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rizlowwritessortof · 3 years

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The Fine Line

An unexpected tragedy sends Devon down the dark path of hate and vengeance, but she will learn that things are not always what they seem…

Scott Nolan swept a lock of his greying hair from his forehead and opened the back of the Suburban, smiling as his daughter walked around to join him. “Well, Devvy-what do you think of my luxury cabin?”

Devon smiled, hiding her eye roll at her father’s nickname for her and shaking her head, her chestnut ponytail bobbing. "Dad-I’m not sure luxury is quite the word.“ She grabbed a box of provisions from the back of the vehicle and waited for her father as he threw the strap of his rifle, then his duffle bag, over one shoulder and searched his pocket for the key to the front door.

"Okay, maybe we should go with rustic, then,” he joked as he swung the door open. Devon walked in, glancing around the large room, and depositing the box on the heavy wooden table. It looked as though someone had just cobbled it together with rough-hewn lumber, but it had been well-used and the top surface, at least, was smooth. She turned to look the room over further, noting the stone fireplace, complete with a deer head mounted over the mantle; an ugly brown and orange plaid sofa, that looked incredibly comfortable; and a recliner, thanks, no doubt, to her dad. "There are two bedrooms, so take whichever one you want, Devvy,“ her dad said, coming in with another load from the Suburban. "I brought a grill up last time I was here, but the stove works too. And there’s a little lake not too far from here, if you want to swim or fish a little.” He moved to stand in front of his daughter, putting his hands on her shoulders. "So, what do you think?“

"It’s nice, Dad, really. I like rustic.” She smiled at him. "But why did it take you so long to bring me up here? I haven’t seen you for, what-three years?“ Her father dropped his eyes, guilt flitting across his face.

"I know. I’m sorry.” He turned and began to unpack the groceries. "I’ve kind of been on the road for a while. Do you remember me talking about my friend, John Winchester?“

"The name sounds familiar. But you’ve never really talked about your friends to me very much, Dad.” Scott stopped what he was doing, hanging his head a little, and Devon felt a twinge of guilt herself. "I’m sorry, Dad. I’m not trying to make you feel bad, I’m really not.“ She walked up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder and reaching up to kiss his cheek. "So, what about John Winchester?”

“Well, for a while I was on the road quite a bit with John and his son, Dean. We worked a few odd jobs together, security stuff, you know, like I’ve always done.” Scott stopped again, disliking the taste of the half-truths on his tongue, then let out a sigh. "But I kind of lost track of them, went on working on my own. Then a few months ago, John’s other son, Sam, called to let me know that John died. Complications from a bad car accident. All three of them were almost killed when their car got broadsided by a semi.“

"Dad, I’m sorry.”

Scott turned to look at his daughter. "It just made me realize, we never know what could happen, you know? And it kind of woke me up, made me think about the fact that I had let all this time go by, and that I missed you. That I don’t want to lose touch with you again.“

Devon slipped her arms around her father and he held her close, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I love you, Dad. I’m sorry about John.”

“I love you too, Devvy. And I’m sorry for going so long without seeing you. Sometimes I think you’re just better off without me complicating your life. You have a good job, your life seems to be on track, and I’ve always just kind of drifted in and out-I just wasn’t sure since you became an adult if you really wanted much to do with me.”

“Don’t be silly. If I didn’t want anything to do with you, why would I be here in this luxurious resort spending time with you?” She smiled up at him, kissing his cheek again, and began helping put away their provisions. "So-grill tonight? Or should I make some pasta?“

"Dean, are you okay?”

An impatient sigh from the driver’s seat told Sam his state of mind, even before he spoke. "Look, Sammy, you need to stop asking me if I’m okay. I’m as okay as I’m gonna get for now, okay?“ Ever since he had opened up to his little brother about his fears that their dad had made a deal to save his life, Sam had been in one of his ‘mothering’ modes.

"Sorry. I’m just…”

“Worried about me, yeah, I get it. But let it go, Sam. I’m fine.” Dean’s voice closed the door on that subject, and Sam looked out the passenger window at the passing scenery, if it could be called that. Nebraska didn’t have much exciting to offer in that regard, at least not driving along Highway 20.

“So why are we going to the Roadhouse?” Sam asked quietly, knowing his brother was already irritated.

“I just thought we’d check with Ash, see if he has anything for us. Aren’t you curious?” Dean glanced over at Sam, then back at the mind-numbing sameness of the road.

“Yeah, I guess-I just figured he’d call if he had anything. I just thought maybe you wanted to see Jo again.” Sam smiled a little as he spoke, waiting for Dean’s reaction.

“Shut up, Sam. Ellen would have me stuffed and mounted if I touched her precious daughter.” Not that he wouldn’t love to-after all, she was pretty and female, and that was really all it took most days. But getting mixed up with Jo would cause no end of complications, and he definitely did not need more complications in his life.

“That’s true,” Sam agreed, and unscrewed the lid on his soda, draining the bottle and tossing it into the back seat, ignoring the sidelong glare his older sibling bestowed on him. If he was irritated at Sam, at least his mind wouldn’t be dwelling on the guilt he felt over their father’s death, and Sam was okay with that.

They stopped at a tiny town a couple of hours from their destination to fill the Impala, and Sam went inside to pay for the gas and pick up a few snacks and drinks for the rest of the trip. Dean was just pocketing his cell phone as he got back into the car.

“Change of plans, Sammy,” he said, pulling away from the pump and pulling out onto the two-lane highway. "Instead of heading south at Valentine, we’re going north.“

"What’s up?”

“Scott just called. He’s up at his cabin north of Pierre, South Dakota, and he thinks there might be a werewolf problem.”

“Scott Nolan?” Dean nodded in reply as he opened the soda his brother handed him, taking a couple of swallows and heading down the road to their new destination.

Devon shook her head as she watched her father staring out the window into the trees. "Dad-why don’t you relax? What’s the problem? You’ve been on edge ever since you went into town this morning.“

Scott turned to look at his daughter. "Sorry, Devvy-it’s just that some of the locals were talking about an animal attack last night. I’m just a little worried about having you out here. I don’t think you should go out in the woods until they figure this thing out, okay?”

“Animal attack?”

“Yeah, something tore a farmer’s throat out not far from here. They think it might be a wolf.”

Devon looked up from her perch on the couch. Her dad looked really worried. “Okay, Dad, if it makes you feel better, I’ll stay inside.” He gave her a rather tight smile and nodded.

“Thanks, honey-I’d rather not have to worry about you out there. I promised the sheriff that I’d help patrol tonight, but you should be okay as long as you stay put.”

“Why are you helping patrol? I don’t want you out there with that thing, Dad!”

“Devvy-I do security work all the time, and I go hunting. They need someone who has experience with firearms, and I fit the bill. They only have so many deputies and rangers around here.”

“What makes it okay that I have to worry about you, but you don’t want to worry about me?”

“I’m your father, that’s what,” Scott answered, trying to sound as if he was joking, but there was an underlying note of steel in his voice that Devon recognized from her childhood.

“So much for my being an adult,” she muttered under her breath, and looked up innocently when her father shot a questioning look her way.

“What?”

“Nothing, Dad. What do you want for supper?”

She fixed a simple meal for the two of them and reluctantly sent her father off to help the local authorities, resigned to spending the evening reading or watching a DVD by herself. She kept herself occupied for the majority of the night, but after dark she began to worry. She tried his cell phone, but reception was spotty in the area, so she didn’t hold out much hope that he would pick up.

She went to the kitchen area to make herself a cup of tea, deciding that she would give him until 10:30 to check in or she would call the sheriff’s office. There really wasn’t much else she could do, but she had an uneasy feeling, and until she spoke to her father she wouldn’t be able to shake it. The appointed time came and went, but she held off on making the phone call, knowing it would irritate her dad if she called the sheriff about him. But when 11 o'clock rolled around and she still hadn’t heard from him, she cursed under her breath and grabbed her phone, dialing directory assistance to get the number.

