#I have two extra brackets.

[iholli]

Every other month or so the Justice League has a week long Mario Kart tournament. Everyone plays, even Batman. It was J'onn's idea.

[oceantornadoo]

sleepy morning (simon riley x f!reader)

part 4 of the two lieutenants series...HORNINESS LEVEL 1000

tw: wet and messyyyyyyyyy MDNI

--

that had to have been the best sleep of your life.

no seriously. extra strength melatonin could not compare to sleeping with simon THEE “ghost” riley. you had never had such a broad, thick man on top of you. and you liked it.

now, however, you found yourself in a much more compromising position.

the sleep had started innocent enough, you both insisting it was a platonic arrangement, a cheap version of getting a weighted blanket. but you had shuffled in your sleep, and now your bodies were tangled. simon's head lay on your collabone, his mouth hovering over your clothed breast, emitting small sighs in his sleep. your nipples were aching at the prolonged stimulation, his breath changing the temperature and making them harden. his hands grasped you beneath your arms, thumbs brushing the sides of your tits. you didn't think it was on purpose, but you had been on the edge for hours.

simon nuzzled closer into you, feigning sleep as long as possible. his left thigh wedged between your legs, his right bracketing the outside of yours to keep you right there. his morning wood, clothed by his thin sweats, laid heavy against your thigh. he could almost smell the wetness between your thighs, the way you tried humping him when you were asleep. little, uncontrolled movements of your hips, up and down, chasing friction. he tried to stop his teeth from sinking into your clothed tit, the softness of it so tempting. you were right there, almost his, yet so far it felt like foreign territory. somewhere he's been plenty of times, unwelcome. he had to tread carefully. then of course, soap had the gall to knock.

"l.t.? yer on recruit training, started a couple minutes ago." simon groaned against you, providing even more friction to your tit. guess he couldn't pretend to be asleep anymore. "'m sick. cancel it." a pause, soap was unbelieving. when simon was sick, if anything, he coached the recruits with even more vengeance than usual. "yer sure?" simon propped himself up on his forearms, squishing you in between them even more. you looked up at him, a dream with your tired eyes and a bit of drool at the corner of your mouth. he laid a small kiss to your forehead, so small you must still be dreaming. "cancel it. 'm bedridden today." his gravelly morning voice must have been enough for soap, who he could virtually hear straightening up after leaning against simon's doorframe. "got it, l.t."

simon breathed a sigh of relief. finally, finally, he acknowledged you. "mornin' dovie. sleep well?" sleep well?! you had slept like the dead. "best sleep of my life, simon. might have to make this a regular thing." you joked, still unsure of the lines that had been erased last night. and that forehead kiss. "available whenever ya need, love." you were still tangled together, his cock still against your cunt. you bucked against him again involuntarily, the whisper of friction too light for you. you both looked down together at where you were almost touching, separated by two layers of fabric. "simon i-"

another loud knock. "what." simon gritted out. "seen the better lieutenant, ghost? we're supposed to run drills today an' i can't find her." it was gaz and you could practically hear the smirk in his voice. simon looked down at you questioningly and you shook your head vehemently. "she's sick. contagious." gaz was choking back a laugh. he must have talked to soap before this. "alrigh', i'll tell price. get better, you two." fuck.

"shit, si, i'm sorry. should have slept at my own place i-" another forehead kiss this time, a bit longer than the first. he trailed his mouth to your nose, small pecks here and there. turning his head down, he nosed your jaw, inhaling the smell of your mixed scents. like you were two of the same. one.

"can i?" you were so far gone it took a bit for his question to register. you had tilted your head back to give him more access, a willing prey to your domestic predator. "can- can you what?" he moved down a bit more, cock moving away from your cunt. you unwillingly let out a whine at the loss of contact and he chuckled into your skin. "suck your tits, baby." oh. oh.

"yes, yes. please"

he laughed again, the sensation vibrating through your skin. his mouth finally made contact with your tit, mouthing at it over your t-shirt. thankfully, it was thin, so you can feel the slight suck and the ghost of a bite. he alternated between your breasts, hands rolling the other nipple he wasn't sucking. your shirt was wet, sticking to your skin, drenched in saliva. "simon, can you- please." the last part was a moan as he gave you a bigger bite. "use your words, lieutenant." he was rutting into the bed, cock chasing much needed friction. he didn't want to scare you but his need for you was bubbling over, a pot on the stove too long. "my shirt, ah, my shirt off."

he freed you from your shirt, the fabric drenched in his saliva, sticking to your skin as he peeled it off. your tits were wet and slightly bruised from his minstrations. marked.

"you like my marks on you?" you looked down, not caring about the unsexy double chin as you took in what he had done to you. keeping it platonic was done and dead, and you were going to take advantage of it.

"more."

a willing soldier, he dove back in, licking and sucking like he had been made for it. his right hand went lower, palm pressing against your wet pussy for some much-needed attention to your clit. you had never come from nipple stimulation alone, but you had been edged for hours while you were sleeping. the pressure on your clit was perfect, the wetness seeping through your sleep shirts onto his callused hand. he let go of your nipple with a loud smack, a string of saliva dripping from his chin. "think you can come like this, dove?" you nodded furiously, his desperate little dove. simon went back down to your abandoned tits and you gasped at the feeling of his bite. he pressed his palm harder against your aching cunt, virtually feeling the flutter of your wanting pussy, pleading for him. he rubbed it in circles, up and down, listening to your sounds to find a pattern you liked.

and suddenly he had it, your back arching as you felt that telltale spark at the base of your spine. simon felt it, your desperation increasing tremendously as you bucked into his hand, thrusting out your tits like a bitch in heat. "right there, baby. come fer' me, hm?" you nodded as he gave your tit one last long suck and pressed his palm right where you needed it, your orgasm hitting you like a freight train. he lightly tongued your breasts as you came down, cleaning up his mess. "feel better?" you groaned, the reality of how desperate you had acted finally hitting you.

"they all know, simon. the whole base knows by now." he moved up until you two were face to face. so what if the whole base knew? you had been his since that first handshake.

"so what?"

--

guys this was so horny wowwwwwwwww ovulation hitting me fr

[connorswhisk]

my nsfw daryl dixon hcs <3 (genderneutral)

- very much more divested in the pleasure of his partner than himself

- if the focus is on him he gets wildly uncomfortable (at first)

- after a while he’ll begrudgingly open up to/accept it

- prefers to be the giver not the receiver

- realllllly good at giving head. eye contact, fingers, hot little grunts - the works

- awkward when on the receiving end of oral but soon gives in

- generally likes things sensual and maybe on the slower side

- loves missionary and riding the most, loves to keep on with that intense eye contact of his

- thicker, slightly clumsier fingers - endearing

- big fan of cradling faces, touching foreheads, feeling pulses

- dark smoldering look in his eyes when he’s turned on , looking his partner up and down with silent, simmering want

- sounds range from soft breathy grunts to low sensual growls to barely contained self-conscious whimpers

- breathes like he’s never tasted oxygen before in his life

- consistent checking in, making sure partner is comfortable

- (even if that comes at the price of his own comfort, that doesn’t matter as much to him)

- i would say he has a fairly average - slightly above average dick, decently girthy, uncut

- full bush obvs it’s the apocalypse ain’t nobody got time for shaving….

- hesitant abt his scars being looked at/paid attention to/touched but again, will eventually ease into being comfortable with it and finding it really intimate and pleasant

- good at doing that thing where he teases at partner’s dick head/clit/etc while fucking them to push them the extra mile and over the brink to orgasm

- in missionary, loves to bracket arms around partner/feel their arms and legs wind around his body

- while being ridden, loves to grip tightly to partner’s hips/waist area or run his hands up and down their body

- rough, calloused hands with dirty and bitten nails and hairs sprouting on the backs of the knuckles - in some places, when needed, soft and supple as old leather

- if daryl’s the one getting fucked, he tends to prefer doggy so he doesn’t have to look anyone in the eye

- obedient in the sense that you don’t have to ask/tell him to do things, he’s already doing them. not obedient in the sense that he wants to be ordered around like a dog

- molds to whatever his partner is doing; takes it dutifully or allows himself to unwind ever so slightly and maybe ask for certain things that he might like

- hands might tighten on partner a little too much when he cums, but as soon as he realizes it he’s loosening his hold

- loves pulling out and finishing on partner’s stomach

- usually will sit in a post-orgasmic haze for a minute or two after he cums

- loves a creampie, but only if he knows it’s safe…

- if it’s especially intimate/passionate/intense, he may cry. burrow closer into partner’s side, lean head on their chest to feel their heartbeat, etc

- slow, open kisses on the throat…nuzzling noses together…keeping partner close as he can for as long as he can

- this boy just really loves his aftercare <3

[tinycozycomfort]

made by hand

pairing: contractor!joel miller x housewife f!reader

day five of @pascalisbaby and i's joeltober: bondage -> read her day five here

summary: He has nothing to offer, after all; no love letter, no borrowed jacket, no wedding ring. This is all he has to show his devotion, to seal his promise—a fist full of glossy blue and the willingness to unfurl his body and scoop out his insides just to allow you a place to lay. All he can give you is himself.

warnings/tags: no outbreak, bondage, unprotected piv, joel's pov, age gap (joel is 40s, reader is not), yearning, dom/sub dynamics, joel is mushy, fixation, pet names (sweetheart, honey, etc), infidelity (reader is married)

word count: 1.5k

rating: explicit! 18+ only, mdni

a/n: in the same universe as this one-shot but set far enough after to be readable w/out it!

main masterlist

Joel doesn’t know what he did to be able to have you like this—to be able to steal this time from you—when you have so much else.

Even worse, you’re a dream. Soft and gorgeous and strung up for him, belly flush to the mattress with your wrists laid over the knobs of your spine, gathered in a twist of baby blue. 

He sits against the backs of your thighs, his own bracketing the swell of your hips, cock bobbing in a sticky pool over the smooth surface of your inner leg. You suck in a breath and punch out a whine each time you can feel the firmness of him, grazing over every slice of skin except where he knows you want him most. 

He peers down, runs a hand across the link of your wrists, smiling when he sees the way you’ve tucked two fingers into the hollow of your palm—holding your own hand—like you have to discipline yourself one extra degree.

After taking his mouth and his fingers for as long as he’d pleased without too much push-back, your efforts don’t go unnoticed, “Go on and ask me what you want to ask me, sweetheart. Think you’ve earned that much.” 

“Can you touch me?” He can see you tug against where you’re bonded, an extension of your plea.

Joel thinks it’s a sad thing, the made-by-hand contraption he’s used to restrain you—a wide loop of tall ribbon sewn through the center to leave a pair of loose cuffs. He’d originally crafted it because he wanted to give you something pretty—a gift that wouldn’t cause concern or raise any unwanted attention, perfectly mundane when stowed in the safety of your sock drawer. It was the first for-you-from-him that went beyond his body, something he selfishly hoped could also serve as a memento should he ever become just the past.

It took him one weekend to make and two months to bring to you, driving up that long stretch of unfinished pavement and pulling it out of his pocket, red-cheeked and anxious. The seams are jagged where he spent hours sealing them shut, barreling over each other in a weave to keep the integrity, the deep color of the thread more than a few shades off—steel against pastel. He had tried to hide the imperfections, smooth side up in his hand as he muttered some lame preamble about something nicer than using the underwear, sometimes. He remembers the face you made at him when you unwound his hold, no huff of laughter at his break in character like he thought, telling him you loved it. 

It’s the only thing you use now.

“‘M already all over you; already put so much of me on you, in you. What do you mean, baby? Be more specific.” 

“I need you—need it inside.”

He tugs on the center strip—the binding—rolling a finger over the lip to tighten the slack that allows the accessory to be slip-on. That feature, other than making the contraption reusable, alleviated the issue of markings; his stomach sinks when he’s reminded evidence is even a factor.

He bends down, initially careful to keep his cock at surface level when he hovers over you, the bristle of his beard behind your ear making him sigh, that spark of possessiveness bringing something hungrier, “Say it again.”

“Can you please put–”

“Don’t be smart. You know what I want to hear; say it again.”

Tipping forward on his knees, he lets the length of him run down the crest of your ass, passing through where he can feel your heartbeat, shining folds of flesh that beg to be parted—ever the fool who can’t deny you much for long.

“I need you.” 

His chest constricts, heart dimpling underneath where you’re always holding it in your clutch; just the weight of your desire for him is enough to pull his body down through the ground, to the other side of the earth. He needs you, too, so desperately. Naively, in moments like this, with declarations like that, he sees success in all of this—sees keeping you.

Joel leans back, thumb sliding against the stripe of wet at your cunt, peeling back the seam to get a better look at the hole he wants so horribly to fill. His cock aches, heavy and hot and ready to take. 

He wishes he could savor it—tries to every time—but he never knows how long this will last. How long it will be before you attend the couples counseling sessions your husband asks of you. How long before you decide that a house and kids and the life he can’t provide for you might actually be enough. How long it’ll be before you just tire of him. So he’s greedy, takes everything you feed him straight to the stomach; he doesn’t have the patience to chew, in fear of not being able to finish. 

He has nothing to offer, after all; no love letter, no borrowed jacket, no wedding ring. This is all he has to show his devotion, to seal his promise—a fist full of glossy blue and the willingness to unfurl his body and scoop out his insides just to allow you a place to lay. All he can give you is himself. 

And he does—uses that exploring hand to guide the head of his cock to the slip of warmth you so meanly demand him to enter, so sweetly beg him to stay in.

“Again.”

He rolls his other wrist to gather up more of that silk, dragging the mess of limbs higher up your back, both for leverage and to remind you he’s strong—worth that, too.

When he slides himself in, he can feel the squeeze run through to the very tips of his toes, the points of his ears—boiling, syrupy heat that forces his body to lock up, terrified to fall over and take his last breath as a result.

“I’ll give you as much of this cock as you want, honey. Just want to hear a few little words.”

He pushes in firmly despite his threats, and so easily does he meet the end of you, apex of your womb perfectly made to receive him, like you’d been fitted for each other. He pants as silently as he can, setting aside his pleasure in favor of yours, not even to be distracted by his own voice. 

Joel forces as much of his weight as you can handle on the bundle at your back, swinging into you with the power of everything he’s too afraid to confess. He can fuck that reassurance into you, instead—make up for his inability to be confident in those more tender moments with the role he takes in this swirl of lust. 

He can tell by the way you constrict around him that you’re close, the squelch of where you meet heightening every time he moves in to the hilt.

“I’m gonna come, Joel. Fuck.”

“Don’t like askin’ twice. C’mon, focus.”

He bows again, bracing his legs so he can wedge his right arm through the slot at your hip, elbow flat to the bed as he reaches down, in. Your clit is smeared in your slick, running down from where he’s giving you everything, and thinks maybe you understand what he’s trying to tell you without words. He pushes as best he can against the bead, fingers working rhythmically to bring you there, knowing he won’t be able to take much more.

You’re crying now, it seems, from the broken shape your words take as they fall out, “I-I, Joel. I need you. Please. I love you.”

He can’t handle that, the pulse of his orgasm almost immediate, the fierce curl of your cunt around him no help. You whine under him, and if it weren’t for the risk of crushing you, he’d take his mouth to yours.

He fucks you until he can’t, until he expresses his response to exhaustion. He’s heaving by the end, forehead to your shoulder where it’s glued down with sweat. 

It takes him much longer now to come down, to shimmy out from over your body, to release and turn and fold you into his lap. 

Cruelly, he keeps the silk in his palm, thinking he can force another memory into it by making it bear witness to all of this; another knot in your ‘relationship’—as close as this will ever come to being that, anyway. 

Joel breathes at the crown of your skull, hair tickling his lips when he finally decides to break the silence, “Do you really?” And before it has the chance to be taken away from him, “I love you, too.”

[poetrysmackdown]

welcome to the 2023 tumblr poetry smackdown

tumblr has developed something of a canon of poetry over the past couple years, and i figured others might enjoy getting a chance to voice their opinions on a few of those poems! poems i chose for the poetry smackdown had to be more or less widely read on tumblr (generally 10k+ notes, most with more or spread across compilations), and relatively short so as to make voting easier. they also had to be complete—there are a lot of popular lines floating around on tumblr that are excerpted from very long poems and/or poems that are inaccessible via internet, and those aren't included here. a handful of poets are represented here twice reflecting my sense of their popularity, but i arranged the bracket in such a way that it won't be able to stay that way past round 2 at the latest. if i missed a poem that is super popular i'm sorry, that said the bracket is staying as is because this was a shit ton of work to put together and i don't want to. ty.

you can get to the polls by following the links below or going to the #round1 tag on my blog. you can also send me propaganda if you want via ask and i'll post it/add it to the next round's post if the poem wins.

happy voting!

sincerely amelia @poetriarchy :)

ROUND 1: ENDS JULY 17 at 6pm EDT

"The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin vs. "Butter Dish" by Leonard Cohen (cow poems)

"Poem" by Langston Hughes vs. "A Meeting" by Wendell Berry

"Miss you. Would like to grab that chilled tofu we love." by Gabrielle Calvocoressi vs. "My Sister, Who Died Young, Takes Up The Task" by Jon Pineda

"Hammond B3 Organ Cistern" by Gabrielle Calvocoressi vs. "Hong Kong" by Sue Zhao

"someone will remember us" (fragment by Sappho trans. Anne Carson) vs. "Wait" by Faraj Bou al-Isha trans. Khaled Mattawa

"The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel vs "Invisible Fish" by Joy Harjo

"Want" by Joan Larkin vs. "Come, and Be My Baby" by Maya Angelou

"Swan" by Mary Oliver vs. "How I Go to the Woods" by Mary Oliver

"The Orange" by Wendy Cope vs. "The Tenor of Your Yes" by Mary Ruefle

"Here There Are Blueberries" by Mary Syzbist vs. "Instructions on Not Giving Up" by Ada Limón

"To The Young Who Want to Die" by Gwendolyn Brooks vs. "A Litany for Survival" by Audre Lorde

"Night Walk" by Franz Wright vs. "Meditations in an Emergency" by Cameron Awkward-Rich

"Summer Was Forever" by Chen Chen vs. "I'm not a religious person but" by Chen Chen

"How to Be a Dog" by Andrew Kane vs. "Scheherazade" by Richard Siken

"I'm going to Minnesota where sadness makes sense" by Danez Smith vs. "Dream Song 29" by John Berryman

"Having a Coke with You" by Frank O'Hara vs. "Having 'Having a Coke with You' with You" by Mark Leidner

ADDENDUM: at 6pm on July 17th (or possibly a day earlier if there's already a clear sweep), I will be releasing a one-day poll that will give voters the option to sub in "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver for the winner of matchup #8: "Swan" vs. "How I Go to the Woods". this is to help correct my significant oversight when I was remembering which two Oliver poems I've seen most on tumblr, and it's the only time I'm doing this kind of thing, so don't suggest it for any other poems after this please. that said, a sincere ty to @darkcomedies for first bringing its absence to my attention! and keep an eye out for this extra poll which i am calling ROUND 1.5: A HAIL MARY (OLIVER)

[melonisopod]

I really, really love how the Uptie stories really add to these two Identities. I didn’t *doubt* that Don Quixote being a T. Corp. agent somehow made sense despite how blatantly she was working for an unjust system (blood-sucking tax collector jokes aside) but in context it sheds a little more light. Don is not blind to how unfair the system is, she hates it, and she doesn’t like collecting time off poorer targets but positively revels in dealing with rich folk to siphon time from.

Her joy in sucking the time out of a rich target is borderline sadistic.

I wouldn’t exactly call her “heroic” for any of this, but it’s kind of funny to see Don’s sense of justice from this angle. I would say though that at least some of that upbeat attitude is either forced or deluded, (I’ll have to go through all her voice lines to determine any more).

