#So maybe I'm catastrophizing or maybe I'm going to get my raise and still walk out the door

[keepingthepeaceinouterspace]

.

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

Parley part 3

Tav stirred, silk cool against her back. She tried to sit up and instead found herself held in place by a gentle, firm hand.

'Ah-ah,' said Raphael, tutting. 'You're still fragile, my sweet little mouse. Don't move.'

'The hells am I doing here?' She blinked, attempting to orient herself. The sparkling, inviting waters of the rejuvenation pool flowed musically before her.

'Resting,' he said, an edge to his voice. He stroked a soothing thumb across her shoulders; the wounds had become raised scars, undeniably permanent and faintly purple against her skin. 'So sorry,' he said, not sounding sorry at all. 'It's my understanding you wear your scars with pride. How on earth are you going to explain these to your friends? The wizard and the vampire, my goodness. They will be so angry.'

'Not at me,' she said, trying to extricate herself from his grip and failing.

'Stay,' he said sternly.

'I don't take orders from you,' she spat.

'You do tonight,' he said, pushing her back. 'Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be, foolish girl. I've healed your wounds but you still need rest. No arguments.' He held a goblet to her lips. 'Drink.'

She had no choice; if he wanted her dead, he would've just let her bleed out, she reasoned. When she took a mouthful, it was just wine, sweet and heady.

'Trying to get me drunk, are you?' she croaked.

'Much as seeing you drunk would be utterly delightful,' he said, smirking a little, 'it's simply a kindness. It tastes good, yes?'

'Yes. But-'

'I know. You need water. But first, the wine.' She drank, watched him set it down.

'Why am I here? Why didn't you take me back home?'

'You think I trust those fools with your care? Come now, sweetling. They had no faith in you coming here, they didn't trust you, and yet they let you walk into my House. If I am as terrible as they believe, they have knowingly condemned you to death. Think on that.'

Tav's lips pulled back in a snarl. Weak as she was, she was not so pliant as he thought her to be. 'You're taking advantage, Raphael.'

'Of what?' His eyes narrowed. 'If I wanted your body I would simply take it. If I wanted your soul i would simply rip it from you,' he growled. 'You vexing girl-'

'Well, I'm at your mercy now, aren't I? My body is weak, my head is full of fog, I'm in your bed for fuck sake- my plan went so wrong. So catastrophically wrong. So whatever chance you have, this is your best shot.'

'I don't want to take what I want.' his hands either side of her head curled into the silks, crumpling them into his fists. 'You lie to yourself constantly. I know you do because every time I near your heart quickens. Stop lying. Stop lying to yourself, stop lying to those hapless fools, stop lying to me.'

'What the fuck are you talking about?' she asked in genuine bafflement.

'Oh, little mouse. Little mouse. You...' He closed his eyes, breathed out through his nose in frustration. For several long moments he simply hovered over her, and then he spoke. 'Surrender.'

'Never,' she said immediately. The cold dark power within her chest purred in satisfaction.

'Such a brave little thing,' he rasped. 'But alright. I respect that. You leave when you are healthy, and not before.'

She considered. 'Fine.'

He snapped his fingers, a contract appearing. 'Be fair, now.'

She sighed in annoyance, signed the paper. 'Alright. And I suppose you want to seal the deal.'

'Of course,' he whispered, dipping his head to kiss her soundly. His weight pushed her into the mattress, and her head swam. A spark of something in her chest, something cold and hungry, woke. Tendrils of shadow crept from her mouth, freezing and sharp, and the devil jolted backwards, eyes wide in shock and, to Tav's astonishment, fear.

'No. No, that can't be- he didn't-'

'Who? What's happening? What the hells are you talking about, Raphael?!'

Tags:

@bluerosetarot @dansnotavampire @further-than-forever

@forget-me-maybe @poetryvampire @sasha199 @wandawillow

@boufsy @owlseeyoulaterpal @lanafofana @amorgansgal

@auroraesmeraldarose @aryancunin @miradelletarot @marlowethebard

@crimson-and-lavender @reeseykins @medra-gonbites

@roguishcat @weaverofnetheril @galedekarioswifey @hyperfixationstation128 @lastlight-inn

@astarryvamp @feedthepheasants @dabigstinky @dreamingofthewild @ladyofcrowsandcoffee

[indouloureux]

hi! for a request, could u possibly do hurt/comfort w eddie x reader after a fight thank u!!!

isksnsks i love hurt/comfort thank you for requesting!!

there was the chaos in the storm.

the catastrophic thunder as he yells, the blinding flash of lightning that catapults to the ground when you stomp and shout, the pouring rain that leaves your cheeks dripping, the dark grey clouds that loom over eddie's umber eyes onto the brink of darkness; it's absolute chaos.

then there was the calm in the storm.

the gentle pitter pattering of raindrops as you sniffle, the light rumbling behind the puff or silver clouds as he takes deep breaths and runs his hands through his tangled hair, his eyes sinking when he settles them on your trembling frame, voice tired and aching.

it had gone on for hours — because of a drug deal that had gone longer than he promised, and because of a girl you both barely knew yet somehow, fifteen seconds was enough to leave you bridled with (abrupt, but rational) jealousy.

you gave him the cold shoulder on your way home—to his trailer. eddie wasn't reciprocating the flirting, you know that, but he'd done nothing to prevent it, even though you sat right next to him, watching him hand some pretty girl a bag of weed. hell, he didn't even give her a discount, yet you were still jealous.

and of course, eddie confronted you. went on about how you'd been weird and quiet and a bit rude to the girl. you kept on thinking that eddie had done the same thing when he was in your position and it had caused you to be somewhat petty.

and so hours later, after a screaming match that thankfully wayne hadn't heard but you were sure max did, you're sitting on his lumpy bed with tear stained cheeks and aching hands. eddie's eyes ache, chest prickles with the aftermath, and he looks at you with a look so guilty.

"you're being unreasonable, (y/n)," he'd used your name with an exasperated gesticulation. "do you always have to be like this with every girl i have a deal with? it's like i've got a fucking bodyguard just looming over me all the damn time!"

"oh, shit, well i'm fucking sorry if i got upset watching other girls flirt with my boyfriend who did absolutely nothing to stop it like i wasn't there. so yeah, maybe i am a bodyguard. i'm always behind you watching with a- a mad look and ready to pounce."

eddie's chest pounds when he hears you sigh deeply, staring into the space of his lumpy mattress. it squeaks loudly when you move over to the side and plant your feet on his floor, looking anywhere but his eyes that watch your every move.

"it's fucking- it's fucking suffocating! how you're always on my neck. always getting mad whenever i talk to other girls like, shit, maybe fucking piss on me to let them know."

your eyes water as you pick up your things — you wallet, alcohol, pack of cigarettes, and shove them in your pocket before you fully stand up, tugging at your cheek harshly to rid of the lathered tears.

"'m going home," you whisper, swallowing thickly. eddie looks outside the window first, sees the ashen clouds blend in with the white summer sky like a gradient.

"it's about to rain," he murmurs, slowly reaching out to you. "just— stay, (y/n)."

"i'm going home, eddie," you say firmly. "i'm gonna walk home. i'll see you tomorrow,"

the desperation in his eyes beg for you to stay but his mouth refuses to speak, to stop you. eddie's mouth parts, lets out a deep sigh of dismay when his eyebrows raise and join together in the middle as his hand hovers over your crossed arms, which you dodge as you begin to walk away from him.

he watches you pick up your coat and sling it on your arm, feet stomping on the ground until you reach his door and open it with one twist, slamming it behind you.

eddie regrets what he said; you were never suffocating. he didn't mean to compare you to a damn dog, and his anger was no reason whatsoever and he beats himself up for his stupidity. and it's ironic, how now he wants to crawl into your skin and just keep you close against him and apologize, just suffocate you with his hug.

but now he's too late. you've walked out the door with a brittle heart, stomping beneath the grey sky like you don't care about the storm that's about to pour.

albeit he's not too late. he's got a van, after all. his longer legs walk faster than you and if he just ran through his door right now, he'd meet you halfway and he'd take you in his arms.

so he does that.

eddie walks out of his trailer, the four walled place barely calls itself a home without your (and uncle wayne's) warmth. he doesn't even bother to put shoes on; he walks out, white socks stepping on the pointed pebbles and lets it stab his feet as he walks—jogs his way to you.

you've got your hands around yourself, shoulders shaking as you let out stifled sobs. he reaches out to you, hand in the air until his palm presses gently on your shoulder to stop you.

"hey, hey baby, hey—" you stop and he uses his hand to maneuver himself in front of you. he breaks at your red eyes and the pouted lips, the absolute sheen of despair that gloss over your face. "honey..."

"what?" you look down at your feet, see how the bottom of his socks had turned grey. "what do you want? i'm— i'm already leaving. do you want me to suffocate you more or are you just gonna yell at me?"

he visibly winces and there's a twinge of pride that resonates in you. eddie shakes his head, placing his hands on your shoulders and bends down 'till he's eye level with you.

"i'm sorry," he says. "you don't suffocate me. you never did. in fact, i suffocate you. i'm the one who can't leave you alone, who always has to loom over you so i'd bark at those stupid dumb guys. i don't mean to compare you to a dog. i'm— i'm the dog." he points to himself. "i'm sorry i didn't do jackshit to stop her. i'm sorry,"

you look away from him but it's no use. eddie takes your face into his hands and keeps you looking at him, wipes the tears that haven't even spilled down the corner of your eyes, and you shake your head.

"you really hurt me," you say, hands pliant at your sides. "i'm sorry i yelled but you really hurt me, eddie."

"sorry? sorry, no, you had every right to yell at me. i'm sorry," he moves his hands down to graps yours and lifts your fists to his lips, kissing them gently and pressing his mouth on the hot skin of the back of your hand to stop himself from crying. "let me make it up to you. tell me what you wan' me to do, hon."

you shrug. "i dunno,"

"you don't know?" you shake your head. "tell me the first thing that comes to mind, come on, sweetheart,"

your look flitters between his eyes, bottom lip tucked between your teeth, and you answer, "wanna hit you,"

he chuckles dryly. "okay. hit me where?"

"on your arm,"

eddie rolls his sleeve up, just below his shoulder. "alright. do your best, babe, come on."

you laugh lightly and the sky turns white again, the clear sign of a storm long gone, but eddie knows you're still hurting inside. he nudges you his arm, eyebrows raised, waiting for your impact.

you don't forgive him immediately after the punch, he knows he'd have to do more sulking and hardwork to gain your smile again. if you pissing on him would get your affection back, he wouldn't mind at all.

[krysmcscience]

So, I have to say first off that, as a general rule, asking for money is my Number One biggest fear, particularly if it's coming from strangers. However, my mental health is also plummeting towards rock bottom with every passing day, stuck as I've been in this small southern USA town for almost nine years now. So, I figure, why not come to a compromise before I lose my marbles entirely? :D

For every donation, I will spend a minute for every dollar drawing whatever it is that you, the generous donor, wants me to draw.

"But wait!" you might exclaim, before I'm sure you would go on to wonder, "What if I only donate a dollar? How great could a one minute drawing possibly be?!" Well, certainly not perfect or even very detailed, but I can tell you this much: Every sketch in the fundraiser image took me between a minute to three apiece, and that’s only because I got finicky with some of them. ;) Here’s some better examples of what I can do with that time:

"Not bad, but do you actually have the time for this?" you might also be wondering. Probably not if the extremely unlikely occurs and this goes viral, but the moment I hit my goal, I'll be able to quit my job. Which tends to have the effect of freeing up time!

"Why do you want to leave the South so badly?" you ask? Ohhhhoho, a whole host of reasons, my friend! Let's get into those real quick:

I am from the Nevadan desert, and the South's swampy humidity makes me feel like I am constantly drowning in the devil's buttcheeks. :)

I need peace and quiet to be able to work on my (many) novels, and to not lose my mind in general, and yet my various neighbors seem to think that noise is the Best Thing Ever! If there's not a muscle car or motorcycle idling somewhere very close by - and vibrating through the foundation straight into my eardrums - there's a screaming competition, an involved house renovation, totally random fireworks for several hours somehow despite it being nowhere near a holiday, or literally an entire day or more of the most repetitive two-note bass music you could possibly imagine! And that last thing happens on an almost weekly basis!!! D8

Having been raised in Las Vegas, I am used to city folk, who tend to mind their own business and ignore everything else, and small town folk apparently Do Not Like That! All of my coworkers seem to be under the impression that I am obligated to share my every last life detail with them, and to acknowledge them every single time I pass within five feet of them, and to talk with them whenever they want me to regardless of how I'm feeling at the time, or else I must be "rude" and "probably the worst"? And I am So Tired of it. :D

It is beyond uncomfortable having to walk on eggshells around a bunch of people whose worldviews barely even count me as being a person, especially when that bunch of people happens to be dwarfed by the number of guns they own. I would love to be able to just be myself without having to worry that a bigot will shoot me, thanks. :]

I don't like being stuck in one place for too long, and yet I have been stuck here for Nine Literal Years, so I'm halfway convinced that this town is a metaphysical trap or something, or else I'd have been able to leave it on my own by now. I have never had this kind of trouble leaving a place before! All kinds of inconveniences and catastrophes have kept on popping up over the years to force me to stay longer, though, and uhhhh I kinda don't like that. It's spooky. :(

Speaking of spooky, maybe I'm imagining it, but I'm pretty sure that none of my neighbors have aged in the entire time I've been here??? Cuz like, one of the kids next door was a toddler when I first moved in, and is still a toddler now? Soooo, that's kinda spooky, too. Do Not Like. D:

Literally no one in the food service industry here knows how to get my orders right for some reason! I can order the simplest thing and they will still mess up my food, and only my food, guaranteed, almost every single time. HOW??? D:<

That last one probably seems out of place after Possible Paranormal Shenanigans, but that's fine. Is that also a reason to leave? Sure, why not. Anything can be a reason to leave, because I say so. :3c

It's the SOUTH, what else needs to be said here??? >:\

Moving on! "How do I get a drawing from you after I donate?" you ask? Easy-peasy. If you donate via my ko-fi page, you can simply leave me a message with your donation telling me what you want me to draw for you, or – if you want something a little more complicated or specific, like, say, an original character of yours – contact me at krystopholees@gmail.com and attach any relevant image references or descriptions of what you’d like to have drawn. The same goes for if you donate via my Paypal. Once you do that, I'll get to work on your drawing as soon as I can! The more donations there are, the longer it may take for you to receive it, but I can assure you that I will get it done for you within a more or less respectable timeframe.

"I'd like to know what that timeframe is first," you might be saying, quite reasonably, because I'd like to know, too! Unfortunately, I can't really predict how this exercise will go, given that I still have to work a full-time job right now, but I will be drawing on a 'first come first serve' basis, so if donations are slow, you can probably expect to have your drawing either within the day, or up to three days after. If donations come in quickly, though, all bets are off, because I could finish your drawing the same day, or up to two weeks later! But regardless of how long it takes overall, should I reach my goal, I fully intend to have everything drawn within a month after donations are closed. Even if it does take longer, no matter what, you absolutely will get a drawing from me if you donate.

"You aren't just going to do sketches for a big donation, are you?" some potentially very generous people might ask, to which I say, certainly not! The larger the donation, the more time I can spend on making your drawing look beautiful for you. That could involve anything from a cleaner sketch, to linework, all the way up to coloring, shading, and possibly even a background! It all depends on what you want me to draw, and what I'm able to do with the time you give me. ^-^

"Is there anything you won't draw?" you might like to know. Obviously, NSFW stuff is off the table - think PG-13 at worst. I also won't draw anything that's hateful of others, or anything that supports hate, because that's just not how I roll. "But then," you might add, "how do you roll, artistically speaking?" Perhaps obviously, my wheelhouse is cartoons and - to a lesser degree - anime, specializing in organic and (mostly) human characters, but if you want me to step outside my creative box, I will gladly give it a shot and do my very best! Just please don't ask me to draw realism, please, please, for both our sakes, just Don't. Neither of us will like the result. I will do it, but it will be All Kinds Of Awful. O_O

"Can I just donate without getting a drawing?" asks No One, because there is No One who doesn't like getting stuff drawn for them. And in response to No One, I fling out the link to my GoFundMe and then promptly go to hide in a corner, completely terrified of getting something for nothing - for reasons I can only guess at, but which a psychiatrist would probably pay me over just to have the sheer challenge of trying to figure them out. In fact, I am so terrified of this concept that I am going to go hide in that corner For Real now, and end this post.

Byeeeee

[spidernerdsblog]

Into You

I have a idea for a smutty story with Peter Parker :D maybe Y/N is a new Avenger, Peter see her at her "welcome" Party but they know each other from a few months ago where they had very great sex (maybe a few details in the story, both love hard sex. Peter is the dom :D). Y/N had a great night with all, the girls love her but peter is a bit shy because he doesn't know if she reminds him. So time after time they repeat the night (please mention it) and fell in love. That would be great haha thaaanks :)) maybe a bit Action, where Y/N looks great in her suit and Peter is surprised what she is able to

Requested by : @fabienneweasley

A/N : Reader's character is inspired by Susan Storm of the fantastic four she basically weilds the power of invisibility and creating forcefields. Hope you like this. Feedbacks and suggestions are always welcome.

Pairing : Peter Parker x Avenger! Reader

Warnings : 18+, SMUT, mature content, unprotected sex (not a wise choice to indulge), dom! peter, fwb -> lovers.

The Avengers are fighting against madame Hydra and her troops

"Parker! Status?" Tony's voice crackles through the intercom whilst Peter fights against a group of Hydra soldiers which seems to just keep on increasing in number.

"Uh Mr Stark things are getting a little crowded over here a little back up would be nice" Peter replies back struggling to keep up the fight as he successfully webs up a bunch of the soldiers. But to his surprise a whole new troop emerges from nowhere.

"Oh no! Karen activate instant kill!" Karen activates the instant kill mode but it still wasn't enough to tackle the whole army as Peter was soon outnumbered. One of the soldiers threw a gamma ray infused bomb which if detonated can be catastrophic to anyone who is hit by its radiation. The bomb detonates with a huge blast but to Peter’s surprise a forcefield forms around it containing the blast inside it, soon the forcefield disintegrates, sucking in the deadly radiation with it like a black hole sucks in everything into it.

"Woah! what the hell was that?!" Peter was awestruck at what just happened.

Suddenly a feminine figure appeared out of the thin air in front of Peter. She was wearing a blue suit which hugged her curves perfectly, hair cascading down her shoulders. And as she turned to face him Peter felt like he was hit by a truck, it was you. He stood there like a statue still processing what he was seeing.

"You're welcome by the way" you quipped, breaking him out of his daze.

"Who are you?" Peter asks though he knew very well who you're but seeing you like this was a huge shock to him.

"Y/N Y/L/N aka storm and you're the famous spiderman"

"Yeah I'm indeed" he chuckles nervously, he was grateful that he was wearing his mask so you couldn’t see his face. You were about to say something when you got interrupted.

"Great work, Y/N" Tony's voice buzzed.

"Thank you Mr Stark" you and Peter fought side by side forcing the Hydra to retreat accepting their defeat.

After the city clean up was done a welcome cum victory party was arranged for you in the evening at the compound. Peter was shuffling on his feet in anticipation of meeting you face to face. The huge spacious hall was feeling stuffy for him. Everyone was enjoying themselves as you walked in a shimmery electric blue number looking stunning as always hair styled into loose waves a dazzling smile adorned your face, eyes scanning through the crowd and momentarily you lock eyes with Peter from across the room but you were soon to look away as if you didn't recognize him.

Peter's mind was a mess, never did he imagine he would run into you again and in a circumstance like this. He had so much to say to you. But you acted so oblivious. Don't you remember him at all? Moreover he was feeling way too shy to approach you what if you actually don't remember him. Tony clinked his champagne glass to draw everyone's attention standing at the center of the room with you beside him

"Ladies and gentlemen I would like to introduce you to our newest addition to the team’’ He introduced you ‘‘The very young and talented Y/N Y/L/N!" everyone clapped and cheered for you.

"Hello everyone honored to be a part of this incredible team and looking forward to working with you guys" For a fraction of second your eyes met Peter’s and memories rushed back in. You never expected to see him again not at a place like this. What is he even doing here?

"Y/N come let me introduce you to the rest of the team" Tony offered you happily followed him as he introduced you to Steve, Sam, Bucky, Rhodes, Dr Banner and then the other ladies of the team.

"Welcome to the circus girl" Natasha joked patting your shoulder "we girls always stick together, you'll love it here"

"Yeah and any problem feel free to come to us" Wanda insisted.

"Sure" you gave a broad smile as you engaged in a hearty conversation with them, your eyes occasionally fleeting towards Peter who was standing at a corner.

"Hey kid, why are you standing there all alone? Come here" Tony called out to him. Peter hesitantly made his way towards where you were standing as you watched him intently.

