#also the lingering migraine pain is completely gone so I should be clear for a long while now yay!

[steampoweredskeleton]

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Ignore

[anika-ann]

No Strings Attached - Pt.2

Y/N vs. Dangerous Cardio

Type: Modern-college-professor AU x CHUCK, part of Attached series More info here and on the Attached masterlist

Pairing: professor!Steve Rogers x reader   Word count: 3400

Summary: It’s all very sweet until it isn’t.

Warnings: swearing, Steve in a gym, mention of a migraine, violence, gun violence

A/N: Enjoy and thank you if you’re giving this crossover a chance. You don’t need any knowledge of Chuck, not realy.

Attached & No Strings Attached masterlist

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You woke up with a startle; some shuffling and a click of a drawer made your snap eyes open and follow the sound. Steve’s back welcomed you as he was fishing out something hidden to your sight.

What time was it? What day was it? Why had you been you sleeping when Steve looked like he just got home from work? Why didn’t he wake you?

…hold on. It was Tuesday and there were those Ministry people at the uni and the strange test and you got the splitting headache--- what time was it that Steve was already home?

You groaned when you noticed the drawn curtains, last sunrays peeking through and colouring the sky. Jesus. Had you slept through the majority of the day?!

“Babygirl?” Steve’s voice reached your ears and your head whipped back to him automatically, thanking heavens when your temples didn’t throb with the sudden movement.

He placed the socks on top of the drawer, making his way to you, concern drawing his brows together, creating those lovely worried wrinkles on his forehead.

“Uh-huh?” you hummed as you sat up, once again pleasantly surprised that the world wasn’t swimming in front of your eyes, no blurred vision, nothing.

Aside from feeling sleepy, you were… fine. Which was kinda strange, but you weren’t about to complain.

Sitting next to you on the bed, Steve gently sunk his fingers into your hair, dropping a sweet lingering kiss on your forehead. Lips never leaving your skin, beard scratching lightly, they caressed your temples next; and you realized what was happening, your own lips curling up in a smile as pleasant warmth spread in your chest at Steve’s worry.

He was lowkey checking for fever.

“You’re not subtle,” you informed him, both amused and touched.

His words vibrated against your skin as his mouth moved a bit higher again, thumb caressing your cheekbone.

“Not trying to be. How do you feel?”

“How do you even know I wasn’t feeling good?”

He withdrew a little – not before he dropped a cheeky kiss on your nose – raising a challenging eyebrow.

“Ibuprofen on the table and you sleeping at five in the afternoon after only attending one class?” he offered with a smirk, but you weren’t fooled. It worried him. You weren’t a perfect student, but you rarely skipped class; especially Callahan’s class, because you immensely enjoyed it.

“Fair enough. Is it really five already?” you asked rhetorically, running a hand through your hair, catching Steve’s own and brushing the soft skin of his wrist with your lips; a silent thank you for fussing. He gave a brief smile, pulling you to his side, letting your head lull against his shoulder. “When did you come home?”

“Just a few minutes ago, unfortunately. Kept messing stuff up when I wanted to leave the office.”

Because I was worried, was left unspoken and you sighed, wrapping your arm around Steve’s stomach, drawing soothing circles on his side.

Steve was a mother hen; it wasn’t something that was widely known about him, but you had had several opportunities to experience it and you loved it… most of the time. Then again, it brought unnecessary concern to weight his shoulders down.

“I’m sorry, Stevie. How did you know? Did Bucky tell you something?” you wondered, faintly remembering his gaze having following you as you left.

“Linda Parson dropped by to tell me, actually.”

A snort escaped you and you laughed into Steve’s shoulder, fingers clutching his waist. You felt your cheeks warm up with both amusement and embarrassment when you recalled your last encounter with her.

“Was she able to look you in the eye?” you chuckled, causing Steve to retreat and watch you with puzzlement written all over his face.

“Not really-- how did you-?“

“I was kinda out of it. I’m pretty sure I told on you that you don’t usually sleep naked. And that we totally went at it before going to school today. And that your hair looks really good in the morning.”

Steve’s eyebrows gradually rose until they nearly got lost in his hairline. “Uhm… that would explain it. Also… thanks?”

“As if you didn’t know.”

One corner of his lips rose higher in appreciation and then he looked you in the eye, serious again. “How do you feel?”

You didn’t hesitate – and you didn’t have to make up things just to calm his obvious anxiety. You simply spoke the truth.

“…surprisingly good, actually. Headache’s all gone, which is… weird. Frankly, it was terrible, I can’t remember feeling anything like it before.”

Steve’s gaze travelled all over your face, tender fingers tucking loose strands of hair behind your ears before he proceeded to kiss the presumably offending spots on your face. You couldn’t but smile widely, pulling him in for a proper kiss, which he willingly surrendered to.

“I’m sorry, babygirl,” he whispered, brushing his nose with yours.

“Not your fault.”

“Well, you did sleep for a while as if you were catching up on lost hours… maybe I’m keeping you awake too much,” he remarked cheekily and you rolled your eyes at the switch of moods, tickling his side which caused him to chuckle and swiftly retreat.

“Har-har. Do you hear me complaining?”

“Nope, usually you’re just asking for more.”

You gaped at him and chuckled breathlessly, feeling your stomach flutter at the memories of you doing exactly that. “You are incorrigible, Professor Rogers.”

He only smirked and pecked your lips. “Sweetheart, you’re forgetting I know you wrote about having your cunt eaten out and getting railed against the desk in my office and thanking me for it.”

This time you sputtered, almost choking on your spit at such low blow; playful, yes, but brutal. Also – such language!

“Steve!”

“So I don’t think you should be playing this whole ‘you’re incorrigible’ game with me.”

“Jesus, Steve. You’re a menace.”

“Oh babygirl, you know it... just for you,” he assured you with a grin, his eyes now completely cleared of all worry, humour twinkling in them instead. “Anyway, I uh… I was thinking the gym, since it’s Tuesday, but-“

Right. Another thing about Tuesday. Sweaty Steve and workout. Yum and—eh. Okay.

“Of course. I’m coming with.”

You felt better – you felt completely fine, to be honest. And if it got worse by exercising, well… you could always just settle for taking it awfully easy in order to watch Steve’s biceps bulge under weights, his perfect ass growing even rounder while doing squats.

Oh yeah, you were so coming with.

“Are you sure? I mean, we can totally stay in, I don’t want you to-" he fussed again, but you just shut him up with a quick kiss.

“I’m fine, Stevie. Plus, you’re like a damn model. I need to keep up at least a bit.” You couldn’t but grimace at that a bit, drawing an offended sound from him.

“Hey!” he protested, frowning. “Thanks and all that, but what are you even talking about? Sweetheart, you’re gorgeous. My perfect, perfect pretty girl-“

You squinted at him playfully as he turned your lame attempt at a joke – that might have been a bit serious, because had you seen him – into a compliment. “Charmer. But I mean in general, you know. They say it’s healthy to do sports. Plus, we paid for that couple membership, so…”

“Ah, yes, at least once a week together to get a discount. What were we thinking?”

“That sex doesn’t count if it’s the only exercise we do,” you shot back instantly, this time making him snort in amusement.

