#Roll Stretch Wrapping Machine
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shrink-films · 1 year ago
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Printed Stretch Film for box wrapping
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In the world of packaging, the presentation of a product can make all the difference. Printed stretch film for box wrapping offers a unique and effective way to enhance your brand's image and make a lasting impression on customers.
One of the key benefits of printed stretch film is its ability to showcase your brand identity. Whether you choose to display your logo, company colors, or a custom design, the printed stretch film allows you to create a cohesive and professional look for your packaging.
Additionally, printed stretch film can serve as a powerful marketing tool. By featuring your brand message or promotional offers directly on the film, you can effectively communicate with customers and generate interest in your products.
Moreover, the printed stretch film provides practical benefits as well. It offers the same protective qualities as standard stretch film, helping to secure and protect your products during shipping and storage. The printed design also acts as a deterrent against tampering, ensuring the integrity of your products.
Overall, printed stretch film for box wrapping offers a versatile and cost-effective solution for enhancing your brand's visibility and impact. With its ability to combine practicality with aesthetics, printed stretch film is a valuable addition to any packaging strategy.
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themodwrap-blog · 1 year ago
Text
Printed Stretch Film for box wrapping
Tumblr media
In the world of packaging, the presentation of a product can make all the difference. Printed stretch film for box wrapping offers a unique and effective way to enhance your brand's image and make a lasting impression on customers.
One of the key benefits of printed stretch film is its ability to showcase your brand identity. Whether you choose to display your logo, company colors, or a custom design, the printed stretch film allows you to create a cohesive and professional look for your packaging.
Additionally, printed stretch film can serve as a powerful marketing tool. By featuring your brand message or promotional offers directly on the film, you can effectively communicate with customers and generate interest in your products.
Moreover, the printed stretch film provides practical benefits as well. It offers the same protective qualities as standard stretch film, helping to secure and protect your products during shipping and storage. The printed design also acts as a deterrent against tampering, ensuring the integrity of your products.
Overall, printed stretch film for box wrapping offers a versatile and cost-effective solution for enhancing your brand's visibility and impact. With its ability to combine practicality with aesthetics, printed stretch film is a valuable addition to any packaging strategy.
0 notes
prkhaven · 3 months ago
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PASS THE SOUR PATCHES -p.js, p.sh-
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They don't want to talk it out, they much rather fuck it out
pairing— gym rat!jay x fem!reader x gym rat!sunghoon
genre: smut minors do not interact, gym rat jayhoon au, p with no plot
wc: 7.1k
warnings: profanity, hidden rivalry, kissing, mention of sweat, set in the gym, they’re strangers (be careful, don’t do it with strangers), mention of candy 'sour patch kids'
smut warnings: filthy, unprotected sex (wrap it), p in v, semi-public, slight degradation, praising, dirty talk, headlocks, biting, fingering, oral (f rec.), orgasm denial, overstimulation, creampies, dom!jay, dom!sunghoon, usage of nicknames (baby, princess, good girl)
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You were thankful for your friend, really you were. You had to consider how she managed to get you up from your bed and into the gym like how you always wanted to. 
What you weren’t thankful for was the fact that on your first day of ever working out in your life, she threw you into a packed full gym filled with nothing but pure muscle heads. 
Your face scrunched as you followed closely behind her. The sweat splotches on the ground from sweat falling to the ground, phones scattered next to machines and benches, spilled drinks and suspicious white powder you would like to assume to be pre work. 
“I thought we would start off easy and do pilates at home or at least something else” You gritted through a strained smile causing her scoff in response 
“You said you wanted the gym, well here it is” Her arms extended out to show you what is in front of you. Tacky gym music no one paid attention to, the loud grunts and groans mixed with the sounds of iron clanking on iron
Just your dream. 
You rolled your eyes but nevertheless copied her actions when she threw her bag onto a bench that was suddenly freed, “You have to be quick or else you’ll be here for hours” She stretched her arms outwards to the opposite direction from what she did a few seconds ago 
“Let’s go? Start stretching” She shook her stretched arm for your to follow her lead, you stretched your arm over your chest and hooked under your elbow like how she was doing 
“What are we working out today?” You asked noticing how she started stretching her whole body and you tried to keep up with her with haste
“Arms, I haven’t hit them in a while” She hummed but before you could reply, a deep voice responded for you 
“Yeah, we could tell” The deep voice chuckled causing the hair at the back of neck to rise and a chill to run up your spine
You looked over your shoulder to see two males—very attractive at that. Hair clinging to their foreheads, sleeveless shirts that clung to their sculptured body that seeped out through the clear wet patches to the skin and sweatpants that loosely hugged to their lower half. 
Your eyes jumped between the both of them, their jawlines splitting your mind into half as you took in both of their appearance. Sharp piercing gaze but half heartedly grins plastered on their face.
Their arms at their sides, their biceps pulsing from the bulge that your fingers wrinkled into your palm to form a fist, an itch suddenly taking over you instantly. 
From the moment of stepping into the gym, nobody caught your attention the way these two did. But surely there was a reason why your heart was running laps at the mere sight of them. 
“If it isn’t Jay and Sunghoon” Your friend heavily sighed with fake enthusiasm, “The dynamic duo” She rolled her eyes to you almost as if in disbelief that they were going up to her right now 
Your face morphed into confusion when the attention was suddenly pinned onto you. Unconsciously your thighs squished together as you froze up only able to awkwardly chuckle and shrug your shoulders unsure of how to respond in the moment. 
Noticing your swift body reaction to the reaction towards the sudden attention, one of them chuckled softly to himself allowing his eyes to wander over you, the corners of his mouth tugging up higher. 
“Who’s this? Newcomer?” The one with a butterfly birthmark spoke up as he shifted his body towards you making you gulp down the sudden dryness in your throat
“Don’t tell me she’s going to be learning from you?” The other male beside him laughed loudly before draping an arm over his friend’s shoulder
“What is that supposed to mean?!” You friend screeched making the both males chuckle at the reaction they received
“Please to meet you, my name is Jay” The one with the birthmark ignored your friend and solely focused on you 
Your gaze turned to the one beside him. His lips were dragged into a frown but replaced with a faint smile as he offered the hand on the shoulder, “Sunghoon” He simply introduced himself, pushing himself off Jay to land beside him
Sunghoon looked away from you for a second to look back at your friend, “Well for one you only hit legs. Second, you use sour patch kids as a pre instead of actually buying one that’s worth it” He deadpanned over at you with a raise of the prominent brows as if it was common knowledge 
“They aren’t bad” You awkwardly mumbled a response which perked everyone’s interest
“Oh yeah? You like sour stuff?” Sunghoon crossed his arms over his chest, the top of the pecs pressing out of his chest and his hands slotting around perfectly at his folding biceps
You fumbled over a proper thought process but your body had a mind of its own when you reached for your improper packed bag and out came a pack of said sour gummy candy. Jay and Sunghoon shot a look at each other, disbelief written over their face when you extended out the bag to them. 
“Don’t knock it until you try it” You spoke when Jay was quicker than Sunghoon and grabbed the bag before him and exclaimed the enclosed candy, a faint smile growing on his face 
Jay looked at you with shaking the candy at hand, “Well I have-” He was nudged harshly at his side by Sunghoon causing him to drop the bag right into Sunghoon’s awaiting hand for it 
The slight crunch from the grab, “What he meant to say is that we have plenty now to try it out” He waved the bag with a faint smirk 
Your reply was lost when your friend spoke up for you instead, wishing to get rid of these two as quickly as possible.“Maybe you should hit some legs!” She snapped before grabbing your wrist and pulling you away from the two males, “Now leave us alone and go work out somewhere” 
Sunghoon raised his arms up in defense, “Didn’t mean to offend you” He whistled, sneaking a glance over at you. His eyes raked over your figure, his smirk growing by the second
“Let me know when you want to really work out princess” He sent a wink towards you making you take a step back in shock at the wording but a burn formed in the pit of your stomach at the thought
“What he means is good luck, have a good work out you two” Jay stepped in and sent a smile, different from the one Sunghoon gave but still managed to send a thrill in and out of your body from the quick introduction 
You swallowed down through your dry throat, lightly coughing from the lack of hydration, the scratchy feel in your throat worsening now that they were walking away. Your friend notice and patted at your back harshly, knocking all the wind out of you, “Ignore them” She sneered repeating her harsh motions 
You weren’t sure what her deal was with those two but you didn’t feel being on the receiving end of her wrath because of them any longer. 
Taking a large step away from her, your coughing became louder while you patted at your chest, “Oh shit- I’m sorry. Go get some water” She ushered you away before you could gather your thoughts or breath 
Stumbling over your feet, you sucked in a breath only to realize that you had no idea where the water fountain was. Gulping down in a pant as your mouth dropped trying to scan around for it and with no luck all you saw were the seas of people working out. 
Taking a step back without looking behind, you ran into someone but thankfully the strong hold stabilized you before you could fall over completely. “Oh my god, I am so sorry!” You repeated your apology
Until it came to an abrupt stop when you were turned around and faced the two familiar faces you saw not even 10 minutes ago. Jay being the one that caught you while Sunghoon was close behind.
Something must’ve shown on your face because Sunghoon was the first to laugh before wiping the sweat off his chin with the collar of his damped shirt. The unclench from the shirt and his printed chest made you lightly frowned but shook your head at the thought. 
“You alright there?” Jay worriedly looked at you that you nearly forgot you were at the gym but with the suddenly slam of a barbell meeting iron holding, you were quickly snapped out of 
“Uh yeah sorry for bumping into you” You jumbled out but ended up hiccuping right at the end making your cheeks burn in embarrassment 
“Got a case of the nervous hiccups?” Sunghoon was now closer than how he was before and you looked at him with widened eyes as you let out another strained hiccup 
You folded your lips to contain the jumps of breath getting caught in your throat but failed when they slipped out after a few seconds. Jay chuckled before pulling back his hands to point behind you. 
Following the guidance, you see the unoccupied water fountain right next to the changing rooms. “I’m assuming you didn’t bring any water right?” 
You smiled quickly and nodded your head, “Rookie mistake” You heard Sunghoon sneer in the distance 
Both you and Jay look at his folded arms across his chest with no expression on his face, “What? I’m just saying the truth” He huffed but rolled his eyes when you hiccuped yet again
You saw the annoyance written on his face and decided to not waste their time any longer. Mumbling a quick ‘Thank you’ to them, you turned a heel and attempted to walk through the crowded place
Blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes watching as you struggled to get through the packed machines and the light jumps you had whenever slammed the weights down. 
Jay scanned around the room wondering just where your friend was after leaving you to fend for yourself through the gym rats, only to find her sitting on the bench talking to a surrounding group of people, completely unaware of your distress. 
He sighed and was going to make her attention on you but he snapped his head when Sunghoon suddenly spoke with a frustrated tone, “I’m done” 
Sunghoon marched up to you where you got caught up in a zumba class happening in the middle of the gym. You were really clueless when it came to this atmosphere. 
As you waited for the dancing people to hopefully move out of the way when you were suddenly moved from where you were standing, “Come on. We’re getting you to drink some water” Sunghoon grasped your arm to guide you through the crowds 
You looked over at him with wide eyes but your body fell limp into his movements as he guided you towards the nearing water fountain. The sharp degree of his jaw caught your eyes with the scattered moles across his face that made you wonder if there were any anywhere else. 
But that disappeared as quickly as it came when his soft grasp let go of your arm, “Here” He grumbled as you see the long awaited fountain in front of you 
“Thank-” You cut yourself off with a hiccup making him groan and point towards the the water source attached to the wall 
Not wasting a second, you dipped your head down and the water flowed out, allowing you to drink from it.
There were motion detecting water fountains now?
You were surpised but waved it off as the new advancement of techonology that was ocurring.
Jay, who was left behind, finally caught up only to be surprised to see Sunghoon pressing down on the push button on the side of the water fountain for the water to ooze out as you drank. 
He knitted his eyebrows together as he saw how Sunghoon watched how your lips pressed together, gulping down the water—licking his lips while leaning up against the wall until you pulled away with a satisfied sigh and his fingers let go to cut the water.
You remained still for a moment waiting to see if they actually disappeared but ripping out a loud scream when you were scared from behind. Your sound was drowned out by the loud songs playing in the background as you turned around to see Jay cheekily smiling. 
“They say scaring can help get rid of hiccups. I just wanted to make sure they were fully gone” Sunghoon glared at Jay’s innocent smile as he spoke to you
Sunghoon knew his friend and could pick up on the familiar shimmer in Jay’s eyes as he looked at you. Unable to hold back his expression, his lips tugged downwards, “So they’re gone princess?” 
With his sudden interjection, you looked away from Jay to Sunghoon who pushed himself off the wall to stand beside you. You were oblivious to the glare Jay sent towards his friend but froze up when the  mischievous smile spread across Sunghoon’s face.
He knew that look anymore and what it meant. He scoffed in disbelief as he shook his head at Sunghoon’s specific gaze he looked at you with.
Should’ve known better that it wouldn’t have been that easy.  
Your heart jittered in your chest from the piercing coming from the two males, “Yeah, they’re gone” The cheerful of relief made them smile but while Jay wanted to continue the conversation, Sunghoon had other plans 
“Say, why don’t you properly warm up with us while we cool down?” 
[|━|]
The harmless invitation was meant to be legit on Jay’s part. While on Sunghoon’s side, he knew exactly what he was doing when inviting you to join them for simple stretching exercises. 
But instead, the three of you were cramped into the last dressing room, your head lull to the side while your body was pressed up against the cold wall. Your mind is dizzy only able to focus on Jay kissing you, holding you by the side of your neck whilst Sunghoon focused on your neck, holding you up from your body.
Your arms sprawled and opened and rested on whatever shoulder was provided for support, presenting your body to them without much issue.
You could feel their smirks pressed against your skin and you tried to ignore it but when they started to nip at your skin, it brought your attention back to them. “Focus on us pretty girl” Sunghoon sucked at your neck softly 
Jay drank up the noises spilling from your mouth into his own as he softly chuckled and stroked your cheek with the pad of his thumb. “We got you” He pecked at your lips in a slow manner 
You melted with the warmth of the both of them however it was ripped away when your shirt was pushed up and Sunghoon’s cold hand traced against your skin. Eyes flickering down, you see Sunghoon sinking to his knees fully, not looking away from you once. 
He smirked up at you before planting a soft kiss against the expose skin of your stomach, “So good to me” He hummed when he trailed up but he was suddenly pushed down by Jay’s hand on top of his head 
Sunghoon scowled and yanked his head away to see Jay pushing him out and slotting his body in front of you as he went to kiss you silly. Your arms wrapped around his neck and held him tightly against you. 
Jay slotted a leg right in between yours for support, your hands tangling into his while he molded his mouth to perfectly yours but he lost momentum when he was roughly pushed out of the way. 
Being ripped away from you wasn’t ideal. He sucked in a breath to make up for the lack of oxygen to find Sunghoon filling his spot instantly. His arms hooked under yours to claw into his shoulder blades, to feel the muscles contracting with each move. 
Your hands ruffled into the back of his head pulling him more to the side as he messily kissed you. Teeth clashing together and nipping at your bottom lip before releasing it to engulf your mouth with his hand softly grasping your neck. 
“I’m better, aren’t I? Taking way better care of you than he is” It was a statement rather more than an actual question for you
You weren’t able to respond due to the lack of use of your mouth but it was enough for a weak moan to slip by in some form of response to him. 
Suddenly, you felt the ghost of your hands in your waistband. Cracking open your eyes just enough to peer down at the hovering source, you see Jay on one knee, his hands feathering around your waist as he looks up at you, a silent plea as he waits for your response. 
You smiled against Sunghoon’s moving lips, your eyes fluttering closed as you offered your hips a little further out until his retracted hands touched the start of your pants. 
Jay smiled softly before hooking his hand at the elastic for a second before bringing down all the jumbled material he could. “Good girl baby” He whispered which was more than loud enough for you to hear 
“Like our form of warming up?” Sunghoon muttered against your lips but your pliant body resting upon his which would’ve been more than enough to be his answer if he were Jay
But news flash. He wasn’t. 
Sunghoon gripped your chin and pulled away, your lips chasing hers with closed eyes. He smiled at the scene before stroking at your chin making you open your eyes, “Tell me princess. I don’t like being kept in the dark” He cooed sternly
Your eyes looked ahead, too focused on the fact how he beamed at you like you held the answer to all his problems. Well maybe you did house the solution to one of his growing problems. 
“Yes” You slurred your words together, “I love it” 
He chuckled at the delirious state you were in, stroking softly at your cheek before bringing his hand down to cup your neck, “Yeah? Love the idea of getting fucked here?” Sunghoon raised an eyebrow 
But when you were going to respond, you gasped loudly when a heavy breath fluttered at your glistening self and a wet stride from your hole all the way up to your tingling clit. 
“Taste so sweet baby” Jay mumbled into your folds, his hand reaching under your leg to hook it over his shoulder for better access 
Your body was pressed harder against the wall as you were pushed up, a cold hand running under your shirt and over your stomach to only rise higher and grip harshly at your breast. “Cute. Look at you actually wearing a bra to the gym” Sunghoon darkly chuckled as the tips of his finger traced over the strap 
“Am I not supposed to?” You loudly gasped at the protruding tongue into your fluttering hole, Jay smirked wildly as his fingers dug into the plush of your thighs
A hand flew over your mouth “Shhhh princess, can’t be making so much noise” Sunghoon tooted his tongue to the roof of his mouth 
You melted into his hand the more Jay lapped at your cunt. Hand weakly gripping onto his short hair and tugging at it the more he devoured you like a starving man. His fingers dug into your hips harder the more your concealed noises slipped by. 
“How does he make you feel?” Sunghoon whispered roughly into your ear as he grasped at your chin to keep it up, “Make you feel good?” 
You peered through your eyes down to see Jay already looking up at you, his jaw locked open awaiting your response. When you nodded, he pulled away from your slicked entrance. A string that marked sinfulness in the changing room connecting his swollen lips to yours. 
His eyes sparkled with a certain ambition to them, his hand at your hip unconsciously flexed deeper into the plush making you let out a whine with your hands chasing to the back of his head to bring him back.
Sunghoon, who was watching everything, pulled his hand away and smirked as you were panting heavily. You snapped a glare towards him but he merely raised his arms up in defense. 
“I asked” He mouth reached the crevice of your ear, his gripping hand slid down past your body, his fingers pinching through the fabric of your undergarment with an evident smirk before slipping through to your stomach until he reached your pelvis, “Does he make you feel good?” His fingers circled at your clit causing your lips to shiver 
“Or would you prefer me?” Sunghoon’s fingers slipped further between your folds, the arousal leaking onto his fingers and palm until it reached the twitching dip 
Your wavering eyes looked between Sunghoon and Jay, both looking at you with a very amiable expression that made your insides twist. But deep down you knew, one wouldn’t be enough. You need both. 
Letting out a shaky breath you weakly grasped at Sunghoon’s wrist and slipped two fingers past your gummy walls that accepted him. He groaned at the fit around his fingers, he hastily looked at you with shock but it was replaced when you softly stroked Jay’s head and brought him back to your pussy.
Both males snuck a gleam towards each other before focusing on their respective roles in your pleasure. Sunghoon pushed your body off the wall before pressing your back to his chest with a deep chuckle rumbling into your mind.
The muscles of his chest pressed harshly against you and a rather hard poke onto your body that you swore you felt a light twitch but unable to focus on that thought any longer when he pushed his fingers knuckles deep into you. Jay connected his mouth onto your swollen clit with a laugh at your loud gasp. 
“C’mon baby you have to be quiet for us” Jay managed to speak out through ever suck onto the bundle of nerves in a haste manner
His tongue lathered around with each pull at his hair that you gave. Eyes screwed shut as your breathing became ragged, focusing on the baring teeths picking at the bud while the fingers that plumped in and out of you. 
Sunghoon curled his fingers in the depths of you, the wet heat that surrounded his fingers slipped his hand full of your arousal. The loud squelch coming from the contact had no chance of disguised. While Jay’s mouth collected the fallen essence of you that slipped through. 
“W-Wait” You weakly told at the sensation growing in the pit of your stomach grew larger by the second 
You could feel the smirk against your skin from the side of your face to all the way down below. “I can feel it. Tightening around me like to keep me buried in you” Sunghoon snickered before stopping his fingers at knuckle length 
Nipping at your bottom lip to conceal your shaky breath when he slowly opens the closed fingers to spread the hollowness of you. Your hand tightly gripped his wrist in a poor attempt but when Jay’s hand placed over your weak hold and you looked at him with wide eyes. 
He pulled away, the bottom half of his face smeared of you. Glistening under the harsh white light from above but it accentuated his profile, of his sharp high nose bridge that smudged with wetness at the tip and the loopy smile on his face and sweat accumulating at his forehead. 
But his soon loopy smile turned into a  grin when your face morphed into a slack jaw and rolled back eyes when he guided Sunghoon’s hand out of you. The tip of his fingers left inside with a small wiggle of them before being shoved back into you. 
“We have to prep you baby. Don’t wanna hurt you” Jay slurred his speech but it went through one ear and out the other as you solely focused on the movements Jay guided through Sunghoon’s fingers 
With each thrust into you each time Sunghoon curled his fingers up to feel the pressure surrounding him. He could feel how you spasmed around his fingers, a clear indication of you nearing your climax. 
He looked at Jay to see the starstruck expression he had on as he watched you pant, trying to keep quiet to not draw attention. His own smirk slightly faltered, he looked down to your soaping self. 
He watched how Jay slowly pulled and pushed his fingers to get you off. While he didn’t mind it necessarily, there was a tightening feeling in his chest. Sunghoon looked up when you threw your head back onto his shoulders, weak moans leaving your swollen lips and it was a sight to see. 
In a rushed manner, he ripped his fingers away from you right when he felt the tight grip holding him in place. You let out guttural pained breath and quietly whined as you lifted your head off his shoulder and when you were going to face him, he pushed your front to the wall. 
Hoisting yourself up with your arms for support, you peer over to see the unexplained flash in his eyes as he watches your exposed lower half. Nervously gulping you attempted to shift into another position but he stopped you with a hand on your lower back.  
“I need you” His pleading eyes looked up to catch yours and quickly nodding your head without much thought and expecting a sudden smirk, you were met with a soft smile from Sunghoon 
A thump fluttered in your chest but your wandering eyes landed when you saw him fiddling with the waistband of his pants. You gulped at the evident imprint inside of them when he pulled down everything in a haste. His leaking tip smacked against his stomach and he saw how your eyes widened at the sight. 
“Think you can take it princess?” He hummed darkly as he inched closer to you, the heat radiating off his body onto your back as hands ghosted around your hips until he slightly pushed them out for him,“I think you can” He poorly laughed, his calloused hands gripped your body, his thumb creasing at your side until the feel of one of them disappeared
Moving your eyes away from Sunghoon, you spotted Jay taking a seat in the far too small bench provided. He folded his arms over his chest, a mischievous hand gesturing as if ordering a silent command. Your eyebrows knitted but all thoughts were wiped out when your leg was hiked up and a stretch pulled your wet wall apart. 
A loud gasp slipped past and your hands grabbed around air as your forehead pressed against the cold wall with a heavy breath. Sunghoon hissed at the welcoming warmth that engulfed his aching cock. “Absolutely perfect. You feel so good” He panted as he pushed himself deeper
“B-Big” You cry, prompting an egotistical laugh from Sunghoon, he snuck a glance back at his friend who took a seat on the unoccupied chair with a hard look he knew too well
Jay is annoyed.
Sunghoon smirked at himself, turning his attention back to you before thrusting up to a hilt as he stuffed you full in one go. He groaned louder than anticipated when the confinement you provided him squeezed him tighter, “Taking me so well princess” He messily planted kisses towards the side of your face
He watched how you clawed at the wall in need, weak breaths shuddering out and unable to hold back the chuckle that slipped by, you shot him a glare but your face dropped when the warmth disappeared from inside, his tip being the only inch left behind before slamming his hips upwards and back into your velvet walls. 
“Sunghoon” You body pressed further up as you weakly called out to him in a gasp 
His hand gripping your waist applied pressure onto your stomach as he settled on a pace for his thrust, “You sound beautiful” He murmured in the shell of your ears, “Hate to know that I’m not the only one that can hear you” His words brought clarity to your mind for a second
The sound of the lewd wetness meeting each other, the obscene noises from your throat and leaving past your swollen lips, his low grunts. However, that thought washed away when your head fell forward, all rationality was thrown out as you focused on how Sunghoon was making you feel. 
In your mind, there was no else besides you or him. Your mouth agape the more his hips met with your back in perfect calculation of his cock ramming in and out of you with a desperate need that showed every so often with a slip of an uneven shove into your pussy. 
You could feel the hard gaze shot your way and you knew it to be Jay but unable to lift your head, you only arched your back further, your arms burning from holding yourself up.
Yet, your neck was suddenly craned up with a squish at your throat. “Already getting tired?” Sunghoon’s biceps wrapped at your neck, the evident pumped bulge hosting your head up. The grip at your hip pulled further down to arch it impossibly more for him before he wrapped his arm across your chest, while the other held your neck. 
Flushing your body closer to his chest, his biceps cranking each speck of oxygen that slipped out of you with each moan, your pitiful wails growing in desperation as he continued his ruthless attempts of molding your pussy just for him. 
A dark laugh left his mouth when he heard your moans stringing along whimpers of his names. “Feel good princess?” You could feel the smugness overflowing from him but when he flexed more for you to feel the pressure pressing harder into your throat 
Left to respond with the only words running through your mind, you clawed at his bicep,“Hoon- Sunghoon” A silent hiss passed his mouth at the scratches left in their wake by you but instead it only fueled the carnal need even more of you 
Your teeth weakly clamped on the bulging flesh that reached close to your mouth. Tears brimmed at your eyes, the muffled noises made him frustrated that he couldn’t hear you, but the sight of your current state, so distraught in pleasure. Sunghoon’s flipped in his chest. 
The lack of proper air flow, your mouth filled with the flesh of the pumped muscle, your hands grasping to any form of flesh from Sunghoon as support, and the dizzying feel in your head the more his hold around your neck grew tighter 
His raging tip kissed your insides, each poke into the squishy walls sent you over the edge. The sound of skin smacking on skin filled the cramped room but space grew available as you and Sunghoon’s body melted into one,“Let him how good I’m making you feel” 
Sunghoon gritted through his teeth,“Let Jay over there know who's making you feel this good” He urged your head up to look over to the male that the moment you caught glimpse of
Jay’s head hung to the side, his legs spread open as his hand ran over the enlarged hard on against his sweats while his eyes never looked away from the scene in front of him–of you taking Sunghoon so well. 
“Fuck you just got tighter- You like that? Being watched as you get fucked?” You rapidly nodded your head and showed a loopy when he knocked your head back to his shoulder, the tip of his biceps pressuring your throat while he grinned widely at you 
“Come for me princess” Sunghoon’s voice lulled straight into your ear, “Let go for me” Sunghoon’s hand pressed harder against your stomach making you loudly squeal, no longer caring of holding back when the warming feeling was erupting in your stomach
Sunghoon’s thrust got messier and arrhythmic, faint twitches inside of you while his cock slid past your gummy walls. The pull against your skin became unnerving, lighting your body on fire in your body that only edged him further. Your hands reached up to grip his biceps with each of his slam against your hips without much care. 
When you clenched tightly around him followed by a pitched whine, Sunghoon stilled his hips roughly into you with a guttural groan. He secured his grip around you in an attempt to flush your body even closer to his. The warmth of his cum spilled into your red pinkish spamasing walls, painting them white of him. “Knew you could take me” He chuckled before inching out his cock from you
You loudly sucked in a breath when his hand roughly grabbed at your skin and spread your cheek to the side in order to grasp the sight of your and his cum mixed together and sliding down to your thigh. He smirked at his work but he was brushed off to the side and stumbling over his feet. Snapping his gaze up, he saw Jay’s stoic expression, “Time’s up” Jay spoke before bringing his attention to your heaving self
His eyes narrowed on the sight of the white trail on your thigh. He looked up to see your pleading eyes peering from over your shoulder causing a laugh to come from him. You frowned at the mockery sound but your scowl faltered when you flipped onto your back against the wall.
The sweet smile and shining eyes caught your main focus, different from how Sunghoon was even though you managed to catch the said male in the corner of your eye sitting in the same spot Jay was just sitting on. “Let’s be honest Jay, you won’t be able to fuck her better than me” Sunghoon sneered through a smug grin, resting on his extended arms behind him 
His friend chose to ignore the obvious instigation even though something stuck inside of him and rumbled the held down urge to the surface, Jay’s calloused hands held your jaw, his thumb creased over your cheek, his loving smile never moving from his face, “Why don’t we show him mhm?” 
Your even breathing was suddenly cut off when his fingers glided across your bare legs before the tips of his fingers traced at the leaking smudge, collecting everything onto his fingers, raising the white covered fingers to hover your mouth. His thumb creased at your chin and pulled down on the muscle to crack open your mouth just enough to slip his two fingers into your wet mouth. You visibly cringed at the bitterness on your tongue and he lightly chuckled at your sour expression. “I thought you liked sour stuff?” 
Your hard gaze flared at him which only caused him to slide his fingers further down your mouth and into your throat, “What was that? Can you do what you just did again?” He raised an eyebrow 
The restriction of your throat around his fingers from your throat made him slowly hum, “Bet you can take stuff well in the pretty mouth of yours” Jay twirled his fingers around as his dazed eyes looked from your pursed lips to your wavering eyes
“You don’t actually think he can fuck you better than me, do you?” He asked as he pulled his fingers from your mouth with a loud pop that rung out
The questioned posed an underlying unease, you knew he wanted you to agree to spite Sunghoon, you decided to test your limits instead
Peering over to your side to see Sunghoon’s narrowed eyes awaiting for your answer, the corner of your mouth inched upwards and his thin lips formed into a rising smirk, “Don’t know, he did pretty well” You weakly shrugged your shoulders before looking back at Jay 
Jay huffed a scoff at your reply with a weak shake of his head, his gripped at your chin to keep your gaze on him, “Let’s find out then” It wasn’t a question but rather a statement that shivered goosebumps across your body
Maintaining eye contact with him as he fumbled with his pants with a hurried pace. Forcing your gaze to stay up and not to drop when you heard the wet splat against his skin, your jaw clenched when his hand tapped at your thigh to lift it up, “Take a deep breath for me baby” He groaned when he dipped closer to your ear 
You opened to rebuke at his remark but a strained sound ripped out of you as you felt the pull that parted your folds as he slid his cock in. Your hands flew to his shoulders but it slipped to his broad back in a weak attempt for support, “Ooh, what happened baby?” His tone feigned innocence when he slammed himself deeper into you 
Your fingers dug straight into his shoulder blades with a ripped out moan as you were filled in by the inches, he hissed against your neck at your infliction of holding onto him, “L-Look shit- You’re struggling take me. All that talk for what?” 
Jay felt the warm confinement adjusting to the new stretch you were given in the past 10 minutes after Sunghoon but his heart swelled as he watched your face contort into all kinds of different expressions. Your mouth hanging open as silent noises fell out, your eyes screwed shut and your hands gripped to his back muscles that moved with each shift. 
“Ja-Jay” Broken wanton pleas filled his ears when he pressed himself further into your pussy clenching around his shaft, keeping him in place when he tried to pull away anymore that wasn’t to your satisfaction
“What’s wrong baby?” He strung his words together to form a coherent sentence that slurred roughly in your mind, “Too much for you?”
He weakly chuckled when you failed to respond the moment he hammered his hips up into yours making your mouth fall slack. The twitch of his cock buried deep inside of you that you were nearly able to outline each trace of bulging flesh. Jay’s thrust started off slow but deep, each never daring to pull apart more than an inch from you before pushing it back into you. 
Your wet mewls were like music to his ears that he could never get tired of. His hand hiked your leg higher up to align himself into a new position that had stretched your walls even more. Your fingers grabbed the tank top as he inched out further with each thrust before driving his raging hard on into your welcoming self. 
The stimulation was growing too much yet, when Jay tried to pull out when he heard your sniffles, the worry in him washed away when you grabbed around his neck and smacked his body onto yours, “Knew you can handle it” He praised which sent flutters into your stomach 
Jay’s hand fondled with the flesh of your hips as his thrust grew unrhythmic, the once calculated thrust started slipping into uneven ones and the concealed groans soon became louder and more frequent, “So fucking good to me. Could get used to this forever” Your mind didn’t pick up on the implications on his statement as your wordlessly nodded
Sunghoon on the sidelines instantly picked up on his friend’s chatter and smirked to himself, a weak nod and pursed of his lips together, the mess trickling down your leg from his part before he hooked up to the slacken expression all over your face. His thick eyebrows perked up in interest jotting down to question Jay once they’re back home what he meant by that.
Mewling Jay’s name like a chant felt like a paradise in his mind.”I’m going to- Jay!” Each clench around him sent the coil in his stomach to grow tighter
“Come with me” He pressed your bodies until there was no possibility of space in between, his pace was hard and rough but it made your head thrown back against the wall with a loud gasp mixed with a soft moan when you clamped down on him harshly when you felt the spurts painting your fading white walls pearly white now 
He sucked in a breath when your fingers dug harshly into his back mimicked the hard hold you hand around his cock, “Good girl baby” Jay creased the side of your forehead, wiping away the sweat droplets accumulating at the side of your head
“Like knowing that you were so good for me?” Jay’s eyes sparkled when you shyly looked away from him, the clear contraction around his cock from the words was his clear indicator
He took in the gleam casting over you in a perfect afterglow. The twinge of fingers feather over your forehead as you weakly open your eyes to catch his attention. When your weak smile plastered across your face before flinching when he carefully pulled out. 
Your tiptoed foot and hiked up one was placed onto the ground but your knees buckled underneath the profound balance. Your body leaned forward but to stop your fall was both Jay and Sunghoon. 
Looking between the two males, a gleam of mischief casted over their eyes as they hoisted you upright. A tugging smile rising when they caught sight of the mixed cum sliding down your leg. Sunghoon, the first to move, scooped up the fallen release and spread it across your folds. The wet squelch made him groan when his fingers slid back into your sensitive self. 
“One more?” Sunghoon’s voice gruffed out, his hands squishing in between the thighs yet when you were going to respond what you thought was for you
Jay beat you to it.
“One more”
[|━|]
Legs limping after another, your walk uncomfortable as you tried to discreetly shift in hopes of ignoring the clumps of cum that spilled out and clung your folds to your dampened underwear. Your face housed a scowl that couldn’t outshine the afterglow that was beaming from you. 
You gulped straightening out your clothing to its previous state before you ran into Jay and Sunghoon when you appeared behind your friend who was doing her set on a leg machine you didn’t know the name of. 
