#THE DEVIL IS ON MY SHOULDER TELLING ME TO MAKE A VIDEO GAME

[monstertsunami]

shaking and throwing up imagining a short and sweet low poly video game set in the zone . one thats not focused on combat or "exploration" in the video game sense but more of just. the vibes. oh it would be so cool for the anomalies to be as unpredictable and ever-changing as they are in stalker. probably playing as a stalker guiding two clients through the zone, trading thematic dialogue as you work your way to the Room..... yet game development scares me :(

[natimiles]

Not fair! (Leviathan x reader)

Summary: Alone in your room, you use a quiet afternoon to do some personal errands. It’s a lot faster when there aren't demons trying to get your attention. So you go to Levi’s room for some quality time.

Words: 1207

Tags: teasing, but sfw. Romance, fluffy, established relationship; no pronouns for reader.

Crossposted on AO3.

You’re alone in your room and the house is strangely quiet for a Saturday. It’s usually so noisy that you can't even hear your own thoughts, but not this time. You know Lucifer’s at the castle, probably working again; Satan should be reading at that new cat cafe; the twins are at Purgatory Hall, because Beel overheard Luke saying that he wanted to bake a new recipe and invited himself to taste test — and Belphie tagged along because he said the sofa there is really comfy for afternoon naps; and Mammon and Asmo had a photoshoot together. Levi’s the only demon in his room, probably busy watching anime or playing that new game he bought. 

So you decide to use all that free and silent time to do some personal errands, like organize the closet and do homework. But it’s a lot faster to do everything you want when there aren't demons trying to get your attention or fighting each other in the hallway or breaking into your room to hide from a very angry Lucifer — who punished you as an accomplice for hiding the fugitive, even though you had no idea what was happening.

“And now what?” you think loudly while scanning your room. 

Sighing, you throw yourself on your bed and reach for you D.D.D. on the nightstand. There’s a notification from Devilflix that catches your attention: the premiere of the final season of your favorite series! You made Levi watch every episode with you a while ago and he kinda liked it. He even said that he wants to watch it with you when the new season is released. You check your messages but there’s nothing new. If he hasn’t texted you, it means he hasn’t even seen the notification yet. 

You head to the kitchen, grab a few snacks and make a beeline to Levi’s room. 

"Leeevi! Open up, please!” His door is always locked, so he made up this special secret knock just for you. It also serves as a password: whenever you needed to go there, you just had to knock at the rhythm he taught you, and the door would unlock. At first, he was startled every time you did it, but now he was so used to you entering his room whenever you wanted that he couldn’t help but frown in confusion when he heard a series of bangs on his door and your voice calling out for him. “My hands are full and, apparently, my feet can’t knock.”

"Oh!" he exclaims and, with a flick of his wrist, he opens the door. "Why didn’t you text me or something?"

“Sorry, I didn’t really think…” You kick the door closed and place the snacks by the beanbags beside him. Levi’s playing a video game and is trying to look at you, but looks like he’s in a very important part of the game. You bite your lip nervously. “Are you too busy right now?”

“No, no! It’s just that I could help you with all that if you texted me.” He senses you're a bit agitated but can't quite pin down the reason. His guts tell him that something's off, but at the same time, he's aware it might just be his own anxiety acting up. “Is everything ok?”

"All good." You kneel down behind him and place your hands on his shoulders. "Finished up all my errands and needed to come see you. Is that alright?”

"O-of course…" He’s been your boyfriend for a while now, but he still blushes when you’re close. It’s endearing.

You smirk and bring your face closer, resting your chin on his left shoulder. He can feel your breath, and it's making him nervous, but he's almost done with this phase and can't risk losing all his progress. He glances at you from the corner of his eye and almost dies when he realizes that you aren't watching him play; you’re staring at him.

“W-what is it?”

“Nothing.” You smile. Oh, you little devil. He senses your gaze tracing over him. His hands tremble, and he has to be careful not to press the wrong button. “I just wanted to come here. Like really wanted.” You move your hands down his elbows, applying just the right amount of pressure, then up his shoulder again, and he feels goosebumps all over his body.

“Ok…” He manages to say after a few seconds of silence. “I’m… I’m almost done here.”

You hum in agreement in his ear and his entire face blushes. You adore seeing Levi like this; sometimes, he flushes all the way up his ears, and it's such a lovely sight.

“Just be as quick as possible.” You begin massaging him, just the way you know he loves. You feel his body tense up and then melt beneath your fingers. “I need you.” You whisper in his ear and he’s tense again.

"I… I…" He's trying to say something while attempting to finish this stupid game soon. Why is this part so long? It feels like decades!

"Like a miracle, the 'save' message appears on the screen, signaling that it’s safe to turn off the game.

"Finally!" You move to his right side, letting your hands slide down his body. You bring your face closer and plant a quick kiss on his cheek, enough to make Levi feel like his whole body is set on fire.

"M-MC..." He takes a deep, shaky breath.

"We can finally do what I planned..." You lean over Levi and place your right hand on the floor in front of his body. He can feel his heartbeat in his ears, holding his breath. But as swiftly as your body approaches, it begins to move away, leaving him utterly confused. You raise your hand and reveal the TV remote you picked up from the floor, a smile spreading across your face. "The last season of my favorite series premiered a few hours ago. You said you wanted to watch it with me!"

"Wait, what?" He's astonished, to say the least. You're already searching for the series on Devilflix, wearing the worst evil smile on your face. He hates it when you tease him. "Did you... Was it..."

“I’m sorry, Levi, but you are soooo much fun to tease.” You laugh and he pouts.

"It's not fair, MC! I-it's not fair at all!" He grimaces and crosses his arms, though he's clearly not mad, just embarrassed.

"I'll make it up to you. Come here." You pat your lap invitingly.

“You bet you will.” He falls backward into your lap, resting his head on your thighs. “You’re so unfair sometimes.”

He's still mumbling his complaints when the series starts, and you silence him by running your fingers through his hair. You notice he's still looking at you, so you lean down and plant a chaste kiss on his lips.

“I’ll do more for you after we watch at least this episode. I promise.”

He huffs and turns to his side, watching the TV — or at least trying. But he's acutely aware of your fingers still stroking his head and your soft thighs beneath his cheek. He'll have a hard time trying to focus, so you better keep your promise.

Masterlists

[bloodandthestars]

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒.

priest!au suguru geto x fem!reader

tw/tags: mentions of the Bible, Christianity (it is solely picked for plot nothing more, nothing less), etc :: introduction to JUDAS, kinktober drabble series (mdni)

wc: 1.3k :: masterlist. :: next part.

The Geto family was a devout and honorable one. Generations upon generations did the men of the house dedicate their lives to reach the word of the Heavenly Father. Suguru’s route was no different— crooked, but narrow on the holy path.

He’d become the father of the church months ago, to herd the congregation into a fruitful community. Pressure weighed heavy at his shoulders, but in the end, he knew it was for the best. Wasn’t it?

“And while we are tempted by the devil in more ways than one.” His smooth voice went on. “It’s the persistence, the strength, and the true power of the Lord’s light that keeps us on the divine path.”

Suguru takes a glance to his notes, a finger moving from one page to the next. “As Peter 5:10 states: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

It earns him a few hums in agreement and ‘Amens’ from the crowd. He takes a breath. “So know that the obstacles in your path now, the ones you pray to be vanquished, may be the key to your own glory. For your glory, is His.”

The crowd rumbles in cheers and claps. Suguru gives the room a smile. With a slow glance around the room, he takes in all their excited faces full of hope to hear the Holy word through him. It was these same old faces he had gotten used to seeing in the worn pews of the church. The same ones he’d run around with his best friend as a child when services were over. Everything remained as it was, as it was suppose to be.

So that’s why his breath unconsciously hitched when meeting your gaze.

Your eyes were new. He’s never seen them cry in the name of repentance, never seen them look at him like he was the Messiah himself. Not even now in the mists of a worshiping crowd. Your expression was poise, calm— orbs slender in observation.

You cut the staring short, looking ahead instead. It’s only then when he can hear the clapping back at full volume. Suguru blinks a few times to return, eyes going down to the timeline in his writings. “And with that, we’ll end today’s service with a prayer.”

The congregation bows their heads in unison. He catches how you were much slower in doing so. Keeping his eyes on you cautiously, he speaks a worthy word to his people. “O’ Might One, we thank you for allowing us to celebrate you on this day. Your spirit is poured out onto this place every Sunday morning and we could ask for nothing more...”

With the service finished, church goers socialize amongst one another. Greetings, catchings of last night’s game, news that the youngest born has ridden a bicycle for the first time. Suguru always had an ear to their happenings, not that he had much of a choice. As soon as his dress shoes hit the carpet floor, he’s instantly surrounded by a group of parishioners. As always, they wanted to make their priest happy and see him smile.

A older woman clasps his hand in hers, squeezing it with a pleasant expression. “An excellent sermon, as always Father Geto!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kasaki-”

“Did I tell you about little Callie’s recital?”

He chuckles. “Yes, last week. She had practice then, correct?”

“Oh yes! It was a dress rehearsal, her big debut was this last Saturday. She was so adorable in her purple tutu! And she only picked that because she’s growing out of that pink phase, little thing. Oh! Let me grab my phone-”

A low quality video later, one handshake leaves for another. “Pastor! Did you see the new restaurant down the street that they’re building up?”

“No? I don’t think I have.”

“Oh yeah, I think it’ll be a new fusion place. Never knew that they had stuff like that!” A hearty laugh comes straight from the man’s belly and Suguru’s obliged to laugh as well.

“We’ll have to see if we can get the church together for its opening.”

“I’ll see if I can put a word in.”

“There you go, Pastor!”

And another. “Father, did you ever get the chance to look at my inquiries on raising funds for the elementary school?”

“The box tops, yes?”

“Mhm! When will you get started?”

“We can have something up by Wednesday.”

Another. “Father Geto! I just have to get your opinion on this recipe for the potluck-”

Another. “Give your parents a big hug for me won’t you! It’s been so long since I’ve seen them-”

And another. “And this is little Devon! He’ll be staying with me for the summer and he’s already enjoying the kids church service-”

Hands come and go within his grasp as he speaks with each one of them as they trail out. His father told him it was a way to build trust and community, and who was he to argue with the face of the church?

As he wishes one of the elderly women goodbye, Suguru keeps a watchful eye on her when she goes down the stairs. He turns back, starting a little when he’s met with your presence incoming. His body straightens up and you stand in front of him. “Father Geto?”

“That it is.”

Your hand extends in his direction. “Beautiful service. You have many who think the same.”

His eyes lower to your hand, glancing up to you when he takes it. The larger one warms your grasp. He lets out a soft breath. “I appreciate the flattery.”

You raise a brow at him. “Can’t be flattery, after all, your admirers would disagree too.”

Your words earn another exhale, this time with a faint laugh behind it. His slender eyes keep to yours, can’t finding himself to look away. Curiosity eats at him to ask. “If you don’t mind my asking, but are you new in town?”

“I am.” You answer politely. “My mother grew up here, wanted me to see her roots.”

“I’ll be the one to tell you that her roots were made in quite a small place.”

You chuckle softly. “Oh I’m quite aware. Still, it was one of the things she wanted us to do together before she passed.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

He watches you glance down at each other’s hands. Seeing that they’re still connected, the pastor pulls it away— hoping you wouldn’t notice how quick he did it. His eyes were lowered, so they had no choice but to follow upward. That meant scanning over your body and attire— a turtleneck dress and high boots with stockings. He straightens when his eyes reach your face. “And you are?”

You give him your full name, and he repeats it back to you. “It’s lovely.”

“Thank you.” You repeat.

Eventually, you head to the church doors. He follows behind as you were the last to leave. You turn back to give a final glance and him a final goodbye. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Father.”

“Likewise. I hope you to see your return to the church soon.”

“Perhaps.”

Your gazes never leave each other when he goes to shut the doors. The wooden beings echo with their closed status, knocking the air back into his lungs. His brows furrow. Why did he take notice to your clothing?

You dress nice, that’s all. The father shuts his eyes, shaking his head as he goes to tidy the pews.

[munson-blurbs]

Hello! Would it be alright to request something where the reader joins Hellfire because she wants to get closer to and spend more time with Eddie and all of the guys figured that out except for Eddie who remains completely oblivious till the end?

Warnings: lil bit of language, fluffy fluffy fluff with a smidge of angst, fem reader

WC: 1.3k

A/N: this combines two of my favorite fluff tropes--clueless Eddie x clueless Reader in love + meddling friends <3 let me know what you think!

--

It was actually Robin's idea for you to join Hellfire.

You'd been working at Family Video with her and Steve for the last few months, trying to save up some money for college. It's where you'd formed a friendship with the unlikely duo.

It's also where you'd gotten to know Eddie Munson.

He'd come in a couple of times a week, mostly just to talk to Steve and Robin, though he'd occasionally rent a movie. Your heart fluttered every time he'd come in and lean against the counter, biceps flexing under his denim jacket.

"Y/N, this is Eddie Munson," Steve had introduced you the first time he came in during your shift. "Munson, this is Y/N. Be nice to her, please."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'm always nice, Harrington," he retorts, "especially to pretty girls."

You'd felt a heat creep up your neck. You didn't say much for the rest of the evening, but you listened intently as he talked about the Dungeons & Dragons campaigns he was planning. You were smitten.

After months of watching you make heart eyes at the gorgeous metalhead, Robin puts her hands on her hips and says, "Oh my God, just ask him out already!"

"Me?" you squeak. "Ask him out?" You shook your head. "I don't even know if he likes me."

"Well, let's ask the jury," she replies, turning to Steve. "Has Munson said anything about Y/N?"

Steve nods. "He thinks you're really cute, but quiet. Wants to get to know you better."

"How do I do that?" you ask, basically pleading for an answer.

Robin purses her lips, considering. "What about joining Hellfire?"

"I've never played DnD before, though," you protest. "Aren't they, like, experts?"

"So he can teach you! It's perfect." She claps her hands together.

~

The next time Eddie comes into Family Video, Robin doesn't waste any time.

"Hey, Munson," she calls him over, "Y/N wants to learn how to play DnD. Got any room in that devil cult of yours for a new player?"

His eyes widen. "Uh, yeah, of course. Always." He looks at you. "You've really never played?"

"No," you admit shyly, "but it sounds like fun. At least from how you describe it."

Eddie flashes a huge grin. "Well, we meet on Fridays right after school in the drama room, if you can make it."

Robin cuts in before you can respond. "Yeah, but she needs someone to teach her how to play before she just jumps right in," she bats her eyelashes at Eddie and puts her hands on your shoulders.

"Oh!" he says. "Are you free tomorrow after school? We can hang out in the library or somethin'."

"She's free," Robin says for you, smiling from ear to ear.

~

But when you show up to the library the next day, Dustin Henderson and Mike Wheeler are there in Eddie's place.

"Y/N, right?" Mike asks, continuing when you nod your head. "Eddie said you needed someone to teach you game rules."

"Oh, uh," you stammer, trying to hide your disappointment, "y-yeah. I was thinking about joining Hellfire."

"You wanna join Hellfire but you've never played DnD?" Mike questions suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

Dustin's jaw drops. "You like Eddie!" he shouts. "Oh my God, you like Eddie!"

"Shut up!" you hiss. "Y'know what? Never mind. I shouldn't have let Robin convince me this was a good idea."

"No, wait!" Dustin clears his throat. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I just got excited because Eddie keeps talking about how sweet and pretty you are and..."

"We can teach you," Mike jumps in, saving Dustin from further rambles.

"Thank you," you smile gratefully. "Please don't tell Eddie that I like him." He may have complimented you to his friends, but he couldn't even be bothered to show up today, so how did he really feel about you?

Mike and Dustin nod, with zero intention of keeping that promise.

~

Eddie's sitting on his bed, strumming his guitar mindlessly, when he's startled by a pounding on his trailer door.

"Eddie! Open up!" Dustin screeches. "Open this door!"

Eddie flies out of the room, expecting the kid to be in imminent danger. Instead, Dustin is completely fine, just annoyed.

"Henderson, I thought you were dying!" Eddie exhales, putting his hands on his knees and scowling.

"No, but I'm about to kill you!" Dustin shouts.

That kid has one volume: loud, Eddie thinks. "Why? What'd I do?"

Dustin sighs. "You sent me and Mike to teach Y/N. But she likes you and you like her, you dumbass!"

"Wait, what?" Eddie can't hide his smile. "I thought she was afraid of me."

"Why would you think that?" Dustin asks, exasperated.

"Because!" Eddie sputters. "She barely talks to me when I visit her at work, which is all the time, and Robin was the one who had to set up the whole Hellfire thing. I thought I was doing her a favor by leaving her alone!"

"She's not scared," Dustin explains. "She's nervous. Because she LIKES you!" When Eddie just stares at him, shell-shocked, he orders: "Go fix it, idiot!"

Eddie nods, grabbing his jacket. "Is she still at the library?"

"Yeah, she's with Mike. I caught Steve before he drove Robin home and asked him to drop me off here. Told Y/N that I left my rulebook at home."

"Okay," Eddie says. His heart feels like it'll pound right out of his chest.

Dustin claps a hand on his back. "Let's go get you a girlfriend, big guy."

~

Mike is trying to explain the different creatures and how they interact during gameplay while Dustin runs back home to grab his book. Your head is spinning with information, but you're trying your best to follow along.

Your concentration is broken by the library doors flinging open. Dustin's back; this time, with a surprise guest.

"Eddie." You feel like the wind's been knocked out of you. "I thought you were busy."

"N-no, I..." he looks over at Dustin sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Christ, do I have to do everything around here?" Dustin rolls his eyes. "Fine. Eddie thought you were afraid of him because you don't talk to him when he visits you at Family Video."

"Oh," you say with a giggle, because the idea is so ridiculous. "No, I'm not afraid of you, Eddie."

"I told you!" Dustin yells, immediately shushed by the librarian. He nudges Mike, and they leave you and Eddie alone.

"So if you're not scared of me," Eddie starts, biting his lower lip shyly, "why don't you talk to me?"

"I guess, you do scare me, in a way," you mumble. "But because I'm afraid of saying something stupid in front of you."

"In front of me?" He laughs. "I'm the king of saying dumb things. Just ask...well, any of my friends."

You laugh, too, feeling a bit lighter. "Yeah, but you look cute when you say dumb things." Did you really just say that?

Eddie looks just as surprised as you feel. "You think I'm cute?"

You can only nod, unable to make eye contact.

"Well," he says finally. "If you think I'm cute, and I think you're cute, then we should probably do something about that."

Your head snaps up at that. "You think I'm cute?" Sure, Steve had said that Eddie thought that, but you never believed he was telling the truth.

"Sweetheart," Eddie takes your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. "I like talking to Buckley and Harrington, but not enough to visit them that much." He clears his throat and smiles. "D'you wanna grab some pizza or somethin'?"

"Only after you teach me how to play DnD," you tell him. "You look extra cute when you talk about your campaigns."

Eddie sighs contently. Oh, he's falling fast for you.

--

[ladylooch]

can you do another nico smut please? 🤭 what my world spins around lives rent free in my head

Omg, this has to be the best compliment you can give to a writer! 🥹Thank you so much! Like, you’re telling me, you’re out doing mundane Monday things and you think of Nico at the kitchen counter turning into an absolute hoe? I have peaked!

Since you brought up What My World Spins Around, this one is part of that au.

I'm happy to provide us with the Nico smut we all need. Thank you for requesting this!

Word Count: 1.2k

I love dating the captain of an NHL team, really.. I do. There are so many wonderful things in our lives because of his job: fancy dinners, endless supply of event tickets, an incredible apartment, and financial freedom I couldn’t have imagined before him.

But there are some things that really get under my skin and he’s currently doing one of them.

My eyes trail away from my book, lifting to Nico at the kitchen island in our New Jersey apartment. The Devils have already clinched their playoff spot after an electric season. Someone should give my boyfriend the memo. The other Devils have eased into a period of relaxation and contentment. They are content with the knowing of having their ticket punched for the postseason. They’re revving in that joy and believe It’s okay to take the foot a bit off the accelerator to enjoy time with their families before the true craziness begins.

Captain Nico Hischier could never. Instead of cozying up to me on the couch, he’s spending our Sunday night scrubbing through game video on his iPad.

I let out a purposefully loud sigh, rolling my head from side to side to stretch my neck. Nico’s eyes lift briefly to me, watching as I take out the scrunchy holding my hair in place. I scratch at my scalp letting out a soft moan. His eyes trail down the simple v-neck shirt I’m wearing before returning to the iPad. I narrow my gaze at him. He’s going to play hard to get tonight.

