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sr-sam-bodypillow · 8 months

Note

idk why but i thought of sam and fear play. i guess those yandere!sr headcanons and your dark!sam post are getting to me.

anyways, dark!sam x reader hcs?

— @staif-and-broulderbeans-anon

@staif-and-broulderbeans-anon

as the ceo of sam simps i formally apologise for taking so damn long on this ask lmao. i hope u can forgive me because this is so long and also i learned tumblr has a character limit whilst writing this which i did not know

tw: sam is a disgusting creep and a massive stalker in this, noncon/rape, assault, threats of murder, actual fucking murder, knife play, fear play, kidnapping, somnophilia, dacryphilia, possessive behaviour, general scumbaggery, yandere!sam, dark!sam, afab reader, i think this one is WAY more fucked up than the other one and i am SO SORRY

the time you think you met sam for the first time and the actual first time he saw you are very different. it was in passing at your workplace, a shitty 24/7 chain convenience store that you always managed to have the night shifts for.

it was getting late, but you still had quite a few more hours before the next guy came in to take over, and with no customers you found yourself drifting off at the counter, slumping in your seat as you took a much needed nap.

thing is, you did have a customer. sam's just far too good at being silent, standing off in the corner as he tries to figure out which iced coffee he's going to buy.

he peers around the shelves, spotting you, peacefully drifting off, messy hair framing your pretty face. you are absolutely adorable.

since there's nobody else in the shop, he spends a good few minutes walking around to make it seem like he's browsing the goods, when in reality he's watching you intently, drinking in every single detail of the scene like he's a man dying of dehydration

here's the thing about dark/yandere!sam. sam knows what he's doing is incredibly fucking creepy and weird. he just doesn't care. boundaries are a myth to him, but at the same time he has no illusions about what he's doing. he enjoys the feeling of power it gives him, the way he could scare someone into isolation with just a few well timed encounters. he's a massive sadist.

sam, having figured out where the cameras are by now, stands in a spot where he knows that he wont be spotted as he begins to take photos of you, taking a short video of the way your chest rises and falls.

he leaves without buying anything. why would he disturb you when you so clearly need it?

when you wake up, you can't shake the feeling that you're being watched. which you are. you very much are.

sam starts to stalk you online. he finds out every single detail he can, your social media accounts, your previous places of employment, everywhere you've lived, everywhere you've ever attended school or university, the works. he creates an entire batch of dummy accounts with false identities to follow you on accounts and to drop seemingly innocuous comments to record your responses.

within a month, he knows more about you than you could've ever possibly imagined. and you still don't even know he exists.

another thing is that he's done this to others before. but they rarely ever get past this first stage because they stop being interesting to him. not you, though. you're not so lucky.

the stalking escalates soon after to real life. you never see him, not once, as he slowly begins to map out your entire routine and lifestyle by following you.

he takes lots and lots of photos, and every single one goes up on the walls of his spare room. it's getting hard to see the original paint, and he's started having to layer photos on top of each other in some places, which upsets him.

you're taking over his entire life. you're all he thinks about. you are everything he's ever wanted and ever needed.

it goes on like this for three months before he finally 'meets' you, and even then it's been set up entirely for his own benefit.

you've just gotten some takeaway from this one place you really like when it starts pouring outside. you groan, knowing that you've got to walk home and your umbrella mysteriously vanished from your workplace just a few days ago. (sam has it.)

like a guardian angel, sam appears. he's got a big enough umbrella for the two of you and just so happens to be going in the same direction as your house. how convenient! he offers to walk with you.

you're suspicious of him at first, because it's some stranger who's come out of nowhere, but he seems to legitimately be going in the same direction as you and you really don't want to get your food wet. you agree, but keep one hand on the pepper spray in your pocket the whole time.

you chat to him on the walk back and he seems... actually quite nice! somehow, you end up with his number, and the two of you start messaging.

slowly but surely, sam begins to worm his way into your life. he doesn't rush it- no, he knows that this is a process that takes time. you need to trust him, and he is willing to wait his whole life for you.

despite all of this, he doesn't introduce you to sr. yes, he is an incredibly patient man, but if he has to take... drastic measures, he doesn't want them asking about why you've gone missing.

don't worry, you wont be dead! you'll just be tied up somewhere super safe where nobody can ever hurt you :)

sam's got a big house in a remote area. he slowly renovates one of the rooms into a perfect place to hold you, just in case

after all, he's hoping he wont ever need it. if all goes well, you won't need an introductory period where you get used to your new life, you'll just be sleeping with him from the get-go

still, he is patient. he waits. he wants everything to be picture perfect.

one day, though, you manage to test his patience a bit too much.

you don't mean to. it's just that for the very first time in the two years you've known him, you've decided to go on a date. you tell sam about the guy you're seeing, not knowing that you've given him enough information to find him.

sam is patient, but sam does not like competition. it doesn't take him much to abduct and kill them in the small apartment he rented to pretend he lived in for when you came over (he was intending to pretend that he'd just purchased his big house later down the line to convince you to move in with him)

unbeknownst to him, you already trust him far more than he thinks.

you've made your way to his apartment to ask if you can spend the night with him watching shitty horror movies instead because you're not actually too comfortable with the date and you're regretting it, only to find him halfway through butchering the man, covered in blood.

you don't even get the chance to scream. he knocks you out then and there, lamenting about how all his well-laid plans have gone to waste.

when you wake up later, it's to pleasure. you moan slightly in your half-awake stupor, too tired to really realise what's going on. is this a wet dream? it feels good, gentle hands touching you just where you want them to be.

it's only when sam laughs softly that you wake up fully, panic overtaking you.

you're tied to a wooden chair, all of your clothes having been pulled off. sam's hands rest on your thighs as he buries his face in your crotch, kissing and licking you as you squirm. you've only just woken up, but you already feel so incredibly overstimulated, his every movement sending shocks through your body.

sam takes his time. he wants to savour every single part of you.

you dont know how long he spends inbetween your legs, his beard brushing up against your skin and making you shiver. you do know that by the time he's finally has his fill you've cum at least thrice, legs shaking uncontrollably.

when he does finish, he crawls up onto your lap, kissing you gently, running his hands through your hair as he grinds his hips slightly, bulge incredibly visible in his tight pants. he's still fully clothed.

you sob uncontrollably, begging him to stop. your crying only turns him on more, and he leans in to lick your tears off your cheeks, an action that stuns you into horrified silence.

he unzips his pants, pulling out his erect cock and letting it rest on your stomach so you can see just how much you turn him on. precum begins to slowly leak down onto your skin, and you whimper pathetically.

he pulls a knife from his pocket, and slowly begins to trail it across your skin.

you yelp, telling him that you'll do anything as long as he doesn't hurt you. he coos at you, leaving hickeys on your neck.

this knife isn't to ensure your compliance. it's because sam wants to watch you bleed.

gently, he begins to leave shallow cuts along your body. they wont scar (too bad), but they will sting and they will most certainly bleed. every time he starts to drag the blade across your body you can see how his dick twitches in excitement

he begins to move, cutting away the ropes binding your legs before lifting them up and gripping onto them tightly so that he has better access to you, positioning himself at your entrance

you dont get any warning when sam slips his cock inside of you, beginning to thrust into you. again, he wants to take his time and drag this out as long as he possibly can, but it's so hard when you feel so fucking good.

it's like a switch has flipped. he becomes aggressive, grabbing you by your hair to force you to lift your head and look at him as he holds the knife to your neck. his thrusts become rougher, making the wooden chair creak with the force he's exerting.

the knife is right above your jugular, ready to drain the blood from you in one swipe. you know he can do it, too. you've already seen him murder another human. what's one more?

"beg." he hisses into your ear, grip tightening on your hair. "beg for me to fuck you, you fucking whore, or i'll slit your throat right here." the knife pushes harder into your skin, breaking the very top layers of skin and allowing a tiny amount of blood to run down your neck. "beg for me. tell me you want it, baby. i know you want it. let me hear you scream, or i'll fucking make you."

you beg. you plead for him to fuck you harder, to keep going, to be as rough with you as he likes. he listens, grabbing your jaw and forcing him to kiss you before biting down onto your shoulders, grip so tight you feel like you're going to bruise

you can't stop the broken moans that spill out of you as he slams into you over and over again. he laughs. "you're so much tighter when you're scared, darling. it's so fucking good"

you shudder as he finishes inside of you, warmth flooding in. he pulls out, grabbing his phone and taking a photo of his cum spilling out, bruises beginning to form on your body as cuts scab over

the switch flips again and he goes back to gentle and caring, brushing your hair from your eyes as he gazes at you with so much love in his eyes that it feels like it will burn you, slowly starting to take care of your superficial wounds

sam's so happy to have you, and you've got a very long time to learn to love him the way he loves you

#ngl i wanted to add some more but i thought i'd be crossing a few lines since it was very dark #smut headcanon #smut #sam x reader #broulder x reader #dark!sam x reader #dark!broulder x reader #yandere!sam #noncon warning #this one. yikes

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not-poignant · 2 years

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Hi Pia

I'm curious, do you enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery as much as you enjoy writing them?

And is there anything you enjoy writing but hate/dislike reading? And vice versa?

Hi anon!

I do enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery! It's mostly what I read when I'm looking for something longer, however, I don't like trauma recovery just because it's trauma recovery? It needs other stuff too. A lot of folks assumed I'd like the Steve/Bucky Marvel pairing because Bucky has PTSD, but I actually can't stand that pairing (though I like both characters) and don't care as much about those specific narratives of PTSD (interpersonal trauma recovery interests me more than military or natural disaster trauma recovery, for example).

I don't know if I enjoy reading fics with trauma recovery as much as I enjoy writing it. In fact I'd say that's not true anymore because I've read very few fics with trauma recovery since I started writing Falling Falling Stars and I kind of realised I could write exactly what I wanted. Ever since then, reading the fanfiction of other folks doing trauma recovery is a harder sell to me personally, though I still do look for hurt/comfort etc.

I do still reread old fics I love, and old novels with trauma recovery / hurt/comfort that I love. But I don't... reread that content as much as I write that content, so if we're talking about 'time spent reading trauma recovery' vs. 'time spent writing/editing trauma recovery' alone, then I would definitely like writing it more.

Most of the original novels I've recced here and on Goodreads, particularly in romance but not always, generally have trauma recovery as a centralised theme or major part of the story.

As for stuff I like writing but hate/dislike reading:

Horror and supernatural horror (can't watch it, don't love reading it, really enjoy writing it)

Stories that are too long (lol)

Probably other stuff I'm forgetting.

And for stuff I don't like writing but really like reading:

Like, too much to list! I don't like writing nonfiction novels but I read a ton of nonfiction novels, lol. I don't really like writing high literature but I still read it. I don't like writing plays for the stage but I'll read 'em.

I mean isn't this true of most writers? Most of what we haven't written and/or don't enjoy writing is often what we're still going to really love, because we can't do everything. Idk, I have no interest in writing The Great British Bake Off, but I really like watching it. I have no interest in writing police procedurals but I love watching them.

Specifically in terms of romance fic, I'm not sure. Probably areas where I'm extremely concerned about the level of work involved in making a slightly accurate fanfiction - like getting terminology, customs and costumes right in certain fandoms like say, Natsume's Book of Friends or Mo Dao Zu Shi, and the actual process of writing seems extremely intimidating but I like reading (or have liked reading) stories in those fandom/s where other people are willing to do that work. I've definitely been thinking about researching this a bit more with an intention to writing fic going forward though.

I can be a really lazy writer, but I'm also a writer who can really appreciate when another writer has done the hard yards in areas of fandom where I want to read, but writing fills me with :/ feelings. Like, I really respect when you can see an author's care and research, but it's not weighing down the page and I don't feel like I'm getting a lecture that feels like a Wiki page that's been condensed down. Some of my favourite fandoms for like weird random niche knowledge included Dragon Age: Inquisition, and that was a fandom where I ended up doing a ton of research myself (i.e. what did horses eat 200 years ago, how did you prepare and store their food).

In terms of genre, there's not a ton of difference honestly. I don't love writing or reading gen. I don't love writing or reading fluff in the absence of hurt/comfort. I don't love writing or reading hurt-no-comfort. Maybe the biggest one is that on the very rare occasion I'll read a heterosexual PWP that has a kink I'm really looking for, but I don't intend to ever write het again.

(Finally pressing post on this after forgetting I had it in my drafts for ages!)

#asks and answers #pia on writing #generally i will *sometimes* read say gen or fluff but i just don't love it #but overall in fic #my tastes in writing and reading sync up #which is one of the biggest reasons i write at all actually #because i struggle so much to find what i want to read lmao

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astaroth1357 · 3 years

Text

The Brothers Have Been Multiplied!!!

Lucifer

Look. In his day-to-day life, Lucifer has always had to struggle with being one of, if not the only, capable person in the room. His brothers don't always try to help him and even if they do their help may just make things worse…

So this should be a dream come true right? Not only does he have competent help, they'll all also himself! Who better to trust his more difficult tasks to, right? Right??

Well… wrong. Unfortunately for as much as Lucifer is, there is one thing Lucifer and his clones just aren't… Good minions.

Complain as he might about his brothers, they know who's in charge. As it turns out five Lucifers in a room can only screw in a lightbulb after they agree on who's giving the orders and being the "original" means nothing at all!

Poor MC gets saddled with mediating the most confusing squabbles in their life between Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer, and OG Lucifer (the name dubbed to him by Levi)

So aside from this being a trainwreck for anyone not named Diavolo (who's thrilled to have so many Lucifers to talk to!), it's also a headache for himself too!

The next week is spent with Lucifer literally arguing with himself over who's doing what while the brothers all cower in their rooms to keep from incurring their wrath… Five angry Lucifers is a sentence for certain death, somebody hide Mammon…

Mammon

Lucifer's worst nightmare has been realized… Not only does he live in a world with one Mammon, now there's five! Five!!! Five Mammons!! The world isn't ready for this, no one is!

Of course, a pack of Mammons absolutely get into as much trouble as you think they would. The moment he realized there was more of him, the secondborn was already scheming up what kind of ploys he could pull off with five of himself...

Barbatos is upping the Castle security as we speak...

To his credit, you can't say that the Mammon-squad doesn't have hustle either. It may be either a blessing or a curse to go to five different stores and see a Mammon working there all at the same time, depending on your preference.

(Unfortunately for the brother and anyone with pickpocket-able wallets, it's mostly a curse).

Honestly, the biggest downside for poor MC is that they're all. so. clingy!!

If the MC wants even a minute to themselves, they'll be swatting away Mammon's like a swarm of mosquitos! Better learn an invisibility spell quick, or else their greedy companions will never, ever leave…

Leviathan

Holy cow, it's a gamer's dream come true!! Screw underwhelming AI and goodbye unreliable party members, he has all the team he needs right here!! They should go national or even pro!!!

Ah yes, Levi was truly elated for like, a couple days over this development. Why shouldn't he be? Having a whole herd of himself was a blast!

They're all great at gaming, they like the same things, they dislike the same stuff, and (most importantly) he's not any better or worse than any one of them! There’s nothing to get jealous over, right?

Well slap a big fat wrong on that because there's one thing to always get jealous over and their name is MC!

MC could come home from class one day to find five Levi's all wanting them to do five different things and NO THEY'RE NOT SHARING-

Unfortunately for Levi, the poor guy is so prone to jealousy that he can't even cope with it when he's jealous of himself…

It is at least a little entertaining to watch a pile of otakus fight themselves, it's kind of like watching a deadly game of high-stakes LARP-ing. Just less imaginary spells and more giant sea monsters popping out of nowhere… Someone grab some sponges…

Satan

Which is more likely to rule the world, one Solomon or five Satans...?

Having five Satans around is kind of terrifying… Just one can scheme up a storm and cause a lot of damage so add on four others and you got a recipe for a bad time…

If you're Lucifer, anyway.

In truth, the band of Satans are all about as independent as their original counterpart, so they don't often do things together as a group.

This can create a lot of deja vu scenarios where the MC will swear they've already passed by a Satan in the hallway… like three times.

Unfortunately they also get the urge for affection around the same time, so the MC may go a whole day without seeing them then suddenly get surrounded by needy and bickering Satans at all sides...

When the pack does work together, however, they're a well-oiled machine. Capable, logical, practical: basically everything the Lucfier-squad wish they could be without all the pesky pride in the way!

… until someone ticks them off and they become their own angry mob, but hey, still better than a pack of Mammons.

Asmodeus

… We all know an orgy is happening right? Like, it may not be the first thing he thinks of, but it's on the list. He'd never pass up the chance to selfcest when possible. Never.

That being said, the Asmos actually get sick of each other surprisingly quickly… Only a few days in and they'll be squabbling like crazy!

Why you might ask? Well not for any particular character flaw or anything - it actually boils down to the clothes… and makeup… and face… and attitude... and-

Basically, how in Diavolo's Hell is he supposed to stand out as the world's most singularly beautiful creature if there are FOUR OTHERS that keep stealing his style?? It's a nightmare!!

It didn't take long for the Asmos to start trying to find their own, completely distinct identities like Goth Asmo, Sporty Asmo, Hipster Asmo, etc… All claiming to be WAY better than the original, of course.

As entertaining as it may be to see a bunch of Asmos go through an identity crisis, he wants them GONE and he wants them gone NOW!! He's blowing up Solomon's phone every hour of the day until it gets fixed so better sit tight for a while…

Beelzebub

You know, this is actually one of those, "Worst Case Scenarios" that Lucifer and Dia drew up shortly after they had their Fall: what does one do with five Beels exactly...?

You can't possibly feed them all, at least not all at once… and letting any one get too hungry is asking for trouble.

Do you let them run through the city streets and chomp up its citizens like a game of Pacman? Scatter them to other realms and hope that they don't do a ton of damage? Pit them against each other in "There-Can-Only-Be-One"-style gladiatorial combat??

Well… there isn't really a good solution. Food is still a finite resource but the Beels TRY to be understanding and TRY not to push their luck at mealtime...

It has varying degrees of success, but hey, it's sweet that they're even trying...

Aside from the ever-present threat of being eaten out of House and realm, everybody kind of likes having so many Beels around. They're easy-going and helpful, which generally makes life easier for everyone and like… it's Beel. Who doesn't like hanging out with Beel?

The Beels even get along with each other so they regularly go to the gym and games together. Though it’s not super sportsmanly to switch out Beels between quarters in fangol, it's not technically against any rules either so the past few games have gone very well! (It's he'll, who even reads the rulebook anyway?)

Belphegor

It actually took a little while to notice that there were even two Belphies, let alone five…

MC would walk into a room and see a Belphie sleeping on the couch. Perfectly normal.

Then, they'd go into another a few minutes later to see Belphie napping a chair… A little off, but still okay.

Well sure, but in the next room he's also apparently on the floor too and….

Wait a minute.

Turns out five Belphies is either a breeze to deal with or absolute hell and there's no in between.

If they're all asleep, things are fine. Just artfully pile them on top of each other like dead bodies in a stealth game and move on.

If they're awake, then there's just way too much Belphie! And they play off each other in just the worse ways… The Anti-Lucifer League has never been so active, much to his brother's dismay...

This can be mitigated slightly by pawning a few off on Beel (who is more than happy to mind his duplicated twin) but that solution doesn't work forever…

Moreover, the MC can't sleep anywhere without them all gravitating towards them so even the shortest nap results in waking up under a dogpile of cow-men… It's a wonder they don't suffocate...

#obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanons

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apompkwrites · 3 years

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Can u write a xiao x reader. The reader is similar to the travellers who are way older than she looks. She a little over a head shorter than xiao. The reader is at wangshu inn and is reaching for something on the shelves but can't she climbs up and almost falls but xiao catches. You can decide what happens next.

high shelves || xiao

masterlist characters: xiao genre: fluff summary: being short never bothered you. you were strong in your own way! small inconveniences such as something being too high on a shelf was an easy situation to overcome! of course, sometimes your solutions to these problems bother xiao, who takes it upon himself to make sure no harm ever comes to you. notes: i hope this was good! i mainly focused on the height and shelf situation instead of the young appearance, i hope that's okay!

xiao (as much as he tries to hide it) absolutely loves your height.

you're just tall enough to where he could rest his head on top of yours and wrap his arms around you.

like a barrier that shields you from the dangers he's endured for years upon years.

his karmic debt instilled an underlying fear of losing people.

he's watched his fellow yaksha fall and disappear into nothingness while he, the sole survivor, continues their purpose in their stead.

so being able to be that shield for you gives him comfort.

but he also appreciates that you're independent.

you'll always put up a fight to make sure you and those you care about live to see another day.

and he'll do anything to make sure that that future is attainable.

even if the things he tries to prevent are minor details.

"boss, there's a merchant saying some of his product is being stored here," you called as you walked up the stairs. verr goldet stood behind the desk, flipping through one of the check in books.

"a merchant...? ah, that must be huang," she hums, motioning up towards one of the shelves on another level. "his products should be on that shelf there."

"got it," you grinned, giving wei a small pat as you passed by. once you reached the shelves, you spotted the box on the very top with a small note taped to the side.

great merchant huang

"there it is." you looked around before realizing that there were no stools nearby. letting out a quiet huff, you looked back up at the box.

the product didn't seem to be fragile, as it was missing the symbol that verr goldet or huai'an would always use to mark the more delicate items being stored. the box was also a bit smaller than the ones you had seen in the past, just small enough to barely fit in the palm of your hand.

... i could get it.

the shelves weren't horribly tall to where it was unreachable. in fact, you could probably reach it with a jump and a little help from the shelf ledge. you were an adventurer, for archons' sake! you can't let a simple box on a shelf best you, can you? besides, if it does fall, it won't hurt you that bad, right?

you placed your bag and weapon on the ground, standing in front of the shelf and sizing up the height. taking a deep breath, you crouched down and jumped up to grab the ledge of the highest shelf. the box was right in front of you. it was only a few inches away from your hand.

so what did you do? you let go of one part of the shelf and went to grab onto the box.

you could feel the shelf begin to tip over from your weight. instinctively, you held the box close to your chest as you began to fall back.

luckily, you never felt the hardwood floor against your back. instead, you felt the familiar arms of the vigilant yaksha you had found yourself attached to.

the shelf was returned to its original spot with only a few items and products knocked over. you could feel the heavy breaths of xiao as he pressed his face into your neck, tightly wrapping his arms around your midsection.

"thanks, xiao!" you grinned, managing to turn around in his arms. his golden eyes stared down at you before he pulled you closer, ignoring the box in your hands.

"idiot... you need to be more careful," he muttered into your head, pressing a chaste kiss just above your forehead.

xiao... he was never one to be this affectionate, especially when it was in public (as public as the inn could get). he didn't just hand out hugs and kisses as freely as he was now. the very most he would do would press his arm against yours or grab onto your fingers in a messy attempt to hold hands.