“Sully County Sheriff’s Department,” a terse female voice answered.

“Yes, my name is Devon Nolan. I’m calling about my father, Scott-he was assisting your department tonight, helping patrol after the animal attack last night. I haven’t heard from him since he left at around 6 p.m. tonight.”

“Scott-what was the last name?”

“Nolan. Scott Nolan.”

“Hold on.” Devon waited impatiently, wandering around the cabin aimlessly while she was on hold. "Miss Nolan?“ The woman’s voice startled her, and she jumped, then shook her head at herself for her nervousness. "I’m sorry, but we have no record of a Scott Nolan doing any work for us. I spoke to the sheriff myself. Are you sure he was talking about Sully County?”

“You had the possible wolf attack last night, correct?”

“Yes, but that wasn’t public knowledge. How did you hear about it?”

“My father told me this afternoon.”

“Well, miss, I don’t know where he got the information, but we aren’t releasing any information on that case as of yet. And the sheriff’s department doesn’t normally recruit civilian assistance. Would you like to file a missing person report? We wouldn’t be able to do anything until he’s been gone for 24 hours, but we could get the paperwork started if you think there’s a real problem.”

“No, thank you. I’ll check back with you if he doesn’t show up.” She ended the call, her brows drawn together in a frown. Why would he tell her he was assisting the sheriff? He was out there trying to hunt that wolf by himself, that was the only explanation. And if he made it back to the cabin in one piece, she was going to tear him a new one.

By 11:30, Devon was beside herself. She called her dad’s phone every five minutes, hoping against hope that he would wander into an area that had cell reception. Frustrated and scared, she went to the fridge and grabbed a cold beer, removing the lid and throwing it at the far wall. She downed almost half the bottle at once, then plopped down at the table, setting the bottle down and reaching for her phone once again. But before she could dial, she heard a heavy step on the front porch and shoved the phone into her pocket. As she stood, apprehensive, to head for the front door, her father burst into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Startled, she jumped, knocking over her beer in her surprise. "Dad! Are you all right?“ As she drew closer, her eyes widened in shock. His right arm hung useless at his side, mangled and bloody. He grabbed her arm with his good hand, gripping her so tightly it hurt. "Dad! You’re hurting me!” She tried to pull away from him, but he was dragging her towards the storage closet.

“Devvy! Listen to me. Get in the closet. Don’t make a sound. Do you hear me?”

“Dad!”

“Devon!” Her father roared loudly enough to make her shrink back from him, as far as she was able with the grasp he had on her arm. "Just do what I tell you! Your life depends on it!“

Frightened like she had never been before, she nodded, tears in her eyes. "Okay, Dad.” She stepped into the closet, and she heard him lock the door. “Dad!”

“Devvy, you have to be quiet, do you understand me? Don’t make a sound, I don’t care what you hear, I mean it.” She heard him moving around outside her small prison, but couldn’t make out what he was doing. She brushed a tear from her face with the back of her shaking hand, backing up a step and standing against the rear wall of the tiny room. And then she heard a loud crash, and a savage growl that sent a shiver of pure terror up her spine. A shot, the sound magnified by the confines of the cabin, rang out and then there was silence for a few seconds. She heard more footsteps, and a man’s voice that she had never heard before. "Scott! Damn it! What the hell were you doing?“

"Dean, please…” her father’s voice wavered-it almost sounded like he was crying.

“Dean,” another unfamiliar voice spoke, and the first man answered gruffly.

“Sammy-we have no choice.”

Devon heard her father speak once more. This time, she knew he was crying, and she cowered in the closet, tears streaming down her face as she listened. “Dean, please. I’m begging you, son. Please…”

She heard the gunshot ring out, echoing loudly in the cabin, and her father spoke no more. She slid slowly down the wall of the closet until she was sitting huddled on the floor, her hand clasped over her mouth, terrified of making a sound. But what she really wanted to do was break down the heavy door that kept her captive and kill the man who had just shot her father-Dean Winchester.

Remaining chapters on AO3 beginning HERE

#the fine line #dean fic #dean x devon #dean x oc #reblog to fix tag link for remaining chapters

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staytiny-angel · 5 years

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The Demon's Lair - Part 1

Rating: E overall T for this chapter

Main Pairing - Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch (be prepared they aren't monogamous quite yet)

Warnings: Mentioned Kidnapping, Murder, hints at symptoms of PTSD, Flogging,(super vague tho, )

Summary - Seth returns to The Lair after a month away on a mercenary mission to learn things aren't quite the way he left them.

Authors Note: I don't know what the fuck happened, I swore I was just gonna write a bunch of kinky smut. That was the plan but it grew a damn plot. A real one, not just a flimsy frame but a whole ass mansion. So I'm just gonna write a story and see where it takes me. Probably gonna come up with some sort of update schedule for this, Chase and Safe Haven.

Taglist: @askauradonprep @swifteforeverandalways @rxllynch @riottbliss @nothingbutmeworld @axelwolf8109 @biforbecky2belts @neversatisfiedgirl @superrezzy00 @nicolewoo

Seth exited his town car in the dim Brooklyn alley stretching and cracking his neck, stiff after an 11-hour day behind his desk, followed by 7 hours passed out on his office couch "Pick you up at 3 like always Mr. Rollins?" his driver asked.

"Yes, thank you Joey" Seth responded, handing the man a hundred dollar bill, "Why don't you pick up Jamie and the two of you have a nice dinner on me while you wait?"

"I think he'll like that, thank you, Mr. Rollins, Sir" Joey replied before pulling off and leaving Seth at a blood-red door with black script reading The Demon's Lair.

Seth both loved and hated the Lair. In many ways, the kink club was the only place he felt like himself. Where he could drop the facade he wore in his professional life and even with his family to an extent, but he hated it too. He hated that even though he felt so at home there and had plenty of wonderful friends and sometimes lovers…nobody seemed to want to keep him.

Breaking out of his increasingly morose thoughts, Seth used his member's card to unlock the door to the Lair and slipped inside. He'd been in the Middle East for several weeks, meaning he'd been 'On' the entire time and was absolutely looking forward to taking off his mask and letting the real Seth out to play.

"Sethie!" The pink-haired girl at the front desk yelled in happiness "I missed you!"

"Sup, Livvy" Seth replied with an easy grin as all the tension seemed to drop off his shoulders as he mentally locked the corporate shark in its tank for the next 6 hours.

The hyperactive submissive had standing permission from her Domme to hug on Seth whenever she wanted so she dashed around the desk and practically tossed herself into the older man's arms. "Miss Ruby said you were in the bad place for the last month so all the hugs for you," she says quietly

"Thank you sweetie pie," Seth whispered in her ear. "I'm just glad to be back," He says louder letting go of her. "So what I miss, any dirt?" he asks as he strips off his suit jacket and tie and then rolls up his sleeve.

"So we finally met Master Balor's mysterious protege." She tells her friend as she takes his cuffs out of a locked case beneath the desk.

"He told me he had asked her to come here. Something about a bad break up." Seth replied, "What's she like?"

"Miss Rebecca is here tonight tending the bar since Devvie is back in school right now, she has a thicker accent then Master Balor's, bright orange hair and she's really pretty. " Liv continues

Seth easily buckles the black leather cuffs with their inlaid red hearts onto his wrists, brushing his thumb over the words worked into the leather "Who's around that might want to play with me?"

