#Can't wait for another Glass Animals summer man

[f0rtunes-fool]

Hot girl summer ❌️

Glass Animals summer ✅️

[kidelune]

I had a nightmare with you again. Or maybe just your face from a past life. Sometimes I wonder if I'm mixing up these versions of you, so remind me which one is real.

Antiseptics and citrus get along like oil and water, incompatible in such a way that mimics a foot on the throat. The clock on the otherwise empty wall ticks slowly past an hour late, or maybe it's his phone that's set an hour too early, as visiting hours have far been passed beyond general toleration. The curtains embrace what can only be afterthoughts of early evening behind them, written poems by jaded rays and lazy specks of starlight.

Kijun sits in the room's furthest corner, haunting the old shadows and detritus of disease and pain in red leather and Gucci pour homme. The unfortunate chair has been sweating his back, and his hands are busy, wristwatch telling the approach of something like arrest. Wenhan's basket of fresh tangerines weighs his lap, reminding him of where he is every time he digs up another victim that'll further colour his cuticles yellow.

He'd been peeling through it for what he would guess is half an hour, waiting for Wenhan to wake, or for the heart monitor to hit a spike before flatlining. Either or would be fine; the skinned tangerines would testify in favour of his liability. Lives and deaths of bastards were not in his hands anymore. Nothing really ever was.

A raging maelstrom has been unfurling beneath those eyelids, though Kijun sees none of it beyond rotan and scuffed white sneakers. But the heart is the most flawed of all organs; no matter the man or his relationship with his nightmares, it could divulge any barricaded secret had it a tool for conversation. Like a ghost rapping within the walls, Wenhan's heartrate fluctuates on listening ears.

There's a name in the rhythm of it, a lie. Then he wakes, nirvana a far cry from those eyes, and Kijun has to pretend he can't tell. Tangerine juice trickles to his wrist, ice cold against his beating blood and Wenhan's rasp.

"I'm pleased to antagonize your consciousness even in REM state, like your own manic pixie paralysis demon." He says in seamless mandarin, just after a long pause. "Next time, I'm sitting directly on top of your chest, and will count how many seconds it'll take for you to asphyxiate. I hope you can swim."

Emerging from silence with sticky, orange-dyed palms and a humourless stare, he offers the devastation of being perceived to two waking palms. Drawing the chair to the bedside forces him to acknowledge his bleeding lip, the slight tremor in a grip that nearly fails once on the chair's arm. It's been far too long since he smoked last, maybe an hour or two. It makes him look wild and aware, a sleepless animal in red.

Like the abandoned citrus, Wenhan becomes the pack of Marlboro in his jacket pocket. His sleepy drawls and how he smells increasingly of ire and antibacterial as he shifts into seating arrest haywire nerves, each breath a drag. Kijun scoffs once seated, as if it were all inconsequential.

"What does it matter which one is real if they're all me in the end? You said it yourself, they're versions of me, and I say they're still me in spite of that." He turns to pour water from the canteen, thickly swigs the first dreg then offers the second glass to Wenhan. "In my head, it doesn't really matter which angle you look up to me from, as every face you'll find will be mine anyway. All of 'em are real."

The sun is setting with unapologetic hues of violet and rose and though the curtains absorb most of the onslaught, some shades manage still to slip through the cracks and turn dark eyes into a reflecting pool. When they sit still for long enough, Kijun can see himself reach for Wenhan's hand as the glass grows empty at his request. The whiff of citrus slips across tan, threadbare fingers that remind him of rare summer colds.

He presses the ugly scar in his palm flush against Wenhan's pulse, like a priest would thumb your forehead in front of Jesus. Except there's nothing ceremonious about it. Only nurture, and lies. "I'll feign chivalry for charity, though, for your eagerness. I know bullet wounds aren't fun recovery."

Then, as casually as waxing the weather poetic, Kijun takes two of Wenhan's digits and cracks them backwards. Flesh and bone stretched so completely out of bounds they become limp. Red stains red. Red stains orange, and white and fading sunshine. Kijun's toes curl, as do the corners of his mouth. A smile that's always happened around dimples and freckles.

"Does that answer your question, darling?"

And then he's back in the farthest corner, basket in his lap and eyes downcast. There's a familiar hunger in his veins, the solution in his pocket, or stretched in slumber on the hospital sheets. None of the passing footsteps outside can smell what's about to happen; only the room smells like it knows. The memory tucked in a basket of tangerines he can tell were hand picked by someone who cares. They smear and dye, wet on his hands like a warning between his knuckles. Is this nightmare his, or is it Wenhan's?

[ecoamerica]

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[imaginingmanyfandoms]

Paul's Lullaby | part one

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"Sam?" Paul was, he was in pain. He respect Sam and Emily's privacy, but he needed to talk to Sam now.

Paul wasn't angry, he was in pain. He felt like the world had opened up and swallowed him whole. He ruined his own life, and he didn't know where else to turn.

"Paul?" Sam asked, opening the door. Emily was behind him, face covered in concern.

"I imprinted tonight," Paul said, "but she hates me. She really, really hates me."

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't fix," Sam said, ushering Emily to come closer.

"Sam, I'm not exaggerating, she told me that she hates me. In fact, she should hate me." Paul looked at his feet, but only to try and hide the distress on his face. "If anyone treated her that way I used to, I'd rip them apart."

"Paul," Emily said, reaching out. Paul flinched back.

"I don't deserve your sympathy. I just, I don't know what to do."

"Be patient. Maybe you just have to prove you're a different man now," Emily offered a sad smile, but it was the exact thing Paul didn't want. He shouldn't pitied, he didn't deserve it. He could feel his heart bruise and falter. He broke his own heart and has no clue on how to fix it.

Emily had to go back to sleep, but Sam sat up with Paul for a while longer.

When Paul finally left, it was almost two in the morning. He took off running through the woods, shifting when he knew he was hidden by the tree line. He tried to outrun the heartbreak, but obviously it didn't work.

You were sitting at your desk, staring at your computer. You wanted to work on your writing, but you were so angry at the audacity that Paul had.

You had done everything you could to avoid him the last couple years - and you managed to make it to the first day of summer after graduation. You'd run into him on the beach.

He was just such a jerk, acting like his words had no effect on anyone. Like he could just laugh behind your back and it wouldn't hurt.

But he used to tell people nasty rumours about you. Until nobody really wanted you around them. And then he had to take it that much farther, when you were both fifteen, he took you on a date, acted like he'd changed and grown. And right before he kissed you he said, "I know you fall for it."

That date alone triggered years of trust issues. You'd felt alone ever since.

Back to the beach, he was blocking the trail you needed to head down to get to work on time. You'd hoped that putting your head down and just trying to slide passed would work, but he recognized you. He tried talking to you, but you ignored him.

After taking a couple steps down the path he said, "don't be like that."

This made you look up, astounded that he would even say something like that. Until you finally looked into his eyes, and you recognized how beautiful he was. He also looked stunned, like he'd run into a glass door. He reached out to you, but recoiled, dodging his touch like he was on fire. Somehow, you'd felt even lonelier than ever.

One look at his face and you felt like you were missing something. You tried to keep your cool but you just couldn't. Tears brimmed at your eyes, and his friend Jared Cameron coughed, before walking to the water just to give you two some space.

"Y/N," he said, his voice low and hesitant. Making you panic, thinking he was toying with you again.

"Stay away from me," you warned, taking a defensive step back.

That hit Paul harder in the heart than you would ever know. His soulmate, his imprint, recoiling away from him defensively. He found the person he was supposed to protect, to be needed by, and you couldn't stand the sight of him.

"Just wait a second," he begged, not moving towards you again. He didn't want to scare you.

"I hate you," you whispered, and then louder said it again. And louder again. Until you had screamed it, and the tears had taken over your cheeks. Every time you said it was an arrow to Paul's heart. He nodded, and let you turn around to run off without another word.

You didn't notice him run into the woods, followed by his friend.

You called work saying you had a personal emergency, and then went back home for the night.

Back in the present, you were tearing up at the memory of it. You were sick, you think. Addicted to red flag behaviour because there was no way you were thinking of Paul's hurt face, and feeling bad for causing it. He should feel bad for all the pain he caused.

You looked at the clock, it was almost three in the morning, but you were too caught up in all your feelings to send yourself to bed. You walked to the window, and noticed some kind of animal by the tree line. You lived in the middle of the woods, in an old cabin your grandma used to live in. You moved in when she got sick but never moved out. You liked it. It was cozy. It was private.

Finally relenting, you crawl into bed and did your best to sleep.

The next day, you were walking along the same path on the beach. You offered to cover the shift of the girl who had covered yours at such last minute.

Paul was in the same spot, but alone this time. You tried to walk passed him without acknowledging him, but something stopped you. You didn't want to see him sad again, it hurt you. And it made no sense why, you'd spent two years hating him.

You were only a few steps passed him, so you turned around, gripping the end of your sweater sleeves in each hand.

Paul had his head down, but looked up when he heard you sigh. You were standing in front of him, looking so terrified to speak to him. Paul could've started crying.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you like that yesterday," you said. "I should've just walked away so... sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said, a flash of excitement crossed his eyes, and you mistook it for something sinister. You tried to remain calm, but you were feeling lightheaded. You just couldn't trust his motives. "I deserved it."

Now that, threw you for a bit of a loop.

Fool me once, you thought.

"I still think we should just keep our distance," you said. "You kind of broke my heart."

"I'm really sorry about that, I was trying to impress the seniors. I was a tool. An idiot."

"Finally we agree on something," you said. He looked at you, and you both let out a small smile. He pushed some sand with his foot. His bashfulness made you want to believe him. "I work just up the hill. You can walk me if you want."

"Can I walk you home when you're done?" he asked, quickly falling in perfect tandem with you.

"No," you said. "But you can walk with me right now."

"I'll take it," he said.

"Why do you want to talk to me anyway? I thought you hated me," you said.

