#Things Your Couples Counselor Already Knows About Your Relationship

[indecisivemuch]

The Pact

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Reader

Summary: Seeing you yearn for a relationship and dejected over the lack of one, Luke Castellan proposes a dating pact. Little did you know, he was going to do more than just wait until the day the pact could happen (friends-to-lovers, fluff, pining, a lot of longing, lowkey jealous luke).

Note: Sort of inspired by Monica and Chandler's pact thing from Friends.

Word count: 3.4k

You were spending some time alone near the lake, trying to enjoy mid summer sunlight as well as the silence from the lack of campers and couples around. For some strange reason, the number of people dating at least tripled in the last three weeks. If you were honest, the sight of happy couples was starting to irritate you.

Your eyes glided through the lines in the novel you were reading, though you could barely get past a few pages before a degree of bitterness seeped through. You set the book down and sighed. Your head leaned against the tree behind you while shutting your eyes and furrowing your eyebrows. 

Oh, if only someone could love you the same way love was portrayed in books.

Before the scowl could grow permanent on your face, you felt light finger tips setting on the crease between your eyebrows. Instead of getting scared, you remained calm. You knew immediately who it was because there was only one person who would do that. The person sat down next to you and you turned to see them already smiling at you. 

To most, Luke Castellan was just the Hermes cabin counselor and best swordsman. But to you, he was a close friend and confidante. He has made it a habit to press softly against your scrunched eyebrows to prevent you from scowling further. It was somewhat sweet to you.

“What’s got you so bothered?” Luke asked, peering at you while tilting his head in a boyish manner. The look alone somehow made you blush. There was no denying that Luke was cute. You knew at least a handful of people at camp who would agree. It honestly surprised you that he was still single. Though you were somewhat relieved at that. For about a year now, you have had a little crush on the Hermes cabin counselor. It was not hard falling for his kind words and sweet actions.

“This is going to sound so stupid…” You let out a deep sigh.

“Oh, come on, since when have I judged you for being stupid?”

“Oh, so you do admit I’m stupid sometimes?”

“Yes, but is that really a problem, considering I find it endearing?” You hope he did not see the way your face heated up at his words. 

Little did you know, Luke did notice it, just like he has always noticed little details about you. Knowing he was the reason behind your pink-tinted cheeks filled his heart with joy. In fact, throughout the last year, it got to the point where he would grow very bold with his flirty jokes, disguising his feelings in between them. Honestly, he was surprised you had not caught up to the truth yet. 

“Okay, well, so many people have gotten together lately, and it’s got me a little bit annoyed.”

“Why?” Luke questioned.

“Because, I want that experience, you know? The teenage love thing. We already have a strange life, fighting creatures and going on quests that could kill us. I just want to at least experience an aspect of a normal teenage life,” you watched him nod and digest your words. “I didn’t want it, want it. But seeing everybody else experiencing it makes me wonder when it will be my turn, you know?” You sighed before adding, “To make matters worse, it seems like nobody is interested in me that way, so…”

Luke almost let out a chuckle of disbelief at your last remark. Oh, many Demigods found you cute. But if only you knew to look right under your nose. He has always been here. If only you could see him how he wanted you to and give him a chance.

Ever since the day Luke Castellan met you, he became a dreamer. During the night, every dream would be of you, while in the morning, he’d daydream of you until he would see you next. You filled in every thought, walking in his mind like it was your home. But even if it wasn’t your place, he’d still give you the keys without hesitation.

“So…you just want to experience teenage love?”

“Well, that, and ideally, to be loved too. I don’t just want some casual teenage love, but at the same time, I’m tired of waiting around.”

A lightbulb practically lit up inside Luke’s head as an idea popped up. The logical part of his mind was yelling that this was a bad idea, though the more chaotic side was pushing him to just give it a shot. Though, he spent little time contemplating.

“What if we make a pact? By the end of summer - so maybe in about a month - if you haven’t started dating anybody…let’s date each other,” Luke blurted out before his mind could talk him into backing out. It was stupid, and he knew it. But if that was one way to potentially date you, then so be it. 

Luke’s heart squeezed when he saw you completely frozen. He started panicking. Maybe he made it too obvious, and perhaps you didn’t like him in that way and were trying to find a way to back out. 

“I mean—just so the both of us could experience teenage love, you know? I think it will be great. We already get along well. We’re good friends. What could go wrong?” Luke tried in a more casual voice.

A lot could go wrong — you thought. A possible thing that could go wrong is that you would fall harder for Luke, and that feeling would absolutely destroy you when you two break up because he finally becomes genuinely interested in another girl. Or, it has you so hung up that you would confess to him, only for him to say that whatever you two had was just a pact. But Gods, your heart must actually be a fool to whisper to your brain, ‘I mean…at least you would no longer have to imagine how it would feel like to be his.’

“Sure,” you said before you could think twice about it. “Deal,” you grabbed his hand and shook it.

“Deal.”

Now…Luke just needed to do a couple more things in the meantime.

During the first week, you asked Clarisse to set you up with somebody. She introduced you to one of her friends, Dean. However, when you mentioned Dean to Luke, he clicked his tongue before warning you.

“I just think you deserve better, Y/N. I’ve known him for five years and have never seen him bring one person on a date twice. Last week alone, he went on a date with five people.” Since then, you haven’t spoken to Dean again, deciding that you don’t want to try and date a playboy.

Two weeks later, you asked this guy on a date. He came to the picnic you had set up with a bouquet of flowers. However, your smile faltered slightly when you realized they were the type of flowers you disliked. You shook the negative thoughts away. After all, it’s the effort that counts.

Things quickly went downhill as the guy started sneezing…a lot. His eyes were watering, and it seemed like he was borderline getting sick. You noticed him trying to stop sneezing. You could feel the guy trying—you really did. But the last straw broke when he turned away to sneeze mid-sentence but didn’t do it fast enough. 

Three days before the day that marked the day the pact would be able to begin, you attended a party hosted by the Hermes cabin. You were honestly done with trying to find someone to date. Perhaps, this pact thing was not such a bad idea after all, even if Luke might not like you as much as you like him. But at least you knew he would treat you well.

However, your numbers must have turned because somebody had walked up to you and struck up a conversation. With similar humor, your jokes bounced off each other’s, and you almost started crying from laughing at one point.

The sound of your laughter caught the attention of the Hermes cabin counselor. Luke could feel his lips slowly curling up into a smile at the sound of your giggles and laughter. He has always found the sound so endearing.

However, when he turned his gaze over at you, his eyebrows scrunched at the sight of you conversing with another Hermes boy — Oscar, who was also one of his friends. Luke was no longer paying attention to the conversation in his circle right now. His ears were busy trying to make out what that boy was saying to make you laugh like that. However, he almost left his friends when you touched Oscar’s arm while giggling at another one of his jokes.

You always tend to physically react to Luke’s jokes, from small touches while laughing to you playfully slapping his arm at his cheekier jokes. They never fail to make the tip of his ears grow red while his cheeks match the same color. Though Luke swore he had never seen you this way with anybody else. Hence, he was less than enthusiastic at the sight of you doing the same with another guy right now. 

You continued talking to Oscar, but your conversation stopped when somebody bumped into Oscar and spilled their drink onto him. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to trip…” the guy who bumped into Oscar apologized.

“Chris, it’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Oscar said, though a sigh quickly followed his words. “I’ll just go and wash the drink off, but I’ll talk to you in a bit, though?” Oscar looked at you. He smiled when you gave him a sweet nod.

“Sorry again, man,” Chris said before watching Oscar exit the cabin. He turned to you now. “So, how are you? Are you enjoying the party?” You answered Chris and started catching up with him. You and Chris met through Luke, though as the years went on you two became friends as well.

With your focus now on Chris, you did not notice the figure of the Hermes cabin counselor zooming past you two and outside, following a certain someone. However, your conversation with Chris didn’t last long because Clarisse swooped in and borrowed you from Chris. 

“So, I saw you talking to Oscar. Give me the details,” she said, dragging you down to sit beside her.

“He’s great! It’s so easy to talk to him and be around him.”

“Easier than with Luke?” you gave her a warning glare. You might have told her about your little crush on Luke, though you confessed that to her out of the belief that nothing would ever happen and that it would pass soon. Fast-forward to a year later, your feelings have not changed. 

“...No, but—”

“I’m telling you, Luke’s the best one for you.”

“He doesn’t like me like that.”

“If he doesn’t like you like that, he would have never made that pact with you." When you didn’t reply to her, Clarisse decided to bring something else up. “Alright, let’s move on and talk about something else then…another candidate. Dean told me you didn’t show up.”

“Show up to what?”

“He wrote you a note asking you to meet him?” the look on your face must have told Clarisse you had no idea what she was talking about. “He wanted to ask you out on a date in person after that talk you two had three weeks ago.”

“Where did he leave the note?”

“Apparently, he was planning to get me to give it to you, but he passed Luke on his way to me, who offered to give it to you.”

“Well, I never got the note. I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. Luke told me he’s quite a player.” Clarisse pondered on the information you just provided her. Dean was in no way a player. She knew he has only been on one date with another person at camp. However, the puzzle pieces quickly clicked for Clarisse and she leaned back with a smirk. 

Before you could question the look on Clarisse's face, Oscar came back to the party. 

“Well, if you don't mind, Oscar is back and I have a good feeling about him. So I'm going to go and talk to him,” you left Clarisse, walking in the direction Oscar did. Meanwhile, Clarisse only silently chuckled. She knew exactly what Luke was up to and it made her shook her head in amusement.

“Hey,” you touched Oscar’s arm, though the cheery grin on your face fell when he slightly flinched and shrugged your hand off. “Uhm, it’s good you got that stain off your shirt,” your eyebrows furrowed when you realized Oscar was not even making eye contact with you.

“So, tell me more about that quest you went on last year?” you asked, hoping to start a conversation again. However, Oscar quickly broke out the truth.

“Listen, you seem very lovely, but I don’t want to put myself in the middle of anything. I don’t want to cause any drama.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not the type of guy to steal girls my friends are talking to or having a thing with,” you scrunch your eyebrow in confusion. Just as you were going to question what Oscar was referring to, his eyes betrayed him and looked at someone. You followed his eyesight only to see Luke already looking at you while glancing between you and Oscar. Though realizing he had been caught, Luke looked away and back to his friends.

That was when everything made sense.

“Uh oh…” Chris’s voice snapped Luke from whatever his friends were saying. He followed his gaze to where Chris was looking, only to see you storming over.

“We need to talk,” Luke tried not to think too much about the way your hand felt on his wrist as you pulled him through the crowd and outside. As always, he blindly followed you to wherever you were taking him. 

You released Luke from your grip and stood with hands on your hips. You took a deep breath. 

“Are you kidding me? Have you been sabotaging me? You told me Dean plays around, but apparently he doesn’t. He also gave you a note to give to me, but you never did it. Then, Oscar, who I was getting along with, came back acting weird, wouldn’t even look me in the eye, and then told me we have a thing going on?”

Oh, Gods, you found out about what he has been doing.

“Listen…” Luke started off while rubbing his neck, though he was unsure what to say next because he was indeed guilty of every accusation you were throwing towards him. But how was he meant to trust fate that you would still be single by the time the pact would be able to come true?

So, he intervened in his own way. That included throwing away Dean’s note, having Chris spill a drink on Oscar to get the boy away from you so Luke could have a talk with him. He might have also suggested your date two weeks ago to get you flowers, despite knowing that the boy was allergic to flowers.

All he wanted to do was to make sure the pact could happen.

“Luke…why? You know I wanted this. I wanted to experience things and date someone.” You weren’t mad, but you were slightly disappointed and confused. You didn’t understand Luke’s intentions behind his actions.

However, Luke misinterpreted the look on your face. He thought you were genuinely upset, and that alone pinched Luke’s heart. He gulped at the idea that he might have disappointed you or made you sad. Screw waiting until the pact happens before confessing. What use would that be when you might somehow start hating him?

“...Maybe I wanted it to be me,” Luke confessed, watching your eyes widen. “You told me you wanted to experience teenage love and feel loved, and you’re tired of waiting until it’s your turn. But I have never told you what I want.” Luke took a step closer to you before starting.

“I want to be the one to take you on dates and give you your favorite flowers every single time. I want to be your personal hype man and be your shoulder to cry on if you ever need one. I want to sit with you by the lake while you read. I also want to read the books you read and those little annotations you make. I want to learn about the things you love and the things you don’t. I want to do things you love. I want to show and tell you just how amazing you are every single day. I want to let the feelings I have right now grow cause I really like the idea of loving you, and I want to get there someday.”

You stood there shell-shocked. This felt almost surreal, like something you read from one of your novels. You have always wished to have someone who practically walked out of a romance novel.

“I want you.”

And here he was, standing in front of you, begging for a chance to be yours.

“And I know you just want teenage love, and I could offer you that. But just know I’m also offering so much more, even if you don’t treat the pact the same way as I do and will only view it as a casual relationship. But I suggested that pact and chased all those guys away because I like you a lot, Y/N. And in hindsight, it was stupid and selfish. But I did it because I felt like it was the only way I could have you.”

“I like you too, Luke,” the words slipped out so easily like they were always meant to be said. “I want you to be my teenage love. I want you too.” You’ve been walking around asking when it would be your turn. If only you had paid attention and looked closer instead, you might have noticed he felt the same way. You wanted everything he has spoken of and be just the same for him — to be there for him and learn to love the things he does.

“And I look forward to every single one of the things you’ve told me, and be the same for you. I really can’t wait for it. However, there is one thing I really want right now,” you said as you walked closer to him, one hand taking his own into yours.

“What?” Luke rasped out, looking so tentatively at you. Gods, whatever wish that spills from your lips this second will have him scour the world for it—whatever guarantees your happiness.

“I want you to kiss me.”

Oh, you could ask him for a thousand kisses, and he would give you a million.

Luke’s cheeks grew rosy at your request. He stepped closer, tucking your hair behind your ear without breaking eye contact. 

“Can I?” He whispered in a honey-like tone, and you knew right then that if he kept talking to you in that voice, you’d do absolutely anything he asked.

“Mhm,” your quiet hum granted Luke permission to his next addiction. Without hesitation, Luke attached your lips together with both hands caressing your face tenderly. In return, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pulled you both closer until your bodies were flushed against one another. Slowly but surely, you also tangled your fingers in his curls. Luke almost immediately melted against your touch, sighing in contentment against the kiss.

Luke was convinced this was now his new favorite thing to do. He wondered if you could taste it through the kiss—his feelings and borderline infatuation for you. Either way, he intended on making every kiss like this: wholeheartedly and as if it would be your last. 

Now, if you were to ask Luke Castellan how to get the person of your dreams, here’s what he’d advise you:

Step 1. Be stupid and propose a dating pact (tick).

Step 2. Chase away every other potential candidate (tick).

Step 3. Confess (tick).

Step 4. Fulfill all those promises you have made about loving the person (To be continued...But, he’s intending to do this for as long as you’ll let him).

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[krkiiz]

take a chance with me . luke castellan x reader

you decide to confront luke about your current situationship with him.

luke castellan x f!reader , reader is the daughter of Athena , crack , misunderstandings , “what are we” , “i thought we’re already dating” , fluff with slight angst , overthinking , kisses , them being sappy , nicknames

note : can’t stop falling in love with this evil betrayer smh. inspired by niki’s song “take a chance with me” ! (IM SORRY IF THIS IS CRINGE this is my first time writing kiss scenes help 😭😭😭😭)

let me know your thoughts ! likes, reblogs, and comments appreciated <3

“It’s getting dark. Let me walk you back to your cabin, yeah?” The dark haired boy smiled at you.

Gods how you loved that smile of his.

It’s a tradition of yours. Him walking you back to your cabin after your outings. The two of you walk hand in hand as your near the Athena cabin.

You and Luke had been acquainted for quite some time. You both first met when you arrived in camp for the first time.

You were fifteen back then. Time passed by as fast Zeus’ lightning strikes as summers blurred after summers. In a blink of an eye, you guys were both eighteen now. Adults, no longer those carefree teenagers that relied on your counselors.

During those three years of friendship, you and Luke only got closer. It was hard to admit, and after an excruciating time of denial (and constant pestering from your half siblings including Annabeth), you finally surrendered and admitted the growing feelings you harbored for your close friend.

You’re too afraid to confess your feelings as you treasured your friendship with him deeply. You would gush about how sweet he is to Annabeth, rolling yourself on your bed as blood rushed to your cheeks at the thought of him.

Little did you know he was doing the exact same thing. Confiding to Annabeth about your recent encounters, eyes lit up rivaling the shine of Apollo himself as he thinks of you.

Poor girl. Annabeth was sick of it.

But this summer, you felt a shift in your dynamic with the curly haired boy. He would eat lunch with you more often, asking you to go on more hangouts, challenged you on more duels, battles. It felt different, closer.

You were not complaining, matter of fact you were quite glad. Maybe your feelings wasn’t just one sided after all.

But as time move forwards, the closer you two get, more couple-ey interaction commends. He would tuck your hand behind your ear as you both converse, intwining your hands when your in the same path, calling you nicknames.

The more your relationship with him progressed, the more it blurred the line between friends and more. At this point, you knew he had feelings for you as well, and he too was well aware of yours.

A bubble of thought soon started clouding your mind. What were you both now? Friends? Close friends? Lovers? You don’t remember Luke asking you to be his girlfriend.

What was the nature this relationship?

You feel his grip on yours loosening as you stopped near the grey building of Cabin 6. “This is it for you, princess.”

Words rolled of his tongue like honey and you felt like a honeybee, drawn to its sweetness.

Friends don’t call each other nicknames.

Luke placed a gentle hand on your cheek, drawing closer has he placed his lips on your temple, as if he was kissing your thoughts away. “What’s got you thinking so hard since we started walking, hm?”

Your cheeks lit up like campfire at his action, he smiled noticing your flushed state.