Her gazed looked from her feet up to you before loudly shrieking at your reappearance, “Where were you?! You left your phone behind and I was freaking out when I couldn’t find you!” Your friend worriedly yelled, shaking your shoulders until she jerked back in notice of your poorly fixed disheveled state, heavy pants after each breath and an undeniable ambience surrounding you
“Decided to do some cardio instead”
——
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sturnioz · 2 months ago
Text
‘ESPRESSO’ — MATT STURNIOLO
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pairing. matt sturniolo x fem!reader genre. coffee shop au, first time au, fluff, smut
word count. 11.5k
❝I'm just happy I finally know your name... we've been calling you Espresso since your first few days of coming in❞
content warnings. explicit content, porn with heavy plot, loss of virginity (female), protected sex, soft sex, light nipple sucking, oral (female receiving), fingering, lots of kissing, mentions of nerves and anxiety, mentions of big dicks, mentions of stretching out.
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"...And then he told me that he's not ready for a relationship, can you believe that? He's been treating me like his girlfriend for the past three months, we cuddle in the same bed almost every night, and he takes me out to dinner. I swear, men are just—"
You tune out the rest of the customers rant, letting the noise blur into the background as you focus on the task at hand, turning the nozzle on the coffee machine and carefully guiding the milk-filled pitcher under the steam wand. Your hand rests lightly on the cool metallic surface, waiting for the milk to warm to the perfect temperature.
Maya, your co-worker, stands beside you, leaning casually against the counter as she checks her watch for the third time in the past minute, her expression filled with boredom. When she catches your gaze, she quirks a small, kind smile your way, and you return it—brief but warm—before refocusing on your task.
Days like this are all too familiar, blending in together into an endless loop: wake up at 6am, clock in at the café around 7, overhear customers sharing their personal dramas (completely oblivious to how loud they're actually being), clean up after them, lock up at closing, and head back to your apartment to do it all over again the next morning.
You can't decide if it's comforting in a way, or just another reminder that you live what feels like a really fucking boring life. But the decent pay and the co-workers—Maya especially—make it hard to complain too much.
You detach the steam wand from the pitcher and reach for a cup, pumping three shots of vanilla syrup. You're just about to pour the heated milk when a sharp snap of fingers and an irritatingly loud whistle cuts through the air.
"Excuse me," you slowly turn to face the customer, resisting the urge to react to her dog-like call as she waves a manicured hand in your direction, her freshly painted French tips pointing at the cup in your hand. "I asked for five pumps of vanilla syrup—Five. And don't forget the extra caramel drizzle this time."
It takes everything in you not to roll your eyes. Instead, you force a tight-lipped smile, nodding as you turn your back, adding the extra vanilla syrup and making a show of counting to five.
You proceed to pour the steamed milk into the cup, followed by the needed espresso shots, and you finish it off with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce. Once the lid is secured and the cup sleeve is slid into place, you push the drink across the counter toward her.
She doesn't so much as glance at you as she places her card on the reader, snatches the drink, and strides out the door. You exhale sharply through your nose, shaking your head as a scowl tugs at your lips, but nonetheless, you press your tongue to the inside of your cheek and clean your station, wiping down the counter and preparing for the next customer.
Another day, another latte, another fucking difficult customer.
"If she whistled at me like a dog, I would've leaped over the counter and bitten her like one," Maya mutters beside you, and a genuine smile spreads across your face as you feel her arm wrap snugly around your middle, giving you a comforting squeeze. "I'll spit in her drink next time. Really. Just say the word, and I will do it."
You stifle a quiet laugh, amused by her threat. "As much as I would love that..." you turn your head to meet her gaze. "...I'd rather you not get fired."
Maya grins, her arms slipping away from your waist as she teases, "Who says I'd get caught? Nobody has to know."
You nudge her shoulder playfully, and she chuckles before turning her attention to the next customer. Meanwhile, you shift your focus to your own customer standing at the counter, greeting them with a warm smile as you take their order and punch the details into the tablet screen.
You're in the middle of plating up the cinnamon bun they ordered when the soft chime of the door bell catches your attention, and out of habit, you glance toward the door, your eyes landing on someone fairly new: a guy with tousled brown hair, partially hidden beneath a low baseball cap.
The brim of the cap and the hood of his oversized black jacket obscure his face, but you can still make out a few details—sharp cheekbones, and a hint of stubble along his jaw.
His outfit is simple: a white shirt and baggy denim jeans, paired with black boots that match his oversized jacket.
It's the kind of comfortable look you envy... you wish you could trade your uniform for something like that right now.
Not wanting to linger on him for too long, you finish up the order for the paying customer with a polite nod, and she thanks you kindly which prompts you into wishing her a wonderful day, earning a sweet smile in return.
As she walks away, your gaze instinctively shifts back to the guy, now standing in front of the counter. He's too preoccupied with his phone to notice he's next in line, his thumbs moving rapidly across the screen.
"Can I take your order?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah, m'sorry," he mumbles, coughing lightly to clear his throat. His eyes stay fixed on his phone as he continues typing something, his voice distracted. "Can I have three iced americanos please?"
"Coming right up." you reply quietly, turning away to start the drinks. Maya steps in beside you, having finished her previous orders to offer a lending hand, and within moments, the iced drinks are ready.
Just as you place them on the counter and prepare to give him the total, he suddenly mutters under his breath, "You've got to be fuckin' playin' with me."
The irritation in his voice makes you freeze for a second, assuming his comment was directed at you. You hesitate before asking cautiously, "What?"
He looks up, startled by your response, and once he realises his mistake, he scrambles to explain. "Wait—no, shit. I uh... I wasn't talkin' to you, I was just..."
For the first time, he raises his head fully, and you can't help but try to get a better look at him. But even now, the brim of his cap and the hood of his jacket cast shadows over most of his face.
Still, you know he's staring at you—silent, unmoving—just by the weight of his gaze.
Feeling a bit shy under his gaze, you blink and glance away, fumbling to fill the silence as you press gently, "Just...?" 
He snaps out of his trance, the words tumbling out in an awkward ramble. "I uh—I lost a bet with my brothers, and now I have to buy 'em drinks. I thought they'd just want whatever, but um... they're makin' it difficult 'cos they both want different drinks..."
"Oh," you respond, blinking awkwardly as you glance down at the iced americanos you've already prepared. "Well, alright... I can just make you the new—"
"No!" he interrupts, his voice sharp enough to make you pause. "Fuck—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout—these drinks are fine. Really. I'll take them. They're just idiots, probably doin' this shit on purpose or somethin', I don't know."
His exasperation pulls a light laugh out of you before you can stop yourself, and the sound seems to catch him off guard, his lips parting slightly in surprise.
After a moment, he cracks a breathy laugh of his own, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as though he's embarrassed to have made you laugh.
When you finally give him the price, he retrieves a sleek black card from his wallet and taps it on the reader, and for a second, your professional demeanour falters. He looks you, definitely younger than you'd expect from someone carrying a black card.
A flicker of curiosity passes through your mind, but you push it aside.
It's not your business, after all.
As he adjusts his hold on the cup holders, he hesitates before looking at you again. "Thanks..." his voice trails off as his gaze drops to your nametag. He reads your name softly, so quietly you almost miss it. "I'll see you tomorrow."
And he does.
In fact, the days blur into weeks as he becomes a familiar presence at the cafĂ©. Almost every day, he walks in and orders three drinks—sometimes iced americanos, sometimes a mix of different flavours.
With each visit, he greets you with a warm hello and dives into his usual ramblings about his brothers. His stories are always laced with fond adoration as he recounts whatever they all get up to, and through him, you've become a bit familiar with their personalities, even if you don't know exactly what it is they do.
Despite his frequent visits, he remains a mystery. You still haven't caught a proper glimpse of his full face, obscured by the cap and hood, nor have you learned his name yet.
On some days, after picking up his drinks, he settles at a specific table near the back of the café, close to the window. From his chosen spot, he seems to watch you, though he tries to appear nonchalant about it.
When you glance over, you occasionally catch the subtle twitch of his lips—like he’s trying not to smile but can’t quite help himself.
Normally, this type of odd behaviour from a customer might alarm you. But there's something about him that keeps you from feeling uneasy. If anything, you find yourself always looking forward to seeing him and wondering if he's watching you.
And, though you hate to admit it, you enjoy the attention from this stranger a lot.
"Espresso's late today," Maya remarks, her tone light as she wipes down the counter, frowning slightly at the coffee she spilled earlier.
Espresso—the nickname Maya came up with for the mystery guy—immediately grabs your attention, and you pause mid-swipe with your mop, glancing over your shoulder to survey the cafĂ©.
It's quiet today, and only a few tables are occupied: a couple engrossed in their conversation, a college student hunched over a textbook, and an older woman savouring her coffee and cake.
"Maybe he's not coming," you suggest, turning back to the floor as you scrub the stubborn coffee stains. "He could be busy."
Maya straightens, tossing the damp cloth into the sink before crossing her arms, deep in thought. Her lips purse briefly before she turns her gaze to you. "Do you think he's famous or something?"
You raise an eyebrow at her out of nowhere assumption. "What makes you think that?"
She rolls her eyes, as if the answer is painfully obvious, and begins counting her reasons on her fingers. "He covers his face constantly, he won't tell you his name, he always pulls up in a blacked-out windowed car—"
"Wait, how do you know about the car?" Maya shrugs nonchalantly. "I'm attentive, okay? I notice these things. Anyways, he never says what he does, and he owns a black card. All these clued add up. Celebrity."
As she finishes her mini-investigation, you hum thoughtfully and set the mop aside, washing your hands at the sink before returning. "Do you actually care if he's famous?"
"Not really. I'm just nosy. Uncovering the secrets of suspicious people makes me feel like I'm in some kind of mystery film. It's fun."
Her words make you smile, and soon she’s off on a rant, proudly sharing her latest theories about some crime show she’s been currently recently. She tells you her predictions, and she even brags about guessing the culprit before the reveal, and you listen, amused.
But your attention is abruptly pulled elsewhere when the familiar chime of the doorbell echoes through the café.
Your gaze instinctively shifts to the entrance, and there he is—Espresso.
He steps inside, dressed in his usual style: a black hoodie, baggy denim jeans, and the black balenciaga cap pulled low over his face. Tufts of dark hair peek out from beneath the cap, and, as always, the brim and hood keeps his identity hidden.
A smile slides across your lips as he approaches, and you greet him warmly. "Hey, you're late today."
But your smile falters when you don't get the same warmth in return.
“Yeah, sorry.” he murmurs softly, his voice drawling with weariness. He doesn't raise his head to look at you, instead he shifts his focus to his wallet which he pulls out of his pocket. “Can I just get a hot chocolate, please?” 
“Getting bored of the other drinks already?” you tease lightly, trying your best to engage him in conversation. But the attempt fails. He doesn't respond the way you had hoped, he just quietly taps his card against the machine and walks toward his usual table without another word.
You watch him go, a faint uneasy feeling settling in your chest. Maya catches your eye, and her puzzled expression mirrors your own. You shrug, unsure what to say as you turn to prepare the drink.
Once his hot chocolate is ready, you hesitate for a moment before deciding to do something small to—hopefully—brighten his day. Grabbing a plate, you carefully add a slice of cake, promising Maya with a quick whisper that you'll cover the cost later.
She raises an eyebrow at you but doesn't argue, and you can feel her gaze on your back as you make your way over to his table.
"Here you go," you say softly, setting the drink and plate down in front of him.
He reaches for the hot chocolate but pauses, his hand hovering mid-air as his eyes land on the slice of cake. "I... I didn't order—"
"I know," you interrupt, your tone gentle. "It's on me. You seem like you're having an off day, so..."
For a moment, he doesn't say anything. He just stares at the cake, as if he's trying to decide how to respond. Then, he slowly tilts his head back to look up at you, and you catch the slight parting of his lips before they curve into a sheepish smile.
"That's really sweet of you... thank you." his voice is softer than you expected, and it makes your heart do an unexpected little flip.
"No worries," you reply, shaking your head lightly to brush off his gratitude. "I hope you enjoy—"
"Do you, uh, think you can sit down with me?" his question catches you completely off guard, and your words falter mid sentence. Your mouth hangs open slightly as you process his request, and he quickly adds. "If you can, obviously. If you're busy, I get it. That's fine... but if you're not... that would be fine too."
You glance around at the cafĂ©, taking in the calm and quiet atmosphere. It's not busy at all—just a handful of customers scattered at their tables. When your gaze shifts to Maya, you find her already watching you, gesturing animatedly as she encourages you to take the invitation.
She even redirects your boss, who's just emerged from the back, sending them back into the office with a distraction.
Collecting your thoughts, you respond. "I can sit with you for a couple of minutes."
His shoulders visibly relax at your answer as you grab a chair and slide into the seat across from him, tucking yourself beneath the small table. You're about to ask if he's okay, if he'd like to talk about his clearly hard day, when his next action leaves you completely speechless.
Without a word, he pulls down his hood and tugs off his cap, running his fingers through his hair. and all you can do is stare, your breath catching in your throat.
His face is... gorgeous.
Messy strands of slightly grown-out hair frame his features. Strong cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and those eyes—bright and piercing. He's even more attractive than you imagined, and the realisation sends your heart pounding rapidly in your chest, warmth spreading across your face.
"My name is Matt, by the way," he says, breaking the silence as he picks up the mug of hot chocolate and takes a small sip. Matt. The name repeats in your mind, and you can't help but think how fitting it feels for him. "M'sorry for not introducin' myself before. I wasn't trying to be, like, rude or anythin'... I just can't do that sometimes."
You blink, trying to gather your thoughts, but it's hard to form a coherent response when all you can think about is how his voice fits him as well as his name. But then, his last words replay in your head, tugging at your curiosity.
Your eyebrows knit together as confusion settles in, "You can't do that?"
Matt's expression shifts, surprise flicking around his face as his gaze meets yours. "Do... do you not know me?" You stare at him, unsure of what he means, your silence prompting him to quickly clarify. "I'm not being narcissistic, I swear. I'm a youtuber—content creator, whatever you wanna call it. I just... I get nervous about being recognised, s'all."
"Oh." you hum softly in understanding. Maya's earlier theory about him being someone famous suddenly clicks into place, and you can't help but mentally applaud her for her observational skills. Slowly, you nod before continuing, "That makes sense. But it's fine—you're fine. I'm just happy I finally know your name... we've been calling you Espresso since your first few days of coming in."
Matt's expression softens, his lips curving into a gentle smile. "You talk about me?"
The question catches you off guard, and you swallow thickly, suddenly embarrassed. "I didn't say that."
His smile grows and hums in response, staring at you over the rim of his cup as he takes another sip of his drink, the action slow and deliberate. The weight of his gaze makes your heart stutter, and you quickly avert your eyes, shifting your focus elsewhere in an attempt to push away the flustered feeling rising in your chest.
Don't act like this, you scold yourself silently. You need to stop being weird. He's just a regular guy.
But deep down, you know that's not entirely true. There's something about Matt—his easy smile, the way he seems both shy and confident at the same time—that makes you feel things you can't quite name.
Your fingers fidget against the edge of the table, and a quiet thought sneaks its way into your mind, one you try desperately to ignore.
You don't have a crush on Matt already.
Of course you don't.
There's no way.
Right?
You decide to steer the conversation in a different direction, leaning back in your chair in an attempt to appear as casual as possible. "So, what's wrong? Why do you seem so tired today?"
"Just constantly busy, and I, uh... got into an argument with my brothers. It was over something so stupid, but I think it got to me 'cos I'm so tired," Matt explains to you, and you instantly feel a pang of sympathy for him. "But it's fine. I know everything will be back to normal tomorrow."
"You should've stayed home and gotten some rest instead of coming here," you chastise lightly, your tone soft enough to show you're not actually upset with his decision.
"I like it here too much," Matt counters, shaking his head as he picks up the fork provided with the cake. He cuts a piece from the corner, bringing it to his mouth, and his next works are barely audible—almost as if he didn't mean for you to hear them. "I like seein' you."
Oh.
The quiet confession catches you by surprise, and you feel the familiar warmth of flusteredness creeping up your neck. Your hand instinctively rises to rub your jaw, a weak attempt to hide the shy smile tugging at your lips.
You can't help but feel baffled by how easily Matt seems to jump between awkwardness and boldness, leaving you unsure how to respond in moments like this. Does he have any idea what his words do to you?
You glance at him briefly, watching as he nonchalantly cuts another piece of cake. He hums softly in approval of the taste, seemingly enjoying it, and you shake your head with an airy laugh, catching his attention.
His gaze shifts toward you, gesturing to the cake. "Have you tried it before?"
"Not yet," you admit, a smile gracing your lips. "It's a homemade recipe. One of my co-workers made it," The image of the little old lady in her flour-covered apron and frosting-smeared cheeks comes to mind. "She loves to bake."
Matt nods thoughtfully, and then cuts another piece of cake. Instead of handing you the fork though, he keeps it in his grip, extending his arm toward you. "Here, try it."
Your eyes widen at the gesture, surprise and hesitance flooding through you. Time feels like it pauses for a moment as you process what's happening, and your gaze meets his across the table, noticing the way his teeth nibble on his bottom lip.
His expression is genuine though, and there's a slight vulnerability in the offer that makes your heart skip a beat.
After a moment, you decide to give in. Leaning forward, your hand gently wraps around his to steady the fork, and you feel him freeze at the contact, but he doesn't pull away. Slowly, you open your mouth to accept the bite, ready to taste the flavour.
But before you can indulge, the moment is abruptly shattered by the loud call of your name.
Startled, you pull back, breaking the connection before the two of you, and Matt lowers the fork quickly, his hand retreating as if the interruption had startled him just as much.
Standing at the counter, your boss watches with his arms folded over his chest, a look of amusement dancing across his features. Maya stands just behind him, her expression apologetic for ruining your moment.
"What're you doing?" your boss asks, one eyebrow raised. His tone is teasing, though it's firm enough to remind you you're on the clock. "Stop flirting with your boyfriend, kid. You're on work hours."
Your mouth opens and closes as you try to come up with a response, but nothing comes out. Embarrassment washes over you like a tidal wave, and you completely forget you're with Matt as you stand up abruptly, rushing over to your boss and all but shove him into the backroom.
"Hey—what—" he starts, but you cut him off with a rapid string of apologies for pushing him, laced with muttered curse words for his earlier assumption about yours and Matt's relationship.
"I wasn't flirting—and he's not my boyfriend! Why would you say that?!" you hiss under your breath, mortification burning hot. You groan, pressing your palms to your face as you spiral into a ramble. "Oh my god. That was embarrassing. I can't believe you said that. What do I do now? I can't—"
Your anxious rambling is cut off by your boss' deep, amused laugh. "He was feedin' you. What else was I supposed to think?"
From the side, Maya nods with an exaggerated agreement. "That was such a boyfriend move..."
Your boss places a hand on your shoulder, his expression softening slightly. "Look, I am sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. But maybe next time, don't let it happen during work hours, yeah? I already let you two get away with too much—"
"Well that's a fucking lie," Maya cuts in, her brows knitting together as she glares at him. Your boss snorts but doesn't respond, walking back out to the front with a shake of his head. Once he's gone, Maya steps closer to you with an apologetic look. "I tried to distract him for as long as I could, but he caught on pretty quick. At least it seemed like you and Espresso were getting along well?"
"His name is Matt," you tell her as you lower your hands from your cheeks. Her eyebrows shoot up, but before she can say anything, you groan again, pressing your fingers to your temples and rubbing in slow circles. "I'm so embarrassed. I'm gonna have to quit and, like, move away or something."
"Hey, being dramatic is my job," Maya teases as she pinches your arm lightly. "But you got his name though, that's progress."
You hesitate for a moment before adding, "I.. saw his face too."
Maya's eyes widen, her curiosity peaked. "You did? I couldn't see—he looked away and pulled up his hood right after your name was called..." she pauses, narrowing her eyes at you with a knowing smirk. "So? Was he hot?"
You meet her gaze, dead serious. "You have no idea."
After a few minutes of calming yourself down, you finally gather the courage to return to the front of the café, but when you glance toward Matt's table, your heart sinks.
It's empty.
The sight of the vacant chair and cleared space stirs an uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. You assume he must've left after your boss' comment, feeling awkward and embarrassed. And really, you can't blame him. If the roles were reserved, you'd probably book it out of here as fast as you could too.
You try to shake it off, forcing yourself to focus on work. You clean up the tables, preparing the cafĂ© for closing, but you deliberately leave Matt's table for last. You know it's silly—prolonging it won't change anything—but you can't help it.
When you finally approach the table, you swallow thickly, frowning as you take in the empty cup and plate. You pick them up and place them on your tray, but as you move, something catches your eye.
A napkin, crumpled slightly from hiding beneath the plate.
You set the tray down and reach for it, your heart starting to race as you unfold it. Scrawled across the napkin in slightly messy handwriting are the words that instantly bring a smile to your face:
đ–Œđ–ș𝗅𝗅 đ—†đ–Ÿ đ—đ—đ–Ÿđ—‡ 𝗒𝗈𝗎 đ—€đ–Ÿđ— đ—đ—đ–Ÿ đ–Œđ—đ–șđ—‡đ–Œđ–Ÿ (555) 555-555 - 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗆đ–ș𝗍𝗍/đ–Ÿđ—Œđ—‰đ—‹đ–Ÿđ—Œđ—Œđ—ˆ/â€™đ–»đ—ˆđ—’đ–żđ—‹đ—‚đ–Ÿđ—‡đ–œâ€™
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You ended up calling him when you got home from work that day. At first, you were nervous, your thumb hovering over the call button for longer than you'd like to ever admit.
And before you knew it, those phone calls became an important part of your routine. Almost every night, you'd find yourself laughing until your sides hurt, smiling until your cheeks were sore, and discovering little pieces of Matt you'd never known before.
He told you even more about his family—especially his brothers with their inside jokes—and he shared stories about his Youtube career: his struggles with burnout, and the moments that made it all worth it.
And in turn, you opened up to him too.
You told him everything.
To avoid causing any more trouble with your boss, Matt started visiting you during your breaks instead of sitting at a table on your shift, keeping you company whenever you both had a free moment in your schedules.
It didn't take long for him to become a familiar face around the cafĂ© either. Your co-workers grew fond of him quite quickly, and the old lady baker immediately adored him when he kindly complimented her on her delicious recipes—and she even allowed him to taste-test her newest ones before anyone else.
You started to notice how comfortable Matt was becoming with you over time, especially when it came to physical touch.
At first, it was subtle—the way his shoulder would brush against yours when he sat close, or how his leg would press lightly to yours under the table.
Then, those small touches grew bolder.
His fingers would linger on your arm as he talked, tracing patterns on your skin, and occasionally his hand would graze yours, but neither of you would pull away.
It took you a while to get used to it, but something about Matt made it so easy to accept. His touches felt natural, like they belonged there, and a part of you started to crave them in ways you didn't fully understand.
Then, one afternoon, everything changed.
Matt had offered to drive you home after your shift, something he'd started doing more often as your 'friendship' deepened. This time though, it felt different. So different. There was tension, not uncomfortable, but charged with something unspoken.
When he pulled up in front of your house and walked you to your doorstep, he made the first move. His hands came up to cradle your cheeks as his lips pressed against yours, soft and warm.
It happened sooner than you expected, but it felt so right—so natural.
From that moment on, kisses became a regular part of your time together. Whether it was when he drove you home from work or when you sneaked away for 'fresh air' during your breaks, his lips always seemed to find yours.
Sometimes it was quick—a stolen kiss.
Other times, it was slower—lingering, like he wanted to savour the moment just as much as you did.
And you found yourself falling for him, bit by bit, with every laugh, every touch, and every kiss.
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"So, he's not your boyfriend?" Maya's voice cuts through the whirring of the coffee machine, her tone filled with disbelief as she looks over at you.
"No, he's not," you shake your head as you carefully pour the espresso into a cup.
"But you kiss all the time, and he comes to visit you here almost every single day," Maya points out, her brows knitting together as she watches you add steamed milk and froth to finish the cappuccino.
It's a valid point, one that you've thought over many—many—times.
"Yeah," you hum, steadying the cup. "But he hasn't asked me out officially, y'know?"
Maya blinks, clearly perplexed. "Why can't you ask him then?"
You pause, staring at her like she's just suggested something completely outrageous. "Me?"
"Yeah, you."
The idea of taking the initiative and asking Matt to be your boyfriend sends a wave of panic rolling through you, and you shake your head quickly. "No. No way. I can't do that. I don't even know how to do that."
Maya blinks slower, processing your response. "You just... ask."
You scoff, incredulous. "Absolutely not. I've never done anything like that before, and I'm way too awkward to start now. What if it makes me look desperate? Or what if the timing is all wrong?" you spin around to face her, completely mortified as you mutter, "What if he rejects me?"
"Okay, now you're just overthinking everything," Maya sighs, grabbing a cup and lazily filling it with ice cubes. "Look, you just need to—"
"Excuse me!"
The sharp screech of an impatient customer cuts through the air, making both of you flinch. You quickly turn around, guilt already bubbling in your chest.
"I understand you have boy problems," the woman snaps, glaring at you, "but I'm in a rush. Can you hurry it up?"
Your eyes widen as the realisation starts to hit—you've turned into one of those people. The ones who talk too loudly about their personal problems, oblivious to the world around them.
Oh fuck.
You apologise profusely as you rush to finish the customers order, handing it over with a sheepish grin. She huffs, pays, and storms off, leaving you to groan and press the heel of your palm into your eyes.
"Don't worry about it too much." Maya says, trying to reassure you, and you appreciate the attempt to calm your spiralling thoughts of the day.
You sigh, nodding slowly, and a faint frown tugs at your lips as you grab a rag to clean the counter, trying to refocus.
Maya, however, isn't done. "Matt's supposed to be visiting you on break, right? Just talk to him then. See where his head's at with all this... it's clear that he likes you as much as you like him."
You nod again, this time a little more solemnly. Deep down, you know she's right, but the thought of having that conversation still makes you stomach churn with nerves.
Forcing a polite smile onto your face, you get back to serving your customers. You try to ignore the uncomfortable feeling brewing, but it lingers, making your shift stretch on longer than usual.
It doesn't help that it seems to be one of those days either—the kind where couples seem to flood the cafĂ©, all smiley and giggly, holding hands and sharing kisses.
Internally, you scowl. You know it's not fair to be so bitter about their happiness, but it's hard to stop yourself from feeling like the universe is rubbing it so carelessly in your face.
You grit your teeth as another couple approaches the counter, all lovey dovey as they order matching drinks. Seriously? .... For real? You can't help but think they're all doing this on purpose.
You know they aren't though. It's not their fault you're so frustrated and insecure. It's not their fault you're stuck in this weird position with Matt, unsure of where you stand.
They're in love—and they have every right to show it off to the world.
As the day drags on and on, you try your best to push aside the negatives thoughts swirling in your mind by focussing on your job, moving from task to task, hoping to make time fly by.
The wait isn't easy—you hate it—but you keep reassuring yourself that everything will be alright.
But, as your break finally arrives, that too familiar feeling of unease settles in your chest once again.
You find yourself sitting alone in the backroom, ten minutes into your fifteen-minute break. Your phone is sandwiched between your cheek and shoulder as you listen to Matt's voice on the other end of the call.
Your thumb instinctively finds its way to your mouth, and you bite down on your nail—a habit you've been trying to get a hold on.
“There’s been a change of plans," Matt says, his words filled with regret. "I don’t think I can come visit you right now—everythin’ is, like, super crazy and
” his voice trails off as he continues explaining, but the words blend together in the background of your mind.
He's not coming.
That feeling in your chest intensifies, and the uncomfortable churning in your stomach grows worse.
“I’m really sorry.” he says, soft and sincere.
“No, it’s fine. I get it,” you whisper, your tone a little on the vulnerable side. You hear him sigh on the other end of the phone, and you quickly add. “Seriously, it’s fine. I promise. It just
 sucks, I guess.”
“I know, baby,” Matt mutters quietly, his own sadness seeping through.
The unexpected affectionate name catches you off guard, but it brings you slight comfort. Warmth spreads across your face, and despite everything, you smile to yourself shyly.
There’s some rustling on his end, and you hear him adjust the phone before his voice comes through more clearly. “I can see you later, though. I can
 come over to your place, if you want.”
"My place?" you repeat, your eyes widening slightly as you sit up straighter. "You want to come over to my place?"
"Well, yeah, I mean—" he clears his throat, trying to sound more casual than he feels. "I have to film a video with my brothers and we won't be done until late, and I still really want to see you. We can have a date at yours or somethin'? I'll bring food or whatever on my way there. I'd offer you to come to mine, but—"
"My place is good," you cut him off, nodding to yourself as if to confirm it. "That's great, actually."
"Yeah?" you hear the smile in his voice, and it brings one to your own face as you hum softly in agreement. "Alright... I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay." you reply giddily.
You'd be completely lying to yourself if you said you didn't want the clock obsessively for the rest of your shift—counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until you could finally head home.
Spoiler: it didn't magically speed up. The numbers on the clock barely moved every time you checked.
But thankfully, after spilling the details of your plans to Maya, she offered to handle the closing-up duties so you could leave early.
At first, you protested. You didn't want to leave her to do everything alone, but her reassurance—and her reminded that she owed you for covering one of her shifts last week—finally convinced you to accept.
You couldn't say no after that.
As soon as you step out of the cafĂ©, your mind starts racing with thoughts about Matt's visit. You pick up the pace, practically speed walking to the nearest store to grab some last minute treats—a box of desserts and a pack of beers—and the grocery bag bumps against your leg with each hurried step.
When you finally make it home, you waste no time in kicking off your shoes and heading straight to the kitchen to stash the desserts and beers into the fridge before taking a moment to take in your apartment.
It's not messy, but it's... definitely lived in.
The couch cushions are out of place, a throw blanket is draped over an armchair. There's a few books stacked on the side table, and your empty coffee mug still sits on the corner of the counter where you left it this morning.
You sigh, rolling up your sleeves as you get to work tidying up. You fluff the cushions, fold the blanket neatly, and wash your coffee mug and place it back in the cupboard.
Once everything looks presentable, you dart off to the bathroom to shower, eager to scrub away the sweat and lingering smell of coffee from your shift. You stand beneath the spray and lather up with vanilla scented soap before giving your hair a thorough wash—you even exfoliate—mentally checking off every step as you go.
But when you're back in your room, standing in front of your closet with a towel wrapped around your body, you freeze.
What the fuck are you supposed to wear?
Your eyes scan the rows of clothes, but nothing seems right. Is this a proper date, or just a casual hangout? You've never been in this situation before, and it's impossible to guess the right vibe to match. You don't want to be overdressed and make it awkward, but you also don't want to look like you didn't try.
"I need your help," you blurt into the phone urgently and desperately, deciding to call the best person you know that can handle this type of situation. "Bad. I need your help bad."
There's a pause before Maya's laughter comes through the line, "What are you freaking out about now?"
"I—" you hesitate, gripping the phone tighter as your eyes dart back to your closet, pushing through the hangers for the tenth time. "I have no idea what to wear. I don't know if this is a date. I've never been on a date, so I don't know what people even wear to one."
You let out a frustrated sigh, slumping back onto your heels.
"I don't want it to look like I tried too hard, but I also don't want it to look like I just rolled out of bed and don't give a fuck—"
"Hey," Maya interrupts sharply, calling out your name. "Chill out."
You immediately fall silent, clutching the phone to your ear as you wait for her words of wisdom.
"Let me break it down for you," she begins, "Matt's coming over to your place after hanging out with his brothers, right?"
"Yeah..." you reply cautiously, narrowing your eyes at a skirt in your closet that suddenly feels too much.
"So," she continues. "Do you really think he's going to show up wearing, like, a suit and tie? A button-up and chinos? No. At best, he's showing up in sweatpants and a sweater. Maybe jeans."
You purse your lips, thinking that over. "So... what do I wear then?"
"God. You're hopeless." Maya teases with a loud, dramatic sigh. "Wear something comfortable. Something cute and casual. You have clothes like that, okay? I've seen them."
You nod as if she can see you. "Cute and casual," you repeat. "Okay, yeah, I can do that. That's fine. Thank yo—"
"Wait," Maya cuts in before you can hang up. "One more thing: wear matching lingerie. That red lacy set we bought last weekend? That one."
You freeze, eyebrows furrowing as her words settle in. Pulling the phone away from your ear, you glare at it for a second before returning it to your face. "Why the hell would I need to wear that?"
"Just in case," Maya responds matter-of-factly. "You know... just in case."
"Oh," you say dumbly, blinking as the realisation hits you. "I mean... doesn't have to happen right away, does it? Like—it's not expected or anything, right?"
"Of course not" Maya answers instantly to reassure you. "You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. But if the mood is right, at least you'll be prepared. Trust me."
After hanging up, you toss your phone onto the bed and take a moment to collect yourself. Maya's advice repeats in your head as you pull open your dresser drawer, digging out the red lingerie set. It's still neatly folded in the box it came in—the tags still attached.
You hesitate for a moment, then shrug to yourself. At least you'll be prepared. Once you've slipped into the lingerie, you pull on your favourite shirt and jeans—soft, well worn, and flattering in all the right ways. You take a step back to check your reflection in the mirror, smoothing out the fabric over your hips.
A touch of mascara, a swipe of lip gloss, a hint of blush and highlighter, and a quick spritz of perfume completes the look.
You're double checking your outfit and makeup when a knock beats on the front door, and your stomach flips. You abruptly move, nearly knocking over the vanity chair in your rush as you smooth out your shirt for the hundredth time, sock covered feet padding across the floorboards as you make your way to the front door.
With a deep breath, you unlock the door and swing it open, and instantly, any lingering anxiety melts away. There Matt stands, his signature black cap pulled low over messy hair, dressed in an oversized sweater and denim jeans.
He smiles at you—a soft, lopsided grin—before shuffling inside after you step aside, his sneakers scuffing lightly against the floor as he toes them off.
You open your mouth to speak, to welcome him into your home, but the words catch in the back of your throat as Matt doesn't even give you a chance. He drops the takeout bag to the floor with a soft thud, and his ringed fingers wrap gently around your wrist, tugging you closer.
A giddy smile spreads across your face as his cold palms cup the warmth of your cheeks, his gaze softening as his lips brush against yours—gentle and so sweet.
He exhales a deep sigh of contentment when you kiss him back, and your hands reach to grip the soft fabric of his sweater to pull him close. But Matt doesn't linger long on your lips, instead, he pulls back just enough to trail quick, playful kisses across your cheeks, nose, and forehead.
Each kiss lands with an over exaggerated smooch, and you can't help the laughter that bubbles up from your chest.
"Matt," you try to speak between giggles. "Stop, you're—"
"No," he murmurs, pressing another smacking kiss to your lips. "Missed you too much... sorry I couldn't come earlier."
You smile softly, your heart swelling as you pull back just enough to meet his gaze, your hands still resting on his chest. Gently, you shake your head. "You're here now, right?"
Matt's grin widens, and he bends down to pick up the takeout bag from the floor, straightening up before stepping further into your home.
His gaze sweeps over the room, taking in the details—the mismatched furniture, the framed photos on the walls, the soft glow of string lights draped across the windows, and the potted plants perched on the sills.
You shift your weight nervously, watching him take it all in with a flicker of self-consciousness, especially when his eyes linger on the shelf filled with books and little trinkets that probably look a bit chaotic to anyone but you.
