#Also is abuzz a word? If not thank me later

[unibrowzz]

Northern lights were apparently abuzz across the UK last night, if same thing happens tonight I might just have to miss Eurovision....

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

T 🧛‍♂️ 🥵🎀 (also congrats! and I am very excited about this whole thing! 😘😘😘)

Thank you so much, love! 💖 This one is not as explicitly smutty as the other request I did for you, but I'm pretty positive this won't be the last time I visit this world. (And they will absolutely fuck nasty in later instalments.)

Sweet perdition

Words: 947 Rated: E Tags: Vampire & werewolf AU; Vampire Eddie; Werewolf Steve; Imprisonment; Non-consensual bondage; Sexual tension; Explicit sexual content; Homoerotic blood drinking Notes: Part 1

It seems, Kas thinks, like he needs to thoroughly reassess his notions of werewolves. 

He's just lucky none of his vampire siblings can see him now, shackled to the floor in the basement of the surprisingly fancy manor that is the den of Steve’s pack. Outwitted and taken captive by a bunch of mutts - he'd be an utter laughing stock. 

Then again, if his siblings think that all werewolves are ugly, hairy thugs with nothing but floof for brains, it only goes to show they’ve never met any real-life packs before. Or their very pretty, very witty, very naked leaders.

Speaking of which … 

“I see you. I know you're watching me.” 

A heartbeat passes in silence. 

“Don't give yourself too much credit,” Steve smiles as he steps from the darkness. “Merely checking if you're settling in alright.” 

“How very hospitable of you,” Kas snarls. “You treat all your guests like this?” 

“Only the ones that might tear out my throat while I'm asleep,” Steve shrugs, settling cross-legged on the ground, just out of reach. He's acquired a set of clothes since Kas last saw him. A pair of skinny breeches and a cream shirt with billowing sleeves, gathered at the wrists with little satin ribbons. He looks like a haughty young lord gracing a subject with his presence. 

“You could always just let me go,” Kas hedges. Steve snorts a boyish laugh. 

“Nice try,” he says. “Afraid I can't do that.” 

Kas groans. “Is this still about your stupid prey? I told you I have nothing to do with that. Animal blood makes me wanna hurl.” 

Steve’s face remains unimpressed. “Even if that's true, one of your friends might be involved. Keeping you around might come in handy.” 

“So you're just gonna leave me down here to rot?” 

“I didn't say that.” 

Kas is about to ask what the hell he is on about, but then Steve holds out his hand. Something unfurls from his fingers - a broad band of tan leather. Inlaid with silver like the manacles on his wrists, no doubt; designed to drain his powers without causing physical harm or pain. Dangling from the end are a metal clasp and lock.

Kas sneers. 

“I think you're a bit confused, wolf boy. If one of us should be in a collar, it sure as hell isn't me.” 

Steve shrugs, rising to his feet. “Suit yourself. I'll just-” 

Something rumbles, loud and humiliating. Steve turns back around, eyebrows raised. 

“Hungry?” 

Kas scowls. “Told you I haven't been anywhere near your food, didn't- what the fuck are you doing?” 

“You're of no use to me if you starve, are you?” Steve is undoing the ribbon on his left wrist with deft fingers, pushing the sleeve up to his elbow. “Drink.” 

Kas bares his fangs, drawing a breath to tell him to go fuck himself. 

And that is when the scent hits him. Coppery and hot and tempting like all living things. 

But also more. 

Also warm summer soil and newly mown hay and embers in a slow fire. 

Life. 

He's on his knees before he realizes it, nosing at the delicate skin of that wrist. Steve hisses lightly as he pierces his flesh, but he doesn’t pull back. 

The taste of him hits Kas like something solid, seeping heavily into his limbs and sending his mind abuzz with fuzzy sensations and images. The sky at dusk and sun on skin. Music and laughter and touch, and a forgotten name floating just out of reach. The warm, tingling heat pools at the base of his spine, setting his nerves alight with fire. He moans, lapping at the thin rivulet of blood like a parched man. Each droplet is like a hit of morphine, is sweet perdition, is another kind of shackle snapping shut. He knows, instinctively, even in this moment, that he's lost. He's powerless to stop it. 

“Enough.” 

Steve uses his free hand to yank him back by the hair. Kas snarls in protest, straining to catch the last precious drops falling from those long fingers with his tongue before they go to waste. Steve watches him while he licks them up. 

“Greedy, aren't you?” 

“Fuck you,” Kas snaps. 

Steve’s lips curl into a smile. “Oh, I'm sure you'd love to. That happen every time you feed or is that just for me?” 

Those hazel eyes are swirling with gold as they flick down, and Kas realizes with a detached sense of surprise that he is painfully hard. 

“Don't give yourself too much credit,” he drawls. “And besides, I could ask the same thing of you.” 

He turns his head, which is conveniently level with the very obvious bulk in Steve’s pants. The boy doesn't recoil when he scrapes his fangs along the outline of it, merely takes a well measured step back. He's a tough little bastard, Kas has got to give it to him. 

“I'll just leave this here,” Steve says sweetly. “In case you change your mind.” 

The collar clatters to the ground. Kas doesn't turn to look at it. His gaze is transfixed to Steve's hands fixing his shirt sleeve back into place. The ribbon soaks up the last beads of blood, crimson stains blooming on cream satin like flower petals. 

“Full moon's tomorrow, so you'll need to make that meal last for a day or two,” Steve says conversationally. “I suggest you put that time to good use and think about my offer.” 

Kas wordlessly watches how he turns his back and disappears into the darkness. The metal buckle of the collar glints in the low light of the basement.

The summery scent of life lingers long after Steve is gone. 

Werewolf!Robin: You let him drink your WHAT? Are you insane? What if he has vampire rabies?!

More celebration ficlets

[ratatouillewastakendammit]

Maid To Be Yours

Pairing: Dabi x Reader

Summary: Maid-Sama meets Touya Todoroki because that fucker would die to see you in a maid outfit. (Part 2)

Warnings: Smut, slight public-sex, language, vaginal fingering, the title tbh, Dabi too he gets his own warning

Word Count: 2.7k

“Behind,” you muttered, slipping past the chef and into the main seating area.

The room was abuzz with soft music and the smell of nostalgia. Girls in a similar uniform to yours were presenting some steaming dish or cheerfully chatting with their customers.

Your own, a pair of teenage boys who were probably just here for a cheap look at the servers, were laughing heartily about something unimportant as you walked over.

As long as they tipped well, you didn’t really care.

With a polite smile, you passed them their checks. “Thank you so much for dining with us. Please come again!”

And with a small bow, you were gone, weaving around the tables toward the quiet sanctuary that the locker room provided.

It was fairly busy for a Wednesday night, which meant more money, but also meant more people to deal with.

The constant activity of a full house made it difficult to not become overwhelmed. And while you dealt with an overload of alarming tasks on a daily basis, it did become tiring after a while.

Your mind felt drained from the constant employment of a likable persona, your limbs heavy under the weight of fatigue from hours of carrying over-sized drinks.

Thankfully, the flow of customers had finally begun to trickle to a slow, allowing you the sweet relief of a well deserved break. The charming guise cracked as you slumped over a bench, allowing a weary sigh to slip through the fracture.

“You okay?”

“Hm?” You looked up, meeting eyes with your manager. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Just a bit tired, I guess.”

It had been quite the night, keeping you out well over two in the morning. Unfortunately, your last minute decision to take some overtime had you waking up a mere six hours later.

In hindsight, a horrible choice.

Flashing a grin, she shot you a thumbs up. “Well, you’re doing great! Thanks again for picking up all these extra shifts.”

Your manager was a kind woman, although you silently wondered whether or not the enjoyment she found in this line of work was exactly warranted. Regardless, she was lenient and in no way condescending, a trait you had seen in many of the other bosses you’d had the pleasure of working under.

She took a step into her office, pausing for a moment in thought before turning back in your direction. "Actually, I know you're about to go on break in a few minutes. Would you mind tossing the trash out real quick?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Ugh, you're amazing," She gushed. "Remind me to tell you about the new hire tomorrow, yeah?"

Another thing about your manager was that she was, for want of a better term, very communicative.

Seeing as you and the other waitresses were relatively close in age to her, she seemed to show great interest in your personal lives, which resulted in a good amount of friendly gossip among your coworkers.

This also produced some unwanted questions and comments. She thoroughly enjoyed the standard 'you're too pretty to be single,' or a good old petition to set you up with a friend or neighbor.

Thankfully, you were quick to come up with excuses or some other lie that would quell her curiosity until it was placed upon some other unsuspecting victim.

However, you wondered what she would say if she caught wind of those hidden aspects of your life.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she would actually come close to finding out about any of them.

No one would ever guess a member of the infamous League of Villains would be working as a waitress in a maid cafe.

Being a criminal didn’t pay the bills. It gave you a place to stay, even when if that place was a small room a few floors above a musty bar, but it didn’t give much leeway financially. There were still other utilities and items that required money, hence your need to find another job.

Obviously, this hasn’t been your first choice.

Public service was not for the faint of heart, even for someone who associated with killers and other psychotic individuals on the regular. Not to mention the dress code, which had you rethinking your life choices upon inspection.

Regardless, the pay was a lot better than many deserving workers in the restaurant industry received and the hours were flexible, a necessary benefit for someone like you.

The cafe was also fairly far away from both the League’s hideout and your own living area, giving you peace of mind that no one would ever find out about your embarrassing side-gig.

Another thing you had come to find about workers as a criminal was that a lot of your colleagues were assholes. This wasn't surprising, seeing as they killed people on the regular, but it definitely gave you ample reason to keep your personal life private, even if a particular blonde teenager vehemently voiced her disapproval of your attempted reservedness.

That was a can of beans you had no intentions of opening.

You tied the top of the trash bag, hauling it over your shoulder and nudging the back door open with your knee. It opened into an alleyway, secluded from the busy streets and surprisingly clean.

The dumpster lifted open with a creak. It threatened to fall closed, but you propped it up with the bottom of your palm, slipping the bag through and taking a quiet exhale of victory.

"No fucking way."

Tensing at the unforeseen voice, you spun around with your hands up and ready for any trouble. Your heart slowed slightly upon recognizing the familiar face, only to pick up a moment later in panic.

Out of everyone in the League, Dabi was most definitely the last person you wanted finding out about this. His cocky attitude and overall lack of empathy for those around him had you extra weary about what you let slide concerning your personal life.

The fact that you had taken a slight attraction to the man also might have been of influence.

Exactly why, you weren't sure, especially since he had seemed to have recently found entertainment in the pastime of getting under your skin.

Maybe you were just a masochist.

You fumbled in a feeble attempt to cover yourself up, but the damage had already been done.

His surprised expression brightened considerably as he watched a plethora of emotions wash over you in sick glee. "So, this is your other job?"

"What are you doing here?" You avoided his question, tugging on the ruffles of your skirt and internally cringing when the fabric barely covered the highest part of your thigh.

Crossing his arms, Dabi leaned back on the brick. "There was a situation on fifth. The police should be here in twenty minutes, so I would watch out for that."

You sighed in annoyance, but the cops were honestly the least of your worries right now. "Shouldn't you... ya know, get out of here then?"

"Eh, later. I'm enjoying this." He shrugged, almost like an arrest paled in comparison to his new discovery.

Dabi pushed off the wall and began walking over to you. With every step forward, you took one back, avoiding his advance until your own shoulders hit the building behind you.

Turquoise eyes unabashedly scanned your frame and you unintentionally shifted under the strength of his gaze. He must have noticed, a tip of smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "Who knew you were so cute?"

Blinking back in surprise, you shot him a glare that only made him laugh. "Don't call me that."

"Aww, is someone getting shy?"

"Pissed off, maybe," you muttered, trying to push past him and back inside the cafe, any place where you could sit and steep in your embarrassment alone.

Unfortunately, Dabi wasn't having it. He slipped an arm around yours, pulling you back around to face him.

"Oh, come on, doll." He tapped your nose with his finger, having it smacked away a moment later. "I think flustered is a great look on you. Do a little twirl for me, yeah?"

"I will kick your teeth out."

He gasped, the sound brimming in false hurt. "So harsh. Didn't you take this job for a chance to be nice to people? But if it was for the dress, I wouldn't judge either."

You rolled your eyes. "Obviously not, asshole. Shigaraki doesn't pay my bills."

"You know I have money, right?"

"And you'd be so generous to share?" You scoffed.

"In that little number," he cocked his head, a wicked grin flashing over his expression. "I'm sure we could work something out."

Heat bloomed up your neck at his insinuation, another insult getting caught in your throat.

Raising a hand to your temple, you let out an exasperated sigh in a meager attempt to regain your verbal footing. You had just about calmed down when you heard the shutter of a camera.

Your eyes shot up, heart dropping when you saw the phone in his hand pointing in your direction. "What are you doing?"

"Insurance policy." He inspected the photo for a moment. "There's no way anyone's gonna believe this without something some sort of proof."

"Dabi."

"Yeah, sweetheart?" His eyes flashed up to yours, faux innocence washing over his features at the anger evident in yours. "Oh, did you want this?"

Your fingernails bit into the palms of your hands, leaving tiny crescents behind that were evident of your vexation.

He loomed over you, eyes gleaming in sinful amusement. "You're gonna have to ask nicely then."

"Fuck you."

"Darn. Ya know, that's not the answer I was looking for." He swiveled on his heels, giving you an unbothered wave with his free arm. "See you later, doll."

You lunged forward, but he was quicker, not to mention taller.

With a surprising reaction time, he dodged your advance, lifting the phone until it was suspended just a few feet above your head. Every time you made a grab for it, he would straighten up just a few inches, making sure that the device was always centimeters from your grasp.

"Just give it!"

Dabi took hold of your elbow and pulled. You fell forward with a yelp, surprised at how easily he maneuvered your body against the wall. With your back pushing into the brick and his arms caging you in on both sides, there was nothing to do but succumb to his hold.

"You're telling me what to do?" The laugh he let out shot heat straight between your legs. "Sorry, doll, but I don't think you're not the one supposed to be giving orders here."

It was almost alarming how easily he was able to over power you, even more so how you barely even minded. Every suggestive sentence permeated your train of thought, thwarting any attempts you might have once had at preserving your pride.

His hands snaked down to your waist as he leaned forward, breath tickling the tip of your ear. "Now, I wanna hear it in that pretty, little customer service voice how much you want to keep this between us."

The movement sent a shiver down your spine. It was obvious that Dabi was an intimidating individual, but never like this. His presence was overpowering, the mocking tone of his voice a mere whisper of the intensity within his sharp features.

"Please keep this between us," you muttered, trying to push as much audible annoyance into the sentence as possible.

With a satisfied hum, he drew back and turned his phone off before slipping it in his pocket. "See how easy that was?"

"But you didn't delete it," you protested.

"Relax, sweetheart, I'm not gonna show anyone." His gaze raked over your form, a smug grin pulling at the corners of his lips. "I'm the only one who gets to see you looking like that."

The hand still holding your hips began to trail lower, gently grasping the top of your thighs.

Your eyes widened at the feeling. "What are you doing?"

Cerulean irises flashed up to yours as his movements came to an abrupt halt. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," you breathed, far too quickly for your liking.

A smirk cracked over his features. "That's what I thought."

And his lips crashed against yours, hands moving to cup your face in a gentle ardor you didn't know he possessed.

He lifted his knee, nudging it between your thighs and drawing a sigh from you. He took advantage of your surprise, slipping his tongue forward to meet yours.

The kiss turned desperate. It trailed down toward your jaw and right above your neckline, creating marks that you could only hope to be able to hide.

Lust began to cloud your senses, fogging over your mind until rational thought became unnoticed. You unconsciously began to roll your hips over his thigh, desperate for friction in whatever form possible.

With squeeze he gave your ass, and the way he grinned into your neck, it was evident that he noticed.

"Do you know how long I've thought about you like this?" His voice was coarse against your neck.

"In a maid outfit?" You breathed, earning a short laugh.

"Desperate for me to fuck you stupid, but that's good too."

Dabi sneaked a hand under your skirt, nudging the fabric of your underwear to the side. He ran a finger across your slit, examining the wetness that followed it with pure satisfaction. "Shit, I've barely even done anything yet."

Your body stiffened as his thumb brushed over your clit, slowing rolling over the nub until your hips followed each rotation.

Satisfaction flashed in his features at the way your body reacted to his touch. “That's right. Show me how needy you are for me."

“Plea-” the rest of the word fizzled into a sigh as he pushed a finger into you.

“Come on, sweetheart. You can do better than that.” The encouraging statement reeked of mocking amusement. His hand curled into you, eyes brightening with every gasp and whine he pulled from you.

You grabbed onto his shoulder, legs weakening into jelly. "Fuck, Dabi, please!"

"There you go, doll." He slipped another finger inside and a moan slipped past your lips. The pace of each push increased steadily, following the wordless pleas that you gave.

Pleasure coursed through you with each one, his thumb still trained over your oversensitive clit. Your surroundings faded away into a mindless afterthought in the midst of euphoria.

It was only a few minutes before you were melting in his arms, falling apart in a mess of ecstasy.

“So pretty.” He muttered, brushing a strand of hair that had fallen askew behind your ear.

The world was quiet, bathed in a gentle glow that the setting sun provided. Shadows grew within the corners, a physical hint to the ever passing time.

Still, you could've stayed there forever, resting in the bright cerulean that admired your shaking form like it was a work of art.

Of course, it would have been surprising if you were granted that luxury.

Sirens sounded in the distance, a sound that you were more than familiar with, but one that had never been as unwanted as it was now.

Dabi seemed to share a similar sentiment.

“You've got to be kidding,” he groaned, drawing back and taking a look down the alleyway. Annoyance flashed over his expression, taking the place of worry that any rationally thinking individual would experience.

You cleared your throat. "Uh, you should probably get going then."

His gaze turned back to meet yours, softening a bit under the fading sun. Regardless, that shit-eating had returned, much to your dismay.

"How sweet of you to worry," He teased, earning an eye roll. Coming forward once more, he brought his lips to yours again before moving to leave. “See you later, doll. I'll make sure to fuck you properly then.”

You could only imagine what a mess you looked like, breathless and slumped against a wall behind your cafe. The brick supported your body as you saw Dabi's come to a pause, like a passing train of thought had overtaken his path.

Face still warm from his lewd comment, you watched him turn slightly, voice echoing off your surroundings in one final statement.

“Make sure to bring the outfit.”

[bluewhale52]

The Queen’s Secret

Summary: No one expected the shy little Queen to have enamored the King so completely. What secret does she have?

Pairing: Jungkook x reader, Namjoon reader, Namjoon x Jungkook, Namjoon x Jungkook x reader (phew)

WC: 9.4k (PHEW!)

Genre: Royalty au, arranged marriage au, fantasy au

Rating: Explicit. NO MINORS ALLOWED!

Warning: where do i start..... virgin reader, handjob, oral (m & f receiving and giving), loss of virginity, penetrative sex, unprotected sex (please practice safe sex!), some mmf threesome action, a bit of breeding, Namjoon likes to watch. 

A/N: This fic was inspired by the fairytale story The Princess and the Frog, and will be the first installment in my Bangtan Fairytale series. Thank you to peachii, NeoneunnaJimin and Andrea_btsarmy47 for being my cheerleaders and betas!

The Queen has a secret.

The words keep reverberating through the palace, and Lord Yoongi cannot stand it anymore. Of course the Queen has secrets. The King has many more. Granted, no one expected the shy little Queen to have enamored the King so completely; however, one only needs to check the history books to see that sometimes - not always - arranged marriages do work.

As the Queen’s Secretary, it is Yoongi’s responsibility to know every single schedule Her Grace has. However, he wishes some of the schedules could be kept secretive, for example the times the King wishes to visit her quarters. Unfortunately, it also falls as his duty to pass on such wishes to you.

“It would save us a lot of time and energy if they sleep in the same room,” Yoongi complained.

Seokjin, the King’s Secretary, simply shrugged. “Just telling you what the King wants.”

“It’s absolutely unnecessary for me to know whenever Namjoon is horny.” Yoongi continued his grumbling as he started making his way to the East Wing.

A few sets of grand stairs later, Yoongi knocks on the door to the Queen’s private chambers. He hears shuffling, then a young woman opens the door slightly. Yoongi wastes no time.

“Inform Her Grace that the King will visit tonight.”

The woman’s eyes widen. “Again?” she peeps.

Yoongi does not repeat himself. He simply turns around and walks to where he comes from. He hears the door slam shut, and he imagines the flurry of activities that are happening behind closed doors to prepare for the King’s arrival. The ‘again’ comment sticks in his mind; it is only a matter of time the servants quarters will be abuzz and for the whispers to travel out of palace grounds by morning. Yoongi supposes it is not all that bad that the royal couple are madly in love (or lust, as Yoongi is more inclined to believe) with each other, but his deep sense of loyalty prefers the King, and the Queen, whom he has grown very fond of, not be discussed in anything so salacious. Perhaps he needs to persuade Seokjin to seduce another lady in the royal court to take the heat off for a few days.

Five months ago

Your twentieth birthday was spent in a carriage with two friends who had been carefully chosen to accompany you on your journey to the capital, and for the new life that lay ahead of you. The convoy the King had sent to pick up his new bride was small yet fortified, led by his very own Captain of the Royal Guards.

Captain Jung had a very intimidating look, even when he periodically asked if you were all right or if you or your ladies needed anything to make the journey more comfortable. You thanked him for his concern while your two friends continued to swoon over him.

“If men in the capital are as handsome as Captain Jung, you both will be in trouble,” you teased.

Iseul sighed. “I bet he already has ladies waiting in line for him.”

“You’ve met the King’s court. Are they all handsome like our Captain there?” Nari whispered, curious.

You hummed. “I’ve only met Lord Seokjin and Lord Yoongi before. And they both are very easy on the eyes.”

Your two friends tittered. You smiled at them as you gently petted the rabbit in your lap.

“I can’t believe you accepted the rabbit from the witch.” Nari pouted at the animal.

“She’s a healer,” you disagreed. “Only silly children call her a witch. And you’re a cute little bunny, aren’t you? You’ll keep me company in the big, scary city?” You rubbed your nose against the rabbit’s, and giggled when its whiskers tickled you.

An old woman, widely known in your area as a gifted healer, had stopped you earlier to give you a basket of gifts - bulbs of wild flowers and herbs she claimed could only be found in the forest by your father’s land, and a rabbit, whose fur was white as snow except for the streaks of black across its body. She had wished you a happy life as she pressed the basket to your hands, and you were touched by her gesture. Immediately taking a liking to the small animal, you held it in your lap throughout the day-long journey to the King’s palace.

On arrival, you and your small party were welcomed by the King’s Secretary, the very handsome Lord Seokjin. He apologised for the King’s absence, citing a hunting party that went a little over schedule. You smiled in understanding, and let him escort you through the stately building that would be your home.

“This is the East Wing,” he explained. “Everything here is yours, my Lady. All of your household staff will be staying in this wing. You have your own kitchen, and the King has made sure that the cooks know how to make dishes from your home. There is a library and also a small private garden, perfect for those flowers and plants.”

Seokjin gestured at the basket in Iseul’s hands. She immediately straightened her back. You hid a smile at the immediate blush that appeared on her cheeks.,

“You must be tired,” he turned back to you. “The King would be back by supper time tomorrow, and he would welcome you to join him.”

“Yes, my Lord. Thank you,” you replied in a small voice.

Lord Seokjin left you and your ladies, and you soon got ready for bed, exhausted from the journey. As you lay in bed that night in the unfamiliar room with the even more foreign shadows outside your windows, you tossed and turned. It was exactly 30 days to your wedding to the King.

~~~

The first few days passed in a blink of an eye. You were introduced to your household staff, to the Court, to the foreign dignitaries, and more people that you could remember. The King was kind and patient, quick to jump in whenever your shyness took over, but he was only with you when his schedule allowed, which was not very often at all. And when the King was otherwise occupied, Lord Yoongi, who had been appointed as your Private Secretary, stayed by your side, always ready to assist you in navigating this new chapter in your life. You were pleased to have him; you liked his quiet demeanour and no-nonsense attitude.

Your nights however, were torturous. You had made the mistake of listening in on the maids gossiping (when you were as quiet as a mouse, you heard the whispers all the more clearly) that the King was spending as much time as possible with his lovers before his impending nuptial.

“Who cares if you could please him? All you have to do is bear him an heir. Or two,” Nari said when you confided in her.

“All kings have lovers, you know that,” Iseul tried to comfort you.

“I know, I’m not that naive. I just… I just don’t want to be so boring that he’d lose interest in me completely!” You cuddled your rabbit closer. You were well aware of the true nature of royal marriages, and yet, you did not want to be reduced as a mere vessel.

Your two friends looked at each other. “You’re asking the wrong people, we’re as clueless as you are,” Iseul admitted.

Nari scoffed. “Said someone who has been flirting with a Lord!”

“I have not! Lord Seokjin smiles at everyone. It’s not my fault if his smile is sweeter for me.”

Nari swatted Iseul, and the two quickly fell into a playful bickering. You caressed your pet rabbit as it nibbled a cookie. It amused you how the animal had such a sweet tooth, preferring your sweet snacks to carrots.

“What am I going to do, Cookie? How can I please the King?” The rabbit merely twitched its nose in response. You laughed and brought it close to your chest, cuddling it.

You slept uneasily that night, and had an even more restless dream. You knew it was a dream, it had to be, for it was impossible for a man to appear out of darkness and sit by your bed. And that you were not even scared of his presence, in fact, you were curious.

“Who are you?” You sat up and watched him carefully.

The man tilted his head as if trying to recall a memory. “Jungkook,” he replied after a pause. “Yes, I’m sure my name is Jungkook.”

“Where did you come from? How are you in my chamber?”

Jungkook looked around the room, then pointed at the large cushion by your settee. “I was there earlier…” he drifted off, staring blankly.

“There? But that’s where Cookie sleeps.”

Jungkook blinked. “Yes, I was Cookie.”

What a very strange dream.

“Well, obviously you are NOT a rabbit, so I ask again, where did you come from?”

The man remained quiet, but his face scrunched up, struggling to answer. You continued to watch him, and to your embarrassment, you were even more curious the longer you looked at the man. You had never seen a naked man before, and Jungkook was absolutely naked, so naked that your eyes wandered down past his collarbone, to his chiseled chest and muscular stomach. And the… the THING between his legs! Your cheeks burned. You knew enough of the male anatomy of what that THING could do, and your mind immediately went to your earlier worry. You would have a similar… THING… shoved into you on your wedding night.

You swallowed and pushed your eyes back up. Jungkook had a very handsome face that was framed by short black hair. You felt very self conscious and flabbergasted at how good looking he was. Why was everyone in the capital so gorgeous? Then you caught a sight of his right arm, covered in black inks from the wrist all the way up to his shoulder.

“Those marks,” you pointed at his limb. “How did you get them?”

“I… I don’t know.”

You swallowed. “They look like the pattern on Cookie’s fur.”

He blinked again and moved closer to you. “I am Cookie,” he spoke as if begging you to believe him. “I heard you talking to your ladies earlier.”

You blushed heavily and clutched your thin nightdress.  You noticed his breathing had quickened, just as yours. You sputtered, “That was a private convers-”

“I can help.” He cut you off.

“Help? Help with what?”

He scrunched his face again,seemingly to be in pain. “Teach you. To please the King.” He breathed out every word. “Please, I need a touch. To touch.”

He kneeled suddenly on the bed, in front of you. His thing- erection- was so close to you, and so big and so hard. You covered your mouth as your body burnt, and you pressed your legs tightly.

“Please, may I?” Jungkook held his hand out, his face was still in agony.

You gingerly placed your hand in his, and he whispered a thank you. Then to your astonishment, he brought it to his cock, guiding your dainty fingers to wrap around it. Your mouth dried up as you felt the velvety skin, the vein protruding against your palm. A shaky moan escaped you as he covered your hand with his, and steered it to move up and down his shaft.

You wanted to faint at the impropriety of the act, but he had such a tight grip on you, and the look of pain on his face was soon replaced with one of pleasure. You were mesmerised by his expression, despite your earlier shock. He hissed through his teeth, and the sound only added to the pressure you were feeling between your legs. You pressed them tighter, almost crying at the unfamiliar primal sensation.

“Oh, my Lady, keep doing that,” he opened his eyes to meet yours, the corners of his lips rising to a smile. “It feels so good.”

“It does?” you whimpered. He nodded.

“Grip it tighter around the base,” he directed. “Yes, just like that… ah! Yes!”

You found yourself sitting straighter in your bed, your curiosity piqued. You followed his guidance, and the sounds coming out of his mouth made you stroke him with more confidence. You were amazed, unable to believe the way the beautiful man was coming undone with your hand alone.

Jungkook released your wrist, allowing you to continue on your own. “Keep going, my Lady, your hand feels so good.” He closed his eyes, sighing in pleasure. You adjusted your position, and in the process tugged him slightly which made him wince.

“I’m sorry!” You nearly pulled your hand back, but he held it back in place.

“It’s all right, don’t stop. Do it again, and like this.” He took your thumb to rub it against his tip. You gulped at the liquid leaking from it, but to your astonishment it actually made the process of stroking him more smoothly.

“Harder, you can squeeze a little, fuck,” he panted. “Just like that. Faster, my Lady, please.”

You felt the urgency and you quickly obeyed, gripping him harder and picking up your pace as he requested. Your free hand rested on his thigh, supporting yourself as you jerked him faster. You were spellbound with the spasms taking over his body, the flexing of his muscles and the thickness of his neck as he threw his head back in ecstasy.

You felt the shaft in your hand pulsating, and you screamed in a combination of fear, confusion and awe as thick white liquid spurted out. Jungkook covered your hand again, and encouraged you to keep going. And so you did, you kept pumping him until the liquid stopped oozing out and he released a long exhale. Only then you pulled your hand back, hypnotised by the white sticky liquid covering it.

“You can taste it if you want.”

You could not be any more scandalised. “Taste it?”

Jungkook nodded. You cautiously brought your hand closer to your mouth, then you stuck your tongue out slightly to lick your finger. The taste startled you. It was not as disgusting as you initially thought. It was bitter and salty, with a hint of muskiness that was very… manly. You licked a bit more, and realised that you could very well get used to it.

You were startled when Jungkook reappeared in your vision, somehow having procured a fresh linen. He used it to wipe your fingers one by one.

“Thank you, my Lady.” He kissed your hand once he had cleaned it thoroughly. He did not let it go however, and you made no move to pull it back. You stared at how small your hand looked in his.

“Jungkook, will… will the King like what I did to you?”

He squeezed your hand lightly. “Of course, my Lady. No man can resist that. Nor you.”

You blushed again, feeling some sort of pride in his answer. The discomfort between your legs remained, however. You adjusted your sitting position, still pressing your thighs together.

“You should get some pleasure too, my Lady.”

You lifted your eyes to meet Jungkook’s, and watched how his drifted down to your breasts, then further south to the lower part of your body that was still covered by the blanket. You stuttered and found yourself unable to speak under his scrutiny.

“Have you ever touched yourself?”

You shook your head fiercely. Then the words escaped before you could stop them. “Will you teach me?”

“I will,” he smiled, gently pushing your body back. You rested your head on your pillows, forcing your breathing to settle. “Just relax. Close your eyes if that helps.”

You did as he said. You closed your eyes. But when you opened them again, the sun was shining through your window and your ladies in waiting were knocking outside, asking for permission to come in. Panicked, you looked around your room for Jungkook. But there was no sign of him, not even of the linen he used to clean your soiled hand. Instead, your pet rabbit, Cookie, slept soundly on the pillow next to yours.

~~~

The next few days, and nights, you did not cuddle Cookie at all. You were convinced what happened was a dream, but still, you were ashamed to the bone for having succumbed to such indecency, even in your subconscious. The rabbit hopped around as usual in your room, but it seemed to stare at you more than normal.

You stopped all talk about coupling in your room. You just could not deal with the implications should Cookie overhear again. Until, two weeks before your wedding day, nerves and fear enveloped you at night, sending you whimpering into your pillow. You felt movement next to your head, and you opened your eyes to find Cookie right next to you. Smiling wistfully at the rabbit, you pulled it closer to you to rub your nose on its head, taking comfort in its soft fur.

Jungkook appeared in your dream that night, naked again, just like how he was when you first saw him. He was lying down next to you, his big brown eyes observing you.

“I can feel your nervousness,” he whispered.

You swallowed. “I’ll be married to the King in a fortnight. I’m scared.”

He reached for your hand and squeezed it gently. “What are you scared of?”

“I was told it would be painful. And… what if he doesn’t like me?”

“My Lady, he would be a fool not to like you.” He tucked your hair behind your ear. “Since you took me in your care, you have been very kind and caring.”

You blushed under his touch. “Have you… ever done it?”

“It?” He scrunched his eyebrow. “I… I think so? I still can’t recall much of my human memory.”

You shuffled closer to him, curious. “You remember your name,” you prodded. “Is there nothing else you remember?”

Jungkook stayed silent for a moment, his hand moved down from your hair to your arm, rubbing it gently. The intimacy foolishly made you feel like you were in a lover’s embrace.

“I remember faces, but I don’t know who they belong to,” he finally answered. “It hurts sometimes to try to recollect memories.”

You immediately cupped his face, feeling the need to assure him. “It will come back to you.”

“Thank you, my Lady.” He turned his face to kiss your palm. Your breath hitched. “As to the other matter that is on your mind…”

He trailed off, eyes on yours as his hand moved yet again, this time from your arm to your waist. You instantly had the urge to press your legs tightly together again as his hand kept moving south of your body, until it stopped on your thigh.

“May I pleasure you?”

“Do you remember how to do that?” you teased. You were surprised you still had the ability to speak with his touch burning your skin. He smiled and nodded.

“Let’s see how much.” He snuck his hand between your legs, and your first instinct was to push it away. But then you realised in horror, that you were naked as he was. You pressed your face in your pillow in embarrassment.

With eyes closed tightly, you felt his fingers moving over you. Goosebumps broke on your skin, and even though you were naked, you felt so very hot. His fingers skimmed over your folds, and you felt liquid leaking out. He dipped a finger in lightly, almost to test your reaction, and when you mewled, he pushed it deeper.

“My Lady,” he called out. You took a peak at him, breathless. “Would you like more?”

You nodded eagerly. ”Yes, Jungkook. More, please.”

He took his time burying his digit in you, then he started sliding his finger in and out. At one point, you felt him touching a spot inside you that made you arch your back.

“Oh! Jungkook, please!”

You did not even know what it was that you were asking for, but your hips bucked and you reached out to grip his shoulders tightly. You could hear the sound of his palm smacking against your skin as he moved his finger faster.

“Ah, Jungkook!” You dug your fingers into his flesh as you felt a stretch.

“It’s all right, my Lady.” He peppered you with kisses until you relaxed. “I will make you feel so good.”

You dared yourself to look down, and found that two of his fingers were pumping into you. Bringing your eyes back to him, you sighed in lustful delight. You closed your eyes, focusing on the pleasure he was giving you. The face of the King entered your mind, and for a moment it was him that was stroking the fire inside you.

Something wet touched you down there, making you open your eyes. To your horror, Jungkook was not beside you anymore, but instead between your legs. You cried out when you saw the pink of his tongue poking out and flicking you, sending vibrations throughout your body. You gripped the bed sheet underneath you, shocked at the intense pressure in your core.

“Let go, my Lady,” he murmured against your heat. “It’s all right, just let go.”

You exhaled sharply. Your hands left the sheet only to find themselves in his hair, instinctively pushing him closer to you. You lost yourself in the wetness of his tongue, in the movements of his fingers, and finally, your legs kicked once, twice, signalling your climax. You closed your eyes tightly as even more heat enveloped your body, and you wailed when the heat finally exploded.

