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[triaelf9]

Running a little cross platform test on reach vs platform with some WIP art from a little #TearsOfTheKingdom something that I'm working on for an eye-catch ^_-

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[unproduciblesmackdown]

one in a million when i watch smthing in the horror genre and don't end up disappointed to/and/or pissed off about it so like "also yeah i liked it. ooo" is like relative to that an off the charts rave review of media of the millennium. also i did think about mh a lot along the way so would recommend its affect/effect if you like mh's horror too

[iheartsebastianmichaelis]

𖤐 Sebastian Michaelis NSFW Alphabet 𖤐

⚠️: minors dni, AFAB + GN reader, rough sex, corruption kink, mentions of religion, kinda gaslighting/manipulation, etc.

> word count:  2.4k words

A: Aftercare (what is he like after sex)

he will treat you delicately after having caused such a mess in the bedroom. we know that despite being a demon, Sebastian was trained enough to act like a gentleman and in addition he is very loyal to his "butler aesthetic". so, you can expect him to begin caressing your shoulders or back, leaving kisses in any love bite, cleaning you up with a warm towel and offering you a bath or a light drink. it's up to you if he stays right by your side while you sleep or not, because he'll only follow your commands.

B: Body part (favorite body part of his and also his partner's)

his favorite part of his body is his eyes. if you watched the series then you know what i'm talking about: Sebastian is a very expressive being. throughout the anime and manga you can see that his body language is normally expressed with his eyes and face lol, from sarcasm to even a threat. he knows the weight that his eyes have with his words and -for your bad or good luck- he also knows how to annoy or tease you with that. you can expect off-color comments said with the sweetest look and so on, escalating to a look that eats you alive, his feline eyes mocking your vulnerability to his touches and the slit on his eyes reaching deep into your soul, reminding you that he is not human.

his favorite part of you is your neck and back. he likes to leave bites, marks and kisses in discreet places. You don't want other people to find out that you're doing wrong things with your butler. how indecent of you, right? He can spend hours nibbling and sucking your skin, wanting to leave it as a witness to how much he pleases you. he's not pleased that you only carry the mark of the contract, he chuckles knowing that your skin wants him.

C: Cum (anything to do with it)

he really doesn't care. Sebastian knows that you both can't reproduce because of the difference between species, so many times he takes the liberty of cumming inside you. he loves the sight of his cum spilling out of your body while you try to catch your breath, but if you have a problem with that he will listen to you. he has no complaints about doing it outside because he doesn't mind cleaning you up afterwards either. just keep in mind that your face, torso and legs can be possible destinations to end up smeared with his sticky liquid.

so whether you want it or not, you're always going to end up with his cum somewhere <3

D: Dirty secret

Sebastian is known for being someone who is quite calm and collected... when it comes to sexual situations. but his dirty secret is that he likes to impregnate his scent on you. being by your side for a long time it is normal for the smell of his cologne to stick to you. obviously this happens when you're not wearing perfume. he likes it when people say to you "hey, your smell is very strong. have you been with Sebastian for a long time?" he LAUGHS because he knows it's something you can't blame him for, it's his way of marking his territory with his favorite food.

E: Experience (how experienced is he? does he knows what he is doing?)

we all know this one,, please who are we to lie to ourselves. he already fucked a nun, a beast tamer and probably a nurse in BoA. we don't know certainly about his preferences since this bastard can shape shift so he can be a woman, a man and basically do whatever he wants. but back to the main point, he has a LOT of experience. so you don't have to be afraid of this man to be an amateur because he isn't. he. is. so. gifted. he knows exactly how to move and place his tongue, fingers or dick to make you scream and cry in pleasure.

F: Favorite position

the pretzel. he just likes the idea of ​​having you with no chance to escape, turn around, or stop seeing your face. when he's on top of you he can see how you squirm with each thrust he gives you and how your hips can barely move due to how trapped they are between his, so you can only wait to receive his thrusts and slowly lose control. however, i think he is also a big fan of doggy. our friend beast can confirm that :))

G: Goofy (is he more serious in the moment? is he humorous? etc.)

we all know that this man is so silly but when it comes to sex he is serious. like he puts his shit together and tease you but in a provocative/sensual way.

H: Hair (how well groomed he is?)

it's obviously black like the rest of his hair. and even if it doesn't grow much down there, he still shaves it to make things easier.

I: Intimacy (how is he during the moment? the romantic aspect)

okay since he is a hell's creature,, come on we can't pretend anymore that he has deep human feelings, like i'm trying to stick to canon with this shit so im sorry if i break your fanon sebastian but this man is mean. he obviously knows how to treat his bedroom partner, so you can wait for him to kiss you, whisper pleasant things and praise you and your body. that's how it is when he is slow. but when he is wild he will make fun of you, humiliate you and even more things but ONLY IF you allow him to.

J: Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

to be honest, i don't think Sebastian has a need to masturbate. he sees it as something that will not fully satisfy him and that can put him in a worse mood. that is, he can easily hold out until he can be with you. i'd like to talk about his libido later, so I'll hold back a bit on this point.

K: Kink (one or more of their kinks)

okay i've been into black butler fandom for so long and maybe y'all can expect him to be into pet play just becuase he likes cats but im sorry i don't think so. this man has a corruption kink. he likes to see you lose yourself with his body, he wants you to forget everything you know and give yourself to him. even forgetting about the god you used to worship, so he is willingly open to teach you all about hell, pleasure and all that his demonic being can give.

he has also creampie?? kink. bassy enjoys filling you up with his cum if you don't have problems with it. he likes to make a mess with you.

L: Location (favorite places to do the do)

another thing he doesn't really care. it's more like you choose where and when, but if you are a fan of exhibitionism remember he is a butler and has to look after your public image. so he will suggest you to do it in a more private place. but speaking of his preferences, his favourite place would be your room, as it is more comfortable than a butler's room...

M: Motivation (what turns him on?)

boldness. he finds funny and teasing when you're mad at him and yell. unlike Ciel (whom OBVIOUSLY he has no attraction whatsoever), he finds your tantrums or insults attractive. especially when you seem to forget that you're talking to the devil, treating him like he's something less than you. he likes how cheeky your words are, because he knows that he is capable of leaving you in tears and your body completely lost in pleasure with his simple touch. he likes to show you that he is the one who will always win, but he likes to give you your moment.

N: No (something he wouldn't do, turn offs)

Sebastian won't disobey you. an order is an order and he is there to fulfil yours. he maybe try to manipulate you to change your opinion in a discreet way, but if you don't give up with your decision/command he wouldn't interfere unless there's a serious matter or something he don't be fully comfortable with.

one of his turn offs is when you're goofy. like okay he can stand a joke but he doesn't like when you're so unserious in the bed.

O: Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

HE. IS. THE. ULTIMATE. ORAL. GIVER.

oh my god i'm so glad we all sebastian stans agree that his tongue is REALLY something. he even said in season one that he can can roll a cherry cookie with his tongue and i don't fucking care if the dolls chapter it's not canon. but anyway, that shit is long as fuuuuck. he even needs to hold your legs so you don't close them when he is working on you. he likes to tease you while sucking, licking or biting in your sweet zone. he makes louder (slurping and wet) noises to embarrass you, looking at you smirking with his 🤨 face and even more things that secretly makes him chuckle like the mf he is.

oh and did i mention?? that he loves??? when you grab his hair and pull him closer??? well if you're not tied you SHOULD do something come on.

ah, yes.

he also likes see you struggling with his dick.

"my my, sounds like someone's having trouble. oh dear, be careful not to choke"

but when you get used to it he gently will grab your hair and move your head at his own pace.

P: Pace (is he fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

no way this man can go slow at least is your first time; once he starts the main act he left his polite side and release the beast inside of him. it will go at a fast and merciless pace, raising one of your legs for better access and won't hesitate to pound on your entrance until you lose your senses. take for sure that you'll end up crying of pleasure and this mf couldn't care less, he'll stop until you beg him for it. we can say that he'd be into rough sex.

Q: Quickie (his opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

remember his dirty secret? well, he likes the possibility of others knowing about your little secret. you probably have to ask for it because he is so busy with his butler duties, u know.

but he won't deny it to you since he can make it fastly, so you don't have to worry that much 👍

R: Risk (is he game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

since there is no risk of pregnancy, the only one he MAYBE take is public sex. because if we remember in book of murder he said that he showed his body to humans so shamelessly. so i don't think he is into that, and like i said before even if youre into exhibitionism he'll always suggest a private and quieter place.

S: Stamina (how many rounds can he go for? how long do they last?)

this is more like "how many rounds can YOU go for" because he is full of energy and he won't stop until you ask him for it. like after hours of making it he'd be completely normal while you're exhausted.

T: Toys (does he own toys? does he use them? on a partner or himself?)

he don't use them that often but he doesn't mind them and he probably uses them more on you than him. Sebastian likes to see your different reactions to them, and maybe he'd even like to add them while you fuck.

U: Unfair (how much he like to tease)

oh my fucking god this dude is the definition of tease and provocation. do i need to mention how this man rizz with people? playing with his hand and fingers running along their bodies and whispering into their ears with a sweet tone.

also you can look for DIRTY TALK. this bitch won't shut up and will leave you completely shocked or scared like "what does he means with this??" "why does he just said that seriously??"

V: Volume (how loud he is, what sounds he make, etc.)

he is not very loud, but not quiet either. he usually lets out a few sighs, but what comes out the most are grunts and gasps.

W: Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

even though he can't feel love, i could say that he cares about his master. therefore, he does not want other possible demons to take possession of his human. so yes, Sebastian is (extremely) jealous but only of other demons, because he doesn't give a fuck about other humans lol so i think it would be better defined as marking his territory.

X: X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

i need a big boy, you need a big boy, we need a big boy and fortunately for all of us Sebastian is there for that. he is almost 2 meters and you can't tell me that you expect to that shit to be small. is thick and long, with a sensitive spot on the base ;) you'll probably whine and mewl struggling with it even when it's not fully inside.

Y: Yearning (how high is his sex drive?)

it's complicated to explain... okay he is a demon that can't feel libido by himself since he isn't attracted to humans' body but their souls. but does that stops him to feel pleasure? absolutely not. this man probably won't wants to fuck you himself, you NEED to ask him for it because he is your butler after all. he only follow your orders.

but there are days when his human body wants to make it with you, so he'll insists so you can give him the command. so we can say that is low but when you turn him on he's gonna behave like the playboy he is.

Z: Zzz (how quickly he fall asleep afterwards)

who told you that demons sleep? Sebastian sees that as a luxury. he doesn't need sleep, it's more like you want him to stay by your side hugging you and pretending to sleep, but like almost everything Sebastian does, this also depends on his master's boundaries :)

this is my first time writing something spicy lol so i really doubt i did it well and english isn't my first language but i really hope y'all can like this shit 😭😭 i hope i can bring more mature content about bassy :))

[hqbaby]

twenty-three — real talk

fuck ur instincts — suna x reader & atsumu x reader

you and suna are just fooling around—so why does he care so much when you start falling in love with someone else?

previous — masterlist — next

word count. 1.6k content. swearing, mentions of hazing, mentions of sex

Suna barely remembers most of what happened at the party. It’s a real shame that what he does remember doesn’t look so good—and he definitely remembers what happened with Atsumu.

He avoided his friends all weekend in hopes of: a.) Atsumu forgetting everything he said, b.) possibly getting in a major car accident that renders him completely useless, or c.) postponing the aftermath until training on Tuesday. Try as he might, it seems like the third option is all he’s left with.

For the whole afternoon, Atsumu ignores the whole thing. He sets to Suna, hands him a water bottle, even tells him he played well. It’s like they’re nothing more than best buds, like everything is fine, good even.

“We need to talk.”

Of course all good things have to come to an end.

“Yeah, sure,” Suna says, trying to keep his cool as he follows Atsumu outside of the gym. They stop near the football field, empty save for a couple talking in the stands. “What’s up?”

Atsumu sits down on a bench and sighs. “I know.”

Suna takes the seat beside him and looks away, looks at the sky, the birds, the trees. Everything but Atsumu. “Know what?”

“About what happened between ya and Y/N.”

“Right,” Suna murmurs. “That.”

He feels like bolting. He’s never been one to stick around difficult situations. They just aren’t his thing. He’s pretty sure that’s why things ended up the way they did between the two of you.

“Did she tell you?”

His friend places his hands on the space behind him and leans back, staring straight up. “Yeah,” he says. “She told me that ya slept together. That it started before I even met her.”

Suna swallows thickly. “We stopped before you got together officially.”

“I know, she told me that too.” Atsumu looks at him. “Why’d ya do it?”

“Do what? Sleep with her?”

“No. Why’d you hide her like that? Make her feel like shit?”

The brunette shakes his head, turning to face Atsumu. “I didn’t mean to do—”

“But ya did,” he says firmly. “Everyone knows ya sleep around. For fuck’s sake, everyone sleeps around. What did it matter to ya if people knew about Y/N?”

Suna gapes, searching for the words. He slumps his shoulders and stares at his feet. “I don’t know.”

The twin gives him a knowing look. “But ya do know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ya really love her, don’t ya? Ya just got scared of yer feelings so ya kept her at arm’s length.”

He shakes his head furiously because no, that can’t be it. He’s just an asshole. An asshole who made you feel like you weren’t worthy of care or kindness or love. He’s just a selfish asshole. He never deserved you.

“Come on, Atsumu,” he says. “I don’t love her. You know that.”

Atsumu frowns at him. “Ya don’t need to lie, I already know.”

Suna doesn’t know if he wants to punch Atsumu, hug him, or cry into his shoulder. This is the guy you deserve. This is the guy you should be with. He can see that, everyone can see that. So why can’t he just accept it? Why can’t he just let you be happy?

“Ya need to leave her alone.”

What?

“What?”

“If ya really love her, ya need to leave her alone,” Atsumu says. His face is hard and serious. “Ya gotta let her be happy, Suna. She was never gonna be happy with ya.”

“You can’t just tell me to—”

“She loves me.”

It’s like a punch to the gut. A knife to the chest. A kick to the groin. It makes him ache all over. Atsumu would never lie, Suna knows this, it’s honestly one of the most annoying things about him. If he says you love him, you love him. He wouldn’t make that shit up.

“If ya really love her, leave her be,” Atsumu says. “Ya had yer chance, man.”

Suna clenches his fists. “Did you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“That I love her?”

He looks up to find the blond pursing his lips.

“I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because ya already hurt her enough, Suna! Can’t ya see that?” The boy gets up and looks at him dead in the eye. “Don’t ever tell her ya love her. Don’t make her suffer more than she already has.”

Suna glares at him defiantly. He would stand too, but something in him says he shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve to. “And what if I do?”

A strangled silence passes over the two of them. They’ve gotten in fights before, of course they have. They’ve known each other since highschool, there was bound to be tension eventually. But not like this. Never like this.

Atsumu’s cold eyes reach Suna’s. And he smiles.

“If ya ever hurt her again,” he says slowly, smile morphing into a snarl, “I’ll fuck ya up.”

You try to ignore it, the burning question in the back of your mind. It doesn’t matter, really. It shouldn’t bother you so much.

But it does.

“Fuck,” Yukie says, taking another slice of pizza and nudging the box towards you. “You should eat. Stress isn’t good for your stomach.”

You’re sitting on the hood of Kaori’s car, waiting outside the forest for the new recruits to finish their initiation. You always hated the whole hazing process, but what can you do? It’s tradition.

Kaori chews loudly. “What did Suna tell him exactly?”

“I don’t know!” You groan. “That’s the problem! I just know that he found out and Tooru said he didn’t tell him, so it must’ve been Rin, right?”

Your friends share a look.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Yukie says.

“Yeah, nothing,” Kaori says.

You roll your eyes, nudging Yukie with your shoe. “What?”

She glances over at Kaori who gives her an unconvinced nod. “It’s just.. you still call him Rin.”

“I what?”

“You call him Rin,” she repeats. “You know. Suna. You still call him by his first name.”

“Oh.” You hadn’t realized. “What’s the big deal though? So I call him Rin. It’s still his name.”

“The name you called him when he was fucking you,” Kaori reminds you. “I’m just saying, for someone who’s been in a committed relationship for a few months, you still seem pretty attached to your old fuckbuddy.”

You pull a face. “Don’t call him that.”

“See, that—that right there is problematic,” she says, pointing at you. “I thought you just said you love Atsumu.”

“I do love him,” you say stubbornly. “We’re good for each other.”

“And what about Suna?” Yukie chimes in. “Do you love him?”

You grab a slice of pizza and take a big bite. Your friends look at you like “seriously, dude?” as you hold a finger up, chewing the pizza and washing it down with soda.

“I love Atsumu.”

“Real convincing.”

“I do!”

“But. What. About. Suna?”

“Ri—Suna is irrelevant,” you say. “Not part of the conversation at all.”

“Well, he did tell your boyfriend something about the two of you,” Yukie points out. “I wouldn’t say he’s that irrelevant.”

You finish off your pizza, grimacing as you chew. What did he say? “Yeah. That’s really gonna bug me.”

If she’s being honest, Ayame started this whole thing with Suna because she was bored. Just like every other girl on campus, she thought he was hot and cool and absolutely perfect in the most terrible ways. She wanted something fun and exciting, so when he texted her the first time, she was ready to embark on the most loveless affair of her life.

She wanted to get railed. Plain and simple.

She absolutely did not expect to be involved in his whole lovelorn journey chasing after you, the impossible standard. Unlike most girls, Ayame doesn’t envy you. She doesn’t hate you either. She sees how boys chase after you, how they treat you like some object, how they turn you into a game for their own selfish desires.

She mostly feels bad for you, but she also admires the way you manage to get through it all. Most girls would fold under the pressure, but you don’t.

No wonder Suna—heartbreaker and universal one-night stand—is in love with you. Who wouldn’t be?

She stuck around because she felt sorry for him. She highly doubted that he’d ever get you and she was worried he’d crumble if she left him entirely alone. In highsight, she knows this was probably shitty reasoning. 

Shitty enough to lead her to this messed up conversation she’s having.

“You want to date me?” Ayame asks, raising a brow. “Like be my… boyfriend?”

Suna nods, staring at her blankly from the other side of the table. “Yeah,” he says. “We’ve been hanging out for a while. It seems like a good idea.”

She wants to laugh. She really does. “By ‘hanging out,’ do you mean we fuck and you imagine I’m your crush?”

He glares. “I need to let her go,” he tries to reason. “She’s happy. She’s in love. I don’t—I’ll just fuck things up for her.”

“So you’re using me as a stand-in? Is that it?”

“Don’t be mad, I—”

“I’m not mad,” Ayame tells him. She really isn’t. “I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

He furrows his brows. “Why not?”

“Because!” She lets out an exasperated sigh. Boys are so dumb. “Your solution to letting Y/N go is getting in a relationship with someone you barely know—a relationship that you weren’t even ready for with the girl you literally love.”

“I know you,” Suna insists. He knows how silly he sounds. “Fuck. Do you wanna be my girlfriend or not? It’s a simple yes or no.”

Ayame groans. She really doesn’t have much of a choice now, does she? “Fine,” she says. “I’ll be your girlfriend.”

He smiles at her. “Good,” he says. “Great.”

As he starts eating his dinner, looking a little better than he usually does, Ayame wonders how long it will take for his brilliant plan to backfire. She hopes she gets a few weeks at least.

What can she say? He’s a good fuck.

notes. hi. bye. lol.

[graciereadshannigram]

hey fam, welcome to the March roundup of the best hannigram fics i've read this past month! i read close to 60 fics total, and these were the cream of the crop.

as a reminder: the ingredients for a five star rating typically (but not always!!) include some combination of a.) believable characterizations of both Hannibal and Will, b.) compelling plot and/or character arcs, and c.) high quality smut.

that being said, my judgment of the aforementioned ingredients is powered almost exclusively by vibes and as such, is incredibly subjective.

and if you have any recs of your own for me, PLEASE SHARE.

(Inaugural roundup can be found here)

anyway, in no particular order, let's go!

~

Title: Bones of My Bones (& Flesh of My Flesh) by everyday_forever Word Count: 15,759 Summary: When Will & Hannibal reunite in Italy at last, Will doesn't fear becoming Hannibal. He knows he already is Hannibal. However, Will feels as if he's a derivative of Hannibal, made in Hannibal's image, from Hannibal's own raw material. He doesn't feel like he's Hannibal's natural equal. Will thinks the only way he can forgive Hannibal is by claiming a piece of Hannibal in return, and choosing to make it a part of himself. He has to eat him. And Hannibal is all to happy to let him.

As far as I'm concerned, this IS canon. Truly some of the best canon-compliant characterizations of them that I've read. This is absolutely what would have happened if Will hadn't tried to kill Hannibal after leaving the Uffizi Gallery. It was perfect. And so them. And obviously, mutual cannibalism. *chefs kiss*

Title: Do you feel the hunger, does it howl inside? by merrythoughts and ReallyMissCoffee Word Count: 261,929 Summary: It's been weeks since the Fall. Since Will had leaned against him, the wild scent of blood thick and cloying on the air, and had taken them from the top of the cliffs. And for every second of every day since, Hannibal has been calmly dealing with the fallout of his decision that night: Life over death. Will had intended them to die, had allowed himself a moment of weakness, of desperation. Perhaps the last act of an exhausted soul. Yet Hannibal had denied him.

I am being dead serious when I say that this fic changed my brain chemistry and managed to do something that several years of therapy had not. I wanted this to go on forever (there IS a sequel!) and did my very best to savor it instead of plowing through the entire thing in a single day. Check the author notes if you're unfamiliar with these two writers–the format took me a couple chapters to get used to, but clearly it wasn't a big deal for me.

Title: Sensational by bigfootghostdick Word Count: 39,607 Summary: Franklyn’s obsession with Hannibal Lecter truly knows no bounds. His obsession only grows worse after being fired as Dr.Lecter’s patient. Feeling slighted by Hannibal's rejection, Franklyn follows him home one evening only to stumble upon something that he never expected to see. Who’s that dark-haired man locking lips with Hannibal right outside his front door? Overcome with jealousy, Franklyn decides to seek revenge on his tenth psychiatrist. How? By selling the photos he took of them to Freddie Lounds.

Listen. I love a good jealous!Franklyn, especially when Hanni and Will firmly put him in his place. Sue me.

Title: The Stress-Sex Connection by shotgun_sinner Word Count: 48,090 Summary: When Will gets out of the BSHCI, he resumes therapy with Hannibal Lecter. His stress levels are through the roof, and Hannibal makes an offer that Will doesn't turn down. Hannibal assumes he's going to take Will to bed and make love to a fragile man, shy and delicate. Will enjoys taking Hannibal to bed, and proving him wrong. OR the story where Hannibal is shocked to find out that Will is a profiler in the streets, but a demon in the sheets.

I was sold on the last line of the summary, "Will is a profiler in the streets, but a demon in the sheets" because it actually got a good cackle out of me, and then who would have guessed! Essentially porn with feelings, but I loved.

Title: hold me, kiss me, rip out my tongue by multifandom_fanfic_writer Word Count: 18,005 Summary: Will notices things. He notices a lot of things, can’t turn it off. Some of these things are about Doctor Hannibal Lecter. He watches Hannibal watching him eat. He watches the touch on his elbow lingering, possessive. He watches Hannibal's eyes darken when Will pulls his hair and fucks his throat hard.

Okay, so I'm realizing that a lot of my five star fics this month were pretty smutty, but I make no apologies. That being said, I did find the characterizations of both Will and Hannibal to be very compelling, and it had the added bonus of Will getting to rub it in Alana's face that Hannibal chose him not her.

