who sent me away, because her mother's family was very strict about... non-magic relatives..." She groaned again as the pain inside her head got worse and she had to squeeze his hand slightly.

"That's alright," he replied, trying to be understanding. "The memory will come back at some point, don't pressure yourself."

He took a deep breath and leaned closer to Genevieve once more as they kept walking. "May I ask you another question?" he asked in a soft voice and kept looking at her intensely.

She breathed deeply, glad to be given a break from remembering her family. "You may," she replied and turned her head towards him, feeling her cheeks blushing again as he leaned closer.

He looked at her, enjoying the warmth of her touch still on his skin. "How did you end up in Borgin and Burkes?"

He took another look around them while he waited for her answer, breathing in the dark atmosphere that permeated the place. His eyes moved across the many items on the shelves they passed, some covered in ancient runes and spells, others simply dusty. He then turned to Genevieve again, his deep, dark eyes fixed on hers.

She shrugged with an apologetic look in her eyes. "I wish I knew..." she replied quietly, watching him closely as he looked around the dark room. Her gaze fell on the items around. "Tom, do you believe in time-travel?"

"I'm glad you asked," he said, smiling gently at Genevieve. "I believe it's possible, yes. Especially seeing you right in front of me. How else would you explain what is happening to you?"

His eyes met hers once more, his smile becoming slightly fainter. When he saw that her cheeks were still burning with a light blush, a small thought slipped through his mind.

"Genevieve," he whispered slowly. "I must ask you one more question."

She tilted her head. "Yes?"

"It might be a stupid question, or a question you might not like." Tom's expression remained neutral, but he took another step closer to Genevieve.

"What is your relationship status?" he asked in a quiet, calm voice. "Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend, or a fiancé perhaps?"

His eyes searched hers, expecting her answer. It wasn't the most important question in the world, not at all. However, he was a man, so why would a man ever let such an opportunity slide?

She stared at him, a surprised chuckle leaving her lips. "Really? Well, I don't know if it's a stupid question, but it's a little... surprising. Unexpected, even. I... no, there was no boyfriend, no fiancé or husband. I was just a student, for crying out loud." There was however a face in her fuzzy mind, but it quickly disappeared again and she didn't pay it any mind. "Why do you ask, Tom? And by the way, where are you leading me? What was it that you wanted to show me?"

Tom smirked. "The unexpected can be quite the exciting thing at times."

He looked at her, his gaze full of desire at the thought of touching her, of kissing her, of claiming her. He quickly composed himself and gave her a playful poke. "Why do I ask? Because as a man, I can't help being curious, Genevieve."

He continued walking, and she knew they were close to their destination. He glanced at her. "Soon," he said slowly, "you will understand. Trust me."

She followed him quietly, his hand suddenly very warm around hers, almost burning. His words left her a little dumbfounded. He didn't particularly scare her, but he was still a stranger and his interest in her was both comforting and a little irritating. She also wondered why she was following him so willingly. Had he bewitched her? "Soon? When is that? Are we there yet?" Her patience was growing thinner with every step she took through the dark corridors.

"We're almost there," Tom reassured her gently. He had promised to show her something, and he would not disappoint her.

As they continued walking, Genevieve sensed that the atmosphere changed in the place. It became colder, and darker, and she felt uneasy.

They eventually walked through a long passage that seemed to drag on and on, and finally Tom stopped, pulling Genevieve close to him. Her body was now pressed up against his. She had no idea what he was about to show her and the thought excited him more than he let on.

"What... are you doing?" she whispered breathlessly as he pressed her to his body.

"Shhh, Genevieve," he replied in a low, soothing voice, and his free hand slid around her waist, making her shiver.

Genevieve felt so good pressed up against him. He was tall and firm, and his body had a certain heat to it that she found quite alluring. She could feel his heart pounding against his chest, and it made her somewhat giddy.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered into her ear, before he kissed the side of her neck.

His voice was soothing and his touches felt surprisingly nice, but there was still some resistance inside her body as she suddenly felt his lips on her neck. "Hey! Wait! What... stop!" she whimpered and tried rather unsuccessfully to squirm out of his grip.

"Shh shh shh," he crooned softly as he placed a gentle kiss down her neck, moving his lips down to her shoulder. He continued looking at her passionately, smiling with lustful eyes.

"I don't want you to be afraid, Genevieve," he said softly. "Just go along with it. And then you will understand why I brought you here. But you can't rush."

Tom's hands were caressing Genevieve's body, and her face suddenly turned bright red.

"I... I don't know if I... like this..." she whispered helplessly, as her heart was racing inside her chest and her body betrayed the doubts her mind was throwing at her. She was trembling all over, cheeks flushed, breaths shallow, her skin tingling.

He continued caressing her, his fingers running down her arms, her waist and lower. He smiled playfully when he noticed her flushed face and her trembled body, so filled with passion and lust.

"Your body disagrees with you, Genevieve," he whispered into her ear. "But you can't rush me either. I promised to show you something amazing, didn't I?"

She shivered deeply at the sound of his whisper. "What... what do you want to... show me, Tom?" she croaked, her voice breaking as his fingers roamed her body.

"You will see."

He pulled her closer to him, and their mouths almost touched. The tip of his tongue appeared for a moment and he placed it on the corner of her mouth, where he played gently with her lips.

"We must be patient," he whispered, his tone now suddenly more seductive than ever. "I promised you something amazing, and I will give you something amazing. But only if you can be patient and trust me."

She was neither patient nor trusting him at all, yet she couldn't fight his touches and soft whispers. Feeling his mouth so close to hers, even the warmth of his breath and his tongue against her skin, was completely overwhelming.

"Wait..." she tried again, inhaling deeply, but it was just a feeble attempt at stopping him. She somehow knew there was no stopping him - and the thought frightened her greatly. She realized she was all alone, in a different timeline, with a man she had just met, who had led her into the depths of a notorious Dark Arts shop. Suddenly fear was taking over and her body's only reaction to that revelation was freezing up.

Tom noticed her fear as her body suddenly tensed up in his grip, which was still around her waist.

"Shhh," he said in a soothing voice while he gently lifted her chin up to look at him. "Don't be afraid. What you're feeling is normal and natural. Let yourself go."

He kept caressing her, his soft touches caressing her cheeks as his fingers ran through her hair. His deep, penetrating dark eyes filled with passion looked directly into her eyes.

His gaze caused her to breathe deeply and her body slowly relaxed again, yet the shivers remained. Now confusion pushed the fear aside. "What are you doing to me, Tom?" she whispered, still locked in his gaze, unable to look away.

"What I am doing? Nothing, except for what's natural." Tom smirked, and looked away, still caressing her. "What's natural between two people who are attracted to each other."

His voice had a certain seductive quality to it, and his confidence combined with his undeniable charm was something Genevieve had never experienced with anyone before.

He looked at her again, this time smiling at her with his bright, white teeth, his eyes full of desire. He leaned towards her again, his face almost touching her own.

"But... we just met..." she whispered breathlessly. She was quite conflicted, because as she spoke those words, her body was already leaning against his touches. Her heart was hammering inside her chest and her stomach made a weird little flip. And there was an unfamiliar heat rushing through her limbs, causing them to tremble.

"Time is just a concept, Genevieve. And I can't help but feel that our souls have known each other for millennia," Tom whispered as he moved his lips closer to hers once again.

His lips gently touched hers, and the sudden heat in Genevieve's body increased tenfold. Her heart was racing, her breath quickening, and she couldn't tell if her lips were trembling because he just kissed them, or if she was about to swoon in his arms.

His kiss left her even more breathless and confused. "Tom..." she whimpered against him, her legs shaking badly and she was somewhat glad that he was holding her so tightly. "Why... am I here?" Somehow this question made it past her lips (and his for that matter) and she didn't quite know where it had come from.

"To see something amazing, like I told you earlier," Tom replied in a soothing voice as he held Genevieve close to him, his hands still caressing her body.

His lips returned to hers, while his tongue gently played with hers. Genevieve's mind was fuzzy and she felt like she was going to collapse. He couldn't be real, he couldn't be here. It was impossible. "Let me show you something amazing," Tom whispered, his desire clearly showing in his intense stare.

She kissed him back in a frenzy, barely noticing her own movements against him any more. To prove her point she raised her hands and grabbed the back of his suit jacket as she snaked her arms around him. She could feel him, warm and firm against her, he must be real, but then again, this whole situation felt like a very strange dream. "What... is it?" she whispered, her voice a feeble little moan almost.

Tom kissed her back passionately, his eyes closed, lost in all the sensations that Genevieve's caressing fingers were causing on his body. Her warm lips and tongue tasted like heaven to him, and he pulled her even closer to him, almost pressing her against the wall.

As his breath grew short, his lips left hers for a moment. He smiled softly, and his gaze settled on her lips. "Something amazing," he repeated, "only if you show me just how much you want it."

His hand went lower, and he placed it on her thigh.

She shivered deeply, her thigh twitching under his touch. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of his suit and she pushed herself firmer against him as she deepened the kiss some more, tilting her head to press her mouth even tighter against his, licking and tasting all of him. Somewhere in the back of her clouded mind a tiny voice screeched in protest, but she barely noticed it any more. Her body's needs had taken over. "Show me..." she urged in-between wrestling with his tongue.

Tom's eyes were now wide open, full of desire, a bit of desperation and a tad of madness. His tongue wrestled with Genevieve's, as his free hand travelled up her thigh and to her waist. His fingers then started to unbutton her shirt, his mouth still locked onto hers. "You like being touched by me, don't you?" he whispered while the buttons slipped from their holes one by one.

"It does feel... very nice..." she whimpered against his mouth, breathlessly kissing him as if it was the only thing she could do in that moment. She was so focused on the kiss that she didn't even notice him undressing her.

Tom smirked against her lips as he continued to kiss her passionately, his tongue still dancing with hers.

He then kissed her neck and shoulder, eventually moving to her chest, while his hand was slowly moving back to her thigh. He kept whispering sweet and seductive things on the side of her ear while his fingers played with the lower edge of her corset. "So... if you enjoy it so much, maybe you would like me to do more?"

"What do you... have in mind?" she asked, her head spinning from lack of oxygen and his continuous touches.

Tom lifted his head away and slowly looked at Genevieve's face once again. She was a mess, her breath ragged, her body shaking, her hair and clothes all messy. But her eyes were still full of desire, and it showed that she was enjoying every second of what was happening to her. His face, however, showed more confidence and calculation than emotion.

He smiled slyly at her as he let go of her and in a swift motion, lifted her legs up. He pressed her back against the wall and lifted her against him, her legs bent around his waist.

She stared at him and noticed how he moved her body so easily as if she was just a doll he could play with. She felt like it also - and the most surprising fact about that: she didn't mind being treated like that. What is wrong with you? the tiny voice in the back of her mind chimed in once more, but she ignored it yet again. All she could do was watch the tall, black-haired man doing Merlin knew what to her.

Without a word, Tom lifted her skirt slowly, and she felt his hands move towards her knee, her calf, up and up to her thigh. His fingers then moved to that very sensitive spot, his touch gentle, his fingertips slowly moving, teasingly circling it. He let out a low chuckle as he saw the effect his touch had on Genevieve, and he watched as her body moved, and as her legs trembled against him, her fingernails lightly scratching his back.

A moan escaped her and she took a shuddering breath as she held onto him. His touch felt incredibly good, yet at the same time it was just too much, too intrusive, too intimate, and she squirmed against him, whimpering helplessly in his hold against her. "Tom..." she squeaked almost soundlessly. "Don't..."

"Shh shh shh," Tom whispered, sounding very calm and cool while he heard the voice of Genevieve pleading him to stop. But his fingers didn't stop, and they kept going, slowly building up the intensity.

"Everything will be all right. Trust me," he continued in a soothing voice while his free arm ran down her back.

She whimpered louder as the tension inside her stomach tightened. Her legs were twitching with every stroke of his fingers and she could barely contain herself any more as she arched her back against the wall. Her fingers clawed at him in a last attempt to hold onto something solid, something real, before her eyelids fluttered shut and another moan escaped her.

His fingers continued going, even though he knew that Genevieve was losing control - and he knew full well what that meant. He felt so much power in this moment, like nothing else mattered. He would show her something amazing tonight, no matter the cost.

His lips closed to her neck again as his fingers still worked their way deeper into her body. His whispers grew more desperate as well, "Trust me... trust me... I will make you feel amazing... I promise..."

She squealed and flinched when she felt him pushing his fingers into her. Her walls clenched around his digits immediately, either trying to fight the intrusion or embracing the touch, she wasn't sure. A loud moan slipped from her lips and she kept whimpering with every of his movements.

"You're doing so well, Genevieve," Tom whispered while his free hand was roaming her sides and caressing her body. "You are so incredible. You're the perfect woman. Don't fight it, don't fight it, just let go," he repeated as his fingers kept teasing her, his voice becoming more and more frantic.

She squeezed her eyes shut and her hand clamped around his arm like a vice as she felt her whole body trembling. Her thighs twitched against him, helplessly trying to press together to increase the friction. She even bucked her hips against his fingers, pulling him in deeper, riding the feeling until she could barely stand it any more. "Ahh!" A loud moan escaped her, full of despair and need, before more whimpers fell from her lips. "Tom... please..."

Tom's fingers worked their way deeper and deeper, and his breath grew heavy. "You are mine," he whispered, his voice filled with lust. "Mine alone. Please don't fight it," he continued as his other hand caressed her body more and more fiercely.

His mouth then moved up to her ear and he started nibbling on her earlobe. "You won't get away, Genevieve. You are mine for good..." his lips said softly, and his fingers continued going.