As for Rodion…boy was this interesting! She’s horribly miserable, as expected, but man, she sucks! She’s a total scumbag who siphons extra time out of her targets to keep for herself! And I really think the contrast between these two IDs is fascinating.

(Also love that Donqui is a really nice boss too, she picks out a restaurant where all her employees can go out for lunch together (regardless of time-tax bracket) with reasonable prices. She lets her employees day-drink too lmao)

At my next job I want to work for Don Quixote.

[mechaknight-98]

Holy Grail 1

Authors note: the poll fic is coming along with a few other ideas I’ve been churning out. In the meantime here is a SFW stitching together of last week’s fics with some extra story at the end

“Picture this: it's the final round of Core-A’s Tatsunoko VS Capcom blast from the past tournament and my friend Bonsai is facing off against a new challenger whose gamer tag is Mothra. (she also happens to be his girlfriend Olivia Hye, but more on that later) The set is tied between Bonsai and her. She's been wrecking His team of Frank West and Tekkaman so to throw her for a curveball He goes Polymer and Morrigan. Mothra is confused “No one plays Polymer,” she says perplexed at Bonsai's choice, but Bonsai smiles at his opponent, and says confidently "I do," being a strong competitive player Bonsai easily beats Mothra with his unique team.”

Our friends clap happily as I recount the tournament story for those who weren't present; Jacob, Haseul, Arin, Nagyung, and Tobi. Olivia Hye (Mothra) was less than happy with my recounting of events.

“Yeah, I don't know why you're so cocky; you came in third,” Olivia rolled her eyes, her skepticism evident.

I narrowed my eyes at her before asserting, “Yeah because I only lost to Bonsai. I beat everyone else I played against, and I would have beaten you,” I said, laughing, knowing that despite my boisterous and arrogant antics, I often backed it up with skill.

Bonsai knew I put in more hours into the game than he did. I was constantly in the training lab, mastering characters, but he still bested me because he was the better player. Bonsai also knew If I hadn't pushed him to learn more characters, including Polymer and Morrigan. Plus my strategic input, proved invaluable against high-tier players due to their unpredictability. he would have not won today's tournament

Olivia remained unconvinced. “Oh, come on, Bonsai beat you in three rounds with one flawless win,” she retorted.

Sensing an opportunity to dismantle her argument, I was ready to point out flaws in her playstyle and offer ways to improve, but Bonsai, defending his girlfriend from my unwanted critiques, intervened, “Sorry, Liv, but Daizo would level you. I only beat him because I know how he approaches the game and his patterns.”

Hyeju laughed, “Please, and like I couldn't! We all play together every Thursday, and he always comes in under us.” Bonsai and I exchanged knowing glances, and I decided to drive the point home.

Raising an eyebrow, I struck the killing blow, “Um, Olivia, what two characters are my mains in TVC?”

Olivia shrugged, “Um, Karas and Chun Li?”

I looked at Bonsai as he broke the news to his girlfriend, sighing as he explained, “Hye, he hates playing Chun Li and Karas. He only does it to you because I ask him to.”

Olivia was flabbergasted, “Why?” she asked.

Bonsai knew he had to broach this carefully. “Well, did you see his last match?”

Olivia shook her head. “No, all I heard from that was screaming while I got us lunch.”

Bonsai sighed, elaborating, “Babe, he zero to deathed his opponent after reading their first assist correctly, and he only started playing Joe the Condor today.”

Olivia looked at him, then at me, confused, as did the rest of the group.

“You just learned Joe today?” Arin inquired, struck with bewilderment.

I nodded, prompting Jacob to ask a very legitimate question, “Wait, why risk that at a paid tournament? That seems out of your win-at-any-cost mentality.”

I shrugged before answering, “Because as soon as I was in the same bracket side as Bon, I was getting third place no matter what, so why not see how far I could push my limits?”

Olivia looked at me with disgust, “How arrogant of you to think you can just waltz in and win a tournament on whim picks.”

I laughed and responded, “Liv, we had to give you an advanced tech crash course when you told us you wanted to participate on a whim, despite only playing occasionally with us. I don't want to hear about me doing anything competition-wise on a whim. I am always competition-ready.” This made Olivia go quiet.

Arin, bless her heart, sensed the tension and grabbed my hand. Her touch, as always, was a soothing wave cooling off the plasmidic heat that I felt burn in the Vacuous Core where normal emotional reactions should be.

It worked until Olivia's hurt ego resurfaced, and she said,

“Okay, then Daizo, if you're so great, how about a friendly exhibition match?” I heard Arin sigh, and I knew that either I or Olivia was going to receive a lecture later. But honestly, she already blooded the water by doubting me and further pushed me with an official challenge. So when we got to Bon and Liv's place, I was nearly delirious with anticipation.

I beat Liv 25-1. We could have stopped at 13-0, but the part of me that my friends don't like demanded I beat her more. Thankfully, before I could make Liv cry, Arin and Bonsai stopped me.

“Okay, Disaster, that's enough. You have proved your supremacy, and I don't think Hye can take anymore,” Bonsai's sad tone reached me, and I came out of that dark place.

Arin and I went back to our shared apartment, leaving Bonsai to comfort the almost in-tears and shocked Olivia on their shared couch. He cuddled next to his girlfriend, who was a little grumpy that I beat her...repeatedly

“I can't believe Daizo’s so mean,” she said with an adorable pout. You smiled and nestled closer.

“Come on, babe, you went after him and triggered one of his "episodes". Be glad we stopped it before you went 1-29,” Bonsai said.

Olivia was just revving up, though, “It's just…(He shut her up with an impassioned kiss) uh, babe, no fair.” Bonsai spent the rest of the night consoling his girlfriend's hurt feelings.

A couple of days after what I guess you could call my "bullying" of Hyeju, our little friend group met up again, as we had planned. Arin and I ended up being late due to circumstances beyond our control—a rainstorm that felt almost biblical in its intensity. Arin laughed as we finally entered her car.

"You know, this reminds me of the time we fell for each other," Arin reminisced.

"Yeah, it was a cloudy morning like this," I responded.

"Cloudy? It was pouring," Arin corrected.

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh, oh, I guess that day has such a weird recollection in my head."

"Yeah, me too, but I distinctly remember the rain and seeing how soaked Jacob and you were," Arin replied. "To think we were at each other's throats, and in a split second, we were making out on the floor."

"Yeah, love is weird," I said.

Jacob was grinning ear to ear as we walked to his car. "We're going to this party—there will be girls, grub, and, best of all, games," he said excitedly. I nodded as I got in the car with him. The synthetic smell of maple and brown sugar bombarded me uncomfortably.

"Dude, do you have to have the most obnoxious air freshener?" I teased.

Jacob laughed before saying, "Oh, so you insult my taste, huh? Well, what if I were to tell you that shirt is terrible?" He teased back.

I smiled and responded, "Nope, you can't hurt me. I'm too excited—I've been watching them for so long, so finally going to see Core-A in person seems sick."

"Me too," he said as he started his car. 

When he went to shift gears he gave a weird look and then said something odd, "Oh, one thing—don't be mad," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Arin is going to be there," Jacob responded, and I died a little inside.

I groaned. "Is it too late for me not to go?"

"Dude, she's a 5'5'' girl. You'll be fine, Mr. Legendary Spell Fencer," Jacob reassured me. I scratched my hair nervously, thinking about possible outs.

"I don't know, the last time we met, we yelled at each other for two hours," I said.

"I remember—you guys sounded like an old married couple... Maybe that's it. Maybe you two like each other, but your minds misattribute the attraction with spite. Maybe the two of you just need to kiss, and the wires will be crossed correctly," Jacob suggested as he drove off, sealing my fate.

I rolled my eyes and confidently explained, "There is no way."

Jacob hesitated as if remembering something. "Well, remember how the first time you guys fought, afterward you were all hot and bothered thinking about her for two weeks? It was also weird because you would say all these nice things about her like 'How could someone so compassionate and smart be so damn pig-headed and boorish? I hate that vexing bitch.' You know, weirdly flirty stuff," Jacob said teasingly. I looked at him with an "Are you serious?" look. He laughed, of course. 

"Hey, it's just a theory," he finished.

After that, for the most part, we rode in silence until we reached Core-A's studio and the location of the party. We got out of Jacob's baby blue VW Beetle, which he lovingly referred to as the "Love Bug" (which I believe is copyrighted, but I could be wrong). We walked into the purple venue, though the atmosphere breathed competition without the sweaty smell. The air was chilled to a comfortable level as we filed in along with a few others.

"Ah, Jac, glad you could make it," a tall Korean man said as he approached us. He hugged Jacob, who smiled, and then the man sized me up. 

"You must be Daizohan?" the Korean man asked.

I nodded affirmatively. "I am."

He extended his hand and introduced himself, "Nice to meet you. My name is Gerald Lee."

I couldn't help but grin widely. "I know who you are. I'm a huge fan. I've watched all your channel's videos and loved what you have done, not only for the fighting game community but for competitive communities everywhere," I raved.

Gerald Lee smiled, then said, "Please, then enjoy yourself, make friends, eat, and have fun. I only ask that you be respectful. Some pretty public figures are roaming about who would like their privacy," I nodded in agreement.

"Sure thing, sir," I replied, to which he chuckled before walking away.

Jacob nudged me, pointing out, "Dude, I've never seen you smile that big."

I squinted at him, annoyed. "Jacob, that's one of my heroes."

Jacob laughed at my expense, "I can tell. Now, don't get too excited, but I think they have your favorite over there." I turned to see the familiar loading screen and couldn't contain my excitement. I lifted my hand in anticipation and walked over to the TV. It was exactly what I had hoped for: Tatsunoko VS Capcom. I sat down, feeling nostalgic as I hadn't played the game since childhood. Despite its age and my lack of recent practice, I was instantly transported back to the date of its release, a ten-year-old rediscovering his first fighting game and embarking on a decades-long love affair. I was engrossed in the game when I heard a voice asking,

"Hey, can I play with you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Let me just quit this arcade match," I said as I exited my current run-through of the mode.

"I'm surprised you've been so invested; you haven't moved once since sitting here," the voice remarked.

"Well, this is my second favorite game of all time," I explained.

I noticed the voice sitting next to me, intrigued. "Oh, what's the first?"

"Kingdom Hearts II," I replied.

"Oh, I hear a lot about how complicated those games are," the voice said.

I smiled, replying, "Well, they're usually less complicated than life, to be honest." The voice laughed, causing me to smile. It was feminine and pleasant, making me feel like I was at a calming beach.

"This is my first time playing this one, so I don't know how to play. Can you teach me?" the voice asked. I nodded and turned to face her, handing her the controller. Our hands touched, and then our eyes locked, sending my emotions into warp drive.

"Arin?"

"Daizo?"

Arin and I looked at each other with equally confused expressions before she abruptly stood up and said, "Bathroom. Now." I followed her, hoping to avoid a scene. Thankfully, no one saw us enter the furthest one from the party.

Arin and I silently glared at each other until she spoke first, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Um, I was invited by Jacob," I replied.

I watched as Arin rolled her eyes, “Yeah, of course he'd invite you. God, I hate you cameramen sometimes.”

Unaware of the growing feelings within, I gave her the response she wanted, “Damn it, why are you always so mean? Like, what did I do to you?”

Arin rolled her eyes and teased, “You? Please. I'm sorry, but why would I ever be friends with such an attention whore? Did mommy and daddy never give you enough as a child?”

Seeing where this conversation was going, I decided to do something more interesting. I decided to play into her analysis.

“Actually, yes. My parents were consumed with work much of my childhood and had a rigid structure that maintained my physical safety but preyed upon my social and emotional safety as a special needs child, leading to severely stunted emotional and social growth but excellent physical and cognitive growth. This manifested as childhood chasing and severe attention-seeking behaviors. Thankfully, I'm risk-averse enough to have that rein me in from being an absolute menace. Also, if I am attention-seeking, so are you, as often you join me happily in that, as seen by the show we put on for Nagyung’s birthday where we argued for three hours.”

Arin stood there stunned. I watched as she tried to form a response until I got bored and walked away. She grabbed me and said, “Wait, Daizohan (she was using my full name, so I knew she was serious). I am sorry, I didn't know.”

I gave her a kind smile and replied, “It's all good. I also didn't realize until just now when you were talking about it.”

Arin smiled, and that same feeling of a wave washing over me crept up. “Well, now that you know, I expect better from you,” I nodded, and we walked back to Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. While walking, I noticed how pretty Arin was. Like, she was distractingly pretty.

As we walked back, that distraction caused me to walk into a metal pole. Obviously, I fell, but Arin was quick to pick me up and begin scolding me about “staying aware.”

As Arin spoke and droned on and on, my body sent a shiver down my spine before sending a weird impulse to my brain.

“Arin’s stern scolding is kinda of hot; she makes a great and nurturing mother. I should make her a mother,” my brain told me, and I jolted. Arin noticed, and for a moment, the animosity in her eyes dissipated, and I saw something I wasn't expecting: genuine concern.

Arin’s features softened from a disgusted grimace to concerned caution as she said, “Are you okay? You just jumped!” I nodded, standing there dumbfounded. “Good,” she continued, “Hey, don't scare me like that, Daizo.”

In an instant, all that animosity turned into this overwhelming desire to kiss her. Before I knew it, all I could think about besides how pretty her eyes were with her cute glasses was how to go about kissing her. So, I did. At first, it was awkward as Arin was combating similar competing feelings of infatuation and infuriation. After a few seconds though, she joined me in choosing to be infatuated. We broke the kiss and Arin smiled at me and said, “What?”

“Oh nothing just remembering our first time together Arin smiles as we get in her car and drive to Nagyung and Jacob’s place.

While Arin and I were on our way to the meetup, she asked me what I thought Jacob would like for his upcoming birthday.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I already got his drinks, food, and presents handled," I reassured her.

"Good, I know when you're on top of things, you overachieve. I just need to remind you," Arin said, relieved.

"Oh, you never have to remind me of friends. I always show up for them when I can," I replied, which made Arin laugh.

“Hey babe, can I ask you something?” Jacob walked into the living room.

“Sure, what is it, Naggy?”

"Why did you invite Arin and Daizo? They're so gross," Nagyung whined.

Jacob chuckled before replying, "Daizo and Arin are my friends, and while they may be 'gross,' they are good company."

Nagyung sighed, annoyed. "But Jakey, they are obsessed with... that, what did you call it?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "The Holy Grail or fighting games?"

"The Holy Grail," Nagyung confirmed.

"Oh, well, yeah. Everyone needs friends who chase the Holy Grail. They show you where you're lacking," Jacob replied.

"What?" Nagyung responded, confused.

"Chasing the Holy Grail means chasing the impossible. Both Arin and Daizo have impossibly large goals, which is probably why they work so well together. But I digress. They are chasing impossible goals for different reasons. For Daizo, it's to see how far he can take himself in this world, and for Arin, it's to prove herself," Jacob explained. Nagyung nodded and then replied,

"But why can't they be satisfied with what they have? They're successful and have a great love life and careers. What more could they want?"

Jacob shrugged as he replied.

About 65 minutes later the couple finishing up cooking lunch.

"Wow, you guys finally made it?" Nagyung said smiling. I gave a thumbs up and Bonsai explained how traffic was terrible for some weird reason.

Arin perked up, "It's mostly because of the rain and the impromptu K-pop festival going on in Hongdae."

"Wait really? (Bonsai turns to Haseul) Why wasn't the best group ARTMS invited," Bonsai said 

exaggeratedly. Haseul blushed and smiled as Arin and I both suppressed the urge to say "What are you talking about the best is obviously Oh My Girl,"

Bonsai noted our restraint and smiled, "You know it shows that there are still tickets and they're pretty cheap,"  

Arin and I looked at each other before we both said "So it's settled We are all going," The group nodded excitedly as we got up and began prepping for the Concert. We all ordered Tickets and then walked to the venue. On the way, Arin grabbed my hand, "What's up?" 

"Nothing just showing everyone who you belong to," She said with a possessive smile,

"Are you jealous?"

"No, I am not the Jealous type but what's mine is mine end of story," Arin said smiling. I smiled back before kissing her forehead.

"Blegh. You guys are so gross," Hyeju says as she notices we haven't moved for a bit. Arin rolls her eyes before grabbing my hand and having us catch up to the others.

We arrived at the festival and its insanely lively fantastic atmosphere despite the gloomy weather. Plenty of Alcohol for everyone except Arin, plus me, and several acts we were more than excited to see. We decided to start with H1-Key as they were the next act. (We probably should have gotten food in hindsight but it's not that big a deal.) As H1-Key performed many of their hits Arin and I danced to music, as did our friends (At one point Nagyung was twerking on Jacob which was always hilarious). when the weather dropped to a colder temperature we moved less to conserve heat but still sang along. Arin nestled herself in my jacket to stay warm due to our size difference. After that act, We decided to get food and stopped by the nearby Ramyeon place. We all congregated around a pretty big table which allowed us to stay near our partners but also be in decent positions to talk to everyone.

Arin put her hand in mine as we watched our friends. "So Daizo how much longer are you here for?" Haseul asked.

I looked to Tobi for confirmation he held up the number three letting me know I had three weeks left

"Oh three weeks left," I answered. Subtly I noticed Arin tightening her grip on me. I turn to her and clarify, "I will be back though,"

"Oh, when," Nagyung asked.

"Uh probably in the second half of the year, around September," I replied.  

Arin‘s grip softened, and I looked at her before saying, “Don't worry I'll be back,”

After we finished we went back to the festival and enjoyed the rest of the acts.

We got back from the impromptu festival around midnight I want to say, and on the way back to Jacob's place we were stopped by a lady, She stood at the precipe of a crosswalk. She is holding a massive sword and she says,

"If one of you can land a hit on me; I will give you a massive prize." My friends all look at each other and then at me to stop me but I'm already walking to the lady.

“So I just gotta land one hit?” I ask

“Yes,” the lady responds

“Any other rules? Stipulations?” I add

“Nope give it all you got,” the lady says with a pleased smile.

“Okay! Let's do it.” I reply. Arin grabs my hand and says

“Go get em,” I smile and reply

“God I love you,” Arin beams and I turn to the lady. I summon my spell sword and get in a combat-ready stance. The lady smiles before taking out a needle and syringe. She injects herself and I watch as her eyes begin to glow. I stand guard as she also gets ready. I blink and in an instant, she is at my throat. I block her blade and disarm her by throwing both our blades away.

Taking advantage of her staggered and uneven stance I grapple her and throw her to the ground. As she lands I get one quick strike to her arm. She smiles,

“A thief with honor.” the lady says as I help her up. I notice her skin is a magenta color and she only has one eye. She smiles at me before saying, “Congratulations,” and everything goes dark.

When I wake up I am on a floor mat with Arin sitting above me. I sit up and Arin Jolts.

"Where am I," I ask.

"Babe relax," Arin says hearing my heart race

"Okay," I say as she has me slow my breathing.

"There has been a bad situation,"

"What is it?" I ask

"Look," Arin says sadly

I look at what she has gestured at and see my home planet shattered and exploded. I breathe in and out slowly processing what I am seeing, I turn to Arin and she grabs me tightly before saying, "It will be okay Daizo."

I had only one question on my mind, "who did this?"

[queen-kassiopeia-the-5th]

Personal opinion, but Radiants shouldn't have to be able to heal old wounds, even with stormlight.

During the books we see Lopen regrew his arm, Gaz regrew his eye, Hobber reanimating his legs after being slashed by Szeth in the previous book. All wounds are months/years old but they heal them the moment they become Radiants and could breath in stormlight themselves.

In my opinion it shouldn't be possible. They should only be able to patch wounds they got after they became Radiants. Renarin can only heal wounds on others if they are relatively new, there is a time bracket during which his powers are effective. I think it should be the same for Radiants healing themselves.