"And last but not the least my young and promising protégé, kid this is Y/N and Y/N this is-" you cut him off

"Peter" Peter looked at you wide eyed you indeed remember him.

"You know him?" Tony asks amused

"Yeah we met last year at Uni. I was an exchange student there before you know I got hit by some weird cosmic rays"

"Well then great! Peter can show you around won't you kid?"

"Yeah would love to Mr Stark" he smiled.

"Looking forward to working with you, Parker or may I say spiderman" you smirked with a playful glint in your eyes strutting past him to mingle with the other guests.

The summer of last year will always be memorable for you. Firstly because you accidentally got hit by cosmic radiation and got your powers and the epic one night stand that you will never forget. You were an exchange student for the Biophysics programme at the Empire State University though you actually never fitted the perfect description of a nerd because you were never a bookworm, very much outspoken, loved to go out and yet managed to score a perfect A during exams one could say you were the best of both worlds. You were a burst of energy in a classroom full of a bunch of nerds and none of them interest you. But in that classroom full of geeks one particular brunette in glasses caught your eyes. The cute awkward guy of the class Peter Parker. He had this boyish charm that you tried but couldn’t resist. You have often caught him stealing glances at you but every time he used to turn away flustered.

Peter himself couldn't deny the fact that he was attracted to you since the day you walked into the class, you were beautiful as well as witty but he knew it very well that you were out of his league and then you started to hang out with Harry Osborn and he started dating Gwen so nothing really happened between you two. And since none of you took the initiative to make a move both of you continued to secretly have a crush on each other though it was just a matter of time.

The club was crazy packed. It was a Friday night so you weren’t exactly sure why it surprised you. You were standing near the bar deciding your drink for tonight when your eyes caught a rather unusual visitor, Peter Parker. He was sulking at the corner of the counter looking a bit tired. You ordered two drinks and took them in your hands making your way towards him. You slid a glass to him, breaking him from his thoughts as he looked up to you.

"Rough day?" you ask nonchalantly. He smiles letting out a long sigh.

"Is it that obvious?" you chuckle lightly.

"Oh no, just never took you as a club going person"

"Well you’re kind of right, I was actually thinking of getting out of here"

"So where's blondie?" you ask while taking a sip of your drink.

"Uh we're taking a break" He answers nervously.

"Oh I see" you "Then let’s drink to that" you raised his glass in front of him

"No it’s fine, I’m not a drinker actually"

"C'mon for one night, now drink up" you insisted. He gulped down the drink, slightly wincing at the burning taste down his throat.

"Let’s go" you grabbed his hand pulling him off his seat.

"Where?"

"To dance! We are in a club Peter" You exclaim.

"I-I can't dance" He stutters nervously.

"Rubbish! Everyone can dance" you dragged him with you. Peter stood in the middle of the dancefloor feeling a little uncomfortable as well as nervous after all he had a crush on you and the last thing he wants is to disappoint you. He watched you intently as you swayed to the music. You took his hands and placed them on your hips placing your own around his neck making him sway with you. He slowly began to loosen up and dance with you enjoying the vibe. After sometime you went to have a couple of shots together and you were nevertheless drunk.

"So you and Harry, huh?" Peter asked, downing another shot.

"Nah we're just messing around" you shrug

"So no one in our class interests you either?"

"Good boys aren't my type. I mean they're real softies and that's cute" you scrunch your nose "But I prefer a little hardcore" You gave a subtle wink.

"Maybe you're wrong to judge just by the looks"

"Well I would be happy if you prove me otherwise" You practically challenged him.

"With all my pleasure if you want" he smirks. His eyes had a mischievous glint that you have never seen before. Things escalated pretty quickly as you found yourself back in your apartment in your bedroom. Your back arched up, face buried in the pillows as Peter took you from the back.

"Fuck!" Your grip tightened on the sheets as he rammed into your throbbing cunt. His grip tight on your ass, as he pulls you back to meet with his thrusts. Your elbows felt weak nearly in the state of giving out as you jolted forward everytime he snapped his hips going deep inside you hitting your sweet spot. He places a slap on your ass as you yelp in shock. You couldn't think straight the only thing you could focus on how well he was fucking you.

His hand goes to grab your hair pulling you back, flush against his strong and sturdy chest.

"You like it don't you? To be fucked hard like the slut you’re" he growled pressing his lips roughly to yours swallowing your moans one hand snaking down to rub your sensitive bud as he fucks you hard and fast. You felt delirious as you felt the knot build inside you. You screamed out his name as your orgasm washed over he was quick to follow suit.

Though it was a one night thing but it was worth it. After that night he had truly left you wondering how a nerd like him was so fit and strong and now you know why and if you had to put it quite plainly you were properly railed by spiderman last summer.

..........

"Sparring with you on my first day is it really necessary?" you quip

"You need to start from day one now C'mon give me your best shot" Nat stood defensively as you lunged towards her throwing a punch that she dodged without any effort before tripping you and causing you to fall on the ground. You groan in pain before pulling yourself back on your feet.

"Ow! that hurt"

"You really need to build up your lower body strength, start with some leg exercise today, do squats 3 sets 10 reps"

"Yes mam"

Peter was sparring with Sam, the moment you walked in that sports bra and skin tight pants he knew he was gone, his eyes frequently drifting away to you as he watched you work out squatting in those skin tight yoga pants which just perfectly defined your plump round ass.

"Yo Parker! Eyes here"

"Yeah, yeah sorry" Peter stutters as he feels his face heating up.

After you finished your set of workout you went to grab your water bottle. Peter's eyes were transfixed on you the whole time as he noticed a little bit of the water drizzled down the corner of your mouth trailing down to your chest just between your perfect cleavage. The only thing he could think of right now was to rip that sports bra off you and suck on to those perfect tits. You noticed your secret admirer through the glass as you sent a playful wink his way. Peter choked on his spit, turning away flustered as if a deer caught in the headlights. You turned around lazily walking towards him.

"You know I'm not a psychic so if you got something to say just say instead of staring at me like a creep" you quip.

"Wha-what do I have to say to you?" He stutters.

"I don't know, maybe hey how are you? It's been a long time" you half shrug.

"Uhh…''

"OK my bad" you turn to leave Peter scrunches his face at how stupid it was of him.

''Umm Y/N!" he called you as you turned to face him again.

"Yeah?"

"It's good to see you again"

"Good to see you too Parker" you smiled.

A few days went by like this, both stealing glances at each other from time to time when you were present in the same room or during your missions a lot of unspoken words and emotions bubbling inside of you trying to come out. Peter couldn’t help but admire this new and powerful you. He never got the chance to talk to you after that night because you just vanished from his life and now he knows why.

..........

A new threat arrived from madame Hydra again when she seized the cube and shielded it in a dome of lethal gamma radiation. The team had already sorted out a plan to defeat her malicious plans and you were to play a big part in it.

"May I come in?" You knocked at Peter’s door. He was busy on his computer as he turned to see you outside his room.

"Huh,yea-yeah sure" He says nervously. You smiled in return and walked into his room, eyes looking around.  

"Umm so Tony asked me to discuss with you the plan of how we are going to execute the whole infiltration thing to retrieve the cube which is shielded with gamma radiation’’ you showed him a holographic structure of the dome. ‘‘Anybody entering the dome will become an abomination. So you guys will distract them and I in the meantime will disintegrate the gamma dome so you can retrieve the cube" You looked up from the hologram to find Peter staring at you intently.

"What? Is anything wrong?"

"No-no, it’s absolutely fine" Peter fumbles

"Then what is it?"

"Jus-just still can’t believe that you are here and-and-"

"have super powers just like you which by the way was shocking for me too given that we knew each other for a while" You snicker, Peter smiles shaking his head.

"So how did this all happen?"

"Well a little misadventure with the quantum tunnel in the lab I got exposed to its energy and ta da! Now I make force fields as well as can go invisible"

"But now you can save the world"

"Yeah that's true" you chuckle "So how's blondie?" Peter stiffens at your question.

"Don't know, haven't been in contact for a while" He shrugs.

"Why what happened?"

"There were some differences so we parted ways"

"Oh I'm sorry" you place a hand on his gently

"Don't be" he smiles, eyes soft, gazing at you longingly as you gazed in his eyes too for how long you didn't know before you shook yourself from the daze clearing your throat.

"Uh I think I should go to my room now"

"Yeah-yeah sure" He stutters.

The tension between you was thickening at each passing day and soon it reached its breaking point. The other team members were out on a mission in which you weren’t required so you were now in the kitchen leaning on the counter with a nutella jar in your hand and a spoon in your mouth savoring on the delicacy when Peter walked in unannounced making you jump in fright.

"Oh god!" you gasped, surprising him even.

"Woah! relax it's just me"

"I thought you were Nat, jeez" you blew out your cheeks as he chuckles.

"Please don't tell her I'm not allowed to have this as per her new diet plan"

"My lips are sealed" He assures you with a playful smile as he goes to open the fridge and takes out the juice carton to drink. You poked your finger to swipe the nutella from the edges of the jar as you lick on to your fingers. Peter was following each and every movement of yours the way your eyes fluttered closed whilst you licked and sucked your fingers clean. He gulped as he felt heat rising in his body at your teasing gestures. Your fingers fell short to scoop the leftover at the bottom of the jar as you huffed in defeat. Peter stood in front of you as he gave out his hand

"May I?" You gave him the jar his long slender fingers easily reached the bottom of the jar as he scooped the cream on his two fingers and brought it to your lips. You stick out your tongue giving a kitten lick before wrapping your lips around his fingers. You hummed sucking his fingers a little deeper as you looked at him with big doe eyes. Peter groaned feeling himself harden at the mere sight of you sucking his fingers, a little moan escaped from your own mouth as you continued sucking, swirling your tongue around his fingers coating them with your saliva. You release his fingers with a pop, a trail of your saliva connecting your lips with his fingers.

He swiped his thumb on your plump lower lip eyes flickering between your eyes and lips. Your vision was clouded with lust and so was his as his lips came down to brush against yours. Both of you were breathing heavily as you grabbed his face and sealed your lips together. He slipped his tongue in your mouth, prying it open exploring it. Your hands go to grab on to his soft curls making him groan into the kiss. His hands trail down to your ass giving it a light squeeze through your shorts

"Oh missed this so much" He gasped, pulling away for some air.

"Does Mr Stark know that his young protégé isn't that innocent he looks like?" You bite your lip as one hand goes to palm his growing bulge through his sweatpants. He grips on to your wrist a cocky grin forming on his face.

"Maybe you need a little reminder of whose name you were screaming last summer"

"Then remind me Parker" your voice is challenging yet sultry. His eyes darkened as he threw you over his shoulder like a sack of potato and carried you to his room. He dropped you on the mattress whilst climbing on top of you whilst taking of his tshirt revealing his toned torso. You ran your hands through his muscular chest encircling them around his neck as you pulled him down, your lips meeting fervently as he grinded his hips to your clothed core.

"Mmmph Peter" you pull away after sometime

"What? Is something wrong?" He asks with concern in his eyes.

"No just lock the door, don't want others to come back and know about us do you?"

"Oh, yeah OK" he went to lock the door when a mischievous idea crossed your mind. You quickly stripped out of your clothes and got off the bed. Peter turned to see your clothes lying on the floor with no sign of you in the room.

"Y/N this is not funny!" He whined as your giggles could be heard in the room.

"Find me if you can spider boy" you giggled. Peter smirked accepting your challenge as he closed his eyes and focused his senses. He was able to hear you breathing and he swiftly moved to the direction pinning you against the wall. You squeal as your whole body slowly becomes visible to Peter.

"Gotcha!" he says pining both of your wrists against the wall.

"I’ll give you that spider boy" you smirk as you went to hold on to his face but were unable to move your hands when you noticed he had webbed your wrists to the wall.

"Parker!" You glared at him.

"Who's laughing now?" he chuckles as he brushes lips on the sensitive spot behind your ears making you shudder. He parts your legs placing his knee between them whilst he drags his lips down the column of your neck to your collar bones as you whimper at his touch. He trails further down to your exposed tits attacking your soft mounds with wet kisses before latching on to your hardened bud, rolling the other with his nimble fingers. He sucked and nipped on it as you moaned loudly. He pulled away gasping eyes dripping with lust as he went to kiss you passionately meanwhile his fingers brushed against your wet heat as you arch into his touch, making him smirk as he dips a finger and brings it to his mouth.

"Mmm tastes perfect just as I remember" He sucks his finger before continuing his journey further south slowly kneeling down. He hitches your leg over his shoulder as he looks at your soaking cunt hungrily. Two of his fingers spreads your slick folds as he licks a bold stripe drawing a loud moan out of you.

"Oh fuck!" he smirks before his thin lips wrap around your sensitive bud as he dips a finger inside your heat. He thrusted in and out of you with a steady pace swirling his tongue exploring more of your pussy. He added another digit pumping them in and out of your core as you squirmed above him. One of his hands held your thigh, keeping you in place. You wanted to touch him, tug on to his hair so badly as you struggled to free yourself from the restraints biting your lips hard as jolts of pleasure coursed through your body.

You felt a tight knot building inside you and as you were about to tip over the edge to your shock he pulled away.

"What the hell Peter!" you snapped at him with frustration at your ruined orgasm.

"With that attitude did you think I would let you cum?" He chuckles darkly, you whined in anguish and desperation as you rubbed your thighs to get yourself some relief. He stands up face glistening with your arousal, his hand reaches to cup your face.

"What happened pretty girl? You want to cum?"

"Yes please Peter" you gave him your best puppy eyes.

"Such a needy little thing aren't you?" He chuckles seeing you at his mercy.

"Only for you Peter"

"Well if you be a good girl maybe I’ll let you cum on my cock" saying so he quickly got rid of his sweatpants and boxers and lined himself to your dripping entrance. He kisses you roughly before slowly sliding inside you, stretching your walls deliciously.

"Ungh shit so tight!" He grunts lifting you up from the floor with his strong arms as you lock your ankles around his waist pulling him closer to you. He begins to pound into you making you see stars hitting your spot every time he bottomed out.

"Oh feels so good Peter" you moan.

"I know baby. You feel so snug and warm around me, so perfect, my beautiful angel" he showered praises whilst sucking the nape of your neck marking you up.

"Peter please let me touch you!" you begged him desperately. He finally complied to your request as his hand went up to your wrists and ripped off the webs. Once free your hands greedily go to grab on to his face and kiss him hungrily while he keeps on with his punishing pace.

He halts for a moment still inside you as he pulls you away from the wall and carries you to the bed and lays you down gently with him on top of you. He draws back his hips and slams back right in picking up the pace from where he just left.

"Peter…" you breathed out as you felt the knot growing inside you.

"Yes baby, you going to cum? I can feel you squeezing me real hard" Your back arched when he brought his thumb to your clit drawing tight circles around it coaxing you to fall over the edge. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you gripped on to his biceps nails digging into his skin. You were a moaning mess by now, the fire burning in the pit of your stomach made you feel like you would combust any minute

"That's it baby, give it to me" Peter encouraged you.

Your body convulsed as your orgasm came crashing down on you. Peter continued with his thrusts fucking you through your high as he chased his own. His movements grew sloppier and with a few more labored thrusts you felt him twitch as he came inside you his warm release coating your pulsating walls. Your body trembled with the aftershocks as Peter collapsed on top of you panting head buried in the crook of your neck as you both gasped for air completely exhausted. He pulled out after sometime, placing a gentle kiss on your shoulder he rolled over to your side. Peter gazed at your figure as he watched your bare chest rise up and down when his eyes went to the bruises on your skin courtesy of him as concern clouded his face.

"You okay?" he asks, rubbing soothing circles on the bruised areas. You turned to him gazing into his soft brown eyes.

"I'm more than okay" you breathed out smiling with content.

Though you thought once this sexual tension between you subsidized you would be able to think clearly. But you were wrong as now you couldn't keep your hands off each other for a second. From lingering teasing touches to sneaking away from the eyes of the senior avengers in the lab or a quickie while on the quinjet during a mission. You had become addicted to each other making you come back for more after each time. Still you guys never acknowledged the course of your relationship. It scared you both what if the other didn’t feel the same way so you were content with this current arrangement of yours.

"Oh shit we’re late!" you shrieked checking the time as you turned to meet with a sleeping Peter you took your time to admire him. He looks so sweet and peaceful you really wished you could wake up to this sight everyday. You nudged Peter to wake him from his sleep.

"Peter! Peter, wake up!"

"Ungh what is it?" he groaned pulling the covers over him.

"We are late for our training" he forced his eyes open

"Huh what? What’s the time?"

"It’s ten past seven already"

"Oh shit! Cap's gonna kill me" Peter hurries out of the bed stumbling as he got tangled in the bed sheets before running to the bathroom. You laugh at his antics as you sneaked out of his room to go back to your room.

You were busy sweating it out in the gym after getting an earful from both Cap and Nat for your lack of punctuality you heard Bucky saying

"Hey queens what's with all these red marks on your neck?" you swallowed hard as Peter’s eyes bulged out in fear of getting caught.

"Umm nothing-nothing it-it was a cat, that-that I saved yesterday" he spluttered. "that darn cat, heh" he chuckles nervously.

"Wait let me see" Sam joins in too "Looks like some really big cat" he laughs

"Seems like the kid here is getting some, who is this unlucky girl who fell for you" Bucky teased

"Shut up man! It's nothing like that" Peter shoved him with his elbow.

"Oh c'mon leave my young adult alone he's way too innocent for this" Tony intervened meanwhile heat rose to your face listening to their conversation. Natasha noticed you standing all flustered.

"So is something going on between you two?" she asks you directly

"Between who?" you frowned at her question.

"You and Peter"

"Nothing! we're just good friends" you shrug "He's not even my type" you clarified totally flustered with the whole ordeal. Natasha decided to let you go though she was still suspicious with you two.

.........

You were at the Hydra base the other avengers were busy fighting their whole army making it easier for you to reach the shielded dome. Tony and Banner had devised a plan to blast the shield off which will release a tremendous amount of energy that you will contain inside your forcefield. And as per the plan Tony blasted off the dome you created a forcefield immediately shielding everyone Peter noticed the discomfort you were facing to hold it.

"Y/N no! It's dangerous for you don't force yourself" concern laced in his voice

"I can do it, trust me" You gave all of your strength you had in your body creating a massive forcefield to contain the radiation from the blast but it was true you never did this on such a large scale and it was taking a toll on you. Your ears and nose started to bleed. Peter noticed that as he grabs you by your shoulders and tries to stop you from using more of your powers.

"Y/N stop it, you're getting weak" he was scared of losing you.

"No I can do this!" You assured him as you managed to diffuse the radiation inside the field, finally letting go. Your body was completely drained out, your vision blurring out as you collapsed unconscious.

"Y/N!" Peter was quick to catch you. You were immediately rushed to the med bay in the compound. Banner checked your vitals and everyone was relieved that you were fine but you needed a long bed rest to recover.

You woke up after how long you don't know but your body felt rejuvenated. You sit up to find Peter sitting beside you dozing in his sleep. Your slight movement woke him up.

"Oh Y/N! thank god you're finally awake" he sprung up to his feet "How are you feeling?"

"Refreshed to be honest"

"Never ever do something like that again or I swear I'll web your hands" he scolds you

"Hey it's okay, I'm OK. Come sit beside me" he sat beside you as you looped your fingers to his "See? I'm absolutely fine"

"You know how scared I was? You have been unconscious for twelve hours"

"You don't need to be so worried about me Pete"

"Yes I have to because-because.." he fumbled

"Because what Peter?"

"Because I love you Y/N!"

"What?" you couldn't believe your ears.

"Yes Y/N I love you and if anything happens to you I will be not able to forgive myself ever"

"Peter… " you cupped his face.

"I know you never had feelings for me but this the truth I love you…"

"Hey who said I never felt anything for you? You were all I could think of since last summer"

"For real?" Peter was finding it hard to believe that you actually liked him too.

"Yes you idiot, I love you too!" You pressed your lips to his. It was all soft and gentle at the beginning which pretty soon escalated into a more passionate one with teeth and tongue involved in it you got on his lap as his hands kneaded the soft skin of your ass.

"Hey Y/N! We heard you are awake-"  all the older avengers were stunned at the scene in front of them as you jumped away from each other in embarrassment. Steve was shaking his head in dismissal, Sam and Bucky had a huge grin plastered on their face while Tony was utterly shocked and amused. Nat was the first to speak up.

"Umm you seem to be doing quite well, we'll leave you two alone" she says clearing her throat.

"Aww I'm so happy for guys!" Wanda chirped before Nat dragged her away.

"Be safe kid" Tony added before leaving, adding more to your embarrassment. After everyone left you were the first one to speak up

"So how long have you been into me?"