"Master Balor and Miss Violet are waiting for you. Miss Renee tattled on you, babe." Liv says with a smile "Naughty Sethie you were supposed to go home and sleep." She teases wagging a finger at him "Now you're in tro-uble" she sings

Seth huffed and muttered under his breath "Bossy fucking Doms." While he, Finn and Violet weren't a permanent triad, the two switches did take care of him, trying to make sure the workaholic took care of himself at least somewhat. And since the pair had quite literally kept Seth from drinking himself to death after his 3 tours in Afghanistan, he did try least try to listen to them. Not that it always happened but at least he TRIED.

Liv shook her head and giggled "Yeah, have fun with that. I've got the desk for another hour and then its Moxie's turn.

Seth walked into the club properly and looked to see who was around, heading over toward the fireplace when he caught a glimpse of his Personal Assistant sitting in a club chair, her two submissives sitting at her feet. Easily kneeling alongside Roman and Mox, he smirked up at her "You are a goddamn tattletale, Miss Renee."

Renee Moxley tapped her boss's nose with the riding crop in her left hand, "You were supposed to go back to the penthouse and sleep when you got back from Saudi Arabia. Instead, you spent 11 hours in the office, of course, I told them"

"Finn and Violet are waiting for you downstairs, you have a demon to contend with."

"Son of a bitch, really?" Seth's head dropped. "Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. He's THAT pissed at me?"

"You passed out in the office from exhaustion AGAIN." Roman told his best friend quietly "I had to pick your ass up off the floor and put you on the couch. Did you really think no one was gonna tell the only two people you MIGHT listen to?"

Renee gestured with the crop for Seth to stand up, "Go on, don't keep them waiting" the Domme told him sternly

Now knowing that he was in deep shit, Seth quickly headed to the stairs, only casting a distracted look at the orange-haired woman behind the bar talking to Master Orton and Ember Moon.

When Seth entered Finn and Violet's private dungeon he gulped audibly because sitting in the plush red and black throne like a chair with Violet on his lap wasn't his slightly goofy friend Finn, but King Balor in full on warpaint.

"Oh…look Mon Roi, it's a naughty kitten," The blue-haired woman dressed in a black and red corset, stockings and tall heeled boots said quietly

"Kneel, Little Prince," Balor orders "and explain why Lady Renee called to tell me you disobeyed one of the few things we ask of you"

"My Liege, I slept on the plane on the way home. By the time I arrived in New York my inbox was full, I figured I would work for a few hours and then go home, but I lost track of time and the next thing I knew Moxley was waking me saying you had requested my presence"

"Kitten, we are not your Masters, but you requested this arrangement to help you stay healthy and safe after last summer's incident," Violet says quietly "Yet you disobeyed. Lady Renee said that Roman had to pick you up off of your office floor because you passed out. She had your private doctor come and check you and you didn't even wake up. You aren't taking care of yourself"

Seth opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Balor "Not another word Little Prince, you know very well you've earned yourself quite the punishment"

'Well, fuck' Seth thought to himself as he knelt in front of the throne after having been stripped of his black dress shirt and his hands cuffed behind his back as Violet circled him holding a flogger, Balor still sitting there watching avidly.

"This was supposed to be your welcome home present." She sighed "But someone decided to be a bad little prince"

"I'm sorry my Queen" Seth mumbled "This last mission…it was a lot."

"You are supposed to tell us when you feel these urges to work yourself half to death. Especially after solo missions, was that not the agreement that was made after you almost….left us last year?" Balor says quietly, voice filled with emotion

Seth winced at the mention of last summer, It had been a workday much like today but instead of someone picking him up, he'd tried to drive himself home. Seth had fallen asleep at the wheel and the subsequent accident had nearly ended his life. Now Seth never drove himself after long days at work and he'd hired Joey and his husband Jamie to be his drivers.

"Do you know how scared we were? Renee called us and said you were on the floor, not moving" Violet told him "Are you injured from your mission other then the scrapes and bruises I see?"

"No your majesty" Seth answered quietly

"Then 20, Little Prince. 10 from each of us" then we'll go upstairs to the bar and you can meet Rebecca. You will be nice about showing her your ways. Or we'll end up right back down here. Understand?" Balor commanded

"Yes My Liege" Seth replied quietly

Seth barely heard the whistle of the flogger before the first blow hit his back.

His King and Queen didn't have to know that at least for this time he'd pushed himself on purpose, wanting to not think about what he'd had to do to get a young girl back to her family, He rarely took on mercenary missions himself anymore for this very reason. The damage the killing and violence took took on his mental health was terrible and he wasn't coping well but his mother…his mother had asked a favor for a friend of a friend who's daughter had been kidnapped.

So Seth went and a month later he'd returned. The girl alive, her captor and his people very much dead and he with more blood-soaked memories he'd prefer not to have.

#Shai Writes #The Demon's Lair #Seth Rollins #Becky Lynch #Finn Balor #Rollynch #Ballins #Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch #Seth Rollins/Finn Balor #Roman Reigns/Jon Moxley/Renee Young #Finn Balor/OFC #Finn Balor/Seth Rollins/OFC

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mutualdarknessff-blog · 7 years

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C12 - Don't Kiss & Tell

Song: dRuNK by Zayn Malik

Navaya

Gasping out of another bad dream, I sat up right looking out my window. It was thundering constantly with lighting cracking loudly. Even though Jason left me to spend time with Mali. He had his housekeeping crew behind for anything I needed, but they left around ten. I looked at my phone next to me realizing it was almost three in the morning. I was home alone in this big ass house and felt the bad feelings coming back, when I used to live with my uncle. With it being friday already, I automatically felt my brain going back to what I was thinking before I fell asleep. Picking some type of time to tell Julius about the cure that stayed in my dresser here in the room. Another crackle of thunder made me jump as I clenched the sheets over my head. Pondering on whether I should call Trent or Mali, I figured they were probably sleep. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep until the storm passed, so I decided to get something to drink downstairs. Only problem was I was kind of terrified being in this mansion alone, going that far to get something to drink. Taking a deep breath I pulled the covers off of my bare legs, showing only my pajama shorts and matching t shirt. Stepping out of bed I, walked to the bedroom door peeking out into the hall. Every so often lightening would light the area showing no one there. Finally stepping out into the hall I made my way to the stairs going to the first floor. Holding my torso with both arms I slowly walked to the kitchen, using my phones flashlight to see. As I got closer to the kitchen I noticed the patio doors that lead to the backyard was open. I didn’t leave them open, and I know the housekeepers wouldn’t. Immediately I went into panic mode, unlocking my phone to call the police. Someone was here and I backed up to the wall looking around while I tried to find the dial pad on my phone. But my fingers were shaking out of fear. I dropped my phone.

“Fuck.” I muttered under my breath bending down to pick up my phone, but when I did it was gone.

“What the?” I breathed looking up to see a dark figure standing in front of me.

“Navaya, chill out its only me.” Dev looked down at me holding my phone in one hand and a spliff in the other. Grabbing my chest I looked at my phone and back to him seeing his handsome features better every time lighting flashed.

“Dev, what are you doing here?” I asked trying to sound annoyed but I was glad he was here and not someone else.

“Jason wanted me to look over you while he was away, Trent and Anastasia is here too. I was just outside smoking.” He told me handing over my phone.

“Where are they?” I asked, looking around. “In the movie room downstairs.” He told me. With a smirk on his face he took a slow pull from his spliff, “We didn’t want to wake you, that’s why ya didn’t know we were here.” He explained. Shaking my head I began walking to the kitchen, taking another deep breath.

“You were scared huh?” He asked, I turned around to look at him taking a pull of his spliff eyeing me and what I had on.

“No.” I lied hiding behind the island so he could stop staring at my pajamas.

“Yeah, right.” He chuckled blowing smoke across the kitchen. I ignored him going in the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

“Think what you want, I would’ve been fine.” I tried to play off my fear of being alone.