When you next opened your eyes, it was morning, and your rabbit, Cookie, was sleeping on its cushion, with its back legs stretched out behind him, purring contentedly.

~~~

The two weeks passed quickly. As usual, your days were spent in your preparation to become Queen, and your nights were filled with wanton dreams with Jungkook. He touched you, with his fingers and his tongue, making you scream night after night. He also had guided you on how to use your mouth on him, the mere recollection of that particular dream made you blush brightly.

Iseul and Nari mistook the rouge on your cheeks as wedding glow, but you knew better. As they prepared you for the King’s first bedding, you asked them to take Cookie out of your room.

“It would be quite weird to have him around, tonight.” You reasoned. You were highly strung already in anticipation, you did not need the addition of Jungkook visiting your dreams.

The three of you froze in place when you heard the knocks on the door, followed by the King’s low voice asking for permission to enter. Your two ladies bowed and curtseyed to you, and with a last whisper of good luck, they left. You sat up on your bed, feeling extremely exposed in your thin nightgown.

Your breath hitched when the King appeared. He was dressed in a dark purple robe, and underneath was a thin undershirt, so thin that you could see shadows of his nipples and the silhouette of his chest and abdomen. He wore loose slacks that rode low on his hips, and you knew from your experience with Jungkook what lay beneath the material.

“How are you, _______ ?” His voice abruptly brought you out of your staring, and you chided yourself for having failed to greet him properly.

“Your Grace,” you cleared your throat. “I am well, thank you.”

“Good. You are not drunk, are you?”

“No, Your Grace.” You shook your head. “You made sure I did not drink too much at the banquet.”

He smiled at that, and you swooned over the dimples in his cheeks. You blushed when you recalled how he had reminded you to stop reaching for the wine after every congratulatory greeting came your way.

“You must be nervous,” he took off his robe and draped it over the settee by your bed. “I will be gentle.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Your voice was getting smaller and shakier. You tried to remember what you did with Jungkook in your dreams to gather your courage. Taking a deep breath, you inched to the side of the bed, where the King was standing, and you gingerly reached out for his slacks. You felt him tensing up, and you looked up.

He looked down at you with a questioning yet curious expression, as if confused at what you were doing, yet eager to find out what you would do next. You exhaled slowly, and with determination, you started to undo his slacks, occasionally stealing glances at him, to check his reactions.

When his slacks were completely off, you were greeted by his cock. You subconsciously licked your lips, your saliva pooling at the sight of it. It looked big, as big, if not bigger than Jungkook’s, You started getting dizzy, the mixture of alcohol and lust swimming in your head.

You wrapped both sets of your fingers around him, and the King hissed at your touch. You looked back up at him, and keeping your eyes on his, you began to stroke him, up and down at first, and when he let out a moan, you started to twist your grip around his shaft.

“Fuck, _______ ,” he hissed. “Have you done this before?”

Your heart dropped. The heat in your body immediately turned to ice. “No, Your Grace,” you answered, fear laced in your voice. “No, I have never laid with anyone, I swear. I am chaste.” Well, technically. Dreams didn’t count, did they?

You flinched when the King raised his hand, but he only did so to cup your cheek and caress it gently. “_______ , calm down, I’m not mad, nor am I questioning your purity. I’m just surprised, and it feels good. Keep going.”

Relief washed through you, and you turned your head to kiss his palm in gratitude, which made him tense again. You looked back up to him, confused by his reaction, but all you saw was his eyes, full of lust.

Your hands moved again, and you swiped the precum off his tip, using it as lubrication, the way you knew Jungkook liked it, assuming the King would like it too. And he did; you heard the rumble in his chest, and his voice dropped even lower as he whispered your name.

Emboldened, you leaned forward and started licking the head of his cock. You felt him shuddering, and so you took it a step further. With one hand on his thigh and another still pumping the base of his cock, you wrapped your lips around him and took him in as far as you could. You gagged a little when you felt the intrusion hitting the back of your throat, but you knew that you could take more once you relaxed a little. However, before you could do so, you heard the King swear again.

“Enough,” he said harshly. He pulled out of your mouth. You sat still, jaws aching and throat a bit sore, but you dismissed the discomfort, for fear engulfed you again, worried that you had taken it too far. The man before you had crowned you as his Queen earlier that day, and yet here you were, acting like a whore, greedy and lewd.

“Move up the bed.”

You did as he instructed, quietly. You did not dare to meet his eyes, but you could feel his glare on you.

“Lie down.”

The air was still around you and you held your breath. You lay your body down, on your back. You closed your eyes, with chill running through you, as you resigned yourself to whatever punishment the King would give you for your impropriety.

You felt the bed dipped by your feet, then a pair of hands gripped your ankles tightly. You bit back a sob. The hands moved up your legs, pushing your nightgown up until you felt the material pooling on your thighs, and those hands were not far behind. His hands were big, and they felt rough, the calluses scraping against your sensitive skin. Your hands bunched into tight fists by your sides.

The hands left you and you braced yourself. However, what happened next was as surprising as the obscene moans that escaped your mouth. The King ripped your nightgown, grabbed your knees and pushed them up until they hit your chest. Your eyes flew open and you immediately looked down, to find his head between your legs, and his eyes boring through yours as he gave your sex a slow wet lick.

“Oh, my King!” There was no more fear in your voice, only primal needs.

He licked you a few more times, then he lifted his head. You wanted to faint at the sight of his slick mouth and chin. “Namjoon. Call me Namjoon.”

You mewled as he went back to your cunt. His tongue was wide, and hard, and his hands held your thighs in a death grip, keeping you open for him. You felt yourself gushing out, and you could not believe how much liquid was dripping out of your hole to wet the sheets below.

“Namjoon!” You wailed out his name as his tongue poked in, and his lips smacking against your wet folds. He seemed to like having his name shouted out, for he doubled up his pace, stabbing the wet organ quick and hard into you, eliciting more screams of his name out of you.

You felt the telltale signs, not so unfamiliar as you had experienced it many times in your dreams with Jungkook, but the sensation in real life was a hundred fold more intense. The pressure was heavy on your core, tight on your abdomen, and your legs shook to close around the King’s- Namjoon’s- head.

He gripped your thighs harder, and he started to wiggle his tongue in you. The room was full of your cries of his name, and the loudest came when a particular flick of his tongue triggered the explosion in your body. You closed your eyes tightly as the pressure was finally released, your back arched wildly as you rode your orgasm.

You were barely aware of your surroundings, your head was still spinning and your vision blurry, when you felt an intrusion at the entrance of your pussy. You forced your eyes open, and you sighed wantonly at the sight of Namjoon hovering above you as his hand guided his cock into you. He pushed in slowly, and you felt your walls stretch. This was new- you did not do this with Jungkook in your dreams- so you started to panic a little. Tears escaped your eyes as Namjoon lowered his body over yours.

“Relax, _______,” he kissed your tears away. “I’ll go slowly.”

He took your arms and draped them around his shoulders. You quickly took purchase in them, holding on to him as you held your breath. He dipped his cock in shallow thrusts in and out of you, helping you adjust to his girth. You could not escape the pain, but the pleasure on top of it was too delicious. You dug your nails into his back, biting back a moan.

He pulled your bottom lip. “Be loud, my little Queen. It’s just us here.”

With those words, he thrusted a little and you gasped as he intruded your virginal hole further. Your body writhed, desperate for more.

“You’re sucking me in,” Namjoon smirked. “You think you can take me?”

“Yes, yes,” you whined. “Please, I want more.”

He surged forward to kiss you fervently, at the same time sheathing his whole length into your warm, wet hole. You cried out into his mouth, your shock and your sobs faded away the moment you tasted him and yourself on his lips. The stretch in your cunt triggered your second climax, taking you both by surprise and making you clench tightly around him. He broke the kiss to groan next to your ear, the sound only amplified your pleasure.

When the waves subsided, your body went limp, but Namjoon was still hard as a rock. He remained unmoving on top of you as he watched your face. You were certain you looked an absolute mess. You could feel a mixture of your and his saliva on your chin, and streaks of tears drying up on your face, far from the usual prim and proper appearance you put on.

Namjoon, however, did not seem to mind. “I’m going to put my heir in you,” he shuffled to get back on his knees, his cock still buried in you. “And if your womb does not take tonight, I will fill you up over and over until it does.”

He pulled your hips up, and your body followed along pliantly. He began moving, slowly fucking you. You threw your head back further into the bed, captivated by the feel of his cock dragging around your walls. You could not stop the lecherous wails from escaping your mouth.

He smirked. “My shy little Queen,” he was moving faster now, the slapping sounds of his skin against yours deafening in your ears. “Who knew you would take me so well, hmm? I will enjoy fucking you until you are big and full of my children.”

He pulled himself nearly out, until only the tip remained inside. You wanted to protest, for you felt so empty. But before you could find your voice, he thrusted hard into you, so hard that you felt your breasts bounce. He grunted above you, then repeated the motion over and over again, until your body was pushed across the bed and you found your head dangling over the side. Then, with what you could identify as a roar, he pulled you up until you were sitting on him.

The new position made his cock go even deeper in you, and you sobbed and clung desperately to him. His hands gripped your hips to hold your body still, and he started to thrust up into you. You babbled his name, mind delirious as the pressure started to build for the third time that night.

“Are you going to cum again, _______ ?” He carded his fingers through your hair, an almost smug expression on his face. “Will you milk me to my last drop, hmm?”

“Namjoon,” you whined. “Yes, please.”

You lost your voice when he moved even faster and harder. Your body bounced over him, his strong hands holding you so you did not topple over. Your eyes were closed, you were so lost in the pleasure. You felt his hair brushing against your chin, then you heard a growl, before something pricked your collarbone. He bit your skin, and was sucking on it as he continued thrusting up into you, and it proved to be the last push you needed to succumb to your climax again.

Everything was a blur afterwards. Namjoon emptied himself into you when you were riding out the last of your orgasm, and you were quite certain you collapsed onto the bed, spent, satisfied and completely unable to move. When Namjoon kissed you, you returned it by reflex, and when he left your bed, you dragged yourself to move under the blanket. However, he came back with a cup of wine, offering it to you.

“Your throat must be parched.”

You blushed, knowing how unabashedly loud you had been. You forced yourself to sit up to take a few sips, then you looked at him questioningly when he tucked himself in bed next to you.

“Your Grace?”

He settled on the pillow. “Namjoon, call me Namjoon when we are in bed.”

“Namjoon,” you corrected yourself, “are you staying the night?”

“Of course I am,” he chuckled. “It’s our wedding night, and I’d like to think you still want me, as I do you.”

You blushed all the way to your ears, suddenly embarrassed by your naked bodies. “Oh,” was all you managed to say.

“Come on, let’s have a rest.” He pulled you down until you lay tucked in his arm, your head on his chest. You fell asleep soon after, listening to his heartbeats, and for the first time in two weeks, Jungkook did not visit you in your dreams. You were awakened, however, by the King’s hunger.

Iseul and Nari later would tell you as they dabbed ointments on the purple marks across your collarbone and your breasts, that the guards stationed on your floor stood as far away from your room as possible all night, and that they even prevented everyone, including your and the King’s secretaries, from stepping anywhere towards your room, until the King himself exited, when the sun was high up in the sky.

Namjoon always walks purposefully, more so when he walks towards your room. He wonders if he should move you closer, or if he should take up Yoongi’s advice (or rather, whining) to move into your room altogether. He spends almost every other night there anyway. Thinking about you, he smiles to himself. The shy noblewoman from the country turns out to be a menace in bed. And even when you are too tired, he is more than happy to just talk and sleep next to you.

When he opens the door to your room, your ladies in waiting are already getting ready to leave, and they do just so, one by one filing out. He finds you sitting on the bed, draped in a robe that he knows is hiding that damned thin nightgown you seem to favor so much.

“Your Grace.” You greet him when you see him. “Namjoon.”

His name slithers out of your mouth like silk, and it has become one of his favorite sounds in the world. “Good evening, my little Queen,” he unrobes himself before joining you in bed. “You seem to be in quite a good mood tonight.”

You smiled. “I am indeed.” You take his hands and press them to your stomach. “I think I am with child. I have asked Lord Yoongi to bring the physician tomorrow, so hopefully we will get confirmation then.”

He nearly jumps out of excitement. His eyes zeroes down to your stomach immediately. For once, he is lost for words. So instead he bends down to kiss you there, but in the process knocks you back awkwardly to your pillows. He apologises, embarrassed by his clumsiness.

You giggle at his reaction. “Look at that,” you point at your pet rabbit hopping around the room wildly and onto your bed, “Cookie is excited too.”

Namjoon scoops the rabbit up. “Did you hear that? What wonderful news!” In his elation, he absent-mindedly gives it a little peck on its head.

What happens next cannot be explained. The rabbit starts to spasm, its head jerking around as if in pain. It continues to twist, and you start shrieking in fear.

“Namjoon! What’s happening? Why is Cookie like that?”

The King lies the rabbit down on your bed and grabs his robe to go out to get help. “I will get someo-”

A puff of black smoke fills your room suddenly, stopping the King in his tracks. He immediately reaches out for you, worried for your - and the baby’s - safety. He finds your hands amidst the smoke, and he pulls you to him, only feeling somewhat safer when you are standing behind him. He waves his arm around, as the smoke starts to dissipate. He wishes he had his sword with him as he calculates the time to get you out of the room and alerts the guards. The grip you have on his arm and your gasp, however, prevent him from doing any of that.

“Namjoon, look!”

He peers through the smoke, and sees a figure on your bed. It is a man, naked and curled up, the silhouette is familiar, and his heart beats faster.

“_______, stay here,” he steps closer to your bed. “I just need to see who it is.”

It can’t be… can it? But he knows that hair, those lines of muscles, the dimple on the small of his back. There is only one person whose body he knows this intimately. “Jungkook?”

You gasp. “You know him?”

“Jungkook?” He shakes the man’s shoulders. “Jungkook? Is it really you?”

Jungkook stirs and opens his eyes. “Your Grace?” he calls out with a soft whisper.

Namjoon chokes. “It is you.” He pulls the naked man into a hug. “Jungkook, you have no idea how long I have been looking for you.” Jungkook raises his hands and wraps them around the King’s back, with a sound of laughter mixed with teary relief.

“Namjoon, you know him?” You ask again. He finds himself struggling to find an answer.

“Jungkook… he is one of my knights.” He swallows, suddenly feeling guilty for what he is about to admit. “He was lost after we visited your father last year.”

You blink. “You mean…”

Namjoon nods. “Yes, after your father and I made the agreement for our marriage.”

You inch closer to Jungkook, your hand reaches out to stroke his hair. Namjoon is surprised at your tenderness. He expects you to be shocked and fearful, but the look in your eyes is soft, and dare he says, affectionate?

“You seem to know him too, my little Queen.” He eyes you carefully.

Your eyes dart to his, but before you can answer him, Jungkook speaks. “She brought me here. Back to you. Don’t be mad at her.”

You sniffle. “He has been my… companion the past few months.”

Namjoon tilts his head. He knows you enough by now to know you are hiding something. However, he realises he is too. He decides to let it go for now and turns back to Jungkook.

“What happened?”

Jungkook sighs. “I can’t remember much. Actually, I did not remember anything at all until I was in this room. With Her Grace.”

Namjoon cannot help himself. He cups Jungkook’s face and leans down to kiss him. He hears your breath hitch. Then he turns to you and kisses you as well. “Thank you,” he murmurs against your lips.

Jungkook moves to sit up on the bed, and both Namjoon and you help him, propping up pillows on his back to make him more comfortable.

“We came across a group of bandits on our way back, do you remember that?” Jungkook starts, directing his question at Namjoon who nods. “As I was chasing them, I came across a witch. I must have insulted her- I don’t even remember what I did - and next thing I knew, I was a rabbit. She kept me in her hut, until another witch came, and took me away, to give me to you.”

Jungkook takes a deep breath. “I do not have much recollection about my time as a rabbit. Not even my name. Then once I was here, it slowly came back to me. Every night, little by little, I started to remember.”

Namjoon reaches out for your hand, wanting to thank you again, but he is shocked to see your cheeks and ears have turned bright red. You nervously glance at him, then back to Jungkook. Then he remembers your choice of word. Companion.

“Did you know that your rabbit is Jungkook?”

Your face is devoid of color. Namjoon feels Jungkook tensing up as well.

“Your Grace, please forgive me!” You immediately kneel on the floor and bow to him. “I swear I have not been astray.”

Namjoon is baffled by the tears and the pure fear in your face. He waits for you to explain further, but you do not seem to be able to, lost in your sobs.

“I visited her in her dreams,” Jungkook admits quietly. “I was in such a need, needing to feel somewhat human, and she helped me. In fact, the more time I spent with her, the more my memories came back.”

You hiccup. “I did not lay with him, we just… touched each other.”

Namjoon takes a deep breath, trying to understand what is going on. His wife and Queen has brought back his… he swallows nervously. He has never acknowledged the relationship he had with Jungkook, despite his close circle of friends knowing the true nature of it. He takes in your form, his own memory going back to the scared and nervous young woman he first met a year ago at your father’s estate, then to the shy Queen he first bedded three months ago. How much have you changed since that night he first slept with you? With every moan, every scream he pulls out of you, you are becoming more and more confident, in court and in bed. And soon, you will bear him an heir.

“My dear,” he pulls you up, having made up his mind. “Fear not, I am not angry. Surprised, yes, but not angry, never with you.” He strokes your cheek, calming you down. “And, you have brought back someone precious to me. How could I be angry?”

You look at him and Jungkook nervously. Namjoon continues. “Jungkook was my lover,” he admits, feeling a large burden being lifted off at the admission. “I was devastated when he disappeared, and I have never stopped looking for him.” He turns to Jungkook to cup his cheek. “In fact, Jimin and Taehyung left just two days ago to continue the search. When, all this while, my little Queen has brought you home.”

Namjoon is taken aback when you crash into him, hugging his waist tightly. “Thank you, Your Grace.” You sniffle noisily into his chest. “He, Jungkook… I asked him to teach me things because I was so afraid I would not be enough for you. But I swear, you were my first, in my dreams or otherwise.”

The three of you remain quiet, partly because you are trying to calm down from your crying, and Jungkook is getting used to his new human body. Namjoon contentedly caresses your hair with one hand, while his other is linked with Jungkook’s, assuring you that it does not matter. He is just so happy to see Jungkook after despairing for so long. His lover, whom he has loved and longed for, is finally, finally back home with him. And then his Queen- he has fallen in love with you, over the span of three months. How lucky could one be to have both together? He feels incredibly content.

And incredibly needy. He tilts your face up, and starts kissing you until your face is dry of your tears. He feels you gasping at him, chasing his mouth, and he smiles.

Then he turns to Jungkook, who is already raising himself up, and kisses him. He sighs in pleasure as their lips touch, having missed the younger man’s taste so much. He deepens the kiss until he runs out of breath.

He falls onto the bed, flanked on either side by you and Jungkook. He sees a glint in Jungkook’s eye, also a flash of hunger. He turns to you.

“My little Queen, you have only met Jungkook in your dreams?”

You nod.

“So you have never touched him at all?”

“No, not like this.” You gulp.

“You should touch him then,” he guides your hand to Jungkook’s chest, placing it there. “Now that he’s here, you get to touch him all you like.”

You blink. “Namjoon, you don’t mind?”

He kisses you gently, then turns to kiss Jungkook too. “No, I won’t mind at all, in fact, I would very much like to see you both enjoy each other for the first time.”

You still look at him hesitantly. “If you want to, of course,” he adds. He would never force you to do anything against your wish. To his delight, you nod, still shy, and he shuffles out of the way, making space for you and Jungkook on the bed.

Namjoon hears little gasps from you as you touch Jungkook’s naked body, and he smirks in amusement, for he had done the same the first time he saw the younger man naked, the first time he grazed the plane of his chest, his tiny waist, his strong legs. He undresses himself as he continues watching you admiring Jungkook with your fingers, and soon, your mouth.

“Does it feel good, my little Queen?” He brushes your hair back. “What do you want to do to our Jungkook?”

You raise your head. “Namjoon…I have never laid with him. May I?” you ask hesitantly.

“Of course, if that’s what you want.” He glances at Jungkook, breathless now on the bed. “That seems to be what he wants too.”

Namjoon watches you kiss your way down Jungkook’s body, from his neck, to his chest, down to his stomach and even further. Namjoon nods when you glance at him, as if asking for permission, before you grab his cock in your little hand, stroking him to full hardness.

You stick your tongue out and start licking his shaft, before engulfing him completely in your mouth. You bob your head up and down slowly but soon you pick up your pace. Namjoon reaches for his own cock and starts stroking himself too, matching his pace with your mouth.

Jungkook jerks up at a particular suck, making you gag. You pull off of him and catch your breath. Namjoon has had enough. He wants more, and looking at how glassy your eyes are, he knows you do too.

“You can ride him, would you like that?” Namjoon smiles as you keen at his request, and helps you get on Jungkook. He holds Jungkook’s cock - he can’t even describe how much he has missed the feeling of his hardness in his hand, but for now he wants to watch you, to see you losing yourself in pleasure with his lover. So he guides Jungkook’s cock towards your hole, and he groans as you slowly sink down on it.

“Ah, fuck, you’re so wet,.” Jungkook moans.

“Jungkook,” you pant. “Finally.”

A tear escapes your eye. Namjoon catches it with his finger. “Yes, finally. How lucky I am to have you both here.” Namjoon nuzzles your hair. He loves how you smell of flowers and sex. He tilts your head to kiss you, and you pliantly open your mouth to welcome his lips and his tongue.

Namjoon feels your body starting to bounce, Jungkook has started to thrust up into you. Namjoon swallows your moans and whimpers, while still stroking his cock. He glances over to Jungkook, his face scrunched up in concentration as he fucks into you.

Suddenly, his hand is no longer enough. He longs for Jungkook’s mouth, memories of their rendezvous flooding back to him. He gives you a kiss one last time, then makes his way to Jungkook. The younger man looks up to see Namjoon looking down to him. The King caresses his lover’s cheek softly, many words are to be spoken but for now he needs to be intimate with him. Jungkook licks his lips and opens his mouth.

Namjoon shudders as he slides his cock in. “Ah, Jungkook…” He closes his eyes and revels in the feeling of those lips around him. He feels a touch on his chest, and opens his eyes to find you leaning forward towards him. He exhales, in excitement and in love, perhaps more than anything.

You are still bouncing on Jungkook’s cock, your face tight in pleasure but you only moan louder watching how Namjoon’s cock is sliding in and out of Jungkook’s mouth. Your nails trail down Namjoon’s chest, all the way down to where his body ends and Jungkook’s begins. Your fingers travel further, grazing his neck now and your eyes widen at how it moves along with Namjoon’s cock.

“Namjoon, I can feel it,” you whisper.

“I know my love,” the words pour out of him easily. “His tongue feels so good. And you seem to know about that already.”

Your cheeks redden instantly, but you chuckle. “Yes, yes!”

Jungkook thrusts up again and you nearly fall forward. Namjoon holds your body up as the man below you fucks you harder and faster. Namjoon can read you like the back of his palm by now. The signs of your orgasm approaching are there, in the little hiccups between your moans, in the way you get whinier as you call out his and Jungkook’s name

“Let go, my love. Cum for us.”

It is all you need to fall into the abyss of your climax. Namjoon loves to see you so lost in your pleasure, so free. He has seen it night after night since your wedding, and he loves how you let yourself be when all the titles and protocols are stripped. And now, as you cum around his lover’s cock, he feels only love and adoration for you.

As you ride out your orgasm, Namjoon has to hold his own back, until he feels Jungkook wrapping his lips right around the base, and dragging them to the tip.

“Jungkook, fuck, I’m going to cum.”

“Namjoon, cum please. I want to see you fill his mouth, as you like to do mine.” This time, it is you who encourages the King, as you reach forward to roll and pinch Jungkook’s nipples. That is the last straw for Namjoon.

With a loud roar, he cums, pressing his cock into Jungkook’s mouth as deep as he can while he empties himself. Jungkook’s hands grip his thighs holding him in place as his own hips start bucking as well.

“Please, please, Jungkook,” you beg. “I want to feel you. Cum for me, please.”

At that, the King removes himself, staining Jungkook’s mouth and chin with his seed. Jungkook licks his lips, then grabs you to pull you down on top of him. Planting his legs on the bed, he pistons into you until you are shaking and vibrating, your mouth latching onto his, lapping the cum the King has left on his skin.

“Are you cumming again, my little Queen?” Namjoon bends down to be eye level with you. He grabs your hand and interlinks your fingers, and finally he witnesses his wife and his lover losing themselves in pleasure, together.

Lord Yoongi is annoyed. Everyone knows he is a punctual man, and he appreciates that his Queen shares the same sentiment about the importance of being on time as much as he does. He is also an understanding man. He can accept that having spent a night with Namjoon can be quite exhausting for you, and as much as he does not want to think about your nightly activities, he cannot blame you for wanting to sleep in a little bit.  He has heard enough of the gossip from Sirs Jimin and Taehyung how insatiable the King could be, especially with those he favors.

Today however, no one has entered the Queen’s room at all. Your breakfast lies dormant in the kitchen downstairs, and he predicts, your lunch will be too. Your ladies in waiting are pitter- pattering outside your room, too terrified to enter because apparently no one has seen the King leaving at all. He understands their concerns, he would not want to catch sight of Namjoon’s naked butt either.

“Just stay back a bit,” Yoongi suggests to your jittery ladies. “I will go inside and see what is going on.”

He knocks on the door, waiting for a response. When he gets none, he knocks again, harder. Still, he hears only quiet from your room.  He turns the knob and opens the door slightly, just enough for him to enter, preventing the curious eyes behind him from seeing inside.

Yoongi closes the door. “Your Grace?” He calls out, staying near the door and averting his eyes from the bed. He can smell the sex in the air. Then he hears it - the sounds that he has gotten used to since his teenage years, from the days he spent travelling with the then Crown Prince - Namjoon’s snores.

Yoongi sighs and takes a few steps closer. Namjoon has likely tired you and himself out. The grumbling he is about to let out is stuck on his throat, however, when he finally looks at your bed.

There, in your tight embrace is the missing knight, Jungkook. His youthful face is so at peace as his head lies on your bare chest, and your arms wrapped around him. Then behind you is the King himself, with his own hand draped across your body and onto Jungkook’s as well, almost possessively.

Yoongi stares aghast for a few seconds, processing what he is seeing. A barrage of questions enter his mind, but he quickly gathers himself. Those can wait. He must now immediately ban anyone from entering the room, and… Seokjin. He must find Seokjin.

The Queen indeed has a secret.

Tada! Hope you like it! Please reblog if you enjoy reading this, reblogging will help this fic reach a wider audience! And scream at me if you wish too- I won’t scream back, I promise 💜

Published 27092021, also crossposted to my ao3

[ladyvesuvia]

That Old Feeling

PAIRING: Bucky Barnes x 40s!Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: Even decades later, where his eyes go, your face follows. (That Old Feeling by Doris Day)

WORDS: 5.3k

REMINDER(S): cursing. death. angst. fluff. piggyback rides. mentions of reader’s hair and pigtails. reader is born 1919. usage of she/her pronouns. sometimes switches to third person. intentional grammatical errors in letters. graves.

FIC PLAYLIST (yes this has a playlist cos each part has a song because i am very extra deal with it)

A/N: this is my first time writing for the mcu szmdS i’m only at the second ep of tfatws rn sorry if this doesn’t line up with it well ALSO SPECIAL THANKS AND LOVE TO @pogueslandia FOR GIVING ME IDEAS FOR THE ENDING mwa

I. PRELUDE:  Dinosaurs in Love - Brooklyn 1928

It’s almost time for the sun to set yet the streets remained abuzz with people, but the two young children both of which were a decade old paid no mind at all, preoccupied with their typical routine: eating chocolate, knowing they’d regret it later on when their throats will begin to hurt.

Well, maybe it might be too early to call it a routine given that both had just met each other two days earlier but you’d gotten used to it already that the thought of doing it for more days to follow wasn’t so bad.

You rip open your third Butterfinger of the hour, continuing your conversation with your new friend. “I want to be famous someday, James. What about you?”

“Bucky’s alright.”

You stopped chewing on your Butterfinger. “What’s a bucky?”

“Oh, it’s my name,” he says with a smile, taking another Butterfinger from your tiny bag. You resist the urge to berate him, scared to lose a friend so quickly. “You can call me ‘Bucky.’”

“It is a cute one, I guess. But what does that have to do with anything?” 

“What does what you said have to do with anything?” 

You took a while to process it all. “What?”

“What?” he said, mocking you as he continued on eating. 

Scoffing, you took note of his banter. “You know, my Aunt Betty said that when a boy pulls a girl’s pigtails it means that he likes her.” 

“Your Aunt Betty is stupid,” Bucky snorted. 

It was hard not to laugh, so you just took the opportunity to close your bag, hiding it behind your back. “She bought me these Butterfingers. You should stop eating ‘em, then. On top of that, you should quit pulling my pigtails.”

“I’m not pulling your pigtails,” he said, shrugging. Bucky took one bite of the last of his chocolate.

You turned away. “Maybe you should.”

“But I don’t like you.”

“Good,” you said, arms crossed. “Because I don’t like you, either.”

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II. Time Moves Slow - 2023

Even outdoors with no four walls suffocating him, James Buchanan Barnes could not help but feel his throat constricting and the world itself collapsing upon him at the sight of that face.

He hated the world for depriving him of the days he could’ve spent being woken up with a kiss on his forehead.

The world was and still remains to be cruel up to this day.

He could see you.

One billboard picture equated to lifetimes of you remaining somewhere and everywhere in his mind. It didn’t help that the best he could do to dismiss it all was to walk ahead as straight as he could.

The world knew your face so well, having recognized you as a revolutionary actress of your time — [Y/N] [Y/L/N], a timeless icon. 

You had achieved your dream, compared to James who hadn’t. Both dreams could not co-exist in the same time and place, not when his dream is to accompany you along the way.

“Watch it!” hissed a man he’d just bumped into. Bucky muttered a hushed apology.

He halts, trying to catch his breath. 

It does him no good to find that he had stopped in front of a jewelry store, the glass window the only thing separating him from the luxurious rings that rested upon its own cushion.

He had bought a ring twice: Once when he played pretend with you when you were younger and once when he thought to bring the fake stories you’d acted out together into reality only to have that very moment snatched before it could even happen.

“Where are you now, [Y/N]?” he says to himself, and yet he could not bring himself to look you up on the net properly. 

It had been too much lately: the next channel of the television, the advertisement on a cheap game he’d just installed which he uninstalled right after. . .

He hated that it was as if the world was trying to convince him you were some sort of punishment to him for dying.

As if he were to blame for something of which he had no control over.

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III. First Day of My Life - 1928

June 12, 1928

Dear Bucky,

Hello this is my first time writing a letter i like you i kind of like you. do you want cookies i am making cookies. write back and slip it under my door :) 

P.S. specify if yes or no 

Yours truelly,

[Y/N]

——

Rereading it over and over, you groaned. It’s way more pathetic than you had imagined it to be.

Common sense would tell you to throw it away but . . . 

Deciding against yourself, you stashed it into an envelope and hid it in between your notebook. 

You grabbed another piece of paper from your pack and began writing again, this time leaving out the liking him part.

——

June 12, 1928

Bucky,

Hi. do you want cookies pls write back with yes or no then slip it under my door so i can prepare much thanks.

Sincerely,

[Y/N]

——

A knock on your door.

You rushed to open it while carrying a bowl of undone dough.

Bucky walked in, carrying his own empty plate. “You got cookies?”

“I told you to slip a note!” 

“Why?” whined Bucky. “What’s the point?”

You put the bowl down to set his plate on the counter. “It’s practice for when we’re actually apart.”

He couldn’t imagine such a time. “Like when?”

“Like when we’re grownups! We’re not always going to be living next door, you know.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am going to be a famous actress and it will be hard for you to reach me. This is your fan-mail practice.” You grabbed the bowl again, jogging to the tray with parchment paper you had prepared moments ago. “Now stop asking questions and help me out over here.”

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IV. It’s Up To You - 1942

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!” 

Shit, that’s my cue, you thought to yourself. With a gulp, you flourished your hands, posing as rehearsed with one hand on your hand and one hand gesturing to Howard Stark. With a hesitant and not so subtle glance, you skimmed the tons of crowds before you, searching for that one familiar face.

You told yourself to focus, realizing that Stark and your leader had kissed already, giving you the cue to follow and walk until you reached your spot at the back.

Soon you’d be taking one of the wheels off.

Alright, that’s not so hard, you note.

Just before your next task, you caught sight of Bucky in his uniform. He made it. He’s there. 

He tips his hat off to you with a cheeky grin. You subtly roll your eyes but immediately smile afterwards.

This, you thought, is what friends do.

It was just a crush, you had told yourself when you finally considered yourself all grown up, insisting that those feelings were long gone and only effects of having only him over most of the time growing up.

Sure, there were several pathetic confessions on your part while growing up with Bucky and several letters you decided not to send whenever you were apart but. . .

It’s all silly. Just stupid. Childish, that’s the word.

But there’s no denying that his mere ability to be present in little moments of your life brings this indescribable joy within yourself, like something you yearn for in—

“[Y/N]!” one of the girls hissed through a gritted smile, reminding you to grab the wheel.

You mouthed an apology before complying, putting on a picture-perfect smile before the audience. You kept your eyes trained on a spot just above his visor, but there were a couple of times when you’d slip up and just stare at him and he’d be looking back.

Took you a while to notice that he wasn’t alone.

Oh.

He brought a date.

That’s fine.

In a spot backstage, you caught your coach gesturing for you to straighten your posture. You do. Or at least, you try to.

The red car started to levitate and exclamations of awe from the amused audience helped you keep your feet on the ground. Your gaze kept going back to the girl right beside him, leaning a bit too close to his chest as he watched the car.

One more second of thinking about all the sweet things he told her on their way to the Stark Expo and you’d be higher up in the air than the demo car itself.

You were far too frozen that it caught you off guard when one of the front wheels sparked in error, causing the car to crash back down. You jumped and as you did so, you saw the girl he was with laugh and move a bit back closer to him.

“I did say a few years, didn’t I?” Howard Stark pointed out with a grin. Applauses and laughter scattered among the crowd, and you could tell they were still awed by what they’d just watched — a flying car!

For the rest of the presentation, the smile you have been practicing until this very moment takes its toll on your face muscles.

You tried not to look his way the entire time.

——

You’re left alone in the dressing room later on, finally getting to take off the tall black heels and black blazer. 

The tables are cluttered with opened makeup and all of the lights of nearby makeup tables are turned off aside from yours. 

You watched your reflection hesitantly, picturing what it would’ve been like to be in her place.

Nope.

No way in hell you’re doing that. 

To distract yourself for a while, you began to braid a tiny section of your hair at the side.

After realizing you’d been wasting time, you turned off the lights on your makeup table before carrying your black heels with you as you walked in the sandals you’d outgrown a while back. 

On your way out, you take a seat on one of the stairs just beside the now empty stage, pulling out a Band-Aid from your bag to put one at the back of each heel. 

“How’s the aspiring glitterati holding up?” said an approaching familiar voice. You looked up from your seat to find Bucky.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Sergeant Barnes. I’m fine, thank you.”

“You need help with that?”

“No, no, I got it,” you said with a dismissive hand. You finally finished putting the last Band-Aid and Bucky sat down right next to you. 

“Familiar?” he asks, referring to the uncanny resemblance of the present to the past; how the two of you had sat in front of your apartment stairs, waiting for the day to turn into night. It’s a lovely parallel, truly. 

And the urge to excessively comment on how much you missed those times was hard to resist, yet you did.

He rested his elbows on his knees, looking at nothing in particular just like he always did when you were kids.

“D’you want to switch hats, Sarge?” you say with your arm stretched out, the top hat you’d worn moments ago at the other end. “It must be the booze I had a year ago talking, but I think you’d look quite dashing in a top hat.”

He took your hat from your hands right before taking off his own visor. He dusts it on his uniform. “How can you be certain a rabbit won’t come out of it?”

“The same reason why I’m certain a war won’t come out of yours,” you reasoned, snatching his hat from his hand. “You know, common sense. Most of us have it.”

Bucky laughs, and that smile’s enough to forget you had limbs in the first place. 

The moment lingers, and it’s easy to pretend you hadn’t just almost messed up the whole Stark Expo upon seeing him with some other girl. 

“So, where’s . . . you know,” you said, immediately regretting it as soon as you said it. “Your date, I mean. Where is she? She was pretty.”

Bucky laughed, slapping you in the back repeatedly in the process just like he does with Steve. Just like he does with his buddies.

“Is it just me or is Miss Hollywood jealous?”

“How very arrogant of you!” you said with mock amusement, shaking him off your back with a laugh. “I’m just saying that she deserves better than a guy whose name is ‘Bucky.’ I mean, come on, that has to be the stupidest name ever to be invented.”

Bucky rubbed his chin, feigning to be in thought. “If I recall correctly, you once said it was cute.”

“You recall incorrectly,” you spat back, giggling.