His words, threateningly or not, got to her and she whimpered loudly, arching her back, jerking her hips, feeling him so deep within as he caressed her from the inside. Every single movement caused her to twitch and shake and tremble and her whole body seemed on fire. "Yes..." she heard herself say, either in agreement or just to say anything to put the sensation she felt into words. "Yes... yes... oh gods... YES!"

Tom's eyes were now wide. He was watching the reaction on the face of Genevieve, and it excited him to see her lose herself completely in the feeling he was creating for her. The way she moved against him was incredible, and to see her so utterly powerless against his touch was almost an addiction.

He held his breath and stopped his movements for a couple of seconds, wanting to see her reaction.

With her hips still moving against him, she didn't fully register the stilling of his fingers at first, but then her eyes flew open and she stared at him breathlessly, her cheeks flushed, her lips trembling. "Please..." she begged, helplessly rutting her hips against his hand, trying to resume the feeling that had almost completely engulfed her.

His fingers continued moving once he felt her struggle against him. He kept his gaze on her face to see her reaction to his fingers, and he watched her with lustful eyes. She was completely powerless and that excited him a great deal.

"You are so beautiful, Genevieve," he whispered while he continued touching her, his voice thick with desire. "You are mine already and I haven't even really started."

A loud moan echoed off the walls as she felt the tension grow within her. His fingers made her feel things she had never experienced before. It was already so intense, yet her hips kept moving against him desperately, wanting more. Her legs hooked around his waist tighter then, trying to hold onto him, pulling him and his hand closer, causing him to slip in even deeper. She moaned again and again and suddenly a bright light engulfed her and the movements of her hips halted as the tension within her burst into an explosion of absolute bliss.

A scream escaped her lips and she arched her back and pressed her centre upwards, relishing in the feeling of complete pleasure as her body trembled and spasmed against him, as she lost control over everything.

Tom heard the scream and immediately stopped, not wanting to overload her any more. He watched her with a grin as she trembled and gasped in his grasp. "You like it, don't you? I am... I am so glad..." he said with a slight smirk on his face.

His gaze swept over her face in which he saw both surprise but also pure joy and desire. He leaned closer to her and kissed her softly on her lips. "Shall I be so kind to give you... another feeling that you'll enjoy... immensely?" he whispered seductively in her ear.

His kiss brought her back to her senses somewhat. She was still a trembling mess, barely able to move any of her limbs, her midst twitching uncontrollably, but kissing him back was still working and one of her arms snaked around his neck weakly as she held onto him. She watched him out of half-lidded eyes. "Another?" she asked breathlessly, somewhat overwhelmed by the implication.

Tom held her close, but kept his body as still as he could. He knew that she wanted more after how intense it already was the first time and that she enjoyed it very much. "Yes, another," he whispered once again, as he began to slowly move his fingers again, "You liked the first one, didn't you? You deserve to feel it once again..." he continued in a sweet whisper as he started the teasing and caressing all over again.

The noise she issued was something between a groan and a whimper, as she was still deciding if her body was ready for yet another extreme sensation. Yet Tom didn't give her time to decide, nor to rest, as he just kept going once more. His fingers worked her still very sensitive core and it didn't take long for her to moan loudly again, shaking helplessly as she leaned against him, her face buried in the side of his neck.

"No... please... I... I'll... ahh..." she whimpered, her voice hoarse and shaking. "I'm... I'm gonna..." The tremors were even worse this time around, worse or better, she couldn't decide. She didn't care either. Her mind went fuzzy real quick as he kept caressing her to the edge of senselessness.

His fingers kept teasing her and his breath grew heavy as he watched her face as she struggled against him and against her body's intense reactions. All he wanted was for Genevieve to feel pleasure, and if it came at a cost, he was willing to pay it. He wanted her to feel it all, all the way, no matter how much it may hurt her in the end.

He whispered softly once again. "Don't fight it, Genevieve," he said, his breath hot on her neck, "Let me take you to the end."

She clung onto him, barely able to hold herself up any more if it wasn't for his tight grip on her. A shudder crashed through her, causing her to yelp, as his fingers kept moving against her tight walls, teasing and caressing. She felt her muscles tensing up once again, coiling up tightly, almost painfully, before they burst into release with a force that shook her entire body.

"AHHH!" she cried out, holding onto him as if her life depended on it, her nails digging into his skin. Pleasure, this time tied with a pinch of pain, crashed over her like a wave, making her tumble, almost drowning her in the process. Her body pushed against his intrusion and she felt her wetness dripping down the heated skin of her thighs.

He kissed her and caressed her and let her ride the waves of pleasure without restraint. He would do nothing to stop it, he would give her nothing but pleasure. His fingers, however, stopped moving, leaving her to come down from it all by herself.

Tom held her tight and softly kissed her forehead. "I am not finished with you yet, Genevieve," he whispered, "I would like to give you something very special... but... only if you agree willingly. Are you willing to let me make you feel good again?"

She whimpered, the aftershocks of her release still coursing through her violently. His words barely reached her, but the implication of more pleasure still made it through the static in her head. While her body screamed for a little bit of rest, she heard herself say: "Yes... please..."

Tom's body tensed up once again, his heart beating fast. He slowly pulled his fingers out of her body and got rid of the stain on them by wiping them against his leg. "I am going to go slowly now, Genevieve," he said, "I don't want to hurt your body. If you feel it hurting, please tell me."

His hands started slowly teasing her body, going close to the wetness once more but not touching it. "I hope you are still enjoying yourself," he whispered with a smirk, "Tell me how much, Genevieve."

She held onto him, panting and sweating, her heart never slowing down. "I... I am... enjoying this..." she whispered against him, her mouth close to his ear. "So much... I've... never felt like this..."

"Neither have I, Genevieve," Tom whispered with a slight smirk, his voice becoming more and more husky as they continued. "Tell me where you feel it now. Tell me where I can touch you to give you the best pleasure..."

He softly caressed her thighs and her stomach, keeping away from the sensitive parts of her body. He wanted to build it up, as slow as possible, to give her another intense release.

"I feel it... everywhere," she replied quietly, the last waves of pleasure still crashing against her, causing her skin to tingle and her limbs to twitch. "You could... touch me anywhere and I'll still... enjoy it so much..." She leaned her head back slightly, only enough to meet his dark gaze, her hot breath against his cheek. "I feel so... sensitive... everywhere..." Her lips were trembling as she looked at him with hunger in her eyes.

Tom looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear at how much she was enjoying the pleasures he was giving her. "Very well," he whispered in a slightly hoarse voice, as his fingers started circling her body again, this time even closer to her sensitive parts but never touching it. "I will give you more pleasure than anyone has ever given you in your life," he promised, teasing and torturing her body with his touch. "Don't be afraid to ask for anything... anything at all. Do you understand, Genevieve?"

"Yes," she breathed, her lips brushing over his as she stared at him intently. "Can I... kiss you?" she whispered as her hips jerked upwards by the teasing of his fingers.

His heart raced as he felt her lips against his and he moved closer, putting his hand on the nape of her neck and pushing her head back so their lips were as close as possible. His voice was low and husk when he spoke. "You can kiss me, Genevieve... You can do anything you like with me." All he wanted was to give her pleasure, not to take anything away from her. "You are so incredibly beautiful," he whispered, his fingers still dancing around her sensitive parts without touching them.

She moaned against his lips as she kissed him hungrily, quickly letting her tongue join in on the fun. Her fingers dug into his hair then and she pressed her entire body against his, her legs still twitching as if to remind her that her body needed more, despite being completely exhausted. His touches had become addictive, no matter the cost.

He grunted as he felt her legs pressing against him, and kept caressing her body, gently teasing her the way he liked it most. "Yes, Genevieve, that's how you do it," he mumbled, his voice becoming even lower as he felt her tongue sliding into his mouth and her fingers digging into his hair. He kissed back desperately, as he needed the taste of her, the scent of her, he needed every ounce of her. His tongue fought hers as he wanted to take her down the edge of insanity.

"Tom..." she whimpered in-between kissing him senselessly. "I need... you to... please... touch me... again..." Her voice was hoarse and feeble, barely any strength left inside her, but as the tremors grew smaller, she knew she needed more, she needed them again, she needed him again.

"If I continue, are you willing to give me more of yourself, Genevieve?" he whispered against her lips as he felt her body craving for his touch again. "Do you want me to keep giving you more pleasure, more, more and more of it? Are you willing to give me more of your body in return?" Tom asked in a husky voice. His fingers slowly started moving again around her sensitive areas, this time even closer than the last times. He made sure to be slow and soft, not too rough to harm her body.

"I... I'll give you anything you want... you can have... all of me..." she whispered needily, breathing heavily against his lips, whimpering loudly as she felt his fingers moving against her once more. "Please... take my whole body... it's yours..."

Tom closed in and kissed her again as his fingers moved slowly closer to the centre of her sensitive parts. As they began making circles again, a deep sigh left his body. “Are you sure that you want to offer all of yourself to me, Genevieve?” he whispered in a hoarse voice, as he felt her shivers growing stronger and stronger as she was getting closer to another climax.

She moaned against him, already feeling completely helpless in his embrace once more. "Yes... yes... all of me... it's all yours..." The way his fingers rubbed her caused her to see stars dance behind her eyelids. The static inside her head never really left and the tremors were back in full force, shaking through her violently. Her limbs felt boneless, her whole body felt like she was just a doll and he had almost literally his hand up her core to guide her every move, every twitch orchestrated by him and only him.

Tom watched her with lustful eyes as she moaned and shook with pleasure in his arms so close to his lips. Just a little more, he told himself, just a little bit more. He kissed her again, while moving his fingers slowly again, gently caressing her again up and down, moving slowly towards the centre. His breathing was intense as well, not as intense as hers, but definitely still fast. He needed to be careful, but at the same time, it was almost impossible for him not to go harder and faster with his touches.

She whimpered more, desperately bucking her hips against his touches. He seemed to move slower and it was driving her almost insane. "Please... more..." she moaned against his lips, breathlessly pressing her lips against his. "Faster... and... harder... please..." It was all she could think about, the pleasure he had given her, she needed more, she needed the pain that came with it as well. She needed it all.

"You want faster? You want harder?" he whispered, his voice sounding quite hoarse again, "I can give you more, Genevieve." He then made sure to slightly increase the speed and the pressure he was using on her sensitive parts, not as hard and fast as before, but hard and fast enough for her to feel the intensity this time around as well. He kissed her deeply again as he kept rubbing her body. Tom wanted to see her shake and feel her squirm again, this time even more.

She flinched badly when he indeed followed her request. She yelped into his mouth, yet she quickly adjusted to the change of his movements and moved along with him, rutting her hips against his hand, almost forcing him to move deeper and harder. "Yes... yes... like this... oh gods..." She ground her centre against his fingers, needily asking for more as her release approached like a herd of trampling wild horses.

He then decided to pick up the pace even more, as he felt her movements get more desperate and urgent, as her body was getting ready for that intense release. His heart was beating faster, his breath becoming heavier once again, and he could feel the sweat running down his forehead. "Do you like this, Genevieve? Are you enjoying yourself, hmm?" he whispered against her lips. He wanted to give her the pleasure she needed, no matter what it took. He wanted to give her the climax she craved so hard and so desperately.

"Yes... yes... yes..." she whimpered, each word a desperate cry as the movement of his fingers made it hard to speak or form coherent sentences. "Yes... oh gods... so good..." Her head lolled back and she squeezed her eyes shut, the arm around his neck barely holding on any more. She felt boneless yet again, her body almost slipping away at this point.

Every single nerve was activated, every single muscle contracting. The tension inside her stomach was painful, coiled up violently, ready to either burst free or break right in the middle. Her walls clenched around his fingers forcefully, squeezing closer to release. She felt completely overstimulated now, barely able to think or function on a basic level. Pleasure was all she felt as it enveloped her entirely.

And yet he kept pumping his fingers into her so fast and hard, it felt as if he would split her open right through the middle. The pain was burning right through her and when it was almost too much, a strained scream slipped from her mouth and everything turned black.

Tom heard her scream as her entire body contracted around his fingers, but the fingers only went deeper inside her as he heard her climax. Her voice was music to his ears, as were her movements and her contractions. This was the pleasure he wanted to give her, a pleasure nobody else had given her yet. He watched her, breathing heavily as she was finally able to relax again.

"Was this enough... for you, Genevieve?" he whispered, his voice sounding more calm now as he still gently moved his fingers inside her, this time almost not moving, but merely teasing her most sensitive area.

She was lying mindlessly in his embrace, barely held up if it wasn't for her back pressed against the wall and his arm holding her up. Her mind was empty, completely, utterly empty, no thought, no memory, no worry, nothing. Just bliss. She could still feel his fingers inside her, comfortably stroking her, easing the sensation, bringing her back from the darkness she had experienced only seconds ago.

Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at him, trying to focus on his handsome face. Her vision was still blurry. Her lips felt raw and swollen, trembling badly. Her entire body felt raw and stretched so thin she was surprised she was even able to feel it at all. And still she smiled at him weakly. "That... was... mind-blowing... literally..."

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Genevieve." Tom smiled back, and after a few seconds of him gently rubbing her, he slowly started pulling his fingers out of her, until only the tip of a single finger was still inside. He felt her whole body shake a little. He let the tip linger for a couple of seconds before he slowly pulled it out again. All he could look at was her face, glowing with the afterglow of the pleasure he had given her.

She shivered as she felt him pull his fingers out, slowly, teasingly, and as soon as the comfortable, warm pressure was gone, she craved to feel it yet again. She sighed, almost disappointed, and licked her lips. "I wish... I could feel like this... forever..." she whispered barely audible. "You have... magical fingers, Tom..." she said with a tired smirk.