“Vaya.” Dev spoke calm and low. My body got hot in the fact that he had his own nickname for me. I turned around looking at him sitting at the island leaning back staring at me. He had that look in his eyes, it made me so nervous.

“Huh?” I spoke closing the refrigerator door and leaned up against the counter.

“It’s okay to admit when you’re scared, besides you can’t hide nothing from me,” He blowed smoke leaning up on his elbows, “That’s why we are all here, you not alone, not anymore.“

"Thanks, but i’m alright.” I shrugged. Dev chuckled at me leaning back in his chair. Putting out his blunt in his hand he shook his head at me, “So stubborn."

"Shut up.” I muttered walking out the kitchen, deciding to go back to sleep since the storm finally died down. Dev was quiet then without a response so I figured he would remain in the kitchen, since he all of a sudden knew so much about me. Walking back upstairs I made it to my room turning on my bedroom light.

“Why do you have this?” Dev ask sitting on my bed with my black vibrator in his hand. Horrified I ran up to him snatching it out of his hands with ease.

“Dev what the fuck, don’t you know about personal privacy and space.” I yelled at him my heart feeling like it was about to explode. With a calm face he just looked up at me adorably. I didn’t even wrap my mind around the fact that he was suddenly in my room, I didn’t even see him go past me.

"I do.“ He spoke lowly, "I was just wondering since I sat on it when my ass made contact with your bed."

"Honestly that’s none of your business and why are you even in my room?” I huffed at him turning away to put my vibrator up in my drawer underneath my underwear.

"I mean, thought we were cool, didn’t think you would freak out. Not like i’m your fuckin’ boyfriend or anything.“ Dev sighed standing to his feet, "Ill just leave if I’m bothering you that much."

"Wait,” I stopped him before he walked out, “I don’t have school tomorrow, could stay up for a little longer.” Turning back towards me he began to walk back by my bed, “You act like you never had a guy in your bedroom before."

Only my uncle ever got to make that as a horror for me, I cringed a little. Ignoring the half truth in his words I just got in bed while he sat at the end of it, leaning back on his elbows. He looked like he was ready for a photo shoot at any moment.

"What’s up Dev.” I stated having a feeling he needed to talk.

“Listen, I only feel comfortable with talking to you about this shit, cuz you and I have….” He trailed off, but I knew what he meant.

“I know,” I nodded having him look over at me, “Just continue and tell me,” I told him. Shaking his head he went on.

"Trent and Anastasia, I think that they like each other more than friends. Even though they’re not related, they still belong to the same clan.“ He told me.

"But if they are in the same clan and both vampires what’s the problem?” I asked him.

“Nothing in the clans eyes, but to me I don’t know if I can accept it. What makes it even more weird is, the whole time of looking over Trent he never approached or seem interested in any human girl."

"Maybe, Trent is meant to just be with his own kind.” I shrugged. “I don’t believe in that.” Dev replied solemnly leaning all the way down on my bed, he looked up at the ceiling. His broad chest rose every so often, flexing out the t shirt he had on.

“Why not?” I asked, sliding his head in my direction he closed his eyes.

“I just don’t.” He stated. “Did you have a relationship with your kind?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah only one,” Dev replied opening his eyes again placing them on me,“Didn’t work out."

"Sometimes we’re just meant to be with who we’re meant to be with.” I concluded. Sitting up Dev mugged me.

“I thought you were supposed to be agreeing with me here.” He leaned closer to me raising an eyebrow.

“Trent is my best friend, I haven’t ever seen him with a girl he likes so I’m happy for him.” I shrugged.

“Sell out.” Dev muttered making me chuckle. “You aren’t the only one to witness him always being single.” I laid against my headboard.

“Yeah speaking of single, If you went ahead and gave Julius the fuckin’ cure you wouldn’t need that damn plastic shit.” Dev looked over at me with a evil grin on his lips.

“Oh my gosh, would you stop being obsessed with my vibrator.” I sighed putting my face in the palms of my hands.

“I didn’t say I was obsessed.” He shook his head, “Anyways I’ve watched over Ana all her life since her clan abandoned her, so she’s like a little sister to me. Trent is like a little brother to me, I just don’t know what to do.” He spoke sounding glum again.

“Accept it.” I told him.

“Easier said than down Vaya.” He smirked at me.

“When did you come up with that nickname for me?” I asked him, he shrugged looking at me.

“I don’t know. What you don’t like it?” He asked with a pout of his pink lips.

“Didn’t say that, Devvy-poo.” I smiled at him, he gave me a blank stare.

“Please don’t call me that.” He huffed at me. I started laughing at him.

“What’s so funny in here?” Anastasia walked in leaning against the wall, Trent was behind her coming inside my room.

“Nothing at all.” Dev answered, “You about to head out Tre?”

“Yeah man.” Trent replied dapping him up, “See ya Vay.”

“Good night Tre.” I nodded.

“So Dev did you tell Navaya about-” “Anastasia, you’re staying here tonight.” Dev cut her off automatically.

“Dev are fucking serious?” She protested.

“Yes, I’m fuckin serious,” He responded, “Goodnight.”

“Whatever.” She muttered walking out the room behind Trent, “Panties in a bunch about an ex.”

“Told you she gets on my damn nerves.” Dev spoke under his breath.

“They are young Dev, and-”

“No, you the virgin to all bases cannot say shit about my rules.” He chuckled at me.

“Excuse me I am not-”

“Have you gone past first base with a guy?” He asked me.

“No, I admitted looking down at my hands.” I bit my bottom lip.

“Exactly. Who knows what the hell they did in the movie room.” Dev sighed. Seeing how quiet I was he looked back over at me.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings.” Dev mumbled at me.

“No, you’re okay it’s the truth. But the bright side is It’s a sure fact that Julius is a virgin so… it’s whatever.” I shrugged.

“Right.” Dev sighed, “Well if you ever need any advice…”

“Dev.” I laughed at him.

“What?” He asked confused.

“Nothing.” I sighed, with a yawn, “What was Anastasia saying about an ex?”

“Nothing, just talking out the side of her mouth. Imma let you go to sleep, and make sure Anastasia still in this damn house.” He muttered standing to his feet,

“Thanks for the advice, nite.”

“Night Dev.” I smiled at him as he turned my light switch out.

“You gonna be alright with Julius.” He chucked up his deuces and closed my door behind him. Before drifting off to sleep, my mind focused on what Dev had said. He didn’t see his kind as someone to be with, and it confused me. Could it be why he didn’t do relationships?

***

After brushing my teeth and showering I threw on some clothes deciding to go eat some cereal. It was ten in the morning as I went downstairs, the sun shined through the open living room. Sprawled out on the couch was Dev with his mouth slanted open, peacefully sleeping. I held in my giggle at how he laid on his back on the couch with one leg dangling off the top of the couch and an arm leaning off the edge. His shirt was on the floor letting me view every tattoo he had and his chiseled body. It suddenly had me in a daze as his chest rose up in down not making a peep in his slumber. Here I thought vampires didn’t sleep and he was knocked out. It made me wonder why he even needed sleep. Snapping myself out of staring I headed to the kitchen, deciding on some cocoa puffs. Pouring my milk after I did my cereal, I got up to get a spoon out of the sliding drawer. Turning back to my cereal Dev sat at the island with his chin in his hand watching me.

“Jesus, could you at least talk when you enter a room.” I deeply breathed trying to control my heart. Standing there for a second I took another deep breath before taking a seat in front of my cereal bowl. Saying grace privately I opened my eyes to see Dev looking at my bowl of puffs.

“My bad.” He spoke with squinty eyes.

“So, can I ask a question about your eating habits?” I asked looking up at him slowly. Dev licked over his bottom lip squinting at me again before relaxing his eyes.