Cute

You look up to the curly haired boy, his fingers still pressed on your cheek. What are we, Luke?

What if Luke suddenly doesn’t want you anymore because of that question?

Were you too selfish by wanting more?

Was this not enough for you?

No it wasn’t. You want to draw a clear like between friends and more, and Luke and you were shoveling a deep hole in the middle of said line.

What if he fears commitment and disappears?

“Oh no, it’s nothing Luke.” You shook your head away from his grasp, pushing all your thoughts away. “It’s late, I should probably get in.”

But before you can turn away from him, Luke was quick to grab your hand, not letting you go any further. “No, Yn. Something is clearly bothering you. And I don’t want you to go to bed with an unpleasant feeling.”

He squeezed your held hands. “Please, Yn. Is it something I’ve done?”

You were quick to deny him. “It’s not, Luke. I don’t even know it’s just. I don’t know, confusing? I think complicated is the right word.”

The dark haired boy brought your intertwined hands to his lips, kissing your forearm softly. “It’s okay take your time, darling. I’m listening.”

You sighed seeing him caress your hand gently as he brushed his lips on the skin. “It’s about us, Luke.”

Dark hues make contact with your own. “What about us?”

“What are we Luke? I don’t even know anymore.” You retracted your hand from his grasp, frustration getting a hold on you. “Friends don’t hold hands while they walk, friends don’t kiss each other’s foreheads, or hands, or even call each other nicknames.”

You look up to see the confusion written clearly on his face. “What are we, Luke Castellan?” You asked once more.

There was a moment of silent and you dreaded it. Each passing second you can hear the rustling wind, chirps of birds, and the sound of your heart falling into your stomach.

Before he finally broke it. A wholehearted chuckle graced his lips, creasing his eyes.

You scrunched your eyebrows at his reaction. Clearly displeased. Were you some joke to him?

“Luke, this is serious, why are you laughing right now?”

He quickly straightened his composure after hearing your tone. “Ehem, wait sorry. You’re serious? Is this what you’ve been worrying about?”

“Well yeah. What’s so funny about it? Am I just some joke to you?”

“No no! Yn, wait.” He placed both of his hand above your shoulders. Eyes peered at yours before genuinely asking. “Haven’t we been dating for like two months now?”

What? Confusion warps your face.

“Yn, remember? Two months ago when I took you on a picnic by the lake? I asked if you wanted to be together and you agreed to it, remember?” He tried to recall your memory.

Then it snapped.

“Oh, that was a confession? I thought you meant it in a friendly way.” Luke mentally face palmed himself and you sheepishly giggled.

“Okay maybe I was too vague with my words so let’s redo it right now yeah?” You tilted your head at him.

The dark haired boy took both of your hands from your sides, lacing them into his. “Yn L/n, daughter of Athena, one of the best warriors I’ve ever seen, wisest and the most just ever, will you take the pleasure of being my girlfriend?”

You unwind your laced fingers, your hands moving, circling themselves around the nape of his neck as his hands are now placed on the sides your waist, drawing you closer. “Hm will I?” You teased him lightly.

“Please?”

“I guess you got yourself a girlfriend, Castellan.”

You laughed against his chest. And you can feel his ribcage expanding was he laughed along with you.

You tilt your head above, standing on the tips of your toes, as you pulled him even closer than before. Your noses touch at the proximity and you could feel his breath on yours. “Is this why you’ve never kissed me before?” you hear him whisper.

“Well I am doing it right now.” You pull him in, his lips crashing with your own. His grip on your waist tightened as your hands made its way to the softness of his curls. Eyes tightly shut as you both bask in the bliss of ecstasy before pulling apart.

He leaned his forehead against yours. Giving your lip a small peck as he craves for more of you. “I don’t know if this is not obvious yet but I like you, so so much, my Yn.”

You softly giggled. “I like you just as much, my prince.”

©️ sirena | krkiiz 2023

[pearlywritings]

A slip of the tongue

synopsis: as smart as Alhaitham is, sometimes he blurts out things without thinking twice. It's good, however, that your husband knows when an apology is due, even though it doesn't mean you (and your friend) won't come up with something to pay him back with~

pairing and characters: Alhaitham x fem!reader

tw: established relationship (marriage), little hurt/instant comfort, a bit suggestive, Kaveh is lowkey couple's marriage counselor

word count: 3.7k+ words

a/n: wow, finally releasing this one out of the basement!

Here is the second part btw

Your cheek starts hurting from how long the knuckles of your fist have been digging into it. Fingertips drum on your knee, as legs stay crossed and stare fixed on the figure before you, sitting on the chair across the table and not taking the eyes off of the book pages. The most infuriating part of it? The figure is talking.

"...and so you should be prepared for Rajkumar's endless questions. He might not have any relation to Haravatat or languages at all, but he has a bone to pick with me, so being my wife puts you in a position to attack. And you know how annoying it is to converse with an idiot."

Yeah, probably as much as hearing what you are already aware of. You love your husband, you truly do, but sometimes the urge to smack the back of his head and tell him to shut up is too tempting.

All you said was that you were a little nervous and mentioned that tomorrow is indeed one of the most important days for you. After all, you are going to defend your second thesis, one you spent years to complete and pass all sorts of verification, reviews and censorship. Having the Scribe as your husband had both its perks and drawbacks in the process - he could easily push your work forward to the necessary people in charge of all the mentioned above stages of approbation, but then the fact he was your spouse put a label on you for those who were aware, and it said “Needs to be examined more thoroughly”. Though come to think of it, it’s pretty illogical.

Fortunately you never had troubles with that - after all your brain was in place, and both topics of your first and now current papers were innovative. Moreso, many of your Haravatat professors agree on your academic success and some of them expressed their hope to see you in the role of their colleague in the future.

But it’s for the future. First you need to become the Dastur, and for that you need to defend your thesis in the present. You have absolutely everything ready, no one knows your topic better than you are (maybe only Alhaitham can come close, since he read and reread it multiple times, helping with editing and providing impartial perspective), and years at the Akademyia taught you how to withstand the piercing eyes and prickling words of the jury. You will be fine.

Or you thought so, before just one phrase of yours started this whole exchange that is now happening in your kitchen.

“...and remember the part in the third chapter we discussed with you. This will be the one they’ll claw at, since it’s a turning point in a whole theory and I heard some of them already criticizing it,” the male hums, turning another page, eyes scanning the words written on a yellowed from time piece of paper. This seems the last comment of his, as he falls silent, reaching for the cup of coffee you’ve made him - in the process of which you were short-sighted to voice your concern.

When a minute passes and you do not answer anyhow to any of the valuable advice he’s just given you, Alhaitham lowers his book and stares at you. You keep drumming your fingers on your knee, eyes boring into him and almost unblinking, and it’s not hard for such an observant man to notice a barely-veiled displeasure in your tired eyes and a scowl.

"You know you could've just said you are worried about tomorrow too, and leave it at that?"

Alhaitham blinks, hand frozen in the middle of lowering the mug back on the table. He is holding your gaze and you can practically see the thoughts running through his mind, he is clearly contemplating how to answer your bold statement.

“Why would I be worried?” He finally answers with a question on your own, putting the mug on the flat surface. “It’s just a thesis defense, and if you get rid of your nervousness you’ll see that you already have the Dastur title in your pocket. Tomorrow is just a formality for you.”

“So you are not coming to watch me tomorrow?” Your scowl and frown deepens, fingers stopping abusing your knee and curling in a fist instead. Your husband sighs, marking the page with a bookmark you’ve made for him and closing the volume he’s been on for the past week. Then his captivating eyes are back on you.

“Scribe isn’t required to attend. Besides-”

“Yeah, yeah, you know my work enough to not hear anything new in my presentation,” you interrupt him and he can clearly hear rising anger in your voice that wasn’t there before. It actually manages to shut him up. “As my husband, as my support, are you going to come?”

The man feels a twinge of guilt in his heart. He always prided himself of his intelligence and attentiveness, yet just now he failed to assume what exactly you expected of his presence. Of course he’d want to give you a peace of mind by being there, but it seems he is too used to uttering the same phrase every single time someone asks him to come, that it was out faster than he had a moment to think it over properly.

He sees a bit too late how your face drops when he doesn’t give you an answer immediately - it looks like his pause appeared to be hesitance to you. He slightly panics when you lower your gaze and move to uncross your legs to stand up, having an almost iron grip on the back of the chair.

“Wait- Dear, I will come,” at that your eyes flicker at him, with doubt on display in your beautiful orbs. “I promise, I’ll be there.”

“I thought you didn’t like to be around idiots the whole day,” you huff, crossing your arms, reminding him of how unflattering his words towards some of his colleagues were. You do not mean to act childish, but tomorrow is really important to you, and obviously you’d want to have your husband be there to share it with you.

Alhaitham puts the book aside and stands up as well, rounding the table and coming closer to you. His fingers deftly touch your elbow, and you will yourself not to jerk it, some annoyance still bubbling in your system.

“That is correct. However, you are not one of them,” he murmurs, caressing your arm. You huff again, but this time your posture is more relaxed. “Besides, all you need is to be confident, and if my presence can assure you that, then I’ll be more than happy to be there for you.”

You give him a long stare. Your drilling eyes to his bewitching ones, searching for the truth in the greenish depths, while he stands still, waiting patiently, expecting your verdict silently. It’s as your frown softens, he knows you’ve found what you’ve been looking for in this kind of staring contest.

“Oh Archons, Alhaitham…” You shake your head with a small smile and the man feels relief washing over him. You are no longer mad at him. At least, it seems so. That is definitely good. “We’ve been married for years and it still surprises me how you can be a jerk - affectionately - one moment, and a completely sweet guy another.”

“Maybe just as quick you are switching from fuming to forgiving,” his palms are warm as they slide up your arms, featherly resting on your shoulders. Your smile widens a little and you meet him in the middle when he leans to press his forehead to yours.

“Yeah, yeah… But to your credit you were quick to fix your attitude, and as long as it’s sincere, I am grateful.”

“It is sincere,” he says with emphasis. “You know I am not the one to change my mind lightly.

Or rather realizing when an apology is due.

You hum, content with his answer. Yet, a mischievous glint finds its place in your eyes.

“Even though you are forgiven, I am still complaining to Kaveh about the mean and heartless husband of mine.”

“Of course you are,” he rolls his eyes, but you know it’s playful. He knows it too, and the shift in the mood is apparent, and he is thankful for its course to the positive destination. “I guess it’s deserved.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t be glaring at you murderously. Much.”

Alhaitham only sighs at your giggles. He could care less of what the blond architect would say about him, so he’ll survive some annoyed buzzing from the senior, and if the little exchange which is about to occur makes you happy - he doesn’t mind. Plus it will be good for you to take your mind off of tomorrow.

“I’ll trust you on that,” he finally says, slowly leaning back. You smile, patting the back of his hand still resting on your shoulder in reassurance. With a promise to collect you from your ‘girlish talk’ (you swat his shoulder at that) in a couple of hours, your husband helps you to make a new pot of tea. It’s quite ironic that this one is gonna be emptied while he’s the main focus of the conversation.

Minutes later, when you leave the kitchen with a tray, Alhaitham can faintly hear the knocks on the other end of the house, and the door opening not a minute later, the voice of the man you two have been housing for months coming clear and concerned. Kaveh remained your friend even when he and Alhaitham got in a horrible fight over their beliefs and you were partially the reason why the Haravatat graduate was convinced to let the blonde stay. Though loud, flamboyant and snarky, there is some perks of having him around - even if the architect always complains how he didn’t sign up to be a marriage counselor, he’s never let you or your husband be in a conflict for long (fortunately it happened really rarely), being your shoulder to tear up on or begrudgingly becoming an ear to be talked of by the other man and the foot that would kick Alhaitham into action or the hand that would gently nudge you in the right direction.

Or, just like tonight, simply be ‘your girl’ to chat with.

Alhaitham, as promised, lets you be for a couple of hours, meanwhile busying himself with his book. To outsiders this scene may appear weird and paint the Scribe in an awful light as a husband - but it is just like that with this man. And the strange dynamic the three of you have while staying under one roof: a wife, a husband and their… loquacious canary-like-therapist.

Only when it’s close to the time you usually go to sleep, does he also end up before the door of Kaveh’s temporary room, and firmly knocks three times.

“What?” Unsurprisingly it's the blonde’s voice, and by the tone of it he is pissed. The ash-haired male chooses to ignore him.

“Darling, let’s go to bed,” he calls for you softly. 

Alhaitham hears shuffling and muffled curses the architect surely prepared for him and some short, but incomprehensible conversation happening between you two. Not a moment later though, the door opens revealing your face, and your husband can’t help but feel extra weight lifted off his shoulders. No line reappeared between your eyebrows, no pout and no distress is written on your face. Quite the contrary, when your eyes meet, you give him the same warm smile you graced him with back in the kitchen.

“Sure, let’s go. It’s quite late already and we need to wake up early tomorrow,” you hum, exiting the room. Through the gap Alhaitham spots Kaveh sitting over some blueprints with two mugs on the table and a chair placed on the opposite side of the fine piece of furniture. When the architect lifts his eyes to glare at him, the Scribe slams the door closed. To your bedroom you returned with arms linked.

The silence of your shared space is comforting and is only disturbed by your light steps and rustle of changed clothes. The Scribe glances at you every two minutes, still a tiny bit concerned about that animatic exchange you had back in the kitchen.

“You know I will come, right?” The man suddenly asks you, as you’re fluffing the pillows. Your eyes slightly widen for a brief moment, so quickly that he almost misses it, but then they soften again as you chuckle.

“Yes, I know, dear. Sorry I reacted the way I did initially. It seems I really was pent up after all.”

“I could tell. You looked like you could bite my head o- ow!” He gasps when you throw your pillow into his face, which he catches at the last second.

“Oh, shut it, or I might get mad again,” but there is no anger in your eyes, only hardly veiled mischief. He drops your weapon of choice back onto bed and raises his hands in defense.

“Okay, okay, point taken. Any way I can make it up to you?”

At that your eyes strangely glint, and the scholar can’t place his finger on what exactly feels off about it. But it does.

“Actually you can. I’d like you to wake me up when you do, and let me use the shower first.”

And that’s it? Well, odd, but not disturbingly odd. Surely you wouldn’t go as far as to play some pranks on him by mixing something in his shampoo - you are way too intelligent for that. Also not one for revenge. 

“Of course. I will wake you when I do so myself, and let you use the bathroom first.”

Even if the mornings are not Alhaitham’s forte, he still opens his eyes disgustingly early, so sleeping for a bit more while you are at your morning routine sounds nice. Not as nice as doing it with you in his arms, but still quite nice.

“Thank you, dear. Now, if you are going to read-”

“Not tonight. You need sleep,” to that you smile warmly, crawling under the blankets, which he is quick to follow. You do not deny his embrace, and willingly scoot closer, extending an arm to put around his waist, as he does the same. Nor you turn away from a kiss he places on your forehead, pecking his chin in response.

“Good night, Alhaitham.”

“Good night, Y/n.”

True to his word, your husband pulls you out of the dreamland just moments later after exiting it himself. Cerulean eyes drink in your sleepy face contorting in displeasure, arms reaching over your head, and body arching in a morning stretch. He can’t help himself, leaning close and pressing a kiss just above the hem of your chemise, relishing the feeling of your heart thumping against his lips. You yawn, reaching a hand into his hair, but your breath hitches, when his mouth is suddenly on your throat, peppering it with soft pecks.

“Mmm… If you are trying to make up for yesterday you are a bit late,” your groggy voice is so adorable to the man. With you he tends to forget how to rationalize things. Yesterday was one of the times when his ‘Alhaitham for anyone else but his wife’ slipped into his interaction with you, the behavior he’s been trying for years to suppress when it comes to you. Now he knows he should’ve acted differently, and regrets his unique way of trying to give you reassurance. If only he-

“Are you overthinking again?” 

Your question makes him emerge back to reality. Eyes meet, and his heart skips a beat when you smile at him. Archons, you are beautiful.

“You know I am joking? Yesterday was yesterday, and you are already making it up to me, right?”

Words can’t describe how much he loves you, and at this moment he feels like he’ll never be able to express it fully.

“Right. Shower is all yours. Also,” he leans in again, placing a kiss on the corner of your mouth, “good morning.”

Your smile gets wider and you wrap your arms around his frame to kiss his cheek.

“Morning, Haitham.”

With you gone to the shower, the man buries himself in your pillow, inhaling the lingering scent. Sometimes he thinks he doesn’t deserve you. Your husband is intelligent enough to evaluate his own deeds and behavior, so he knows he is far from perfect to be someone’s partner. Yet, here you are, loving and accepting all his flaws - not without some complaint, but you are trying.

He might come off as arrogant to some people, but in arguments with you, he can tell when it’s his fault and not blame you for giving him a cold shoulder and requesting some space. He might look like he doesn’t care, but he cares for you, for your well-being, for your likes and dislikes, for your opinion, carefully storing all this valuable information in his brain, to show how much you mean to him. He is aware he has a long road ahead of him to get rid of all of his annoying conversing habits, but he is willing to keep trying for you. He seems to not show gratitude to anyone, but he is so grateful that you remain by his side, going as far as telling him you are proud to be his wife.

He wants you to know that it’s mutual.

That being said, Alhaitham is a smart man, but when he himself exits the bathroom after his shower time, his brain is reduced to just one thought.

You are absolutely gorgeous.

His gaze is chained to your pretty fingers, rolling the long, dark green stocking up your left leg. His throat bobs, when the elastic hem of it snaps against your skin, squeezing the flesh of your thigh a little. Then you take the second one, elegantly lifting the other leg and repeating the taunting process, but this time he is here to watch it from the beginning to the very end.