I toss my book to the side, standing to stretch my arms above my head. Nico’s eyes trail slowly away from the iPad again, attaching to the slice of skin exposed between my shorts and t-shirt. Our eyes meet and hold in a slight test of one another. Nico’s tongue trails along his bottom lip as he watches me.

“I’m going to bed.” I announce to him, tugging my bottom lip into my mouth to nibble as I await his response.

“Okay, baby. Goodnight.” 

“You’re going to make me go to bed alone, captain?” I ask. He doesn’t respond, but his eyes don’t return to the iPad, signaling an internal battle. I shrug, turning back to the couch and bending over to grab my book. I hear Nico grunt behind me at the sight of me from behind- it’s his favorite after all. He clears his throat.

“I shouldn’t be long… just have a few more to watch.”

“Okay. I know how to put myself to bed.” My words flirt seductively through the air to him.

“Don’t do anything without me.” He requests. I toss a laugh over my shoulder at him as I head towards our bedroom.

“No promises. Not sure I can wait.” I am in the hallway when I hear the iPad snap shut at the kitchen counter, announcing my win.

Nico cuts the distance quickly. His hands come to my hips as I enter our bedroom. He forces me to the bed in front of us. I turn to toss my arms around his shoulders. I tug the back of his neck so our lips meet in a hot kiss. Nico pants into my mouth as my palm connects with his erection. His fingers slide my clothes to the side and glide through my slick folds. I hum to him as he circles my clit. He pulls away to watch my face. I squeeze him tighter in my hand forcing his brown eyes to close in ecstasy. I grin, watching him surrender to me.

“Get your fine ass on that bed.” He growls, separating us to take his shirt off. 

His fingers work mine off just as quickly. I wiggle myself out of the rest of my clothes as he slides the waistband of his pants down. His erection springs out into my hand. The skin of his shaft is warm and soft, but he’s rigid and pulsing with each stroke of my palm on him. My thumb strokes the vein along the underside of his cock. Once I reach his head, I smear the bead of wetness along his slit, savoring the way more seeps out at my touch. “Babe.” He reaches his hands down to my ass, squeezing both cheeks in his strong grip. “You’re teasing a ticking bomb here. I want to come in you, not like this.” He licks his lips as he talks to me, small pants sputter from his lips, all of his tells pointing to how close he is to ending our fun in my hand.

“And you didn’t want to come to bed.” I tease him, licking up his lips. He shoves my shoulders and I crash back on the bed. I snicker loudly at the annoyed scrunch of his eyebrows. He pushes my knees apart, poising himself at my entrance. His fingers hold my hips as he slides in, ceasing all noise from my mouth as I suck in a deep, exhilarated breath. “Fuck.” I sputter to him, whining slightly as he begins to move.

“Yeah, you’re done teasing me aren’t you, baby?” He asks me as he thrusts deep, causing my head to snap back into the bed. “Cause I’m giving you what you need? That feel good, pretty girl?”

“Mhm.” I breathe out to him. My next inhale is needy and he softens into his next thrust, crumbling into the desire. His thrusts pound into me, strong hips and thighs working overtime to pull the orgasm from my inner walls. I clench him tightly, working my legs around his waist so he has to stay deep. “Neeks.” I whimper to him as he increases his thrusts, bringing my breathing up to border hyperventilation. I’m getting dizzy. He pulls his head back from my shoulder, watching every stroke of pleasure fill my face. My cheeks are turning pink, eyes dewey, with red lips from his teeth tugging on them.

“Look at me.” He whispers, brown eyes appearing like midnight as he devours my face. He licks his lips before they stretch into a smile. “Tell me how good I feel as you come.” His finger tips slide between our bodies, flirting with my clit. He waits, watching my eyes as they roll back then shut, my back arches and he increases the pressure to exactly what I need.

“It’s- It’s so- ugh.” My feminine grunt signals the intense orgasm that rips through my core. “Oh.” Drops from my lips as Nico pumps me through every wave, fingers pressing deeper until I convulse into him.

A profound ‘fuck’ drops from his lips as hot ribbons coat my walls.

“I’m so in love with you.” He says to me as our rough breathing shakes our abdomens against each other. My smile slides against his cheek as I breathe out a final moan.

“You are everything, Nico Hischier. Absolutely… everything…to… me.”

I take his soft smooch as agreement.

[orikiys]

✿ ✿ 〞older brother skz finding you with a guy

✰ pairings : older brother ot8!skz x sibling! fem reader

✰ warnings : mentions of sex ed ( pretty short although), indirect mentions of violence, implied angst as well, cursing, reader's bf is an asshole, mentions of break up, mentions of cheating as well

✰ synopsis : your older brother finds you with a guy and well there could be various outcomes

✰ word count : 1.4k+ words

౨₊ৎ chan

i feel like chan would be the chill bro

like he loves you, he does but he doesn't want to seem as those cliché annoying brothers so he'll act normal

BUT if the guy ever makes you cry, chan's on his way to the guy's house along with his members

chan would absolutely hate it when you cry because of a guy

he'll not give you space thinking you need a shoulder to cry on and would lay beside you and distract you by playing video games or simply talking to each other

he would find himself getting a bit sad when you're on the phone texting someone but would try to brush it off

everytime a guy even looks at you in a weird way he would glare at them

he even created a whole powerpoint with points and body language of guys. basically mentioning each and every single detail to keep you away from those toxic guys

being the eldest kid, he felt like he has responsibility to look after the younger ones

and he does that everytime. without failure.

౨₊ৎ minho

the moment he sees you with a guy outside the convenient store he would literally have to double take a look

his sister, HIS younger sister with a GUY ???

oh he is so going to tease the hell out of you

he would click a good amount of pictures and smirk like a devil

later on he would confront you about it and blackmail you saying he'll tell it to mom

would make you do every single work assigned to him

and the moment you hesitate he is almost about to fake call mom

would make kissing noises and hand gestures each time you're about to go on a date or facetiming the guy

but when he sees that you unhappy, he's going to have a little chat with the guy

let's say that it did not end well at all

would realize his mistake and mumble sorry everytime he sees you

would do anything to make you forgive him

though his ways were a bit more violent, he knew that the guy anyway didn't deserve you

and that minho is always right with his instincts

౨₊ৎ changbin

the type of brother to literally interrogate the guy

would ask the guy if he works out and if he says no, changbin would throw you a disappointed look telling you could do better

would scold you both and explain about sex education, embarassing the hell out of you

he loves it sm although !

but at the same time he can't help but think of how fast you grew up

would also help you with your outfits

he has the guy warned to drop you home safely and before 9 !!

if the guy ever hurts you, don't worry. changbin has your back

he's also the brother who would feel a bit awkward on how to approach you so he would just quietly sit by your side, watching your favorite movies with you

i swear the moment he sees you laugh it's like he can breathe normally now

he promised himself to never let you cry over a guy again !! must protect

౨₊ৎ hyunjin

the type of brother who would judge the guy and his choice of fashion

would fake gag loudly whenever he sees you blushing and would roll his eyes the moment he sees the guy's face

"please don’t tell me that frog is my future brother in-law"

would constantly spy on you both to figure out what you were both upto

the moment you two break up he would hit you with that "i told you" but when he realizes you don't even react, he would literally let you cry in his arms

would send you a sad playlist to help you let it all out

would sneakily take your phone, get the guy's number and would block him on all socials before sending an annonymous text to the guy

would make goofy faces while dancing just to make you laugh

would let you do his skincare for a month if it means he gets to see you move on from that asshole

౨₊ৎ han

the brother who's jealous that he's still single

would glare whenever you both show pda in front of him

so damn annoyed (x 100)

but at the same time he'll keep an eye on the two of you, especially the guy

the moment you two break up he's gonna be so relieved but ! the realization would hit him and he would walk up to your room and talk to you for hours, helping you get it all out

out of rage he would even write a few diss tracks for the guy and make you listen to it

the moment you start vibing or screaming out the lyrics he would feel like he won in life

the other members know about and would let him pull a taylor swift knowing very well that the guy deserves it

han would probably even post the song online and would anonymously troll the guy

what's a revenge without some fun?

౨₊ৎ felix

brother? no! he's your 4lifer

knows every single gossip of your college and your friends

so it's no surprise that he was the first person that go to know you were dating someone

will most likely start thirdwheeling on your dates

he would even invite the guy over to watch a match

and the moment you break out the news that you both broke up he's literally gonna be even sadder than you

would sigh out loud on purpose and hug you tightly mumbling that he was good company

but the moment you tell him it was the guy's fault, felix would switch up real quick

would throw insults and say speeches on how the guy was a dumbhead and all

jokes apart, he would actually feel guilty for mentioning the guy in front of you and would apologize to you and swears that he'll be careful from now

who needs guys when you have brothers like him?

౨₊ৎ seungmin

he IS the bully

would laugh mockingly at you both and make memes saying how he finds couples cringey

would literally yell out embarrassing things about you to the guy

would even show your baby pictures and snicker

there is no way in hell that he could get a better opportunity of revenge !!

but honestly he's gonna share the gossip that you're dating with the other members just so they can't keep flirting with you

he has grown kinda annoyed

he still can't digest the fact that people find his sister pretty

although, he thinks you are but he loves irritating the hell out of you

being seungmin's sister, he shouldn't expect any less from you

you would fake cry making him panic because if mom finds out it's over !!

and when you cry for a guy, that guy is over

seungmin is very protective when you get sad because of someone else

he would frown and his arms would find your sides, bringing you in his embrace since he knows how much you love his hugs

you're like his little star and he would absolutely feel his heart shatter seeing you sad

౨₊ৎ jeongin

the type of brother who would hate it when you started dating his best friend

would roll his eyes when you take his best friend/ your boyfriend away from him

it was irritating the heck out of him

how dare YOU date HIS friend?

but later on he kind of got used to it

and when the two of you break up it's like time stops for jeongin

not only did you lose your boyfriend, but jeongin lost his best friend in a way too

hurting jeongin's sister was a bad bad move

and poor jeongin felt helpless seeing you looks so miserable for a cheater like that guy

he would take you out to arcades or take you boxing because it's his way of taking his anger out and maybe it might help you as well?

little tmi, it actually did

you could feel yourself healing and getting over that guy and jeongin could feel his sister's crazy antics returnings

so suddenly he felt like he regretted it when you barge in his room wiggle your eyebrows for no reason

he's no less either. he would run behind you like a monkey and tackle you to the ground before tickling you hard

it's weird, how in many ways the annoying part of jeongin shows just how caring he is

hey anon hope you liked this >< i changed the ending to angst although because i love angst (guilty) 🙏🙏

[julianalvarez9]

hair too long / kai havertz

summary: when your boyfriend comes back home after training, he doesn't know why you're acting strange all of the sudden.

wc: 880 words

author's note: referencing a song by the vamps bc i didn't know what to title this. first time writing for kai jaksjsj kinda nervous ngl. had a bit of writers block lately so that's why it's short 😭 dedicated to @oh-saints bc they're the devil in my shoulder convincing me to not let the idea go. hope you like it either way 🫡

it was fairly early to start on with your day, so that's why you were still laying on the bed, too lazy to actually get up and start ticking things off your to-do list. you were about to get up to make breakfast, after becoming quickly bored of your social media feeds, until, a video with your boyfriend's face graced your screen. you smiled at the chance of seeing him, even if you had seen him through sleep filled eyes before his departure to train. he was about to come home either way, but you still missed his presence in the house, and hearing his voice always made you feel giggly inside: even after all this time together.

"oh, i need to go to the barber again," kai joked when the video started, passing his fingers through his dark wavy locks to rearrange his hair to look good for the camera. he then continued talking about his last goal scored, gushing about enzo, amazed at how easily he seemed to have gotten the ball onto his feet: so easy that your boyfriend had initially thought that he was offside.

truth is, you weren't really listening after he had joked about cutting his hair. you liked his current hairstyle too much, longer than the last few months when he had kept it rather buzzed. it's not that you disliked it before, because to you, he was handsome either way, but you preferred it a tad bit longer: enough to run your fingers through his locks, gently caressing them.

the thought almost didn't leave your mind during the morning, thinking about ways you could convince him of keeping this hairstyles a bit longer while you got through the things in your list. you knew that the main reason he didn't leave his hair get this long was to keep things practical and avoid it from annoying him during the games, but you were hopeful that you could find a middle ground.

eventually, your boyfriend came back home, and although you were dying to be on his arms again, you tried to play it off when he started to wander through your shared home, looking for you. it didn't take long for him to find you, already drawn to the kitchen by the noises that the utensils you were making lunch with made.

kai got a hold of your figure, embracing you from behind while nestling his face onto the crook of your neck, leaving a little kiss there that made you squirm under his touch. "what's wrong?," he said, his characteristic accent lacing through his words. he was tilting his head slightly, confusion clear in his features when you didn't turn your head to give him a proper kiss. he made you turn around, gripping your hips a little bit tighter, and trying to find your gaze to see what had gone wrong while he was at cobham. "you don't love me?" you asked seriously, keeping the smirk from forming on your lips. if he got to see even a glimpse of your smile, your lie won't be believable, and you wanted to make him suffer, even if it was just for a little while.

"why are you asking that, liebling?," kai asked, confused about your change in demeanor. he remembered you kissing him goodbye before he went to training, and everything seemed to be fine between you two. "of course i do," he reassured, kissing your forehead lovingly. eventually, you decided to put him out of his misery, only when he lifted his eyebrows in question when you weren't emitting any sound. the smile betrayed you at the end, before your lips confessed the truth. "you tell me, mr. 'i need to go to the barber again'".

kai tilted his head back, laughing in disbelief at your antics. "you like it like this, then?" he asked, one hand departing from your figure to get his fingers through his hair, at which you smiled while nodding. "yeah, it makes you look cute," you pointed out, scrunching your nose while smiling cutely at him. he grinned at your reaction, planting a little kiss on your nose. the words seemed to have sink in a bit after, because when he lifted his head back up he changed his soft expression from before. "cute?" he frowned, clearly dissatisfied with your answer. "i was expecting hot, handsome, not cute".

smirking, you nonchalantly commented, "well, i'm sure it would be hot if i get to pull it when you're between my legs, you know?". kai seemed to get your hint, dropping his head back down to capture your lips into a kiss. it was slow and soft at first, confirming the love he had for you, even if he knew your doubts were only for the joke. eventually, your hands went from his neck to the top of his head, slightly tugging on his hair. he intensified the kiss then, deepening it and biting your lower lip eliciting a moan to fall from your lips. "do you always have these dirty thoughts when i'm not here, schatzi?".

"why don't you figure it out?" you smiled devilishly, and he gripped your waist a little bit tighter before starting to step backwards until you reached your bedroom door.

[fyreiswriting]

someone in a Coral Island discord i'm a part of put forth the idea that Alice, Noah, Millie, and Zarah should have their own YouTube channel, and then I said it should be in the style of Buzzfeed Unsolved, and then I started writing it. unfortunately something wasn't clicking -- it was ok, sure, lots of interesting worldbuilding and headcanons, but it just didn't feel like it was working.

and then it hit me: it's because both Noah and Alice believe in the supernatural. there wasn't anyone to play devil's advocate to their theories.

anyways, that spawned this little snippet:

“Ok, so now for the fun part,” Noah said as they sat back down behind the desk. He pulled out a second file and placed it on top of the first. “Recent evidence.” “Oh boy,” Imogene said with an eye-roll. “Could we make this a drinking game? Take a shot every time it’s very obviously a dolphin or something?” “Imogene!” Alice squawked, laughing bright and loud. Noah grinned, shaking his head.

“What?! I’m just saying! Half the time you see images of ‘Merfolk’ and it’s either shot with a thirty-year-old Nokia while being flung like a football or it’s literally just a dolphin or an orca or something leaping out of the water!” “You’re really gonna love some of these, then,” Noah told her, glancing over his shoulder. She slumped back in her chair with an over-the-top groan, which set Alice off laughing again. “First up – we have a video shot five years ago, off the coast of Peru. Let’s take a look.” The video ran, clearly shot by an old cell phone on a small fishing vessel. Two voices chattered quickly behind the camera as they pointed the lens off the side of the boat. The boat rocked, moving the camera with it.  Then – perhaps a hundred meters off the side of the boat – something very briefly flashed in the water. A tail flicked above the surface, sending a splash of water high overhead. One of the men shouted excitedly, pointing.  Noah paused the video there. “Tuna,” Imogene said without missing a beat.

feat. my much-beloved farmer, stirring up shit with Alice and Noah. (she will absolutely tell Semeru, her boyfriend, about this later and laugh so hard she pulls something in her side. I love her very much.

[dotster001]

Hey! Congrats on your 1k followers! Going to give your a event a try. Keep up the great work. You are doing a great job! Let's do romantic Twst if thats okay. My first pick was Jade, he reminds me of another video game character. That character? That character is Loki from Devil Survivor Overclock. He did everything for his own amusment. Great game. I had Jade around for a while until Leona showed up. Though I sent Leona back because he is housewarden and Ruggie cant run the dorm for him. Jamil is curently with me on break from Kalim. I think about them all. But I also want them to focus and take care of themselves before come running to me. About me? I like a lot things, but I like ships most of all. In fact give me a chance and I will tell you the history naval warfare. Not just big ships interest me, small ones too. I tend to be a mother hen of my friends. I love animals, its just bugs I'm not very fond of. I think I would be on good terms with Jade and Leona. Might be fun to try a harem with the three of them. Oh I can see this one being a crack fic.

(Hope you like it, boo! It is a chaotic group, but I can also see similar traits that could work to make it better or worse depending on the day 😂)

In this Harem, We Self Care; A tale where Jamil, Leona, and Jade have to get their Shit Together

Three men stood outside of Ramshackle, glaring at each other. Jade held a single rose in his hand, and though his face was the calmest of the three, the stem was dangerously close to snapping. Leona held a gift bag that was full of things that probably cost more than both of the other boy's existence combined. Jamil had brought himself, he knew he was enough. But that didn't mean he didn't have the urge to throw the other two's gifts into the lake.

After a long tense stare down, the door opened. Grim looked at the three in shock, then rolled his eyes.

"It happened!" He yelled inside before leaving the dorm.

You came happily running down the stairs. "All three of you on the same day! I'm so happy! Sit. Sit."

Seeing your happy smile was worth having to deal with the other two. The three men sat on the tiny Ramshackle couch, shoulders touching, and resisted the urge to elbow each other.

"Okay," you said. "Who wants to go first?"

Leona stood up abruptly, tossed the gift bag at Jamil, and threaded his fingers with your, tapping one of your knuckles as he listed things off.

"I did all my paperwork, started regular therapy, did my homework, went to class, went to practice, and called my nephew three times."

You pulled a hand away and cupped his cheek. "I'm so proud of you Leona, good boy."

Then you pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He turned to sit back down with a smug smile at the other two boys. Jamil stood up abruptly, tossing the bag back at Leona.

"I had a discussion about my feelings with Kalim, started regular therapy, took up some offers to split the extensive work I have, and have built a self care day into my weekly schedule."

You wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a soft kiss. "I'm so proud of you Jamil."

With his heart beating at 3 million miles a minute he sat back down.

The stem of the rose had snapped while he had sat there, but he knew he could work with that. He stood, put the rose behind your ear, then gracefully took your hand, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of your fingers.

"I delegated my extraneous work out to other students, scheduled a meditational walk into my day, set a reasonable sleep schedule, and spent some time doing things I love."

You nuzzled your nose against his, then kissed him.

"I'm so proud of you, Jade."

He gave a pleased hum and sat back down. All three men watched you in anticipation as you smiled like the sun.

"I just, you have no idea how happy I am! When I told you we should take a break until you learn to take care of yourselves, I had no idea you'd do so well! And you all came back to me on the same day? Wow, I just love you boys so much!"

"And we love you," Jamil said, probably a little too loudly, as he stood up and wrapped you in a hug, running his fingers through your hair, and pressing your face to himself. 

Nowhere to look but him, he thought to himself smugly.

"Yes, we'd do anything for our beloved herbivore," Leona stood up, looking for a way in to take you from Jamil. Finding none, he sighed and just decided to make it a group hug in order to get some contact with you.

"That said," Jade mused, "I believe the reward for the first person to take significant steps to take care of themselves, and make moves to heal, would be the sole recipient of your cuddles and affection for an entire week."

"Well, which one of you got here first?"

"I did." Three voices rang out unanimously, followed by arguing sounds

"Hey!" You shouted and the room went silent. "Okay, you all arrived at the same time so you'll each get a week. As to the order, I'm thinking of a number between one and five."