"Since forever my love" he smirks tackling you down on your back, you squeal as he smothers you with kisses.

.....................................................................

Requests are open.

Taglist : @peaches-parker​ @hollanddolanfangirl​ @starcoadrienette2​ @spideyth​ ​ @allthisfortommy​ @thenoddingbunny-blog​​ @larrystylinson-sus​ @bloodyscarlet​ @itstaskeen​ @dummiesshort​ @tutuabby28​ @dramaholic18​ @thehumanistsdiary​ @majo240820​ @lokibuckylove6​ @sarcasticallywitty15​ @parkerpeterparker2004

[julemmaes]

Honey - part three

Elide Lochan x Lorcan Salvaterre roommates au

A/N: famous last words: I can finish this is in two hours. six hours laters and I feel like I’ve been beaten up by a gang of bigass old faes if you know what I mean.

IT CONTAINS SMUT, not suited for readers under 18

Please be kind I fucking hate my smut, if it’s disgusting just don’t comment on it cause I could hit my head on the wall several times

masterlist

Word count: 7,519

Aelin's scream was like a stab to the brain, "Get up you nasty little bitch!"

"Ace! Why don't you try with sweet Ellie?" retorted Lysandra.

Elide didn't even have the strength to open her eyes or move from the fetal position she was in, curled up with a pillow pushed so hard against her belly that she wouldn't have been surprised if it had somehow damaged her internal organs, "Please leave."

The two didn't seem to hear her.

"Sweet?" Aelin huffed, "But you did see her last night, right?"

Elide opened one eye, seeing that they had both sat down at the end of the bed. She felt the cracks tugging at her eyelid and grunted, pressing her face into the pillow. She wanted to die. And she wanted Manon to come and free her from those two supposed friends who she knew were about to remind her of her misadventures.

"Except for what happened before we left," Aelin winked, placing a hand on her foot. Elide withdrew it, not wanting to feel physical touch of any kind at that moment. "I would have been willing to break up with Rowan so I could get between Kyllian and you, honestly."

Elide grunted again, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I'm begging you girls, you need to get out before I throw up again."

And it was true, she would throw up if they didn't stop talking. Plus, Elide didn't care in the slightest what the drunk her had done. She hated her so much.

Lysandra giggled and she felt it as she climbed between the covers until she was settled next to her on the pillows, "Between her and Lorcan though, no?"

The cry of disgust that erupted from Aelin and the all too loud laugh from the other didn't make Elide register the words right away, but as soon as she realised what they had said, her stomach began to twist and turn, and not like when Lorcan accidentally brushed her hand or when he put his hand on her thigh during movie nights. Oh no.

With a movement she didn't know she had the physical skills to make, she shifted the covers off her body and launched herself into the hallway, slamming her hand against the bathroom door and throwing herself to the floor in front of the toilet before the highly concentrated alcoholic contents in her stomach spilled onto the floor.

As she vomited and Lysandra tied up her hair, massaging her back, Elide felt her heart break slowly. She wanted to turn around, to ask Aelin what had happened, or maybe not. She groaned as another gag shook her body and her eyes filled with tears once more as she puked what could only be alcohol.

"How do you still have stuff in your stomach?" muttered Aelin from outside the bathroom door.

Elide didn't blame her, vomit was disgusting and she was particularly sensitive to the sound of gagging. The only reason Lysandra wasn't the least bit uncomfortable was her younger sister Evangeline, who she had practically raised without anyone's help. Whatever came out of a person's body, their friend had already seen it in all shapes and colours.

Elide cursed herself for thinking such a thing while she was bent over the toilet throwing up, because it pushed her over the edge one more time and a sob wracked her body, "Fuck-" she managed to mutter between spits.

"I thought you weren't going to barf any more after last night," Lys said, continuing to rub her back.

"True," Aelin mumbled a little louder, "did you keep drinking after?"

Elide managed to turn her head towards the door, seeing that her friend was sitting on the floor just outside the bathroom. She grimaced as a gust of air that smelled like vomit reached her nose, "After what?"

"You and Lorcan left after you threw up," Lys explained to her. Elide didn't bother turning towards her, she didn't have the energy, "And you threw up so much Ellie, everywhere. It's weird that you have anything else to reject."

It wasn't weird at all considering the only thing Elide remembered was the amounts of alcohol she had ingested. She'd started just before seven with straight tequila, desperate to see how indifferent people were to the biggest catastrophic problems in human history, and everyone knew she couldn't handle alcohol even in small amounts. But Elide was also known to be the type who could drink for hours without ever feeling sick, if she now found herself bent over the toilet the next morning, it meant she had gone too far.

"I don't remember anything."

"It's okay, don't worry about it," Aelin said and Elide felt a shiver run through her body at the hint of mischief in her voice. She braced herself mentally to hear how much she'd actually whored out the night before, "We're here to fix the memory loss."

Lysandra made a disgusted noise as Elide flushed the toilet and the water stirred underneath them, but she patted her shoulders and pulled herself up, "You need to take a shower first though. Because you smell like death."

"Geez, thanks," Elide murmured as she began to undress.

The grin that appeared on Aelin's face made her hands freeze around the hem of her shirt. The other arched an eyebrow, looking into her eyes, "What? Lorcan is the only one you can flash?"

Elide closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her face and then let go a scream of frustration.

"Exactly."

Oh, god.

"I remember..." Elide scoffed, running her hands through her hair. When her fingers reached the tips, she was horrified to find they were encrusted with what was surely vomit from the night before. "Fuck."

Lysandra snickered beside her, "Why were you so drunk that you didn't realise what you were doing so damn early?"

Elide looked at her, and although she knew the question was only asked to tease her more, there was a note of concern in her tone. Her shoulders sagged a little and she shook her head, starting to undress undisturbed, "I set out to research a few things and the world is a shitty place and there was nothing I could do in the immediate future to save us all so I got drunk."

"Sounds like alcoholism," Aelin joked.

Both Lysandra and Elide laughed, "If you knew what I found out you'd get drunk too," the latter added.

"Send everything my way." the blonde winked at her, and then they went out, leaving her alone to wash away the sins of the night before and letting her mind travel. And Elide's mind travelled far too much as she racked her brains to remember Lorcan's reactions to a naked her.

After her friends had told her everything that had happened the night before. From her taking her clothes off in front of her best friend, to him getting stuck in their bathroom and calling Aelin for help, to her dancing with Kyllian specifically to make her roommate jealous - or so the drunk her seemed to have justified her actions - to Fenrys saving her from what was sure to end up being just casual sex that would only widen the gap between her and Lorcan.

Gap that apparently wasn't as pronounced as she thought.

Aelin and Lysandra had told her about the way he had pushed his way through the crowd and joined Elide on the dance floor. The way they had danced to one of their favourite songs until they had been on the verge of kissing.

Elide had never been so relieved to know that she'd thrown up on someone. And that her plan to attract Lorcan had worked.

She was cooking now, thinking about how bad it would have been for her to find out they'd kissed without having even the slightest recollection of it happening, when the front door opened and the boy who was the object of her dreams walked into the kitchen.

He stopped in the doorway, looking at her with the most emotionless face Elide had ever seen him wear.

"Hello, handsome." she murmured, continuing to cook.

Lorcan stood still in the threshold for a while without saying anything, as if to sort the situation out. Then, without taking his eyes off what she was doing, he took off his jacket and shoes and walked into the kitchen, "How are you feeling?"

Elide had her back to him as she washed some tomatoes, "Just a bit of a headache. I threw up again when I woke up, but other than that I'm fine."

"Did you drink some water? Had breakfast?" he asked her.

Elide shook her head looking at him, "I woke up after noon, Aelin and Lysandra came over." then frowned, "I think it's their fault I threw up."

Lorcan chuckled, "Sure, absolutely." then he gathered his hair into a messy bun and Elide focused on the way the muscles of his biceps tensed every time he pulled on the elastic, "It's not the alcoholic coma from last night at all."

Elide gathered some courage and taking a deep breath, said, "About last night-"

"We don't have to talk about it," Lorcan immediately interrupted her.

She looked up at him, trying not to show any emotion, trying to read his on that sculptural face that remained impassive. Then, seeing the way he was looking at her, she came to a conclusion.

She arched an eyebrow, plastering a grin on her face, "Does this mean you didn't like my tits?"

Lorcan turned red in the face before stuttering, "No. I mean, yes! No, fuck. Shit... I don't know."

Elide chuckled and began to dress their salad, "You've never seen a pair of tits before?" she asked knowing full well how untrue that was.

When she had moved into the flat, both she and he had had their own wild nights out where they brought home a different partner every weekend. On one occasion, Elide had been stunned when she came out of her room and bumped into a girl she had spent the night with a few weeks earlier. The girl had only bid her good morning, winking, before returning to Lorcan's room.

"No, it's not that," he muttered, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"So surely you'll have other samples to compare my boobs to and you'll be able to tell me if they're above average," she continued, prolonging this gentle torture.

He sat down, both elbows resting on the table, and rested his chin on his clasped hands. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds, then whispered, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making our lunch," she replied innocently.

She heard him breathe through his nose, "Why are we talking about your tits, I meant?"

"Uh," she smiled, casting him another quick glance, "I didn't think you were so grossed out that you can't even handle a conversation about them."

The frown on his face went deeper and deeper. He remained silent for so long that Elide thought he would never say anything again, that she would never get his thoughts on her breasts, but when she served the salad, sitting down in front of him, he finally spoke.

"It's not that," he repeated, looking away, "they're very nice. Balanced." he began to eat undisturbed and Elide grimaced in amusement, finding a way to keep the conversation going.

"Balanced? What are they? An economic system?"

Lorcan clenched his jaw, setting his fork down on his plate and looking into her face again. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, that she was risking losing her sanity, but she had to know, had to-

"They're perfect and, maybe they are because they're attached to you, but they're probably the most beautiful tits I've ever seen."

Elide's brain shut down. And he seemed to realise it too because the shadow of a smile began to form on his lips.

Lorcan leaned forward on the table and her eyes snapped to his arms. Fingers flexing, interlocking, caught her attention completely. She returned her gaze to his, feeling her body heat up as he resumed speaking. "If I'm going to be completely honest... If you want the details, Elide," the way he said her name made her most intimate part clench around nothing, "I've never seen such nice, small nipples and that pink?" he shut his eyes, moaning as he brought one of the tomatoes to his mouth and wrapped his lips around the fork.

Elide swallowed the mouthful that had been in her mouth for over a minute and nearly choked when he opened his eyes again and they were darker than normal if that was possible.

She looked away, too many feelings building up inside her, but crossed her legs, trying to relieve some of the tension there.

"Wasn't that enough, Ellie?" he asked in a rough voice, biting into an olive, making sure she saw the way his lips closed around it.

She swallowed again, "No, it was fine..." she cleared her throat when it came out too weak, "Thanks for the feedback."

Lorcan let go a throaty chuckle, "The pleasure is all mine."

***

Like every Sunday evening, the whole group had gathered at the twins' house. And that night everyone was there, although Vaughan and Vesta, along with Aedion and Sorrel, had gone out into the back yard a few hours ago and had not yet returned. Elide suspected they'd taken to smoking.

Those left in the house were playing one of the most popular games, "I feel like."

The game had no real objective, other than to embarrass people or get them to confess to extreme or obscene sexual acts. It was simply a matter of drawing a card, reading what it said and giving it to the person you thought had done the closest thing to what was described on the card. The only real rule was that you had to tell the whole story of what happened if the card you were handed told the truth.

Quite often the game would be interrupted because one of the two sides of the various couples would cheat, change the rules and instead of passing it on to the appropriate person, they would pass it on to their partner as an invitation to lock themselves in the first spare room they could find to experiment with what was asked by the game.

The cards could range from as basic things as "I feel like your first time was in a public restroom." to as a bit more hardcore as "I feel like you got fisted in the woods."

And in that moment, Elide had a strong feeling that Rowan and Aelin would soon be going home.

"Oh my fucking god," Rowan muttered as he read the words on the card, turning red from head to toe. He looked up at Aelin, swallowing and making his adam's apple bob, "Where do you even find these games?"

Elide giggled beside him, "There's a girl on the internet who updates the cards every month and puts them up for sale, we take turns to see who has to buy them each time."

"Oh god," he said shaking his head. When he slid the card in Aelin's direction, the girl leaned towards him to leave a soft kiss on his lips and when they broke away they were both smiling. Aelin read what was written on the card and for a second it seemed like the colour drained from her face, but then she blinked and cleared her throat, looking at Rowan with wide eyes.

"Maybe we should go away. To try it out." she murmured, so quietly that only those on the couch with them heard her.

Elide looked up at the boy next to her, or rather, behind her, to see if he was listening, but he seemed lost in thought. He had been absentmindedly stroking her arm since they had settled there, and Elide didn't think she had ever been so relaxed in her life.

She and Lorcan were sitting at one end of the sofa, opposite to Rowan and Aelin, her between his legs and with her back against his chest. Every time one of them laughed, their bodies moved closer together and now she had her head resting on the part of his chest between his neck and shoulder.

She was home.

Fenrys and Connall, across the living room, sitting on the floor, booed.

"You can't pass them all on to her!" complained Lysandra.

Aelin didn't even look at her as she spoke, her eyes always fixed on Rowan's, as if they were having a telepathic conversation, "Lys, shut up."

Her friend gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"I say we vote to kick them out of the room," Asterin said, in exactly the same position she was in, but between her boyfriend's legs. Half the people in the room raised their hands to the sky, making Aelin roll her eyes.

Fenrys nodded, always ready to back Asterin up in whatever situation they were in, "It's starting to smell like Rowaelin in here."

Lorcan chuckled behind her, knocking her forward. And as the others lost themselves in the chatter, Elide shifted her gaze to Manon, who sat in the armchair next to the couch, one hand in Dorian's hair, who sat with his head resting on the armrest.

Her friend's bright eyes sparkled with malice as she arched an eyebrow and gestured to the boy she was practically sitting on. Elide felt her cheeks blush, but smiled naively at her, pretending not to know what she was alluding to. Manon smiled back.

Elide had never spoken openly to her about Lorcan, not in that way at least, but she knew Manon knew - in fact, now that she thought about it, she had never had to do that with anyone. Everyone had been rather quick to catch on that. Everyone except Lorcan.

The hand on her arm stopped, clinging completely against her skin and Elide had to force herself not to look at him, but then he lowered himself onto her and whispered in her ear, "Ellie."

She turned her head just enough to look at him and his lips brushed her cheek, so briefly that she thought she had imagined it. Lorcan had pulled back and was now looking into her eyes, "Your turn."

She blinked and turned towards the others, only realising at that moment that all eyes were on them. She felt her face burn, but she nodded, putting a hand on Lorcan's knee and pushing herself forward, rubbing her ass on the crotch of his trousers. She'd been doing this all night, all night teasing him, just as he was teasing her, brushing the side of the breasts from time to time.

And each time, Lorcan would burst into a coughing fit and move further back, which only gave Elide a chance to grind even harder against him in an attempt to regain the comfortable position they were in before.

As she settled back into her seat, she met Fenrys' gaze, who had a shit-eating grin on his face. She lowered her eyes to the maroon card in her hands quickly, shimming her hips between his legs. Lorcan's hands ended on her shoulders and she looked up at him, batting her eyelids like a fawn.

"Stop moving around so much," he grumbled.

She smiled gently and then took up reading. She hadn't touched alcohol that night, for obvious reasons, but she still found it hard to understand what was written there when Lorcan's fingers began to draw imaginary lines across her bare skin.

"I feel like..." she whispered, her eyes going wide. She looked across the sofa at Rowan.

The friend gave her a chuckle, "I told you they seemed a bit extreme."

I feel like you performed a titjob on someone while being eaten out.

Before she could realise what she was doing, she said, "Can I give myself the card or...?"

Dorian turned a quizzical look on her, "You know you have to-"

Fenrys shrieked something unintelligible, but that stopped Dorian. Manon above them clenched her hands into fists, her eyes half-closed at the sudden commotion, "I haven't killed you yet just because-"

"Yeah yeah, just because of Asterin, I get it," Fenrys replied moving a hand midair, his gaze never leaving Elide's, who in a moment of clarity realised what Dorian was about to say. What the blond said only served to confirm her fear, "But Elide just confessed to doing whatever is written on it and I want to know every detail."

She felt Lorcan stiffen behind her and then Elide realised something else entirely. He must have read what was written on the card.

"So?" pressed Aelin, leaning over Rowan and snatching the card from Elide's hands. She opened her mouth wide with an amused expression, then put on a pout, looking at her boyfriend, "These are the things I sometimes wish you'd be a little more open about."

Rowan arched an eyebrow, reading the card in turn, "We can do those two things at the same time and without anyone else having to see you naked."

Lysandra, next to them, picked up the card, "Oh, Aedion and I did that too. Although it was a normal blowjob, no titty job." she exclaimed happily.

One thing that pleased Elide greatly was the fact that no one in that room would judge her for what she did in the bedroom and who she did it with. Also because there was a high probability that they had done it too.

And slowly the card was passed among all the members of their group and when it reached Fenrys and Asterin, the girl winked at Elide, murmuring a sensual, "I've never done it, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt." Fenrys winked behind her, intertwining their hands. Asterin's smile only grew wider, before she added, "You have our numbers."

Elide blushed, but smiled anyway, nodding.

Everyone began to talk about the various possibilities, as they did during every turn, and the card finally passed from Dorian and Manon and the two exchanged only a glance before giving the card to Lorcan.

Lorcan who was taking deep breaths one after the other and had his eyes closed. Elide had never seen him so focused in her life. She noticed the way he contracted and relaxed his jaw repeatedly and frowned.

Was he alright?

She ran a finger over his thigh to get his attention, tracing a line from his knee to where his leg touched her hip and Lorcan let go a shuddering breath, opening his eyes slightly and tightening his grip on her shoulders, "I don't think you should do that." his voice so hoarse and deep that Elide felt her stomach knot. She didn't understand what he was referring to.

And then she felt it.

Hard and... thick against her ass.

She opened her eyes wide, pointing them at him, and held her breath. She had to stop herself from opening her mouth in surprise, but she couldn't stop herself when her hips pushed against Lorcan's now obvious erection.

Elide had never been so happy to hear Fenrys' laughter as she was at that moment, because if it hadn't been for the sudden noise, the moans that escaped them both would have been heard all too well and neither of them would have been able to look at anyone else in the room for the rest of their lives.

Lorcan swallowed, breathing through his nostrils, and his gaze fell to her lips. Her eyes did the same and she didn't care that they were among everyone and would have everyone's eyes on them if they did exactly what Elide was thinking, because his lips parted slightly and he whispered her name and she was lost.

Without thinking about it for another second, Elide turned just enough to have her face directly in front of his and closed her eyes, feeling his lips brush hers. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, "Lorcan,"

And then she kissed him, and it was exactly as she had always dreamed it would be, as his lips moved with hers and they tasted and breathed from each other. A sound that Elide had never made in her life rose up her throat as Lorcan shifted and with a sharp movement of his hips turned her fully towards him and now she was on her knees in front of him, both of them breathing heavily as they looked into each other's eyes.

Someone coughed in the room and she heard Aelin whisper a weak "fucking finally", but Elide didn't give a shit.

She placed her hands on Lorcan's face, tilting his head back so she could reach him better. The second his hands landed on her hips, their lips collided again in a fierce kiss and his tongue found its way into her mouth.

The first touch of their tongues was like having a thousand fireworks explode in her mouth.

"Okay, it's time to join the others," Manon murmured.

Elide heard Fenrys mutter, "Please not on the couch, there are guest rooms upstairs."

Lorcan pulled away from her just enough to see what was going on around them and her hands slid around his neck, ending in his hair as she admired the line of his cheekbones and the way his lashes caressed his skin every time he closed his eyes.

God, he was beautiful.

"Which one can we use?" asked Lorcan as he looked at Fenrys.

Elide's eyes went wide, causing him to turn towards her. She ran a thumb over his lower lip, smirking, "So sure of yourself."

Without missing a beat, Lorcan mimicked her grin and squeezed her hips, "You don't want to?"

Elide smiled, turning towards her friends, stopping to look at Fenrys, "The second on the left right?"

When the owner of the house winked at her, nodding, she stood up, pulling Lorcan with her, who had a confused look on his face, "Why do you know that?"

She had the decency to blush, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the stairs, "You don't want to know."

Lysandra burst out laughing as everyone resumed their seats on the floor or the couch, "You really don't."

Elide tugged at him more insistently, not looking at Lorcan's reaction to those words. She just wanted to get to the room and lock herself in with him.

When she felt his hand settle on her hip and slide down to her ass cheek, where he paused to give it a squeeze, she almost turned and slammed him against the wall just so she could continue kissing him how she needed to.

They arrived in front of the door and she stopped with her fingers on the handle, once inside there would be no stopping. There would be no point of return.