Now, I know what some of you want to say. The king of the Reshi isles, who was born a woman but always saw himself as a man - operating under the title King even before - became physically male when bonding a Spren. So the bond turns you into the perception of yourself, how you view yourself in a way - Lopen sees himself as still having two arms etc.

But I still think it's a cheaper writearound. Because think of it. These people became Radiant, but they still have a disability, an injury, and they cam still kick ass despite it! Lopen wearing a fake arm he can send as a projectile, Gaz hiding extra gems in his eye socket a la Aemond Targarian, for extra stormlight, Hobbs flying instead of wlaking, kind of like Rysn's Fabrial enfused wheelchair.

Kaladin can't get rid of his slave brands, because they are part of how he percieves himself now, the Shash is the symbol he is assossiated with, but he also hates them, so I don't get why they don't heal, too.

I think it would be better if this waan't one of the Radiant perks, and we got to see these characters navigating theur powers with their disabilities and turning them into advantages.

[moonstruckme]

We have whimsical reader in marauders

We need one with tasm peter

Oorrrr

Can you imagine (or make) a witch/wizard reader with tasm peter!!???

Thanks for requesting love!

tasm!Peter Parker x whimsical!reader ♡ 679 words

Peter comes in through the window, more out of habit than anything else now that he’s not hiding anything from you, but you don’t startle. You’re sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor in front of the couch, flipping through what looks like his old physics textbook. 

“Baby,” he says, “why was there an apple on the fire escape again?” 

“It was still there?” You look up, disappointed to find a whole apple in your boyfriend’s hand. “I thought Ricardo would’ve gotten to it by now. I hope he’s okay.” 

Peter scoffs, going into the kitchen to wash the apple and put it away. He scrubs it extra hard just in case the raccoon you’re set on befriending did get his grubby paws on it. 

“Ricardo can eat without your help,” he says. “He’s hardy, he’s from Brooklyn.” 

“I know,” you sigh, “but apples are his favorite.” 

Peter’s eyes narrow, but you’re not looking, your attention on something in the book. “How do you know that?” 

“He’ll let me pet him while he’s eating apples.” 

He sighs, leaning his forearms on the counter. He’s going to have to find a way to move that raccoon to another neighborhood the next time he goes out. Before it gives you rabies.

“What’re you doing over there?” he asks you. 

“Pressing flowers.” 

“Yeah?” Peter rounds the counter, moving behind you to sit on the couch. His knees bracket your shoulders. The A/C is blasting to combat the summer heat, and goosebumps prickle down your arms. “What for?” 

“I was thinking May could bring them to work,” you say, flattening a dandelion between two pieces of wax paper. The movements are deft and routined, and Peter wonders how many flowers are already enclosed between the pages. There’s a small pile of them sitting next to you, miraculously intact despite the fragile puffs. “She was telling me about some of the kids she works with last week. I thought they might like to have them.” You shrug. “For bookmarks or whatever.” 

Peter’s insides go melty soft. “I’m sure they would.” He leans forward, setting his hand on your shoulder and his lips to your head. You only keep working. Sometimes Peter feels like a weird rock or a feather that you’d picked up somewhere, put in your pocket without a second thought. But you do love your rocks and feathers, so it’s not an awful fate. “Where’d you get these, sweetheart?” 

“I found them,” you say simply. “Parks, sidewalks, you know. They grow anywhere. Do you think I should save a few in case they want to make wishes instead of keeping them?” 

It’s said so seriously Peter can’t help but grin, turning so his cheek smushes into the crown of your head. “That seems like a good idea. Mind if I use one?” 

“Of course.” You sound surprised. “Use as many as you want, Peter. I can always get more.” 

“Just one is good.” 

He slides off of the couch, sitting beside you and picking up a dandelion. He waits until you’re looking over at him before blowing. 

You squeeze your eyes shut as the seeds rush towards you. Peter’s close enough that they get stuck in your eyelashes and eyebrows, a couple in your hair. His breath weakens as he starts laughing, the last few seeds coming off the flower by way of little puffs of air. 

“You don’t have to blow it at someone,” you say, lips stretching into a pretty smile. You blink cautiously, opening your eyes once no dandelion fluff falls in. 

He lowers the stem. “I just wanted to make sure my wish went in the right direction.” 

Your head tilts. “What’d you wish for?” 

Peter combs a bit of white fluff out of your hair, grinning. “C’mon, baby,” he tsks, shifting his fingers to your jaw. You’re pliant to the touch, angling your head at the slightest cue from him. You keep your eyes open, curious, but your lips are soft against his. “You know that’s not how it works. I’ve still gotta make sure it comes true.”

[ughthisisntright]

Lap of Luxury | Sugar Daddy!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: As a young woman without much income, a joke of a job, and an unfortunately expensive taste, your curiosity one evening leads to a string of events far out of your control.

Warnings: Age gap (reader is 23, Bradley is 40), suggestive themes (no smut), fluff

Word Count: 4,635

“Babe,” your best friend slurred. “You need to get on Seeking Arrangements! These guys- they just buy you stuff! And give you money!”

Another conversation about your not-so-much of an income, splitting a bottle of wine with your best friend, and her insistence on helping you has devolved into this. Discussing a sugar daddy arrangement from a site for older folks. You couldn't imagine a worse way to spend your night.

“Aren't they, like, old?” You ask with a sneer. Your friend just laughs it off.

“And rich!” She squeals. “You’d never have to work another shitty job again! C’mon just try it!” She grabbed your phone from you and fumbled with it to download the app.

“Ugh, what’s your password?” She showed you the screen where the app store was asking. You hesitate before typing it in and allowing her to do the rest.

“Okay first thing’s first,” she places her hand on your knee, mostly to steady herself. “Never use your real name. So you're going to be…”

She starts typing on the phone, probably using her galaxy brain to come up with something truly brilliant. And by brilliant, that means ridiculous.

“Genevieve,” she states finally. You don't hate the name, but it's not yours. You made a mental note to change it when you're sober. “Everything else will be the same. And…”

She starts scrolling through your camera roll. You'd have freaked out but really, there wasn't anything there she hasn't seen already. She taps on a photo of you she took a week ago at a vineyard the two of you had visited (on her dime) and handed your phone back to you,

“Voilà! Welcome yo Seeking Arrangements,” she grinned at you. You looked down at your profile and sighed.

“Now what?” You ask flatly.

“Find someone!”

“How? I don't know how to use this!”

“Ugh, you're so boring sometimes…”

Thus began a hunt for the “perfect man” to fund your broke self’s habits. It was all a drunken blur from there, and you passed out on your couch after about two hours of playing around on the app. You had no idea there were so many men willing to give their money away to young women with no regard. But it was working out in your favor.

-

You woke up the next day with a pounding hangover, cottonmouth and your phone on 5% battery. Your friend was nowhere to be found - as usual after drinking binges like that. You mentally kicked yourself for allowing it to go this far but, realistically, you didn't care to go into work today anyway.

A quick text to your boss and a shaky walk to your bedroom to plug your phone in preceded your chug-fest in the kitchen. Drinking straight from the tap wasn't fast enough, but it would suffice. You groaned as you finished gorging yourself on your borderline acceptable tap water, went to the cabinet, and pulled out your bottle of painkillers. You popped two extra strength tablets and washed them down with yet another healthy gulp of water.

You walked back to your bedroom and laid in the quiet dark on your bed. Just as you closed your eyes, your phone buzzed. Once, then twice. You pick it up to see you have missed messages from men on that confounded Seeking Arrangements app. You groan and set the phone down again, remembering just how horribly drunk you got last night. Drunk and stupid, it seemed. You hear another buzz and pick up the phone in frustration, unlocking it and then scrolling through the messages and threads you'd started last night.

Genevieve. What a stupid name. You quickly changed it to your name and kept scrolling through. You deleted many of the threads, only stopping on a few men who were even remotely close to your age bracket. All tech startup guys with nothing better to do than wine and dine young women into their panties. Typical.

You’re about to delete the app when you see one face in particular that doesn't piss you off like the rest. You open your conversation from the night before to find it was pleasant, not sexually charged, and genuine. You smile briefly before clicking his profile picture. He’s handsome, too handsome. What’s the catch?

You open his profile to see his age, what he does, and where he is. He’s forty, lives nearby in San Diego, and is an aviator for the Navy. The military thing would have been a turn off if the conversation you’d had didn't look so… refreshing. You scroll to see his net worth - nearly one million. Unheard of among these other men. He must be well-off.

You scroll more and see he’s very close by. A block away. You excitedly - but cautiously -  type a message to him.

You: So sorry, I fell asleep. I think it's wild you’re still single at your age. How doesn't that mustache pull women nowadays?

You bite your lip and quickly turn the brightness down on your phone, the blue light making your migraine worse. You see him typing and your heart flutters.

You can't believe this is happening. How did you let your friend talk you into this? Were you crazy? Desperate? Or just lonely? You watched the bubbles on screen appear and disappear as the man on the other side of the screen typed his response to you.

The self-loathing part of your brain told you he was figuring out how to turn you down gently. Tell you you're too young for this, to go find someone your own age, chase your dreams, and whatever other sentiments he could think of. You wanted to hear it, but you also didn't. This was all too much.

Until it wasn't.

Bradley Bradshaw: No worries, sweetheart. I see you're nearby - let me come get you and treat you to brunch. Mimosas?

-

You stood outside your apartment with your cutest outfit on, though to someone like Bradley, it could be considered… revealing. You didn’t have much, hence the entire reason your friend had convinced you to join that stupid app in the first place. Regardless, you stood waiting for Bradley to come pick you up for your impromptu brunch date.

Could you even call it a date?

Your mind swam as you stared down at the photo of him on the app. He was handsome, yes. You just weren’t sure if this made you one of those gold-digging, shallow women who you were sure were all over this app. He looked as though he’d spent a lifetime laughing, living. The wrinkles you could see that weren’t airbrushed out of this photo seemed deeply set. A good sign that he wasn’t as stuffy as some of the other guys you’d apparently spoken to.

Was this just a giant ass mistake?

What if he was just another one of these guys looking to fuck a younger woman and then give her some hush money? Or even expensive gifts in lieu of hush money? You didn’t want to be the dumb trophy on some older man’s arm. And that was when it hit you - you actually liked Bradley. It was just a small crush, of course, you’d hardly known him. Hardly even spoken to him. But from the little interaction you’d had he seemed like the genuine article.

Before you could psych yourself out any more, you heard the low rumble of a classic car getting closer. You popped your head up to see a bright blue classic Ford Bronco headed your way. Your eyes lit up - having an affinity for classic cars - and you simply prayed that this was Bradley coming to get you. 

The car came to a stop right in front of you, and the aforementioned Bradley was looking out the window at you with a grin. He pulled his aviators down the bridge of his nose and looked you in the eyes. A genuine kind of look on his face that had you melting inside.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said kindly. “Are you ready to go?”

You nodded wordlessly and shoved your phone into your small purse. Bradley jumped out of the Bronco and approached you. He was incredibly tall, compared to you, and he didn’t have this dominating presence that you kept thinking he would have. No, he was like a giant teddy bear - someone you could imagine curling up with at the end of the day and getting nothing but hugs and kisses from.

“You’re even more adorable than that picture on the app, you know,” he tilted his head sweetly to one side. Your cheeks flushed a bright red, though you weren’t sure if he would notice.

“I-I’m happy I’ve surpassed expectations,” you croaked. “God, I’m sorry-” He chuckled and shook his head.

“I’m nervous, too, sweetheart,” he admitted kindly. “Let’s get to where we’re going and we can be nervous together.” He took your hand and led you to the passenger side of the Bronco. He opened the door for you and helped you get up into the seat. He waited until you were situated before closing the door and walking coolly to the other side and getting into the driver’s seat.

“I hope you don’t mind. I chose a more secluded spot than I normally would,” Bradley admitted as he pulled away from the curb. “Not because I’m embarrassed, but just because I’d hate to have people I know giving me shit.”

“I completely understand,” you say softly. “I would die if someone I knew saw me doing this… Whatever this is.”

“I’d say we can put off putting a label on it until we’re sure, yeah?” Bradley looked over at you with a smile. “No pressure, no fakery, no stress.”

“I love the sound of that,” you said sweetly, looking at him with a smile.

Soon, you arrived at a small brunch joint on the outskirts of the city. Bradley had assured you he’d never seen his buddies here, and you assured him that your friends are too broke to afford this kind of place. Sharing a laugh, Bradley cuts the engine and gets out of the Bronco. He walks to your side and helps you out before linking your arm with his.

“I’ll treat you right, okay?” He said sweetly as he walked you in. You only smiled in response and allowed him to lead you inside. He gave his last name coolly to the hostess and she ushered the two of you to a more private booth at the back of the restaurant. Bradley pulled your chair out for you and let you sit first. What a gentleman. He took his seat across from you and removed his aviators.

Those eyes were mesmerizing. Beautiful brown that you swore had little flecks of gold in them. You could get lost in those eyes if you weren’t careful, so you quickly picked up the small menu and looked it over. Yikes. You for sure wouldn’t be able to afford this.

“So, I can tell this is not something you usually do,” Bradley said softly. “Me neither, if I’m honest.”

“Honestly? My friend made me do it. We were… Drinking last night. And she convinced me this would be a good idea.” You admitted candidly. “I didn’t know what to expect.

“Hah! Sounds exactly like what my friend did to me,” he admitted right back. “I forgot the app even existed until you messaged me last night. Then, I just got this… feeling. Like, if I let this slip by, I’d regret it the rest of my life.”

“Hence, why we’re sitting here having brunch together,” you finish for him. “I have to admit, Bradley, you don’t seem like the type to go for… younger women. You’re mature, put together, and seem like a zero-bullshit guy.”

“Yeah, well, the Navy sort of beats that into you,” he laughs softly. “Women are usually deterred by the military thing. They automatically think you’re looking to get married, or they think you’re active duty and are going to lose you. So they don’t even bother trying.” He looks up at you. “I’m just trying to find someone to spoil. Someone to care for, and someone to care for me right back.”

You appreciated his honesty. You liked skipping around the nervous chatter, the lies, the embellishments. This was a far cry from some of the dates you’d been on in the past - boys pretending to be men that they’re not. Bradley clearly went through that when he was your age. And he clearly realized it doesn’t work long-term.

“You’re saying all the right things, Bradley,” you chime. “I just want you to know… I’m not after your money or whatever else it is you have to offer me. I’m not sure what I’m after here, but I’d like to explore this. Whatever it ends up being, or not being, I’m interested to see where it goes.”

You’re surprised to hear those words coming from your mouth. An hour ago you were just about ready to call this whole thing off. You were sure this would make you lesser than; lump you in with all the other desperate girls your age just looking to get rich and not work for it. But, honestly, you didn’t care about money - your friend did. If this all worked out, if Bradley ended up being more than just a Seeking Arrangements date, you’d have to thank her for being such a gold digger.

Oh, the misery.

"I do too, sweetheart,” Bradley said sweetly. “No pressure, no fakery, no stress.”

-

Brunch went exceptionally well. Bradley told you stories from his time in the Naval Academy, TOPGUN, and even a few missions you were pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to share. He told you about his parents and how he followed in his dad’s footsteps. He told you about everything. He was a man who’d lived. You couldn’t grasp, still, how a woman his age wouldn’t want him.

You shared stories from your years in college, your job, and from your childhood. Absolutely nothing compared to the nearly twenty years he had on you. You felt silly telling him about yourself, but he was genuinely interested. He asked so many insightful questions, held your hand, and maintained eye contact. You thought maybe, just maybe, he was falling for you.

You’d be remiss if you didn’t admit you may be falling for him, too.

When the bill came, Bradley snatched it away from you with a mischievous grin. You playfully pouted at him and he just waved you off. He took his wallet out and slid a credit card into the book and held it until the server came back. Clever little devil.

“I told you I’d spoil you, sweetheart,” he mused. “This is me spoiling you. But, I should warn you. This is only the beginning.”

You grinned at him and nodded, relaxing back in your seat. He was just so cool. His entire demeanor, his attitude - devil may care kind of air about him. You enjoyed his youthful aura, especially since you knew he was not quite as youthful as he used to be. It was truly a breath of fresh air.

The bill was paid, you’d successfully drank three mimosas, and Bradley was looking at you with stars in his eyes. He walked you out of the restaurant and to his Bronco. He looked down at you once the two of you were on the passenger’s side. Brushing some hair from your face, he smiled softly and pulled you just a touch closer.

“Well, I’m dying for your review, sweetheart,” he said with a grin. “Did I live up to expectations?”

Your mouth felt dry all of a sudden. Did he? Did he? You’d just spent three hours chatting with a man nearly twice your age about his life, your life, and genuinely enjoying each other's company. And he wants to know if he lived up to expectations? You smiled widely, no longer able to conceal the excitement you felt in your gut about this.

“Very much so. I’d even be so bold as to say you’ve surpassed them,” you took his hand in yours gently. He responded by squeezing your waist a little tighter.

“Then,” he said in a lower tone than he’d used earlier. “You wouldn’t find it uncouth of me to do this?”

Before you could even think of a witty response, his lips were on yours in a gentle, tentative kiss. Your initial shock washed away quickly as your lips pressed back against his. He was gentle, nothing extravagant, nothing lying beneath the surface - just a kiss. His hands slid around your back and upwards, pulling you impossibly closer. Your hands found purchase on his large biceps, squeezing as he drew you nearer.

Like in the movies, you felt an instant spark. Little electrical pulses all over your lips, your cheeks, and wherever he touched you. His hands seemed to be made for you. They seemed to know exactly how to hold you, how to caress you, and how to make you forget all except him and this moment.

And all too quickly, he was pulling away from you. He looked down at you with gentle eyes, a small quirk of his lips. You stared back up at him with your mouth hanging open ever so slightly. He brought his hand up and swept his thumb over your bottom lip. You almost had to squeeze your thighs together to relieve the mild ache that warmed your core.

Bradley let out a soft chuckle and opened the door for you. Like earlier, he helped you into the Bronco and then got in himself. He started the vehicle and started driving away from the restaurant. Your mind swam with the possibilities. He could be your father, but you wanted him. You wanted him to be the man in your life. Just from this one little encounter. You were sure you wanted him.

It really was like the movies.

You noticed eventually that you were nowhere near your apartment, or his. In fact, San Diego wasn’t around you at all. You’d traveled north, and then west. To a small little shopping center away from town. You looked at Bradley curiously and he met your gaze as if on cue.

“I’m not done with you yet, sweetheart,” he said coolly. “I’m taking you to the beach. But you need a bathing suit. And, honestly, so do I.” He grinned at you and pulled into a parking spot. Just great! He was already blowing his money on you. Part of you felt guilty, but the other part of you - the part that was still listening to your friend - wanted to see this all through.

He pulled you into a store that sold probably the most revealing swimsuits for the most outrageous prices. You cringed every time you looked at a price tag even though Bradley had assured you nothing was too expensive. Finally, after looking at a one-piece suit that was anything but “one piece,” you pulled Bradley to you.

“I cannot let you spend this kind of money on such little fabric, Bradley,” you pleaded. He simply smiled down at you and nodded.

“I understand completely,” he looked around at the options and narrowed his eyes. “Let me find something worthwhile then.” He kissed your cheek and walked off to search for a suit for you. Dumbfounded, you stood back and watched for a second. Then, without even thinking, you started looking for one for him to wear. Like some kind of girlfriend would.

You picked up a red pair of trunks, the shorter kind that have come into style recently. You weren’t sure if these would make him look younger or just plain silly. You didn’t really care, though, you wanted him to wear them. You figured this would be a good color on him.

When he eventually found you again, he had his hands behind his back. A shit-eating grin on his face, you’d notice. You held up the trunks you’d chosen for him, a small smile on your face.

