#also a woman once came in in a state i can only imagine was drunkenness but could have been high

[corvidaedream]

the funniest choice you could possibly make, in my opinion, is to get very (visibly) high and then go to an interactive historical reenactment museum by yourself.

every time i see it, it just cracks me up. like, why is this your choice of activity? I love that you're here, man, but it's very funny that you decided to come here.

and itd be one thing if it happened, like, idk once or twice, but it is something I've seen many times.

[toomanystoriessolittletime]

mix up

Summary: A mix up with the buildings laundry was all it took to get what you always secretly wanted.

Pairing: Javier Peña x OFC (can be read as reader insert)

Wordcount: 4k+

Warnings: lots of cursing, smut (Oral; female receiving; sex), sex toys, also fluff, bad flirting as ususal

A/N: In my mind, this was a drabble. Apparently my brain had other ideas. The biggest thank you to @f0rever15elf​ for being my beta on this <3

Masterlist

Taglist in reblog

Pushing the laundry bin with your dirty laundry out of your apartment, you checked if you had  everything before you locked the door of your apartment behind you. It was laundry day. Thankfully the apartment in Bogata came with a laundry service. Not that you were not able to do your own laundry, you simply didn’t have time for it. The last thing on your mind while chasing down Escobar was doing your laundry. The job took every single second of your life, even in the few times you were off from work, even in your sleep. Walking down the long hallway, the last door you passed was Javier’s. You heard him curse something in spanish before the door opened and a similar laundry bin was placed in front of his door. You tilted your head as you looked at him, crossing your arms in front of your chest, a little grin on your lips.

“What?” He asked looking down at himself. 

“Nothing.” You hummed. “I love that color on you.” You winked before you walked out.

“Fuck you too.” He chuckled as he followed you.

“What? I do love it. As a matter of fact I own some pink stuff I wear occasionally.” You unlocked the car and he jumped into the passenger's seat.

Javier and you were co-workers. He had joined you in the hunt for Escobar only shortly after you arrived here from DC. You would say you even became friends. As possible as it was to become friends with him. There were only a handful of people who knew the lengths you had to go through at this job. Of course, he had tried to get into your pants first but the both of you decided it would be for the better to keep this strictly non physical. At least that’s what you told yourself. 

Though secretly you felt yourself wishing it was you on the receiving end of his “affection” as you lay in bed alone at night, while he was fucking some prostitute on the other side of the building.

“I’ve never seen you wearing anything pink, Guapa.” He pushed his yellow aviators up as he reached for the pack of cigarettes. You started the engine and looked at him.

“Oh Javier… There are many things you haven’t seen me wear.” You winked. You could see when the penny dropped and he shook his head, with a small grin. 

“Fuck. I didn’t even have my coffee yet and you put pictures of you in underwear inside my head?”

“I never said it was my underwear. But… That’s payback for making me listen to the moaning from your apartment last night.” You finally got the car on the road.

“Jealous?” He asked, holding his cigarette by the window. You mentioned once that you weren’t a big fan of smoke but didn’t mind it. He had made the effort to turn himself away from you from that day on when he smoked.

“More curious.” You said honestly.

“How so?” You stopped at a red light, turning your head to look at him. 

“We both know you are paying most of those women, so how real is their… valuation with you if you know what I mean?” You were genuinely curious. You had two relationships before and both of them didn’t really care for your pleasure. You had been responsible for your own orgasms all your life and you were wondering…

“Oh they aren’t acting Guapa. I know what I’m doing.” He winked at you and threw his cigarette out.

“Every man says that.” You shrugged, rolling your eyes.

“Well… You’ll have to trust my word. The only way you could be sure was if I showed you, and we both agreed that nothing will ever happen between us, right?” He asked. You nodded and looked away from him, starting the car again, when the light switched to green. You didn’t notice him looking at you as you continued to drive.

“If we wouldn’t be working together, would you?” He asked as you parked the car in front of the embassy and killed the engine. The car ride had been silent since the red light.

“Would I what?” You asked pulling your purse out from the backseat.

“Let me show you that I definitely know what I’m doing?” He asked, his voice deeper as he looked into your eyes. You looked back into his and wondered if anyone had ever noticed the small caramel like spot in this right eye.

“I guess that’s another thing you will never find out, Peña.” You had a small smile on your lips, hoping to cover up your nervousness. He looked at you knowingly before he let his tongue dart out to wet his lips. You swallowed, your eyes flying to his lips before you looked up and he bit his lip.

“Shame,” he whispered before he opened the car door and got out of the car. You closed your eyes, ignoring the throbbing between your legs as you watched him go into the building.

“Fucking hell,” you muttered, shaking your head to follow him inside.

Weeks went by without either of you mentioning the conversation between you. At some point, you thought you imagined the whole thing. You continued to work together. You both took care of Steve when Connie left to go back to the states unannounced. You couldn’t blame her. You’ve been wondering yourself if what you were doing would end in catching Escobar in the end. 

Javi and you were a pretty damn good team at work. He always had your back which was a gift you truly cherished. When you had first met him and Steve, you would have bet a lot of money that they would be just like the other assholes you had worked with before. But they weren’t. Of course Javier continued to flirt with you. That’s just who he was. But he also did acknowledge your intelligence and knew when he had to shut up and actually listen. You grew so comfortable with each other that just one look from the other would tell if it was a good day, or a bad day. 

Today had been a bad day for you. 

Not only was the lead you had chased the day before a dead end, but you just felt exhausted. Like the last weeks of working constantly came crashing down at you all at once. So you called in sick. For the first time… ever. You ignored that one of the reasons you felt so shitty was the fact that Steve and Javier had been gone for 3 days now. 

A knock on your door made you groan but you made your way to open up anyway, thanking the lady with your clean laundry with a smile before you closed the door and brought it into your bedroom. Deciding to put the clothes away right now instead of letting them stay on your bed as you usually did, you frowned when you saw a very pink shirt on the bottom. You let your fingers run over the fabric. It was Javi’s shirt. The one you teased him about.

Biting your lip, you looked down at it. You should give it back to him. You knew that. But he would be gone for at least another two days and you felt lonely. You opened the buttons, pulling the shirt you were wearing off and got his shirt on. You looked at yourself in the mirror. You had never worn a shirt of a man before, and when you pictured it before you weren’t thinking about a pink shirt, or Javi’s, but somehow you liked the way it looked on you. Smiling to yourself you pulled the fabric closer and you could swear you smelled his aftershave even though it was freshly cleaned. You did spend more time than you would ever admit to anyone thinking about him. The way he walked. The way he ran his hands through his hair when he was frustrated. How you could see his chest hair when he was wearing his poorly buttoned shirts. Closing your eyes you shook your head.

Coworker. He was your Coworker. 

Your very attractive Coworker who you caught undressing you with his own eyes more than once. In the quiet of your apartment you often dreamed what it would be like. Him touching you. You knew he could have anyone, yet he chose to pay for sex. He didn’t seem like he was looking to have any relationship, and you couldn’t blame him. But what if he chose you? What if he wasn’t your Coworker? What if he was just Javi? Your neighbor. What if you weren’t in Colombia chasing down drug lords? 

You pictured him coming home to you and taking you on the kitchen table. Would he go down on you? You bet he would. He seemed like he enjoyed pleasuring his woman. His woman. You wanted to be his woman. Even though you knew he wasn’t looking for someone. He told you before on a very drunken night out that he sucked at relationships. He just needed someone to make him forget, someone…

A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts again. Looking at yourself you considered answering whoever was at the door dressed in this shirt but decided against it and put on your bathrobe. There was another knock at your door.

“One second!” You called pulling the bathrobe closer around your body as you unlocked your door.

“Javi?” You asked, surprised. “I thought you’d be back on Saturday.” You pulled the bathrobe around you closer, suddenly feeling too naked to be standing in front of him, even though your whole body was covered.

“You’re okay. Thank.. Fuck. You’re okay.” He sighed relieved looking at you.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” You frowned, a little confused. 

“I went to the embassy and no one knew where you were and…” He closed his eyes.

“I called in sick. I’m okay. I promise.” You said quietly. He ran his hand over his mouth, his other hand on his hip as he looked at you, his eyes tired.

“Are you okay Javier?” You asked a little confused at him just showing up like that. “Why are you back already?”

“Dead end. Didn’t see the point of staying there.” He shrugged.

“Okay. Then you should go to..”

“What are you wearing there?” he asked and nodded towards you.

“Uhm…” You looked down at yourself and tried to hide your surprise at seeing a bit of the pink shirt out. You looked up at him again, and you could see his grin.

“Is that pink I see?” His grin got wider. You sucked your bottom lip in.

“I told you I wear pink. Occasionally.” You shrugged. He nodded and continued to look at you before he stepped a little closer. You could see in his eyes that he was trying to work out what was going on and you noticed the moment he made the connection. His eyes darkened and you cursed yourself for not changing out of his shirt before you answered the door. 

“Is that… my shirt?” He whispered deeply. A shudder ran over your body. His hand came up, reaching for the collar that you apparently hadn’t tucked in as well as you thought you had. His finger brushed over your throat as his other hand slowly opened your bathrobe. One of your hands held your shirt together that you didn’t bother to button up. You shouldn’t have put it on in the first place. 

“Fuck, you’re wearing my shirt,” he cursed. You looked up at him, breathing deeply. You weren’t wearing anything but some panties beneath it. He looked down your body before he looked up at you again, his hand running up your neck to the back of your head.

You should take a step back, turn around and get away from him. Cause the way he was looking at you made your knees weak. 

“Javi, I can explain…” You mumbled, but he only shook his head slowly. The look he gave you made your poor explanation die on your lips.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered as he stepped even closer. You felt the coldness of his leather jacket as he pushed your bathrobe from your shoulders and you shivered.

“Close the door, Javier,” you whispered. He looked at you, taking you in before he turned around and closed and locked the door. Pulling off his leather jacket he let it fall to the floor as he stalked towards you.

“I will never be able to get this picture out of my head.” He said as he walked you backwards until your back hit a wall behind you.

“You… You don’t have to get this picture out of your head.” You whispered.

“No?” He asked. One of his hands coming down on your hip as his other hand brushed some of your hair away that had fallen in your face. You shook your head at him.

“If you want to see me in your shirts, make sure to leave them with me after…” You bit your lip.

“After?” He leaned down and you felt his breath on your face.

“After you’ve fucked me.” You whispered and sighed when his lips crashed down on yours. You grabbed onto his back, pulling him closer as he licked into your mouth. Parting your lips without resistance you moaned when you felt one of his hands slip down your back.

“Been dreaming about this for years.” He groaned against your lips as he kissed down your neck, pushing the shirt you were still wearing open and you saw his little smile when he saw your boobs.

“Me too.” You whimpered as his teeth scratched over your neck. 

“Tell me.” He whispered, softly sucking on your pulse point on your neck before he kissed down your collarbone.

“Wanted you to feel against me. Wanted to… Ahh..” You cried out when his lips closed around one of your nipples.

“Tell me.” He groaned and looked up at you, not releasing the bud and sucked. You wouldn’t be able to continue to stand on your own feet if he kept that up.

“Wanted to taste you. Wanted you to taste me. Wanted you to…”

“Fuck you?” He asked, releasing your nipple with an obscene sound. You just nodded.

“Been wondering if you taste as good as you smell.” He whispered and kissed down your stomach.

“May I?” He knelt in front of you, his dark eyes wild as he looked up at you. You hesitated.

“I… No one ever….” You sucked your bottom lip in, shy all of the sudden. He seemed to understand immediately, cursing under his breath.

“You should be worshipped. Fucking losers. All of them.” He shook his head and got up from the ground.

“Will you let me?” He asked softly. There was nothing but affection in his eyes and you felt yourself nodding. You shrieked when he picked you up in his arms, moaning when he kissed you as he carried you to your bedroom. Carefully he set you down and you looked up at him. You wondered what this would change between you. Because you wouldn’t be able to go back to being just friends after this. 

“You’re not just a fuck, hermosa.” He seemed to answer your thoughts. 

“Let me feel you.” You said as you got up to stand in front of him. He didn’t stop you as you pulled his shirt out of his jeans and began to unbutton it, kissing his chest before you pulled it off. He groaned as you teased his nipple.

“Lay down on your back and let me take care of you.” He kissed you quickly and you complied, wanting to take the pink shirt off when he stopped you.

“No. Keep that on.” He smirked and you giggled.

“Whatever you want,” you hummed.

“Be careful what you wish for.” He said quietly as he looked down at you. A shiver ran over your body at the look he gave you and you could feel just how wet you were.

“What if I like playing with danger?” you asked. He furrowed his eyebrows before his hands opened the fly of his jeans. You swallowed, your eyes not leaving his as he pushed his jeans down. It was like he was challenging you to look and when you did you released a breath you couldn’t remember holding in. Of course he wasn’t wearing anything beneath his tight jeans.

When he was standing completely naked in front of you, he leaned down to slowly peel your embarrassingly damp panties down. He kissed up your leg, his mustache rubbing over the skin and you giggled when he kissed the skin behind your knees.

“Someone’s ticklish.” He mumbled against your skin.

“Maybe.” You smiled. He kissed up your inner thigh and unintentionally you wanted to close your legs but he didn’t let you.

“Let me look at you hermosa,” he whispered, looking up at you. You were only able to nod slowly. 

“If this is how I die I won't complain.” He murmured before his tongue darted out to taste you. You wanted to look at him but the way he nibbled, licked, and sucked made you throw your head back, moaning loudly. You grabbed the bedsheets, trying to ground yourself as he sucked at you clit.

“So fucking good,” he groaned against you and you cried out. 

“Fuck, keep going…,” you moaned. One of his hands on your stomach held you down while his other hand grabbed one of your boobs, kneading them, pulling at your nipple.

“Cum for me baby.” He whispered, his tongue dipping inside of you.

“Fuck….” You arched your back, heat rushing through your body as you almost blacked out when your orgasm washed over you.

This was unlike anything you ever felt before. You were so out of it you didn’t notice Javi stopped until his mouth was on your neck before he made you look at him. You felt his cock between your legs and you shakily breathed out, a blissful smile on your face as he leaned down to kiss you softly. You didn’t know nor did you care how long he kissed you, you just knew you never wanted to stop.

“You did enjoy that, right?” He asked and you punched against his chest, making him laugh.

“You’re awfully full of yourself, Agent Peña.” You shook your head and he cocked an eyebrow. 

“What if I want you to be awfully full of myself?” He smirked.

“You did not just say that.” You snorted, shaking with  laughter beneath him.

“Sorry,” he laughed with you, looking down at you.

“No you’re not.” You grinned and he chuckled. 

“Do you though?” He asked, quieter now as his laughter subsided. You arched your eyebrow in question. “Want me to fuck you?” He kissed down your jaw, as he rolled his hips against yours.

“Is me naked beneath you not clue enough? I thought you knew that you were a good Agent and knew what you’re doing...” You teased, your hands wandering down his back, pulling him against you. He bit into your shoulder and you moaned.

“Oh I’m gonna show you that I know exactly…” He kissed you. You groaned as you felt the tip of his cock at your entrance. “How to make you cum.”

“Condoms... “ You gestured to your bedside drawer. He nodded, disappearing from your point of view before he was back, a dirty grin on his face.

“This is gonna be fun.” He whispered, holding a condom and your vibrator up. You blushed looking away from him.

“No need to be shy, hermosa.” He ripped the condom package open and pulled it over his hard cock. You felt his hand between your legs and you looked up at him, before two of his fingers entered you, his eyes never leaving yours.

“So If nobody ever made you cum by going down at you…” He kept fingering you slowly, adding another finger and you moaned quietly, feeling so full already.

“Did anyone ever make you cum?” He asked, his thumb slowly circling your clit and you were about to cum again when he stopped. You pouted.

“Huh?” He asked. 

“Yes Javi. I made myself cum.” You groaned and he shook his head.

“Not anymore.” He hummed before you slowly felt himself push into you. You stopped breathing, looking up at him, embracing the delicious burn you felt as he split you in half. The sounds he was making would haunt you in the best way possible.

“So fucking tight,” he groaned and you released a breath when he was fully inside of you. He stilled, probably wanting you to get used to the stretch but all you wanted was..

“Move. Javi.” You pleaded and that was all he needed to hear.

“Feels better than I imagined.” He pressed, slowly fucking into you. He put your legs around his waist as he leaned down to kiss you. Holding him close, you let him fuck you, rolling your hips to meet his thrusts. Never in your life did you feel that full. He kissed every piece of skin his lips came in contact with and you grabbed onto his back, surely leaving marks as he moved faster. 

“Please…,” you moaned.

“Please what Hermosa?” he rasped, sucking on your shoulder.

“Harder.” You whimpered.

“You want it harder my needy girl?” he asked. You were only able to nod as he pushed away from you, pulling your legs over his shoulders. He held on to your legs before he began to ram into you.

“You want it harder. You get it harder. You get everything you fucking want.” He groaned.

“Fuck yes.” You moaned, holding onto the mattress beneath you. Closing your eyes you just let him do whatever the fuck he wanted. Never in your life had you been fucked like that. The familiar buzzing of your toy let you snap your attention back to the man curently fucking the life out of you and you almost jumped when the vibe made contact with your clit.

“Shit…,” you cried out, surprised when your orgasm washed over you within seconds.

“Fuck fuck….” Javie groaned, fucking you through your orgasm, throwing the vibe away.

“Can you give me one more?” He asked. You shook your head, still trying to breath properly, when he pulled out of you and turned you so you were straddling him.

“Ride me baby.” He smiled up at you. You leaned down, kissing him longingly before you carefully sat down on his cock.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said in awe, looking up at you as you slowly rolled your hips, still oversensensetive from your orgasm. Both of his hands sneaked under his shirt you were still wearing, massaging your boobs.

“You gonna give me one more, hermosa?” He moaned quietly, pushing himself up, his arms coming around you, his chest against you as he moved his hips against yours.

“Javi…” You whimpered, holding on to his shoulders.

“Tell me what you need…” 

“Kiss me,” you whispered. His lips were on you in the next moment and you shook as you felt your third orgasm approaching.

“Cum for me, Javi,” you whispered, clenching your walls, one of your hands pulling at his hair. He moaned against your chest as you felt him swell before he twitched and that was all it took for you to cum again. 

Out of breath you held on to each other, your head on top of his, his lips still attached to your boob.

“We should have done this sooner,” he chuckled and you smiled as you looked at him.

“We should have,” you agreed. You felt him soften inside of you but not you nor him were ready to let go of one another. You kissed him softly.

“We could do this again, you know?” You said carefully. You knew you wouldn’t be able to share him with anyone, he had to know. He looked at you.“But I’m not sharing what’s mine,” you added. 

“Yours, huh?” He asked, a little smile on his face. You nodded.

“I like the sound of that.” He said before he kissed you deeply. 

[moral-turpitudes]

A Sister’s Intuition:

A/N: The gif has nothing to do with this one. It just made me chuckle cuz this most certainly has fighting.

Also, this is a weird mix of Arthur actually killing the church dude, but instead of Linda trying to shoot him right after like in the show, this story is like the event that causes her to go off the rails and try to shoot him (and fictionally, Y/N lol can you imagine). So this, in my fucked up mind, is the calm before the storm that is the lovely Linda with a gun.

Trigger Warnings: Fighting obviously, Mentions of Blood, Angst, Family Drama?, Cheating, Taunting, Swearing.

Word Count: 2,114

Characters: Shelby Family x Shelby!Sister Reader

Requested: Yes, well it was suggested but still. Long story short I have a bone to pick with my brothers gf and this was cathartic. 

Request by: Anon, you can find it here.

Summary: Linda is being Linda and Y/N can’t stand her messing with her brother Arthur’s head another day. She just snaps. People and their feelings get hurt. Nothing like a nice bloody family dinner at the Shelby-Gray household.

Y/N’s skin crawled as she heard the voice of the woman downstairs. Her heart racing and fists clenching as she heard the half-hearted laughs and forceful exchange of pleasantries that were painstakingly muttered by the rest of the Shelby family.

As she smoothed out her dress, she heard Polly calling for her, surely to help with setting the table for dinner. With shaking hands she opened her door, her eldest brother Arthur’s laugh echoing through the lavish house as she made her way down the stairs.

“Y/N, nice of you to join us.” Thomas said, patting her on the shoulder as she sulked to the kitchen, avoiding Linda’s ever-judgmental gaze.

“I’ll set the table.” She said, Polly nodding at her with an annoyed expression as she glanced out into the dining room. The feeling fortunately seeming mutual.

“How’s the farm treating you brother? Having fun with the baby?” Ada asked, as Karl reached for one of the rolls in the basket Y/N was setting down.

“It’s good, quiet.” He said, his eyes looking tired and emotionless as the years went by.

“Don’t eat too much now, you won’t want dinner sweetheart.” Ada said, giving him a warning glance as Y/N silently set the table, glancing at Arthur’s troubled state. Thomas couldn’t help but notice his youngest sisters rage as she harshly set the silverware down, especially the knives.

It had been two years since the first conflict between her and Linda. The whole thing starting as Linda slowly brainwashed Arthur. No one really noticed at first, how she sunk her claws into him. How he’d stop his excessive use of cocaine, or his anger fueled drunken rampages on a dime. How he’d mess up on missions, putting them at risk. Or how he started asking Linda for permission to go places and her ordering him to be home at certain times when on business. No one noticed that while some of his habits were best left in the past, he was also leaving part of himself. The part of him that she knew and grew up with. The part that smiled and joked. The part that didn’t question himself and his worth on a daily basis. This was how she pulled him in, and he was forever tied to her now. Seeing as their 1 year old sat in his lap, giggly and oblivious to the pressures and expectations he’d be raised on years later whether Arthur wanted him to be or not.

The big blow up between them though, was when Y/N learned she cheated. If she inherited one good thing in life from the Shelby family it was her intuition. Her ability to sense when a person meant harm. Her ability to know when someone was nothing more than a snake. A soul-sucking, venomous snake.

The night she found out, she made sure Arthur was alright, or at least alive, knowing how he could spiral at any given moment. That was one thing about growing up around a dysfunctional family. Knowing when the others needed help, and knowing when to help set others straight. And he had seemed okay, at least until a few days later.

That same week Arthur killed the man she’d cheated on him with, going down a dark spiral as he grappled with his sins. His eyes brimming with tears and hands stained red as he walked into the house unannounced, nearly giving Polly a heart attack.

Y/N remembering how she sat him down and wiped the tears from his eyes and blood from his busted knuckles as he stared at her.

“These are the hands of a devil, Y/N...how can I be saved like this?” He asked through tears.

“Don’t ask how god can save you. Ask how you can save yourself.” She said, wrapping his hands in gauze.

“What?” He asked, confused. The tears streamed down his face as she urged him to drink a glass of water, given he was already in a drunken state.

“You have to save yourself, Arthur. I can’t do it for you. Linda cheated on you yeah? Well it’s not the first time she’s hurt you. No one else can really see it...not even you...but I can...She’s made you into someone you’re not. You may need to slow it on the drinking and drugs, and get your anger in check, but you don’t have to completely ruin yourself over some words in a book or some girl alright? I want my brother back...” She said giving him a strong hug. She wasn’t known for talking much, always preferring to stay in the background and being quiet, but she threw insults and plans around in her head just like Thomas. But when she did say something, people listened.

The day after Arthur attacked Linda’s lover, she decided to meet with her at her house. The rain pouring down as she made her way up the winding dirt roads, her thoughts running through her mind as she reluctantly stepped inside the farmhouse.

“Oh, Y/N. Wasn’t expecting you.” She said, a disgusted look on her face.

“We agreed last night to meet but I guess you didn’t remember. Must’ve been a bit preoccupied I see.” Y/N said, leaning to the side as she saw yet another man walking around the house that wasn’t Arthur. There was a long, awkward silence before she continued.

“I’m just here to warn you that you’ll get what’s coming to you. You don’t fuck with the Shelby family.” She said spitting at her feet.

“You know Y/N? You’re just like the rest of them. No morals...no class...nothing.” She said.

Y/N smirked as she inched closer to her, standing almost eye to eye. With a quick draw of her arm, she landed a harsh slap to her face. Her handprint stinging and bright red as it adorned Linda’s cheek.

“You’re one to talk about morals and class. People like you make me sick.” Y/N spat, walking off as Linda stood there holding her cheek. Her mystery lover nowhere to be seen as he’d retreated back to the bedroom in hiding, most surely thinking Arthur was there.

As she set the final glass down, she was brought out of her horrendous memories by the voice of her brother John.

“Aye Y/N, how’s your training been going with Finn and the guys? Think you could take him out yet?” He said, a mischievous smirk on his face. Linda scowled as she glanced over at Y/N, probably remembering how her face stung after the blow. The event seeming years away due to the hectic business of the blinders and the growing number of kids in the family.

“I highly doubt she could. Even if she grew up with you lot as brothers. Besides, it’s not ladylike. You can’t fight around the children.” Linda said, sipping her tea.

Y/N’s eyes pierced hers as she sat there. Her appetite fading as she got up from the table.

“Y/N...now’s not the time for this. Sit down.” Polly said, pointing at the empty chair between her and Thomas.

“I have no desire to sit with someone I can’t trust. You’ll get what’s coming to you Linda. I swear it on our mums grave.” She said getting up from the table again, this time making it to the kitchen before hearing quick footsteps.

“You said that last time and nothing happened. What are you going to do? All this family does is make empty promises. You’re just a worthless girl with nothing but her families bad manners and filthy blood money...” Linda continued, Y/N zoning out as she unclasped her earrings and threw them on the counter. Her eyes scanning Linda’s movements as she stepped closer, cracking her knuckles. John got up as soon as he heard her bad-mouthing his sister. Finn stood and made his way near her only for John to hold him back with a smirk, knowing this was long over-due.

She didn’t say anything as she swung a left hook, a loud crack sounding through the room as Linda stumbled back. John cheering slightly as she regained her composure.

“I told ya you’d get what’s coming to you.” She said, as Linda lunged forward and went to slap her in the face, but failing as Y/N blocked her hand and twisted causing a scream to erupt from her lying mouth. Blood was dripping from her nose as Arthur and Thomas came in. To her surprise, they didn’t jump in nor did Arthur try to stop her, knowing all too well his once precious Linda was bound to pay somehow. Polly and Ada shielded the children, holding their hands over their eyes as the mini brawl panned out.

“You’re going to hell!” Linda yelled, punching Y/N in the shoulder as she cried.

“I’ve been there already love, it’s quite nice.” She said moving back and raising her arms up to guard her face, looking for an open spot, eventually landing a final blow to Linda’s ribs that left her on the ground gasping for air.

Thomas suddenly grabbed Y/N’s arm and yanked her back. She wasn’t kicking and screaming, but he could see the rage in her eyes. The way his and Arthur’s often looked.

“Enough. Alright? She got the message. Enough.” He said.

“No. No I don’t think she did. Get off me.” She spat, trying to wrestle her way out of her brothers grasp.

Thomas let go so he wouldn’t hurt her, but watched on as she stalked towards Linda and Arthur.

“You can see how you’ve torn this family up right? I can’t speak for everyone, even for the man you’ve hurt, but I can speak for me and I’ll never accept you into this family again. Never. Now get out of my fucking house.” She said lowly, grabbing Linda’s arm harshly as Arthur tried to stop her.

“Y/N I’ll take her, you go cool down.” Arthur said, his hands shaking a bit as he was still torn between the hurt from Linda’s past actions and the love he had for her. 

Y/N stood up with her arms crossed, her knuckles bloodied and aching as she stared her brother down.

“Arthur...do you remember what I told you that night? You have to save yourself. She’s going to keep you trapped in those same situations again if you don’t do something. She’ll hurt you if you don’t watch out.” She said, wiping a tear from her cheek as she shoved past her brothers and Polly, the children crying as an awkward silence fell over the house. She sulked back up to her room, cleaning her knuckles and bandaging them the best she could, knowing everyone probably hated her now.

“What was that aye?” Thomas asked.

“Fucking hell Tommy.” She said, jumping slightly at his voice from the doorway.

“I was just doing what no one else wanted to fucking do. Someone had to make her and our idiot brother see reason.” She said, wincing as she tried to wrap the gauze around her knuckles.

Thomas silently came over and helped her, trying to think of something to say as he snipped the last of the white fabric.

“You all hate me I already know. I just couldn’t sit there as she acted like everything was fine. Like she didn’t hurt him multiple times. She’s nothing but trouble and no one fucking understands that.” She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“He can protect himself...I’m sure he’ll come around. And we don’t hate you. Besides, if I was betting on you that would’ve been the best fight of the year. I know for a fact you can take down Finn.” He said, trying to lighten her mood.

“I already did, he just doesn’t talk about it.” She said giggling and wiping the tears away as she gave him a hug. He sighed as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

“She also had it coming. She said I had no morals...and no class....I just couldn’t let her talk that way about me...and about our family.” She said.

“Aye she did have it coming, I’ll agree on that. But you can’t listen to her. There will always be people who’ll say those things. They just don’t understand us.” He said.

“Well, they should work on that then aye? I guess next time I’ll try not to beat anyone up. I’m not promising anything though.” She said, Thomas chuckling as she broke from the hug and went into her room.

“I’ll see what’s going on down there. You just rest. But uh,,,do me a favor aye?” He asked.

“Yeah?”

“If someone does say something, don’t go at them alone. Tell me alright?” He asked.

“Okay...” she said with a sigh, hoping the night could be over with.

“Good, I’ll see you at the family meeting tomorrow then. Bright and early.” He said with a smirk.

“Oh fuck off Tommy...Goodnight.” She said, play-punching his shoulder.

“Goodnight.” He said, putting his cap on and making his way out the door to whatever family chaos awaited him.

[groovybaybee]

Circle

words: 6.6k

(orgy!harry)

I’d had no idea what to expect, no notion as to what the evening may hold for me. All I had were bits and pieces, clues to lead me to a night I would never forget. A string of events which had brought me to that evening.

 A brief conversation with a friend, her experience at some new club sketched out vaguely for me, eluding to beautiful men and women and newfound passion ignited within her. My curiosity peaking, I had agreed to allow her to submit my details. She had sensed my hesitance at putting myself out there, assuring me privacy was of the utmost importance, something I later came to appreciate as an NDA was slipped through my letterbox.

I had let the document sit on my desk for a few days, finding myself drawn to it every time my mind wandered from whatever contract I was drafting or reviewing, allowing myself to slip open the manilla envelope and peer inside. Familiar with legal documents, I had assumed I would find errors in the form, legal loopholes one might exploit, however, it was iron-clad. The document covered all grey areas, ensuring that the signor would be well-aware of any legal consequences should they breach any of the terms set out. The letter stated plainly that anyone caught providing explicit details to another party, whether that be a personal acquaintance or the media, of the events bound to transpire, would be duly punished. It emphasised the importance of anonymity within the group of attendees, and ensured safeguarding measures taken on their part to protect the identities of all those involved. At this point I was wondering what I was letting myself get involved with.

 At first, I had assumed this would be some kind of nightclub full of high society types looking to partake in meaningless one-night stands without the ramifications of involving someone not in the industry who may be able to sell their story and make a financial gain, thus the need for anonymity. However, after signing and returning the document, trepidation began to set in, wondering what organisation I was getting into bed with. This was more than a night out. This was going to be, as my friend had explained, an experience that I would not want to forget.

 Trusting her, I let the mystery of it all excite me, adrenaline spiking when I received an envelope through my door. Inside was a small black business card, embossed with a golden circle on both sides. Alongside the card, was an acceptance letter of sorts, thanking me for my interest and inviting me to attend an event this Saturday. I was informed that a car would come to collect me, driving me to the location of the event and would return me whenever I desired to go home. If I changed my mind at any point until then, I simply had to text ‘OPT-OUT’ to a number at the top of the letter.

 I never sent that text. On the contrary, I allowed the excitement to pour through into my everyday life. I bought new lingerie, just a simple sheer black set that hung off my body in a beautiful way. Everything about this ‘club’ exuded exclusivity, and I wanted to blend in no matter what happened.

 When Saturday evening finally rolled around, I could barely sit still, nerves and excitement swimming around in my stomach as I sat in the back of the black Lexus I had been provided. The driver had opened the door for me, offering me a polite greeting, before slipping into the front seat and driving us to our destination without another word as I texted my friend, the anticipation growing almost too much to bear. Watching the city pass through the tinted windows, I allowed my mind to slip into thoughts about the clientele I would encounter. I had been ensured that all members signed the exact same form as me, so I assumed they also valued privacy highly. I wondered if they would also be involved in the entertainment industry, admittedly all I did was draw up contracts and aid in negotiations for a record label, but I found myself accompanied by celebrities and notorious figures more often than I ever might have expected, even forming friendships with some of the clients the label represented.

 Upon our arrival to the location, I almost asked the driver if he was sure that this was the right place. The building looked like any luxurious apartment complex, no loud music, no drunken patrons stumbling in and out of the building. Nevertheless, I thanked the driver, and made my way indoors. My heels clicking against the marble flooring was the only real sound as I passed through the lobby, making my way into the lift as instructed by the letter, selecting the button for the penthouse.

 As the lift rose, I wondered if this was about to be the revelation of some horrific prank. Perhaps when I stepped out on to the top floor, there would be everyone I knew with cameras pointed at me, telling me I had been Punk’d. However, I swiftly reminded myself that the show was no longer airing, and I was being moronic.

 Finally, the lift doors opened once again, and I was confronted with a large, white marble foyer, at the centre of which was a woman sat at a desk, another woman behind her. I began the walk towards them, finally hearing some faint music and beginning to relax under the knowledge that I was, probably, in the right place.

 “Hello,” the seated woman had said, offering me a polite smile once I reached the desk.

 “Hi,” I greeted her and showed her the small, black card I had been instructed to bring along, “I’m not sure I’m in the right place—”

 “Oh, you are,” she had replied brightly, taking the card from me, and scribbling something down on the desk. “It’s your first time here, yes?”

 “Yes,” I nodded, my voice sounding smaller than I would have liked it to, the formalities throwing me slightly off balance.

 “Welcome,” she said, her cheery exterior never faltering for even a second, “Rachel here will take you through,”

 The second woman had stepped forward by this point, offering me a genuine smile and gesturing for me to follow her down an adjacent hallway. I did so until we reached a cloakroom of sorts, providing me with a space in which to leave my coat and bag, ensuring that they were safe and would be returned to me upon my departure, explaining briefly that electronic devices were not permitted past this point. I had nod at intervals to show my understanding and complied with her requests. Then, she led me to a set of double doors, ensuring me that I would be well taken care of inside.

 “We hope you have a pleasurable evening,” Rachel finished.

 I had thanked her and listened to the sounds of her heels diminish as she left me on my own. Taking I deep breath to calm any nerves, I slipped my hand around the door handle and pushed it open. Inside the penthouse apartment was nothing like I had imagined. I was instantly greeted by a young man holding a tray topped with flutes full of champagne. I uttered a small thanks and proceeded through the space.

 Whatever I was expecting, it was not what I received. I found myself in the middle of a beautiful living space, with floor-to-ceiling windows and luxurious leather sofas. The space was filled with elegantly dressed individuals, reminding me more of an industry young professionals’ mixer than whatever sex-filled dungeon I had been expected. The atmosphere felt very relaxed, the whole room seeming to laugh and chatter freely. Perhaps this was some sort of speed-dating and I had just severely misread the information I was given.

 Taking a few more steps into the room, I made eye-contact with a woman around my age, brunette and beautiful. She had smiled gently at me, before excusing herself from her small group and gliding over to me.

 “First time?” she asked, a small smirk playing across her painted lips.

 “That obvious?” I replied, earning a genuine chuckle from her which helped put me at ease somewhat.

 “I can give you the tour if you like… I’m kind of a regular,” She offered.

