#I’ve decided to lean into my desired aesthetic

[hawnks]

I have to become howl pendragon. This will fix me.

[otomedetective]

Aromanticism and Otome Games

I am an aromantic who loves otome games. It may seem incredibly contradictory, especially since the common perception of otomes is that they are wish-fulfillment games for people to insert themselves into a story where they date attractive men. There's definitely nothing wrong with playing them in that way, and many people get a lot of enjoyment out of them, but that isn't the only way to play an otome game. In fact, many otome game players prefer not to self-insert at all and I’m one of them!

My personal experience being aromantic means I do not feel romantic attraction to anyone, and I do not desire or need a romantic relationship to feel fulfilled in life. I’m perfectly happy with my platonic bonds and my perpetual singleness! That’s how I experience it, but there are many different ways to be aromantic, and there’s no one universal experience that defines how all aromantic people live their lives. Some are repulsed by romance and its overbearing presence in nearly all forms of media, and others are comfortable seeing other people experience romance despite not experiencing it themselves (though these, of course, are not the only two groups). I personally lean more towards the latter category. I love romance stories! 

For me, playing an otome game is like watching a romance movie where I get to decide who the heroine ends up with. It's like a shipper's dream! I don’t self-insert because I am not comfortable putting myself in romantic situations, but by observing a fictional couple, I can safely explore the romantic plots and experiences that interest me. And let me tell you, I love a good romance plot. Especially one with drama.

A comparison I like to make when people don’t seem to get it is that I also really, really love murder mysteries and tragedies, but I do NOT want to actually experience them myself. What I want for a character and what I want for myself are two completely separate things, so there’s really no contradiction! 

In fact, playing otome games was a big part of my aromantic journey in the first place. I never had crushes as a kid that weren’t forced or peer pressured. When people talk about the characters in their childhood shows that they had crushes on, I can never relate. To me, there were only interesting characters and stories. I’ve never really wanted anything more than that. 

So when my second-ever relationship ended and I was wondering whether I really felt romantic attraction at all, I decided to try otome games. 

I chose Collar x Malice as my first game because, as I mentioned earlier, I am a huge fan of mysteries and tragedies, and the premise intrigued me. Then, throughout my exploration of various otome games (and as I quickly became hooked on them) I tried some games with less developed heroines, specifically made for self-inserting, and found that I couldn’t handle them. Separating myself from the heroine helped me enjoy the games more as I realized that I didn’t actually want to be in these romantic situations myself, but only wanted to enjoy the story.

So what was the point of this whole post? I guess just to share my own personal experiences as an aromantic otome-lover and address the contradiction. Otome games aren’t necessarily mainstream-popular, but they certainly have their dedicated fans, and I’ve really enjoyed the interactions I’ve had so far with these fandom spaces. 

Sure, the primary focus of the games may be pretty boys who you can date, but otome games can also be so much more than that! It’s a genre I’m glad I decided to try. 

I’m happy to be an aro along for the ride to read some good stories, puzzle out the right route choices, and look at some aesthetically pleasing character designs along the way! :)

[sirnotappearinginthisblog]

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Oooh a subject I love!

First—I see these two things as completely different issues, so I’ll tackle them separately.

Writer’s block (defined as the desire to write but being unable to get words down on the page) can have a lot of causes.

To troubleshoot it I always start with the physical: have I had enough water? Food? Did I sleep ok? Am I sick/struggling with allergies? Have I gotten enough exercise lately? Sometimes we can’t make words happen because our bodies need something. Never forget your brain is part of your body! It needs movement and nutrients and calories to work, just like your muscles!

If I’m physically fine but struggling, then I turn to my work itself. 99% of the time when I sit down to write and no words are there it’s because I don’t know what to write. “Uhhh duh that’s the issue” you might think, but I mean specifically I don’t know what happens in the scene, or how the characters emotional arcs are impacted by the events, or (and this is usually it) something about the scene I have planned in my head isn’t singing.

Sometimes I’ve set the scene in the wrong location (never forget that setting is a character). Maybe I’m forcing an emotional beat too soon. Maybe I’ve missed an emotional beat earlier in the story so I need to slow it down. Maybe I need to go in a new direction because that’s what the characters and story demand.

To troubleshoot that, I run scenarios until something clicks. I reimagine the scene in a new place, or unfolding a new way. Remember: you are the god of your universe, and you decide what’s canon. So often when I’m stuck it’s because I won’t let go of a “canonical” element that isn’t working anymore. Your story is a universe in flux; it can change.

Low creativity (defined as a lack of desire to create, or a lack of ideas/emotional connection to or excitement for the work) can have various root causes.

To troubleshoot I start with: have I refilled the well? Have I been enjoying stories (tv shows, movies, books, games, etc)? Have I been going out into the world and living life, including seeing friends? Cultivating a sense of wonder, curiosity, and humor is essential to my creative process, but it can be something I have to work at because the world is full of so much turmoil. Take time to be curious about things. Seek out new experiences. Lean on the people who love you.

Next, I look at my relationship to the project itself. If I’m feeling creative in general but just not for my current WIP, sometimes I sit down and make a list of everything that excited me about the project in the first place. This can be moods or tones, tropes, scenery pictures, random aesthetics, whatever. Any exciting scene ideas, the big twist at the end, snippets of dialog or description you loved from the draft so far (or that you plan on adding later). Fall in love with the story again. And if the sparkle is gone, add it back!

You can change the story as much as you need to make it exciting for you.

These are just some starting points I use. I’ve been writing most of my life, so I have a lot of practice dealing with these issues for myself. The important thing is to experiment and find what works for you!

[zahri-melitor]

Newish Comics:

Taking a break from ploughing through Santa appearances for the week’s comics.

Batman & Robin #3: ahahahaha “dedicated instructors who showed me the deep knowledge of the world”.

Damian. Sweetheart. You were TEN. I have no doubt you learnt a lot of complex things but also firstly you didn’t synthesise everything and secondly you simply didn’t have the TIME to learn ‘everything’.

That done, Bruce please explain socialisation and ‘working on a civilian cover’ to Damian, so he will go to school. Remember civilian covers? And secret identities?

Ooh Man-Bats! (I’m sorry, I’m here in this book for the Bruce and Damian moments, but I don’t actually mind the concept of Shush and White Rabbit? I like that White Rabbit is leaning into the Japanese aesthetics that Damian uses for his art)

Outsiders #1: I hate to say it, but my back is already up. Luke Fox, describing Kate Kane's background as "we both trained under one of the most brilliant tactical minds to ever exist" - are we talking about Jacob Kane? Because I wouldn't call him that. And I wouldn't say that Kate trained under Bruce Wayne.

Also the wig? That was originally Jacob's choice and to help with concealing her identity. If Kate actually had issues with it she would have ditched it years ago.

Not knowing fundamental basics like this about Kate is worrying me (unless there's been some retcon I haven't read yet?)

On the other hand... JENNY SPARKS SIGHTING!!! (Well, her skeleton. Apparently) JENNY MY SWEETHEART.

...I'm going to give this a go, since it's Kate and since it's MY FAVOURITE JENNY. I'm being cautious though.

Speed Force #1: oh this however is just fun vibes. I think it's our new light-hearted Flash book, with Si Spurrier doing more complex things over in Flash proper.

The Vigil #6: Ram V landed this. I still feel like all of the characters are specific commentary on other DC characters, but watching the team pull together and Castle explain what had been missed was very satisfying in that ‘heist film’ sort of scene where they flip the board and suddenly reveal what was going on.

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #2: as this is the first Rossmo title I've seriously read, I am appreciating his art and I think getting used to it on a title where I don't have strong feelings about the characters involved will stand me in good stead.

World's Finest: Teen Titans #5: I’ve got to say, I love that the cover is a scene only tangentially related to the plot. Classic silver age vibes. This scene does not occur.

Wally! Love your snark, kid.

Garth! Surfing on/in Wally’s speed wake!

Also Dick finally decided reveal his ID.

Warlord #26: this week in Travis Morgan's adventures... DEIMOS IS BACK! Hello, Deimos! Planning to slink around evilly, are you?

Excitingly, Travis gets to fight a two-headed snake necked dragon this issue. Unfortunately this does not result in any bondage. Missed opportunity there, Grell!

This issue we are in a hidden maze temple, where they have to break apart an amulet and fit the pieces into rock niches to illuminate the way via the light bouncing. It is a VERY gaming dungeon sort of plot. However as each piece is fitted, a vision occurs. Travis is directed in how this works by a talking parrot. (A normal one, not an anthropomorphic one)

Travis sees visions of Tara but she's blaming him for betraying her, and given she was staring into a river and sighing over how much she loved and missed him last issue I think we can safely say this is a false vision. (All the visions say nasty things that mostly are guilt nightmares)

Once the maze is complete, Travis is offered the chance to gain his 'heart's desire' by stepping into the light (which has been causing all the terrible visions)

And Travis' wants to start over...so he gets transported back in time (to what looks like Neanderthal times but this IS Skartaris, it could just be last Tuesday)

[oliviermiraarmstrongs]

mid-year book freak out tag

@bloody-wonder tagged me so now I have an excuse to talk about books I read

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2023? probably her body and other parties by carmen maria machado, my favorites stories from it being “the husband stitch” and “especially heinous”. I love how the former weaves together urban legends as a backdrop and the latter is a surrealist meta version of law and order svu, which is much better than it sounds.

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2023?

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? I’m curious about juniper and thorn by ava reid, and I can’t say the amount of pearl-clutching over it hasn’t played a part in bringing it to my attention. but really, I just like gothic horror and dark fairy tales!

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2023? I dunno, I’m not up-to-date on these things

5. Biggest Disappointment? I’d say world war z and the southern book club’s guide to slaying vampires, but I had to read those for class so it’s not like I had any expectations anyway (for the record, WWZ I never finished bc all the militarism and boring technical stuff turned me off; southern book club kept my attention but its themes were delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, the characters were thinly sketched, the ending was anticlimactic, and the broad and wacky tone did not mesh well with the grotesque (often sexual) violence), so a better example would be a thousand ships; admittedly my standards also weren’t very high; I have a sort of “I can fix her” attitude towards mythological retellings; I know a lot of them fall short, but they’re like comfort food to me, and when one hits, it fucking hits. natalie haynes, you did not hit! nothing the book did justified it as a retelling, there wasn’t any sort of unique spin or exploration into the female characters’ interiority; it just did the trojan cycle again but sometimes we’re reminded that women…were there. Whoever said this was a better version of TSOA was telling straight lies!

6. Biggest Surprise? I didn’t have high hopes for mexican gothic, mostly out of a pretentious impulse I have to expect popular new-ish releases to be mid. Still, I love a gothic novel, so I decided to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be not only very engrossing, but also a clever reworking of gothic tropes tied to a specific cultural setting. It really understood gothic horror not just aesthetically, but also a vehicle for themes of corrupt aristocracy, and the overlap between desire and disgust, and fucked-up families in an incestuous cycle of abuse. It’s still pretty flawed - I think the dialogue could be a bit clunky, especially in the case of the old village woman who feels less like a person and more like an exposition machine - but overall a great read, and I’d love to see more from Moreno-Garcia.

7. Favorite New Author? I already loved angela carter’s work in the bloody chamber, but nights at the circus is the first full-length novel I’ve read from her, and it really cements her as one of the greats.

8. Newest Favorite Character? sophia fevvers from nights at the circus, a bawdy, cockney, rubenesque trapeze artist famed across turn-of-the-century europe for her wings. Also enjoys proto-feminism, gold-digging, and hanging out with her tiny, feisty, anarchist-leaning foster-mother. There’s maybe meant to be some tension throughout the story over whether or not her insanely eventful life story is exaggerated or not, but I never doubted her. Believe women.

9. Newest Fictional Crush? Lady Jessica, the coolest milf the bene gesserit ever produced

💕Best Ship?💕 I didn’t read much with good shipping material, but shout out to noémi from mexican gothic and her boy version of a fragile and sheltered victorian waif love interest whose name escapes me. She’s always describing him like “He was so pale and iron-deficient and frail like a little baby bird and NOT HOT. I desire him carnally.” and meanwhile he’s just showing her his many different types of fungi. Less alpha males, more guys like this.

10. Book That Made You Cry? “eight bites” from her body and other parties hit a little too close to home; it captured really well how dysphoria drives you to abuse your own body, and how that hurts not just yourself but the people around you. “my mother and I” by lucy dacus-coded

11. Book That Made You Happy? I don’t read happy books! But probably nights at the circus, there be whimsy in these pages.

12. Favorite Book Adaptations You Saw This Year? andrea arnold’s 2011 adaptation of wuthering heights nearly made me feral. there’s not really a definitive film version, but the one from 2011, - while not perfect as an adaptation since, like most of them, it only covers the first half of the book - I’d say does the best job of capturing the spirit of the original. the thing that really impressed me was its portrayal of heathcliff - not as a brooding romantic hero nor an inhuman psychopath, but a boy who became something terrible because society never saw him as anything else. It’s film very subjectively, with shaky cam, no score, and nearly every scene being from heathcliff’s perspective - the iconic “I am Heathcliff!” speech is never shown in full, since he left before hearing the rest of it. It’s a really strong artistic choice to place the story firmly in heathcliff’s perspective, and it’s made more interesting by being one of the few adaptations to play into the book’s racial subtext.

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?

14. Most Beautiful Cover? The barnes and noble special edition of dune I have, which is gorgeous but also really impractical to carry around (pic from google images, I’m not at home rn)

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year? I gotta finish dune since I started at the beginning of the year and paused since I was so busy with school (and later paused again bc I was bored 🫣).

tagging @antema, @stolehisdog, @betweenironyandsilver, @vampire-juicebox, @chdarling, @excuseforadrink, @danielarlingtongf, @borispavlikovskys, and @altraviolence, if u wanna!

[boogiewrites]

Seeing Stars Part 10

Characters: Eddie Munson x OFC Star

Summary: Star hosts a Halloween-themed Hellfire Club at her home. In an attempt to bond with the group. She plays hostess and cooks, finding herself genuinely enjoying the domestic tasks. Eddie creates a one-off Halloween campaign. They eat, drink, smoke, and play Truth or Dare where avoided public kisses and questions are finally addressed. They settle in for the night with horror movies, but Eddie and Star can't seem to pay attention.

Comment & Reblog to let me know you like it and want more Eddie content!

Part 1 if you missed it!

Warnings/Triggers: Friendship. Fluff. Hurt/comfort if you squint. Secrets revealed. Drinking, smoking, roughhousing, kissing. A chapter giving you more dialogue with the rest of the group. I wanted to write more friendship-themed stuff for Eddie with this story as well. So this is me doing that for my own selfish reasons. :) Also sorry about the delay, I've been sick so I've not been writing. I'm still recovering but I'm fine. I thought this was WAY shorter than it was, having a second part still planned to add to this chapter but when I saw how long it was already I decided to post this. Don't worry, what I had planned will still be in the next chapter.

A compromise had been reached for Halloween plans. The boys would get their night of indulgent debauchery, belching, and flatulence from takeout and trick-or-treat candy without judgment. They could talk without the concern for a woman's ear to hear their unfiltered adolescent thoughts. So tonight, a Halloween edition of the Hellfire Club was meeting at Star's house. They'd play, eat, drink and watch horror movies so she could feel included. She was trying her best to bond with the guys, even if the road had been a little bumpy. There were still Halloween festivities to be had at the harvest festival, and surely there would be a party or two to crash come the weekend. But in the meantime, Star was playing hostess and very much enjoying the newfound role.

Star was bopping around the kitchen inside the house she shared with Robbie. Her socked feet slipped on the busy pattern linoleum floors to ease her dance moves. The original 1950s decor was aging but held a certain charm that Star didn't mind. Robbie just ignored it to be perfectly honest, decor wasn't exactly an issue for him. He'd bought the house because it was within budget and didn't need any structural repairs. That's where his concerns lie. He was moseying around and getting ready to head out to work and waiting to meet the club. She was elbow-deep in juggling saucepans on the stove while stocking the fridge. She was singing The Supremes, her hair pulled up and hips knocking to close drawers to the beat.

Robbie stood unnoticed in the doorway to the kitchen, its shabby old paint and worn cabinet edges perfectly functional but leaving something to be desired aesthetically. He watched his little sister with a grin, she’d never been what he’d call a happy child. The life she’d lived after that hadn’t given her too many reasons to be a happy adult.

“When do you plan on apologizing to me?” He asks with a nod of his head, almost hitting the top of the door frame.

“For what?” Star spun around, sauce on her cheek and a messy spoon in hand.

“You remember how when I told you we were moving here? And you threw a fit and told me I was ruining your life?”

Star grinned, her whole face beaming as she turned back around the stove.

“Yeah, I remember that.” She groaned.

“Being as this is the happiest I’ve seen you since you were little… I think you owe me an apology.”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” She admitted with a wave of a spoon. “I didn’t expect to find friends here. Or new hobbies. Or anything besides cows and corn.”

“You forgot a new boyfriend. A good one this time.” Robbie leaned in to tease her.

“Shut up.” She pushed him away with her hip and then proceeded to lift her leg to kick him back. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh sorry, husband.” He laughed.

“He’s not that either.”

“The fact that you didn’t say a name or ask me who tells me all I need to know.” a smug smile grew with body language of the same description.

“Only one guy comes around. Who else is it gonna be?”

“Yeah, the guy you’re fucking and staying at his house and making god damned pancakes with his family. NOT your boyfriend? Okay.” he rolled his eyes.

“He’s my best friend.” She urged.

“The best relationships start that way, Star. I’m not one to vouch for any guy but this one’s good. He’s not your ex.” He saw her excitement fade quickly. “I didn’t mean to bum you out, sorry.” He put a hand on her shoulder.

“I know. I’m just… still sensitive about it is all. I try not to think about it and when I do it all hits me hard. I know he’s not Bobby. But it’s too much to think about Eddie being…” she sighed and her brow creased. “What are the chances I come here to the middle of fucking nowhere and the first guy I come across is…” she stops herself again.

“The right guy? Yeah it feels too good to be true.” his lips pressed together in acknowledgment.

“I care about him. A lot. I love him to pieces. He's my best friend. He’s an idiot. A very good-looking idiot.” She smiled and let out a happy sigh.

“Love him to pieces?” he said with raised brows.

“NOT like that!” she pointed her wooden spoon at him. “You can love people and not be IN love with them. VERY big difference.” she insisted.

“I’m not rushing you. Okay?” He rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. “I just know that goofy kid will be a good man. And I’ve not met many of those. I want you happy. And safe. That’s all.”

“You’re getting sentimental in your old age.” Star mocked.

“I’ve gotta pawn your wild ass off to someone else.” He kissed her head and then gave her a light smack. “These nerds that somehow won you over gonna be here soon? I don’t think they’re the show up an hour late because it’s cool to not give a shit type.”

“Nah, they should be here in about 20 minutes. Just have to throw this in the oven and make sure the living room is set.”

“There’s a shit load of pillows and blankets. I think you’re good.”

“I know I just want it to be perfect.” She said casually.

“You know… I like this version of you. Having good friends. Having friends at all really, let’s be honest. Staying in and having a good time instead of me being up worrying about you club hopping all night with a bunch of truly stupid kids.”

“I know.” She said thoughtfully. “I like this new version too.”

-

Robbie sat on the front stoop, smoking a cigarette. It was almost dark and he was appreciating the quiet and cold before having to leave into a fluorescently bright, screeching, hot plant. The thrum of bass could be heard before the van even appeared, he knew it was Eddie.

“Hey, Robbie!” His scratchy shout was accompanied by a nodded head, his hair swishing about since his hands here full.

“Hey Munson.” he gave him a nod. Eddie was carrying a giant box of D and D paraphernalia as he stomped in his worn sneakers towards the side door. “Go in this way,” Robbie shouted and pointed behind him with his thumb. “Star’s in the kitchen. If you’re quiet you’ll catch her singing.” he grinned and winked.

“Should I plug my ears?” he jests.

“Nah she’s not so bad. Just.. erratic.” he chuckled.

“What else is new.” He grinned and entered, being more quiet than necessary as he did want to spy on Star. He put his cardboard box down on the big coffee table and looked into the kitchen. Star was bent over in the fridge, the door blocking most of her from sight. He watched her ass bounce to the beat and heard her muffled voice along with the sounds of metal on metal. He could tell she was wearing his Hellfire shirt, the hem sitting snug across her hips over the leggings she was wearing. She had on a pair of knee-high socks with a little vampire on them that said bite me. She was festive.

She popped up and continued dancing. There was some disco-sounding song with funk guitar and good bass playing on her boom box on the kitchenette table. She was without her usual jewelry. He noticed some rings but a lack of bangles. Her movements without the accompaniment of her usual jangling sounds seemed odd. Eddie stood and nodded his head to the beat and watched her unnoticed. She was counting bags of chips and boxes of cakes with an on-beat pointed finger. She bent over in front of him to look in the oven and he covered the grin on his face. Her skin-tight leggings stretched sheer over the swell of her ass and gave Eddie a little tease. Star, assumingly happy with what she found in the oven hopped back up and did more dancing than anything productive. She spun to head to the table to grab a bag of hot dog buns and saw Eddie. The way her face lit up at the sight of him made his already wide grin spread to his eyes. She said nothing, only shuffled forward with her arms and hips dancing, grabbing his wrist and trying to get him to dance with her.

“You know this one!”

“I do?” he asked her turning her back to him and shaking her ass.

“It’s on the first funk mix tape.”

“Oh right,” he said with enough earnestness she knew he recalled.

“It’s the song about you.” she stuck her tongue out as she turned and laughed.

“Play that funky music white boy?” he joined her in a laugh as she put his hands on her shoulders and she grabbed his waist.

“Yep.” she moved his hips with her since he refused.

“Oh. I got this part.” he shoved her back and started playing air guitar on the solo as she clapped. “Yeah, this was a good one. Well, acceptable.”

“So glad it has your elitist approval.” she snorted and shoved his shoulder.

“You gonna leave this on?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah, why?” she turned back from the counter.

“You want the guys to know you’re a poser?”

“I’m not a poser, you asshole!” she tossed a wet wooden spoon at him from the sink. “I don’t pretend to just like your guy's music. Wouldn’t hurt them to get exposed to some new music.”

“If you want to deal with them making fun of you, be my guest.”

“I guess they aren’t scared enough of me to not do that anymore, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you act like a human around guys.” Eddie chuckles.

“It’s already weird enough being the only girl. It’s a total sausage party.”

“I thought you’d be into that.” he smirked.

“I would be if they were viable options.” she stuck out her hip. “But alas.”

“They’re not THAT bad.”

“I didn’t say they were. But I have a type and they are not it.”

“And what’s your type again?” he said smugly, approaching her with his hands in his back pockets, a swaying gate.

“Your ugly mug break all the mirrors in your house? You not remember what you look like?” she grinned. “Go look in one and you’ll see what terrible taste I have.”

“Words hurt you know.” he said playfully, smacking her ass.

“My wittle puppy not like it when mama’s mean to him?” she pouted her lips at him, turning to face him. “I thought you were into degradation.” she tilted her head cockily.

“You…” he let out a dumb laugh and wagged his finger at her. “You don’t get to… say words… anymore.” his shoulders shook as a shocked and embarrassed grin took over his flushed pink cheeks.

She scrunched her nose and snorted out a laugh at his extreme reaction to her playfulness.

“Is this Van Morrison?” a familiar voice shouted. Dustin appeared in the doorway with a bobbing head.

“It is!” Star perked up.

“My mom love’s his stuff.” he followed Star’s lead of bobbing and moving their shoulders.

“She’s got good taste.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” he laughed as Star held out her hand to him and he took it. “But this song is good.” He followed her lead, her hand on his shoulder, his on her waist in a slow dance pose as they moved around together.

“She teach you to dance?” Star asked excitedly.

“She tried. Steve taught me.” he broke away and did a very cheesy snap and shuffle.

“Yeah, those are Steve's moves.” Star snorted and mimicked him. “Or this one?” she put a fist up and pumped it, moving her hips and nodding her head.

“Oh yeah or the Safety Dance.” Dustin stands wide and bobs his head then begins to hop around.

“I’m gonna start inviting you over instead of Eddie.” she side-eyed Eddie as she chuckled, doing the cabbage patch. “HE won’t dance with me!”

“Girls love it with you dance with them!” Dustin shouted at him.

“He’s…" she paused to count. "SIX years younger than you and knows this!” Star shouted too as Dustin grabbed Star's hand and spun her into him.

“What the hell is going on?” Mike asked as he walked into the frame of the doorway.

“They’re being lame.” Eddie said with pursed lips and crossed arms.

“Eddie’s mad because Dustin can dance and he can’t.” Star added as she and Dustin synced up and bumped hips.

“I CAN. I choose NOT to.” Eddie pronounced with a pointed finger. “THIS-” he waved his hand erratically at them. “Isn’t dancing to me.”

“Sorry, we can’t handbag to the greatest hits of the 60’s ya party pooper.”

“Party pooper? Are you 6 years old?” He laughed.

“You’re a stick in the mud, Munson.”

“Yeah, MUDSON!” Dustin cackled and Star joined in. “Get it?” he said with a beaming, happy face, both breaking a little bit of a sweat in the warm kitchen. Eddie kept strong and dead-panned them both, refusing to laugh.

“He does he’s just being a butt head.” Star taunted, shoving him.

“I only need one move for the ladies.” Eddie announced.

“Does it involve a cloth and chloroform?” Star snorted out.

“HA!” Dustin shouted out. “She got your ass.”

Eddie grabbed Star by the wrist and yanked her against his chest, surprising her. He did as he had only once before, and dipped her smoothly, a strong hand to her back and the other lifting her leg by the back of the thigh. He popped her back out and spun her out and she hit the kitchen counter. With a hand to her chest, she openly gawked at him.

“Who the hell was that? Where’d he come from? Bring him back!” she giggled. Dustin and Mike looked at each other from Star’s reaction. Time to capitalize on this.

“Yeah what the hell Eddie?” Dustin sounded almost angry. “Teach me that! Shit!” he glared with no contempt at the older man.

“Come here.” he finally broke and laughed and dipped Dustin.

“Mr.Munson I do declare.” Dustin fanned his face as Lucas’s laugh caught everyone's attention to announce his presence.

“It’s not that hard.” Eddie shrugged.

“We giving dance lessons?” Lucas asked.

“Apparently.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“The man's got moves. Well, one move. But it’s good.” Dustin turned his head, winking at Eddie. “Show me on Star again.” Dustin shoved Star into Eddie’s arms.

“Easy, tiger.” Star laughed.

“You turn them… put their arm around your neck… hold their back, then lower them down… hand moves down to lift the leg. See?” he held her like that for a second and she let her head fall back to look at the others. “Just make sure you’re strong enough to hold them with one arm.”

“Does it look good?” she asked with her messy plop of hair on her head dangling.

“It does.” Lucas agreed. “How…or WHY did you learn that?”

“To impress girls obviously.” Mike said.

“Theatre actually.” Eddie nonchalantly lifted her back up and got her on both feet again.

“You did theatre?”

“I took it as an easy elective. But we had to learn stuff even if we weren’t in the plays so… that’s what I learned.”

“PARTY’s HERE!” Gareth shouted, bringing in the rest of the guys who were looking at the odd gathering in the kitchen.

“You didn’t tell us your brother was Andre the Giant.” Star laughed at Gareth's wide eyes.

“He’s not THAT big.” she protested.

“He’s what? 6’ 3”?”

“I think so?” she shrugged.

“You’re shrimpy compared to him. How’d that happen?”

“Probably because he has a different dad?” she laughed at the awkward face Gareth made.

“Oh.”

“They do look alike though. In the face anyway.”

“And we’re both ugly.” Robbie grinned standing behind everyone and towering over them. “By my count, everyone’s here. So I’m gonna head out. I just wanted to put names to faces.”

“Aw, has Star been talking about us?” Lucas bat his eyelashes and laughed.

“She talks mad shit about all of you,” he said with a serious face and they all went a little pale. “I’m kidding.” he rolled his eyes and laughed. “Loosen up boys, you won’t last around her drunk if you don’t.”

“You’re drunk?” Jeff asked.

“Not yet.” Star shook her head.

“I’d say be good but there’s no point. You know the number for 911. Don’t die, please. Have fun.” he waves his hands up and grabs his coat and pail and heads out.

“Same sense of humor.” Eddie nodded.

“Same eyes.” Dustin added studying Star’s face.

“Yeah we look like our mom.” added with a soft smile.

“Speaking of, you get to have parties without your parents?” Gareth asked. Star saw Eddie’s face cringe.

“I don’t think they care when they’re dead,” Star said entirely too casually and knocked everyone into a wide-eyed embarrassed expression. “Well technically I don’t know who my dad is so he could be alive. But if he’s not cared for 18 years I don’t think he’s gonna start now.” she laughed and no one else did. Except Eddie who hid his grin behind his hand, pretending to rub his nose. “Relax!” Star held up her hands. “It’s fine. You didn’t know. Now you do.” she shook her head. “Let’s forget all that and get this shit started.” she clapped her hands together and started directing. She shooed Eddie out to set up his session and she showed everyone where everything was. “We’ve got beer, liquor, pop. Hot dogs, pizza, and snacks. You got chips, cakes and of course-” She turned around holding a giant orange bowl that looked like a jack-o-lantern. “A shit load of candy!” she grinned and wobbled with the wide bowl into the living room.