“I don’t eat off of people if that’s what you’re wondering.” He told me.

“Then what do you do to keep yourself fed, and is Trent…-”

“Don’t worry I have Trent on the same diet as me, we use blood bags from Jason’s company.” He answered sincerely.

“Oh, so you already have eaten?” I asked looking in my cereal bowl.

“In a little bit.” He looked down at the table making imaginary circles on it with the top of his pointer finger, “It’s like my coffee.”

“I was just wondering.” I admitted curiously.

“Anymore questions?” He asked looking up at me.

“No, I’m good for now.” I nodded taking another scoop of cereal in my mouth.

“You sure?” He smiled at me with a cheeky grin.

“Uh huh.” I mumbled in between chews, he absentmindedly sat up in his chair stretching out his shoulder. Moving my eyes away from his body I looked down at my cereal taking another scoop.

“I guess since your bestie back with Jason, you stuck with me until Julius get here?” Dev asked confusing me. “What you mean until Julius gets here?” I stopped chewing looking upon his boyish smile that slowly crept across his face.

“Dev.” I scoffed dropping my cereal spoon in my bowl. “Navaya it’s time.” He told me standing to his feet, “Either it happens today or the cure will be taken from you. Daniel’s final words.”

“Ok.” I sighed looking up at him. He nodded eventually walking off, leaving me with my final thoughts.

***

Sitting on the couch, I saw Dev come downstairs looking freshly showered and good. I had to admit my best friend knew how to dress no matter what he was doing. Even if he was being match maker for the day. Finally seeing him come downstairs meant that Julius would be here and I began to get more nervous. That blood he compared as coffee really made him look refreshed and good.

“What you gawking at?” Dev asked coming into the living room, darting his eyes between his phone in his hand and me.

“Nothing, you just look nice.” I complimented him with a small grin, “And your hair is growing back.”

Scoffing Dev squinted one eye at me, “Stop being gay Vaya.”

“How is that being gay, it’s a compliment.” I shrugged up at him.

“Stay focused on the task today, Julius will be here any minute.” He crossed his arms at me with a smirk.

“Fine, don’t look for any more compliments from me.” I said shaking my head at his foolishness.

“Ha, yeah right girl. Know I’m fine as fuck.” He wriggled his eyebrows at me with a smile.

“Now you being gay.” I muttered standing up out my seat on the couch. Dev chuckled as his phone rang, he placed it to his ear.

“Hello?” He answered rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, “Alright Ill be there.” Placing his phone back in his pocket he looked up at me, “I’m about to go handle some business, I want a good report from you when I get back tonight. Prob around 1 am so you know it’s me with your scary ass.”

“Dev shut up and just go.” I rolled my eyes at him. He smiled at me with his raising his hand for me to take it.

“You got this.” He spoke lower squeezing my hand a little. I nodded at him, “Thanks I hope so.”

“Alright.” He nodded back before departing towards the garage. Looking at the time on my phone it was almost twelve, and I decided making some pizza rolls would make this time with Julius a little better. I hoped.

***

While the third iron man movie played on the TV, Julius and I ignored it making out. My body felt so hot, I didn’t have any concern with anything else. Gripping my thighs he squeezed them tight with every second of his sweet kisses on my lips.

“You’re so soft.” He whispered smiling in between kisses. I giggled at him clenching the back of his neck with both hands. Going to my neck he began to linger in one spot kissing relentlessly on me. Before I gave up on why he was really here, I fought how he was making me feel.

“Jul,” I breathed as he laid on top of me rubbing a hand through my hair, “Wait.”

“What’s wrong?” He asked stopping to look in my face. Taking a breather I moved him off so I could sit up. Leaning close to me he kissed my lips softly once, rubbing his nose against mine. Kissing my nose he leaned away from me,“Wassup?”

“I need to talk to you about something?” I told him moving my leg off his left one.

“Tell me.” He spoke seriously leaning back on the couch, his full attention on me.

“Jason, has these doctors professional in making an experimental drug for the cure of aids.” I told him with my eyes closed. Julius grabbed my chin with his warm hand, “Navaya, open your eyes.”

Slowly I raised up my eyelids looking into his soft stare on me.

“You’re trying to save my life now? I couldn’t ask for a more awesome first girlfriend.” He smiled at me leaning in to kiss me.

“Wait so, you aren’t like not gonna do it?” I asked him.

“Is it FDA approved yet?” He asked.

“No.” I blinked waiting for his response.

“So this would be illegal.” He figured out. Not knowing it was also unimaginable to the human mind.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“You know what the side effects are?” He looked in my eyes. Here comes the half lying.

“Nausea, dizzy ness you know the usual stuff they say in those commercials for non over the counter drugs… the doctors will explain more to you about it.” I nodded at him with a dry chuckle. After a while Julius got silent, he stood to his feet and looked out the patio doors.

“I have something to tell you too Navaya.” He spoke with his back to me.

“What?” I asked waiting.

“At doctors my appointment, they told me I only have like a month left. After that I’m supposed to stop treatment, and…”

“Well then you have try this.” I stood looking at the back of his precious head.

“Yeah, I know and I want to. Might as well I’m dying anyways right?” He chuckled looking back at me. I stood there my heart feeling like it was beating out of my chest knowing this couldn’t be prolonged anymore.

***

Trent

Sitting at the kitchen island of my condo, Anastasia had her right hand clenching my thigh. Staring in my eyes with her pretty brown ones she had a smile of lust and I was tempted couldn’t lie. Licking over her top lip smoothly, she took another sip of blood never unlocking our gaze. It was going on almost ten and we had spent the whole day of shopping, her teaching me french words every now and then in her sexy french accent. I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful woman to wait and spend so much time with. What put the cherry on top is that everything that I was going through as a new vampire she could relate. It made being attracted to her even more stronger. We had been holding out going physical at all, only because it wasn’t really my area of expertise. Anastasia was so confident I was glad that I was a vampire anyways, probably would break me if I wasn’t. She had a hundred years on me so I knew she would be knowing what she was doing, probably had some tricks of her own. Leaning closer to me she connected her forehead with mine, a small smile slowly inching on her plump glossed lips. My front door then bursted open, and I saw Micah and Allister walk in. In no time I saw Dev come in with his hands behind his back, eyes a light golden color looking upon us. Anastasia without turning around moved away from me taking another sip of her drink. While the twins stayed by my foyer, Dev walked in my kitchen snatching the glass from Anastasia. It was empty now as he sniffed inside it. Raising an eyebrow Dev looked to me then back to Ana.

“Seems like Tre here is rubbing off on you Ann.” Dev spoke crossing his arms over his chest.

“Ya think?” She sarcastically responded leaning back in her seat, glaring at Dev. Doing a deep sigh, Dev rubbed the back of his neck looking up at us while putting the glass down on the counter.

“Look, I know y'all are attracted to each other.” He started, making the vibe awkward, but we remained silent, “And I know that Ana has talked to you Tre about our clan in France.”

“Yeah.” I nodded at him. “There are some things, I need to take care of before we leave the country, and then I promise you will go meet your family.” Dev swore looking me in the eyes. He never has let me down since meeting him, so I believed every word.

“Okay.” I blinked looking over at Ana who smiled at me.

“You two have my blessing, jus don’t over do the fuckin’ PDA around me.” Dev huffed with a snort, and then he began to walk out my condo, “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Ana and I said in unison. With that they left and Ana and I were alone again. She stood smoothing out her dress leaning into me. Her mouth made connection with my ear as she whispered softly, “Let’s have some fun.”

***

Navaya

Watching some TV I heard a weird sound, making me turn the TV down all the way. I looked at the TV guide time to see it was two minutes to one in the morning. Standing to my feet I looked behind the couch to the front of the house.