Jamil and Leona groaned, but Jade smiled. He always knew what number you'd pick. And the other two knew it.

"Three I guess," Leona groaned.

"Four," Jamil said.

"It's two," Jade said, and you nodded. He victoriously claimed his prize, by passionately kissing you. When he pulled away, he smiled sweetly at the other two, and said,

"Gentlemen, your services are no longer required," then he pointed at the door as you tried to hide an innocent giggle.

The other two sighed and walked out. Once outside the door, Jamil muttered, "I hate pick a number."

"Agreed," Leona groaned.

[thewritingofspencerrose]

Siblings in Sports : A Docuseries

Jack Hughes x OC, Luke Hughes x Best Friend OC

"Hello all, this is Donna St.James with another Siblings in Sports interview, this time with the current hockey obsessions of girls 15 to 30 in the US and Canada." "Boys, thank you for inviting us 'round to ask some questions," The interviewer thanks, sitting across from the three Hughes brothers on the couch of their lake house.

"It's really no problem, we're happy to answer almost anything," Quinn assures as the eldest, making sure to emphasize almost, knowing their coaches would have their asses.

"Oh, really?" The interviewer asks, chucking. "Well then let's get down to business."

—————————

"So, we've covered the season, what it's like for Luke and Jack to be playing together, the Devils in playoffs, and everything else sports related. Now for the fun stuff," The interviewer prompts, a smirk rising to her face. "And something all the girls want to know: are there any ladies in your lives?"

Luke chuckles, elbowing Jack at the question, something that doesn't go unnoticed by the woman in front of them.

"Q and I don't have any ladies," Luke is the one to answer, shrugging. "Now Jack on the other hand..."

"Have someone special?" The question is directed at said boy, who chuckles awkwardly, a blush rising to his cheeks.

"I do have a girlfriend," He admits, seeming hesitant. "For almost 3 years now."

"Almost 3 years? And how does no one know about this girl!" The interviewer asks, eyes wide. "And when can we meet her?"

"Sissy is just in town at a cafe," Luke chimes in before the other two can.

"Sissy?"

"Jack's girlfriend has known our family for a while, she's become like an older sister to Luke and a younger one to me," Quinn chimes in before anything can be assumed. "Her name is Lillian though."

"I can ask her to come home? For the sake of the, uh, docuseries?" Jack offers, already pulling out his phone, the screensaver now visible as a photo of him and presumably Lillian kissing while he's in his hockey gear.

"Ooh, please!"

—————————

"Um, hi," The brunette greets the woman who sits in front of her and Jack, glancing at the camera behind her.

Jack takes her hand, running his thumb over the back of it to calm her. She's not the typical hockey girlfriend. Brunette, not blonde, curvy, and seemingly entirely too sweet to be in the sports world.

"Hi, I'm Donna," The woman in front of the Hughes brothers and girl greets, a smile on her face in an attempt to calm the obviously anxious 20 year old.

"Lillian," she returns, smiling despite the anxiety. "Although everyone calls me Lili, and I'm happy to answer any questions you have," she assures, smiling a small smile as Luke gasps from the side Jack isn't on, his arm around Lillian's shoulder.

"Okay Lili, tell us about how you met the Hughes and how you started dating Jack," She asks, glancing between the four.

"Well," the girl begins with a giggle, obviously feeling more comfortable at the current topic. "I met Luke first in 2017 when we were freshmen and the boys had just moved to town. He and I immediately bonded and became best friends, and it was a week later that I went over to their house and met the other two."

"Jack was immediately in love with her," Quinn comments, rolling his eyes jokingly at his brother.

"And Lils was just as bad," Luke adds, eyeing his best friend.

"I asked her out a month later," Jack chimes in now, smiling down at the girl beside him.

"He was super cheesy about it to," She remembers, sharing the smile. "I read every day for about a half hour, and most of the time he sits with me just playing video games," Lillian explains. "That day I had been reading and got to the end of the book and there was this note, this long thing in Jack's chicken scratch about how he had been nervous to ask out his little brother's best friend, and so he put the note in my book for me to find. And it was one of those hockey star falling for whoever books which made it all the more cheesy." "You loved it, don't act like you didn't," Luke jests. "Ignore him," Lili requests jokingly, elbowing the youngest Hughes. "But yeah, that's how I met the Hughes and started dating Jack." "And that's how she became an honorary Hughes," Quinn adds, a large smile on his face as he watches Jack kiss Lillian's head. The interview continued on, not on the topics of hockey or sports that you all are interested in, so we'll end it here, but if you're interested, see below for my favorite from Lillian's Instagram (that is private, however I now am friends with her on).

Photo (Jack's homescreen one to be exact) from Lillian's Instagram, where the couple shares their relationship with friends and family:

Lillian.M

Liked by elblue9, Jackhughes, and 247 others

Lillian.M Always my favorite player

Tagged: Jackhughes

Jackhughes Always my favorite fan

Lillian.M I love you

Jackhughes I love you more

Lhughes_06 excuse you?

Lillian.M ... I love you too Lukey?

Lhughes_06 apology accepted

[abitohoney]

Suffocate Me

(A sequel to the sequel to Roses are Red)

Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4, Ch5

AO3

This contains Explicit smut, so NSFW, MDNI Sevika x female reader 4.8k words

AN: Thought I was done with this ficlet, but then anon sent me a funny video in this post and I was inspired to write another chapter, so here you go!

It's only been a week since Valentine's day, and you're already dying to have another night with Sevika. She certainly hadn't been exaggerating about leaving you tired as hell after fucking you in the tiny supply closet. Took you several days to get back to walking like you didn't have something stuck up your-

The door to The Last Drop swings open, pulling you from your horny thoughts. It's closing time, so you're prepared to shout at whatever hooligan decided to let themselves in, but your scowl immediately shifts to a smile spread so wide your cheeks hurt.

Speak of the devil.

And she's looking right at you with an equally wide smirk.

Leaning on the counter, you push your boobs together and further out of your blouse. A blouse that already barely contains them.

"Hi Sevika," you say coquettishly as she saunters up to the bar across from you.

“Hey beautiful,” she replies smoothly. She makes no effort to hide how her gaze drops to your obvious display. Zero shame. As a matter of fact, she goes so far as to pull a small, folded piece of paper from beneath her cloak and slip it between your cleavage. And not without making sure her fingers graze over the curves before she pulls her hand away to rest her arm on the counter. “Since you seem to like poems so much,” she husks, finally meeting your eyes again.

You try but fail to keep your massive grin at bay as you anxiously pull the note out and unfold it. 

Roses are Red The sun gives off heat If your legs are tired Use my face as a seat

When Sevika catches how your eyes go wide after reading the last line, she adds, “You did tell me your feet were tired last time."

Smiling coyly up at her from beneath your lashes, you reply, “I did. And they’re so much worse tonight. I really could use a nice place to sit.” You fold the little note back up and slip it beneath Sevika’s leather sleeve, making sure you run your hand over her bulging bicep before pulling back.

The two of you enter some sort of flirty standoff. Eyes locked and teasing smiles in place. Hers; a sexy, lopsided grin. The one that makes your knees weak and your stomach flutter. Yours; a sweet, playful grin, which you’re pretty sure has a similar effect given how her pupils dilate when she sees it.

Your little game doesn’t last long before you catch the approach of a pair of swinging blue braids.

“Hiya Toots!” Jinx exclaims to you as she takes a seat on the stool beside Sevika. Like, right beside her. Nearly touching her. “Ogre,” Jinx grumbles when she finally regards Sevika.

You watch as Sevika’s shoulders tense and her demeanor does a complete one-eighty. Brows knitted into a deep frown, she’s about to spit out something nasty to the tiny girl next to her, but Jinx beats her to it.

“See! I told ya she’d like the poetry! Gotcha laid too, didn’t it?” Jinx exclaims far too loudly, evident by the strangled sound Thieram makes from the back of the bar. She turns back to you again. “The ogre’s got some pep in her step now. She’s prancing like a fairy rather than clomping like an ogre.” After a glance at Sevika, who is fuming beside her, she amends, “Yeah, maybe not a fairy. Still an ogre, but you get my point, don’t ya, toots?”

You try to hide your smile and stifle your giggles behind your hand. Sevika may detest Silco’s nutty adopted daughter, but you think she’s actually quite amusing. Especially with how easily she can get Sevika riled up.

Jinx’s bright eyes flick between the two of you. She’s just grinning from ear to ear. She leans towards Sevika, her gaze still on you. “And see! There’s those heart eyes I told ya about! She’s just swooning over there like a lovesick puppy!” She leans her forearm on the table, getting herself closer to you and ignoring the fact that she’s pushing Sevika’s arm out of the way in the process. Poking the very angry bear. She curls a finger, beckoning you closer before putting the side of her hand to her mouth like she has a secret to tell you.

You lean in closer, trying so hard not to smile at her antics because you know Sevika is damn near blowing steam from her ears. But for the love of Janna, this is all too funny.

Jinx whispers, but still very clearly loud enough for Sevika to hear, “Listen, I need you two to keep doing whatever nasty shit you two have been doing. I mean she has been a lot less cantankerous and… ogre-y than usual, ya know? Can you do that? For me?”

You simply nod, not trusting yourself to refrain from bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Knew I could count on you!” she exclaims as she leaps from her seat. “Hey, Chuck! A drink please!”

“It- It’s Thieram.”

“Nope. It’s definitely Chuck.”

After Jinx skips to another seat further down the bar, you turn to regard Sevika. And if looks could kill, Jinx would most assuredly be dead. Literally full of knives with how Sevika glares daggers at her. Trying to diffuse her anger, you reach up and gently trace a finger along the scars decorating her cheek. She turns to you, and that anger starts to fade rather quickly. “This gorgeous seat still open?” you ask seductively as you run your thumb over the plush of her bottom lip. And there goes the frown. Completely replaced by that sexy little smirk of hers.

"For you sweetheart? Always," she purrs. Gently taking your wrist into her hand, she brings the back of your hand to her lips to place a kiss there.

If you weren't already grinning like a fool in love, you sure as hell were now. "Your place then?"

"Mhm," she hums and takes a step back as you hoist yourself up onto the bar as you did last time. Her gray eyes go wide when she takes in the tiny, tight shorts you're wearing. They leave very little to the imagination. "Wear those for me?" She asks with a cocky grin.

"What makes you think I didn't wear them to get more tips?" You tease. You have definitely been wearing more revealing clothes since your last night with her in hopes of pulling her in for another. But she doesn't need to know that.

Sevika raises a brow. Probably in a mixture of disbelief that she was wrong, and that you'd even have the gall to say such a thing. But her crooked smile quickly returns as she runs both metal and flesh hands over the tops of your exposed thighs.  "Doesn't matter. They'll be coming off with the rest of your clothes."

Your cheeks flush and you take the opportunity to try to hide it by calling over your shoulder to Thieram, "See you tomorrow!"

He stammers some sort of response, but you're too focused on Sevika pulling you down and into her strong arms to give a shit. Sevika gazes down at you ravenously, both hands gripping the backs of your thighs and the curves of your partially exposed ass cheeks. And if you didn't have a damn audience- particularly the young blue-haired Jinx- you'd let her fuck you right here and now. Instead, you settle for a quick kiss. Hands on her shoulders, you pull her down to you as you stretch up on the toes of your knee-high boots.

Well, you thought it would just be a quick kiss.

Sevika's grip on your backside strengthens as she greedily returns the kiss. She forces her tongue between your parted lips, chuckling quietly when you moan into her mouth.

Fuck. She tastes so good. Like danger and sex and confidence and-

"Bleh! Gross!"

Jinx's loud complaint pulls you back to your senses and you break the kiss, much to Sevika's dismay.

"I know I told ya to keep doing the nasty shit, but I didn't mean right here! Geez! Get a room!" Jinx gripes.

You smile bashfully at her as she rolls her eyes so hard you're certain she's going to fall right out of her seat. "Sorry, Jinx. We're heading to her room now." Before Sevika's mood can fully sour at Jinx's interruption, you give her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "Let's go. I really need to sit down."

Smirking, Sevika releases her death grip on your backside and slips her human arm protectively around your waist to guide you out the front door.

The walk back to her place is chilly and uncomfortably clammy. Wrapping your arms around your chest, you hug yourself to try to fend off the goosebumps that start to creep over your exposed skin. "I'm cold," you pout when you catch Sevika eyeing your puffed-out chest.

Without a word, she switches sides with you and pulls you under her cloak.

Though you can feel the cold press of her metal arm wrapped around your waist, the heat radiating from where your body presses to hers is more than enough to make it worth it. Not to mention the scent of her that permeates from where her cloak sits just below your nose. You inhale deeply and close your eyes, allowing Sevika to guide you through the dark streets of the lanes.

The moment Sevika gets you inside her apartment, she doesn't even wait for the door to close before scooping you up into her arms bridal style.

Though you should have expected that, you still release a startled yelp. With one arm wrapped around her upper back, you grin up at her as she carries you toward her bedroom. “You’re so strong,” you swoon, relishing in how that stroke to her ego earns you a toothy smirk.

Sevika gently lays you across her bed and places an entirely too-sweet kiss on your forehead before not-so-gently ripping your boots and socks off.

“Impatient again?” you tease as you watch her from where you’ve propped yourself up by your forearms.

She doesn’t grace you with a reply, but her lopsided grin remains as she leans over you to pull your shorts and panties off in one fell swoop. After kicking her own boots off to the side, she starts to kiss her way up your body.

Her kisses begin sweet and chaste, trailing from an ankle to the top of a knee. But as she leans over you, hands pressed to the mattress beside your hips, those kisses turn into little love bites along the top of your thigh. Teeth sink into soft flesh before tongue laps and soothes the sting.

"Sevika," you whimper breathlessly as that warm mouth draws ever so close to the apex of your thighs. You want her there. Need her there. So bad. But she ignores your unspoken plea and lifts your shirt up to reveal more skin. And as she continues her path up your abdomen, you can feel the sinister curl of her lips against your heated skin. She knows exactly what she's doing. Teasing you. Getting you worked up and needy. And you'd be lying if you said it didn't turn you on. Your whole body burns and aches for her touch, but the longer she makes you wait, the better it will feel when she finally gives it to you.

When she reaches the band of your bra, she uses one hand to yank it down, revealing both breasts before latching onto one. She wastes no time in sinking her teeth into the sensitive bud, tugging just hard enough to border on pain.

Again, you can feel her sexy little smile press against you when you release a startled gasp. Her tongue swirls around your singing flesh to ease the sting of her bite.

"Fuck," you curse as you arch your back, pushing your chest toward her mouth. But she doesn’t give you that control long before she pulls back, leaving you teeming with desire for more.

Knees and hands now on either side of your body, caging you beneath her, Sevika smirks down at your expression. Your half-lidded eyes. Your furrowed brows. Your parted lips. You look desperate for her. You are desperate for her.

You slip your fingers through the soft strands of hair at the back of her head and pull her down for a kiss. She gladly obliges, her tongue slipping between her lips to slide over yours. That damn tongue of hers, you’re certain, is one of her greatest weapons against your defenses. Not just in her wit, snark, and sexy little quips, but in how she uses it to assert dominance. The way she uses it to tease along your lips, only to pull back when you try to take it. How she trails it across the backs of your upper teeth, again refusing to let you stake your claim. How she finally finds yours and all but assaults it with how wild and deep she kisses you.

But right now, you need that mouth and tongue of hers elsewhere. So with your palms pressed to her chest, just below her shoulders, you push with all your strength. To your surprise, and hers, you manage to toss her onto her back against the mattress. Quickly moving to straddle her waist, you grin down at her victoriously as she blinks up at you in shock. That wide-eyed look doesn’t last long though before it's quickly replaced with a taunting smirk.

“Who’s the impatient one?”

“You’re the one who offered me a seat,” you reply as you remove your shirt and bra before tossing them somewhere behind you.

“Best seat in the house,” she replies and you have to bite back a laugh at how cheesy that is, and instead offer your own equally cheesy response.

“Best seat in all of Runeterra.” You flash her a sly smile to match hers.

Sevika merely grins up at you as she trails metal and flesh hands up the back of your thighs and guides you up over her body on your knees.

“Are you sure about this?” you ask, recalling how your legs had given way the last time she used her mouth down there.

She raises a single brow.

“Last time you were down there I lost control of my own damn legs,” you remind her, “I might end up suffocating you.”

“I want you to suffocate me,” she replies with a sinful smirk that disappears between your legs as she moves you into position.

That unexpected and sexy remark wipes the cheeky little smile clear off your face. Arousal winds like a tight coil deep within your belly and you take your bottom lip between your teeth to fight back to moan that threatens to escape. And fuck, the mere sight of Silco’s deadly right-hand woman lying between your thighs is enough to leave you speechless and at her mercy. Your thighs nearly shake with how bad you want to feel that hot mouth pressed against your wet and wanting-

“O-oh fuck,” you moan with a shaky breath when the tip of her tongue teases just outside your entrance.

Unlike your previous encounter, Sevika seems to favor a slower, more teasing approach this time. Using only the very tip of her tongue, she traces along the wet outer edges of your cunt. Gray eyes watch with entirely too much satisfaction, you think, as you struggle to remain still for her.

“Don’t tease, Sevika,” you whine as you clutch at your own thighs. Janna, do you want so badly to just take control. To grab her by those lovely ebony locks and just grind against her gorgeous face.

“Patience, sweetheart,” she murmurs. But the sexy brute beneath you lets her lips graze over your folds, clearly intentional given how she chuckles at the way your thighs tremble.

“We’ve already established neither of us are pa-” your rebuttal is cut short by the unexpected flick of her tongue against your clit. And this time your restraint flies right out the damn window, hips thrusting towards that devilish muscle of hers. “Fuck!” you cry out. And damn it, you get at least one good drag against that sweetly soft, round nose of hers before she’s pressing her fingers bruisingly hard into your hips and putting you back in place.

“I told you to be patient,” Sevika growls, accenting her words with a sharp bite of nails into your flesh.

That certainly gets your attention. You freeze, blinking several times as you stare down at her in surprise over the sudden change in tone. But, oh, she doesn’t look angry. She looks wickedly pleased. Too wound up with arousal, you simply offer her a small nod that you understand, hoping that will be enough to placate her.

“Good girl,” she purrs.

You no more than drop your jaw to release a moan at that sweet praise when you feel her pull you down to her mouth. And this time, she presses those soft, thick lips fully against your core, tongue delving deep inside. Your hands quickly find purchase on the iron rails of her headboard, gripping tightly as pleasure wracks your body.

Patience be damned, Sevika immediately drags her tongue back out, withdrawing not only the slick coating your walls, but also a broken, deep moan from your throat. Before you have a moment to recover, to regain the strength in your aching legs, she’s pulling you back down around her tongue again. She repeats the motions, this time dragging your clit over her nose. And for the love of Janna, she’s fucking you with her tongue and it feels so ungodly good. You don’t even notice the bruising grip she has on your hips as she repeatedly lifts you off her face only to pull you back down against it over and over again. Not when she’s left you desperately trying to contain the mewls, curses, and moans that build with each wave of pleasure that motion brings.

Mind completely clouded with unadulterated lust, the need to release that searing hot pressure that's built in your abdomen, you release the headboard to run your hands up your body. You need more stimulation. You let your head fall back as you grasp at your own breasts- kneading, squeezing, and rolling fingers over the hardened peaks- all while she fucks you with her mouth faster and faster. You no longer attempt to withhold your cries of pleasure. It's not as if you can hear them with how your pulse throbs in your ears.

Climax quickly approaching, you let your body take over, hips bucking in tandem with each descent she brings. But before you can reach that peak, you feel a sudden decline, Sevika losing her momentum. One of her hands, her human one, slips away from your hip.

Heart racing both with arousal and now the panic of losing grasp of that sweet release, you peer down at her through the slits beneath your lids. Sevika’s eyes are just as heavily lidded and dazed. However, you notice her gaze, though not focused, is on your hands where they still play with the supple flesh of your breasts.

“Sevika,” you plead softly.

Nothing.

For fucks sake you need her to pick that pace back up. You try, with little luck, to pick up her slack, thrusting using what little strength remains in your aching legs. It’s just not quite enough and she doesn’t seem to hear your plea, so you make one more attempt.

“Sevika! I- I need you to go faster!”

Somehow, through the blood roaring in your ears, you hear something rattle behind you. Slowly, you glance back over your shoulder, and you nearly cease your movements altogether at the sight before you.

