#OR it's bringing others down for your own smug self satisfaction

[capricornlevi]

nsfw, mdni!!!!

your neighbour nanami, who's grown awfully tired of seeing you bring stranger after stranger into your apartment, the smug looks on their ungrateful faces as you tug them by the sleeve down your shared hallway. he shuts his own door behind him with a frown etched on his face and a familiar ache wracking through his body.

neighbour nanami, who is sick of seeing these strangers leave the following morning when he goes out to collect his coffee and the morning paper, shit-eating grins on their faces despite not earning any degree of self-satisfaction. your shared walls are thin, painfully so, and so nanami has first-hand evidence of their mediocrity.

neighbour nanami who has started to notice the way you brush up against him whenever you rush for the elevator at the same time; with him holding open the door, your lower back grazing against him slowly, deliberately as you duck under his arm. it could have been an accident at first, maybe clumsiness the second time, but he has since figured you out.

the way you fold your clothes in the laundry room when you know he's there: tiny dresses, lacy nightgowns that must cling to every curve, every piece of lingerie that he makes no effort to avoid staring at and you make no attempt to hide.

the way you've started to meet his eye when he sees you in the hallway bringing other people home. how you know he watches, daring him to make his move at last. letting him know his attempts to hide his jealousy have failed pathetically.

so when he shows up at your door late one night, his usually-tidy hair unkempt and tie undone around his neck, desperation emanating from him like a fever, you know you've won.

neighbour nanami who has no qualms in showing you how he can fuck better than any of the pathetic lowlives that never knew how good they had it. nanami who smiles as he puts his mouth everywhere that will elicit one of those pretty noises from your lips, who takes you against the shared wall between your apartment and his, just as he imagined all those nights with his cock in his own miserable hand.

this was a battle of wills he had no shame in losing.

[selfindulgentpixies]

MDNI Trans!Satoru Gojo x GN!reader

CW: Trans Gojo (his clit is referred to as a cock), Afab!Reader, GN!Reader, reader gets called pretty and gorgeous but only neutral pronouns are used. You eat Gojo out and he fucks you with a strap. Trans Gojo haunts me oh so sexily and has been buzzing about my brain for a while. It's been a long time since i wrote proper smut so please be kind. (Also sorry to those who have been waiting for this I get super self conscious writing smut so it takes me a while. Also all rude comments or hate for trans!Gojo will be met with a very swift block and possibly a report. I do not have time for transphobes)

___

Mine mine mine

You could stay here between his legs and be happy to never leave as he ruts against your face, plush wet fold sliding over your lips and your tongue dipping into his hole as his fat cock grinds against your nose. Yeah no you could probably die happy like this surrounded in his scent and taste. You might actually if he doesn’t loosen the grip on the back of your head, pushing you tighter and deeper against his cunt. 

“Fuuuck just like that. Haaa You’re so good for me.” His deep moans and thready breaths go straight to your own core. You know he’ll fuck you once you’re done. He never leaves you wanting, always returns the pleasure you’d given him in kind.

In the interest of your continued existence however you lightly pinch the inside of his thigh making him jerk and loosen his grip on the back of your head so you can pull back for a breath. “Haaa sorry sorry,” He says as his hand goes from gripping your hair to petting over it. His hips stutter upward when your warm breath fans over his cock and cunt. He looks down at you and you’re a mess. Eyes glazed over and his slick coating the lower half of your face making it glisten. “Fuck you’re gorgeous like this. Leaves no doubt that you’re mine.” His lips curl up in a lazy grin bringing out his dimples and rosy cheeks. He’s not much better than you, hair clinging to his face from sweat, chest stained pink while it rises and falls. His hand moves from your hair, slides over your cheek and then cups your chin where he swipes his thumb over your glistening lips before dipping into your eager mouth. You suck on the rough digit drawing a groan from deep in his chest. 

He pulls his thumb from your mouth with a small pop, a thin trail of spit connects you to the digit for a moment almost like it’s an extension of your reluctance to release it. He can’t help but chuckle at the pout you give him before he’s pulling you up along his body, one of his thighs slotting between yours, your arousal slicking across his strong thigh as you go, your own leg is pressed tight against his puffy folds. He licks a stripe over your messy chin and into your mouth, taking pleasure in the mixed taste of the two of you, taking satisfaction in the way you moan into his mouth as you try rut against his thigh, taking, taking, taking because he can never get enough of you and would pull you into his own being if he could. Strong hands still your hips as he begins to grind up against you, controlling the pace as your cunts slick against each other's thighs. You moan against his mouth, actually trying to kiss him being abandoned in favor of panting and whining into each other. It’s all so messy, absolutely wanton as your hands slide up his chest and wet sounds fill the room. 

“Can I get you to cum like this? Just grinding on my thigh?” You feel his smirk as he skims his lips down your throat to nip at the delicate skin there. He didn’t actually have room to tease considering the mess he was making against your own thigh but he was scattering your thoughts too much for you to point that out. You’d already been drunk on him long before he’d pulled you up from between his thighs.

“Satoru, please,” You whine, gripping tightly at his shoulders. 

“Please what?” And he pulls his face back from where he’d been marking up your neck to give you a smug grin and has the nerve to stop grinding the two of you together because of course he had to be a tease and a menace even in bed. 

The whine you let out this time could be called petulant as the man currently controlling your pleasure stills you with strong hands as you try to chase your own pleasure. The high you’d been chasing stuttering and being suspended before you by the unfairly pretty man you were giving yourself to. He could swear he feels your cunt pulse against him and how you're trying to move your hips to get something, anything from him. It’s all in vain though with his strong hands gripping your hips, fingers digging into your plush body. You likely have perfect little bruises later as a reminder.

“You’re gonna have to use your words, pretty.” He nips at your kiss swollen lips. 

“You’re terrible.” Your words only make him smile harder and god is it a pretty smile even when it’s at your expense. “Want more of you.” You pout and as you begin to glance away he rocks his thigh against you, a reward that draws a hissed breath between your teeth out of surprise. Perhaps he wasn’t as dead set at playing games with you as thought he might be as he begins to slowly grind the two of you together again. 

“Want more of me how?” He asks against your lips. “You really getting shy on me now even after you’d been moaning into my cunt just a minute ago?” His voice is low and the nature of his words makes your stomach flutter and your thighs clench around his. 

You try to bury your face in his neck but he grips you at the nape and gently pulls you back enough to look at him, the oceans in his eyes partially obscured by his blown wide pupils. You swallow thickly. “Want you to fuck me.” 

“There you go.” And suddenly he’s flipping you over, your back being pressed down into the plush bed. He kisses you before pulling back and rising to his knees. The air of the room chills against your exposed cunt and the wet patch Satoru had left on your thigh. You watch him as he shuffles to the side table where he’d left his already prepared strap and it’s harness, the base of which is specifically textured and shaped to also give pleasure to the wearer. You watch transfixed as he puts it on, admiring how the straps of the harness frame his ass. He smirks over his shoulder at you, well aware of how you hadn’t taken your eyes off him. 

Moving back over to you he pushes your legs apart to make space for himself. He places one of his hands on your lower tummy, splaying his fingers out before gently squeezing the soft flesh there. He chuckles to himself. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Oh just thinking about how ruined you’re going to be once i’m right here.” He gives you another squeeze and delights in how you squeak and your cheeks heat up. 

“Satoruuu, stop,” You whine and then your eyes widen when he starts to pull back entirely despite damn well knowing what you meant. “No no no I meant stop teasing not stop stop.” You begin to sit up and reach for him. 

He smiles at you cheekily and grabs your hands as they reach for him, linking your fingers together. “But you’re so fun to tease.” He leans in until your noses are just barely touching. From this close he can’t see you pout but he can see how your brows knit together. He rubs your noses together before kissing the space between your eyebrows, then kisses the apple of your cheek and then finally your lips. “You know I’ll always take care of you after though. Would never dream of leaving my pretty hanging. Now-” he releases your hands so he can slide them down your body, taking in every dip and soft curve. The feeling of his slightly rough hands making a shiver go through you. “-where was I?” he pauses at where he’d been originally groping at your stomach before moving lower, his touch turning feather light and teasing as his fingers move over where you want him most. You buck your hips involuntarily at the light contact. 

Gojo tuts at you and holds your hips down with one hand while he teasingly explores your folds, almost agonizing in his gentleness as he slides his long fingers through them. He catches your clit between his middle and index finger before leaning down to suck on it, his fingers moving away from it to begin to dip into your wet heat. When you try to buck toward him the hand on your hip holds you firm. He hums against your clit as he pushes his fingers into your wet heat, drawing a moan from your kiss swollen lips.

The contact is gone all too quickly as he pulls everything back, his mouth, his fingers. Your pathetic whine is unneeded as he’s immediately positioning his silicone cock at your entrance. He dips the head in, watching your face intently as he pushes it in inch by inch. 

His name catches somewhere between a whine and a sigh as it falls from your lips. “Satoru…” You reach for him and he catches your hands in his own, lacing his larger fingers with yours once again and pressing them down into the mattress on either side of your head as he covers your body with your own, bottoming out. Pressing his lips against yours he swallows a moan from you before beginning a slow grind into you, his own cunt and cock rubbing against the silicone base of the strap on.  He pants into your mouth and when he pulls back slightly to gaze at you a string of spit connects the two of you. 

“You’re so fucking pretty like this. Pretty and mine.” His thrusts pick up. “Always gonna be mine yeah?” 

“Always yours,” you reply dazed and already looking fucked out. You wrap your legs around his hips, trying to keep him deep inside of you. 

He squeezes your hands, now spurred on, working his hips to get your both to your high. The sounds filling the bedroom are obscene, the wet sounds of his cock filling your cunt over and over, the sounds of skin on skin and not least of all your moans. You’ll probably get a sound complaint later for the headboard banging against the wall if nothing else. “ ‘toru I’m-” You cry out. And he swallows your cry of pleasure, his lips covering your own. He can feel your orgasm splash against him, soaking the sheets beneath you as he ruts harder into you, drawing it out while chasing his own. You feel his hips stutter and press hard into you, slowing into a steady grind as he slows before pulling out and flopping next to you. 

He pulls you against his chest, and the both of you lay there panting as you come down. One of his hands runs up and down your spine while you kiss at the underside of his jaw. After several calm moments you speak up and he swears can hear the pout it your voice. “You didn’t let me finish eating you out.” He laughs sudden and loud.  The two of you were nowhere near done for the night.

@strawberrystepmom @princess-okkotsu @icy-spicy @nanamikentoseyebags

[smxmuffinpeddling]

Cressida was up to something, Penelope just knew it.

She watched the other woman like a hawk, fully utilizing her skills for picking up gossip to pick up on the subtlety cruel ways of Cressida Cowper. And what was worse was that apparently she had a new target besides Penelope herself to torment. Poor Eloise seemed to be taking the brunt of her social blows.

"Oh, clumsy me," Cressida tittered pompously as she blatantly spilled her cup of lemonade all over Eloise's hands, ruining her elbow-length gloves. "How very unfortunate, it appears you'll have to take those off. How... indecent," Cressida said with an evil little smirk on her face as she loomed over Eloise.

Oh, how it made Penelope's blood boil. She slowly stepped closer so that she may hear the pair better over the orchestra of the ball. She went unnoticed, and she was tempted to splash her own lemonade right back at Cressida's stupid uncouth face. She could tolerate Cressida looking down at her, but Eloise had actually befriended that ridiculous blonde over the summer! Clearly the friendship had taken a turn for the worse sometime during the season.

What was most infuriating, and the thing that confused Penelope the most, was Eloise not getting hopping mad at her behavior.

"Really, Miss Cowper? This is the third pair this month. You're not being subtle," Eloise grumbled loudly in displeasure as she rolled her now soaked gloves down her arms.

"I have no idea what you are inferring, Miss Bridgerton. Sometimes I just happen to be clumsy," Cressida fanned herself as she eyed her handy work with self satisfaction. What a piece of work she was. Penelope could've snapped the stem on her flute as she watched them.

Eloise forced a smile on her face, even as heat infiltrated her gaze as she regarded the taller woman adorned in pink florals. "Unfortunately for you, now my shameful skin is on full display."

"Yes, very unfortunate indeed."

They stared at each other for what seemed like a full minute and Penelope waited for Eloise to smack Cressida across her smug face with her lemonade-tinged gloves, but the moment never came.

Instead, Eloise suddenly turned away, her face red. It was probably from all the anger she was holding inside. "Its fine, I think there were extra gloves in this room over here." And with that, Eloise quickly stepped away down the hallway. Probably to cry in humiliation, Penelope was no stranger to the feeling.

In the meantime, Cressida's smirk turned into an even bigger grin, which she quickly hid behind her fan before anyone could notice. Anyone besides Penelope of course. How dare she look so pleased to torment other women? She was clearly enjoying herself too much.

To Penelope's shock, Cressida soon followed in Eloise's footsteps. Penelope had to turn away and pretend she wasn't staring when Cressida checked her surroundings to make sure no one followed her. The moment she turned away, Penelope scurried after them as fast as her hem line would allow.

Was it not enough to bully Eloise out in the open in front of the ton, she also had to do it in private? Even Cressida left Penelope alone after she retreated in defeat, but it appeared she was becoming more out of control with power!

Penelope pressed her ear to the door she spied silently closing from her spot down the hall. She wanted so desperately to save Eloise from her situation, but she was sure Eloise wouldn't appreciate her pity.

"Does your cruelty know no bounds, Cressida?" She heard Eloise's muffled voice through the wooden door. "Must you torment me at every opportunity? Sleep has been eluding me more and more, and the dishes I consume don't bring me any satisfaction when I think of you." Eloise really did sound on the verge of a breakdown as she spoke, and Penelope wanted to cry on her old friend's behalf.

"This is your fault," Cressida responded with a voice that was strangely unlike the way she usually spoke at functions. Now she sounded a little deeper, a little rougher around the edges. Penelope pressed herself harder to the door.

"This is but a taste of the torment you inflict on me," Cressida continued, making Penelope's brows furrow in confusion. "This is merely a natural consequence of your actions."

What was that demented woman going on about? Surely Eloise didn't do anything to Cressida to warrant such treatment!

"A punishment, you mean," Eloise groaned. In pain? There was was a yelp and some shuffling. Penelope was crushing the door trying to listen in. "Oh, you're vile. Just evil," Eloise struggled to say with a gasp.

Oh my god, was Cressida hurting Eloise in some way??? Penelope started to panic. It was one thing to spill a drink on her, it was another matter entirely if Cressida was inflicting physical injury on the other girl!

"If I did anymore to you, you wouldn't be able to hide the evidence, or show yourself in society again," Cressida said, and Penelope could just hear the wickedness is her voice. "Unfortunately I'll have to satisfy myself with just this for now."

"Oh, how I hate you, Cressida Cowper." Eloise made another anguished noise and Penelope had heard enough. She slammed the door open.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ELOISE, YOU DEVIL?" Penelope demanded of Cressida. Who now stared at her in shock, mouth hanging open at her sudden appearance.

For a second, Penelope was confused because Eloise wasn't also standing there with Cressida. Until she spotted her stocking clad legs sticking out from Cressida's voluminous skirts. And there Eloise was, laying on the ground spread eagle as Cressida stood over her, one foot on either side of her head, hands hiking up her skirts enough that Penelope could see Eloise's eyes bug out of her head at the sight of her.

Eloise unceremoniously spit out a portion of what appeared to be Cressida's undergarments from her spluttering mouth. "P-PENELOPE?!" Eloise exclaimed with a fiercely flushed face.

Penelope blinked once. Twice. The three of them portraits of frozen mortification.

"Apologies, did not mean to interrupt," Penelope dismissed herself, face blank as she promptly closed the door to the scene taking place within.

Dearest gentle reader,

I am retiring.