“Dev if that’s you stop playing around.“ I yelled, but no one answered. There was a whoosh making my heart skip, before me was a pretty young woman gazing at me. Thin, almost pale, with brown eyes of fire. A big smile plastered her lips as she began to walk around the couch sizing me up and down.

"Who are you?” I asked her, but she continued staring at me. Placing a finger tip in her mouth she continued smiling.

“You must be her, how did it feel?” She asked me bluntly.

“What?” I asked in confusion. My heart began to pound, realizing that his woman had to be a vampire. She was to beautiful to be human, I swallowed hard not knowing if it was safer to stand still or try to call for help.

“Don’t even think about trying to slip your phone out your pocket, that would be a mistake. Navaya.” She devilishly smiled at me. Crossing my arms over my chest I shook my head at her.

“Great, so you know all about me. Who I am. Think that’s fair?” I sneered at her squinting my eyes. Turning her head to the side at me she turned up her lip at me, “I’m Carmen, Dev’s ex.”

“Oh.” I breathed, feeling awkward as hell. Wish I knew what she wanted. All I could bet on is that Dev felt me calling out to him, and that he fulfilled his promise on being here in the next minute before this vampire killed me.

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datingadviceonreddit · 7 years

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnAj0Cr9YicAs I spent a moment going over a popular pickup artist’s hidden camera footage of him meeting a girl off the street and soon thereafter bringing her into a public bathroom for sex, then watching him comment on his experience saying that most men would be pussies by only getting this woman’s phone number, and a real man goes for the "same night lay", I am conversely met with Aziz Ansari's excellent first episode of the second season of his Netflix show, "Master Of None." In it, Aziz charms a woman and after dinner and ice cream, sees her off. They plan a date for the weekend, and just as Dev (Aziz's character) is about to kiss her (which she is noticeably hoping for), he tells her he'd rather wait to do it this weekend when he's not feeling that drunk.Was Dev a pussy for doing this? Does it look like he didn’t go further because he wussed-out? Or maybe this was something else.I learned a quote some years ago, “The weak rush. The strong take their time and poke-about.”The real answer to the wussed-out question is big to me but sounds inconsequential on the surface: Dev simply has nothing to prove.He doesn't have his arms around this gorgeous girl because he wants to tell his friends how quickly he was able to get her to say yes. He's with this girl because he likes women. Let's explore that phrase. "Likes women.” Do your douchebag acquaintances or pickup artists actually like women? I don't know. I think they like impressing people. I think they like proving themselves they can accomplish what they previously thought was impossible. There's a difference. One is about conquering and validation. The other is about the simple but fulfilling enjoyment of a relationship. It's not that Dev doesn't enjoy random, no strings attached sex, he does. It's not that he's scared of moving the interaction forward on the first night, he's completely capable of that as we've seen in the show's first ever episode. It's what Aziz's character lacks: A need to impress.Aziz is more interested in the dynamic I also hold in high regard in my relationships with women: Chemistry. That juicy, yummy, perfect “clicking” feeling you get when you meet that right person. And the more time we spend with someone, the more time we have for that chemistry to brew.Dev knows this. Dev would rather stretch the tension out and build some excitement between each other. He knows the pay off is that much better than a random bang an hour or so after meeting someone. That feeling of built-up chemistry holds light-years more fun and excitement than the former.Once the initial exotic high wears off, sex with strangers just isn't so exciting anymore. I personally think it's child's play compared to the adventure of building chemistry and an eventual real relationship with a woman—no matter how short-lived.And with Dev, who is really just a modified version Aziz Ansari’s own self, I believe is providing all of us with a master’s course on exactly how to do that using Master Of None as his master stroke.With this show as his medium, Aziz Ansari is paving the way for the modern idea of what it means to be a charming gentleman.Let me explain.Do you ever, for a second, see Dev straying from the exact person that makes him so Devvy in the first place? Is there ever a moment where you see him sacrificing who he is in order to further his approval with the female gender?No. And here is the biggest thing you’re going to learn from our tiny friend. Dev is so goddamned happy with who he is that he knows that his personality can move mountains. And it does. But I’m getting ahead of myself.Let’s take this simple interaction between him and the adorable Brit he invited to his lonely birthday dinner.Notice how instead of suppressing his quirky inclinations (as I used to do), he instead sees it as his strongest tool for meeting the right people. Dev knows that though his unique personality might prove to be unattractive to 90% of the women of the world, he knows that last 10% are going to absolutely adore him. And many of which are going to be just as attractive to him as they are to them. And let’s think about it: 1 out of 10 ain’t bad.Dev knows that no matter how hard he might try, there is no changing his tiny little nerdy character that is him. Making himself more macho or alpha isn’t going to convince anybody. And it’s just going to disappoint the women who really like that unique side of him.Dev’s personality is also his best tool for finding the exact type of women he’d like to meet. Dev is a caring, sweet, hilarious, cultured, talented individual. The more he shines that side of him, the more beautiful caring, sweet, hilarious, cultured, talented women are going to come out of the woodwork. Further, all of the gorgeous, rude, unfunny, ignorant, uninteresting, superficial women will know to stay as far away as possible from him.If Dev was convinced he had to put on anything other than who he is to people, he’d be in a world of more frustration and confusion then he already is (Hey little buddy, I can help you out there—stay away from online dating!!).Onto moving mountains. Throughout the course of the second season, Dev builds a relationship with Francesca, a woman who works with him in this little Italian kitchen. And for the longest time, nothing intimate ever happens between the two. If anyone else were to analyze the relationship between Dev and Francesca, I’ll bet they would say that Dev is going about it all wrong. That you need to either shit or get off the pot. And from afar, it looks like Dev is doing neither. Francesca, despite already being in a long-term relationship, is putting out all of the traditional signals that say, “Make a move!” But that is the number one reason for Dev’s hesitance in the first place—her relationship. But if we were to ignore that for a moment, I still believe Dev was doing it right all along.Dev possesses patience. He knows that it’s not about capitalizing on that one special girl as soon as possible. It’s about building strong relationships with people, and as those relationships are refined through friendship, watch them turn into something intimate as they run a natural course.A sign of an immature man is one who blows through relationships like he does his Friday paycheck. The second he gets a little bit, he gobbles it up as fast as possible. And then he’s poor again, so he works real hard to get to his next paycheck, and then gobbles that up too. And so on. A mature individual treats his relationships like investments. He keeps it diverse so as not to put all eggs in one basket, and over time he watches those relationships nurture and blossom. He eventually becomes of what most young men are incapable: Wealthy. The great thing about wealth is once you get it started, there isn’t a lot of work involved after that. You already know what you’re doing and if you’re smart, hardly ever drop back to zero dollars.This is what I see going on between Dev and the ridiculously, sickeningly beautiful Francesca. They are both watching their relationship get deeper and deeper. They’ve had time to move past where a normal relationship would travel and into places where with others they would probably feel vulnerable. And through that, Dev and Francesca’s chemistry and sexual attraction grows to exciting proportions.Francesca already was dating the perfect man: Rich, good-looking in that way everyone wants a man to be good-looking (what is that, tall dark and handsome?) He also confident and outgoing. I believe that the thing about truly beautiful women is they are past the superficialities of looking for what everyone else wants. No one knows as much as them that they can get that. But then what is the next step?Hmm…..I think he’s brown, cute, comes in a tiny package, funny as hell, a bit weird, completely comfortable with his weaknesses as well as his strengths, fun-loving, positive as all hell, and is never rushing to get to where he’s going.This guy. The modern charmer. via /r/dating_advice

#dating #dating advice #reddit

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so-about-that-dragon · 7 years

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Chapter 3

They left camp with much fanfare and celebration from the nobility. Grey was probably burning holes into Devero’s back, but he did not want to look at the people around him right now, so he stared ahead at the wolf crest on his Shield’s back instead. A bubble of resentment had been growing in his chest since the incident with Duke Wessam and nothing seemed to be helping it. The way the nobles treated Skye and Lokai was nothing new, but it was bothering him more and more. Skye was a lord, the son of the king’s Sword, and arguably one of the most intelligent men in the kingdom, but he had been treated with, at best, polite indifference since he’d lost his sight. When they participated in council meetings, Devero or Grey often had to speak for Skye for his opinions to be taken seriously now. Lokai was generally ignored completely by everyone, but he claimed not to mind.