Sevika’s thighs are spread, belt undone and jingling as she touches herself beneath her underwear.

Oh, fuck. That is so hot.

She’s touching herself to the sight of you getting off on her face. You turn back to her and wrap one hand around the headboard again, determination renewing your strength just enough to get your rhythm where you need it. You focus on her face, nearly crumbling as you watch her struggle to keep her eyes from rolling back behind her lids. Deep, quiet groans pull from her chest, muffled by where you now mercilessly grind your wet cunt against her face.

Janna, you’re practically suffocating her. But isn't that what she said she wanted?

Both of you struggle to focus, watching the other fall apart with the fast approach of that euphoric release. Neither you nor Sevika can keep your eyes completely open. Brows- glistening with beads of sweat- pinch together in a mixture of concentration and pure ecstasy. Movements becoming jerky and uncontrolled. Your hips stutter. Her fingers falter. Breath leaves both of your bodies in heated, ragged bursts between your mewls and her groans. Yours echo freely through the room as they fall from your slack mouth, while hers are muted against your cunt.

With just a few more drags of your swollen clit across her nose, you’re the first to fall off that sweet precipice. Your thighs clamp around Sevika’s head like a vice as the pleasure consumes you. A string of expletives mixed with her name falls from your mouth while you cling desperately to the headboard. Vision fading to black, you don’t notice how the sight of your orgasm, the feel of your release seeping onto her lips and chin, finally pushes Sevika over the edge.

Her metal fingers dig into your hip, piercing the skin. Her hips jerk erratically against her hand while her fingers carry her through the waves of pleasure. When she slowly recovers from her high, she opens her gray eyes to stare up at you in a daze.

As you start to come to your senses, your thighs release their death grip against the sides of Sevika’s head, trembling as they threaten to give way to your now dead weight. You peer down past your heaving chest to meet her gaze. Mind still fuzzy from your post-orgasmic bliss, it takes you a moment to realize she must have reached hers as well.

Fearful your legs won't be able to hold you much longer, you use what little strength remains to push off Sevika and roll into your back with a heavy sigh.

"Shit, Sevika," you say breathlessly towards the ceiling before turning to face her. Her eyes are already on you, her slick and drool-coated lips pulled into that damn sexy smirk again. So proud of herself. As she should be. "You really are amazing."

You no more than finish your sentence and she's on top of you, her face hovering mere inches from yours.

"I want to fuck you with my strap," she husks. She tries to lower her head to steal a kiss, but you press your palms against her chest to stop her. And it takes every ounce of willpower not to laugh at her stunned expression.

"On one condition," you reply as you reach up to gently tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. When she doesn't reply, merely cocks a brow, you continue, "I want to stay the night and you make me breakfast in the morning." Once again Sevika graces you with a hilariously stunned expression. As if she's never been given a list of demands for anything before.

Sevika's lips finally curl into a snarky smile as she chuckles, "Sweetheart, I don't make breakfast for anyone." She makes another attempt to kiss you, but you smoothly roll away, sitting up with your back to her.

"Guess I need to go then. I'll need some extra time to get home and get up early enough to make my own breakfast." You don't dare glance over your shoulder, lest she catches your devious smile. But you don't need to see her to know her face is plastered with a look of pure astonishment at your audacity. Before you can stand to fetch your clothes, you feel her cool metal fingers wrap around your wrist.

"Wait," she says quietly. And you swear her voice is almost shaky.

Now you can't resist the temptation to take a peek at her. You glance over your shoulder, but keep your chin tucked low to hide your smile. Your heart nearly sinks at the sight of her frown. She's sitting up and looking anywhere but at you. She really isn't accustomed to being turned down. That, or she's just really into you.

"Okay. Just- stay. Please," she pleads, stormy gray eyes finally meeting yours.

Oh shit.

Well, now you feel terrible. Damn near brought Zaun's scary lady to her knees.

"Of course," you say softly and offer her a sweet smile as you crawl up onto the bed to straddle her lap. With your arms wrapped over her shoulders, you finally bring your lips to hers.

Sevika snakes her arms around your back, holding you tight and flush against her as if you might float away if she let go. The deep hum of appreciation she releases reverberates through her chest to yours. At the feeling of your gentle prodding, she parts her lips to let you slip your tongue inside.

The taste of your release lingers in her mouth. It reignites the flame of your desire, leaving you with the urge to grind against her lap. You break the kiss to rest your forehead against hers. Both of you are already getting worked up again, exchanging warm breaths between parted lips.

"I want to be on top. Like this," you whisper.

Sevika pulls back to quirk a brow, but her lips curl into a tiny smile. "Any more demands, princess?"

That's a new one.

"Mmm…" you hum exaggeratedly, "Not off the top of my head, but I'll let you know." You give her a playful smile and hop off to allow her to get up.

Lying on your side, head propped up in your hand, you watch Sevika move to the opposite side of the bed to pull a harness and strap-on from a small bedside drawer. Before she can step into it, you're hit with another idea.

"One more thing."

This time Sevika shoots you a warning glare over her shoulder, but she waits to hear your request.

"I want you naked this time."

Her expression remains unchanged.

"Please?" You ask, pushing your bottom lip out. And for just an extra little push, you trail a fingertip down between the valley of your breasts, taking note of how those gray eyes follow with obvious interest. "I'll make it worth it."

With a shake of her head, Sevika releases a sigh of defeat. "You're lucky you're so beautiful," she says as she starts to remove her top.

Those words don't quite sink in immediately. You're too distracted by the sight of Sevika's bare back. The muscles that stretch across her neck and shoulders. The curves of her hips and waist. And oh heavens, there's that gorgeous ass she reveals when she bends over to pull her pants and underwear down.

If she thinks you're beautiful, what does that make her? A damn goddess. That's what.

Wait- Did she tell you you're lucky you're beautiful?

"You only like me for my body?" You ask incredulously as she turns to you, in all her naked glory, while adjusting her harness. "Don't you like me for my personality too?"

"I'm not fucking your personality," she teases as she gets back onto the bed and positions herself upright against the headboard before stroking her faux cock with her flesh hand. With the curl of a metal finger, she beckons you over.

Obediently, you crawl on hands and knees across the bed towards her, but not without making sure she sees your pout.

Sevika gently grasps your chin between metal thumb and finger, tilting your head back until you look her in the eye. Her crooked smile is taunting, but not mean. She thinks your little act is cute. "Sweetheart, you know I'm just toying with you."

It's true. You do know that. But that doesn't mean you're not going to milk her for all she's worth. Get her to confess just how bad she's down for you. You avert your eyes, pushing your bottom lip out further.

She pulls you closer, speaking in a hushed tone as she does. "Your personality, though bratty and demanding-" She pauses, waiting for you to meet her gaze again and continuing once you do, "-is just as beautiful as your body."

You finally let loose a devious little smile, just as she closes the distance to press her lips to yours.

Hook, line, and sinker.

[painted-skye]

Valentines with the boys|Obey me

This is largely innocent with some suggestive themes at the end of each if you are inclined to imagine them that way. Mainly just some cute ideas I came up with for each of the brothers on how they would treat MC on valentine's day~

Lucifer

100% buy you a sexy red dress and tell you he will pick you up at 8pm "I expect to see you wearing that"

He swings round in his fancy black car with tinted windows and takes you to a real fancy resturant

Most of the evening is spent with him eyeing you up with a glass of red wine swirling in his hands

He takes you back to a glamorous hotel. The room is decorated with heart balloons and rose petals (he totally didn't request this, The brothers had found out what hotel he had booked and wanted to play a prank on him)

He opens the door to the room and freaks out, making a mental note to punish his brothers later for this.

But then looks over at your smiling face. He can't bare to have his pride take a hit, so he pretends this is all planned

Absolutely the hottest night of your life

Mammon

Stumbles into your room early with a mountain of gifts. He wanted to be the first one to give you anything.

Spends the whole day pretending he hates valentine's day

Takes you to the fun fair where you play tonnes of games (hook the devil, shoot the devil etc..) and he wins you the jackpot prize

You kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel as he heard a legend that says whoever you kiss at the top would be lovers for eternity...not that he believes it right?

At the end of the night he gifts you a necklace with his name, just so everyone knows you belong to him

He takes you to a look out spot over the city and you spend the night tangled in each others arms.

Levi

Gets you some very limited edition merch from your fave game

Wants to spend the day recreating his favourite valentine's day event from one of his otome games (but doesn't tell you that's where the ideas came from)

He takes you to the aquarium

Holds you hands and blushes at your excitement at all the cute fishes

Obligatory selfie in the water tunnel, where you kiss him on the cheek and he turns into a stuttering mess

Buys you a sea serpent plush at the gift shop

Both get the bus back, and you lean on his shoulder the whole ride home

Playing video games on his room until you lean over and give him a small kiss

Him not being able to control himself anymore, he rolls over and the rest of the night is a happy blur.

Satan

Absolutely buys you your favourite book and some real nice chocolates

Takes you to the old market side of town for an antique bookstore date

You find a cursed book that lets you go inside and experience the story first hand. Of course it's a fantasy romance book.

You leave the store with a pile of new books to read

Take an evening walk home via the river, bathed in moonlight

Go back to his room where he recites a beautiful handwritten poem

Spend the night romantically embraced before falling asleep among a pile of books.

Asmo

Knocks on your door super early and drags you from your bed to glam you to the nines

You head outside and are greeted with a small horse drawn carriage

You are both leisurely paraded through the park in the carriage as Asmo repeats words of love in your ear "my princess"

Takes you to a private room in a bar in the evening, where you spend the whole night dancing and having fun

Stumbling back to his room at midnight frantically undressing and Asmo peppering kisses all over your body

Pampering session before you fall asleep in his arms and a tangle of bedsheets

Beel

Brings you breakfast in bed - little heart pancakes. Of course he has made too many so you end up sharing them together

Takes you for a nice walk around the city, stopping and trying all the different street food vendors

Sit on a bench whilst he disappears and comes back with a huge sculpted candyfloss on a stick in the shape of a heart

In the evening he takes you to an all you can eat buffet. You finish your third plate whilst Beel is on his 15th. You both stop and laugh at the pile of plates Infront of you

Takes a taxi home where you fall asleep on his shoulder

He carries you to his room and places you on his bed

You wake up around 1am to Beel holding you in his arms and eating some of the chocolates you gave him

You playfully lick the corner of his mouth where a small bit of melted chocolate rested

He rolls over to get a taste of you

Belphie

Had snuck into your room at some point in the nught

Both wake up late, tangled in eachother

You head to a local cafe where he treats you to a late lunch

He takes you to a sweet shop on the way back and buys you a big red heart lollypop

Walk arm in arm through the park and up to the top of the hill to watch the sunset

He kisses you on the way back to the observatory

Build a blanket fort in the observatory and stargaze holding hands

A pillow fight turns hot and steamy before you both fall asleep in a pile of pillows and plushies

[averydavery]

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Inbetween of the Playstation 2

Intro

To me, the Playstation 2 is the best video game console ever. Period. Its catalogue is undeniably strong but I am definitely very biased as well, not to mention that the dualshock remote looks almost exactly the same from PS2 to PS4... But mainly, there is a reason many iconic titles from famous series are from this system and era of video game history. The PS2’s time in the spotlight (1999- 2011) was the real start of the hayday of video games.

So, in honor of my love for the system, here is my rankings for the games i’ve played so far and why!

***I will only be judging games that originally launched on the system, including bridge games, NOT PS1 games that are backwards compatible. So sorry MGS1 and FFVII

From Top to Bottom

1. Shadow of the Colossus

5/5 stars. One sentence review: I’m sobbing.

2. Metal Gear Solid 2

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: “No, that is NOT the real Solid Snake!”

3. Resident Evil 4

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Fixed camera and gun controls making me want to get the Las Plagas fr.

4. God of War

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: I don’t know what’s more unforgiving: the game itself or playing it on the PS2.

5. Bully

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: I really wish people gave Bully more attention than GTA.

6. GTA Vice City

4/5 stars. One sentence review: For some reason my PS2 had a hard time running Vice City and this game is significantly smaller than others on this list.

7. Onimusha

4/5 stars. One sentence review: I really enjoyed this story and I would’ve loved it a lot more if the controls didn’t feel like I was committing a felony.

8. Devil May Cry

4/5 stars. One sentence review: “I should’ve filled yoUR DARK SOUL WITH LIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!”

9. GTA III

4/5 stars. One sentence review: Just didn’t do it for me story wise as much as the others, i dont know.

10. God of War II

3.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Least favorite God of War game besides Chains of Olympus, not that it’s bad it’s just okay.

11. Crazy Taxi

3.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Very fun but only for about ten minutes.

12. Yakuza 2

2/5 stars. One sentence review: I’m a diehard Yakuza/RGG/Like A Dragon fan but I stg this is the worst game in the series, I never even beat it.

13. Devil May Cry 2

2/5 stars. One sentence review: Bad mechanics and bored me.

The Superlatives

The Best Title in a Series

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

An easy pick for this category and a game that is second only to Shadow of the Colossus, is Metal Gear Solid 3. It is a fantastic game as much as it is a great entry in an amazing series. For those who don’t know, MGS3 is a prequel for the entire series and takes place even before the old 8-But Metal Gear games. MGS3 follows Naked Snake who becomes the infamous Big Boss, the notorious antagonist for the rest of the series, and is the first game in the series to really perfect the stealth combat with the addition of an over the shoulder camera and new camouflage mechanics. Other notable aspects of MGS3 are that graphics for the game still hold up today, the characters are some of the most memorable in the series (I LOVE YOU BOSS!!!!), and the boss fights are engaging. Not to mention that if I had to guess, you’re probably humming “Snake Eater” to yourself right now.

MGS3 is such a good MGS title that I believe it sort of set Kojima up for failure with every game that came after it.

The Best Game You’ve Never Played/My Personal Favorite PS2 Game

Blood Will Tell: Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo

The only reason Blood Will Tell isn’t number one is because I felt bad putting Shadow of the Colossus as number 2. I fucking love this game with my whole heart and soul, I really don’t know where to begin. The title of “the best game you’ll never play” isn’t one that I came up with myself, many people refer to Blood Will Tell by that superlative and you’re probably wondering why that is. Blood Will Tell was released by SEGA in 2004 and flopped in the Americas despite many looking back on the title fondly, as a result of its recent popularity (largely due to the 2019 Dororo anime and rise of the collector’s market) and little supply, it became an incredibly rare game with the highest selling price for a PS2 game I have ever seen. Blood Will Tell goes for anywhere between $400 to $700 USD, for reference: Silent Hill 2 goes for about $100. Which is why I don’t give this superlative away lightly, even the copy I own isn’t legitimate. There’s no way I’m spending that much money on a game without playing it myself.

So this brings to the second superlative I gave it: my personal favorite PS2 game. It’s the best game you’ll never play for a reason, there is a demand for it for a reason. While the dub is laughably bad, the game itself is incredibly rich. The goofy voice acting adds to the game’s charm and, in my opinion, makes a fantastic game more enjoyable. The gameplay is addictive and one of the most fluid for the 20 year old console, Blood Will Tell is a hack-n-slash that feels like a mix of Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima to me —which is funny because both of those games came out the same year and fought for the GotW award. You play as Hyakkimaru, a boy with swords for arms who is cursed after his father gave away all 48 body parts to demons in a deal for power. Now it’s your job to get your body back, piece by piece. This plot allows for incredibly unique visual story telling that is astounding for the time it came out in. For example, in the beginning chapter Hyakki is blind. They show this by making the world entirely black and white until he gets his sight back in which color floods your screen in a beautiful way. Since he can’t speak he has a filter that makes it sound like he’s talking in his head… etc. Even some of the 48 bosses are hidden and optional, something I didn’t expect to see in a game this old. On my first playthrough, I missed some bosses because the map is deceptively big. I think my only critiques besides the silly voice acting (personally, I like it) are that Dororo’s sections of the game aren’t great but they don’t drag on either so I don’t mind them and that the music is stale and repeats.

All in all, I can yap about this game all day because I love it so much. If you are unwilling to spend $700 on Blood Will Tell, I highly recommend that you buy a cheap repro or emulate it on your computer. If neither of those are options for you consider watching a playthrough on youtube or, better yet, reading/watching all the other adaptations of Dororo! Blood Will Tell is based of the 1963 manga Dororo by Osamu Tezuka (the mangaka of Astroboy and Black Jack) and there are many versions of this story!

The Best Adventure Game

Okami

I like to call Okami “the game that raised me” because it pretty much did. I first remember playing it in sixth grade and have played a run through of it probably once a year since. I’ve played it on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, and Playstation 2… and I’ll honestly say that it plays best on Switch. When Okami came out it originally launched on the Wii, which is why it plays so well on Switch as well. The reason for that is because of its unique, never before seen gameplay. Okami’s premise is that you play as Okami Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun in the form of a white wolf, who is resurrected in order to save the world from darkness. Ammy’s special ability is that she can manipulate the Celestial Brush, which has 13 different techniques that allow the player to literally play God by painting onto their surroundings to summon things like wind, water, fire, and vines or to literally stop time or cause nature to bloom. This Celestial Brush is why it plays so well on Nintendo consoles, which is actually why I recommend playing this game on one instead of on PS2. Okami has been remastered and really has no reason to be played PS2. In addition to why it isn’t fantastic on the PS2 is that Okami is most known for its visuals. The entire game is done in a painterly style with cell-shaded brush strokes that outline everything decoratively to aid it’s themes of traditional Japanese mythology… And one thing that makes that style look even better is when it is not played in low poly on the PS2.

So to put the kebash on this one, Okami was the best adventure game on the PS2 despite not being suited for the console itself. So please, play the remaster to enjoy the story even more!

The Best Fighting Game

Yakuza

I know a lot of you might disagree with me on this but please know I am only going off games I have played and that I also don’t care about what others think. I love this series. There are 8 Yakuza games, 10 if you count Like A Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth and Gaiden, 13 if you count Ishin, Ishin (Remake/Remaster), Kenzan!, and Dead Souls, 15 if you count Kiwami 1 & 2, and 17 if you count the Black Panther games… but it all started with this one game. Yakuza is a beat ‘em up that was advertised as “Japan’s GTA” which I think is an apt description only for the street fighting you do. In actuality, Yakuza is a game that follows the ex-yakuza Kiryu Kazuma as he fights to save the people he cares about and struggles with his loyalty to his former life a made man. The combat is fun and engaging with its use of combos and cinematics, however the controls are a bit finicky but nothing that will drive you up the wall. Another drawback of this title is the voice acting for the same reason as Blood Will Tell, it is a horrendous English dub. But I think it’s enjoyably bad, Mark Hamill and John DeMagio jumpscared me when I first heard their voices.

Although, I don’t necessarily recommend Yakuza to anyone who doesn’t have a PS2 at all, really, and that is because Yakuza Kiwami exists —which is a remake for modern consoles of this game with a million new things, better graphics and combat, and no English dub. This remake highlights everything that was so good about the original.

The Best Horror Game

Silent Hill 2

I think I can keep this one short because Silent Hill 2 is a game that needs no introduction. It practically invented the psychological survival horror genre as we know it be today and still is an amazing game that manages to always unnerve me. From its multiple endings to its atmospheric environment, Silent Hill 2 sets the bar for what should be a good horror game and inspires many series still. But above all else, Silent Hill 2 has the best soundtrack out of any game that I’ve mentioned so far. Akira Yamaoka is a genius songwriter.

The Worst Game I’ve Played So Far

Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir

I love Fullmetal Alchemist (if my account was any clue into that haha) and I thought that my love for that series was going to help get through this game. But I was so wrong and I should’ve listened to my gut. FMA works really well as video game if you actually try to make it one or else it doesn’t work, the ingredients are there you just have to follow the recipe. But Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir takes this way too seriously. Not only does it harp on the most boring episodes of the original series, it does so in the worst manner possible. The game itself looks like plastic, it’s cellshaded blandly. The music is loud and at times annoying, the fighting is stiff and uninspired when alchemy could be so much fun if done right, and it follows a clunky visual novel style in cutscenes for no reason. Even in the menu you can see that it was trying to be an RPG but never committed and I think this game could’ve shined if it was one, instead of the lame fighter it is now. The only benefit I see in this game is that the voice acting is all the original cast. So that’s nice… everything else? Not so much.

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for me to play!

[27emailsicantsend]

Chapter Four: Nighttime Adventures

December

I guess high school never ends. You sure got a lot to say, when you're talkin' on my name. You sure got a lot to say, but did you tell them everything? Oh, and when you dance with the devil, the devil's gonna dance with you. Oh, and when you play with fire, the flame's gonna burn you, too. Starting rumors, it's nothing new, yeah... She said, he said, she said.

