#I hadn't exfoliated in like 2 weeks

[jake-kiszkas-smirk]

So Good (part 2 of Dirty Little Secrets)

Jake Kiszka X Fem Reader

18+ only, minors DNI

Warnings: unprotected sex, oral fem rec, anal play, use of toys, fingering, dirty talk, light cum play, overstimulation, daddy kink, restraints, crying, talk of pegging, spit play if you squint, I think thats it, let me know if i missed any,

Part 1 Here

You sat in bed lounging on your day off. You counted yourself lucky that you hadn't had to go in today seeing that there had been thunderstorms happening on and off all afternoon. You also loved being home when it rained, curling up with a book or watching your favorite show. The sound of your phone buzzing prompted you to reach for it, assuming it was Jake requesting something specific for dinner as he often did.

Darling, I think your present just got delivered and I'd rather it not get rained on, can you please bring it inside? 3:40

And don't you dare open it. 3:41

You nearly jumped off the bed in excitement, making your way to the front door as you slid across the hardwood floor in your socks. It had been at least week since Valentine's day. You opened the door to find a box that was bigger than you had imagined. You quirked a brow as you picked it up, shaking it a little as you walked back into the house. It must have been packaged securely because no noise came from it. You set it on the kitchen counter and stared at it quizzically, biting the inside of your cheek as your mind raced to figure out what it was. You stepped closer, looking at the return address. Looking around as if Jake might jump out and catch you you reached into your pocket for your phone. Opening safari you typed in the company name. The site popped up and said they made "Custom Bedroom Accessories". You clicked on their item list and your eyes went wide; paddles, restraints, floggers, swings...fuck your heart began to race with anxious excitement.

Glancing up at the time you realized you had about 2 hours until Jake got home. You left the package on the counter and quickly hurried off towards the bathroom. You ran through your 'everything shower', shaving, exfoliating, hair, everything. After that you went to the closet, checking to make sure there were no toys that needed to be cleaned. You and Jake had a special separate box to put the toys in that needed to be cleaned before being used again. Taking the few that were in there you sanitized them and placed them with the rest of the toys, after all, you wanted him to have options. After moisturizing and slipping on your skimpy silk pjs you quickly made your way back to the kitchen. You began cooking dinner, planning something that was just as delicious when re-heated...silently hoping he'd want to use his gift as soon as he stepped in the door. Deciding on spaghetti you got to work preparing it.

The flash of lights as Jake pulled into the driveway had a giddy giggle falling from your lips. You quickly covered your mouth, telling yourself to calm down and not give him the satisfaction, he's such a tease he'd make you wait days if he knew you were excited. Hell, he might do that anyways. You took a steady breath, centering yourself as the front door opened.

"Baby that smells delicious" he stated as you heard him toss his keys in the bowl and slip off his shoes.

"Wanna come have a taste?" You replied, stirring the finished product.

"Of course," He turned the corner and you could have melted into the floor.

His hair was in a low bun at the back of his head, he often wore it like this when it rained outside. He was in a pair of tattered old jeans, and a loose fitting t-shirt that looked slightly distressed, his silver medallion necklace around his neck. You caught the corner of his lips twitch as his eyes landed on the box resting on the counter.

"You been in this all day?" He said with a grin as he toyed with the hem of your very short shorts. His fingers brushed the skin of your leg, "And shaved too..?" He teased, wrapping his arms around your middle and whispering, "Almost like you're expecting something"

"I don't know what you're referring to" You said as you fought back your grin, trying to ignore his hands as they trailed down your waist and under the waistband of your shorts, feeling the smooth skin there and just barely brushing his fingers over your center.

"Yeah right" he retorted, nipping at your earlobe.

"Do you want to taste this or not?" You said in a sassy tone,

"I wanna taste something" he replied suggestively, moving to kiss at your jaw as his fingertips massaged over your hip bones,

"Jake," You giggled as you smacked his arm, "That was awful"

He smiled against your skin and reached forward to turn off the stove.

"You okay with pushing back dinner a few hours?" He asked, continuing to adorn your neck and shoulder with kisses,

"Mhmm" You nodded, resisting the urge to do a little excited happy dance

"Go sit pretty for me on the bed," He ordered with a smack to your ass when he released you.

You walked as casually as possible to your bedroom, taking a seat in the middle of the bed. You heard the sound of the box being opened, and you felt yourself bubbling with excitement. Your heart felt like it was going to stop when you heard him making his way to the room, anticipating what he'd have in his hands. A frustrated sigh accompanied with a scowl took over your face when you realized it was still in the box. A soft laugh passed Jake's lips as he took in your reaction,

"Patience" He said as he slowly started to pull his shirt over his head. Turning to you he crawled up the bed, kissing you he slowly laid you down against the mattress. Your hands roamed over his tan chest, wrapping around his bicep, "If you remember...when you gave me my gift, I didn't make you cum"

"Jake, its-"

"Hush." He interrupted, "I plan to make up for that tonight, if thats ok with you"

He'd made up for it multiple times before now...but who were you to say no?

You nodded, watching his face turn into a smirk,

"Then I need to hear you say you remember your safe word, love," He said as he nonchalantly started to slide your shorts down your legs. Your lips parted with a small gasp,

"Cactus" you said confidently.

"Good girl," He placed one quick kiss to that spot right above your clit and then climbed off the bed. You sat up on your elbows, watching him strip down to his boxers. You noticed he was already half hard and realized he was probably looking forward to this more than you. He knew what was in the box, he'd had all this time to fantasize and plan.

As he moved to face the box you tried to look around his form, and then heard the sound of metal clanking. Your eyes went wide as he lifted it from the box and turned to you.

"I had this made for you..well...us" He smiled, taking in your expression, you probably had stars in your eyes. 'Us..' You'd circle back to that later.