"what's wrong?" you asked softly, holding the product in one hand while using the other to rest on the side of his neck. he let out a quiet grunt, one you would often hear during those quiet nights where xiao didn't want to speak.

"you... you're fragile," he muttered in response after a few minutes, tightening his hold on you.

"fragile...?" you let out a hum of acknowledgment before pushing xiao back a bit, keeping his close so that he could still hold onto your midsection. "i got it. you were worried for me, huh?"

your remark was met with a small pout from xiao, who finally let go and turned away. he glanced at you from over his shoulder before disappearing in a small cloud of turquoise mist, leaving you to chuckle lightly at your beloved adeptus's antics.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact xiao #genshin impact xiao x reader #genshin xiao #genshin xiao x reader #xiao x reader

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goth-girlfriend · 3 years

Note

Just wondering and no pressure here! Are you ever gonna finish the Endeavor fic? Love ur works bby and stay safe out there! <3

Yes yes yes 😤😭 Anything for you sweetheart and especially anything for Enji. Take care of yourself ❤️❤️

✨✨✨

“What?” I yawned out loud to myself pushing myself up. My arm was sore from sleeping on it, I looked around and blinked at the light that had made itself known. I tried to push to sit up being held down by a familiar weight. I yawned again, before rolling over under Enji’s arm. I pressed my back against his warm side resting on my arm that wasn’t sore. I pulled his arm around my waist to feel like I was being held in place.

“Ah, security.” I sighed using his shoulder and bicep as a pillow, “Not soft at all.” I snuggled against the firm muscle until I heard a throaty chuckle. His chest shook lightly and I looked up at him he was awake. His eyes lidded from sleep still fighting against consciousness, I watched a faint smile pull at the corners of his lips, I couldn’t fight the most likely idiotic looking grin that surfaced. I laughed and shook my head as quietly as I could. I turned in his arm and hugged his chest. I watched as he moved his free arm behind his head, his bicep bulged at the unintentional flexing.

“Good morning.” I smiled and let my head fall against his shoulder while I looked up at him. It felt perfect, this moment. The morning sun filtered by the beige curtains lighting the room in gold with a few thin slits of white sunlight breaking through. The white duvet stopping at waist, open sleeping shirt, messy hair, pressed into his side sighing content. The rumble of the AC filling the silence, soft breathing, its perfect. In this moment, in this place, there is no history, there is no future, its us in this moment. With nothing to ruin the moment I sighed and closed my eyes feeling the faint heat of his rising chest.

“Good morning.” He finally answered, voice deeper than usual, I felt him shuffle, before I felt his lips pressed onto the top of my head. I felt my eyes flutter involuntary, and my heart swelling. I smiled closing my eyes enjoying the closeness, perfect, this is perfect.

“DDAAAAAAADD!!” I blinked a few times remembering where we were, I watched as he groaned rubbing his face with his hand and sitting up leaving me behind.

“Yes, Fuyumi?” He called starting to stand up doing a few basic stretches.

”Y/N IS GONE DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING THIS MORNING MAYBE SHE LEFT TO GET BREAKFAST?!” She screamed through the door, I watched the door handle jiggle, thanking God I locked it last night.

“Yes, I heard someone moving this morning. It could have been (L/N), why don’t you go look around down stairs, I need to shower and get ready.” He yawned before he stood popping his back.

“Mmm...” there was a pause and some shuffling.

I heard Sho’s faint voice “Fuyumi, look y/n sent me message this morning saying she was going to a nearby convinience store to buy some things she had forgotten. She’ll be back soon.” I sighed thanking God once again that I had told Shoto my password all those weeks ago.

“Alright, DON’T MIND DAD!” She screamed before I heard them walk away, Great, now how am I supposed to leave? I looked around, “Does that window open?” I asked pointing to the window in the room. “It‘s a balcony.” Enji pulled back the curtains revealing an pretty good sized balcony with fancy railing. I was wearing sleeping shorts and a long sleeve shirt with some socks, I‘ll fly down, and just walk back in... but I went to the store.... so I need to come back with something. “Can I have ten dollars?” I smiled sheepishly looking at Enji.“

He sighed before turning to the dresser and pulled out a bill out of his wallet. I grinned and thanked him, “I’ll be back in, five or ten minutes.” I shrugged and opened the Balcony window. Taking eagle form, I dived down into an alley way barrel rolling and lading back on human feet. I walked out and stopped outside a tourist shop. The shop owner was placing out a box of mini hero figures, the same figures from that night we patrolled. These were a new release with the change to get Gold or Silver All Might, Endeavour or Hawks. I got excited and rushed in, I “went to the store”, but I never said what for. the packs were on sale, 2 for $5.00. And lucky for me, I had managed to get a $50. Each box comes with 12 lucky bags each bag has 3 mini figures, there are only 10 Pro hero’s currently released in this line. I have a ten percent chance of getting Endeavour, All Might or Hawks, if you add the 6 new figures to the line thats 16 characters in total. Meaning there are three possible Endeavor, All Might and Hawks,,, But, the chances of getting a special edition, would be 2 of 16 which should be 12.5 out of 100. If I multiply by three that raises the chance 37.5 of 100. So out of all 36 Figures that means I have to at least get 1 limited edition Per box, bu counting in these are the first boxes to pull in customers, they overload the limited ones to make it look easy so people will be convinced to buy them because it’s “easy” to find a limited figure... meaning... “ill give you $50 even for both boxes.”

I turned to look at the cashier guy who seemed unimpressed but nodded, “I usually sell boxes for $30 dollars each but I feel generous 25 each plus taxes.”

“How about $20 plus taxes.” I counter offered. He squinted at me before he made another offer, we went at this until we were back at my original offer. “Alright, this is my last offer,” he huffed and stared at me hard, “$50 dollars cash, no taxes, and IF you become a Pro Hero you do advertising free for my shop.”

I laughed and nodded, “Deal.” He packed the boxes and I paid him before we parted ways. By the time I made it back to the hotel Fuyumi rushed to me with a look of worry. “Where were yOU I WAS WORRIED?!”

I smiled, “I was in the middle of a very serious conversation about some very serious things.”

“A toy store, that bag says you were at a toy store.” Shoto said sounding very unimpressed.

I smiled and let out a sheepish laugh, “well...” I looked down and hid the bag behind me, “I never said I went to buy anything important.”

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“Ow......ow.......nooooo stop.” I whined feeling one more tug at my hair and finally it fell down.

“There, we’re done.” Fuyumi fluffed my hair a bit before smoothing it out again, “Now lets go, before Natsuo starts causing a fuss.” She ushered me to move and I did leading our way to the elevator.

“Alright,“ I sighed slouching a little... “....Wanna see something cool?” I asked standing back up, Fuyumi cocked a brow by smiled a little, “Alright, I do actually.”

I dug into my pocket and pulled out a gold endeavor figure, “Boom, its your dad.“ I took her hand and placed it in her palm, “You can have that, I have another one.” I smiled when she let out a slight laugh. “Thank you, I’ll keep him with my keys.” We stood in a comfortable silence until the doors opened and we started to move out I asked, “Soooo, what are we doing after this award ceremony?” I asked tilting my head in curiosity.”

“I don’t know, she said he lips pulling to the side in a displeased way, “They didn’t let me plan out this trip so its a surprise for the both of us.” My only answer was to nod while I smiled down at the ground, “Sounds Fun.”

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”Aren’t those kids from UA?” The voices of photographers were loud with there questions as flashes went of left and right, “Why are they with Pro Hero Endeavor?” “I don’t know but these kids could pull in the views!”

“Todoroki! A question if you Will!” “Hey Midoriya Over here!” “L/N! Can you pose for a few photos!” “Todoroki look over here!” Midoriya whats it like to learn from Pro Hero All Might??” “L/N! L/N! Are you affiliated with Todoroki or Midoriya?”

As much as I love getting my photo taken, I knew sticking around for pictures and questions in this scenario is probably the last thing I should do. So instead I stayed close to Natsuo almost sandwiched between him and Fuyumi. I stayed betwen them as we kept moving, Sho and Deku were behind us not rushing, Sho seemed unaffected and Deku was looking down red faced and embarrassed. It was kinda cute. I looked back ahead watching Enji ignore everyone moving forward with purpose and carrying himself with pride. I smiled watching him I know not everyone can see him or respect him as the number one hero but, to me, He can be so much more if only people would give him a chance. I know he’s not the most kind person in public, but with the right sidekick or partner that could change easy. When Hawks was with him those brief days, his like ability actually raised. So I know all it takes is someone pushing him to be more interactive with his fans, he knows now there are some that like him, bit i also understand why it’s so hard for him to accept it...

“Alright, were in, lets go find some seats.”

The ceremony went by slowly, I was bored listening to a bunch of speeches but at least made it look like I was paying attention. I couldn’t even sit by Enji because Fuyumi took my place, and then I managed to get stuck between Natsuo and Sho and they kept talking and we had to refrain from laughing to loud at a few things. Midoriya was so interested in everything that was happening and i started to pay attention when they actually started calling name, Sho and Natsuo stopped after Fuyumi told them to shut up. Which I appreciated now that things were getting interesting. I listened to the awards leaning forward more and more as more hero’s showed up collecting awards and moving on with speeches each with their own rounds of applause. I got this twisted feeling about Eniji going so I whispered to Sho who voiced the idea of us cheering for their dad and Fuyumi praised him for caring about their dad and he took the praise. So when Enji was called for an award of Achievement and a few other things the crowd applauded but how it normaly had so I stood up pulling Sho and Natsuo with me which caused Fuyumi and Midoriya to stand we clapped louder and cheered “For the new Number one Hero!” I screamed and then the five of us cheered more as others started to stand and clap louder. I looked at Fuyumi who smiled back and nodded. After the crowd calmed down and sat he gave a short speech, almost another thirty minutes of closing speech we finally got to leave.

“Finally! I’m free!” I cheered running straigh into Natsuo’s back as he stopped out of nowhere. “My face.” I groaned pushing away from him, it was in that moment I realized how big he actually was, “Wow, you’re actually tall.” I leaned to use his head to block the sun.

He looked back over his shoulder at me, “huh? Did you say something down there?” He... he just... he just bullied me for my height... “I-...” I look esta him and swallowed, “IM TELLING FUYUMI YOURE BULLYING ME!”

I watched his eyes widen and turned to rush to Fuyumi and he screamed, “wait...NO”

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“Natsuuoooooo?” I poked his cheek as he sat pouting arms crossed, “Nat...Suo? Nat... pssst hey Nat, you still mad?” I poked his cheek again and smiled watching him force back a smile. “Come one, you cant be mad.” I poked his cheek causing him to smile briefly before he forced it back again, so I quickly summoned a feather and poked his cheek distracting him before using it to tickle his other side causing him to laugh.

“Alright fine fine, I’m not mad anymore.” He wheezed as I pulled my feather away, plucking it from the air. “A hero’s work is never done.” I gave an exaggerated sigh and he a single laugh kinda like a scoff, “Some hero you are, you get innocent pedestrians hurt to save them.” he crossed his arms and snapped his head the other way, unamused I felt me brows go up, “Innocent? Pedestrian? You?” I paused when he gave me an offended look. “I don’t think so.”

“Natsuo-“ We turned to look at Shoto, the two of having been sitting outside on a stone bench after Fuyumi scolded him strongly and I pulled into it.

“Yes?” He asked standing up and popping his back.

“Our father, asked if you could head back with Fuyumi to the hotel to pick up her bag of clothes. She left it when she was rushing out. Well meet for lunch before we do anything else.” Shoto said leaning his head to the side slightly.

“Oh,” he looked at me and then over his shoulder at the doors we had both just sulked out of, “yeah, well take a Taxi. I’ll get Fuyumi and we’ll leave.” He nodded and turned to leave.

I moved to stand by Sho, “So?” I asked elbowing him slightly, “how was last night?” “Well, I could ask you the same.” He side eyed me, “Take your phone with you next time you jump out a window.” I didn’t miss the amusement in his eyes, “Right,” I nodded and he closed his eyes a small smile on his lips. “Now, where are we going for lunch?”

“Oh! I read about this American style fondue place! It’s supposed to be really good! So I kinda wanted to try it and I was going to suggest it but, it’s pricey so, eheh, ya know.” I shrugged and Shoto’s brief look of amusement came back, you want what Kaminari told me is a Glucose Guardian, someone who pays for what you want.” I choked, “Sugar daddy.”

“What?”

“What. Nothing, so, lunch? I’m hungry? Also I’m riding in front move.” I rushed past him jumping into the passenger seat before he followed after Deku had met him. I was buzzing in my seat and the took Enji’s hand the moment he was sat and started driving, I squeezed his hand staring out the window, watching the building and cars pass. It felt so nostalgic, but how could it be nostalgic?

“Where are we eating?” I turned to Enji at his question, before looking at Sho through the mirror, “There’s this place Y/n was talking about.” I felt a squeeze to my hand meeting Enji’s stare as he looked at me briefly before looking at the road, “Where is it?”

I smiled and used my free hand to grab my phone, “it’s not to far from here, we should be able to make it in ten minutes if traffic is good.” I clicked away typing the address, “Yup, go straight, take a right at the light, and it should be a large glass building on the corner! It’s a fondue place, more American style!” I tried to talk and explain while squeezing Enji’s hand at the excitement I was feeling. Upon getting to the restaurant we waited a while, having sent Fuyumi and Natsuo the address we waited at least half an hour until we got a call.

“Dad, I don’t think we’ll be able to do lunch today, a really bad wreck caused a traffic jam on this side of the city, it’s an estimated two hour wait until we can move, well find a place to eat once we get closer if you all want to go ahead and eat we’ll be fine.” Before he could answer Shoto spoke “Thank you for your sacrifice.”

“We should go then?” I questioned looking around the car.

“Yes.” Enji said turning the key and opening his door to get out.

After we all got out the car, we started our way towards the restaurant. I awed at it, we made it in met with a nice man, “Welcome to The Melting Hot Pot! How many will be in your party?”

We all looked up at Enji, “Four.” We all nodded, it felt as if we were judging him.

“Would you like a private room or to be seated in our public seating area.”

“Private.” He nodded and the host nodded, “You can follow me this way.”

“Will this be you’re first time dining with us?” We all slid into seats in the large luxurious looking booth, it’s was in a room with a sliding screen door for privacy.

“Yes it will.”

“Great! I’ll give you the crash course before you’re waiter comes to attend to your table.”

After about seven minutes and looking at a menu the Host left and we started to talk about what sounded good.

“Wisconsin cheddar cheese?” Shoto asked.

“Flaming turtle... sounds painful...” Midoriya was staring at the opposite side of the menu.

“Maybe... we should start with a salad? Before we start looking at the fondue, there’s.. Wisconsin Wedge... California... Caesar... and a house, so, what sounds good?”

We tried to talk it out but no luck, we ended up right where we started, until Midoriya looked at Enji, “Mr.Endeavor sir,” I held back a laugh.

He hummed staring at Deku, his face didn’t change making him seem angry or annoyed, “What?”

Midoriya flinched.

“Maybe you.... you have more experience with this than we do, do you have a-any... advice?”

Enji nodded, “Get a California Salad, you’re allowed two cheeses, well get the Wisconsin Cheddar and Quattro Formaggio, for entree you’ll get a classic plate that comes with Pork, shrimp, chicken and steak cooked in a Mojo style broth, and for two desserts you’ll get a flaming turtle and Yin & Yang mix.”

We all stared at him, “Have you been here before?” I asked interested.

“No,” he held up a rectangular piece of plastic lined paper, “It’s a recommended course.”

“That’s very convenient.” I mumbled and we all looked as our waiter slid the door open finally entering.

“Hello, sorry for being late, what can I bring you to drink.”

“A tea, please.” Shoto and Midoriya spoke at the same time.

“Alright, two sweet iced teas,” and for you, she turned to me, “A spirit free watermelon cooler.”

“Good choice, and for you sir?” She turned to Enji who was looking at the menu, “A Billionaire’s Coffee.” He didn’t even look at her.

“Alright,” she looked at us, “I’ll get your drinks and be right back to take your order.”

She left and we casually just sat there looking around at the decor.

“I like the low lights, it’s nice kinda cosy.” I talked out loud to no one, before I looked at Midoriya locking eyes contact, “perfect place for a date.”

He chocked on air and brought his arm to his face blushing stuttering out things I didn’t understand. I laughed a bit, enjoying the show before he calmed down when the waiter appeared.

“Alright, what are we getting?” She looked at us and all I did was look up at Enji, he sighed, “We’d like to try the Complete Fondue experience for four.” He tapped the plastic with his finger and she noted it, “in that exact order.”

She nodded again, “An exact copy of the full experience, now before I head out, does anyone want to add a lobster tail or any extra meats to their plates?”

“No,”

“No thank you.”

“No, I’m good.”

“No.”

“Alright then, I’ll be turning on the burners, they will get hot, please do not touch them.” She pulled out a small metal stand with a promotional flyer and placed it on the burners before she left.

“I’m excited.” I reached over under the table and took Enji’s hand and brought it back to my lap squeezing his bigger hand between mine.

His hand squeezed mine, I smiled up at him before looking down at his hand, callused, warm. Scars were present but hardly noticeable, I ran my thumb over his knuckles, losing myself in the patterns I began to draw, feeling myself fall into a feeling of nostalgia.

“Y/n,” I looked up at the sound, “Hm?” I hummed in response looking around.

“Are you fine?” Shoto asked his voice soft but his brows were furrowed.

“Yeah, just thinking about school and the internships.” I shrugged, “We’ve been through a lot with everything that’s happened, it’s hard to believe we’re just first year.”

“Hm.” Shoto nodded and I pulled a hand up and lates it palm up on the table.

“Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I see and the more we do, it kinda scares me,” I looked at a scar it ran from the side of my wrist to the back of my hand, it was a deep wound from my Internship, “But seeing everything also makes me realize,” I balled my fist up smiling, “There’s so much space for new hero’s to rise and it excites me knowing one day I’ll be out there fighting for a chance to be number one.”

“Ambitious.” I flinched at the waiters voice who slid the door closed as she entered, “You must be in a hero school then.”

“I, yes, I am.” I nodded and looked away.

“I’ve never heard of you, you must not be that well known. Everyone however would be able to notice our lovely new number one hero Endeavor.” She smiled and patted Enji who just gave her a side eye and she quickly pulled her hand away.

I let out a mix of a scoff and a laugh, “You must live under a rock, or be uncultured, I’m from UA, were our sports festival is streamed publicly almost everywhere throughout the prefecture and surrounding cities, not to mention I was in the news quite a few times with Endeavor and Pro Hero Hawks, I was on headlines and on front page covers of newspapers and magazines, if you can’t recognize me it really goes to show what kind of woman you are.” I made a face and she made a face back.

Before we started a stare down another person walked in, “Alright, here comes a hot pot, everyone be careful.”

As the second waiter was setting up the meal I couldn’t help but mumble to myself, “Bite me, it’s what rabid dogs do anyways.”

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After eating and Midoriya and I burning ourselves multiple times on hot cheese fondue we finished our desserts and started to head out.

We stepped out into the dark, the afternoon sun had set and the cities night life was crawling out into the streets, lights lit up outside patios, rooftops had flames lit lighting tables, tinted windows were lit up showing the chandeliers that hide during the day. Ladies in fancy dresses and men in suits and flashy attire. It was in that moment I realized how wrong our relationship is, I’m in UA, I’m only 16, sure the consent age is lower then that but, I, this is morally wrong in some eyes... I could ruin Enji’s career if anyone ever found out... I felt a sense of worry fill me. No one knew, I didn’t care before. So what scares me now?

“So! What are we doing tomorrow?” I looked at Enji and Shoto as we walked, Midoriya was unintentionally hidden by Shoto.

“It’s a surprise.” Shoto answered very bluntly and I squinted at him, “Very helpful.”

“How are Fuyumi and....” I paused the name leaving me and looked down, embarrassed, thinking, his name just couldn’t be Naruto because it’s pretty close to that anyways, “Natsuo! Heh! I remembered.”

“Fuyumi messaged me, they tried a curry at an Indian restaurant near the hotel, Natsuo also now holds the title for eating a plate of the spiciest curry in under an hour.” Shoto said flashing us his phone which had a very red smiling Natsuo holding a certificate and a $200 dollar check.

“That’s... impressive.” I was impressed, but it seemed like a painful thing.

I felt my phone buzz, I answered if, “Hello?”

“Hey y/n! It’s Fuyumi, I’d you don’t mind when you get to the hotel can you stop by the hotel shop and pick up something for indigestion or upset stomach, maybe heart burn?”

“Oh,” I smiled, “Yeah, I can do that, we’re on the way back about to get in the car, the streets are empty so we should be there soon, so, I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you, sorry for the burden but I feel bad for leaving Natsuo while his stomach is hurting this much.”

“Don’t worry! I’m a hero, it’s what I do.” I smiled getting into the car as we reached it.

“Still, thank you y/n.” She sounds like she was smiling, I could feel it, in that moment how much she really cared for her family. It kinda warmed my heart in a way I can’t describe.

“Alright, see you then.” I ended the call and explained everything on the way over, Enji sighed and rubbed his forehead before pinching the bridge of his knows shaking his head. I smiled, noticing the edge of his lips twitch upwards a bit before he forced it down mumbling out Natsuo’s name and something I couldn’t hear.

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joannasteez · 4 years

Text

𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: EZ Reyes x Reader x Angel Reyes

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: Inspired by Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bodies - Intro”. These two characters have ruined my life.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: Mature themes. Suggestive Polyamorous relationship.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 2k

This is the Tiny Desk concert version, the original is available on streaming platforms!! Listening to the song is of course optional.

The morning had brought a nebulous strumming sensation, waving under the surface of your skin like the soft rippling of water. The sheets beneath you fingers were crisp, lucid light of the morning sun dancing to reflect against the pure white. You were wholly enraptured in a bliss only the rising of the sun could bring, till confusion, all disconcerting and worrisome, snuffed out your moment of elysian. A mild thrumming began just at the back of your head, memories refusing to surface as mild panic took hold of your senses. Your fingers still clung to the sheets, this time with more urgency, heart pulsing faster. An alluring scent, masculine, settled the air. Had it always been there? Your throat was raw, as if you'd spent the former hours screaming into the night, and by the soreness rattling in your thighs you'd say the assumption had some truth.

"How you feeling?", a voice asked. At the foot of the bed sat a man, naked save for his underwear. His name was..... it started with an E you knew that.... Ezra maybe? ....No! Ezekiel, but "everyone calls me EZ" you remember faintly.

You pulled some at the sheets, the softness covering you as you took in the room. "Ok. Heads a little foggy, bit of a headache, but I'm good".

He maneuvered to your side of the bed, handing you a short glass and a pill. "That's good. Take this, it'll help".

"Thanks".

A silence brewed then, the water remedying that rawness as it washed down the Advil. Ezekiel had been watching you with intent, soft brown eyes fluttering over your features till they landed on your lips. It made you lick at them in self awareness.