“How are these?” You asked sweetly. He nodded in approval and then brought a one piece suit out from behind his back.

Your eyes bugged out of your head when you saw it - bright red, just like the trunks you’d chosen for him.

You let out a genuine laugh and smiled up at him. He pulled you in for a quick kiss before taking the trunks from you and walking to the register to pay. You followed behind him but quickly tucked yourself against his side at the counter. He’d picked up a pair of aviators for you, a couple of towels, and some sunblock. Once he paid, he took your hand and led you out of the shop.

“Let’s change into these before we head out. I wanna get right into it when we get to the beach,” he handed you the swimsuit and gently pushed you in the direction of the bathroom. He went to the men’s room to change, and you changed as instructed.

When you arrived at the beach, you were in awe at how gorgeous the scenery was. Not a person in sight, either. Perfect, you thought. Bradley hauled you to the sand like a little kid and laughed at your protests.

“The water is fine! Come on, let me see that suit I got you.” He pinched your sides and tickled you into submission. You shoved him off of you with a wheezing laugh and tore your clothes off to reveal the swimsuit. His eyes traveled down your body in a very uncharacteristically obvious way.

“Wow, sweetheart,” he grunted. “Red is definitely your color.” He took his t-shirt off and tossed it aside. He was surprisingly muscular for someone his age. It added to his charm, you decided, that he was able to stay in such great shape. “How about me? Red a good color on me? Someone my age?”

“Yeah, actually. Those make you look at least ten years younger,” you teased. He laughed and watched you take off towards the water. He followed behind you and let his feet get wet from the waves.

You, on the other hand, were the young sprite who was going deeper into the water. You let the water lap at your thighs before traveling out a little further. The cool water felt amazing on your skin, even better with the sun beating down on you. You closed your eyes and let the waves rock you from side to side. You surely could get used to this.

You suddenly felt hands on your hips, a firm grip. You jumped slightly before turning around to come face-to-face with Bradley. The sun made his eyes sparkle just as you’d predicted in the restaurant. You looked at the age on his face and sigh softly. It’s not as obvious in the sun. Not something you expected.

“You forgot something,” he said softly. He propped the pair of aviators he bought on your face and gently pushed them up the bridge of your nose. He poked the tip of your nose with a boyish grin. “Perfect.”

“You’re gonna let me get a sunburn, too?” You chide with a poke to his ribs.

“Oh, never,” he said with a scandalized look on his face. “Here, turn back around.” He produced the bottle of sunscreen and smirked.

You turned around without hesitation. You felt his hands all over your back as he spread the sunscreen around your skin. He rubbed up and over your shoulders, kissing them gently when he was finished. He traced your spine on the open back of the swimsuit he bought you. You shivered ever so slightly when his hands brushed your skin so gently. He worked the sunscreen into your neck before gently turning you back around and working it over your collarbone. You saw the hesitation in his eyes when he went to drag his fingers lower, but your lack of protest replaced his hesitation with determination. He massaged the sunscreen into the swell of your breasts slowly. Your breath caught in your throat at the touch. The familiar ache between your legs returning.

He moved on to your arms and the tops of your ears. He then put a silly little stripe of it on the bridge of your nose, making you giggle. You took the bottle from him and repeated the gesture on him. He grinned proudly and pulled you close again. His lips crashed onto yours in a hungry kiss, more intimate than the last.

You knew then that you could get used to this.

-

You grinned widely and charged at Bradley, jumping into his arms. He laughed and caught you with ease, spinning you around as you wrapped your legs around him. He playfully tipped you backwards so your hair brushed the water. Your squeal of excitement rang out clear as day, making him smile brighter than you’d seen.

He pulled you back up and you buried your face in his neck. His skin was slick with sweat and sunscreen, and he smelled still like the subtle cologne he wore. He held you securely against him, never daring to drop you.

You pulled your head back and kissed him again. It came easier now, kissing him. It was more exciting, less anxiety-inducing. You liked the way the walls had been dropped and the affections came easier. He gladly kissed you back, tugging your bottom lip between his teeth. A soft, more needy than intended whimper left your lips at that.

Instead of scaring him away, it only spurred Bradley on. His hands cupped your rear possessively and he carried you back to shore. And you knew where it would go from there.

He set you down on one of the towels and crawled over you. His hands gripped your hips tightly as he explored your skin with his mouth. Your hands slid up and into his hair, whining softly as he ravaged you with that perfect, experienced mouth.

“I need you to know, sweetheart,” he grunted. “This isn’t a one-off.” You tilted your head, sweat on your brow.

“I’m going to take you out, bring you home, make you mine,” he explained further. “I’m not ready to let you go yet. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s more than okay,” you breathed. “I’m not ready to let you go yet either.”

“Good,” he said before kissing down your stomach, dangerously close to your aching cunt. “Because I don’t want to go too fast.” He kissed back up your stomach and to your lips.

A pitiful little moan left your lips in protest. He chuckled softly and looked down at you.

“We have time,” he said simply. You wrapped your arms around him and laughed softly. His lips connected with your collarbone before he lifted you back up.

“Let’s order something and eat dinner here. Sound good?” He suggested. You nodded with a grin, kissing his cheek. As he was busy ordering something for dinner, you looked down at your phone for the first time since that morning. You opened it up and looked at your conversation with Bradley on the app. You bit your lip and closed the app. Then you took a leap.

You deleted the app.

Bradley was the only one you cared about among the list of men you’d chatted with. And in a stupidly short amount of time, you started picturing yourself with this man. This real man. He turned to you and smiled as he spoke on the phone with the place he was ordering from. The look on his face when he looked at you was enough. This, eating dinner on a secluded beach, was enough.

Tagging people who may enjoy: @roosterscock @cherrycola27 @roosterforme @roosterbruiser @beardedladyqueen @seresinsweetie @sebsxphia

[thursdaygxrls]

thin ice — two

part one | part two | part three

summary — peter invites her to his hockey game, and shocker, she shows up.

pairing — uni hockey player!peter parker x fem!journalist!reader

disclaimer — i do not own peter parker/marvel. marvel pls don’t sue me for making peter sexier 🙏

warnings — reader is referred to as ‘kitty’ (there’s a reason, i promise), slight one sided enemies to lovers, possible maybe slightly ooc, and very unedited

Stark Memorial Rink was a lot more crowded than she remembered. To be fair, when she was there two days ago, it was during a closed practice. Now it was loud, crowded, and filled with the blaring noise of the patrons and loudspeakers.

“What are our seats again?” MJ asked, hanging off her arm with a big, goofy smile. She was dressed in an Empire State University sweatshirt—‘I have to show my school pride’, she said. Sure, that was the reason.

“Section one hundred ten, Row C, seats four and five,” she replied, her voice near robotic.

“Y’know, you can at least pretend to be excited,” MJ teased. “I’ll buy you a soft pretzel if you act like you’re having fun.”

“Woo-hoo. Yippee. Hooray,” she said monotonously, a small grin curling on her lips.

“Come on,” a whine leaves MJ’s lips, “This is cool! It’s not just any game, this is the tournament—like, national. If they win this, they’ll make it down to eight teams. Eight teams!”

“And your sudden love of hockey spawned on its own, right?” She raised a brow at her friend’s words, “Not because of some sweaty guy who likes to ice skate?”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that,” MJ mumbled in reply, though her eyes softened a bit, a smile adorning her painted lips. They shuffled through the crowds of people with some struggle, but eventually made it to section one hundred ten.

When she was there days ago, she hadn’t quite paid attention to the format of the seats. The assumption, though, was that they flowed in alphabetical order, making Row Z the one closest to the plexiglass. They slipped towards the steps, ready to descend just a few stairs when they looked down. A big, yellow ‘Z’ was right under their feet. That meant–

“Oh, my God.” Her voice was more like a whisper than anything.

“You said Row C, right?” MJ asked, her eyes glued to the letter.

“Row C,” she confirmed, sucking her teeth. Was it even possible? Okay, sure, this was just a university game, but this game was a big deal. The place was insanely crowded. How could he just give away seats that close to the glass?

“Well, let’s go,” MJ interrupted her train of thought, tugging her arm to follow her. One, two, three, four…they descended lower and lower until the sound of ice scraping along the skates of those practicing was louder than the buzz of the crowd. Their seats gave them a perfect view right behind the net. Purple and black jerseys whizzed by in a flurry of sticks and pucks and ice shaving off the ground. They say for a minute, soaking up the reality of where they were before MJ let out a cough.

“So, Kitty, soft pretzel?” She glanced over with a smile.

“Yeah,” she agreed, already popping up from her seat. Shuffling back to the stairs, her gaze was pulled back to the rink where she caught a flash of a neon purple ‘13’ zipping by the glass. Hazel eyes settled upon her through the brackets of the helmet—but only for one second. One small ounce of time in which their eyes connected like laser beams. And then he was gone again, and so was she.

“I’ll get you a slushie, too, if you do a little cheering,” MJ’s voice pulled her back.

“Extra large?” She raised a brow in return.

“Whatever size you want,” MJ beamed.

By the time they were back to their seats, the game was almost starting. The National Anthem was sung by a local high school talent. The team introductions flew by (MJ, of course, screaming for Harry). When number thirteen, Peter Parker, Empire State Lightning Bolts Team Captain was introduced, the thunder of feet pounding on the floor rang through the stadium. He slid across the ice in an oddly graceful fashion. He was sort of gangly, and the bulk of the uniform provided a strange juxtaposition, but his movements were clean and precise, more like a figure skater than a hockey player.

“Look at that, number thirteen,” MJ giggled into her ear, receiving a smack on the arm for her laughter.

“I have eyes, I can see.” Was her grumbled response.

The game was intense. They were single-round eliminations, meaning that if ESU lost this, they were out of the tournament. Pennbrook, in their glossy green jerseys, were just as vicious. The net in front of them was the home side first, so they were able to see every goal that was blocked, and inevitably the ones that slipped through. What seemed to (begrudgingly) stand out the most, though, was Peter.

He was aggressive. At first, she thought it was just excitement, or anger, or some irrational emotion that sent him flying across the ice and ramming into people. But the face under the helmet was always calm. Cold, even. Every outburst was a precise calculation. Yes, he was combative, but it was never out of his control. Nothing was out of his control, not even when the puck went skidding across the ice on the other side. It took him seconds to cross the rink and swoop in for quick saves. Time seemed to flash by. The buzzer signaled the end of the first period, and the teams skated back to their respective sides.

“It’s not that bad, right?” MJ nudged her, sucking down the last of her blue raspberry slushie.

“I’m definitely viewing something,” she responded in a sarcastic tone. MJ groaned, nudging her as she collected their empty cups and discarded napkins.

“Keep up the good attitude,” she shot back, sticking out her tongue as she went to throw away the trash.

The second period was similar to the first: high tensions, high testosterone. By the third period, the score was 4-5 with Pennbrook taking the lead. It was, of course, only a momentary lead. A play by Harry and Miles tied them up again, and then a swift shot by Zack got them the lead. Pennbrook’s number ‘36’ had been on Peter’s ass nearly the entire game. He was always so close that half of the ice shavings on Peter’s ankles were probably from him. But it hadn’t been anything more than a chase until Peter brought the score up to 7-5.

The movement was quick, but not nearly as unnoticeable as he likely intended. While sliding behind the net, 36’s elbow came up to check Peter. He was probably aiming for his shoulder, but everything just came out wrong: Peter turned his head toward 36, 36’s elbow jabbed at an awkward angle, and the hit ended up slamming into Peter’s face.

Her breath caught in her throat. When he turned back to the plexiglass, blood was dripping down his chin. He’d been clipped just right so that his lip busted against the hard plastic of the mouthguard. Resounding ‘boos’ sounded through the stadium, but the sounds fell deaf on her ears as she watched Peter throw off his glove and swipe the blood from his skin. It was like she could see the gears turning in his head. Hit, blood, fight. He looked to 36, ready to raise his bloodstained fist. Then, for just a second, his eyes flitted to her.

He knew she was there. He knew she was watching. None of the hardness left his eyes, but there was something new there, too. Pride, maybe? Excitement? It lingered in his vision the entire time his eyes were on hers. When his bloodied lips curled into a smirk, she forced herself out of the breathless haze she was caught in. She was only concerned because that was the normal human reaction; you see someone get hurt, you worry. Or you laugh. It wasn’t like she was—

Peter’s fist connected with 36’s cheek. She could hear the hard smack through the glass to Row C. 36 stumbled back on his skates but regained his balance. Before he could deal a blow, refs blowing hopelessly on their whistles swarmed the two, pulling them like two growling dogs. Once again, Peter looked up at her, making sure that she was still watching. When he smiled at her, she could see that his teeth were now coated in blood from the wound on his lip.

“Holy shit!” MJ was squealing, but her voice was lost on the girl next to her.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Yeah, holy shit.”

Neither Peter nor 36 were let back on the ice for the rest of the game. A penalty was dealt to ESU, but any other punishment was still unknown. She watched the rest of the game on high alert, trying to stop her eyes from traveling to the penalty box where Peter was seated. It was hard to view him from her position, but she could see a shock of brown hair every once and a while.

When the game was over, ESU had won 8-7. The crowd roared as the buzzer sounded, and when MJ shot up, she joined her. Adrenaline shot through her as she watched the guys on the rink scream and nearly slam into each other. Her view, though, quickly adjusted to Peter as he fled the penalty box. He slid onto the ice with the same practiced ease he’d used during the game. She could see him say something to Zack as he grabbed him by the shoulders. When his eyes finally landed on her, her pulse thrummed in her ears. He knew she was watching him, and that’s just what he wanted her to do.

“Where y’headed?”

The sound of someone’s voice nearly made her throw her water bottle. She’d only just left Xavier Hall when she was accosted (or rather spoken to) by someone who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her head whirled around to meet hazel eyes and a busted lip.

“Are you stalking me?” She spat out, her eyes wide.

“Stalking you? Oh, my God, no,” Peter laughed, wincing when his split lip tugged into a smile, “I used to do a little photography for the paper, I know where the meetings are.”

“Right,” she nodded, “But, like, how did you know I would be leaving right now?”

“Lucky guess?” He suggests, cocking his head in a boyish way. She narrowed her eyes, but before she could say anything, he was already speaking again; “Saw you at my game yesterday.”

“It technically wasn’t your game. It was the team’s game. Both teams’ game.” Her voice was pointed as she spoke. When she began walking down the stone pathway that led to a dining hall, Peter followed without question.

“But I was there,” he responded, “And so were you.”

“MJ didn’t want to miss it,” she dismissed his words.

“Oh, yeah, she and Harry are getting pretty serious,” he hummed.

“Mhm,” she replied. She didn’t want to look at him, really. Every time she did, her gaze was drawn to the nasty gash on his lips. Her eyes, however, decided to betray her. She studied it, the way it moved with him, the way it would inevitably split further each time he grinned.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Peter said, almost as if he was reading her mind. Her eyes shot up to meet his.

“Did you get kicked off the team or something?” She asked as if she didn’t already know the answer.

“Hell no,” he laughed, “Just a slap on the wrist. Couldn’t finish out the game, but you already knew that.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, “I would’ve thought there would’ve been a little more.”

“I’ve never really gotten in a fight–and that wasn’t even a real fight,” he grinned

“So was that just you showing off or something?” Her brows creased.

“Something like that.”

They reached the entrance of the dining hall. Peter, in all his gangliness, was able to swipe his card before her and open the door. His smile just seemed to widen as she eyed him with a generous amount of suspicion.

“Thanks,” she said slowly as she stepped through the door.

“No problem,” he replied, “See you around, Kitty.”

“You can’t call me—”

He was gone before she could finish her sentence. The door fell shut in his absence, and she watched him walk away through the glass. He carried on down the pathway with his hands shoved into his pockets. A groan slipped from her lips when she realized that she was just staring at him. Her body moved into the dining hall, but her mind wandered (unwillingly) to Peter. He was annoying, and cocky, and smiled way too much for someone with a busted lip. Yet, the main thing stuck in her head was his hazel eyes and the way he watched her with them.

a/n — hey babes!! thanks for the love on this series so far. i’m not sure how long it’s gonna be, but i def have some plans, it’s def gonna get smutty at some point. anyways, hope you enjoyed!!

[moongreenlight]

Insane reader my beloved. Literally my babygirl.

@katz-chow been ruminating on this one just for you <3

CW: Gore and violence

Reader who shows up late to their first meeting with the task force. Rolls up in their dark sedan with blacked-out windows and one too many dents on the front bumper wearing civvies instead of the uniform they were given and instructed to wear.

Reader who is a privately hired detective with a talent for interrogations. Not officially a member of the task force or the military because the tactics they use are far less than legal. More a secret weapon on retainer for when doing things by the book doesn’t do the trick.

Reader who gets on the good sides of the task force boys by being sugary sweet and barely hiding their true colors. Skins and bleaches the skulls of interrogations gone South and gives them to Ghost insisting they’re better than the costume store shit he’s got on now.

Gifts Price expensive cigars tucked between the fingers of a severed hand. Drops them off in large pink boxes with delicate ribbons and giggles when he asks a thousand questions about why and how and what the fuck he was supposed to do with this.

Tosses Gaz new knives on the field when they’ve landed a kill or just wrenched them out of someone’s stomach. They make a game out of chucking the gore-slicked blades at one another’s heads to see if they can dodge in time.

Starts playing dodgeball with Soap where they toss his less-stable bombs and unpinned grenades back and forth. Only stops after they’ve accidentally blown up the camp two missions in a row. (Also heavily rumored they have tramp stamps of each other’s names because they’re both too stubborn to back down from a dare but that’s just for vibes)

Reader who gets flown out on specialty missions where a hostage really refuses to talk and takes matters into their own hands. Sometimes hopping on radio when they’re in transit and requesting the force pulls extra men so they can play a live game of operation. They’ve been watching videos on the dark web and the first two seasons of Grey’s Anatomy from their military issued laptop so it’s like an 80% chance all the hostages live.

Reader who stops being allowed to train rookies because the first and only faux-deployment they led they told the group they ran out of rations three days in to a two week long training and they had to play rock-paper-scissors to create a bracket of people to eat first. The mission gets called early when Price gets word that there was actually a field amputation done. Reader doesn’t even apologize, just laughs their way through a barely reasonable explanation. I didn’t think they’d actually do it.

Reader who begs the boys to let them play kill, kiss, marry, kill in the middle of a boring interrogation and when they get told no or to focus on the task at hand, they throw such a fit that they end up sending a screwdriver through the eye of the person they’re supposed to be interrogating.

Reader who brings their own kit to interrogations. Lugs around pincers, rusted blades, rotary bone saws, and dull axes in a flamingo pink toolbox. Sets it up on a small table in front of the hostage and unboxes it like an influencer showing off PR.

Reader who also stops being able to run conditioning and drills with rookies because they pitted the privates against one another during a sparring session. Saying something about whoever could sheath a blade in the other first got a bonus check before tossing a few knives on the mat and walking away. Gaz had to run over and tell them you weren’t serious when he saw blood.

Reader who insists on being able to puppeteer the decapitated head of an enemy grunt they took down and reciting a few lines of Shakespeare to the boys. Dragging the mission out because they know as well as the boys do that everyone is on their timeline.

Reader who dances around hostages that have been zip tied to chairs and beat within an inch of their life. Singsonging threats and having the boys drag the limp bodies of their chain of command across the floor.

Reader who pouts when their victims pass out during questioning after a few of their fingers have been chopped off with a butcher’s knife. Huffs like they’re being put through a massive inconvenience and fishes smelling salts out of their toolkit to wake the poor sap back up.

[watchyoubloom]

like i’m falling into you | drw x sfk x reader

2K words | all fluff | lots of kissing | title from “honey” by chance emerson | sometimes you want two boyfriends and you want those boyfriends to be boyfriends, okay? and so what?

summary: you and sam cook dinner while you wait for danny to come home. the three of you get a little distracted catching up.