She’d made enough to feed a small army but 7 teenage boys was a small army when it came to how much they could eat. They hung a garbage bag on a door knob and used it to gather everything as they consumed her cooking.

“Could you make this every time we have sessions?” Lucas asked while stuffing his face full of pizza.

“She’s brought it before. If you were there you’d know that.” Eddie gave him a slightly lecturing voice.

“When I make it I’ll bring you some leftovers at lunch the next day. Deal?

“Hell yeah.” he nodded enthusiastically.

“How you want me to get it to you? I don’t think your other friends would like me walking over to the table to talk to you and give you food.”

“I don’t think they’d care that much.” he shrugged.

“Seriously? After she said Jason had a little dick?” Gareth laughed.

“He’s too far up Chrissy’s ass to care about much. And the rest of them follow him so…” he shrugged.

“You’re saying they wouldn’t care if we came over and talked to you?” Eddie said in disbelief.

“No, I didn’t say that. I said if SHE did.”

“What makes her so special?” Eddie asked, perched on the edge of the couch as he shuffled papers.

“Well… they don’t wanna bone with you, Eddie.” a giggle traveled across the group.

“They make fun of all of us, her included.” Eddie looked confused.

“They’re guys Eddie. They lie.” Star stated obviously. “They’ll make fun of me in public and try to fuck me in private.”

“They do what?” everyone noticed the bristle on Eddie’s face. Lucas nodded.

“That story I made up about Jason trying to get some? Not a lie. It just wasn’t him it was about.” Eddie blinked at her trying to compute. “Don’t call me conceited but I’m attractive. And I know how I present myself. It doesn’t matter if I’m a freak, they’d still bone me.” she laughed.

“Those guys are bothering you?” he noticed the guys side eyeing him with a few smirks. “Well we can’t just let her get harassed by the enemy.” he says defensively.

“Unless you plan on fighting every man that’s ever spoken to me I’d say you’re a bit helpless in this situation, hun.”

“THAT was a little conceited.” Jeff grinned.

“True. But guys don’t approach girls on their own unless they want something from them. That’s just how it is.” she shrugged. “I don’t mean to get all philosophical on you but seeing as I’m the only girl here maybe it can shed some light on what being a girl is like.”

“She’s right,” Mike chirped you and everyone looked at him confused. “Nancy? My sister. I’ve heard about it from her.”

“Next time they try shit you tell me.” Eddie tapped the table in front of her.

“Okay.” she rolled her eyes.

“Might as well start with Brandon.” Lucas chuckled.

“Brandon?” Eddie’s head swung fast.

“He left her a love letter in her locker last week.” he snickered.

“The poor kid can’t spell to save his life.” Star laughed.

“Too many concussions.” Jeff added.

Star saw Eddie’s hands clench and he pretend to focus on the paper in front of him.

“Stuff like that isn’t a big deal. It’s whatever.” She shrugged it off.

“Until they start spray painting you’re a slut on the movie theatre.” Star blinked at Dustin. “They did it to Mike's sister.”

“Christ.” She groaned.

“Yeah wasn’t that Steve?” Eddie saw Star’s face look hurt and it brought him a small slice of pride he almost felt guilty about. Almost.

“No, it was Tommy. Ex friend. Guys a total dick.”

“I’m ready to start this. If we're done gossiping” Eddie announced abruptly, a thinly veiled attempt to recover and stop having to hear about how every guy around her wanted a piece of Star.

“Everyone got their snacks? Notebooks? Drinks?” Star asked sitting by Eddie’s feet around the table. He sat on the couch to tower over everyone and they all squeezed around the rectangular coffee table to have a one-shot Halloween session.

-

“I’m the unluckiest person to ever live.” Star said pouting, taking a deep breath and staring at the shot glass in front of her.

“You are on a losing streak tonight.” Eddie chuckled, looking at the sad roll of 3 in front of him.

“I’m like... getting drunk.” she said with a nod, big glassy eyes looking up at Eddie and the other guys laughed.

“Yeah.” Eddie stifled a laugh and took the shot glass out of her hand. “How about you eat, then switch to beer instead?”

“I can’t drink a whole beet every time! God damn!” her voice inflected upwards and Dustin’s snorting laugh rose above everyone’s.

“No, you just take a drink of it when you miss.”

“Ohhh.” she nodded and stood up on wobbly legs. “Y’so smart Eddie.” she scrunched her nose and giggled, her hands on the coffee table.

“You need help getting to the kitchen?” Eddie asked, holding her elbow to keep her steady.

“That’s a definite yes.” Mike chuckled, Star looked at him and pursed her lips.

“Lemme see how you handle 4 shots of whiskey on an empty stomach you little bitch.” The table erupted in laughter. Gareth spilled his beer on Jeff who at noticing, tipped his can over and spilled a little back of Gareth before they fell on each other with a laugh.

“You didn’t eat? Ugh, Star.” Eddie sounded agitated with her.

“I was cooking and doing the stuff for the thing! I was busy!” Her voice cracked with the high register she was hitting.

“Aw, she does care.” Gareth chuckled.

“Of course, I care! I don’t let just anyone in my house!” She shook her head defiantly. “Eddie’s not even been in here much.”

“Eddies been over?” Dustin smirked and Eddie braced himself to cover Star's mouth if she said anything he thought sober her wouldn’t want anyone else to know.

“Duh like all the time he’s my bes fren.” She said very fast. “He’s just usually in my trailer not here.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of her to say.” Dustin leaned toward Eddie like he wanted him to do something about it.

“I don’t think you’re being as helpful as you think you are.” He said quietly to Dustin.

“Oh, that’s your place?” Jeff asked.

“Yeah it was our place now it’s just mine it’s like my little cave. My stuff's there.” She pointed in its direction.

“What stuff?” Gareth asked, his slowly fading sobriety becoming more obvious.

“My things. My bed. My cats. My stuff.” She counted off.

“Alright, we’re gonna pause and babysit.” Eddie said, preparing to stand.

“No!” Star shook his hand off her and stood. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. ”You Master. My turns over, I’ll be back before it’s my turn again. If I’m not send a search party.” she rubbed her face, a slap to each cheek before she nodded and walked with much less wobble the short distance to the kitchen.

“If you get lost the 20 feet to the kitchen we’ve got bigger problems.” Eddie teased.

“Why don’t you take that shot so you’re not so mean, huh? How’s it fair to play people that’ll drinking and you’re sober?”

“I mean I’m a little high.” he grinned.

“Doesn’t count!” Star crossed her arms and slung them down from the archway of the kitchen. “Take the shot!.” she laughed. “Is it fair he’s trying to beat us and we’re not sober when he is?” she acclaimed to her fellow party mates.

“I mean we aren’t drunk.” The three youngest muttered.

“I know. Because you’re my good boys. You’re too young. When you’re 16 you’re allowed.” she said affectionately.

“We’re going by British rules?” Dustin asked.

“Yep.” Star nodded enthusiastically. “Shoot it, Eddie. Even the playing field, we’re getting our asses handed to us right now.”

“Show ‘em some mercy.” Dustin whispered to him.

“What kind of DM would I be if I yielded to the party's request?”

“A GOOD ONE!” the 4 drunken members shouted.

“Do it. Or I’ll call you a pussy.” Star giggled.

“I don’t care what you call me.” Eddie laughed. “I’m called worse daily! ONLY because you said it’d make me a better DM. NOT because you called me a pussy.” he pointed a finger harshly at Star.

“Thata boy!” she clapped.

“Now go eat a hot dog you, drunk.” He hisses at the burn for a second and shooed Star with his hand.

“Don’t tell me to put WEINERS in my mouth Eddie.” she bent over as she shuffled toward the kitchen counter laughing. The simple use of the word weiner sent the group into a giggle.

“Speaking of-” Dustin begins with a smirk and both Eddie and Mike give a pointed elbow and a foot stomp his way.

“Henderson you need to fuckin reel it in. Christ, I’m DMing children.” Eddie rubbed his face but also laughed with them.

-

“You see one of the leaders emerge from the woods. He’s beaten up and bloodied. He has clear signs of a struggle on his face and clothes. He approaches the group, stumbling slightly as he leaves the safety of the tree line. What do you do?” Eddie introduces yet another crumpled leader of the encampment returning. He sat tall and proud, a smug smile as his tailor-made story unfolded.

“Another one?”

“So three have disappeared and come back all beat up? That’s a pattern.”

“But they say nothing happened.” They took turns trying to piece together the story.

“I don’t trust them. I stay in my hiding spot.” Stars eyes narrow. “Imma roll to stay hidden.”

“You’re gonna come shooting out of that cabin like a human cannonball with your luck.” Mike teases.

“She makes it. Barely.” Eddie approves. “You stay unseen by the returned leaders.”

A few turns later as a leader mentions a former plot point Star sits straight up and calls attention to herself.

“ITS A SLASHER!” she hits the table in front of her repeatedly.

The sets of surprised and confused eyes look at her. All except Eddie whose grin was slowly growing.

“The leaders? Camp counselors. It’s literally an enCAMPment, guys! Someone is killing the counselors and these are like…. changlings! They aren’t the leaders! Ronan said before he would never put himself before his people and what is he doing?!” She hits the table with her fingers repeatedly again. “They’re possessed or brainwashed or something!! It’s a Sleep Away camp, Friday the 13th possession situation!”

“Holy shit.” A drunk Gareth's eyes dart around the plane of the gridded dungeon before him.

“So we have to kill them!” Star demanded as Dustin had been weighing his options for his next action.

“Shit. She’s right.” Dustin looks over to star with his wild curl pattern starting to corkscrew out from under his hat from sweat. “Isn’t she?” He looks up to Eddie with an impressed face. “It follows the slasher plot directly. We’ve lost 2 party members already. The leaders are picking us off. You son of a bitch.”

Eddie grinned and shrugged. “Happy Halloween, fuckers.”

-

“You always said you’d survive these slasher movies, Star. Let’s see if you’re right.” Eddie picked up her die and handed them to her shaking hands.

“We’re fucked.” Mike hit the table.

“I’ve not even rolled yet!” Star screeched.

“You’ve not rolled anything good all night!”

“She got the camp goers out alive.” Eddie pointed out with a finger.

“But she wasn’t fighting! She hid in a fuckin cabin all night.”

“Probably because I knew my rolls were shit and I didn’t want yelled at.” Star snarks back, making a face at Mike.

“It’s you and the monster, Lady Athena. Are you gonna be the final girl Ash Williams?” Eddie said quietly to her and smiled.

“He IS a final girl! I don’t have time to-!” Eddie put his hand over her shouting mouth.

“Roll, Lady Sandys.” He leaned forward and grinned. Star made a noise of disapproval and bite Eddie’s hand. “You bit me!” He laughed and shook his hand.

“Don’t feed the animals man.” Lucas laughed. “Don’t put your hands in the cage.”

“No fucking kidding.” Eddie put his mouth to the bite to soothe it.

“No pressure.” Star took a deep breath and cupped her hands around the dice with closed, concentrated eyes. Trying to fill them with intention. When she opened them she found everyone leaning towards her with anxious fingers tapping and twitching on the tabletop. “Big money. No whammies.” She said optimistically and let the dice free.

Eddie was at the ready with his pencil and notepad knowing he could do the math for the completion far quicker than Star could. Everyone stared at Eddie, Dustin sloppily sliding Stars character notes across the table to himself to see what the verdict was.

“Well shit.” Eddie cackled, his hand rubbing through his hair before looking down at a very wide-eyed Star. He reached out and knocked the miniature over. “Athena Sandys takes her great club and brains the mind-controlling creature into the dewy grass of the early morning. The sun crests over the mountains surrounding the camp illuminating the carnage left behind and her fallen party members. She is the last conscious survivor. No longer the victim she is the victor.” Eddie bows his head to her.

“I DID IT?? I DID IT!!!” She screams and rolls on her back and kicks her feet. “Take that! Fuckers!” She punched the air before sitting back up and getting double high-fived by Dustin who keeps hold of her hands and shakes them. They scream into each other’s faces with excitement. Star wished it could’ve been an official game, one with big stakes like Eddie’s campaigns were. But she felt proud nonetheless for the win in any capacity. “If I hadn’t hid half the game you all would be dead!” She cackled.

“What a pussy way to win!” Gareth shook his head but he was laughing.

“But a win, nonetheless.” Eddie points out. Eddie watched Star's entire being light up as she got jostled around among the group as they stood and celebrated. As a DM he couldn’t have asked for a much better game. Her unorthodox gameplay in comparison to the guys made it possible for them to win. That was the logical reason behind his smiling. The warm fuzzy feeling in his chest he pushed down was watching her be so excited about something he cared about. She never had to play with them, but he was eternally grateful that she had.

Star orchestrated the group, no longer under DM rule she took charge.

“Okay, I’m cleaning up. Let’s do a quick sweep, I’ll get dishes. Let's do bathroom breaks and smoke breaks. Get food and drinks and settle back in after. Then it’s game time.” She clapped her hands and the guys dispersed accordingly. Eddie put all his D and D pieces back into his box, watching the others scramble about and fight over the order they’d get to use the one bathroom in the house.

“Have you forgotten you’re dudes and can just go pee outside?” Star shouted from the kitchen. “Out the door to the left, in the bushes please.”

“You don’t mind if we-?”

“They’re dead from cold and it’s better than you all fighting. Knock yourselves out. Get some fresh air!” She ushered them away with a push of her hands. Everyone moves past the kitchen doorway in a small herd.

“Alright! Out to smoke. Give the champ some breathing room.” Edie says with a cigarette already between his lips and clapping at the group of guys in front of him, filing out the door.

The younger three take turns going around the corner to pee.

“I wonder why peeing outside is so much better than inside?”

“Because that’s how humans used to do it.”

“Caveman brain.” They muttered and laughed.

Not even half a cig in, Eddie takes a deep breath and smashes his out into the small sand-filled planter by the stoop.

“I’m going back in. Take your time.”

“Take our time?” Dustin narrowed his eyes with intrigue.

“Yeah. No rush coming back in. I’m gonna talk to Star about the session.”

“What’s that code for?” Mike snorted.

“Nothing. It’s her first win. She did really well.” Eddie stood up with a good posture to raise his chin and look down at the group of younger guys with disdain. “She probably wants to talk about it. She usually does. Didn’t think you guys cared to hear it.” he shrugged.

“She usually does?” Dustin asked.

“Yeah we talk about how she did after sessions, wants pointers and stuff.” he shrugged off the question.

“That’s cute.” Dustin grinned.

“Star you’re so good at D and D, will you marry me?” Lucas laughed.

“Oh is that what this is about?” Jeff had a smug smile.

“No. It’s not.” Eddie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “They keep saying this shit to me.” he groans.

“You like her. Don’t act stupid.” Dustin bravely says as Eddie’s chin pushes back into his neck at his boldness.

“We just can’t figure out if she likes him.” Mike adds.

“Out of all of us, you’ve got the best chance.” Jeff shrugged.

“It’s not some contest about winning her or something,” Eddie says with more bite to his words. “We’re not in competition here. We’re friends and I’m respecting that.”

“Maybe she wants to be disrespected?” Gareth asked.

“Not cool.” Lucas scolds him.

“Look,” Eddie says shifting his weight to lean forward. “I know you three mini musketeers are gonna try some shit. I’ve come to accept this with your little comments and winks that look like something’s wrong with you. But like I said, don’t mess with her. Fuck with me all you want, keep your snotty little comments coming, but don’t be shitty to her.”

“Aw.” Dustin smiled widely.

“That was almost heartwarming, dude.” Jeff grinned. “I didn’t know it was like that.”

“I would do the same for any of you, too!”

“Awww.” the group says patronizingly.

“Jesus Christ you’re impossible.” Eddie throws his hands down, letting them slap his legs.

“So she said we’re playing a game. Can we capitalize on that?” Dustin steps forward to clarify before Eddie fully turned to leave.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Party games. You know. People make out and shit?” Dustin says incredulously.

“She wouldn’t want to make out with any of us.” Eddie chuckled.

“He’s a terrible liar.” Gareth smirks.

“Always has been.” Jeff nodded in agreement.

“Wouldn’t you prefer to have a friend who’s bad at lying?” Eddies voice cracked with exertion. “Since you aren’t gonna listen to me, just… be nice. Okay? That’s all. I’m done with this stupid conversation. I’m gonna go play catch up with your level of indignant drunkenness so I can enjoy myself since my job is over.”

“We’ll give you a few minutes.”

“Use it wisely.”

“Or don’t.” They all chuckled as Eddie rolled his eyes and went back into the house.

“Did he say he liked her?” Gareth asked as soon as the door was shut behind Eddie.

“Technically yes?” Lucas grimaced.

“What does that mean? Isn’t it a yes or no question?”

“Not really. That’s the issue we ran into.”

“They aren’t together. We know that.”

“Does she have some secret boyfriend in… wherever she came from?”

“Right?” Lucas asked. “I thought the same thing.”

“But she doesn’t.” Dustin pointed out. “We’re just trying to get them to admit they like each other. We think they’d be good together. What do you guys think?”

“If they’re together that could be really bad if it goes south.” Jeff pointed out.

“True. But I don’t think it will.”

“She’s a bit of a wild card sometimes. I couldn’t tell you exactly how she’ll react to something.”

“Plus if they’re together then we’d have to deal with them being TOGETHER. What if he starts ditching us? Or what if they’re all over each other all the time?”

“I don’t think Eddie’s the PDA type.”

“Has he not had a girlfriend before? Is that what’s holding this up?”

“He has just never one we knew. Definitely not one in the club. He doesn’t mix business and pleasure.”

“We thought it was her holding it up. Maybe it’s him.”

“I don’t want to get her out of Hellfire for the sake of them dating. She makes us food and she’s not terrible at it anymore.”

“We’re just saying, we’ve lost friends to girls before. It sucks. We’d rather not have it happen again.”

“But she’s our friend too. She can’t take him away, she’s one of us.”

“Kids got a point.” Jeff shrugged at Gareth’s protests.

“Or we could listen to Eddie and leave it be?” There’s a beat of silence, some chewing their lips in thought and others looking at the ground.

“Nah.” they laugh in unison.

-

Star was doing dishes in the kitchen, music approved by the group playing faintly in the background.

“You want some help?” Eddie asked, sauntering up to her.

“You wanna dry?” She took the tea towel on the counter and snapped it at him with a smile.

“You’re the winner, you call the shots.”

“I am aren’t I?” she popped a beaming smile on her face as she turned her attention back to the dishes.

“I’d say you did really well but you kinda sucked until the end.” He teased with a grin as she bumped him with her hip.

“Can’t let me just have a win can you?” she shook her head but kept the same smile.

“You’re getting better I’ll admit that.”

“Thanks. I’m trying.” she looks over to him to give him a genuine soft-eyed glance.

“I can tell.” his voice is gentle and quiet and unlike his Dungeon Master persona. Within a few plates time, they’re finished with the chore as they move on to more important things.

“You wanna drink?” she asked, whiskey bottle in hand as she sat on the floor in front of the couch. Eddie slid down next to her, crossed-legged on the shag carpet.

“I need to catch up.” he nodded as she grabbed another shot glass off the table and started to pour. “You wanna smoke?” he grinned and took a joint from behind his ear.

“Always.” she nods and takes an ashtray older than both of them off the side table. “I need one of these too.” she reached for the pack of cigarettes she’d kept under the table. “Lighters in my purse. Light me?” she asked with it extended toward him with pooched lips.

“You gonna smoke both?” he laughed and did as was asked of him.

“Yeah. Gimmie.” she grabby handed the joint he had just taken a drag off of. She put the cigarette in one corner and the joint in the other and started laughing. Puffs of smoke escaped her like a train as she exhaled. “Walrus.” she slapped her hands together.

“Seals are the ones that do the thing.” Eddie slapped his hands together like hers.

“They both do it!” she shouted. “Also walruses have the tusks. Seals don't.”

“You’ve got a mustache like a walrus that’s for sure.” he cackled.

“Oh my god Eddie!” she inhaled so hard she started coughing at his insult. “Asshole!”

The guys return to Star leaning over Eddie with his socked feet on her chest to hold her back as he kept her at leg length.

“Okay, maybe they are just friends.” Jeff snorted quietly, amused at the scene in front of him.

“Nah that’s flirting.” Gareth shook his head.

“What the hell kind of flirting is that?”

“The kind that a freak like Eddie does.”

“We leave you two alone and come back to you beating up the DM?”

“I’m beating up Eddie, not the DM,” she stated. “He insulted me, this is what he gets.”

“What happened to being nice?” Dustin tilted his head at a huffing Eddie.

“Change of plans.” Eddie grunted.

“Is this the game you were talking about playing?” Lucas grinned as they took their places around the table.

“No.” Star grabbed one of Eddie’s ankles and clawed her hand. A wordless threat to tickle him.

“I’ll curb-stomp your ass if you even THINK about it!” Eddie warns her with wide eyes and fists raised.

“I think my threat is sufficient.” She nodded smugly. “I want to play a party game. We don’t hang out outside of hellfire so I wanted to do some bonding with you guys.”

“You sound like my dad with her work friends. Team building exercises this. Synergy that.” Mike gags.

“I do wanna build as a team! But not in a white-collar way. I thought some good old-fashioned truth or dare might work better than a retreat where we cheat on our wives.”

“Hell yeah.” Gareth nods in approval.

“Really? Truth or dare?” Eddie's face was fully judging Star.

“Well we aren’t doing spin the bottle and we aren’t doing 7 minutes in heaven since I’m the only girl.” She states obviously. “Unless you guys wanna make out with each other. Which I have no issue with.” She giggled.

"I think that's gonna be a pass."

-

Star had cozied up the place. With the fireplace now going with the encroaching chill from outside through the old windows being fought off by the flames. A metal mixtape of Eddie’s plays faintly from a boom box on a far side table. With the lights dimmed and everyone stocked on snacks and drinks, the so-called bonding began.

“I usually drink beer this shit is…heavy.” Eddie’s eyes flinch as he takes a drink of whiskey in solidarity with the other older members.

“Ever had wine?”

“Ew no, who am I the pope?” Eddie frowns.

“Too sophisticated for you? I understand.” she pat his arm condescendingly.

“I prefer actual blood and not some pseudo blood like a Catholic.” He sticks out his tongue at Star and gives her big eyes, shaking his head to move his hair and lean toward her.

”That’s what I’ve heard.” Star snorts and palms his face to move him away. She pours them both another shot and pushes the bottle out. “We’ve got more of you wanna do any dares.” She plucks the joint from Eddie’s lips and takes a drag for herself. “This too.” She holds out the joint like she’s making a toast. “Who goes first?”

“You’re the host.” Dustin points out.

“Good point.” She nods, taking another drag. “So Dustin!” She smiled wide and sat back, one knee up and crossing her legs. Eddie steals back the joint and she doesn’t react. “Truth or dare.”

“Truth.” He confidently says with a nod.

“BOO!” A few guys exclaim.

“No choice shaming!” Star wags a finger. “Truths are just as valid as dares. Can also be equally as rewarding or devastating.” She pointed out. “Truth.” She nodded in thought, chewing her lip as she eyed the anticipating young man. “What was the last lie you told?”

“And we have to be honest?” He clarified.

“That’s a rule.” She clarified.

“Last lie….” his eyes wandered as he thought for a moment. “Oh! Today actually. My mom. Told her there’d be adults here.” He grinned mischievously.

“BOO!” Gareth groaned.

“It’s true!” His voice cracked.

“They can’t all be winners.” Star shrugged.

“Pretty solid question though.” Eddie nodded and spoke quietly to Star.

“My turn.” Dustin held his hand up and tapped his fingers together dramatically.

“The power will corrupt him.” Lucas chuckled.

“Eddie.”

“Oh shit.” He mumbled and sat up straight.

“Dare.” He let out a heavy exhale, elbows resting on his crossed legs.

“Should I?” Dustin lets out a dramatic laugh and rubs his hand together. “So many choices.” He hummed and considered. “Should I just kick start this party?“ he asked himself rhetorically.

“Shoot.” Eddie winked and pointed a finger gun at Dustin.

“Eddie. I dare you to kiss Star.” He says with a devilish radiant smile, looking over to Star.

“I knew it would happen but not so soon. You’ve got balls to startwith a kiss dare I’ll give you that much Henderson.” She nodded.

“Kiss her? Really?”

“A good one too!” He instructed and the targets both chuckled. “No cheek or hand.”

“Give the people their money's worth.” Jeff joined in laughing.

“You okay with this?”

“It’s the game, you have to play.” She shrugged but kept a smile. “My only addendum here. This goes for everyone. I don’t want everyone daring me to kiss all of you. Got it? I knew the risk coming in but I’ll be damned if that’ll stop me. But I’m not gonna swap spit with everybody. Can we agree with that?”

“Agreed.” A mumble and nods among the group.

“So knowing that do you want me to kiss Eddie? Or are you changing your answer?”

“No takesie backsies.” Mike commanded with a shake of his head.

“Okay, that’s added to the rules.” Star hits the table like she has a gavel.

“We just… in front of everyone?” Eddie asked, eyes glancing around the table.

“Yep.” Dustin gave a single hard nod.

“You really not want to kiss me that bad?” Star chuckled as she turned her body towards his.

“It’s not that.” He gave her a playful smile and met her body posture.

“Any further requests? Because if I kiss him then you say no that’s not what I meant and I’m not doing it again. Only one dare per turn.”

“Are we writing a fuckin' contract over every turn come ON.” Gareth groaned.

“I’m simply making sure rules are established.” Star said softly.

“On the lips. For… 15?” He looks to the other guys. “15 seconds?” He’s given a series of kids.

“And you can’t just push your lips together and then hold them there for 15 seconds,” Lucas added. “Has to be a real kiss.”

“Sinclair, what do you know about real kissing you little scamp?” Star laughed.

“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled back.

“Set the timer. Tell us when.”

“You ready?” Star giggled inches from Eddie’s face.

“I hate this.” He whispered and it made her laugh.

“S’not so bad.”

“Go!” Dustin called out. Eddie did look a bit hesitant. He didn’t like doing this in front of anyone else. He didn’t care for knowing Dustin felt like he’d done something in regards to getting them together. If they only knew.

Star gave him a sweet smile and moved forward first. A move not missed by the older guys. They went by the rules, and neither was going to show off. They were nowhere near drunk enough for that. A single press for a breath, and Eddie followed her lead, not wanting to metaphorically step on her toes. He couldn’t help but be affected by her soft cherry chapstick tasting lips as she kissed him with soft movements and a push of her mouth into his.

It’d been a little while since they’d been together in any capacity. He’d been trying to save the kisses for when they’d turn into more as he had started getting the urge to kiss her for more reasons than the bored and horny claim they’d started their fling with. With her working, their social expectations, hobbies, and midterms looming there hadn't been as much time for having rendezvous together. He didn’t want to call her up for a quickie only to have to leave or crash immediately after and run as soon as he woke a few hours later.

So the physical effects of Star's soft lips truly kissing Eddie were apparent and he resituates himself to hide that fact. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed kissing her.

“And time.”

She pulled away with a smile and couldn’t help but let out a giggle she muffled by lowering her head. She’d missed kissing him too. The group was quiet, a mix of curiosity and a flutter of arousal moving through the group having watched the two truly, fully kiss.

“That wasn’t so bad now was it?” She scrunched her nose at him, a look he was used to seeing in private.

“No that was-“ he let out a deep chuckle and realized his posture had slumped and relaxed at her touch. “Yeah, that’s good.” He nodded and pulled his knees against his chest.

“Dustin you’ve embarrassed the poor thing.” Star pouts and reaches to pinch Eddie’s cheek and he takes her by the wrist and lowers her hand before she can touch him.

“No’m not.” he grumbles.

“It’s your turn now anyway.”

“Revenge.” Star giggled. Eddie could see her eyes a bit glassy and knew she was feeling the whiskey.

“Star.” Eddie smiles devilishly. A cackle comes from the older boys at the heel turn.

“I kissed you! You don’t pick on me!” she whined.

“Truth or dare?” Eddie says with a wide shake of his head, dismissing her complaint.

“Dare.” she states with an aggressive head nod.

“I dare you to kiss me.” he says before it turns into a deep laugh. “I’m kidding.” he grins as she shoved his arm in response. “I want you to go find the most embarrassing photo of you that you have.”

“Ohshit.” she groaned and slumped her shoulders. A laugh moved throughout the group at her expense. “That’s a good one. You asshole.” she complained and stood, going to one of the closed back rooms to find a photo album.

“So how was the kiss?” a hissed whisper from Jeff as he leaned forward across the table.

“Good?” Eddie smirked.

“That’s all we get? Really?” Gareth frowned.

“You saw it!” Eddie whisper shouted back.

“It looked good.” Jeff snorted out a quiet laugh.

“It was.” Edie lowered his eyes and smiled, Dustin giggled at the sight.

“Okay, I found an old album.” They all slunk back to their original positions at the appearance of the kisser in question. “We don’t have that many really.” she sat back down next to Eddie and thumped the old album on the table with a poof of dust. “There are the usual naked bathtub photos but everyone’s got those. They aren’t embarrassing. I’m not really embarrassed by any of them.” she pouted her lips as she fanned through the sticky pages. “I guess this one is the best.” she pushed the book out and tapped a photo. A photo of Star with no front teeth and a wide smile at about 8 years old with a laughing Robbie in the background. “I had just come home from school. I’d gotten in a fight and was losing my baby teeth pretty rapidly. So when I got hit it knocked out by loose teeth.” she laughed at the sight. She had lop-sided and messy pigtails and a smudge of dirt on her face. Despite the rough exterior, her little face was proud and delighted. “Mom took the picture. We were surprised it was in focus with how much we were all laughing.”