“I beg to differ.”

“Well, things change.”

A pause. 

Bucky shifts in his seat. You remain frozen, and it’s a mystery whether it’s because of your aching feet or his very presence.

It’s now as if the world refuses to move.

You clear your throat. “Don’t you have anywhere you have to be?”

“Oh, right,” he starts. He clears his throat. “There’s that dancing thing.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He opens his mouth to speak but closes it again. There’s hesitation in there.

Definitely must be the exhaustion of consistent rehearsals and the lack of sleep but you could’ve sworn his gaze lingered on your face.

No, you weren’t imagining it. He really is looking at you back.

This close. So near. 

Right before you almost did the worst thing you could’ve ever done (look down at his lips), he pulled the minimal braid you’d given for yourself down hard.

“Ow! What was that for?” 

“That’s me asking you to come with me to go dancing.”

“What? Why?”

He looked anywhere but you. “Your Aunt Betty.”

Snorting, you kept your eyes on him. “Right, what does my Aunt Betty have to do with any of this?” 

He went rigid. “You know what? Forget about it. How about I walk you home instead?”

You looked at him with narrowed eyes, suspicious. “What do you want?”

“What do you mean, ‘What do I want’?”

You set the black heels you’d been holding on the stairs to cross your arms. “Why are you being nice all of a sudden? Do I have to loan you or—”

He stood up in disagreement. Bucky shook his head. “What? No! Of course not! I just . . . you know.”

To your surprise, he turned around and squatted, patting his back, gesturing for you to get on. 

“What, you don’t want a ride?” he grins. “I’m actually pretty comfy, I think.”

You laughed, remembering the time he’d carried you that way several times when you were both younger: he had said him being older meant he was practically the hero, which you said made no sense at all. 

You didn’t mind though, because the dreams that followed for the next few weeks after that were immaculate.

“James, we’re not kids anymore.”

“I can see that. Get on, doll.” He patted his back again.

This time, you obliged, albeit hesitantly. He hauled you up, and as soon as he stood up, he let the back of your knees rest on his hands. You tried hard not to flinch.

“Wouldn’t your girl, uh, get jealous, though? Or something like that?”

“You mean you?”

“What?” you blurt out in response.

He started walking now and for once, you’re just a bit glad he couldn’t see you. 

“Okay, put me down.”

“No way.”

“I’m gonna make you.” Grinning, you started flailing your arms about, making as much movement as you can until he was forced to set you down. 

Bucky raised a brow, looking at you with feigned annoyance just like he always does. “Now what?”

“What’s with you lately? Are you drunk or something?”

He shakes his head, laughing. “Nothing! However, ‘or something’ would be a reasonable category.”

“Be honest,” you say, pointing a finger at him.

“Always am.”

“Do you,” you started, trying hard not to laugh, “James Buchanan Barnes, have a thing for my Aunt Betty?”

“What?” snorted Bucky. He adjusted your top hat on his head. You almost forgot that you were wearing his hat.

“You know, when you mentioned her out of the blue, I was worried you were going to ask me if you could take her dancing. I must admit, you two would make quite a grotesque and questionable pair.”

“That was not out of the blue,” he says with a grin.

“Oh, really? How come? Explain yourself.”

“I only wanted to say that your Aunt Betty might not be as stupid as I thought she was,” he admitted. Bucky rubbed his hands together. He didn’t dare look at you, but you couldn’t blame him for refusing to do so. In fact, you were doing just the same thing. He finally talked again. “Just — alright, just get on my back.”

You hesitantly obliged, not saying a word aside from the awkward ‘Okay’ you’d just managed to say out loud.

“Hey, [Y/N]?”

“Hm?”

“I like your Aunt Betty’s niece,” said Bucky. You were glad he couldn’t see you. “Specifically the one who wants to become famous. I’d like to ask her to dance with me, too.”

“She’d like that.”

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V. The Brooklyn Bridge - November 1944

The two of you are leaning on the railings of the street, the view of the Brooklyn Bridge standing tall not so far away. He handed you the paper bag he had been holding since he picked you up, telling you to get some of the Butterfingers he bought.

You turned away from him a bit, spotting the trash bin from afar. You put your attention back on the paper bag, putting your hand in but . . . you felt something else. 

When you pulled it out, you were more than just surprised to find a velvet box. 

Turning around, the sight of Bucky down on one knee greeted you. 

“Yeah, I should’ve thought this through,” he laughed. “I mean, I did think it through, it’s been what’s on my mind for a long time and — right, sorry, I’m talking too much — I’m aware I’m not holding the ring, that’s on me.”

Stunned, you opened the box to find the ring you had told him you wanted from years back. 

You opened your mouth to speak, about to thank him. “Bucky, I—”

“Do?”

“You idiot, of course!”

And so you pulled his hand, forcing him to stand up for you to pull him into the warmest hug he’d never forget. It’s the only thing that matters now. No honking of cars or ships would have the right to interrupt, no pigeon, nothing.

“I didn’t even get to ask the question,” he pouted after pulling away.

“Do you want to?”

“Will your answer still be the same?”

You chuckle. “Find out.”

“That’s scary.”

“Then yes, I assure you it’s the same.”

“Then will you marry me?”

“You idiot, of course.” You press a kiss on his cheek, the weight of all your fears melting away into the noise of the cars passing by in the distance. 

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VI. Soldier Boy - December 1944

Under the dark night sky, Bucky had prepared a blanket on top of the grass for the two of you to lie down on. He’s holding your hand, playing with your fingers and you’re looking up at the stars, waiting for one to shoot past.

“I’ll marry you when I get back,” he says, kissing your hand. “Then I’ll make you cookies afterward.”

“Can you?” you tease.

“[Y/N], I’m willing to do anything for you. If baking cookies is what it takes to make you happy, then baking cookies it is.”

“Maybe this time, they won’t get burnt.”

“It won’t. Because we’ll have James junior guarding it.”

You snort. “Oh, there’s a James junior now?”

“Of course there is! Who’d be guarding the cookies, then?”

“Well, what if it’s a girl?”

Bucky scoffed. “Pfft, who cares? We’ll do both!”

“Wow, you are so in love with me,” you joke, squeezing his hand. 

“Glad you noticed, doll.”

“I’ll miss you, you know.”

“I know,” he nods. 

Bucky sat up a bit, enough for him to turn your way and rest his head on the palm of his hand.

“It’ll be quick, I promise. I’ll be back before you know it. You’ll get to wear your pretty dream dress and we’ll even have your Aunt Betty in the front row and give her a specialized thank you card. She’d be so confused.”

“I like that,” you reply with a grin. “Yeah, maybe even have her as my maid-of-honor.”

He kisses your hand. “You better not stop loving me while I’m away, alright?”

“Bold of you to assume that’s even possible.”

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

VII. INTERLUDE: Last Night on Earth - January 1945

It’s true that your life flashing before your eyes in death is a predictable cliche, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s true.

Take this man falling to his death, for example. 

See, when you fall, there’s no time to think for yourself, so your head does it for you. Your fragile, little mind filled with stories one always assumes they’d tell in years to come. 

He doesn’t see the wintry landscape unfurling before his eyes, no.

What he does see, however, is a burnt cookie on his plate and he could hear a mumbled apology somewhere. 

He sees a striped vest. Black heels on a tiny staircase.

His hat on someone else’s head; that someone else’s hat on his.

The Brooklyn Bridge.

The wars he’d fought so hard to survive in to come back home and see that someone instead of writing letters that constantly fail to represent himself.

He’s still falling.

The best he could do is to wish she knew. 

Knew that his love is more than just the ring he’d bought her, more than the Butterfingers they’d once shared; more than the hat they’d exchanged; more than the burnt cookies he accepted nonetheless; more than the fake telephone they made together with tin cans they got from canned goods they’d collected and thread from her mother’s sewing kit; more than everything.

The last thing he saw was not the snow on the rocky ridges of the mountain. Instead, he saw that face. Yours.

And it all went dark.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

VIII. Lonesome Town - 1945

It has been a total of twenty-three days since Steve broke the news to you. Twenty-three days of madness. 

You had opened your box of unsent letters, mixes of both rejected drafts and complete ones.

You had lost him once already. 

If I had sent all of these, would we have had more time to spare?

——

November 13, 1937

Dear Bucky,

This is just a brief note to apologize for my lack of responsiveness for the past month. I hardly know what to say! It sure does cost a sweat to bump guns, doesn’t it? 

See, it has been quite a busy few days. Now, don’t blow your wig just yet but I have tried auditioning for a play. I would be lying if I said it was even remotely close to bearable; ten more busted auditions and I am more than certain you’d call me a crumb.

In response to you writing, ‘Don’t be a stranger,’ worry not because I’ll try very hard not to. 

You must be missing my voice enough to write to me twice in a week. Might I suggest the telephone? Kidding, Buck.

I hope this letter finds you before the month ends. Hoping to run into you sometime.

Your friend,

[Y/N]

——

You hadn’t responded at all to those two letters he’d sent back then. 

And drifted apart you did.

Around the first time in a long time you met, you had blamed it on your hectic schedule.

The next time you met again, you had blamed it on the post.

But now you only have yourself to blame. At least, that’s what’s been running in your head for some time now. Your friends tell you otherwise but it’s just . . . difficult to not hold it against yourself, not when you had made up excuses for your cowardice.

It’s the multitudes of good possibilities that could’ve turned out that makes the loss even greater. 

The ring on your finger is now but a mere false promise to paradise. There will be no furniture to arrange. At least, nobody to arrange it with. There will be no walls to paint. There will be no such thing as growing old together. 

But you wouldn’t deprive yourself of hope. Your friends would call it denial but the tiniest possibility of him still being out there . . . you did not mind.

There is a fine line between hope and denial, you just happened to be in between.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

IX. Museum of Flight - 2023

The sheer curiosity finally allowed him to want to find out about what has become of you. It’s been, what, seventy-eight years since he last saw you?

Must be the shows he’d been playing in the background but a part of him he considers the pathetic part is still hoping.

Maybe, just maybe, you were more than just a grave or scattered ashes.

Bucky had found a museum dedicated to you in the process of his hesitant research, a discovery he found nerve-wracking. 

The [Y/N] [Y/L/N] Museum. 

He knew you’d have laughed at the irony of it, maybe even teased him how your nine year old self would have lost her shit.

Which brings us to this moment, with Bucky standing before another exhibit. Just like he did with Steve’s.

How many more exhibits of people who are gone  does he have to attend?

He barely notices there’s other people in the room. Once again, he mumbles an apology before proceeding to one particular figure in the room.

There you stood, holding a withering bridal bouquet. 

You’re wearing a wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. The dress is soiled with mud at the bottom but he found you as beautiful as the day he lost you.

“[Y/N]?” he manages to say out loud, waiting for you to speak. 

You didn’t blink, much less look back at him.

He’s convinced he’s dreaming until he looks down to find a plaque indicating a quote.

“With the misery of grief, I am glad I had the luxury of being a bride after being deprived of being one,” the plaque reads, and under it, in much smaller text, was your name and 1950 right beside it.

Another plaque right beside it states something else — Bride in Ruins.

He returns his gaze back to you.

A wax figure. All of you reduced to that of sculpted wax. 

It’s hard not to hate those who’ve created this imposter, but he couldn’t help but be grateful to see you. 

His throat constricts, his eyes redden.

Apparently, the role you played became your biggest break, and this outfit and pose in particular had been a classic since then.

Posters of movies you’ve starred in lined the walls along with . . . what?

Bucky stepped out of his daze to approach the numbers of yellowed papers attached to the wall inside the glasses.

He stood before it, starting with the one right in front of him.

——

March 10, 1940

Dear Bucky,

One half of the folks would regard this letter cowardly and the other romantic, but I’ll let you decide. 

Firstly, Happy Birthday, Buck. It’s unfortunate that we are apart. I haven’t got a clue on what I want to say and I’m trying to save my new fountain pen’s ink so here goes. 

Night by night, I am conflicted by the fear I could never seem to shake that whatever might come after I reveal myself to you you would leave and frankly, I have no intentions of losing a friend.

The thing is, James, adoration and other words would never be able to express how I feel. how much I lo

——

The rest is illegible what with the several crossed out sentences.

Beside it, several papers are attached, and his eyes skimmed over each and every one.

There’s no book or tutorial written for how one should react on the instance that you find unsent letters of your fiancée from the past when she thought you were long gone.

——

June 15, 1928

Buck,

Come over bring tuna the one in can 

Sinserely,

[Y/N]

——

He could remember that day. You hadn’t sent any letter at all. You did, however, come over with a brand new looking sewing kit and one empty can of tuna. You had pulled one of the chairs in his dining room to the kitchen counter to help yourself reach another can of tuna from the upper cabinets.

The large screen at the other part of his room drew his attention, and so Bucky made his way towards it.

A plaque under it read, “Interview 1951.”

Your face once more. “. . .Oh, I’ve had my fair share of romance six years prior and the years before that.”

“Is it true that you were engaged?” asked the host.

You stiffened in the screen, yet kept your smile on nonetheless. “Why, I see no reason to deny an epic romance I once had — Yes, I was. On the Brooklyn Bridge, might I add.”

Bucky turned away. 

Clothes you wore once surrounded him along with pictures of you from movies you starred in. 

You made it.

And he knew it would only be fair if he did, too.

No matter the circumstances.

Bucky spent a good half hour roaming around, studying the posters. He would have attended each and every single play in the start and watched every movie of yours on the first day of it at the theatres. Though it pains him a great deal to miss out on every milestone you’ve achieved, he’s proud.

If it makes it any better, he’d have bragged about you to his friends and colleagues. 

My wife is a star.

All those pretend stories you’ve acted out together was and still remains up to this day worth it, to say the very least.

1919-2000, the writings read.

He had kept a picture of you in his chest pocket and one stuck right on the walls near his bunk bed and in his barrack’s closets and here he now stands in an exhibit dedicated to remembering you.

Bucky pays one last glance at the wax figure that represented you before leaving with a fair closure before leaving the exhibit.

A beautiful bride, indeed.

Maybe one day, he’d be able to bring himself to watch all those movies you’ve made but right now. . .

He could only wish for everything to stop haunting him first, you included.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

X. POSTLUDE: Old Times - 2023

He went a long way to see you, just like he’s always done countless times before.

Here he stands now, with no wax figure or a face. Instead, a tall stone cross marked where you lay. Aside from the rough foundation, flowers surrounded the remaining grass.

Untucking his hands from his pockets, he pulls out a paper bag. 

This time, it wasn’t a ring. 

Bucky pulled out one piece of cookie he’d made and pulled another one for himself. He sets the other one just tucked in the abundance of the flowers and takes a bite from the piece he saved for himself.

Weirdly enough, he found that an engraved marking of your name gave him a lot more solace than a wax figure. 

He crouches down to re-adjust how he’d placed the cookie. “An unburnt cookie as promised for you, doll.”

As soon as he got on a bus, Bucky finally crossed out your name on his list, the weight in his chest being crossed out along with it.

A/N: yes i put a how to train your dragon reference and what about it???

click here to be added to my MCU taglist.

MARVEL TAGLIST:

[missmouse25]

Girl. I'm unable to contain myself right now. So please please pretty please:

Could you write something with Lando and Martin (even Max and Luisa could be in it) based on the Weeknd's Moth to a Flame song? I leave it entirely up to you. (You can definitely spice it up a bit tho 😂😂)

Thank you so much, i can't wait to see what you'll come up with 😍😍 love youu 💕

Oh bestie! I actually had quite some fun writing this one. I will say for anyone else reading this that i probably wont write for Martin again, this was a special occasion 😬 but please do still enjoy

Moth to a Flame - Martin Garrix (plus Lando Norris)

gender neutral first person pov // 2511 words // very minor feelings of being pushed aside (I cant think of a better word rn) but there is a happy ending

--- Two years ago:

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want things to go like this…”

My voice was shaky. It felt like the walls of the apartment were closing in on me slowly. There was nowhere to run to: I had to stand and face the music.

“It’s ok, my liefje.”

Martijn’s words took me by surprise. Sweet, beautiful Martjin who didn’t deserve what I was doing to him but was still trying to make me feel better.

“I understand why you need to leave. This life is a bit much. I can be a bit much sometimes.”

It had been a tough three months; not knowing where his work ended and our relationship began. Working on something new even as we lay in bed together at home in our supposed free time. Face timing while he’s in the studio just because he wanted to talk only to be interrupted by someone else.

 You couldn’t separate Martjin from his work, not that I wanted to but he deserved someone who would understand. And at that moment in my life, it wasn’t me.

“Maybe if we’d met a little bit later, things could’ve been different,” he said, brushing a tear off of my cheek. “But you need to do what’s right for you, my liefje.”

“Right person, wrong time,” I said quietly.

He nodded.

“Right person, wrong time.”

~ Present day:

How I’d ended up in this crazy world of race cars was anybody’s guess. How had I ended up as a friend to Lando Norris was also a mystery to me. More-than-friends but not quite a relationship was probably a better way to sum it up, in all honesty.

“Ok, we’re making plans for summer break. Is there anything you want to do?”

Lando was abuzz. The first half of the season had been gruelling in so many ways but he was looking forward to putting it all aside. That was something I really appreciated. Sure, F1 took up a lot of Lando’s life but when the race weekend was over, it was over. He had nothing more to do with it till he absolutely needed to.

“Hmmm…” I thought out loud. “Nothing really is coming to mind. I’ll go with wherever you guys pick.”

 “Cool.” He typed away on his phone, no doubt trying to get the ragtag group of boys to come to a decision (a much harder endeavour than one might think). “Oh yeah, we thought about maybe going to Ibiza cause there’s a concert there.”

“Ooo, what concert?”

“Martin Garrix,” he said casually.

My whole body froze. Lando didn’t know about our history. I hadn’t told him and I had never really planned on telling him because in truth, I had never completely stopped feeling something for Martjin.

“You do like Martin Garrix, right?”

It was an innocent enough question.

“Yeah, I guess so…”

“He seems like a super cool guy. Max, not Fewtrell other Max, is friends with him and says that he’s really nice.”

“Oh… are we going to meet him?”

Lando gave me a cheeky smile. If my heart wasn’t already pounding in my chest, it would’ve started then.

“That’s the plan, Max is going to set us up.”

He turned back to his phone and continued his quest to make it a holiday to remember, unaware of how my world had just been turned upside down.

~

“Hi, Martjin, I’m sorry to be sending this so late but… If you have some free time, I need to call you. It’s nothing bad just… please call me. Sorry again.”

It was a terrible voice note but I had tried countless times already and nothing had sounded right. Eventually I’d just given up.

With Lando out for the evening, the house was quiet but my mind buzzed like a power plant with thoughts so loud it seemed like there was noise everywhere.

‘Do I want to see him again? Could I stomach seeing him again? Will I forget myself and run into his arms the moment I lay eyes on him?’

For the outside world, and especially Lando, I was feigning excitement over going to the concert. Even for the whole trip. But there was this pit in the bottom of my stomach that wouldn’t go away. Not even when I was with Lando which normally could distract me from anything.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as my phone started to ring. Cautiously, I accepted the call.

“Hi, Martjin.”

“Hello, my…” He stopped himself short. “Hey…”

“I didn’t expect you to call so soon. I thought that you might be busy.”

He sighed softly, like he always used to when he knew he was in the wrong and couldn’t argue his way out of it.

“Well, technically I’m busy. But when I saw your message… I will always make time for you.”

‘No, Martjin don’t say that to me.’

“Oh, thank you. I just have a bit of a strange thing to ask you.”

That pit in my stomach felt like it was growing and taking over my body.

“Some friends of mine and I are going to be at your show in Ibiza and they plan on meeting you.” I got up and started walking around the room. “This thing is…”

“They don’t know,” he completed my sentence for me.

“No. And I’d really like to keep it that way. If it’s an issue for you then I won’t come to the concert…”

“My liefje… Sorry.” Martjin took a breather. “It won’t be a problem. Come have a good time. I’ll pretend as though I’ve never met you before. It’ll be fine.”

Realistically it would be the perfect plan but, deep down in my heart, that was not what I’d wanted him to say.

“Can I ask who your friends are? Just in case I see them beforehand.”

“Yeah… You can know.”

~

Time seemed to crawl forward till the holidays began but once it did it was a rush. I blinked and we were on a plane. I blinked again and we were on a beach. When I next opened my eyes, I found myself looking at my reflection, debating if this was the outfit I wanted to wear tonight. This night. The night I’d been dreading for so long now.

“Are you ready to go?”

Lando came up behind me, putting his hands on my waist. I caught his eye in the mirror as he spoke again.

“You look great. Beautiful, actually. You have nothing to worry about.”

He leant forward and sweetly kissed my cheek before moving off to get his belongings.

‘It’s now or never,’ I thought and walked to the door, ready to accept my fate.

The crowds were immense and loud, as they always were. People loved Martjin. Or rather, people loved Martin Garrix and they loved his music.

Lando led our group of friends through the back entrances, simply flashing our VIP passes as we did, breezing past the chaos and into a quiet lounge backstage. There weren’t many other people but we filled the space and took the drinks we were offered.

“This is going to be wild,” Max said, sipping his drink. “I saw some clips from his previous concert, absolutely insane.”

“Must be a bit intimidating though,” Lando said. “All those people watching you.”

“Says the man who drives an F1 car for a living,” Max countered.

Lando rolled his eyes.

“This is different. In the car, you’re aware of the crowds but it’s not what you’re focused on.”

The two kept jabbering as I moved away. The palms of my hands felt clammy and I didn’t want them to notice how jittery I was being. I knew how the process worked: he’d come in, meet and greet everyone and then go do final prep before the show. But now I was on the other side. Things were different.

A door opened to the side and someone stepped into the room, the movement making me look over. Through the gap, past the staff members, I saw Martjin and I knew he had seen me too. I froze. The door swung closed again and the fleeting moment was over.

“Martin will be joining you all shortly,” the staff member announced and the buzz around the room picked up even more.

All the feelings of regret from when I left him suddenly swelled up inside of me. None of this was right. It wasn’t fair to Lando to be lying to him; it wasn’t fair on Martjin to be making him lie. It wasn’t even fair to myself, knowing that I was the cause of all this.

“Lando, I’m not feeling well,” I whispered in his ear after moving closer. “I’m going to the bathroom; I’ll meet you backstage.”

Before he could say anything back, I quickly walked out of the room, holding back the tears.

Peering from the wings, I could see Lando and Max on the stage to the side, having a blast. The atmosphere was like a drug; it got into your system and pushed you to a high you’d never felt before.

Looking past them, I looked to the DJ stand and watched as Martjin worked the audience. He looked good. Not just handsome but he looked healthy; thriving. Even from so far away I could see the sparkle in his eye and his smile which was contagious as always. I found myself feeling alright.

Martjin looked to the boys on the stage, giving them a thumbs up which they eagerly returned. Looking further on, he found me. I thought of all the previous times I’d hidden like this just off to the side while Martjin worked, staying up late with him and sleeping in till midday.

He waved and timidly I waved back. Satisfied, he looked back over the sea of people in front of him; in front of us.

There I stayed, watching from the side lines, wondering if it was too late to go back and change my own mind, to stay with Martjin and work through our issues together. What I wouldn’t give to rewind time and tell him how much I loved him.

~

‘Gone exploring. Be back before lunch. Sleep as late as you like <3’

I’d sworn to myself as I wrote the note, that it would be the last lie I told him. After this morning, I’d come clean about everything and tell Lando anything he wanted to know. But first I had to talk to Martjin.

In the dark hours of the early morning, I’d called him while hiding in the bathroom of my hotel room, trusting that he hadn’t yet come down from the high and was still awake. There had only been one ring before Martjin had picked up and we’d arranged in hushed voices where and when to meet.

So, I found myself waiting in the foyer of his hotel, eyes constantly darting to the elevator in case the next time the doors opened, it’d be him.

‘He won’t come,’ I thought. ‘I wouldn’t come if I was him. Not after all I did to him.’

Those thoughts were quickly disproven as out from the silver doors stepped Martjin, looking sleepy still but happy. Probably still residue from the night before.

“Morning,” I said, standing up as he neared.

“Morning.” Martjin smiled. “Are you hungry? The breakfast here is really good.”

“I was hoping maybe we could go somewhere quieter. Away from…” I looked around the room.

He nodded and walked me through the hotel, out the back door and into the gardens. The grass was still damp and the sunshine made the dew glisten. A stone pathway led us to a secluded bench, far away from any prying eyes and eavesdroppers.

“You weren’t at the meet and greet last night,” Martjin said as brushed the worst of the water off the seat.

“I just needed a moment.”

We sat down together, looking at the greenery all around us and not at the other person. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, determined to say what I had come here to say.

“I’m sorry,” I started, my voice soft. “I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sorry for making you lie last night and especially to Lando because I’m sure you two are going to be good friends and this is a terrible way to start a friendship with someone. I’m sorry for using you as my safety net while I’ve been with someone else.”

Shifting on the bench, I turned to look at Martjin. Sweet and kind Martjin.

“And most of all, I’m sorry for leaving you. For how I left and when I left. Hell, even why I left. Looking back, it was such a stupid reason, we could’ve… I could’ve worked through that. And I know it means nothing but deep down I still love you, Martjin, so whatever you want I’ll do. I’m going to tell Lando the truth today but if you never want to talk to me again, I understand. I’ll do it.”

Martjin looked at me, blue eyes shining in the morning light. Reaching over, he took my hand in his and pressed his lips to my knuckles.

“My liefje,” he said without hesitation. “I think the person you’re hurting the most right now, is yourself. You’re like a moth always flying too close to the fire and one day you’re going to singe your wings.

“I just want you to be happy. If you’re happy with Lando, then stay with him but tell him the truth. If you aren’t… Well, that’s a decision that you need to make.”

Martjin took a deep breath before continuing.

“As for me, I never stopped caring about you, my liefje. I would give anything to be with you again but we can’t be what we used to be. It’s up to you to decide what happens now.”

The hotel room was just as I had left it, the only difference being that Lando was now awake. He lay in the bed, scrolling through his phone, no doubt scoping all the pictures from the concert.

“Hey, did you enjoy your exploring?” He asked with a sleepy smile as I came inside, which made me feel so villainous for what I was about to do next.

“Lando, there’s something I have to tell you. I can’t keep hiding this anymore.”

 His smile faltered but still I persisted.

I told him everything.

~ One year later:

It had been so long since I’d been in this apartment and I took a pause to gather my mind before knocking on the door. Almost a year’s worth of healing had brought me back here but it was where I needed to be in order to finish my journey.

It didn’t take long for him to answer the door, despite the fact this would be a surprise to him.

“You came back, my liefje,” Martjin said, a big grin forming on his face.

“Like a moth to flame,” I answered.

[valentineforlemonandcherry]

Foxtail & Wolfsbane Part 18

Summary: Your lifelong obsession to hunt down the Nine-Tailed Fox has not gone as expected, and seventeen years later, you find yourself coming back to the place where it all started: Hogwarts. However, with Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban and Headmaster Dumbledore’s hire of a certain Professor R. J. Lupin, you suddenly find yourself intertwined in the fates of those with whom you thought you had parted ways with long ago. [Multi-Post Story] [Rowan Scamander x Reader] [Remus Lupin x Reader] [Young Sirius Black x Reader] [Tristan Graves x Reader] [Severus Snape x Reader] [Warning: Story Contains Explicit Smut.] [Warning: Rough Sex.] [Warning: Light Degradation.] [Warning: Nonconsent.] *Note: Rowan Scamander, Tristan Graves, Susana Holmes, Cas Carneirus, Henrietta Weiss, and Thomas Picquery are OC characters. *Please do not repost or copy my work without my permission. Thank You!

☾ Click Here for Foxtail & Wolfsbane Home Page (All Chapter Links) ☾

While you were kept captive in America, it felt as though you would be kept captive forever. However, now that you had sprung into action, it was amazing how quickly things happened, one after the other, with the increasing velocity of falling dominos. It was as though the gods above had finally become bored of the slowness of human action and snapped their fingers so that lightning struck and activated all of the events that were to occur in the world – in precise order, of course, but incredibly quickly. So, here is a brief retelling of those events.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

You stepped back onto European soil on November 1st, 1981. Artemis was tucked away inside your cloak, as she felt a little seasick from the rough landing. You were also quite pleased to have your feet back on steady land.

However, as soon as you made your way back into the city, you paused, taken aback by how many wizards and witches were openly wearing their robes and waving their wands in the middle of busy Muggle streets.

“I say!” A nearby Muggle woman clutched her purse in amazement and gawked at an elderly man standing a few feet away from her, for the man was dressed in bright purple robes and holding aloft his wand, from which electric green and gold fireworks were bursting.

Artemis stuck her nose out and sniffed. Smelling smoke, she mewed unhappily and pulled her nose back into your cloak.

But the elderly man merely smiled at the Muggle woman and chirped ecstatically, “We must all rejoice today, for the Dark Lord is gone at last!”

Another wizard, dressed in more sensible light brown robes, but donning a pointed wizard’s cap with pink elephants all over it, spoke just then. In hushed and reverent tones, he raised his wand as he whispered fervently, “To little Harry Potter – the Boy who Lived!”

A group of witches nearby who had heard the wizard’s proclamation suddenly stopped in their tracks. With sorrowful and serious expressions, they, too, raised their wands into the air and murmured, “To the Boy who Lived.”

For a moment, a burst of yellow sparks from everyone’s wands rose into the air and formed a thin lighting shape in the sky. Then, the sparks fell apart and fizzled out, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke in the sky, curling up on itself like a serpent’s tongue.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Mind abuzz with the incredible news at the disappearance of Lord Voldemort, you were more than a little out of it as your feet carried you back to your childhood home.

Your mother greeted you with a frying pan to the face. Not only did Artemis bark in shock, but the Nine-Tailed Fox within your very soul also yelped as the metal clanged off your nose.

“Oww…! Mom!” you yelped, rubbing your red nose. “That hurt!”

“No contact! Not a word from you for a year! Do you have any idea how worried you made me? How worried you made your little brother, huh? He didn’t even want to go off to college because of you!”

Your mother lifted the frying pan high above her head again.

“Okay, okay!” You hastily ducked under her arm and made your way into the house. Artemis, who had been waiting patiently at your feet, hurriedly scampered in after you.

“What was that!?” Your mother, who had caught a glimpse of Artemis scurrying in quickly after you, had whirled around, with frying pan still at the ready.

“Oh.” You reached down and collected Artemis in your arms. “I’ve a pet fox now.”

Your mother closed your eyes and slowly exhaled. When she opened her eyes, you swore that her irises were shimmering with fury. “All right,” your mother decided. “Never mind the fox. For now.”

Artemis shivered in your arms. She pawed against your arms and buried her head against your arms, avoiding your mother’s frightening gaze.

“Where the hell were you?” your mother inquired.

You paused and cocked your head to the side, pondering your answer. Finally, you answered honestly but vaguely, “America.”

“What? You immigrated?”

“No! No! I visited,” you protested hastily. “You know, like a tourist on holiday?”

“You went on holiday for an entire year? This early in your career?” your mother screeched, still horrified. “I didn’t raise you to be so lazy!”

You sighed and flopped over onto the sofa. (Artemis immediately flattened herself and snuck under the sofa.)

Your mother looked down at you with skepticism written all over your face. “Say, what is your job, anyhow?” she inquired, squinting down at you.

There was no winning with your mother. You looked up at her and replied defeatedly, “Just give me the frying pan again.”

And you got another heavy pat to your stomach, courtesy of your alarmed mother and her trusty weapon.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

You decided to stay at your mother’s house that night. Your brother was off to college, so you stayed in his room, which, when the two of you were much younger, had been a shared bedroom. Your parents could never afford more than a two-bedroom flat, and since your father passed away, it had only become more difficult to afford housing.

You gazed at all of the pamphlets on your brother’s desk, which had titles like: “Pick the Right College for you!” and “Planning a Smart Career Path.”

A career path…  A career?

You picked up one of the pamphlets and thumbed through it: Accountant, lawyer, doctor, engineer, teacher, business analyst…

You threw it aside. Useless for me.

You closed your eyes. Useless…

That’s what it’s all become.

The Order? I was barely linked to it through Remus.

My Nine-Tailed Fox?

You felt the Fox’s tails flicker uneasily in your chest when you spoke aloud her name.

Hardly the dream of freedom I imagined her to be, you thought scathingly – not to her, but to yourself. Just another trap. And she’s not a real Nine-Tailed Fox, anyways. She’s only got eight tails.

You sighed. Turning over in bed, you smushed your face against the pillow and tried to fall asleep.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The next day, as soon as the sun came up, you made your way to Diagon Alley. Traversing through the shops, with Artemis curled up around your shoulders and clutching her little paws at your cloak, you spoke to anyone who seemed to have information on what had happened. Eventually, you came to the Leaky Cauldron, where everyone else had gathered (despite it being only ten in the morning). Finally, you began to hear the stories – to hear what had happened to poor little Harry Potter, only one year old and an orphan, for Lily and James Potter had tragically been murdered by none other than Lord Voldemort himself. The manner in which their deaths came about was also tragic: Sirius Black had betrayed them. To add to his crimes, Sirius also killed Peter Pettigrew when Peter came chasing after him for revenge.

Fury smoldered in your heart as you thought bitterly: We should have seen this coming ages ago. If Sirius Black is foul enough to use Remus in such a savage and violent manner every month, basically using him as a claw-sharpener every time Sirius turns into the Grim, of course Sirius is capable of betraying the Potters. What were they thinking, making him their Secret-Keeper?

Flashes of Lily and James�� faces passed through your mind.

Lily, reaching out to you and smiling, with the wedding lights hung above her head sparkling in her beautiful eyes, and saying to you, “I want to thank you for helping me out last-minute.”

James, slapping a friendly hand on Remus’ shoulder and asking you shamelessly, “What d’you like about my boy Moony here?”

Even Peter, whom you had never really crossed paths with, popped up very clearly in your mind. His bashful eyes and squat frame made him look rather cute. He had always been tagging after Remus, and the two of them had often engaged in silent, but intense fights for who got the last piece of chocolate.

All that was so long, you thought wistfully. But now, well -

You blinked. Your heart stopped for a moment. Oh God. Remus. Now he’s all alone.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

You rushed off to Remus’ flat without any thought whatsoever. But the nearer you got to his flat, the harder you found it to step forward.

Painful memories, which you had purposefully kept at bay in your mind all this time, began to surface again.

“Leave.”

“What?”

“Go.”

“Remus… What – What did I do? Please, tell me, what did I do wrong?”

“Just go. Please.”

You had lifted your hand to knock on Remus’ door, but you paused. You were completely still for a long moment. Artemis poked her head out and cocked her head up at you, wondering why you weren’t moving.

Then, a soft breeze picked up and passed over you, stirring you back to life.

You dropped your hand and then fled. Artemis, surprised by the sudden motion, fell out of your cloak. Fortunately, she was able to land on her feet, and she bounded after you at once. You made it as far as the nearby park before you sank onto a bench and then burst into tears.

“You don’t want me…? You don’t… want me… Remus…”

“Let’s not – Let’s not drag this out any longer.”

“But you asked me. You asked me to stay. You said that you… wanted me. Just two nights ago. Y-You said that. Didn’t you?”

“I did, but I can’t – I can’t follow through on that promise.”

You sobbed into your hands, trying not to wail, but unable to help yourself.

Artemis yelped softly. She leapt up onto the bench next to her. Ears drooping in sadness, she put a consoling paw on your thigh as she sadly hung her head, too.

What’s the point of seeing him, if he doesn’t want me? The last thing he needs right now is another burden. I shouldn’t push myself onto him, even if I am worried about him. Even if I want to see him more than anything.

You heard a long, exasperated sigh in your mind. The Nine-Tailed Fox in your soul chided you, Really, now. What do you gain by putting yourself through this torture? Forget this man.

I can’t, you told her. I can’t forget him. Because I didn’t fall in love with him to gain anything. I just – I just fell in love with him. So, I can’t not love him just because it doesn’t make me happy anymore.

The Fox flicked her tail in irritation at you. Weak. You’re so weak.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Two days later, a sleek silver owl came rapping at your mother’s window.

She handed the letter to you wordlessly. Apparently, she was still quite displeased with you and your lax ways – “First, a holiday. And now, smoozing off at your parent’s house,” your mother grumbled, as she fried you eggs and bacon for breakfast. She slid them on your plate and then handed you a fork before slapping you on the back of the head. “What did they teach you at Wizarding School, huh? To be lazy?”

“No, I just came like that, unfortunately,” you mumbled through a mouthful of eggs.

Your mother sighed and turned off the stove. Then, she picked up her broom and swatted Artemis, who had been snoozing away under your chair, on her bottom. “Wake up, you,” she scolded her.

Artemis yelped and woke up and immediately conked her head on the bottom of your chair. She stumbled out, dazed.

“Art!” You quickly slid to the floor and picked her up off the floor. “You okay?”

Artemis let out a woozy bark.

“Mum, you can’t treat her like that!” you said indignantly. “You’ve got to be gentle with Art.”

Your mother snorted impatiently. “Then teach her to be less lazy. Although, you might need to start with yourself. Anyways, I’m off for work. I won’t be back until past midnight.”

“What? That late?”

“Got double shifts,” she relied shortly. With that, she was gone.

However, you glimpsed money on the counter – obviously, money she had left out for you to feed yourself with.