Title: Ligare by InfiniteCrisis Word Count: 8,280 Summary: Will's never gone down on a man before and is feeling nervous about it. His solution: tie Hannibal up first. Hannibal has no complaints.

Initially shied away from this one because Will essentially drugs Hannibal to knock him out and fuck him for the first time, but I PROMISE Hannibal knew exactly what Will was doing and allowed it. However, if that isn't your thing, this won't be for you.

THAT BEING SAID, my honest reaction after this was, "fuck fuck fuck, dom!Will might be my new favorite." Bonus points for it being the first in a series, and the rest is equally good!

Title: Oboedire, Implorare, Vovere by InfiniteCrisis Word Count: 18,715 Summary: At the end of Ligare, Hannibal said Will should "test" his willingness to submit to him. Will takes him up on that, and the results are more than either of them expected.

As I said, the rest of the series was SO GOOD. This was basically off the charts hot.

Title: To the Devil His Due (His Due is You) by everyday_forever Word Count: 26,3319 Summary: Will Graham is in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, courtesy of one Hannibal Lecter. And Will wants payback. He threatens Hannibal with a reckoning. And then Will has a terrible and wonderful idea- he opts to get back at Hannibal and make him jealous by pursuing a sexual relationship with Dr. Frederick Chilton. Feeling emboldened, Chilton sends the audio recordings of him and Will together to Hannibal to boast of the new development in Will's 'therapy.' Hannibal knows at once Will is the mastermind behind it all. Hannibal is most displeased with his manipulative albeit cunning boy. Chaos ensues. Will continues to manipulate both Chilton and Hannibal in order to make Hannibal jealous. Will has entered into a dance with the Devil after poking Hannibal's beast and Hannibal is eager to teach Will a lesson and remind him who he belongs to...

HEAR ME OUT. Prior to this fic, I had never considered Will/Chilton. Ever. Let alone reading a fic where most of the on paper smut is ChilWill. And yet here we are. Hannibal was just so present through it all, given that Will was only screwing Chilton to get at Hannibal (although, I liked that there was some genuine affection between Chilton and Will, it wasn't completely callous), and it just all combined to be an excellent fic. Sue me.

Title: Trope: Fake Date (Hannigram AU) by TigerPrawn Word Count: 4,207 Summary: Will's possible promotion is relying on his superiors thinking better of him. One way to do that is to take his omega to the upcoming cocktail party. Only problem is, he doesn't have one, having to rely on one sent by an agency. He wasn't quite expecting Doctor Hannibal Lecter.

Fluffy first meeting AU, nothing more nothing less. I just love seeing them happy!! (sometimes, lmao)

~

And that's a wrap on this month! See ya next time!!!

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I think your analysis of the current BRF situation is SPOT ON.

However, as a Brit, I would like to add one further caveat. Whether the Sussexes become working royals is not down to the Sussexes, Charles, the Palace or anyone. It is down to the British public. The ENTIRE job of the British royal family is to bring a sprinkle of royal fairy dust and magic to an event or cause in a neutral, apolitical way that everyone can support. Be it the Duke of Gloucester popping into a local school initiative which is subsequently then reported in the local paper, or a glittering State banquet with many royals and tiaras garnering international headlines, that is what they do. In addition, a very few royals (currently William and Catherine, Charles and Camilla) have enough star power and magic (some combination of their titles and personal charisma - William has enough of both that he can bring people together on a global basis) that they can bring people together and CREATE events and initiatives (Earthshot, the Prince's Trust, the Early Years work, Queen Camilla's Lit Fest etc. etc.) but still it is the event, cause or initiative that is the important thing. Harry used to be in the latter camp, with his involvement and name being vital to creating things like Invictus or Sentebale but he has now thrown most of that goodwill away. Meghan has NEVER understood that she was supposed to be casting a spotlight on others, instead of making things all about her own celebrity (as is happening now with Invictus). Together they have created a Sussex brand that is so damaged and polarising that, rightly or wrongly, they would only bring negative publicity to whatever cause or event they were sent to support and people wouldn't want them there. The royal job only works if most people involved agree that royal attendance is a plus. These two have pissed off at least 75% of the British public. There is no way they can do the job, even if H&M, Charles, William and the Govt wanted them to, until their support is round 40-50% at least. That's why these polls happen. Yes, maybe they could embark on a long term rehabilitation process as has happened with Camilla and to a lesser extent the Edinburghs, but as you rightly point out, they a) don't have the patience b) would hate doing all the boring, small, bread & butter events that would entail c) are not getting any younger or more glamorous d) are being rapidly overtaken by the immense star power of the Wales kids. In fifteen years who would you rather attends your event? Bald Uncle Harry and his ageing sex kitten wife? Or young, beautiful Charlotte, Princess Royal?

Yep. It's the one thing universally understood: people in positions of power are only there by popular support. Doesn't matter whether it's soft power (eg celebrities, royal families, influencers, athletes) or hard power (eg governments, corporations, media).

There are also two ways to get popular support: by public consent (eg votes, likes, follower counts) or by leadership force (eg invasion, coups, control).

It looks like Harry and Meghan understand this, but they actually don't. They see Charles and William blocking their ascent to power via consent of the public, which leaves them no choice but to force their way to the top. It's is exactly what they've done: they're controlling press and media coverage (tell-alls about the horrors of the royal family while making sure there's only positive coverage of them), they've established a rival court, and they're securing allies (WME, Tyler Perry, Jamaica, veterans). All the signs are there: the Sussexes are launching a hostile takeover of the royal family. But where they keep fucking up is by not accounting for the British public.

They think if they just get rid of Charles and William, the public will love them. That's why all previous attempts of hostile takeovers (Oprah, Netflix, Spare) have failed; they don't realize that the British public is completely separate from the royal family.

Which is ironic because that's literally the lesson from Diana - the British public will support the people they like irrespective of what the royal family/monarchy tells them to do.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

The Agreement

kai parker x reader | requested by @chocolatepalacecloudhoagie back when i asked for fluffy prompts bc i was having a hard month

summary: helping kai adjust to a normal life has its ups and downs, but he, of course, always wins in the end.

tags: domesticity, adjusting to normal life, lots of comfort & cuddling, gemini coven lore, minor indirect mention of abortion where kai's being a dick, but he's mostly soft in this fic, bartender!kai, mentions of alcohol, minor bar fight, minor mention of assault, accidental murder, protective!kai, protective!damon, bonnie is kinda mean in this one, damon secretly wants to be friends with kai, angst & fluff ish

word count: ~9.9k

a/n: this is so cheesy and somewhat choppy but bare with me 😅

You, Damon, and Bonnie have made a deal. Neither will kill Kai, as long as you can help the witch settle into a new life in Mystic Falls. Those are the terms made, and boy, are they hard to get. 

“You can’t fix him, Y/N. He’s beyond fucked up,” Bonnie scoffs, “and I don’t want to be partly responsible if I were to make some crazy deal with you that goes wrong.”

“I just want him to try and have a normal life, Bon. He spent twenty years in an abusive household and another twenty years in isolation. He has no idea what normalcy is.”

“By the sound of that, he’s too far gone for you to even try.”

“Just give me a chance to work with him!”

“I don’t even like you being with him! He’s going to hurt you, and I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“I haven’t given him a reason to hurt me, Bon.”

“He doesn’t need a reason. He just does things.”

“Well, in that case, I’ve given him a reason not to hurt me. I’m the only one willing to try and help him adjust.”

“Y/N-”

“I see the point you’re making, Y/N,” Damon interrupts his best friend, “but are you really going to put all this work in for him? Seriously?”

“Yes! I don’t get why you guys are so against this. I’m helping you out; I’m giving you one less person to worry about that could raise hell in this town.”

“He already has-”

“Bonnie, please.”

“It would be easier to just kill him.”

“Bonnie!”

“Look at him! He’s plotting right now! No one is quiet for that long unless they’re plotting something.”

You sigh and turn to follow her gaze. Kai is sitting on a barstool, in the room of the boarding house that’s surrounded by windows, watching snow fall. 

“He’s just observing!”

“Sure he is.”

“And he’s probably trying to tune out this conversation, too. I’d be, if people were talking about me, and two of them wanted to kill me.”

Bonnie gives you a hard glare. 

“Four months,” Damon says suddenly.

“What?”

“You have four months to get him settled.”

“Don’t give me a deadline. It took you longer than four months to stop killing people when you got back to town. And the only reason you did is because Elena finally fell for you. But then every time she dumps you, you kill people again.”

“Thanks for the summary.”

“My point is, I might need longer than four months. I can start with the killing stuff first, teach him he can’t do that, but getting him on his feet might be some work.”

“Easy. Pull the chair out, he’ll figure it out.”

“Damon-”

“I know what you meant. Fine. Six months max. If he’s still (A) killing people, (B) in my house every time I come down for a cup of coffee, or (C) a complete and utter basket-case, by that time, then he’s,” Damon makes the gesture of a throat being slit, “done. No more killing, no more kidnapping, no more terrorizing. Got it?”

“Fine.” You roll your eyes at his insistent face. “Got it.”

“In return, I, nor Bonnie, will kill him unless you take longer or he goes off the rails.”

“You guys do you know you can’t kill him, right? If he dies, so does Jo, so does Liv. Alaric will never speak to you ever again.”

Damon hesitates, but Bonnie already seemed to have an answer to that prepared. “Don’t think I won’t toss him back into 1994, or make a new prison world entirely, if I need to.”

“Bonnie-”

“But if you think you have him under control, you don’t need to worry about that now, do you?”

You sigh, then look over to Kai. He’s still turned towards the window, but you don’t doubt he’s listening. “No, I don’t.” You straighten your posture. “And you won’t need to worry about him, either.”

“Alright, Ms. Confident,” Damon mocks, “guess we have a deal. You have six months to get that weasel somehow adjusted to real life, and we won’t kill him, or throw him in a prison world.”

“Nor will you antagonize him for fun, Damon, which I know you like to do.”

“I do not-”

“Mason Lockwood. John Gilbert. T-”

“Alright! Fine. Bonnie and I will stay out of your way while you work on your little project.”

“I’m going to prove to you he can be good. Just mind your own business while I do it.”

“Fine.”

“Deal?”

“Deal.”

Two minutes later, you gather Kai and hurry out the door.

“Did you hear all that?”

“Yeah. I’m on thin fucking ice.”

“Mhm.” You then grab his arm before he can slip on real ice right outside the boarding house. 

The pair gave you a rather strict set of rules to follow, and Kai’s surprised you didn’t give up on him just hearing the terms. He makes sure to thank you on your way to the Grill, where you’re headed for coffee. He hopes he sounds genuine, but still tends to struggle with that stuff sometimes. You, being the loving person you are, give him a smile and a kiss to the cheek in return. You then walk hand-in-hand to the restaurant, where you plan to carefully explain a few places you’ll help him start. 

Two coffees and a lava cake later, you catch his attention. 

“So, this is a bad example.”

“What do you mean?” He looks up at you, chocolate syrup dripping from the side of his lip. 

You reach out to wipe it off, then lick it off your own finger. Kai then wipes off the rest with his napkin, the little that you missed. He smiles at your lack of hesitancy to reach out to him. 

“It’s like, five o’clock-ish, and our dinner shouldn’t be dessert-”

“This is your influence. I fed myself properly when I was locked up.”

“Oh really?” You ask with a sarcastic tone.

“Yeah, actually, I did. And in fact, the first time I met you, you were in this very same seat, with Caroline, eating a lava cake.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “Fine.”

He smirks at his win. 

“So you cook. You need somewhere to do it.”

“Like?”

“An apartment, maybe?”

“I can just move in with you.”

You bite your lip. You love Kai, but you’ve only been dating for three months. Of course, he’s spent days and slept over before, but it might be too early for the ‘moving in together’ stage. “You could,” you start, “or we could find you an apartment close-by. So you can get a little bit of autonomy, figure things out for yourself. Have a place to get away, if you need.”

“I don’t think I’d need to get away from you,” he chuckles. 

“I certainly hope you won’t, but, I don’t know, I think it’ll be good for you to have your own place. Just for a little while.”

“Do you not want to live with me?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying! I’d love to, but it might be just a little too early for that. And I really think you’d benefit from having your own space. I’ll help pay rent for the first few months. Well, unless you want to go to college? Live in a dorm?”

“At Whitmore?”

“Anywhere.”

“But you live here.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re not in college.”

“No.” You’re not sure where he’s taking this.

“I don’t want to be away from you. I don’t even want to live away from you.”

“You live away from me now.”

“That’s different. At least in the boarding house, there’s people.”

“People who have no qualms about killing you, Kai. What’s this actually about?”

“I don’t want to be alone!” He finally admits. A few people look over from the shout, but you wave them off. “I was alone for eighteen years, I can’t take it anymore!”

“Kai, there are other people in apartments, too.”

“But not in the same room! They’re all in locked doors. I’ve seen plenty of shows. Besides, what if the time away makes you not want to be with me anymore?”

“What?!” You ask, genuinely surprised. 

“You’re the only person that cares about me. What if space apart makes you not?”

“Baby, that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to stop loving you just because you move into an apartment.” You lower your voice, recognizing your conversation has an audience of three old men. “We’re apart now,” you repeat, “and I still love you. A couple minutes apart, even less time than our distance now, isn’t going to change that.”

“I still don’t want to be alone, Y/N.”

“Tell you what… we’ll find you one in the same building that I’m in, maybe even the same floor. We’ll be two minutes apart at most. You can come find me at any time; I’ll give you a key.” You reach out to take his hand. “When we’re dating for longer, we can talk about moving in together, but for now, I really want you to try living on your own. Please? We have to prove to Damon and Bon that you can, or you know what they’ll do. Do it for me, so I can keep you safe, okay?”

Kai bites his lip. “Okay. Same floor.”

“I think the woman across the hall is moving out anyway.”

He nods. 

“Besides, I don’t want you too far from me, either.” You wink. “Who else is going to cook for me?”

He smiles at your first comment, but at the second, pushes your hand playfully. “See, you admit I can cook.”

“Never said you couldn’t!” You pause. “So that’s a definite ‘no’ on the college thing?”

He nods. “First of all, you wouldn’t be there. Second, I don’t care for the college experience that’s so hyped up in movies. Third, I’ve read thousands of books while being locked up. If I wanted to study one thing really intently, I either already have, or I would’ve.”

“Okay then.” Obviously, his mind is made up. “Sounds good.”

You both eat a few more bites of the cake, then he crinkles his nose. “I know you’re gonna say it sooner or later, so I might as well ask now… are you gonna make me get a job?”

The cynical look on his face makes you want to laugh, but you manage to hold it in. “Yep.”

“Crap.”

“It doesn’t have to be something crazy. Hell, you could work here. Be a bartender or something.”

“Do I have to work with people?”

“I thought you just said you want to be around people?”

“Not stupid people, though. Y’know, like the what-you-call-Karen types that would make me want to wring their neck.”

You chuckle. “Baby, that’s a type of person difficult to avoid. Any job is gonna have its fair share of annoying people. Unless you deliver mail, or something.”

“What’s that require?” 

“Valid driver’s license.”

“I have one of those.”

“Valid?”

“Made it myself, but it got me through airport security.”

You sigh. “Can you drive?”

“Yes. Taught myself.”

“Would you pass a test?”

“I don’t know. But I drove BonBon from Mystic Falls to Portland without killing her.”

“Lower your voice when you say stuff like that!” You warn again, waving off a man. 

Kai seems to ignore you. “Though half of that trip, we did fly…”

“You flew a plane?”

“Had eighteen years to learn!”

“Okay. Let’s get off this topic. You spend so much time in this grill, it might be a good place to start. As long as you show up, do your best, and don’t,” you lower your own voice, “spike people’s drinks for fun-”

“I would never!” He fakes offense.

“-I think you’d be good.”

The boy takes a sip of his coffee. “Fine. Just for you, I’ll try it.”

“Great! I’ll talk to Matt.”

“Ugh.”

“And don’t mention that you killed the manager, because they never found out who did that.”

“Noted.”

“And he’s besties with the Sheriff.”

“Great. You don’t want me to work here for an extra set of eyes on me, do you?”

“No, ‘course not. You’re my sole responsibility, I don’t want Matt involved at all. I just think you’d be a good bartender.”

“Okay.”

“And you like it here, so you might be more comfortable here.”

“What are the odds you could work here, too?”

“I have a job.”

“You could quit it and work here.”

“Kai…”

“Fine. Talk to Matt.”

“Okay.” You stand up to find the other boy. “Stay here.” You kiss his head as you pass him, then head to the bar. 

Kai stares into his coffee while you wait by the bar. He likes the Grill, but doesn’t know about working in it. The customers around him are often annoying, and he doubts his ability to remain patient with them. Still, you made a deal to keep him safe, and if his two little prison world friends are going to uphold their end, the two of you have to keep yours. He sighs, then turns to find you. You’ve caught hold of Matt, but as you seem to explain the situation, he rolls his eyes. Kai bites his lip. He has to make this work, for you, even if he doubts his own ability to fit into the world.

As you turn to look at him, he looks away abruptly. A minute later, you return to your seat. 

“How’d it go?”

“He’s gonna give you a chance… on one condition.”

“Which is?”

“If I’ll work here, too.”

The boy’s eyes light up. “Really? I thought you said I should do it myself.”

“Well then scratch that. It’ll be more fun together anyway.”

Kai smiles before growing serious again. “So apartment, job… anything else to cover?”

You’re quiet for a moment. There’s a lot more to cover, but you’ve just tackled two of the biggest factors when it comes to normalcy, and you don’t want to overload the poor boy. So instead of bringing anything else up, you shrug. “We can tackle it later. For now, let’s finish this cake.”

Grateful, he nods. He knows, not only from Bonnie and Damon, that there’s a lot more expected of him than just housing and working. He’s lucky he has someone that understands that. “Okay.”

“Okay,” you reply back. 

*****

For the next couple nights, Kai stays with you until you can secure a room for him in your apartment complex. Turns out Ms. Mary White had moved out just recently - wanted to find a complex with fewer stairs - and Kai would be able to move in by the end of the week. 

Of course, that process doesn’t come without its own issues. A key piece of information required for renting an apartment is proof of one’s identity. When Kai is asked to present his, he stares blankly at your landlord. 

“Uh, I think my father has it in the attic of my childhood home.”

“Well can you call him?”

“He probably burned it,” Kai mutters.

Your landlord’s eyes quickly widen at the same time yours do. Your boyfriend’s blunt honesty is quite fatal for the situation; your landlord does not need to know about his abusive childhood, nor the crimes Kai had committed over twenty years ago. One Google search could quite possibly open a whole can of worms you aren’t ready to contain. 

In the following two seconds after that, you dial Caroline’s number. 

Luckily, the vampire comes to your aid. She compels the man into forgetting both the conversation, and his need for any proof of identity. She seals his spot in the apartment, and simultaneously, in his new life. 

As Caroline then helps the two of you settle in, Kai catches her attention. 

“Why did you help me?”

The blonde faces him. “Well… for one, Y/N cares about you. If she sees good in you, and the ability to change, to be better, then I trust her. Two, I do owe you for helping my mom. She’s healing, slowly, ever since you siphoned the vampire’s blood out of her system, and I never fully thanked you for that. And third… I know someone like you. Someone who came to Mystic Falls, and wrecked absolute havoc, but for some reason, he had a soft spot for me. I was used in all of the plans they would make to distract or ‘neutralize’ him, and with time, it worked. He got better. He’s an ally now. A friend, even.”

“So Y/N is like you, and he’s kinda like me. You see that happening? You can see me getting better?”

“Klaus did.”

Kai swallows. It means a lot to hear someone other than Y/N have faith in him. “Thank you.”

“All I’m saying is prove them wrong. Damon’s an ass sometimes. And remember, he was the villain too, a while back.”

“I heard some stories from them back in the prison world.”

“Well they probably didn’t even cover half the stuff he did. Trust me, Damon has no room to judge.”

Kai nods. 

“Text me if you guys need help with anything else. Kai, good luck. Treat Y/N well.” With a smile, she’s gone. 

“Klaus,” Kai repeats.

“You’re not half as bad as Klaus,” you inform him, “killing-wise, I mean. That thing is a thousand years old and has killed probably five times more people than his age.”

“She said he got better.”

“He did. Still kills, obviously, but he is a friend to us now.”

He nods again, processing the information without replying. 

You spend the rest of the evening settling him in with the little stuff he has. Most of his belongings are clothes, and whatever else is either from 1994 or stolen somewhere along the way. You have some extra furniture in your apartment, and earlier that day, bought him a comforter. It’s enough to live, and he seems fine with it. Besides, you both know he’ll be in your apartment most of the time, anyway. 

*****

A couple days after that, you start your new jobs at The Grill. You’re only part time, considering you’re already a dedicated employee elsewhere, and Matt’s fine with that as long as you “watch him” at least most of the time. The boy is clearly not excited about the reformed serial killer joining his work team, but at the same time, Matt’s not one to turn down anyone looking for a fresh start. 

At first, he keeps Kai in the back, away from people. A smart move while he still adjusts. He’s mostly tasked with filling drink orders and cleaning up, and only after he’s been working in the restaurant environment for a week is he actually allowed to hand people their orders. So far, he’s incident-free, but you can tell Matt is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

His heart almost stops the day he sees Damon enter on a day he has Kai serving drinks.

Matt rushes to the back, trying to find you to take over before the vampire can saunter over to the bar. 

“Bourbon. Neat.” Damon says to no one in particular. 

Kai swallows hard at the sound of the man’s voice, but then stands up to pour him the drink. As he passes the glass to him, Damon’s attention turns from the distant game of billiards to the unidentified bartender. 

“Oh.” He blinks in surprise. “It’s you.”

“Yep, I am working here now.” Kai enunciates every word, still in disbelief that he does. 

“Gotta say I’m shocked. Had any urges to kill anyone yet?”

“No, it’s been mostly tame. There was one lady the other day who was so drunk, she fell out of her chair, but that was more amusing than anything else.”

Damon snorts. Part of him wishes he could have witnessed that, but he’ll be damned if he admits that to Kai. “And her inconsiderate ways didn’t have you tempted to toss a glass at her head? Maybe you are improving.”

Kai bites his tongue. He knows Damon’s just trying to get under his skin, and the bar is too busy for him to react. Besides, one wrong move and the vampire will call off their deal.

Luckily, a heartbeat later, you pop around the corner from the kitchen.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Your little pet served a drink.” He takes a sip. “Ten points to Slytherin for getting my order correct.”

“Be nice, Damon. I’ve never seen you attempt to get a job.”

“Why would I need a job? I’m a vampire, if you haven’t forgotten. I don’t need money, and I don’t need to buy food-”

“Because you just eat people? Right. And you do buy food, let me remind you, and drinks, on a daily basis, which requires money. But since your nephew - whom you killed - was rich, you don’t need to work for anything. So no, you don’t need a job, but if you were born into a less rich family, you’d certainly need to, to support your hobbies.”

“Touché.” 

You shrug. “I’m just sayin’.”

Damon glares at you, sips the rest down in one gulp, then spins the glass back to Kai. “Refill.”

Knowing you’ve won, you give your boyfriend a kiss to the cheek as he pours another glass. You’re halfway back to the kitchen when Damon clears his throat,

“I could report you for PDA.”

“Try me.”

He doesn’t. 

That night, you praise your boyfriend for keeping his cool under the unexpected presence of Damon. Truth be told, you hadn’t even considered the man’s frequency at the restaurant when you spoke out for Kai to work there; you only thought about where he’d be most comfortable. Kai admitted he started pushing buttons, but your interference diffused the situation immediately. You give him a kiss, then snuggle into his chest, legs over his as you sit in his lap. Kai grabs you before you can get too comfortable, turning your cuddling into a make-out session. Unlike his shift at the bar earlier, things escalate pretty quickly. 