“That’s adorable that’s not embarrassing,” Dustin said affectionately.

“She looks like you before your teeth came in.” Mike joked.

“It took them a little while to come in. I had two missing front teeth for a bit there. It was pretty damn cute.” Eddie watches Star’s face soften, a nostalgic and far away look in her eyes. “Does that count?” she met his eyes, surprised to find him looking up at her.

“Yeah, that’s pretty god damn cute. I can let that count.” he nodded with an air of smugness. Star slapped the album shut and slid it under the end table by the couch.

“My turn. Again.” she clapped her hands together lightly in thought. “Should I dare you to kiss me again? Is this the running joke now?”

“I think it is.” Eddie didn’t look at her, picking at his nails, but smiled at her.

“Okay.” she wiggled in her seat and thought for a moment. “Gareth.”

“Dare. Always.” he says with a surge of masculinity.

“Go grab the mustard and a tablespoon.” she smirked.

“Ah, shit.” he laughed and did as instructed.

Then began a more light-hearted series of dares of slapping the person to your right, ice cubes down your pants, and trying to flirt with the person to your left. A few more shots and double shots were had on dares. It was running smoothly and Star had caught a break for a moment.

“Star.” Mike asked.

“Okay. Truth.”

“C’mon choose dare.”

“Nope.” she grinned.

“Fine. Is it true you burned your old school down?”

“Mike.” Eddie hissed under his breath.

“No, it’s fine.” Star pat Eddie’s knee. “I didn’t. There was a fire but I didn’t burn the school down. I started the fire but I didn't on purpose.”

“Does that have anything to do with your arm?” he inquired further.

“MIKE!” Eddie sat up with his hands on the table, coming to her defense.

“Eddie.” Star put her hand to his chest. “Down boy.” she shushed him.

“Is that the rumor that went around? People said I burnt down my school because I had burn scars?”

“That and satanic sacrifices.” Lucas casually added.

“Is that one true?” Mike asked.

“Are we asking me questions now or are we playing?” Star chuckled.

“We’ve got a lot.” Dustin nodded. Star sighed and poured another shot without a word and hit it back. “Go on. Let’s get this over with.”

“Star.” Eddie said quietly.

“It’s fine. I wanted us to bond. It’s only fair I answer some things since we’re friends now.”

“I’m a witch but I don’t worship satan and I don’t sacrifice people. Or animals,” she explains like she’s counting off on her fingers. “The burns are related to the school fire and no I don’t want to elaborate on that. There was fire, I got burned. That’s pretty straightforward. I wasn’t trying to burn the school down. I’ve also heard I was in a cult, I wasn’t.”

“You could’ve stopped at the witch part because WHAT?” Mike's mouth hangs open.

“You know...paganism? I say witch because it gets the point across faster. It’s a belief system. It’s not pointy hats and cauldrons.”

“You have a cauldron.” Eddie smirked.

“SHE WHAT?” Dustin says absolutely invested.

“It’s tiny. I mix herbs and oils for spell work and rituals.”

“You do spells??” Lucas sits straight up.

“Yeah. It’s part of the practice. It’s like…praying?” she shrugs. “But more hands-on.”

“Have you ever put a spell on one of us?”

“No.” she heartily laughed.

“Sure you didn’t put a love spell on Eddie?” Dustin giggled.

“Didn’t need to.” she chuckled and pinched his cheek. He tried to hide a smile and failed.

“I DID hear you were... uh... I don’t know any other way to put it but you were using us... as a group… for sex magic.” Jeff added.

“Yeah, Eddie told me that one. That’s a good one. I’m not obviously since I’m not sleeping with all of you.” she chortled.

“I’ve had people ask if you and Eddie were.”

“That was YOU Gareth.” Star threw her head back in a laugh.

“I mean other people. They think you worship satan together and shit.”

“I don’t believe in satan.” she rolled her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t you date Steve?” Dustin blurted out and Eddie's head noticeably snapped his way.

“Why don’t you ask him? Isn’t he like, your best friend?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. Yeah but I wanna know. Ladies LOVE Steve.” Star sighed.

“I get it, I do. He’s a doll." Eddie side-eyed Star but she didn't notice. "Sweet guy, nice, all that jazz. But he’s not my type. His parents are rich, which changes your brain. I was born poor. There’s a fundamental difference in how we see the world.” she expressed with gripped hands. Eddie suppressed a smile and for what might've been the first time in his life he was glad he was poor. “He’s my friend. I’d do anything for the guy. But I won’t date him. I’d feel like I was leading him on knowing it wouldn’t work out in the long run.” she answers honestly and Dustin can tell. “Plus he’s very… he seems very domestic, bless him. He wants a wife and a houseful of kids with a dog and picket fence and I’m just… not that girl.” she huffed out softly.

“You don’t wanna get married? Ever?” Jeff asked as if this surprised him.

“I didn’t say that.” Star shook a finger his way. “I don’t know what the future holds. I’m not making plans. I’m just 18, well almost 19 but I’m not thinking about that right now. That’s future me’s problem.” she sat back with a laugh.

“You want kids? I still think you’d be a great mom.”

“I don’t know why you think that but the same answer. I don’t know.” she groaned. “Also don’t go commenting on if a girl wants to get married and have kids. It’s a bit fucked up, to be honest. I’m not lecturing you because I like you and know you don’t mean to be shitty. But making a woman feel bad for her choices that our culture forces on us from birth is shitty. Don’t do it. Mind your business.” she explains with a sweeping hand.

“That’s why I tried to stop this.” Eddie grumbled.

“I’m not mad. I just want them aware. I know you know.” she pat Eddie’s thigh.

“Why’d you move?” Gareth asks, Eddie felt Star's hand stiffen on his leg and she felt him tense just the same.

“I needed to… get away from the city.” her tone was tight. Her body language shifted to guarded.

“Did you not have friends? Did they not care that you just bolted?” he further inquired.

“Turns out the people I thought were my friends were actually kinda shitty.” She sat back and sighed.

“What about a boyfriend?” Gareth smirked.

“You could quit interrogating her you know.” Eddie says with a little bite.

“She appeared out of nowhere! Call me curious!”

“I had one.” She shrugged, looking down and avoiding the gazing eyes.

“Ohhh what was he like?” Dustin innocently asked. He was hoping to find out if he’d been anything like Eddie.

“Well…” she took a deep breath. “He’s in prison now so… if that gives you any idea.” She rubbed her arm and her brow dropped.

“Oh shit. You dated a criminal?”

“He wasn’t in prison when I met him.”

A few sets of eyes blink at her in question.

“Why’d he go to prison?”

“Robbery?” She shook her head.

“Stole a car!” Another shake with tighter lips.

“Murder?” Were thrown into the ring for contenders along with clueless laughter.

“No it was actually,” she paused and her nose winced involuntarily. “Uhm, Aggravated Assault.” No one in the group except for Eddie had heard Star's voice turn so quickly. “That was the… uh, official charge.” She looked away and her face fell. She felt a flutter in her chest that grew to burn in her cheeks. She sounded small, scared. A crack of emotion as she swallowed audibly and tensed her jaw. She took a slow inhale and stood from her spot. “I’m gonna… just gimmie a minute.” She barely muttered and disappeared behind her bedroom door quickly. After only a moment's pause.

“Oh shit, you mean…” Dustin whispered in realization.

“I fucking told you!” Eddie hissed with venom at the group of boys and their wide shocked eyes.

“We didn’t know!” Dustin looked petrified at what they’d done. “Did you?”

“Remember when I said it was complicated?” Eddie looked over the younger three now cowering backward. “And to leave HER alone about it?”

“How was I supposed to know something like THAT happened?” Dustin screeched in defense.

“We were just asking questions. She said to.” Gareth grimaced.

“And you couldn’t see she wasn’t into it when you asked about Chicago? Use your brain! People don’t up and leave somewhere without a reason. And it usually isn’t a good one!” Eddie felt his anger hot in his face. He’d raised to his knees and was wide-armed on the coffee table to assert himself over the group.

“We didn’t know! We’re sorry!” Jeff pouted.

“Yeah, we had no idea.”

“She seems so tough I never thought she’d let someone...”

“A girl who doesn’t trust anyone shows up, with burns, to a town she has no connection to and you don’t stop and think she’s been through something? You all aren’t that stupid. C’mon.” Eddie groaned.

“I didn’t think…” Mike began.

“Stop right there. That’s all you needed to say.” Eddie spits out and raises to sit on the couch.

“Dude we said we were sorry.” Lucas added.

“Tell her. Not me.” He ran a hand through his hair, his posture slumped. He looked at her bedroom door.

“I don’t think she wants to see us right now.”

Eddie stands after staring for a silent minute.

“Clean up and get stuff ready to lay out and watch a movie. I’ll get her back out here and you’ll apologize. And she’ll forgive you.” He chops his hands as he speaks. “It’ll be fine.” He shakes out his hands, rings feeling heavy as he threw them down, hoping to move out the bad energy before he approached her.

With a knock, he opened the squeaking door to see her looking his way from the window. It was open, the pitch black heavy against her and the flowery curtains that blew lightly from the October breeze. “Can I?” She nodded in response, taking a drag from a cigarette. He slinked into the door as if opening it all the way wasn’t an option.

“I shouldn’t have left.” She pursed her lips together looking more disappointed than upset.

“No, you should’ve told them to mind their own damn business.” He was the one that sounded like he’d been outed.

Her brows raised in surprise at him, her lashes fluttering as she looked him over.

“Sorry.” He huffed out, joining her by the window.

“What are you mad about?” Her chin jutted upward as she offered him her cigarette. He took it with a twitching hand.

“I’m mad they upset you.”

“Don’t be. They didn’t know.” She sighed. “I mean, neither did you. Not really.” her lips formed a thin line, and her pronounced cupid’s bow stretched out.

“I knew something…” he trailed off and paused, there wasn’t any reason to get into it. “Are you okay?” He diverts his attention and hands her back the brightly glowing paper.

“I’m fine. I overreacted.” She looked away to her feet, an arm covering her chest.

“I don’t think so.” He offered his condolences.

“I’ve been drinking and smoking and I didn’t know if I’d get emotional and I didn’t wanna cry like some little kid in front of them so I removed myself from the situation.”

“Makes sense.” He spoke quietly and wanted to reassure her that she didn’t have to hide her emotions but he knew she didn’t like showing weakness. He knew she thought being emotional was weak. He related to that. “I know they’re not happy about upsetting you. For what it’s worth.”

“Yeah, I figured. As soon as I came in here I regretted leaving.” she rolled her eyes at herself and looked out to the field by her house dimly lit by a holiday-appropriate looking moon.

“It gave me a chance to lecture them about how stupid they were acting.” His eyes lit up a bit, his face losing its hard edge he’d entered with.

She let out a soft audible sigh at the sight of his brown eyes soft once again, looking to hers for approval.

“What?” he huffed, a crooked smile on his recently licked lips.

With a soft face, she stepped closer, closing the space between them. She tip-toed up to kiss him and he instinctively lowered his head to meet her halfway.

“What’s that for?” his half-lidded eyes gazed almost sleepily down at her smiling face.

“You know you don’t have to protect me from everything Eddie. It’s very cute. Endearing even, but you don’t have to.”

“I know.” He sounds unconvincing. “I don’t like it when you’re upset.” he reached out and took her hand into his. “Especially if it’s something I can stop.”

“That’s not your job, Eddie.” shaking her head, strand fell into her face as her shoulders jostled at a silent laugh.

“Sure it is.” he shrugged. He looked up to her from his face's lowered position, the tips of his wavy bangs tickling along his eyelids. A tease of dimple appeared on his cheek from the light-hearted grin he shot her way. “I mean, we did kiss so that pretty much means you’re like, my girlfriend now. So it’s my job.” He gives her his trademark charm and cheekiness as he expressively moves his head with his teasing words.

“Oh is that what that means?” Her whole chest moved with her laugh.

“I mean that’s what Katie Steinbeck told me in 2nd grade when she kissed me on the playground so… I think it holds up.”

Star's eyes shut with a hearty laugh.

“I’d say I can’t believe those little fuckers did that but I totally can. I thought they’d do worse, to be honest.”

“What’s worse than having to kiss you?” He scrunched his nose at her but his smile lines deepened. She dropped her jaw in dramatic offense taken.

“Having to kiss YOU.” She made a grossed-out face but leaned up to kiss him again.

A shared laugh got caught between presses of their lips.

“So gross.” He mumbled before pressing his mouth to hers a second time. He released their clasping fingers to pull her against him.

“Disgusting.” She objected only with the word, no tone of rejection was to be found in her voice or body language. His hand found her jaw and planted itself there as he felt her lean her weight into him at the touch.

“Why would anyone wanna kiss you?” His nose caressed hers before planting an audible kiss on her now shining lips.

“Couldn’t pay me to kiss you again.” She grinned before her tongue lapped against his full lower lip. A deep but playful grunt escaped him as his hand clutched her back and he returned the gesture. He felt the slightest catch in her exhale through his hot palm as his tongue traced her lip.

“Your trembling is giving you away.” He grinned before taking her lower lip into his mouth with a gentle suck. It extracted a small moan from her open mouth. He bit into the thick flesh and watched her eyes flutter shut, her mossy irises rolling to white before disappearing. She whined before he unlatched and set her free, a delicious throb in her lower lip grew as she pushed her mouth to his with a needy call for more. The heat grew between them, fanned by the heavy breaths they shared between cracks in the shifting seals of their kisses. Star felt the room spin, her eyes lolling about in their sockets before she parted from his thoroughly distracting mouth and took a deep breath.

“Oh boy. I am drunk.” A dopey smile crossed her face as she batted her eyes and steadied herself. “Got so worked up I got woozy.” She admitted with a bashful giggle.

“Well, I can’t very well be taking advantage of a drunk girl.” He gave her a soft smile she didn’t pay attention to. He turned her to the window, moving to stand her against his chest. His tender fingers tucked her hair back from her face as he let the cold air hit her directly from the window. “Especially one that that thinks kissing me is so gross. Maybe that’s it. You’re not drunk. You’re so grossed out by me you’re getting nauseous.” He saw her darling smile, shut eyes, and closed lips as she cozied into his embrace, her hands holding onto his arms that wrapped around her chest.

“Must be it.” She sighed contently, letting her head hang back and lay in his chest. He placed a kiss on her temple that drew a happy hum from her. “Let’s make everyone go home and we can get in bed.” She let out a yawn. Eddie grinned at her idea and put his face against hers as he spoke.

“I’ve got the next best thing.” He promised. ”They’re picking out a movie and you can get comfy on the couch and I’ll be right there with you.” She nodded, soaking in the feeling of the vibration from his voice moving into her body from the soft press of his face to hers.

“You don’t think it’ll be suspicious if we’re cuddled up on the couch?”

“I mean we kissed why stop there?” She felt his smile against her cheek and returned it earnestly.

“I can’t be seen snuggling with the likes of you.” She giggled and turned her head, kissing his cheek.

“How about… I’ve got a sleeping bag, I’ll put it right in front of the couch. How’s that sound? How’s that for compromise?”

“I’ll still smell you from there.” She snorted out a short-lived laugh. He bit her nose in retaliation and she wiggled and squeaked in his arms. He growled playfully and bit her jaw as she squirmed and he held her tightly.

“Let’s get some food in you so you’ll stop being so mean to me.” He noisily left a smack of a kiss on her cheek before releasing her from his arms and taking her hand to lead her toward the door.

-

Star got more homemade food in her stomach to soak up the alcohol. The boys apologized and she did as well. The subject was dropped and the next was raised as to which of the rentals they’d watch. Star and Eddie had seen all of them before but they happily piled into their soft nests to watch them again anyway. The boys sat in a trio and didn’t falter much, candy and soda fueling their banter.

Star and Eddie however faded much faster. She was on her front on the couch, and a comforter and pillows cocooned her in. Eddie’s sleeping bag was right against the couch, a pillow of Stars under his head, smashed into a square to prop him up. Star watched the light of the tv flicker across his face. The dying fire glowed against the darkness of the living room with its dated floral wallpaper and carpet. With the attention drawn to the screen and not them, she ran her fingers through his hair. At first, he was startled as he turned to back to check out what she was doing. She simply smiled and brushed his hair out of his face, continuing with her original intention. Throughout the movie they dozed, fighting sleep as she kept her nails to Eddie's scalp and played mindlessly in his wavy mop of hair. The soft but frizzy strands slipped through her fingers and soothed her with the repetitive motion.

They made it through the first movie, but by the middle of the second, everyone was starting to fade, even the sugar-filled youngsters. Eddie had laid on his back, accepting that sleep was coming for him. Star peered over the edge of the couch, walking her fingers up Eddie's chest and plucking his lower lip. She sighed and smiled, cheek mushed as her half-lidded eyes watched his. She tapped the button end of his nose and ran her nail up his bridge to his forehead. She ran the soft pad of her finger back down the center of his face. She traced his bone structure of eye sockets and jaw with a single exploratory finger. He closed his eyes and let her play. Another upward then down trek of the center of his face led her to his lips again. She traced the full shape pushing his cupid’s bow in then flicking his lower lip with her nail open. He fluttered his eyes open and smiled as she kept snapping his lower lip. He silently lunged and bit the end of her finger. He saw her jolt and grin, rolling back and disappearing before appearing again and stifling a laugh. She repeated her motion and he once again bit her fingertip, seemingly much to her delight. It felt wholesome and affectionate that night; her studying and fussing on him. He took her hand into his and kissed it. Her face softened, eyelids were heavy and happy. He kissed each finger pad, closing his eyes for an indulgent moment with the intimate contact. His larger and far stronger hand manipulated hers easily to nose and nuzzle it to repay the affection. He entwined their fingers, a cold metal shock to her skin as they laced against him. He placed a kiss and mouthed, “go to sleep”. She lifted his hand and kissed a bare-knuckle and let him have control of her hand again willingly.

“Okay.” She whispered. She nuzzled her head into her pillow, sleeping at the edge of the couch so they could both see each other. He left his hand in hers letting it rest on his chest and they fell asleep with the compromise of holding a single hand.

Part 11

Tag List (hopefully it works this time) Just ask to be added!

@kik51199 @banannie255 @paracetamollvr @honeyshifts @Vivi-m-b @Agent077knight @simonsbluee @suspirian @castiels-lilass @likeficsinthewnd @hollyismentallyillhelp  @eddiesgoodgirl @ouuwitchywoman @michaelfuckinglangdon  @hannahdinse8 @thikkiesixx @idyllicbutterfly @lonesome-dovee @bva14 @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @darudecandadian-blog @eriseffigy @kriffingstars  @psychedelephantt @laurathefahrradsatteltel @munsins @secularlunarsorceressss @angelofthorrr @eddiemunsonsbedroom @justiceiswater @brookemarsh @unnecesarysstuff @divadinag @boomhauer @br0ck-eddiee @hellfiresprincess @the-fever-of-mankind @mischeif-managers @nitafromtheshadows

[mypoisonedvine]

𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 (𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘐𝘐) || sub!bucky barnes x dominatrix!reader

(𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘐)

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 || your newest client asks you to give him a real challenge, and you’re happy to oblige.  

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 || 6.3k

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 || smut but no actual sex (lots of handjob stuff though and some brief oral m receiving), overstimulation, multiple orgasms, more cnc (because of the overstimulation), bondage, edging, impact play (riding crop), brief cock torture (she just hits him with the crop a couple times), implied “kink as trauma response” (this is gonna be a theme throughout the whole fic), forced to break a rule/doomed to fail/impossible challenge (idk how to warn for this but yeah), forced voyeurism?, thigh riding (reader rides bucky’s thigh), some degradation/dumbification, brief/implied dacryphilia, a bit of angst/feelings

new parts posted on thursdays!  join the taglist here

“Can’t,” he sighed, “can’t come again.”

He looked so painfully adorable when he begged like that, his brow glistening with sweat as he jerked under your touch.  “Aw, poor baby,” you pouted, twisting your hand when it stroked over the head of his cock, “yes you can.  I know you can.  Just gimme one more.”

“F-fuck,” he whimpered, “Mistress, please— just stop, please, I can’t… can’t take any more…”

“I know you can, sweetheart— I know you can be my good boy and keep coming for me.  Tell me your color.”

“Yellow,” he whispered.

“Think you’re almost done?” you pressed, smiling when he nodded breathlessly.  “Yeah, there’s my good boy— gonna come again for your Mistress?”

“Yes,” he breathed, baring his teeth as his hips bucked wildly to try to avoid further sensation, “y-yes, one more, just one more, I’m gonna— fuck, gonna come, just don’t stop… fuck, it hurts.”

“I know, but you’re being so good for me,” you purred.  “You like it when I milk your pretty cock, don’t you?  Even though it hurts?”

He winced but nodded.  “C-coming, Mistress, fuck, I’m coming…!”

Since it was his fifth of the evening, he could only give you one thick drop of come that gathered at his slit before running down over your hand which finally slowed to a stop.

You both sighed with relief as you pulled your hand away and leaned back, admiring how beautiful he looked as he caught his breath, covered in come and sweat.

"Good job," you praised with a chuckle, "I hope I didn't go too hard on you."

"N-no, that was… that was really good," he sighed, slumping back onto the bed.  "Can I use your shower before I go?"

"Yeah, totally," you nodded.

After a long pause, you gave him a confused look.  

"I thought you were gonna shower?" you reminded him.

"Oh… I guess I have to get up for that," he sighed, making you laugh.

"Rest a bit longer.  You've had a… challenging afternoon."

He nodded a little and you got up from the bed to go wash your hands and freshen up a little, smiling at your own appearance in the mirror— sometimes you forgot how you looked when you did this, but there was an undeniable aura of power around you… especially after a session like that.

This was only your third week with James, and already the dynamic felt so natural between you— and yet, so fresh compared to your other clients.  Normally it took longer for a newbie to get comfortable with you, yet most of them had had multiple doms before and here was James, totally inexperienced and taking it all like a champ.  There was an air of innocence about him, you figured, in contrast to this undeniable strength and intensity that you caught glimpses of from time to time.

Sometimes, it felt like he was chasing an innocence he lost a long time ago.  Whatever it was that drew him to this, you were happy to help him along the way.

It was probably a little dangerous to enjoy sessions with a client so much; even though you often pretended that everything was about your pleasure and not theirs, obviously since they were the paying customer it was the complete opposite in reality.  But there was an equity to the dynamic with you and Bucky, he served you with a real dedication rather than for his own gain.  And you, meanwhile, had rediscovered the fun in this career that had originally drawn you to it in the first place.  It was less like a science now, more like an art— you let yourself go with your instincts and do whatever felt right in the moment, and both of you benefitted for it.  

“Come on, get up and clean yourself off,” you encouraged— gently, of course— as you left the bathroom and returned to find James laying sprawled out on the bed.

“I know you said falling asleep here was a one-time courtesy,” he remembered with a smile, “but I could use it now a lot more than I needed it then.”

Honestly, you didn’t see him smile that often.  It was pleasant; you hoped to see it again.  He did get up, though, and take the washcloth you handed him to wipe off the come that had gotten all over him.  “What are you thinking for next week?” you asked as you leaned against the wall.  “Any special requests?”

“We can discuss all that over the phone,” he decided.  You still didn’t understand fully why he didn’t like to discuss future scenes in person; it was like he wanted the in-person interactions to be as ‘in character’ (if you will) as possible.

“Alright, just keep me updated,” you requested with a shrug.

You got changed while he took his shower, and when he emerged to the living room he seemed surprised to see you sitting on your own couch.  After a moment, you realized it was the fact that you were in normal clothes that threw him off.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before… or pants of any kind.”

You looked down at your outfit with a smile, glad it was at least still professional and not sweats and a t-shirt or something.  “Yeah, I guess you haven’t.  First time for everything, right?”

“Yeah, had a lot of first times with you,” he chuckled.  “Most significantly less mundane than this.”

A brief silence filled the room but it wasn’t exactly awkward, at least not for you.

“Well, I’ll see you next week,” he decided as he grabbed his jacket from your chair and slipped it on.  You’d been spending most of this session trying to forget how good he looked in the leather motorcycle cut, so that was out the window now as you tried to keep from visibly biting your lip while he walked towards the door.

Damn, he was fine.  But there were more pressing matters at hand.  Like preparing yourself and your apartment for your next appointment.  This guy wanted to get slapped around until he cried… shouldn't be too difficult, but your arms would probably be sore tomorrow.

Opposite of last week, I really want you to edge me tonight, as long as possible.

Don't go easy on me, make me hold it in.  I need a challenge this week.

-J

It was odd how emails from James made your week.

He seemed to prefer to communicate his desire with you this way; maybe it was easier for him, and you couldn’t really blame him for that.  The nice part was that you didn’t have to temper your reactions, if you had any, since you were always alone when you got his messages.  You might be old hat at it now, but you could remember a time that you had to hide a grimace when a client told you to your face what he wanted.  Not that you would shame them for it or anything (unless, you know, they paid you to), but you didn’t enjoy everything you did with these men.

Did you enjoy everything you did with James?  Yes, but you were pretending not to— for your own sake.

You dressed a bit differently for today’s session, more conservatively… not that it was especially conservative by any other person’s standards.  But it left your legs and chest covered, somewhat in the spirit of ‘mean corporate businesswoman’ aesthetically.  For some reason you felt like using a riding crop required wearing pants.

James certainly didn’t seem to mind, with the way he nervously cleared his throat after you opened the door.

“Good to see you again,” you greeted formally, “please, come in.”

He stepped past you, still looking at you and not at what was in front of him, meaning he ended up slamming himself gut-first into your kitchen island.

“Oh!  Are you alright?” you smiled when you noticed. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” he nodded, rubbing his stomach for a second but recovering quickly.  “I told you I can take a lot of pain,” he joked.

“Well, we’re going to put that to the test today,” you promised cryptically.  “You must’ve seen the crop on the table.”

He nodded again.  “Yeah....”

“Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yes,” he answered, a bit too quickly.

“Then let’s get you tied up, James.”

Straddling his lap, you realized the rope was a bit too tight when you saw it digging into his skin; maybe he wouldn’t mind that, but you did, so you pushed the rope back through itself to loosen it slightly.

“How long did it take you to learn all these knots?” he asked casually, watching your fingers nimbly work the ropes around his wrists.

“Not too long,” you shrugged, “I’ve only been doing this a few years… but I knew them before that.”

“Boating school?  Boy Scouts?” he suggested jokingly.

“Just a hobby,” you decided, dodging the covert question about your past.  “Were you a Boy Scout?”

“Do I look like a Boy Scout?” he countered with a scoff.

“Not anymore,” you shrugged, “but I bet you did once.  You’re sorta innocent, you know.”

He swallowed dryly, and you raised an eyebrow as you glanced from the knot you were tightening to his face, which looked a bit flustered.  “R-really?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, leaning back on your heels to look at him straight-on.  “Are you surprised to hear that?”

He nodded quickly, and you laughed.

“Aw, you thought you were so kinky, huh?  So dirty,” you purred, running your hand up his leg until he tugged slightly on the newly-tied ropes— a subtle way to get him to test them for you.  “But you’re really not.  You’re just my sweet, innocent boy.”

He whined— really, properly whined— and you dug your nails into his skin until he hissed instead.

“I don’t think you believe me,” you noticed, leaning back to reach for the crop behind you.  “You think you’re so filthy and perverted, right?  Are you a pervert, James?”

“Yes,” he breathed, shivering as you let the crop slide gently over his skin— his abs, his hips, his legs which were already quivering so adorably.  “Yes, Mistress.”

“And how’s that?”

“I think about… getting hurt,” he admitted weakly, “when I touch myself.  And I touch myself all the fucking time.”

“Yeah?  How many times a day do you stroke that pretty cock, James?”

“Twice every morning,” he blurted out, “after that it depends.”

You didn’t let yourself show your surprise at that number.  “Depends on what?”

When he hesitated, you hit him sharply on the thigh and he winced.  “Depends on what I… what I end up thinking about.  Sometimes… sometimes something reminds me, and I have to get off.”

Something told you not to press on what it was that he needed to be reminded of, and why it made him want to jerk off so bad.  Something told you he wasn’t ready to tell that story yet.  “Did you touch yourself today already?” you asked instead.

“No, no ma’am,” he shook his head, voice wavering as you brushed the crop over his chest, “it’s… it’s different with you.”

“Yeah, I bet it is,” you smirked, hitting him on the stomach quickly.  “I bet you’re finally satisfied, right?  Nothing’s ever worked for you before.”

“Yes,” he moaned, crying out slightly when you hit him on the arm (flesh— you were too afraid what sound the metal one would make) much harder than before.  “The nights I see you, I… I can sleep.”

“You sleep better?”

“No, I just… sleep.”

You tried not to react to that, moving to a new question instead.  “Do you want me to hit you again?  Or do you want me to stroke your cock for you?”

An obvious choice to some, surely, but he seemed to really struggle with it.

“Which one do you think you deserve?” you asked instead.

“Hit me more,” he decided.

Instantly, you struck him once on the face and again on the shoulder, then moved down to his legs for three in a row in spite of the way his body jerked away instinctively.  