"Last night must've been crazy, I barely remember anything".

His voice was deep, resonating from his chest, tone suggestive. "I could remind you".

Dangling idly from his neck swung a slim silver chain. Your fingers hooking it to draw him near till your lips touched. His kiss was patient, a lackadaisical pace as he rolled and flicked his tongue in your mouth. He let you do as you pleased, and so you settled for sucking at the wet of his tongue in a way that reflected the dazed air of the morning. It was seductive, producing a pressure at the base of your core, but it was also light, a featherweight thing that hazed the mind, coaxing you to fall back into the comfort of the sheets. You both were parallel to the pillows, his thickly veined hands situating your body as it pleased him, broad body laying beside you. Ezekiel had a rather patient disposition about him, but from the way he kissed you again, you could sense the desperation waring in him. Threatening to unleash itself.

He pushed at your legs, spreading them as his teeth gave your skin tentative nips, lips trailing soft wet kisses till he lapped against the hardening flesh of your chest that dared to pebble under his touch. Soft circles laid at the sensitive bundle of nerves between the juncture of your legs, a whiny moan airing out of your throat. You'd become so pliant under his touch, the warmth he radiated bending your will till it became his own. He was killing the remnants of your resolve with slow passion, summoning every nerve within you to thrum and pulse to his liking. With the hard swirl of his thumb, the balling pressure in your gut began to grow, his breath fanning over your skin as he continued to kiss up and to the side plain of your neck.

"Faster", you pleaded. Hips swiveling to meet his touch in desperation.

"I love how needy you sound baby, Keep begging".

And beg you did, the rotation of your hips tight with purpose. Your high was so close and so potent you could taste it, the ache so deep, you were trembling. You nearly cursed him out in a fit of rage when he pulled his hand away, a mischievous grin taking shape to his lips as he chuckled. The sound brought faded memories of the night prior back to your remembrance, stuck in a similar situation where Ezekiel had guided you to the edge of some explosively beautiful state of euphoria only then to leave you hanging. The lack of fulfillment was maddening but still you couldn't resist his steady touch, or his kiss, and the way he overstimulated your senses as his brother watched.

His fingers rubbed through the soreness of your thighs, lips seemingly stuck at the flesh of your neck. The scent of food stuck to the air suddenly, the aroma missing your senses up till now. "Where's your brother".

He smiled against your skin. "What, am I boring you?"

"Not at all. I just smell food is all".

"Hungry?"

He swirled his tongue against a sensitive spot on your neck.

You voice was airy. "Yes"

"Ever heard the saying patience is a virtue".

'Of course he'd think it was a virtue. He's a damn tease', you thought. "I think I'm all out of both".

You both let out snickers, the small comical moment disrupted by the sudden whipping boom of the door opening. Standing in the entrance was Angel, his hands occupied with glasses of orange juice. "I'm out there slaving over the stove and you're in here seducing our guest".

EZ rose from the bed, stalking toward the door. "Angel if you burnt the eggs just say that".

"Blow me", Angel griped.

The younger brother had left, being exchanged for the older one, who'd regarded you with an intensity that wasn't present before. His energy seemed to shift the room, lean built body blocking the rays of the sun to cast a long shadow down on you. You sat there, knees pressing into the sheets as you sat back against the heels of your feet. A piece of your lip tucked under your teeth in anticipation because Angel was different from his brother. Ezekiel was patient, and tended to you with a burning desperation to be near you, as if to savor each moment . You felt it when he kissed you, the way he gripped at your skin, like the feeling had become so foreign at one point or another and now that he had you he didn't want to let go, but Angel made you patient and pliant in a different manner. While Ezekiel waited for you, you waited for Angel.

"Thirsty?", he asked. Extending a glass of juice to you. You shuffled closer, nearly at the edge of the bed as the coolness of the glass danced under your fingers to produce slight shivers when you drank.

His stare bared down on you as you took long pulling sips. Your eyes peering back beneath the fanning of your lashes. The last sip caused a single droplet to store at the corner of your lip, his finger catching absentmindedly before tasting it. He hummed at the sweet citrus flavor, placing the empty glass down before turning back to you, fingers raising to caress against your face. You leant into the touch without much thought, the warmth of it nice and easing. A thumb pulled softly at your bottom lip, his voice murmuring something about you being beautiful.

He descended to lay a rough kiss, the pace powered to his liking, the swipe and roll of his tongue domineering and heavy. He made you breathless, lips reminding you of hours before and how he loved to control every part of you. The push and pull of his fingers against your skin, the robust groan that stayed stored away in his chest drawing out long and deep whenever you reacted to his dominance. He was a passionate lover as well but had commanded a level of submission that made your head swim with delirious need. Ezekiel had left you desperate, and now Angel was here, those long rough fingers in tow, ready to push you over the edge.

He tugged at your lips, hands gripping your thighs to spread them as you stayed kneeling before him, your hands pressed into his abdomen for support. He laid deep rotating motions at your clit, the shudder of pleasure resonating on your nerves causing you to gasp. With the tight rhythm there, he delved in two fingers, the thickness of it causing you to whimper soft curses, your head lulling back at the teeming sensations. You felt your body edging, a rocking in your hips urging you to burst under him.

"Feels so good Angel", you moaned. The grip on his waist that you have growing tight. As his right hand worked you he raised the left to hold the pressured points at your neck. A squeeze that made your vision white and splotchy. You were mumbling incoherent phrases, drunk off pleasure and it spurred Angel on.

"My brother left you high and dry didn't he?", he asked. His lips tugging against the shell of your ear. "Forgive him, he's a tease, he can't help himself".

"Please Angel, I'm so close", you pleaded.

"I know baby, and you're doing so good. Such a good girl".

The praise sent you into a short bout of small convulsions, the heated pressure in your gut bursting, causing your head to rest lazily on his chest. Blissed out state consuming you. He discarded your slick release with his tongue, tasting before he placed you gently to lay against the sheets. His long fingers finding the dips and curves of your body to caress.

Ezekiel stepped in the room then, a tray of assorted breakfast foods in hand. At this you sat up, body reacting before the mind. Ezekiel placed the tray at the center of the bed, the contents thereof a beautiful assortment of fruits, cooked meats, a stacked pile of toast and a big steaming plate of scrambled eggs. You all picked at it in comfortable silence. The chirping song of birds ringing in the distance. It was nice. Perfect even.

A thought came to mind. "Is this something you guys do often?"

Angel grabbed the bowl of fruits, lifting one to your lips to taste. The juice of the fruit streamed, Angel catching it with a kiss to your chin before answering. "It's our first time sharing to be honest. We both saw you and figured it was better this way than fighting about it".

Ezekiel reached over you to grab a fruit. "Sharing is caring".

You smiled, leaning over to peck his lips. "And there's enough of me for the both of you".

Angel raised another fruit to your lips, watching as you suckled the juice of it. The soft flesh of your mouth catching his fingers. You too had entranced each other, eyes falling one into the other till you shifted on your side to kiss him. He'd paced it slow, tongue heavy as it licked and swirled to gather the taste of your lips. Soft kisses pressed into the curve of your side, Ezekiel's thick hands kneading your skin with a tugging sensation. The feeling of them both, surrounding you at every turn made your head spin in excitement. They kissed you, touched you, regarded your with such an overwhelming dynamic that, if you were anyone else you'd probably go insane.

A burning smell ruffled your nose. "What's that smell?"

Angel kept at your lips, his care else where, but Ezekiel had come to a full halt behind you, till he shot out of the bed.

"Shit I left one of the stove burners on".

You giggled and Angel shook his head, traveling down to nip at your chest. Your fingers ran through his dark locks, still giggling as you heard Ezekiel cursing in the kitchen.

"You both are so cute, can I keep y'all?"

"You couldn't get rid of us if you tried querida".

That whole morning, you'd been stuck, resting between them both, one perfection and another. Moaning and withering between the soft lips and brushing kisses of two elysian bodies.

#ez reyes #mayans mc #ezekiel reyes #angel reyes #ezekiel reyes imagine #angel reyes imagine #ez reyes x reader x angel reyes #ez reyes x reader #angel reyes x reader #ezekiel reyes x reader #joannasteez

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keysmashingfantasies · 3 years

Text

An Old Fashioned Meet Cute

A/N: hi! this is my first fic here and i hope you like it. comments and constructive criticism is very much appreciated just please be nice and i tried not to describe nor reader nor the Hilda character too much apart from the fact that they are plus size so it can cater to more people (altough the Hilda character is a white woman originally, I left that out because I wanted everyone to be able to read it) :D. and a huge thank you to @divine-mistake for encouraging me to make this blog and post my fics. ily Tay <3, this one's for you.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!plus size Reader

Word count: 2.1k

Summary: Bucky didn’t remember much of his life before the war. Not as much as he would like, anyway. But he was content to at least have remembered something. The memories of his teenage shenanigans with Steve always made him laugh. But there was a memory that he didn’t even know it was on his mind until that day when he accompanied Steve to the thrift shop. And until an Avengers party, where he met you.

“Steve, come on… Shouldn’t you be showing me the wonders of the modern world?”, he mocked. He knew Steve was doing his best, he did. But he knew that this wasn’t just a friends’ afternoon. And Bucky didn’t need a babysitter.

“I will! I just thought it would be nice to see something less overwhelming first and Sam told me a thrift store would be a nice place to start. Most of this stuff is new to us anyway”, Steve said, picking up a CD of a shelf.

“Yeah, ok”, he mumbled. The things he did for Steve. He mindlessly wandered through the little cluttered store, browsing the shelves full of knick knacks. He saw vinyls, old books, a great variety of toys, some paintings and an old fashioned vanity, with an old mirror, a few vintage perfume bottles, and… Oh.

“Steve?”, he said, picking up the old calendar that was propped up against the stained mirror. Carefully, he lifted the calendar up, looking at his friend. He had seen it before, he knew he did. He flipped through it as he waited for Steve to make his way across the store, careful to not bump in any of the tables containing delicate porcelain tea pots. His eyes scanned through the cover, a delicately painted picture of a curvy woman and with the saying “HILDA, 1940’s calendar” in bold red letters above it.

“Oh wow”, Steve let out a belly laugh. “You remember when we stole some of these? Man, we even took these to war”, he said. He started to remember. Him and Steve running, each one with a calendar in hand, flipping through the pages, Steve whining that he would never find a girl like that. He didn’t even think twice before taking it to the counter, with Steve giggling like a school girl behind him.

“For the memories, punk”, he said in a stern voice and a frown, but with pink dusted cheeks.

“Of course”, Steve said in a mocking voice.

“So, Tony’s throwing a party next weekend”, Steve said as he entered the training room.

“I prefer the thrift store”, Bucky mumbled, without tearing his eyes from the punching bag.

“Come on, Buck. I think it will be good for you to go”, Steve said. “It will be something small, Tony will introduce the new team assistant, so no eyes will be on you”, that got Bucky’s attention.

“Small?”, he said, pushing his hair from his face.

“Very”, Steve assured, but he had that look that Bucky knew very well from his young years; the look he would get when he was about to pick a fight. He was up to no good. But he didn’t want another trip to a dusty thrift store.

“Yeah, sure”, he mumbled.

You were shaking in your boots. Yeah, you knew that you would work for them, which meant that you inevitably would have to attend this kind of things. But this wasn’t like your former office jobs, no. You work for the Avengers now.

“You can do this. You have to. Do it for the paycheck”, you said, trying to reassure yourself as you shakily applied mascara. As you browsed through your wardrobe, you let out a sigh. You remembered shyly asking for advice on what to wear from Natasha, but you took it with a grain of salt. She could wear a potato sack and still look gorgeous, and you were… Well, a potato. You knew this was another test. If you couldn’t handle all eyes on you and the eventual bickering that was about to happen, you were not fit for the job. But damn, you at least expected a few weeks of taking care of documents and serving coffee before a party. In a room. With the, quoting the tabloid you read that very morning “super team that saves the world and looks hot doing it!”. You were a pretty confident person. But this… Anyone would be nervous.

“You can do this”, you told yourself one more time before heading out.

When you got to the party, not everyone was there. You politely greeted everyone with a nod, and gave your name to the ones you didn’t have the pleasure to meet yet.

“You, pick your poison”, Tony Stark pointed at you while walking to the bar.

“No, thank you, Mr. Stark, I won’t be drinking tonight”, you managed to say, silently thanking all the gods above (even the one that was sitting not too far from you) that you managed to hold back the quiver in your voice.

“She doesn’t want to be vulnerable around us. Smart, I like her”, said Natasha. Sometimes you wonder if she was a telepath like Wanda.

“Is there anything wrong, Y/N? I sense that you are uneasy”, asked Vision, with those glassy unblinking eyes. You wondered if he was in your mind that very moment.

“Gee, I wonder why”, said Rhodes, before taking a sip of his drink.

“I’m okay, just… A bit nervous, that’s all”, you said.

“Well, then you definitely need a drink”, said Tony, handing you a glass of champagne that no doubt cost the same as your previous paycheck.

Soon enough, the awkwardness made way to pleasant conversation. You laughed as you listened to their banter. It wasn’t like any business party you ever attended. No, it was more like a family gathering than anything.

The sounds of the elevator doors opening caught you attention as three men wide as refrigerators walked in, followed closely by a pretty young woman. Of course you knew them. You read all about them. Especially The Winter Soldier, the little devil on your shoulder taunting you by remembering you of every single time you talked to your friend about your crush on him.

“Sorry we’re late guys, Steve went to pick me up before the party and we had dinner”, said the blonde, linking her arm with Steve Rogers himself.

“Nah, Sharon, don’t cover his ass. We were late because the three of us had to wrestle Barnes into changing out of that old ass Henley”, said Sam.

Instantly, Tony and Natasha cheered and raised their glasses, making you laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, very funny”, said a gruff voice coming from the bar, making you turn your head, seeing Bucky Barnes open a beer bottle with his vibranium hand. 'How did he sneak past everyone?', your thoughts were interrupted as you took him in. You wanted to personally thank Sam, Steve and Sharon for making him wear that tight fitting black shirt.

“Well, Y/N, here’s Capsicle, Mrs. Capsicle, New Captain, and Snowflake. Guys, this is Y/N, the new assistant. Oh, and there’s Spider Boy but he’s on curfew, Strange had to hop out of the dimension and Scott but he’s… He’s somewhere out there being small, I don’t know. Watch were you step, just to be safe”, said Tony

“Hi”, you gave a shy wave, being greeted right back.

If it wasn’t for the serum, Bucky is absolutely sure he would have a heart attack on the spot. You were wearing red heels, a form fitting black pencil skirt and a white button up blouse and he could see your curves, your strong arms, your thighs. You looked absolutely amazing. You look like one of the girls that Bucky would’ve rushed to ask for a dance back in the day. But what really made him stare is the fact that your body type looked eerily similar to the character of the calendar he spent an embarrassing amount of time staring.

As your eyes scanned the room as you were bombarded with questions, Bucky made sure to avoid your gaze, looking everywhere but your face: his shoes, the ceiling, the armrest on the couch, Steve’s shit eating grin. Oh. So THAT’S what it was about. Little shit.

Even avoiding your gaze, he made sure to keep his ears open. A man could be interested, right?

By the time the party ended, Thor and Bruce were sleeping, Tony was buzzed walking around singing Iron Maiden, Natasha and Sharon were talking, Steve and Sam were giggling like two school girls, Rhodes went home and Vision and Wanda were talking and looking out the window to the New York skyline.

Which left you – and Bucky – alone.

“Uhhh. I guess I’ll start cleaning, then”, you said. Your face was on fire. The only person that you were sure didn’t like you and you were awkwardly standing, not knowing where to look and what to say. It didn’t help that you were attracted to him but damn it, you were not going to lose this opportunity because of a school girl crush. So you decided to keep yourself occupied by taking some empty glasses and bottles from the table and taking them to the kitchen.

“Oh, come on, Y/N! Let the cleaning crew deal with this in the morning!”, said Natasha.

“No, no, I don’t mind. I like to keep myself busy”, you said with a smile. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. You only hoped she couldn’t see how awkward you were.

“I’ll help”, he said, picking up some glasses and following you.

“You can pick up more of these glasses and I can start washing them”, he said. “I- I noticed you got your nails done, so…”, he said, and you shyly looked away while thanking him and making your way out of the kitchen.

In no time, the room was getting emptier. Vision and Wanda went home and Thor took Banner back to New Asgard. And you were almost done with the dishes, having also gotten rid of most of the empty food containers. As you both cleaned, you and Bucky got a bit more comfortable with each other.

“I’m sorry for seeming a bit standoffish earlier”, he said suddenly. “I’m not used to parties and I don’t know how new people will react to me. Especially pretty women”, you smiled at the compliment, but felt your heart ache. You were so caught up in your insecurities that you didn’t even consider his side of things.

“You don’t have to be sorry. I don’t know how you feel but by what I’ve seen and heard, you have a family here. You’re out there fighting to save the world. Trying your best. This is redemption enough, don’t you think?”, you said as you put the glasses to dry, missing the awestruck look that Bucky sent you, a goofy smile making its way into his features. “Okay, you wait here and I’ll get what’s left”.

You were back in no time. “Okay, so just more two champagne flutes and one plate left”, you said but before you could give the dishes to Bucky, you slipped, and if it wasn’t for Bucky’s reflexes, you would’ve fallen hard. You yelped as the sound of breaking glass hit your ears and for a second you two just stared at each other, before Bucky pulled you closer and back to a standing position.

“Thanks”, you said as he helped you straighten up.

“Your ankle, does it hurt?”, he said.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so”, you said.

“Ah, I think it does. And I can’t let a dame go home alone on a hurt ankle”, he said, giving you a dashing smile.

“You know what, now that you’ve said it, it hurts really bad”, you said, catching on. “You know what’s amazing for a bad ankle?”, you asked, and the gentle smile in your lips and the mischievous glint in your eyes made his heart piston inside of his chest.

"What?", he said softly, stepping closer, like you were sharing secrets.

“Ice cream and a walk on the park. Very therapeutical”, you said, making Bucky laugh.

Before you knew it, Bucky had already scooped you up into his arms and rushedly announced that you had slipped and fell, whisking you away into the elevator.

“Dude, that took all night”, said Sam. “This is the smooth guy you told me about?”, he said, while Steve and Sharon laughed.

While everyone got ready to go home, Scott came out of the kitchen in his Ant-Man suit eating some leftovers.

“Someone owes me 20 bucks for making her trip”.

#bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x plus size reader #bucky barnes x chubby reader

272 notes · View notes

moonctzeny · 4 years

Text

Softer than velvet

pairing: magazine co-editor! mark lee x fem!y/n

genre: smut

warnings: office sex

word count: 2,926

summary: “Mark is a co-editor in the fashion magazine you work for, monopolizing everyones attention with his looks, including yours. Prompted by his vast knowledge about lingerie and his tendency to want to rip them apart, you invite him in your office, and you definitely put him to work”

a/n: inspired by the legendary scene from ‘Community’ and a discussion I had with my bf and best friend about lingerie.

----------------------------------------------------

He looked dashing again, as always.

While Monday morning finds most employees in their tousled bed hair, dark eye circles and crooked buttons from hasting to be on time, Mark Lee looks like he jumped out of the fashion magazine you worked for. He was an editor, like yourself, yet the way he confidently strolled through the hallways, capturing everyone’s attention, had executives and employees alike toying with the idea of having him in their bed.

Mark’s shoulders looked even broader in the white shirt he had chosen for the day, neatly ironed and held together with a bright coral tie. A suede brown vest, that would look plain weird on anyone else that would dare pull it off, showed off his tiny waist perfectly, short enough for the workers on the welcome desk to whisper in admiration about his ‘cute perky butt’.

As one of Mark’s many secret fans, you wanted to join in on their giggling, but as his coworker you had to keep yourself from indulging in those dirty thoughts that kept creeping in your head. It was hard to deny this sweet distraction, that perks you up in excitement and turns up the heat of your body. Like now, that he makes his way towards you in the main lobby, and you wonder how nice his pink locks would look between your thighs.

“Good morning, y/n”, he says when he’s finally standing in front of you, and you almost spill your mug filled with instant coffee in the sound of his raspy morning voice.

“Lee”, you address him almost coldy, but your smirk as you take a sip of the hot liquid gives you away. You can’t stop yourself from checking him out, his new high-end belt begging to be tugged on and used in other ways that it was originally made for. He bites his cheek when he notices your eyes laying on his crotch a second too long but he decides not to mention it.

“Are you going on a cigarette break soon?”

You sigh, rolling your eyes before making sure to lower your voice. “Didn’t you hear yesterday’s briefing? New boss is trying to cut them and apparently so must we. No smoking allowed here anymore.”

“Then you chose the wrong outfit”

He seems satisfied with the little yelp you let out, internally scolding yourself for getting so worked up over his compliment but hell, there’s nothing more you want than to fuck that smile off his face. If that’s what he wanted that’s what he’d get, but you refuse to look all fucked out here in the open just from the mere words of Mark Lee. Not when so many of your assistants were watching.

“We got assigned the lingerie issue together”, you change the subject and start walking towards your offices at the end of the floor. “ I need you to show me your picks later”

“It was hard finding anything worth including, except for Savage X Fenty nothing new is in the game. The La Perla designs are so outdated, and don’t get me started on Fleur du Mal.”

“Wow, you seem to know a lot about lingerie, huh?”, you exclaim, genuinely impressed, and you let him bask in his pride for a little. He runs his fingers through his hair and you catch a whiff of his shampoo, its scent coupled with his cologne highly addictive.

“I love fashion, and it’s kind of my job so I have to keep up. I’m not really a big fan of them, though.”

You raise an eyebrow at his confession, and halt as you arrive outside his office that is a little nearer than yours. Your body is leaning up against the wall, in a way that accentuates the curves of your body and Mark doesn’t try to be discreet in his staring. He might as well raise his hands, go through the layers and layers of palpable sexual tension between you and run them all over your body like you so desperately want.

“Don’t get me wrong, they’re pretty”, he starts, and you’re not sure if he’s addressing you, your lips or your decolletage.”But if we were getting down to business and I saw you in lingerie, all I’d think about is how to rip it off of you”

It takes every ounce of self control in your body and the thought of how much you need your salary not to pounce at him, and start removing his clothes right then and there. The masks of professionalism have vanished and so has your patience with him, so you fix his tie, tying it up a little tighter than it needs to be and you love the gasp that leaves his chapped lips.

“Since you are so knowledgeable Mark, I’m not sure if the lingerie I’m wearing is off-season. How about you come to my office later to hand me your picks and give me your honest opinion?”

He chokes on thin air, the angry veins on his neck twitching from the lack of circulation to his head as he huffs out a chuckle.

