#and on top of that I had the workday from hell

[delineate-creates]

Day 11: Wander

Wandering…sneaking…it’s all semantics, really…

[redocity]

kinda emergency request. Okay so I’m super sick right now but I also had a lot to get done this week so I pushed through and ended up collapsing. It was a whole thing and I went to the hospital for a few days. I hadn’t eaten cause I was nauseous or slept because I was in pain. Any way would it be possible to get a Evan Buckley x reader on that. Sorry it’s a lot I know! But thank you!

PUSH THROUGH — E.BUCKLEY

Being sick and being a firefighter were two things that should never exist at the same time. when you push yourself a little too hard and end up collapsing, buck gets more than a little worried.

WARNINGS: gn!reader, sick reader, mentions of nausea and wanting to throw up, reader faints

evan buckley x reader || hurt/comfort || 3.0k || requests open!

a/n: i hope you’re alright and get better soon!

₊ ⊹ masterlist!!

Being a firefighter was hard. It consisted of long and physically taxing workdays, a lot of mental scarring, and most prominently, a lack of regular breaks.

Some days were okay, slow days where you only had three or four calls in a 12 hour shift, but on days like today, where you had spent a grand total on 35 minutes in the station in the last six hours —with the first 20 of those being before your shift even started— being a firefighter felt like you were living through your own personal hell.

“Hey—” Buck nudges you with his elbow, and you blink your eyes shortly before turning your gaze to him with a small hum, breaking yourself out of your dissociation of staring blankly across the lounge room.

“I’ve been calling your name for like a whole minute, are you okay?” Buck’s eyebrows furrow in an obvious concern for your well being, a dark line forming at the top of the bridge of his nose that you fight the urge to smooth out with the pad of your thumb.

You might have an unprofessional friendship with Buck, but even you knew what boundaries were unsafe to cross.

“Mhm, I’m fine,” Your voice is distant even to yourself, like there’s a layer of cotton coating the inside of your ears.

“You’re not though,” Buck presses the back of his hand against your forehead to feel for a temperature, and you swat it away lightly with a small shake of your head, something that does nothing in disproving Buck’s theory. “You’re all quiet and warm, and I can see your hands shaking,”

You clasp your hands together at the last part, interlocking your fingers and holding them securely in your lap so that they can’t move without your consent anymore. “I’m fine,”

He sighs at your continued dismissal. It was obvious that you weren’t okay, so why would you keep trying to pretend like you were? “Have you eaten anything yet? Maybe you should eat something, you know, replenish all of those nutrients or whatever,”

“Okay Dr Buckley, no need to treat me like a five year old,” You roll your eyes with a short laugh, and a small smile etches it’s way onto Buck’s face at the flicker of your usual personality shining through despite your current condition. “I’m not hungry right now—” Buck opens his mouth to argue, but you hold up your hand before he can get a word out. “—But, i’ll see about getting something after our next call okay?”

He lets out a short breath through his nose as he concedes defeat, leaning back against the lounge sofa dramatically. “Fine, but I will make sure of that,”

You hope he doesn’t.

You’d tried to make yourself a piece of dry, bland toast this morning to quell the growing ache in your stomach from how little you’d fed yourself over the last two days, but it ended up with you feeling so sick that you had to take almost ten minutes of your morning doing deep breathing exercises so that you wouldn’t throw it back up again. You didn’t fancy a round two of that.

“Yes sir,” You exaggerate your response through a mock salute, and he gives you a short laugh and a pat of his hand on your lower thigh, squeezing it lightly.

You take the end in the conversation to relax against the back of the sofa, but as soon as the back of your head meets the top of the cushion the alarm rings out and you curse your own downfall.

Buck gives your leg another pat as he stands, holding out his hand for you to take so he can help you to your feet, something which, although you would keep to yourself to stop him from worrying about you even more, you were grateful for in the wake of your staticed vision in the first few second of you standing upright.

—

It wasn’t the worst call in the world, some driver going 10 over the speed limit managed to swerve off the road, over a patch of grass, and land right into somebodies six foot hedge lining their yard. All you had to do was winch the car out and check that the driver didn’t have any injures. It took less than half an hour.

But by the time you climbed back into the truck you felt like you had absolutely no energy left whatsoever, your shoulders slumped and your head limply resting backwards against the headrest in fatigue.

You were just absolutely exhausted, probably not helped by the rough nights you’d been having because of the phantom pains that seemed to plague you whenever you moved so much as an inch.

You considered asking to stay at the station for the next call, or just asking to stay at the station for the rest of your shift entirely at this point. You weren’t sure you’d have the physical capacities to be of any help at all, and if you were to tag along you’d just be a nuisance to everybody else as they tried to do their jobs.

You didn’t have to make that decision yourself, your body made it for you.

Buck had been extra attentive to you on the call, and that didn’t end once the truck parked in the station, he climbed down the truck’s side ladders before you, turning to hold out his hand so you’d have an extra balance point if you needed it whilst climbing down, but instead he was met with your clouded gaze, literally watching the moment your consciousness seems to slip away from your body as your foot misses one of the steps and causes to stumble forward.

He catches your weight him his arms before you can hit the floor, a panicked “Cap!” echoing through the engine bay as he lowers you to lie on the floor with your head resting on his thighs, all colour drained from your face as your eyes flicker underneath your eyelids.

Hen and Chimney are at your side before Bobby is, but he’s not far behind as the rest of the team circle you in concern.

“What happened?” Hen furrows her eyebrows as she watches Chimney check your heart rate, tightening a blood pressure cuff around your arm.

“I don’t know they just collapsed—” Buck’s voice mirrors his expression it’s panic.

“105/70, alright, lay them down on the floor, Eddie, put your jacket underneath their feet,” Hen removes the blood pressure cuff as Buck and Eddie rush to follow her instructions, and her and Chimney share a nod as they both confirm you’re not in any medical danger.

“Are they okay?” Buck hesitates to lie your head on the concrete floor, so his leaves his hand as a barrier between you and the floor.

“They’re fine, it’s just hypotension, do you know if they’ve eaten or drank anything today?” Hen puts a comforting hand on Buck’s shoulder to help calm his panic as the adrenaline from your collapse slowly dissipates.

“I asked if they were hungry earlier and they said they’d eat something later,” Buck presses his lips into a line, feeling mildly guilty about not pushing you to eat something earlier when he had the chance to.

Your head twitches in his hand before he has the time to drill himself into a spiral over it, and soon enough you’re squeezing your eyes shut tighter before flickering them open.

“There you are, welcome back to the land of the living,” Chimney rubs your shoulder with his hand as you wake, and promptly pushes you back to lying flat when you try to sit up. “No, stay there, you’ll only pass out again if you sit up too quickly,”

“What happened?” You squint your eyes under the harsh overhead lights, covering them with the back of your hand.

“You collapsed on the way out of the truck, gave us all a scare there for a moment,” Bobby crosses his arms as he steps into your line of sight, tone carrying reprimand but his expression laced in concern.

“Right… sorry,”

“Don’t apologise,” Bobby shakes his head shortly, “When was the last time you ate?”

“Uh…” You don’t know whether it’s the fact that you’ve just fainted, or the weird angle you’re currently at that’s making you slower than usual. “This morning,”

“It’s almost 4pm—” Buck’s voice announces you of his presence like he hasn’t been protecting your head from the concrete for the last five minutes with his hand, and you crane your head backwards to look up at him.

“I felt sick, I didn’t want to throw up everywhere that’s gross,” You groan slightly as your neck begins to ache. “Can I sit up now?”

“Slowly,” Hen takes your hand as she carefully pulls you to sit upright, and Buck remains on his knees behind you in case you need to lie back down again. “How are you feeling? Still lightheaded?”

“A little,” You rub the knuckle of your thumb over your forehead in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension lingering there, and Hen hums.

“Alright, it’s time for you to eat,” Buck places both of his hands on your shoulders as he stands, squeezing them softly before extending a hand out to help you back onto your feet, which you take without complaint.

“Okay,”

You let Buck lead you up to the open lounge with mild guilt written across your face. Guilt and embarrassment at the fact that you’d passed out in front of everyone.

“Okay, so we’ve got tomato and onion pasta bake, left over macaroni and cheese, uh…” Buck rifles through the fridge for what’s left of different Bobby creations over the last few days. “Ooh there’s lasagna in here, I might have to keep that for myself,”

He knows it’s not the funniest thing he’s ever said, but when he turns back to check on you, the way you’re sat blankly staring at the table doesn’t spell anything good.

“Hey,” Buck abandons his fridge endeavours with a small sigh, walking over to put his hand on your shoulder. “Are you alright? Really?”

You barely so much as acknowledge him, giving him a small hum as you rest your forehead on the palms of your hands. “I think I should go home…”

Your tone causes the worry to flood back into his features. “You have to eat something…”

“I don’t know if I can stomach it right now,” You close your eyes momentarily, slumping forward so your entire upper body weight is resting against your hands. “I still feel sick,”

He can’t really argue with you about that. Nauseousness was a pain in the ass. But that didn’t mean you didn’t need something in your body to help whatever deficit you were going through right now.

He takes a moment to think through his options, biting the inside of his cheek. “Uh… What about a protein shake? I’m pretty sure I left a few packets here somewhere—” Buck leaves your side to look through some of the kitchenette cupboards for protein shake packets he’d stoad hidden from the team.

“Ah,” He makes a sound of triumph as he retrieves them, holding them up above his head as he’s crouched behind the kitchen island so you can see them. “We have…” He turns the packets in his hand one by one. “Chocolate, banana, vanilla, strawberry, and… blueberry, take your pick,”

You give him a look that tells him you’d rather not have any of them, and a worry line forms in his forehead once more. “Come on… It’s like a milkshake, and you can drink it as slow as you want,” He walks back over to you slowly, the packets held out in his hands towards you so you can choose one. “Please? You’re starting to worry me for real now,”

You begrudgingly take one of the packets from his hands with a small sigh. His concern was appreciated, but it was also mildly daunting. You didn’t like the way his face furrowed when he was concerned about you, it didn’t suit him like smiling did.

“Thank you,” He takes the packet back from you once you’ve chosen which one you want, leaving the others discarded on the table as he prepares the drink for you. “Drink this and then go home and get some rest okay? I’ll drop by your apartment after the shift is over to check on you, and if you still feel really bad then we should go to the hospital,” His words are spoken unevenly as the exertion from shaking the drink canister reaches his vocal chords.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital Buck, I’m fine, i’ve just got the flu or something and pushed myself too hard,” You shake your head adamantly at his suggestion, and he mirrors it himself as he pours the drink into a glass and puts it on the table in front of you.

“Some people go to the hospital when they’ve got the flu and don’t push themselves too hard,” He points at the glass once it’s on the table. “Drink it,”

You oblige with a roll of your eyes, your first sip barely even considered one as you try and force yourself to swallow it through the invisible blockade in your throat.

“And maybe try and take a nap or something? You look exhausted,”

“Oh thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” a your voice is dripping with sarcasm, and it leaves a small smile on Buck’s face.

“You know what I mean,” He shakes his head lightly as he stashes away the remaining protein shake packets. “How much sleep did you get last night anyway?”

He asks you the question right as you go to take another sip of the shake, and you force yourself to swallow it uncomfortably to answer him. “Maybe like three hours? I had a really bad migraine and my lower back was hurting,”

Buck sighs loudly as he pulls out a chair to sit behind you, and he opens his mouth to say something, but you beat him to it,”

“I know I know, that’s not good, i’ll work on it okay?”

“That’s all I can ask,” He gives you a small smile with a shrug of his shoulders.

—

You didn’t have to think about complying to Buck’s suggestion of going home, and after a long hour of trying to digest the protein shake in front of you, that’s exactly what you did.

The station felt remarkably quieter without you there, but that was arguably because everyone was still shrouded in a combined worry for your well being that left them more solemn than usual, their usual banter getting lost in the process.

Once the shift was over, Buck kept his word in heading straight to your apartment, knocking the door with no answer.

He questions whether he got the number right at first, but he’s been to your apartment enough times to know that he hasn’t just stumbled to the wrong door. And the longer it stays shut in his face the more worried he gets.

So he tries the door handle, and it opens, meaning you’d left your apartment unlocked.

He calls your name a few times as he walks in, a small rush of adrenaline making its way through his veins at the slight possibility that something could’ve happened in the few hours since you’d been home alone.

A small breath of relief escapes him as he finds you.

You were circled up into yourself on your couch, TV left on standby as you slept in what Buck assumed to be an extremely deep sleep.

How you manage to make that tiny sofa look like the most comfortable place in the world he doesn’t know, but you seem to be more than happy wedged into the corner with a decorative pillow clutched tightly against your chest.

It’s a welcome sight after everything you’d been through today, and Buck rifles around to find a blanket to throw over you before taking a seat on the other end of the couch and settling in for an evening of watching random movies on your TV until you woke up.

Even if that meant him staying overnight.

[walkawaytall]

I really wish there was more interest in how to handle ADHD other than just addressing the symptoms that affect the people around us.

Like, the best pharmaceutical treatment we have right now is stimulants, and I agree that being on stimulants 24 hours a day, 365 days a year is probably not good for your body. Hell, I’m on a less-than-ideal dose of my medication from a concentration perspective because the ideal dose had my resting heart rate sitting at a cool 115BPM. I know taking med holidays is important. I know all of this.

But because ADHD isn’t just an attention problem (or may not actually be an attention problem at all at its core), it sucks that the only time period medical professionals seem to be concerned about treating are the “important” times: the length of a school or workday. Forget the fact that ADHD affects executive function, forget the fact that people with ADHD often experience chronic and unending anxiety and/or depression as a result of the ADHD, forget that there are important times that have nothing to do with an 8-hour school or work day, forget the rejection sensitivity dysphoria, the sensory issues that make things like clothing, food, and group situations a nightmare to try to navigate, the household stuff that has to be taken care of outside of the 8-hour school or work day. It feels like none of that matters because it doesn’t affect a group of fifteen or more people.

On top of ADHD, I have been plagued with anxiety-related issues for the majority of my life. I likely have a form of OCD and I have a history with a restrictive eating disorder; both of those conditions are very closely associated with high levels of anxiety. I’ve been on anxiety medications before. I was first given an as-needed medication that took the edge off but also made everything feel a little fuzzy, like there was a pane of glass between me and the rest of the world; I was put on an SSRI that somehow made my OCD-related intrusive thoughts about 50x worse than usual and had me wondering at one point if I should be hospitalized; and I’m currently on buspirone, which is doing what it’s supposed to do without the side effects of the others thankfully. But nothing, and I mean nothing, has reduced my anxiety as much as my ADHD medication.

Two hours after my first stimulant dosage, I just suddenly didn’t feel on-edge any more. I estimate that being on ADHD medication has reduced my anxiety by about 70% (buspirone’s for the other 30%). I started taking it in the summer of 2020 and I remember, in 2021, when I saw my boss in person for the first time since lockdown, he remarked on how much more confident I seemed, how I was more likely to speak up in meetings, etc. And I was like…yeah, man, it’s a wonder what not feeling anxious every second of every day will do for someone.

ADHD affects so much more of my life than just attention and anxiety, too. I have sensory issues with mine, which is pretty common, and they make eating — an already sometimes-complicated task due to the ED history — difficult at times because, while I can eat foods that I don’t particularly like, if something is what I call “the bad texture”, I will gag no matter how hard I work to overcome it (believe me, I’ve tried). And my brain sometimes decides that foods that were previously fine are now “the bad texture” and they may or may not shift back to being okay eventually; I don’t know.

The sensory issues affect me socially. My therapist and I have recently come to the conclusion that I’m probably not actually an introvert, but if I’m around larger groups, that means noise and movement and probably being touched, and too much of that causes my brain to either freak out or shut down. I used to always say, “I love people, but when I’m done, I’m done.” And that was likely because the overstimulation was building and building in the background, and at a certain point, my brain would just be like, “We gotta get outta here.” I was Queen of Irish Goodbyes for a very long time because of this.

And the executive dysfunction affects…well..everything? Not just work, not just school (but also those because if my environment is chaotic, my brain feels chaotic, and it is difficult to maintain a non-chaotic environment if you keep getting stuck on order of operations when picking up a room).

I’m not saying that I want to be on longer-lasting stimulants or that I want to be on the higher dose that I know helps my concentration more, cardiovascular system by damned. What I’m saying is, I wish treatment research had been more holistic rather than just figuring out what would give teachers and managers an easier time despite what the person with ADHD might be dealing with as soon as their meds wear off.

Maybe current research is working on it; I don’t know. I just know that, the older I get, the more frustrated I am with my brain and the more apparent the deficiencies I used to be able to counteract with pre-chronic-illness energy and crushing perfectionism become, and I wish there was an answer to this that actually helped me most of the time rather than forcing me to pick which parts of my day/week is “important” and making sure I’m medicated for those parts.

[demonicbaby666]

Can i pls request, Reader and JJ are arguing, Reader confesses her feelings in the heat of the moment, and JJ kisses her. (Jennifer Jareau x reader)

Flirt

One shot | Criminal Minds Masterlist | Masterlists

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Pairing: Jennifer Jareau x fem!Reader

Genre: fluff and bit of angst

Words: 4k+

Warnings: swearing and that’s about it

Summary: You and Emily flirt. It’s never amounted to anything and you’re more than happy about that because it’s all fun and games. Though everyone on the team seems to enjoy the laughs that come from all the interactions the two of you share, one person has never seemed that amused. JJ.

A/n: I’m not sure if this is the vibe you wanted but I hope you enjoy nevertheless! <3

It’s standard, expected even. Friends flirt, and it’s an unspoken agreement, but very much known, it’s all fun and games. The fact that Morgan and Garcia had subjected the whole department to a workplace seminar on appropriate work etiquette - chocolate thunder is not nearly heard as much these days - made you feel a hell of a lot better about the one-liners you and Emily throw at each other on a daily/hourly basis.

The work-wives dynamic you have going isn’t just fun. In truth, it makes workdays easier. The heavy loads brought on by cases take their toll on everyone, and, it’s fair to say, a laugh never hurts. No one on the team minds, well, almost everyone. Hotch, Morgan, Rossi and even Spencer all laugh along, encouraging nicknames, adopting them at times, but not JJ.

She’s never outwardly said anything. Then again, she never needs to. It doesn’t go unnoticed that she never laughs, smiles, or gets involved in the flirtatious banter you and Emily have. At first, it was easy to push aside and ignore, but after around four months of cheeky remarks from Emily and yourself and six months of working with the team, it’s hard not to pick up on the less-than-subtle eye rolls and disdain.

When the two of you are alone, it’s okay. It’s nice. You’ll joke, and now and then, she’ll throw around a particular comment that’ll make you blush, and it’s something you do in return. It remains a rarity, though. And you’re glad for it. Not because you don’t like JJ in that way. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. When JJ compliments you, you feel it all over your body, and you’re sure she sees it. It’s not nothing, and that’s dangerous in a place where workplace relationships are more of a no-no than a yes-yes.

In the office, no matter how hard you try to avoid her, you always bump into her, sometimes quite literally. The coffee you spilt on her white shirt you can still smell. It’s a fond memory, which is unexpected, but that’s only because the moment JJ looked at you, her lips curled up at the sides, and you’d both burst into fits of laughter before she asked to borrow a top from your go bag, a top you’d yet to get back, you never ask though.

JJ mainly keeps to her office, buried in mountains of paperwork. The few times she ventures out to talk to Hotch or visit Garcia, and you happen to run into her, it usually results in you stammering and sounding like a complete idiot, your words running away from you. It’s astonishing how easy it comes to you with Emily and with JJ, nothing. How it is you have blossoming feelings for JJ and can barely function and would sooner hit Emily over the head with a frying pan than kiss her - though you know she certainly wouldn’t disappoint - and can charm her to your wit's end, you don’t know. You know for sure that it’s inconceivably and utterly torturous.

“Hey, short stack,” Emily calls out when you're in her eye line. She’s carrying what is probably, her third coffee of the morning, if not her fourth or fifth, judging by the pep in her step at 9 am. She drifts towards your desk, wafting memories of laughter through rising steam.

“Where’s mine?” You nod to the mug in her hand and try to avoid yawning.

It’s a joke, and maybe it’s the early morning, or the caffeine has fried her brain, but Emily doesn't register that. She looks down at her coffee, back at you, repeats the process another two times, and then unceremoniously shoves the piping hot brown beverage at you. It spills over the rim, she hisses, and you chuckle. Compassion doesn’t come easy when you’re uncaffeinated and sleep deprived.

“Nuh-uh. That has enough sweetener in it to kill a small child.”

“Good thing you only act like a child then,” she playfully jabs, still holding out the coffee. It’s a generous offer, spur of the moment offer, but generous nonetheless.

Alas, you decline. Dropping your bags and shaking your head from side to side, you let out an amused sigh, “I’ll make my own love.”

The coffee machine isn’t far, and it’s non-negligible that you’re in dire need of caffeine, so you start walking over, assuming Emily is following close behind as usual. “Do we have a case?” you don’t bother turning, knowing she’ll be craning over your shoulder any second.

“Yup.” It’s not Emily, though, “I’ll be coming with you guys on this one.”

Turning slowly, you smile at JJ. With her sudden presence still registering, you don’t even want to think about how forced your smile may appear, even if it is genuine, “It’ll be good to have you around.”

She steps closer to grab a stirrer, and you ignore the tension working its way down your spine.

“It'll be nice to be around.” she smiles, and your knees go weak. There's something about her smile. Big, small, soft, forced, it’s never mattered. Every time your legs become jelly, and your heart beats faster.

It's a mystery how she has this much effect on you after six months. It's like the whole world goes hazy. All that matters is JJ, then before you know it, words aren't wording, and you're not, well, you-ing.

You’re saved by Hotch catching your eye as he darts from his office to the briefing room. He waves a file, and the team makes their way over. You try not to stare at JJ walking in front of you. Her hair’s swaying, and if you don't avert your gaze, she's sure to turn around and catch you. There's a little voice inside you. It's telling you not to look away because if she does turn around, you'll see those eyes again, and your tummy will do that weird flippy thing that you'd only ever admit to yourself you've grown to love.

Pull yourself together! You scream to the insipid voice in your head.

You manage to look away. Appreciate the clarity of not being lovesick for two seconds before Emily swoops in, loops her arm through yours and forcibly skips you both into the room. It gets a chuckle from the team, and you glance at JJ to see she’s already got her head down, looking through the case file. She shuffles in her chair, you can only assume sensing your leering eyes, and without raising her head, she looks at you through her lashes.

There's nothing remarkable about how she looks at you; it’s rather ordinary, which motivates you to sigh and slump down on the nearest seat available. Everyone grabs a case file, and you spend that time contemplating who’s feeling more deflated, you or the indented cushion beneath you that is teetering on the brink of death.

It takes a particular type of subtly and poise to mask your rising self-pity, the likes of which you can only hope you possess. Around the table, everyone is listening to JJ, and you ought to do the same. It’s choosing the lesser of two evils, you either focus on what JJ is saying and risk looking like you’ve just been gut punched, or stare blankly into the space between JJ and the projector and come off as a well-rounded put together human.

The latter worms its way on top, the main victory point being that it’ll result in fewer questions asked. Through the garbling, a few words make sense, it’s enough to piece together, and you’re sure time on the jet will equip you with all you need to know.

“Wheels up in twenty.” That, you register.

You’re standing, then you’re walking, then you’re in an SUV, and someone’s talking next to you or, rather, at you. It’s hard to mind, though. Emily makes good background noise, and she seems to drown out the looming thoughts, leaving you to the blur of people and buildings passing by.

Footsteps soon reach your ears. Rossi’s perfectly polished shoes smack against concrete, then metal, as he ascends the stairs to the jet. You know you should get out; your legs, however, ignore this. Emily pulls the keys out and opens her door. Any second, she’ll pick up on your hesitance, and it’s game over. For the duration of the next two days, knowing her, she’ll be on the lookout for any suspicious activity regarding your behaviour if you don’t start moving.

So you move.

Following Emily, the hairs on your neck tingle, and a shiver runs down your spine, despite the warm spring breeze. The signs point to someone looking at you. Turning, you see JJ and Reid walking behind you, neither looking anywhere in your vicinity. JJ seems suspiciously interested in the jet's exterior. Nothing to call home about, though. In her defence, whenever anyone speaks to Reid, they find it hard not to let their mind wander, no matter how hard they are listening.

Nothing outside of the usual occurs when you get on the jet. You sit across from Emily as she slumps down on the first seat available by the front of the plane. It's not that you don't contemplate sitting anywhere else. Who are you kidding? It's not like you don't consider sitting next to JJ, but with all the awkwardness - self-perceived or very much real - you can't stomach the thought of infringing on her and precipitating another chance for you to make an idiot of yourself.

Chancing a look back at JJ, there's the faintest slither of disappointment that comes with watching her haphazardly throw her bag on the chair next to her. It’s unlike JJ to be so indirectly direct in deterring physical closeness.

It’s twenty minutes into the flight, and you and Emily are at it again. In both of your defences’, it wasn’t unsolicited. On the stand, you’d confidently plead you were rabbit holed into discussing how many times you’d had to pretend to act like a couple to deter leering men away, and on top of that, describe, in detail, how you’d mastered the fine art of always getting away with it. Apparently, small talk isn't a thing anymore.

It's been ten minutes of this, and you need to relieve yourself before the next onslaught of laughter results in a change of trousers. You nudge Emily, let her know you'll be right back and turn to head to the back of the jet.

It seems the new norm; whenever an opportunity to glance at JJ’s appears, you take it. Maybe it’s that you’re only just picking up on the habit, something to think about for the duration of the flight, perhaps.

JJ has scarcely moved, one knee up, head turned, eyes out the window. The bag remains unscathed, sitting idly and just as lonesome as the blonde. It's out of respect, for the booming thoughts going through JJ’s head and the physical presence of an ‘I don’t want company’ sign, you stay on your path. However, when you return, her bag is gone, her knee is down, and her attention draws to the direction of the toilet door closing.

The empty seat is beckoning you, calling to you, and though you have enough willpower to return to your own and pretend you haven’t seen anything, laugh about stupid late drunken nights, you choose to save the willpower for a rainy day and sit next to JJ instead.

“Hey,” it’s light, friendly and casual. Smashed it.

Blonde hair, partially bathed in unfiltered sunlight, glides over toned shoulders, and your stomach lurches. “Hey there,” she says. There’s a smile present that’s timid and, for some reason, making you feel a little uneasy because usually, JJ’s smile reaches her eyes, and this one doesn't. The blue orbs are illuminated only by the balmy glow slithering in through the window, and though they’re still as breathtaking as ever, there’s a sadness in acknowledging what’s not there that you can’t seem to shake. “You okay?”

A few seconds, a full minute? You don’t know how long you’ve been staring.

“Uhhh… ya, sorry,” you stammer over your words. There’s a curious look in her eyes, and her eyebrows knit together, “Tired, that’s all. I must have zoned out a little.”

The fingers lying over her knee twitch, and she inches forwards. There’s a split-second thought that maybe she’ll let them run their wanted course, seeking to provide some comfort by brushing over your arm or leg. They remain in her lap.

She’s touring your face, and it's hard to stay impassive when you’re starting to feel more self-conscious than a preschooler entering the lunch hall for the first time. There may as well be turbulence because your body is acting accordingly. You fidget. The paws of your fingers rub over the lines of your palms.

“Are you sleeping?” She’s settled on staring into the dark expanse of your under-eye circles that are half-hidden under shitty concealer.

The worry in her eyes that continuously search your face for an answer to her question is starting to drive you mad. You shrug and turn, relieved that the sinking in your stomach is less vomit-inducing, “Not really, but I manage,” you mutter, eyes wandering over the coffee pot and idle mug.

Whether she believes you is up for debate. A cold chill runs down your arms, and you can tell she’s still staring. A weight suddenly falls on your thigh. With enough speed to snap your neck, you turn.

It’s on fire. You’re sure that your thigh is about to burst into flames, along with your scorching cheeks. No. Your whole body is on fire because JJ’s smiling at you again, and her eyes have stopped searching for evidence of lack of sleep, and they are brighter, gentler and more compassionate.

“This is prime napping time,” she says suggestively.

“Tempting.” you chuckle, or more accurately choke out, shaking your head and paying attention to her hand now moving in circles. Yes. You’re sure. You are on fire. Scorching burning molten lava is slowly replacing the blood coursing through your veins, and you’re going to die on this plane.

Your eyes aren’t the only pair on JJ’s hand placement. As you lift your gaze, JJ’s flickers up too a moment later. Her smile hasn’t faltered. In fact, it may have even grown wider. But you aren’t sure because, at this point, you’re convinced this is all a hallucination.

Finally, she removes her hand to tap her shoulder, “I’m pretty comfy, you know.”

It’s baiting a child with candy, and it’s working. “Well…” you lower your head to the side, and you rest it on JJ’s shoulder, smiling at how easily and perfectly you fit together, “I’ll test that theory out and get back to you.” The end of the sentence is partially yawned out, sleep already weighing heavy on your eyelids.