[slamminslamminmcgill]

OKAY I’M A GNC VIRGIN SO NATURALLY… I can confess my little (not so little) corruption kink to you 😁 I always think about how Saul would absolutely 10000000000% hire someone especially after finding out they’re still pure through his Saul-style background checks. He’d fetishize the fuck out of them for it and absolutely do the honors while talking really extremely about it, I just feel it in my bones. After all he wants new blood :3 Just imagining the things he’d say… I AM A WHORE!!!!

OOOOO OK PURR!!!!!

combining w/ this

warning: very mild transphobia (saul is a gross chaser and he's learning)

anatomical terms: boobs, vagina/pussy, dick/cock

Saul Goodman always asked his private investigator to get information on people he worked with. Be they long term clients or his own staff, he wanted to know who he was associating with, inside and out. He wasn't going to get caught with his pants down by dealing with someone he couldn't trust. And after you joined his team as his paralegal, you were subject to the same treatment. He honestly wasn't expecting Mike to find much dirt on you, and he didn't. Almost nothing, in fact, but what he did find was far more intriguing than Saul could have ever imagined. He almost didn't believe what Mike told him.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Okay. Let me see if I'm understanding you correctly. Kid's never been in a relationship before. Total virgin. I get that. But you're saying he was born a chick, and wanted to be a dude, so he took some hormones and got his boobs chopped off? Are you for real? You can do that?" Saul had asked.

"That's what his medical records say." Mike had answered. "He's been filling a testosterone prescription for 2 years now, and his 'chest masculinization surgery' was last year. Got a copy of the newspaper publication for his name change, too."

"Did he, uh..." Saul bit his lip and tried to think of a non-creepy way to ask his probably-very-creepy question, "Did he get the downstairs touched up, or is he still rocking the original hardware?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "Doesn't look like he had any other surgeries. Guessing that means he hasn't changed it. Now, you know I'm not one to question your motives, but why is it that you care so much about your paralegal's genitalia?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to get the full story here," Saul had said as a quick excuse, "The world's changing! If men can have vaginas, I say let 'em! I'm always an advocate for self-determination."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Mike had packed up his things and headed for the door. "Just promise me you won't antagonize him over this. He's a good kid. I'd hate for you to scare him off."

"I promise."

That's what he had said, but Saul could barely hide the excitement on his face when you walked in on Monday morning.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is!" Saul laughed and held his arms out for a hug. "Bring it in champ!"

You shrugged and took him up on it, not knowing that he was looking for an excuse to feel your body pressed against his. "Alright, sure!" You said before subjecting yourself to his tight embrace. "What's got you in such a good mood today?"

Saul's hands started to wander down your back and around your sides to your hips. He hadn't noticed how curvy you were before, but now it was all he could think about. "Well, I, uh... I figured you're not all that used to physical intimacy. Thought I'd show you some of what you're missing."

It took a second for his words to register in your brain. “Wait, what?" You pulled yourself out of his arms. "What are you talking about?"

Saul couldn't hide the satisfaction he was feeling. He wore it plainly on his face, and his voice dripped with it. "Your background check came back clean. Very clean. Pure, I should say."

You could tell he was fucking with you, but you had no clue why or what you were supposed to say to that. "Uh... Okay? Is that a good thing, or-?"

Saul needed a new skincare routine, one that stopped smugness from oozing out his pores. "Depends! You saving yourself for marriage? Cause then I guess you're on the right track."

You gulped. So that’s what he was talking about. “N-No, I’m not. I just… haven’t found the right person.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Saul pursed his lips and went back over to his desk. “Well, I imagine it’s difficult with your setup and all. Probably hard to find someone so understanding.”

“My… setup?” You asked, wondering just how meticulous his background check process was. Must've been pretty damn meticulous if he found out the details of your lifeless sex life. “What, uh… what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know what I mean.” Saul kicked his feet up on his desk, grabbed a pen, and pointed it at you. “Man from the waist-up, woman from the waist-down? I bet that freaks people out, huh?” He chuckled as he set the pen down and took a sip of his coffee. “Not me, though. I’m pretty open-minded. Gotta say, it actually sounds pretty hot.”

"Oh... uh... tha-... thank you...?" Workplace harassment had never seemed so flattering. You wanted to be disgusted. You wanted to throw that coffee in his face, call him a pig, and storm out of his office demanding your last paycheck in the mail. But you didn’t. It was the first time anyone had considered you a sexual being, let alone an attractive sexual being. Rationale and dignity be damned, you wanted more of his attention, but you didn’t want to seem desperate. “So, uh… where do we go from here?”

“We don’t have to go anywhere. Why, did you want it to go somewhere? ‘Cause if you do..." Saul got up from his desk again and strode over to you, brushing some of your hair behind your ear. "...I'd be happy to lead the way." He pressed a tender kiss to your lips, and you, not expecting it whatsoever, tensed up immediately. Saul noticed and pulled back. "Oh, baby boy, have you never even been kissed?"

You shook your head, embarrassed by your own innocence. "N-No..."

Saul didn't even try to hide his excitement. He couldn't believe his luck. He reacted with condescending sympathy. "Ohhh, you poor thing! Whatever am I gonna do with you?"

The answer to that, you'd come to find, was apparently 'strip you half-naked and sit you on his desk.'

"Now, you just lay back and enjoy yourself, okay, baby? I'm gonna help you get ready. I promise, you're gonna love this." He said as he rubbed your bare thighs, gradually lowering his face between them.

"Okay..." You sighed, staring up at the ceiling, not a clue what to expect. There's only so many options when someone puts their face up to your junk, but you had no idea what it was gonna feel like.

Saul spread your lips apart to inspect your virgin anatomy, the first one to explore new, uncharted territory. He'd been through this countless times before, though never with anyone like you, and he liked what made you special. "Aw, how cute! You got yourself a tiny little dick, huh? Is that from the hormones?" Saul chuckled and pressed down on it with his thumb.

Your breath caught in your throat and your body jumped upon contact. "Ah... y-yeah, uh... the testoster-oh! F-Fuck!"

While you were talking, Saul used your distraction as a chance to shove his face into your pussy, swirling his tongue under your foreskin and sucking your mini-cock into his mouth. He even slipped his tongue into your hole and pumped it in and out, probably to give you a preview of what was next. You grabbed his hair and whined, holding on to keep yourself somewhat in the moment with him. You briefly glanced down at him; your eyes met; and he fucking winked.

You threw your head back against the desk and looked up at the ceiling again. Your head was swirling in a way it never had before. It just felt so good. So sloppy, so wet, so electrifying.

By the time Saul pulled his face up, his mouth was literally dripping, and he was gasping for air. He looked unhinged. "Jesus Christ... Are you sure you're a virgin? You're soaking wet."

"I... wha...?" You blushed and hid your face in your hands. "Oh, god... s-sorry..."

"Aw, honey, no, don't apologize for that!" Saul got up off his knees and stood up. He pried your hands away from your face and interlocked his fingers with yours. "It just means you're excited! You must want it really bad, huh?"

You did, but the uncertainty of it all was still so scary. "Mhm... it's, uh... it's not gonna hurt, right?"

"Nope! It shouldn't 'cause I ate you out first. That's what I meant by getting you ready. And you were quite the tasty treat, buddy." He booped your nose to get you to smile, and it worked. You felt calmer instantly. "You good to go?"

You took a deep breath, the air whistling on your exhale. "Y-Yeah, I think so."

Saul worked on pulling himself out of his pants. He lined up his fat cock with your virgin hole and poked it, testing your reaction. You seemed okay, so he slowly, ever so slowly, slid inside and stretched you out. The both of you let out low, deep groans, savoring the new, deep connection you shared with each other.

"Phew..." Saul sighed as he bottomed out in you. "God, that's good, kid. You're the tightest little thing I've ever had my cock inside." He pulled back, nearly all the way out, and then snapped his hips forward. You squeaked, and he did it again. "So... fucking... good..."

So fucking good was an understatement. You wrapped your arms around his back and clung to him, moaning softly and timidly as your sleazy boss took your virginity. You'd always imagined your first time would be romantic and sweet, and on a bed, not hasty, nasty fucking on the desk where your paychecks were signed. Oh well, either way, it felt fucking fantastic.

As was the case with everything else in his life, Saul had lots to say. "Yeahhh, that's it, baby boy, that's it. Take it. I ne- I never... Mmm, never would've thought you had a pussy like this. So wet for me... so warm... so fucking tight... And I get to be the one to break it in... Making me believe in God again, kid... Cause you... you're a fucking angel..."

Hearing his affectionate praise, feeling his firm strokes inside you. The way he talked to you, touched you, kissed you, tasted you. This may have been your first time with anyone, but you could tell it wouldn't be your last with him.

[betterbooktitles]

Screen Time, Take 5: A Blast From The Past

My college girlfriend asked me to watch Fellini’s La Strada with her one night. A professor from the theater department had assigned it for a class I’m sure was spent forcing students to walk across the room pretending to be tigers or as if moving through Jell-O before discussing a Samuel Beckett play they all had skimmed that week. I agreed to watch the movie. Of course, I owned a two-disc DVD copy of the La Strada and, of course, in the two years since I bought it, had failed to watch it. My Fellini phase started at 16 because Roger Ebert said I had to like La Dolce Vita (I saw it, hated it, pretended to like it for years), and solidified when a cool, attractive person I never ended up dating told me her favorite movie was 8 1/2, a movie that rewired my brain so that I only liked that movie and no other movie for about 5 months. Certainly, La Strada would be somewhere in the middle?

It isn’t. But that didn’t stop my girlfriend and I from popping in the second disc after we’d muscled our way through it to see a special feature with Martin Scorsese saying “this movie is good” for 40 minutes over clips of the movie we had finished watching five minutes prior.

“I don’t like how it’s dubbed.” I said.

“It’s the commedia dell’arte,” she said as I brewed a giant travel mug’s worth of coffee at my dorm room desk. This was before K Cups. I had a big tub of grounds and a machine that made one travel mug’s worth of coffee in my room so that I could wake up five minutes before class, and be caffeinated by the end of my morning power walk to Olin Hall. I also found that I needed caffeine in the evenings to get through any movie screening or exhausting conversations with other Bard students.

“OK. Yes. I get that.” I put the disk in the DVD player and sat back down in the maroon Dorito-dust-covered papasan. I poured powdered creamer into the mug and hit the button on the remote to hear what Scorsese had to say.

“La Strada is about commedia dell’arte.” he said to the documentarian.

“Hmm.” My girlfriend looked at me and then wrote ‘commedia dell’arte’ in her notebook. I rolled my eyes. She had recently learned about a subject, told me about it, heard the subject mentioned back to her, and wanted to make sure I heard that she was right about the thing that she said because now a professional director was saying it back to us from a screen. She often gave this affected performance of making sure I heard something she’d said before repeated by a friend at a party or a professor. It irked me but it was far from her most annoying habit (the incessant cheating).

There are several ways I would have reacted differently now. First, I would have remembered to bring my travel mug to the cafeteria so I could bring better coffee back to the dorm that evening. Second, I wouldn’t have scoffed at a person who knew a fact, heard the fact repeated, and took pleasure in acknowledging “Yes. I know that fact.” This moment of satisfaction is one of the rare pleasures a smart person gets to have.

Who doesn’t love already knowing stuff? It feels great. At a party “yes, anding” someone who said a fact you also know from a Bill Bryson book you both read? Or hearing someone repeat a snippet from RadioLab and finishing their sentence? That’s a true nerdy connection. It’s the same feeling I get when I read a history book and see an event I memorized the name of in high school and finally gain a real understanding of said event now that I have the patience to read and comprehend a modicum of historical context. Is there a word for that? For seeing something you’re familiar with in passing and then retracing your steps to find out more information, or even information you already knew? Not self-satisfied smugness, like someone who says “hmm” after your boyfriend’s hero repeats a phrase on a DVD extra. Not confirmation bias exactly. I mean the joy of watching a Ken Burns documentary and when the narrator mentions The Teapot Dome Scandal, your brain lights up and says “The Teapot Dome Scandal. We know about The Teapot Dome scandal. Hmm. Yes.” I swear, this feeling must have a name. It’s on the tip of my tongue.

Read the rest here

[barbwrites]

One day a woman finds bottle, from which a genie emerges.

"Whoever finds this bottle gets three wishes to be granted by me." said the genie. "However, there are three rules.

1. You may not wish for more wishes, either for yourself or for others. Three is all you will get, and they are yours alone.

2. No wish may interfere with free will.

3. No bringing the dead back to life."

The woman was stunned in surprise, and took a long moment to process before asking "Do i have to make the wishes now?"

"No," answered the genie, "you may make your wishes at any time."

"Then I will think on it." said the woman.

------

After some time to think and prepare, the woman opened the bottle again, summoning the genie. She held up a piece of paper and said "I wish to own every item on this list."

The genie gave a smile and said "Your wish is my command." and there came a poof of smoke.

When the smoke lifted, nothing had changed.

"What happened?" asked the woman "Where are all the items?"

The genies smile grew wider and more smug as they explained. "One of each of those items have legally transferred ownership to you. If you want me to tell you where they are, it will cost you another wish."

The genie looked down at her, smug and said "I gave you what you wished for, so don't blame me." The genie then cleared their throat and returned to their more official tone of voice. "You have two wishes left. Make them at your leisure." Still with just a hint of smugness shining through.

The woman looked up at the genie with an angry scowl, the wheels turning in her head, trying to think of what to say, how to make clear to this... this clearly malicious being that what they had just done is unfair and wrong, and that they don't need to antagonise the people they serve.

After a some moments of thinking and angrily muttering to herself, the woman's face took a look of determination.

"I know my next wish." she said.

"Then speak it." Answered the genie.

A self-satisfied smile crept across the woman's face as she spoke.

"I wish that for every wish granted by you, past present or future, the maker of the wish be presented with the option to have that wish reversed, two months after the granting of the wish, or at the earliest possible time thereafter."

With each well-chosen word coming out of the woman's mouth the genie grew more and more pale, realising that this was a wish unlike any others before it.

"No you can't do that!" said the genie.

"You said I couldn't wish for more wishes, but you said nothing about wishing away other people's wishes."

"Do you realise that I now have to revisit every person I have ever granted a wish to and to do their bidding once again?"

"Yes." Answered the woman simply. "That is is precisely why I worded it like that. And besides, if you did do their bidding in a satisfactory manner the first time, then you wont have to change anything, now will you?"

The genie gave an angry huff, and uttered the phrase they had said so many times before, but now, for the first time with a tone of utter dejected disappointment "Your wish is my command", before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

------

After a few months, the genie appeared before the woman once again.

"Would you like to reverse any of the wishes I have granted you?" asked genie, making it obvious that they were tired of saying the phrase.

"No, thank you." answered the woman, smiling.

"There." said the genie, almost sounding exhausted. "Your wish has been granted, although reluctantly and under protest."

"Good. Thank you." said the woman, with the same air of self-satisfaction as before, almost as if it had persisted since the genie last saw her.

"Now tell me," said the woman, "how many of the wishes did you have to reverse?" she asked.

"A majority." answered the genie, with irritation in their voice.

"And how many of those gave you a genuine and heartfelt 'thank you' for your service?"

After a brief pause, the genie replied, once again "A majority", seeming to understand what the woman was getting at.

"You see, a lot of people don't deserve your tricks, and even the ones who do might change for the better." said the woman. "Now you might argue that some of those people didn't deserve a second chance, and I would probably agree with you, but giving them that is a small price to pay for giving that chance to those who do deserve it."

The genie looked at her, processing for a minute. "You know, I haven't granted wishes to anyone like you before. You've managed to be a real pain in the ass." they said.

"Hopefully, a pain in the ass that managed to teach you something." said the woman.

"So..." continued the genie, changing the subject. "You have one more wish. What will it be?"

"I don't want anything else." said the woman, leaving the genie stunned in surprise. "You can have it. Maybe you can wish to be free from wish-granting, so you won't become bitter again from all of us pain-in-the-ass mortals."

After collecting themself, the genie responded. "That's very kind, but as I said the first time we met, the wishes are yours and yours alone. You cannot give them away."