You reached out with one hand and slowly picked up the Muggle bills. You stared at the bills for a moment. Artemis poked her nose at it before looking up at you curiously.

“Love is so strange, isn’t it, Art?” you whispered.

Artemis nodded, wondering if by ‘love,’ you meant the sensation of being swatted on the bum with a broom first thing in the morning.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

You took the letter back to your brother’s bedroom. Sitting on the bed, you unfolded the letter to find extremely thin, almost spidery, yet very elegant, handwriting across official-looking parchment.

My team is still in an uproar at your disappearance, so I’ll keep both our names off this letter. Anyways, I hope you’re where you intended to be by now. But I’ll cut the sentimentalities, for I need to warn you – that certain cloud you removed from the iris saved my life, but it also means that that cloud has escaped into the open. There is a history concerning that cloud that you know but little of, and here is not the place to risk explaining it all. However, you must know this – that cloud has every incentive to go after G or D. G, as you know, is no longer of this world in physical form. That leaves D.

I think it best if you head to your academy. Not only will D keep you safe, for he knows generally about you, but you will also do him a favor by staying besides him and being on watch for the cloud.  

As for me, the little newt will be back, so I expect my name to get cleared then. I say this to dissuade you from returning. Don’t you dare come back. In fact, I’d rather you not reply to this letter at all. D will alert me if you do appear at your academy, and that’s all the confirmation I’ll need.  

Nonetheless, do be safe. Don’t you dare put me through the trouble of tracing your pawprints all the way over to Europe.

At the bottom of the page, there was a tiny scribble, and you could just make out the Graves crest.

‘His team’ clearly means Tristan’s Aurors, who are furious at my disappearance, you reasoned. And by ‘that certain cloud’… He means the Obscurial that was hiding in his eye, which the Nine-Tailed Fox ultimately helped to push out of his soul.

Your eyes traced the letter again: There is a history concerning that cloud that you know but little of…

You remembered Susana Grindelwald telling you, “The child’s name was Credence Barebone.”

Right, you thought, I don’t really know anything about Credence Barebone, other than the fact that he was the oldest wizard to ever house an Obscurial within him, and that he ultimately died, and the Obscurial latched onto Tristan instead.

You read the next part of Tristan’s letter: However, you must know this – that cloud has every incentive to go after G or D. G, as you know, is no longer of this world in physical form. That leaves D.

You thought over this. Tristan is telling me that the Obscurial would have reason to want to hurt G or D… Grindelwald or Dumbledore, I suppose. Grindelwald means Susana, who has hidden her physical form and is by Tristan’s side. Ah, so that’s what Tristan means by “no longer of this world in physical form.”

You hesitated. But I guess Dumbledore may be unaware that the Obscurial has escaped, since only Tristan and I know about the Obscurial right now. Hm…

Your eyes fell onto the next line: I think it best if you head to your academy.

Go back to Hogwarts? you wondered.

You fell back onto the bed and stared up at the dingy ceiling with its cracked paint. A familiar voice entered your mind, whispering, “Delphinus, the dolphin. One Greek legend says that Delphinus helped Poseidon find his queen, Amphitrite, a mermaid, by bringing her back to live in Poseidon’s underwater court…”

I do miss the Ravenclaw night sky tapestry, you thought to yourself. I think… maybe I do want to go back to Hogwarts.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Asking Dumbledore for a job wasn’t quite as awkward as you had feared. When you put forth your proposal honestly, saying, “Headmaster, I’ve never been quite the – er – studious type. But I believe I would make for a good Gamekeeper’s assistant,” Dumbledore gave you a most knowing smile. Besides him, Fawkes let out a low cry. The Nine-Tailed Fox within you stirred.

Dumbledore spoke to you. “I rather thought you were interested in certain spirits.”

You admitted, “Well, yes, that’s true.”

With a bright twinkle in his eyes, Dumbledore asked you, “And I trust you found what you were looking for when you left the Order?”

You paused. How does he know? you wondered.

“Anyways,” Dumbledore said smoothly, moving on, “the timing is most opportune for you. You see, Professor Gallant plans to retire in three years’ time from his Ghoul Studies position. You should study to take over his position. Three years is ample time to cover the basics of any types of ghouls you have not studied, and I will instruct Professor Gallant to impart his knowledge to you. For the time being, we can set you up at Hagrid’s assistant, as you have requested.”

You nodded. That suited you just fine. “Thank you, Headmaster.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

So began your second life at Hogwarts. You loved being back at the castle, though you spent most of your time outdoors. And at all costs, you avoided the places that reminded you of a certain brown-haired boy…

Will you give it a rest? The Nine-Tailed Fox sighed in your head. Besides, she thought, you haven’t fed me for a long while.

You grimaced. You had been doing everything in your power to avoid using her magic, but of course, it had been months now, and she was bound to be hungry.

Only – There’s no one around here, you told her.

Hm… The Nine-Tailed Fox lithely turned in a circle and then she settled back down. Fine. We’ll have to wait until we can find ourselves a worthy suitor. We can’t just entice anyone, can we? First, it has to be someone you have a natural connection with. Second, it has to be with someone who has a soul strong enough to withstand my spiritual energy, else we’ll drain the person of their life force.  It wouldn’t do to kill off the Hogwarts staff members, would it?

No, let’s stay clear of that, you thought wryly. I’ve only just started my so-called career.  

The Nine-Tailed Fox laughed lightly in your head. You humans are so funny. Why do you have to make up such strange concepts? Why can’t you just be, and have that be enough?

Besides that, you wondered, how long are you planning to stay with me?

I don’t get to decide that, the Nine-Tailed Fox replied. I can’t live in this realm unless I’m in your soul.

So, I’d have to go back to that Forest?

It’s not all that simple, you know, the Fox hummed in your head.

What do you mean?

There is a hollowness in your soul, little one. That’s where I reside. So long as this hollow in your heart remains, I believe I, too, must remain within you. That’s why I find your pathetic desire for your old partner so wearisome.

Because you’re bored of me already? you guessed.

Precisely.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

But then, there was a most unexpected turn of events. It all started when a rather foolish student had decided to accept a dare and hang with one arm off the willow tree besides the Great Lake.

It was only when he lost the dare and fell into the water with a soft splash that it became evident that he couldn’t swim. Down, down, he sank, and the other kids started to scream when they realized he wasn’t coming back up.

You happened to be coming up from Hagrid’s just then. The children raced over to you, begging you to save their friend.

You immediately dove into the water. Magic would work, but you had to have a sense of where the boy was and how to help him. Blind magic with no intention was almost impossible to pull off.

You didn’t see the boy right away, for the water was too murky, but you did see movement in the cloudy world before you. Pointing your wand at the cloud, you breathed out, “Ascendio!”

To your relief, you saw a young boy emerge from the cloudy water and zoom out of the water. However, you suddenly frowned as you realized that the inky cloud in the water was restricted to only one section. Before you could ponder this any longer, a tentacle shot out of the cloud and grabbed you around your waist.

You tried to scream, but being underwater, no sound came out. You thrashed about, though thankfully, you kept your head enough to keep a tight grip on your wand. You would have used a spell, but you were all out of breath and unable to cast a spell.

Suddenly, a low, thrumming growl rang out in your chest. Let her go.

A huge, slimy eye appeared out of the greyish-black cloud and blinked at you – It was the Giant Squid.

I said – let her go.

The Giant Squid seemed to recognize the Nine-Tailed Fox’s voice, and forlornly let you go.

You floated in the water for a moment, frozen, when the Nine-Tailed Fox whispered in your ear, Little one, swim up.

Waking up from your panicked daze, you kicked your feet and made your way up to the water’s surface. You broke the surface of the Lake and gasped desperately for air. It wasn’t until you took that first gulp of fresh air that you realized that your throat was absolutely burning. You crawled out of the water. All of the kids had gone – half of them were carrying the little boy back to the castle, and the other half, now worried for you, had run over to Hagrid’s.

You slowly got to your feet, still gasping for breath. You clutched at the stitch in your chest. You looked over your shoulder at the dark waters of the Black Lake, and you shivered. So, that’s what the Giant Squid looks like under water – or at least, that’s what his eyeball looks like. I swear, his eye was the size of my head…

However, you caught a glimpse of yourself in the water just then and you realized that you were sporting fox ears on your head, and what was more, your hair was a long, glistening silver. You gasped.

Just then, Hagrid’s familiar voice boomed out behind you, “Professor!”

With a groan, you dove back into the water. Sticking your wand into your pants pocket, you hurriedly swept your long hair to the side and tucked it under your neck, to try to make it appear shorter. The silver, you hoped, you could explain away with how lake water reacted to blue hair. Finally, you reached up and covered your ears with your hands.

It was just in time, as Hagrid and three of the first-year students came racing up to the shoreline. “Professor, are yeh all righ’?” Hagrid called loudly.

“Fine!” you yelled back. Your throat burned as you shouted. “Just going for a little swim!”

The kids looked confused, trading skeptical glances. Thankfully, Hagrid immediately understood that you were trying to hide something from the kids. “Off yeh go, I’ll help the professor out,” Hagrid told them, and he shoo’ed them away.

Then, Hagrid came closer to the water. “What’s wrong?” he asked you.

“Um… Um…” You were doing your best to stay afloat with just your feet, but it was difficult. Finally, you admitted, “Hagrid, can you please get Professor Dumbledore for me?”

“‘Course, I can do that, but will you be okay all by yerself?” Hagrid asked you. “It’ll take me a bit to run up.”

“I’ll be fine,” you assured him.

When Hagrid left, running up to the castle in huge strides, you let out a sigh of relief as you dropped your hands. You kept yourself afloat much easier now, though you kept looking down at the water in fear that the Giant Squid would come back.

However, the Nine-Tailed Fox reassured you, He won’t be coming back. And besides, he would never hurt you.

You sure about that? you wondered skeptically.

Yes, he was simply curious about you.

“Professor.”

You looked up to see Dumbledore, in his starry purple robes, standing at the water’s edge.

Dumbledore’s eyes glinted brilliantly behind his half-moon glasses as he watched you swim back to shore. You arose from the lake, with water streaming off of your silver hair.

Dumbledore paused. “Well, now, I must say, I’m pleased to see that your single-minded focus in catching the Fox has paid off, then? Madam Pince used to come to me with reports of all of the international books you were requesting about the Fox. But, it seems that the Nine-Tailed Fox finds it amusing to change your physical appearance, does she?”

“Yes, Headmaster,” you said, a little bashfully. “I figured that if anyone knew a solution for this, it would be you.”  

The Fox snickered in your head. You know what the solution is, little one.

What in hell? We’re not going to traumatize Dumbledore like that!

The Fox laughed heartily. No, no, no, of course not. I told you before, I can’t create magic out of thin air. I can only amplify what comes from you – that is, a connection that already exists. That type of connection doesn’t exist here, obviously.

Oh, thank Merlin, you breathed out, relieved.

Then, Dumbledore spoke, “I cannot think of a permanent solution, for I myself have never encountered a Nine-Tailed Fox before. However, a temporary solution may be to take a Disguising Potion. You should carry some around with you in a vial.”

“A Disguising Potion?”

“Yes,” Dumbledore nodded. “It’s almost like a diluted Polyjuice Potion, though that is gravely oversimplifying the matter.”

“It sounds difficult to make,” you said uncertainly.

Dumbledore replied, “Well, then, Severus should be able to conjure up a Potion for you.”

Severus Snape. You nearly grimaced. But you tried your best to swallow down the feeling of distaste as you replied, “Yes, Headmaster. I’ll go and see him about it.”

“Very well, and in the meantime - ” Dumbledore waved his wand so quickly you barely caught the motion, and a crown of blue flowers graced your hair and their stems braided themselves into your silver hair and pulled it up, so that it hid your ears and made it look like your hair was quite short again. “That shall do for our trip back up to the castle.”

Extending his hand, Dumbledore said politely, “After you.”

But before you stepped past him, you said to Dumbledore, “Are you really not surprised, Headmaster?”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled. “I’ve found over the years that it is far more productive to bask in the delight of a surprise, than to be overwhelmed by the shock of it all.”  

You blinked.

Dumbledore chuckled, before suggesting politely, “But for now, may I suggest we head up to the castle? If you catch a cold, Madam Pomfrey can treat you, but I’m not sure how she would go about treating a mythical fox…”

The Nine-Tailed Fox snorted. Me? Catch a cold? Never.

Lucky you, you thought wryly, as you sneezed brilliantly into your sopping wet cloak sleeve.  

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

Thankfully, you were able to shower in hot water and change into comfortable, warm clothes before the cold really settled into your bones.

However, when you looked at yourself in the mirror, you were surprised to see yourself still sporting silver hair and fox ears.

“What…?” You frowned. “Why aren’t you gone yet? I’m not in danger anymore.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox hissed at you, Because, we’re hungry, little one. We’ve been hungry. I kept telling you, and you ignored me.

You groaned. Well, you’re going to have to find something else to satiate your appetite, because there is simply no one here that will do.

With that, you picked up a cloak with a large hood that came down to nearly your eyes and you slung it over yourself before you decided to make your way down to a certain Potion Master’s office.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

Rap, rap.

“Who is it?”

You hesitated. There’s a strong chance he might not open the door if he realizes it’s me, you thought. You weren’t sure why you thought this. It wasn’t as though you and Severus had any bad blood between the two of you. But still, your impression of Severus was that he was so antisocial that there was a higher chance of his entertaining a stranger than entertaining an acquaintance.

So, you said, quite truthfully, “I’m a new assistant professor here. Dumbledore sent me here to – to…” Your voice faltered as the door was wrenched open.

You were right. At once, Severus’ eyes narrowed. “It’s you.”

“Er, yes. It’s me.” You raised one hand uncertainly. “Hi.”

“You’re a new assistant professor?”

“Yes.”

Severus lifted his eyebrow in mock surprise. “Well, what do you want from me?”

“Dumbledore said you could help me.”

“With what, exactly?”

“Um… Perhaps I could tell you inside your office?” You would rather not take off your hood in the middle of the hallway, where you could be spotted by a passing student or staff member. Even though, thankfully, Severus’ office, being down in the dungeons, was quite out of the way.

You made to step forward, into Severus’ office, but Severus quickly put his hand up against the doorframe. You yelped when your face ran smack into his arm. Ow…

“I don’t see the need for that,” Severus said coolly. “We can speak as we are.”

“But - ”

“I believe this is my office.” Severus’s voice curled up in distaste.

Fully intending to insult him for giving you such a difficult time, you started to say indignantly, “I see you haven’t changed. You’re still a complete - ” when suddenly, you felt an icy thrill shiver all down your spine. A strange sound came out of your mouth as you suddenly shivered all over.

“What -?”  Severus began to question, when another chill ran through your body, and you accidentally shook your head, shaking your hood right off your head. Severus’ eyes widened in astonishment as he caught sight of your silver hair and fox ears.

“What in the world -?” he began.

Realizing that your appearance was exposed, you hurriedly shoved Severus back into his office.

“Oof,” Severus groaned as he felt you rather roughly push him back. He barely managed to keep from tripping backwards over his own doorway. You followed him in, nearly tripping over him just as he almost tripped over his doorway. With everything descending so quickly into chaos, it was small wonder that Severus ended up being backed up against the side of his desk, with you tumbling forward into his chest. A muffled cry left your mouth as your nose, for the second time that day, met some hard, unwelcoming part of his body – his chest.

Severus hurriedly shoved you off of him.

You straightened up and rubbed your nose, frowning at him. “Thought you’d be softer,” you mumbled. “Don’t you just sit around and concoct Potions all day? How much of a work-out is that, really?”

Severus glared at you. Then, without warning, he raised his wand. You scampered away from him, looking rather more like a fox than even you noticed. But he merely pointed his wand at the door, which slammed shut.

“So, all of the teasing about you was right after all – you are quite strange,” Severus remarked, staring at your fox ears.

You bristled at this. “You, of all people, should know that what bullies say is never true.”

Severus paused. “Why do you assume that I would know that?”

“What, do you want to pretend as though you were never bullied while at Hogwarts?” you asked, unimpressed. “People made fun of you as much as they did me. Remember the Marauders and how they -?”

Severus suddenly paled. “I don’t want to hear you mention them again,” he interrupted curtly.

“You brought it up first,” you pushed back. “Besides, my whole point is that those remarks aren’t true. I’m not a freak, and you’re not er – what did they call you? A loner, greasy-haired, hook-nosed – and oh, yes, Snivellus was a popular nickname,” you reeled off, counting on your fingers.

“I’ll thank you not to repeat those words,” Severus said thinly, glowering at you.  

“You’re brilliant, Severus, and – well, I wouldn’t call you kind – but at least you were more mature than the rest of the idiots our year,” you continued, dropping your hand.

Severus stared at you for a long moment. Then, in a quiet and distrusting voice, he said, “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Well, not much,” you admitted. “I’m not claiming that we were the best of pals or anything.”

Severus grimaced, and he began to turn away from you, when you spoke again. “But I do know that when Slughorn made me grade papers in detention, yours was always the model answer. And I do know when – when I was caught in that net and everyone was laughing, even though I was thrashing about and could barely breathe and was scared something was really going to happen to me…” Your voice trailed off for a moment, but you pulled yourself together and continued, “I saw you, and you weren’t laughing at me. I don’t know why you weren’t laughing. And it’s not like you helped me, either. But…” Your voice became smaller and smaller, until you were barely whispering, “… And I never laughed at you, either. You didn’t deserve to be bullied.”

Severus turned around, though his expression was still unreadable. His eyes were as cold and calm as ever. “So, what do you suggest? An alliance based on the fact that we were both loners at school? No, thank you.”

“Severus,” you pleaded, “I can’t go anywhere with these - ” you pointed to your fox ears “ - sticking out of my head.”

“What in the world has happened to give you this – this unearthly look?” Severus asked you, examining you with distaste.

Oho. The Nine-Tailed Fox’s voice suddenly popped up in your mind. He wants to know about me, does he? Well, well… You felt her many tails flicker teasingly in your chest. Shall we give him a little introduction?

A sense of tremendous horror overcame you as you suddenly realized what the chills had been – the Nine-Tailed Fox recognizing a connection between you and –

“Oh no,” you suddenly blurted out. “Oh, Merlin, no!”

Severus, who had just started to step towards you to have a closer look at your ears, suddenly came to a stop, as you hastened back, away from him.

“What?” Severus said, startled. “What is it?”

You’ve got to be joking, you told the Fox in your head.

Not at all, the Fox replied. He’s the first in several months now that has held any hint of sexual connection with you. It’s quite weak, I grant you that. But this is where I come in.

But – But it’s him. Severus Snape, you protested. Even as you protested with the Fox, however, a soft burn began to blossom in your heart and slowly began to travel to your cheeks, making you blush, and then down towards your tummy…

“No,” you moaned, and you hid your face in your hands. “No way!”

The Fox giggled, as delightfully and childishly as you had ever heard her. Oh please, this will be fun. It’ll be a bit of a challenge, which is nice, because I rather miss hunting my prey. And with Tristan, you were so into him, little one, that I barely had to stretch my paws to bring him to us.

What? Caught off guard by the Fox’s declaration of how taken in you had been by Tristan, you found yourself sputtering in your head.

Now, this man likes for you to take control – at least, at first, the Fox whispered to you. Be bold before him – and charming, always charming. But not coy. He’ll hate that. I can tell. He’s not one for pretenses.

How can you tell? you wondered warily, staring most unhappily at Severus.

Severus frowned back at you. Folding his arms over his chest, he said, “If you mean to glare at me for much longer, you had better leave. Whether it’s Dumbledore’s order or not, I won’t be granting you any favors when you’re giving me such a distasteful look...”

Severus’ voice died in his chest as you suddenly, lithe as a little fox, jumped forward on your feet and danced your way over to him, with your long silver hair swishing mesmerizingly behind you.

Severus immediately stepped back from you. You stuttered to a stop, too, your fingers coming to a halt in the air just before his chest.

You both froze, looking at each other with utmost confusion and distrust. Severus reached up and took your wrist in his hand, touching you first, but then, he was the one who whispered, “Stop.”

Your eyes flickered up to his, calling him out wordlessly for the discrepancy between his actions and his words. Severus stiffened, his hand tightening into a verifiable grip as he realized that, for once in his life, he was the irrational one.

But then, a strange sensation flickered through him, and Severus’ jaw tightened as an icy cold bolt shot through his hand. He quickly ripped his hand away from you.

Meanwhile, your heart abruptly skipped a beat. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, not the way it was when it was because Remus was about to touch you and kiss you, but almost as though you had just missed a step on the staircase and was living that horrifying moment where you suddenly thought you might fall.

Severus’ eyes flashed as he realized, “It’s not just the fox ears, is it? It’s something more… Something has… possessed you.”

You paused, startled at how quickly Severus had figured you out. “How did you guess that?”

“Physical symptoms that are uncontrollable are often a sign of internal infection,” Severus explained quickly while still massaging his right hand (which he had held your wrist with) with his left hand, as though he were afraid of being contaminated by whatever had happened when he touched you. “That’s why Potions work so well. Unlike spells, that begin with external influence and often rely on the limits of external perception, Potions work from within.”

“O-Oh,” you said, a bit lamely. You got the gist of what Severus was saying, of course, but the electrifying feeling growing within you, coupled with the unexpected eloquence with which Severus spoke, threw you off guard.

Within you, the Fox put up her paw against your chest and gave you a little shove forward. You felt yourself half-step and half-trip towards Severus.

Severus watched you warily, but he made no move either away or towards you.

“You’re right,” you confessed. “There’s a spirit within me.”

“A Fox Spirit?” Severus asked.

You nodded. “And she comes out whenever…” You hesitated. You didn’t want anyone knowing your weakness. So, you quickly amended, without too noticeable of a pause, “… whenever she’s hungry.”

“Hungry? What do spirits eat?” Severus suddenly put up his right hand to stop you, for you had been slowly coming closer and closer to him.

“Well…” You reached out - though, ignoring his outstretched hand, you chose rather to let your fingertips brush across Severus’ left hand, which was still down and resting. Your fingertips grazed over the back of his hand. The Fox, who was sensing Severus’ deep mistrust of you, was quietly communicating through your hesitant and decidedly gentle touch that you weren’t a threat, that you weren’t intending to take him off guard. Your eyes dropped to his hand, as you gently let your fingertips stroke the back of his hand now. “They crave sensual energy.”

The Fox nudged you, and you instinctively lifted your eyes. Gazing up at him, you very slowly slid your hand into his. “Surely, you can figure it out from there,” you murmured. “Surely, you…” You gave his hand a light squeeze. “… know what I mean.”

Severus’ frown only deepened, however, and he all but grimaced at you as he turned his head away. He began to take his hand out of yours as well, when he paused. You inhaled sharply, too, as you felt the Fox wave her tails behind her in a flurry.

Severus blinked, as a sensation of what could only be described as power flashed through his veins. What in Merlin’s name was that? He wondered. He found himself turning back to stare at you with incredulity. Who is this silly girl, to hold the power of such illusion?

Because if I’m not mistaken, in that single moment, I saw… I saw… Severus was speechless, even in his own brilliant mind, because, in fact, he had seen an alternate version of his own life, of an entire life, where he had not been bullied, where he had been loved as himself, where he had not allowed the Death Eaters to tempt him into joining their cause, where he had not inadvertently gave news of the prophecy to the Dark Lord that had ended up, much to his utter agony, leading to the death of the only one for whom he had ever cared for, ever had feelings for…

Severus shut his eyes. He let out a gasp of emotion, and he nearly collapsed onto the desk behind him.

You raced forward and caught him. “Severus!”

Severus shook his head. “How did you know?” he asked you, overcome with grief. “How did you know what it was that I most desired?”

“I… I don’t,” you replied honestly, still helping to hold him up, with your arms around him. “I don’t know what just happened. I just felt a flash go through me, like – like lightning from a clear sky…”

Severus finally opened his eyes. He put his hand on your shoulder for support as he found his footing again. “Are you sure it’s not some devil spirit that’s possessed you? To be able to conjure up something like that.”

“You know, I’m not so sure myself sometimes,” you replied honestly.

The Nine-Tailed Fox let out a derisive scoff inside of you. Excuse you.

“I don’t trust you,” Severus said, rather suddenly and very bluntly. “I don’t trust what you are, not when you’ve got those – those things on your head and when you’ve seen into my head, when not even - ”

Severus abruptly stopped talking.

You shook your head. “I really didn’t see anything,” you told him earnestly. “Severus, I would never do that to you.”

“Then, what was that?” Severus asked. He grabbed your shoulders.

Startled, your hands flew up to his arms.

Severus didn’t shake you or hurt you in any way, but he kept you before him as he asked you, with a sharp edge in his voice that demanded answers, “There must be some power or motivation that caused me to – to see the things I did. Why? Where did that come from?”

“Severus, please, calm down,” you told him, squirming a little in his grip. Merlin, he’s definitely stronger than he looks.

My, my, isn’t he a sensitive one? The Fox sighed. At first glance, he seems quite strong, but… He’s never tapped into his potential, it seems. Then, her voice radiated outwards, as the Fox whispered to Severus, You have so many regrets, don’t you?

Severus froze. “That voice…”

You nodded calmly. “Yes, it’s her. It’s not me, obviously.”

Severus stared at you, his dark eyes glimmering with complete shock, as he croaked, “It’s real. Those ridiculous tales you used to torture Rowan Scamander with – they’re real.”

“I did not torture him,” you started to seethe, but you reigned yourself in. With a puff of angry air, you calmed yourself and instead said, “Anyways, that’s not the point. The point is that this spirit is very real, and her hunger is also very real. What’s more, satiating her is the only way for me to get rid of those blasted ears - ”

Hey, the Fox interjected in your head, they’re cute on you.

“ – so please, help me,” you finished, pleading with Severus. “Dumbledore said you could make me a Potion that could disguise my features. Some variation of the Polyjuice Potion.”  

Severus finally seemed to find his footing again, now that the talk was back to Potions, though there was still a somewhat faint color to his complexion. “Well, yes,” he agreed. “A Disguising Potion would help you.”

He walked around his desk and began to pull out his cauldron, when he paused. “Wait, I thought you said that the Fox spirit craved, - er – a certain energy. A Disguising Potion won’t help with that.”

“Well, no, but the Potion will help conceal the appearance of the Fox,” you replied. “To actually get rid of my fox ears and silver hair without any magic, it requires, um, that certain energy.”

“Oh.” Severus shook his head as he began to set up the different flasks and measuring tools. “Well, then. You should come back in two weeks’ time.”

Your eyes widened. “Two weeks!? I can’t go around looking like this for two weeks! I have to go see Hagrid tomorrow morning!”

Severus shot you a glare. “Well, what do you expect? A full-blown Polyjuice Potion takes an entire month to concoct. And if you were asking anyone but me, a Disguising Potion would take three weeks!”

“Oh my God,” you groaned. “What am I going to do?” You buried your face in your hands. “I can’t let any more people know about my condition! It’s bad enough that you know.”

Oh? The Fox suddenly lifted her snout and sniffed the air. Then, blinking her silver eyes open, she realized, Well, look at that, doing just fine on your own. I think he’s starting to feel a little bit of sympathy for you.

What? you said, confused.

The Fox chuckled. Never mind. Just keep pretending to be upset.

I’m not pretending – I am upset!

While you were busy arguing with the Fox in your head, Severus had slowly stood up at his desk. Many conflicting thoughts were warring in his head: The image of himself as someone powerful and brave was intoxicating to him, and it had felt so real when he had touched you… The fact that Dumbledore had asked him to help you… The fact that nothing good could come out of others knowing that you were possessed by a powerful spirit… And then, the faint image of you, waving at him uncertainly in Transfiguration class, only for him to turn away from you.

Severus didn’t know why he had turned away from you back then. Perhaps it was because he didn’t want to be associated with another “loser.” Perhaps it was because he, too, found you strange, forever running about with irrelevant books and sporting that stupid fox tail keychain. Or perhaps, it was because all his life, whenever he had tried to love someone, whether it was his parents or Lily or even those he attempted to be friends with in his Slytherin circle, he had been betrayed, until his habit to friendliness was immediately turning away, so that he would not have his trust thrown back in his face again…

Severus hadn’t necessarily regretted turning away from you, then. He hadn’t thought about it again because he had always thought that you were rather weird and quirky and unlikable, with too much chaotic energy and what seemed like a totally fantastical and random chase after some mythical creature that Severus thought remained better undiscovered. But now, of all the memories he could have had, it was that flash of memory of you waving at him, which he had never thought about before now, that entered his mind.

Severus hesitated. “You’re certain that you can’t get rid of those fox ears on your own?”

You gave him a wry look. “You really think I would be here, telling you all this, if I could have figured this out on my own?”

“Fine,” Severus acceded. “And Dumbledore truly asked me to help you?”

You nodded firmly, so much so that your left fox ear flopped over, only to flop back up when you straightened your head again.

Severus sighed. “Damn you.” He came around his desk and crossed over to you.

You were busy berating him, “You know, Severus, this is hardly my first choice as to how I spend my time - ”

You cut off, and a muffled whimper of shock left your mouth, as Severus had walked right up to you, slid his hand under your chin, pushed your face up, and then, bending down a little, pressed his mouth against yours.

Surprised, you immediately pushed him off of you. “W-What?” you managed to bleat out in surprise.

“What?” Severus shot right back at you, not taking well to your unwelcoming response. “I am trying to help you,” he snarled.

“But it – you gave me no warning – and, besides that, Severus - ” Without thinking, you blurted out, “ - you kiss so badly!”

Severus turned pale with anger at your insult, but then, you swore a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks a moment later.  

“Well,” Severus replied snarkily a moment later, when he had a chance to gather his wits again, “you hardly inspire romanticism.”

Oh God, you groaned in your head. This is terrible. This is so bloody awkward.

You stupid Fox, you cursed in your head. Damn you for needing this.

The Fox delicately wrapped her tails around herself and snuggled into her own warm makeshift blanket. Suit yourself, but I suggest that you carry on, she said haughtily. Elsewise, you’ll only become more desperate.

With a hard, heavy sigh, you finally turned to Severus. “All right, I – I take your point. I didn’t mean to react that way, or to insult you when you’re only helping me. But, um, you can’t – I mean, you shouldn’t kiss that way…”

Severus looked as though he was about to murder you on the spot, or else murder himself.

“Look, I’ll just show you, all right?” you said, feeling the humiliation wash over you at the terribly forced nature of all of this. “I’m warning you that I’m about to kiss you. So, don’t push me away or anything, okay?”

“Your kisses warrant a warning?” Severus said thinly. “And I rather think it’s you that needs to control yourself.”

“Right, right,” you replied quickly, trying not to get dragged into another argument with Severus. “Just… close your eyes, please.”

“I will if you stop talking,” Severus replied coldly.

“Fine,” you responded, equally coldly. “Fine. Just don’t look at me.”

Severus seemed nervous, almost, but he finally did as you asked and closed his eyes.

You walked over to him. You weren’t quite sure where to put your hands and your hands flitted about his chest and arms uncertainly, until Severus barked out, annoyed, “What the hell are you doing? What’s taking so long?”

Just go for it, you told yourself.

With a soft sigh, you found your resolve. You put your hands on his shoulders and then, getting up on tip-toe, you gently pressed your lips to Severus’ mouth.

For a moment, it was just as awkward as before, as he didn’t respond to you at all.

Shall I give you a little help? The Fox purred. She got up from her napping position, and her tails flickered in the air behind her.

Giving in to the feeling of the Fox’s energy, you followed her nudges and closed your own eyes now. You began to slowly open your mouth a little and pressed yours lips against his again before pulling back a little. You paused. Then, you kissed him again, making the same movement as before in opening your lips just a little to let him feel the warm movement of your lips, softly encouraging him to join you.

Severus seemed unsure of what to do, even with your guidance, but eventually, he started to respond, opening his mouth just a little, to let you sink into him. His chest, too, began to soften, as he relaxed the tiniest bit, and his hands began to slide little by little up your back, until he was gently pressing you to him. It surprised you how gentle he was being with you, but you recognized that it was a gentleness borne of uncertainty, rather than out of any care for you.

Maybe he hasn’t much experience, you thought. I suppose that makes sense, since he’s got such a taciturn and cold personality.

You insulting him doesn’t help, the Fox berated you. Stop judging the man, and be thankful that he wants to help you.

At the same time the Fox was chiding you, she was slowly feeding Severus the same sense of power as before – that sense of confidence and certainty that Severus had felt himself to be lacking all his life.

Only a few minutes had passed, when Severus, willingly intoxicated by that vision of himself as a stronger man than he had ever been able to attain in his real life, had, without realizing it himself, pushed you up against the office door with a quiet, yet smoldering confidence that was growing within his soul.

More than a bit surprised at the sudden authority with which Severus kissed you and held you, you blinked your eyes open – only to find that you were looking at none other than Severus Snape.

Goodness, you thought to yourself, this is quite unfortunate, isn’t it? Not that he’s a bad man or anything. Still, it’s unfortunate, you decided, that this is who I have to rely on…

Yes, most unfortunate that you should have to rely on Severus Snape for – for this, you were still thinking five minutes later, though rather hazily now, as Severus’ cruel, hard mouth was on yours, in a harsh and dispassionate kiss, while his hands had snaked around your wrists and pinned you down rather uncaringly against the closed office door.

When Severus abruptly gave you a rather harsh bite on your lower lip, you jolted a little.

“If we’re to do this, I beg you to stay still,” he hissed at you. “The way you squirm at the slightest touch is highly irritating.”

You blew out a sharp breath, annoyed. “What? You want to kiss a stone statue, then?”  

“I would rather not ‘kiss’ at all,” Severus growled. “But that damned Fox within you is playing her tricks on me.”

“Don’t blame her,” you shot back. “You agreed to do this.”

“Was there truly any choice? Isn’t that Fox a mythical being?” Severus asked you cuttingly, for he still believed that you knew what the Fox was doing – seeing into his mind and intertwining visions of his deepest desires with being with you. Actually, just as with Tristan, you didn’t know was happening. You didn’t automatically know what the Fox saw in your partner’s mind and you weren’t always aware of how the Fox was affecting the visions of your partner, or even how the Fox heightened the atmosphere between the two of you. That was why even you, who housed the Nine-Tailed Fox within you, continued to underestimate her.  

But before you could make sense of his words, Severus warned you, “Now, stay still.” With that, he kissed you again, and then, he roughly yanked your robes aside and plunged his hand into your boyshorts and then –

It surprised you just how thick Severus’ fingers were. It was quite unlike being touched by Remus, with his long, graceful fingers. Besides that, Remus had liked to lead into it, to give you soft little pats and rubs before starting to push, whereas Severus was purposeful from the very beginning, pushing his fingers hard against your core at once and continuing to push and push and push –

“Hah… Ah…” You shut your eyes tightly. “You’re p-pushing - ”

“Shush.”

The Fox within you bounded around happily. Mm, he’s stern, isn’t he?

“Ah, S-Severus,” you stuttered out.

“I told you to stop with your ridiculous sounds.”

“I’m – huff – trying.”

“No wonder a Fox spirit could possess you,” Severus said meanly. “You have no will of your own, no you?”

“S-Shut up,” you whispered back, in a tight voice. A moan very nearly slipped out, but you caught yourself just in time. Biting down hard on your lower lip, you restrained yourself from making any noise beyond your desperate pants and sharp inhales.

Come now, the Fox whispered to you slyly, give him a little moan.

No, he said he finds it annoying when I moan.

He’s lying, you silly girl, the Fox said knowingly. Now, open your mouth and moan. The Fox put up her paw and pushed at your chest.

You instantly breathed out, “Ah… S-Slow down.”

Severus paused. “Why? Am I hurting you?”

“No, it’s not that. It just feels better if you go slow.”

At this, Severus merely said, “I’d rather we get this over with.”

“But, it doesn’t feel as good,” you protested again.

Severus ignored you, continuing to rub your little clit until it was blushing pink.

Nngh… So rough, you thought. All the men I’ve ever been with are so rough… except Remus. He was the only one who was gentle with me.

The Fox hissed at you. Get your act together.

Before you could retort to the Fox, Severus stepped closer to you, and pushing you up against the door, he slid his hand over your pussy, cupping it, and then rubbed his palm right where you were most sensitive on your clit.

“Ah, w-wait!” you cried out suddenly, clutching onto Severus’ arm.

“Wait for what?” Severus muttered at you, but he didn’t slow down one bit, as the expression on your face told him that you weren’t stopping him because you were hurting, but rather because you were… About to cum, Severus recognized, watching you bit down on your lower lip and then pant desperately.  

“You’re s’pse to lead in,” you whispered. “Not so fast! I – ah!”

“You don’t really seem to mind, though,” Severus said wryly.

“No, if you keep going, I’m – I’m – ah!” you gasped out. He’s relentless. The way he touches me, just pushing his fingers all over my pussy, pressing down regardless of how out of breath I am, regardless of – of everything… Oh, God…

You shut your eyes tightly and huffed out hard breaths, one after the other. At first, because of how rough he was, it didn’t feel all that good. But, now, I feel like, with all this pressure on my clit, building up so quickly because of all the rubbing and touching and pushing, I have to cum. I have to!

“Nngh, God, S-Severus,” you stuttered out. “Fuck, I think ‘m gonna – ah- c-cum…!” Your back arched off of the door, and you moaned loudly.