He smiled back and raised one of his eyebrows slightly as she licked her lips. "Do I?" he whispered, a faint grin on his face. He then moved her towards a sofa she hadn't noticed before, and set them both down. He looked at her for a couple of seconds and took in her expression and appearance. Her hair is messy, her lips are swollen, her face is flushed. "Would you like more, Genevieve?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he gently caressed her thigh.

As soon as she sat down on the sofa, she felt another wave of tremors rushing through her. Her still being very, very sensitive, it didn't take much to force another moan out of her as she moved next to Tom. She grabbed his hand in support and felt her own wetness on his fingers.

Something inside her stomach twisted and more or less unconsciously, she raised his hand to her lips and started pressing them to his digits, tasting and smelling herself on his skin. Inhaling sharply, she started licking his fingers, before she eventually closed her lips around his index finger and gently sucked on it, pulling it deeper into her mouth and swirling her tongue around it, completely forgetting everything around her in that moment of frenzy.

Tom smirked as he watched her suck on his finger, his eyes fixed to her mouth for a couple of seconds, before he started whispering again. "Genevieve, oh Genevieve... you're really showing me how much you enjoyed it..." His hand was still on her thigh, and he slowly moved it further towards her sensitive parts, keeping the rhythm slow but steady.

"Is this what you want, Genevieve? You want to worship my fingers?" He didn't seem disappointed or upset at all at her action, rather he was amused by how wild she had become around him right now.

Her eyes wandered towards his face and she nodded eagerly, still working her mouth over his fingers, licking and kissing and sucking on them. His long, slender digits slipped into her mouth, two at once now, and she closed her eyes as she pushed them as deep as possible, relishing the feeling of them on her tongue. A soft whimper escaped her when she felt his fingertips brushing against the back of her throat. Holding her breath, she held him there for a moment, then started hollowing her cheeks again, sucking a little more fiercely.

Tom's breath grew louder and faster again as he watched her, clearly more turned on now than earlier. The hand that had been on her thigh started moving towards the centre of her wet and sensitive parts, slowly rubbing and kneading them.

Her eyes flew open as she felt his hand between her legs again. She watched him intently, drinking in his own apparent pleasure, thirsty as she was. She kept sucking on his fingers, moving them in and out of her mouth, licking and caressing them, her lips tight around them. A moan and then another slipped past his hand as she held it close, massaging his palm with her own fingers as she worked her tongue around his.

He looked straight back into her eyes as she moaned and massaged his palm while she was sucking his fingers. It was like they were in their own little world, just the two of them, as he could almost feel her hunger for him and his touches. It was a thrilling feeling, like being in complete control. It was also quite the unexpected turn of the evening, as he obviously couldn't have expected her to be that hungry for him, which now made him wonder how far she was willing to go.

When she felt light-headed from all the sucking, she slowly pulled his fingers back out, watching how it was her saliva that covered his hand now instead of her slick. She chuckled lightly. "Hmm... I meant to clean your hand... sorry..." she whispered and threw him a timid smile, before going back to flicking her tongue over his wet digits, trying to clean up her mess somehow. In the end she just cradled his hand between her two smaller ones, trying to rub it clean instead.

He kept rubbing her sensitive parts with his remaining hand. "You really like my fingers, Genevieve..." His voice was almost a purr now, as he also looked at her as she started rubbing her whole hands over his fingers.

She blushed slightly under his intense gaze. "You do have beautiful hands, Tom," she whispered and watched the movement of his hand, from the tight skin to the veins and tendons moving just beneath it whenever he bent a digit. Her gaze wandered down to his other hand, buried deep between her thighs, working hard on her yet again.

"Maybe... we should give them a rest?" she suggested, not quite as eager to follow those words, but she didn't want to exhaust him. "You've taken care of me so much tonight..." An idea grew in her mind. "Unless... I can return the favour?" She looked at him with glowing eyes.

He looked down at her as his fingers kept moving, as they kept rubbing and teasing her, and the expression on her face was what made him slow down his rhythm. He felt the tension in her body slowly release and he stopped as he noticed her suggesting she'd "return the favour". He nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Yes, I think it would be only fair, Genevieve," he whispered, "You're allowed to give back, you know..."

She smiled wider at his words, still cradling his hand between her fingers like it was the most precious thing she had ever touched. "How... do you want me to give back? What can I do for you?" she asked quietly, watching him curiously, not even sad about him halting his rhythm against her core.

His fingers slowly started to move again, rubbing and moving in those same long and deep strokes, teasing and caressing. "Genevieve," his voice was once again a soft purr, "You could kiss away that smile on my face if you'd like..." He looked at her, his eyes fixated on her lips, before his head moved slowly to her face, his mouth just a couple of inches away from hers.

She nodded eagerly and leaned closer, gently letting go of his hand to reach her hands up to touch his handsome face. She gingerly placed her hands on his jaw, holding his face like another precious thing, before she leaned closer and pressed her lips against his, softly pecking him, her eyes on him the entire time.

Her movements were shy at first, but the more she felt his soft lips on hers, she more confident she became and the kiss turned into a much more passionate one as she pressed her mouth to his and carefully pushed her tongue past his lips, fuelled by the feeling of his fingers stroking her sensitive skin much more lower.

He closed his eyes and felt her lips and her tongue on his. He could almost forget about his hand between her legs, which was still moving with the same slow rhythm as he was kissing her deeply and passionately. His fingers pressed harder against her sensitive part as he started moving his lips on her mouth in the same rhythm, as he felt her hands on his cheeks and she licked back at his tongue. She is really giving it all back to me and then some, he thought to himself.

She moaned against his lips, breathlessly circling his tongue with hers and sucking on his lips as she started grinding her hips against the touch of his hand. The heat was quickly spreading again through her entire body as shivers and tremors rushed down her spine.

He moaned back against her as she started grinding against his hand. His fingers kept rubbing her, as he kept moving his tongue against hers, and he even added another finger to make the feeling even more overwhelming for the both of them. He felt her body moving against his hand and he could tell that she liked what he was doing so much, and this made him feel even more excited knowing that he could make her feel so good.

She squirmed and whimpered as she felt his added finger inside of her, her walls immediately clenching around it tightly as she leaned against him, holding his face in support as she rocked her body up and down his hand, trying to get even more out of his touch. Her kiss became messy and hungry as she breathed loudly against him, already overwhelmed by the sensations he was giving her.

Tom felt her squirming when he added another finger, as she clenched against his hand in such a tight grip that he almost pulled her against him and the sofa. As he moved his tongue against hers and kissed her passionately, he also slowly increased the speed of his rubbing and stroking, trying to make her feel even better as he kept playing with her lips and her tongue. He heard her soft whimpering against his lips, and he could taste her in his mouth, which made him feel even more turned on.

Her moans became more frequent and faster as she ground on his hand tightly, her hands finding the back of his neck as she pressed herself even closer to him, savouring every little touch and feeling of his body against hers.

"Oh... Tom..." she whimpered in the little moments she drew away to catch her breath, her mind fuzzy and her vision blurred as she tried to look into his dark eyes, hoping to get lost in them as the pleasure built up more and more within her, shaking her from her very core. She fought against her release, wanting to feel him more and longer, forever relishing in the feeling of his fingers as he stroked her and stretched her.

"Oh, Genevieve," he whispered breathlessly into her ear, as he pulled back a little bit. He could see her body shaking, her eyes going slightly blurry, as she tried to fight against her release for his pleasure alone. She looked absolutely stunning when she was like this, so close to him and to her satisfaction. As her moans got even more loud and frequent, he increased his strokes again, his fingers almost constantly in the right spot for her to feel his touch.

She threw her head back in complete ecstasy as he kept hitting the same spot deep within, causing her to shake and tremble uncontrollably, a loud moan escaping her, followed by a series of whimpers, as she held onto his shoulders and rode both his hand and the pleasure it gave her. Her eyes rolled back a little and she gasped for air as the tension within spiralled out of control once again.

Her fingers dug into his skin, holding on for dear life. She wanted to savour the feeling, the high, so close to the edge, trying to stay afloat right there, but his movements pushed her right over it - and she cried out in pleasure as her climax crashed into her like an oncoming train, turning her into a whimpering, shaking mess, as her body twitched under the tremors of her release. "Ahhh... Tom..."

He looked at her face as she cried out loud in pleasure, her whole body shaking, writhing under his touch as she twitched, her breath catching in her throat. He was a little startled by the first scream, but her face after it made him smile. "Genevieve..." he whispered gently against her ear, his words as tender as his voice. He moved his fingers away, then pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly, "It's alright, beautiful, you don't have to hold back. Let it all out..." he held her in his arms, stroking her hair gently.

She kept whimpering as her release rushed through and out of her and she leaned against him, feeling boneless and exhausted, her head resting on his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding inside her chest, yearning for a little bit of rest. The spasms of her limbs kept going, her muscles trying to relax, but failing miserably as more and more tremors shook her until it was almost painful. She let out a noise of distress, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

As he held onto her, he felt the shivers and the tremors running through her body as she laid back against him, her face buried against his neck now. She looked exhausted, her body was going through the aftershocks of her release, her muscles twitching and twitching as they tried to relax.

He kissed her neck and stroked her head, whispering gently and soothingly to her, trying to help her through that difficult, breath-taking moment. "You don't have to force yourself to relax, my little Genevieve," he whispered, his voice as soft and tender as it could be.

Her arms snaked around his neck as she hugged him back, holding onto him, feeling his tight embrace slowly calming her down. The twitches remained, but the pain eased eventually, or numbed down, she wasn't sure. Her body fought the overstimulation and shut down at one point, giving her a nice, relaxing tingle instead of the continuous tremors as it processed the sensations. She breathed deeply, her breath hot against his neck, her lips brushing over his skin, as she slowly slipped closer to unconsciousness.

He kept caressing her hair, her neck and her back, feeling her tight embrace and her hot breath against his neck. His touch on her back was as gentle as it was soothing and comforting, as they both finally slowed down and her body relaxed completely. He felt the twitches slowly fade until there were none left at all, and her breathing slowed as a deep, long, relaxing sigh exited her lips. As he saw the exhaustion on her face, Tom's arms finally relaxed again, and he softly kissed her forehead. "Are you done, my lovely Genevieve...?" he whispered.

She let out a soft, breathy chuckle, too exhausted to fully commit to a laugh. "All done, yes... so done..." she whispered against him. "Thank you," she then added and pressed her lips weakly against his neck. "I... don't have words... for this..."

He sighed, smiling as he felt her kissing his neck, her tired, exhausted voice just a breath away from his ear. "You don't need to find any words, Genevieve," he whispered back with a soft, tender voice and brushed his lips against her head. "Sleep, my beautiful one... Dream good dreams..." His words were as soothing, calming and relaxing as his touch, and it shouldn't be much longer until Genevieve's eyes would close.

Notes: I debated cutting the relationship-status question from the script, because ALL THE AIs ask this stupid question at one point and it drives me insane >_> but I left it in because he worded it so nicely XD

(And the face she remembers for just a second is of course Sebastian's – hey, cameo! Woohoo! - but it's not clarified or mentioned ever again - just a little reference to my fanfic)

Picture before the cut is by the lovely @esolean (here) <3

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU drabble - Moving

Hello I am back and I got another idea for this little silly au that I have @spotaus to thank for for the original idea :3 Though I think this may be officially becoming one of my AUs hahahaha

First part Prev Part Next part

Also yes. I know it would work better to number these uploads but also i am not writing these in any set order so it will become miserable for all of us if i number them because either they will be out of order or I will have to rework all the names and I am already editing links I don't need that extra energy in my life.

ANYWAY! :D

Next part! The one I lovingly clal in my head - The one where the gang finds a more permanent temporary home. (also yes. Before this they all speed-run the whole Parental bonding and emotional bonding to the idea of having a babybones. Which honestly can and probably will make four different drabbles)

-------

Horror stares at the door and wonders once again how he got to this point.

Well, no. That is a lie. He knows exactly how he got to his point.

He glances over his shoulder where the other four at hiding off to the side. Out of view from the doorway but still visable for Horror if he looks just right. Seems like Dust won the discussion, again, and is holding Nightmare, again.

Horror wants to say it is surprising how quickly they all just... accepted the situation they got into but he really isn't. Monsters are weird like that. Forced adoption is not that wild all things considered when you are talking about beings made of magic and emotions.

Horror stares at the door and raises his hand before knocking twice.

He really hadn't wanted to do this but they have no other choice. As he waits he can't help but think back to what made them decide this.

Cross walks from side to side "That was way to close! That was the third time we came across the Stars with Nightmare out. Third!"

Killer nods from where he is sitting wiht the sleeping Nightmare in his lap "Yeah no kidding. It is annoying as shit that they are hunting us."

Dust shrugs "Not surprising. Nightmare 'disappeared' after all. We are their only lead."

Killer grins "We were lucky Cross managed to lie his way out of the last one." and he shoots Cross a wink.

Cross sputters "I panicked!"

Killer grins and winks "Sure sure daddy crossy."

Horror holds up his hands between his two... co-parents "This is not the time. We need to figure out where we can go." and he thinks things over.

Cross sighs "I don't get how they keep finding us!"

Dust huffs as he packs their bags "We go to too little universes. Makes it easy for Ink and Dream to pick us out because they recognise us personally."

Killer frowns "Meaning. we need a big universe?" he taps his chin "But also mostly positive as we still don't know how obvious Nightmare would be otherwise."