*****

Weeks pass of coaxing Kai into a normal life. He’s doing well despite the cards handed to him, and you’re sure to tell him how proud you are each night. There have been a few instances where he’s yelled at customers who’ve yelled at him, and then he had to muster up an apology to them. On two occasions, you’ve traded places with him, seeing either Damon or a crowd of college kids approaching the bar. But though he’s had a few mistakes, he’s received compliments, too. 

One woman, a regular, and very picky about her cocktails, told him she’s impressed with his ability, especially given his age, and that he makes some of the best drinks she’s had. She always leaves a good tip, and has made sure to tell the manager what she said to him. 

Kai only gave a dimpled smile and a polite, “thank you,” and decided not to tell her he’s actually in his forties, and had nothing better to do for eighteen years than craft cocktails. 

“See,” you then said to him, “I knew you’d be a good bartender. I didn’t even know you could make cocktails.”

“I couldn’t tell if she was hitting on me by the end of the night,” is all he replies. 

You scrunch your eyebrows, but then widen your eyes at the fifty percent tip. “Yeah, maybe just a little.”

*****

As much progress as he’s made, he’s not done yet. Kai’s had about three months of getting on his feet, and now he has to address a big issue that both of you have been avoiding. On a calm night neither of you had work, you decide it’s now or never to bring it up. 

So, laying across his lap again, you fiddle with the ring on his finger as a show you’re half-watching runs in the background. Tension builds in your shoulders as you try to form a good question. Within minutes, he can tell something’s up with you. 

“What?”

“I have something to say, but you’re not gonna like it.”

“Spill.”

“So… You’ve fought hard against the fate chosen for you by your father. He didn’t think you were capable of leading the coven, so he cast you out. Made you feel like you were less of a person; of a witch, because of the way you were born.”

“Point?”

“Against all odds, you came out on top. You broke down the barriers, literally and physically, and became the leader. Now,” you pause, “you gotta lead.”

Kai swallows as if he hadn’t anticipated this aspect of his choices. That, or he never expected to get this far, and therefore, never thought about any way he’d do it. “I am,” he finally says.

“How?” 

“I’m alive, aren’t I?”

“You’re telling me your father never had any specific duties he’d have to perform as leader? No responsibilities? No expectations? Nothing?”

“He had to find a wife and have a set of twins.”

“Kai-”

“I know what you mean,” he sighs. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to lead a coven! What the hell do they do? Do I have to feed them? Give them water?”

“They’re not plants, Kai. Th-”

“I know!” He pauses the TV, but luckily doesn’t try to get off the couch. “But I don’t know how I’m supposed to do that myself. I saw my dad do some of it; he’d go to meetings, and set the standards, and was there to congratulate every stupid baby ever born-”

“Kai,” you warn. 

“Sorry. I just… they hate me. How am I supposed to lead them when they hate me, and frankly, I hate them, too.”

“You’re just gonna have to do your best. Don’t do exactly what your father did, but use his leadership as a guideline - whether that's what to do or what to not do, that’s your choice. Try to co-exist with them, and follow whatever rules are absolutely required.”

He bites his cheek. “Will you help me?”

“Of course.” You kiss the side of his face he’s biting to make him let go. “I told you before, I’m always gonna be here for you. If that includes helping you make decisions in regards to your crazy coven, then so be it.”

*****

You’ve never seen anyone from his coven aside from his immediate family, so seeing more of the group that you’d ever anticipated was terrifying, to say the least. The whole plane trip across the country, you’re both having trouble sitting still. As he consumes mini pretzels at an abnormal rate, your tapping foot is probably peeving the passengers around you. Still, he tries his best to prepare you for what den of lions you’re about to face. 

“So… meetings are usually just comprised of “elders” and their wives, plus anybody else deemed important enough to attend, or anyone who has something important to share. The elders are the decision makers, and now that includes my dad - elderly, and a past leader.” You snort at his choice of word, but then remember Kai’s actual age and realize the man probably is elderly. “So he’ll certainly be there. Jakob’s had it out for me since day one. I’m assuming he’s still alive, and he’ll be filled with piss and vinegar to see me in person. Leon’s fine. He carries the siphon gene and hasn’t had children because of it. His great uncle is rotting in a prison world somewhere, and I only know that from reading the journals from when I was in ‘94. Patrice is… unimportant,” he says, not knowing what else to say about her. 

“Jeez… is anyone in your family actually pleasant?”

“My Aunt Maisie.”

“Oh, so one person.”

He nods. “She’s where Jo got ‘Laughlin’ from. You’d think if she was trying to hide from me, she wouldn’t pick the one name I’d immediately recognize.” He doesn’t say anything else on the matter, but there’s clearly more to it. You don’t push. His childhood isn’t something he wants to relive, and going to this meeting is doing exactly that. Instead, you change the topic.

“So I got us a hotel for the night, and a flight back the next morning. Partly because I know you don’t want to be here, and to be honest, I don’t want to be here, either. And, partly, because when you took off yesterday to prepare for this stupid thing, Matt texted and said Jenny missed your cocktails.”

The comment makes him smile. Even though the grill regular definitely flirts with him most nights, he’s come to enjoy her presence. 

“Though I told him you’d need tomorrow night off, too, because this is going to be mentally draining, on top of the plane trip that crosses several time zones. And maybe Saturday, also.”

“Thank you,” he says genuinely, relieved that you understand him in such a way. He leans over to kiss you five seconds before the plane hits turbulence. 

*****

On top of the four elders Kai mentioned, his father included, six others were also in attendance. Three were present when he was a kid, though Kai deemed them of lesser importance - they’d rarely speak, and usually only vote - and three had been elected sometime post-1994. He knows them from biannual gatherings and special occasions, but had never really spoken to them. And that reason is, of course, because he was rarely allowed out of his room for those occasions. 

When he first enters the room and meets their eyes, small chatter fades to complete silence. Breaths are held as they look the boy up and down. They stare at him, then at you, and a little at your clasped hands. One-by-one, they address him, all by his full name, making his eyes twitch. 

Joshua is the last of the elders to greet the new leader, being the most recent to join the council. He looks down disapprovingly before finally spitting a welcome. 

“Where’s A-” Joshua turns on his heels and walks away before Kai can ask the question.

His sister then stands before him. “Aunt Maisie passed away in ‘99.”

Kai’s throat dries. “Why are you here?”

“I’m carrying the next set of twins, of course I’d be here.”

You squeeze his hand, trying to comfort him. He bites back a reply, but you can feel the anger coursing through his body. 

Nothing important happens in the actual meeting. Jakob, as Kai predicted, shouts most of the time at no one in particular. Everyone knows he’s mad at Joshua, though, and you later learn that he originally wanted to kill the siphon boy at a mere eight years old. This time, Kai squeezes your hand to calm you. 

A couple minutes is spent talking about the future of the coven. Patrice points out that although Jo is pregnant, her husband isn’t the leader. Something in her tone hints that the leader’s girlfriend should be the one to be pregnant and to bear the next set, but she’s instantly overridden by everyone shushing her about not wanting to continue the siphon, nor Kai in particular’s, direct bloodline.

In summary, you and Kai flew all the way to Portland just to be annoyed for three hours. That night, you cuddled him on the hotel bed, massaging your hands through his hair. He put up a strong, confident front to prove his ability to lead, but melted the moment you coaxed him into your arms in the privacy of the room. He’s quiet for a long time, and you’re the one that finally breaks the silence. 

“I’m proud of you.” 

His shoulders relax but tone hardens. “Why?” He wants to believe you, but doubts himself so much that he can’t yet. 

“Because you stood up to them by coming here. You’re making an effort to prove your worth to them. Not like you should have to do that, but they’re a bunch of assholes who think you do. But regardless of that, too, it took a lot of strength to face the people who’ve done nothing but cause you pain. You handled both Jo’s and Jakob’s hostility well.”

He exhales, racing mind beginning to ease. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Of course. Thank you for braving this step and showing them you’re more than capable to lead.”

“They’ll never think I am.”

“That doesn’t matter. They have no say in it; you’re already doing it.”

“For twenty-two years. Until whatever is germinating in my sister’s womb pops out.” 

You bite your cheek to keep from laughing. His back rests against your chest, though, and there’s no way he didn’t feel at least a chuckle. “Well then that means we have twenty-two years to figure out something else instead.”

“Pennyroyal tea?”

“No!” You say quickly, unsure if he’s joking or not. “I mean more like, I don’t know, whatever that one woman was saying.”

It takes him a moment, but then his eyes narrow. “You want to have twins?”

“Better me than Jo to have the set that will eventually take over. Even if I’m a couple years behind, they’ll have to accept the current leader’s set over his sister’s, right?”

Kai shrugs, having no idea. It sounds true, given what was hinted before the elder was shushed, but he doesn’t know. Regardless of the answer, he sighs. “You wouldn’t want that kind of tie to my coven.”

“I’m dating you, I kinda already have it.”

“Yeah, but that level of ‘in it’ is something you can’t get out of.”

“I’d do it for you.”

He swears his heart stops. You would marry into his coven and produce a set of in-line twins just for him. Kai is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that you’re dating him, not to mention you’d suffer a coven meeting for him, but to also go that far… just because you love him? He can’t process it.

He wonders… maybe, he misheard you. “Did you say-” When he turns to face you, he realizes you’ve fallen asleep. Your hands remain to hold him, though you’re no longer playing with his hair. He watches your breathing for a moment, still bewildered. At some point, though, his racing mind and tired eyes drive him to exhaustion, and he finally falls asleep in your arms. 

*****

Joshua’s presence at your terminal prevented you from never mentioning the conversation, as you were already late to catch your plane. The salt and pepper haired man had a few last, weak words for his son, as he tried to thank him for attending the meeting, but still shame him for winning the merge at the same time. When he made a spiral hand gesture in search of the right thing to say for the fifth time, you snapped your fingers to speed up the process, and finally then did he spit out something half-meaningful. You got on your plane with two minutes to spare and had, for the time being, completely forgotten about your earlier talk. 

*****

You’re nearing the fifth month mark in your agreement with Damon and Bonnie, but to be honest, you aren’t worried about it one bit. They have no reason to punish Kai; he’s done nothing but make good progress since the deal was made.

That is, until one night at The Mystic Grill goes horribly wrong. 

*****

A rather impatient series of knocks has you opening the door with your eyes rolling. 

“What now?” You swing it open, expecting the pizza man. The last time, the man was so terrified of the neighbor’s dog that was barking, he was quick to hand it over and leave, forgetting his tip in the process. “I promise, the dog isn’t getting out. He’s just-”

Instead, Damon stands on the other side. “What dog? I’m not-”

“No.” You try to close it, but he stops it with his foot. 

“Wait, Y/N.”

“What do you want?”

“Can’t just check up on a friend?”

“I still have time to work with Kai. And for your information, he’s doing great. We don’t need your commentary.”

“I’m just curious.” He tries to look past your shoulder into the room. “Where is the little weasel?” Unfortunately, he spots him on the couch and offers a wave. 

“He has his own place down the hall, we’re just having dinner together. Got a problem with it?”

“Kai Parker has his own apartment? Wow!”

“Shut up, Damon. And why are you really here?”

“Jo told Alaric, who told me, that Kai’s been going to coven meetings lately.”

“Yeah. So?”

“Just seeing if it’s true! So what made him go?”

“He’s the leader; he’s taking up the responsibility. Like a leader does.”

He scoffs. “No influence from you?”

“Of course I’m helping him, but I’m not making decisions for him.”

“Really? This apartment, a job at the grill, being there for his family, that’s not you telling him what to do?”

“If didn’t want to do it, he wouldn’t. I don’t know if you know him, but Kai doesn’t do anything unless he wants to. Sure I’m guiding him, but he has the ultimate say in all of these decisions.”

“Yeah, except if he doesn’t follow the rules, we’re gonna kill him.”

“If you can catch him,” you challenge, “because if Kai decides he doesn’t want this life, I’m prepared to run with him.” You watch Damon’s face before continuing. “But the thing is - he does. He does want to fit in, and he does want his life to have meaning, and he doesn’t want to waste it. Contrary to what you all think, he’s really trying to start something here.” Damon stares at you. “So I’d appreciate it if you’d butt out and go away.”

The man clicks his tongue, but then ultimately leaves. “See you later, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry you had to hear that,” you mutter, joining him on the couch.

“You didn’t mention the guy at the bar.”

“Didn’t seem relevant. Damon makes mistakes, too.”

“What if he finds out?”

“I won’t let him hurt you. You’ve been making such good progress; you’ve been a downright angel most of the time. One bar fight in my defense isn’t going to erase all that.”

“Y/N, I killed him. He’s going to send me back to a prison world. I can’t go back there.”

You take his shoulders gently and pull him down into your lap. “He’s not going to hurt you, Kai. I promise. Rest your little head, okay?”

He nods. “And you’re sure you’ll leave with me if it comes to that?”

After the incident, he had a meltdown, fearing for his life, and almost preparing for Bonnie to burst through the door and send him away. You promised that if she were to come for him, you’d abandon this life and run with him, even if that dissolves the terms of your agreement with the pair. You had then admitted, too, that if Kai decides he doesn’t adapt well to domestic life, even without the incident that had occurred, you’re prepared to leave with him. Damon knowing that little contingency plan probably wasn’t the best, but you doubt the man believes you anyway. 

“Of course. I promise.” You assure him. 

*****

At nearly midnight, one week later, you hear a banging across the hall. After a moment, you poke your head out and see Damon at your door.

“The fuck do you want?”

“I thought this was your door?”

“I’m with Kai.”

“Ooh, in his apartment?”

“Did you think I was lying?”

He shrugs. “A little.”

“What do you want, Damon?”

He comes up to you with a piece of paper in his hand. He reads, “obituary of forty-two year old Patrick Johnson. Died in a bar fight last week. Split his head against the countertop. No arrests have been made,” he looks up, “happened at the grill.”

“So?”

“Sound familiar?”

“No arrests have been made.”

“Well I didn’t do it. Stefan didn’t do it. It could’ve only been Enzo, or your little “reformed” sociopath in there, and I think we both know who’s to blame.” You roll your eyes. “It’s easier to just tell the truth, sweetheart.”

“So what if it was? What are you gonna do? You’re not invited in; you can’t touch him.”

“Just tell me what happened, Y/N.” He makes a push against the boundary, but it doesn’t budge. “Look, Bonnie hasn’t seen this yet. Just tell me, and I can make it go away.”

“Why would you do that?”

“The goodness of my heart?” You snort. “Come on, Y/N.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I can go show this to her then,” he points his thumb in the other direction, “because I can promise you who she’ll point the first finger at, and considering Enzo’s been so busy sticking his nose in my brother’s business lately, odds aren’t in your favor.”

You hesitate. “Fine.”

Kai watches from the couch with bated breath. Damon gives him a little wave as he notices him. “Hello, Malachai.” You glare at the man, who then half-apologizes. “Sorry. Explain.”

 “There was a fight one night when we weren't working. Matt wasn’t working either. Kai had nothing to do with starting the fight, but unfortunately, we were sitting right in the middle of it. We got up to leave, but then some man grabbed me and reached down my shirt, and Kai lost his cool.”

“Details, please.”

“He pushed him into the bar but the man kept fighting back. He spit in Kai’s face and made attempts to pull at his clothes. All the while, yelling all this shit about what he wanted to do to me, screaming profanities. Made comments about other women, too, but when he specified that he had been watching me all night and was waiting for Kai to leave, Kai pushed his head down into the countertop. He still fought. After a couple of blows to the counter, we heard a crack. It wasn’t his fault, Damon, don’t hurt him, please.”

The man stares for a moment, then at Kai. “Y’know… I’m surprised you even made it this far. I had no faith in you.”

“Damon-”

“But, I have to say, I’m impressed by your progress. Y/N here wants you to be better, and clearly you love her enough to be better for her.”

“He’s doing it for himself, too, Damon. All he’s ever wanted is to be accepted, and-”

“Save the speech. I admire the progress you’ve made, and I’d honestly hate for all of Y/N’s hard work to go to waste. Now, Bonnie hasn’t seen this yet, and you’ve toned down your menacing almost one hundred percent, and I can agree that this incident isn’t your fault. So, if you promise not to repeat it, and don’t ever speak a word of this to Bonnie-”

“She doesn’t even talk to me anymore.”

“-we don’t have to let her know it happened. I’ll go Liz, clear your name from it. She can put the blame on someone else or claim it was an accident. Just tell me that you won’t let this happen again.”

Now you’re the one staring at Damon, wide-eyed with surprise. “I-I promise.”

Kai nods, agreeing. “I didn’t mean to get in a fight, and I certainly didn’t mean to kill him. I just couldn’t let it go and he wouldn’t stop.”

“I’d do the same if it were Elena. Hell, I’d do it for Y/N, too. What’s one less douchebag in this world?”

The boy half-smiles. “Hey, Damon?”

“What?”

“If Bonnie does find out, or if she has a suspicion, what do we do?”

He shrugs. “Tell her what you told me. He wouldn’t stop. It was an accident. You were protecting Y/N.” Damon looks at you. “I know you two used to be close, so even if she’s mad about it, she’ll understand. I won’t let her do anything in terms of the agreement, I’ll, as Elijah always says,” he says with a smirk, “keep my word. And hey, you might even win brownie points for defending her.”

“Thank you.”

“Just don’t let it happen again. Next time someone starts shit, call me to compel them away, or call Liz.”

“Okay,” you reply.

“Speaking of compulsion,” he adds, “how’d you get this apartment?” 

You’re quiet for a moment, then admit, “Caroline helped.” He laughs. “Don’t tell Bonnie.”

Damon puts his hands up as if to surrender. “Not a peep.”

“She said I remind her of someone named Klaus,” Kai offers. 

“Ah. Yes! Baby Klaus.”

You shake your head, offended. “Not at all!”

“I’m kidding!”

“You’re a jerk.”

“All kidding, sourpuss. Alright, off to Liz.”

“Thank you again.”

“Hm. Be good.”

The death was ruled an accident the next day. 

*****

Six months on the dot, Damon summons you and Bonnie back to the boarding house to rule if Kai can stay, or if Bonnie can boot him back to a prison world. The boy is nervous, despite you promising him he has nothing to fear. If anything, she should be the one anxious, upset she can’t go through with her little plan to trap him again. 

The two of you show up right on time, and to your surprise, Elena’s the one to open the door. 

“Hi,” she smiles. You two haven’t seen much of each other lately. Bonnie’s been adamant about her friends avoiding both you and The Grill, and many of their nights have been spent at the Scull Bar instead. 

“Hi,” you greet her back. Kai gives her a smile, too, but nervousness twitches at the tip of his lips. 

“I’ve been seeing the other Parker so much, it’s refreshing to see a different one,” she references Liv and her salty-ass attitude. “Hey, Damon’s said you make a mean cocktail. Put it to the test?”

Damon’s been keeping a secret eye on Kai and reporting everything back to his girlfriend. She wants to believe he’s changed, Caroline, too, and asks the question as a small way to test it. When he gives her a more confident smile and steps inside the house, she takes it as a good sign. 

You follow them inside. 

“Y/N!” Damon welcomes, arms open wide. He pulls you into an unexpected hug, but then whispers in your ear, “careful, she’s bitter.” The hug suddenly makes sense, and you thank him for the warning before hugging back. “And where’s the little weasel?”

“In the kitchen with Elena. She wanted a cocktail.”

“Ah. I may have told her he’s built up a little fanbase at The Grill. Jenny the Drunk is no longer his biggest tipper.”

“So I’ve heard. All the milfs want my man.”

“Well, he is closer in age to them than you.”

“Shut up.”

“Y/N,” Bonnie’s voice interrupts your banter. She smiles at you from afar, eyes clouded with mixed emotions. 

“Hi,” you reply with a similar tone. Not cold, but not exactly warm, either. “How’ve you been?”

“Okay. Been studying a lot. Been helping Jo with… I’ve been busy.”

You nod. “She’s close.”

“Yeah. You know?”

“She stopped coming to meetings.”

“Meetings…?”

“Coven meetings. They’re in Portland, so we have to fly, and she’d always be there, too.”

“You’ve been going to coven meetings?”

“Kai’s the leader, he kinda has to.”

She gulps, as if not expecting him to be so productive in the six month time span. Before she can say anything else, though, Caroline comes out of nowhere with a bright yellow cocktail and a bendy straw. 

“Mhm! You have to try these, they’re so good! Who’d think Kai could make such a good tropical drink? I wouldn’t until thirty seconds ago.”

You laugh. “Where’d the bendy straw come from?”

She shrugs. “Found them in the cupboard, probably Damon’s secret stash. Bonnie, you want to try?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She retreats back to the kitchen, promising she’ll bring you one. 

“Did he learn that skill at The Grill? Matt taught him?”

“He learned in the prison world. They only had to train him on the more modern drinks.” She doesn’t answer. “He’s really been trying. Not only trying, but doing really well.”

“What about-”

“Guys, come in here! Damon’s summoning you,” Caroline calls. 

You share one more glance and then follow her voice to the kitchen. 

“Decision-making time,” Damon announces, fighting with his tongue to find his straw. 

“Preferably before we get drunk,” his girlfriend agrees. 

Bonnie looks less than thrilled. “This agreement was made between Y/N, Damon, and I, and only the three of us will actually be making the decision.”

Her slight attitude makes the room silent. 

Caroline’s the first to speak up. “That’s fair, I guess.”

“Thank you, Caroline.” The girl looks back down at her drink. She made input to keep the peace, not to argue on the behalf of one side or the other. “Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“You mentioned Kai’s been going to Gemini meetings. Anything else he’s done?”

“Yeah, well, we started with the apartment, then the job. Felt like The Grill would be a good place since he was a regular, and that he’d be comfortable there. With time, I helped him ease into his coven role, and we go to Portland monthly for meetings. Nothing important ever really happens, they all just argue.”

“You mentioned you’ve seen Jo. She’s around eight months now. That hasn’t been a problem?”

“She wasn’t at the last meeting. Her father said he nor Rick wanted her flying. And no, it hasn’t been a problem.”

“He’s not worried about the next set of twins taking over in twenty years?”

“We’ve discussed it, but no, it’s not a problem.”

“What do you mean ‘discussed it’?”

“That’s actually none of your business, Bonnie. The only people who should be concerned with that are those in the Gemini coven, and considering you’re not, you don’t have the right to ask. And, actually, Jo got pregnant and engaged without even consulting her coven, too, so frankly, that business only belongs to Kai and I.” She blinks, not used to being told off so directly. “We’re not concerned about Jo, nor the twins. Besides, that’s over twenty years away, and not worth worrying over right now.”

“Fine. So he’s adapting well?”

“Yes.”

“Bonnie,” Damon starts, “I know we were skeptical, but I think they’ve proven us wrong-”

“One more thing.” You gulp, knowing exactly where she’s headed. “A couple months ago, I read an article where a local bar fight turned deadly. The man’s death was ruled an accident. Do you know anything about that?”

“That was-”

“And don’t you dare lie to me because we both know-”

“I wasn’t going to lie,” you snap back. “If you’d let me talk, I could explain.”

“Oh, so you do know about it? I want to hear it from him,” she nods to Kai. 

Kai’s nervously chewing his lip. When you give him a gentle tilt of your head, he begins to explain. “Okay, yes, that was me. I was defending Y/N. I-”

“We told you no more killing people. The deal’s-”

“Let him explain, Bonnie,” the vampire interrupts.

“You’re defending him?!”

“Just hear him out first.”