You happily hum, observing your work, and, satisfied, get on your feet, adjusting the band of your panties a little. Archons, you are wearing a matching set of the richest green shade. Lace leaves little to imagination, as his eyes flicker up to your chest, noting the pretty, natural swell of it and the outline of your nipples, and then down, as you turn around and bend to grab the shirt from the bed, demonstrating to him your ass and thighs.

His hand almost reaches out to touch you, to get a hold of the round globe, to sink his lithe fingers in your flesh. After all, your husband is not above earthly pleasures.

But your voice snaps him out of it.

"My love, if you keep standing like this in the middle of the room with just a towel on and no intention to dress, you might be late for breakfast," you chide him not even turning around and throw on the shirt, hiding the bra and some of the lower half, yet still leaving a bit of an appetizing view for an eye.

Alhaitham wills himself to tear the almost burning gaze away from you and redirect it to his own clothes, already prepared and neatly hanging on a chair. You mischievously smile as he takes a step to move past your figure. He's kept alarmingly silent and you are dying to know what reaction he has for your little plan. 

The man has just a second to react when you abruptly turn around and stumble into him. Big palms instantly grab your hips to steady you against his chest, and the heart quickens at the feeling of soft lace under his fingertips, peeking from beneath the hem of the shirt he accidentally crumpled in the process. Your hands on his chest are so warm, put out just in time to catch yourself, and Alhaitham finds himself thinking of how would've it felt if your chests collided - maybe the thin material of the only layer of clothes you have on paired with some flimsy bra would not make any difference from direct skin to skin contact?

"Ah, sorry, 'haithy," you sheepishly smile up at him, eyes soft and staring innocently, "Are you alright? I haven't heard you speak ever since you left for the shower…"

Archons, please, don't let his voice betray him.

"I'm," he quickly clears his throat, "alright. Was just about to start dressing."

You hum, pushing onto his pectorals to move away and continue with your own - though slightly changed - routine, but strong fingers flex, keeping you in place by the sheer hold on your hips. You look at him inquiringly, ignoring how the very tips of his thumbs just barely slip under the thin material of your panties to caress your hip bones. It's almost an absentminded action.

"What's with this lingerie?" He finally drops the question swirling on his tongue ever since he first laid his eyes on the tantalizing sight. It's hard to hold back a smirk - you admit you were a bit doubtful if it'd actually grab your husband's attention. Who knew the stoic man was into it…

"Oh, this?" Nonchalantly you tug on the collar of your shirt and Alhaitham sharply inhales upon catching a glimpse of your barely covered breast again. "Do not worry, habibi, it is not to seduce you," he is not that sure about it. 

Taking his hands in yours, you pry them off of your body and put them back to his sides, gracing his waist just above the towel with your touch. He shivers.

"I know it's different from what I usually wear, especially to work," you admit, turning around again, to grab the robes of the Akademyia's scholar. "But I really-really loved this one I purchased a couple of weeks ago on that outing with the girls. I feel so beautiful in it," fuck, you are. "And today is a special day. Want to have some confidence, you know?"

And as the rest of your body disappears under the long article of clothing, Alhaitham is finally aware of what this whole thing is about.

It's going to be an agonizingly endless day, where the only thing he can do is watch.

[stevie-petey]

we thought love was something (we weren't meant to find)

﹂ season two of "come home"

as you approach a year since will's disappearance, things seem to be back to how they were. you still have jonathan and the boys, hawkins is boring again, and you and steve harrington aren't really friends. you convince yourself that it's fine, but time can't heal all wounds, and you sure as hell have your fair share of them. when will starts having episodes and your brother hides a literal monster from you, junior year becomes a lot more painful than it already was. (and because you can never win, steve gets dragged into it). (more complicated feelings arise). (as usual).

episode one: MADMAX - what does steve fear more ? you or the plague ? currently it's you, some guy with an awful mullet stares you down in the parking lot (gross), nancy invites you to a party from your nightmares, and you become an official unlicensed therapist for will. yay for junior year !

episode two: trick or treat, freak - you and nancy have a bonding session in the library (kinda hot tbh), billy gives jonathan and steve a common cause to unite on: Protect Y/N, you're a chauffeur to a very sad steve harrington, and dustin uses will's trauma to his advantage.

episode three: the pollywog - you lecture jonathan about daddy issues and then have an intellectual debate about healthy relationships, you play Mr. Love Dr with Steve, nancy and jonathan go on a sick side quest (and actually inform you this time !), meanwhile: you're about to put a leash on your damn brother.

episode four: will the wise - jonathan is gone for one day and suddenly all hell breaks loose, your hesitant friendship with steve is already rocky (thanks billy) but steve is hot when he's angry tbh, you become a couple's counselor to lucas and max (sorry dustin), and you're now officially the world's worst cat owner ever. and babysitter. but what else is new ?

episode five: dig dug - you and dustin bury a body and con your mother into fleeing town, great sibling bonding time ! you play hockey with a monster, dustin gets ghosted by his friends, and now it's your turn to kidnap steve (technically dustin does, but you don't stop him) who later gives you some terrifying realizations.

episode six: the spy - dustin and steve haggle a butcher, you throw some meat at steve and then have a weird conversation about love, you stop dustin from becoming an incel, and then you wrestle some demodogs like any real woman would. side note: steve is hot protecting the kids.

episode seven: the mind flayer - jonathan is back and has a lot of questions and you have even more for him, the gang gets back together and ties will to a chair, you tell the kid a story to distract him from his demons, steve is a confused mess but at least youre with him, and someone makes a surprise appearance (her name rhymes with shell).

episode eight: the gate - you encourage nancy to take your place (everyone is shocked), you and steve are the newest babysitters in town, billy ruins things as always, tunnels are weird when youre concussed, you remind jonathan of an old promise, and when the snowball comes you make your own promise with steve that you know you can keep.

⌑ set between seasons 2 and 3

﹂ episode nine: the fall - surprise ! life still carries on even with minor brain damage from constant concussions :( on the bright side, you and the gang all become homies. meanwhile, steve grapples with the warm fuzzies and parental issues before his worst nightmare happens: you meet robin. the horrors !

⌑ status: FINISHED

⌑ season two title based on this song x

⌑ blurbs set within "come home" can be found here x

⌑ “come home” season masterlist

*note: this is a part of my stranger things rewrite, “come home”, and other seasons can be found linked above :)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for ignoring a childhood friend?

This happened a while ago, but I still think about it pretty often.

I used to have a friend, let’s call her Ally. Ally and I shared one thing in common — we were the weird kids. We used to sit at a lunch table by ourselves and bitch about how mean the popular kids were. A little cringey, but hey, we were in middle school, what are you gonna do?

Our friendship suddenly cut off because, after she asked why she had such a hard time making friends, I suggested, “Well, you are kind of sensitive.” This caused a massive rift between us. This would be fine, since I had already made some better (though only slightly) friends. But she somehow convinced the staff that we were actively fighting, which we weren’t. I was mostly just avoiding her. This meant, a couple of times, I was called out of class just so that we could sit in the counselor’s office to “make up”. She also believed, even when we got older, that I should “protect” her from her bullies, even though 1) I never saw her get bullied, and 2) that shouldn’t necessarily be my responsibility, especially after we weren’t friends anymore.

But that was in middle school. People change. And she did, sort of. We obviously grew apart, and because of that, I thought she matured, since I wasn’t around her as much. We started becoming more friendly in high school. My friend group even included her during lunch, and she seemed to move past her petty stage.

Without going into too much detail, another classmate called someone in my friend group and said she was going to really hurt herself. When my friend called 911, this classmate was furious when she got sent to the hospital. Ally was friends with her, so this caused some high school drama. Ally took the classmate’s side, because she believed because of their mental illness and her attempt, that it didn’t matter how my other friend felt.

Ally only got more and more immature from there. Slamming her books together and stomping out the door during an argument at lunch, rolling her eyes and making a face every time she walked past me in the hallway, and generally being nasty to me and my friends. Luckily, I didn’t get the brunt of it, but my other friends sure did.

We tried going to the office about it, but they said because of her disability, they didn’t want to get involved, and suggested we just “ignore it”. So we did. And, eventually, everything blew over, as high school drama does. Even if it drains everyone of every last bit of energy we have before it does.

The next year, she starts trying to rebuild our relationship, which I don’t want to do. She starts constantly texting me (I don’t know why I didn’t just block her number), asking me why we can’t be friends again. She gets me Christmas gifts, then uses them against me during an argument. I keep telling her why over and over, how awful she acted a year before, how you can’t force people to be your friend, how her personality and constantly playing the victim made her difficult to be around. She kept making a face in the hallway, talked about me behind my back (or so I heard), and yet she wanted to kiss and make up.

Junior year, things went quiet again. We didn’t like each other, but we were civil. I had stopped responding to her texts, and she had stopped pestering me. She was gone for a while due to a surgery, and I didn’t see her again after that.

Then, suddenly, COVID happened.

Over online learning, I got a few texts from her about my desk set-up, like what kind of plant I had next to me, what was my stuffed animal’s name, stuff like that. I decided to be nice, and responded, but ignored every subsequent response, and she didn’t try again.

I didn’t hear from her again until my freshman year of college (I’m a junior now). From a new number, she asked me how I was, what I was doing, normal fare. Instead of responding normally, I sent her a response in Japanese, since I was learning it at the time. I pretended this was a new number, and that I had no idea who she was talking about. She bought it, and I blocked the number.

I know that she could have changed, and maybe she was trying to reach out. But, considering how awful she was, and the kind of people she surrounded herself with, I don’t know if she could ever change enough to make up for how she’s acted.

Should I have given her a chance? I can’t now, of course, but maybe I could make an effort to find her if you think I should?

What are these acronyms?

[aphrodite1288]

Idk if you still perceived them as a toxic relationship, I'm the one who thinks that the most healthy thing in a relationship is communication so I really doubt ksoo get enlisted bc he wants to and not telling anyone about it, I mean exo is a thing, his relationship with jongin is other, maybe he didn't tell the other members but Ji is something else in his life plus his dad just died almost a year ago. I kinda understand your point and your theory about ji's depression cus his disease is a fact told by him, but speculate everything is all about ksoo fault its fck toxic. Depression is not something you experienced from one day to another and can be caused by so many accumulated reasons that took years and years to understand and ksoo must know that tho do u think he's that cruel and go to the army without a reason knowing Ji could be really sad about it? Kai must know that before anyone else so he could have time for processing and plans to do tgt but is normal still be fck sad after ksoo left and having therapy is a completely smart thing to do, that doesn't mean they had a huge fight

First of all, all what I said is not my perception, not my opinion, it's what I've been told from everyone: from K-EXOL, to our sources to the insiders who know SM staff or worked in SM and from Exo themselves told about this issue. And guess what? They know better than you. They're closer to him than you would ever be.

Sorry if it can't fit your narratives and feed up your fantasies.

Kadi just like any other couple aren't perfect they have their ups and downs and they certainly have their own flaws. Calling a relationship toxic just by one argument is wrong of you. This is not wonderland I think you should go seek medical help if you think like this.

You're the one calling them Toxic for not having a communication not me!

Ask your parents, I don't think they've never fought in a relationship of 2 decades at least.

I don't know if I'm allowed to share this info, but fuck it, I hate when dumb people who think they know their faves start calling us liars.

Kadi in 2022 in March exactly, they were on a massive fight and had a break again and they even went to Couple Counseling and the old Fans of this Tumblr from the Instagram group know this already. I've seen kadi's name on their Couple Counselor's Chart with their names and IDs, it was a bad thing from that Counselling company as they sold the Info to Sasaengs easily, K-ExoL, when they saw Ji and Ksoo going there frequently alone separately were curious why were they attending couple counseling sessions? Do they have issues with each other or with someone else they know ? And hence they followed them dug into the subject and discovered this and unfortunately the info was leaked. Remember when Ksoo went to Hawaii alone? Well it was during that period of time they were on a break.

Couples fight dear. It's normal ! And most of the couple fights occur because of LACK OF COMMUNICATION.

So yeah ! Expecting a couple in a relationship of 14 years won't have any miscommunication or a fight is so dumb of you. We don't live in Wonderland ! This is life! Have you ever been in a relationship have you watched BLs and Couples movies haven't you seen couples hurting each other and crying and breaking up despite being in love??

, t

So same for Kadi, they can hurt each other, misunderstand each other, Do things to each other, TAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT DISCUSSING IT WITH E/O! Take decisions in a moment of anger ! It's normal it happens and this is what Ksoo did and unfortunately it's true and it was a no-going-back issue becos that's with the government it's military application. He himself regretted it later because he missed many good Movie offers and opportunities at that time, even his managers and SM's production team told him he messed up he acted in a moment of anger at that time, and going on hiatus due to military in the Epitome of his career is a very bad move and he was told that by Veterans and his friends in the industry and he admitted it to movie producers and Management teams in SM, and.it was a famous discussed subject. No idol wants to go on military hiatus when they're on the epitome of their career, but instead until they settle things down first then they go. Because Many idols and actors get a little forgotten and may lose their popularity after military due to the hiatus and some DON'T! which is why you see Baekhyun and all idols always anxious telling their fans "Please don't forget us! Promise you'll be here when I'm back! It won't take a longtime! I'll be back before you know it!" " think of me all the time when I'm absent" and Baekhyun was smart enough and was the very first idol to have filmed Content for his fans to be outed every month it was so smart fans didn't even get to forget him.

So moral of the story: Kadi aren't perfect. And you should know Honey that YOU DON'T KNOW KSOO !! The idea you have on him is not 100% what he really is like! Y'all tend to glorify and shape idols in a perfect mold and put them on a pedestal as Sacred people who don't sin or Do wrong. Honey 😂 your Ksoo Oops isn't a Saint! He makes mistakes!! Remember you're just a fan! You don't know him personally to keep saying he can't do such things and that it's not his character 🤣 blah blah blah who are you? His mother?

Listen I'm just really tired of explaining everything to dumb people here. I don't care anymore, I say the info I have which I didn't create myself, I just report what I've been told and confirmed with Evidence, believe what you want if you don't wanna believe, leave it and leave.

Don't come up here and force your opinion on me, because we're not here discussing opinions, I'm giving you an info most of the time "A FACT" means something that actually happened and was proven to me, so I'm not here discussing it with you wether it happened or not and what you think about it, I don't care what you think , the thing happened years ago and that's on Period. I'm not gonna go back in time to discuss with you how it should have happened.

[danieyells]

Hear me out, Jiro baby trapping but he gets pregnant jajdja

I'm thinking something like Yuri experimenting on them and stealing a little bit of bone marrow and creating a Gamete and coaxing Jiro quite a bit, you already made some things in case we wanted to do this again! Might as well use them!

His reasoning here is only half selfish and he should be rewarded in his eyes! Jiro, one of the few people he believes are competent enough to be his assistant has such a cute crush on the PC it's almost painful to watch and would hate for him to sulk while investigating important things + he has seen some boys getting close to them so this is the best thing can do help.

Two months after their check up Yuri calls them to his office to tell them to start stocking baby supplies because he won't allow them to be a deadbeat and leave poor Jiro alone! Cue a surprised Jiro who thought this was again using Yuri's DNA and nit his crush. This flavor of baby trapping has three people in it but only one full consented

Re: Jiro sympathizing with baby trapped pc

Jiro's already had one child! What's one more??? It'd be irresponsible for the inspector to have one, they have to work with all the other houses, but Jiro and Yuri don't go on as many missions and attend all of their classes every day so Jiro can afford a couple-month mission hiatus and maternity leave, right? Yuri is such a good captain and boss, he'll take care of everything once Jiro okays it. The small details don't need to be considered, they've done this before after all.

Yuri is just helping his partner stay close to the person he likes! He should be thanked--lauded for his genius, even! Such a considerate captain.

Now, they previously adopted the child out but since the child is between two loving partners wouldn't it be better to simply raise it together? Darkwick has the necessary facilities. Sure neither of them were expecting or attempting to do this but being in a relationship comes with challenges. Like unexpected pregnancies, apparently. Unexpected assisted pregnancies.

Yuri, comically, has an expectedly low desire to be involved with the child beyond inspection, observation, and note-taking. He was just trying to help them achieve their relationship goals and make sure they get and stay together so Jiro isn't so pouty and absent-minded while he works because he misses his crush! Your IVF doctor is rarely part of your family, they're just there to help. But he's also a matchmaker along with a fertility doctor! Like a relationship counselor, but with more direct action.

The attachment to their child takes longer for Jiro and the PC than normal because. . .this was heavily decided for them both. And Yuri keeps scolding them for being so unenthused and anxious. They need to be good parents. Good parents love their children. Be better.

(Jiro gets used to it first since he did know it was happening, just not that it wasn't gonna be Yuri's. He's not. . .as unhappy one might expect, knowing it's PC's. But Yuri's making it sound like he expects them to raise it this time. He doesn't know how to do that. They sent the first one off pretty quick. He doesn't know how to be a mother. Or a father. Or a hybrid of both for that matter. He doesn't think he has the emotional capacity for it. Isn't that bad for a baby??? He's going to fail at motherhood which is a normal thing for him to worry about.)

(The PC is still trying to understand how this was even possible in the first place. Like, how did this happen? When??? This shouldn't be anatomically possib--what do you mean Jiro has a successfully transplanted uterus???? What just in there???? Not in a jar or something just. Among all of his normal guts. Okay, sure, he has some non-normal guts in there too but the point is--okay but the sperm. . .when did he get their bone marrow???? The PC spends the whole pregnancy trying to process things and by the time they're mentally ready for the pregnancy the baby's already being born and they're losing their mind again. This is too much! But they can't abandon Jiro to do this alone in good conscious!!!!)

This is simply an expansion of the previous experiment, Jiro! They tried with two ghouls, but a human and a ghoul could theoretically produce different results! Think of it as work and a productive start to their new relationship!