Sleep hasn't come easy to you over the last week, and it’s a curious thing to ponder upon that JJ is the answer, yet, also part of the problem. Plaguing your mind with her incomparable beauty and so forth. For now, you were too delirious from waking up from the best nap you’d had in… forever…

It isn't hard to admit that JJ was right, she’s inexplicably comfy, more comfortable than your bed, but the brain fog that accompanies your light sensitivity, forcing your eyes closed again, has rendered you incapable of communicating that intelligently.

“I wish I could sleep on you every night.” you sleepily slur, nodding right back off to sleep.

It’s two seconds for you and twenty-three minutes for everyone else. You wake up, jolting your body upright. The words you’d said are still fresh on your lips.

“I-” turning to JJ, dread starts to set in. She’s got the most shit-eating grin on her face that she’s trying to cover with the palm of her hand, and if you weren’t morbidly embarrassed, you might have considered punching her.

She’s snickering now, her hands thrown up in mock surrender. “Theory proven.”

If looks could kill, she’d be stone-cold by now. The worst part is none of this is necessarily her fault, and you know it. She only tugged at a loose string you easily guided her to. Yes, it was pointed out to her in a state of delirium, but that is on your head.

“Bedhead,” JJ coughs, the sun hitting the side of her face angelically.

Pursing your lips and keeping your accusatory gaze fixated on her, you comb your finger through your hair. “Now you're just trying to get a rise out of me,” you grumble.

“Pfff,” she rolls her eyes, smirks, then looks at the papers scattered across the table, “You’re cute when you’re sleeping. Drool and all.”

She’s so fucking smug that part of you dies as a wicked, treacherous girly smile forces the sides of your lips to twitch. “I'm leaving now.”

You drop down across from Emily. She looks at you with an eyebrow raised, then at Reid and Morgan, thinking they might have some insight.

“I need a new mattress,” you huff before looking out the window for the rest of the fight, leaving Emily more confused than when you’d first sat down.

~~~

“Emily, you already know who you’re with,” Hotch smirks, “You both head to the crime scene.”

“God forbid they’re separated,” Rossi lightheartedly quips.

“Oh god,” Morgan sighs, a second too late to warn you.

Emily’s behind you. Her fingers come to your shoulder and dig in almost painfully, “My precious,” she says with her best Gollum impression, then hisses because you’ve delivered a swift elbow to her rips.

She relaxes her grip on you, and while everyone laughs at the idiocy displayed, you mockingly pout at her, “Want me to kiss it better?”

She smirks, “Save it for later,” she slaps your arm and starts walking towards the car, “Come on, let’s get going.”

From the passenger seat window, you see the team, and it’s the same old. Everyone’s dispersing, still smiling and relishing in the small break they got from the morbidity of the job, even if it was only for a minute, except, of course, one person. She’s looking off distantly again, fingers thrumming against her thigh, bottom lip between her teeth, and mindlessly nodding at something Hotch says.

Emily hits the gas, JJ becomes a moving blur, and then she’s gone.

About an hour later, you and Emily are walking into the precinct. Everyone’s heads turn as you both walk in, bickering.

“What's happened now?” Reid asks.

You shove your finger in Emily's direction, “She wouldn't let me drive.”

“Because you're a maniac behind the wheel,” Emily tries to reason.

“And you’re a spoilsport,” you grumble, sitting on a free seat between JJ and Morgan.

“I swear, sometimes you're like an old married couple, the two of you,” Garcia remarks over the phone and nods scatter around the room.

“Excuse me,” JJ stands up and leaves abruptly.

There’s a split-second choice to make, compliantly sit back, as you’ve been doing for weeks, or get up and find out what’s going on with JJ.

It takes looking at the team's faces to realise that if you don’t go, someone else will. Maybe it’s selfish. You know you’re probably not the person she wants to see, and deep down, you know she’s angry, and she’ll lash out. But maybe she’ll reveal the truth despite her rage, and that’s motivation enough to get up and chase after her.

“JJ! Wait up!” You call after her, picking up a light jog, your laden footsteps echoing in the small corridor.

She turns a corner and slips out a side door, likely under the assumption you don’t see her. When you open the door, a small side alley comes into view, and then you notice JJ with her back resting against a wall. She looks utterly defeated, but there’s a resting fire there that you see when she looks up at you.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You walk towards her.

Wearing that distant look again, she says, “It’s the case,” it’s so painfully obvious it’s a lie you can’t stop your brow from rising. She notices and rolls her eyes, “What?”

“Oh, come on, JJ. We both know it’s not the case,” you lean against the wall, turning to the side to look at her. She peers out into the alleyway, “You’ve been acting off all week.”

“We don’t have time for this,” she huffs, pushing herself off the wall. She’s probably right, but there’s no point in either of you going back inside when there’s a big chance your minds will dwell on this interaction.

You reach out and wrap your hand around her wrist, “JJ, talk to me.”

“Will you just drop it!” She yells, yanking her arm away.

“What's your problem?!” you’re sure people can hear you from inside, but the heat is rising within you, and JJ’s bringing it out more and more with her pointed glare.

“What the hell is your problem?!” She sneers.

“Really, JJ?”

“Yes.” she crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows expectantly, enough to push you over the tipping point.

“You know what,” you start, stepping forward, “You are! You’re my problem, JJ.”

“Oh.” She drops her arms down, and there’s a flash of hurt flickering over her features that’s not quite settling but not entirely leaving either.

You let out a heavy breath, “That’s not-”

“Forget it.” she steps away, and it’s infuriating because you’re being stripped of the opportunity to explain, and even if you don’t know what you’re going to say, she’s not giving a chance to think.

And now It’s late to stop yourself, the words are coming out without your consent, and there’s nothing left for you to do, “I like you!” you blurt out.

JJ turns on her heels. Her mouth is hanging open, “What?”

“I like you,” you say, this time a little quieter.

It’s a shock that she’s surprised, given that you have been under the impression you’ve been indisputably evident with your affections towards her.

“Honestly, I thought it was obvious.” You channel your inner voice, it’s small and meek, and you’re not pleased with the fragility of your voice, so you lower your gaze to your feet. A small rock takes your interest whilst you wait for the inevitable sound of JJ’s footsteps fading away.

Instead, they grow louder until the small rock is joined by a pair of black boots and a finger presses to your chin, forcing your head up. Then she kisses you.

It’s light, her lips brushing languishingly against yours, willing you to match their slow rhythm. It takes a few seconds, and you’re back in your body. You part your lips, letting the warmth of JJ engulf you. The kiss is slow and passionate. JJ moves her hands to your waist, pulling you closer against her and a sudden hunger grows low in your stomach, promoting you to nibble at her lower lip.

Your hands are on her shoulders, and she’s moving forward where there’s nowhere to go. You’re only aware you’re moving when you feel the cold surface of brick hitting your back.

A groan tumbles from your mouth, and JJ takes the opportunity to plunge her tongue in. It’s all teeth and tongues from there. You’re both panting and taking in gulps of air where you can, yet still refusing to unfurl yourselves from one another.

Eventually, the need for oxygen mounts to an all-time high, and you pull back, resting your head against the wall as JJ peppers kisses along your jawline.

“How did you not see?” you say between soft moans.

“I’m not a profiler,” JJ mumbles into your neck. She lifts her head, and you see her eyes are shimmering with humour.

“You’re also not blind.” you smugly point out.

“Neither are you.” She smirks.

A few seconds are spent simply smiling sweetly and dotingly at one another, eyes darting to and from eyes to lips. Then you’re kissing again, and the alleyway and the world seem to fade away, leaving only you and JJ.

Tags: @aws-l @babygirlscout @red1culous @7thavenger @sapphicprentiss @five-bi-five-mind @auggiewrites @12fluffybunny12 @asensitivecookie @summoned-lust-demon @maxinehufflepuffprincess | click here to be added to my taglist

[bearsbeetsbeskar]

Restoring the Roots (Joel Miller x Therapist! reader)

Chapter 1: Pre-Contemplation

Chapter 2 here | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | main masterlist |

Pairing: Joel Miller x therapist! reader, post outbreak Rating: none, will be changed to explicit in future chapters (slow burn, eventual smut, age gap) Summary: Life after moving to Jackson looks drastically different for Joel, survival mode is over and now he and Ellie can finally put down new roots. Ellie adapts easily but Joel finds himself struggling to settle into this new life, in more ways than some. At Ellie and Tommy’s insistence, Joel begrudgingly finds himself in therapy to try and work through his struggles but what he encounters is more than just painful memories and deeply rooted trauma. A/N: I cannot say enough thank you's to the number of lovely humans who encouraged this idea and supported me as I embark on my very first fic! And what better Pedro character to be the guinea pig for this idea? Lots of this story draws on my personal knowledge as a social worker, as I am working towards becoming a certified equine assisted therapist. Consequently, there are lots of horsey terms, therapy terms, and vivid descriptions of trauma at certain points. Feel free like, comment, or reblog if you enjoy it :)

Taglist (for now): @beskarandblasters, @pr0ximamidnight, @theewokingdead, @atinylittlepain, @prolix-yuy, @swiftispunk, @harriedandharassed, @amywritesthings

If anyone wants to be on the taglist please let me know! If you don't want to be on it then also let me know lol.

~~~~~~~

You sat up taller in your chair, arching your back and rolling your shoulders in an effort to stretch out your spine, exhaling softly as you heard the cacophony of crunches and protests from your muscles. You had been hunched over your notepad for over an hour, eyebrows scrunched together and your mind running on autopilot, as you caught up on client notes that you had fallen behind on for the last couple days. The downside of having a small therapy practice, hell any therapy practice, was that there was a never ending litany of documentation to fill out. Seeing as you were the only therapist in the tiny commune of Jackson, there was never a shortage of clients and consequently, never a shortage of session notes that you had to write. 

“Hun.”

You hear your name spoken in a warm tone from behind you. You barely look up from the page as you try to rewrite the word ‘diagnosis’ after what feels like the fifth time. The word has basically lost all its meaning at this point. 

“Honey, c’mon, the sun is about ready to set and you can wrap that up tomorrow.” The cover page to the notepad closes on top of your hand and you look up to see your assistant, Tracey, giving you a knowing look and then glancing towards the front of the office. You follow her gaze to the front windows and take in the deep ember orange hue washing over the business faces and windows on the opposite side of the street, signaling the end of another day. Sighing softly, you lean back in your chair and cross your arms over your chest with a frown. You know she’s right and yet you still have the same dispute every day. 

“Trace, you and I both know that if I don’t get them done today, they will just be added to tomorrow’s to do list, besides this is the last one I swear,” you say to her with a smirk, as if she has not heard that excuse before. 

You were never the kind of person to half-ass your responsibilities at your job, including client documentation, even if there was no longer any governing body or association to uphold professional social work standards. You did your job with integrity, even the mundane administrative tasks that involved more writing than actual talking with clients. Tracey knew this of course, it was something she admired about you, how suited you were for this line of work. It was clear that you cared deeply for the clients that you supported. But it doesn’t mean it was not a fight when the end of the workday rolled around and she had to tear you away from your desk and practically shove you out of the office door. 

She rolled her eyes at you and her lips curled into a small smile as she headed towards the door with her coat and bag in tow. “Promise me you will at least be out of here before the night patrol starts?” She points her finger at you as she stops just ahead of the door. You nod and wave her off as you turn your focus back to the notepad, smoothing your palm over the words etched into the cover ‘Restorative Reins.’ 

You had only been in Jackson for roughly over a month, though it felt like much longer. Much like everyone else who had survived the outbreak and came to find refuge in the small settlement after the world went to shit, you were grateful to accept any basic decencies of normal life that were afforded to you. Warm meals, warm showers, hell running water in general was a miracle in and of itself at that point. So when you actually arrived in Jackson, you were dumbfounded to see how much normalcy surrounded you. Children running and playing in the streets, storefronts of various thriving businesses, sheep being rounded up in a nearby corral - hold on, a fucking MOVIE THEATER? 

While it took some time to grow out of the perpetual fight or flight mode that you were entrenched in from life on the road, you did eventually fall into a good pace in Jackson. Especially after getting involved in the community and taking up the job as the local therapist, you had never been busier, and you loved it. 

The world felt unflinchingly obsolete post outbreak, but being able to support others with their mental health never failed to bring you joy and an unshakeable sense of purpose. You wanted to help others as they navigated their pain and broke down the mental blocks that entrapped them in their trauma. You wanted to help them realize the innate strength that they possessed. Sadly, you never got the chance to practice long term, as you finished up grad school just before the outbreak happened. But that didn’t seem to matter now as you had an endless stream of community members that you saw on a weekly basis at your practice, all with their own pain and struggles, seeking support.

It was crazy to think about the short period of time that had passed since you started at the job, how much you had done for the residents, how much more that you wanted to do. You were pulled from your memories when the office phone rang, internally groaning as you looked at your watch.

4:58 p.m. Of course. 

Steeling yourself you picked up the phone, praying that it was a quick call.

“Restorative Reins Practice, how can I help you?” you answered.

“Oh! hi ma'am,” a warm, mellow Southern drawl greets you on the other end. “Are you the local therapist that has been helpin’ folks out around here with their mental health?”

"That's me,” you reply warmly, “what can I do for you?”

The man hesitates briefly, “Well, I was uh wanting to know a bit more about the business I guess, how the therapy process works, fees and stuff for someone who was interested in getting help. Not me though, it’s not for me, it’s for my brother, Joel. My name is Tommy by the way,” he mentions quickly. 

“No problem Tommy, I can explain the basics to you including the different types of therapy I offer and how the process works,” you reassure him. You explain to him the different services, how the equine therapy worked, walk in hours, session lengths and so on. 

“I should probably mention that my brother ain’t keen on getting help and reaching out to others when he needs it, he’s too damn proud to acknowledge it, so he really doesn’t think he has any issues and thinks everything is fine… but he’s having a real tough time settlin’ down here. He’s so haunted by his past and he’s been acting differently lately, more temperamental, well, more than usual,” Tommy adds. You smile to yourself and nod, as you’ve had many clients before who were stuck in similar struggles and closed off to therapy initially.

“I can definitely understand that,” you sympathize with him. “It sounds like your brother has been through a lot and you just want him to get some support, which is great. Therapy isn’t for everybody but I have worked with many individuals like him who were going through similar situations, and they found great success.”

“That’s great to hear. That’s all I want for him is to get some help,” Tommy states.

“Now with that being said,” you continue, “therapy is voluntary, I cannot force someone to attend, but if your brother would agree to a consultation with me, I could chat with him more about where he is at, the kind of support he could benefit from and go from there. No pressure to commit to anything,” you propose to him.

“Hmm, I think he could be persuaded to try that, now that you mention it like that,” Tommy chuckles, sounding pleasantly surprised. 

“Awesome! You can tell him to stop by the office any time and we can discuss it more. We’re open from 9-5,” you tell him, silently relieved that it was an indeed quick call. He thanks you and hangs up. 

Something else akin to curiosity creeps into your mind as you recount what Tommy briefly told you about his brother. Maybe more so intrigue. You wonder how resistant he is to therapy, what happened in his past to hurt him so deeply, but you catch yourself before your thoughts run away from you further, either way you look forward to helping another person in need. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tommy, I swear to god if you bring up this damn therapy shit again, I won’t hesitate to shoot you next time we’re out on patrol,” Joel growled through clenched teeth, as he walked away from his brother into the kitchen of the house. 

“Boy, it ain’t like I never heard that before,” Tommy quipped sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he followed Joel into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway as he leaned against the frame, hands shoved into his pockets. He observed his brother's rigid stance, the tightness in his shoulders, as Joel stood over the sink, looking out the window. 

This felt like the umpteenth time that Tommy had broached the subject of Joel getting help and talking to a ‘shrink,’ as he dismissively described it, for the issues that he was struggling with. Joel was fine. He didn’t have any fucking issues. He was doing just fine and didn’t need some professional to scrutinize him, reduce him to his vices, and open old wounds from his past life. He was encouraged to go to grief counseling after Sarah died but by some grace of God, or whatever godforsaken omnipotent entity existed at that point, the outbreak occurred. Forget mental health, physical health and survival became the only focus.

Tommy exhaled softly. “Listen, I'm only suggestin’ it because I care about you. Ellie cares about you. You both have been through hell and back in the last year, I mean shit, we all have. But it seems like everything y’all went through is still affecting you, holding you back from letting your guard down and settling in here,” he states plainly, sadness lacing his tone. 

“That’s bullshit Tommy and you know it,” Joel snaps, turning to face his younger brother and leaning back against the counter, arms crossed in defense. His gaze narrows.  “I go out on patrol don’t I? Pick up extra shifts wherever it’s needed, help out with the contracting jobs, go out with Ellie in town.” Joel stood up taller, puffing out his chest, challenging his younger brother. Tommy shook his head, running his hand over his face with an exasperated expression. Heaven forbid Joel did anything for himself that did not involve contributing or providing for someone, period. He just couldn’t shake that from his identity, and it broke Tommy’s heart as he watched his brother’s stubborn pride, ridden with guilt and trauma, swallow him whole. 

“Man when are you gonna fuckin’ do something for yourself Joel?!” Tommy asserted, his frustration reaching a boiling point. “Forget the damn commune, forget the community, forget Ellie for a sec and think about the last time YOU did something for yourself, the last time YOU reached out for help goddamnit.” He pushed off the doorframe and crossed the threshold of the kitchen as he strode towards Joel.

“You’re not on the run anymore brother. You don’t have to just survive. You can have a life here. You can sleep without keepin’ one eye open and relax without lookin’ over your shoulder. Don’t you want that? Don’t you think you deserve that?! Don’t you think you deserve this?!” Tommy said as he gestured around the cozy kitchen and fixed his older brother with a pleading stare. 

Joel’s eyes widened as he tried to step back, the edge of the counter biting into his lower back as he took in Tommy’s weary face, the pain in his soft brown eyes, mirroring his own. His younger brother rarely raised his voice anymore. The outbreak took its toll on his hot headed temperament that never seemed to simmer down, even after he was discharged from the army. Joel knew that Tommy cared about him, hell he knew how deeply his brother loved him, after all they had respectively been through in the last twenty years, it had to be serious for him to raise his voice. 

Joel opened his mouth, ready to bite back but his brother raised his hands in the air in surrender, “Look, this is the last time I will bring this up, I swear. But yesterday I called up the therapist in town who’s been helpin’ folks out, and asked her about the therapy process and she seems real nice, and supportive. She said you could come in for a consultation and talk to her and see if you’re interested,” Tommy said quietly.

Joel’s gaze narrows as he scrunches his eyebrows together in incredulity, “You-”

“I had nothing to lose Joel. Absolutely nothing. And neither do you,” Tommy cuts him off, raising his chin in defiance. “At least go talk to the therapist, if you don’t like her or you’re not feelin’ it, then I’ll drop it and let it go. Okay? The office is on the main street, just beside the clothing store, adjacent to the stables and they’re open everyday from 9-5.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ Tommy,” Joel leaned back as he looked up at the ceiling, wishing it would collapse in on him. Gotta love that brotherly love.  

“Look I should be getting back now, Maria will be waiting for me. Here’s the number and address for the business. I’ll see you around okay?” Tommy patted through his pockets and retrieved a small piece of paper with writing scribbled on it, placing it on the counter beside Joel. He gave him a last placating look before he walked out of the kitchen, the front door closing behind him with a soft click. 

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled sharply before turning back around to look out the kitchen window. He hung his head in defeat, rounding his back as he rested his elbows on the counter and glared into his matte reflection in the sink. He didn’t need any help. He was doing fine. He’s still upright and breathing, with blood coursing through his veins isn’t he? Albeit, he's not jumping out of bed like a sprightly thirty year old anymore. His knees pop and crackle when he gets up from crouching over machinery for too long, his joints protest the next day when he pushes himself too far, moving slower than usual on job sites. 

Hell, even his memory is starting to get cloudy around the edges. If it weren’t for Ellie some days, he’s sure he would leave the house without pants on, what with her always reminding him where things are in the house, special events that are coming up in the community that he forgets about. He had been a bit more snappy than usual, as Ellie so lovingly pointed out one day, but that’s nothing compared to his normal demeanour. 

“You’re becoming a grumpy motherfucker y'know that? Jeez, who shit in your cornflakes this morning?” She grumbled at him with a mouth full of cereal, after he snapped at her reminder that it was parent day at the local school. Parent day, P.A. day, Joel hadn’t dealt with any of this shit in over twenty years since Sarah was in school. Even then he managed to swiftly neglect many of the parental events, seeing as Sarah was the perfect student, with nothing but glowing reviews from her teachers. The fact that Ellie was going to school amidst a fucking apocalypse was enough for Joel to be content. 

But still, he’s doing fine, right? Just fine. 

“Maybe talking to someone that’s not related to you would help you, y’know? Being able to talk about shit that you can’t talk to me, or Tommy, or anyone else about you know?” Ellie proposed to him later that night.

As luck would have it, she was already home when Joel and Tommy spoke in the kitchen and she had heard pretty much the entire conversation. And like Tommy, she only wanted Joel to get support because she cared about him. 

“Think of all the shit that we went through in the past year, forget the infected, and the raiders, and FEDRA, and almost dying,” she casually listed off on one hand as if she was reciting a grocery list.

“There's so much shit that we’re both carrying with us, demons from our past, and it’s gotta come out one way or another. Look, therapists aren’t there to judge you, or analyze you,” she continued, “they’re kind of like a sounding board for you to bounce your thoughts off of, and they help you process shit you’re going through. You never know unless you try it,” she said matter of factly. 

“Like Tommy said, you got nothing to lose man. Plus the whiskey and pills will only help you numb reality for so long, you’re gonna go insane eventually,” she said, fixing him with a knowing look as she leaned back into the couch beside him.

Joel just grunted in response and frowned. Damn this kid for being too insightful for her own good.

Ellie might be young but she most certainly wasn’t naive. And as much as Joel would have liked to assume that her easy transition into life in Jackson was on account of her youthfulness, it really wasn’t. It was just the fact that she had never known a normal life, as heartbreaking as that was. She never had the chance to experience such normalcy before everything turned on its head. But she developed friendships with a few of the other teens in the community, namely one girl Dina, who she hung out with after school, went to the movies and other community events with.

She didn’t have to actively try to fit into Jackson, she just did. Joel would never acknowledge the pangs of jealousy he felt gnawing at his insides when he saw her getting on so well, but it didn’t mean they chipped away at his morale any less. 

Ellie smirked at his lack of response, knowing he was mulling it over in his mind. With the relationship they had developed over the past year, she was grateful to be able to talk to Joel and actually get through to him.

“Damn maybe I should be a fuckin’ therapist, that was good advice wasn’t it?” she grinned at him, elbowing him in his side.

Joel snorted and shook his head. “Christ, I must be losing my mind for real this time if you’ve got me considering it.”

“Now c’mon,” she wiggled her eyebrows at him, “you owe me at least a few games of Boggle for that pep talk,” she said triumphantly, holding up the weathered board game that was on the coffee table.

[hellfirexwhore]

Forget What You've Heard E.M.

Line cook!Eddie Munson x Bartender!Reader

Sorry it took so long between posts! I've been working all day every day so it's busy over here. I hope you enjoy! 

I do not give permission for my work to be copied / posted as original work on any platform.

Your favorite co-worker's flirty nature is your favorite part of the workday, but is it genuine? Someone is feeding you lies just as your patrons are being fed mozzarella sticks and Eddie is determined to convince you he's not just playing games with your heart.

Misunderstanding, hurt/comfort, fluff, cursing, an asshole named Dylan (We all know one), use of Y/N

Wordcount 4.7k

You smile to yourself as you count up the tips you've made so far. Bartending has done wonders for your wallet, and it's totally worth it if you can look over the long hours on your feet, creeps trying to get into your pants, and going home smelling like sour mix and sweat. You just moved to Hawkins 6 months ago and since living on your own is expensive, you serve beers and shake cocktails at the karaoke bar downtown to make a living. It's easy work and you're good at it, but there's just one issue; your favorite co-worker is a huge distraction. Eddie is the cutest damn line cook you've ever seen with his curly hair always tied into a low bun and his smile that you're sure could cure a number of diseases, but those things don't make it easy to do your job efficiently. It's nearly impossible to grab a platter of nachos from the window without him throwing out a wink and calling you sweetheart, telling you you're doing a good job, or even sliding a basket of fries to you with a finger to his lips as a way of saying "Don't tell on me, honey." 

Tonight is no different. Eddie has been a total menace all night, flashing you that flirty smile, keeping you from your work with his corny pick-up lines that he insists will get him a date with you one day, making conversation, and giving you extra sides of ranch without making you ring them in first like the kitchen manager does. The second you walked into the back to set your bag down after arriving, he told you your hair looked absolutely ravishing even though it's just thrown into a clip like always, making you blush like crazy. It took nearly 20 minutes to get the scarlet red tint to leave your cheeks, and though you tried your hardest to hide it, Eddie sure as hell noticed, leaving a smile on his face throughout the busy evening.

"Hey sweetheart, I've got those wings for the bar top ready for you." You hear from behind you, snapping you out of your thoughts. You smile to yourself at the nickname and put the glass you've just finished washing upside down on the drying mat. 

You turn around to an always grinning Eddie leaning his elbows on the stainless steel of the mini counter under the window to the back of house and holding the ticket in between his index and middle digits. You take the slip of paper out of his hand slowly, letting your fingers touch for a moment before stabbing it through the small metal spike to your right. Every once in a while, you like to indulge in his flirtatiousness, though it makes you nervous. Eddie's fun, he's nice, and dishing back what he gives to you every day isn't hurting anyone. "Thank you, Eddie."

"Any time, sugar." He replies, winking and turning to grab a new ticket and drop an order of potato skins in the fryer. You shake your head, smiling from ear to ear, turning to serve the hot plate to one of your regulars. 

The rest of the shift goes great. Your tips are higher than you had planned, nobody had to be thrown out for fighting, and you got to hear a wonderful rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" sang by a very intoxicated older gentleman during the karaoke session. As you clean up the bar for the night, as always, you can't stop thinking about Eddie. You think tonight might actually be the night you ask him to hang out with you outside of work, though he's invited you to go get some late night pizza before, playfully pouting when you have to decline, telling him that you're exhausted and have to go back to the bar to open the next day. You've wanted to say yes, but Eddie makes you nervous. You're feeling bold tonight though, and you're optimistic. 

Unbeknownst to you, Eddie is in the kitchen cleaning the fryers, taking out the trash, and scrubbing the floors absentmindedly, almost like he's in auto-pilot because he can't get you out of his head. He wants so badly to ask you out, but he's tried that and you don't seem interested. He realizes you probably just flirt with him for fun, a harmless workplace friendship with some winks and pet names sprinkled in, but over the past four months, he's developed a serious crush on you. 

There's just something about you that makes you so different from everyone he's ever dated or been interested in. He doesn't feel like he has to change who he is for you. There's nothing better for Eddie's ego than how easy it is to make you smile, and goddammit what a beautiful smile it is. Every time you look at him through your lashes, blushing at something stupid he's said, Eddie feels like he could lift the entire building up with one hand and not even break a sweat. He fears he's in too deep at this point, the innocent flirting leading to him finding himself thinking about you even once he's gone home for the night. 

"Hey Eddie boy, I think you missed a spot." Eddie rolls his eyes at the irritating voice coming at him from his left. Dylan is one of the most insufferable people he's ever met and of course, he has the honor of working beside him at least 3 nights out of the week. 

Eddie doesn't turn his attention to Dylan, just continues wiping down the steel counter top. "Bite me, jackass." 

"Wow, someone's sassy today, huh? What, you didn't get enough attention from your little bartender tonight?" He smarmily replies, a disgustingly annoying grin on his face. Dylan, to Eddie's dismay, has picked up on the little "situation" between you two, making a joke of it every chance he can in an attempt to piss him off. 

Eddie laughs humorlessly, throwing his rag down and turning to the bane of his existence, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dude shut the fuck up."

"Hey look man, I get it! I'm just saying it's embarrassing watching you stare at her like a fucking creep all day. She does look pretty smokin' in those jeans though, so I don't blame you. Hey maybe I'll ask her out tonight, see if I can get some tail. Think she'll give up the goods?" He's smirking while Eddie's blood is raising in temperature. He can practically feel smoke coming out of his ears hearing this sorry excuse for a man speaking about you like you're just a piece of ass and not the sweet, funny, beautiful person you are. 

"I swear to God, I'll bust your teeth in." Eddie seethes, trying to keep his cool, at least while you're in the building. You're blissfully unaware of their hatred for one another and the last thing he needs is for you to see him throwing his fist into Dylan's face for talking about you. That wouldn't be very "innocent flirtationship" of him. 

"Guys! Come on, finish cleaning and knock it off. I don't have the energy for your cat fights tonight." The kitchen manager huffs, stepping between the two of them with a severely annoyed look on his face. Wordlessly, Eddie takes one more look at Dylan, picks his rag back up, and continues his task of degreasing all of the surfaces. He wants to get it over with and be able to clock in time to catch you before you leave and walk you to your car.