 I had nodded appreciatively and allowed her to take my hand in hers to lead me around the place. She introduced herself as Samantha, call me Sam, as we ventured through the apartment, smooth beats lining the place. As we walked through, she showed me the ‘main room’, which was really just the living room, where the majority of the guests were mingling, her telling me that it was still fairly early. We delved deeper, heading down the main hallway of the place until we reached a fork and she had me choose left or right. I selected left and she walked me through the next section, showing me more rooms, a few bathrooms situated between bedrooms. Each bedroom seemed to house some of the overspill from the main room. In the first bedroom, a group were sat on the bed, laughing and talking as they sipped at their glasses of champagne. The second bedroom we reached held two women standing in the centre, making out. A little afraid of intruding, I moved to step back into the corridor, but Sam stayed in her spot, sharing a smirk with the room’s inhabitants.

 “Just giving a newbie the tour,” Sam had said, earning a wry chuckle from the couple.

 “Feel free to circle back round,” said one of the women before turning back to her partner, pushing her hair behind her ear, and returning to their previous position.

 “Are you into girls?” Sam asked evenly as she led me back out of the room, focussed more on leading me than the abrupt question.

 “Uh, yeah, I think I like a bit of everything,” I mumbled, my head feeling a little scrambled as I tried to comprehend where I was.

 Sam continued to lead me down the hallway. It was at this point that I noticed that all of the bedroom doors were propped open, people drifting in an out with ease. A pit of suspicion grew in my stomach as Sam led me further along the corridor. My hurried assumption was beginning to be confirmed when we reached our third bedroom, filled with about ten people scattered across the room, all comfortably watching pornography together on the large-screen television.

 “Sam?” I asked, pulling her attention away from the couple fucking on the screen and back towards me. When she prised her eyes from the spectacle, her lids were a little hooded as she eyed me, “Is this an orgy?”

 “Not yet,” was all she had said, a grin forming across her plush, red lips.

 I had involuntarily taken a step back at her response, shock overwhelming any other sensation. At witnessing my reaction, Sam had followed me and led me back into the corridor and away from the room.

 “Obviously, you don’t have to do anything, and you don’t have to stay if this isn’t what you thought you were signing up for,” she said in a calming tone, somehow understanding my surprise to find out that I had wound up at an orgy.

 Definitely not speed-dating.

 After allowing the information a second to sink into my brain, and a large sip of champagne, the shock began to subside, and curiosity took over. I mean, it was never something I had actively sought out, but had always been a bit of a fantasy, even just to attend and watch.

 Seeing the panic leave my body, the smirk I was quickly becoming familiar with returned to Sam’s lips.

 “I’m okay,” I told her, letting a small, breathy laugh escape from between my lips.

 “Want to go back to the main room? I have some friends you might like,”

 I accepted her offer with a nod and let her guide me back through the crowd of people in the biggest part of the property, the number of people having almost doubled since we went exploring. Still, the atmosphere in the room had not changed, everyone still stood talking and laughing as they got to know other people.

 Sam guided me to the group of people she had been talking to before she excused herself to speak to me. She introduced me to them, and we fell into conversation easily. Not long after, the majority of the group disappeared to explore the place and make use of the facilities, leaving myself, Sam, and a man a little older than me, James, clean-shaven and also a brunette. He was undoubtedly attractive, standing a full head taller than me and I certainly spotted muscle definition beneath his white dress shirt.

 The three of us spoke for a while, conversation lubricated by a glass of champagne or two. After discovering that we had a good rapport, the three of us decided to move somewhere a little quieter, Sam promising me to finish our tour. As we walked down the main corridor of the apartment, we took a right, peering through a few rooms as we passed.

 The first room we passed was fairly crowded, people undressing, lips and limbs tangled throughout. Collectively, we agreed to move along, finding the situation more interesting than inviting. We moved away, passing a closed bedroom which James explained meant the individuals wanted a little privacy.

 The second room we encountered proved to be far more enticing than the first. In that room two men lay either side of a woman, hands roaming gently across her naked body while they remained fully or partially clothed. While one pressed kisses to her mouth and neck, the other shimmied down the bed, licking and kissing his way up the length of her right leg, from her feet to her thighs he seemed to place hot kisses, occasionally adding a little pressure with his teeth until he was arching underneath the two of them. I found myself transfixed on the scene in front of me, my lips parting to allow for the heavy breaths in my chest to escape. They all looked so beautiful, bodies moving fluidly with one another as if they had been doing this for years. Maybe they had.

 Only the gentle touch of fingertips on my bare forearm brought me away from the congregation in front of me. It was Sam. That hooded look in her eyes was back, this time accompanied by the tugging of her bottom lip between her teeth. She looked starved, and all I wanted to do was feed her.

 “James says there’s an empty room,” she told me, her voice a few tones lower than it had been for most of the night.

 Wondering quickly how long I had been watching the trio, clearly enough time had passed for James to slip away, locate a vacant room, and communicate that information with Sam, all without me noticing his absence. I nodded my head and let her hand slip into mine yet again. We walked down the hallway together, until we reached one of the last rooms, finding James stood by the floor-length windows, looking down at the city. At our appearance, he turned back to us, a gentle smirk on his lips at our interlaced fingers.

 Sam pulled me into the room gently, making her way to the large bed and dropping my hand as she settled herself on her knees in the middle. James joined her, sitting closer to the edge, and sharing a quick, excited kiss with her.

 “Only what you’re comfortable with,” Sam reminded me softly, her gaze softening at seeing me stood a little way away from the two of them.

 I nodded, grateful for her care, before slipping a hand up the length of my back and pulling down the zipper of my dress. I allowed it to loosen, pushing it over the curve of my hips before letting it drop of its own accord and taking a step closer to the bed. The look in the pair’s eyes made any reservation or self-doubt leap out of the enormous window. Both assessed me with a darkened gaze. James’ sight trailed over the expanse of my body with a lick of his lips, reaching his hands out for me to take. I took them and allowed him to bring me over to the two of them, seating me between them.

 From behind, Sam’s hand reached out to touch my shoulder lightly, pausing to gage my reaction before receiving a positive and breathy sigh. Her fingertips traced lightly across my collarbones, trailing up to my neck to turn my head until our faces were mere inches apart. Her lips were soft and buttery when they met mine. Her kisses were delicate as they moved from my lips to my jaw, down my neck and to my shoulder while James reached a hand out to gently turn my head back to him. I could not help the smirk that tugged at the corners of my lips upon seeing his reaction to the two women in front of him. He had loosened his tie and was watching intently as Sam’s hands began to travel across my flesh. I pressed my lips to his, a hand coming up to reach into his hair as his lips moved eagerly against my own. His lips followed Sam’s path, beginning to kiss down my body. Grateful for the moment to catch my breath, my eyes wandered to the open door and I let a smirk cross my face, deciding to leave it that way.

 Returning to the duo, I pulled at James’ tie, bringing his lips back up to meet mine, hurriedly loosening the fabric knot and discarding it. His hands left my body, fingers worked quickly to unbutton his shirt and rid it from the scene. In the meantime, I placed my hands over Sam’s and guided them up from their position on my waist, up to lay across my breasts. I felt her groan against my neck as her hands gave an instinctive squeeze at the tender flesh. A gasp escaped my lips, my hips involuntarily rolling at her touch.

 “She making you feel good?” James uttered lowly; his voice throatier as lust overtook him.

 All I could do was hum in agreement, a small nod as my eyes settled back on James’, now shirtless, frame, enjoying the way his muscles seemed to flex and relax sporadically as he watched us. I felt Sam shift beside me, pressing a kiss to my breast through sheer black material. Her tongue slipped across the fabric, my nipple hardening against her mouth. Her hand reached up, slipping the cup beneath my breast, and encircling the pert nipple with her lips, providing a little suction that made my back arch into her. She gazed up at me with a smirk, clearly enjoying the physiological effect she was having on me.

 “Really good,” I said, a slight whimper accompanying my words.

 “Wanna feel even better?” she had asked, looking up at me with bright, mischievous eyes.

 I nodded and let her move me on the bed, settling me between James’ outstretched legs, my back to his chest as he leant against the headboard. He peppered soft, sucking kisses along my neck while Sam undressed completely. She had returned to us, fully nude, crawling up the bed, trailing her tongue up the length of my leg, just as the man in the other room had done. Clearly, she had been watching me intently, noticing the way my breath had hitched at the sight.

 “Can I?” Sam mumbled against the flesh of my thigh, her eyes drifting from between my legs up to my face.

 All I could do was nod, desperate to be touched by her. She pressed a kiss over the sheer panties before hooking her fingers under their waistband and tugging them down. Almost in unison, James licked a long stripe up the side of my neck as Sam copied the motion across the length of my pussy, a small smirk playing at her lips as she tasted my arousal. James’ lips passed along my jaw, settling over my ear lobe, tugging ever so gently. Meanwhile, Sam took her time to explore my preferences, observing each and every reaction within my body as she licked, kissed, and sucked different parts of me.

 My eyelids fluttered shut as the two of them worked to pleasure me. It was electrifying, understanding in that moment why my friend had encouraged me to come. The excitement in the room was palpable. Breathless moans tumbled freely from my mouth, back arching between the two of them, feeling Sam’s actions grow sloppier beneath me as she buried her face deeper into me, desperate to taste every last drop of me, while James grew hard against my back, his hands ghosting across my body, manipulating my breasts and playing with my nipples until I was writhing above him.

 “Mind if we join?” I heard a low voice ask, something familiar about its tone.

 My eyes shot open, instantly locking on to his own from his position in the doorway. It seemed strange to see him in such conventional, formal clothes. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up his forearms, and tailored black trousers; no pops of colour, nothing necessarily to draw the eye. He looked like everyone else that night, I suppose that would have been his intention. Clearly, the majority of the attendees would recognise him, but he was not intentionally drawing focus, there to be a part of the experience rather than to be a spectacle.

 It didn’t shock me that he was with a man and a woman. They stood behind him; their fingers curled around his each of his biceps. Harry always attracted attention, something we joked about the last time I saw him; the two of us having a casual lunch while ironing out some contract details before being accosted by paparazzi. It didn’t really shock me to see him at an event like this either. It was no secret that the man oozed sexuality. Honestly, it made sense to see him at a place where he could explore that sexuality, push his limits, and make others feel good while doing so.

 What had surprised me, however, was the intense, hooded gaze he fixed on me. Not sure how long my friendly acquaintance had been standing there, watching as I unravelled at the work of two strangers, the thought brought an intense rush of blood and heat to my cheeks. Immediately, I began to worry about the repercussions of being seen like this. Then, I saw the look in his eyes, the way he followed every roll of my hips, the way he brought his bottom lip between his teeth. He wanted me, or at least a piece of me.

 “Up to you, baby.” Sam had muttered against me, not stopping her motions despite our new company. James nodded into the crook of my neck, confirming his comfort, agreeing that it was my choice. My choice to decide whether or not to allow the man I worked with from time to time to not only see me at my most vulnerable, but to allow him to touch me in that state.

 I nodded my head instantly. A reflexive smirk painted itself on Harry’s lips, quickly looking to his male and female counterparts before moving forward. After just one step, he slipped his hands to the buttons of his shirt, making quick work to rid himself of it before reaching the bed. He sat beside where Sam laid, watching her movements hungrily. His new friends sat themselves on the bed too, both disrobed to their underwear, watching keenly as we played beneath them, each starting to gently touch the other.

 “Can I share?” Harry asked, looking between Sam and myself to sense any discomfort.

 When we both nodded, the grin returned to his face before he dipped down, pressed a kiss to the top of my thigh then slipped his tongue between my legs. I felt a deep, rumbling groan against my dripping core, him moving deeper, sliding his nose and mouth up the length of my pussy. As he settled his lips around my clit, sucking lightly, his eyes cast up to mine. They were dark, his gaze unfocussed as he licked at me as though I held the magic elixir of life. He moved wild and free, occasionally flattening his tongue, and dragging it back and forth across the width between my thighs, his eyes shutting tight whenever he did, fully wrapped up in his motions.

 My body jolted under his touch, his mouth sending me into overdrive; hips rolling and grinding down against his mouth, back arched to the point it almost became painful, loud and desperate moans slipping freely from my lips. I had no control. And I adored it.

 Sam and Harry took turns sharing the pleasure they gave me, alternating between providing and watching with carnal gazes. Between the two, they quickly had me melting underneath them, on the verge of begging as Harry’s friends sat either side of me, each wrapping their lips around my nipples, licking and sucking deliciously. Ten hands on me, five mouths. I was a mess, calling on God to explain how one person could deserve this much pleasure.

 My eyelids squeezed shut tight, but the darkness only heightened the sensitivity of my skin, each graze of a finger or swirl of a tongue drawing expletives from my lips. I am not sure how many hands slipped beneath me, keeping me elevated until I felt like the queen of an ancient civilisation, but this new angle was more than enough to push me to my climax. My hips ground violently against whoever’s mouth, hands thrown outwards desperately seeking something to cling on to; some awareness that world still existed, and this was real. My body buzzed, blood fizzing through my veins as I came back down, lowering into the mattress as people pressed soft, sweet kisses to my body.

 My eyes eventually fluttered back open, seeing Sam in between the two people I did not yet know the names of, clearly excited by their presence and keen to get to know them.

 “Well done,” Harry purred into my ear, having placed gentle kisses up the length of my torso.

 At that moment, a look was exchanged between the two of us, our chests occasionally meeting through the heavy rise and fall of our breaths. My eyes flickered to his mouth, his lips and chin slick, covered in me.

 “Hi,” I greeted him, a breathy laugh exchanged between us.

 “Hi,” he replied softly, bringing his hand up to cup my face and press a gentle kiss to my lips.

 The kiss was warm and tender, however, the look that flooded his face when he pulled away was anything but. He looked at me hungrily, watching the way James’ hands gently caressed me as I came down from my orgasm. Sensing the effect seeing my body react to another’s hands was having on Harry, I slipped out from his touch, turning over and sitting up on my knees. I took a second to appreciate the two men beneath me, laying shirtless in almost-matching tailored trousers. Each excited me in different ways. James was muscular, clean-shaven, and seemed to be drawn most to watching others’ pleasure, while Harry was a little leaner, tattooed, and looked ready to pounce in the blink of an eye.

 Meeting James’ eyes, he smirked as I lowered myself to press kisses from his chest to his stomach, hands grazing up his thighs to unbutton his suit trousers. Feeling myself become antsy, I made quick work of ridding him of his clothes and taking him in my hand. It elicited a light gasp from him, clearly having been confined by his boxers for too long. I let my tongue slip across my lips before taking the very tip of him in my mouth, gently moving my hand along the length of his shaft. My gaze flittered upwards to his face, keen to see the parting of his lips as he allowed soft moans to tumble from them. To my surprise, he was watching Harry as much as me, his eyes jumping between the two of us as his hips drove up in search of more. Dropping my gaze, I looked to Harry, noticing the way he looked at me; half-lidded, his irises almost black with lust, observing the way I took James deeper in my mouth. He looked a little jealous. To this day I’m not sure who he envied more.

 “Can I fuck you?” he asked me deeply, swallowing hard while he awaited my response.

 Slipping James from my mouth, I nodded my head, a strong of saliva still connecting me to the man beneath me. Bottom lip tucked tightly between his teeth, Harry let out a mix of a hum and a growl. He pressed a quick kiss to my mouth before reaching behind him to grab a condom from the glass bowl on the nightstand, refusing vehemently to tear his eyes from the sight of James’ cock between my lips.

 Settling himself behind me, I felt his hands sliding across my back, unhooking my bra with one hand while the other roamed the expanse of my back. His fingertips glided down my spine, across the curves of my waist and hips before both hands ghosted over the swell of my ass, grabbing eagerly at the fleshy parts, and delivering a light smack to the right cheek. I could not help but smile around James at him, hearing Harry groan when his actions seemed to speed up my movements.

 I worked James with both hands, tongue swirling messily around his tip. My ears pricked up to the sound of slapping flesh, spotting to my right Sam laying on top of the other woman, lips reconnecting softly as she was fucked from behind. Excited to mirror her slightly, I felt my back arch, hips tilting towards Harry. I could have sworn I heard him chuckle breathily, before leaning over me, one hand moving my hair out of my face as his lips tickled the shell of my ear.

 “You want this?” he whispered, his free hand teasing his cock against my pussy, slipping the head of it between my pussy lips and taking extra time to guide it over my clit.

 I hummed, giving a little nod as my head continued to bob up and down James’ dick, each motion getting sloppier as I salivated at the thought of being filled by the two of them.

 “Sorry, didn’t quite hear that,” his voice was a little louder this time but still husky and deliberate, confidence growing.

 “Yes,” I had gasped, desperately rocking my hips against his for some kind of friction or stimulation; anything he could give me I wanted.

 I could feel him smirk against my skin before he pressed a kiss just behind my ear.

 “Good girl,”

 Before I had a second to drink in how good that sounded coming from him, he pushed himself inside of me. He leant back up, grasping my hips in his hands as he filled me completely. My pussy ached as he withdrew himself, desperate to feel him again. A needy whimper tumbled from my lips.

 Pretty soon I became a mess under him. I melted under his touch. Each thrust of his hips elicited a shocked moan that even James’ cock could not muffle. Every movement had my eyes rolling back and mouth-watering. Harry felt delicious. Every rut of his hips aroused me more and more, the sound of our bodies meeting repeatedly sounding like music to my ears, a sweet, carnal cacophony. From his grunts and groans of my name, and the way his fingers dug deeply into the flesh of my hips, I could tell the feeling was mutual.

 I hoped for bruises. I wanted some reminder of his hands on my body. I needed to know that the moment had been real, and that we had both been consumed with one another.

 A hand cupped the side of my face, bringing me back down to Earth. It was James, looking down at me with a dark gaze as I tried my best to pleasure him. Having Harry behind me really threw off my rhythm, each time our hips met my jaw slackened. His eyelids flickered up to Harry, he smirked, and then came back to me.

 “Too good?” James had asked, a slight teasing lilt in his voice.

 I lifted my head, pulling him out of my mouth but unable to fully shut my mouth as Harry picked up his speed. Meeting James’ line of sight, I nodded with watery eyes. He returned my admission with a gentle smile, removing his hand from my face and slipping it around his cock. He began to pump his hand slowly, his movements lubricated by my handiwork. Our eyes disconnected as he looked behind me and nod his head.

 At this, Harry took full advantage of my newly liberated upper half. One of his hands slipped from my hip around to my chest, using it as leverage to pull my body upright. Immediately, his lips attached themselves to my neck, puckering and sucking at the sensitive flesh. His breath was heavy in my ear, and this new position gave me a chance to appreciate the quieter noises I had missed; the soft pants and whimpers he made when my hips tilted to meet his. The new stance also allowed him to reach deeper inside me, each thrust almost knocking me forward.

 A hand in the centre of my chest was all that held me to him. The other snuck its way from my hip to nestle between my legs. His fingers made soft, gentle strokes around my clit. Tight, deliberate circles contrasted his messy thrusts, teeth nipping at the skin of my shoulder as his hips worked quickly and roughly against me.

 Still sensitive from my previous orgasm, these two sensations drew me close to the brink of a second in record timing. My body ached for him as Harry held me even closer to him, desperate to make me come by his actions. In an act of urgent desire, I grabbed at the hand on my chest, dragging it up to my throat. I heard Harry groan wildly at the action, his head lifting to press his lips against my ear.

 “You tap my hand if its too much,” he said softly but confidently, waiting until I nodded before applying any pressure.

 The pads of his fingertips began to dig into the skin at my neck, slowly controlling the blood-flow to my brain. Gentle choking was all I needed for my moans to become extended, head thrown back against his shoulder as he thrust harshly into me. It was all too much in the most delicious way.

 “Come for me,” he growled, his voice deeper than I had ever heard it, too raspy for me to be able to deny him.

 When his fingers started to move quicker, and sloppier around my clit I was a goner. A hand shot into Harry’s hair behind me, instantly grabbing a fistful as he fucked me through my second orgasm, uttering filthy words of encouragement as my body tensed, then relaxed into him. Removing his hand from my neck, he brought it down to my abdomen, holding me upright as my muscles lost their strength.

 “I want you to come…” I whispered breathlessly, my eyes shut as my head rested on his shoulder.

 “Yeah?” he panted, clearly creeping up to the edge of his own climax.

 “Come inside me,” I had nodded weakly, desperate to know what would happen when he came undone.

 I did not have to ask again. His hips picked up their speed, moans became more concentrated until he stilled inside of me. His body shuddered against mine, lips finding the skin of my neck one more time as he slowly rode out his high.

 A soft giggle left my lips as I titled my head to look at him. When he met my gaze, it was impossible not to press a kiss to his flushed cheeks. He looked so precious; hair an absolute mess and eyes barely open.

 “Hi,” I had greeted for the second time.

 This time he just gave me a soft chuckle, eyebrows furrowing at the sensation of still being inside me as we laughed. He pulled out of me gently, a kiss to my shoulder blade as he did before stepping off the bed to discard the condom.

 It was only at this moment I remembered my surroundings. Instantly, I looked to James, a slight pang of guilt for having left him hanging while Harry fucked me. However, the feeling quickly subsided when I saw Sam straddling him, both of them smirking at me.

 “Not bad for a rookie,” Sam managed to comment before turning back to James and pressing her lips flushed against his.

 “Wanna come get cleaned up?” Harry asked me softly as he returned to the bed. He had taken one of my hands in his and was looking at me with the gentlest gaze I had ever seen on him.

 I nodded and allowed him to lead me to a bathroom adjacent to the bedroom. He was patient with me as I stepped down from the bed, waiting as I adjusted to putting pressure on my weakened legs. Once inside, he locked the door and had me stand with him in the shower, already having grabbed the showerhead. He checked the temperature of the water before running it across my body. The water was just hot enough to melt away the strain in my muscles, continuing the dream-like feeling I was experiencing. I held my hair away from my body to avoid wetting it as Harry covered me, the showerhead in one hand and a soapy washcloth in the other.

 “Can I do you?” I asked softly, still feeling a little fucked out and floaty.

 Harry just smiled fondly at me, nodding his head, and passing over everything he held. Bathing with Harry was not what I had expected to come from this evening, but I could not say I minded as I watched the way his body melted under the hot water. Despite the steam, I could see the grin on his face as I washed him carefully, before nodding happily to myself when I deemed him clean.

 “Not bad for a rookie,” Harry had teased gently, shutting off the water and returning the showerhead.

 Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped me in a soft, pale blue towel, using it to pull my body to him. Our chests grazing, I peered up at him.

 “Was it obvious?” I asked, bottom lip tucked between my teeth as I wondered curiously if I exuded inexperience.

 “Not at all,” he had reassured me, “Kind of wish I knew you weren’t used to all this… Would have gone easy one you,”

 “I don’t want you to,” I quickly responded with a shake of my head.

 “You don’t?” Harry grinned smugly, catching my mistake.

 “Didn’t… Don’t, whatever,” I mumbled, casting my gaze to the ground in embarrassment.

 “Oh, now you’re feeling bashful,” Harry chuckled gently, tilting my face up to meet his gaze with a simple finger under the chin, “I really enjoyed fucking you. We should do it again.”

 “You have my number,” I managed to tease, earning a wry smile from him that made my stomach squeeze excitedly.

 “I was thinking tonight, my place?”

[what-the--curtains]

There Are No Wolves in the Desert

Part 2 - The Tell Tale Knife

(Oberyn Martell x f!reader)

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Summary: After the death of his paramour Oberyn seeks out a local mercenary known as the Shadow Hunter, but who he finds is more valuable than he could have imagined.

Authors notes: Thank you for all the comments, likes and reblogs! I’ve loved Robb and Oberyn since I read the books like 10 years ago now (yes my parent gave me that book when I was like 13 😂) I’m so happy to finally write down whats been in my head for years! Thank you for letting me share it with you💕💕 as per usual let me know if youd like a tag (or untag)!

Tw: Alcohol, violence, threats of sexual assault, swearing, nudity (implied), mentions of sex.

Word count: 4.5 k

Tagged: @evyiione @ayamenimthiriel @xsadderdazeforeverx @agingerindenial (if i missed anyone please let me know im the worst for tagging!!)

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3 years later

The days passed slowly while you remained tucked away, out of sight from those seeking to do you harm. A generous payment kept you safe in the attic of a local blacksmith, the promise of more ensuring you wouldn't be sold out. Once the imminent threat of assasination was over you focused on staying alive, finding the dragon queen becoming a distant memory, one that would have to wait until a more opportune moment presented itself. You used the last of your funds to purchase a horse and sought out work where you could. For a while you served as a healer to those returning from the fighting pits and other skirmishes occurring between nearby cities, until a Lannister soldier showed up searching for you. After that you moved further out of town finding work at a tavern miles from the city walls catering to a variety of characters travelling from near and far.

The owners were good folk, a retired sculptor, her wife and two young children. You’d stopped in for a drink with plans on heading further south, but an incident changed your course. A man came in threatening the owners demanding a payout when you’d stepped in, the man thought it would be easy, and it was at least for you. You helped them bury the body and they’d asked you to stay and so you did; tending to bar, training the horses and offering protection when needed. In return they offered you a bed, hot meals and a small salary despite your insistence that room and board was more than enough. It was a quiet life, a simple life, but one you enjoyed greatly. The noise of war and murder a ditant cry. Only in your sleep were you reminded of the cruelty of the world. The restful days quickly turned to weeks and it wasn't long until a year had passed, as had the memories of who you were.

The rumour of your murder had spread slowly from king landing, uttered from between the poisonous lips of Cersei Lannister, a lie you prayed one day would come back to haunt her. The day the news reached the ears of your employers you knew it was time to leave, and you rode back through the golden gates of the city. You’d resold the horse to a palace guard whose wife worked with the royal stables, training them, breeding them, caring for them, a good place for a faithful friend to live out its days. Noticing the weapons on your back the guard offered you a fee to find and kill a man who had snuck into the palace and murdered three of his wife's favourite horses after their daughter had refused his hand in marriage. He was dead within the hour, and from there the word of your skill in both tracking and murder got around amougst the nobility, and you fell haphhazourdly into mercenary work. If there was one skill you could rely on, it was your ability to unabashedly kill and you quickly became one of Dornes finest assassins. You fell into the work, the ease at which you became accustomed to it frightened you at first, but you had been hardened by loss, and it wasn't as if you hadn’t killed before.

Any semblance of emotional morality long forgotten, unable, or not wanting to have it all come seeping back, fearful of what may surface as a result. Most of your money went to keeping you fed, well rested and off any enemy radars. After the first month, money became more lucrative and you had splashed out on new armoury and weapons, nothing flashy like some of the more ornate dornish assassins who made a show of their profession. They were harmless, though admittedly annoying and from what you heard, not nearly as impressive as they boasted. Your armour was simple, lightweight leather over loose, breathable cloth, and a dark cloak, Its hood heavy and kept drawn well up over your eyes obscuring your face from prying eyes at all times. A shadow on the wall. Your weapons were similar to your clothes, your short swords and longbow were well crafted and durable, no decoration but for a few carved vines wrapped around their ends. Your only remaining identifiers were your eyes, and the dagger belonging to your late husband which stayed with you at all times, always within reach. Any remaining money was hidden away about the city, a retirement fund if you will, assuming you lived that long.

There were bonuses beside finances in your line of work, your ability to disappear into a crowd kept you in touch with the rumour mill. Words and secrets would fall from drunken mouths carelessly. Most of it stank worse than the horse's field after rain, but there were some that rang true, and a few that even brought a rare smile to your face. A young woman had spoken loudly about Tywin Lannister's death and how he’d supposedly died on the privy, causing you to snort into your soup, a fitting end for a coward of a man.

A month later you heard that the prince of Dorne had gone to King's Landing to fight for Tyrion, where he supposedly defeated a man standing well over 12 feet tall. A tall tale of a tall man you think, knowing how royal always sought to increase the truth of their abilities. You had also heard the unfortunate news of Ellaria Sands poisoning , the venom not reaching her veins until the ship had sailed out, no remedy to be found on the vaste seascape. It was a shame, she and the Sand Snakes were skilled adversaries here and they had since scattered in search of answers and allies around the seven kingdoms, to help avenge their mother. The prince apparently had to be restrained to stop him from turning the ship around, that was a story you found more believable. From what you’d heard the prince may have many lovers but he would go to war for any of them. You’d never seen his face, except for on the back of coins or from a distance. If you had you may have noticed him enter into the tavern where you sat awaiting your payment from your most recent client.

Your eyes stay on the table, your hood pulled up well over your forehead giving you a frightening silhouette beneath the candlelight that was beginning to glow more prominently as the sun set. The young man who commissioned you entered, he stank of wine and privilege, but he was rich and the payment promised was well worth putting up with his unsavoury personality. His true odor protrudes through the thin veil of perfume attempting to mask his stench, alerting you to his presence well before he’d sat down. Your time alone had heightened your tracking skills, a side effect of living under the constant threat of being hunted. The wiry man sits down next to you, his thin fingers snapping under your eyes in an attempt to get your attention, you inhale deeply, drawing yourself back to your displeasing reality and forced social interactions.

“Where's the money?” you ask, knife whittling a notch out of the table's leg with Robbs dagger.

“Where the head?” he retorts, and you pull out a small sack, shoving it into his hand watching as he pulls at the drawstring, opening the velvet bag. He raises his eyebrows and pulls out the index finger you'd removed from the corpse.

“Head was…. indisposed. I hope this satisfies,” you murmur, this job had been messier than you intended. You typically weren't so reckless especially with a noble.

“ Very much so, ” he says taking it and turning it in his hands

“The money then,” you restate, tone flat.

“Well there's one more... proposition I had.” He states, hand resting down on your thigh.

“I'll take the money for this job then you can hand me the next target,” you respond, sighing heavily, used to people getting handsy with you.

“You can make extra on this job if you play your cards right,” he whispers, hand running up your thigh. The other reaches up to pull back on your hood within seconds your dagger had impaled his hand, pining it to the table. His wail of anguish causes the heads in the tavern to turn briefly towards the scene before returning to their lively chatter.

“You stupid bitch,” he spits making a grab for the knife but you reach forward pushing it further into the table leaning in towards him.

“The money, or I cut off your head and mount it on the wall of this tavern,” you say, louder than intended.

Oberyn watches from the bar in amusement , the last time he’d seen fire like that had come from Ellaria. He needed someone to help get his revenge, someone willing to murder a man in front of witnesses, his birds had been right, this mercenary was the one for the job.

You rip the knife from the man's hand as he throws you the coinpurse you were owed you reach for it as he stands.

“Bitch,” he spits, liquid hitting the side of your face as he pulls down your hood “you better watch you back mercenary, I'll be taking you from behind in no time.” He snarls, as you hurry to pull your cover back up.

“Clever,” you retort, wiping your face, shaking out the purse and counting your pay out. Empty threats. Or threats you didn’t care about, you could kill scum like that in your sleep, and you had. You mutter another curse under your breath at being exposed, the latest delay in dye shipments had allowed the roots of your white hair to protrude through, lucky everyone inside was too drunk to notice. The money from the job was enough to keep a roof over your head for the foreseeable future, maybe even enough for a bath, it was getting to be that time. You go to stand, you had an ‘appointment’ in town, one with a handsome payout. Before you can stand you see a pair of hands adorned in jewellery slip into your view a scent of sweet fruit and honey indicating a cleanliness and a high status, a very high status, your appointment could wait.

Obery was observant, his eyes had been glued to you even while conversing with the beautiful patrons of the bar, not wanting to lose you in the crowd. “The shadow tracker”. That’s what you had been dubbed by those residing in the city according to his sources, clients of yours pleased with your services, services he was in need of. It seems you may bear more than one secret identity, it may have been for the briefest second, but the colour of your hair stood out against the dark fabric you wore. It intrigued him, white hair was uncommon in those of your age, very rare. In fact he only knew of one person still alive with such a trait. The other, one whom he’d sent a wedding gift to years prior, was long dead, or so the Lannister would have him believe, and when has he ever trusted the word of child murderers. He may have come here in seek of a mercenary, but what he found may prove to be even more valuable to his cause.

“Payments 50 for a nobody, rate goes up with each class, royals are above my paygrade, and nobles will cost you at least 6 of those fancy rings on your fingers,” you list, taking note of the martell sigil embellished on one of the larger rings.

“How much would it be to convince a wolf to take down a Lion,” he queries, hunching his head down to try and catch a glimpse of the eyes under the hood. Your heart drops.

“Above the pay grade, couple down at the docks have a death wish, you might try your luck there,” you explain, deepening your voice slightly in an attempt to disguise yourself.

“And what would be your wish, if you could have it?” he queries, leaning back kicking his feet up onto the stool beside you. As he does the yellow of his robes come into your peripheral the suns intricately stitched on, shining against the murk of the tavern's tile floor.

“To be left alone,” you chide, this was someone well acquainted with the royals here, you didn't deal with royalty, more trouble than they're worth.

“What's that old saying? The lone wolf dies, or am I mistaken? ” he returns, chuckling slightly.

“I don’t know who you think I am but I assure you…” you say, eyes finally raising, only then realizing the prince of Dorne sat before you, at least based on his impression on one of the coins in your hand.

“Lady Stark, I was hoping we’d meet face to face,” he remarks, the long forgotten address catching you off guard causing your eyes to shoot back down.

“Lady Stark died, the Lannisters ground up her body and fed it to the king's direwolf before killing it, haven’t you heard?” you say sarcastically, pulling your knife out of the table, unsure if he’d recognized it.

“Propaganda, set to diminish the power of the north,” he says, watching the blade intently as it's pulled from the table.

“I do not know if Lady Stark is alive, but for a price I could find out, granted you tell me what you need her for,” you mutter.

“I did not come here in search of Lady Stark. I came seeking a mercenary, the so-called “shadow tracker” however, this is a most welcome surprise, as for why I need you, or her, the answer is revenge plain and simple.”

“Is that what they call me?” you remark “ So you seek out a mercenary only to find something better, something you can trade?” you pose shaking your head.

“No, I needed an assassin, but found something better. Something more lethal.” He pauses.

“Which is?” you prompt, hoping to end this conversation sooner rather than later.

“One they think is dead. Besides I figured Lady Stark would want the opportunity to take down the Lannisters.”

“I assume she would, though she may think the offer stands too good to be true,” you state, gathering up your payment and making your exit he follows suit, stopping briefly to gently nudge his hand under the chin of an attractive man standing near the door, no doubt planning on returning later.

“The desert is no place for a wolf,” he calls after you, a significant distance between the two of you now.

“I shall let you know if I see such a sight, my prince,” you shout, dramatically curtsying before turning on your heel and walking off. He smiles before re-entering the tavern.

A week later

You stroll through the dark alleys of the city, a few years ago you wouldn’t have dared ventured out so late. The woods were known to you, their dangers and sights predictable, but the city was uncharted territory. While a bear could be trusted to do as bears do, the movements of man were less predictable. Your work kept you attune to the veins of the city and the people that coursed through them. You knew where to go and where to avoid depending on the day. You knew the sounds, able to pick out when something was amiss and tonight something was. The usual scurry of the rats below or the call of the parrots from above were absent, someone had been through here and not long ago. Your hand dips into the folds of your cape and you throw your dagger catching a man in the neck. You lean over and remove it from his jugular, the blood flowing out from the wound. Before you can turn him over, something hits you knocking you forward onto your stomach. You’re lifted from the ground by the nape of your neck. Your hoods pulled down and your head pulled up to see the foul smelling client and two other assassins standing before you.

“Dirron, Brant, always a pleasure” you snarl

“No hard feelings Shadow, you’re taking out all the business” Brant responds.

“How much is he paying you? Not enough I bet he didn't pay me enough. I'll double it if you let me walk.” you plead, but they shake their heads.