Kai looks to Damon, then back at the girl. “The guy got physical with Y/N. He was yelling all this profane shit about her and grabbed at her shirt. When I got in the middle of them, he started hitting at me, and spitting. Every time I tried to shake him off, he’d come back for more. It was a complete accident; I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“So you did kill him.”

“Did you not hear me? I said it was an accident; he was trying to get to Y/N. I wasn’t going to let him touch her.”

“Think about it, Bonnie. If you were there, you would’ve given him a magical headache, and if his brain burst, oh well! The only difference is that Kai didn’t use magic. If anything, it’s better that he didn’t.”

“I’m sorry, I’m still confused. Why are you defending him? And why do you seem to know about this?!”

“I did know about it, okay? And I’m sorry for not telling you, but this is why. He was defending Y/N and I can’t blame him for that. C’mon, Bon. You’ve always been worried about her getting hurt, but he keeps her safe. It’s crazy, even for me to admit, but he does.”

“So you’re okay with him staying? You’re serious?”

“Look, he hasn’t been bothering us. Hasn’t been bothering Jo. This is the only person he’s killed and it was in Y/N’s defense. He makes great cocktails. Let’s just put this whole thing behind us.”

“Bonnie, I’ve missed your friendship these last couple months, and if you give Kai a chance, you’ll see he’s really put in a lot of effort into building a life here.”

She glares at the both of you, then back at him. She even looks to her friends for support. They shrug. “Fine.” She holds up a finger, “but if he falls back into old ways, he’s gone.”

“Thank you, Bon.”

Kai offers his thanks as well, and a second later, you jump at the feeling of his lips on the back of your neck. He apologizes for startling you, but then wraps his arms around your waist. Bonnie watches, both at how unafraid you are of him, and how in love he is with you. She fights the urge to smile, wanting to keep up her cold exterior for a little longer. 

After some time, plans are made to get together for real. There’s a lot of work to be done in rekindling your friendship, but you’re on the path to getting there. As for her negative feelings about Kai, she’s just going to have to see his change for herself. 

*****

That night, you’re curled in bed together when something suddenly harbors in his mind. He hesitates for a moment, unsure if he wants to bring it up; if you even remember it happening, but then curiosity begins to fester in him. 

“Can we talk about something, Y/N?”

“What’s that?”

“I was reminded earlier, when you were talking about Jo to Bonnie… in the hotel room after the first meeting, did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“What you said about, like, having twins? That you’d do it for me?”

You backtrack your mind several months to that conversation. It happened a little like this one - you holding him, him being a little weary about the day’s events. Ah. “Yes.”

He perks up. “Yes, you remember it, or yes, you meant it?”

“Both. I do remember that conversation. And yes, I would give you a set of twins if you wanted to keep your bloodline in the leadership.”

“Why?”

“Why?” You repeat his question, glancing at him to see if he’s serious. His face is riddled with confusion - definitely serious. “Because I love you. And they might have doubts about you, but I have faith in your ability to lead, and I believe you’d be a good father, too.”

Now he crinkles his nose. “Why?”

“Well the man who raised you barely did at all. He isolated you, and hurt you, and treated you like crap just because you were born differently. And despite that, and despite a few bumps along the way, you’ve proven you’re capable of deep, gentle love. You prove it to me daily, and you’ve proven patience at your job and with Bonnie, and understanding. You’ve managed to survive despite the circumstances you’ve been given, and all those things are traits I know you would teach a child, because you’d do everything to prevent raising them like your father raised you; to make sure they grow up in a loving environment, like one you should’ve been given. And, you’d teach them how to survive in this coven, because unfortunately, as leader, you’re still tied to them, but you would teach them how to remain strong. And even if we ever happen to have twins and they’d need to merge, you’d still make sure their lives are meaningful before it.”

Kai’s quiet for a while. “If we did that, I wouldn’t want it just for the benefit of the coven. It would be out of my love for you, and if we have a desire to have kids. Not like Jo, where it was an accident, but not like my father, who only needed a leader.”

You kiss his head. “I agree.”

“So you would be okay with that? If we did, at some point?”

“Of course. When the time comes for that, we can talk about it more, but yes.”

“Good, because I’m not ready now.” He relaxes, but then stiffens again. “But wait, Jo… if we’re trying to beat her to this, don’t we need to do it now?”

You choose your next words carefully, unsure if they even hold any meaning. “Well… if I’m understanding it correctly, the leader’s twins would be next in line, regardless if there’s another set in the family. So even if Jo’s are, say, nine or ten, if we have a set, wouldn’t they be next in line?”

“But they don’t want to continue my line because of the siphon gene.”

“Yes, but you’re still the leader, so maybe we can argue that when the time comes. Besides, we can’t do anything about it now. She’s eight months and I’m, obviously, not even in the same playing field.” You rub his arm comfortingly, or at least, hoping it’ll bring him comfort in light of your next few words. “Maybe… okay. First off, I don’t think Jo wants to participate in the merge with her future kids. She’s already tried to escape this family once, I doubt she wants her kids brought back in it. So maybe if we have a set, she’ll just let them take over.”

“But she might merge them just to prevent my line from continuing in leadership.”

“Or, she might welcome kids raised by you and I to lead instead, if we can prove to her we can raise good kids,” you half-joke. He nods. “Because as much animosity as she has towards you, I really don’t think she wants her kids following in coven tradition. Even so, if she does merge hers, we can just follow right up with ours and take it back.” Kai lets out a small chuckle. “But even if hers do take the leadership, I don’t think they’ll try to hurt you. By then, you’ll be settled in, and we’re already far away from your father. Jo trusts me, I think, and we can continue to make peace with her. We’ll be okay. You’ll be safe, I promise. As long as you’re with me-”

“-I’m safe.”

“Exactly.” You kiss him. “And if by somehow there’s a huge falling out and the coven does get violent again,” you shrug, “we’ll just become vampires.”

At first he laughs, but then grows serious as the words hit him. “You’d really do that with me? Transition and live forever just to keep them from killing me?”

“Mhm. I would live a thousand lives as long as I have you with me in all of them.”

[sminiac]

Congrats on 400 followers🎉🥳🥳. Could you do a scenario for Piwon and how they would break up with you/ their reaction to realizing that they don’t love you anymore?

💌 — Thank you sm sweets! <3 I loooove writing angst even though I don’t get reqs for it, BUT YES. Was lowkey excited to pull up my feels playlist for this :b

⋆ Y. Keeho

So, so quiet, and diluted. He’s very naive when it comes to loving someone so in the first flicker of insecurity he’s immediately calling it quits in fear of dragging something out that’ll possibly never lead to anything deeper, or getting too attached to a point where it’s unnecessarily difficult and painful.

Curls in on himself more and more in the days leading up to him finally talking to you and when he does it, it’s not the most surprising thing. Hearing him abruptly cut off from his words and backing away from his train of thought because the tears find home in his throat so easily. Seeing him like this is rare, you’re so used to the talking being passed off to one another so seamlessly but he just continues struggling through his sentences no matter how many deep breaths and attempts to compose himself he takes. He really tries to communicate with you, lay everything out, plain and simple, but unfortunately he just can’t, his emotions get the best of him which both you and him know is completely unlike him.

He’s able to explain everything to you at a later date, which is just salt in a fresh wound, but he knows he can’t go on living like nothing that serious happened, especially after leaving you in the dark. Asks if you can meet up for coffee or call or something, is willing to write a handwritten letter if that’s what it takes to get you to hear him out. His reasonings for seeing you again are partly in best interest of himself, but he likes to think it gives you some sense of closure too, or at least a solid placement on your feelings towards him. The conversation goes quite smoothly compared to his first attempt, he even finds himself comparing the two of you now to when you first got together, it’s bittersweet, but he still cares for you so he doesn’t force it away. Holds your hand over the table while reminiscing, sharing old funny stories before parting ways.

Remainder of members under the cut!

⋆ C. Taeyang

Doesn’t realize nor feel the gravity of the circumstances that follow his decision to leave you. In fact, in the beginning he plays with the idea as it sparks to life, figures that the cons probably far outweigh the pros anyways, so why is he really playing along with you? Hes just so busy and caught up in the limelight that he realistically can’t even begin to remember all the details, the good points in your relationship, he’s far too fast to make a concrete resolution for his own absentmindedness, and inevitably it comes back to bite him in the ass.

Very straightforward, although there’s a tenderness to his disposition the more he lets the words flow. The more he talks the more he realizes how absurd this all sounds, and he’s quick to point out any of his faults and ignorance right in front of you. The conversation does nothing but solidify his point, but it also helps him understand just how gracious you are to him, how you’ve always been, and that keeps him on track because he knows that if you were to stay that you wouldn’t be able to find that growth if your own. Sets you free in a way, even if that sounds cringy and silly, he just doesn’t want to keep you to himself- nailed to the ground when you have so much ahead of you in your life, and the life of an idol wasn’t always so easy or kind to exclusivity.

Towards the end he recalls all of the milestones he’s hit with you by his side, behind the camera, always his number 1, reminds you that if you weren’t here he probably wouldn’t have made it this far. He literally counts his blessings whilst calling himself an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

⋆ C. Jiung

The type of ex you can be friends with and be completely platonic with after breaking up let me just say, even if there’s lingering feelings he’s never acting on it or allowing you to either. He’s very quick and precise, as soon as he’s sure, even confident in telling you he’s just not quite in love with you like that anymore then he’s calling you up, telling you to come over. Jiung’s just a very comforting and easy going individual, there’s obviously going to be a palpable sense of sadness in the air but he tries to keep things light instead of saying things to further fuel the tears- it’s kind of silly though, because no matter what he’d unintentionally do just that.

Comes right out and tells you, very straightforward at first,, almost a little too blunt, but he treats the wound with a gentle dressing, reminds you that he does love you, that it’s been there for days and days, that he’s walked with it, ate with it, sang with it, that his love for you won’t just disappear in the matter of seconds because of a change of labels.

Tells you that he understands if distance is what you want, that he won’t overstep or prod if that’s not what you’re comfortable with, so dedicated that he’d make sure any mutual friends don’t speak of him to you if the topic is much too sore to touch on. But! If your boundaries don’t come with a secure extent then he’ll merely act as a friend, not one you’d go to for every rant or life experience, but one that’s there whenever you need him to be. He’d still reach out to congratulate you on every achievement, milestone, every significant date too with a fitting paragraph in thorough detail about whatever it is he’s messaging you abou :,)

⋆ H. Intak

Terribly bitter. Becomes so self deprecating and the jabs at himself are sharp, like- would actually make himself miserable about losing feelings for you. Tries to ignore it, initially he doesn’t even want to acknowledge it, but the longer he lets it sit and fester the more it mercilessly eats away at him. Takes the time to sit and talk with Keeho, sorting his thoughts and tackling the much tougher questions he couldn’t bring himself to face alone, I think he wouldn’t come to the conclusion of breaking up with you himself, it would definitely have to come from someone. The situation doesn’t feel that weighty, or lucid until someone like Keeho is telling him that it’s the only option he has.

“I’m sorry” is said quite a lot when he has the time alone with you, his eyes already bloodshot around the edges and his lips swollen. The time passes by fairly quick in retrospect, but in the moment it feels like it just drags and drags.

Intak genuinely can’t bring himself to touch you or get so close to because he knows that’s when the tears will start again and there will absolutely be no consoling him to get them to stop. Maybe you’ll think of him as being one for dramatics, but he’s just such a lover that it’s crushing to even reach this point that he’s absolutely torn on your behalf. Only makes contact with you for the last time when you’re saying your last goodbyes, your personal belongings back in your care and his shoved into a corner in his room because he physically can’t take them out and sort through it. The hug only lasts for so long before he’s letting you go, choking out a goodbye with a forced smile. He just hopes you can’t see the tears building against his lower lid.

⋆ H. Shota

Soul knows you probably wouldn’t understand, but he tries to wait it out, the feeling of doubt every time he questions himself about loving you. He realized as the days past he grew more and more uncaring about what you were doing, who you were with, he found himself eager to end calls and to be left alone, purposely ignoring any questions his members had about how you were, when they’d see you again.

As soon as he stopped questioning why you didn’t text him or call, how he wasn’t repulsed by the thought of you loving someone else the way you love him, that it was time he broke things off. He deals with his emotions quite simply, chronologically, uses his brain more than his heart because then things are strategical and easy, but things weren’t quite as painless as he expected when finally confessing to you that he wanted to break up.

He knows the tears will come, the resentment, he hates the thought of you ever thinking about him with only a sour taste in your mouth and a shell of his current self kept frozen in your memory, he wants you to know the future him, the bad and the good, but it’s an incredibly selfish thing to ask of you, to stay even if he no longer loves you romantically, it leads to his emotions doubling in size, making his own tears unceasing as he holds you, scared that once he lets go you’ll disappear forever, completely. He goes through with it of course, despite his fears and insurmountable worry, he knows better than to ask you to stay.

⋆ K. Jongseob

Seob Is fairly well acquainted with the ‘you’re so mature for your age’ approach when being complimented on his sterling dedication and drive that keeps him moving forward in the music industry, because, well duh? But the good aspect of knowing how he handles early adulthood gets a little too into his head, therefore he lacks the emotional intelligence to navigate through his feelings when it comes to a point where he’s questioning himself and your relationship because he just doesn’t have the time at his disposal to face it.

He tries to work on himself at first, his doubt, the lack of security you have in place of his side— like a sample track he’s not confident or content with, he tries and tries to make it better, and that’s inevitably the downfall of his efforts, it’s the fact he has to try to keep loving you to begin with.

He’d like to think that he redeems himself by being an open book with you when he sits you down, pouring out all of his bottled thoughts and feeling, but the crushing truth does nothing but keep your aversion to his lack of self understanding stagnant. He’s soft when telling you that the two of you should break up, gentle, because he can’t bring himself to fathom the betrayal you probably feel now knowing how he’s felt under the layers of his forced affection and uninterested feelings.

[konigbabe]

NSFW alphabet with Keegan P. Russ

Pairing: Keegan Russ x fem!reader

Word count: 3.5k

Tags/Warnings: smut/nsfw; canon compliant; explicit language; praise kink; mirror sex; rough sex; p-in-v sex; canon spoilers; light dom/sub undertones; light BDSM; oral sex; aftercare; teasing; sex toys

A/N: This is essentially my own interpretation of what Keegan Russ' NSFW alphabet would look like. | source |

masterlist • faq • AO3 • ko-fi

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Aftercare and Keegan go hand in hand; he’s very gentle with you—with the scares of war, roughness of the battlefield, all he craves when around you is just to be present, enjoying the quiet moments you share following the post-orgasmic bliss, his hands caressing your arms, the skin of your hips, the curve of your spine; a content sigh leaving his kiss-bruised lips still glistening with your juices as he rests his head on top of yours. His heartbeat strong and steady, allowing your heart to sync with his and calm down.

Keegan’s also someone who always has a glass of water by his bed for multiple purposes—not only to give it to you to cool your heated body after he’s done absolutely savaging you but to calm down his racing heartbeat from the nightmares he still dreams about, especially after everything that happened with the Walker brothers…

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Your thighs; he’s absolutely addicted to the feel of them on his palms, around his hips with your heels digging into his lower back. Keegan would always swallow your moans, inhaling you in as he grounds himself deeper into you. Harder. One of his hands would rest comfortably on the apex of your thigh, drawing tantalizing circles on your flesh—feeling the muscles underneath tremble as he hits that sweet spot deep inside you, the one that makes you say his name as a prayer, as a plea. A mantra for more.

For you, it’s his eyes; he’s quiet, reserved. Reticent…but his eyes, they speak volumes. It took you some time to understand his silent language. It started off innocent enough—he’d give you a look on a mission, telling you to follow him, to stay behind him, to stay safe. Then as you grew closer, as you conquered the walls around him, you’d see the commanding aura surrounding him. He likes control; he’d let you taciturnly know—his eyes would tell you everything Keegan demanded; to be a good girl for him, to open your legs wider, get on your knees, hands over your head; he wouldn’t have to say a word yet you’d always know and more than happily obliged his desires. His gaze would hold you captive, and you could tell he was savoring the moment and the pleasure he was getting out of it as much as you were.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum)

Keegan’s a slight clean freak; it comes from his line of work and spills over to the sex as well. Rarely he’d allow himself to cum on your body—even though he always dreams about you, drenched in his own juices, on your knees for him, his seed spilling from your open mouth, piercing eyes drowning in the view of you so compliant. Swallowing him. Savoring the taste of him, sweet and subsaline.

But there’s nothing like cumming inside you. The tight clench of your walls, urging him to finally let go. Your moans symphony to his ears, eyes locked with yours—pupils dilated, the darkness taking over the ocean blue of his irises—hips grounding into you, claiming you for his own. The way you feel wrapped around him, drawing him in with an irresistible force….yeah, there’s no better feeling than the way your body reacts to his seed inside.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

There was one time when you got taken hostage by the Federation soldiers; Keegan still vividly remembers the way he felt, how worried he was, slipping occasionally, focus faltering as he and the rest of the team breached the compound in hopes to find you—well and alive. He wasn’t very keen on the feeling; he did care about you and always will but never would he thought that your kidnapping would mess his head that much.

He’ll never admit it but it was the moment he found you. Killed the guard, Logan and Hesh behind him as he bashed the door open and saw you—sitting on a chair, legs spread and each ankle tied up to a separate chair leg, a rope securing your stomach to the back post with your arms tied behind your back; you were well and alive, Keegan thanked the God, but it was the way that compromising position pushed up your chest, your prominent curves on display…and he liked the view—for a split second before realizing the reality of the whole situation but yes…seeing you all tied up and gagged ignited a spark of arousal within him that he knew he'd explore later on, when both of you were alone.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Keegan knows exactly what he's doing. He's never been into flings or one-night stands, preferring to explore his own desires and pleasure with steady partners. That stableness has allowed him to build upon his knowledge and now he's ready to share his expertise with you. His touch is confident, each caress igniting a fire in you that starts as a gentle flicker and builds to a roaring blaze with his lips tantalizing yours, exploring and teasing as you writhe underneath him, on top of him, completely at his mercy.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying…)

He likes you underneath him, facing him; and not only in bed. Let it be against the wall, ankles on top of his shoulders, legs against your chest as he sinks deep inside your sensitive walls, the position allowing you to feel the spongy head of his cock kissing your cervix. He likes to watch you, to truly see the bliss on your face, to feel you clench around him, to see you fold so easily in his grasp.

There are also days where he lets you on top—hands squeezing your thighs, fingertips caressing the curve of your ass as you stay on all fours over his lying form, one arm supporting your weight next to his head, the other delicately tracing the contours of his chest, the hard edges of his torso while you sink lazily on his cock, deliberately and leisurely bathing in the bliss of been filled by the man underneath you, eliciting soft moans and groans from him with your nails scratching his breastplate, running over the jagged skin there…

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Keegan doesn’t joke around; not outside the bedroom or inside. He’s more of a sarcastic type of person with those he cares about—but when it comes to pleasure and passion, he’s all about the business. There might be a moment or two where he says something laced with satire, where he teases you, tantalizing you and it’s no secret that you do live for those moments—to see him so relaxed, so endorsed in the intimacy of the two of you that he just lets go of everything.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Keegan has always been an unconventional man, and that extends to his grooming habits. He rarely finds the time to devote to meticulous styling, instead preferring to focus his energy elsewhere. But one area he does make sure to attend to is his facial hair. He knows how uncomfortable it can be to wear a mask over the stubble, let alone a full beard, so he takes time to make sure it's well taken care of.

That doesn’t necessarily translate to other areas of his body—he has a nice, thicker happy trail; one that you just love letting your fingertips trail along, even when you’re just lying on his chest, in your shared bed, snuggled together and about to fall asleep. It calms you, a perfect lullaby.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Keegan’s someone who always enjoys the close intimate moments between you two—even if not confirming it verbally, his body language betrays him every time. He’s gentle and loving, worshipping your body with slow and sensuous movements. Kissing and nipping at your skin, at the flesh of your shoulder, extending the gentle assault onto your neck as he slides into you, filling you to the brim; caressing your skin, murmuring sweet nothings and telling you how beautiful you are, how well you’re taking him…

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He’s a grown man with needs, especially when he was still alone, he’d get it over with pretty quickly; finding the whole act to be his own way of relaxation and release of all the built-up tension he'd been holding inside, not really something he’d indulge in. Nowadays, Keegan doesn’t have these needs that often.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Keegan definitely is way filthier and kinkier than most people have him for;

There’s the praise kink; Keegan’s not someone who talks that much during sex. He can do dirty talk and fuck he does that good—but when he opens his mouth, in those sacred moments, he always makes sure to let you know how good you are, how pretty you look and sound. Also, the sound of your moans, calling out his name and babbling about how good he makes you feel gives him an incomparable rush of pleasure.

He’s certainly fond of fucking you in front of mirrors (as explored in lose composure); having you bend over a drawer, rutting into you with his eyes staring you down in the mirror, gaze fixated on the way your eyes focus on the way his cock sinks into your walls, coated in your juices, glistening and so red and angry as he pounds you into complete submission.

There is a whole side of Keegan to explore and you are adamant about finding out more about his little secrets...

L = Location (Favourite places to do the deed)

Keegan is fine with anywhere you’re game to do it. Of course he prefers the bedroom; it used to be standard for him before ODIN fell—ever since the Federation war and ever since you, he changed his tactics a little, twisted them to your own desires; because when on a mission, there’s no guarantee you’ll return to the comfort of your own bed so when the two of you feel the need to fuck each other’s brains out and are all for it, he really doesn’t mind having you against some old rusty wall in a questionable basement with the rest of the team somewhere in the same building.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

You. Everything about you; everything you do. But especially when you’re in your game—he’s seen you shoot a guard with his own rifle and it was you, shamelessly showing off before his eyes that turned him on that time. He’ll watch you with passionate admiration and then lead you somewhere private to show you just how much he admires you. The thought that someone so gorgeous and strong-headed as you chose to be with him feels more than appetizing.

N = No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

Keegan will never agree to degradation or anything to do with weaponry inside the bedroom; he’s rough, can be very demanding and fierce sometimes (but always tentative to your needs)—pushing your head into the pillows, fingers gripping your hair harshly as he grounds himself inside you, one hand guiding your hips to meet him halfway as you feel the moans getting caught in the soft material of the mattress; he’d growl into your ear to just take it. He lives for when you leave marks on his skin, crescent bruises from your nails digging too deep into his muscles, sometimes even drawing blood, bite marks on his shoulder from trying to keep quiet as he pounds into you right next door to Merrick….but he’ll never be okay with making you bleed.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Keegan never says no to a blowjob; he rather relishes in it when you go down on your knees for him, but his real passion lies in giving you the pleasure his mouth and fingers can bring you. Your taste, smell, the way you react—it’s something that shifts him into a state of euphoria. For him, it’s an opportunity to show you just how devoted he can be; it’s also oddly comforting for him, with your legs squeezing his head, locking him in place, he’s content at that time with his own pleasure just secondary to yours…

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

More than rough and fast, Keegan likes to take his time. He’ll take every minute he has with you and draw them out, make you come twice before he even lets you get your hands on him. And even then, when you beg him to finally be inside you, he’ll deliberately take it slow. Tantalizing you, punishing you as if you’ve been bad even when that isn’t the truth. It frustrates you, the way he sets a slow, sensual pace and barely pulls out of you, preferring to stay deep inside and rock against you and feel every slight tensing and releasing of your inner muscles. He’ll take advantage of every second you have together.