“I’ll be there before the meeting starts”, he promises before slipping inside his office, his hands brushing yours as he slides past you. You bet he thinks he’s smooth, but his reflection on the glass door of his neighboring office betrays him, catching him in the act of staring at your ass as you walk away. You wink at his reflection and he winces when he realizes, but you’ll forgive him. This sweet distraction in the name of Mark Lee was all you needed this boring Monday morning, and you can’t wait to see if your coworker is as skillful as he talks himself up to be.

----------------------------------------------------------

The wait wasn’t long, but it sure was painful, your mind wandering at the conversation you had with Mark this morning and eyes checking the time every five minutes. You’d almost miss his figure in your absentmindedness, standing outside your office, nervously shifting his body weight from one leg to the other.

The glass separating your office with the main hall was tinted, with a few stripes of clear glass on the very top, giving you a limited view of the people hurrying past. Through those lines you also saw Mark, hesitating to knock and giving himself what looks like a pep talk. You think it’s adorable and decide to take him out of his misery, getting up yourself to open the door.

His mouth drops open when you do, looking like a deer in the headlights with his big doe eyes and binder that is placed -strategically- over his crotch. You smile politely and motion him to come in, your meetup not seeming strange to any passerby, as you have worked together many times in the past. The moment he turns the knob behind him to close the door, Mark drops the designs from his hands, pictures of lingerie flying in the air and landing across the carpeted floor. You barely manage to turn the lock before he pushes you backwards with a hand on your jaw, until you feel the wood of your desk digging against your ass.

You close your eyes and immediately are braced with the feeling of his tongue entering your mouth, the strong aftertaste of cinnamon candy tingling your tastebuds. Bringing him closer by his tie, you let him lift you up the table, legs wrapping around his waist and you verify that he was, indeed, already hard behind that binder.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that”, he murmurs in the kiss and tugs on the roots of your hair suddenly, forcing your head to tilt back and thus expose your neck.

His breath is hot over your collarbones and the feeling of his hardness is driving you insane, so you let your blazer fall from your shoulders before taking off his vest. Mark helps you out by loosening his tie and starts to unbutton his shirt, but you stop him when his chest is almost half-exposed.

“Don’t take it off, you look sexy like that”

He blushes from your compliment, momentarily letting go of his surprisingly dom persona.

“I thought I was supposed to examine your outfit though?”, he asks cheekily and you remove your blouse, revealing the teddy that’s been hugging your body.

It’s black, with a mesh body and velvet lining over the cups and crotch area. The adjustable straps help your boobs look full and round, the velvet strips that are going down, parallel to your body lines, make you look as curvy as ever.

Mark looks a little lost, like a kid in a candy store and he clears his throat before speaking up again.

“I need to feel the fabric”, he states, almost too seriously for the situation you were both in currently and he runs his fingers from your belly button upwards to your abs. His fingers toy with the lace adorning the cups and he finally squeezes your boobs. He chuckles at the naughtiness of what you’re doing right now, breaking character, and you’re reminded of how young Mark really is. You free your right boob from its constraint and the sight of your nipple, hard and erect for him, immediately sobers him up.

His mouth has stayed open in his trance, and you take advantage of it by placing your fingers over his lips, then slowly pushing them in. With his tongue wetting your fingertips, and his big eyes glued on you, waiting for your next move, he really resembles a puppy, and you gloat in the sudden gain of control over him.

When you feel that he’s had enough, or rather, that you’ve had enough, you push your digits out of the comfortable rim of his mouth, coating your nipple with a light layer of his spit.

“So?”, you mewl seductively, “what do you think?”

“It needs to be softer, I think”

You stop massaging yourself, tilting your head in confusion by his critique.

“Softer? What is softer than velvet?”

Mark smirks back at you, hand leaving your breast and travelling south.

“I can think of something”

He finds the buttons over the crotch of the teddy, the pieces of fabric they’re holding together damp with your arousal. You shiver when you feel his fingers easily gliding through your folds, teasing your entrance and pinching your clit.

A whine leaves your lips as he removes his fingers momentarily, falling on his knees in front of you. Suddenly remembering where you are, you stretch your body a little in your paranoia, checking if anyone is standing outside your office, witnessing your dirty meetup. But Mark is quick to bring you back up to heaven, with a flick of his tongue over your clit.

“Mmmm, so soft”

He looks so fucking delicious looking up at you, tie discarded on the floor now and lips coated with your wetness and his spit. You can feel the scruffiness of his 5 o’clock shadow slightly scratching the inside of your thighs that are so sensitive and shake in pleasure. Reaching your hands back for any form of stability you knock down some of the stationery, but how can you care when Mark draws circles with his fingers on your entrance?

He pushes in his index, then his middle finger as well, setting a pace that is as slow as it is sinfully pleasurable. Your small office is filled with the sounds of his kissing and slurping, but you can’t ask him to be quiet when you struggle to lower your moans as well. The feeling of the soft pads of his fingers massaging your walls and his tongue sucking on your pussy makes you light-headed, your nails digging in the wooden surface and desperately chasing your high. Your orgasm hits you like a wave, and you bite your fist so as not to make a sound, but Mark’s not done yet.

He places one hand sturdily on your hips, the other cupping your left boob, successfully helping you keep your balance. He keeps lapping up your arousal, sucking on the swollen bud and you swear you see stars. You’re thrashing around in your overstimulation, too close to screaming from pleasure and you grab Mark’s hair to push him away.

His eyes are blown out from arousal, mouth gasping for air and chin wet with your juices. The desire to have him is animalistic, and you force him up by his collar, replacing his place on the floor.

“My turn”

Unbuckling his belt in swift moves, you manage to free his member from his boxers, bright red and leaking for you. Placing his tip on your tongue, you can taste the saltiness of his precum, and Mark sighs at the warmth of your mouth. You rest your hands on his thighs, looking up to see his pretty face contorted in pleasure when you swirl your tongue around his length.

“Oh my god, just like that”

Determined to return the favour, you gulp around him, his cock hitting the back of your throat. You ignore the burning feeling on your knees and throat and keep him there, until tears are threatening to spill from the corner of your eyes. After bobbing your head over his cock, listening to his swears over and over again you can tell he is close, and you start jerking him, slowly picking up your pace.

He lets out a guttural groan when you start palming his tip and he slaps your hand away, taking his dick in his own grasp. “Show me something worth cumming for. I want to see your body”

You fumble with the cups of your lingerie, trying to free your boobs but it’s hard, with the straps getting in the way and the fabric being too sturdy to stretch so far. Mark gets impatient with you taking so long, so he crouches forward, bunching up the mesh in his fists and ripping it in half.

Shocked yet turned on by his action you let the garment drop from your body, leaving you in only your skirt that is bunched up over your hips. Passing the mounds on your breasts you let your hands move lower, and you start to play with your pussy for Mark to see. You’re still so sensitive from your orgasm earlier and you let him know, moaning his name as you expose yourself fully for him.

As he moves his wrist frantically over his shaft, his eyes are glued on your lower lips. They are a raging red at this point, and he’s losing his mind over the look of pure lust painted on your face. He wishes he could paint it with something else but he knows you’re in the workplace, yet nothing can keep him from entertaining the thought.

“Where do you want it?”, he huffs out just a second before he’s reaching his own high and you open your mouth, giving him a silent invitation. He moves his hips closer to you, tapping his tip over your eager tongue and he watches intently at the ropes of cum that are slowly filling up your mouth.

You raise your thumb on your lips, collecting the drops that are spilling from the corner of your mouth and you swallow before Mark can even hand you the metal bin next to your desk. He seems to be in complete ecstasy, chuckling for no reason as he puts his softening member back into his underwear and helps you back into your clothes (or whatever is left from them).

“I’m sorry for ripping your lingerie”, he mumbles finally and you want to coo at how cute he sounds, “I’ll buy you a new one, I promise”

You laugh lightly, helping him at picking up the pictures of the lingerie pieces that are scattered on your floor. “It better be one of your picks”, you tease him, waving the burgundy set you were holding and he licks his lips, picturing you in it.

“Sure. How about I give it to you over some dinner this weekend?”

His offer excites you, so you nod in agreement, and you shuffle awkwardly in the heavy atmosphere of the room. As you pick up the last picture, placing it neatly inside Mark’s binder, you feel his hand wrapping around your waist, bringing you close against him. Instinctively, you kiss him, allowing yourself to get lost in the movement of his lips, that mostly taste like you and you nibble at them lightly. Mark was in the middle of squeezing the softness of your ass, humming in appreciation, when a beep comes simultaneously from both of your phones. It’s the meeting he was talking about this morning and you groan for having to let him go.

He hands you a piece of gum when you both enter the hall and you take it, praying that no one will smell his cologne all over your skin, or notice that you’re going commando under your clothes. One of your co-workers and Mark’s buddy, that you address with a nod every time you cross paths in the office kitchen catches up to you, and throws an arm over his shoulders.

“Mark, my man, you’re glowing today! Wanna grab a bite after the meeting?”

The boy turns his head in your direction, giving you a once over and winking your way, before answering with a smile that is so evident in his voice.

“Nah, thanks. I already ate”

#nct au #nct smut #mark lee smut #neosmutcollective #mark smut #nct 127 #nct scenario #mark x reader #nct imagines #superm smut #nct dream smut

676 notes · View notes

byulsgrease · 3 years

Text

duly noted

you've never been one to obsess about your soulmate, assuming you'll figure it out when the time is right. but seriously, what kind of nonsense has yours been writing about recently?

(eventual moonbyul / wheein x gender neutral reader, soulmate!au, trainee/idol!au, ~1.2k words)

a/n: wheein bias wrecker anon! I might've had too much fun with your req and so this is gonna be my first soulmate au 🤠 while byul and wheein don't actually appear in this part (does that make this a prologue? idk), I promise they'll make their appearance soon enough :)

cw: struggles of being a trainee (weight + food talk)

The claps from your dance instructor ring out in the mirrored studio, calling everyone to attention before they send you off for the day. Everyone stands around listening to whatever niceties they're talking about, asking the rhetorical questions of whether all of you want this, how everyone needs to work harder, etc. How many years has it been now, almost three? Evaluations went pretty well recently and you've certainly demonstrated signs of growth since you started, but debut? Who knows. Does anyone, really?

But right now it's late and you're hungry, hoping that your growling stomach isn't loud enough to pierce through the lecture. You're respectfully tuned out anyway, since it's all old news. Nothing you haven't heard before. They clap again once their spiel ends and everyone disperses. Your eyes catch Hyejin's on your way out of the studio, sharing a funny face and an eyeroll before disappearing into the herd of trainees shuffling to the lockers.

Your locker opens with a routine spin of the dial, taking care to slow down and line up the numbers properly so you're not stuck having to do it over again. The inside's pretty cute for a metallic rectangle— it's really the only space of your own besides your notebook. Pictures of your family, old school friends, and fellow trainee friends line the sides beneath a tiny string of battery-powered fairy lights. It's not much, but always a humbling reminder of why you're here.

Unzipping your bag, you take out a pair of slides and drop them on the floor while stepping out of your sneakers. There's not much else in your bag, just a change of clothes and your notebook, of course. Everyone has one. Anything inside could be drawn, written, scribbled, painted. It’s your personal creative space and no one else's, but with two conditions:

You can't write your name in it, not even your initials. Of course everyone tried to as kids against their parents commands, but letters simply sink into the page, disappearing as if they'd never been written at all.

You can only mark up one side. Pages on the right side are for you, and the left side pages fill themselves. Fill themselves with what? you asked your parents. They gave you a non-answer, saying you'd figure it out someday. Great. Only other thing they bothered to tell you was that your right-hand pages were someone's left-hand ones. So someone can see what I put here? Their confirmation sounded rather casual, which you found weird. Someone out there was watching what you put in? But you got used to it, especially since every person owns one. It's a novelty for children anyway. Mark up a page however you want, knowing that someone out in the would will see, and sit back to watch whatever randomness shows up on the left side.

Your left side pages were actually empty for quite a while, save for the occasional "UGGHHH" followed by a typical childish annoyance scrawled messily across the entirety of the page in marker. Not that notebook use was mandatory, but parents usually encouraged it because it kept their kids occupied. There wasn't much you could do about empty pages, nor did you care most of the time, but it did leave you a little jealous of other kids at school who'd sometimes open theirs and be greeted with cute watercolor paintings, mini murals, or skillfully written poetry.

For you, the notebook's served many uses. As a kid it was random doodles and poorly-drawn fantasy scenarios— escapism, perhaps. In middle school it was angsty poems and random journal entries about the random happenings of your life. For the first half of high school it became your to-do list, keeping track of school assignments. And on the rarest occasion, song lyrics. Visual art was never your medium of choice, music came more easily. But drawing staff lines for music notation in the notebook usually ended up being too tedious, so your original stuff was mostly relegated to voice memos on your phone. And now? Who knows. Trainee life may as well be a blur. Sing, dance, talk, eat if you can afford to, sleep, repeat. It's hard to find the energy to write anything most days. Whenever you feel like checking, the left side has random jottings, nearly illegible most of the time.

It wasn't until you got older that you realized that whoever read your entries on the was the same person generating content on the left. And supposedly the person you're supposed to be with for the rest of time? What kind of system is that? I'm just supposed to trust blindly? having asked your parents in exasperation after figuring it out. Again with more non-answers— it had worked for them, didn't it? There's also the obvious question of why people don't just write directly to each other, but whatever. You're still young, no need to obsess over "the one" unlike some of your classmates. If it's meant to be, it'll happen, you figure. And it obviously is, you've got a notebook with (semi-)filled left side pages. What more could you ask for?

The cacophony of clanging lockers opening and closing starts to die down as people leave. Hyejin's head pops out from behind the locker door, laughing in your face when you flinch.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, one sec. Man, I'm starving,” you remark while slipping the bag straps on your back and closing the locker door. You don't even want to know how strapped for cash you are, probably in for another night of boiled eggs and canned kimchi.

“Wanna go out for food?” she immediately asks, eyes alight at the prospect of getting to eat something besides convenience store food.