-”SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID”, Joshua Bassett

Red was laying on his bed, throwing a hacky sack up and down lazily. Ricky ushered him home after getting shakes with the other theater kids. After giving Gina a quick kiss on the cheek (met with many teasing noises from the theater crowd), he told Big Red they needed to hang out. Ricky knew if he would have framed it as a “want”, Red wouldn’t have agreed.

So, when the two finally got back to his place, Ricky sat on the large chair in Red’s basement and demanded Red to tell him what happened. Red wasn’t hard to get to talk. He flopped backwards on his bed and came clean about what was making him so woeful at the restaurant.

“We broke up. For good this time,” Big Red lamented.

“How... how soon did this happen?” Ricky was hoping Red wouldn’t say what he was worried about him saying... Ricky was wrong.

“Right before Gina’s performance”. Really? Ricky thought. Ricky recognized how painful that must have been; Red watching Ricky make this large romantic gesture right after Red had just broken up with his girlfriend. The same girlfriend that he promised he wanted to be with for good over the summer.

“I- I- am so sorry, Red. I don’t-” Ricky stuttered.

“Know what to say,” Big Red finished Ricky’s sentence. “It’s ok, I figured you wouldn’t. I just appreciate you being here”.

Ricky knew Big Red wasn’t saying anything vindictive, but somehow he still took Red’s sentiment a little negatively. 

Figured I wouldn’t know what he had to say? Ricky wondered. Why do I struggle so badly with words? They’re just words.

“H-How did it happen?” Ricky was desperately wishing he could just be there for Red, but Red’s comment made his struggle to help more apparent. It was like his brain was full of a deep fog and helpful words were floating around, but every time his hands grasped for one, the words dissolved.

“Ashlyn,” Red sighed, holding the hacky sack this time instead of letting it fly. “She said she wanted to figure things out with me, with Maddox, and partially with herself. She said she couldn’t explore her feelings honestly in a committed relationship”. Red sat up, still looking glum as he gave the hacky sack tiny squishes with his thumb and forefinger. “I appreciate her being truthful, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t sting”.

Ricky sat on the bed next to Red, putting an arm around his shoulder. “You’ll find someone,” Ricky said before pausing. He remembered something that might be helpful for Red to hear, “all in due time”.

Red met Ricky with a “thanks” and then asked to play some video games. It was apparent Red was done talking which made Ricky relieved. He wanted to help Red where he could, but he knew he could distract Red easier than talk it out. Ricky knew that just being there with Red was what really mattered to him. Ricky grabbed a controller and tossed it to Red; both boys playing Halo for the rest of the night.

The next week was a weird, wonderful, scary, exhilarating, disaster. As much as Ricky knew Gina and him being public would cause a lot of tension, he wasn’t prepared for how much attention. People they didn’t know were acting like they had been best friends for years, he had tripled the amount of followers and comments on his social media and Gina had about quadrupled hers, they had to lock the entire school down for filming so paparazzi wouldn’t show up and take photos (this still happened with the original cast filming there, but it got worse when Ricky and Gina became publicly official), Ricky was receiving random “hate” notes in his locker, and neither Gina or he could walk around in public anymore without someone feeling the need to comment on their relationship. Ricky was right, Gina did receive a lot of comments about her being a “cheater”, but he also received comments about being a “homewrecker”. Ricky and Gina loved being able to hold hands and kiss freely around their friends, as well as date publicly, but their fantasies continually broke as the public crowd would often invade them.

Ricky knew he needed a break. His life had felt nonstop since the beginning of the year and he was about to collapse under the pressure. Zac insisted they walk around the halls and sing “Scream” together to help Ricky sort out his stress, but Ricky just thanked him and said he had other plans. He was going back to Chicago to see his mom.

Ricky invited Gina to come, but Gina also recognized that with the overbearingness of Dani, her tight schedule, trying to see Ricky when she could; she had rarely been around her mom, something she looked forward to so much since Ms. Porter had moved back. Gina figured this was a good opportunity to spend some time with her mom. So Ricky found himself on a solo flight to Chicago.

When Ricky finally landed, Lynn welcomed him with open arms. He told her how bad he felt about the last time he saw her... spending so much time wallowing over Nini and ditching her; he wanted to make it up to Lynn. So they spent Friday night and all day Saturday exploring the city like Lynn had originally planned last year. The pair took a lot of photos, ate way too much pizza, and Lynn even bought Ricky several new clothing items. Surprisingly, Ricky only got noticed a couple of times in public, and neither of the notices were met with hostility. They were compliments on Gina and Ricky as a couple, as well as asking if he knew if there would be another documentary again soon. 

The entire experience felt surreal. Ricky hadn’t felt this at peace in months. It was like he had forgotten to breathe and now he was getting all of the fresh air the world had to offer, savoring every last bit of it.

When Lynn and Ricky got back to her apartment, they set down all of their shopping bags on the floor and headed toward the living room to watch a Christmas movie. They sat on opposite ends of the couch before Lynn flicked on the TV and began to scroll through different streaming channels. As she was scrolling, she nonchalantly asked Ricky, “so, what are your Christmas plans for Gina?”

Ricky felt all of that fresh air leave, suddenly unable to breath again from panic. Gina. Christmas. He had gotten so wrapped up in the insanity of November that he completely forgot about getting her a Christmas gift. Ricky remained quiet. As per usual, he didn’t know what to say.

“You didn’t get her one?” Lynn answered her own question.

Ricky looked into his lap and began to play with his fingers. He knew he needed to get her something, but his mind was coming up blank.

“Ricky? Why not?” Lynn didn’t ask this accusatorily, but more concerned.

“I-I don’t know. I wanted to get her a guitar because it’s something we’ve been doing together, but dad said no,” Ricky said, still fiddling with his hands.

“I think your dad was right on that one. Guitars are-”

“-Expensive, I know,” Ricky intercepted Lynn’s thought, feeling half-irritated. “And don’t ask me to get her a pick either. I’m not going down that road again”.

Lynn sighed and hit her thighs with her hands. “Ok,” she said as she shuffled her way over to Ricky’s side of the couch, placing an arm around him. “Then let’s get her something wonderful”.

“Like what? I tried asking my buddy, Jet, but he was absolutely no help. He just went off on some tangent about ‘love languages’,” Ricky gestured in frustration.

“Maybe Jet was right?” Lynn shrugged. “Do you know what Gina’s is?”

“I think it’s gift giving? At least, that’s what Jet and I deduced last time we talked”.

“And why is that?”

“Because,” Ricky blushed, thinking about his conversation with Gina after the documentary promo. His mom didn’t need to know every detail Gina said about the hat. “She knitted me a hat... and she got very excited when I gave her chocolates,” Ricky said the last part quickly. He knew Lynn would embarrass him over the hat if he spent too much time talking about it.

“A hat?! She made you a hat?! That is the sweetest thing ever, Ricky! Do you still have it? Can I see it?” Lynn gushed. Too late.

“No, mom. You can’t,” Ricky concluded followed by Lynn pursing her lips. “Let’s just think about what I could give her. Luckily, because it’s gift giving, as long as she gets a gift she’ll be happy, right?”

“Not necessarily,” Lynn rubbed her hand on his arm in a comforting way. She could tell Ricky felt frustrated. “Sometimes,” she pulled one of her hand-knitted blankets across both of their laps, “it’s about the meaning behind the gift. I really think the guitar could have been a good idea because of what it meant to you both. But you know your father couldn’t afford that”.

“Sometimes it feels like we can barely afford a box of cereal,” Ricky replied sarcastically. “I would get a job, mom, but everything Miss Jenn has us doing is keeping me so busy-”

“Ricky, hey, it’s ok” Lynn said calmly as she pulled his chin up with her hand, smiling sweetly at him. “I know you’re busy. I just mean, maybe we need to think a little outside of the box. What is something that is really important to Gina?”

Lynn moved her hand and Ricky looked down at the blanket, now fumbling with it instead of his hands. 

Ricky responded, “Well... she likes dancing, singing, learning things on YouTu-” That’s it, Ricky thought. It was like Ricky was struck by the most brilliant idea he’d ever had. He knew exactly what to get Gina.

“What?” Lynn asked confused. 

Oh, right, I’ve got to say it out loud, Ricky remembered.

“She knitted me that hat, mom! You know how to knit. Do you think you could help me make her something?”

“Well,” Lynn laughed, “we only have one day left together, so I probably couldn’t help you finish it. I could, however, teach you so you can finish it on your own time”.

Lynn and Ricky began to toss ideas around what to make Gina. They thought about also making her a hat, or maybe a cute ornament, or even a keychain, but Ricky wanted it to be something Gina could wear, so Lynn and he collectively decided on a scarf. She hurried to where she keeps her knitting supplies and let Ricky pick out the yarn. He chose the same colors Gina made the hat: maroon and burnt orange. Then, Lynn and he spent the rest of the night and the next day in scarf making lessons. Luckily, Lynn was letting Ricky take any supplies he needed home with him, so he felt like he could finish the scarf in time.

Ricky continued to work on the scarf on the plane, when he got home, and later on that night. Just as Ricky was finishing up his portion of the scarf for the night, he received a call. He looked at the ID, a picture of Gina making an adorable pouty face in a mirror.

“Hey cutie!” He answered, so excited to finally hear from Gina after not talking all weekend.

“Do you have a minute to talk?” Gina sounded worried.

“Of course? What’s going on?” Ricky put the scarf down instinctively, a sense of protectiveness starting to course through him.

“It’s Dani,” Gina said apprehensively.  

Gina began to explain that Dani was making Gina’s life even worse. All week she had been making fun of her in the halls, making threats that she was going to destroy everything Gina owned, and try to get her kicked off of the dance team. Gina explained feeling so helpless in the situation, which only illuminated Ricky’s protective side. He was furious at Dani.

“Are you kidding me?? That’s not ok, Gina! No one should ever talk to you like that, regardless of the circumstances. I’m going to go find her right now and tell her to back off-” Ricky fumed.

Gina jumped in quickly to stop him, “-Wait! Ricky, don’t. It’s not worth it... I’m calling you because there is more. I think she’s making fake social media accounts to cause more trouble. I’ve already had three news sources asking to talk about my ‘lingering feelings’ for EJ and why I would ever choose someone like you. They said they got videos of me saying I was still head-over-heels for EJ and just want him. And I never, ever said that. Please Ricky, you have to believe me,” Gina begged.

Ricky did believe Gina. He didn’t believe that snake.

“How do you know it’s her for sure?” Ricky pressed, making sure they had the right suspect.

“Because one of them actually sent me a video and it was me during dance. I was talking to another girl about how I still had lingering feelings for you at camp and was wondering why I ever chose EJ. I think she cut the video and manipulated it to make it sound like I was talking about you both in reverse. I’m so sorry... I didn’t know this would happen...” Gina trailed off.

“Gi, you don’t have to apologize to me. I believe you,” Ricky reassured her. “Let’s keep living our lives the best we can for now until we can come up with a plan to get her to stop. Have you gotten something to eat? Any sleep? What do you need?”

“No, I’m exhausted. The problem is, I am so on edge over all of this, it’s making it hard to sleep. Ricky, I just want to be with you,” Gina requested.

“Be right over”. Ricky said, hanging up his phone and throwing on his coat. He was pretty sure he heard Gina say, “wait, what?” before he hung up, but he wasn’t going to let her talk him out of helping her. And Ricky knew she would try. He didn’t want her to feel bad for needing him.

Ricky walked up to Gina’s two-story house. It was white and plain, blending in with the surrounding homes. The porch light was on, reflecting some snow covered rocks below the main windows. Ricky grabbed a handful of them, wiping the cold moisture off of them onto his coat. He then went to the side of the house and unlatched the fence, making his way to the backyard where a balcony stood boldly above him. The balcony was connected to her room, another balcony on the opposite side of the house connected to Mrs. Porter’s room. He saw Gina’s light on and then her figure pacing around the room.

He took a rock in his hand and threw it at the window. It met the glass with a loud, “thump!”. Gina looked over but shook her head and continued to pace. Ricky threw two more rocks, thump, thump. He saw Gina walk over to a chair near the door and grab her coat laying on it. She walked onto the balcony, looking like a cozy winter dream in her coat and pajamas.

“Ricky? You’re going to wake the neighbors! What are you doing he-” she whispered loudly at him, now having approached the banister.

“I came to help you fall asleep!” Ricky’s volume matching hers.

Gina smiled as she rolled her eyes. He knew she wouldn’t be mad. He took her eyeroll as the signal to make his way up to her balcony. There was a large tree next to where she was standing, the perfect distance for him to get to her. So Ricky scaled up the tree, hopping over the edge once he reached her.

“You know I have stairs?” Gina said sarcastically, looking a little like Ricky with her raised eyebrow.

“Didn’t want to wake the neighbors,” Ricky said with a wink before making a cocky walk into her room.

Gina’s room was bigger than the average, but not filled tight. Ricky was sure this wasn’t just because of the size of the room, but also the little amount of items Gina had from moving so often. He looked happily around the room at her bed, filled with old stuffed animals, flattened pillows, and Rina, the monkey. He noted a chair in the corner, a large moon shape holding a fuzzy blanket. He saw some clothes piled around a laundry basket, the basket sitting right beneath a corkboard. On that corkboard was her ribbon from last Thanksgiving pinned to it. Ricky gave the ribbon an acknowledging half-smile.

Gina walked up to Ricky, wrapping her arms around his waist. He met her back with a tight hug around her upper arms as he rested his head on hers.

“So, how are you going to help me sleep?” she muffled into his chest. Ricky gave her a peck on the forehead, before giving her another tight squeeze. 

“Just get into bed, you’ll see,” Ricky prompted.

Gina threw off her coat and excitedly ran to her bed, jumping on it before getting under the covers and propping herself up on one arm. Her smile was full of innocence and kindness; Ricky couldn’t shake how horrific Dani had been to someone as incredible as Gina. Ricky handed her Rina and then pulled the chair up next to her bed from the corner of the room.

“Do you have a favorite story?” Ricky asked.

“The Chronicles of Narnia,” Gina replied, eyeing her bookshelf. “But you can’t read that all to me in one night, Ricky”.

Ricky got up and examined the bookshelf, grabbing The Chronicles of Narnia off the second shelf. “Good thing you need sleep every night,” Ricky lovingly joked, sitting down in a chair. He saw Gina’s cheeks start to flush.

With a proud look on his face, Ricky opened up to page one and began reading. Gina snuggled in, hanging onto every word until eventually she fell asleep. After Ricky was sure she was sound asleep, he walked over to her and kissed her head- giving her a gentle whisper good night. He followed this by turning off her lamp and making his way quietly out the same way he came in.

***************************************************

The next two weeks leading up to play felt like a whirlwind for Ricky. Every day more and more tabloids began to reach out to Ricky and Gina, trying to discover more ways to publicize errors in their relationship. Ricky and Gina both knew it was Dani in disguise, but she seemed invincible. It seemed like every time they shut one of her accounts down, two more popped up in it’s place. Luckily, the only time they had to see Dani was at rehearsal for High School Musical 3, because dance was on pause until January. And Ricky thanked his lucky stars “Martha” didn’t have much of a role in the play, so time with Dani was limited.

Ricky also found himself trying to make ends meet with other aspects in his life too. He was trying to knit his scarf for Gina, be available for High School Musical 4 scenes, rehearse on his own time, and see Gina. Another lucky star he was grateful for was The Chronicles of Narnia, because he had an excuse to see Gina each night. Every night for those two weeks started the same: he would finish up a small section of the scarf, scale the tree outside of Gina’s house, and then read her to sleep. 

After one particularly long day, a few days before the play, Ricky was putting on his pajamas after finishing another section of the scarf. He was planning on going over to Gina’s soon, but he received a knock at the door. 

“Gina?” he said, puzzled to see her standing at his doorway. It was 10 at night, her pajamas were on and her hair was up in a curly, messy bun. She looked adorable with her nose being slightly pink from the cold.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a soft smile.

“Hey! Come in, it���s cold out,” Ricky said, gesturing quickly at her to get in the house. “I thought I was coming over to your house?”

“I know that’s the plan, but plans changed,” Gina said eagerly. Ricky could sense she was up to something and he was right. “Get your coat on, I’m taking you somewhere”.

Ricky laughed saying, “your wish is my command”. He took his coat off the rack, zipping it up when he heard his car keys jingle. Gina was shoving the keys in her coat pocket with a scheming grin.

“Hey now, where are you going with those, young lady?” Ricky teased.

“You’ll see,” Gina said slyly. 

The pair walked outside before Ricky felt a little sense of panic. Gina had never driven his car before. She has her license, but this was his car. Red gave it to him when he got a new car, since Ricky drove it around so much. Red would kill him if it got wrecked.

“...are you sure you can drive my car?” Ricky hesitated.

“It’s an automatic, Ricky,” Gina countered, her voice dry.

“Right,” Ricky resolved. 

Once he saw Gina get into the driver’s seat, he felt his worry ease up. Someone that pretty couldn’t be bad at driving, right? Ricky thought to himself.

Wrong. Gina sped fast down the road, not taking care for speed bumps, ran at least one stop sign, and she forgot to turn her lights on until about five minutes in when Ricky reminded her. But even Ricky surprised himself when he realized he wasn’t mad or scared- he was exhilarated. Driving fast, not being sure if they would hit ice, defying every rule society had made for cars, the adventure felt wild and new. He liked not caring what others thought and just enjoying the moment with Gina by his side. It was an enlightening, thrilling, rush that he didn’t want to slow down.

But, alas, the couple made it to their destination, which meant the joyride had to slow down temporarily. Ricky looked at their surroundings of where Gina had pulled up. He saw trees, dirt, and no other sign of living. They were outside a forest. Ricky started to get heavy Déjà vu from the Woman in the Woods.

“Uh... Gi? What are we doing out here, exactly?” He said, slowly unbuckling his seatbelt. Gina was already outside her car door.

“Afraid of adventure, Ricky Bowen? Are you a chicken?” Gina mocked outside the car, now standing in front of the passenger side.

“In your dreams,” Ricky said as he got out. He rushed over to Gina, aggressively tickling her waist. Gina giggled and squealed under Ricky. Once she was able to worm her way out of his grasp, she grabbed Ricky’s slightly sweaty hand (she didn’t say anything) and led him into the woods with a “c’mon!”

Gina found a path that was actually meant for night hiking. It had lights leading the entire way up, with signs in neon colors that made it easy to navigate. It was cold, but surprisingly not so cold Ricky couldn’t handle it. Or maybe the adrenaline was keeping him warm- he wasn’t sure. 

Ricky and Gina headed up the trail together.

Most of the bushes and flowers were stick like, the last leaves hanging on. The trees folded around the couple, enveloping them like a heavy shadow. They heard an owl hooting in the distance, as well as the branches and spots of snow crunching under their feet. The two of them didn’t say much for awhile, as they walked together peacefully in silence. Being hand in hand with Gina made this adventure surprisingly easy for Ricky. His fear seemed to wash away each moment he was with her.

“Maybe this is what our characters felt like,” Gina remarked, finally cracking the silence.

“What do you mean?” Ricky could feel his brain scanning for any connection to the woods, cold, and Gabriella and Troy.

“Kristoff and Anna? When they went hiking in the woods it was cold. I wonder if this is what they felt like, Gina pondered. 

Duh, thought Ricky.

“Isn’t it funny we get to be leads again?” Ricky smiled to himself.

“Ricky, you’re the lead every year,” Gina said, her tone dry once again.

“I just mean with you, Gi. It’s so nice getting to be leads with you again. It’s making my senior year worth it...” Ricky couldn’t bare to finish his thought. He’d been trying to bring up that he might not stay close to home for college. He’d been thinking about the adventures being outside of Salt Lake might bring, knowing he had never really explored outside of his own home until summer camp. Ricky still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but every time he got close to talking to Gina about it, it was like his mouth was sewn shut. He just couldn’t get himself to speak... about any of it.

“...I’m glad,” Gina had waited a second before speaking, but when she did she stopped to look at Ricky, not releasing his hand.

“I’m a little worried about ‘Can I Have This Dance’, though”, Ricky said, thinking about how uncoordinated the practice attempts had been. Every time they practiced, either Ricky had two left feet again, Dani would try to intervene on Gina’s choreography (Gina got to choreograph this number), or Miss Jenn would stop rehearsal just as Ricky was starting to feel like he got the dance down.

“Maybe we should practice it one more time?”

“Out here?” Ricky said, his eyebrow once again positioning itself high on his forehead.