[frothingatthemaw]

oh for sure i definitely see what you mean with the bpd thing now that you explain it. suspected bpd myself also :). stevo seems like he's ripe for character studies, especially if you employ the bpd headcannon, i feel like you could explore a lot of different emotions and themes using that as a jumping off point. especially with the way he's trying to figure out his own internal logic and personal philosophies and how the change and stuff, i feel like that narration style could lend itself super well to some first-person stuff with a strong character voice, like fight club (the book) or something. & that counselor thing is so cool, i hadn't heard of that! makes me think that maybe he went into lawyerism and stayed there for a few years before having another .. 'reset' like at the end of slc punk and changed his whole situation and ended up as a counselor lol.

have you seen slc punk 2? i haven't, i've heard about it and stuff, but the reviews turned me off a bit. i recall the director said about making slc punk, something to the effect of, "everyone in my life was saying, 'thank god you're over that punk thing now'. and this movie is me showing that i'm not!' or something like that which is a philosophy i can get behind! writing about character studies above reminded me of this other movie which is actually kind of not like slc punk at all, apart from it's tragic and about a couple of punks. it's called green room, it's a pretty cool horror movie :D it's pretty gory & heavy though. but very cool & very much ripe for character studies of the surviving characters, which is why i thought of it. i guess that's something of movie recommendation if you're into that kind of movie :)

yeah!!!! i’ve wanted to write some things but i don’t think i could do him justice at all. i feel like i’m not well enough equipped to write him in the beautiful way he deserves, despite my writing style being more dependent on things like internal turmoil rather than body language or dialogue. i’d love to do it but the fear… and i honestly wouldn’t know where to begin. maybe just a study on his whole process of realizing life in the way he knew was was ending and he really didn’t want to let that go, but knowing he was eventually going to have to do so. not to shove content in your face, but i threaded together a post of discord messages between me and my partner slash best friend that was a rant on stevo but also stevo and bob’s relationship together (if you haven’t already seen it). i’ll come back and link it here after i post this just in case!

YES!!! exactly exactly!!! i think he done it for a couple years and really hated himself for doing the same thing as his dad. maybe this is projecting something because i love the trope of guys not wanting to turn into anything similar to their fathers, but i feel like still part of stevo has some punk morals that he doesn’t ever quite let go of. and especially the whole government and law part of everything. i feel like he feels strongly about that for his entire life. simple stevo morals. i also have many things to add upon counselor stevo, but i shall bite back that whole ramble. i get really emotional about it, he’s so special to me. makes me all soft and gooey yk?

i have not! i have it on my watchlist! i was also kind of turned against it because of the reviews, but my partner slash best friend told me the movie description follows bob’s son (?) and that made me a bit more inclined to watch it because that seems interesting enough for me

AND OOOOOO!!! oh my god that sounds so good. i love character tragedy and horror and i love some good old fashioned gore. gore my baby! i will absolutely add this to my watchlist on letterboxd after i post this!!! thank you for telling me about it, seems really cool and something that i’d like! <3

[emergentrelationshipcenter]

Why You Might Not Get Help At Couples Counseling

I write in my bio that I have been through hell and back when it comes to my own relationship, so I think this gives me some authority on the problems in relationships and how to overcome them. I can also say that I understand the difficulties of getting help with a troubled relationship. It was really hard for me to find a good therapist.

When my spouse and I decided that we needed marriage counseling, I reached out to my mentor and asked for a referral to licensed clinical therapists. There wasn’t anyone within 2 hours of us that she would recommend. What we ended up doing was virtual sessions. This was years ago and way before the pandemic which has since made Telehealth popular. Since we were doing virtual sessions, it opened up the possibility to work with one of the best couples counseling therapist I now know.

My spouse and I had the opportunity to see my mentor’s best student and technology allowed us to meet online across the pond.

Since then, I have learned a few more things about how to find the best counselor and how to get the best from couples counseling. I often learn that my clients have already tried another therapist, and, in some instances, more than two before coming to me. It’s unimaginable that you cannot just pick up the phone and call a therapist with assurance you will get the therapy help you deserve.

In an article called “Bad Couples Therapy”, Bill Doherty wrote “a dirty little secret in the therapy field is that couples therapy is the hardest form of therapy, and most therapists aren’t good at it.” He goes on to write that 80 percent of couples therapists in private practice never took any course work, internships, or training in relationships, therapy, marriage counseling, or any subject within couples counseling. This is astonishing! Doherty says it’s like having your broken leg set by a doctor who skipped orthopedics in medical school. Who would be willing agree to that one? In this article, I want to share some things to consider if you want quality counseling help for your life.

Here’s what not to do if you want quality therapy help:Don’t just find someone who is accepting clients and works with your insurance.

A lot of people aren’t aware that not all therapy is the same. There are some awesome individual therapists that aren’t specialized in offering couples counseling or marriage counseling and there are some great couples therapists or family therapists that don’t do a great job working with specific individual issues. One suggestion I would like to make is that you ask the therapist what percentage of their practice is couples counseling therapy. My own therapy practice is more than 75%. I specialize in couples counseling.

The other thing that is important to consider is what it means to use your insurance for services. What some therapists have found is that when they work with insurance it limits the help they can give. Insurance companies want a treatment plan that addresses a certain issue. Since they don’t specifically cover couples therapy for clients, a therapist has to use a diagnosis that is covered. If they use a label of depression, than the treatment plan has to have interventions targeted to treat this. But what if the “depression” is really disillusionment about the state of the relationship or sadness because the marriage is on the brink of ending?

Don’t coerce another to go to counseling when they said they were 100% done.

Another reason therapy might not work is if one partner has already made a decision that they are not willing to try anymore. It can be devastating when you think your relationship is over. If your partner says they are done, the worst thing would be to drag them to couples therapy by threats or coercion. Instead, a partner might try to work on themselves and see if they can demonstrate the change that their partner has been looking for. If the leaning-out partner isn’t sure if they are in love or isn’t sure that they want to try working on it, discernment therapy is another great option!

The goal of discernment therapy is to simply make a decision about the nature of your relationship. Will you stay status quo, separate, or commit to therapy? You can read more about it here. If you want to go to therapy and your partner is not willing find a couples therapist who helps partners work on the relationship solo, this option may be for you.

Another option, than dragging someone into therapy, is to find a therapist who can help you reevaluate the relationship, grieve the relationship, or get some clarity about the situation. Although it isn’t one person’s role to fix the relationship, if one partner goes to therapy it can help the relationship. If the relationship does end, you might look at growth areas for the next relationship or grieve the ending of a long relationship.

Don’t show up expecting your partner to do all the changing.

When a partner comes in and takes no responsibility for their contributions it sends a message to the other partner that they are not doing any work. It is kind of like showing up to a football game believing that the game’s outcome is solely up to the quarterback. Even if the quarterback is the most skilled player, he is going to need some help from the rest of the team. Couples therapy works best when partners show up looking to increase their knowledge about themselves and their partner. Therapy becomes a powerful tool to help you break ineffective patterns in life, and then, provides a way for couples to begin to develop a partnership and create a shared vision of the kind of life they want to build together.

Now that we have gone over some ways couples therapy won’t work, let’s shift gears and look at what you can do when looking for a skilled couple’s therapist.Here are some key actions you can take:

· Make sure you ask questions about the therapist’s experience, training, and practice.

· Do your research. There are different types of therapy and counseling options. If you are going for a specific issue, like sex or trust issues, find someone who has training and experience on that particular issue.

· Don’t bargain shop. If you talk to a counseling therapist you connect with and they are more expensive, remember that this is one area you will definitely get what you pay for.

Finding a skilled, quality counselor is an important part of successful couples counseling. Yet, remember, it is only part of the equation. To see and feel the changes in your relationship, aim to increase your knowledge about yourself, your partner, and look to correct the patterns of interaction between the two of you. Remember, creating change will take time and tough work.

Make sure you have a trained and skilled guide to navigate the rough waters in your relationship.

I offer marriage counseling, discernment counseling, and couples boot camp intensives that can provide relationships with an overhaul and give people the relief they need in a concentrated burst. Learn more about my counseling therapy services here. I offer virtual appointments and in-person sessions for my clients at my Harrisburg location.

[eliteprepsat]

When you think of the eleventh grade, what comes to mind?

Probably a number a things. Things like academic pressure. Leadership positions. Standardized tests. College planning. And all while learning to drive!

Junior year of high school is an onslaught of responsibilities and activities, and seemingly never enough time to get everything done. Junior year is also considered the most important year of high school for college admissions. Amidst the nonstop flurry, it is important to recognize this significance and take the necessary steps to prepare you for your future. So, all you high school juniors (or soon-to-be juniors), read on to find out how to put yourself in prime position for college admissions.

1. End on a strong note 🏁

Junior year grades are one of the strongest indicators of your academic potential, and college admissions officers will examine your grades closely. Colleges look for either a record of consistent academic achievement or an upward trend in a student’s grades. End-of-junior-year grades provide valuable insight into your overall academic trajectory, so strive for the highest grades possible. Truly push yourself and devote the necessary amount of time required to master the concepts in your classes. Make use of any academic support your school or teachers provide. If you are still struggling, consider forming study groups with your peers or using online resources to maximize your efforts.

2. Continue to challenge yourself 💪

As you plan your senior year class schedule, remember to maintain a rigorous academic course load. Colleges want to see you take advantage of the academic options available to you. The more you push yourself, the more you demonstrate your capacity to take risks and seek out growth. At the same time, be sure not to overload yourself by balancing out your core classes with electives that support your passions and/or future ambitions.

3. Know your counselor and teachers well 🍎

Many colleges require both counselor and teacher recommendations. If you have established positive relationships with them in advance of the application season, their letters of recommendation will have the personal touch necessary to help you stand out. If you haven’t done so already, set up a meeting with your counselor to discuss your academic future. To get a head start on the process, you may also consider asking your teachers to serve as your recommender before school lets out for the summer. Plant your seeds early, so they have enough time to sprout!

4. Create a resume

Having all of your activities documented in a central place allows you to conveniently showcase your extracurricular involvement. Not only will colleges ask for an activities list but potential summer programs or employers may also ask for one. A resume can also include accomplishments, awards, skills, languages spoken and more. Develop your resume today, expecting to update it as new developments occur in your life.

5. Map out your testing schedule 🗺️

Junior year is ALL about testing. You take the PSAT in the fall, and AP/IB exams happen in the spring. The SAT/ACT looms and SAT Subject Tests beckon. Depending on your college ambitions, you made need to take only a couple of these tests or so many that you'll have a hard time keeping track of them. Mapping out your testing schedule will help you prepare for each one and give you a clear idea of all the necessary requirements to fulfill.

6. Apply to a summer program, job, or internship

The summer after junior year is an ideal time to pursue professional or enrichment opportunities. Consider a part-time job or a program/internship that may shed light on your career goals. These activities build character and will add another dimension to your college application. Begin the process of researching opportunities as soon as possible. The process of applying to a job or summer program also functions as a precursor to the process of applying to college.

7. Research colleges

There are thousands of colleges to which you can apply, but you will ultimately end up choosing just one. Narrowing down your choices and creating a college list that best fits you and your goals requires extensive research. Identify the specific criteria that you are looking for in a college and let that guide your selection process. Make note of any local college fairs, open houses, or college visits that fit into your schedule, and start getting on the radar of any colleges that interest you.

8. Sharpen reading comprehension and writing skills ✍️

Developing competent reading and writing skills will confer a number of immediate benefits. Your standardized test scores will improve across the board. Your academic and college application essays will shine more clearly. You will also be better equipped for your college freshman workload. Go beyond the instruction offered in your English classes and make a concerted effort to improve your reading and writing abilities through regular practice.

In general, this advice applies to all four years of high school, but they apply with extra force during junior year. If you follow these steps, you will enter the college application season well-prepared, reducing some of the stress that comes along with applying to college. This advice requires time, but if you actively incorporate it, you will establish a solid foundation for your future success.

[the-karasu-no-one-knows]

Tired.

Sometimes, you have those nights, or even days, where the expenditure of energy is so great that you physically and mentally feel as if you died and are coming back to life with a brain and body that feels like it's been hit by an asteroid. Fuck the Mack truck because that would be easier to contend with. This...is an asteroid.

Ugh.

I took off of work today. I just couldn't after last night. I'm just focused on laundry and listening to my usual YouTube channels streaming and causing me to laugh here and there. Camelot331 pleases my need for humor as well as the need for relaxation for the alters. He's a sweet 32 year old guy from Alabama. Reminds me of my guy friends back in Boarding School. Guys just seem to take things less seriously and they've always valued and enjoyed my lax disposition on nearly everything. I do miss the NN's from my teens.

My best friend Wendy always told me that I hung out with some of the most gorgeous guys on the Island. Heh. I guess I didn't really pay attention to most of that...but wait...I think I kinda did but it wasn't the highlight of my friendships with them. I've been thinking a lot about Jason, Jonas and Jeremy. I can't seem to find anything on Jonas. I didn't catch his last name, then again, he broke the rules of ethics as my counselor at Four Winds by kissing me.

I wonder how he's doing? I treated him so poorly but I was also struggling with the whole Matt situation. He knew that I was assaulted and in hiding. Jonas was patient. Matt was Chinese. Jonas was Filipino. Matt was a gang leader in Chinatown and Jonas was a wonderful man who only wanted to help me as my counselor. All my records have been destroyed. I don't exist. Jonas does only IF I could tell him that I'm alive, covered in scars but alive.

I've looked up Jeremy on Facebook. There are many with his first and last name but I don't know if he's still in Upstate New York or not. I was 17...he was 13...so a lot changes visually. I'm sure I can recognize facial features but location....I'm not necessarily a human GPS. To think he attacked Jason outside the dining hall. I was already a part of Jason's life. Sneaking notes and phone calls at the dining hall and back on our units.

I did feel awful when Jeremy attacked him. Jason seemed pretty shocked to see a 13 year old attacking him; be it he had just turrned 18 himself. I do feel awful about several people (young men) in my life. Christ. What about Jordan? Fucking Hell. My interests attracted all young men and all minors...WITH the exception of a couple who were deflowered by me. Those were NOT minors.

There are things that I would never share on a blog or within the branches that are the Internet. I have a few who do know. One is still out there. He knows so much yet I have no idea where he is with a last name I never bothered to ask of within our 3 year relationship. My 'Ikki'. My 'Sky King'.

Andrew? Am I ever going to see you or hear you again? I just want to know if you're alive. I just want to know if you're safe. I just want to know if you still....oh fuck this! Do you know that every time you enter my thoughts I think of how so many would of seen our relationship as extremely inappropriate and wrong. I think you were the main reason why I started to write a continuation of 'Leon The Professional', using myself as Matilda. You know how a future in that character was not far from who I was. One of the characters I needed to be to fulfill the needs of people who didn't care, as long as the job got done.

You were that young man. You were him! I wanted to rescue you, but at the sake of your own safety and mine? Where would we of gone? Where could I hide you? You would of had to of be hidden by me because you couldn't parade around with me in the public eye. It couldn't of worked that way, as much as you wanted it to. Even as my 'Sky King', I had to be responsible as your 'Fang King'. There was no way it could of worked.

Maybe you knew it could of but I was so fucking fucked up that I didn't think I could hide you from the world. We wanted so much as well as wanting one another so much.

Why does this hurt? You're the only one that hurts but not in a way that was caused by you. Are you upset that I didn't pick you up from Durango? I'm sorry. I'm so extremely sorry Ikki. Maybe it hurts because there has never been closure. I know part of the pain comes from loving you. Loving the idea of us....long ago. All those nights we spent talking and laughing. The pain Alisha caused you yet I always brought you joy and spoiled you.

I don't think I've ever seen the image above Ikki. I can hear you in the back of my mind giggling because you know that I was never keen on affection and I would scowl just like Agito. You, of course, would smile just like that...kissing me affectionately. I know that I was grumpy and miserable at times. You also knew that I broke away from that world and I just had to figure out that I could live a life FREE of dictation. I never really didn't think too much about that world when I was spending time with you.

You always had me focus on something pleasant, but sometimes even you struggled. Your parents having you go through hypnosis and that made me so angry!! I wanted to take you away from them for brainwashing you into thinking that you were some troubled youth. I heard you on those tapes and there was nothing I could do to stop them except come to you and take you away to where they would never hurt you again. That's what you wanted...didn't you?

You didn't understand that if I did that, you would never be seen again and only by me. You knew that and you still didn't care what anyone thought. You just wanted me to rescue you. I have mission dreams Ikki. I have them at least once a week. All these fucking missions that I was assigned to do but yours would of made all other missions forgettable.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't cry right now Ikki. I'm so tired. I want to cry but I can't. I'm just too tired sometimes Ikki. Goddammit where are you?!! Why can't I find you? With all the means that I have....why can't I find you!!! Where are you? You can't find me online. I don't really exist online, unless you miraculously come across this blog and you put 2 and 2 together.

I look so much smaller there. The frustration and anger; yet you always appeared smiling and calm. You could calm me down. You knew I was hurting when I was conquering as many men as I could. You knew it was dangerous yet you didn't judge me. You knew I was fucked up and putting my life in danger, yet you didn't judge that I continued that path to overtake and consume without a conscience.

I had no help once that life ended. What was I supposed to do after two decades of being a "weapon"? Who was going to help me? Only until I was whisked away to the mountains for my only safety, you call me out of the blue to come rescue you and I FUCKING FAILED YOU! You would tell me that I never failed you but I have and maybe when I'm dead and gone, I can forgive myself. Until then...it's you and me...in my dreams and maybe....meeting up in the afterlife.

My 'Sky King'.

[talkingforwellness]

The Importance of Premarital Counseling

You and your partner have decided to spend the rest of your lives together, for richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health. Together you’ve already discussed all the big events and decisions that factor into combining your two lives into one.

Now that you’ve checked all your other to-do’s, it’s time to schedule an important one: premarital counseling. But what is this kind of counseling, and why is it important? Read on for four different skills you’ll learn in premarital counseling and how they will strengthen your relationship and your marriage.