"I wish. Actually, you wish," you smirk with longing in your eyes. The "no" doesn't even have to be said, weigh-ins are way too soon to risk it. She hangs her head, jokingly dejected as you swing an arm around her shoulder to walk out of the company building together.

~~~~

After scrounging up whatever food you call dinner, taking a shower, and flopping into bed, you open up your notebook and grab the random pen laying on your dresser, unsure of what you'll write about tonight. There's chicken scratch on the left page already, ballpoint pen. It's actually legible today, though: In my room every day I see your smile.

What the hell does that mean? Whose smile, yours? You haven't even met yet.

Call me everyday every night, hug me everywhere every time

Utter nonsense. Maybe meeting soulmates is just a huge game of catch-up once everything's finally revealed, surely yours will be. There’s just so many questions. Moving to the right side, you jot down a list of cheat meal ideas along with some assorted notes and pointers from practice that you want to work on tomorrow, drawing little characters next to each list item for fun. After accidentally drawing a random squiggle from jolting yourself awake and feeling the heaviness in your eyelids, you cap your pen and shut your notebook, placing it back in your bag. With the lights out, the last thought you have before sleep consumes you is why haven't you ever tried writing directly to each other after all this time?

[next]

#using their real predebut photos feels like a disservice lmaoo #girl crush is my fave cf tho :D #requested #💥 anon #mamamoo imagines #gg fic #mamamoo x reader #hwasa x reader #mamamoo fanfic #kpop fic #girl group fic #moonbyul imagines #hwasa imagines #wheein imagines #mamamoo scenarios #soulmate au

53 notes · View notes

sagemusesoutloud · 3 years

Text

Anti-Romantic, Part 4.5

(credit to the original owner of the image)

Character | Jaehyun x reader

Genre | nonidol!au, Mutual Pining, Slowburn, Fluff, Angst

WordCount | 1.2 k

Author'sNote | This entire part is in Jaehyun's POV, thought it was important before the grand finale.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 4.5

Jaehyun was livid. But he didn’t know at who, all he knew was that he was beyond frustrated with the situation. With the way he felt. He had told you he was tired, and he truly was. But not at you, never at you. He was tired of feeling like this. He felt like he was suffocating back there, with the way you were looking at him. He almost couldn’t recognize you, that gaze, he had never seen it on you.

When he thought of you, he thought of a passionate, hard-working, self-assured woman. Back there, you looked broken, unsure, and hurt. Did he say something that painful?

Fuck, he can’t remember. He was so angry, he wasn’t thinking of what he was saying.

He stops at a nearby bench on the park near his complex. He should go back and apologize, you didn’t deserve to be treated that way. He really messed up. He almost didn’t leave when he heard the first of your sobs but he was too emotional himself to offer you comfort. Now he feels like a dick. He usually had a better grip on his control, but after everything that was said and wasn’t said, it was too much.

He vaguely remembers promising to forget everything if you did leave. Is he capable of that? He’s loved you for too long, literally for most of his life.

He thinks about what happened, maybe if he goes in order, he can untangle the mess of thoughts in his head. God, he can feel a migraine coming. In retrospect, a lot of what was said included what he’s been wanting to confess for a really long time. Except, it was in the worst way possible, he groans at the revelation.

It’s hard to tell when the line was first crossed, not that it mattered, because neither of you stopped. You did mention that he would excuse every time he crossed the line. He can see what you meant by that seeming like excuses. But couldn’t you see what those excuses were? They were so weak, they’re almost laughable. Alas, he should come clean with that and clear it up before it’s too late.

He wished you could see how weak he was for you. He wished you could see that when it comes to words, he was never comfortable. He was a man of actions. He’d much rather show you than tell you because he’s never had to explain himself before, and because you were the first person that had elicited these strong emotions from him. He’s been in love with you before he even knew what love was. His feelings have grown and cultivated for years, and he’s not sure if he could even find the words to explain just how deep your grip was on his heart. It’s also been all he’s known, how could he compare it?

Maybe that’s what he was so frustrated about, he felt like confessing to you was almost like pulling teeth. He doesn’t know how people do it, how you do it. You always seem to find the right words in every situation. So then, why wouldn’t you say anything either? I’m just going in circles at this point.

And then, there’s the gift. He glances down at the shiny accessory, a heavy weight landing in his gut. You don’t exactly give jewelry to just anyone right? Especially when engraved, is it appropriate to gift a friend that? He guesses there is some sort of gray area for it. You also mentioned that you got it for him because you thought of him. Does that mean you think of him often? He supposes it’s plausible since he’s the only friend you have in the city. That’s another apology, maybe he did read too much into it.

Here comes the tricky part, the root of his migraine. The argument.

It seemed that every time he pushed you to say something he needed to hear, he fucked up. Maybe that’s the problem. He was pushing you into a corner you didn’t want to be pushed. Lord knows you never do something you didn’t want to do. He vaguely remembers some of the hurtful things you said to him. He knows that you said it in a fit of anger, but just like there was truth to his words, there must have been some truth in yours. Even if you did have feelings for him, he knew it wasn’t fair to hold his feelings over your head like that. To taunt you with them, he feels his stomach clench just at the thought of it. You’d said that you were going along to his pace, but what did that mean? He had been going on your pace! He can’t recall a time where he would take a step forward and you didn’t take a step or two backwards. So, what did you mean by that?

But if you didn’t want to be his, if you didn’t feel comfortable with that, then why the fuck did you kiss him back?

That’s something he’s not sure if he wants to delve into, much less dissect. That kiss was the best kiss he’s ever had. You didn’t just let him kiss you, so it’s not like you didn’t also enjoy it. No, you gave as mush you took. And god, did you give. Friends definitely don’t kiss like that. You had been so into the kiss that he literally had to place you against the counter to stand.

The chemistry was definitely there.

He runs a hand through his face, now is not the time to get cocky. He admits that he might have come too strong, and you were right. You had both said some pretty hurtful things prior to the kiss, no matter how amazing it was. That’s another apology.

He sighs, slouching down in the bench. Seems like he owed you a lot of apologies. Some of the light-poles began turning on around him, breaking his train of thought. Checking his watch, he decides it’s been enough time to let you decide and begins walking back.

Deciding on what to say, he realizes that if he really wants to make this work, he’s going to have to work on being better at voicing his thoughts. To let his wants known, to stop going in circles. If he really thinks about it, the root of his problems had always been that he’s never let you know that his way of caring and showing love is by actions. If he dismisses those actions with words, which is what you use to communicate, then he understands why you’re also confused.

Shit, why didn’t I dwell on this sooner?

Stopping at a convenience store, he picks up a single rose. He doesn’t know why he does it, or why he doesn’t go for a flower arrangement. A single rose seems appropriate for what he needs to say to you. Hopefully you give him the chance. Leaving the store, he continues his journey back home. Praying you’re still there, he starts jogging.

EndNote | I really don't have much to say right now... should I keep the angst? Or do they deserve a happy ending? The song Anti-Romantic, is it a happy song or an angsty song?

Previously: Part 4 | Next: Part 5

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pussy-potions · 3 years

Text

𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂

nsfw mingyu

warnings: angst, very dark content, psychopath au, yandere au, rich boy au, violence, blood, some gore, death of a major character, also a bit of a retro au

word count: 4k

original post count: october 13 2020

You are my destiny

You share my revery

You are my happiness

That’s what you are

Mingyu watched you walk down the street to go to work again. He wasn’t sure how long it’s been as the days of following you to work and back had seemed to almost blur together.

He couldn’t quite figure out why he needed to follow after you, day after day after day. But the longer he was with you, the more you occupied his thoughts until the only thing he could think of was you. Almost every thought of his, if not all of his thoughts, were about you and how much he loved you and wanted to keep you safe. No, needed to keep you safe.

His brows knit together when he saw you exit your workplace with your arm linked with another man and large smiles plastered on your faces as you walked together. He followed you while staying on the other side of the street, barely batting an eye at anyone he bumped into the longer he followed your movements.

Mingyu had finally had enough of the dreadful scene in front of him after about half an hour of walking, he started to lightly jog ahead until he reached the intersection where he quickly ran across the moment he was given the signal to walk. He stopped behind the corner of a barber shop and peeked over the edge, watching and waiting for you to come closer so he could intervene. When you were less then a foot away, Mingyu walked out and made sure to purposely bump into you to catch your attention.

“Oh! Mingyu!” You exclaimed after you bumped into the said male. “I didn’t see you there. What are you doing here?”

Mingyu’s eyes widened ever so slightly as a million excuses rolled in his head before he spat one out. “I was just on my way to the book store!” He said louder then he meant to. “I-I wanted to go out and see what was new and browse a little to see what peaks my interest.”

Mingyu stared at the man beside you until he removed his arm from yours and cleared his throat. “Hey, ugh, I think I’m gonna go now and… work. On stuff.” He said stiffly as he slowly started to move past Mingyu. “I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch?”

“You know I wouldn’t miss it Hoonie.”

You smiled at the man and Mingyu could feel rage bubbling some more in his veins when he caught a blush rising up the other man’s neck and ears before he whipped around and rushed down the street until he disappeared in the crowd of people.

“You said you were going to the bookstore? Mind if I come along too? I wanted to pick up a copy of the old man and the sea for next week’s book club meeting.” Your voice snapped his attention back to you and he moved to stand beside you, linking his arm with yours and leading you towards the bookstore.

“Of course, darling. I love spending time with you so I have no objections to you coming along with me.” Mingyu left a sweet kiss on your temple, “Oh and before I forget, I wanted to know if I could see you during lunch tomorrow?” He said while he opened the door to the bookstore for you.

“I’m sorry, honey but I’m going to have lunch with Jihoon tomorrow to catch up with him a little although I’ll gladly have lunch with you after tomorrow if you’d like?”

A tight lipped smile made its way onto his face before he forced a more natural one onto his face when you turned to look at him. “That’s perfect. I’ll see you then and lunch will be on me.” A blush made its way to his cheeks when you tugged on his tie to pull him behind a row of bookshelves and pressed a kiss to his soft lips.

“You’re too good to me, Mingyu.”

Mingyu wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you closer to him as he quickly surveyed the area to see if anyone was looking or coming before he pulled you in for a longer kiss. He hummed against your lips and stole another kiss before resting his forehead against yours. His heart and head felt as light as air when he was with you and breathed in your scent. “I’m just a demon who doesn’t deserve something as immaculate as you, Sweetheart.”

Now it was your turn to feel the heat on your cheeks. “S-shush and go look for yo-our book,” you stuttered while lightly pushing back on his chest to find the book you wanted.

“You’re so perfect,” Mingyu whispered to himself while he watched you scan the titles on the shelves. “And I’ll do absolutely anything for you.”

You have my sweet caress

You share my loneliness

You are my dream come true

That’s what you are

Mingyu sighed into your kiss before he reluctantly let you pull away from him. He watched you wipe the corners of your lips and smiled as he cupped the back of your head to steal another kiss from you.

You whined out his name in protest from his attack of affection when you were trying to reach the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table which was littered with all sorts of candies and snacks your heart desired. When your fingers could touch the bag of peanut m&ms, you yanked it off the table before Mingyu had you wrapped up tight in his arms and being attacked in kisses again. When he stopped his affectionate fire, he smile warmly as he took in every detail of your face and engraved it into his brain.

“I love you.” Mingyu hummed while his fingers idly played with your hair as he snuggled closer to you, wrapping his left arm around your shoulders as he rested his head against yours. “Don’t ever leave me okay?”

A smile melted onto your face as you lifted Mingyu’s hand up to kiss the back of it. “Never ever. I’ll never leave you Mingyu, I love you too much to even think of doing that.”

And I’ll make sure of that, he thought to himself as he pulled you in for a quick kiss. A large smile pulling on Mingyu’s lips as he thought of all the things he could do to the man he had locked away so you wouldn’t leave him and Mingyu could always keep a watchful eye on you to protect you from anything he deemed harmful.

He stayed up entertaining you with jokes, silly impressions, games and just anything he could think of until you were becoming drowsy with sleep and helped guide you to the master bedroom where he had your sleepwear laid out on the bed for you already.

“Are you coming to bed, honey?” You mumbled while crawling under the covers just as Mingyu sat down on the edge of the comfortable bed. Mingyu’s heart fluttered in his chest when you yawned and scooted closer to him

“Not right now. I was gonna go and clean up a little downstairs since I’m not tired yet.” Mingyu didn’t fight the smile that made its way onto his face for what felt like the billionth time, and leaned down to press a loving kiss to your forehead. “You just go to sleep now, I’ll be joining you after I finish some of the dirty work.”

Your brows twitched together at his mention of dirty work since you didn’t remember making too much of a mess in the kitchen or lovingroom, but you sleepily nodded nontheless and burrowed your face into his pillow while Mingyu turned off the lights and the door softly clicked shut. Mingyu was careful as he walked down the hallway and to the grand staircase. He gave one last look up at the staircase to make sure you didn’t get out of bed and follow him before he was turning right and heading towards his study. Mingyu softly shut the door behind him and lifted the head of a statue beside the fireplace back to expose a button. He pushed it and the bookshelf on his right opened and revealed a staircase that would take him to the hidden basement.

Mingyu whistled a cheerful tune as he skipped down the stairs as the bookshelf slid back into its place. He was almost dancing down the stairs until the room opened up and he walked past the bar to enter another small but short hallway where a lone, metal door waited for him.

Jihoon flinched when a bright light suddenly illuminated the dark room. The heavy metal door opened and then was slammed shut. The noise seeming a million times louder after hours of sitting in silence with nothing but his muffled screams bouncing around the room occasionally in his sad attempt to call for help. Jihoon struggled once again against the ropes that kept him tightly tied to the chair, his wrists stung from being rubbed raw from his many attempts of trying to wiggle free.

“Don’t even waste your breath yelling, no one will hear you from down here.” Mingyu said in a cool voice as he strolled in front of Jihoon and delivered a harsh slap to his face that caused his upper body to lean off to the side. “And do stop squirming. You look pathetic trying to get out when we both know that you can’t.”

Jihoon groaned around the gag as he pulled himself up to sit straight in his chair again. His breathing coming up a little staggered when Mingyu ripped the gag off his mouth, not careful at all with his nails and smiling when Jihoon hissed out in pain from the scratches.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Why am I-” He shouted only to be silenced with another hard slap to the face.

“Just shut your fucking mouth!” Mingyu screamed while shoving Jihoon backwards so the chair hit the floor hard enough for the shock to temporarily knock the air out of Jihoon’s lungs. “I’ve had enough of you and your irritating voice. Your whole existence infuriates me.” Mingyu spat while shooting a look of disgust at Jihoon.

Jihoon groaned when Mingyu roughly grabbed onto the chair and pulled it back up to stand in its proper position. His cheek pulsed with heat from his previous hits which made Jihoon bite down on his cheeks to stop himself from saying anything that could get him in more trouble.

“Now,” Mingyu breathed out as he cracked his knuckles and stretched out his neck. “I think it’s time for me to start the show. Don’t you think so too, sweetheart stealer?”

Jihoon’s eyes widened when Mingyu walked past him and he heard a lock sliding into place which was then followed by shuffling and metallic clinks. “Hey what the fuck are you doing back there?” Jihoon shouted at Mingyu, his head struggling to turn far enough to look behind him from how tight the ropes around him were. Wheels loudly squeaked in the silent room until a metal cart was pushed to a halt 3 feet away from Jihoon. Various surgical instruments laid neatly on a crisp white towel and when Mingyu picked up a scalpel, fear struck him deep in his soul. Jihoon started screaming and thrashing in his bindings until Mingyu grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head backwards as harsh as he could to silence the other man.

Mingyu tutted at the older male while waving the scalpel side to side, “You know it’s stupid to waste your breath like that. No one is gonna hear you while we’re down here in my little play room, not even Y/n.”

Jihoon’s face paled. “Y-Y/n? She’s here?” His voice was barely above a whisper while his heart clenched harshly in his chest. It felt like the air was being sucked out of Jihoon’s lungs when he realized that help was so close and yet so far out of his reach.

“Yup! And she’s sleeping soundly in my bed while I’m cleaning up the mess I’m about to make.” Mingyu smiled widely, his hand moving by itself as it slashed the tool against Jihoon’s cheek causing him to bleed. “Now hold still so I can turn your nasty little frown upside down so the rest of our time together will be more enjoyable…” Mingyu’s eyes honed in on Jihoon’s mouth as he used the hand the was in his hair to tightly grip his jaw. He shoved the scalpel between Jihoon’s lips and pulled it to the side to create a bloody smile while Jihoon screamed in agony. A twisted smile made its way onto Mingyu’s face as he watched the fear and pain completely take over Jihoon’s body until he was trembling in his seat when had finished one side. “At least for me that is.”

Heaven, and heaven alone

Can take your love from me

‘Cause I’d be a fool

To ever leave you dear

And a fool, I’d never be

Mingyu giggled loudly as he chased you around his home. There were moments when he’d lose you when you’d run into a new room or down a hall way but your loud footsteps and heavy breathing would always let him know where you were.

“I’m gonna get you!” He called out into the quiet house.

The amount of glee evident in his voice as he got closer and closer sent shivers running down your spine. Tears pricked at your eyes when you saw his shadow appear under the door before you ducked down to hide behind the bed.

“Now, now darling,” he said as he turned the handle and pushed open the door to the spare bedroom. “It’s not very polite to try and stab your loving boyfriend when I worked so hard to get rid of that boy who’s been bothering you. Oh what was his name again? Jihan? Johoon? Jun? Either way he’s not important anymore, and I also got you your favorite flowers for our anniversary!”

Your heart pounded behind your rib cage when you saw Mingyu’s shadow move into the dark room as he spoke out. Fresh tears sprung from your eyes when his words clicked in your head. He killed Jihoon. He killed your closest friend. You felt nauseous when you realized that the many slabs of bundled up meat he carried into his kitchen wasn’t what he said it was. You fought to keep yourself from vomiting as silent tears streaked down your face when you thought of how terrified Jihoon must’ve felt when his light was extinguished. Swallowing back the bile that burned your throat, you watched through blurry eyes as Mingyu’s figure stalked into the room.

“Darling? Come out, come out, wherever you are~” he sang.

The sound of the closet doors being violently thrown open nearly made you squeak out in fear before you clasped a hand firmly over your mouth to stay silent. Daring to peek past the edge of the bed, your blood ran cold when you saw a kitchen knife held tightly in his hand as he pushed and kicked aside the clothes and small boxes in the closet. You shrunk back and laid flat on the ground as silently as you could to inch yourself under the bed.

“I know you’re in here, sweetheart.” Mingyu laughed manically when there was no response. “Please come out. I just wanted to talk to you about .” Ice cold adrenaline pumped through your veins when you had fully pulled yourself under the bed and saw Mingyu’s feet walk past the bed to stand in front of the balcony, and throwing open the doors to walk out into the cool night air. You took the moment to slip out from under the bed from the other side before running to into the hallway.

You felt relief but only for a moment when you heard Mingyu call out. “I found you,” he sang as he chased after you. Your legs burned from running as fast as they could carry you through the many rooms of his house before you had to stop from Mingyu’s frame blocking the entrance to the upstairs library.

Your heart jumped into your throat when you noticed that he still had the knife gripped tightly in his hand while he took slow and careful steps towards you, which made you take staggered steps back from him.“Now, now darling… I don’t want to play these mean games anymore.” Mingyu straightened himself and pushed the fallen hair out of his eyes to look at you cowering in front of the railing. “I just want you safe and sound in my arms again without any problems to distract us.”

“You killed Jihoon,” you screamed angrily at Mingyu. “You killed my friend! You-you goddamn monster!”

“Your friend.” Mingyu echoed before bursting into laughter. Your words sounding hilarious to him as he tried to compose himself enough to speak clearly so you could hear his next words.

“He was trying to take you away from me Y/n. I can’t believe that you couldn’t see that with how fucking obvious it was!” The venom that laced his voice scared you. You weren’t sure if it was from the violent unfolding of tonight or if it was from the shock of a much darker Mingyu then you knew. “And he was succeeding until I put a stop to it.” Mingyu continued as he inspected the knife before he inspected his reflection in the parts that wasn’t covered in crimson.

“Don’t come any closer to me!”

You squeaked when your back hit the railing and Mingyu continued his advance, forcing you to start moving to the side where the railing opened up to the stairs which was your opportunity to run if you timed it right.

“I’m so sorry I made you hate me, Sweetheart,” Mingyu said in a trembling voice as tears welled in his eyes. “I got scared and I-I didn’t know any other way to keep you from leaving me. Please Y/n, I love you so much it hurts me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else before and I just got a little carried away-”

“Carried away? You call that carried away! You killed my best friend!” You all but sobbed out as the emotions you tried so hard to hold back pelted you at once. “You-you started rumours about to get people to stay away from me, you sent threats to my family so they wouldn’t contact me, and you killed the only person I truly trusted! I hate you, I hate you Kim Mingyu!”

“Please don’t say that.” Mingyu said in the softest and most defeated voice you’ve ever heard from him in all the time you’ve known him. “I didn’t mean for things to happen the way they did. I just didn’t want you to stop loving me as much and that was all I could think of. I promise I’ll never do it again.” Mingyu wiped the tears out of his eyes and shot you a terrified smile when he took half a step forward. “We can leave this place and start again somewhere new. Somewhere where we can start over, some place new so we won’t see the ghosts of the past any more.”

You stood frozen as you listened to Mingyu ramble on about how he was convinced that everything could be fixed with a simple move. He’s insane, you thought to yourself while you watched him take careful steps towards you but your brain barely registered just how close the danger was until he was less then 4 feet away from you with a hand stretch out.

“What do you say?” He asked with hope raising the pitch of his voice. “Should we forget about this awful place and start over somewhere else?”

The dark glint in his eyes didn’t go over your head as you struggled to find the words that would save you from his wrath.Dread and defeat weighing heavy on your shoulders when the only way you could save yourself was by agreeing and going with him.

“Yes,” you choked out as you put your hand in his. “We should forget about this place and all the bad memories that’ll only haunt us if we stay.”

Mingyu breathed in relief as he stepped closer to you so your toes were touching. “I knew you’d see it my way eventually!” He cheered before kissing you firmly on the mouth. “But I still have to be sure of it so this doesn’t happen ever again.”

Confusion contorted your face before a sudden pain exploded in your abdomen followed by a sudden warmth that seeped into the fabric of your shirt. Your hand flew to your stomach and you felt your head spin at the crimson liquid that coated your hand the moment you looked at it. Blood.

Mingyu smiled almost childlike at you, his eyes never leaving yours as he lifted the knife to his mouth to lick off a few droplets of blood. “What…” you whispered out just as you caught yourself from stumbling backwards. “…Mingyu…” Stretching out a bloody hand to hold onto his shirt, you gripped onto it as tightly as you could when he dropped the knife and both his hands encircled your wrists, holding them against his chest.

“I’ll meet you downstairs.” He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead and the stark contrast of it from the grim night left your blood feeling cold in your veins. “I have a mess I’ll need to clean up first before anything else can commence.”

An unsteady breath left your lips when Mingyu took a step back from you, only for you to release an ear piercing scream when he shoved you backwards and your world started spinning.

You’re more then life to me

That’s what you are

“I’m so glad you’ve come to understand what I’ve been telling you. I just want to keep you safe from everyone, I couldn’t bear to see someone hurt you or even try to take you away from me. And I should also apologize for hurting you like that but I needed you to stop running.”

Mingyu was met with silence as he finished cleaning and wrapping up your wound. He let out a tired sigh while he dressed you up in a deep red dress he had gotten as a gift for you. After you were dressed, he moved behind you and quickly got to work de-tangling your hair, and pinning it back from your face.

“There, you’re all cleaned up now and looking as pretty as a doll.”

Mingyu wrapped his arms around your waist and eased you into a standing position, removing an arm around you to move your hands around his neck before he placed his hand around you again. The romantic atmosphere that enveloped your bodies sent waves of warmth rolling through him.