In his hands he held a silver spreader bar, the cuffs attached to each end were leather that had been stained a beautiful forest green, the inside of them was black velvet. He sat on his knees between your legs, holding the bar so you could admire it,

"Its beautiful," You said as you felt the soft material, "Its so soft"

"I made sure it had that, can't have it marking up your pretty legs can we?" he moved to start putting the first cuff around your right leg, "Is this ok?" he asked as he used a finger to check that it was snug but not too tight,

"Yes, its good" You already felt breathless. Jake moved your leg to the side and your other leg followed, keeping them closed. Jake's eyes flashed to yours, his head tilting curiously

"Don't get shy on me now, we both know you're a depraved little thing" he gave your thigh a firm swat "Come on, spread em'"

You bit your lip as you let your legs fall apart. It wasn't something Jake hadn't seen a hundred times before, but you were feeling very vulnerable and it was electrifying. He changed the length of the bar to where it would have your legs completely splayed, and then put on the second cuff, securing it right above your knee.

He sat back and admired his handiwork, a devilish grin on his face when you experimentally tried to close your legs.

"Stay put" He said firmly as he climbed off the bed and moved to the closet.

"As if I could go anywhere" You said through a laugh, hearing him chuckle in the closet. When he emerged from the closet you saw him carrying a singular toy, the one you'd gotten him for valentines day. You groaned as your hand moved between your legs, lazily rubbing your clit.

"You are just too eager aren't you?" He said as he made his way over, eyes fixed on the hand between your legs,

"Yes daddy," You cooed, fluttering your lashes at him. He stopped in his spot at the end of the bed, that smug smirk appearing again,

"Oh?" he knelt to his knees at the end of the bed, eye level with your exposed core "Is that who I am tonight?"

"Mhmm" you hummed, but it was bordering a whine as he moved your hand away,

"You want daddy to be sweet and love on you huh? Baby this pretty little cunt?" he hovered so close you could feel his warm breath against you,

"Yes," You replied on a forced breath,

"Don't you worry, I'm going to give it plenty of attention tonight" the way he said it, that teasing tone had your skin prickling with goosebumps,

You opened your mouth to answer but were cut off when he held the vibrating plug against your clit, you gasped, legs fighting to close,

"Yeah? Better than your fingers huh?" he ran it down through your slick and then back up to your clit, upping the vibrations. Tossing the remote out of your reach and his told you he wasn't turning it off anytime soon.

"Y-yes..fuck that thing is powerful"

"I'm aware" He sneered, you lifted your head to see him glaring at you playfully. As you relaxed back you thought back to when you had first used it on him, turning it up to this setting and not showing him much mercy either.

"Whats going on in that head of yours thats got you clenching around nothing?" Jakes raspy voice brought you back, his mouth falling open to mirror the moan that came out of you when he slipped his fingers inside you,

"When I used that on you" You admitted quickly,

"You really liked that didn't you?" he paused, "What if I told you I wanted..more next time?"

"More?" Turning your head so you could look down the length of your body you watched him lick over his lip, his eyes meeting yours,

"Yeah, more than your fingers, more than the plug.." His words trailed off, a low growl rumbling in his chest as you tightened around his fingers,

"You-Jake are you asking me to-" his cheeks flushed pink, and you moaned as he nodded to confirm your question,

"Baby..listen to you" His fingers began moving faster, curling into that spot he knew so well, "Are you gonna cum listening to me talk about how I want you to fuck me?"

"Uh huh" You whined, completely lost in his words

"Fuck, you're already dripping" His breathing had picked up significantly, "Give me more y/n, cum for me"

You felt the sensation building as you closed your eyes and thought about what he'd said, picturing him under you, whimpering and writhing as he took your cock had your orgasm crashing into you. He worked you though it, groaning along with you as you came.

Not even giving you a chance to catch your breath he abruptly removed his fingers from you and stood in one swift movement. He grabbed the bar between your legs and push it towards you, lifting you ass of the bed and shocking you when his mouth found your back entrance, lapping over it obscenely as he moaned against you. This was new territory for you, he'd touched you there, used toys, but had never done this.

"Daddy-Daddy-" You rushed out, hands shooting down to his hair and instinctively pulling him away from you. You weren't sure why you'd done it, it didn't make you uncomfortable per say, regardless of specifics Jake had definitely picked up on your apprehension and was navigating it seamlessly.

"Well that just won't do," Jake said as you released him, tsking as he climbed off the bed, walking around the edge and pulling the hidden arm restraints from under the mattress.

You studied him as he moved, he wasn't mad or even a smidge annoyed, he was just on a mission. His boxers were tented even more than before and it had you drooling as he gently took your wrist, "Can't have these getting in the way" he secured your first hand and then moved around the bed to secure the other.

"You came so pretty for me baby," He placed a quick kiss to your cheek, "I think I need to see it again" You noticed him picking up the plug off the bed from the corner of your eye,

"Fuck-" You huffed in a weak laugh, your head falling back onto the pillow he'd moved beneath it.

"Oh, you thought we were done with this?" He held it up between his fingers as he moved back between your legs, using his free hand to pull his boxers down and kicking them off the bed before sitting back on his knees. "Not a chance, love." He grabbed the bar again, successfully lifting your ass off the bed for a second time, you held your breath as you waited to see what he was going to do next,

"So wet for me," He raised to his knees, running the underside of his cock over your clit,

"God-you're so hard" You whimpered, "Fuck me, please"

"Yeah? You want my cock baby?" he turned his head and kissed the inside of your knee, "I'll give it to you, but first we have to get our little toy nestled in it's place"

He pulled his cock away from you and pressed the bar even further, essentially folding you in half. Your eyes rolled back as he leaned forward and spit directly onto you, Taking the plug he ran it through your slick, swirling it so it was adequately soaked before even making it to where his spit had landed. The vibrations were almost too much,

"Wait-" he immediately pulled it away,

"Can you turn it off?" You asked, giving him your best doe eyes,

"What if I turned it down?" He wagered, reaching for the remote.

"Yeah, I think thats ok" He turned it down to a soft vibration pattern and moved back to his spot, holding it against you he looked for your nod of confirmation before starting to slowly press it into you,

"Thats it baby, just like that" He praised as you relaxed and breathed through the initial and very brief discomfort. "That good?"