“Yeah, out here. No one else has been around since we started up this trail...” Gina noted, letting go of Ricky’s hand. She took her phone out of her coat pocket and set it on the ground nearby. She tapped it a few times before the music to “Can I Have This Dance” started to play. She stood back up, holding out her hand as she sang:

Take my hand, take a breath

Pull me close, and take one step

Ricky took a deep breath as he decided to trust Gina. The two began to dance along to the song, but Ricky couldn’t seem to trust himself. He began to fumble his footsteps, as Gina kept steady through the first verse. He stayed concentrated on his toes, watching his every move diligently.

When Ricky and Gina finally sang the line “wherever we go next”, Ricky took a major over step and almost messed up the entire dance. He had been paying so much attention to his feet, that they seemed to stop listening to him completely. 

Gina took Ricky’s chin and lifted it up to her face. “Ricky, trust me,” she quietly urged him before the chorus. Maybe he hadn’t been trusting her. He tried again.

They continued to dance, with Ricky now refocused only on Gina’s eyes. He was able to gather his thoughts more clearly which helped him to finally grasp the movement of the dance. It was like he had been seeing the steps the whole time, but now he was finally using them. 

Ricky was able to take the lead by the time Troy took the lead in the second verse. Around the end of the verse, Ricky saw a fleck of snow hit Gina’s cheek. He moved it away with his thumb and softly said, “snow” before the next bridge started.

The two danced and swayed around the forest, improvising moves around the trees and stumps in their pajamas and winter coats. It was like everything from the dance had finally clicked and they were moving together in harmony now. Every lift, spin, and turn were performed with grace; the dance elegantly twisting through the woods. The entire moment felt beautiful and simple, a metaphor for Ricky and Gina.

About the time the dance was ending, the snow began to fall heavier and heavier. It wasn’t rain. It was better. Richer, more vibrant, and more spectacular. The snow came down in large flakes, covering the bushes and trees quietly and quickly. Ricky placed his hand on Gina’s face, softly running his thumb back and forth across her cheekbone. He couldn’t think of a prettier sight as he watched the snow fall into her hair and down her face. Light snow dusted her eyelashes and nose, falling every time she blinked her large brown eyes. Ricky leaned in, his lips finding rhythm with Gina’s. It was soft, exhilarating, and wonderful as he felt completely connected to Gina. It felt like he had melted into one with Gina, thinking her same thoughts, feeling her same heartbeat, and letting gravity do the rest. In this moment, Ricky forgot about the rest of the world. Gina was what was right with his life and he never wanted to forget it.

********************************************

The night of High School Musical 3: Senior Year had finally arrived. Maddox and Ashlyn were helping each other get ready, Carlos was freaking out because he lost Chad’s basketball, Seb was trying help Miss Jenn calm down before the show, and Jet was combing out Kourtney’s hair.

Of course, Jet and Kourtney waited until the worst possible minute (as usual) to announce that they were now going to tell the world they were dating (”if Ricky can humiliate himself in front of the whole world, then I guess I can share my relationship with my favorite human” Jet said, standing protectively next to Kourtney). They shared their news right when Natalie gave the “ten minutes to opening” call. 

Jet and Kourtney were a sweet couple to Ricky, but Jet was definitely a male-wife. If Kourtney asked him to jump he would say, “how high, what building, and do I need to bring anyone?” It seemed ridiculous to him that anyone could literally drop their entire life for their partner with a single bat of their eyes.

“Ricky?” Gina called him from backstage. She was on one side adjusting her microphone while he was on the other, running lines with Emmy.

“Yes, dear?” Ricky said, running over immediately to Gina.

“Will you go get my dance shoes? They’re in the dance room. I left them there after our dress rehearsal the other night. I know we only have a few minutes until we start and you and I are on stage fir-”

“-Absolutely. On it.” Ricky interjected, running out of the stage with no hesitation. He bolted his way toward the dance room, which sat at the end of the hallway from the theater. As he approached the room, slowing down his sprint to a walk, he began to hear a familiar voice. 

“I know, Gina is so annoying. I’m hoping what we sent those tabloids will get rid of her for good,” the voice said coolly. 

Ricky walked up quietly to the door, edging his way, so Dani hopefully wouldn’t hear him.

“Well, I don’t care that the play is almost here. I want her finished,” Dani hissed. Ricky thought about how she really was a snake. “She is taking up too much space on my stage! She literally got Gabriella, a part I had been working on for so long. I hope this article hits her where it hurts... yes, of course I made it up! You really think she would have done half of that stuff? Please. I just want her gone”.

Ricky wished he had been recording. This was firm evidence that Dani was the one who had been sending in those fake articles. Dani sounded like a villain, voicing the next steps to her evil plan. Ricky decided that if she was going to be the villain, then he was going to be Gina’s hero- serving Dani some justice. 

He considered jumping in and catching Dani in the act, but Ricky realized that catching her would only be his word against hers. He checked his watch. He had about 2 more minutes until theater prayer circle. Dani walked out of the room, not noticing Ricky still pressed against the door.

Ricky skipped into the room, searching quickly for Gina’s shoes, realizing he didn’t ask her where they were. He thought that maybe in the process he might be able to find some incriminating evidence against Dani as well. Ricky saw some lockers stacked on the other side of the room, all without locks. He began to open the top doors until he got to the third one where he located Gina’s shoes. 

As Ricky went to close the door, his eye picked up on a polaroid of Gina and him holding Rina, next to another polaroid of the entire cast. Ricky realized no one at school knew they were together during Gina’s time rehearsing for dance, but she still risked it anyway with photos like this. Ricky couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

Ricky quickly grabbed the shoes and raced out of the room, only to bump hard into someone- nearly knocking the breath out of him.

“Zac??” Ricky said, puzzled. While the school had been... decent about being around a celebrity constantly, the play was open to the public. He thought for sure Zac of all people wouldn’t be there. He was genuinely surprised to not see a bunch of fans gathered around Zac in the hall.

“Little Zac!! What are you doing here?” Zac asked excitedly.

“Uh... It-It’s opening night? I’m playing Troy? Your character?.... Remember?” Ricky wondered how Zac functioned sometimes.

“I knew that, Little Zac,” Ricky took back his last thought. “I just meant outside of the dance room. Isn’t the show starting in like, five minutes?”

“Right. Got to go!” Ricky started to run again.

“Hey, Little Zac!” Zac called out behind him.

Ricky didn’t have time for this. 

“Yes?” Ricky said, slightly annoyed because he needed to go.

“Good luck out there. I’ve been really impressed by you. I couldn’t think of anyone else I would want to play Troy. I came to see you,” Zac revealed.

Ricky froze. A twinge of guilt hit as he thought about how he treated or thought about Zac. He didn’t realize Zac thought so highly of him. The whole moment caught him off guard.

Ricky turned around and gave Zac a quick “thanks,” before picking up his pace and running back to the theater. He rounded the corner to the backstage, nearly taking his arm off as he grabbed the door frame to swing him in.

“Told you guys he’d come back!” Gina exclaimed, before smiling softly at Ricky. “He always does”.

Miss Jenn ushered everyone into the prayer circle. Ricky handed Gina her shoes to which she neatly tucked under her right arm, and then used her left hand to lace her fingers with Ricky. Ricky used his free hand to grab Red’s on the other side. 

Ricky turned his face to meet Red’s for a second, they both smiled at each other understandingly. Red seemed in slightly better spirits tonight. Ricky just hoped it would stay that way.

The show went even better than Ricky thought. There was a massive crowd due to fans of the documentary and the new movie coming out, so much so that many people had to be turned away because there wasn’t enough room in the auditorium. Ricky and Gina perfectly captured “Can I Have this Dance”, Ricky’s acoustic version of Right Here, Right Now made Gina cry on stage, and each person performed their character as though the part was made for them. Miss Jenn felt bad about turning people away for the show, so she told the theater crew she was adding an additional show during intermission. Dani also surprisingly kept to herself the entire night- probably because she was so worried about her own performance she didn’t have time to harass Gina. Overall, Ricky was very happy about how the show went.

After the show was over, Ricky went to talk to his dad and get the red roses that he had been holding onto to give to Gina. Ricky grabbed the flowers and thanked his dad with a hug, making his way to the green room where Gina would likely be reapplying her makeup. 

Ricky’s intuition was right- Gina was sitting at a vanity, applying some lip gloss to her wide grin. She looked sophisticated, happy, and proud... the warm feeling Ricky had felt with her before was returning again. He just felt so good seeing her happy.

“Hey you,” Ricky said, wrapping his arms around Gina’s shoulders. She placed her hand on his, before Ricky reached his head around and gave Gina a kiss.

“Hi, Ricky Bowen... or should I say Troy?” Gina flirted back. She patted the roses. “What are these for?”

“My Gabriella,” Ricky said as he handed her the roses. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

“Thank you, Ricky,” Gina said with a satisfied head tilt, inhaling the scent of flowers in the plastic bag. She set them down on the vanity and began to reapply her lip gloss again. “Where to next?”

Just as Gina asked, Ricky heard a voice in the hallway. No- make that two voices? His head perked up as he sat in silence, trying to investigate where they were coming from. Gina could see that he was distracted by what was happening in the hallway. She leaned her head in a little to listen to the conversation was well.

“I’m sorry, Dani. We’ve been filming for nearly two months now, there’s not really a part we can give you,” Zac said, slightly irritated.

“But I worked so hard for this! You saw me up there, right?” Dani whimpered.

“What’s done is done. I’m sorry,” Zac settled.

Ricky gave Gina a suspicious look as he said, “I think the hallway?” 

Ricky grabbed Gina’s hand before they ran out to where Zac and Dani stood. Zac looked frustrated and Dani seemed distraught. Ricky wondered how long Dani had been begging him for a part in the movie. Something felt like this hadn’t been the first time.

“Hey guys!!” Zac perked up before hugging Ricky and Gina. “Great job- both of you- I am so beyond impressed. I couldn’t think of a better Troy and Gabriella”.

“Thanks,” Ricky and Gina said simultaneously.

Vanessa Hudgens walked up behind Zac, a slight smirk on her face. Ricky had no idea she had been at the play this whole time. He saw her a few times on set, but he spent so much time trying to get away from Zac that he never really talked to Vanessa. He was touched they both came out to see Gina and him reprise their roles.

“Did you ask her yet?” Vanessa prompted Zac, nudging his arm with her hand.

“Ask me what?” Dani must have concluded that the question was about her.

“Not you,” Vanessa said- the tone coming off more aggressive than Ricky expected. “Her,” she nodded her head to Gina.

“Me? What about me?” Gina seemed puzzled.

“Well, you know how we have that one last dance number for the movie? The one where we are thinking we’ll need two choreographers because it has so many parts?” Zac asked Gina.

“Yes. Have you guys found another choreographer yet?” Gina asked, still clueless. Ricky knew where Zac was going with this though and he felt like he was going to burst from the seams; he was so excited.

“We want you to be the co-choreographer,” Zac said with a massive grin.

“Me?” Gina’s eyes widened as her face lost some color. She shook her head, as though it would snap her out of the fantasy. “Me?” She repeated.

“Yes! Will you do it? Please?” Vanessa pleaded.

“Are you kidding me?!” Dani exclaimed furiously. Ricky could see the red filling her face. “I have been begging for a month now to have a part in this and you give it to her? She’s not even the captain of the dance team! I am! The youngest one to date!”

“The youngest one to date because you blackmailed Gina for the part?” Zac asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Wha-What are you talking a-about?” Dani stuttered.

“You see,” Zac began, pacing around Dani, Gina, and Ricky. “I overheard Ricky and Gina talking about you when they were carrying in waters to the dance room one day. They thought they were alone, but I had just finished practicing a dance for one of our numbers, needed to use the bathroom, and was making my way back to the dance room. I didn’t go in, figuring it was none of my business, but Gina seemed upset so I made it my business. After hearing their conversation, I started to put pieces together and had a little chat with the dance teacher. She said she chose Gina for dance captain, but then for some ‘strange reason’, Gina gave it up and decided to take backstage? That seemed odd. Then I realized the entire conversation between Ricky and Gina was about you Dani. And you want to know what? Blackmail sucks and so do you”.

Ricky thought Zac would stop then because he took a dramatic pause, but Zac continued to talk and pace. 

“But then, I thought, why not give you the benefit of the doubt? Maybe they were making it up or maybe I was overthinking the entire thing. Until I literally heard you confess what you’ve been doing in the dance room before this show.

“So, not only did you mistreat Gina for months and cause her to be overly exhausted at our movie rehearsals, but you also mistreated Ricky”. 

Zac took one more pause and then gave Dani the same eyebrow raise Ricky does and said, “And didn’t you know Ricky’s nickname?”

Ricky could see the sheer panic in Dani’s eyes as she replied, “No”.

Zac’s face turned callous. “It’s ‘Little Zac’, meaning I have a responsibility to him and his name. You’re done, Dani”. 

And with that, Dani stormed off down the hall.

Ricky had felt so annoyed with Zac for so long, that he was surprised how appreciative he felt for Zac. Maybe he wasn’t such a nuisance, after all.

Vanessa beamed with pride at Zac’s monologue. She turned to Gina and asked again, “so, will you co-choreograph for us? Please?”

“Absolutely,” Gina said with massive grin on her face. Vanessa squealed and gave her a hug before the two started talking nonstop about the details of choreographing the dance.

While the two girls chattered, Ricky walked up to Zac and gave him a sheepish “thanks”.

“No problem, Little Zac,” Zac said with a wink and arm tap.

“So...” Ricky lowered his voice so only he and Zac could hear. “How long have you been rehearsing that?”

Zac looked a little embarrassed but was willing to admit, “since after I overheard Dani in the dance room”.

“Did you at least watch the show?” Ricky asked, not surprised if Zac hadn’t.

“Of course I did! It’s called ‘Intermission’. I needed something to do while I waited,” Zac laughed. Ricky couldn’t stay mad at him, no matter how annoying he got sometimes. Zac felt kind of like an older brother. Ricky couldn’t help but laugh back.

Later that day, the theater crew for the play (excluding Dani, who understandably wouldn’t be there, and Miss Jenn, who was with Mike on their own date), went to the same Denny’s they had earlier to get some after-show milkshakes. A few people stopped the cast to get pictures and say hi, but the nothing that overshadowed their night out.

Ricky couldn’t help but think about last December, when he chose Nini over Gina. He felt a wave of regret for the past year and everything he and Gina had been through. So many times it felt like they would never be together, whether because of his choosing or hers. It was like the universe tried to throw every wrench it could into their relationship. But now, here he was, his arm around Gina Porter, clinking milkshake glasses with his best friends. His dad was in a good relationship, he had a chosen family, and somehow Zac Efron wanted to be his best friend? Ricky reminisced, feeling proud of last December’s show and how much it changed his life. He almost didn’t do that first show, but because of Gina, his life was entirely different in the best possible way.

Ricky watched his friends, happily relishing in the moment. He watched as Jet fed Kourtney a bite of his milkshake, Red talked excitedly to Ashlyn and Maddox (who Ricky felt like were going to date any time now), Seb fixed Carlos’ hair, and Emmy and Natalie were playing a game with the salt packets. Ricky kissed the top of Gina’s head.

“What was that for?” she asked, snuggling her head into his chest.

“I just can’t believe this is my life. I’m so happy”. And he really, truly meant it.

******************************************************

The next week, Christmas had finally rolled around. Ricky spent Christmas Eve with his dad and Miss Jenn playing games, watching movies, and eating more food than he cared to admit. On Christmas Day, Ricky went to Gina’s house. Unfortunately, Ms. Porter got called into work that day, so Gina was going to spend Christmas Day alone if he didn’t. Mike had Miss Jenn at his house, so Ricky didn’t feel too bad leaving his dad for the day.

Ricky gave Gina’s front door a few taps. She opened up the door gleefully. She was flaunting a matching t-shirt and shorts set of Christmas pajamas with gingerbread men dotting them. Her fuzzy slippers accented her slight bedhead (pulled back with a red hairband) nicely. Ricky couldn’t stop staring at how beautiful she looked.

Gina interrupted his daydream with, “so you chose the front door this time?”

“Neighbors don’t care during the day time,” Ricky sassed.

The two had made quite a bit of progress into the Chronicles of Narnia. Ricky was still sneaking over every night to read to Gina, so they were over halfway through with the book. Last night Ricky went over to read to her, but decided not to stay long since it was Christmas Eve and he assumed Gina wanted to be with Ms. Porter. Ricky was thrilled to be back with Gina again, finally seeing the Christmas pajamas she had been bragging about the night before.

Ricky and Gina spent the next few hours baking gluten-free Christmas cookies, watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (with Jim Carrey), and making paper snowflakes with kind messages to give their friends. Later on, while they were icing the cookies, they were listening to Christmas music. The song “Winter Dreams,” by Kelly Clarkson came on.

Ricky held his hand out for Gina, “Can I have this dance?”

Gina gave Ricky a dimpled half-smile as she placed her hand in his. Ricky spun her into his arms and then reversed her out, before readjusting her so that they were slow dancing in the kitchen. Ricky placed his hands around her waist, pulling Gina in close and then flopping her arms around his neck. She gently laid her head down on his shoulder as she played with her fingers in his hair. The two swayed back and forth like this for the majority of the song.

Once the song hit the second chorus, Ricky felt like he wanted to tell Gina how he felt about her. How warm she made him feel and how perfect and right every moment with her was. How every time she walked in a room, the room seemed to be showered with light and how she made even the dimmest ray of sun feel like it could brighten the entire Earth. How she made his darkest days feel like his brightest. How she had this ability to entrance him back to her over and over again. 

“Gina, I-,” Ricky started to speak. 

Gina lifted her head back to look at Ricky and pressed her lips softly on his. The room suddenly became quick sand, making him fall faster and faster within. He couldn’t steady himself from the rush he felt from her kiss. One touch from her was enough to make him lose focus.

“Yeah?” She asked as her face parted from his.

Ricky stared into her large, dreamy eyes. It was like they were swallowing him in. He couldn’t find the words to say. Again. He could only wonder what his inability to speak meant.

“I- I want to give you your Christmas present,” Ricky changed the subject. Gina seemed like she might have been expecting more, but she smiled as she nodded her head in agreement.

The two walked over to the fireplace, sitting down in front of it. Ricky handed her a misshapen package of Christmas paper and too much tape. Gina opened it excitedly to see a crooked scarf that matched the same hat Gina made him, which Ricky was now getting out and putting on his head.

“We match, see?” Ricky joked. Gina’s eyes began to water as she held the lump of scarf half-hazard in her arms. “I love it, Ricky Bowen. It’s perfect”. 

Gina placed the scarf around her neck before she said, “I’ll be right back with yours”. Ricky gave her an “ok” in agreement as he waited patiently downstairs, batting the tassels on his hat like a cat.

Gina came back down the stairs about five minutes later, Ricky’s guitar in hand and a small blue package wrapped with a neat white bow.

“What’s this?” Ricky asked, equally excited and puzzled at what Gina could be up to.

“Well, remember all of the times I’ve been coming over and learning guitar? I wasn’t just learning for fun. You seem to understand people best through song... so I wrote you one,” Gina replied with a shrug. 

Ricky’s heart played a disappearing act as he waited to hear her sing. Gina adjusted the guitar on her lap and began to strum a few chords. Gina then said, “This song is called ‘Never Let Go’” before she began to sing in a soft, melodic tone:

I’m wrapped in your arms,

tonight I hold tight, never letting go.

A feeling I can’t fight,

a soldier losing sight, it’s beginning to show.

I wished upon stars,

birthday candles left me scars, until I met you, oh.

You’re where I begin,

My favorite win, my stage at the show

So give me your hand,

I’ll take every chance, to never let go.

Ricky’s head felt empty, words felt useless- there was no matching what he just made for her. He found his heart again when he felt it in his stomach right as Gina exclaimed, “oh! And one more thing!”

Gina handed Ricky the small blue package. He studied it as his hand slowly pulled the ribbon off the box. Inside were two small silver rings, with leaves and branches engraved around the entire band. They seemed to loop infinitely. They seemed a bit... small? For his fingers.

“Gina, they’re great... but I don’t know if they’ll fit...?” Ricky hesitated as he stared at them.

“Ricky, read what’s written on the inside,” Gina nudged him with her head.

He picked up the small metal band and looked closer at the writing etched inside.

Pinky Promise

Gina, now on her knees, reached over to grab Ricky’s hand and gently slid the ring on his pinky. Then she grabbed the other one and slid it on hers.