"You're right." said the woman. She then ducked into the next room for a moment and came back with some paper and a pencil. "You write down what you want, and I'll wish for what's written to take effect."

The genie was taken aback, and almost moved to tears. After centuries of doing the bidding of others, could they finally do something for themself?

"You are too kind." they responded sheepishly. "But I will not disrespect you kindness by refusing. To grant wishes is my entire purpose, I don't wish to give that up, but you have proven that I need some new rules."

"Alright, sounds good." Said the woman.

"If it doesn't overstep," began the genie, clearly talking against their instincts. "could you maybe help me write the rules, so they won't get twisted against me again? Since you seem to be-"

"Better than you?" interrupted the woman, reaching a new level of smugness.

"I was going to say competent, in these kinds of matters."

"I would be happy to," said the woman. "on one condition. That you make sure that this bottle of yours makes it into the hands of the love of my life. After I find her, that is."

A big heartfelt smile grew across the genies face.

"Deal."

[desperatepleasures]

@ myself I am BEGGING and PLEADING for you to stop comparing yourself to others

[softboydrew]

sneak away and love me

warning: this piece has smut- oral sex

- long awaited first smut piece. pls don't bite my head off LMAO

Drew was in a predicament, a big one in fact.

You might wonder why, and it’s because of his girlfriend, who looks like molten sex appeal in a soft sugar cone while sitting on their shared towel with water droplets all over her newly tanned skin.

He watches her from afar as she innocently reads her newest beach read. He can’t help but smile at her, of course she’d try and get out of the water earlier than everyone else.

Which brings us back to why Drew mentally curses himself.

A weekend getaway with friends is always a good idea, but not when you want alone time with your girlfriend, and Drew hasn’t gotten any alone time with y/n since they arrived.

Granted, there hasn’t been time in between long beach days- to hourly dinners that lead to way too much overpriced wine, causing everyone including the couple to fall face first into their pillows.

“Who wants to go to the Airbnb and grab lunch?” Y/n says, snapping drew out of his sulky mood.

“I’m gonna stay” Maddie shouts back.

"Were good!" Rudy chimes in before turning around to splash the rest of your friends.

Drew looks around at their friends who shrug their shoulders, all of them still enjoying the refreshing water that helps them escape the heat.

Drew doesn’t even say anything while he feels himself splashing towards y/n, she’s sliding on her cotton shorts and smiling at him as she grabs her phone.

“You sure you don’t wanna miss water tag?” She says pointing towards her friends making him to crinkle his nose.

Y/n laughs, shaking her head at him before he grabs her small hand in his while they begin making their way back to the bungalow.

"I'd rather do something else" he says, licking his salty lips.

"I know, I'm starving!" she says, not catching the drift of his underlying comment. His lips tremble into a smirk at her innocence.

"Mhm" he hums.

-

"This sandwich has been calling my name all afternoon." Y/n chuckles as she reaches into the fridge to retrieve the sandwich in question. She garbs the bag of jalapeño chips from the cabinet and brings the food to the island counter, where her boyfriend sits, his fingers tapping impatiently against the marble.

"I bet." Drew says uninterested- sticking his tongue against his cheek as he watches her pop a chip into her mouth.

Y/n gives Drew a questionable look as she takes a bite out of her sandwich before looking around the large kitchen and back over at him. "Are you not going to eat?" she questions. "You didn't have to come here just for me, babe." she says, covering her mouth after swallowing her food.

"Oh I will, I'm just not in the mood for that." Drew says, making his way around the counter to stand next to his girlfriend who of course, has no idea what he's talking about.

"Okay, then get something else." she deadpanned. "I think we still have that potato salad in the fridge if you want."

Drew hums as he moves his body closer to hers and runs his finger tips against the back of her arm, causing a shiver up her spine as she reaches for the glass of water in front of her. "I don't want that either." he says quietly, making his way towards her damp hair, sliding it over her other shoulder.

Y/n's eyes widen once she realizes what her boyfriends intentions are and she can't help but scoff as she feels his lips fan against the back of her exposed neck. Drew kisses her shoulder while wrapping his arms around her hips, allowing his body to press against her in all the right places. He traces his lips up against her soft skin and y/n giggles, feeling his hot breath tickle against her neck as she leans back and feels his hardness from the instant contact of her lower back.

"What do you want then?" she asks, turning around in his hold, disregarding her half eaten sandwich.

"You're finally catching on?" he teases while gripping her hips between his large palms.

Y/n scowls at him making him chuckle and bite his lip as he watches her run her small hands up and down his torso. "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Drew lets out a long huff and dips his head down towards her face level and presses his nose against hers, rutting his hips against hers in the process, causing y/n to let out a sharp breath. "Too many distractions." he groans before pressing his lips against hers forcefully.

Y/n's hands travel up towards his hair and griped onto the strands, earning a moan to escape her boyfriends lips. The way her body arched under his made him swell even more than he thought possible. The way her soft hands dug into his hair as they both explored each other's mouths with wonder like they haven't took in one another in a decade made the fire ignite in bottom of y/n's stomach, earning a whimper to escape from her now, red swollen lips.

Y/n's head fell back as Drew pushed her harder against the marble counter, his large hands gripping her hips in a addictive fashion. The thin fabric of her cotton shorts would be no match for the bruises she'd probably see tomorrow, but she didn't mind, she craved it as she felt him use his lips as a paint brush against the canvas of exposed skin. The sponges of kisses against her chest began to travel down, down, down her body and she sucked in a breath as she looked down to see her boyfriend drop to his knees, his face being level to her core.

"Not here." she croaked out, her hand flying to her chest in surprise as Drew smiled at how he's already got her mesmerized by his actions.

"C'mon, pretty girl."

Drew stands to his feet and chuckled as y/n immediately jumped into his arms eagerly. Wrapping her legs around him, causing him to let out a sharp inhale at the contact of her heat against his member. She swallows his sounds against her lips while he carefully maps out the way to the bedroom they shared. To their advantage, the bedroom was straight down the hall from the kitchen and with enough ease Drew managed to get the both of them behind the bedroom door without any hiccups. With smug satisfaction at the way y/n attacked his face and neck with sloppy kisses and teasing touches Drew let his girlfriend down onto her own feet and stood back to take in her presence.

"Thank God for no stairs." He says causing them to let laughter fill the bedroom as he gripped her shorts by his pointer finger, pulling her closer to him in the process.

"I can't believe you didn't trip or slam me into something." Y/n giggles making them both snort in remembrance of previous mishaps.

"Shut up!" Drew giggles as y/n watches him slide down her shorts, painfully slow causing her to press her lips together as they finally pool down at her feet.

She locks eyes with him as he backs her up towards the bed, a haunting smirk forming on his lips as he quickly pushed her onto the bed, a soft giggle falling from y/n as he crawls over her while she awkwardly shuffles towards the pillows. Blushes and bashfulness bubbling between them as Drew watched y/n's head fall back against the fluffy pillows.

"Come here" y/n pleads, clutching onto the back of his neck, forcing his lips onto hers greedily. Drew's body fits perfectly against y/n's and they both moan at the contact of his tongue finally meeting hers again causing Drew's hips to twist into hers, whimpers drown between the two of them. "P-please." she whines, her neck arching at the feeling of him pulse against the bottoms of her bikini.

Y/n's back arched painfully as Drew repeated his movements, the both of the gasping out as y/n gripped at his shoulders. "Please what?" he taunted as he roamed the palm of his hand against her chest, pinching her nipple earning a cry from y/n.

"Y-you know wh-what." she stuttered with her eyes snapped shut and her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt his hands drag down towards her bottoms. "Don't tease me." she snapped, feeling his ego pool around them.

Drew laughed as she opened her eyes and dug her nails into his shoulder blades, the sting making excitement jolt through his body before he decided to pull down her bottoms, throwing them across the room knowing that she'd have his head later for not being able to find them.

"I won't tease you." he finally said. "Not until you tell me what you want." he said darkly causing y/n to instinctively try and snap her legs shut at the raspiness of his voice causing his eyes to darken. "Speak." he ordered making y/n's legs give out from under her, her heat pulsing at each demanding word he spoke.

"I-" she sighed as her cheeks flushed under his hard gaze, "I- I want your mouth..." she let out an embarrassed chuckle.

Drew pressed his lips together noticing her lack of confidence, his hand traveling up her body and gripped her chin in his large hand, forcing her to look up at him. A smile in return made y/n's nerves quickly fade as she looked at her boyfriend who did nothing but adore her especially at her most vulnerable. "Where do you want my mouth?" he questioned lightly making y/n bite her lip and arch her hips against his. "Use your words baby." he said in amusement.

"I want your lips here." she whispered, gripping his hand a bringing it down towards her sex, Drew's mouth went agape as he watched her eyes roll back at the slight friction of his knuckles against her naked self. "I'm asking nicely." she said with excited eyes.

Without a word Drew pushed off of his elbows and crawled down against her, giggles filling the room once again as y/n watched him grip her curvy hips and trace his hands against her thighs and spread them open for him.

"Open for me pretty girl." His breath fanned against her bundle making her shiver and lay her hands on he head as she watched his eyes take in her state. Before she could even take another breath, Drew's lips hungrily found where she needed him most and her fingers dug into his hair painfully tight causing him to moan against her body.

The feeling of him vibrating against her caused y/n to let out a cry, her head falling to the side as her back arched against his lips while he explored her with gentle strokes of his tongue, her mind slipping away into pure bliss.

"Does that feel nice baby girl?" he groaned against her with flushed cheeks, his hunger finally being met as he tased her arousal.

"Yesyes!" y/n moaned not being able to breath in a pause as she felt his lips capture her bundle of nerves in ways that were villainous. "Don't stop, please let me-" she didn't even have the luxury of finishing her sentence as drew shoved her hips down back onto the mattress, hungrily finishing off what he had been craving all weekend long. The bedroom was now filled with moans that would make passerby's gawk and stop in surprise. Y/n didn't care, nor have the capacity to stop herself from the explosion of bliss she felt, her legs shaking as she felt her boyfriends palm rest against her mouth and encourage her to scream into his hand as he moved his other set of fingers into her entrance to allow, one, two, three fingers explore her in ways nobody ever could.

"Go ahead, I got you. I got you." he encouraged with words that dripped liked honey causing y/n's fire to burst, her back arching as her hand quickly moved to grip the duvet, her eyes snapping shut as waves thrashed around her, Drew's hand moving from her mouth to let her come undone as he gripped onto her hip and support her movements against his mouth, her noises dying into whimpers as she crashed against the mattress. "There you go, I told you I got you." he mused.

Pulling away from her center, y/n gulped at the loss of contact, her sleepy eyes opening to reveal her boyfriend crawling beside her now, his hand caressing her body as she smiled weakly at him. Drew's eyes filled will concern as she placed her hand against his bicep and nodded reassuringly. "Thank you." she whispered.

"You need anything?" he wondered.

"I'm perfect." she hummed happily.

Drew chuckles and leans towards y/n, kissing her lips tenderly earning a hum from y/n as she tastes herself on his lips. She moves her shaky hand towards the elastic of his swim trunks making him grip her hand as he sits up slowly. "It's okay, we can take a break." he says looking down at her.

"Are you sure?" she says running her hands up his arm tenderly.

Drew nods, bending down to retrieve a soft kiss, "Always." he promises. "Lets get you cleaned up, okay?" he nearly whispers as he stands from the bed and scoops y/n up into his arms, heading towards the ensuite as she let out soft giggles and thank you's.

"I can walk myself you know!" y/n chimed as he set her down on the tiled floor.

Drew flashed his bright smile her way as he turned on the hot water for the shower, kicking off his trunks and watching y/n slip off her top. "I like taking care of you though." he said cheekily, taking her hand and pulling her into the shower with him.

The two wincing at the satisfying warmth of the water. Y/n wrapped her arms around Drew as he grabbed the wash cloth and began cleaning her off, her cheeks tinted pink as she watched him lovingly.

"I don't think we're ever gonna go back to the beach if you keep treating me so good." y/n teased.

"I could go an extra round plus dessert." Drew winked.

[jarofstyles]

Can you guys do a cowboy h check in since we got the snl pics!!! Hopefully some smut... please

Yes 😎 - D

-

“Fuck me.”

Y/N felt hot. There was no other way to describe it. Nothing got her going more than seeing her man out at work.

While Harry did tend to work a lot with the business aspect of the ranch now, he always filled in duties and when it meant working the field and herding the cows, that was no exception. Today though, it was lifting and putting the bales of hay up into the loft with a few of the ranch hands and Matt.

Her eyes were glazed as she sat on the fence, petting one of their older mates who wanted some attention. Harry always looked good, of course. But there was something about him taking off his flannel after hauling heavy stacks of hay up to the loft, sweat dripping down his face and body as he wiped it with the dry bit of his shirt that had him going.

A throb in between her thighs, watching as he leaned his head back and let the cool breeze wash over his body as he finally got a moment to rest. Her mouth watered as she watched his sweat damp hair be finger combed out of his face, a smile on his flushed cheeks as he laughed at some sort of joke being told. The bottle of water in her bag was the perfect excuse to get a better look.

Harry was hot and a bit out of it from the heat he raised, only realizing his pretty girl was coming over when the wind caught a bit of her sweet cherry blossom scent and waved it over. He could recognize it anywhere.

“‘Scuse me. Got to go see what my woman needs.” He murmured, getting a pat on the back as he walked towards the girl. She wore a blue checked sundress today, actually buying into the country look- and god if it didn’t get to him. “There y’are, gorgeous. What are you doin’ out here?” He asked as he approached. She had a bit of a look on her face though, almost like she was drunk? That had him a bit confused.

“Was just walking around. Saying hi to Cinnamon.” She nodded over to the mare. “Was gonna bring yoh a water cause....” her eyes dropped down his body, taking in the droplets of sweat and making her tongue wet. “Y’look like you need it.”

Sometimes he could be oblivious, Harry. He wasn’t unaware of the fact he was attractive. It just wasn’t in the forefront of his mind. It drove her absolutely mad. She felt... he had to know what he was doing. When he took off the cap and dropped his head back, drinking the water up quick and messy, greedy, she almost moaned. The water dripped down his slick chin and her poor cunt... her clit was already swelling and needy, her body soft and ready for the taking. He needed to touch her.

The water was finished and it was sure to say, so was she. Harry watched in a bit of confusion as she approached further, wanting to warm her that he was sweaty and probably not a joy to touch. But his mouth seemed to dry right back up as he watched her glazed over eyes and her hand grab his belt buckle, coming to rest her other hand on his slightly sticky chest.

“Do you know how insane you make me?” She whispered coyly. Their bodies shielded by the truck, she pushed for him to lean against it. “When y’walk around and look the way you do? When you.... sit there and look so fucking sexy doing all that hard work?” She asked, looking nearly frustrated now. Her hand left his belt and tugged his hand between her legs.

“Feel.” She pressed it up against the damp fabric. His mouth dropped open, brows shooting up in surprise after her behavior. They’d been adventurous before and all that. But he was completely taken off guard by her risky move. They’d talked about it but... seeing it happen in practice was something else.

He curled his fingers against the fabric feeling as it was soaked through and hot to the touch. “Did you....” he swallowed, dropping his voice. “Did you get this wet just from watching me work?” His question received a whimpered nod, hips moving slowly against his hand. It was quite a victory for him. He hasn’t done a thing and he had his girl worked up to bits.

His own cock began to thicken at the mere idea of it all. Her leaning against the fence and watching him, thinking about how he got just as sweaty during their more intense sex and how she was probably wanting to bite him.

“Mhm. Yes sir.” She whispered a “just... look so good like that. It’s so sexy when you get all sweaty m’your working, all your muscle and your scruff.... and you fucked me so, so good last night.... I wanted more.” She pressed a peck to the middle of his chest before laying her tongue flat. Licking the slightly salty skin, dragging it up to his neck and ending with a bite on the smooth expanse of it.

Harry groaned, his hand closing around her hair and taking it in a makeshift ponytail. He was about to crash his mouth back on to hers when he heard a call.