What is Premarital Counseling?

Premarital counseling is a type of couples counseling for partners to prepare for marriage. Having a counselor as an objective third party allows you to transparently talk about challenging topics and define the expectations each of you have for your future lives together.

Getting On the Same Page

Depending on how long you’ve known each other, you might feel like you know each and every little quirk. Yeah, you’ve discussed starting a family. But do you have the same expectations as your partner about the specifics?

When might you expand your family? Will you have biological children or adopt? How many children do you see in your future? There is a difference between thinking about wanting the same things and actually being on the same page.

Having the Hard Talks

Continuing with the same example from above, what happens when you discover that your partner was thinking about having one child, but you always pictured a family of five?

Or what if you never saw the rest of your life living in the same place you are now, but your partner refuses to move outside your current 25-mile radius? Having hard conversations about differing expectations isn’t always easy. But it’s better to communicate them clearly to see where compromise is possible and where the make-or-break boundaries stand.

Why is Premarital Counseling Important?

There are endless benefits to premarital counseling with your soon-to-be spouse. A few of these are improving communication, building conflict resolution skills, exploring how your individual family histories can impact your current relationship, and practicing active listening.

Improve Communication

In any relationship, romantic or otherwise, communication is key. Even if you’ve been with your partner for a long time, you each may hold feelings, values, and needs you might just assume they know.

Crush Conflict Resolution

Marriage isn’t just about the titles that come along with a legally binding union. It’s about developing and using conflict resolution skills to work together as a team. These skills in your marriage will help you learn to agree to disagree and compromise when you can.

Explore Family Dynamics

Accepting each other and all the ‘family baggage’ that comes with you is a given. While neither you nor your partner is defined by your past relationships or family dynamics, they do play a role in your views and attitudes toward upcoming marriage. Did your parents raise you to be openly affectionate, or was affection withheld and only given when you ‘earned’ it?

Did one parent stay home and take care of children and chores while the other worked outside the home? Diving deeper into the reasons behind why you do what you do or what you say and feel in your relationship will help you replace the habits and values you want to change and strengthen the foundation of your marriage.

Practice Active Listening

There is a difference between half-heartedly listening to your partner and actively listening to your partner. When you practice active listening, you’re able to ask questions and reaffirm statements they’ve made to reflect that you’re engaged in the conversation. Nothing makes for miscommunication and hurt feelings more than you or your partner having to repeat themselves multiple times.

Our therapists here at Let’s Talk Psychological Wellness are committed to helping reduce the stress and anxiety in your life, regardless of what is causing it. Call, text, or email us.

[atreef]

What Makes a Relationship Successful?

Successful long-term relationships

In a long-term relationship, it’s easy to presume you know all about your partner, though people change. Try to be mindful of what is transpiring in your relationship and understand who your partner is and where they are at. Remain curious around but respectful of each other. It is really important to stay up to date with your partner. Friendship is at the basis of all successful long-term relationships. Successful couples tend to be realists who recognize that a relationship will go through ups and downs.

Seeking help for relationship problems

If something in your relationship is difficult or painful to talk to each other about, consider seeing a counselor. A counselor can be of great value to help you talk things through, particularly if you are going over old terrain and each of you is feeling isolated, disappointed, or hurt by the lack of progress.

What Makes a Relationship Successful?

Is it the consistent dedication between partners, the presence of unhindered communication, or the aspiration for continuous growth? With no definite answer comes the arrival of theories that may constitute that "success," creating professions such as marriage counseling and couple therapy. However, the existence of these services is made possible due to the conglomerate of humans' inability to untangle the intricate spiderweb that is love. To seek help from a counselor or a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of, as love can be a complex maze that may require guidance from time to time. This source of guidance is relayed by therapists who attempt to clarify the underlying problems of these troubled couples. One of the main basis for continuous elucidation would be the discussion of gendered discourse revolving around the concept of emotion, the aspect of positive and negative outcomes, and the relevance of therapist interruptions.

The outlook on therapy sessions revolve around many fields, whether psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. This has allowed a variety of ideologies to be formed, with some contorted to just one linear perspective while others share multiple schools of thought. Olga Sutherland, an associate professor from the University of Guelph, takes a feminist approach to the gendered construction of couples therapy. Within one of Sutherland's case studies, she examines the dynamic of domestic labor, where she exclaims, "In this excerpt, we notice the following sexist assumptions concerning gender: 1. Caring labor is inherently women's (and not men's) work; 2. Caring labor is minimal and insignificant" (p. 7). The excerpt Sutherland pulls from revolves around a couple's allocation of domestic tasks and caring for children, in which the partners were previously separated due to the husband's career. There is no denying that childcare is often disproportionately assigned to women to do the lion's share of the work but to delineate a male's viewpoint to disregard the importance of caring labor conveys an approach of gender bias. Sutherland's snippet already portrays the husband in a negative limelight, as the audience is heavily skewed to support the wife after being notified that the husband had an affair. Instead of introducing a passage that asserts both parties are on equal footing, the audience has already fixated that the husband, and the male community, are "contempt" and "lazy" regarding domestic duties. With such a linear interpretation, Sutherland presents herself as a figurehead to bombast men's wrongdoings to push her feminist agenda without understanding that a relationship is a collaborative effort.

To acknowledge that a relationship is a collaborative effort is to recognize that there are gender differences when it comes to differentiation, emotional reactivity, and marital dynamics. The ability to make a selfless decision regarding your spouse's level of criticism, emotional flooding, and conflict resolution can provide a guideline for improved functioning and individual maturity. Within a case study revolving around one hundred sixty-nine couples completing measures of Bowen's concept of differentiation/individuation and Gottman's concepts related to current marital dynamics, Gubbins argues that "...in the men's analyses, the women's level of individuation was not descriptive of the independent variate that was associated with the men's level of emotional flooding during arguments and satisfaction with the marriage. The opposite was true for the women's analyses. For women, the men's level of individuation was an important descriptor of the independent variate that was associated with the wives' level of emotional flooding during disagreements and satisfaction in the marriage" (p. 393). Gubbins reveals that women are more emotionally sensitive to their partners' moral state than men. This finding is directly aligned with the studies of gender differences which indicate that males have a stronger foresight for independence and separation while women institute a larger concern toward connection and togetherness. Marital success has to be adaptive as couples have to find a keen balance between separateness and connection.

There is serenity with balance, as couples should acknowledge a median and a sense of stability to constructive disagreements along with the presentation of blissful moments. Understanding the causality of these outcomes requires an assessment of both males and females to aggregate their dispositions for their relationship's successes and difficulties. Through the expansion of the marital attribution coding system, Stabb uncovers that "Women were thus seen as contributing to negative relationship outcomes over a longer period of time and across more types of situations than men; men were seen as contributing to positive relationship outcomes over a longer period of time and across more situations than women" (p. 342). The gendered attribution of women inducing more negative relationship outcomes follows traditional psychotherapy, which entails increased opportunities to pathologize women in a therapeutic space. The negative outlook that women have upon themselves may be due to their prevalence of obligation and self-sacrifice that society has circumvented them into. Conversely, men integrate a mindset of persistent confidence that ensures a cultural perception of preferred masculinity. This promotion of masculinity often equates dominance and aggression as vital to survival and prosperity. With so many culturally ingrained patterns of gendered attribution and communication, it may be difficult for anyone to challenge the status quo, but therapists can by building a solid rapport with their clients that promotes inclusivity, openness, and trustworthiness.

The integration of having a harmonious relationship with one's client is known as a therapeutic alliance. A therapeutic alliance is a relationship between therapists and their clients with how connective they are in accomplishing their goals, facilitating change, and instituting behaviors. A proponent that challenges a therapeutic alliance would be the frequency and target of those interruptions. Megan Oka, a licensed marriage and family therapist examined the association between interruptions and therapeutic alliance to conclude that "One of the most important findings for our purposes was that female therapists' interruption of men negatively impacted their alliance with both their male and female clients" (p. 12). The indication of the negative impact that female therapists had upon both male and female clients implies that males are apathetic to the routines of therapy, causing women to be less instigative in fear of making them more perturbed. Women tend to be the ones to initiate couple therapy, making them more invested and attuned than their male counterparts. Oka also reveals how interruptions upon female clients don't affect therapeutic alliance through two possible reasonings: "First, women are so used to being interrupted in society that it does not bother them when a therapist does it (James & Clarke, 1993). The second is that women in therapy are more concerned with their partner's reactions to the therapist than they are to their own reactions" (p. 12). The conclusion that Oka produces relays back to a woman's stature of being "feeble" within the confines of a society that has molded their muted presence. There is also an implication of a man's quintessence for self-reliance that rejects the supposed helpfulness of therapy to disparage any veil of vulnerability.

Within a relationship, the potential for growth is substantial, as the lessons of endearment, patience, and curiosity are magnified with a significant other. However, with such growth may come ignorance, as one can become so accustomed to their partner's thoughts and beliefs that they deafen their ears from simply listening. Therapy is an instituted practice that brings that sentiment back for those lost couples through the emphasis on emotion, the pathway of outcomes, and the implication of interruptions.

Tips for a successful relationship

The following tips may help you improve your relationship (and be better prepared to meet the challenges along the way):

Talk to each other and communicate your needs

If you have something to bring up, do it gently

Listen to each other

Remember the positives about your partner

Make repair attempts

Spend time together

Work on feeling good about yourself

Accept and value differences in others, including your partner

Make plans

Be supportive

Learn from arguments

Stay calm during disagreements

Look at your part in the conflict rather than focusing only on your partner’s contribution

Be sexually considerate

Be attentive

Enjoy yourself

Be flexible

Share power

[eremiie]

Fic where y/n has a threesome with Levi and eren😗

can you finish these papers?

❥ 8k words | nsfw | levi x reader x eren

❥ you have some work to finish but you also have somewhere to be, so what’s the harm in handing it off to eren? only, eren ends up needing help with your work, and both eren and levi decide to help you out.

❥ content: threesome, double penetration (vaginal/anal), choking, lowkey cuckolding but not really, slight praise kink, semi-public sex

❥ note: i actually made one back in december so i will simply give that to you now, enjoy <3

"eren!" you called for the brunette, watching his body turn around just before he rounded the corner of the complex, a small smile gracing his face at your figure. you ran up to him, his arms wrapping around your small frame before you could topple over him.

"hey, slow down." the fabric of his button up crinkled the stack of papers in your hand in the slightest before you picked yourself up. he took it upon himself to draw you in closer engaging you in a brief hug before letting you go, causing you to smile at the small gesture. "why are you running?"

"oh, i wanted to catch you before you went to the cubicles." you bit your bottom lip, slightly embarrassed at the fact that you in fact we're running around an office complex to catch him. "i needed you to sign off these papers, and then finish up the rest for me, some of them aren't in my field but i was given them anyways." you held up the papers to your chest and dropped them, eren's eyes following. he took in your appearance; you were wearing a blazer one piece, as if it was a skirt and a blazer warped into one in the bright shade of white, the fabric coming down to a little more than above your knee. trailing down your legs you had a medium handbag in your left hand in a black color that matched your heels.

you were so gorgeous, is what he thought to himself. you never failed to dress to impress at your job, and he never failed to miss greeting you in the morning's when you would come into the building, your normal routine was you and him making coffee together, and on the days you were late he'd make yours for you, cold brew with caramel flavored creamer and a teaspoon of sugar every time. he liked you, but he didn't realize it until one day armin pointed it out to him.

you were seated with him at a meeting, and eren couldn't stop staring at you, the only person seeming to realize being armin, the intelligent coworker of yours that you seemed to only see time to time, and mikasa who was very observant in general; especially with eren.

"you like her!" armin squealed at eren after the meeting during your break. mikasa didn't fail to give a disapproving look at eren, during the ordeal.

"you do. but i'm not surprised. you don't even know her. you only like her for her looks, eren." she added on to armin's comment, eren furrowing his eyebrows at his coworker.

"i don't like her, i just think she's nice guys, and i actually have talked to her, multiple times, so i don't just like her for her looks, mikasa." he crossed his arms and mentally waved the two off. "you don't even know if we talk or not, you're in the complex over." his irritation was clear and he was beginning to walk off, mikasa hesitant to follow.

"eren if you like her that's okay! i'm all for it, and if you want a," armin nudged eren's shoulder playfully with a joyful smile. "wingman i can help you out."

eren grimaced at armin and pushed his arm down with a shake of his head. "armin stop, i don't need a wingman, i don't like her, and i don't need you trying to watch who i talk to mikasa." eren's voice raised in the slightest causing mikasa to step forward in front of armin. she looked down at her watch on her wrist and looked back up to eren with a motherly expression. "break is over in five minutes. let's go."

eren muttered something inaudible under his breath but let mikasa push him forward by the small of his back with armin trailing behind so they could leave the small break area.

so yes, he did like you, and only realized and admitted it to himself after that day, yet he would never admit it to his friends. mikasa would constantly be on his ass about every little thing and armin would try to gain intel on the relationship in retrospect. seeing you genuinely made his heart warm, and he was never afraid to be more than touchy with you, yet he didn't know exactly what move to make.

"yeah, i can do that. do you need them by a specific time?" he grabbed the papers from your hand, letting his brush against your dainty fingers for a slight moment, and he loved the way you grinned at him.

"no, no take your time, bring them by whenever. i have something to do anyways so please, take your time." he nodded his head at you.

"no additional information i need to know? nobody specific to give these to or anything?"

you didn't really think about your response, just wanting to get the papers off your chest. "nope, it's all in the papers, do whatever you want or whatever it says, you're the man."

he chuckled and held the papers up to confirm to you that he'll get everything done for you, despite his own workload. "alright, see you later then?"

"yes, of course, i'll see you later, eren, thank you so much!" and you were off as quick as you met up with him, heading over to the elevator, him watching you leave.

eren couldn't stop smiling to himself on his way to his own office, it was on the same floor as yours, yet the two of you weren't walking together. he assumed like you told him, you had something important to do and that's why you left some of your papers off to him, as the two of you were in the same business field in general compared to others like armin, mikasa, who were in the building next door.

finally, eren was sat at his desk skimming through the papers you gave him. he made two piles, one of papers he simply needed to sign off and transmit to someone above him, most likely the line manager, maybe the director or counselor, and another with work you actually left him to complete for you. mostly phone calls, documents to file and appointments to schedule. he sighed to himself and decided to just sign off the papers to pass on quickly, maybe he'd even be able to stop by your office on the way back to let you know he did some of the work and spark up a conversation.

meanwhile, you were making your own way to another office. you knocked on the door a few times, a small smirk on your face already.

"come in." the voice like silk answered and you wasted no time opening the wooden door.

"levi, hello." you hummed with the same grin you gave eren, just earlier. you closed the door behind you and watched levi study you briefly, rolling his chair out from underneath his desk. his eyes glanced from his desk to you and then back to his desk, getting up and grabbing miscellaneous items, going over to place them on a shelf so it was clearer. "always the clean freak." you scoffed stepping closer until you were right in-front of the plain desk, your fingertips brushing the surface that you've been fucked over countless times. you bent down and placed your purse onto the floor beside his desk. "did you miss me?"

levi went back to sitting down, giving you a one over, taking in your appearance as well. if you were to say so yourself, you were proud of your attire as well, it was giving you a confidence boost, and you got compliments when you wore it almost every time, not to say you wore it a lot.

"heichou? why are you ignoring me?" your voice was flirty. he still hadn't spoke a word to you, yet you knew he was fine with you being here, more than fine. you weren't genuinely being a nuisance, you just wanted to rile him up a bit. you and levi were always like this, not many people spoke to him, as a matter of fact you can't recall much people being willingly enough to talk to him. he was more threatening then the manager, erwin. yet your curiosity didn't fail you when you took a shot at him. both you and hange didn't let his sly remarks, or his little choice of words scare you away, or the death glare he'd shoot in your directions make you shy away from him, and maybe he enjoyed that a little bit.

but the difference between you and hange was your relation to him. an amazing friend you were to him, he even willingly gave you his number when you asked. you nor him were one hundred percent positive on how the situation came to be but you could remember (and you were sure he could too) the first time it happened.

after the first time, every once in a while you and levi would participate in sultry endeavors. you had him wrapped around your finger and you might've been the first girl to at that, although he had you wrapped around his too. not to mention the couple times the two of you didn't fail to fuck at work, levi always feeling more guilty than you after. it was a way to relieve stress for the two of you, and even if you wanted to, you doubt levi would allow you to get any closer to him than you were, not that it bothered you. he was like an onion, lots of hard layers to try and cut through, even after being so close with each other. you never asked why either, his feelings seeming to deep to dive in, and a little much for your carefree self to handle.

"the nicknames not working either?" you strode over and slowly placed yourself in his lap, making sure there were no signs of rejection or anything that would indicate he wasn't in the mood. your legs now were swung over either side of him and your head was leveled with his. "can i?" small fingers brushed up the side of his face, and he involuntarily stiffened in the slightest, even after so many sessions.

he locked his eyes with you and let you lean in to connect both of your lips, a sweet taste of his earlier tea still on his tongue, and only then did he finally place his hands on your lower back, bringing you forward and letting your hips meet his fervently. you tasted of coffee and it blended in perfectly with the herbal taste of his mouth that you swallowed up. moving your hands from his face to his neck, your arms hung over the back of the chair. you pulled back to catch your breath.

"so you're just playing hard to get today?" you smirked, placing your hands over levi's own hands. "do you want to make this quick? i'm not really busy today but how about you?"

finally, levi spoke to you for the first time that evening; "just a meeting with erwin near the end of the work day, in a couple hours."

"you couldn't go a couple hours if we wanted to." your playful remark didn't go unnoticed, and neither did the way he pinched your sides harshly, a yelp coming from your mouth as he picked you up and sat you on his desk.