Severus felt your thighs tremble, but he kept his hand pressed right up against you, not letting you close your thighs together. “Be still,” he warned you, ignoring the fact that you were cumming so hard that you were disintegrating before his very eyes. “I’ll stop if you aren’t still.”

“So… harsh,” you bleated out, almost whimpering, as Severus made you keep your thighs apart. “When I can’t even help it, can’t help myself…”

“I don’t care. You keep those thighs spread,” Severus snapped. But even he could not stop the inevitable. Your moan curled up as your thighs bowed together around his unyielding hand, and you ended up grasping onto Severus and leaning forward and panting into his chest as you tried to hold yourself up and keep from falling.

“Look at you, barely holding yourself together,” Severus sneered. “Pathetic.” Of course, the hard throbbing in his pants told him otherwise, but he would rather die than let you know how badly you were affecting him as you smushed your face against his chest and whimpered.

Unable to help himself, Severus suddenly pushed his hand against you once more, wanting to feel your cum pool into his hand. Meaning to tease you, Severus whispered into your ear, rather meanly, “Do you even remember your name at this point?”

However, right as he whispered into your ear, whether it was because of Severus’ suddenly pushing his hand against you, or you unintentionally spreading your thighs open in an attempt to stand up again at that exact moment, or the Fox’s sly wiles at work, Severus’ fingers were suddenly pushing right at your pussyhole. Before you knew it, he was pushing three of his fingers inside of your tight hole – or you were sinking down onto his fingers as your legs gave out – again, you didn’t know which. All the same, his thick fingers were spreading your little pussy open. Your eyes widened in surprise, but Severus, too, was rather caught off guard.

“A-Ah!” you stuttered out, surprised at the sudden feeling of your little pussy being pushed open and filled by a man’s thick, demanding fingers.

Subconsciously, Severus realized that he wanted to hear you speak to him like that again, and, without giving you a moment’s respite, he pushed his fingers into you yet again, even deeper and faster this time.

You held back your moans for as long as you could, as your thighs caved in over and over again, until - “Severus, please!” you abruptly cried out.

Severus’ breath caught for just a moment when he heard you cry out his name like that. He paused to stare at you, somewhat in awe at the gorgeous little sounds you were making. Even when he finally acquiesced to touching you, he had never, for a second, imagined that he would actually enjoy it on any level, except to feed into the power that the Fox was feeding him. But seeing you like this, melting against the door and right onto his hand, almost subconsciously lusting after him, but conscious enough to be moving your little hips up and down, swaying on his hand to take in more and more of his fingers into your tight hole, Severus suddenly found himself hard-pressed not to praise you.

“Oh my God,” you whimpered just then, relieved that he was finally pausing. You couldn’t help except to slump forward and to pant heavily against his chest, while your trembling thighs and your tight, tight pussy finally relaxed enough that the cum started to trickle out of you.  

Severus’ chest began to heave slightly faster under his dark shirt, as he realized how wonderfully warm and wet you were getting between your thighs.

Meanwhile, you were lost in your own cloud of confusion over the pleasure that Severus, of all people - the one man who it was unthinkable to be intimate with -  was giving you. Why does it have to feel so good? you wondered hazily. Fills me up so good, doesn’t he? Yes, and with just his fingers. Ah… Ah, God, and I just came, so I’m all – all wet, and he’s spreading me open now, and I – I think I’m d-dripping… Mmm, fuck!

Severus paused, feeling your cum, all warm and slick, starting to pool out of your tight pussy. “You’re impossibly wet,” Severus murmured, almost beratingly. But his fingers were still slowly pushing into your slick, yet squeezing little warmth.

“Then, s-stop,” you mumbled out. “If you keep touching me, I’m only going to get w-wetter.”

Severus stopped at once, out of pride. But he felt a flash of regret as he pulled his fingers out of your silky little hole. He meant to pull his hand away entirely, only just then, he felt your soft thighs latch around his wrist. Without realizing that you were keeping him with you, you began to move moving your hips back and forth just a little, soothing yourself while coming down from your high. “Mm,” you mumbled out softly.

This was how, despite all of your back-and-forth to stop touching each other, Severus’ hand was now growing steadily wetter with your cum. A part of him felt disgusted, and he wanted to pull his hand away at once, except you were clutching onto him and burying your face against him, and glimpsing down, Severus could once more see the way your hips softly shifted from side to side. Something about that vision, of you moving your hips like that, did something inexplicable to Severus. It made him swallow hard and it made him painfully aware of his cock straining against his pants.

Despite himself, Severus wanted to feel more of you, to touch you, to push every delicious moan out of you. And what was more, Severus couldn’t help thinking about what it must feel like to have his cock – his hard, throbbing cock, which was uncomfortably tight in his pants – inside of this tight little cunt of yours.

Outwardly, Severus only sighed, as though bored. “I thought you just told me to stop touching you. What do you think you’re doing now, then, using my hand like this?”

“Oh!” Your eyes flashed open. You hurriedly stepped back, letting Severus’s hand slide out from your soft, warm thighs.

Severus lifted his hand, only to find it drenched in your cum. He grimaced, though he let you still lean against him as you caught your breath. “Is your Fox satisfied now?” Severus asked you, rather condescendingly.

The Fox laughed lightly in your head. As if. Silly human. Still, he’s a lucky find. His soul is quite strong, if not a little brittle from being caged up so long.

But Severus’ comment woke you up. Letting go of him, you fell back against the door, still trying to catch your breath.

Severus watched as your white fox ears slowly disappeared. Back into her head? Or where do they go? he found himself wondering. Then, your silver hair turned back to your shoulder-length blue hair.

Anyways…

“You’re back to normal,” Severus said. Then, he added meanly, “Or, as normal as you ever look.”

You scowled at Severus, but he didn’t care. He was too busy shoving you out of his office.

“Next time,” he scolded you, “wait for the Potion.”

With that, Severus closed the door on you.

You sighed as you walked away from Severus’ office, rearranging your robes to hide the fact that Severus Severus, of all people, had made you cum against his hand. And when his fingers were inside of you – oooh, it made you melt just thinking about it. You still preferred Remus’ gentle, slender fingers touching you so sweetly and driving you absolutely crazy with want before finally pushing into you, but the thickness of Severus’ fingers and the immediate roughness with which he touched you, while it didn’t feel perfectly pleasant at first, did make you feel quite… quite full, one might even say satisfied, rather quickly. You nearly moaned in your head as you imagined how it might feel to have his fingers pumping into you a lot harder than he had given you today, but – Oh my God. What’s happening to me? you wondered, suddenly catching yourself. I must be crazy, imagining Severus like that.

Honestly, of all the people I thought I’d be asking favors for, you complained in your head. And this kind-of favor, too. Merlin. He must despise me, on some level.

The Fox let out a sparkling laugh, as she replied, Oh no, don’t worry about that. You’ve more than repaid the favor for that man. He’ll welcome you back anytime with open hands – or should I say, with his thick fingers.

Shut up, you growled at the Fox. I’m embarrassed myself today thanks to you.

The Fox smirked at you. She can’t even begin to imagine how much that man wants her now, the Fox thought to herself.

For, unbeknownst to you, in his office, Severus had barely managed to shove you out the door and then unbuckle his pants fast enough before cum spurted out of his hard, thick cock. The truth was, he’d barely been able to hold back from cumming as he watched you cum for him. He’d held his breath as he took in the sight of you trembling all prettily against the door, with your eyes staring up at him in wide wonder at the desperate need for release that was working through your little tummy and deep inside of your tight, squeezing cunt. Now picturing your face in his mind, including the way your little fox ears had been twitching furiously on the top of your head as you literally soaked his fingers with cum, Severus finally let himself cum heavily into his hand. Groaning and leaning over his desk, Severus barely managed to grip onto the edge of his desk with one hand, as with his other hand, he finished pumping his cock in his hand, allowing himself to cum to the image of you still in his head.

Severus had no ideations of you, of course. He knew full well that it was the Fox who was working her magic onto him, but still, when he finally opened his eyes to see his office completely covered with snow for a moment, he was completely taken aback. What kind-of magic is this? he wondered, unsettled. But he only had to blink again, and the snow was gone, with not a single snowflake left behind. Severus was left wondering if all of this had just been a dream – a strange dream of you fantastically conjured up from that one memory of you where you were waving to him, with a certain sadness in your eyes and a shy kindness in your smile, and even then, some strange form of mysticism that had wrapped around you like a cloak and made you seem, even back then, like a being not from this world, a being that none of the other students could even dare to touch, let alone understand.

If Lily Evans had once been his anchor to a kinder and brighter world, one that Severus had too quickly lost hold of in his shame at the constant humiliation he faced at Hogwarts, combined with his deep desire to impress her by fulfilling his more ambitious instincts and joining the Death Eaters, you were the exact opposite of Lily to him – not some anchor to a brighter world; rather, a loner just like him, awkward and incapable of small talk, someone floating and uncertain, clearly not destined for greatness in the world, and yet, highly ambitious in your own way, someone who understood that deep, haunting thirst to prove yourself to the rest of the world that constantly doubted you, and had felt the unbearable pain of having that very ambition become the thing that reared up and bit you, betrayed you, right when you needed it most. Ambition, Severus decided, was a double-headed snake, and both of you had fallen prey to your own dreams.

While Severus did not trust you whatsoever, with your strange fox ears and even stranger personality, it was that aspect of shared experience, of trying and being betrayed and hurting, all in the pursuit of one glorious dream, that allowed Severus to feel the slightest bit of sympathy for you. But Severus Snape, like Tristan Graves, like you, failed to understand how clever the Nine-Tailed Fox was, and neither you nor he could even come close to imagining just how perfectly the Fox would use that tiny bit of shared experience to bind the two of you together over the next twelve years.  

Tagged Users: @areomalfoy

[foodieforthoughts]

I Would Do It Again - Two

Summary: Anya Adams, a troubled soul but fierce on the outside, stumbles over a stranger at a party and ends up sharing more than just her name. She’s in for a whirlwind encounter when he turns out to be her boss. Striking up a deal for pleasure, Anya soon finds herself mixing work and play. For someone who swore off love, would she let the handsome Brit break down her walls?

Pairing: AU Henry Cavill x OFC

Words: 3k

Warnings: 18+, smut, romance, minor age gap, fluff

A/N: Part two of my AU Henry series. Expect a lot of smut in the coming chapters! And also thank you to everyone who read part one. Unbeta-ed so please ignore my mistakes. ♥️

Divider by @firefly-graphics

| One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve |

Title: Two

I was running late. I was hot and sweaty and super late for work.

“Hold it,” I shouted out and jutted my bag in between the closing elevator doors. I heard groans and other protests from the occupants as I slid inside the packed metal box. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I repeatedly apologized to the occupants of the small, enclosed space. I smiled weakly at the grumpy lady rolling her eyes at me, but she stepped back to give me some room. I clutched my bag to my chest while the doors closed in front of me.

I had never been so late for work before. The time on my watch showed half past nine which meant my boss was already at her table and tapping her foot while keeping an eye on the entrance to her office.

I always had debated going to parties on a Sunday as it messed up my schedule for the work week ahead. But my persistent and horny little brain had coaxed me into going to the party. The gin and tonic had hit me amazingly later in the night and although the party had been a snooze fest most of the evening, it had ended eventfully, with me having the most groundbreaking, earth shattering sex I had ever had.

I bit my lip as the occurrences from the night before replayed in my mind. I bent down over the hard wood table and hoisted up my ass as sexily as I could. I could feel the excitement pooling in my center again as he positioned himself behind me. My toes curled inside my black pumps as images flashed in my mind. I could almost smell his musky cologne…

The elevator doors opened, and people walked past me at their floor to get to work. I absentmindedly looked up at the floor indicator, still dazed by the memories of being ravished by my stranger. By the time I reached our office floor, I was the only one getting out of it.

For half past nine, our office space was abuzz with hushed voices, people standing in groups and discussing things. I hurried towards my desk, absolutely clueless as to what was happening. Monday mornings at the office was usually sleep-laden people with their sixth cup of coffee silently typing away at their desktops. My heels clicked audibly on the white marbled floor. It was a bright, beautiful Monday morning as the big floor-to-ceiling windows poured sunlight inside. I instantly noticed the golden bunch of blonde hair belonging to Stephanie standing near my desk, a hand aping her waist and her foot tapping on the floor.

“Where the hell were you?” Her voice went a pitch higher. As much as I loved my boss, Stephanie was a big mother bear who worried about everyone.

“I’m sorry,” My steps quickened and I hurried to my desk and placed my bag on it. “I have no excuse for being late. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head at me. Having been working under her for three years, I knew her expressions like the back of my hand. She was like the most lenient but equally hard-working boss I had ever encountered. With only a couple of years of difference in our ages, she was more of like an elder sister to me.

I pulled out the manila folder from my bag with papers that she needed. “What’s all the fuss about? It doesn’t seem like a bland Monday morning to me.”

“Oh, you didn’t hear. We are getting a new CFO today.” The nonchalance in her voice was hilarious as she only shrugged her shoulder and went through the papers.

“About time, isn’t it? Darren has been dead for a whole week.” The unmistakable voice of one Mr. Matthew McCarthy, a.k.a Macky, expressed from behind me. I turned around slightly to look at the smug expression on the cheeky, black haired man with a cup of coffee in his hand-which said, ‘I love ME!’ I always thought nothing described Macky better than that cup.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Could you be anymore disrespectful?” He stood next to me, his shoulder brushing mine, with the citrus smell of his deodorant that I so gladly described as repurposed toilet freshener.

I had to look up to him as he chuckled with the cup near his lips. “I am glad I wouldn’t have to be sitting here, pulling late night shifts to get the work done of my dead boss. I can finally dump it on the new guy.”

Stephanie scoffed. “Isn’t that our job as Executive Assistants to look after our bosses work when they are not able to?”

I was aware of bad blood between the two of them. Stephanie and Macky were in the same class at NYU while studying for their MBA degree. Both of them were qualified execs and good in their own field. Matthew had come first in their class with only a point gap of one. Stephanie had not taken a liking to him ever since. As an assistant to Stephanie, I was not to be made a part of their early morning banter. So, I gently slipped past the two and sat in my desk, ready to take on my day of work.

“Where’s our she-devil? She had texted me she is in the office.” Stephanie was referring to our boss, Johanna Washington, who also happened to be our company’s CMO and a tight ass fit into one human being.

“She was cozying up to my boss.”

“That woman! I hope she’ll keep it in her pants with this one. I heard Mr. Cavill is quite a looker.” Stephanie wriggled her eyebrows at me. This blondie was married but she also gossiped like her life depended on it.

I was curious about our new boss too. My interactions with the last CFO was not pleasant. He was cranky and a male chauvinist with tolerance level of a two-year-old baby. I would always make a point to avoid him at meetings and beg Stephanie to not send me alone in his office. The man had passed away because of a heart attack and despite what everyone said, I knew each one of us had silently thanked the lord for his departure. May his soul rest in peace.

“Kundra is coming down from his office to grace us mere mortals.” Macky leaned his body against the wall. “Cavill and he are buddies from college.”

“Wow, must be another chauvinistic asshole I guess.” I shrugged. “Can I carry a cup of coffee with me? Because I really need the caffeine.” I yawned and stretched my arms in front of me.

“Come on guys,” someone called out to us and hurried towards the foyer we had inside the office. We usually used the space for announcements of some impromptu moral boost speeches by Kundra.

I waved at them to go on without me while I made my way to the break room. I yawned again as the coffee brewed. When I stretched a little, my thighs hurt with the movement. The pain, once again, brought back memories from last night. He had been so rough and hard with me. We had stumbled through his apartment and to his bedroom while dragging our hands all over each other’s bodies. I could smell him still on me even after the cold shower I had taken in the morning.

When I got to the foyer, people had circled around with Kundra’s gruff and loud voice talking about team work and dedication. I craned my neck to spot Stephanie or Matthew but neither of them were visible from where I was standing. This bulky, bald headed attendant was blocking my way.

I decided to go up to the group of women who were whispering amongst themselves. I hadn’t interacted with them properly besides a few courtesy ‘hello’s’ exchanged, they seemed to be going red right now. I scrunched my face with an odd thought of them fawning over Kundra. He was a fairly good-looking Indian guy, but I didn’t think he was as good as to be frothing over for. Well, people had their preferences and so I shrugged my shoulder and stood behind them.

I was still dazed from the sleepless night before, but my mind was suddenly on alert when a familiar voice introduced themselves. I moved closer to the gap between the ladies and nearly spat out my coffee when I saw him.

Dressed in a sharp grey suit and complimenting blue shirt pressed to perfection, the man from last night stood with the executives. His voice, heavy and smooth, was articulate with his words. I watched as his lips, the same ones that had kissed my body all over, moved with each word. His demeanor seemed so different; last night he was raw and overpowering but right now he was calm and collected, authoritarian even.

When Henry cracked a joke with everyone laughing along, the woman in front of me moved her arm in an exaggerated show of emotion. It all happened in mere seconds; her arm moved with her back flexing behind and bumping so hard against me that my coffee mug tipped backwards, and hot liquid splattered all over my front.

“Oh, fuck,” the words were out my mouth before I could think about the volume and the intensity of my cussing. I pulled my shirt away from me as the steaming hot coffee drenched the fabric, burning my skin with it.

When I looked up, the scorching skin was not the only thing that was turning red. The commotion and the splattered coffee had pushed everyone away from me. Everyone, I mean everyone, was looking at me with open mouth and wide eyes, making my whole body heat up. It was beyond embarrassing because the vibrant blue eyes of certain someone was also blown wide and lips parted with acknowledgment all over his face.

“Hey, come on,” Steph appeared next to me with her hands on each of my shoulder. She pulled me out of the gawking and giggling crowd towards the bathroom. The drenched shirt was currently the least of my problems. If I had been wild and adventurous the night before, I sure did look stupid in front of him now.

***

“This is typical of me, isn’t it?” I groaned as the fabric of my shirt stuck to my skin. The liquid had cooled down but now it was cold and uncomfortable. To add to my misery, I had decided to wear a hot pink bra under my salmon coloured shirt. With the shirt being almost translucent now, the color of my bra stood out like my erect nipples were, as the air-con threw chilly air inside the bathrooms.

“Maybe we can just cover it?” Steph had been immensely helpful. She had pulled me towards the restrooms and dabbed at the stain with tissue papers with me. Even now, she offered a solution weakly. “I might have a scarf in my office.”

I tried to dab at the front of my shirt again. Why did it have to be Henry of all people? Why in the whole world I had decided to sleep with him? Why had that stupid bimbo decided to fling her hands and laugh like a maniac at his joke? Why?!

Steph calmly stood leaning on the sink as I went over my dilemma. The shirt was effectively ruined, my bra might be too. My cheeks still felt warm and flushed with the social embarrassment; a blush was hardly that visible under my tanned skin. A pile of tissues lay inside the trash can and a weird commercially produced rose scent lingered in the air as if the janitors had decided to try out a new cleaning product. With all the chaos in and around me, my mind kept drifting back to Henry and his steely eyes with his mouth open in surprise.

“Maybe I should let my hair down,” I thought out loud. I had it in a bun right now but at least I would be able to hide the stain till we reached Stephanie’s office for the scarf. I had made a spectacle out of myself anyway, might as well become a little more unprofessional.

I let my curls lose, dark hair swaying as they came cascading down my shoulders, free from the hair tie. I felt a little relieved with the loss of tension at my scalp but frowned again when the better part of the coffee stain splayed across my chest was still visible.

“That will have to do for now.” Steph announced, flinging the door open and walking out. I followed her out like a lost puppy to snatch the scarf as soon I reached her office.

***

I had never in a million years would have thought that hiding behind my computer screen would have been my safest place. Steph’s abstract printed black and white scarf was securely placed around my neck, hiding the debacle amazingly. There were a few stares thrown at me with snickers that followed after, but they were the least of my predicaments.

Kundra was showing Henry around the office to get him acquainted to the place. The ease with which they spoke to each other seemed like they were already on an informal level of comfort. They laughed and tapped at their shoulders like old buddies which made me nervous. If Henry were friends with Kundra he could, if he wanted to, ruin my career.

And so, I hid.

Every time they walked past my table, I stared at my computer so hard, I was afraid the screen might crack under the intensity. I had caught the familiar assaulting fragrance of his cologne when he walked by. Lucky for the men from my department, and unlucky for me right now, our area came along the way to the lavatories. Which meant every time Henry decided to take a pee break, he would past by me.

I was aware he had glanced my way. I could see his body turn slightly from the corner of my eyes. But I was more embarrassed than afraid to confront him. My personal life was sacred to me. I had no intentions to mingle work and play. I prayed that he respected my distance and treated me like a stranger.

The biggest trial for my mental strength was tested when I stood with a crowd of men and women from our office for the elevator. I was usually to leave after the crowd had dispersed. But today I wanted to depart as soon as the clock struck five. I had made so many mistakes in a matter of twenty-four hours, this was just another that I was going to add to the list.

When a group of individuals cramped themselves in the elevator and left for their destination, it was I who was standing in front of the line. More people began to crowd around me, but my body visibly tensed when Henry’s tall frame came to stand behind me. The air from my lungs seemed like it had been squeezed out. I was taking labored breaths with the minimum amount of sound leaving my nostrils. I wanted to blend into a wall right now.

I did not mean to come out rude or like the sex had been bad. No, the sex wasn’t bad at all. If anything, it had been phenomenal. But the fact that my late-night shenanigan from yesterday was standing so close to me with a decorum to be followed in the office, it was throwing me off the ledge.

When the next elevator came up to our floor, I stood at the back with my body turned to the side. It wasn’t an invitation for anyone to squeeze next to me, but Henry chose to. He slid past people in the front, to stand at the back, not next to me, but behind me.

My heart was raging against my chest. I could feel the tautness of his body even with space between us. His scent was now engulfing me even with all the other human beings cramped in that tiny space. His body felt warm and I was aware of his bag touching mine’s and bumping against it slightly.

When the elevator stopped few floors down, more office goers stepped in. Now I was pushed back and flush against his chest. My butt rested against his pelvis and rubbed at his groin. My eyes widened at the touch, warmth spreading over my cheeks when he drew in a sharp breath.

He had me against his body the same way last night. He had bent me over his bed and rammed inside me from behind. I wondered for a fleeting moment if he thought about it too. It was erotic and pathetic at the same time. He was my boss and he might not even want to address our ‘situation’ now. But the feeling of his body, his warmth caressing my back so sweetly, was difficult to ignore.

I watched as we crossed the floors, hoping and praying we did not halt at any more stops. Because if I were to be pushed any further, I would be squashed against him and possibly also wet, too far gone to come back. I could already feel a slight dampness beginning to form down in between my thighs.

When we reached the ground floor, I clutched my bag against my chest and hurried out. I hadn’t even realized I had been holding my breath. My heartbeat resonated in my ears and the warmth had spread down to my chest. I walked out the building into the curb and only then did I breathe in the city smell of Downtown Manhattan. I had never been so relieved to be on the street as I was now.

Without a glance behind me, I walked down the road towards the subway. I was now wet, hot and bothered, but I could have sworn I heard him call out my name.

[zaffrenotes]

[TRR: WD106] Avoiding A Blunder

Summary: Prince Liam has to fill in for Crown Prince Leo, and Murphy’s Law is put into motion at the end of his trip. Chaos ensues, condensed Wacky Drabble style. Fic Rating/Warning: M; alcohol consumption, minor health/medical emergency, anxiety/angst Author’s Note: All main characters belong to Pixelberry/The Royal Romance, I’m just borrowing them * Fictional versions of IRL individuals are included with affection; any other characters mentioned in this piece are my creation * This is my submission for @wackydrabbles Prompt 106: You’re gonna get us busted! * You have @the-soot-sprite and @ao719 to thank for this ridiculousness, lol - Soot reblogged a photo, Betsy sent me this request

and...this is what my brain came up with (PS - thank you both for the movie discussion) * For the purposes of this story, Triydalia is a fictional country that shares a border with Thailand * Word Count: 1999 😅 (7 minutes reading time)

Taglist (if your name is crossed out, I'll tag you in the comments): @/ao719 @burnsoslow @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @ofpixelsandscribbles @rainbowsinthestorm @superharriet @/the-soot-sprite @choiceskatie @jaqren @aestheticartsx @bbrandy2002 @dcbbw @gnatbrain @jared2612 @kingliam2019 @ladyangel70 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @princessleac1 @queenjilian @sfb123 @texaskitten30 @theroyalheirshadowhunter @yourmajesty09

Liam was used to filling in for Leo at a moment’s notice; participating in conference calls with ambassadors for early morning updates when Leo overslept, and attending meetings with ministers when Leo went AWOL. He’d grown accustomed to his brother’s antics, but he wondered how Bastien managed to keep his position, when he’d lost track of Leo’s whereabouts countless times.

While Leo spent more time avoiding his duties as Crown Prince of Cordonia, Liam dutifully took on the extra responsibilities in stride. It often meant partitioning his already packed schedule to sit in on vital cabinet meetings or dining with visiting dignitaries, but sometimes Leo’s vanishing acts gave Liam the opportunity to travel.

Though their ambassadors handled the majority of day-to-day relations with other countries for trade, Constantine preferred to meet face-to-face when he could. One such time, a lingering cough turned to walking pneumonia, restricting Constantine to as much bed rest as possible. It also meant sending Leo to Japan for a meeting with the Prime Minister in his stead.

It would have been fine, if Leo hadn’t pulled another one of his disappearing acts.

--

A week later, Liam was seated on the royal jet on his way back from Tokyo, navy attache with espresso brown leather trim in the chair next to him. Across from him, Maxwell chatted with Anya over various Thai dishes. On the other side of the plane, Drake was in a heated discussion with leggy blonde Anitah while the ladies’ petite friend Donna observed in silence, fighting back a grin. “You’re an imbecile if that’s your opinion,” Anitah declared, raising her hands up in the air. “Are you sure that’s the hill you wanna die on?”

Drake smugly sipped from the crystal tumbler in his hand. “I’m right and you know it.”

“What are you two talking about?” Liam asked, relieved to think about anything other than what was in the bag and why it was so important he hand deliver it to his father.

“Fight Club being a better cinematic masterpiece than The Princess Bride,” Drake replied. “You guys agree, right? If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, you’d want to watch Tyler Durden fight the system instead of some…” he paused to sneer at Anitah, who crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at him, “...story about a swashbuckler rescuing a princess? She’s not even a real princess!”

“Fight Club is such a guy movie though,” Anya argued, turning in her seat to face Drake. “Princess Bride appeals to men and women, with a much larger audience.”

“Okay, that’s two for Buttercup,” Drake sighed. “Maxwell? Li?” He looked at his friends expectantly.

“Fight Club, definitely,” Maxwell said, nodding his head. He’d spent the better part of the trip doing everything to get into Drake’s good graces after the octopus incident on the first night in Tokyo.

Before Liam could respond, a commotion from the front of the plane made everyone’s heads turn, where a pair of Kings Guards and two flight attendants were seated near the galley. One of the guards slipped into the cockpit, rushing out a moment later in Liam’s direction, as the jet slowly tilted to the right. “Apologies, Your Highness. Do you or any of your guests happen to speak Triydalian?”

Anya slowly raised her hand. “I knew a bit when I was a kid, but I haven’t used it in years.”

The guard motioned for her to join him. “Please come with us, miss. The pilots need a translator.”

“Is everything alright, Remy?” Liam peered past the guard, eyes widening at the sight of the other guard and one attendant hovering in front of the other attendant in a chair.

“We need to land the plane, Sir,” Remy answered, ushering Anya up from her seat. “Ramona passed out. She’s breathing but unresponsive.”

--

Twenty minutes later and after a jarring landing, they’d arrived at a small airport in the Republic of Triydalia, at the edge of one of the country’s many jungle forests. Calling it an airport was generous - it was more of a cleared dirt path in the middle of the jungle with a shack for an airport tower, and a man that looked like more of a hunter than an air traffic controller. After a choppy conversation that required pantomiming and hand signals, Anya left with Remy and the man from the tower to fetch a tribal doctor, while Anitah and Donna assisted the other member of the cabin crew to look after Ramona. They were warned to remain as quiet as possible and to stay inside the jet.

Minutes passed by in tense observation; Anitah and Drake continued their debate in low whispers, growing louder as they defended their choices. Liam could see the pilots discussing something pointedly as they checked readings on the instrument panel and worked on calculations. One of them stepped out, claiming that he needed to stretch his legs, and walked cautiously down the runway. When he returned, the other pilot joined him outside, despite the original warning to stay inside. Liam peered out the windows and checked his watch, worrying about Anya and Remy, along with his father’s instructions to avoid delaying their return.

While the remaining guard headed towards the back of the plane to pace back and forth for the eighth time, Liam took it upon himself to speak with the pilots. The air was thick and stifling the moment he stepped outside. Around them, there was nothing but green, green, and more green from the wilderness that surrounded them, abuzz with tropical birds and insects. At his side he carried the blue attache, remembering the promise to his father that the bag wouldn’t leave his sight. He spoke in a hushed tone when he approached the pilots. “You’re doing more than just stretching your legs, aren’t you, Captain?”

Both men grimaced slightly. “Yes, Your Highness. Even if we pulled back to one end of the runway, we’re still at least five hundred feet short of clearing takeoff.”

“What if we worked to try and clear the brush on either end?” Liam offered, looking off into the distance.

“There’s no way to clear out the trees, even the young ones,” the co-captain answered. “We might be able to take off if we could drop some weight, but the larger concern is the longer we wait, we increase the risk of encountering someone who doesn’t want us here.”

Liam nodded gravely; months of civil unrest in Triydalia meant rebel groups assembled faster than the government could contain them. There was no guarantee of anyone’s safety, stranded on a remote runway. There was no telling what was wrong with Ramona while she was unconscious, and therefore no way to treat her without the aid of a doctor. Ensuring the safety of the crew and his friends could have been avoided altogether if Leo didn’t constantly opt out of handling the duties of his station. In that moment, Liam abhorred the never-ending list of responsibilities thrust at him as a result of having to pick up the slack for his brother, knowing if their roles were reversed, Leo would manage to find a way to leave Liam to solve problems on his own.

“Could you excuse me for a moment?”

He’d barely finished asking the question before walking into the tall grass by the edge of the runway. Ignoring the pilots’ calls to return, Liam sprinted into the dense greenery, dodging between vines and scanning the ground for tripwires until he could no longer see the plane over his shoulder. When he finally stopped running, he bent over, hands on his knees as he gulped in air. Liam looked down at the blue bag in his hand, wondering what on earth was so precious to reduce him to a courier.

Shaking the bag did nothing; it felt practically empty, though he could tell something was inside. He couldn’t open the bag to check, since Prime Minister Abe and his father were the only ones with keys, and PM Abe handed him the sealed bag when they parted ways. Liam wanted to throw the infernal “murse” the ladies had good-naturedly teased him for into the bushes. Perspiration dotted his hairline, and he let out a primal scream, before taking slow, deep breaths to quiet the worrisome thoughts racing in his head and bring his heartbeat down to normal.

Cursed courier bag in his right hand, Liam braced his arm against his torso, pinning it in place with his elbow when he bent his other arm up towards his face. Curling his fingers into a relaxed fist, he pressed his lips against his thumb, thick brows furrowing in thought. All around him, wild birds called to one another amidst the chittering clamor of insects hidden in the foliage. He was so busy running through scenarios in his head that he didn’t hear the quiet click of a camera, turning to look up only when he heard a branch snap in the distance.

“Watch it! You’re gonna get us busted!” Donna hissed to Drake. She pocketed her phone, elbowing Drake in the ribs as they crouched behind large leaves. She ticked her head in Liam’s direction. “Go get your boy, none of us are safe out here.”

After some coaxing, Liam headed back to the plane with Donna and Drake, walking briskly through the jungle, eyes trained to look for anything out of the ordinary. Liam was alarmed when he heard and then saw the engines running, until Drake explained the pilots were burning off fuel to lighten the plane. They’d begun to walk up the steps, when Maxwell popped out above them. “Whoo!” Maxwell exclaimed, digging for another snack from the container he cradled in his arm. “Feels like a sauna out here!”

“Lower your voice, Maxwell! Please!” Liam seethed. His features pinched together in disbelief. “Are you...eating? Now?”

“You know I stress snack,” Maxwell replied, shrugging his shoulders. He shoved another cookie into his mouth.

Liam’s eyes lit up and he took the stairs two by two, knocking on the cockpit door before swinging it open. “What if we unloaded whatever’s not bolted down? The decor, dinnerware, the food and drink?”

“That...would certainly help,” the captain replied, looking back over his shoulder. He turned to his co-pilot. “It could be enough to get in the air after burning off the excess fuel.”

“You heard the man, Maxwell,” Liam said, offering his friend a nervous grin. “Get Drake to help you start unloading the plane. Has Ramona’s status changed?”

“Donna found the first aid kit just before she took off with Drake to go after you. Anitah found some smelling salts that gave her a rude wakeup call. Turns out her insulin pump shorted and she just needed some juice.”

Several more minutes passed as the group removed whatever they could from the plane, leaving piles of cookware, food, throw pillows, and even seat cushions to lighten the load. Drake whined when they gathered up the liquor, but he stuffed a bottle of whiskey in a cabinet by his seat. They’d nearly finished when Anya and Remy returned, running on foot. “That thing better be ready to take off!” Anya hollered, motioning for everyone to board. “Rebels on our tail! Time to go!”

Everyone scrambled back onto the plane; Liam relayed the urgency to depart to the pilots, who rapidly went through their flight checklist. Remy pulled Anya up onto the steps and they all clamored to buckle into their seats, the sound of gunfire in the air as the jet rolled forward and lurched up into the air, barely clearing the canopy.

Adrenaline pumping and breaths shallow, Liam looked around at his friends and the crew, thankful they were safely in the air again.

--

Liam thought he was having a stroke at twenty-four when he saw the contents of the bag. Constantine smiled with glee at the small gold cat, one paw raised.

[my-unmanageable-mischief]

The Yule Ball

For the Anon who requested : I think Harry being a love-sick puppy is the best concept™️!!!! I wanted to ask maybe you could do a similar one with a hufflepuff reader?? 👉👈 like she is also popular and outgoing and all that jazz, and Harry is just a shy and awkward bean :,)

Harry Potter x Reader

Hogwarts was abuzz with excitement. The Yule Ball was quickly approaching and everyone was busy getting dates and dresses and making plans. And Harry was miserable- he hadn’t asked anyone yet and he was beginning to worry everyone was taken. 

“Why don’t you ask Y/N, Harry?” Hermione prodded gently one evening as he sulked by the fire, “I heard she hasn’t said yes to anyone yet, and you’ve liked her for years. Now is your chance.” Harry snorted at the thought. 

“If she’s said no to everyone else, what makes you think she would possibly say yes to me?” He asked and Hermione smiled at him kindly. 

“You won’t know unless you ask.” Hermione was right, he wouldn’t know unless he asked, and he had no intentions of asking you and embarrassing himself. You were so pretty and popular and fun to be around, and besides being the stupid boy who lived, he was a bore. A snooze fest. You would probably laugh in his face if you weren’t so kind. But being let down gently was probably even harder. 

The next morning the trio had Care of Magical Creatures with Hufflepuff, and Hermione got there early, sitting near your friend group instead of their usual spot. Harry flushed immediately, watching Hermione as she made pleasant conversation with you, you glanced over your shoulder at him and he stopped walking-causing Ron to bump into him. 

“Oi, mate, go!” Ron shoved him slightly and Harry stumbled towards your group, blushing furiously. You smiled at him, offering up a small wave. He tried to smile back but it came out a grimace and you frowned. Nice one, Harry. He came up to the table finally, mostly by Ron’s guidance and he sat down across from you. 

“Hello Harry, Ron,” You greeted politely and he nodded his head once too many times.

“H-Hello, Y/N.” 

“Hermione said you were struggling with your Fire Crab?” She asked and Harry shot Hermione a look before glancing back at you, then to his lap. 

“A bit,” He admitted slowly.

“Sit by us, you’ll be fine.” You promised with another award winning smile. He merely nodded again, fidgeting in his seat. Class went by smoothly. Harry rarely talked to you, but you caught him looking at you a few times. When Hagrid announced class was over Hermione stood quickly, grabbing Ron with her. 

“Y/N, Harry had something he wanted to talk to you about,” She announced before dragging Ron off, Harry gaped at them as they retreated. Traitors! Harry looked at you like a deer in headlights as you told your friends you’d catch up with them later. Once you were alone you smiled up at him curiously. 