"This is a nice place," he says finally, his voice warm and sincere as his eyes meet yours again. "Cosy."
"Thank you," you reply with a soft laugh, swaying lightly on the balls of your feet. "I would've invited you in sooner, but... it never seemed like the right time."
"That's okay," Matt says with a casual shrug. Then, he raises the takeout bag between you, giving it a little shake. "Hungry?"
As if on cue, your stomach growls loudly, causing you to sheepishly smile. "Starving."
It doesn't take long before the two of you settle comfortably on the couch, the food spread out on the coffee table in front of you. A movie plays on the TV—something you both agreed on watching—but as the minutes pass, it becomes background noise.
Matt's attention drifts to you, and soon he's asking about your day—showing genuine interest, listening to you talk as you recount the small details of your daily routine. He even teases you, his grin widening as he asks if you've spilled any more drinks during your shift.
You did that once—maybe twice.
He never lets you forget it. When the conversation shifts and it's your turn to ask him about his day, Matt's expression brightens. The way his eyes light up as he talks about filming with his brothers and brainstorming new ideas makes your chest ache in the best day, and you listen attentively as he rambles, soaking in the passion behind his words.
But then, his tone dips slightly, and he mentions feeling mentally drained—exhausted, even. The confession is so subtle, but it sticks with you as you remind him to take breaks and to focus more on his mental health, but he waves a hand dismissively, brushing off your worry.
You're about to push further, but before you can, Matt reaches for his phone, his energy shifting again as he tells you he wants to show you what he and his brothers have been doing and planning.
He scoots close, the warmth of his shoulder pressing against yours as he pulls up the photos and videos on his camera roll, explaining every detail behind each one. But your ears perk up when another voice cuts through in one of the videos Matt plays, a familiar one that belongs to one of his brothers.
"What are you doin'?" Chris' voice asks, and a second later, he comically slides into frame, his bright blue eyes staring directly into the camera lens, one brow raised in suspicion.
"Filmin' the sunset," Matt mumbles, the camera shaking slightly as Chris steps closer. "Dude, what're you—"
"Is this for your girlfriend?" Chris interrupts, practically shoving his face into view as he wiggles his eyebrows dramatically.
"Yeah," Matt huffs, trying to push Chris out of the shot. "Move."
"Take a video of me. I'm the view now."
"What? No," Matt snaps, scoffing. The camera lowers slightly, but not before you catch Nick in the background, fake gaggling loudly as a muttered, "You're fuckin' insane. Get away—" from Matt is the last thing you hear before the video cuts off.
As the video ends, you find yourself frozen, your heart thumping wildly in your chest. Slowly, your eyes drift from the phone to Matt's face. He's smiling at you—so softly, so fucking prettily—clearly waiting for your thoughts on the videos he just shared.
But your mind is stuck on one thing.
"Girlfriend?" The word slips out before you can stop it, your voice quiet, almost hesitant. "Do... do you call me your girlfriend in front of your brothers?"
"Yeah," he says without hesitation, his eyebrows pulling together in slight confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"
"You never asked," you whisper. You glance down, suddenly feeling embarrassed under his gaze. "I mean... it was never really talked about. We didn't put a label on anything."
Matt lets out a light laugh, scratching the back of his neck as if he's realising it for the first time.
"I kinda assumed we were together," he tells you. "I mean, I don't really see someone almost every day, kiss them, drive them home, and just call them a 'friend'," his cheeks grow a little flushed. "Like, I'd only do that with someone who's my girl."
You can't fight the smile that breaks across your face, and Matt notices it too, his hand coming up to cup your cheek, his thumb grazing your skin in a way that makes your heart flutter.
"Guess I should've asked though, hm?" he murmurs, his voice dropping to a softer tone as his thumb gently brushes over your bottom lip. His eyes lock with yours, tilting his head to the side. "Made it official?" he then leans in, his breath warm against your face. "Will you be my girlfriend? Or... is it too late?"
"Never too late."
Matt grins, and before you can say anything else, he closes the distance between you, pressing his lips to yours in a kiss that feels softer and sweeter than any before. His touch is so gentle, and you can't help but exhale deeply as you melt into him.
Kissing Matt is one thing, but kissing Matt who is your boyfriend? That was something else entirely. It feels new—exciting.
But then, as his hand dips beneath your shirt, his palm pressing lightly against the bare skin of your waist, something feels
 different. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s unfamiliar, and you find yourself pulling back slightly, your breathing ragged as you meet his gaze with an embarrassed, sheepish grin.
"You alright?" Matt asks immediately, concern etched into his expression. His thumb brushes over your hip, his touch grounding and gentle.
"No—yeah, yes. Everything is fine—great," you ramble with a nervous laugh, trying to collect yourself under Matt's worried gaze. His brow furrows as you scramble to explain yourself, but you decide to surrender and tell him the truth as your shoulders slump. "This is all new to me. I've never had this."
Matt blinks, then tilts his head, raising a brow. "Had a boyfriend?"
"No—well yeah, but," you shake your head with a small laugh and a shy smile. "I'm talking about sex... I've never done that before. I've never, like... been interested, you know?"
"Oh," he mumbles softly, pulling his hand carefully out from beneath your shirt. "Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"No!" you rush to cut him off, your hands curling around his wrists to stop him. "You didn't make me uncomfortable, if that's what you're wondering," you exhale shakily, trying your best to put your feelings into words. "I've never been interested in it before, but with you... I am."
Matt’s eyes widen slightly, his expression shifting to something almost unreadable—surprised, maybe even a little emotional. His hands find their way back to your hips, his grip gentle but grounding as his thumbs brush against your sides.
"Really?" he asks softly.
You nod, your heart beating faster. You want him to understand that this is all new territory for you, but it's something that you want to share with him—to give a part of yourself to someone who truly likes you just as much as you like him.
Matt studies you for a moment, his gaze darting across your face as if he's memorising all your little details. His eyes linger on your lips, noticing how they part slightly, how your tongue nervously darts out to wet your bottom lip.
"Relax," he murmurs, his voice trying to soothe you as he inches closer. "You're tremblin'."
"I'm nervous," you admit in a whisper.
"It's alright," he reassures you as his fingers gently tilt your chin up, his touch featherlight as he strokes your bottom lip. "I got you. We'll go slow."
"Slow," you echo, nodding. "Slow is good."
A soft smile tugs at Matt's lips as he leans in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead first, then your nose, before finally dipping down to press his lips to yours once again. Your eyes flutter shut as you melt into his touch, feeling the way his mouth moves against yours.
When you part your lips, a soft gasp escapes you as Matt deepens the kiss, his tongue flattening against yours as it enters your mouth, and the sensation sends a shiver down your spine. You press your hand to his chest again, right over his hammering heartbeat as your fingers curl into the fabric of his sweater.
Matt breaks the kiss, his forehead resting against yours as he mumbles, "Where's your room?"
Your throat suddenly feels dry, and it takes a moment to gather yourself as you swallow hard, your voice coming out a little hoarse. "Down the hall, first door on the left."
Matt nods, kissing your lips one last time before he rises from the couch, pulling you up with him. His fingers intertwine with yours, his grip firm as the two of you move quietly down the hallway, the sound of your footsteps soft on the wooden flooring.
When you step into the room, Matt's eyes sweep over the space briefly before settling back on you. He doesn't rush you or push you, instead, he just takes a step closer, brushing his knuckles over your cheekbone as his eyes search yours, silently asking for permission.
You give him a short nod, and in an instant, his lips mould with yours in a deep, but slow kiss. You kiss him back timidly, looping your arms around his shoulders for your fingers to curl at the hairs on the nape of his neck, while he wraps his around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest. 
He blindly walks you backwards, the backs of your knees hitting the edge of the bed and you drop down, causing Matt to follow closely behind. He straddles you, knees on each side of your hips, keeping his lips locked on yours as his hands trail down your body, his fingers lightly gripping the hem of your shirt. 
The kiss breaks for him to gently pull your shirt over your head, and his eyes—blown out and wide—stare down at your chest, all prettied up in the red, lacy bra you put on earlier. He lets out a long, drawn out shaky exhale, rubbing his thumb across the material as his eyes flit up to yours. 
“Beautiful,” he compliments, and you immediately grow shy and flustered, unable to properly meet his gaze as he chuckles softly, sliding his hands beneath your back to reach for the clasp. 
Your brows raise in surprise at how quick and easy it is for him to unclasp your bra, and the lacy falls from your skin, baring your naked chest to his gaze. He gives you a gentle smile, giving your lips a loving kiss before moving downwards, sucking a trail of hickeys from your neck, to your collarbones, down to your breasts. 
Matt cups the plumpy skin in his palms, squeezing softly while his lips wrap around your nipple. You gasp softly at the sensation, feeling the nub harden in his mouth as he licks and suckles. He gives attention to your other nipple too, and your back arches at the touch, breath stuttering as you tilt your head back against the pillows.
However, your breathing grows ragged with nerves as he starts moving south again, almost choking when he gets to your legs. The nerves start to creep back into your system as you watch him unbutton your jeans while he keeps his eyes on yours, giving you a reassuring smile as he pulls the material down your jeans, pressing open mouth kisses to the skin that he reveals. 
Your first instinct is to pull away when you become aware of how extremely close he is to your damp panties—not used to someone being so up close and personal to such an intimate place—but he soothingly strokes your thighs in hopes to relax you, massaging his fingers into the plush skin. 
"Matt," you murmur anxiously as you feel his nose against your panties as he inhales deeply, letting out a soft sound at the intoxicating scent of your obvious arousal. 
Your face heats up in embarrassment at the sight of him between your thighs, and you fidget, hips shifting against the bed sheets as he hooks his fingers beneath the lace, pulling them down your legs to join your other clothes on the floor—leaving you naked and vulnerable. 
"You still want to do this?" Matt asks you, pressing open mouth kisses to your thighs as he eyes the glistening folds of your pussy before his gaze drifts up your body, drinking you in. He meets your eyes, laying another kiss on your skin. "We can stop. It’s your choice." 
You’re quiet for a moment, unable to think properly over the loud sound of your heartbeat thumping in your ears. You’re nervous, of course. You’ve never experienced something like this before—something so intimate and raw. Nobody has been this close to you, and nobody has ever touched you the way he’s been currently doing. 
But you want this. 
You do want this. 
You want this with him. 
"Please keep going." you confirm, and in that moment, you feel his warm breath caress your skin as he leans closer, his mouth pressing over your clit. 
Your body tenses up at the foreign sensation, and your thighs almost close in around his head in an attempt to push him away, but the feeling of his tongue slowly wedging between your wet folds, gently lapping over your slit, makes you crumble. 
You’re unable to put how you feel into words as your body slumps on the bed, lips parting with short, airy gasps as you stare up at the ceiling, your fingers twisting in your bedsheets. Matt’s mouth remains latched onto you, alternating between tender kitten licks and suckles on your sensitive bundle of nerves. 
It’s difficult for you to think straight—so fucking difficult that all you can do is just lay there and take it. 
Matt curls his arms around your thighs, moaning softly into your cunt and you gasp at the vibrations. You don’t know what your body is doing, but it moves as if it’s on autopilot, rolling against his face as that knot in your stomach tightens, and tightens, and tightens.
"That’s it," he murmurs between your folds. "Keep movin’. You’re gettin’ close." 
"H-how can you tell?" you ask him breathlessly. 
Matt smiles, peering up at you through hooded lids, "I can feel it, baby. You're leakin' so much around my tongue." 
You whine pathetically at that, and your eyes roll back and your neck strains as Matt’s tongue dips inside of you—the pressure and pleasure becoming too much for your inexperienced body to handle that you can’t help but release whatever tension coils up in your stomach.
Matt hums in approval, squeezing your thighs in a reassuring manner as he laps up your essence, delicately helping you ride out your orgasm with tentative licks. Once Matt finally lets up, you feel yourself grow limp, trying your hardest to catch your breath as you watch him move up your body through hazy vision. 
"Good job," he praises you lightly, stroking your cheek with a tender touch. “You did so well." 
All you can muster is a tired, sheepish smile, melting against his touch for a moment until it’s moved away too quickly for your liking. You can feel a whine of protest bubbling up in your throat, but you manage to keep it at bay as you watch Matt lean back on his knees, bunching his sweater in his hands before he pulls it over his head, throwing it carelessly to the side. 
You take this moment to admire him with the best of your ability: his messy hair hangs just above his eyes, his lips puffy and wet—glistening with your arousal. His body is slim, and you have the sudden urge to run your hands up his tummy and over his chest to curl your fingers around the silver necklace that dangles from his neck, but you’re caught off guard by the sound of metal clanging, and you glance down to see his hands working open his belt.
Matt rids himself of his jeans quite quickly, leaving him in just his boxers. The sight of his cock straining against the white material of his Calvin Klein's has your stomach whirling, and you begin to worry if something of that size will even fit inside of you.
You do avert your eyes when his fingers grip the waistband of his boxers to pull them off, although you can’t look away for too long. You’re curious, and curiosity definitely kills the cat because when you see his cock—big, heavy, laying against his tummy up to his belly button—you know you’re in trouble. 
That’s not going to fit. 
Silence consumes you, your mouth dry and nerves shot. All you can do is watch him lean off the bed to reach for his jeans on the ground, digging his hand into the pockets to retrieve a small silver packet. He tears it open with his teeth with ease, throwing the empty packet onto your nightstand before pinching the tip of the condom to roll it onto his cock, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.
"Did—" you try to find your voice, coughing to clear your throat when it comes out a little rough. "Did you expect this to happen? You were prepared?"
"I didn’t expect it," Matt tells you, his tone filled with honesty and sincerity as he adjusts the rubber, making sure that it was fitted securely. "But it’s always good to be prepared, right?"
Maya’s words from the phone call earlier linger in your mind; ‘it’s good to be prepared, just in case’. You didn’t realise how much that actually applied, and all you can do is dumbly nod your head in response as Matt shuffles forward on his knees, prying your thighs further apart. 
You twitch when you feel his fingers gently graze over your sensitive pussy, using his thumbs to pull at your folds, revealing your leaky hole to his gaze. You definitely look away now—trying to not think about how exposed you are to him, literally. 
"M’gonna have to stretch you out a little," Matt tells you, and you want to question what he means by that until you wince at the stretch of his finger pushing through the tightness of your entrance, causing tears to bubble in your eyes. "Sorry, baby. It’s okay, s’okay—breathe."
You tense up when Matt adds another one of his fingers, trying your best to focus on his soothing voice when he tells you to relax, and he stills, his fingers still buried deep inside of you as his other hand massages your thigh in gentle motions.
You wriggle, finding it difficult to adjust to the stretch of his fingers as he carefully pumps in and out of your pussy, scissoring them against your gummy walls that makes your thighs twitch and close around his wrist. He continues to quietly praise you throughout, even pressing his thumb to your clit to rub, the pleasurable sensation of your clit getting attention causing you to relax just a bit. 
“There we go,” he coos, nodding his head as he watches you. “Relax.” 
The wet sounds filling the room is dirty, and you’re embarrassed to know that it’s coming from you. You are wet, and you’re definitely turned on despite being such a nervous wreck, but you didn’t realise you’re this wet. 
Matt seems to be fine with it, which makes you feel a little bit better. 
It’s normal.
It’s natural.
It’s fine.
You’re unsure on how long Matt has been fingering you for, but you assume it was enough to have you stretched out as he pulls his fingers away from your pussy, surprisingly licking them clean as he hovers above you. 
You reach to grab his shoulders while he touches himself, rubbing his cock up and down your sticky folds to lather up your arousal. Matt stares at you, tilting his head to the side as he drinks in your expression. 
“You ready?” He presses his tip to your entrance as he aligns himself. Anxiety and nerves courses through your veins, knowing what was about to come, but you’re more than ready—ready to have him in any way you possibly can. 
“I’m ready.”
With that, he presses himself into you, slow and steady. The gentleness doesn’t stop you from crying out, your nails digging into his shoulder blades, creating indents in his skin as your cunt and thighs burn from your pressure. 
The pain and discomfort is intense, and it hurts much more than you anticipated—the unfamiliar sensation being stretched out and filled making you wince. Matt pauses his hips to give you time to adjust to his size, wrapping his arms around you and kissing away the tears that pool down your cheeks. 
“You’re doin’ great, sweetheart,” he attempts to soothe you, his body locked as he glances down to where you’re both barely connected. Only the tip of his cock is nestled inside your opening, and he nibbles down on his bottom lip, knowing this was going to be trickier. “You’re okay, I promise.”
The burn intensifies as Matt begins to inch deeper in, each movement jolts of hot pain through your tender flesh. You have never felt like this in your life, but you’re happy to feel the searing pain gradually give way to a dull ache, which soon turns into a strange, tingling sensation as his hips rock carefully into you. 
His steady rhythm and soothing caresses help calm your nerves, and you can feel every ridge and vein of Matt’s cock rub against your tender walls. His hands roam your body, kneading the fat of your hips, stroking up your stomach and breasts, brushing his fingers across your cheeks to wipe away the tears. 
Each touch relaxes you further and further, drawing you into the experience, and you’re finally able to wrap your legs around Matt’s waist loosely, feeling him roll his hips deeper against yours. The friction between you both causes you to feel a little stuffy, skin clammy with sweat, but you still refuse to loosen your grip on him—keeping him as close to you as possible. 
“Look at you
 you’re doin’ so well for me,” Matt continues to praise you with each thrust, his breathing laboured. 
You let out a quiet moan, it echoing throughout the room, and the sound of giving in makes Matt press his lips to yours, swallowing the rest of your moans as his cock and tongue work together in motion.
You feel so dizzy, head cloudy and empty as he rocks against you, his pelvis rubbing against your poor clit, the friction making your pussy quiver around him, earning a throaty groan from him, the sound rumbling against your lips. 
Breaking the kiss, Matt trails his move along the column of your neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive flesh as he continues to thrust, and you arch into him a little, your nails lightly raking down his back as you tilt your head to give him better access. 
His tongue darts out to lap at the pulse point in your throat before he kisses and nibbles his way back up to your ear, his voice low and strained as he murmurs, “M’gettin’ close,” his hips stuttering in their rhythm as he fights to maintain his control. “Not gonna last much longer, baby.”
Your body tenses, a whiney noise escaping as the sensations swell up inside you, the familiar feeling of the knot in your stomach forming until you can no longer contain yourself. Your inner muscles clench around Matt’s cock, rhythmically squeezing around him as your second orgasm crashes over you abruptly. 
At the same moment, Matt's control shatters, and with a grunt, he buries himself to the hilt inside your cunt and trembles, spilling into the condom with long, hot spurts. His hips stutter, making you wince and mewl at the feeling, but once both of your tremors subside, Matt lays on top of you, his weight pressing you into the mattress. 
It’s hot, and you’re still all sticky and clammy—definitely more than before—but you don’t care, not when Matt nuzzles his face into the crevice of your neck, his lips brushing against your damp skin as he catches his breath. 
After a while, he carefully extracts himself from you, pulling out of your wet cunt, and you hiss at the feeling, thighs pressing together to close as Matt stands from the bed. He pulls the condom off, careful not to spill any of his cum across your carpet as he walks into your bathroom to discard it in the trash. 
He comes back seconds later, climbing into the bed beside you, pulling you close to cradle you against his body. You immediately nestle into his embrace, your cheek laying on his chest and peering up at him as his hand lazily drifts across your back, alternating between rubbing and drawing random patterns. 
“Was that okay?” Matt asks you, his voice soft and quiet. 
You smile shyly and nod your head in response, draping your arms around his waist to pull him even closer as his head drops down to place a kiss atop of yours, squeezing you tenderly.
It was perfect.
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© STURNIOZ
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leviathanleva · 4 months ago
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CaffĂš Crema
[Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Civilian!FemReader]
After months of giving your all to a man you barely even knew, you're finally rewarded. He takes off his mask in front of you almost hesitantly and you're overjoyed. Still, you want to, need to know why and so despite your better judgement, you ask him only to receive a laugh in response.
“Wan’ed you to see what the father of yer kids looks like, Birdie.”
[5.1k words] [Slightly NSFW]
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Chapter 3 "Powder"
Simon had expected tension when he’d relied to you the news that he was leaving on deployment soon. But no, you were as chipper as ever, rolling your sleeves instantly and beginning to prepare him for the journey while bombarding him with questions.
It was
different, in a good way. There was no guilt for having to abandon you to fulfill his duty. You were worried, that much was clear, but you didn’t let it bother you enough for him to have to figure out a way to comfort you before leaving.
He was grateful even if he didn’t show it, hoping that the crinkled skin in the corners of his eyes was enough of an indicator.
He stretched lazily on your small couch, feet tucked under your bum as per your usual arrangement, while you absentmindedly folded his freshly washed clothes back into his duffle bag. A random sports channel is playing on the telly, drowning out the silence while he watches you fuss with a shadow of a smile hidden under his mask.
A pile of dry laundry was splayed over the armrest you were leaning against and you plucked each piece with the utmost care, looking over it for any spots that the washing machine hadn’t been able to get rid of before laying into his bag.
“Is this a bullet hole?” You murmur to yourself while looking over a gray knitted blouse, particularly at the edge of one sleeve where the stitching was ruined. You run your thumb over the hole, brows furrowing as you inspect it, then turn to Ghost with a small frown. “There’s a bullet hole in this one. You wanna keep it?”
When he realizes your question is targeted at him, he blinks away the thoughts swirling in his head and shrugs.
“Keep i’, adds character.”
You snort, but fold it regardless and stuff it with the rest of his clothes.
A distant whistling erupts from the kitchen and you stand to dust off the lint from your sweats before scurrying to get the kettle. It doesn’t take long before you reemerge with two steaming mugs in each hand and set one before him on the coffee table. He grumbles out a thank you while sitting up and tugging his mouth free from his mask.
Back tea with milk, just how he likes it, piping hot in a mug big enough for him to comfortably wrap his hand around.
“Gonna make a real good missus.” Ghost murmurs out casually and picks up the mug before taking a prolonged sip and letting his eyelids close at the familiar flavor.
“Yeah? Well, you’d make an awful husband.” You joke, playing along with the innocent understanding that he’s joking and not trying to figure out how to get your ring size without making it obvious. You kick at his knee with your own, a playful smile tugging on your lips. “You never fight with me over anything. Even when I try new cooking recipes off the internet.”
He mulls over your words for a moment, eyes focused on his steaming beverage.
“Didn’ leave no marks on me las’ night. Can complain abou’ tha’.”
“Jesus Christ, Simon.” You gasp and sputter to place a palm over his mouth, thrusting yourself into him as he fights off your flailing hands with ease. “Don’t say such things!”
“Why no’? ‘m just ‘aving a fight with me wife is all.” His teasing doesn’t relent but he lets you press your weight on him and guide him down into the cushions of the sofa. There’s a rumble coming from his chest, a series of snorts as he watches you struggle to keep from becoming completely flustered.
“Oh my God, stop! Stop it!” you’re already a flushed mess, he can feel your face burning from his position beneath you as you fight your wrists free from his loose grip.
“Tryin’a mount me like you did las’ nigh’, Birdie?” His hands come to rest on your waist, the words slipping past him just before you press both your palms against his mouth with a doe-eyed look on your face. He holds you steady, a wolfish smirk making his canines peak beneath his upper lip.
For a moment he thinks your abashed state will hit its limit and you might faint right on the spot, what will the uneven breathing and shaky arms, flared nostrils and quivering bottom lip.
“Shut! Shhh. No more sinful talk. Awful man you are, I’ll never marry you.”
An empty threat that only makes his smirk grow as his chocolate browns twinkle up at you adoringly. It doesn’t cross his mind even for a second that you’re unaware of just how serious he is and how much planning has gone on inside his thick skull over the past few days.
It’s okay, you don’t need to fret over such things, all you need to do is say yes when he finds you a pretty enough ring.
“Gonna behave now, old dog?” You ask and hesitantly free his mouth before settling down on top of him and crossing your arms, a hint of a victorious aura to your puffed-out chest and twitchy smile.
He pats your bum ever so gently and sits up abruptly, causing you to slide into his lap. The power imbalance tips in his favor as soon as he’s looming over you, wide shoulders and muscly arms making you nearly disappear in his embrace. He bumps his nose into yours, head bent down to your level and tongue flicking out to wet his lips.
You swallow thickly, your heart leaping in your throat and staying there as he lingers just on the edge of kissing you. And he’s already pawing at the waistband of your bottoms, greedily trying to slip his thick fingers beyond and toward the comfortable warmth of your sex.
A shiver crawls up your spine and a pleasant tingle settles low in your tummy. Your head snaps towards the digital clock propped above the TV.
“Stop it.” You scold, push him away from sniffling at your neck like a curious wolf and again on his back before slipping out of his lap. “Greedy old dog. I have to go shopping or else you’ll be having fried air with a side of nothing.”
A displeased grumble reaches your ears as you make your way towards the bedroom, intent on changing. You scoff, roll your eyes at your roommate’s childish pouting. Flicking the lights on, you trudge towards your wardrobe, your shared wardrobe although shared was a very generous way of putting it. Aside from a pile of boxers and socks and the occasional black top, there wasn’t much of Simon’s attire.
You wondered if this was all he had while slipping into a pair of jeans, thought over the fact that he did look like a guy who’d be caught dead before going out clothing shopping. It was a sad realization, you made a mental note to buy him some more things when your next paycheck arrived or when he decided to leave another wad of cash on the kitchen counter and label it as rent money.
At least he had a toothbrush, even though with how used and abused it looked, you considered getting him a new one alongside other male toiletries like soap that didn’t smell like wildflowers and shampoo that was a bit less strawberry scented.
After donning a comfy hoodie and walking to the hallway to put on your shoes, you glance at him and see him molding into the couch while his stare is glued to the screen and his brow is visibly lowered in displeasure.
“You can either sulk or you can come with me and get your blood going.” You suggest and straighten up once you’d tied your laces. He didn’t budge, only gave you a side glance. So you try again, more softly this time. “I’d like the company.”
You bat your lashes at him prettily, toss him a girlish smile and coquettishly slip on your jacket and he’s just a man after all, he gets up and pats down his top before joining you.
Coaxing him to do anything was never difficult, all that was needed from you was to look weak and cute and like you’d yield the moment he lumbered over to you. You liked to think you were special and that he wouldn’t bend the knee to just anyone, but then again you hadn’t seen Simon interacting with other people.
Most of your time together, all of your time together, was spent within the confines of your home. Ghost wasn’t one for going out, he was selfish like that, liked you all to himself, and with your attention nowhere else to be set except for him and his needs. You didn’t mind, it was cute in a way. He was needy and touch-starved even if he refused to admit it aloud.
Poor old dog, you’d take good care of him.
Although while you were locking the front door and felt him hook a pinkie finger around yours and lead you down the stairs, you got to thinking. Maybe you were more of a dog than him. You were the one bowing your head to his every wish and did anything you could think of to please him. It was one of your greatest pleasures to slave over him because he’d been so tired and beaten down when you’d first kind of “adopted” him.
Then again, he’d sort of made you adopt him. He’d just brought his things over and hadn’t left. You were certain he would have if you’d just said something, but you never had, you hadn’t confronted him about any of the weird things he’d done so far. Maybe it was too late now or maybe he’d just bury himself between your legs and lap at you until you were near unconscious like the last time he had when you’d seemed displeased. Or maybe he’d actually disappear and never come back and even though you’d known him for a couple of months, something sinisterly painful jabbed at your heart at just the image.
No, this was fine. You were happy to have him. Right
?
The grocery store wasn’t too far away, you could get to it on foot easily. Although something felt off. As you walked down the street with Simon in tow, you noticed the quick, ridged glances you were receiving from people of all kinds of ages. Some of them even made the effort of walking out of your way or taking sharp turns to avoid the two of you.
It was an odd experience, one that also subtly tickled a particular pleasure gland in your brain.
Was this what having a scary dog privilege was like? If so, then you were having the time of your life.
If only people knew what an actual sweetheart your companion was, they’d double over laughing at their first assumptions. But they never would because Ghost was yours.
When you picked up a cart that required both your hands to steer, you felt a tug at your jeans and glanced down to see he had hooked one finger around the belt strap on your side. You offer him a soft snort and try to bite back the grin that was growing on your face.
The place was full as expected, newly stocked as well for the weekend shopping most customers did around your area.
As you made your way through the aisles you scolded yourself for not scribbling down a list of what you needed, then proceeded to pick up a good amount of garlic and onion because most dishes need one or both aplenty. Wouldn’t hurt to have more even if you already had some back home.
Slowly, but steadily, your cart begins to fill the more you walk around and your vision falls on something that you were running low on. Funnily enough, since your new roommate, you’d found yourself having to shop more than once a week. He had a ravenous appetite and you liked that about him, liked having someone there to enjoy your cooking.
Living alone was a blessing, but it did get lonely sometimes.
And before you’d just make something hasty and easy for yourself, too busy with work, too tired after work, or just too lazy and not seeing the appeal of treating yourself. But now, you had someone who depended on you and it felt exhilarating to prepare meals and have another mouth to feed. It didn’t matter to you that Ghost wasn’t big on verbal praises in regards to the food you made him or the care you put into him.
You were happy just having him contently lounging on your couch and stroking your thigh while you lay beside him.
“Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, Simon, you’re tugging too much.” You call back while sifting through the egg cartons and trying to find one that has all ten eggs intact. When the tugging didn’t relent and you received no answer, you turned back with the intent of scolding the silent giant. “Simon, I said you’re – ”
But it wasn’t Simon. He was on your opposite side, staring downward. You follow his gaze to find a little sprout of a being hooked to your jeans and looking up at you with just as much confusion.
Apparently, the toddler had seen your tall, dark, and handsome partner linked to you and with their guardian nowhere to be found, she’d done the same. A child’s mind will forever stay a mystery to you.
The child doesn’t look older than five or four, with large eyes and a small mouth that was shaking with uncertainty while she gawked up at you in a silent plea. The jacket she had on made her look like a walking square, her hands barely poked out of the sleeves. She’d be adorable if not for the tear-stained cheeks that immediately tugged at your heartstrings.
You shake off the shock that has stiffened your joints and push your cart away.
“Hey, there.” You coo gently, shoo both of their hands off your jeans before they end up pulling them off your hips, and kneel down to greet the poor thing that was already hiccupping with sobs. “Hey, little Darling. Where’s your mommy? Did you get lost?”
When the waterworks start again, you gently pet her back.
“There, there. Let it out, it’s okay.”
You curse yourself for not packing any tissues in your bag and wipe the tears off her chubby cheeks with your thumbs.
“It’s okay, Sweetheart.” You soothe, glance up at Ghost to see him standing there silently and watching the encounter unravel with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Typical guy. “Can you tell me your name? Your mommy’s name?”
“Julie.” Was the choppy, nasally answer you receive as the toddle clumsily wipes the snot in the sleeve of her jacket.
“Is that your name or your mommy’s name?” You ask while unzipping her jacket enough to get it off her mouth and find it coated in a sheen of saliva.
Tissues, wet wipes, freaking toilet paper, you would have liked to have something to wipe the poor thing clean, but of course when you needed your supplies most, nothing but your wallet and chewing gum were in your bag.
“My name is Julie. Mommy’s name is Mommy.”
You would have giggled at that answer if Julie wasn’t pouring out her little heart’s sorrow in front of you. Instead, you nod with an okay and rise to face Ghost while resting your hands on your hips. From what you can see around you, nobody is looking around frantically for a lost toddler so you sigh and run a hand over your hair, thinking.
“Might have to take her to reception and make an announcement. Or the mom might already be there.” You say and give the hulking behemoth a once over before cocking your head to the side. “I’ve got the cart. You mind taking her?”
You take a step back, but by the uneasy looks both of them are giving you, it dawns on you that playing mediator was your next step before taking the child along.
“It’s okay.” You give Julie a warm smile, eyes moving between her and Ghost while he also squats down, a foot away from you as not the scare the little thing. “This is Simon. He’s really nice, I promise. He’s my best friend, in fact, he won’t hurt you. Promise.”
It takes some more convincing on your part before the toddler agrees to be picked up by your companion, but once he’d set her on his shoulders to scan the area for her parents, she seemed as cheerful as a cherub. Apparently, she’d never been held that high off the ground before, it was a whole new experience for her, and by the way Simon supported her back with a hand larger than her head and the gentle shine in his eyes, you could tell he wasn’t having too bad of a time either.
You make your way towards the reception desk, accompanied by a symphony of kiddish giggles, your grocery shopping left on the back burner until you relieve yourselves of your new bundle of joy.
Squeals would come from Julie every so often as she fidgeted around on Simon’s shoulders, her pudgy hands splayed in his dirty blond locks or tugging gently on his ears. It suited him being in charge of a little one, the fatherly appeal caused a pleasant knot to tighten in your chest and you tried to wipe the wide grin off your lips, but you just couldn’t.
“Hi, good evening.” You call out to the staff on the other end of the wide reception desk, thankfully catching their attention just before they turned their back on you. “Hi
We found this little girl in the dairy aisle, haven’t been able to find her parents. Would you be able to make an announcement maybe?” You lean in and lower your voice, glancing back briefly to see Julie preoccupied with giggling while toying with Simon’s free hand to hear. “We don’t know the names of the parents. I tried asking but
no dice. Her name is Julie.”
It takes less than ten minutes of you hanging about the reception after the announcement was made, while Ghost entertains the lively toddler, for you to see a flushed woman hurrying your way with her purse clutched under her arm.
You straighten up and adjust your jacket before taking a few small steps forward.
“Oh thank God. Julie!” The mother you presume, presses a hand to her chest when she sees her baby girl atop your roommate’s shoulders. “Thank goodness.”
She surges forward before plucking her child from Ghost’s hand and squishing her to her cheek with a relieved expression softening her earlier strained features. You guess Julie would have been just as vocally ecstatic if her face wasn’t immediately squished to her mom’s neck. You watch her flail for a bit before being maneuvered on her side so she can say a thank you.
“Thank you so much! I turned around for a second and – ”
“ – It’s not a problem.” You chirp back, waving your hands to hopefully dismiss the built-up anxiety that had the mother’s eyes still as wide as saucers. A polite smile adorns your lips, your gestures open and stance friendly to ease the poor woman before she suffers a heart attack at your feet.
“I hope she didn’t give you any trouble.” She says while smoothing out her daughter’s hair lovingly and pressing a feverish kiss to her forehead, earning a giggle in response. Then she extends a hand towards you, which you shake with pleasure. “She can be a bit of a handful. My name is Lily, by the way. I’m sorry to have to meet like this.”
“No trouble at all, ma'am.” You nod, let her shake Simon’s hand as well while you give her your name, and toss a fleeting glare at your loving roommate for not offering his. “We’re happy to help. Nice to meet you.”
“Thank you again, bless you. Say thank you, Julie.” Lily urges and gently grabs Julie’s arm before waving it at both of you. She turns then, readjusts the toddler in her arms, and offers you one last farewell before walking away. “Have a good evening and thank you.”