“I love you, babygirl. And I know I keep saying it, but I love how your mind works,” he added sweetly, kissing your forehead again as if he wanted to make sure you really weren’t running a fever and thus were ready to be cleared to leave the bed by nurse Rogers.

“Love you too, Stevie. Now let’s go before I change my mind.”

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Exercising was not such a great idea.

Obviously, Steve delivered; watching him lift weights and work out in general was a delight, your mind helpfully supplying the huffs and other noises you knew he was making occasionally, but couldn’t be heard over the music.

And you actually did enjoy going just for yourself; the endorphins worked wonders for your mood, always. Even today, in the first few minutes as you jogged and then even ran on the treadmill, you were having fun.

But then the previous headache echoed dully in your skull; barely there, considerably less intense than in the morning, but you certainly had no plan to push it. You did not want to be where you had been earlier today.

So you eased up your tempo at first, the pulses in your temples slowing down and then you resigned entirely and switched to a different machine. Less cardio, more strength training, while you did not forget to get an enticing view of your fiancé, recalling other times his face got flushed like this.

Except not even sinful thoughts could quite erase the barely-there tingle of pain.

You gave up with a sigh, wiping your hands to your leggings and approached the most handsome man in the gym.

Steve carefully set his weights down, hair sticking to his forehead in a way that should not be as attractive as it was and smiled at you curiously.

“Hey there, handsome,” you humoured him, earning a breathless chuckle.

“Hey beautiful. What do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

Your eyebrows jumped, smile faltering.

“I’m gonna get some air, just wanted to let you know.”

“You okay?” he asked, damp eyebrows furrowing and you couldn’t resist – you smoothened the line out, for some reason actually revelling in how sticky the skin was. “Gross,” Steve mumbled in return.

“How dare you. I’m… fine. Just feeling the head again and don’t want to overdo it. Fresh air might help,” you offered with a shrug.

“Fresh air? In New York City?”

“Fresh-ish.”

Steve dropped a kiss to your forehead, people around be damned and smiled at you, the concern still undeniably present.

“Just don’t run off on me.”

“Run off? On this?” you joked and not joked at all, gesturing to his body vaguely, earning an eye-roll.  Oh but you knew he liked to have his body appreciated alright. The attractive body just happened to hide a soul that would make angels weep, giving him a reason to actually love him. As a refiner of that, you tapped his chest lightly above his heart, grinning up at him. “And from this? I wouldn’t dream of it, Stevie.”

His gaze softened, probably following you even as you made your way to the lockers.

“Don’t forget your coat!” he called out lowly, but loud enough for you and a few people around to hear. You snorted to yourself as the on-lookers probably thought he was being like an overprotective parent – and yet, you smiled at his care.

“Mother-hen…”

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You were frankly grateful to have your coat – warmed up from the gym, the early March air was still rather cold against your skin. You made a mental note to thank Steve, thoroughly, for looking out you. He had also had a point; fresh air in New York wasn’t exactly an available article, but you supposed this would do.

Trying to ease the headache, you breathed in deeply, deciding against leaning against a similarly cold and dirty wall, walking slowly instead, glad that the street was one of the less frequented ones as the gym was just outside the busiest city centre.

You opted for subtly observing your fellow citizens in order to relax your mind and to resist the usual urge to pull out your phone and check what was new in the world. You played a game with yourself, one Steve asked you to play with him sometimes and which always resulted in him complimenting your unique mind which he claimed to love so much; just watching people, wondering about what their story was.

You were ninety percent sure that the guy in the beige trench coat was an accountant hating his job, but sticking with it for the sake of his loved ones; a ring told you there was definitely a significant other for him if not a whole family.

The woman your eyes fell on next, on the other hand, loved her job. Either she had a very enthusiastic colleague she was discussing a certain problem with – her eyes were shining with excitement, mouth seemingly forming very long words, likely a scientist then – or the said colleague was more than a colleague. You felt one corner of your lips rise; you knew a thing or two about blurred lines.

The next guy was--- well, hunk. Judging by his built, you would think he was heading for the gym you were hovering around, definitely reckoning him as a regular visitor. But in his leather jacket, jeans and cap, an inconspicuous clothing at first glance, there was just something about him that unsettled you.

Your heart skipped a startled beat when your eyes met. Your insides twisted uncomfortably as his irises flashed with an emotion you didn’t dare to try and read.

His shoulders seemed even wider now as his right hand reached to his lower back, probably to adjust his jeans and pull them higher to shield his loins from the cold. You didn’t blame him, his jacket wasn’t exactly long, more of a fashion statement, than a practical choice-

“GET DOWN!”

The world swayed of its place as something collided with you hard, the woman’s cry barely having reached your ears before she slammed into you. You landed on your side with a hiss of pain as you hit the ground, but the quiet sound was drowned in something much louder – something that made your blood run cold.

The bang rattled through the city noise, instantly followed by screams—and to your horror, more shots were fired before your brain even registered that someone--- someone actually fired a gun.

Multiple times.

And few of those shots rang right from above you, forcing you to close your eyes and flinch violently in fear.

“Get up!”

Your side throbbed with pain, your chest constricted as you couldn’t breathe in, the command falling on deaf ears.

An iron solid grip circled your arm and tugged you half-way up. Your eyes snapped open, catching a glimpse of blond ponytail before your vision blurred with sudden tears and another loud bang thundered through your head.

“Go, GO!”

Your feet acted on their own accord, moving swiftly, stumbling as you were forced to stagger whichever direction you were being pulled.

Heart racing as if it was meant to escape your chest, the world seemed too slow and too fast at once. You couldn’t tell how you were running away from the terrible noise, but you were – and you were still being tugged to follow your companion god knew where, hand on your bicep, fingers digging in, people getting out of your way more than willingly.

And for a good reason.

It finally connected in your brain that--- that was definitely gun in the woman’s hand. You instantly came to a halt, desperately yanking away from her grip.

“Hey!” she complained and you managed to get a look at the woman manhandling you at last, even as she kept looking back and forth as if checking whether you were being followed.

You felt your jaw go slack. She was familiar; very vaguely, but unmistakably familiar.

“Are you-“ you choked out, fear mixing with relief, because this was definitely the woman from today’s morning, the one who was with the ministry even if she wasn’t wearing glasses anymore and what the hell, did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs teach people how to shoot or-

You yelped when a black jeep pulled over by the sidewalk, causing you to instinctively jump back; and to forget for a second that there was a stranger right next to you who had just been in a gunfight probably on your side and got you as far away from the weird gunman as possible.

The backseat door flew open.

“Get in, Walker!”

Walker. Right. That was her name – the name Chuck, Carmichael, had introduced her with as his colleague. And now this.

What the hell was going on and what had it to do with you?! Why did the woman grab you of all people?!

“Come on, we’re here to help, I promise,” Walker blurted out, her sharp gaze still scanning the street, her head beckoning towards the vehicle.

For some reason, you believed her.

Because she had had an opportunity to shoot you instead of shooting after the guy who had just pulled out a gun in the middle of a peaceful street and she hadn’t.