“What’s up, Harry?” You asked and he stuttered, unable to meet your eye. 

“I-I just, it’s nothing. I don’t know why Hermione said that.” He lied lamely and you nodded your head, holding your books to your chest as you began to walk slowly back towards the castle. 

“If you’re sure?” You asked and he blushed again, looking at his shoes as you walked. He wanted to be confident enough to sweep you off your feet, but anytime he was near you he became a nervous wreck. 

“Do you-I mean, are you going to the Yule Ball?” He asked, still not looking at you.

“I think so, I was planning on it at least.”

“With someone?” He asked, stealing a glance, and you gave him an encouraging but small smile. 

“No one yet,” You admitted softly and Harry tried to muster up all his courage within him. 

“Would you like to go with me?” 

“Sure,” 

“You don’t have to say yes, I understand if there’s someone you’d rather go with,”

“Sure, Harry.” 

“And we’d have to dance, since I’m a champion, which is embarrassing, so I get if you don’t want to do that-”

“Harry!” You laughed, cutting him off, he looked at you with slightly wide eyes. “I already said yes.”

“What?”

“Twice. Sure I will go with you.” 

“Oh.” It dawned on him, you had said yes. “Oh, um, good, brilliant. Yes.” You giggled softly, tossing your hair over your shoulder with a smile. 

“Brilliant,” You reached the castle and Harry stopped walking, you stopped with him. 

“I will see you later then?” He asked hesitantly, and you nodded up at him. 

“Sounds good to me.” 

A few weeks later Harry stood by the base of the steps near the Great Hall fidgeting nervously. He wanted to turn and run all the way back up to Gryffindor tower at the idea of spending the evening with you. He was going to make a fool of himself. But the idea of you getting stood up kept him rooted to the spot. 

“Harry?” He heard you ask and he looked up, eyes big. 

“Y/N- you-you look...” He trailed off at a loss for words. You looked like everything he dreamed you would. Your hair was in a loose updo with some coming down to frame your face delicately. Your dress was a beautiful muted shade that complimented your skin brilliantly but wasn’t overpowering like some of the other dresses he had seen. You were slightly taller than usual, and he realized you were wearing heels as well. And your makeup was light, just enough to accent your own flawless beauty. You smiled at him, doing a small twirl. 

“Good I hope?” 

“Yes, yes, wonderful. Really really wonderful.” 

“Thank you,” He stood there awkwardly for a moment before starting as he remembered himself and his current situation; so he offered you his arm. You took it, allowing him to lead you into the decorated Hall. 

“Harry! There you are,” McGonagall approached you both, “They’re about to start the dance, go,” She shooed you both off to where the rest of the champions and their dates were waiting. 

“I’m-I’m sorry, we have to do this. It’s embarrassing.” Harry whispered to you and you smiled shrugging your bare shoulders. 

“It’s alright, It’ll be fun.” 

“I’m a rubbish dancer,” You chuckled, glancing up at him, trying to get him to look at you. When he didn’t you nudged him, causing him to look.

“Me too, so we must make it fun, or it will be embarrassing.” Harry smiled softly at your words and nodded, jumping slightly when the music started. You put a hand on his shoulder and took one of his hands. He hesitated before placing his hand gently on your waist. He was right, he was a rubbish dancer, so you tried to get him to at least have fun with it, twirling you when you didn’t need to be twirled, twirling him back with a laugh as he blushed darkly. Other students eventually joined in and your spotlight dimmed, you were no longer the center of attention. Harry tried to let go of you, to go sit, but you tightened your grip on him. 

“We’re not going anywhere until I see you have fun,” You ordered sweetly. Pulling him slightly closer. You danced for a few more songs, Harry slowly warming up, smiling a few times even. After the forth song ended he removed his hand from your waist, keeping your other set of hands clasped. 

“Let’s get a drink, and sit for a mo?” He asked hopefully and you smiled nodding. Harry guided you to your table before going to fetch you each a butterbeer, returning and handing you your drink before sitting down beside you. “Are you having a nice time?” He asked hopefully and you nodded eagerly, taking a sip before turning to look at him. 

“A wonderful time, Harry.” You paused, “I’m glad you asked me to come.” You admitted and he blushed again, taking a sip of his own beverage. 

“I’m really very glad I asked you too, Y/N.”

[thinkingimmensely]

Like An Open Book XI

Part 1 | Part 10

A/N: Hi! How’s everyone been doing? I think this chapter’s kind of long, not sure if it’s longer than the last one though. Also, I’ve been working on a James Potter x Reader oneshot that’s already over 4k words HAHAHA, I’m nearly done with it (I think), so that’s one thing to look forward to~! uwu

IDK if it’s just me or is tumblr messing up the tags thingy? Because I can’t seem to tag some people. But anyway, if I’m missing anyone or if you want to be added to the taglist, please dm me or comment down below or even send me an ask so I can include you! <3

MASTERLIST

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from the Potterverse!

___________________

He couldn’t meet your eyes. James Potter had been avoiding you and you were devastated. You were proud of yourself at how well you hid your inner turmoil since no one said anything, until Remus and you were sitting alone outside in the lawn that is.  

You sat beneath a tree, shielding yourself from the afternoon sun. The others were busy in a competition on who could throw the gnomes the farthest. Though however tempting it was to join in, you settled for relaxing since you didn’t want to soil James’ good mood. Remus, wanting to get some reading done, opted to join you.  

“I’m going home tomorrow.” You told him.  

Remus looked at you in surprise, as if you just dropped a bomb. “What?” He closed his book and set it aside, “Why? We’re supposed to spend two weeks here. We have a week left.”

You pulled your legs up to your chest and hugged yourself, “I just... I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.” You shrugged; you tried to act nonchalant about it but you knew he could very well see your anxiety behind your orbs.  

Remus furrowed his brows, “Why would you ever think that? Y/N, everyone wants you to be here.”

You shook your head, “I don’t think James does.” You mumbled, you didn’t want to but tears still prickled at the edges of your orbs. Remus heard you all the same. “He knows, Rem. He knows and now he can’t even look at me.” Going home to the family who all but ignored you was better than being rejected by the person who used to welcome you with open arms. “It’s been two days and he all but flees whenever I enter the same room as him. He can’t stand it, and I won’t force him to.”

“I’ll go talk to him.” Remus was about to stand up but you grabbed his arm and held him down.  

“It’s okay.” You told him, giving off a sad smile.  Remus looked conflicted but settled down nonetheless. He held your hand fondly and gave it a squeeze in reassurance, which you were grateful for. He let out a deep sigh and opened his book again.

-

You set down your quill as you folded the piece of parchment and packed it inside an envelope. You sealed it with melted wax and a stamp and handed it to the white barn-owl that perched itself on your windowsill. It was a reply to the Dumbledore’s letter to you; you had written to him immediately after returning to the Potter’s residence two days ago, your hands clammy with nerves, and your ears ringing from everything. You opened his reply once again.

Dear Miss Y/L/N,  

It is a surprise to hear of your connection to the recent incident, and I must commend how you and the others fought off the Death Eaters and helped the Aurors, though extremely reckless it was. I believe Voldemort already knows of your identity and would be ever pursuant of his current interest in you. He will try to get you to join him again, and you must stay vigilant. He will not do anything as long as you remain a student of Hogwarts, but I believe it best to relocate your family soon, in case he catches winds about your residence. If you decide to do so, I will, of course, send help.  

Take care,

Albus Dumbledore

You rubbed your forehead as you read the letter again, chastising yourself for being so stupid. Dumbledore was right, Voldemort had enough connections to easily know who you were, and you not only put yourself in danger, but now so is your family. They had to move, and you had to leave them to keep them safe. He won’t be able to do anything as long as you still went to Hogwarts, the notion was comforting yet ominous, because what would happen the moment you graduated?

The ministry was abuzz since ten muggles were murdered that night, and more people severely injured. The Muggle Prime Minister struggled to make believable alibis and he couldn’t give out an adequate one was it not for the help of the Minister of Magic. You tapped your fingers on the mahogany desk. You wondered if Severus was able to escape unscathed, but you shook your head at the thought; of course, he would go unscathed, he knew about the attack beforehand after all. You bit your lower lip; he had tried to protect you- you know that now. You may still be able to sway him away from the dark path he seemed all too eager to walk on.  

You packed what little you had and zipped your bag close. Now all that was left was to tell the others during dinner. You decided that saying that your mum wanted you home immediately because she heard what had happened at the concert and was concerned for your safety was a good enough excuse.  

A knock came from your door and before you could even walk towards it, it creaked open and James came in. He glanced at your packed bag on the bed and turned to look at you, his eyes wide in shock. He took two long strides towards you and pulled you into a hug. “I’m sorry.” His voice shook as he buried his face on the crook of your neck. His breath tickled but you were utterly confused to be focused on that right now.  

“I’m sorry.” He repeated. “I’ve been so stupid, and you didn’t deserve the way I avoided you. I don’t want you to leave, if I had my way, I’d want you to never leave.” He pulled away but still held you by the shoulders. His hazel eyes searched yours for something you didn’t know. “You see- what I’m trying to say is... is that I don’t care if you’re a Legilimens. I don’t care if you know every little thing about me, if you can read my mind this very instant, I don’t care. I will never turn my back on you again, never. I hold you too dearly.” You just noticed how his hands were shaking, you took them from your shoulders and held them.

“James, I-” You were about to say but someone cleared their throat by the doorway which made you all but drop his hands and your gaze immediately.  

“Uh- s-sorry to bother, b-but your mum wants to know what you want to have for di-dinner, Prongs.” Peter stammered. Sirius snickered from behind him while Remus tried to hold in his laughter as well.  

You flushed a deep shade of red as you turned away from them, hands on your warming cheeks. “Out! All of you!” James had snapped, and the boys went running away in snickers. You turned back to him and found him pretty much in the same state as you were in, flushed cheeks and all that.  

He cleared his throat, “So um, please don’t go home... yet...” He added the last word like an afterthought, as if realizing that, yes, you still have a family who might be wondering where you were if you wouldn’t return. You nodded and he grinned at you. “I’ll, um... see you at dinner then?”

“Uh-huh.” You sheepishly replied and he bit his lower lip then turned to go out, leaving the door open.  

-

“So Y/N, will you tell me what every girl at Hogwarts thinks about me next time?” Sirius grinned as all of you laid on top of the roof, watching the stars. It was a clear night, perfect for star gazing, and you took the opportunity to do so.  

You let out a dry laugh, “Of course not, Siri. What fun would that be for your conquests?” Sirius and Peter had learned of your ‘gift’ when they were busy eavesdropping earlier, and like Remus had done so long ago, the rest of the Marauders had sworn themselves to secrecy regarding your ability.  

Sirius chuckled, twirling his wand between his fingers, “Point taken.”

You stared at the twinkling stars that shone millions of miles away and listened to the voices of your friends. You wished time would stop in this moment. You wished all of you would stay like this forever... young and free; unbothered by the looming war that plagued your lives.  

You sat up as reality started sinking in. The screams of people dying too haunting to be forgotten, and the pale face of the Auror who only tried to protect you. You never even knew his name. You felt a warm jacket wrap around you, and you turned to see James beside you, a soft smile on his face.  

“Thank you.” You murmured. The others continued on their conversation while James adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose.  

“I remember it too.” He told you as he ruffled his hair. You cast him a questioning gaze, prompting him to elaborate; “The concert, I mean. Sometimes I still hear the screams and see the flashes of green when I close my eyes.”

You held his hand and gave it a small squeeze which made him smile. “I reckon the five of us will carry this memory for the rest of our lives.” You pointed out sadly.  

He nodded, “True. But I feel a little better knowing that you guys will be with me through it.” He told you and you could feel your heart move by the sincerity of his words that tears prickled at the corner of your eyes.

You wouldn’t be dealing with all these emotions alone, not anymore, and that very notion comforted you greatly. You scooted closer to James and leaned your head on his shoulder, and he instantly wrapped an arm around you.  You sighed in content, because at this very moment, all was well.   “That reminds me,” You started, “You never told me why you were avoiding me so adamantly.” You turned to look up at him, backtracking when he was already looking at you, your faces inches away from each other. You recoiled and he dropped his hand from your shoulder, a deep red penetrating his features.  

He cleared his throat, “I’ll tell you someday. Promise you won’t search for the answer yourself?” Tapping his head with his index finger.

You laughed, “I’ll try.”

The rest of the summer had passed by rather uneventfully as you returned home a couple days later. You had set up some enchantments on your home the moment you arrived with the help of Professor Flitwick, who arrived a few moments after you. He thought you the charms and reinforced them for better durability.  

Your mother had invited him for tea, but he politely refused, saying that he must visit other households and left in a hurry. Your family, except your youngest sister, looked at him rather curiously and you were glad they didn’t voice out their apparent discomfort. They had also watched you and your professor in awe from the living room window as you casted the spells.

Now you sat on a chair by the dinner table as your mother rubbed her temples and your step-father tried to take in everything you just said; you had explained to them why there was a need to enchant your home.

“So... you’re saying that... that a lunatic is out there causing havoc?” You step-father asked hesitantly.

“Well he’s not just any lunatic, he’s public enemy number one in our world.” You pointed out. “And he’s not just causing any havoc, he’s killing people. Muggles, non-wizard people.” You elaborated once more, “You guys are the very kind of people he’ll be after, and I’m only telling you all these because I want you guys to be safe.” The tea had long gone cold and a tense silence hung in the air. Your two siblings were sent to bed early for you guys to have this conversation, but you weren’t surprised to hear your stepsister eavesdropping at the top of the stairs.  

"Y/N, are you sure we’re safe here?” Your mother questioned, gathering her thoughts together. She, at least, understood the gravity of the situation. You knew she liked to read the Daily Prophet when you were done with it, and you were aware she didn’t skip the latest news about the Dark Wizard.

You frowned, letting out a deep sigh, “He wants me to join his cause.” You admitted, and the color of your mother’s face drained. You took her outstretched hand and gave it a squeeze, a gesture that brought tears to her eyes, it had been years since you initiated any sort of physical contact with her. “I won’t join him; I assure you that.” You swore. “Dumbledore is certain he won’t come looking for me until I graduate. By then I’ll be out of this house and the lot of you will be moving somewhere far from here.”

Realization dawned on their faces, “You’re leaving? Why? Wouldn’t it be safer if you went with us?”

You shook your head, choosing not to answer.

 I have gathered a group of people who are willing to oppose the Dark Lord himself and thwart his plans, Miss Y/L/N, and I am formally extending an invitation for you to be part of that said group. It will be dangerous and it will require courage, you will not only be part of the heart of the war, your life will be on the line and your skills will no doubt be put to the test time and time again. But this will all be for the greater good, so I prompt you to at least consider it.

“Y/N?”

Your thoughts broken, you looked at the both of them who shared a look of concern at your lack of reply. “It’ll be better this way. This will all be for the greater good.”  

You left the dinner table at that, and sought solace in your bedroom, glad that your step-sister had retreated to her own room just as you finished your conversation. You locked your door and got your potions textbook and cauldron out of your trunk. You searched the table of contents and smirked bitterly as you found the page you were looking for:

Chapter 16: Memory Potion . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

-

“Y/N!” Lily yelled as she run to you and wrapped her arms around you, “I missed you!” The two of you reunited at King’s Cross Station, the Hogwarts Express right in front of you, smoke bellowing, getting ready for the journey to Hogwarts. Chatter rang out the entire station as friends reunited after without seeing each other for the entire summer.  

You chortled and returned the hug, “It’s so good to see you again Lily.”  

“What, no hug for me?”  

The two of you broke the hug to look at the messy-haired boy smirk at the both of you. Lily rolled her emerald orbs heavenward, “Sod off, Potter.”

James chuckled at her, “Feisty as ever I see.” He then turned to you and smiled, “Y/N.”

You nodded at him, “James.” It has been three weeks since you last saw him and it feels like it’s been forever.

Lily eyed the both of you, her eyes wide as if formulating something. She instantly grabbed you and pulled you away as Sirius called out to the three of you, much to the confusion of the boys. “Did something happen between the both of you?” She interrogated.  

You furrowed your brows, “What?”

She giggled excitedly, “You and James I mean!” She whispered-yelled. “Is there something going on that I should know about?!”  

“Um, I don’t think so?” You denied, because really, there wasn’t, wasn’t there?  

She pulled you further away, “I saw the way you two looked at each other! If there’s something going on between the both of you, I’m all in for it!”

“Lily didn’t you call him an arrogant toerag before?” You raised a brow at her.

“Oh please, that was before we all got to become friends!” She turned to look at the boys, Remus and Peter had already arrived and the four of them were talking animatedly with each other as if they haven’t seen each other for years. “I’m just saying, I think the both of you make a fine pair now that I see you guys again. It’s like a spell had been cast during summer break that changed everyone’s demeanor.”

Ah that was right, Lily didn’t know what happened yet. You had avoided writing to her about what happened since you didn’t want to worry her, and also you didn’t want to relive the memories. Your expression may have changed since Lily went from excited to concerned in an instant, “What is it? What’s wrong?” She questioned.  

“I need to tell you something...” You trailed off but before you could go into your story-telling, the train chimed out. It was time to go.  

The boys headed your way, “Ladies,” James uttered and grabbed your trunk from your hands. You tried to get it back from him but it was futile, which only made Lily cast you another knowing smirk. You frowned at her in reply.

“We have to go to the Prefects compartment.” Lily informed you as she and Remus stopped midway.

“Oh, right. Sure.” You nodded, “I’ll talk to you later then?”  

The redhead smiled at you, “Of course.” They then walked off towards the other end of the train while you, Peter, Sirius, and James easily found an empty compartment and went inside. You stood by the doorway while the boys placed the trunks up, and entered when they were done.  

James took his seat beside you while Sirius and Peter sat on the opposite side. The train took off a few minutes later, and you leaned your head on the window glass, looking at the vast terrain. The boys chatted on, paying no heed to your lack of input to their conversation.  

The cart lady soon did her rounds around the train, and James and Peter got up to buy some sweets. Sirius nudged you with his foot and you shot him a look, “What?”

He chuckled, “Nothing. It’s just- you're real quiet today. Is everything all right?”

“Of course. I... I just have a lot on my mind right now.” You confessed.

Sirius gave you a sad smile. “Well, don’t get consumed by those thoughts. We’re here for you aright?” He pulled the sleeves of his sweater.  

“Sirius?”

“Hm?”

You folded your hands together in your laps, glancing outside where the others were still busy picking the sweets they want. “We both know you’re more troubled than I am. Do you want to talk about it?”

Sirius stopped pulling his sleeves instantly, “I almost forgot you’re a Legilimens.” He chortled lowly, but it held no actual mirth. “I was disowned, kicked out of the house- with all that burning of my picture in the family tree.” He shook his head as if he found it absolutely ridiculous, “I think Bella told them about our little encounter during the concert incident and that flipped them how I could stand against the Dark Lord himself and their cause. So now I live with James apparently. It’s fine though, if anything, I’m glad to be rid of all that pureblood supremacy nonsense.”

You frowned deeply; his pureblood fanatic family was not foreign to you. You knew, since before, that Sirius suffered immensely in his household, and it made your family life all the much better. “You’re worried about your brother?” You surmised.

He nodded slowly, “They’re poisoning his mind, they are. He’s my little brother and I couldn’t even protect him. I can’t stop him from walking down that path...”

Your heart ached from the familiarity, you leaned back on your seat, “Well... all we can do is not give up now.” You told him, and he understood. He understood that the both of you were in a similar boat, and that made him smile genuinely and nod. You were thankful about the fact that he didn’t even comment about how he knew you were talking about Severus. You knew they weren’t on the best terms but you were worried he might convince you to forget about that snake. That he wasn’t worth it.

James and Peter came back with their hands full with sweet treats and they set it down on the cushions. “Take anything you want.” James told you and you looked through the candies and chocolates. You took a cauldron cake, thanking him.  

Halfway before arriving to Hogwarts, you all started to change into your robes. You had to leave the compartment to change at the comfort room all the way down the train hallway while the boys had no trouble pulling their sweaters over their heads.  

“Wouldn’t mind if you changed here, Y/N.” Sirius wiggled his brows at you but yelped when James threw his robes at him.  

“Hi, Y/N.” A girl with ginger hair and warm brown eyes greeted you as you waited in line for your turn to change in the bathroom. “I’m Marlene McKinnon; we share the same dorm?” She introduced herself when you just stared at her.  

You shook your head, “Oh sorry, I know who you are, I’m just a little surprised is all. We’ve never really talked before.” She was nervous, she didn’t think she would ever get to talk to you as well.

She chuckled lightly, “We haven’t, haven’t we? I’m sorry about that; but I hope to rectify that, Lily’s friend is our friend of course.” She gestured to the person inside the room who just came out.  

“Oh, hi Y/N.” Mary Macdonald greeted, already in her robes, a kind smile on her face.  

“You can change first Y/N.” Marlene told you; you thanked her, not wanting to make it awkward.  

You closed the door behind you and discarded your sweater. You could faintly hear Marlene and Mary chatting in the other side of the door, it was a good thing they weren’t talking about you. Was it going to be like this from now on? You wondered. Were your housemates going to make pleasant conversation with you just because you were friends with Lily and the Marauders? Somehow the thought of not being ostracized by your own house anymore wasn’t so bad.  

You came out after changing and Marlene went in afterwards. You smiled at Mary, in which she returned the gesture and you made your way back to your compartment. You passed by a group of snickering students, and when you turned to glance, you frowned deeply as you took note of their green robes. It was Mulciber and his little gang; their compartment door was slightly open and they passed around the daily prophet. You squinted in disgust and continued on, missing the way Severus looked as you walked away from inside the compartment.

You dragged the door open and found your three friends tossing Fizzing Whizbees at each other and catching it with their mouths. “Does anyone have a copy of today’s Daily Prophet?” You questioned, interrupting their game as you took your seat beside James.  

“I might have one.” Peter replied, swallowing the candy, and got up the seats to reach for his trunk.  

“Did something happen?” James looked at you in question.

“I don’t know yet.” You answered. Peter fished out the newspaper from his trunk and threw it to you, which you expertly caught. You immediately skimmed through the headlines while the blonde boy closed his trunk and flopped down on his seat.  

Sirius and James huddled closer towards you to check the newspaper, and you arrived at the latest news about the Dark Lord. It said that there were three more attacks, all in different locations throughout the country. Your face paled at the list of casualties, the war wasn’t just starting, it was at its height already, you realized.  

The atmosphere in the compartment turned grim. Sirius took the newspaper from your hands and crumpled it up and threw it outside the window. “It’s nothing new. People die every day.” He shrugged then took a packet of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and ripped it open. “Here, Peter, I dare you to eat this.” He handed the boy an earth-colored bean.  

You sighed, all of you coped in a different way, you concluded. Though not particularly healthy, denial was one way to go about it. But you weren’t one to talk since the way you stressed about it all the time couldn’t be considered healthy as well.  

You felt eyes on you and you turned to see James looking at you. You cocked your head to your side in question and there was a waver in his gaze. He felt hurt; he wanted to know what you were thinking about and it pained him to see you build walls around yourself once more. You turned away from him, guilt creeping onto your conscience.  

___________________

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[demoneyesanddamagedsouls]

Sparring Partners

Chapter 3: Infiltrate The Enemy

A/N: Alright so this is Chapter 3 of this fic, I got a little carried away with this chapter that's why the word count is more than last time. We're starting to get into the thick of it now! I have a feeling that each chapter will probably get longer and longer as I go cause I'm just enjoying writing it so much. Feedback and comments as always are so welcome, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you’d like to be tagged for the upcoming chapters just let me know! xxx

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x F! Reader

I have also just created a playlist for ya’ll to listen to while reading. I hope it gets you even more invested! ✨COCKY COWBOY PLAYLIST✨

Summary: You and Agent Whiskey are long time rivals. As Statesman agents you both have been put up for the same promotion and this mission is your final chance to prove yourself. Have you got what it takes?

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Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: Slight Language, Canon-typical violence (got heavier on this one, blood, pain, choking, weapon usage) 

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CHAPTER 3: Infiltrate The Enemy

Driving through city, listening to the soft sounds of the radio, you head towards the hospital. Mentally preparing yourself for the day ahead you run through your fake persona. You were going undercover as a young medical student in training that had been transferred from your university to take up a short placement at the CleanPlanet facilities. With all that you had learnt over the years helping Ginger out with certain tech and patching up different injuries you felt that you had a slight grasp on some basic medical terminology and concepts. You simply needed to blend into the background and focus on the mission at hand.

Continuing along you begin to leave the hustle and bustle of the city life, moving further out into the outskirts of town. The hospital was in a more remote area, another way to keep suspicious, prying eyes away from their experiments you thought, as you continued along the rather empty road. As you approach the multi storeyed hospital complex you notice the large wire fence which circled the perimeter of the area, the gates at the front wide open for visitors. You drive onto the lot and park in the staff area to the right, inside the gate. Taking a deep breath, you collect yourself, brushing the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of your ponytail and tucking them behind your ear. Pulling out the earpiece from the small box that Ginger had given you, you quickly tuck it behind the arm of your glasses at the top of your ear to hide it from view.

Grabbing your bag from the backseat of the car, you take out your lab coat that Ginger had given you and pulled it over your shoulders. Pulling your knees up you pull your small throwing knives out of your duffle, strapping a few to your thighs. You weren’t about to go into this hostile situation without being prepared. Pulling your lab coat around you to cover up your hidden weapons you hop out of your personas rundown car and start walking towards the hospitals main entrance. Curiously, you notice a lot of doctors, other professionals, and a few security guards here and there wandering around the perimeter of the fence.

You counted about 23 people in total from what you could see, some talking together, some having a cigarette break, and so on. But as you look closer, you realise that all these seemingly random people dappled around were wearing communication earpieces. On some of the security guards you even noticed the outline of a handgun tucked into the back of their shirts. It seemed that the hospital was on high alert and extremely well-guarded. Everything was going to be just fine, just blend in and focus. You’ve got this. You murmur to yourself to ease your nerves, focusing on embodying the new persona you needed to become. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a strikingly familiar shiny blue chrome. You turn ever so slightly to see that Whiskey’s car was parked in the visitor’s area around the side of the hospital. I suppose Duke Silver has already arrived…

Heading inside you walk over to the information desk flashing your ID badge to the receptionist. “I’m the new student transfer here for my placement from the University of Texas, where am I heading?” You query, putting a quiver into your voice, you wanted to really sell the part of the first-time med student. The woman behind the desk gestures behind you. “Down the hall and to your left sweetheart…” Looking at you she smiles; she must see the nervousness you were portraying. “You’ll do just fine darlin, Doctor Violet will be mentoring you and she is just downright lovely. You’ve got nothing to be worried about.”

Continuing to fake your anxious energy, you tuck an invisible hair behind your ear activating your earpiece in one swift movement. Thanking the woman profusely you head in the direction she had gestured. The hospital was abuzz with activity all around you patients being moved, doctors and nurses chatting amongst each other, people waiting for their loved ones. It certainly looked and felt like a real hospital, an impressive cover, you thought to yourself. As you continue further down the hallway, the herd of people starting to thin, you realise you were moving towards the staff offices in the back. Looking around quickly to make sure you were out of earshot of anyone you speak quietly to yourself attempting to communicate with Whiskey on the other side of the hospital. “Hey Whiskey, my lines open, just holler if you run into any trouble.”

You hear a sharp crackle coming from your earpiece as Whiskey turns his earpiece on. “Likewise, Vodka,” he says, his voice unusually quiet, “I’m currently in the waiting room outside Howard’s office, there’s a few other wealthy looking gentlemen and women in here with me, who I assume will also be receiving a tour of the facilities… I’ll be right here if you need me, sunshine.” He purposely drew out his nickname he had for you, his voice dragging out every syllable. You could practically hear the smirk in his whispered tone.

Chuckling internally, you click your earpiece off so as not to distract your partner, or vice versa. You continued along towards Dr Violets office, turning around the corner and almost colliding into the other students gathered outside her door. There was about 4 of them in total, 5 including yourself. Shit, you need to be more careful. Anyone could have heard you. You look around to the others but they we’re all completely focused, eyes trained on the blue door which read “Dr. Octavia Violet M.D.”

Suddenly, the door swings open causing the other students to jump in surprise. Out from the office steps a prominent figure, a tall and dashing woman dressed in deep navy suit with a black button up underneath, a black tie wrapped around her neck. Brown hair wrapped into a low bun and round glasses resting on the bridge of her nose she exuded the air of highly intelligent and respected medical practitioner. Adjusting your lab coat and pushing your glasses up your nose, you continue to emulate a feeling of nervousness. This wasn’t too difficult a task as you already felt rather intimidated and yet oddly impressed by this woman. Her presence felt powerful, a quiet strength about her, shown in the way she carried herself.

“Hi there everyone, you all must be my new placement students,” She spoke, a kind smile plastered on her face. “I’m Dr Violet, I’ll be looking after you while you’re here with us over the next few weeks.” After all of you had introduced yourself separately, she began to lead you out towards the main part of the hospital, “It’s lovely to meet you all, now if you’d follow me its time I showed you around our facilities here at CleanPlanet so that you can become familiar with your new place of work.” Her black stilettos clicked as she walked, taking you past the reception desk and deeper into the hospital. Walking behind her with the other students in tow you noticed a small intricate scar poking out from underneath her jacket collar. You rest your index finger on your glasses attempting to use the tech to get a closer look. Managing to take a slightly zoomed in picture before she whips back around to address her small group of attentive pupils, you curse lightly under your breath and move further back.

You’d have to try to get a better look at whatever that was later, you couldn’t afford to draw any suspicion to yourself in such a small group. Dr Violet looks over her new students and begins to speak, “Alright so this first wing is the main hospital ward, we have different stations for certain requirements and specialists scattered around so we can accommodate a good number of inpatients here. Now further along…” Moving again the group walks further into the hospital into a more private area with sectioned off rooms and areas, “This is where we have our specialist medical, surgical and psychiatric wards. The main ward and these areas will be where you spend the majority of your time while on placement as the other side of the hospital is mainly outpatient facilities such as the A&E and the ICU.” She turned back to look at the group as she continued, “One of our main purposes here at CleanPlanet is to run test trials of experimental, but potentially lifesaving new procedures and medications,” You ears perk up at this statement, this might be what you needed to look further into.

The drug tests had seemed to be the source of the fatalities and illnesses that you had discovered in your research. “This is something we are very proud of and something you will be helping assist with. Trial subjects will need to be prepped for these new tests and made comfortable especially for certain surgeries and medications.”

You attempted to jot down some notes in a small note pad you had brought in your bag to appear as studious as some of her other pupils. You needed to keep a low profile. But on the inside your mind was reeling, what did she mean by making the patients comfortable and prepped for these trials and why would it be the student’s task to do this? If anything, it seemed that this would be a potential way to take the blame off CleanPlanet and its employees. If the students administered any medication to an unsuspecting patient, CleanPlanet would get away scot free, getting yet another unsuspecting party to do their dirty work.

As your mind processed this new information you realise that you had zoned Dr Violet out, “… we’ll be running you through what trials we’ll be running and what we’ll be getting you to do further along. Please follow me.” Walking further into these more secluded surgery and prep rooms you began to feel an unsettling ambience fill the space. The hallway had become starker, with fewer staff, the temperature had dropped to reflect the much colder and highly sanitised appearance of your new surroundings. The staff that were around had stern appearances and were adorned in different protective gear. Some wearing masks and protective goggles with some even wearing full hazmat suits. Dr Violet led you into one of the larger rooms off the main hallway and as you walked in provided each of you with a face mask of your own.

What on earth was going on here? You turn to look at Dr Violet once more, she was standing in front of a small group of staff who were sitting at multiple different desks with computer monitors in front of them. All of them were facing towards one wall in the room with what appeared to be a large, shadowed frame set into it. Each staff member was also wearing a facemask which covered their nose and mouth, jotting down notes and adjusting certain information on their screens.

It appeared to be a human x ray with different vital sign information down the side, as you peered further forward towards the screen closest to you to try and get a better look, your train of thought is suddenly interrupted by Dr Violets voice. “Alright students, we’re about to run you through a preparation and procedure of one of our focal trials here at CleanPlanet.” A mask now covering the bottom half of her face. She snapped her fingers and suddenly the frame on the wall behind her burst into vivid colour. You could see behind her a patient sitting on a small medical bed, a young male. Pale under the luminescent glow of the white medical lights, he looked almost translucent. You realised that the frame on the wall must be a one-way mirror allowing you a protected view into an adjacent medical suite.

A doctor stood over the boy, who couldn’t be more than your age, with a forced happy demeanour plastered across his face. You saw the doctors mouth moving but heard no sound to accompany it, the boy nodded in agreement and then signed a sheet of paper that the doctor held out for him on a clipboard. As the boy laid down onto the bed the doctor exited the room and you tapped your glasses frame lightly once more to begin to film what you were seeing, you had a feeling this was going to be important.

Dr Violet continued to speak as that same doctor entered the room you were standing in. “This is pivotal new research that we’ve been conducting to find a treatment for some of the big incurable diseases that plague the human race.” As she continued to speak you couldn’t bring yourself to turn in her direction, your eyes locked onto the room through that you could see through the frame. You began to notice the white cushioned padding covering the entirety of the walls within the room, and a large pit of concern began to open in your stomach. Why did it look like a cell in a mental institution in there…? “For this particular experiment we have been testing out an anaesthetic gas which aims to heighten the strong cells within the body to naturally fight off the illnesses and ailments which plague the patient.” Dr Violet explains to the students.

Suddenly you see a cloud of pale-yellow gas erupt from the ceiling above the patient. It starts to fill up the medical suite in front of your eyes as the young man squirms worriedly on the medical bed. The gas slowly engulfs the room, so thick that you can no longer see the patient. Everything is quiet for a few moments as everyone holds their breath in suspense. Suddenly the screens on front of the medical staff begin to flash in a warning red, the computers making load concerning beeps. All of a sudden you see the monitored heart rate on one of the screens plummet to zero and then shoot back up to over 200 beats per minute.

Dr Violet looks over at one of the screens with a concerned expression on her face. She leans closer to the window frame in front of her, trying to see further in when all at once there is load crack. A fist slams into the mirror with a huge amount of brute force only millimetres away from Dr Violets face. She recoils back out of shock from the sudden noise but quickly steadies herself, shaking off any worry in her now drawn expression. You continue to watch in horror as some of the gas begins to dissipate, revealing the maddened face of the patient through the mirrored frame. He was slamming himself repeatedly into the wall trying to break through the glass that separated us from him.

“Unfortunately…” The doctors voice cut through the shock that had paralysed your body, “Not every test is a success.” She trails off looking back at the boy behind the glass. His eyes were red and wild as he frantically ran around the room smacking into every possible surface, desperate to escape. He gripped the sides of his head with his hands, his face contorting in agony as an unheard scream ripped through him. He collapsed to the ground on his knees, his body shuddering in pain. You could see blood begin to drip down his cheeks out of his ears onto the floor, staining the stark white room with a deep and ominous red. Finally he collapses onto the floor, the life drained from his body, blood seeping and creating a halo around the crown of his head.