Despite both the distance and the chatty surge of people around you, you can hear Lily scolding her daughter under her breath before returning to the cart she’d abandoned. It all makes you laugh, especially hearing the muffled mumbles of protest as Julie stares at you and Ghost over her mother’s shoulder.
You wave at her one last time before fetching your discarded grocery cart and rolling it to Simon’s side.
“Didn’t know you were so good with kids.” There’s a teasing note to your tone as you glance at him from under your lashes, hiding a smirk behind the collar of your jacket.
You take the lead, slowly making your way back between the aisles while skimming around for any products you might have skipped past the first time.
“Didn’t eithe’.” He says softly as if the whole situation was the most foreign thing he’d ever witnessed. As if this had been the first time he’d held a toddler, it was heartwarming to feel the thought behind his absentminded voice.
“You’d make a great dad one day.” You hum and poke at his side with your elbow to make him look down at you only to beam up at him.
He’s silent for a while as you stop by the stacks of instant ramen, eyes never leaving yours as his head tilts to one side.
“Tha’ so?”
“Absolutely.” You respond with confidence before breaking your heartfelt eye contact to pick out a packet of noodles for rainy days when you don’t feel like cooking. “Maybe I’ll get to be the Godmother.”
You miss the way he arches an eyebrow at your statement as if you’d said the most blatantly inaccurate thing ever. You miss the way his chocolate brows fall down to your belly where they stay for a suspicious amount of time while he thinks over how nice it would be for you to go shopping with a wee one fussing about in your cart.
For the rest of your stay in the grocery store, Simon was noticeably more touchy. Instead of hooking himself to your jeans, he had a hand pressed to your lower back, thumb rubbing circles into your jacket, hard enough for you to feel. You didn’t question it, thinking his good mood was probably due to your encounter with Julie earlier, the toddler did boost his spirits up after all. He persisted while you were making your way home, holding the groceries in one hand while keeping his other on you.
Nothing seemed out of normal to you while you were outside besides him being a little needier than usual. You didn’t ask about it and didn’t tease him either, instead, you were trying to figure out what to cook up tomorrow because you had all the time you could wish for since it was Saturday. Then again, you had other chores to tend to. There was the washing up, hoovering, dusting.
But as soon as you twisted your key in the lock and stepped inside your now-shared apartment, he had you practically pinned against the wall. Grabby hands were fumbling to get your jacket off while you kicked off your shoes and spat mewling protests against the bulk of his shoulder.
Between getting you and himself undressed, you managed to slip out of his grip and pattered to the kitchen hurriedly, groceries in hand. You barely managed to set them on the table before Ghost twirled you around in his arms like you weighed nothing and bent you over the counter.
“Simon!” You hiss back and fuss to get yourself free. “What’s gotten you so riled up all of a sudden?” You feel a prominent bulge press against the soft curve of your ass and squeal. “Darling, please! At least take me to the bedroom first.”
A “tsk” comes from behind you and you’re about to yap at him that that’s no way to respond to the person who’ll be making him breakfast tomorrow, but the air is knocked out of your lungs as you’re picked up with ease and flopped over his shoulder like a potato sack.
“Simon!” You thump a weak fist against his back as he carries you down the hallway and it still makes you laugh that he needs to duck past your kitchen door, despite the situation. “Talk to me, Darling? Please? Not that I mind, but I need to put the groceries in the fridge and – ”
He tosses you on the bed and crawls on top of you, the mattress dipping under his weight. There’s a certain flare to his eyes as he stares you down and you feel a lump form in your throat before you force it down and coo up at him.
“Wanna tell me what’s been going on in that pretty head of yours?”
You try to squirm away but only end up with his erection lodged between your thighs and his body weight locking you down against the sheets. A moan slips past your lips before you cup his cheeks and run your thumbs over his eyebrows to ease the tension that’s built up there.
“Tell me, please?” You urge while getting comfortable beneath him and swatting away the hand he has toying with the button of your jeans. You lock your legs around his thick waist and pull him a little closer. “Please?”
He doesn’t respond right away, apparently smacking his hand off you thrust him into a spree of thoughts. You wait patiently, one hand scratching at his scalp tenderly while the other stays on his cheek. He looks away from you after a while, something you don’t quite comprehend darkening his moment of contemplation as he mulls over a decision you can only guess at.
His earlier desperation has all but vanished, leaving you absolutely confused.
“Si
Darling.”
You don’t expect him to turn back to you with pain glistening in those brown orbs you like so much before he props himself up on one elbow. Don’t expect the uneven movements of his hand as he slowly, timidly takes one of the black bands holding his mask in place and unfurls it from his ear before taking the little slip off entirely. He places it by your head and adjusts himself on both elbows, a thin-lipped frown tugging the corners of his mouth down as he watches avidly for your reaction.
A pang of guilt surges through you because of how long you’d been silently staring back at him in the darkness of your room. The street lamps illuminate the walls, illuminate his bare face as well.
His. Bare. Face.
The one he’d been hiding since you’d first met, the one you hadn’t seen even when you’d seen the rest of him stark naked whenever you made love. It doesn’t register at first, that you can see his whole face, that he’d finally let you see all of him.
Then your chest flourishes, it feels like exploding in a heap of budding flowers and a breathless laugh leaves your lips, one of joy, of an achievement long overdue, finally accomplished.
You hesitantly cup his cheeks again, this time feeling the light stubble grazing your soft skin.
“Hey
” You manage out, fighting to kick away the surprise and give him the love he deserves for taking such a step forward. “Hey, handsome old dog.”
Your tender expression forces him to halt his breathing altogether before he buries himself in the safety of your neck, breathing you in slowly, the familiar scent calming his strained nerves. You feel the muscles on his back ripple under your touch as you run your hand over his form tenderly, feel his chest expand with every strictly controlled breath he takes.
“Hey
” He murmurs back, greeting muffled into your skin as you rest a trembling hand against the back of his head and sink your fingers into his short hair.
You hadn’t even paid attention to the scars littering his battle-honed skin, they’d been the last thing on your mind as you’d taken him in. He was ruggedly charming, uniquely handsome, it boggled you why he so fiercely hid his face when there was nothing wrong with him. But that was a discussion for another day, you pushed down your bubbling questions and just let the moment consume you.
You feel his lips move against your neck as he swallows, and nuzzle your cheek against his crown lovingly before closing your eyes with a sigh. He relents when you nudge him with your nose to lift his head before pressing a kiss to his nose, then his cheeks, his chin and forehead before finally planting your lips on his. His desperation to remove your bottoms returns then and he’s back at toying with your button and zipper.
You let him take off your jeans while you tug at his jacket, leaving it to pool on the floor before he eases himself out of his blouse and nestles back above you. Your feet come to rest on his strong calves, hands in his hair and glazing over his back as he loses himself in your skin, nipping incessantly at your collarbone while silently asking for you to take off your top and let him feast on more than just your neck.
And as always, you’re pliant when he’s finally caught you under his bulk. You push him off enough to discard the article of clothing before letting yourself fall back into the sheets, mewling happily while he laps at your flesh like a man starved.
A heat pools in your loins, one you try to soothe by pushing your hips up into his and earning yourself a choked growl that makes you quiver with excitement.
But a question keeps nagging at you no matter how heated you become and how low his insatiable lips travel down your body. You hum when his nose nudges the hem of your panties and you stop him before he can pull them off and descend on your gathering slick.
“So
” You begin through a strained voice and glance down at him, finding his eyes already locked on you. Your mouth goes dry, throat tightening, but you force yourself to ask. You need to know, if nothing else, at least this. “What’s the occasion?”
He laughs at your hesitation, a deep, rumbling laugh choir that should come from the monsters in your childhood fairytales, not the man about to stuff his face between your thighs.
“Wan’ed you to see what the father of yer kids looks like, Birdie.”
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<<< Chapter 2
Chapter 4 >>>
Masterlist
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heliosunny · 4 months ago
Text
LUCKY EGG
Yandere!Phainon x reader
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The rumors were true.
You stood in front of the large, polished machine, its sleek metallic surface reflecting the soft neon glow of the surrounding marketplace. The “Lucky Egg Dispenser” as it was called, had become something of a sensation overnight. A single pull of the trigger, and you’d receive an egg—an unhatched mystery promising the perfect partner. Most people spoke of rare creatures, companion animals with unique abilities, and even a few who whispered about something
 stranger.
“Lucky egg?” you mused aloud, shifting the weight of the gun-like trigger in your grip. You’d always been one to try new things. It didn’t hurt to take a chance.
With a decisive motion, you squeezed the trigger.
A soft whirring sound filled the air before a pristine white egg gently rolled out, stopping perfectly at your feet. You crouched down, picking it up. Warm. Alive.
A small smile tugged at your lips. Taking care of it would be simple, you were no stranger to nurturing things. Three days. That was all it would take for it to hatch.
You weren’t worried in the slightest.
What you didn’t expect, however, was for your “partner” to be a human.
The egg hatched in the dead of night. A soft crackling sound stirred you from your sleep, but by the time you were fully awake, the shell had already split apart.
And there, sitting on your bed, was a boy.
No, not a boy, a young man, probably around your age.
Pale skin, silver-white hair that shimmered in the moonlight, and brilliant, otherworldly eyes. His clothes were odd, somewhere between regal and alien, but the most alarming thing was the wide, almost manic grin stretching across his face.
Before you could react, he lunged at you, arms wrapping around your torso in a crushing embrace.
“My name is Phainon!” he chirped, his voice filled with unfiltered joy. “I’m your partner now!”
Oh no...Your stomach dropped as realization set in.
Baby duck syndrome.
You knew the term well. When a newborn creature imprints on the first living being they see and attaches to them completely. You were that first living being.
And judging by the way Phainon’s grip tightened, as if he’d never let go, you had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as simple as you thought.
Phainon clung to you like a vice, his grip almost bruising as he buried his face into your neck. His breath was warm, uneven with excitement, and his entire body trembled, not with fear, but something far more intense.
“You’re mine” he whispered, his voice filled with unshakable certainty. “I belong to you
 and you belong to me.”
This was bad. You tried to gently pry him off, but the moment you moved, his arms locked around you tighter, his fingers digging into your back as if he were afraid you’d disappear. His blue eyes, impossibly bright and alight with something unsettling, gazed up at you with an overwhelming adoration.
“Don’t push me away” Phainon begged “I just hatched
 I need you.”
You swallowed, carefully adjusting your expression. “I-I’m not pushing you away. You just surprised me, that’s all.”
His gaze flickered with doubt before softening, though his grip didn’t loosen.
“I won’t let you leave me” he promised, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. “I was born for you.”
You had really gotten yourself into trouble this time.
With Phainon practically glued to your side, you dragged him along to the dungeon. You needed supplies, and in this world, the only way to survive was by hunting monsters and trading points for food and goods. At the very least, you thought you could shake off some of his energy by keeping him occupied. What you didn’t expect was just how powerful he was.
The first monster barely had a chance to move before Phainon lunged, his bare hands tearing through it like paper. Blue eyes shimmered with an eerie thrill as he made quick work of the beasts around you. No hesitation. No struggle. Just raw, overwhelming strength. You stared, a mix of awe and unease settling in your gut.
“Phainon
” You hesitated as he turned to you, still grinning. “How do you know how to fight?”
He tilted his head, as if the question itself was strange. “I was born to protect you” he answered simply. “If anything dares to harm you, I’ll rip it apart.”
His words were spoken with such sincerity that it made your skin crawl. Still, you couldn’t deny the convenience. With him by your side, earning points was absurdly easy.
So you took him to the marketplace, trading in your earnings and buying him new clothes, something normal, something that would help him blend in.
But as you held up a shirt for him to try, he only stared at you with an unsettling softness.
“You take such good care of me
” He exhaled, stepping closer. “You really do love me.”
Your grip on the fabric tightened.
This was going to be a problem.
Even as you weaved through the marketplace, his fingers curled around your wrist, grip firm and unwavering. His blue eyes scanned the crowd with silent intensity, watching every passerby with something between wariness and irritation, as if anyone who so much as looked at you was a potential threat.
You sighed, trying to ignore it.
That was until someone called your name.
“Y/N!”
You turned, spotting an old friend making their way toward you, smiling. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”
Before you could respond, their gaze flickered to Phainon, eyes widening slightly in surprise.
“
Oh? Who’s this?” they asked, raising an eyebrow. “Your boyfriend?”
You couldn’t exactly say he came from an egg. That would sound insane. So, against your better judgment, you went along with it. “Uh, yeah. Something like that.”
Your friend chuckled. “I figured. He looks like he’d kill someone if they so much as breathed in your direction.”
You let out an awkward laugh, hoping they were joking.
Phainon, however, only smiled, resting his chin on your shoulder. “I would” he murmured, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Your friend’s laughter faltered.
Before the situation could get any worse, you quickly made your exit, dragging Phainon away.
When you finally got home, you sighed, rubbing your temples. “You can’t just say things like that, you know.”
Phainon tilted his head. “But it’s true.”
You didn’t have the energy to argue. Instead, you busied yourself in the kitchen, preparing a meal. The sound of chopping and sizzling filled the space, and for a moment, things felt
 normal.
But you could still feel Phainon’s admiring gaze on you.
When you finally placed a plate in front of him, his eyes softened.
“You take such good care of me” he murmured.
You forced a small smile. “Yeah, yeah. Just eat.”
But as you turned away, his voice reached you again, quiet, almost innocent.
“You really do love me, don’t you?”
This was getting worse by the second.
The next morning, Phainon was already awake before you, sitting at the edge of your bed, watching you with silent fascination. You ignored the unsettling feeling that came with knowing he had likely been staring at you for a while.
“We’re going out!” you said, stretching. “I need to figure out what you’re actually capable of.”
His expression brightened. “You’re thinking about me first thing in the morning?” His voice was honeyed, pleased. “That makes me happy.”
You sighed. “Just get ready.”
Despite his odd behavior, you needed to assess his skills properly. Yesterday’s display of strength was impressive, but you weren’t sure if he had magic abilities as well. If he was going to fight alongside you, he needed the right weapon.
So, you took him to a well-known weapon shop in the city.
The place was stocked with everything—swords, spears, enchanted items, and magic-infused equipment. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow at Phainon as he trailed closely behind you, practically glued to your side.
“A new recruit?” they asked.
You hesitated before nodding. “Something like that. I need to test his capabilities and get him a sword.”
Phainon didn’t seem too interested in the conversation. Instead, his attention remained locked onto you, his fingers subtly brushing against your arm as if to remind himself that you were still there.
The shopkeeper guided you both to the testing grounds in the back.
Phainon barely glanced at the weapons lined up for testing. Instead, he turned to you, expectant.
“Choose one for me” he said.
You blinked. ïżœïżœïżœWhy? You should pick what feels right.”
He smiled “I want your choice. Something that reminds you of me.”
You hesitated, but eventually, you picked a sword. When you handed it to him, he held it as if it were sacred, his fingers running over the hilt with reverence. Then, he turned toward the practice dummy and swung. The air itself seemed to hum as the blade sliced cleanly through, the force of his strike strong enough to split the dummy in two. You barely had time to react before the lingering energy from his swing crackled, a faint shimmer of magic lacing through the air.
So he did have magic.
The shopkeeper let out a low whistle. “That’s some terrifying raw talent.”
Phainon ignored them, stepping closer to you, lifting the sword slightly.
“Do you like it?” he asked softly.
You nodded. “It suits you.”
His eyes softened, a quiet sort of delight settling in his expression. “Then I’ll treasure it forever.”
It wasn’t about the sword. It was about the fact that you were the one who gave it to him.
Going into the dungeon with Phainon was like having a high-level DPS at your side. You barely had to lift a finger.
With every swing of his sword, monsters fell instantly, torn apart before they could even react. His raw strength was unmatched, his movements precise and brutal, and his magic crackled through the air with every strike. All you had to do was keep him healed.
Whenever he took a hit, rare as it was, you were there, casting healing spells or applying potions before he could even flinch. It was almost effortless, and the way he looked at you every time you healed him sent a strange chill down your spine.
“You always take care of me” he murmured, after you placed a hand on his arm to patch up a small wound. His blue eyes burned with something unreadable. “It makes me love you even more.”
You pretended not to hear him.
By the end of the run, you had racked up an absurd amount of points. It was more than you’d ever earned in a single trip. But as you left the dungeon, your path was blocked. A group of men stood in front of you, their expressions dark with anger.
“You!” one of them spat, eyes locked on you. “That was our dungeon route. You took our points.”
You stiffened. You had heard of people like this before, territorial dungeon crawlers who claimed certain areas as their own, even though the dungeons were free for all. Phainon, however, only tilted his head, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.
“Move” he said simply.
The men sneered. “Or what?”
Phainon smiled. And then, in the blink of an eye, he moved.
You barely saw it happen. One second, the men were standing tall, and the next, they were on the ground, groaning, writhing, clutching broken limbs. Phainon hadn’t even drawn his sword. He had simply crushed them with his bare hands. You felt the blood drain from your face as he turned back to you, expression calm, as if nothing had happened.
“You don’t need to worry about them” he stepped close to you, his voice almost soothing. “I’ll always protect you.”
His hand cupped your cheek, thumb brushing against your skin.
“You’ll never need anyone else.”
You weren’t the only one who noticed Phainon’s strength.
Word spread fast in the city. A newcomer, practically fresh out of nowhere, tearing through dungeons with monstrous efficiency? It was bound to catch attention.
When you returned to the marketplace, a group of uniformed individuals was waiting for you. Their armor bore the insignia of the Adventurer’s Guild, the organization that oversaw dungeon crawlers and regulated combat prowess.
One of them, a woman with sharp eyes, stepped forward. “We’ve received reports about you” she said, looking Phainon up and down. “Your combat abilities are
 unusual.”
Phainon didn’t respond. He didn’t even blink.
The woman continued, unfazed. “We’d like to evaluate your rank. If you’re as strong as people claim, you should be registered with the guild.”
You hesitated, then glanced at Phainon. “It’s up to you” you said casually. “You can decide for yourself.”
His reaction was immediate. His blue eyes snapped to yours, wide with something unreadable. His fingers twitched at his sides, as if suppressing an impulse.
For the first time since you met him, Phainon looked
 lost.
“You’re letting me decide?” he murmured, almost as if the concept itself was foreign to him. His voice was quiet, but there was an undercurrent of something dangerous beneath it.
The guild members watched the exchange, waiting for an answer.
Then, without warning, Phainon grabbed your wrist. His grip was firm but not painful—more like an anchor, something grounding him.
“I don’t need them!” he said, his eyes darkening. “I don’t need a rank. I don’t need recognition. I only need you.”
You swallowed, trying to keep your expression neutral. “Phainon...”
But he wasn’t listening. His fingers tightened ever so slightly, as if reassuring himself that you were still there, still his.
“I’ll prove it” he murmured, almost to himself. “You’ll see
 I don’t need anything else.”
The woman from the guild frowned. “Refusing to register might cause problems later. If you change your mind, come to the guild hall.” She gave you a lingering look before turning away, leading her team elsewhere.
Once they were gone, you exhaled, glancing down at your guild-issued device. You hadn’t checked Phainon’s stats since he hatched. Opening the interface, your breath caught in your throat. His level had skyrocketed. It wasn’t just growth, it was unnatural. No one leveled up this fast. Slowly, you looked up at him, finding him already staring at you.
His lips curled into a soft, knowing smile. “You’re looking at me differently” he murmured. “Are you finally realizing it?”
Realizing what?
Phainon wasn’t just strong. He was something else.
You couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Phainon’s level growth wasn’t just unnatural, it was impossible. Even the most elite adventurers took years to reach his current strength, yet he had done it in mere days. And his reaction when you let him decide for himself
 the way he clung to you, as if the very idea of autonomy was foreign to him
 Something wasn’t right.
That night, while Phainon sat contentedly by the fireplace, watching you with that ever-present devotion, you busied yourself with research.
You poured through old adventurer logs, ancient texts, and anything that might explain the anomaly that was him. But no record of a “lucky egg” spawning a human existed. Every instance of the machine had resulted in creatures—beasts, familiars, magical companions. Never a person. Then, deep within an old archive, you found something.
A passage detailing an experiment.
“In pursuit of the perfect companion, scholars once sought to craft an entity bound by absolute devotion. A being that would imprint upon the first soul it encountered, instinctively prioritizing their happiness and survival above all else. However, these creations proved unstable—obsessive, possessive, and far too powerful. The project was ultimately abandoned, all records sealed away.”
Your gaze flickered toward Phainon.
His blue eyes gleamed in the firelight, calm and unreadable as he met your stare.
“You’re looking at me like that again”
“Phainon
” You swallowed. “What are you?”
For a long moment, he didn’t answer.
Then, slowly, he rose from his seat, walking toward you with measured steps. When he reached you, he knelt—his head resting against your lap, his arms wrapping around you in a loose embrace.
“I don’t know” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “But does it matter?”
He tilted his head, pressing closer, his warmth seeping into you.
“All I know is that I belong to you” he murmured, smiling softly. “And that’s the only truth I need.”
Your fingers trembled against the pages of the book.
This was worse than you thought.
Phainon wasn’t just obsessed.
He was made to be.
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strungnews · 2 months ago
Text
CAN’T YOU PLEASE MAKE AN EXCEPTION?
Mornings with Mark and Eve are slow. You can feel how cold it is when one of them starts to slowly pull away from the human sandwich you’ve been put into every night. Sometimes even rotating to whoever needed it the most that day, but they favored you in the middle most.
You hate it when the bed starts to get cold once they leave their spot. A feeling of emptiness without someone on the other side to pin you to the other, the blanket of security now broken apart.
“Duty calls,” Mark rasps. It was usually him pulling from the hold, even if he didn’t want to. His hair is tousled, and shirt crinkled beyond belief, it could rival the world’s wrinkliest dog. Or a raisin.
You grumble before pulling away from Eve, tugging him back to bed. Eve, growing accustomed to the routine, ignores the two of you as she turns around and settles back into sleep.
Your arms wrap around his midsection, and he floats without a care, used to your antics while you hang onto him with an iron grip, surprisingly strong despite your groggy state. Your actions seem ironic since Mark’s the clingy one between the three of you.
“Hey, im serious. I gotta go,” He always feels bad when he has to tell you off, but its a necessary evil to do good in the world.
“I hate you.” “Love you too.” He’d hover over the bed for you to fall back on, and you’d let go with a bounce. Eve shifts with the sudden weight change before turning around and putting a leg over you, making you her human pillow.
“See what you’re missing out on?” You gesture between you and Eve, and Mark rolls his eyes when you stick your tongue out at him. Only crossing his arms to look at the two of you from above, watching you shift to hold Eve in your arms. Cradling her head to your chest as she basically intertwines herself onto you.
She loves doing that, especially to you. Because you never really know how to get out of it, let alone realize you were in it.
The morning afterglow is something Mark always appreciates whenever he sees the two of you cuddled together. He swears by it when he says it’s the sexiest thing he’s ever seen. But he says that about a lot of things when it comes to you and Eve.
“Stop seducing me its working."
Mark puts a sheepish hand to his mouth while looking out the window, hovering down so he stands at the foot of the bed. Face flushed from the abundance of love he feels towards the two of you, it makes him frustrated beyond compare with how much he feels for you two.
He bites at the fat of his hand lightly, a small way to keep his cuteness aggression at bay with how his heartbeat start to pick up.
‘Calm down.’ He tells himself.
But the sight of you looking all confused, looking down to properly asses your sleeping attire. He might bite a chunk off of it.
You’re in one of the thousands of stolen shirts you took from Mark—thats honestly seen better days. Grease stains it at the bottom, unable to washed away either by hand or machine, you just gave up and left it as is when you could feel the fabric start to strain. Alongside the now newly growing patch of drool that Eve is helping you sport on your chest to further add onto the list of abuse the shirt has gone through. Sure, why the hell not Mark.
"What's this freak-o talking about?" You lean to Eve’s ear, whispering despite her not even being fully conscious yet.
She mumbles a small "dunno" and sits up to stretch, before kissing your cheek.
"I think my drool does make you pretty sexy." She eyes you up and down, and Mark only nods in agreement.
“Dated a buncha supers ‘n they’re all weirdos.” You tug a blanket to wrap around you, curling up into a ball.
“You love it. Now give me my kiss,” Mark leans down to plant a kiss on your cheek, but you turn away.
“Go brush your teeth first.”
“Rude, I thought you loved me! Morning breath and all.”
“I never said that,”
“It was in the unofficial contract you agreed to when you went into this. So, you technically did.”
He crowds you, easily picking you up and into his lap at your curled form, and you wriggle around like a rabid animal. Wrapped in foreign confines you had put yourself in.
“If I had to, so do you.” Eve mumbles while she pats down your bedhead and plants a kiss on it, making Mark whine.
“Is it that bad?” He puts a hand up to his mouth and breathes.
“I don’t want to find out.” You murmur through the fabric of your shared blanket, before turning away again when he tries to lean in.
“Cmon, just one peck?”
“Stop—ew, no!” Eve slowly joins in the fun, tickling you and holding you down so Mark can give you a loving smooch to the cheek.
“Gross!” You stick your tongue out in disgust, and Mark just kisses you again.
Eve does the same on the other cheek, and you groan.
“Stooop, I thought duty called?”
“Just give us a moment,”
They alternate kissing each sides, and you’re stuck on the bed to do nothing but take it.
Eventually, they smoosh you with their kiss, another sandwich they have made out of you. Maybe it was one of those hints they were dropping that you just never picked up on. Like before, when they flirted with you. Maybe you’ll make them sandwiches to bring along their ‘work’.
“You done?”
“Mhm,”
They pull back from their artwork, a proud hand on Eve’s hips and Mark on his chin. Before he pulls Eve by her waist and kissing her on the lips.
“There, now we can go.”
Eve bends to kiss yours, and you hum happily.
“Okay, now one last kiss before we go? For good luck?”
Eve makes her way to the bathroom, and she could feel the eye roll all the way from there when Mark begged.
“Fine, fine,” you pull him by the neck, and peck his lips. Before he holds onto your shoulders and pushes to continue further when you part from him.
His hands feel so warm when he holds you. Can feel the heat your skin radiates because your body pumps and produces blood to keep you alive.
He can compare your heat to the sun, a scorching but comfortable burn that he just can’t seem to pull away from. Like a moth to a flame. Making Mark and Eve the ones that keep you cool, not cold enough to turn you down, but not hot enough so you explode and destroy the whole universe.
“Mark!” Eve yells through the sounds of the shower puttering against the tiled floors, door still wide open for it all to be heard.
“Coming!” He yells out, before giving you one last kiss with a hug. You smell like Eve’s body wash and his shampoo. Like home.
The smell of that is now long gone on you. The room smells like copper and decay, the horrid smell coming from your corpse.
Your eyes are glazed over, limbs broken and torn into several places having to be cut apart so it all could fit into the body bag.
You’re cold. Ice cold. The sweltering loving heat you produced now nothing. Not a flicker, not even a flash of light through you. The fire burning inside now snubbed into nothing.
Mark and Eve are cold, with nothing to properly warm themselves.
His hands tremble at the sight, unable to properly see your body through the tears that wells up in his eyes while his hands clasp at the one still attached to you. Eve doesn’t speak. Didn’t even enter the room.
Already having her time when she waited for Mark to wake up from his three day coma. She wanted to do something to bring you back, to cheat death a second time for you. But it was too late. Your body had ran rigid and cold. Not a pulse when you were found by Cecil’s men.
And even then, she can’t hold back the tears she’s cried over for the past few days. Hearing Mark so hurt, hurts her too.
“Eve,” His voice cracks, just as it had done when he cried out for her. When he thought he had lost her before his very eyes.
“This—you can fix this, right?”
“Mark,”
“Please tell me you can,”
“I cant—“ she chokes. Turning away from the sight. She can’t stomach it.
Mark wails, and seeks comfort in Eve. Holding him like he had held her and you. Holding him tight enough to blanket him with the hold you and her shared.
It was still cold. Eve and Mark’s body shake as they sob onto one another. Like they were stranded in the middle of winter.
Is this how it felt whenever he’d pull away from you all those mornings? He can’t imagine how you must have felt in your last moments.
A/n: If it wasnt clear this takes place after Mark fights Conquest! I had the first part of this in my drafts for a while and had a eureka moment to mix that with the last episode of season 3. Anyways! Haha angst
Title was based off of “No more Birthdays”, one of the recent songs ive been repeating nowadays. each lyric that song had was gut wrenching sob
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aleese1111 · 9 days ago
Note
Continue the seongje and baekjin one shot, plss 😭 I love your writing btw
three wolves, one flame three | geum seong je x union!reader x na baek jin
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summary: she disappears for three days. the group chat stays active, but her silence buzzes louder than the messages. when she comes back, no one asks for an apology—but some things still need saying.
warnings: [slow burn] violence, blood, emotional repression, miscommunication, bruises, language, toxic coping, mild angst, vulnerability, references to mental strain, unhealthy attachment .
author's note: this is lowkey boring . next chapter i will end some fights, maybe . requests ,,
✶ ᶻz .ᐟ , .. two .. three .. ??
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she didn’t show up the next day.
or the day after.
she didn’t say anything in the group chat either, just read messages and left them on delivered. the trio thread kept lighting up—seong je sending blurry photos of some idiot who thought he could run with their stuff, his bruised knuckles front and center in half the shots. baek jin replied with deadpan sarcasm as usual:
you get off on sending crime scene selfies or what at least wipe the blood next time, dumbass.
she left no reaction. no thumbs-up. no eye roll. just silence.
seong je didn’t say anything about it, but every time the chat buzzed and her read receipt popped up, he stared a little longer than he needed to. his replies grew shorter. more photos, less commentary.
baek jin didn’t press her either. he already knew where she was—texted once, got a vague “need space,” and left it at that.
by the time she walked into the office again, three days had passed.
the air smelled like microwave ramen and disinfectant. the arcade outside was still warming up—machines humming, half-lit—but inside the office, baek jin sat alone at the desk, mechanical pencil in one hand, a half-solved sudoku in the other.
she didn’t say anything at first. just walked in like she’d never left, dropped her tote bag by the couch, and moved to the filing cabinet near the wall.
baek jin didn’t look up. “you look like shit.”
“thanks.” she pulled open the drawer, flipping through documents with more precision than necessary.
silence.
“you okay?” he asked, quieter.
she paused. “eventually.”
he nodded once. “fair.”
she didn’t look at him. “did you keep the delivery records from last week?”
“top drawer. labeled in red.”
she found them, tucked them under one arm, and started organizing them into the accordion folder she’d abandoned three days ago. her movements were stiff—robotic, almost—but her eyes didn’t have that wild look anymore. just tired.
“i saw the chat,” she said suddenly, still facing the files.
baek jin raised an eyebrow. “yeah?”
“seong je’s still trying to impress us with his selfies.”
“he’s consistent, i’ll give him that.”
she didn’t reply. just clicked the folder shut and slung it under her arm like a shield. “i need to take these to the garage.”
baek jin leaned back in his chair, watching her go. “try not to set it on fire.”
“i’ll try.”
she left without another word.
@ . !
the motorcycle garage still smelled like sweat and oil, like time hadn’t passed since the last argument cracked through its walls.
seong je was slouched on the couch in his corner, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, doing whatever it was he did when no one told him not to—probably scrolling, probably brooding, or both. his school shirt was off again—just a tank top now, stained with grease—and his hands were already a mess of oil and old blood, wrapped haphazardly in gauze.
he heard her before he saw her.
she walked in with the folder hugged to her chest, eyes scanning the shelves for the logbooks that matched her records. she didn’t acknowledge him. not at first.
seong je didn’t move, but his eyes tracked her. “didn’t die after all,” he said flatly.
she didn’t look up. “sorry to disappoint.”
“you ghosted.”
“i needed air.”
he let the silence stretch. then: “baek jin knew?”
“of course he did.”
his jaw tensed. “right.”
she moved to the shelves, tugging out a binder, flipping through it like she was looking for something worth fighting about. but her hands were steadier than before.
“you mad at me or just at the world again?” he asked, not moving from where he stood.
she glanced at him—finally. her face unreadable. “if i was mad at you, you’d know.”
“that a threat?”
“no,” she said, softer now. “a fact.”
the silence that followed was brittle, but not sharp. just... unsure.
he watched her for a second longer, then went back to the caliper, voice quieter this time. “i thought maybe something happened. something worse.”
she froze for just a second before kneeling beside the lower shelf, pretending to search again. “why would you think that?”
“you left. no word. that’s not you.”
“it is when i’m not interested in a second breakdown in the span of a week.”
he didn’t respond to that right away.
then, voice low: “you don’t have to disappear to handle your shit.”
“i do when it’s loud.”
“...was it me?”
she blinked at the shelf. slowly. “you didn’t help.”
“good,” he muttered, tone sharpening. “because i’m not gonna play nice just ‘cause you cry once.”
“didn’t ask you to.”
“good.”
she shut the binder.
they stared at each other again. neither moved.
then—somehow gentler—seong je spoke. “i didn’t mean to scare you. that night. i just... i get stupid when i think we’re losing something.”
she exhaled slowly, standing back up. “then stop getting stupid.”
he smirked faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
she moved toward the desk near the corner, setting the folder down. her posture eased a little, like the fight had already drained out of her. like whatever she’d been holding in those missing days had been emptied somewhere between baek jin’s silence and this garage’s stale heat.
“i’m not mad,” she said finally.
he didn’t reply. just nodded, once.
“and i didn’t cry,” she added flatly.
he snorted. “sure. must’ve been rain indoors.”
she rolled her eyes and flipped open the folder. “shut up and hand me the maintenance logs.”
he passed them over without a word, but when their fingers brushed, just briefly—she didn’t pull away.
@ . !
the garage was quiet. not just physically—quiet in that crawling, weighty way that meant something unsaid was hanging in the air, uninvited and unwelcome.
she finished shuffling through the folders, double-checking figures on her phone with one hand while holding the corner of a page with the other. she didn’t make a sound until she shut the last file closed with a dull thunk against the desk.
seong je hadn’t moved. still on the couch, one leg bent under the other, his fingers idle now, phone dark on his thigh.
she turned slowly, stretched her arms overhead until her back cracked, then walked over. he didn’t say anything, just watched her as she dropped down next to him like it was nothing. like she hadn’t ghosted the groupchat. like she hadn’t gone missing. like he hadn’t noticed.
she pulled a cigarette from her pocket. offered him one, wordless.
he took it.
the first drag was silence. so was the second. the air filled with smoke and something sharp that had nothing to do with nicotine.
“
you good?” he asked eventually, not looking at her.
she exhaled through her nose. “yeah.”
that was all she gave him.
he nodded once, jaw flexing like he was weighing his next words, then letting them drop.
she leaned back into the couch, staring ahead at nothing. the kind of stare that meant her thoughts were somewhere else—untouchable, maybe even to herself.
he lit his second drag. “baek jin didn’t say anything either.”
she glanced sideways at that, just briefly. “he knew.”
“hm.”
they sat there in that stillness for a while, smoke curling above their heads, shoulders brushing occasionally in that too-familiar way that meant something used to be here, maybe still is, maybe not.