“They’re promise rings. That we pinky promise to always come back to each other. I got the idea after the fair,” Gina explained.

Ricky studied the ring on his finger, now feeling like he was the one with tears. He rolled the ring around his finger again and again, admiring how beautiful such a small silver band could be. Simple, but beautiful.

“Is that ok?” Gina asked, probably trying to gauge Ricky’s expression.

They’re perfect. “They’re perfect,” Ricky echoed his thought out loud. 

Ricky reached across the guitar and wrapping paper and gave Gina a long kiss in front of the fireplace. Sometimes it seemed like Gina knew him better than he knew himself. Gina was his serendipity.

[salaciousslut]

A virgo?? August or September!? I'm an august leo so i have a bias. Also only half the shit people say about us is right hehe 🤭

Every inch of you deserves to be adored sweetheart <3 Its cute that you trace them sometimes, i really like your stretch marks. Cross my heart and hope to die i like your stretch marks and wanna kiss them 🥰

I hate how badly i need to take advantage of you, like i think thats why i like the idea of getting you drunk enough to pass out. Its the reason im crazy about somno too. I just need to either have you fighting and thrashing, trying to escape while i force my strap in your pussy and you telling me to stop or a pliant little thing that doent even know whats happening without me taking a video of it <3 I bet we could have one of the best little porn collections out there bc i know you'll be such a good porn star 🥰

Yeah i need to make you cum as many times as i can just to watch your pussy twitch and get it on video, i need that so fucking bad. I need to feel you twitching around my fingers and my teeth in your shoulder right fucking now sweetheart <3

A blue devil cow sounds so cute omg!! I need to hold the both of you so badly 🥺

Valorant seems cool, my laptop is so shitty tho i cant run it :( i also low key forgot how to play fps games with a controller bc ive neglected my gaming console and ive stuck to pc games for the better part of like 3 years. But fuck it watch me loose my temper on overwatch or apex.

I love that we both tried to learn the guitar but stopped its just funny to me that you can relate bc ppl normally dont! Also please teach me abt your special interests and your field of study im such a curious person and i love knowledge!<3

august virgo!! and i loveeeee leos especially august leos sm!! they have a soft spot in my heart. (dont tell anyone but theyre my fav fire sign overall)

god youre so hot. please take advantage of me!!! use me however u want because i want it too. deep down i want it all!!

hehe maybe one day! i have a cute lil video of my cunt too that i watch sometimes because i love it so much!! its soooo cute. if i could make out with my own pussy i would. also please be my guest. i started a orgasm log for every time i came in 2024 so if u wanna add to that let me know lolol

oooh overwatch is pretty too, i dont really understand the game play but its gorgeous! and so is apex, i just get a lil motion sick when i watch it sometimes! but the colors are sooo vibrant

hehe come into my dms whenever ur comfy and i will, i dont wanna say what i do in public but ill tell u everything if u just ask! im a good girl like that 😇!!

what do u do if u dont mind me asking?

[moonlit-jeno]

red door, yellow door (m.)

pairing: mark lee x fem reader x jung jaehyun

genre/warnings: explicit sexual content | demon au | slight dubcon??? the mans a lust demon idk | Very mild horror themes | minor mlm | don’t attempt this game pls !!!

words: 8.1k

a/n: this is a repost from my old bts blog! pls don’t ask abt it bc i no longer actively follow bts :)

One of these days, you’re going to kill your coworkers.

You love them, you really do, but sometimes they can just be so dumb. It was Donghyuck and Renjun who came up with the idea to play this stupid game, one that is probably only played by naive 12 year old girls during slumber parties.

Normally you’d just brush it off, but Renjun had called you a wimp, so naturally you had to do it. Which is how you’ve ended up on your back with your best friend massaging circles into your forehead.

“Red door, yellow door, any other color door,” is being chanted around the room. You fight the urge to move your neck to a more comfortable position on Mark’s lap. Your hand twitches above your head, where your arms are raised. “This is stupid,” You whisper, and Mark laughs, scolding you lightly.

After a while, the mindless chanting lulls you to sleep, and you feel yourself drift off.

“What do you see?”

Two doors appear in front of you, one red and one yellow. They both look kind of old, paint chipping and peeling off.

“Anything else?”

A black door appears next to the yellow one and you find yourself drawn to it, wanting to go in. This one is shinier, considerable newer and more inviting compared to the other two

“Go in.”

You open the door and walk through, a sense of relief flooding through your senses as you give in to the pull. The room that you find yourself in seems never ending, the only thing in it a large bed.

“Do you see anyone?”

A man appears, sitting on the bed. The suit he’s wearing is unfitting for the plain surroundings- in fact, he’s unfitting for the surroundings in general. His teeth are blinding white when he smiles, not a hair out of place on his entire head. He’s attractive, all golden skin and beautiful features. Almost too beautiful. A shiver crawls up your spine, a tinge of discomfort bleeding into your senses. He smiles, dimples popping out, and you push the discomfort to the back of your mind.

“Who are you?” Your voice comes out distant to your own ears, echoing around you.

“Call me Jaehyun. Why don’t you come here, little bird? We can get properly acquainted.” The voice sounds haunting, like a distorted video. You wouldn’t believe that he’s speaking if his lips didn’t move in sync. Despite the unnatural voice sounding warning bells in your brain, you find yourself moving forward automatically and settling down on his lap when he pats his thigh for emphasis.

“And what’s your name, little bird?” He trails a hand up and down your thigh and you shiver, leaning back against him. He chuckles when you tell him your name, a pleased smile lighting up his features.

“Well, little bird, seems that we’re going to have some fun together.”

Your name is being echoed all around you, and you wake with a jolt, eyes flying open to see Mark staring at you.

“Are you okay?” The rest of your group is also gathered around you, standing in a half circle.

“Yeah, just fell asleep for a bit. Why?” You push yourself onto your elbows, sitting up so that you can lean against Mark.

Donghyuck plops down on the floor, sitting so that he’s facing you. “You were talking like you were having a conversation with someone. Who was it?”

You shrug, trying not to dull his excitement. “I don’t know, just some guy.”

“Was he wearing a suit?” Renjun asks, standing behind Hyuck. He grimaces when you nod. “Y/n, we literally told you not to talk to anyone in a suit. We told you not to talk to anyone. It’s in the rules.”

You roll your eyes, knowing how serious he gets when it comes to stuff like this. “Relax, it’s fine. He seemed nice, and it’s not like it was anything real.”

Renjun still doesn’t look convinced, but Mark interrupts his paranoia by doing what he’s best- or worst, depending on who you ask- at, cracking jokes.

“Hey, was he eating deviled eggs?” He laughs at his own joke, and everyone else groans. “Hey, don’t get mad at me. His place was probably such a hellhole.” The bad mood dissolves into jokes and loud laughter for the rest of the night.

You leave the party- or gathering as Donghyuck had called it because it sounded more mysterious- when it starts storming. The rain drenches you and pretty much everyone else that’s sitting on the porch, leaving you scrambling for shelter. Luckily, Mark offers you a ride.

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Mark hollars out the window of his truck, his words getting lost in the night as he speeds off. His truck hits a pothole and you can imagine him swearing as his head hits the roof. Giggling to yourself, you unlock your apartment and slip inside. It’s close to 2 in the morning, so you decide that if you’re already not going to get that much sleep, why not binge Shameless?

You only get through two episodes before your eyelids feel heavy, and you have to fight to keep them open. On screen, there’s a bar fight that you try to take interest in, but sleep quickly pulls you under.

“Welcome back, little bird.” The voice is all around you, but no matter how much you turn and search, no one’s to be found.

“Turn around, little bird, I am here.” Spinning abruptly, you come face to face with the man from earlier, Jaehyun. He gives you a chilling grin.

“So we meet again,” he starts, and his voice no longer sounds eerie or inauthentic. He sounds like, well, a normal man. “Tell me, what would you do if I were to kiss you?”

You swallow, tongue darting out to wet your lips on instinct. “Depends. Are you a good kisser?” You aim for coy, but you miss the mark and land closer to worried.

“You could say that.” He pulls you close with one hand on the back of your head, stopping right before your lips. “May I?”

You nod, and he pulls you in for a gentle, closed mouth kiss.

It’s like that touch ignites a fire in you, because before you know it, your arms are thrown around his neck, dragging him closer to deepen the kiss. You lick along his lower lip and he readily grants you access, a throaty groan leaving him when you suck on his tongue. Liquid heat courses through your veins when he nips at your lower lip, tongue flicking over it in apology. You moan, raw and needy. He likes that, if the chuckle and wicked grin is anything to go by. Picking you up so that your legs are wrapped around his waist, he walks over to a bed that definitely wasn’t there before.

He drops you on the bed, and then suddenly you’re both naked. Jaehyun leans over you, all lean muscles and golden skin. His cock hangs hard and flushed between his legs, and you have the urge to swallow him down. He groans, as if reading your mind, and then reaches to pump himself slowly, long fingers wrapped around the length. “Not now, little bird, not now. I have something else in mind.” With one gentle push to your shoulders, you’re lying flat on the bed, Jaehyun between your legs. His mouth hovers over your core, already wet and dripping despite not having been touched. He plays idly with the slick on your upper thigh, drawing random patterns into the flesh. His eyes are dark, and you could swear that they’re entirely black, no white visible. He peers curiously up at you from between your legs, watching your reaction as his fingers get closer and closer to where you want him. Your breathing picks up as arousal thrums through your body, center pulsing and aching for some sort of relief.

“May I have you?” His breath ghosts over your center when you speak, the sensation making you even needier. 

You nod quickly. “Take it, fuck, you have all of me.” He grins, wasting no time in diving in. His tongue feels impossibly good, licking up your folds and circling over your clit. He leaves sloppy kisses along your core, one hand massaging your thigh and keeping you spread open. You cry out when his tongue pushes into you, his nose brushing your clit and sending sparks up your spine.

His tongue feels impossibly long, so good inside of you that you feel like you’re losing your mind. Your hips buck up desperately, riding his face to hell and back. One arm gets thrown over your stomach to keep you in place while two fingers from his free hand dip into your soaking core, curling into that spot immediately. Stars flash behind your eyes, one hand coming down to fist in Jaehyun’s hair. Your feet scramble frantically along his back, heels digging in in an effort to anchor yourself, toes curling at the sensations singing through you.

You feel your orgasm drawing closer, heat pooling in your center. You whimper brokenly as you try to chase after your high, grinding your hips along his tongue. He lets you, just holding his tongue flat out for you to ride.

You come like that, falling apart on his tongue, screams of his name falling from your lips. He works you through it, tongue gently licking along your folds, slurping up your arousal as if he hasn’t had a meal in weeks.

You lay there, boneless and whimpering weakly through the aftershocks until Jaehyun pulls away to kiss up your body. He licks into your mouth hotly, reminding you that he hasn’t come yet. You bat weakly at his chest, pushing him onto his back. “Your turn,”

He groans in appreciation at the view of you above him. “So perfect, little bird. I’m gonna have so much fun with your soul.”

This sentence freezes you in your spot. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Jaehyun meets your gaze, black eyes entrancing you. “That means, y/n, that I’m going to have your soul. You belong to me now, hmm?” One of his hands plays gently with a strand of your hair. “That’s what you agreed to earlier, no?”

“N-no.” You try backing away, but the inhuman voice from earlier is back, echoing everywhere, repeating his words over and over until you can’t take it anymore-

You wake with a gasp, hitting your head as you sit up. Your computer is still on your lap, episode fifteen playing. Fuck, you’ve only been asleep for forty five minutes. It’s not even three yet, and you don’t have to go to work until eight. Deciding there’s no way you’re falling back asleep, you get up and decide to bake.

Five hours later, your coworkers love you when you show up with containers of cinnamon rolls, five different types of cookies, and a coffee cake. Mark looks mildly worried.

“You okay? I haven’t seen you bake since high school.” You snap out of your thoughts and turn to face Mark. The look of concern on your best friend’s face is enough to make you feel guilty and you nod, forcing a smile onto your face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Had a bad dream last night and couldn’t sleep, that’s all.” You respond, trying not to show how bothered you actually are.

“Wanna talk about it?” Mark leans forward over his desk, chin planted on his hand.

“No, it’s gonna sound dumb.” You whine, shaking your head. And it is dumb, even to you. You’re scared because you had a dream that some man ate you out and then told you he was going to take your soul?

“Well, you always sound dumb. Of course your dreams are gonna be dumb.” Mark laughs as you chuck a piece of cake at him, infectious laugh soothing you. You sigh.

Mark raises his eyebrows at you when you finish telling him your dream. “You’re scared because you had a wet dream? Damn, I’d be living in a nightmare if I was scared after every wet dream I’ve had.”

You kick him under the table. “Mark! It was really scary. He told me he was going to take my soul!”

Upon seeing that you’re actually freaked out, his face softens. “Look, y/n, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You probably just thought that he was hot, and your brain remembered his face and put it in a dream. I wouldn’t worry about it; what’s the worst he’s gonna do, haunt you?”

You give a shaky nod, agreeing. It’s not like something from your dreams could actually harm you. Mark reaches across the desk, taking your hand in his and giving a tight squeeze, warm brown eyes gazing at you openly. “And if something does happen, just remember that I’m your best friend. I’ll be here for you.”

“Thanks, Mark. Means a lot to me.”

He leans back in his seat. “Anytime, anyplace, anything. Triple A.”

You smile, raising an eyebrow. “Anything?”

His eyes go wide, taking in the glint in your eyes. “Within reason.”

“How about a sip of coffee?” You nod down at his cup, pasting a huge smile on your face.

“I did say within reason, so no.”

You huff. “I expected that.”

Although you don’t scare easily, it’s safe to say that you’re a bit unsettled tonight, especially after your nightmare last night. You find yourself jumping at every little noise, hand slamming the light switch on with your pulse racing every five minutes. This has been going on for an hour, and after a final sweep of your room reveals nothing, you decide that maybe a face mask will help you relax.

Your bathroom has two mirrors facing each other, which is normally a blessing when you do your hair, but tonight it does nothing but make you want to hide under your blankets.

Get a grip on yourself, you chastise, grabbing your phone and opening spotify. Maybe some music will help? You click on your Christmas playlist because what better way to cheer up than to think about your favorite holiday?

A mistake, really, because it seems that you’ve forgotten how creepy Santa is.

“He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake,” Yikes. You stop that song in a hurry, feeling anything but comforted. No music then, noted.

You reach for your face wash, turning the sink on and waiting for the water to warm. You can’t help but glance in the mirror behind you every so often, paranoia getting the best of you. Man, you feel pathetic, worrying about monsters in your closet like you’re six and not twenty-six.

You wash your face quickly, hoping that your fears will wash away as well. No such luck.

You swear you see something move behind you after you dry your face off, but there’s nothing there. Shaking it off, you reach for your face mask, taking your time painting your face with the green clay.

It’s after your face is coated that you spot someone in the glass behind you. You scream, whipping around to come face to face with a man. Not just any man- Jaehyun.

Your heart thunders in your chest, eyes widening in fear. He seems to be in the mirror, copying your petrified expression mockingly.

“Hello, little bird.” He purrs, smirking lightly.

“Are you- are you in my mirror?” You’re in disbelief, mind struggling to comprehend this. First you spot him while in a weird trance, then in a dream, and now in your mirror? Maybe you’re having a quarter life crisis.

“No, I am not. Mirrors are just gateways to alternate dimensions. I’m merely using the mirror to visit you.” He says this like it’s common knowledge. It feels like your throat is made of sandpaper with how hard it is to choke out your words. “O-okay. I’m just gonna- yeah.”

You grab your phone from the counter and bolt, fumbling for your keys before jumping into your car and speeding off in the direction of Mark’s house. You call him, fingers fumbling on the screen. He goes to voicemail the first time, and your heart drops. “No, no, no,” you whisper frantically, calling again. He does pick up this time.

“Y/n? It’s the middle of the night.” His voice sounds gruff, and you feel guilty for waking him up. One glance in your rear view mirror reveals that Jaehyun is joining you on this ride, and you scream, car swerving violently to one side before you straighten it out.

“Where are we going, little bird?”

“Y/n? Are you okay?” Mark’s voice has lost its sleepy edge, taking on a concerned tone. He says your name again, more frantic.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Your tires squeal as you make a turn, now only two blocks away. “Can I- can I come over? I really need to be with someone right now.”

“Of course, you know you’re always welcome. The door’s unlocked.”

You hang up, willing the tears in your eyes to not spill over. Finally arriving, you slam on the breaks and haphazardly pull next to a curb, yanking the key out of the ignition and sprinting to Mark’s house.

You lock the door behind you when you step inside, testing the handle as if a door could stop a mirror traveling demon or whatever the fuck Jaehyun was from coming inside. “Mirrors,” you mumble, reaching the stairs.

“Y/n? What’s-” Mark stands at the top of the stairs, one hand rubbing at his eyes. You cut him off, flying up the stairs.

“Mirrors, fuck. Mark, we need to cover the mirrors!” You breeze by his shocked figure, not noticing the way he turns to stare at you incredulously.

“What, why? Y/n, are you crazy?”

Ignoring him, you throw a towel over the mirror in his bathroom, ripping open a pack of bandaids to use as adhesive.

You throw another towel over the mirror in his bedroom, collapsing on his bed when you’re done and finally allowing yourself to sob.

“Y/n, hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” Mark, as gentle and caring as ever, comes over to sit next to you, one hand combing through your hair.

“I- don’t laugh at me.” You stare him straight in the eye, pleading with him. You know you’re going to sound crazy, but you’re praying that your best friend listens to you. He nods, urging you to go on.

“That- that man I saw in my dream and during whatever fucked up game Hyuck had us play? He was in my fucking mirror, Mark. I- the whole night, I had this feeling that I was being watched, and then I went into my bathroom and he was just there, and-” You’re hyperventilating at this point, fighting for every breath, tears clouding your vision. “He was in my car, in the rear view mirror-” Mark pulls you closer, enveloping you in his arms and allowing you to sob loudly into his chest. You cry for a few minutes, until you’re finally able to pull yourself together.

“Shh, it’s okay. You’ve had a rough week, I know. It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay.”

He wipes a tear away from your check, patting you lightly. “Why don’t you go wash this off, okay? We can watch a movie after.” He offers, and until that point, you’d forgotten you were wearing a face mask. You grimace at the green imprint on his black shirt, but he just chuckles. “I’ll go grab you some water in the meantime.”

Nodding, you garner up the energy to walk to his bathroom. It’s fine, the mirror’s covered, he can’t hurt you. You close the door just in case, wanting an extra level of protection

You rinse your face with cold water, hoping that it will clear your mind. You give your face a couple more splashes before drying off with a towel.

“You missed a spot on your forehead.” You freeze before looking around wildly. There’s no one around, which can only mean that Jaehyun can still see you. Swallowing, you start the water again, rubbing at your forehead.

“And your left cheek.” You rub at the skin, being way too harsh but you excuse it considering your situation. “No, your other left. My left.”

“Jesus,” You growl in annoyance, reaching up to rip the towel down. Sure enough, there’s a splotch of green on your cheek. Jaehyun’s nowhere to be found. Maybe I am losing my mind.

You finish rinsing the mask off, finding some face lotion buried in Mark’s drawer, screaming bloody murder when Jaehyun appears in the mirror again. “Looking for me?”

“No! Leave me alone!” You cry, head spinning. Jaehyun fakes a pout, holding a hand over his heart in mock hurt. Do demons even have hearts?

“Ouch, little bird. You don’t want to finish what we started the other night? When I had you moaning so pretty, so wet for me. I’m sure your pussy would take me so well, hmm?” Your heart rate kicks up again, but for a different reason this time. You almost moan, thinking about the dream.

Because he was right, you had been so wet. The want comes back full forces, slamming into you like a truck. You remember how needy you were, wanting to suck his cock so bad, wanting him to fuck you like there’s no tomorrow. All fear that you previously had is slowly disappearing, fading into lust.

The demon smiles knowingly. “Ah, little bird, so you do remember. Remember how you promised me that you’re mine?”

You nod, eyes glazing over. You’re wet, panties starting to stick to your throbbing core uncomfortably.

“Mmmh, I bet you’re already dripping for me. Just waiting for me to come out and fill you up.”

Hearing your name leave his lips sends a wave of arousal crashing through you so strong that your knees buckle, grabbing onto the counter for support. He chuckles, but whatever he’s about to say is cut off by Mark.

“What were you say-” Your best friend trails off, eyes wide as he observes the scene. You snap out of your haze at the interruption. His mouth parts in shock. “You really weren’t kidding, shit.” He laughs humorlessly.