Decision was made. She certainly was the lesser evil at the moment, even if going with her included meeting whoever was driving the jeep and he could be worse than the gunman. But there was no time to lose any more time by your useless pondering.

You climbed into the car, swiftly followed by the blond, door shutting close just as a bullet hit the wingmirror, making you nearly jump out of your skin and scream bloody murder in fright.

You were knocked backwards to the seat and to the side as the driver stomped on the gas harshly, darting from the side of the road into the traffic, horns complaining all around you as he had no regards for the regulations.

“You alright?” the deep timbre from the front seat asked, a grunt following when he took a sharp right, causing you to crash into the other woman.

Your head was spinning, the roller-coaster of madness momentarily rendering you speechless – but the question wasn’t aimed at you.

Which was good, because you were not okay in the slightest.

You were hyperventilating, your lungs burning from the improvised run, your muscles ached from the gym visit and the extra work-out which involved running from a fucking shooter. Your head was back to pounding and your heart felt like it might give out any second.

And you were definitely crying, but all that was the least of your concern, because-- what the fuck was happening?!

Who were these people? Who was the guy who--- who just decided to shoot into the crowd, nearly shooting you? Why did Walker snatch you away from the place, to supposed safety? Why not the others and--- oh god, the others.

Steve!

“We’re good. He obviously got away, but I think I took a good look on a tattoo on the side of his neck.”

The driver – tall, wide-shouldered, with dark-ish hair, that much you could see even with your vision swimming in tears – only grumbled in response.

Before you could say a single word (or yell), your phone vibrated in your pocket and you instantly made a grab for it, pulling it out.

“Is that a phone?!”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about this,” your blond companion blurted out in response to the irritated question from the driver’s seat.

You didn’t even get to accept Steve’s call before the device was yanked from your hand--- and a second later, a knife was sticking out of it, lead straight through the middle.

“What the fuck?!” you yelped, horrified, terrified and--- utterly shocked.

What---what- where did it even-?

“Not safe. Had it been an older model, I’d just pull the battery out, but these damn smartphones are impossible to open quickly,” Walker complained as if her words made any sense and as if she had a reason to complain.

Why would she even need to remove the battery?! How--- she just cut you off from Steve!

You stared at her, unable to form words, too many frantic thoughts bouncing off in your aching skull.

“What-“ you lamely breathed out, bewildered, freaked out and thoroughly exhausted.

“We’re the good guys, I promise. Which is why I’m sorry about this,” the blond spoke again, softer than before.

You barely had the time to process that she was reaching behind her back before a brief pain stung your neck, the world spinning faster and faster, darkness closing off your vision… and then it swallowed you whole, the last thing you felt being the backrest against your temple.

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Part 3

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Well, that went off rails quickly. That’s Chuck to you.

I promise things will start making sense... in the meantime:

Excuse my lacking action writing skills, it’s been a while.

Thank you for reading!

[chickwiththepurpleguitar]

He makes a mental note to give Bobby a talk later, when he’s feeling better, about hiding stuff like this—and then maybe he’ll give Luke and Alex (and himself) a talk about whatever they did to make Bobby feel like he has to.

We need Reggie yelling at the boys to be better friends to Bobers PLEASe

ok so this took forever and also it's not actually Reggie yelling at Luke and Alex, it's Reggie yelling at Bobby.... but I tried like four different versions of this and I'm actually really happy with how it turned out, so I hope you enjoy!

This takes place in my All Too Well Splinterverse. It's a direct sequel to something about it felt like home somehow, but it takes place after the events of cause there we are again in the middle of the night, so be aware of spoilers/confusion if you haven't read both of those.

read on ao3 here:

--

Gathering up his courage, Reggie knocks on the door.

“Come in!” a voice calls, hoarse and stuffy, followed by a round of harsh coughs.

Reggie hesitates again, curling his hands into fists around the straps of his backpack. Maybe this was a mistake, he starts to think. Maybe he should’ve waited a little longer, waited for a better time to do this. Maybe he should’ve just left the stuff he brought in the studio and gone home without making any actual conversation…

But he made it all the way here… he can’t back down now. So he takes a deep breath, swallows back his nerves, and pushes the door open.

Bobby’s sitting up in bed, propped up against three or four pillows, a blanket over his legs and another around his shoulders. He looks tired—like, more tired than Bobby always looks, which is saying something—and his hair is all mussed up, his nose cherry red, his cheeks flushed in contrast to his waxy skin.

He’s sick, all right. Sicker than he was a week ago, the last time Reggie saw him when they were helping Luke with his discharge from the hospital. Being sick doesn’t make Bobby any less attractive, though, which Reggie should really not be thinking about right now.

“Reg!” Bobby croaks, placing the steaming mug he’s holding on the nightstand. He clears his throat and swipes a wrist under his nose, sniffling as he turns back to Reggie with a thin smile. “Hey, man, what are you doing here?”

Reggie blinks, forgetting for a second what he is doing here. But then he remembers and shakes his head a little, scrambling to get his backpack off and unzipping it. “Oh, um. Your mom let me in. I brought…” With some difficulty, he yanks out a packet of papers stuffed at the top of his pack. “...your homework!”

“Gee, thanks,” Bobby mutters sarcastically. He sniffles again and rubs his nose, nodding at the desk by the door. “You can just leave them there, thanks, man.”

Reggie nods and stacks the papers on the desk, followed by the books he grabbed from Bobby’s locker after trying every possible combination until he could get it open. With his official mission complete, though, Reggie hesitates again, lingering by Bobby’s desk. He doesn’t want to leave, but… he also doesn’t quite know how to say what he actually came here to say.

“You probably shouldn’t—” Bobby starts to say, then breaks off to sneeze into his elbow, twice.

“Bless you,” Reggie says, hovering awkwardly

Bobby makes a tired, congested sound and sniffs wetly, grabbing the tissue box on the bedside table. “As I was saying, you probably shouldn’t get too close. I am… disgusting.”

Reggie doesn’t respond. Bobby blows his nose and tosses his dirty tissues into the overflowing trash can next to the bed. He slumps back into his pillows, retrieves his mug and takes a sip, and only then seems to realize Reggie’s still standing there.

“Did you need something else, bro?” he asks, peering at Reggie over the rim of his mug.

“Just wanted to see how you were feeling,” Reggie says, a little too quickly. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder again. He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous right now, so awkward.

Maybe because he’s never been in Bobby’s room for this long before, or at all without the other guys, or alone with Bobby since—

Since a few minutes in the hospital, since holding his hand on the front porch, since Reggie realized he liked Bobby as more than a friend.

Not that that… matters, now.

“I’m okay,” Bobby says with a shrug before coughing into a fist. “I sound worse than I feel, honestly, I’m mostly just congested at this point. But I’m on the good drugs, so.” He chuckles a little; Reggie doesn’t join him. Bobby clears his throat again and turns serious. “No, but. Fever’s been under 101 for three days straight, so. I’m on the mend.”

“Good,” Reggie says, managing a smile. “Good, that’s really good.”

Something shifts in Bobby’s expression, something that makes dread pool in Reggie’s stomach even before the words, “How’s Luke?” are out of Bobby’s mouth.