"I could never hate you," he said. "I do hate how I treated you though. Not my finest hour."

"I think your finest hour remains to be seen."

Paul stayed quiet after that. And you were oddly comfortable in the silence. You're not even sure why you invited him to come along, but some sick part of you wanted him to. You wanted to reach out and touch him. His arms just looked so welcoming, and the way he stretched his hand open and shut made you think he wanted the same thing. But you couldn't let him in, not after one day.

"Have a good shift," he said, putting his hands in his pocket.

You smiled at him ,and thanked him for walking you. When you smiled, he smiled. And you caught onto that.

Paul had been standing in the same spot every day to walk you to work. Out of curiosity, on one of your days off, you snuck close to the spot to see if he was there. And he was, leaning against the same railing, in the same spot that he waited for you everyday.

You got comfortable in a cozy little spot in the trees. You wanted to see how long he waited for you. You dozed off before you could get your question answered.

You woke up hours later, when the sun was already setting. You hated walking through the trees in the dark. You started walking on your own, but you had a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. So you swallowed your pride and called someone you knew would answer.

Paul was sitting at Sam and Emily's table, enjoying the dinner she made while waiting for his turn to go on patrol. It was Jared and Quil out there now. Paul could hear Seth snoring on the couch, making him laugh. Things that used to annoy him, didn't really seem to annoy him anymore. Not since you started letting him walk you to work. He even got Sam to let him change his patrol times to make sure he could be there every day.

His phone rang, and with a mouthful of food checked the number. He almost chocked on his food when he saw your number. He answered, hitting his chest to dislodge the food.

"Y/N, hi," he said, big grin on his face as he stood up and walked outside. Behind his back, Emily and Sam shared a knowing look, and he leaned in to kiss his wife.

Paul noticed Jared sitting nearby with Kim, and didn't think too much of it with you on the line.

"This may sound stupid," you said, "but can you walk me home? I don't like to go in the dark."

"You never let me walk you home," he said.

"If this is a bad time, it's okay," you said, disappointment clear in your voice.

"No, no... where are you? I'll be right there." He stepped back inside the house to grab his shoes, but the sound of you gasping stalled his movements.

"I'm by our meeting spot," you said. His grin returned when you called it that. "It's so dumb, I wanted to see if you went there when I didn't work and fell asleep."

"You were spying on me?" he asked. You were silent on the other end and he laughed. "I'll be right there."

"Who are you?" you asked.

"Huh?"

He heard you scream, as did Sam and Emily who's cheeky glances turned to concern quickly. "Y/N?" he asked, panicked. He was already running outside, Sam on his heals.

"Jared!" Sam shouted, "Why aren't you on patrol?"

"Seth said he'd do it!" Jared yelled back. Paul dropped his phone, and shifted, running top speeds to where you said you were.

Never in his whole life had he been this scared. He could hear Jared apologizing for the mixup in his thoughts, but Paul didn't really care what he had to say. If you were hurt, Paul would die. Paul would simply die.

He needed you to be there safe.

I knew something was wrong, Embry thought. Paul didn't even see him show up. Sorry I didn't act on it.

Shut the shit up and run, dammit!

When he got to the meeting point, you were gone, but your bag was abandoned nearby. Paul sniffed it, getting your current scent memorized. He took off when he found the trail. He also smelled a retched, filthy bloodsucker. It wasn't one of the Cullens. No, this was different. And it started at the water, that's how it got passed their lines. Not that they had enough people around.

Paul howled, the pain in it was evident for anyone around. It was him saying get here, or suffer the consequences.

I don't smell their blood, Jared thought.

You don't get to talk about them. This anger didn't derive from a bad temper, it was fear. It was just fear talking.

Paul kept running, catching a fork in the scent trails. One way was Quil, Leah and the bloodsucker. And the other was you, all alone. Alone but alive. If he couldn't hear Leah or Quil think, that was a good sign. Meant that they'd changed back, and Leah would never do that unless she killed them.

Go to her, we'll find Leah. Sam nodded at Paul.

You were crying as you ran, clumsy feet stumbling over tree roots and your own blurred vision totally betrayed you. Someone had come out of the water, eyes red like rubies. And they were so pretty that you just had to look at her. Until the showed her teeth, forcing you to flee in fear. She was faster than you, but you think she was playing with you.

And then if that wasn't scary enough, when she was jumping down from a tree to kill you, a wolf jumped from the shadows and grabbed the woman. And it was her turn to flee. Another wolf jumped out, and you were sure you were a goner.

But it just chased after the other two. Leaving you alone and confused.

You stumbled back to your feet, running as fast as you could towards your cabin. You would be safe in there. Maybe. It was the best you could do right now.

You cried harder when you thought you heard more rustling in the trees. You were at your door, struggling to get your keys out and unlock the door. When you did, you slammed it shut and locked it behind you. You dove over the sofa and kept your eyes on the door, as if that's all it took to keep you safe.

Your phone was lost somewhere in the woods, but you could still hear them. Out there. Maybe it wasn't real.

There was a feverish knocking on your door, and you couldn't peel yourself away from the couch.

"Y/N! Are you in there," Paul shouted. Oh my God, thank everything, it's Paul.

"Paul, I'm coming," you struggled, fighting through your tears to answer. It killed him, but he was so happy you were okay.

You opened the door, and cried even harder when you saw his face. You couldn't hate him now, now when he came running for you. He ignored his usual boundaries and pulled you in for a hug. He was so warm wrapped around you. Your arms were still tucked into your chest. And his totally encompassed you.

"Just breath, honey," he said, rubbing his hand up and down your back. You tried to take his advice, but you couldn't focus.

"You came for me."

"I always will, you can always call me. I will always come running," he said. And you believed him.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" you asked, pushing yourself away from him enough to look up at his face. His features were uncharacteristically soft as they looked down at you.

"Of course," he said. He kissed your forehead, and you felt the instinct of pushing him away - but you ignored it this time.

"On the couch," you said.

"Sure, honey." He brushed his hands up and down your biceps, helping you take a few deep breaths. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry."

"I don't understand what happened," you said, pushing yourself away from him. "She came out of the water, and then she..."

"It's okay," he cooed, "you don't have to say anything."

"And this doesn't change anything," you said. "I trust you with some things but not other things."

"Some things?" he asked, more amused than anything.

"I trust you with my life, not my heart."

"We'll work on it," he said, pulling you in close for another hug.

"Yeah," you agreed. "We'll work on it."

[requested] [part 2?]

I kind of love this?

[boop-le-snoot]

marmalade taffy

Helmut Zemo smut & feels. Soft!Dom Zemo, non-superhero!AU, Zemo being the weird uncle of college!Maximoff twins. This was written on a whim so if someone signs up to beta-read, I will shower you with affection and reminders to drink water. The Reader is addressed as "you" and is not described - race/age/body type neutral. The language I used for Sokovian is actually Serbian. Word count 2,8k.

Fun fact: I have mild synesthesia. Emotions/feelings and some people have an assigned color (and sometimes smell) for me. That's how the name of the fic was born. This fic feels like the colors of marmalade and taffy, look them up. This fic is dedicated to my lovely @slothspaghettiwrites , the shining beacon in my misty, rocky beach. (You're a periwinkle for me, by the way. I thought you might ask.)

When you first see him all you do is raise an eyebrow. His sleek, well-maintained vintage car stands out almost grotesquely amongst the various sedans and mom vans on the campus and you can see the glint of his wristwatch even from afar. Wanda's and Pietro's sheepish smirk only makes the situation worse - the girl's attire obviously screams "liberal arts" and her twin brother doesn't seem to have anything better to wear than tracksuits.

The man behind the wheel is unfazed. He is calm and collected in that European way, not conceited, just waiting. For what? You don't know. His eyes trail over you but he doesn't smile, simply gives a tiny polite nod. If you hadn't had extensive conversations about cultural differences with Wanda, you'd say he was extremely rude.

Shy, quiet Wanda, who's eyes lit up seeing her favorite not-actually-uncle. In a surprising dash of energetic agility, she hopped right into the car, her numerous scarves a bright flash of saturation against the campus grayscale. You giggle and wave at the departing car, snorting when Wanda's hand reaches over to briefly honk the horn, causing the driver to swerve the tiniest bit, his eyes trained on you in the rearview mirror.

He comes and goes often. Almost always in a different perfectly restored vintage car, mostly with the same polite mask of bored contentment. You know he's royalty in his home country and can't help but wonder how frivolously the twins act around him - no, free. He gives all the appearance of a silent, strict man.

You're proven wrong rather quickly. Freshman year left behind you, you and Wanda decide to ditch the dorms for an apartment - she finds one rather quickly and it's just you two in it even though it is ridiculously huge and the rent amount she requests is equally ridiculously small. Not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, you pretend nothing is out of the ordinary and buy yourself a new pair of shoes.

Helmut - Wanda finally formally had introduced you two - doesn't come by often, however the visits are always... Eventful. He's not at all what it seemed to be; in the quiet of your apartment, a witty, incredibly clever man resurfaces from under the stoic façade. The Slav in him easily lets him consume alarming quantities of alcohol together with Pietro, who opted to stay in the dorms with his idiotic football team, and - you couldn't believe your eyes at the time - dorkily dad-dance squat in the middle of your living room, unfazed by your and Wanda's cackling.

The way Helmut is absolutely unbothered by the audience and the laughter, pale face flushed from the wine and a little smirk stretching his thin lips into expression almost catlike. The maroon turtleneck stretches nicely across his chest, as thinly as your lip that you worry between your teeth.

Pietro raises an eyebrow. You shrug.

"Got something in your eye, no?" He teases playfully and you shrug again, taking another swig of your nice, European beer.

There are more gatherings, more parties and quite a few rides in his car, when the wind blows your hair in all directions possible and intermingles it with Wanda's as you giggle and squeal in the back seat. Helmut always indulges you two; the word 'no' simply does not exist in that man's vocabulary. He insists politely but firmly on a dinner with all three of them on your birthday and the gifts he brings make your eyes pop out and your face heat.