(this is dedicated to @hearts-hunger , my fellow “i want two boyfriends” brainrot haver, mainly bc i love her but also to cheer her up. maddie, ily ❣️) (and a special thanks to @allieisacrybaby for the read through and encouragement to post even though i was nervous! ily forever ❣️)

A/N: a very gentle reminder that this is fiction and does not in any way translate to reality or my actual thoughts on the two pretty best friends this is about. kapeesh?

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

“Are you sure I can’t help?” You ask Sam again, watching him chop the veggies you’d picked up from the farmer’s market earlier that day from where you’re perched atop the counter. “I feel bad, just sitting here.”

You and Sam had decided to whip up dinner for when Danny got home from his round of golf. You had already prepped everything else, the timer on the oven counting down, and Sam had taken over prepping the fresh veggies for a salad.

“Nope,” Sam answers you, making sure to put extra emphasis on the ‘p’. He gives you a faux-serious look and points at you with the tip of the knife he’s using. “You already did most of the leg work. Just sit there and look pretty, please.”

“I will try my best,” you fake mild concern, giving him a little salute and earning yourself a wink.

Sam finishes cutting the bell pepper in front of him and sets the knife down, stepping over so he’s in front of you. He eases in between your legs, your knees bracketing his hips, and reaches up to twirl the strand of hair that’s fallen loose from behind your ear around his finger. “And look at you, succeeding already,” he says, his eyes drifting from your own down to your mouth. “You know what sounds good, though?”

You quirk an eyebrow up and dance your fingers along the nape of his neck, having draped your arms across his shoulders the second he got close enough. His hair is thrown up in a loose bun to avoid it getting in his way while he cooks, but there’s the ever-errant strand at his nape, and you twirl it in the same way he’d played with your hair. “What’s that, Sammy?”

“A kiss.” His hands have found your hips and smooth back to your ass, pulling you closer to the edge of the counter. Closer to him. “Or a few kisses, maybe.”

“Is that right?” You ask, but don’t give him the chance to answer. You cup his face in your hands and draw him to you, and he kisses you sweetly. His hands make their way under your t-shirt, smoothing up your back, and then he grasps your waist, thumbs stroking along your ribcage.

You kiss soft and slow, with no real intent behind except to be close to each other. Sam’s hands wander, as do yours, and your legs wrap around his waist to keep him as close to you as you can.

Neither of you hear the front door open, or Danny’s amused chuckle when he finds you in the kitchen. It’s only when he says, “Oh, hello,” that your brain comes back to Earth long enough to realize he’s home, and you pull your hand from where it had been cupping the side of Sam’s neck to reach for him, continuing to kiss Sammy while you do so.

Danny sets his things down and walks over to the two of you, taking your hand as soon as it’s in reach. He stops once he’s behind Sam, banding his free arm around Sam’s middle and resting his chin on his shoulder.

You pull away from Sam then, a little dazed, and grin when your eyes land on Danny.

“Hi, Dan,” you greet him, pulling your hand from his to cup his face in your palm. You’ve got a hand on each of their cheeks, now, and the way both of your guys are looking at you has your head in the clouds. You lean in and give Danny a quick kiss. “How was golf?”

“Pretty good. Shot two under.”

“Course you did,” Sam says, turning to press a kiss to Danny’s cheek. He pulls back and looks at him for a second, taking in his appearance, before turning back to you. “Someone didn’t wear his sunscreen,” Sam sing-songs softly, telling on Danny, and it’s only then that you finally notice the tell-tale smattering of freckles across his nose, the tint of red across the tops of his cheeks.

“Daniel,” you pretend to be stern, but can’t help but smile when he turns his face and presses a kiss to your palm.

“Oops?” He says, and Sam laughs as Danny tickles his side in retaliation for pointing out his sunburn. “I was gonna wear my hat all day.”

“Would that be the one that’s sitting on your head backwards?” You ask, and Sam laughs again, earning him another squeeze of Danny’s hand at his side. He jolts and giggles a little, but can’t get away with Danny bracketing him against you and your legs still on either side of him. You take pity on him and distract Danny by tracing the pad of your thumb faintly across his cheekbone. “Does it hurt?”

“Nah,” he says, shrugging his shoulder. “Now. Let me in on these kisses, please.”

You oblige immediately, leaning in to press your lips to Danny’s. His free hand, the one not currently resting on Sam’s stomach, joins Sam’s on your hip. You feel their fingers interlock, Danny’s fingers squeezing Sam’s gently. Sam’s other hand is still cupping the side of your face, and he holds you like he’s the one kissing you, holds you like Danny would if it were his hand on your face.

You feel Sam’s lips at your cheek, your jaw, your neck, and you pull away from Danny to capture them with your own. Danny copies what Sam was doing, starts littering Sam’s neck, his jaw, the sensitive spot behind his ear with little kisses. After a second, you withdraw and nudge them towards each other, watching as Sam cranes his neck enough to be able to meet Danny’s mouth from over his shoulder.

“Sammy,” you murmur after a moment, your thumb stroking along the side of Sam’s neck. “Come here.”

He thinks you mean for another kiss, which you give him, but then you turn him so his back is to your chest and he’s facing Danny. You hook your chin over his shoulder and kiss his cheek, then turn your gaze to Danny, who’s smiling softly at the two of you.

“There you are,” Danny says, his eyes flitting between the two of you. He copies what you did earlier and takes each of your faces in a hand, his touch gentle and warm. “Missed you guys today.”

“We missed you, too,” you reply, and Sam nods his agreement, your face moving with his as he does, since your cheeks are pressed together. “Maybe we’ll go with you next time.”

Danny’s face lights up, and you know right then that no matter the early hour, the next time he asks you two to join him, you’ll both be there. Neither of you are very good, but every now and then you like to go join him for a round and catcall him while you sip drinks in the cart, or let him try to adjust your swing or explain the types of clubs to you. You know it can feel a bit chaotic when it’s all of you, so you give him the chance to have a serious round most times- going with his dad or uncle or buddies who are actually decent at the game- but it’s still an occasional fun date for the three of you.

Danny’s pressed all the way against Sam’s front, now, and his hands drop down to rest on your upper thighs, bracketing Sam in. “I think that sounds great,” Danny says, and leans in to drop a kiss to Sam’s bottom lip before doing the same to you. “And I’m gonna hold you to it when neither of you wants to get out of bed to get to the course.”

“Could schedule a later tee time,” Sam grumbles, but he’s unable to hide his smile as he says it. His fingers dance up Danny’s chest and he hooks one behind the strip of buttons of his golf polo, the weight of his hand tugging the collar down a bit and exposing the patch of dark chest hair there. Sam’s head is still leaned back against your shoulder, and you kiss him on the cheek again. “Doesn’t have to be at the ass-crack of dawn.”

Danny laughs, not bothering to point out at eight in the morning isn’t quite the ass-crack of dawn. Sam has never loved early wake up calls- considers anything before ten to be too early- and is well known for his tendency to cut off his alarm and roll right back over in bed.

“I’ll see what I can do, Sleeping Beauty,” Danny replies, one of his hands coming up to cup Sam’s face again, thumb stroking across one of Sam’s now slightly pinker cheeks. “Anything else?”

“Don’t think so, no,” Sam replies, as primly as he can muster with the smile still tugging at his lips.

“I have something,” you interject, raising a finger in the air. You turn it and crook it towards you in a come hither motion when Danny’s eyes find yours, and then pucker your lips expectantly.

Sam and Danny both laugh and oblige immediately, with Sam turning his head to kiss your jawline while Danny leans in and presses his soft lips to yours. You reach over Sam’s shoulder to cup the side of Danny’s neck, and feel as Sam leans in to kiss the other side, always an active participant.

Danny takes turns kissing the two of you, soft and sweet and slow, until the timer going off breaks all three of you out of your haze.

“What’s-“ You start, still a little drunk off kisses. The timer beeps again and brings you back to Earth. “Oh.”

“Oh, damn,” Sam says, sliding out from between you and Danny. He looks over his shoulder at you. “Good thing we remembered to set that timer, hm?”

“Mhmm,” you say, watching Sam put on oven mitts and take the dish out to sit on the counter. Danny slides into the spot Sam had been occupying between your legs, leaning down so his elbows are on the counter on either side of your thighs. It puts you at a slight height advantage over him, and you grin, taking his face in both hands and kissing the tip of his nose before pressing your lips to his again quickly. “We were clearly all very distracted.”

“Don’t go getting too distracted again,” Sam replies, a teasing lilt to his voice as Danny pulls you into yet another kiss. You can hear him puttering around the kitchen, grabbing plates and cutlery, and you start to pull away, to slide off the counter and go to help.

You’re stopped by two big hands at your waist, keeping you in place.

“Dan,” you try to say seriously. “Let’s go help Sammy.”

“Yeah,” Sam chimes in from the dining room, where you can hear him setting the plates down on the table. “Come help Sammy.”

“Or,” Danny offers, and his eyes are on you still even though he speaks loud enough for Sam to hear, too. “And hear me out. We let the food cool for a few minutes and Sam gets his cute ass back in here so I can kiss you two some more.”

There’s silence for a beat, and you grin, your eyes dancing from Danny’s mouth to his eyes and back.

Sam appears back in the doorway to the kitchen. “We should wait for it to cool a little, actually…” He flits back over to the two of you, kitchen towel over his shoulder. Danny turns in your arms to face him, leaning back against you, and Sammy points at you, then at Danny. He steps in between Danny’s legs as he does so, and then drops his hands to rest atop your thighs, now on either side of Danny’s body. “But no getting too distracted.”

Danny salutes and you follow suit, nodding solemnly. “Ay-ay, Captain,” you say, and then reach your hand out to Sam. “Now come here, please.”

Sam is more than happy to oblige, taking his turn as the one doling out kisses.

(And when you end up having to reheat dinner in the microwave later that night, nobody really seems to mind.)

[wonwoosthetic]

Helloooo

Can you write about the NANA TOUR with minnie? plsss (can you also include the reaction of carats to her waking up and her closeness with wonwoo)

series masterlist

word count - 12k

a/n: thank you for the request!! I was very happy to write Minnie into these episodes/parts bc omg even just watching them was so much fun already! I had to change up a few things, for example like them not waking up Minnie but her already being up, I hope that's okay :) at the end of the chapter you can find a link to some Fan Twitter edits, I hope you like them too :) if there's anything else you'd like to see, please let me know! Love you all! <3

[everything in brackets like this was added by me]

everything in italics wasn’t caught on camera, but is just for you <3

Go Together NANA TOUR 🌷Minnie

EP1-1. Don't Let SEVENTEEN Know

Yeongseok was getting every piece of information about the other members out of S.Coups. What will they be doing at 5 in the morning? Which members are going to be drinking most likely? Who will be the most excited? The leader of the idol group was giving him every answer in detail, knowing the rest of the group like the back of his hand.

"Who will have the best reaction when they find out we're going?"

The question was thrown into the room, making the wheels in Seungcheol's head start turning right away. It didn't take him long to have the answers, remembering each time the members had excitedly talked about the Youth Over Flower program even before they had the luck of picking it out of the hat as a prize for their hard work. 

The '95 Liner started listing off some of the brightest members of the group. At the, once again, mention of Mingyu, the producers couldn't help but chuckle, remarking that the leader had repeatedly talked about the taller member.

Amid their conversation and after a particular question from the producer, the two men realised that while Minghao would be definitely excited, he might also be possibly slightly disappointed in the trip. Seungcheol explained that it might surprise him that it would suddenly not only be him and Jun in Rome but he and the 12 other members. Na PD made sure to let the leader know he'd be looking out for the '97 Liner with an extra eye and keep him close.

A follow-up question from one of the producers behind the camera caught Cheol's attention.

"Other than Myungho-shi," he wondered, "are there any other members we need to take care of?"

For a second, 'Coups let himself think.

"Minnie."

"Minnie-shi?" The producer asked him again.

The '95 Liner nodded. "She... you'll see... she can get... how do I say this?" He wondered out loud. "She tends to look for a person for.. comfort? She wants to have someone right next to her that... she can trust and she can be comfortable with because... It's like... she gets like this and just wants to have someone that will... lead them well. She's just very careful sometimes," he explained. "Especially with this program because she won't trust you well at first," Cheol chuckled, "because of the past 'Youth Over Flowers' episodes."

[Leader who knows his members very well]

"Okay, okay... I see... So, Minnie will be clingy? Once she trusts us." Yeongseok questioned him further.

Cheol nodded. "Yeah, maybe... and it might seem cute, but don't let that fool you," he suddenly warned the older man, making him chuckle.

"W-What? What do you mean?" He laughed.

"She has a very strong personality," Coups smiled with wide eyes, embellishing his statement.

"Aaah," Na PD nodded his head. A memory made him chuckle again as he put his hand on the idol's shoulder. "She was already making deals with me during the first Game Caterer episode."

[Kids who like debating]

The comment made the leader laugh out loud and touch the older man's arm as he threw his head back in glee. Yeongseok joined him, chuckling along with the '95 Liner while some giggles could be also heard from behind the camera.

"That means she's comfortable with you, hyung. That's a good sign," S.Coups assured him with a nod. "If she puts up a fight with you, it means she likes you. Then she'll also be more fun."

Na PD took a deep breath in, "Aah, ok. That's good then, I guess... a bit confusing, but..." his eyes closed for a second as he chuckled before catching himself again. "Then I'll make sure to keep Minnie close to me as well. Along with Myungho and Mingyu."

"And anyone else?" The producer from behind the camera asked furthermore, clearly wanting to make sure that each member would be in good hands.

Cheol pressed his lips together before the next member's name rolled off his tongue. "Woozi?"

-

After knocking on the hotel door, S.Coups let himself in.

"You're so loud," he commented right as he entered, the camera not following him.

"Come in," Hoshi just ushered him inside. Followed by Joshua, who repeated it,

"Come in, come in."

"You're too loud," the leader told them again.

Minnie sighed softly, a smile evident through her voice, "I've been telling them that."

Mingyu interrupted her before she could say anything more. "But-" and suddenly started singing a random tune. The maknae was quick to join his hyung, coming up with lyrics that would fit the instrumentals the group was playing in the background.

"Did they wake you up?" The girl suddenly wondered.

Seungcheol shook his head, "I was already awake."

"Why are you awake at this hour?" She sounded clearly confused, maybe even slightly concerned, but the '95 Liner just brushed off her worry as he remembered the 'script'

"I think I lost my phone."

-

Dino was still in the middle of his written-on-the-spot song when he called the leader's phone as he asked him to do. Hoshi and Na PD were still in the hallway of the hotel floor when the phone rang. Unbeknownst to everyone but the '96 Liner, Yeongseok picked up the call and followed the idol back into the room, hot on his tracks.

After the two came in, the older man revealed himself to the six members who were in the room. Starting on the left side of the room, Seungcheol had taken a seat on one of the extra armchairs while Joshua and Seungkwan were occupying the couch and table right by the window. Mingyu had gotten comfortable laying on the bed, while Minnie was sitting up and the youngest decided to stand right next to the mattress.

Na PD barged in, still on the phone, "Coups-ya, how can you leave your phone just lying around?"

As soon as he came into view, the members jumped back in surprise. Joshua sat up straighter while Mingyu just continued to lounge off. Minnie's mouth was hanging open wide, gazing at the man in front of her with big eyes.

But he kept up his act, "How can you leave your phone lying around?"

Their leader had fallen into a fit of laughter, gripping his crunches tightly as he tried to collect himself again while the rest just looked around the room in a state of shock and surprise. With so many cameras on you all of a sudden, the expressions on each of their faces were understandable.

Hoshi joined Minnie on the side of the bed she had claimed, reaching out for the hand of the producer.

"Ah... wait a minute- we really... woah..." He kept on starting sentences and not finishing them.

"This can't be it," Joshua threw into the room, now also up and closer to the bed as all eyes were on Yeongseok, who held onto the '96 Liner's hands tightly as he talked.

"Hey!" He started, "This is what was promised."

Hoshi sighed out loud in frustration, "No, but our concert just ended yesterday-"

"Wait," Mingyu suddenly jumped in, scooching up further to the front of the mattress to stop right in front of Na PD. "Are we not going to Korea?"

The producer shook his head with a smile, "You can't go! That's not where you're going." Making the rapper's grin widen even more and eventually errupt into bright laughter as he threw his hands up and let himself fall back onto the bed. Even before his back hit the white sheets again, his arms wrapped around the girl who was still quietly in the background, hiding her mouth behind her hand that was covered by the black zip-up hoodie she was wearing.

"WOAH, that's so nice!" He called out happily, tightening his arms around her as if she was to thank rather than the man standing in front of the group.

-

Each member received a microphone to be clipped by the collar of their clothing and got to sit back down comfortably. Minnie decided to stay on the right side of the bed, her shoulder brushing against Hoshi's.

Everyone but the leader was still in somewhat of a bubble of the unknown, unsure of what would be happening next or where they would even be going even after they had started interrogating the producers and staff members about their schedule.

The performance unit's leader had another important question, "What's the thing where Myungho and Junnie are going to Italy, hyung?" 

"Myungho and Junnie are going to Italy," Na PD simply answered, making the girl's eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

"Ah, so separate-" Hoshi started but was interrupted by Seungcheol, who chuckled at the disarray of his members.

"No," he smiled, "You're going together."

"We're going?" The '96 Liner looked up at the older man, who seemed to be also very much amused at the situation, but one member caught his attention.

"Minnie-ya," he turned to the girl with a smile, who met his eyes, "You've been so quiet."

She chuckled to herself, taking a deep breath in. "I... I'm still in shock," making the other producers smile as well. "Are we really going to Italy?" Her big eyes were fixed on him, not even daring to blink, too scared for it all to be a dream and blinking would wake her up.

Mingyu had fallen to his knees, clasping the producer's hands into his, practically begging him to not be lying to them. He desperately wanted the news of their apparent Italy journey to be true.

"Can I tell them that?" The older man asked his fellow producers who nodded with multiple chuckles. So, he turned back to the '97 Liners who were still gazing up at him with expecting eyes. "We're going to Italy." He assured them.

With big smiles and eyes, Minnie and Mingyu turned to each other, giggling before the rapper let his head into her lap, his cheek brushing against the white silk of her pyjama pants.

[Dream destination of the younger ones?]

Very quickly, Yeongseok explained the next few steps that would involve waking up the other members who were sleeping and gathering them all in one room to let the program officially start.

Only problem: some of the members were still drunk enough to most probably hardly remember anything about the events the following day.

"Right now, I-" Dino explained, "We're kind of drunk."

"We are drunk," Joshua agreed, his voice just underlying the statement he had just given.

"It's okay," Na PD assured them. "Everyone's drunk."

"Noona isn't," the youngest pointed at the girl who had stood up and was straightening out the hoodie she was wearing.

Yeongseok looked over at her. "Minnie, you're not drunk?"

The camera focused on the female idol who shook her head. "No," she chuckled, "I was sleeping, but my phone kept going off," she explained. "These idiots were texting me to come over." 

[Interruption of her beauty sleep]

Her comment got a round of chuckles from the producers behind the cameras, making her smile and shake her head.

"So you haven't been here for long?" Shin Hyojung, one of the female producers, wondered.

"No," Minnie answered again. "I actually came like five minutes before you barged in."

"Woah," Na PD gasped, "So you could've caught us even before Hoshi..."

[Lucky timing]

"We really wanted her to drink with us," Hoshi walked over to the '97 Liner, linking his arm with hers.

"And I wanted to sleep," she added with a smile at the older member.

-

First on the list: Waking up Dokyeom.

The group, along with the producers exited the hotel room and rushed into the lobby, on their way to find the room of the other member. Minnie walked alongside the leader, Seungkwan was right in front of them, walking backwards so he could face the two.