Dylan, the vindictive man he is, takes the opportunity to make his way through the swinging kitchen door and into the main bar area while Eddie isn't paying attention. You look up, expecting to find Eddie standing there, but confused when it's the guy you barely speak to heading in your direction.

"Hey Y/N, you do good tonight?" He asks, leaning against the bar. You smile politely, still wrist deep in soapy water from washing the bar glasses and beer mugs. 

"Yeah, better than I expected actually. Did you need something?" You ask, not rudely, but assuming he came for something specific seeing as he's never made small talk with you before.

Dylan takes a breath and rests his elbows on the hard wood of the bar top, shaking his head like he's trying to think of how to tell you what he sauntered up to you for. You begin to dry your hands, getting a little nervous thinking that maybe the manager had sent him up here to tell you something you've done wrong. You're still relatively new and you've never gotten in trouble here before, but you can't think of anything else he would need to say to you. "Look, I know you and Munson are friends, and I see the way you look at him. You like him, and before you deny it, just listen to me." 

Your heart starts to race. Did he tell Eddie? Did Eddie say something to him? How are you going to face him when apparently other people are picking up on this? Are you this obvious? You can't take it anymore so you nod, waiting for more information as you toy with your hands. 

"You seem sweet, okay and I don't want to see someone like you hurt by someone like him. Eddie and I are cool, but this is what he does. he flirts with the new ones, takes them home, and never speaks to them again. When another newbie comes in, he starts it all over again. I just thought you should know since I'm sure you're a genuinely nice person and I'm certain Eddie is taking advantage of that." Your heart drops at his words. You feared you were being played with, but you didn't want to believe it. You fell for Eddie's charms, and now it's time to face the harsh reality that you had completely misunderstood this whole situation and made yourself look like an idiot in front of everyone. 

"Um, wow. Well thanks for telling me, I appreciate it. I'm gonna finish up here and head out. Have a good rest of your night." You say, rushing through so you don't tear up mid-sentence. Dylan nods, not saying another word but offering a sympathetic smile before turning on his heel and going back through the door he came. You pull the plug to the dish sink, gather your signed receipts to shove into the drawer, and give the glazed wood one last wipe down. You hear Eddie say your name through the window but you act like you can't hear him. 

This whole thing could have been avoided if you wouldn't have fallen for the good looks and quirks of the fuzzy-headed, wild-eyed line cook. You never should have caught feelings in the workplace; that's like rule number 001 in the service industry. Never, under any circumstances, canoodle with your co-workers. You thought maybe this was an exception but now here you are, proven wrong. 

Heading through the swinging door to the kitchen, you avoid eye contact with everyone, especially Eddie, as you walk straight to the back to gather your things. You feel humiliated and giving Eddie the satisfaction of seeing you upset is out of the question so the sooner you can get out of the building, the better. You give quiet goodbyes to the managers and make a quick escape, or you at least try to before a hand reaches out to hold your forearm. 

"Hey, wait for me. I'll walk you to your car." Eddie says softly, giving you a soft smile. You can't bear to look him in the eyes, so you gently pull away, shaking your head. 

"It's fine Eddie, thanks though." You reply, turning to finally leave. Eddie watches as you throw your bag strap onto your shoulder and hurriedly make your way to the exit. Hurt washes over him and he's more confused than when he learned what a tampon is in middle school. He furrows his brow and slumps his shoulders, going back to his final task before he can leave for the night. He doubts you're still going to be in the parking lot by the time he can get out there, but his heart is racing like he might have a shot at catching you before you leave. 

Did he say something? Did his flirting finally make you uncomfortable tonight? He racks his brain trying to come up with some sort of reason why you would be upset with him. Normally, he would suggest that maybe you're just tired but even when you're on the verge of falling asleep where you stand, you can still manage to give him a sleepy smile and a breathy laugh at another one of his terrible jokes. Maybe he took it too far. Maybe he weirded you out or gave you the wrong idea. It wouldn't be the first time he's scared someone off.

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You continue to go to work as normal, doing your best to not entertain anything Eddie had to say. The more distance you can create between the two of you, the less likely you'll get hurt. The time for stepping away from him to protect your feelings ended long ago but now it's time to do some damage control before you get worse. You get attached to people, and unfortunately that includes the bad people too. 

You thought long and hard about whether or not you actually believed Dylan. I mean it's his first time actually talking to you and he breaks the news to you that Eddie just wanted to get into your pants? Why would he care? After going back and forth with yourself over it for your entire day off, you don't know what to think but what you do know is that if they really are friends and if Dylan actually does care, then the safe bet is to just stay away. If he's telling the truth and you ignore that to continue growing your feelings for Eddie, you're in for a world of hurt and that's just not something you can deal with right now. 

You're not mean to Eddie when you work now; you just treat him like everyone else. You say "please" and "thank you", you ring in your extra sauces when you need them, you greet him just like you greet every other cook, and you don't flirt or bat your lashes at him anymore. Eventually, he is going to ask why but until he does, you can't bring yourself to ask him about it. It's humiliating and if he does have bad intentions, he's not going to be honest about it anyway so what's the point in starting that conversation? 

Eddie is trying everything. These past few days have been hell for him and he's grasping at straws. He offers to make you fries, you tell him, "Thank you, but I'm not hungry." He tries to ask you about your day, you apologize and say you're busy. He tries to catch you before you leave at night, but you practically sprint for the door the second you're finished with your side work. 

He watches through the window as you smile at your last patron of the night, desperately wishing that smile was for him. You haven't paid him any mind in 3 days and it's driving him crazy. It might be a little better if he actually knew what he did, but he's completely clueless. The awkward interactions are eating away at Eddie, and he knows if he doesn't say something soon, he'll explode. He starts his cleaning and breaking down the line as quickly as possible in an attempt to finish before you do so you don't run away from him again like you have been. If he doesn't get this straightened out, he doesn't know what he'll do. 

Your last tab is cashed out and you begin your cleaning, causing Eddie to pick up his pace. He knows it'll take you 20 minutes max now that you and him aren't chatting throughout to slow you down. As long as nobody gets in his way, he's determined to finally be able to talk to you tonight. Not playful banter, no pick up lines, just a real conversation. The sooner he gets back into your good graces, the better. 

"Trouble in paradise?" Eddie turns to see Dylan smirking with his arms across his chest. So much for nobody getting in his way. 

Eddie laughs humorlessly and goes back to his work. "Fuck off, dude." 

"Look man I'm just saying it seems like there's a little riff between the lovebirds lately. I wonder what happened, hm?" Dylan replies, his tone condescending as ever, doing his best to get a rise out of Eddie. To his dismay, it's working. 

"You don't know shit." Eddie mumbles, wringing out a sanitizer rag, his fingers already becoming little prunes extended from his hands from the extensive cleaning. 

"I don't know about that one, Ed. We had a really riveting conversation, seriously it was interesting, and I'm sure I know a little more than you think." This stops Eddie in his tracks. He breathes hard through his nose and turns on his heel, grabbing Dylan by his shirt and shoving him against the wall. 

"What the fuck did you say to her? Huh? Are you the reason she won't fucking talk to me? What the hell is wrong with you, you jealous son of a bitch?!" Eddie shouts. The manager on duty is already trying to break the two of them up and you hear the commotion from the front, peering your head into the window to see what the hell is going on. 

"Ooh Munson is mad! I just told her exactly what you're up to, that's all." Dylan says, calm as ever, a disgusting smile on his face. "Punching me won't undo it, so go ahead." 

"Enough! I swear to god, I will kick you both out." Eddie reluctantly loosens his grip on the boy's clothing, only pulling away completely when he's certain the risk of getting fired isn't worth hitting Dylan, even though the want to is overwhelming. 

 Eddie looks to you, his heart breaking at the disappointed look on your face. He decides this ends now. He has no idea what filth and lies have been planted in your head, but he needs to fix it and fast. He gives one last scowl to the man he was just threatening, and backs up, walking out of the kitchen door. 

He approaches the bar and you freeze. You don't know what you're supposed to say or do, so you do and say nothing. He has a soft look on his face, one very different than the one he was wearing in the kitchen just a minute prior. It's almost as if his rock hard persona turns to cotton candy when he's in your presence, and if you ask Eddie, that's exactly how that works. 

"Look, I know you don't want to talk to me and I'm still not entirely sure why, but please wait for me. Please talk to me, let me figure out what the hell happened, and let me fix it." He pleads. You think it over quickly, trying to figure out of this is something you even want to get into right now. You question his motives, still confused as ever. Helpless, you nod and see the relief wash over his entire body, giving you the same feeling as when you're in the middle of a horrific thunderstorm, and in an instant, the sun comes out of the dark clouds. Whether this conversation leaves you feeling like a sunny summer day or it leads to another crack of thunder, you're unsure but you have half an hour before you find out. 

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

You sit there at the bar having finished your closing work, waiting for Eddie to finish his. Against your better judgement, you're happy to talk to him again but nothing can stop the knot in your stomach from growing tighter. All you wanted to do today was make some money, go home, cook dinner, take a bath, and watch a movie in bed but now, you're sitting here, anxiety building up in your body like a tower of mix-matched Lego pieces. 

You're taken out of your thoughts when Eddie exits the kitchen and walks toward you, not looking any less nervous than he did earlier in the evening. "Hey, sorry I took so long." 

"It's okay." You say quietly, standing up from the bar stool and pulling the strap of your backpack up onto your shoulder. "Do you want to talk outside?" 

Eddie nods, giving you a tight smile. He leads you out of the front door and around to the side of the building to the employee parking lot, not saying a word just yet. the silence is broken by the flick of your lighter, illuminating the tip of a cigarette freshly placed in your mouth, inhaling the smoke and feeling the tiniest amount of tension wash away. 

You lean against your car waiting for him to speak, still not really sure what you're supposed to say. He's the one that needed to defend himself, he's the one who wanted this conversation to happen. 

"Look, I don't know what Dylan told you but I can assure you it was a lie." He starts. He's fidgeting with his fingers, avoiding eye contact. He's lost every ounce of confidence he once had when he's on the other side of the wall passing you a basket of chicken tenders. 

"If you don't know what he said, then how would you know that?" You reply, taking another drag of your cigarette. You're hoping he's being genuine and not just defensive right off the bat, but if someone is lying about you, you'd feel defensive too. Everything is still fuzzy and figuring out this mess is like putting the pieces of a clear puzzle together.

"Because he fucking hates me. He does shit just to piss me off." Eddie shakes his head, pulling his own pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting one between his lush lips. 

"Why would he hate you, Eddie? What did you do?" You don't mean to point blame at him but he had to have done something to make someone hate him to the point of making up a lie to make you ignore him for days.

"When I first started, he thought I was flirting with this girl he had a thing for, and she got a crush on me. She didn't want to hang out with him anymore and he thought I just swooped in and stole her. I didn't even like her like that but since then, he's made it his job to make my life a living hell when he's here. That includes fucking this-" Eddie gestures his hand between the both of you, "-up for me." 

"He told me you're fucking with me." You say, suddenly fixing your eyes on your sneakers. You almost shudder thinking back at the way your heart dropped to your stomach when Dylan first spoke to you. "Said you flirt with the new ones to get into their pants and then move on to the next one." 

Eddie's eyes widen, looking like he's a child being told Santa isn't real. The genuine look of shock is very convincing, and you're close to dropping every allegation from that expression alone. "Jesus Christ. Y/N, I promise that's not what's going on here." 

"How can I know that for sure? I felt like an idiot after he told me that. I was humiliated thinking I fell for some sleazy game you were playing." You're trying not to tear up. You can feel the thickness in your throat as you speak, hoping Eddie doesn't pick up on it. Six months of growing feelings for someone isn't something to fuck around about, and you might have taken this more seriously than it was intended, but when you're in that close of proximity with someone for that long, itching for the other to make a move, it's hard to not be heartbroken when something happens to it. 

"Sweetheart, I flirt with you because I like you. At first, it was just fun and I thought you were cute, but now I have a big, fat, stupid crush on you and I think about you all the time. I don't ask you to hang out with me after work so I can take you to my van and get your clothes off. I ask you to hang out with me because I like the way you make me feel." Eddie responds, making eye contact with you finally, searching your eyes for any trace of doubt. He wants you to know how serious he is. This isn't just a fling for him, much like it never was for you. You had a feeling this could turn into something special, though it goes against everything people tell you about workplace relationships. 

"And what would that feeling be?" You inquire, not breaking the contact between his chocolate pools and your own, finding a boldness in yourself that you didn't know existed. 

"You make me feel like I'm the coolest guy in the world. You laugh at my stupid jokes, you compliment me, you're interested in what I have to say.." He trails off with a fond smile on his face. There's a softness about him that balances out the roughness of his edges, endearing you even further. He reaches out to grab your soft hand with his rough one. "I really fucking like you." 

"I really like you too. I was going to ask you out the night Dylan dropped a bomb on me." You admit, rubbing your thumb over the skin of his hand. 

"That motherfucker." Eddie shakes his head, getting angry all over again at the fact that he finally had his chance and it got ruined for him in an instant. "I'm going to kick his ass." 

You pull your hand out of his and smack him lightly on the chest. "No, you can't get fired! Who will I talk to all day?"

"You've been doing just fine not talking to anyone." Eddie jokes, raising his eyebrows and bringing his cigarette to his lips, inhaling the smoke that seems to make this whole thing easier. After having a sick stomach for hours, he skipped his smoke breaks, partially leading to his angry outburst.

"Yeah and it was miserable! Do you know how much I hated having to go through my shift without hearing you call me sweetheart?" You laugh, a sound Eddie missed, even for just three days. 

He smiles down at you, dazzling as always. You missing him as much as he missed you is actively washing away his worries one by one like a salty body of water washing away a structurally questionable sandcastle. "I won't deprive you anymore." 

"I appreciate that." You grin, taking his hand back into yours. 

"Does that mean you believe me? You can ask anyone, I'm serious. I talk about you all the time. The guys make fun of me for my "heart eyes" the entire time you're here. Ask Adam, Levi, Grant, Brandon-" 

"Okay, okay." You cut off his adorable rambling. "Yes, I believe you."

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief. You can see his shoulders relax, his jaw loosen, and his posture seems straighter. "Good because I mean it. I'm sorry this was such a mess for you. Hopefully I can make up for it?"

"And how do you plan to do that, Munson?" You tease, giving him the flirty look he had been wishing to see from you again. He can't take his eyes off of the way you look at him through your thick lashes. 

He moves closer to you subtly, moving slowly so he can relish in the moment. "Can I start with that date?" 

"You sure can." You say just above a whisper. You're lost in his eyes once again, but this time, it's not just playful. There's a brand new feeling getting introduced here and it blows your mind that it was first kindled in a greasy kitchen. 

As long as Eddie is here, things are easy. You have your flirty boy back and being at work is a little easier again. With Eddie right behind you serving up winks and pet names just as often as he serves up appetizers, going home smelling like beer and deep fried cheese is worth it. 

[yevmarie]

My Angel. My Devil.

Pairing: Scud x Female Reader

Word count: 1k

Warnings: 18+, MDNI, terribly written smut, unprotected piv, swearing, drug use (by reader as well), bad English (not my first language).

A/N: well, it's my first time in writing smut in English (as if it could be better if I wrote in my first languages, lol). So, if this post is deleted after some time, just know that I felt cringey. YOLO.

You lost count of which round it was as your consciousness had left your brain as soon as you took the first hit. You were rolling your hips on top of a whimpering overstimulated mess called Scud lying half-upright on the couch of your tiny apartment in the warehouse where you worked for Blade. Scud's arms are weakly holding your hips, the head is fallen back on the throw pillows, and some of the hair strands are stuck to his sweaty pretty fucked out face. His eyes are half closed, mouth babbling something inaudible, that used to be pleadings an hour ago.

This evening could've been the same as others if Scud hadn't offered you pot again while you both were working on the tech stuff Blade needed so much for his next mission.

“How the hell can you work stoned?” you asked irritated as this kind of ‘ritual’ when the guy offered you smoking was always repeating day after day. And your answer was always 'no'.

“C’mon baby, you’re always so tense and serious. Why don’t you let yourself relax?” Scud answered in a muffled drawl keeping a blunt between his lips while he was soldering a circuit.

And the reason for it was having a really bad crush on him. A workplace romance wasn’t what you planned as Blade paid you much. So a one-time stand with the colleague you fell for was strictly forbidden by yourself. But your pretty obvious ignoring attitude wasn’t helping, let’s say it was even encouraging for Scud. And today was the day you completely gave up. That was true you needed to unwind.

“I want to relax but after I finish programming these microcontrollers,” you sighed concentrating on the code you wrote.

“You’re always saying so,” you heard his desperate and upset voice which you couldn’t handle anymore.

“8:00 PM at my apartment, snacks on you,” you replied after several minutes of silence between you both.

“Hell yeah!” he answered happily, “Baby Scud knows how to relax. You won’t regret it, sweety.”

You were ignoring him though you felt butterflies fluttering in your stomach. The rest of the workday you were just only thinking how to quickly spend time with him and send him out of your room until the worst happens.

At 8:00 PM sharp you heard knocks at your door. Opening it you saw smirking Scud holding shopping bags full of food.

“Have you robbed the supermarket? This is the week ration for a family of three,” you said gesturing the man to come in.

“That’s literally us with B,” he winked and went further into the apartment where a big couch and a massive coffee table were standing in front of the wall where some music videos were projected. The room was also lit by a dull light bulb from the kitchenette.

“Don’t be so grumpy, Y/N. Lemme help you switch off,” he put the bags on the coffee table and put out a cigarette case and a lighter from his jeans pockets. “And I don’t know what you like, so…”

You went past Scud and sat down on the couch inviting him to join you.

“Video games, cartoons, films? Any preferences?” you asked looking at the guy picking out a blunt from the case and passing it to you.

“This is your evening, you choose,” he grinned watching you picking the blunt in your fingers and placing it between your lips. Seconds after he lit the blunt and you made a light drag not to cough immediately. You held your breath to let the weed do its work and passed the blunt back to Scud.

“Then let’s watch a film,” you said exhaling and took a remote control to choose one.

You slightly leaned back to the table to light another blunt. Taking a hit you held your breath and leaned forward turning to Scud. You hooked his choker with your finger and pulled his face to yours while you started riding him again. He opened his eyes just a bit, his mouth agape. You leaned closer so your lips barely touched his and slowly puffed the smoke into his mouth. He was inhaling while you felt his cock twitching inside you. You let his choker and laid your arms on his shoulder for steadiness and continued sliding up and down his length. A small whimper left Scud’s mouth.

“Fuck, I love you.”

“You’re high,” you let out an obscene moan feeling you are about to reach your climax.

“Jeez…” Scud suddenly grabbed you tightly to lay you on your back and started thrusting into you.

“Sc…” your mouth was immediately covered with his lips and tongue kissing and licking you sloppily. His thrusts became faster hitting your sweet spot each time. Scud feeling you clenching around him uncontrollably put his thumb on your clit to draw circles applying just perfectly enough pressure.

You started clawing into his back overwhelmed with sensation when suddenly your body exploded with unbearable excitement. Everything became dull, blurred. It’s dinging in your ears, the heart is pumping so fast you thought it would break your ribcage, your whole body is trembling. You were suffocating, drowning in the waves of pleasure.

Almost passing out after your release you felt a sudden emptiness followed by Scud’s moans. Through your half-opened eyes, you saw a lewd scene: panting Scud rolled his head back, his chest heaving, his left hand squizzing the throw pillow, his right arm was tensed as he was stroking himself letting out strings of his warm cum on your lower belly. The scene that you imagined so many times during lonely evenings pleasing yourself. After he finished he plopped himself on the couch and pulled your weak body on top of himself.

“You’ll get dirty,” you said in a tired voice only earning a chuckle from him.

“Let it be the worst thing between us, babe,” he kissed your swollen lips passionately caressing your hair and your back.

[case-003]

RESEARCH CUT SHORT

[ WARNINGS: Smut ]

[ CONTENT WARNINGS: top male reader x sub albedo, workplace sex, teasing, biting, anal sex ]

[ A/N: if you've seen this fic before, dw I'm the original author and this is a repost with a few minor improvements on a new account aka my writing account! ]

“A-ah…we shouldn’t be d-doing this…the other knights are in the other ro- Hm!” the alchemist whined the warmth in his pants growing as his boyfriend continued to touch his thighs.

“awww, ‘bedo it’s fine, we can have some fun we just need to be quiet than usual~”. you said starting to slowly unbuckle the blonde’s belt as you kiss him. After a few moments, albedo broke the kiss, a small string of saliva connecting the two

“ fine, after all, it would be hard to carry on research without being taken care of ” Albedo finally gave in. So you started moving items off the table behind the two of you, once finished you lifted Albedo onto the table. “ah!” albedo whined as he felt a bit of friction between his legs as you lifted him onto the table. “shh now pretty boy, we don’t want to alert the other knights” you said with a smirk on your face.

You stripped Albedo’s clothes, then your own. You then had the amazing idea to tease the hell out of your blond boyfriend, small ghost touches on his thighs and around his member, licking, biting and sucking his neck, occasionally going down to his chest to lick them and much much more. “s-stop please i-I beg you! nhmp-!” albedo started to beg you to stop your teasing.

“hmmm, fine, I was getting bored of teasing you anyways” You leave Albedo naked on the table as you go to a cabinet to find the lube you hid in the back of a cabinet. Reaching into the cabinet and picked up the lube, bringing it back to the table and albedo. Squirting a good amount onto your hand, and shoving the cold lube into Albedo’s ass.

Albedo gasped as the cold sensation entered his ass. Followed by his boyfriend’s cock. Albedo let out a loud moan. “oh Albedo~ what did I tell you?” you asked the alchemist. “to stay quiet” he replied, his hand covering half of his face and his eyes facing anywhere but you. “so do that pretty boy or I’ll stop” he knew you meant it when he said you would stop, you have done it before. Albedo instantly nodded and covered his mouth with his hand.

Not being able to wait much longer, you started ramming into Albedo hard and very very fast. You could hear the muffled moans of your lover, if he didn’t have to be quiet he would definitely be screaming by now.

Tears could be seen at the corners of Albedo’s eyes. His dick twitching now too, and his ass walls tightened on your dick. And my god it felt good. You felt so close to climax. And so did Albedo, you could see his dick twitching. “I-I’M CLO- GAH” Albedo didn’t get to finish his sentence before you covered his mouth with your hand.

“then cum with me, love” Albedo came hard a string of white liquid shot from his dick onto your stomach. And your own cum filled his ass. Albedo usually was too tired to move after these sessions. Cleaning up the alchemist with some spare rags in his lab, redressing him… Albedo wouldn’t mind it if his workday was cut short, would he?

[callsignseagull]

friends ✪ jake ‘hangman’ seresin

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x fem!reader

Summary: you’re just friends. but why does he keep sabotaging your dates with other guys?

Words: 3.5k

Warnings: a little bit of angst?, idiots in love, rooster meddling

A/N: heyooo, this is my first time posting a fic on this blog and for this fandom (and the first thing I’ve written in months) so please be kind! I hope you like it :)

The Hard Deck is your favorite place to hang out. You used to just go every so often, but ever since your unlikely friendship with Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin you’ve found yourself coming more and more.

Jake.

He’s your best friend. You met him during his first time at TopGun when he hit on you at the Hard Deck. You turned him down though. As much as you’ve grown to love his self assured and arrogant attitude, you were not a fan when you first met him.

And then somehow you became friends.

Now he’s back for some top secret mission and you can’t wait to see him again. You don’t get to hang out with him in person often because he’s stationed in Lemoore.

“There’s my best girl!” You know he’s smirking even before you turn around to look at him. You don’t even have time to jump down from the barstool before his arms wrap around you. Your legs are either side of his hips as he pulls you against his body. “I missed you.” A shiver runs down your spine, both from his words and your position, but you try not to show how much it’s affecting you. How much he’s affecting you.

Because you’re in love with him.

You don’t know how it happened but at some point you fell for him and his charme. But Jake doesn’t do feelings or serious relationships, he’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda guy. You’ve known that from the start. Hell, that’s the reason you turned him down in the first place. But you’re glad you did, because you’re certain you wouldn’t be friends had you spend the night with him.

“I missed you, too.” You whisper against his neck. “When does your mission thing start?” You ask him after he pulled away, trying to ignore the feeling of his hands on your thighs.

“My mission thing?” He laughs and you roll your eyes.

“You know I have no idea how things work at your job.” You shove his shoulder. “So?”

“Training starts tomorrow.” He smiles. “But I’ll make sure to spend every free moment with you. It’s been so long since we lived in the same place.”

“Since the last time you were at Top Gun.” You smile at each other for a few moments, thinking back to the start of your friendship.

“C’mon, let me get you a drink.” He squeezes your thighs gently, then lets go.

God, you hadn’t been ready for the feelings that were crashing down on you now that he was here. It was easy to keep them in check when you were merely facetiming. But having him right in front of you? His scent invading your space while he looks at you like that? Torture.

***

The first few days having Jake around fly by.  Everyday you can’t wait for your workday to be over so you can hang out with him. You asked him once if he’d rather hang out with his pilot friends, but Jake just scoffed and told you you’re much better company.

While having Jake around is fun and you love spending time with him, you notice that the more time you spend with him the more you fall for him. Yes, you’ve been in love with him for a while but you can deal with that when he’s not around. Spending all of your free time with him shows you what it would be like to be with him, granted you’re not doing any coupley things but just being with him is enough.

In order to not get too swept up in your feelings for Jake you decide to get back into online dating. It hasn’t been successful in the past and most of the guys you talked to turned out to be massive jerks, but you don’t really have another option… Or maybe you’ll go to the Hard Deck and try to talk to some guys. Hmm.

You check your watch, there's still a few hours left until Jake finishes his training for the day, so why not use that time?

***

When Jake enters the Hard Deck with the rest of his squad his eyes immediately find you sitting at the bar chatting to some guy. There’s a weird feeling in his chest and before he can think about it he’s stalking over to you, his hands casually in the pockets of his uniform even though he doesn’t really feel that casual. He watches as that guy tells you some story that must surely be boring as fuck, Jake assumes. He ignores the fact that you don’t look bored at all.

Jake puts on his signature smirk before he steps behind you, resting one hand on the bar next to you, his chest pressing against your back.

“Hi.” He whispers in your ear, almost making you jump. You didn’t even notice him walking up to you. Jake tries not to ponder that too much.

“What’s up, Hangman?” You tilt your head to look at him, and Jake's smirk turns into a proper smile.

“Just wanted to see what you’re up to.”

You watch as the corners of his eyes crinkle and the expression in his eyes tells you he’s up to something.

“I’m talking to Marc.” You motion to the guy in front of you who’s been watching the exchange with curiosity. “Marc, this is Jake, my best friend.”

Marc nods at Jake as a form of greeting but Jake ignores him, his eyes still fixed on you.

“So I was wondering if you have plans tomorrow. There’s this new Mexican place I wanted to take you to.”

Your eyes flit between Jake and Marc, you finally start to realize what Jake is doing. And you can already see Marc looking kind of annoyed. It’s not like you’re currently on a date with him. You just met him while keeping Penny company at the bar. Your plan of finding a distraction from Jake actually worked, well until Jake showed up.

Before you can give Jake an answer, which would have been something like: ‘Sure, but please leave now’ Marc gets up from his barstool.

“I’ll see you around.” He gives you a small smile before going back to his friends. You can just look after him with your jaw slightly hanging open.

“Well, he didn’t have much staying power.” Jake shrugs his shoulders and sits down where Marc just sat before leaning closer to you. “Do you think he’s also like that in bed? Good riddance then.” He winks and you have to roll your eyes.

***

You’re on a date with a guy you met on a dating app when you get a text from Jake. You usually wouldn’t be on your phone during a first date but when he goes to the restroom you use the time to check your phone.

H_ngm_n: pineapple

Your pulse increases immediately. Pineapple was your code word for emergencies. Your mind starts reeling with possible scenarios of what could have happened. The only thing that puts you at ease is the fact that he could text you himself. At least he’s not unconscious in the hospital. But what if something happened to one of the others? “Hey, you okay?” You feel your date’s hand on your shoulder, pulling you out of your increasingly terrible thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. It’s an emergency.” You pull a face at the sound of your words. It sounds like a lame excuse. “I promise I’m not just saying that.” You pull out your wallet and leave enough money on the table that it should cover for your meal and drinks. “I’ll text you, okay?”

You faintly hear his okay while you’re already on your way out the door.

When you pull into Jake’s driveway your palms are sweaty. You have no idea what you’re about to have to deal with now.

“Jake?”

“Living room!”

When you enter his living room you’re greeted with the sight of him on the sofa, in nothing but gray sweatpants. You gulp, it should be illegal to look like that.

It takes you a moment to notice the ice pack on his foot.

“What happened?” In your head you’re already thinking about a broken foot or a torn tendon.

“I stubbed my toe.”

You halt your movements and stare at him for several seconds just blinking. “You stubbed your toe?”