"I want more" your hands tugged against the restraints, wanting nothing more than to touch Jake. He reached down, wrapping his hand around the base of his cock and teasing his head at your entrance, that fucked out smile on his face as he shook his head

"Greedy, greedy girl" he pressed in just a little only to pull back, running the hand that wasn't holding the bar up and down your thigh, "Tell me how bad you want it"

"So bad, so, so, bad" you'd be bucking your hips off the bed, trying to coax him in further if they weren't already in the air,

"Not good enough baby," His hand dropped from your thigh to rub gentle circles over your swollen clit, a moan sighing out of you at the contact,

"Daddy please, I need it," You pouted, "Want your cock buried deep inside me with the plug in my ass, wanna feel so full-please"

His brows rose in surprise at your words, groaning he pressed into you, "I love when you say filthy things to me, ask me to do things to you...you're just such a good slut for me aren't you?"

You were, you were and absolute feen for this mans cock and he knew it. As his thrusts went from languid to slamming against you his thumb pressed harder against your sensitive clit, a strangled moan ripping from your chest. The sound of metal clinking filled the room as you fought your restraints

"Oh poor baby," He crooned, feigning empathy "Are you sensitive? Does this sweet little clit need a break?" Sweat was beading on his temples and pieces of hair had fallen loose from his bun, he was a vision.

You nodded vigorously to answer his question, squirming as much as you could,

"I'm not stopping until you cum," he moved his thumb faster as his hips rolled against yours. The way he was fucking you had you seeing stars, pulling out almost all the way and then pushing in so deep you were sure he was going to split you in half. "I can tell you're right there, squeezing me so tight-fuck" his head fell back as he closed his eyes,

Your skin was on fire, that coil in your stomach tightening so rapidly you didn't even have time to warn him you were going to cum, curses and choked sounds coming out of you between ragged breaths as you came for the second time tonight.

Before you had even made it through your high he was pulling out of you, mustering all your strength you looked to him in time to see him rapidly stroking himself, brows knitted and lips parted as he came warm and messy on your cunt.

His eyes were no longer on you, but on his cock as he used it to smear his cum over you, going as far as pushing it back into you half way and pulling back out, coating himself in your mixed releases,

Finally taking his hand away from your clit he reached down, tearing the air from your lungs as you watched him run his finger down the length of his cock, gathering the wetness and slick and bringing it to his mouth. He sucked it clean, moaning around his finger as his eyes rolled back,

Wordlessly you stuck out your tongue, a desperate look in your eyes

"Oh, did you want a taste too?" he asked, you nodded with your tongue still on display,

"Sorry baby," He slowly lowered himself to his stomach, "I'm feeling greedy tonight too"

Without warning his mouth delved between your legs, licking up the center and sucking your clit into his mouth,

"Oh- You- You fucker!" it came out as a laugh that quickly evolved into a high pitched whine, Jake laughed against you,

"Thats not very nice" He teased, "You're just to damn good baby, I need more"

"I-, I can't" you said, tears forming in the corner of your eyes,

"Just one more y/n, you've been so good, just one more" he was now the one pleading with you. You felt his hand brush against you as he grabbed the base of the plug, carefully moving it in a circular motion,

"Oh god" You rushed out, tears now starting to roll down your cheeks,

"One more," He repeated, free hand reaching up and under your top, groping your breast and pinching your hardened nipple,

"One more" you parroted back to him, not able to form words yourself anymore.

"Yes y/n," he rasped, "Cum on daddy's face and its all done, I promise"

"Ok, ok, oh-" You sobbed out, "I'm gonna- I-"

Your legs shook and your stomach quivered as you were pulled under the wave of pleasure that crashed into you. You were sure you had blacked out momentarily, being brought back to earth by the feeling of Jake lightly kissing the inside of your thigh. He looked at you from the corner of his eye and tapped the plug lightly twice, his way of asking if you were ok with him removing it. You gave him the go ahead and he continued his kisses as he carefully removed it.

Your eyelids were heavy as you watched him take the cuffs off your legs, taking time to massage each leg and cover it with kisses. Sliding his hands up your body he massaged your hips as your legs fell back together.

"What do you need love?" He kissed your collar bone, using his thumb to wipe away any remnants of tears, "Water? Shower? Cuddles?"

"Yes" you replied simply, smiling softly at him as he undid the restraints on your wrists, showing them the same care your legs received. "And food"

"You got it" He giggled, "What do you want first?"

"Hmm" You thought as he pulled the comforter over you, "Food, drink, cuddles. I wont make it if I try to walk to the shower right now"

"So dramatic" He teased as he made his way towards the door, shooting you a smile over his shoulder. You grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him, he dodged it as he left the room

"Oh just you wait Jacob!" You warned playfully, "Just. You. Wait."

[lilly-onthevalley]

Who would've guessed I would become a natural face merchant? Last year, l ran out of my favourite powders, and they also stopped being manufactured, which was a huge bummer cause I had gotten so dependent on them. My sister and mother hadn't even seen what my bare face looked like in years. I also noticed myself developing some insecurities about my appearance (panda eyes 😭).

I had to sit myself down because I'm in my spiritual holistic era. To sum it up I came to the conclusion to cut off skin covering products for a while i.e foundations, foundation powders unless I'm attending something special or professional.

Your skin is your largest organ. If something is wrong internally, you damn well bet it's going to come up as uncanny discolouration, textural oddities, unusual dryness, and uncommonly deep wrinkles.

That was the case for me. I won't lie it was hard walking around with my habits on full display for a week or 2 but once I got the hang of internal skin care I began to see the results. Basic stuff like investing in a good daily chemical exfoliate, a soft towel, a lovely lathering wash, a deeply moisturising cream and a hydrating lip balm can change a woman. On top of 3 litres of water a day, exercise which induces a light sweat, destressing, eating clean and watching your salt intake helps a lot.

I am someone who struggles with consistency and one thing I swore to do this year is to add more responsibilities to my plate. Me putting on an inordinate amount of powders and makeup creams before doing the internal work was lazy and something I got used to. If I could mask health I could slack on actual healthy practices.

I really wish I could show my progress, but my features are way too prominent to maintain my privacy.

[official-chipotle]

Here is my face. So like which part is your favorite?