"A woman like you makes any sensible man want to shower you with the finest gifts," Helmut's voice is quiet and his accent is thick and somehow, it makes it all that harder to refuse. He smiles like usual - tiny and a little secretive, as he pecks your cheek, filling the air around you with the smell of his cologne. It makes your mouth water and your fingers clench helplessly around the half a dozen of silk paper-wrapped boxes.

The summer rolls in and it's hot and humid and finally you don't have to worry about waking up at the crack of dawn or classes or the annoying boys who can barely take a no for an answer. The invitation to Helmut's villa doesn't come as a surprise; Wanda had been riled up over it since early May and Pietro and his whole damn football team were equally as thrilled.

You pack flowy dresses, daisy dukes and swimsuits. The expensive jewelry and handbag Helmut had gifted you, too, since the villa is surrounded by a whole neighborhood meant solely for the rich and famous. Wanda is absolutely unbothered by her own bohemian chic and you quietly envy her; the longer you get to know her, the more you realise of how much actually she does not give a fuck about anything besides her paintings and sculptures.

It's admirable, really, because she is talented. And Helmut knows it, too, having had collected and kept every single work Wanda had made, showing it off in the various rooms of his two-story mansion. The abstract fits in well and is a great conversation topic for him and his equally important friends. There's an endless stream of them in the first days and Wanda isn't overtly happy, choosing to run away to laze around the pool with you more often than not.

Helmut's friends stop at the glass wall between the inner side of the house and the pool to stare at you two, too, causing something dark and tense flash across his features. There always had been a sort of tangy obscurity in him, you've noticed, but not nearly enough for you to grow concerned. It added the bittersweetness, the flavour and consistency to the modest man.

Although calling him modest might have been a mistake. The moment you can't shake off one of his friends after a polite chit-chat seems to never end, Wanda nowhere in sight, dread and unease digging their sharp, spindly fingers in the soft flesh behind your rib cage, Helmut is suddenly there, arm wrapped almost possessively around your waist.

"Draga mea, Wanda is looking for you. She says it's urgent," He stares the man down with the eyes of a vulture. "I believe we haven't been properly introduced," Helmut seems to not realize he's still clutching you in a grasp of steel as the man opposite you rumbles out his name, few syllables you'd forgotten seconds after he spoke them for the first time.

"Baron Helmut Zemo," the fingers brush and squeeze once, gently, over the valley of your waist before letting go. You miss the rest of their peacocking, walking away with a fight and fire inside of your hammering heart. Anxiety and longing and confusion mix and blend, combining into a cocktail that has you beelining for the bar like a woman parched.

The next day you're sleeping off the hangover, first in your bed and then by the pool - Wanda had run off into town for one thing or another, and knowing her, she'd be back home at the crack of dawn. It was blissful peace, the soothing balm for your troubled heart and your aching head.

"Hungover?" Helmut's voice was quiet and a little bit teasing. None of the Eastern Europeans had ever showed the signs of having any ill effects from the alcohol they drunk, unlike you.

You stretched, too blissed out to care about the skimpy strings and straps of your bikini, basking in the gentle morning sun. "Mmm, not anymore," a swim in the cold pool had done wonders.

Your soft pink float rocked as Helmut's footsteps quieted, giving way to a short splash and the sound of his breathing somewhere in your space. Just as you cracked open your eyes, he reached out a hand to steady himself next to you. "I wanted to apologize for the situation yesterday. That man was stepping out of line. He is not welcome in my home anymore."

You stare at him and then you snort. The blunt was he usually speaks is so easy, it flows oh so effortlessly. No mind games, just honesty. You want to pay him back in kind. "Don't worry, Helmut. I just had a bit too much to drink," that was the truth. Any other time and you wouldn't have hesitated to unapologetically steer clear of any creep. Heat and bubbly don't mix and that was your own mistake.

"No, printsesa," the man in front of you let loose some of the delicious darkness, eyes growing stormy, hand gently resting over yours. "Some men are fools, they are nothing but animals. You deserve to feel safe, especially in my home." His lips stretched into a smile, water dripping down his jaw and making tiny circles form in the azure of the pool.

"I can't argue with that," you replied, catching the stray liquid and following the trails it made with your eyes. His forehead, dripping down over his eyes, making Helmut blink the stray drops away until they landed on his lips, trickling down his chin.

You swallowed, opting to dip your toes into the cool pool water before you could make a fool of yourself. The water splashed towards him, making a mischievous grin grace his usually serious face, as me made a half-hearted attempt to splash back weakly, making the water sizzle on your sun-kissed skin. Never the one to back down from a challenge, you knitted your eyebrows in mock offense, eagerly letting the water wash over you as you abandoned the float in favour of creating waves with your whole body.

The temperature contrast was delicious and Helmut's laugh even more so as it echoed in between the high walls of the building surrounding the pool. The sun was nearly at its peak, shining over your head in a beacon of heat that almost matched the one inside of you, the one that had blossomed there months ago and finally grew into a steady smolder, shooting sparks whenever you were around the baron.

It was hot and wet, the same feeling chasing you two when you finally kissed. His hand firmly planted on the side of your neck, his nose softly brushing against the underside of your jaw, Helmut was in no rush to taste you, to savour every millimeter of your sun-kissed skin. The man left you with your fingertips trembling and heart scrambling for purchase somewhere in the deepest pits of your belly.

"What are you so hungry for, mmm?" Helmut's voice rumbled next to the shell of your ear; you could barely focus, skin singing underwater, where he held onto you like a lifeline. "You have hungry eyes, ljubavi, tell me what it is and I'll give it to you," your bodies pressed flush against each other, his eyelashes flittering against your cheek.

"You," the maximum capacity for your brain was one-syllable words and you used it sparingly, failing to suppress a gasp when Helmut's mouth latched around a particularly sensitive spot right under your jawline.

Teeth scraped over it before he soothed the sting with his tongue. "All the things in the world, I could give them to you. And yet..." He sounded almost disappointed. Perplexed, just as you were at the strange admission. "A woman like you would have men fighting for your attention yet you give it to me so freely," he murmured softly, capturing your lips in a slow, fluid kiss once more. "I will make sure you have everything you could ever want."

Helmut's touch grew bolder as he steered the two of you towards the shallow end of the pool. The taste of him was intoxicating, like the sweetest, most alluring poison you'd ever tasted: you knew that once you had one small bit, you'd be addicted, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. His words were clever and his mouth even more, making the short stumble upstairs last hours.

A wall, baroque tapestry, marked with the wetness of the pool water, where you allowed yourself to be pressed against as he leaned into you with the entirety of his broad frame, domineering the kiss effortlessly.

You panted as your back hit the soft, million-thread count, unmade sheets of the baron's bed, staring up into his eyes and finding your own reflection in his pupils, blown wide with lust. The tiny smirk was back but now his unexpressive face was marred by a gleem, accentuating his moist, puffy lips you'd licked into and bitten in a heated frenzy.

"Beautiful, printsesa," he stated with quiet firmness, leaning over into you to unclasp and toss away the upper part of the bikini. The bottoms followed suit, flung carelessly somewhere. His hands ran over your as it sang, every tiniest nerve hypersensitive, coming alive with a fervor borne of months of longing, complimented by the summer heat and cool waters.

"Helmut," your voice wavered, flowed on the syllables as his clever, clever mouth trailed hot down your chest, briefly submerging each nipple into the sear of it. Goosebumps rose over your exposed body, highlighting a trail for him, a trail he followed eagerly. Kisses were candy sweet and marshmallow soft.

Hot breath at the apex of your thighs had you mewling and arching into it, having abandoned all shame, and Helmut found it amusing. The petite chuckle made an appearance, his fingertips ghosting over the part of your lower lips; he was as amused by your impatience as he was enthralled by the youthfulness of the gesture. "Shh, ljubavi, I will make it feel better," his accent as thick as clover honey and just as saccharine.

The first movements were tentative, brief and so light, the demanding moan slipped out of your mouth along with a growl of frustration. You felt continuous chuckling, slight stubble rasping along the sides your thighs; you felt him pick up pace and steady his hot hands on your hips as you attempted to trash against the overwhelming stimulation your pussy was receiving.

His moans, loud and wet, drove you closer to the edge like a drunk drove a Ferrari; Helmut's skill was unparalleled but it lacked precision as he lost himself in the moment just as much as you.

"Fuck, fuck, I'm- I'm so close," you managed to grunt out before the crescendo hit, eyes rolling back into your skull as the influx of more, more, more hit every nerve ending in your body. You could do little more than rest your legs on his shoulders as the noble man, the quiet storm lapped up every drop of your release.

He made the inside of you weak.

In seconds, Helmut was back on top of you, grinding his arousal into you desperately, almost begging for it and all you could do was let your body respond, mimic your lover, clench around nothing just as you felt him twitch.

"Tell me you're mine," he demanded hooking one of your legs over his hip, eyes boring into yours with everything in them plain on display. It was a terrifying thing: as if your heart had suddenly grown legs, stood up and walked out into the bare, wide world, open for all to see. "Ti moa, skaži eto," his native tongue made his voice even more hoarse, you couldn't resist anymore.

"I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm yours," you chanted the words like a prayer, hoping he'd be merciful - and he is. No, there's only a hidden tenderness in his hands as he drives into your with increasing force that shakes you and makes your core quiver, igniting your flesh once again like the color red; it's messy and it's sloppy and you're barely aware of Helmut muttering something into the crook of your neck as you feel yourself clench down on him with a choked moan.

"Fuck," hearing him, the polite composed man, bite the end of his own orgasm into a curse made a wave of magenta hot rush travel through your body at lightning speed, his cock pulsating and coating you, claiming you from inside out so sweetly you couldn't resist a shallow gasp into his cheek, a gasp he mirrored as his own oversensitive flesh was once more assaulted by your combined lust.