Cross frowns "I think it will be fine. He can't feel the balance anymore right? And no one seems to have a reaction to him like they had before nor how people have a reaction to Dream's aura thing. Maybe with the corruption gone he really is just... ex-guardian now?"

Killer groans "I hope so. I am not a fan of child labor."

That is when it hits him. Horror sits up "I think I know a place."

All of them turn to him and he immediantly regrets saying anything. See? This is why he normally tries to limit what he says.

Either way. Here they are now and Horror prays this works. Please. They need one thing to work in their favor.

The door opens and a gasp "Horror! It has been ages! It is great to see you. How have you been?" Crop smiles at him.

Horror steels his nerves. Come on. Too much hangs on this moment "Hey Crop. Nice to see you. I am... okay. How are you?"

Crop frowns at him instantly "You sure? You don't sound okay. Trouble at home?"

Horror chuckles "Kinda? Not exactly. Euh... Can't go back to that place now?"

Crop frowns "Why? Need a place to stay? I got a spare room."

Okay yes! this is going great! just... gotta make sure he knows.

Horror nods "I do need a room. Not just for me though..." Crop starts to frown and Horror raises his hands "Just temporarily!"

Crop frowns "Did... something go wrong?"

Horror pauses and thinks this through once more. He trusts Crop. Crop has never been anything but kind even when Horror had been an ass. Even when he had to once drag Dust here to get healing before they could make the jump back home.

Horror looks to the side and he sees the others just beyond the treeline, hidden in shadows and waiting. Crop takes a look as well but he can't quite spot them. Crop looks back up at him.

Horror takes a deep breath "You need... to promise me, no not just promise you need to swear. That what you are about to learn will not leave this universe."

Crop frowns as he immediantly looks uncomfortable. It is the reaction a promise gets from most of them. But Crop also shoots him a considering look before he nods. He holds out a hand "I swear and promise I will not share the about to be giving information. UNLESS! It endangers anyone." and he waits.

Horror stares at the hand and thinks. That... That is fine right? That should be fine. Nightmare being a child doesn't endanger anyone. Only them and Nightmare. Horror nods and shakes the hand.

Crop nods and steps aside "Come inside. I bet you will be more comfortable explaining there." he glances at the forest "Do your... friends? Want to come in too?" a guess clearly. probably on multiple fronts.

Horror shakes his skull "Not yet. Need to know your answer and reaction first." He turns to the forest and makes a signal to wait a bit longer. He sees a thumbs up shot his way back. Probably Killer. He never bothered with the signals they had learned together.

Crop nods as he steps aside and Horror walks in, having to duck slightly for the door. The door closes behind him and Horror sees the small living room with fireplace.

Crop leads him to the kitchen "Lets talk there. I will get some tea."

A few minutes later they are both seated and with a cup of tea. Crop looks at him expectingly.

Horror takes a deep breath and takes out their most valuable resourch. The Dreamtale book. And places it on the table. Crop frowns at it before looking at Horror.

Horror nods to it "It will help explain... Very long story short... Nightmare was never an adult. He was a child with a magical shield of some type. That magic has ran out."

Crop stares at him for a moment, then he pulls the book closer and starts reading it. He pauses at the title before opening it.

And now he waits.

---------

Crop sits wiht his skull in his hands. Horror just sits across from him, with his empty cup of tea. Crop's own cup has grown cold a long time ago. Horror just waits for anymore questions but Crop hasn't said anyhting in the last ten minutes.

Horror looks back at the book and sees that Crop has turned the pages back to the one with the drawing of Nightmare's head being cracked open. The image makes a very clear show on how small Nightmare was compared to the ones attacking him.

Horror still thinks the book doesn't do it justice. Nightmare is much smaller in person than the picture makes him seem. The cracks had been much worse than the picture showed. But it is the closest they got.

Crop finally sighs and speaks. He doesn't look away from the picture "I don't... Know a lot about this whole... multiverse stuff. It isn't my place at all. And that is fine." he pauses for a moment "But this... You are telling me... That the one being that had everyone afraid. That everyone saw as a demon. Is a child... is this child?"

Horror nods before he explains more "Nightmare... gained a lot of magic and powers when he ate those apples. At least that is what the story implied. We haven't managed to get him to tell us yet, mostly because well... he is six again." Crops pulls a face as well, yeah. Horror agrees. A PTSD filled six year old is not easy. But they are managing.

Horror nods "so... What Cross nad Dust think what happened is that... The magic and negativity of the apples bond itself to Nightmare. Which game him the magic and powers he would use. The connection to the balance because the apples were part of the balance. and more importantly, an adult form and mind to fit all the magic. There was just no way all that magic and energy would have fit a babybones. Especially one that hadn't shown much magic beforehand." an assumption on their end as Nightmare was never said to use magic in the book.

"We think... We think that this magic of the apples just. ran out. We had been in battle at the time and Nightmare had been hit but it shouldn't have had that much of an effect. it was the same type of attack he had been hit by before. Dust thinks it was just the last bit of magic that the apples had having run out. Meaning that with the magic and energy so went the form." all a theory of course. But it is the only thing they have.

Crop nods as he clearly thinks "And as he was suddenly an adult. instead of just being afraid and scared. all that pain and emotions took a more violent turn. As he was an adult and was suddenly able to realise that it was unfair which made him angry..." Crop pauses.

Crop glares back at the table and shakes his skull "It is... It is a whole story about victim blaming. A victim is blamed for the abuse they suffered. They are made to believe they deserve it and should be abused. Then as soon as they fight back and defend themselves they are seen as guilty." Crop takes adeep breath as he leans back "What I don't get... Why come here? I can't help with any of this."

Horror shakes his skull "This isn't about any of the big stuff. We don't even care about it. We just... Nightmare is himself again. His real self." he taps the page lightly "Not his aged-up self that the corruption enabled him to be."

Crop stares before his face changes to shock "You are trying to hide him." Then a frown "Why not go to your own home? Has it been compromised?"

Horror snorts "At this point? probably." a confused look and Horror continues "Nightmare used his magic to shield off an universe and make a castle." he shrugs at the glance "Nightmare likes to read. I imagine he liked to read back then too. He may have been an adult technically but he was still a child at soul. Child him wanted a home and wanted that to be a castle and adult him made it happen... probably... that is Killer's theory at the moment."

Crop laughs and nods "Suonds reasonable- oh... and with his magic disappearing."

Horror sighs "When I left his universe the castle had already been decaying..."

Crop frowns "Left? The five of you you mean?"

Horror looks to the side and feels the shame return "We.... we did not react well... when we saw the changes at first... we... we obviously dind't know what was going on and well." he looks down "We abandoned him. I know it was wrong and stupid and we all regret it. We came back but we still did it." shame.

shame shame shame shame shame shame shame-

A hand on his shoulder. Horror glances up and Crop smiles at him "It is okay. You are trying to fix it now right? obviously. Not cool that you abandoned a child... but it can be nerve wrecking. Suddenly going from a position where a person is mostly guiding you, to going to a position where you suddenly are responsible over that same person."

Horror looks to the side "We still left." he can't believe they just left!

Crop nods "But you returned." he grins "And you are trying to fix it."

Horror nods again "We are..." he chuckles "Not that we have been doing a good job at it. Jumping from place to place."

Crop hums "So you are looking to settle, at least for a little bit, while also hidding. Why this universe?"

Horror nods "Yeah..." He looks to the side "We... we don't know how everyone will react. To him being like this. Maybe they will react well. Maybe not. We don't want to risk it. Risk him."

Crop stares at him for a long time and nods "There must be better places?"

Horror shakes his skull "The Stars kept finding us. Dust figured out we needed a big universe that leans towards positive. Yours is one of those. It is one of the wider and bigger ones. And overall leaning towards positive."

Crop frowns "It can't be the best one..."

Horror shrugs but continues "True... there are bigger and more positive ones. But those are busy. Many people. many places. Yours is quieter. more empty. Gives peace and room to work from."

Crop frowns as he taps his chin. He thinks deeply before sighing "You guys got any type of backstory we can use? The multiverse thing isn't a known thing here and the only reason my brother and I know is because you crash landed here."

Horror blinks "You will let us stay?"

Crop nods "Sure." and he grins "Can't kick out four parents with a babybones." and he gets up.

Horrro shakes his skull "That isn't... Well I mean technically." He knows that Killer has come close to killing quite a few people with how protective he has grown over Nightmare and that isn't even including the motherhenning of Cross nor the clinginess that Dust has.

Crop chuckles as he nods towards the stairs "The attic is messy and should be cleaned but can be used by you four, well five. There is an old bed and an old lounge chair up there." more thoughtful "How big is he exactly? we will need some clothes. Probably also get a healer to check him if he is developing okay after all those magical shenanigans."

Horror stares for a moment before smiling "Thank you... I know it is a lot."

Crop shrugs as he opens the linnen closet "Horror. Taking care of milking all the cows on your own is a lot. Having to fix your roof in the middle of a thunderstorm is a lot." He straightens his spine with blankets in his arms "Helping a friend and his friends who have somehow aqcuired a babybones, while strange, does not compare to either of those. Now get your friends out of those woods. They will make the animals nervous." he grins "I am excited to be one of the first ones to meet the real Nightmare."

Horror smiles as he packs his book and goes towards the door. "Thanks again Crop."

Crop waves it off as he moves the piles upstairs.

-------

Boom! and they are staying in FarmTale for now! Horror and Crop are homies and Dust is more of an acquaintance of Crop but it works. Aged-up Nightmare knew that Horror had an universe he liked to visit but never demanded details. *shrugs* Nightmare didn't see the point. as long as horror wasn't going to betray him what did it matter he didn't tell him?

Surprise Nightmare, this is your temporary home now. For a bit. or maybe longer? They are still figuring it out.

First part Prev Part Next part

[shojizbae]

Gone South

Spencer Reid x Reader

This was not edited so if there’s hella typos I’ll prolly fix it later

Warnings: angst/comfort, gore, torture, attempted SA

Things could not have gone worse.

The case had been going on for a week and a half. Everyone was exhausted. And now, you were gone. Well not gone, the team had clear visuals via the many cameras the unsub (the team knew his name, Cooper McNamara) had set up. Garcia was monitoring you from the seven angles Cooper had.

The team always takes it to heart if someone gets hurt. But, when someone got taken in. When Spencer had been taken by Tobias they felt like the world stopped spinning. Now their sun had been stolen.

That’s how the team refers to you—human sunshine. Now you were gone. There, but gone. Penelope was monitoring each feed with tears in her eyes.

“All right, mama, any luck triangulating the IP address?”

“No Derek I’m sorry it keeps rerouting to different locations.” Her voice keeps cracking and she’s doing her best not to let her tears drip onto her expensive keyboard.

“That’s okay, just keep working on it.” He grits his jaw

“Derek,” he removes his hand from the hang-up button, “you’re going to get her right? There’s no way this guy gets her.” The hope in voice is palpable

“No way mama you just keep tracking her.” He sighs and spins to the team. Rosie has his eyes on the feed as well as McNamara is hovering over you. You’re strapped to some medical tables with old leather straps.

“Reid please tell me you’ve got something.” Spencer is a wreck. Everyone could tell that he was madly in love with you but he would not make a move. Now someone could strip naked in front of him and it could not break his focus.

“I’ve been staring at this map and going over everything she’s sadi since JJ put this on the screen. I have no idea where she is.” His hair is beyond tousled form the amount of times he’s stressfully run his hands through it

“That’s fine, just keep going.” Morgan demands and joins Hotchner with the deputy

“Hotch, team’s loosing morale. We gotta go back to the drawing board.”

“That’s what I was thinking. Let’s refresh and restart the profile.” they get some shitty police precints coffe and some stale donuts to try to revamp their energy. They join Emily and JJ at a table and ask JJ to get David. She disapears and Rossi takes her place rubbing his eyes.

“Dave, we’re going to look at this iwht fresh eyes. Coopers has gone off the reailsand taken in an FBI agent. That’s an escalation from prostitutes and drug addicts.” Morgan reflects on when you disapeared. You were canvasings where he had picked up his last three victims. You were being your usual sunny self. giving patience to the angry locals and offering water or snacks as a subtle bribery. He turned his back for five seconds when you disapeared. He was feeling the brunt of the guilt and it was manifesting as him acting like an overly abusive boss.

“Alright, on all of the victims there was several injections in their back thigh, but toxicology was clean.” Emily looks over some of the reports.

“Did you say the back of the thigh?” Reids suddenly comes storming into the meeting room

“Yeah, why?” Morgans eyes are begging for answers

“That spot reminds me of something. Often times when a psych ward patient is acting out they will inject them with certain medications. The most common sedtive is Midazolam but most of them are comprized of natural hormones. If you inject the body with enough adrenaline they would pass out.”

“Which would explain that why it doesn’t show up on toxicolgy.” Emily concludes. Reid bounds over to the phone and calls Garcia, she picks up almost immediately

“What is it my birds of prey?”

“We need you to look into asylums and sanitariums nearby. Look for medical malpractice or lawsuits that slipped through via non compus mentus. look into owners of these hospitals that may have some allegations specifically of sexual nature.” he demands

“Anything, find my girl.” she clicks away looking through all the yucky of the nearby hospitals. They were in the middle of the midwest where everyone had secrets.

“They’re going to need a private space to inflict a much torutre without raiing suspicion.” Hotch adds

“Guys you need to get in here!” JJ calls from the computer room. The man was livestreaming you leaning over your head and heavily breathing on your face.

“Oh, you want me so bad.” He used a sultry tease but you looked disgusted. You were staring hard in his eyes. You had dirt and a bit of blood smeared on your face and your normally slicked bun had been tugged apart.