“I paid you more than your worth,” he spits, gesturing to the man behind you and he lifts you up slamming you into a nearby wall pressing your face against the rough brick. You can taste the blood beginning to gather in your mouth. He releases you, handing you over to the unpleasant smelling man who brings the dagger you’d dropped into your view, pressing the steel against your cheek as he begins to speak.

“This dagger belonged to Robb Stark.”

“Did it? I stole it from a client months ago,” you say, elbowing him in the stomach causing him to drop the blade. You catch it, and drive it deep into his knee. He falls, and you unsheathe his sword and throw it catching Dirron in the chest. The large brute gets to you before your next move knocking you in the stomach and pinning you back up against the wall.

“Told you I'd have you from behind,” the client says, limping over to you and spitting on the side of your face. As the moisture hits your flesh a spear pierces through his chest , pinning him to a nearby crate as the remaining two men scatter. You push yourself up spinning to see the prince standing in the alley picking up your dagger.

“Of all the souvenirs to keep, this…” he starts, examining the blade before continuing “ is the most telling. Even with your distinct traits, the Young Wolf's knife is well known, especially by those who saw it made. Dornish steel,” he explains tossing it in the air catching it by the blade and handing it back to you by its handle.

“As I just finished explaining to your dear friend there, I stole that,” you lie, taking it from him.

“No you didn’t,” he says, eyes bright even in the dark, a familiar smirk on his lips, clearly bemused by your attempts at lying.

“Yes I did,” you retort, refusing to let up on your façade.

“Shall we debate it over a drink?” he asks, retrieving his spear from the client's body which falls to the ground with an unpleasant thunk.

“A prince slumming it with the poor?” you ask watching as he uses the dead man's silks to wipe his weapon before turning back to you.

“My enjoyment of life precludes class,” he says offering you his arm

“As you speak from your riches,” you point out, watching him run his tongue along his upper lip.

“We are not as antiquated in our ideologies here, class here is less pronounced” he assures you.

“Is it?” you argue, pushing down on his extended arm and he shrugs his shoulder in defeat, pride faltering only for a fragment of a second at the notion of being rejected. The streets are busy tonight, the warm weather bringing the people out en masse to enjoy the city's nightlife. He brings his hand up to usher you into a nearby tavern by the small of your back, but thinks twice and drops it, not wanting to lose it. As you enter he raises his hand and winks at the barkeep before following you towards the back near the window sill.

“What will it cost you?” you inquire as he sits down, watching over his shoulder as the person behind the bar pours out a decanter of wine.

“What?” he asks, the downturn of his mouth and creased forehead painting a picture of confusion.

“To let me leave here, to keep this a secret, the two men who escaped know who I am now. My time here is up.” you confess as the decanter is placed on the table the bartenders hands trailing across his shoulders causing him to smile fondly up at them.

“I do not wish you to be found. It would ruin the plans I have,” he says, slowly turning his attention back to you, offering you wine. You stare at the decanter, then to him before shaking your head causing him to chuckle

“What? Have I said something amusing? “ you question, almost annoyed.

“Untrusting,” he remarks, taking a sip of the liquid before offering it to you once again. You reach over the table grabbing the cup from his hand.

“I am untrusting because in my experience people cannot be trusted,” you explain taking a sip.

“You husband certainly lied about marrying the Frey girl,” he remarks, leaning back into his seat, arms spreading out across the chairs back.

“I’ve never been married,” you state, wanting nothing more than to punch the smug look off his face.”

“You're good,” he says, eyes giving you the once over.

“At what?”

“Lying, well perhaps not good per say but committed, i'll give you that, you fight in a similar manner.” he presses, hoping to get a rise out of you.

“So, you think I can’t fight,” you say, shaking your head with a laugh

“Your words,” he states.

“I did not come here to be insulted by the likes of you, prince or not,” you scold, sitting up.

“I didn't mean to offend,” he remarks, eyes watching your movements, evidently he’d touched a nerve.

“Didn’t you?” you query, tilting your head.

“No, truly it was not my intention, I merely believe upon improvement,” he explains.

“Hard to improve without practice, hard to practice on your own,” you state, moving to leave, the prince drawing too much attention than you wanted on you. You down the rest of your wine and utter a ‘thank you for the drink’ before bidding him a farewell and exiting the bar. You don't make it far, seemingly unable to shake him.

“Why are you here?” he asks.

“That’s privileged information,” you say, turning to face him walking backwards along the cobbled streets. His eyes fall to you before looking up to the heavens, the stars were bright tonight illuminating his features. The rumours of him held true in one area undoubtedly, he was handsome.

“Come back to the palace with me.” He says, eyes still gazing up at the sky.

“I have no intention of divulging in your pleasure my prince, my heart belongs to another, I swore I wouldn’t stray from him even in death,” you reply, turning back to walk forward spitting blood out onto the street, sure one of your teeth must have been knocked out in the earlier fight.

“While I disagree with more than one of those statements I did not mean to imply, though I would be remiss to say it wouldn’t be of great honour. I heard the Young Wolf betrayed an entire kingdom for you.” he says eyes once again on you, trying to catch a glimpse of your features obscured by the hood.

“Are you suggesting I got my husband killed?” you muse, hearing him tut in disagreement

“You’re dirty, you’re tired, you’re injured and at risk of murder, the palace offers you a safe place to recuperate.”

“And what do you expect in return?” you ask.

“I simply wish to offer you a proposition once you are rested, if you decline, you are free to leave. I will ensure you are transported to a safe location where no one knows you.”

Perhaps it was the itching of your skin, or the way the dye was clinging your out of control hair or maybe it was being allowed to be who you once were, but you agree.

“This is Shana she will help you, unless you prefer a male companion, though I would gladly offer my services” he says, gesturing to an older woman of great beauty.

“I can bath myself, thank you though,” you say, turning and nodding to the woman who bows her head and exits the bathhouse.

“Whatever you wish, I'll have her bring you clothes while we clean yours... if we can clean yours” he muses, the remark cracking a smile in your icy demeanour. He leaves and you undress placing your clothes outside the door as requested. Your bare feet feel refreshed against the cool orange tiles of the bath house, the area evidently meant for the use of many people. Multicoloured tulip petals float atop the water filling your nostril with an aroma unlike one you’d ever known. The steam from the water rises in the cool air of the night and you dip your toe in water proceeding to the steps.

You stride into the water allowing your lower half to adjust to the heat before fully sinking in to cover your shoulder. Immediately the dye in your hair begins to leak into the water blending together with the built up mud and blood that has been stuck to you since your last clean. You scrub your skin until the scars scattered across your body are once again visible in the moonlight. Your hand pauses over the wound above your shoulder, memories of Robb flooding back in, as you assume your true identity for the first time in years.

You dunk your head under the water, scrubbing to remove grime from your face and to work out the last of the dye until it's all gone, your hair returned to its original state. You stay in the water for a while enjoying the heat, but sitting in your own filth is no longer a luxury and you stand up and dry yourself off. Pulling on a robe hung up for you as if they knew you’d be there that night. The cool air hits you as you exit, a welcome relief compared to the heavy heat carried around while wearing your armour. One of the palace guards leads you to your bed chamber, the bed is large and the room even larger. Tiles from floor to ceiling apart from the windows which opened up to the balcony allowing the breeze in at night. You step out onto it, hand trailing through the flowers growing along the bannisters. You thank the guard and he closes the large wooden doors leaving you to change into an orange gown true to the style in Dorne. The thin material leaves little to the imagination, but it would prove good for sleeping though not much else. You turn your head to the room's table where clothes better suited for your line of work sit. Your weapons had been cleaned and lined up across the corner of the room, your dagger shined and stabbed into the wood, holding a note in place.

“Dramatic,” you chuckle, pulling out the knife retrieving the note and opening it ‘winter is coming’ you recognize the handwriting immediately, it had been years but you'd never forgotten the letter you'd received the day at the docks. Perhaps the prince could be trusted after all. You hesitate before folding the note up and placing it back down on the table, walking over to the large bed and falling asleep with the knife tucked securely under your pillow, just in case.

[fallen029]

Poison

They'd been dating, off and on, for about six months. Laxus had been laid up some, from a rough job, but also had the misfortune of running through most of his usual dates. Which was fine. Left with all the time in the world to heal up, he was more than game to find more, well, game.

But this didn't necessarily come to fruition.

It was weird.

Mirajane Strauss was quite clearly attractive.

Only a blind man would deny it.

But there were many attractive women in their guild. Too many, almost. And while he liked to flirt around the edge with some of them, most weren't really worth his time.

Or, uh, well...interested in him, if he could allow his ego to admit it (he typically couldn't).

Still, Mira was someone that he had something of a rapport with, a thing he lacked with many of the other women. She seemed to be feeling rather disappointed for him, saddled with a broken bone, and intent on brightening his spirits. When she had a break in her work, she would frequently linger around his table, making their same small talk as usual, and Laxus found himself enjoying it more than he usually would.

Things were nice in the beginning.

But the beginning was over too soon.

He stuck around too long one night, drinking, and Mira insisted he stay the night at the guildhall, else he risk, in his drunk stupor, injuring himself further on the walk home with his crutches. This was innocent enough and Laxus was sure that she had no real intentions behind it, but that left him up at the hall with her, alone, watching as the barmaid closed down for the night.

"C'mon, demon," he insisted with a bit of a drunken edge to his voice. "Have at least one more shot with me, eh?"

She refused his first offer, but luckily (or un, perhaps), he made multiple.

And it only took one shot to convince Mira that yes, she should do more.

The next day was awkward, but the following wasn't nearly as much, and Laxus made some sort of a jest, over the woman taking advantage of his state, considering his broken leg and all, and Mira thought that was so very funny and maybe he got too drunk, again, to go home, and what would Mira be? Leaving a crippled man all alone in a big guildhall?

They didn't want anyone to know about them. Which was hard. Because they slowly became all either could think about. Laxus was around the hall constantly then, not just from boredom from his injury now, but with a vested interest in the head barmaid, while Mirajane seemed to suddenly find time to take a vacation day or two, and oh, didn't she deserve it? Everyone thought so.

Especially Laxus, who very much appreciated every second they were given alone together.

The woman still, for some reason Laxus couldn't quite grasp (being an only child, he found the idea of siblings frightening, especially the way the Strausses dealt with one another), lived with both her siblings. Which severely limited the places where they could go to be alone. If it wasn't the hall after hours, then it had to either be one of the seedy motels that he didn't quite want to admit the woman he might have frequented at one point in his life (or she him) or, as much as Laxus hated it, the best option of all; his apartment.

"Getting to see how the great Laxus Dreyar lives?" Mira whistled low, the first time she was welcomed to messy apartment. "Wow."

"Yeah, well, I do what I- Hey, are you mocking me?"

Mira only giggled in reply and it was fine, honestly. The more the woman found herself around, the more the apartment found itself rather clean and Laxus lost some of his reserves over keeping his bachelor pad all bottled up to himself.

Time felt different in those days.

In a way he hadn't felt it since he was a child.

He had a routine again, one that wasn't adherent to a strict training regimen or rigorous job schedule, but rather the standard workday.

When he was a boy, he would sit up at the hall, listening to stories from all the old members, waiting for his grandfather to finish up his masterly duties for the day so that they could go have some fun. It wasn't that different with Mirajane. She stopped taking double shifts and would be finished up by mid to late afternoon, with Laxus only lingering around a short amount of time after her escape, finding his own on a hobbled trek back to his apartment, where the woman would be waiting.

They weren't out having adventures. Or spending the fleeing daylight by doing anything too exotic. But it felt so, to him at least. Adventurous and exotic in it's own right, allowing such a connection, such a bond, to begin to form.

For what could have been the worst months of his life, Laxus had to tack them up there with some of the best.

It felt absurd to say, but sitting around his apartment, eating takeout and talking to Mirajane, seriously just talking sometimes or listening to her toy at her guitar… It was the most fun he'd had. The most free he'd felt.

For a man that had all the power in the world, the ability to tackle any job posted, travel the continent at will, someone being confined to the guildhall and his apartment supplied him with some actual fresh air. Or at least perspective.

He almost felt robbed of something, when it was finally time for his cast to be removed.

This wouldn't be the obvious end to things, as he would still need some time to fully regain the mobility in his leg, deal with the conditioning that he now lacked, being out of action for so long. His training, which included the Thunder Legion, now made spending time with the woman more tricky and maybe, if they were better people, they could have stopped it there.

Seen where things were headed.

But Mira always seemed to have her head stuck in the clouds and Laxus, for once, found himself too attached for once, and though the bandage had begun to be peeled back, there was still some adhesive holding fast.

So he'd just have to suck it up and finish the job.

Their time together was tight already and Laxus put it off for as long as he could, honestly, but one day when Mirajane arrived at his apartment with dinner for the two of them, he didn't have nearly the same light behind his eyes that he had in recent months. When she questioned him a bit, over dinner, when she talked a mile a minute and he just sat there, gloomily, back to his old self, maybe, only offering up nods and sighs.

The man, as was becoming rather obvious, was anything but coy.

Still, he found that he didn't quite know how to express to the woman what was eating at him. These weren't exactly the kind to seek a woman out, just to end things with her. But Mira was different. Not even necessarily from the standpoint of his feelings, but also due to her proximity whether they continued to date or not.

She was a part of Fairy Tail. At times, it felt like more so than he was. One of the main reasons for avoiding such relationships up at the hall (again, ignoring the outright disdain he cultivated among other members at time) was due simply to the fact that it would be awkward.

When things were over.

And with him things, inevitably, would find themselves coming to an end.

He wasn't a good person.

Or at least he very infrequently felt like one.

To a mate, at least.

Laxus knew for certain he was a changed man, following the events of his excommunication. Seriously. His whole outlook on life was altered. It went further than just learning to respect his grandfather or guild or the members that dwelled there. Laxus now saw the world from a perspective he'd originally rejected; everyone else's. He wasn't the only person in the guild, in the world, that mattered and while he was a big hole to fill, everyone could be replaced.

So you had to appreciate what you had while you had it.

But...he had difficulty carrying this over into the dating world. Opening up to someone was difficult and caring when someone did so to you was even harder. This was easily excusable for the man, as he found many of his faults were, because clearly he just didn't want that sort of relationship. Didn't need it.

He had the Thunder Legion. For his emotional support. They felt far closer to him than any woman ever could be. All three of him. Knew more about him than any partner ever should.

Friends were enough.

His best friends were enough.

Until...they weren't.

Those past few months, with Mirajane, well, he just hadn't felt that sort of exhilaration in a long time. He'd closed himself off to it, maybe, been so convinced he didn't need it that he never gave himself a chance to experience it.

Sometimes he saw the same woman. A lot. And then he'd just stop. Wouldn't come around as much. Go out on a long job. Not write. Avoid her when he came back to town. There weren't these big moments.

He wouldn't be able to summon up the energy for them, honestly.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," Laxus found himself reply, eventually. "About… You know, I'm pretty much healed up now."

"Oh, I know." Mira smiled over from her half of the table, still picking at her meal. "I'm so happy for you. I'm sure it's been torture being cooped up all this time."

"Not torture, no, but-"

"You're so used to traveling though," she cut him off. "It was hard for me, when I had to take a break for awhile. Hang around the bar. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love it now, but at first… It can just be a big adjustment, you know?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I know."

Still, Mira only eyed him again before asking simply, "Are you sure you're okay? Lax? Is there something else?"

"I…"

He swallowed and almost balked. Backed out and decided not to tell her. Before he left. And come back from his job and pretend like this never happened. He imagined Mirajane, who was used to playing many different roles in her life, would give into that rather easily.

But there was something in him that didn't allow this. Something he didn't quite understand. The time he'd spent with Mirajane meant something, he knew that, and maybe for that reason he felt a duty to her, to insure that he'd at least accurately explained himself.

If only to spare her feelings all he could.

"I'm going to be gone," he decided. "For awhile, probably. I want to take a long job. And I know that we've spent a lot of time together, but-"

"Laxus," she intervened before giving him a bit of a smile. "I know."

"I- You what?"

"I," she insisted. "know. I get it, okay? We don't have to do this."

"This?"

She frowned, not quite getting why he was now the one pretending to be confused and only explained, "You're breaking up with me."

He sat there for a moment, considering what she'd said before asking, "How do you know that?'

"Because I'm not stupid, Laxus." Mira sighed some before going back to her food. "It's not like I haven't been thinking of it too."

"Thinking of what?"

"Laxus-"

"Thinking about what, Mirajane?"

"About this. This...time." She dropped her fork just to gesture vaguely with both hands. "Together. It's been...something else, but I'm dumb. I know that you're going to go back on the road and that it's over. It's okay."

"No." He felt like she'd pulled the rug out from under him. How could that be, huh? That the woman was one step ahead of him? "You can't just… I had so many things I wanted to say and-"

"You can still say them." She even shrugged a bit, but it was sadly now and he'd zapped it right out of her, that joy she'd had before. Distantly, he wondered it was all an act with him too. The whole time. Another pretend character like what she played up at the bar. He'd felt that he was getting the real her, this whole time, as he gave himself in return, but now he just felt duped. Even as she insisted, "It's not like you're leaving tonight."

Swallowing some, Laxus looked down instead, at his own meal, before asking, "What would you have done if I didn't say anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I didn't say anything, tonight, and then left next week," he questioned, "would you have still felt this way? How you do now?"

Mira was the one to pause then, but again, he could only get that sad, pitiful shrug out of the woman as she said, "I know you, Laxus. Even before this time that we've spent together. You're poison. And to a certain extent, I guess I am too. Things don't last, with others, when it comes to the two of us. I didn't have to worry about how you felt because I know, just the same as me, you get it. If anything, I'm a little disappointed you thought I'd be crushed over losing you."

The night never picked back up and Mira didn't spend it with him. Instead, they parted in his living room, not with their usual, sensual kisses and hugs, but rather the woman pressing a soft kiss to his cheek and him glancing away, somehow feeling more exposed, in this final night, than he had the entire length of their romance.

Someone else was on shift when he came by the bar, that following week, to pick up his first job back.

Just as he'd intended, it was a nice and long one. The Thunder Legion wanted to go with him, either as a group or at least one of them, individually, to scope out his readiness, but Laxus rebuked them and instead headed out alone.

It was a much a step back into his old life as it was a funeral for his former.

Or at least it started out that way.

He wanted to be sad. Over Mirajane.

At first.

And then he wanted to be angry.

To which he got really close.

Finally, he wanted to just move on.

He really seriously did.

That was the original idea, anyways, to be able to come back and for their relationship (or whatever it had been) to be old news. For Mira to go back to serving him drinks and the occasional sass while Laxus admired her, or at least her strength, and they could be friends.

Distant ones, but still closer than he was with most others in the bar.

It should have made it easier, right? That Mira seemed content with this idea too? She'd been resound, before he even got his words out, and that was just the best. For the best too. They were on the same page, even in a breakup.

This was literally the most amicable a split could ever be.

And yet…

The Thunder Legion was waiting for him, up at the guildhall, when he returned from his just over four week journey. He should have immediately set into berating them, as he was certain they'd been derelict in taking their own jobs, just to hang around, to be there for him when he got back, but he didn't have time.

He hardly even noticed them.

Honest.

Mirajane was working, back on her normal schedule actually. Which would be no off time ever because where else would she go? Than the bar? All her friends were there. Periodically. A rotating door of them, one leaving for a job only for another to appear, returning.

Lucy, in fact, was around that day, seated up at the bar. Mira had spent most of her shift there, honestly, as the celestial mage had much to share with her, after being away for a week.

She'd just been called away though, Mira had, by a waving hand and a drunk request for a refill, and she left Lucy with a smile in place of excusing herself, rushing right over to take care of the patron. It was while she was refilling the mug though that she caught it, sensed it, could feel it.

Him.

Laxus had an air about him that was difficult to dismiss, last half of the year or not.

She'd been prepping for this. Had her plastered on smile down, knew exactly what she'd say to him. Ask him politely about his trip, ask if he wanted his usual, and then use the man's no doubt unease to slink away from the situation. It would be that easy.

It should have been that easy.

Because she was banking on Laxus behaving how she envisioned. He did most of the time. The man thought that he was deep and complex, but honestly, he was just moody and predictable.

He should have wanted away from her just as much as she did him. To have avoided speaking to her, outside of the necessary first conversation, and then they could just begin hedging their lives away from one another.

But he approached her.

First.

As she was backing away from the table she'd just served, he walked right up to her, bypassing the curious Thunder Legion, and instead coming to a stop before the barmaid.

"Laxus." She wasn't that flustered and only began on her intended small talk. "How was your first-"

He kissed her.

He just took her face in his hands, stopping her predetermined greeting in a gesture that made that entire guildhall stop what they were doing. Everyone was staring, something that both Mira and Laxus were used to, when it came to magic, but neither were too public about such excessive affection. And when they broke apart, this showed by the slight tint in Laxus cheeks and Mira only turned her head from him a bit, thoroughly stumped.

"You shouldn't," she finally whispered in the otherwise silent guildhall, "kiss someone. Laxus. Like that. It's invasive."

He blinked some, the man did, but didn't take a step back. Instead, he only whispered back, "I'm sorry." When she looked ready to reply though, he only continued, "About it all. Mira. I… I shouldn't have tried to break up with you. I shouldn't have let you break up with me. Well, at least not without countering some things. Because yeah, you know, things are going to be different. From the past few months. Fine. But...why do they have to go back to how they were? Huh? Why can't they just keep being different? From then too? And we just...try? I'm not saying that I want to, like, be together forever or anything, although I'm not saying I don't want that either, I just…"

"Laxus," she tried to intervene. "We don't have to-"

"Let me finish." And he huffed a bit. Because he'd floundered before, been uncertain of the words he was looking for. Back at his apartment. But maybe that was because he wasn't meant to say them. They weren't mean to come out. He couldn't find something didn't exist. But now, ruminating for over a month on these words, this set, he knew, finally, exactly what he wanted to say. "I'm poison. Fine. If that's what you think. And maybe you are too. But… I liked being with you. More than I've liked being with literally anyone I've known in the past decade. More than I like being alone, even, and you know how much I like that! I just… I don't think we can throw something away, say that it's tainted, that it's poisoned, before it's gone bad. Why would we ever want to do that to ourselves?"

He'd felt impassioned, before, but as he let out that final breath, his chest heaved a bit. It had been so quiet in the hall, with only him speaking, that it was almost easy to pretend like they were back in those few months, when they were all alone, in the empty guild. But it wasn't empty, right now, and for once, the heavy gaze of all his guild mates was almost too much to bear.

"I was going to say," Mira began then with a bit of a frown, "that maybe we could go somewhere in private to talk this over."

Laxus blinked. Then he frowned as well. "Then why didn't you?"

"You told me to talk!"

"Mira-"

"I'll have to think about this, Laxus."

"Yeah, well-"

"Okay!" And she bounced some, having taking just a moment to turn and tap a finger against her lip before pouncing on him, the man just barely catching her in his arms as the woman decided, "I guess we can do this till we die."

"I said I didn't want to be with you forever," he complained as their dimwitted guild mates, still not entirely sure what they were witnessing, cheered, at least some of them, as this seemed like a happy enough resolution. "Demon."

"You said," she remarked simply, "that you weren't sure. And thinking that your dying signifies forever is a bit conceded, don't you think? Dragon?"

"What?"

She released him instead of explaining, remarking simply in a more hushed tone, "We talk. Alone. After hours."

The man eyed her for a moment before nodding because it was true enough. They did need to speak. Honestly. Alone.

And they would. In a few hours. When there were no other eyes and it was easier for Laxus to explain in a way that wasn't so preachy and Mira didn't have to put on her dim facade, not necessarily challenging the man, but confirming with him, in a way they'd yet to do, just how serious they each wanted this relationship to be.

Considering he'd more than outed them to the guildhall, Mira felt as if he was leaning towards very.

And as she'd given hi the fairy tale ending (at least in front of the others), Laxus imagined she wanted the same.

He slunk back off, the softening of his character not one to be trusted by any other. Only the Thunder Legion chased after him, when he left the bar for the time being, intending to return hours later, and it was just as well. It wasn't him that all the others wanted a piece of.

"Mira," Elfman complained over most everyone else. "What was that? Huh?"

But she didn't answer him, instead heading over to the bar, becoming used to the gazes it seemed, and instead only leaning over it with a sigh as she looked the blushing Lucy in the eyes.

"U-Uh, so…" The celestial mage began. "You and Laxus, huh?"

Mira nodded, but only insisted, "I wanna hear about the rest of your job. Natsu did what to the town?"

"Destroyed it," Lucy said more concisely. "But Mira-"

"Well," Mira offered with a bit of a shrug. "He is known for that."

And Lucy, still wanting all the same juicy information that all the others did, only gave in a bit, nodding as she said, "But maybe one day he'll change."

"Yeah," the barmaid agreed. "Maybe."

.

This is the last thing I got planned for Miraxus week. I know I got all the days jumbled up, but hey, we can only try.

[yakocchi]

My Darling’s the Strongest (Scenario Event) // Leonardo

(graphic is separate from the event)

me: wow i wonder what cool and amazing new content there will be for white day week cybird: we heard from no one that u like reprints that only have new ranking avatars. so heres another reprint that only has new ranking avatars me:

…….cybird it’s ok to not make every event have ranking cards. yea i know they make gangbusters versus events without cards, but if it results in less new scenario events overall… that’s not great

anyway, it’s been like 4 months since a new Count scenario event has been released (which is a better track record than several charas) and i wanted to do a longer string of text to test out a keyboard i ordered. yea im very fickle with my output but ehehe what’s new i archive leo events sometimes, so i decided to dredge one up to translate. i actually wanted to do vlad’s first post-main-route event as a sort of celebration for when it would inevitably happen, but then said scenario event appeared and it ended up being an AU. why does this game like AUs so much? the canon universe already pretty farfetched… u literally have dracula and ure telling me u would rather put him in a situation where he would not be dracula. cowards

This event (first released ~July 2020) was made for the 3rd Anniversary of JP Ikevam later that month. The event was split into two parts, where iirc the first part contained the Count, Arthur, and Mozart. Leo was in the second part with Napo and Isaac.

Spoilers under the cut!! Please credit if you take any of it, thenk u (･ω･*) image-heavy!!

…

The master of the manse, from time to time, starts his conversations with the most unexpected topics. One of those “times”, was today.

...

[Count]: “—So, I’d like the two of you to go out for the Best Couples’ Contest.” [Leonardo & Kara]: “Huh…?” As soon as we had excused ourselves into his quarters, the Count had said something completely unexpected. Leonardo and I had responded with a confused noise spilling out of our lips. (The “Best Couples’ Contest” is that event where they pick the best couple in Paris, right?) (I wonder why he suddenly decided to say he wants us to go.) Even as the two of us stood bewildered in front of him, the Count’s smile remained, untarnished. Leonardo then heaved a massive sigh…

[Leonardo]: “Now, I’m used to you telling me crazy things—" [Leonardo]: “But at the very least, could you give us the entire story, O’ great Count?” The Count began to speak once more—

[Count]: “Well—” [Count]: “Last night, I had visited an acquaintance upon them telling me that they had gotten their hands on some good wine.” [Count]: “At one point, they informed me that they were going to hold a contest to determine the best couple.” [Count]: “Then, they asked me if I was acquainted with any prospective couples for it.” Leonardo then took over from Count as if he had read this story before.

[Leonardo]: “Then, in your drunken state you selfishly entered me and the little sweetheart to the contest, did you?” (And that means… the Count thinks me and Leonardo would have a chance?)

The Count responded to Leonardo’s summation of the events with apparent amusement. [Count]: “I do believe I wasn’t drunk at the time, I’ll have you know?” [Leonardo]: “That’s even worse, then.”

[Count]: “Oh my, Leonardo. Is it really all right for you to say that?” [Leonardo]: “Hah?” [Kara]: “gh-…” The Count had turned in my direction— and so Leonardo, as if in pursuit of the gentleman, then turned to face me as well. Their gazes seemed to urge me to confess my true feelings on the matter, and I earnestly comply.

[Kara]: “Ah-, I… I just thought it sounded fun.” [Kara]: “And on top of that, I’d be really happy if everyone acknowledged me and Leonardo as the best couple.” (Even though I’d be nervous to stand in front of so many people,) (I’d be able to boast that such a wonderful person is my lover…) (And I also think it’d be a good opportunity to see if I’m able to become a suitable woman for Leonardo.)

[Leonardo]: “…” A surprised expression appeared on Leonardo’s face for a moment, before it was replaced with a smile…

[Leonardo]: “Shall we partake?” [Kara]: “Huh? Is it okay?” I had blurted out my question, and Leonardo gently patted my head. [Leonardo]: “This situation’s turned into nothing but a good opportunity, so we might as well have some fun and aim to win this thing, yeah?” [Kara]: “gh- Okay…!” Glad that Leonardo was also interested, my voice naturally gained a bounce to it.

[Kara]: “But, I wonder how they’re going to determine the best couple?” Muttering this, the Count then handed me the invitation, which had a general outline of the event written inside. Promptly opening it, written was—

(The contest is to be a few days from now, and I can look forward to what we’ll be tested on… on the day itself?) The portion I wanted to know about most of all hadn’t been written, and I internally slumped my shoulders.   The invitation concluded with a single line— “The key to victory is to have a mind and soul of love towards one another,” (I guess the ‘mind and soul of love’ is supposed to be a hint, but…) [Kara]: “Hmm… With just this, I don’t know what the contest could be about, at all.” [Leonardo]: “Don’t sweat it, sweetheart.” (Huh?) Leonardo brought his face up close to the Count… And as if he had devised a scheme, a mischievous smile had turned the corners of his lips. [Leonardo]: “You’re close with the contest organizer, right? I’m led to believe that they have some sort of hint on ‘em.” [Count]: “Leonardo…?” [Leonardo]: “We may have willingly chose to participate in the contest— but it doesn’t change the reality that it was our lovely Count who dragged us into this in the first place.” [Leonardo]: “So, naturally, you’re gonna cooperate with us, no?”

As a result of forcing the Count (against his will) to spill the details, we were able to make a guess on what we’d be doing in the contest. But…

most everyone else in this event: (thinking hard on what to do bc they dont kno what the contest is going to cover) leo: fuc it CHEAT

…

[Leonardo]: “…” (…Leonardo has an awfully complicated look on his face right now.) In my mind, I think over our discussion from a moment ago:

The organizer of the couples’ contest appears to have hosted several dance contests as well. To put it plainly, the organizer is both a huge socialite and a huge fan of dances. (So, individuals are called from high society circles to be chosen as the “best couple”, and) (The probability of competing based on our dancing… is high.)

[Leonardo]: “Hagh…” [Kara]: “…Hehe.” Seeing Leonardo’s pouting face, I unwittingly laughed. Then— [Leonardo]: “What are you laughing for, sweetheart?”

[Kara]: “I just remembered something from back before we became lovers.” The conversation of that day, the day where a weakness of his had been exposed, replayed in my head—

…

[Leonardo]: “…I can’t dance.” (Huh…?) [Kara]: “You’ve got to be kidding, right…? You can build and play instruments, and yet…” [Kara]: “Is it because you don’t go to many socialite parties to begin with, so you haven’t had many opportunities to dance….?” [Leonardo]: “No, I’ve participated in ‘em the point where I’ve even had a hand in producing those sorts of dazzling venues.” [Kara]: “’Producing’…” (This person really can do anything and everything. No, no, that’s not true…) [Kara]: “Leonardo, the mystery that surrounds you is only getting deeper and deeper.”

[Leonardo]: “I avoided having to do it.” [Kara]: “…’Avoid’?” [Leonardo]: “…Try to imagine it. Me, dancing?” [Leonardo]: “It doesn’t suit me, I don’t have the look required for it…” (…What… is this?)

[Kara]: “…Hehe, ahaha!” [Leonardo]: “…Hey, sweetheart. What are you laughing for?

…

(He said the same thing back then.) Unable to hold it in, I continued to giggle… [Leonardo]: “Don’t laugh.” [Kara]: “I think you’re the one smiling here, though?” [Leonardo]: “…I’m just feeling terribly nostalgic right now.” Answering me, his eyes held a gentle light within them as if cherishing those days, [Kara]: “You still hate dancing, I assume?” [Leonardo]: “Even to this day, I find it embarrassing to do. Radiant, cheerful stuff doesn’t mesh with me. But—" (Huh?)

The second I wondered if Leonardo was going to start something, he suddenly pulled my waist towards him for an embrace… [Kara]: “Woah, woah-…!” Regaining my senses— Led by Leonardo himself, I properly danced. [Leonardo]: “I’m able to dance like the average person now— and it’s all because you came to keep me company.” While I was still surprised, Leonardo dropped a light kiss on my forehead. [Kara]: “Nn-…” Flustered, I looked up to find a completely composed smile on his face… [Kara]: “…ngh-“ An impulse overwhelming me, I lean my head against his chest.

[Kara]: “…Sly as usual.” [Leonardo]: “Hm?” [Kara]: “Even though I thought I had finally found a weakness of yours, you’ll get over that hurdle too pretty soon.” [Kara]: “When you do things like that, you become sly so smoothly, exquisitely.”

(When he shows this side of him… I get driven to work even harder than before so I can catch up to him.) While even feeling a frustration from it, I turned my gaze back to Leonardo.

[Kara]: “It seems like this world is going to become one where there’s absolutely nothing you can’t do.”

[Leonardo]: “…Maybe?” (…Hm?) For a second it felt as if he were pondering over something, a particular emotion washing over his face.

But before I could say anything, I was swiftly embraced, and that thought of mine scattered, and vanished. [Kara]: “l- Leonardo?” [Leonardo]: “Hey, look there, sweetheart.” (Huh?)

Following Leonardo’s gaze— I could see the dusk dying the sky from a distance away. (Pretty…) The view that he showed me, was beautiful.   But, at the same time… my chest was tightened by this sorrow. (Although the scene before our eyes is the same between us, time passes differently between us…) (During moments like this, I feel that difference.) (However— When we became lovers, I had decided that no matter how different we are, I’m going to embrace the present, make the most out of it.) (I’m going to savor even the passing seconds, cherish them… as we live together, as two.)

As if to confirm he was really there, I embraced his warmth in return… [Kara]: “Leonardo, I’m looking forward to the contest.” [Leonardo]: “Mhm.” In the vivid sunset, we smiled to each other.

…

—Time passed, and the night of the contest arrived at last.

…

(W-Wow…) When we had entered the venue in our formalwear, there were several couples eagerly waiting for the contest to start. (All of the people here have to be participants for the contest, huh. …Somehow, my heart’s pounding.) I took a deep breath to calm myself down, and when I did that— Leonardo, as if to soothe my heart, lightly stroked my hair. [Leonardo]: “Why is it necessary for you to feel all anxious?” [Kara]: “Leonardo?” [Leonardo]: “To the point where there’s just no way we can lose to any couple here— I love you, you know.”

[Leonardo]: “—Well, and you?” Inquiring me, his smile was brimming with self-confidence… And caught up in his mood, I smiled cheerfully.

[Kara]: “I love you too— to the point where it’s impossible for us lose to anyone…!”

[Leonardo]: “Heh… Very nice, then.” [Judge]: “—And so, the contest shall begin now. The means of competition is to be by dance.” (Ah-…!) We look to each other, and Leonardo, extending his hand towards me, says, [Leonardo]: “Kara… You’ll do me the honor of a dance, no…?”