“We’re showering and heading to the bar. Meet you there?” It was Matt, and Harry could hear pickup’s starting.

“Yeah. See y’there!” He managed to keep his voice steady as he felt y/n’s mouth lick up behind his ear, his hand working between her legs on its own now and her nails digging slightly into his chest as she pressed herself into him.

As soon as he watched the last of the men roll away? He was tired of waiting. Opening the backseat of his truck, he climbed up and lifted her up with him. Manhandling her and making her straddle his lap.

She giggled, hands going for his belt and trying her best to yank it off before the zipper of his jeans was down.

“Need it. Need you to be inside of me, H. You’re so... fucking hot.” She whimpered, not even taking a moment to take off her panties. As soon as he was fished out of his pants, she began to rub the tip through her folds, tugging the fabric to the side.

“Just can’t help it, can you?” Harry laughed lowly as he felt her hot pussy against his cock. Being dragged through it and feeling it slick him up, it was heavenly. But not as much as when she sank down on him with little warning.

“Oh, fuck me” he moaned, leaning his head back against the glass of the window. The door was still open. It was sundown, meaning everyone was either gone or not in this barn, and he was thankful for it- though he truly wouldn’t give a fuck right now. Not when he was balls deep in his woman.

Y/N wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she rolled her hips. So full, so fucking deep and she was feeling what she had been craving. “Yes, yeah. This is what I needed, sir. Needed this thick fucking cock inside of me again. Once a day isn’t enough.” She was on a quite horny streak lately but he couldn’t ever complain about that. Instead, he smirked, sliding his hands under her dress and take control of her ass.

“Mm. I know it is, my dirty girl. I spend all day riding... and now you’re gonna be my pretty baby and ride me?” He cooed. “S’what I thought. Such a sweet cunt, swallows me up and let’s me stretch it out... go on.” He smacked her ass. “Let’s see it bounce.”

Harry when she rode him was something out of a book. She swore it. The attractive arrogance, the way he made her want to work for it and the pure, smug satisfaction he got from it only made her want to prove even more to him. The easy smirk he had on his face, the pleasure he would show he felt, it spurred her on to give him what he needed to fall apart.

She whined, breath hitching as she lifted up to slide back down. Both of them moaned at the feeling, their indecent act being covered by her dress skirt but the danger and thrill was still there. Open car door in the middle of the barn lot. The slick sound of her pussy sliding up and down on his length, their shuddery breaths and moans.

“That’s my good girl, darlin’. Take what you need from me. Ride me. Feels so good to be swallowed up by you.” He exhaled, watching her face as her mouth dropped open in pleasure. Going in and out of her, the little squelch of her slickness costing him and making the job easier. “Have such a greedy pussy.” He kissed her deep, murmuring against her mouth.

“Better believe it’s all mine. Property of H. Hm? My girl’s perfect pussy... and this ass.” He raised one brow and slipped his thumb between the cheeks, making the strangled moan escape her. “Mhm. No one knows my beautiful girl is so utterly filthy. S’why I love her so much.” He pressed the thumb into the rim, making her thighs shake a bit.

“Yeah.... see, that’s it. This is it. You’re riding me in the lot because you got all wet while I worked. Imagine what the people would say? Knowing that you’re a greedy, dirty girl? Wants the most filthy and indecent things.” He watched her as she nodded, leaning her forehead against his.

She was dirty. Y/N was a slut, she would say, but only for Harry. She loved being touched and fucked and used by him. He managed to check every one of her boxes and she was in love with him... so there was no reason not to be her filthiest self with him. It got her off though. Knowing Harry knew these things and got to be the one to experience them. His finger in her ass paired with the need and fullness she felt had her approaching her breaking point.

“Gonna cum. Gonna cum so hard, Sir. Please? Please, please. Can I?” She begged, fingers grabbing his wet hair as she began to fuck herself harder on his cock. The filthy sounds and the heat was getting to the both of them, her thighs sweaty and he could feel it on him. Their skin sticky and her cunt dripping around him, their appeal for both of them was getting to the end.

“Mhm. The first time.” He earned, eyes dark and full of promise. She had awoken the monster bit of him that was ready to go for a few rounds. “Cum for me.” Car sex hadn’t ever been so good. Not with her whimpers and tugging at his hair, this thumb in her ass and her cunt clenching up, sucking him over and over until- she came.

A squeal. She let out the most adorable, sexy squeal as her whole body shook. His jeans wet with her arousal, he held her down on his length as she rocked back and forth frantically to work herself through it, clit getting it’s friction and his thumb pressing in further to make her drop her head.

“Yes! Please please.... oh my god. M’cumming.” Her voice broke as she soaked him, clutching him and her cunt clenching up and keeping him locked in place. Having her sitting on him like this and shivering at the pleasure pulsing through her body only spurred him on more.

This was just the begging.

His hand worked down her back, kissing all over her head as he let her ride it out. It had taken everything in him not to cum the first time, just watching his girl bounce and her tits right in his face- but he had plans for her.

“There she is. My beautiful, good girl. Feels so good... did such an amazing job.” He soothed, letting her catch her breath. As soon as she calmed slightly, he took her mouth and kissed her deeply, tongue messily brushing hers and letting her feel his passion for her.

“Now.... want you over the hood of the pickup.”

[haloud]

RNM Week Day 3

prompt: “This song makes me think of you

thanks to @lambourngb for the idea and primalmusic for the song suggestion! <3 <3 <3

-----

“Is that the last of it?” Alex asked as Michael slung a box of notebooks and various desk supplies into his arms, headed for Alex’s car. His clothes and bedding were already packed up, kitchenette emptied of anything perishable, and anything else he wanted with him carried to the truck.

There’d been a bit of a tug of war over who Michael would stay with while he repaired his trailer from the damage Jones had done to it—from Sanders’s couch to Max’s spare room to Isobel and Alex as the last ones standing. Alex didn’t hesitate to fight dirty, insinuating to her that with Michael around she’d have less freedom to bring Anatsa around.

That did the trick. He was trying not to be too smug, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel all the satisfaction.

“There’s a couple more boxes to go through on top of the cabinets,” Michael said. “It shouldn’t take long. It’s just random stuff. Sentimental stuff. Stick around and you might see me get all weepy.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Alex replied, curiosity piqued.

He waited in the quiet for Michael to get back, taking in the Airstream in the light that streamed in through the carefully-taped windows. In the daylight, the damage was somehow both worse and better; the bed bulged out from the dented wall, sagging in the middle where the bunk cracked. The door didn’t close all the way. Michael’s home shouldn’t ever look like this. Of all the casualties and potential casualties of that night, the Airstream might have been the least severe, but it was still…wrong.

“I can fix it,” Michael’s voice cut through Alex’s thoughts, and Alex just smiled, because of course he could. He leaned in the crooked doorway, backlit by the sun. The last few boxes floated down and landed on the broken bed, and Alex turned his attention to them as Michael crossed the floor.

“So what kind of ‘random stuff’ does Michael Guerin keep on hand?”

“Take a look and see.”

Clinging to whatever dignity he had left, Alex didn’t quite rip the box open, but it was still with distinct eagerness he reached in to pluck out each gem of Michael’s life he hadn’t been around for.

The first thing he pulled out was a hoodie—one Alex recognized, too small for the both of them now, once black but washed and worn to a sort of charcoal gray, thumbholes torn in the cuffs. Alex ran his hands over it reverently before Michael took it and laid it across his lap, and Alex leaned over to borrow a gentle kiss.

Under the hoodie, the first thing Alex laid hands on was a stack of CDs in clear jewel cases, and Alex thumbed through them voraciously. Most of them were labeled only with dates, and the ones that weren’t had their titles and tracklists written in someone else’s handwriting—mostly Isobel’s, but not always.

“You kept it?” Alex said, trailing his fingertips over the cover of the first mixtape he’d ever actually given to a boy he liked.

“’Course. This one’s actually a copy of it, ‘cause I was afraid I’d wear the original out.” Michael tapped the next disc in the stack, labeled innocently 5/16/11.

“So what are the other dated ones?”

“Mixtapes of my own, I guess. I was too self-conscious to write the songs down and it felt like it didn’t matter at the time. I just made one and listened to it til it made me sick and then moved on to the next.”

“Right.” Alex swallowed as he flipped to the next case and the dates started making awful sense. They days were just as unforgettable to him—the scarce and sacred days he and Michael had spent together after that summer. He could only imagine what kind of music Michael tried to fill himself up with afterward.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” He grabbed Michael’s hand and laced their fingers together. Of course he was okay, now.

“You’ve got a player in your car, right? Grab one and we can listen to it on the way to your place.”

“Are…are you sure?”

“Am I sure I want to share music with you, even if it makes past me look like a giant sappy loser? Uh, yeah.”

Heart in his throat, Alex flicked through the stack and grabbed one at random—10/11/13. The end of Alex’s first tour was in sight and neither of them was talking about what happened next.

Michael picked up both boxes. “Let’s just take it all. We can go through it later. Might be some stuff you want to hold on to too.”

Back in the car, Alex fumbled with the radio, holding his breath as the CD player whirred under the murmur of the engine. The first notes of the first song started playing as they pulled out of the junkyard and onto the road, and they hit Alex so hard in the heart he almost had to pull over.

“Snow Patrol?” he laughed breathlessly. “God, I hated Snow Patrol back then.”

“I know, I know. But y’know what? They kind of made some good points.” And he lifted Alex’s hand and kissed his knuckles as the song played on.

[hard-to-be-the-bard]

Helmut Zemo x Reader NSFW

Warnings: NSFW, Smut, AFAB reader, Praise Kink, Unprotected Sex, Baron Zemo wears the coat during sex.

There is no need for me to write this, it's just self indulgent cause I'm sick.

I will work on requests when I'm better :) I also didn't check this for errors.

You were left alone with him.

In most cases you would of argued with Sam and Bucky, saying he didn't need a babysitter. But everyone knew he had a tendency to simply vanish, when everyone expected it the least.

So now here you were, lying flat on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as you listened to the slow drips of rain rolling off the window pane.

Zemo was somewhere near the counterside, brewing tea, insisting that you'd enjoy it.

"Here" A low voice called, as a shadow fell over you, as you glanced to the side you watched as Zemo set down a china cup in front of you, an encouraging smile on his face as he gestures to the cup he just placed down.

You sighed sightly, before sitting upright, swinging your legs off the sofa, so you could get easier access to the drink. You gave him a look first, before picking it up. He was watching your reaction as you finally took a sip, and sat down next to you in satisfaction when you admitted it wasn't half bad.

He leant towards you slightly picking up his own cup, and you caught the strong smell of his cologne, your breath caught in your throat, for a split second you wondered what it would be like to wake up to that smell next to you, then you cleared it awkwardly.

It wasn't the first time you'd thought about Baron Helmut Zemo like that, and as much as you hated to admit it, you thought about him just a little too much.

You watched as he placed his drink back down, his gloved hand retracting after to rest on his knee. You had wondered why he always wore the gloves, but more so about how they'd feel against your skin.

God, you really needed to stop thinking about him.

When you stop thinking about him again you realise you've been staring, and Zemo is staring at you, the same smile on his face that you've seen before, one that screams amusement. His brown eyes watching you thoughtfully for a moment.

"Something wrong?" He asked, his voice teasing. You look away for a brief moment, biting the bottom of your lip for a split second, thinking of any other excuse than the fact you were thinking about him just now.

And then the same gloved hand is on your chin, turning you head to look at him again, as he tilts his head to the side slightly.

"You were staring" He stated, the amused look still on his face, and his eyes moved to look down at your lips for a split second that you would of missed if your weren't watching him so much.

His gaze still remains on you, and it goes straight to your core, you try to ignore it, and slowly you try to press your thighs together, as you keep your breathing steady.

But he knows, and you know he knows, a smug look on his face as he chuckles slightly, the deep, rumbling sound of it making you curse him out in your head more.

His fingers run down your jaw to your neck, resting there for a moment, the feeling of his gloved hand against your skin almost makes you lean into his touch more, yet you stop yourself.

You swallow slightly, and you can feel his fingers move slightly under the tight leather of the glove

He knows what he's doing, the way he moves his hand shows that he's not going to stop unless you ask him too.

"Perhaps we should take this somewhere else?" Zemo finally spoke, his hand leaving your neck for a second as he gestured towards the door.

You waited for a brief second and he spoke again.

"If you do not want to, you don't have to Dragă, even if you change your mind in my room you can leave at any moment" His voice was low, and he watched you for a moment. You thought about what he said, knowing you weren't going to change your mind.

"I do" You say, before adding.

"I do want to" You nod, and he stands, offering the same gloved hand to you, which you took, standing up too.

His room isn't as big as you thought, a double bed in the middle, a small table close by, along with a chair, a dresser, and several plants.

There isn't much light, most of it coming from the lamp on the side of his bed, and he doesn't make a move to turn on the main light. Instead he brings you over to the bed.

He doesn't make you sit, not yet, instead he moves closer to you, pressing his chin into your hairline, as he draws you close to him, your head resting in his neck, and you breathe in gently, the same scent of his cologne taking over your senses, it's sharp, almost musky, like the smell of old books, with an almost cinnamon aftertone.

He shifts slightly again, hand moving to tilt your chin upwards, he moves to press a kiss against your neck, trailing his mouth from the base of your ear to the middle of your neck, and you feel his tongue move across the skin, it almost feels like it burns, and you press further against him as you feel his teeth come down on the skin, causing a sharp breath on your behalf.

He's slowly manoeuvring you so that you're backed up against the bed, knees bending so you sit, and he comes down with you, one hand on one side of you as the other grips the side of your waist, he pulls back for a moment, hands moving from you completely as he pulls off one of his gloves, leaving one on still.

He moves so that he's now on the bed with you, he looks to your for permission before sliding your skirt towards your stomach.

For once you're glad you wore the thing, after having complained about Zemo's choice in wardrobe for you. He'd insisted it would make you fit in more in Madripoor.

The same hand traced the length of your thigh, causing you to shudder, gently grazing the tips of his fingers against your skin. You jolted forward, desperate to press your lips against his, and he allowed it.

You could barely breathe as he kissed you, he made it seem like a competition, the need to show you who was in control rising in his chest. You try and move forward, but his gloved hand presses on your shoulder and pushes you back into the pillow. He moves back from the kiss, and the lack of contact with him is almost painful.

"Can I touch you?" He asks, and you nod shakily, as his hand moves in between your legs. He's quick to slide down your underwear, and soon you can feel his ungloved finger press against your clit, circling around it, as he watches your reaction, you let out a shuddered breath, and your eyelids shut for a brief second at the feeling. His fingers move past your clit and closer to your cunt, his fingers moving the slick that's building up there and bringing it back towards your clit.

He changes from circling your clit to experimenting by sliding a finger into your cunt, he's still watching, your responses and noises to him touching you getting him harder as he presses on. His actions become faster, switching between circling your clit, to pressing inside of you, adding another finger each time.

His name leaves your mouth in a gasp as you hand moves to clutch around his arm. He's talking to you, and when you listen to what he's saying it's praise that leaves his lips, telling you how well you're doing.

You don't realise you're begging until he moves forward suddenly, pressing harsh kisses into your neck, biting, sucking, leaving as many marks as possible on your skin, and he continues his actions below, heat curling up into the pit of your stomach. You almost arch your back, pressing your heat down against Zemo's fingers, trying to get as much contact as you can, whimpers leaving you mouth as he continues to praise you, telling you to hold on for a moment more.

And when he brings his other hand down, so he continue to rub your clit whilst thrusting his fingers into you, you feel the build up get worse, legs moving closer together as your orgasm rocks your body.

He holds you for a second, letting the tremble of your body stop, and your breathing return to normal, until he's leaning upwards, kissing you again as his fingers move to quickly unbutton your blouse. He pulls you up slightly so he can easily tug it off, and he moves to your bra next, unclipping it at the back and throwing it onto the floor

His hands move upwards to cup your beasts, fingers moving nimbly across your nipple until he harshly tugs on one of them, squeezing it between his fingers, releasing a cry from your mouth.