“Tell me, Ms. ‘FBI agent’,” he finger quotes and uses a mocking tone “What your name.”

“You have my badge Cooper McNamara, you know my name.” your gaze hardens more and it looks like you could spit in his face, “Tell me where we are.” you order. If you could get out you would have beat that man to a pulp but your wrists, ankles, waist and chest were bound.

“Unh unh unh, don’t get too cocky, Ms. FBI we both know who has the power here.”

“He’s a narcisist. He’s flexing his muscles on (Y/n). He wants his viewers to know that he’s strong enough to take down an FBI agent.”

“It’s more like he’s preening his feathers.” Emily offers

“Alright, my fabulous frenulum I’ve got three asylums with icky enough histories to raise suspicion in the 50 mile radius.”

“50 miles that seems extraneous.” JJ sighs

“I figured becuase this is the midwest there’s more ground to cover alos they’re not going to keep your cuckoos in the town square.” The Deputy nods in approval

“But that’s too vague so I cross referenced that with the nme Cooper McNamara and zilch. I went thorugh med school flunkies in the known area. I kept running the name and there are zip

Cooper McNamaras in this area. So I just used the last name Mcnanara and there was a doctor named Charles Mcnamara with a son named Jeffrey was in and out of juvie at the age of seventten for attempted sexual assault.”

“What’s his current adress We’ll send a team.” Reid declares

“That’s not your call,” Derek orders, “But yes, Hotch, Prentiss, you go to his house and see if there any clues as to which hospital he’s affiliated with.”

‘Cooper’ was hovering over you this time dragging a swiss armry knife slowly over your shirt

“Alright I’m going to do some bad things Ms, Agent and you’re going to be a good girl.” He’s straddling the chair and he laughs a little at you. Quickly he slices the blade across your shirt and it comes undone with the blade. Your bra is exposed as well some of your navel. The team can clearly see the red cut across your chest.

“Oh my god what is that slimeball doing to my girl.” Garcia whimpers

“Garcia she’s fine, continue your background search of the McNamara family.” Hotch reassures

mostly to himself

“So far I’ve got some ick-ick icky dirt on Charles. He had to his medical liscene in pschiatry suspened 17 years ago, when his son, Jeffrey was around ten years old.”

“Why was it suspended?”

“Medical malpractice and the excessive use of electro-shock therapy.”

“the use of ETC is almost never necesarry in fact it dos more damage than it helps.” Reid borws are in a constant furrow. Theyre drawn out of their brainstorm a ‘Cooper’ shreds the rest of your shirt open.

“I’ll hand it you,” He reaches for the cup of your bra, “you have have some tits officer.” you grunt out a ‘fuck you’ as he fondles you.

“Maybe I just will,” He sneers. He makes the fatal mistake of looking at the cameria kense and you follow his eyeline. You spot the lense and by memory locate the six others. You feel some internal relief that at least the team knows you’re alive and they’re watching you.

“you get off on rewatching this or are we live? Or maybe you’re recording?”

“Oh someones mouthy.”

“I’m just bored.” You taunt

“What is she doing?” JJ Panics

“She’s getting him to talk. Shes profiling him. She’s our profiler.” David smiles and the team too feels your humanity return. You’re not a victim. Not yet at least. You’re still their wisecracking little sunray.

“You bitch, I’ll shut you up.” He reaches for his belt and launches at you. Your first instict wa to bare your teeth shut so he can’t slip something in your mouth. Your mouth is shut tight and he relaxes.

“Good choice.” he snorts

“He doesn’t want to hurt her.” David notices “She’s way too powerful for his comfort. He knows she’s smart.”

“If he’s able to get his website to continue rerouting we should probably verify that Jeffrey McNamara has some sort of tech background” Reid metions and Garcia digs into Jeffrey’s background it shows that 5 years ago he flunked out of the local community college with a major in computer science. Finally, the IP adress lags on the same three cell towers for the fourth time and Penelope Verifies that there are two sanitariums in that radius.

“Alright there is St, Joan of Arc’s Penitentiary and Whitfeilder and Collins Mental Institution.” Garcia clicks away.

“Garcia isn’t there a church nearby-“

“St. Joan of Arc’s Holy Parish.” She cuts off getting a small burst of hope

“Alright cross reference that with our boys see if we could get any dirt.” Rossi orders as you stare this torturous serial killer in the eye

“I think my knife and I should have some fun with you, pig. Are your gonna squee for your boss.?”

“He doesn’t know I’m here.” Everyone freezes

“What’s she doing?” JJ begs

“What do you mean?”

“I was only asking locals if there was something they needed. I work in the low income control division of the FBI. I was on a routine check of the neighborhood to makme sure that some new medications that were sent out in the local clinic.”

“Oh so you’re one of those libtards who thinks junkiw should get freebies?” your eyes dart quickly to the blinking red light while he inspects the red tool. He flicks his swiss army knife back open and runs it tantalizingly down your chest, “Oh no tears agent? Usually they start crying by now. Don’t worry you’ll cry soon.” He sinks the blade in right by your ribs. You grit your teeth as warm blood spills down your side.

“What’s she doing? why would she egg him on?” JJ starts to break

“She’s giving us the element of surprise.” David sighs in relief

“Oooh someones a tough girl.” He teases. He slides his blade across your stomach and your muscles tense below the blade. Tears pool in your tear ducts against your wishes and a grin splits his face like the cheshire cat.

“There you go. don’t worry it’ll all be over soon.” He fakes a soothing voice

“Ding ding ding, Ive got a hit. There was an latar boy who plead secial assault twenty years ago at St. Joan of Arcs and I mangaed to dig through the St Joan Hospital emplyment record to find one Dr. Charles McNamara employed for over thrity years where he specialized in child psychology.” Garcia gulps, “He spent a weekend in jail for assaulting the preist who allegedy molested his son, Jeff. Afterwards he deovolded. He started drinking lots of alcohol and expirementing with electro shock therapy. After three years of nearly fatal expirements He lost his liscense after a one Suzanne ’Suzie’ Addams passed due to exhaustion in his office.”

Rossi’s hand held rings and he answers the phone for Hotch

“Well Dave it’s not looking good here. There’s news paper clippings with every know victim taped to his wall. Theres even some miscellanoes crime pannels logging there recent spike in missing persons cases. There’s very little furntiure at his house. He’s got bills stacked up on his counter. He’s a walking cry for help.”

“Alright any other pysical evidence? We’re going to send a team to St. Joan of Arcs Penitentiary that’s where we suspect he has (Y/n). You keep digging around and we’ll stay in touch.”

Derek orders JJ, and Reid to suit up and gather the officers. Reid already has his hand reaching for his bulletproof vest. “Rossi I want you to stay behind on the line with Garcia and Prentiss in case he escalates the torture. Due to the agrarian location of the hospital they dispatch forest rangers to canvas the woodlands. The sanitarium had been closed for upwards of five years. Reid get’s the drivers seat and starts the car before Derek can get out the door.

“Slow down man we got visuals on her.”

“One of our best Agents is in danger and we have a location. Why wouldn’t we race off to her?” He slams his palm on the drivers wheel.

“Alright well calm down man,” As he tries to soothe hsi phone rings

“He’s back Derek.” Rossi states plainly sending the link to his phone. And impressive feat for the old man, Morgan gets in hte dirvers seat and clicks the link to see the man sitting on your lap palming himself.

“You know you’re kinda pretty for a pig.” He leans forward and hold your jaw and you gnash against his hold, “Oh oh oh let’s not get violent now.” you bite his hand and he draws it back immediately, “You bitch!” he slaps you and you gasp but he quickly undoes his buckle and reaches for the fly of his jeans. He slides the leather out of the denim loopholes and folds it once and puts it in your mouth. He reaches in his pants and you thrash against your holds.

Jeffrey fishes himself out and you slam your head against the medical table. Your time your cheek and grit your jaw but he forcefully pull you square with him. The look of indigence could’ve killed several monarchies and Rossi takes a note not to piss you off as not to receive that glare. Derek puts the screen down and grits his jaw. theres a bit of gagging before the man rears backs

“You bitch! You bit me?” He screams like you betrayed him and he punches you so hard your nose starts bleeding. Tears slip out of your eyes but you don’t dare sob. He leaves the view of the camera and the team hears metal crashing around the sounds cords being plugged in. He curses and punches what sounds like a metal box. He comes back with two metal probes and a menacing smile.

“You’re gonna get it now. You know what these are?” He waves them around like they’re toys “these are the electrodes I’m going to use on you.” Reid floors it as he hears the button click on and a distant buzzing sound fills the film.

“Here,” he violently pulls his belt from his jeans, “wouldn’t want you to shatter those pearly whites.” This is the one command you will obey. You take the folded material between your teeth because if you do survive this you’d rather not waste your vacation bonus on orthodontics. And if you didn’t you at least would like to have a nice smile in the after life.

Morgan and Reid peel out of the town sirens ablazing. They try not concentrate on it as you scream around the hunk of brown leather between your teeth. Not matter how much he concentrates on the road ahead of him he count every bawl you let escape. Every time he makes a mental note. As he takes the exit that lead to the woods he sighs, seven. He pictures your sun shiny smile in the morning.

How you would skip over to his desk with an extra-sweet cup of coffee and a good joke you had heard on your weekend away to New York. Eight, he thought of how intently you had listened to him ramble about string theory on the plane ride over and how when he stopped himself to apologize you begged him to keep going.

Nine, when the case came around the table your eyes darkened with a bit of sorrow which was drowned by your hope and determination to crack it. Now you were ten, letting him practice brewing your hair in a motel just because the skill fascinated him. Man your hair was so soft and smelled to good. And you just melted under his hands as he apprehensively finger combed it.

The sanitarium is in the middle of the woods. A small commercial concrete building. There officers confirmed that there was a car out back and garcia checked the plate regitration was for a Charles Mcnamara. They quietly burst through the front doors which were ajar. Spencer lead the charge follwoing the sounds of your pained screams. He runs down a flight of staris and kicks it open. Despite his panic for his coworker Morgan was incredibly proud of Reid for kicking it open.

McNamara is straddled over you and he swings his head to see Reid. Before anything can happen Spencer shoots him in the knee and Morgan barks an order and jumps on the man. Reid bolsters his gun and darts over to you. You look a mess. Blood and possibly some other body substances on you. He slides the belt out of your mouth and you lick your lips. He sits by your side and undoes the buckles on your wrists

“Hi (Y/n),” He sighs soothingly. Your eyes are locked on his and there’s something animalistic and wounded in them.

“Spencer?” your voice is broken but there is so much hope

“Yeah I’m here,” He works the second buckle off your wrist. “You did so good.” he reassures. He undoes the strap across your chest and you sit up and rub your wrists. He takes a step back to unshackle your ankles. Once you’re free, you swing yor legs to the side of the medical chair. Spencer stands next to you and guides your arms arond his neck. You sink all your weight against his chest and he gently coaxes an arm under your knees and picks you up.

“I did good?” You start sobbing into his chest

“Yeah you did fantastic (Y/n). and your safe now, I’ve got you.”

[suryp]

Date: unknown

Year: inconsequential

Region: central Tartyryn straight

The snow crunches beneath our feet, the wind howls like the devil, and while we all show fear, I've reason to think my brothers know not that we walk over a frozen sea, more than 30 metres deep with fish heavier than our entire platoon. I doubt my commander knows, either, but that suits our real mission just fine.

The mission. Ha. Everyone knows the only safe spots for a town are off shore, we've already done the math, there's nothing out here worth finding.

Good thing Commander Reijean is such a greedy fuck, then.

"HALT!"

Thats him right there. Most would say he just wants to prove himself, but I know better. All humans hide their worst traits, tone 'em down for the public. We're all worse than we seem on the outside.

"..."

"whats out their c-"

"shut your trap private, I won't have my skill split be-"

*Crack*

"Mission complete, I suppose"

In an instant, Clark pulled out the rifle on his back. it was cheap shit, like all the gear for this trip was, but He's among the best "weapons guys" I've ever met.

Fortunately, the gun jams, and he vanishes into the blizzard.

"Clark? Buddy? Clark? Clark!"

"Circular formation, weapons up, we are-"

"...Commander?"

Just a few more to go. Our platoon used to be larger, but wandering for days on end through an empty void of ice and snow will take its toll. Just a few weeks ago, we might've won this fight.

Good thing banshees are smart, then.

"SpLit up!"

"Commander?"

"Split Up!"

"h- He's right. we're no more than a larger target like this."

"Just gotta find the right time for it."

Sabotage wasn't the plan, and it leaves a bad taste, but there's nothing for it.

"Now."

"..."

"..."

*Cr'Ack*

"..."

*Crunch*

"..."

And finally, a blood curdling scream cut short, by a few extra holes in the lungs.

I stand up, spread my arms wide, and make myself the most clear and easy target I can."

-...-

Two hours later

The blizzard dies, I see my siblings dead in the snow. Three have a mulch of bone and Metal shards, alongside frozen blood, in place of their heads. Commander has a crushed neck. Charlie's kevlar is punched through, frozen blood all along his chest.

There's a sixth carcass, some ornitherian, I think, though it's hard to tell considering how much was eaten. The ribs are gone, and only Two and a half legs remain.

I begin to walk off. A meal, even the frozen remains of a hippogriff corpse, is the last thing I d-

*crunch*

"..."

"you not fight me. why?"

"..."

"all humans try to kill us. take sea from us. take tyk'yk from us."

"...take egg from us."

"..."

"you not fight. why?"