[y0itsbri]

gallavich week 2021 - day 2 - fantasy au w/ inspo from this wonderful prompt list by @ianandmickeygallavich // @gallavichthings

You're Not Getting Cold Fins Now, Are Ya?

word count: 6.3k

(click on art for better quality)

Mickey truly enjoyed being a fisherman. He liked the solitude that came with the job -- no one on his ass trying to tell him what to do or that what he's doing was wrong when it definitely wasn't. He was always a resourceful little bastard, and his confidence at sea was not unwarranted. He knew how to do shit, and how to do shit right -- crewmates be damned. Nothing but him and the water, just the way he liked it.

He often sold his fish at the market in the small coastal town where he and his sister, Mandy, reside. Her charisma luring customers to their stand, promising the best of the best -- and it wasn't even a lie anymore. Lately, Mickey's produce was the freshest and somehow the most beautiful, catching somewhat exotic fish with vibrant colors that none of the other fishermen were able to attract. Mandy had once trapped him in the corner, demanding answers to questions like how on earth he alone could come up with all this? She thought he was secretly a pirate, raiding other ships, stealing their best, and dumping the rest -- you can't fucking afford to go to jail again, dumbass! Time after time, he reassured her that it was just dumb fucking luck until she caved and let him go, not withholding a dubious glare. Despite what he told her, and even told himself, he was a bit suspicious. He was not a lucky man.

With an ungraceful leap, he had heaved himself out of his boat, the water well deeper than his knees, but his overalls keeping him as dry as he could be. His beef jerky strip hanged out of his mouth as he marveled towards the tree line in front of him. If he didn't feel so damn calm, he might have been a bit frightened at his new surrounding -- but it felt right. He also felt like he was being watched. His eyes scanned past the trees and over to the rocky ledge where water was splashing high and mighty, creating a silvery mist. He saw a patch of orange-ish red shimmering against the water. It was surely too shallow for any fish or octopus that size to be this close to shore. He turned around to make sure he boat was firmly anchored this time before he ventured over to the rocks. But as soon as he turned around again, the orange thing had disappeared. Huh.

With an ungraceful leap, he had heaved himself out of his boat, the water well deeper than his knees, but his overalls keeping him as dry as he could be. His beef jerky strip hanged out of his mouth as he marveled towards the tree line in front of him. If he didn't feel so damn calm, he might have been a bit frightened at his new surrounding -- but it felt right. He also felt like he was being watched. His eyes scanned past the trees and over to the rocky ledge where water was splashing high and mighty, creating a silvery mist. He saw a patch of orange-ish red shimmering against the water. It was surely too shallow for any fish or octopus that size to be this close to shore. He turned around to make sure he boat was firmly anchored this time before he ventured over to the rocks. But as soon as he turned around again, the orange thing had disappeared. Huh.

Mickey sat himself in the sand, reveling in the feeling of being on land again. As often as he flipped between land and sea, the difference never failed to startle him. He dragged his hands through the sand, feeling like some fancy exfoliator Mandy was always trying to get him to use. He was adamantly watching the colorful rocks bead through his fingertips. A larger stone caught in his palm. He held it up to the sun where it was peeking out from behind the clouds. At first glance, it looked like any other stone -- kind of a boring sea foam color, but in the sun, it sparkled like green embers. He rested the stone atop his knee and turned his attention to a bird squawking from the rocks. Noisy fucker. He furrowed his eyebrows wondering what could have happened for the bird to cause such a fuss. Stuck in his tangle of thoughts and oblivious to the world, a wave swept over him -- even above his overalls.

Mickey leapt up in surprise, "Motherfuck-!" In all his joust movements, he managed his lose the stone... and his dignity. He didn't have a spare change of clothes on his boat because it was supposed to be a short trip. He didn't plan on falling asleep and ending up on an island god-knows-where. So there he sat, pouting, in just his boxers and hat while he let the remainder of his clothes air dry with what little sun there was. He could've sworn he heard someone laughing at him -- giggling, even. He glared towards the squawking bird before determining it was his own paranoia. Mandy had him do all that therapy shit awhile back, so he knows how he can get sometimes and how it's a 'trauma response' or some bullshit that actually made a hell of a lot of sense now that he thought about it.

He pulled out an orange from the front pocket of his overalls, still half damp in the sand. He nibbled on it, tossing his peels as far into the tide as he could, watching it float... float... disappear. Whatever creature was down there must really fuckin' like oranges. It was quick, but exciting none-the-less. Mickey no longer felt sluggish like his impromptu nap that landed him on this island might have suggested. He felt alive.

The sun placement told him that it was time to head back if he had any chance of making it back to the coast before sundown. Fuck! His fish! He picked up his clothes and half-jogged half-stumbled back to his boat, expecting the fish he had caught earlier in the day to have gotten tainted by now. He shoved his legs into his mostly-dry overalls and waded out to his boat. To his surprise, the fish looked good -- almost better than when he caught them.

Now Mickey may not be the most observant, but even he knew something was a little suspicious (something a little fishy is going on here🤔). If he didn't know then, he definitely knew when he turned to see the green ember stone -- his stone -- resting on top of his ice box. The fuck? He picked up the stone, smoothing over it's edges with his thumb, leaving a sparkling trail where his fingers had just touched. So it wasn't just from the sunlight, interesting. He secured the rock inside the zipper pocket on his overalls, then double checking to make sure it was still there. Whatever force on his side might be into second chances, but he didn't want to test his new luck with third chances.

He really had to get going now. He gave the island a once over as he pulled out his map, subtly marking his new uncharted oasis. This was something else.

--

Since his initial discovery, Mickey had come back to the island several times, and all the more prepared. He kept spare clothes on him at all times now, in case the tide one again decided to have a personal vendetta against him and his overalls -- which of course it had. He also brought more beef jerky, tools, and a tent. He was determined to see more than just the coast the next time he returned.

He had told Mandy that he was going to stop at another port for the night so as not to wait up for him that evening, which wasn't unheard of. With the amount of overnight stays on his isolated island as of lately, however, Mandy thought he had a secret lover a few ports over, teasing and making kissy faces at him whenever she could. "Who is she, Mick? Oh, c'mon, I tell you about my hookups!" "Yeah, and I wish you fuckin' didn't." "Whatever, anyways, she's gotta have a name. Wait! Oh my god! He? Is it a guy? Mickey!" "Mandy, no." She could be annoying as hell when she wanted to, but she mostly knew when to stop.