“Your opinion’s the only one that matters to me,” he always told Grey.

After a hour of riding in silence, Skye finally decided they were far enough from the camp to stop and change into proper traveling clothes. Whoever had decided that riding in armor should be a requirement for royal warriors needed to be beaten with something hard and covered in spikes. Grey asked Skye if they could toss their armor into the nearest river, which Lokai exuberantly agreed with.

Skye resolutely ignored them.

“There’s a village half a day’s ride from here where we can get a little more information about the dragon,” Devero reported as they got back on the road, clearly as happy as Grey was to be free of his armor. “All the information we have on it is second-hand and contradictory, so we’re going to have to do most of the leg work on this.”

Grey gave his Shield a startled look, “And you didn’t mention this before because?”

“Because, if your father knew we were going off with bad information, he would have made us sit around waiting for weeks while he tried to get more information,” Skye explained, “and you were already getting cabin fever.” Grey had the decency to look a little ashamed. He had been getting bored stuck back at the castle for so long and probably driving Skye and Devero a little crazy trying to keep himself entertained until they could leave again. Skye gave him a patient smile, “I think a little extra time on the road will do us all some good.”

“I’ve got a question,” Lokai said. He had stolen his book back from Devero and was reading it again, reigns looped around Grey’s saddle horn just in case and apparently completely unconcerned with what was in front of him. “When were two planning to tell us you’re an item?”

Grey looked at Lokai in utter bewilderment, but after a moment he caught the way Devero’s back had stiffened. He looked up at his Sword and Shield, who were now riding side by side ahead of them, as they usually did when not accompanied by a bunch of nosy, traditionalist nobles. There was absolutely no hesitation in Skye’s voice when he replied, “And what gives you that idea?”

Grey glared at Skye. He knew a deflection when he heard it. “Don’t you think think the eve of going to face a dragon might be a bad time to start keeping secrets from us?”

“It wasn’t exactly a secret,” Devero said. Grey was startled to hear uncertainty in his voice. “It just… never came up.”

“How the hell does something like that ‘just never come up’?”

“Grey,” Sky said without the slightest break in his trademark deadpan voice, “you are so romantically clueless that I strongly suspect I could have undressed Devero in front of you and it still would have gone over your head.” Lokai snickered, which drew Skye’s attention back to him, “Though, I really am curious as to how you noticed.”

Lokai actually took a few moments to consider this. “It’s been coming on for a while now,” he said, finally setting his book aside, “like, it wasn’t really any one thing. I just noticed stuff, like you don’t seem to have to think about touching Devvy. You just do. You can’t even do that with Grey and you practically raised him.“

Devero gave Lokai a thoughtful look, a sort of quiet reappraisal. “And you asked us that on a hunch?”

A faint blush crept across Lokai’s face and he asked, “Was I wrong to?”

Devero glanced at Skye, who shook his head, “Of course not. We don’t keep secrets from the two of you. You just caught us off guard.” He cast an apologetic look in Grey’s direction, “We had meant to tell you, but it’s not exactly a subject I want to be discussing in the castle, or anywhere else that it might get back to our fathers.”

“Fair enough,” Grey admitted, still looking sulky. Lokai gently kicked the back of his leg. “You two just don’t seem like, well… I dunno. Like a couple.”

“I dunno,” Lokai chuckled, “the whole castle’s been making old married couple jokes about them for years. It’s like they skipped the honeymoon phase and went straight to ‘I’m not sure if I want to fuck you or smother you with a pillow’.”

A loud snort escaped Devero. Skye looked like he was trying to make himself reprimand Lokai but just didn’t have the energy to do it. Instead, he gave a defeated sigh and said, “That is probably more accurate than I would care to admit.”

“Are you saying you’ve considered smothering me with a pillow?” Devero demanded in a tone of false indignation.

“Only every night I’ve had to sleep in the same vicinity as you for the last twelve years.”

“Love you, too,” Devero grumbled as Lokai and Grey snickered.

Skye said, “I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you, Grey. I’ve come much closer to killing you than I ever will Devero.”

“I can never tell if you’re joking about that,” Lokai said a little uncertainly.

“I never joke about murdering the people I love, Lokai.”

Grey rolled his eyes. Lokai checked to make sure his reigns were still secure around Grey’s saddle horn and went back to reading. For a few minutes, all was right with the world again. After all, what did it really matter if his two closest advisers were suddenly an item? They were still exactly as they had always been, Devero a few steps ahead of him, ever his faithful, protective Shield, and Skye at his side in his own quiet act of rebellion against the roles they’d been given. Grey had grown up looking at their backs and never thought twice about it. In his mind, they had always belonged there, side by side.

Then why did he feel so off balance now?

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junker-town · 7 years

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I rode around Houston with Paul Wall during Super Bowl week

It turns out that Paul Wall’s life is exactly what you want Paul Wall’s life to be.

HOUSTON — Paul Wall is going to be late again. He calls to tell me this as I’m waiting for him outside a Starbucks off of I-10, one of Houston’s looping, overpass-laden highways. It’s about two hours after we were initially supposed to meet on Wednesday before the Super Bowl, because this morning Paul Wall’s friend unexpectedly got out of jail and he had to go pick him up.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Paul Wall says on the phone. “Houston traffic is so bad. I’m about 15 minutes away.”

About thirty minutes and a few apologetic texts later, Paul Wall walks up to me. I didn’t see him pull into the parking lot, but here is, wearing black jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and the most spectacular set of grillz I’ve ever seen — gold rimmed, diamond-encrusted mouth guards strapped to both his top and bottom teeth. His flat-brim hat says “HOU,” and his facial hair is limited exclusively to his chin.

He shakes my hand, apologizes again, and leads me to his black Cadillac that he’s parked in front of the dry cleaners next to the Starbucks. We get inside.

I’m hanging out with Paul Wall because hanging out with Paul Wall seems like the right thing to do when Houston hosts the Super Bowl. The rapper and Houston native is deeply rooted in the city’s music scene, custom car and jewelry worlds, and sports community. I should also tell you that I’m referring to Paul Wall in this article exclusively by his full name, because “Wall” doesn’t feel right and neither does “Paul.” But “Paul Wall” is poetry.

There are two cans of Red Bull (they’re orange and they look special, maybe, like, a limited-edition situation) in the cup holders of the car, which smells very new and is very clean. Paul Wall sends a few texts and then pulls out and into traffic, thanking me for being patient while he picked up his newly-freed friend, who he says did two and a half years for felony and possession of a handgun (“yeah, sucks”).

We stop at a red light and I ask where we’re going. Paul Wall says we can go anywhere — he lives around here, near Houston Heights, and he has about an hour before he has to go get rims put on the Cadillac we’re riding around in. He just got it yesterday, adding it to the collection of six other Cadillacs he already owns.

“Oh, really? Rims?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m putting swingers on the car,” Paul Wall says.

“Are you doing that today?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says.

“Can I come with?” I ask.

“Nah, not really,” Paul Wall shakes his head apologetically. “‘cause I gotta go pick up somebody else and there’s not gonna be room. The rims gotta fit in the backseat.”

I ask what kind of rims he’s getting, even though I don’t know the difference between rims, nor do I know the names of any rims, so the answer won’t mean much. But it feels important.