However, there are days when you both want nothing more than tear each other apart; those days end with him ravishing you wherever you are, taking you against the wall without bothering to take off anything, not even his gloves and mask. And sometimes it’s you who does that to him—goading him into fucking you hard and deep; or you’ll push him down on the ground (or on a chair) and just ride him, use him (until he comes, sometimes too fast because you drive him fucking insane with your wild demeanor).

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

Keegan, as mentioned before, prefers to take his sweet time with you. However, if the options are quickie or nothing, you know he’ll never decline that offer. Sometimes it’s when you feel too needy in the morning as he’s about to leave; you’ll wrap your venomous fingers around his wrist, still naked in his sheets with him fully dressed, mask in his hand, just reaching for his gun on the night table when you stop him—ask him to stay a little longer. Initially, he’d decline so you’d turn to begging, pleading and when that fails (that man is strongwilled sometimes, stubborn even), you just tug at his wrist with all your strength, making him lose stability and fall right on top of you, make him give into you, even if he was already meant to be sitting in the briefing room (but let’s be honest; he’s much happier buried inside your soft slick walls, hearing you moan his name rather than sitting on a chair surrounded by the rest of Ghosts).

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Keegan’s line between experimenting and taking risks is pretty thin; he’s keen on experimentation—even before the fall of ODIN, he lived by the “try everything once” phase and is still game when it comes to your love life. It’s your suggestions that mostly reveal his hidden desires. He wasn’t someone who experimented often but with you and how open you are to try new things; it allows him to find himself as well (and make him fucking fall in love with you even more, not that he might admit it to you anytime soon though).

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He’s someone who may not be able to last more than one, maybe two rounds (especially with how physically tiring his job can get) but this man knows how to make it count. He’ll be tantalizingly slow, leisured thrusts, sometimes just staying seating inside, shifting and grounding his hips without pulling out—drawing multiple orgasms out of you until you’re so spend that even your moans became barely audible, throat painfully dry, muscles relaxed to the point it feels like someone injected you with epidural, yet he won’t stop, drowning in the bliss your body gives him.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

For himself? No.

To use on you? Maybe—it’s kind of an apocalypse after all and people have other things on minds than trying to get their hands on sex toys. But he might have brought you something he found on one of the regular raids; it took some serious deep cleaning to make sure everything was sterile and safe for use. After that? This man is unstoppable with it; after he reaches his own climax, he’s all game to continue working your body to another blissful release with that toy.

U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Keegan is undoubtedly a teaser; slowly picking up on the ways to tease you based on the way you tease him (an eye for an eye). You have a knack for knowing exactly how to make him ache: eating fruit in front of him and lick each sweet drop of juice off your fingers; your body brushing against his as you lean in close when you’re in public; you give him glances through your lashes because you know that a certain type of look makes him go hard.

He slowly picks up on what makes you do the same. The first time he put his hand on you in public (and not on a mission) with casual ease, you nearly jumped out of your skin; talking to your superior with the Ghosts around you, his hand resting on the lower of your back, the curve on top of your ass because he knew no one was able to see it, his fingers drew circles on the material of your shirt, making you stumble over your words, drawing looks from the Walkers and Merrick, all way too oblivious to the way Keegan’s fingers slipped into your jeans, just knuckle deep but still touching the naked flesh of your lower back.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He’s a moaner; quiet but full of emotion, keeping it contained within himself so that only are able to hear him. Keegan’s not one to be loud which isn’t really surprising, yet he’s vocal in other ways—gentle grunts, suppressed groans and muffled moans. The more he loses the ability to express himself with words, and as his pleasure intensifies, his moans become more impassioned and fervent, until he's completely overwhelmed with pleasure and can only express himself with a deafening cry of bliss.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Keegan can’t stop thinking about that time he found you bound as a hostage. He doesn’t really want to bring it up because it was after all a traumatizing moment for you; yet his imagination runs wild with the fantasy of seeing you laid out before him, helpless and vulnerable, blindfolded and restrained; laying bare on his bed— not able to move as he devours you like a man-starved beast. The thought of your hands bound above your head, unable to move, only fuels his hunger for you further. He can't help but imagine just how exquisite it would feel to be able to fuck into you in such a vulnerable state.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

Keegan’s more on the girth side rather than length; still, he’s big enough to make you feel the stretch when he slides into you. Tantalizingly thick, he always leaves you craving more, filling you up completely, sending waves of electricity through you with each roll of his hips.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

His desire for you is as high as yours, if not higher. Keegan’s someone who not only is more than capable of fucking you before going to sleep but waking up and be ready to do it all over again. His sex drive is a combination of biology and psychology; one part of him completely succumbs to his desire whenever you’re around (or just on his mind) and the other is worry—he worries that this, what you to have going on, is not permanent given the nature of your lives. This fear of his only serves to strengthen his passion, and make him even more eager to please you.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

In accordance with the previous statements, he mostly takes his time; he likes to watch you drift into that blissful slumber, so spent and tired to not even bother to dress up. It lets him savor the moments between you even more. Keegan will sometimes put his shirt on you while you’re already fast asleep—he’ll move slowly and with precision so he won’t wake you up, caressing your body with his fingertips as he slips his shirt over you, taking in the sight of your bare skin against the used fabric. He loves to linger, taking in your beauty and the tranquillity of the night, before finally letting himself drift off in peaceful repose.

[crazyk-imagine]

Plan E?

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Plus size!reader Characters: Dean Winchester, Plus size!reader, Baby Warnings: Dean doesn’t follow plans, never doubt reader’s plans, Dean is a baby, reader likes to expose Dean’s “secrets” Word Count: 683

*This is seriously crack. I have no idea what was going on in my head when I wrote this, but I don’t regret it. Enjoy!

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“Are they gone?” You ask, back pressed against the wall beside the doorway, not wanting to move in any way in case the cops do happen to peek inside. 

“You don’t want to comprehend yourself but me, getting arrested, you’re okay with? How does that work exactly?” 

“Well, you’re cute-” 

“No, no. I am adorable.” 

“Yes,” you nod, “yes, you’re adorable. You’ll be able to make friends and escape easier than I could.” 

“You think I’d become somebody’s bitch, don’t you?” 

The silence speaks volumes. 

“Wow. I see how it is… if anything you’d become someone’s bitch before I would.” 

“No,” you shake your head, “no I wouldn’t.” 

“No you wouldn’t.” 

“Back to plan E-” 

Dean glances over at you. “Plan E? What’s plan E?” He asks. 

“Oh- uh- let’s see,” you pull out your notebook you used from when you and Dean had to pretend to be the “feds” earlier. “B, was to pretend to be friends from school who lost contact and there was a lot of sexual tension between us.” 

He smirks. 

“And I only did that because whenever we’re on the verge of becoming caught, you with your soft lips come over and viciously attack me.” 

He smirks, “so, you do like it when I do that? You know, I always knew you had a thing for me.” 

You guffaw, “I do not. How dare you say such a thing.” Before he could get another word in, you start talking about the other plans. “Then we have C, where we to try and become bartenders because,” you lift your head to look at him. 

He avoids your gaze, understanding that you’re hinting to himself whenever you guys go out for drinks, and he winds up confessing about whatever is on his mind that day. 

“You know, drunks like to confess more than a sober person.” 

You flip the page, “D, involved really bad costumes. E, you fake an allergic reaction, and we knock em out. I figure E, was our best bet.” 

“Was there an F?” 

“Yeah, but that one’s not as nice. I die and I’m not ready to make that kind of commitment.” 

He nods, “good. I’m not ready to lose you anyway.” 

“Aw, is the bad ass older brother actually a big teddy bear.” 

“Shut up.” 

The door of the antique shop chimes. 

“Allergic reaction remember.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

-

The plan would have gone smoother had Dean actually known what to do but at least you two were able to get away before they could arrest you. 

“Are you happy?” You ask, slamming the door closed. 

“Hey, hey. Don’t take it out on baby.” 

“Maybe baby is kinky and likes it.” 

“No,” he shakes his head. “No, she definitely doesn’t.” 

“How would you know, Deanold.” 

His face scrunched up in disgust. “Deanold? Is that what you honestly think my name is short for?” 

You shake your head, “no but you pissed me off. We were so close. So close.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, princess that your stupid plan E didn’t work. What did you expect me to do. I don’t know how to fake an allergic reaction.” 

“It’s as easy as when a woman-” 

“DON’T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!” 

“Fakes-” 

“No.” 

“Her-” 

“I’m begging you.” 

“Or-” 

The car comes to a jerking stop. Your hand on the dashboard. “What the hell-” 

He pulls you closer and smashes his lips onto yours, mingling your hot breaths until he pulls away to breath. “You still want to finish that sentence?” Dean stares at you with his raised brow, something you never thought you’d find hot before. 

“If it makes you feel better, I’ve never faked any with you.” 

“Yeah?” 

You nod. 

“Care to test out that theory?” 

You turn towards the dashboard. “Baby, I’ll take care of your therapy.” 

“Why are you talking to the car like it’s a child?” 

“Baby is your baby and I want her to know that I’m not mean like you and fool around with whatever tramp you found that night.” 

“You make me sound like a man whore.” 

“You said it not me.”

[everydayyoulovemeless]

…arcade nsfw alphabet please

Arcade NSFW Alphabet

➼ Word Count » 1.1k ➼ Warnings » Bondage, Semi-Public Sex, MDNI ➼ Genre » Romantic, NSFW

A - Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Arcade likes to service others, so when you're both done, he'll help clean you off before wrapping you in his Follower's coat and sitting beside you. This is probably his favorite part of the entire thing. It makes him happy to know he has someone to confide in or to simply be beside. It's comforting, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

B - Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves your hands. He feels himself getting flustered anytime your fingers run along his shoulders or tangle themselves in his hair. When it comes to himself, though, he doesn't really have a favorite part. It's just whatever you seem to like most about him.

C - Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He doesn't care where either of you cum. Just talk to him beforehand, and he'll be down to do whatever. Just don't do it on his clothes. He can't think of many situations where that would be a problem, but just in case, he'd love it if you didn't do that.

D - Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He wouldn't mind fucking in public at all. Now, it'd have to be in a considerably safe and non-irradiated area (the followers' camp), but besides that, he wouldn't mind.

E - Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

It's been a while since the last guy he's been with, so he knows what to expect but is a bit rusty when it comes down to it.

F - Favorite position (this goes without saying)

I see him being in the bottom/submissive positions for missionary and doggy style a lot. He's fine with whatever, but those are his two go-to's.

G - Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He likes to be snarky and tease you, saying something like, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" But he's one of the most easily flustered people when you get him in a position like this. It's not hard to keep him quiet.

H - Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

His hair is short and a lot more gray in color. He keeps himself very well groomed as his physical health is something he deems to be important. Especially considering the fact he's a doctor.

I - Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Arcade only ever gets embarrassed when you plan something romantic for him. He'll still shoot quips your way, but it'll be with a slight stutter. It's not often something this nice happens to him, so he feels awkward whenever you plan something romantic for him.

J - Jack Off (masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't jerk himself off that often. If he's particularly stressed, he might, but there are better, more sanitary ways to let off steam.

K - Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Semi-Public Sex, Bondage, Submission, Overstimulation, Anal (kinda self-explanatory, but I felt like I should add it).

L - Location (favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere with a bed.

M - Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You could help someone out and he'd be turned on. He finds it hot when he can see himself being with someone for the rest of his life, so when he sees you make a kind gesture solely of your own volition, he can't help but flirt with you a bit and see where you'd take it. You're dreadfully interesting to him and, as long as you're being authentic, he'll be a mess of a man.

N - No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Dirty talk. Bro would rather kill himself than talk dirty to you. The quickest way he gets turned off is when he tries to say something hot. It just makes him cringe. Please don't ask him to do that.

O - Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Giving. He likes being able to... help people out. And what better way to do that than this?

P - Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He prefers a more sensual pace. As smart as he is, he can't help but be a bit sappy at times, and he thinks these parts are just a lot more romantic. Although, you wouldn't have to try hard to convince him to try something more rough.

Q - Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He doesn't really have an opinion. Not his favorite, but he wouldn't say no.

R - Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Kinda? He's willing to try out a lot as long as there's no risk of permanent harm. Run it by him, talk it out. He's down for a lot more than some might think.

S - Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He likes being overstimulated, so as many as you think there should be. Tie him down and make him cum as many times as you want. He's fully at your disposal.

T - Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

No, he prefers the more natural way. Toys kinda freak him out, and he wouldn't ever trust a sex toy from Freeside. Or Vegas for that matter. Too many health risks that could occur.

U - Unfair (how much they like to tease)

A lot. Arcade loves teasing. Just remember he's a sub. Tug his hair a bit and he'll lose all control.

V - Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He's like the middle ground of loud. If you're doing it in public you'll have to put your hand over his mouth, but if you got a room it shouldn't be a problem.

W - Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

If the two of you talked about it beforehand, he wouldn't mind trying aphrodisiacs with you.

X - X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

He's pretty average, like 5 inches.

Y - Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Average. He likes to build up to sex rather than do it every other night. And he's in his mid-30s.

Z -Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He likes lying beside you and just talking with you before he falls asleep. This kinda ties back to the aftercare headcannon. He just likes being around you in these moments.

[dyaz-stories]

there was one prize I’d cheat to win || Eddie Munson x Reader

word count: 2.5k

warnings & tags: pretty heavy make out session, they’re in a public place but no one’s there, reader has major insecurities about being inexperienced, general anxious thoughts, references to past shitty treatment by guys, eddie swears a lot.

a/n: big thanks to the people who liked my previous one-shot on Eddie! this one is technically in the same ‘series’ and has the same OC, but they can be read independently. i hope you enjoy it! will i manage to quote the entirety of willow by taylor in the titles of this series? stay tuned to find out

You should have known exactly how this would turn out when Eddie, deadly bored one evening, as you were desperately to get his attention back to the things you were supposed to be tutoring him on, had seemed to jolt back to life, giving you a piercing look.

“What would you do if I got a C on that exam?”

You’d blinked at him.

“What do you mean, what would I do?”

“What would I get? What’s my reward?”

A silence.

“…the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done a good job and a better chance at graduating this year?”

He shook his head, but, to be fair, you knew that would never work on him. There was a somewhat crazed glint in his eyes when they met yours, and, for some reason, you found yourself holding your breath. It was almost embarrassing how strong your reaction was when he looked at you like that, and yet you understood exactly where it came from. When Eddie looked like that, it felt like everything was possible. Like you’d follow him to the end of the world if he asked. It made it so easy to understand why the people in his group had chosen him to be their leader.

“How about a kiss?”

Your eyes went wide at the suggestion.

“What?” you managed to squeak out, and his grin widened at your reaction.

“C’mon, princess. You gotta up the stakes a little here.”

You could feel your cheeks burning, and you resisted the urge to chew on your lower lip at the suggestion.

It’s fine, you told yourself. He’s not being serious, and even if he was, that’s not going to happen.

“B,” you said.

It took him a second to process it before he lifted an eyebrow, amusement already dancing in his eyes, knowing he had you right where he wanted you.

“B minus.”

“Fine,” you sighed. “B minus on your next exam and… Whatever. That.”

Maybe the way he leaned back in his chair with this satisfied, shit-eating grin should have alarmed you, but truth be told, you didn’t think anything of it.

Clearly, that had been your mistake, because when he triumphantly walked over to your little corner in the library, isolated and well hidden behind rows of books, and slammed a piece of paper on the table, all you could do was blink. A big red ‘B-‘ was circled at the top.

“The old bat thinks I cheated and she might not count it,” Eddie said, “but that’s the proof right there.”

“That’s—” you grabbed the paper, eyes quickly scanning the answers, recognizing the subject you’d been trying — and failing — to teach him about. “That’s really good,” you admitted. “Well done, Eddie,” you added, shooting him a bright smile.

For a second, all he did was stare, eyes widening a little, and then he cleared his throat, turning around swiftly enough that you couldn’t see the blush creeping on his face, so you were faced with the symbol of some rock band you didn’t know on the back of his jacket.

“Yeah, well, what can I say? I had an incentive.”

He glanced at you over his shoulder, and that was when it dawned on you.

The kiss.

He’d been serious about that?

You felt your heart leap in your throat immediately, heart starting to hammer without a warning at the thought of kissing Eddie. You’d been so, so sure he hadn’t meant it.

“Don’t—” you could feel your voice falling into a whisper. “Don’t make fun of me, Eddie.”

It wasn’t not like it would be the first time a guy’s pretended to show interest only to rub in your face how stupid you were for thinking it was sincere later on.

The surprise on Eddie’s face, if anything, was an indication that that kind of cruelty hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“What? I’m not making fun of— I’m the one who asked! What do you even—”

You took a deep breath, and he watched your demeanor carefully, brow furrowed.

“Hey, you know, it’s fine if you don’t want to—”

“No!” you were quick to protest — a little too quick, and you cursed yourself immediately. What if now he thought you were interested? What if he thought it was weird, or gross? What if your interest made you ridiculous in his eyes? You wished the thoughts wouldn’t plague you, but you simply couldn’t help it. Maybe, if anyone had shown you sincere interest at any point, you wouldn’t have such a hard time with it. “No, it’s, uh— I said I’d do it, right?”

“Right, but you don’t look thrilled about it, so if you want to back out, you know that’d be cool with me, right? I wouldn’t force you to do anything, you know?”

Finally, you relaxed a little, enough to give Eddie a small smile.

“I know, sorry, I’m just— I’m a little nervous.”

He shook his head, raising his hands as if to show you he didn’t mean harm.

“Hey, no problem, I’m not asking you to marry me, you know? It won’t mean anything, it’s just for fun.”

Your heart sank so brutally it might as well have dropped out of your chest. Of course. Of course. Why would it mean anything? Why would you have even entertained that thought?

“No, no, I know,” you protested — too quickly once more, “it’s just I don’t, uh, have a ton of experience? So I’m a little nervous.”

That was an interesting understatement, only technically not a lie, but you were not going to tell him that this was your first kiss. You couldn’t. You knew for a fact you were far from the only person in Hawkins High with no experience, and yet you couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of shame over it — couldn’t help but tell yourself that no one had ever found you interesting or attractive enough to pursue you, and that it was on you. The fact that you’d be kissing him over some— bet only added to the embarrassment, and after what he’d just said… Well. You didn’t feel like letting him know was even an option.

Thankfully, Eddie wasn’t privy to all the thoughts that were spinning in your mind, and he just grinned at your admission.

“You don’t have to worry about that, princess. I’m a good enough kisser for the two of us. I promise you’ll enjoy yourself and, well, if I have to sacrifice myself for that, I say that’s a pretty good way to go, wouldn’t you say?”

This time, you couldn’t help but letting out a chuckle. Eddie was good at that, releasing tension with jokes. He seemed to easily feel when the people around him needed a laugh, and he wasn’t afraid to let his pride take a hit if it made them feel better.

That was something you really, really liked about him.

“Fine, so, uh…” You got up from your chair somewhat awkwardly. “Should we…?”

He gasped and faked a pearl-clutching motion.

“In the library? My, that goes against all of my principles!”

It was your turn to give him a grin.

“I mean, if you don’t want to…”

His demeanor shifted instantly, and so did his eyes. The way he took you in, eyes quickly traveling down your body and back up almost made you shiver. Your stomach twisted into a knot, your breath quickened, and you realized that this was actually happening. You were about to kiss Eddie Munson. In the library, of all places, fortunately almost completely empty at this time.

He took a step towards you, and you stood in place, leaning back just a little to rest some of your weight on the table. Eddie didn’t stop until he was standing right against you, and you found yourself gripping the table as a desperate attempt of keeping your heart under control. With how loud it was beating, you had a hard time believing he couldn’t tell.

“Oh, I want to,” he said, one of his hands coming to cup your face. It felt rough and calloused against your skin, but you didn’t mind. You held his gaze at first as he studied you, all too aware of how close his chest was, how his hips were almost against yours. You didn’t dare to touch him, unsure of where your hands should go, where they were supposed to go. After a few seconds, though, you could feel yourself grow heated under his touch, and you were sure he could tell.

Averting your eyes, you mumbled “So, are we doing this, or—”

His mouth was on yours immediately, and you gasped. His hand was still on your cheek, thumb coming under your jaw to tilt your head up, and it was all your mind could focus on. He kissed you slowly, lips moving against yours carefully, but with an underlying eagerness that had his body tense as a bowstring as he tried to hold himself back, tried not to scare you away. He’d promised you you would enjoy this, and he would make sure you would. He wasn’t going to— to fucking pounce on you like an animal, when you’d just told him you were nervous.

No matter how much he wanted to.

You didn’t notice him opening and closing his hand near your waist, resisting the urge to pull you closer.

Your eyes were closed, kissing back almost carefully. His body felt hot against yours, but maybe you were the one heating up, you genuinely couldn’t say. Finally, one of your hands came to rest on his arm, and another one moved higher, fingers hesitantly threading through his long hair. You weren’t sure of what you were doing exactly, but you did know you wanted more of— of this.

He pulled away just a second, allowing the two of you to breathe, and he opened his eyes to get a good look at you.

It turned out that that was a mistake if he wanted to keep behaving himself. Seeing you so close, with your eyes focused on him, lips parted and slightly swollen, panting softly— that was a sight that almost drove him crazy.

He leaned forward again, eagerly, kissing you harder, hand gripping the table with everything he had to keep himself in check.

And then, he felt you moaning softly into his mouth, and that was when he finally lost it.

His hand came to grab your waist, pulling you closer, hips now pressed into yours, chest flushed against you. You were just so fucking soft under him, head tilted up towards him. There was so much he wanted to do to you.

You tried to respond in kind to his energy, fingers pulling on his hair a little as if there was a way for your mouths to get closer. You were pressed against the table, body slowly leaning back, your knees threatening to give in underneath you. Finally, you felt his tongue brushing against yours, and you moaned again, which only seemed to make him more eager.

Your elbow had come to rest on the table and you were half laying on it when he stopped abruptly, body half-covering yours. Another uncontrollable, but fortunately quiet, moan escaped you once more, and Eddie had to do his best both to stop himself and to hold back his own groan. How the fuck was he ever supposed to stop if you sounded like that?

This was just— this was just unfair.

Damn, he should have gotten you to his car before cashing in on that kiss, then he wouldn’t have felt so bad, but you’d been standing there looking like such an angel, and then you’d started teasing, and he just— He hadn’t been able to hold back.

But he definitely wasn’t going to fuck you in the library.

Not that he’d have minded, or that he hadn’t gotten handsy in here before, but he— That wasn’t how he wanted things to go, for his first time with you. Even if the way you were looking at him right now, with your beautiful eyes wide and expectant, pupils dilated, half-laying on the table, made you the most tempting thing he’d ever seen.

Truth be told, it terrified him, how you made him feel. The desire, he could take, he could act on, but he knew he’d crumble the second you’d touch him in any other way.

“E-everything okay?” you asked, worried eyes searching his when he didn’t move, one hand reaching up to touch his cheek.

He was quick to move away, taking that hand in his instead to pull you back on your feet.

“So, what’s your verdict?” he asked with a grin, just as quick to let go of you and to take a step back, the best way to make sure he didn’t do something stupid. “Am I a good kisser or what?”

You hadn’t thought your cheeks could burn even more.

“Um,” you mumbled. “Yes. Good. Was it— Did you, uh, enjoy yourself as well?”

You didn’t manage to read the emotion that passed on his face then, but he swallowed, and then he nodded.

“Yeah, princess. I definitely enjoyed myself.”

The words brought a small smile to your lips that you tried your best to hide. He didn’t add anything, though, and the silence that followed was incredibly awkward.

“So, do you want to work on—”

“It’s going to be weird if I stay,” Eddie interrupted you quickly. “We should just skip the lesson for today.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, right, you’re— you’re probably right about that.”