“Fuck,” he sobbed, “don’t stop— I need more…”

You focused on his legs, on the inside of his thigh where he seemed the most sensitive.  His twisted joy turned to true fear, though, when you brushed the end of the crop over his balls.  “Do you want me to hit you here?” you challenged.

“I… I don’t know,” he stammered.

“Let’s make a deal, James,” you offered, “wherever I hit you, I’m gonna kiss it to make it better.”

“Then hit me wherever you want,” he nodded, almost smiling at you.  He cried through his teeth when you whipped his shaft with the crop— not especially hard, in fact quite delicately, though the second was harder.  And the third, though not much more aggressive, was right on the sensitive tip; his eyes shot open and his hips jerked away.

“So good, such a good boy,” you whispered proudly, putting the crop aside to lean in and kiss his cheek where you’d hit him before, his shoulder, his arm.

You worked your way down carefully as he breathed heavily beneath you, whimpering slightly when you kissed his thighs and notably ignored his flexing, leaking cock.  “Please,” he whimpered.

“Shh, be patient,” you soothed, “be my good boy.”

“Your good boy,” he repeated, trying to restrain himself but already bucking up into the air again, “fuck, wanna be your good boy, Mistress.”

“Are you already close, pet, just from getting hurt?” you asked in a faux pout.  “You’re not gonna come if I give your pretty cock some kisses, right?”

“I— I won’t come,” he promised.  “Not until I get permission.”

“Baby, it’s gonna be a long fuckin’ time before you get permission,” you promised with a toothy grin.  “Look down at me, honey, I want you to see this.”

He hesitated for a second but obeyed, looking down at you with an expression that was full of awe as you gripped his cock and gave gentle, teasing kisses up his shaft.  It bobbed in your hands with each one, and he let out the most beautiful sigh when you kissed the tip carefully.

A wide lick made him jerk beneath you.  “F-Fuck,” he stammered.

“You said you wouldn’t come,” you reminded him.  “Can I keep going?  Are you gonna be a good boy?”

“Don’t stop, please,” he breathed, “I’ll be good.”

Taking the head between your lips, you suckled gently as he shivered and moaned.  You weren’t sure you’d ever been with anybody— on or off the clock— who was so sensitive.  And you loved it, honestly; who could resist those precious noises he made?

As much as part of you wanted to go nuts and really push him to the edge, you tried to be gentle and careful so as not to make it impossible for him to hold back.  But even then, when you gently grasped his balls in one of your hands and squeezed them, he apparently couldn’t take anymore.

"S-stop," he hissed, and you pulled back, sitting up.

"You were close?" you asked, and he nodded a little.  "Oh, what a good boy."

He whimpered briefly.  "Yes, your good boy, Mistress…"

Your fingers trailed delicately up the underside of his cock, making him shiver violently.  "I know you want to come, but you want to be good even more.  You're such a sweet little pet."

It seemed like the praises did more to keep him on the edge than the touches, so you kept both going; wrapping your fingers around the ridge of his head, you gave the most gentle and subtle strokes, and leaned in to whisper against his ear.

“Is this why you wanted me to edge you today, James?  So you could show me how good you can be?” 

“I-I don’t know,” he blurted out, rocking his hips as best he could while restrained, “I just wanted to… I just wanted you to make me wait.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that,” you laughed slightly, “I can make you wait all day.  Is that what you want?”

“No, that’s— not that long, I can’t wait that long,” he shuddered.

“Mm, that sounds like your problem, not mine,” you smirked.  “Not sure why I asked what you want, honestly… cause I don’t fucking care.”

His choked-out whine was too perfect to ignore.

“Oh, what a pathetic little moan that was, poor baby,” you cooed mockingly, “are you regretting it now?  You’re probably wondering what you got yourself into, ‘cause you’re worried Mistress is never gonna let you come.”

“No, I don’t regret it,” he denied weakly, “whatever you want— do whatever you want to me, just… give me what I deserve, please.”

You stopped touching him completely and he straight-up sobbed.  “You don’t deserve anything from me, James.  You don’t deserve me at all.”

He told you before that he liked when you rapidly cycled between soft and mean.  Kept him on his toes, apparently.  Honestly, you felt a little guilty talking to him that way sometimes, but his cock leaking enough pre-cum to soak the bedsheets beneath him was a sign you were doing something right.  “I know!” he cried.  “I know, fuck, I’m sorry, but I need you.  I fucking need you, Mistress, please— you know I’ll do anything.”

“I’m feeling generous today,” you shrugged, “so I won’t ask you for much.  Just beg me a little more.”

“Please, pleasepleaseplease,” he rushed, “touch me.  Anywhere, whatever you want, I just need to feel you.  I know I… fuck, I know I don’t deserve it, but let me try to— to earn it.  Please.”

You knew if he had it his way, he wouldn’t do much talking at all.  But you couldn’t just let him have it his way, now could you?  It was better to make him just the right amount of nervous, just the slightest hair uncomfortable, by making him talk to you.  And, of course, you liked the way his deep and rough voice got all whiny and needy like this.

One finger under his chin guided him to look up at you, those pretty blue eyes watery and sparkling and wide with misplaced innocence.

“Tell me who you belong to, James,” you instructed darkly.

“You, Mistress,” he whispered, “I’m yours, I— oh fuck…”

Unshockingly, he was reduced to only moans again when you started stroking his cock, the slick precum making every movement smoother.  “All mine, huh?  My little toy?” you confirmed, but he could only nod and swallow thickly.

You sped up quickly, getting faster and faster until you were really, properly jerking him off and he was biting hard on his lip.  Just when he seemed to really fall into it, get almost comfortable, you had to stop.

"Oh, fuck—" he gasped, bucking his hips up to try to chase your hand when you pulled away, but it was no use with him tied up.  You watched his cock bob in the air and smiled.

“Did you think it was going to be that easy?” you smirked.

Shaking his head, you tilted yours to look at him, reaching up to trace your fingers over his chest.  

“Don’t lie, baby, you thought I was gonna let you come, didn’t you?  You’re so sweet, James, and so, so stupid.”

He gasped, and for a second you thought you might’ve gone too far, but it shifted to a moan quickly and you realized he was having the time of his life.

“Just my dumb, brainless little toy,” you continued with a snarl, watching him tug at the ropes as his eyes fluttered shut.  “It’s okay, James, it’s okay… you don’t need to think, I don’t want your mind.  It’s useless.  I want this pretty cock, that’s all I want from you.”

“It’s all yours, Mistress,” he promised, cheeks burning bright red and eyes forced shut.  “All of it, I swear.”

“I know,” you cooed, holding his face gently to soothe him a bit.  But then your other hand wrapped around his cock and he was anything but soothed.  “Shh, shh, don’t make any sounds, you’re just a toy and toys need to stay quiet.”

You missed his noises, actually, but he looked so cute biting his lip and struggling to suppress them.  His cock was so swollen in your hand that you honestly wondered if it was somehow getting bigger.  Was that even possible?  Your mouth was watering regardless.

“I’m gonna give you a little break,” you promised gently, “but I’ll be honest, pretty boy… I don’t think you’re gonna like it one bit.”

The look he gave you beautifully balanced fear with anticipation, and you stopped stroking him to reach over towards the bedside drawer and pull out a vibrator.

“Your Mistress is feeling a little.... self-indulgent today,” you winked.  “And since I, unlike you, don’t need to hold myself back from coming, I think I might as well get myself off if I want to.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed dryly, watching you closely as you stood up off the bed and started to carefully undress yourself.  It was a lot more fun to get naked when you were wearing something that didn’t actually show much skin— the button-up seemed to really get him going, his tongue mindlessly darting out to lick his lips as you opened one button at a time.

Once it was off your shoulders and on the floor, and he could see the almost-transparent bra you had on, you moved to opening your trousers as well.  Just to be mean, you faced the other way as you pushed them down over your ass; you heard his breath catch and you smirked to yourself, spinning to face him again in just the matching, dark red bra and panty set.

“What do you think, do you like this better than the black ones?” you asked coyly.

“I like you naked better than both,” he answered, and you grinned.

“I’m gonna let that backtalk slide just once because it’s not worth my time to go over there and slap you for it,” you decided.  “But don’t test me, James.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he answered dutifully, sounding a bit out of breath as he watched you climb back onto the bed, positioning yourself carefully.

You faced him straight-on and laid your legs over his, meaning your lace-covered pussy was in full view and only inches from his leaking cock— the damn thing looked sore by now, purple at the tip and just as desperate for attention as the rest of him.

When you pulled the fabric aside to show him your cunt, he hissed and looked away.

“Look at me, James, keep your eyes open,” you demanded, seeing how totally wrecked he looked when he turned his head back to you and stared down at your body with half-lidded eyes.  “Look at how fucking soaked my pussy is.  You remember how it feels to be inside it, don’t you?”

He swallowed, sighed, and finally (just barely) nodded.

“You remember how hot and wet and tight it is, don’t you?”

“Y-yes,” he choked.

“Well, that memory’s all you’ve got to work with, sweet boy, because I don’t think I’m ever gonna let you fuck this pussy again.”

He really, properly sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks, and those arms flexed against the ropes defiantly.  “N-no, please—” 

“I’m gonna make myself come with this,” you promised, interrupting him as you grabbed the vibe, “and I want you to remember how it feels when I come around you, okay?  

Turning it on, you wasted no time pressing it to your clit, moving the end of the toy in slow circles and keeping a close eye on him as he watched you.  Your intention had always been to give him a show, but the embarrassing thing was how little of it was an act.  Ironically, even though you’d been edging him this whole time, having to touch him that way without any pleasure for yourself was almost as torturous.  You’d soaked through your panties by the time you had him tied up, to be totally honest.  So, giving into it and letting yourself feel good was a breeze.

“Think about when I was riding you, James,” you instructed, your own voice clearly affected by your pleasure now.  “Think about how good it would feel if I let you come inside me.”

“Oh, god,” he cried, leaning his head back.

“Think about my pussy milking every fucking drop of come out of you.  You know I wouldn’t let you stop until I was completely full of your come, I bet you’d like that.  I bet you’d like to eat your come out of me, you sick little pervert.”

“Fuck!” he yelped, tugging at the ropes harder now— for a second you thought he might really break them and jump you.  And for a second, you knew you’d let him.  It made your walls clench as you imagined facing the consequences of driving a man to the brink of insanity until he couldn’t help but fuck you like an animal.  It was a good thing he didn’t see you bite your lip as you imagined that.

“You know what I’m thinking about?” you taunted.  

“God, don’t tell me,” he sighed through his teeth, but obviously you ignored him.

“I’m thinking about what a good boy you are for me,” you cooed, your hips starting to rock up against where you held the end of the vibrator; you pressed it down harder onto your clit and moaned instantly.  “Yeah, I’m thinking about how pretty you look when you’re all desperate and needy and fucking pathetic—”

“Oh—” he choked.

“My dumb litlte whore, that’s all you are, James,” you groaned.  “I know you wish you could touch me, it’s all you can think about, right?  That pretty head of yours would be completely empty if it weren’t for thoughts of me and how badly you want me.  Right?”

“Yes,” he whispered huskily.

A shiver ran up your spine when the vibrator bumped into a more sensitive part of you, and you did it again and again until you thought you might lose it a bit faster than you meant to.  “This toy feels really good,” you informed him in a purr, gasping when you slipped the vibrating body of it into your pussy, “but it doesn’t feel as good inside me as you do.”

His eyes fell shut but he still winced a bit every time you made a sound; he couldn’t run from this, no matter how hard he tried.

“Oh James,” you moaned loudly, fucking yourself with the vibe for a moment before you pulled it back out to focus even harder on your clit, “I’m gonna come.  I’m so, so close… I can feel it getting stronger, I think I might make a mess on these sheets.  And the only way I’m ever gonna let you come is if you watch me do it.  So open your fucking eyes.”

He blinked quickly as he opened them, gaze scanning your whole body before settling on your cunt; you were sure he could see it pulsing as you got closer and closer, you knew he was imagining how it would feel.  You only spared a brief glimpse at his cock, bobbing between his legs, and wished you could just slip it in you now and come while it stretched you out. 

But that wasn’t what he was here for, sadly, and you were sure you were the only being truly denied of your desires, despite how it probably seemed from the outside.

“Oh my god,” you breathed, numbness starting to tingle in your legs as your orgasm built up quicker than even you expected.  “I’m coming— James, I’m coming, oh, fuck… right there— yes!”

A gush of heat warmed your cunt at the same time that shocks ran up your spine and down your limbs; you could feel your legs shaking, and you knew he could, too.  

It got so intense for a second that you had to pull the vibrator away, though you didn’t stop coming until a few moments later, eyes falling shut without you meaning for them to.

You actually laughed a bit, breathlessly, as you turned the vibe off and set it aside, although you weren’t sure exactly what was supposed to be funny about this per se.  When you opened your eyes, you saw James looking down and looking positively defeated.  But he looked tense, too, and you sat up on your wobbly legs to get closer to his face.  

“Relax, James,” you told him firmly as you examined him.

“I— I can’t,” he whispered. 

“Why not?”

“I’ll come.”

Nothing could fight your wide grin anymore, not when you heard that.  “Oh, baby… are you about to come without even being touched?  Is that how much you liked watching Mistress come?”

He nodded, ever so slightly, and you laughed.  Not quite a mocking laugh, moreso impressed.  Prideful, even.  You leaned in to give a wet kiss to his neck, licking over his pulse as he shivered violently.

“That’s my good boy,” you whispered against his skin.  He whined and you cooed soothingly right away, “oh I know, I know.  It’s so unfair, isn’t it?  Mistress gets to come and you don’t…”

“Please,” he stammered, “I’m so close, let me come, please.”

“But I don’t wanna see you come, baby— I wanna see you cry.”

You started to slide your hand down his chest and he jumped up to attention as he tried to squirm away.  “No, please, don’t— don’t touch my cock, not if I can’t come.”

“You can hold it in, can’t you?” you pouted.

“No, I can’t, I can’t,” he sobbed, watching fearfully as your hand moved down to his stomach and over his hips.  

“But I thought you were my good boy,” you frowned, suddenly wrapping your hand tight around his cock as he choked on a gasp.

“Mistress!” he sobbed.  “Please, don’t—  don’t move your hand, I’ll come.”

"Never fucking tell me what to do," you instructed firmly, just barely stroking as he cried weakly.  "I'm gonna touch you however I want and you're not gonna come because you're my good boy, right?"

"No, Mistress, I can't stop it, I'm gonna come— stop, please…"

"You'd better not fucking come," you hissed through your teeth, speeding up your movements and watching his eyes shoot wide open, "you'd better hold it in until I'm done with you."

"I'm trying— please slow down, can't take it—"

You shook your head, tutting disapprovingly.  "No, baby, I tell you what you can take."

"Oh— oh god, Mistress, please, please stop, please, I c-can't— fuck!"

You pulled your hand away the second his cock started to flex but it was too late: come was shooting from his swollen tip and painting his chest and stomach.  You didn't even wait until he was done to backhand him across the face.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled.  "I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it…"

You softened slightly when you heard his broken voice, saw the desperation and fear on his face— it was real, more real than the fake ‘no’s and the encouraging pleas for mercy.  "Baby, it's okay, you tried so hard," you soothed instantly.

Hope filled his eyes just as much as tears as he looked up at you.  "Am I still your good boy?"

"Always," you smiled, caressing his face where it was already turning red from your slap.  

You reached down and caressed his cock with the back of your fingers, watching it flex weakly.  

“Let’s get you cleaned up, alright?”

His lip twitched, almost like a wince.  “Do we… do we have to stop?”

You quickly glanced at the clock.  “Um, no,” you mumbled, “we still have time.  Just tell me what you want.”

“I wanna watch you come again…” he admitted softly.  “Is… is that okay?”

Although you weren’t sure what you’d been expecting, you were still surprised.  “Yeah, sure.”

“But… but closer this time,” he added, “not so far away.”

You were literally laying on top of him, how did that count as far away? 

“I wanna see your face,” he clarified.

“Okay,” you nodded, deciding to indulge him.  It was sort of like aftercare, except that this wasn’t exactly the ‘after’ part yet.

On your knees beside where he was leaning back against the headboard, you slipped your hand down into the lace panties again, finding your clit still swollen but not too sensitive.  A little gasp fell from your lips when you touched it, rubbing it carefully with two fingers while he looked up at your face.  

You felt slightly exposed when he watched you this close, and you didn’t know where to look to avoid direct eye contact.  Looking at his lips was just a little too tempting, so that wouldn’t work.

“My hands are a little tired,” you explained, “they might cramp up.  Maybe I could use your thigh…”

“O-okay,” he nodded, and you removed your fingers from your panties to sit down on the thick muscle of his leg.  You felt him tense up under you slightly, and you carefully began to rock your hips until your clit rubbed just right against the inside of your underwear.  Surely he could feel how wet you were— actually, you both could hear it, almost a wet clicking-like noise as the soaked lace slid against your skin.

The dynamic shifted slightly, not that you minded it, as he watched you ride him carefully.  Just as he couldn’t hide much from you when he was naked and tied up and baring his soul to you in the kinkiest way possible, you couldn’t hide your pleasure from him when he was looking at your face so up-close.  You let your hands carefully roam his body, narrowly avoiding the trails of cooling come he’d left on his stomach and chest, until you found his strong shoulders and held onto them for balance.

“Fuck,” you mumbled to yourself, biting your lip as your sore clit throbbed against his hard, muscular thigh.  

“Will you… could you kiss me?” he requested quietly, and your heart broke a little bit.  You shook your head, and he nodded in understanding.

“I’ll kiss you here,” you offered instead, whispering against his skin before you pressed your lips to his forehead, then his cheek, then his jaw.  “Is that better, James?”

“It helps,” he agreed in a sigh.  

“I’m close,” you warned quietly, pressing your cheek to his and weaving one hand into his hair.  “I’m gonna come again, on your thigh.”

“Let me touch you,” he begged, “just a little, please…”

You nodded, about to reach forward to untie one of his hands, but he snapped the ropes and you had totally forgotten he could do that.  He quickly ran his touch all over your body, calloused hands and bound wrists in stark contrast to your soft skin.  The metal one was a little cold but it didn’t bother you; the other was almost too hot, and it was like being warmed and cooled all at once.

He ran his fingers down your spine, he gripped one of your shoulders, he rubbed your legs: he did everything he must have been wishing he could do this whole time, even gasping as he ran one hand up your chest and over a cup of your bra.  Just as you sensed that he was about to ask if he could touch you there, you nodded and felt his metal hand tug down the red lace and grab your breast— thankfully not very hard, though he did give your nipple a quick pinch which made you gasp.

Burying his face in the crook of your neck, he finally settled his hands on holding your hips, just tight enough to slightly guide your movements as you rocked faster and more desperately.  “Please come,” he begged weakly, “Mistress, please… use me.”

It sort of hit you all at once then, like a punch to the gut.  Except, you know, a lot more fun than getting punched in the gut.

“James,” you gasped, legs quivering where they straddled his as a new patch of slick soaked the lace (and presumably his thigh as well).  He held you tight, kept you moving through it while your fingers tangled in his hair and your mouth fell slack for another, louder moan.

The way his lips moved over your skin, laving your collarbones and pulse point and the innermost corner of your jaw, was positively worshipful; reverent.  “Mistress,” he whispered, almost sounding like praise but tinted with awe.  Your movements slowed down to a stop and the two of you breathed a sigh together, unintentionally.  “Thank you,” he mumbled.

“What for?” you asked, blinking quickly and looking down at him, coming back to reality (though you weren’t quite sure where else it was that you had just been).

“I dunno, everything,” he decided.

“Don’t thank me,” you smiled.  “Keep paying me, though.”

He laughed a little, glancing away.  “Yeah, and I’ll pay you back for these ropes… sorry."

"No, hey, don't be sorry," you dismissed, getting up off of his leg and standing up to go grab a towel for him.  "I'm just sorry we still haven't found anything strong enough to hold you."

"It's fine, they're strong enough to make me stop myself when I want to do something I shouldn't, that's all that really matters."

You nodded to yourself as you dampened the towel and came back to wipe him off.

"I can do that for myself," he reminded you, sounding a bit embarrassed, but you thought it was sweet. 

“You just focus on getting those ropes off of yourself,” you decided with a little smile.

[linklethehistorian]

Cherish Development Notes — Part 2: Overviews & Outlines

Alright, since I’ve already explained Cherish’s humble origins, I can finally get around to talking about the very unique (comparably to any of my other fics, at least) general writing process for this fic and its chapters.

Now, to give you an idea of the difference, my typical fic-writing process for my previous works (all of which are one-shots) goes a little something like this:

Get inspired by something and come up with a general idea for the fic

(If not already inspired by any particular piece of music) Find a song that either fits the scenario perfectly, or just suits the general mood, to play on repeat while writing, and (usually) use that song for the fic’s title.

Start writing the fic from beginning to end in linear progression — no outlines.

Proofread for typos.

Tag and post.

However, for Cherish, this entire process was never present to begin with; after all, not only is it my first multi-chapter fic, but also, thanks to its unique history, it already came long pre-conceived and partially pre-written from my former rambles with a friend.

As such, before I even began writing the story as a fic, I already had an (albeit limited, incomplete and fairly messy) outline to work off of, for at least all of the major plot points. It wasn’t anything grand, as, like I said, it only covered the most important parts of the story and left a lot of blank spots or super vague bridges between major events, but it was certainly more than anything I’ve ever had to work with before (which is literally nothing lol), and turned out to be a huge help in the creative process, especially early on in the fic’s creation. (I may or may not release some of these old outlines and notes as I move on to talking about individual, already-released chapters in the future, for the curious.)

After gathering together all of those former rambles as a very basic outline, I then began to properly rewrite the first part (which you would all later come to know as Chapter 1 and 2) of that outline into a proper, detailed story, and, after I’d already begun that process of re-writing, eventually sought out a song that properly captured the emotion and thought-processes within (and later an additional one, when I decided to split the chapter in two) and made them not only the ones I listened to on loop, but also the chapter titles.

Once the first chapter was finished and the second nearly done (and they were fairly quick), I created the fic, set the tags, and released it under the name Cherish — a name I had also decided on a short while prior after choosing a song I felt best suited the overall themes and plot (a little more about that here.)

And after all of that was said and done, I took the three songs I had used and decided to create a special playlist for the fic, that I would slowly add to more and more over time — an action which, I had no way of realizing at the time, would actually come to be a huge help with writing future chapters.

You see, although it’s true I had my basic outline to rely on for bigger, more important events, there were still all of those parts in between that were just barely talked about, or even not talked about at all, and also some chapters that inevitably end up split from one into two due to the length, or some other creative decision.

For all of this — and I highly recommend it to other authors, too, if they’re so inclined — I was able to lean partially on my Cherish playlist, as I would gather together a whole bunch of songs of all varieties that evoked feelings and emotions and/or perfectly matched the story I’d already planned to happen, and add them into a secondary, privated experimental playlist to rearrange into my desired order and test for proper aesthetics. By doing this, I was able to determine precisely where different minor events and feelings belonged to make for a good, well-written, well-flowing story; furthermore, by being able to look at and recognize when there felt like there were too many songs revolving around the same emotion or plot point, I could also properly decide upon how many chapters a certain part of the story should take up and how best to tackle the subject without making it feel like the pacing had dipped considerably.

Even now, I continue to use this tool very happily to determine positioning and aid me in the writing process whenever I reach a point only vaguely covered by the original outline — although, it’s also much more than a tool to me; it’s a love language to the story I’m writing, a creative outlet of its own, and an extension of the fic itself for those interested to explore the further depths of it. Not just any song will do for each chapter; the aesthetic, the lyrics, and the title all have to be relevant to the chapter itself, and not only that, but they have to transition decently from one to the next sound-wise, as well. It is, at times, a time-consuming endeavor, but one I take great pride in, as with all things regarding this fic.

Then, as of late, I’ve also found another crucial, very helpful way to fill in those missing blanks in far greater detail after the initial arrangement and secondary outline I’m able to put together with the help of the playlist: sharing a TL;DR of the story I intend to write, chapter by chapter, with my friend @mysaldate (if you’re reading this, hi uwu 💖 Thank you for being amazing). By sharing this information with her, I will end up sitting down and writing out what ends up becoming a detailed plan for any chapters with a lackluster outline, thereby making the writing process itself much, much easier. It is a truly wonderful thing I’m so glad I get to do in the process of sharing something I enjoy with someone I care about.

Writing the chapters, themselves, too, due to having an outline, is not the same experience I am used to with my one-shots; in many ways, it speeds up the work considerably and is an invaluable tool for something I need to try to update at least semi-regularly, though it also has its own unique struggles, too, as all things do (namely, that bridging dialogue or actions anywhere where there is missing information in between can be equal parts fun and maddening, depending upon the situation lol).

So, if we put all of this together, we get a process that looks something like this per chapter:

Refer to the first, original outline for information on a given chapter.

Find a song with lyrics and an overall aesthetic that suits the current situation/emotion of the chapter, has a fitting title, and sounds good within its proper spot in the playlist. Name the chapter after it and listen to it on repeat.

If the chapter does not have enough (or any) information in the first outline to decide this, use the general plan within my head for that time and defer to gathering songs and/or checking and arranging the playlist until I have a basic enough outline to get by. 

Write out TL;DRs of future chapters based off of these outlines for mysaldate and then use those more detailed plans as the actual outline with which to start writing the chapter.

Change font to Comic Sans while writing (it genuinely works).

Begin converting the secondary outline (and any potential un-covered information from the first) into a basic version of the story.

Go over it again, and add more detail/tweak aspects that don’t flow upon re-reading.

Do a final proofread/fix typos/make any final changes.

Add chapter title’s song to the public playlist, if not done already.

Check to make sure no more tags need to be added to the main fic due to the content.

Check to make sure no notes need to be added to the chapter and the placeholder joke summary on the AO3 draft is removed.

Post the chapter on AO3.  

And thus, this is the usual creative process involved in working on a chapter for Cherish; it is an extensive list, but, I find, a satisfying one.

In regards to tools, I merely use Google Docs and search up synonyms and such if ever needed on the internet; no fancy tools, no Grammarly, no Betas, though on rare occasion I do ask the opinion of a friend on certain lines I’m truly unsure of and concerned with in some way.

I hope you enjoyed the read. If there’s anything you were wondering that I didn’t cover here, or another subject you’d really like me to cover next about the fic, feel free to drop me an ask!  [Read the fic here!]

[Check out the public Cherish playlist!]

[marveldc-imagines-hub]

Subtitles: Episode 6, All-New Halloween Spooktacular!

Subtitles Masterlist

Summary: Halloween is afoot in Westview and it’s a must to partake in the festivities. Unfortunately, things are a little rocky in the Maximoff house with Wanda’s brother Pietro visiting, [Y/N] moving in, and Vision and Wanda’s rough patch continuing. Can Halloween relieve some tension at home or will things continue to crumble?

Word count: 7,760

Warnings: None! Just maybe a possibly poorly made Rocky Horror Picture Show reference because I’ve never actually seen it, lol. Also a slight change in format because I just realized now that Tumblr wasn’t taking my page breaks between scenes; sorry for that in previous episodes.