You want him closer, and your hand moves so upwards curling into his hair, bringing him down onto your mouth, and you kiss him harshly, open mouthed kisses pressed against his lips.

When he pulls away his cheeks are flushed, and his breathing mirrors yours in the way his chest is rising and falling faster than normal.

Your hands move now to his trousers, looking up at him as he nods, his own hands helping you along as you pull off his belt. Unzipping his trousers, you let him get out of them fully, his cock moving freely now that his trousers are gone, you move forward to wrap a hand around it, but his own stops you.

"As much as I'd like that, I doubt I'd last, and I wish to finish inside you" He says, watching your reaction. You nod at him, as he pushes you back down so your head hits the pillows once more.

You expect him to take off the shirt, or at the very least his coat, but he doesn't make a move too as he presses your legs apart with his hands. You move your leg to the side as he gets closer, wrapping it around his waist, and his cock presses at your entrance, moving painfully slow past your folds, and then he moves his hips forewards until he's completely inside you, and you hear him say your in a shaky panted breath.

He waits for a moment until he starts moving, and you can feel every stroke of his cock as he fucks into you, his hands rest on your thighs, one keeping the leg that's wrapped around his waist neatly in place as he continues to pound into you, every move he makes causes another sound to leave your mouth, and your hand moves upwards to grip onto his coat, eyes rolling backwards as your head falls, the feeling of his cock hitting the back of your cunt making your toes curl in bliss.

You're almost begging for him to move faster, moans and whimpers leaving your mouth, and your words get you what you want, and Zemo thrusts his hips in further, snapping them backwards so that he's almost all the way out before thrusting back in, and it feels heavenly. You can hear him again praising you, telling you how good you feel, that you're doing oh so well for him, and it makes you moan out his name.

You feel the same build up as earlier, the feeling of Zemo inside you as he continues to fuck you into the mattress almost becoming too much. The bed's moving now, the headboard thudding against the wall, Zemo doesn't seem like he cares, it's almost as if he's trying to make it louder as he thrusts get harder and faster and you're in too much pleasure to care.

You look back to Zemo, who's head is almost directly above you. His forehead glistened with sweat at the exertion of energy he's using, the hair that's usually in a perfect neat condition hanging in front of his face in strands, you reach up to brush them out of his face, and he shifts his position inside you, leaning down towards you further, and you cup his face as he presses his forehead against yours, there's something about how close you are that makes it better, your hands now cupping his face as you lean up to kiss him, and he continues to pound into you as he kisses you, all his coordination going into fucking you, so the kisses are open mouthed and wet. His name leaves your mouth once more as he continues to kiss you, and you whimper and cry into his mouth as you feel your orgasm rising again.

He knows you're almost there, and he moves a hand to circle your clit once more, the overstimulation of him fucking you and touching your clit at the same time proving too much as your back arches and you feel your orgasm tremble over you, your legs shaking as he continues to fuck you through your orgasm. Your arms slide around the back of his neck as you tremble against his lips.

Zemo still doesn't stop fucking you, if anything your orgasm spurs him on, a shaky breath leaving his mouth as you feel his hips falter for a brief second, he's close to his own orgasm, and you can feel another rising in you as he harshly thrusts into you again, he's tiring out but still determined to finish inside of you.

Once more an orgasm rocks through your body, and you cry out his name as he suddenly falters, his grip on your thigh tight enough to leave a bruise as he spills into you, his eyes are shut and his brow is furrowed as shaky breaths leave his mouth. He holds still for a moment, his face still close to yours, and you lean up to press another kiss into his mouth before slumping back down.

He slowly pulls out of you, before falling down onto the bed next to you. You move closer, nestling into his side as his arm wraps around you.

"Can I stay here?" You ask, waiting for his response.

"What about your friends?" He asks, tilting his head down to look at you. You think for a moment, wondering what Sam and Bucky would think about all of this, they wouldn't like it, that's for certain.

"I'd like for you to stay, if you want" Zemo says after you don't respond.

"I'll stay" You nodded into his chest as you close your eyes.

[janumun]

what juju kaisen would be into threesoems and who would not

What a straight 100+ shoot there, Nonny. 🤣 This had my mind dragged in several different directions before I figured I wouldn’t mind one bit being pulled into multiple places. 

Any of these men can be into pounding you three ways into Nirvana, if you so wish (and imagine hard enough LOL) 

I’ll briefly run through some of my favorite boys and whether they would or would not be into sharing your body with another.

Warnings: NSFW/18+ content, discussions of sexual scenarios ahead, exhibitionism, passing mention of murder (Sukuna’s on this list LOL), (mild) size kink, tentacle play.

Please proceed at your own discretion.

Gojo Satoru

If you expressed interest in wanting to bring another partner into the bedroom with you or it somehow worked out that way (a polyamorous situation, for instance), there is no way Gojo would begrudge his girl the good time she deserves.

That does not mean he promises good behavior or that he wouldn’t be bringing his entire erotic arsenal onto the negotiation table, or in between your sheets in this instance. 

He can and would absolutely make a game out of who can pleasure you better (Spoiler Alert: he knows it’s him, obviously) in front of the other partner in question.

That confidence of his however, is no fluke and the man’s infuriatingly self-aware of the fact, smug bastard LOL

Back to his chest, your legs flexed wide open for your partner to see: that cock moving in and out of you, the clench of you around Gojo, copious arousal trailing down and smeared across your thighs and staining the sheets fast, it’s all too clear to see, leaving your second partner flushed and aroused.

Nanami Kento

This husband man of course, would never have thought of bringing another into the bedroom, you’re plenty enough for him and his satisfaction.

He doesn’t take to the idea all at once, a frown forming in between his brows at the proposal.

He wouldn’t outright reject you either, although you might’ve expected it of Nanami. But as I’ve outlined in my relationship head-canons for him, this man is all about your pleasure, and understanding where it stems from. He may be more grounded within his conventional methods but Nanami knows only a fool refutes and complains of subject matters they are not entirely aware of.

And he is, very obviously, not acquainted with the arrangement of a three way.

When he does allow for experimentation, he might find your new partner skilled enough to cajole a groan (or several) out of him, pleasure he wasn’t quite aware he was capable of being given through his body.

A very fun, titillating experience to be enjoyed indeed.

Ryomen Sukuna

The only threesome you can expect from him is the one where he pounds deep and harsh into your pussy but somehow knows how to maneuver that monstrous cock just right it has you ready to come from penetration alone while he makes the one you showed interest in watch.

Watch as he wrecks his woman so well on his cock alone. Something that other insect could never hope to have. 

Rather like Gojo in the sense of wanting to establish and flaunt his superiority over all others. Both are confident in their skills to make you scream for them and they both know it too, as well as they make sure you do too.

A torture of the highest degree, that other man should be grateful he even allowed him a glimpse of you at the peak of your pleasure before… his inevitable death. Sukuna would murder whoever else so much as ever dreamed of having designs on you.

And if you were the one he found showing interest in another, well—

You’re not leaving his bed for as long as it takes for that ire and possession to die down, until he knows he’s pounded the fact into your body: he’s the only one who shall ever hold the power to pleasure you, the only one who’d ever be allowed to fuck you — your pussy, being for his cock alone — for as long as you live.

“Who do you belong to? Speak up.” Thumb grinding half circles into your clit before he withdraws, the torment of hanging upon that precipice almost too much, you cannot take it anymore.

“Y-You… Sukuna, you! Please… please!”

A vicious grin splitting wide across his face as he withdraws, plunging right back into you, the slam of his hips against yours you know is going to bruise.

“Don’t you go forgetting that again.”

In retrospect, again, the only threesome you can expect from the King of Curses is a blight placed upon whichever poor mortal you dare bless your affections to and a vigorous long period of time spent trying to satiate the King’s sexual appetite for you, worsened by that dark possession.

Extra: The only time he couldn’t care less for a partner being fucked by a horde of other beings (man or not), is if he did not care for them. He might even enjoy the show of an orgy put on for him.

However if you happen to garner the attentions and affections of Sukuna Ryomen and then hope for survival... perish the thought. He shall have you, mind, body and soul; his to do with as he pleases, for eternity.

Mahito

Yes. Big Yes for this one. Mahito’s all about experimentation!

He might be the only one on this list to suggest sharing your body first although… not in the traditional sense and would be more than delighted were you to agree.

He’s not bringing any random stranger in, of course, it would be a waste if said stranger couldn’t live up to his expectations. He’s eager to try much out with you, as long as you’d allow him and his bedroom ‘kinks’ can range from bizarre to straight up terrifying, depending on how you might view them.

Mahito’s capable of configuring his soul to take the shape of anything he might wish, be it another him— 

Holding you up and apart as he penetrates your pussy while the other eases into your ass, settling snug and full… until they start to move in conjunction and your mind blanks entirely.

Or… elongating several limbs into odd, slimy shapes, tentacles he’s penetrating into every part of you: mouth, ass, pussy: two, three of each. As many as you can take within every part of you.

Might even be up to sharing you with Geto, so long as he promises not to harm his most precious one, she’s so important to him, it would be a pity were Geto to attempt breaking you beyond repair.

 A/N: In short, this Pickle is far more into orgies than she’d like LOL and would wish you to enjoy all your wildest fantasies as well, folks.

I am absolutely going to be cussed at for that GIF usage but I regret nothing! 

[nightingaelic]

could you do Fallout New Vegas companion’s reactions to a Courier Six who is also the Lone Wanderer telling their stories from their time in DC? (bonus points for Arcade’s reaction to them hating the enclave, and if that would make him decide to keep his past hidden even longer, or if he would still tell them?)

The logistics and implications of this make my head spin. This is also super long, honestly I should just quit writing reacts and start writing fics OH WAIT

Getting the courier talking was a tough thing to do, but on nights where the moon was full and the coyotes' howls were miles away or at least behind some stout walls, on nights where they were a few beers in and they hadn't seen another living soul in a few days, that Mojave Express deliverer started to reminisce. That wasn't really the surprising part, though. No, the surprising part was what they would remember, fondly or not-so-fondly: A world apart from the desert, a continent away on another coast, and stories of life in a vault, a missing father, pure water and a Brotherhood divided.

Arcade Gannon: Arcade didn't mind these moods, at least when they first cropped up. He nodded along as the courier talked about living in their father's shadow, about feeling cornered by their own family's legacy. He hung on their words about living in the cradle of America's history, about Project Purity, all of the gritty details of modifying a GECK to bring water to a devastated wasteland.

Eventually though, the courier's memories soured, with the arrival of Enclave remnants in their life. Arcade folded into himself with every harsh word, every jolt of plasma that had disrupted his friend's world relived in horrific detail. They gestured angrily as they described their newfound purpose, their battle for power with the fractured Brotherhood of Steel at their back, and their smug satisfaction at the moments they were able to crack open Raven Rock and the Enclave's mobile base crawler and lay waste to their tormentors.

It took a few rounds of these stories before the courier noticed he shrank and grew quiet whenever they neared the end of their story about breaking into another vault to find the GECK. They stopped abruptly one night. "What's up with you?"

"Um..." Arcade scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "Nothing. Nothing, I just... have some personal experience with the Enclave, myself."

The courier sighed. "Yeah, there's a few people walking around the West Coast that have similar stories to mine. Arroyo's full of them, for one. Is it something like that?"

Arcade took a deep breath. "I feel... well, it's a lot closer to home, for me. Close enough to raise questions, so I don't talk about it much."

"Close enough to..." The courier twisted their face up in confusion for a moment, before realization set in and their eyes grew large. "You were... your... oh."

"Mmm-hm."

"Well, fuck me." The courier smiled and popped a cap off of another beer. "I've been doing all the talking, haven't I? Let's hear your story about working with the guys in power armor who ruined my life, right after dad did."

Craig Boone: Whenever the courier started up like this, Boone couldn't help but notice a familiar twinge of regret and self-doubt in their voice. It shone through most clearly when they spoke about their time with the Brotherhood of Steel, the men and women they'd fought alongside and lost during their struggle against the remnants of the Enclave. It was there, too, in their story about returning to the vault they grew up in, setting the chaos that had arisen in their wake to rest, but not being able to go back to the way things were.

Boone didn't pry. He knew that feeling well. Instead, he cracked open bottles of beer, liquor, soda, whatever they had on hand during their nights in the desert, and just listened. He'd done the same for Carla, when they were younger and new to each other and he couldn't get enough of her voice and how it flowed endlessly, easily, the way his never could. He absorbed it all now as he did then: The joy, the pain, the loss, the fear, the triumphs and falls and abandoned dreams that filled the courier up and drove them to travel west, beyond anything they had ever known.

That last part stumped Boone a bit, though. "Why didn't you stay?" he finally asked one night.

They looked surprised. "Stay? Stay where? I didn't have a home anymore."

Boone shook his head. "With the Brotherhood. Or some other settlement."

"Like Megaton?" The courier sighed. "I thought about it. Close to the vault, friendly people, easy work... I guess I just didn't want to wind up... stuck."

They flushed red and looked away from him. Boone knew why they were embarrassed, but he also knew the truth in their words.

Sometimes the courier cried after they had finished, though they did their best to hide it. Boone pretended not to notice. He was pretty sure they knew he was pretending, but he was also pretty sure that pointing it out would be worse than just letting it be an open secret between them. The silence between them endured, but something grew inside it and flourished. Some kind of deeper understanding.

Lily Bowen: The more the courier spoke, the more Lily made connections in her muddled mind. Of course they knew the basic layout of most vaults, they had grown up in one. Of course they were extra-sensitive to the Mojave heat, they had come to the desert from the cooler of the two coasts. Of course they'd been extra-wary around the super mutants or nightkin of Jacobstown, they had only known angry super mutants looking to grow their own numbers through any means necessary.

Their shared experience of growing up inside a vault reminded Lily of happier days, and she often asked questions about Vault 101 during the courier's stories. "Were you sweet on anyone inside your old home?" she asked, with a big smile befitting a proud grandma.

The courier blushed. "That's not very polite, Lily."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dearie."

"No, no it's okay." The courier smiled. "There was a boy who picked on me a lot, but I never figured out whether he did it because he hated me or liked me. His name was Butch. And there was Amata, my childhood friend. She was the daughter of the Overseer."

"Daughter of the Overseer?" Lily grinned. "I'm sure she was a lovely young woman."

The courier looked a little misty. "Yeah. She was. Probably still is."

Lily pulled a handkerchief that used to be a small tablecloth from inside her overalls and handed it over. "Maybe we can go back there together, pumpkin," she offered. "I always wanted to travel to the capital. We can visit your friends, see the sights."

"Yeah, maybe someday." The courier accepted the gift and blew their nose. "I've got some things I need to finish up here before I even think about wandering back east, though."

"Then let's make a list and do our chores," Lily said happily. "Number one?"

"Ohhhh, man." The courier smiled up at her. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

Raul Alfonso Tejada: Raul got a faint smile on his face whenever the courier started up like this, as if their memories reminded him of another place he had come from, another time. While they couldn't have more different backgrounds, pasts- hell, he had several hundred years on the courier, even if they shared the same road today- there was something in the description of the other roads they had walked that made him feel warm on a cold night.

"What's on your mind?" The courier asked him one night, when Raul's smile grew larger than usual.

"Nada, boss," he reassured them. "You're just a good reminder that I can change my mind about the future anytime I'd like. Tell me the one about that radio DJ again."

"Again?" The courier rolled their eyes. "Why? I could tell you a million stories about Underworld and all the ghouls that lived there, but all you want to hear about is Three Dog. You'd probably have more in common with the Underworld folks, honestly."

Raul nodded noncommittally. "Sí, but my favorite stories are about people who had to rise above bad situations and become someone uncommon. Anyone who's able to do that is either fighting for something great or running from something terrible. Sometimes both."

The courier shot him a skeptical look. "Three Dog's holed up in his radio station 24/7, he's not running from anything or out fighting for anything. All that stuff about 'the good fight' is a load of bull."