“But we could do that again later this week.” A silence. “Working together, I mean.”

Why had he said that? He could have just left it hanging, for fuck’s sake, and— He was behaving like a fucking freshman. What the fuck.

“Sure, sure,” you were quick to agree. “So I’ll… see you next time?”

“Right. See you.”

When Eddie fled the scene, you were left wondering what had come over you just minutes ago, and trying to quell the beating of your heart. Your fingers ghosted over your lips, and you found yourself chuckling to yourself without making a sound. You weren’t sure what to make of all of this, but even your anxious mind had to come to the conclusion that he wouldn’t have kissed you like that if he wasn’t at least attracted to you, and that thought was— nice. You could live with that.

If you’d seen the triumphant way Eddie punched the air with his fist when he walked out of the library, it would only barely have added to the little cloud you were sitting on right now.

a/n (bis): thank you so much for reading! i hope you liked this little addition to the ‘series’, it was a lot of fun to write. i don’t know yet when/if i’ll write more, it’ll depend on whether or not i get any ideas, but if you enjoyed it, don’t hesitate to shoot me an ask, reblog or leave a lil comment! they mean the world to us writers and do wonders to keep us writing 😊

[cerise-on-top]

A fluff alphabet for Kate? Also I wish you luck on your test on friday!!!! I failed my drivers test three times so I feet you

Hey! Thank you, it's gonna be rough tomorrow, but I'm gonna pull through! I will get that driver's license! But I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who failed ^^;

Fluff Alphabet for Laswell

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Laswell loves going to museums and stuff like that. Not only does she get to have fun with you, she also gets to learn things that may or may not come in handy eventually. She’d especially love to go to a museum that showcases something you’re interested in as well. Although she may not like how bustling they can be at times, she just loves seeing and hearing about new things. And if you’re enjoying yourself too? Two birds with one stone.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

I think Laswell could admire your wits and your intelligence. You don’t have to know every single little detail about everything, but she loves how your eyes light up when you animatedly talk about something you’re passionate about, how you give her the seemingly most useless fun facts about something she normally couldn’t care less about. She admires how passionate you are about one thing or another. She hasn’t really been into something this much in a long time, which she kind of misses, but she gets to live that passion through you again.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

She’d try to rationalize everything. In her eyes, most things should follow some form of logic, so she’s not a very emotional person either. She knows that doesn’t hold true for emotions, but instead of beating yourself up over something that wasn’t your fault to begin with, why not think about the good things that happened? If you’re experiencing a panic attack she’ll start breathing with you, trying to calm you down. She won’t touch you, though, since that’s likely the last thing you need. Will shoo away any onlookers there may be.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

I think she’d just want to live in a pretty spacious apartment with you. She doesn’t necessarily need a pet either, but she does want a patio. Will want to look after some plants with you, grow some of your own. She wants to have a domestic life with you, one, where she doesn’t need to worry about either of you getting killed because of her job. However, she’s looking forward to retirement, as much as she does love her job. Something about waking up with you next to her just feels right to her.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

She can go either way. Sometimes she’s more dominant, sometimes she’s more passive. If you’re on the passive side, then she’ll take on the dominant role, if you’re on the dominant side then she’ll usually be on the passive one. However, she will be dominant from time to time, making known what she thinks when it counts. But if it’s something like choosing a restaurant to eat at, then you can decide. But if you don’t want to or can’t, then she’ll happily take the burden off your shoulder.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

She knows you usually don’t mean what you say in the heat of the moment, so she forgives you after she’s cooled down a bit. However, you might wanna show a bit of remorse for fighting with her as well. Laswell, when annoyed, becomes a bit snippy, but it’s nothing too bad, she usually has her emotions under control. She doesn’t yell, she doesn’t shout, she just hisses at you from time to time, but that’s about it. Give her some time to calm down and all will be well.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

She’s a pretty grateful woman. She knows that having a partner as great and lovely as you isn’t a given, especially not the fact that you always tend to help her out whenever you can. You lend her an ear, you help her with the house chores, you become a safe anchor for her. She’s truly grateful to have you in her life. Usually she shows it by giving you little gifts since that’s her way of showing love. Small trinkets to jewelry, anything goes.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Yes, there are plenty of things she doesn’t tell you. She’s CIA, so naturally she can’t tell you everything that’s going on. She doesn’t tell you everything about her past either. It’s not that she doesn’t want to, if you ask her to tell you something she will, but she doesn’t deem it that important anymore to herself. The past is the past, and that’s it. There’s nothing more to it and she doesn’t want to dwell on it either, so she just leaves it behind.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Like Nikolai, I think she’s become a pretty solid person on her own by the time you’ve met. However, I could see her changing you for the better. Laswell is a very caring woman, but she can also be a bit fussy when worried. She’ll likely tell you to take better care of herself. You will, because she keeps nagging at you to do so. If you ever need anything to take care of yourself, like meds or any other kind of aid, she’s more than happy to either pay for it or help you pay for it. She’ll likely do what she can to help you become better.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Laswell doesn’t get jealous very easily. She’s a diplomat, if she wants someone to leave then she’ll just talk them into doing so. So, Laswell doesn’t deal with jealousy very often. Besides, if you want to spend time with someone else, make new connections, then she won’t stop you. Having connections is one of the most important things out there, so she’ll actively encourage you to go out and talk to people other than her. But if you want, you can start small and just talk to her friends for now.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Laswell has had a few girlfriends in the past, but nothing that lasted too long, unfortunately. She’s kissed them here and there and was pretty decent at it. She’s not bad at kissing, definitely not as clumsy as, say, Farah. The first kiss with her would be short but sweet. She’d just stargaze with you and ask you if she could kiss you. Again, the kiss wouldn’t last long, but the soft and tender gaze she gave you afterwards was ingrained into your brain forever. She still looks at you like that when she thinks you aren’t looking.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

I think she’d take you on a fancy “date” first. She’d take you to a nice restaurant and then to an aquarium, a planetarium or a museum so you can have fun there together. Afterwards she’d take you to a nice and open field where she’d confess to you. No gifts, but she wants that day to be one you can remember forever. Besides, maybe she could sway you into saying yes by having a nice day with you before confessing.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Yes, Laswell wants to get married. She’d propose during a holiday, like Christmas, or any other holiday you celebrate. And if you don’t celebrate anything then she’ll propose to you on your birthday. She’d get on one knee and pull out the ring in the middle of the restaurant. She does want that free dessert, in all honesty. Marriage with her would be sweet. You’d both have your duties together and work on them together. You’d go on dates fairly often, you’d go on vacation. If you work at something like an amusement park, then she’ll come visit you as well and just chat with you for a while.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Her nicknames aren’t very fancy. They’re the classic ones you’d expect from her. Something along the lines of my love, sweetheart and sweetie. However, if you know at least two languages, or if your native tongue isn’t English, then she’ll call you pet names in those other languages as well. If she knows that language, that’s great, if she doesn’t, then she’ll simply learn it. Either way, you will be loved in every language you know, Laswell stops at nothing to attain that.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

It’s not very obvious. She usually keeps her relationships professional and doesn’t get closer to people than she needs to. So she wouldn’t give you any special treatment just because she’s in love with you. If you’re shy, then she’s more inclined to start a conversation with you and invite you for some coffee, but she won’t go out of her way for anything else. If anything, once she realizes she’s in love with you she might avoid you a bit and hope that the feelings will go away on their own.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

No, Laswell doesn’t brag. She doesn’t tell very many people about you either. Not everyone needs to know about you since it will put in you danger, which she doesn’t want. The people close to her know about you, so Nikolai and the TF141 and a select few other people, but no one else. It’s no one’s business that you’re dating. She doesn’t do PDA either. She’s not at all a big fan of it and believes that those kinds of acts of affection should be kept behind closed doors.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

She’s extremely observant, rational and can use her words very well. It’ll be rare for Laswell to offend you, she carefully chooses her words before speaking since the peace of an entire country could depend on that. She knows what kind of effect certain words have on you and will use that to her advantage. Not for evil, mind you, but to make you feel better, more confident, and happied. Laswell loves you too much to be mean to you and use her abilities for evil.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Laswell is rather cliched when it comes to romance. She loves going on walks with you, going to aquariums and just watching awful movies together. She could be creative if she wanted to be, but she thinks a normal romance suffices for her. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, something basic will do just fine. Besides, you likely won’t get hurt while eating at a candlelit dinner. You might get hurt while scuba diving, though.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Yes. Laswell is an older lady, she knows a lot of things about life by now. If you need advice, she’s there for you. If you need her help in any other way then she’ll do what she can to assist you. Just give her the word and she’ll do just about anything for you. She definitely does believe in you and that you can achieve just about anything you set your mind to. As long as your goals aren’t detrimental to your health, she’ll support just about anything you do.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

No, she doesn’t particularly need anything new. She gets the unexpected and new at her job pretty much every day. She loves having a routine with nothing unexpected popping up, it helps her relax. Sure, you can try some unfamiliar food together, or you can drive to a new city and go shopping there, but she doesn’t particularly want something new every day. Having a routing is nice, it means everything is going according to plan for once and she doesn’t need to fear anything.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

She knows you pretty well by the time you’re together. It takes years for Laswell to be in a relationship with someone, so she’ll know you pretty well by then. Besides, she can read people like they’re open books, and that does include you as well. She’s somewhat empathetic, but not a lot. Sure, she can feel the emotions of others if she’s close with them, but she doesn’t feel them as intensely as the other person. 

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Your relationship is pretty important to her. I’d say your relationship is slightly more important to her than her job. Sure, she won’t just quit because you tell her to, but she will take your feelings into consideration as well. She’s well aware you want her to be safe and sound, but she just can’t always guarantee that. Sure, she’ll do her best to come home to you at the end of the day unscathed, but you can’t expect her to quit something that’s so important to her. She will argue with you about that as well, she’s not afraid to speak her mind.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Her favorite animal is the lamb, so you’ve likely gifted her a small keychain with a cuddle little lamb on it. It’s her favorite item. Sure, it’s nothing special, but it means the world to her. She takes it with her wherever she goes. Laswell has given you a matching keychain and plushies of your favorite animal to show her gratitude as well. Life is a constant give and take, she wants you to feel loved and cared for as well. Whatever you do, Laswell will outdo you and do something even greater. It becomes a competition at some point.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

She’s affectionate in her own ways. Does she love giving you gifts and doing something for you? Yes, absolutely. Does she love to kiss and cuddle? Not particularly. Sure, she’ll kiss you in the morning before she leaves for work, and she’ll cuddle you if you really insist on doing so, but she’s not a very cuddly person. Too much physical contact irritates her greatly, so you better respect that or else your relationship won’t work out for too long. Laswell has her boundaries. She respects yours, so she expects you to do the same.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

She has a picture of the both of you sitting at the beach together in her wallet, which she looks at when she misses you. If she can, she will just call you to hear your voice, doesn’t matter if it’s midnight for her at the time. If she wants to hear from you then she will. Besides, calling you eases her nerves as well. Sure, she doesn’t get as anxious about something happening to you, she’s a rather calm person in general, but she will miss you if she’s gone for too long. Keeps in contact with you, if her mission allows it.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Yes, she is. She breaks the law on the regular anyway, but she doesn’t mind doing it for you. She’d torture someone for you if you got kidnapped. It’s not her style to just kill someone like that unless she has good reason to, but she can be very petty if something were to happen to you. She can deprive someone of their freedom very easily and make sure they never see the sunlight again. She’ll have them thrown in the worst jail imaginable, just to make sure you’ll never be hurt again.

[moodymelanist]

What Happens at Myrtle Beach

happy day 5 of @nessianweek everyone! I originally wanted to update my pregnancy fic for today but alas it wasn’t meant to be. Major shoutout to @c-e-d-dreamer for giving me this prompt instead 🩷

You can read part 1 of this fic (in Cassian's POV!) from @cassianappreciationweek here!

Summary: Nesta and the girls go to the beach for her bachelorette party, but Nesta finds herself missing Cassian after listening to his drunk voicemail.

Word Count: 1,925

Warnings: None

Read on AO3 here!

✵✵✵✵✵✵ Nesta

“You have everything?” Nesta asked, leaning against one of their living room walls as Cassian wheeled his suitcase to the door. 

“I think so,” Cassian answered. She watched him do a last minute check that he had his phone, wallet, and keys, along with a light jacket for the flight. “If not, I can just buy it there.”

“Assuming you’ll be sober enough to think straight,” she teased, following him as he walked to the front of their home. 

Instead of doing the “traditional” wild night out that ended with strippers, Rhys, Azriel, and Lucien had managed to convince Cassian to visit Vegas for the weekend instead. Cassian wasn’t a huge gambler, but Nesta knew how much he’d always wanted to go to Vegas, so it hadn’t been too hard for his friends to convince him to spend his bachelor party in Vegas instead.

Nesta followed Cassian outside, his little carry-on suitcase in tow, to see that Rhys’ familiar black Range Rover was sitting in front of their townhouse. The trunk was already open for Cassian to add his suitcase to the mix, and her fiancé waved toward the car before turning back to Nesta so he could give her a proper goodbye.

Cassian leaned in and pulled Nesta into his arms in a fierce hug, burying his face into the side of her neck while she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his embrace. He was just as warm and solid under her hands as usual, and she knew she’d miss him even though it would only be a few days apart. 

“I’ll miss you,” Cassian murmured. He pulled back from the hug to fix her with a dopey look, but she couldn’t even tease him for it when she know she was giving him a similar one. “So much.”

“I’ll miss you too, Cassian,” Nesta replied, unable to hide her little pleased smile. He always knew exactly what she wanted to hear, and it was reassuring to know she wouldn’t be the only one feeling their separation. “Have a safe flight.”

“Let’s go, lover boy!” Rhys called out from the car. He honked the horn loudly, and Nesta couldn’t help but snort as Cassian whirled around to flip him off. “We’re gonna be late for our flight!”

“Shut the fuck up, I’m saying goodbye to my wife,” Cassian yelled back. God, she loved him; they weren’t even married yet, but that hadn’t stopped him from using the title a little early. “Who I love very much!”

Nesta laughed, pulling Cassian’s attention back to her. “I love you too. Now hurry up, I have to keep packing for my trip.”

Nesta was taking a beach trip for her bachelorette party, her and the rest of the ladies deciding to drive down to Myrtle Beach to spend a few days relaxing by the water. She and her sisters – along with Emerie and Gwyn – had rented out a beach house for the long weekend, and Nesta couldn’t wait to crack open her newest book with the sounds of the ocean in the background.

“Have fun at the beach,” Cassian said. Nesta tilted her face up for a goodbye kiss, and she leaned into his touch as he cupped her face and ran his thumb across her cheek. “Bye, sweetheart.”

“Bye, baby,” Nesta said back. Once he’d put his suitcase in the trunk and got in the car, she turned around and went back inside, though not before blowing him one last kiss. 

Their townhouse felt big and empty without Cassian there, and Nesta kind of hated it. She finished packing quickly, and thankfully it didn’t take much longer for her own travel party to arrive outside.

“Get in, loser!” Feyre yelled from her car once Nesta was outside, obnoxiously honking her horn just like her boyfriend had barely an hour prior. “We’re going to the beach!”

Nesta locked her door, placed her weekend bag in the trunk, and replied at a much more reasonable volume, “You’re the worst.” 

“It’s only downhill from here,” Elain grumbled from the back seat. She didn’t look pleased to be in the middle between Gwyn and Emerie, but she had the shortest legs out of everyone, so she’d clearly drawn the short straw. “She’s been like this all day.”

“I can’t be excited to celebrate my big sister getting married?” Feyre responded a touch too innocently.

“Because that wasn’t suspicious at all,” Emerie muttered, pulling a snicker out of Gwyn. “Way to sell it, Feyre.”

“Whatever you have planned, just don’t be annoying about it,” Nesta said. She put her giant sunglasses on and shifted to make herself more comfortable in the passenger seat. “This is supposed to be a relaxing vacation.”

“Don’t worry, Nesta,” Gwyn attempted to reassure her from the backseat. She was sitting directly behind Nesta and leaned forward to pat Nesta’s shoulder. “We’re gonna have a great time!”

Thankfully once they hit the road, everything went smoothly enough. They made good time to Myrtle Beach, only stopping once so everyone could get some lunch, use the bathroom, and fill up the gas. Because the summer days were still long, after they’d gotten the keys to their beach rental, they even had an hour or two of sunlight left to enjoy the beach.

Elain had brought some beach chairs, so once everyone had changed into beach-appropriate attire, Nesta was more than content to sit down with her feet in the water and her book.

Nesta left her phone in the bedroom to charge while she showered and changed into her pajamas, and by the time she came back to check it, she saw she had a missed call and a voicemail from Cassian. He’d called her nearly an hour ago and she felt bad to have missed him, so she immediately opened her voicemail and hit play.

“Heeeeeeey, sweetheart,” Cassian said, his words slurring together an obvious sign of how drunk he was. “Nes. Nesta. Babe. I don’t wanna be annoying or anything. But. I miss you. So, so much. I know it hasn’t even been a day but I wish you were here. I lost all the money Rhys gave me and I wanted to buy you something good but you’re not even here to make me feel better and I hate it.”

There was a brief pause as he collected himself, and Nesta wondered what he was going to say next.

“Not that that’s your responsibility because I am a grown man.” He made sure to stress those last two words, pulling a soft laugh out of her. Even when he was drunk, he never wanted her to feel like she was his mom, and wasn’t that just sweet? “I just. I’m having fun, but I know I’d have a lot more fun if you were here too.”

He took a deep breath before continuing. “Not that I’m not having fun. I hope you’re having fun. You work so fucking hard and you never do nice things for yourself even though you deserve it. You deserve all the nice things because you are the best fucking person I know.”

God, he was so drunk. She usually laughed at him for how sappy he got when he was this drunk, but they both knew how adorable she thought it was anyway.  

“I just love you so much,” Cassian said. He sniffled a little before he managed to get himself together, and she hoped he wasn’t crying. The guys would never let him live it down if he was. “Okay. Okay. I’m okay. I’ll see you when you get back. I love you, sweetheart. Okay. Bye.”

It was around eleven thirty on the east coast, so hopefully Cassian would still be up even though Vegas was three hours ahead. Nesta called him back and put the phone on speaker as she slowly began braiding her hair for sleep.

“Hello?” Cassian answered after a few rings, his voice rough like he’d just woken up. 

“Hi, baby,” Nesta said. So much for him still being awake. “Did I wake you up?”

“Hey,” Cassian said back, clearly delighted to talk to her even though he was half-asleep. “A little, but it’s okay. It’s more than okay.”

“Okay,” she told him with a little chuckle. She finished her first braid and moved onto the second, gently finger combing her hair before she started loosely braiding it. “Are you still drunk?”

“No,” he replied quickly. Too quickly for it not to be true, and he sighed before amending his answer. “Okay. Well. Maybe a little.”

“Maybe?” she echoed, teasing him just a little. “You sound a little more drunk than maybe, Cassian.”

“This isn’t about me,” Cassian responded. Nesta hoped he could feel her fondly rolling her eyes even from two thousand miles away. “I wanna hear about you. How’s the beach?”

“The beach is good,” Nesta answered. It was the perfect time of year to go, and she was feeling pretty good about where she’d decided to spend her bachelorette weekend. “Water’s warm.”

“You got in it?” he replied, surprised.

“Just my toes,” she told him quickly. She’d never been a huge ocean person, vastly preferring the pool over whatever the hell was lurking in the ocean’s unknown depths. That didn’t stop her from enjoying the water from a distance, though. “Elain brought her good beach chairs.”

He made a happy little sound that made her want to melt. “Proud of you, sweetheart.”

“Thanks,” she murmured. She finished the second braid and pulled back the covers, taking the phone off speaker as she settled under the thin comforter. “I wish you were here to tuck me in.”

“Me too.” She heard some rustling as he shifted around on his own bed. “I miss you and your cold toes.”

“They’re not that cold.”

“They’re freezing, babe.”

“Should’ve thought about that before you signed up to be my personal space heater forever.”

Cassian laughed softly. “Nah. I love you even when you only use me for my warmth.”

“Love you too,” Nesta replied, snuggling further into the pillow she wished was her fiancé. “Stay on the phone with me?”

“Of course,” he immediately agreed. Before they’d moved in together, they’d had a habit of staying on the phone until one or both of them had fallen asleep. They rarely did it anymore now that they lived together and hardly spent more than a night or two away from one another, so tonight would be a sweet callback. “Hold on, I wanna see you.”

Nesta’s phone started vibrating as Cassian hit the button for FaceTime, and she made sure her phone was plugged in and propped up before she accepted. “Hi.”

“Hey, Nes,” Cassian said. He was lying down in what looked like a king sized bed, one hand propped up behind his head. “You look cozy.”

“Whatever,” she said back, rolling her eyes. “Tell me about Vegas.”

As Nesta listened to Cassian talk about his night, she couldn’t help but feel comforted by her fiancé’s virtual presence. Even though he wasn’t there physically, just seeing him and hearing his voice was more than enough to put her at ease these days. He was her safe place, her comfort zone. 

He was the person who’d made her realize that home didn’t have to be a place — it could be a person, too. Some days, she still couldn’t believe she was lucky enough that he’d agreed to be hers.

On nights like this, though, maybe she could believe it a little more.

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @charming-butt-insane | @oversizedbats | @melphss | @sv0430 | @podemechamardek | @autumnbabylon | @live-the-fangirl-life | @julemmaes | @that-little-red-head | @jmoonjones | @sayosdreams | @thewayshedreamed | @hiimheresworld | @brieq | @pearlfortears | @swankii-art-teacher | @nerdperson524 | @snickerdoodlechittybangbang | @imsointobooks | @nesquik-arccheron | @sweet-pea1 | @champanheandluxxury | @dustjacketmusings | @mrs-shadowsinger04 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @goddess-aelin | @arinbelle | @talkfantasytome | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @duskandstarlight | @letstakethedawn | @vidalinav | @c-e-d-dreamer | @dealfea | @katekatpattywack | @burningsnowleopard

[cowboydisaster]

Princess

originally posted on 9 February, 2023

pairing: Dutch van der Linde x fem!reader

word count: 4k

summary: modern au; After a rough day, Dutch gives you the princess treatment. He draws you a bath, brings you some wine, and reads to you. But what you really need is him, and how could he deny his girl?

a/n: reposting because I need to get on with that, and I haven't in like a week. I feel really bad flooding the tags, so I'm just gonna tag this once and see how it does.

warnings: nsfw, 18+, minors dni (bath tub foreplay, vaginal sex, oral, fingering, overstimulation, praise kink)

[I didn't add the taglist b/c this is a repost! You guys were tagged on the first time, and I don't wanna bug ya <3]

You slam the front door shut a little harder than intended, wincing as the loud bang shatters the silence that was resting peacefully in your apartment. The door hasn’t been working properly for some time, and you usually try to be gentle with it. You don't bother to hang up your purse, instead allowing the tooled leather bag to drop onto the floor. Your cream colored cashmere coat meets the floor next, lumping pathetically on the dark hardwood floor. Your eyes remain on the ground, meaninglessly following the patterns of the wood grain as you fight back tears that are begging to be released.

 

It has been a shit day. One of the sort where everything seems to be falling apart. Your life is changing in more ways than you're comfortable with, and the only thing keeping you grounded, the only thing familiar is him.

Dutch is standing at the kitchen sink, hands deep in the cloudy, sudsy water that is holding a few more dirty dishes. His elbows rest on the granite countertop as he washes and scrubs the last of the day's dinner ware. He washes one last porcelain plate, rinsing it off twice under the warm tap water before setting it up nicely on the drying rack. 