Taglist: @madamevirgo​ @ravennight41​ @multifandomgirl16 @cyanide-mustard​ @badasspolygenderfriend​ @austynparksandpizza​ @sophster1881​ @haileyybird @maceidelic​ @alexpress @angelvinella​

Tip Jar

~~~

    Living in Westview after having your memories partially restored was a very strange experience and you quickly realized why Vision would “turn people back off” after jogging their memories; things just didn’t quite make sense when you had the combined knowledge of the outside world and the bubbled Westview and it was almost more confusing and uncomfortable to experience it this way. For example, you couldn’t be sure whether it had been days or weeks since you’d regained your memories and Wanda and Vision had decided to have you move in with them, or why all of Westview had changed from an 80s aesthetic to a 90s one. What was especially weird was how people would randomly stop and talk into space as if they were talking to a camera in a TV show, but there was nothing to see when you looked in that direction. With your memories not fully intact even now, it hadn’t done much to help your and Vision’s investigation into what was going on in Westview or outside of it either—before whatever Wanda had done to Westview, you were a bit of a recluse and had suffered dementia in the past, so what memories had been returned was mostly irrelevant—and Wanda, who was still perfectly happy with living in almost ignorant bliss, wasn’t much help. The two of you continued seeking out the strange and trying to put pieces together but it was becoming increasingly difficult and the chaos of making space for you, Wanda’s brother returning, and now Halloween wasn’t helping.

    There was also the desire to ignore it all and go back to playing house. Like now, as you were heading back into the house from the backyard—you had been finishing up repairs on Vision’s failed attempt at building the kids a treehouse—when you heard Tommy and Billy chatting. Their voices faded in further as you opened the back door.

    “Wrong!” Tommy was saying into space. When you looked, there was still no person, no camera like in a sitcom. “Halloween’s about candy. And scaring people, but mostly candy.”

    “Where’s your costume, Tommy?” Billy asked his brother. As you stepped inside, he looked over Tommy’s head at you and smiled. 

    “This is my costume. I’m the cool twin.”

    You put your hands on your hips and made an exaggerated surprised face in Billy’s direction, pretending as if this was the first time you’ve ever heard Tommy tease his brother. Billy’s smile widened slightly before he looked away, acting like you weren’t there except for a glance or two. Tommy didn’t seem to notice your presence quite yet. 

    “What does that make me?” Billy said.

    Tommy hummed and cocked his head to one side; you could almost picture the flashback going on in his head before he looked back at Billy and replied matter-of-factly, “A dorkasaurus rex.”

    “Not a real dinosaur,” Billy said with a scowl, then went back to his task of scooping his and Tommy’s lunch into bowls. 

    “And mean,” you piped up. 

    Tommy squealed and jumped away from where you were standing behind him. He spun around and almost flung himself into the kitchen counter but jerked away just quickly enough. Then he stumbled back in the opposite direction, resulting in running into your legs. Or, he would have, if you hadn’t caught him by the shoulders and stopped his floundering. He looked up and you with wide eyes.

    “Oh, hey, [Y/N],” he said casually, trying to cover up his embarrassment with coolness.

    “Heya, kiddo,” you chirped back with a smile. You ran a hand over his hair and leaned down to give him a peck on the forehead. He responded with a grossed-out face and a “Blech!” so you decided to mess up his hair by ruffling it. You grinned as he flailed his way to freedom, then pointed and said, “Don’t be a little shit to your brother.”

    Tommy grinned, most likely because of your use of a curse word, and attempted to flatten his hair back in place.

    “[Papa/Mama/Nopa]!” Billy, who was much less like his uncle and much more like his parents than Tommy, was perfectly fine with getting a kiss on the cheek after trotting over and throwing himself into your waiting arms, despite still making a face when you did so. He laughed when you hauled him into your arms and cradled him like a baby, something you didn’t get to do nearly enough before they’d aged themselves up, and happily kicked his legs.

    Tommy rushed over to be included and you adjusted to holding Billy around the stomach with one arm and picked his brother up with your other. Holding them both with their backs against your chest now, you spun around a few times and the boys laughed and kicked their feet out. You were careful to swing them high enough off the ground that they wouldn’t hit anything and hollered, “My boysss!” 

    Then a snore came from the living room, reminding you that there was still someone in the house that didn’t wake up at a reasonable hour. You made a cringing face at the twins as you stopped and they covered their giggling mouths while you put them down. They scrambled back over to the kitchen counter to finish getting their food while you paused and looked over at the couch with hands on your hips. “He sure knows how to sleep, huh?”

    Pietro Maximoff had shown up on Wanda and Vision’s doorstep the same night you’d regained your powers, the same night that they’d asked you to move in. As soon as you’d seen him in the doorway from your blanket nest on the couch, something about him was off. You were aware that you weren’t supposed to know him yet by Westview rules, so it wasn’t all that strange that he didn’t recognize you from Sokovia—or maybe you just hadn’t been as memorable to him as you had to his sister, which would make sense since he wasn’t the one you were kissing and sleeping in the same bed as—but what mainly bothered you was that the face in front of you and the face in your memories didn’t match… at all. Westview’s Pietro was a completely different person than the one you remembered from a HYDRA testing base, you had been sure of it, although now that you’d lived with the man for however long it’s been, this new face was becoming interchangeable with the old one in your mind. Not only was the confusion about his appearance weird but there was something about his energy that was just wrong; when he’d introduced himself to you that night, you’d seen and felt yellow, burnt at the edges by a soul-sucking black, radiating from him.

    All this to note and nothing to come of it so far. Pietro was a bit of a troublemaking deadbeat, albeit a good-natured guy, who slept on the couch and didn’t wake up until anywhere from noon to four in the afternoon. He got along well with the twins, especially Tommy, and other than seeming disgruntled about him taking up space, Vision didn’t seem too bothered by his presence. Wanda didn’t seem threatened or bothered by Pietro being around at all either, except for worrying about him causing trouble; she hadn’t reacted any type of way to him showing up on her doorstep that night at all, other than inviting him inside, which was the only reason you were able to relax around him for the time being.

    Tommy and Billy walked past you with bowls in their hands. You gave them each a pat on the head as they went and only stopped Billy to complement the Halloween costume that he wore. He smiled and asked what you were wearing and you were surprised to realize that you hadn’t yet come up with one. You told him to keep a suggestion in mind and sent him after his brother, who was looking on at the snoring mess of a couch-Pietro in admiration.

    “Man,” the longer-haired boy said, “he even snores cool.”

    You made a face. You weren’t so sure about that.

    “I’m gonna wake him up.”

    “Don’t!” Billy startled, holding his twin back with a hand on his chest.

    Tommy grinned. “You scared?”

    “He’s our uncle. Why would I be scared?”

    “‘Cause it’s four o’clock in the afternoon and you’re secretly afraid he’s a vampire.”

    “No, I’m not.”

    “Yes, you are.”

    You looked on at the bickering boys with mild amusement while you got yourself a fruit from the kitchen until movement from the couch drew your attention. Pietro, who was awake now, was slowly shifting around and getting into a sitting position. When he was where he could see you, he gave you a smirk that spelled out nothing but trouble, then winked. You rolled your eyes but stayed quiet.

    In less than a minute, Pietro went from tangled in his blanket on the couch to standing in front of Tommy and Billy, yelling something about blood. The boys unsurprisingly screamed, and then the three of them were running around the living room in Halloween-fueled chaos.

    You stood at the kitchen counter, cutting your fruit of choice into slices and unreactive other than a little smile toying at your lips.

    “Oh,” came a mildly irritated voice as Wanda descended the stairs from the house’s second floor, “somebody better be bleeding, broken, or on fire.”

    You attempted to catch a glimpse of her from your place in the kitchen but all you could see was a flash of a red cape. You grinned and hurried to finish slicing and clean up so you could join the others in the living room.

    “Whoa, Mom,” Billy said, “Are you old Red Riding Hood?”

    There was a moment of silence and you could easily picture the surprised look on your partner’s face before she responded, “No, I am not old Red Riding Hood. [Y/N]’s mother made my costume. Said something about a goddess…?”

    Just as you were coming around the corner with your bowl, Wanda trailed off and leaned in your direction for confirmation. You had to force yourself not to stare at the simple but delicious costume she wore, the form-fitting red unitard and pink leggings, for the sake of the other company in the room. Instead, you walked over and slipped an arm around her hips underneath the cape and gave her a nod. “Aphrodite, specifically. She was so excited to hear about my girlfriend that she just couldn’t help herself. Gorgeous and powerful costume for a gorgeous and powerful woman, yeah?” You paused to give Wanda’s shoulder a smooch and waggle your brows at her, much to the twins’ and Pietro’s grossed-out dismay, before you adjusted Wanda’s headpiece and continued, “This rendition of Aphrodite, I think, is actually from a drawing I did of her as a kid, because yes, I was never not a nerd. Mom was so focused on you that she practically forgot about me.”

    You knew that for the most part, the story wasn’t true. You knew that beyond the barrier of Westview, your mother was in so state to do such work, nor could she remember you if she wanted to, but something was unnaturally comforting about putting that aside for the time being.

    “Wow,” Pietro started, his tone unimpressed, “That is so…”

    “Rad!” Tommy exclaimed with a grin.

    “…lame.”

    “Lame.”

    Wanda huffed a bit.

    “If it means anything,” you said, pecking Wanda’s cheek, “I think it’s quite well-made.”

    Hidden from view behind her cape, you gave her hip a light pinch. That earned you a light slap on the wrist and a look that was equal parts warning and teasing.

    Pietro made a gagging noise. “I think it’s worse than the costumes Mom made us the year we got typhus.”

    You quirked a brow in Wanda’s direction but as Tommy had done earlier, she tilted her head and stared off into nowhere as she presumably thought back on the subject. Then she squinted and shook her head as she said, “That’s not exactly how I remember it.”

    Pietro nodded in understanding. “You probably suppressed a lot of the trauma.”

    Well, that was entirely out of left field. You tucked that away in the growing mental file titled “Why New Pietro is Weird.”

    Tommy, Billy, and Pietro then broke off into their own conversation. Tommy and Billy went to sit on the couch and eat their food and Pietro went to go get something of his own, while you and Wanda moved out of the way of the stairs.

    You took a slice of fruit and popped it into your mouth, then offered her one. She took off one of her long, red gloves and happily took it.

    “You do look just… very attractive in that costume of yours,” you said in a low voice after you finished your fruit.

    “Is that so?” Wanda gave you another flirty look and casually shimmied her bare shoulders at you and scooting a bit closer. “I can’t wait to see what both of my partners have in store for me.”

    You winced slightly but tried to cover it up with a questioning look and a tease. “Was that—? Is that—? Is this flirting, Mrs. Maximoff?” 

    You couldn’t get anything past her. 

“What was that look?” she said, then gasped. “No. [Y/N] [L/N], fashionista, lover of all things bright and colorful and weird, doesn’t have a Halloween costume?”

You glance away, embarrassed. “I’ve just been so busy with moving and getting my house on the market, and it’s been hectic here at home… I forgot! Oh, speaking of which—” You raised your voice a bit. “Billy, costume suggestion?”

“A wizard!” Billy chirped from his place on the couch where he and Tommy were now setting up a video game.

“A ninja!” Tommy suggested.

“A spy!” Pietro hollered as he walked back out of the kitchen with a bowl in hand, which he should in your direction. “By the way, sibling-in-law, mind super-sizing this?”

You scowled at him. “I very much do mind and that’s not at all how my power works, thanks.”

Tommy paused what he was doing on the couch and mumbled, “That would have been such a good idea…”

You rolled your eyes and turned back to Wanda with raised hands and a curious look as the boys settled in to their own world again. “Thoughts? Three ideas, right there.”

Wanda hummed thoughtfully and slowly looked you over. The way her eyes traveled down your body made you shiver.

“Or,” you said quieter, setting down your now-empty bowl on the table behind you and slinked your arms around Wanda’s waist, “I could just be a devotee that is very invested in their work with their goddess, who does their absolute best to follow Aphrodite’s wishes…” You paused and waggled your head a bit as you thought. “Or, you know, a scientist or something.”

Wanda hummed and her hands absentmindedly explored your chest. Before you could focus too much on the way heat followed the path of her fingers, she suddenly perked up and pulled them away to clap once and then waggle her pointer fingers at you. “I know!”

“Oh?” Even as you said it, you felt Wanda’s magic take effect on your current casual work outfit. While the magic wasn’t affecting your body at all, you could feel the tickling of magic and fabric twisting and brushing against your skin. 

As you watched, your outdoor clothes transformed into a costume. The sleeves of the simple and somewhat dirtied T-shirt you wore twisted down the length of your arms until they ended at cuffs that were adjustable via silver buttons. The color of the shirt darkened and changed and became red and honey yellow plaid, and a line of usable silver buttons erupted down the center of the shirt’s front; the collar of the shirt flared and stretched into a folded collar of a button-up dress shirt. Not only did your shirt change but another layer appeared on top of it, this being a suede black and white dappled vest whose pattern looked like it was trying to mimic a cow while also trying to avoid infringing on said cow’s copyright. You felt a light pressure around your throat, then something bump against the base of your neck, and upon further investigation, you found a red handkerchief tied around your neck and a dark russet cowboy hat hanging from a leather tie. Your long shorts lengthened and changed color and material into denim jeans, accompanied by a thick leather belt with a large buckle, conveniently accented with a swirling design that involved a W and a V, and two gun holsters that were occupied by plastic versions of the weapon. Finally, on your feet appeared brown cowboy boots with golden spurs to match a golden, comically fake sheriff’s star pinned to your chest. 

A couple of thoughts popped into your head as you examined your outfit. First, you couldn’t help but make the connection between the specific shades of red and yellow used on your outfit and the same shades that your partners’ powers took on, plus the WV brand attached to your waist; it was enough to make you snicker. The other thought was how familiar the costume looked, despite mild design changes.

“Am I a knockoff Woody from Toy Story?”

Wanda blinked. “Not… my intention but we did take the boys to see it a couple of weeks ago, so.” She shrugged, then brightened again. “What do you think, Sheriff?”

You leaned back on your heels and rested your hands on your belt—then snorted at how you easily fit into standing like someone out of an old Western movie. Narrowing your eyes at her you said, “Why?”

“It’s fun,” Wanda stated simply, then added, “and colorful. And…” She stepped closer and toyed with the hem of your vest. With a lowered voice, “… I like the cowboy look.”

You forced the smirk pulling at your lips to keep at bay, instead squinting at Wanda and waving your hands around generally. “Is this— Is this your thing? Is Halloween what does it for you?”

Wanda turned her head away as she laughed out loud, which may have brought attention to the two of you if Tommy, Billy, and Pietro weren’t too busy hollering over their game.

“I’m just curious,” you carried on. “It’s fine, I just need to know! For future consideration. Depending on what the preference is, I might just have to put on a little Rocky Horror Picture Show— which isn’t exactly Halloween but you know what I mean.”

Wanda continued to snicker and lightly swatted your chest. Her gaze drifted to look past your shoulder and almost at the same time, you picked up the sound of footsteps making their way downstairs; the last member of your household was finally arriving.

“Now what is going on here?” Vision’s chipper British voice was music to your ears as he made it to the ground floor.

You and Wanda shifted your attention to him—and you immediately started laughing. Vision’s green bodysuit paired with a golden cape and wrestling shorts, and the lopsided paper gem stuck to his forehead to cover his real one, was just too much. 

“What?” Vision said, sounding offended, as you had to lean against the table behind you while continuing to cackle. While you looked at him through teary eyes, he put on his best fighting face and threw up his fists to make a few boxing motions. “You think it’s smart to laugh at a world-famous wrestler? I’ll show you!”

You continued to snicker but forced yourself to settle. Wiping your eyes, you quipped back, “We’ll fight and then I’ll use my lasso to tie you up, seems fair to me.”

That made Vision, who was still taking a little time to get used to your boldness, freeze.

One of your favorite things about Vision’s awakening, as you liked to call it, was the gradual change in personality that had come with it. Regaining your past and your abilities also brought a great bout of self-confidence. You couldn’t be sure whether this had been your personality pre-Westview or simply a product of finally putting together a lot of the foggy pieces you’d once been missing but either way, you certainly weren’t complaining. You were still awkward and sometimes just a look from either of your partners could make you turn the color of a strawberry but at least you could manage a tease or flirt without immediately cringing in on yourself, and you certainly weren’t afraid to initiate a smooch.

“Behave,” Wanda scoffed in your direction. She gave Vision a comforting pat on the shoulder, which seemed to set him back on track.

“You started it,” you said with a grin, then stepped closer to try to straighten the fake diamond to no avail. “So. Wrestler?”

“Cowboy?” Vision questioned.

“Sheriff, thank you very much.” You tapped on the badge to make a point.

“My apologies.” Vision said in a teasing tone.

“My wrestler and my cowboy,” Wanda said with a pleased smile.

You squinted at her again. “Seriously. Wrestlers too? I’m fascinated.”

Wanda slapped your shoulder.

Three of you must have caused enough ruckus to break up the house’s other trio because then Pietro appeared at your sides.

“Woah!” the silver-haired man said, “Sweet costume, bro-ham-in-law.”

Your nose scrunched up in a mild cringe. Ew, hated that. 

“Let me guess,” Pietro went on, “uh, traffic light.”

Vision sighed. You snorted.

“Half-shucked corn?”

Also a good one.

“A booger!”

And back to ew.

Vision rolled his eyes and gave a begrudging “Yes.”

Pietro fist-pumped the air and danced away in victory.

“By the way,” Wanda said, “thank you for humoring me and wearing this ridiculous get-up, honey.”

“Well, there were no other clothes in my closet, so…” Vision trailed off with a suddenly somber expression, only to break into a teasing smile a moment later. “You are incorrigible, darling. I know you have a secret thing for wrestlers.”

You cackled again as he and Wanda got closer and continued to coo at each other in a way that you found equal parts cute and disgusting. You moved away from them to collect yourself, only to catch their attention.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Wanda said teasingly, “you’ll get your pony-talk too!”

“Please,” you begged with a shaking head and shaking hands, “dear god, no.”

Then Vision waggled his brows at you, hit you with a bad Southern-British combo accent and a pointed “howdy” and you screamed before breaking into laughter yet again. 

Vision laughed with you before turning his attention to the boys, while Wanda walked over with a grin and to help you off the ground. 

“What do you say, boys?” Vision hollered. “Who’s ready for that first hit of high fructose corn syrup?”

The kids and Pietro kept hollering over their video game.

“I hated every second of that,” you said to Wanda as she helped you to your feet. 

Wanda gave you a playful pout, then her smile returned as she straightened the handkerchief tied around your neck. When she was satisfied, she moved the hat from behind your back and onto your head. “You chose this.”

“Mm.” You hummed and nodded while fixing your vest. “I did in fact do that. Lucky me, two for one nerd deal.”

“So, about that Rocky Horror idea…”

You stared at her, bewildered. “What has this day done to you?”

Vision’s attention slowly refocused on you and Wanda as he was getting nowhere with Billy and Tommy, though his eyes still lingered on them and their uncle. “Wanda.”

“Yes, dear?” Wanda chirped, turning her smile to her husband.

“Never told me much about your brother,” Vision said with eyes still trained on the three. “I had no idea he’d be so…” He trailed off as the two boys and one man-child started shotgunning sodas; Vision made a face and gave a thumbs-up as he continued sarcastically, “…great with kids.”

“Yeah,” Wanda replied in a tone that shared his exasperations, “He’s just… full of surprises.”

At this point, you were watching the trio as well. After a pause, you piped up, “I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I think he’s a wonderful role model. Such manners.”

You received the gaze of two pairs of narrowed eyes. You gave them a cheerful smile and quirk of your eyebrows in return.

Vision rolled his eyes and began making his way to the door. “Well, you have fun tonight, darling. [Y/N], will you be joining me later?”

“That’s the plan, beanstalk,” you said. You pinched and tugged the stretchy fabric of his bodysuit and let it snap back into place, earning you a glinting glare.

Then Wanda was following after him, confusion wiping the happy expression off her face. “What? What do you mean? You’re all dressed up and ready to go, where the two of you going?”

Vision stopped faux-boxing your hands away as you continued to try to pick at his outfit to wave his arms around his head. “I’m undercover! Halloween is bacchanal for adolescent trouble-makers and the neighborhood watch is the only thing that stands between the trees and the toilet paper.”

“No,” Wanda said and her eyes blinked rapidly in the way that they did when she was trying to comprehend something that didn’t seem right, “that’s not what you’re supposed to—”

“What?” Vision interrupted in a stern voice, with a pointed look.

“Well…” Wanda crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Her bewildered eyes darted in your direction just briefly before she turned a scowl on Vision. Lowering her voice a bit, she said, “You didn’t tell me you had plans.”

Vision’s hands rested steadily on his hips and his eyes pointed dull daggers back at her own; it was a stand-off. “Well, I am telling you now.”

I should probably step in, you thought.

“It’s their first Halloween. You have to be there.” Wanda’s gaze turned on you, as did Vision’s in the same moment. “And you too?”

Oh boy. 

Your eyes bounced between your one partner’s gaze and then the other’s before it settled between them, where you could see Billy, Tommy, and Pietro’s gaming session had slowed. Billy was talking into a nonexistent camera and you could pick out enough words that what he was talking about were his mom and dad. Pietro was glancing around like he was supposed to be doing something and he even began to stand and make his way over—before you hit him with a warning glare and mouthed “no” that had him glued back to his couch seat.

“Not to throw shade at Vision,” you offered, stepping closer and directing Wanda and Vision a few steps farther away from the rest of the household, “which I’m not doing, FYI, but I will be around for most of the festivities. A surrogate Vision, if you will.”

Both of their gazes softened a bit and Wanda opened her mouth to start her tri-parent inclusive spiel but you smiled and waved both her and Vision off.

“I know already, I know, I was just teasing. Wanda, my love,” you continued and turned your attention to her as you moved your hand from her shoulder to her own, “Vision is a neighborhood watch member and I do believe that all the dads of the cul-de-sac are taking part in… watching over the neighborhood during Halloween. You know how kids—and crazy uncles—can be. And I’m just trying to offer my help because let’s face it, I still haven’t exactly made the best of impressions like you two have managed to.”

Wanda tilted her head from side to side, no doubt remembering your interactions with Dottie that she was present for or perhaps your horror stories of previous attempts at impressing the watch, before giving a resigned nod.

“So, I’ll be here, Pietro will be here, Vision will be around and just doing his job, and everything is going to be fine and fun and… the bomb— Ew, did not like that, and if I ever say it again, please send me to the gallows or whatever cowboys punish people with.”

“Guns, usually,” Vision mumbled. 

You snickered. “Well, mine are plastic, so my bad, but anyway—”

Wanda huffed a bit gave you a dismissive wave before you could ramble further. “Fine, fine. But you have to promise that we’ll at least spend the night together afterward.”

That last part was directed at Vision, who responded with a nod. Then he cupped a yellow gloved hand around the back of her neck and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Of course, I promise, darling.”

Wanda, still upset, reacted very little but she didn’t stop him. 

Vision straightened up and directed his attention to Tommy and Billy, who were back to loudly playing their game. Making an ominous gesture with his arms as he backed towards the door, he said to them, “You have a spoo-OO-ooky time tonight, kids.” 

“Goodnight, Dad!” Billy hollered, with Tommy saying “Bye, Dad” at the same moment. Neither boy looked away from their TV screen.

“Wanda,” Vision said softly to her, “be good.”

As he passed you, he leaned down to give you a peck as well, but you caught him by the cape and kissed his jaw first. As you pulled back, you grumbled, “Be back, Vis.”

His gaze quickly trailed across your face before he gave you a nod and a kiss on the lips. Then he stepped away—and jumped into a strange, half-pouncing pose and said, “I smell crime,” before shuffling his way out the front door.

“I smell bellyaches in the morning,” you said to no one particular as you shut the door behind him.

Wanda trailed after you, frowning, and her hand lingered on the door.

“Hey.” You took her hand and brought it to your lips to kiss each fingertip as she turned your attention to you. “It’ll be okay.”

Now Wanda’s eyes traced a path across your face before meeting your eyes. “How can you be so sure?”

You replied simply, “I have faith in you and Vision more than I do in anyone else.”

Wanda nodded slowly and took her hand back. She turned around, was greeted by Pietro with a scary face and a bottle of shaving cream in each hand, and screamed. She jumped back against you and you circled your arms protectively around her waist. She scolded her twin, “Don’t do that!”

Pietro snickered. “Where do you keep your water balloons?”

“What?” Wanda’s brows furrowed. “We don’t have water balloons.”

“Where are we gonna put all this shaving cream?” Pietro asked, raising the large cans for her to see. He glanced at you where your chin was resting on Wanda’s shoulder.

You gave him a slight nod, then lightly jutted your chin in the direction of the kitchen. “Backyard,” you mouthed, “Shed.”

Pietro grinned. 

Wanda scoffed and gave your cheek a light swat. “Don’t encourage him!”

You snickered and smooched her cheek.

Tommy walked over with an opened plastic bag in hand; Pietro used this as an excuse. Pointing a finger at the boy, he said, “It was Billy’s idea.”

“I’m Tommy.”

“And I’m heading back to the house,” you added in. You peeled yourself away from Wanda after giving her a couple more teasing kisses, despite Tommy and Pietro’s gagging responses, and continued, “I’m going to try to get a couple more boxes packed, want to be done by the weekend. See you in an hour or so?”

“How dare you leave me with these monsters,” Wanda said goodnaturedly.

You shrugged as you opened the front door and began backing out of it.

“Don’t worry,” you said, then gave your partner a smirk and a wink, “you’re a goddess, after all.”

===

===

===

You were humming casually as you walked down the street. You kept a close eye on Tommy and Billy as they walked slightly ahead of you, chatting about candy, and a familiar tug in your stomach told you that Wanda and Pietro were still walking just behind you.

Suddenly Tommy and Billy ran off. Pietro yelled the mildly concerning encouragement of “Unleash hell, demon spawn!” Wanda let out a worried holler of your name but you were already heading after the boys.

“I got ‘em!” you hollered with a wave over your shoulder. You jogged after them and scooped them into the air from behind, shaking them around as they giggled. Setting them down again, you followed them up to a house, narrowly avoiding other kids and parents. “You’re not supposed to run off, you know.”

“It’s okay,” Billy stated, “Mom will take care of us.”

“Yeah,” Tommy agreed, “she’s magic!”

You snorted. “That doesn’t mean give her a harder time just because of it.”

The three of you reached the opened door of the house. An older woman dressed as a fairytale queen stood in the doorway, holding a bowl full of candy goodies that she lowered for Tommy and Billy to grab from. You glanced at them to see Tommy shoveling twice as much candy as he should into his bag and rolled your eyes before looking back to the woman. She smiled and said, “Good evening, Sheriff, how’s patrol going?”

You put on your best Southern accent and responded with a tip of your hat, “All’s well, Your Highness. Nothing can get past me and my band of… wizard and lightning bolt.”

Finished with their looting, Tommy and Billy spun around and ran back to their mother and uncle. You gave the woman another hat tip before running after them, chuckling.

“Next house, Mom!” Tommy cried as the three of you reached her and Pietro.

“What am I,” you huffed, “chopped liver?”

“You,” Pietro replied pointedly, “don’t have super speed. Whaddya say, boys? How about you let Uncle P maximize your candy acquisition, huh?”

“Yeah,” Tommy exclaimed, “kick-ass!”

“Language,” you warned with a tousle of his silver-painted hair. You stepped over to Wanda’s side as Tommy grasped Billy’s hand, then reached out for Pietro’s.

“I feel the need,” Pietro started.

“For speed!” Tommy finished. They grabbed each other’s hand and then the three of them were gone in a silvery blue streak. 

“Kick-ass,” Wanda said. She stared at you incredulously.

“I see the double standard I’m setting,” you stated. “Also, we’re going to regret letting them leave.”

“Probably.” Wanda gave you an empathetic pat on the shoulder, then spotted someone behind you. She made her way around you and walked over to Herb, who wore a fantastic Frankenstein’s Monster costume, and you walked after her. “Oh, hey, Herb.”

“Oh, hey, Wanda, [Y/N],” Herb responded. 

You noticed as you got closer, waving absentmindedly, that he had a wire in his ear, probably set up to communicate with the other neighborhood watch members. You wondered if Vision had thought his cover through and actually told anyone that he was going to help out the watch tonight.

“How’s the patrol going?” Wanda asked. 

“Eh, quiet so far,” Herb replied, only for a crackle to sound in his ear. He asked for the two of you to hang on for a moment, then put a finger to his ear. “Say again. All the candy has disappeared?”

As if on cue, Pietro and the twins went zipping by behind him, leaving no candy in their wake. You and Wanda exchanged nervous glances.

“And now all the jack-o’-lanterns have been smashed,” Herb continued. “And now everyone’s covered in silly string?”

“I said we’d regret it,” you muttered to her.

She anxiously looked about, trying to follow the streak flying up and down the street. “[Y/N], honey, could you maybe…?”

“I’ll get the pumpkins and silly string,” you offered, your powers already beginning to warm your fingertips, “you get the candy?”

“Deal.”

Wanda pretended to fix her hair and used the action to mask a subtle power-conjuring gesture. In response, the insides of bowls and bags being held by the people around you began to glow red as their candy was replenished.

Now that you had a handle on your own abilities, it was easy to manage with no hand movements required. The power itself was fairly simple: you could transform matter from one form to another. It came with a couple of other quirks, like a heightened awareness of certain energies—such as Wanda’s magic or Vision’s overall synthezoid being—and being able to use that awareness to find a person if you focused hard enough and paid attention to the pull in your gut but overall, you didn’t find it particularly special and it was nowhere near as powerful as Wanda’s. You could also drain your powers if you used them too long or focused on them too hard, and had to keep a constant source of energy intake to keep both your body and ability’s energy in check; in other words, you were almost always snacking. 

It was useful in times like these, though, where you had a target object or objects that needed to be covered up. All you had to do was focus—not too little and not too much, you found through trial and error; that was the trickiest part—and let the prickling heat coat your hands, and then thin wisps of black appeared to float around smashed pumpkins or entangle themselves with lines of silly string. Black turned to white as the transformation began to take place—silly string into fake cobwebs, Halloween-themed strings of light, or sinking into peoples’ clothing to become part of the pattern, and pumpkins into sturdier variations of themselves or other Halloween decorations—before white turned to red and then faded altogether.