As much as Mickey denied a secret lover, there was definitely a secret something, but he couldn't place his finger on exactly what it was. He knew there was like the red-ish, orange-ish glow that flickered beneath the surface of the water. And he knew there was feelings. Which sounded weird as hell -- even to himself. He should have just played along with Mandy's hookup in another port theory. Hell, he should find a hookup in another port. That would be a lot simpler than whatever this was. But he just couldn't get himself to stay away from this mystical island. His fish business was doing better than ever, so he had no real excuse to stay away.

He had managed to map out the geography and topography of the island after a few visits -- Mickey knew his shit. No one lived on this island. It looked like no one has ever lived on this island. It was a small, and it was beautiful, but he still couldn't find the source of whatever force drew him here -- at least when he was actively searching for it. He continued throwing his orange peels in the ocean to be devoured by his... friend? He tried to throw his apple cores in, but his creature was apparently not a fan. He didn't blame them, to be honest.

He began to talk to himself and even sing to himself more and more on the island. He thought he may have heard the laughter again, and even some off-key humming or whistles along to his tunes. Mickey didn't even care if it was the paranoia or if he was having some odd hallucination at this point. He just felt entirely too good.

--

Which is why he didn't see it coming. If he hadn't been so distracted by this siren-like callings, he would have noticed the storm coming. He was Mickey fucking Milkovich, damnit. He knew his shit! Which is why he knew that he could secure the boat as best as humanly possible, and it still wouldn't survive the storm surge unscathed. He hoped that whatever force looking out for him would look out for his boat. He said a quick prayer -- and he wasn't religious by any means -- as he double checked to make sure he had his 'lucky' stone, his backpack, and his map, then hiked inland where he knew there was a cave for shelter.

He had escaped the start of the downpour, but only barely. The dark clouds loomed overhead, chasing out any hopes of a light, easy rain. Mickey huddled against the inner wall of the cave, nibbling at one of his jerky strips, and cursing the lack of cell phone signal on this fucking island that doesn't even fucking exist according to any map he's ever fucking seen. To say he was having a bad day was an understatement. He couldn't do much but wait, and he quickly fell asleep to the pitter patter of the water dripping outside the cave.

He awoke to a sharp burning on his chest. The fuck?! His so-called 'lucky' stone was hot. And glowing. And so was most of the other rocks in the cave. Now this was definitely something. The stones obviously did not want him to stay still as they grew hotter and glowed brighter, but this time alternating and lighting up a path down a miniscule stream he hadn't noticed before. The storm had long stopped, and he hoped these bewitched stones would at least lead him to the shore so he can check on whatever remains of his boat.

Mickey followed the path to the shore, luckily, but more towards the rocks that he noticed on his first visit. He hardly saw the rocks now as he was drawn to a heap of familiar orange-ish red-ish laid up on shore. He fully expected it to disappear again so he refused to even blink, inching closer. It was alive -- for sure -- that was good, but it was battered from the storm. It looked scaley... but also had hair? It grunted and rolled over. Yup. That was a man. But also a fish.

Mickey thought his hallucination were playing entirely too many games on him now but he physically could not bring himself to turn away, as much as he swore he wanted to. He wanted out. He was insane. That was the only explanation, because obviously mermaids weren't real. He was sleeping, he had to be. He would wake up in his bed next door to Mandy's and all of this would go away. Hell, maybe the whole island was in his dreams. Maybe he was trapped in a very realistic coma. He looked around for something to wake him the fuck up when he heard the creature groan again.

Fuuuuuck, now Mickey was involved. The tide had pulled back far enough that left the creature stranded on the land. The stone grew hotter yet against his chest. "Alright, alright, I fuckin' got it, thank you," he grumbled. The creature turned it's startled head towards his. They locked eyes -- green embers. Of course.

"It's you, isn't it? All this time?" Mickey asked as the creature weakly tried to hide his face. Mickey didn't know why. It was a beautiful face, somehow covered in freckles that sparkled.

"Nah, man, it's cool, right? We've been having fun, eating oranges and shit?"

The creature unburied its head and quietly whistled one of Mickey's favorite songs, earning a chuckle out of Mickey as he awkwardly lifted the half-man half-fish in some semblance of a firefighter carry. Mickey expected the creature to be slick and cold, but he was soft and warm. Odd, but not unpleasant. They were almost to the water now.

"Yeah, Rain on Me by Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. Fuckin' banger. Don't tell my fuckin' sister about this. She'd never let me live this down."

The red-headed creature tilted its head in confusion.

"Lady Gaga? Ya know, Mother Monster?"

He seemed to startle at the word 'monster' as he wiggled, escaping Mickey's grip into the water, disappearing into the dark sea. Frowning, in a last attempt at communication.

Mickey wasn't having it. Nah. The creature had been luring him for weeks. Hanging out with him for weeks. Even called out to him with some fuckin' moon stone type things. And now it wanted to disappear? He didn't fucking get it. He kept talking to himself as he paced along the shore.

"You're not getting cold fins now, are you?" Mickey teased, "Wait, fuck, is that offensive? Fuck, I'm sorry, please just come back."

He was acting fucking pathetic. He buried his face in his hands. Fuck. His brain was fucked. His life was fucked. His boat was fucked. His boat.

Mickey nearly tripped as he stumbled back to his boat. Or more like where he docked his boat. All that remained was his anchor. The rest had been mangled and scattered along the shore. He could probably get it fixed eventually since he had the little foresight to keep his tools safe in his backpack. But until then, he was stuck on an island, that apparently didn't exist, with a companion, who apparently didn't want to be perceived, and a dwindling supply of beef jerky. Great.

--

It had been a depressing night. Without Mandy's overenthusiastic presence or his new friend's feel-good aura, Mickey was especially pessimistic. He hardly got any sleep, his brain racking all the ways he could possibly fix his boat. Mickey Milkovich knew his shit, but he was beginning to feel a little doomed. He took out his 'unlucky' stone from it's secure pocket, fidgeting with it like he does when he's nervous. The thing was cold (one could say it was stone cold😎).

Feeling hopeless, he stormed back to the shore, tossing his last orange into the water, intent on yelling at the water until he died a peaceful death.