-

alright thats a wrap! The official intro to Fisher and the Flame and the world of... well, I suppose she doesn't have a real name yet but hey, we can make this work.

for a bit of context regarding appearances, if you need that, "Ornithere" and "Hippogriff" refer to pterosaurian animals, most similar to (and heavily based on) Trollman's "Cuvier's Isle" a small spec one-shot. It does not refer to the serinean animals of the same name.

Banshee are a bit easier to describe, being a rough combination of Utahraptor osstramaysi and a Leopard Seal, very similar to @tales-of-kaimere's *Updated* xuul design, along with the Adzakoordu and the White Cockatrice, as well as the Tamakai.

The narrator, Jake Fisher, is getting a drawing, by someone who appreciates men far more than I.

now go read about kaimere on Keenan Taylors twitter, bluesky, deviantart, and youtube channel, along with trollman's various sickass works on the same websites.

-

edits: minor word changes, removal of unneeded dashes, and Commander is now cishet, because killing the first queer confirmed in story feels a bit too rude.

Reijean is still his name tho, since there has to some reason this unit was sent out.

also added a new tag. sorry y'all.

(im just gonna use the most extreme and broad tags that, since im exceedingly apathetic but do want to tag things correctly)

[tokischaaaaa]

corny (full version)

!hamzah x !poc reader

summary: hamzah meets reader in curaçao , reader works at a vets clinic on the island, hamzah meets reader on the island due to him driving carelessly and hurting a liter of kittens. (hamzah’s a little dumb in dis one :P)

warning! : fluff!! some smut :P

word count!: 2.3k

   come back to me- janet jackson

⇄              ◁◁  I I  ▷▷          ↻

00:32 ━━●━━━━━━━━ 03:52

it was hamzah’s second to last night in curaçao, he wanted to go out with a bang. not litterly to, he just wanted to get out on his own since he has been stuck with martin’s family the whole week. as hamzah was walking out, martin was editing the iguana mukbang, “be safe dude, let me know if you need something or if something goes wrong.” martin said seriously while still focused on the computer in front of him. hamzah nodded, appreciative of his friends worry of his wellbeing.

hamzah grabbed the keys on the counter and started his travels, he decided to plug in the directions to the farthest beach, soto is what popped up. he plugged his phone into the aux and began driving, as he was driving he realized how the sun was leaving his view, he decided to follow the sun, ‘screw the gps’ he said to himself. he followed the sun, followed it so he could see the sunset. last time he saw the sunset was with his siblings 5 years ago, finding and watching the sunset made him feel an emotional urge to follow the sun no matter what.. 

well until a cat popped up in the road, hamzah slammed the brakes. his heart was beating so fast that he his ears were pulsing at the same rate, he pulled over and opened his car door to see the mother kitten’s side slightly bleeding. hamzah’s mind was racing, ‘what should i do? should i call the police?’ he kept asking himself. from a distance he could hear a bike approaching him, he turned around and saw a young woman with green cargo shorts, blue bikini top and the thick curly brown hair that had risen due to the humidity approach him. “ya a’right?” she asked in her heavy accent, it took hamzah a few moments to answer her since she was so breathtaking, the departing sun had left such a beautiful filter across her skin, her skin was basically the color of deep gold. “hello, ya all right mister?” she asked once again, “oh, yes. no! i’m not alright, i was driving and this cat family stopped in the middle of the road, and then i tried-”. hamzah said attempting to explain while rubbing his forehead. “yeah im sure you tried,” the young woman scoffed as she got off her bike to inspect the wounded cat. 

as the young woman continued checking the wounded cat out, she said, “what are you even doing out here this late?”

“might sound corny, just wanted to follow the sun.” 

“ha! wait, what does corny mean?” 

“means like awkward funny, but yea i was just doing that.” 

“oh okay, so you running over this cat is corny!” she exclaimed putting her finger to her chin.

“no! that’s a horrible example!” hamzah cried

“what’s ya name man,” she asked softly placing the hurt cat in her arms. 

“hamzah, and you’rs?”

she said her name, her accent thicker than before. she took a cloth out of her pocket, and held it out to hamzah. “man hamzah, take this cloth and wrap the kittens in it. don’t forget one.” 

“okay, but what are you doing?”

“we doing! we gonna go to my clinic, ya messed up the mama.” she said.

hamzah nodded but before he could ask about transportation the young woman said , “we gotta ride in ya monster truck.” she smiled. 

hamzah nodded and opened the door for her with one hand while the other was holding the crying kittens. as they got in the car, the young woman directed hamzah to the clinic. as they were on the road, hamzah continued his music, now ‘too good’ by drake was playing , “this won’t take long, you’ll be able to see the sunset trust.” the young woman said. she realized how when hamzah was explaining the incident he was very passionate and determined to see the sunset. she could tell that that action had a very significant meaning to hamzah. 

hamzah’s worry started to drift, as his eyes stayed glued to the road he felt a pair of eyes looking at him, trying to read him, “what are you staring at?” hamzah said in a deep tone. “the corny hurter of the mother of the kittens,” she said giggling. “i told you i didn’t mean to!” hamzah gasped. “sure pretty boy, turn on the next stop sign.” the young woman said getting closer to hamzah and gently touching his jawline.

 being frank, the young woman was slightly tipsy from drinking a few too many mojitos at the beach. however that didn’t stop her from helping those who she specialized helping, animals. 

as she touched hamzah’s jaw , hamzah felt an urge to give her a sign to continue. it had been too long since he felt this especially from a stranger. 

“keep going.” he demanded. the young woman’s eyes widened. she blinked a few times before decking to continue, she came to the realization that meeting such an attractive stranger that obviously wasn’t a regular to the island was a rare, a rare moment that was worth taking advantage of like there wasn’t a tomorrow. but before she could continue with her plan to indulge in her lustful behavior she had to take care of the cats. she gently stroked his jaw once again, slower this time, feeling his skin. 

she quickly took off her finger once she reached his chin, “you too distracting pretty boy, the poor cats need my attention not you.” she sneered. hamzah scoffed in response. “okay sure, but maybe, i can get some of that attention if you know what i mean.” he smirked giving her the message.

“oh i get what you mean pretty boy.” she smiled looking down and playing with one of the kittens that laid in her lap. 

🌤

as they arrived to the clinic, she took out her keys from her pocket, unlocked the door and went into vet mode. she gently grabbed the mother cat from hamzah and moved her to the desk to see where she had gotten hurt.

the mother cat had been slightly injured by hamzah’s tires twisting due to the force of him stopping the car. thankfully, the other kittens weren’t hurt and the mother only needed a few stitches. “you seem very dedicated to helping cats.” hamzah scoffed. “very, obviously you aren’t.” she teased raising an eyebrow at him. hamzah rolled his eyes in return.

as she finished her work with the cats she gave hamzah the thumbs up, “what are you gonna do with them now?” he asked. “probably put them back into nature, they obviously aren’t anybody’s.” she sighed taking off her gloves. “oh,” hamzah said looking down. “why? you wanted one of the kittens.” she sneered, hamzah pointed to the one he wanted. the same black cat that she was playing with in the car.

“you sly corny dog.” she said biting her lip. “but actually i’ll have to keep them here overnight just to make sure that there aren’t anything else going on with the family.” she sighed. 

as she put them into their crates, she turned and looked to hamzah to let him know they could now leave. 

hamzah’s eyes turned darker as soon as she gave that signal to him something abrupted in hamzah, maybe it was the late hour of the night, maybe the slight flirting in the car, or the way she approached him. her aura, her presence was something that was foreign to him but just pulled him in more into who she was. 

he grabbed her hand and ran with her to the car, hamzah looked to the sky quickly, ‘there’s still time.’ he said smiling to himself. “what are you smiling about pretty boy?” she asked, “dont you worry about it.” he smirked. 

as soon as both of them were in the car, hamzah went towards the toto beach he was originally trying to get to in the start of his trip. as he was driving, he looked to his right and saw her outside the window. hamzah’s breath was taken away, this beautiful sight of the curaco local gave him more motivation to get to the beach quicker. 

as hamzah pulled up to the empty parking lot, he ran to open her door. as she was going to walk out she was taken by surprise, her legs had been placed around hamzah’s waist. and her head was gently held onto facing his shoulder.

as he carried her to the beach, she couldn't help but pull out a joint and a the smallest lighter ever. she waited until she was put down to light up the za. “whats that smell?” hamzah asked, oblivious to what she had in her hands. “maria juana,” she said before placing her lips onto his juicy lips. a moan escaped hamzah’s mouth as he was still in shock. he was touch starved for too long, he waited, and waited, just for this special moment. 

hamzah gently lay her on her back, she felt the smooth warm sand on her back with also the feeling of hamzah undoing her bikini top. “go faster boy,” she said in a darker tone.

he nodded and proceed to go faster, he threw the bikini topp off and began to kiss her neck, each kiss diving deeper into her sunkissed skin. each kiss getting lower and lower, getting to her naked breasts hamzah didnt stop.

once he appraoced her breasts he began slowly and softly kissing her nipples, her nipples becoming more erectd after every kiss. she grabbed the blunt and lighter once again and lit the blunt. as she took the first hit, hamzah started licking her nipples in circles. loud moans escaped her lips, she couldnt help but place her free hand behind his neck, inching his whole mouth closer to her nipples so he could suck her whole tit. she couldnt help but be impatient, she hadnt felt so much pleasure by someone's actions in so long, she didnt want anymore teasing she wanted this fine stranger with her now!

as the night progressed, the makeout session between the two strangers advanced to them touching all over, and one the two had became high they couldnt get their hands off of eachother. as the sun was making its final appearance on the earth, they both took time off of their nonstop makeout session to look at this priceless moment that is a once in a lifetime opportunity. as they saw the sun finally lower, she passed him the blunt once again, as he was about to take a hit, his phone began to ring.

“hello?” hamzah said in a groggy voice.

“dude! its dark out!” martin yelled on the other side.

hamzah stood up and walked a few feet away to finish his call, he turned around to catch a glance at the stranger, however she was gone. 

“you are just as unfamiliar as i am with this island as everyone else! come home bro!” martin said continuing his lecture to hamzah. 

“martin i get it. ill be home soon.” hamzah said then hung up the phone. 

he was in shock, the girl he had just met had left in just momments. she didnt even leave anything behind, from what he could tell. all that lay from where she pmce was a antillean guilder (curaçao currency). as he bent down to grab the paper, on the back read a message.

xxx-xxx-xxxx. pretty boy hamzah, let me know what day youre leaving the island → pretty gyall

hamzah laughed at how messy her hand writing was, but was grateful not all hope had been lost in this remarkable stranger he met tonight.

before hamzah made his journey back home, he texted her his address and what day he’d be leaving. he was planning on talking to her through text or to try to know more about her but he was already at the point of his high where all he wanted to do was sleep. 

later, hamzah arrived back to the rented condo and was met by martin’s disappointment. hamzah shrugged it off and knocked right out on the couch. 

the next morning, hamzah was shooken awake by small hands. he slowly openedhis eyes and saw the same black kitten from last night, the one that she played with in the car. on the kittens neck was a collar that had a note attached to it. 

oh pretty boy, last night was fun but oh how funny time flies when youre having fun. i hoped you enjoyed my island, my home. i decied i wanted to gift you with the kitten you had your eyes on, her name is ‘e ta stima’, it means lover. we may not meet or talk again, but youll always have the kitten as a part of me to look after your corny yet kind soul.  thank you, island gyal.

hamzah couldnt help but be confused about the last part, ‘we wont talk again?’ hamzah asked himself. he opened his phone and tried to text the phone number she had given him last night however as he sent a text his message became green. ‘shit!’ he hissed. hamzah looked at the note once again and the kitten. he felt a tear fall off of his cheek and onto the kittens head. “oh im sorry poor guy,” hamzah chuckled before looking down, “shit, i mean poor girl.” hamzah cleared his throat and laid back down and e ta stima cuddled next to the crook of hamzah’s neck. 

“so where’d the black cat come from hamzah?” martin said as he entered hamzah’s apartment to record a video (i know they dont normally record at hamzahs place)

“dont worry about it, lets get started.” hamzah said clearing his throat.

tokischaaa talks: i heard dis help with algorothim n i thought itd be easier for yall to read it full rather than half n shi

btw this song is rlly good n yall should listen <3

[soulmate-game]

Work burned me out, middle management positions are draining. What was supposed to be an angsty oneshot is now… yeah I’m continuing it. Not a full series, just a two-parter… hopefully.

Edit: I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THIS CLUSTERFUCK OF AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER IS, but BUCKLE IN BECAUSE IT PROBABLY DOESN’T PASS SAFETY REGULATIONS! HOOOOO BOY

Part 1

—*—*—*—*—*

“…” she stared at the being in front of her, face frighteningly blank. Next to her, Bruce fidgeted.

“I’m not going anywhere, so you either gotta learn to love me real quick or get lost quicker,” the child snarked from where he was sitting upside-down on the bat computer chair. “And don’t call me Richard, my name’s Dick.”

“I don’t remember you working with a fetus, Batman,” Marinette slowly drawled, emphasizing the vigilante’s name despite none of the three of them being suited up. Dick shot up with a cry of indignation.

“I am not a fetus! I’m fifteen! I’ve been Robin since I was twelve!”

“Nope,” Marinette countered, unmoved. “I started out as Ladybug when I was twelve, and I was never as small as you,” she blatantly lied. Dick was already taller than her, which wasn’t much of an achievement considering that she was five-foot-one-inch tall. “You are six years old, tops.”

Dick let out an almost inhuman screech of complaint. Even as he rambled on angrily about how wrong she was, Marinette only nodded as if he proved her right about something.

“That was a good squawk though. Definitely a birdie.”