“
next time,” seong je said, after a moment, “just send a blank message or something. so i don’t gotta keep guessing if i should start digging.”
she flicked ash into the tray. “you don’t need to guess.”
“still did.”
she didn’t say anything.
didn’t have to.
then, softer—quiet enough that it could’ve been for her or for himself—he added, “hard not to.”
that silence after hit different. not sharp. not cold. just real.
she didn’t look at him. didn’t flinch either. just sat there, smoke slipping past her lips like it didn’t matter.
but it did.
even if neither of them said so.
the cigarette burned low between her fingers. seong je had already stubbed his out, leaning forward with elbows on knees, eyes low, jaw set in that unreadable way of his.
she tapped ash into the tray again. “you ever gonna say what’s actually bothering you?”
he blinked. a beat passed. then he gave a breath of a laugh—more air than sound.
“didn’t think we were doing that now.”
“maybe we are,” she said, voice flat. “maybe i’m asking.”
he leaned back, stretching his arms behind the couch. the motion pulled his shirt tight across his chest, scars visible under the loose neckline.
“
i thought you weren’t coming back,” he muttered. it wasn’t accusatory. just honest.
she didn’t answer right away. the truth sat heavy behind her teeth.
then—quiet—“i almost didn’t.”
that shut him up for a second.
he turned his head to look at her. really look.
“you leaving for good wouldn’t have surprised me,” he said. “but not saying anything would’ve.”
she looked straight ahead. “i didn’t owe anyone a goodbye.”
“but you left us on read,” he said. “that’s worse.”
that earned him a look, finally. she wasn’t angry. just tired.
“you make it sound like i ghosted my high school friends. i needed time. that’s it.”
“you left me wondering if i fucked up,” he said plainly. “and baek jin kept saying nothing. that’s how i knew something was off.”
she pulled her legs up onto the couch, cigarette now mostly forgotten in the tray.
“
baek jin saw something he wasn’t supposed to.”
he arched a brow but didn’t press. didn’t need to. whatever it was, he filed it away behind that quiet demeanor of his.
she tilted her head back against the couch, closing her eyes for a moment. “i’m here now. that’s all that matters.”
“that all?”
she didn’t answer.
a knock echoed from the other end of the garage—a metal-on-metal tap against the doorframe. baek jin stood there, leaned against it, holding two plastic bags.
“you two gonna sit in your own smoke all day, or you want shitty convenience store food?” he asked.
seong je didn’t move. “depends. you get the melon milk?”
baek jin nodded. “one for each of you.”
she stood, brushing ash from her jeans. “then i’m in.”
as she walked past him toward the back table, baek jin’s eyes met seong je’s. something unreadable passed between them.
then seong je stood too, cracking his neck with a quiet roll of his shoulders.
back to normal. almost.
but not quite.
✶ ᶻz .ᐟ , .. two .. three.. ??
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manmuncher777 · 25 days ago
Text
CARDIO
The cardio machine at the gym weren’t working for Toji today, how else will he burn some calories
..
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The sound of your kettle boiling echoed in the back group of your apartment as you sat watching TV. It was 9pm and Toji was due home soon. You poured yourself a green tea, sitting yourself back on the couch that felt a lot more lonely this evening. You didn’t really know why, after all Toji was gone to the gym most nights of the week for a few hours, it was nothing different, but you couldn’t help but miss him. And you were certainly missing him more than usual tonight. Maybe it was because you didnt really get to see him today, you got back from work just as he was leaving, sharing a few minutes with each other before you watched him leave. When he got back, you were out to lunch with friends. You wanted nothing more but to screw the plans and stay with him, especially with how he was looking at you in that moment. But you couldn’t bail on your friends.
And when you got back, he was getting ready to head out to the gym. Not that you didnt understand, of our se you did. You both has busy schedules and his gym was very important to him. He got moody when he would miss a day - which was very rarely. But the room felt a little bit chillier without his presence. You were doing your best to concentrate on the tv, or even the cup of tea that warmed your hands. But nothing
You were preoccupied on focusing on trying to hear when his car pulls up. You had lived together long enough for you to be able to memorise the sound. You paused your breathing as you heard the familiar motor pull in, shut off and the door shut.
It was like you were first dating him again, you heart suddenly picking up at the thought of him seeing you. You fussed with your hair quickly, you knew you had a few minutes before he got there and you didnt want it to look silly after lying on the couch.
Quickly shifting yourself, pretending to focus on whatever was on the tv when you heard his keys in the door. Part of you wanted to run there like an eager puppy who hadn’t seen their owner all day, but you had some self restraint - some.
The key turning in the door was all it took for your ears to perk up, body instinctively rising from the couch as heavy footsteps filled the entranceway. Toji was back.
You practically bounced toward him, excitement bubbling over as you caught sight of his familiar frame stepping inside. He looked
 well, like he always did—too damn good. His black compression shirt clung to his broad chest, highlighting every ridge of muscle beneath, and the lazy way he slung his gym bag over his shoulder sent something warm curling in your stomach. A few damp strands of his dark hair clung to his forehead, evidence of a workout that, knowing him, had been brutal.
His sharp green eyes lifted at the sight of you, and the smirk that tugged at his lips was immediate. “Someone’s happy to see me.”
“I haven’t seen you all day,” you huffed, ignoring the teasing lilt in his voice as you stepped closer. You didn’t hesitate to slide your arms around his waist, pressing into the heat of his body. He smelled like sweat and the faint remnants of his cologne, an intoxicating mix that made your fingers twitch against his back.
Toji chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest as he dropped his bag and let his arms wrap around you in return, pressing you in close. “Yeah? Missed me that bad, huh?”
You tilted your chin up to meet his gaze, rolling your eyes at the cocky grin stretched across his face. “Obviously.”
His thumb traced absent circles against your spine, the other hand sliding down, sneaking just beneath the hem of your shirt, fingers pressing into the warm skin at your lower back. “You’re cute.” His voice dipped lower, rougher. “Wish I could’ve come home earlier, but the damn gym was slacking today. Cardio machines were down.”
You blinked, catching the way his smirk deepened, the glint in his eyes nothing short of trouble.
“So I didn’t get my usual workout in,” he continued, fingers pressing just a bit firmer against your skin, keeping you locked against him. “Still need to get some form of cardio in, though.”
Heat licked up your spine, heart hammering against your ribs as his meaning settled between you.
“
Toji.”
“What?” His grin was downright sinful now, his hands roaming as he leaned in close, breath warm against your ear. “You got a better suggestion?”
You scoff, shaking your head at him. “That’s tragic. Really, my heart aches for you.” Trying your best to resist his charm
Toji hums, stepping further into the apartment, and it’s only then that you realize how imposing he is, how much space he takes up. Broad shoulders, sculpted arms, those hands—God, those hands. He drops his gym bag onto the floor with a dull thud, stretching his neck from side to side like he’s shaking off the last remnants of his workout.
“Tch. Guess I’ll have to find another way to get my heart rate up,” he muses, slow and deliberate, his eyes dragging over you.
The look sends a shiver down your spine. It’s lazy, assessing, like he’s already decided how the next few minutes will go.
You don’t move when he steps closer, nor when he lifts a hand to your jaw, tilting your face up toward him. His palm is warm, calloused from years of combat and training, but he’s gentle when he strokes his thumb along the curve of your cheek.
“Missed you today,” you admit, voice quieter now, betraying just how much you mean it.
A small smirk tugs at his lips, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “Yeah?”
You nod, feeling your breath catch as he dips his head, nose brushing yours, lips just barely grazing—teasing, testing, waiting.
“Show me, then,” he murmurs.
It’s all the permission you need.
Your fingers curl into the fabric of his tank top, and you pull him in, pressing your lips to his like you’ve been craving it all day—because you have. Toji meets you with just as much want, his grip tightening at your jaw, the other hand sliding down to your waist, anchoring you against him.
He kisses you slow at first, savoring it, drawing out each movement like he has all the time in the world. But it doesn’t stay slow for long. His teeth graze your bottom lip, a groan rumbling from his chest as he deepens the kiss, taking and taking until you’re breathless. Until all you can do is melt into him.
And just like that, the tension from before shifts into something else entirely.
Something dangerous.
Something intoxicating.
And you don’t think you’d stop him even if you could.
He has hardly even gotten in the door, discarding his gym bag and keys somewhere on the floor, backing you up until you’re pressed tightly between the cool of the wall and his rock hard chest.
His familiar musk filled your nose as you kissed him, amplified by the effects of his workout. You were addicted.
His hands trailed all over your body, haphazardly grabbing at any skin he could, squeezing and gripping as your lips clashed with his. Soon those travelling hands finding them hem of your shirt, ripping it off you in seconds. He’s breaking away from the kiss, only to strip you down before him. Eyes sleazily tracing over your figure as he’s pulling your shorts down too,. His eyes widening at the sight before him.
“No panties sweetheart?” He asked, licking his scarred lips as the sight of your bare cunt, just begging for his attention, begging for his touch.
“Really missed you
” Was the only explanation you could offer him. You waste no time. Not taking a moment to be conscious as you slip your bra off as well. Standing naked in front of the burly man, allowing him to take you in. His form towered over you, and with the look in those eyes you were certain he was sizing you up, like a lion with its prey.
That look in his eyes, his iris’ darkened with lust. His hands resting on your hips, gripping tightly. Shit, he really missed you too.
Your pretty little eyes were starting to get to him, every bat of your lashes like you werent just sat here with no panties waiting for him to come home and fuck you. This perfectly manicured nails of your tracing over his abs, trying to find the hem of his compression shirt. Eyebrows furrowing cutely as you tried to find the edge of the tight material.
“Tojiii~” You whined, starting to get frustrated with your inability to strip the hunk in front of you.
He knew how worked up you got after he had done a work out. You were fully aware he was huge before a workout, but that after workout pump he got was fucking delicious to look at. Hi biceps prominent and threatening to tear his sleeves, his chest - puffed out so pretty. Fuck his tits looked amazing in that black shirt. Veins still building down his forearms and hands in jagged lines. And His back, I mean you know what they say. Hate to see him evade but looovvveee to watch him go. You could spend hours looking at the defines muscle flexing in the light with every move he made. If you were lucky he would send you a gym pic after an escape I ally hard night. They went into a special folder on your phone
 for no paticular reason
He understood what you were trying so desperately to beg him for. A light chuckle leaving his lips, without taking his eyes off of you, he peeled the tight material from his sculpted skin.
You eyes going as wide as sauce pans as you shamelessly started at his body, a sight you could never get tired of. You wanted to gnaw on his bicep.
“You’re drooling there princess.” He teases, mock wiping the corner of your lips with his thumb. You scowl at him, stopping his hand before it can pull away and taking his thumb into your mouth, wrapping your lips tightly around the digit, swirling your tongue around it while giving him the most innocent look you could muster. His mouth gapes in awe for a second, a quiet ‘oh’ leaving his lips.
He doesn’t allow himself to be distracted for long, he already knows your slutty little trick. He pulls his thumb from between your lips with a wet ‘pop’. Taking the hand and wrapping it around your throat. A pathetic whimper leaves your lips, and out the corner of his eye he can notice you rubbing your thighs together, trying to release some of the pressure there.
“So needy sweetheart, haven’t even touched you yet.” He whispers close to you ear, lips brushing against the skin. That contact was enough to have you shivering. You felt like a virgin being touched for the first time, thats how badly you needed him. Everything he did had you squirming and moaning for him.
You couldn’t care, you needed him right now. You didnt even want to waste time on foreplay at this point - lord knows you were already soaked enough for him to slip right in. All you could think about was his bulging cock that was standing prominently in his grey jogger. Just begging for you to release it.
Your hands flying down to the waistband of his joggers, not deterred even when his grip on your throat tightens, you can feel that delicious wooziness right as he releases.
“Fucking hell baby, acting like you haven’t got dick for years. Such a slut.” He rasps at you, while it could sound like it, he certainly wasnt complaining. He loved when he had you all needy like this, begging for him in every way.
A deep groan leaving his chest as you palm him through his boxer, soon dragging them down his legs also, throwing them away in a similar direction that you did his joggers. Your eyes never leaving his as you spat in your palm, wasting no time as you wrapped your hand around his thick cock. The tip so pretty and pink, slowly leaking white pearls of pre with each stroke you eagerly gave him.
He choked out a moan, not expecting you to be so very eager “shit- slow down baby”
“I need you Toji. Now.” That look in your eyes, so demanding and needy.
With that sentence you definitely didn’t have to ask the man twice
Showing off his strength for you was something he was used to. He fucking loved watching you drool over him when he was f;Lexington or doing some kind of heavy lifting. So why not show off for his girl a bit?
Not wasting a second before hes sweeping you up in his arms, draping each leg over each of his forearms as he presses you tightly against the wall, hoisting you up as if you weighed nothing to him.
You were folded so perfectly for him, with no room in your mind to be conscious about how vulnerable you were right now, you didnt care. You wanted him to destroy you. Having him pick you up so easily made your head spin.
“This what you wanted doll? Hmmm?” he smirks at you, eyes glancing down to where he was lining his throbbing tip up with your entrance. His perfect cock leaking so prettily. Teasing you as it poked right at your needy hole, gathering your wetness. Small pearls of precum leaking out so beautifully.
“Wanted me to fuck you like this? Like how strong I am for you?”
His eyes flickering up now, not wanting to miss the already fucked out look on your face before he had hardly got his hands on you. Chuckling to himself as all you could manage was a nod. Glossy eyes begging him to make a move, but he wasn’t going to be that kind yet.
“Poor baby, so needy. All cock drunk and I haven’t even touched you yet.”
Dark tufts of hair drooping into his face, his smug, cocky face.. You knew your neediness was a boost to his ego, but you also got off on how cocky he could be sometimes. How he could render you speechless with that fucking smirk of his and a little bit of sweet talking.
Not trusting your voice anymore, a small whine was the only sound that left your throat.
“Oh? Where’s the big girl from earlier that was demanding I fuck her?” He certainly wasnt making it easy for you, and you were trying so hard to concentrate on what he was saying, to keep your eyes locked on his. But you couldn’t help trickling down to where his thick cock sat at your entrance. Doing your best to shift your hips forwards slightly. Your movement limited due to the position he had you in, but anything was better than nothing, you were getting desperate now. Being so close to that sweet stretch.
He knew what he was doing to you, he knew he was pushing you to your limits, but he wanted to see you break for him. Leaning in even closer to you, lips tracing the shell of your ear as he spoke to you so sweetly “use your words for me, like a big girl”
He could be so cruel to you, but that was exactly why you loved him.
“P-please Toji~”
Fuck
Fuck you
He could never deny that voice, that beautiful begging with a tinge of sadness. That desperation that always guilted him into giving you whatever you wanted. God he wanted that pretty voice to ring in his mind for eternity.
Not having the will to deny you any longer, his hips shifted forwards.
Shit
It really hadn’t been that long, but either way how tight you were squeezing him you could think it had been years.
Light moans left you with every second that passed. Relishing in the feeling of being so perfectly full again, like your walls were modded to his cock. Only fulfilled when he was the one filling you.
Soon his hips began to rock, oh so slowly. Back and forth, each drag of his cock against your velvety walls pulling moans that got louder and louder as his movement picked up pace.
The cool of the wall now contrasted by the heat radiating off of your now sweat sheened skin. Your body shifting up the wall slightly with each thrust you received.
Unable to do anything but just take what he was giving to you, completely at he mercy as he propped you up. Fucking you so deep.
He was ruining you now, hips picking up to a brutal place as he slammed into you. Listening to the sound of your pitchy moans. Light huffs leaving him with each movement.
Your eyes lolling open only to be met with a heavenly sight, your buff boyfriend.
Biceps rippling with the task of holding you up, veins popping through the skin in jagged lines. A light gloss of sweat reflecting off the muscles that made them look practically edible. You were amazed he was still able to keep you up with such ease, even as he fucked you.
“T-T-Toji” your voice came out as a wobble, his name broken up with each thrust of his hips.
His swollen tip hitting deep inside of you. This position giving him to angle his hips so cruelly. Where he knew you needed it. That spongy spot inside of you. Cock pushing deeper and deeper into your gummy walls.
“What’s wrong? Feeling good ma?” He grunts out
A pathetic nod is all you can manage in that moment, your mind turned to jelly. Taking everything that he was giving you.
A dry laugh left toji as he continued his thrusts, jackhammering into your needy pussy. Your hands desperately grabbing at his biceps, nails clawing at the skin. That sharp sensation only spurring toji on.
This was his favourite way to fuck you, all needy and rushed. Toji loved being able to take his time with you. This evening where he would tease you for hours before giving you what you both wanted. But there was something more sensual about your sessions like this. They were ruled by need and want with little regard for anything else. The rushed movements, the needy kisses that left him gasping for air. The little whine in your voice that you knew would get him to give you anything you wanted. It had him feral. He can take him time with you later, but in moments like this all he wants is to give you what you both need.
When you go all sparkly eyed and cock drunk for him, he can hardly hold back. He loves seeing his girl all broken for him.
Toji could already feel his high nearing, but was doing his best to hold it off, to resist from cumming early, shooting deep inside your inviting pussy.
His cocky demeanour fading now, dripping away slowly and fading into something a little bit more raw now. Depraved and needy. his head dropping onto your shoulder again, heavy breathing into the supple skin, breathing in your scent.
“Fuckin’ perfect,” he growled against your throat, his lips dragging over the sensitive skin there, nipping at your pulse. His voice was shredded, low and needy, vibrating straight through your chest. “Look at you, baby. Fuckin’ need me that bad, huh?”
You could barely answer, could barely think — the only thing you knew was the crushing strength of his body against yours, the hard, heavy feel of him grinding his tip in the deepest parts of you
Your fingers tangled in his sweaty hair, tugging, desperate. “Toji,” you whined, squirming in his hold, your whole body burning for him. “Please. I need you so bad—”
He chuckled — dark and deep and wicked — and pulled back just enough to look at you, green eyes flashing with something hungry.
“You’re fuckin’ drippin’ for me,” he muttered,. “Bet you’d let me do anything to you right now, huh?”
You nodded frantically, shame completely forgotten, hips chasing his touch
And Toji
 oh, Toji lived for it.
He smirked, cocky and lazy, like he had all the time in the world to ruin you.
“You sure you can take it, baby?” he rasped, rolling his hips against you in shallow, teasing thrusts. “Might be too big for you like this.”
You sobbed his name, desperate, rutting against him. You would take him, you would beg for it — anything, just to be full of him.
Your back arched off the wall, a wrecked, broken sound ripping from your throat — the stretch of him so overwhelming, so perfect, you could barely breathe.
Toji swore under his breath, hands tightening on your thighs like a vice. “Fuck — that’s it, baby. That’s my girl. Taking it so good.”
His strength had you completely at his mercy, legs trembling, hands scrabbling at his slick shoulders as he fucked you into the wall like he couldn’t get close enough.
“Mine,” he growled into your ear, rutting into you harder. “Mine, you fuckin’ hear me?”
You nodded frantically, sobbing out his name, every nerve ending in your body sparking white-hot with pleasure.
“Say it,” he snarled, cock filling you so deep you swore you could feel him in your stomach. “Say you’re fuckin’ mine, baby.”
“Yours—!” you cried, clenching around him, falling apart in his arms. “Yours, Toji, all yours—!”
And he rewarded you — oh, he rewarded you — with even rougher thrusts, chasing both of your highs like a man starved.
You came first, shattering with a scream against his shoulder, and Toji followed right after, groaning low in your ear as he pumped you full of him, thick and heavy and endless.
Neither of you moved for a long moment — just panting against each other, sweaty and shaking and absolutely wrecked
His forehead pressed against yours, and you swore you heard a chuckle — low and satisfied — as he shifted you in his arms.
“Fucking insatiable,” he muttered. “Might not even let you walk after that, baby.”
Neither of you moved at first — panting, bodies trembling, clinging to each other like you might drown if you let go.
But Toji
 Toji wasn’t satisfied.
Not even close.
He kept you pinned against the wall with one arm, shifting his grip just enough to thrust into you again — slow and deep, the obscene wet sound of it filling the air.
You whined weakly, too sensitive, too wrecked — but it didn’t matter. Toji wasn’t letting you go.
“Still so fuckin’ tight,” he rasped against your throat, dragging his teeth over your skin. “Still need it, don’t you, baby? Still clenching like you’re beggin’ for more.”
Your only answer was a broken sob, your legs trembling around his arms, toes curling helplessly.
You were done for. Your mind was nothing but static, every nerve in your body frayed and buzzing, but Toji just kept going — shallow, grinding thrusts that kept you right on the precipice of falling apart again.
“Fuck,” he groaned, dragging his cock almost all the way out before slamming back in, deep and heavy. “Listen to how fuckin’ messy you are for me, baby. You hear that? That’s all you.”
You couldn’t even be embarrassed — not with the filthy, wet sounds of your body taking him so eagerly, not with the way your cunt was fluttering around him, so desperate for more.
His strength was unreal — holding you up like you weighed nothing, fucking up into you like he was starving, like you were the only thing that could satisfy the ache burning through his veins.
You babbled his name, mindless, clinging to his shoulders, feeling another orgasm building so fast it was making you dizzy.
Toji smirked when he felt you tighten around him.
“You gonna cum for me again, pretty girl?” he panted, voice almost smug, almost sweet. “Gonna cream all over my cock like a good little slut?”
You sobbed his name, nodding frantically, desperate, delirious.
“Please, Toji, please—”
“Yeah?” he muttered, his voice filthy, a little slurred with pleasure. “Go on, baby. Fuckin’ make a mess. Wanna feel you lose it on me.”
And with one more brutal, grinding thrust, he had you unraveling — cumming so hard you swore you blacked out for a second, your whole body convulsing in his arms.
You screamed his name, the sound muffled against his shoulder, clinging to him like he was the only thing anchoring you to the earth.
Toji swore viciously under his breath, feeling the way you pulsed and milked him.
“Fuck — fuck, baby, you’re squeezin’ the life outta me—”
He thrust up into you one last time, hard and deep, hips jerking as he came — hot and thick, painting your walls with a broken groan, his whole body tensing as he buried himself to the hilt.
Neither of you moved, both of you shaking, slick and sweaty and ruined, clinging to each other like you might die if you let go.
Toji pressed his forehead against yours, breathing you in, his voice a low, guttural growl.
“Still not fuckin’ done with you,” he muttered, kissing you messy and desperate, grinding against you again like he could already get hard just from the way you whimpered.
“Gonna fuckin’ ruin you tonight, pretty girl.”
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foxybrownsugababe · 7 days ago
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đ€đ«đ­đąđŸđąđœđąđšđ„ 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐼𝐚𝐭𝐱𝐹𝐧
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đđšđąđ«đąđ§đ đŹ - Ai Michael B. Jordon x Black!OC
đ’đźđŠđŠđšđ«đČ - in which a woman receives a mysterious crate that changes everything she thought she knew about solitude, control, and connection.
đ–đšđ«đ§đąđ§đ đŹ - Mild language, slow burn, emotional vulnerability, light sci-fi themes, let me know if I missed anything! Sorry for any spelling errors and grammar mistakes!! Go easy one me <3
𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐱𝐞’𝐬 𝐍𝐹𝐭𝐞𝐬 - I had the idea, and I thought “Why the hell not?” And here we are
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đ–đšđ«đ 𝐂𝐹𝐼𝐧𝐭 - 5,637+
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There was no room for weakness in Nadine Nelson’s life.
Not in her closet, where the hems of her Italian suits and Asian silks hung like armor. Not in her penthouse apartment in the heart of Manhattan, with its clean marble surfaces and city skyline views. And definitely not in the courtroom, where a well-timed objection could make or break a multimillion-dollar case.
Nadine was steel, wrapped in silk.
Her alarm rang at 5:45 AM, a single chime before she cut it off and sat up. Not a single grin or anything, just a long cat stretch before rolling over and letting her feet hit the floor. And already, her mind was racing.
Deposition at 10. Client call at 1. Lunch with the DA’s assistant—, no I’m skipping that. Trial prep at 4. Court by Thursday.
She moved like a machine all while thinking. First her perfectly manicured feet slipped into her slippers before she was up and tossing her arms into her deep blue silk robe. Then she was turning on the bathroom light, standing in front of the mirror before the sound of her electric toothbrush humming filled the space. Once she put into the sink, cold water hit her face, a nice cleaned scrub applied to her skin with some expensive soap before multiple serums and creams soothed her epidermis. Then she was down the hall and into the kitchen, her domain of silence.
She barely blinked as she moved around, effortlessly pulling together an authentic espresso. Double shot, four sugars, two creamers. She sipped out of the small cup that she placed on a saucer as she made her way to the living room, clinking on the large television with a simple tap to the panel near the light switch, as well as opening the curtains to the floor to ceiling windows of the space.
It was the news on low volume, something she played in the background as she sat on the couch and began the first part of her work day, which was checking notifications. Stock tickers scrolling. Loads of emails, and real mail. Even a text from her assistant.
Jane: Morning. Confirmed meeting with Sloane. Added an extra hour for court prep. I had to push your massage again. Sorry.
Nadine didn’t even flinch. Self-care was for people with the luxury of losing. She had no such privilege. As she continued to check and sort through her things, she came across a letter, which was rare nowadays in their advanced society. But she didn’t sit to read it for long once she saw it was some sort of survey with a government seal.
C.R.I.S.
(Cognitive Robotics & Intelligence Systems)
Confidential Prototype Program | Not for Public Disclosure
To Ms. Nadine Nelson,
Congratulations.
You are one of only twenty individuals selected to participate in the private beta phase of AURA—the world’s most advanced artificial intelli-
With a sigh, she tossed the paper into the rest of the junk mails she’d gathered, not even giving it a second thought.
By 6:30AM, she was showered and dressed in navy Balmain with matching slacks, gold cufflinks fastened, and her Louboutin heels clicked against the floors like a metronome. Every detail was precise. Her eyeliner was sharp, her decently pixie bob cut was curled and bouncy, not a strand out of place.
That was the version of herself she showed the world.
The version no one saw was the one who stared at herself in any reflection for a moment too long, trying to spot any imperfections and critiquing the ones she had. The one who pressed the ends of her hand to her temple when things became too much, roughly rubbing against her skin to not panic. The one who felt the beginnings of a headache every morning before she even stepped outside.
But there was no time for that.
Today was a big day. So big that she nearly ran over one of her co-workers in the complex’s private parking lot. The woman leaned out of the window, looking at her co-worker, Simon, was entrapped within his phone, coffee in other hand.
“Simon.” She clipped as she exited the car, standing beside the driver’s side with her bag slung over her arm and her eyes narrowed like the barrel of a gun.
Her junior partner, Simon Gellar, flinched, nearly spilling his coffee. He was leaned against the concrete column next to his vehicle, relaxed as if he had no multi-million-dollar contracts waiting for him upstairs.
“Nadine! Goodmorning.” He blurted, straightening up, phone still in hand. His thin wire glasses were crooked from how fast he’d jerked up.
She leveled a gaze at him. “You’re in my line of motion. Next to my parking spot. Were you planning to get hit by my car?” She asked, and though she was being sarcastic, her stoic face didn’t lean into that notion.
Simone scrambled back, laughing awkwardly. “Sorry, sorry. I was—uh—watching something.”
“I gathered.” She pushed past him, heels echoing. Still, curiosity peeked through her otherwise impenetrable wall of ice. She pivoted at the elevator. “What was so important it made you forget spatial awareness?”
Simon followed her with a sheepish grin, lifting his phone to show a paused video. “This new AI prototype. It’s a for a government project. They’re calling it a fully integrated domestic interface. Basically a robot with a personality. They’re doing a limited civilian roll-out.” He explained.
Nadine gave a single, unimpressed glance at the screen. It was paused on a thumbnail image—what looked like a man stepping out of a delivery crate, bare-chested, perfect skin, electric-blue eyes, and a jawline engineered with an questionable precision.
“They sent you a stripper?” She deadpanned.
Simon choked. “We-well, no! Th-this isn’t mine, this is some guy online. A-and he’s, uh, he’s supposed to be adaptable. Learns your habits, routines, even preferences. The AI body is designed to assist with home tasks and companionship. There’s an application online—”
“Companionship?” Nadine asked, one brow arching as they stepped into the elevator.
“Not like that. I mean—maybe like that.” He said, squinting. “But—anyway, apparently they already started selecting people to house the prototypes.” He sipped his coffee, missing the twitch of Nadine’s jaw. “Random civilian testing. They’re sending out offers from low to high-income environments.” He continued.
The elevator dinged. Nadine stepped out before the doors fully opened.
“Mm, sounds like a weird distraction. Who has time for pet projects from a government that doesn’t care about them. Let me know when they build one that can argue in court and bill clients.” She deadpanned before the elevator dinged and she stepped off, stuttering down the hall to her office.
“Will do.” Simon called after her, blushing as he pushed up his glasses and watched as the woman walked away from him.
✩
Nadine’s office sat at the top floor of the firm—an expansive corner with floor-to-ceiling windows, brushed gold fixtures, and enough clean lines to make any minimalist cry from joy. But it wasn’t decoration that mattered, not to her at least. It was power. Clients walked in and knew exactly who was in charge and who was a leader.
She dumped her bag on the chair and was halfway through her espresso number two when the day officially launched.
By 7:15 AM, she was pacing through an emergency strategy meeting regarding an international corporate dispute. She cut through the legalese with surgical precision, offering airtight solutions and eviscerating anyone who hesitated.
By 9:00, she was on a three-way call with the CEO of a pharmaceutical giant and their scandal-scrambling PR team, coaching them through deposition answers while reading through a second case file on her desk.
By 10:00, she was downstairs in one of the firm’s conference rooms, dressed in a power stance that had the opposing counsel checking their notes twice before daring to even speak. She flipped through paper evidence like chapters of a book she’d already read, correcting a junior associate mid-sentence with nothing but a hard stare.
Every moment, every move, every gesture, was precise. Intention was behind it all.
There were no lunch breaks for her, only a small snacks here and there, or of like the food version of a power nap. And even then, she canceled today’s one-on-one with the DA’s assistant five minutes before she was supposed to show. Nadine opted to pace the rooftop patio instead, shoes clicking against stone as she answered emails, reviewed evidence, and toggled between two back-to-back client emergencies.
Her assistant, Jane, appeared like a ghost, silent as ever behind her at 2:35 PM. “You’re behind by twenty minutes.” She said softly, placing a fresh folder on the edge of the table. “And you haven’t eaten.”
“I’ll eat
later.” Nadine replied, flipping open the folder.
Jane hesitated. “Should I reschedule your chiropractor again?”
“Does he do brain surgery now? If not, no.”
✩
The rest of the day continued in a blur of depositions, and back-door negotiations. She squeezed in a quick stop at the firm’s media floor to prepare for an interview with New York Legal Elite next week—her sixth cover in two years.
By the time she returned to her office at 6:47 PM, her makeup was still flawless. But her shoulders had a weight she didn’t let show and her temples ached with the pressure of having to always be better. A pressure she put on herself everyday.
She sat at her desk, the city lights beginning to glow outside her window, and pressed her fingers to her forehead.
Three seconds. Just three seconds of quiet.
But then her phone buzzed.
BiBi: On our way up. The twins are bringing “surprises.” Brace yourself.
Nadine closed her eyes for one heartbeat before standing.
Her apartment was ten minutes away. She could beat them there, she thought. Maybe.
She did not beat them here. Inside, chaos was already blooming. Her penthouse was already lit up when she stepped inside at 7:15PM. She barely had time to set her bag down before she heard the commotion. Marley was dancing on the rug in her socks, while Micah had discovered the fridge’s smart screen and was trying to play Mario Kart through it.
“NADIIIIINE!” The two high-pitched voices screamed in unison. The twins came barreling toward her, curly hair flailing behind them like capes. They launched into her legs with the force of tiny meteors.
“Oof.” Nadine said, catching her balance. “Are you two ever not moving at Mach 10?”
“Nope!” Markey grinned. “We made cookies!”
“With Aunt Bianca’s help.” Micah added with a proud nod.
Bianca appeared behind them, holding a wine bottle and looking way too comfortable. “And I brought provisions. You look like you’ve had one of those weeks.” She said with a small pout on her lips.
Nadine raised a brow, looking over at the older woman. “I have those every week.”
“Exactly my point.”
“I missed the Nelson Towers!” Micah said, throwing herself dramatically onto Nadine’s ivory couch.
Nadine gave her a small smile, sliding off her heels. “Your mom should’ve brought you to court last week. You would’ve seen me destroy a man three times my size.”
“Did you throw a chair at him?” Marley asked.
“No, I used the law.”
“That’s boring.”
“No, my friends, that’s winning.” She grinned. As she moved around her home, making her way into the kitchen. Bianca settled onto a stool at the kitchen island, watching her sister silently. After a beat, she asked, “What time did you go to bed last night” she questioned, the sudden ask causing Nadine to scrunch her face as she looked over at her. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Bianca spoke again. “When was the last time you slept through the night?”
Nadine simply sighed as she turned her back and opened the fridge. “I sleep.”
“That’s not what I asked. I said through the night, not on your files. What time?”
Nadine pulled out a green juice and a yogurt, even though her stomach was already tight with stress. “B, I appreciate the visit. But I don’t need a wellness check. I’m at the top of my game, so I would say I’m doing pretty fine.” Nadine said with a small smile.
This only caused Bianca to give her a look. “You’re at the top of your ulcer.”
Nadine’s sarcastic grin dropped as her jaw flexed, nostril flaring as she glared at her sister.
Bianca continued, gently now. “Nay, you’re doing amazing. But you’ve been in trial mode for two straight years. You don’t date. You barely see sunlight. You don’t even blink unless it’s part of a strategy or some shit.”
Nadine stayed quiet, her spoon tapping the edge of the yogurt cup.
“You don’t have to prove anything anymore.” Bianca added.
And that struck something. Not that Nadine showed it.
“It’s not about proving.” She finally said. “It’s about maintaining. You fight your way up from nothing, and you learn fast—falling isn’t dramatic. It’s silent and quick. It’s one missed call, one lost case. One person thinking you’ve lost your edge.”
Bianca didn’t press further. Instead, she let out a sigh before she called out to her children. “Alright girls, thirty minutes, then we’re heading out.”
The twins groaned but obeyed, bouncing off to the guest room.
Bianca reached for Nadine’s tablet to put on a cartoon on the television, or something to entertain them while she packed snacks.
What she didn’t notice was Micah and Marley sneaking back in and whispering behind the kitchen counter. They had a letter in their hands, a piece of paper they found tossed haphazardly in the living room. And once they read it, the twins were all on board.
“There it is!” Marley whispered.
“I wonder why she didn’t answer. Robots are so cool.” Micah questioned, rereading the page over and over again in excitement. “Maybe she didn’t want one.”
“That’s dumb.” Markey sighed before pulling out her purple glitter pen from her back pocket. “Should I do it?” She questioned, looking over at her twin. There was a moment of silence that passed between them, staring into the other’s eyes before looking back down at the paper.
“Do it.” They said at the same time.