You’d think at least one person of Westview would notice such feats of glowing magic and decorations appearing before their very eyes but no. The only indication that anything had changed at all was another crackle in Herb’s ear.

“Oh, nice,” Herb said in response to the talking in his ear, “everything seems to be all good now.”

“Huh, weird,” you said as you casually shook off the tingling sensation in your hands, “I wondered what happened.”

“Pranks, probably,” Wanda suggested after clearing her throat and dropping her hands. “Of course, the watch probably handled it. I’m sure Vision had a hand in it.”

“Vision?” Herb questioned. “Oh, he’s not on duty.”

Nice job, Vis.

“Oh,” Wanda said, “I… I thought…”

“Is there something I can do for you, Wanda?” Herb asked, suddenly staring intently at her. “Do you want something changed?” 

Wanda became visibly uncomfortable and she chuckled nervously. “No. It’s fine. Nevermind.”

You eyed Herb; his eyes weren’t quite glassy but they stared with an emptiness that made your intestines twist before they snapped back to normal when Wanda indicated that everything was fine. You placed a supporting hand on Wanda’s back and slowly ushered her away as Herb smiled, waved, and walked off down the street.

“Strange,” Wanda said with a few rapid blinks.

“Very.” you agreed as the two of you walked on. “Are you okay?”

Wanda blinked once more, then stopped walking. “Did Vision lie to me?”

You slowed and turned to face her before stopping altogether. “Well, he’s technically doing his job.”

Wanda stared at you. “Do you know where he is? What he’s doing?”

You winced, then shook your head. “I don’t. I’m sorry. I told him that he should talk to you and he must have decided he didn’t want to ‘get me in trouble’ or something.”

Wanda frowned and mumbled, “What is wrong with us…?”

“I’m sorry,” you tried again as you anxiously toyed with the hem of your short vest, “I want to help.”

Wanda sighed and gave you a small, sad smile. “You tried.”

===

===

===

Later that night, while you and Wanda were back walking with the group, Tommy found himself to have developed super-speed like Pietro because of course, he had. As you’d done for most of the day, you tasked yourself with watching over the kids while Wanda used her time to catch up with her estranged brother. This time, you were watching Tommy zip Billy and himself around to test out his new ability while Wanda and Pietro wandered a little further down the street. Now that Tommy had an energy similar to that of his parents, even if you couldn’t see him, you could hone in on him and follow a familiar pull.

You were leaning against the side of the local cinema, which was currently showing The Incredibles—Westview had apparently shifted decades again—and attempting to make a mental map of Tommy’s speedy travels while using the compass-like pull when the pull suddenly yanked your attention upward. Your eyes shot open as you sought out the call of your attention and against the starless night sky, you could see a pinprick of familiar golden light hovering over a floating silhouette.

You glanced over to Wanda and Pietro, who were deep in conversation. Then a flash of silver light zipped across your field of vision; you stopped Tommy and Billy by turning a section of the street in their path to wet cement.

“Hey, no fair!” Tommy whined.

“My costume…” Billy mumbled sadly.

You tugged them out of the wet cement, turned it back to asphalt, and transformed the mess on their shoes and pants into grass clippings that could easily be brushed off. After doing so, you straightened up and took the toy guns out of your holsters. You thought about turning them into squirt guns and setting the twins loose, then decided that wouldn’t make you any better than Pietro and settled for transforming them into massive chocolate bars instead. You held them out to the twins.

“Take these,” you said, “and be on your best behavior for the rest of the night. Go with your mom and Pietro to the movie showing. Tell them I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”

Tommy eyed the chocolate skeptically before shrugging and taking it anyway. “Where are you going?”

“To make sure Vision gets home on time,” you replied. Tommy shrugged again and walked off, and you started to turn away when you felt a little hand grasp your wrist and the slight spark of magical energy that came with it. You looked down to see Billy staring up at you with wide eyes.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” he asked softly. “Mom and Dad?”

You took his hand and squeezed it. “Of course, hon’. If anyone can make something work, they can.”

Billy stared for a little longer before nodding. He squeezed your hand back, then dropped it. “Stay safe.”

“That’s the plan.”

===

===

===

You were following your inner compass to Vision, who was no longer flying overhead when you began feeling the weird sensation of something non-physical trying to clamber inside your head. You were tempted to try to block yourself from whatever it was trying to reach you but it didn’t feel threatening. Instead, it felt somewhat familiar and it felt scared.

You paused and try to figure out what exactly it was and as you did so, your head filled with radio static, struggling to get in tune. You focused harder, invited whatever was trying to connect with you to do so, and just as the familiarity clicked as Billy, the young boy’s voice rang inside your skull. 

It’s Dad, Billy’s voice said and then the radio static was reappearing. Before it completely overtook him, you could hear, He’s in trouble. 

Just as Billy’s voice and then the radio static disappeared from your head, a section of the barrier shielding Westview from the outside world exploded into view. From your previous experience with going through the barrier yourself, you recognized the warping of the static wall as trying to bend around something trying to leave to prevent it from doing so. 

Burning heat suddenly flared in your palms, strong enough to envelop your entire arms and lick at your shoulders and neck. Then you were running to Vision’s aid, throwing bolts of glowing energy ahead of you to transform obstacles like trees and signs into harmless items that were no longer in your way as you beelined to your partner. While the visible section of the barrier was easy enough to follow, it didn’t tell you anything about the condition of the person it was fighting against. Instead, the normally steady pang that was now quickly shattering and fading told you Vision was not just in danger but dying, and fast. You attempted to quicken your pace further. 

    By the time you reached the edge of Westview, you felt sweaty and exhausted, and the numbness of falling asleep limbs was setting into your hands and arms; you’d overused your abilities. Still, when you saw that Vision was nowhere to be seen, meaning he’d managed to make it through the barrier, you pushed forward and started forcing your way through it as well. Although your powers were weak from overuse and nothing compared to Wanda’s they did help make the passage somewhat easier. Just before you broke through to the other side, you felt what could only be described as the magic version of the pullback of a wave before a tsunami was about to hit.

    Then you were collapsing on the other side of the barrier. It was hell there—a high-tech military base was set up, trucks and soldiers were swarming around, a woman was being handcuffed to one truck by a familiar man—but all you could focus on was the body of your dying lover laying on the ground barely a foot ahead of you, pieces of him tearing from his body and flying backward to be absorbed by the energy field just behind you. You felt yourself choke out a sob from seeing him in such a state and forced yourself to crawl one inch, then two inches, then three inches forward until you could wrap a weak hand around his ankle and attempt to feed what little bit of energy that you had left into him. You drained yourself little by little of everything you had left until dark spots appeared in your eyesight and you didn’t have enough strength to lift your head or keep a tight hold on Vision’s ankle.

    You were about to pass out when Wanda’s magic hit crashed into you like a wave and traveled outward. Then everything went black. 

[moons-and-stars-and-shit]

Hi! I saw your blog cause you reblogged one of my crack ideas on my hq account and I think it’s super cute! Is it possible I can request a cake? I’m curious to see who you’d put me with :)

I have no idea what I’m supposed to put in this, but! My name is Spencer (at least that’s the one I’m trying out rn, but it’s comfy I like it) and I use he/him pronouns. I’m 5’10ish & I currently have black hair that I dye from time to time (probably going to dye it red next). My hair is like...a little past the top of my ears, but it’s an undercut (think Kenma with black hair ig). I have really thin brown eyes (a lot of people think I’m Asian I’m not lol they’re just hooded). I’m not exactly built thin but that’s something I’m ✨insecure✨ about so we’re not gonna get into that lol

Personality wise,,,idk I’m 90% self-deprecating and the other 10% is sarcasm. I’d like to think I’m a pretty creative person although I’m extremely logical. Creativity is more for fun vs logical on a day-to-day basis if that makes sense?

I used to be really athletic but I started doing other things and since then that’s kinda dwindled away. However lately I’ve been trying to kick ✨depression✨ in the ass and get back into being athletic and stuff. I’m learning how to box and a few friends and I want to take up volleyball when it gets warmer. I used to be a soccer player though and I want to start doing that again, too.

A lot of people tell me I’m musically talented. I like to think I am on a good day, I guess (I’m bad about describing myself lol sorry). But I play a little piano and ukulele but I play guitar & sing mostly.

Even though I try not to be I’m super competitive and legit subconsciously turn everything into a competition, but I try to stay lighthearted about it. Even though I come off cold to people when I meet them (RBF + introvert yikes) I really care about my friends and wear my heart on my sleeve even though I try not to show it.

Quick stuff if this isn’t too long already?

Zodiac: Sun-Leo Moon-Virgo Rising-Cancer

MBTI: INPT-T

Asked my friends what colors they’d describe me with & made this:

Favorite anime is either the disastrous life of saiki k or haikyuu!! (leaning towards hq tho)

I don’t have a favorite color but I wear a lot of red and black

Punk/slightly alt style with a lot of graphic tshirts? That’s basically my style

And yeah! I’m sorry if this is really long lol I tend to ramble when I don’t know what to say heh

Spence back again 😅😅 I forgot to attach the pretty color thing my friend told me to make

@spence0112

Hahaaaaaaaa 😅 sorry for the wait but thank you for your patience 😭

Romantic Matchup

Tendou Satori

How Y’all Met

Ight kinda embarrassing

But y’all Met in therapy 🤠

Yup

Group therapy

Legit every time he heard you talk

He was like:

Mood

Felt that

Relatable

So after group he went up to you and was just like

“Hey if you ever need to talk to someone I’m always available!”

And he gave you his digits 😗

Ok fast forward a bit

You we’re having a REALLY bad day

Like the depression was kicking tour ass

And you don’t know why

But you called our boy Tendou

Oop homeboy ZOOMED over to you

He was like do you wanna talk about it

And you said no, you just needed something to take your mind off of your ✨depressive state✨

He remembered you saying something about wanting to learn volleyball

And it was the end of the day... 👀

So he took you to practice with him

It was actually super fun!

He taught you all sorts of moves

And you we’re really impressed by his guest blocking

By the end of practice you felt a lot better

And you actually decided to join the volleyball team

Tendou was super excited to have you as his teammate!

Y’all started to hang out CONSTANTLY

You guys were just super close

So no one was really shocked when you two started dating 👀

They were expecting it actually...

What They Love About You

He loves that he can relate to you

And vice versa

Y’all truly just understand each other

He loves that your willing to battle your depression

It honestly inspires him to kick the rest of his depression in the ass

He loves your style!

He would wear jeans and a t shirt every day if he could

Matching t-shirts 👀 👀 👀

He loves how naturaly caring you are

He can see past the rbf so don’t worry about that

But the fact that you treat people with care and kindness is a plus for him

Favorite Things To Do Together

Ok this could go two ways

Option A is the definition of crackhead things

A lot of midnight shopping trips

A lot of gas station hauls

You get the gist

Or there’s option B

Which Is very chill 🙂

He likes to just stay in and watch anime or read manga with you

So whatever’s more your vibe

But he likes doing both 👀

Random Hc

His favorite anime is Saiki K as well 😗

So that’s the show you two always watch together

You two

Do in fact

Have matching t-shirts

Ahhhh so cute

You guys told your therapy group you were dating 😭

They were surprisingly supportive 👀

Astrology

When Taurus and Leo come together in a love affair, they can be a great couple because they know how to stroke one another’s egos and love to have their own stroked!

They have similar needs: Taurus needs plenty of affection, to be loved and cherished, while Leo likes compliments and wants to be adored and admired.

They’re both extremely loyal and possessive lovers.

Since they have such similar desires, they can generally provide for one another’s needs quite well.

These two Signs both love status and possessions.

They prize physical comfort and luxury; Leo is often flamboyant about attentions and gift-giving, which will greatly please Taurus, who loves the most traditional forms of courtship.

Though they can work together quite well, it’s not all roses between these two; both Signs are very stubborn and must work hard to understand and accept one another.

Overall Aesthetic

2000 Retro

Out of my league - Fitz and the tantrums

Dissolve - Absofacto

Boyfriend - Coin

Wait a minute- Willow

I’m sorry this is just to cute not to add 😭

(NOT MY ART)

[amandaoftherosemire]

And Hell is Just a Sauna -- Part Three

And Hell is Just a Sauna -- Part Three

Fandom: Marvel/MCU

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader

Characters: Bucky Barnes

Author: @amandaoftherosemire

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 6,091    

Format: Short Series (Complete)

Warnings: Language, violence.

Summary: You meet Bucky Barnes upon your mysterious and deadly escape from a power obsessed cult leader and his followers. Though you carry a secret in addition to the wariness of trauma, you can’t help your attraction to Bucky and his irascible demeanor. As for Bucky, he is drawn to the light he sees in you while he fears the things you’re hiding. Can you trust him with your secrets, and your life? Will you have a choice?

A/N: Over the course of the last year, I have decided to fully embrace the swamp witch aesthetic that I have been side-eyeing for a long time. What this means for my blog is that I emerge from The Rosemire every few weeks to offer up what I’ve made, only to immediately disappear again. I don’t know if this is an explanation or an apology. Maybe a warning? Up to you I guess.

 Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four

And Hell is Just a Sauna -- Part Three

Bucky was watching you. Again.

He was trying to be subtle about it, as per usual, not wanting to make you uncomfortable, but he couldn’t help himself. To Bucky, you were endlessly compelling.

You took a couple of hours in your office every afternoon for researching… something… and he’d gotten into the habit of hanging out on the couch in there, originally intending to nap. Rather than sleep, however, he’d found himself watching you, enthralled by the serious demeanor he’d discovered in these moments. Between the narrow-eyed focus on whatever you were reading and the low muttering under your breath, he found you both charming and intriguing.

The intrigue made sense, considering your discomfort when he asked what information you were seeking in these hours in front of your computer. You hadn’t tried to deceive him, but you’d made it clear that you weren’t ready to talk about it. That had been before you’d let him into your bed, however, and he’d been hoping you’d share the truth ever since.

And so, he found himself stretched out on the couch in your office, watching you from under his lashes and trying to understand the mystery you presented.

Bucky was fascinated and frustrated by the puzzle of you. He’d spent hours talking to you, even more hours simply existing around you, endless days considering everything he’d observed about you. He hadn’t figured you out yet, nor had he uncovered why he was so obsessed, though he was getting an inkling.

He was pretty sure he was falling in love. He’d once had the heart and soul of a romantic, had been able to fall in love every other day, with a woman’s voice, scent, smile, but something about you was different. Something about you made him yearn for more.

He didn’t think it was the mystery alone, though that was part of it. You were in most ways an open book, outgoing and full of stories about anything up to and after your captivity. What happened to you in that blank spot you wouldn’t or couldn’t say, but he heard you whimpering pleas for help or mercy along with the name ‘Joseph’ in your sleep. The terror in your voice always made him want to destroy something. Instead, as he would pull you into his arms to comfort, he’d deliberately remind himself that those he wanted revenge upon were beyond him, but he could care for you.  

Most days, however, you were light-hearted and happy and being around you made him feel brighter, more like himself. Every day he woke up next to you was a good day simply because he knew it would be another opportunity to bask in the light and heat of you, the crackle and snap of the searing energy that arced between you. He wanted to understand you, wanted to understand that heated energy. He     was certain that there was something vital to be found there.

If he was being completely honest, however, he had to admit he was watching with as much interest the way you absent-mindedly brushed the pen in your hand over your lips as he was listening to your muttered asides about flames and one-way doors. He was utterly obsessed with the seemingly unconscious sensuality that characterized almost everything you did, but he couldn't be sure it wasn't something appealing particularly to him.

The fact was, if he was still the boy he’d once been and you were a girl he'd met before the war, he would already be thinking about claiming you permanently. However, he was in a new century, with new rules, new realities. Old evils still nipping at his heels. The boy he'd been would have adored you as much as the man he'd become, but the man was only comfortable enough to indulge that adoration thanks to his certainty that you could protect yourself should those evils catch him.

Except he was not at all certain he could have resisted you, regardless. The emotion that made his heart race and leap and ache was too powerful, the glory of what you gave him, the joy of giving back to you too exquisite. He'd begun to dread the day he was inevitably forced from your side. He wasn't entirely certain you'd let him go without a fight. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted you to.

You had made clear your genuine enjoyment in him, but he also wasn't certain how deep your feelings toward him ran. He wanted to believe that the softness in your eyes wasn't his imagination, that the tenderness in your touch was proof that you were as taken over by this as he was. But as long as you continued to keep secrets about things that terrified you, he couldn't be sure he wasn't anything more than a diversion. As long as you kept your own counsel about your past, and in the absence of explicit words, he had to assume that your feelings didn't run as deep as he might hope.

On the other hand, Bucky couldn’t help but notice the less than secure way you hid whatever it was you were researching. Every day you closed down your computer and put your paper notes in your desk drawer, which you then carefully locked. He knew that you were aware that the lock on your desk was something he could pick half-conscious with his eyes closed after a bender, and that was the point. That you trusted him to stay out of what you’d made clear was private told him how you felt. You evidently trusted him to respect your privacy. Maybe it wasn't a proclamation of undying devotion, but it was a start.

When it made him so warm and soft inside, he couldn’t even think of breaking that trust. No matter how mad it and you drove him with curiosity.

"I'm pretty sure you're not asleep, you know.” The sound of your voice startled him, so engrossed he’d become in watching the way you rolled the pen over your lower lip. “I feel like I can hear you thinking from over here." Though you weren't looking at him, a mischievous smile was playing around the corners of your mouth and Bucky felt the low-burning embers of desire that had been teasing at the edges of his consciousness burst into full flame. He always wanted you, but he wanted you most when you were teasing him.

Bucky smirked, but otherwise didn't move as he replied in a slow drawl, his eyes bright and blue as they glittered at you from under long dark lashes. "That pen of yours is giving me thoughts, the way it's playing with your mouth."

He was sorry to see said pen yanked away from your mouth, but the bashful grin you shot him as your laughing eyes met his more than made up for it. "Hey now," you mock scolded as your eyebrows lifted in playful challenge. Bucky adored the pretty way you played with him, the fearless way you challenged him. His grin turning feral, he sat up and swung his feet to the floor.

“Don’t get up,” you ordered with a smirk as you tossed the pen down on the desk and got to your feet.

Bucky sat back with a grinning leer as you circled the desk, hoping he'd managed to tempt you into his lap. When you dropped to your knees in front of him, skimming your hands up his thighs to his belt buckle as your mouth spread in a sly smile, he laughed in breathless wonder, grateful to be wrong.

"Fuck, doll," he sighed happily as your hands went to work on the button of his jeans as your eyes burned into his, "a penny for your thoughts."

Bucky's whole body tightened in desire when you leaned forward with a sultry laugh.

…

A long while later, after you'd destroyed first his body, then his mind with your wicked mouth, what was left of his heart crumbled when you led him from the room toward dinner without shutting down the computer or putting away your notes. He followed you without a backward glance, certain that the day was coming soon when you'd confide in him. He could wait until you were ready.

The intruder alert connected to the security system sounded from your phone at the same time the hissing, spitting panic of your friend had Bucky sitting up from behind you where he’d been sleeping curled around you as big spoon.

“What the fuck?!” he spat in a furious and confused whisper as he rolled to his feet in a move so violently graceful you caught your breath even as your heart picked up in fear at the sound of the low humming coming through the cracked window.

You scrambled out of bed and snatched up the nightgown you always left draped over the foot of the bed for just this moment. You’d almost started to think, hope, that it wouldn’t come, but you’d never been that lucky. “Kiki!” Your voice was hoarse with the terror that prickled at the back of your neck when the chanting started.

“What the fuck!” Bucky had put himself beside the window and peeked around the edge into the yard. He now sounded disgusted in addition to infuriated and if you weren’t facing your worst fear you would laugh at the aggravation all over him. Only Bucky would be exasperated by what appeared to be robed and hooded cultists surrounding the house.

When you peeked around the other side of the window and saw one man with his hood thrown back, a chill ran down your spine. The mask covering his face did nothing to disguise his identity. You’d recognize Joseph’s shining gold hair and arrogant stride anywhere, even if only by the light of a crescent moon.

You snatched up the phone on your nightstand and pulled up the controls on your security as you hissed. “Kiki, how is he still alive?” You couldn’t help the panic coloring the question, but at this point there was no reason to keep anything from Bucky any longer. You felt Bucky’s eyes on you when the popping hiss came in response and wished you’d had the courage to introduce him to Kiki before catastrophe struck.

Bucky crouched to pull the rifle from beneath the bed where he’d placed it when he started sleeping with you every night. As he loaded the gun and checked it over, he seemed only mildly curious when he asked, “Who’s Kiki?”

“Very small, Keek,” you said softly as you lifted your hand and turned it so that the backs of your fingers were facing up. Across the knuckles, a tiny orange and yellow flame with a vaguely animal shape, like a small lizard, jumped and pounced until it turned blue flame eyes on Bucky. You smiled a little at his raised brows. “This is Kiki.”

The flickering shape of Kiki’s face spread in what was unmistakably a smile even as the jeweled blue of her eyes narrowed in flirtatious charm as they rested on Bucky. He laughed a little, one of his scoffs of astonished humor, when she hissed and whistled in what could only be appreciation.

“Keek thinks you’re hot, for a human,” you said when Bucky’s eyes met yours over the happy little flame perched like a bird on your fingers. Your smile was a little sick around the edges and Bucky could see the fear that lived there. He was too familiar with the terror of rejection because of what one couldn't help but become to not recognize it when it was all over the woman he loved.

Bucky reached out and took your free hand with his own and squeezed gently as he smirked. “I guess Kiki would know, considering.”

You huffed out a laugh of relief. You could hear in his tone that he wasn't angry, that he understood. No wonder you'd fallen head over heels with the man. He was perfect, at least for you. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you," you rushed to explain, afraid to believe it'd be this easy. "Batshit cult outside kinda figured it out for me.”

“This works," he answered with a shrug. You'd trusted him when it was important. He had faith that the next time, you wouldn't hesitate. With a wink and a flirty grin, he nodded at the little flame still sitting on the backs of your fingers. "Pleasure to meet you, Kiki. You wanna help finish these assholes off?”

Your breathless laugh of wonder chased by adrenaline followed the low, long gleefully malevolent hiss from the little creature. You grinned fiercely at Bucky, ready to defend your home and everyone in it. “Keek likes the way you think.”

"Darlin'?" The deep Southern drawl that haunted your nightmares floated in through the window and sent a shudder of terror running over your skin. Bucky looked down when your hand clamped around his. Using that grip, he tugged you close, letting go to wrap his arm around your waist and crush you against his body as he took your mouth with his own.

"I'm not gonna let him hurt you." He growled the words not like a promise, but as a statement of fact, and one that required no further explanation. The sound of his utter confidence, his complete commitment helped you slow your breathing as he turned you both toward the bedroom door.

A shiver of fear still ran through you at the shouted "Darlin'!" coming through the window, however. Despite the still polite tones, you could hear the undercurrent of cruelty, of barely leashed violence, and the sound reminded you of the time you'd spent as his prisoner before that last horrible night. "I think I've been awful patient with you, darlin', but I'm already a mite annoyed that I had to chase you at all. Why don't you come on out here and we can talk about this like adults?”

Bucky kept you tightly snugged into his side as he pulled you into the upstairs hallway that ran between the bedrooms. He ignored everything but you as he spoke in calm, soothing tones to counteract whatever was in the other man's voice that made you shake this way. Fury lit a fire within him, made him want to leap into the fray with nothing but his knife to take vengeance for you in blood. Only his determination to see you safe could overcome that white-hot rage.

"I have an idea. Go to your library window," he murmured in a voice as soft as velvet as he led you down the hallway toward the room in question. "Stall him a bit while I get into position downstairs." He lifted the rifle still in his other hand, but his reassuring smile drew your eyes and gave you a much-needed boost of confidence. "Let him manipulate you downstairs, but you're only going to the front door."

You looked into eyes so blue the sight made your heart sigh and relaxed in a fundamental way for the first time since you'd been kidnapped by the man that was still taunting you and calling your name. You took a quick breath and leaned forward to snatch a kiss from that gorgeous mouth. With a quick grin into that stormy blue, you turned into the room to face your demons.

"Uuuugggghhhh!" As you threw open the window next to your reading nook, you shouted in hostile exasperation and hit the button on your phone that turned on the flood lights. Bucky grinned in appreciation from the shadows behind you as he turned to make his way silently to the ground floor.

Dropping into the seat with a huff, you leaned out to sneer at Joseph, the villain in your story, who was blinking and shielding his eyes from the sudden light. "What is your fucking problem?!" you sang out with malicious glee.

You'd learned very quickly as a matter of survival how to both fascinate and frustrate Joseph during your time as his captive. Like many psychopaths, he hated boredom above all else. Keeping him amused, even by irritating him, had made you a favorite, kept you alive. It had also led to your place as the vessel for his occult summoning, unfortunately.

"Ah, there's my girl." You were pretty sure you saw his grin flash with that familiar Southern charm. The mask only covered the top of his face and his voice was warm and appreciative. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes, there, darlin'."

You narrowed your eyes and ignored the flattery. He'd sounded the same even as he'd staked you to the ground, spread eagle for what he'd believed to be a demon. "Why’re you hiding your face, Joe?"

The face in question fell into cruel and bitter lines, the charming smile gone as though it had never existed. Despite the warm presence hissing reassurance in your ear and the burly man with the giant gun downstairs, you felt a chill run down your spine at the sight of Joseph angry. "I'll take off the mask if you promise to still think me handsome."

“I told you when we were dating that I have an ugly temper.” You kept your voice bored and unconcerned, well aware it drove him crazy. “If I did some damage on my way out the door, it was only to be expected.”

The dark and sinister cast to his features snapped off and his mouth spread in a wide, cheerful smile. The speed with which he switched from charming and pleasant to cruel and menacing and back again chilled your bones, despite Kiki’s ever-present heat. “I fell for that fire before it burst into flame, darlin’. Why do think I’m here?”

 You smiled at him, a thin baring of teeth that carried no hint of amusement. "I thought I made myself clear when I left that I was breaking up with you." You tilted your head in a taunting kind of curiosity. "Was setting everything on fire too subtle?

"I'm not mad, if that's what you're afraid of," he ignored the question with a sly smile. You were only half paying attention as Kiki was hissing warnings and instructions into your ear. Like the night you'd met her, she sounded both calm and competent, the neurotic worrywart you'd come to love these past months gone now that you were once again in danger. "I know you were a mite hysterical."

One corner of your mouth lifted in a darkly amused smile at the sound of Kiki's offended hissing. Describing the destruction that she'd rained down upon Joseph and his cult as 'hysteria' was an insulting understatement and only served to cement the little elemental’s determination to not hold back this time.

"Do I seem hysterical right now?" You drawled the question with a raised brow as you gazed calmly down at your nemesis, that mildly amused smile still playing around your lips.

Joseph let loose with an appreciative laugh that made you vaguely uneasy for reasons you couldn't quite put your finger on. He had a decent sense of humor for a psychopath, and he'd always seemed to enjoy the wryly sarcastic attitude with which you treated him. This laugh, however, had an edge that hadn't been there before, a sound that made you sick to your stomach.

"No, darlin', you sure don't." With another laugh, he pushed the mask up and onto the top of his head and the sight of his face made your blood run cold. His eyes were dark and red and raw, the skin around them cracked and blistered, as though he was burning from the inside out. "I gotta say, I like this side of you.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, but you could not respond in kind, only look at him in dawning horror. “Feisty."

Kiki’s low hiss communicated both fear and horror and terrified you more than anything else. Kiki was a fire elemental from beyond a portal into another dimension. If she was scared, you wanted to shake in your boots. The warnings she was muttering in your ear only added to your dread, concerned as they were with evil creatures from her realm, as powerful as she but without her kindness, or control.

"Joseph," you said in a voice gone cold with that dread, "I don't think we should hang out anymore. I'd appreciate it if you and your friends left now." With that, you pulled your head back in the window, lifting your arm to pull it closed behind you when Joseph's voice stopped you with a boom that made your ears pop.

"Except you didn't leave alone, did you now, darlin'?" Your eyes narrowed as his eyes began to deepen and darken. Kiki sighed in relief as she recognized what you were up against and knew she could defeat it, though there was hesitation in her mind that worried you a little. Still, it was an easy answer when she asked of you the same thing that she’d asked the night you met, the night she'd almost destroyed the man in front of you. "You took something with you!” Joseph bellowed. “Something that belongs to me."

Yes, you breathed, in the huffing sigh Kiki had taught you would allow her to work through you to channel her power from her own dimension into yours. Your eyes lit to flames as you replied in a voice that sighed with the same horrific rush of sound that accompanied a wildfire as it tore through a world. "I don't have anything of yours."