"C'mon, man," his voice came out sounding more like pleading than yelling, but what can you do? "I don't give a fuck if you're a man or a fish. I need you to help me fix my fucking boat! You got me into this mess, you get me out of it!"

He collapsed in the moonlight. He was absolutely not on the verge of crying. He was focusing on his breathing so intently that he barely heard his voice.

Holy fuck, though. He finally got why the legends always referred to mermaids as sirens. He would follow this voice anywhere. It was as disturbing as it was comforting.

Mickey was knocked out of his trance as his previously-tossed orange rolled to a stop at his feet.

"I said, I'm sorry." The siren's red hair poked out of the ocean several feet in front of him. Mickey continued to stare. How the fuck did this motherfucker's freckles glow brighter than the stars in the sky above them?

"I never meant to cause you harm. Swear. I even brought you the best fish I could find. My family lectured me about cannibalism or some shit, but I just wanted any excuse to see you again."

Mickey stared in awe. The creature's voice ringing through his ears prettier than any choir he had ever heard. He had got to get himself together. He was supposed to be mad. Right!

"What about my fuckin' boat? You realize I actually have to leave this place eventually, right, Red?" Maybe Mickey was being a bit harsh considering he was basically in the middle of some magical doomsday. But he was still ridiculously frustrated at his current situation.

"Hmm," the creature considered, "my name is Ian." Ian. Ian. Ian. The name chimed through his head. "And I was thinking about your boat. I tried to save it before it was too late, but I ended up too close to the shore, and the tide was ridiculous, and hence I got stranded and we got off to the wrong... fin." Ian gave Mickey a dumbass smirk, clearly proud of himself.

Okay, it did ease the tension, Mickey would give him that. Mickey was silent for a bit too long again.

"And what is your name?" Ian mused, "I've got to stop calling you That-One-Hot-Fisherman in my head."

Mickey nearly choked, and tried to cover it up by rubbing his hand against his lips, "Mikhailo." He had no idea why he was compelled to share his real name. He hadn't used that name in years -- only liking it from the sound of his mother's mouth. He corrected himself, "Well, it's Mickey. That's what I go by."

"Okay, well, Mickey Mikhailo, shall we get started on rebuilding your boat now or do you want to wait until morning?" Ian looked both devious and sincere. It was maddeningly confusing.

If Mickey swooned at the way a fucking fish said his name, that was nobody's business. But he couldn't deny he was exhausted. His stone was warm against his chest, comfortingly so, not hot like before. He managed to mumbled out a "in the morning" before falling into the peaceful sleep he had been so desperately craving.

--

Mickey awoke to sunshine in his face and a bird pecking at his thigh -- the pocket where his final jerky stick remained.

"Fuck off you fucking fuck!" He shooed haphazardly while rubbing fucking literal sand out of his eyes. God, what a nightmare.

"I see someone's not a morning person," teased an orange blob from the water. Mickey rubbed his eyes again. Right. Ian.

"Fuck off, fish genius over there."

"That's not any way to treat your only chance of getting off the island anytime soon," Ian pouted.

Fish genius had a point.

"Sorry," Mickey grumbled. He was never one for apologies, but man did he need to stay on this creature's good side. But, he was all good sides as far as Mickey was concerned. In the daylight, he could see how Ian's orange hair curled into little rings when it air dried. It looked real fuckin' soft. He couldn't remember if he had the chance to touch it yesterday on their fucking rescue mission. He needed to distract himself before he said something he regretted. He was not about to be flirting with a fish. He wasn't!

"Ya got any more oranges you can toss my way? Fuckin' starving."

Ian pointed at the one sandy orange a few feet from where Mickey had slept, "Just yours that you tried to hit me with, thank you very much."

"You like the peels, though." Mickey said as he tossed a piece into the ocean, floating several yards away from where Ian's head bobbed out of the water.

That took Ian aback, "Damn, I thought I was slicker than that."

"Not that slick, man."

"Hmm." Ian briefly considered before speeding over to the peel and devouring it quickly, "I can get you some sea food -- as your people say."

"Ain't that basically illegal for you, Red? Ain't you technically sea food?" Mickey musing, tossing another piece of his orange peel into the water.

Ian rolled his eyes. "I-an." He sounded it out slowly. "But I mean, circle of life and all that." He chased the orange peel, twisting it in his fingertips, awaiting Mickey's response.

"Nah, it's cool, don't worry about it, I-an. I don't really want any part in your whole fucked up moral dilemma situation. Got enough of those myself."

Mickey avoided Ian's attempt at eye contact, and Ian didn't push the conversation any further. He seemed tentative again. Mickey didn't want to lose him again.

"So... boat stuff?" Mickey huffed as he stood up, turning to his mangled beauty.

"Yeah," Ian did that dumbass smirk again that had Mickey fucking blushing, "Boat stuff."

--

Ian explained that he had spent most of the night gathering the parts that he could find in the water, and even some special mud and sea weed looking things that he promised would hold it together if Mickey's tools couldn't. Mickey took offense to the lack of faith Ian had in his skills, but he eventually agreed that it was at least somewhat warranted given their current predicament.

Mickey spent the morning gathering boat parts from land, and by midday, he felt hopeful. It was a 'finding treasure in the trash' kind of moment, but it was enough for now.

Ian and Mickey had fell into idle conversations as Mickey worked to restore his boat and Ian gazed onward, bobbing in the waves.

"So, you have a sister named Mandy?" Ian asked after a slice of silent had washed over them.

"What, are you a psychic, too?" Mickey laughed nervously under his breath.

Ian rolled his eyes like that was the stupidest thing he's ever heard. "No, smartass, I'm a good listener." He paused. "You talk about her a lot."

"Wasn't sure if you were real or if I was crazy." Was all Mickey managed to respond. Ian was really more of the conversation carrier and neither of them seemed to mind.

"Do you have any other family or friends?" Ian wondered, this time genuinely curious.

"Considering I'm talking to you right now, what do you think?"

Ian silently stared at Mickey until his watch became uncomfortable and Mickey felt the urge to continue.

"Mandy's the only one that sticks around. She actually cares about me -- fixes me dinner, drags me out to meet her friends, even makes sure I get enough sleep -- she's fuckin' crazy."

"It sounds like she loves you."