“Yeah.”

“You used pineapple because you stubbed your toe?”

He has the decency to blush at your accusing tone. “I didn’t wanna be alone,” he pouts, patting the spot next to him on the couch. “C’mere.”

“You’re a big baby, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin.”

“But I’m your big baby.” He smirks and you roll your eyes, shoving him playfully.

“I was so worried! I thought someone was seriously hurt!” You pushed against his shoulder again.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” His gaze turns soft and he puts his arm around you, pulling you close and placing a kiss on your temple. “How was your date?”

You turn to look at him, “You knew about that, huh?”

“Phoenix told me.” He shrugs his shoulders.

“Well, it was okay until I got an emergency text from my best friend because he stubbed his toe.” You give him a look. You can see that he’s trying not to laugh. He’s enjoying this. “Don’t you dare abuse the power of the pineapple ever again!” You point your finger at him.

“I promise.”

***

This is gonna be the death of you.

Sitting next to Penny in a beach chair you can hope that you’re not actively salivating while staring at a bunch of half naked, thoroughly fit people playing dogfight football. When Penny invited you, you had no idea what was in store for you.

You knew what Jake looked like without a shirt, had seen him hundreds of times, but seeing him in action? That’s a different story.

Was it possible that his muscles had muscles? Because damn.

While you were shamelessly ogling Jake you didn’t notice Rooster coming up to you. During the past couple of weeks you got to know Jake's team a little bit, with them always hanging out at the Hard Deck, too, it was inevitable. And it was reassuring to know that the people Jake worked with were good people. At the end of the day his life could depend on them.

“Hi, there Y/N.” Rooster says, causing you to finally tear your eyes away from Jake.

“Hi, Rooster,” You look up at him with a smile. “What’s up?”

He looks back at his squad that was still playing for a moment, then turns back to you. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out some time.”

You almost choked on your own saliva. What?

He was good looking, no doubt, just as fit as Jake, but seeing him just didn’t evoke the same feelings as seeing Jake. And yes, you were trying to get over Jake but going out with one of his teammates? That doesn’t sound like a good idea.

“Rooster!” At the sound of Jake’s voice, Rooster has to bite back a laugh, before he puts on an innocent face. What’s going on?

“Got a problem, bagman?”

“Why don’t you back up a little?” Jake’s got his hands on his hips as he walks over, only stopping a few inches in front of Rooster. And now you’re getting angry. No, you don’t really wanna go out with Rooster, but it’s not Jake’s place to step in and get all overprotective of you.

“Why should I?” Rooster crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

While Jake opens and closes his mouth without saying anything you exchange a look with a very amused Penny before getting up from your beach chair.

“Okay, time to calm down, Jake.” You place your hands on his chest and gently push him a few steps back. His skin is warm under your palms, his muscles strong and you try not to let it get to your head. “I don’t need you to protect me, okay?”

Jake looks to the side almost sheepishly. “But Rooster-”

“You trust him with your life, don’t you?”

He moves his head from side to side as if he’s not sure. He told you about the tension between the two, but you know when it comes down to it he knows he can count on Rooster.

“Jake?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.” He looks back at you and if you didn’t know better you’d say he looks hurt at the prospect of you going out with Rooster. But that can’t be. He doesn’t have feelings like that for you.

“So what would be so bad about me going on a date with him?” You ask, your hands are starting to shake so you finally pull them off of Jake’s chest. Curling them into fists to try and stop the shaking you cross your arms in front of your chest.

Jake’s mouth turns into a straight line before he shakes his head “Nothing I guess.”

See, he doesn’t have any feelings for me.

“Okay.” You nod, and even though you were going to decline Rooster’s offer, you turn around to him and say, “I’d love to.”

***

Rooster picked you up in his Bronco and took you to a nice restaurant by the beach. You like spending time with him, but the feelings are just not there, and you know they won’t ever be there. Because he’s not Jake. Even without actively intervening your best friend finds a way to sabotage your date.

“I’m sorry Rooster, you’re a great guy but-”

“But you’ve got feelings for someone else.” He gives you a knowing smile.

“Is it that obvious?” You feel your cheeks heat up.

“Honestly? Yeah.” Rooster laughs. “There’s only one idiot who hasn’t noticed yet.” Another knowing smile.

You huff out a laugh. “Maybe he did and he doesn’t wanna bring it up to save me the embarrassment.” You stir your drink with the straw, watching the ice cubes bump against each other.

“Certainly not.” Rooster rests his forearms on the table and leans in closer to you. “He’s just being an idiot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t even realized he feels the same.” At that your eyes shoot up to meet Roosters and you shake your head. “That’s not true.”

“Of course it is.” He insists. “Why do you think I asked you out?”

You tilt your head in confusion.

“I’m sorry, you’re beautiful and a charming person, but the reason I asked you out was to finally get Hangman to pull his head out of his ass and realize that he’s in love with you.”

You can only stare at him with your mouth agape.

Rooster raises his hands, “It’s the truth. I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t come to throw you over his shoulder yet.”

You’re surprised that Jake hasn’t tried to intervene yet either. But maybe he’s busy. Or he doesn’t care and the other times were just flukes. Maybe all of his sabotaging wasn’t really that but it was just coincidence. You try not to let Rooster’s words get to your head. There’s no way Jake feels the same about you.

Just then your phone vibrates in your pocket.

H_ngm_n: Can you come over? It’s important.

“That him?”

“Yeah.” You sigh. “At least he didn’t use pineapple this time.” Rooster looks at you confused and you wave your hand. “Doesn’t matter. He can wait.”

There’s a moment of silence, then Rooster says, “C’mon, go to him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. We can continue this another time if you want. As friends.” He smiles warmly and you think that whoever ends up with Rooster is a lucky person.

“Thank you.” You grab your bag and are about to pull out your wallet but he waves you off.

“I’ve got it. Now go.”

“Thank you.” You say again, give him a kiss on the cheek and then you leave.

Twenty minutes later you’re at Jake’s front door. He said it’s important but you have a feeling it was just another ploy to get you away from your date. You let yourself in and immediately hear rustling in the kitchen.

When you turn the corner you see Jake rummaging through his cupboard. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and those damn gray sweatpants again.

“What’s so important?” You ask as you lean against the doorframe.

“Should we order chinese or pizza?” He asks and turns around to look at you.

“Are you serious?” You cross your arms, the anger starting to bubble up. You were giving him the benefit of the doubt but he’s being ridiculous. “That’s why you called me away from my date with Rooster?” No point telling him it wasn’t really a date and you decided to just be friends. “You couldn’t have just asked this in a text?”

“Uh…” Jake scratches the back of his neck. He seems surprised that you’re angry. And that makes you even angrier.

“Why, Jake? Why do you keep sabotaging every fucking date I go on? Or hell, even when I’m just talking to a guy?” “I guess I’m just trying to protect you. Those idiots aren’t good enough for you.” He shrugs his shoulders and it takes everything in you not to scream.

“Well, who is good enough for me then, huh? Because at this rate I’m thinking you’d rather have me end up alone. But newsflash, Hangman, I wanna find my person. I wanna settle down, get married, start a family. And you’re jeopardizing that!” You feel tears brim your eyes because you’re angry and frustrated and so in love with your best friend that it hurts. It hurts to tell him all this knowing it’ll never be with him.

“Y/N…” Jake looks at you for a few seconds, then steps forward, closing the distance between you. He places his hands either side of your face and then you feel his lips on yours. For a moment you’re paralyzed. Is this really happening right now?

Your insides are fluttering as you reciprocate the kiss, your hands moving to rest on his chest. He’s soft and gentle, nothing like you’d expected him to kiss.

When you pull away he rests his forehead against yours. He’s about to lean in again but you push him away a little so you can look at him.

“Jake.” You whisper. “What are you doing?”

“I’m kissing you.” The corner of his mouth kicks up into a small smile.

“Why?”

“Because I want to.”

“Why?”

You watch his cheeks turn a soft shade of pink as he smiles, “Because I’m in love with you.”

The world seems to stop turning.

“What?”

He lets out a sigh, “I’ve been an idiot. I sabotaged all your dates because I couldn’t stand the thought of you being with someone else. I thought it was just because I was afraid of losing my best friend.” He shrugs his shoulders. “But in reality it’s because I’m in love with you. All those things you want for your future? I want them, too. And I want them with you. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize.”

You can only stare at him. Surely, you’re dreaming. This can’t really be happening right now. You’re going to wake up any second and everything will be back to normal.

“Y/N? Say something.”

But you’re in a bit of a shock, unable to wrap your head around your best friend confessing his love to you, so you just keep staring at him. “Shit. You don’t actually feel the same? I ruined everything, didn’t I? I’m sorry I just thought… Rooster said- I shouldn’t have believed that asshole, I-”

Finally you snap out of it, you’ve never seen Jake like this. He’s always confident, self assured. But now he’s a rambling mess and it’s all because of you? Because he’s in love with you? You’re still not a hundred percent sure that this is real, but there’s only one way to go about this. While he’s still rambling you grab his face and pull him into another kiss. This time he’s the one frozen in shock for a few seconds, but then his arms wrap around your waist and pull you flush against him. You run your hands through his hair, trying to memorize the feeling of his lips on yours, the taste of him, the way his body feels against yours.

“I love you, too.” You finally whisper against his lips and feel him smile.

“Yeah?” He places another soft kiss on your lips. “Will you let me take you out on a date?”

“Will this date include any weird emergencies on your part?” You raise an eyebrow and Jake laughs.

“No. I promise. No emergencies. Just you and me.”

“I like the sound of that.”

____________

A/N: thank you for reading!! I’d love to hear your thoughts! reblogs are always greatly appreciated! <3 

[pyramid-of-starrs]

Take Care of Me Chapter 1: Empty

Chapter mood board:

Chapter warnings: Cursing, Symptoms of ED, mentions of depression/depressive behavior, insecurity, body shaming? , Fem names and parts, toxic relationships, lies, arguing, aged up Seonghwa (29), Aged up Wooyoung (25), smoking, drug use, drinking, sexual activity while under the influence (Everyone involved is coherent and consenting)

Smut warnings: Tongue kissing, drool? ,Fingering (Fem receiving), body worshipping, boob play, public sexual activity.

Word Count: 8.3K

if I'm missing anything please let me know

This is not a representation of Any members of Ateez and this story is fictional.

Minors DNI

Chapter Playlist:

(4) Take Care of Me Chapter 1 - YouTube

Wake up. Eat. Work. Shower. Was this how life was supposed to be lived? Was life meant to be so dry and mundane? You go to work every day and leave in your car then come home, drink some wine, pet the dog, have dinner, and go to sleep and do the same thing the next day. The weekends you sleep and ignore the messages from your friends asking you to go out. Going to bars and clubs at 28 sucks, either you get younger guys trying to prove that they could fuck you good or guys your age trying to prove that they still can fuck good. Who the hell would even want that. Enough thinking, time to get to work, you slide on your skirt over your stockings and put on your blazer and head out to the front door. Right on time a knock at the front door can be heard you open it to see your usual caretaker, Jonathan, a very nice older gentlemen that you pay monthly to take care of your house, plants, pool, and dog while you’re at work. Yeah, you opted to buying a nice big house to fill the lonely void and unfortunately it was too much for you to handle on your own, hence you hiring Jonathan.

“Good morning, Mrs. Y/N, off to work ?”

“Yes Jonathan, as usual call me if you need anything okay?”

You handed him the house keys, Jonathan felt like it would be best for you to give him the keys every morning instead of him keeping a spare because he didn’t live in the best neighborhood and didn’t want to risk someone taking it and you getting harmed. You assured him that you had a very good alarm system, but he still didn’t want to be a bother, he was the sweetest man in the world. He took the keys from your hands and smiled at you warmly.

“Okay Ms. Y/N, have a great day at work, let me know if you’ll be running late so I can push back your food delivery time.”

“Will do, thank you.”

You walked out as he walked in and headed to your car in the driveway, once inside the car you turned on the radio and headed off to work. From there the bleak and boring feeling still stayed but you couldn’t complain because the money was good, you worked for the top marketing firm and held a higher up position. Your assistant knocked then entered your office having you review some forms that you barely read, and you worked on your laptop throughout the day. Maybe you should talk to a therapist about the empty and unfulfilled feeling you had, no they are just going to babble and you’re going to tune them out too. Maybe you needed a boyfriend, but then again, the only men you knew worked at your firm and are boring too. Change of scenery? Nope, you hated moving, it always felt like too much of a hassle. Maybe this was just what you were meant to be, a normal, boring NPC watching life pass them by. It wasn’t your surroundings or the people in your life it was just you, you were just boring. Who knows and honestly who cares right now, all you wanted to do was get out this office and get home, today was Friday so you were just happy to enjoy your weekend of sleeping.

Once the workday ended you gathered your things and laptop and left your office, locking the door anticipating the coming weekend.

As you walked to the elevator you heard a voice call out your name, when you turned to see you saw your friend Rina.

“Y/N!!! I missed you!”

She ran over and hugged you, nearly knocking you down.

“Rina…welcome back from your work trip, how was it?”

She finally released you from her grasp, Rina was your co-worker now, but you met her in college, she worked part time at a diner you and your ex-boyfriend use to go to frequently. Casual conversations after her being your waitress for many times made caused you too to develop a long-term friendship, she has been through a lot with you and same for you for her. Rina got her bachelor’s in human resources and associate in communication while you got your bachelors in marketing and associates in photography, you both graduated the same year and Rina made you promise to get a job at the same place so you two would never be apart because she felt like you two were “platonic” soulmates. Now 4 years later here you were, Rina was an HR Rep while you were a Marketing manager both of you worked cushiony jobs, but Rina was happy, she was still wide eyed, you sometimes wondered how Rina kept that  same spunk, that same passion, whatever it was that was part of the reason why you couldn’t help but love her.

 “It was so amazing Y/N! I wish you could have come, the HR stuff was boring, lots of keynote speakers and those dry cookies you know I hate but the views and my hotel was beautiful! The perks of being in HR is booking your own stays and no one batting an eye at where you pick.” You and Rina continued your walk down the hall to the elevators. Once you two got on the conversation continued.

“That’s good to hear, I’m glad you got to enjoy the trip.”

“It would have been perfect if you came, you could have brought your camera and I know you would have gotten some amazing shots Eggy!”

Ah yes, Eggy, eggy was the name that Rina made for you because in college when you went to the diner, she worked at with your ex you would only order a side of scrambled eggs with water. She thought it was so peculiar that she started to call you eggy. What Rina never knew was the real and unfortunate reason behind your order. That was because of the insecure asshole that sat with you every other day at that booth. Your ex was a lot of things and had horrible ways about him, he made you feel terrible about yourself every day of the 4 years you were in college, but you clung to him because you desperately needed familiarity and someone to love you. Maybe that stemmed from some random unresolved trauma you had but all you knew was that you loved him. He often reminded you when you were eating too much and needed to keep yourself in shape or someone would “Swoop in and steal him away”. He made you cut your hair, wear baggy clothes so no one saw your bigger than average chest and plump thighs, you could rarely go to parties without him making a fuss and when you and Rina got close, he wanted you to cut her off because you two spent too much time together, but Rina would rather die than leave you alone. He was in his sophomore year when you started your freshman year, you two met at a party and hit it off from there. The relationship was pretty good your first year when you were a tiny and awkward freshman just excited to be in school for photography but then you entered your sophomore year when he was in his junior year and you gained you freshmen 15 in all the right places, your adult body had developed, big breast, thick thighs, and a fuller face. Men were showing you more attention and he hated that, he stopped taking you out, stopped wanting you to dress up and even told you to give up on making photography your career path. The more you thought about him the more it just bothered you, you developed a lot of bad traumas from him so shook yourself out of your head and realized Rina was still talking.

“Huh? Oh, yeah sure that’s fine” you said the first default answer that came to mind.

You two walked off the elevator as it stopped at the parking garage, she jumped out in front of you her eyes big and a huge smile on her face.

“Wait really? Oh my god finally! It’s been forever since we went out!”

“Went out?”

“Y/N you were zoned out, weren’t you? Ugh, well I said I was going out with some friends on Saturday and asked if you’d come with. You already said yes so, no takesies backsies!” she ran off to her car and yelled that she would pick you up tomorrow.

You sighed deeply, this was going to suck but there was nothing to be done now, trying to back out on Rina was fighting a losing battle. You got in your car and drove home, you pulled into your driveway and walked up into your home.

“Jonathan, I’m home.”

Jonathan walked into the home from the backyard through the backdoor, your black shiatzu in his arms with his little pink tongue sticking out as he panted.

“Hello Ms. Y/N, welcome home, your food delivery is on the kitchen counter, the plants are tended too, and Mister (your dog) is all taken care of.”

“Thank you, Jonathan, I already deposited your paycheck.”

“Thank you, Ms. Y/N, however I do need to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?” you walked over to the counter to take your food out and Jonathan put Mister down and closed the sliding patio door.

“Well, you see, I won’t be able to return for quite some time. My wife has fallen very ill, and I need to be there to take care of her...”

“Oh, well if that’s the case then I guess it’s nothing else that can be done then, that’s fine take all the time you need me, and Mister can manage.”

“Well, that’s the great thing Miss, I have a replacement already, my nephew recently moved to town and is looking for work and he could really use some honest work to get him on his feet.”

“Does he work as good as you?”

“I’ll show him all the ins and outs, I can even do it tomorrow!”

“That’s fine, I won’t be home most the day because my friend is making me get an outfit for tomorrow and she’s picking me up in the afternoon, so I’ll leave the key under the plant at the door.”

You walked him out and locked the door behind him, walking back over to grab your food and sit on your couch to watch TV. A sigh left your lips as you thought about the dreadful day of tomorrow, you finished your food, showered, and headed to bed as you laid there in your night dress you tried to shut off your mind to get some sleep but then the thumping started. The thumping was exactly what you thought it was, since you broke up with your ex 4 years ago you’ve only had sex twice with a guy you dated but couldn’t take seriously, it was going on 2 years since the last time you had been intimate and the throbbing in your core started a few months ago. You’ve never felt this horny before but there is always a first time for everything, you tried using your fingers and toys, but nothing really felt the same or gave you the same sensation, you try your best to ignore it every night but always end up staying up until the point of exhaustion with the aching feeling of your unsatisfied nub. You were woken up at 10am by your phone ringing, only 2 people ever called you, your mom and Rina. This time it was Rina, thank God. You reached over to your nightstand and grabbed your phone off the charger.

“I don’t want to go Rina.” You said in a groggy and cranky voice still tired from your area keeping you up.

“I don’t wanna hear it Y/N, you already said yes so, I’m taking you shopping then we can get ready at my place! My boyfriend is going to bring some of his friends too!”

Rinas boyfriend, right he exist, you usually don’t have an issue with friends’ partners, but Rinas boyfriend was your ex’s brother. Again, you can’t blame Rina because you never told her about everything with your ex, all she knew was that you two broke up and she always felt like that was the worst thing ever because she wanted you two to get married someday. You’re not sure if Rinas boyfriend knew about the shitty things his brother did but you did know that he wasn’t a huge fan of you after you broke up with his brother. Rina always told you that Hongjoong, her boyfriend, loved you but you knew that that was just something people say when someone doesn’t like another person.

“I don’t want to hang out with those guys Rina so if anything, that makes me not want to go even more.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, they are fun so you’re coming! We’re going to this new club downtown it’s really fun so hurry up and get dressed.”

“…fine, let yourself in when you get here.”

“Yay! Love you, bye.”

“Love you bye…”

The phone hung up and you groaned loudly, this day was going to be a drag, but you loved your best friend enough to commit to it, it’s been months since you last went out on the weekends so maybe the club scene has magically changed, doubt it. You got up from your bed to go shower and get ready for the day, while you were getting dressed Mister ran to the door barking and you could hear the door opening downstairs.

“Honey I’m hooooome.” Rina was dragging you out to a night you knew you wouldn’t enjoy but at least she’s adorable while doing, so you walked down the stairs to greet her.

“Well, hello my love.” Trying to play along, you could see Rina kneeled to pet Mister still at the front door, she had on a cute black skater dress with chunky sole black boots, despite her bright personality Rina enjoyed wearing all black, she thinks it compliments her shape, which she isn’t wrong, she was a petite built woman, she had a flat stomach but she had a small chest and not much thighs or butt contrary to you. Rina stood up and realized what you were wear. A black body-con crop top that showed your belly button and butterfly tattoo on your forearm and grey sweats.

“Girl what the hell, why are you dressed to sit at home I told you I was picking you up!”

“I am dressed to go to the mall this is my outfit…”

She signed and shook her head.

“Eggy what have I told you about not dressing depressed when you are depressed?”

“And I told you I’m not depressed.”

Rina knew she was fighting a losing battle and just decided to change topics.

“Well, your hair looks cute, so we don’t have to get that done and of course you have that gorgeous face, all we need is a cute outfit to compliment that godly shape.”

You fiddled with your bangs when she complimented your hair, you decided to change up how you got your hair done out of boredom last week and got dark burgundy extensions with a thin bang that stopped a little below your eyebrows. You were hesitant about the change from your usual 3 styles of either black middle part, black braids or just your natural curly black Afro but Rina suggested you change something up in your life so you wouldn’t be so gloomy feeling.

“Thanks, but let’s go before I change my mind.” You put on your Jordan’s and you two headed back out the door. You left the key under the plant on the walkway for Jonathan and his “trainee” and got in Rinas car to head to the mall. Once you arrived you felt a small pit in your stomach, shopping at the mall was everything but fun for you, clothing never fit you well and you felt like every skinny little teen girl was talking about you. You two walked in and shopped at a few different stores, stopping at a boutique in the mall you started to try on outfits while Rina stood outside the dressing room.

“So…are you excited about going out tonight Eggy?”

“You know my answer and you know you’re not going to like it.”

“Yeah, I know you’d rather be home with Mister and blah blah blah, I just want you to experience what’s left of our twenties, sometimes it feels like you’re already going through a mid-life crisis.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You’re always so humdrum these days, in college you were so fun, and we would hang out all the time but now I barely see you outside of work and I love my boyfriend and friends, but no one can replace my eggy.”

“…I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”

“Don’t be sorry eggy, put that energy into making yourself happy!”

You chose not to respond because you didn’t know what happiness looked like, you hated to admit Rina was right and you were already depressed and over life at 28 but you can’t help feeling this way. You decided to not think too much about it and finished trying on the last outfit Rina suggested, she knew you weren’t a flashy person, so she grabbed a few safe options for you to try on, this one was a white dress with spaghetti straps and a ruffled bottom that stopped at your knees, the dress was form fitting and showed a good amount of cleavage. You stepped out the fitting room to show your friend.

“How is this?” You asked with your arms crossed covering your chest a bit.

“Holy hell Y/N you look so hot! Take that off and give it to me I’m buying that for you right now.”

“Wait really? You like this?”

“Hell no, I love it! You’re so wearing that tonight the guys are gonna be in love with you. Seonghwa isn’t gonna know what to d-“ she slapped her hand over her mouth realizing that she had revealed a secret she was trying to keep from you.  You froze and just stared at her then you walked back in the fitting room to change.

“Now listen to me Y/N.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Rina.”

Once you quickly changed you handed the dress to Rina and left the store heading directly to the car. Rina quickly paid for the dress and an outfit she got for herself and jogged after you. By the time she reached you had already got to the car and was waiting for her to unlock it, she hit the unlock button and you both got in.

“Eggy I really didn’t know he was coming until today…I promise.”

You stayed silent while Rina sat there looking at you with the biggest puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

“If you don’t want to go anymore, I understand…”

She didn’t know why you broke up with Seonghwa in college she just knew it was a bit sudden, one day you and Rina were planning the imaginary wedding the next day you stopped smiling and started wearing hoodies and letting your hair grow out. There was things Rina did notice, it was the fact that Seonghwa graduated a year before you two and communication between the two of you became less and less than one afternoon you two had a fight and then you broke up with him. Rina wanted to help get her best friends back together and even went to Seonghwas house but that’s where she met Hongjoong, Seonghwas half-brother that was a year younger. You explained the situation and he let you know that Hwa had left for Europe a few days prior. She respected your decision to break up with Hwa because you were in the relationship, not her but she always secretly wanted you two to get back together one day.

“…I’ll go…it’s fine.” You couldn’t keep living life hoping not to see Seonghwa again, you knew at some point you’d see him.

“I promise Eggy you won’t feel weird I’ll punch him if he upsets you!”

You two drive back to Rinas house to get dressed at around 9pm you and Rina are ready and decide it’s time to go. Everyone was meeting at Rinas house, so everyone was downstairs already.

“Come on Y/N, are you ready?”

You step out of the bathroom that Rina and Hongjoong had connected to their room and Rina dramatically gasp.

“Oh my god my Nubian queen I’m in love, please I’ll leave my man for you right now let’s run away together.”

You put on the dress she got you with black heels that laced up your legs, you had a very simple make up look that complimented your lips and eyes and added some fun curls to your hair.

“Don’t be dramatic Rina…”

She grabbed you by your hands and dragged you out the room as you two started to descend the stairs.

“Don’t believe me? Ask everyone else.”

You got to the bottom of the stairs and some of Rinas other female friends were there.

“We’re ready everyone! And look at Y/N doesn’t she look amazing?”

Everyone playfully cheered at your entrance, you couldn’t help but to feel a bit shy.

"So, this is the infamous Y/N we hear about but can never make it? I was starting to think Rina had an imaginary friend!" A woman you didn't recognize stood up.

"Yuna, nice to finally meet you Y/N." she walked over to extend her hand to you, and you shook it. You felt bad because your mind was not on her or anyone else for that matter. You were nervously looking for him...Mr. Park Seonghwa. Rina being your friend of many years saw how you scanned the room distracted and knew you were looking for him.

"Alright well Hongjoong and the guys are going to meet us at the club so lets head out."  You all exited Rinas loft and got into separate cars, naturally you rode shotgun in Rinas car."

You arrived at the club and went through the usually run down of the bouncers checking every nook and cranny of your purse then them checking your IDs.  Rinas friends flirted with security a bit to get you in for free and Hongjoong had bought a V.I.P section for you all so you headed over to it. You were not Hongjoongs favorite person because naturally he saw you as the girl who broke his brother’s heart and sent him packing to Europe alone when that was just the surface of the truth. Hongjoong skipped the school route and went into creating his own path in music engineering, it didn't make him much money at first and Rina supported him through it, then he finally got his big break and had worked his way up since. You had a lot of respect for him because you assumed that when he made it big, he would leave Rina, but he didn't, he stayed home to stay with her and takes care of her well. They matched each other well, when they first met, she was frantically looking for his brother to figure out the breakup situation, he thought she was cute and asked her out, he appreciated her genuine spirit. From there they have been together since.

Once in V.I.P you guys spent 30 minutes drinking and wand swaying to the music while you waited for the guys, you stayed seated in the corner working on one drink, you didn't mean to be a downer, but this was just not making you feel any better, you felt indifferent about the whole thing. Rina checked her phone and realized Joong texted her telling her to bring everyone to the dance floor because that’s where the guys were. Rina relayed the message and you let her know you were going to hang back a bit to then rejoin the group, she was hesitant about leaving you but accepted that maybe you just needed to thaw out still. As everyone was leaving you checked you phone and realized you got a message from Jonathan:

As you finished typing you heard a familiar voice, and it made your stomach drop.

"Texting my replacement?" The dreaded ghost of your past has finally appeared, you looked up slowly to see Seonghwa in black dress pants, a white button down with a pull over. You looked back down trying to keep your composure and calm yourself, you hadn’t seen Seonghwa since the day he left for Europe and had no idea it would feel this strange when you saw him again.

“No.” was all you could say, Seonghwa smiled and sat next to you.

“You’re not denying that there is a replacement then.”

“There isn’t.” You turned your attention back to your phone and crossed your legs. Seonghwa took a moment to really look over you, he sure did miss seeing you.

“You look as beautiful as always Y/N, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Thank you.”

“Come on beautiful don’t be like that; I want to talk to you.”

You chose to stay quiet because you simply had nothing to say to him, Seonghwa may seem sweet and innocent to everyone else, but you knew the real him, the him no one else got to see. In college he wasn’t only someone that made you feel insecure he was also a manipulative gas lighter. He made you feel lesser than, made you feel like you were always in the wrong, made you fell like you never did enough as a girlfriend. You gave your everything to him and he gave you hell in return. The week before seonghwa left for Europe he was telling you all about how he was offered an internship at a company in Europe and told you he wanted to go.

“Y/N it could really change my life and help jump start my career! I really think I should go.” He said to you while you both were in his apartment.

“I think you should go to; it sounds like your dream opportunity.”

“So, you’re on board then?”

“Of course, I am, you know I’ll support you through anything.”

“That’s so good because I already said yes and bought our tickets, we leave next week I’m so ha-“

“Our? Next week?” you asked with a puzzled look on your face.

“Well yes, I assumed you would be coming with me.”

“Hwa, I’m still in school, I can’t just up and leave I have to finish out my courses, this is my senior year.”