PREMIUM END

[Kara]: “Yes, I’d be delighted!” (Even though I was so nervous about this until now… Now, I can’t help but just be excited about it.) (I want everyone to quickly feast their eyes on our dancing, and our bond!) Taking his hand, I nestled close to him as an elegant melody began to echo within the dance hall. To become a flower that offsets the man before me, I step forward—

…

—When the contest had ended without a hitch, the both of us walked along the moonlit Seine as we made our way home. The chilly breeze felt pleasant on my heated skin. [Kara]: “We really were able to win!” (I was able to prove my bond with Leonardo to all of Paris… I’m so happy that I can’t stop a smile from showing on my face.) [Leonardo]: “I did say we wouldn’t lose to anyone, didn’t I?” [Leonardo]: “But, well, to think… the winning prize was a year’s supply of wine of all things. ‘Guess sensuality and allure are as good as goddamn useless to them.”

he’s trying to say that he doesn’t like the prize cuz it isn’t very sensual/sexy (suppose he imagined a prize for a lovers’ contest would be more along those lines). even Arthur in the epilogue is like “…thought the prize for a best couples’ contest would be more special”….

[Kara]: Hehe, it’s a nice prize, isn’t it? Let’s drink it with everyone else in the manse.” [Leonardo]: “If you’re satisfied with it, that’s good, I suppose.” As he spoke, Leonardo looked to be the same as usual, but his eyes reflected some kind of joy from within. (I’m glad that this will become a lovely memory I’ll have about him.) (…But, even then) The very sight of Leonardo of when I had danced with him in the dance hall, wouldn’t leave my head. [Kara]: “Your dancing was really, really stunning.” [Kara]: “As I had always thought… you’re the strongest one around.” [Leonardo]: “What’s all this about, hmm?”

i probably should’ve bothered explaining it last year since i used the title “My Darling’s the Strongest” for the other translation but uh might as well do it now that it’s explicitly used in the story so by “strongest”, it doesn’t necessarily mean physical strength (though it can be). It’s “strongest” as in a form of “mightiest” or “most powerful”, kind of like when someone says “my baseball team is the strongest in the league”,

[Kara]: “I just think that you’re the mightiest lover as there’s nothing you can’t do.” Carried away by the thrill of victory, I professed my thoughts. In doing so Leonardo’s brows lowered, and a bit of a troubled smile graced his lips. [Leonardo]: “If I’m able to put some effort into it, then I guess there’s really nothing I can’t do. But…”

[Leonardo]: “There is something I simply cannot do, no matter how hard I try.” (Huh…?) [Kara]: “Something you can’t do… I can’t imagine such a thing existing.” He was undoubtedly an almighty genius, and was also the type of person willing to confront even his awkward dancing skills head-on.

At my murmurs, Leonardo continued as if the topic was no big deal.

[Leonardo]: “It exists.” [Leonardo]: “I cannot become an ordinary human.”

(gh-…) His words had vanished into the night breeze.

I inadvertently stopped in my tracks, and he stopped as well… and the both of us stood still in that one corner.

In my current view, the moonlight illuminated his figure as he stood before me. [Leonardo]: “As a pureblood vampire,” [Leonardo]: “I give you much loneliness— A loneliness that, if I were an ordinary human, you would never have to experience.” [Leonardo]: “However, if I went and lamented over every single little detail of that truth, I would be rendered unable to be with you. —Thus from the very beginning, I do not intend to lament either.” [Leonardo]: “I’m going to use as much of my power as I possibly can to grant your wishes, and that’s all.” (Using his power, my wishes…) I recalled the exchange we had a few days ago:

…

[Kara]: “Ah-, I… I just thought it sounded fun.” [Kara]: “And on top of that, I’d be really happy if everyone acknowledged me and Leonardo as the best couple.” [Leonardo]: “…”

…

[Kara]: “Did… you say that we should go and try to win the contest… merely because I…” With a smile, Leonardo proceeded to stare intently at me. [Leonardo]: “Well, there’s that, but additionally… I had the same motive as you had.” [Leonardo]: “I also had wanted the both of us to be acknowledged as the best couple.” [Leonardo]: “I wanted news to spread that I had been able to become the man of such a wonderful woman, you know.”   (gh- Leonardo…) Leonardo, whenever and wherever, envelops me in his great, unparalleled affection. Roused by the surging love within me, I went to grip his hand.

[Kara]: “…Leonardo, I want to be by your side tonight, and all night.” (I want to give him, in return for the love I received from him… those same feelings, that same love.) (I want him… to feel my love as well.)

[Leonardo]: “…” [Kara]: “gh- Ah-!” I was suddenly yanked towards him; and almost stumbling over my feet, it had closed the distance between us. Bringing his lips to my ear, he whispered:

[Leonardo]: “What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing.”

…

—As soon as we entered his room, we melded, deeply kissing each other. [Leonardo]: “…Hah-, Kara…” He called my name with a wet, heady timbre between kisses, the sensuality of it making me go lightheaded. Crowded atop the bed, he pried my lips open with his finger… [Leonardo]: “Thinking about it, I haven’t received a reward from you yet.” [Kara]: “’Reward’…?” [Leonardo]: “When I’m feeling, touching you like this… I know that you’re not so dumb to be oblivious to what I want?” [Kara]: “ngh-…” Taking a guess on what he desired from me, I slowly brought my face closer to his.

[Leonardo]: “Good girl. Come on— Try to turn me on with a kiss?”

FIN

yes the event really stops here before the epilogue teaser. cybird when a sexi scene is about to start:

since this was a glorified keyboard test, this is mostly a one-off… so don’t expect leo translations from me otherwise ahah

u know, it’s always weird to me that leo’s stuff is always very sorrowful bc of the vast diff in lifespan, humans vs. vampires thing. like, does he not plan to turn her into a vampire? the wedding stuff makes it sound like they’d like to be together forever but they still don’t really like to broach the topic itself……… kinda sus given that the Count’s stuff gets several mentions of biting in events and vlad clearly doesn’t mind biting whenever (and is just waiting for her to give him the go-ahead). ive seen some ppl talk about how maybe leo likes her because she’s human (both as in being a literal human and the figurative idea of being “human”) and honestly……… it is kinda messed up to think about, but i can see it LOL now im not saying the other pureblood x mc relationships are super healthy but that’s a convo for another time

well at least these guys don’t have to ask someone for vampire-turning assistance. im imagining one of the other charas having to ask the Count to bite mc akin to how teenagers have to ask their parents to drive them and their friends around to do stuff…….. who wants to relive that nightmare

also sorry if like leo’s voice doesn’t match up with w/e the official engl localization does. ive literally never played an engl cybird game in my life, so it’s a crime of ignorance i swear. tho imo if they’re not making him sound like a rascal… that’s very lame, im not gonna lie

the epilogue is obviously not available for purchase rn, but please buy it and/or support the game with purchases when you can!!

As always, thanks for reading!

(gif source)

[krreader]

good for you | chapter 5.

pairing: teacher!kim seokjin x student!reader fandom: bts warnings: non idol!au ; college!au ; student x teacher relationship ; language ; sex ; dirty talk genre: smut ; crack ; angst previous: 1 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4 word count: 1.8k+

summary: when you’re in dire need for more credits and your roommate finds a course that she wants to participate in but doesn’t want to go alone, you get dragged with her and end up in the class of kim seokjin, the new Korean teacher. suddenly all those stories, movies and shows about a romance between a professor and his student made sense, because how could you not fall for someone who looked like that?

a/n: this is so long overdue, but here it is my friends. finally.

“I have to say,” the waiter brought out your food, you finally having something to focus on other than your extremely handsome teacher Mr. Kim, “This is a little weird. I've never went to dinner with my teacher.”

“If this makes you uncomfortable..-”

Jin understood where you were coming from. He certainly hadn’t pictured himself having dinner with one of his students like this either.

“Oh no! No, that's not what I meant,” you quickly said, shaking your head, “I just mean that this is all new for me.”

“Well, if you want, we can talk about school stuff. Or maybe you could practice your Korean. After all, the test will be very soon.”

“I'm confident,” you said, beginning to dig in without mercy. You hadn't eaten all day because you thought you'd go on that date with Taehyung.. but clearly not, “Not like Perry. All she learns are words that will help her argue with Jeongguk.”

“It's really interesting to me that she was the one who dragged you to my course, yet you're the one that's studying for it and she's not.”

“I need the extra credits.. and I really like the language. I always wanted to learn it ever since I became friends with Jeongguk and Jimin.”

“And.. Taehyung?”

“Oh,” your shoulders dropped, just like your smile, “He's not a friend..”

“You're right. He's not a friend. And he's not worth your time,” Jin narrowed his eyes at you while taking a sip of his drink.

“I try telling myself that, too, you know? But I guess it's easier for other people to say than for myself to understand it,” you shrugged, “Whatever. It's fine.. You seem to be good company too, so I'm content.”

That made Jin smile brightly, almost proudly, “Then a toast to good company, good food and..-”

“..-and assholes who don't show up to dates.”

You both laughed and continued to do so throughout the entire night.

You and your professor had a chemistry that you couldn't deny, you still hadn't forgotten about that time you and him had almost kissed, but tonight wasn't awkward like you feared it would be at first. And maybe that was because of the alcohol that you both consumed and the fact that, by the end of the dinner, all you two could do was laugh and lull, but it was great fun and you really appreciated him being with you, because if he hadn’t, you would have gone home and bawled your eyes out after the guy that you thought you liked so much had stood you up like an idiot.

Him and you talked about your lives, about your interests, about the future.. you actually had really interesting and deep conversations, at least up until the alcohol had gotten to your heads.

Then it was just.. a mess.

“My apartment is soooooo far away,” you complained when you and him were finally out of the restaurant, “That asshole made me drive so much for him. Fuck Taehyung.”

“Yeah.. well, no,” Jin laughed, “Don't fuck Taehyung. He's not worth it.”

“Yeah, right,” you snort-laughed, falling against his chest and Jin, being as drunk as you were, wrapping an arm around you without thinking about whether or not that was ‘proper’.

Though, ‘proper’ was not a word that he thought about at all tonight.

“I'll get you a taxi.”

And see, if you had just said yes in that moment, or if you had just nodded or if you hadn't even said a word and just gotten into that goddamn car that he tried to hail for you, then none of this would have happened.

But you were still upset about having been stood up, your pride was hurt, your teacher was still looking like a sex god and you weren't thinking straight anymore, so what you said next, sounded like a good idea in your head in your drunken state at the time, but never in a million years would you have been so forward if you had been sober, “Nooo, don't. I want to go home with you,” you grabbed the lapels of his coat and came dangerously close to him, grinning seductively.. or tried to, “I want to be with you tonight.”

And see, if Jin was in any other state, he definitely would have pushed you into that taxi, he would have wanted you to say something like that when you were thinking clearly - even if he still tried to deny that -, but his own mind was clouded with lust for you, with alcohol and with.. loneliness, quite frankly.

“My, my, my.. you want to go home with your teacher, Ms. (Y/L/N)? That is quite naughty.”

“I've been thinking about it ever since I first met you, you know?” you whispered, biting down on your lip.

You were obviously both consenting here, that wasn't the issue, the issue was that once you'd cross that line, there was no going back from it. This boundary of teacher/student that could be crossed, but really shouldn’t be.

Neither of you realized that though.

Not when you followed him home, not when he pushed you against his closed door as soon as you were inside and not when he finally entered you after having spent absolutely zero time with foreplay, because neither of you were willing to wait any longer to really feel each other.

“Fuck,” you moaned out, arching your back into his soft mattress, “You feel so fucking good.”

“I imagined this so many times,” Jin chuckled against your throat, pulling out and then pushing into you as hard as before, biting down on your neck when you almost screamed his name, relishing in the feeling of how tight you felt around him.

“Me too,” you gulped down hard, “My best friend is going to kill me for this though, you know? She wants you so bad.. everyone wants you so bad..”

“Hmm,” Jin pushed himself up a little and then kissed you in an almost sweet manner, before whispering, “I only want you, though.”

And he really meant it, even if you couldn’t comprehend it and he wouldn’t remember having said it.

The sex wasn't rough, but it wasn't soft either. It was the perfect middle ground that made you both moan out each others names for a surprisingly long amount of time.

You would assume that being drunk would make him cum sooner, but nope. Your teacher proved to you that he had stamina and was rather creative when it came to positions.

And you and your three – yes, you heard that correctly, first time with him and he managed to make you orgasm three times, your ex-boyfriend should have signed up for a fucking class with him too – orgasms were very grateful.

Naturally the act was also a bit clumsy, but that almost made it even better. Sex didn’t always have to be super passionate and rough, tonight was fun, you two laughed, you two moaned, you two screamed eventually.. it was a good time and your sober self – if this weren't your teacher – would agree with you. In that moment, you wouldn’t have wanted it to be any different.

You've never had better sex in your life and never had a more handsome looking partner.

Thankfully, even in your drunken state, you hadn't been stupid and Jin had used a condom, eventually spilling everything he had to offer inside of it and moaning your name over and over again, like it was some sort of prayer.

Both of you were completely drenched in sweat, the sheets beneath you felt disgusting, but you yourself didn't.

Your legs were still wrapped around him, you could feel him soften inside of you, yet neither you nor him wanted to move, both too tired and too comfortable in the current state.

Your breathing was heavy and so was his weight on top of you, but instead of pushing him off, you actually pulled him closer, your fingertips gently running over his back.

You didn't say anything for a long time, only when he pushed himself up and looked at you did you ask, so low, as if you were afraid of the answer – which you didn't understand why: “Do you want me to go?”

But Jin's smile was soft and his lips on your forehead even softer, “No. Stay.”

And so you did. After you had washed up, you had cuddled into his chest and he had wrapped his arms around you, something so domestic that made both of you giddy like teenagers.

You had sobered up a little at this point, but not enough to realize that what you had just done would have immense consequences.

In that moment, you were just a normal woman and he just a normal man who had enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

And you both wished this moment would never end.

But it did.

It ended when you fell asleep.

It ended when you woke up and accepted that call from your best friend.

“Do you need me to come and get you?!” Perry was immediately alarmed, “Where are you, tell me, I'm already there!”

“No, no, no,” you whispered, tiptoeing into the bathroom with your clothes, “No, fuck, no. Just.. I'm okay. Give me.. thirty minutes, okay?”

“(Y/N), I really..-”

“I'm fine, Perry!”

You couldn't very well tell her where you were, or why you were there.

She might be your best friend, but she would certainly not approve of this. The man she had wanted to fuck – even if only to get back at her ex-boyfriend – as well as your teacher having been your sex buddy last night?

Nah, that wasn't a good look. You couldn't tell anyone about this and you were sure that he’d feel the same way once he’d wake up.

What the fuck were you thinking, (Y/N)?! This was such a bad idea! 

You put on your clothes in a hurry, then checked and made sure Jin was still asleep, before hurrying out of his apartment and jumping into the first taxi that was free.

You barely remembered last night.

You remembered Taehyung standing you up, you being upset and then Jin coming along. You remembered him and you having dinner and then things started to get foggy. After that there's only snippets.

You remembered..-

You pressed your eyes shut as well as your thighs when heat rushed back between your legs at the memories of what you had done.

You still felt him on your body. His lips on your throat, his hands gliding over your legs, his dick pushing in and out of you.. and.. it felt so good that you felt ashamed.

He was your teacher. Your fucking teacher!

And even though this wasn't against the rules, didn't mean that it had been a good idea.

Especially because.. you.. kinda wanted to do it all again.

[mutenized]

The Choice Bit of Calico (Chapter One)

Ship: Thomas Shelby x Reader

Characters: Thomas Shelby, Billy Kimber, Ada Shelby, Polly Shelby, Finn Shelby, Arthur Shelby, John Shelby, mentions of Freddie Thorne

Warning(s): mentions of blood, war, and violence (obviously), maybe a slow burn?, forbidden romance, inner conflict, heartache, rebellion. Intended smut. In this chapter there is a bit of time skipping; only 3 times I believe.

A/N: Choice Bit of Calico was slang in the 1920s for a desirable woman. The prologue to this series can be found HERE. HAHA two chapters in one sitting AND posting it before the original post dates? WOAAHHH. Also this one’s a long one so buckle up.

Synopsis: You are the sibling of Billy Kimber. Living with him in London, you heard of nursing classes offered at a church in Birmingham near where you and your older brother were born. It was during World War I and you wanted to do something to help the soldiers from your country as well as the allied countries. Living in your childhood home until you were sent back to London to work at the Veteran’s Hospital, you never forgot about the firey brunette who wanted to do the same as you. Keeping in touch, you both wrote letters back and forth until one fateful day you find yourself back in Birmingham, bags in hand, to take care of an ailing family member. Who knew the moment you got off the train your whole life would change?

Words: 2594

MASTERLIST

A month had passed since you arrived in Birmingham, three weeks since you started the nursing classes at the church, and two weeks since you bonded with the witty yet quick thinking brunette in the class whom you found out was named Ada. You had been partnered to evaluate one another’s quick first aid techniques when it all sparked. Taking suggestions from one another at a pub on the side of town your brother warned you to stay away from turned into meeting her younger brother Finn and Aunt Polly who lived on Watery Lane which evolved into having dinners with the three of them every Wednesday, drinks every Saturday, and breakfast every Sunday.

Ada’s family soon became your own, learning of her three brothers who were over in Europe; the oldest in the Ottoman Empire, the second oldest in France, and the last stationed in a location that was to be kept top secret. When no letters arrived in the post, you were there for the distressed duo. Whether it was help around the house as they try to find out from people in their inner circles if there were any reports of the three men to infirmaries or morgues or even keep the news away from little Finn who was only seven years of age. You found that he enjoyed helping you around in the gardens on nice days and telling you about his favorite types of horses. Though you knew nothing of the animal other than the fact they can be used in racing and that they were being overworked in London for carriage rides though cars were becoming more readily available, you listened to him jammer on and on until he became too hungry or tired to continue.

You hoped for the three of them that the three men over at war would come home safely. For the first time in ages, you prayed.

Two more months passed, and you were three months into the nursing class. Nearing the ending of the courses, it had been decided by the instructor, a nurse at one of the largest hospitals in the south, that you and Ada were both not fit for in field work but, due to both of your wonderful communication skills, that working with veterans that were in rehabilitation or facing treatments for their injuries was the best choice. Seeing that the closest veteran’s hospital was back in London, you faced conflict. Continue living in Birmingham and risk Billy finding out you aren’t finding any work in the medical field but rather conversing and being social with those you grew close to, which would result in him dragging you back to London under his supervision, or take the job that was offered to you at Imperial Order Of the Daughters Of The Empire Hospital and live on your own until the war was over and see what the future held. 

Choosing to go back to London on your own accord was heartbreaking to you, it was like the last day of primary school before you were homeschooled by the tutor your brother hired. You felt as if you would never see Ada or her family again as well as the other friends you had made. On the last night before your departure, Polly had invited you over for drinks with her and Ada. Finn was at a friend’s house for the night which left the lot of you free to drink without worrying about being too loud or filtering your stories in case Finn decided to play spy in the middle of the night. With your trunk sitting by the front entrance as well as the suitcase you had brought with you, you sat around the round table with the two other women you had become so close to. They had already given you a present for good luck. A pristine nurse uniform that Polly had seen a usual at the pub’s wife wear one day as they crossed paths on the street laid unfolded on the table as the three of them admired the soon-to-be-fleeting cleanliness of it. Ada, on the other hand, had gifted you a golden locket with a photo of the two of you that a man had taken while testing out the newest camera to come out. That day you and Ada, drunk off your asses, tried to sit as still as you could as the camera process as slow as a snail. “I remember we went from The Garrison into that damned parlor. It was a fuckin’ shame we went there first. Imagine all of the drunken shopping we would’ve done.” Ada jabbed, causing you to laugh so hard you spilt your drink all over you robe.

That night, words of advice, stories of family and friends, and songs were sung until your eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. The next thing you could remember was Polly waking you up, Finn on her side with tears in his eyes. “This one was picked up this morning and wants to go with ya’ to London.” Polly smiled sullenly, your eyes softening from the groggy, hungover state they were into something more awake and less irritated. Your heart broke as you saw tears on the boy’s cheeks.

“Oh Finn, you know I’d love to take you and Pol and Ada to London with me,” You began, thumb brushing off the tears that rested on his cheeks, “But I can’t take you three, which breaks my heart. But, with you here with them, I know you’re going to protect them, right?” With a sad nod, Finn fell into your chest as he cuddles up into you one last time. It was hard saying goodbye to them, but Finn’s sadness really made the decision settle in. Pressing a kiss to the boy who you considered your little brother’s forehead, you pick him up and begin to say goodbye to Polly and Ada, sad smiles all around as you grab your trunk and suitcase. A honk sounded which signaled your exit, a final wave as you loaded your items into the car’s backseat before joining the driver in the front. “To the trains please.” You spoke, settling into the seat though it was a short ride.

4 years passed, many patients that you had helped were back finding their ways through their daily life once again. Within those four years you had always kept in touch with Ada and Polly, writing letters back and forth about what has gone on in each other’s lives. One day, a letter came for you, Ada’s flourish on the envelope. The note read:

“(Y/N),

Obviously, you’ve heard that the war’s over, thank fucking God (I don’t think I would have lasted if it went on for any longer). With that, all three brothers are home and the chaos has picked up right where it was left off. Arthur is being a dumbass, Thomas is being a hard-ass, and John is being a jackass.

I miss having you here, you’re my last hope of sanity in all honesty. I think you were Polly’s as well, having seen that I’ve been sneaking out to visit Freddie Thorne. Oh, (Y/N), I have so much I need to tell you but so little I can write without having Thomas go through my shit. Let’s hope this gets to you soon, I don’t think I’ll last in this god forsaken house one last minute with the way the ass trio continues to act.

Will you come visit soon? Did they offer you a job?

Please write back soon, it’s the only thing I look forward to now,

Ada”

Laughing at the thought of stubborn Ada dealing with her brothers, you looked around your London apartment and sighed. You had notified your brother that you were moving back to Birmingham to help with the veterans down in Small Heath. Under the guise of the hospital having a volunteer program being funded, Billy handed you over the keys before sending you out of his office. “Anything else? The races are starting soon, and this damn horse keeps fucking winning.” He had grumbled causing you to roll your eyes and head back to your own apartment to pack. Now, with the letter in your hand and the key in your jacket pocket as well as a train ticket, you grinned widely. Ada always found joy in surprises, though they were always small ones like when you sent her imported cigarettes for her birthday.

In the matter of twenty-four hours you went from living in London with a well-paying job and new experiences to living in Small Heath, Birmingham with no job, a house, and one family who cared for you. Gazing out the window of the cab you caught, you pay him the pounds before stepping out. “How much for you to help me bring the trunks inside?” You inquire, the man letting out a solid laugh, much to your misery. “Oi, I drive a cab, not own a fuckin’ moving company. Should have thought of getting one.” He spat, helping you take out the trunks you packed before speeding off. Cursing him under your breath, you used all the strength you could muster to drag the heavy trunks into the foyer and leaving them there. No way were you getting those things upstairs. Not tonight, at least. You had more important things to tend to, anyways. Like visiting Polly and Ada, hopefully. You prayed that they were at the house in Watery Lane and not out dealing with some ‘family matters’ as Ada would explain.

Finding the trunk that you had packed with clothes and shoes, you pulled out the outfit you had planned for surprising the duo. Pulling out the cornflower blue silk chiffon dress, you paired them with the white button up shoes that a soldier’s wife had gifted you for saving his life when he randomly fell ill. Tucking the locket Ada had gifted you all those years ago into the top of your dress, you quickly fixed the pattern curls of your hair before grabbing the golden compact you had carried always and key to your house. Setting down the roads as the sun was beginning to set, you noticed the abundance of men who bore flat caps that had tip’s that, when the light caught it correctly, gleamed in the light whose appearances multiplied in number the closer you drew to the house of Polly. Worry settled in but you didn’t let it phase your emotions physically.

The nerves in your stomach seemed to spread as you felt eyes on you when you walked up the steps to the house you frequented not so long ago. Either way, you knocked at the door hard enough it was heard and took a step back. Rolling on the balls of your feet, you waited for the door to open and when it did? You were met with a man who was slightly taller than you with a freckled face and striking blue eyes. Before either of you could even speak, you heard the sound of running feet across the wooden floors before seeing a taller, spritelier, Finn.

“(Y/N)! You’re back! When did you come back!?” The now eleven-year-old inquired, a grin on your face. The man in front of you seemed confused, but still never took his calculating gaze off of you. “I came in this afternoon! I’m movin’ back down to my house, remember when you and Ada came over and had a picnic in the parlor?” You grinned, the boy nodding furiously before turning to the group that had formed at the door.

“Arthur, Tommy, John! This is (Y/N), Ada’s friend! They met at those nursing classes Ada took four years ago!” Finn informed the brothers, realization coming across their face.

“(Y/N), nice to meet ya’. ‘m John, that tall, lanky one is Arthur, and the statue here is Thomas, call ‘im Tommy though. Thomas is too formal for ‘im.” The youngest out of the three, John, spoke with a smirk on his face. Moving aside, the men let you in before the eldest, Arthur, spoke up.

“So what brings ya’ back to Small Heath? Can’t be better from where you’re comin’ from.” A chuckle left his lips as you sat down at the kitchen table comfortably, too comfortable for the middle brother, Tommy’s, liking. “You know you should wait for Polly before you sit. It’s a bit rude.” His gravelly voice rang in your head and his piercing blue eyes stared into yours. You could tell he was waiting for you to submit. That wasn’t going to happen, that’s for sure.

“Oh, I’m moving back from London. Worked at Imperial Order Of the Daughters Of The Empire Hospital until about three days ago. Decided to move back here since I feel more at home here. Like seeing the horses on the street being taken care of rather than being beat down for not being fast enough at the carriage rides, you know?” You start out, focusing your gaze on Arthur who settled in his seat across from you before turning to Tommy.

“Would you like to see my correspondence with Pol, as well, Tommy? I don’t carry her notes on me but I do have them back at my house here in Small Heath. If you’d want to take a stroll with a lowly Londoner, then let it happen. Just know the days the two of them hadn’t heard anything from you lot I was here, helping around the house and with Finn,” pausing, you look between the three who seem taken aback that you didn’t crush under the gaze of Tommy who was now glaring daggers at you, “Not to say your lack or correspondence is directly your fault, but they worried. They were scared you had died and didn’t want Finn to hear the discussions of phoning local morgues that received army men’s bodies.”

Before Tommy could retort, a gasp from the front door was heard. Polly. Grinning wide, you instantly shot up from the chair you relaxed in and made your way to engulf the woman in a tight hug. With tears in your eyes, you pulled back to look over the woman with a smile. “(Y/N), what are you doing here!? I…I’m fuckin’ speechless. Does Ada know you’re here? Are you just visiting?” Her questions continued on just as Finn’s did in which you answered them all with the brightest, happiest tone in your voice. It wasn’t until her eyes locked with an annoyed Thomas that she realized she wasn’t there to greet her and neither was Ada.

“Hope they didn’t give you a hard time,” she whispered before steeling up and turning to the three men, “This is Miss (Y/N). She’s a family friend, if I hear anything about any of you thinking with your cocks and not your brains, I’ll fuckin’ beat ‘ya. She doesn’t deserve the crock of shit you three stew. Now, (Y/N), come with me. I have a lot to catch you up on.”

With that, you were guided into the parlor, unknowing to the booming business behind the curtain in the kitchen. You were also unaware of the burning blue eyes that scanned you from head to toe as you left. Another thing you were unaware of? The fact you just walked into the den of the Peaky Blinders and that you, Billy Kimber’s kid sister, were an unknown enemy by fault. This was going to become the beginning of the most trivial times.

[asthesamcroflies]

Hi can I get an imagine with Happy. The reader works with Gemma and Happy has a crush on her. One night they run into each other in a bar and they're a little drunk he takes her home where they get it on. She thinks its a one night so she gets up to go but he stops her and tells her he likes her and to stay. Definitely smutty with a cute ending please

So, I also had a separate request which just stated Happy Lowman/smutty/#26 and thought I’d incorporate the two... Enjoy!

Prompt 26: “You’re a little hostile right now...”

Night One

He didn’t usually get drunk, not in the traditional sense. He’d have to let his guard down for that and Happy Lowman did not let his guard down. Not usually anyway.

But he’d agreed to catch up with some fellow former nomads in a bar they used to frequent back in the day and had ended up drinking more than he’d intended. Not that he couldn’t hold his liquor. But yeah, all things considered, it had been a weird night. So much had changed. Just not for him.

Tank cutting out early had been the final straw. It turned out the burly biker who’d left the nomad life behind to land with the Samdino crew a couple of years ago, a man who had once swore he needed nothing more than his bike and his cut, now had an old lady and twin babies to consider. Tank, for Christ’s sake. Two babies.

Happy – fearless, intimidating Happy – found the mere thought mildly terrifying.

Actually, of the six of them – six guys known to put the fear of god in those who dared cross them or their club, six die-hard bachelors who lived their lives on the road – four were now firmly tied down in a way they’d always vowed they never would be.

That left Mouse and Happy himself still free to indulge in whatever the hell they pleased.

Where once that would have made Happy smug though, now it rankled at him. Not least because he knew nothing would please his ma more than to see him finally settle down. Landing in Charming with the mother charter had been the compromise that allowed him to check in on her, given her advancing years and sometimes poor health. But where his Samcro brothers had old ladies, kids and community ties, he still might as well have been a nomad in all but name – living out of the clubhouse, indulging in the easy pussy that flocked to the place, but never letting anyone get too close. There just wasn’t anyone who—

“Watch it,” he growled, as someone bumped into him, sending his drink sloshing over his hand. “Or I’ll… You.”

“Uh, Happy, hey. Sorry, shit, I’m such a klutz.”

The tall, gruff Son had no idea what to say to the woman stood in front of him. He never did. Not when she was holed up in the Teller-Morrow office with Gemma, not when she was casually strolling across the yard or through the garage, and especially not when she was stood before him in some dive bar in a tiny dress that barely covered her ass, those big eyes slightly hazy with alcohol as she gazed up at him.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, genuinely surprised to see her out of her usual habitat, but realising too late that the simple question unintentionally sounded less like small talk and more like some kind of interrogation.

“Uh, you’re a little hostile right now…” she said, somewhat defensively. “I am allowed a life outside TM, you know.”

Was she? Of course, she was. Well, it depended on what she meant by a life. The concept hadn’t really crossed Happy’s mind until now, and he found himself frowning at the thought of it. As far as he was concerned, her place was in the TM office. And unwittingly starring in the vast majority of the fantasies that drifted into his mind when he wasn’t entirely focused on work.

Obviously, he realised that the scenarios he pictured all too vividly were utterly incompatible with reality. She wasn’t some croweater, easy pussy. For a start, unlike most of the club girls, she had absolutely no idea the effect she had on him. For all he knew, this life she was apparently entitled to could include a boyfriend. Husband even. The thought rankled him more than he cared to admit, even to himself.

“Just… didn’t expect to see you here,” he muttered, realising he was just staring at her and shifting his dark gaze almost guiltily from those tantalising bare legs. Taking in her plump, glossy lips instead didn’t help in the slightest.

“I’ll get you another beer,” she offered, with a little eager-to-please smile, swaying on her heels just a little as she flagged down the barman. “Since I made you spill…”

And in the end, he’d let her. That was how they’d ended up talking most of the night, slow though the conversation was to ignite. Turned out she was there with a girlfriend who’d abandoned her in favour of some guy. Going back to the clubhouse had eventually been Happy’s idea. He was just surprised it was one he’d voiced out loud – and that she’d agreed. Maybe that life of hers didn’t actually include another man after all…

So that was where they’d ended up, back at TM. Both of them were now on more comfortable turf in familiar surroundings and, having raided the clubhouse bar, well on their way towards a new level of drunkenness.

“This might be the most we’ve ever talked,” she giggled, leaning against his shoulder as they sat on top of one of the picnic tables outside in the growing darkness. “You never talk to me, Happy. Don’t you like me?”

The Samcro enforcer didn’t know how to answer that. How could a man with his reputation admit that he didn’t have the courage to talk to a woman he actually liked the idea of for more than a quick fuck? As it turned out, her own Dutch courage negated the need for an answer from him.

Instead, her mouth simply crashed onto his.

She tasted of the vodka she’d been knocking back and something sweet that might have been whatever was slicked on her lips to make them look so damn irresistible and he kissed her back with a hunger that wasn’t exactly a familiar sensation for him. For once, he didn’t just want to get his dick wet courtesy of the first willing body – he wanted her. Specifically her.

“Not here,” he growled, drunk on booze and the intoxicating scent of her perfume, but not too drunk to register that they were too close to the main door to avoid an audience for long. And he wasn’t okay with that, not with her.

Making it to his dorm room was something of a blur though, as if the world flipped into fast forward, only to grind back down to slow motion when somehow she was under him on his bed in just tiny scraps of hot pink lace. He was pretty sure those delicate panties ripped in his big hands in his determination to get them off her, but he had to have her before she drove him out of his goddamn mind.

The groan he drew from her when his tongue plundered her wet heat went straight to his cock.

“Oh god, Happy…” she moaned, her short, neat nails raking over his shaved scalp and practically sending a shiver down his spine.

Part of him wanted to just eat her out until she screamed for mercy, but another part – the part of him that was achingly hard for her – needed something more. And it seemed that was what she wanted too, as instead of complaining when he pulled away, she simply lay there breathless and taking in the sight of his lean, inked torso while he retrieved a condom from the night-stand.

His hand curled lightly around her slim throat and, in one long, slow thrust, he buried himself to the hilt inside her, muttering dark curses at the feel of how tight she was around his throbbing cock.

“Happy…”

His name on her lips was practically a whine as her legs wrapped around his pistoning hips, her heels digging into the backs of his thighs and her hands reaching back to grip the headboard of the bed, stretching out her gloriously naked body for him.

“Fuck, yes,” she groaned, her laboured breath hot on his ear. “Harder…”

For once, Happy did as he was told.

The hand around her throat slipped downwards the fullness of her tits, cupping, squeezing the firm flesh, pinching her dusky nipples as he slowed the pace of his thrusts, wanting this to last if it was probably going to be the only chance he got.

She bit her lower lip, her head thrown back and her hips meeting his perfectly as she focused on chasing the orgasm that seemed to be brewing low in her belly.

“Happy, please…” she ground out, one hand leaving the headboard to trail down her own stomach and between her legs, her fingers grazing his slick cock as it slipped in and out of her, before finding the tiny bundle of nerves they had been seeking out.

He only let her rub frantically at her clit for a second, then firmly gripped her wrist and drew her hand away, guiding it back to the headboard with a glare and a shake of his head. If she wanted to cum, he didn’t need any fucking help getting her there.

The biker picked up the pace again, slamming into her hard and fast as she cried out in pleasure, her eyes squeezing closed. His hand cupped her cheek at that, getting her attention.

“Look at me,” Happy demanded roughly, his own breathing getting ragged with his exertions.

Her eyes opened, meeting his and he swallowed hard, letting his thumb trace over her full lower lip, prompting her to gently suck on the digit. When his hand finally slipped away, it trailed down her body, over skin flushed and covered in tiny beads of sweat, and sought out her clit just as she had.

It was somehow too much and not enough all at once and her hips arched helplessly towards his, her thighs clenching and her body trembling as she cried out.

“Oh, Happy, fuck, fuck, fuck…” she all but sobbed. “I’m… I’m gonna cum… I’m… Oh, fuuuuuck!”

With a flare of masculine pride at the response he could induce in her, Happy held out for as long as he could, jaw clenched as he fucked her through the intensity of her orgasm. But the vise-like grip of her soaked pussy around his cock quickly won out and he soon came hard and with a roar that he muffled against her throat, before collapsing down on top of her.

“Jesus…” she sighed breathlessly, as he shifted his weight off her to lie on his back by her side, trying to get his breath back and dashing sweat from his brow with his forearm.

Neither of them spoke. Nothing that came to Happy’s tongue seemed right and the silence soon stretched out between them uncomfortably, even as his brain berated him and told him he was in danger of completely fucking up whatever the hell had just happened.