It's then that he hears your items hit the floor. Despite the fact that his phone is on silent, that it rests in between the couch cushions in the living room, with (unbeknownst to him) one heart breaking voicemail from you, he knows something is wrong as soon as you step foot in the door.

Your hair is still tied back in a claw clip from work. It's beginning to give you a dull headache, and the office attire you're wearing suddenly feels too tight around your small frame. Your arms wrap around your torso, and you can feel when he steps into the room. 

"Oh, baby… what happened?" 

His voice is so quiet, his eyes fall when they land on you. Your own sparkling eyes slowly run up the expanse of his body, passing over his dark denim jeans, and his dark tee shirt until you meet his eyes. His dark, chocolate colored orbs soften under your gaze, and his lips part with trepidation. Just one soft stride forward and his arms are around you. 

To be enveloped by him, swaddled by his embrace, is to know comfort. He holds you like a barrier, protecting you from any outside dangers or threats. When you fall into his arms, everything else melts away. Worries and concerns muddle together somewhere far away and forgotten, just for a moment, as he holds you. His chin rests on top of your head and his arms circle around your shoulders. The heat from his chest radiates as you nuzzle your nose into him. A few of your tears drip down, darkening his shirt.

"It was a really hard day Dutch… I-" you begin, interrupted by your small hiccup. At the noise, Dutch squeezes his arms a little tighter around you. 

"Why don't I run you a bath? We can talk about it then if you want, my love." Dutch whispers against your hair. Lightly, you nod. 

---

The smell of lavender and lemongrass wafts from the open bathroom door, swirling through the air carried by warm steam from the bathtub. You can see into the adjoined bathroom from your position in the bedroom as you struggle to remove your clothes. It has been the kind of day that drains you, that makes the simplest of tasks seem impossible. 

Dutch is down on his knees, checking the temperature of the water from the tap. The water reflects off his fingers, encasing them in warm, clear liquid. He swirls the water slowly, creating a pile of bubbles that foam and pop against his hands. 

"It's done, princess. Are you ready?" Dutch asks, hands resting on his belt as he pushes himself up and steps into the bedroom. 

His eyes land on you as you struggle to unclasp your bra. Defeated, with tear streaks running down your face, you reach behind your back, unable to unclasp the plastic hooks. 

"Come on, my dear. I can do it." Dutch mumbles, motioning for you to step toward him. 

His hands are warm against your back as he expertly unclips the black lace and slides it down over your arms. The pile of mesh hits the floor with a soft thud. 

"Thank you." You mumble, looking up to Dutch with an indescribable emotion as he leads you by the small of your back towards the footed porcelain tub. You're not just talking about his help with your clothes, you're thanking him for being here, for helping you. The water is cloudy with soap, accentuated by the dim candles that Dutch has situated around the room. A light hum of music from his radio reaches your ears from the kitchen. 

"Of course." 

Dutch helps you settle down into the water, and you practically groan at the release of tension in your muscles. Lavender and lemongrass swirl up to your nose, ridding you of your headache and filling you with tranquility. The back of your head rests against the lip of the tub, and your hair falls onto the outside in order to stay dry. 

Dutch picks up a soft cotton washcloth, dipping it into the foamy water until it has soaked up enough. A small amount of wash is added to the cloth before he brings it towards your face. His touch is so gentle, lightly brushing the cloth against your skin until the makeup from the day has been washed down and mixed into the water below. The sweet scent of the bath along with Dutch’s steady breathing relaxes you into a sleepy state. It’s entirely calming, him cleaning you up. He takes his time, running the warm soapy cloth against your chest and back. He doesn’t miss the way you shudder as he washes your breasts and your thighs. In fact, the small movements, the subtle arch of your back drives him wild, but he’s a gentleman. After being rinsed, you soak down lower into the bath, smiling up at Dutch. His hands remain in the water, tracing lines across your hip. A soapy hand gently grips onto Dutch’s chin, pulling him down to kiss you. As he pulls away, you glance into his chocolate colored eyes, hoping for just one more little favor from him. 

"Will you read to me?" You ask, taking your hand out of the water to place it over Dutch's.

Dutch grabs the book from the kitchen, returning with it and a glass of red wine for you. His rings clink against the glass as he hands it down to you, settling against the tub with his book. Your eyes drift shut as you sip at your wine, waiting for Dutch to begin. 

"The real America can only be found, not in desires, but in the purity of its landscape." 

Ah, he's reading Evelyn Miller's American Inferno. Of course he is, ever the lover of philosophy, your lover. A small smile cracks through your lips as he continues. 

"Men are fixated on greed, on desire, and on the acquisition not of experiences or pleasures but the ability to acquire."

You ponder over the meaning of Miller's words for a bit. Philosophy is rather boring in your eyes, you would prefer a good romance novel over the philosophy of American greed any day. But, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what Dutch is reading because he's reading it. His voice soothes you, as does the red wine, probably a little more than what's good. 

After a while of sipping your drink and listening to Dutch, a slight buzz is thrumming through your veins, just enough to take the edge off. The water has grown a little colder, but you dare not get out and disrupt the perfection of this moment. The hand not holding your wine glass extends out of the bath to tuck a fallen piece of hair behind Dutch's ear. He's so handsome, dark hair contrasting his olive skin in the candlelight. His eyes are dark, pupils full blown as he reads. At your touch, his eyes trail over to you, stopping for just a second to look at your exposed, soapy breasts. 

"You're so beautiful." Dutch whispers. Your skin glistens in the light from the water and soap that clings to it. Your cheeks flush pink at his compliment, and your eyes travel down to the suds below you. After a few moments of admiring you, Dutch returns to the book. 

"Man is reduced to the desire for desire. Wanting is all that matters. Not loving, not being, not having, but wanting." Dutch whispers, dipping his other hand into the bathtub to trace lines down your thigh. Your breath quickens, pupils blown with lust at his touch.

"Mr. Miller is wrong on that account..." You whisper, taking Dutch's hand in your own underneath the soapy water. Your eyes are locked onto Dutch's as you continue. 

"Man can want, love, desire and need. It matters, I've seen that it does, with you." 

The hand that is holding onto Dutch's guides his fingers between your legs. His cold rings contrast greatly with the warm water, as he draws circles on your inner thigh. 

"So you're suggesting that I've managed to break the systematic fault that Mr Miller writes so unfondly of?" Dutch asks, eyebrow raised with a smirk as he pinches the soft skin of your thigh. 

"I'm saying that he knows nothing about man, about you, if he thinks that it's too far above him to desire, to love and to need." 

At your words, Dutch raises an eyebrow, tongue licking over his bottom lip and resting there as he pushes two fingers inside of you. You almost drop your wine, setting it down on the side of the tub as Dutch stretches his fingers in a scissoring motion. Your hand grips onto Dutch's forearm, hair dipping slightly into the bath as you toss your head back. 

"Even in all this water I can feel how drenched you are for me. I can feel you dripping." Dutch growls. 

He curls his fingers up, smirking with a raised eyebrow when you whimper, digging your nails into his forearm. With no warning, Dutch pulls his fingers out of you. You whimper at the loss, confused, until Dutch grabs a big, fluffy gray towel from the bathroom cupboard and extends his hand out to you. He’s warmed it in the dryer, making the cotton even more inviting. You take it, sitting up out of the water and stepping out of the porcelain bath. Immediately wrapping the towel around your shoulders. 

"Why don't I get you dried up..." Dutch says, brushing a fallen hair out of your face before leaning into your ear so close that his mustache tickles your earlobe. 

"Then I'll get you wet again, how's that sound princess?" Dutch whispers, causing your eyes to flutter shut as a wave of need pulses through your body. 

—

Now dried from your bath, you squeak when Dutch tosses you backwards onto the couch. The plush is soft against your bare skin as Dutch leans over you, meeting your lips in a hungry kiss. His lips are warm, and they taste like the scotch he’s been drinking combined with your wine. For a second he pulls away, but only to kneel on the floor before the couch, leaning in to kiss your jaw as you moan. 

"Tonight's about you. Only you, baby." Dutch whispers against your heated skin, gently nipping at your collarbone. His hands grip onto your hips, thumb rubbing circles against your hip bone while his lips trail down between your breasts, placing soft kisses to the tender skin. Oh, you love him so. If he could have it his way he would please you over and over again without a care for his own pleasure. For Dutch, the best part is watching you unfold. 

"I can't just- I have to give you something in return." You moan as Dutch's fingers ghost over your hardened nipples. 

"Nonsense." Dutch whispers, kissing down your midsection until he rests between your legs. Your stomach aches with want as you spread your knees for Dutch. 

He's gentle and slow, leaning down to kiss the inside of your right knee. Nothing can be heard but your quickening breaths as Dutch snakes his arms under your knees, pulling your hips closer towards the edge of the couch, closer to his mouth. 

"D-Dutch?" You ask, unsure of his advances, your relationship is quite new, and Dutch hasn't gone this route with you yet. His dark eyes meet your own, glancing up from between your trembling legs. 

"Oh, my dear…" Dutch whispers, hand coming up to brush his knuckles against your cheek. His golden rings are cold against your cheekbone, and a shiver runs up your spine.

"Trust me." Dutch asks of you. His eyes are deep with sincerity and you watch his tongue dart out over his lips for a second before you relax, nodding to him. All he has done for you, all he has given you, and Dutch has never once lied. The nerves that were tightening in your gut melt away. He loves you, more than anything, and you can trust him.

“Okay, I do, I trust you…”

Featherlight fingers trail down your thighs, massaging the tender skin. It sets your skin alive, just his hands on your legs. He traces the goosebumps, trailing down your knee.

"My beautiful girl…” Dutch growls. 

He lifts your knees over his shoulders, placing them on either side of his head before moving inward. Wet, needy kisses are pressed to the insides of your thighs, dripping with your wetness in the candlelight. His needy breaths are warm on your thighs as he works on a particular spot, kissing, sucking and nipping all the like. A dark purple mark makes itself evident against your skin and Dutch eyes it with pride. Your breath hitches as he runs his thumb over the mark. 

“Mine.” He growls, to which you nod. 

“Yours, all yours Dutch. P-Please no more teasing, I-” you whimper, bucking your hips up in search of any type of friction. The throbbing between your legs has grown tenfold and you can feel your pulse quickening.

Dutch glances up to you, and you look so pretty before him, face flushed and eyes squinted shut as you grip onto the tops of your thighs. Your legs are trembling on his shoulders with pure want. If you asked, he would get you the moon. How could he ever deny you? His needy girl… so beautiful.

“Sorry princess, teased too much. I’ll take care of you now, just relax for me.” Dutch whispers against your heated skin. Your head rests back against the couch cushion, and you try to steady your breathing. It hitches in your throat when two thick fingers stretch into your cunt, curling up slowly. The pressure builds right in that sweet spot. His tongue finds your clit, and he flicks over it in rhythm with his fingers. The sensations he sends through you are blinding, seizing away any type of rational thoughts from your mind. The moans start falling from your parted lips and you can’t stop them if you try. Little wisps of hair cling to your face with a mixture of sweat and bathwater, but you can't bring yourself to brush them out of your face, too wrapped up in sensations.

“Goddamnit, you taste so good for me.” Dutch whispers against your core, warm breath against your clit sending a shiver up your spine. 

Any former worries from the day fall away as Dutch takes care of you. The sight of you, spread before him just begging for his touch drives him wild. He wants for nothing more than to take you right now, over and over, watching those breathy little whimpers fall from your lips as you cum again and again, but you deserve nothing short of the princess treatment. Dutch’s mouth pulls away for a split second, and he glances up to your fluttering eyelashes with a smirk. 

“Do you like that? Like how I’m touching your cunt?” Dutch growls, fixating on the contortions of your face as he pumps his fingers. Pleased with your quick nods, Dutch chuckles as you grip his hair and push his head back down in between your legs. Almost too quickly, you can feel the waves of pleasure rolling over you, crashing waves and drowning you all the like. Your thighs clamp down on Dutch’s head, and even then he doesn’t stop, working you with his mouth and hands until your climax peaks and falls. The noises you make- God, they drive him mad. His cock is hard pressed against the foot of the couch where he kneels, from your noises alone. You release his hair from your iron grip, apologizing lightly as you bring your knees down off of his shoulders. Your clit throbs from overstimulation and you wince slightly as you readjust yourself. Really it’s not a big deal, but of course he notices. Dutch’s brows draw together at your wince and he leans up from between your knees until he’s face to face.

“Too sensitive? Need a break?” Dutch asks, brushing the wet pieces of hair behind your ears. His mustache is glistening with your slick, causing a blush to form across your cheeks. He’s naughty. 

“Just for a few minutes, I’m sorry.” You whisper, placing your hands on his chest. 

Dutch smiles crookedly, running a finger from the jut of your jaw down to your chin. 

“Oh, my dear… don’t apologize. It only gives me more time to wind you up.” 

With a deep chuckle that causes your breath to hitch, Dutch brings his hands up to your breasts. Kisses are peppered along the underside of your jaw as Dutch makes slow circles around your hardened nipples. Subconsciously, you press your torso against his hands, leaning into his touch as you moan. Both hands wrap around his neck, and you grip into him like a lifeline. He presses his ring against your nipple. Its cold, hard surface almost has you climaxing before it's pulled away and replaced with his mouth. Kisses and gentle bites are pressed against your breasts as he works on a spot, leaving behind a few deliciously dark marks. You feel ready, the ache between your legs has been replaced with another blinding wave of arousal. Signaling this, you thrust your hips up against him, moaning when his cock brushes against your folds. 

“I could touch you like this all day, hear those sweet moans, hear you crying out my name. Shit, princess.” Dutch groans as you grind against him. 

He stands up from the ground, keeping his arm outstretched to you as he sits down beside you on the couch. You’re a little confused, and the crease between your eyebrows makes itself evident until he reaches over and pulls you into his lap. You straddle his thighs, facing him and wrapping your arms around his neck. This position gives you leverage to choose your own pace, it'll also provide deeper penetration, which you’re glad for. 

You lean in to catch his lips, relishing in the taste of whiskey combined with your slick. His lips alternate between soft and greedy, like he’s trying to hold himself back. You pull away with a cocky grin, leaning up to allow him entrance. 

“Don’t hold back, Mr. van der Linde.” You chastise, sliding the whole way down onto his length.  The groan that tears through the air is nothing short of heavenly. Hell, you could climax on the spot from the sound alone. His hands hold onto your hips with an iron-like grip, leaving bruises as he lifts you up a little, only to ram back into you. His hips are vulgarly slapping against the flesh of your ass as you lean against his chest. His dark chest hair brushes against your stiffened nipples with every thrust, sending waves of pleasure through your body with every movement. 

“My pretty girl, you’re so good for me.” Dutch growls, fucking up into you. You rock your hips in motion with his, riding him as he takes you. Your nails leave little scratches from where they dig into his back and neck, but you don’t notice, head thrown back as you cry out his name. He digs his nose into your neck, kissing and nipping at your pulse point while one hand snakes between your bodies to massage your clit. 

“Yeah, I know you like that, princess. Let me hear that beautiful voice.” Dutch commands, hips thrusting erratically as you moan his name. It sounds so much more beautiful coming from your lips. He never thought the name ‘Dutch’ to be anything special, but oh to hear this? To hear you crying out his name as you ride him? Well he would do anything to stay in this moment.

Tightness pools in your gut and you feel the cliff that you’re approaching. Your legs burn from rocking against Dutch’s hips, but you can’t bring yourself to mind. You’re too drunk on pleasure to care. 

“Oh, I’m so close, Dutch- so close. Don’t stop.” You beg, digging your groin down against his fingers harder, and clenching at the friction. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, my dear.” 

Taking the cue from your needy whines and the way you’re dragging your clit against his hand, Dutch picks up the pace. He thrusts up into you hard, driven by the divine sounds that you’re making. He uses his hands, and rings, to his advantage, stimulating your sensitive bud with the cool metal as he circles it. 

Dutch groans when he feels the clench of your thighs around his legs, the constricting of your walls around his shaft. Blinding pleasure shoots through you like a shockwave, tightening every muscle and causing you to rock against Dutch with whimpering, shuddering breaths. He works you through it, keeping a steady pace as he talks you through it. 

“My good girl, that's it. Shhh… easy, easy” Dutch coos, sliding in and out as he rubs your clit. It’s almost too much. You shudder against him, hands clamping down on his shoulders as your moans echo loudly throughout the house. If you hadn’t already woken up your neighbors, surely they’re up now. His name falls from your lips like a mantra, for a few moments you can’t form any type of coherent speech other than the words: “ohh,” “yes!” and “Dutch!”

Not that he's complaining…

As you come down from your orgasm, whimpering and whining at the overstimulation of his hips thrusting into you, he feels his own approaching. 

"Oh, baby. I'm gonna-" Dutch begins, but you interrupt him by crashing your lips against his own. Immediately you allow him access to your mouth, and he laps your taste up like a starved man. His mustache brushes along your lips as he bites the lower one, causing a little pain to shoot through it before he licks the spot and eases it. 

His thrusts grow quick, sporadic and untamed and you breath hotly as he hits your sweet spot with every movement. One last deep thrust and a guttural groan that teats through the room like a knife, he spills his spend inside of you. You lean your forehead against his own, sweat dripping down your skin as Dutch whispers. 

"Feeling better then?" 

You nod against him, not moving in order to soak up every ounce of this moment. 

"I love you…" Your voice falters for a moment, overcome with emotion from the way Dutch has taken care of you. He's heard your admissions of love before, but this time it is so raw that his heart cracks. 

"I love you too, princess… Now c'mon. Between the two of us, it appears we're gonna need to run another bath." 

[mbakuetshurisprincess]

Love for Duty’s Sake Part 5

AN: Hello loves! Wow when I tell y’all I was FIGHTING in the editing room with this fic because I couldn’t tell if I should split this in half or not. I ended up just keeping it as one because I felt bad for ignoring democracy (sorry lyric) and posting Anything But Love P2 before I posted this one. A couple of fun facts about this fic because I literally have nowhere else to put them lmfao. In the convo with Griot, the reason Y/N’s argument works on him is because it follows a valid rule within arguments/logic called Hypothetical Syllogism. Basically, If A leads to B and B leads to C then you can correctly assume that A should also lead to C. Google it if you’re interested! Also, in writing Shuri’s interactions (esp the “in my wife's name” parts) it's like very heavily inspired by the way Dracula talks about Lisa Tepes in the Castlevania show!! 

Holy fuck don’t know how I could ever forget this. As always, any of my fake dating stuff is dedicated to the lovely @pinkwright. This is my writer bae y’all have no idea, L4DS and ABL posts are always made with them in mind. 

Summary: As the only daughter of Genelia, there were things you just had to do, and marrying the Queen of Wakanda was one of those things.

Pairing: Shuri x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Cussing, violence, brief mentions of bad relationships with parents that’s it I think.

Word count: 6,213 (you see why I was thinking about splitting it up now??)

Part 1.  Part 2.  Part 3.  Part 4.  Masterlist.  Taglist.

Suggested listening: Glock Six (Bonus) - 6LACK 

“No need to state the obvi', I be close to your heart I know you looking for real love I got my hand on my Glock, posted on the block I might just let off a shot, at anyone tryin' to kill her”

The feeling of your body sliding off of your wife and onto the hospital pillow below you was the first hint that something was off. You knew Shuri didn’t mean to be so rough with you, even if you hadn’t been injured. She just hopped off of the bed quicker than her mind could remember that you were laying back on her. Only when you grimaced slightly did Shuri think enough to look back at you. 

“Ndicela uxolo sthandwa sam (I’m sorry my love).” She muttered to you softly, scanning your body just long enough to ensure that you weren’t really hurt before turning her attention to Aneka. “When was this posted?” 

“Ten minutes ago.” 

Shuri took a deep inhale, rereading the post. “How did she even know about the shooting to post?” 

The question was impossible for Aneka to answer, knowing something like that wasn’t necessarily in her job description. You, however? You were used to political moves like this. “She knows because the shooting happened in her city Shuri.” 

“What?” Shuri turned to face you.

“I’m just saying, if something goes down in the Golden City, you’re made aware right? The same thing goes for DC. Especially on a day like today, foreign powers come into town. I’m sure she was all over it.” As you spoke, wheels started turning in your head, the scenario surrounding the events of your shooting. Everything was almost too perfect like it had been orchestrated. 

“Listen to what you just said Y/N, I’m notified when something happens in the Golden City, not you. So why would she be the one posting about this instead of the President?” Shuri’s tone was harsher than you would have liked, posing the question to you as if you were a child misunderstanding basic math. 

You sat up in your bed. “Because President Carter isn’t leading the show, Mallory is.” 

“Why would you say that?” 

“Because I know it’s true.” You folded your arms across your chest, starting to get annoyed at Shuri’s refusal to see what was clearly right in front of her. “Do you not trust me?” 

The question was loaded and the Queen’s response came instinctually, “The question is not if I trust you, we are married of course I trust you. But you make it increasingly harder to trust you when you put forth ideas like that.” Shuri mimicked your position, crossing her arms over herself. 

Her response stung and the look on your face made Shuri regret saying it immediately. “I did not mean-” 

You cut Shuri off, not wanting to hear what she had to say. “Nope. You said it. What do I know anyway? Not like I come from a family of politicians who would make this exact same move given the chance.” You turned your attention from where Shuri and Aneka stood back to the tv, effectively disengaging from the conversation. 

Warning signals were going off in Shuri’s head and she knew she fucked up. Taking one more look at the screen she made her way back over to your bed. Kneeling next to you and taking your hand in hers. “I am sorry, sthandwa sam. (my love) I didn't mean to brush off your idea like that.  Your attention still faced forward but the Queen could feel the race in your heart rate when her thumb traced over the lines of your knuckles. 

The silent treatment you were giving Shuri was frustrating her, if she had just slowed down as Okoye said, she would've thought about what she was saying before she said it. “I promise I will make it up to you-”

The buzz of Shuri’s kimoyo beads pulled her attention away from you and her apology. 

Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

It was a message from Okoye letting her know that they had all made it back safely to Wakanda and that Liam Drockers was in the lower-level interrogation rooms. Aneka must’ve gotten a similar message from Ayo because when she made eye contact with Shuri, she gave her a knowing nod as she left the room. 

“I will make this up to you… when I am free again.” The end of the sentence tumbled slowly out of Shuri’s mouth, knowing it was going to garner a reaction from you. 

“What?” Instead of your voice sounding angry like the Queen had expected, it almost sounded more hurt or scared. This new tone pulled at Shuri’s heartstrings. “You’re leaving?” 

While yes, you were literally just ignoring Shuri ten seconds ago, you hadn’t expected her to just up and leave like that. Especially given how physically close you two had spent the last hour, part of you had grown attached to her in a way you never imagined possible. Addicted to the safe feeling that only seemed to come when you were in her arms. 

“I have some council business I have to take care of.” Her rubbing of your hands still hadn’t stopped, tracing every detail of your knuckles. 

You looked at her now, teeth biting at your bottom lip. “What do you have that’s so important?” 

“Just some time-sensitive stuff I need to handle. It should be quick, I don’t imagine it will be long.” Her eyes were averted, so you had no read on what possible clues they could be conveying. Something about this bothered you, normally she was so demanding of your eye contact and now she wasn’t even looking up. But you knew Shuri, whatever this was she wasn’t going to give up easily. You needed something to garner her attention first before you asked her what you needed to know. 

“I think I’m gonna call home.” Shuri’s eyes instantly flashed up to yours.

“Really?”

“I think so, I don’t want my family worrying about me, you know? I don’t want them thinking I’m dead or anything. Now that Mallory has so kindly let the world know about this.” 