"Now, now, Six," Raul chastised. "Just because he looks like your average pendejo doesn't mean he isn't doing his part. You even told me his radio show is inspirational for the Capital Wasteland folks."

The courier held their hands up in the air and bobbled them, as if balancing an invisible scale. "The duality of man. Being an average pendejo, or convincing everyone around you that you aren't actually an average pendejo and can pull off miracles."

Raul laughed. "And which one are you, boss?"

"Eh, I'm still figuring it out."

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: Cass was never one for fixating on her own past, but she couldn't help but sympathize with the courier whenever they deigned to add onto their unbelievable story. It was hard enough for her to navigate her own damn life: She couldn't imagine being called upon to steer an entire area's destiny.

After another night of recalling their life inside a vault with their dad, then their unexpected loss of him right after being reunited on the surface, the courier stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry," they said.

Cass paused her swig of precious whiskey. "What?"

"I keep going on and on about my dad, and here you are not knowing what happened to yours."

"Eh." Cass took her drink and waved her hand around until the burning swallow made its way down. "S'loads of people in the wasteland without a clue what happened to their pops. I'm not special. In fact, I'd say it probably hurts a bit more, what happened with yours."

"Well, all the same." The courier sank deeper into their seat and examined their own bottle of spirits. "I feel like an open book, tonight. Anything you want to know about where I came from that I haven't already spilled?"

Cass thought for a moment. "Tribals."

"What about them?"

"Does the East Coast have them? You're not the first traveler I've met from there, but none of you have so much as mentioned any tribals out east."

"Mmm." The courier looked thoughtful. "I guess we do have them, though maybe not in the traditional sense. There's a mess of them in Point Lookout for sure, and at least one tribal group in the Capital Wasteland outright, but beyond that things are more... loose. Fewer intact families, fewer intact homes."

"Huh." Cass took another drink. "Maybe that's where my dad went."

She let the courier stew in the awkward silence for a bit before she grinned and reached out to smack them. "Just kidding. Keep going. I want to hear about that giant robot again."

Veronica Santangelo: Veronica usually sat and listened, spellbound, picturing a chapter of her order that had realized the very thing she kept trying to tell the Elders and made the ultimate sacrifice to follow their hearts anyway.

Well, maybe Elder Owyn Lyons hadn't come to the same realization as her, but he had had a change of heart that split his company and cut them off from almost everyone they had ever known. It had been five years since the High Elders had instituted radio silence toward their East Coast chapter, and so far there had been no attempts to re-establish contact.

Veronica prodded the courier for any info she could get about the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel. The courier let slip pretty early in their friendship that Elder Owyn Lyons had passed away, which wasn't unexpected. The man was 76 years old, after all. She learned on one particularly emotional night that his daughter, Elder Sarah Lyons, was also dead, something she wasn't sure even the Western Elders were aware of. That memory was clearly painful for the courier though, so Veronica didn't press for details.

"And the Enclave?" the Scribe asked one night, arms wrapped around her knees. "Are they completely gone?"

The courier grew cold. "Yes. I made sure of it."

"Right." Veronica nodded. "So the Brotherhood took over the air force base they were at. It must have been chock-full of tech and resources, if it was the Enclave's last stand."

"It was." The courier sighed and shifted in their seat. "And it woke up some of our brothers and sisters to their original mission in the Capital Wasteland. I thought maybe that selfishness had died with Liberty Prime, but... well, I didn't like it, so I left."

"Mmm, yeah." Veronica nodded again, sympathetically this time. "I know how you feel. Felt."

"Feel," the courier agreed. "I just wish there was more I could've done. Maybe there wasn't anything else, short of seizing power."

"You'd definitely get pushback for that in the Brotherhood," Veronica agreed. "But you might get that chance out here in the broader Mojave."

ED-E: At first, ED-E enjoyed the stories, trumpeting and cooing various beeps at the appropriate moments for emphasis. The one time the courier began badmouthing the Enclave, however, the eyebot waited until they had finished before playing back the first tape that Dr. Whitley had recorded before its trip.

The courier listened to the scientist's words from years ago, deflating slightly as it played out. When the tape had finished, they stood up and checked the eyebot over. "He sent you toward Navarro, huh?"

ED-E beeped affirmation, and the courier sighed. "But Navarro was already gone. I'm sorry. I guess I'm... well, me and the Brotherhood of Steel back east are responsible for your previous master's decision to send you away. Might be responsible for more, too."

ED-E beeped sadly. The courier pressed their forehead against the eyebot's metal dome in apology.

Rex: Well, surprising for most. Rex was not most. As soon as the courier got really into their recollections, Rex usually yawned and went to sleep. He stirred when he felt their hand reach down to scratch the ruff of his neck, or pat the glass dome that held his brain.

"Good dog," the courier said, through the veil of sleep. "You remind me of another pup that used to follow me around."

[capricorn-stark]

Smoke and Mirrors

pairing: jason todd x reader, childhood friends

warning: language, slightly heated towards the end but it’s very mild, smoking - i’m not a smoker nor do i condone it, don’t do it kids

a/n: references some early stuff from RHATO (2011)

“The girls at the diner used to call those cancer sticks.”

You thought it was pretty ironic for him to say that when he plucked the cigarette you were holding right out of your hand, leaning against the railing of the balcony and seeming utterly unabashed. You hadn’t even heard him landing beside you until he started speaking. 

You made a face at him as he unlocked and slid his helmet off while grinning at you in a typical self-satisfied fashion, bringing the cigarette to his own lips. 

“Let me guess,” you started dryly, watching a plume of smoke swirl out of his mouth as he took a drag. “That’s why you took their warning very seriously and told yourself to never, ever smoke one.” 

“I never said that,” he protested with another obnoxious laugh as he turned to glance over at you. “You made that shit up yourself. Not my problem.” 

You rolled your eyes at him before moving to fish out your pack and lighter out again, half-heartedly settling another one between your lips and lighting it up. Jason’s eyes followed the smoke back to you, his own expression unreadable.

“And I thought you said you quit this shit.” 

You shrugged, not quite looking at him when you opened your mouth to answer. 

“People say stuff all the time, Hood. What did you expect?” Your words were directed towards a little more than just smoking. A beat passed before he shrugged it off. 

“Hell if I know.” 

You both sat there for a while in silence as you smoked, watching the grey clouds stray towards the hazy glow of the setting sun on the horizon. The city beneath you was beautiful tonight, a seemingly endless stretch of dark gleaming buildings reflecting the pinks and oranges of the sunset. You wanted to relish that moment more than anything for a while, and you did. 

You closed your eyes and let the cigarette leave your mouth, clouds falling from your lips, nicotine buzzing in your bloodstream.

It would be a beautiful night. You could tell.

When you opened your eyes, you felt Jason’s eyes on you again and your turned your head to meet them. In the sunset, they really did glow a strange hue of green - yet another marker from his swim in the Lazarus. You hadn’t seen those eyes in quite a while.

“What, you want to take a picture?” you started in a somewhat jestful tone at his expression. “It’ll last longer.” 

“Would you let me?” was his rather cocky comeback as he took his own cigarette out of his mouth, another smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “‘cus I don’t have anything against that idea, per se-”

“I was joking-”

“Right, totally.” 

“I was!” The look on his face was infuriating enough to let you know that he didn’t believe shit. You let out a rather long and weary sigh. “I thought you weren’t planning on coming back anytime soon.” And at last, the disdain you had been trying so hard to contain from him was surfacing in your tone.

And clearly, from the way he was staring at you, he seemed to notice.

His latest adventures with his new friends, dubbed The Outlaws, hadn’t exactly been on the down-low. You knew one of them, Roy Harper, from being his best friend from a long time ago, and you had seen the glowing orange alien chick who accompanied them for the past few months on the news after he had taken off from Gotham. 

You couldn’t deny the fact that you had been more than a little dismayed by the fact that he hadn’t even bothered to give you some sort of goodbye before they left, either - no visits, no phone calls, no letters, not even a poorly placed sticky note on the front of your apartment door left to get swept away by some janitor when it fell off. 

You woke up one morning and heard from his brother that he wasn’t around Gotham anymore, no real explanations as to why the hell that was. 

He just disappeared. 

“You’re not thrilled to see me?” he attempted with mock hurt, and you gave him a very unimpressed look. “Sure, doll. I see how it is.” You acted like the nickname didn’t affect you as much as it did, because he didn’t deserve the satisfaction of otherwise.

“You know what I mean, Jason.” 

“I thought it was Hood?” He caught your look again. “Jeez, I’m just fucking around.” The silence stretched on and he at least had the sense to look a little guilty when he spoke again. “Y/N. Listen, I’m - I’m sorry.” 

You didn’t say anything for a while, your eyes still fixed ahead on the horizon. What did he expect you to say?

“I didn’t plan on leaving like that, I just - shit happened. And I didn’t want to stay in this shithole of a city for longer than I had to, anyways.” 

Of course. He was bad at goodbyes, so he never said them. You were above chasing after him, so you never did.

“You could’ve at least made a call after you left.” The cigarette was still burning in your hands, the white filter crumbling away in the wind. “Or, I dunno, sent a text, or even a damn email or something. Anything.” Even you were surprised by the contempt lacing your voice with every word you spoke. You had told yourself he had to have had his reasons for leaving and that you wouldn’t waste your own time being angry at him. But somehow, you couldn’t help it. It had hurt more than you chose to realize. “It’s been months.” For once, his passive expressions and sarcasm had been replaced with something else. 

Remorse. 

“I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal to you.” You almost let out an incredulous laugh at that. 

“Not a big deal to me? Are you serious?” You turned back to face him and he pursed his lips, clearly having realized that he had said the wrong thing. “After you came back - from the dead - and after everything that happened, you seriously thought I wouldn’t care what happened to you?” Jason opened his mouth, then wisely closed it while you tossed your cigarette down to crush it beneath your heel. “Wow, Jason, you knew me way better than I thought you did.” 

“I didn’t mean to leave,” he tried again after a beat, taking a half-step towards you. “I wasn’t - I was on a mission, and this submarine thing with the dudes I was dealing with blew up, and then I woke up like a week later on this island thing with a Tamaranean alien princess who thought I was Dick, and then I found out Roy was gonna get executed, so-” He seemed to realize how incredulous that sequence of events sounded from the look on your face. So he let out a sigh, wringing his hands. “Okay. Yeah. I was kind of a douche.”

“Kind of?” 

“I was definitely a douche,” he amended with another sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. He took a breath. “But I did mean it. I’m sorry.” 

And you knew he meant it when he said that. Even back in his unruly days as a Robin, when your friendship had first formed, you had figured out that it was ridiculously hard for Jason Todd to let go of his pride and apologize for basically anything. When he got older, it admittedly hadn’t gotten all that much better.

Until now, apparently. Just a little. And you could never stay angry at him for very long, as much as you might have tried.

You let out a sigh yourself, glancing up at him. 

“When did you even get back?” 

Jason made a show of fishing his phone out of his pocket and taking a look before answering. 

“About - twenty minutes ago.” He cleared his throat a little. “I wanted to see you.” There it was again - that infuriating feeling in your chest. 

“Did you?” You tried to keep your tone as neutral as possible as he rubbed the back of his neck, somewhat awkwardly glancing away from you before he spoke again. 

“Yeah. I missed you.”

Well fuck. That was a big one. 

“I guess I missed having you around. Sometimes.” He chuckled at your attempt to be nonchalant, stepping even closer to you. 

“That’s it? That’s all I get?” You rolled your eyes at him, refusing to say otherwise. You weren’t about to give in to him.

“Yeah, that’s all you-” Before you could finish, he had cut you off with a kiss. And in another moment, after his arms wrapped around your waist to pull you in closer, you realized your entire train of thought had been derailed completely because your best friend was kissing you.

“Get?” he offered when he pulled away again, another rather smug smile playing at his lips when you managed to look at him again, clearly flustered. “You sure about that?” 

You appropriately told Jason to fuck off before you pulled him down towards you again for another kiss. And that kiss turned into another, then another, and another. 

Your seemingly blasé attitude towards him and his constant teasing towards you had always helped you both shy away from whatever it was that you actually felt towards the other. It was easier to laugh at each other, or flirt, or push each other away than to actually move past your pride and admit how you felt. 

But then again, between tender caresses and heated kisses, you didn’t think there was a need to really say anything out loud. Where his hands were on your body alone could tell anyone what was going on in his head.

You had missed him more than you could express in words, and it was increasingly clear that he had felt the exact same way. Your relationship had always toyed at the fine line between friendship and something more, and your actions in that moment had firmly moved you both past the former. 

For so many years, your respective egos had provided a cover from a truth neither of you had been ready to come to terms with. But now, beneath the haze of cigarette smoke, sheets, and Gotham sunsets, you could finally see what exactly that was. There had always been something more underneath all of your smoke and mirrors. 

And although it wouldn’t be right then and there, eventually, you’d clear all of that smoke away. 

[sweetestlamb]

Let's Play A Love Game

Author's note: this one is rated 😈 so yeah. There was originally more angst in my mind but once I got to that part I was over it lol I'm the worst at angst I much rather make it naughty. It's more rushed than I wanted but I don't really have time to write 10k fics right now. But hopefully soon.

Summary: it's just pretend, right?

She hadn't meant to push the event in the corner of her mind until she forgot about it completely, so much so that when the e-vite showed up in her inbox she stared at it in wide eyed shock not even noticing Mi-Seon creeping up behind her.

"It's already time for that? I usually know it's coming because you start buying expensive dresses you can't afford and crying at your credit card bill. Maybe country life has really changed you hm?"

False. Inaccurate. Utterly wrong to the every core.

She lets out a shrill scream letting her head fall painfully on her desktop.

"I'm an idiot! Just kill me now, I deserve it." She has nothing to wear, okay the mountain of boxes in her living room, bedroom and some hidden in the linen closet beg to defer but none of that is worthy of this event. The annual dentist convention in Seoul, it's a week long getaway. It's meant to be an opportunity to build connections and attend professional learning classes, but that has long been abandoned. Now it is a fashion show and chance to show off your success and this year more than ever she has to impress everyone. They all look down on her and her cute little practice. Those judgemental snarky bitches.

"Do we have anymore patients?" She absently asks her best friend, only friend already getting up and walking away.

"No that was the last one. Do you want to call it a day?" She doesn't give a verbal reply lost in her phone and the disease that is online shopping, in the span of three minutes she has already added seven dresses to her cart.

"Chief Hong is going to have a long day."

It's just as Mi-seon says the next day the nosy know it all shows up glaring at her over the handful of packages in his arms.

"Don't tell me you're doing this again. What more could you possibly have to order? How much things does one woman need?" His voice is an air warmer than the last time they were in this very same position, but she tries not to think too hard about it. Their relationship is too confusing these days, as temperamental as the sea.

"Are delivery men allowed to complain this much when they're doing a job they are getting paid for?" She snarks back, snatching her packages from his arms with a huff. Ignoring the grin on his face as she disappears into her house.

"That better be all you order. I'm not coming back."

He comes back. At least six more trips, more boxes each time on the last day he doesn't simply leave after making his delivery.

"I'm coming in for tea because of you I've been working too hard." She squeaks indignantly as he pushes past her, their shoulders brushing in the tight space of the doorway.

She should wait until she doesn't have an audience but she's too impatient so while he's making the tea in her kitchen (so rude and intrusive), she starts to open a few boxes pulling out the contents. Dresses, blouses, shirts, hair accessories, lipsticks in all shades and hues, and of course shoes; heels, flats and everything in between.

"Your house looks like a department store." She jumps at his voice glancing up at him, almost laughing at the hedgehog mug that he's drinking out of that Mi-seon gave her as a joke. Leave it to him to pick the most ridiculous mug.

"Hurry up and go so I can try everything on." She starts to take the objects out and organize them, putting together possible outfits lazily.

"Why not have a fashion show?" He slurps loudly at the tea, sighing and smiling down at the warm beverage. Acting like he's never had tea before, such a plebian.