Sure enough, she started to shift away from him, awkwardness creeping in and, despite what had just transpired between them, making her wrap herself in the tangled sheets and clutch them to her chest.

“Uh, I guess you probably want me to go…” she said softly.

His head snapped towards her at that, but she already had her back to him and didn’t see the look on his face.

“It’s okay,” she continued, obviously not wanting to make the whole situation any more awkward than it had to be. “I’ve been around enough to know how it works, Hap.”

“Stay.”

His low voice was rougher than ever, more hesitant than he’d ever been about anything. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“Stay. Uh, please?”

She turned, wide-eyed. The Tacoma Killer didn’t say please.

“You… You don’t have to do this,” she tried hesitantly, trying to second-guess what was going on here. “One night, that’s the deal, right?”

He shrugged, feigning a casualness he really didn’t feel. “Doesn’t have to be.”

“So… not just one night?” she said, quiet and unsure, clearly mulling over what that might mean.

“Maybe just… night one?” Happy suggested, a rare little grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he reached for her again. They could figure it out later.

[elejahfanfic]

Fanfiction

And so it is Christmas

Part 5

Elijah Mikaelson x reader

ft. Klaroline, Kennett

AU story_human_no vampires

a/n:There  will be great mad Mikaelson chaos and lots of love… i.e. Elijah falling for Y/N…cookie baking, etc.

well, actually_absolute christmas fluff… ho-ho-ho

_also this just blew into such a long ch again_ thanks for reading. xoxo

🎅

In the Mikaelson Mansion

Esther looked at the happy bunch mucking around in the kitchen. She loved the holiday season. It always brought a strange kind of warmth to the house.

"Everyone is very high spirited" the butler said,"this idea to have them participate in making the buiscuits was marvellous"

"Wasn't it just" Esther said, now looking at Klaus and Caroline cutely talking to one another, him complimenting the blonde on her artistic streak.

"I find it quite unusual that Elijah left Caroline behind and went out with Kol"  Esther remarked.

"There have been developments" the butler said.

"What do you mean?"  Esther now looked at the man with puzzled eyes.

"Master Elijah and Ms Forbes are no longer together. Prior to Miss Rebekah's trip to New York, they put an end to their relationship. Not that it was any serious relationship as such."

Esther raised an inquisitive eye-brow at the butler, and told him to follow her to the drawing room to speak more privately.

The butler has always been the source of gossip and knew all that was going on, as Rebekah could not keep anything to herself. He now told the Mistress of the house all about Elijah falling for Dr Y/L/N/

Now, Esther, having found out the latest going ons said, "Well, that explains Elijah's great interest in the Fundraiser. But isn't Dr Y/L/N seeing Klaus?"

"No. I found out from Master Kol that Dr Y/L/N and Master Klaus - just hooked up once- these are his exact words."

"I understood that there was more. He frequently is seen going to the Y/L/N Lake house." Esther said.

"Ahm, I have that information, too."  the butler said.

"We have to find out what exactly is going on. I do not wish any of my sons to get hurt. It is not the first time they get entagled with a woman. Remember how things went with Rayna Cruz."

"Yes, I do."  Jefferson recalled the stress that went off the brother's back in New Orleans, when they both had a crash on the beautiful blonde.

"She left them both heartbroken,"  Esther said, "and that fight - over her. I didn't want this to happen again."

"It will not. They are way more mature now, and Master Klaus is now much calmer."

"Yes. But still - a woman can stir up things- no matter what age a man is"

"Dr Y/L/N doesn't appear to be a woman that would string two men along."  the butler said.

"No. I think I will still have a word with her."

"Is this wise, Ma'am?"

Esther sighed. "Not really, but I cannot have a repetition of what we had years ago. And it being the reason Elijah moved to New York. It broke my heart having him so far away."

"But they have made up and they have been so very supportive of each other. Master Klaus met Aurora and - all was forgotten."

"Yes,"  Esther said and now took a deep breath looking at the faithful butler, "I have heard that Rayna had a child."

Jefferson looked at the woman a tad bit stunned. It seemed he didn't know all.

"What are you suggesting, Ma'am?

"That maybe - there somewhere Elijah might have a son."  Esther now said.

"Oh! Are you sure?"

"No. By the time I got this probable news - Rayna left New Orleans to - god knows where"

"But - if the child was Master Elijah's, I am sure she would come to you and said something. Ask for money. She was daring enough"

“True.” Esther said. “I wish he finds someone he can start a family with and be happy.”

“Maybe Christmas will work its magic this year.” Jefferson said.

“Well, let’s hope so.” Esther curled up a little smile.

🎅🎄

Elsewhere- the Y/L/N House

"Because of you"  Elijah said looking at Y/N in a very sincere manner.

"Me?" Y/N looked back at the man wide-eyed.

She was not expecting this answer. Or maybe she did.

"Yes. And I know that we hardly know each other- and I - this is now going to come out wrong - but ever since that evening volunteering in the shelter - I can't stop thinking about you"  Elijah said, twisting the truth a bit, as in fact, he could not stop thinking about her since he saw her at the boutique.

"Oh" Y/N let out followed by a gulp. For some strange reasin she froze, though she wanted to say that she also had him on her mind eversince she saw him at the boutique.

As there was no other response coming from Y/N, Elijah, slipping ‘Right’ and got up, "Ahm- I better go"

Y/N now got up as well, and for an unexplained reason said, "Ok"

Like a lost soul, Elijah looked for his coat jacket. Having found it in the living room, he took it and  put it on, thanking Y/N in the process for the pie.

Y/N nodded a little saying, "You're welcome"

Elijah nodded back, everything inside of him very jumbled up he turned and walked to the door.

"Wait" Y/N suddenly said.

🎅

Meanwhile, at the Mystic Falls Ice Rink

"Hey"  Klaus greeted Kol, who had just arrived at the Ice rink with Bonnie, "Elijah is not answering his phone."

"He is still busy making pies" Kol replied, "where are the others?"

"Bex and Stefan have this dinner thing with his uncle, and Hope went with Caroline to get some ice-skates cuz she doesn't have any - here" Klaus explained now looking at Bonnie, "isn't it time you introduced your girfriend"

"Yeah" Kol said somewhat confused, "this my other older brother - Klaus - the nuisance"

Bonnie now extended her hand to Klaus saying,"Hello. It's weird that we never met and you are at the School board and Hope is attending my chemistry class this year."

"I meant to come to see you regarding Hope. She is telling me that you chose her for the State Chemistry Olympiad? She is Middle School- is she that good? "

"Yes. She is very talented. Quite an over-achiever." Bonnie said.

"I don't know where she gets it from"  Kol now said with a teasing smirk.

Klaus would now hrow something clever back at his brother, but Hope and Caroline now joinrd them. More greetings and more introduction followed. Soon they all got inside the rink.

Kol showed off his ice-skating skills to Bonnie, who was pretty impressed. Bonnie was not skating since college and felt pretty rusty.

"How come you are so good at this?"  Bonnie wondered.

"Well I lived here for five years now. I also played for Mystic High Hockey team. We moved here five years ago."

"Wow." Bonnie said, "I must say I amazed."

"I also had a band." Kol said.

"What else don't I know?"  Bonnie asked.

"I was bad in chemistry." Kol said cutely.

"Ah, nevermind. I still like you." Bonnie now kissed her man.

Not far from them, Caroline skated up to Klaus, who actually just stood at rink's fence, totally lost in Caroline exhibiting her figure skating skills.

As she now came up to him, he was all stars in his eyes at her-

"Tell me why are you a lawyer?"

"Ah, because - my dad thought it would have been a more solid career"

"You are serious?"

"I was the US. Collegiate Figure skating champion."  Caroline said.

"Really?"

"Yes. But, this is where I started. This is where my mom brought me to skate when I was five years old - and"  Caroline now inhaled deeply, her eyes watering.

"Hey, what's wrong?"  Klaus now said concerned.

"Nothing. Just great memories. I didn't think I would be back here or skate here ever again."

"You lived here? When?"

"Till my mom died. And then I went to live with my dad in New York."  Caroline replied, "Thanks for - this was a great idea. And - sorry if me coming down made things awkward- now that Elijah and I - broke up."

"Our family does awkward well. So you are all right."  Klaus said.

"I don't know. Even though Elijah and I said we would be friends - I feel like I am intruding."

"I am for one am glad you are intruding - I mean- ahm- you are not intruding at all. You saved me from getting  the  whole cookie baking and  you did such great job helping Hope, and Rebekah for that matter. You should yake credit for all the baking that was done today. I can only imagine what it would be like if you didn't step in."

"I guess, your cook would have to do it all."

"Yes, and we would never stop hearing mother tell us that we could have done better."  Klaus said.

"I doubt that. She is lovely." Caroline said.

"Yes, mother is the best."

"I miss my mom so much." Caroline now said.

"I am sorry." Klaus now said with great empathy in his voice.

The song that now came on made Caroline take Klaus suddenly by the hands and said, "You are skating now"

"What? No, no, no. I am not like Kol."

"It is not that hard. I got you. You will be fine." Caroline reassured Klaus, who, strangely let himself go.

✨

At Y/L/N House

"Wait!"  Y/N said again and shot over to Elijah, and wihtout hesitation drew his lips to hers, like catching a dream that was about to disappear. She made their lips, mouth, tongue flow in the beautiful rhythm of what their heartbeats played, like tiny bells echoing like the shooting stars up in the skies. Easing out of it, heads leaning on one another now, both trying to gain some breath back, they stood silent for a moment, her thumbs lightly streaming up and down the side of the neck, while his hands got lost in the tangle of her her, dropping on her shoulders. If he spoke, he thought, this sweet enchantment would be broken. And yet, the first word shimmered out, "Y/N”

"Elijah" Y/N smiled a little, her cheeks feeling flush, "I don't know - what's happening - I mean- I know - but I never thought that - it all came out of nowhere"

"It has - and I - I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I tried not to feel - because I was with someone else- and you"

"Because I was with your brother" Y/N took a deep breath, "this never happened to me - I am not someone who goes from one guy to the next - let alone brothers- and has crazy drunken one night stand"

"Please - I didn't mean to upset you"

"You didn't upset me - I am - just such a hot mess - if you know what I mean"  Y/N said raising her look at him, "I also coudn't stop thinking about you"

Elijah lips curled a happy smile up now, the corner of his eyes  catching the mistletoe hanging right over them. Y/N looked up as well. They were standing right under the lush evergreen beaming down at them.

With their eyes now dropping on one another again, Elijah gently pulled her to him into a sweet, deep, long kiss.

_to be continued🎄🎅🤶

[twiceblackvelvet]

One Night Stand

A/N; someone requested this but for some reason i can’t find the ask in my drafts among all of the other requests but hopefully they find it anyway. enjoy me writing way more than i expected and ending things on an open note in case people become interested and i get to write a second part.

Nights like these very rarely happen. In fact, they never do. Usually, you’d be sat at home with a glass of wine, binge-watching yet another drama, and stuffing your face with whichever snacks you could find in the cupboards. An unhealthy combination, sure. But it’s what comforts you the most after spending way too long dealing with people during the day. 

But tonight, your friends have practically dragged you out of the pit you’ve created in the middle of your sofa that you tried endlessly to convince them had not in fact molded to the shape of your body, it just looks like that naturally. Apparently, a new bar opening offering free entry is enough reason for you to break your usual habits and let your hair down instead.

It’s been so long since the last time you went out to a nightclub that you’d forgotten how much work goes into just getting there and looking somewhat acceptable. Spending hours on end searching through your closet for a dress that you had been told must cling to your skin and not look like something a librarian would wear. 

Maybe, it’s just time to get some new friends who won’t rip your everyday style to shreds for a quick laugh. 

You’re not even sure why you agreed, really. The thought of drunken slobs throwing themselves all over anyone within proximity in the hopes of getting lucky at the end of the night is not something you’ve ever found appealing, thus, you’re yet to gain your one-night stand card. Not that such a thing exists, but according to numerous sources, or rather just all of your friends it’s an important step in the life of an adult. You’d rather keep both feet firmly outside of that circle and never dip your toes into the daunting pool of regret and possible after-effects of bedding a complete stranger. 

Despite the lingering feeling deep down that this night would not end well, after a few pre-drinks to get you in the mood, excitement soon washes away any worries. Even the one’s telling you that you’d likely spend half the night pulling your friends away from anyone they find attractive only because they’re wearing beer goggles.

Stepping out of the cab and into the cold night air makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and brings about your first regret. The short black dress you decided upon makes it impossible for your body to find any warmth as you walk toward the queue hovering outside waiting to get inside. It’s shorter than you expected, which you’re all grateful for but there’s still a good amount of people there.

After a few minutes of pacing on the spot, your teeth have begun to chatter and the alcohol that had previously warmed you up has started to lose its effect. 

“How long until we’re in?” You decide to ask, aimed at no one in particular, just hoping for a positive answer from anyone that the cold suffering will end soon.

“It’ll be about ten more minutes babe, don’t worry.” One of your friends shouts from behind you. The loud music from inside blaring out into the street makes it impossible for you to know which, you’re just grateful it’s not going to be too long before you can get inside and feel warmth once again. 

Bodies begin to shuffle closer towards the door and soon two burly men dressed head to toe in black come into sight, the words security plastered across one side of their chest. One of them, more muscular than the other and with a far more intimidating face places his meaty hand upright in front of you to pause the steady flow of patrons being allowed inside. 

“Do you have any identification?” The smaller of the two men who now that you’re closer is in fact still huge in comparison to you croaks out, his voice not matching his appearance. You notice he has a cut above his eye, likely from someone drunkenly thinking it’s a good idea to fight the hulk’s cousin after one too many. 

Your hands roam around inside the small clutch bag you’d decided upon pairing with your outfit and pull out your driver's license and point it towards both of them. They eye it suspiciously, but you can see the cogs in their heads quickly trying to decipher whether your year of birth makes you legal to enter or not.

“Great, thanks. Go right ahead.” The larger man speaks and ushers you toward the door. 

Before stepping inside, you turn in place to face your friends who are also being inspected head to toe. A strong breeze gusts past all of you and without thinking too much about upsetting them, you walk in alone and leave your friends to the freezing weather. You quickly holler that you’ll meet them inside, but it’s unlikely that they heard it. 

Walking through an extra set of doors, you’re greeted by a dark interior with painted black walls,  a bar placed dead in the center of the room with low lighting hung above it. Red seats line the counter and one half of the room and your feet move without you thinking about it towards one of them. The other half is an open dance floor full of people moving along to the music, some less on the beat than others but they’re trying. 

A small woman, no taller than 5’2 with brown short hair appears out of nowhere in front of you, a sharp smile placed on her face which you easily recognize as the fake customer service greeting she’s likely learned from years of experience handling people in an intoxicated state.

“Hey! What can I get you?” Her voice is soft, too soft to be working in this kind of environment.

You decide to look further down the bar at some of the other people seated next to you and spot a woman holding a glass filled with a light blue liquid. Truthfully, it looks like something you’d clean your kitchen floor with, but it’s calling out to you for some reason. 

“I’ll have whatever that is.” You point toward the girl and the bartender gives a quick nod before heading off to pour the potentially poisonous concoction you’ve just ordered on a whim. 

As you watch a couple of people throw down some moves that would be acceptable if they were from a five-year-old child, not a grown adult, small hands wrap around your waist that startles you for a second until you come face to face with your friends who’ve finally made it past the two roadblocks patrolling the doors.

“Here you are, this place is nice, right? Have you gotten a drink yet?” 

“Yeah, I just ord-” 

Before you can finish your sentence, the bartender returns and places the drink down in front of you. 

“The first one is on the house, have a good night!” Her words are far more excited than previously, probably more than they should be for someone offering out drinks for free during opening night. Part of you wonders if this is her way of flirting or maybe just hoping for some extra tips.

“Thanks for the offer, really but I’ll pay, I’m not looking to date anyone right now and you’re not my type, sorry.” 

Her eyes widen the more you speak and you realize that perhaps you’re the one who is in fact sat in the very wrong tree and barking like an idiot.

“I’m one of the owners here, the flyer outside says the first drink is free for everyone. Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but I don’t swing your way.” 

She’s already turned around on the heel of her foot before you can force out an apology. However, her swift exit doesn’t stop your cheeks from heating up and a mild headache from forming out of embarrassment. Your friends’ laughter all around you isn’t helping the situation either. 

“Next time, maybe save that for someone who bats for your own team.” A husky voice from beside where you’re seated speaks lowly into your ear. 

As you swing your chair quickly to face where the words came from, all you find is flowing brown hair trailing off toward the dance floor. You watch the body strut away, and by watching, you definitely saw something far more appealing than a kind yet uninterested bar owner. Her hips sway casually as she floats in between several bodies moving to the music and enters the bathroom without waiting in the line formed outside of the door. 

A few angry customers shout after the girl, but she doesn’t bother to listen to their calls informing her of the queue. Whoever she is, her attitude is one of not caring about anything other than herself. Usually, this would be a major red flag under any other circumstances, but something is drawing you towards her even though you have no idea who she is or what she looks like other than her back profile. 

Your friends order their drinks one after the other, all of which is a cocktail of sorts that will definitely cause the world’s worst hangover for each of them individually, however, that’s their problem. The lights near the dance floor quickly change colors to strobe blindingly through the crowd that’s formed, drinks have been spilled already causing some already inebriated bodies to crash land on the ground only to rise up once more to sway from one side to another. 

You can’t help yourself from watching the bathroom door every few moments, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mystery woman and confirm whether she’s everything you’ve managed to imagine in the few moments since she decided to teasingly whisper into your ear. But, the line outside quickly moves and disappears meaning she has already left and you’ve missed it. 

Before you know it, several hours have passed, numerous drinks have infiltrated your liver and your sight has become less and less able to make out whether the person in front of you is that close or if they’re actually halfway across the room. Your body has been dragged to the center of the dancefloor and whilst you are trying to keep up with the rhythm of the music, your loose limbs have a mind of their own and sure enough, you too end up looking like an inflatable tube blowing in the wind in any direction you decide to throw it. 

At least two of your friends have decided that ramming their tongues down someone’s throat is a far better way to spend their time. You’re strangely quite envious of them.

Just as you’re about to stagger off back to the bar to relieve your throat of the dryness that has formed and maybe rid yourself of some of the sweat you’re unsure of which belongs to you or someone else, a hand slides it’s way around your waist and pulls you backward. Your body now pressed against another in a tight embrace that had you been sober you’d struggle to get out of, however, in this state, it’s even more difficult to break free.

“Why didn’t you follow me?” 

When the words hit your ears, you recognize the voice from earlier and a cold shudder settles itself throughout your spine. The mystery woman has somehow managed to find you amongst the full capacity crowd whilst you couldn’t even keep up with her in the midst of a small bathroom queue. The teasing tone still there but her husky voice now replaced with a more hoarse yet sultry one.

Without even thinking about it, you force your body further into her own and spin around all at the same time. Turns out, that was a mistake as it sends both of you flying toward the ground at a pace that makes it impossible for either of you to break your fall. You may not have gotten to see her face previously but in your current position of laying on top of her, you’re now offered a close up to what your drunken mind can only describe as perfection. 

Her wide eyes bore into your own, they’re a dark shade of brown and intensely eye you the same way in which you’re doing to her before quickly flitting toward your lips for a split second. Your own eyes can’t help but do the exact same to her in return. Pink plump lips that are daring you to take them in with your own, but you manage to resist, or rather, she pushes you upward and stands before helping you off the ground too. 

She’s taller than you first thought. A loosely fitted blazer covers a black crop top that lies just above an abdomen that threatens to bring tears to your eyes from how toned it is. Dark pants tightly hug her long legs that you’re sure would look better without the material hiding them. You’re having difficulty removing your eyes from her magnetic form when she cups your chin and raises it so she can meet your eyes once more.

“You didn’t answer me.” She says sternly this time. 

“I didn’t know you wanted me to follow you.” No thought goes into your response, you’re simply on auto-pilot mode and hoping she doesn’t vanish once more. 

“Well, I did. But, your loss.” 

She begins to stride away, once again. However, your arm flies out and grasps hold of her wrist before she can escape. Despite having way too much to drink, your strength still exists for a split second as her body ends up bumping into your own, hips clashing with one another.

“What are you doing?” She asks.

“Who are you?” 

The airy way in which the question leaves your mouth makes it sound like you’re asking something far more prophetic, or as if you’re expecting her to give you her life story in the middle of a packed nightclub. Truthfully, you’re just after a name. 

“Come with me.” Her words should be a question, instead, they sound like a command and you’re helpless to it as you trail behind her without worrying about the consequences or thinking about what it is you’re going through with. Placing in your trust in someone like this is not something you’d ever dare to do previously, but this feels right, somehow.

The two of you step outside of the club, her strides are way too quick for you to keep up with as she wanders down the street away from the loud music and your friends who you’re quickly trying to type out a text message to tell them not to send out a search party for you, though, you still don’t even know this girl’s name so perhaps that isn’t the smartest idea. You send it anyway and hope your blind faith in this godly woman who keeps checking you’re still behind her every few seconds is correct.

Her arm raises at the end of the street and a car pulls up. Everything about this feels wrong, yet, you get inside the vehicle with her anyway. 

“Sooyoung.” She bluntly states. The confusion your face makes it obvious that you have no idea why she’s saying this suddenly. “My name… is Sooyoung.” 

It could just be the alcohol talking, but you’re sure that it is the prettiest name to exist. 

“Do you have one? Or am I supposed to guess?” She follows up after watching you mouth her own, something you hadn’t even realized you’d been doing. You quickly slur out your name that makes it only barely comprehensible and Sooyoung just chuckles in response.

You can’t help but let out a small laugh yourself when you consider your thoughts earlier in the night about your entire crisis of still clutching tightly onto your one-night-stand card and how this complete stranger in front of you is about to snatch it away, no doubt.

“What’s so funny?” The teasing tone is back in place as one of Sooyoung’s hands rests carefully atop your thigh. Her hand is cold yet despite only just finding out her name, you feel safe with her placing it there. It feels like she’s trying to steady you with it.

“Nothing, I’ve just never done this before.” 

“You’ve never used Uber?” She cocks one of her eyebrows as she looks at you with an amused smirk. 

“Very funny.” 

Her face straightens out and turns serious for the first time since you’ve been graced with looking at it. You can tell she’s thinking about something but unsure of whether or not to speak it into existence. The ability to read people so far hasn’t disappeared no matter how much tequila you’ve consumed. 

“I guess you meant it when you said that Haseul wasn’t your type.” She quietly lets out after a few moments. She spots the confusion once more and continues. “The bartender, her name is Haseul. You told her she wasn’t your type.”

“Oh, no. She definitely is my type. I just… wait, what exactly do you think I meant by saying I’ve never done this before?”

Now it’s Sooyoung’s turn to feel lost by the conversation as she tries to decipher where things have gotten lost in translation between you both.

“Well, girls. You didn’t pick up on me wanting you to follow me and now you’re telling me on my way back to my place you’ve never done this before. I’m assuming that your usual type is the two meatheads working the door stopping people from smashing the bar up.” 

Loud laughter fills the small space of the car. The driver even looks into his rearview mirror to see what is so funny that you’re doubled over in pain from Sooyoung’s assumption. 

“Oh that’s good. You know, trying to take a straight girl’s home is a massive stereotype.” You’re not sure if the look you’re receiving from Sooyoung is of her being offended or still lost. “I didn’t mean I’ve never slept with a girl before. I meant I’ve never gone home with someone that I just met hours before.”

Everything suddenly clicks into place for both of you and Sooyoung bites her lower lip, likely feeling that same embarrassment that you did earlier with the woman you now know is named Haseul.

“I didn’t think you were straight, by the way. That’s not why you’re here with me. I just assumed from what you said.” 

The two of you continue to laugh at just how crossed you’ve managed to get the wires in the few minutes you’ve been traveling towards her home which was longer than you thought as soon enough, the driver is pulling up and asking you both to leave a good review. Sooyoung politely tells him that she will before helping you out of the car.

Had you known that going back to Sooyoung’s apartment meant that you had to conquer stairs, you may have turned her down. Well, you wouldn’t have because she’s the personification of flawless. But you’d have prepared your legs to feel less like jelly and more capable of completing the trek up to her front door.

She slides a set of keys out of her blazer and opens the front door inviting you to step in first. You do and are greeted by a  space with hardly any furniture. Sparse is the only word that fits her home. Anyone with a knack for home design would have a field day if they were to be welcomed in too. 

“I know, it’s not much. I just moved here from the city and I haven’t had time to finish decorating.” 

All thoughts about how Sooyoung could still be a serial killer who has lured you away from your friends to her apartment that is lacking any form of personal touch evaporates with her explanation. You set yourself a mental reminder to never drink whatever that blue liquid was again, it makes you feel way too trusting.

You move further into the apartment and see that it’s spacious and open planned. The kitchen is well lit with brand new appliances that look like they’ve yet to be used. A television far bigger than the one you own sits on the wall of the living room. Sooyoung sits casually on one of the two white leather sofas as she plays with the remote and turns it on to a music channel. A door blocks off both the left and right side of the apartment, likely leading to a bedroom and bathroom. 

“You can sit, you know. I don’t bite.” Sooyoung pats the space beside her as she speaks. “Well, unless you’re into that.” 

There’s a confidence to everything that Sooyoung says, it makes you feel envious that she’s able to pull it off without being cocky. If you tried, it would likely come out sounding pretentious. You sit beside her, though, there’s probably more space between your bodies than she was hoping for as she shuffles closer toward you. 

“So, what now?” Once again, words are leaving your mouth without you thinking about it. But, you can’t help in feeling awkward that she’s seemingly not made a move beyond putting her hand on your thigh since you agreed to leave the nightclub with her. 

“What do you want to happen now?” 

Truthfully, your lack of experience with the whole one night stand thing had led you to believe that people didn’t even get the chance to scan the person’s apartment that they’d decided to sleep with. Part of you expected Sooyoung to just tear your clothes off the second you walked through her door. Part of you wanted her to do that, then you wouldn’t find yourself in this semi-uncomfortable situation. 

The logical side of your brain that is screaming for you to listen to it is instead and telling you that Sooyoung is not a threat. She’s teasing, flirty, and probably thinking about all of the former things your mind has listed, but she has been respectful thus far and it doesn’t look as if that is going to change anytime soon. 

“I’m not sure, I told you… I’ve never done this before. I thought I’d be back inside another Uber on my way home by now.” You finally reply.

“Are you accusing me of being a five minute hit it and quit it kind of girl?” Once more, that look of being offended without actually being offended overtakes all of her features. Features you can’t help but admire in the clear lighting now rather than the darkness of the club. 

Her face is lacking any blemishes whatsoever, and despite being ready to enter her bedroom, you also wouldn’t like seeing her bathroom just to know what kind of skincare routine she has going on. The same plump lips you wanted to touch with your own are still inviting, but you restrain yourself once more.

“No…  But why would you want me to stay once we both get what we’re here for.” 

This time, it does offend her as your words hit her like a slap to the face and she huffs out a deep breath. 

“Maybe, and bear with me here because it could be a concept you’re unfamiliar with, but just maybe, I like you beyond tonight.” 

She stands abruptly and shuffles towards the kitchen area, her footsteps heavier than previously and shoulders slumped. You consider following her to apologize and ask if she wants you to just leave now, but she returns with a glass of water in one hand and a box in the other. 

“Here, take this.” She opens the box to reveal a strip of tablets and pops two out of the metallic packaging placing them down on the table in front of you both. “Painkillers  for when you wake up, your head is going to feel like hell no doubt.” 

She moves away once more toward one of the closed doors but again returns quickly, this time with a pillow and blanket in tow. She lays the pillow down gently and offers you the blanket to hold onto. 

“As much as I’d love to spend the night with you, and I would have by the way, had you followed me earlier in the night when you still had some sobriety about you. I’m not much into sleeping with drunk girls.” Despite not having a clue who Sooyoung was prior to tonight, you can’t help but feel both happy and hurt by her words. Happy she isn’t willing to take advantage of people in your state. But hurt because by god you’d love nothing more than to wake up next to her after a night of being beneath her. 

She turns on her heels to leave you once more but stops herself upon reaching the bedroom door. 

“But hey, I’ve always had a thing about morning sex, so, who knows? Maybe you’ll still get lucky.” She offers you a quick wink before closing the door. 

This time, she doesn’t return and you’re left to wonder about just what the morning with Sooyoung might have in store for you.

pt.ii

[kayparker20]

Inner Turmoil - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Kakashi, So Help Me!

FFN | AO3

Sakura couldn’t have felt more trepidation than she had the last few days. How do you tell your surrogate mother, that is also the hokage, that you love, and may have possibly, slightly, maybe, already slept with your team leader who is 14 years your senior? And your former sensei? Certainly she would be at least a little understanding, right? Maybe she could at least be happy for her? Would she disband team 7? No, that would be horrible….

She went to sit up, being forced to remember the pale, muscular arm that was currently pinning her waist to a chest. A very muscular and defined chest. She turned red as she heard her lover grumble softly as he began to wake up. “Sakura, where are you going…” 

Ah yes, speaking of sleeping with him, it has been in his bed that she had been in for the last three nights. And not exactly very conspicuously. Not that she had any regrets, but it was all still so new. It was only a little over a week ago she had been pep-talked by none other than Naruto to try and get through to Kakashi.

She smiled softly, flipping over awkwardly to face him. “Well, someone, meaning one of us, should probably tell the hokage we’re together before she hears through the gossip that is beginning to start…” 

He opened his charcoal eye to watch her carefully. “And you intend to do that, right now, when she’s probably hung over and already going to be angry.”

Sakura giggled. “If you think I can’t handle her hangovers after going through being trained by her, you’re sadly mistaken. I learned to dodge things quite well under her wing!”

He chuckled as pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. “I love you.” He said softly. “But maybe, I should be the one to tell her.”

She gazed up at Kakashi, a little confused at his offer. “Are you sure about that?” She placed a hand on his cheek. “I’m almost certain she would pummel you without thinking twice, unlike myself.”

He smirked. “Perhaps, I deserve that exact pummeling.” His face fell a bit as his thoughts tread deeper. He was currently in bed, naked from last night, with his former student. The more he thought about it, the more he was beginning to want to distance himself, no matter how much he loves her. He didn’t think it was worth ruining her life with it.

Sakura knit her eyebrows together in concern, before sliding her hand from his cheek into his hair and kissing him softly. 

He returned the kiss half-heartedly at first, the feelings of discouragement present in his mind. When her leg moved to wrap around his waist, he pressed her flesh against his body, earning a soft moan from his pinkette. He slanted his mouth over hers fully, easily sliding his tongue past her lips to tangle with her own. She hummed softly in approval, tugging softly at his silver strands.

He rolled her over onto her back, kissing down her jawline and neck. “At this rate, we won’t tell her before her hangover fades.” He chuckled softly, running his hands down her sides, delighted at the shivers running through her body from his touch.

She opened her eyes to gaze at him lovingly before sitting up, and cradling his face in her hands. “I love you, Kakashi.” She smiled warmly, before pecking his lips softly once more. “But we have got to tell her today.”

He rested his forehead against hers, and nodded softly. “I’ll get dressed and head over to the hokage tower now.”

Sakura looked away. “Do you think she would disband team seven because of us..?” She huffed. “What about Naruto?”

Kakashi sighed softly. “I’m sure Naruto is well aware of the possibilities that us getting together could lead to. I’m not really sure what she will do, but that is usually the protocol when a leader becomes romantically involved with a teammate. But I can imagine she isn’t going to be happy…” 

She nodded before curling back up in his blankets and sighing. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t wait on me if you have plans.” He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead.

He stood up and strided over to his dresser, grabbing one of his usual standard uniforms. He eased himself into his pants, finding his muscles to feel a bit stiff. He slid a shirt over his torso before slipping on his flak vest. Within moments he was gone from his apartment, leaving Sakura in her thoughts.

Shizune softly knocked on the door, assuming the Fifth would be hungover this morning, as she was many other recent mornings. “My Lady…”

“Go away, there are no mission reports to be gathered as I am more than well aware none of the shinobi I sent are back yet!” The blonde hokage grumbled as her head laid on her desk.

“I actually maybe have some other news of interest, My Lady….” Shizune opened the door to the office of her master and hokage, and the hokages that had come before her. She held a glass of water in her hand, and Tonton in her other arm. “There appear to be some rumours going about.”

Tsunade snatched the glass of water. “Are you really interrupting my hangover with petty gossip, Shizune?” She narrowed her eyes over the rim of the glass as she took a sip, her manicured hands gripping the glass tightly. 

“Uh, well. I wouldn’t say i-it is petty gossip, but yes, gossip nonetheless.” Shizune gulped audibly, knowing her friend would not appreciate the coming news. 

Tsunade eyed the raven haired girl from behind her desk. She had better hope it was worth waking her up or else she just might knock her into next week. Maybe from right out the window from the top of this damned tower. “Well, get on with it then, what are you waiting for?” She grumbled and settled back against her chair.

Shizune set her shoulders before meeting Tsunade's eyes. “When was the last time you spoke with Sakura?” 

The blonde busty woman raised an eyebrow. “Why would Sakura be the object of gossip among shinobi?” Her voice was level, and her fists clenched, ready to clobber anyone who might think it a good idea to put dirt on the name of one of her apprentices.

“Ah, so you haven’t spoken with her in, say, the last week? Month?” Shizune chuckled nervously. “Maybe perhaps about something in her… Personal life?”

“Shizune, the last time I spoke to Sakura, we were talking about her wish to open up a mental health clinic specifically aimed toward shinobi and the traumas they face, as well as her current project with the children’s clinic that she and Ino plan to run together.” She huffed out irritably. “And that was a little over a month ago, outside of just directing her duties in the hospital, as you would know from being present yourself. I don’t know if you could tell, but I’ve been rather busy here and so has she at the hospital.”

Shizune rolled her eyes. Knowing busy was really drowning in sake and grief like usual, only worse still since the death of the beloved Jiraiya. She knew why she drank so much more lately, everyone did. No one had yet dared say anything to her as she still met her hokage duties sober… Mostly so anyway. 

“So, no. I haven’t been told about anything in her personal life.” Tsunade snapped. “Now, spill it before you piss me off even more, damnit.”

“Rumours are going around that she and Kakashi are…” Shizune scratched the back of her neck. “Well uh… Together, you could say? Genma said he took her home from the bar about a month ago while they were both pretty deep into drinking.” She watched as Tsunade’s glare only deepened. 

“Well, I would think it fit that Kakashi would make sure she got home safely, even in a drunken state. He knows how to handle his liquor like any shinobi. Though Sakura still has that to learn…” The amber eyed woman said through gritted teeth.

“True…” Shizune nodded. “However… That wouldn’t explain Raidou telling me that he heard Asuma telling Kurenai he found Kakashi ‘tangled up with the hokage’s apprentice’, about a month ago...” She snickered lightly. “And we both know it wasn’t me, because I’ve been ‘tangled up’ with Genma…” She blushed lightly at the admittance, even though she knows her shishou is well aware of her feelings for that ‘imbecile’ as she calls him. 

“You mean to tell me…” Tsunade stood up from her desk. “That Kakashi is sleeping with Sakura, as a team leader, and her former sensei.”

Truth be told she couldn’t give a damn less that they were together, it was more about how she was finding out. She couldn’t believe Sakura hadn’t told her. Kakashi followed his duty well, so to find that he hadn’t informed her of such events was shocking. Her eyes narrowed the more she thought about the situation.

She was more than well aware that no matter how much Sakura had grown as a ninja, she was still vulnerable emotionally, and the very thought that she could just been used in a drunken one night stand made the motherly woman’s blood boil, well aware that Kakashi was not one for attachments and that Sakura very well would get attached.

“Y-Yes… My Lady.” Shizune nodded softly.