Shuri hummed in response, debating asking the question at the forefront of her mind. “I thought- I mean, I didn’t know you had a way of contacting them.” 

This made you feel a little bit guilty since you had made it seem like you’d given Genelia up for good. “It's a direct line to my father's advisor, only for emergency purposes.” Your eyes flickered around her face. “I’ve never used it, I didn’t think I’d have to.” 

Shuri felt assured in hearing this, the slight worry that had slipped into her mind about you secretly planning to leave her dissipated. “Oh, okay.” She savored these last few minutes of her hand tracing yours, knowing that soon those same hands who held yours so delicately would be used in the complete opposite manner. 

“Shuri?” The way you called her name was soft, the same way you had in the restaurant before all of this had happened. It made her feel warm inside, lowering her guard just as you intended. 

Her response once again was just a hum, her eyes studying every detail of your face the way her hands did yours. 

“You wouldn’t lie to me right?” Your question caught her off guard but her rubbing never stopped. 

“Kakade hayi, sithandwa sam. (Of course, not my love)” Her eyes conveyed no sign of lying so you continued. 

“So it’s really council business that's so pressing you have to take care of it right now? Not anything to do with me?” You asked the question confidently, not taking your eyes off Shuri, searching for a tell. Anyone else would have missed it but you didn’t, the brief second when Shuri’s movements faltered. When her hand stopped rubbing yours. 

“Yes.” 

“Yes, what?” 

She stood up now, letting go of your hand. Being at eye level with you was too much right now, it felt too connected given the fact that she was literally lying to your face. “Yes, it’s council business like I told you before. Very time sensitive.” Before you could respond she spoke again. “Aneka!” 

The Dora appeared in the door frame with lightning speed, “Yes, ngangamsha (your majesty)?” 

“Guard Y/N’s side of the ward while I deal with this business, make sure no harm comes to her.” Shuri’s words were confident and her arms now crossed her chest signifying her demeanor change. 

“Shuri, I don't need a babysitter, I’m fine.” You protested. “Plus Aneka has yet to see Ayo, let them see each other.” 

“I am fine, my Queen. Thank you for your kindness but ensuring your safety is more important.” Aneka responded quickly, earning a nod of agreement from Shuri. 

Your wife looked down at her kimoyo beads. “I’ll be back in an hour, mfazi (wife).” Placing a kiss on your forehead, she looked down at you one more time before she left. “No trouble while I’m gone?” 

“I’ll try my hardest.” You replied as she walked out of the room, Aneka behind her taking her spot guarding your room. 

This left you alone with your thoughts and while a million things were running around your mind there were two prominent thoughts. One being, your wife was lying to you. 

You couldn't be a hundred percent sure about exactly what she was lying about but you knew it had something to do with you. While you wanted to snoop around and try and figure it out, the second of the thoughts found its way to the forefront of your mind. Having to call you family. 

Looking around you found your physical phone, the one that Shuri still referred to as ‘primitive technology’. Scrolling until you found the contact you didn’t think you’d ever have to press. Saying a prayer you pressed call and hoped for the best. 

The line rang only one time before the person picked up. “This isn’t some sick joke, you’re really calling me?” 

“Marcos, I told you I’d only call you in an emergency. I wouldn't play a joke like this.” 

You could hear him recite a prayer on the other end of the line. “Everyones worried sick about you Y/N, I mean your parents think you’re…” His voice trailed off and it made your heart hurt thinking about the stress this whole situation inadvertently caused your family. 

“I know, I know, that’s why I called. Can you just tell them that I’m alright? It’s nothing to worry about and I’ll be fine?” 

Marcos contemplated your words, “Y/N, your father will kill me if he finds out I spoke to you without giving him the opportunity.” 

The sound of movement from the other end of the line had you concerned. “Marcos wait, you know I don’t want to speak to them.” It was a useless plea and you knew it. As much as Marcos cared about you like you were his own daughter and wished to protect you as such. At the end of the day, he worked for your father. 

“I’m sorry mon papillon (my butterfly)” The term of endearment did little to quell the feeling of betrayal as Marcos moved to give the phone to your father. 

“Whoever it is Marcos, tell them they will need to call later, I am grieving my daughter.” 

“It is about Y/N, sir.”

Your father looked between his advisor and the phone before picking it up. 

“Yes?” This was the first time you had heard your father's voice in years. It had become too painful to go back and watch old home videos from before Yara’s death so part of you wondered if you’d forgotten what he sounded like. But as soon as his deep voice bellowed through the phone, you remembered. 

“Dad? It’s me.” You were scared to speak the words at first, questioning how he would react. 

“Y/N, is that you? Oh my god! Josiah, get your mother from the chapel, our baby is alive!” The outcry from your father made your heart hurt, had he been that concerned?

“Dad-” You tried to speak but his rambling cut you off. 

“When we saw the news honey we were so worried about you, I thought you had died. But you didn’t! God brought you back!”

“Dad-”

 “He’s bringing you back home to us!” He ended his rejoicing when you finally spoke up. 

“Babba! What are you talking about?” Your pain medication must have been making you delirious and mishear things. 

“What do you mean Y/N, this is a sign! You were almost taken from Genelia, from us. We need to come together and give thanks that you’re still with us.” Your father's words were confusing you, why was he saying that you were taken from them as if they weren't the same ones to send you away? 

“I’m not coming home Dad, I was just calling to let everyone know I was okay-”

“Nonsense!” Your mother spoke now, you weren't aware when she arrived in the room. “You must come home, we miss you. This was a wake-up call, don’t you think?” 

You paused now and took a deep breath. What they were asking was encroaching on a boundary you had set the day you left Genelia. To never come back. “I just, I don’t think it’s a good idea guys.”

It was now your parent's turn to pause while they thought about what they could say to change your mind. But it wasn’t them that spoke, instead it was a different voice. One that clearly held the tonal characteristics of a man but was still slightly squeaky signifying they hadn’t fully finished maturing. 

“So you’re just never gonna come back? Is that it then?” If it wasn’t for your father's words earlier you wouldn’t have even been able to guess who it was. But of course, it was your little shadow who spoke up now. Josiah. 

“Siah-”

“No, you don’t get to call me that anymore. My sister, who loved me and didn’t just get up and abandon her family for a fancy new life in France, called me that. I don’t know who you are.” 

Josiah’s words cut through you like the sharpest blade known to man, cutting deeper than any slick comment from Shuri. Is that really what he thought happened? That you left your family behind to go chase your dreams in a foreign country? 

You didn’t care about your parents, quite frankly fuck them. Any emotional ties you felt towards them had long left you, so saying no to them while it was hard; it didn’t hurt. Saying no to Josiah though? Hearing the disappointment in his voice? He didn’t deserve this. To be caught in the crosshairs of the relationship between you and your parents. 

“Fine!” 

“Fine?” Your mother and father's voice asked in unison. 

“Fine, I will come back to Genelia to visit.” 

“Tomorrow?” Josiah’s voice questioned.

“Tomorrow? Siah I just got shot.” You tried to reason with your brother, and while you didn’t feel any of the effects of the shooting at this exact moment you still didn’t know if traveling so soon would be wise. Plus you still needed to explain this all to Shuri. 

“You’re married to the smartest woman in the world and live in the most technologically advanced country. I’m sure they can figure something out.” Josiah left no room for argument in his sentence. 

“Fine Siah, I will come to Genelia for a few days, flying in tomorrow. Happy?” You didn’t even understand why you were agreeing to this. 

“Not in the slightest, I have no idea who you are anymore. I did that for Mom and Dad.” 

That hurt more than Josiah knew. You tried to tell yourself that he didn’t mean it, but something in you couldn't believe it. 

“Okay well, I’ve got to go. I’ll um talk to Marcos about arrival times and everything.” You needed this phone call done, the gravity of what you had just agreed to started to weigh on you. 

“Parfait! We can’t wait to see you soon Y/N. We love you!” You could hear the smile in your father's voice and felt guilt not only that you didn’t feel the same happiness but that you couldn’t reciprocate his “I love you” truthfully.  

“Yeah I um, I’ll see you guys soon.” With that you ended the call, throwing your head back against the pillow. 

As you sat in silence you digested what had just happened.

1. You called Marcos, just to let him know that you were alive. 

2. You ended up on a phone call with your parents, speaking to them for the first time in years. 

3. After declining to come to Genelia, you were guilt-tripped into returning by your little brother. Not because he wanted to see you but because he knew his parents wanted to.

All of this made your head reel and you longed for the peace and comfort that your wife provided. But she wasn’t here with you, her wife who had just been shot. Instead, she was dealing with council business.

“Griot.” 

“Ah your majesty, I am glad you are in good health again. What can I do for you?” 

You paused wondering if Griot was even able to give you this information. “Where is Shuri right now?” 

“Shuri has programmed me to not disclose her location to anyone unless it is an emergency, I am sorry your majesty.” 

Of course Shuri had done so, always wanting to keep tabs on everyone but not thinking anyone else needed to keep them on her. You wanted to give up before an idea popped into your head. “Griot, Shuri programmed me into your system as a Queen, correct?” 

“Yes your majesty, she has programmed you with the same clearance as she has.” 

Jackpot. 

“And Shuri has access to her location status I would assume?” 

“Yes, your majesty.” 

“Great, so she has access to her location status, and I have the same clearance level as her/  You can give me her location.” Your reasoning was solid, creating a logical path that the AI could follow. 

“Yes, your majesty, that does appear to be correct. One moment please.”Success. “Queen Shuri is in the basement, interrogation room one.” 

“Interrogation room one?” You asked Griot again, you didn’t even know the palace had a single interrogation room, let alone multiple. 

“Yes, the Queen has been in that room since she left you in the hospital wing.” 

So she had been lying to you. 

“Thank you, Griot, that will be all.” 

There was no doubt in your mind that this had something to do with your shooting and that Shuri thought she was doing good by you by keeping you away from all of it. Trying to shield you from more pain. But that wasn’t what you asked for, it was what she decided you needed. 

You touched your abdomen, trying to gauge your pain level. As Josiah had said, you were in the most technologically advanced country so truly your recovery wouldn’t take more than a few days. Right now, you felt good enough to hobble out of bed and make it out of your room. 

Shuri wanted to lie to you? Fine. But you were going to go down to the basement to figure out exactly what she was up to.  

You made it no more than five feet out of your room before a body in front of you haltered your progress. 

“What are you doing out of bed ngangamsha (your majesty)? You should be resting.” Aneka’s concerned look surprised you. While you knew it was her job to protect you, you saw a twinge of genuine concern in her eyes. 

“She lied to me Aneka.” You took a step to the side and then forward so she was no longer in your path. The dull twinge of pain let you know that this might be more difficult than your first few steps had made it appear, nonetheless you were going to make the journey. 

“Intoni? (What?)” 

“Shuri lied to me. She told me she had council business to take care of, but she didn’t. She’s downstairs in the basement right now. So I’m going down there to see what could be so important that she felt the need to lie to me.” You continued your walk towards the elevator pleasantly surprised that Aneka didn’t appear to try and stop you. 

You took a few more steps before suddenly something pressed against the back of both of your knees, causing you to lose your balance. Falling back right into… a chair? Aneka stood above you, her hands on the handle of the wheelchair that she had just gently gotten you into. “I am not condoning you doing this, however, I know I can not stop you.” 

You nodded, grateful to hear that. 

“But,” Of course there was something. “I will not let you rip your stitches hobbling down there.” 

A smile passed across your face and a similar one came to Ankea’s. 

“Plus, I can talk to you while we make our way down there. I should fill you in, it is for the best.” Aneka pushed you forward as she began to explain just who was awaiting you in the basement. 

While you two made your way down, Shuri, Ayo, Okoye, and your assailant were deep into their interrogation session. 

To Shuri’s credit, she tried to be diplomatic about the whole situation. When she first walked into the room and saw Liam Drockers sitting down with Ayo and Okoye on either side of him, she imagined what her brother would say to her. 

“Patience sisi.” He would say. “Regardless of what he has done, he is deserving of a fair questioning, the same as you and me.” 

And she tried to take T’Challa’s advice, asking Liam simple questions at first.

“Are you an employee of Judas’s Ice Cream shop?” 

No response.

“Are you working for the United States government?” 

No response. 

“Were you aware the person you shot was the Queen of Wakanda, Y/N Y/L/N Udaku?”

A small smile creeped up on Liam’s face after she finished speaking, but still, he said nothing. This infuriated her and she was about ready to cast this whole morally right thing to the side and get the information she needed through more direct means. 

But then her mother's voice came into her head. “Do not let him remove you from yourself intomba (daughter).”

The Queen calmed herself, “I asked you a question. Were you aware the person you shot was  Y/N Y/L/N Udaku, the Queen of Wakanda?” 

While Liam's eyes had largely remained on the floor he pulled them up to her now, showing off the bored look they held. “I didn’t miss, did I?” 

Shuri’s heartbeat increased, so he knew what he was doing. This was a planned attack on her wife? He knew who she was and still chose to take the shot?

“You still thinkin’ bout showin this fool mercy?” No. That was the one voice she didn’t want to listen to. 

Okoye saw the look and Shuri’s eyes and when their gaze finally met, a wave of concern washed over her. She was losing Shuri to this. 

Okoye’s suggestion for a break is what brought them outside, Shuri pacing up and down the hallway trying to decide how to move forward. 

“Is it really that hard of a decision little cuz?” 

“Shut up.” She spoke out loud. Ayo looked over to Okoye wondering if they should step in but Okoye shook her head, hoping that whoever Shuri was speaking to would provide the young girl some clarity. 

“I’m just saying what you’re really thinking here. I mean he shot ya wife, you really cool with letting that slide?” 

“I am not ‘letting it slide’, I’m going about it the diplomatic way N’Jadaka. Something I know you know nothing about.”

Erik laughed at that “Aww shit little panther got some bite to her huh? But you’re right I don’t know shit about the diplomatic way, what I do know however is how to get results, quickly. It’s cool though, give this mother fucker the time and respect he didn’t give to your wife. I’m sure that’s smart.” 

His last comment drew Shuri over the edge. Done with the conversation and confident in her decision, she made her way back over to the door where Ayo and Okoye awaited her. She knew the decision she had come to was harsh but the only thing on her mind was ensuring your safety and getting to the bottom of this. 

“If you do not want to stay for the next part of the interrogation, I am not ordering either of you too. This is the time now to back out of this, without any blood on your hands.” She thought for a moment about how literal her figure of speech was about to become. “Ngokunzulu (Seriously).” 

Okoye looked Shuri up and down. It was in moments like these that she no longer saw the young girl she had watched grow up over the past ten years. The youthful glow had faded over and now left Shuri with a hard exterior that seemed to be ever-present. “Are you sure this is what you want to do ikumkani wam (my queen)?” Okoye offered this out to Shuri now, one shot to think clearly about her decision.

“A hundred percent.” Was Shuri’s simple reply. 

That’s how they ended up here, Ayo holding Liam’s cuffed arms behind his back while Shuri issued blow after blow to his abdomen, turning him effectively into a human punching bag. 

“You done with the games now Liam?” A punch landed on his stomach. “Are you ready to say something and give me the information I need to know?” 

The whole ordeal hurt Okoye to watch but she understood why Shuri had shifted to such drastic means, it was only out of necessity. 

Liam gathered his breath as Shuri removed the jacket she’d been wearing, leaving her in a compression shirt. “No words Liam, really?” She cracked her knuckles and delivered two more blows, one after the other. “That’s okay I’m sure soon enough you will.” 

He shifted in Ayo’s arms for a few seconds for spitting the blood that had pooled in his mouth down at Shuris feet, giving her a defiant stare. 

A smirk rose to Shuri’s face as she looked at the few drops of blood that had gotten on her sneakers. “You know Liam, I had been holding back in the name of my wife. I’ll tell you a secret since, quite frankly, the likelihood of you making it out of Wakanda to repeat this is slim to none. I don’t know much about my wife, we do not have the most conventional marriage so the real things I can say I know about her are few and far in between. But what I do know about my lovely Y/N, she hates violence and views it as the very last play in the book. Convinced me not to kill a spider once just because she said it wasn’t necessary.” 

Shuri smiled at the silly memory of you cussing her out at home when she tried to kill a spider instead of releasing it outside. 

“So, in her name, I haven't been using any of my enhanced strength. This,” She points to the purple bruises that had started to form on the skin of his stomach. “It's all me. But, since you want to be disrespectful and spit blood on my shoes, we’re giving all that up.” Quicker than anyone in the room could have seen, Shuri put her hands up and delivered a devastatingly strong blow to his stomach. Providing enough force that even Ayo had to take a step back to steady herself and absorb some of the shock of the blow. 

You watched in horror from the other side of the glass in the interrogation room as Liam doubled over in pain, gasping for air. Aneka and yourself had been in the room just long enough to watch him spit blood on your wife's shoes. 

“Now, we’re going to try this again.” Shuri started with the same line of questions from before. “Are you working for the United States government?” 

Once Liam pulled himself together, he gave the Queen no answer, just continuing his stare of contempt. 

Shuri chuckled, “Again then? Okay.” She let out another punch, Ayo being more prepared this time held Liam’s body tight. 

“She’s gonna kill him Aneka.” You spoke quietly from the wheelchair as you watched the whole ordeal take place. “We can’t let her kill him, that’s not her.” 

Aneka nodded, “But there is nothing we can do right now my Queen. Ayo and Okoye are in there with her, they will not let it go too far.” 

“I need to get in there.” Shuri wasn’t going to listen to Ayo or Okoye, you didn’t even know if she was going to listen to you. But as far as you were concerned this had already gone far enough. You started moving your wheelchair towards the door but Aneka stopped you. 

“Your majesty I cannot let you in there, bringing you down here was a breach of protocol enough. To have you in there would just be a blatant disregard for the Queen’s wishes.” Aneka declared. 

Both of your attention was brought back to Shuri and Liam when she hit him in the same spot again, leading him to cough up more blood. 

“You go in there and bring my wife out to me or I go in there and bring her out myself. Two choices, you pick.” You folded your arms like a child, waiting for Aneka’s response. 

She looked into the interrogation room and back to you. “Bast you two are perfect for each other. Stubborn just alike.” 

With that she left you, walking out and knocking before entering the other room. 

“ikumkani wam,” She interjected, pulling Shuri’s attention from the man and onto the Dora. 

“What is it Aneka, I am busy.” Shuri looked at her impatiently. 

“uY/n ulapha kwaye angathanda ukuthetha nawe (Y/N is here and would like to talk to you).” Aneka switched to their mother tongue so Liam couldn’t understand what they were saying. 

Shuri’s face faltered for a second. You were here? How long had you been watching? How much had you seen? “I am in the middle of an inter-” 

The sound of you banging on the wall to indicate you didn’t care what she was doing cut Shuri off. She looked at Liam before speaking to Ayo and Okoye. “Put him down, I will be back shortly.” In a second Shuri was out of the room and opening the door to the other side of the interrogation room, meeting your icy gaze. 

“What are you doing out of bed sithandwa sam (my love)?” Shuri’s concern was real, raking her eyes over your body. 

“You lied to me.” You weren't wasting time tip-toeing around the subject, 

“I was protecting you.” Shuri’s justification came quickly, as she took a step closer to you. The light illuminated her face better now and you were able to see the small spots of blood that had splattered on her face. 

Against your better judgment, you called her closer to you “Come here.” She obliged kneeling so you two were at eye level, mimicking the position you two had been in this morning. You reached to hold her face in your hand, wiping the small dots of blood away with your thumb. “You lied to me,” You said again looking into her eyes. 

“I was trying to-” Shuri tried again to explain this to you but you cut her off with a gentle tap to her lips with your free hand. 

“I know you were trying to protect me Shuri, but I am your wife. You can’t lie to me.” The look in your eyes conveyed the seriousness of your comments. 

The excuses started to form in Shuri’s mouth but she stopped them. “I- I know and I’m sorry. I should have told you what I was doing.” She let her head rest in your hand and averted her eyes down, fiddling with the material from your hospital gown. 

“Yes, you should have.” While your words were harsh, the tone and way you caressed her face let her know you weren't really mad with her. 

“Let me make this right umfazi (wife).” Shuri declared sitting up so she looked you in the eyes once again. “The man, his name is Liam Drockers he-” 

“I already know Shuri.” You smiled at your wife who looked at you cluelessly. “Aneka filled me in on our way down here, I know everything. I want to speak with him.” 

Shuri pulled out of your grasp now, appalled you would even ask something like that. “Absolutely not Y/N, there is no logical reason to risk your life by putting you in there with him.”

“First there is no risk to my life, not only is he handcuffed but Ayo and Okoye will be in there with us. Second Shuri, you owe me. This has everything to do with me and you tried to keep it from me, I deserve at least one chance to speak with him. Alone.” You were confident in your rebuttal, Shuri tried to find a counterargument for every point you made but she couldn't. 

“Five minutes with Okoye, Ayo, and Aneka inside with you.” Shuri brought her demands to the table and you thought about it for a second. Was she seriously that worried for your safety that she thought you needed three Dora’s in there with you and a restrained and beaten man? 

“Deal.” 

With that Shuri wheeled you out of the viewing area and to the interrogation room. Aneka held the door open and your wife pushed you through the entryway, stopping at the frame per your request. 

“Oh yeah and pack a bag, we’re going to Genelia tomorrow.” You shut the door leaving your very confused wife on the other side. You two were going where? 

In front of you sat a very bruised Liam Drockers, Ayo, and Okoye on his sides You always found it so funny how no matter how big or bad someone seemed, at the end of the day they were made of flesh and bones just like you. 

Wheeling up to the table you sat and stared at your attacker for a moment. Trying to search for something you were never going to find, a reason or justification. 

“Alright, Liam I’m going to make this very easy for you.” You interlaced your fingers and let them sit on the table, this is where you shined. “In the other room, my wife is waiting with bated breath for me to tell her it's okay to come in here and continue to beat the living shit out of you. Now me personally, as you heard before, I’m not a fan of violence. I think it's an unnecessary evil of the world, something we really can function without.” You paused letting out a chuckle. “Not that I think that you believe the same,” You gestured down to your stomach. “You clearly favor my wife when it comes to that way of thinking.” 

Liam's eyes moved all over you, attempting to size you up as a threat. 

“So, now that you know that much about me, let me tell you how this is going to work. Either A. we can make this super simple, you answer every question I have and agree to the plan we have in place. Or, I call my wife back in here and she beats you to a pulp.” 

A wheezing breath came from your attacker and you couldn’t help but notice how weak he looked now, the beating from Shuri having done a good chunk of damage. “I’m not sayin shit, I know my rights.”

You smiled at this, leaning closer to him. “Your rights? You think your rights will protect you here?” The look on Liam’s face changed for a split second, his facade slipping. “You’re in the basement interrogation room of the most technologically advanced country in the world because you shot one of their Queens. You were flown in on a top-secret jet, there's no record of you ever even being in Wakanda. Nobody knows you’re here.” 

“That’s- that’s not true.” Liam stammered out. “There are people out there who know who I am, who are looking for me.” 

This got the heartiest laugh from you yet. “Mallory? Really? You think she’d save you?” The idea he was pushing was almost comical. “You were a gun for hire, you served your purpose and now there's nothing left for you to do, you were disposable from the beginning. Do you seriously believe she’d risk a national incident to save one measly hit man?” 

The truthfulness of your words hit Liam like a ton of bricks, there was no getting out of this. 

“So,” You began. “I’ll ask the question my wife has been trying to ask. What the fuck was your mission and who do you report to.” 

Liam shifted in his chair, looking around the room as he assessed his situation. “It all started with Mallory.” 

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