The tide of his breathing was high; both of you spent yet still drunk on the newfound sense of togetherness. It was clear as a summer's day that in your arms laid a man who'd once lost something important and you - you were a someone who's never had anything of significance and perhaps, this time each other's arms would let you both keep whatever it was that you missed.

[espritmuse]

Zeke and Reiner birthday collab!! It was supposed to be longer but my sens of organisations is close to zero so I was late as usual @saccharine-darling collab!!!

4K words, smut ahead (but not that much lol)

Warning: reader is low-key cheating, semi public sex maybe angst too idk….

Perhaps the sun, always glorious and a harbinger of delight and bliss, reminded you of how dull and dreary your life was, while the moon and its obscurity brought you back to your slumbers and reveries.

On a bright day when everything seemed dark, questioning your relationship with Reiner, you met him, Zeke Yeager, like a light among the stars, like the moon eclipsing the sun for a mere moment, but maybe long enough to forget about how bright the sun used to shine.

—LUNAR ECLIPSE—

A single tiny piece of sunshine that seemed to escape from the firmament to find refuge, a curtain slightly ajar so that the darkness did not take over the whole room and one side of the bed unmade, the grey cotton sheets crumpled as usual, as they have been every morning for several months now. It was all these little details, in addition to your noisy alarm clock, the passers-by and the cars in the city streets, that brought you out of your long and sweet reverie, the one that allowed you to escape from your daily life, which was morose, to say the least.

You gathered up what courage you had left and got up after stretching your numb limbs from the awkward position you had been in while sleeping. Walking a few steps to reach the window, you opened the shutters and curtains to finally let the sweet sunshine into the sad room, which needed it. Although you had no desire to see him again, your stomach was just rumbling with anticipation of anything that might fill it. So you opened the white wooden door, turned the gold handle, and headed for the main room of your little flat.

"Morning." You greeted with a sigh before opening one of the small doors in the wall shelves to pick up a black patterned mug into which you poured coffee straight from the coffee pot.

"Hm." The short-haired man simply replied without even bothering to look in your direction, as if he didn't care about your presence anymore.

You didn't even care, you'd taught your heart not to feel bruised by every loveless move he made. He just couldn't stand you anymore, he didn't love you like he used to. You don't know what changed, what you could have done to make your sweet and loving boyfriend suddenly change his behaviour.. The idea that he had met someone else had crossed your mind more than once, but you didn't even dare ask him; you were frightened of the answer he might address you. Despite his silence, you never stopped loving him and it hurt you deeply that he could have gone to someone else, another girl, maybe more beautiful, funnier... It's all these questions that have little by little pushed you away from him in your turn.

"Did you sleep well? It was hot last night and I had a little trouble falling asleep.” But you tried to talk to him, no matter what, you always found something to say to try to reconnect with the man you loved.

With the summer, the heat and the sun, he had even more excuses to go out at all hours of the day so you had even less opportunity to see him. At times you can't help but think back to the days when you would jump into his arms as soon as you heard his keys turn in the front door lock, when you would spend the evening in each other's arms whispering sweet nothings. You think back on those moments with great melancholy, you don't even feel like the same man anymore.

“Yeah.” Once again, he didn't look at you; his head was turned towards the television, which was showing a programme even more boring than the questions you were asking him to break the ice. Slumped on the sofa, his left leg stretched out and the other bent; you sat down next to him and put your cup on the living room’s small coffee table.

"We could go out today, don't you think? I miss when we used to go for walks in the city Reiner." You asked, your eyes on him, and thankfully you noticed a small movement in his regard as if in a second he had recalled happy memories, memories where everything still seemed perfect.

"I...I already have stuff planned." He replied after a short moment, his gaze still evasive.

"Oh...Okay." You simply answered, not wanting to annoy him longer, maybe that was the reason; you were too much on his back, you were asking for too much attention...

Silently sipping your coffee, you pondered for a moment, your mind elsewhere. After a few minutes of communicating to yourself, you made your settlement. You were going to go out without him, you didn’t need him for everything. It had been weeks since you had been out with just yourself and you were beginning to miss it; when you officially moved in with him, away from your family, you lost touch with many of your friends so it was high time to meet new people and have some fun for once.

So the day passed, the noon and then the afternoon; you had decided to go out at night to appreciate everything even better, the big lights on the main boulevard, itself filled with people dancing -contrasting with their morose faces of the day-, the bars full of life, the stars overhanging the sky and giving it a bit of light in its solitary gloom...Everything seemed more beautiful once the sun was down. Perhaps the sun, always bright and a harbinger of delight and hapiness, reminded you of how dull and dreary your life was, while the moon and its night brought you back to your slumbers and reveries.

Using your phone, you took down the address of a bar in your town that you had spotted earlier on one of your walks. It was quite big but seemed to be a bit of an upmarket bar, given the prices of the drinks. But you didn't give up, it was your night out, all to yourself and it didn't matter if you ended up broke, you wanted to have fun for once.

So when night fell, you put on your best evening dress, a short black dress, hugging your body to perfection without being too tight, and your pumps of the same colour - a little high and uncomfortable, but that would be a problem for later -. And of course, you took forever to make yourself beautiful in the bathroom, make-up, eyebrows, nails... Who knows, maybe you were going to meet someone, or maybe somewhere in the back of your mind, you wished Reiner would see you like this, that he would fall in love with you again like he did a few years before when he saw you at that campus party. You would have liked him to compliment you, to ask you to stay home, or even to ask you out instead; but none of that; he was already off somewhere while you were primping in the next room.

Turning the key in the lock of the front door, you then went down the stairs quickly - trying not to fall with your impractical high heels - and went to the taxi you had ordered beforehand because, although the bar was not far away, you were still a woman in a short dress at night and you didn't want to put your life in danger. Once in the car, the driver began to drive carefully, exchanging a word or two with you so that the journey would not be too boring.

"So, a girls' night out? It's a beautiful day right now, even at night, you're lucky to see the stars in the city, with the pollution, not everyone gets to see them so often." The man says to you, hands on the wheel, looking straight ahead, preparing to brake at the red light.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm going out to have some fun." You simply replied to the white-haired, long-bearded widow with the same unkempt light colour.

"In my day, me and my friends used to run out of bars, unpaid!" He recalled with a smile as he looked at you through the car window to look at your smiling face, too. "So if you need me to wait for you outside the bar so you can escape, don't hesitate, the police have never caught me...yet."

"It's going to be hard for me to run around with these things on my feet...but I'll make a note, the prices are outrageous." You replied to his somewhat amusing remark.

The car had been driving for several minutes now and you saw the front of the bar, so the driver pulled over and waited for you to give him the money for the fare, which you said after digging into your wallet for a few seconds.

“Take care of yourself miss” He finally said before rolling up the driver's side window and leaving.

You breathed out a deep breath before crossing the street that separated you from the place. It was, like all the other signs of this kind, much more animated at this hour and more beautiful too. Its many lights of all colours and the people who surrounded it, some outside to smoke or drink and others, inside laughing with friends, that you could see between the half-open doors... All this gave an astonishing charm to this place.

Your legs a little shaky with hesitation, you finally entered, putting your hands on one of the glass doors to push it open slightly to give yourself more room to pass. You quickly made your way to the bar at the far right of the large room. To avoid people who had already had too much to drink, you stayed close to the walls, walking quickly along them to wait for the right place. Although your steps went in one direction, your eyes, curious as they are, turned towards the dance floor and the other people present. They seemed so happy, full of life, smiling, dancing... You wondered immediately if, like you, their lives were not a reflection of their current emotions, if, like you, they woke up in the morning, sad with the feeling that their lives are meaningless. They seem so happy at the time, but are they really happy once the sun rises, once the bar lights go out?

You took a seat on one of the leather stools placed at the counter, waiting for a waiter to ask you what you wanted to order. A simple whisky, that's what you took when the waiter came towards you.

Sipping your drink -or rather the second one, as you had swallowed the first one in record time-, you continued to look at the others, indefinitely, when you heard a voice break your precious silence; it was the bar's waiter once again but this, this time he was holding a small plate with two drinks on it.

"Excuse me, here," he placed two more glasses of whiskey in front of you, "The man over there paid for you." He nodded towards another part of the room to your puzzled look. In the distance, there was a group of men who looked like businessmen, from the black suits they were still wearing. You didn't know which man he was talking about, there were several of them; two with blond hair, one who looked very effeminate and the other with glasses and a beard; a dark-skinned man with closely shaved hair and finally a dark-haired man who seemed to be smaller in stature, especially compared to one of the blond men beside him.

You turned back your head to its original position, a little smile on your face, proud that your charm was still working, and what's more, on a man who seemed rather attractive - because, even if you didn't know which man the drink came from, the four of them were rather to your liking -

"Is this seat taken?" A deep yet soft voice suddenly asked, taking you out of your reverie.

You turned towards the noise you had just heard and noticed that a young man, about your age or maybe older, was pointing with his index finger at the chair next to yours. He was one of the guys you just saw some minutes prior, one of the blonde, the one with the beard and the round silver glasses.

“Oh...No. No, it’s not, you can take it,” you answered as naturally as possible, with a smile that had not yet left your lips. The unamed man said before sitting on the chair at your right, he had a cup in his hand, half empty.

“So...What a girl like you is doing here..” he leaned over a little to look at the other vacant seat on your left. “...all by herself?”

"Oh well, I was supposed to come with someone but they dropped me... so I preferred to come alone." you replied honestly, your eyes looking into his.

"He doesn't know what he's missing then." He added with a small smile and a discreet wink.

Although the man was attractive, you weren't used to that anymore; going out to bars, being accosted…Since you were with Reiner, you had developed the habit of always replying negatively to the advances of men. But at the moment everything was racing through your brain, you didn't even know what he was doing tonight and he didn't even bother to ask you where you were going, as if he didn't care anymore.