"Pledis really does this?!" He continued to question the reality of the situation.

The girl shook her head, looking down at the floor before glancing forward again. "That can't be real. They can't just take us to Italy like that, right? Pledis wouldn't allow that."

"But they are," the leader stated, continuously laughing at the situation.

"That's crazy," she mumbled to herself, hugging her arms close to her torso

-

She had found the idea of barging into the other members' rooms entertaining, yet scary at first. She wasn't able to get the thought of them doing the exact same to her out of her head. 'Thank God, I was with the drunk part of the group...', Deep down, she knew she had to thank Dino and Hoshi for blowing up her phone and getting her out of bed because the situation could've gotten quite uncomfortable for quite a few people. These thoughts led to her staying in the background during their break-in into Dokyeom's room, choosing to laugh along with the members as they loudly shouted out for the '97 Liner to get up. 

With his bloodshot eyes, he was still looking around the hallway on their way out towards the next victim's room. He tapped the girl's shoulder, making her turn to the right, immediately a giggle tumbling from her lips as she took in his dishevelled look.

"Minnie-ya..." Dokyeom gasped, "Is this real? Are we really going?"

The female idol patted his back with a smile, "Yes, we're really going right now."

"Woah..." he breathed out as they stopped right in front of the producer's room.

Seungkwan reached out to unlock the door with the master keycard, but his hand was slapped away by the '97 Liner rapper.

"Just go!" The leader, from the back of the line, called out, "Just go in with 'Woozi!'"

"What if he's not sleeping..." Seungkwan wondered out loud.

After a few more moments of debate, the members agreed to let Yeongseok walk in first to wake up the '96 Liner by pretending he was one of their managers. Waking him up softly like one of the staff members was definitely the better choice rather than barging in and screaming at his face like they did with the main vocalist right before.

Na PD didn't need much convincing before opening the door and stepping in. Everyone was surprised by the brightness of the room due to the lights that were still on - hardly anyone expected Woozi to be still up at this time. Well... he wasn't exactly. Walking further into the hotel room, the group of idols and producers found the singer lying on his bed, no sheets covering his body, still in the clothes he had worn before, spread out on top of the mattress.

One chuckle after the other fell with each step they took further into the room. All the while Yeongseok kept up his act of their road manager, trying to get Woozi out of bed.

Clearly confused, the '96 Liner pushed himself off the bed, the sound of each member's laughter echoing through the room as they started surrounding him. Mingyu's distinct laugh bounced off the walls specifically.

Minnie's eye drifted from the flustered member who had just been pulled out of his slumber, to the table right next to the bed. She immediately laughed even harder than before, walking up to Hoshi to show him.

After smacking his arm, she pointed forward, "Look at his protein powder!"

"Ah!" The performance unit's leader laughed out loud, "His protein! Look at the protein!" He caught the attention of the rest of the people in the room. Each member started laughing even more at the mention of the massive box of protein powder he had brought along for their, in relation, rather short Japan trip.

The producer was still too dishevelled to form proper sentences, just clearly wanting to get the group out of his room and onto the next one.

"Woozi-hyung, why are your sunglasses on the bed?" Dokyeom commented once his eyes found the accessory lying close to the pillows. Hoshi had reached out and grabbed them, handing them over to Mingyu, who put them on the older member's face and pushed them up to keep his hair looking somewhat sane.

Minnie chuckled with a shake of her head, "Woozi-hyung might just be the most fashionable sleeper I've ever seen." Then she turned to the producer. "But without them, you currently look like a crazy scientist." Getting a sarcastic grin from him in return, as Mingyu hit her arm with a chuckle.

-

"To which door are we going next?" Yeongseok wondered right away, as soon as Woozi was ready to go. He had gotten into the flow of the Seventeen members waking each other up. Each time, using their creativity and knowledge about one another to come up with fun ways to rip them out of their slumber and surprise them with the news.

"The room next door is-"

"Wonwoo," Minnie finished the sentence of the staff member quietly under her breath. Not enough for the rest to notice, but the camera right next to her had caught it.

Mingyu's voice suddenly rang through their ears. "But- I'm sorry. We'll skip Wonwoo-hyung."

The girl's eyebrows scrunched in confusion as she looked at her fellow '97 Liner, "Why?" Followed by Na PD who threw the same question into the room, sounding slightly more concerned than the girl, who just seemed confused by Mingyu's sudden comment.

"I just don't think it's going to be funny," he told the older man before meeting the eyes of the female member.

Minnie opened her mouth, still a slight scrunch in her eyebrows, but as soon as she closed her lips again her eyebrows returned to a neutral facial expression. Dino was quick to react.

"No, no, no, Wonwoo-hyung is fun," the youngest commented, already ready to make his way to the next room.

The girl was next. "Mm, it's gonna be okay," she assured the rapper, speaking softly as she walked up to him. "We'll make it fun."

-

Arrived at the next room, Seunkgwan and Dino were the first in line, right next to the door. The '98 Liner was already holding the keycard up, excited to wake up the next member.

"Wonwoo?" Na PD asked them again to make sure.

The main vocalist nodded, "Yes, we'll go with Wonwoo."

The producer of the show had caught up with the two youngest, standing next to them as the Seungkwan reached out to knock.

Minnie had come closer, stopping between Hoshi and Dino, waiting for the singer in front of them to finally open the door.

For a moment, the group waited after Seungkwan had knocked on the door three times. Only that Hoshi had already become too impatient,

"We can just go in." Not even wanting to wait another second, making the girl next to him chuckle.

"Let's go in," Dino whispered along with the older member, ushering Seungkwan to just open the door. With a soft push down on the handle, they opened it. Before they let themselves in, Hoshi had pushed Minnie forward, right past the maknae, who added another quick whisper of,

"Noona, go in first."

With quick, yet quiet steps, the female member pushed the door slightly more open and stepped into the room right after flicking on the lights.

"Oppa?" She greeted him at first.

Dino followed right behind her, with Seungkwan afterwards, who held the door open for the cameraman.

"Wonwoo-hyung, they say we need to go," he commented as soon as he walked in.

"Huh?" A raspy hum came from the other side of the room.

While all the other members were toddling inside in a line, one after the other, Minnie's voice was caught by the microphone.

"Oh- pull up the covers," she hastily stated. "Cover your body."

"Why-" Wonwoo was about to ask her a follow-up question when Na PD's voice echoed through the room.

"Wonwoo-ya!" He called out as he revealed himself from the hallway, appearing at the foot of the bed, on which Minnie had sat herself down, while the rapper was holding up the covers over his chest. "It's time to go!" The producer chuckled at the reaction of the '96 Liner as he let himself fall back against the mattress. "Wonwoo-ya... why are your shoulders so wide?" He laughed as he got closer to the bed, his hands finding his bare shoulders that had gotten famous ever since their Game Caterer episode.

The female idol laughed along with her members, holding onto the massive block of a power bank and his glasses as her eyes switched from watching the group in front of them to the man to her right, still hiding underneath the white hotel bedsheets.

"They're definitely wider than Mingyu's!" Cheol commented with a chuckle, making the girl divert her glance over to the '97 Liner, who continued to stand still with what could almost be considered a pout on his lips. She tilted her head with a tight smile decorating her face.

Yeongseok's laughter and voice filled the room, "I think we need to cover him up!" As he tried to do exactly that by tucking the sheets closer to Wonwoo's side. "Stay like this! Stay like this right now!" Pulling them even higher up to his neck.

Not able to hold back a smile, Minnie carefully opened his black frames and tried to place them onto his nose, knowing just how blurry everything must have been for him, making the situation even worse. As they happened to fall slightly crooked, she reached out again to fix them. "Wait," she chuckled, "You have to wear them properly."

"Oh," Na PD looked at him, "Yes, wear your glasses, please."

While Seungkwan's attention was now on the magazines that had been placed on the nightstand, the girl seemed to have noticed the redness shooting to the tips of the rapper's ears, making her smile even wider as she tried to cover them with his hair, running her hand over them and through each strand. 

With a quick hand motion and moving lips towards the '98 Liner, he immediately knew what the girl had asked him to do.

"Ah- wait, wait, where are your clothes, hyung?"

"Oh, where are your clothes, Wonwoo-ya?" Yeongseok immediately engaged with them, looking around the room before the '96 Liner pointed towards the couch. He pushed himself up to sit up straight, the white blanket falling off his shoulders exposing just the very upper area of his torso.

"Oh? Hi, PD-nim." Wonwoo threw everyone off-guard at the sudden greeting. He had only now straightened his glasses properly and blinked enough times to get adjusted to the bright lights in his room. 

Along with Yeongseok, who greeted him as well with a surprised tone lacing his voice as their hands interlocked, Minnie chuckled with the other members at the conversation happening in front of them. With laughter, the girl let herself fall forward, the palm of her right hand hitting Wonwoo's bare skin and shoulder muscles.

After being handed a shirt, the rapper turned to the two members that were closest to him - for one, Minnie on his left, sitting on the bed, and Seungkwan still standing to his right.

"What is this?" He asked them, the corners of his lips curling up into a tired smile.

"Hyung," the '98 Liner started, "We're going."

"Youth Over Flowers is starting," the girl explained further, giggling once again as the surprised eyes of the '96 Liner met hers. 

"Going now?"

"Right now," she nodded, her hand still on his shoulder, only leaving it when he pulled the black shirt over his head and torso.

The quick comment, "That's my shirt," by Mingyu was met with a blank stare from the girl as she pressed her lips together, and quietness washed over the room. Wonwoo having to put on pants first, was the next big attention seeker.

While the rest of the group was debating who to wake up next, either Jun or Minghao, Na PD also admitted to his guilt of having to explain to the '97 Liner that he'd be going to Italy, not alone with his fellow Chinese member as he had thought, but with all the Seventeen members together. Minnie's hand was gripping the sheets, holding them up just slightly after she had noticed the struggle the rapper was having as he tried to put on pants without revealing himself to an entire camera crew and staff members.

-

They decided to go with Jun next. Apologising to him would be easier, or so Na PD thought before they barged into the '96 Liner's room, ripping him out of his slumber. Now, the producer was standing by the left side of the bed, his hands intertwined in front of him as he tried to find the right words.

"Jun," he spoke ever so softly, "I have something to tell you." The still dishevelled member looked to his right, trying to find the eyes of the older member while Dokyeom was trying to place the microphone onto the collar of Jun's shirt.

"I don't know from what point I need to start telling you," Yeongseok admitted, getting a round of laughter in return.

Minnie, who had taken her place next to the maknae, let her head fall onto his shoulder as the giggling shook both of their bodies.

"We lied about so many things," he admitted. "I don't know what to talk about first."

Jun let his eyes drift around the room, trying to find some explanation in the glances from his members, but they were all just smiling back at him in pure amusement. With a hand, he covered his mouth nervously.

"From what is it the truth?" He wondered, hoping to be able to figure out the starting point of what the producer kept on claiming to be 'a series of lies'.

"There's no truth," Minnie stated with a chuckle. "It's all lies."

"Hey!" Na PD turned to the girl, pointing at her with a smile, "Don't say it like that!"

"You have to be honest with him, hyung... He was so excited for the trip." She fought back, all while fighting her own giggles as Jun kept up his confused facial expression, switching between the two arguing parties.

"That..." He started once again, still flustered by having to admit to the fake schedule they had created for the idol group. "The... this program," Na PD finally let out. "That entire program."

Still slightly unsure of what exactly the man was talking about, the '96 Liner slowly nodded his head, "Aah... ah... okay..." Making the members around his bed chuckle.

The older man kept his stance with his intertwined hands, looking down at the performer with pure guilt written all over his face. He repeated his apology, explaining that the schedule wouldn't include the other two famous men, but the rest of his group instead. Trying to lift the mood by elaborating on how wonderful it is to be able to spend that time with the rest of his members was used to more so soothe him instead of the idol as Jun was still very much disoriented by the sudden intrusion.

"Do the members know too?" He wanted to know.

In chorus, they started explaining to him they had only just found out as well and weren't in on any 'plan' as he had thought.

Na PD placed a comforting hand on the '96 Liner's shoulder. "The people in front of your eyes right now," he started, "They didn't know anything 5 minutes ago." What he did leave out was the fact that not only were they unaware of the situation they'd be thrown into, but also unbelievably unprepared, as a rap battle seemed much more important.

The youngest of the group had another confession to make as he opened his mouth. "And hyung... I'm drunk right now." He suddenly revealed. The girl on his right wrapped her arm around his waist, patting his back as the room erupted in another round of laughter. Wonwoo was quick to jump into the situation, holding up his hand, showing four fingers that he moved around in front of Dino's face, a fond smile making his lips curl.

"Oh-" the maknae was surprised by the sudden action, "Three?" He called out, getting another chuckle from everyone in the room. Minnie's palm hit his chest with a giggle.

-

On their way out, onto the next room, the female member was interrupted in her conversation as the youngest called out for her.

"Noona!" He turned around to face her while she was walking a few steps behind them, next to Seungcheol. 

She hummed in response, "Hm?"

"I really wasn't too weird, right?" He stopped in his tracks to let her catch up with him before he interlocked his arm with hers. "You were the only really sober one, so please tell me. I wasn't too weird, right?"

With a tight smile on her lips, their looks met. "Well..." she started, already making the maknae close his eyes and groan in embarrassment. "You weren't weird. You were just being you. But you did start a rap battle all of a sudden," she recalled with a giggle.

"Ah...," he sighed, letting his forehead rest against her shoulder, "Noona, why did I do that?" 

Her lips formed a fond smile as she patted his back. "Don't worry about it. The people watching this will find it funny."

"Are you sure?" He asked her further, still with a slight sulk lacing his voice.

[Younger brother looking for affirmation]

She nodded, her hands brushing over his hair, making him smile.

-

The members had made their way into Vernon's room. Seungkwan had gone in first after the group was convinced that he the second youngest was actually still awake and not sleeping, like the rest had been. Inside, they were greeted with yet again the bright lights of the room, and, just like with Wonwoo, another two copies of their magazine cover on the table that Dino presented proudly to the camera.

The '98 Liner had himself fully covered by the white bedsheets, confirming the suspicion they had of him, like his fellow HHU member, not wearing anything to bed.

Mortified by the sudden amount of people invading his room, he had pulled the blanket up to his face. Even with Seungkwan's warning, nothing could've prepared him for this moment.

Minnie and Hoshi had joined him on the mattress, sitting down on the left side that was kept free while Na PD tried to get the younger member out of the comfort of the bed.

"I'm in such a dirty state right now," Vernon confessed, now hiding his entire face behind the safety of the sheets. "I'm only wearing this right now," he pointed to the thin piece of clothing working as a robe.

Yeongseok chuckled flustered. "Oh- you're only wearing that?"

Without a warning, Hoshi's hands suddenly travelled underneath the covers, getting a look of confusion from the girl in return. He patted around the mattress and body of the man underneath them when he suddenly nodded with a big grin.

"Ooh, he's really only wearing this," he told the rest of the room. The members and crew chuckled at his uncalled action. Shocked, but definitely not surprised.

Minnie, who kept her eyes on him, leaned closer to him, slapping his leg with an amused scoff, "You can't do that!"

Her fellow '97 Liner and rapper right next to them, hunched over in laughter, his hands falling to the shoulder of the performance unit leader, pushing him away.

They agreed to let him put on clothes first before they would move on to the next room. But the blanket still covering him turned out to be more of an obstacle than expected as he started squirming around, Na PD trying to lift the sheets to give him some more room to put on the pants that were handed to him. The movements seemed too funny for the group not to comment on them.

"Are you shedding?" Seungkwan was the first to comment.

Minnie smiled at his struggle. "You look like a transforming worm, Vernon," getting a round of chuckles from the members.

-

Getting Jeonghan out of bed was easy for the group. The '95 Liner was quick to play along and jumped into character almost instantly when Yeongseok was the first to walk into his room. He was up on his feet and ready to jump into action. You could've thought he hadn't even been sleeping.

"I don't know," Jeonghan mumbled, "I don't know how I am right now." While some of the other members were still focused on the magazines with his pictures on the cover. Somebody had placed a few copies of them on his table as well.

Na PD chuckled warmly, "You're very pretty right now. It's okay, it's okay." His assuring words made the vocalist nod and ready to go on to the next room.

Minnie sighed, "You could really wake up Jeonghan-hyung at any hour and he'll look pretty. That's so unfair." Followed by a slight sulk that was caught by the members. She was just about to turn around when Seungkwan's follow-up comment made her stop.

"Then you gotta work on your beauty sleep, noona." His words made her open her mouth but close it quickly, reminding herself of all of the cameras that were on them, so she just nodded. But a sarcastic smile was plastered on her face.

Woozi couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at the two. "Don't listen to him," he mumbled, patting her back before he turned around to leave them alone.

-

Next and final room: Minghao. The member Na PD was dreading to face, having to, once again, explain the situation and the lie they had come up with, making the '97 Liner believe he'd go on a trip to Italy with Jun alone, along with two other people from the entertainment industry. Well, now he'd get to enjoy the Italian flair with 12 of his members.

Standing in front of the last hotel room they'd break in, the debating started. How would they greet the member who was looking forward to the trip the most?

Seungkwan proposed that Yeongseok should go in first, clapping and congratulating Minghao on the trip. Jeonghan had the idea of letting the '98 Liner walk in first to wish him 'safe travels', but he stopped himself in the middle of the sentence, deciding that it would take too long to let one member after the other inside. Final decision: all of the barge in at the same time, clapping and celebrating. That would wake him up, for sure.

After one flick of the lights, the members rushed inside, their loud voices immediately filling the room as their claps bounced off the walls. Wide eyes welcomed them as Minghao looked around the room in surprise, taken aback by the sudden appearance of his members along with crew members he didn't recognize right away. Only after Seungkwan introduced Na PD, did the '97 Liner realise who was standing in front of him. He sat himself up to greet him.

Then it was time. The explanation.

Yeongseok started. "Oh, to be honest, Myungho-ya... there's something I need to apologise to you about."

As soon as the soft and delicate words, "What is it?" Left Minghao's lips, the producer stepped back. You would've thought he had to tell him Santa wasn't real by his reaction.

But after a moment of silence, he spilt the truth, explaining that Jun and his 'trip to Italy' was happening right at that moment, adding that the rest of the members were coming along too though. From her position next to S.Coups in the corner of the room, Minnie, along with the rest of the members burst into laughter when he started clapping and smiling almost painfully fake.

-

Minghao got dressed and the others got themselves comfortable around the room, spreading out onto the bed, and the couch, and some chose to stand up.

That's when Na PD spoke up again, "Okay, everyone's together, right?" A conversation easily followed. Hoshi started by explaining their fully packed schedule, which made the members realise that they would not even have the time to film 'Youth Over Flowers' at any point during that time, but the producer clarified the careful thought process that went into kidnapping the idol group and giving them a well-deserved break during such a busy time.

As the realisation of it happening right now hit Dino, he groaned and let his face fall into his hands, catching the attention of the girl. Minnie chuckled at the youngest antics, elbowing the leader on her right before she nodded towards the bed, where the maknae was contemplating all of his life choices.

"Look at Dino." Seungcheol joined her giggling, eyeing the youngest member carefully. "He's still drunk," she shook her head with a smile.

While Hoshi and Dokyeom discussed which month they had thought they'd get to film the program in, Shin Hyojung spoke up from behind the camera.

"Considering that, too," mentioning the packed schedule of the idol group. "we freed space for a week." Which caught the attention of each member.

Various gasps and hums echoed through the room.

"An entire week?!" Minnie wondered out loud in shock, getting a nod from the female producer in return.

"An entire week," she confirmed.

After she dropped the next lie, which had been the fake schedule they created for the entire week, another round of gasps could be heard from the singers. None of them could really believe the time and dedication the production crew had put into this - just for them.