Downstairs, Bucky lifted a brow at the tone and timbre of your voice, the sound sending a rush of relief through him at the knowledge that you and Kiki were working together. He'd heard this the night he'd met you, knew he had nothing to fear. He glared, cold-eyed, at the people on the other side of the window that he'd silently cracked so that he could slide the barrel of his gun outside, and hoped for their sake they did nothing to provoke Kiki. Or you.

"You didn't set those fires on your own." Joseph sounded almost petulant, and the sound had you frowning in consternation and disgust. "That was supposed to be my patron, my power."

"Your power, my burden," your breath was starting to flame as Kiki settled more firmly into your form, her thoughts, her emotions sharing the same space as your own. When you were merged like this you worked in concert, each able to read the other. "You had no intention of carrying a demon on your back in return for that patronage. That was my job." Kiki spoke through you, trying to mislead the thing that Joseph didn't seem to realize accompanied him. "I took the patron and the power since I'm doing the work, thank you."

You and Kiki chuckled together when he took the bait and his demeanor shifted to convince, his tone to a wheedle. "Then let me take that burden. If you won't use the power on my behalf, then give it back. You never wanted any of this. Give him back to me and I'll leave you in peace."

Him? You asked the question in the popping language you'd painstakingly learned over the months you and Kiki had been companions.

(Her name, of course, wasn't really Kiki, but the sound you'd learned from her that represented her name started with a double scoffing sound that reminded you of the nickname. She liked the sound of it and so encouraged you in the familiarity.)

Kiki responded with her own confusion, not sure who or what Joseph had been trying to pull through the portal when she'd gotten caught in it. She was almost certain the thing that was currently hitching a ride with him was not what he was referring to, as it was highly unlikely that he'd meant to pull another elemental like herself through the portal.

"Why should I believe you?" You let your voice tremble, just a little, but enough to give the question a touch of vulnerability. You wanted to make Joseph think you were wavering, that he might have a chance at talking you into making a mistake. "You forced me into this before. What's to stop you from turning on me once I give it to you?"

At the tone of bitter betrayal, the sneer of suspicion that curled your lip, Joseph smiled gently and replied in a croon. "You know I never wanted to hurt you." He reached out with one hand and gestured in a come-hither motion. You wondered that you'd never noticed the condescension when you were dating. "Come on down here, darlin', and let me try to convince you. You have to be tired.”

"I am tired, Joseph." Bitter and weary, the words carried the weight of condemnation and the sting of disdain. "He's cruel and it scrapes at my brain. But I don't see how I can trust you to fix that for me. Since it's your fault in the first place." You folded your arms over your chest and glared mutinously down at him.

"There now," he chided, and the sound of his voice made heat climb from your heart up into your throat, your own anger feeding Kiki's fire, "you know you're my girl." If he'd been closer, he would have seen the flickering light behind your eyes, but he could easily see in the flood lights the smoke starting to climb from your hair and hurriedly changed his tone. "I always meant for us to do this together. Come on, darlin', you can't look me in the eye from up there and I want to make a deal with you." His act was completely believable, and if you hadn't already learned what he hid beneath the just-right remorse that cloaked him, you knew you'd have been fooled. "I bet you can smell a lie these days. I only want to take care of you."

This was what Bucky had asked you to do, and Kiki agreed that you'd made Joseph work for it enough that he wouldn't find your agreement suspicious. You glared down at him with narrowed eyes and an indecisive curl to your lips for a long, long moment. His expression didn't shift, except to grow softer and more wistful, as though he believed he could make you ignore the molten burn around his eyes.

When you relented with a deeply wary and resentful, "I'll come down to the front door," he looked both relieved and triumphant. You moved to exert just enough control to allay any suspicions and make him feel magnanimous in agreement. "But I’m going to get dressed first. Everyone stays where they are, got it?"

"Of course, darlin'."

With that same wary glare, you pulled the window closed with a snap and whirled to dart into the bedroom. You were on a clock and you still wanted to talk to Bucky before you stepped outside to face the fire.

Downstairs, Bucky had been listening to you almost as carefully as he had been watching the man in your front yard. After living with you for months, loving you for nearly that long, he knew you well enough to hear both the smoke he now knew was named Kiki as well as the shining brilliance of your canny brain. The way you allowed Joseph to believe he was talking you into doing what Bucky had asked of you had Bucky grinning like a fool.

He couldn't have asked for a better partner; even being back in the fight wasn't as bad as it could be when he had you by his side. He felt no conflict in the fight, not when he was fighting for you, for the home you'd shared with him, allowed him to make his own.

He would do anything to protect that home. He'd say the same about you, but the hellfire he could still hear in your voice reassured him that you were more than capable of protecting yourself.

Still, his eyes scanned the hooded figures on your front lawn with his enhanced and careful gaze, determined to miss nothing. He felt the satisfaction of a hunter's patience when he heard you snap the window closed, saw Joseph tilt his head to the side, and watched the shadow at the edge of the woods move to slip around the house.

Gotcha, he thought, and silently set his rifle on the floor next to the window and got to his feet, listening to discover which point of entry the shadow would choose. He could hear you upstairs, sounding like you were hopping around on one foot, but he could have kissed you for distracting the intruder.

Evidently, the shadow was either blessed with an abundance of confidence or cursed with a lack of imagination, because they had chosen to enter through the mud door into the laundry room at the back of the house. With a sneer of disdain, Bucky moved to the wall beside the door the intruder should come through if they were following the sound of your footsteps overhead coming from your bedroom to the stairs at the front of the house.

Part of him was surprised when the shadow, tall, slim, and largely androgynous, came through the door as expected, without a sound, but barely aware of their surroundings. Bucky easily had his metal bicep around their throat and was choking them into unconsciousness. He frowned in suspicion, worried that this shadow was meant to distract from something else.

If this was the best the bad guys churned out these days, no wonder HYDRA had still been using the Winter Soldier well into the 21st century.

You were coming down the stairs as the shadow was going limp in Bucky's arms. Your eyes widened in surprise, but your night vision had recovered while you'd changed and come downstairs so you recognized Bucky and, in his arms, Joseph's second-in-command losing consciousness from lack of oxygen.

Your eyes narrowed again, flames flickering behind the pupils. Brit had helped hold you down as Joseph had staked you to the ground the night of your escape. You'd never forget her face, and you had no sympathy for her feeble struggles.

You gave the two of them a wide berth as you ducked around Bucky into the kitchen down the hallway at his back. When you came back, Bucky was lowering Brit's body to the ground and you were carrying a hank of clothesline you'd gotten out of the junk drawer.

Bucky flashed a grin so bright with appreciation and warm with affection it made your breath catch, even with Kiki setting fire to your mind. You'd seen him through the curtain of flame when you'd first set eyes on him and had cried out inside that you should have to destroy something so beautiful. That cry of regret had made Kiki pause despite the gun he held and given you a chance to speak through the blaze.

His wry, irritated confusion had done the rest.

Joseph had lied and manipulated you with a carefully cultivated façade so that he could make you the vessel for evil to use its power without paying its price. He had also never even frowned at you until he had you captured and soon to be sacrificed. After that, Bucky's scowl had been irresistible.

Bucky snatched a kiss as he took the rope from your hands, thinking that he'd been completely right when he'd decided his luck had changed when he'd met you. "Do you hate the way he's talking to you as much as I do?" he asked with a smirk as he bent to tie up the intruder.

You snorted in response, wondered if Bucky realized how adorable he was, with his sharp eyes and gentle teasing. "Only with all my heart." You wished you had time to tell Bucky the whole story, wished you had told him before now about Joseph and the strange time in your life that you'd been under his spell.

Somehow, Bucky seemed to understand that because when he straightened up again from restraining your uninvited guest, he held his hand out for yours with a wolfish grin. "You want him alive for any reason?"

You laughed a little as you took his hand and moved into his arms, wrapping your arms around his neck. "Can't think of one."

Bucky was mesmerized by the flames that still twinkled in your eyes as he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you tight against his body despite the heat pumping off of you in waves. With a quirked eyebrow, he sniffed at the smoke still clinging to your hair and made you smile. "No complicated feelings? No need for revenge?"

"Nope." You stretched forward the few inches left between you to kiss him gently, with soft, warm lips that left heat spreading through him. The look on your face as you did so, bright flames in paradoxically gentle eyes, made his heart race. "I would love to be done with all of this forever."

Bucky's lips met yours with a tender greed that took your breath and made your ears ring loud enough that you couldn't hear the sound of Joseph getting impatient and shouting for you. Bucky could hear him but didn't care. He would show you how much he adored you before letting you walk out the door to finish this once and for all.

If he'd intended to distract you from the fear that had been shivering down your spine at the thought of having to confront Joseph face to face, it had worked well enough to have your knees trembling with lust instead of fear. When he broke the kiss and released you, it took you a second to steady yourself on them.

"Leave the door open and don't go too far out." As he spoke, he turned back to take his place at the window, kneeling down to pick up the rifle he'd left there. Sliding the barrel of the gun back through the crack he'd opened earlier and speaking in a soundless whisper. "If I start shooting, let Kiki do her thing."

You followed him to the window to give him the warnings Kiki had given you as you'd thrown on clothing while you were upstairs. "Kiki says that he must have dragged something through the door along with her because only something from her world could be keeping him alive right now."

Bucky calculated angles and checked the trees at the edge of the yard for the direction and speed of the wind. "What does that mean for killing him?" The bored tone to his voice had you smiling. He'd sounded much the same the night you'd met. It was clear Bucky found this kind of thing to be tedious in the extreme. Considering how he'd spent the 20th century, you could understand his ennui.

"If you see her come in from the right, shoot him as she hits. From the left, wait until she passes through." Bucky only tilted an eyebrow in your direction as you grabbed ahold of Brit by the rope around their ankles and began dragging them forward. As he'd left them on the hardwood floor, the lack of friction meant you didn't need to ask him for help getting them to the front door. "She didn't know how to explain further."

"If you trust her, I do."

"I trust her."

"Good enough for me." Bucky tipped a wink at you before focusing back on the man shouting impatiently for you in the front yard. "I can't believe you dated this guy. Anyone who doesn't know you're your own girl is clearly not good enough for you."

"I love you." The words had Bucky's head snapping around to stare at you in shock. Your gaze devoured his face, wanting to remember the look on his gorgeous face the first time you'd said the words to him. Plump, pretty lips parted on a breath of surprise, bright blue eyes wide with what looked like hope. You huffed out a little laugh and shrugged. "In case I don't escape him a second time." With that, you flung open the door to confront your own personal demon.

Bucky shook his head and snorted. "We're gonna have to have a talk about your timing, doll."

Part Four here >>

Taglist:

@hellzzzbelle @cheekygeek05 @lbouvet @diinofayce @bibliophile1773 @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @miraclesoflove @nerdy-bookworm-1998 @destiel-is--endgame @irritated-bisexual @peaceinourtime82​ @badassbaker​ @walkingtravesty97​ @fashionworld12​ @readermia​

[gossip-girl-of-middleearth]

Shopping For Clothes Fixes Everything (Legolas and Frodo)

Synopsis: Frodo is underdressed for Aragorn’s coronation, Legolas is generally well-known for being a hot-cake, so he helps his little hobbit friend out. Also Merry, Sam and Pippin can now blame Legolas for mentioning sailing west to Frodo, and planting the idea in his angsty mind.

AN: Frodo and Legolas did not have enough time together onscreen, therefore my imagination can decide whatever it wants, and I decide they’re best friends who enjoy trees and shopping together. Also they’re prolly gay for each other, it’s whatever.

Warnings: Woah, Nelly—careful where you step. There’s some gay sprinkled in.

Pairings: Legolas/Frodo (kinda platonic, kinda gay. Idk you decide)

All had been invited to attend Aragorn’s coronation in Gondor—or, ‘Strider’, as Frodo once knew him. Each and every member of the Fellowship was expected to attend, for no reason other than the honouring of their forged friendship made along the perilous roads to Mordor.

Nobody was an exception to this expectation, so when Frodo arrived in the white streets of Gondor, he was very pleased to be reunited with all his friends.

Now, there was a certain level of dress code to be upheld at royal coronations, apparently. The hobbits, of course, had no warning of this. Instead, they had showed up with nothing but their daily scrubs from the Shire—their finest clothing, mind you, but still too casual in the presence of elves and royalty alike.

Stopping before his reflection in a shiny podium, Frodo sighed. He still wore his Shire clothing, and looked rather out of place among the silk, leather and other rich materials he passed by. At least he was shorter than the hems of some robes, he supposed.

Stopping before his reflection in a shiny podium, Frodo sighed. He still wore his Shire clothing, and looked rather out of place among the silk, leather and other rich materials he passed by. At least he was shorter than the hems of some robes, he supposed.

Alas, he knew he needed to appear his best.

The more and more Frodo scrutinised his casual appearance in the shiny podium, the more others in his mind contrasted against him. He needed help with clothing—preferably from someone adept in the aesthetic department.

Only one friend came to mind.

Frodo knocked gently against the large door to the room he knew was loaned to Legolas. It, too, like his own, was large and spacious inside. A balcony overlooked all of Gondor, and shiny was the room—a most pure in white, too.

There was hardly any sound of shuffling on the other side of the door, before it soundlessly opened. Legolas stood in the doorway, and stared ahead with a curiously expectant expression.

However, when he found no one facing him, memories of the Fellowship caused him to lower his head three feet above ground. There, he met Frodo’s eyes.

“Oh, hello,” said Legolas. “I was expecting someone—”

“Taller?” Frodo jested back. A smile quirked on his lips.

Humour, too, ran along Legolas’ features, as he stepped aside to let his friend in. “Perhaps, but you said it first—not me.”

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”

“Careful now—there are ears everywhere in Gondor, even if they don’t belong to elves,” Legolas said in amusement. “People eavesdrop and make assumptions.”

“Sounds like the Shire,” Frodo responded in amusement.

Using his foot, Legolas closed the door. “I have been meaning to make plans to visit the Shire, but Gandalf and Gimli have warned me of the confusing roads leading in.”

Chuckling loudly in a light-hearted manner, Frodo sat down at a table for tea in the near-centre of Legolas’ room. “Forgive me, but I always assumed you were the better navigator between Aragorn and yourself?”

Reaching for teabags high up on a shelf, Legolas looked over his shoulder and winced his teeth. “I might have exaggerated my abilities, just a little.”

“Just a little,” Frodo agreed, smiling a toothy smile nonetheless, with a little nod of his head.

“Alas, perhaps I’ll just have to return with you, Sam, Merry and Pippin after the coronation,” Legolas pressed on, now walking back to the table. “I definitely will not get lost that way.”

“You mentioned Pippin,” Frodo deadpanned. “Getting side-tracked is a guarantee.”

“Ah, well, then another adventure!” Legolas proclaimed. He now sat himself down, and passed a dainty teacup along to Frodo.

“Oh, please, no more adventures,” Frodo groaned, with his head buried into the crook of his elbow.

Legolas, with his quick eye, took notice of Frodo’s hand reaching up to his neck, as if to grasp at the ring. Shifting in his seat uncomfortably, Legolas cleared his throat. He, too, forced the lingering memories of Mordor down, as he poured the lemon-scented tea.

Those days had not yet readily left anyone, nor would for a long time.

“Perhaps not…” Legolas agreed.

Lifting his eyes, Frodo smiled at his friend. He took the tea from Legolas, and watched the leaves swirl around in his cup.

“Regardless,” he piped up, “what have you been doing since our completion?”

“Well,” Legolas readily inhaled, looking upwards in thought, “let’s see—as of right now, I am currently representing my kingdom for Aragorn’s coronation—per my Ada’s wishes, of course.”

“Of course,” Frodo grinned back, finding amusement in Bilbo’s stories of being captured by Thranduil.

“And beyond that,” Legolas continued, “well…I was hoping to restore the trees of Ithilien, actually. They need much tending to after, well…you know.”

“I do.” Frodo nodded his head. “That’s rather exciting for you, then? Isn’t it? Working with trees? A passion of yours, truly.”

“It is.” Legolas shrugged. “If I can be completely honest, though?”

“I’m all ears,” Frodo teased, leaning with his arms folded over the table.

Legolas grinned back at his friend’s antics, before continuing on. “I saw a gull flying overhead today, and I know this may sound a little odd, but…”

“Go on,” Frodo slowly encouraged, now enthralled by his friend’s words.

“Well, I couldn’t help but feel the desire to sail west,” he revealed at last, as if confessing his darkest secret.

“Sail west?” Frodo inquired.

“Yes, to Valinor,” Legolas explained. “When the weight of Middle-earth grows too much, my kin are free to travel to our origins. It heals both the heart and mind, so they say.”

“Oh, really?” Frodo pressed deeper. “That sounds rather ideal…will you go?”

Legolas shrugged again. “I’m not too sure at the present moment. I suppose I will one day, but…all of my friends are still here—my life. Perhaps one day, as I do believe it is inevitable, but not anytime soon.”

“I am a little jealous, to be perfectly honest,” Frodo confessed in return.

“How so?” Legolas pressed, taking the first sip of his tea.

“Of your choice,” he replied. “To heal the heart and mind overseas—I wish I had that option.”

Legolas threw his eyes down at the table in thought, and thrummed his fingers against his mug. “You know, Frodo—your sacrifice with Sauron’s Ring goes beyond what any other in Middle-earth has done, let alone any elf.”

At his friend’s words, Frodo knitted his brows. “What are you saying, Legolas?”

“You didn’t hear it from me,” Legolas shook his head, with an allusive quirk of his lips, “but I know the Valar to be very…open, regarding these sorts of things. Perhaps a conversation with Gandalf could do you well?”

“Well, I don’t like your allusive tone, but I’ll heed your advice and speak with him after the coronation,” Frodo chuckled back.

“Well-met,” Legolas laughed in turn.

The two friends soon fell into a comfortable silence, until Legolas opted to break it again.

“So, I do not imagine you came to find me on the basis of our shared woes,” he said through a sip of tea. “What may I help you with, besides gracing you with my presence?”

“Oh, elves,” Frodo replied, wistfully. “So beautiful, and so vain—which is actually precisely why I came to find you.”

“Pray tell,” Legolas smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Catching his friend’s pride, Frodo shook his head and grinned. Trust Prince Legolas to know his worth, Frodo mused.

“You see, no body informed me of the expected attire at Aragorn’s coronation,” Frodo went on. “I’ve merely arrived in my Sunday vest, and best trousers—”

“Uh, I don’t think any of my garments will fit you, Frodo,” Legolas interjected, with a glance over his shoulder eyeing off his silver robes.

“No, I know that,” Frodo rolled his eyes with a smile. “However, surely you, of all people, must know best how to help me in this regard?”

Turning his eyes back to his friend, Legolas quirked a brow. He narrowed his gaze, and analysed the hobbit. However, soon, a grin began to tug at Legolas’ lips.

He stood up in his chair, offered Frodo his hand, and spoke excitedly in confidence. “Say no more, mellon nîn. I have just the idea for you.”

Frodo returned his friend’s smile, took his hand, and allowed the elf to hoist him from his chair. “Well, thank you! But no satin, please!”

“Why must it always be you who wishes to suck the joy out of everything?”

“Oh, I’m sorry—did you carry an evil ring to Mordor?”

“No, but I had to run for three days-straight.”

“My sincere apologies.”

“It’s okay, shopping for clothes fixes everything.”

[lady-janes-smut-stash]

Under the Mahogany Table-Tokoyami Fumikage Pt.2

Words:  2700 

Characters: Tokoyami Fumikage & Dark Shadow x Reader 

Spice:  Spicy AF 

Warnings: Filthy Language, Smut, NSFW, Unprotected Sex

After your steamy public study session Tokoyami, Dark Shadow, and you take things to his place.  

This is lemony smut trash- read >>>>Part 1 <<<<< First.  

Characters are aged up. I don’t write often so don’t spell check me-

“So now that you’ve used your quirk to fuck me, do you want to take me home and try it the old fashion way, or am i going to have to play coy and wait for the third date?”

You blushed hard, recalling your words from earlier that day.

Tokoyami Fumikage and Dark Shadow had carried you- like a princess- to a taxi waiting outside Momo’s mansion.  

On the ride back to the dorms, through the afterglow of an earth-shattering orgasm- you had acted like Fumikage’s long-time girlfriend, Touching your bird boy as you pleased- not a care in the world.  

Your sexual euphoria lasted until you reached the door of his room.

Now you felt just like the nervous awkward virgin you had always been.

Tokoyami stood within the dark depths of his room, feathered head quirked to the side as he studied you with those intense garnet eyes. 

It struck you that Fumikage was an unknowing participant of your first sexual encounter.  Not really even a participant as much as an informed onlooker- one of many onlookers.  

Your eyes fell to your shoes, studying the frayed edges of your laces to buy some time.

Had you pushed too hard when you asked that he be the one to fuck you this time? Maybe he wanted  to go slow? 

“Is this...okay?”  You whispered, uncertainty making your voice tremble, you raise your eyes to Fumikage. “Outside of...earlier with Dark Shadow I’ve never…I mean- I want to! I just-”

This was...so much harder than the sudden, random encounter you had with Dark Shadow in Momo’s dining room..  

“Y/N.”  He made your name sound beautiful when it came from him.  “I just want to spend time with you, nothing else has to happen.”

He reached a hand out to you in invitation.

You moved towards him, but found yourself crushed against his torso as Dark Shadow wrapped himself around both of you. 

“You’ll be leaving this room well fucked or not at all.”  Tokoyami tensed around you.

“Dark Shadow, enough!” The shadowy entity pulled into Tokoyami without complaint.  

Fumikage wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on the top of your head before releasing a long sigh. “Once again, I’m sorry.  Feel free to ignore him whenever he opens his mouth-”

“Easier said than done-” You mumbled, grinning into his chest as his feathers bristled in surprise. “Do you have any movies?” 

“Yes!”  His voice cracked, you giggled as he pulled you into his room, closed the door and led you to his bed.  

You glanced around; low lighting and black walls covered in posters that screamed 90’s emo but still suited his edgy aesthetic.

You thought of the black leather corset and fishnet outfit you came across online- at the time it looked stupid and you wondered who would even buy something like that- but now...You glanced at Tokoyami- you decided it might be a good investment...

“The room is a bit- '' Hesitating, he took in his room.  His hand rubbed the back of his neck, the other shoved into the pocket of his jeans. You imagined he blushed under the glossy black plumage covering his face.

“I like it.”  You smiled up at him as you took your seat on the bed.  The mattress dipped under your weight, the blanket was soft under your thighs reminding you that Tokoyami had taken your panties. You glanced at the hand in his pocket, the fabric moving over the motions of his fingers.

He’s touching my panties. 

You licked your lips, eye trailing from his hand to meet his eyes. 

“Keep them.”  Your voice sounded rough, you clenched your thighs together as a now familiar heat coiled in your belly.

“I intended to.” His voice washed over you like warm honey, your lips parted. “I- I’ll get the movie.”

“Smooth.”  Dark Shadow popped out to hover over Tokoyami’s shoulder,  his yellow eyes trained on your breasts.  You were surprised when Tokoyami allowed him to linger. “I got the movie, hope you're into horror, babe.”

Babe...

Before today Dark Shadow was just a quirk, an extension of Tokoyami, now- after your earlier exchange- Your pussy throbbed at the memory of Dark Shadows long cold tongue invading your most private place. Your thighs rubbed together as you quelled your desires.  

Tokoyami wanted to watch a movie and you did not want to make him uncomfortable.

He took his seat a respectable distance away from you, close enough to touch if you reached out- but too distant for anything low key. You huffed, scooting back on the bed and resting your back against the wall, you would enjoy his company regardless, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Tokoyami perched on the edge of his bed until Dark Shadow had his laptop set up on the desk for you all to view.  As the movie was loading he pushed himself back on the bed, his back resting against the wall but maintaining his distance from you.

You tucked your legs under and faced Tokoyami as you prepared to move closer, you assumed he wanted to go slow- you respected that and would not touch him- but you had to close that distance.

“You're both so stiff.” Dark Shadow snorted as he drifted his way back to you.  His eyes darted to Tokoyami before settling on your face.  “It’s a long movie, we should get comfortable, Babe.”

His chilly hands curled around your shoulders, you hadn’t realized how large he had grown in the darkness of the room. With a light push you landed on your back with a bounce.

Dark shadow wedged himself between your legs, nestling his long smooth body between your parted thighs, his arms moved to circle your torso as his head rested on your breasts. 

The chill from his body seeped through your clothes and your nipples beaded under the weight of his transparent body. You kept your knees bent, not wanting to kick fumikage but not having a choice but to lay down.

“Hyo!”

You gasped.  How could you forget?

Through the transparent body of Dark Shadow you watched Tokoyami take you in.

Your legs spread wide to accommodate Dark Shadow's larger body, your skirt bunched up well over your hips, you grew wet as Tokoyamis’ eyes roamed over your naked pussy.  

You clenched your thighs together, pulling at the fabric trapped between you and Dark Shadow in an effort to cover yourself.

Dark Shadow refused to budge, pulling your arms away to lock your wrists in a chilly grip over your head, he shoved his free hand between your bodies to rest on your stomach.  Goosebumps flooded your skin in the wake of his fingers as they traveled down the swell of your stomach and over your mound to reach the apex of your thighs.

“He’s never seen a pussy before.”  Dark Shadow whispered into your ear, his fingers delving into your folds to open you to Tokoyamis’ rapt gaze.  “Let em’ look.” You nodded, your head growing fuzzy with arousal, you spread your legs- splaying yourself at Dark Shadows’ request.

“Do you want my fingers inside you?” Cool breath tickled your ear, you nodded eagerly. “Tell me you want to be fucked by my fingers.”

Your face heated, you caught Tokoyami’s glazed eyes. A whimper escaped you..

“Please, fuck me with your fingers.”  You cried, wiggling your hips to encourage him.

“She’s dripping wet and we haven't even started..”  Dark Shadow turned to Tokoyami, your back arched as you felt the cold stretch of his fingers entering you.  Your moan echoed through the room as his thumb circled your clit, ghosting over the hard nub. “Such a tight pussy, I can hardly fit two fingers in.”

He stilled his fingers, watching your face with a wicked grin.

“Move.” You whined, grinding yourself against his hand, “Please, stop teasing me.”

“Tell me, did you save this tight little cunt for us, babe?” You cried out as he spread his fingers inside you. “Don’t worry, I’ll have you ready for cock soon-”

“Yes, yes yes-”

“Fuck.” Tokoyami gripped your knees, spreading you wider as he watched Dark Shadows fingers fuck you.  Dark Shadow hummed as your body tightened around his fingers. “She’s so wet.”

“She made all this just for us.” You whimpered as Dark Shadow pulled his fingers back to spread them in front of Tokoyamis’ face. Your juices coated his hand, strings of it connecting his fingers. “She tastes just like warm honey.”

“Hmmm.” Tokoyami leaned forward, opening his mouth to lick your essence off of Dark Shadows fingers. He closed his eyes as if savoring your taste. “Perfect.”

“Tokoyami…” You breathed.

His eyes opened slowly, locking on yours, his mouth curled into a grin as he crawled forward. Dark shadow vacated his spot between your legs, drifting down by your head he released your wrists to wrap his arms around you from behind, sitting you up in the process. 

You spread your legs as Tokoyami took his place on his knees between your legs, his hot palms sliding up your thighs as Dark Shadow palmed your breasts. It was too much and not enough, 

You arched your back, raising your arms as Dark Shadow yanked your shirt off and over your head, your breasts bounced with the force of it. 

“No bra, babe?” Dark shadows hands curled around your chest, avoiding your sensitive nipples as Tokoyami took his time exploring your flesh. It was perfect, but not enough to get you off.

Your hand wandered down to your throbbing pussy, desperate to reach the peak Dark shadow had taken you too earlier. You had delved in just enough to wet your fingers when your hand was seized by Tokoyami.

“That’s mine.” He leaned forward, licking your fingers as he had Dark Shadows. “Tell me what you want.”  His deep voice wavered as he nuzzled into your palm.

“You.”  You blurted, blushing hard as you used your free hand to touch yourself once more, spreading the lips of your pussy and exposing your soaking virgin hole. “I need you inside of me, please.”

“He’s not going to last if you keep that up, babe.” Dark shadow released your breast, stretching his ghostly arms across your body to brush your hands away and undo Tokoyami’s pants. His cock bounced free as his pants and underwear were jerked down, you marveled at the size of him.  

You pushed to your knees, leaning in to explore. 

He hissed as you gripped his hot thick length, moaning your name as he bucked into your palm. Moisture beaded on the tip of his cock, you couldn't help but lean forward and taste him with a flick of your tongue.

Tokoyami whimpered, gripping the back of your head by the hair he rubbed his cock against your lips.

“Open that pretty mouth and take my cock.” He gasped.

Before you could open your lips and take him into your mouth, Dark Shadow pulled Tokoyami back by the hips.

“Not yet.” You whined at Dark Shadow’s voice, “I just got her cunt ready and now I want to see it stuffed with cock.”

Tokoyami grunted, as soon as Dark Shadow released his hips he had you pinned to the bed, his cock rubbing through your folds, slipping over your slit to bump your swollen clit.

“So fucking wet.” Tokoyami whispered, “Did you stretch her for me?” 

His chest rumbled over yours, the fabric of his shirt felt rough against your sensitive nipples.

“She is really tight, but she was made to be fucked by us.” You gasped as the head of Tokoyami’s cock pressed at your entrance. 

“Please.” You begged, your nails digging into his back, urging him on.

“Such a good girl, begging for cock.” Dark Shadow’s cold breath fanned over your cheek while Tokoyami painted on the other.

“Dark Shadow.” Tokoyami breathed, nuzzling his face against yours.

Dark shadow nodded, nibbling your ear before pulling away. “Don’t take too long.” He mumbled as he vanished into Tokoyami’s body.

You squirmed as Tokoyami pressed deeper into your body, sweat beaded on his neck as he penetrated you slowly. You bit your lip, gripping his shoulders as his girth stretched you to your limits and left you in delicious pain. You gasped as he filled you to the hilt, the tip of his cock pressing against your womb.  

Glistening sweat dropped from his body to yours as he trembled above you.

“So- So tight.” His voice broke above you, “Forgive me, I Can’t- I can’t hold back…”

“Don’t hold back.” Your hands wandered down, gripping his ass. “Give me everything.”

He eased back, pulling out of you until only the tip of his cock remained inside. You cried out in protest, needing to be filled.