To have fun. That was the promise you made to yourself, and you decided to keep it.

"Zeke, nice to meet you. "You finally told him after he asked your name and, of course, you asked his in return.

Maybe it was the liquor, or maybe it was the sense of freedom you hadn't had the pleasure of feeling in months, but for some reason you'd ended up chatting with him for hours. You knew that time was passing, thanks to the waiter's digital watch that lit up every time he lifted his arm to look for a bottle up high, your eyes were directed straight to the sudden glimpse of light in the darkness.

He offered to dance, which you refused, for fear that your heels would give out under your inexperienced movements - or maybe those embarrassing movements were the real reason - and then he offered you something else, something a little daring, maybe even too daring for the short time you'd both been sitting at the bar.

You accepted, without even considering too much, maybe you should have? or maybe the adrenaline and the alcohol in your veins spoke for you. This man had appeared like lightning in the middle of a storm, the moon in the middle of a sky devoid of light. In other words, he was there at the right time.

So there you were, without really knowing how or why, sitting on the edge of one of the sinks in the bar's toilets, your dress somewhat raised so that your skin could come into contact with the cold surface of the piece of furniture, your legs spread -it was almost pathetic- and his hands placed on your half-opened thighs, rough hands, large and painted with several blue veins, contrasting with his rather light skin and which gave in spite of themselves a little colour to his light skin.

"Are you sure no one will come and disturb us here?" You asked, putting your hands on his chest, still dressed, although he had removed his black blazer. Only a white shirt prevented you from coming into direct contact with his skin, the one you wanted so much, now.

"Don't worry...just relax, okay?" He moved closer to you and placed a soft kiss on your neck that made your eyelids close almost instantly.

His lips began to move freely over your face and chest, as if they couldn't decide where to land. His arms were still wrapped around you, moving around your back, catching the fabric of your dress at times, as if to bring you closer to him.

While your eyelids were still closed, your ears were attentive to every little sound in the room, as if they were ready to inform your body of someone's arrival or, as was the case now, to hear the zip of his trousers being quickly undone.

"Are you sure?" You felt his warm breath next to your ears, as if he were telling you a well-kept secret.

"I'm sure." You retorted, ready to submit to one of the cardinal sins. Although, you would have much preferred that he took you home, for comfort, at least.

You felt his long, hot member between your thighs, with a long sigh of your own. He was already hard as a rock, and you wet as the ocean, for a flash of a second you wondered if this was his intention all along and if he had noticed you as soon as you stepped into that bar and then, a little heat growing in your crotch made you forget about this useless questioning.

You tried not to be too blatant, but as his pelvic thrusts got more profound and faster, you couldn't stop a few moans from escaping your lips.

"Fuck...a body like that.." He commented, using two of his fingers to push the fabric of the neckline of your dress and expose one of your breasts to the air.

"Zeke..." You moaned languidly as he continued his back and forth.

"What? You don't agree maybe? Look at you." He questioned, though his question was mostly rhetorical at this point because yes, indeed, you had noticed what a disadvantageous position you were in. "Poor girl... so desperate, I almost feel sorry for you, you know"

Then he stopped for a moment and grabbed you by the waist, pulling you down from the sink where your feet did not touch the floor. He turned you, a little violently, and pressed your belly against the surface of the sink, allowing him to have a full view of everything below, which, as you could imagine, he was most interested in.

He kept his burning hands on your hips - you could feel it even through the lmere piece of tissue that separated your skin from his - to help his pelvis move even harder, which released even more little moans from you, trying as hard as you could to muffle them with the palm of your hand, though it was more than futile.

"I'm almost there...Fuck you feel amazing..." he groaned in a hoarse voice, his movements becoming more and more tired but still rough, as if he wanted to get it over with quickly.

With all the alcohol you'd ingested -which you weren't really used to doing anymore- your envy was even bigger than usual but, strangely, your pleasure wasmore distant, as if each movement was taking you further away from the orgasm. But you didn't give up, your lower body was still on fire, as if insatiable, never satiated - although the fingers he placed on your clitoris helped a little with that -

With a final grunt from him and a long moan from you, your mutual pleasure finally came to an end. And suddenly all your senses came back to you; you felt his hips pressed against you, his hands roaming over your half-dressed body, the surface of the washbasin which was no longer really cold thanks to your own warmth, the air conditioning of the toilet which didn't even have a window and finally, the dimmed lights of the room.

He withdrew from you after a few seconds -or maybe a few minutes, you didn't even know anymore-, removed the soiled condom he had put on beforehand and wrapped it in paper before throwing it precautiously in the trash. Returning to you a moment later, he pulled up the black lace lingerie that had been left on one of your calves and pulled your dress back on, placing a gentle kiss on your shoulder, in stark contrast to his rough actions earlier.

Once out of the toilet, under the innocent gaze of the other customers, he proposed to you, leaning against the wall near the exit, to meet him the next day, at an address he had given you, that of his flat. Should you? You had felt so good a few minutes before, but now that you had regained your senses, everything was confused. Sure he was charismatic, quite funny and cultured but Reiner couldn't leave your consciousness so easily, you had been through so much with him, you couldn't leave him after just one night with another man.

But you accepted. You were not committed to anything, you had only given him your name; you would have the whole day to think quietly, away from the hustle and bustle of the bar and with less alcohol flowing through your veins.

So after a simple kiss on your cheek, he called you a taxi and even opened the door for you, wishing you a good night. The ride was short, you didn't even think about him for a second but only about Morpheus, who seemed to be screaming your name, your comfortable bed was the only thing you craved now.

***

Just a tiny bit of sunlight sticking out of the door, one hand on the handle and the other on your purse, a great gulp of air escaping from your lungs and finally, the guilt that took over your mind suddenly, once the door was open.

What the fuck had you done.

The blond boy with the marked facial features was there, lying on the couch, his body covered by one of your blankets and, in his sleeping hand, his phone still open on the messaging application where you could read your name. You turned on your phone, something you hadn't done all evening.

"Where are you? You're not home." Please come back home I have a surprise for you. "Hey?" "Please tell me that you're okay at least. "I love you." "Sorry"

You were confused, it had been a long time since he had stopped sending you such messages, words that seemed to indicate his attachment to you. So you turned on one of the lamps in the living room to get a better look, because the light from the television wasn't bright enough to illuminate the whole room.

A table covered with a red tablecloth with small decorative patterns, a large candle in the centre, which had once been lit by the dripping wax but was now out and cold, two plates and cutlery, one full and one half eaten, and to top it all off, your old friend the Guilt, who was just whispering maliciously in your ears.

"You're back..."

At the sound of the still sleeping little voice, your eyes suddenly widened and your body felt heavy now, as if your legs were going to give out under your weight. But you turned back to him, not looking at all. He looked tired and was dressed in his pyjamas, a simple white tank top with grey shorts.

"Oh hi." You replied simply, a little confused by the situation.

He walked towards you, with a shy smile on his face, like a child trying to get close to a wild animal that might run away at any moment.

"I wanted to... "He looked down at your outfit and his gaze shifted for a moment, as if he'd just realised you'd spent the night away from home and, as he knew you didn't really have any friends here, that you'd spent it out there alone. But he didn't say a word and continued, "I wanted to apologise. I've been a shit to you and I know that. I'm so sorry, I know you deserve better, but I promise I'll make it up to you."

You frowned and opened your mouth, letting fresh air enter between your lips. Reiner probably read the confused and shocked expression on your face, so he continued.

"I had so much on my mind right now, you know, I feel so bad. I would do anything for you..I..I don't know...I should have told you about it my love I'm sorry." You saw a tear escape from his right eye, almost reaching his rosy cheek before he wiped it away with his hand, "Maybe we could try again?" with his fragile fingers, he took you by the hand and looked you straight in the eyes. "Please, I love you so much."

You should have been happy. You should have jumped into his arms, told him that all was forgiven, promised him a bright future, put your lips against his. But you were as if frozen, like a criminal before the police, like a slow prey before its fast predator.

So you stood there, forcing a small smile that on the surface said 'all is well' but in reality depicted your unhappiness even more than the tears. He responded to your smile, wrapping his warm arms around you, as you had so dreamed of, as you would have loved this very morning.

You couldn't even think straight. Had he planned all this for you? That's why he didn't want to go out. And you had gone elsewhere, while all he could think about was you, all he could think about was making things right.

Lying. It was the only solution. You wouldn't see Zeke again tomorrow, you would forget him, this evening would be a distant memory, like a dream so realistic that you would almost forget that it had never happened.

Like the moon on an eclipse day, it had hidden the sun, almost making you forget its beauty and warmth, temporarily providing some comfort in the dark night that the luminous orb had caused when it suddenly left.

It was tears that lulled you that night, under the mocking eye of the moon.

[beautifulwhispersfox]

I live in the wilds of Pennsylvania, surrounded by trees, birds singing and fresh breezes, and a lake that extends for miles through the wilderness. I love to walk the paths and roadways that surround the lake and hike through the hills and valleys. I love to explore the grounds in search of little caverns or caves, I love rocks and unusual natural things. I collect the native herbs and cut fresh flowers. I live with my husband in a cottage that is near the lake. We don't see many people out this way and since the town is on the other side of the lake we a lot of times take our boat and head to town that way instead of driving the way around. If there are any other people up here they are, summer people, and only stay in the area till around Labor Day and then the land clears of any other people. We have wild animals that come around. Deer, rabbit, and even bear. We have learned to leave them be when they are near and just stay inside until they are gone. We keep all of our rubbish indoors so that we aren't feeding them and they don't come around too often.

But, it is not winter and I was wanting to pack a lunch and head out for a few hours exploring. I was walking down the roadway and enjoying the sunshine on my face and the sound of nature when about a mile from home I noticed an unknown vehicle parked. Everyone that camps up here for the summer has closed down their cabins and has gone for the summer. So I headed over to it and saw a shirtless young man sitting in the back of his van. I walked around to see if he needed any help and he was completely naked. Taking me by surprise, I said, "oh, excuse me". He was built like a brick shit house and handsome at the same time. I looked him over really good and noticed he was also quite hung.