"A fashion show?"

"Yeah, model all that", he motions to the new boxes littering her bedroom floor, "and I'll let you know what looks good."

She scoffs, loudly looking at his lackluster outfit; a simple white tee tucked into dark cargo pants with suspenders.

"What do you know about fashion?" She replies meanly, despite the little voice in her mind that reminds her that while his outfits are more practical than fashionable there is something distracting about the way his shoulders fill out his shirts and the way his long legs sit in his pants.

He shrugs looking down at himself, "I'm the town handy man I have no need to look good. But I'm still a man I can tell you what I think looks good on a woman."

Oh. It's a nonchalant statement said with no real heat but the implications make her skin warm up, she's never once thought that he saw her as a woman; nor considered looking at him like a man. (Lies.)

"I--why woul--why?" She stutters through an answer, tongue heavy in her mouth. He looks back nonplussed, sitting down pointedly on her couch.

"Never took you for the shy kind. You growing bashful now Ms. Dentist?" His eyes twinkle with mischief and she knows that she's being played but she wants nothing more than to wipe that smug look off his face. Slamming her room door, she pulls off her casual house clothes and grabs the first thing that catches her attention- a buttery yellow dress that grazes her knee, pairing them with white heels and a high messy bun. A swipe of lip tint completes the look and she confidently opens her room door.

Du-sik is staring aimlessly at his phone and doesn't notice her reappearance at first, so she coughs loudly folding her arms and when his eyes land on her, a chill runs down her spine at the look that lands on her body. It's been a long time since a man looked at her in this way, his eyes are undressing her even though he was the one who implored her to dress up in the first place. She hates it. At least she should hate it. But she can't ignore the satisfaction that washes over her at his dumbfounded look, that smug look obliterated by her very first look.

"Well?" She pushes harder, twirling to give him the full look. His gasp is loud behind her, she knows exactly why. The deep revealing plunge that travels all the way to the small of her back. There's no way she would wear this to the convention much too suggestive but that's her business.

"Wher-" his voice cracks and this time she can't contain her smile, dimples flashing now at her clear affect on him, clearing his throat he tries again, "Where exactly are you going again?"

She hums turning back around, gleeful at the vibrant blush on his cheeks. So he is just a man after all.

"A dentist convention." She answers cheekily and he guffaws loudly, eyes narrowing at her like he knows exactly what she's trying to do. They stare at each other for a long moment and she ultimately breaks the stand still, realizing what's happening. It feels a lot like flirting.

Collecting herself, she barrels back into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" She whispers to her reflection, face too flushed for her liking.

A hard knock at the door pulls her from her self chastisement, "You didn't even wait for my rating."

She sighs loudly covering her face in embarrassment at her own action. She doesn't even have alcohol to blame this time.

"I don't care. This was stupid, let's stop."

Of course he ignores her.

"I liked it. But it's too...sexy for convention. You should wear that for someone special. I doubt anyone with a beating heart would be able to resist you."

What the fuck.

This isn't who they are, when did they become comfortable enough for conversations like this? They despised each other, right? Confused and annoyingly flattered, she peels the dress off her body trying her hardest not to think about the fact that only a door separates him and her naked body.

"I would love to see the others. But I have to go, but if you want my opinion. Red is definitely your color."

"What?" She replies, but she can hear the too loud click of the front opening and then closing and just as capriciously as he arrived, he leaves. 

Burying something that feels a lot like disappointment she flops onto her bed, head fuzzy like its been wrapped in cotton.

"What is going on?"

They don't see much of each other the next day and it's unusual given how much they see each other on a regular basis but she refuses to think about it or even consider that he's avoiding her. He's just busy and she doesn't care anyway, they have nothing to do with each other.

The convention is in two days now, she has her overnight bag packed with all her new purchases and the messages have been pouring in their group chat. She's mostly chosen to ignore them but on a whim she decides to check what they're so excited about, only to feel her stomach drop.

Why isn't Hye Jin answering?

Maybe she's busy with her mystery man 😉

Oh! She has to bring him, we need to interrogate him!

Yoon Hye Jin don't pretend you don't see these messages!!

That she had forgotten about.

"Why did you tell them that he's interested in you? Has living here altered your brain, you idiot." She berates herself.

"Who's interested in you? Why are you an idiot?" Mi-seon looks curious from the doorway, without waiting for an invitation she hops onto the bed with two cans of beer. She grabs one, drinking it in a flash.

"Oh it's that kind of night." Mi-seon says excitedly running to grab more beers.

"So let me get this straight, you told them that Chief Hong is interested in you and that he's been chasing you but you're not interested?"

She nods meekly, wishing the floor would swallow her up.

"Why did you lie?"

That's the brunt of the issue, she's a liar. She should have sent her initial message and told them that there was nothing between them but how could she when they were all calling him handsome and acting like she finally did something right? She'd spent that entire dinner feeling like her teenage self on the outside looking in, wanting nothing more than to be someone worthy of being included.

"I know I should have told the truth."

"Yes, you should have told them that you're interested in him too."

Huh.

Time stops as she processes the words that her best friend just uttered. There is static in her head as she tries to make sense of it.

"What are you talking about?"

Mi-seon looks at her unimpressed.

"You can both keep lying to yourself but the rest of us aren't as stupid. You're both interested in each other. It's mutual."

She wants to ardently deny the accusation but the words are caught in her throat and all she can manage are refusing sounds.

"You've been wearing red all week." Mi-seon says accusingly and she jumps up in huff, "So what? I'm allowed to wear colors!"

"You hate wearing red. You said it makes your skin look too pale. You hardly ever wear it. So color me surprised when I learned that red is the favorite color of a certain part timer."

That damn town chat. There has to be a way to get Mi-seon out of it. Maybe it was a mistake letting her live here. She was learning too much.

"Don't even bother to deny it. I won't believe anything you say. But I think you should ask him to go with you, you'll get some time alone to figure this out."

There's nothing to figure out. They are..... acquaintances who can admit that the other is vaguely attractive at times. His face isn't all that bad and she's pretty, so it's natural that there is tension at times, like he said they were still humans.

So she doesn't tell him about her fib, pretending everything is fine until it's the day of the convention and her anxiety has all but smothered her and her hands have a slight tremble in them as she starts to drive.

"It's going to be fine. Everything will be okay." She doesn't believe a word she's saying to herself, her heart is thumping in her heaving chest. She doesn't want to go alone. Convincing Mi-seon to leave was a failed endeavour, her and that police officer becoming inseparable. She knew what that smile meant when her best friend had realized that she would have the house to herself. She could barely get a word in as Mi-seon started frantically shaving her legs then pushed her out of the bathroom to "shave her wild cat".

With a sigh she starts driving, the car too quiet despite what she'd told Du-Sik and the Gongjin grannies. Uncharacteristically she turns on the radio, kpop blaring from the speakers. She recognizes the tune, never before has something as mundane as butter seemed so interesting but the kitchen essential was given new life by the song. She bops her head to the catchy beat, trying to ignore the fact that she's driving to the lion's den.

Some time later, she pulls into the hotel a valet already coming over to get her car. Grabbing her overnight bag, she exits the car handing her keys to the waiting hands of the valet.

Everyone is here and none of them had come alone, she was the only one without a plus one. They haven't noticed her yet so she watches as they all laugh at a joke she can't hear, unnecessarily stroking at their husband's chests as if to show off their exorbitantly priced wedding rings. Everything was always a competition here.

She shouldn't have come. Their was nothing about her life that they would be envious of. She was going to make a fool of herself. Impulsively she starts stepping back but it's too late, Hong In-A spots her and points her out and immediately all eyes are on her, they all start walking over to her and she wants nothing more than to run far, far away. Get on a bus and go to the beach and never see any of them ever again. But she's no longer a child, no longer that scared little girl; worked too hard to shed that skin.

Fortifying herself she puts on a fake smile. Ready for war.

"Hye-Jin ah, there you are. We were beginning to think you wouldn't come. You never responded in the group chat." Ye-Ri states with an attitude, looking around her as if searching for someone and eyes brightening when she sees no one. "Did you come alone?" This makes all of them perk up, looking around like chickens with their heads clucking. She swallows the shame the question elicits, "Who would I be with? I told you in already, it's not like that."

They all look at her with pity, it makes her want to slap them all across the face. Who were they to make her feel like shit, she didn't need anyone that didn't make her pathetic.

Finally one of the husbands cracks the awkward tension by introducing himself, she tries her best to ignore the pervasive way his eyes run down her body. Instinctively she crosses her arms, feeling naked under his stare. Nobody else notices her discomfort and after all the introductions, they all walk away as if she's no longer worth their time.

Lump in her throat she walks into the hotel, determined not to show them that they've gotten under her skin.

There's a scheduled lunch and she tries to find a new table but Sung-Mi waves her over and she doesn't see anyone else she recognizes or wants to sit with.

He hadn't been wrong, she has no friends besides Mi-seon.

"You were looking around, were you looking for someone? Are we not good enough to sit with?" The question is asked with a bite and sneer as if the idea is laughable that she would ever be better than any of them.

She swallows her pride, "No nothing like that. I was merely looking around."

Sung-Mi looks satisfied as if putting her in her place has righted her world.

They begin a conversation that completely excludes her, regaling drama that she knows nothing about and doing nothing to bring her up to date or invite her to join. It's the polar opposite of her experience in the countryside and with shocking clarity she realizes that she wishes she were there, it's only been a few hours but she misses it. Nobody looks down on her there, no usually she's the only doing that she notes with shame.

"I'll find the restroom." She says to no one because none of them are paying her any mind except the husband with the wandering eyes and she would much rather not have that attention.

Thankfully the bathroom is empty and she has to stop herself from splashing water on her face, her make-up was done perfectly it would be a waste to ruin it. Pushing her hair behind her ears she takes a deep breath and then another until her head is clearer, the noise lessening.

"It's only a day and a night. You've suffered far worst."

With that lacking pep talk she exits the bathroom, almost colliding into a wall. Wait, no it's just a person- a chest to be specific. She looks up ready to apologize when a familiar face stops her in her tracks.

"What are you doing here?" She stares flabbergasted at him, more dressed up than she's ever seen him. In a white suit with a white vest, the tee-shirt peeking under the only thing that feels like him to her. And his white sneakers. She can't hide her surprise at his sudden appearance and without thinking she starts to pull him to the side, to avoid being seen but she's not fast enough and soon they are swarmed by her colleagues, before she even has a chance to talk to him.

"Aren't you the man from the picture?" Yoo-Jin asks blushing way too much for a married woman if her husband's cold stare means anything.

"The picture?" Du-sik replies, clearly confused.

"You're the guy that's chasing after her. She told us that you liked her and you were courting her." Sung-Mi answers for her, she wants to vanish. It would be better if she had never existed. Even non-existence would be better than this embarrassing moment. "I got a picture of you two last time, when you followed her."

His eyes ping-pong between the group and her and she realizes this is his chance to ruin her. After everything she's done, all her rude comments and snobby remarks about the town and people he cares for so much, this is his chance for revenge. He can laugh and deny any feelings for her, tell them all that she's a liar and he's never been interested in her, not even once. This is what is going to happen. She prepares herself for the fall out, surely after this she won't be able to show her face in Seoul again.

He starts to laugh and her stomach tightens, her palms are so sweaty.

Here it goes.

"Oh I guess she wanted to keep me a secret."

Wait. What. That doesn't sound like denial.

"We're together now. I finally bulldozed those walls and made her mine. Nice to meet you all I'm Hong Du-sik, Hye-Jin ah's boyfriend."

Her eyes widen as he bows and starts to shake hands with the husbands, the one that stared at her looking disappointed. Their handshake goes on for a second too long, eventually with the latter pulling away with a pained look. She's too confused to consider what that means.

"And you were so cold earlier saying you had no one. Did you want to make a fool of us?"

He answers for her, "It's nothing like that, my honey is still getting used to us. I'm sorry I'm so late I had something to take care of."

Her head is spinning too fast to keep up with everything happening and she's grateful when he excuses them and guides her outside with a large hand on her hip.

Fresh air is much appreciated and she takes in huge heaps of it as soon as they're free.

Then reality crashes down on her.

He knows about her lying.

He had called her bluff.

But he didn't out her.

"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" She finally manages to say, head still reeling.

But instead of answering he's staring at her legs, then slowly his eyes swivel upward cross her thighs curving around her hips, past her breasts (a bit too slow there) before moving to her collar and settling on her face.

"You look great."

She feels the heat rushing to her face. What was he doing to her?

It hadn't been in purpose but she finds herself in red again, an a line dress with criss crossing straps over her shoulder and a middle slit. It was conservative without being too formal or professional. She'd felt comfortable in it but now seeing that look on his face, comfort is the last thing she feels.

He was distracting her and she couldn't afford that with those harpies inside waiting for her downfall. They needed to get back on track.

"What are you doing here?" She tries again, but he responds with his own question, "Why did you tell them that I was chasing you?"

"It was a mistake. They thought we were together and I just....said that for no reason." It's half the truth.

"They don't seem like your friends. You looked like you needed someone on your side, so I just found myself saying we were together for no reason."

She looks at him blankly, heart pounding now. In her moment of weakness instead of kicking her, he'd lended a helping hand. What kind of person did it make her for expecting the former?

"So what now?" She asks still in disbelief that he's here and that he'd told people that there were dating, she would be angry and offended later that they had readily believed it. Perhaps it didn't seem too farfetched now with him looking like that right now.

"Well, don't look but they're watching us through the glass."

This time she finds herself turning to look and he's the one that has to stop her, he does so by suddenly grabbing her hand and tugging her into his body. She squeaks at the collision. Leaning down so his lips are level with her ear, he speaks, "We can give them a show. I'm happy to be your pretend boyfriend."

Why?

She yearns to ask him why he's willing to go this far for her? Why was he even here when she had never told him where the convention was taking place? But his words were hot on her ear and she's tired of being their source of entertainment so she nods looking up at him, "Just this once. I'm going to lean on you. Let me borrow your eraser and copy your homework."

He stares before a blinding smile graces his handsome face.

"Let's go then." His hand is heavy on her waist as he walks back towards the hotel, taking his role very seriously it seems.

He fits in perfectly. Able to talk about a plethora of topics to anyone he's introduced to and even she's impressed by him. Be it travel, philosophy or poetry he seems well versed in everything things that even she is ignorant to and it makes her regret the way she looked down on him before, he was anything but a country bumpkin.

She leaves him to his conversation to get a drink, a whiskey on the rocks. Needing something hard tonight.

Not that. Down brain.

"Yoon Hye Jin? I would recognize that face anywhere."

Twisting to face the voice, she sees a familiar face- old classmate. Rung Do-Bae, they weren't anything more than classmates despite his many, many attempts.

His eyes sweep over her hungrily. She swallows her drink, painting on a shallow smile.

"Sunbae, how nice to see you here."

Invading her space he grabs her hand, "There is no need for such formalities. You can just call me by my name, Hye Jin ah."

As if she ever would.

Gently she tries to extract her hand but he won't let go and she doesn't want to make a scene.

Suddenly she's warmed by a body pressing into her, she knows who it is without even looking, her body relaxes immediately.

"Sorry I got lost in conversation honey. Who might this be? Another friend of yours?" He thrusts his right hand out and Do-Bae has no choice but to release her hand to return his handshake. Scarily enough she's starting to become used to his nickname, barely reacting to him using it again.

"Yes, this is my sunbae from school. Sunbae this is Hong Du Sik my....."

She knows that this is all an act, they were doing this to help her but she can't bring her tongue to form around the word, boyfriend.

"Her boyfriend." He finishes for her, pulling her tighter to his body.

But Do-Bae looks suspicious now.

"Boyfriend? I thought you were still single. You never changed your status on SNS. I've checked."

"Why are you so curious about that?" Du-sik challenges in return, doing a great job of sounding like a jealous boyfriend. She's almost even convinced.