“The elbows!” Paul Wall says, getting animated. “They’re called Texan wide wheels, you know, tippin on fo’ fo’s.”

Paul Wall laughs. He talks lyrically, almost with a deliberate rhythm, interspersing “mans” and “you knows” throughout his speech as though they were ad libs in a rap song. Speaking of rap songs, he starts to play some of his own using the fancy buttons on his steering wheel. All of the tracks are screwed and chopped. It sounds like molasses mixed with sidewalk grit. In a good way.

Driving through Houston’s gridded streets, passing strip mall after strip mall, with Paul Wall is surreal. In fact, it’s almost too good to be true. Because Paul Wall’s life is exactly what you want Paul Wall’s life to be: One in which a totally normal day entails literally living out the song “Throw some D’s.”

And Houston is the perfect beat for his daily bars. The city mirrors Paul Wall, and Paul Wall mirrors the city — his drawl matches its sprawl, his car moves through the streets the way the slightly sticky heat comes through on breezes.

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But for all the rap song things he does, Paul Wall is a family man now. He’s dedicated to his wife Crystal (who owns a fitness gym for women and is doing some sort of fitness performance downtown as we speak, although Paul Wall doesn’t totally know what that entails) and their two kids. He’ll go to the studio to record at night, and often spends his days with his family, tricking out cars, or at the jewelry shop he owns with his business partner Johnny Dang.

Paul Wall and Johnny Dang supply grillz to many of Houston’s athletes, including Arian Foster, Duane Brown and his wife Devon (or “Devvy Dev,” as Paul Wall calls her), and Andre Johnson. I ask if they’ve made J.J. Watt a grill, and Paul Wall says that they haven’t, but that Watt definitely needs one. They’ve also made Venus and Serena Williams grillz, and Shaq has a Paul Wall special, too. I ask if there’s anyone Paul Wall hasn’t made a grill for that he thinks needs one.

“I’m a huge baseball fan,” he says. “Roger Clemens. That’s my boy. We gotta get Roger a grill. Put the word out, man.”

As we’re stopped at another Houston stop light, which I’m convinced the city has more of per capita than any place else in America, a pickup truck pulls up beside us with a Weber grill in the truck bed.

Paul Wall is thrilled that the Super Bowl is in Houston this year because it brings attention to his city. But he’s not going.

“I’m trying to get some tickets, though,” he says, making a hard right turn off of a main drag onto a frontage road that tracks the highway beneath an overpass. “I’m trying to get ‘em to sell ‘em. Those tickets cost too much, man, if I get tickets I’m for sure selling those bad boys.”

“With Houston, the H stands for ‘hustle.’ There’s a billboard that says, ‘Houston, hustle, heart, and home.’ That encompasses Houston.”

“What if you performed for tickets?” I ask. “You should’ve told them you’d perform.”

“We tried, you know, they’re not trying to have us, though.” Paul Wall says. “They wanna do the Lady Gaga thing, that’s what they’re trying to have. It is what it is, you know. I understand it, but, I mean, I personally don’t know any football fans who are interested at all in Lady Gaga. They’re trying to expand the reach of who the fans are, man. But Beyoncé did the Super Bowl halftime a few times, so, here in Houston, I would expect or hope they’d have gotten Beyoncé!”

I nod vigorously as Paul Wall continues to suggest alternative halftime show performers for Super Bowl LI.

“You don’t know who’s going to be in the Super Bowl, but Atlanta, they got so many good artists,” he says. “Maybe Usher or somebody, I don’t know. There’s 50 artists it could’ve been from Atlanta. Man, the Migos, definitely the Migos, man. Then there’s people like 2 Chainz, T.I., Ludacris. He’s doing more acting, same with T.I. T.I. balances his music and acting out. He still comes with the music. Nonstop.”

I ask what Paul Wall thinks the difference between Houston and Atlanta rap is, and he tells me they used to be two very distinct sounds. But these days, the styles have blended.

“It’s dope to see that there’s a bridge,” he says. “And I appreciate that there’s an open door and an avenue for us to work with each other and support each other and all that.”

Paul Wall is very close with other Houston rappers — guys like Slim Thug, Bun B., Zero. I ask him how Chamillionaire is these days. His face lights up.

“Now that boy, there,” he says, “he invested in an app, and the app sold for 700 million dollars.”

“What was the app?” I ask. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nah, he won’t tell me!” Paul Wall pulls off the frontage road and out of traffic, onto a straightaway that cuts through a neighborhood. There are finally no stoplights and no other cars on the road. He picks up speed. We’re cooking. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so alive.

“No, I mean, I just can’t remember what the app was, man, it’s something, man.” Paul Wall says. “That boy, maaaaan! So I’m like, man, let your boy hold something. Let your boy hold something!”

I’m not sure Paul Wall knows what an app is, because a quick Google search shows that Chamillionaire joining Mark Suster's Upfront Ventures as entrepreneur-in-residence is likely what he’s referencing.

Another track starts playing and Paul Wall turns it up. The Cadillac has a great sound system, and he raises his voice a bit over the beat to tell me that this song features his wife, son, and nine-year-old daughter signing on the hook, and his daughter free-styling one of the verses. He can’t believe it; she hadn’t even been practicing. He beams with pride.

The song is an anti-bullying song. Paul Wall says that his healthy and intact family is a real role model for other people in the community, especially in Houston’s hip hop world. He says the song is about never giving up, staying motivated, and trying to inspire other people.

Paul Wall is a guy who cares. He cares about the people he loves and he cares deeply about his city, which he says is more diverse and more open than a lot of other places in the U.S.

“With Houston, the H stands for ‘hustle,’” he says. “There’s a billboard that says, ‘Houston, hustle, heart, and home.’ That encompasses Houston. You know, the love we have, that we show, but also the hustle we have, I think that comes from us being so far away from the rest of the media, kind of separate from everywhere else in the country.

“Dallas is more in line with mainstream America,” he continues, “But Houston’s farther down on the map where it’s a little different. I think it’s the slowness of our culture, how we move slow. It’s hot in here, you know. We got our own culture, our own slang, a little bit our own way of doing things.”

Paul Wall swerves to avoid getting into an accident and pulls back onto I-10. He starts to talk about how great the Super Bowl has been for the city’s visibility. But he’s wary of the attention, too.

“Social media has brought the whole world together, and that’s good in some ways and bad in others, because a lot of the individuality that we all had, everybody shares it now,” he says. “We’re all just one Instagram post away. And it is what it is, but a lot of the slang, what we do, what we talk about in our music — people didn’t understand because they couldn’t see what we were talking about. But now they can see what we’re talking about. So it’s good and bad because now everyone else is talking about the same things we’re talking about.”

“Do you mean that it dilutes the culture a little?” I ask. We’re pulling into a gas station off the side of the highway. Paul Wall pulls up to one of the pumps.

“Yeah, it waters it down like a motherfucker,” Paul Wall says. “But you’ve gotta take the good with the bad — we want everyone to embrace our culture and not look down, but at the same time, we don’t want them to take our culture and make it their culture. So where’s the happy medium in all of that?”

Paul Wall shakes his head. I ask if we’re getting gas, even though we’re obviously getting gas.

“Yeah, I was gonna get gas,” he says. “This also might be a good place to drop you off, it’s not too far from downtown where you’re going.”

I agree, thank Paul Wall for his time, and shake his hand. He gives me a copy of his mixtape and asks if I need anything from the convenience store. I tell him I’m good, and he smiles — flashing his beautiful grillz one more time — before he makes his way across the hot pavement and disappears into the store. His car sits by the pump, its black paint reflecting the waning evening light. The wheels are rimless for now, but in a few hours, Paul Wall will make them shine.

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