It took another twenty minutes before Dick ran off to tell on Marinette to Alfred, giving her and Bruce some alone time. With which she used to whirl to him and immediately hiss in equal parts fury and worry;

“Please tell me he wasn’t—“

“The timeline is gone,” Bruce reminded her, bracing her by putting both his hands on her shoulders. “He doesn’t remember.”

“Still!”

He let out such a heavy sigh that he seemed to deflate with it, his dark circles growing more pronounced.

“He wasn’t supposed to be,” he admitted softly. “When he turned sixteen, last time, I allowed him to form his own team of teen heroes. Supervised from afar by myself of course, not that they knew that. I had given them the order to stay back and guard their city, but they disobeyed me and snuck onto the battlefield anyway.”

Marinette rubbed at her temples, nodding. “Teenagers have a habit of doing that. This time around, can we ask Bunnyx to supervise them? She has all the energy of a teenager, so she’ll fit in, but the maturity of someone trusted to guard all the timelines.”

Bruce paused, thinking of what little he knew of the pastel rabbit themed hero, and then reluctantly nodded. “That… might be for the best. And giving them more opportunities to train with…” he hummed, hand on his chin. “I might actually change things up, in that case. Instead of jumping to put teens on their own in a tower, the old Justice League headquarters is more protected. And if we started with the ‘sidekicks’,” he gave very purposeful air quotes, “of other Leaguers, it would create a better support system than letting teenagers run around with… really, not enough regulation.”

“Gotta love hindsight,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “The whole teenagers by themselves thing only worked for my team because we were overly traumatized and each saw different apocalypses before we turned sixteen. Bunnyx could fix them herself back then, but still.”

“Best to do better by the new generation,” Bruce agreed with her unspoken statement. “I can still put that old team together again when they’re older, support their development elsewhere in the meantime.”

“Oh, and now that we’re done on that topic,” Marinette snapped her fingers before pointing to the staircase that Dick had disappeared up. “He’s going to make my life a living hell, isn’t he?”

Bruce groaned, offering her a lopsided grimace of apology. “He’s a menace,” he agreed. “He’s scared away any woman I’ve brought to the house, even though most of them are completely platonic. I have to make the press believe the whole playboy thing somehow, and inviting my friends over to chat is the easiest way to do so without breaking hearts for real. Dick hasn’t caught on yet,” Bruce rubbed his forehead. “His antics to scare away Selina Kyle are legendary already, and she’s sapphic. She couldn’t be attracted to me if I was the last man on earth.”

“Could have fooled me,” Marinette teased, suddenly impish. “She’s catwoman, isn’t she?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes, saying only: “Chat Noir. Year one.”

It was Marinette’s turn to grimace. “Point taken. But in my defense, he took way too long to realize he’s gay and watched too much anime at the time.”

Bruce let out one of his unfairly charming chuckles, changing position so that his arm was around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. She fit there surprisingly well, for someone almost half his size. She leaned into him, and the both just soaked in the comfort of one another for a long moment.

“You know,” Bruce started for a while. “If you want to stay in Gotham, we can make you another alter ego so that you don’t accidentally lure Shadow Moth here. Tell that fox of yours to make it seem like you’re in Paris and take some of the weight off of your shoulders for a change. Blackmail Constantine into charming some jars to keep the butterflies in until you can purify them.”

“Hmmm.” She closed her eyes. “Ladybird sounds nice. Fits with the bird thing that Robin has going for him.”

Bruce laughed. “That’ll really annoy him,” he warned, amused. Marinette’s close-eyed smile was pure mischief.

“That’s the whole point. I’m not letting a fetus win against me, bat-boy.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Marinette wasn’t speaking to Bunnyx. Bruce didn’t know what they had said to one another, but he could guess it had to do with Jason.

With his baby, who he just buried. The boy Marinette had thought of a son ever since he first brought him home. She had even smoothed things over between Dick and Jason, which he had considered nothing short of a miracle at the time.

But that miracle was nowhere to be seen now, with Marinette every bit as despondent next to him as he was. He wanted to be angry with her, he did, but he couldn’t. He had seen her blow up at Bunnyx, seen her try to hold her status as Grand Guardian over the bunny holder.

Bunnyx had simply said that she wouldn’t answer to Ladybug until after the grief passed then, and ran away into her burrow.

“Is this the payment?” He heard her whisper, her voice hoarse and broken. “For the do-over? We passed the old timeline. We took down Shadow Moth. Is this the price?” Tears dripped down her face silently, she didn’t seem to notice them. “Was I not a good enough mother? Should I—“ she stopped herself, shaking her head. He didn’t ask what she was about to say. Maybe he should have.

—*—*—*—*—*

Tim was great. He was too much like Marinette at times, which made Bruce’s chest ache, but he was a great Robin. A great son. His experience with Marinette proved priceless when it came to helping curb Tim’s overworking habits and caffeine addiction.

But not even Tim could find where Marinette had disappeared to, even with his detective skills surpassing Bruce’s already.

Tim was the first son of his that didn’t get to grow up with Marinette at all.

—*—*—*—*—*

“It’s fine, Baobei,” she whispered, stepping to the side. Behind her was the waterfall that hid the tunnel to the Batcave. “He’s not the one to blame. He did his best, even now he’s doing his best.”

“Then why does—“

“Because other people need him, and he has too big of a heart to turn them away,” her mouth tilted a little, smile lopsided and sad. “Timothy didn’t replace you. He just forced Bruce to live again. Bruce didn’t kill Joker, because he didn’t want to taint another child with the sight of murder.”

“And you?” The voice was dark, deadly, gruff. Older, and yet… so achingly familiar. She smiled at him again, soft and sad and… proud.

“I don’t have one,” she lied. She had tried, tried so hard. Bruce had gotten in her way first, and then the very same desire to not taint more children with the image of death.

But her baby needed a scapegoat, and she was willing to throw herself on the fire for him.

“That’s why it’s fine,” she repeated. “If this is what you want. Just, please. Let it end with me.”

This time, Marinette made sure she had the Time miraculous safely in her pocket. Nobody would interfere with this.

The bullet sent her into the flow of the waterfall, red flowing behind her like the carpet she used to walk down with Bruce whenever she released a new collection. She felt no regret as she closed her eyes and fell.

—*—*—*—*—*

The shot hadn’t been fatal. Red Hood might have been mad with Pit Rage, but his fondness for his only true mother figure was ever present. He simply wanted to see if she was serious about taking that shot.

His regret was immediate when she didn’t even try to dodge. The bullet had only grazed her shoulder, but she didn’t seem to notice that. She had been so ready to die— to let him kill her— that she had passed out before hitting the water. He dragged her to the Batcave, knowing he had a lot to answer for.

Bruce wished he could have found her sooner, found both of them sooner. But at least they were back.

—*—*—*—*—*

“… I mean,” she rocked on her heels. “You are growing a bit old for Robin…”

Tim glared at her, not appreciating the insight.

“Bruce is stuck in the timestream, and you aren’t doing a thing about it. I don’t hold your opinion very highly right now,” he snipped back. She snorted, glancing away.

As if that little stunt to “kill Batman” could ever fool her. She’d been there for the real thing, thanks, she could spot a fake a mile away. “He’s got Bunnyx going to find him. She owes me big time, let her do the heavy lifting for a change.”

“How many years have you held that grudge?” Barbara asked, eyebrows raised as she wheeled herself towards the bat computer. “Even Jason thinks you should have let it go by now.”

Marinette scoffed at the exact same time as a certain someone tutted next to her, making them look for a moment like a perfect pair.

Crossed arms, a scoff, annoyed glare? If a DNA test hadn’t already proven otherwise, they might have thought Damian was hers.

“Fetuses don’t get to judge me,” was her only argument before she turned on her heel and walked away.

“I am not a fetus! Lady Marinette, I am ten years old!”

—*—*—*—*—*

Bonus:

Jason was curled up around Marinette, despite being told numerous times not to crowd her on the med-bay bed. He argued that he shot her, so he gets to nurse her back to health.

Did she use her blood, tainted by years of use of the Ladybug, to purify his pit madness? Yes. Had he figured that out yet? Nope.

“Love you, Mom,” he murmured in his sleep. Marinette, who had been awake for about an hour already, smiled to herself.

“Love you, Baobei.”

[luvhughes43]

crazy over you | jack hughes x reader

luvhughes43 masterlist🌷

request: I love your blackpink fc trevor insta edit!!! what about y/n whose sibling is a famous kpop idol and she ends up dating jack? maybe she could be mark lee’s sister, nct had a concert at newark a while ago!!

ynuser just posted !

ynuser

liked by nct, yourbrother, yourbff, and others

ynuser ready for the show🪩✨

tagged: nct

load more comments

fanone she’s going to the show??🥹🥹

fantwo queen supporting her brother🫶

yourbff she changed her outfit immediately after these photos were taken btw

ynuser stop exposing me😭😭

yourotherbff it’s true she’s now wearing an nct shirt she turned into a crop top and some jeans !

yourbff and some sparkly boots !

ynuser okay okay we get it !!

“yn! were going to be late you don't need any more pictures!” your friend shouted as she started walking ahead of you. at the rate you were going you were going to miss the beginning of your brothers show. 

“just a few more just-” you yelped loudly as you felt someone's shoulder hit you. you stumbled, and your camera hit the ground with a clatter. before you could comprehend what was happening a hand was against your shoulder helping you to steady yourself.

“I’m so sorry!” a guy apologized, reaching down to retrieve your camera for you. 

“it’s okay” you replied a little disoriented as you reached out to grab your camera from him. “i should've been looking to where i was going”

“were you taking pictures?” the guy asked.

“Yn!” your friends voice shouted at you as she was now even further away.

your head turned to your friends voice and jack must’ve caught on to your situation because he offered to take some quick photos for you. you posed, and jack snapped away, both of you not saying much.

“my apology,” he said to you as he handed your camera back to you. 

you smiled in response. “thank you. I’m-”

“YN LN! I swear if you're not walking up these stairs!” your friends voice reverberated throughout the staircase. 

“I’ve gotta go! thank you!” your voice was loud as you ran the rest of the way up the stairs to meet your friend. you could hear the unnamed mans laugh echo throughout the staircase. “im jack by the way!” you heard him yell.

“THANKS JACK!” you yelled back as your friend grabbed you by the arm and began pulling you along. 

notification [instagran]: jackhughes has followed you

Instagram DMS:

ynuser: hey stranger

jackhughes: hey girl with the camera

ynuser hearted a message

ynuser: how did u find my insta?

jackhughes: your friend almost shattered my eardrum when she screamed your name so i just gave it a shot on here

ynuser: LMAOO😭 we were running late for a concert

jackhughes: haha that makes sense then! it sucks that you were late but i liked getting to meet you

ynuser: even with my friend nearly shattering your eardrum?

jackhughes hearted a message

jackhughes: even then

ynuser hearted a message

ynuser just posted !

ynuser

liked by jackhughes, lhughes_06, yourbff, and others

ynuser last night in newark❤️‍🔥

load more comments

jackhughes no 📸 credits ?

ynuser thank you stranger👍

hugheswh0re now why was he taking pics of this girl...

hockeyfan hugheswh0re because hes a normal person and is allowed to be friends with people ??

yourbff had the best time and SOMEBODY met the cutest person too🤭

ynuser i dont recall meeting any cute people🤔

yourbff like u weren't blushing and giggling all the way home...

ynuser I WASNT WTF !!!

jackhughes just posted !

jackhughes

liked by ynuser, _quinnhughes, trevorzegras, and others

jackhughes lifes been magic📸❤️

tagged: ynuser

load more comments

yourbrother ynuser THE RING??

ynuser is an accessory !

yourbrother lets keep it that way❤️

brothersfan protective activated🤣❤️

ynuser stranger🥲💘

jackhughes danger😈🔥

ynuser 😐 ok

trevorzegras congrats man🔥🔥

liked by jackhughes

yourbff CUTEST EVER ! I PREDICTED THIS RELATIONSHIP !

trevorzegras can u predict our relationship?😇

yourbff 😐😐

fanthree SHES DATING AN NHL PLAYER??? OMG????

jacksfuturegf86: WHY? WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ME?? PLEASE JACK THIS ISNT YOU! THIS ISNT YOU LOOK AT ME BABY PLS🙏🙏

from then on you and jack continued to dm each other until you eventually went out on a few dates. you were honestly surprised by how well the two of you got along. you were forever grateful for your brothers show in newark and for the fact that you were running late<3

[hoshigray]

HEYYY🤪who ever requested y/n bratting off to toji is a blessing fr.🙏🏼 Can you also do the same thing but fluff edition. If the post is gone, dont worry about it. Love your writing!!

No worries, noonie, bc I made sure to save the fluff version as a Word doc if needed, lol. But here ya go, hope ya enjoy and tysm!!:)

Reminder: This is a sfw/fluff version of this thirst!

Cw: Toji x reader - fluff!! - pet names (baby, kid/kiddo) - implied that reader is shorter than Toji - first, the reader is sour, but then they're sweet :) - Toji calls you a 'bitch' but not in a belittling way, just frustrated with your antics - lots of humor bc we love making this man suffer, lol - the reader gives him a scare hiding from him (again, make him suffer! but he's hella worried about you so </3) - angst(?) - reader being a brat and Toji being a grumpy bf = a perfect couple ♡ Wc: 2.4k

It's late in the night, WAY past the midnight hour. The streets are quiet, people are home sleeping, and the air is curtained in a cool mist from rain not too long ago.

And yet here you are, in an open grocery store skimming through the fruits section. You pick up a bag of apples and examine them before placing them back down, moving on to the next aisle.