“That’s the thing baby” he walked over to cup your hands then look you in your eyes then continued.

“If I do this internship, I be able to get a great job that could take care of us both.”

The smile that was once on your face had completely faded now.

“But I’ve worked so hard, I can’t just quit and let you take care of me for the rest of my life.”

“Yes, you can Y/N, my career is going to be more than enough for us.”

“What about my career though?”

“You don’t need one if we have mine, you can pick back up your little photography hobby, doesn’t that sound fun?”

This was supposed to be his way of convincing you, yet this just sounded like he was belittling all the hard work you have put into your life. You took your hands out of his and back away from him.

“…You’re the one that told me to switch my major to marketing because photography wouldn’t get me anywhere in life…”

“Right, I know Y/N but now it can be something fun for you to do while I work.”

“Photography means a lot to me, it’s not just some hobby Seonghwa.”

“Fine whatever, why is this even the topic at hand Y/N this isn’t about you right now.”

“Well, I mean…it kind of is Seonghwa, you want me to drop out of school and just come with you to Europe for a year, that’s not something I can really just do.”

“You can always finish school later in life Y/N it’s not this serious.”

“It is to me though!”

“Well, what do you want me to do? Not go and throw my own career away just so you can focus on you?”

“No, I’m not telling you to not go Seonghwa, I’m saying I can’t go with you.”

He folded his arms and scoffed.

“So, you expect us to be long distance?”

“I mean why not?”

“Wow Y/N I knew you could be selfish, but this is crazy even for you.” You wanted to respond but he just continued. “You do know I didn’t have to even discuss this with you? I could have just broken up with you and left. I have options Y/N I think you forget that. Rather you go into marketing or do your little photography my job in engineering is going to be what takes care of us!”

“I never asked to be taken care of Seonghwa!”

“Good because you don’t deserve to be, you were just some dorky girl in photography when I met you and I helped elevate your entire life!”

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I can make choices on my own.”

“Right just like you chose to go to college for photography, you chose to gain weight, you chose to dress the way you dress showing all that skin to everyone that would give you attention. I helped make you the woman you are today, not you, not Rina, not your mom and not the guys that eye fuck you just so they can give you the attention and validation you are always so desperate for.”

Tears started to perk up in the corners of your eyes, you didn’t think telling him no would make him berate you like this, you even considered changing your mind and just saying yes and going but no. Why should you be okay with him treating you like this? Why should you stand for his horrible ways and self-centeredness, this isn’t what you deserve, you deserve much more then a guy that isn’t even willing to do long distance for a year. You stayed silent and started to gather your items while he continued his rant, once you were done getting your stuff you stood at the door and turned to him.

“I’ll be back tomorrow with Rina to get the rest of my stuff Seonghwa, hopefully you’ll be calmer.”

“Don’t bother, you don���t deserve me, you never have, if you walk out this door, we are done Y/N, you’re throwing away all 4 years that we have together.”

You stood there hesitantly, having a small panic attack about being alone, was leaving Seonghwa really what you wanted to do?

“Then I guess this is it then.”

That was the last words you said to Seonghwa before leaving his apartment and walking yourself back to your dorm in the cold night. You called Rina over and cried to her about you two breaking up but never told her the exact reason. From there the autopilot turned on and you started to just coast through life. Doing the most sensible thing and staying out of the way, your hair got longer, you got in the gym to lose the belly fat and you maintained yourself. You got a nice career after college, then bought yourself a house and a dog and even hired a sweet caretaker to help maintain everything for you. You never knew rather you did all that to prove to yourself that you could take care of yourself or to prove it to Seonghwa but even after all that you still weren’t happy.

You zoned back in from your flash back and realized Seonghwa was just staring at you.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’ve missed you.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you miss me ?”

“Seonghwa…”

“I know, I know, listen I’m sorry if I’m being pushy, I was just really excited to see you tonight and I couldn’t contain myself, I’ll back off a bit.” He smiled softly at you, and you had to fight with your self not to melt on the spot you softly bit your bottom lip then took another sip of your drink. Seonghwa knew the effect he still had on you, he pours himself and you a shot of tequila.

“Still a light only girl, right?”

“Yeah…”

He handed you the shot glass and you put your drink down to take it.

“What are we toasting?”

“How about cheers to new beginnings?”

“Sure”

You two clinked your glasses together then tapped the table and took the shots, some of the alcohol spilling down the side of your mouth. Seonghwa grabbed your chin with two of his fingers and wiped it with his thumb. He stayed silent and you two just stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. Your stomach was in your ass at this point and your brown cheeks felt hot. You stood up to kill his gaze.

“I um- have to go to the bathroom be back.”

You walked out of the section leaving Seonghwa there by himself, you made it to the back of the club and found a small private room with an unlocked door and opened it.

You walked in and saw a couple making out which startled you.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” you said and was about to exit but then a man dressed in all black walked in behind you.

“Get the hell out of here, I told you two this room isn’t for fucking.” You stood there watching as the man shoo’d the couple out the room, he was a smaller gentleman, no way was he a bouncer he had to be a good 5’8 with some muscles but no where near as much as the guys standing outside. He had on a black t-shirt with black jeans and converses and his hair was longer, his split bangs covered his eyes a bit and when he turned back to you, you realized this guy was gorgeous.

“Hello, ma’am? Can you hear me?”

You realized you zoned out again because you could hear him talking to you.

“Are you okay lady? Do you need me to call someone?”

“Oh, um no sorry I just came here to cool off a bit but if I’m not allowed then it’s fine.”

“Nah it’s cool, you aren’t in here trying to fuck someone so you can stay, I’m about to take my break in here so come in, close the door and lock it.”

You nodded your head then closed the door behind you and twisted the lock on the handle. You took a seat on the sectional couch, and he sat on the one across from you, then took out a small bag from his pocket, you realized it was weed and chose not to care about it. You sighed heavily to release the tension in your body then closed your eyes and dropped your head back on the wall. While the man was rolling, he couldn’t help but notice the obvious tension in the room coming from you.

“Uh… you alright lady?”

You opened you eyes but didn’t make contact at all, you were dazed and confused about your feelings and what better way to feel better then to unload on some poor unexpecting Stanger.

“Yeah, I came out with my friends tonight and they invited my college ex that made me feel horrible about myself, but I can’t be mad at them because they don’t know about all the shitty things, he has said to me so now I’m stuck in a club with him.” Amid your rambling, you didn’t notice the man lighting his blunt and coming to sit next to you, he offered it to you, and you declined.

“Well mad at them or not that still sucks, sorry you’re going through that.”

“It’s fine nothing to do now but wait here till I die I guess.”

“Well, no, you could always tell your friends what he did I’m sure they would get why you don’t wanna hang with him.”

“Yeah, but my best friend dates my ex’s brother, so it’ll get messy, and I don’t want to come between them.”

He took another hit of his blunt and inhaled deeply.

“Fuuuck that sucks, yeah I don’t know what you could do lady.”

“Y/N, that’s my name, nice to meet you.”

You stuck your hand out to shake his and he grabbed you hand and kissed the back of it.

“Wooyoung, and the pleasure is all mine.”

“So, Y/N tell me more about this ex, seems like you never got to tell anyone about it, and you need someone to be on your side.”

“I don’t want to bore you.”

“You won’t, it would be a good reason to not go back to work.”

So, you did, you told Wooyoung, the random man you met in a private room at a club everything about you and Seonghwa, every detail and argument, and he listen as he finished smoking.

“God damn you’re right, that guy fucking sucks, I’m sorry you went through that, seriously.”

“Thank you, you were right it does feel better to finally tell someone everything.”

“I’m surprised hot girls like you have to deal with nightmares like that, it’s insane that he made you feel like you weren’t pretty and that you should cover your body.”

Your face got hot again, and you got a bit shy, something felt kind of good about this man agreeing with you, he continued.

“If you were my girl, I’d let you flaunt all of that shit, showing off that nice ass body you have, it would make me want you more knowing that other guys want you and can’t have you.”

That’s when it returned, the thumping, this incredibly sexy man was giving you the validation that Seonghwa didn’t for years, now you weren’t the type to seek male validation but Wooyoung sitting there looking like that and just giving it too you, you couldn’t help but admit it made you hot. You crossed your leg over the other one to give yourself a bit of friction to try to calm down then continued the conversation.

“Really?”

“Hell yeah, I think you’re sexy as hell so for him to try to dismiss you like that is kinda insane. If I were him, I’d say fuck Europe or do the long-distance thing just to keep you.”

“Wow, that’s actually really nice, thank you.”

“Yeah, no problem, the next guy to get you is gonna be lucky as hell.”

“Yeah, if that happens, I can’t even find a guy to fuck me good, let alone one that will date me and make me happy.”

He looked over at you with a confused look.

“Wait this whole time you haven’t even been having sex or anything.”

“Well, I had sex with 1 guy twice but that was 2 years ago.”

Wooyoung dramatically face palmed then slid his hand down his face.

“That’s insane as hell, sorry if I’m overstepping but again if you were mine, I’d be fucking you from sunup to sundown.”

Your stomach dropped again, and the thumping got more intense in your core, you were use to guys saying they would fuck you, but this felt different. Maybe it was because he was high, but Wooyoung decided to continue.

“You’d be bent over any surface I could find and when I wasn’t fucking you, I’d be treating you like how you deserve to be treated, so don’t expect anything else but what one man won’t do another is willing too.”

He finished his statement and placed his hand on your thigh, and something snapped in you, you felt like you needed this stranger, he had this effect on you that went straight to your heated core. You two finally made eye contact and you could feel the lust in his gaze, he wanted you as bad as you wanted him. You lunged forward and connected your lips with his, you lip gloss immediately spreading to his lips. He moved his hand from your thigh to your hips and gripped it gently. You two moved your head according to each other’s motions, the kiss was quickly elevated to a French kiss as you made the move to push your tongue into his mouth. You could taste the smoke that was in his mouth, and he could taste the faint taste of alcohol on yours, you both were coherent but lost in the lust you had for each other. He moved his other hand to your other hip and pulled you into his lap to straddle him, you had one leg on each side and the kiss continued. You both pulled back for air and breathed heavily.

“Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes, please take me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

He pulled the straps of your dress down, though you had rather larger breast you opted to not wear a bra that tonight, so the straps won’t show. Wooyoung continued to pull your dress down until your two mounts of flesh plopped out.

“They are so pretty Y/N.” he grabbed both, he had a boob in each hand and brushed his thumbs over your hard brown nipples, he put his soft lips onto your left nipple and sucked it lightly with his eyes closed. You dropped you head back and moaned lightly.

“How could he not appreciate these pretty boobs; I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of them.”

His praises about your body made you start to grind your hips down on him slowly. You could feel his semi-hard dick rubbing against your clothed cunt. He continued to suck your breast and flick his tongue on them. Your phone started to ring, and you looked over and saw it was Rina. You didn’t even realize you had been in this room for an hour, your friend group got back to the section to get ready to leave and noticed you weren’t there. You reached over to grab it, but Wooyoung continued to suck on your nipples like his life depended on it. You finally grabbed it and answered the call, you suppressed your moans and tried to sound like you weren’t currently dry humping a stranger in a room with his mouth on your breast.

“H-hey, what’s up?”

“Girl where did you go? The club is closing soon and everyone is getting ready to go.”

You bit your lip as Wooyoung continued to assault your breast, he removed one of his hands and went under your dress to rub your clothed pussy, the wetness had completely soaked through.

“I’m -ah- in the bathroom, I’ll be done soon.”

Rina was confused by your strange tone but continued the conversation. You moved your free hand to the back of Wooyoungs head and gripped his hair.

“Have you seen Seonghwa? We can’t find him either and he isn’t answering his phone.”

“No, I haven’t, um I’ll meet you over in the section soon.” You abruptly hung up and tossed your phone to the side.

“Aww, gotta leave me so soon pretty girl?”

He hooked his fingers into your panties, and you looked at him.

“W-we don’t have enough time…”

“Don’t worry pretty, all I need is 2 minutes.”

He laid you down on the couch and slid your panties off, he got on top of you and kissed you deeply, you thought he was going to try to fuck you quickly but instead you felt one of his fingers slide into your wet hole. You jolted and moaned into his mouth, and he leaned up, kneeling in front of your bent spread apart legs. He bit his lip and slid in another finger; you covered your mouth to suppress your moans.

“Mm don’t worry pretty, you can moan all you want in here, no one can hear us over the music, so let me hear that sexy voice.”

He glided his fingers in and out of you at a slow pace your back arched, he was going slow, yet it felt like your brain was being rewired, your pussy started to contract around his digits you already felt your orgasm on the fast track.

“Ah Wooyoung, I’m going to cum please.”

“My name sounds so good coming out of your lips baby, keep saying it.”

He started to jackhammer his fingers deeper and faster into your cunt and you gripped his veiny forearm, digging your nails into him. He knew the sting of your nails was a sign that he was hitting just the right spot. You started to say his name more and more, begging him to make you cum right there on that couch, his pace grew faster, your eyes started to roll to the back of your head, you saw white as your orgasm washed over you. You were moaning and cursing as he continued to pump his fingers into you as you came down from your high. A knock on the door brought you back to reality.

“Woo, the boss is looking for you bro, are you there?”

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

He slowly slid his fingers out of you and slid them into his mouth, sucking all your nectar from them.

“Damn baby you taste as good as you look, hopefully I’ll see you again Y/N.” He got up and grabbed the rest of his weed and got something off the floor and stuffed it into his pocket, he winked at you before leaving out the door. You got up and tried to get your footing, while you were fixing your hair and getting your phone you got another text from Rina and that’s when you realized you had to go. You left the room and met back up with your friend, she was there in the section alone with Hongjoong.

“Ah, there’s the missing person.” Hongjoong said in a sarcastic voice when he realized you had walked up.

“Y/N! Are you okay, I was a little scared when you didn’t reply to my messages.”

“Sorry, I was in the bathroom, one of the drinks I had made me feel a little sick.”

Rina got up and walked to you to place her hand on your back.

“Oh no Y/N, well let’s get you home so you can get some rest, okay? Baby I’ll meet you at home.”

Hongjoong nodded and stood up to leave the section, before he left, he turned to you to ask again.

“And you’re sure you weren’t with Seonghwa?”

“No. I wasn’t”

You rolled your eyes and the three of you left the club and went your separate ways. While in the car with Rina you stared out the window and watched as the buildings passed, you were thinking about what you and Wooyoung did, but you were mostly thinking about his words, for years you somewhat blamed your self for you and Seonghwas break up and often time regretted it but now you thought about how maybe Seonghwa really didn’t deserve you.

“What’s on your mind Eggy?”

You had 2 options here, lie and act like tonight never happened or tell the truth and remember the night forever.

“Nothing, I’m just tired is all.” You said switching your position because you realized Wooyoung had taken your panties.

You couldn’t bring yourself to tell your best friend that you let a complete stranger give you the best orgasm you’ve had in years. She pulled into your driveway, and you offered to let her spend the night, but she declined saying how she was excited to get back home to Hongjoong because he wanted to rip that dress she had on right off her body. You smiled at your happy and in love best friend and waved her off. You walked into your house and set the alarm while Mister followed you around panting and happy to see you. You showered and cleaned the makeup off your face, you put on one of your night dresses and laid in bed, as you were drifting off to sleep you realized something, the thumping was gone, and you were able to get a good night of rest.

….

You let Sunday brush past as doing nothing but working out and reading, then Monday rolled around. Time to get back to your usual routine, the moment you felt with Wooyoung in that room was the most you had felt in a long time, but it was time to get your head out of the clouds and get back to your day to day. Once you walked down the stairs wearing your usual skirt, stockings, button down and blazer you heard the knock on the door, you knew it would be Jonathan there to introduce you to his nephew. You opened the door and your stomach dropped; Jonathan was standing there greeting you with his warm smile with his nephew standing directly behind him on the side. You expected his nephew to be some random younger guy but no, it was none other then him, it could have been anyone else, but it wasn’t, it was Wooyoung. You both stared at each other, and it was a moment of silence.

“Ms. Y/N, this is my nephew Wooyoung, he’ll be taking over for me for a while, thank you so much for the opportunity. Wooyoung introduce yourself.”

Wooyoung smiled slyly, like a fox, his handsome face made you want to melt.

“I’m Wooyoung, I’m 25, thank you for the job.”

This was going to be one hell of a temp job.

Next Chapter Link

[katy-l1988]

Chapter III: Addicted

As the days turned into weeks and then into months, Carmilla delved deeper into the world of business. Carmine Industries had become a renowned industry, producing high-quality weapons sold throughout hell. Important figures like Asmodeus himself had shown great interest in her innovations, personally designed by the Lady of the house. However, business success did not come without its price. Darkness slowly crept through Carmilla's veins, corrupting her body and mind. Each workday left Carmilla shattered, exhausted by the weight of her responsibilities and consumed by the madness that overtook her. Constant confrontations with startled demons and the political intrigues dominating the realm plunged her into a constant state of paranoia.

Physically, she experienced alarming changes. She felt as if her bones stretched and rearranged within her skin, making her feel as though every part of her body was on the brink of breaking. Her skin burned with an internal fever that seemed endless, while her once bright and lively eyes now clouded with unsettling darkness. There were moments when she feared she would go blind. Luckily, there was someone who accompanied her in her struggle. Zestial became her faithful companion, sent by Lucifer to care for her. Although initially his presence was simply by order of the King, over time, the demon developed his own motivation to stay by Carmilla's side. Whenever she found herself on the verge of collapse, Zestial was there to support her, easing her physical pain and providing comfort in the darkest moments.

Like the time he entered her office, expecting to find her hard at work, accompanied by the sound of her pencil dancing on paper. Reality couldn't be more different, an odd stillness hung between those four walls, interrupted only by the distant murmur of the city. Frowning, he approached Carmilla's desk and leaned down to look underneath. There, in the dim light, lay Carmilla, with a bottle of alcohol in hand. The dim light filtering through the room barely illuminated her figure, but Zestial could clearly discern the lost gleam in her eyes and the tension in her shoulders.

"What are you doing down there, little one?" he asked softly, trying not to sound too surprised or critical.

"It's nothing, Zestial," she murmured, trying to find the right words as she struggled to emerge from her hiding spot. "Do you need something?"

"No, dear, I was just passing by the neighborhood and wanted to see how you were."

"Oh, I'm fine…thank you," Carmilla replied after a few seconds, waiting to see if he would say or do anything else, but Zestial didn't think beyond the formalities.

"Well, now that I know you're okay, I'll leave."

With a farewell bow, Zestial walked away towards the door, leaving Carmilla in her office with her thoughts. In those moments, her feelings were still a mystery, she was such an admirable woman, and so unattainable. She was just a girl, the culmination of thousands of years of refinement, perfected into a delicate silhouette. What was she thinking? She was God's daughter, his favorite after Lucifer, and he considered himself unworthy of something he considered so pure. Despite the murky nature of the business Carmilla handled, she had never indiscriminately killed or hurt those she believed innocent. She remained as just as when they were above, and he knew she would never change.

As his thoughts fluttered in his mind, he stepped into the elevator to press the button for the first floor, but just as the doors closed, someone descended from the continuous elevator and passed in front of him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Zestial felt a shiver run down his spine as the other man gave him an enigmatic smile. A whisper escaped his lips, "Araziel." What would that infamous man want with Carmilla? The mere idea deeply unsettled him.

As the elevator descended, Zestial couldn't help but look up, to the top floor of the building. He imagined Araziel in Carmilla's office, wondering what kind of shady business they could be conducting. Although he had no concrete evidence, his instinct told him that Araziel's presence boded ill. After all, he was never interested in supporting Lucifer, but in saving his own neck from Michael's sword. Finally, the elevator reached the first floor, and Zestial stepped out with firm steps. Although his mind was filled with doubts and worries, he knew he had to keep his composure and move forward. If Araziel posed a threat to Carmilla, he would be there to protect her, no matter the consequences.

Zestial observed the increasingly frequent visits of Araziel to the building, bringing sweets, flowers, clothes, gestures that he deemed too empty. Worried about what he might be doing, he decided to address the issue directly with Carmilla. He approached her one day while she worked at her desk and noticed some fresh flowers placed in a nearby vase.

"Are these from Araziel?" Zestial asked, pointing to the bouquet with curiosity.

Carmilla looked up, surprised by his question.

"Have you been spying on me?" Zestial frowned, offended.

"No, of course not," Carmilla raised an eyebrow, she couldn't lie. "Maybe. But it's hard not to notice when a man sends you flowers so frequently."

Carmilla became defensive, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And what if he sends me flowers? It's none of your business, Zestial."

"I know, but…" he tried to explain, but Carmilla cut him off abruptly.

"I don't need your opinion on my personal life, understood?" she said, her voice rising with each word. "So I would appreciate it if you stopped sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Zestial felt hurt by the acrimony in Carmilla's words, but he knew he couldn't back down.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you, Carmilla, but I'm just worried about you. Araziel is not to be trusted, and…"

"And what? Are you now the guardian of my morality?" she interrupted him again, with a flash of anger in her eyes. "I don't need anyone to tell me who I can or cannot associate with."

"Yes. You're right. You're an adult woman and can make decisions on your own."

With a resigned sigh, Zestial walked away, leaving Carmilla alone. He couldn't help but feel a profound anguish for her. He knew Araziel was a danger to anyone, especially after disappearing from their lives, but he also understood that he couldn't force Carmilla to see the truth if she wasn't ready to accept it. Meanwhile, in the office, the seraphim slumped heavily into the back of her chair, feeling the weight of the argument, an unusual event. Part of her was uneasy about Zestial's warnings, and the other was desperate to feel loved again. The sound of the phone interrupted her thoughts, and as she answered, she couldn't help but wonder about the spider's reasons for spying on her. But for now, she decided to ignore her doubts and move forward with her own plans.

The phone call was from Araziel, who invited her out that night. Wanting to distract her mind from work, she eagerly accepted the invitation. Shortly after, the fallen angel arrived to pick her up, and together they headed to a nightclub. The atmosphere was charged with energy and excitement, and Carmilla was swept away by the music and flashing lights. Throughout the night, they shared laughter and conversation, and for a moment, Carmilla was able to forget her worries and enjoy the moment.

Carmilla was carried away by the intoxication and seduction of Araziel, unable to resist his charms in her vulnerable state. Her senses clouded by alcohol led her into a whirlwind of confusing sensations as she found herself enveloped in the arms of one who, until recently, was just a memory in her mind.

In a moment of fleeting lucidity, Carmilla realized that something was terribly wrong. Her mind struggled to break through the veil of drunkenness, reminding her that her tolerance for alcohol was considerable and that she shouldn't be so out of control. But before she could react, it was already too late. Araziel had her cornered against the wall, his seductive words echoing in her ears as she fought to find a way out. Fear gripped Carmilla as she realized the trap she had fallen into. She tried to fight against Araziel's grip, but her efforts were in vain, much like what happened with Adam. Carmilla deeply regretted having fought with Zestial, praying that even after the argument, he would still be spying on her. But at that moment, she was completely alone, at the mercy of one who had once been her downfall and now revealed himself as her worst nightmare.

"What's the matter, pajarito?" Araziel whispered with a mocking smile, his hot breath brushing against Carmilla's ear as he held her pinned. "I thought you'd like to fly again."

Carmilla swallowed hard, feeling disgust and anger mixed within her. Araziel's words made her feel small, defenseless, as if she were prey in the hands of a cunning and ruthless predator. On one hand, she hated herself for being so vulnerable, for allowing herself to fall once again into the clutches of someone like him. She berated herself in her mind, wondering how she could be so foolish, so weak, how she could allow herself to be used again. As her lips met Araziel's in a kiss filled with desperation, tears welled up in her closed eyes. She felt as though she were betraying every promise she had made to herself, every ideal she had fervently defended. But at the same time, there was a part of her that was swept away by the intoxicating sensation of the moment, a part of her that desperately longed to feel desired and loved, even if it was by someone as despicable as Araziel.

Although she knew she was playing with fire, it was as if an irresistible force propelled her forward, as if she were trapped in an endless cycle of self-destruction from which she could not escape. And amidst that emotional whirlwind, there was something unsettling about the way Araziel held her, something that made her doubt her own perceptions, her ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Was there a part of her that desired this, that enjoyed that depravity as much as he did?

Then, she woke up, with a heavy heart and a mind clouded by a pain she had not experienced before. On the nightstand, a note written in elegant cursive accompanied a tray with tea and cookies. With trembling hands, she picked it up and began to read the words printed on the paper. The letter, though brief, was filled with sweet words and compliments, promises of future encounters and gestures of affection. For a moment, Carmilla allowed herself to be carried away by the illusion that maybe, just maybe, she could find comfort in Araziel's arms.

"Carmilla? Are you there?" Zestial's voice echoed through the intercom, full of concern. "Hey, I wanted to apologize. I know I had no right to spy on you, but you must know that I thought I was doing the right thing."

Carmilla struggled to get up from the floor, stopping in front of her friend's image on the screen.

"After all, it's what guardian angels do." He chuckled to himself, awaiting her response. "Milla, are you there?"

The woman's finger hovered a few millimeters away from pressing the button to answer; she knew exactly what he would say upon seeing her in that state, and the last thing she wanted was to face the possible humiliation of admitting her weakness to him. Pride was her greatest sin, just like her brother's. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she wrestled with her own conflicting emotions, wondering if she would be able to face the look of disappointment in Zestial's eyes if she showed him her true, vulnerable, and fractured self.

With a resigned sigh, Carmilla finally made a decision, accepting that she wasn't ready to confront Zestial's words at that moment. She watched in silence as her friend's image disappeared from the intercom, feeling a weight of guilt mixed with relief in her heart. Once she was sure she was free from interruptions, she sat down on the bed, feeling the mattress embrace her tired body. Her eyes landed on the tray. With trembling hands, she picked up the tray, and as she savored the breakfast Araziel had prepared, she allowed herself to indulge in a brief moment of indulgence, setting aside her worries and fears for just a moment to simply enjoy the comforting taste of the food. If this was her hell, she would find a way to make the most of it.

Thus, the relationship between Carmilla and Araziel became a decades-long dance, a power game in which both had a role to play. Carmilla, accustomed to being in charge of everything, found a perverse pleasure in relinquishing control to Araziel, allowing him to take the lead in her bed and in her life. Araziel, on the other hand, was like a insatiable wolf, always hungry for more, for power, for dominance. His presence was intoxicating, his touch a drug that left Carmilla craving more, even knowing that each encounter dragged her deeper into the darkness of her own damnation. She became addicted to that toxicity, finding a strange satisfaction in the sensation of danger and abandon that accompanied each encounter with Araziel. Although her rational mind knew it was a dangerous game, her heart longed for the whirlwind of emotions he provided, clinging to it desperately, even when reason told her she should flee.

The routine repeated itself over and over again, each encounter hotter and wilder than the last, each dawn bringing with it a mixture of pleasure and guilt that threatened to consume her completely. Deep down, Carmilla knew she was trapped in a cycle from which she could not escape, that her fate was inexorably linked to Araziel's, and a ring was just a way of letting him see.

"Then you got married," Carmilla had gone with Rosie to ask her for a new dress, since the ones she had were a bit tight.

"I guess it was only a matter of time," she said, looking at herself in the mirror. She had given a part of herself to Araziel, a pact that went beyond the physical and delved into the depths of their souls.

"Are you happy with that?" Rosie was one of the few born in hell in whom Carmilla fully trusted, from the first moment she was very attentive to her. Now, as she adjusted a tape measure around Carmilla's waist, she smiled.

"Happy?"

Carmilla let out a bitter laugh, more a sigh of resignation than a gesture of genuine joy. Rosie's words made her reflect on the nature of her relationship with Araziel, a union marked by passion and intensity, but also by darkness and manipulation.

"I don't know if 'happy' is the right word," Carmilla finally replied, her voice laden with ambiguity. "It's complicated, you know? Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning, like I'm trapped and can't escape. But other times… Well, there are moments when I feel alive in a way I've never experienced before."

Rosie nodded understandingly, her eyes reflecting empathy for Carmilla's situation.

"I understand what you mean. Relationships, especially in hell, are rarely simple."

Carmilla noticed Rosie's understanding gaze, a spark of surprise flickering in her eyes. Although she had always admired Rosie's strength and confidence, she had never imagined that she, too, faced her own personal battles.

"Forgive me. I spoke as if I were the only one with problems," Carmilla asked curiously, feeling an unexpected connection with her friend. "It's just… you always seem to be okay."

Rosie let out an ironic laugh, adjusting the tape measure around Carmilla's waist with a mechanical gesture.

"You can never know the reality behind a smile, dear," Her voice had a somber tone, laden with past experiences. "My ex-husband was a jerk, often crossing my boundaries, and he ended up tangling with someone much worse in the end."

"And why were you with him for so many years?"

"For the same reason you married the jerk Araziel," Carmilla was momentarily speechless, surprised by Rosie's frankness. "Sometimes, it's easier to cling to what we know, even if it hurts us."

Rosie continued to take measurements as she changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood with a touch of humor.

