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#and one of the ones that rejected me offered me a different job at the same place
highinmiamiii · 2 days
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NO FEELINGS - ch. 1
a billy butcher x reader story
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years after a wild love in 90s London, Butcher runs into his past flame at that same grimy Nevada steakhouse he’d told Hughie about. Where he’d wanted to go with Len since they were lads. Tension, unspoken history, and unresolved feelings simmer as both grapple with what they've become.
(A/N): this is just a short little vague introduction. feedback is appreciated as always—let me know what you think! and if you’d like to be added to the taglist, just drop a comment. thank you for the support, i cannot wait to get really started on this. prelude chapter set in 90s london soon…
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Butcher slid into the worn leather booth of the topless steakhouse, the place he’d told Hughie about. The one he’d always wanted to visit with Lenny. He wasn't sure what drove him here now, maybe the weight of unfinished promises, or the itch of an unfinished life, maybe a celebration for finally having the key to end this all. Kessler—his ever-present darker conscience—sneered from across the table, leaning back like he owned the place.
“Celebratin', are we? Makin’ a toast to not being a dead man... yet?" Kessler’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Maybe crack a cold one open to that virus, eh? Damn good reason to have a drink.”
Butcher ignored him, waving down the waitress instead. The place smelled of grease, burnt meat, and the faint, familiar scent of desperation—Nevada in all its glory. The steakhouse was a dive. Dim lights, gaudy neon signs, waitresses in barely-there outfits serving patrons who barely looked alive. It felt appropriate, a place where he could fade into the noise and booze.
His mind kept drifting back to Lenny, to the promises they made as boys. But Lenny was long gone, and Butcher was still here. Breathing. Existing. Barely.
“What’s the point, mate?” Kessler drawled, a smug grin tugging at his lip. “You’ve come this far, might as well end it on a high note. Wipe ‘em all out—‘every last one’ like ya said, whoever’s left. Ain’t no room for savin’ the day, Billy. That ain’t you.”
Butcher lit a cigarette, ignoring the imaginary weight of Kessler's presence. He hadn’t come to make decisions tonight—he just needed a moment to exist outside the war he was fighting, the war inside himself.
That’s when the waitress appeared. He barely looked up from his drink as she spoke. A raspy, tired voice offered him a menu, but it wasn’t her voice that caught him—it was the ink on her arm.
There, on her inner upper arm, was a faded “Never Mind the Bollocks” tattoo. The same damn Sex Pistols tattoo he’d drunkenly convinced the girl who he’d thought would be the love of his life to get years ago in London.
The memories hit him like a punch in the gut.
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🇬🇧 London, 1990s 🇬🇧
They’d met at some dive punk show, a dingy pub filled with misfits, and she had been the loudest voice in the room. She wasn’t British, that much was clear. Her accent, her defiance—everything about her screamed rebellion. She’d saved for years just to get to London, to live the life she’d always dreamed of. But the reality was different. Money was tighter, dreams crumbled under the weight of the city’s indifference, and the romantic notion of freedom faded with every job rejection and overpriced rent.
Butcher had been drawn to her fire—an American girl with grungy style and stubborn resolve. She reminded him of himself. Bold. Fearless. But unlike him, she still had a dream. That dream had kept her going.
They’d spent nights stumbling through the streets of Camden, getting drunk on cheap lager, ranting about the world’s injustices. And then one night, after too many drinks and too many laughs, he’d dragged her to a tattoo parlor.
“Go on then, love, don’t be a priss, get the ink. Bollocks to it,” he’d slurred. And she had. The tattoo was a reminder of their wild nights, of a time when the world felt theirs to conquer.
But then Lenny had died. His world crumbled. Butcher became a ghost of himself. He stopped answering her calls. Stopped showing up. Not because he didn’t love her—but because the weight of grief suffocated any connection he’d had to the world, to her. Seasons faded, savings ran out, friend groups grew apart and suddenly she was back in the states, no sign of his presence or existence in sight but the small reminder of what they had, or rather, what could’ve been, on her left arm.