"only because your shitty ass would be passed out after a few rounds." his eyes gleamed slightly at your charming expression after his joke that made you laugh. you threw your hands back around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, happy with the way he kissed you more excitingly this time. your tongues and lips danced in a hungry manner and he could feel the happiness radiating off of you. after all it has been a while since you last got to have time with the man.

you trailed your kisses downwards, letting them meet his sharp jawline and then even further until you pecked his adam's apple, it bobbing under your warm lips, and then further once again until they were met with his collarbone. his hand flew to your hair as you continued your administrations, biting and sucking at the thin skin surrounding his collarbone, him holding back his groans, although you could imagine his expression; eyebrows pinched together and his mouth hanging open in the slightest.

deciding to help him out a bit, his suit jacket was thrown off his shoulders onto his chair earning a hard glare from you and you quickly unbuttoned the rest of his white button up until his chest was revealed, giving you the opportunity to run your fingers around it. "hm, pretty."

his smell was distinctive, his signature cologne which you remember asking him the name for but you couldn't recall. it was a french name, something along the lines of 'de chanel', but your mind was becoming foggy and you didn't have time to remember the name at the moment.

"slow down." levi's muttered. "take off that thing." a look of amusement crossd your face, your upper lip perking up and your eyebrows raising. you slowly began to unbutton your buttons one after the other, fully aware you didn't have a bra on underneath your selected outfit; of course not for any particular reason. you just thought it looked simply better without it.

"what? the blazer dress?" and levi held his stern look with you, clearly he could care less about what the piece was called, and he helped you unbutton the remaining buttons letting it fall from your front and rest on your shoulders. he admired your figure, letting his hands ghost over you soft breasts before running his hand down your abdomen and resting them on your hips. his fingers dipped under the band of your underwear, the material nothing special, probably a cotton blend, then he let the pads of his index fingers rub against your hips before pulling them down and folding them to place on his chair. you rolled your eyes. "was folding them really necessary?"

"be lucky i'm even about to bend you over this desk and not making you clean up the mess you're gonna make."

you held your hands up in mock defense, eyelids raising in fake surprise at his comeback, but soon after your eyelids rose in real shock at the feeling of one of his fingers entering you, slowly becoming two. doing it yourself never hit as much as his fingers felt, they fit so effortlessly and made you feel squeamish. you lifted your head up in the slightest to watch him pump the digits in and out your cunt slowly, and clearly on purpose.

you laid back down completely groaning in response at the way his fingers seemed to itch at every right spot inside of you, yet it wasn't enough when you knew that you could have more, that you were going to get more out of him. you lifted your legs up as far back as you could without scooting your upper body off of the desk. you were laying the opposite way the desk was turned so your head hung off slightly, but you didn't mind with the sensation surrounding you.

"fuck, can you go faster maybe?"

"be patient, brat." levi spit back at you quickly, causing you to roll your eyes, but he didn't take that as an answer, curling his slender fingers up until they hit a soft spot, you sucking in a breath. you spread your legs a little more and began to grind down on levi's hands as much as possible to try and create more friction between the two of you, specifically for your own pleasure. you wondered if he was enjoying watching you sprawled out on his desk like this.

of course he was.

you didn't even realize how much he was enjoying it until you opened your eyes to watch the way his bottom lip was trapped between his teeth, and the way his freehand was palming at his self. he was watching you such a lewd expression that you would never catch any other time, and it only grew when you fluttered your eyes at him and let out another moan to draw him in more. in fact, he was so caught up in the moment that his brain was on autopilot, whenever someone knocked on his door his response was always for them to 'come in', and that's how the next moment played out; his brain moving on its own while his fingers were working inside of you.

"sir?" a low voice startled you, but not so much levi as he was so caught up in the moment.

"come in." he said, just like he said to you when you first walked in, but he realized his mistake soon after, yet it was too late. "wait,"

the door was already opening, and heavy footsteps entered the office. "sir, i have pap-"

green eyes locked with yours first thing, and the way your face was contorted in pure pleasure and how your eyes were framed on his sent shivers as well as shock down his spine. surprisingly, you weren't as embarrassed as you thought you were supposed to be because it was him, although you were in an awkward position and levi was clearly flustered and angered at the same time.

"eren..." you mumbled, he appeared upside down from the way your head was looking off the desk, eren in front of you but a distance away.

eren stood there an unreadable expression on his face, but you could see anger through his movements, translated through the way he gripped the papers in his hand a little harder than usual, the paper folding under his hands. or maybe by the way his left eyebrows would twitch, hm, or maybe the slight glare that you couldn't tell who it was directed at.

levi on the other hands anger was way more evident, his face red from either the activity at hand or at how flustered he was. his fingers were stilled in you but they were still curved and rested against your g-spot a little harshly while his other hand stabilized him on the table. "jaeger,"

"i had some papers to drop by." he slightly cut levi off, which wasn't usual... why wasn't he leaving as soon as he witnessed what was going on? as a matter of fact, you were slightly worried on why you were the calmest one in the room although it was you who was upside down on with your tits hanging out and a finger between your lips.

"get out." levi hissed, nails digging into his palm as his fist sat on his desk, beside your phone. but that wasn't the only thing painful, not to mention his dick straining against his dress pants.

eren attempted swallowinh down his slight irritation and frustration, instead letting his gaze flicker down back to your body. he struggled with watching your chest heave up and down, clearly aching for this to be over so levi could keep going. the way the white fabric of your dress was draped across your shoulders yet revealing of everything in between, and the faint scent of sex lingered in the room. your finger playing with your lip and your legs spread open for... levi, was simply a sight.

he wished that was him.

he couldn't be mad at his line manager, he was the one who dictated how well he was doing to the actual boss, he was the head of the branch that you and eren were under.

"why are you still standing there brat? get out." levi's eyes were dark yet he refused to make eye contact with eren, who huffed in a breath and turned towards the door.

he thought for a minute.

"i'll tell."

you and levi's eyes slightly widened, you raising your eyebrow at his sudden demeanor. his voice was a bit lower and he was still facing the door, a bit spacey if you asked yourself.

"ere-"

"let me join."

you snickered in amusement. of course you'd be the one taking the biggest toll but if you were being honest it didn't bother you that much. you liked the thrill and anticipation of the possibility of being caught, and eren was cute, always a sweetheart to you and looking out for you and your work. he was the reason you could divide your work load. why not reward him? in all honesty, if he were to make a move on you independently you probably wouldn't have been one to say no. levi on the other hand...

"i'll tell erwin that you're in here fucking a staff member." this was light for eren, he really wanted to yell at levi for being the one to have you a mess under him, and wanted to be angry at you because you were allowing it to happen, his jealousy was definitely getting the best of him, and he was sure levi would probably beat his ass later for even making the proposition. he felt like a little kid, and felt even worse for the subtle blackmail. it felt stupid to even be asking for such a request, i mean he would never really tell, he just wanted to get a feel of you, feel you around him any which way.

"eren." levi's head lowered further. "i'm going to kill you."

eren's lips creeped up into a small smile. he took that as acceptance and he closed the door, this time locking it for levi and walking forward towards the desk. his smile was slightly reciprocated by you, feeling excitement rush through your body. sure you've been with a lot of people and were slightly know for being an overly friendly person, but a threesome? never.

despite levi's stiff form, still still fingers, and the annoyance seeping off of him eren wasted no time unbuckling his belt in front of your face. the hem of his black button up falling out of his pants as they dropped to the floor, his boxers going along with them.

"doesn't really matter to me if i can feel her pretty lips around my mouth."

oh, how bold of him.

you clenched. yup, yes you did, and you were sure levi felt it, your walls fluttering around his fingers at eren's choice of words. he was hung right in your face and you strained your neck a little bit to push back on the table so you could get a better position for him. he looked down at you still seemingly irritated but a little excited. he caressed his fingers under your jaw, his thumb pulling down on your bottom lip.

"can you open up for me, please?"

your smile was evident now. levi wasn't very vocal during sex as far as you knew, so the exchange and opposition in personalities was a new experience for you. levi began to move his fingers again as you hummed in response  and opened your mouth for eren. he slipped his dick into your mouth flawlessly and the angle helped your throat open up much more, not that you had trouble with that anyways.

eren's groans were so pretty, the feeling of your mouth circling him was heaven sent and he had to support himself with the table while he settled in your heat. "fuck," he moaned out while trying to reach the back of your throat only for a split second before letting you do your thing.

"you're gonna have to shut the fuck up. i'm not getting caught because of your shitty ass." levi's pumps were slower now, and you continued your grinding to get him to speed up while trying to cater to eren who was too in bliss to even care about levi's remark.

"mm," was eren's response and it made you laugh around him sending small vibrations up his cock, causing him to gasp and his hand to fly back up to your jaw, massaging your chin unconsciously. you were having slight trouble breathing and all you could see from your angle was the floor and the inside of eren's thighs, his skin a pretty tan, but in all you decided to close your eyes to enhance your pleasure and eren's.

levi began to quicken his pace in a rough manner, adding a third finger and continuing his administration's, using his freehand to fumble with his own pants and belt until they collapsed from around his waist while he abused the sweet spot inside of you. more moans continued to spill from you and eren began his own pace inside your mouth simultaneously while levi pushed to make you cum.

eren's free hand snaked from your jawline to your throat and he essentially used it as leverage while he slipped in and out your mouth, almost slipping out completely then pushing as far as he could every time. spit dribbled down the side of your face from your position and his assault and you silently prayed it didn't get in your eye. "this shit feels so good," eren groaned, his eyes closed as he basked in the pleasure you were giving him, using you as he pleased. "this is what i was missing out on? this is what he got to do?" he rambled on and levi glared at him while his words barely processed in your head as you focused on trying to breathe.

"shut up, you're gonna turn me off." levi continued to go faster and you could feel the warm sensation building up in your lower stomach, your legs aching from their position, continuously open as far as they can go so you could feel his nimble fingers inside you as deep as possible. you knew your legs would be cramped and feel like jelly later.

a whimper elicited from you while eren used your throat, and eren laughed at levi, yet he couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

your legs were beginning to shake and you used your free hand to rub your clit but levi's hand grabbed your wrist before you could help yourself to an orgasm. "no. you really think i'd let you get off that fast?" you whined but it was slightly covered by the gags eliciting from your throat as eren got rougher, hand closing in around your neck and you could feel his fingertips tightening around it. he also seemed to relish in the feeling of your throat bulging the deeper he went, causing a mantra of curses to leave his own throat.

once you calmed down a little on levi's end he continued to go faster again, this time your wrist to your side pinned by his hand. he was doing it on purpose, hitting that sacred spot inside of you repeatedly while watching your actions to determine whether or not you were close, by the way your legs would push further out, or the way you would arch your back, or even the feeling of you tightening around him in anticipation for something bigger, then he would pull out and relished in the whine that would leave your mouth every time.

"ev... ah..." his name sounded so distorted coming from your mouth when you had eren filling your mouth up.

"he can't hear you like that, sweetheart." eren taunts, pulling out and and rubbing the head of his dick against your swollen lips. "what is it?"

"i can't, i need to cum." you pleaded, raising your head up so that you could see levi's fingers inside of you preparing to get you close to your high for the umpteenth time. eren stared in admiration at you and at your begging expression.

"tch, help him finish first so i can fuck you." levi was relaxing now that he was in too deep, and you could tell. he seemed to be enjoying putting you right on the edge, or maybe he was punishing you for eren's arrival, but that was in no way your fault. you sighed impatiently and laid your head back down so eren could slip back in.

"you want me to make this quick for you?" eren's hand was on your cheek now with a look you'd give to a crying newborn baby, almost as if he was in awe, maybe pity, or maybe he was patronizing you. you weren't used to being so submissive to one, let alone two people, so you were surprised at how rapidly your responded, a fast nod to the head. "'m gonna use that pretty throat of yours for a few more minutes, alright?" another hum in response to eren and you closed your eyes again in anticipation, deciding to ignore the spit and lewd noises while levi added a fourth finger but went pretty slow.

eren pushed into your throat again and stayed as deep as possible for a couple seconds. "shit," he furrowed his eyebrows before pulling out and then repeating the process. "i'm close, i'm so fucking close." you helped push eren over the edge by attempting to swirl your tongue around his dick and hollowing your cheeks. the last time he pulled out you chased him, your lips puckering around his head and sucking. he went in once more and you licked up a specific vein that lined the side of his cock and then he spilled in your mouth. "oh, fuck, fuck!"

you sat up as he pulled back and propped yourself up on your elbows, forcing yourself to swallow his seed, as you were at work and didn't want too much of a mess to clean up. plus levi would've probably killed you, already seeming upset. although, levi kept to his word, he clicked his tongue and pumped his fingers in and out of you hard and fast again to build that pressure back up, letting go of your wrist to rub at your clit and not forgetting the spot that made your eyes rolls back and your stomach curdle until you yourself were coming as well with a too loud moan, that you prayed the others in the building didn't hear. "levi!" you called out, his name leaving your lips flawlessly causing his lips to part with a sigh and your juices coating his fingers. he pulled his fingers out from you and your and eren were both mesmerized by the amount of slick that gave his fingers a shine.

although the site in front of him was beautiful, eren was jealous that that wasn't his name coming from your lips like that.

and levi was irritated he was still untouched.

"my turn." levi grumbled, as you sat up your chest heaving up and down. you were sure you looked a mess, dry saliva and cum all over your face, and your throat left dry and abused, not to mention you didn't even want to know what your hair looked like. you lifted yourself off the counter and threw the dress blazer that was under you onto the floor, and swore you saw levi twitch, probably contemplating whether or not to ruin the moment by folding it or something.

"awe, heichou was being patient. that's a first." you joked, and eren came around and sat up onto levi's desk in your previous spot letting you lean back onto him while he was trying to catch his own breath after such an intense orgasm. he was slightly confused by the nickname but it gave him the impression that this has clearly been going on for a long time. "so what do you want me to do, boss?"

with another click of his tongue levi opted to show you instead of tell you. you turned around as levi lined himself up while you stood facing eren for support as he sat in front of you stroking himself and deciding to just watch for now, still surprised he was even getting to have an experience with you.

"then i'm gonna fuck you." you gasped as you felt levi rub against your folds and then enter you bottoming out at once. he's been inside you so many times yet every time still felt somewhat new and refreshing. he fit so perfectly inside of you like a glove and you loved the way it felt every time. you sighed in relief when you felt him buried to the hilt and eren's hand tightened around himself at the noises coming from you. he was studying your expressions well, knowing that he'd embed in his mind the noises and faces you were making for later.

eren brought his hands up to your face and pulled you in for a kiss to swallow up your sounds. "you know you did so good?" he praised you using his thumbs to rub your ears before kissing down to your neck. "that's the best head i've gotten in a while."

your mouth dropped open and you let out the quietest "eren," as he pulled you closer and levi fucked you harder; he wanted to hear 'levi' not 'eren'. eren relished in this though and sucked at your neck, sandwiching you between the two boys, you using eren to hold onto, and levi drilling you.

"yeah, i like when you say my name like that." you couldn't help but notice how expressive he was, and you loved it. his lips formed those words against your skin and you grasped onto his black button up to hold yourself up some more. eren let go of your face now having a free hand to go back to stroking himself. he watched as your eyes fluttered and struggled to stay open, and levi loved the way instead of your eyes, your cunt fluttered around him. his grip on your hips was strong and his fingertips were going to leave some type of imprint in your skin. the sound of skin slapping against each other was so apparent and a turn on for eren.

"hey," eren let go of himself and connected your lips once more before leaning in towards your ear. "you think you can take two people?" his voice was low, almost like a whisper but loud enough that levi heard it too, causing him to stutter in his movements at the thought and you to have a mini double take as well.

"oh fuck," you sighed resting your elbows on eren's knees while your chin rested against his shirt and you opened your eyes to look up at him.

"if you can't let me know, no pressure." his smile was warm, too much like the same grin he gave you earlier when you handed him those papers. one of his hands pat the top of your head before raking the rest through your locks and then tugging on your ponytail slightly. "i'm just curious to know how much you can take. you've been such a slut today... i didn't know you were like this." your head was jerked to look more up at him causing a strain on your neck and you let out a small mewl in response.

levi looked up at you trying to determine what your response meant while eren caressed your jaw again, something he seemed to really enjoy. it made it feel more intimate for him and gave him the slightest hope that he could have a little more of you another time.

"how?" you mumbled against him. eren's hands cascaded down your back until his ring finger prodded at your hole causing it to clench slightly making him chuckle.

"well i'll be here," and then his hand groped your ass before bringing it back up and kissing you once more. "and he'll be there."

"i... i can try?" your audible response was more of a question and it was mainly the result of the way eren stared down at you. gosh were his eyes absolutely gorgeous, the closer you were to him the better they were to look at even through the blur of your eyes from the sensations around you. emerald green rimmed by a jade with flecks of the ocean littering his eyes. as a matter of fact his whole face was gorgeous, his brown hair swept back into a half assed bun with strands of hair sticking to his forehead was still attractive to you somehow even though it looked like he didn't try at all.

"hm, sir?" eren looked up, his 'sir' coming off as more mockingly and levi's infamous glare wasn't afraid to look at eren again. "it's what she wants."

"are you sure this isn't for your own fucking fantasy?" you assumed levi's comment was a joke but his tone was too serious to tell, so eren brushed it off as well as you. "come here." levi pulled out and hesitantly sat back in his own chair. "get on top of me." you obliged and crawled into his lap, lining the two of you up again and having him bury into you all the way again.

"you don't have... anything, right? to help her?" eren asked reluctantly but he wanted to assure no harm would be done to you. levi shook his head and gave eren a look that screamed 'why would i carry lube at work?' yet it was a stupid look considering he was in the process of fucking his coworker at work as well.

eren came up behind you rubbing your shoulders and neck chastely, speaking again in a low tone; "we're gonna take this slow." he turned your head towards him as you leaned more against levi so eren could get a better angle and kissed you softly before collecting precum from his tip and smearing it on your entrance then letting his spit beside it before slipping one finger into you. you tensed up in the slightest and pulled away from eren's lips. eren could feel the added pressure from you and pouted. "you have to relax or this won't work." you were sure his response was trying to be reassuring but it came off as more angry.