His fingers brushed her cheek and she turned to face him, who now wore a ravenous, excited look, but Elide could see the concern and hesitation in taking the next step, "We don't have to do anything, Ellie."

She nodded, because she knew that was the case, but squeezed his hand to emphasize what he said, "But I want to."

"Good thing, cause the thought of you fucking those two gave me some ideas."

She grinned, placing a hand on his chest, "I wasn't the one doing the titty work, but we can always try."

Lorcan groaned softly at the knowledge of Elide licking another girl and then pushed the door open, backing in and taking his-

Whatever Elide was at that moment to him, it wasn't important.

The only thing that was important was his lips on hers.

The difference in height wasn't making it easy for him, and when he leaned down even further, never breaking the kiss, to run his hands under her knees and pull her up, Elide seemed to understand that right away and, pulling away just enough to jump into his arms, they found themselves on each other in seconds.

Lorcan bit her lower lip, making her moan, and when he moved to her jaw, nipping lightly at her skin, Elide threw her head back, pushing her hips against his and drawing a groan from both of them.

He immediately took the opportunity to latch his lips onto the smooth, quivering skin of her neck, feeling the bed behind his knees and sitting up, letting her straddle him. His hands moved up her legs, caressing her inner thighs, but never really getting close to where she needed him most.

Elide began to grope his chest, grazing the skin of his arms, but never staying in one spot, until Lorcan began to suck at the bare skin between her neck and shoulder and she nudged him slightly.

He quickly pulled away, panting, "What?"

There were too many layers. Keeping her eyes fixed on his, Elide lowered her hands to the hem of her shirt and slipped it off in one swift movement. She smiled smugly when she could finally see Lorcan's reaction to her bare tits.

His eyes were slightly wider than usual and his pupils so dilated that Elide realised that she had never noticed that Lorcan's eye colour was not black, but just a very dark brown. When he looked at her, the words died in her throat.

"I love it when you don't wear a bra," he murmured, reaching up to her and brushing her lips with his, "But I love even more the way you shiver every time I do this."

Elide didn't have a chance to dwell on the way he'd said love, because without her noticing, his hands had found their place on her waist and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure when he brushed the sides of her breasts with his thumbs.

He pushed himself further against her, brushing his lips over her ear, "When we're alone and you don't have to hold back, I want you to scream my name." and then he moved quickly, leaving only a light kiss on her shoulder before his lips closed around a sensitive nipple.

With the first sweep of his tongue around the hard bead, Elide whimpered, pushing her hips down against his and making him moan into her chest. She brought her hands into his hair, clenching and pulling each time his teeth bit or scraped the sensitive skin around the nipple.

When he seemed to want to move on to the other breast, Elide shook her head, pulling his hair back to its roots and forcing her mouth against his, making him grunt. She had to feel him.

"Lorcan," she breathed, between kisses, "I need to touch you."

One of her hands slipped between the two of them, palming him through the sweatpants that did little to hide Lorcan's huge boner. He moaned against her chin, "Fuck."

They pulled apart again and when he had stripped off his shirt, Elide didn't waste a moment and pressed her bare chest against his, causing him to fall back onto the mattress.

Lorcan had other ideas though, because in one smooth motion she found herself lying on her back, his gentle weight pressing her against the covers and his bright smile lighting up his face. He left a kiss on her nose, on her lips and then down to the split in the middle of her breasts and her eyes rolled back in her head as a flashback from two nights before appeared in her head, of Lorcan doing the same thing with his eyes as they danced.

"Can I take these off?" he asked her, once he reached her hips where he was leaving kisses light as feathers.

Elide was breathing raggedly, but nodded when she understood he was talking about her leggings. Still keeping her eyes closed, she lifted her hips off the mattress, closing her fists around the covers as her bottoms disappeared along with her socks and the cold air hit her bare skin.

Now only the thin fabric of her black panties separated her from achieving what she wanted.

That and Lorcan's slacks.

"Ellie." she heard him as he came back on top of her, one knee between her legs to keep his balance. She licked her lip, opening her eyes and keeping her gaze fixed on him, on that perfect face.

"Do you have a condom?" she asked in a whisper, as if afraid the answer would be no. She had them, but they were downstairs, in her purse, and she had no desire to leave the room right then.

Lorcan arched an eyebrow, "I'm not having sex with you tonight, Elide."

She frowned, folding her arms under her and propping herself up on her elbows, "What does that mean?"

"That I'm not completely sober," he said, leaning his head towards her chest, keeping his eyes fixed in hers, "And the first time it'll be inside you," he murmured in a rougher voice, placing a light kiss on the nipple he hadn't licked before, "I want it to be at a time when I'm lucid and can remember all the noises and moans you make." and then he gave the same attention to her other breast, pushing her against the mattress one more time, until Elide was a squirming mess under him and deemed his treatment sufficient.

"Now I'm going to slip these off," Lorcan murmured, grazing a finger along the hem of her panties, and Elide shuddered, "and touch you. Here." the same finger slid across her covered folds, starting at her clit and following her slit to her entrance. "Already so wet for me."

Elide thrashed on the bed, moaning softly as he applied a little more pressure, "Stop teasing, we'll have time for that when we get home." she managed to toss out between shaky breaths.

"Understood ma'am." he taunted, grabbing the edges of the thing and pulling it down. The sound that burst from him was completely animalistic and threatened to make Elide come before he even really touched her. "So beautiful." he said, kneeling in front of her.

Lorcan's hands wrapped around her ankles and he pushed her legs up, placing her feet on the edge of the bed, until she was left with her knees bent and her pussy at his full disposal. Elide risked looking down between her legs and her eyes locked into his as he lowered himself onto her and smiled.

The way her chest rose and fell made her tits bounce and Lorcan seemed to appreciate it, but he didn't seem to be planning to do anything. Elide tipped her head back, whispering in a weak voice, "Do something, please."

He laughed and her muscles flexed, clenching around nothing. It was at that moment that she felt him, his breath on the most sensitive part of her body. "I'm going to make you cum so fast you won't have time to count to a hundred."

Lorcan's fingers came off her ankles and went to part her lips, making her feel the warm air of his breathe even more. He parted them until he was satisfied and Elide lowered her gaze just as his tongue made contact with her throbbing core. A rush of pleasure coursed through her body, making her legs tremble, "Lor," she moaned.

"Mh, El," he closed his lips around her clit, pressing his tongue against the pearl over and over, until Elide repeated his name like a prayer, "So good. You taste so good."

Her hands ended up in his hair again, pushing his face against her sex, seeking more. She began to move her hips, following the strokes of his mouth on her, but one of Lorcan's arms slithered around her pelvis and pinned her to the bed, lapping her juices as with his thumb he reached to massage her clit with such precision that Elide knew that whatever she would do on her own in the future, she would never be able to match how he was making her feel.

Elide cried out in pleasure, bringing a hand to her mouth as she felt his tongue thrust into her and an all too familiar warmth build up in the pit of her stomach.

She brought one hand up to massage the nipple he had only kissed and made a choked sound, her hips jerking upwards.

Lorcan moaned against her, a new sound, different from any he'd made so far, and Elide couldn't help herself. She pulled herself up onto her elbows, continuing to touch herself as he kept sending jolts of pleasure with every thrust of his tongue and every caress of his thumb, and the sight of him eating her out would have been enough to push her over the edge, but the hand wrapped around his thick, throbbing cock pumping relentlessly was the thing that made her eyes roll back and explode as the rope inside her snapped. Her legs gave out, falling over the edge of the bed and finding their place on Lorcan's shoulders.

Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream as her whole body trembled in pleasure as wave after wave surged through her and her back arched so wide she broke away from the bed.

Lorcan didn't stop touching her, but he pulled his mouth away from her, still massaging her clit until Elide was too sensitive and with a groan she tightened a hand around his wrist to push him away. She heard him grunt and then moan, but she didn't have the strength to lower her gaze to what she knew very well was a cumming Lorcan.

She was breathing hard, one hand on her stomach to rest and the other still clasped around his.

Every now and then her body was shaken by a spasm, but she managed to calm down after a few minutes and close her aching legs. She rolled onto her side, letting go of his wrist.

Lorcan was also breathless and kept his forehead pressed against the edge of the bed.

Elide felt a tinge of pain tingle through her heart. She pulled herself up just enough to look into his face, "Lor?"

She reached out a hand towards him, placing it on his shoulder, at which he raised his head and looked at her with bright eyes and an open mouth, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, smiling at him and falling back into the now unmade blankets, "Never been better."

He chuckled deeply, moving from his position on the floor and causing at least two joints in his legs to crack.

The moment Elide saw he'd managed to get at least halfway out of his trousers, her throat went dry. And her brain forgot how to talk when she noticed he wasn't wearing boxers. Elide knew Lorcan often went commando, but seeing it with her own eyes was a different story. Seeing him, was a completely different thing from feeling him against her.

She swallowed. She'd intended to scold him for taking all the fun out of both of them by touching himself, but maybe Elide had overestimated her abilities, because the idea of having to give Lorcan a blowjob when his dick was like this-

"If you keep looking at me like that I'm not sure I can keep the promise I made to myself," he murmured in a serious voice.

Elide looked up at his face and sighed as she saw his eyes as dark as before, just moments before he pulled off his clothes completely and lay down beside her on the other side of the bed.

It didn't take her even half a second to wrap herself around him and press her body against Lorcan's side as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

His fingertips began to trace idle lines on her shoulder as he had done only half an hour before on the couch in front of everyone.

A satisfied and surprised laugh came out of her. Lorcan put his hand under her chin and when she looked up at him he had an equally satisfied smile on his lips. He pushed her head towards his, causing their mouths to collide in a brief kiss that was chaste in comparison to what they had just done and when they broke away, Elide frowned, "I didn't like you touching yourself without giving me a chance to enjoy this in turn."

The corner of Lorcan's mouth turned up, "Sorry honey, but seeing you naked like that on the bed for me has been my dream for a little too long and I was sure I would have come in zero time if I had let you touch me. It would have been embarrassing." he whispered, caressing her cheek.

Elide tried to suppress a smile, failing miserably. She decided to tease him a little, "I thought I heard you say you lasted long in bed, didn't you?"

He chuckled, "You know it's hard to rely on stamina when the girl in question is you."

At those words she felt a particularly strong surge of affection for the boy who had given her one of the most intense orgasms she had ever received and she pushed herself closer against him, making her bare breasts feel against his skin.

Lorcan turned slightly towards her, looking into her face.

He looked so relaxed.

She knew he was.

But there was something that didn't allow her to be one hundred percent.

She fixed her eyes on his, placing a hand on his chest, over his heart. The hand Lorcan had held behind his head until now came to rest on hers, squeezing her fingers tight.

Elide took a shuddering breath, "Now what?"

Lorcan suppressed a yawn, "I guess it's not a problem if we stay here and sleep-"

"No, I'm saying," she interrupted him, looking away, "what do we do now? You and I." then, realizing that question couldn't have been more vague, she closed her eyes, mustering courage, "What are we now?"

"Whatever you want us to be, Ellie," he said softly, starting to stroke her hand, "But I want one thing to be clear. And I'd like you to look at me while I say it."

Elide opened her eyes, lifting her chin slightly so she could see him better, and gave him a small smile, which he immediately returned.

"What is it?"

Lorcan's gaze moved to her lips, before returning to her eyes, "I like you, Elide."

She stopped breathing.

"I really like you and whatever you decide to do with me, I'll respect that, but I also want to say that if you don't want anything exclusive, then this will have been a one night stand and won't happen again."

Although she also wanted exactly the same things, hearing him say them made her chest hurt, because the prospect of not being able to have him again so soon after just finally finding him hurt.

She cleared her throat, nodding, "I like you too." she whispered, noticing his eyes widen a little, "And I don't want you going with any other girls besides me if we decide to continue with this." Lorcan nodded, agreeing with her, then continued, "If you don't want a relationship right away, I can understand that, but know that I do." she felt herself blush as she finally admitted the truth out loud, looking away, "And I know our situation isn't the best with being roommates and all-"

"Our situation is perfect," Lorcan corrected her, moving a strand of hair out of her face.

She looked at him again, seeing him smile.

"Ellie, you're my best friend. The person who knows me the most out of all the people I consider important. We already live together, we won't have to fight over who to stay at every night. We won't have to go on any awkward first dates and the sex seems phenomenal to me," a lump formed in her throat as she tried to keep her breathing regular, but found it difficult when he smiled at her more broadly, "I waited months for you to see that the playlists were all declarations and hoped that after Friday night something would change. For once I won."

Elide figured he was talking about what had happened at the club, but if she was going to be completely honest... "I was the one who showed you my tits twice, letting you know I wanted something more. Don't take all the credit."

Lorcan burst out laughing and it sounded more scratchy than usual, "I'm sorry, you're right."

He kissed her again and again, and held her close as he ran his fingers through her hair and murmured the words to a love song, and before long she fell asleep in his arms, making Lorcan the happiest man in the world.

tog tag list (if you wanna be added or removed, just send an ask or dm me)

@maastrash @ireallyshouldsleeprn @sleeping-and-books @ladywitchling @thegoddessofyou @ghostlyrose2 @claralady @anne-reads @sayosdreams @perseusannabeth @letstakethedawn @simping4bookboisngrls @post-it-notes33 @booksstorm @nalgenewhore @queen-of-demons-and-hell @miserablemusings @lanyjoy-13 @vasudharaghavan @cupcakey00 @bri-loves-sunflowers @queen-of-glass @the-regal-warrior​

[i-do-not-fangirl-i-fanwoman]

FanWoman watches

Man, I love tropes

Even some of the objectively stupid ones

(those are some of my favorites actually. I NEVER get tired of the Look-Out-My-Lady-Love! I-Shall-Ballroom-Dance-You-Out-Of-Dangerrrr! It makes me cackle every time) is that a trope even? or is that a Device? anyway...

but

BUT

The trope that I would LOVE to see die screaming in a fire is the Mandatory Childbirth trope

You MUST reproduce or you'll be sad and poor in your old age, or your husband will marry a new harlot, or people will make clucking noises behind your back while you walk down the street with your hawthorn berries, or, or, or, blah blah blah

BuT FaNwOmAnnn it's HiStOriCalllll !!!1!!1! Women had toBLAH BLAH BLAH

whatever

Yeah it's historical, and the costumes are fantasized, the hair is dead wrong half the time (pretty as hell but not strictly accurate), EVERYBODY is shaved and plucked into oblivion, nobody is fat, they're speaking more-or-less modern (fill-in-the-language-from-the-country-in-which-the-show/movie-was-produced), and there is neither evidence of indoor plumbing nor a visible chamber-pot ANYWHERE

It's historical FICTION

The only way you could get it any further removed from reality is if you added a dragon.

And, while I happen to be currently talking about a specific East-Asian show, the West does this too. All the DAMN time. It's just got a different flavor over here.

And, the times I've seen it utilized, it either didn't makes sense historically (if he's got concubines why ain't he in with 'em? why does She HAVE to do it?) or it's such a side, side, side plot that the story arc would completely stand without it) or it COMPLETELY goes against EVERYTHING that was written into the character previously (lookin' at YOU Firefly).

So like, idk, why are we still even doing this?

And it weirds-me-out even more when the writer is a woman.

Like, you would think that a woman writing wouldn't want to be seen herself as just fancified breeding stock so, why would you go out of your way to do that to your character when you could Fiction your way out of that or avoid it entirely.

I mean I get it when men do it because so few men have any awareness whatsoever that women have wants and dreams and desires and interests entirely separate from the biological process of reproduction. And so many of them think we're just baby-crazed automatons (lookin' at you AGAIN Firefly. And Torchwood a little bit).

But, man, when a woman writes that sh*t it just skeeves me out.

Anyway, I'm watching an aristocratic lady's maid do her level best to "protect" her Lady (who has had a catastrophic and nearly terminal miscarriage) by making damn sure that she gets pregnant AGAIN....which (as of THIS point in the arc anyway) will most likely kill The Lady.

Protect her

By killing her

wtf????

Man, and I KNOW that sh*t's only gonna get worse.

ok and before anyone @'s me

Yes, I know the maid wasn't in on the convo with the husband and the doctor in which doc said that another pregnancy has a like 99% probability of killing The Lady. But common f*cking sense would say "Oh, Lady collapsed in a litre-and-a-half puddle of blood and nearly DIED. Perhaps we shouldn't do that again soon"

Also, maid, common sense should have suggested that husband and wife would have had a little "I'd rather you not die right now" discussion which was a piece of marital intimacy that would have been NONE OF YOUR F*CKING BUSINESS as a maid even if you DID raise Lady from childhood. Why do you think you have a right to stick your nose into someone else's marriage?

ok, side note audience knows that a rather-you-not-die convo never happened and husband (in a squirly move) rather than just staying celibate for a while is secretly feeding her contraceptives. Ok, THAT'S bad form dude. Really, REALLY bad.

But the maid doesn't know ANY of that, she's just stickin' her nose in where it doesn't belong because Mandatory Childbirth.

idk maybe it's just me because I'm SO childfree, but this sh*t just irritates the hell out of me.

Apologies to anybody who hasn't or isn't gonna watch Monarch Industry/ Rebel Princess because that's where ALL of that rant came from (although Oh! My General was in there too a little bit)

Sorry y'all that was a lot

[warrior-of-waistbands]

Luckily for everyone, I've been meaning to write something for Fallen Down for ages and now I finally have the motivation!

Have a quick snippet, set during the Waterfall portion of the journey

--

Find Harold. Find the exit. Get to the queen. Get the heck out of here. Find Harold. Find the exit. Get to the queen. Get the heck out of here.

This was the thought circling through George's mind as he made his way through the darkness.

He replayed the events of the last half hour in his mind: he and Harold had been trudging through Water-whatever this place was called, happy as clams all things considered, when what should appear but a monster garbed all in armor, a sparking spear of energy in hand, clearly not looking to make friends with the boys any time soon.

They ran.

They ran, and when they'd made it into this horribly dark cavern they had tried to stay close, stay together, but everything kept getting darker and vaster and....

....Well, here was George now. Walking down a trail of moss that was only occasionally illuminated by the faint glow of the lanterns placed here and there.

"Harold?" he called. No answer.

"Tch."

As he walked, George couldn't help but let his mind wander. He found himself thinking about the statue they had found a few trails back, it and it's dingy old music box. It had been nice, the melody produced by it. Peaceful, even. The Underground was not a safe place for humans, oh no, but he supposed that there had to be bright spots somewhere.

Hmmm....you know, if I weren't in constant fear for my life, this place would be giving me so much inspiration. Maybe it still can? Hmm, let's see— maybe it could be, like. A comic where two kids discover a bunch of aliens living inside the planet, and then....something something, more aliens....something something....basketball? What does basketball have to do with anyth—

Something was quickly running up behind him.

Shoot.

He ran.

Find Harold. Find the exit. Get to the queen. Get the heck out of here. Find Harold. Find the exit. Get to the queen. Get the heck out of here. Find Harold. Find the exit. Get to the queen. Get—

"Hoi!"

"AHH!"

And he tripped over the tiny creature that had plunked itself down right in his path.

"Ow ow ow what was that what the heck was....oh."

The little white fuzz ball of a creature was snuffling at his splayed hand, curious. It looked up at him, smiling, almost apologetic. George couldn't help it— he laughed and smiled back.

"Hey, little guy, where'd you come from?"

"Hoi, I'm Temmie!"

"Oh you can— uh, hi....Temmie....I'm George."

"Hoi Gorg!" Temmie wagged their tail ecstatically. Then, frowning now, they said, "Gorg lost?"

"That's right, buddy. You wouldn't happen to know the way out of here, would you?" Another thought occured to him then. "Actually, I'm trying to find my friend. You haven't seen him, have you? Yellow hair, green sweater, prone to catastrophizing?"

Temmie raised a stubby little paw to their chin and hummed, "Hmmmmmm," in thought. "Nnnnnoope, Tem sorry."

"Oh...."

"But!" Ears perking, Temmie performed a quick bounce into the air in excitement. "Tem take Gorg to Tem Village! Tems help Gorg!"

"Really? You'd do that? Wait—" A sudden reminder echoed in George's mind. "You....you're not going to....attack me?"

"Nope!" Temmie shook their head with gusto.

George bit his lip. Now, George. You have no way of knowing if this adorable little thing is dangerous or not. You're lost in an underground maze in the dark and you have no idea where Harold is. If there is a town here it's your best shot, but what if this guy is lying? Think, George, think.....

The tune from the music box drifted into his memory.

"Alright then." George stood up, dusted himself off, planted his hands on his hips. "Alright, Temmie. Where's this village you're telling me about?"

And Temmie, quite literally, vibrated with excitement. "Frend follow Temmie! Temmie help!"

"Lead the way, Tem."

Another step into the dark.