“You find that damned white wolf and you get him in my office, now!”

“Baa-chan!” Naruto came bounding into the office. “Are there any-”

“Naruto, what have I told you about just barging in here!”

Naruto cowered at the sight of her already being angry. “Ah! Why are you so angry, it’s only 9AM, Granny!” Naruto whined and shielded himself from potentially flying office supplies.

“No matter, go find your damned team leader and you had better do it right now!” She snapped.

“Uh-oh…” Naruto nodded gravely and darted from his future office.

That can’t be a good sign. If Kakashi is the reason Tsunade is so angry that could only mean one thing… 

Naruto was making a beeline for Kakashi’s apartment before slamming into a familiar and rather amused looking blonde ninja. “Ah, sorry Ino, gotta go!”

“I knew it!” The blonde screeched, having overheard the prior conversation. “Sakura is with Kakashi!”

“Well, yeah! She didn’t tell you?” Naruto stopped and stared at Ino dumbfounded.

“You mean she told you, but not me!”

“Uh… Well… Not exactly. I mean…” Naruto scratched the back of his head. “It’s kind of hard not to notice some kind of romantic tension between your teammates, especially when Sakura came over crying about a month ago, convinced that Kakashi couldn’t love her-” Naruto clamped his mouth shut, realizing Sakura may beat him senseless for revealing such intel. “Oh, man! I’ve already said too much!” And turned and darted out of the building. “Granny Tsunade is gonna skin Kakashi alive!” 

“Tsunade is gonna do what to my flawless skin…?” Kakashi deadpanned from the entrance to the Hokage tower as Naruto ran past him. He gave a weary look to the top. 

Something tells me someone told her before I got to do just that in a few moments from now… This is gonna be fun. He shivered at the thought of her brute strength aimed directly at him, and with full intent of causing bodily harm. “Perhaps I should turn around before she gets the chance..?” He shook his head and sighed. 

“Wait! Kakashi!” Naruto ran back to his team leader. “Kakashi, I think Granny Tsunade knows…” He laughed nervously. “And she’s definitely not uh… Thrilled?” He scratched the back of his head. “She sent me to get you but you’re already here! She’s scary mad already...”

“That bad, huh?” Kakashi deadpanned. “Well I knew this was coming.” He sighed before walking up to his beloved hokage’s office. He went to knock on the door before she berated him through it. 

“Kakashi, I know that’s you! Get your ass in here, now!”

He stepped inside and closed the door. “Hokage-sama. I was already on my way before you sent Naruto for me.” 

Tsunade glared daggers at him. “So then you have something to tell me?” She enunciated her words rather harshly compared to other meetings and he winced silently. 

“Well, uh. I’m not exactly good at expressing myself, for reasons you’re rather quite aware…” Kakashi looked at her and proceeded to rake his fingers through his silver strands. He thought briefly for a moment about how it feels much better when Sakura does it before clearing his mind.

Shizune watched him closely, curious about how this all ended up happening. 

“Do you really think Sakura is an acceptable kunoichi for you to be having little rendezvous with, Kakashi?” She growled out.

He flinched slightly. “Tsunade, they aren’t just rendezvous.” He straightened up and met her eyes. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to bring that sort of awkwardness and unprofessionalism to my team?”

“Don’t you catch a tone with me!” She stood up and came round her desk and stomped towards him, her heels clicking with her fury, until she was face to face with him. “And if that’s not the case, then maybe you should explain to me these damn rumours about my apprentice being tangled up with you.”

“Well, that part is no rumour.” He said flatly, looking her in the eye. “Now, the context surrounding it, perhaps.” He kept his shoulders straight, continuing to hold eye contact. “This isn’t just some fling, Tsunade. ”

Outside the room, Sakura slowly came up to the door. She was about to knock when she heard Tsunade’s voice.

Tsunade watched him carefully, listening to what he was saying. “Since when did you fall in love? You’ve avoided being close to anyone since your original team.” She knew it was a low blow, but he had better not been playing her naive apprentice. “Sakura is rather impressionable, Kakashi, I won’t have another emotional stump ripping her heart out if I can help it, damn you.”

“I love her. I... love Sakura.” He sighed, and slumped into one of the chairs in her office. “You don’t have to tell me that she’s vulnerable…” He was a little surprised at the vehemence in her voice, expecting more of a lecture of duty from a boss, as opposed to the protective fury of a mother. He should have known the two would mix here. “I have absolutely no intentions of ripping her heart out, Lady Tsunade.” 

“Kakashi, if you break her, so help me, you will know no other pain than what I inflict upon you… She is not some plaything for you.” The blonde spat at him. 

She smiled softly, being well aware of Tsunade throwing around threats shamelessly, but also at the protectiveness in the voice bearing the words. She couldn’t believe that Kakashi was being so raw with her shishou. When she heard Kakashi’s voice, sounding more than stressed she frowned. 

He met Tsunade’s eyes, allowing more emotion into them for her to see than he ever had for anyone other than Sakura. “Did you ever think maybe she came to me? I never intended to act on my feelings, ever.” He took a deep breathe, trying to keep himself composed. “Sure, we got drunk, and she cried that she didn’t want to be alone. In a lapse of judgement, I brought her to my place with no real intentions other than to comfort her, like I always have. She kissed me, and I let it go a little too far before I realized I had my former student pinned between myself and my couch and my mouth.” He gulped. “I tried to distance myself, even though I have realized I care for her deeply, more deeply than I could say I’ve ever cared for any team mate.” 

Sakura wanted nothing more than to burst through the door and save him from her master’s wrath but he insisted he be the one to tell her, and here he was doing exactly that. She knew this wouldn’t be a pretty conversation, but she had hoped Tsunade wouldn’t automatically assume the worst of him. She stood out the door, eavesdropping and holding her breath at times to make sure she could hear them clearly.

“You were her sensei! How long have you ‘cared deeply’ for her, eh? Hopefully not while she was 13.” Tsunade spat. “Not even Jiraiya was ever so dirty.”

He scoffed. “It’s not like that! Just because I enjoyed Jiraiya’s books and am a bit perverted doesn’t make me that disgusting!” He shot back. “I’m well aware of how it looks, but I would have never looked at her in such a way while she was still a child. I never… Intended to ever look at her past being a comrade…” He threw his hands up, his next words coming sarcastically. “Yeah, I totally sat there and looked at her back then and thought ‘wow maybe I could love again’ when she was thirteen and I was twenty-six! Do you really think that low of me?” He huffed.

Tsunade stared at him momentarily, taken aback by the outburst coming from the usually indifferent and emotionally stable man. Perhaps that was a bit far of an accusation. She sighed and crossed her arms. “No, I don’t. That was uncalled for.” She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “But how does this happen? You’ve been stone cold, even keeping people close to you, like Guy, at arm’s length. And now you’re telling me you love Sakura. How long has this been going on, hm? Also, how about the part where it’s your responsibility to inform me of such dynamics forming so that I can decide whether or not to reassign your team?”

“I had been coming here to tell you about everything before you sent for me. I have already even warned Sakura that we could be reassigned.” 

Kakashi stopped talking a moment, feeling pensive. Remembering the little moments that had begun to shift his feelings toward her. Fleeting moments during training and spars, when she would be dressed a bit scantily. Moments when they had made eye contact for just a little too long. Moments where he had comforted her or saved her. Moments where he allowed physical contact between them more and more often until it felt normal with her. Moments where she found him at the stone, and he told her bits and pieces of his pain. Moments where being open just came naturally before he even thought about it. Moments when he realized he felt jealousy over her with other guys. Moments where he began to realize he didn’t want life without her, that simply staring at her name on a stone would never suffice his grief and guilt if she ever died. Moments where his judgement had faltered even just slightly, like the night of the bar.

“And if you never planned to act on it, what changed now?” 

He sighed, deciding he’d have to start from the beginning. “I was at the bar, Genma convinced me to go. To my understanding, Ino had convinced Sakura to go out, but then got drunk and sad and called Choji to pick her up. Sakura had stayed behind, I’m not sure as to why.” He shrugged, knowing Tsunade would care less about the parts not involving himself. “There had been some creep trying to demand her attention and wasn’t taking no for an answer, and she had sought out the ‘jounin corner’ where we always sit when we go-”

“And who is ‘we’” Tsunade asked.

“Asuma, Guy, Genma, Anko, Kurenai, Genma, and Kakashi, and sometimes I’m there as well.” Shizune cut in. 

Kakashi nodded. “Kurenai's eyes widened and then a female voice was saying something about having asked to be left alone, and I recognized her as I finally sensed her chakra. I had been on my third careen.” He scratched the back of his head, clearly knowing that was too much. 

“Then I heard the man talking to her in one of those dark, low tones, suggesting she went with him. I turned my head and threatened him, and saw just this look on her face as she was looking at me. I had never seen her so happy, no, so relieved, to just be near me. And the way that guy was looking at her had just-” He grimaced at the memory. “I’d never felt such a need to make it clear someone wasn’t available, even though she was! I just felt so… Possessive but also protective of her. I pulled her in close to me, and then even after he’s gone, she doesn’t move, and seems rather content. It piqued my curiosity, but I was drunk and it was wrong.” He hesitated to continue, sure that the next part just might get him a chakra enhanced fist in his face, but decided the truth was well worth whatever pain he may end up with.

 “Once she kissed me at my apartment and I heard her moan from a simple touch, I was instantly sober, because I realized my former student was in my arms and even if I had started to realize I loved her, us being drunk was not how I would have ever wanted us to start.” He shook his head softly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, having been surprised to hear her student had made such a bold move. “So tell me, where did you go from there? How do you end up with her still even after that lapse, and you still pushing her away?” 

 “It hurt her because I backed off and told her she was drunk and I wouldn’t take advantage of her and this was wrong, that what I did was wrong. I let her sleep in my bed and I slept on the couch.” He heard her hum softly, but now she’s staring at him intently and he hates being under such scrutiny. “And then a few days later, Naruto bursts into my apartment ready to kill me because she’s at his house crying to Hinata over that night because little do I know, she loves me and fears that it was just alcohol and lust that lead me to kiss her back. And damn it, it wasn’t but I was just trying to do right by her. ” 

He gripped his fists on the arms of the chair. “I’ve never met anyone who ever made me even consider love, let alone feel it. Not since Minato died… I would never intentionally cause her pain.” He said brokenly. 

Sakura hates to hear the pain in his voice. She placed her hand silently on the door, wishing she could comfort him. She just wanted to see him and hold him, knowing the pain that lies in his memories of losing his sensei, the last surviving family he had had. She had stopped masking her chakra, not caring if any of them knew she were there. She would still hold the respect and not walk in without invitation. To hear the man being so open and raw in his feelings for her shocked her a bit, knowing he was almost never like that with anyone. However, it was seeming he was being ripped apart by Naruto and now Tsunade over her, when he had let those walls come down slowly between them. It just made her feel guilty... 

“Kakashi…” Tsunade softened suddenly, sensing a familiar chakra signature.

She could see now, the anger fading. The way Kakashi seemed like an open book, even if it was out of pure fear of what she might do. The more she thought about it, the more she started to realize she had seen them together an awful lot over the past year or so. How Sakura was always happy around him, and always chose to train with him when she could have trained with anyone. She vaguely remembers the very man in front of her bringing coffee a few times to the pinked haired girl, despite his hate for hospitals. 

And she even remembered how much less he fought and complained about being healed or being in a hospital whenever Sakura was appointed to care for him, whether it was a serious injury or his routine check ups on the sharingan. 

“I was disgusted with myself.” He said in a low tone. “Look at me. I’m jaded and traumatized like most ninja my age. Falling for this…” He smiled a little bit. “This girl I initially looked over years ago, because she acted like a typical emotional girl and not a shinobi, fawning over Sasuke. This girl that went under the tutelage of yourself, and became a woman and a strong shinobi. This woman who has seen a war, yet still has this hope in her eyes. This woman who was always at my side for the past year. I only ever realized how much she had truly grown in a sparring session, and have felt the disgust with myself since, and it only grew worse after that kiss. This woman, who somehow got behind my walls, and rather easily. This woman who insisted on taking care of me, this woman who knows exactly what, and who she wants, no matter what judgements will be thrown. This woman, that I’ve already hurt, and have failed multiple times. How did she go from loving Sasuke, to loving the man that couldn’t keep him with her? How did she get under my skin and make me love her too? I can’t tell you when it started because I spent a good deal of time refusing to even acknowledge it. And even when I did admit it to myself, it felt wrong.”

“Kakashi, she was your student…” Shizune said softly. Tsunade put a hand up in Shizune's direction.

He frowned before cradling his head in his hands. “Yeah, I’m well aware. I was her sensei. I’m fourteen years older. I’m broken, and she’s not, not yet. Not as much as me. She’s still innocent and still believes in life. She has a whole life ahead of her, and doesn’t deserve to be with someone like me… She doesn’t deserve for everyone to look at her like some scandal. Or like she’s just trying to climb the ranks, even though she’s already a jounin herself. She doesn’t deserve to be in a relationship where people question the validity. She deserves someone that can be open all the time, someone that is affectionate and available. Someone who isn’t traumatized and damaged.”

Tsunade placed a hand on his shoulder, a small smile on her face. “Kakashi, stop it… You don’t need to keep tearing yourself apart like this. This is nothing like it looked like initially, you’re not disgusting, and if anyone decides what she deserves, it’s her. And maybe myself.”

“But yet, here she goes after me. After Naruto tells me she was crying because of me, and tries to desperately convince me to tell her I love her once I confide it in him. I don't go to the breakfast he planned, because I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ruin her life, she couldn’t be hurt by what she doesn’t know. Or worse, bear the thought of losing her if I did let myself actually have her.” He looks up at the ceiling. “But here she comes to the memorial, as if she knows exactly where I’ll be, and knows I’ve been there most of the night. Because she does know. And she’s there, just talking to me, comforting me and I don’t think she even realizes her very presence is comforting to me.”

Shizune watched, now feeling guilty. She hadn’t realized the actual emotions that were tumbling through them.

“All I’m thinking about is how I have failed them, and wondering what Minato would think of me as a sensei. I never lusted after her, I didn’t want this to happen, I knew the consequences of fraternizing with her in a regular situation, let alone in the one where I’m her sensei and much older than she is.” 

But she doesn’t care. She never cared about any of that. She only cared that he loved her and she loved him.

“And then she says I need my eye healed, so we go to my apartment and while she’s doing that, I’m thinking about what Naruto said, and about how much I just want to hold her and kiss her. And then she’s telling me she remembers that night and how she felt. I gave in as she’s pulling my mask down and I kissed her. She tells me she loves me, that I’ve always been there for her, and she looks me in the face and holds it in her hands and tells me she’s not going anywhere…” He looked back up at Tsunade. “I thought she was just sick of being alone, but when she did that… When she looked at me said she loved me so sincerely. I just had to believe that maybe Naruto was right, that maybe it could work and we could just…” He ran a hand through his hair. “That we could just be happy. That I could be happy…” 

Sakura smiled at the admission, at the fact that he had faith in love, even if it was only a little bit, and that it was fragile. That she was the reason it was there, that Naruto had convinced him even just a little bit that it was worth it… 

Tsunade turned away from him and sighed. “Are you aware of what this all entails? What the consequences are…”

He nodded. “Team Kakashi will be disbanded…” 

She raised her gaze to meet him again, smirking. “Well, according to the elders it should be. What I might do, on the contrary, is very different. Disbanding your team won’t stop or change the relationship.” 

“Shishou!” Sakura burst through the door, not able to take it anymore. “Please, don’t hurt him!” She came up behind Kakashi, placing her hands on his shoulders, a pleading look in her eyes. He glanced up at her in shock, having been too caught up in trying to prove to his superior his feelings were valid and try not to get thrown out of the window like he pictured already, to ever sense Sakura’s presence behind the door.

Tsunade was well aware her apprentice had been outside the door for some time now. She turned to face her student. “Is there a reason why I had to hear about this from Shizune, who heard it from Genma and Raidou who heard something about the“hokage’s apprentice being tangled up in Kakashi’s sheets”, hm?”

Sakura laughed nervously. “Uh, well...uh. It’s only been like… A little over a week?” She offered weakly.

Tsunade raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “A week since it was official or a week since it started.?” 

“Uh.” Sakura tried to find the words to explain the whole situation. “Lady, how do you expect me to tell you I fell in love with Kakashi? To tell you I’ve loved him for years? I mean, would you have taken it seriously?”

“Of course we would have!” Shizune exclaimed. “Sakura, you are like her child.”

Sakura looked to the side. “Even so… I wouldn’t even admit it to myself for a long time. Not to mention, what was the point of stirring it all up, up until recent events I was sure it was one sided, and I’m more than well acquainted with unreturned feelings.”

Kakashi reached up and gently grabbed the hand that had been grasping his left shoulder. “This was supposed to be my job, Sakura…” 

She squeezed it back. “There’s no way I was gonna sit back and let her pummel you, unjustly.” 

Tsunade watched them for a moment, knowing just how sincerely Sakura meant that, even though she’s more than well aware that Tsunade could still kick her ass. 

“I actually wasn’t going to pummel him, however; if he ever causes you the kind of pain that breaks your heart, I will be the first to inflict pain he’ll never forget, and then heal him so he’s still on my roster as a shinobi.”

“And… What about our team?” Sakura glanced back towards her surrogate mother. 

“I am in charge of  the current team rosters, and you’ve unknowingly had mutual feelings for each other and still worked as a team just fine for at least a year now from my understanding, I don’t see any real reason to disband the squad.” She smiled. “Besides, I don’t feel like having Naruto in here screaming at me for disbanding his team after he finally got one of you to reach out to the other.”

Sakura ran to Tsunade and hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much.”

Tsunade grinned slightly at the show of affection towards her and wrapped an arm around her. “I just want to see you happy. If you would have told me sooner, this could have all been avoided.” She sighed before taking a step back out of the embrace. “You do realize, you’re like, middle aged in terms of shinobi life spans right?”

Sakura gave her an odd look. “I’m 20… That’s hardly middle aged.”

Shizune smiled. “So much optimism for someone who has already almost died during her time as a ninja many times. Some ninja aren’t so lucky as you to make it that far, Sakura.”

Sakura thought for a moment. Remembering Ino talking about a similar philosophy. “So, does this mean you’re not going to castrate my boyfriend?”

Kakashi shivered at the thought. “Hey, don’t go giving her ideas for if she changes her mind now!” 

“Oh, so he’s your boyfriend now, huh?”

Sakura stiffened at the sound of a certain purple clad blonde’s voice. 

Kakashi snickered softly. “Didn’t I tell you that your little not-so-made up rumour would be cleared up in due time?”

“Sakura, you didn’t even tell Ino?” Tsunade gasped, shocked.

“Ohhh, she tried not to.” She giggled. “But she’s far too obvious for it to have been believable. Asuma and I set a trap, granted it was before they had actually been together the plan had been made.” 

“Since when was Asuma planning to try and get me with my teammate.” Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the blue eyed girl in the room.

“Since you made it more than clear you didn’t like other guys flirting with her.” Ino smirked and crossed her arms. 

“Ah, so you know the whole story then.” Sakura mused.

Ino huffed. “Uh, no I don’t. I know what Asuma-sensei knows, which was that he took you home.”

Tsunade laughed at the red stain on Sakura’s cheeks. “It would appear that you are terribly obvious to those who were paying closer attention, Sakura.” 

Sakura smiled and glanced back at Kakashi, seeing him watching her with such a loving expression in his eyes, even if she couldn’t see the full expression with his mask covering his face at this moment. 

Ino watched them and just smiled happily for her friend.

“Okay, now get out of my office. I have work to do, you know.” Tsunade threw her hands up and made shoo-ing motions with her hands.

Sakura noted the sake careen on her master’s desk and sighed softly. She walked over and picked it up. “Okay, but it had better be work that doesn’t involve sake.” She looked at Tsunade sadly, thinking of more she wanted to say, debating if it was the right time.

“She’s right, Baa-chan.” Naruto spoke somberly, coming into the room. “Pervy-sage wouldn’t have wanted this…” 

Kakashi assumed he had come back to make sure Tsunade hadn’t pulverized him but now the conversation was taking a turn he wasn’t expecting.

Shizune set a hand on Tsunade’s shoulder, as she was trying to fight the tears. No one had dared to bring him up, nor her drinking issue worsening, until now. She hated to see her pain.

“I know…” Tsunade grit past her teeth, choking down the sob. She turned to look at Sakura from the side, her body still facing her desk. “Don’t ever give up on love. And don’t you dare ever let it slip right through your fingers.” She gulped and faced her desk. “Now, all of you, out.”

They all quickly shuffled out of the office. Sakura closed the door softly behind her, before glancing at Shizune and handing her the sake careen. 

It was almost unspoken knowledge that Tsunade loves Jiraiya. She never once said it, but everyone suspected it. And they knew he had loved her. All you had to do was look at the Icha Icha novels, and anyone who knew the Fifth, also knew that the main character was clearly made with her in his thoughts.

“That’s the closest she’s ever come to even alluding to being in love with him…” Shizune said softly. 

Sakura nodded before reaching for Kakashi, intent on never leaving him. He found her hand, as he performed the signs for his transportation jutsu with his opposite hand. They appeared back at his apartment in seconds and he pinned her to the bed.

That was over and he was eager to make it clear to Sakura just how much he loved her, again. After the emotional torment of that conversation, he needed some kind of release. He didn’t regret it, but that didn’t mean it was easy or desirable. 

“I hope you know that no one else has ever been worth ripping myself apart in front of not just one, but now three people in an effort to prove how I love you, no matter how hard I tried not to.” He whispered in her ear before nipping it harshly.

She murmured softly as he pinned her to the bed, and whined as he nipped her ear. She nodded, trying to shift her wrists within his palm that had them pinned to the mattress. “K-Kakashi…” 

“I think we have something to finish from earlier, if my memory serves correctly.” He smirked before placing hot kisses against her neck.

She hummed as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Mm, I believe we do.” She pressed herself into him. “Now, if you would let me go so we could get to that.” She tilted her head back as he bit down on her neck and began to suck, causing shivers to run through her body. She whimpered softly, arching her back off the mattress. “Please…”

He pulled away from her neck and sat up slightly and smirked down at her. “And if I don’t?” He tightened his grip on her wrists. “Are you gonna use your chakra, hm? Beat me into next week?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you keep me from touching you for your own pleasure, I have other ways I could get my pay back, trust me.” She huffed. 

“Oh, yeah?” He hummed softly, before deciding that might be for another time. “Maybe I’ll be daring enough to find out later.” He let her wrists go, before sliding her shirt off and kissing the valley between her breasts. “You didn’t put your wrappings back on?” He mumbled against her skin appreciatively before kissing up the side of her left breast and twirling his tongue around her hardening nipple. 

Sakura moaned, still questioning how he made her feel so much pleasure with such little effort. “N-No…” She stammered.

He smirked before pulling away from her breast with an audible pop. He slid his hand down her body and delved his fingers past the hem of her shorts and past her lace panties. He rubbed her clit with two fingers in fast circles. She cried out in pleasure almost instantly. 

He could feel how wet she already was and made him twitch against his own clothing. “So wet for me, already?” He chuckled before slipping a finger into her entrance, sliding it against her slickness with ease. 

“K-Kakashi…” She moaned and squeezed her eyes shut, her hips bucking into his touch. 

Every single time they had made love, he had catered to her every request and made sure she felt amazing. But he hasn't made any requests of his own. She wasn’t stupid and heard Ino talk about sex enough to know what men liked, and even little tips on how to make it feel extra good. “L-Let me pleasure you for once…” 

“Hm…?” He looked down at her curiously. “Pleasuring you is pleasurable.” 

She sat up, and slid her hand into his pants and past his boxers. She placed a kiss on his shoulder as she gripped his member and began to slide her hand up and down his length slowly. “But I want to please you, myself.” She whispered into his ear.

His breath hitched as soon as her hand began to move, before he groaned slightly. “S-Sakura…” He shut his eyes tight as she kept sliding her hand against him, gaining a little more confidence in her motions. He placed gentle kisses on her cheek before slowly pressing his hips down into her motions. 

Sakura smirked and pushed him off her onto the bed, before getting her knees between his legs. She bit her lip as she looked up at him, with a dirty trick in her mind. “Yes, Sensei..?” She replied in a sultry tone.

His eyes went wide as he sat back to stare back at her as she shifted her weight more comfortably on her knees. He couldn’t quite pinpoint how he felt about that as she bit her lip and looked up at him from the floor, looking sexier than any other woman ever had before him on her knees. Even if it was sexy, he knew his carpet was less than inviting and pleasurable for her in it’s worn out state. He grabbed a pillow and playfully smacked her with it. “Here, use that to put it under your knees.” He said softly before lifting her chin and catching her eyes with his. “You don’t have to do this, you know…” He rubbed his thumb across her cheek.

She met his eyes, and her heart swelled at the love in them. She shifted and placed the pillow below her knees, before tugging his pants off and smiling. “I know.” She gripped his member once more, sliding her hand up and down a little faster this time. “But I want to.” 

She began to rotate her wrist as she slid her fingers across his length, rubbing her free hand across his inner thigh and placing soft kisses on the exposed skin.

Kakashi leaned back on his elbows and watched her carefully, a moan escaping his lips as soon her lips met the skin of his thigh. He wasn’t sure how far she exactly planned to go, but he was going to welcome every bit of distance she decided she wanted to take. She looked rather hot in his opinion, being shirtless and pumping his length with a surprising amount of confidence.

She waited until his eyes slipped closed before she decided to flick her tongue over the tip, swirling around it the way she remembered Ino describing one time. Her cheeks tinted pink as she repeated the actions, making a mental note to thank Ino for the description she had been so reluctant to hear in the past.

Kakashi's eyes shot back open and he threw his head back with a loud moan as soon as he felt her tongue swipe across the tip of his manhood. His hand moved to grip her hair lightly. “Fuck, Sakura…” 

“Mmm, you taste salty, Sensei…” She commented in an alluring tone. She slowly took him into her mouth then and sucked softly on only the very tip.

He moaned and gripped her hair tighter. “Damnit, I hate and love that you’re calling me that…” He had no idea where she got off to think to call him that. Some women had done it before after seeing the picture of his team and it had been a turn on, a sense of dominance, but it was different when it was actually his former student saying it now. The same feeling of dominance and submissiveness being a turn on, but also a little weird and unsettling when she had actually been his student once.

She snickered, before coming off him with an audible pop. “I remembered a scene from Icha Icha, and guessed you just might like it.” She licked her lips and took him back into her mouth, taking more of him between her lips, and bobbing her head a little bit.

Kakashi bit his lip and gently guided her up and down his length. “I had no idea that you…” He cut off the sentence as he moaned again at the feeling of her sucking. “Fuck, how are you so good at this already.” He panted.

She took more of him in her mouth, trying to keep the back of her throat open. She wrapped her hand around his base and began to pump the remaining part of his length in time with bobbing her head. The groan she heard from her lover as well the tightening grip in her hair confirmed that she was doing rather well. She moved her tongue around the muscle as she slid her lips along his shaft. 

“Sakura…” He let himself fall completely back into the mattress, his breathing was ragged. He couldn’t believe she was doing this, he couldn’t have even imagined asking her to do this so soon. His eyes fluttered close as she picked up her pace. He felt her free hand resting beside his thigh on the bed, and he reached for it, grasping her fingers between his tightly. 

She squeezed his hand back. Her jaw was starting to ache a bit, and she was beginning to realize why women have complained about this very action. She didn’t mind it much as she continued to suck and lick at his member, loving the moans that slipped freely from his mouth.

Suddenly the hand that had been guiding her with the tight grip in pink locks pulled her away as he sat back up and looked down at her, some his precum dripping down the side of her mouth.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to lose it.” He breathed out. Sakura licked her lips before smirking and standing, hooking her fingers at the waistband of her shorts. 

“Pretty good for my first time, then?” She bit her lip and looked at him, her eyes darkened with need.

He slipped his shirt off and pulled her into his lap as her shorts hit the ground. “Amazing.” He pecked her lips and slid his hands to grip her ass. He leaned into her to press a kiss to her temple before whispering huskily in her ear.“Now since you’re so hell bent on pleasing me today, ride my dick just as good as you just sucked it.” 

Sakura’s face flamed red at his dirty phrasing, but nodded. “As you say, Sensei.” She braced herself on his shoulders, before slamming herself down onto him.

They both moaned at the contact, Kakashi’s grip on her ass tightening. “Again.” He commanded. She repeated her movements, and he thrust up into her with perfect timing this time. 

“Kakashi!” She cried out, gripping his shoulders with immense strength.

He moved to grip her hips and guided her movement, slamming her down onto him once again. “What did you call me earlier, Sakura?” He spoke low in her ear. He had come to the conclusion he liked it when she said it, as dirty it was coming from her. 

Sakura bit her lip, and looked into his eyes. “S-Sensei…” She moaned out.

He kissed her hard in approval and she kissed him back with the same urgency, thrusting her hips in time with his. 

His mouth left hers to trail wet kisses down her neck as she dug her nails into his skin, forming new crescent marks that were scattered across his back along with various scratch marks left by her in their lovemaking. 

She had always imagined Kakashi would be rough in bed, and demanding. She had been starting to think she was wrong as he had been mostly gentle until now, not doing more than having an iron grip on her hips and leaving the occasional hickey she’d heal before she went out in public. And now he was being just as demanding as she always figured he would, and it was turning her on so much.

“Sensei, you feel s-so good…” She moaned out between pants, sweat covering her body now. 

He rolled over, pushing her onto the bed. “Fuck,” He panted, raising one leg over his shoulder and nipping at her calf, being able to thrust into even deeper at the new angle.

She bit her lip as pleasure wrecked through her body. “K-Kakashi, there!” She writhed on the bed, shivers running through her body from every nip on her leg. He slammed into her the same exact way again. 

“God, you’re still so tight and soaking wet…” He moaned as he pulled back and slammed his hips right back into hers. “You’re sexy as fuck right now, Babe…”

Sakura could feel the heat pooling in her center as he kept talking to her. Who knew the white wolf would say such dirty things to someone as pure as herself, but she loved every word of it. Her hair was soaked with sweat now as he kept pounding into her, making her reach her peak. “S-Sensei…”

“That’s it, cum for me, Sakura.” He spoke low in her ear as he bent down, pressing her leg to stretch farther than she’d ever gotten it to before in warm ups. Her back arched off the bed as she cried out in ecstasy, her own result of such pleasure soaking Kakashi’s member. He slammed into her especially hard before biting down on her shoulder as he sunk himself to the hilt, releasing his own climax as he growled against her skin.

After a few moments of catching their breath, Kakashi moved his arm to let her leg fall back down alongside the other. He showered her face with light kisses before smiling down at her. 

She slowly opened her eyes to meet his gaze and grinned. “That was phenomenal…” She breathed out between panting, still catching her breath.

Kakashi smirked before chuckling softly. “You look like an absolute goddess right now…” He brought a hand to stroke her cheek softly. “Stunning in all your sexed up glory.”

She swatted his hand away. “Oh yeah, I bet.” She couldn’t help the beaming smile that came across her lips. “You face Tsunade and she almost beats you to a pulp, and then you run right back into bed with me!” She laughed.

“Hey, every minute with you is worth whatever amount of chakra induced pain she would have ever given me.” He gave his signature eye crinkle, fully visible with a toothy smile and her heart melted. He brought a hand to smooth over her hair and move it out of her face. “I love you, and I always will.”

Sakura stared back at him before turning her face to place a quick kiss on his hand. “I love you, too.” 

“I think it’s time that I take you dinner, on a proper date, my love.” He hoisted her up and walked her to the bathroom. “But first a shower is in session.”

Ino had just finished excitedly telling Choji about Sakura and Kakashi as she sat at the meeting spot, waiting for Asuma and Shikamaru to show up for a sparring session. She sat between his legs, her side leaning against his chest and her legs kicked over one of his own as she was looking up at him excitedly. “Can you believe it! I’m so happy for them!”

Choji smiled down at her as he played with the strands at the end of her ponytail. “After everything she’s been through, she deserves to be happy.”

“Kakashi too! He’s friends with the other jounin, especially Asuma and Genma, but he’s never let anyone get close after he had lost his team is what I’ve been told.”

Choji nodded. “My Dad was shocked to see he had passed Team 7 back then…” He kissed her forehead. “I guess everything happens for a reason, huh?”

Asuma had approached, raising an eyebrow at the scene before nudging Shikamaru and pointing, not quite close enough for the pair to notice their teammates just yet. “Looks like he got the girl afterall, doesn’t it?”

Shikamaru nodded. “I’ve always told him if he was just a little more confident, she would see him.” He smiled happily for his friends. “Hey, Choji, you got something to tell me?” He walked lazily towards his best friends. 

Blue eyes looked towards Shikamaru and beamed. “Shika!” She stood up. “Actually, we both do!”

“It’s been such a drag watching him try to get your attention, glad to see you finally realized he loves you.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets.

She beamed as Choji kissed the top of her head, his cheeks tinting pink.

“Just don't let it make training awkward…” He scratched the back of his head.

Ino giggled mischievously before flipping her ponytail. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Asuma watched his teammates with pride, glad to see the tension between Ino and Shikamaru was gone. He was sure the genius was going to go insane if things hadn’t smoothed out soon.

“So, how is Temari?” Choji asked. “I know you just came back from ‘setting up the exams’.” 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Tsunade somehow had it arranged that there weren’t enough rooms set up for everyone, and of course Temari discreetly suggested I stay with her. It felt planned.” His cheeks had tinted a little pink at the mention of it.

“Oooooh, I guess that makes Team 10 fully deflowered then, huh?” Ino giggled. 

Choji proceeded to turn red all the way down to his neck and Shikamaru sighed.

“Okay, now to start training.” Asuma took a fighting stance. “That’s enough talking and catching up, now all three of you versus me. Let’s see how your teamwork skills have survived the inner drama.”

Ino huffed and crossed her arms. “No inner drama would have ruined this formation.” She smirked as she took the lead in attacking Asuma first.

Naruto had leaped across rooftops from the hokage tower, back towards the gates. He landed on the edge, and looked out into the woods. He sighed softly.

“Wherever you are, Sasuke, she’s moved on. Odd how she is attracted to the ones that are traumatized. Is it because she’s medic? Is there some kind of pull in the universe?” Naruto shook his head. “No matter, at least Kakashi was willing to try…” 

He stared out into the woods. “We will still find you and we will bring you home one day.”

He left down to the ground and walked back to his apartment where he knew Hinata was waiting for him. He weaved through the streets deep in thought. He was shocked to see that Granny Tsunade hadn’t noticed the bond between Sakura and Kakashi, and that she had been so angry by it at first. But from what he could tell, the same rumours that made it to her were much like what he had heard initially. She had gone home with Kakashi twice.The people of this village are so nosy, getting into people business when it doesn’t concern them. He leapt up to the balcony his apartment door was located on and entered his home.

Hinata was sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of his cup ramen as he walked into the living room. The site made him smile softly. “Hey, Hina…” He sat down next to her and she snuggled into his side. 

“Naruto…” She smiled warmly. “Are you okay..?” 

He nodded softly. “I’m just thinking about the future. As hokage, Tsunade was really in a tough spot as to how she reacted to Kakashi and Sakura’s relationship. I wonder if I’ll ever be in that position one day. If you don’t know the people personally, how do you make the right decision?”

Hinata studied him for a moment. “Did she disband your squad?”

Naruto took a deep intake of breath and shook his head. “No, but it had come up…” 

“Well, that’s good!” She pecked his cheek. “Then why are you worried still? It’s not common for a former sensei and his student to fall in love, so I don’t think you’d have to make that decision.”

He nodded softly. “Right, but what about when team members fall for each other? Should they be separated into different squads?”