"Yeah. Dunno why."

"You're a good person, Mickey."

Mickey flashed Ian his knuckles reading 'FUCK U-UP' in faded black ink. "Yeah, I'm a real stand-up guy."

"No, I mean it." And Ian just looked so genuine that all Mickey could do was believe it for once in his goddamn life. All it took was for a fish to tell him. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

"What's your social circle look like? Couple of dolphins, maybe a crab?"

"Maybe," Ian confessed. Shit, maybe this was some real life Little Mermaid. "But I also have five siblings."

"Y'all all got bright-ass fins? Or is that just you?" Mickey still couldn't believe this was his reality right now, but shit, might as well hear about all of Ariel's siblings.

"My little sister, Debbie, she's orange like me. My mom had a theory that our colors are reflective of like our auras or something. She was always hanging around this old-as-balls sea turtle spouting off whatever nonsense he remembered. Some of it makes sense, though. My oldest sister, Fiona, is purple. Then there's my brothers -- Lip is blue, Carl is green, and Liam is yellow."

"Mandy has black hair like me. But she has a nose piercing, and I ain't getting one of those anytime soon."

Ian smiled that Mickey was even trying to draw some sort of semblance between their drastically different worlds. But it felt so natural, Mickey couldn't help it.

Mickey felt his lucky stone grow warm, again. Ian wasn't in any trouble, though. He was literally right fuckin' here. And he was happy. Mickey was happy, too.

--

By nightfall, they had called it quits. Mickey had ended up using some of Ian's 'special' tools, earning a fair amount of teasing from Ian himself. Whatever. The red-head had been protecting him so far. He trusted him -- even if that thought was terrifying. The mud would dry in the moonlight, and Ian assured Mickey that he would be set by morning.

Mickey was fucking hungry after a long day's work. It was high tide and Ian had something different in mind.

"Now that we're talking," Ian started. "I've been wanting to show you this."

Mickey waited for further instructions.

"Follow the stones, I'll meet you there, promise."

Mickey trusted the fucker despite his innate inability to trust anyone else, so he followed the stones into the thick of the forest. He knew the island. He had mapped the thing. He didn't know what Ian could possibly want to show him that he hadn't already seen.

The path stopped glowing near the bottom of a cliff. He knew about the cliff. But what he didn't know was that the cliff was a waterfall.

"Woah."

"Pretty cool, huh? Only happens with lots of rain."

Ian had prepared them a fish dinner set on another rocky edge, like the one on the other side of the island.

"Ian. You're a fish. This ain't right."

"First of all, I'm a mammal. Second, it's fine. They tell me when they're ready to die so I have a clear conscious as far as I'm concerned."

"Dude. I knew this was fucked up, but that is fucked up."

"Dude," Ian mocked him, "We're in the middle of the fucking ocean. Do you have any better ideas, or are you just gonna be all pissy? Least you can do is eat with me."

Mickey's jerky supply was officially gone. Fish genius had another point.

Mickey wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Ian's dinner was even better than Mandy's were.

--

Morning came and Mickey found himself not wanting to leave. Of course, he knew he had to, so he would.

"So, Red, I guess this is goodbye?"

"Only for now. You'll be back." Ian winked. Mickey knew he would.

"This is stupid, but like, you can't go back with me? Like, we make a pretty good team."

Mickey was visibly uncomfortable at his moment of vulnerability, and Ian took pity on him with a gentle smile. "Unless I want to get hunted, I'm better off here. It's safer."

"Right, right." That made sense. Mickey didn't even want to think about the possibility of Ian getting hurt. There had been rumors about mermaids in the area, but he had always assumed them to be tall tales. He knew enough of the fishermen were heavy drinkers and supposed that played a factor in their truth-telling.

"My mother is on land now, but she wouldn't choose to help me. Learned that the hard way."

Mickey frowned. He knew what it was like to have a parent that would trade you for literally anything else. But he was more curious about another part of Ian's story.

"What do you mean your mom is on land? Like she was captured or something?"

"No, nothing like that. More like she's got two legs that she uses to chase whatever thrilling experience she can. Another one of her wacky theories was that her 'true love's kiss' gave her the ability to shapeshift between her land and water forms whenever she wanted."

"Huh."

"All my siblings think she's crazy. The idea was tempting enough for awhile, though. Fiona had gotten real close to this sailor named Steve. He promised her the world and she believed him. But their bond wasn't enough to shift. Fiona was sure he was her soulmate. He still comes around sometimes. And then there's Debbie, who almost got killed trying to woo some girl at the port. I think my mother is just a hopeless romantic. But hope can be dangerous sometimes."

Mickey listened on to this story that sounded more like a children's bedtime story -- all this princess nonsense about a true love's kiss made him think that maybe this red-head was Ariel. He suppressed a laugh when he saw the worried look in Ian's eyes.

"Well whatever it is, she sounds pretty lucky."

Ian smiled softly, sadly. "Yeah."

"Hey," Mickey said gently. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay."

And with that, Mickey sailed his patchwork boat back to whatever wrath Mandy was about to unleash on him.

--

The door creaked as Mickey made his way into the apartment he shares with his sister. He was nearly tackled on sight.

"Mickey, what the fuck!" Mandy punched his shoulder before crushing him into another hug. "I was so worried about you, you little shit!" "Ow! Jesus, I'm alive. Would you calm your tits?!"

Mandy gave him one more punch for good measure, "Where the fuck have you been? Three days, Mikhailo Aleksandr, three days! Tell me you didn't get that bitch up at the other port pregnant. I'm not taking in anymore rug rats."

"Bad storm. Boat wreck. And ya know what," Mickey threw his hands into the air, "I wish I would have got someone pregnant. Instead, I was stranded at sea, so maybe be a little bit nicer to me?"

"Fuck." She slumped a bit, "How did you manage to get back? Did you call one of your pirate buddies?"

"Jesus Christ, Mandy. I'm not a pirate -- even though they are dope as fuck, by the way. I just so happen to have a few brain cells -- something you don't know anything about."

Mandy rolled her eyes, "Competent enough to sail straight into a storm, huh?

Mickey flipped her off, "Good to be home, sis."