"By the way, it looks like someone has been eating too many chocolates," she joked as she took notes in her agenda.

Carmilla let out a nervous giggle, aware of her oversight. Rosie gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, softening the tone of her words.

"Don't worry about it, darling. With everything you've been going through, it's completely understandable! Besides, your breasts have grown quite a bit, which is good since before you looked like a board."

Carmilla blushed intensely at Rosie's comment, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed by the direct observation about her body. Instinctively, she covered herself with her hands, trying to hide her body as her face burned with shame. Though she struggled to keep a straight face, she pushed her friend away to make her stop.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey!" Rosie exclaimed, laughing, as she tried to contain her joy. "I couldn't help it. But seriously, don't worry so much about a few extra pounds. You look beautiful anyway!"

Later, Carmilla bid farewell to Rosie with a warm hug and a forced smile, trying to hide the growing anxiety within her. She appreciated her friend's company, but a sense of unease persisted in her mind as she walked through the dark streets of the city. Nervously playing with the ring on her hand, she tried to clear her mind, but worries continued to haunt her like shadows in the night. Every step she took echoed in the silence of the night, increasing her sense of loneliness and vulnerability. She forced herself to take deep breaths to calm the nausea that was beginning to rise, fighting against the wave of discomfort that threatened to overwhelm her.

Carmilla had barely walked a block when she felt someone following her. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and a shiver ran down her spine as she nervously looked around, searching for any sign of danger in the shadows of the infernal night. Then, suddenly, Araziel appeared at her side, his sudden presence causing Carmilla to come to a sudden stop, her nerves on edge.

"Araziel!" exclaimed Carmilla, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety at recognizing her husband. "Did you follow me here?" she inquired, her tone reflecting her irritation and distrust.

"I just missed you so much, mi parito," Araziel said, as if it were the most natural explanation in the world, as they continued walking towards the elevator terminal. "Come on, I made a reservation at Ozzie's."

The name of the place made Carmilla shudder slightly. Ozzie's, Asmodeus's house, a venue known for its atmosphere charged with eroticism and lust. It was not exactly where she wanted to be at that moment, she knew exactly what they were going for. Asmodeus was known for his arrogant and boastful attitude, especially when it came to his reputation as the embodiment of lust. There was no doubt that he would seize the opportunity to humiliate her, as he did with other demons. The idea of being exhibited as Araziel's property filled her with disgust, but for the time being, she decided to play his game, even though her heart beat with a mixture of anxiety and disgust.

Araziel didn't let go of Carmilla at any moment as they walked to the terminal, one only accessible to demons born in hell, or like them, born in heaven. His grip was firm, almost possessive, as if he wanted to make sure she didn't escape.

Once inside Ozzie's, it was as if the atmosphere itself was imbued with palpable sensuality. Neon lights blinked in vibrant hues, illuminating the place with an almost hypnotic intensity. The loud music resonated in their ears, mingling with the whispers and laughter of those present. It was a place where the darkest and most sinful desires mingled freely in the air. Asmodeus observed from his position behind the scenes the two fallen angels, as they sat at a table near the stage. The way Araziel ordered on behalf of Carmilla did not go unnoticed by him. He knew that in that relationship, Araziel exerted dominant control, relegating Carmilla to a secondary role.

But the sight of the two wasn't the only thing that caught Asmodeus's attention. He also saw Zestial in the distance, who had spent the last few years wandering in the Ring of Greed. A malicious smile formed on his lips as he plotted a way to play with them. He knew beforehand that Zestial had some kind of interest in the Duchess of Hell, as she was often called in those days, given that the title of "princess" had been occupied by Lucifer's daughter. Asmodeus decided it would be entertaining to play with the dynamics between the three of them. He planned to take advantage of the situation to test Zestial's limits and provoke a bit of chaos in the process. He was a master at manipulating the emotions and desires of others, and this situation promised to be a deliciously twisted game for him. With a mischievous look, he prepared to enter the scene and start his little game of seduction and manipulation.

"Carmilla, my Lady! What a surprise to see you here!" exclaimed Asmodeus theatrically, bowing slightly like a courtier of hell.

"Asmodeus, it will always be a pleasure to see you," Carmilla responded, trying to maintain her composure despite the discomfort she felt in his presence.

"And what brings you to these sinful lands?" he inquired with genuine interest.

"It's our anniversary," Araziel replied with a proud smile, gripping Carmilla's hand tightly.

"Oh, really! How many years has it been?" Asmodeus asked, raising an eyebrow with genuine interest.

"Too many to count," Carmilla replied with a forced laugh, trying to divert attention from the uncomfortable question.

"Don't be modest, dear! For us demons, a century is just a few minutes of our vast existence," insisted Asmodeus, with a playful smile that revealed his enjoyment of putting her in a tight spot.

Carmilla exchanged a quick glance with Araziel before responding cautiously, "A millennium."

Asmodeus put a hand on Carmilla's waist with a familiarity that made her tense slightly. His playful smile widened as he gave Araziel a mocking look.

"A thousand years, you say!" he exclaimed with a tone of feigned disbelief. "It must have been quite a challenge to keep her satisfied for so long, Araziel! Or do you have some tricks to share with us? I would love to hear them."

Carmilla looked away, trying to ignore the intense gaze of the demon. Asmodeus, having set up his play, headed towards where Zestial was. He ordered with a simple gesture to the imps in charge of lighting to turn on a spotlight on Zestial, highlighting his figure amidst the darkness of the venue. The woman, seeing Zestial shining under the spotlights, felt a mixture of emotions that hit her hard. For years, she had wished to see him again, but she could never reach him. Unable to contain herself, Carmilla jumped to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared fixedly at Zestial, as if time had stopped around her.

[boredzillenial]

Day 23: of @flightlessangelwings fawktober!

You come home to find a stranger by your pool (Jack Jackson).

Themes: DEAD DOVE -DNE, bratty f!reader, Dirty Talk, some degradation, momentary choking and hair pulling, Begging, CNC (maybe? Idk man I tried), refraction period who, 69 (Jack on top), cum play, pinv, creampie

W.C: 2435 words

A.N: This is a safe place to explore kink and erotica as writers and readers, if you don’t like one of the above themes don’t read it, this is my first attempt at hitting all three themes for one day! My first experience with CNC as well so apologies if it isn’t the best 😅 Hope y’all like it 😘 Big thank you to @melodygatesauthor and @guruan-isnt-here for grammar and vibe checking this one!

See you soon ;)

You stare down at the final line of chat on your screen. You’d listed out your age, location, hard and soft limits. Now you wait… Finding someone online for CNC was always a toss up but your chat with this guy felt different somehow. Though your shitty workday hangs over you like a dark cloud your core is already dampening at the thought of this evening. You make your way through your darkened home until you’re stepping out sun drenched back deck. The light glimmering off of the pool causing you to squint. You take a deep breath, finally closing your eyes as you enjoy the warmth of the sun on your skin until you hear the clinking of ice in a glass. You jump and whip around to see the source of the noise,

“Who the hell are you?” You snap, your aggravating work day eroded your already limited patience. While didn’t know who had answered your ad this was not the man you’d expected. The figure lounging across your pool chair furrows his brow.

He slowly sits up and lowers his sunglasses to take you in, “I’m who you’ve been chattin’ with. Name’s Jack.” He twangs out.

“Horse shit.” You spit.

“Well that’s not very nice…” He stands up, taking a sip from his umbrella’d cocktail as he makes his way toward you. Arousal begins to mix with your frustration at his strange response. Usually you prefer men much bigger than yourself for scenes like this, it helps keep you in the moment, but this guy is at least a couple inches shorter than you.

“I thought you’d be someone strong, powerful, tall...” Your voice lowers as you smirk, dragging your gaze slowly over him. “But you? How’d you even get in?”

“I’ve got my ways sweetheart.” The stranger shrugs , “figured I’d make myself comfortable.” He grins, two gold teeth shimmering in his smile. “Care for a swim?” He motions toward the pool, robe fluttering in the California breeze showing his form in a rather small pair of pink briefs that don’t leave anything to the imagination. He’s that big while flaccid?

“I think I’ll take some time to decompress from work…” you turn and make your way into the house. The darkness temporarily blinding you as you make your way further, “Shit,” You hiss as you slowly make your way toward the kitchen.

Suddenly there are two strong hands slamming into your shoulders and pinning your back against the wall. “Now sweetheart, you can’t hold my height against me. I’m very good at my job.” His smirk and gravely voice grate against your nerves.

“If you had really read through the request you must know I’m anything but sweet…” your voice drops into a low taunting tone as you lean forward. “I don’t think this is gonna -“

His hand around your throat finishes your sentence for you as he holds you still. “Those ain’t the magic words.” He smirks “Why don’t you make your way into the bedroom and we can start.” He lets you go and steps aside, motioning down the hall.

“Pft.” You huff, feigning boredom with his momentary dominance. Deciding you really want to test his resolve you forge on, “I doubt you can -“ once again he cuts you off, this time with an iron grip in your hair at the nape of your neck as he drags you toward the bedroom.

“You’re one of those huh? Can’t just listen the first time.” He tuts as you stumble to keep up, wincing and hissing at the pain prickling your scalp. He grabs your arm and throws you onto the bed. “Just so I know you’re not some girl who’s in over her head… let me hear you say your safe-word…” he crosses his arms and stands at the edge of the bed.

You level your gaze with his, adrenaline sparking your stubbornness “Red…” you purr.

“Not a creative one are ya.” He chuckles. “Now once I start, I ain’t stopping till I hear that word…”

“That word is for you too, in case you can’t handle it.” You smirk.

The wicked grin that answers you sends lightening to your core. “Oh I’m gonna enjoy this.” He pulls down the pink briefs slowly, his thick member already hard, red and angry. He keeps his eyes locked on yours as your mouth watered at the sight of him. “Like what you see?” He smirks as he spits in his hand and slowly began to work himself infront of you.

“Can’t say I don’t.” You answer, stubbornness flaring again and keeping you from giving him a simple yes.

“Good, cause that’s all you get to do right now.” His dark tone fills the room as he continues to work himself. Hips slowly canting forward on a particularly long stroke had you biting your lip. “Little slut hasn’t earned all of this…” he growls.

You’re ashamed at how quickly you’re losing your nerve. The pulse of his cock and the sounds coming from him make your core ache and clench around nothing. You lean back on the bed, your eyes never leaving his length as your hand dips under your waistband. “Nope.” He growls, lunging forward and yanking your wrist to pin it on the bed. “Bad girl.” He pulls you forward till your knees landed on the carpet. “Hands behind your back.”

“Make m-“ your smirk is cut off as he pinches your cheeks together.

“Oh I intend to.” He pulls a pair of cuffs out of the pocket of his silk robe. He pulls your arms behind you at an awkward angle and tightens them down on your wrists.

“They’re too tight.” You growl.

He moves to stand infront of you, cock still red and now weeping as it bounces just a few inches from your face. “Ask me if I care sweetheart, now open.”

You glare at him but did as he says, opening your mouth just wide enough and sticking your tongue out.

“Stay just like that.” He murmurs as he begins working himself again, slowly coming closer and closer but not enough to touch.

He threw his head back and groaned as his hips began rolling forward. You could feel the thin fabric of your underwear soaking as he stood over you. So close but not quite there. Raising a brow you went to lean forward, to just lick the tip. But his hand came down on your forehead to keep you in place “Think I’m stupid?” He chuckled as he continues to rut into his fist. “Think you earned this cum?”

You nod opening your mouth wider. His breathy laugh has you nearly groaning, just a few more thrusts and you’re sure he’d be coming right down your throat. His hand on your head shakes as he nears his release; one, two, three more thrusts and then- ropes and ropes of cum splatter across your chest and shirt. “What the fuck.” You hiss.

“Oh you definitely didn’t earn it yet. I just wanted to ruin that pretty little blouse of yours.” He smirks, running his fingers down and swirling his spend across your skin. A snarl is your only warning as his other hand grabs onto the hem of your deep v-necked collar and yanks, ripping and exposing your bare chest underneath. “I’m gonna have fun painting you with my cum.” He whispers, hauling you up by your arm and throwing you back onto the bed. “You won’t need these.” He yanks your pants and thong down in one stroke, exposing your soaked folds. “So wet already.” He lightly strokes a finger through your heat and swirls around your clit, eliciting a soft moan from you.

His eyes sparkle as a wicked idea swirls in his mind. He presses your legs wide and leaned in, rubbing his fat tip up and down your folds. Your slickness and his cum still beading out of it mixing together made him nearly lose his control. It took everything in him not to slam into you. He nearly does till he looks up and notices how much you were enjoying the sensation. A little too much for his liking. He smirks, runs his tip up to your clit and rubs slowly over it. You whimper and groan as your hips began to roll in time with his. Your eyes squeeze shut as you focus on drawing as much pleasure as you can.

He huffs and slips the tip of his cock down further, barely pressing into your heat. Christ you need more, you buck your hips up stealing you a momentary inch of him. “Bad girl.” He tuts, slipping out of your folds and down, pressing his slick tip against your tight ring of muscle. Your eyes shoot open in a panic and you try to sit up. He relishes the fear in your eyes as he leans forward, his face just inches from yours “Do that again and I’m fucking this first… and you better hope that cunt is slick enough to drip down for your tight little ass.”

You gulp and nod. “You gonna behave?” He asks as he angles his tip up and slides it between your folds. You bite your lip to stifle your groan and nod again. “Prove it.” He shuffles over and cages your head with a knee on either side, leaning forward and angling is cock over your face, “Open.”

You open wide, hungrily as the mixture of his smell and yours fills your senses. He slowly glides his soaked tip over your tongue and groans, “Such an eager little slut.” He chuckles, rolling his hips slowly as his hand cups your breast and pinches your nipple lightly.

You gasp and he takes that chance to thrust deeper into your mouth. The warmth and softness of your tongue pull moans from him and eat away at his resolve. “Taking it so well, you want my cock down your throat?” You nod as best you can and hum your response. “Good.” He lays over you, his length nearly hitting the back of your throat and stretching your lips across him. He begins thrusting into your mouth and your about to cry out for him to slow down when a shot of warmth and pressure glides across your bud.

Your cry is muffled around his girth as he laps at your clit with his tongue. Long languid strokes across your bud send your mind reeling as you arch up and take him deeper down your throat. “Only takes a couple licks to swallow my cock huh?” His breath fanning across your needy core sent you whimpering. “Don’t worry, your mouth feels so good I’ll reward ya.”

His hips set a fast pace as he lapped at your clit. In just a few strokes of his tongue you came undone. Your cunt fluttering around nothing as you muffled cries fill the room. You were so ready to swallow all that he was about to give you. A few more hard thrusts and - he pulls out of your mouth with a pop and ruts against your chest, spilling new ropes of cum to meet his earlier spend. “Still, haven’t earned, that yet.” He groans between thrusts. His hips slow and he sits up, adjusting so he can see the absolute mess covering your tits and his belly.

He lets out a dark chuckle as he wipes his cum off his belly and turns to you. You’re hunger quelled for a moment from your orgasm as you look up at him lazily. “You want it?” He looks down as the cum on his hand then back to your lips. You nod, closing your eyes and opening your mouth. You stick your tongue out and wait for the taste of him to hit your palette. You jolt as he presses his fingers deep into your aching core. “Think I want it here instead.” His dark smirk ignites your frustration anew.

“Fucking tease.” You hiss.

“You think so?” He brings his hand up and gathers the ropes of cum from your chest. “Oh I can show you tease.” With one hand full of cum he uses the other to lift your legs until your ankles were nearly by your ears. You groan against the uncomfortable position as your weight presses into your shoulders and neck. You pitifully try to use your still restrained arms to get more comfortable, your core tensing as you try to balance.

Ass up and everything laid bare for him, he shifts behind you. Your lower back presses against his chest. He pulls your folds open with his clean hand and you gasp at the sensation of him dripping cum right into your aching heat. Your legs jerk but he manages to keep them in place as he uses a single finger to work his cum into you. Just enough sensation for you to feel it but not enough to satisfy.

“Please.” The word slips out before you can stop it. His motions halt, he slowly meets your gaze with a smirk.

“What was that? Little slut actually beggin’ now?” His dark tone adds to your aching frustration. “Do it again.”

Your desperation cracks your resolve as your back begins to ache. “Please… need more…”

“That wasn’t so hard was it? Though you should be more specific.” His smirk grows to a wicked grin as he stands over you and sinks his girth into your slick channel in one thrust. You cry out at the sudden stretch, pain and pleasure swirling as his cum leaks around the sides of him. “Would you look at that. Gotta fill you up some more.” He grunts as he begins to pound into you.

Cries turn to whimpers as you finally begin to adjust to him. His cock hitting that spot deep inside, sending you over the edge. His groans join your cries as you tighten around him, “Just like that.” He bites out and fucks you harder. “Take this fucking cock.” He slams into you drawing out your orgasm. With a final thrust he leans into you, pressing you further into the bed and painting your walls white.

After a moment he slowly lowers you till your back finally rests against the bed. Instinctively you let out a contented sigh as you felt the aftermath slowly leak from your relaxed sex. Jack moves off the bed to admire his work, tutting as the wet spot below you grows. “Gonna have to try again.” He grins. “Maybe a different hole will hold it better.”

————-

Taglist: @lunar-ghoulie @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

[gtsdreamer2]

"No. He's better than that. He never makes bad decisions. He always chooses the light. You should know that by now, squirt." Your angel quickly snatched up the beelzebug-sized demon and cupped her in a cage with their hands before shaking her around like a rock in a rattle.

When you were young, you'd always had the pair of them with you. When you were little, so were they. They would sit on your shoulder and try to guide you through your choices. As your parents taught you right from wrong, you always began to listen to the angel, Percy rather than the devil, Delphine. Over time, as you grew up, the Percy seemed to grow with you while the Delphine stayed small and wasted away. Where the angel became robust and strong, the devil seemed to wither. She lost her lustrous red sheen which was replaced by a rusty brown, which was fitting for her small stature that was akin to a cockroach. Her two horns protruding from her head resembled antennae, and her once majestic wings had shriveled to tiny little nubs on her back. Now at twenty-eight, you stood full grown at six foot one. Percy stood a little taller at about six foot four. Meanwhile, the diminutive devil was a meager couple inches tall. As you matured, you could no longer see them and chalked them up to being imaginary friends, and their suggestions filtered through yoir subconscious. As they bickered back and forth with one literally in the other's clutches, your friend tried again to convince you to go out drinking after your long workday to the casino.

"Come on man, you never go out with us. Just a couple drinks. To blow off steam." He was nudging you now and practicality begging. While your guardian angel was busy picking on the she-devil, you decided for yourself that a couple drinks couldn't hurt. Hell, you earned it.

"Ya, why not. Let's do it!" As you were psyching yourself up for a well-deserved night out, the two shoulder guardians behind you fell silent.

"Wait what? You don't need to-" the angel started before he felt an outward pressure against his closed hands. From them erupted the she-demon, puzzling the angel as she doubled in size. "What in the lord's name are you doing?" He gestured to you, but you had already dismissed them in your mind as you began to get ready for your evening out.

"Fuck ya!" The devil shouted from the palm of the angel's hand. She was still only a little bigger than a bug, but she was just happy to be bigger. "That's a win for the little guys! Hell, we haven't had a win since...what, he was like...eight? Lemme see." From thin air, she summoned an iPad that was perfectly tailored to her size. On it was the e-book version of 'The Book of You', which was a cataloging of your whole life and all of your choices up until this point. "Man, there's a lot of do-gooding in here." She lamented.

"Well," interjected the angel, "I would like to say that I've been doing a pretty good job of guiding him on his path ever since he's been able to think for himself."

"Put a lid on it, Halo-top, I have a feeling that the scales are about to tip in my favor. I didn't even have to try to guide him on this one, it was like I had that guy wingmaning for me. What's his name? Benny. Ok, I like Benny. Let's see where this night goes."

As the night wore on, your choices seemed to continue from bad to worse. The couple of drinks turned to five or six before you knew it. The guilt of drinking was weighing on you, but your friends, mainly Benny, were peer pressuring you into continuing. With each additional beer, your shoulder demon was increasing in size.

"That's right, down the hatch. Good boy." Delphine was now two and a half feet in height. This was by no means big, but she was beyond elated that she had stolen this size back from Percy, and at some point was forced to climb down from your shoulder. She stood by your angel, who was now hovering around the four foot mark, a stature that he had not had the misfortune of standing at for several years at least.

"It feels so good to be getting bigger! I can't believe you've hoarded this feeling all to yourself for so long! You need to learn to share. Gluttony is a sin, you know?" Color had started to return to Delphine at this point. Her wings had begun to grow back in, and her body was filling out and plumping up in all the right places as she was being fed by a continuous stream of Percy's life force. She was overjoyed to play with her new assets in front of the angel, who tried to look away in disgust. "Wait hang on, he just blew through the last of his cash with that bet. Let's see what he does."

As your pockets were emptied and your head was swimming with alcohol. You were finally thinking about calling it quits until Benny threw his arm around you. "Come on man, you can't end the night on a loss, go pull some more money out and let's keep going!" That idea was sounding pretty good to you. You had plenty in your savings for your dream home. It couldn't hurt to delay that dream a little bit when everyone was having such a good time.

"Now hold on-!" Your angel started before your demon clamped her clawed hand over his mouth.

"Let him cook!" She whispered in his ear. "Come on, do it." Delphine called out to you from across the floor. You shambled over to the ATM and withdrew another four hundred bucks. The demon cooed as she grew another foot. She was now even with the angel. "Atta boy! Looks like he's wiped out all the good you've instilled into him in a single night. How's that feel?" She unclaimed his mouth so he could speak, but he was speechless. "In fact, he might still be on the decline, look!" As you were making your way back to the table, you slipped two twenties into the waitress's cleavage and asked for two more drinks, kissing her on the cheek and slapping her on the ass to send her on her way. "Oh fuck. That was really bad. I didn't teach him that." Delphine was rubbing her thighs together. She was absolutely squirming with excitement as demonic energy swirled around her and then pushed itself into her. Her knees buckled as she fell to the floor, writhing in pleasure as she pulsed larger and larger, siphoning strength from Percy." Her lips and tits plumped as her hips widened and her wings stretched and strengthened. All the while, Percy could feel himself withering. His white clothes faded from pearly to grey as his halo dimmed then darkened, falling around his neck and tightening like a collar. His wings shrank and feathers began to shed from them. He could feel his muscles atrophy as he crumpled to the floor, a mere shadow of his former glory.

You continued to drink and gamble until your monitary withdrawal was lost to alcohol and bad bets. With each bet and each gulp Percy shrank smaller and smaller until he stood at a pitiful six inches in height. By this time, Delphine had assumed full control of the situation. She picked up her tiny nemesis and conjured a birdcage of bone to house him. Their positions had now completely reversed. The devil that has been a small and pathetic being for so many years was now a six foot four bombshell of a beast. Her skin, no longer a rusty brown was now glowing red hot like her lust. Her horns were long and sharp, as were her nails and her tail which swished playfully back and forth as she watched you blackout before Benny had you both loaded into an Uber for the drive home.

As Benny finally got you into bed, the she-devil corporealized in your room with the angel in tow, trapped in his cage. It was only now that Benny's shoulder guardians became visible to yours. A hulking slab of hell flesh and another underwhelming angel accompanied Benny as he left, his devil winking at yours as he made his exit to make it known that he had thrown her a bone to help with her glow-up. The angels made sad eyes at each other before looking away in shame, knowing that they had lost whatever fight was left in them.

The three of you were alone now. Delphine crept up on your sleeping form and caressed your cheek. "I really wish I could thank you for leaning so far into your dark side today. I wish that you could see me like when you were little. As if reacting to her voice, you opened your eyes and immediately locked onto hers. You could see her. And she knew it.

"Hi pretty red lady." You muttered sloppily, obviously completely sloshed still. Your hazy mind began to fill with thoughts about what you wished to do to her. And what you wished she would do to you. Being both the target and the beneficiary of those thoughts, her body began to react by growing another few inches. Percy watched in horror as he realized Delphine had stolen the size, not from him, but from their human. You closed your eyes again as Delphine's iPad poofed in front of her and began to ring.

"Sup HQ?" She spoke into the pad.

"We're getting some weird readings off of you and your human. You all good up there? It looks like you've gained enough strength to physically materialize in the mortal plane."

"Huh, that's weird. Must be some kind of glitch. Nope. We're all good up here. Got my guy making some bad decisions, but nothing out of the ordinary, bye!" She hung up before they could get a word in. Delphine turned her attention back to you, gently nudging you to wake you up again.

You reluctantly opened your eyes again. She was still standing over you. Looming. She was large. She was exuding sexual energy. Immediately you were turned on. Delphine responded with a warm smile.

"I've missed how you looked at me. Look at you. All grown up. And still a virgin thanks to that goody two-wings in the corner over there. No. Don't look at him. Look at me. I can FEEL how you're lusting after me." Through your intoxicated thoughts, Delphine could feel your adoration grow. With it, she grew larger still, cresting the eight foot mark. You felt yourself dwindle for the first time. It startled you, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"Submit to me." She said firmly, with no room for objections, not that you had any to give. You nodded, and she manifested a collar around your neck with a rope that led right to her hand. "Let me show you how to be a man and feel good." She ripped your clothes off with inhuman speed to reveal your already erect manhood.

Sliding her bottoms off. She straddled the whole length of the bed and lowered herself atop you. You let out a small grunt as you felt yourself penetrating someone for the first time. She moaned in response and encouraged you. Delphine could feel herself siphoning your strength and grew again, her brests bubbling larger and breaking free of their top, two red hot nipples forcing themselves into your face. You instinctively grabbed two fistfuls of flesh as she began to bounce forcefully on top of you. The bed had no chance. And quickly, the legs collapsed, forcing you hard against her as she wrapped her supple wings and strong arms around you to keep you safe.

"Oh perfect, I'm further from the ceiling now. More room to...mmmmph...grow!" She felt you empty yourself inside her and she pulsed with your releases, growing to ten, then twelve feet in height. Percy cried out from across the floor at the sight. Meanwhile, you were no more than three feet tall at this point. As delphine climbed off you and stood up, she realized she needed to hunch over to not break through the ceiling. "I'm so big now." She said, amazed at herself. "So powerful. So sexy. I'm addicted to this. I want more." Just then, her iPad poofed in front of her again and began to ring incessantly. She there it to the ground and crushed it with her heel, a single demonic scream and a lowly underworld soul slipping out which she pulled into her hand simply by willing it. She examined the poor soul before closing her fist and absorbing it into herself.

"Oooooh" She cooed as she made its power her own. "I shouldn't be allowed to do that. That's dangerous." As she grew to twenty feet, Delphine was now pressed against every wall in your room. "I wonder..." She said to herself, curiosity getting the better of her. Summoning Percy's cage to her, she crushed it in her hand, leaving him exposed in her clutches.

"You shouldn't have this kind of power." He said, weakly.

"You're telling me." She replied with a grin before he sank into her palm and his soul was absorbed by her. "Mmmph! That feels so so good! Angel souls are so strong!" Grabbing you and stuffing you into your cleavage before it was too late, Delphine erupted from the remnants of your home, exploding to thirty and then forty feet as her wings unfurled to their full width and she let our an unholy howl of pleasure. You watched as she stood to her full height, the world around you shrinking away as she did.

"You're next little man." She said, gingerly patting you on your head. Her finger came down like a ton of bricks on top of you as you sank deeper into her breasts. Delphine began to absorb what was left of you, but you stopped at a mere six inches in height. "Hmmph. I guess I can't fully extinguish human souls. That would be breaking the rules...but umph! Thanks for the little boost! I'm so powerful now that I can feel the negative energy around me. All the naughty thoughts pouring out of all the humans in this whole area. It's a feast just waiting for me. But first, how about we go pay Benny and his hunky demon a visit. I simply must thank the both of them for my ascension." She lengthened the rope that was tied around your neck and put it around her own before enclosing you in a little windowed locket. "Front row seat for the one that made all this possible." As delphine sauntered down the street, onlookers gazed apon their new goddess and their lust and envy poured into her growing her larger and larger with each step. She could only laugh and moan as her power grew with each step.

[senorabond]

Rumor Has It: Chapter 6 Peña x f!reader x Pike

Pairings: Javier Peña x f!reader; Marcus Pike x f!reader; future Peña x f!reader x Pike

Chapter 6 Summary: Javier meets you at the office the next day to help you with the big briefing, then shows you a different side of Houston. 

Rating: 18+ (Minors DNI), Explicit sexual content, additional warnings may be added for future chapters

Chapter Warnings: no use of y/n, previous relationship (Marcus x f!Reader), slowburn, workplace romance, fantasizing, masturbation (m), ohh the yearning

Reader/Character notes: Reader is fem!afab; No mention of Reader’s body size, shape, composition, or skin color.