He noticed me staring at him and a smile appeared on his face. I blushed and smiled back. "I'm sorry", I said. He said, "No worries". I went to leave and he asked if I had lived nearby and had a working phone. I said that I did and that he was welcome to use it. He was washing off and then getting dressed when I came across him and he said that he didn't realize that anyone was still up here and that he was happy that there was. His van broke down and he stayed the night in it, I could smell the smoke of a fire that had been wet down to be put out. He told me that he was going to hike around and see if he could either find someone or get to the town on the other side of the lake.

As he dressed, I noticed that he was just as hot clothed, as he was naked and was happy to escort such a good-looking man back to my place. I'll admit, the dirty thoughts were there.

My husband and I have an open relationship and always welcome a third party if that can be the case. We don't get out much because the city is so far away but we do have visitors come to stay with us. Another couple. We switch partners and just have a weekend of sex, drinking, and more sex. We have fires and have sex. We go swimming and have sex. I am a bottom, so I get to get under the other top all weekend long and it is nice to have someone else with my husband's permission. And I definitely want to get under this guy if I can.

We reached our cabin and I let my husband know who this man is and what the situation was and he led him to the phone. We told him who to call and the earliest that the tow man would be able to get out this way was 2 days from today and that he was the only mechanic in town and depending on what was needed for the van, it could take up to a week total for him to get it fixed. In the meantime, we had talked and had decided that I could have sex with him all that I wanted to if the young man was up for that kind of fucking. He was definitely straight but I have a way of getting men into bed that my husband just loves because it is always advantageous to us both.

We invited the young man to stay with us and he agreed since there were no hotels open now either. He didn't seem too concerned about our marriage and he was quite comfortable with himself. I love a confident man and he was really turning me on. He seemed to take a liking to both us and especially to me. I was in the kitchen cooking and he sat down at the table after I had told him to make himself at home. He asked if that meant to me as well. I turned and looked at him surprised and then told him, "yes". Again I blushed and he said it was cool and that he didn't have a girlfriend and could use a few good blowjobs if I were really interested. He knew that I was and I didn't have to say a word more.

We had dinner, all three of us, and then my husband retired to bed. I lit a fire in the fireplace and offered him a glass of wine or a beer. "I have liquor too if you prefer?" He said no because it gives him whiskey dick and he wanted to be hard for the occasion. I blushed again and giggled a little bit too. The excitement was rising up in me as it was rising in pants as he was thinking about having his dick sucked finally. He said it had been a while for him. I thought to myself how can such a great looking stud go without any sex? Then he proceeded to tell me as though he were reading my mind. He told me that he could see it on my face. I had to laugh this time.

"If you would like to get comfortable, please do", I told him. He told me that he is naked a lot when he is home and I assured him that would be no problem at all. He took his clothes off and folded them up neatly and put them on the sofa. I motioned for him to come to lay down on the floor and rest his body on the pillows. He did and as he walked, his manhood bounced freely back and forth as I watched and licked my lips. My mouth was watering like a flood. He noticed and commented that he appreciated the hungry looks from me. It made him feel good. He hadn't had anyone look at him like that for a long time.

We were instantly comfortable with each other. He rested himself upon the pillows and I looked at his thick cock and low hanging balls. I asked if I could taste him and instead, he motioned for me to come up to him and said, "I may be the man in this but I do have respect for you." He looked at me then moved in to kiss me. He kissed me for a long time and I rubbed his cock till it was hard as stone. It grew to a beautiful nine inches long and was thick. I looked down at and he asked if I liked it and I, of course, said "yes". He teased and said that if I played my cards right that he would also fuck me if I wanted. Like I'm going to tell him no.

We kissed a little more then I made my way down his freshly showered neck, to his stomach, his happy trail, then I took him in my mouth. He was softly moaning and exhaling as I did so. I laid my head down on his muscular, inner thigh and teased the head of his cock with my tongue. My lips went around and sucked on it and then down the shaft I went. I could hear him breathing hard and with excitement. I would go all the way down his shaft to his big, low-hanging balls, then make my way back up to the head. I wanted to take my time and enjoy this beautiful stranger. I also wanted to swallow a nice big load.

He motioned for me to move my body up close to his. All I had on was a bathrobe. He noticed that I was naked underneath and said that he thought that was hot. He reached under to grab my ass cheek in his hand and told me that he was going to fuck that for me. I loved his forthright and confidence. He was never with another guy before but he knew how to handle a hungry fuck hole.

As I stroked his cock and gave him head, he was getting more and more excited and moving his hips to meet my face as I went down on him. He stuck his fingertip in his mouth and was rubbing my asshole with it saying how he can't wait to sink himself in a nice warm pussy. It was cool of him to call it that. He let out a moan, shoved my head down on his throbbing cock, and fed me the biggest load of cum. OMG was it tasty too. I kept sucking his dick gently after he erupted. He was ready for another beer and then motioned for us to go up to his room. We climbed the stairs to his room and he shut the door behind us. Our room is on the first floor and he was on the second floor on the other side of the house. This is the room that the other top and I use when the couple comes to visit.

He dropped my robe around my ankles. I was a little shy because I am a little bigger around the waist. He told me that he loves thick chicks and that I was perfect. He teased and said that he likes a little more titty but....He instantly subdued my insecurities when he picked me up, kissed me, then laid me on the bed, spreading my knees and laying on top of me. He continued to make out with me until he was fully erect again and told me that I was in a lot of trouble because I already made him cum and that it takes him a lot longer to cum the second time around. Yeah, like I would have a problem with that, I told him and he giggled and slid himself deep inside my cock hungry hole.

He stayed that whole week and he fucked me every night.

He would visit often until he met a nice young lady and then the visits dwindled down. I'll always remember that first day we met.

by Marshall Bosley

(I do not own the rights to the pic)

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[aurorashka]

CUDDLING SESSION WITH STRAY KIDS

CHAN

- EXTREMELY SOFT!!!

- His cuddles are usually very warm, soft and protective.

- His embrace radiates a kind of warmth, assurance and energy which you never felt before.

- Something like whenever you had a bad day, you want someone to cheer you up, or even when you have a good day, you want a presence whom you can share your joy with, yes that kind of energy.

- His cuddles are so soft and loving that it might make you emotional thinking about how grateful are you to have such a loving man in your life.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : A soft furry blanket, Vanilla scented candles, hugging someone you treasure the most especially meeting them after a long time and furry baby animals, like how soft and cuddly their fur feel.

LEE KNOW

- He loves cuddling because he's someone who finds it hard to express himself through words, so he will cuddle you as tight and as long as he can to express you how much he loves you.

- Whenever you question yourself if he loves you or not, it's as if on cue he has read your mind, he will immediately come to you and carry you to the bed to have cuddle session with you.

- At that moment, when you realize how much he loves, a beautiful smile will pop on your face which will make Minho smile back thinking how much your smile could makes him feel warm.

- His cuddle is a reminder for you that he loves you with his whole heart.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Ocean wave, lying on a grassy field while stargazing, having a warm drink during a cold weather, passing a test after failing it constantly and cinnamon rolls.

CHANGBIN

- His cuddles are absolutely the cutest!

- He loves looking at you with a wide smile during the cuddle session while playing with your hair, cheeks or even pecking your lips constantly.

- After a long day at work, his "must-do" is coming back home just to cuddle you.

- Your embrace has an effect on him, the kind which heals him with zero effort and also how motivating your cuddles feel to him.

- He loves having a cuddling session with you whenever he writes lyrics because your presence inspire and has the ability to bring out the best version of himself.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Playing with a puppy/kitten which came running to you at a park, bubbles, screaming your lungs out to your fav song while going on a long drive.

HYUNJIN

- A very romantic cuddle session.

- The kind where you place your head on his chest and you both look into each other's eyes and then giggling like little kids.

- You can expect him to tell you how much he loves you while leaving soft pecks on your forehead, cheeks, lips and fingers.

- He loves cuddling with you tightly and open up to you about his insecurities and you do the same.

- You both will then comfort each other and remind each other how much you both love one another.

- Then, he will change the topic to both your future and tells you that he can't wait to marry you and have a family with you.

- Overall, a very very romantic cuddling session.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Roses, candlelight dinner, butterflies flying inside your tummy, going on a first date and watching the sunrise/sunset with your significant other.

HAN

- His cuddles are playful and adorable!

- He loves pinching your cheeks while talking to you in a baby voice, "Aww, why is my baby (Y/N) so cute...hnng." (yes he will say things like that in a baby voice)

- He likes tickling you because the way how you laugh and giggle warms his heart and makes him go so soft for you.

- Sometimes he likes hugging you tight and place his head on your chest and the reason is because he loves listening to your heartbeat, it calms him down.

- He might even throw a few cheesy pick up lines or some dad jokes (please give that baby a good reaction, you will make not only his day but his year...he will definitely remember it forever.)

- The way how he is during cuddling session will definitely make your heart do a somersault in you.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Tropical ice - cream, summer, fizzy orange juice, colourful macaroons and Orange Tulip.

FELIX

- Very soft and squishy!

- He enjoys rubbing his head against yours or rub his cheeks on your cheeks, chest or tummy.

- A very cuddly kitten.

- His gestures are so soft and squishy you can't help but play with his fair or cheeks.

- He loves complimenting you and gets super happy if you give him compliments to.

- He's shy to interlock his fingers with yours because of his tiny hands.

- So, when you take his hand and leave loving kisses on them before intertwining both your hands together, he will definitely feel very happy and grateful at the fact you love something he's insecure about.

- He will definitely pat your head and tells you how blessed he is to be in love with someone like you and give a loving kiss on your lips.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Marshmallow, kittens, cotton candy, clouds, soft furry blanket and Dandelion.