"All fake," Seungcheol commented.

Minnie turned towards him. "Did you know about them being fake?!"

He was quick to shake his head, "I swear, I knew as much as you guys about this. I only found out a few hours before you."

"That's crazy..." the girl mumbled, her arms crossed in front of her chest, tightening the zip-up hoodie around her frame.

-

"I'm going to make some announcements," Na PD called out to get the attention back to the moment. "And we can talk about other things later!" Firstly, he let them know about their destination as only some of the members had caught onto where they were going - Rome, Italy. While sounds of surprise and happiness filled the room, Minnie stayed quiet and surprised Cheol when she suddenly wrapped her arm around his. The crutch made it slightly awkward, but it didn't stop her.

"Who has been to Italy?" Yeongseok wondered, getting a round of shaking heads in return.

"None," was repeatedly thrown into the room as different members answered him.

"No one?!" Na PD was well surprised by the answer. "Minnie," he caught the attention of the younger woman. "Not even you?" Expecting for at least her to have been to one of the most visited countries in Europe. But she shook her head as well,

"Not to Italy, no."

"That's why we picked it," another female producer explained from the other side of the room.

"We've never been to Europe," Seungkwan wined.

Woozi nodded in agreement, turning to Yeongseok, "We haven't been to Europe either."

Minnie's head dropped to Seungcheol's shoulder. He let go of his right crutch, using his now free hand to caress the arm she had interlocked with his.

Na PD's speech went on. "To be honest, Seventeen has had a really packed schedule up to now. I know that you had a really hard time." He got sounds of agreement and nodding heads in return. "You must've had no time to rest at all. So, the concept of this Italy vacation is different from our usual 'Youth Over Flowers'." He continued to explain the differences in the program the group would film. They wouldn't face any hardships, not suffer as they go along. It would be an 'all-inclusive package' for a real holiday.

"So, you just need to play. We searched and rented all places where we could play and enjoy. At breakfast, go visit stuff and eat delicious things. At dinner, we get together and play," he explained further. "We're going to spend a week like this." As expected, the members reacted in glee. Happy, surprised and yet still not fully believing things that good would happen to them.

Woozi was the first to question the sincerity. "We can believe this, right?" Which made Yeongseok turn to him in surprise,

"You can trust me! You can trust this!"

Minnie squinted her eyes jokingly. "I feel like that's exactly something that someone who'd try to trick us would say."

"No, ah-" He sighed and shook his head with a smile, "Really. Trust me with this." Turning to the other producers, he looked for help. "Tell them that this is right!"

After revealing the new name of the program 'NANA Tour', the group almost forgot it was too good to be true. But the following words from Na PD made them realise they may have started celebrating too early.

"Since our trip is an all-inclusive package," he stated, "there's nothing that you guys need to prepare."

"Huh?!"

The members started to look for each others' gazes, trying to find some sense in a moment of confusion.

"You don't need your bag or anything else," Yeongseok explained further. "The things you need are the clothes you're wearing and a cell phone. You don't need your wallet."

"Really?" Dokyeom asked out loud.

Minnie glanced at the man in confusion while mumbling to herself "But I'm wearing pyjamas." Her worried tone got a chuckle out of Seungcheol as he looked over to her, shaking his head.

But even with all the good news the group had gotten, bad news was about to follow as well.

"The problem is that we- our package's departure schedule is a bit early."

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but Woozi beat her to it as he pointed at the man on the bed.

"I'm saying that his eyes are scary!" Making the crew of producers and cameramen laugh wholeheartedly and zoom into Yeongseok's face.

"How could you let us leave us without anything on us?!" Minnie called out in frustration. "That's not right... You have something planned! Don't lie!"

Na PD couldn't help but chuckle, hunching over before holding himself up from the mattress by his hands. "No, I promise. We're going to go to Italy. But the problem is that we have to go kind of early!" He argued back.

A comforting hand found its way to Minnie's back as Cheol shrugged his arm out of her grasp to wrap it around her frame. Her eyebrows were back scrunched up in confusion as she whispered to the leader,

"I don't trust him." To which he chuckled.

"It's okay, you can trust him." But she just shook her head with a pout on her lips.

Her attention went back to listening to the producer as he spoke, "You guys are going to get dressed starting now and in three minutes-"

"What?!"

"In three minutes?!"

"Hyung!"

"This is so much fun," came from Jeonghan, who seemed to be the only one to enjoy the stress that was put on the group with that statement alone.

Na PD was quick to add, "Because you don't need a bag or wallet! We have all of your passports."

Right away, questions started coming from left and right.

"Can I still brush my teeth?"

"Can't I take a shower?"

"Is there underwear in the package?"

"Everything!" Yeongseok answered Dokyeom's question. "Just wear what you're wearing now-"

"I can't wear pyjamas to the airport," Minnie sighed out, running a hand through her hair with a deep breath.

Jeonghan grinned at her, "Don't worry, Minnie-ya. You make everything look fashionable."

With scrunched eyebrows, she glanced over at him, not able to hold back a smile once she came to sight with his.

As soon as Na PD gave the official 'ok' to split up and start getting ready, the members split up quickly. They rushed out of Minghao's room one after the other, trying to get to their own rooms as quickly as possible. Jeonghan didn't seem to be nearly as stressed as the others as he decided to stay back. Minnie was doing the same, standing still in her place next to the leader.

"Oh... oppa...," she sighed. Cheol immediately knew what she wanted to say, so he was quick to interrupt her, patting her back once again.

"No, go, go. Get ready. Change your clothes. I'll meet you downstairs," he assured her.

"Really? You'll still be here?" She asked further, getting a nod from him in response.

"Ok..." she mumbled. before she left, she hastily threw her arms around his shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze before exiting the room as well, thoughts of which clothes to take out of her suitcase already rushing through her mind.

-

She had already finished packing her luggage the evening before, right after the concert, wanting to spare herself the stress of packing it right before their flight back home. Therefore, Minnie's baby blue suitcase was already in the hallway, where she had to put it on the ground to open it.

"Ok," she thought out loud, "Rome is probably hot right now at this time of year... but I want to be comfortable on the plane. So... I'm not gonna wear shorts, but thin long pants. But a short shirt. That should be fine, right?" She looked up from her position on the floor, glancing at the cameraman, who just shrugged back. 

The girl chuckled and nodded to herself. "It'll be fine," she stood back up after gathering everything from her suitcase, including a pair of sneakers. "More important is... what will I take in my small bag," with a hand on her chin, she contemplated. "Sunglasses... maybe tissues... I can't bring make-up, right?" The cameraman shook his head. "Ok... that's... ok... but suncream. I'll need suncream. OH- and chapstick- hold on. I also need to brush my teeth..."

-

After Wonwoo, Minnie was next to enter the meeting room, getting greeted by Na PD immediately, and the '96 Liner along with S.Coups, Hoshi and Minghao who had already taken a seat on the chairs and couch. She had changed into a pair of jeans along with a slightly cropped white shirt and a grey cropped cardigan on top. A black hat was on her head, but she had taken it off once she walked in.

"Minnie, come in and sit," the producer ushered her inside. But something caught his eye. "Ah- Minnie-ya," at the sound of her name, the girl stopped in her tracks.

Yeongseok reached out his open palm. "Give me your bag."

Her hands found the handle on her shoulder in an instant, clinging onto it tightly.

"But I need it," she fought back.

With a sigh, the producer continued looking at her. "I promise you, everything you need, you'll get from us. Come on, give me the bag."

Hesitantly, the female member let the leather brush off her shoulder, before slowly handing it over. But just before Yeongseok could get a hold of it, she pulled it back, "Wait! Can I take out what I need?" 

A chuckle tumbled from his lips as she shook his head. Glancing over at the other members, he only found amused faces looking back at him. He took a deep breath, "What is it that you need so desperately?" 

As an answer, Minnie placed the bag on the console table on the left side of the room and started rummaging. Picking out the important things, she counted them, "Chapstick, sunscreen, and... sunglasses!" She showed the things to the producer, who nodded after inspecting them.

"Ok, ok, you can take them. If they fit in your pockets. Now sit down." With a nod and a quick, "Thank you," she went after his orders.

-

Na PD, Cheol, Joshua, Wonwoo, Dokyeom, Vernon, and Minnie made their way downstairs with the elevator. Stopping in the garage, where a car was already waiting for them. Just as they were about to leave, the '96 and '98 Liner of the Hip-Hop-Unit walking towards the vehicle first, Yeonseok calling out for S.Coups caught their attention and made them turn around again, almost forgetting that their leader wasn't going with them.

One after the other, the members said goodbye to him, hugging him one last time before they'd be on their way. Minnie stood still between him and the producer.

"Aah, you're not coming with us!" Vernon suddenly realised.

The girl pouted, "How the heck is he supposed to come with us with his injury?!" Clearly frustrated by the situation.

"I totally forgot about that," the younger member nervously chuckled. After individually making sure they had said goodbye properly, wishing him a comfortable ride home, it was Minnie's turn to hug him. Without a word, she threw her arms around his shoulders as Joshua patted the head of their leader. With a sigh, she let him go again.

"I don't like this...."

"Don't be like that, Minnie-ya," he nudged her. "Have fun in Italy. Be careful."

She nodded hesitantly, "I guess we will."

"You guess?!" Na PD gasped next to her, making the girl chuckle. "You guess?! We'll make sure that you guys have fun."

"Ok, ok," she nodded again. One last time, Seungcheol opened his arms to pull her in. Just as she was about to let go of him, the '95 Liner whispered something into her ear, to which she frowned at first as soon as they separated, but then she assured him, she had understood him. With a last wave, she bid him her final goodbye before she'd get to see him again in about two weeks.

[they will reunite well]

-

EP1-2. Off to Italy

Minnie took her place by the window, with Minghao on her right. The bus had started its engine and was about to start driving away. The members looked outside to see their CEO, managers, and most importantly their leader standing on the side, waving them off.

[bye bye]

With a sad smile, the girl waved back, nodding at S.Coups after he had motioned something with his hands. Her gaze didn't leave the window until everyone was out of sight. Only then did she let herself fall back against the seat, looking down at her hands with a sigh. Her fellow '97 Liner noticed her quietness and placed a hand on top of hers, making her look up.

She was greeted with the kind smile of her best friend, making her grin in return. He gave her hand a little squeeze, which she copied, quickly developing into a battle of who could squeeze the other person's hand harder. Even if it was obvious who would win, Minnie still put up the fight, grinning down at their hands, and just taking a moment to be thankful for the person to her right.

-

Hoshi, Wonwoo, and Minghao were sitting together at Incheon Airport, waiting for the connecting flight with Na PD, who was behind the camera they had set up, engaging in a comfortable conversation.

Minnie suddenly appeared from the background, joining the group on the floor, her phone in her grip.

"Did you talk to your mum?" Yeongseok asked.

The girl nodded with a smile. "I told her we're going to Rome."

He chuckled, "What did she say?"

"'Why not closer to us?'" Minnie changed her voice into a slightly higher tone, impersonating her mother. "'I could've brought you guys something to eat.'" 

[caring words of a mother <3]

The members around her started laughing, with Hao leaning onto her shoulder.

Na PD scoffed with a chuckle. "Does she think we won't feed you?"

Minnie shrugged, "I think she also thinks this will be more like 'Youth Over Flowers'." To which the producer laughed in return.

-

Deep in her slumber, the female idol was catching up on the few hours of sleep she had missed out on due to the intense rap battle her fellow members wanted her to witness.

[beauty sleep]

"Minnie-ya," a soft voice from the right spoke up. When she didn't react, a hand reached out to nudge her. 

The camera angle expanded, to expose Wonwoo, who was trying to get her to wake up. With one more gentle shove to her arm and a repetition of her name, his voice ever so soft, Minnie's eyes fluttered open. For a second, there was clear confusion written on her face, but as she looked to her left, she found the rapper's eyes already on her, she smiled.

"Hm?"

"Eat something before we land," Wonwoo spoke quietly, not trying to distress her as she tried to adjust her eyes to the brightness. Minnie nodded and with a quick click of a button, she let her seat straighten back up. 

"When do we land?"

"In like two hours."

"Ok," she answered, trying to hold back a yawn without any luck. Then she glanced at the clock. "Ah... I forgot about the time difference... it's evening now."

"Mm," Wonwoo looked away from his phone to glance over at her, "Are you still tired?"

For a second, the girl seemed to think about it. "A little bit. I hope I'll get to sleep."

-

EP1-3. First Step of the Travel

After landing and walking through the airport for a good bit, they arrived at the visa checkpoints. Jun and Minghao were separated from the group due to their Chinese passports, but what caught the members off-guard was when Minnie was directed towards a different line than them.

"Where are you going?" Mingyu asked the girl as he filmed himself.

"We took Minnie's EU passport, not her Korean one, so she has an easier way," one of the producers behind him explained to him. The '97 Liner nodded while watching her walk away.

The female member had gotten her own vlogging camera, filming the lower side of her face that was still covered by a mask. She didn't start talking until she came to a halt and pulled the mask down and the camera up to show her entire face.

"And now we'll wait. Because the members are gonna take a little bit longer than me." And ended her commentary with a smile.

-

Dino, Hoshi, and Wonwoo were the first to join her.

"Noona, you just walked through the gates!" The youngest called out as soon as they had caught up with her.

Minnie chuckled, "Yeah, it's like this within some countries in Europe. If you were born here."

"Aaah," he nodded. "Practical."

When she saw the vlogging camera Hoshi was holding up, the girl put her own one down, focusing more on her surroundings as they walked through the entrance/exit of the airport and out into the warm late summer air.

The rest of the members, besides Jun and Minghao, were already hot on their tracks as well and followed them to the bus that was waiting for them outside. Walking in, they greeted the driver before cramping together into the seats at the back. Vernon and Minnie decided to sit together with the younger member by the window and the girl by the aisle.

During their little gaming session, the girl decided to relax, mostly focused on her own phone, texting her mum about their arrival, sending a quick message to their leader and scrolling through Social Media.

When Minghao and Jun finally joined them on the bus, they were ready to leave. Right from the start, the producers could feel the energy coming from the group. Everyone was excited and most of them had slept enough on the flight, explaining their high energy levels.

"The name of the airport," a staff member suddenly spoke up, "is Leonardo Da Vinci Airport."

"Ooh, Vernonnie." Dokyeom's voice rang through the ears of the girl. Only a split second later, she started to laugh. The members quickly caught onto the comment by the '97 Liner.

"No, Leonardo da Vinci."

"Not that Leonardo, Dokyeom-ah," Minnie and Mingyu spoke at the same time, both smiling at the situation. It was only then that Vernon, the man in question, realised what was being said, making him chuckle as he ran a hand over his face.

During the rest of the drive, Na PD was in charge of entertainment. He started with the description of their accommodation, mentioning that it was an Airbnb they had booked. But before they would get to their housing, the crew had decided to make a quick stop by the Colosseum to take a group picture and let the idol group roam around a little bit.

The producer started them off with some facts.

"You all know what it looks like, right?" 

The group agreed in union.

"Round and pretty," Minnie added with a bright face. At the sound of her voice, Wonwoo turned his head to glance over at her, a fond smile on his lips.

"Right," the producer answered, "Round and... yeah, pretty I guess too." Making the girl chuckle. "It's a building that was built about 2000 years ago. It's an ancient theatre. Simply put an amphitheatre. There's an audience, and what do you think they did in the centre?"

"Duel," Wonwoo and Minnie answered at the same time. With grins, they glanced at each other, chuckling when their eyes met. European history had always been a big interest of theirs.

"Exactly," Na PD pointed at the two. "Duel. Gladiators would fight each other or a tiger vs. human."

The girl suddenly gasped quietly, "Hoshi-hyung..." Which only seemed to have reached the ears of the two '96 Liners next to her, who had turned to smile at the other one, clearly amused by the comment of the female member. 

-

After they arrived at the sight, the group quickly split up again into smaller portions, each member wanting to see and explore the ancient building for themselves.

Minnie stood still as her eye raked up and down the height of the Colosseum, astonished at what she was seeing with her own eyes.

"It's so much bigger than I expected for some reason," she commented out loud, catching the attention of Yeongseok, who had stopped to her left.

He nodded. "Mm, but you must be used to buildings like this, or not?"

The girl shook her head with a smile. "I don't think you can ever get used to this. Ancient buildings are always so shocking when get to see them in real life."

"The Eiffel Tower for you too? You must've seen that quite a few times already," he continued the conversation as the two made their way further around the arena.

Minnie chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so," she explained, "But it's a lot smaller than people expect."

"Oh, really?" To which she nodded.

"So, this," she pointed towards the building right in front of them, "Is... insanely beautiful. Especially now at night."

-

Once the idol group had gotten back together, the individual sightseeing coming to an end, they decided to try to give their leader a call, reminding themselves of the fact that the time in Korea was 6 a.m., so the chances of him picking up were slim. Explaining, why they were so surprised when Seungcheol did in fact pick up the call, revealing his tired face on the screen of Hoshi's phone.

"Oh, he picked up!" Dino called out, making the girl, who was still in awe of the arena, turn around.

"S.COUPS!" Jun shouted out in glee. Minnie chuckled, watching the screen, seeing how clearly tired the '95 Liner was, assuming they had ripped him out of his sleep and that ungodly hour.

"We came to the Colosseum," Hoshi explained to him.

"Is it fun?" The leader wondered, his voice laced with pure exhaustion and still deeper than usual.

"It would be more fun with you here," the girl smiled, getting a chuckle from him in return.

"Mh, I bet," he sarcastically answered.

The performance unit leader suddenly announced they'd be taking a picture, surprising Cheol over the phone, who did his best to do some kind of pose in his position on the bed. Even with his absence, a group picture with all of them together was necessary.

-

EP1-4. Something Happened in Their House

In groups, the members were ordered to leave the bus and start their seven-minute walk towards their Airbnb. Minnie was in the second group that got to exit the vehicle, along with Hoshi, Wonwoo, and Minghao. As soon as they stepped out and fell into their usual walking tempo, for comfort, the girl looped her right arm with Wonwoo's left - no reaction from him. The group easily fell into a natural conversation, commenting on what was around them, what they passed, and the warm weather they were lucky enough to catch during this time of year.

"I'm not normally sentimental," the '96 Liner from the Hip-Hop-unit suddenly stated. "But it's gonna become sentimental."

The female member nodded. "Because we're on our first real vacation as a group, minus Seungcheol-oppa. And in a really nice city as well." The three men agreed with nods.

-

When they finally arrived at their housing for the night, they got to walk through the apartment in the old building the crew had rented out for the group. Each room had its own charm and the members already knew it wouldn't be easy to choose. But then again, their individually designated rooms often get lost after nights of drinking and playing games, and suddenly four people are sleeping in a two-person bed. So the choices weren't all that important to the singers.

They decided to let faith decide and play a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. The winner would get to choose first, then the second, and so on until each member had a bed assigned to them.

One after the other, the singers walked around until they reached the room they had chosen to sleep in. Dino and Jun had decided on the three-beds room, leaving one still free. That's when Minnie appeared from around the corner to glance inside.

"Ooh," she commented with a smile as she came in. "I don't think we've ever shared a room together in this constellation, right?"

Jun agreed, "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Noona, stay, it's gonna be fun," the maknae, who had already made himself comfortable on one of the beds that had gotten pushed together.

Minnie chuckled, walking in to throw her cardigan and the pouch she had taken from the plane, onto the mattress. "Of course, I'm gonna stay with you guys."

"Yeyy," Dino looked up at the older member, who smiled down at him. He was quick to sit up straight once he noticed she had gotten comfortable on the other bed right next to him. "Do you want to sleep by the window?" The youngest asked her.

"Hm?" Minnie wondered, turning to her right to see the window being closest to her bed. "I don't mind it."