"okay," you relaxed your body and levi pulled you closer to him not even recognizing the fact that he pecked you a kiss instead. "someone's jealous." you joked as eren slipped a second finger beside the first, levi tensing up himself at the strange feeling of eren's fingers being felt through the thin tissue that separated your two holes. you stiffened yourself in the slightest at being pushed to your limit. levi grumbled something inaudible and peered down at the site, slightly intrigued but doing a good job at hiding the fact.

"can i add a third one?" eren asked after you were more calm. he spit again so it wasn't dry. you hesitated for a minute before nodding your head and anticipating the new stretch. you weren't gonna lie, it slightly burned but it was a good burn, a sexual pain. eren slipped in his third finger even slower than the first two and marveled at the way you were taking up so much, rubbing your back encouragingly and pecking various upper body parts to keep you calm while levi himself was struggling with the added pressure, just holding you in his lap and trying not to thrust into you.

slowly eren pumped his fingers and he ached for it to be his dick instead. maybe another time he'd be able to get you by yourself and get to fuck you properly, he could only hope.

"i think i can do another one." your tone was shy as you cradled against levi's chest, quite flustered.

"oh? okay." eren responded before repeating his process of spitting and adding another finger slowly so you could adjust. one thing eren and levi could agree on was how well you were doing. his fingers pumped inside you again and you groaned at the newfound feeling, lip quivering and eyes getting teary. this time, without much hesitance after you adjusted again eren removed his fingers and placed his tip at your entrance turning you to face him. "you're so fucking good," eren brought your lips to his again before he slid into you slowly, swallowing all your gasps and he could've sworn he could've heard one elicit from levi at the pressure that was building up. he didn't begin to move until you gave him the okay and he spit hastily once more and began moving slowly, levi's pace much faster.

you felt overwhelmed but in a good way, the thrill was running through your body and your adrenaline was pumping, cheeks warm and body hot, and you could feel tears pricking at your eyes. "this... feels so fucking... good!" you struggled to get you words out but they heard you. in response eren grabbed your breast, rolling your nipple in between his warm fingers and placing his forehead against the top of your head.

"yeah, it does, this is amazing, ____, you're amazing, fuck." you could've sworn that was the first time eren had said your name all night and you loved the way it rolled off of his tongue so well, it made your heart flutter how he said it so passionately and rich while he fucked you.

levi still was adamant on not making much noise but you could tell he was feeling it too by the way his grip on your lower back was impeccably tight, and the soft curses under his breath. normally you'd be asking the other party to go faster but you didn't want to push yourself too much and relished in the pleasure given currently. you were gonna come soon anyways with an added push later.

"you're taking us so well, shit," eren cursed eyes squeezed so tightly he was seeing stars in his vision while he palmed at your breast, seemingly for his own leverage not really your own, and you probably would've laughed at this if you weren't so in the moment yourself.

"eren, levi," you panted bouncing down onto both of them hoping your efforts were working with them. "please, i'm gonna come,"

ugh, there names again went straight to both of their heads, especially eren, his hand snaking up to your neck from your boob and  choking you slightly before going to your jaw and slipping his thumb into your mouth, holding it open. "are you asking permission?" eren asked while levi followed in eren's footsteps unconsciously and this time actually choked you, his hand wrapping around your neck and bringing you closer to him, yet his eyes were closed.

"i..." you couldn't even respond to eren's question, too much going on and quicker than you could even process or realize you came squeezing both of them tight, but levi could feel it straight on and stopped for a second in efforts not to come yet. he would never admit it but the feeling was perfectly strange in the weirdest way. as long as levi's lower stomach didn't rub against your clit the oversensitivity didn't bother you too much.

"you what? speak up." eren patronized you knowing you couldn't speak well with his thumb in your mouth or a hand around your throat, nevertheless filled both ways with two dicks.

levi loosened his grip and you sucked in as much air as possible and whined. "please, can i come?"

yes, you definitely needed someone like eren in your sex life.

he took his hand out your mouth and used his wet thumb to rub circles around your clit until that same pressure built up earlier and toppled you over the edge, you coming for the third time that day, holding in your screams as you twitched on both of their dicks squeezing them tight. "lev-, ere-," you breathed heavy and collapsed on levi again while both of them quickened their pace, eren coming first for the second time and spilling into you causing levi to let out a loud groan and reciprocate.

levi pushed forwards causing you to fall back into eren who took you into his arms and turned you around so no cum got on levi's desk. while he caught his breath he used the arm that wasn't holding you up to spread your left cheek and watch you push out both of their fluid, eren biting his lip and sighing. "you did really good." he murmured in your ear while levi fixed himself up right away. talk about post-sex guilt, or maybe that was his cleanly side acting up.

usually after sex the two of you would get dressed together and you would help him clean his office but this was too much, you were tired and needed to help yourself.

levi clearly felt disgusted with himself, and you found it amusing even through your haze. "i have some cleaning to do, get your shit together and get out." was the nicest way for him put it. you didn't take this as rude considering you knew levi personally, and as did eren yet he still was slightly offended. levi pulled out a box off tissues from the shelf which he placed them on and handed it to you. "get yourself a little cleaned up with these, get your clothes on, and you too jaeger."

you rolled your eyes yet you and eren obliged while levi febreezed the room before getting started on his cleaning.

"good thing i don't have calls today. we're on break now so i'm making myself another cup of coffee to get through this last hour." you spoke mainly to yourself but still the two heard as you placed your phone back into your purse which you picked up after spraying yourself (and eren) with perfume and fixing yourself up, face cleaned up and all.

"we don't talk about this, ever. this isn't happening again, and if i even hear you utter a word about it, it's gonna be your neck, brats." levi muttered while wiping off his desk profusely. "get out." he huffed, wanting to take a hot shower, then again all three of you couldn't wait to get home and do just that.

                                  ✽ ✽ ✽

"so..." eren sipped from his coffee as did you, him deciding to follow you during the last ten minutes of your break.

"so? don't make this awkward, eren." you half joked with a small smile. "levi said not to talk about it!" you repeated levi's words mockingly, of course you cared less what levi thought.

"i just feel like this makes us closer." he chirped at your playful tone. "we should hang out or something sometime and i wanna know you and... everything." eren seemed bolder with his words after your adventure.

"you blackmailing me and levi into having sex with you counts as us getting closer?" it seemed as if eren became a little more sullen with another one of his infamous irritated looks, causing you to chuckle. "i'm just joking, eren. you have my number if you need it."

eren's eyes lit up and he smiled with a small huff of accomplishment. "alright cool..." his gaze darted towards the clock in the corner of the room. "breaks over so i'll see you, _____." there was your name again.

he began to walk off desperately wanting to leave you with a hug or a kiss but he was back into his awkward complex, nevertheless he did not know what terms the two of you stood on after that.

"did you ever finish those papers?" you asked curiously looking towards eren before he could round the corner. eren gave you an apologetic look shaking his head until his brain sparked. he smirked and looked back at you with those same aqua eyes.

"i finished in something else instead." and you swore you saw his eyes darken before he turned that stupid sharp corner and disappeared for good.

[misguidedasgardian]

My love, his duty // Chapter 9

MASTERLIST

Chapter Summary: Everything was too good to be true

Pairing: King!Bucky Barnes x Queen!Reader (very ambiguously described)

Chapter Warnings: Angst, talk of cheating, fluff, talk about miscarriage, intented poisoning, violence (ot towards reader), cursing, interrogation related violence and intimidation

+18 please. MINORS DNI

Word Count (Chapter): 2.7 k

Notes: I'm so sorry for the delay! in my summer vacations my inspiraton took a long break too hahaha but I'm back!! and we have a long story to tell so don't worry, a war is brewing!!

“Sharon, you are running out of time, what else do you want from me?” he asked

“I wanted to talk to you about something important” she said

“What is it?”

“I want us to resume our relationship, it's been three months already and I think it's been enough for you to realize what you really want, I mean, she is with child, you fulfilled the purpose, I know you love me…”

“I don't anymore” He said, “I love her! This had been enough Sharon, I want you to leave”

“I'm pregnant” she said hastily, refusing to hear it. The king looked at her astonished

“I don't believe you” he whispered

“You’d congratulate her but dismiss me?” she said, “Your lover of ten years?”

“Yes, exactly, we´ve been together for 10 fucking years and you had never gotten pregnant, and now that I wish to part fom you, you are miracously with child?”

“You hurt me” she accused

“If this is a lie…” he threatened and paused, measuring his words carefully, “You will be expelled from court but with no country home to go to!”

Tears fell from her eyes, as she tugged the fabric of her loose dress towards her back. And Bucky gasped when he saw her already round belly. But she quickly wiped her tears and looked at him with deep anger in her eyes. He swallowed, hard, at the look of rage in her face.

“I’ll give you anything you want” he said, “But please don't go near her” she laughed bitterly

“he won't see me or know anything about this, if… we resume our relationship” Sharon knew, she knew if she could have him by her side he would forget all about her, he would come back to her, like he had done all these years, “So… my king” she asked, tears running down her cheeks, “What are you going to do?”

“Is worse than we thought” Nat mumbled to Fury, “I’m not sure yet, but the guards that were on post the night the treats were delivered…”

“They must know what is going on” Fury completed

“But I cannot question them myself” she said, “I have to investigate through them”

“Do what you must, we need to stop this threat” said the counselor, “I will keep my eye into them as well”

“We have a couple of maids in our side too” she answered

“Well, round them up, and what about Sharon?”

“I still can’t find anything to make her leave”

“You have to hurry”

“One of the maids said… she is with child” there was a dead silence while they seated by the gardens

“Gods” Fury muttered

“She still isn't showing very much, I need to find out if it’s the king’s” she whispered

“We need to assume it is” responded Fury

“But if it's not… that’s the leverage we need”

“Keep searching for Sharon, but don’t dismiss the guards” he continued, “We are getting heat from all fronts, and that’s strange, I get a feeling it might be connected”

“That Sharon is behind the attempts of poisoning?” even Natasha found it strange

“Remember that behind Sharon, there is a big important family”

“I will, for now, the guards had been changed to loyalist without suspicion, and the ones from that night had been assigned to less important things to protect”

“Good, that way, no one is going to miss a non important guard” Nat smiled wickedly and nodded, “our main goal is to keep her safe”

“I will, with my life” Fury just smiled and Natasha walked away

You didn't know what was going on

Since you found Sharon entering James´ private chambers, you had been avoiding your own husband like he was the plague incarnated, in hopes of keep being calm for the sake of the baby, your belly had swollen beautifully, as days turn to weeks

But what hurt was that James hadn't tried to make contact with you either, he kept giving you excuses without you asking for them, excuses for his long hunting trips, and the long meetings that prevent him to even have dinner at your side

There has been no more attempts against you or the prince, you knew as much, since Wanda told you anything she knew about those poisoned treats someone send you, and that’s why your King had been so busy, he was taking care of it, allegedly

You also noticed Sharon was missing, and that only made you more suspicious, and at the same time, more upset. Were they together? He had given you his word, perhaps it didn’t mean much. You were all alone now, Wanda in the skies with Vision’s attention, and Bucky nowhere in sight

You felt your chest heavy with sadness, you thought he had grow to care for you, and your mind was tormented with memories you two had made together, like in your journey to Madripoor, or your mother’ crown, or the numerous times you had slept right next to him… your coronation, the way he stood up to your father.

Did all of that mean nothing?

You took a deep breath as delicious fragrances from the flowers of the garden reach your nose, and you decided to sit in the edge of the water fountain, to enjoy the beautiful day, and the gardens that had bloomed in all their might

“My Queen” you rose your head from the fountain to gaze upon Duke Rogers, who came on your direction with his flock of loyal servants and guards “I must say you are a divine sight of motherhood” you smiled shyly, as you put a hand over your swollen belly

“You are too kind your Grace” you muttered

“Even so, you look unwell, should I look for a physician?”

“Please don't trouble yourself” you said, as you intended to rise from your seat, Steve came to your help as he graciously helped you, taking your hands and rose you to your feet “I'm happy to say our King´s child is strong, but I'm also sorry to say is drawing his strength from me” you said, smiling weakly

“Please, tell me what's troubling your Majesty” he urged, as you took deep breaths

“I´m afraid they are marital problems” you wanted it to reach the King how bitter you were, and what better option to make that happen with his most trusted friend's ear?

“My Queen?” he asked, alarmed

“Well, my holy condition will not allow the King and I to be together, and I totally understand why his loneliness would make him seek... his old companion”

“Does that upset you, your Majesty?” he asked, as seriousness took hold of his factions

“Yes, I can't help it” you said, after taking a large breath

“Why don't you just get rid of her?” he asked so naturally, and that made you shiver

“I know better” you whispered “Queen's heads had been lost for less than to come across his King’s and his mistress”

“Your majesty, the King adores you with all his heart” he said “it weighs heavily in his heart that he cannot be with you, so he takes his frustrations on someone else”

“He won’t even see me in the daytime” you said, you grief sneaking through your words, “I’m starting to think that, now that he had succeeded in his purpose, he won’t…” you couldn’t even finish that sentence, “That he doesn't care for me”

“That’s not true” he said softly, “He loves you, I’m sure of it”

“I would like to address this no further” you said “I came to the gardens to distract myself from this”

“Of course”

You continued to stroll through the magnificent gardens, that were your personal favorite part of the palace, the rich fountains and all kinds of plants and flowers

“Why won't you marry?” you asked, wishing to ponder upon other things, after all, that's what you meant to do when you visited the gardens

“I´m afraid it pained me so the loss of my wife and child, I married the court and his Majesty´s service instead”

“I'm so very sorry” you said, looking at him as he stop his stroll to return the look “I didn't know”

“We were young” he said, as you both resumed the walk “barely come of age, and I asked her to marry me, we did so, we were expecting our first child, it was a complicated pregnancy, and she died in childbirth, her and the boy” you gasped, as without thinking your hands cradled your belly “I´m so very sorry for this gruesome tale, your majesty”

“I´m the one who should be sorry, to bring you back so painful memories” you muttered

“It's been a long time since,” he said after a long sigh

“Maybe one day you’ll find love again” you whispered, with a reassuring smile

“I really hope so” he answered back, smiling at you

The Duke kept walking alongside you, until he left right at the doors of you own rooms

For the first time since he had memory, he was mad, mad at his friend, and at his King, Steve opened the door to James’ office, to find his friend deep in paperwork

“Bucky” Steve called “your Queen found out about your reunion with Sharon, she is upset”

“Shit” he cursed, slapping his wooden desk “how?”

“I´m not sure, I think she just saw Sharon entering your chambers” he grunted, not daring to look at his friend “I don´t understand it” Steve reprimanded “why do you do this to her?”

“Steve you don´t understand, I wasn't intimate with her, she… wanted to see me”

“She wanted to talk to you?”

“Yes, we just talked, her time to leave court is almost upon us, and… She had some news for me”

“What news?”

“Sharon is pregnant”

“What?”

“She is already showing” he murmured, “She is further along than the Queen, so I have to keep her away from her, and if I don’t keep her close to me, she will go on and talk to (Y/N), and I can’t let that happen” he concluded, his deep cerulean eyes trying to find answers in his friend’s

“Gods…I, is there a way?”

“Until I can find out who was behind the attacks against the Queen there is nothing I can do, they stopped the second I agreed to Sharon’s terms”

“Does she mean something to you? Do you consult her? seek comfort in her?” he asked again

“I don´t” he said quickly, “I wanted her to leave court”

“But why make your wife upset? She is carrying your firstborn, you have to tell her, you know what she said to me?

“What?” he asked

“Queen's heads had been lost for less than to come across his King´s and his mistress,” Bucky looked shocked, and terrified

“Does she really think I could…?”

“C´mon Bucky, throughout history there's been a hundred Kings that get rid of their Queens on false accusations of adultery, just to have their heads and after marry their mistresses without any further problems”

“I would never do that to her, ever, she is my wife, my queen, she has my child inside of her, I love her”

“She thinks you love Sharon”

“As soon as my child is out of her belly Sharon is gone from here”

“Ok, but until that happens, you need to talk to her, write her a letter even”

“Lady Romanoff” greeted the guard with a grin, “What a pleasant surprise”

“I needed to see my favorite guard” Nat swayed her hips and drew a small smirk, smiling at him

“All the way down to the stables?” he asked, playing along

“Why don’t we go to a more intimate place?” she asked. He smiled wickedly

“Whenever you want sweetheart” Nat guided him towards the back of the stables, and whe she made sure no one followed them, she hit him in the neck so hard he lost consciousness

“I don’t get paid enough for this” she grumbled, whe she looked at the heavy and big body of the unconscious guard

Nat threw a jar full of water over his head, making the man jumped on his spot, waking up instantly

“Wake up” she demanded, the man coughed, and tried to move, but he was tightly strapped to a heavy wooden chair

“What is this?” he asked, his fear increasing, “Release me at once! don’t you know who I am?”

“I know exactly who you are” she continued, “A traitor to the Crown”

“What are you talking about? release me you crazy…!” Nat punched him in the face so hard he drew a pained moan, fearing that she broke her jaw

“I’ll have you hanged you witch!” he yelled

“By who?” she asked, “Show me who’s behind you and I’ll tell you who is behind me” she answered

“What are you talking about?”

“Who sent the Queen the poisonous treats?” she asked

“I don’t know!” he yelled. Nat hit him again

“Talk!”

“Go to hell you wench!” without even flinching, she took out a sharp dagger she hid under her skirts, and stabbed him in the leg without hesitation

The thick stone walls made his scream ricochet. Without alerting anyone else in a mile radius, the old chamber underground was erect for this kind of work

When he stopped screeching in pain, Nat asked again

“Is strange” she growled, “both times the Queen had an attempt made against her and the Prince’s life, you seemed to be there, guarding her” she started, “How come?”