Words: 5.6k

Author’s Note:  I am having so much fun with this story and can’t wait to share more of it with you. I have a LOT more in store for you all. Muchos besos para mi beta @kilamonster!!! Thank you for reading multiple versions of this and being my Spanish tutor! 💋💜

Series Masterlist || Previous Chapter

Texas The Next Day

You hate to admit it, but the most difficult part of your day so far was figuring out what the hell to wear. You’d be working at the office with somebody who was your superior on the case, but on a Sunday and outside the social confines of a regular workday. Your usual work attire would be too formal, but you don’t want to swing too far in the other direction and show up looking sloppy. 

Playing it safe, you choose a pair of leggings for comfort but pair it with a smart tunic-length top with a hem that floats around your hips. A pair of simple studs adorn your lobes, and your hair is swept back from your face and off your neck in a utilitarian style. With just a minimal touch of makeup, you feel like your armor is complete. You might wear the same outfit out to dinner with a friend – if you had any here.

You arrive at the office a whole two hours before you and Peña had agreed to meet. You’d already been up and working on the briefing since six that morning anyway and were just getting antsier the longer you worked at home. At least you could prepare the briefing room before Javier shows up and would feel ready to jump right in. 

You greet the weekend security guards and make your way up to the conference room. The normally bustling halls and work spaces are eerily quiet and only half of the overhead lights are on. Once in the shared meeting space, you begin to unpack your box of files and hook your laptop up to the audiovisual setup. 

It feels like only a short time has passed when you hear a knock at the door and Javi is standing there holding a paper box, presumably with more files. You check your watch and see that it’s still a half hour before your meeting time.

“You’re early.” You stand up and Javi walks in, setting the cardboard box on the table.

“So are you,” he counters. “How long have you been here?”

“Umm…” you glance a bit guiltily at the clock on the wall. Javi cocks his head and sets his jaw sternly, but his eyes are playful.

“That’s what I thought.” From the box, he pulls out a cardboard drinks holder with two large coffees, an assortment of creamer and sweetener packets, and another paper bag. “Bagels. Wasn’t sure what you like, so there’s a mix.” 

Your stomach growls in loud appreciation and you blush a bit. In your eagerness to get to the office you skipped breakfast. You decide on a cinnamon raisin bagel and begin slathering it with a hearty amount of cream cheese.

“Thanks, you didn’t have to.” The first bite is carb heaven.

“And you didn’t have to agree to this briefing.” Javi grabs a sesame bagel for himself and takes a small sip of coffee.

“Well,” you pause to swallow. “You asked me to.” 

“And you could have said no.” Javi shrugs off his leather jacket – the same one he wore to the bar the other night – and drapes it over the back of a chair across the table from you. The faint scent of tobacco and citrus and spice floats your way.

Without his usual suit on, the broadness of his shoulders is even more accentuated by his choice of casual wear. He’s wearing a short-sleeved blue button-down shirt tucked into a pair of slim-fitting dark-wash jeans, black leather belt cinched with a plain buckle. You caught a peek of the leather boots he’s got on and wonder how you didn’t hear him walking down the hall. 

“Something wrong?” Javi has an eyebrow lifted.

You realize you’ve been staring and try to recover somehow. “Nothing,” you gesture at your own clothes. “I just feel a bit overdressed.” 

Javi smirks and lets his eyes rake over you, taking your statement as an invitation to look. “I think you look great.” 

Thankful again for the bagel, you rip off a large piece and shove it into your mouth to avoid having to say anything in response. You gesture to the cardboard box and mumble around the bread in your mouth. “What else did you bring?”

Brushing crumbs off his hands, Javi reaches in and pulls out four large accordion folders. “I still haven’t quite made it to the digital age yet,” he prefaces with a frown. You push the coffee and bagels aside and he sets the files down. 

Over the next several hours, the two of you fully entrench yourselves in the conference room, elbows deep in records and evidence Javier and his team have already gathered on the narcos in question: surveillance reports, bank statements, criminal records, photocopies of multiple passports with the same face. There’s so much information to absorb, but Javier is patient as you learn the background of the case and the layers of politics involved. He’s been in the game so long, he’s got entire family trees memorized. 

Javier helps you identify the holes in your strategy you were struggling with last night, and together you come up with workarounds and back-up plans. Soon, the two of you settle more easily into a rhythm, comfortably sharing thoughts and ideas, unafraid to shoot something down if it won’t work. Javier respects your experience with Customs and your time with the FBI, and you can tell he actually listens when you have something to say, even if he’s in the wrong. 

You’re close to finishing the presentation you’ll use to walk the rest of the team through everything when a knock at the door startles you both and breaks your concentration.

“Good evening,” the security guard says. “Still here, I see.” 

Javi chats with the guard a bit in Spanish and you use it as an opportunity to take a quick bathroom break. Outside, the sun hangs low in the sky. You can’t believe how long you and Javi have been working, it feels like only a couple of hours have passed since you had that bagel. Your stomach clenches as you spy the vending machine in the break room and wish you had brought your wallet with you. 

After you finish in the bathroom, you walk back to the conference room to find Javier standing alone, the security guard back off on his rounds. Javi turns to face you when you walk in, pausing to rest his weight into one of his hips, the other knee cocked. The man can really fill out a pair of jeans. 

"We should probably wrap this up soon," he remarks, fidgeting with the pen in his hands. "We've been at it for hours now." 

You know he heard the innuendo as well, because his eyes dart to the side and he clears his throat. If you didn't know better, you might even think the great Javier Peña was blushing a bit. You can't pass up the opportunity to tease him. 

"And that was just on a bagel and coffee. Imagine what we could manage if you bought me dinner." Javi huffs out a small laugh and seems to relax a bit, potential awkwardness avoided. 

As you're walking back to your laptop, Javi asks, "How do tacos sound?" 

You turn around and see the mischief glint in his eyes, his lips twitching under his mustache. "Agent Peña, is that a proposition?"

"Depends on your answer."

Now you're the one blushing. You had noticed the way his eyes were drawn to your legs every time you stood up and walked to the front of the room, could feel the heat of his stare on your ass. He tried to be subtle, but after the first couple of times you had to admit you liked that he was looking. It had been awhile since you felt desired, and having an attractive man check out your ass and flirt with you certainly wasn't the worst thing in the world. It was harmless, and it's obvious you can both keep it professional when you have work to get done. 

"Tacos always sound good to me." 

"I guess we better hurry up and finish, then. Let's run through it one more time and get the hell out of here." 

You stand at the front of the conference room to the side of the projector screen. Javi taps the keyboard and the first slide of your presentation appears. Well-rehearsed now, you walk through your strategy step-by-step. 

First, a team will bring in the shady art dealers and confront them with the evidence that they’re helping launder dirty money. Javier already has the go-ahead to offer them a deal in exchange for their cooperation with the investigation, and you have a back-up plan prepared if they decide to be stupid.  

Next, two undercover agents will pose as competing art dealers at a private gallery event, and establish contact with the narcos. The agents will make them an even better offer than the actual dealers, something that’s less risky for the narcos, while still keeping a lower cut of the profits – basically too good to pass up. 

Javier will decide which of his agents are suited for this move, as it’s the most critical. They’ll need to be able to sell themselves as the real deal and maintain the relationship with the narcos as the case develops.

The following stages of the plan will involve the FBI's assistance, and you already have several ideas in mind for what that entails.

"You've got it," Javi remarks after you finish your spiel. "You're ready." Again, you light up at his praise. There's a small smile on his face that makes the butterflies in your stomach take flight.

"If you say so,” you sigh. “I don't exactly feel ready." 

"Nobody feels ready – if they say they do, they’re lying." It's funny, you think, that although Javier says so little, you still feel comforted by the few words he offers. 

The two of you begin to clean up your workspace and pack up. Javier drops off the box of files in his office while you wait in the elevator bay. You decide to check your phone to catch up on any missed messages and see a text from Marcus: You're going to be great tomorrow. 

The same pressure in your chest returns from the phone call with him last night. You really miss this part of your relationship with Marcus, the friendship and support. In that moment, you almost want to call him up and tell him all about your day with Javier, how great it felt to be working on a case again after being exiled in Rumor Mill Siberia for so long. But you remember the pang you felt when he mentioned his girlfriend and wonder if you’ll ever be able to go back to the way things started with Marcus. 

Javi walks up then, leather jacket and aviators on. "Tacos?"

"Tacos,” you agree, and press the elevator call button. Javi stands close enough to you in the ride down to the lobby that you can feel the supple leather of his jacket graze your arm. 

Throughout the day, your typical observation of personal space began to dissipate. Your bodies were drawn into each other’s orbits over and over, like a rocket slingshotting around the moon. 

Eventually, you found yourself looking for ways to approach and test that invisible electric current, breach its barrier. It was little things: faces hovering near each other as you made a change to the presentation on your laptop; fingertips and hands brushing when you pass each other something; torsos aligning while you’re bent over the conference room table, barely an inch between you.  

You wave to the security guards as you exit the building and Javier points to where his Jeep is parked, just a few spots over from your own tiny Corolla. "We can take my car; I’ll bring you back here when we're done."

"Works for me."

You drop your stuff off at your car first, then hop in the passenger side. The Jeep SUV smells faintly of cigarette smoke and air freshener, but not in an unpleasant or cloying way. There’s a comfortable silence for the first few minutes, then you suddenly remember the question you were going to ask Javier. 

"Out of curiosity, who was it you originally spoke to?"

"When?" Javi pops a piece of gum in his mouth. 

"When you called the FBI."

"Oh, right.” He drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he thinks back. “Uh, some white guy, can't remember his name..." 

You snort. The vast majority of the federal agents you’ve encountered are white men. "That narrows it down." 

"Let me think." He makes a 'pump the brakes' gesture with his hand. "He was an asshole – even for a fed, which is saying a lot. On the young side, stuck up; I wanted to slap him through the phone.” 

“Kind of nasally voice, probably has a rich daddy complex and wasn’t hugged enough as a kid?” 

Javier laughs, “Probably.”

"Wilkins?" 

"Yeah, I think that was it. You know him?" 

"We're acquainted," you grumble. You fire off a quick text to Marcus and put your phone back in your pocket. For the rest of the drive you can feel Javier's eyes on you periodically, but he doesn't say anything else until you arrive at your destination. 

You're in a residential neighborhood, the homes older and sunbaked, next to a soccer field that may be more dirt than grass. There’s a food truck parked half a block away, bursting with activity. Rows of bright lights are strung across an outdoor seating area with picnic tables painted beautifully bright colors, and lively ranchera music plays over a speaker. The line is long, but moving quickly, and a crowd mills about the picnic tables while a group of young men play a casual game of soccer nearby, their fast footwork illuminated by the nearby streetlamp. Kids shriek and play, running in a frenzy around the tables; a group of old men sit together, laughing boisterously; and the workers in and around the truck are yelling out orders in rapid-fire Spanish, chatting with customers, and dancing along to the music as they prepare food. The energy and vibrancy of it all makes the air practically sparkle with life.

“They don’t have taco places like this in D.C.” 

"I know." Javi gives you a genuine smile and begins walking towards the end of the line. You follow closely behind him, the music making your steps light. "What would you like?"

"Huh?" Eyes wide, you’ve been too distracted, trying to soak in as much as you can. "Oh, uh... I don't know, what's good?"

"Everything, but we'll start off simple. Unless you feel up for an adventure?" He's still wearing his aviators against the last of the setting sun, but you can still make out the teasing look in his eyes. One of his eyebrows is quirked, waiting for your response. 

You square your shoulders and say, "I'm very adventurous." 

This turns Javier's smile into a smirk. He gives you an appreciative look and you both step forward as the line moves up. About ten minutes later, you're nearing the front of the line. Javier asks if you like cilantro and onions – yes, definitely. Spice tolerance – average, maybe? He takes this all into consideration. 

Javier orders for both of you in Spanish, and it seems like he's a regular with how the workers greet him and chat conversationally. The woman taking his order smiles and nods her head in your direction; she looks to be about in her fifties or sixties, silver streaks in her dark hair pulled back into a chic twist. Javi dismisses her comment with a wave of his hand and smiles, then says something that makes the woman laugh and slap his arm playfully. This light, happy side of Javier is a joy to watch. You imagine it’s probably a side of him people at work never get to see. 

"What did she say about me?" You ask once Javier is back with you. You're standing off to the side with the other customers anxiously waiting for their orders. 

"She asked if you were my girlfriend." Again, you think he might be blushing a little. He fidgets with the receipt in his hands, looking anywhere but at you.

"And? What'd you say?"

"I told her she was the only girl for me, and that I'd never bag a girl who could cook as good as mi mamá." With the sun nearly fully set, Javier finally takes his aviators off and hooks them into the top button of his shirt. 

"Well, I definitely can't cook as good as your mom, that's for damn sure." He laughs and you stand together in companionable silence until your order is called. You're practically salivating over the aromas wafting from the plastic bag. Javier finds a couple of empty spots at a picnic table near the soccer field and begins pulling out paper napkins, plastic utensils, and little containers of different colored salsas. 

"You're in for a treat, Carmen had lengua on the menu tonight." He sets a foil-wrapped package in front of you.

"Lengua?" You eagerly unwrap your gift, your eyes nearly rolling to the back of your head at the smells – onions, cilantro, fresh masa tortillas, and meat seasoned and cooked tender, all nestled together in a shiny pouch.

"Yeah, that one in the middle. Try a bite first before you add any salsa."

You do as Javier instructs, leaning over the table to catch the juices and some onions as they fall. "Oh...my god," you mumble, your mouth full. 

"You like it?" Javier digs into his own tacos, going through the motions of preparing them in a way you can tell he's done a hundred times before. 

"What is it?"

"Beef tongue." He bites into his own lengua taco, then watches, waiting for your reaction. The smug bastard doesn’t even try to hide his smile. 

You sputter a bit when you swallow, but don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing you go green. The texture of the meat is different than you’re used to, but the flavor can't be denied – the taco is delicious. 

You decide to beat Javi at his own game and take a huge bite of the tongue, letting out a deep moan around your food. He watches you, stone-faced with lips pursed. "So good," you manage to get out. Your moans of pleasure and appreciation for the food begin to gather notice from the group of older men nearby, who start laughing and pointing. One of them calls out something that must be cheeky, as his buddies begin laughing and nodding in agreement. 

Once you finish your last bite and lick the juices from your fingers, you sit back, sated, making sure to ham it up for good measure. 

"Javi, wow," you say, brushing your hair away from your forehead and letting out a heavy sigh. "That was so good." He's chewing his food, trying and failing to look unamused at your antics, his knee jiggling under the table. "I never knew I'd like tongue that much." 

Javier chokes a bit on his food, then begins coughing a little into his fist. "Jesus," he splutters. You laugh and reach across the table to pat the back of his shoulder jovially. 

"That's for trying to get a rise out of me... pendejo." You nudge his leg under the table with your foot for emphasis. He shakes his head and nudges you back.

The group of men nearby laugh uproariously at hearing you swear in Spanish, and one of them returns shortly from the truck with two cold glass bottles of Coca-Cola as a gift. 

"For making us laugh, hermosita," the man says kindly. 

"Muchos gracias," you demure, taking a celebratory swig. The flavor of the soda was slightly different, Coke had never tasted so good. 

"It's Mexican, made with cane sugar." Javier has composed himself, eyes still a little shiny from the tears that came up while he was coughing. 

"It's amazing." Javier nods in agreement, and takes a sip of his own bottle, after raising it in thanks to the gentlemen at the next table over. 

"Which one is this?" You point to the taco on the right. "Brains?"

"Carnitas," Javi says, then clarifies, "Pulled pork." 

"I know what carnitas are, I've been to a Chipotle," you throw back.

"Don't ever say that to me again." 

You share a laugh and continue to dig into your delicious dinner. Javier tells you what each of the salsas are and you sample a bit of each before adding the green one to the carnitas. The remaining taco is al pastor, and doesn't even need salsa, it's so good. 

With all the tacos depleted, you and Javi pick up your trash and walk along the edge of the soccer field together with your bottles of Coke.

"Thank you for the delicious dinner, by the way." 

"No problem, I'm glad you liked it. This is one of my favorite places, reminds me of the small mom-and-pop places back home."

"Where's home?" 

"Laredo – small town on the border. It's not that far, but with work always so busy I don't get out there as often as I'd like to."

You nod in understanding and take a sip of your soda. 

"What about you?"

"I was a military brat, so there really isn't one place that's home." Javi watches you silently, waits for you to elaborate. "I guess D.C. was the last place that felt like home to me, though."

"Do you miss it?" 

"Yeah, I do. I didn't think I would miss it this much actually. It's been kind of a rough transition, to be honest. Haven't really felt like I've settled in here yet."

A soccer ball crosses your path and Javi kicks it back over to the group of guys. "I know what you mean." You wonder if he’s thinking about his time in Colombia, or just being far away from his hometown.

"But this has been great. I haven't enjoyed food like this since moving here."

"Well, I'm always happy to bring you back. Or show you some other great spots," he shrugs casually, but there's a slight tension in his frame, like a wire pulled taut. Your stomach does a little flip at the idea of more evenings like this with Javi, and you decide to change the subject.

"I also wanted to thank you for helping me out with the briefing today. I really appreciate it." You’re looking at the ground, but can feel his eyes glancing over at you. 

"You don't have to thank me – we'll all benefit just as much from this kicking off well tomorrow." The ground is slightly uneven and your shoulders bump occasionally as you walk, but neither of you move farther apart.

Javier didn't have to meet you in the office, bring you breakfast, or buy you dinner. He didn't have to work with you – on a Sunday, no less – for nearly an entire day. But he did, because he wants you to succeed just as much as he wants the entire team to succeed. He just might not be able to put it in so many words. 

You walk around the other edge of the field, Coke bottles now empty, and watch the soccer players pack up their gear. Twilight is emerging, and some of the brighter stars are already appearing in the sky. With the sun down, the breeze is refreshingly cool and carries the scent of jacaranda. 

Your phone buzzes in your bag, interrupting your reverie. It's a text from Marcus: Thanks for letting me know, I'll handle it. You grin as you put your phone away and catch Javier trying to appear as though he hadn't been watching you. 

"That was about the guy you originally spoke to at the FBI. It's being taken care of." Wilkins had always been such a prick, and you’d long suspected he was the source of the nasty rumors back in D.C. Hopefully he'll finally get the ass-chewing he's been begging for all this time.

The crowd at the food truck has dwindled to a few small groups of customers finishing their dinners while employees begin getting everything ready to close shop.

"I guess I’d better get you back to your car. We've got an early start tomorrow." Javier takes your empty Coke bottle and places it in the recycling bin with his own. You wave goodbye to Carmen in the food truck and walk back to his Jeep. 

The entire car ride back takes maybe ten minutes, and you can’t help feeling a little disappointed that it doesn’t take longer. Back at the office parking lot, Javier drives right up next to your sedan. You open the passenger door to get out and Javier reaches out a hand, placing it on your arm to stop you. He clears his throat.

"I- um," he stalls, shifting in his seat. You shut the door to show him he has your full attention, and he starts again. "I'm glad you're here. And I’m grateful for the hard work you’ve already put on the case." 

You're not quite sure what to say. Javier's words create a warm, pleasant glow in your stomach, the butterflies becoming more familiar now the more you’re around him. 

"I think I might have come across wrong, at first.” His eyes meet yours, holding your attention. “I didn't just want to use your connections with the FBI. I wanted you." 

The warm glow in your belly begins burning, igniting the butterflies’ wings. 

"Thank you for saying that."

"I mean it." Javier's eyes are warm, wide and earnest. They’re holding you there, and all you can do is nod, show him you accept his offering. Javi looks away, and the spell is broken. He removes his hand from your arm, but you can still feel it there like a brand burnt into your skin.

Taking a breath, you try to lighten the mood as you open the car door again.

"I'm going to be dreaming about those tacos, I hope you know. For a long time." You get out and throw your bag over your shoulder, giving him a teasing glare.

"I hope that's not the only thing you dream of, cariño." Javier winks, matching your tone. You shake your head at him with a smile. 

"Goodnight, Javi." He waits until you start your car and drive off before following you out of the parking lot. 

Javier’s words ring in your ears the entire way home. You don't know what to think of this enigmatic man, who always has a way of surprising you, but you’re also hoping for more interesting dreams.

~*~*~*~

Back home, Javier decides to take a shower and wash the day from him. All in all, he thinks, it’s going to be a very successful briefing. He knows you’ll do a fantastic job, even if you don’t believe it yourself. At the food truck, Carmen was telling him you seemed nice, and then, “You need a nice girl, Javi.” You are nice. 

Javier puts his head directly under the hot spray and lets the water cascade down his body. Your face enters his mind, like it does so often these days. He can picture you at the picnic table, smiling and laughing, teasing him by practically reenacting the deli scene from When Harry Met Sally. Javier shakes his head, smiling to himself, and grabs the soap. That viejito with his friends had called out, "I hope you make her sound like that at home, mijo!" 

Indulging, just for a moment, Javier wonders what sounds you would make if he did have you at home. His cock twitches to life at the mere idea. 

If he had you laid out on his bed, writhing, responding to his touch, his mouth, his words…what would those noises be like? He wants to hear all your sounds, wants to be the one to elicit your breathy pants and gasps, your moans, whines, and whimpers. He wants to hear you beg him for release – needs to hear his name on your lips like an invocation.

Javier's cock is responsive, quickly becoming hard at the thought of hearing you let go and lose yourself. "Jesus..." he groans, the soap in his hands makes his motions slick and easy. 

First, he washes himself slowly, languidly, taking his time with the fantasy. His hands become yours, spreading the rich lather over his chest and shoulders, then trailing down the plane of his stomach to the thatch of hair at the root of his dick. 

Javier begins stroking himself, slowly at first, experimentally. "Shit…oh, shit." He's already so hard, his dick jumping as he grasps himself more firmly. He wonders if your fingers would be able to close all the way around his girth. Would you be tentative and hesitant at first, or would you take him confidently in your grip, grasping with a twist of your wrist at the head. 

Precum pearls at the tip of his cock and he swipes the pad of his thumb. Would you do the same, or would you get down on your knees and look up at him through your lashes, tongue out to taste him? The thought of you there in front of him, mouth and hand encasing his cock, sends a spasm of pleasure through him and he braces a hand against the cold tiles of the shower wall.

"Fuck–," he chokes out. He grits his teeth and squeezes the base of his cock, breathing through his nose for a second until he’s backed off from the edge. 

If he’s going to let himself go there, to cross that line mentally, Javi wants to draw this fantasy out and make the most of it. He wants to imagine what your body would feel like under his hands, how soft your skin would be, the jiggle of your soft flesh as he thrusts into you. Javier imagines your beautiful legs wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his ass, spurring him on harder and faster. 

His strokes start to falter as he thinks of your tight, velvety walls squeezing him, fluttering as he pushes you closer to the edge. He's so close, he could cum right now if he let himself, but in his mind's eye you're not there yet. Not quite ready. 

What would get you where you need to be? Maybe you like your nipples sucked and nibbled on, your neck and ears kissed, a thumb circling your swollen clit. 

Javier's pants and grunts are the only noises over the rush of the water, besides the slick, rhythmic sound of him jerking off. So close. So fucking close – but not yet.

Maybe you like to be on top, grinding down against that delicious pressure, sweaty chests pressed together. You might like to lean back, hands on his thighs as he supports you with a strong grip around your waist, just so you could feel that angle just the way you like. 

Would your legs and belly start to shake, like his are now? Would a deep, searing kiss help you inch closer to finishing, his tongue thrusting into your mouth the way his cock would piston in and out of your cunt?

His pants are turning into gasps, his chest tight, your name on the tip of his tongue…if he could just let himself give it over.

Or…maybe all you need is to be talked through it, given permission to let go. Maybe you need to be told instead, to follow orders, to let him take what he needs from you –

"Unh, oh–f-fuck – FUCK," Javier's fingers grasp for purchase at the slippery tile, legs threatening to give out as his cum shoots out in ropes. One hits the wall, the next the edge of the tub, the rest spills out over his fist. 

Javi huffs out a moan with each spasm, toes curling, vision going black at the edges. He wishes he could give himself over to the sensations, disappear into the rush and tingles, the blood pumping in his veins, heart beating through his chest. But something holds him back from fully giving into the fantasy. 

He feels a twinge of guilt as he cleans himself up and finishes the shower. Even though it is just a fantasy, he wonders if allowing himself this indulgence will make it more difficult to face you tomorrow morning at the briefing. 

Still, as he lays in bed, the sheets cool and refreshing against his naked body still hot from the shower, he wonders what you like after sex. Once your heart beat slows and you catch your breath, opening your eyes to look at your lover, are you a cuddler? Do you like to be taken care of, cleaned up gently, soothed and reassured, held closely? You strike him as the type to enjoy the sensuality of physical touch and affection; it could add to your post-orgasm comedown, drawing out the blissful mental space you enter. 

Digging the heels of his palms into his eyes, Javier lets out a heavy sigh and fights the temptation to light up a cigarette. Instead, he chooses to distract himself with his phone; he can answer a few work emails before going to sleep. Javi’s surprised to see a text from you instead. 

Thanks again for your help. I'm really glad I'm here too.

In spite of himself, he can't help but smile. The urge for a cigarette eases and he thinks about what to write back. Grinning, he sends his reply and settles in to go to sleep. 

We’ll get tamales next time.

Series Masterlist || Next Chapter

Additional Author’s Note: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the lovely comments and reblogs! I can’t tell you how much they mean to me. As always, I would love-love-love to know what you think. I really want to become a better writer, so any and all feedback is welcome! Thank you for reading! 💜

[barry-j-blupjeans]

28 from the monster mash prompts (costume party, delicious food) please? With Taakitz if that's okay?

Thank you!

Image ID: An ask from anonymous that says: 28 for taako!

28. The party theme is sexy costume. But it has to be weird, or you don’t get to eat the delicious food I’m making. 

--

Kravitz had been dreading this day. Mainly because he was bad at events. For the past seventeen years, he had managed to avoid hosting any important parties, events, or celebrations. Sure, Taako had hosted some. And Kravitz had helped, sure, sure, sure. He was a loving boyfriend/husband (they weren't putting a label on it but Taako wasn't currently upset at him for anything, so it was husband) and he would assist where he could.

But planning? Hosting? Without Taako as a buffer? Kravitz had never wished so badly for something not to happen.

"This is going to be awful," Kravitz said, his face in his hands. He was sitting against the kitchen door as Taako cooked from inside. Usually, he'd help, but today was a Bad Day and Kravitz would be more of an obstacle than an aid. Whatever it was smelled delicious.

"For sure," Taako said, muffled through the door.

"Everyone's gonna hate me," Kravitz said.

"No doubt," Taako said.

Kravitz groaned, leaning his head up against the kitchen door. The party was set to start in thirty minutes but knowing his friends the way he did, someone would show up before them. And someone would show up several hours late. Kravitz secretly hoped that the late person was Merle. He did not want to know what Merle had planned. The ominous chuckling in the background of the call they had had with him last night did nothing to help.

It'll be fine, Taako had said. You just gotta have some fun with it.

Except "fun" and "events" did not go hand in hand for him. "Fun" was sitting with Taako on the couch and watching another rerun of Fantasy Hell's Kitchen. "Events" were Lup ragging on him for two hours straight while everything else was super loud and bad and noisy. Granted, that was his workday, but home was supposed to be safe. And "events" were not a Kravitz-being-around-Lup safe event. Events were not a Kravitz-being-around-anybody safe event.

"Look," Taako said. "If it goes horribly, we can just kick them out. But it's not gonna go horribly. You did a good job planning it-"

"I've barely done anything planning," Kravitz said with a moderate amount of terror.

"Okay, well, you did a good job getting up this morning and now we're here, so you're gonna have to stick it out. If anyone shows up in a weird, actually super sexy costume, then we'll kick 'em out. Easy as pie."

"I don't know how to make pie," Kravitz said miserably.

"We've been married for how many years and you don't know how to make pie???"

"When did we get-"

The doorbell rang. Kravitz stopped.

"I thought we got married last year?" Taako said. Slowly, slowly, Kravitz reached up to twist the kitchen door knob and slotted himself inside. And then, "oh, no you don't, babe." A foot nudged him back out the door. Kravitz pathetically scooted forward. "Go socialize."

There was a loud rapping on the door now. Persistent. Kravitz feared it was Lup and Barry. But Merle would be worse.

"Can't I just-"

"Go," Taako said, shutting the kitchen door. He heard it lock. Damn him for thinking that getting Taako a lock for the kitchen was a good candlenights gift. Kravitz got to his feet, dusting his shirt off. It might be notable to say he was dressed like an over-the-top sexy jelly jar. It complimented Taako's peanut butter costume brilliantly but his back itched so much.

Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Regular conversations as if he was dressed like a regular man. Good friends, nice event, nothing bad will happen. What could possibly go wrong with this?

Kravitz opened the door.

Kravitz closed the door. He paused, and then locked it. Someone pressed the bell three times in quick succession. He shuffled back over to the kitchen door and leaned against it, slowly sliding down to the door. After a moment or two, where there was both knocking and bell ringing at the door, Taako creaked open the kitchen door again.