Mandy smiled, "C'mon, I'll make you some real food. I'm sick just thinking about you surviving off fuckin' jerky for half a week."

-- Mickey picked up a couple shifts at Mandy's bar the next week and a half to make up for three days of lost produce and another week for the time it took to properly fix his boat. He trusted Ian's magic mud well enough, but he didn't want to push his luck.

He wore short sleeve button-ups when he was bartending. He didn't have the comfortable luxury of built in inner pockets like with his fishing overalls, so he sewed his own. He couldn't stand the idea of not having his lucky stone close to his heart.

One night while he was slinging drinks, he mind at sea, he felt the stone grow hot and hotter. Fuck! It nearly burned his skin. He took it out from its pocket tossing it back and forth between his hands. It was glowing again. He felt nauseous. This had to mean Ian was in danger, right? Like last time in the cave? He wasn't on the island. He didn't have some magic pathway leading him exactly where he needed to go. What if he didn't get there in time?

He must have looked as insane as he felt because he felt a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Mick, take a fifteen."

"Got it." Mickey headed out back. Mandy would assume he was just having a smoke. But he ran. He hoped to hell that he was on the right track. The stone glowed brighter so he took that as a good sign.

He was out of breath as he rounded the corner and ended up at the docks. The stone's glow died down and it grew cold. Something was very wrong. What the fuck?

"Ian!" He probably looked like a psychopath screaming at the sea. Maybe he wasn't far from it.

This was the dock his boat was usually parked at. He was on his way to his old spot. Maybe--

A flash of red caught his eye in the dark water. No fish that red was ever this close to shore. His stomach crumbled. Oh my God, Ian.

Mickey dropped to ground, trying to get a better look at what was wrong. Wrapped in fishing nets was Ian, his skin a sickly shade of blue that wasn't from the moonlight.

Mickey made quick work of the fishing net with his pocket knife, careful not to cut Ian's slightly cold body. Was he too late? He couldn't be too late. He was here now. Everything would be fine.

Tapping into the adrenaline coursing through his veins, Mickey heaved Ian's large body onto the dock planks. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing at least.

"Ian. Ian, look at me. You're safe now, okay?" Mickey turned around, making sure he was alone. Luckily, no one was out at the water this time of night. Mickey pulled Ian's head into his lap and brushed his fingers through Ian's hair. Fuckin' finally. It was soft. So soft. "Hey, Red, wanna hook me up with whatever conditioner you got under the sea?" He laughed at himself to keep from crying.

Ian murmured something, lips barely parting.

Mickey stopped his caresses, "What was that, Mumbles?"

"Said you're a dumbass." Ian repeated. It was quiet, but his sass rang through. He was alive alright.

"I know." Mickey smiled for real this time. He placed a gentle kiss on Ian's forehead near his hairline. Ian's eyes fluttered open as they held each others' gaze.

They were distracted when Mickey's stone glowed bright again. Probably brighter than it has ever been before. The color shifted from it's usual green ember to resemble more of an icy blue. The boys watched as it began to shake on the ground -- where Mickey had dropped it when he spotted Ian's body. The stone continued to vibrate violently until it burst. Green and blue specks of light joining the stars in the sky above them. Mickey was so entranced by the light that he didn't notice when something else began to shift.

Ian's shimmering red-orange tail was replaced by two, long, freckled legs. Ian's eyes grew wide as he hit Mickey's arm.

"The fuck you hitting me for -- holy shit."

"Maybe my mom wasn't crazy."

"Maybe not." Mickey traced Ian's new legs with his fingertips. "How do you feel? Pretty big change, champ."

"It feels right... which is weird." Ian concluded after a moment, wiggling his toes.

"You're weird, so it makes sense." Mickey nodded, like it was obvious.

Ian rolled his eyes, "Shut up."

Mickey cocked his head as his lips upturned into a smirk, "Make me."

Mickey had expected Ian to still be chilled from the water, but he wasn't. He was warm and soft. So there they stayed, tightly wrapped in each others' arms under the dancing green-blue stars and the sound of gentle waves knocking into boats.

--

It was safe to say that Mickey had entirely forgot about returning to his shift at the bar that night. They had decided to sneak Ian into Mickey's room before the fishermen got their early start on the day ay the docks. It was still dark when they slowly opened his apartment's front door, knocking into each other and trying not to laugh at their bizarre situation.

Mandy flicked on the larger kitchen light, ready to give her brother an ear-full for leaving her alone to serve the bar creeps all night when she noticed he wasn't alone. He was accompanied by a tall, gorgeous, red-headed man, who appeared to only have eyes for her brother, not even noticing her presence.

"I thought you said you didn't have any bitches?" Mandy said, hoping to burst them out of their little bubble.

Mickey mumbled a quiet fuck under his breath. And surprisingly, Ian was the first to speak up, "Uh, you must be Mandy? I'm Ian. I'm uh- just visiting town."

"Mhm, whatever you say. Mick, next time, at least tell me when you're ditching work for a booty call, yeah?" She said after an appreciative glance Ian's way, bumping Mickey's hip as she walked past them to her room down the hall.

"Oh, work. Yeah, my bad." Mickey had genuinely forgot. Something about soulmates kind of clouding his judgement.

"Pasta's on the stove -- goodnight, dumbass and company!" She called before slamming her door closed.

Ian erupted into a fistful of giggles, "So much for sneaking in, huh?"

"Whatever, do you want some pasta, or are you sticking straight to cannibalism and orange peels?" Mickey teased.

"I'll have whatever you're having, stud." Ian squeezed the back of Mickey's neck.

--

After their late night/ early morning pasta, they had curled up in Mickey's bed, facing each other in silence, their eyes saying all the words that they didn't need to say out loud. Until-

"Fuck!" Ian's abrupt comment startled Mickey, even causing a hitch in Mandy's snoring in the next room over. Softer, he continued, "Your lucky stone, Mick. It's gone." He looked sad. He wanted to fix it.

Mickey brought his hand up to Ian's cheek, brushing it softly. "I don't need it, man. I have you."

Ian covered Mickey's hand with his own, then brought their hands to his lips, kissing each of Mickey's tattooed knuckles gently, like they held the secrets of the universe. Mickey smiled.

"I am the luckiest man in the world." And he was.