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He looked up at her now, and something in his chest tightened. She didn’t recognize him—not immediately. He looked different. Older. Weathered. And she? She’d aged too, but there was still a flicker of that fire behind her eyes, dulled perhaps, but not gone.
Butcher felt Kessler smirking at him from across the table, his voice low and mocking. “Well, well... Looks like fate’s a real bastard, huh? Fancy seeing her here. What’s next, a reunion? Gonna sweep her off her feet again? You ain’t that guy anymore, Billy. We both know it”
He wasn’t. He couldn’t be.
The waitress set his drink down, her expression neutral, maybe a little bored. But her eyes lingered on him for a second too long. Butcher’s gut twisted. Did she know? Or was it just a flicker of memory, a hint of recognition buried beneath the years?
He offered her a smirk. “Nice ink.”
she cocks her head back, taking a long deep breath, knowing he’s likely noticed by now as much as she didn’t want him to. she’d spent so long trying to erase him from my memory, she felt so foolish for letting myself fall so deeply in love with him all those years ago. she rests her hand on her hip and adjust the very thin white tank top they had her working in, thank god no one had tipped me enough to take it off yet, this place was fucking dehumanizing. even more embarrassing to see butcher here after all these years, she never thought she’d see him again, thought they’d be separated by continent for the rest of time. Her eyes flashed, but she didn’t bite. “Old mistake,” she said, her voice clipped, as if daring him to say more.
“Looks like she remembers,” Kessler snickered in his head.
Butcher leaned back, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. “Aren’t we all just walkin’ mistakes?” He said with a deep sigh.
She didn’t answer, just shot him a look—a look with all the bitter undertones he deserved. But she didn’t say a word, and as she walked away, he could feel the weight of the past settling in the pit of his stomach.
“Last thing she wants is to hear from you again man” Kessler’s voice taunted in his ear.
Maybe. But for the first time in years, Butcher wasn’t sure he wanted to.
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She walked away, heart pounding. She knew. God, she knew the moment she saw him. Those goddamn eyes and stupid cocky wide smirk she’d fallen for all those years ago. The snarky demeanor that kept her going until one day he was gone. The way his eyes widened when he saw the tattoo was a dead giveaway, but it was the way he carried himself—the same stoicism, the same haunted look behind those eyes. Billy Butcher, of course. Great.
She’d spent years trying to forget. And now here he was, like some ghost from the past, sitting in the sleaziest steakhouse in Nevada, looking like death warmed over. Part of her wanted to slap him, to scream at him for leaving, for abandoning her without a word after Lenny’s death. But she knew she had gotten too attached. It’d been what, a year together? How dumb of her to think or believe that it would’ve ever been more than a fling. She had to come back to America eventually, they both knew the jig would be up soon, she just hadn’t expected it to end so abruptly.
So instead, she swallowed the lump in her throat, wiped the grimy table next to his, and said nothing.
This wasn’t London. She wasn’t the girl she used to be. She’d been young, stupid, and hopelessly in love. Now she was just... tired. Working for tips in a place that smelled like old beer and regret, serving men who didn’t care enough to look her in the eye. This was what her life had come to. And seeing Butcher again only twisted the knife deeper.
But no. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he’d hurt her. Not yet. Not ever.
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Butcher watched her walk away, a strange heaviness settling over him. The memories of London were sharp, but the reality in front of him was sharper. She’d changed. So had he.
“So what now?” Kessler whispered. “Stick around? See if you can fuck things up again? You’re real good at that, ain’t ya?”
Maybe. But something in him, something deep and stubborn, made him want to stay. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was something worse. Whatever it was, Butcher wasn’t leaving Nevada. Not yet.
He crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, his eyes following her as she disappeared into the back. Whatever had brought him here tonight—fate, coincidence, or just bad fucking luck—he wasn’t walking away from it.