Dr V begins listing off some of the side effects of this new test such as migraines, nausea, everything up to internal bleeding. “This is a particularly exceptional case, a sharp learning curve for our testing. One of the many exciting trials and tribulations of scientific progress!” A smile lighting up her features, her whole-body tense with excitement. How could she be excited about what had happened here? You thought as your attempted to hide the pure shock and panic that was screaming out on the inside. All at once you see a few medical assistants in hazmat suits pull the lifeless body of the boy out of the suite in front of you. The room then floods with water from the sprinklers embedded in the ceiling, washing the blood down the small drain under the patient bed. “Bring in the next test subject.” Says one of the medical techs into a microphone.

No sooner had the room been cleared it had been filled again, a new patient being sat on the bed, a young woman, her face tired and worn. She had no idea what was about to happen. The view to the suite goes black once more, obscuring it from view and you and the rest of the students are hurriedly being ushered out of the room by Dr V. Everyone pulls their masks off as they leave, it seems everyone was a bit shaken from that experience. Still reeling from what you had just witnessed you keep your gaze fixed to the floor away from the prying eyes of the doctor. She continues walking and talking but you can no longer hear anything she says, your head is pounding. You need to get back there and get all the test information onto a hard drive for Statesman. You need to figure out how far this really goes. Looking up once more you raise your hand. Dr Violet looks directly at you, her gaze piercing you to your very core. “Yes?” She queries.

“May I be excused to go to the restroom Doctor?” You say, a slight quiver in your voice, this was certainly no act.

“Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having a slightly weak constitution.” Looking you up and down she waves her hand, gesturing for you to leave. “Go collect yourself. You can catch up with us further along.”

“Thank you Doctor.” Gripping tightly onto your notebook you dash back down away from the rest of the group as they continue along. You duck into the bathroom that you had passed earlier, quickly checking that there was no one else inside. Walking up to one of the sinks you look at your reflection in the mirror. Your complexion had paled from the shock of what you had witnessed, and your hands trembled as you gripped onto the ceramic of the basin fighting to keep yourself upright. Turning on the faucet you quickly splash some water across your face. You needed to get a grip and focus. You had a job you needed to do.

Tapping your earpiece, you open the communication line, exhaling softly to calm your nerves. “Whiskey, are you there?” Hearing another crackle, you hear his line open.

“I’m here Vodka, whaddya need sugar?” He says voice quiet, speaking only loud enough for you to hear.

“Ok well there have been some developments on my end, I’m about to head back into the lab we just left where my eyes were subjected to some pretty traumatic stuff…” You trail off recalling the horrific scene.

“What happened??” He queries, worry present in his tone of voice. You recount everything you had seen to him so he could get a full picture of what the hell was going on. “That sounds positively concerning…” Whiskey sighs audibly through the comm. “Well, I’m currently getting a wrap up of the facility tour from Howard so keep me on the line while you execute this and holler if you get into to any trouble.”

“Will do, Agent.” Quickly exiting the bathroom, you look down the hallway in the direction of your medical group, seeing no evidence of them and hearing nothing you begin to move in the opposite direction. Heading back towards the medical lab you quicken your pace, making use of the apparent emptiness of the hallway to reach your destination quicker.

“Jeez Vodka, you’re breathing so hard I think I’m going to go deaf in this ear.” Whiskey quips.

“Excuse me for thinking timing is of the essence in this situation cowboy.” You mutter to yourself angrily, as you reach the door to the medical lab you had visited earlier. Wary to keep your voice low, you didn’t know what was on the other side of that door. You hear Whiskey chuckle to himself, laughing at your constant irritation towards him. Ignoring him you turn the handle and hearing a soft click you push the door open.

Stepping inside the dark room you see two lab techs turn from their computers to face you. “I’m so sorry, I think I left something of mine in here earlier…” you glance around the room assessing your options. You need to get these two out of the way quickly so that you can access the information you need before anyone else comes back. Spotting a stapler on the desk closest to you amongst other scattered office supplies you quickly pick it up and open it. Looking back at the lab techs, you throw them a meagre smile.

“Sorry about this…” You mutter quietly, throwing the stapler into the air and in one swift movement you throw yourself into a cartwheel, flipping your leg forward, kicking the stapler directly in the middle, snapping it in half with the edge of your heel. The two ends of the stapler fly as you return to an upright stance, each side hitting the two lab techs square on their forehead, knocking them out cold. You smirk to yourself, proud of your efficient work.

“Everything under control Vodka?” You hear Whiskeys voice in your ear.

“Everything is under control.” You say as you dash over to the closest computer to you, rolling the lab tech who was slumped over in his own office chair out of the way. Pulling a hard drive out of your back pocket you quickly plug it into the port on the side of the computer screen. Tapping a few keys like Ginger taught you, the entire computer log begins to copy over to your hard drive. Files start to flick across the screen showing you all you ever needed to know about the trials they were running. Pictures of patients flit across the screen, hundreds of people with deceased written in bold red letters across their files. “My god…” you say, your voice catching as the number of files continue to rise.

“What’s going on there Vodka?” You hear a mutter in your ear.

“Whiskey I…” You trail off unable to comprehend how many people had been used and tossed aside for this drug trial. “I cannot believe how many patients they’ve gone through for this drug Jack…” You using his real name throws Whiskey for a loop. He knows how serious this must be if all the sarcasm and snipes had left your voice completely. You continue talking, trying to keep your nerves in check as the picture of the boy from earlier flashes onto the screen, the same words across his picture in red. “The drug they’re testing is an anaesthesia type gas which they’re calling Sunflower… It seems that in most of the cases it takes the patients about a week to experience the more intense symptoms and then eventually…” Trailing off again, your silence saying everything you couldn’t seem to articulate.

All of a sudden, the door to the lab opens and you see the frame of Dr Violet step inside. She quirks her eyebrow at you and glances at her two unconscious techs, down to the hard drive and then back up at you. You hear a small beep come from the computer notifying you that the upload had been completed. You quickly snatch the drive out of the computer as Dr V stared you down.

Looking at you with a knowing smile she puts her hand out towards you. “I think I’ll be taking that off your hands sweetheart.” She says with her hand outstretched.

“I don’t think so Violet.” You say as you quickly pocket the drive, bringing your hands to hover over the knives strapped to your thighs, bracing for a fight.

A crackle comes through your earpiece suddenly, “Vodka, is everything alright?”

You have no time to respond because all at once Dr V goes in for a jab directly into your stomach. Catching you off guard, you keel over in shock and from being suddenly winded, gripping your stomach. “That’s Doctor to you.” Dr V quips. Gasping, desperately trying to regain your breath you pull out one of your knives from your thigh holster and lunge at her, aiming a blow for her shoulder.

Expecting the blade to sink into soft flesh you put all your weight and strength behind your throw. The knife collides with her shoulder, but nothing happens. You hear the clang of metal clashing. Instead of sinking in, the blade slashes downwards, cutting through her lab coat and her suit revealing a metal covering underneath. The force that should have impacted the doctor reverberates back into your arm sending a jarring shock through your body. Quickly recovering you kick out directly at her left leg landing a heavy blow which forces her to recoil back.

Both catching your breath you stare the doctor down. “How could you possibly think what you’re doing here is ok?” You pant out getting ready for your next move.

“We’re trying to improve the world, make people stronger… but sometimes you have to crack a few bad eggs before you find the right one.” She says matter-of-factly, as she nurses her leg.

You both resume a fighting stance readying yourselves. “You’re hurting so many people just to achieve that goal, can’t you see that the harm outweighs any potential good you’re trying to accomplish?” You throw back at her, a venomous anger reaching your voice at her absolute callousness to the situation. You throw your other blade attempting to take her by surprise and incapacitate her, aiming for her already injured leg. The knife hits its mark with deadly accuracy, sinking into the flesh of her thigh. Dr Violet cries out in pain, sucking air through her teeth as she controls her reaction. She flicks her gaze away from the knife sticking out of her leg back at you, a new fury in her eyes.

“Sunshine are you handling the situation?” You hear Whiskeys tense voice in your ear.

Dr Violet runs at you throwing her non injured leg out kick you hard in the ribs. You grunt in pain, exhaling sharply. Without giving you a chance to recover she grabs you by the throat and clamps her fingers down, restricting any air flow into your lungs. She lifts you up with one arm by the neck keeping you from being able to breath. You grasp her hand with both your own, trying to tear her fingers away from your throat, trying to let any amount of air reach your lungs. She holds you there like you weigh almost nothing, looking you up and down. You thrash out with your legs trying to somehow escape from her grasp as black spots start to cloud your vision.

“Sweetheart?!” You hear Whiskey in your ear once more, his voice riddled with concern. Trying to choke out a response to your partner as your voice cracks, “P-Please…” is all you can muster. You feel yourself start to slip out of consciousness in the doctor’s vice like grip. You hear her calm voice as your body movements start to slow and weaken, “I think you will make a fine new test subject for our trial.” She says with a large smirk gloating at you, her new prize.

All you hear as you finally succumb to unconsciousness is Whiskey yelling your name through the com as your body collides with the floor…

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[13-reasons-ideas]

Marry Me - Monty’s Perspective

A/N: Here it is. I’m so sorry this took so long to put out. I was having a really hard time getting into the right headspace to write this. I hope you guys like it! I recommend listening to Thomas Rhett’s Marry Me when you read this. As usual, feedback is appreciated and much love! -Em

Ellie was coming back into town for her engagement party this weekend. I was the first person she called when Evan proposed. She damn near gave me a heart attack when I answered, and she was scream-crying.

Flashback

I was watching the Chargers game when Ellie called. “Hey Elliebear.”

“Heaskedmetomarryhim.” She screeched on the other line. I had no idea what she said. It sounded like she was crying. And that I would be deaf in one ear. I pulled the phone away from my head until she stopped freaking out.

“What was that?”

“Evan proposed.” What?

“Oh?”

“And I said yes. I’m getting married Montgomery.” Oh.

“That’s great Ellie. Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the pit that was forming.

“Thank you. I wanted you to be the first one to know, so I just wanted to call you quick. I can hear the game in the background, and we have more people to call so I’ll let you go now.”

“Okay, tell Evan I said hi and congratulations.”

“I will. Bye Monty.”

“Bye Ellie.” I hung up and sat back on the couch. She’s getting married.

End flashback

I was on break at work when I got a text from Ellie.

Hey you. I just got into town with Evan for the weekend. Are you free tonight?

I texted her back a few minutes later, yeah I’m free. What’s up?

She replied right away. Drinks or coffee? Just you and me. My parents are going over some details for tomorrow with Evan that they don’t want me around for.

Sure. Meet you at Monet’s at six?

I’ll save you a seat. Usual order?

You know I don’t change things Elliebear.

I stopped at home to change after work into something more comfortable. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a random t-shirt before grabbing an old flannel and running out the door, so I wasn’t late.Ellie barely beat me to the café. It wasn’t surprising really, since she was always the early one.

“Hey, what can I get you this evening?” the barista asked her.

“Can I get a-”

“She’ll get a skinny vanilla bean latte with only one pump of vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and extra foam in a for here cup. I’ll get a regular black coffee. And she’ll also have the chicken and spinach sandwich.” I said behind her. The barista looked at her, unsure if she should ring it in or not. Ellie nodded and turned around to face me. Before I had a chance to say anything, she jumped into my arms for a hug.

“Hey Elliebear.” I grunted.  

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Our orders were finished quickly as it was surprisingly slow for a Friday night. Luckily, that meant our table was free. We sat down and conversation flowed easily. It was almost like we had never been apart.

“The ring is nice. It suits you. Bigger than I thought you would like but it’s nice.”

“It is nice, yeah. That reminds me, Evan said he’s looking forward to meeting you tomorrow.”

“So am I. See who finally caught your interest.”

“I was interested in other people before Evan.” She told me, scandalously. Sure, you did El. I didn’t let myself think about the possibility of her liking me that way when we were younger.

“Ellie. That guy from drama class doesn’t count. And neither does your chemistry partner.”

“I was not interested in Adam. And Zach was my chemistry partner. I can assure you I was not into him.”

“Please, enlighten me as to these people you were interested in before Evan.”

“There was,” she paused. “Dylan from sophomore English was cute. Ian. Couple other guys in high school. Peter from my first year anthropology class was… very attractive, and smart.”

“One guy aside from Evan? University of Georgia is a big school. There’s no way you only had eyes for two people.”

“I was busy. I practically lived in the library when I wasn’t in class or my dorm. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Is there a girl I should be hearing about? Or should have heard about?”

“Nah. Nothing important or anything to write home about. I was busy.” I wouldn’t call what I did, dating. The point wasn’t to find someone to bring home. Who I wanted to bring home was over 900 miles away.

“Oh please Monty, you played ball at OSU. You honestly expect me to believe there was no girl in your life?”

“No, no. There were girls. Just nothing really serious.”

“Uh, huh.” She replied, sarcastically. We reached for our cups at the same time and our hands brushed. I was immediately transported back to the day of homecoming in senior year.

Flashback

“Remember students. The homecoming game is tonight at 6:30. You’ll want to be there early as our Liberty Tigers take on the Hildebrandt Mustangs if you want good seats. It’s sure to be a nail biter.” Principal Bolan’s voice boomed from the intercom during the morning announcements.

“Don’t know why he’s hyping it up to be a nail biter.” Scott laughed.

“We are playing Hildebrandt. We could literally not show up and still win.” I joked. “Have any of you seen Ellie? She’s usually here to force me to English by now.”

“Nah man.” Scott replied.

“Need lover girl to make sure you do what you’re supposed to?” Bryce teased.

“Fuck off. It’s not like that with us.” Unfortunately.

“Sure it’s not Monty. I refuse to believe you never hit it.”

“Don’t talk about her like that.” I threatened, lowly. Don’t push it man. Bryce shut up at my tone. “I’m going to go try and find her. I’ll see you guys at lunch.”

She was arranging her books when I found her at her locker. She was trailed by Clay and Alex. I pulled her into my arms and lifted off the ground. “Montgomery, put me down!” she laughed.

“Never.” I laughed, evilly.

“I have to grab my chem book. And go to chemistry.”

“I’ve got it.” Zach said as he grabbed her book, “you carrying her to class today?”

“Nah, I thought about it but since I had to come find her this morning, I figure she can make it there on her own.”

“I was running late. My alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to.”

“Excuses, excuses.” I replied, putting her down and shaking my head.

“I’ll see you guys later? Zach and I are running late.”

“Sure. Justin said if I don’t go to the game tonight, he’d tell mom and dad about Ani. And I don’t want to deal with that.”

“Someone has to keep Clay company, so I have to go too.” Alex said, pushing clay lightly.

“Great. I’ll see you then. See you at lunch Monty.”

I sat through just about the driest English class of my life, counting the minutes on my watch. Math was no better. We were reviewing for a test that almost the whole

class failed. Somehow that was our fault for not studying enough. I let out a sigh of relief when the lunch bell rang.

The table was already mostly full when Ellie came and sat next to me. “Ellie, think you could pray for us to not lose this game tonight?” Bryce sniggered from the end of the table.

“Hey, quit being a dick.” I stated. Bryce responded by chucking a grape at me. I threw it back at him. I knew how important her faith was to her. Some things just weren’t okay to be joked about or questioned. When it came to Ellie, faith was one of them.

“It’s fine Monty. Not like he hasn’t done it before.” I know he has. I don’t like it. “It’s going to take a lot more than God to help you win if you don’t learn to throw better than that in the next six hours. But sure.” I watched her from the corner of my eye as she smirked to herself before beginning. I’d seen her pray for real before. This wasn’t that. “Lord, please help the guys win tonight. Give them the ability to not trip over themselves when they make plays. And God, please show Bryce how to make the ball go where it’s supposed to and not hit some poor kid in the head again. Maybe, just maybe, then he will get laid tonight and we all know that’s really why he asked me to pray.” She smirked at Bryce. I choked on my juice. She probably isn’t wrong. Was pretty funny when that kid got hit though.

“You need to quit hanging out with Monty, he’s rubbing off on you too much. And I was serious.”

“I know. I’ll do it for real after lunch. You can sit with me if you want.” She was true to her word. I was late for Geography because I was watching her sit in an empty alcove praying. Bryce didn’t sit with her.

The locker room was abuzz with excitement. It was the homecoming game. Not to mention our season opener. If we wanted to start the season off right, we had to win. Sure, we joked around about Hildebrandt being an easy team to beat-they came in second to last in the league last year-but there was still a chance they would pull off a miracle. Especially if Bryce threw like he did at lunch. “Yo Monty, is Ellie coming to Monet’s tonight?”

“She said she would. Not that she’ll give you the time of day.” I waved off Matt’s question. She’s not interested. Trust me. Find someone else to have your eyes on. Several ‘oooo’s were voiced around us.

“How do you know?”

“Just do, man.”

“I could treat her real nice. She’d beg me for more.” Are you fucking kidding me?

“Oh shit.” Someone muttered, seriously. I didn’t really hear who it was. The sound of my blood rushing in my ears was too loud. Coach Kerba wasn’t in the room. He was talking to Banes about plays. No one in here will snitch. Not when it’s about Ellie.

I immediately turned towards him and cornered him against his locker. The rest of the team stood silently, watching us. I got real close to his face so only he would hear me. “You even think about her like that again and I will bury you so deep they’ll need ground penetrating radar to find you. Not that they’d recognize you if anyone found your body. If you so much as brush against her too hard in the halls, I’ll break your jaw. You understand Carraway?”

“Y-yeah. I got you. Never said a word.” He breathed in response. I had scared the living shit out of him. Good. I stepped away from him and after a few beats the incident was forgotten and the mood was light again.

The game wasn’t that exciting. Had it not been homecoming, most people probably wouldn’t have shown up. As expected, it was in our favour most of the first half. Ellie waved at me between plays. She was practically beaming. During the second half Hildebrandt seemed to find their groove and the game was at least interesting to play. It wasn’t the nail biter Principal Bolan had promised this morning. Everyone knew that regardless of how we played, we would end up winning. The game ended and the team and the crowd were excited. Matt and Garrison were so excited by the win, they tripped over their own feet and faceplanted on the sidelines. The excitement died down for a moment until they shot up and went on celebrating.

I waited for Ellie outside the locker room, as per our tradition. “Good game.” She called.

“Of course, it was. I was on the field.” I smirked.

“Modest as ever I see.”

“Do you expect anything else at this point Elliebear?” “Not really. But I can hope, maybe one day.”

“Maybe, but not likely.”

“Oh hey, while I’m thinking about it, Clay asked me to keep an eye on Justin tonight.”

“Is everything okay?” My brow furrowed.

“I think so. Clay said something about him having issues adjusting and stuff. Do you think you can play nice with him for a while?”

“I suppose, since he is your friend, I can try and be nice for a while. But not all night. I want some Ellie time.” Only because it’s you asking.

“And you’ll get your Ellie time. After you make nice with Justin.”

I sighed, making it seem like a hassle just to get a rise out of her. I was about to respond when Bryce called us, “are you two going to stand there and chit chat all night or are we going to celebrate?”

“We’re coming. Give us a minute asshole.” I called back to him. Bryce didn’t respond.

I turned around so I could give her a piggyback out to the car. “Hop on”. Once she felt secure, I walked us out to the parking lot. I pretended to not pay attention when she stole my baseball hat. She couldn’t see the way my smirk turned into a smile when she did.

“That’s my hat El.”

“I know. I happen to like it though, so I’m wearing it.”

“I’m not getting it back tonight, am I?”

“Nope. It is now mine. Might even write my name in it.”

“You do that Ellie. I won’t care when I steal it back who’s name it has in it.” Already has my name in it. Yours would just complete it.

“Fine. Then I’ll readjust it.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would.”

I set her down at her car. “No, you wouldn’t.” I called her bluff. You’re too sweet to do it. Or you’d fix it right away if you did. She rolled her eyes at me.

“Whatever. I’ll see you at Monet’s in a few with your precious hat.” I waited until she got in her car and drove off, before starting my own engine and following her.

Ellie beat me to Monet’s as usual. I nodded at and stopped to chat with some of my teammates when I came in. Matt nodded awkwardly at me as I passed. I glared in return. My coffee was set across from her when I got to our table. “I see you told the truth. Can I have it back now?”

“No. I think it looks quite fetching on me, if I do say so myself.”

“Fetching?”

“Yes. Do you disagree?”

“No, I think it looks good on you.” Not that anything would look bad on you. Suits her. She’s wearing my shirt.

“That’s what I thought.”

We chatted quietly before Justin showed up. “Hey guys.” He waved.

“Justin! You made it.” She exclaimed, too excitedly. Making him think you were forced to babysit him by being overly happy isn’t going to help Elliebear. I shot her a tone it down look. Justin smiled uncomfortably as she offered up her seat. “Make room.”

“Can do sweetheart.” I flirted, patting the chair next to me. The smile and blush she tried to mask didn’t go unnoticed.

“Thanks for the coffee Ellie.” Justin said, taking a sip.

“No problem.” The three of us chatted idly for a while. I was on my best behaviour with Justin and even laughed a few times at couple things he said. There was no mention of what he witnessed in the locker room.

My hand found Ellie’s under the table and I grasped it carefully. I had to make it look like I hadn’t done it intentionally. I could see the pink flare of her cheeks and my lip twitched upwards.

“Hey Justin, come over here and look at this.” Charlie called. He was looking at something on Garrisons’ phone. Justin left us to go investigate. I caught the quick glance at our hands, even if Ellie didn’t. Thank you, Foley.

“And then there were two.” I muttered, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Then there were two.” She repeated.

“That shirt looks good on you. It’s pretty familiar too.”

“Oh, yeah. There may be a reason for that.” She seemed nervous.

“Need to go talk to Mike?”

“Not if you don’t have a problem with it. I think he would agree it was simply borrowing, rather than stealing. No need to involve Jesus.”

“I am. So now you’ve got my shirt and my hat. Anything else you intend on taking of mine?” I slowly inched closer to her. We have never gone here. But there’s no way she doesn’t feel this pull.

“Possibly. Depends what else you’re willing to offer.” She said, coyly. My fingers itched to brush the hair from her face. She beat me to it.

“I think there’s a thing or two I could offer you Ellie.” I replied, leaning in a little more. What am I doing? What if she doesn’t feel the same way. Am I about to ruin our friendship? Do I even care? Before I could kiss her, fucking Bryce Walker beckoned from across the room. Son of a bitch. You couldn’t wait two god damn seconds, could you? This better be important.

I stopped just short of kissing her. “What?” I answered, curtly.

“My place, half an hour.” He called back. That is what was so important you had to interrupt this moment? That could have waited. Fucker. I nodded in response and turned back to Ellie, hoping the moment wasn’t gone. I knew it was though. I sighed internally. She was smiling at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes like it normally did. She’s upset. I didn’t know what to say to try and salvage our moment. Instead, I watched her take a sip of her latte and check her watch.

“Shoot. Is that really the time? I have plans with my mom in the morning. I should get going.” I’ll take bullshit for 200, Alex. She never was a good liar.

“Oh, okay. Are we still on for waffles Sunday afternoon?” I tried to hide my disappointment.

“Yeah. Be at my place around one? I need to talk to Pastor Mike about a few things after service.”

“I’ll be there. Text me when you get home.”

“I will.” She hurried out of the café so fast, someone might think there was a fire.

I threw my head back in my chair and ran my hands down my face. Bryce and Matt were watching me when I looked out at the room again. I mimicked Ellie’s actions and took my half empty cup to the counter. “You couldn’t have waited one minute, could you Walker?” I grumbled as I passed him.

“Sorry dude.” He called after me. “My place-.”

“Half an hour. Yeah. I got that.” I shook my head as I left the café.

End flashback

I turned to watch her take a sip of her latte. She still savoured the taste and licked her bottom lip the same way. “What about the blonde girl you told me about briefly?”

Blonde girl… Lip piercing? No. Was a red head. The sorority girl? That was the brunette with the Adderall. Blonde… oh! Chirpy. “Sara?”

“Yeah.”

“She was nice. Very peppy and chipper though.”

“Ah yes. Need to keep up that stoic exterior. Can’t have someone too chipper, lest people think you have a soul or something.” You always thought I did.

“Exactly.” I laughed. He took a long sip from his cooled coffee. “Can you imagine if I brought her home?”

“Well, knowing your mother, I would probably be attending your engagement party tomorrow instead of the other way around.”

“Oh probably.”

“How is your mom doing, by the way?” “She’s doing okay. After dad died, she was pretty out of it for a few months. She’s gotten better with time though. Really started to come into her own and forge her own path.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“Not going to ask how I’m doing Ellie?”

“No. I know how you’re doing.”

“Oh really?”

“Montgomery. I am your best friend. Your dad was never a parent. DNA doesn’t make someone your family. You’re doing the same as you did the day you left and vowed to never speak to him again.”

Her easy explanation surprised me. “Sometimes I forget how well you know me.”

“I know. That’s why I have to remind you all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah. How did Evan react to Scott on the way from the airport?”

“I’m not totally sure. I don’t think he realized how things worked at Liberty and exactly what you and I being friends meant. Scott told him about the treehouse.” Oh God.

“Oh no. Ellie. I need to look the guy in the eye tomorrow.”

“I know you do. Don’t worry. He didn’t seem upset or anything. I think he found it amusing actually.”

“Did he tell him anything else?”

“About you?”

“Yeah.”

“No, mentioned how you guys fucked up and didn’t study for midterms and I singlehandedly kept you all on the team. And how Matt and Garrison managed to keep themselves above their feet until after homecoming senior year.”

“Of course, he did.”

“Don’t worry. Evan will like you.”

“How do you know?” Why do I care? Because you love her you dolt.

“Because I like you. And even though you think you are, you really aren’t a bad guy.” We talked for about another hour or so, just catching up, before we decided to call it a night.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Three o’clock sharp.”

“Good.” She squeezed me tightly. When we pulled apart, I looked down and saw she was wearing my shirt. She kept it all these years.

“Is that my shirt?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I thought I lost that years ago.”

“You never asked for it back. We agreed that I technically borrowed it, remember?”

“Yeah, but I also thought you would have given it back by now.”

“I mean, I can give it back to you tomorrow if you want it.” She offered.

“No, no. You keep it. You seem comfortable in it.” She smiled and hugged me again before leaving.

No matter how much I tried to talk myself into cancelling at the last minute or just not showing up to the party, I couldn’t do it. As much as I wanted to let her finally think that I was an ass, I couldn’t. I couldn’t hurt her like that. So, I manned up and went to Ellie’s engagement party. I showed up right at three, as promised. “Hey you.” She beamed. Her whole face lit up when she saw me.

“Hey Elliebear.” I said as I hugged her. Evan stood to the side, giving us a moment. He looked so uncomfortable with our interaction. Maybe he noticed how much brighter her face got when she saw me. She pulled away first and turned towards her fiancé.

“Evan, this is Monty. Monty, this is Evan.” She motioned between us. I shook his hand awkwardly.

“So, you found the way to Ellie’s heart, huh?”

“Yeah. She is something special. I thank God every day that she decided to give me a chance.”

“Don’t I know it?” I replied, trying to hide the wistfulness and ignore the pang of jealously in my chest.

Jill called her over for something and she pointed Scott out to me. Trying to avoid a pissing match El? “Coming Mom. Scott is over there by the cupcakes. Try to keep him from eating himself to a sugar high?”

I laughed, “can do Ellie. It was nice meeting you Evan. Congratulations.”

“You too Monty. Enjoy the party.” He doesn’t like me.

“Hey Scotty.”

“I didn’t think you’d show up. Justin and I had a bet going. I owe him fifty bucks.”

“Well, you know. It’s Ellie.” I grabbed a cupcake from the stand and took a bite. Not bad. I see why she wants me to monitor Scott.

“That’s why I didn’t think you’d come.”

“You came.” Justin said, patting me on the back in lieu of greeting.

“Yup. Where’s Sasha?”

“Girl talk with Ellie and Jess and some other girls.”

“Riveting. What choice did I have? My options were come, watch her with Evan, and hate every second of it for an hour or two, or, not come and have her hate me for the rest of our lives.”

“I guess. Are you going to go to the wedding?” Justin asked.

“See if Evan lets her invite me first. He doesn’t seem too impressed so far. Thanks for that by the way Scott.”

“I’m sure he’ll warm up to you.”

“If you’re invited? Which you will be, because you’re her best friend.”

“Then what kind of best friend would I be, if I didn’t go to her wedding? I’d just hate myself for a few more hours then. That’s better than a lifetime of her hating me.”

“Fair. Look, if you want to leave, just say the word. We can go back to my place and drink.” Scott offered.

“Thanks. I need to stick it out. It’s Ellie.” The rest of the party was fine. I talked to Jill and Rob for a while. I even talked to Evan for a bit. It was awkward but we didn’t fight each other. If he suspected anything about my feelings for her, he didn’t say anything. I left that evening, wondering if he noticed Ellie looking for me and not him all afternoon and letting my brain go somewhere it hadn’t gone in years. At least, not willingly gone in years.

I held out some sick hope that maybe, just maybe, the engagement wouldn’t last. I knew it was wrong of me, but I couldn’t help it. This was the girl that I had been in love with since the eighth grade. That’s when she stopped being like one of the guys. When she became something more. Even though I knew it wasn’t an attainable thing, even back then, there was always this little spark of hope. She was the reason I didn’t really date in college. She was the reason no girl was worth bringing home to meet my mom. They were all compared to her. They would always be compared to her. I always hoped that she felt the same way about me as I felt about her. That hope vanished when I checked my mail after work that Wednesday. The fancy envelope and familiar script were enough of a giveaway. I didn’t need to open the card to know what it was. The invitation. I sighed as I went in the house and opened the card. I merely skimmed for the important dates and time. I knew in that moment that I had finally lost her. I also knew that I would go anyway as I signed, sealed, and mailed the RSVP that night. I had to go. It’s Ellie.

**

The day had finally arrived. I had been dreading this day for the better part of a year. It was the morning of Ellie’s wedding. I woke up, forced myself to get out of bed, made coffee, and showered. I stared at the black suit hanging on my bedroom door for fifteen minutes. Arguing with myself about if I was really going to do this was getting me nowhere closer to a decision. If I go, I’ll hate myself. If I don’t go, she’ll hate me. If I go, I’m losing her. If I don’t go, I’m losing her. If I go, then I’ll get to see her. If I don’t go, I won’t see her. If I go, I’ll have to hold my feelings in forever. If I don’t go, I’ll have to hold my feelings in forever. Finally, I came to a decision. I wasn’t willing to risk losing her because I couldn’t show up for her. If I wasn’t going to be able to be with her, at least I could still be in her life. Maybe. But I’d cross that bridge when I got to it. I put the suit on and fixed my hair. Then I went to the liquor cabinet and filled a flask with whiskey. I couldn’t drink it in church because if Ellie found out, she would kill me, Ten Commandments be damned.

I arrived at the church forty-five minutes before the ceremony was scheduled to start. I took a sip from the flask in my pocket on the city sidewalk. Spotting Bryce, I walked over to him. “Hey.”

“Hey man, how’s it going?”

“It’s going, you?”

“Same old, same old.” We chatted mindlessly for a few minutes until Justin showed up with Clay and Sasha. I’m shocked we haven’t gotten a happy announcement from them yet. She looks thrilled.

“Justin, Clay. Hey Sasha.” The trio greeted me, and Clay took Sasha inside. He seemed to pick up on the displeasure radiating off of her.

“Holding up okay?” Justin asked.

“Sure.”

“He’s at his best friend’s wedding.”

“I know. Just trying to be nice Bryce.” Zach showed up and broke some of the tension brewing between Bryce and Justin. Never thought I’d be happy to see Zach freaking Dempsey.

“So, I heard from one of the groomsmen that she looks beautiful.”

“Of course, she does. It’s Ellie. And it’s her wedding day.” I said. Scott found us milling in the back of the chapel and came over. He didn’t bother greeting us.

“Have you talked to her?” he asked.

“No. I wanted to give her space. In case I decided not to come.”

“Oh. You could go talk to her now.”

“And say what Scott?”

“Tell her.”

“Tell her what? It’s her wedding.”

“I know that.” I looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to our little group. They weren’t.

“Tell her what exactly Scott? How do you propose I go about telling her that I think she’s making a mistake and that I’ve been in love with her since we were thirteen? I’m not going to do that. Not today. Not ever. I’m not messing this up for her.” I whisper-yelled.

“He has a point Scott.” Zach pointed out.

“If I say something, I’ll lose her forever. So, to avoid losing my best friend, I’m going to sit here, watch her marry the man she loves, and wish her the best. And then I will go home, get very drunk, and sleep the hangover off for the next two days.”

Scott raised his hands in defeat. “Okay. I get your point. I’m not going to push you into doing something you don’t want to do.” Even though I made a good little speech, the closer we got to the ceremony, the more uncomfortable I became. I couldn’t stop the thoughts of wanting to do exactly what Scott suggested. I wanted nothing more than to go find her and tell her how I felt. But then I looked around the room and saw all of these people waiting excitedly to see Ellie and Evan get married and live happily ever after. I wasn’t going to be the reason that didn’t happen. But the closer we got to ceremony time, the closer I also got to losing my resolve to sit here and watch this happen. I couldn’t watch her marry someone else.

“I can’t do this.” I said suddenly.

“What?” Zach asked.

“I can’t watch her marry him. I can’t sit here and watch them get married. I can’t give her up like this.”

“What are you doing Monty?” Scott asked. I stood up from my seat.

“Tell Ellie that I’m sorry.” With nothing more to say, I turned around and walked out of the church. My friends didn’t try to follow me, too stunned to process what was happening. I got in my car and drove. I wasn’t sure where I was driving until I pulled into the lot.

I opened the door to the quaint café and saw that our table was available. Though, I suppose now it was more my table than our table. I lost her today. There was no way I was getting her back after what I did. I slipped my jacket off and hung it over a chair to save the spot, before going to the counter and ordering.

“Can I get a tall bourbon neat. Make it a double.” Monet’s had been licensed a few years ago.

“Sure thing. Rough day?” The barista asked.

“You have no idea.” I shook my head and took the drink she set in front of me. Back at what was now only my table, I pulled out my phone and scrolled though some old photos. A lot of them were of Ellie. She used to like to steal my phone and leave me with some selfies to surprise me when I opened the app. I scrolled through the seemingly endless stream of photos and ordered another bourbon when I finished the first one. My trip down memory lane was interrupted when I got a text from Bryce.

I need you to tell me where you are.

Why?

Because I do. Now tell me where you are.

Why?

Montgomery. You want to tell me where you are.

Fine. If you must know. I’m at Monet’s. Now why do you need to know?

I’m sorry about homecoming night. I hope this can make it up to you at least a little. I stared at the screen in confusion. Shaking my head, I put my phone down and went back to sipping the amber liquor. What the hell is he talking about? Fucking Bryce. I didn’t look up when I heard the bell chime above the door. Nor did I look up when I heard the click of high heels against the wood floors.

“Is this seat taken?” I heard a familiar voice, softly.

I looked up at her then, my eyes widening in surprise. What is she doing here? She is supposed to be getting married to Evan. What does this mean? Why is she here?

“I couldn’t do it if you weren’t there. You’re my best friend Monty.”

I scoffed quietly before replying, “it’s not taken, no. Sit if you want,” and taking another drink from my glass, not looking at her for fear of letting my guard down again, only to be crushed again.

“Hey,” she started, reaching for my hand. I looked at her hand and paused before letting her take it, “I mean it. I couldn’t marry him.”

“Why not?”

She was quiet for a moment. Noticing I had about fingers width of bourbon left in my glass, she grabbed it, downing the rest of it.

“Hey. I was drinking that.” I protested.

“I couldn’t marry Evan because he wasn’t you. And you weren’t there to say anything by the time I walked down the aisle. You were just going to give me away and live the rest of our lives wondering what if.” She told me while she stared into the bottom of the now empty glass.

“You- really?” Wait, how did she know I was there? “How did you know…?”

“Zach told me.” Of course, he did. I sighed internally.

“I know I wasn’t there Ellie. I just. I couldn’t sit there in that church and watch you marry him. And I knew I was and would be too much of a coward to stand up and say something when I saw you standing up there with him. I had to let you be happy.” I told her, trying to make her understand that I couldn’t be the reason she spent her life unhappy.

“Don’t you get it Montgomery? I wouldn’t have been happy. Not really. Or at least not for long. Not with Evan.”

“So why did you agree to marry him?”

“Because I thought it would be easier? My friends liked him, my family liked him, I liked him. I just thought that it would be easier to ignore my feelings. I could marry him, officially move to Atlanta, come home a couple of times a year, have a couple of kids. It all seemed easier than admitting to myself that I was in love with my best friend and if I really, truly wanted to be happy, I would need to be with him instead. And that admitting that would change everything. But I’ve learned over the past year that easy doesn’t always mean happy. And sometimes what we think is easy in the short term, isn’t always easy in the long term.”

Easier. Sure. She finally admitted it. She’s in love with me. I chuckled lowly, “took you long enough.”

She furrowed her brow at me, “what is that supposed to mean? I just confessed my love for you, and that’s all you have to say?”

“Yeah. It took you long enough to come to that conclusion. You were what? Half-way through the ceremony before you put a stop to it?” I asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of my tone.