Behind you, the squeaky wheels of the shopping cart follow your every step, driven by your boyfriend — Toji.

The two of you had left a movie theater to see a movie you'd been anticipating seeing, which only had seating at the last showing of its week — 12:30 a.m. The runtime was two hours and thirty minutes, so it wasn't to your surprise that the plaza was utterly empty by the time it ended. Although you're happy you got to see the movie, you made a mental note to get tickets earlier next time.

Suddenly, you realize you forgot to grocery shop, and most nearby stores are closed. But after many trips around the neighborhood, you've finally found a store open for twenty-four hours.

So here you are, scoping around the aisles to pick up things and check them off your list. Now all there's left is the toilet paper, which would be right on the top shelf...that you can't reach.

You turn to your side to see your boyfriend looking down at his phone. Well, he's no help. With a sigh, you place your phone inside your pocket and try to carefully reach for the toilet paper, stepping on the lower shelves and being mindful not to step on any of the items below.

Toji notices something up when he glances up at you trying to climb up to get something from the top shelf. Putting his phone in his jean jacket, he comes around and hovers over you while grabbing for the toilet paper. You watch, and you shake your head at him. Damn, tall people...Hold on. An idea pops inside your head, and a grin molds onto your lips.

"Hey!" You call out to the man before he puts the item at the bottom of the cart. "I was getting that."

"I know, but y'r lil legs and arms weren't getting you any far, baby." He sends you a sly smirk, causing you to take offense to his comment.

Oh, two can play this game, Mister..."Put it back."

His brows crease together. "What?"

"Put it back up there," you repeat yourself to the man and point at the top shelf. His confused expression is still present when he hesitantly does what you instruct him. "And then pick me up to get it."

He looks at you like you're crazy. "What kind of shit are you on?"

You giggle. "Oh, come on, Toji. I was trying to get it, so I wanna do it."

"You could barely touch it."

"Not unless I have my trusty, tall boyfriend to help me, so pick me up!" You lift your arms for your waist to be open for grabs, and Toji just stares at you. With a heavy sigh and a scrunched expression, he lifts you up effortlessly, and you happily take the toilet paper he just put back up.

You beam at him once you're put down, and the older man has never rolled his eyes so fast. "Actin' like a damn kid."

Your tone is matter-of-fact as you put the item under the cart: "You call me a kid all the time, so I gotta uphold the title. Okay, that should be everything from my list, so let's get the other stuff."

"Other stuff?"

"Yeah, like sandwich meat, chips, and juice for Tsumiki and Megumi. They're going swimming with their friends tomorrow, and they need lunch to take with them."

Toji crosses his arms, examining you walk past him with the cart. "I suppose you're the one paying for all that."

"I'm absolutely...not," you don't have to turn around to know the man behind you has his jaw dropped. "I'm paying for the things on my list, and you pay for the other stuff."

"And what makes you think I'd pay? I already paid for the dinner and the tickets for the damn movie."

"Yes, indeed you did. But guess what, I'm using my money for my things. So, Toji dearest, it's only right that you pay for the things for your children." You peek behind you to see your boyfriend throw daggers at you with emerald eyes. Your smile only grows. "What kind of father would you be if you don't care for those angels?"

Toji just groans and mumbles curses under his breath. "They're only angels when you're around, ya damn brat..."

The two of you head to the snack aisle, the right side harboring a massive assortment of chips. You stop the cart when you spot a brand of chips you remember is a favorite in the Fushiguro household. The only problem is that the flavor you're looking for — which is on the bottom shelf — is nearly empty, meaning the last few are further in the back.

"Hey, Toji," The named man comes from behind, resting his chin on your head. "Those chips down there, ya think there could still be some in the far back?"

"Mmm," His broad chest vibrates against your back from his gruff hum. "Probably."

"Mind getting them for me."

"....Why can't you get it?"

"Because I told you to get it. Besides," you bring up your hands with two fingers up to air quote your following sentence. "I don't think my 'lil arms and legs' will get me far."

Toji's quiet for a few moments, and you bite your lip to not laugh. But it's no use when he flicks your ear before leaving your side, giggles fake cries of pain exiting your lips. "Fuckin' bitch."

"I heard that!"

"Good." You blow a raspberry at him as he groans, kneeling to the floor, and crouches to put his head under the shelf. The image of your brawny man squeezing through the racks is a rarity, and you can't laugh because you know he'll kill you once he gets back up. So, with silent quickness, you grab your smartphone, take a picture, and swiftly put it back in your pocket. You chuckle to yourself in accomplishment. That's for calling me a bitch, you bastard.

The man comes up with a bag of chips in hand, the exact flavor you were looking for. However, "Woah, woah, woah, that's not the right size."

"What are you on about this time?"

"I always get the family-size. That's just the regular one."

"Yeah, so?"

"So?" The older man is visibly vexed that you repeat after him, yet you continue. "Toji, I know you're gonna snack on those later, but I'm gonna use it to pack lunch for the kids. And judging by how small the packaging is, that's not gonna last for the entire week — let alone three days. Miki and Megs aren't gonna like you for that. Go get the family-size pack."

"They don't have it down here; it's just this!"

"Well, what are you gonna do? Buy three more bags...Oh."

Toji notices you spot something that puts your thoughts aside, so he follows your line of sight to the top shelf. As you described earlier, family-sized chips were stationed at the very top, unlike at the bottom stand where they usually are.

All you can do is smile sheepishly at Toji when you two glance at each other, the older man giving you the heaviest glare you've ever received. "If you ask me to pick you up again, I'm throwin' ya up there and leavin' you til next time."

"Don't bother. I'm going to get the sandwich meats." You turn away from him and the cart to hide your laughs and head to the deli aisle. "You stay right there. I'll be right back."

"Hmph, whatever." The man grabs the right size of chips and chucks them into the cart. And then he leans against the shelves, waiting for your arrival so you two can finally leave the store.

One minute pasts. Then two...Three....Four.....Five—What the fuck!?

There's no way the store is that big for you to find the deli aisle. It's nearly been six minutes, and you have yet to return to the snack aisle! Toji can only wonder what it is that's taking you so damn long. They probably saw somethin' cute and will ask me to get it for 'em. Hmph, like hell. Or maybe they don't have the sandwich meats they're lookin' for and are tryin' to find something else to substitute. Or they could be lost, who knows.

But the more he thinks, his thoughts delve into darker reflections. And if they're lost, would they run into someone for help? What if that person doesn't work here, talking to a damn stranger. What if that bastard is making them uncomfortable? Taking advantage of them. Or worse: a kidnapping.

Dread corrupts all of Toji's senses when his mind wanders to the worst scenarios, but he can't help it when you haven't returned to him. There's already one person he's lost in his life, and he wouldn't want to lose you too. That's why he straightens himself up and ditches the cart full of your stuff to find you for himself. Because if you aren't in this store right now, things will start to get ugly.

He storms out of the aisle, looking around to assess the parameter. Deep breaths don't seem to calm him down, as the dry bob in his throat makes it difficult to swallow. He looks up to see the signs for every aisle. Deli...Where the hell is—

That thought grinds to a halt when he hears footsteps approach from behind. So Toji turns around with haste, grabbing the pocket knife always kept in his jean pocket.

However, he doesn't pull the defensive weapon out. Instead, his tense physique relaxes, and a wave of relief soothes him down back to Earth. Because the footsteps belonged to you. You were okay.

"Damn, you and your freaky senses! I was hiding behind that bread rack over there and waiting for you to turn around so I could surprise you. Hehe, but I can see you must've—Ow, ow, ouch!!!"

Unlike before, genuine cries of pain fly out your mouth when Toji pinches your cheeks, twisting them so hard that you scream louder the tighter the grip. He doesn't let go until you step on his foot, and even then, the hurtful wails are replaced with laughter.

"You absolute fucking brat." You try to cover your giggles with your hands, but the irritated expression on Toji's face makes it difficult to keep your composure. "Over here tryin' to scare me and shit when I'm wondering what the hell's takin' you so damn long. Not even my own damn kids give me this much trouble."

"Oh shit, pfffthaha. At lea-At least I—wheeze," You're trying so hard to look your boyfriend in the eye, but God was you in hysterics. Tears prickle, and you slowly reveal some packaged items in your hands. "At least I got the sandwich meat."

Toji swiftly snatches the deli products off your grasp, causing you to laugh even harder to the point of your stomach hurting and your eyes forced shut. But that doesn't stop the man from pulling you to the unattended cart by the back of your neck, caging you between him and the handlebar.

But no matter, because you still laugh walking down the aisle with him. You still laugh at the self-checkout. And you still laugh when putting the groceries in the trunk of Toji's car and placing the cart in the corral.

Even when you sit in the passenger seat, chuckles fill the silence and one-sided tension. You peer to Toji's side to see him harbor a scowl while facing the windshield, downright avoiding you. "Oh, come on, Toji, it was just a little prank. You gotta admit it was kinda funny!"

He shakes his head, eyes still honed in front of him.

"What? Oh, so you're not gonna talk to me?"

Nothing.

"Are you serious? Toji, it wasn't even that big of a deal. Were you worried about me for real—"

"Yeah, kid." Now he looks at you; his forest-green orbs capture yours as if luring you to listen to what he's saying. "I was fuckin' worried about you. Thought somethin' bad happened or...whatever, forget it." Toji lets a heavy sigh exit his system, resting his head on his hand.

And you just watch him, not bothering to say a word back. It doesn't take long for you to understand where he's coming from because you're already beating yourself about it with the uneasy silence between you two.

You know about Toji's loss — his late wife, Megumi's mother. You don't know too much about her passing. However, you're enormously aware of how significant a toll the loss took on Toji. It took him a long time to even consider dating again and putting a label on your relationship.

So now that he's with you, it's easy to understand that he doesn't want you getting hurt and anything dreadful happening on your end.

And yet, acting like a child isn't making things any better.

You silently exhale and hesitantly set a hand on the one lying still on his thigh. You notice his head turn in your direction from the sudden contact, but you don't address it, just leaning on him with your head on his shoulder. Toji lets you do so.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry like that." You say to him, your eyes on your hand rubbing on the back of his. "Just wanted to act silly with you, is all. Didn't want to scare you."

"Who told you to act silly?"

"Uhh, me? 'Cause it's like 3 a.m., just the two of us. And it's the weekend."

You can feel the rise and fall of his shoulder following the sigh he lets out through his nose. Toji then removes his hand from you and puts it on your shoulder to keep you close. "You can be a pain in the ass, ya know that, kiddo?"

"Yeah, yeah. But I know you love me for it~." You move to happily kiss him on the cheek.

"Yeah, sure." He kisses your temple and rests his head on yours. The two of you indulge in the comfortable silence of the car for a few minutes, relinquishing each other's presence before driving home. "Just be a lil' more careful, 'kay, baby?"

"Mmm, promise."

...

But you're still gonna make that picture you took of Toji your wallpaper. It's a true gem. Plus, it's what you get for calling me a bitch.

[princess-glassred]

Imagine if in the 1990's version of IT, when Richie walked into the library, instead of instantly seeing Pennywise, he looked down a specific aisle of books and remembered his own version of the arcade scene?

It was a saturday, and Richie was checking out comic books at the library since he was bored and almost all his other friends were busy. He pilfered through the bottom shelf for a while, until another boy just around his age walked over and started searching for comics too.

He's a really good lookin kid, dressed in baggy overalls and a sweater with the most gorgeous slicked back blonde hair he'd ever seen. And when Richie sees something amazing, well, he's gotta open his mouth and start talking.

He makes a joke, Richie is so flustered he cannot remember what the joke was but it gets this kid laughing and Richie is happy to have an audience that doesn't roll their eyes. They shake hands. "Richie Toziers the name, and doing voices is my game!" "Connor, Connor Bowers.".

The boys last name makes him take pause, but Richie laughs it off with another joke that gets them both giggling. He spots an issue of mad magzine in his hands and instantly launches into a big neurodivergent spiel about it, talking a mile a minute about his opinions and love for them while Connor stands and listens totally impressed.

They make more small talk until Connor breaks the news he has to go and Richie jokingly tells him not to let the door hit him on the way out, but just when Connor turns to leave, Richie is overcome with the urge to talk to him more, so he grabs him by the arm.

"Y-you know, I have a whole big comic collection at my house, first editions and stuff. Maybe sometime you could come over and see it... if you want.".

Connor seems interested in the idea at first, but some one turns the corner of the aisle and sees them: Henry, here to pick up his cousin. They are in a terribly compromising position right now, with Richie's hand on his arm like they've known each other for years, and Connor knows if he wants to avoid humiliation or worse he's gotta tell them kid off.

So, he jerks his arm away and yells "Get the hell off me! Are you a fuckin queer or something? Leave me alone.".. poor Richie doesn't even know how to process it, he's confused, offended, and deeply hurt, but he's not sure why. If it wasn't true why did it hurt so much? I mean, it wasn't true... right?

Connor turns to Henry and starts going on and on abour how this little fairy made a pass at him and is trying to get him to comeback to his house even after he told him no over and over again, and Henry gets fucking pissed. Richie attempts to talk his way out of it, but for the first time ever Richie doesn't have anything to say. What happens next is a total fucking blur to adult Richie, all he remembers is Henry pulling out his switch blade and grabbing him by the shirt collar. "I want you to get the fuck away from me and my cousin before i get down and show you what we do fags like you in Derry. You got it?" Henry says, and poor poor Richie can do nothing else but drop his books on the ground and comply.

So he runs, out of the library and out of adult Richie Toziers memory, leaving him to sit with his cup of water, badly shaken and ready as ever to run back home, just like he did all those years ago. And that's when Pennywise shows up.