“He’s—” Reggie starts to say and then chokes on the word good. “—getting there. Fever’s gone, but he hasn’t been back at school yet cause his ribs are still healing. And he can’t play music yet, so he’s bored out of his mind.”

Bobby nods. “Yeah, he took his guitars home, but I didn’t know if he could do much playing yet. Things at home, though, are… I mean, he’s been okay with his mom and dad?”

“So far. I think they’re just really glad he’s home.”

“Good.” Bobby smiles a little, visibly relaxing, and then turns away to cough into his elbow, rubbing at his chest like it hurts. He sips at his tea some more.

This should be Reggie’s cue to leave. He brought Bobby his homework, he asked how he was feeling, he gave him an update on his… on Luke.

There’s nothing more for Reggie to do here. And yet he can’t get himself to walk away.

The words are out of his mouth before he makes any conscious choice to say them. “Bobby, are you and Luke, like… dating now?”

Bobby chokes on his tea. “Uh—I—wh-what makes you ask that?”

“Well, you said he kissed you. And you guys seemed pretty cozy at the hospital, so… I just wondered…”

Something closes off in Bobby’s expression, like a curtain being drawn behind his eyes. It makes Reggie’s heart sink, reminds him that oh,  yeah, he and Bobby don’t… talk about things like this. That even though they’ve been getting along better since the whole migraine incident (not that they’d been getting along badly before then, they just hadn't really been… getting), they’re still not much more than bandmates.

“You don’t… have to tell me.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Bobby says quickly, even as his cheeks flush red. “I, uh… I guess we are? Or we’re going to be? Dating, I mean, once we’re both feeling a hundred percent.”

Reggie nods. He doesn’t know what to say. He feels… not sad, really, or even disappointed, it’s not like he’s surprised—but just… Actually, he doesn’t know what he feels.

“I’m really happy for you guys,” he manages to choke out.

Bobby’s smile cuts like a knife. “Thanks, Reg. That means a lot.”

Reggie nods and starts backing toward the door. “Cool. I mean—yeah. Yeah, no—no problem, man.”

He fumbles for the doorknob, but Bobby’s voice stops him. “I gotta thank you, Reg.”

“For what?”

“For all your help last week.” Bobby shifts his weight on the bed and clears his throat, his hands wrapped securely around his mug like he needs it to steady him. “With Luke, and… and taking care of me at the hospital. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Reggie blushes and starts to stammer out a reply, but Bobby cuts him off again. “And I need to apologize for snapping at you.”

Reggie blinks. “What? When did you—?”

“The other night, at the hospital. You asked if my head hurt and I…”

Right. Reggie remembers now. He’d seen Bobby rubbing his forehead and thought the stress of the night had given him a migraine (turns out, he was just catching Luke’s cold). So, he’d tried to take Bobby’s hand, ready to use the pressure point trick that had worked so well on him last time, but Bobby had flinched away, eyes wide and angry, and said, I’m fine!

That had been right after Bobby told Reggie that he and Luke had kissed. So Reggie had been feeling a lot of feelings at the time. He must’ve blocked the rest of it out.

“I just don’t like to make a big deal about them,” Bobby continues. “The migraines, I mean. And Alex doesn’t even know about them, and there was already so much going on with Luke… but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“Why not?”

Bobby blinks. “Why… should I not have taken it out on you?’

Reggie shakes his head. “Why doesn’t Alex know about your migraines?”

“Because I didn’t tell him?”

“But why not?” Something sharp in Reggie’s chest tells him he shouldn’t push, but he can’t help it. “Why didn’t you tell any of us? If I didn’t find you that one time, you were just gonna play a whole rehearsal in pain and then go hide in your room to suffer alone, without telling any of your bandmates something was wrong? We would’ve helped you, Bobby. At the very least, we could’ve rescheduled our band practice.”

Bobby’s expression is hard to read—not quite angry, but definitely not happy with Reggie’s little speech either. He says, his voice low and small and just creeping toward cold, “I told Luke.”

Right. Because Bobby was Luke’s friend first. Because Bobby is Luke’s boyfriend now. Because Bobby is Luke’s.

But for the first time in weeks, that thought doesn’t make Reggie sad. Instead, it makes him furious. So even though he wants to support his friends, and even though Bobby’s sick, and even though Reggie makes a point to never shout at the people he loves, all the anger and hurt and jealousy inside him just burst out.

“What did we do to you, man? Me and Alex, did we—did we say something wrong? Why do you act like we’re not really your friends, like you can’t trust us? Even when Luke was really sick, you couldn’t call us for help until he was burning up from the inside out. And I don’t get it! Do you just like Luke more than us? Did he do something we didn’t to prove he could be trusted? Are you just really fucking stubborn? Why won’t you let me help you? I just wanna help you, Bobby!”

He loses steam and fumbles over his thoughts, the emotions that had been so prominent a second ago draining out of him until he almost can’t remember what they felt like anymore. Bobby’s staring at him, his face flushed and not from fever, his gaze laser-hot, his white-knuckled hands wrapped so tightly around his mug of tea that Reggie worries it’ll shatter.

“I don’t need your help, Reg,” he says tersely.

Reggie feels an agonizing pang in his chest, like his heart has cracked into a million pieces. He takes a deep breath and lets the shrapnel puncture him.

“Okay, Bobby,” he says flatly, and scoops his backpack up off the floor. “If you don’t want my help, then I’ll just stop offering.”

He doesn’t wait to hear Bobby’s reply. He just turns away, swiping at tears he didn’t realize he’d shed, and walks out the door.

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[enrychan]

Burakovsky fanfiction recs

ok so I read every single Burakovsky fanfic on AO3 (no, really) and I started thinking about writing down a list of those I particularly appreciate. because the Patho fandom is tiny, and the Burakovsky fandom is even tinier, but there are a lot of incredible talents in it, and they deserve all the recognition we can muster.

I apologize to those who did not make it into this list, unfortunately I can’t read Russian (for now... that might change in the future😏) AND I have very specific tastes. Which is why some authors are repeated more than once (sorry!). Also I’m following at least a couple of beautiful fanfics that are currently unfinished, and I’m probably gonna include those in the next list.

You’re all extremely talented though, and I hope to read more of your works very soon (do I refresh the Burakovsky tag each day? yes I do)

anyway here’s my list, in no particular order! Enjoy all the love, hate, death and philosophy!🥰

In Vivo by meradorm. After a long silence, the Haruspex travels to the capital to seek out his old companion.

Arguably the best fanfics in the Patho fandom; and one of the best fanfics I’ve ever read. The writing style simulates the first translation of Patho Classic, which was weird and sometimes almost incomprehensible, but somehow it enhanced the odd, alien experience of the first game. Using this particular and sometimes difficult language, this fanfic gives the impression of being an integral part of the original story. The characters and the love story are beautiful and raw, sweet and cruel, and the ending is so... so perfectly Pathologic it makes me angry. Prepare lots&lots of tissues because you’re gonna cry your eyes out!

How cleverly the trap is made by Modlisznik. "My apologies." Daniil clears his throat. "Usually I reserve views like this for at least fourth, maybe fifth date."