“Not exactly. I knew a while ago. I spent the whole morning shaking and waiting for you to come and tell me that I was making a mistake. When you didn’t come, I thought… that you either didn’t feel the same way, or that you were going to do the kind thing for once and not say anything, but I thought at least you would be there. When I saw that you weren’t, I knew I couldn’t marry him. Even if it was the easy choice.” When I didn’t say anything she added, “you picked a great time to do the kind thing.”

“Yeah, well. You knew it would happen sometime. You owe me another shot by the way.” I muttered.

“Oh please. There was barely a fingers width in your glass.” she told me, sighing dramatically.

I looked at her through my eyelashes, “they won’t serve you that small an amount.” she rolled her eyes and stood up to go order me another shot. Before I could chicken out again, I surprised her when I grabbed her wrist to stop her, before pulling her down into my lap, she fell rather gracefully given the fit of her dress and kissing her deeply. I pulled away first and turned to look out the window. Our friends had gotten out of the car and were clapping and high fiving each other.

“How about that shot now?” I smirked.

[fanfalc-616]

The Rights Of A Nindroid

Chapter Twenty

(Previous Chapter Here)

I can be nice sometimes! See?

Zane looks up at Cryptor from his spot on the floor, gritting his teeth as he bites back a cutting remark.

“Look, just say you’re lesser. You don’t even have to call me Master; I’m not human. Just do it so we can go back to the lockers.” Cryptor sounds so tired, so resigned to his fate.

And that’s exactly why Zane cannot give in. Cryptor has begun to cave, and that means he can’t do the same. At least one of them must remain strong.

They had not even brought anyone to supervise, so confident in Cryptor’s willingness to behave that they felt that they didn’t need to have others around to ensure it.

“I won’t,” Zane makes eye contact as he speaks. “I won’t say it.”

Cryptor hits something on the remote, and the chains are abuzz with electricity, the power mimicking bone-crushing strength.

He can’t stop himself from crying out, even as he tries to muffle it. When the pain lessens, he’s trembling. Unfortunately, Cryptor is heavy-handed with his punishments- something that Zane had not been expecting when they had begun.

“You don’t have to do this.” He knows that while his facial plate is gone, Cryptor will still be able to read the pleading expression he has. “Please, Cry, you-“

“My designation is General.” Cryptor interrupts. “And I do. I have to follow orders. Za- Original, it’ll be easier if you do. Just… just do what you’re told, okay? It’s better this way.”

Zane shakes his head softly. “You know I can’t.” He returns quietly.

Cryptor sighs, looking down. Even without the face plate, there’s visible regret. “I know.” He agrees.

Then he shocks him again.

Straining in his bonds, he tries to get away from the crushing feeling, the heavy weight that he’s made to feel, the pain that runs through him.

When it’s lessened, he’s breathing heavily, silently pleading for it to be over, fighting the relentless urge to just surrender, to give in. Cryptor’s right, it would be so much easier… he could just be taken back to his locker, and-

Wait.

That’s it.

Shaking, Zane sucks in a deep breath, waiting for him to ask again. The odds of this working are low, but it just may play in his favor.

“Z- Original, you’re lesser. Admit to it.” Cryptor orders once again, still with that tired resignation in his voice.

Zane ducks his head. “I… I am lesser to humankind.” He agrees, trying to sound as pitiful and weak as possible. He has to hope that maybe, just maybe, he’ll have the right opportunity…

Cryptor nods, walking over to him. He begins to undo the chains. “Thank you.” He softly murmurs.

And those words make this that much harder.

The moment the chains have been given enough slack, Zane grabs Cryptor and shoves him back with as much force as he can muster.

As the other stumbles, Zane kicks him in the chest, sending him skidding even farther backwards.

“Zane, what are you-?!” There’s shock and slight fear in Cryptor’s voice, but Zane doesn’t wait to hear all of what he’s saying.

He bolts.

Feet pounding against the tiled floor, Zane runs, he races through the halls as fast he can. After a minute, he slows, reminding himself of what he knows of the guards routines.

A nagging voice in the back of his mind warns that this is most likely an illusion, but he ignores it. He can worry about that later, for now he should do his best to escape.

Every movement precise. Every step measured. Every breath quiet. Every action calculated.

It doesn’t take long for him to get lost. Internally cursing, Zane struggles to figure out where in the facility he is.

He manages to find some kind of control room, and he makes his way inside, relieved to find that no one is there.

Zane makes his way to a computer. What should he do? Should he look something up? Should he try to contact his teammates? Should he-

Wait.

From here, he can access the outside world, even through his head.

Zane searches for a signal, something he could latch onto. While they can trick his sensors, one thing unable to be manipulated is any form of connection he may make to the outside world. Connecting to the internet, to another device… that’s not something they could simulate.

Managing to connect to something isn’t nearly as difficult as it should be. In fact, it’s easier than most connections he made outside the facility. It’s almost like he’s connected to this bef-

Wait.

He knows this signal.

Scrambling, Zane does everything he can to solidify it, to ensure that even once he leaves this room, he will still have access to it.

This is the way he will make it out. Access to this… he can make contact with his team. He can interact with the world. He can find a way out of this wretched place.

“Hello, my old friend.” He whispers, a spark of hope lighting up inside him. “It’s been a while.”

The Falcon caws as Zane stabilizes the connection.

He connects his eyes to it, and he knows he would be near tears if he could truly cry. This is… this is real. He can… he can really see the world again.

Quickly, Zane begins to calculate a way to make it out of the facility. If he’s careful, he may be able to-

Suddenly, he freezes.

He can’t leave.

He can’t… he can’t leave Cryptor here. Even if he makes it out, the other would still be trapped. He… he can’t escape. Not if it means leaving the other behind.

Carefully, Zane sneaks out of the room, feeling the hope still alive as he realizes that he’s still connected.

Now, he must get re-captured. By Cryptor, of course- if he is also the one to find him, the punishment for losing him will likely be lessened.

Carefully, Zane creeps through the halls, looking for the other nindroid. When they are both inside the lockers, he will be able to connect Cryptor to the Falcon as well. From there, they will both be able to interact with the outside world.

Zane can talk to his boyfriends.

Cryptor can talk to Sentry.

When he finds the other, Zane purposefully hits a foot against the tiles just a little too loudly.

He does put up a fight, but it’s more for show than anything. Just enough of an attempt to make it seem real.

When they are returned to the lockers, Zane begins to tap out a message- only to be interrupted by the other.

I HA

NO

Zane sighs. How can he help connect Cryptor to the Falcon if the other won’t listen? He would have to say something to get his attention…

SENTRY

There. That should do it.

WHAT?

DO YOU WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN?

He can almost feel the anger radiating off of the other. This is clearly a touchy subject.

OF COURSE I DO BUT

MY FALCON

He doesn’t say anything more, but judging from the pause, Cryptor understands what he’s getting at.

Only a minute later, the other is connected.

Cryptor sends him a message- this time digital instead of tapping.

(‘Thank you’) Cryptor sounds grateful and almost like he’s about to cry.

Zane feels another spark of hope inside of him. This is it. This is how they will make their escape.

If he had a faceplate, Zane would be smiling as he replies. (‘What are you waiting for?’)

And so, the Falcon flies off.

Zane won’t lie… this is one of the first times he has felt truly happy in a long time.

And it’s the first time he can believe that everything will be okay.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Sentry sighs, drumming his fingers against the table he sits at.

He’s been working through these files for hours on end, and he’s still not any closer to finding a way to rescue Cryptor.

Biting his lip, he thinks back on the time they had spent together. The joy he had felt when they were friends, when they had just been able to be without any problems.

With a groan, Sentry shakes his head. Why is he so worked up over this? There are injured nindroids that work for him that he should be more worried about, ones who didn’t try to destroy Ninjago.

Why does he care so much? Sure, they were friends, but even for that, this seems extreme. What could-

Wait.

Wait a minute.

What was Sentry feeling when they had been hanging out together? His power source had heated up. He had felt the need to impress him. He had spent all of his free time with him, even some times when he should’ve been working.

Those aren’t usually things people do for friends.

Is Sentry… is he…

“I’m in love with Cryptor.” He breathes out, shock over taking him as he comes to the realization.

(‘Wait, you are?!’) There’s a sudden voice, catching him by surprise.

Sentry flinches, trying to find the source of the voice. It had come from… inside his head?

“Who are you? Why are you in my- how are you in my head?!” He gets to his feet, looking around.

(‘It’s me. It’s Cryptor. Did you just say you were in love with me?’) The voice… does sound a lot like Cryptor. But how could it be? He can’t- how-

A new voice joins the conversation. (‘Hello, Sentry. I don’t think we’ve spoken in person before, but I’m Zane. Cryptor and I are using my Falcon to hold a conversation outside of the facility where we are being kept.’)

Looking around, Sentry spots a falcon on a nearby windowsill. Rushing over, he opens the window, allowing the bird inside.

(‘Forget about that, he just said he was in love with me!’) Cryptor sounds almost panicked, but… in a good way?

Sentry nods shakily. “Uh. Maybe? But how- you guys can- okay, I- I need to contact the ninja. This is- this is a big deal, I-“

(‘We can do that in a minute! You just said that you’re in love with me!’) Cryptor sounds happy now, and Sentry releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Do you, uh… feel the same?” It’s kind of odd, having a conversation like this while looking at a bird. But Sentry is still just as eager to hear the answer.

(‘Yes, I just didn’t think you did, I- wait. You’re not hurt.’)

Sentry feels delighted at the beginning of the response, but then he frowns, a wave of confusion washing over him. “No? Why would I be?”

Even in the silence, he can tell that Cryptor is angry beyond belief. (‘No reason.’)

Sentry makes eye contact with the Falcon, trying to show that he’s serious. “Cryptor, why-“

He doesn’t get to continue, however, because Zane cuts him off.

(‘Someone’s coming. We need to close the connection.’) His voice is urgent, and Sentry nods.

Someone’s coming, he says. Is that the kind of life they’ve been living? Surviving only on the whims of their captors, everything beyond their control?

He fights back a shudder. “I’ll talk to you later, then?”

(‘Yeah, talk to you when we have the chance.’) Cryptor agrees.

Then the quiet static that he hadn’t noticed fades, and he knows that they left.

The bird flies off, and Sentry takes a moment to watch it before returning to his work.

But this time, when he opens the files, there’s a smile on his face.

Sooner or later, the government will slip up.

And Sentry will bring them home.

[jokertrap-ran]

Collar X Malice ~Unlimited~ Shiraishi Kageyuki Character CD’s Mini-drama Translation

「 Steam with Two」

*Commissioned by a Shiraishi fan , Thank you! *Spoiler free: Translations under cut

Commissions are still open!

Collar X Malice Character CD: Mini-Drama [Steam with Two]

This is a convenient dream for one such as I. Of a future to come that may or may not happen on a stroke of good luck. Although, no one knows for sure whether what’s happening now is an illusion or reality itself. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that it is a treasured time of mine.

The time that I can spend with her without any distractions in the way is calm, peaceful; warm and welcoming. It’s really heartwarming. And even if I’m still unsure of it, I’m pretty certain that these feelings blooming within my chest are real.

—— —— ≿————-　❈　————-≾ —— ——

Heh~? So this is the famed Hot-Spring Inn in Kyoto? What tasteful preferences you have. We could have gone overseas, you know. Who would have thought that you’d be okay with just a trip to the Hot Springs? 

Well, it’s also my first time going to one so I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I guess I wouldn’t have ever stepped foot into one in my entire life if it wasn’t for you. 

Yes, yes; don’t tug on me. The Inn won’t be running anyway from you anytime soon.

Now that we’re here...Was pillow-fighting one of the first things you should do in a place like this, again? No? I see. Then is it only something one does at night? I see, so that’s how it is. Speaking of, wasn’t there a rose bath here? You were reading a pamphlet on the Inn and I happened to oversee it. But that’s girls-only so do tell me how it is later on! Let’s head on straight to the Hot Springs once we set our belongings down. I’ll be entering too so how about we decide on a time to meet back up again?

—— —— ≿————-　❈　————-≾ —— ——

So this is a Hot Spring...Seems like there are different properties in the water depending on the area…? This one here revitalizes the skin, helps with muscle aches and...beautiful skin? Does this mean that she’ll come out with silky smooth skin? It’s usually nice to the touch; I wonder how much it’ll change once she gets out of there. Oh, yes; maybe I should ask her to let me touch her skin once she gets out later. I’m usually satisfied with just a shower, alone, but who would’ve thought that soaking in such a large expanse of hot water’s this calming?

They have different colours and scents in the many areas and there’s even water coming out from that area over there. Heh. This might be more interesting than I originally thought it was. Still, it’s a little lacking in something...It feels as if I can’t get the full experience alone by myself. I wonder if she’s enjoying the rose bath right now? Strange...People are normally just pawns and I have no qualms using them to attain my goal. Else, they’d simply be observational subjects for the greater good; that’s all they were to me. I knew that I’d always be alone out in the world and that was how I lived, more or less. There are times when it’s relaxing to be close to her, but sometimes, it makes my heart flutter and become abuzz with something. Choosing my words wisely, thinking twice about my actions and worrying about what I can do to make her happy. This love was something that I thought I could live without ever knowing; It was thanks to this that I learnt how important it was to understand others. She’s something I’ll never let go of. For someone like me, someone who doesn’t hope; who doesn’t dare hope. She is the one thing I’ll never lose.

I can no longer return to pretending not to know. I wonder if I’m broken? She was the one who broke me.

—— —— ≿————-　❈　————-≾ —— ——

Hmm...she’s late. I do hope she didn’t fall asleep while she was still in the rose bath. I don’t think that’s even possibly, actually. But she did say that she didn’t manage to sleep quite well yesterday since she had trouble falling asleep...Now I’m concerned. And peeking into the girl’s bath...no, that’s a bad idea after all. Oh? Thank goodness! Seems like you’re still in one piece. No; I was just worried because you were late. I thought that perhaps you fell asleep while soaking in the hot water or maybe you spaced out for too long and got yourself into an unfortunate accident.

What, so you were running late because you were drying your hair? Me? I’m fine with my hair being a little on the wet side. You want to dry it for me when we return to our room? Mmph...You’re so coddling. Maybe it’ll be more manly for me if I leave it to dry on it’s own. Let’s head back then. Hm? This scent...I knew it! You have a sweet scent wafting off you. It’s nice. Oh! So, how was the hot spring? Did it make your skin beautiful like they were advertising? Hm? But I can’t check for myself unless I get up close and it’s not like I can enter the rose bath either. Plus, I can’t check and see the effects of the Hot Spring if I don’t touch your skin, right? That’s why, hugging’s the easiest way out! I wonder if the scent will stick onto me too if we stay like that long enough. It might not be too bad to have the same scent as you.

Embarrassed? Isn’t this amount of skinship normal though? I mean, even you pull off antics that leave me shocked at how embarrassing it is at times. Yes, yes. Well, I got to see an interesting expression of yours so I guess all’s well and fine. Besides, we’ve got an entire day to ourselves so I can always throw a hug your way. Yeah, I’m happy. Of course, I was also looking forward to this trip with you. 

I seemed no different from my usual self? You’re as dense as ever. Won’t you have figured it out if only you had observed me a little more? 

—— —— ≿————-　❈　————-≾ —— ——

It’ll be boring if we just returned to our rooms and there’s still some time before dinner is served so a walk would have worked too...what are you doing? Table-tennis? Even I know what tennis is. It’s the thing where you take rackets and hit the ball with it, right? Seems like these paddles are free for all Inn guests to use.

Hm~ You sound pretty confident about it. How about we go against each other then? Here’s a racket. You can get the first serve. Don’t worry about me being a beginner. Huh, this is pretty normal. I was most certain tha-...The ball would be sent flying like this. Was it too quick for your eyes to catch? But it entered your coat, so I suppose that’s a score to me? Ahaha, you look frustrated. You really do put your all into everything you do, huh. Winning or losing something like this has no effect on your future so you really could just tone it down a little, you know. Ah, stop right there. Let me take a guess as to what you’re going to say right now, shall I?

“At least put some effort into it if you’re doing it!” Am I right? Here’s the serve. So you want to clinch a win above all the effort you’re putting into this, yes? Even I can tell something as blatant as that, at least. That’s why I’m not slacking off on my end either.

Heh? Aiming for the corner, I see. But I won’t let something like this get past me! Now, what will you do? Heh? The loser has to comply with anything the winner says? Now, isn’t that tipping things way too into my favour? Does this mean I can do whatever I want to with you? Wait a minute, whatever I wa-...? Ah-

I’ve been had...Come on, that was really mean of you to use the opening I presented while in the middle of thought- I suppose not. It is a match after all so I suppose that’s just the strategy you chose to deploy against me. However, the same thing won’t work twice on me. Pulse, I’ve already read through your style. I now know how you react before you go in for the blow.

Sure. I’ll play along with you for as long as you want. Seeing such intense concentration on you’s not a bad sight. Plus, I’ll have to go all out if there’s a reward to reap at the end of this all! 

—— —— ≿————-　❈　————-≾ —— ——

Haa...That’s the first time I’ve ever eaten this much in my life. Yeah, I’ve always eaten the bare minimum amount to survive. Still, that was really delicious! I thoroughly tasted the food, of course. Right, right. There’s that egg that was cooked in the Hot Springs here, right? It’s the first time I’ve ever seen such a runny egg so I was really surprised. Huh? You can make it even back home? Could you make one next time then? I’m sure it’ll taste much better if you’re the one making it. Yup, it’s a promise then. So? The futons and all are already laid out so how about we do it? I don’t know how well it’ll go since it’s my first time too, but...I’ll try my best. Yeah, I will! 

So...we just have to throw these pillows at each other with all our might, yes? Huh? What’s with that face? Aren’t we going to have a pillow fight? Okay, I’ll put down the pillow first. Oh, I see. So that’s how it is! Pillow fights are something one does only on a study trip...I suppose throwing projectiles at each other with all your strength can get pretty dangerous. Other things...Oh, yes! How about aroma oil therapy? It’s normally done in pairs, right? ...You’re fine without…? I see...Well, if you say so then...Let’s sleep, I guess.

Hey? It’s still nine, there’s no way I can sleep. Besides, I won the table-tennis match we had, remember? Yup. I want to talk about a variety of things with you. Why are you laughing!? There’s nothing I’ll get out of it? It’s rewarding enough for me. Then...Where should I start…? If you had to choose between meat and fish, which would you prefer? What do you think was the most delicious among all the things we had for dinner today? Oh, maybe I should ask about what your favourite fruit is too? And is the person you li-- Huh? Oh...Is a question 101 session not something you do on a trip?

What, is this something only students do when they go on a trip together too? Aw, and here I thought up about lots of questions to ask too...It’s not me being clinical; I just want to know more about you. I want to come to like the things that you do and when it comes to the time where I want to do something for you, I wouldn’t even know where to start if I didn’t know what colour or thing you even like, don’t you think? Honestly speaking...I don’t have the confidence for this. I’m personally fine with living my life dubbed as the worst human in the world, but it’ll reflect badly on you too. Like...remember how you tugged me back by my coat back in Shinjuku? Ah...Are you embarrassed by the memory? Same here, it makes a buzzing feeling go through me when I do. 

As Kageyuki Shiraishi, I never once had a mission that made me fall in love with another. That’s why I’m trying my hardest not to hurt you or our relationship. I didn’t really understand you...But, it really tickled when you told me that you didn’t hate me for what I did.. It made me happy. From that time onwards...I……

...Are you asleep, by chance? And right when I was getting all emotional too. I suppose there’s no helping it. I suppose I should sleep too. Whoa-!? What, you were awake? We’ve got an early start tomorrow. That Wagashi Store you were looking to; it seems like the popular sweets sell out fast so there might not be any left if we’re late. That’s right, I searched it up. I’d much rather see you happy than disappointed. It’s fun talking to you like this as well, but I’ll really be troubled if you overslept tomorrow because we stayed up too late talking. So how about we both turn in? Am I okay with not doing anything? But there’s nothing else left to do? I mean, earlier you- Hey? Are you the type that can’t sleep unless you’re sleeping next to someone? I mean, that’s what you’re trying to tell me by moving over to my side, right? Ahh! But I don’t think I’ll like it all that much if you’re cosying up to other guys like this too! If possible, I’d want to be the only o-

Ah- I-I see. So you only do this with the person you love. Um, hey? Can I hug you…? 

Warm...It’s almost as if this isn’t real. My name, my feelings, my everything. It feels as if everything has been resetted and I’m living for yet another one of my goals. That was how I’ve been made to be. But yet, you...you called out my name. You’d come after me no matter how much I tried to  put distance between us and you wouldn’t give up even after how much I hurt you. Why...Would you go so far for someone like me… You’re really...such an idiot...There’s no saving you. But that’s what makes you, you. And...all so...precious.

I’m not crying! But, if I did...it’s your fault. You moved my empty heart and made it overflow. But, I guess that’s proof that I’m human.

It was really fun today. I’m sure tomorrow will be fun since I’ll be together with you. I think I’ll laugh lots, be entranced by you and then fall even harder. There are still a good load of things out there that I don’t know so I might cause you some problems when the time comes, but…

You’ll wait? No hesitation; what a speedy reply. Then, can I test out the limits of your words? Not just today and tomorrow, but even the days after that. I think that nothing will bring me more happiness than you staying by my side from now on and forever. But, I suppose I’ll have to study more for that to happen, don’t I? I’ll say it properly, one day. When I’m finally able to bring joy into your life with my own hands. So, won’t you wait a little more? Even if it’s just a little happy dream that I have in my head. I will definitely return to you. Now, maybe we should really sleep. I pray that I’ll wake up to you beside me. Good night and see you tomorrow.

Shiraishi Kageyuki, Kimura Ryouhei.

[ruthoakenshield]

Very Good Friends (Chapter 16)

Catch up here: [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 8]  [Chapter 9]  [Chapter 10]  [Chapter 11]  [Chapter 12]  [Chapter 13]  [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15]

Reader x Henry Cavill, Reader x co-star named Dan

Warning: This tale is for 18+ readers ONLY!!! Mentions of flashbacks: (rape, anal sex, non-con sex, abuse), severe bruising and injury, mentions of suicidal thoughts, depression,   humiliation, and some of the good kind of fluff to make us feel better. Smut (the happy good kind) comes soon!!!

If  ANY of the warnings upset you or make you uncomfortable, DO NOT read  below  the cut! go find something else to read in this case and if you want to be removed from the taglist for this story, let me know. I won’t be upset, I promise!

If you are okay with reading those things then enjoy the tale below the cut.

Feedback  and reblogs are appreciated. I do not own Henry nor do I have any   personal knowledge of him besides what is common knowledge amongst the   Cavillary. Any mistakes and typos are mine, story is not beta-tested.   GIF I got from the tumbler search thingy.

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Two weeks later you, Henry, and several co-stars, as well as crew members find yourselves in the courtroom facing down Dan, your co-star. He is glaring daggers at the two of you as you testify to his behaviour, words and deeds as well as how it affected you and threatened the film. The two of you are each dismissed after your time on the stand. After two days of hearings all day long, you and Henry and your co-stars and crew members wait to hear the results out in the hallway. Henry sees how upset you are after having to answer some of the questions and being verbally attacked by the defense attorney who kept trying to pin this all on you

You tremble in Henry’s arms, your mind racing with all the ‘what if’ scenarios. Henry recognizes the start of you having an anxiety attack starting, and he uses the distraction techniques your counselor taught the two of you to bring you out of it. He helps you focus with deep breathing and holds you close. “Just listen to my heartbeat, Kitten. Focus on that and my breathing.” he tells you. “Find things around us to focus on for each of your senses”. He reminds you.

You close your eyes and focus on him. His musky scent combined with his sandalwood and cedar wood cologne, his warmth and strong body holding you secure. His calming and steady heartbeat beating in your ear as you lean against his broad chest, and his steady breathing, you look at his huge arms holding you close and you taste the peppermint he gives you to suck on. They all lulled you into a relaxing trance while you both waited to hear the results.

Henry rested his chin on your head, focused on keeping his breaths steady, the scent of lavender and your peace and calming oil keeping his nerves at bay. He focused on your body and how it felt in his arms and against his chest. Your arms wrapped around his waist, hidden by his suit jacket from everyone. He counted your breaths for something to do to keep his focus on you and not the ‘what if’ scenarios his brain kept trying to come up with.

Finally, the court room doors were opened, and people began to leave. The studio’s attorneys approached you both and told you that he was convicted on all accounts and will be in jail for the next 30 years and will have to register as a sex offender now. they say, “His acting career is over.” They inform you that you will be getting a hefty amount for restitutions for all the pain and suffering and slander you suffered by his hand and decisions and you will receive a letter from them when it hits your bank account.

Your jaws drop and you look at each other. Henry thanks the attorneys and they shake both your hand and Henry’s. You look back up at Henry and he is beaming. “I’m proud of you, Kitten. You stopped him from hurting any other women.” he says and kisses your forehead. “And Hollywood now knows they won’t be able to mess with you like he did!” you blush and nod. He gives you a hug and offers you his arm. The Cast and crew who also testified cheered at the news and congratulated you and give you hugs and handshakes as well. The two of you head out into the sunshine and walk to Henry’s BMW.

Suddenly a reporter spots the two of you and asks for an interview. Henry and you decline and tell her you are not able to discuss the case or it’s results. Then the two of you climb into the car and Henry pulls out of the parking lot.

He takes you to his favourite little restaurant that is off the main drag and the two of you enjoy a nice dinner with your agents and publicists. The six of you discuss the case and it’s results and the reporter who approached you both. “You handled it nicely.” Henry’s publicist tells him. “Do the same thing if anyone else approaches or asks about it.” she tells you both.

Once everyone is done eating, Henry picks up the tab and you all head home. You and Henry crash into your beds and quickly fall asleep knowing you both have to be up ridiculously early for filming. It’s going to be 16 hour days for the next few weeks and you both are looking forward to it, yet are dreading it too.

You arrive and the whole set is abuzz with the news of the verdict. Everyone is congratulating you and telling you how proud they are of you for standing up to him. Finally the director gets everyone settled down and you are able to film your scenes. Richard is there today with you and Henry filming some of the last scenes with him. He gives you a gentle hug and also congratulates you and tells you he is proud of you and how you’ve rebounded from this. “I hope you continue to get wonderful parts in film, Sweetheart. You’re an amazing actress!” he tells you, making you blush.

The remaining month and a half passes quickly and principal filming wraps ahead of schedule leaving time for re-shoots if they are needed. You both get called back for re-shooting a couple scenes with Richard. Then you have to go into the recording studios after that to do the voice overs for the scenes that they recorded when your voice was still hoarse or non-existent after the attack. Once that is finished, you all are whisked off to begin press junkets, interviews and tv spots all over the globe, glad to be able to start them earlier than expected.

**********

The night before the rat race of Press Junkets begins, you and Henry are in adjoining rooms at a lovely hotel in Los Angeles. You are cuddled on the bench on the balcony and he has made you Peppermint tea to drink and he sips on coffee.

You are watching the sunset and talking quietly enjoying the cool night air. Henry looks at his watch and sighs. “Time for bed, Kitten. We’ve got to be up early in the morning.” he tells you and lifts you off his lap. He easily carries you into the suite and sets you down. “Night Bear.” you tell him and give him a hug. Henry grins and pecks your nose with a goodnight kiss. “Night Kitten.” he tells you and watches you head into your room through the adjoining door.

The two of you agreed to keep the doors open in case your nightmare flares up, which it does occasionally. Henry can always tell when it does because you crawl into bed with him, wrapped in your burrito of the comforter or heavy blanket and you plaster yourself to his side or back.

You crawl into bed and sigh. You’re nervous to start the press junket and you can’t sleep. You toss and turn for over an hour. Finally, you get up and grab the comforter. You wrap it around yourself and creep into Henry’s room. He is sprawled across his bed spread eagle. The room is warm still even with the French doors open letting the evening’s cool breeze in. He refused to use the AC, knowing how you hate the sound of them. You hesitate to crawl up against him knowing he hates being hot when he tries to sleep. You sigh quietly and turn to go back to your room when you hear him sit up and say quietly, “Can’t sleep either, Kitten?”

Turning, you see him propped up on his elbows looking at you. “How can you stand being cocooned in that comforter?” he asks quietly as you approach the bed. He sees sweat rolling off your face and neck. He scoots to the end of the bed and unwraps it from your body. You’re covered in sweat and his fingers gently graze your arms. He is trying hard not to be turned on by your heady scent. “Come with me.” he says quietly and takes your hand.

Leaving the lights off, Henry turns the water in the Jacuzzi on filling the tub with cool water. He strips down and climbs in, then holds out his hand. You hesitate, but want to cool off so you strip down to your panties and bra and climb in.

Henry watches you with appreciative eyes. He pulls you over to him and puts you on his lap as the two of you relax in the cool water. You try to ignore his massive hard on pressing into your back and you focus on his breathing and the feeling of his arms around you. The two of you end up falling asleep in the Jacuzzi’s cool water.

Somehow during the night, you end up turned around and facing him, straddling his hips, his morning wood is pressing into your belly and your head rests on his chest. His arms rest on your thigh and his hands on your ass.

You are surprised you were asleep with him like this and try not to move. You feel him stir and his hands grip your ass momentarily and he moans. Once his brain catches up with his body, he quickly moves them to your back and he quietly asks you if you’re awake. “Mmmm, just woke up.” you murmur. He glances at the clock and yawns. “We need to get going, Kitten. We have to be at the TV studio in an hour.” he tells you.

You sit up and yawn, then stretch, forgetting that you’re nearly naked and sitting on his equally naked lap. His hands grip you to steady you and your eyes open in surprise. “Oh, OH!!! I’m sorry, Bear, I forgot …” you start to apologize when you see the surprised look on his face. You look down and realize your bra and panties have become see through now that they are wet. He lifts a hand to your lips and stops you from finishing. “Don’t apologize, Kitten. I rather like the view.” he says with a smirk. “Soon I will be able to enjoy it every morning in my bed, if you let me.” he purrs making you blush beet red.

Grinning, you move to stand and climb out of the Jacuzzi tub. You grab a towel and dry off, then head to your room. Henry enjoys watching your nearly naked ass sway from side to side as you walk, your hair just barely touching your waistline. He sighs and looks down at his morning wood. Groaning, he takes care of it as he drains the Jacuzzi and then climbs into the shower to freshen up. You do the same in your room. Then you both get dressed, grab your things and head down to meet Richard at the SUV that the studio sent to pick the three of you up.

You spend the next month hopping from one plane to another, one country to another, one hotel to another and one interview to another promoting the movie you were in with Richard and Henry. Sometimes the questions were easy to answer, and other times the interviewer just didn’t get that you couldn’t talk about some things in the movie and they would get upset, which in turn upset you. Henry and Rich both quickly learned your tells that you were getting upset and would quickly squash any unpleasantness.

Twice one particularly belligerent interviewer asked the two of you about the rape case and got upset when all three of you told him that the topic was off the table for discussion and no questions regarding it would be answered. Richard and Henry eventually told him to get out and that the interview was done, despite him still having 10 minutes left. Henry told him that since he couldn’t be respectful of what the three of you could and could not discuss, that the interview was done and if he didn’t get out that security would be called.

The man quickly got up and left, Henry apologized to you, and the film crew taping the interviews just stared in shock. Henry looked at Richard and Rich nodded, so Henry ushered you out into the hallway, seeing you were upset and helped you to calm down. “Why do some people have to be like that?” you say as he holds you and gently rubs your back.

“Because they never learn manners. All they want is to get their story and don’t care who they hurt. They’re no better than paparazzi.” Henry tells you. “Now, are you ready to go back in and hit repeat?” he teases. It was the running joke between the two of you and Rich. You placed bets each morning how many times you’d get asked the same questions. Some days you were closer, other days he or Richard were.

You giggled and nodded. The two of you entered the small room once more and resumed interviews. As the busy day ended the two of you walked out of the studio with Richard, and Henry chuckled, “Well you won today, Kitten. Where do you want to go eat at?” he asks.

You pull up the restaurants in the area and decide on one. The three of you walk arm in arm through the streets with you in the middle, stopping to sign autographs and let people take pictures with the three of you. Everyone seemed excited to see the movie. Finally, you all reached the restaurant and the three of you were seated. None of you could read the menus since they were in a foreign language, and you all laughed trying to figure out what they said. You each decided to just pick something from the pictures that looked good and hope it was something that tasted good.

You all giggled and laughed as you ate and enjoyed the meal. You ended up with something resembling a stuffed steak with a type of potato and local veggies. Henry ended up with a seafood platter including squid and calamari. Rich ended up with something resembling Shepherd’s pie. Henry offered you some of his platter, but you declined, knowing he just wanted your huge steak. You giggled as he eyed you enjoying it. You’d tease him and pretend to offer him a bite only to quickly put it in your mouth. He laughed and told you that you’d pay for that. To which you quipped, “Nope, I won the bet, so you’re payin’ big guy.” Which sent Richard into a laughing fit.

You all were stuffed silly by the time you left the restaurant. You ate your fill of the steak and let Henry finish it off and he ate most of his platter too. He didn’t seem a huge fan of the calamari and squid though.

The three of you walked through a nice park. You were in the middle and Rich was on your right arm, Henry was on your left arm. The three of you visiting, laughing and sharing stories of press junkets they’d done as you all headed back to your hotel. You all arrived, tired and with full bellies.

You wished Rich a good night, then went to your room and began to pack your stuff for the early red-eye flight out. Henry did the same, as did Richard. You and Henry again had adjoining suites so the door between the two was left open. Your suite had a Jacuzzi and Henry was a little jealous his didn’t. You invited him to come join you in it and you set your alarm for an hour before you both needed to be leaving in case you fell asleep in it again.

You and Henry cuddled in the Jacuzzi enjoying the jets circulating the water. Henry massaged your tired feet and you thought you had died and gone to heaven. He was grinning from ear to ear at the lovely moans he was drawing from your lips as he simply massaged the knots and pain from your aching feet. You returned the favor when he was done; and at first he didn’t want you to do it, but once you caught one of his big feet and began to rub with a slow, firm pressure, he melted like a stick of butter in your hands.

“Oh God Kitten! That feels amazing!” he murmurs as you face each other in the Jacuzzi. His foot propped up in your lap as you massaged it. His eyes were closed, and he had a goofy grin on his face. You let his foot slowly drop back into the warm water, and he lifted the other one for you to grab and work on. You noticed he was close to falling asleep. Once you finished his other foot, he was asleep.

“Henry,” you said as you gently shook his massive shoulder. “Henry, wake up. Let’s get you out of the tub and into bed.” you tell him. He groans and moves to stand, his eyes still closed. You chuckle and guide him out of the tub. You hand him a towel and he dries off, his eyes still closed. You giggle and ask, “Aren’t you gonna open your eyes?” he shakes his head and holds out his hand. You chuckle and guide him over to the bed and turn back the covers, you turn him around and sit him down in the bed. He scoots in and you cover him up. He is snoring before you get back to the tub to drain it.

Once it’s drained, you climb into bed next to Henry and curl up and try to get a few hours of sleep. He ends up curling his huge frame protectively around you as he spoons you and pulls you against him as he sleeps. You giggle and just let him cuddle. Just as you finally fell asleep, the alarm goes off, startling Henry, since it wasn’t his normal alarm. You giggled as you heard his going off in his room.

He groans, and gets up. He walks into the room and you admire his god-like physique as he saunters away from you completely naked. His member swung as he walked. Even flaccid, it was huge. You shook your head wondering how it would feel inside you someday if you could ever manage to tolerate having sex. Henry’s sleepy head peers back in through the doorway and he has a funny look on his face once he shut the alarm off.

You sit up and say, “Hen, what’s wrong?” he comes back into the room with his boxers now on, and sits on the bed for a moment, trying to wake up and figure out what was different. “You slept next to me in your bed. I was naked and you weren’t wrapped in your cocoon.” he comments, looking at you puzzled.

You shrug. Hen, we’ve got today left of interviews and then it’s just the red carpet for the movie release. I figured it was safe enough to not cocoon myself up. I felt comfortable and yeah. Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything inappropriate. Just cuddled and spooned me.” you tell him with a giggle, then look down at your lap.

He reaches over and takes your hand. He brings it to his lips and kisses each finger, letting his lips linger on each one, almost sucking them into his mouth. Then he slowly and sensuously kisses the top of your hands and your palms. He stands and leans over the bed to you and kisses your forehead, “Soon.” is all he says and heads back into his room to get ready.

You sit there, in a daze for a moment wondering what the hell was that. You shake your head and yawn, then get up and get ready. The three of you head to the airport and board the plane for the last leg of the trip… London… and their PR whirlwind of a day.

Henry and Rich are both excited to be ‘on home territory’ as they say, and Henry can’t wait to show you around after today’s press junket finishes. Both men are giggly, beaming and in very good moods for the day, setting you at ease once again.

More chapters to come…

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