She felt his arm squeeze her slightly as he tucked her head under his chin. “I’m not sure. I don’t think it would really make a difference, do you?”

“It’s been said Obito had loved Rin, and chosen saving her over the mission they were on…” He smiled sadly. “Do you think Kakashi would make that choice with Sakura now? Or that he would still focus solely on the mission?”

Hinata shook her head. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Some of us would save regular comrades over completing a mission. And I think Kakashi’s stress for team bonding at the beginning shows his regret in the decisions he had made in the past.” She leaned her head against his chest. “I don’t think Kakashi would ever let anything happen to any of his friends, and especially not Sakura. Wasn’t that his fear, to get close to her and then have to deal with the pain of losing her?”

Naruto nodded softly. “You’re right…”

Hinata hummed softly, finishing her ramen. She thought more on the subject, remembering Kurenai saying that there should never be any regret in saving someone you care about. Hinata thought of times when she had been on missions and Kiba and Shino saved her when she was still weak. Her fight with Neji at the chunin exams, and how Naruto had been in such an outrage. When she had been attacked by Pain.

“If she would have disbanded the team, it still would have been worth getting them together and seeing them as happy as they are. It may be easier to see in Sakura, but it is with Kakashi too. When I found them in his apartment, the whole world seemed to be right, seeing them in each other’s arms. His mask was off from kissing her, and he looked so happy, smiling right at her….” Naruto smiled down at her.

“I’m sure they will be together for a long time.”

Naruto took the cup ramen from her hands and set it on his desk. “I hope we are too, Hinata…” He placed a soft peck on her lips, resting his hands on her hips.

She blushed but smiled warmly at him. “Me too, Naruto…” She stood up from the couch.

He grinned like an idiot before picking her up bridal style and carrying her to his room. “Let me show you just how much I love you, Hina…” He kissed her softly, setting her on his bed.

The Hyuuga girl became flustered but returned his kiss, bringing her hands to cup his face. “O-Okay, Naruto…”

Ino had drug Sakura back out to the bar that night. “Come on, you know Kakashi is waiting!”

“I don’t think this is what he meant by taking me on a proper date.” The pinkette grumbled to her best friend. 

Ino shrugged. “It was Asuma’s idea for everyone to meet up at the Shuriken tonight.”

Sakura smiled. “You know, it isn’t any rumour that he found us. It was kind of funny actually.” She giggled. “He was walking into Kakashi’s room, saying ‘that Haruno girl has eyes for you’ just as he set his sights on us. He said something about Kurenai saying Kakashi needing a nudge.”

“Who knew that Asuma-sensei would have been such a matchmaker.” Ino said flippantly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Naruto was more the matchmaker here. Kakashi and I would have probably continued to pretend the night at the bar never happened if Naruto hadn’t overheard me crying and talked to us, and convinced me to tell him how I felt.” 

Ino shrugged. “You never know.”

They rounded the corner of the bar towards the rest of their jounin colleagues, and Sakura found herself being pulled into Kakashi’s arms once again. He held her snug to his from, his fingers rubbing her hip once again.

“Look at that, Hatake has his little pinkette again.” Anko antagonized. 

“Poor Anko, he’s off the market for you now.” Genma said sarcastically.

Sakura rolled her eyes at Genma’s antics. “As if he was on the market in the first place.” 

“She’s got a point there.” The senbon user shrugged. 

“So, Sakura, how’s the sex god for you? I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the very few nights he’s had have left women more than impressed. Did he pluck you of your innocence, hm?” Anko made a suggestive look towards the younger kunoichi.

Ino snickered as Sakura turned crimson and hid her face in Kakashi’s shoulder.

The blonde sat next to Asuma, a spot still open next to her for Choji. Their sensei turned in her direction. “He’ll be here soon, he’s ordering wings.”

Ino smiled softly as she crossed her legs. “So, tell me, how red did Sakura turn last time she was here?” The blonde smirked as she looked in her friend’s direction.

Genma smirked. “Oh, she was cherry red. And about just as cozy, the nervous aura about her is gone though.” His senbon bounced along with his speech.

Kakashi shrugged and kissed the top of her head.

“Oh, Kakashi, it’s so amazing to see you with the blessing of a youthful soul!” Guy gushed. “How romantic of a tale to tell one day! A jaded old ninja such as yourself falling for the cherry blossom of hope that is Sakura!” He brought a hand to chest, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes as he smiled. “Oh, if only Lee would be able to accept this loss of such a beautiful flower easily.”

Sakura and Kakashi stared at Guy at his dramatic display, both unsure of how to respond. 

“I’m not that old.” Kakashi said plainly before shaking his head.

Ino raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, 34 is pushing it don’t you think?”

“Hey!” Asuma chided, having been in his late forties now. “Kakashi is younger than me, you can’t go calling him old, because I damn sure ain’t old yet!” 

Ino was giggling now. “Asuma-sensei you’re like 48! That’s almost 50.”

“So what’s with blonde here, hm? Wanna come sit here with me?” The senbon user winked at Ino.

Asuma, forgetting completely about the age argument now, sent a subtle glare in his direction. “Genma, seriously?”

“Not a chance.” Ino crossed her arms. “I’m here with Choji.”

“Damn, no round two then, eh?” He teased.

Ino’s eye twitched slightly as she tinged pink.

“That’s exactly what she’s saying.” Choji said smoothly as he sat down next to Ino and handed her some fancy drink with an umbrella in it before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Wait just a minute, since when did you have a fling with Genma!” Sakura whipped her head to face Ino.

Ino laughed nervously. “We will not be discussing that.” 

“No, no we will not.” Asuma confirmed. “I don’t wanna be reminded.” 

Choji laughed at their sensei’s clear dismay at the thought of his student being with one of his friends. He was well secure in knowing Ino would be faithful to him and wasn’t even slightly bothered. “Oh come on, Asuma sensei. How’s it any different than Kakashi and Sakura?” He grinned.

Ino tensed a bit at the comparison. It wasn’t even close. She had been in a henge, 16, and stupid. Not 20 and in love. She didn’t want to talk about it. 

Genma was now regretting his teasing that had been meant as a joke as he noticed how tense Ino had gotten. “Actually, it was… Definitely different. I was just trying to kid around a little bit. Ino, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Kakashi was slowly recalling the incident, remembering having to hold Asuma back from beating Genma to a pulp after he had mentioned he may have accidentally taken the young girl’s virginity. 

“I’m clearly missing something here.” Sakura crossed her arms, feeling out of the loop.

Ino huffed before glancing at Sakura. “Remember how you used to give advice about going out in henges when we were younger…”

Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you mean the thing I said was irresponsible and even a little scary?” 

Ino nodded and then glanced at Genma. “My virginity.”

Sakura's eyes widened. “But that was when we were…” Kakashi shook his head.

“Let’s not mention that last part, we all know.”

Kurenai giggled and smoothed her hand over Asuma’s arm. “It’s still kind of touchy for Asuma, he views his team as his kids…” 

“I barely avoided that ass whipping, and really I have Kakashi to thank for coming to my defense.” Genma shrugged.

“You deserve one for bringing it back up in the first place.” Ino huffed and crossed her legs.

“Hmm, you never told me who it was that night.” Sakura snickered slightly. She wouldn’t voice it, but she remembered the very night Ino had come over to tell her all about that. Sakura had been embarrassed to hear about it. Ino had been slightly ashamed but also exclaimed that it had been amazing. She had a crush on Genma back then and it had been the sole purpose of going out in the henge in the first place, but she never knew it had actually been him Ino had bedded with that night. Now it just seemed odd with Choji here with Ino, her no longer looking for a one night fling. She watched her with Choji now, her form fitting right into his side much like she did with Kakashi. “I’ve got a killer right hook if it’s ever necessary.” 

“Oh yeah, said the damsel in distress that came rushing over here about a month ago from an insistent creep.” Genma drawled out.

“H-Hey, I can’t go chakra punching civilians!” 

“Or maybe she just knew Kakashi would come to her rescue.” Anko drawled.

“I didn’t even know he was here until I came around the corner!” Sakura pouted.

Kakashi just chuckled and brought his hand up to her face to brush hair out of her eyes. “Regardless, if he had laid a finger on you that night, I wouldn’t have given a damn about him being a civilian. Neither should you when you’re about to be assaulted. Granted you could barely walk 10 minutes later, your chakra control was probably already affected by then.”

“For being around Tsunade so much, you’d think she would handle her liquor better…” Kurenai mused.

Sakura huffed indignantly. “No thanks…”

Kakashi discreetly kissed her cheek, before whispering in her ear. “Shame, you were an awful cute drunk.”

Despite her embarrassment, Sakura smiled, glad to have a night out with friends, and to be with someone herself instead of third wheeling with Ino. 

“So, how is that root kid working out on team 7?”

“Oh, Sai? Naruto and him get along great now.” Sakura giggled. “But he is still amused by antagonizing Naruto from time to time.”

“It can be quite amusing sometimes.” Kakashi concurred.

They spent the rest of the night talking and drinking, getting to know Sakura, Ino, and Choji more. She laughed and blushed and answered most of their questions, but started to feel like she was being watched. She scanned the room around her multiple times throughout the night, not able to spot any suspicious looking people. She vaguely whispered to Kakashi and his arm tightened around her protectively. 

“You know, one day, this corner will be filled with you three and your friends. And it’ll just be old Kakashi at Sakura’s side, all wrinkly eyed!” Guy proclaimed.

Anko looked at Guy with a dead stare. “You do realize besides Asuma, we’re all withing four years of each other, right Guy?”

Sakura, not really hearing the current conversation, noticed Ino scanning the room as well, a frown on her face. “Does anyone else just feel… Like someone is watching?” The blonde asked softly, timidly. 

Sakura nodded. “It’s like…” She frowned as she scanned the room for the fiftieth time that night. “It’s just an unsettling feeling like there’s some lurker or something.”

Anko and Kurenai shook their heads before their eyes narrowed. “I don’t feel watched.” Kurenai said slowly.

Asuma frowned. “Maybe we should call it night.”

Kakashi nodded and stood up, keeping an arm around Sakura. “Choji, you shouldn’t leave Ino alone tonight…” 

The younger male just nodded, worried about why the two girls felt some presence that no one else seemed to pick up on. It wasn’t like he hadn’t spent a couple nights at her house already.

Everyone left in groups, keeping an eye out for anything or anyone unusual in the village.

Sakura went back to his house. She changed into one of his shirts again and laid in his bed. He soon followed after having stripped down to his pants. He laid behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close and tight to him. She still felt watched as she laid in Kakashi’s arms.

“Something isn’t right…” She mumbled softly, turning around and burying her face into the crook of his neck.

“You’re safe with me, don’t worry.” He just held her tight. “Just get some sleep, I won’t let anything happen to you, you know that.” He kissed the top of her head before he closed his eyes, even though he could already tell he wouldn’t be sleeping much if at all. 

[what-is-your-plan-today]

CSI Rogers and Barnes: The Serious Cereal Serial Killer Episode 16: Is This Thing Rolling...

Co-written with @icanfeelastormbrewing​

Part 1

Summary: Having figured out previously where Rumlow has taken Katie, it’s now a race against time for The 4 Avengers to reach her before it’s too late. Armed with…yeah…ok, actually, we’ll let you read that bit because frankly this entire chapter is ridiculously fun!!!

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N:  LONG update here guys so we split it into 2 for you to read as you wish. I know we said Episode 15 was the penultimate chapter but we had too much to cram in so…THIS is the Penultimate chapter! Episode 17 will be the last, followed by an Epilogue.

Anyway, enjoy!!!

Chapter Song: Everything by Michael Buble  

CSI R&B Masterlist  // Main Masterlist 

You’re a falling star, you’re the getaway car, you’re the line in the sand when I go too far. You’re the swimming pool on an August day and you’re the perfect thing to see.

Almost two and a half months after the unit cracked the case of the Serious Cereal Serial killer, as Thor had coined it one morning while watching Bucky scarf down a bowl of oatmeal at such a rate that he almost choked on it, everything seemed to be fitting into place. 

Rumlow and Wanda were rotting in jail. The former had been taken to a prison of maximum security in another county where he had been isolated while he waited for his trial to take place, whereas Wanda had been taken to the female wing, called Nidavellir, at the Nine Realms prison.

Katie had been back at the 99 for almost two months now and was working hand in hand with Peralta, which had given Santiago some relief as Katie was able to appease her husband’s excited and unorthodox methods. Gina had also been back at the 99 full time since another police technician, Scott Lang, previously in charge of the switchboard, had been appointed by Fury as the new Captain’s assistant at the 101st. To say he had been star-struck by the most famous police Captain in the NYPD would be an understatement, wringing Steve’s hand up and down for what felt like 5 minutes.

All in all Steve and Katie were doing well. They were in a happy domestic arrangement. She had moved in with Steve the moment Tony and Pepper had set a date for the wedding, even before she was taken by Rumlow after they had cracked the case and well before she decided to finish her secondment in DC and come back to Brooklyn permanently. And two months later she had given up pretending it was a temporary arrangement.

In fact, one Sunday morning while they were cuddling on the sofa, after an exhausting night and an invigorating breakfast, Katie had shyly asked Steve what he would think if she said she didn't want to find her own place but stay with him till they both found a place of their own. Steve had then flashed her a smile that would have lit up all of Brooklyn on a blackout night and had kissed the life out of her before commenting on how that would be everything a man could ask for. Earning another blinding smile from Katie and a groan from Bucky who, as usual, had shown up from nowhere when he was least expected and headed for the kitchen mumbling something about being fed up of mushy remarks and having to get better ear plugs to avoid having to go to therapy.

This particular Saturday morning, Katie was slumped over the breakfast bar in the kitchen, suffering from the mother of all hangovers after returning from Pepper’s bachelorette party in the small hours. And she was whimpering like a dog when Steve slid a plate of toast and an orange juice over to her.

"You need to eat something, doll."

"Trust me, I really don’t." she said, her voice muffled by the arm that was supporting her head.

Steve was trying to be sympathetic, he really was, but he was also having a hard time simply keeping himself from laughing. Frankly, the whole scene was hilarious. She had been in a right state when she had got home and he’d had to put her to bed once she had finished puking and he had arrested and cuffed her pumps for murdering her feet as per Katie’s request. So he let out a soft chuckle and she groaned as she squinted up at him.

"You know, it’s so not fair." she said blinking at the kitchen lights which felt like piercing her eyes.

"What isn’t?" Steve asked as he poured himself some coffee.

"I came home looking like a raccoon with my make-up smeared all over…and you…" she said as she waved her hand up and down his body "you still looked gorgeous even with that black eye."

"I’m surprised you can remember anything about what you or I looked like last night."

"When I go get my eyelashes done, remind me to take a photo of yours to show the beauty therapist what I want." she continued her ramblings ignoring his comment just before her head fell back on her arms.

Steve watched her and snorted.

"Don’t laugh at me." she whined, her voice once again muffled by her arms.

"I’m not. I’m trying to decide whether you’re still drunk or hungover." he said while he took a seat on the stool next to her.

"Trust me, this is 100% hangover…" she said peeking up at him. “How are you not even remotely ill?"

Steve rolled his eyes as if the answer couldn't have been any simpler. “I didn’t drink enough to be hungover. I know my limits."

"Hmmm yeah, not enough to avoid getting into a bar brawl." And just as she said it her eyes flicked to the bruise along his left cheekbone and eye socket. She sat up to trail her fingers gently over it. "You gonna tell me the full story about what happened?"

"I already told you before Doll, it was some drunken punk in a bar picking a fight. I had to put him in his place, that’s all." 

"Yeah, and he put your eye in a dark place from the looks of it." she jabbed at him.

"Trust me, he ended up far worse."

Steve saw her watching him and he tried to hold her gaze as best he could, working on keeping his face straight. But it was proving hard work seeing as he was the worst of liars, he always had been. For a moment he thought she was gonna argue but she didn’t, whether she believed him or was simply too hungover to bother pulling him up on it he had no idea. He was just grateful she didn't.

"Sure he did. Anyway, what are you and your black eye doing today?" she asked.

"I’m on groomsman duty, my suit was a little short last time I tried it on so Tony wants to make sure it fits.” He replied, thankful of the change of subject, trying to sound as casual as possible, when a sudden idea came to him. “Hey, how about we head to Ma’s for lunch? I can meet you there? That is if you feel better later. You got anything else planned, baby?"

Katie reached for the orange juice before answering "Yeah, lying on the couch waiting for death to come and take me."

Steve chuckled and leaned over to press a gentle kiss to her temple but he saw her flinch as Bucky made his accustomed loud entrance in the kitchen.

"Hey doll face..." he trailed off as he looked at her, taking in her appearance and then snorted."Yikes, not looking very doll face today."

"Die Barnes" she bit back at him.

"Gladly Stark, but before I leave this world remember you promised to help me find my suit for your brother’s wedding today." Bucky informed her, a side smile on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

Katie then stilled "That was today?" she asked with a croaky voice.

"Yup." Bucky said and headed to the fridge to fetch some milk. "And seeing as his wedding is next week we are running out of time."

"Fuck my life." Katie groaned as Bucky poured some cereal into a bowl. "Can’t you ask anyone else? My head is killing me and I can’t feel my feet thanks to being in those ridiculous heels all night…"

"Not happening." Bucky shook his head. "Sam has some reports to finish today, but says he will join us later, and I need a woman’s advice."

"Well I don’t feel like being a woman today, Buck. Have some mercy." she said in a pleading tone, earning a chuckle from Steve who was amusingly watching the interaction while he munched his breakfast.

"Maybe I would if you hadn’t sent me the video of the stripper." Bucky took the big guns out.

Suddenly Steve spluttered on his coffee "What?"

"I thought you might enjoy it." she shrugged. "Anyway, I only did that because it was that Gemini Flannagan dude you told me about."

"Gemini Flannagan…huh, no shit?" Steve said as he dried a few coffee drops that had landed on the breakfast bar with a paper towel.

"Wanna see?" Bucky asked him with a grin. 

"No, why the fuck would I want to see that?" Steve frowned, visibly disgusted.

"Because in the background to all the thrusting and gyrating dearest Gemini is doing, there’s a very interesting conversation going on between your lovely girl here and Natasha where Stark is clearly saying, and I’m paraphrasing here, that his cock is nothing to write home about because yours is bigger."

At that point Katie could only groan and hide her head in her hands. 

But Bucky continued as he was having a ball "... and for the record, punk, if that’s true, I don’t know how you stand up straight." And just like that he took a spoonful of cereal and watched the pair of them. 

Steve was sure he was flushing, he could feel his ears and neck burning but he was also a bit smug, well ok, not a bit, he was full on smug. That most certainly was not a bad thing for his girl to be crowing about…

And then it suddenly hit him what Bucky had said.

"Hang on…he was naked? Like…did he strip?” Katie rolled her eyes and Bucky smiled at Steve's naivety "Clue's in the name…STRIPPER. Duh." she said.

“Like he was completely naked?”

“Well not completely, no.” Katie said, “He had this little leather thong pouch type thing covering his, crotch, but it was tight enough not to leave anything to the imagination.”

"You know, if you ever get tired of chasing bad guys there’s a gig there. You already have the uniform." Bucky told his friend as he munched his cereal.

Steve, who was now bright red, tilted his head at him. "Buck, just don’t."

Bucky smiled and decided to let it go but then he saw Katie looking at Steve and a wicked smile flicked across her face.

"Can you strip for me, Captain?" she asked suggestively.

Steve groaned and stood up, still flushing. "Just eat your toast and take a painkiller. I’m going for a shower."

"I love it when you put on your Captain's voice…" she purred, which did nothing to stop Steve’s blush, quite the contrary. And he rolled his eyes, trying to maintain a straight face as she continued "Are you stripping to get in the shower, Captain?"

Bucky laughed loudly as Steve sighed and looked him. "Keep her out of trouble, punk." He ordered.

"I’m not some mischief making teenager, Steve." she protested.

"Then stop acting like one." Steve said sternly, hands on his hips and it didn’t pass him by that he was really adopting his Captain stance.

"Says the man with the black eye." she glared at him and Bucky sniggered.

"I’m going for a shower now. Behave with uncle Bucky sweetheart." he said, winking an eye at her. And as he turned to leave Katie threw the toast from her plate at him but missed completely and it ended up on the kitchen's floor by the door.

"Fuck you, Rogers." she shouted in frustration.

They heard Steve's laughter die down as the bathroom door shut.

"We don’t play with food, little miss." Bucky mock scolded Katie as he picked the toast up off the floor.

"You can piss off too."

Bucky laughed, now she was being a brat. "Sorry, but you’re cute when you’re angry and hungover."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she frowned at him.

"A James Buchanan Barnes original, yes."

"Well, given how I look and feel this morning, I’ll take it."  She breathed in and nodded behind him. "Pass me the Advil, will ya Buck?"

"Sure, doll face." he said as he reached into the cupboard over the sink and tossed the packet down on the breakfast bar. "Take a few, I need you at your best this morning."

"Just my luck." she said, taking the painkillers from the packet.

Bucky chuckled and poured himself a coffee. "Blame your brother, if he had chosen me as a groomsman, I’d have my suit sorted now."

Katie snorted and tossed the pills into her mouth, taking a gulp of orange juice and swallowing. 

"I mean, I get why Rhodes is his best man, like they’ve been friends forever but Rogers, Wilson and Banner as ushers, really? What about me?"

Katie looked at him "You really don’t want me to answer that, do you?"

"What you trying to say?" Bucky asked, not understanding why his question was so odd.

"Brucie and Sam are his closest friends at work and Steve’s…"

"The guy fucking his sister." he cut her off.

Katie narrowed her eyes "I was gonna say his Captain, ass hole."

Bucky simply grinned at her over his coffee mug. He loved their little bickering moments.

***** Steve pulled up outside Tony’s and headed up to the door of the large brownstone terraced house. He sighed as he rang the bell. He had been sure about this but now he didn't know if he was anymore. Anyways, he was already there and he'd better roll with it. 

"Oh hey Rogers, wasn’t expecting you." Tony greeted him as he opened the door.

"Hi Tony."

"Eurgh, that black eye looks worse now than it did last night. What did Katie say?" he said pointing at Steve's face

"Nothing much. I told her it was just some drunken ass hole causing a scene. She doesn’t need to know anything else." he shrugged.

Tony arched an eyebrow at him "Ooh, Captain straight lace telling lies."

"It’s not a lie, just not the whole truth." Steve explained with a smile. 

He had begun to take a liking at Tony's teasing, as long as it wasn't too personal that is. But he had to concede since they had rescued Katie from Rumlow the scientist had toned down his little jabs at the Captain. 

"Whatever, your funeral when she finds out."  Tony brushed Steve's explanations off with a wave of his hand. "And speaking of my sister, where is she?"

"Shopping with Bucky…complete with one hell of a hangover." 

"Yeah Pepper ain't much better. Made her one of my miracle beverages. Looked worse on the way back up, which is saying something…Come on in." 

Tony stepped back and let Steve into the tiled hallway, shutting the door behind him. He led the way, taking him through to the kitchen and Steve caught a glimpse of the living room when they stopped at the door.

"Pepper's on the sofa... dying. Probably best we leave her to it." Tony explained when he saw Steve was looking in her direction.

Steve smiled and nodded as Tony looked at him. "So Kiddo is shopping with a hangover? Bet she loved that." he scoffed.

"Well, you know her…never one to let someone down when she’s promised something. Bucky needs a suit for the wedding so…" 

"Oh, shit, yeah…er…let me warn you, I was in the middle of a thing with our wedding planner." 

Steve paused and turned to face him, raising an eyebrow "What do you mean?"

Tony had never been one for warnings, he just let people draw conclusions by allowing them to dive in head first. He just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

"You’ll see." Tony said before heading into the kitchen.

Steve frowned, there was not a spark of wickedness in Tony's brown eyes when he uttered those words as he would have expected. Instead Steve could feel the exasperation in his voice.

"Steve this is Grandmaster, our wedding planner. Grandmaster this is Steve Rogers, my sister’s boyfriend." 

Steve looked at Tony, mouthing Grandmaster?  What kind of fucking name was that? he thought. Tony didn't bother answering. Instead, he merely took out his glasses and rolled his eyes, a gesture Steve knew only too well to mean ‘don’t ask’ as it was identical to the one Katie made.

"Nice to meet you, Steve Rogers…you’re a lucky man." the man suddenly spoke.

"Sorry, I’m not…I don’t…what?" Steve was utterly confused and finished a little lamely. His brain was having a hard time registering the wedding planner's flamboyant appearance. He was wearing a sparkly golden jacket even Bucky would have sworn off in the 80s. But his greying spiky hair and blue eyeliner combination was what had Steve floundering for words. Then, what the man had said registered and he frowned. “Lucky man?”

"Your girlfriend, Tony’s sister, I met her at the dress fitting a few weeks ago. She’s an exquisite little thing." Grandmaster explained softly.

"Oh, err, yeah… yes she is. Thank you.”

Steve saw Grandmaster bat his eyelashes at him as if to acknowledge his words. He looked at Tony once more, utterly dumbfounded. Tony simply shook his head in a just roll with it gesture and Steve suddenly realised exactly why Tony had issued a warning.

He then looked at the large table which was adorned with bits of paper, one of which looked like a seating plan, and suddenly he felt like he was intruding. 

"Look, if this is a bad time I can come back…"

"Oh, no, Anthony and I were just discussing the brunch…" Grandmaster explained and grinned at Tony.

"For the last time, it’s a Reception, idiot." Tony hissed.

"No, can you…you know I don’t like that word." Grandmaster shook his head, cringing.

"What? Idiot."

"No, the…why would I not like the word idiot? I mean the R word."

Steve stood there, watching the exchange between the two men, his mouth hanging open in confusion. That Greatmaster was certainly a greater piece of work than Tony, which was saying something. Or was it Grandmaster? Whatever...

Tony let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It’s not a brunch, it's an afternoon... you know what? Fine. The post wedding meal."

"Ok, better." Grandmaster grinned again at him.

Steve now understood why Tony had done nothing but moan about this guy for the last few months. He was clearly a fucking sandwich short of a full picnic.

"As for the seating…just do whatever. I don’t much care." Tony conceded, visibly fed up. There's only so much a man can take after all.

"Alright, seeing as Miss Potter is not available, I’ll work on this later and email it over." the man agreed.

"It’s Miss Potts." Tony practically growled and Steve could see he was about to lose it.

"She’s more open to my ideas than you are Anthony." the wedding planner observed, not in the least fazed by his client's angry tone.

Tony stared at him, blinking. His mouth hanging slightly open in a look Steve had seen only a handful of times before, when something had rendered him speechless, which was no mean feat, before the scientist took a deep sigh. 

"Whatever."

And just like that Grandmaster moved graciously around the table. Steve watched him as he gathered his papers up and popped them into a leather briefcase. He then fastened it with a click and looked at Tony. 

"By the way, it smells in here…burnt toast I think.”

"Yeah, well I like my bread well done." Tony's voice was deadpan and Steve snorted as Grandmaster nodded with a smile. The guy had no idea Tony was literally making fun of him to his face.

"Alright, guess I’ll be leaving now. Bye, Anthony. Nice to meet you Mr Stevenson."

Steve's brain had not quite registered the man's name mixed-up when he heard Tony hiss through gritted teeth "It’s Rogers." He was literally lost for words. So when Grandmaster left the room Tony looked at him. 

"Don’t mind him, took him some time until he stopped calling me Mr Starch. That’s why I don’t rip his tongue out for calling me Anthony."

"Yeah erm…where on Earth did you find him?"

“I’m not actually sure he’s from Earth.” Tony mumbled before he shook his head. “He was some acquaintance of Banner. Thor knew him too. He runs a company called Sakaar. They deal with events planning. And orgies, apparently." Tony explained, rubbing his temples.

Steve thought Tony had aged a decade in the ten minutes he had been dealing with his wedding planner and gave them a sympathetic smile just before his brain registered the last part. "What?"

"Don’t ask." Tony said before clapping his hands together. "Anyway, what can I do for you, Cap? You want a coffee or…?

"No thanks, I’m good."  Steve cleared his throat. With all the Grandmaster dude shenanigans he had forgotten the real purpose of his visit and suddenly he could feel his palms were sweaty with nerves.  "I... err... wanted to talk to you alone. There’s this thing I’ve been meaning to ask you…"

Tony arched his eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yes." Steve replied way too fast. "I mean, I wanted to ask you before I ask her…"

"Her? Are you talking about Katie?"

Steve lowered his head and sighed "Yes."

"Oh, I see what’s going on." Tony said leaning against the counter, folding his arms.

"You do?" Steve asked, lifting his head up and looking at him shyly.

"No thanks to you, you’re a mess Rogers." Tony said, a gentle smile curling on his lips. "Come with me."

Steve frowned before following him "Tony, I…"

"Trust me, I have something to show you." Tony stopped and turned to look at him with a soft smile.

Steve took a breath and followed him. They headed down the hall then up the stairs and into Tony's study. Once there Steve saw Tony sit on his desk chair and begin tapping on the keyboard. Just as the screen sprang to life Tony explained.  "See dad had a thing for recording videos, kind of like pep talks for the future." He pressed a few buttons more and moved the mouse before continuing. "After the one he recorded for that old journalist Mr Lee, well it got me thinking there had to be more. So I started searching through his old archives and among other things, I found something I think you’ll find interesting."

Steve frowned "What do you mean?"

Tony looked at him for an instant before looking back at the screen and smiled as he selected a file. "Lets just say my dear old pop was a visionary…"

Steve looked at him, he had no idea what the fuck was going on. Tony stood up and motioned for Steve to take his place on the desk chair 

"Just watch this, then you can ask me what you wanted to ask me."

He leaned over Steve to click another button and the screen suddenly displayed Howard, perched on his desk, scotch in hand. Steve felt a shiver running down his spine.

"Is this thing rolling?" Howard asked the person behind the camera as he swirled his glass around. 

 "Yeah, it’s on…" a voice from off screen confirmed.

"Alright…" Howard took a swig of scotch and cleared his throat. "Tony…congratulations on being the only person I know who is nosey enough and clever enough to crack into my archives…anyway, if you’re watching this it means something has happened to me before I got the chance to tell you all this in person so…."

Steve watched as Tony pressed a key to fast forward the recording a bit, he was winding to find something, before he stopped and the screen showed Howard giving a chuckle and taking another mouth of scotch.

"So yeah, there’s always a secret door." he said before taking a deep breath. "Now I want you to show this next bit to Rogers."

Steve’s eyes widened and he felt his heart start beating fast.

"Steve, you’re like a second son to me, you know that. I hope you’re doing well. I have no doubt you’ve made Captain by now, possibly even Commissioner, depending on how old this recording is. Not too old I hope. Anyway, I digress. I’m willing to bet you’ve cracked a few big cases too."

Steve gulped as he watched his old mentor continue to talk to him through the screen. He couldn't even tear his eyes from the screen to see Tony's reaction.

"Good job son. Now, onto something far more important to me. I hope you and my princess have realised by now you’re made for each other, because I already know you are."

Steve’s breath caught in his throat, his heart was now pounding.

"So if you’re watching this, and you’ve finally figured that out, then I’m giving you my blessing son. If you haven’t figured it out, then you’re a pair of dumbasses." Howard groaned at the last part and Steve gave a soft snort of laughter, shaking his head. "I’d be over the moon knowing you two have finally realised what has been in front of you for the past god knows how long."

"10 fucking years…" Tony mumbled from where he was leaning against a bookcase behind Steve, arms crossed and his right hand covering his mouth and jaw.

Howard then swallowed a little and wiped at his eye as he looked down at his feet taking a deep breath, clearly emotional, before he looked back up.

"Just look after her, treat her well and make her happy. I’m trusting you with one of my most treasured accomplishments son. And I only wish I could be there to walk her down the aisle to hand her over to the person I’d trust her with over anyone." Howard smiled and then thought about something a moment before he continued. “Just don’t try to understand her.” Howard shrugged “Because the minute you think you know what’s going on inside a woman’s head is the moment you’re goose is cooked.”

At that he sat up straight, slipping back into the Howard Steve knew all too well and looked at the camera.

"Ok, you can stop that thing now…" Steve heard him say before the screen went blank.

The room fell silent and Steve swallowed, trying to digest what he had just seen. The lump in his throat felt like a damned golf ball. Seeing his old mentor, his girl’s dad like that, in such an unguarded way had really made him emotional. When he recovered a bit he turned to look at Tony, who was in turn looking at him, and saw his eyes were misting over slightly. "What was it you wanted to ask?"

Steve chuckled "You still gonna make me say it?"

"Humour me Rogers, I like to see you squirm." Tony teased him, regaining his composure.

Steve took a deep breath before speaking, hoping his voice would come out as steady as possible given the circumstances.

"Tony, I’m gonna ask Katie to marry me. And it would mean the world to me, if I had your blessing."

Tony smiled and looked at his feet before he glanced back up "Then you got it, Steve."

Steve felt a feeling of relief wash over him, the fact he had used his name, for the first time in years, and not some stupid nickname didn’t pass him by. He smiled widely as Tony extended his hand, before he pulled him into a brotherly hug. 

 “Scotch?” Tony asked him as he pulled back.

Steve nodded, smiling widely. "Absolutely."

CONTINUED IN PART 2

[elizabeethan]

My Hands, Your Hands- Part 2/2

Part 1

Read on AO3

Emma wakes up feeling grateful for Advil. She wonders what her head would feel like without it, considering the headache she’s sporting now.

Rolling over slowly and noisily, she smells bacon and considers whether she’s going to eat some or be sick. The smell effectively pulls her head from the pillow and she makes her way to being vertical, despite the throbbing pain that radiated from the base of her skull. She finds a sweatshirt while simultaneously barely opening her eyes and scurries to the bathroom where it was decided that she was indeed going to be sick. She could make some definitive statement about never drinking rum and coke again, but she knows that’s foolish, as she’ll be in the same state next weekend.

Problematic? Maybe. For a 29-year-old? Definitely.

Once her teeth are brushed, she’s able to shower the sweat and regret from her body, cranking the water as hot as it will go as memories from last night flood her mind. Most noteworthy would probably be the fact that she and Walsh broke up, although that was less than surprising and not at all upsetting. The more she thought about him, the more she knew that she was only with him because she felt like she had to be. She didn’t want to be his girlfriend because all of her relationships end badly.

So, when he came over expecting her to need him, and became upset when she didn’t, she knew it was time. She may not have gone at him the way that she did if she hadn’t been drunk and full of feelings of rejection, but what’s done is done.

More memories assault her as she thinks back to being rejected, how that felt, and the nature of why she was rejected. She and Killian were ordered behind the Iron Curtain, and while she suggested that they casually get the kiss over with, he felt entirely differently. I really don’t want to kiss you like this.

Of course, more memories come to her as she picks up her purple shampoo. Killian has always been sweet to her, and she’s always seen him as her brother’s best friend, but she has to face the fact that he is insanely good looking. He’s got those icy blue eyes that rival the color and depth of the ocean, contrasting with his dark hair and fair skin. The way he smirks, all the damn time, literally drives her insane, and whenever he does that stupid thing where he pinches his bottom lip between his right thumb and forefinger, she wonders what it would be like to bite down on it.

She may be attracted to Killian, but he’s always been her brother’s best friend. Sometimes she thinks of him as her friend, too. Like when he makes her coffee in the morning, exactly as she likes it. Or when he drives her to work when it’s raining so she doesn’t have to walk. Or when he goes on runs with her in the park, claiming that he wants to be there to keep her safe from killer waterfowl.

(That last one is a joke. He wants to be there to make fun of her in case another swan decides to attack her so that he can relive his favorite memory. He’s told her this several times.)

The truth is, he’s never been anything less than sweet to her, and to have him reject her drunken-self last night must’ve really done a number on her ego. And now, when she thinks back to what he said in the kitchen, she just feels as though he was taking pity on her because of how pathetic she was being. What I mean is, if I were to kiss you, I’d want it to be more special than it would have been behind the Iron Curtain.