[mckiwi]

Whumptober Day 3: Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But...

Prompt: Taunting

Characters: Stephen Strange & Peter Parker

The world managed to not end catastrophically long enough for Peter to swing by the Sanctum after school. "Hey, doc!" The excitable teen greeted.

"Hello, Peter. Did you have a good day?" Stephen asked, used to Peter showing up randomly in the afternoons by now. Sometimes he'd come over in need of an extra brain for a science project, or just someone who understood on days the loss of Tony was more pronounced. Peter seemed to enjoy his company, but Stephen would never agree out loud he felt the same.

"Mhm! The lunch lady gave me extra fries today since I was the last in line. Oh, and Ned invited me over to his house this weekend to put together a new Lego set." Peter explained happily, plopping into 'his' spot on the sofa. "Delmar's has a special today if you wanna go get a late lunch with me? Could you make a portal there? I can pay."

Stephen smiled fondly, "I'm a grown man, I can pay for my own sandwich."

"A grown man without a paying job," Peter pointed out.

"True, but that's beside the point," Stephen conceded, "yes, we can go to Delmar's. I'll pay."

Peter raised his hands in mock surrender, chuckling under his breath. "Wanna play a game in the meanwhile?" He dug in his backpack and pulled out a Nintendo Switch. "I know a game you would absolutely love."

~~~

"Why would you throw his sandwich in the lake? What'd he ever do to you!" Peter laughed.

"He dropped a bag of fertilizer on me!" Stephen exclaimed, running back into the garden to steal the radio.

Peter was smiling ear to ear, "you are having far too much fun with this."

"It's not every day I can terrorize people as a goose," Stephen drawled. "After I trap this kid in the phone booth we can go." Peter snorted at that. Who knew Stephen took to video games like a goose took to chaos?

~~~

The cloudy skies and brisk October air proved to be the ideal weather for a walk. Peter gladly pointed out all the spots he stopped a robbery or helped someone while Stephen just listened. It wasn't long before Peter announced they were here. "Hey, Mr. Delmar!" Peter called as they entered.

A Dominican man behind the counter turned and greeted, "Hello Mr. Parker," he looked at Stephen, "and friend."

"Oh, yea! Doctor Strange, meet Mr. Delmar. Delmar, meet Strange." Peter introduced.

Delmar extended his hand, "nice to finally meet you. Peter's mentioned for a while now wanting to bring you by."

Stephen took the other man's hand hesitantly, "Has he now? Conspiring behind my back. For shame, Peter. For shame." Stephen teased as Peter rolled his eyes.

"I'll have my usual number 5 please, with pickles." Peter said, and looked to Stephen as a cue.

"Same for me, I suppose." Stephen said.

"You got it," another man behind the counter confirmed, leaving to go prepare their sandwiches.

"Where's Murf?" Peter asked, looking around the store.

Delmar gestured to the other side of the store, "over by the window." With that, Peter left to go play with the cat. "So," Delmar leveled Stephen with a scrutinizing look once Peter was out of earshot, "are you the aunt's new boyfriend?"

That shocked a laugh out of him, "oh no. No. I'm just ah..." what was he to Peter? "A friend. Tutor of sorts, maybe? He comes over to my place for help on projects from time to time."

"That kid's practically a genius, what's he need help for?" Delmar asked. Stephen couldn't answer. "I think he just likes being around you. You probably remind him of Stark." Stephen still struggled to find words. "You won't ever be what Stark was to him, though. You know that, right?"

"I know," Stephen managed.

"So don't try to be."

"I'm not."

"That kid has lost so much, don't be the reason he gets hurt again."

"I-"

"Here's your order, sir." The other man handed him their bag and Stephen hurriedly pulled out his wallet to pay.

Peter returned to his side with a cat in his arms and a giddy smile adorning his face. Stephen reached over to rub behind the cat's ears, and it leaned into his touch. "Aww, look. He likes you." Peter set the cat down and took his sandwich from the bag. "We can just portal back to the Sanctum from the back if you'd like, or stop by my place. It's not far from here."

Don't be the reason he gets hurt again.

"Actually, I've got some work I've gotta catch up on tonight." Stephen said.

"No problem. I brought my laptop, I can wait." Peter suggested.

"Wouldn't you rather be at home with your aunt?"

"She's still at work."

"Well–"

"I heard what he said." Peter interrupted.

Stephen's words choked off.

"Apparently everyone forgets the spider bite also gave me super good hearing." Peter looked up at him, "yes, you do kinda remind me of Mr. Stark. You're both snarky, witty, and love to jump to the conclusion all the world's problems are your fault. So stop."

"That's kinda rude, Peter." Stephen said, but it lacked any infliction.

Peter continued, "I'm serious. You may try to act like the big and bad Sorcerer Supreme, but you don't have a mean bone in you. I mean, you almost ran into a sign earlier and apologized to it."

Stephen cracked a smile, "true, but that's beside the point."

"The point is that you're my friend. That, and I'm hungry. Portal us back to the Sanctum before my stomach starts to eat itself."

Stephen slipped on his Sling-Ring with a mischievous smile, "can I play the goose game again?"

[gone4neow]

MIGHTY | ⓅⒸⓎ

c h a p t e r t w e l v e

- park chanyeol x oc

- mulan rewrite [very loosely inspired by the disney version]

- warnings : cursing, dark themes, extreme violence

- work count : 2,844

previous chapter or next chapter

——————————————————————————

The next few days consisted of the same routine. The group would wake up in the morning, pack up, and move on to a new location. The soldiers were tired. Their limbs ached and their minds were growing restless. Though they were all trying their best to hang on to the last bit of determination hidden away in their bones. To Eunyeong, there was nothing more inspiring to see the group of men pushing forward together in an attempt to win the war. And so, her soul was lit with an untouchable fire.

The wound on her arm was slowly healing day by day. It still burned, but she was able to push the pain to the back of her mind for the most part. Despite trying her best to assure Baekhyun that she was okay, the man fawned over her like she was inches away from shattering into a million pieces. It was endearing, really, but the woman hated being treated as if she were so fragile.

"Why are you walking so slowly? Your arm was stabbed, not your feet," the general grumbled ahead of the woman. She followed closely behind him, cradling her injured arm close to her torso as they navigated through the forest trees.

"You're the one who suggested I come with you to get some water," the woman retorted. "You could've asked anyone else. Baekhyun has quite fast feet."

"You give him too much credit. The only time he moves quickly is when there's food involved," Chanyeol snickered.

"And Kyungsoo?"

"Someone has to watch over the group when I'm away."

"Then perhaps you should have come to get water on your own," Eunyeong scoffed. Immediately the man in front of her came to a halt. He turned and looked down at the woman just as she crashed into his chest. She looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him to be stopped right in front of her.

"I'm beginning to think you don't appreciate my company," the man hummed with distaste.

"What gave it away?" The woman played along with a small, taunting smile.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you enjoy my company so much that you even dream about me," the man teased her. The smile on her face fell while she watched the corners of his lips curl.

"I don't dream about you," she breathed out quickly, a trace of bitterness in her voice. "Why would I do that?"

"You don't have to be so embarrassed. I-"

The man was cut off by the sound of something moving in the distance. Both the general and the soldier knelt on the ground instantly. They shared a worried glance before they averted their eyes away to search through the forest for a sign of an intruder. If the situation wasn't so tense the scene might have been funny. The pair were trying their best to hide behind trees that were far too thin to entirely conceal their figures. Their hands rested upon the handles of their weapons as if they were children awaiting a signal to start acting out an imaginative scene.

"I think it's safe, but I'm going to go do a quick scan just to be sure," Chanyeol announced when he grew impatient. "Stay here."

Eunyeong grabbed his wrist before he could completely leave her and pulled him back into a crouch. He looked at her with wide, confused eyes. She avoided his eyes for a few seconds before she finally released a soft sigh and looked at him.

"Can we not split up?" She asked softly. Her cheeks grew a bright shade of pink as embarrassment crept along her skin.

Chanyeol gave the woman a questioning look before suddenly his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Was the woman afraid? Upon the realization, his expression softened. Perhaps getting stabbed had affected her more than he realized. Or maybe the man who she had recognized was someone she feared.

"This is a war. How are you going to fight in a war if you're afraid?" The general asked her, hiding the sympathy he felt for the woman. Her eyes averted away from the man. He felt guilt crawl up his spine when he saw her head lower with shame.

Thunderous footsteps echoing off of the forest floor interrupted the man before he could say anything else. The pair looked up just as a figure emerged from the forest. Before either of them could react, the General was being tackled to the ground. His weapon that he had drawn fumbled out of his hands as he attempted to remove his attacker from his body.

Eunyeong rose to her feet and quickly approached the attacker. Knowing her arm would prove useless, she raised her right leg and gave a forceful kick against the man's side. He released a deep grunt as he fell off of the General and onto the ground. The woman moved quickly, pulling her dagger out and holding against the man's neck before the general could even process what had just happened.

"Howon," the woman called in a low tone. "Why are you doing this?"

"You wouldn't give in. I needed a way to get to you," the man admitted breathlessly.

"What does that even mean?" Eunyeong eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"Don't you get it?" Howon asked as a smile formed on his face. "This war is mine. I started it. I knew your father would be selected. And I knew you'd be silly enough to pull this stunt."

Eunyeong's face scrunched up with revulsion at the revelation. The man sensed her shock and grabbed her wrist before jerking it roughly, sending the weapon in her hands flying across the forest. She released a whimper as pain shot up her hand.

"Don't touch him," the General commanded in a dangerous tone as he watched Howon sit up underneath the woman. Howon ignored the man as he grabbed Eunyeong's other wrist. His fingers dug into her skin like the stingers of the angriest wasps.

"I know it's hard to process, but that's the truth. If you want to see your parents again then you'll do as I say. If you don't, then I'll report you to the authorities. You wouldn't want that, would you?" The man spoke condescendingly towards the woman.

"Hey buddy, I'll end you right here right now if you don't let him go," the General threatened as he pressed the tip of his sword against the man's skull. Howon looked up at the man as if noticing him for the first time.

"You should really mind your own business," Howon snapped. "If I don't return to camp then there's a little letter that will be delivered directly to your father, pretty boy. Do you think I'm foolish enough to believe that you don't know about Eunyeong's true identity?"

Chanyeol paled at the information. He knew the situation he was now in was a possibility, but he hadn't planned for it to arrive so suddenly. Without having a plan to prevent such a catastrophe, he was left with little to no option but to let Howon control the situation. There was nothing in the world that made him feel so enraged. He had let the situation slip right out of his hands. What kind of leader was he?

"What is it t-that you want Howon?" Eunyeong stuttered out as she started to return from her state of shock.

"What I've always wanted: you," the man replied quickly as if he had been waiting for the question his entire life.

"And if I don't believe your story? You have n-no actual proof that you have power or authority over anything and yet you parade around t-the woods like you own the place." Eunyeong voice held fear in it, but her words were still confident. It was a sign that she was ready to fight no matter what. That alone made Chanyeol's chest swell with pride. He looked down at the man staring up at him and smirked. Checkmate.

"Is that what you think?" Howon snickered as he tilted his head while looking back at the woman. The woman hesitated but eventually gave a confident nod. The man beneath her suddenly gave a sharp whistle. Within just a few seconds, several men emerged from the trees and surrounded the trio. Their uniforms belonged to none other than the same enemies that they had been fighting for months. Eunyeong gasped as two of the men plucked her up from the ground. Chanyeol stood helpless as the men pointed their swords at him. Defeated, he lowered his weapon.

Howon rose to his feet in just a few seconds. The smile on his face was both radiant and patronizing. He had gotten them exactly where he wanted them and now there was nothing they could do. His plan was genius. Eunyeong's mind raced as she tried to conjure up an escape plan, but the sinking feeling in her gut told her that there was no out this time.

"So this war... was started by you? All for a woman that holds no admiration for you?" Chanyeol risked questioning with humor in his voice.

"This war was inevitable. It just so happened that the leader of this army gave me an opportunity to achieve my ambitions," Howon responded in a smooth tone.

"What's supposed to happen then? You and I get married and this war ends?" The woman asked with an expression of disgust on her face.

"Well don't look so excited," Howon replied. "Unfortunately this war cannot be stopped by me. I merely instigated it. Now it has to handle itself."

"Then what h-happens next?" She dared question further.

"I have plans for you and me to run off for a while until this mess cools down. Once it does, I'll bring you back to my village and we will be officially wedded. My family's been waiting for the perfect woman to come along to carry out the lineage," the man informed her.

The woman felt her stomach twist at his words. All her life she had wanted to be anything but another typical wife. Now, everything she had worked so hard for was vanishing right before her. Chanyeol watched the woman's face pale. He couldn't even fathom what kind of thoughts must have been going through her mind. Unfortunately, he was well too aware of his thoughts. There had not been a point in his life where he had ever felt so prepared to lose everything he had. Everything that he owned was nothing at that moment. Even his family had become a second thought. His heart and his mind were focused on the woman across from him.

She met his eyes a few seconds after the unsettling feeling had flooded through him. She could see a fire in his eyes that she had never before. At that moment she knew he was about to do something drastic. Her head shook slightly as she tried to stop him, but it was no use.

"Howon," he called with a venomous bite. "You won't be taking her anywhere. If she doesn't want to be with you, then she won't be."

Howon turned to look at the man with raised eyebrows at his tone. "And what exactly will stop me? If you're not aware, you're surrounded. Give it up pretty boy."

Not another word was shared before chaos broke out. The general turned and began to fight against the small army that had arrived with Howon. Eunyeong struggled as the men holding her gripped her tighter and tighter with every passing moment. She yelled out in anger as she watched Chanyeol fight against several men. He moved gracefully. Every attack he made was strategic and well thought out. But even so, there were too many. If he made any little mistake then it was over with for him. She knew the men would kill the General the first chance they got. Knowing his life was on the line evoked desperation from the woman, unlike any desperation she had felt before.

"Howon please - spare his life. I'll go with you! Just don't kill him!" Eunyeong cried out.

After a few more minutes of fighting against the men holding her in place, she finally broke free. Howon watched with parted lips as she stole one of the men's sword. Without hesitation, the blade in her hand sliced through the second man's throat. Howon felt himself grow lightheaded at the sight. He hadn't anticipated war turning the woman into a murderer. How was he supposed to marry someone that could potentially kill him at any given moment?

He stood frozen as he watched the woman and the general work together to deplete his group of men. Of course, he knew the general was no stranger to combat, but he hadn't expected to see such extreme talent. His heartbeat was racing in his chest. He wanted to run, but he couldn't look away from the woman who was becoming painted with the blood of his men. His feet were frozen in place.

When the number of his men had dwindled to almost nothing, he felt his flight kick in. Eunyeong, thankfully, caught sight of the man running before he could get too far ahead. She took off after him in a rush. Their feet thumped loudly against the soft earth beneath them as they ran. Howon's feet weren't confident in what direction they were going and after some time passed, the man tripped and rolled onto the forest floor.

"Oh, Howon..." Eunyeong called out in a pained voice. "What a shame that it's ending like this."

The man looked up at the woman with an expression of terror on his face. He tried crawling backward, hoping that by some miracle he would be able to escape her wrath. Unfortunately for him, she took slow, taunting steps with every move he made.

"Please, Eunyeong, don't do this. We can fix this," the man pleaded with her.

"Howon you can't fix this. You started a war. And now I am going to end it," she told the man with a frown on her face.

"You're going to kill me," the man whispered out in a shaky voice.

"Do I have a choice? We both know you won't rest until you get what you want. But I have some advice for you in regards to your next life - when a woman isn't interested in you, leave her alone," Eunyeong sighed. She clenched her eyes shut and lifted her sword before she brought it down in a rush.

A few minutes later, Eunyeong sat on a rock next to the river while the general crouched down next to the water. The woman watched him closely as he rose to his full height. He shook some water off of his hands before he turned and walked over towards her. Her eyes followed him as he crouched down beside her. Suddenly her heartbeat began to race.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved back there," he scolded her quietly as his large hand reach out and took her arm in his hold. She winced slightly, eyeing the bloody wound on her arm with disgust.

"I wasn't expecting you to be so crazy," she responded with a slight scoff. His eyes met hers for a few seconds before he looked back down at her wound. She watched his face closely as he brought a wet cloth up towards her arm. His eyebrows furrowed as he ran the material over her arm.

"So," the man started. "Your actual name is Eunyeong?"

The woman blinked down at him while her lips parted with surprise. She hated the way her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her name rolling off of his tongue. Even more so, she hated that even after everything that had just happened her mind was clouded with such provocative thoughts.

"Yes," she answered a moment of silence passed. The man glanced up at her, his lips curling slightly.

"It suits you," he commented quietly.

"Well I'm, uh, glad you think so. I would certainly hope so. If it didn't then I would have some trouble on my hands wouldn't I?" The woman rambled, her mind going in several different directions at once.

"Are you okay?" The man asked her with concern in her voice.

"Yes!" The woman answered almost too quickly. "It's just that I wasn't expecting this to happen."

"You should always expect the unexpected in war. Though, for someone who was caught off guard you handled the situation pretty well." The man replied absentmindedly as he continued washing the blood away from the woman's wound.

When his eyes snapped up to meet hers again, she forced a small smile upon her face. Perhaps she had handled that situation well, but that's not what she had been referring to. Her teeth dug into her tongue as she forced herself to keep this little secret of hers to herself. Some things were better left unsaid.

——————————————————————————

a / n : hi!! this chapter is shorter than most but it’s packed with a lot of action + a lot of moments between eunyeong and chanyeol so hopefully that makes up for the length! as always, hope everyone enjoys this chapter and the story. xx

[nothingbutfangirlsmut]

The Maze Trials: A Gally Fanfiction

Pairing: Gally x Emi(OC)

Summary: Emi, first girl the Glade has seen. Tougher than she looks and more than ready to prove it. Since day one her and Gally have been at each other's throats. Fighting constantly and not just with their words.

(Gally fanfiction which will include smut. It also has an actual story line. Think of it as an AU to the original Maze Runner. It'll mostly follow the main story line with some changes. Mostly focusing on Emi and Gally and their relationship.)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

We stepped into a room filled with monitors and desks. This was the room I was in when I spoke to Thomas in my dream. The only difference now was that the place looked destroyed. Something happened here. I stepped around one of the desks and that's when I saw the dead bodies. Several of them just laying lifeless on the floor. We all walked around slowly trying to look at all the monitors.

"Hello" A woman's voice rang out.

We all moved to stand in front of a large monitor that now displayed an older woman in a white coat.

"My name is doctor Ava Paige. I'm director of operations at the World Catastrophe: Kill Zone Department. If you're watching this that means you've successfully completed the maze trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you."

She paused for a moment as the people behind her seemed to be frightened out of their seats. 

"But circumstances seem to have prevented it. I'm sure by now you must all be very confused, angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you, everything we've done to you, it was all done for a reason."

She paused again as her image changed to other photos as she spoke.

"You won't remember but the sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire, famine. Suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We call it the flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable, incurable. Or so we thought. In time a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy."

The people behind her seemed to be frantically gathering their things.

"The young would have to be tested. Even sacrificed inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand what makes them different. What makes you different. You may not realize it but you're very important. Unfortunately your trials have only just begun as you will no doubt soon discover."

Shots seemed to be fired behind the woman.

"Not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow. People are scared. It maybe too late for us. For me. But not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember..."

She paused as the glass behind her was broken with a bullet but didn't shatter. She pulled a small hand gun out of her pocket and pressed it against her temple.

"W.C.K.D. is good"

I turned away as quick as I could from the screen. What the hell was that? I've never felt more confused in my life.

"Over here" Chuck said suddenly.

We all walked over to the boy to see an opened large hall leading to doors at the end. The windows in those doors certainly looked like the sunlight of the outside world. We did it. We made it out.

"No!" The shout came from behind us.

We all turned seeing Gally with a small pistol in his hand. He held it to his side with a shaky hand.

"Gally?" I asked stepping forward.

Minho grabbed my arm pulling me back to his side. He looked sick. Something was wrong and I needed to get to him. I tried to pull my arm from Minho but he tightened his grip keeping me right next to him.

"We can't leave." Gally seemed to be holding back his sobs.

"We did, Gally, we're out. We're free." Thomas said slowly raising his hands.

"Free?" He choked on a sob as he turned his head.

My heart almost stopped. I wrapped my hand around Minho's arm to steady myself. This can't be happening.

"He's been stung." I whispered more to myself.

"You think we're free out there? No. No, there's no escape from this place." Gally raised the gun pointing it straight at Thomas.

"Gally" I cried trying to pull his attention to me.

He started to cry harder but kept everything he had trained on Thomas.

"Gally, listen to me, you're not thinking straight. You're not. Now we can help you." Thomas spoke calmly with his arms raised.