Before you could beg him to return he slammed into you, the bed rocked with the force of it.

“Gentle, gentle, gentle.” He mumbled to himself as he eased out of you once more only to return just as slow.  

His pace was maddening. 

“I’m ready for your cock,” You begged, pulling at his hips. “Fuck me- please fuck me hard.”

Tokoyami nodded, leaning back once more to pull your legs up, your calves resting on his shoulders. He returned over you, his hands dipping the bed on either side of your head as your thighs crushed your breasts.

Your body strained under the new position, but as his cock pounded you in the new angle you screamed in pleasure.  

 “Tell me- tell me you love me.” Erotic sounds of damp skin slapping togehter and heavy breathing filled the dark room. Your teeth gnashed together with the force of his thrusts. 

“I-I...Oh, god.” You moaned as he fucked you, unable to answer. “More, please more.”

“I’m gonna fill your tight hole with my cum,”  He leaned back, watching his cock disappear into your body over and over. “I’ll plant my seed in your cunt- get you fat with a child- and you will have to love me…”

You wanted to scream yes, to beg him to come inside of you, but  your orgasm strangled you.  The glorious pressure building inside of you dwarfed your earlier orgasm with Dark Shadow. 

“Tokoyami!” You pleaded, begging him to bring you over the edge. Tears rolled down the corners of your eyes as his fingers dug into your tight hard enough to bruise.

“Come for me.” Your body trembled as you peaked, your pussy tightening around Tokoyami’s cock like a fist. 

You screamed his name as your body flooded with wave after wave of pleasure. Tokoyami’s pounding thrusts became erratic as he flooded your body with his hot cum.

Tokoyami’s baby could be forming inside of you right now.

You should be upset.

Tokoyami pulled your legs down from his shoulders to wrap them around his waist before collapsing on top of you. 

You rested under him, comfortably trapped under his weight as you caught your breath, pinned with his softening length still inside you. Your mingled juices formed a warm puddle under your ass and your skin felt itchy and tight as your sweat dried, but you refused to break the connection.

You could never be upset with him, the thought of growing round with his child made your insides flutter with excitement.

He lifted his head, but your hand on the back of his neck stilled him.  

“I love you.”

Your soft voice was hardly a whisper and the words themselves were ridiculous considering you two had only spoken a handful of times over the span of years- and Tokoyami had demanded you say them in the heat of passion...But you had to say them.  

You had loved him from the moment you had seen him.

You clung to him, your face resting in the crook of his neck, preventing him from seeing it.

His arms circled you, squeezing tight as his breath hitched.  You felt his cock hardening inside of you.

“Love you too, babe.”  Dark Shadow’s yellow eyes peeked at you from over Tokoyami’s shoulder.  “Now get up, you're going to use your mouth to clean up this sloppy cock.”

“Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami’s arms tightened around you.

Dark Shadow shrugged, making you giggle. You were tired, but recalling the brief taste you had earlier- your tender pussy clenched around Tokoyami coaxing a moan out of you both. 

You smiled softly up at your two lovers knowing that it would be a long night, and you would most certainly be leaving the room well fucked or not at all.

[bedbellyandbeyond]

Aki’s Appointment

(Story Post)

Sydryn was very busy at work the whole week and it wasn’t until Friday that they were able to take Akiaziri in to be examined and prepared.  Despite no record of it ever being done before, Sydryn could assume that terminating a dragon pregnancy was possible, it was just a matter of how far along the dragon was to determine whether surgical method was needed or just a medical approach. They hadn’t seen the purple dragon much at all since they’d come to the pink house. Akiaziri avoided everyone like the plague, even Kardynkyr sometimes did not have permission to see them. They were sulky, elusive, and Kardynkyr reported that they were often overcome with bouts of weeping. Sydryn didn’t know them well, but it was safe to assume it wasn’t normal from the purple dragon. Friday did come eventually, so everyone but Seranan was packed into Sydryn’s car to head to APID. Köbi had been brought up to date on the plan and was surprisingly unfazed by the idea of terminating a pregnancy. Sydryn perhaps automatically perceived him as adhering to Christian values when in reality Köbi was just a being which Christianity would label an ‘angel’. Divine beings like him existed in many religions and cultures so to assume to know his values would be a mistake.

“Dragons in love,” Köbi mused as they drove. He kept looking back from the passenger seat to smile at Akiaziri and Kardynkyr. The pair had changed into human shape, but they did not hesitate to wear their colours in clothing from head to toe. “This is the first time I've ever seen a dragon couple. How wonderful!” “They could be the first,” Sydryn said as they drove. “I highly doubt that,” Kardynkyr stated. “There've been too many dragons before us, and I know for a fact some of them loved each other.” Akiaziri remained quiet, keeping their eyes down and hand clasped in Kard's. “How did you meet?” Köbi probed. “Oh, uh...” Kardynkyr thought about it. “I mean, I think we knew we both existed all our lives... I was raised with my clutch siblings, but I think I saw Aki's clutch at some point when we were hatchlings.” “But that’s not really meeting,” Köbi dismissed. “When did you really meet? When did you talk?” “Well... I guess the first dragon meeting after we were hatched,” Kardynkyr said. “Within like a century after we were born, our generation of dragons were hunted really quickly. Azeros called a meeting to try to decide what to do about it so we could avoid being killed. They sat me beside Aki.” “We didn't talk though,” Akiaziri spoke up. “Hm? Oh, you're probably right...” Kardynkyr thought about it. “I guess we didn't actually talk until…we were assigned as mates.” “What, last year?” Köbi inquired. Akiaziri nodded. “I was afraid of Aki at first, to be quite honest,” Kardynkyr admitted. “You know, ‘cause of Azeros.” “You were afraid of me?” Akiaziri asked. “I was afraid of you.” Kardynkyr raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Uh, hello?” Akiaziri waved in Kardynkyr’s general direction. “Your whole aesthetic is intimidating as shit.” Kardynkyr chuckled. “Ah, scary goth dragon... Okay. Stereotypical.” “I’m sorry. I didn't know what to expect...” Akiaziri said. “And after the...lesson, I was so scared... But you were patient with me. Really patient... And really kind.” Kardynkyr smiled softly and gave Akiaziri's hand a little squeeze. “I'll always wait for you.” Akiaziri leaned against Kardynkyr’s arm and went quiet again. “We'll be there shortly,” Sydryn announced. “While APID is a safe space for most, please keep human for now. A lot of different people come in and out of the building and only a small few even know I'm a dragon. Akiaziri, you will of course need to reveal yourself for my medical exam. I will let you know when to do so.” Akiaziri nodded. “Alright.” “Do you want me to stay with you the whole time?” Kardynkyr asked. “Please...” Kardynkyr smiled and squeezed their hand. “I’ll be there.” “You shouldn’t worry about anything too invasive occurring at the office today,” Sydryn said. “We’ll determine how far along you are, and if it really has only been a few months, which I imagine is the truth, I’ll likely suggest a medical method, rather than a surgical one.” “What do you mean by medical?” Kardynkyr asked. “Aren’t surgeries medical?” "I understand where you might be confused, but no. Medical means relating to medicine as opposed to surgery,” Sydryn said. “I would prescribe a drug which if you’re anything like me, is more desirable than invasive surgery.” “Oh. I suppose that does sound better…” Akiaziri considered. “Is it a pill?” “Yes, two pills,” Sydryn said. “If you haven’t taken a pill before, I’m sure Kardynkyr could help.” “What? What’s that supposed to mean?” Kardynkyr asked. “I’ve never taken drugs.” “You can’t lie to me,” Sydryn said. “What? You just assume I’ve done drugs because of my appearance or something?” Kardynkyr asked. “Kardynkyr, you sold drugs in the 60s and 70s,” Sydryn said. “Yeah, so?” Kardynkyr scrunched their face. “Don’t get high on your own supply. Everyone knows that.” “I don’t believe you.” “That’s your problem. You saw escape, I saw money.” “I’ve taken pills before,” Akiaziri piped up. “Just basic painkillers though…” “Okay, this won’t be much different from that,” Sydryn said. “I can explain everything when we get there. But, I promise we will try to keep this as comfortable for you as possible.” Akiaziri nodded, looking down to their hands. “Thank you. I am very grateful…” “Don’t mention it, really.” Kardynkyr leaned against Aki’s shoulder. “You’re in good hands.” Akiaziri nodded and pressed back against Kard’s touch, smiling lightly.

[thorne93]

History Repeats (Part 14)

Prompt: Life’s hard, right? Well throw in a not so great job, a broken heart, and chasing a pipe dream in LA. But could someone come along to make all the bad shit disappear? Or is he just another heartbreak waiting around the bend?

Warnings: language, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, angst/heartbreak, adult themes (??)

Word Count: 2525

Note: Aesthetic made by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo because she’s absolutely amazing Beta’d by @like-a-bag-of-potatoes and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo . Brainstorming from @carryonmyswansong​

**Song Inspiration: I Almost Do by Taylor Swift; 3AM by Halsey; When The Party’s Over by Billie Eilish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you woke up, you felt like shit, and not because of the drugs and alcohol that only recently vacated your system. You groaned, squeezing your eyes shut. Did you really kick Hayden out? Were you honestly that far gone? 

Yeah, he broke your heart. He wasn’t the first asshole to do it, but he did stick around. Maybe that was because he had to though.

No, you knew better. He had enough money to stay at a hotel, but he stayed with you. He cared about you. It just hurt so bad to not have him any more. You hadn’t said you loved him, not yet, but you did, you loved him with everything you had and he just… broke everything. 

 Maybe you should go apologize.

Pulling yourself out of bed, you slipped on a comfortable shirt and yoga pants before you trodded out to the guest room, Hayden’s room. You knocked on the door before poking your head in. 

Only, there was nothing there. All of his things gone. His suitcases absent. No note, no letter, not even a post-it note. 

A choked sob escaped you. You knew you kicked him out, but you gave him until the next night. He was already gone?

So much for staying. So much for caring. 

No text, no call, no letter. It seemed as if he truly did want to be gone from you. 

Fine. If that’s the way he wanted it… Wish granted. 

------------------------

Months went by and you tried to forget him, tried to turn your pain into art.

Trey worked hard to get your EP ready. You had several tracks that you wanted to feature and he did enjoy your lyrics and tune. He was happy to work with you and the other members of your band to get the sound you wanted. 

By the time the singles were released, you were already becoming a hit. You hit all of the media platforms and your work exploded, sending you soaring to the charts. You weren’t quite topping them yet, but you were definitely being demanded on the radio and your Youtube and Spotify numbers were great, rising all the time. 

As time went on though, your addiction only grew. With Hayden out of your life, the glaring reminders that you lost all your old friends, and none of your old boyfriends seemed to ever love you, there was nothing to stop you from becoming nearly dependent on the drugs and alcohol. 

You’d never been like this in your life, but you’d never been at such an odd time in your life either. On every romantic and personal front, your life was a total flop, a zero sum. But your career, your dream job was finally taking off. The world was your oyster, you were rubbing shoulders with musical big wigs, meeting huge names and musicisinas. 

Between the complete amazement you were in from being discovered and having your heart broken for the last time, you were a mental mess. 

Hayden wasn’t just another guy. Jason was just another guy, just like every ex before him. 

But Hayden, he was different. When you and Jason split up, it wasn’t the man you mourned, but the death of yet another relationship. With Hayden, you missed him, not being together. You missed the light he brought to your life. You missed the way he supported you. You missed the way you two could joke about movies together. You missed how you could act completely goofy and silly and he joined in. 

You loved him, you were in love with him, and he pulled the rug out from under you.

That was why your habit of using coke was slowly getting worse. You managed to keep your job, for a while, keep the desires away. Then you started to get where you were barely sober for that too and just when your boss mentioned it, you decided it was time to leave anyway. You put in your two weeks and left gracefully.

As soon as you were no longer tied to the hotel, Trey put you in every lounge, venue, and club he could find. You were singing all of your songs on your EP. Every night you did a show, you got off the stage, got drunk or high, or both, and then you crashed. 

Same routine, every night. 

Anything to numb the pain of losing Hayden, of feeling like your life was in shambles. It wasn’t just losing Hayden, it was realizing you had no close friends, no one else to lean on. He’d become your best friend, your confidant, your lover. He was everything you ever wanted or needed, and he was gone. 

Neither of you had sent any messages to each other. It killed you, but you had to move forward, if that’s what you could call drowning your sorrows in a bottle or a baggie. 

Tonight, you just got done singing a set and you were hanging out with Darren, Veronica, Brad, and Tai. Unbeknownst to you, Hayden was actually about to make a stop by this bar. He had some contacts in your circle, a few people he knew in the music world that he asked to keep an eye on you, and if you got too out of control or needed help, they should let him know. He also watched your Instagram and Twitter, keeping an eye on your partying that way.

He’d gotten a few texts before about you, just an update on how you were, but tonight was a red alert from a guy that was somewhat in your circle. He watched you as you did a bump of coke, drink whatever was passed to you, and you were all over everyone in the bar. It was a sloppy mix of drunk-high. You held onto everyone, laughing, trying to crawl on the bar, making a complete ass of yourself. 

Typically your antics were cheered on because everyone in your scene was pretty wild, but even tonight some of them were worried about how you were acting. 

Hayden made his way downtown as soon as he got the text, looking for the bar. Finally, as he walked by, he saw you through the window. You were laughing, throwing your head back, hanging on other people, and trying to dance. 

You were a mess, and that was obvious. 

He pressed his lips into a thin line before going into the bar. He made his way over to you. He wanted to say he felt relief when he saw you, but he didn’t. He just felt worse. He wasn’t an idiot about your drug abuse, he also wasn’t stupid to see what had triggered it. He just thought it was stupid for you to get mixed up in this shit over him. He wasn’t worth it. 

He could see how it was affecting you. Dark circles painted your eyes, your clothes hung loosely on your body, you looked as if you were awake solely from the drugs. He hated how bad you looked.

“Hey,” he greeted loudly over the bar music and patrons. 

You looked over and saw him, your eyes going in and out of focus. “Oh my god, it’s you! Hey! Stay! Have a drink!” you encouraged as you fell all over him, putting your arms around him. In your current state, none of the pain that would’ve normally come from seeing him happened. 

“Hey, no, I’m good. This isn’t really my scene. Y/N, you seem really far gone, do you want me to take you home?” 

You pushed away from him, frowning. “What? No, why would I want that?” You reached in your purse and grabbed something, about to put it in your mouth. “I’m having a good time here, Hayden. You should try it,’ you urged giddily.

“Are you fucking crazy?” he demanded as he slapped the little white thing out of your hand. “Was that fucking E? On top of what you already have in your system?”

“The fuck is your problem?” you ordered, angry.

“My problem is you destroying your life and your body,” he informed.  “I’m taking you home,” he stated firmly. He started to turn you around and push you outside. Everyone started to look your way. 

“No, you aren’t!” you protested loudly, moving wildly, but he just persisted. He went around in front of you, grabbed your wrist, and tugged you outside and started walking you down the sidewalk until you got yourself free of his hold. “Jesus! What the fuck is your deal? Those are my friends. I’m having a good time!” 

“A good time?” he demanded, his voice reigned in anger. “You think this is a good time? You’re out of your fucking mind.” 

“Hey, Mr. Entertainment Business newsflash,a  party-girl image is great publicity. Trey encourages this so long as I’m fine to record.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that your producer endorses you getting high and drunk, as long as you’re off the clock.” 

“You aren’t my handler, you’re not my parents, yo’re not my baby sitter, so just fuck off.”

He stared at you, clenching his jaw. “If you want to stay here and become like---If you want to stay here and party, that’s fine, but I’m done. I’m done with this. I’m done watching you ruin your life and throw so much potential away. I’m not gonna stick around to watch you drive your self into rock bottom when I’ve tried like hell to get you to wake the fuck up.”

“You didn’t stick around! Newsflash, asshole! You left! You left me high and dry.” 

“You kicked me out!” he reminded. “After I tried to approach you about your addiction. And I did stick around, you just didn’t know it.” 

“You didn’t approach me about it, you attacked me about it. Besides, what the hell do you mean you’re not going to stick around or watch me? You haven’t been around.” 

Letting out a sigh, he ran his hand down his face. “When I left, I may have asked some friends to keep an eye on you. I told them to update me if you were getting worse or better.”

“You were spying on me?” you asked, gasping.

“No, I just had people keeping an eye on you. If they were at the same party or something, they’d just let me know how you were doing.”

“Oh, nice to know you cared so much,” you retorted, rolling your eyes. You were getting more and more sober with the fresh air and the anger.  

“I do care. I think I’m the only one you know who does’ fucking care about you. I’m the only one not letting you just become an addict. I’m fighting for you.”

“Oh, is that what you were doing when you broke up with me? Fighting for me?”

He glared at you. He didn’t want to have this conversation. “Yes, I was. I was trying to make sure we were making the right choice.”

“Oh, spare me the bullshit!” you shouted, your head falling back. “I’m sick of this. I’m sick of the lies. Just be honest with me. You didn’t care about me, you didn’t love me, you wanted a rebound. You weren’t worried about the both of us. You’re just like everyone else. You wanted something to distract you from your ex leaving you and I was the perfect replacement. Then when you got bored, you cast me aside.” 

“You weren’t a replacement! You weren’t my rebound,” he yelled. 

“Then what was it?!” you screamed. “Because from where I stood, you and I were perfect, more than perfect. We could spend time with each other, lean on each other, support each other, we lived together, I met your child, we had date nights all the time and all of that just -- you ended it. Without warning. We didn’t even talk about it. You didn’t even ask me how I was feeling, if I cared about you. You just decided for the both of us that it would be better if this wasn’t a rebound. But it wasn’t ever about that. It was about me taking putting someone else before me like I always do, and I’m the one who got fucking hurt, not you.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry that you got hurt. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It hurt me too. And it hurts like hell to watch you do this to yourself. You think I liked watching you come home high and drunk all the time?” 

“I don’t imagine it bothered you too much. We weren’t dating any more.” 

He shrugged. “So? Just because I’m not dating you, it doesn’t mean I don’t give a shit about you.”

“See, in my world, it does. You don’t break someone’s fucking heart then try to tell them you still care. You’re the one who decided to date me. I asked, you shot me down. Then, when I was really happy, when I thought this was real, that we had a shot, that this was something that would last and you just ripped it away. No conversation.” 

He shook his head. “Yeah, and I’m sorry for that. I am. I should’ve talked to you, but is this really what you want? You want to be so numb and fucked up on drugs you can’t function?”

“I can function just fine, thanks for checking in!”

“I can’t believe you’re fine with this. You’ve been so strong since I met you. Going after your dream, working hard at your job, you never would’ve given into this bullshit, despite what happened between us.” 

“Yeah, well shit changes. Clearly you know that.”

“Nothing changed. I cared for you then, and I do now.” 

You scoffed. “Spare me, alright? It was clear to me after you left you never gave a shit. I licked your wounds so you could heal and then you left me. Fuck off. You don’t get the right to tell me where I can hang out, what I can do, or when I can do it.” You got in his face, your voice low before you turned around to head back inside. 

He stood there more upset than he had been when you two first broke up. He wasn’t sure what he thought he would gain from coming out tonight. He just thought he could save you from yourself. He knew he was the reason you went on the downward spiral but he didn’t know how to fix it. 

He bit his lip to keep from crying as he watched you rejoin your friends and pick up a shot glass and knock it back. He shook his head as he turned to walk down the street.

He couldn’t keep doing this to himself, or to you. He needed to move on. He couldn’t watch you suffer any more. He had tried to help you. Every time he did though, you turned him down - hard. 

With his heart heavy, he took a taxi back to his new hotel and tried to forget all about you.

If only it were that easy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever Tag:

@essie1876​

@magpiegirl80​

@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked​​

@marvel-imagines-yes-please​​

@missinstantgratification​​

@thejemersoninferno​​

@rda1989​​

@munlis​​

@thefridgeismybestie​​

@bubblyanarocks3​​

@igiveupicantthinkofausername​​

@kaliforniacoastalteens​​

@feelmyroarrrr​​

@kaeling​​

@friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo​​

@damalseer​​

@heyitscam99​​

@yknott81​​

@sorryimacrapwriter​​

@glitterquadricorn​​

@bittersweetunicorm​​

@alyssaj23​​

@sea040561​​

@princess76179​​

@thisismysecrethappyplace​​

@sarahp879​​

@malfoysqueen14​​

@ellallheart​​

@breezy1415​​

@marvelmayo​​

@lyniboy​​

@paintballkid711​​

@pandacookieowo​​

@beiroviski​​

Hayden Christensen:

@coldlilheart​​

@haydens-moles​​

History Repeats:

@multifandomblog315​​

[zalrb]

Awake {Bonkai Fanfic}

Alright! I finished the BK Preview, it’s below the cut. NSFW obviously, I don’t think I have a single BK fic that isn’t NSFW. I could make this a two-parter or leave it honestly.

not my gif

Awake

The rest of this fic was inspired by this Olake moment in Scandal

Bonnie Bennett sat on the sofa with her feet up, nursing her second glass of wine, as Mark cleared the coffee table of their plates.

           “You really should let me help,” she said.

           “No, no, no,” he insisted. “This was my anniversary gift to you, that means I do the clean-up.”

           Bonnie smiled and beckoned him toward her, kissing him gently on the lips with the promise of something more.

           “Mm,” he moaned. “I better get these done quickly.”

           “Yes,” said Bonnie. “Or I might start with you.”

           The knowing quirk of her eyebrow almost made Mark trip as he walked toward the kitchen, a bit of a hurry in his step. Bonnie chuckled lightly to herself and took another sip of wine, looking around at the living room. It was a mix-and-match of her belongings and Mark’s. They had only been living together for a couple of months and they still hadn’t struck a balance between their two aesthetics to make their house look more cohesive.

Bonnie sighed deeply. For the first time in a long time, she felt settled. Maybe even content. Whatever she felt, she didn’t think she’d be able to feel it again after Enzo. It had taken a few years and a lot of distance between herself and Mystic Falls to get to this place. Limited communication with Damon and Elena, with Alaric and Caroline; they only served to remind her all that she lost and keeping in regular contact with them would only eventually lead to more sacrifice on her part. She’d learned that lesson many times.

She’d met Mark during her travels around the world – in Istanbul, specifically. They were both lost in the city and it turned out they were trying to get to the same place. They spent all their time in the city together after that. Both of them were traveling though they were going to different places --- he backpacked while she enjoyed the best hotels each city could offer. They kept each other up to date on the various adventures they went on in various countries. Once they both made it back to the States, they decided to meet up, then they decided to date, then, three years later, they decided to move in together.

Bonnie laughed at hearing him whistle in the kitchen. He was a good man. Simple. He liked simple things. She opened her mouth to ask him how long he planned on taking, to tease him since history proved she didn’t need to be in the same room as him to seduce him, but a draught blew through the window and stilled her tongue. The breeze was a caress on her shoulders --- her legs erupted into goosebumps, a chill seeped through to her bones and left her breathless.

She had to go outside.

“Babe,” she called, putting down the glass. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

“Everything OK?” Mark called back from the kitchen.

           Bonnie stood up. “Yeah, I just have to go outside.”

           “Why?”

           Fucking hell, because! Bonnie’s swift and violent onset of impatience and irritation made her pause. There was no reason for such an aggressive reaction, even if silent, and its randomness both scared her and compelled her to see why she felt the need to go outside.

“Hun?” said Mark.

“Sorry, I just um – I think I forgot my shawl in the yard,” she said, walking to the front door.

Why was she lying to him?  

           “I can get---”

           “No, no! I want some fresh air anyway.”

           Bonnie opened the door and walked out of the bungalow, onto the lawn. Her eyes quickly swept the street dozens of times, looking for anything out of the ordinary; but nothing about her sleepy residential neighbourhood looked out of place.

           She shook her head and laughed. She must’ve imagined it or had more wine than she originally thought, a breeze was only ever a breeze, there was nothing ---

And then she felt it.

She looked to her right and a bearded man appeared, almost as if he materialized from shadows.

“Bonnie Bennett, as I live and breathe.”

Bonnie’s lips parted, she felt something inside of herself, a fire on her skin, a fire in her belly, a hatred and a - a - ferocity, a danger --- maybe even a longing? --- that felt awfully, terribly familiar and yet she didn’t recognize the man in front of her, didn’t recognize his knowing gaze or smug smirk, nothing about him registered in her mind but she felt compelled to hate him, even though she could feel that hatred met something different to them.

Finally, she spoke. She was going to say, “Do I know you?” but what came out was, “I don’t know who you are but I know you have ten seconds to get off my property.”

The man smiled at that. “Ah, I shouldn’t take it personally,” he said. “Malivore and all.”

That caught Bonnie’s attention. Malivore, whatever it was, was supernatural. Nope. Not today. She’d been done with the supernatural for years.

“I don’t know what witch business—”

“Oh no, no, no,” said the man, walking up to her, his eyebrows furrowed. The closer he came to her, the harder Bonnie’s heart started to pound. She had the irrational fear that he could hear it and she willed herself to not be so agitated, so bothered, so … hot. It was like her internal temperature rose.

“You think I came here for witch business?” His voice got soft. Dangerous. “I gave up something I’ve wanted to do for a long time to come here. To you.”

Bonnie didn’t know how she knew but she felt it in her bones that what he’d given up was some kind of evil. It infuriated her, which only served to inflame her more. What was this? Something she shouldn’t indulge, shouldn’t unleash. She should walk away. She should go back in the house, back to Mark, she’d been so content inside. Better yet, she should eviscerate him, this man she didn’t know, this man she wanted to kill and consume all at once.

“So, you know me?” she asked.

“You know, I know you.” He got closer to her. Only a few feet away now. “All these years and you can’t escape it.” He grinned, smug. Triumphant. “You don’t even know who I am and you can’t escape it.”

Oh, she hated him.

“You get any closer to me and I will hurt you,” said Bonnie through gritted teeth.

“Is that a promise?” He took another step. Bonnie swallowed hard.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been aching for you to hurt me, Bonnie Bennett.”

Cursed words. They thrilled her. They disgusted her.

“Who are you then?” she asked. “What’s your name?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

He walked even closer to her. “There’s no way in hell I’m telling you that and I’ve been to hell, many hells.”  He brushed his lips against her ear. “When you figure out my name, I promise you, you won’t be able to stop screaming it.”

Bonnie’s eyes fluttered. She pushed him away.

He was a stranger, she knew this, she had no recollection of him whatsoever in her mind, but her mind wasn’t the issue. She was so furious with herself that she could, she could ---

Bonnie seized Kai’s throat, her grip hard, her jaw clenched.

           He laughed. “Look at you,” he said. “You’ve been lusting for this for years.”

“Fuck you,” she spat.

“You’re awake now, Bonnie,” he said. “He’ll never be enough. Not now.”

Bonnie tightened her grip, moving forward so that she slammed him against the tree.

“You don’t know anything about him.”

“Only that he isn’t me,” he said. “And now that you’ve met me, that’s always going to be unsatisfying.”

“Shut up,” she warned through clenched teeth. “You know nothing about me.”

He bore his eyes into Bonnie’s and her breathing got shallow. She felt electrified with yearning and rage, desire and contempt. His body called to hers and she responded to him in a way that felt almost cosmic. She felt him before she even saw him. Everything within her screamed for him.

“I know the part of you you thought you’d never feel again even if you don’t remember it.”

He reached forward and started to undo the first button of Bonnie’s jeans, sprouting an ache between her legs. She let go of his throat and slapped his hand away, but as soon as she did, the ache pulsed, making her convulse, and she started unbuckling his belt with a nimbleness that surprised her. He went back to undoing the rest of her buttons and she hurriedly unzipped his fly.

Quickly, he put his hand into her waistband, slipping it beneath her underwear and made contact with her ache.

           They both gasped.

           “You don’t remember me but you remember this, don’t you?” he said, rubbing her.

           Bonnie’s legs trembled. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from mewling, her tooth piercing it so intensely, she thought she was going to bleed.

           “Don’t you?” he whispered in her ear, nipping her ear, circling his finger faster.

           Shit. She did. But she couldn’t make any sound of pleasure, she couldn’t give him that satisfaction. He must’ve read her mind.

           “Tell me you like this.”

           His rhythm became agonizingly slow.

           No! Please no! She pressed her lips together to keep from begging aloud but she could feel the neediness radiate from her. He knew how to torture her.

           “You like it,” he said. “Tell me.”

Nothing she’d felt had been anything like this --- she craved him with a hunger that she did her best to contain, but she wanted him inside of her but oh God, she wanted him inside of her. And she hated herself for it.

Even though Bonnie didn’t say anything, he leaned down to kiss her like a gut reaction, like he couldn’t hold out waiting for her to give in, but Bonnie stopped him by returning her hand to his throat, pinning him to the tree. He didn’t get to do that. He hadn’t earned that. She slipped her free hand beneath his waistband now, holding him, her lips parting at the intensity of his hardness.

He groaned, rich and deep. Her breath hitched. She stroked him, compelling him to massage her quicker. He made no effort to contain his sighs and pants and moans --- wet noises that agitated Bonnie’s own pleasure. As if it was all too much to witness and bear at the same time, he closed his eyes.  

“Look at me,” Bonnie demanded.

He moaned.

“You piece of shit, look at me.”

His eyes snapped open, hooded and cloudy. “I – fuck.”

This was wrong. So wrong. Dirty. Awful. She could feel it too --- her shame. But it felt too good for her to stop, to tell him to stop, for any of it to stop. She knew, even now, that she wanted more. She wanted it all. She ---

“Hmm.” Bonnie whimpered. She couldn’t help it. She was close. “Shit,” she moaned.

“Yes.” He smirked, his eyes alight with lust and vicious triumph. He didn’t take them off her. “Tell me you like it,” he said, his voice was breathy and greedy. He intensified his motions --- her legs were going to buckle.  

“Tell me you like it,” he insisted.

“I like – I ---” Bonnie was too overcome to finish her thought. Thank God. He would’ve won otherwise.

She climaxed, her muscles spasming around his finger, and she bit him hard on the shoulder as she released, feeling the satisfaction of him convulsing against her body as she pushed him over the edge.

There were a few moments of them slumped against each other, panting and jelly-legged, where there was nothing but oblivion and then --- Mark’s voice.

“This sure as fucking hell isn’t the backyard.”