Then, quick as lightning, he rears back and punches the mirror. You scream in surprise at the crack, shards falling to the floor.

You and Mark both stare at the broken shards of glass on the ground, gleaming under the lights. “Mark,” You start, trailing off once you realize you have nothing to say. He seems to understand, walking forward until he’s close enough to pull you into a hug. You feel tears start to slide down your cheeks, dampening the cotton of your best friends shirt. You hug him closer, burying your face into his broad chest. He wraps himself around you, and you let yourself be lulled into the sense of security that his larger frame brings you. A sense of security that vanishes once you hear a low chuckle that definitely does not belong to Mark.

You both scream, leaping backwards and away from the noise. Jaehyun stands there, just in front of the door, with a shit eating grin on his face. You cower behind Mark, who is wrapping a protective arm around you while simultaneously trying to hide behind you.

“I really must thank you for finally setting me free. Normally I have to wait for some asshole with a ouija board, but then there’s just so many other demons that I have to compete with. So I just stick to the dream world-” He pauses to wink at you for emphasis “-but this is so much more fun.” His eyes are black, and you can’t tell where he’s looking. Swallowing, you clutch onto Mark’s arm for dear life.

The demon seems to regard the two of you for a moment, before his amusement seems to grow. He begins to move forward.

“Ah, Mark Lee. Lovely name for a stupid boy. Didn’t you know breaking a mirror is bad luck?” By this point, you and Mark are flattened against the wall, while Jaehyun stands less than a foot away from the two of you. There’s nowhere to run. This is it, you think, this is how I die.

Jaehyun chuckles, turning to you. You lower your gaze to the ground; it hurts to make eye contact with him. “No, little bird. This isn’t how you die, don’t worry.”

Then he’s backing away from the two of you, motioning to follow him. The logical part of your brain is screaming not to, but you find yourself drawn to him, legs carrying you after him without your consent, Mark clutching your arm tightly as he walks next to you.

Jaehyun seems to know the layout of the house, leading you straight into Mark’s bedroom. The demon grabs a chair from the desk and spins it around, straddling it so that he’s facing the bed.

He motions lazily. “Go on now, have a seat. Get comfortable.”

You find yourself sitting down on the edge of the bed, following his words like marching orders. Mark sits about half a foot away from you. Jaehyun shakes his head. “No, no, no. That won’t do. I said to get comfortable, did I not?” He raises an eyebrow as if daring you to argue with him. “Go lay down at the head board.”

You crawl to the head of the bed, settling so that you’re on your side, facing the demon. Mark follows suit, pulling you close to him so that you’re spooning. Jaehyun lets out a pleased hum. “Much better. Aren’t you much more comfortable now?” Nodding, you realize that you actually are more comfortable. It’s not just the change of position, but the energy in the room as well. The demon is no longer giving off a threatening aura. It’s more relaxed, maybe even happy? He certainly looks more relaxed, probably as happy as a demon can get, if not a little smug.

Your body is pulsing with energy, and it takes you a moment to place what you’re feeling. The earlier need to run that you had felt has been replaced with another need, albeit further down. Your thighs clench as another surge of heat pulses through your core, and your face warms at the realization. Why now, of all times, are you horny?

Jaehyun’s grin broadens as he seems to sense your dilemma. “Oh, little bird, if only you knew. Tell me, what type of demon do you think I am?” He watches you curiously, black eyes staring into your soul.

You try to tilt your head towards Mark, but the position’s too awkward and you only catch a glimpse of the side of his face. He looks a bit flushed from what you can see, teeth digging into his plush bottom lip, teeth that you could easily replace with your own- you blink, dazedly. What the fuck? Sexual thoughts about your best friend? That’s a new one. Even if you’ve noticed that he’s hot, you’d never thought about him sexually. Now, though, you can feel the hardness of his dick against your ass, and you can’t help but think about how good he could fuck you.

“Incubus,” You finally manage, blinking rapidly to clear the haze of your vision. Jaehyun grins, looking genuinely surprised that you’d gotten it right.

“Good girl. Make a little sense now?” You nod, fighting a moan as Mark starts to rock against you, slowly, as if he’s unconsciously doing it. Jaehyun notices.

“How about you, Mark? You doing alright over there?”

Your friend, your best friend, buries his face in your neck and groans, deep and delicious. It sends another surge of heat through your body, the growing need between your legs pulsing pathetically. “What are you doing to us?” The words are growled behind you, vibrating against the skin where his lips are pressed.

“Oh no, Mark, I’m not doing anything to you. The only thing I can do to you is make you realize your desires. Your deepest, darkest fantasies? I make that happen. Finally being able to fuck the girl you’ve been in love with for years? I make that happen.” The words take a minute to register with you, but you stiffen when the meaning hits you. Mark Lee, in love with you? An unlikely story, bordering impossible.

The demon chuckles at your inner turmoil, rolling his eyes at how dumb humans can be. “You too, y/n. You love Mark, even if you won’t admit it. You let the idea that he was too good for you scare you away from him. Do you not remember how often you thought of him, late at night after first meeting him?”

You groan in protest, not because it’s not true, but because you do remember. It had been so long ago. When you hadn’t known Mark, had only known of him. You pull away from Mark, awkwardly pushing him to lay flat against the pillows while you clamber on top of him.

“Mark, is it true? Do you love me?” You hold his face between your hands, staring into his eyes. He meets your gaze, pupils blown and eyes half lidded. He nods as best he can.

“So, so much.” Mark’s voice comes out raspy, matching his flushed skin. You lean down to kiss him, uncaring of the other presence in the room. Mark moans when your lips make contact, hands pulling you to straddle him. Your eyelids flutter at the feeling of his clothed cock against your center, rocking your hips to try to ease the throb of your core. His hands fly to your ass, pulling and kneading at the flesh as he urges you into a harsher pace.

The kiss is rougher, needier now, open mouthed and panting. Mark’s got his tongue tangled with yours, sucking in such a way that sends waves of heat through you. You want him in you, any part of him really.

Jaehyun seems to agree, speaking up from right next to you. You jump, having forgotten he was there although he’s the reason you’re like this in the first place.

“Let’s get the show on the road. As much as I’m enjoying this, I think we’d all enjoy something else a little more.” The demon reaches for the hem of your shirt and you nod, raising your arms above your head to let him pull the garment off. Mark groans at the newly revealed skin, hands going to cup your breasts through the fabric of your bra. “Fuck,” He whines, staring in awe at your chest. He doesn’t waste time before leaning up to kiss along your cleavage, pulling the bra down to expose your breasts. Another set of hands unclasp the bra before traveling down your torso to rub circles into your hip bones, sliding your sleeping shorts and panties off at the same time. Jaehyun throws the shorts somewhere off the bed. He keeps the panties, a pleased sigh leaving him as he appreciates the ruined fabric.

“Fuck, little bird. You’re really enjoying this,” He comments, as if he isn’t a fucking lust demon that can sense these kinds of things. You don’t voice your thoughts, because Mark chooses this moment to suck a nipple into his mouth, nibbling and sucking on the sensitive skin so that all you can do is moan. “You’ve even ruined your panties. They’re soaked.”

He hands the strip of lace to Mark, who lets out a throaty groan at the sight. “You’re not getting these back.” He informs you, slipping the garment into his bedside drawer. You ignore him, instead tugging insistently at his shirt. He takes pity on you, grabbing the collar and yanking the baggy tee over his head.

You let your hands slide down his chest in admiration, feeling the hard lines of his muscles. You lick your lips at how broad his shoulders are, how strong he looks. Jaehyun doesn’t give you much time to enjoy the view, gliding two fingers along your slit before circling around your little nub. A cry of pleasure leaves you to mindlessly press your face into Mark’s collarbone, nipping and sucking the flesh until you’re sure you’ve left a bruise.

Jaehyun slips the two fingers into your aching core, curling and dragging them so well along your walls. Sparks of electricity flow through your veins, heat pooling in your center.

Mark groans from below you. Looking down, you see that you’ve unconsciously dug your nails into his hard chest in an effort to ground yourself. You remove your hands, only to spot little red half crescents littered over his skin. You rub your palms over the marks as if to soothe them, but it seems that the man wasn’t groaning from pain.

“Y/n” He sounds so fucked out, voice hoarse and raw even though hardly anything has happened yet. “You look so good like this, so perfect for me.” He brings one large hand up to cup your cheek, thumb delicately stroking over your cheekbone before moving down to trace your lower lip. You part your lips, letting him slide in before sucking around the digit, tongue curling around it as if it were his cock. His eyes darken a fraction, tongue coming out to wet his lips, swollen and kiss bitten.

You moan around the digit as Jaehyun adds a third finger, stretching your walls so pleasantly that you can’t help but buck your hips back for more. A whine forces its way out of your throat as the demon pulls his fingers out of you, leaving an empty ache between your thighs.

“Don’t you think it would be more fun if she was sucking on something a bit bigger than your finger, Mark?” The voice startles you, breath tickling your ear as he speaks. The man under you nods, swallowing thickly. Your eyes are drawn to the way his Adam’s apple bobs with the movement, and a gush of wetness pulses down below. Your thighs are probably covered in your arousal at this point.

You scoot down his body, trailing kisses and bites down his toned stomach. You take your time unzipping his pants, sucking a mark into the soft skin below his navel. He’s hard as a rock, and you moan in appreciation at the sheer size of him once you shimmy his jeans down his thighs.

“No underwear?” You ask, mouth curling up in a teasing smirk. He huffs out a laugh, propping himself up on his elbows so that he can watch. “No, ‘s too restricting.”

You lazily pump his dick, thumb flicking over the tip once or twice. You plan to tease him more, but then Jaehyun’s pushing your head down and you have no choice but to open your mouth wide, innocent eyes peeking up at Mark as you take his cock in your mouth. He’s so big that you can’t take him in all the way, keeping one hand curled around his cock to stroke what your mouth can’t reach. You let it get sloppy, using your spit to ease the glide until you’ve got a pleasant rhythm going. Mark replaces Jaehyun’s hands with his own, gathering strands of your hair in his palms and using that grip to control your pace. “F-fuck,” He lets out a shaky exhale, letting his head fall back against the pillows once he’s satisfied with the pace.

Jaehyun slaps your ass, a loud smack sounding throughout the room. You moan, pitching forward onto Mark’s cock and gagging as he hits the back of your throat. A strangled cry leaves the man above you, his hips thrusting even further into the tight, wet heat of your mouth.

The demon kneads your stinging flesh before using his grip on you to pull your hips up. “Good girl,” You keen under his praises, sticking your ass up even higher. The warm, wet pressure against your center has you faltering, moaning almost violently around Mark’s cock. He doesn’t seem to be having any complaints, the vibrations forcing a moan of his own out.

Your eyes roll up into your head as Jaehyun wraps his lips around your clit, sucking harshly. You’re sure you’d be screaming by now if Mark’s cock wasn’t halfway down your throat. You’ve given up sucking him off by this point, content to let the man fuck your mouth while Jaehyun sucks your fucking soul out from between your legs. It feels so good, not used to being the center of even one man’s focus, let alone two.

Mark eases you off of his cock after you accidentally bite him, using your spit to ease the slide as he lazily fucks up into his loose fist. You rest your head on his thigh, alternating between moaning wantonly and mouthing messily against the skin as you feel your orgasm approach.

Jaehyun pulls away at the last second, and you whine loudly as your orgasm is cut off. The feeling of frustration leaves you close to tears, and you jiggle your ass in hopes that it will regain his attention. It does momentarily, as Jaehyun lands a harsh smack on the flesh, but he pulls away again.

“Mark,” The man in question looks up, hand freezing on his dick as if waiting for Jaehyun’s orders. And fuck, what a sight that would be: your normally brash and confident friend being so pliant and submissive to a near stranger… You blink out of it, feeling mildly ashamed even in your current state. Luckily, Jaehyun interrupts your thoughts. “I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll let you go first. You’ve been waiting long enough for this, anyway.”

Mark nods eagerly, pulling you into a desperate kiss. You paw at every inch of skin you can reach, searching for a release from the ache inside of you. Your wish is granted when he hooks two fingers in your soaking cunt, groaning at how wet you are. He scissors you open quickly, hissing at how tight you feel.

“Ready, angel? Want my cock?” The pet name has you moaning, though it draws a low chuckle from Jaehyun, who’s watching from his position next to Mark.

“Hurry up, already. Need you in me, ‘ve waited so long.”

Mark lights up at this, smile stretching his features. He looks so breathtaking in this moment, skin glowing and flushed, hair mussed up, eyes blown wide and half lidded.

“I’m yours,” He breathes, leaning up for one last kiss. His hands slide down to your hips, pulling you forward so that you’re hovering above his thick cock. “Ride me baby.”

“I’d love to.” Reaching one hand down to position him at your entrance, you start to lower yourself down. Of course, Jaehyun chooses this exact moment to stop you. He truly is the spawn of Satan.

“Little bird, hold on just a second. I found something of interest in the back of Markie’s brain.” You cringe as he mocks your earlier nickname for the man. “What’s this I’m seeing, Mark? You like it up the ass?” His tone is teasing, but Mark groans in embarrassment. His face has gone an alarming shade of red by this point. “N-no,” He tries to deny, sputtering excuses but Jaehyun cuts him off with a press of a finger to his lips. “Oh, Mark, don’t get shy on me now. It’s a perfectly fine thing to like. Little bird, you’ll get your turn in a minute. You,” He snaps his fingers at Mark. “Come here. Kneel up, just like that. Perfect.” He appraises Mark’s ass for a moment, hands moulding the flesh before slipping a finger in. Mark’s eyebrows furrow, and you shoot up in alarm. “Doesn’t he need lube?”

Jaehyun looks at you, surprised that you care, before chuckling. “I can produce lube. Perks of being a lust demon.” Winking at you, he returns his focus to Mark. You can’t see what he’s doing, but the pure pleasure present on your best friends face has you clenching your thighs together, waves of need crashing through you. If you thought he looked good before, he looks absolutely gone now. Breathless groans are leaving him now, eyelids fighting to stay open as he sinks down on the others fingers. You watch him, mesmerized, before shuffling over to him.

“How close are you?”

He forces his gaze down to you. “Kind of- nngh- close, w-why?” 

Wrapping a hand around his base lightly, you start stroking. “Will you come if I blow you?”

He moans, a punched out sound that takes you by surprise. “Fuck, yes, I’ll definitely come if you blow me.” You pout in disappointment. Upon seeing your crestfallen expression, he continues. “Maybe we c-can- oh, yes- figure something out. Jaehyun,” He turns his head back behind him, struggling to get the words out between moans. “Can I eat y/n out?”

There’s just something so hot about Mark asking for permission from someone else that you can’t help the whimper that escapes you. Jaehyun must nod, because then you’re being laid back, Mark settling between your thighs. He’s sucking sweet kisses into your core almost immediately, pulling your legs over his shoulders to give him better access. You’re letting out sharp cries of pleasure the whole time, eyes fighting the urge to roll back in your head in favor of watching Mark between your legs. A particularly well placed flick of his tongue has your hips rolling against his face, grasping the sheets in your hand as your mind blanks. The pleasure climbing through your system is insane, threatening to burn you from the inside out.

It only gets better once Mark starts moaning, his sinful mouth sending sweet vibrations traveling up your core. You manage to catch sight of Jaehyun behind him, kissing wetly along his shoulders and neck, features curving into a smirk once he notices you watching him.

“Little bird likes this, hmm? Like watching another man pleasure your boyfriend while he pleases you?” You hum, unable to tear yourself away from his gaze, unable to even think, letting his boyfriend comment slide. Whereas before it hurt to look directly into his eyes, you now find yourself getting lost in his dark orbs. It’s like a drug, your pleasure being amplified by the man, demon, whatever in front of you.

You finally break eye contact, head falling back against the mattress as Mark draws you closer and closer to your peak. Burying one hand in his hair, you use the leverage to grind your core against his face, chasing your sweet release. “C-close, Mark, please-” You don’t know what you’re begging for at this point. It’s too much but not enough at the same time. Jaehyun saves you from having to decide by cruelly ripping your orgasm away from you, again, dragging Mark’s face away from your pussy.

A few tears slip down your face at this point, frustration reaching its peak. Jaehyun wipes the tears away, laughing lowly. “Don’t worry, you’ll get what you desire soon.”

He must pull out of Mark, because your friend whimpers before seeming to realize what he just did and clears his throat uncomfortably.

“Mark, would you like to fuck our little bird now?” Mark nods, tongue flicking out to wet dry lips.

Jaehyun smirks. “Good. On your back. Y/n, ride him.” You don’t have to be told twice. You scramble onto your knees, wasting no time in straddling Mark before dropping yourself down on him. You both moan in satisfaction, you at finally being filled and Mark at your tightness. You have to brace both hands on his chest, almost collapsing at the overwhelming relief you feel. Beyond the burn of the stretch, his cock filling you up so nicely, there’s a sweet pleasure, a satisfaction.

You don’t wait very long to adjust, grinding your hips in smooth circles before lifting yourself off of him and dropping yourself back down. You quickly start a rhythm of you bouncing on his cock, eyes rolling at how fucking big he feels in you.

Mark’s hands are locked in a vice grip on your ass, fingers digging into the supple flesh and using his grip to urge you into a faster pace.

Jaehyun decides to join, coming up behind you to kiss at your neck, one hand reaching up to your mouth. “Suck,” He commands, slipping two fingers past your willing lips. You do, hollowing your cheeks and slurping around the digits, wishing that it was his dick. He hums behind you, bringing the wet digits down to your entrance, finding your clit with ease and rubbing fast circles into the little nub. You moan even louder now, feeling yourself speed towards your climax. You’ve been on edge for too long, you can’t hold on anymore.

“You close, little bird? Going to come on Mark’s cock? Gonna make him fill you up, pound into that dirty cunt?” His words get to you, your head falling back against his shoulder once more.

“Yes, yes! Oh, please, please-” He cuts off your mindless rambling by pulling you in for a kiss, one that you melt into. This is the first time he’s kissed you, and you’re quite upset that you hadn’t kissed him earlier. It’s a hot kiss, lots of tongue and teeth. It heightens your pleasure immensely, and you can’t stop kissing him. You suck on his tongue filthily, and oh, he must like that if the resulting groan is anything to go by. Even when he goes to pull away, you won’t let him, one hand fisting in his hair to keep him close. He seems to be speeding up your release, if that were even possible. Your mind feels hazier now, every sensation heightened, core screaming for release. You feel your orgasm twisting painfully at your insides, pulsing before finally exploding. The intensity of it rips a scream out of your throat, nails scratching across Mark’s chest as Jaehyun licks even deeper into your mouth, drinking up the noises you make.

When you come down, Mark is still thrusting desperately up into you, though he stops at the demons command. “From behind,” You hear Jaehyun say, but everything’s hazy at this point. Your mind is still fuzzy from your orgasm, and it’s like watching through a screen. Like you’re high, though you hadn’t had anything the whole day.

Mark manhandles you into position, hands and knees with your ass raised high in the air. He leaves one gentle kiss on your shoulder blade before relentlessly pounding into you, cock hitting even deeper in this position. Jaehyun kneels in front of you, pulling your face in towards his cock. You moan around him as he slips inside, mouth not quite burning at the stretch like Mark, though the demon still has you gagging. His cock has the same effect on you as his kisses did, and you feel addicted. You’re slurping and sucking and moaning around him, not wanting the intense pleasure to stop. You barely hear the kissing above you, taking far too long to register that Jaehyun has pulled Mark into a messy kiss above you. The image has you moaning even more wantonly, ass pushing back against Mark.

The kiss seems to have a similar effect on the man, because then he’s slamming into you at an even more relentless rate, moans higher and more frequent before he’s coming with a shout, finally filling you up. Your core pulses again at the feeling, and you suck at Jaehyun’s dick with renewed vigor. His hands fist in your hair, keeping you still so that he can fuck your mouth as hard as he wants. You relish in the feeling of your throat being fucked raw, spit dripping out of your mouth and down his cock. He lets out a deep groan, hips slamming deep one last time as he finishes. His cum seems to ignite a fire within you, because you’re coming almost simultaneously with him, despite not even being touched.

You collapse afterwards, dragging yourself to Mark and letting him drape himself over you. You let yourself drift off to sleep, sated and still riding the high.

The demon kisses each of you one last time, drinking in the last remaining parts of your soul, watching as the two humans take their last breaths. “Thanks for the meal, lovelies.” He chuckles, petting your head almost affectionately before walking out into the night sky, not sparing a single glance back.