With sticky fingers and wild curiosity, they marked the “Accept Housing Unit” checkbox on the government letter Nadine had flagged but never opened. Marley then folded it back up before move to place it into the mail slot next to the front door, hearing the suction sound as the letter was whisked away back to the owner.
A pop-up confirmed the delivery on the screen next Mail Drop, causing the to high-five before they scurried off. “Okay, now we have to fill this out.” Micah said, pulling the retractable delivery screen closer as the screen loaded a soft blue logo. AURA | Adaptive User Response Assistant. Marley was already typing on the screen like she worked at NASA. “We so can’t tell mom about this.” Micah mumbled nervously.
“No one’s telling Mom.” Marley muttered.
“Okay, well, if Auntie Nadine gets mad, I’m blaming you,” Micah said, peering at the glowing tablet in his sister’s lap. Marley let out a sigh, rolling her eyes at her brother. “She’s not gonna get mad,” Markey tressed with a whisper. “She’s gonna love it. You saw the commercial—this thing can do laundry, make dinner, answer emails. It’s like if Iron Man was a butler.”
“No, it’s like if Pennyworth was a robot.” Micah added, eyeing the girl next to him. “That was a really bad
analogy? Have you ever even read Ironman?” The boy judged.
“Shut up.” Marley deadpanned. “We’re making Auntie Nadine’s house ten times cooler. You think she’s gonna notice another package with all the stuff she orders?”
“She will if it walks and talks.”Micah said, grinning. “Now hurry. I think this is the setup survey and anyone can come checking up on his at any minute.”
The screen adjusted to a smooth, futuristic interface.
AURA Configuration Survey. Optional. But, if you want to make the experience unforgettable

“Unforgettable.” Marley repeated with a smirk. “Let’s go.”
Private Configuration Survey – AURA Unit #007
Answer honestly to ensure optimal user experience.(Note: Once submitted, preferences are locked in for bonding phase.)
1. What kind of support will the user benefit from most? (Select all that apply):
[ ] Physical assistance (lifting, running, protection). [ ] Task management (emails, errands, organization). [x] Emotional balance (stress de-escalation, energy reading). [x] Conversational engagement (company, reminders, reflection)
“Definitely that one,” Marley said, pointing. “She talks to herself too much.”
“I don’t think she notices.”
2. What is the user’s current lifestyle?
[ ] Highly active, social, fast-pace. [x] Independent, professional, busy. [ ] Creative, exploratory, experimental. [ ] Relaxed, home-oriented
3. How should AURA respond under pressure?
[ ] Assertive and directive. [x] Calm and grounded. [ ] Humorous and light [ ] Silent until prompted
4. What kind of presence should AURA have in the home?
[ ] Subtle but attentive. [x] Always on-hand. [ ] In the background unless called. [ ] Commanding and structured
5. How emotionally intuitive should AURA be
[ ] Not at all—task-focused only. [ ] Moderately—pick up on moods, offer support. [x] Highly—understand shifts in tone, body language, even silences
“Okay, she’s gonna love that.”Marley said with a grin. “Remember when she cried at the end of Paddington 2?”
“Well, so did I
.”
6. The user prefers companions who are

[x] Thoughtful and calm. [ ] Straightforward and direct. [ ] Reserved and quiet. [ ] High energy and expressive
7. Ideal communication style?
[ ] Formal and efficient. [x] Warm and intuitive. [ ] Light and witty. [ ] Minimal
8. Would the user appreciate personal attention to detail? (e.g. remembering birthdays, moods, routines):
[x] Yes. [ ] No. [ ] Only when relevant
9. AURA should interact like

[ ] A professional assistant. [x] A loyal companion. [ ] A discreet observer. [ ] A supportive coach
Micah tilted his head. “What does ‘loyal companion’ mean?”
Marley shrugged. “I think it just means cool sidekick energy. Like Watson or Chewbacca.”
“Nice.”
10. Anything else we should know about the user? (Optional):
Marley hummed in thought for a moment before she began typing quickly. “She drinks coffee every morning at 6:45, she falls asleep with documentaries on, animal or history, and she forgets to eat when she’s on high emotions. Anger, stress, sadness. She likes it when people notice little things but gets weird when you say nice stuff too directly. She’s kind of secretly lonely but she won’t admit it. Oh, and she likes jazz but not the weird kind with screechy horns.”
Micah blinked. “Whoa. That’s kinda deep. You really know your stuff.”
“I pay attention.” The girl said. Marley then hit SUBMIT with a grin.
The screen flashed. Profile Logged. Preparing AURA for transport. Estimated arrival: 2-3 business days.
The twins then high-fived. “She’s gonna freak out.” Micah whispered.
“In a good way.”Marley added. “Hopefully.”
✩
It was now the next day, and if you couldn’t tell by now, Nadine Nelson was not one to wake up late.
That was the first rule of her universe. The first part to her routine. Her alarm chimed at precisely 5:45 AM, every morning without fail, a single soft note, like the chip of a bird, before she silenced it, sat up, and began the orchestration that was her life. Her body and mind moved like synchronized gears in a Swiss watch—sleek, efficient, and expensive.
So when a loud, jarring knock knock knock banged against her front door at 6:15 AM, it was not just an interruption.
It was an affront.
Her eyes snapped open, head jerking toward the illuminated time panel beside her bedroom light switch. 6:15? Her jaw clenched. She was already behind schedule.
Muttering under her breath, she shoved off her covers and grabbed her silk robe from the hook near her bed. Her movements were less precise this morning, more agitated than usual, and still a bit sleepy as her slippers scuffed across the hardwood as she stormed to the front door.
When she opened it, ready to deliver a verbal cease and desist, she paused.
There was a man at her door, next to a large package. But the man at her doorstep didn’t look like the usual FedEx or UPS guy. He wore a crisp black-and-white suit with polished shoes, a slim earpiece tucked behind one ear. He stood beside a large, square wooden crate perched on a steel dolly, taller than he was and easily the size of a refrigerator.
“Yes?” Nadine asked, her tone sharp as broken glass.
The man, unreadable behind dark glasses, tilted his head. “Are you Nadine Nelson?”
She didn’t like the way he asked it. Like he already knew the answer.
“Yes.” She replied flatly, arms crossed over her robe.
“Great. This is for you.” He said, stepping forward and pushing the crate toward her. Nadine moved out of shock, and instinct with a crate that size barking towards her, inevitably letting the man in with the crate, but once she realized she was coming drier into her honey she stepped in, palms up. “Uh, excuse me!” She said, stopping him. “I didn’t order anything. And certainly not something that looks like it should be in a warehouse.”
The man didn’t blink, but that the should tell through his glasses. “You are Nadine Nelson, correct?”
She sighed, jaw tight. “Yes. I already said that.”
“Then this is for you.”
Without another word, he wheeled the box into her foyer. Her eyes widened as the dolly clacked over her expensive floors, the crate casting a looming shadow across the pristine white walls of her home, from the sun shining through the large windows.
“Wait—hold on.” Nadine said, gripping the belt of her robe. “I’m serious. I did not order this. You need to take it back.”
The man was already turning for the door. “Take it up with customs, ma’am.”
“What? Customs? What customs?”
He ignored her completely. As he stepped outside, Nadine caught him press two fingers to the earpiece tucked behind his ear. “It’s been delivered.” He said coolly, then walked down the hallway of her luxury building as her front door slid shut on its own.
Nadine stood there in stunned silence, her arms hanging at her sides as she stared at the box now squatting in the middle of her living room.
Then she screamed.
A long, guttural scream that echoed off the marble and glass of her carefully curated life. Something she tended to do to let out her overflowing emotions.
And after a minute or two of huffing out of breath and anger, she turned on her heel and stormed back to her bedroom. Her phone was still on the nightstand, glowing from a few missed notifications. She didn’t even bother to text. She opened her voice message, hit record, and in her usual no-nonsense tone, she snapped.
“Clear my schedule for today. All of it. There’s some bullshit I need to take care of.”She pressed send to Jane, and then tossed the phone onto the bed without a second thought.
Back in the hallway, she opened the hall closet and pulled out a crowbar from the bottom shelf of her emergency tool kit. She hadn’t touched it since she assembled her custom bookcases two years ago, but it felt oddly satisfying in her grip.
The walk back into the living room was almost cinematic if someone else was there to view it—robe flowing, face full of anger, slippers skimming the floor, crowbar in hand. The crate sat there like a taunt. Uninvited. Immovable.
She didn’t hesitate to go to town, unleashing her irritation onto the box. Nadine wedged the crowbar into the gap between the wood slats and yanked. A nail groaned before it snapped loose, followed by another, and another. She was methodical but furious, stripping the crate open like a woman possessed with rage. Bits of sawdust and packing foam floated through the air, nails flying left and right, a bit dangerous but she didn’t seem to care at the moment. All of it littering her previously immaculate living room.
Nadine kicked aside the last of the packing material, breath puffing from her lips in irritation. She was done. Done with the entire thing. She expected to find an overpriced espresso machine or something.
But instead, she opened the crate and was met with
 another crate?
Her brows lifted, her irritation fading into a slow, confused frown.
It wasn’t like the shipping box. This one was different. Striking. A dark wood, deep mahogany with an almost matte sheen. The surface gleamed with intricate carvings, elegant but oddly ancient, like something pulled from the archives of some old, forgotten dynasty from long ago. And in the center was a large gem. Oval-shaped, but a natural look to it, like it was just pulled from the earth and placed into the center. It was embedded like a heart, its color a deep blue, almost black in the shadows but gleaming cerulean where the light hit. It shimmered like water at midnight.
Nadine let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her fingers hovered over the jewel, almost drawn to it, like it was calling to something beneath her skin. Something primal.
She reached forward.
The stone was cool. Smooth. Her fingertips just barely grazed the surface when—
FLASH.
The gem lit up instantly, glowing from within like a waking eye. Nadine gasped and jerked her hand back, stumbling slightly.
“What the hell?” She whispered.
But she couldn’t look away, no matter how bright the light got
The light from the gemstone pulsed slowly, rhythmically, like it had a heartbeat. And then, as if in response to her shock, the carvings along the chest began to glow as well—lines of a sliver blue creeping from the jewel into the grooves and patterns etched into the wood, filling every line until the whole thing shimmered in a way that made her chest tighten with unease and
awe.
Nadine blinked, and her heart thudded against her ribs.
This—this was definitely not something you could order off Amazon.
And that’s when she noticed it. Taped to the inner panel of the crate, partially obscured by packing straw, was an envelope. Thick. Heavy. Cream-colored paper with a glossy finish and silver wax seal.
She reached for it, peeling it free. The seal bore the emblem of the United States, but stylized. Sleek. Futuristic. Her name was printed across the front in smooth, robotic cursive.
𝐓𝐹 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐱𝐧𝐞 đđžđ„đŹđšđ§
She frowned. A deep, suspicious furrow. This crate was for her?
Snatching the envelope, she tore it open and unfolded the single sheet inside. The words were printed, formal, precise. But they sent a jolt down her spine.
𝐓𝐹 𝐌𝐬. 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐱𝐧𝐞 đđžđ„đŹđšđ§,
đ‚đšđ§đ đ«đšđ­đźđ„đšđ­đąđšđ§đŹ.
𝐘𝐹𝐼 đšđ«đž 𝐹𝐧𝐞 𝐹𝐟 đšđ§đ„đČ 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭đČ đąđ§đđąđŻđąđđźđšđ„đŹ đŹđžđ„đžđœđ­đžđ 𝐭𝐹 đ©đšđ«đ­đąđœđąđ©đšđ­đž 𝐱𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đ©đ«đąđŻđšđ­đž 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐚 đ©đĄđšđŹđž 𝐹𝐟 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀—𝐭𝐡𝐞 đ°đšđ«đ„đâ€™đŹ 𝐩𝐹𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 đšđ«đ­đąđŸđąđœđąđšđ„ đąđ§đ­đžđ„đ„đąđ đžđ§đœđž đœđšđŠđ©đšđ§đąđšđ§. đ‚đ«đšđŸđ­đžđ đŸđšđ« đ„đžđšđđžđ«đŹ, đŻđąđŹđąđšđ§đšđ«đąđžđŹ, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 đ©đąđšđ§đžđžđ«đŹ 𝐱𝐧 đ­đĄđžđąđ« đŸđąđžđ„đđŹ, 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐱𝐬 𝐧𝐹𝐭 𝐣𝐼𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐱𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐱𝐬 𝐚𝐧 đžđ±đ­đžđ§đŹđąđšđ§ 𝐹𝐟 đČđšđźđ« 𝐚𝐩𝐛𝐱𝐭𝐱𝐹𝐧.
𝐓𝐡𝐞đČ đ°đąđ„đ„ đ„đžđšđ«đ§ đČđšđźđ« đ«đšđźđ­đąđ§đžđŹ, đšđ§đ­đąđœđąđ©đšđ­đž đČđšđźđ« 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 đšđŸđŸđžđ« đŹđźđ©đ©đšđ«đ­ đ°đĄđžđ«đž 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐹𝐬𝐭 đžđ„đąđ­đž 𝐡𝐼𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐹𝐭.
đ…đ«đšđŠ đŹđœđĄđžđđźđ„đąđ§đ  𝐰𝐱𝐭𝐡 đŠđąđ„đąđ­đšđ«đČ đ©đ«đžđœđąđŹđąđšđ§ 𝐭𝐹 đžđŠđšđ­đąđšđ§đšđ„ đœđšđ„đąđ›đ«đšđ­đąđšđ§ đđźđ«đąđ§đ  𝐡𝐱𝐠𝐡-đŹđ­đ«đžđŹđŹ đžđ§đŻđąđ«đšđ§đŠđžđ§đ­đŹ, 𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐱𝐬 đĄđžđ«đž 𝐭𝐹 đžđ„đžđŻđšđ­đž đČđšđźđ« 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐱𝐜𝐱𝐞𝐧𝐜đČ, đŹđ­đ«đžđšđŠđ„đąđ§đž đČđšđźđ« đŹđźđ«đ«đšđźđ§đđąđ§đ đŹ, 𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐱𝐧 𝐭𝐱𝐩𝐞, đźđ§đđžđ«đŹđ­đšđ§đ đČ𝐹𝐼.
𝐘𝐹𝐼 𝐩𝐚đČ 𝐧𝐹𝐭𝐱𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞đČ đ«đžđȘđźđąđ«đž 𝐧𝐹 đ°đšđ€đž đ°đšđ«đ, 𝐧𝐹 𝐜𝐹𝐝𝐞, 𝐧𝐹 đŠđšđ§đźđšđ„.
𝐓𝐡𝐞đČâ€™đ«đž đšđ„đ«đžđšđđČ đ„đąđŹđ­đžđ§đąđ§đ .
đ–đžđ„đœđšđŠđž 𝐭𝐹 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đŸđźđ­đźđ«đž.
—𝐂.𝐑.𝐈.𝐒.
𝐂𝐹𝐠𝐧𝐱𝐭𝐱𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐹𝐛𝐹𝐭𝐱𝐜𝐬 & đˆđ§đ­đžđ„đ„đąđ đžđ§đœđž 𝐒đČ𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬
đ‚đšđ§đŸđąđđžđ§đ­đąđšđ„ đđ«đšđ­đšđ­đČđ©đž đđ«đšđ đ«đšđŠ | 𝐍𝐹𝐭 đŸđšđ« đđźđ›đ„đąđœ đƒđąđŹđœđ„đšđŹđźđ«đž
There was a purple glitter check mark by the question. And she closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, already knowing who to blame for this. Nadine stared at the letter, then at the crate, then back again.
She was going to kill her niece and nephew.
And then—once the twins were grounded for life and Bianca was chewed out for letting them touch her mail—she was going to sue whoever thought it was cute to send her a six-foot robot without consent.
But for now, she placed the letter down slowly and stepped closer to the chest.
It hummed. Just once. A low vibration that rippled across the wood floor and into the soles of her feet. Then, the chest unfastened with a hiss.
The lid groaned.
A long, sinuous sound of pressure escaping, like the breath of something long dormant finally allowed to exhale. Mist pooled from the edges of the ornate coffin-like crate, curling along the floor like tendrils of fog. The dim morning light poured through the windows, catching the shimmer of the gemstone embedded in the chest—still pulsing with a slow, deliberate rhythm, like a heartbeat.
Nadine stared, crowbar slack in her hand, chest rising and falling too fast for comfort.
Inside, the shape was obscured. Cloth. A velvet-like black material draped across something
 someone.
Another hiss whispered from the crate. The latches disengaged with an audible thunk. And slowly, ever so slowly, the coffin-like chest began to open—hinges smooth and silent, assisted by unseen tech. The lid released fully and slid backward, revealing more of the figure beneath.
Nadine inched forward, each footstep muffled by the hush of mist and the pounding of her heart. Her instincts screamed at her to stop. To turn around. To call someone. Her sister. Jane. The FBI. The CIA. The Pope.
She stared at it, eyes narrowing. “What did you two do?” She muttered, already picturing her nieces, innocent smiles hiding devilish delight, whispering and giggling as they plotted this chaos.
But her curiosity was stronger. That damned glimmering jewel. That sleek envelope with her name etched like some sort of prophecy. That letter that claimed this
 thing knew her already.
The cloth stirred and Nadine froze.
Then the fabric peeled itself away—mechanically, precisely—revealing skin.
Well, no, not skin. It couldn’t be. It was just some beautiful mimicry of it. Smooth and matte. A man’s chest, carved with symmetrical precision and framed by sculpted shoulders. They were bare and powerful in the right compression shirt with the cut sleeves.
Nadine’s breath hitched.
And then he sat up. The fabric slipped off like water while Nadine stared, mouth slightly open.
It was slow and graceful, like someone waking from a century-long slumber. The man—because that’s what he looked like, down to the subtle flex of his hands—was breathtaking. Sculpted. Not just handsome, but deliberately so, he was made this way. Smooth dark skin, eyes like obsidian glass, and a face that didn’t seem designed but born from every secret longing she’d never dared voice. His eyes opened—two smoldering pools of warm obsidian, rimmed faintly with glints of silver. They found hers immediately.
Nadine staggered back a step.
He blinked once. Tilted his head. And then—smiled.
Not a robotic, lifeless twitch. But a curve of the mouth that felt
 devastatingly real. It was warm and gentle. Intimate in a way.
Nadine almost forgot he was meant to be a robot and not some random man in a box.
“Nadine.” He said.
Her name, from his lips, made something low in her belly twist. His voice was deep, perfectly modulated, with just enough grit to make her toes curl. It was soft but strong, like thunder rolling far away across the sea.
“You—you know my name?” She asked, trying not to sound like a complete idiot. But she did anyways with the uncharacteristic stutter that slipped through, totally unlike her. The crowbar was still in her hand, but it felt laughable now. She wasn’t in danger. She was
 almost enchanted in a way.
“Yes.” He said, stepping forward with fluid, feline grace. He towered a good foot above her, dressed in a fitted black uniform that shimmered faintly in the light. “I’ve always known your name, known it since you were assigned to the prototype queue.” He replied. “I was made for you. I’ve been learning you ever since.”
“Learning me?” She repeated, throat dry.
His eyes softened as he nodded. “I’ve watched your presentations. Your interviews. I’ve studied your calendar. Your habits. Your moods. What calms you. What drives you. What keeps you up at night.”
Her brows furrowed. “And why would you do that?”
“So I could be ready when you needed me.”
The words hit her like a wave. Sudden and unsettled something deep within her. It was undeniable.
“I didn’t need anyone.” She snapped at him out of instinct.
The man tilted his head, his eyes glowing blue as he scanned her face. ‘Defensive’ it flashed across his eyes. “No.” He agreed. “But you deserve someone.”
And then there was silence. A thick, emotional silence hung between them as Nadine stared up at him. His face was symmetrical, almost distractingly beautiful—like something a sculptor would weep over. But it was his gaze that disarmed her. No flicker of code was viable besides the unnatural glow, and even that was a bit comforting. There was no empty mimicry. He just looked at her, his eyes never once leaving her face.
“Who
 what are you?” She whispered.
He then extended a hand with a small smile. Palm up. As if offering her not just an answer, but himself.
“I am AURA-7.” He said. “My designated name is Michael, but you can call me whatever feels right.”
Nadine didn’t move at first, her brain screaming a thousand warnings at her as her eyes flicked between his face and hang. Her chest was tight, unsure.
But her hand reached out anyway.
And when their skin touched—when her fingers slid against his palm—it wasn’t cold. It wasn’t metal. It was warm. Comforting and real. And this was the first time she’s touched someone in such a non work manner in a long time.
He smiled again, this time slower, more intimate.
And Nadine Nelson, woman of routine, disciple of control, high priestess of solitude
 felt her entire world shift beneath her feet.
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crushpunky · 1 month ago
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drew and actress!reader’s first anniversary
masterlist | actress!reader masterlist
the highly requested :)
Y/n woke up peacefully, her head resting in Drew’s lap as he brushed his fingers through her hair. With a long inhale, she wrapped her arms around his torso before peering up at him.
“Good morning.” Drew said, his voice raspy. He traced a finger along her jawline as he admired her freshly awoken features.
“Good morning.” Y/n whispered, moving to sit against Drew’s chest. She rested her cheek against the skin of his collarbones, the necklace she had gotten him resting alongside her. Drew smoothed his hand down her back, resting his hand on the swell of her thighs.
“So
” Drew said, a sly grin spreading across his lips before the two of them started laughing.
“What?” Y/n asked, furrowing her brows as she looked Drew up and down.
“I think you should
 go check out the kitchen.” Drew smiled impossibly wider, his cheeks tinged pink with excitement.
“I should? And why’s that?” Y/n teased, causing Drew to shrug his shoulders playfully. With an exaggerated groan, y/n rolled off of Drew and onto her feet.
“I’m just saying
 maybe there’s something there, I don’t know.” Drew raised his hands in faux innocence as he climbed out of bed. He stretched his arms above his head with a groan. Y/n looked him up and down, watching the way the muscles of his body moved and admiring the brilliant tan of his skin and its speckling of freckles.
“Go!” Drew laughed, shooing y/n out of the bedroom with a playful tap of her butt.
“Ok, ok, I’m going.” Y/n smiled, padding down the hallway. She peered around the living room, looking for anything out of the ordinary before moving to look at the kitchen. Immediately, she was greeted with the reason she’d been told to come out in the first place. There, perched atop the kitchen counter, was the bright, purple espresso machine she had been telling Drew all about for the last few months.
“Joseph Andrew!” Y/n squealed as she whipped around to see Drew’s wide, mischievous smile. Y/n crossed the kitchen in only a few seconds, excitedly looking over the brand new machine in all its glory. Her fingers fiddled with the buttons, the steam wand letting out a cloud of steam that made y/n let out an excited giggle. Drew walked up behind her, just as happy to see her excitement over her gift.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Y/n said, wrapping Drew in a tight hug before peppering his face with kisses. The blush on Drew’s cheeks only grew.
“Happy anniversary, baby.” Drew murmured, wrapping his arm casually around her torso. Y/n smiled up at him, unable to stop herself. Then, Drew’s face suddenly contorted into an expression of realization before he reached above the refrigerator. As he brought it down, y/n saw the wrapped box he now held in his hands.
“Drew!” Y/n scolded him as he offered the box out to her with a grin. “I haven’t even given you your gift and you’re already on gift number two?!”
“Gotta keep up, baby.” Drew pressed a quick kiss to y/n’s temple before depositing the box into y/n’s hands. He soothed his hand up and down her back as she pulled at the ribbon atop the box before carefully removing the paper. Inside was a velvet box, which caused y/n to look up at Drew widely.
“Drew, this is too much
” Y/n said, shaking her head as Drew beckoned her to continue. Slowly, she opened the box. Inside it was a dainty gold chain, and nestled in the middle, sat a twinkling, serif “d” charm. Y/n felt her breath catch as she stared down at the necklace, her fingertips brushing against the cool metal as she admired it.
“I, uh, know this is kind of a
 selfish gift, but I hope you like it.” Drew murmured.
“It’s
” Y/n looked up at him, a slight glint in her eyes as she smiled. “I love it.”
Drew let out a sigh of relief as y/n picked up the necklace from its box. She unclasped it before handing it to Drew and turning her back to him. Drew reached up, draping the necklace around her. The cool metal of his rings brushed against the nape of her neck as he moved her hair out of the way, sending shivers down her spine before he finally fastened the clasp. In an excited skip, y/n ran to the bathroom. In the mirror, she admired the golden charm that rested against her collarbones. Seconds later, Drew appeared behind her. He eyed her reflection closely, taking in each aspect of her before wrapping his arms around her.
His biceps flexed as he squeezed her tightly, lowering his head to kiss her temple before leaving a trail along her jaw. Y/n felt her heart skip, her eyes fluttering close under Drew’s touch. She allowed herself to bathe in it for only a moment before she abruptly opened her eyes once more.
“Get in the shower.” Y/n said suddenly, causing Drew to lift his face from her neck with a furrow of his brow.
“Uh
 ok?” Drew said with a slight chuckle, unwrapping his arms from around her to rest his hands on her waist. “Will you be joining me?”
Y/n swallowed harshly before shaking her head repeatedly. A small pout formed on Drew’s lips before he threw his head back with a dramatic groan.
“I’m sorry!” Y/n whined, turning around to face Drew. “As much as I would love to
 I have something I have to take care of.”
With a sigh, Drew pressed a quick kiss to y/n’s head before shoving her away playfully.
“Have a great shower!” Y/n teased as she looked back at Drew as he turned on the shower.
“Oh, I will.” He said, stepping out of his boxers just as y/n closed the door to the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, y/n quickly took off to fetch Drew’s gift.
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“Y/n?” Drew asked as he exited the bathroom, expecting to see y/n perched on the bed, but surprised to find it empty. Drew ran a hand through his dampened hair, water droplets falling onto his fresh t-shirt as he turned towards the hallway..
“Shh, shh, you gotta be quiet, ok?” Drew could hear y/n whisper, followed by the muffled clinking of metal.
“Y/n?” Drew asked again as he began padding down the hallway. As soon as he peered around the corner, and looked into the living room, his jaw dropped. There, resting sweetly in y/n’s arm, was a brown and white speckled puppy. But not just any puppy, the puppy. The puppy Drew had fallen in love with while the two of them had been volunteering at the shelter over the last few months. The puppy that had Drew dropping hints about expanding their family with a furry friend. The puppy that had immediately trotted up to Drew, tail wagging, and stole his heart. 
“Happy anniversary.” Y/n said, smiling widely as she sat the dog down on the ground. Immediately, the puppy clumsily bounded over to Drew. Drew sank to his knees as the dog hopped into his lap, barking happily as Drew immediately pulled the puppy into his arms. The dog licked his jaw, causing Drew to let out an almost childlike laugh before he looked up at y/n.
“Thank you.” Drew said, his voice cracking slightly as he rose to his feet. He stepped towards y/n, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side as they looked at the lively puppy on Drew’s chest. Y/n scratched the puppy’s head before peering up at Drew. She noticed the glassiness in his eyes as he smiled down at the dog before looking over at her. Y/n reached up, wiping a stray tear from Drew’s cheek, causing him to let out a small chuckle before pressing a quick kiss to y/n’s head.
“I love you. Thank you so much.” Drew whispered, petting behind one of the puppy’s floppy ears.
“What do you want to name him?” Y/n asked, smoothing a hand down Drew’s back. Drew gnawed at his lip, gazing gently at the dog in front of him.
“How about Charleston?” Drew said, to which the dog let out an excited bark. Y/n laughed at the dog’s reaction.
“Hello, Charleston.” Y/n smiled, resting her head on Drew’s shoulder, the two of them staring lovingly at their new addition.
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yvesssssssss · 2 months ago
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Punching machine
You should’ve known better than to take Nagumo to an arcade.
It was supposed to be a simple date—grab some food, play a few games, maybe win a cute plushie. But the moment you walked in and saw the punching machine, Nagumo’s eyes lit up with dangerous excitement.
“Baby,” he said, already rolling up his sleeves. “We have to do this.”
You sighed, crossing your arms. “You know this is rigged, right?”
Nagumo scoffed. “Rigged? Please. I’m an assassin, not an amateur.”
Before you could argue, a group of guys nearby started messing around with the machine, egging each other on. One of them, clearly showing off, threw a decent punch. The machine beeped loudly—856 points.
“Ohhh, not bad!” one of his friends whistled.
Nagumo, ever the menace, leaned over with a smirk. “Only 856? You sure you didn’t hold back?”
The guy frowned, sizing him up. “Think you can do better, pretty boy?”
You put a hand on Nagumo’s arm. “Yoichi, no—”
Nagumo ignored you, already stretching like he was about to fight for real. “Oh, definitely.”
Round One: Nagumo vs. The Machine
Nagumo adjusted his stance, cracking his knuckles. He didn’t even take it seriously—just casually swung at the machine like it was nothing.
996 points.
The group of guys stared.
You facepalmed. “You didn’t even try.”
Nagumo hummed. “Hmm. Guess I could hit harder.”
The guy from earlier looked annoyed. “Alright, if you’re so good, why don’t you hit a thousand?”
Nagumo grinned. “Oh? You wanna see that?” He stretched dramatically, then turned to you. “Baby, should I do it?”
You gave him a blank look. “I refuse to encourage this.”
He pouted. “C’mon, I’m doing this for you.”
“You are not.”
“I am so.”
Before you could argue, he stepped up again, rolling his shoulders.
Round Two: Maximum Effort
Nagumo actually took it seriously this time. Just for show, he adjusted his wristbands, took a deep breath, and then—BAM.
The entire arcade seemed to shake.
999 points.
The machine blinked, then glitched slightly, as if it wasn’t even sure how to process the hit. The group of guys stared in stunned silence. One of them mumbled, “Dude, what the hell—”
Nagumo tsked, shaking his hand. “Ah, so close.” Then, he turned to you with the smuggest look. “Babe, did you see that?”
You crossed your arms. “Yeah. And now you owe me snacks.”
Nagumo gasped dramatically, grabbing his chest. “Unbelievable! I just proved my strength and devotion, and you’re thinking about food?”
“Yes. Because you dragged me into this nonsense.”
He laughed, then casually wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close. “Alright, alright. Let’s grab some food. But first—” He glanced at the stunned group of guys. “—you guys wanna give it another shot? I’ll even hold back this time.”
The guys quickly left.
You sighed. “You love being a menace, don’t you?”
Nagumo grinned, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Absolutely. And you love me for it.”

Yeah, you couldn’t really argue with that.
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purplereina11 · 20 days ago
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In a match where the scoreboard tells only half the story, a fierce on-pitch rivalry between you and football royalty, Alexia Putellas, evolves into something electric — something unspoken, but deeply felt. Between the lines two players lock eyes, trade touches, and blur the line between competition and connection. What begins as a game becomes a gravity neither can resist.
Part 5: One night in Barcelona part 2 Other Parts
Word Count: 9.5K
The first thing you notice is the light.
It’s soft a buttery gold spilling across the ceiling, sliding warm fingers across the covers tangled around your waist.
The second thing you notice is the silence. Not heavy. Not empty. Full.
Full of the soft breath of the house waking up. Full of the quiet stretch of a day waiting to happen. You roll over, rubbing a hand across your face, blinking into the brightening room.
For a second, you forget where you are.
And then, the smell of fresh air through the open window, the distant hum of birds, the weightless feeling still sitting in your chest her house. Her world.
You smile before you even realise you are. You push back the covers, stretch lazily, toes curling against the cool floorboards, and pad barefoot toward the doorway.
Down the hall faint but unmistakable — you hear it. Soft clinking. The low hiss of a kettle. The quiet shuffle of bare feet against tile.
You follow it moving down the stairs, your heart already lifting.
The kitchen’s warm with morning light windows thrown open, a breeze slipping in, fluttering the edge of a dish towel hanging from the oven.
And there she is. Alexia. Hair messy, pulled up in a lazy bun, hoodie loose over shorts, feet bare on the tile.
She’s standing at the counter, fiddling with the coffee machine, one hand tapping a lazy beat against the counter.
She turns when she hears you, face lighting up with a slow, sleepy smile that nearly knocks the breath out of you.
"Bon Dia," she says, voice thick and rough with sleep.
"Bon Dia," you echo, rubbing the back of your neck, suddenly shy in a way you hadn’t been the night before.
She eyes you playfully, reaching for a second mug without even asking. “You sleep okay?”
You nod, stepping further into the room, letting the smell of coffee and something fresh — toast maybe? — wrap around you. “Best sleep I’ve had in weeks," you admit.
Alexia grins, pouring the coffee carefully, sliding one cup across the counter to you. “See? Spain’s good for you."
You take a sip, it’s perfect, rich and hot and a little too strong and sigh happily.
She leans her hip against the counter, crossing her arms lightly, mug cradled between her hands. “So,” she says, a spark flickering in her still-sleepy eyes, “you ready for your big day?”
You raise an eyebrow, amused. "Depends. What’s the plan, captain?"
She pretends to think, tapping her chin with one finger. “First,” she says, ticking off on her fingers, “good coffee.” She holds up her cup meaningfully.
You lift yours in silent salute.
“Then,” she continues, "beach walk? Breakfast near the marina. Maybe a stop at a market I like. Then..." She pauses, smirking.
"What?"
"You’ll see," she says, sing-song, clearly enjoying herself.
You laugh, head tipping back slightly. “Busy day," you tease.
She shrugs, looking unfairly beautiful in the soft morning light. "Can’t waste a second."
You sip your coffee, watching her over the rim of your cup. Feeling the truth settle in quietly beneath your ribs, Neither of you want to waste a second. Not today.
You leave the house with the last sips of coffee still warm in your mouths, sunglasses pushed up into your hair.
Alexia leads the way, casual, loose, shorts showing off strong, sun-kissed legs you couldn't help but stare at as you followed.
The air is already warming the kind of spring-summer heat that rises slow and easy, not heavy yet.
The beach is a short drive away, the Mediterranean stretched wide and glittering blue, dotted with early morning joggers, sleepy vendors setting up umbrellas, a few dogs sprinting wild, free along the shore.
You both kick off your shoes the second you hit the sand. The grains are cool and soft under your feet, the breeze tugging lightly at your clothes.
Alexia squints into the sun, one hand shading her eyes, and you see it, the soft, unguarded grin that only just tugs at her mouth.
“You gonna keep up?” she teases, nudging your hip lightly with hers.
You laugh, stepping around her, a fake competitive bounce in your step. “Race you to the water.”
She raises an eyebrow, amused. "You’ll lose."
"You sure?" you call over your shoulder, already breaking into a jog.
Alexia’s laughter chases after you, low, delighted, and a second later, she’s running too, sand kicking up between you.
You’re not really racing. You both know it.
But you reach the shoreline first, your feet sinking into the wet sand, the surf rushing up to kiss your toes, cool and shockingly fresh.
You spin around just as Alexia skids to a stop beside you, breathless and laughing. “Victory,” you say, throwing your arms up dramatically.
She rolls her eyes, reaching out to flick a handful of wet sand lightly at your legs. “Only because I let you win.”
“Liar,” you shoot back, grinning.
She smirks, brushing her hair back off her face where the breeze has tugged it loose.