Minho pulled his arm from my grasp. I could feel him moving slowly behind me. I couldn't focus on him though. I could only focus on Gally.

"Just put down the gun." Thomas begged him.

"I belong to the maze." Gally stated.

"Put down the gun." Thomas repeated.

"We all do" Gally cried as he pulled the trigger.

Chaos erupted as the group tried to move in different directions. It was Minho who went in slow motion for me. I watched him pull back and throw the spear he some how got a hold of. I screamed to the top of my lungs when it plunged into Gally's chest. I watched him gasp for air. I tried to run to him but several hands grabbed my arms pulling me back. Gally fell to his knees with a gasp. I cried and fought against the gladers holding me. The gun fell from his hand as he fell over to the ground.

"No!" I screamed trying to rip myself out of their hold.

"Thomas" Chuck said softly.

The young boy started to fall but Thomas grabbed him. This caught the attention of the gladers holding me back. I was released. I ran full speed to where Gally lay. He was still alive but barely. His breathing was shallow.

"It's gonna be okay." I cried softly as I softly stroked his cheek.

I pressed my forehead against his as I cried. I can't loose him. Walking away from him in the Glade was horrible but I knew he was alive and could be happy again. This... this I can't handle. I can't let him die. I'll do anything.

"Please Gally, be strong and stubborn. If you die I die. Please." I sobbed holding onto him as tightly as I could.

A small quiet groan came from Gally's lips. I moved closer to his face.

"I..." he took in a small weak breath.

"Love..." another shallow breath.

"You" He finished letting a slow breath leave him.

I sobbed trying to hold on to him as tight as I could.

"I love you Gally." I whispered back to him.

I pressed my lips to his hoping to feel him kiss me back but I felt nothing. I kissed him harder. He has to know. I need him to know.

My body was suddenly off the ground. I was being picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder. I could barely see Gally threw my blurry vision but it looked as if he was reaching out to me. 

"Gally!" I screamed trying to free myself from the strangers hold.

"I can't leave him!" I cried banging on the person's back.

A sudden blinding light caused me to close my eyes. I was tossed to the floor of something. As I opened my eyes blinking back my tears I saw them toss Thomas inside beside me. Minho tried to grab me but I jerked out of his hold.

"Thomas" I sobbed looking at my brother.

He instantly grabbed me and pulled me against him. He held me tightly as I sobbed into his shirt. What happens now? How do I live a life knowing Gally is gone? It doesn't feel right.

"One day at a time." Thomas whispers into my hair as he holds me.

"That's all we can do. One day at a time." He whispered again.

I knew what he meant. In the chaos I had noticed Chuck laying lifeless on the ground. The thought of my friend and Gally both dying when we were so close had me sobbing even harder into Thomas.

—

Book 2 coming soon!

—

[skzluvs]

Piece of cake 🎂; Yang Jeongin

Genre: Fluff! Friends to lovers au!

Warnings: mild swearing

Word count: 2.8k

A/N: Happy Birthday to our cute maknae Innie, he has grown so much. I’m beyond proud of him, he’s such a beautiful soul I wish nothing but happiness for him. I’m so soft for this boy I’m legit crying.

You were all gathered in the living room.

The four boys standing in front of you staring at each other with confused looks. There was a moment of silence before you snapped at them in annoyance. There was no way they could be any more stupid.

"Do I really have to explained it to you again you doofuses" You raised an eyebrow in disbelief at the sight of the obvious lack of understanding your friends had. Seungmin just moved his hands encouraging you to repeat the plan one more time. You took a deep breath, before continuing, "For the last time, Hyunjin is in charge of distracting jeongin, until we finish decorating" The boy nodded in agreement, he understood his role was probably the most important one, " Felix I need your lungs to blow those balloons" You pointed at the table covered with bags with deflated balloons. "Seungmin and I are in charge of baking the cake" He smiled in excitement. " And I think that's it, simple right, it's a piece of cake"

Someone cleared his throat behind you, clearly irritated at the fact that you didn't assigned him an important task like the others.

" What about me Y/N, what am I supposed to do" He said pouting.

" Jisung you have the most important part" You said reassuring.

" Which is?" He asked euphoric. Clapping his hands.

" Stay here and make sure to not open your huge ass mouth, I promise your contribution is the most helpful one" You said smiling sarcastically. " If anyone dares to ruin this surprise I swear for my life I'll haunt every single one of you in your sleep for the rest of your miserable lives, and you would see what's to live a nightmare with your eyes open, understood" A few scared whispers and some sighs at the end they all came to agreement. Working together as a team to give the youngest, undeniably the best surprise party, needless to say this was carefully planned by you over the course of the last few weeks.

Everyone left, not before settling that Hyunjin would come back exactly at 6 with Jeongin, therefore everything had to be ready before that.

You got into Seungmin's car, he turned on the radio, letting you choose the next song, you both sang along to Taeyon's spark, on the way to the supermarket.

" Get a shopping cart we need to pick up a few things" You said to him, as you entered the local market. Pulling up a list from your bag with all the items needed.

He got the cart and followed you behind like a puppy, through the aisles, helping you pick now and then when you were torn between certain brands.

"So should we make it a chocolate cake or a vanilla cake?" You asked him staring at the two boxes in each one of your hands.

" That's such a simple question Y/N, Chocolate superior" He said looking at you obvious.

"Alright, alright Chef Seungmin let's do chocolate" You said throwing the box into the cart. " Ohhh" you exclaimed fascinated. "We have to get this" You pointed, jumping in the excitement at the cute cake toppers. "Jeongin is going to love the tiny fox sprinkles" You smiled at the resemblance between your best friend and the furry animal.

" You are so whipped Y/N" Seungmin said teasingly.

"Shut up, he's like a little brother to me" You stared at your shoes trying to hide the blush creeping into your soft cheeks.

"Not so little, remember he literally just became an adult today" Seungmin was right. Jeongin was just a year younger than the rest of you, that's why your group tended to baby him the most, and he hated it so much. Now that he was all grown up you wondered if his attitude would change towards your antics.

Once you finished shopping. Seungmin and you went back to the house. You got the groceries from the trunk carrying all the bags, with your hands full, you struggled finding the key to open the door.

"Call Jisung and tell him to move his lazy ass from the couch so he can come and help us" 

You heard him comply through the phone but in less than a second the door opened revealing your friend who still looked half asleep.

" Don't stare just stare at me, help me carry these" You said handing him the heavy bags that were already leaving bruises on your wrists.

"Did you guys went to buy cake ingredients or the whole grocery store" He said complaining at the amount of things you got.

" I got a little carried away okay" You confessed taking your shoes off at the door and walking straight to the kitchen.

Seungmin got ingredients from the bags and laid them on top of the kitchen table. You got the molds and the mixer from one of the cabinets, and tied your apron from your waist.

"Crack two eggs" You signaled Seungmin, as you poured the batter into the mixing bowl.

You were spraying the molds with butter so Seungmin could pour the batter and it wouldn't stick to the bottom once the cake was completely cooked. When your phone in your back pocket began to vibrate. You decided to ignore it, since you were extremely focused on your task. But after a couple of more rings you couldn't bear with the annoying sound any longer.

You picked up right away. Not before telling Seungmin to put the molds inside the oven.

"Hyunjin why are you fucking calling me right now " you leaned over the counter trying to wipe off your apron that was covered on white flour and sugar.

"He's been sulking all day Y/N, I even took him to the amusement park but he seems so down is actually depressing, He literally just said to me "This would actually be fun if Y/N would've come with me and not you" I'm deeply hurt, never imagined he thought of me as your replacement" He sighed dramatically.

" Just deal with it, you can have another of your existential crisis later" You rolled your eyes at your dramatic friend.

"Can you at least call him? he's just acting so weird, he just told me he wants to come home I don't know what to do" He whispered nervously.

"I'm trying to bake a cake hyunjin I can't give him a call right now" You said clearly. " But you are talking to me right now and the cake doesn't seem to be stopping you from doing it" He backfired.

" Ugh you are so annoying, maybe I can't call him because I'm busy and my hands and covered in flour and, Seungmin Lower down the temperature I can smell something burning!!!" You yelled. "I don't know hyunjin, keep him occupied, after all is your job, you better not come any earlier than we accorded. I’m warning you, I got to go" you said ending the call abruptly. Rushing rapidly to the oven where smoke was starting to escape from the sides of it.

" Fuck Y/N I think we burned the cake" Seungmin said panicking.

"Oh you think so" You responded sarcastically. Trying to extinguish the smoke before the alarm went on.

You opened the oven only to see your chocolate cake, all spilled, dark carbon colored batter dripping from the mold.

" Why you said we would bake the cake, if you had never done it before, don't just blame it on me!" He yelled back at you.

"Maybe I just wanted to do something nice for my fucking best friend, Seungmin"  You replied infuriated at the boy's words.

You walked away trying to not lose your calm "everything it's okay Y/N just take a deep breath" you whispered to yourself.

Your three friends standing in front of you not wanting to say anything, terrified to even move an inch knowing you could break down at any moment.

" Felix those balloons are not going to blow themselves!" You exclaimed.

" You ate the snacks I left on the table, didn't you, I told you earlier those were for later" You pointed at Jisung who only raised his hands innocently.

You were frustrated to say the least, overwhelmed,

Tired, you wanted to cry, the perfect party for your best friend was a complete utter disaster. You looked at the clock half an hour until Hyunjin brings jeongin back. You stepped out of to house because you began to feel suffocated. You needed some air. In desperation you remembered the person who was always one call away.

You dialed the number hoping he would pick up the phone, he was always busy working on his studio, so you didn't actually expected for him to pick up after the first tone, you were surprised when he did.

"Hey Baby girl"

"Chan" You whined at him.

" What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

" I need your help" You said.

" I'm all ears" He laughed softly. Chan was your supportive friend. He took care of you since he was older, he was always there when you needed him.

You ranted the catastrophe of your failing attempt of birthday party.

" Can you please bring me a cute cake? Jeongin might be on his way and I can't let him have a burned piece of uncooked batter for his birthday" You asked, hoping not to disturb him too much, knowing how busy he was most of the time working on his new tracks.

" Sure thing baby girl, I was heading out either way, I can't come empty handed" He said and you sighed in relief feeling like that heavy weight was lifted from your shoulders.

" You are the best Channie, I'll see you in a bit" You said your goodbyes and ended the call, you were extremely grateful towards him.

You opened the door entering the house. Your friends gathered looking at you with concerned expressions. The three of them instantly running towards you, the minute you crossed the doorstep, wrapping you in a group hug.

" We are sorry Y/N" They said unison.

"We know you've been under so much stress trying to make everything perfect" Seungmin said apologetic.

"And your stupid friends have ruined it all" Felix added teary eyed.

" We'll make it up to you, Let's get to work we have to give Innie the best birthday party ever" Jisung encouraged all of you to stop being so emotional and get on top of your game.

With you basically running out of time. You all began to work at a unquestionably high speed. Felix blowing balloons like crazy. Seungmin cleaning the mess in the kitchen. Jisung restocking the snacks and the drinks. And you dusting off the living the room. Everyone was so focused that no one even listened when the bell rang. Until you stopped the vacuum.

You opened the door, Chan was standing there smiling so bright, showing his dimples, you almost jumped on top of him if it wasn't because the cake he was holding with both of his hands was in the way.

"Channie, I've missed you so much" You said clinging yourself to his back.

" It's been a long time baby girl"

The boys immediately stopped what they were doing to come greet their brother.

" Chan mate you finally came to visit us" Felix said hugging the other Aussie.

" I wish I could come more often but this college life man, it ain't easy plus I've been working on some songs with Changbin" He said looking for Jisung, turning to talk to him directly. " We can't wait for you to graduate, without you we can't be 3racha"

" Just a couple more months, It's going to be awesome man, the trio reunited again" Jisung said with the eyes filled with excitement.

Chan helped you decorate with a couple of party decoration supplies he brought. You looked around one last time. Unable to contain the tears at the sight of how everything came together at the end. Proud of yourself and you also had to credit the hard work your dumb but amazing friends.

An upcoming text brightened the screen of your phone. It was hyunjin announcing that they were 5 minutes away from arriving. That was your cute, You all went to hide in different spots, after turning off all the lights. You headed directly to the kitchen and grabbed the cake, crouching behind the counter.

The house was dead silent until you heard the sound of the key clashing into the lock. The door opening slowly.

“Why is it so dark in here?” Hyunjin said playing along while pretending to looking for the light switch.

“ Wait I thought you said Y/N was not home, why are her shoes here?” Jeongin asked confused, with certain affliction in his voice.

“ Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Innie, Happy birthday to you” You sang as you made your way towards him. The cake lighted up by the incandescent light from the single candle placed in the center.

The rest of your friends joined you while screaming

“SURPRISE”

Jeongin was loss for words, his cheeks stained by the beautiful tears that were sliding carefully. Like an open faucet, unable to control them. He smiled through them. Flashing his indistinguishable pearly white teeth. Alluring dimples. Stars that flashed on those sparkly eye pools as he stared directly at you. Like you were the only thing he was able to see in that dim room.

He closed his eyes and blew the candle wishing for something his heart desired for so long.

Everyone clapped and congratulate the boy who was no longer a baby but now a man. Hyunjin turned on the lights and you all gathered at the table to eat.

As you were walking to the dinning room, someone softly pulled from your sleeve.

Your eyes instantly meeting with his.

lost in his angelic aura.

You had been crushing on the boy for long enough

That you truly wanted to impress him with this whole surprise party idea. It seemed like your planned worked at perfection when he wrapped you in his arms.

“No one had ever done something like this for me, thank you so much Y/N” He whispered into the crook of your neck. The proximity making your limbs froze and your skin tingled due to the warmth he provided.

“ It’s nothing, Im glad you liked it Jeonginnie” You replied with a loving smile.

“ You know I was mad at you all day” He laughed bittersweet.

“Sorry for missing on riding the Ferris wheel with you” You said making fun of him.

“ I actually wanted to ride it with you instead of being stuck there with Mr. Dramatic for 45 minutes” a sigh escaping from his pink soft lips.

“ Is it because he becomes all clingy as it goes up, he’s such a scary cat” Laughing at the memory of hyunjin clinging into your arm like his life depended on it, the last time you all went to the amusement park.

“ That and because I hoped to hold your hand” He said staring into your eyes, trying to tell you something, but you were unable to read through the lines.

“ You do that all of the time Innie” It was not a novelty the amount of skin ship you and your best friend had.

“ You can’t possible be any more dense Y/N” He spoke a little irritated at your ignorance.

Your friend was rather shy, this sudden confidence had you all bewildered.

“ I like you, you idiot” He said obvious, tired of hinting something that was crystal clear.

“ You what...?” You were puzzled, your jaw almost hitting the floor in disbelief.

“ I know we’ve been friends for such a long time but I be always seen you in another light, will you let me be the one who holds your hand forever?” He asked extending his hand to grab yours softly, sliding his palm on top of yours and intertwining fingers.

“ Yes” You whispered hiding your face in his chest “I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you”

He untangled your hands to grab your jaw softly, so you would look at him, Bodies shaking, an adrenaline rush, and fireworks exploding the moment he laid his lips on top of your, delicate and with such sincerity, a kiss that revealed the profound innocent love they had one for the other.

“ Best birthday ever” He said stealing one more peck at your lips. He became addicted to the taste.

“ It was a piece of cake” You winked at him. “ For your information Seungmin burned your original cake, The one I baked with so much love”

“ Oh that’s why it smells like barbecue” He said. Both of you exploding into laughter. “ At least you didn’t burned down the house, I need to keep you as far away from the kitchen as possible sweetheart”

[haifengg]

The Dutch Room - Chapter 5

Find all chapters here!

The people working at Panoma were as different as they could possibly be. There were only a few things they all had in common and one of these things was the love for Barbara. Pretty much every Panoma employee was coming here at least twice a week and it wasn’t just because the place was run by their close friend Taeil but also because Taeil was offering the two most appealing things humankind knew about: Booze and Girls.

Even though the ladder only appeared to about 95% of Panama's personnel, at least one half of the 5% was a regular at Barbara herself and June was in no way inferior to her male colleagues.

Perhaps she liked Barbara for other reasons than maybe Doyoung or Johnny but she liked it. The money they spend on girls, she invested in drinks. Every time she came here she remembered how important this was to her. Just like now.

Taeil was part of the Panoma team from the very beginning. In fact he had already been there when June joined the company so wasn’t really able to tell how he got there or what he was doing before he became a male madam. All she knew was that the lady who used to run the place was the actual Barbara but she never got to meet her just once.

That in mind June sometimes wondered what the place had looked like before it was passed on to her friend. The premises were located on the first floor above a copy shop a few blocks from their office. Which made it reachable and a place to go for a drink after work. Or for something else to do after work.

Taeil once told her that he refurbished the whole space except the bar. According to him it was hard to arrange the counter, drinks and shelves in an actually effective way and when he first started working here it was the first thing catching his attention: How easy it was to operate behind the counter and how everything was at the most ideal place possible. So he decided to keep it this way and it remains the same until today.

“I heard you helped out the big boss.” June stated, sitting on one of the high stools, stirring in her drink.

Taeil just showed up again after picking something off the floor. “Pardon me?”

She chuckled. “I said: I heard you helped out Jaehyun with something?”

He grinned. “Please, you don’t need to act as if you don’t know. I’m aware he’s telling you everything.”

June shrugged. “Not everything.”

“You know, even though Doyoung is officially his boy for everything and Johnny’s acting as his right hand, you’re the one he tells things.”

“Speaking of which-” June turned around as she spotted Doyoung from the corner of her eye. “There is our boy for everything!”

She grinned at him widely, watching him approaching with a woman closely following him.

“How’s it going pal?” June asked and thrived on the annoyed look he responded with.

Doyoung might not like being teased but if he would be serious about that he surely wouldn’t make it so damn easy for her.

“You do remember you have work tomorrow? That means getting out of bed on time.” She reminded him, her voice raised, as they walked past her.

Doyoung didn’t stop as he answered “You just go fuck yourself.” and disappeared with his usual hostess to the usual room.

June scoffed and mumbled into her glass “I would still be doing a better job than any guy I had lately.”

Taeil laughed. The Panoma people not just became friends to him, after years of being loyal customers, but some of them turned this place into his home away from home. And June was one of the people he got so close with he would consider her a sister.

“To answer your question: Yes I did.”

She looked up. “Did what?”

Taeil sighed and leaned forward. “I helped out Jaeyhun with this problem of yours.”

“So I was right. He didn’t tell me anything but I had a feeling.”

“Someone had to. Your boyfriend left quite a void we had to fill. That was some hell of a talk we had the other day and I’m glad we came up with something.”

June’s lively vibes died the second Taeil not only mentioned Lucas but also called him her boyfriend. She hated it when people knew better and still don’t care.

“He wasn’t my boyfriend. How many times do I have to tell you? I thought you would especially get it.”

“Why?” Taeil scoffed and handed a drink to one of his employees. The woman had just walked up to the bar and left with the drinks in her hand, without wasting a thought about the two of them or what they were talking about. “Because I own and run a hostess bar I would know about you don’t catch feelings for anyone?”

“Yes?”

“Honey, exactly because I do what I do and see what I see I know how it looks like.”

Now it was her turn to scoff. “And that makes you an expert about what I feel?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just that I saw how you were letting yourself go just a little bit. People who didn’t know you wouldn’t have noticed.”

“But you do know me, huh?”

He smiled. “I imagine I know you quite well. I learned a lot about you the past few years and I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Well”, June said and chugged the last bit of her drink: “I’m sorry to tell you you’re mistaken if you think i could actually have cared about Lucas.”

She got up and grabbed her purse. “The only thing I cared about by that time was how the hell we were going to fix the catastrophe he caused and how we would be able to pull off everything we’ve worked for. To think a man - no - a fling was more important to me than the actual cause is foolish of you and you should know better. Good night.”

***

He dearly enjoyed her presence.

In this place of dozens of women it seemed to him as if she was the only sane one.

Compared to some of her coworkers she wasn’t actually pretty in a way which only meant she wasn’t hitting every single beauty standard society had come up with.

But she was ticking all the correct boxes for him. Her face was symmetrical but it looked like someone started to draw a portrait with a lot of motivation but lost track halfway through the process. And she knew that.

But instead of trying to cover it up or undergo plastic surgery she wore it with pride. Anong was never wearing heavy make-up and at some point Doyoung wasn’t sure if she even knew how to put it on.

In any case: He prefered her this way. Natural and approachable.

He was seeing her for almost 2 years every time he visited Barbara and he enjoyed her company up to this day. She made sure to always book the very same room beforehand when she knew he was visiting. Anong could sense how important consistency was to him.

“You know I’m discreet.” She said carefully and sat up. Anong never bothered to cover up her chest with the sheets or anything. Doyoung had once asked her about it and by that time she just laughed it off, replying that he had seen it anyway so why bother? Doyoung nodded at her question, calmly smiling and responded: “I know. That’s why I like you.”