Was he serious? Considering this was daring. Accepting that he was serious about this and genuinely wanted their first kiss to be special will be detrimental to Emma’s ability to pretend that she doesn’t find him insanely attractive. This takes her feelings beyond physical attraction and into crush territory. AKA, serious danger.

Imagine having a crush on your roommate? Yikes.

But a crush on your older brother’s best friend, who also happens to be your roommate? Double yikes.

As Emma makes her way back into her bedroom, the smell of bacon blitzes her again and she feels just how empty her stomach is now. Once she smells the cocoa and French toast, though, the grumbling coming from her can likely be heard throughout the loft.

“Swan?” Killian calls, confirming her theory that her hunger is evident to all. She hears his footsteps coming towards her as he calls to her again: “do you want some breakfast, love?”

Well, here we go. “Only if you’re making it right,” she grumbles with a roll to her eyes.

“Bacon extra crispy, French toast with cinnamon, but not too much, extra butter, cocoa with cinnamon and whipped cream. You think by now I don’t know your hangover food, Swan?”

She tightens her robe around her middle as she takes in the sight of him; black t-shirt and checked gray pajama pants hugging his muscles perfectly. She nods and offers him a small smile as she says, “so you know how to get me drunk and how to cure me the next day, huh?”

He smiles back at her, blue eyes twinkling impossibly. “Aye, that’s right, Swan. Now get dressed and get out here before this gets cold and all my hard work goes in the bin.”

“We don’t call it a bin here, Jones. Honestly, you’ve lived in American for how many hundreds of years now?”

He breathes out a scoff. “Just get dressed, woman. I won’t have you in a robe distracting me from my breakfast.”

She rolls her eyes but listens to him and steps back into her room. Her cheeks are hot and she knows she’s blushing, and hopefully she can blame it on the hot shower. She picks out a new pair of underwear and leggings and a clean sweatshirt, choosing not to utilize a boob prison today. Her boobs deserve the Sunday off.

When she gets out to the kitchen, the table is set and her plate is full of bacon and French toast, her favorite mug filled to the top with delicious, perfectly prepared cocoa. She grins, unable to stop the blush from hitting her cheeks again. “Looks great,” she says, not bothering to turn her attention to him as she makes her way to her usual seat across from hers.

“I hope so, it took me all damn morning. Honestly, you couldn’t have chosen a hangover food that’s easier to make? French toast has to be the most tedious breakfast.”

“And yet I seem to be eating it every Sunday now,” she says, finally looking in his direction and smirking.

“Aye, well, I figure it’s easier to fill you up with eggy bread now than it would be to listen to you complain for the rest of the day.”

Her face scrunches up as she takes a sip of her coffee. “Ugh, do you have to call it that? Again, you’ve lived here for centuries. Just call it French toast.”

He chuckles as he shoves a strip of crispy bacon in his mouth, choosing talking over manners as he says, “eight years, love. I’m really not that old, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” she says with a nod as she takes a bite of bacon herself. “But David’s an old man and you’re his friend. Also, the way you complain about your muscles being sore after you run just makes you sound like you’re 200.”

“Well, I can assure you I am not 200. I’m actually a few years younger than David, thank you very much.”

“Still older than me,” she says with a shrug. He breathes out a laugh and shakes his head, turning his attention back to his breakfast. Then, before she can stop him, she sees him scooping a spoon full of cubed watermelon onto her plate. “Hey, no healthy food allowed.”

“Healthy food is exactly what you need right now, Swan. What did you have for dinner besides the popcorn you threw all over the living room? You’re welcome, by the way, for vacuuming that up for you,” he says sarcastically and with a smirk playing at his lips.

“My hero,” she says with eyes rolling to the back of her head. She wonders briefly if rolling her eyes is a defense mechanism so that she doesn’t have to look at him when his face does that…

“It’s fresh, love. The best money can buy for my Swan. Eat up.” My Swan, she’s swooning.

“Where is everyone,” she wonders as she takes a bite of watermelon. And he’s right, it’s fresh as hell. Shit, it’s delicious.

“David went to church with Mary Margaret, Will hasn’t been home yet. I’m pretty sure Ruby slept on the couch, but she was gone when I woke up.”

“Where did Will go?”

“Home with Sabine.” His mouth is full, and it shouldn’t be hot, but it is.

“Whoa, really? I didn’t even notice they left last night.”

He smirks again, “I’d wager you didn’t notice much, love. You were completely obliterated. Five drinks was all it took, I suppose.”

“Hey,” she whines, “I’m pretty small! Five drinks is a lot, especially when you're the one making them. You put so much damn rum in them, I swear you were a pirate in a past life.”

He hums, “maybe I was. At any rate, you were absolutely smashed. Do you remember much?” Is he testing her memories? Does he wonder if she remembers everything that happened last night? Does he hope she doesn’t?

“Pretty sure I remember everything, although I suppose I wouldn’t know if I didn’t.”

“Ah, so you remember how desperately you wanted to kiss me then,” he says as she chokes on a sip of coffee.

She’s coughing so hard now that she can hardly respond. “I did not want to kiss you, I wanted to win the game.”

“Winning the game isn’t a real thing, Swan. The winner is the person who makes it to the end, who also happens to be the one to drink the most. I’d say based on how you seem to feel this morning, you don’t actually want to be the winner.”

“I’m very competitive,” she says. She wipes her mouth with her napkin and drops it to her now empty plate.

“Aye, love, I know,” he says with a chuckle as he does the same and stands, taking her plate from her and stacking it on top of his own.

“I guess I did kind of ruin the game, though, didn’t I? What with Walsh and everything,” she trails off, standing from the chair and making her way to where he was standing at the sink and lifting herself up onto the counter.

“The game didn’t matter at that point, Emma,” he surprises her again by using her name, which he really only does when he’s being serious. “I’m sorry.”

She draws her eyebrows together and says, “sorry? For what?”

“For everything,” he responds, tapping her legs out of the way so that he can open the dishwasher and place their dirty plates inside before he starts on the pans he used to make breakfast. “I shouldn’t have hit him. It was childish, but when he said that to you… I couldn’t stop myself. I could barely even see straight.”

Right. She knew Walsh had come over and embarrassed her, but she forgot all of the details until now. He called her a slut and before he could step out the door, David grabbed him and Killian swung his fist into Walsh’s jaw.

“It’s okay,” she nearly whispers. She allows herself to glace at his right hand and see the bruises that formed on his knuckles. “Did you ice it?”

“Aye,” he chuckles softly, “you practically forced me to. You were very adamant that I take care of my one good hand,” he says as he smirks up at her. She feels her chest and cheeks go red again.

“I did not say that.” Her voice comes out as weak and small as she feels.

“Oh, you did. Then you practically started crying,” he smirks again as she drops her head into her hands.

“No,” she groans. “This is mortifying. I’m so sorry, I’m sure I didn’t mean it.”

“You told me that you didn’t mean it in a bad way.” She lifts her head slightly and allows herself a glance at his left hand now. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Swan. I know you weren’t trying to be offensive. I didn’t mean to make you feel badly about it.”

“I wasn’t, I’m not. I’m sorry, Killian,” she raises her eyes to meet his, perhaps for the first time that morning.

He surprises her by meeting her gaze and smiling softly, his right hand coming up to pull hers away from her face and then touching her cheek so lightly that she thinks she may have made it up. Her breathing quickens as he says, “it’s alright, love. Thanks for looking out for me.”

Instead of choking over her own breath like she thinks she might, she says, “I don’t ever want to make you feel like I’m treating you differently, you know?”

“Aye,” he breathes out, his words barely over a whisper, his hand falling to hers atop her knee. “You never do.”

Just as she thinks he may close the gap between them and take her lips between his, the front door swings open and her older brother walks in, Mary Margaret following closely behind him.

Killian backs up so fast that Emma nearly loses her balance and falls off the counter, straight into the dishwasher. With a clang, Killian steps forward to steady her and hits his ankle against the door, hissing and cursing.

“Uh oh,” Emma says as she jumps down to his aid.

“Shit, I’m fine, it’s fine.” He groans lightly as he rubs his ankle, and it shouldn’t be hot, but it is. Dammit.

“Hey, you’re up. How was breakfa- are you okay?” David walks in to see Killian hunched over and Emma standing awkwardly, hands out as if she’s trying to will the pain away with magic or something.

“Fine mate. Just walked into the dishwasher.” Emma smiles lightly now, realizing how silly this whole situation was. Rather than focus on the fact that she was sure Killian was about to kiss her, she chooses to focus on how dumb they must look to David and Mary Margaret. She would much rather focus on that than on the fact that her crush, which she didn’t know she had until very recently, may actually be reciprocated.

~~~

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she groans into her pillow as she flops down face first into her bed.

“Me either, if I were you, I’d stop trying to fight it.” Emma lifts her head to glare at Ruby, who sits down on the other end of the bed and flops over as well.

“Of course, I’m fighting it. He’s David’s best friend! That’s insane. Not to mention the fact that he literally lives across the hall from me.”

“Definitely insane, but most likely worth it, girl. Honestly, I thought you guys were already… you know. I’m more surprised that you aren’t.”

“What could possibly make you think that?”

Ruby rolls her eyes and smirks, “Emma, come on. A blind man could see the way he looks at you. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s completely in love with you. And you’re not so good at hiding it either, my friend. I’ve never seen someone blush as hard as you did last night.”

Emma sits up, unable to remain still. “So, what do I do?”

Ruby smirks again and says, “Killian,” waggling her eyebrows up and down and giggling. Emma groans again.

“No way! Besides, he’s still getting over Milah.”

“Please! It’s been almost a year since that happened! You don’t seriously think he’s still hung up over her, do you?”

“Well, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him take a girl home, and he never sleeps out. Obviously, he still loves her and he isn’t over her. First heartbreak and all that.”

Ruby’s mouth is agape and her eyes bug out of her head. “Emma, seriously? Tell me you’re kidding right now. He hasn’t hooked up with anyone because he wants you, not because he can’t get over his ex!”

Emma ponders this briefly. It’s true, she hasn’t known him to be with anyone in months. She doesn’t think he has since she moved in nine months ago, but that couldn’t be right. Emma knew Killian as her brother’s friend before they became roommates, and she always thought of him as a lady’s man, even when he was with Milah. But Ruby’s theory, that he hasn’t been with anyone because he wants to be with her, is almost too much for her.

“Look, before last night, I had no idea I even felt this way. He’s always just been David’s hot friend. This is a lot.”

“Yeah,” she nods, “I know it is, but don’t you owe it to yourself? You’ve really been striking out lately.”

“Thank you so much for that reminder, friend.” She rolls her eyes again.

“I’m just saying, your first boyfriend died and that was tragic. Then it was Neal, and that was tragic in a completely different way. Now Walsh? The guy was a total douche!” She’s right. “Your track record is not good. I wanna see you happy, Emma. You’re my best friend and I want what’s best for you. And I just think… maybe that’s Killian.” Emma throws her head down into her pillow again and groans loudly. “Hey, come on. At least wait until I’m gone before you start picturing-” Emma hits her with a throw pillow. “I mean seriously, if you don’t I will. Even with one working hand I bet he could make a girl-”

“Ruby! Leave him alone!”

“Sorry, sorry! But seriously, how did that happen?”

“You're being insensitive,” Emma says accusatorily.

“I’m just curious, I know he told you. He’s barely told anyone what happened, but he told you, so there’s that.”

“There was an accident when he was in the Navy. Something to do with his Captain, I think. His arm and hand got tied up and crushed. Nerve damage.” Ruby cringes. It is a horrible story, and it must’ve been a horrible accident. Killian’s lucky to have a hand anymore, even it if it just for aesthetic purposes. His arm is so damaged it barely works, and Emma often finds herself wondering what his recovery process was like all those years ago- not that he ever talks about it. “Don’t let him know you know. I don’t even think he meant to tell me, I’m sure he wouldn’t want me going around telling people.”

“So, what you’re saying is, his love for you is so strong that-” Emma hits her with another throw pillow. “Alright, alright. I’m gonna go, okay? I’ve gotta get to work. I’m lucky I got out of the breakfast shift but now I have to do dinner.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks for the pep talk.”

“I expect a full report, got it?”

~~~

“Care for a movie tonight, Swan?”

Emma’s dragged from her thoughts as she pretends to scroll through her Instagram feed when she hears Killian’s voice from across the room. He’s standing near the curtain on the outside of the living room donning another black Henley and gray joggers. Of course the bastard was wearing gray sweatpants.

It’s absolutely pouring outside, and if she’s being honest with herself, there’s nothing she’d like more than to curl up on the couch and watch a good movie. Maybe have a good snuggle… She clears her throat and rolls her eyes. “Fine, as long as you make the popcorn.”

“Is that why you threw it all over the place last night? Because I didn’t make it? It must not have been very good.”

“I told you what happened, and it had nothing to do with you, Jones.”

“Actually, I don’t think you did say what happened,” he said as he made his way into the kitchen and took out his infamous air popper and some butter.

“Oh,” she stood from the couch and followed him, grabbing two glasses and filling them with ice. “Well, I was leaving Walsh a voicemail and the pipes made a sound, so I jumped. Not really that big of a deal. I didn’t even scream like he said I did,” she fibs.  

He chuckles and says, “I suppose he was behaving rather dramatically, wasn’t he?”

“That’s for sure,” she grumbles with an eye roll. She fills the glasses with water and adds lime to hers, then makes for a lemon to add to his when he stops her.

“I’ll just take a lime as well, Swan.”

“You hate lime, what do you mean?”

“Well, as one of my good friends has been reminding me constantly, they're really not that different. I suppose lime has grown on me, over time.”

“I’m your friend?”

“I didn’t mean you, Swan,” he deadpans.

She narrows her eyes and draws her brows close together. “Okay, weirdo. What are we gonna watch?”

He smiles as he takes the popcorn bowl with him into the living room and plops down on the couch. She places the glasses down on the coffee table and sits next to him so that he’s sitting on her left side, just as he always is.

“Don’t you want to watch Dirty Dancing?”

She’s stunned into silence. Of course this man, this perfect specimen of a human, would offer to watch her breakup movie with her without prompting. Of course he would think of that, even when she didn’t.

“Oh, um, I don’t know, I don’t really know if I need to.”

“No? Not even after Walsh?” He seems even closer now, and she wonders how it’s even possible for someone to smell as good as he does right now.

“I mean, that wasn’t really a breakup. I guess it was, but… I guess I’m not that upset about it.”

His voice is so soft and gentle. His hand touches her left knee and he smiles at her before saying, “that’s great, Swan. It would be a pity to see you upset over such an animal of a man.”

She’s still stunned, still silent as she nods back at him. Before she can stop and think, she thinks she’s leaning in closer to him and she thinks she doesn’t mind it, not one bit.

After some time, once he’s put on an episode of The Office and they’ve settled themselves into the couch and eaten their fair share of popcorn, she speaks up. “I guess I’m more upset about what he said to me than anything,” she nearly whispers.

He hums softly and she can see his throat moving as he does, and shit it’s sexy. “That was rather upsetting, although I suppose we already know how I was feeling about it, don’t we,” he says with a soft grin, his eyes crinkling; she literally almost combusts as she nods, completely breathless.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she breathes. She nearly feels her lashes fluttering as he moves impossibly closer. She can practically feel her lips buzzing with how much she wants him to close the space between them and take hers between his. There’s a coil heating in her belly as she looks as his stubble covered face and feels his fingers delicately touching her knee.

“You know during the game, when I said I didn’t want to kiss you like that?”

She can’t breathe, so she nods in response. Before she can think, she sees his eyes fluttering so that they're almost closed as he moves so close to her that if she moved at all they would be touching. Then she watches as he grins beautifully, then his face closes the gap before hers and he presses his lips to hers so delicately that she could barely feel it.

Her eyes close effortlessly and within seconds as he kisses her softly then draws away far too quickly. Her eyes fly open again and she looks at him as if to say what the hell, come back. He listens as he presses himself to her more firmly, pursing his lips into hers and reaching his hand up from her knee to her cheek. She breathes into him and reaches her own hand into the back of his hair, feeling the softness between her fingers and the heat growing hotter in her belly. She can feel his tongue softly swiping between her top and bottom lips, as if asking permission to kiss her more deeply, so she parts her lips ever so slightly in invitation. She feels him suck on her top lip lightly before he licks it softly and she nearly loses it. His hand laces it's way behind her ear and into her hair as she tugs on his lightly before she hears him groan into her mouth, igniting her from the inside out.

She bites down lightly on his bottom lip and feels him stir in his seat as he leans closer to her, pushing softly until she’s laying down on the couch and he’s on top of her and kissing down her neck. She thinks she hears the popcorn bowl hit the floor, spilling whatever was left, but she can’t be assed to care.  Her legs part as he fits himself between them, drawing their bodies even closer together, but somehow not close enough. She thinks he may have bruised her neck slightly, but she doesn’t care. She just keeps carding one hand through his soft hair as the other feels his muscles rippling through his shirt at his back, his chest, his triceps. He meets her mouth with his again and kisses her hard, as if he needs her like she needs him. She’s certain he does, based on the firmness she feels pressing against her upper thigh, and she’s tempted to rut her hips up towards his, but stops herself, reveling in his mouth on hers.

Moments later, they separate and their foreheads touch, his hand coming to her face and his thumb stroking her chin as he smiles breathlessly at her and she smiles breathlessly at him. His lashes flutter once more and he softly touches her cheek before drawing her to him once more, kissing her with a passion that she’s sure she’s never felt before.

When he finally pulls away, she’s gasping for breath, barely able to open her eyes. She thinks she may be dreaming, or dead, until he says, “I meant something more like that.”

She breathes out in a whoosh before saying, “holy shit,” embarrassment immediately taking over as she laughs lightly.

He laughs hard, and she can feel his chest vibrating against hers and she thinks it might be killing her. “Aye, my thoughts exactly.”

“I guess I can see why you rejected me, then,” she breathes out, reaching her hand to touch her own mouth, as if checking to see if it’s still there.

“I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings too much, love. I really wanted to kiss you, I have for a while, but I wanted you to remember it happening afterwards. I also didn’t really know if you were sober enough to actually consent last night,” he laughs. She pushes her forehead up to his and laughs with him some more.

“Probably not.” Who the hell thinks like that? Is that a symptom of adulthood? Emma thinks she should probably stop dating children if that’s the case.

He pecks her lips once more with his and she’s tempted to grab him and pull him back to her, but she doesn’t. Not this time.

“A while, huh?” she asks, and his brows raise as if he didn’t even realize he said that.

“Aye, I suppose so.” He lifts himself off of her and grabs a throw pillow before taking her hand in his and hoisting her back into a seated position herself. “I don’t really know if I should have done that. But I’ve wanted to kiss you basically since I met you and when you said you weren’t upset about Walsh… I guess I just…” He trails off and looks away from her, down at his hands.

“I wasn’t. I’m not. I was going to end it soon anyway.”

“Aye, you said that last night.”

“It’s true.” He looks back at her, finally, and smiles. It’s her favorite smile of his; the one where he grins with all of his teeth and his eyes scrunch up, but it softens after a second. It’s got to be the cutest and sexiest thing she’s ever seen. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Aye, of course,” he says, drawing his dark brows together as he does when he’s concerned, as if he’s worried about what she’s going to ask him.

“Why didn’t you bring anyone home last night? You said you wanted to, and that girl seemed more interested in you than in Will, but you didn’t go for it. How come?”

He’s quiet for a moment, glancing down from her eyes to the mess of popcorn on the floor, before he responds, “I didn’t really want to. I haven’t had a very keen interest in quite some time. I don’t know why I said that to you last night, honestly.”

She hums in response, then thinks back to what Ruby said. “So, when was the last time you… you know…” she trails off, realizing very quickly that this wasn’t really an appropriate line of questioning for her best friend whom she’s kissed one time.

“Such an interest in my sex life, aye Swan?” he smirks, finally looking at her again. She smiles back sheepishly, no doubt turning a very bright shade of pink. “It’s been a while, that’s for sure. One time with Milah just before you moved in, and then a drunken Halloween night with a girl dressed as Tinkerbell.”

She rolls her eyes at the thought of him hooking up with Tinkerbell and not knowing her actual name, then says, “you and Milah hooked up after she broke up with you?”

“Aye, a lapse in judgement, I suppose.”

She nods, understanding completely. There was a point after her breakup with Neal when she considered going back to him, although she luckily had a change of heart after a very loud conversation with Ruby.

“Can I tell you something, Emma,” he says so softly that it’s almost a whisper, but she can still hear the deep timbre of his voice.

“Yes,” she whispers back.

He’s breathing heavily, his forehead is close to hers and his hand is back on her knee. “I’ve had a massive crush on you since you moved in. Since we met, really, but I think when you moved in and I saw you crying on the couch while you sang along to the ending of Dirty Dancing, I was done for. And you're my best friend and I don’t wanna put any pressure on you, but I want you to know… how I feel.”

Emma hasn’t breathed for several moments, and this didn’t change anything. “I’ve had a crush on you since, like… last night, I think,” she says, smirking.

He laughs again and she sees an evil glint in his eyes before he wraps his right arm around her waist, pulling her up onto his lap and tickling her mercilessly as she laughs loudly, likely drawing attention from her roommates.

“You are absolutely wicked, Emma Nolan. Last night? Are you serious?” His fingers are still brushing lightly against her waist and she’s still giggling, actually giggling, for god’s sake. “Can I take you out for dinner, then?”

She scoffs and rolls her eyes and says, “you better,” before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and kissing the holy hell out of him.

[imaginesofeverykind]

Uncharted: Forged [Re-Write]

y’all the Sam Drake feels are hitting HARD, im replaying all the games atm and I reread my old fic from 2017 and decided I love Melissa so much so we’ll give this a red hot crack! <3 xx Majority of the fic is the same, i’ve mainly updated wording and layout, but of course some lines and inner thoughts have been changed to add more to the fic if you’ve already read the original! <3

OC x Sam Drake

Summary: It always went without saying that where you found the Drake brothers, Melissa Bridges wasn't far behind. More correctly, wherever you found Samuel Drake; Melissa Bridges wasn't far behind. The pair were quite literally as thick as thieves, partners in crime, their very own Bonnie and Clyde. It was short lived between the two of them. Sam's death struck a chord with Melissa, what she chose to do with the grief is the question. Better yet, what does Melissa do when straight from the 'grave' fifteen years later she is reunited with the oldest Drake brother?

Warnings: Swearing(?) Dorky as fuck Sam Drake,

Word Count: somewhere in the high 2000’s

|PART 2| PART 3||

Samuel Morgan had a reputation. Not only exclusive to the Orphanage he grew up in, but also to the sister Orphanage several blocks away; Sister Margaret's. He caused fights, disrupted the peace and was caught doing illicit activities on the building grounds. But believe it or not; he never truly used to be as much of a delinquent. In fact, his behavioural changes can be traced back to ten months ago when he met Melissa Bridges. As innocent she may seem, her bad influence on Sam caused quite a turn of events in his life, some good, some bad, some ugly. But when it came down to it, Samuel and Melissa were always there for each other.

[1] Boston: A Bad Influence

Every day like clockwork, Samuel Morgan would peer out his window, looking beyond the gates of the Orphanage to catch a glimpse of her as she walked by. Her hands always seemingly shoved into a denim vest that looked miles too big for her as it covered what appeared to be a faded pink dress.

On the days he managed to see her while he was out in the courtyard, he spotted smaller nuances and details missed from afar. The boots she wore looked as though they had stopped fitting several years ago, long exceeding their lifespan judging by the soles flapping with every careless step she took. Her hair was always tied up neatly in a ponytail to gather her long dark locks.

Some days — he noted — she was accompanied by groups of girls. Most days she would stride on her lonesome but regardless, alone or not; every day at Midday, Melissa Bridges would pass by the Orphanage in a direction that didn’t quite add up.

It confused Sam, considering Sister Margaret's was in the opposite direction and there was evidently nothing in the direction she was headed. If he wasn't so chicken shit to do so, he would find a way out just to talk with her for even five minutes, maybe even a polite ‘hello’ or ‘how are you?’

He spent an embarrassing amount of time watching her, understanding her routine to the point he questioned if his motives were borderline criminal. His curiosity and infatuation with the mystery that shrouded the peculiar girl always kept him from pulling away from her. When he told himself; let it go for today, he’d catch himself looking out the window at just the right time, like it was a habitual instinct he somehow developed.

On weekends she would walk by not just at midday but once more, later in the evening between seven and nine. The few times he mustered up the courage to finally leave, he got as far as opening the window before deciding against it. Despite slight behavioural issues, he was top of the class, rarely did anything out of line despite the occasional fistfight between other boys in the home.

One night in particular, however, Sam decided he was finally going to do it. Go beyond the gates and finally speak to Melissa, a girl he only knew from the distant affections via observation. Did he know her name? No. Did he know anything about her? Aside from her being in an Orphanage, no. Did he know her eye colour? Not at all, but he would like to.

Despite knowing less than the bare minimum about her, his infatuation with curiosity constantly drove him to the brink of madness, urging himself to find the answers he sought out. He wanted to know why she would walk so braisingly confident, in clear sight of St. Francis undeterred by the Nun’s there and where she was heading that was apparently so important she ditched her classes. What was she doing at said place— if she was even going to a destination. Most importantly, he wanted to know how she managed to pull a fast one on the Nuns, knowing how their eagle eyed scrutinous gazes fell on the boys here.

His watch beeped, displaying the time as seven o’clock. It’s time, he thought to himself, taking a deep breath before opening the window. The frosty Saturday night breeze spilling into the room, the chill bite prickling his cheeks. The boys would be attending dinner in the hall at this time of night which is why he decided now was the time to make a break for it.

Sam had a clean record...ish... He had high hopes that in the event he was caught out, he would only merely get off with a warning and maybe forced to write some convoluted, meaningless essay.

He vaulted out of the window and dangled over the ledge, recollecting the plan he had rehearsed in the forefront of his mind. It wasn't a special night or anything, simply the night Sam decided to finally 'grow a pair' and talk to her, this marking the first night he even got as far as dangling out of the window.

Sucking in a breath, he released his tight grip from the ledge and dropped down a few feet, hitting the brick roof of the lower level. The loose brick slates cracked under the sudden strain, however, absorbing most of the sound which came as a pleasant surprise. His heartbeat quickened as he chuckled to himself, "I'm actually doing this," the thrill of potentially being caught hung in the back of his mind as he scaled the side of the building. Reaching the front chapel and administration block, he stopped momentarily, his arms burning from the sudden intense activity.

On the streets below — like every Friday and Saturday evening — Melissa walked along the dirty streets, keeping her head down and hands jammed into her pockets as she strayed in relative proximity to the street lights. Leaves crunched under her boots, accompanied by the sounds of the loose soles slapping the sidewalk. She hummed to herself a leisurely tune — having listened to the beastie boys most of the day — she rounded the familiar corner where Saint Francis Orphanage stood.

It was always much more peaceful to pass it in the evening given that similarly to Sister Margarets; Dinner was around this time.

This night, however, as she finally strode by the fenced-off Orphanage she couldn't shake the feeling of being followed. Something lingered behind her, more so, someone. She cursed under her breath, not wanting to turn to see the figure on the principle of merely acknowledging it. If she didn’t look, it wasn’t there right?

Many scenarios crossed her mind, perhaps it was a Nun that had followed her out of the Orphanage, they were always watching her like she was on the brink of committing a major felony. Nevermind that their concern wasn’t an underreaction by any means. But if it were a Nun, they’d have her by the ear and on their way back now.

It could perhaps be a drunken stray from the pub she passed a block ago, this occurrence was regular more often than not. Of course, in her experience, the drunkards were quite lovely and just wanted some quaint company on their journey home.

Or... it could definitely be someone not as kind as the drunken strays and not as merciful as the Nuns. That thought crossed her mind too, it often did. Being a young woman, regardless of looks and attire, she was on her lonesome which made her an incredibly vulnerable target.

Or so many people thought.

She was positive someone was tailing her, their footsteps would stop every time she did and would start back up again when she proceeded. Around the corner she rounded, there would be fewer street lights, instantly darkening the streets actively causing them to look far more menacing. This hadn’t deterred her, though, she was hardly bothered by a lot. But the prospect of someone snatching her up from the street was something that bore into her mind and chipped away the panic that simmered inside of her.

Stopping just shy of the safe glow emitting from under the streetlamp, she waited in anticipation, counting quietly to herself before whipping her hands out her pockets. In a swift motion, she spun around, connecting her fist with the lurking figure behind her in an impressively powerful sucker punch. They groaned, stumbling backwards into the light. "Oh shit," She uttered, apologetically after catching a glimpse of the person she punched. Just a kid from Saint Francis.

Despite being punched by her, Sam couldn't deny she was as attractive close up as she was at a distance. Being even prettier than he imagined her to be, glancing through his eyelashes to look at her bright green eyes, tanned skin and plump lips. He had seen a lot of girls in his time, but none that took to him quite like Melissa had.

Samuel Morgan had just been sucker-punched by a girl, that would be quite the story to tell his younger brother Nathan. He was stunned as he held the side of his face in a dazed state, did that actually just happen to him, or was it a dream? Both fortunately and unfortunately for his ego, yes indeed it did happen.

"Crap. I’m so sorry, my bad..." Melissa's face softened as she stepped slowly toward Sam, outstretching a hand to touch his shoulder comfortingly, "I thought you were following me." she stated, a panicked chuckle falling through her lips, the sound was music to his ears.

"Uh-uh, I mean... Yeah, I was — well no, not like that! I mean — just put me out of my misery and hit me again." He stumbled on his words making Melissa laugh, squeezing her hand on his shoulder, offering yet another apologetic smile at the welt forming on the side of his sun-kissed face.

She clicked her fingers once recognising his features in better detail, once the light hit it at the right angle, "you're uh, that kid from Saint Francis, yeah?" They hadn’t met prior but he looked so familiar to her, perhaps they had sat near each other when both Sister Margarets and St. Francis’ homes came together twice a month for communal mass.

He stood upright at her question. Having always imagined what it would be like to finally meet the strange girl surrounded by a unsolvable paradox, none of the scenarios he thought of began with her sucker punching him in the middle of the street. He caught his bottom lip in between his teeth to stifle the minor laugh, scratching the back of his neck nervously, "there's a lot of kids at Saint Francis you're gonna have to be more specific." His tone was laced with a hint of sarcasm, a trait he was blessed with after years of dealing with the Nuns dull and humourless personalities.

Melissa rolled her eyes subtly as a smile ghosted her lips, the way he spoke was seemingly more familiar to her. Then it hit her. She recalled the last communal mass just a little over a week ago where the boy was dragged away by the Nuns for misbehaving during silent prayer. His name passing their holy lips as if it was a curse word while they dealt with him.

"Uh... Samuel something, right?" She tilted her head on the side and shrugged, her memory wasn’t all that great but she did recollect thinking how amateur it was of him to get caught like that. The fact that he got caught at all was amateur in itself.

"Samuel something?" He repeated, a smile pulling on the sides of his lips as his heart fluttered. She knew him. After thinking for quite some time she had no idea who the hell he was, this was a revelation that couldn’t help but make him giddy. His grin appearing more genuine as the palms of his hands began to perspire.

With a nod and a smirk, she quirked her eyebrow at him, "you got kicked out of church last week, yeah? I know because I was thinking how funny it was that you got caught… Rookie mistake,” Her tone was purely in challenge of his efforts, he too recalled being whisked away by the Nun’s and forced to write an essay on something he’d long forgotten.

He mustered up a laugh, bashfully nodding. His mind fixated on the thought of him getting her attention completely unintentionally, but thankful that it happened in the first place. What did she think of me? Was the question that flooded his mind, almost like it was flashing in neon lighting to keep his attention on it. “Clearly we’re not all good at getting away with everything — or does that come naturally to only you?”

The minute the words left his lips, he regretted them. Overthinking the tone of his voice, cringing at how much more sarcastic and blunt it came across than intended. When she merely scoffed at him, he felt relieved that she quite clearly had more tolerance to sarcasm than he originally anticipated, taking up the opportunity to feebly point to himself, “I’m Uh… Sam, Sam Morgan.”

She clicked her fingers yet again, instantly recognising the name, “Samuel Morgan, that’s right… I know you — our history papers get graded together and I know for a fact that you almost got a higher mark than me." She raised her eyebrows, a mischievous smirk on her lips. She drew out the ‘almost’ as it taunted him with her acute sense of pride.

Sam looked at her, in awe almost. He spent many of his waking hours thinking about what she would be like, she was much more confident than he imagined and that factor alone seemed to make her all the more desirable. A history buff and confident, not to mention the way her frame was highlighted by the street lamp behind her made it look like she was otherworldly. He was convinced she was merely a figment of his imagination, but the bruising on his cheek and slight blood nose stated otherwise.

"You must know a thing or two about history to beat me," he chuckled, shifting awkwardly once he found himself staring at her for too long, this night was not panning out like he had planned or visualized. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

"Only a little bit." She smiled, gesturing with her pointer finger and thumb, attempting to repair the boys already significantly damaged ego. Although she knew based off the report she snatched from one of the Nun’s offices; she had beat him by a landslide.

"What's your name, sorry?" Sam asked, clearing his throat. He ignored the proud smirk she wore as she kept her thoughts to herself, he knew she was a lot smarter than she admitted at the expense of keeping his hubris intact. The fact she hadn’t been caught sneaking out yet also lent itself to her sharp awareness and intelligence.

Melissa perked up, dismissively apologising as she gestured to herself, "Melissa, but you can call me Mel... Follow me, I know somewhere to get your face all cleaned up pretty boy — once again... Sorry."

Pretty boy. His gut twirled in a nauseating fleeting motion, something he hadn’t felt before but he knew it wasn’t a bad feeling. She waves her hand, indicating for him to follow her as she slinked into the darkness of the street they were on.

Sam was stunned— albeit, incredibly intrigued and infatuated with the idea of her. Eager to savour the rest of the evening in her presence, he shook his head but followed her, "So...." He trailed off, walking in sync beside her, "where are we going?" Was all he could think of, wanting to hit himself for asking such a basic question in comparison to the myriad of ones he kept stored away, why was he so mundane? "I uh... I watch you— I mean, I see you...sometimes walking past the Orphanage..."

Melissa looked to her odd new companion, a smile tugging on her lips. "You've never been outside the gates before have you?" Her smile gradually turning into a grin, everything about Sam screamed goody two shoes yet here he was, outside against the strict rules the Nuns abided by.

Sam frowned and put his hands up defensively, "Of course I've been outside the gates before—."

She cut him off, shaking her head, "no, I mean outside the gates without supervision and outside of curfew." Her eyebrows were raised as she waited to get an answer from her newfound friend, he merely shook his head coyly, her grin grew wider and she had a bounce in her step. "Well, pretty boy… when we get you cleaned up, are you ready to have the most fun you’ll ever have living in this shit hole?”

Sam thought for a moment, the nagging at the back of his head, the rules he was currently breaking would have severe consequences, but the rush and thrill of it all was so appealing. Melissa was appealing. And his insatiable need to fulfil his curiosity often always bettered his own moral compass. "Hell yeah." He commented enthused, kicking himself for being a little too enthused. She quickened her pace and motioned for Sam to pick up the pace as well.

Melissa was an addict, a thrill addict. Although she went to Sunday Church every week with the other Orphaned girls and went on bible retreats; it was a facade. She craved adventure, close encounters and thrill-seeking. On this particular night was the night Samuel Morgan's addiction to adventure had begun. Awakening that feeling deep within him, reminding him of the stories their mother would tell them before bed, the artefacts and trips they went on. He was aching to break free, and finally, he did.

And there was no turning back for him.