Ok yes I’m going to recommend a lot of fanfics by Modlisznik, I just really really like their style. This is one of my favorites because Daniil is so in character, trying his best to appear strong even while in pain and almost blind with one of his migraines... and I’m always weak for Artemy being sweet and caring for Daniil. Just *chef’s kiss* excellent

Of the Town and the Steppe by Modlisznik. Artemy wonders how Daniil feels about this vastness, autumnal grass as far as the eye can see, the sky so clear, hanging so low, so close you can almost touch it, you can almost get swallowed whole. Insignificant, a little speckle on the face of Earth. Daniil is a creature of the city, Artemy thinks, of clear boundaries, of walls to hide behind, of places to be alone in. He must feel exposed. I'm a bad host, Artemy thinks.

Just a romantic, intimate moment between our two idiots out in the steppe. Daniil imagining all the places in the Capital he would like to show Artemy is so unbearably sweet I think I’ve cavities now. Totally worth it though.

All about Blood by Modlisznik. Daniil is aware that Isidor has been murdered just a few days ago. That his memory is still fresh, his touch lingers in this place. That Daniil, an intruder, shouldn't come down here to Isidor’s workshop - his laboratory - his sanctum - and most certainly, he shouldn't be here to fuck Isidor’s son. Even less, to use the elder Burakh's table for that purpose. He's aware of that. He also doesn't care.

Hot damn. This fanfics pushes all my buttons at once and then dances on the keyboard just to be sure. Artemy/Daniil kinky sex? Check. On the stone table in Artemy’s lab? Check. Subtle power games between the two? Check. Artemy marking Daniil with his blood? Check. A sprinkle of bondage just to spice things up a bit? Check. Um... is it just me or it’s kind of hot in here?

The Line of Red by Modlisznik. Bachelor Dankovsky does not believe in luck. Artemy wants him to understand, that the charm he's offering will protect him - just not in the way Daniil thinks it does.

Another sweet moment brought to you by or Official Sweetheart Artemy Burakh: Artemy wants to give Daniil something to remind him that he’s not alone, even in his darkest moments, that Artemy is his tagloor. Daniil doesn’t understand all that steppe folklore, but recognizes a precious gift when he’s given one.

Something old, something new by Modlisznik. In which Artemy considers the importance of not being watched, and Murky's doll needs urgent medical attention.

Just an adorable fanfic and a joy to read from start to finish. Artemy is best dad, Murky is best daughter, Daniil is back with a new title, and I’m always ready for some teary-eyed happy reunions.

Bloodflood by Xyloto. A flood of blood to the heart.

Artemy is used to be on top, and the relative new experience of being on the receiving end doesn’t start particularly well for him, but he is determined to let Daniil have what he wants. Daniil has other ideas on the matter. I have a thing for “top that bottoms for his bottom”, and especially in this case because this fanfic is written beautifully. It keeps all the more abrasive traits of Artemy’s personality&speech, while remaining very sweet and romantic somehow.

A Curse Befalls Your Heart by CurrieBelle. Daniil Dankovsky suffers from a Steppe curse. Burakh performs triage.

Speaking of sweet and romantic, are you ready for a good bucket of literal honey? This is my comfort fanfic, the one I return to every once in a while when I need something soft and lovely to shut off my brain. Not only that, but the story is awesome too, because it is based on an actual canon curse in the Patho lore. Remember when Anna Angel was cursed with the “returning heart” in Patho 2? What if something similar happened to Daniil? Luckily, Artemy is there to help.

Ode to the Body by kylee. In which Bachelor and Haruspex flatter each other shamelessly.

The Powers That Be have always destroyed Daniil’s self esteem by reducing him to a list of failures. Artemy wants him to understand that he’s not just his failures, nor his accomplishments, but so much more. Sex ensues. Praise kink anyone??? (yes please)

life overflowing by Yellow. Artemy needs someone to look at what he's done, to see he's done well, to take over for him, his head and his heart. just for a little while.

This is both lovely and kind of heartbreaking, with some suicidal tendencies/ideation? I feel it is completely appropriate after all Artemy has gone through by this point in the story. But Daniil doesn’t have any intention of letting him go.

Vae Soli by Adoxography. Daniil becomes Artemy's unwilling caretaker when Artemy is infected with the Sand Pest and is forced to take a Shmowder to cure himself, or die in the attempt.

There are a lot of sick fics in the Patho fandom (obviously), but I particularly love this one because it doesn’t embellish the pitiful state of Artemy, caught between two terrible ailments, nor makes Daniil appear too soft and generous. There is rivalry between the two idiots (as it should be), but also trust and even some attraction on Daniil’s part. In other words, it rings true and believable!

sub derma by Jagged. Dankovsky takes to the Town better than he thinks, but less than he'd like. Artemy would know.

Super sexy fanfic! dom!Daniil turns Artemy on with some pain play which Artemy is only too happy to be subjected to. I just love the power dynamic between the two, it’s visceral and even a little bit cruel at times, but the absolute trust they have in each other makes everything weirdly romantic.

foreign bodies by hoverbun. They have some time to themselves between dissections and the sharing of alms.

So it turns out that I also have a Thing for fics about shaving. apparently??? Artemy has some free time and a beard to get rid of. He asks Daniil for help with that. And everyone knows there are few things sexier than a hot doctor with a very sharp blade pointed at your throat!

I hope you blink before I do by vespirus. Maybe he was fated to gravitate towards men like these; the men with loose morals, the men who understood what it meant to be an arbiter of life and death decisions, the men who felt the weight of the future on their shoulders. Or maybe he just had an inescapable interest in the macabre.

AU fanfic about Daniil as an unscrupulous researcher and Artemy as a medical undergraduate willing to kill to make enough money to keep living and studying in the Capital. In other words they are both horrible people, and the tension between them is so thick you could slice it with a knife. There also a sequel, but it’s a death fic and I personally don’t like that. I hope the author will write an alternative ending where they become an awesome couple of gay criminals in love sooner or later!

[orenashii]

Jack and The Reunion, Chapter 5

Author's Note.

4,740. That's how many words are in this chapter. It's insane how 'talkative' I become when writing dirty things.

Welcome back to Jack and The Reunion! Holy crap this took a long time to write! Many, many thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed! You all keep me going!

I will be brief. I know you're eager to see what happens next ;)

RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT. Enjoy!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12494794/5/Jack-and-The-Reunion

Jack and The Reunion

Chapter 5:

And Try Again

Dawn arrived, the light of the sun seeping down the hillsides. Ashi could sense the shift of light beneath her eyelids as she stirred.

She was... warm. A comfortable weight encased her arms, a steady heartbeat whispered to her ears. She inhaled deeply, soaking in the scent of the man nestled next to her.

Her eyes opened wide. The man nestled next to her. The memories of what that man had done to her.

The warmth that she had so embraced suddenly began to lose its edge. Her eyes stung with the bright light of day. Her head throbbed ever so slightly, like a distant call, warning her of an incoming migraine. Her throat was parched, tongue dry, the chill of nausea settling in her stomach.

The Scotsman had warned her of this. Was this a hangover?