“And you also know I am not into gossip. At all.”

He nodded again. “I know.” By now he could sense something was weighing heavy on her shoulders and he was impressed how well she hid the entire time they spent together this evening.

Anong rubbed her arm and avoided his eyes for a sheer second before taking the courage to ask:

“I am not asking this for myself but” She looked up meeting his gaze. “why has Lucas not been around for a while?”

Doyoung pushed parts of the sheets aside to sit up a little bit more straight. “What do you mean exactly?”

She tugged her hair behind her ears with both hands and took a deep breath.

"I'm asking this for two of the other girls. They are worried.”

“Honestly” He put up his hands. “I don’t know anything about his habits and who he is seeing.”

Anong sighed. She could sense how his mood changed, even though his face didn’t and immediately regretted having brought it up. But she had no choice.

“That’s not what I mean. You know some of us have children who they have to provide for. Those girls, the ones he was seeing, they’re struggling. So bad. And I need to tell them something. They know I am seeing you regularly so they keep asking me. They are my friends, please.”

The bagging tone rang out and made Doyoung get up and reach for his clothes.

“I can’t tell you anything about work.” He said terse as he pulled up his pants.

“I know but -"

“I can’t tell you anything about work.” He repeated with more emphasis and turned around. “If I were them I wouldn’t wait for him, there are plenty of other men out there.”

Anong looked him directly in the eye and understood what he was saying to her even if he didn’t exactly put it into words. She also knew that he wasn’t mad at her in any way. He understood she had to ask and she understood that he couldn’t talk about it. His job was at stake. Maybe more.

She watched him putting on his remaining clothes and eventually got up on her knees to check his tie. The rooms at Barbara didn’t have any mirrors for some weird reason so this became their little ritual because he hated looking sloppy.

As he walked up to the door she carefully asked: “You got nothing to do with it, right?”

Doyoung turned around, one hand on the door nod. “You know what I do for a living.” Then he paused, taking in the picture of the naked woman sitting on the disarranged sheets. This flawed woman that eventually got under his skin without him planning on it.

“You’re not one of the ones with children, right?”

Anong smiled softly. “You know what I do for a living.”

Navigation

[langdonwhore]

prophecized pain (michael x fem! reader)

Description: It turns out you aren’t the loyal satanist you thought you were, and Michael just so happens to be the one who brings that to light.

Note: Talk by Hozier is what inspired this honestly. This is my first Michael fanfic and I hope it’s up to par! I appreciate all forms of feedback! Let me know what you think.

Word Count: 1.7k (the rest of the chapters will be much longer!)

Warnings for this chapter include: Cussing.

Chapter One:

You noticed him walk in almost immediately, it was a shift in the air. He looked as if the world had almost legitimately put itself upon his shoulders. He was covered in dirt, and another substance you weren't too curious to think or ask about. His hair, heart, and soul disheveled and you felt as if you shouldn't be able to tell that about a person from their mere appearance. At least not at first glance. He had lost all hope, and you could feel it.

Far too caught up in your own head, you hadn't noticed he'd made his way to the pew you were sat at, plopping down with no mercy and staring straight ahead as the dark priest belted her beliefs to Satan's loyal followers. You snapped your head forward, careful to give the man his own sorrowed privacy. You chimed into the conversation the dark priest was arguing, laughable as it was really everyone was talking, discussing and comparing their own evil actions they had performed for their Dark Lord. Chewing your lip you raised an anxious arm to spill your latest duties, and when the dark priest called upon you, you spoke cautiously. "Lately I've been focused more on stealing money from celebrities and donating it to animal shelters." Hearing a few scoffs you curled in upon yourself. You knew the majority of the people who attended the Satanic Church were murderers, it didn't bother you because you knew they had a primal cause, a destiny to fulfill, but you weren't like most Satanists. Not really.

When the service was over you made your way to the snack deck, plopping grapes and blueberries into your mouth as everyone gathered and planned their next heists. Grabbing a cup full of juice you stared off about to take a sip when you noticed the same man from earlier was staring at the table full of sandwiches. He never made a move to grab one, eyes locked onto the snacks as if they were the forbidden fruits. Setting your pride.. and anxiety aside you took a few cautious strides towards him. He was terrifying in the most unexplainable ways. You cleared your throat and he made no move to turn towards you, only taking a deep breath and tapping his leather boot against the tile. You spoke hesitantly, "You know, you may be new, but these are for everyone and I can tell you're starving." You stepped forward to stand beside him, grabbing a plate and putting a few items onto it and gesturing it towards him. He made no move to take it from you, but turned his head toward you to scan your figure.

"You don't belong here." He spoke, turning his entire body towards you. You flinched away, something about his icy tone and stance had you uneasy. "Care to explain?" you asked him, setting the plate down, just to give him your full attention. He raised an eyebrow, and you could've swore he rolled his eyes. "You, as in the girl who steals money to donate it to fucking charities, does not belong here. You aren't fit to serve my Father when what he craves is chaos. He doesn't need charity work sweetheart, He needs bloodshed and innocence sacrificed to him. Acts of horror your little mind could never conjure up. I've sat in grief for days in the forest, just for him to guide me home and.." he paused and you took that moment to breathe. Catching glimpse of the blood splattered under his sleeves and over his black clothing that was days old at least. "people like you, who are unable to proudly shed blood upon His name aren't worthy of redemption."

You were stunned to say the least. He was steaming and whatever else had him upset before he even brought himself here was fueling him on. How dare he, a strange man you'd never met before, accuse you of not fulfilling your Satanic promise. Of course he was right, you had never shed blood or sold your soul. Far too terrified to get caught by the law and far too scared to bare your neck to the beast. The thought of it sending you spiraling into shame and how dare a stranger have the audacity. How dare he. "What makes you think I haven't fulfilled my promise? Do you always intend to insult strangers, or is that today's theme?" you barked back, trying to feign control.

He really did sigh and roll his eyes this time, entirely fed up it seemed. Running a dirty hand through his golden locks he snarled, "The one bad thing you've ever done is steal the money from that racist youtuber, but then you donated all three hundred million of it to the animal rescue center. You have yet to sacrifice your soul to my Father and then question me on my anger? You can't claim to serve him when you haven't given yourself to him fully. I'm fucking starving" He spoke as he snatched the plate off the table and walked out of the building, leaving you frozen and slack jawed. Never before had you been so confused, he referred to the Dark Lord as his Father, which wasn't unusual at all. Except, there was something about the way he referred to the beast. It was unholy, unwelcoming, and unsafe. You had never met such a strange, yet dark aura. His presence still lingered no matter where you ran to, even in bed late at night or in your early morning shower. The darkness was tainted and you could almost smell it.

Exactly a week later you were back at service, hoping the not so familiar face would stay hidden in whatever shadow he originated from. A week had passed and you still had felt the nagging sensation of what felt like paranoia ever since his stern prophesation to you. You had hoped dearly he wouldn't return, you had hoped he wouldn't taint your mind any further. Fear and curiosity embezzling itself into the depths of your mind. Oddly enough, you completely doubted that was the last time you'd ever see him. In fact you had an aching feeling inside that he was near. It was an overbearing feeling in your chest that had the hairs on the back of your neck astray, and the goosebumps littering your body, rigid. With a shaky body you made your way to your usual pew, noticing a pretty unusual commotion at the front alter. Oh no.

There he was, in all his unholy glory. Wearing a black robe, and clearly he had showered this time around. You were standing now, almost unconsciously making your way to the front, to him. You were prying, way too curious to care about the unforeseen consequences that you being nosy may bring. Then you heard it, "He's the one.." and you froze in place. Time had unbeknowingly stopped, to some that statement would be rather normal, rather funny really. He was the Father's son. He was the Antichrist. You didn't need proof, the prophecy was already proven from the aching fear you had felt for him since you first laid eyes upon him. The way he had ridiculed you for not being worthy of his Father's redemption. It all made sense now.

With wide eyes you took quiet steps back to your seat, hoping no one saw, and hoping no one could sense your distress. Looking up you caught sight of him, preparing to make sacrifice of a young man and woman. He raised the dagger, chanting a loud 'Ave Satanas' along with everyone else there. It took a good nanosecond before he sliced both of their throats, sending them to an unknown realm. It was catastrophic really, the upset feeling you had in your stomach as the blood poured out of their bodies. It was even worse when you realized he had been staring at you for who knows how long. His eyes were glazed over, a pale black as they tore into the deepest depths of your soul. You knew exactly what he wanted as his lip curled up in a little smirk that made you wildly uncomfortable. He wanted, craved almost, you to bare your neck to him. Hand him your soul on a silver platter like everyone else in the building had already. Idealistically you would, considering the main idea of the church was to literally serve him but was it really worth it? No. He'd have free reign to your subconscious, you're carnal desires and deepest regrets. Something so livid about that terrified you into denial.

As he smoothly stepped off the alter, you took that as your momentary sign to vacate the situation. Walking home to avoid being subjected to you're unwanted destiny. Maybe you'd decide to submit but was it really worth it if you had to hand it to him? His very aura had darkness and power you didn't want to dabble with. Comically, you'd rather not cause trouble but you knew if the true Son had been found, the world was soon to meet it's doom. Prophecies were always fulfilled, and soon this one would be too. Why fret over anything when everything would be over soon.

Late at night in bed you were woken to harsh thumps on your door, jumping up you grabbed your sheer black robe and tied a knot in it before checking the time. 3:00AM. You sighed before getting a baseball bat and walking to the front door, "Who is it?" you asked gripping the bat in fear of an intruder. But the hairs sticking up on the back of your neck spoke numbers.

There was a dark chuckle before the door creaked open on it's own, forcing you to stumble back. You raised the bat and prepared to swing, then you saw his face. "Oh. It's you." you sighed before dropping the bat and going to sit on the couch. He was dressed in all black, a turtleneck dress shirt accompanied by dress pants and mens boots. "Who else would visit you at the Devil's hour?" He strung, ice in his tone and trouble in his smile. Raising your hands in mock humor you let out a humorless laugh speaking, "I don't even know your name, yet you randomly show up to my house? Kinda predatory if you ask me." He didn't think that was funny. Not at all.

"Well I wasn't asking.. and my name is Michael Langdon. It's a displeasure to finally meet you."

[heart-eyes-kippen]

The pride hoodies

Hi! Here's another fluffy confession fic for anyone trying to cope with all of the angst lately (me! it's me!)

Summary: TJ and Cyrus wear matching pride hoodies to school. TJ has an annoying teammate. Drama (and fluff) ensues.

You can read it on AO3 here

[Fic is under the break]

Cyrus was walking through the mall with TJ when he saw them - the most adorable hoodies he had ever laid his eyes upon. Okay, so maybe they weren't the most adorable, but they were definitely up there if you asked him. 

 It was a warm Thursday afternoon and they were wandering aimlessly between shops, pointing out things they liked but never actually committing to buying anything. It was somewhat of a tradition for them, and Cyrus appreciated every moment he got to spend talking with TJ, but the hoodies had definitely stolen his attention away in that moment.

 Cyrus couldn't drag his eyes away from the window display as they walked past, the world moving a little slower as he took in every detail he possibly could. He knew he was probably being slightly dramatic, but in that moment he really couldn't care less. They were ridiculously cute, and he didn't think he had ever wanted an article of clothing so much in his life. 

 TJ, who had a casual arm thrown over Cyrus' shoulders, picked up on his distraction almost immediately. He was always particularly sensitive to changes in Cyrus’ demeanour, no matter how small, and it was a curse as much as it was a blessing.  

 A knowing smile came to his lips. “Whatcha lookin' at?"

 Cyrus was jolted out of his trance. 

 "Nothing," he responded, maybe a little too quickly because it had TJ raising an amused eyebrow.

 He stopped walking then, and Cyrus glanced about nervously at the swarms of people surrounding them as TJ pulled him aside, paying no mind to the annoyed glances they were receiving. He could feel his face heating up slightly at the attention - the mall suddenly felt a whole lot more overwhelming, with all of its bright flashing signs and bustling sounds.

 "TJ," he mumbled half-heartedly, fixing him with a glare. There wasn't any heat behind it though, and it had TJ smiling as he nodded his head towards the shop display.

 "They're cute," he commented.

 Cyrus bit his lip. "I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted, grabbing TJ's hand and tugging him lightly in the opposite direction. "let's keep walking."

 TJ gently pulled his hand back, folding his arms with an amused smile. "Oh come on, you clearly want one. Let's go inside and I'll get you one."

 Cyrus nearly gasped. "I'm not letting you do that!"

 "And why not?"

 He glanced about the mall again, feeling his face grow even warmer. "Because."

 TJ rolled his eyes and placed a light hand on Cyrus' back, steering him through the glass doors of the small clothing store. 

 "As your friend I'm obligated to buy you cute hoodies,” he declared, smiling even wider when Cyrus rolled his eyes.

 "I really don't think that's a thing."

 "It is now."

 Cyrus stopped arguing after that, partially because the thought of TJ wanting to buy him a hoodie was heart-melting and partially because yeah, okay - the they were in fact very cute.

 TJ dragged him through the first few isles, glancing back occasionally to make sure he hadn't lost the boy somehow. The store's walls were painted a pastel pink, with fairy lights strung along the displays and retro looking chairs sat outside the changing rooms at the back. There were a few other people browsing, and a very bored looking cashier tapping away at his phone. They arrived at the racks behind the window display, TJ shooting him an amused look as he rushed forward. 

 "They're even cuter up close!" Cyrus gushed, only to clap a hand over his mouth when he caught sight of the smirk on TJ's face.

 "I knew it."

 "Shut up," he responded playfully.

 TJ just smiled and ushered him forward. "Well go on then, try one on." 

 Cyrus hesitantly reached out to grab a hoodie, taking a few moments to examine it. It was the nicest pastel pink he had ever seen, with adorable little pride flags printed on the front. It was the type of thing he usually only saw online, so the fact that it was being displayed at a storefront amazed him. He supposed TJ was right - really, he was legally obligated to buy anything with a rainbow flag on it.

 He carefully took it off its hanger and slipped it over his head, wriggling into it for a few moments.

 "Taa-daa!" he announced once he had succeeded, flashing a pair of jazz hands. The sleeves were slightly long on him though, so only the tips of his fingers were visible.

 TJ grinned. "Now that's a look. There's no way we're walking out of here without one for you."

 Cyrus smiled bashfully at that.

 "What about you?" he asked quickly, attempting to deflect the focus.

 He winced as soon as the words had left his mouth and scolded himself internally for the suggestion.

 There was no way TJ would want to wear a pride jumper of all things. Not to mention that it would mean the possibility of them accidentally wearing it at the same time - that would be catastrophic.

 TJ just smiled though, taking the boy completely by surprise. "Yeah, actually. That'd be cool." 

 "Really?" Cyrus asked, not even bothering to hide his shock. "Isn't it a little too...you know..."

 "A little too what?"

 "Nothing," he assured, trailing off for a moment out of embarrassment. "It's just...what if we accidentally wear it at the same time?"

 TJ frowned. "What would be so wrong with that?"

 "Nothing! I guess I just thought you wouldn't want that. We might, you know...look like a pair of dorks."

 TJ looked visibly taken aback by that, clearly not expecting the words from him of all people. The momentary hurt that flashed across his face made Cyrus regret speaking at all. He looked like a wounded puppy at that moment, and it was the very last expression he ever wanted to see on TJ's face.

 "Is that what you think?" the boy asked, his voice soft.

 "Of course not!" Cyrus quickly attempted to back-track. "I'd totally love to be...hoodie buddies? Oh god, that sounds lame-"

 "Why don't we be hoodie buddies tomorrow then?"

 Cyrus was almost fully certain he felt his heart melt into a puddle right then and there. TJ actually wanted to wear matching pride hoodies?

 "Uh - sure! Totally!" 

 TJ smiled and shifted his gaze back towards the rack, sifting through a few of the sizes. He pulled one out after a few moments, draping it over his arm.

 "Okay - take yours off and I'll pay." 

 "I can pay for mine-"

 "No way, Cy. I was the one who suggested coming in here." 

 Cyrus just folded his arms, a stubborn pout forming on his face. "I was the one staring in the first place," he retorted.

 "Yeah - without the intention of buying."

 "But..." Cyrus trailed off as he pulled the jacket over his head, shaking his head slightly. 

 The athlete just rolled his eyes and plucked the hoodie out of his arms. "They're half-price, anyway. I'm buying them."

 Cyrus couldn't help but smile fondly, relenting with a small sigh and watching as TJ marched up to the counter, carrying both of their hoodies.

 He had officially come to the conclusion that TJ was trying to kill him. Seriously - matching pride jumpers? He could practically feel himself swooning.

 After a minute or so, TJ was bounding back towards him, a large paper bag swinging by his side.

 "Done! Let's go!"

 TJ wrapped his free arm around Cyrus' shoulders as they left the store, and the boy found himself wondering if there would ever be a time when the action didn't make his heart flutter.

 "So...are we still doing tomorrow?" TJ asked him, looking hesitant all of a sudden.

 "We're still doing tomorrow." he confirmed, smiling softly and giving the boy a playful nudge.

 ~

 Cyrus was in crisis mode on the walk to school the following day. Funnily enough, the chaotic swirl of storm clouds looming in the sky above him very much reflected how he felt at that moment. He was panicked beyond belief, and it was only worsening by the second. 

 Cyrus paused in his tracks for a moment, taking deep, purposeful breathes - he could already feel his forehead becoming damp with sweat, and his thinking was becoming more and more irrational. 

 TJ wouldn't even be wearing his jumper. Words were one thing, but actually wearing a pride jumper to school? That was another thing entirely, and he'd probably realised overnight what a mistake it was.

 Before he could get any more stressed out, he lifted the stupid pride hoodie over his head and stuffed it forcefully into the front pocket of his bag. 

 Along with the hoodie, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He walked through the school gates with a slight spring in his step, knowing there was no chance of humiliation when he inevitably saw TJ without his jumper.

 He crossed the basketball court and entered the school building, humming quietly to himself as he approached his locker and began to unlock it.

 "Hey - underdog!"

 His face paled slightly. He whirled around, fully prepared to apologise for ever suggesting the idea, but the words died on his lips when his eyes landed on the boy. 

 "...Oh."

 TJ was wearing the hoodie. TJ was actually wearing the hoodie.

 The athlete frowned. "Where's your hoodie?"

 Cyrus desperately tried to push away the memory of him asking Jonah a very similar question.

 "It's uh...it's in my bag. I didn't think you would wear yours." 

 "Why wouldn't I?"

 "Well, it's middle school...I didn't think you'd want to risk looking like..."

 "Looking like what?"

 He shifted nervously, a blush beginning to climb from the base of his neck up to his face. "A pair of dorks," he finished flatly.

 There was a surprisingly bright smile on TJ's lips now. "I'm pretty sure we're already dorks without the hoodies, and - for the record - we're definitely the cutest pair of dorks I know."

 A slow smile spread across Cyrus' face as he reached down to pull the hoodie out of his bag and slip it over his head. He spent a few moments wriggling into it, then he launched himself at TJ and hugged him as tightly as he could.

 "You're the best," he mumbled.

 TJ staggered back slightly, but he quickly steadied himself with a fond smile and wrapped his arms around Cyrus. 

 "I think you're the best actually," TJ corrected, his words slightly muffled. by Cyrus’ hair.

 The other boy was beaming as he pulled away. "Totally not true...but thanks."

 TJ opened his mouth to say something then, but someone beat him to it. 

 "Hey guys - nice hoodies!" 

 Cyrus immediately separated himself from TJ at the sound of Jonah's voice, his expression nervous.

 "Thanks...they're not too dorky for you, are they?"

 He honestly didn't know where the remark had come from, but he regretted it almost instantly. His tone sounded bitter even to him, and it clearly seemed to shock Jonah if his wide eyes were anything to go by.

 TJ looked between the two boys in confusion, before realisation swept over his face. He turned to Jonah, his gaze accusatory. "Did you say something to him?"

 Cyrus bit his lip and rested a placating hand on TJ's shoulder. 

 "It's fine TJ," he mumbled. "It was a while ago and I'm over it now, I don't even know why I-"

 "No. I shouldn't have said it."

 They both turned their gaze towards Jonah, so stunned that the words to respond had escaped them both.

 "I know it was a while ago, but I clearly hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to make you feel self-conscious, but...that's what I did. I'm sorry."

 Cyrus paused for a few moments, still processing, then he stepped forward with a smile and pulled the boy into a hug.

 "It's okay," he assured.

 Jonah hesitantly returned the smile as they pulled away. "So...wanna hang later?"

 "Yeah! That'd be great. Meet at The Spoon after school?"

 "Sure thing. I'll see you later, Cy." 