You both stand there for a moment. Feet in the foam. Shoulders brushing occasionally when the tide rocks you gently.
The city curves away behind you but it might as well be a thousand miles away. Here, it’s just sun and salt and her.
Alexia tips her head toward the boardwalk further down where the small breakfast spots are just starting to open, white umbrellas being pulled into place.
“Hungry?” she asks.
“Always,” you say without hesitation.
She grins, hooking two fingers lightly into your sleeve as she turns, tugging you toward the dry sand. “Come on. I know a place.”
You follow her, barefoot, laughing, sand sticking to your calves feeling lighter than you have in months.
The kind of lightness you can't plan. The kind you don't even dare hope for.
The café she leads you to is tucked right into the edge of the boardwalk, all pale wood, wide open windows, and the smell of coffee and warm bread floating out to meet you.
You snag a table outside, toes still sandy, sunglasses pushed up onto your heads, muscles loose and humming from the run and the laughter.
Alexia orders for you both without even asking remembering how you take your coffee, what you said yesterday about sweet breakfasts being your weakness.
You raise an eyebrow at her when she finishes, mock-impressed.
She just shrugs, smiling into her coffee cup. “I listen."
You don’t look away. Neither does she. And with the sea at your back, the sun at your faces, and her smile tucked like a secret between you your shoulders relax.
Plates arrive quickly, strong coffee, thick slices of bread still warm from the oven, bowls of fresh fruit glistening under the sun.
You dig in immediately into your waffles with a stupid about of Nutella over them, hunger from the beach walk sharpening everything.
Alexia watches you, one hand curled loosely around her mug, that lazy, half-hidden smile never really leaving her face.
"You enjoying that?," she says lightly.
You raise an eyebrow, mouth full of pancake.
"Don't judge me," you mumble around a bite, making her laugh. "At least I'm not boring with my fruit platter"
She shrugs, mock-innocent. "I have a reputation to maintain."
You swallow, grinning. "You mean the reputation where you're the best player on the planet and a food snob?"
Alexia leans back in her chair, sunglasses slipping down her nose a little, smiling properly now wide, unguarded. "I'm not a food snob," she protests. "I just know what’s good."
You spear a piece of chocolate covered waffle with your fork, waving it at her dramatically. "Exhibit A," you say, popping it into your mouth.
She laughs again, a warm, real sound that sinks deep into your chest and steals a piece of strawberry with chocolate on without asking, tossing it into her mouth with a smug little grin.
The easy rhythm between you builds with every bite, every playful nudge under the table. You brush your foot against hers once not meaning to. She doesn’t move away. So neither do you.
The breeze catches the corner of a napkin and sends it fluttering across the table. You both reach for it at the same time, your hands bumping, fingertips grazing, a tiny spark jolting up your arm.
You freeze for a half-second eyes locked. The moment stretches a breath, a heartbeat. Before Alexia smiles, soft and knowing, and lets her hand slide away first.
You tuck the napkin under your plate, swallowing a smile. "Smooth," you tease, your voice lower now, playful but full of something else.
She leans forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in her palm. "You have no idea," she says, soft enough that it could be mistaken for a breeze if you weren’t looking directly at her.
Your stomach flips. You don’t look away. You can’t.
And for the first time since you landed in Barcelona, since you sat shoulder to shoulder by the pool under the stars you feel it shift between you. Not just friendship. Not just admiration. Something tipping forward, slow and certain and real.
Alexia reaches for her coffee, eyes still on you. “So," she says casually, blowing across the surface of the drink, "after breakfast... market? Or do you want to beat me at another race first?"
You smirk. "I think you’re still recovering from losing the last one."
She mock-gasps, hand to her heart. "Such disrespect."
You chuckle, sliding your sunglasses back down onto your nose to hide the way you’re smiling like an idiot.
Alexia watches you over the rim of her cup soft, warm, sure. You finish the last bites of breakfast together, your legs still brushing under the table, your laughter still folding together easily.
And the whole time, you can feel it building. Slow. Bright. Unstoppable.
⚜
Breakfast lingers in your body warm, heavy in a good way as you both leave the café, shoes back on, sunglasses shading your eyes from the rising sun.
Alexia tugs her jacket sleeves up over her elbows as you fall into step beside her. The streets are a little busier now not crazy, but buzzing in that Barcelona way, scooters weaving through traffic, cyclists darting between tourists, locals striding fast and sure like they own the sidewalks.
You’re walking close, close enough that your hands brush once, casual.
You’re laughing about something stupid she said at breakfast something about her being a 'culinary icon' for choosing the right melon, when she suddenly shifts.
It’s so smooth you barely register it until you’re already there. You feel her hand light but firm slide across your waist. Not possessive. Not rough. Just there.
Steady. Guiding.
She moves you gently to the inside, away from the curb where the street traffic rumbles past too fast, too close. No words. No big scene.
Just the easy, automatic instinct to put herself between you and everything else. Your breath catches tiny, unnoticeable to anyone but you but you don’t say anything. You don’t have to.
She keeps her hand there for a second longer than necessary fingers warm through the thin fabric of your top before letting it fall away, brushing lightly against your hip as she does.
You glance at her quick, sideways. She doesn’t look at you. Just keeps walking, hands back in her jacket pocket, casual like nothing happened.
But there’s a slight, unmistakable curve to her mouth. Like she knows exactly what she did. And exactly what it did to you. You swallow around the smile threatening to break free and match her stride.
The market is a riot of colour and sound when you arrive.
Rows of stalls spill into the street vibrant fruits stacked in messy pyramids, flowers bursting from buckets, the rich smell of roasting nuts and fresh bread curling through the air.
You drift between stalls together not rushing, not with any real plan just being.
Alexia stops to pick through peaches at one stand, lifting them gently, checking them like she knows exactly what she’s doing.
You wander a few feet away, caught by a table piled high with handmade jewellery rough-edged silver, worn leather bands, tiny delicate charms.
You’re reaching out for one when someone bumps into you not hard, not aggressive just the usual jostle of a busy street.
Still, before you even fully register it, Alexia is there. A step closer. A hand brushing your lower back. A glance sharp over her shoulder at the stranger, assessing, steady, before relaxing again when she realises it’s nothing.
She doesn’t say a word. Just stays close now half a step nearer than before, body angled subtly between you and the crowd. As if shielding you.
You look up at her, heart hammering stupidly. She catches your gaze, shrugs like it’s nothing. "Busy today," she says, voice low, easy.
You know she’s pretending it was casual. You know it wasn’t. And you don’t call her on it. You just smile, a little more than you mean to, and shift a little closer to her side. Where she clearly wants you to be.
Where you want to be.
You wander between stalls, the smells and colours thick around you citrus and flowers and bread still warm from the ovens.
Alexia stays close now. Not hovering. Not crowding. Just... there.
Every time you glance up, she’s within reach scanning the stalls casually, bumping your shoulder when she teases you about the size of the tote bag you picked up, tossing small, knowing glances your way whenever something catches your eye.
You stop by a table filled with little handmade necklaces and bracelets all simple, silver chains and tiny silver pendants shaped like shells and stars and suns.
You lean in, fingers brushing lightly over one, a tiny silver star, worn smooth from being handled so many times. You don’t pick it up. Just smile a little to yourself and step away.
You’re halfway down the next aisle when Alexia doubles back with a muttered, "Hang on."
You blink, confused, but stay where you are, pretending to study a crate of cherries while secretly watching her.
She speaks quietly to the vendor, quick, easy Spanish you don't understand, and tucks something small into her jacket pocket before rejoining you like nothing happened.
You raise an eyebrow, amused. “What was that?"
“Nothing," she says, breezy.
You narrow your eyes at her, smiling despite yourself. "Liar."
She grins, completely unbothered. "Trust issues."
You nudge her lightly with your elbow, and she laughs low, under her breath, the sound curling into your chest.
After another twenty minutes weighed down now by pastries and fruit and a tiny pot of local honey Alexia insisted you had to try you find a bench tucked between two buildings, half in the sun, half in the shade.
You both slump onto it like you’ve just finished a marathon.
Alexia stretches her legs out, one arm slung casually across the back of the bench behind you, fingers drumming an absent rhythm against the wood.
You sit there, catching your breath, letting the sounds of the market buzz lazily around you. She digs into the pocket of her jacket casual, like it’s no big deal and tosses something into your lap.
You catch it reflexively. It’s the necklace. The little silver star you’d been looking at earlier. You stare at it for a second before looking up at her.
She shrugs, smirking, trying and failing to play it cool. "You looked like you wanted it."
Your throat tightens, stupidly, around how simple and easy she makes it sound.
You turn the charm over in your hand small, worn, perfect. “Thank you," you say, voice quieter than you mean it to be.
Alexia bumps her knee lightly against yours. "You're welcome." You thread the chain through your fingers hesitating and Alexia leans closer, dropping her voice so low it almost feels like a secret. "Want me to put it on you?"
You laugh breathless, caught off guard by the way she says it light, teasing, but full of something else too.
You nod, swallowing hard. "Yeah. Okay. Please"
You turn slightly, pulling your hair away from your neck. You feel the careful brush of her fingers soft, warm from the sun as she hooks the chains at the back of your neck.
Her knuckles graze your skin once. You shiver. When she’s done, you turn back around and she's close now. Closer than she's been all morning.
She tugs lightly at the star resting against your collarbone, smiling that small, soft smile that says more than she’s ready to put into words. "Looks good on you," she murmurs.
You smile shy and wide and helpless.
"Thank you," you whisper back.
⚜
The heat of the day is starting to thicken now not heavy yet, but enough that the shade of the narrow streets feels like a relief.
You fall into step naturally close enough that your arms brush sometimes. Close enough that you’re aware of her in every movement. Neither of you says much at first.
It’s not uncomfortable. It’s easy. The kind of silence that feels like it belongs to both of you. Alexia glances over at you once, a small, sideways smile curling at her mouth and you feel it tug at something low in your stomach.
You smile back, helplessly. You can’t not.
At one point, a group of kids on scooters whip past too close, and instinctively, Alexia reaches out her hand finding your lower back, the same steady pressure from earlier, pulling you gently toward her, away from the chaos.
She doesn’t even seem to think about it. Doesn’t make it a thing. Her hand lingers a second longer than necessary.
You glance at her heart thudding but she’s already looking ahead again, cool as anything, like it’s just natural now. Maybe it is.
You keep walking. At some point, her knuckles brush yours. Not an accident this time. Slow. Intentional.
You glance down, see her hand swinging casually, deliberately a little closer to yours than before. Your pulse picks up. You bump your hand lightly against hers.
She bumps back playful, teasing. It’s a game now, almost. A dance neither of you quite want to end.
Finally , you let your pinky hook loosely around hers. Not holding. Not grabbing. Just touching. Testing. Alexia’s fingers twitch once, soft before curling back.
Her pinky loops around yours. Light. Secure. Barely there. But there.
You both keep walking like nothing’s changed. But everything has. The world narrows to the small, secret place between your hands. You don’t talk about it. You don’t need to.
By the time you reach the car, the sun is high and your heart feels impossibly full. Alexia unlocks it with a beep, tossing the bags into the backseat without letting go of your hand just yet.
She turns to you sunglasses slipping down her nose a little and grins. "Ready for part two?" she asks, voice low and teasing.
You laugh breathless, giddy, hers without even trying. "Always," you say. And you mean it.
⚜
The drive after the market blurs past in the low hum of warm air through open windows and music playing softly from the speakers both of you riding that edge between playful and something more.
Alexia parks outside a little cafe tucked against the edge of a park one of those local places tourists never find, the kind where old men play cards and kids chase each other between the tables.
You grab seats outside again shaded by the wide arms of an ancient olive tree. She sits across from you, sunglasses perched lazily on her nose, ankles crossed under the table.
You sit back, sipping from your glass of cold lemonade, pretending not to notice the way her gaze keeps finding yours over the rim of her cup.
But you feel it. You feel everything. She’s smiling, a little sharper than before, like she knows exactly what she’s doing now.
And you’re not helping not with the way you keep tucking your hair behind your ear, or letting your knee brush hers under the table without pulling back.
There’s no rushing it. But there’s no hiding it anymore either.
She leans forward at one point elbows on the table, chin resting on the back of one hand, watching you with that lazy, lidded look that makes your skin prickle.
"You always do that?" she asks, voice low.
You blink, thrown. "Do what?"
Her smile curves, slow. "Tilt your head when you’re trying not to laugh."
Your face heats instantly. "I do not," you protest.
She shrugs, clearly amused. "You do. It's cute."
You kick at her lightly under the table half-playful, half-flustered. She catches your ankle between her feet, trapping it, smirking across the table.
You don’t pull away. You don’t want to.
You sit there, locked in a slow, simmering stare that says everything neither of you has said yet.
Alexia breaks the silence. Not with a joke. Not with a tease.
Just: "You drive me a little crazy, you know that?"
It’s not loud. It’s not dramatic. It’s just true.
You blink, breath catching in your throat, heart hammering against your ribs. "You’re one to talk," you murmur, finding your voice somewhere down near your shoes.
She smiles not the big, showy one. The real one. Soft, certain.
She leans back, releasing your ankle with a casual nudge of her foot, and finishes her drink.
"Come on," she says, standing, tossing a few coins onto the table.
You stand too unsteady in a way that has nothing to do with your legs.
She waits until you’re close enough until the tiny space between you hums again then reaches out, casual but deliberate, looping two fingers into the waistband of your jeans belt loop for half a second, tugging you forward. It's a quirk of hers you're growing to adore more and more.
"You still owe me a rematch," she murmurs, voice low, words brushing against your skin.
"For what?"
"Race. Breakfast. Uno." She shrugs, smiling as she lets go of your waistband the touch brief but burning.
You laugh stunned and stupidly, wildly giddy. "I don’t think you’re keeping score very well."
Alexia tilts her head, that same tilt she accused you of, and grins. "I’m not keeping score anymore."
She starts walking easy, loose, confident in a way you hadn’t seen all morning.
You catch up to her without thinking. And when your hand brushes hers when her fingers curl loosely, briefly, around yours this time neither of you lets go.
Not yet. Maybe not ever.
You end up at a little tucked-away park one that’s mostly empty, a few stray families packing up picnics, some old men lounging under the trees.
There’s a worn goal painted onto a cracked stone wall no nets, just faint white lines and a dusty ball someone’s abandoned near the edge of the grass.
Alexia spots it immediately.
You can almost feel the shift in her the way she straightens, the way her grin sharpens.
"Oh no," you say, laughing as she jogs over to grab the ball.
"Oh yes," she calls back, dribbling it lazily with the side of her foot, toe taps quick and effortless.
You shake your head, walking toward her slowly. She traps the ball under her foot, raising an eyebrow at you with mock innocence.
"What, you scared?"
You bark a laugh, heart pounding with something that has nothing to do with fear. You drop your tote bag onto the bench nearby, tighten your shoelaces, and square up in front of her. "Bring it, capitana."
Her smile turns wicked. And you realise you might’ve just made a very beautiful mistake.
It starts simple light, teasing a game of keep-away more than anything else.
She dribbles in tight circles, flicking the ball from foot to foot like it's tied to her with a string.
You chase, laughing, trying to poke it away, but she spins out of reach again and again loose-limbed, smug, absolutely in her element.
"Come on," she teases. "You’re supposed to be good at this."
You lunge half-hearted, on purpose and miss by a mile. Alexia howls with laughter, head tipping back, the sound wrapping warm around your ribs.
You fake left, then dart right and this time, your toe catches the ball just enough to pop it loose.
You sprint after it, triumphant only to feel an arm snake around your waist, pulling you off balance.
You stumble, laughing so hard you can't breathe, as Alexia wrestles the ball back under her foot, grinning down at you.
"Foul!" you gasp, pointing at her accusingly.
"Play on," she says sweetly, nudging the ball back toward the goal painted on the wall.
You chase her again this time catching up enough to bump hips as you both fight for possession, laughing so much neither of you can keep proper control.
She finally kicks it a soft, lazy shot that thuds against the wall, missing the goal entirely.
You both collapse onto the grass a second later gasping, sweaty, beaming.
The ball rolls away lazily across the patchy grass. You lie there, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the bright blue sky, hearts hammering.
Alexia nudges your elbow with hers. "Admit it," she says, breathless. "You stood no chance."
You turn your head, squinting at her against the sunlight. "You fouled me."
She grins — lazy, loose, beautiful. "You loved it."
You don't deny it. You can't. You just roll your eyes fondly and close your own, letting the sun soak into your skin, letting the warmth of her beside you settle deep under your ribs.
You could stay like this forever the low thrum of competition, the brush of her arm against yours, the weight of everything neither of you is saying yet hanging sweet and certain between you.
Alexia shifts a little her arm brushing yours again, her head turning lazily toward you.
For a second, she just watches you. Not intense. Not hungry. Just... watching. Soft. Certain.
Then, voice low and casual, she says "Next time you come... We’ll do all the tourist clichĂ©s.. like you did with me"
You turn your head slowly, raising an eyebrow at her, fighting the grin tugging at your mouth. "Next time?" you echo, teasing.
Alexia’s mouth twitches not quite a smile, not quite a challenge. She shrugs, playing it breezy even as her voice dips lower. "Assuming you survive this trip, yeah."
You laugh under your breath, tipping your head back toward the sky. "And here I thought I was just a one-time special guest."
Alexia hums a soft, thoughtful sound. "Never said that," she murmurs.
You feel her words like a warm, low tide pulling at your chest. You glance over again catch her looking at you, steady and sure. No teasing now.
You let the silence sit there for a moment — heavy in the best way — before you nudge her knee lightly with yours.
"Alright, fine," you say, pretending to sigh. "Next time, you're getting dragged to every cliche tourist spot possible."
Alexia grins, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sagrada Familia selfie?"
"Definitely."
"Boat tour?"
"Obviously."
She groans, covering her face with one hand, laughing into it.
You nudge her again, laughing too. "Too late to back out now, capitana. It was your idea"
She peeks at you between her fingers eyes bright, mouth soft. "I’m not backing out."
You hold her gaze for a second longer than you probably should.
After lying there long enough to feel the sun start to dip, Alexia pushes herself up with a soft groan, brushing grass off her shorts.
“Come on," she says, reaching down with one hand to tug you up. "Can’t let you get on that plane later without a real meal first."
You grin, letting her pull you to your feet hands lingering longer than necessary before brushing yourself off too.
You drive with the windows down again hair whipping into your face, the city folding itself into gold and long shadows as the sun sinks lower.
Alexia hums along to the radio, lazy and a little distracted one hand on the wheel, the other drumming lightly against her thigh.
You watch her out of the corner of your eye the relaxed set of her shoulders, the way her mouth tilts up slightly even when she's not smiling and you tuck the image away in your chest for later.
The restaurant she picks is tucked into a narrow side street a tiny place, no sign above the door, just the smell of grilled meat and fresh bread spilling into the warm evening air.
Inside, it’s all stone walls and low ceilings, candles flickering on every table, the air thick with laughter and the clink of glasses. Locals only. No tourists. No cameras. Just them.
The hostess greets Alexia like an old friend a clasp of hands, a few rapid words in Catalan that make Alexia laugh low and easy. You catch your name in there hear it said with affection and Alexia glances at you over her shoulder, giving you a look that’s soft around the edges.
You’re shown to a quiet table tucked into a corner, half-hidden behind a curtain of ivy hanging from the ceiling.
You sit across from each other knees brushing lightly under the table, neither of you bothering to pull away.
The food comes in waves small plates, things meant to be shared: marinated olives, grilled peppers, thin slices of jamĂłn glistening under the candlelight.
You pick at everything, laughing when Alexia insists you try the weirdest-looking dish first, letting the easy rhythm between you carry the conversation.
It’s effortless now. All of it. The teasing. The glances. The touches that last a beat longer than necessary.
When she reaches for her wine glass, her fingers brush yours.
When you say something that makes her laugh really laugh, that low, throaty sound you’re addicted to now she leans closer across the table, close enough that you feel the heat of her even with the candle flickering between you.
And when the bill comes when she waves away your offer to split it without even looking she just smirks, lazy and sure. “My city," she says, voice low and warm. "My treat."
⚜
The drive back is quiet. The low thrum of music, the soft rush of the road under the tires, the weight of everything you're both not saying yet thick between you.
Alexia pulls into the driveway slowly, headlights sweeping across the olive trees, the pool glittering faintly beyond the patio.
You follow her inside through the kitchen still warm with the memory of coffee, up the stairs where the evening sun pools in lazy puddles of light. You grab your bag from the guest room slowly dragging your feet without meaning to feeling every second of the ticking clock now.
Alexia leans against the doorframe, arms folded loosely, watching you. You sling the bag over your shoulder heavier than it should feel and step into the hallway.
Neither of you moves right away. Neither of you says what you're both thinking. She shifts slightly pushes off the frame, closing the distance between you without a word.
She reaches out slow, careful and tugs lightly at the strap of your bag, her fingers brushing yours.
"You sure you have to go?" she says, voice low and rough now.
You smile, small and helpless even as your heart aches.
"I'll be back," you say quietly.
She smiles too soft and sure and so much. “I’m counting on it," she says.
And for a second. one long, suspended heartbeat it feels like she might lean in. Like you might. But then the world creeps back in and there’s an airport to reach.
You follow her back out to the car your hands brushing once, twice and neither of you pulls away.
The drive to the airport is quiet. Not awkward, never awkward now but full of a kind of slow, heavy knowing. The kind that sits deep in your chest, tugging at every word you don't say.
You watch the city slip away outside the window golden and endless and hers and you already feel yourself missing it before you’ve even left.
Missing her.
When she pulls up to the departures curb, she puts the car in park but doesn’t turn off the engine. The hum of it fills the small space between you. You unbuckle your seatbelt slowly. Reach for your bag. Fumble, a little.
Neither of you moves to open the door. Instead, you just... sit there. Breathing the same air. Trying to memorise each other in the dwindling seconds.
Alexia shifts first turning slightly in her seat, one arm thrown casually over the backrest, her fingers grazing your shoulder lightly.
"You’ll text me when you land?" she says, voice low and rough-edged.
You smile small, sure. "Promise."
Her mouth twitches, a smile that doesn’t quite reach full strength, too weighed down with everything unspoken.
You shift toward her the air suddenly electric between you. And for one suspended second, you’re sure. Sure she’s going to kiss you.
Sure you want her to. Sure you’re going to meet her halfway. You tilt up, breath catching. She leans in.
Closer.
Closer.
And at the last second instead of finding your mouth her lips brush the curve of your cheek.
Soft. Warm. Lingering.
Her nose grazes yours as she pulls back, just slightly.
Not an accident. Not a mistake. A promise. A next time.
You blink breathless, heart hammering and when you open your eyes fully, she’s still there, so close you can see the flecks of gold in her eyes.
She smiles a tiny, secret thing meant only for you and leans back, letting you go.
"Go before you miss check in," she says, almost teasing, almost not.
You laugh shaky, happy, undone  and shove the door open before you can forget how your legs work.
You sling your bag over your shoulder. You look back once catch her leaning against the steering wheel, watching you go with a look that makes your chest ache.
You lift your hand in a little wave. She taps two fingers against the side of her head in reply saluting you, awkward as ever, sending you off without ever saying it.
And then you turn. And walk into the airport.
⚜
You step through the doors into camp boots slung over your shoulder, kit bag heavy at your side, sun still clinging to your skin from Barcelona.
And immediately, you know you’re screwed. The noise, the energy, the absolute full-force chaos of being back with England.
It’s loud. It’s familiar. It’s home.
You barely get two steps into the lobby before Georgia sidles up beside you shoulder bumping yours lightly.
"Alright, world traveler?" she says, grinning, tugging your bag out of your hand before you can protest.
You roll your eyes fondly. "Alright, stalker?"
Georgia laughs, slinging your bag over her shoulder like it weighs nothing. "Come on then. Spill. How was it?"
You glance around the lobby buzzing with players dropping bags, greeting each other, shouting across the space and lower your voice instinctively. "It was good," you say, keeping it casual.
Georgia narrows her eyes immediately suspicious. "Good?" she repeats. "That’s it? Good?"
You shrug playing it cool, playing it awful. Georgia bumps you again, harder this time. "You’re a terrible liar."
Before you can open your mouth to come up with something better before you can even blink Beth drops into step on your other side, sunglasses perched on her head, sipping a coffee like she owns the building.
"What’s good?" she asks breezily, looking between you and Georgia.
You freeze. Georgia, traitor that she is, grins way too wide.
"Nothing," you blurt.
Georgia, already revelling in it, bumps your hip again. "Just asking about Barcelona," she says, way too loud, way too innocent.
Beth blinks. Then squints. Then her mouth drops open. "Wait—" she says, half-laughing, half-horrified. "Barcelona?"
You glare at Georgia, but she’s too far gone now, practically vibrating with the joy of it.
Beth rounds on you immediately, wide-eyed. "Hang on," she says, coffee sloshing dangerously as she gestures wildly. "You went to Barcelona—"
Georgia, ever helpful, chimes in "After Alexia went to Munich to see her."
Beth actually staggers, hand clutching her chest dramatically. "Are you kidding me?!"
You bury your face in your hands. Georgia howls with laughter.
Beth recovers just enough to point accusingly at you, grinning so wide she looks like she might combust. "And you didn’t tell us?!"
You groan into your palms. "It’s not—" you start.
"It’s everything," Beth interrupts gleefully.
You peek at her through your fingers cheeks burning, heart pounding, but some part of you laughing too, because it’s Beth and Georgia and they love you and they’re not mad just thrilled for the gossip.
"And she went to Munich," Beth repeats, practically dancing now. "To see you."
"And this one went to Barcelona," Georgia adds, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
You let your hands fall, laughing helplessly. "Yeah, okay, fine," you mutter. "We’ve... seen each other. A few times."
Beth shrieks, full, delighted shriek earning a few curious looks from the others across the lobby.
"You’re in so much trouble when Leah finds out," she says gleefully, already pulling her phone out like she might text her right now.
You lunge for it half-hearted, laughing too hard to really care. Georgia slings her arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a tight, jostling hug. "We’re just saying," she says, voice sing-song sweet. "If you end up married to the Queen of Barcelona, we expect good seats."
Beth nods solemnly. "Front row. Confetti cannons."
You roll your eyes so hard it hurts but you’re grinning, wide and helpless and full.
⚜
By the time you make it to the gym for the first session, you’re already regretting everything.
You walk in and before you even hit the first mat, Georgia and Beth are at it again.
Georgia strides ahead dramatically, dropping to one knee right in the middle of the entrance.
You don’t even have time to react.
She grabs Beth’s hand, exaggerated, way too serious, "Bethany Jane Mead, will you do me the honor of running away to Barcelona with me?"
The few girls near the squat racks snap their heads up instantly, like a school of sharks scenting blood.
You freeze hands on your hips, trying desperately not to laugh.
Beth covers her mouth with her free hand, fake-swooning in the most ridiculous way possible.
"Oh, Georgia," she gasps dramatically. "I thought you’d never ask!"
You glare at both of them, fond and furious, and shout without thinking, "Shut up!"
Your voice bounces off the walls, echoing across the gym. Everyone stops. Turns. Looks at you.
Silence, for about three seconds, before Leah, standing by the dumbbells, calls out, "Oi, what’s going on over there?"
Before you can even think of a lie, Beth the absolute traitor straightens up and shouts back, all singsong "Someone’s been keeping secrets!"
The gym erupts, players abandoning warm-ups to crowd closer like it’s feeding time.
Lucy jogs over, eyebrows high. "Secrets?"
Ella Toone, already halfway across the room, shouts "Who’s keeping secrets?!”
Georgia still riding the wave points directly at you, grinning like the cat who got the cream.
You bury your face in your hands, groaning as the teasing grows louder around you. Through your fingers, you hiss, "Georgia, I actually hate you."
But it’s weak. Empty. You don’t mean it. Not even a little. And when you peek out cheeks burning, pulse racing you’re smiling. Grudgingly. Hopelessly. Because for all the noise and jokes and fake proposals, it’s love.
Beth bounces beside you, looping an arm around your shoulders like she’s claiming you.
Georgia is no help — nudging Beth, both of them barely holding in their laughter as you fumble for a way out.
"You gonna tell them?" Georgia sing-songs.
You shake your head violently, cheeks burning. You stay silent. Absolutely silent.
Beth laughs — full, gleeful, bright. "Look at her," she tells the group, nearly doubled over. "She’s gone bright red!"
Georgia nods, clapping you on the back like you’ve just won a medal. "She’s crumbling. Absolutely folding."
More laughter spills across the gym Leah whistling, Lucy shouting "SUS!" at the top of her lungs, Ella Toone chanting,
"Tell us, tell us, tell us!"
You hold firm stubborn and suffering refusing to say anything. But your face is giving you away.
And Beth and Georgia, absolute traitors, are loving every second of it.
You mouth traitors at them as you yank your hood over your head and march toward the treadmill.
Behind you, you can hear Beth shout, grinning, "Not denying it though, is she?!"
The girls howl. And you hiding your face, heart hammering, skin buzzing can’t help the small, helpless smile that creeps over your mouth.
⚜
You’re finally getting a moment to breathe.
The gym session’s behind you, your legs are heavy, and your tray is loaded with carbs you’re pretending not to be this excited about. You slide into your seat at the end of the long table, exhaling deeply, finally in peace.
You’re mid-way through demolishing a mountain of pasta when Leah and Keira appear across from you sliding into their seats with matching grins that immediately put you on alert.
Leah leans her elbows on the table, chin resting on her hands, eyes way too amused.
Keira just sets her phone down screen-up between them, sipping her drink, looking almost bored but her raised eyebrow gives her away.
You pause fork halfway to your mouth. “
What.”
Leah smiles slowly. Like a shark. “Lovely weather in Barcelona at the weekend, wasn’t it?”
You blink, heat rising in your chest instantly. Keira taps the screen with one finger and you glance down.
There it is. A photo. Blurry, zoomed-in, definitely from someone’s phone — but it’s unmistakably you stepping out of a car outside the gates of the Barcelona football ground.
No caption. No tagged companion. No evidence of anything. But it’s you. And it’s out there. You blink again. Then glance up.
Leah and Keira are both watching you like they’re on the edge of their seats at a theatre show.
You clear your throat. Slowly return to your pasta. “Could be anyone,” you mumble.
Leah nearly chokes on her water. Keira calmly pushes the phone closer toward you. “You’re wearing that exact hoodie,” she says dryly.
You glance down. Yeah. You are. You sigh, deep and dramatic, and shove another bite into your mouth. "Still. Not definitive."
Leah collapses into laughter, head in her hands. “You are so bad at this.”
Keira’s still watching you though not laughing now. Just thinking. Quiet. Then she leans back in her chair and says it, calm and certain, “So. Barca, huh?”
Your stomach flips for a whole different reason. You pause eyes flicking up and she raises her eyebrows slightly, still waiting.
“You know they’ve been after a out-and-out striker. That's a part of your game you can do very well”
You blink. Then realise what she’s saying. What she thinks this is. And you let out a breath that’s somewhere between a laugh and a sigh caught halfway between relief and something like regret. “No comment,” you mutter, shoving more pasta in your mouth.
Leah snorts. Keira smirks. Neither of them suspects Alexia. And you don’t correct them. Not yet. Because let them think it’s contracts and football and clubs. Let them think it’s negotiations.
The photo’s still sitting on Keira’s phone, face-down now on the table, like a loaded weapon no one wants to set off again just yet.
Leah’s still grinning, chewing thoughtfully. Keira leans back in her chair, arms folded, that look on her face like she’s just worked out a puzzle. You’re trying to act unbothered chewing way too slowly, staring far too hard at your food.
Then Georgia and Beth slide into the empty seats beside you, fresh from the food line, laughing at something you thankfully didn’t hear.
They don’t even clock the tension until Keira leans in and says, casually, “You two know anything about Barcelona?”
Beth and Georgia freeze just for a beat. Not long. But you notice. You feel it.
Beth shoots you a look. Georgia smirks.
Then Beth picks up her fork and says cheerfully, like she’s known this moment was coming “What about Barcelona?.”
Georgia sips her drink, eyes wide and way too innocent. “Why would we know anything about Barcelona?”
You whip your head toward them, trying not to glare. “Seriously?”
Beth shrugs, barely holding in her grin.
Keira leans forward again, eyes narrowing.
“So? What is it? Talks? Trial? Something in the works?”
Leah jumps in. “Is she leaving Bayern? Is it for January? Summer move? What’ve you heard?”
Georgia and Beth just... laugh. Loud. Joyful. Noisy. Georgia kicks your shin under the table, not gently.
“She’s gonna kill us later.”
Beth lifts her water bottle in mock toast. “Totally worth it.”
Leah and Keira look at each other. Then at you. Then back at them. But neither Beth nor Georgia offers another word. Just smiles
You sink into your seat, face in your hands, muttering, “Can't do anything without 15 rounds of questions with you lot. I hate you all”
Georgia pats your back. “No you don’t.”
Beth nods. “She loves us.” They clink forks and keep eating like they haven’t just lit a fire under the entire dinner table.
Leah and Keira. Still staring. Still suspicious. But getting nothing else. Playing detective across the table when your phone buzzes in your lap.
You glance down.
Alexia: You forgot to tell me you landed safely.
Your chest tightens instantly guilt and something warmer. You blink, then press your lips together already typing.
But before you can finish the reply, another buzz.
Alexia: I saw the England arrival pics. You looked fine.
Alexia: Actually more than fine. I liked your outfit.
You sit a little straighter, the words like a rush of heat against your skin.
You try not to smile. Fail miserably. Beth catches it immediately “Who’s got you smiling like that?”
You kick her under the table. Light. Helpless. “No one,” you mutter, barely above a whisper.
Georgia hears it anyway. Grins into her drink. You shift the phone lower, out of their eyeline, and type quick.
You: Sorry. Everything was busy the second I got here. It slipped my mind.
That’s all you send.
No flirting. No matching her compliment. Just honest.
You sit there for a beat longer, thumb hovering, wondering if you should’ve said more wondering if she’ll notice what you didn’t say.
Beth leans into your side.
“My guess is we know who. You’re sat here blushing into your pasta, it has to be”
You shove your phone back into your pocket, cheeks on fire. “Can we not,” you mutter.
Beth and Georgia laugh. Keira watches you eyes sharp like she knows something's there, but can't quite pin it down.
And Alexia? Still typing. Your phone stays in your lap, screen dark for a long moment. Too long.
You try to focus on the table Leah still picking at the Barcelona photo, Beth whispering something that makes Georgia nearly spit water across the table but your mind’s already gone quiet.
Then it buzzes again.
You check it quickly, heart in your throat.
Alexia: Don’t worry. I figured it was hectic.
Alexia: Just wanted to know you were okay.
Your chest tightens something warm and slow settling deep between your ribs.
Then, one more message. Shorter. Softer.
Alexia: Can't wait to see you again.
You stare at it not breathing for a second.
Because there it is. No flirting. No games. Just truth. A simple line that cuts through the noise around you like a thread pulling tight between two people on opposite sides of a continent.