She shifted, burying her head down as she tried to escape the light, yearning for comfort. What had she done? She knew that was the wrong question. She fully understood what she had done. But... was it okay? The alcohol had definitely held the majority when it came to her decision making last night. Was he okay? Did she somehow take advantage of him?

Would he hate her for it?

No. No, of course not! That was ridiculous. The samurai was far too controlled, not to mention shy, to truly let go if he thought he was being taken advantage of. But he was also incredibly nice. What if he was just being nice? What if he had gone along with it without protest so as not to hurt her feelings?

She grimaced; it was one of the stupidest thoughts she'd ever had and she knew it. Her face flushed and she groaned, embarrassed with herself.

She felt a hand stroke her back. Her head lifted and looked into his eyes, half-lidded and blinking slowly.

"Ashi? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice deep with sleep. It was kind of sexy. Stop it, she chastised herself.

She nodded, still blushing. "My head hurts," she blurted out, trying to keep her previous thoughts at bay.

He returned her nod, understanding. "We should get you some water."

"Okay."

A silence stretched between them. Jack blinked harder this time as he woke up, realizing that he was nearly naked, holding a fully naked woman in his arms. He turned his head as far as he could and spotted the messy pile of her discarded clothing. His face now matched hers in color.

Ashi swallowed hard as he craned his neck, fascinated with the shape of his Adam's apple. She wanted to run her tongue along his throat. Another pulse, sharper this time, pierced her head. She bit the inside of her lip. Now was not the time for such feelings.

"I should," he spoke slowly, "give you some privacy."

Before she could retort, he turned his body, unwrapping them both from the cover of his gi. He closed his eyes before he could look at her and sat up, cross-legged. He handed her her clothing one article at a time.

He winced as he came into contact with her clothes. Her belt. Her shirt. Her skirt. He thought of each article, and how they had been removed. He looked down as his fundoshi, slightly tented. He ground his teeth together. Now was not the time for such feelings.

Ashi dressed quietly, slightly ashamed that she ogled the muscles of his back and he reached, back and forth, between the clothes and her. She finally removed herself completely from his gi and held it up to her nose. She inhaled softly. It smelled like him. And the grass. She liked it.

Jack jumped slightly when he felt the gi on his shoulders. He turned and was relieved (he would never admit disappointment) that she was dressed. He sheathed his arms in the fabric, catching a whiff of its scent on the wind. It smelled like her. He liked it.

He stood up and turned to her. They smiled at one another. Ashi rubbed her eye in pain, another pulse of her headache. Jacked asked if she was alright.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just a little dizzy."

"Let's get you that water," he replied. He held out his arm to her, just as he had done before the party. She took it gratefully as they made their descent down the hill.

This was not happening.

Breakfast had passed, jovially. At least, for most of the attendants. Though Ashi had felt worlds better after drinking plenty of water, nausea still crept in her stomach as the food was served. Flora and her sisters, on the other hand, were as bright and spry as ever, as if they had never even touched a drink.

An announcement was made. The hunting trip would commence within the hour.

Ashi's face fell. "I don't think I can do this," she said to Flora.

"Ah, I forgot you're a first timer with the booze. Probably should have warned you to take it easy." Flora laughed.

Ashi threw her hands up. "Well? Who schedules a two-day hunting trip after a party like that?"

"Do you know how much food we ate last night? We're running low on supplies!"

She sighed, begrudgingly agreeing.

She looked over at Jack who also did not seem too keen on the idea of an outing. Not to mention that they would be doing it separately. The women were to take the east side of the vast forest, hunting large game. The men's trip would be slightly longer, them having to trek to the nearby ocean, a half day trip alone, for fish and sea mammals.

Jack and Ashi barely had a moment to see each other before their respective departures.

"Come find me when you get back?" she offered.

He smiled, bowing slightly in agreement before he turned and left.

It was going to be a long journey.

Two days. Of grass and salt water. The musk of the forest and the scent of the sea. Of sweat and warm blood and icy water. Of awkward sex conversations and awkward sex conversations. Respectively, of course.

Ashi flopped down on her bed, exhausted. A small smile touched her face. They had returned early, having outdone themselves with their bounty. She went straight for the baths, taking her time in caring for her skin. The delicious scent of the soaps still lingered. Her bed was comfortable, warm with the morning sun. Her thoughts drifted to Jack.

She must have fallen asleep for at a few hours, as the sun was now peeking into her room, disturbing her slumber. She groaned. Her dreams had been full of him. Touching each other. She rolled around in her sheets, trying to catch a few extra minutes. With him. Please don't stop. She opened her eyes as her thoughts receded. No such luck.

She stretched her arms over her head. She frowned, disappointed that her dreams were interrupted. The spot between her legs was still wet. Immediately, she wondered if the men had returned. Specifically, if Jack had returned.

She opened her door and saw that the castle's pulse was thrumming. The men had returned, both the men and the women flittering about in preparation for the evening's meal. The sound of heavy boots on the stone, laughter, and cheers, could be heard echoing down the halls. She had only peeked her head out when she spotted him. Her heart stopped. He was walking towards her door. At least, she thought so. Had he seen her?

Instinct took over and she slammed her door, her back flat against it. Why? Why did she do that? He was coming to see her, right? Or maybe he wasn't. Just because he was walking down the hallway doesn't mean he was coming to see her. Maybe he was heading to his rooms. She didn't know when he had returned. He probably needed rest. Best not to disturb him.

She looked out of the peephole at her door. He was standing right in front of it. She couldn't read his expression.

Jack stood at Ashi's door and hesitated. He looked around to see if anyone else was watching. The hall was empty. He swallowed hard. She had told him to come find her when he returned. He hadn't right away. He had bathed, dozing off for a few moments in the warm, clean water.

He then ran into Flora, asking about Ashi's whereabouts. She winked at him, telling him that Ashi was in her room. But then her expression evened out, saying that she had been there for a few hours. Most likely sleeping. He raised a hand on her door to knock but thought better of it. She could still be sleeping. Best not to disturb her.

Ashi saw Jack's hand raise to knock on her door. She smiled with glee. But then his hand lowered and he turned and walked away. Wait. No!

She panicked.

"Jack?" she yelled out. He turned to her, already having made his way half way down the hall. His eyebrows raised in surprise. Ashi cleared her throat, thinking she sounded too desperate. Take two.

"I mean, Jack! So funny running into you!" She forced a laugh.

"I was just going to, uh," she trailed off, having not thought this far ahead. "I was just going to the kitchen! Yes. To see if they needed any help preparing. But they're fine. I mean, I'm sure they're fine. I wanted to make sure, you know, be a good guest and all, but I asked them earlier. They said they're fine."

Ashi wished the ground would swallow her up. What was wrong with her?

"So! What are you up to? What are you... doing?"

"I was," he spoke, hesitation evident in his tone. "I was just about to retire to my rooms before dinner is served. It has been a long day."

"Oh, okay." She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. It did not work. "I'll just see you at dinner then?"

"No, no. I am happy we ran into one another. I would much rather spend my time with you." He smiled. Then flushed. Then cut in. "If that is okay with you, of course."

"Yeah!" she said. "Yeah, of course, that's okay."