“I don’t know I didn’t poison her” he cried

“But you know who did, who is behind those attacks?” she pressured again

“I don’t, we’ve been told to just turn a blind eye” he cried, Natasha slapped him in the face again, making his turn painfully, “It’s the truth!”

“By who?” she asked again

“Rumlow” he answered

“He is no longer the Captain of the King’s guard” she accused

“But still, he has men that are still loyal to him” he whispered

“Who else besides you?” he shook his head, “give me the fucking names or I’ll start cutting fingers!”

“I’ll give you the names!” he cried, and Natasha heard calmly the names of about 5 guards, none of them were close to the King.

“Where is Rumlow now?”

“Staying at the whore house, the one near the docks, where all the guards meet”

“Good” she retrieved the dagger of his leg, making him cry out again

“Are you going to kill me?”

“No, but in exchange, I want you to leave, and never came back”

“Ok, ok, I will”

“I heard your family has a farm in the border with Wakanda I’d went there if I were you” he cried in pain because of ihs leg, but he nodded

Natasha smiled triumphantly when she exited the room, were the Counselor Fury awaited for her

“I have all the names of the guards we need to change”

“Good”

“And I know where Rumlow is”

“I’ll take this to the King” said Fury, “So he can finally begin putting an end to these threats”

“He didn’t know who was the one that send that poison, but I bet Rumlow does”

“I bet he does” he murmured, “Let’s find that motherfucker”

Nat’s cover couldn't be blown, so that forced Fury to walked towards the privy council room, where he found his King, accompanied by Duke Rogers

“Lord Fury, what can I help you with?” James mumbled, clearly upset of being interrupted

“The question is, my King, what I can do for you, with the information I have gathered,”

that seemed to relax his face, looking at the chancellor with interest

“What is it?”

“I’ve discovered a discrepancy amongst the guards” Steve looked at him surprised, “The ones that guarded the Queen’s chambers the night of the attempting poisoning, they were following commands of Rumlow”

“Did they poison her?” he asked, seething

“No, but they were told to”turn a blind eye” to the mysterious packages”

“That bastard Rumlow”

“There is someone else he is plotting with, the identity of this alleged traitor is yet to be discovered”

“I’ll give you all the permission and resources you’ll need”

“I also discovered where he is staying, but I need your authorization to apprehend him”

“You have it, I’ll give you the royal seal, catch that bastard and bring him to me”

“I shall go as well” said Steve firmly, “As a temporary Captain of the King’s guard”

“Good, go Steve there is none I trust more than you both”

“I’ll take my me so I’ll leave your guard here protecting you”

You didn't know what was going on

Since you found Sharon entering James´ private chambers, you had been avoiding your own husband like he was the plague incarnated, in hopes of keep being calm for the sake of the baby, your belly had swollen beautifully, as days turn to weeks

But what hurt was that James hadn't tried to make contact with you either, he kept giving you excuses without you asking for them, excuses for his long hunting trips, and the long meetings that prevent him to even have dinner at your side

There has been no more attempts against you or the prince, you knew as much, since Wanda told you anything she knew about those poisoned treats someone send you, and that’s why your King had been so busy, he was taking care of it, allegedly

You also noticed Sharon was missing, and that only made you more suspicious, and at the same time, more upset. Were they together? He had given you his word, perhaps it didn’t mean much. You were all alone now, Wanda in the skies with Vision’s attention, and Bucky nowhere in sight

You felt your chest heavy with sadness, you thought he had grow to care for you, and your mind was tormented with memories you two had made together, like in your journey to Madripoor, or your mother’ crown, or the numerous times you had slept right next to him… your coronation, the way he stood up to your father.

Did all of that mean nothing?

You took a deep breath as delicious fragrances from the flowers of the garden reach your nose, and you decided to sit in the edge of the water fountain, to enjoy the beautiful day, and the gardens that had bloomed in all their might

“My Queen” you rose your head from the fountain to gaze upon Duke Rogers, who came on your direction with his flock of loyal servants and guards “I must say you are a divine sight of motherhood” you smiled shyly, as you put a hand over your swollen belly

“You are too kind your Grace” you muttered

“Even so, you look unwell, should I look for a physician?”

“Please don't trouble yourself” you said, as you intended to rise from your seat, Steve came to your help as he graciously helped you, taking your hands and rose you to your feet “I'm happy to say our King´s child is strong, but I'm also sorry to say is drawing his strength from me” you said, smiling weakly

“Please, tell me what's troubling your Majesty” he urged, as you took deep breaths

“I´m afraid they are marital problems” you wanted it to reach the King how bitter you were, and what better option to make that happen with his most trusted friend's ear?

“My Queen?” he asked, alarmed

“Well, my holy condition will not allow the King and I to be together, and I totally understand why his loneliness would make him seek... his old companion”

“Does that upset you, your Majesty?” he asked, as seriousness took hold of his factions

“Yes, I can't help it” you said, after taking a large breath

“Why don't you just get rid of her?” he asked so naturally, and that made you shiver

“I know better” you whispered “Queen's heads had been lost for less than to come across his King’s and his mistress”

“Your majesty, the King adores you with all his heart” he said “it weighs heavily in his heart that he cannot be with you, so he takes his frustrations on someone else”

“He won’t even see me in the daytime” you said, you grief sneaking through your words, “I’m starting to think that, now that he had succeeded in his purpose, he won’t…” you couldn’t even finish that sentence, “That he doesn't care for me”

“That’s not true” he said softly, “He loves you, I’m sure of it”

“I would like to address this no further” you said “I came to the gardens to distract myself from this”

“Of course”

You continued to stroll through the magnificent gardens, that were your personal favorite part of the palace, the rich fountains and all kinds of plants and flowers

“Why won't you marry?” you asked, wishing to ponder upon other things, after all, that's what you meant to do when you visited the gardens

“I´m afraid it pained me so the loss of my wife and child, I married the court and his Majesty´s service instead”

“I'm so very sorry” you said, looking at him as he stop his stroll to return the look “I didn't know”

“We were young” he said, as you both resumed the walk “barely come of age, and I asked her to marry me, we did so, we were expecting our first child, it was a complicated pregnancy, and she died in childbirth, her and the boy” you gasped, as without thinking your hands cradled your belly “I´m so very sorry for this gruesome tale, your majesty”

“I´m the one who should be sorry, to bring you back so painful memories” you muttered

“It's been a long time since,” he said after a long sigh

“Maybe one day you’ll find love again” you whispered, with a reassuring smile

“I really hope so” he answered back, smiling at you

The Duke kept walking alongside you, until he left right at the doors of you own rooms

For the first time since he had memory, he was mad, mad at his friend, and at his King, Steve opened the door to James’ office, to find his friend deep in paperwork

“Bucky” Steve called “your Queen found out about your reunion with Sharon, she is upset”

“Shit” he cursed, slapping his wooden desk “how?”

“I´m not sure, I think she just saw Sharon entering your chambers” he grunted, not daring to look at his friend “I don´t understand it” Steve reprimanded “why do you do this to her?”

“Steve you don´t understand, I wasn't intimate with her, she… wanted to see me”

“She wanted to talk to you?”

“Yes, we just talked, her time to leave court is almost upon us, and… She had some news for me”

“What news?”

“Sharon is pregnant”

“What?”

“She is already showing” he murmured, “She is further along than the Queen, so I have to keep her away from her, and if I don’t keep her close to me, she will go on and talk to (Y/N), and I can’t let that happen” he concluded, his deep cerulean eyes trying to find answers in his friend’s

“Gods…I, is there a way?”

“Until I can find out who was behind the attacks against the Queen there is nothing I can do, they stopped the second I agreed to Sharon’s terms”

“Does she mean something to you? Do you consult her? seek comfort in her?” he asked again

“I don´t” he said quickly, “I wanted her to leave court”

“But why make your wife upset? She is carrying your firstborn, you have to tell her, you know what she said to me?

“What?” he asked

“Queen's heads had been lost for less than to come across his King´s and his mistress,” Bucky looked shocked, and terrified

“Does she really think I could…?”

“C´mon Bucky, throughout history there's been a hundred Kings that get rid of their Queens on false accusations of adultery, just to have their heads and after marry their mistresses without any further problems”

“I would never do that to her, ever, she is my wife, my queen, she has my child inside of her, I love her”

“She thinks you love Sharon”

“As soon as my child is out of her belly Sharon is gone from here”

“Ok, but until that happens, you need to talk to her, write her a letter even”

“Lady Romanoff” greeted the guard with a grin, “What a pleasant surprise”

“I needed to see my favorite guard” Nat swayed her hips and drew a small smirk, smiling at him

“All the way down to the stables?” he asked, playing along

“Why don’t we go to a more intimate place?” she asked. He smiled wickedly

“Whenever you want sweetheart” Nat guided him towards the back of the stables, and whe she made sure no one followed them, she hit him in the neck so hard he lost consciousness

“I don’t get paid enough for this” she grumbled, whe she looked at the heavy and big body of the unconscious guard

Nat threw a jar full of water over his head, making the man jumped on his spot, waking up instantly

“Wake up” she demanded, the man coughed, and tried to move, but he was tightly strapped to a heavy wooden chair

“What is this?” he asked, his fear increasing, “Release me at once! don’t you know who I am?”

“I know exactly who you are” she continued, “A traitor to the Crown”

“What are you talking about? release me you crazy…!” Nat punched him in the face so hard he drew a pained moan, fearing that she broke her jaw

“I’ll have you hanged you witch!” he yelled

“By who?” she asked, “Show me who’s behind you and I’ll tell you who is behind me” she answered

“What are you talking about?”

“Who sent the Queen the poisonous treats?” she asked

“I don’t know!” he yelled. Nat hit him again

“Talk!”

“Go to hell you wench!” without even flinching, she took out a sharp dagger she hid under her skirts, and stabbed him in the leg without hesitation

The thick stone walls made his scream ricochet. Without alerting anyone else in a mile radius, the old chamber underground was erect for this kind of work

When he stopped screeching in pain, Nat asked again

“Is strange” she growled, “both times the Queen had an attempt made against her and the Prince’s life, you seemed to be there, guarding her” she started, “How come?”

“I don’t know I didn’t poison her” he cried

“But you know who did, who is behind those attacks?” she pressured again

“I don’t, we’ve been told to just turn a blind eye” he cried, Natasha slapped him in the face again, making his turn painfully, “It’s the truth!”

“By who?” she asked again

“Rumlow” he answered

“He is no longer the Captain of the King’s guard” she accused

“But still, he has men that are still loyal to him” he whispered

“Who else besides you?” he shook his head, “give me the fucking names or I’ll start cutting fingers!”

“I’ll give you the names!” he cried, and Natasha heard calmly the names of about 5 guards, none of them were close to the King.

“Where is Rumlow now?”

“Staying at the whore house, the one near the docks, where all the guards meet”

“Good” she retrieved the dagger of his leg, making him cry out again

“Are you going to kill me?”

“No, but in exchange, I want you to leave, and never came back”

“Ok, ok, I will”

“I heard your family has a farm in the border with Wakanda I’d go there if I were you” he cried in pain because of his leg, but he nodded

Natasha smiled triumphantly when she exited the room, were the Counselor Fury awaited for her

“I have all the names of the guards we need to change”

“Good”

“And I know where Rumlow is”

“I’ll take this to the King” said Fury, “So he can finally begin putting an end to these threats”

“He didn’t know who was the one that send that poison, but I bet Rumlow does”

“I bet he does” he murmured, “Let’s find that motherfucker”

Nat’s cover couldn't be blown, so that forced Fury to walked towards the privy council room, where he found his King, accompanied by Duke Rogers

“Lord Fury, what can I help you with?” James mumbled, clearly upset of being interrupted

“The question is, my King, what I can do for you, with the information I have gathered,”

that seemed to relax his face, looking at the chancellor with interest

“What is it?”

“I’ve discovered a discrepancy amongst the guards” Steve looked at him surprised, “The ones that guarded the Queen’s chambers the night of the attempting poisoning, they were following commands of Rumlow”

“Did they poison her?” he asked, seething

“No, but they were told to ”turn a blind eye” to the mysterious packages”

“That bastard”

“There is someone else he is plotting with, the identity of this alleged traitor is yet to be discovered”

“I’ll give you all the permission and resources you’ll need to find him and apprehend him” he said firmly, “Everything you’ll need is yours”

“I also discovered where he is staying, but I need your authorization to apprehend him”

“You have it, I’ll give you the royal seal, catch that bastard and bring him to me”

“I shall go as well” said Steve firmly, “As a temporary Captain of the King’s guard”

“Good, go Steve there is none I trust more than you both”

“I’ll take my men so I’ll leave your guards here protecting you”

"Find him" demanded the King

Taglist! <3 @ boofy1998 , @ scxrletrecsmarvel @ itsthemaree @connie326 @enchantedbarnes @scxrletrecsmarvel @itsthemaree @broco8 @babyjay9898-blog @luckyladycreator2 @capmanranger @gloryekaterina @the-lady-vanora @j2brosforlife-spn @rancidgracey @httyd-marauders @stumbleonmywords @buckys-milk @undecidedsworld @chwlogy @queensgirl718 @calwitch @thefridgeismybestie @lokisimps4dayz @dontbescaredtosingalong @hesitate9

[snowdice]

Moving Forward; Moving In

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Logan/Patton

Characters: Patton, Logan

Summary:

After the events of Gaps in His Files, Patton and Logan are engaged, but they still have a lot to work through in their relationship. They're willing to put in the work for each other even when it's hard.

Notes: Hurt/comfort-y, Past child abuse/neglect

This is part of the Labeled Universe dealing with events set before my story Sometimes Labels Fail. It is set a few months after Gaps in His Files.

“Do you mind if I stay over again tonight?” Patton asked as Logan handed him another plate. It was Logan’s job to do the dishes as Patton had cooked, but Patton had managed to weasel his way into helping even if that help was only to dry the dishes and set them on the table for Logan to put back in place later.

“Of course, I don’t mind,” Logan said, glancing at him. Patton was looking down at the plate instead of at Logan. “You’re free to stay over as often as you’d like. You don’t need to ask.”

“I know,” Patton said, but immediately proved he did not know by saying, “I’ve just slept here three nights this week already, and I just wanted to make sure.”

Logan turned to face him fully. “You are free to stay over as often as you’d like,” he said again.

“Yeah,” Patton said, glancing at him briefly before looking away once again. “Okay. Thanks.” He continued to dry the plate Logan had handed him.

The kitchen was silent but for water dripping from the sink for another few seconds.

“You should move in,” Logan suddenly said.

Patton jumped, dropping the plate, but luckily his hands had been hovering over the counter and the drop was not enough to break the plate. “What?” he asked.

“Is the suggestion that much of a surprise?” asked Logan. “We are engaged, are we not? I would assume moving in with each other was an eventuality.”

“Well, sure,” Patton said, “but I mean...”

“And it isn’t as though we are waiting for marriage for a physical relationship as would be the reason some couples would wait to move in with one another,” Logan continued. “You already spent 73.2% of your nights here seeing as it is closer to the hospital.”

“Oh,” Patton said. “Is it really that often?”

“And you ask for permission to stay 59.8% of those times which implies that you believe you are welcome only an average of 3 times a week.”

“You’ve been counting that sort of thing?” Patton asked, rubbing his own arm in a self-soothing gesture.

“Yes,” Logan said, “and you being under the impression that I want you in my life less than 50% of the time is unacceptable.”

“You… want me to move in?” Patton asked.

“I would not ask you to move in if I did not want you here,” Logan said, trying to keep any frustration he had about the conversation out of his voice.

Patton tended to misinterpret any negative intonation in Logan’s voice during these types of conversations, Logan had learned. He was also often silent about these misinterpretations and the only reason Logan was aware of the problem now was because of multiple discussions with a relationship counselor.

“I would not have asked you to marry me if I did not want you to move in with me.” Logan continued firmly.

Patton opened his mouth, but then closed it again with a frown. Logan waited for him to gather his thoughts.

“But this is your space,” Patton finally settled on saying.

“I’m willing to make space for you in my space.”

“Logan, you don’t even let me put away the dishes,” Patton said.

“Yes, and?” Logan asked, not knowing what that had to do with the topic at hand.

Patton grimaced. “Do you really think you’re ready to let me move in here if you don’t even trust me to put your dishes back in the right places.”

“I trust you to put my dishes back in the right places,” Logan said. Patton was one of the few people he could imagine trusting with something like that.

“Then why do you always insist you put them away?” asked Patton with a frown.

“You always cook,” Logan said simply.

Patton blinked at him.

“Cleaning dishes often stresses you out. You have mentioned this to me,” Logan pointed out, “You enjoy cooking, but not the clean-up. I don’t mind cleaning, so I clean. Besides that, if you cook, it is my job to clean the dishes.”

Patton squinted at him. “Where did that rule come from?”

“That is the way cohabitation works, is it not? That is how my parents often divided up cooking and dishes. The person who did not cook would clean the dishes”

Patton bit his lip. “Oh,” he said. “That… isn’t how it worked in my houses.”

“I see,” Logan said.

There was a beat of silence.

“Would me allowing you to put away the dishes make you feel better?” Logan asked.

“I,” Patton said, shifting his weight between his feet. “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t I finish the dishes for tonight?” Logan suggested, gently taking the towel Patton had been using to dry the dishes from his hand. “We will talk about it again at a later date, perhaps with the relationship counselor.”

“Okay,” Patton agreed. “I might go take a shower then.”

“Good idea,” Logan said.

Patton leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” Logan said as Patton turned to walk towards the bathroom. Logan turned back to the sink full of dishes, planning to be done with them by the time Patton was out of the shower so they could both relax.

He’d have to make a note to discus Patton moving in again at another time.

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Labeled Master Post.

My Masterpost.