Mingyu pressed his lips against your forehead as he tightened his arms around your waist, holding you up against his body as the old song was played from the phonograph while you danced. A soft smile graced his face when your head tipped forward to rest against his shoulder.

“I missed being with you like this.”

The romantic music added to the atmosphere which made Mingyu’s heart soar in his chest, his hands squeezing onto you a little tighter as he softly sang along with it. Mingyu bit back a large smile as he spun around with you and adjusted his grip before dipping you.

“I love you so, so much my love.” Mingyu cooed, his eyes shining as he watched your head tip back and his eyes met yours.

Your dull eyes blankly stared ahead at Mingyu. “I’m so glad you’ve finally fully accepted me. And now you’re never gonna leave me ever again.” He cooed with glee in his voice. “Never ever, ever again. So now we can live happily… ever… after…” Mingyu said with a smile before he pressed his warm lips against your lifeless ones. “Forever and ever because you are my destiny.”

You are my destiny

You share my revery

You’re more then happiness

That’s what you are

#seventeen angst #mingyu angst

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lunarblazes · 3 years

Text

i made a desertduo playlist and then decided to be a nerd and write explanations for all the songs! like a nerd!

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGylutQpyTbgX7MY7Lrzz?si=t8_kBwBHSYG5kxTvZoIrTQ&dl_branch=1

QUICK DISCLAIMER: i am aware that a lot of these songs may have or imply romantic connotation! i would really really like it if these were not read as though those romantic connotations carry over to scar and grian. even if we’re just talking about the third life characters, i would prefer not to ship them or imply romance between them on this post. thank you so much and keep reading if you’d like to see the playlist analysis!

and now that that’s out of the way, PLAYLIST TIME!

•

passerine- the oh hellos

“you were the song that i’d always sing/you were the light that the fire would bring/but i can’t shake this feeling that i/was only pushing the spear into your side again”

this song really just... firstly, it’s one of my favorite songs, and the line i chose there pushes home the sort of terrified devotion i think the desert has. plus there’s a fun line about the cold wind blowing in from the north in the ending bits that i think very much fits their conflict with the red army, and a lot of legally obligated flight imagery that i need to have in every possible song because i’m a fuckin nerd.

•

no children- the mountain goats

“i hope that our few remaining friends/give up on trying to save us/i hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”

i will admit that no children isn’t a perfect fit, but the general vibe of sort of defiant pessimism and betrayal fits very well with them! it’s very triumphant in its death, and i think that is very desertcore, because what’s more triumphantly dead than being the last duo left alive?

•

skulls- bastille

“when all of our friends are dead and just a memory/it’s always been just you and me/for all to see”

okay like this entire song is SO MUCH DESERT VIBES? LIKE SO MUCH. if i were to ever make an animatic for them i’d do it with this song. “a match is our only light, it’s day of the dead i’m indiana jones, yeah,” “i hope you can make me laugh six feet under when we’re bored of each other,” “i don’t want to rest in peace, i’d rather be the ghost that annoys you,” IT JUST KEEPS GOING. i think this song would work well with any third life duo, honestly, but these two in PARTICULAR just because of how it ended with them literally ‘buried’ next to each other, and again, the chaotic death vibes.

•

freaking out- mystery skulls

“i just keep out of my tongue/til all you want is done/and you just wanna leave me, oh yeah”

this song is a very third life grian song to me in particular! it could be my bias because of my little headcanon of grian burning on his red life, but seriously, this song is very reminiscent of the back and forth of loyalty that grian has with scar. the above line is sort of representative of the betrayal on red, and of course grian’s life debt.

•

night running- shin sakiura

(this song is in japanese! these lyrics are the rough english translation i found on google.) “someday we will stand at this place once again/for sure we will stand up again and again/we will watch it will the end/i want you to live freely”

this song is actually the ending theme for the anime bna, which i adore, and i just added it on a whim before looking at the translated lyrics. but um. holy hell the lyrics hurt me because they’re about running in search of someone, running for no reason, looking for something, and it just really hit, because the desert never really had a goal! they didn’t expect to survive, they were trying to survive, but what was their longterm goals? nothing. so that sort of endless search felt fitting for this. plus the song is a parallel for the two estranged best friends of the show so! perfect.

•

summer nights- siames

“it’s summertime/singing al green in your car/heading to a party/and the night air feels alive”

okay again, i will admit this song is mainly on here because i absolutely love it, but i also do think it fits well. it’s also about healing/estranged friendships, with a very distinct feeling of nostalgia for a happier time. maybe for a time when this was all a game, when there was no blood or betrayals on their hands. little canon divergent, but it’s fun for me, so into the playlist it goes!

allies or enemies- the crane wives

“are we allies or enemies/this will be the death of me, this will be the death of me/all’s fair in love and war but i can’t fight with you anymore”

. i just. points to that lyric. it literally led to both of their deaths. are they allies or enemies? it also fits with scar still wanting grian to be his friend even after he’s no longer indebted with the line “what happens now? do we have another go, do we bow out?” another very good animatic song that i’ve considered heavily. i listen to this playlist a lot

•

burn him down- kitsch club

“you must destroy, oh you must destroy, beyond all recognition/you gotta burn him down, you gotta burn him down, beyond all recognition”

this song just has a lot of fire and arson and high energy vibes. my little war criminals look at them go

•

rose- the oh hellos

“what's true is like a sickle/it'll cut you to the middle/your rose is without a thorn/but no, my mouth don't taste of metal/from the pot here to the kettle/i think we got a lot we gotta learn”

this one is like the exact opposite vibe of burn him down. the oh hellos are so poetic and this song just... feels like the healing potions after a battle. many of the metaphors here fit, i think

•

lone digger- caravan palace

“hey, brother, what you thinking/that good ol' sound is ringing/they don't know what they're missing/(they call it lonely diggin')”

okay this song is straight up just a dance song. i added it because i like it and also for some reason it feels ominous to me? i’ve got no idea why, it’s seriously just a club song, but it’s a banger and it’s in this playlist because i said so

•

feed the machine- poor man’s poison (suggested by my friend argonaughtkeene!)

“somethin’s goin” on, just look around/fear is on the rise, and there’s blood all over the ground/let’s all just blindfold the poor, we all know what’s in store/ we got ‘em now, just break ‘em down a little bit more”

this song is a VIBE for both desertduo members. there’s parts for both of them. it’s ruthless, gritty, very maniacal, perfect. listen to it and you’ll immediately understand why i added it.

•

sweet tooth- scott helman

“i hold hands with cosmic entities/i’ll take this two-ride if i please/i got this sweet tooth baby, yeah i got this sweet tooth baby/i exploit my opportunities/some broken hearts, some cavities”

sweet tooth is super upbeat and bright with these strangely dark lyrics? like i’m pretty sure it’s about addiction. in any case, i thought the “i hold hands with cosmic entities” very funnily fitting for both of the desert boys. it’s a banger!

•

necromancin’ dancin’- bear ghost

“when i’m necromancin’, everyone’s dancin’/nobody can stop me, i dare you to try/the dead are infused with insatiable groove and they’re coming for you, there’s nowhere to hide”

necromancin’ dancin’ just. bastard vibes. there’s not much more to say it’s just huge villain song vibes. i adore it.

•

crazy = genius- panic! at the disco

“if crazy equals genius/then i’m a fucking arsonist/i’m a rocket scientist/if crazy equals genius/you can set yourself on fire/but you’re never gonna burn, burn, burn”

i. yeah. y. yeah. more bastard vibes. also shoutout to an artist i saw (i think it was strifesolution?) who made a desertduo piece to this song because i have not stopped thinking about it ever

•

sweet bod- lemon demon

“i’m diggin’ up your coffin/and pouring out the contents/your sexy, sweet solution/is ripe for distribution”

you know how i said freaking out was a grian song? this one is a scar song. it’s my favorite lemon demon song and also it has the total macabre capitalism vibe that third life scar NAILED. more bastard vibes good for him <3

•

drunk- the living tombstone

“feel so much better than usual/i feel indisputable, oh/but now i’m feeling so beautiful/don’t wake me up from this spell i’m under, if i’m still breathing/i know that i will be ugly when i feel like myself again, oh/but right now i’m feelin’ so beautiful”

the descent of this song, starting off with a polite gathering and ending with a gasping drunk in the parking lot gazing at the stars that he can barely see? yes. yeah. mhm. i used a line from this song for a fic, actually, it fit so well.

•

oh no!- marina

“one track mind, one track heart/if i fail, i’ll fall apart/maybe it is all a test/cos i feel like i’m the worst so i always act like i’m the best”

bubbly pop track about false confidence, the ruthlessness of the pop industry, and the influence of the media? you know why this is here. it vibes. it rocks.

•

do it all the time- i don’t know how but they found me

“we’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime/and when i’m taking your innocence/i’ll be corrupting your mind/no need to cry i’m only doing everything i want to do because i do it all the time”

EVEN MORE BASTARD VIBES! SOMEHOW THERE IS MORE! this playlist is half villain songs and half heart-wrenching ballads and that’s the real desert experience i think.

•

the phoenix- fall out boy

“i’m gonna change you/like a remix/then i’ll raise you/like the phoenix”

BATTLE SONG BATTLE SONG! i’ll be honest i partially chose this song because i am a huge sucker for phoenix grian imagery in particular, but it’s also just a very good war song for them. villain song no 18372948 except this one originally had a hero vibe and now it’s changed specifically for them?? wild. their power

•

the other side- the greatest showman

“right here, right now/i’ll put the offer out/i don’t wanna chase you down, i know you see it/you run with me/and i can cut you free/out of the treachery/and all you keep in”

scar and grian’s desert monopoly conversation went exactly like this canonically because i said so fuck you <3

•

icicles- the scary jokes (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“icicles don’t soften when they die/so why should i, why should i?/oh, icicles don’t soften when they die/they sharpen into sabers and they stab you in the eye”

this song actually has specific parts for both grian and scar! my cool epic friend mx demizorua pointed both of them out to me and i adored it so much. it’s a very spiteful song, just like the desert boys. also it feels vaguely murderous. perfect

•

problems- mother mother (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“i’m a loser, a disgrace/you’re a beauty, a luminary, in my face”

literally this entire song fits them. particularly their relationship with the flower husbands, to me, honestly— the whole “when we meet at the pearly gates/you’ll get the green light/and i’ll get the boot in the face” reminds me a lot of them hdksjdks

•

tongues and teeth- the crane wives

“i know that you mean so well/but i am not a vessel for your good intent/i will only break your pretty things/i will only wring you dry of everything”

h. yeah. this song is literally gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i attribute it to the desert for that reason alone. songs to commit murder to!

•

you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead- saint motel

“you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead/and the list, it grows, and grows, and grows/it grows, and grows, and grows/and grows, and grows, and grows/until it’s everyone you’ve ever known”

this one is very self-explanatory. enemies pogchamp

•

curses- the crane wives

“there’s a fire in my brain and i’m burning, love/oh my, oh my/keep running to the sink, but the well is dry/oh my, oh my/every word i say is kindling/but the smoke clears when you’re around”

okay again! this one has two very specific parts for both of them. grian’s the first verse, which is above, and scar’s the second verse!! i really do like my fire imagery for these two don’t i? well, i blame them for having a fuck ton of tnt on them at all times and literally burning their enemy’s banners as a final act of defiance.

#3rdlife #grian #goodtimeswithscar #3rd life smp #3rd life smp playlist #third life smp #desertduo #simply think that they <3 #Spotify

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wincore · 4 years

Text

vixen | nakamoto yuta

pairing: kitsune!yuta x female!reader

words: 5.1k

summary: every year, you visit the fox who claims to know everything about you.

genre: fantasy/folklore, fluff, angst(?)

warnings: suggestive, mention of past bullying, one excessively flirty nakamoto yuta

song rec(s): clear and sunny - sou (cover)

a/n: this is for all you furries who aren’t quite furries yet muah (im joking) but aaaa love exploring folklore and also i should put in a disclaimer that not every aspect adheres to the original tales of the kitsune <3 i did not proofread btw and i am very sorry

Some things never change.

Examples: boys, shitty friends, death, and the scent of nostalgia. To you, that very scent happens to be the earthy smell of chrysanthemums and a faint waft of spices from the kitchen in your parents’ house. To you, October is not just another month. To you, there is one more thing that never changes and it is not your belief in old ghost stories.

Around this time of the year, the autumn festival begins in a flurry of vibrant red smudges and a whiff of excitement, in streets suddenly brought alive. The skies are candied orange, and it’s the only time you aren’t tired of home. This time is also when you find yourself right in the clutches of the one demon you swore you’d avoid for the rest of your life. You swore. It’s not your fault that said demon is a little, let’s say, tempting.

Tempting in the most vexing, infuriating way possible. Bewitching, cruel, seducing—all that foxes are and all that you’ve heard of them could not have prepared you for an encounter. Folklore runs deep through you. The memories of a certain fox-boy run deeper.

It is not the festival you are here for.

You yawn, leaning against the wooden door frame of the shop. It would be inappropriate to fall asleep on the job, especially since there are a bunch of children staring idly at you. You close your mouth quickly, resting the back of your hand against your lips. Late afternoon is an easy time to fall asleep. You have half the mind to snarl at the kids to scare them off, their gaze getting on your nerves and when you think you will, you turn the other way. Manners come first to you, no matter how temperamental you get.

The procession has gathered a crowd. Some shouts and squeals from the children make you slump further. At least they’re having fun with whatever stupid game they’re playing. You breathe in the autumn air. A part of you wonders if you simply let your feet lead you down the stairs, you’d be free of this entire ordeal. You shake your head. Temptation has always been hard to resist—never meant to be resisted but you’re much older now. There is dignity to be answered.

October is mild—your grandmother’s shop is still on the verge of collapse, your mother still yells at you for misplacing kitchen utensils and your old friends from school still gossip about who you’re dating. It’s like the script never changes; people change the meaning, twist their words in the same old pattern. If you were a little less behaved, you would have poured your drink over their heads yesterday.

You clench your jaw. It’s always an ‘Oh, you’re so attractive’ and an ‘I wish I could date as many men as you do but I’m loyal to my boyfriend’, or even a ‘Must be nice being surrounded by boys all the time’. You know what they mean. It’s not the first time you’ve been called a fox, and you don’t think it’ll be the last—at least until you decide to stop letting your hometown suffocate you. Maybe you’ll accept what they say. You have heard of what hatred left unchecked can do.

If you’re honest, you haven’t been with too many men. If you’re a little more honest, none of them have ever made your heart race.

You watch the children play with a keen eye, their painted masks ridiculously large for their faces and in brightly coloured clothes contrasting well with the town. You might not be allowed to fall asleep, but there’s nothing against closing your eyes for a second or two.

The image of glinting yellow eyes and a fanged smile pop up and you quickly open your eyes. You don’t know why your heart beats so loud at the mere thought of him, thoughts in which his lips are full and painted red, and his bright smile is stretched upon them. Sometimes, the thought of him is in gentle washes, his hand fixing your hair, or a flirty smile when you dare stumble upon him on a particularly sleepless night. You shake your head to get rid of the thought. That is not love. Some sort of embarrassing attraction, maybe. However, the friendship you have is worse.

“I see you’re a slacker as always.”

Your grandmother’s voice breaks you out of your cycle of thoughts and you’re almost grateful.

“I sold approximately zero sweets,” you snort. “Why can’t we just do away with the shop?”

“You’re starting to sound like your mother,” your grandma calls from behind one of the counters, distaste ringing clear in her voice.

You sigh. “Fine, but… you work way too hard to make these for them to not sell.”

“Maybe they would sell if a certain little lady would stay and help.”

You groan, leaning your head back. “You know I have work in the city.”

Your grandmother waves her hand about, dismissing your reasoning. She fiddles around in the shadows for a bit before coming forward with more boxes than she should be able to hold.

“You don’t have to feel too guilty. Yuta’s been helping out,” your grandmother informs fondly. “You could learn a thing or two from him.”

You’re not the superstitious sort and yet still, your heart beats faster. For him, or for the bad omens foxes bring to a household—you don’t know.

You scoff instead. “He’s not as great a guy as you think, grandma. He can be really mean too!”

“Oh, I doubt that. Have you seen his smile? Impossible.” Your grandmother waves it off before drawing nearer, voice hushed without reason. “Have you thought about it then? He is handsome, isn’t he?”

“Grandma.”

You’re not sure what old women go through in their youth that makes them something of a matchmaker in their later years. You think the whole ordeal is messed up. There is no way you’re going to stick your nose into your grandchildren’s love life; it’s gross.

“These should be enough for the children, no?” Your grandmother asks and you look up.

“You’re giving them away for free?” you question, furrowing your eyebrows. “And you talk about bad business.”

She places her hand on her hip, pointing an accusatory finger. “You’re going to lecture your grandmother?”

You raise your hands up in defeat, standing up to help her with the red boxes of acorn candy and paper wraps of roasted chestnuts. You end up with the entire load in your arms, your grandmother happily shuffling about as she locks up the store.

You turn sharply at the surprised sound behind you. The evening has settled in and glowing lanterns bring forward the evidence, the darkening streets flooding with round droplets of light.

But it is not the festival you are looking at.

Yuta looks somewhat serene, your cheeks heating up despite yourself. You look at him with bated breath, hoping the boxes obscure your face enough to make the vaguely positive emotions less evident. The dark red jacket draped over his shoulder does not look out of place—in fact, he fits in so well you would’ve mistaken him for another face in the crowd if he weren’t stupidly gorgeous. He looks at you with no strong emotion in the eyes before breaking into a smile; and when his hand strokes the top of your head as a greeting, he seems fond. He always does.

“Grandma,” he calls with his best smile, turning to the old woman.

Your grandmother doesn’t need any more convincing of his character.

“Oh, there you are! Did I tell you (name)’s back? I wanted to break the news to you earlier. Ah…I must have forgotten.”

You glance from Yuta to her. Is this another one of her tricks and tests?

“She’s always here this time of the year,” he responds, laughing politely.

“Ah, you remembered,” she says, eyes crescent as she smiles back. “Help her with the boxes. The city has made her so frail.”

“I’m good,” you choke on the words, hurriedly moving away and almost dropping one of the boxes.

You slip on your sandals and scurry off faster, wishing he’d just stay behind. He always has. The air makes you shiver but you’re adamant; and it’s not the only trait of yours to make relationships fail.

“You know, you should be nicer to old friends.”

You try not to react when Yuta takes the boxes from you, matching your pace almost effortlessly.

“I thought foxes ran away once they’re found out,” you snap, reluctantly letting him take the packages.

Yuta rolls his eyes. “I see you still aren’t very fond of me.”

“Not when you’re tricking my grandmother like this,” you hiss.

“You call helping trickery?” he retaliates.

“Foxes bring bad business,” you mutter.

“I’m the reason your grandmother’s business is somewhat above the water.”

You sigh, exasperated. There’s no point in wasting your breath. You look away, crossing your arms as you walk, the silence between the two of you suddenly awkward. Even so, you’re not going to open your mouth for him.

“Would you two slow down?” your grandmother calls, voice weary. “We’re already there.”

The two of you halt in your tracks immediately, taking mellow steps back to her. She looks over the two of you with furrowed eyebrows and you try to think of an explanation when she starts laughing.

“Oh, I don’t mind the two of you flirting,” she says, littered with slow laughter. “Just make sure the food is where it’s supposed to be.”

You’re about to refute when Yuta laughs, the sound still boyish and lively. “Of course. (name) missed me so much this year, she couldn’t help herself.”

You give him a pointed look which he ignores, deliberately or not. “We- I wasn’t—”

“Grandmother, if you’ll give us permission,” he interrupts, settling the packages on the table by the food stall and smiling wide. “We’ll go enjoy the festival now.”

She bobs her head in affirmation and Yuta grabs your hand to pull you into the bustling street, your silent plea for help ignored by your smug grandmother.

“What are you doing?” you ask, slipping your hand from his. “You aren’t- You aren’t trying to eat my liver, are you?”

“Why the liver? Can’t I have the rest of you too?”

It’s not like you were particularly alarmed but his response makes you feel a flush of embarrassment.

“It’s been a year since I last saw you,” he says before his voice turns a shade cooler. “Have you thought about my proposal?”

You fall silent. The overthinking started last year too. Your thoughts and dreams, so easily pervaded by him and all it took was one sentence.

“We should get married.”

“Why did you even think I’d agree to that?” You try not to get too flustered. He knows all your petty weaknesses and you’d rather not have them on display for him to stare and pick at. “What the fuck would I get out of marrying you?”

Yuta whistles. “I like your tongue. But—yes, to answer your question, you’d get a very handsome and capable husband. Your bed will always be warm and oh, speaking of beds—”

You clamp your hand over his mouth at the suggestive look he sends, worried about being spotted by one of your school friends. Ah, right—friends, the very same people that smell of jealousy and won’t miss any opportunity to throw a jab your way. Friends. You can’t believe you’re still afraid of their judgement.

“And why do you want to get married to me?” you ask, looking into his eyes.

There’s a pause, filled with the chatter of the crowd.

“You look like you’re afraid of finding someone,” he speaks finally, ignoring your question. “Or is it the other way around?”

You roll your eyes, ready to walk off when he grabs your wrist to pull you closer to his chest. It draws some looks from nearby people, your eyes darting from face to face in fear. You take a deep breath and look at Yuta again, almond eyes distracting.

“People will think we’re lovers,” you whisper, almost a hiss.

“What’s wrong with that?”

You breathe out in disbelief. “You’re really something.”

“What? Why did you always come to meet me then? Behind the keyaki tree?”

“It wasn’t for you,” you lie quickly. “I had nothing better to do.”

Pining after a fox? You could never have feelings for him. Even so, your answer comes off childish and silly, and somehow he’s the only one to be able to draw that side of you—the you that is messy and unprepared.

Yuta smiles in return. “You think people can’t fall in love with us the same way they fall in love with most everything.”

It’s a statement, not a question.

“How conservative of you,” he leaves with an airy remark, but not before urging you to follow him.

The sizzling sound of food being fried and the knocking, clicking sound of children playing games, all these forgotten sounds grow louder and for a second, if only you let yourself, you could close your eyes and it would be just like your first date.

No. It’s different. You look up, eyes trailing over Yuta’s back, his golden hair, how his figure moves with ease and confidence.

It is different.

You raise an eyebrow at the box of takoyaki Yuta shoves towards you, an expecting look across his face.

“You like this, don’t you?” he asks, an uncharacteristic hesitation in his voice.

You hum in response, taking the box from him and saving yourself the trouble of asking whether he paid for it or simply charmed his way through.

“Eh, no thank you?” he complains. “How polite.”

You scrunch your nose to accompany an exaggerated smile and he laughs, the two of wandering over the asphalt streets. Your hands are close enough to brush—and if a twenty-something year-old woman can feel jittery because of it, hands truly are meant to share warmth. The smell of candy and caramel fills the air, making you smile. You’ve saved enough for the taste of home, you think.

The taste of home.

Inevitably, the thought of kissing your companion crosses your mind and you stop in your tracks. Whatever. It must be natural when someone as attractive is beside you. Those aren’t feelings. You curse yourself for feeling like a teenager again.

The festival grounds aren’t as shabby as you expect them to be. The city,—if you could call this one—stops here and the earth spreads out to the forest behind. The crowd also thins, and you take a fresh breath. They’re selling old books in the corner, but no one seems to be there.

“The raccoon dogs,” Yuta whispers in your ear, with an arcane smile. “Want to visit those rascals?”

You roll your eyes. He knows you’ve heard one too many folktales for a lifetime, seen one too many. It’s time to go home, especially now that the thought of thanking him crosses your mind. You’re about to turn when your shoulder crashes into someone else’s. A surprised, syrupy smile greets you, which you cannot return for the first few moments. Yui’s smile wavers and you flash her a quick smile. A friend. Her arm is looped through her lover’s, the one she never shuts up about and suddenly the urge to pour water over her head returns.

Yuta glances from you to her before pressing his lips together, as if suppressing laughter. You’re almost offended when Yui laughs flippantly.

“You’re on a date too? I knew you couldn’t stand spending the festival alone,” she says, tugging her lover closer.

People have always told you who you are and what you do. As if they know better.

You smile awkwardly. “It’s… actually not—”

“Oh, don’t be shy.” She gently pats your shoulder before leaning in. “He’s a real catch. As expected from you. You can never leave the boys alone.”

You know what she really means. You’ve heard the same words in high school when she was shoving you into a wall behind the school. The sickening smile is still on her face.

You gulp, feeling sixteen again. The lack of people around somehow makes it more awkward and you’re about to excuse yourself when suddenly, Yuta bumps into Yui and his warm drink spills over her left shoulder. Your eyes widen, more in confusion. When did he leave? You don’t doubt his ability to sneak past people, but surely you couldn’t have been so enraptured in your own feelings that you barely noticed.