A moment passed. Ashi crossed her arms in front of her and leaned against her doorway, waiting. Jack looked at her with barely hidden admiration. The light from the early evening sun cast upon her, giving her a halo-like glow.

They both began to speak at the same time. They laughed. Ashi insisted that he go first. She was about to do something bold. She was going to invite him into her room.

"I was just going to say, it looks like the sun will set soon. Would you like to watch it?"

She smiled at him and nodded. It wasn't exactly what she had in mind but it was a start. "I would love to."

He smiled back.

"I just need a moment..." She paused suddenly, her mind slowing to a crawl. "In my room."

Jack's eyebrow lifted as he watched her expression shift from an easy smile to apprehension. Ashi turned toward her room. She felt light-headed, dread and anticipation swirling in her thoughts. What if he rejected her? She supposed there was only one way to find out. She took a deep breath to steady herself and looked over her shoulder.

"Would you like to come inside?"

He did not respond. Her instinct was to dismiss the whole thing, shut the door and feign illness, and watch the stupid sunset from her own window, alone. But she held her tongue.

"Yes."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Ashi stepped aside, allowing him to pass. His eyes were closed, his expression unreadable. She quietly closed the door behind him. She let out a quick puff of air through her nostrils. She prayed for subtlety but Jack could hear a soft 'click' in his ears.

She had locked the door.

Oh god.

His eyes snapped open, looking at her in surprise. She brushed passed him, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I'll just be a minute," she mumbled, "I just have to put my shoes on."

Her boots were at the foot of her bed. She bent down at the waist to retrieve the first one. Jack watched in dumb silence as her skirt rose up, doing little to shield the backs of her upper thighs. He felt the first hints of arousal pool in his gut as he watched her pull her boot on. He bit the inside of his cheek. There was something unexpectedly sensual about watching her long legs get encased in leather.

She straightened up, her back toward him. A long moment of stillness passed between them.

"Jack?" she asked quietly, still not facing him.

"You don't really want to watch the sunset," she said, turning around slowly. "Do you?"

Jack swallowed hard. He was not sure how to respond. Everything depended on this moment, his answer. It was obvious, of course. She had invited him into her room. They were alone. She had locked the door.

He noted how her fingers twisted around each other anxiously. She looked up at him through her bangs. He could see a slight blush spread on her cheeks.

She was just as nervous as he was. It was oddly comforting.

"No."

He removed his sword from the belt of his gi and propped it against the wall. He stepped forward slowly, closing the distance between them. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he finally faced her.

He brought his hand up to brush her bangs away from her forehead. His hand settled behind her ear.

"May I kiss you?"

She bit her lip reflexively, unable to hide her giddiness. She nodded her head quickly.

He dipped his head down as their lips met softly, eagerly. Finally.

Memories of their previous night together flooded her. The way he'd made her feel. How badly she wanted to feel it again. Her head swam with lust. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deeper. Jack's arms snaked around her waist. He straightened his back so her feet lifted above the ground.

His mouth tasted clean. He must have just rinsed before their meeting. She mentally kicked herself, wishing she did the same. What if she tasted bad? The act of him tilting his head so he could delve his tongue deeper and moan at the contact meant he either didn't notice or didn't care.

Jack gasped as he felt her hands disappear at the opening of his gi. He put her back down and watched hungrily as she worked to remove her clothing.

"I hate this thing," she griped as she tugged at her shirt. Jack laughed, doing whatever he could to help her. Finally removed, they met again frantically. She pulled the pin from his top knot and flicked it away, burying her hands in his long, dark hair. His hands glided against her back, the contact with his skin made her shiver. She pulled him by his gi, backward, toward her bed, sliding it off of his shoulders before pulling him down to hover over her.

He wasted no time in leaning over her, kissing her deeply, wanting to feel his skin on hers. He moved between her legs, rolling his hips forward. She lifted her own, wanting to wrap her legs around his waist but they could only open so wide. Her skirt was in the way.

He sat up and together, they pulled the skirt from her hips. His hands smoothed up her body as he crawled up to her once more.

Jack shivered as he felt her legs wrap around his waist. She had yet to take off her boots. The touch of leather against his skin felt as good as forbidden sin. Her hands traveled down his chest, over his nipples, her nails grazed the muscles of his abdomen. She could feel the solid length of him against her thigh. She reached down and cupped him gently. He hissed sharply as his hips jerked forward.

They ground against each other, increasingly desperate. He had never been so hard in his life. She tore her head away with a gasp. He took the opportunity to press his wet mouth into her neck.

"Jack," she moaned. "Please."

One of his hands made his way down her naked thigh until he felt the leather of her boot. He sat up again, pulling them off slowly. He kissed her ankle and looked down at her.

Flushed skin. Tussled hair. Swollen lips. She was beautiful.

She reached up to him. "I want you, Jack." He smiled. It was sly, devilish. It turned her on even more.

He kissed above her navel, sliding his tongue up until he reached her chest. He suckled at her nipples greedily. Her moans became louder, more guttural, as her pleasure heightened.

His fingers slipped against her, with a deep moan of his own, as touched her, hot and needing.

He was amazed. She was already so wet.

He felt dizzy. It was all happening so fast yet not fast enough. He was going to make love to her. But there was an important matter to take care of. If there was one piece of advice he took away from his disastrous meeting with the Scotsman it was this: her first time is going to hurt. The best way to ease that is to make her come first.

His fingers slicked against her, rubbing her in circles over that spot she liked so much. He knew what he wanted to do, but how long would it take? Was his hand enough? Maybe he should use his mouth again.

Ashi suddenly cried out, gripping him harder as she shuddered beneath him.

Oh. Nevermind.

Ashi was confused as to why her release happened so quickly but she wasn't complaining. She had just been so excited. She had fantasized about him all morning, all afternoon, during breakfast, during planning, during the gathering, in her room, while he was pleasuring her. She just... burst.

She laughed a little as she came down from her high, not as intense as the previous night but still immensely satisfying. He was watching intently, evidently enjoying the view. She licked her lips sensuously, opening her legs and reached between his to tug at his fundoshi.

He pushed the fabric away from him without a second thought and kicked it to the side. He sat before her now, his erection stood long and proud. He remembered himself then, and the situation, and flushed as she sat up on her forearms to stare.

"Wow," she whispered. Jack was sure he couldn't blush harder. Ashi looked up at him and smiled.

"Sorry!" she said with a slight laugh, her post-orgasm haze still made her feel giddy. "I'm just excited."

He looked into her eyes cautiously. Her smile faltered.

"What's the matter?"

"I have never," he started, "done this before."

Her smile returned. "Neither have I."

He nodded. "I have heard that the... first time... can be quite painful for a woman."

"Do I look worried?"

"I just want you to feel comfortable."

She kissed him sweetly, lingering. He was so thoughtful. She let her hand slowly slide up the length of him. He moaned into her mouth.

"Does that feel good?" she breathed with nervous excitement. His hips bucked against her hand.

"Yes." He pulled her to him with a hand on the back of her head as their kissing deepened. She continued stroking him softly, unsure of what to do but eager to learn.