SEUNGMIN

- I don't think he's someone who have cuddle session with you often or even initiate them.

- He likes having it once in a while and if you initiate it sometimes he wouldn't mind either.

- He loves placing an arm around your body, bringing you close to him.

- Your head on his chest, him playing with your fingers while you both talk about each other's day, or life in general.

- Sometimes, you both will just be quiet in each other's embrace and appreciating the fact how you both get to spend time together.

- If he realizes that you've drifted off to sleep, he will definitely kiss your forehead and tells you how much he loves you. (because he's shy to have skin ship with you when you're awake.)

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : Coffee, Autumn, maple syrup, hot chocolate with marshmallow and brown toy poodle.

I.N

- The way he holds you close to him and his gestures are extremely pure and soft.

- He treats you like a glass, so cautious because he's scared to make you feel uncomfortable.

- He will look into your eyes and blush a lot, causing you to mirror his actions.

- He will ask you why you choose to love him and stuffs, so please shower that baby with all the love he deserves.

- He will definitely tells you how much he loves you and how sorry he feels sometimes because he's not able to be there for you always due to his work.

- He loves playing with your hair and caress your cheek while telling you how beautiful and adorable you look.

- He likes giving you an Eskimo kiss and then giggle to himself cause he's shy.

☆ His cuddles reminds me of : The feeling of a first love, fairy lights, oversized hoodies, Baby's - breath and Cotton Candy ice - cream.

[delightfulstarlightparadise]

Imagine Katsuki Bakugo/Reader part 5

Previous part here:

Once again I remind you that English is not my main language. I am doing my best.

Also, there is a while since I last watched or read BNHA and some stuff might be outside of the anime's context.

You and Bakugo are now dating, you've had a very intense next day to your first kiss, training against each other. Aizawa saw you fight against him and for a slight moment he shows he is proud of you.

While studying with Bakugo, he explains to you that he thinks you are one of the most promissing heros he'd imagine, if only you were not so worried about your scars. You tell him about your insecurities with them, Bakugo says he likes them nontheless. You have your first night together.

When you open the door of your room, ready in uniform, the unexpected presence of Bakugo makes you let go a shriek. You blush at the sight of his red eyes.

"Hi." You say in a whisper.

"Let's go?" he says, kissing you in the cheek.

He had gone there to take you to class with him. You can barely get yourself to look at him straight, once it makes you remember his every touch on your skin the night before.

People seem surprized to see you arriving together, there are whispers full of questions coming around. Kirishima is clearly giving you thumbs up and Mina giggling along with Sero and Denki.

Aizawa takes one look at you and another at Bakugo to realize what is happening. It seems you will have some explanation to do.

When the class is over, your Uncle asks you to stay.

"So, are you going to tell me what is happening?"he asks.

"Bakugo and I we... we... it... it happened you know. I... I don't know what to say uncle. I am very sorry." you stutter.

Aizawa stares at you with a serious expression. You shrink as it seems you are going to get lectured again.

"Just don't let your grades fall." he says and grabs his sleeping bag. "And don't go soft on him in those trainings. He will kill you."

The moment he stands up you give him a hug. He freezes but then, taps you gently on the back.

The days go by as they were used to going, Mina coming to you to gossip, Sero and Denki taking to with them to do whatever dumb things they usually do, Kirishima taking you to their gaming sessions.

But every morning Bakugo comes to take you to classes and, during the time you are alone together he holds you close to him, gently, and sometimes kisses you when you are not expecting.

You have things in common that you didn't know before. You like some bands in common, and you think it is pretty cute how Bakugo still collects CDs and how excited he is when he shows them to you. Actually, you love his face when he is excitedly talking about anything, he looks like a little maniac, with that obsessed smile, but it is still cute.

How he is going to be the gratest hero of this time. How much he loved that new song the band launched. When he shows you tricks with his drumsticks. When he talks about strategy classes or the new workout he and Kirishima had come up with. When he teaches you how to play his favorite videogames. When he puts music for you to listen with him on the earphones.

There are so many things Bakugo likes talking about.

He also likes listening to you about the things you like. He always looks at you and asks more about them. (Which things are these? Take some time to picture it)

Every Saturday you go to the movies together and on Sundays, you train.

Bakugo wins most of the matches you have, but you do defeat him a couple of times. He always gets really mad at these, but he also congratulates you after giving you a cold shoulder for a couple of days (he never stops coming pick you up for class though).

Things continue like this perfectly until the finals get closer and you have to focus more and more in training and studying. You do it together, but don't get much time to spend on simple things that you enjoy doing. But you need to keep your promise to Aizawa.

"DAMN IT THIS FUCKING STRATEGY EXERCISE!" You scream, throwing your book to the other side of the room.

Bakugo stops what he is doing and smirks. He loves it when you get furious like this. He says it makes you pretty.

"What is up?" He asks taking his earphones off.

"This stupid exercise. I DON'T KNOW. I don't know how to solve this fucking situation." you say rubbing your eyes in stress.

Bakugo stands up and grabs your book to take a look at the exercise you were talking about. He, then, sits next to you and proceeds to explain.

"Elemental quirks have limits. It is easier to make the person overuse them and lose control or not being able to use it anymore, than it is to fight them straight up. I don't know what is your difficultty in this. This is actually what you do to me when you..." Bakugo swallows his breath and let go a grwol. "Win."

"Hmm, I see now." You say, letting go a sigh because now it seemed pretty obvious.

"You are just tired." he says, lifting you up in his arms. "Why don't we lay down a while? To rest."

He knells on the bed, while smiling at you.

"Yeah... to rest." you answer with a small giggle.

...

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE FREE!!" Kirishima screams excitedly, untying his tie and throwing it up.

"Say it for yourself. We didn't pass... again." says Denki leaning on Mina and letting go a sigh.

"Agaaain" she cries, putting her head down.

"Bakugo got the second best grade in the class!" says Sero, putting his hand in Bakugo's shoulder.

Bakugo seems to be exploding in rage while looking at the final results.

"Who got first place this time?! Midoriya or Todoroki?" asks Kirishima rushing to see the sheets.

"None of us." says Todoroki coming from behind you. "Y/n did. Congrats." He says, turning to you.

Midoriya comes to you, his eyes shining, but you are not certain if he is about to cry or if he is really happy about something.

"Congratulations." he is sobbing, he is probably going to cry. "Co-could you tell me what was the answer for question 2.4?"

"IT WAS C!" screams Bakugo, pulling you away from him.

"Actually... it was E." you say kind of embarassed.

You are pretty sure you've just seen Bakugo's soul coming out of his angry mouth, and also Midoriya's from his bubbly eyes. Actually, Todoroki also seemed to be pondering in disbelief.

"It... it was a tricky question." you say, trying to make Bakugo let go of your arm, but he is holding you really tight.

"Hey, I got this one right too!" you hear Kirishima yell, followed by an explosion, which was Bakugo furious about it.

He stomps away burning with rage.

"Hey, y/n." Midoriya calls you before you have the chance to go after him.

"Yeah?" you ask.

"So, we are thinking of celebrating the end of the semester in the city, eating some ramen, would you guys like to come too?" he asks.

"Us?" you stutter.

"Yeah, you and Kaachan. You are dating right?"

Your face turns red and you feel the impulse of running away. You really thought you and Bakugo had been doing a nice job in hiding it from everyone elese, but it seems you were really wrong.

"Of course they are coming too!" Kirishima says. "Bakugo loves spicy ramen, he wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Nice!" Midoriya says with a big smile.

"Bakugo and y/n are dating?" You hear Todoroki ask Midoriya as they leave.

"I was not sure until now." he answers with a giggle.

Damn him! He tricked you right.

...

Bakugo seems to still be giving you that silly "cold shoulder" he does when you beat him in anything.

You, him, Sero and Kirishima are walking around the buildings trying to find the restaurant Midoriya had told you about, but he doesn't seem to be actually good with directions.

"Dumb hair! Where the fuck are we?!" Bakugo asks infuriated.

"I think... i guess... in that direction... well..."you pity him trying to understand the map in his phone.

"We came from there!!" Bakugo screams and lots of people look at you.

You don't really enjoy having people looking at you when you are not wearing your special suit. You tend to always wear it, but Bakugo convinced you to wear some fresh clothes once the heat of the summer was really high.

When he sees you lifting your collar and crossing your arms to avoid the scars, he silently puts his arm over your shoulder. You smile as this makes you feel protected.

All of a sudden you hear the sound of glass crashing and ambulances coming rushing in the streets. People are screaming and running in every direction, and this gets you and Bakugo separated from the others. You are pushed by the crowd to a blocking.

There is a huge skyscraper burning in flames on the other side. The police holds people behind while the firefighters try to put it out but unssucessfully. Heroes are coming in and out of the building carring people, but you can see so many of them by the windows screaming for help.

"There are not enough heroes!" you hear someone scream.

"Look! There is Endeavor!"someone yells.

You see that giant man coming out of the building carring four people on his shoulders, and taking them to the paramedics. They cry and thank him but he doesn't stay to listen, he runs back to the building.

You see heroes coming out from windows and doors with rescuees. Mt Lady is using her hands to pick up people who are in higher floors, but the building is bigger than her.

"You have to tell her to step back! Her wheigh can cause the buiding to crash!" you hear a firefighter telling another hero.

Someone flies to her and she shrinks and starts crying.

"This is a mess." you hear Bakugo say. "Wait is that..."

You turn to the site he is looking. Yeah. Those are who Bakugo thinks: Midoriya, Todoroki, Uraraka, Tsuyu and Iida are there helping take people out of the building.

"Fucking Deku!" he screams, transpassing the police blocking with a jump.

"Damn it, Katsuki!" you say, following behind.

Bakugo doesn't listen to anyone screaming for him to stop, he just runs right into the bulding.