“I’m so sorry,” Yuta says, voice honeyed with surprise.

Yui looks like she’s about to explode when she looks at him, her expression dropping to a calmer one almost immediately.

It’s an easy look to recognize. They always have it when they first meet Yuta, whether it’s the smile that’s too dazzling or the pretty round eyes.

How persuasive, those eyes.

“Ah… I must have not seen you,” she says faintly, and Yuta’s smile widens.

Before he can stir up more trouble, you slip your arm into his and pull him away, not caring for another polite apology to an old, almost nameless face.

“I was having fun,” Yuta complains, voice still smug and calm.

You glare at him and it only seems to add fuel to the fire, to whatever cold fire dances at his fingertips.

“You’re happy, right? Don’t look at me like that. You should reward me.”

You don’t respond, looking away and hoping to get at least a word in about how troublesome he is every single time you visit. Yuta has other plans, however. Leaning his head to look you in the eye, he maintains a distance which looks perfectly decent but feels less than so.

“How about a kiss? I deserve one, don’t I?” He moves his head closer to yours, making you shy away.

You grab him by the belt and pretend to not catch a glimpse of the pleased look on his face as you drag him into a secluded part by the forest.

It’s quieter here, so much that you can almost hear your own heart drumming in your chest, and the faint light of the distant festival grounds doesn’t help much at all. It’s dark as dusk, and you can only make out Yuta’s jawline and a faint smirk over his lips. You think that if a fox ever wanted to eat your liver, this would be the perfect spot.

“You did something,” you finally utter the words. “You did something to me.”

“Why do you think I did something? Do you mean love?” he responds with a cheeky smile. “This means you’ve been thinking about me? How cute—”

“Yuta, stop it,” you warn.

“Or what? You should stop me yourself.”

You grab the lapels of his jacket, the cloth bunching as your knuckles turn white. The anger you feel isn’t the first of its kind—it’s just a little funny how it’s always Yuta every time, making you remember the burning feeling time and time again. You find yourself unable to respond.

“Oh, don’t hold back,” he provokes, leaning in.

You push at his chest in exasperation, but he grabs your wrists before you can retract your hands.

“Scared?” he whispers.

You pull apart anyway, a scowl over your lips. “You’re as annoying as ever. Don’t you have anyone else to bother?”

“Ooh! Sharp claws. You’d be lovely as my fox-bride.” he teases.

Your face flares with heat. “I’m not your… I’m not a fox.”

“I didn’t say a fox, I said—”

“I know what you said,” you snap, massaging your wrist so you don’t have to look at him.

Yuta falls quiet for a moment, voice lower when he speaks again.

“Is it so nasty to be called a fox? There are worse things, you know.”

You scoff, growing increasingly annoyed. “Of course you’d say that. I hate it. I hate this town. I hate foxes and I hate you.”

Yuta places a hand over his chest, gasping with no emotion. Your eyes linger over his long, painted nails a little longer before you meet his eyes. A part of you regrets saying the words but you couldn’t help it. The shroud choking your hometown makes you want to scream at the top of your lungs every time you’re here. You hate this place.

But you don’t hate him, after all.

You try to clear yourself of the thought. A gentle gust of wind brings you back to the present, Yuta still glancing at you with no giveaway to what he’s feeling.

“You wouldn’t make a terrible fox though,” he says, eyes sharp. “Don’t they know you’re a vixen already? How many livers will you eat?”

You suck in a breath, tears stinging at your eyes. However, it’s not like you to get so easily affected by him. No. No, somehow that doesn’t make sense either. Those words do hurt from Yuta and you’re not sure if it’s just because he's the only one you didn’t expect them from.

“You…”

“What? Aren’t you going to lash at me again? You’re so predictable.”

His voice is calm despite your obvious annoyance and you feel flames lick at your heart. Your hand moves before you can think, about to meet his cheek when he grabs your wrist. You struggle, trying to pull free but to no avail and you use the other hand to hit him in the chest. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t bother him and that same feline smile curves up his lips.

You feel something you haven’t before, a warm growl at the pit of your stomach.

You push with all your strength, catching Yuta off guard and he stumbles backward but not before pulling you into him. Consequently, either of you lose footing and land on the grass with a sudden thud, Yuta’s side pressed against yours. His hands still clutch your wrist, and he shifts to hover over you.

“We used to wrestle like this as a litter,” he says, erupting into full laughter. “Ah, memories. I don’t even know if they’re alive or dead now.”

Yuta is much stronger than he looks, and he’s taken your tantrum as a source of amusement much to your infuriation. He has your hands pinned back, eyes unaffected as he scans over your face. You try to shift but there’s just too much weight on you. You breathe slowly, chest rising and falling in time with his. His earrings sway gently in the wind, dangling a few inches above you—he’s pretty, so pretty. Admitting defeat has never been your forte but now that your senses are gathering again, you feel a flush of embarrassment for losing your temper.

Or perhaps, it is something else when you register the lack of distance between your noses.

“Playtime’s over,” Yuta coos. “You’re kinda cute when you’re losing.”

He tilts his head, an adoring smile over his lips. For a moment, they’re all you see.

Can a fox comfort you? Can a fox make you feel loved on the darkest of nights? Your mind races with questions your heart does not want to answer.

Yuta leans in to close the distance and despite every nerve in your body, you turn your head away. You can hear him gulp, the following moments painfully quiet before he gets up. Your breath is soft and shallow, lying on the ground till you get enough courage to sit up.

You almost gasp. His tails are clearer under the dim moonlight, all nine of them golden and luxurious. The light hitting his face isn’t any less flattering and once again you are reminded of how handsome he is, fairytale or not.

Yuta looks uncomfortable, and that’s a first for you.

“I’m sorry,” you say, though you don’t know why.

He waves his hand dismissively, annoyed.

“Yuta,” you take a step forward.

“I see the way you look at me,” he says quietly, “Is it not want?”

You fall silent, biting your lip so you don’t retort violently. He doesn’t look particularly malicious when he says that but you do not want to give him the satisfaction of an answer yet.

He quietens for a moment before a look of curiosity flashes across his features.

“What is it then?” he asks. “Is it a secret? Foxes love secrets. Tell me.”

Despite every bone in your body burning up, you find it in yourself to laugh.

“I don’t think I could keep a secret from you if I tried,” you finally say, before bursting into soft laughter again.

Yuta looks at you puzzled, lips parted while he stands frozen as if he were a painting. A daunting, reckless, heavenly painting.

“It’s not want,” you answer quietly. “It’s more than that. Even if I hated it. I like you.”

Yuta’s ears perk up at your confession. “So- so you admit, then? You are interested?”

“I could blame you for this, you know?” You shrug, hugging yourself once the night starts to feel cold again. Yuta begins to take off his jacket when you stop him, gently pressing your palm against his chest.

“You’re a fox, after all,” you whisper. “Like me. What they think of me.”

Yuta purses his lips. “Does it really hurt you? No, wait. Did they- did they—”

“Now, you tell me,” you cut him off. “Why do you insist on getting married—to me?”

There’s a pause. The crickets chirp a merry tune despite the leisurely darkness of the night.

“You’re not terrible,” he says, nonchalantly.

You glare at him and he raises his hands in defeat. He looks wearier the more you look at him.

“I want to grow old,” he mumbles after a long pause. “Properly.”

You hold your breath.

“And you want to do it with me?”

Another flower blooms in your chest, as if he hasn’t planted a garden in there already. The lights from the festival flicker down, the lanterns burning brighter in the distance. He glances at them for a moment, your eyes still fixated on him.

The tails glow even brighter in the dark, as if gold in broad daylight. You’ve always been curious about him and his kind, all the stories; but he says he’s too old to remember if you ask.

You reach out to touch one of the tails, wondering if the fur is as warm as it looks. They’re pale and captivating, but they look so soft—they shouldn’t belong to an animal so vicious. Is he, though? Is he all that you think he is or have all these years failed you? If anything, he’s quite probably not as much a fox as you are, you think bitterly.

The fur is warm, but the realization is short-lived.

A short growl leaves the corner of his mouth. Yuta glares at you like he was stolen from and yet, you do not move your hand. Some part of you wants to aggravate him further.

“I’m not a pet,” he snaps. “Stop that.”

“You should stop me yourself,” you mimic his voice.

Yuta’s shoulders relax, and he looks down but you can still see the trembling smile on his face. It’s the way he looks at you, you think to yourself, maybe that's the reason after all.

“Don’t look at me like that,” you say, feeling warmer than the autumn night should allow.

“Like what?” he asks, still smiling.

You look away.

“You’re not too fox-like, you know?” you mumble. “You’re just annoying. And flirty. And annoying.”

Yuta chuckles, before pressing his palm to the top of your head.

“And you’re lovely.”

You give in to the gesture of affection, leaning your head to press against his shoulder.

“Why do you even do all this? What do you get out of it?” you say, voice muffled. He hears you clearly, however.

“Because I love you,” he responds, as if coming to terms with it himself. “More than you think.”

There is no joke, no flirtation to his tone, no decoration upon his words. It’s plain, and laid bare. And sometimes, simplicity is scariest.

You pull back, lips pulled into a frown. The air is cold once more; the longing for warmth flowing into you. The silence is worse.

“You don't believe foxes can fall in love,” he states softly upon a wavering smile. “I knew that. Of course.”

A part of him believes it too.

“I…” you begin, and for the first time, you are afraid of promises in the name of love. You are the one making them now.

“I’ll believe you,” you whisper, “I’ll believe you so please… please take care of me.”

You place your palm against his cheek, his skin bewitchingly warm.

“Only if you take care of me,” he whispers back, leaning in.

This time, you do not move.

The lovers’ kiss you’d been searching for—lovers’ warmth, lovers’ comfort—all of it comes crashing down once Yuta tightens his arm around your waist, the other hand resting gently at the base of your neck. He kisses with the right amount of pressure, the vague taste of sweet berries in his mouth.

You used to fear his touch, like he would eat you whole; even if they have been gentle, always. This time, you might as well let him. He presses his lips from your cheek to jaw to neck, lingering at each spot enough to make you clutch at his shirt tighter, taking in short gasps of breath. You kiss for a little longer, like time means nothing.

“We should go back,” you whisper, pulling apart.

Yuta kisses you again, the distance unacceptable.

“Yuta—”

He kisses you once more, your calls falling on deaf ears.

Finally, after another long kiss, he pulls apart enough to rest his forehead against yours, eyes still closed.

“It must have been hard for you,” he mumbles.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” you scoff.

“Foxes are faithful lovers, you know?” he insists.

You laugh. “What do you mean?”

“It means I’ll follow you everywhere.”

He stands up straight, his thumb stroking your cheek as he bites back a smile.

“I don’t think we should get back tonight,” he suggests all of a sudden. “We could book a hotel. That’s the place you use these days, right? I’m sure your grandmother will understand your absence—”

You groan, resting your forehead against his shoulder and he presents a delighted laugh in return. It is warm by his side; he is warm. You find it easy to forget the failures in love, the loneliness of a lover that isn’t meant to be yours. Folktales are just long tales, after all. You smile to yourself.

You should’ve known—it was the fox all along.

416 notes · View notes

rafael-silva · 3 years

Text

always be mine (and I will always be yours): a tarlos fic

“Do you smell that?” Carlos freezes, sniffs a couple of times before his face, too, falls. “Smoke.” TK nods and begins looking around, Carlos following his lead. The store isn’t that crowded, but there are a few people around, some who haven’t noticed the smell, yet. “We need to get people out,” TK says, jumping into first responder mode. “Yeah.”

Carlos and TK’s first shared day off in what seemed like forever is turned upside down when a fire erupts in a store while they're shopping, threatening to tear them apart and prematurely end their future together.

for bad things happen bingo: tarlos + bleeding through the bandages

major character injury, hurt carlos reyes, worried tk strand, established relationship, angst, whump, blood, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, cuddles, kisses, angst with a happy ending

8.2k | on ao3

*****

“Hey, ‘Los. What do you think of these?”

Carlos turns to look in TK’s direction, his eyes studying the light grey plate the younger man is holding up to show him.

“I think it would look nice with the dark grey set we use,” TK continues. “It would be a good contrast using the same color.”

Carlos nods after a moment of consideration. “Yeah, I think so, too. I like it.”

It’s Carlos and TK’s first shared day off in the past few weeks. They had planned the entire day upon finding that out, starting with sleeping in later than usual, a late breakfast, some shopping for the condo and then having a meal with Carlos’s parents.

They are currently shopping for a few things at an open mall. Ever since TK had moved in with Carlos, they had put effort into making the condo theirs and for it to also reflect TK and his personality. The best way to go about doing that was to go out and see what caught TK’s attention and making a home for those items.

“There’s still a lot to see, though,” TK says, looking in further down the aisle he was standing at the beginning of. “I like these, but let’s keep looking. We might find something better.”

Carlos walks over and extends his arm towards TK, and TK wastes no time in linking their fingers together. They walk hand in hand through the aisle, then the next and the next. They didn't really have a to-buy list with them, they were scouting more than anything and seeing what they stumbled upon and caught their attention. They both agree that that is the best way to find exactly what they’re searching for.

Carlos was enjoying this, his favorite time is any time spent with TK, but in this setting, he adores how excited TK would get over something his eyes catches or if he finds something interesting. But Carlos himself was also very interested in and excited about a particular section of the store: the cooking and baking equipment.

He couldn’t wait to reach it, already eager to find out if there are any new models or new appliances he could use in the kitchen. And his mother’s birthday is coming up soon, too, and he’s been cataloging the appliances at his parents’ house to figure out if he could get her a new one, too, knowing she’ll love it.

Carlos is brought back from his thoughts by yet another excited squeal from TK as the paramedic rushes in the direction of the towels and linens section. Carlos chuckles and follows him, knowing how much TK loves and appreciates a good soft towel or silky smooth sheets.

“They’re so soft!” TK tells Carlos, running his hand over a displayed towel. “And these sheets!” He moves to the other side, admiring the bedsheets.

Carlos has to admit, they do feel pretty amazing. And the colors would fit right in with their bathroom and bedroom.

TK looks at Carlos. “I’ve made up my mind, new towels and sheets.”

“Okay, then,” Carlos nods.

If new towels and bedsheets will make the condo feel more like home for TK, then they will get all the towels and sheets TK’s heart desires.

Their conversation is cut short when TK frowns, turning around and narrowing his eyes.

“What is it?” Carlos asks, immediately noticing the change in TK’s posture.

“Do you smell that?”

Carlos freezes, sniffs a couple of times before his face, too, falls. “Smoke.”

TK nods and begins looking around, Carlos following his lead.

The store isn’t that crowded, but there are a few people around, some who haven’t noticed the smell, yet.

“We need to get people out,” TK says, jumping into first responder mode.

“Yeah.”

The alarm goes off just as they start grabbing people’s attentions. Together, they usher them out with the help of the green lit signs.

TK and Carlos share a concerned look when they both realize that the smoke is getting heavier and more evident as they make their way towards the exit.

And then TK spots it, the dancing red and orange flames coming from the corner of the store, getting bigger and bigger by each passing second, feeding on the oxygen in the closed space. He could also see a few silhouettes near the fire, who may need help.

“There’s still people near the fire,” TK yells over to Carlos, pointing in the direction of the flames. “Get everyone out, I’ll go for them and meet you outside.”

But Carlos is shaking his head. “I’m not leaving you.”

Carlos’s tone leaves no room for argument, and TK knows they don’t even have time for any arguments. TK turns to a young man in the crowd.

“Make sure everyone is out, don’t stop for anything,” he instructs him.

The man nods and continues helping people out.

“Here,” Carlos pushes something into TK’s hands.

He looks down to see one of the towels he was admiring earlier and finds Carlos covering his own mouth and nose with one himself.

The irony doesn’t escape him.

TK nods. “Thanks.” He lifts the towel to his face, the promise of softness and comfort that came hand in hand with this towel shifts and its purpose is now a shield for protection instead.

The heat gets worse the closer they get to the people in the fire vicinity, and Carlos can feel the sweat running down his neck and back. The thick smoke makes it almost impossible to see straight and the officer does his best to keep TK in his direct line of sight.

“Hey, we’re here to help!” TK yells when he’s in earshot.

“It’s so hard to see,” a woman’s voice speaks. “The smoke…”

“I know, just follow my voice,” TK guides her. He eventually gets to her and points her in the direction of the exit. “Is there anyone else here?”

She nods. “Two more.”

“TK, over here!”

Once he’s sure she’s moving in the right direction, TK turns his attention to where Carlos’s voice is coming from. He finds Carlos standing, supporting a man by carrying his weight with an arm draped over his shoulder.

“You alright?” Carlos asks.

“Yeah, thanks,” the man nods.

“There’s another person,” TK points out, looking around and trying to see through the smoke.

The fire is growing at an alarming rate, TK’s firefighter instincts scream that they need to get out of there right this moment.

“Can anyone hear me?” TK tries, hoping his voice carries over the fire.

A figure emerges near a door with a sign that reads Changing Rooms.

“Good, good!” TK says as the other man approaches them, covering his mouth and nose with a scarf. “We need to get out of here! This way!”

TK points the two men in the direction as they start moving, TK waits for Carlos so they’re close together, not risking losing him in all this smoke. With a final look around, TK gives him a nod and they start heading towards the exit.

An exploding sound originating near them sends Carlos and TK diving to the ground, covering their faces with their arms and curling their bodies where they landed. It’s over just as quickly as it started, it takes a moment for TK to shake it off, sitting up and wincing at the ringing in his ears. He takes a moment to refocus, eyes immediately searching for Carlos in the chaos.

He finds Carlos a few feet away from him, lying on his back. TK glances around and sees the floor around them littered with broken glass. Mindful of the sharp pieces, TK quickly crawls over to Carlos.

“Hey, Carlos. Are you okay?” TK asks, taking a quick survey of the other man but stops short when his eyes land on Carlos’s stomach.

He freezes, he even stops breathing for a few seconds. The sight makes TK’s own stomach twist and turn. Because no, no, no, this can’t be happening.

“TK,” Carlos groans through gritted teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay, babe. You’re okay,” TK rushes to reassure Carlos, his voice shakier than he’d like.

“What…” Carlos begins but trails off, scrunching up his face in pain.

“A glass display exploded, and you have some glass embedded in your abdomen,” TK swallows. “I need you to stay calm and still. And stay awake, babe.”

TK looks up and not only is the fire much, much bigger but it’s getting closer to where Carlos is lying on the ground. He frantically looks around hoping to find help, but no one is in sight. And he doubts anyone can see them through the heavy grey cloud. They need to move, and Carlos is already losing a lot of blood. TK feels the panic start to bubble in his gut, but he pushes it down, willing his racing heart to calm down so he can help Carlos. So he can save him.

Taking a deep breath doesn’t really help, because it’s practically inhaling a handful of smoke but TK manages to regain some control anyway, his training kicking in. If anyone can get Carlos out, it’s him.

“I need to apply pressure, Carlos,” TK says over the raging fire, reaching for the towel Carlos was using before and pressing it hard against the officer’s stomach.

And once again, the towel is transformed from an item of indulgence to a lifeline for Carlos.

Carlos lets out a pained scream, rolling his head from side to side. TK watches in anguish as a tear rolls down the side of Carlos’s face.

“I know, I’m sorry, but we need to slow down this bleeding as much as we can until we get help.”

TK wraps his hand around Carlos’s wrist and guides the cop’s hand towards the wound, pushing it down there. “Keep holding it there.”

It’s hot, God, it’s so hot, TK feels the heat coursing through his body. His face feels so hot and his eyes are starting to burn. He zones out for a moment when his eyes land on the blood pooling beneath the love of his life. A crash behind them snaps him back to the moment.

“Can you stand up?” He asks Carlos.

“Don’t know.”

“It’s okay, I’m gonna help you. We need to get out of here. Trust me,” TK says and starts helping Carlos into a sitting position.

“I trust you with my life,” Carlos croaks.

“I got you. On three,” he takes hold of Carlos’s free arm and throws it over his shoulder. On the count of three, he get to his feet, helping Carlos up with him and supporting more of his weight.

“That’s it,” TK whispers. “One foot in front of the other.” He secures his hold on Carlos by wrapping his arm around Carlos’s waist and guiding them towards the exit.

He feels Carlos getting weaker in his grip, and notices his hold on the towel faltering, allowing for more blood to rush freely down his skin once more.

“Hey, Carlos, I need you to stay with me, baby,” TK tries, his voice wobbly and unsteady.

He can’t tell if Carlos heard that and he feels the fear begin to seize him. He feels helpless, momentarily at loss as he pretty much carries Carlos out of the burning store.

“Carlos, please…stay with me.”

Carlos manages to breathe out an mhm and TK tightens his hold on him, moving with purpose and precision as the fire continues roaring behind them.

After what feels like an eternity, TK sees the light.

“I need a first aid kit!” TK yells at the crowd gathered outside of the store. “Get me a first aid kit!”

The much-needed fresh air doesn’t do much in helping TK relax or calm down. He stops once they’re far enough from the entrance and with the help of another man, TK lowers Carlos to the ground.

“Hey, babe. You still with me?”

Carlos gives him a short nod.

TK discards the ruined piece of fabric and cotton to inspect the wound. He can see at least three shards of glass inside the wound, he can’t tell if they’ve hit any organs or nicked any veins, but the amount of blood Carlos has already lost is alarming. The officer’s entire left side is drenched in crimson, also staining the top of his jeans.

“You’re gonna be okay, ‘Los,” TK continues speaking, trying to keep Carlos awake. “Just stay with me. Focus on my voice.”

“Ty…” Carlos mumbles, his voice weak.

“I’m right here, baby.”

The first aid kit is opened when it lands next to TK and he doesn’t look in the direction of where it came. He grabs for a bandage, unwrapping it and hastily layering it in his palm before pressing it hard against Carlos’s abdomen.

Carlos gasps, his brown eyes opening wide and the rush of adrenaline seems to pump some energy through his body.

“Stay with me,” TK repeats.

“Guess…we won’t make dinner…with my parents,” Carlos pushes out.

TK lets out a wet chuckle. “Don’t worry about that, babe. We’ll have another dinner with them once you’re all fixed up and better.”

TK gulps, the bandage is filling up with blood way too quickly. There’s so much blood…Carlos’s blood. TK reaches for another bandage, holding it against Carlos’s stomach with his now-smeared fingers. His heart is hammering roughly against his ribcage and he attempts to draw in a few breaths but they come out in coughs.

“Ty, your chest,” Carlos stammers.

TK shakes his head. “I’m okay, it’s nothing serious.” And then the air around them is graced with the sound of incoming sirens.

“Do you hear that, babe? Help is almost here,” TK says, throwing the bloodied bandage aside and pressing yet another one to the wound.

He looks up from Carlos for the first time when he hears rapid footsteps approaching and a slight weight is lifted off his chest when he spots Marjan jogging towards them.

His team is here. It’s gonna be okay.

TK can pinpoint the moment Marjan’s eyes land on him and the split second it takes her to realize who she’s looking at. Her eyes go big very quickly and she breaks into a run towards them, already screaming for Tommy and Nancy.

“Captain Vega! Nancy! Over here!” She frantically waves the paramedics over.

“Hey, Marj,” TK breaths out, feeling a little deflated but his hands still applying pressure to Carlos’s stomach.

“Strand!” Tommy’s voice comes from behind as she and Nancy crouch next to them. “What happened?”

“A fire started, and then a glass display shattered and hit Carlos. There’s some glass shards lodged in his abdomen. He’s lost a lot of blood,” TK’s voice trembles as he explains.

Tommy nods, getting the equipment ready and Nancy works to take Carlos’s vitals.

“Hey, Carlos,” Tommy speaks in her calm and sweet tone. “How are you doing?”

“Okay…” Carlos whispers.

TK can feel the rest of the crew gather around them and he senses his dad standing right behind him. It’s confirmed when he feels a hand on his shoulder, and he knows it’s his father’s touch.

He looks up and sees Judd standing near. “I think everyone is out.”

TK hears Owen give orders while turning his attention back to Carlos. And under all the soot and black ash smudged on Carlos’s face, the officer is looking a lot paler than he did a minute ago.

TK’s heart shatters a little more and some pieces drop into his knees when he feels Carlos’s blood seep through the bandage and stick to his skin.

“He’s bleeding through all of the bandages,” TK’s voice breaks.

“TK, I know it’s hard but I’m going to need you to let go for a moment,” Tommy says.

TK vigorously shakes his head. “I can’t, I can’t…he’ll bleed more. I can’t.”

“I need to see the damage. Here,” she hands TK a bigger and thicker piece of gauze. “To use the moment I’m done.”

Reluctantly, TK pulls back. He closes his eyes for a moment while Tommy inspects the wound and then he’s opening his eyes and pressing the gauze once she’s done.

“I don’t think the glass hit anything vital,” she reports.

“His sats are low, Cap,” Nancy speaks.

“TK, I need you to keep the pressure. We’re gonna move him now. Captain Strand, a hand.”

Together, Tommy, Nancy and Owen lift Carlos onto the stretcher while TK keeps his hold.

Owen gives TK’s shoulder a squeeze. “Keep us updated, son,” his voice is filled to the brim with worry and concern. “We’ll be by the hospital as soon as we can.”

TK nods and hops into the rig after they push Carlos inside. Tommy instantly gets to work, placing the oxygen mask over Carlos’s face and starts inserting an IV in Carlos’s arm. Nancy slams the doors and rushes to the driver’s seat, the siren blaring as the ambulance starts to move.

TK keeps the pressure with one hand and uses the other to hold one of Carlos’s, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