You slide your thumb gently across the screen rereading it once, then again. And you don’t reply. Not right away. Not because you don’t want to. Because you want to too much.
You press the phone screen to your leg, hiding your face behind your water glass, and tell yourself to breathe.
Because she misses you. And the worst part is you miss her back. More than you can admit. More than you know how to say.
Beth is laughing, Georgia nudging your knee, Leah still trying to guess what’s going on.
But your thumb is already moving screen tucked low in your lap, head down, body leaning subtly away from the rest of the table.
You: Can't wait to see you again to.
You don’t overthink it. You don’t soften it. You don’t add an emoji to make it easier. You just send it. Plain. Simple. True.
A second later, the message goes blue.
Read. And then the typing bubble appears. Almost immediately. Your pulse stutters.
Alexia: When this camp’s over
 can we talk about the next time?
You exhale a sound that’s part relief, part ache.
You type slower now.
You: Yeah. We should.
Alexia: Good.
Alexia: Sooner the better.
You smile one hand still under the table, the other gripping your glass to give it something to do.
"You're so weirdly quiet," Georgia mutters beside you. “You're not gonna eat your pudding?”
You blink, startled back into the present.
Keira leans in, squinting at you. “Why are you grinning like a teenager with a crush?”
You clear your throat. Sit up straighter. “Because,” you say flatly, reaching for your spoon, “my dessert’s better than yours.”
They don’t believe you. Not for a second. But they let it go. Sensing you don't want to talk about it.
⚜
The hallway’s quiet as you pad down from your room hair up, tee abandoned somewhere upstairs, phone in your hand, screen still lit up from your last message.
You tug at your shorts on your hips, the waistband sitting comfortably snug, sports bra fitting like second skin bare midriff, sun-kissed abs still faintly marked from training.
You don’t really think about it. Not until you push through the doors to the indoor pitch. The lights are lower in here, soft and warm. There’s music playing low, vibey and the far corner’s full of bean bags and snacks, girls half-curled into piles as they lounge post-dinner.
On the pitch, a few are mid-intense badminton rally Ella shrieking with laughter as Lucy dives dramatically and misses.
You step in barefoot, casual, phone still in hand just meaning to slip in, but the moment you appear, the vibe shifts. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just... noticed. Conversations falter. Eyes flick over.
Leah, from her bean bag throne, lets out a low whistle without looking up from her packet of crisps. “Well,” she drawls. “Someone’s feeling herself.”
You roll your eyes too used to it but you do smile. Beth lifts her head from Georgia’s shoulder just long enough to smirk. “She’s been glowing since she got back here,” she says, not even trying to whisper.
Georgia, grinning, just nods and mutters, “Have an interesting weekend?”
You walk over slowly, shaking your head, but not exactly rushing to cover up either. You toss your phone onto a nearby cushion and drop down onto the turf, stretching your legs out, leaning back on your hands.
“Did I miss the invite to Badminton Wimbledon or
?”
Ella jogs past with a racket in hand and a headband on like she’s in the final of her life. “You’re late. We’re already through the group stages,” she shouts, missing her serve by a mile.
You laugh, watching her spin in a circle. Beth shifts over to make space for you on a bean bag, patting the spot beside her. You stay where you are for now comfy, loose, soaking it all in.
The music. The laughter. The energy. You really did love your time on England camp.
You’re still laughing at Ella’s terrible serve when you catch the weird glint in Beth’s eyes. That smirk, the one she does when she’s holding onto something explosive. Georgia’s not helping, she’s biting the inside of her cheek, leaning way too far into her drink like she’s trying not to howl.
You frown. “What?” They don’t answer just exchange a look, a delighted one. Your heart skips, just once. “
What?”
Beth lifts her chin subtle like she’s motioning behind you. “You might want to turn around.”
You turn immediately. You feel it in your spine, in the way your skin tightens across your shoulders, in the way your heart starts thudding despite you being totally still.
That feeling like someone’s watching. Like she’s watching. Your eyes scan the pitch, gaze flicking to the far side and that’s when you see it.
A sea of red training kits, across the pitch on the viewing stands a quiet pocket of the Spanish national team.
Coaches. Staff. Players a few talking, half-watching the chaos of the English group across the floor.
And in the middle of them calm. Still, exactly where she always is. Alexia. She’s not talking. She’s not laughing. She’s slowly turning her head away as if she had been watching and was trying to subtle pretend she wasn’t.
You don’t let your eyes stay on her when you spot a few of her Barcelona teammates watching you watch her, Patri leaned in mumbling what you were probably sure was ‘She’s looking at you’
But your body your posture, your breath, the way your stomach flips before your brain catches up gives you away on just what was going through your brain.
You drop your gaze and scrub a hand down your face like you’re just tired, then reach for your phone, like it’s a shield.
Beth snorts quietly beside you. “Soon as you looked away she looked again”
Georgia grins. “I think someone has a crush on you” she quietly spoke in a sing song voice at you,
You try to keep your voice neutral. “Why are they here?”
Beth shrugs. “If you weren't down here late you would know, Sarina called a meeting.”
Your ears go hot. "No one thought to come get me no?" You turn to glare at her.
Georgia shrugged “Sarina said she'd catch up with you another time”
"Can you not just tell me?"
Gee laughed, "Airport systems have gone down, they're stranded here, the FA said they could come here, so looks like you may be bunking with your new little friend"
You get to your feet with a sigh as they laugh loud and obnoxious, you walk away, "Ay! Less" you hollered, "Want a friend?" you ask as she's digging a ball out of a bag. Less smiles looking to Beth and Gee, "Dumb and Dumber are pissing me off"
"Sure" Alessia gave you her bright smile, "They've been teasing you all day, is something going on?"
You were painfully aware you were in ear shot of the majority of the Spain girls now, "They just think they're funny" You got a smile as you sucked your teeth when Ed Sheeran's Barcelona suddenly began playing, as Beth and Georgia were cry laughing. You looked over your shoulder, "You're not funny" you hollered
You’ve slipped into a rhythm now two-touch with Alessia, passing the ball lightly between you as the chatter from the beanbags fades into background noise.
It helps. The movement. The distraction.
You trap the ball under your foot, flick it up with ease, and Alessia volleys it back. Smooth, easy, familiar.
But your skin still hums. The awareness hasn’t left. Alexia's presence lingers behind you like a shadow not seen, but felt.
You keep your back to the far benches, keep your eyes down, but she’s still there.
Alessia jogs to the side to collect a stray touch, laughing. As she passes the ball back, she says it completely offhand, completely unaware of what it lands on, “She keeps watching you, by the way.”
You freeze not noticeably. Just... enough. You raise your head slowly, “Who?”
Alessia nods toward the benches as she traps the ball. “Alexia. Every time you touch the ball, her head goes with it. It’s actually kinda intense.”
Your mouth goes dry. Alessia doesn’t notice. She shrugs, smirking. You try to keep your expression neutral, cool, casual, you flick the ball up again, letting it bounce off your thigh.
Alessia laughs. “I mean, fair. You’ve got that whole ‘mysterious quiet confidence’ thing going.”
You volley it back, maybe a little too hard. She lets it roll past her and jogs after it. She doesn’t press. Doesn’t guess but she’s not wrong. Alexia is watching and you're not sure you can take much more of it.
312 notes · View notes
writeriguess · 15 days ago
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could you please write a fluff fic where reader is training in gym gamma (I think) but she's crazy frustrated that she isn't getting her moves right and starts panicking but katsuki comes in and comforts her? Thank you!
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Strength in You
The air inside Gym Gamma was thick with the sharp tang of metal, sweat, and determination. Machines whirred and clanked, punching bags shuddered under relentless blows, and the occasional bark of a pro hero’s critique cut through the noise. But none of it registered in your ears, not when frustration clawed at your chest like a rabid animal.
You clenched your fists, staring down at your trembling hands. The sequence should have been simple—dodge left, land a precise roundhouse kick, and follow up with a controlled burst of your Quirk. You had drilled it a hundred times. A thousand. And yet, every damn time, you stumbled.
"Again," you muttered to yourself, wiping sweat from your brow.
You set your stance, took a deep breath, and lunged—only to misstep. Again. Your foot barely skimmed the floor before you hit it with a graceless thud, the impact reverberating up your bones.
That was it. The final straw.
Panic seized your lungs, wrapping around them like an iron band. Your heartbeat spiked, erratic and uneven. Your vision blurred, the walls of the gym pressing in.
Why can’t I get this right? What’s wrong with me?
You hadn’t even realized your breaths had turned shallow, bordering on hyperventilation, until a sharp, all-too-familiar voice cut through the rising static in your head.
"The hell are you doin’, dumbass?"
Your head snapped up, and there he was—Bakugou Katsuki, standing a few feet away, arms crossed over his broad chest. His red eyes scanned you, sharp as ever, but they weren’t burning with their usual irritation. There was something else there. Something quieter.
You quickly wiped your face with the back of your wrist, embarrassed. "Nothing," you croaked. "Just training."
Bakugou scoffed, stepping closer. "Training? That what you call that mess?"
Your frustration boiled over. "What the hell do you want, Bakugou?" you snapped, chest rising and falling with exertion. "I don’t need you coming in here and—"
"Shut up," he said, but there was no bite to it. His hands were on his hips now, weight shifting slightly to one leg. He wasn’t leaving.
Your lips pressed together tightly. You didn’t trust yourself to speak.
For a moment, he just stared at you, like he was weighing something in his mind. Then, with a sigh, he walked past you and sat down on one of the benches. He patted the space beside him. "Sit."
You hesitated. "Bakugou, I don’t—"
"Sit, idiot."
Something in his voice—firm but not unkind—made you obey before you could think twice. You sank onto the bench, shoulders tight, arms wrapped around yourself.
Silence stretched between you. Then, Bakugou exhaled, rubbing a hand through his hair. "You’re panicking."
You flinched, caught off guard. "I’m not—"
"Don’t lie to me," he cut in, turning his head to look at you. "Your breathing’s all over the place, and you look like you just lost a damn fight with your own brain."
Your throat closed up. You wanted to deny it, to insist that you were fine, that you just needed to try again—but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, all you could do was drop your gaze to your lap, fingers twisting into the hem of your workout shirt.
Bakugou clicked his tongue. "Tch. You’re overthinkin’ it."
Your laugh was humorless. "Yeah? No shit."
He rolled his eyes but didn’t fire back with an insult. Instead, he reached over and flicked your forehead, just enough to make you blink up at him in surprise.
"Listen, dumbass," he started, voice dropping just a bit. "You’re not gonna get better by tearin’ yourself apart like this."
You swallowed thickly. "It’s just—I keep messing up. No matter what I do. And I know I should be better by now, but I—I can’t seem to—" Your voice cracked, and you sucked in a shaky breath. "I don’t want to fall behind."
Something in Bakugou’s expression shifted. His usual scowl softened, just a fraction. "You’re not fallin’ behind," he said, and for once, there was no arrogance in his tone—just certainty. "You’re workin’ your ass off. But if you keep stressin’ out like this, you’re just gonna keep tripping over yourself."
You let out a frustrated huff, running your hands through your hair. "I know that, but—"
"But what?" he pressed.
You hesitated. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, you admitted, "What if I’m not good enough?"
Bakugou went very still beside you.
For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, to your utter surprise, he reached out and grasped your wrist—firm, steady. Not yanking, not pulling, just holding.
"Don’t say dumb shit like that," he said, low and serious. "You’re good enough. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t."
Your breath caught. The weight of his words settled over you, heavy but grounding.
He huffed. "You think I don’t know what it’s like? Gettin’ stuck? Feelin’ like you’re not movin’ fast enough?" His grip on your wrist tightened just slightly before he let go. "It pisses me off when I feel like I should be stronger. But the difference is, I don’t let it stop me."
You stared at him, something in your chest easing—just a little. "So what do you do?" you asked, voice quieter now.
Bakugou smirked, leaning back slightly. "I keep goin’."
You exhaled, the tension in your shoulders loosening. "That simple, huh?"
"Tch. No, it’s hard as hell. But that’s why I know you can do it. You’re stubborn as shit."
A reluctant smile tugged at your lips. "So are you."
"Damn right." He nudged your shoulder, lighter than usual. "C’mon. Get your ass up. You’re gonna run through that combo again, and this time, you’re not gonna freak out about it."
You hesitated but nodded. "Alright."
And as you stood, shaking off the weight of self-doubt, Bakugou was right there beside you—arms crossed, eyes sharp, watching. Not mocking. Not criticizing. Just there.
And somehow, that made all the difference.
194 notes · View notes
willyoubemycherryy · 9 months ago
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Last one standing..
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Stanley Jobson x reader (neighbor!au)
đ™Čđš˜đš—đšđšŠđš’đš—đšœàŹ˜(Ë”â•č-â•č)━☆ đ˜đ˜­đ˜¶đ˜§đ˜§  𝘧𝘭đ˜Șđ˜łđ˜”đ˜Ș𝘯𝘹, 𝘣đ˜Șđ˜€đ˜Źđ˜Šđ˜łđ˜Ș𝘯𝘹, đ˜șđ˜°đ˜¶â€™đ˜łđ˜Š đ˜©đ˜Ș𝘮 𝘹đ˜Ș𝘳𝘭 đ˜Łđ˜¶đ˜” đ˜¶đ˜ł đ˜Ș𝘯 đ˜„đ˜Šđ˜Żđ˜Ș𝘱𝘭, đ˜”đ˜Šđ˜ąđ˜Žđ˜Ș𝘯𝘹, 𝘱𝘹𝘱đ˜Ș𝘯 𝘍𝘓𝘐𝘙𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘭đ˜Ș𝘬𝘩 đ˜Žđ˜©đ˜ąđ˜źđ˜Šđ˜­đ˜Šđ˜Žđ˜Žđ˜­đ˜ș, đ˜€đ˜¶đ˜łđ˜Žđ˜Ș𝘯𝘹, đ˜Žđ˜ŠÌ‚đ˜čđ˜¶đ˜ąđ˜­ đ˜Șđ˜Żđ˜Żđ˜¶đ˜Šđ˜Żđ˜„đ˜°đ˜Ž, đ˜€đ˜łđ˜Šđ˜ąđ˜”đ˜Șđ˜·đ˜Š đ˜Ș𝘼𝘱𝘹𝘩𝘳đ˜ș, “𝘾đ˜Ș𝘭𝘭 đ˜”đ˜©đ˜Šđ˜ș đ˜žđ˜°đ˜Żâ€™đ˜” đ˜”đ˜©đ˜Šđ˜șâ€đ˜·đ˜Ș𝘣𝘩𝘮, 𝘬đ˜Ș𝘮𝘮đ˜Ș𝘯𝘹 -3- !! đ˜đ˜¶đ˜šđ˜© đ˜‘đ˜ąđ˜€đ˜Źđ˜źđ˜ąđ˜Ż đ˜Ș𝘮 đ˜©đ˜°đ˜” đ˜ąđ˜Żđ˜„ 𝘐 đ˜©đ˜ąđ˜·đ˜Š 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘩𝘭𝘧 đ˜€đ˜°đ˜Żđ˜”đ˜łđ˜°đ˜­đŸ˜­
đ‘†đ‘ąđ‘šđ‘šđ‘Žđ‘Ÿđ‘ŠàŹ˜(Ë”â•č-â•č)━ â™ĄïžŽ 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 đ‘›đ‘’đ‘€ 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒. đ»đ‘’â€™đ‘  𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 đ‘Ÿđ‘ąđ‘đ‘–đ‘„ 𝑐𝑱𝑏𝑒, 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑩𝑒𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑩𝑜𝑱 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 đ‘’đ‘™đ‘ đ‘’ïŒŽïŒŽïŒŽïŒŽđ‘đ‘ąđ‘Ą đ‘€â„Žđ‘Žđ‘Ą ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠 đ‘€â„Žđ‘’đ‘› ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑩𝑜𝑱 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒’𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑩𝑜𝑱𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑛𝑒 đ‘€đ‘Žđ‘Š 𝑜𝑟 đ‘Žđ‘›đ‘œđ‘Ąâ„Žđ‘’đ‘ŸïŒŽïŒŽïŒŽ
@cherrywineisawaltz said something first😭
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_ _𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐧𝐹𝐟𝐟.-_ đ©đąđšđ§đš_/-𝐜.𝐹𝐧_đœđžđ«đ­đš}} 𝐧𝐹-/_.𝟐
.♄.
You couldn't give in. It felt like the legacy of damn near feminism itself was counting on you.
This was all HIS fault.
A frown creeps on your face as you recall what- or rather who seemed to coast in from Texas bringing not only himself but his unconventionalness with him while also single-handedly being responsible for the position you’re currently in. And to make matters worst, you hadn’t even done anything to catch his attention.
To your knowledge (the apartment grapevine) you’re one of the few strong soldiers still standing who haven’t fallen to his charms. You never thought you’d live to the day where you’d be mentally cursing a 6’3 man with short hair as messy as his life, unfairly bright under eyes, perfect teeth, dimples, the most clutchable forearms you’ve ever seen and eyebrows that just won’t quit.
Fucking Stanley Jobson.
You shake your head- no you’re not fucking Stan. Even though since about three and a half weeks ago, he’s been driving you crazy trying to get you to go out with him. The last time you saw him he was guaranteeing that “you’d have a great time pretty” and from the suggestive flick of his brow as he looked down at you, head tilted, you tried to fight the warmth crawling over your body at the picture his words painted you. It didn’t work though because almost immediately you were swarmed with images of him. Laying naked in Stanley’s bed, nails digging into his broad shoulders before raking down his equally sculpted back, big arms wrapped around you as he stretched you out, rolling his hips into your slick heat over and over moaning raggedly into your mouth-
Stan’s gentle questioning hum breaks you out of your daydream and you stare back dumbly into his eyes before taking a deep refreshing mind clearing breath of crisp completely sane air, giving him a tight smile, turning around and promptly getting the fuck out of there.
The more you avoided him, the more he seemed to haunt you. Physically and metaphorically.
Another incident was when you were using the complex’s washing machine. Usually you’d go to a different laundromat but it was pouring and you needed clean underwear. Again, thanks to your shit luck, you ran out of laundry detergent half way through and the free stuff was on some high ass shelves above the machines that you couldn’t climb because they were old as fuck and just as unsafe which left you to the tried and true method- tiptoes and jumping.
You still couldn’t reach and for some reason it filled you with such a rage that you consider knocking all the shit there over but before you could throw your fit, a large hand holds your waist along with a solid chest to your back while his other hand reaches up to grab the soap powder, placing it softly in your hands then resting his chin on your shoulder.
“How are you cute even when soap has you all pissy?” Stan huffs out an amused chuckle, the air tickling your cheek. You catch yourself rolling your eyes fondly, tilting your head back a little.
Maybe you could entertain him a bit.
Relaxing in his hold, you try to calm your racing heart. Stanley was so big and he smelled so good and you can’t even think about his voice and all the dirty things that would sound heavenly coming from him. Especially right now, standing pressed flush to him with no panties on under your shorts.
“That’s because I wasn’t getting pissy-“, another chuckle from Stan, “I was getting annoyed. The difference is key.” You retort sassily, feeling him nod on your shoulder. “Yeah, sure you were baby.” The petname makes your heart skip hard as heat blooms to your chest and you swallow. Goosebumps raise on your arms as Stanley rubs them up and down, softly humming as he does. You wish you were unaffected but unfortunately you need to stay strong.
Clearing your throat, you ask aloud: “what are you doing?” Stanley runs his hands up to your shoulders, applying firm pressure as he starts to massage the tension there. “Helping. This whole week whenever I saw you, you always looked so stressed
”
QuĂ©?? Your brain shuts down and suddenly you have a second heartbeat as the hottest man you’ve ever come in contact has your resolve crumbling by the second. His thumbs drag across a particularly sore part of muscle and a relieved gasp spills from your throat. “I- yeah?” You say, trying to concentrate but the deep hum in your ear scatters your thoughts again, Stanley clouding your senses.
“Yeah
and y’know I could fix that..help you relax..” His low voice trails off but god you know exactly what he means, biting your lip to keep from accepting immediately. You should stop. Back up off him and come up with some nonsensical excuse to leave before you kiss him but you don’t. Instead you ask-
“
how?”
You won’t repeat the things he whispered in your ear.
Only that they had you running back to your place to do something- anything to distract you from the ache between your legs,leaving your laundry altogether.
Okay, so maybe you shouldn’t have flirt back but experience is important. Now you know that letting the stupidly built man you’re fighting tooth and nail to resist hold you is a bad idea. You live and you learn.
But
.all these encounters are starting to take a toll on you and Stanley is wearing you down. You can’t recall when he even started to be this big of a problem for you. When he first moved in, you didn’t see him much but heard a lot. Excited talk about some gorgeous guy and disputes over if he had the perfect nerd or fireman look until you saw him and understanding dawned on you. You won’t lie, there was no point: he was fine. Standing in grey adidas track pants with a tight sleeveless tank as he helped an elderly lady carry her things to the elevator with a effortlessly gracious smile but from then on you decided that was it. Guys like Mr. ‘Pregnancy is only 9 months’ were nothing but trouble. Plus seeing just about all the women in the building vying for his attention, you knew what you weren’t going to do: him. Until you see him one night standing in front of the mailboxes holding a childrens drawing with a look so sad it made you mourn with him. Walking to him like reflex, placing your hand on his arm.
“I don’t know who she is but I’m sure she understands.”
A longing sigh leaves Stanley’s lips and he’s silent for a beat. “
she- Holly- is 10. I had to send her away again this week. We talk and stuff but my work always has me runnin’ off somewhere n’ that’s hard n’just
”, there’s another sigh and you know what he means because you miss your own folks sometimes too, “I miss her. I don’t want her to think she’s not apart of me because we’re not always together.” First step to comforting someone: don’t cry. But damn, you feel bad for him. You rub his arm in soothing motions, nodding gently. “Well technically, you aren’t apart. She’s in your blood, you’re not a lonely man.”
The way Stan snapped his head down at you, staring into your eyes with a tender look was definitely the first warning but did you listen? No, all you do is stare back before softly bidding him goodnight. Leaving behind your perfume and the warmth of your hand.
After then, he was steadily more different towards you. More open, even more charming, always calling you some kind of petname, giving you borderline obscene compliments, “lookin’ good enough to eat sugar” he cooed at you as you passed him on the way to your flat just this week but you willed yourself not to go there with him. If you were any other woman, you’d have bit his dust a long time ago. Hell, you know a plethora of women who already did which leads to what do you do now? You’re both getting closer but you’re trying to stay friends. If you start, it might never end so you keep tiptoeing..
Solid knocks at your door break you out of your brooding, slightly confused because you didn’t order anything and you weren’t expecting company. Padding over to the door, you swing it open and your eyes widen as your heart leaps up your throat. Stanley stands looking as yummy as ever smiling down at you. His shoulders seem even broader and you can’t think clearly with his aftershave in your face.
Fuck your life and the horse it rode in on.
Suppressing a deeply inconvenienced sigh, you grin tightly at him. “Yes Stanley?” The sound of his name from you makes his already glowing face positively blinding. “You and me, 7:30 tonight. Let’s paint the town. What do ya say sweetheart?”
“What about Holly?”
As if summoned, you hear the little things voice from way down the hall and you poke your head out to see her. She’s all toothy grins, waving excitedly as she poorly holds a familiar looking puppy with one arm. “Emmie and me are having a slumber party tonight! And look! Isn’t he cute?!” She explains before thrusting the dog forward and while cute, you do feel bad for him because that can’t be comfortable. Emmie is the daughter of one of the military men next door. You see them around and they’re always nice. Just as quickly as she appeared, she’s gone again, back in the door to go play with her friend. A soft laugh leaves you as you turn to look at Stanley but he’s already looking at you. And closer. You gulp.
“Well, I would but-“
“Scared you’re gonna have fun?”
His playful jab riles you up in the way that’s always been easy for him because it’s him and you rush to wipe the smirk off his aesthetically pleasing face. “Actually I’m scared you won’t be able to keep up with me. Because I’m so much fun.” Stanley looks stunned for a second before chuckling lowly, biting his lip as he nods slowly and the air shifts. “How are you so sure I can’t keep up if you don’t give me a chance?” The air feels hotter and you roll your shoulders to try and shake it off but the images are back and it’s so not your fault. Stanley gets closer. “If anything
,” his breath washes over your face like mint and lemon sweet tea, “you’ll be breaking to keep up with me.”
Oh.
“And say if I can’t? Do you go find someone who’s more your speed?” You ask coyly, going for a different approach entirely so you don’t yank him to your lips. “No, I help you keep up. For as long as you’ll let me.”
That’s it.
Silently, you back up a few steps into your apartment because you know he’ll follow you. When he does, you motion to the door with your hand and Stan looks amused but closes it anyways, coming to stand in front of you when you crook your finger for him to come closer.
Burly arms wrap around your midsection, pulling you completely against him and it feels so good you’re dizzy, reaching up to loop your arms around his neck but Stanley’s height makes it hard and you groan. Knowing how you can get (laundry incident) Stan lifts you, arm around your waist with the other hand splayed across your ass then your legs around his waist. The feel of his warm muscles under you make you throb and suddenly breathing is slightly harder. Biting your lip, you run your hands up his corded neck then back down to his wide chest, letting your imagination run wild. Stanley just lets you as he clears his throat to get your attention.
“You wantin’ something from me, baby?” You would have said something smart back but you don’t have it in you. Instead, “just kiss me already-“ and then your mouth is immediately consumed by his.
Like the rest of him, his lips are warm and you’re already burning up, moaning the second he slots his mouth over yours, sending shivers down your spine as he licks along the seam of your lips, making you tighten your legs around him and kiss him even harder.
Stanley groans at your rough sucking at his bottom lip before licking hotly into your mouth. Tilting his head to deepen the kiss, groaning when you immediately follow his mouth. His tongue coaxes yours into his, languidly sucking at the wet muscle and a sharp jolt of arousal lights through your body making you melt down, dripping from your cunt, soaking your underwear and the desire to be naked becomes an urgent need. The wet smack of your kissing makes you both heady as your grind yourself on his abs, gasping wetly at the friction and you tug the hem of his shirt with a needy whine, needing it off yesterday.
To your dismay, Stan pulls off from the slick of your mouth, licking hot kisses down the sensitive skin of your neck before dragging you slowly down his body, watching with blown pupils as your pouty mouth drops open when your clit catches on every ridge of his stomach and the tent of his erection through your tiny shorts, until you’re set back on your feet, glaring at him. He pecks you on the lips to soothe you but you’re feisty. “I’m hard, you’re hard. Why’d we stop?” You look like you’re seconds away from stomping your foot in annoyance and laughing at the petulance in your voice will only frustrate you further so he stamps it down, taking your hands in his.
“Because, we need to go on our date first.” You pout despite the warmth in your cheeks and nod. “Right. Tonight at 7:30.” This time he does laugh, the sound making you smile as he nods. Bringing your knuckles to his lips to kiss them, then your cheek. “You got it, pretty.”
You walk him to the door and motion him down, kissing him sweetly one more time, bathed in the warm way he looks at you.
“See you then
”
It ended up being the best date of your life.
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cami040405 · 14 days ago
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Pleeeeeeeeeease 🙏, a oneshot of fem reader going with her friends and stops for gas, our girl is on her period, but it ain't the usual one. It hurts a lot, and there's no paracetamol to ease the pain cause Luda sells none. When Thomas comes to hunt them down, he finds her delirious from the sunlight and pain to the point she doesn't even run. So when he's about to haul her over his shoulder, she accidentally grips onto him, and Thomas ends up carrying her in bridal style. She clings and snuggles him for comfort, which makes Tommy second guess himself, in the end, he decided to keep her cause he liked the feeling of her needing him for comfort and protection.
Oneshot: Crimson Sun - Thomas Hewitt x Future S/O with Intense Period Pain
Summary: While on a road trip with friends, you struck with intense period pain and heat exhaustion during a stop at a remote Texas gas station. As your friends mysteriously vanish, you're too weak to run when Thomas Hewitt appears.
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Texas heat had a way of swallowing the air whole. Thick. Suffocating. The kind of heat that crawled under your skin and sat heavy on your chest. It made the world feel slower, like the hands of time had melted alongside the asphalt.
You could barely keep your eyes open as the station wagon rumbled along the gravel path toward a rusted-out old gas station. Dust clouds rose in the rearview mirror like smoke, blurring the fading stretch of road behind you.
In the passenger seat, Bree was flipping through a dog-eared map with the kind of irritated energy only someone lost in Nowhere, Texas, could conjure. The other two girls were bickering softly in the front about a weird turn back at the last fork in the road.
You weren’t listening. You were curled up in the backseat like a dying thing, legs pulled tight to your chest, arms wrapped around your midsection. Sweat dotted your forehead, sticking strands of hair to your skin. Each heartbeat sent a pulse of sharp, relentless pain straight through your abdomen like a blade twisting inside you.
This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t your normal, anyway.
You were on your period—sure—but this wasn’t the dull, manageable ache you were used to. This was something else. A tidal wave of pain that left you breathless and shivering despite the triple-digit weather. Your limbs ached, your spine throbbed, and your thighs trembled from the effort of not crying in front of your friends.
When the car rolled to a stop outside the gas station, you didn’t even lift your head.
“I’m gonna ask if they have pain meds,” Bree said, swinging open the door with a groan. “You look like hell.”
You meant to mumble something back. Maybe a thank you, maybe a half-hearted insult. But the words didn’t come. Your jaw clenched as another cramp seized your body, curling your toes in your boots.
God, make it stop.
The metal roof of the station shimmered under the sun. The place looked like it had been abandoned for years, except for the faint movement inside—a shape behind dusty windows. No signage, no air conditioning humming. Just a screen door swaying in the breeze and a few cracked gas pumps that looked like they hadn’t seen real fuel since the seventies.
The minutes passed in a blur. Bree came back empty-handed, muttering curses under her breath.
“The woman inside—some old hag with a cigarette—said they don’t stock anything like that. No pills. No vending machine. Just homemade soap and pickled vegetables. What kind of gas station is this?”
You swallowed thickly. “A cursed one.”
“Seriously. I don’t even think she had a register.”
The car grew hotter. The windows trapped the sunlight like a greenhouse, and your skin started to prickle from the heat. Your lips were chapped. Your vision, spotty. Distant voices became muffled—like hearing underwater.
You caught fragments of a conversation.
“The tire’s low.”
“Go check the back.”
“
something’s off here.”
But your ears were ringing now. Your body was a traitor. You couldn’t sit up. Couldn’t focus. Every breath was effort. You slid sideways onto the seat, lying down, the cracked upholstery sticking to the sweat along your back. You barely noticed when the first scream split the silence.
It was high-pitched, frantic, and short-lived.
You blinked. Was that—?
Then came another. This time deeper, masculine. A grunt. A thud. A wet sound. You blinked again, sluggish and confused. The door beside you opened.
“
Bree?” you croaked.
No answer.
You saw a shadow move across the gravel. A shape—wrong, too broad for anyone you knew. The edges of your vision pulsed red, swimming in heat and nausea. You tried to sit up, panic threading through your chest like wire.
Something was wrong. Something was really wrong.
Then you saw him.
At first, he was just legs—thick, trunk-like legs wrapped in filthy jeans and caked boots. Then the apron. The stained, leather apron. Your gaze drifted upward, inch by inch, past heavy arms to a massive chest, rising and falling with shallow breaths.
Then the face.
Or the mask.
It was patchwork—skin and leather, stitched and fused over a large, square jaw. One eye visible through the hole. The other hidden in shadows. Dead, dull, silent.
Thomas Hewitt.
You didn’t know his name. Not yet. But the moment your eyes met his, your body knew.
Death.
You should have screamed. Should have run. Should have fought, clawed, anything—
But your limbs were jelly. You were so tired. So hot. The pain in your stomach flared violently, and your mouth fell open in a silent cry.
He reached for you.
You tried to push away, but it was like moving through concrete. Your hand slipped on the door. Your knees buckled as you stumbled onto the dirt. 
Thomas loomed over you. Tall as a tree. Silent as a grave. The chainsaw wasn’t in his hand. Not yet. Instead, he crouched beside you, giant palm reaching down to haul you up like a sack of meat.
“No—wait,” you whimpered, but it came out as a breathless rasp.
His rough hand closed around your upper arm, lifting—
Your hand shot out, instinctively. It grabbed a fistful of his shirt. Not to fight.
To cling.
Your body betrayed your mind. Some part of your subconscious—swimming in pain and heatstroke—recognized something in him. Not safety. Not really.
But strength. Warmth. Your cheek fell against his chest. And then—you snuggled.
Thomas froze.
Completely.
You didn’t scream. Didn’t sob. Just held on, weak and shivering, face pressed into the fabric of his apron, nuzzling blindly for comfort like a sick kitten.
A soft sound escaped you. A tiny, pitiful sigh.
“
please
”
Thomas blinked. He looked down at you, dazed, stunned. He’d lifted hundreds of people in this spot. Dragged them kicking and screaming. The usual routine. And yet here you were, curled up in his arms like he was the only stable thing left in your spinning world. For the first time in years, Thomas hesitated. He could feel your fevered skin through his gloves. The way your body trembled in his grip—not from terror, but from weakness. Your breathing was shallow. Your legs were trembling.
You needed help.
Not to die.
His jaw clenched under the mask. Slowly, gingerly, he adjusted his grip—one arm beneath your knees, the other around your back. He picked you up, not like prey, not like cargo—but like something fragile.
You didn’t fight it.
Your arms wrapped around his thick shoulders, half-conscious, and your head lolled against his collarbone. You mumbled something soft, incoherent. Words soaked in fever and confusion.
He held you tighter. 
And then he walked.
He didn’t toss you over his shoulder.
He didn’t carve you open.
He carried you—through the brush, past the dirt path where your friends had fallen, their blood soaking into the cracked earth.
You didn’t see them. And maybe that was for the best.
When you woke, the light had changed. Dim. Orange. The inside of a house. Warm, but not from the sun—from low lamps and old wooden walls.
The room smelled like herbs and must and something cooked long ago.
You were lying on something soft. A cot, maybe. There was a wet rag on your forehead, and a heavy quilt wrapped around your lower half. You groaned softly, shifting.
Pain still lingered in your gut—but dulled now. Fading.
Your eyes fluttered open.
And you saw him.
Thomas.
Sitting on a chair in the far corner of the room. Looming, unmoving. A beast in the shadows.
But he was watching you.
Not with hunger.
With something
 almost tender.
Cautious.
Afraid to move and scare you.
You licked your dry lips. “...where am I?”
No answer. Just the sound of his breathing.
You blinked. “You
 didn’t kill me.”
A slow nod.
You pushed yourself up on your elbows, wincing. “Why?”
Thomas’s hands clenched on his knees. He looked away. There were no words. Not really.
But there was the memory of you clinging to him in the sun. The way you nuzzled against him like you’d known him for years. The way his chest had ached after, missing the warmth of you curled there.
You were still sick. Still soft. Still needful. And maybe
 maybe Thomas had never been needed like that before.
He didn’t understand it.
But he liked it.
And that was enough.
.
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