"What the fuck?! How come do you guys are always in trouble like this?" You ask Todoroki, having heared about all the things that had happened to class 1-A before you arrived.

"Welcome to the team?" Uraraka says with an erratic smile.

"We should not be doing this, we should not be doing this, we should not be doing this." You hear Iida saying while fastly coming in and out the building with people on his arms.

"We were passing by. They need all the help they can get. My f... my f... Endeavor, asked us to help. There are other civillians helping too, some guys from other classes, people with helpful quirks the other heroes know, we won't get in trouble this time." Todoroki explains to you. "You need to help, your quirk can take you places other people are not being cabable to reach."

You stare at him and sigh.

Fuck. Aizawa is going to kill you.

Last part here:

[raptorginger]

I am a fiend for possessive Ben/Kylo Ren. Something like Ben has been denying his feelings for Rey until he sees another man flirting with her & can't hold it back anymore. In any au you want...I just live for that shit! Thanks so much!

are you a mind reader, anon?  i heard “Mr. Brightside” the other day and have been wanting to write something since.  i hope this is okay! it’s my first time writing a possessive!Ben, like, on purpose.  Please let me know!

Coming out of my cage

And I’ve been doing just fine

Gotta gotta be down

Because I want it all

It started out with a kiss

How did it end up like this?

Ben hated clubs.  Always had.  Always will.  He’d only come because his roommate Rey had pleaded with him to come out tonight with her and her friends.  He’d been taking notes for his graduate seminar on Quantum Field Theory and planned on rewarding himself with a couple hours of Dark Souls (he was a glutton for punishment), but Rey had tugged insistently on his sleeve, looked up at him with those sparkling hazel eyes, and practically begged him to come with her.  Ben’s chest had tightened painfully, his throat went dry and he assumed he was having another panic attack, but he’d agreed to go anyway.  Rey had smiled brightly and jumped up to get ready.  He loved making her smile.

He wasn’t sure what it was about Rey.  She’d moved in with him this past summer, having plucked his ‘roommate wanted’ flyer off of the physics department community board.  They’d exchanged a few texts, met for coffee to gauge compatibility, and he’d helped her move in about a week later.  Ben had to admit that for an undergrad, she was incredibly bright, with a keen mind that often solved whatever physics problem he was having before he could.  He had a few grease boards around the house, and he’d frequently wake up from where he’d passed out on the couch to see the rest of the problem puzzled out for him in Rey’s distinctive flowery scrawl.  He’d check her work, and nine times out of ten, she’d be right.  He’d tell her about it when she emerged from her bedroom, warm brown hair wild and eyes red and bleary from sleep.  She’d chirp excitedly and they’d talk about it, or she’d pout and Ben would explain where she’d gone wrong.  Ben loved that.  Living with Rey was as easy as breathing, and Ben found himself eagerly looking forward to the moments they were home together.

However, Ben quickly discovered they were almost polar opposites socially.  Rey was easy going, friendly, charming, everything he wasn’t.  She had friends.  She dated, he assumed.  She never brought any guys back to their house, but there were some mornings she came in through the front door instead of through her bedroom door.  There were some mornings his physics problems hadn’t been miraculously solved.  He didn’t envy her social life, exactly.  He certainly didn’t begrudge her for it.  It was just…frustrating to him.  He felt like a little black cloud hung around his head when he’d wake up and see Rey wasn’t in her room.  Ben tried not to poke and prod the feeling too much.  It led to a rabbit hole of thoughts that made him uncomfortable.  

Once, when he’d found her crying in her bedroom a week or so ago after a break up, he’d had to go on a long run to staunch the flood of rage that overtook him.  How dare someone hurt Rey!  How could they?!  And yet, at the heart of the rage monster inside him, was a small speck of happiness.  Ben was more afraid of that speck than anything else.  Rage, he could handle.  Whatever that speck was, he had no idea how to deal with it.  Had no desire to deal with it.  Lately, the speck wouldn’t snuff when the rage monster died.  It would linger, persistent and irritating, demanding attention.

And now, in this loud, dark, and smelly club, that little speck grew into a small flame as Rey grabbed his hands and pulled him to the dance floor.  Even in the dim, shitty light, Ben could tell the crests of Rey’s cheeks were bright red, from both dancing and drink he guessed.  She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with the strobing lights.  Ben nervously placed his hands on her hips as she pressed closer to him and rested her cheek on his chest.  She was saying something, but he couldn’t hear her.  Everywhere she touched felt hot through the thin cotton of his t-shirt, and he sincerely wished it was socially acceptable to wear sweatpants to a club because his jeans were suddenly the most uncomfortable thing he’d ever worn.  She placed her hands over his and helped him sway her to the beat of the song, an old hit by The Killers.  Well, old to her probably.  Ben still had a hard time thinking of the music he’d listened to in high school as “old,” even if it was fifteen years old.

When the song ended, she stepped back and placed a friendly peck on his cheek before flouncing back over to her friends, who had been joined by another group of socially outgoing club goers, one of whom handed Rey a fresh drink.  Ben sullenly shoved his hands into his pockets and went back to the sidelines.  He thought about leaving.  He’d agreed to come.  He hadn’t agreed to stay.  He felt his scowl growing more and more pronounced as he watched Rey with some classically handsome swarthy pirate looking guy.  Ben heaved a growling sigh.  He couldn’t compete with that.  He was all awkward bulk, tall, pale, dark haired emo grumpiness, a schema he’d easily settled into in high school and never left.  Rey and the pirate guy complimented each other beautifully.  Appropriate height, lean muscle, tanned glowing skin, easy smiles.  Their clothes even complimented each other, as if they’d called ahead of time to coordinate.  Light rinse jeans, white t-shirts, dark sneakers for him, dark heeled ankle boots for her.  Rey had added a warm green cardigan with floral embroidery.  Ben liked that one.  It brought out her eyes.  It paired wonderfully with the guy’s tan leather bomber jacket.

Ben felt his lips curl into a sneer as the guy started getting handsy, his (presumably) well manicured hands drifting to squeeze her bottom.  Rey was giggling playfully, giving him a tut-tut waggling of her finger.  The rage monster was uncurling and stretching in his stomach, soon to bloom in his blood.  His fists clenched and unclenched, his short nails digging into the skin of his palms.  The guy kept running his hands all over Rey’s lithe body, and she kept giggling and playfully pushing at him.  When she pulled him to the dance floor, Ben lost it.  He took a couple of steps forward, but stopped himself.  What the hell was he thinking?  Rey could dance with whoever she wanted.  She wasn’t his.

Ben’s eyes widened with the shock of sudden realization.  The little speck started to feed on his rage, morphing into something else.  Something that frightened him.  No, she wasn’t his.  But he wanted her to be.  

***

It was quiet in their neighborhood when Ben rounded a corner onto the street.  He had rented a house in an area with other graduate students and young university researchers and had never moved since, since it was never that loud.  A few lights were on in nearby homes, a handful of people on their porches drinking a beer, having a smoke, or both, but otherwise, the night was cool and quiet.  Ben stomped angrily up the porch steps and rammed his key into the lock, opening the door to the dark living room.  He heaved a sigh.  Home.  Alone.  Again.

Until a lamp flicked on and he saw Rey sitting in a chair.  Her legs were crossed elegantly, contrasting sharply with her angrily crossed arms.  She was frowning at him.  Ben raked his hands through his hair, mussing it.

“Care to explain what the hell that was, Ben?”  Rey snapped.

Ben frowned and shrugged, trying to plead innocence.  “What are you talking about?”

“You looked about ready to commit murder back there,” Rey accused.

Ben began to pace like a caged animal.  He tugged at his hair, a nervous habit since he’d been a kid.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

If he’d been looking at Rey, he’d have seen her expression soften.  He heard the old chair creak and Rey’s soft steps as she approached him.  She placed her hand gently on his forearm, halting his pacing.  “You’re a piss poor liar, Ben,” she murmured.

He yanked his arm away from her.  She flinched and Ben felt like his heart was screaming.  “Why are you here?  I thought you’d still be with…that guy,” he grumbled heading into the kitchen.  Away, just get away.

He heard Rey sigh deeply.  “That…wasn’t what it looked like.”

Ben slammed a bottle of Jack down on the kitchen counter.  “Oh really?  That wasn’t you letting some guy feel you up?”  I bet you feel amazing. What I wouldn’t give…Shut up!  Ben scowled at the glass he’d pulled out and took a swig straight from the bottle instead.

Rey took the bottle away from him and took a swig herself, wincing at the burn.  “Okay, that might have been what it looked like.  But, I just wanted to see what you’d do.”

Ben blinked owlishly at her.  “What the hell are you talking about?”

“That was Poe.  He’s Finn’s boyfriend.  They’ve been listening to me complain about being in love with you forever, and Poe came up with this silly plan.  I thought dancing with you and telling you…but you didn’t seem to hear me.  So Poe said we should dance.  But then you looked so angry, and I didn’t know what to think.  I was so sure you felt something for me…”  Rey babbled, still sipping the Jack as she hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter.

Ben could only stare at her wide eyed.  He leaned against the counter, his head hanging so his hair was falling into his face.  “Wait, what are you saying?  You’re in love with me?”

Rey wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, setting the bottle down carefully next to her.  She leaned in close, gently tucking his hair behind his ear.  She gently took his chin between her thumb and forefinger and turned his face towards hers.  She was smiling kindly at him, and Ben felt the speck hug his heart.  Warmth spread through him, and he felt his arms shaking.  Rey held his chin in her hand as she brought her mouth to his, her kiss a soft caress.  She pulled away after just a moment, resting her forehead against his so he could feel her small nod.

As if possessed with a mind of its own, Ben’s hand lifted from the counter and came to rest lightly on Rey’s thigh, his thumb rubbing circles into the side.  She sighed and nuzzled his cheek, making his breath hitch.  Ben huffed a laugh.  “I think…I think I’m in love with you, too,” he whispered before he took her lips in another kiss.