She tightened her grip on him, feeling emboldened by the noises he was making. She pumped up and down, matching the rhythm of his hips. His breath was heavy on her lips.

"Ashi," he panted desperately. He put a hand over hers to stop her.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "Is something wrong?"

Jack laughed a little. "No, no. It's just... I am also... excited."

Ashi returned his laugh in understanding. Their mouths met again in a loving kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jack shifted their positions so that she was once again lying on her back. He settled himself between her legs, kissing her with increasing intensity. He felt a thrill as he ground his hips against hers, feeling how wet she was on his bare skin.

He propped himself up and looked down at her. "Are you sure?" he whispered. She nodded, smiling. She leaned up to place a long kiss on his lips.

He looked down between them as he slowly guided himself inside her. A broken sigh escaped him as her warmth surrounded him. She was so wet, so tight, so tight, so tight. Oh god. Oh god, he was going to come.

He screwed his eyes shut, willing away the feeling. It was too soon! He recited a mantra in his head, trying to calm himself down. He heard a groan beneath him. He reopened his eyes and passed an uneasy look to his partner.

"Are you alright?"

Her eyebrows were knitted together in pain. "I'm fine," she replied. "It's just a little uncomfortable."

He leaned down to kiss her on her jaw, hoping it offered any comfort.

"Just... go slow?" He nodded in response.

He pulled and pushed in a gentle rhythm. Relief washed over him when he finally heard Ashi's breath catch in pleasure. "Keep going," she urged. It had felt so strange at first, a hard length moving in her body but the look in his eyes, of concern, of tenderness, of... love. She started to relax. She sighed as the movements started to feel more natural.

Their mouths met once more, tongues reacquainted, as Jack steadily increased the force of his hips. He moved his hand down from her hair to her hip, pinning her down lightly as he pumped in and out, deeper and deeper. He thought he was going to explode. He had never felt anything so good. Ashi broke their kiss to bring her head up in a gasp. Their moans increased in volume, mingling together, adding to the sweltering heat of the room.

He was panting heavily into her neck now, absorbing her scent, tasting the salt of her skin. It was all too much. "Ashi," he groaned. "I'm so close."

"Yes," she breathed. It was time for him to have an orgasm of his own.

Light flashed behind Jack's eyes as he came, his thrusts becoming erratic inside of her. He cried out her name, his body tensing and releasing, as the sensation coursed through him, more intense than he'd ever known. His hand fisted in her sheets, the other gripped her thigh as he surrendered to the feeling.

He rolled his hips weakly as the pulsing in his body calmed. He could feel nothing else, just warmth, his senses utterly overwhelmed with her presence.

He collapsed against her with a shuddering breath, unable to hold himself up on shaking arms. He continued panting into her skin as she ran her hands everywhere she could: his back, his shoulders, his hair. She kissed his forehead as he recovered.

He slowly lifted himself up, his weight must be crushing to her, kissing her softly before rolling to his side. They stared at each other, just as they had done their previous night. She reached out, her lips finding him again and they moved against each other, drinking each other in.

He broke them apart with a gentle hand against her cheek. "How do you feel? Was it..?"

"It was... different," she replied. She grinned. "It was good."

She scooted closer, brought her head up to whisper in her ear. "I liked watching you come."

He groaned in disbelief, at her words, and at the quick spike of arousal in his gut.

"Where did you learn that term?"

She shrugged, looking away with an innocent expression. He hummed in understanding. One does not spend an entire day with a group of proud, emboldened women without picking up a thing or two.

"You want to do it again?"

He laughed. "I think I will need some time to recover."

She rolled on her back, stretching her arms above her head with a moan. She turned her head back towards him, still grinning. "How about a bath?" His eyes widened.

"Together?"

Ashi faced him, hands on each side of his head, and looked him straight in the eye.

"We literally just had sex."

"I know that! It's just," he stammered, his words broken by his shyness. "It's just so private." He stopped himself. He could not argue with her logic.

"Better yet!" she exclaimed, ignoring his rambling. "Let's so swimming in the lake. The water is so clear. And we can still watch the sunset!" He still did not look convinced.

"What if someone sees us?"

"I'll just tell them to screw off."

He let out a breath, disliking her choice of words. He opened his eyes, she was directly in his face now, her hands fisted together in front of her. "Please?" she asked sweetly. He sighed again, giving in.

She made a small sound in excitement, kissing him quickly, as she rolled out of bed and gathered her things.

Flora sighed heavily as she made her way up the stairs, relieved the day was nearly over. Her muscles were still quite sore from the trip. She continued her pace, heading towards her room to prepare for supper. Her gaze reached out of the oriel at the curve of the wall, smiling sightly as she took in the beauty of the setting sun.

A figure caught her eye. Two figures. Each standing on the shore of the vast lake their castle sat upon. She squinted her eyes. It was Ashi and Jack! Watching the sunset before supper? It was so adorable.

She could see Ashi remove a large, red cloth from her shoulders. Wait a second. Was she naked? She blushed despite herself. She was not modest by any means but this was her friend! She felt fortunate to be so far away so as not to make out too many details.

Ashi waded into the water and swam out a short distance. She turned to the samurai. Flora couldn't hear her, but she imagined that she was calling out to him.

No way.

Flora's jaw dropped in shock when she saw the samurai remove his gi, also completely nude, and walked to join her. She turned away from the scene. Her features broke into an indecently huge smile.

No way!

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind her.

"Isla!"

Flora grabbed her confused sister's hand and dragged her to opening. "Look at that! I think our girl's gone and done it."

Isla's eyes widened as she watched the scene below. She gasped. "I don't believe it!" She turned and called down the steps. "Maeve! Alana!" More names were called. More women gathered around the oriel.

They all watched keenly as the pair waded around each other with no clear intention. But then Jack stopped, seemingly standing, chest deep in water. Ashi swam towards him slowly, wrapping her hands around his neck as she reached him. The women all held their breath. Except for Bradana, who inhaled deeply, and let out the loudest whoop she could muster.

Jack turned his head toward the castle as he heard a cheer ring out into the air. Ashi stopped him, turning his head back to her by his chin and smiled seductively.

"Let them," she whispered, her lips meeting his. He relaxed almost instantly to return her embrace.

A loud chorus of hoots and hollers now echoed around them. A grin threatened to split Jack's face as he slid his tongue against hers with a sensual touch.

He felt the weight of her arm leave his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to look without breaking their kiss. Her arm was outstretched towards the castle, making a very obscene gesture with her hand. He sighed, calmly raising his own hand to cover hers, and brought it back down to his shoulder.

She laughed into his mouth, their kissing never ceasing as the sun lowered, the day drifting away into the night.

Author's Note

THE END. For now?

You might be thinking: Ren, did you seriously write this whole story just so you can make Jack and Ashi do the dirty? The short answer is: yes. Yes, I did. The slightly longer answer is: Sort of? This may have other chapters but I'm happy with where this is now.

Right now, I want to focus on my other story: I Exist. It's going to be epic, I just know it.

Thank you so much for reading!

Visit this story on FF.net if you’d like to leave a review! :3 https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12494794/5/Jack-and-The-Reunion