Carlos peels his eyelids open and finds TK’s face through the haze. TK’s very worried face.

“We…didn’t see the…kitchen appliances,” Carlos says, his voice partly muffled by the oxygen mask.

Another wet chuckle from TK. “I promise we’ll get all the new appliances you want.”

“My parents,” Carlos wheezes.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll handle it, save your energy,” TK replies.

“I love you, Ty,” Carlos whispers as his eyes begin to droop.

“I love you, too. You gotta stay awake for me, ‘Los.”

A gut-wrenching feeling takes over and TK refuses to believe that Carlos has just said goodbye, even as a lone tear slips out of his eye and rolls down his cheek.

The rest of the ride is stressful, with Carlos going in and out of consciousness.

The ambulance doors are yanked open when the rig comes to halt in front of the hospital. Tommy gives the doctors and nurses a rundown of Carlos’s injury and vitals as they quickly move. TK jogs by the gurney, only letting his hand drop when he knows one of the nurses took over keeping the pressure.

The other nurse stands in front of TK, but he’s looking over her shoulder to where Carlos is being wheeled into the elevator.

The nurse gently takes hold of TK’s hand and drops something into it.

He looks down and sees a ring sitting in his palm. The silver ring he slipped onto Carlos’s finger just a couple of months ago.

“Hold onto it for him,” the nurse says.

But her voice is so far away now, muffled and distant. And it feels like TK’s suddenly under water as he begins to heave, the rest of the world fading away. He’s visibly shaking now, clutching the ring tightly in his fist. He can’t stop the sob that tears through his throat and out of his dried lips.

He feels Tommy’s hand come to rest on the small of his back as she leads him towards the chairs.

“Come on, TK.”

He lets her guide him and he drops harshly onto the plastic, his knuckles going white from the force of his hold on Carlos’s ring.

“Easy, easy,” Tommy soothes, slowly coaxing his fingers from digging into his palm.

TK opens his palm and looks at the ring again, the one thing on repeat going through his head that’s Carlos’s blood, that’s Carlos’s blood and TK feels sick to his stomach. He slips the ring into his pocket without a word.

“I…should call his parents,” TK speaks after a few minutes of silence. “I should…” he drops his head to look at his still-bloody hands.

Tommy nods, watching as TK gets up on unsteady legs and makes his way towards the bathroom first.

After scrubbing his hands clean, he steps outside of the ER. It’s hot and the atmosphere is stiff around him.

TK had lost track of time, but the sun still hanging high in the sky tells him it can’t be more than thirty minutes since the fire started, though it feels like that was a lifetime or two ago.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and takes a deep breath, touching a contact and dragging the phone up to his ear.

“Tyler,” Andrea picks up after the third ring, her voice cheery and joyful. “I’m just about to start making the food. Are you and Carlitos almost done with your errands?”

“Andrea,” TK manages to push past the lump in his throat, his voice uneven.

She immediately picks up on TK’s broken tone. “What is it?”

“Something happened.”

TK finds the waiting room where Tommy and Nancy are sitting a few minutes after ending the phone call with Andrea. He doesn’t know how he got through telling her the hellish events of the past hour without completely breaking down.

Shock, his mind supplies.

“His parents are on their way,” TK announces.

He’s not sure his legs can carry him any longer, the adrenaline beginning to wear off, so he unceremoniously falls backwards into a chair facing the door.

“We’ll wait until they get here,” Tommy decides. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

TK musters his best grateful smile to give to Tommy, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

The silence is heavy around them, TK’s nervous energy visible through the rapid bouncing of his leg. He’s leaning forward, elbows resting on his thighs with his face buried in his hands. He gently tugs on his hair strands, needing to keep his hands busy.

He only looks up from the carpeted floor when he hears fast footsteps nearing the door, spotting Andrea and Gabriel rushing towards the room through the glass window.

TK gets to his feet just as they enter the room, and his head immediately drops. In this moment, TK wants to curl up in the corner and be invisible. It’s been eating at him since they arrived at the hospital, how he feels like this is all his fault. He should have pressed harder for Carlos to get out of that burning store while he still could have, because it he had gone, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. And now, facing Carlos’s parents, with the guilt racking and building in his bones with each passing second, he can’t bring himself to meet their worried gazes.

Andrea can tell TK’s breath hitches because she’s moving across the room and closing the distance between them in two strides.

“Breathe, Tyler, breathe,” she speaks, her voice low but still soothing as she wraps her arms around TK’s quivering body.

TK falls against Andrea, returning the embrace and he can’t help the sob that escapes his lips.

Andrea gently shushes him, a hand traveling up his back and settles against the back of his head where she cards her fingers through TK’s short hair.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” TK hiccups, the tears now running freely down his face and wetting Andrea’s shirt. “I tried, I tried…”

Not only is his guilt weighing him down, but Carlos’s ring in his pocket suddenly feels very heavy.

“Está bien, amor,” she reassures him. It’s okay, love.

TK stays in her arms for a few more moments, in her warmth, gathering his own strength and maybe even borrowing some of Andrea’s so he can keep standing.

He eventually pulls back with a sniffle, straightening his back and wiping away the fallen tears.

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” Andrea gives TK a small smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I know in my heart you did everything you could to help our Carlitos.”

More tears pool in TK’s eyes and one streaks down his cheek when Gabriel reaches out, placing a hand on TK’s shoulder and giving him a squeeze there.

“What she said, mijo.”

TK is taken aback by how different Gabriel sounds. The Texas Ranger’s usually strong and proud voice sounds like it’s been shrunk, small and low. Gabriel looks deflated, too.

TK draws in a deep breath, giving them a nod before clearing his throat.

He turns to face Tommy and Nancy, who were watching the encounter with their own teary eyes.

“Gabriel, Andrea, this is my team, Captain Vega and Nancy,” TK introduces. “Guys, these are Carlos’s parents.”

Tommy and Nancy get up to their feet, Tommy extended a hand, shaking Gabriel’s and then Andrea’s.

“I’m so sorry we had to officially meet under these circumstances,” the Paramedic Captain speaks. “Carlos is young, strong and healthy and he’s in the best of hands.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Gabriel replies with a grateful tone.

“And you were right,” Tommy faces Andrea. “TK did everything right. I would even say he’s the one who saved Carlos’s life.”

TK closes his eyes and lets the words sink in. He opens them when he feels a hand on his back.

It’s Nancy. “Call if you need anything, Strand. I mean it.”

TK nods, giving her a hug. “Thanks, Nance.”

“And keep us updated, we’re all thinking of you. Both of you,” Tommy adds.

“Thanks, Cap.”

With quick goodbyes, Tommy and Nancy leave.

Andrea takes TK’s hand and leads him back towards the chairs where she sits between him and her husband.

TK pulls out his phone, staring at his lock screen wallpaper for a second, a selfie of him and Carlos, both of them wearing big smiles. He keeps his gaze on Carlos for a few more moment before unlocking it.

TK: [4:09 PM] Andrea and Gabriel are here, Tommy and Nancy just left. We haven't heard anything yet.

Owen’s reply comes immediately.

Owen: [4:09 PM] Send them my love until I get there. Only a couple of hours left for shift, I’ll be by as soon as I can.

TK: [4:10 PM] Thanks, dad.

Owen: [4:11 PM] The crew send their love and support, too.

Doctors and nurses keep walking passed the waiting room but none of them enter or seek the worried trio out. TK’s heart beats a little faster every time a doctor or nurse approaches the waiting room, but disappointment quickly sets in when they disappear as quickly as they appeared.

“Have you eaten anything?” Andrea asks after ten minutes of silence.

TK shakes his head. “Not since breakfast. I’m not really hungry, though.”

And this topic brings back a memory from earlier in the day, and TK lets out a bitter chuckle.

Andrea and Gabriel give him puzzled looks, clearly confused.

“No, it’s just,” TK starts with a shake of his head. “When Carlos was hurt, you know what he was worried about the most? That we were gonna miss dinner with you guys,” he voice fractures. “I told him not worry, that we’ll have another one once he’s better. But…he was worried about dinner.”

Andrea closes her eyes, pushing a tear down her face. “Yeah, that’s our Carlitos. He never wants to let anyone down.”

TK nods. “Now just the idea of food or eating, it just…” he stops with another head shake and starts fumbling with his hands.

“I understand but still, you need to eat something,” Andrea interjects. “You need to keep your energy and strength up to take care of him. You’re no good to Carlos if you collapse.”

TK doesn’t fight it because he knows she’s right.

She gets up, picking up her purse and throwing it over her shoulder. “Let me go see what’s there to eat around here.” And then she’s gone, leaving TK and Gabriel alone with their thoughts.

A few minutes in and the silence is too much for TK to handle.

“This is all my fault,” his voice slices through the atmosphere.

Gabriel looks at TK, his eyebrows creased together in question.

“Carlos getting hurt,” TK clarifies. “I should have insisted he leave with everyone else, instead of going with me towards the fire.”

Gabriel’s eyes widen a little in surprise. “You…went towards the fire?”

TK nods, swallowing and looking away from Gabriel’s eyes. “Some people were having a hard time finding their way out. And I knew there wasn’t much time left, I knew I had to go and help them. I told Carlos to leave with everybody else but he said he won’t leave me. I let it go because there wasn’t enough time to argue. But now…I can’t help but wonder if I had just taken two seconds to insist that he get to safety. I’m trained for this, he isn’t. He came along, and he got hurt.”

Gabriel’s eyes soften and he moves one chair over, now sitting in Andrea’s place. “TK, you and I both know that with or without training, Carlos would have never left you alone in that store.”

TK shakes his head. “He should have. He should have gotten out of there.”

“Answer me this,” Gabriel says. “If it were a reversed situation, and let’s say instead of a fire it was a robbery, would you have left Carlos alone, even if he told you to leave to get to safety?”

TK meets Gabriel’s eyes once again. “No,” he sighs, rolling his own ring in circles where it sits on his finger. “I wouldn’t leave him.”

Gabriel nods. “Even without police training, you wouldn’t have left his side. This is the exact same thing.”

TK draws in a shaky breath and lets it out slowly.

“This wasn’t your fault, TK,” Gabriel expresses, a hand going to the back of TK’s neck and giving him a reassuring squeeze and pat there.

TK feels the slightest weight lifted off his chest. The rest will be removed once he knows with certainty that Carlos is okay.

*****

Andrea had returned with a take out paper bag from a nearby Tex Mex food truck she had spotted on her quest to find food. She knew that the last thing TK needs would be hospital food, and remembering Carlos mentioning that TK loved burritos, she ordered a filling one for him.

He had gratefully accepted the food and ate in silence, taking one small bite after the other until he was crunching up the foil wrap and throwing it away.

He had to admit, eating did help him feel a little better.

However, his anxiety and worry have been increasing because it’s been over two hours and they haven’t heard anything about Carlos yet.

“TK!”

TK hears Owen before he sees him, he gets up just in time to see his dad striding into the waiting room, Judd hot on his heels, both in their civvies.

“Hey, dad,” TK sags a little, accepting the embrace Owen wraps him in.

They hug for a few moments before pulling back, and then Judd is placing a comforting hand on TK’s shoulder.

“You doin’ alright, brother?”

TK nods. “Hanging in there.”

“Have you heard anything yet?”

TK shakes his head, his eyes flooding with tears again as they land on the opened doorway.

After quick exchanges between Andrea, Gabriel, Owen and Judd (they’ve all grown closer since Carlos and TK’s engagement) the four of them take their seats while TK opts to pace around the small room instead, going back to rolling his ring between his fingers, a gesture he does when he’s nervous.

Carlos would always notice, and he’d reach out and cover TK’s hand with his own, wordlessly reassuring TK that he’s here and that TK isn’t alone.

And TK misses that, he misses Carlos’s touch. Misses his voice, his smile, his eyes. He misses Carlos and he feels that ache echo from his head to his toe.

“Did you find out what started the fire?” TK asks, looking at Owen, part of him needing to know.

Owen nods. “Electrical fire. It started with a spark and then quickly spread.”

TK nods slowly. “Carlos is going to be fine,” he whispers, more to himself than anything else. “He has to be.”

*****

After what feels like a lifetime and then some, a very exhausted looking doctor makes his way into the waiting room. In one beat, everyone is on their feet and TK exchanges a fast look with his dad before turning his attention back to the doctor.

TK finds himself shifting his weight from one foot to the other, slightly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Family of Carlos Reyes?”

“How’s our son?” Gabriel is the first to ask, clasping Andrea’s hand with his own.

“He made it through,” the doctor replies with a tired but genuine smile. “He’s going to be okay.”

A collective sigh rebounds off the walls and the tension in the room starts fading. But TK is still holding his breath, still cautious as he process the doctor’s words.

“The glass fragments didn’t hit anything vital and didn’t sever any veins or arteries. But the wound was deep and jagged, due to the irregular angle and high speed the pieces penetrated his abdomen, which made it a little complicated to repair. His blood pressure was lower than I liked for most of the surgery, because of how much blood he had already lost, but we got it under control and his numbers are now holding and stable,” the doctor explains.

“Gracias a Dios,” Andrea whispers, clutching her free hand over her heart. “When can we see him?”

“Shortly. He’s being settled into recovery right now. I have to limit visitors to two until he’s moved to a regular room.”

Gabriel extends his hand to shake the doctor’s. “Gracias, doctor.”

“You’re welcome,” the doctor smiles again. “He’s young and healthy, I expect him to make a full recovery. A nurse will come by to let you know once he’s ready for visitors.”

TK’s mind is still catching up with what the doctor had said, he sees him walk away but he doesn’t exactly register it.

“He’s okay?” TK turns to Owen, needing to hear it one more time to believe it.

Owen nods with a smile. “He’s okay, son.”

TK would have crashed to the ground if it weren’t for Owen’s fast reflexes in wrapping an arm around his son’s waist. Owen saw the second it happened, the second TK’s knees gave way and it was an instant later he was holding TK upright.

“Easy, TK, easy,” Owen guides him to sit. “Deep, even breaths.”

It takes a minute or two for TK to control his breathing and to steady his heart rate.

“That’s it, son, that’s it,” Owen runs a hand up and down TK’s back to help sooth him.

“Carlos is okay,” TK says out loud, finally believing it.

Carlos’s ring isn’t heavy in TK’s pocket anymore.

*****

Sitting by Carlos’s hospital bed is surreal.

There’s so much that doesn’t fit with the image TK has of Carlos in his mind, and his brain is working on processing the sight in front of him.

Yes, Carlos is calm, not nearly as fidgety as TK is, but still, the officer had little gestures here and there, little movements he would do that spoke volumes. It had taken TK a while to document them, but once he did, he would notice every time Carlos would scrunch up his nose or rub at his temple when he was focusing on something that was work related. How his eyes would move under closed lids when he was asleep. How he’d turn on his side, arm automatically reaching for TK and pulling him close. And there are more little things that spell Carlos so vividly and the absence of them in this moment breaks TK’s heart all that more.

He sighs, his red, swollen eyes moving to the heart monitor that tells him that Carlos’s heartbeat is strong and steady. TK is also glad to see that his fiancé had regained some color in his face, and that he was breathing on his own, all good and promising signs. But still, TK will only be fully satisfied when Carlos is awake and smiling at him.

It’s been nearly an hour since a nurse had informed them that Carlos was ready for visitors. TK had insisted that Andrea and Gabriel see Carlos first, and they stayed with their son for about thirty minutes before retreating back to the waiting room, eyes equally bloodshot.

Gabriel had patted TK’s back. Go be with your fiancé, he had told TK. And with a promise to visit the next day, he and Andrea left.

Owen and Judd had excused themselves, as well; Owen going to pack a bag for TK and Judd going home to Grace. Both men reminding TK to call or text if he needs anything or if a change happens.

“Hi, baby,” TK tightens his grasp on Carlos’s hand. “Your parents will be back tomorrow. Dad’s packing a bag for me for the night, and everyone sends their love and support. They all said they’ll visit in a couple of days, and I’m hoping you’ll be awake by then.”

The beeping monitor is all the response TK gets.

“I’m right here, ‘Los. Come back to me,” TK whispers as he runs his fingers through Carlos’s soft curls. The officer always did leave his curls a little loose on his days off, not applying much hair product to keep them in place. And TK adores Carlos’s curls.

He then gets up and plants a kiss to Carlos’s forehead.

It’s a restless night for TK. Between his worry and the nurses frequently checking on Carlos, he barely gets any sleep. He gives up right around dawn breaking, painting the sky in streaks of red, orange and yellow. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and sits up in the cot that was set for him. A quick survey tells him that nothing has changed, and that sadly means that Carlos still hasn’t woken up. He gets to his feet and stretches, expelling the exhaustion from his bones as much as he could. A trip to the bathroom would help, his mind supplies.

After freshening up, he returns to Carlos’s side, brushing a kiss to the officer’s cheek.

“Good morning, babe.”

He looks up as the door is pushed open and a young nurse walks in.

“Oh, good morning,” she smiles at TK.

“Morning,” he gives a small smile in return.

“He’s doing good,” she notes, jotting down Carlos’s vitals in the clipboard hanging on the end of his bed. “The doctor is hopeful he’ll wake up today.”

“That’s great to hear,” TK replies. “I…really need him to wake up.”

She nods. “There’s a coffee station down the hall, you look like you need it,” she adds with empathy in her voice.

“Thanks,” TK lightly chuckles. And boy does he really need it.

TK hasn’t really let the full gravity of the past day’s events sink in. He wasn’t exactly bottling it up or ignoring it or running from it, part of him was still trying to wrap his mind around it. It had all happened so fast, and then everything was so incredibly slow, it caused TK’s mind to lag. It all felt like a haze, like he was trying to see through a fog.

And even now, with a cup of coffee in hand, watching the steady rise and fall of Carlos’s chest, TK feels like it’s an out of body experience. It hasn’t sunk in yet, and TK is praying that Carlos will be awake when it eventually does. Because he doesn’t want to—a part of him even thinks he can’t—deal with this alone. Dealing with the aftermath with Carlos here, awake, will make it a little easier, TK supposes.

The minutes and hours tick by, with no change from Carlos’s side. TK had grown agitated a few times and opted to walk around the room for a bit, even taking a quick stroll up and down the hallway a couple of times, to burn off some energy.

He’s back in the chair situated next to the bed, scrolling through and replying to texts he’d received. He’s sending a message to the 126 crew group chat when a small movement catches his eye. TK looks up, locking his phone and placing it on the nightstand.

He holds his breath, momentarily thinking his brain was playing a cruel trick on him when the movement happens again.

His phone pings but TK doesn’t dare to look away from Carlos’s face.

“Carlos? Baby, can you hear me?” He speaks, his voice is a little husky from not being used.

And then TK can cry, because Carlos’s head is slowly moving to the side and his eyes are gradually met by Carlos’s beautiful brown eyes.

“Oh my god,” TK breathes. “Hi, babe. Hi.”

“Ty,” Carlos croaks out, his voice hoarse.

“I’m right here, right here,” TK smiles and for the first time since they smelled smoke, TK can finally breathe.

And he also does cry, a tear rolling down his cheek as brown and green gaze into each other. But Carlos’s eyes are also a little clouded.

With all the strength he could muster, Carlos lifts his arm and cups TK’s cheek, wiping away the fallen tear with his thumb.

TK chuckles wetly and leans into Carlos’s touch. Oh, how much he’s missed it.

“‘m okay,” Carlos mumbles.

“Yeah,” TK nods. “Yeah, you are, babe.”

Carlos’s tongue darts out to lick his dry lips.

“Do you want some water?”

Carlos responds with a small nod.

TK grabs the water pitcher and pours some into a cup, placing it in front of Carlos and guiding the straw between his lips.

“Easy, babe. Slow sips,” TK says, holding the cup.

Once Carlos is done, TK returns the cup. He can tell Carlos is already exhausted by the way the officer’s eyes are beginning to droop shut. He can also tell that Carlos is fighting it.

“It’s okay, ‘Los,” TK reassures him. “Go back to sleep, your body needs it to heal. I’ll be right here when you wake up again.”

“Love you,” Carlos whispers, already halfway asleep.

“And I love you,” TK replies, pressing a kiss to Carlos’s knuckles.

***** Carlos wakes up again a few hours later, more coherent and alert. Stronger, too.

TK’s watching him when he opens his eyes, blinks a few times and settles on the paramedic’s face, that quickly splits into a grin.

“Welcome back, again,” TK squeezes Carlos’s hand.

TK’s words take a moment to sink in for Carlos, and he’s frowning once they do. “Again?”

TK nods. “You woke up a few hours ago. You don’t remember?”

Carlos tries to focus, he remembers seeing TK, but…

“I remember seeing your face, but I thought I was dreaming,” Carlos eventually replies.

“No, baby, it wasn’t a dream. You woke up for a minute and then slept again,” he gives Carlos’s hand a squeeze. “The doctor said that was perfectly normal, that your body needed more time to heal, from the injury and the toll of the surgery.”

“How bad is it?” Carlos asks once he’s gathered enough strength again. He could still feel the ghost of the towel pressing into his side.

TK swallows, a hand going to cup Carlos’s cheek. “You lost a lot of blood, that was the biggest concern. But nothing vital was damaged, the wound itself was irregular because of the angle and speed of the glass shards, so it was a little complicated to fix but they did it. And you’re going to be just fine, with some time off work and a lot of love from me,” he ends with dropping a kiss to Carlos’s forehead.

“I’ll be back on my feet in no time.”

“Yeah,” TK nods. “I know.”

“I’m sorry I scared you, I really didn’t mean to,” Carlos says, knowing exactly what’s on TK’s mind. “It all happened so fast and…”

“I know, babe,” TK reassures him. “I just wish that—”

“No,” Carlos interrupts. “Don’t go there, babe. This wasn’t your fault.”

TK blows out a sigh, dropping his eyes to Carlos’s stomach, where he knows there’s a large piece of gauze covering his side under the blankets and hospital gown.

“Hey, Ty, look at me,” Carlos pleads.

Slowly, TK lifts his eyes to meet Carlos’s. TK can see specks of exhaustion at the corners of Carlos’s kind eyes, but in the middle sits steel determination.

“This wasn’t your fault,” Carlos repeats.

“Now you sound like your father,” TK says with a small smile.

Carlos chuckles weakly. “Well, he’s right.” Then a pause. “What if I had left you and then you were the one who got hurt? Who would have helped you and gotten you out? That wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. I never would have gone and left you in there, TK.”

Carlos extends an arm and places his palm on the nape of TK’s neck, gently pulling him closer until their foreheads are touching and resting against each other.

They both close their eyes, staying like that for a few moments as they take it all in. Breathing each other in. And even with the scent of antiseptic hanging in the air around them, TK can distinctly smell Carlos. And the heavy weight sitting on his chest starts evaporating.

They pull back, but not before Carlos brushes a tentative kiss to TK’s cheek.

“How are you doing?” Carlos asks his fiancé.

“I’m okay,” TK replies.

Carlos can see through it, though and raises an eyebrow at TK. “Really? Because I know I just woke up from surgery and all, but I have a feeling you look worse than I do.”

“I can get you a mirror if you’d like,” TK attempts at a comeback but it comes out flat and deflated. He sighs. He watches Carlos for a few moments before continuing. “I was just…really scared. It all seemed really bad for a moment there and…” he trails off with a shrug.

Tears start to gather in TK’s eyes as he slips his hand into his pocket and closes his fist around the ring, pulling it out but not opening his palm yet.

“And then the nurse placed this in my hand when you were being wheeled away from me,” TK opens his palm then, revealing the silver jewelry. “And looking at it, it felt like I had just said goodbye to you,” his voice breaks.

“Querido,” Carlos whispers, his own eyes now filled with tears. Darling.

“This ring symbolizes me giving you a piece of myself, because I am yours. And when the ring was given back to me…it felt like you were gone,” TK sniffs, letting the tears fall.

“No, baby, no,” Carlos’s own voice wavers. He clutches tightly at TK’s hands, covering his open palm. “You will always be mine, just as I will always be yours. I’m here, I’m here and I’m okay. We’re okay.”

“Always,” TK whispers.

He’s still feeling the pain and hurt, the almost-grief, but Carlos’s words ease them all and a glimmer of hope starts brewing in his chest instead. Hope born out of their love, out of their touch. They are each other’s always.

TK sits up straight and clears his throat. “Now, I believe this belongs to you.”

The smile at takes over Carlos’s face is blinding as TK takes his hand and slips the ring back on his finger where it belongs.

“From me to you,” TK says, looking into Carlos’s soft eyes.

“Always,” Carlos whispers into the space between them.

TK plants a kiss on the ring and then closes the distance between them with a chaste kiss to Carlos’s lips. The kiss is gentle, tender, but carries a river of emotions with it. It is comfort, it is reassurance, it is safety. It’s everything and more.

TK’s phone pings just as they separate and quick glance tells him who’s on the other side of the text.

“Your mom,” TK tells Carlos. “She’s already planning the make-up dinner.”

An amused look takes over Carlos’s face. “Yeah, that sounds like her.”

“She and your dad will be happy to know you’re fully awake now,” TK says as he types back. “Everyone will be.”

Carlos smiles, already looking forward to seeing his family.

“And don’t you think I forgot about the new cooking and baking equipment you want,” TK lifts an eyebrow with a smirk. “We can check them online and buy all the ones you want.”

“They’ll come in handy when I’m recovering, that’s for sure,” Carlos replies, a hint of excitement coating his voice.

“And I am looking forward to your cooking and baking spree. As long as you don’t overwork or strain yourself.” After a moment of consideration, TK adds, “and we can hold off on the towels and sheets for now.”

“Are you sure?” Carlos asks, eyebrow lightly knitting together.

TK nods. “Yeah. Besides, I’ve come to realize that it’s you who makes that condo…home. You’re my home, ‘Los.”

“And you’re my all, Ty,” Carlos returns, pulling TK in for a passionate kiss.

TK’s eyes roam over Carlos’s face when they come up for air. He can draw Carlos’s features with his eyes closed, but he finds himself documenting every single detail, every ridge, every speck of the man mere inches away from him.

TK’s heart soars when Carlos gives him the smile that’s reserved for only him.

And TK thinks, yeah, we’re gonna be just fine.

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