 Cyrus watched him walk away for a moment before turning to TJ, practically giddy with excitement. "He apologised for something! Wait until Andi hears about this." 

 TJ tried to match his enthusiasm, but he fell short drastically.

 "That's great!" he responded, but everything about the words seemed half-hearted. 

 Cyrus frowned. "Is something wrong?"

 "No," he said quickly. "Lets just go. You have English first, right?"

 "Yeah...but are you sure you're okay?"

 TJ's gaze flickered down to the ground for a brief moment, and he gave the boy a jerky nod.

 Cyrus raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Okay," he agreed, turning to walk away. "Let's go then."

 He began to leave then, but TJ reached out and gently grabbed his hand. Cyrus barely managed to conceal a smile at the action - walking away tended to do the trick. 

 TJ lowered his gaze to the floor, his cheeks a light shade of red and his hands fiddling nervously with the hem of his hoodie. He glanced wearily around at the nearby students. 

 "Do you still like him?" he asked, the words so quiet that Cyrus had to lean in slightly to catch them.

 It took him a few moments to register who TJ was referring to, but when he did his mouth fell open in shock. 

 TJ almost seemed...no. There was no way. 

 "No," he responded quickly, shocked that anyone could still think he liked Jonah. "I haven't for a while."

 "Oh." 

 Cyrus' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "...How did you find out about that?" 

 "I didn't really find out per se, I just kind of..."

 "Figured?" Cyrus finished, a smile on his lips.

 "Yeah," he breathed. "Sorry." 

 "Don't be," Cyrus assured, stepping forward and placing a careful hand on his arm. 

 He hesitated for a moment before adding "is there anything you wanted to tell me?"

 TJ vehemently shook his head, a light blush staining his cheeks again. "Nope! I was just...wondering." 

 It didn't take long for Cyrus to forget about TJ's odd behaviour as they headed to class, laughing and playfully bumping into one another as usual. If TJ's glances just happened to linger longer than they normally did, Cyrus didn't mention it.

 ~

 “Okay guys, we get it, you’re wearing matching hoodies and it’s cute, now can you please stop taking photos of yourselves?” 

 Cyrus gave Buffy an accusatory look at that. “What do you mean? We’ve only been doing this for...” he trailed off as he glanced down at his watch, his eyes widening. “20 minutes! TJ -  how have we been taking photos for 20 minutes?” 

 The boy just shrugged, clearly amused by the fact. “Snapchat filters are fun.” 

 “They are fun,” Cyrus agreed, pocketing his phone. “But we should probably start interacting with our friends.” 

 Andi laughed. “Oh, by all means - keep going! We’d love to hear more about how TJ looks ‘absolutely adorable’ with the dog filter, and how he should ‘definitely wear more lipstick if this filter is anything to go by’ and-“ 

 “Okay, okay, I hear you,” Cyrus grumbled, a blush warming his face as he glanced over at TJ. “It’s all true though, just so you know.”

 “I’ll look into the lipstick then,” the boy said with a laugh.

 “Don’t,” Buffy advised him. “I’m pretty sure Cyrus would die on the spot.”

 “Pfft wow okay, TJ is cute but he isn’t that cute,” Cyrus said. 

 TJ raised a hand to his chest, feigning offence. “What did you just say about me?” 

 “That you aren’t that cute,” the boy responded smugly. 

 TJ gasped. “Whatever happened to ‘wow TJ, you look so cute with that panda filter!’ and ‘oh my gosh TJ, this blue filter really brings out your eyes-‘“

 “Okay, you definitely added that ‘really’ in there,” Cyrus teased.

 “That doesn’t change the rest of the sentence!” 

 Cyrus and TJ rapidly fell into their own world as usual, all playful remarks, lingering looks and whispered jokes. Both Andi and Buffy found the duo nauseatingly sweet (and frustratingly oblivious) at times, but seeing Cyrus happy made almost anything worth it.

 The bell rang not long after that, sounded sharply within the corridors and bringing with it murmured complaints about subjects. 

 TJ let out a heavy sigh. “I have maths next,” he despaired. “Then I have that basketball game so I won’t even be able to talk to you.” 

 Cyrus felt his heart flutter at those words. 

 “Wellll, if you get through both of those things then I’ll buy you a milkshake tomorrow.” 

 “...Does the milkshake come with a hug?”

 “Duh.” 

 TJ smiled fondly. “How could I possibly say not to that, then?” 

 “I have no idea,” Cyrus said honestly, returning the smile as he gently tugged the boy to the side of the corridor. 

 Students were rushing past them now, and TJ watched in confusion as Cyrus produced a pen from his pocket and lifted the boy’s arm. It took him a minute or so, the drawing was slightly wobbly, but TJ’s smile still had the same level of adoration as it normally did whenever Cyrus drew on his arm.

 “There - now you have a small milkshake on your arm that you can look at to get through maths.”

 “What would I do without you?” TJ asked, only half-seriously. 

 “Well - you’d definitely be deprived of my questionable drawing abilities.” 

 “Your wonderful drawing abilities, you mean,” TJ corrected as they began walking again, their hands brushing slightly.

 “...Sure,” Cyrus smiled. “We’ll stick with that.” 

 ~

 "Hey - Goodman!" 

 Cyrus looked over at the basketball player in confusion, before giving him a hesitant wave. 

He was stood in the hall waiting for TJ to finish up in the change rooms, and he really didn't expect any of the other players to acknowledge him. Sure - he attended their games and he'd had the occasional small talk with some of them, but that was the extent of his relationship with the team. The dreary morning had given way to a rainy afternoon by now, and having a conversation with anyone but TJ after an exhausting week was admittedly the last thing on his mind.

 The boy approached him, and Cyrus gave him a polite smile. He spent a few desperate moments trying to recall his name, but he came up blank.

 "Nice hoodie," he commented. "TJ's wearing the same one, right?"

 "Uh - thanks! And yeah...he is," Cyrus responded, wincing slightly and bracing himself for whatever comment was coming next.

 "That's cute."

 "...I guess, yeah."

 "You do know why though, right?" 

 Cyrus gave him a blank look. "Why what?"

 "I mean - you know why he's so down to wear the same hoodie as you, right?"

 Cyrus felt his stomach turn uncomfortably at the words, not liking the implications he was already picking up in the slightest.

 "Yeah - because we're friends."

 The boy laughed. "Oh man, that's funny."

 "...What's funny about it?"

 The basketball player just chuckled and placed a hand on Cyrus' shoulder, shaking his head.

 "Bro. It's because he likes you."

 Cyrus' heart skipped a beat. He had expected something along those lines, but hearing the words aloud?

 "I know he likes me," he replied quickly. "I like him too."

 "I don't think you're getting it. TJ like likes you. As in - he wants to date you." 

 Cyrus just took a deep breath. This guy was obviously just messing around with his captain, he rationalised to himself.

 "I really don't think so," he said with an uncomfortable laugh.

 The boy scoffed. "Come on, man. Why else would he wanna wear matching jumpers? Only couples do that."

 "Because we're friends. Just friends! That's it."

 At that moment, he heard the hurried sounds of footsteps against the hard wood floor behind him, and his heart sank. He whirled around, only catching a glimpse of TJ as he pushed his way past the double doors and rushed down the corridor.

 He didn't bother calling out for him - if TJ was upset, he definitely wouldn't listen. All he could do for a moment was stand there, his mind reeling with about a billion different thoughts.

 He turned to the basketball player with a sarcastic smile. "Nice chat," he remarked, before running out after the boy to call his friends.

 ~

 [6:36 pm] 

 Cyrus: TJ. Can we please talk?

Cyrus: It's been a few hours now and I'm worried.

 [6:58 pm] 

 Cyrus: Please say something. 

 [7:08 pm] 

 Cyrus: Do I have to kick down your door? Because I will. Maybe. 

Cyrus: At least send a fullstop or something to let me know you're safe?

 [7:16 pm] 

 Cyrus: Are you mad? Did I do something?

Cyrus: Can we please talk about this?

 [7:36 pm] 

 Cyrus: Okay. Nice talk. 

 "It's no use," he sighed, throwing himself onto the couch with a defeated sigh. "He hates me now."

 Buffy collapsed down next to him, a sympathetic smile on her face. "He could never hate you, Cyrus. He's just being annoying right now."

 Andi gently leant over to rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping a supportive arm around her friend. "He'll call soon, don't worry."

 Cyrus bit his lip and looked down at Jonah, who was sat on the floor in front of them.

 "I'm sorry I was too busy worrying for us to hang out. Could we try again over the weekend?"

 The boy just smiled. "Of course we can! Don't worry about it, Cy."

 "Thanks," he breathed out, sinking further down on the couch. It was still raining, and he found a strange sense of comfort in the fact that the weather seemed to be reflecting his mood. The grey sky outside was giving his living room a washed out appearance, and Buffy seemed to realise this because she got up suddenly and closed all the curtains, flicking on the warm lamps around the room one by one.

 "I have all the episodes of Queer Eye downloaded on my laptop," she told Cyrus as she moved around the room. "How about we watch some?"

 She smiled knowingly when he immediately perked up, straightening in his seat with an excited grin.

 "Yeah! Let's do that."

 "Great! I'll go get my-"

 The words died on Buffy's lips when the sound of sharp knocking filled the living room.

 Cyrus turned to Andi, who gave him an excited nod, then to Jonah, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up, then to Buffy, who shook her hood in amusement and gave him a playful smack on the arm as she passed the couch. 

 "Go! And stall for a bit - we have to escape through the backdoor." 

 Cyrus nodded frantically and rushed through the living room, straightening his hair and his clothes as he went. He reached the front door and practically flung it open, realising too late that he probably looked slightly desperate.

 "I'm so sorry if I did anything or if what that guy said upset you, I promise I don't believe him-“ 

 TJ just surged forward and hugged the boy, who happily wrapped his arms around the athlete's neck and buried his face in the fabric of his hoodie. It was damp from the rain, but Cyrus couldn't care less in that moment. 

 "You have nothing to apologise for. I was the one being stupid." 

 "You're not stupid," came the muffled reply.

 TJ smiled fondly, before stepping back with a small sigh. "I really am sorry if I made you worry."

 "It's fine-"

 "It's not though," he interrupted, shifting his gaze towards the ground. He hesitated for a moment, clearing thinking over something in his head.

 "I was just scared," he added, his voice much softer now.

 Cyrus felt his heart break at that. He barely resisted the urge to move forward and try to comfort the boy somehow. 

 "Scared of what?" he asked instead.

 TJ returned his gaze to Cyrus. For a moment or two it looked as though he was searching for something - trying to psych himself up somehow. 

 "Scared that you might hate me," he explained after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. Cyrus recognised the action - TJ would usually did this to prevent himself from nervously fiddling with his clothes. 

 Cyrus frowned. "Why would I hate you? I could never hate you."

 “You might after I tell you this," TJ said with a slight laugh.

 "Try me," he responded, his voice sounding a lot more confident than he felt.

 TJ took a small step forward, and Cyrus could say for certain that he had never felt his heart race quite so fast. The rain was still pouring down behind TJ, splashing loudly against his driveway, but somehow he wasn't focused on that. Not when TJ was right there, his breathes slightly ragged and his gaze hesitant as it met Cyrus’. 

 "Adam wasn't wrong," he breathed out. "I like you."

 "...You do?"

 "Yeah. Like - a lot," he said, visibly drawing back as though expecting some kind of outburst.

 Cyrus was beaming at him now. He stepped forward slightly to close some of the distance between them. "Do you wanna know a secret?" 

 A hesitant smile began to tug at TJ's lips. "What is it?" he asked, visible hope on his face now.

 "I like you a lot too."

 He let out a sigh of relief and moved forward to engulf the boy in another hug. Cyrus wrapped his arms around TJ's neck for balance and stood up on his tippy-toes, placing a quick kiss on the athlete's cheek.

 TJ's face visibly reddened at that, looking both giddy and amazed in the most adorable way possible. Cyrus felt warm wrapped up like this, despite the icy breeze that had accompanied the afternoon rain.

 He caught sight of the smudged milkshake drawing on TJ’s arm as they pulled away, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

 He took both of TJ’s hands. “So...I was thinking,” 

 “About what?” the boy asked, glancing briefly down at their hands as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

 “I still owe you that milkshake, and the carnival is still in town tomorrow, so how about a milkshake-carnival date? We could get some take-out from the spoon in the morning and head to the carnival from there.”

 TJ’s smile widened. “It’s a date.” 

 They remained like that for a few moments, completely caught up in one another, until a muffled yelp from Cyrus’ house alerted them to fact that they weren’t alone. 

 "You guys are complete liars!" Cyrus called over his shoulder.

 TJ watched in bewilderment as Buffy, Andi and Jonah all emerged from around the corner, looking guiltily at the duo.

 Jonah pointed an accusatory finger at the other two. "It was entirely their idea!"

 "Hey - it was raining!" Andi defended. 

 Buffy threw them both an amused glance and rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to see if I needed to beat TJ up for hurting your feelings. Turns out I don't, because - as everyone has known for about 10 years now - you both like each other!"

 Cyrus couldn't help but smile again at those words, while TJ just folded his arms and raised a challenging eyebrow.

 "You think you could beat me in a fight, Driscoll?"

 "Yeah, I do actually. Wanna go right now?"

 "Sure. What kind of fight are we talking here?"

 "Absolutely not," Cyrus interrupted, always the voice of reason. "We are not going to fight when my parents could come home at any second. In fact - we're not going to fight at all!"

 TJ immediately nodded. "Yeah. What Cyrus said."

 Buffy gave him an exasperated look, but she nodded along anyway. "Fine."

 "Good! Now - who wants to watch Queer Eye?"

 Everyone but TJ groaned.

 "Cyrus, we've seen both seasons about a billion times," Buffy complained. "And you're not upset anymore, so don't you dare use that as an excuse." 

 "So? It never gets old!"

 "It's very re-watchable," TJ agreed. 

 Cyrus beamed at him, turning to Buffy again with a smug smile. "See?"

 "Yeah," she scoffed. "Because he's not biased at all."

 He pointedly ignored the comment and took TJ's hand, pulling him inside and closing the front door behind him. He tugged him towards the living room after that, and the trio looked after them in mild disbelief. 

 "I'm pretty sure he's the biggest suck up ever," Buffy remarked.

 Andi nodded in agreement. "Is this what we're going to have to live with?" 

 Jonah watched Cyrus and TJ for a moment, thinking back to how defensive TJ had been earlier that day at the notion of anyone hurting Cyrus' feelings. He couldn't help but smile.

 "Eh, let 'em live. They clearly like each other a lot - it's cute if you ask me."

 He walked into the living room after Cyrus and TJ, leaving Andi and Buffy to exchange a small smile.

 "I guess he's right," Andi relented. "They are pretty cute."

 Buffy nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders as they made their way to the living room. 

 "As long as Cyrus is happy, then I'm happy."

[musicalluna]

Hi! Sorry to hear that you're having a hard time. I'm just coming off a depression dip myself, so I'd love it if you could write some just incredibly fluffy Steve/Tony. Like one or the other having a No Good Very Bad Day and the other one just supporting them and loving them and reminding them that it's okay to feel shitty and things will be alright? Bonus points if it involves sappy reminders of how much they love each other and all the praise and affirmation. And I hope you feel better!

depression is such a brat. i hope this is something like what you were hoping for

–

At seven-thirty whenSteve had gotten back from his morning run, JARVIS had notified himhe had a text from Pepper.

He’d read it aloudwhile Steve guzzled water in the kitchen.

“Redalert. Today is a trainwreck.”

“Uhoh,” Steve had said, still breathing heavily. “It’s early forthat.”

“Indeed.”

Tony’sday doesn’t improve. Pepper updates Steve periodically via text,mostly with phrases like, Oh god.

Today is acatastrophe.

I’m glad he’scoming home to you.

Fromthe sound of things, it’s just one disaster after another. Stevedecides the best option is to be there to pick Tony up at the end ofthe day. He coordinates with Pepper to make it work.

It’safter nine when the car pulls up in front of the restaurant whereTony’s dinner meeting took place. He steps out to wait.

It’shot out, but the breeze is cool. Steve is glad that he’s had arelatively ordinary day because it means his emotions are even-keeland he can focus on Tony and soothing him.

Thedoor to the restaurant opens, letting out a burst of the clamorinside and Tony. He’s with another man in a suit and he’s laughing,but Steve can hear the strain in it. He doesn’t think it’s the manhimself so much as Tony being exhausted.

Evenlike this he’s beautiful and Steve smiles, watching and waiting.

Tonyand the other man shake hands and exchange farewells and cheekkisses. Then the other man walks away and hails a cab and Stevewatches Tony deflate.

Stevegives him a moment just to breathe and then approaches, hands in hispockets. “Need a lift?”

Tonylooks up, strain and weariness lining his face, and then he seesSteve and he breaks into a tired smile. “Steve.”

“Hi.Pepper said you had a rough day.”

Tonysnorts. “Well, it wasn’t in my top five worst ever.”

“Oh,”Steve says mildly, “well, then it wasn’t bad at all, was it?”

He’sproud of the little bark of laughter that ekes out of Tony. He holdsout a hand and reels Tony in when he takes it, kissing the corner ofhis mouth softly. Tony’s eyes flutter closed and he lets his headfall forward, coming to rest on Steve’s chest. “Today sucked.”

“I’msorry,” Steve says, laying his cheek against the top of Tony’shead. He rubs Tony’s back in slow circles, feeling him breathe outhis stress. “Can I take you home?”

“Ifyou leave me here, I’m breaking up with you.”

Steveguides him over to the car and opens the door for him, handing himinside. When he follows, Tony is slumped in the seat, head back,pulling at his tie.

“TheTower, please,” Steve requests as he closes the door behind him.Then he raises the partition.

Tonypulls the tie up toward the roof, tipping his head to the side. “Helpme out here, huh?”

“CaptainAmerica doesn’t do that kind of thing,” Steve says with a straightface.

“CaptainAmerica is a goddamn liar,” Tony grumbles. He tosses the tie on thefloor and starts stripping off his jacket. When he struggles, Stevecatches hold of it and helps him get it off. The shirt comes next andSteve can’t help the way he watches as his arms and shoulders arerevealed.

Tonycatches him looking and his mouth flickers up in a smirk. “Really?Now?”

Steveshrugs. “I like looking at my guy. He’s a good-looking fella.”

Tonyhuffs and looks down at his lap.

Stevetakes Tony’s hand and pulls him in until he lists to the side andlets his head come to rest on Steve’s shoulder.

“Thanks,”he says after a moment of quiet. “For coming. Made things better.”

Stevenods and draws him into a kiss that’s feather-light. No pressure, nodemanding, just the soft touch of their lips and their breathmingling. He strokes Tony’s cheek. “You make the world better. It’sthe least I can do.”

Tony’sface twists and he looks away. “I really can’t handle you sayingthings like that when I’m this wiped.”

“Sayingthings like what? The truth? How many people’s lives did you changetoday? How many people did you help? How many did you protect?”

“Ithink I did more of the opposite,” Tony mutters and starts to pullback. Steve refuses to let him.

“No,Tony. I know you had a bad day and probably whatever happened broughtto your attention mistakes you’ve made, but you’re going to fix them,aren’t you? You’ll do better in the future, because you always do.You’re building a better future one day at a time and I am so luckythat I get to be here and stand by you through it.”

“Fuck,”Tony whispers and Steve catches a glimpse of the tears in his eyesbefore he buries his face in Steve’s shoulder, fingers tighteningaround Steve’s.

Stevekisses the crown of his head. “It’s okay to feel lousy about howtoday went, and about things you’ve done that maybe weren’t so good.But you’re a good man. You’ll make things right and then you’ll makethem better. That’s one of a thousand reasons why I love you.”

Hecan tell he’s overwhelming Tony, so he stops, letting his fingerstrail back and forth lightly over Tony’s knuckles. Tony’s self-esteemis simultaneously sky high and rock bottom and more often than notthe rock bottom wins out. There are certain things Tony isunshakably, to a fault, confident in, but none of them cover hisbasic decency. As brash and callus as he can seem, Tony is one of themost sensitive, thoughtful people Steve’s ever met. He never stopslooking for a solution or a way to help as many people as he can andit had been humbling for Steve to realize that not only was it notalways necessary to lay down on the wire, but it wasn’t even alwaysthe best option. Tony makes him see past those blind spots.

Stevesighs. “I’m not…good at this.”

Tonysnorts into his shoulder. “You’re so earnest it physically painsme, Rogers.”

Steveused to think he’d done something wrong when Tony started calling himby his surname again, but he’s since realized it’s something Tonydoes when he’s feeling particularly vulnerable. He does it todisguise how he really feels.

“SoI should keep telling you how incredible you are?” Steve says andTony snickers wetly.

“Byall means.”

SoSteve does.