"It's Magnus, isn't it?" Taako said grimly.

"It's Magnus," Kravitz said.

[misshoneyimhome]

Chapter 9 -

Prologue I 01 I 02 I 03 I 04 I 05 I 06 I 07 I 08 I 09 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14.I I 14.II

Summary: the hockey team and their partners discuss the approaching Christmas festivities, and Julia, who won't be returning home for the holidays, extends her kindness to those without holiday plans. Then, the focus shifts to the eagerly anticipated charity event, where laughter, strengthened bonds, and a touch of romance create an enchanting atmosphere.

Tags; William NylanderxOfc, soft!William; “We never go out of style”

Warnings; none

Author's Note: With Christmas on the horizon and the MLSE's fictional charity event approaching, I want to clarify that this event is entirely a product of imagination and not rooted in reality. I apologise if the chapter delves extensively into the gala's details, but my aim was to vividly convey the event's atmosphere. As always, I hope you find this chapter filled with evolving emotions enjoyable.

Words: 5.9K

“I look at you and I fantasise - You're mine tonight”   

*

Wednesday 30th - SJS 1  @ TOR 3

Wednesday turned out to be a proper nightmare and complete chaos at the office. To everyone's (insert sarcastic tone) delight, the managers had set an important deadline for the end of the following month, which turned everyone into tiny tornadoes resembling headless chickens.

Julia, on the other hand, found it rather amusing. Sure, she'd be swamped with work herself, and there was no doubt her patience would be pushed to the limit - but, nonetheless, December and Christmas held a special place in her heart. It was her absolute favourite time of the year, and despite all the chaos and sky-high stress levels at the office, she wouldn't let it get to her. During this special time of year, she’d always have a talent for keeping her mood and spirit high, soaking in all the happiness and joy, the Christmas music and lights on the streets along with snowy (or rainy in the UK) days, where one could cosy up inside with hot chocolate, a movie and a soft blanket. All mixed with the stress of purchasing presents causing small financial crises, too much food and weight gain, and fighting within each family arguing who makes the best turkey or cranberry sauce. Oh yes, she did love it all.

And to top it all off, Charlie added a little romantic Christmas spirit of her own.

"Finally," Julia chuckled warmly as she took her seat at her desk, facing Charlie, who had just shared some exciting news, following their morning briefing – she and Auston had officially become a couple, sealing the deal, and announcing themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend.

"What do you mean 'Finally'? We've only been going out for, what, three months..." Charlie said, playfully raising an eyebrow from across the desk.

“Perhaps so, but you two have been acting like a couple for weeks now, so it was only a matter of time before you put a label on it," Julia explained, sharing a light chuckle.

Charlie, always quick with a witty remark, couldn't resist teasing her friend. "So, what's your and William's excuse?" she commented, her laughter filling the air.

Julia, slightly baffled, yet with a grin across her face, was just about to respond with a comeback of her own when Andrew came and interrupted the girls' heartfelt conversation. "Saved by the bell," Charlie cheekily remarked.

And then the workday returned to its oh-so-joyful, hell-like atmosphere. But today's good news was that the girls had plans to attend tonight's home game.

And what a game it turned out to be.

The first period held nothing but the players skating back and forth, with shots on goal where every puck was saved by both goalies. The second period then brought about some excitement as Auston scored the match's first goal, putting the Leafs in the lead. However, the joy was short-lived, as the San José Sharks managed to secure a tie before the period ended. 

The excitement in the arena was palpable.

As the game progressed into the third period, it was as if the break had worked some magic for the Leafs. Engvall and Marner emerged as dominant forces, taking control of the game, much to the delight of the fans.

The crowd erupted with joy as the Leafs secured a resounding 3-1 victory for the home team. It was a sweet triumph, and the atmosphere was electric.

"Hey!" Mitch couldn't contain his excitement, shouting as Stephanie rushed to embrace him with a kiss. Charlie followed suit, greeting Auston with a warm embrace, and Tessa did the same with Mo. Laughter and affection filled the air.

Julia, though, found herself standing alone amidst the joyful embraces, and with a playful tone, she quipped, "Oh, that's right; I've got no one," earning a chuckle from the group.

"Oh, that's hurtful,“ William, never one to miss a chance to tease, said with a grin, as he joined the gathering with the rest of the Swedes. Julia simply chuckled at his playful remark, embracing him into a hug, and they all began chatting about the upcoming month, filled with various events. The charity event was of course a major topic of discussion, but they also shared their plans for Christmas, which was drawing closer. 

"Any exciting plans, JJ?” Auston, curious as always, turned to ask Julia, with his hand wrapped around his new girlfriend. “Are you going home to England or Denmark?”   

Julia gave a gentle shake of her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she replied softly, "Unfortunately, not. We've got an important deadline on the 22nd, so I've decided to stay here." Understanding nods of agreement spread among her friends, acknowledging the sacrifice she was making for work.

“You're okay with that?" Mitch expressed his concern.    

And simply Julia reassured them with a warm smile. "Of course," she chuckled. "Besides, both my brothers are celebrating with their girlfriends anyways, and my mum is with her new fling, and my father is with my grandmother, so it’s all good" she explained.   

"So, you don't have any plans at all?" Rasmus asked joining the conversation.    

"Well, actually, a colleague of mine, John Evans, has invited me and my boss, Andrew, to spend the evening with his family," she revealed, piquing the group's interest. "It's apparently something they do every year – they open up their home to those who don't really have anyone to spend the evening with. Though usually, not many people show up, but I thought it sounded like a great idea, so I offered to join in and help."   

"That's really sweet,” Stephanie expressed her admiration, “I mean, we'd obviously offer for you to join our family, but-"   

"It's okay, Steph,” Julia interrupted her with a warm smile. “I'm all good," she reassured her friend.   

"But it sounds like a great initiative,” Mitch chimed in, adding his thoughts. “There are probably also guys on this team who don't have their families around and can't go home because of the sport."   

Julia beamed and flashed a great smile. "Well, actually, they're all very welcome at our Christmas," she said, her warmth radiating. "I mean, it's open to everyone, and no one should be alone on Christmas eve, right? So, if anyone on the team wishes for a place to stay on the 25th, they are more than welcome to come along."   

The group of players was genuinely intrigued by Julia's generous offer, and they began discussing among themselves whether this could be a viable option for them.   

William, in particular, couldn't help but smile at her incredible generosity. She had a way of effortlessly making everyone on the team feel like family, and her warm smile and genuine concern for their holiday plans touched their hearts. Christmas could indeed be a challenging time for professional athletes, far from their families, and Julia's offer of a warm and welcoming celebration sounded like a perfect alternative.

With a friendly grin, he leaned in closer to his English friend, giving her a friendly squeeze, silently showing his appreciation for her. Amidst all the chatter about holiday plans and the laughter of friends, William felt grateful for the amazing friend he had in Julia.

**

Thursday finally arrived, marking the big night for MLSE's tenth Annual Benefit for Underprivileged Children - the Christmas gala.

Unfortunately, Julia found herself buried under a heavier workload than usual, which forced her to stay back at the office longer than originally intended, but, on the brighter side, Charlie had enough free time to meet up with the rest of the significant others to get ready for the event together. This left Julia alone, doing her best with her hair and makeup in the office’s restroom, with Camille on FaceTime of course, providing her with her stylist expertise. And fortunately, Andrew had offered to drive her to the gala, given he’d too had stayed back to finish of the work of the day. 

As the eventful evening was about to unfold, the group of Maple Leafs hockey players and their significant others gathered in the grand hall of the hotel, sharing their thoughts and feelings about the wonderful atmosphere and aesthetics of the gala. It was a night when everyone came together to show their love and support for the community, giving back to those less fortunate.

William, however, was feeling slightly out of place as the only one arriving without his date. Auston had an arm around Charlie; Mitch stood next to his fiancé Stephanie; Mo held Tessa closely; Tavares had Aryne und his arm; even Rasmus had his young blonde date by his side, standing next to Timothy, who had managed to bring his long-time crush - a feat that William had helped him achieve.

A light feeling of disappointment ran through his heart, though he knew that Julia would arrive as soon as she could. He understood how important her work was to her, and if anyone would understand her priorities, it should be professional athletes. And to his luck, his disappointment was cut short as Charlie spoke out, "Oh, yes," spotting Julia slightly nervously descending the staircase, her entrance prompting the rest of the group to turn their heads in the same direction.

And William couldn't hide his excitement as he saw his date for the night gracefully making her way down the stairs. Julia was dressed in her royal dark blue, floor-length gown with a daring slit that revealed a hint of her leg with each step. Her blue and golden heels peeked out beneath the dress, giving her 5”2 a few more inches, and her hair was elegantly styled in a low ponytail with loose curls. Her makeup was bold and striking, yet it enhanced her natural beauty, and her golden jewellery matched her clutch perfectly.

"Hey, Willy, I think you've got a bit of drool... right there," Justin Holl joked, teasing William as Julia reached the bottom of the stairs. And the comment wasn’t without reason, as his face showed nothing but pure admiration, looking intensely at the blonde woman, making her way into the hall.

“Oh, shut up,” William chuckled, trying to regain his composure, and started walking towards his absolutely stunning date, where she greeted him with a radiant smile.

"Hey," she spoke softly. "I'm sorry I'm late."

William couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "It's okay – just glad you didn’t leave me hanging."

"So, do I look alright?” Julia asked, an almost concerned smile appearing on her face, making him pause for a brief moment, letting out a deep breath.

"JJ, you look…" he struggled to find the words. "You look amazing," he then managed to articulate, even though a dozen other adjectives were running through his mind to describe her beauty.

Her smile grew wide. "Well, you did pick out the dress.”

"Maybe, but I didn't do the rest," William chuckled, gesturing to her impeccable styling. “It looks good.”

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself,” Julia chuckled, admiring William's dark blue, almost black tailored suit. His unruly hair had been nicely tamed, and his scruff was neatly trimmed. And most importantly, no moustache.

"Thanks, JJ."

With smiles lighting up their faces, William extended his arm, which Julia gladly accepted, and they walked back to the group together. She greeted the other guests with a warm smile, and they all exchanged compliments and kind words.

Of course, Rasmus couldn't resist a playful remark. "Didn't know you could clean up like this," he cheekily joked, giving Julia a compliment in his own mischievous way.

"And here I thought I might actually get a genuine compliment from you, Sandin," Julia replied with a playful smile, which earned a chuckle from the Swede. "But I'm just impressed you actually managed to find a date for yourself," she fired back with a wink.

“She drew the short straw,” William added, wearing a cheeky grin, which earned hearty laughter from the group and a playful huff from Rasmus.

And so, the group made their entrance into the gala, each holding a glass of champagne, their faces adorned with broad smiles, and their spirits soaring with joy and happiness.

The evening's hosts extended a warm welcome to all the attendees, sharing a few words and introducing the various groups and companies gathered for this worthy cause. The Maple Leafs, accompanied by their dates, found their seats, and before long, dinner was ready to be served. The atmosphere buzzed with vibrancy, and the room brimmed with excitement and happiness. The decor exuded elegance without going overboard, and a live band played lively jazz tunes, adding to the festive atmosphere. Tables were set with exquisite china, crystal glassware, and stunning floral centrepieces that added a touch of sophistication to the occasion.

Julia and William found themselves engrossed in lively conversations, discussing topics ranging from hockey to the upcoming holiday season with Sandin, Liljegren, Holl, and Kampf. Laughter and enjoyment punctuated their words, making it easy to forget the outside world and revel in the warmth of the moment. At the neighbouring table, Mitch and Auston, along with their dates, Tavares, Murray, and Rielly, engaged in their own animated discussions. The clinking of cutlery against plates created an anticipatory symphony as the gala's culinary delights began to arrive at their tables.

The starters were served to all the guests with an air of sophistication. Each plate held seared scallops atop a bed of mixed greens, elegantly drizzled with a zesty citrus dressing. The scallops were cooked to perfection, boasting a delightful crispness on the outside while remaining wonderfully tender within.

"Where do we even start?" Timothy, somewhat puzzled by the array of silverware, softly inquired, and Julia couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, her past experiences at gala dinners giving her familiarity with the proper etiquette.

"You start from the outside," she whispered, playfully winking, setting the table's other diners on the right path to enjoying the delectable meal.

"JJ," William confessed, "I don't even know which glass is for what."

Julia chuckled; her eyes filled with amusement. "Just follow my lead, and you'll do just fine."

Rasmus, always the cheerful presence, chimed in, "Who would have thought dinner could be this complicated? I just want to eat!"

Around the table, the uniformity of the dishes became apparent as everyone delved into their plates. Amidst the culinary indulgence, conversations flowed as the Maple Leafs players and their dates enjoyed both the fine cuisine and each other's company, savouring this sophisticated culinary experience.

The second appetiser made its grand entrance, continuing the culinary journey of the evening. On their plates, there was a beautifully seared foie gras, accompanied by a sweet and tangy fruit compote that provided a perfect balance to the richness of the foie gras. Each bite was a harmonious blend of textures and flavours that delighted the palate.

To everyone's amusement, Mitch couldn't hide his facial expressions, openly yearning for some pasta with sauce and not all this fancy stuff with more greens than he'd ever consumed in his entire life.

The main course was the pièce de resistance of the evening, and it was met with eager anticipation as it was brought to the tables. Each guest was presented with a beautifully plated filet mignon, cooked to perfection. The tender, juicy meat practically melted in their mouths, and it was accompanied by a luscious red wine reduction sauce that added a depth of flavour to every bite. On the side, there were creamy mashed potatoes, whipped to a velvety smoothness, and a medley of seasonal roasted vegetables that added a pop of colour and freshness to the dish.

As the guests savoured the main course, the room was filled with sounds of delight. Conversations flowed, and the Maple Leafs players and their dates shared their impressions of the exquisite meal.

"This beats any post-game meal, that's for sure," Rasmus quipped, his signature sense of humour shining through.

Dessert was the grand finale of the evening, and it was met with eager anticipation as the waitstaff elegantly placed each dessert plate in front of the guests.

The dessert was a work of art in itself – a rich and velvety chocolate mousse, adorned with a delicate chocolate ganache drizzle and garnished with fresh berries. The mousse practically melted in their mouths, and the bittersweet chocolate was perfectly complemented by the natural sweetness of the berries.

***

"Wise men say, only fools rush in"

As the night continued, people rose from their seats and started mingling around the tables and on the dance floor. Julia's heart swelled with affection as she observed William gracefully waltzing with an elderly lady. It was a heart-warming display of his charm and kindness, effortlessly connecting with people of all ages. The elegantly dressed lady wore a radiant smile that spoke volumes about her joy in his company.

Julia couldn't help but admire how William's genuine warmth and good nature made him not only a star on the ice but also in the hearts of those around him. It was moments like these that showcased his true character, and she felt fortunate to have such a remarkable friend and date by her side.

After a couple of dances, William gracefully escorted the elderly lady back to her seat, his smile reflecting the utmost respect he showed her. Her eyes sparkled with gratitude as she leaned in close and whispered into his ear, her voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you, young man. You've made this evening truly special for me."

William nodded graciously. "I appreciate the kind words," he replied, clearly moved by her heartfelt remarks. Intrigued by the meaningful exchange, Julia watched him as he re-joined their group at the table, her curiosity piqued.

"So, what was that all about, Willy?"

He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye, as he sat down next to her. "Seems like our dance really left an impression on her," he said. "She wants to make a generous donation to the charity."

His words made Julia unable to hide her expression; her eyes widened in surprise and admiration. "That's wonderful. You've got quite the charm with the ladies, don't you?" she playfully teased, earning a chuckle from him.

"Sometimes, a simple dance can make a big difference,” William responded with a modest smile.

And Julia couldn't help but smile back, adding a touch of playful banter. "I'd say 'I told you so,' but her generous donation pretty much says it all," she said, earning another chuckle from William.

“Alright, time to dance!” Tessa then suddenly exclaimed, encouraging the group to join the dance floor.

Julia, however, had a different plan in mind. "Oh, I believe I need a stronger drink before I even set foot out there," she playfully remarked, earning nods and chuckles from her friends. Charlie chimed in, agreeing with a grin, feeling the need for some liquid courage before hitting the dance floor. Auston, ever the gentleman, took the opportunity to showcase his manners.

"Don't worry, babe, that shouldn't be a problem," he cheekily smirked, signalling to some of the other lads to fetch drinks for the ladies.

As the gents headed to the bar, the ladies were left to their own devices, quickly engaging in lively conversation, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they eagerly awaited their refreshing drinks. Shortly after, the men returned, each bearing a drink for their dates and non-alcoholic options for themselves, being mindful of the upcoming away game.

William, with a sly grin, handed Julia her drink. "Gin and tonic, with Hendricks," he offered, and she couldn't help but smile and admire how he had remembered her favourite beverage, a detail she had only mentioned once back in August.

"Thank you," she replied softly, accepting the drink, and the group settled in to continue their conversation.

Amidst the lively discussion, Julia couldn't resist stealing glances at William. Her mind wandered as she appreciated his thoughtfulness and his ability to remember so many details from their initial meeting. She thought about how with each interaction, he continued to impress her, deepening the connection she felt towards him. She was intrigued by the way he effortlessly navigated social situations, whether it was engaging in meaningful conversations or simply being attentive to the needs of those around him.

And her glances didn't go unnoticed. William's gaze locked onto Julia's as well, and for a brief, intimate moment, their eyes communicated feelings that words couldn't capture. It was a connection that transcended spoken language, a silent understanding that seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment. However, the spell was broken as the others diverted their attention, and they returned to the group conversation.

"Alright, let's go dancing now," Tessa announced, prompting the girls to make their way to the dance floor. Despite their elegant gowns, they moved gracefully, swaying to the music, while the gentlemen kept their undivided attention on their dates.

William's eyes remained fixed on Julia, captivated by her radiant happiness and beauty as she danced with her girlfriends. He couldn't help but admire the effort she had put into her appearance as his date for the evening, and her graceful movements on the dance floor only added to her allure.

After a few songs, the band decided to shift to melodies more suitable for slow dancing, setting the stage for couples to share intimate moments. As the girls prepared to make their way back to the table, William had a plan of his own.

He gracefully approached the girls and, with a charming smile, extended his hand to Julia. "Mind if I have the next dance?"

His words were delivered with a firm and confident tone, laced with a cheeky undertone, and he played the role of a slightly posh gentleman.

Julia couldn't help but smile at his playful act, and she was genuinely pleased by his request. With a nod and a warm smile, she agreed to accompany him back to the dance floor.

“Not at all,” Julia smiled, taking hold of his hand as they moved together. They effortlessly recreated the dance moves they had practiced in William's living room.

His hand found her waist, and hers rested on his shoulder as they swayed to the slow song, Elvis Presley's classic ballad "Can't Help Falling in Love" playing from the speakers.  

As they moved to the music, their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. There was an undeniable chemistry in the air, and the world around them seemed to fade as they shared this special moment together. The music, the dimly lit room, and the feeling of William's hand in hers created an atmosphere of intimacy that was impossible to ignore.

“Thank you for tonight,” Julia whispered softly.  

“I think it should be me thanking you, JJ,” William cheekily replied. “For being my date.”  

“Well, I’m just glad that you invited me,” she said almost shyly.  

William leaned in closer, whispering softly, “I wouldn’t want anyone else here tonight.”  

Julia's blue eyes locked intensely with his as they danced so close that their bodies almost entirely touched. Her smile widened as she simply enjoyed the company of her best friend, allowing herself to be moved by the warm atmosphere.  

William couldn't help but smile as well. Their closeness brought warmth to his heart, and he relished having Julia so nearby. He truly meant what he said: he wouldn't want anyone else as his date. Julia had come to mean so much to him, and he was beginning to realise just how significant a place she held in his heart.  

Meanwhile, at the table, Mitch couldn't help but notice the undeniable chemistry between the two of them. So, he leaned into Auston with a mischievous grin. "I give it two weeks," he teased, hinting that he believed William and Julia would transition from friends to a romantic couple. 

Auston, equally playful, responded, "Alright, I'm guessing four weeks then. They won't admit it sooner." They made a bet based on their predictions. 

Mo, overhearing their conversation, chimed in with a laugh, "I'm in, too. I'll go with six weeks." Earning the other Swedes at the table joined in, offering their own timelines for when they thought William and Julia might officially become a couple. 

As the song came to a gentle end, they both returned to the present moment and broke apart, their smiles lingering as they re-joined the group, the warmth of their shared dance still filling the air between them.  

The evening had slowly grown late, and with the event winding down, guests began to make their way towards the exit. William, always the gentleman, offered to drive Julia home, a gesture she gladly accepted. The night air was cool and filled with a sense of magic as they made their way to his car.  

During the drive, they continued to talk about the wonderful moments of the evening. Laughter and shared memories filled the car, making the journey feel shorter than it was, and William couldn't help but steal glances at Julia, admiring her animated expressions and the way her eyes sparkled when she recounted funny anecdotes from the night.  

As they pulled up to her apartment building, Julia felt a surge of happiness. She couldn't contain her excitement and, feeling bold in the warm afterglow of the evening, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on William's cheek. "Goodnight, Willy," she said with a sweet, lingering smile.  

"Goodnight, JJ," he replied, his heart doing somersaults. He watched as she disappeared into her building, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions he hadn't fully explored before.  

On the drive back to his own place, the streets seemed quieter, the world a little different, and William couldn't help but reflect on the evolving feelings he had for Julia, who had become his close friend in such a short matter of time. 

Reaching her front door, and shedding her heels once inside, Julia felt the enchantment of her Cinderella fairy-tale waiver off. The evening had been nothing short of amazing; the atmosphere, the food, the company of her friends, and not to mention the company of William. Their dance had held them closely, and the entire night had filled her body with warmth and joy. She couldn’t help but smile to herself by the mere thought, as he undressed, removed her make-up and undid her hairdo. If anyone had asked her six months ago, if she’d ever imagine herself being involved in NHL gala events, not to mention attend games every week and spend time outside work with the team and their significant others, she would have responded with a firm ‘no’.

But tonight, as she was in bed post gala, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

****   

Saturday 3rd - TOR 3 @ TMB 4

In the six days that followed, the Toronto Maple Leafs were back on the road, and much to Julia's joy, she had the delightful task of keeping Pablo and Banksy company while William was on the road. It had by now almost become her official responsibility as Willy’s best friend, and in her opinion best option, and she took it very seriously. She absolutely adored the two fluffy doodles, and not to mention spending some time a William’s condo was an absolute treat.

And of course, they had their regular calls and texting, for papa Willy to stay updated.

On Saturday, the Maple Leafs faced off against Tampa Bay in Florida, just a couple of days after the dazzling gala. Inside the locker room, the players went through their usual pre-game routines - getting those skates laced up and mentally revving themselves up for the impending challenge. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and the lads were itching to hit the ice.

However, despite a valiant effort from the Leafs, not even Mitch's impressive 19-game point streak, powered by his two goals, could secure a victory. The game concluded with a hard-fought 4-3 win for the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime at Amalie Arena.

As they left the ice, the Maple Leafs held their heads high, knowing they'd played their hearts out and done their best. Although the loss was a tough pill to swallow, it served as a valuable lesson for the games to follow, and they were determined to learn from their mistakes and come back even stronger in the next showdown.

Inside the locker room after the game, emotions ran the gamut from disappointment to determination. The players analysed the game's highs and lows, breaking down their performance to pinpoint areas for improvement. 

However, Mitch, always quick with a witty remark, couldn't resist lightening the mood with a bit of playful teasing. So, he brought up William's evident attraction to Julia, which had been unmistakable at the recent charity event. With a mischievous grin, he raised an eyebrow and jestingly asked, "Hey, Will, what's the deal with you and JJ, eh? We all saw the sparks flying at that charity.”

The comment came a little out of nowhere, and if William hadn’t expected for it to have come sooner, it would probably have caught him off guard. However, William knew his teammates well enough to know that they’d noticed everything at the event, and though he held no regrets, he knew they’d dwelled on his actions and chatted among each other.

But despite the cheeky comment from Mitch, William, not so easily intimidated by the third degree, simply chuckled. "Oh, come on, Mitch, you're making things up. JJ’s just my best friend, nothing more."

"Hold on a second, I thought I was your best friend,” Rasmus chimed in, adding a touch of levity.

William laughed and tried to clarify, "You are! I mean, she's my best girl... friend... oh, come on, you know what I mean." His response earned more laughter from the teammates.

However, despite the quick and easy response from the talented Swede, the rest of the team wasn’t ready to let it go. Mitch’s cheeky remark had opened the flood.  

"Well, just make sure to invite us all to the wedding!" Auston chimed in with a grin.

"Yeah," Timothy added with a playful tone. "Maybe it should be an outdoor affair in Sweden or something," he jokingly suggested.

And all while the guys shared their thoughts and comments, William kept shaking his head offering smiles and chuckles. 

"I'll be your best man, maybe, unless you go with Alex, of course," Rasmus continued the banter.

"We're all free that day, just let us know when!" Mitch shouted before leaving the guest’ locker room.

"Oh, shut up," William laughed heartily, enjoying the jokes and tease of his teammates.

Amidst the laughter and the playful banter, William couldn't help but acknowledge that there was a kernel of truth in those boyish jokes. Julia was undeniably a close friend, and he couldn't deny the unique place she’d held in his heart since that intimate night back in August. And in his mind, she was more than just amazing; she had seamlessly become an integral part of the team's inner circle. Her mere presence infused the room with joy and happiness. What was even more extraordinary was how effortlessly he had managed to open up to her, sharing thoughts and feelings that he hadn't with anyone else. Julia was indeed someone out of the ordinary, and William couldn't help but cherish the bond they shared.

After the game, William wasted no time and immediately reached for his phone to call Julia as soon as he settled into his hotel room, and as her FaceTime call connected, a warm smile naturally crept onto his face. There she was, nestled on his familiar sofa, cocooned in a cosy blanket, with Pablo comfortably settled in her lap and Banksy faithfully by her side. The sight of her filled him with a sense of comfort and happiness.

"Hey, Willy," Julia greeted with genuine excitement as she answered the call, her eyes sparkling with warmth.

"Hey, JJ, feeling comfortable?" William chuckled; his voice laced with affection as he noticed how she had wrapped herself in his blanket.

Julia had just returned from a brisk walk with the dogs, making the most of the time between the end of the game and her awaited call with William. However, the weather had been rather awful, so she’d hurried back inside. "Honestly, I don't mind the cold at all, but the storm and the rain!" she chuckled, her cheeks slightly flushed from the cold weather. “I’m no fan…”

William joined in her laughter, and his heart swelled with fondness. "I thought you were used to it from England?"

"Well, yeah, but still, back then, I didn't have to walk dogs so late in the evening in bloody stormy weather," she added with a light laugh, her eyes reflecting the playfulness of their banter.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess next time, I'll just ask someone else to watch them then," William replied, adopting a mock-serious tone, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

"No, no, no," Julia pleaded, her voice filled with genuine concern. "That's not what I meant… please don't take them away from me." 

William couldn't help but continue laughing, his fondness for her growing with every passing moment. "Alright then, well, I'm sorry about the storm."

The tone of the conversation settled into a comfortable warmth, and they both sat there, smiles gracing their faces, bathed in the soft glow of the screen.

"It's alright, although I do dread getting home right now… so I'll just enjoy your sofa for a little while longer, though it doesn’t seem like it’ll wear off," she flashed him a sweet smile through the phone.

"JJ, you know… you can just stay there if you'd like."

Julia was slightly taken aback by his casual proposal, her eyes searching his for any hint of insincerity. "Oh… no, no thanks, Willy - I don't want to intrude on your private space..." Her voice held a hint of hesitation.

But William, ever nonchalant, simply chuckled, his eyes conveying a depth of warmth and sincerity. "JJ, I think we're a bit past that already," he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I mean, you've probably already spent more time at my condo than me this season."

"Hmm… that may be a little true," Julia lightly giggled.

"Besides, it'd make me feel more at ease if I knew you didn't have to drive in that stormy weather…" William said softly and calmly, his voice carrying a note of concern.

Julia took a moment to gaze at the man through her phone, her heart touched by his consideration. She realised that his offer was indeed a splendid idea, as she could really use a warm bed and sooner rather than later.

So, she offered him a simple nod, her eyes reflecting gratitude. "Alright… but just for your sake," she casually joked. "I wouldn't want you to worry too much."

The two of them shared another moment of laughter, before William explained where everything she'd need was placed in the condo. Although she’d probably manage to find it herself as she’d come to know his place rather well by now. He even suggested she pick a t-shirt from his closet to sleep in, an idea she initially hesitated about but eventually decided was quite appealing.

"Thank you, Willy," Julia spoke softly, her voice filled with warmth, her fingers gently stroking Pablo in her lap.

"No problem, JJ, anything for you," William replied, before they turned in for the night. 

"Goodnight, Wonderboy, sleep tight." 

"Thanks, you too hjärtat," William replied with a soft smile, his voice filled with tenderness.

And with that, the call ended, and Julia made her way to William’s guest room to make herself comfortable.