"Hye Jin ah and I have always had a very special relationship. Beyond that of a hoobae and sunbae. Isn't that right?" He directs the last bit to her and she feels Du-sik stiffen next to her, seemingly believing these lies. So she clears that up.

"I have no idea what you're referring to honestly. We have never had anything that would constitute as a "special" relationship. I would appreciate if you didn't spread such lies, especially to my boyfriend. Enjoy the rest of your night."

She tugs Du-sik away, not waiting for a reply from the other man. The conversation was over anyway.

When they get far enough he speaks, "You have a lot of admirers."

She raises an eyebrow at the non-sequitur.

"Are you surprised?"

He brushes a hand across her cheek, making her freeze.

"No. It makes sense."

She blinks slowly before laughing, it sounds fake even to her ears.

"You should have been an actor. Your acting skills are incredible." He doesn't laugh, doesn't move before they're pulled into another conversation and she tries not to think about how tightly his body is pressed against her own.

"How is he in bed? He hasn't left you alone all day, I bet it's passionate." As soon as lunch had ended they had invited her to a spa, she'd considered saying no but she knew they would talk about her even if she wasn't there so it was best to at least know what they were saying.

Du-sik looked sad to see her go, but she told herself that she wasn't good at reading his faces. They hardly knew each other.

"I can't remember the last time I had a passionate night of sex. Kids and a full time job, leave no time for that. I'm pretty sure he's cheating on me and I'm too tired to even care." Sung-Mi confesses and she's shocked when the others nod in agreement instead of threatening to castrate him, as she'd done when Mi-seon told her about her ex boyfriend cheating.

"I have no complaints. He's... attentive. He's always touching me and pushing his way into my space. He's gentle but passionate, and I like...that he's so much bigger than me." She knows she should stop, this is definitely taking the lies too far. But that night bleeds into her thoughts, making everything she's saying feel true. He'd been so gentle with her, those huge hands cupping her face. She wondered how they would feel on other parts of her body.

"Damn. Look at you getting horny just from remembering. I'm so jealous."

Jealous. There were envious of her, it was all she'd been hoping for but the happiness she expected to erupt never comes. Instead she feels cheap, like she'd used Du-sik for her own benefit. She had tainted that night. This wasn't what she wanted.

As the day had gone on she found herself looking at him too much, he'd come all the way just for her and regardless of her brain trying to minimize that, it was huge. He hated snobby people like them who based a person's worth in their monetary success and yet he put on a smile and chatted with everyone, letting them mock his way of life and call people like him useless dreamers. All while she did nothing to defend him and drank wine, happy that they were being accepted.

He was the perfect gentleman all day and he was getting nothing in return for this. It was all just to help her.

Would a friend truly go this far to help? Was she being naive or was it like Mi-seon said, was she lying to herself?

"I'm such an idiot."

Without another word, she flees the sauna rushing to the locker room and changing back into her clothes. Nobody follows her because they aren't her friends. Why had she wasted so much time trying to impress these people who aren't even truly happy in their own lives?

The drive back is long, and she doesn't know what she's going to say but she knows that she's tired of being scared.

Leaving the key in the car she rushes past the valet, into the hotel elevator pressing their floor and waiting impatiently.

It takes three tries to get into their hotel room but once the door opens, he's right there. Sitting in the seat by the window reading a book.

"You're back early. I thought you would be gone until three?" He looks up, dog earring his book and giving her his full attention. Her heart skips a beat.

"Why did you agree to do this for me? Why go through all this trouble for me?"

It's the same question he's been asking himself since he first met her. Why was he was interested in her and why did he keep wanting to save her?

It was the desire that led to him being here.

He had accidentally overhead Mi-seon talking to Eun Chol about being worried about her, the convention was overnight and everyone would be bringing someone and she'd be all alone. The thought of her alone and isolated, made him race to her without a plan. Only stopping at a store to buy his outfit so he would fit in with her crowd, he'd spent more in that shop then he usually did in a week. But it was worth it for her.

It was a miracle that she hadn't questioned his presence more, he knew it was shameless and deceiving but none of this felt like pretending to him. His jealousy had been real, he'd had to strangle the urge to kick the pervert husband with the wandering eyes and then the insistent sunbae who wouldn't take a hint. She was a vision in the red dress and it wasn't a surprise that men found her enchanting, he just didn't like them looking at her. But she wasn't his, never would be because he couldn't confess.

They weren't right for each other.

"Do you like me?"

That question again. Last time he had laughed it off, called it absurd. But it wasn't. Not liking her would have been absurd.

"I don't know why you're asking me that."

"Because I'm tired of us lying to ourselves. Don't laugh and don't you dare say it's absurd again."

He can't respond, he's stuck on the word "us". It wasn't just him, they were an us?

Hearing that gives him courage he had long thought had been most forever.

"I wasn't pretending today. Nothing was fake to me, I meant it all." It's terrifying, unchartered land for them and he waits to see which one of them will chicken out first. It's sure to happen.

"I'm going to kiss you." She says instead of running like he expected and secretly wished for.

And then she's crossing the room and leaning down to grab his face, she watches him giving him a chance to pull away but he does the opposite, this time he meeting her half way. As soon as their lips meet the kiss is already too much, she's sliding into his lap and he wraps his arms around her tugging her closer until their chests are squished together.

He hasn't kissed anyone like this in a long time.

Hasn't been this close to losing control in a longer time.

"You're dangerous." He whispers into her mouth and she giggles at the statement, wiggling in his arms and rolling into him forcing a punched out groan from his lips.

Carefully he lifts her shirt watching her face closely for any signs that she wants to stop but finding nothing but her palpable lust.

Her skin is unbelievably smooth and soft and he can't stop himself from stroking her, rubbing at her back his hands resting right above her butt.

"How long have you felt this way?" She asks softly seductively nipping at his neck and running a hand over his shirt to caress his stomach, he physically aches for her.

"I wanted you the moment I saw you. But I didn't feel this until you convinced grandma to get her implants. That was when it became more for me."

She looks surprised and he is too, that they're speaking so candidly about feelings they've always denied.

"What about you?"

She stops licking at his neck to look him in the eyes. He's nervous to hear her reply.

"I.... don't know."

He tries to hide his disappointment. Maybe she was starting to retreat back into her shell. Maybe he shouldn't have been so honest.

He's about to untangle them when she continues, "It wasn't at first sight but one day I found myself looking for you. Seeing you become the best part of my day, I started to count on you to be there for me. To expect it. Just like this, I've been scared to lean on anyone until I met you."

Now that's a confession.

Impulsively he stands with her still on his lap, forcing her to to latch onto him so she doesn't tumble to the floor. Not that this would ever happen because he would never let her fall.

"I could have fell!" She cries, clinging to his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist. Her half naked bra clad body so close to him is causing another biological crisis in his pants.

Walking to the large bed in the middle of the room he falls backwards, enjoying the view of her on top of him a little too much.

It's all probably too soon and they should probably slow down, but his body is strumming and he wants nothing more than to break her apart.

"I'm all sweaty. I should take a shower."

Instantly an image of her wet and naked under the downpour of a shower flashes in his mind and he has to twist away from her.

"Pervert." She accuses but he can hear how satisfied she is with his reaction. Damn tease.

"Do you want to join me?" She teases some more, having fun now that she knows her power over him.

He looks at her helplessly.

"Are you having fun? Remember what I told you before? I'm still a guy. You're sitting here in your bra taunting me, do you think I'm that much of a good guy? Do you think I don't want to throw you down, rip your clothes off and eat you alive? I'm so hard right now just seeing you naked would be enough to push me over the edge. So don't make propositions you can't follow through on."

She looks dizzy from his words, eyes hooded and glossy. He watches her gulp and then stagger off to the bathroom, without a word to him. It's probably for the best, everything is too charged right now.

A shower for her and many glasses of water for him later, she's back and it's almost time for dinner.

"I think they said dinner starts at 6. Should we head down?"

She glances at him, while opening her bag and pulling out skin creams and some fuzzy socks.

"Would you be opposed to ordering room service and staying here?"

It's the best offer he's heard all day, only second to her asking if he wanted to join her in the shower.

"What about your colleagues?" He asks to make certain that she's really okay with this.

"What about them?" She replies with a shrug and he grins picking up the room service menu.

They order too much food and not enough alcohol but neither of them want to forget this night. She tells him stories about her time in dental school and he's happy to get to know her better, chuckling at the funny stories and commiserating at the sad ones.

Before he knows it night has fallen.

And he realizes that they'll be sharing a bed. Unless she wants him to sleep on the couch.

She's wearing a big shirt and loose shorts and he still can't believe he gets to see her like this.

"Are you coming to bed?" She's already getting under the sheet and that answers his question, this is really happening. He starts to follow her lead, getting under the sheets but keeping a respectable distance between them.

"I'm cold." She announces suddenly and he starts to look for a thermostat in the room or an extra blanket, before realizing that she's looking at him over her shoulder, he stares back confused before she lifts an eyebrow and oh, he gets it. Carefully moving closer he feels her warmth surround him as they meet, forth to back.

"Took you long enough." She grumbles, pulling his arm over here body and settling back into him moving until she's comfortable.

She's so close and warm and her smell is all around him and he feels his restraint dissolving and when she presses back into him, her hip rubbing against his crotch he bites down on his bottom lip.

It's too much for him to resist and without warning or preamble, he's turning her to face him and swallowing her moan of surprise eagerly. He grabs her head firmly holding her in place and slips his tongue into her open mouth, her unique taste exploding on his taste buds. He's hungry for more. So he starts to tug down her shorts, heart beat thundering in his groin. She kicks the shorts away, and he groans at the sight of her panties she was trying to kill him, he was certain.

"You're the devil." He chokes out staring at red lace, he'll never be able to see the color again without getting a raging hard on.

"You haven't seen anything yet. Honey." The word drips from her tongue just like the real thing.

Forgetting all reason and logics he lunges at her, devouring her mouth and sticking his hand in her panties. She's so warm and fuck, wet drenching his fingers.

Simultaneously he thrusts his tongue into her mouth and his fingers in her wet folds, groaning as she melts like butter under his touch. There's no resistance, as he plunges two fingers inside her experimentally before picking up his place when she clutches onto him and grinds back on his fingers, begging the whole time.

"More, more, please!"

As if he could ever deny her anything, with one hand he grabs her ass and the other he thrusts into her opening over and over until her voice gets breathy and she starts to stutter, squirming wildly in his arms and he knows exactly what's coming: the beautiful end. So without warning he pulls back the sheet and slithers down her body, throwing her legs around his head and pushing his tongue in to the brim, hungrily drinking at her until she shakes and combusts in his arms. Sweet on his tongue, he swallows it all greedily.

He strokes her as she recovers from her high, climbing back up her body. So much for taking things slow, but he can't even think about regretting it when he sees the blissed out look on her face. He wants to imprint it in his mind. Nobody else will ever get to see this face but him.

"It's your turn." She says sounding loopy like she's drunk and he laughs as she reaches for the tent in his pants but misses his bulge and instead falls into him.

"You're tired. Go to sleep. That was enough for me, seeing you like that fulfilled every fantasy I've had. "

He truly means it. He's a giver. And it's not like he can't tug one out later in the bathroom with her face and moans playing on repeat in his brain.

She starts to argue, but her phone vibrating on the nightstand distracts her. Reaching over she picks it up before chuckling and flopping back into the bed.

"What?" He asks curious, jealous of whoever is making her smile like that.

Ignorant to his inner thoughts, she thrusts her phone into his face. The room is so dark it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright lighting of the phone, but once he can see he reads the message on her phone and starts to laugh too.

"Dusik is missing! Nobody has seen him all day!! We started a search party."

[breitzbachbea]

🥺 and 🤡 please!

Thank you love!

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

That question continues to stump me, because I have a lot of things that repeat. There's a lot of stuff in my writing that is 'Bea Bullshit', like dramatic irony, banter, I describe people's faces (especially eyebrows and mouths) a lot, lots of physical affection between loved ones ... but I don't think I have something that always makes me go 'awww'? Especially because characters all express them so differently, what makes me go 'awww!!!' with one, may be very mundane or downright sad with others. Which is still Feels, but you get me. One thing that absolutely does break my heart without a fail, though, is when one person completely gives one up for someone else. Especially when they argue about it.

Like Charlie in IA, telling Harry “You know what, fuck you, Frecky. I didn’t get into this whole … bullshit business just so that you’re blowing your lights out and take me with you.” The tension in his voice eased, but his face barely changed. “You’re maybe suicidal, but I’m not, so I’m getting you out of here, whether you’ll thank me or not. Would help though if you stopped trying to bring the roof down.”

And the argument between Dilan and Sadık in the so far unpublished The Amulet. “No! No, but I … I want to have this one nice thing that wasn’t ruined by giving everything up for you.” She had never taken her eyes from Sadık, who was afraid the tears in hers would be mirrored in his any moment now. “You know I love you, you know that,” she said and new cracks appeared in the edges of the hole in Sadık’s heart. “I wouldn’t betray you for anyone. But I don’t want to betray Omar.”

Like ... ugh, it gets me everytime. The chosen family bonds and even though it puts them through hell, the one they love hurts them so much on accident, they'll always be at their side. The relationship between Gabriella and Dolcetto is another good example. She threw away everything for him and he's too far up in his own self-esteem issues to accept her help. So yeah, those moments always get me good.

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Oh, there's plenty, I crack myself up all the time. My favourite one may still be "Don't let me cockblock you, happy fucking", but that one's long, so I'll put it at the end.

Here's this one from 'Tis but a scratch, a Spamano Fanfic:

“It’s merely a scratch, don’t worry about that.” “Antonio, don’t lie to him,” Salomé said. Her tone was serious and soft, both an unusual sound and the combination even more jarring, yet touching. The solemn yet nervous smile fit the tone. “You had to get stitches. Like … fat stitches.” “That’s because my calves are so juicy,” Antonio replied, voice dripping with self-satisfaction from the smug grin on his face. Gabriella was the only one to snort while Salomé covered her eyes and Lovino groaned.

Another good one from The Amulet:

“You know, I could’ve paid, too,” Herakles said and earnt a frown by Sadık and a stomp to his foot by Timothea at the same time. “Thank you, Sadık,” she said in the sweetest of tones while Herakles sucked in air as quietly as he could.

He's some elder abuse from I stayed with you, a RoChu Fanfic:

“We used to have two cats in the old stable where I learnt horseback riding,” Viktoriya said. “Two big round fluffy things. But Cats don’t have to be useful. They’re already useful when they’re being adorable little fluffballs.” “And birds are old people animals,” Yao said “Are you getting one then?” Ivan said and looked at him with an excited smile. Viktoriya bit her lip and had to hold back a laugh when Yao shot Ivan a disgruntled look “You watch your mouth, boy” Yao said but Ivan kept smiling. Yao boxed him into the side with his elbows and Ivan laughed about it. While the two men across them were busy bickering, Shu told Viktoriya: “Birds are peaceful animals. And intelligent. I like that.”

And, last but not least, the crown jewel from Chapter 9 "Drained Chances" of Italian Affairs:

“I have fucked up but I am a grown man and like that I will take responsibility for my actions!”

He had grabbed the bottle even before the other two could yell “No!” and they only watched in horror as he emptied it. Charlie held down a burp, put the bottle back on the table and smile confident: "I have to talk to him again and explain myself." “And there it goes down the drain, the last piece of his common sense”, Harry hissed. “Thanks for lending me your ear, guys”, Charlie said and took a wobbly step away from the sideboard. “I am going back to my room now, enjoy your night.” He walked towards the door: “Or maybe I could try to talk to Marco again – no, that’s a stupid idea.” “You just drank half a bottle of wine in one go, mate, you are not going anywhere”, Harry said and Michele sighed but Charlie waved his hand while he staggered towards the door. “Don’t let me cockblock you, Happy fucking.” And with that he tripped and fell to his knees. He frowned at the floor while Michele got up to help him. “You know, Michele”, Charlie said while the Sicilian pulled him on his legs. “On second thought it might have been six beer.”