"Okay," he nodded before throwing himself onto the sheets.

-

Minnie and Jun had left their assigned rooms. He had joined the four beds Joshua, Hoshi, Mingyu and Dokyeom-room, engulfed in comfortable conversations as they settled into their housing, while Minnie paid a visit to Jeonghan, Woozi, Wonwoo, and Seunkgwan's room.

The girl was sitting on the bed with the '98 Liner when Na PD surprised them with a visit. "Please wait in the room for five to ten minutes!" He announced as he waltzed in.

"Okay," he got a reply in chorus back.

As soon as he left again, the group started talking.

"His eyes are weird, I keep on saying this," Woozi commented, getting a round of chuckles from the members in return.

"They're spun around," Seungkwan added.

Minnie sighed, "I'm telling you, we still can't trust them. What are we gonna sleep in? We don't have any extra clothes." Her question seemed to get the roommates to thinking, the wheels inside their heads visibly starting to turn.

"Maybe... maybe they'll give us something," the youngest of them answered her with a shrug.

"But we're definitely gonna have to work for them," the '96 Liner stated. "They're not just gonna give us everything."

"Yeah, I don't think so either," the girl agreed, letting herself sink into the mattress.

-

After a few minutes, the members were called to gather in the kitchen. Walking in, they could already see that something had been set up.

"Tax-free?" Minnie wondered out loud as soon as she had entered the room. Joshua, who was already sitting down, turned to where she was looking at - a poster on the wall.

Slightly confused, yet intrigued, the girl took a seat opposite Woozi and next to Jeonghan, waiting for the next steps as the two main songwriters of the group grinned at each other. Both were still carrying only a small amount of trust with them when it came to the program they were filming.

Yeongseok brought in a shopping trolly, that he placed on the table the two were sitting on, revealing it to be filled to the brim and explaining the meaning of it to the group. As they hadn't had time to pack anything, aka the crew didn't let them bring anything other than what they could carry on their body, the producing team would provide them with everything they could possibly need. 

Ranging from toiletries to clothing or even electronics, the crew had thought of every single thing. The first thing they presented were T-shirts. But not just any shirts. Custom-made T-shirts for each member. The group gazed at the item of clothing with wide eyes. Every shirt had a different design, fitted to the member whose name was written across the chest. Cherries for S.Coups, dumbells for Woozi, and so on.

Next was underwear. A true essential.

"Hold on," Minnie suddenly stopped. She pointed to a pack of black underwear with a rim she only knew too well. "I have to work for the underwear I model for? I thought I'd get them for free." As they were Calvin Klein underwear the production team had packed for her, the girl was surprised.

"AH!" Seungkwan suddenly shouted out. "You don't have to remind us of that photoshoot!" Getting a round of chuckles from the members in return, and a sarcastic big grin from the girl.

"You're welcome!" To which the '98 Liner only glanced at her in disgust.

"I'm sorry, Minnie-ya," Na PD told her. "But you also had to work to become an ambassador, right?"

With a squint, she glared at the man to her left. "Touché," she mumbled loud enough for the other members to hear, who laughed at the conversation.

The show continued as he presented the rest of the containments of the bag: Kimchi (jongga, of course), dumbells for whoever would want to work out, cup ramyeon, shorts, shampoo, a NANA Tour guidebook, zip lock bags, fans, wet tissues, stir-fried gochujang, toothbrushes and toothpaste, a bag, merch, and even earphones.

Then, last, but most definitely not least, the producer pulled out an envelope, with a quick side-remark.

"Jeonghan-ah, you'll really need this. You're going to cry," he explained. "For all of you, filled with his heart S.Coups' letter." Without missing a beat, the vice leader of the group suddenly erupted in fake tears, his groans echoing through the room. The girl couldn't help but chuckle as she nudged him with her elbow. Once he returned back to his normal state and Na PD sat back, she leaned over to the '95 Liner.

"Cheol told me to choose the letter."

"When?" He looked down at her in slight confusion.

"When we said goodbye to him. He mentioned a letter, but I was so confused about what he meant. But it must be this." Jeonghan nodded, leaning apart again to avoid suspicion from the production crew.

After they were introduced to all of the items, the group was clearly intrigued by what they could get. They knew they could, but how? Well, definitely not for free, of course. Yeongseok explained they would have to play a game, earning item after item with each round they'd win. The game they had decided on was 'Human Zero'. A game Seventeen was somewhat familiar with, but since they hadn't played it in quite a while, the worries were accordingly high.

But as soon as the game started, every fear had made its way out of the window. The group was surprisingly good at the game Na PD had chosen. In each round, the members made the right decision with who decided they should and shouldn't stand up. They were very good. Too good in the producer's opinion. Suspicion rose.

Even when they asked Hoshi what number Yeongseok should shout out next, the idol group stood strong and won another round.

It went as far as that the members even individually promised to stand up, making him almost want to shout out '13!' but if there's one thing Seventeen was flawless at, it would be teamwork - and teamwork only worked amongst the team, individuals outside of the group wouldn't understand.

Even though the idol group won each round unexpectedly, even with repeated attempts to change the game's rules and make it less likely for them to win and to prove they weren't cheating, it was still as entertaining as everyone expected. The entire crew was laughing along with the singers, surprised by the unexpected win after win.

The planned five rounds quickly turned into fifteen with Seventeen winning each round and the production even adding products they could win. But just because it didn't turn out the way the crew had planned, didn't mean it was any less entertaining. If anything, it made it all that much more amusing. It was the living proof that Seventeen talked, slept and breathed a language only they could understand.

"Just take all of this," Na PD sighed in defeat as he pointed to the prices on the table.

With all the interesting things they had earned, there was one thing that was still a mystery to the group and they'd finally get to reveal.

Jeonghan got handed over the letter Seungcheol had written to his members. He opened the envelope and opened the piece of paper, a piece of plastic being the first thing to catch their eyes.

Minnie glanced at it. Her facial expression of confusion quickly changed into surprise as she realised what the '95 Liner had just picked up - Coups' credit card.

"Oh wow..." Jeonghan gasped out loud along with Dokyeom who looked at the letter with wide eyes.

"That's not a letter," the girl commented, leaning in to try and read the words that were written on the piece of paper the card had come in. He read it out loud.

"Thank you for picking my letter. I feel so sorry for you guys going without any preparation. You can use this card however you want. I will be waiting for you well in Korea. You can use this card however you want, okay? Have fun. I love you."

A round of claps and gasps in affection filled the room.

"It really is his personal card," Dokyeom pointed out.

"His personal card?!"

"Woah... he really is the best leader," Minnie commented. A round of heads nodded in agreement.

They decided on Dino to keep the card safe as he was already the manager of the pocket money they had received before their departure.

So after a long day of travels and finally also a game, the group was released.

"Since it's late, hurry up and wash up. Change into these clothes and let's rest well," he dismissed the members.

"Good night," Minnie's voice echoed through the room as some members clapped in appreciation

"Well done, guys."

"Great job."

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[edensdahlia]

༊*·˚ Until I Say So

CHARACTERS: John Price x M! Reader (F! Reader here)

RATING: NSFW

CONTENTS: Military reader, canon typical violence, Price thinks reader needs a little extra training after they get compromised during a mission, may be inaccuracies in the fighting, porn with plot because I can’t write it without, established relationship, relationship with a superior <3, sparring as foreplay, unprotected sex, semi-public sex, voyeurism (?), multiple orgasms, nicknames used: muppet, darling, love

ೃ⁀➷ WORD COUNT: 2K

“--How copy?” Price’s voice crackled through the comms, rough in all the right places and with just the slightest bit of worry buried deep beneath his impassive tone. It couldn’t be helped, worrying about you came naturally to him, like donning a second skin he couldn’t seem to shed no matter how hard he tried. He really did try. In his line of work, he couldn’t afford to worry, it was a distraction when he needed to be anything but. Distractions could cost a life.

Subconsciously, Price tightened the grip he had on his rifle, trying to convince himself the sudden tension in his body was from the mission itself and not you. Although he really shouldn’t have been tense over that either. The operation was a simple two-person job with him acting as overwatch while you mapped out the interior of a warehouse suspected to be owned by a high-profile cartel. During debriefing Laswell had confirmed that the warehouse would be empty until the following week when shipments would first start arriving.

Meaning it should have been an easy in and out. Childs play really, and yet the silence seemed to stretch eons as he continued to scan the windows of the warehouse, searching for any sign of movement. For any sign of you. The sound of static filtered through the air, startling him, and then your voice came through, low and slightly breathy.

“All good so far Captain. Warehouse appears empty.”

Your voice was like a shot of comfort directly to his nervous system. The tension in his body seemed to fade. His grip slackened but remained steady as he continued searching the windows. “Good. Map the layout and get out. Quickly yeah?” There was the sound of static again and then your hushed laughter- more an exhale than an actual laugh.

“Sounds like you’re worried sir.”

He was. Of course, he was.

“Focus Sergeant.” It wasn’t a direct command but it had the same effect regardless. On the other side of the comms, you fell silent returning your attention back to the objective you’d been given. Eventually, finally, he caught sight of you, moving with the efficiency that had been drilled into you as a rookie.

Price watched as you dipped in and out of side rooms his heart seeming to still until you came back into the focus of his scope standing just in his line of sight. Your head was tilted up towards the window as if you could see him and the thought sent a secret thrill up his spine.

“All finished here sir, heading back your way.”

“Good work, Sergeant.” The praise fell from his lips easily. Like a secret only you were privy to. His words hung briefly between you two disappearing like mist on a summer day as something flashed behind you, a streak of silver turned a blinding white by the moonlight cast through the cracking windows. 

The warehouse was supposed to be empty.

The shadowy figure behind you crumpled to the ground, dead by the silent bullet Price had put through his brain. A moment too late. Just a moment. You looked up through the shattered glass one hand around your neck attempting to stop the blood that leaked through your shaking fingers.

♡ 。 。

Price loomed above you his legs bracketing your hips, keeping you pinned firmly to the floor in a position that was vaguely familiar. He smelled of cigar smoke and sweat, a combination you would have found comfort in had you not been wrestling with him for some semblance of control. You thrashed in his grip fists coming up to connect harshly against his chest. The force of it drew a small wheeze from him that morphed into a growl as he dug the blunt edge of a knife unceremoniously against your neck. It rested just above the jagged scar splitting your throat and when he pressed down just a bit more you felt the warning behind it, gaze finding his in defeat.

He shook his head at the look withdrawing from you, watching as you rolled over, panting from exertion and the vaguest hint of something else. Sweat collected near your hairline and dripped slowly down your nose leaving a dark stain on the mat below you.

“Get up muppet.” The words fell from him, in a harsh bark that had your mind dizzy with the possibilities of what else he could command you to do. Weakly, every bone in your body aching with the movement, you pulled yourself to your feet, stumbling slightly to the side.

“Can’t we take a break Captain?” You wiped the sweat from your brow with the edge of your shirt, the movement revealing a strip of scarred skin. His gaze flickered to it unthinkingly. “I just got dismissed from medical you know.” Your shirt dropped back in place and he frowned simultaneously at the loss of such a sight and your words.

“And why were you put there in the first place Sergeant?” Price challenged. You sighed through your nose and he took that as a sign of defeat gesturing with the plastic knife in a ‘come on’ motion. “Again.” His gaze remained steady on yours as you circled the mat together, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Taking initiative you lunged for him, your dominant hand swinging out in a messy hook. Price ducked easily beneath the arm you had thrown out, pivoting so he could slam his foot into the back of your knee. You crumpled to the ground hands coming out to catch you, but he dragged you back with his forearm secured around your chest and the knife flat against your throat.

“Compromised again Sergeant.” His voice was a whisper against the shell of your ear. “You’re getting sloppy.”

You squeezed your eyes tightly together trying to fight off the arousal you felt aching between your legs. It’d been there since he’d first walked through the training room doors wearing a compression shirt that showed everything off in just the right way and sweatpants that hung dangerously low. With each press of your bodies together- each struggle for control it’d only intensified turning into a burning heat you needed so desperately to satisfy.

“I’m tired.” You offered in weak defence. The hard muscle of his thigh sat temptingly between your legs and you slowly let yourself relax in his grip, allowing you to subtly grind against his leg.

“Tired eh?” Price brought his thigh up pressing harder into your semi-hard cock and drawing a whimper from your lips as you met him halfway. Maybe not so subtle then. The knife tumbled to the floor as he settled his hands on your hips helping assist in the slow grind of you against him. Your chin dropped towards your chest at the sensation, thighs burning with the effort of keeping you upright. Price slid a hand beneath your jaw forcing your head up and turning it towards him so he could bring your mouth to his in a heated kiss. It was lazy on your part, your body sluggish from the training you’d gone through, and when you pulled back your eyes remained half-lidded.

Price smiled at the look. “You truly are a sight for sore eyes darlin’.”

The compliment did nothing but fuel your desperation. You arched further into him, nose brushing the skin of his throat. “I need you.” It was a quiet plea. A beg for him to relieve you of your own painful arousal. His hand slid beneath the band of your sweatpants teasingly and you thought for a moment he just might, but his fingers skimmed across your clothed cock with barely-there touches.

“Now?” He applied the slightest bit of pressure and you squirmed, hips rocking against his hand desperately. “Where anyone could see you?” You nodded pathetically, grinding yourself downwards in search of something more but it wasn’t enough.

“Fuckin’ tease.” Price chuckled as he hauled you off his lap, repositioning you so you were laid out flat on your back. He slid your sweatpants and underwear down to your ankles, revealing more of you to his hungry gaze. Every inch of your skin was intoxicating, each scar and blemish stirring something in him.

His cock was heavy in his hands and unsurprisingly hard as he angled it against your entrance. You grabbed for the back of his neck nails scraping against the short hair there as he entered you. It wasn’t slow by any means and it burned with every inch he forced forward but it was good. So good. Your eyes fluttered closed nails digging into his scalp as he rocked against you. It was rough, needy almost. His fingers dug into your sides pulling you in, each thrust opening you further.

“I was worried about you.” Price confessed on a particularly hard thrust that had your eyes rolling back into your head. “Bloody bastard should have never touched you.” His voice was thick with emotion, a sound so rare it had your eyes blearily finding his.

“Wasn’t your fault-” You whined attempting to lift your head up but failing miserably as he fucked you harshly into the mat. Clumsily you sought out his hand squeezing it reassuringly, the touch the best you could offer when he was filling you so completely. Price seemed to understand though. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your temple, his beard scraping against your skin.

“Won’t happen again yeah?”

There was a sureness to his words, a casual confidence that left no room for argument. Although- you certainly were in no position to argue as it was. Price somehow sensing your impending orgasm soothed a hand down your sweaty face, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled down at you. “Go on love, I know you’re close.” His words and the look on his face were horribly tender, a startling contrast to the way his hips snapped against yours, rough and without mercy.

Your legs tightened around his waist drawing him closer to you as you came. Price didn’t slow in the slightest bit. If anything he picked up in pace watching the way your eyes flew open. Overstimulation drew you up onto your forearms, one hand shooting out to steady yourself on his shoulder.

“John!”

He chuckled the sound lost in the skin of your neck. Each drag of his cock felt like heaven and hell all at once. The overstimulation was bringing you back up to that previous peak quicker than you could form the words for. It didn’t help either the way he continued to stroke your cock, drawing his thumb in lazy circles across the leaking tip and delighting at the pitiful sounds it drew from you. You were already hard again. Painfully so.

“You gonna come again, love?” You nodded chest heaving with the effort of drawing air into your poor lungs. Price nipped at the junction between your neck and shoulder smiling. “Good.” He continued rutting into you, the slick sounds of his hand around your cock obscene in the empty training room. At this point, you were halfway into his lap and each thrust imprinted the shape of his cock to your insides leaving you a stuttering mess of his name.

Exactly how he liked you.

Your second orgasm was stronger than the first and had you clenching around his cock almost painfully. Price cursed lowly slowing his thrusts to help draw it out, until you finally collapsed against him, legs twitching and breaths coming in short puffs. He lifted you slowly off him and you sighed in relief. His cock brushed against your stomach still leaking precum. Lazily you reached between your bodies intent on finishing him off with your hand but he swatted it away.

“On your stomach love. Ass up.”

The fucked out haze of your mind swirled curiously trying to process his words. You lifted your head searching his eyes in confusion. “Sir?” You asked voice shaky, looking every bit the fucked out mess you were.

Price couldn’t help the sick satisfaction he felt at being able to reduce you to such a state. “C’mon Sergeant,” He eased you up and then pushed you onto your stomach, your face pressed uncomfortably to the mat. “I’m not done with you yet.”

A/N: I’m honestly not too happy with how this turned out but it’s been sitting in my draft for like a month lmao. As always though thank you so much for taking the time to read this mess- have a lovely lovely day

[lookinghalfacorpse]

Okay now you got me really interested SO here's the itwall prompt: cphil and cdream doing scar care

well if you insist..... (context)

/dsmp /rp

"On your stomach, lad."

Dream chuckled at the gentle command, his robe hitting the ground as he shrugged it off. Commands like these were casual and comfortable between the two of them; Dream knew that he could disobey if he wanted. He usually settled on a bit of playful back-talk. "You could take me to dinner first?"

"I cooked your dinner myself three hours ago."

"Okay, fair."

Slowly, Dream lowered himself to the mattress, gathering a pillow in his arms and placing it beneath his chest for a bit of extra padding. The candlelight danced across the dramatic valleys of his skeleton and the rips and tears of his skin, casting uneven shadows across his pale back. The sun dropped below the treeline a while ago, and the arctic enjoyed a peaceful and windless evening. Philza proposed that they try a bit of anti-scarring treatment before bed, and Dream agreed to give it a try.

Philza removed a bit of dressing-- a piece of gauze taped over a fresher wound on Dream's side-- and Dream could feel Phil's weight shift on the mattress as he leaned back and observed.

Feeling eyes on him, Dream peaked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"You'd think I'd be used to seeing your scars by now." The lid of a container popped open. "But it still hits me sometimes."

"Do they gross you out?"

"Nah. They're just scars. I have them, too." From his limited vantage, Dream saw Phil's blonde hair spill over his shoulder, pooling at his collarbone. His hair was loose. He was dressed for bed. "I'm just... always surprised by how deeply humans can hate."

Dream didn't hate his scars. Well, he hated some of them. The worst of them were on his back. A bracket smile, drawn with unsteady lines. The word "bitch," written in a broken, brutalist font.

"I'm going to massage some silicone gel on the scars," Phil said, "in little circular motions. It might take a while, mate."

"Mm-hmm."

Dream flinched when Phil's fingers, cool from the silicone, touched between his shoulder blades. The temperature simply surprised him. Phil whispered a quiet "You alright?" before proceeding, and upon getting permission in the form of a nod, moved his fingers firmly across the expanse of a scar. It might've been the bracket smile. Dream didn't quite remember its placement.

"The pressure will help the edges flatten," Phil explained in a low voice, "and the jelly moisturizes it to help the discoloring."

The skin was sensitive. As Phil pressed his fingers in, the nerves responded by breaking into chills. Dream's next exhale was shaky.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you."

"No-- No, you're not. I-- fuck, it's just sensitive."

Philza recognized the effects of pleasure when he saw them. "Mm."

It took twenty minutes to finish the massage. Twenty long, vulnerable minutes of squirming and sighing, fighting back the urge to groan. Something about it was so primally satisfying. His skin has been begging for gentle treatment for months. Begging for Philza's fingers along his ribcage, his stomach, his chest, his hands. Even the deep scar along the edge of his jawline got Philza's attention. The slime of the silicone was cold in the winter air, but not uncomfortable.

The candlelight illuminated Phil's golden eyelashes. "Still alright?" he asked, his fingertips on a long scar across Dream's lower abdominal muscles.

Dream nodded, a small smile on his lips.