Not this time.
current tags: @sickforbillybutcher
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coquelicoq · 2 months
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SALES DEMO UPDATE omg i have contacted seven whole vendors!!! out of 14 but listen. i decided two of them i'm not contacting unless i'm desperate because their websites are so vague and buzzwordy that i can't actually tell if they have a product at all. two of them i'm putting on the back burner for now because i think their product that would be relevant to me is so incidental to their company that it might actually be a huge pain to get support for. one of them i might contact later but they gave me a demo three years ago and i remember enough of it to be getting along with for now (also i feel some residual embarrassment because the company founder was the one who demoed for me and after a few calls he offered me a job. lol). one of them i don't need a demo from because i understand their product so well that i myself have given demos of it to basically all of my clients. and one of them i went on their website to contact them and clicked on the little "do u want a demo?" link and it took me to a webpage that was just like here u go download our open-source software and go ham! so i should prolly do that first before i harass any of their employees who work for an organization putting free open-source software into the world because they believe so strongly in the cause (of science communication). anyway i definitely should have done this earlier in the week or even in the day because now it's closing time eastern on a friday so nobody is going to get back to me about scheduling until next week and i am on an insane deadline but OH WELL. i did the thing i can do and now i just wait for the desperate salespeople to descend upon me!
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silverislander · 5 months
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people smarter than me have said this before but jesus christ why does every job seem to require at least a year of experience and a degree in some hyperspecific field. where did the entry level positions go? how am i even supposed to get experience if none of yall will give me a job without it?
#theres already almost nothing related to my field being offered but even the unrelated things that i think i could try are out bc of this#most of the stuff id actually care abt doing actually require 3-5+yrs! in a field that i cant get into without experience i cant get!#and people talk abt how 'nobody wants to work' i am BEGGING you for a job. literally begging (cover letters).#im coming to the horrifying realization that its possible Nothing i have done w my entire life matters. i have nothing useful#i really feel like i made a mistake. that cant be the best five years of my life i wasnt even happy during most of them#i applied to six jobs weeks ago and ive heard back from one of them and it was a rejection. and theres nothing else to apply to#my degree isnt helping and all of my hobbies are useless. why am i only good at/passionate abt arts. why not math or smth instead#i should have just done ece like i was planning to instead of my honours. what was even the point#and im watching other people in my year get great jobs right out of university. watching my BROTHER get offered work on a silver platter#hes 19 and got five different offers + didnt apply people just asked him to work for them. second year in a row this has happened#hes never had to work for minimum wage. hes always had a good job in his field lined up anytime he wants to work and it always pays well#and i finished five years and ive had to beg for everything ive ever gotten and its still not enough to count for anything#im proud of him but fuck it stings a little#levi.txt#vent tw#oh right i forgot i should just walk in and shake the managers hand. /right/. and they will simply give me a job on the spot bc of this#if people whove been working the same job since before 1990 dont fucking stop giving me bad advice istfg#and these same people say nepotism isnt real and in the same breath talk abt giving their nephew a summer job at their company#literally all i want is work i can be decent at that i care abt and making a living wage. it doesnt have to be fun i dont want to be rich#i just want to do an ok job feel like my work matters and make enough to start my life. thats all
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thegeekyartist · 1 year
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On my knees begging for some grace.
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soaps-mohawk · 4 months
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Cherry Red, Crimson Blood
Chapter 23: Regrets
Summary: Depression: a common mental health condition characterized by a low mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time. 
Pairing: Poly 141 x reader
Word Count: 9,940
Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, Alternate Universe, a/b/o typical classism and sexism, angst, mental illness, depression, very heavy emotionally, angst, Johnny gets his feelings hurt (but only for a moment), angst, everyone is having big emotions, Bella Swan-esque sad montage, angst, kissing, slight suggestive content, angst
A/N: Did I completely rewrite part of this during the editing process? Yes. Are you going to thank me for that? Also yes. I'm trying something a bit different with this chapter, so let me know what you think. It probably won't be a regular thing, but I just thought I'd give it a test and this chapter was the perfect time to do that.
MASTERLIST | <- Previous | Next ->
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They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. 
They’re right. There’s a hole in your chest, an empty void. The squeaking of your shoes on the tiles sounds far away as you numbly walk back towards your room. 
“Ye alright, kitten?” Johnny asks cautiously as you pause in front of your door long enough to turn the handle.
You turn to look up at him, his brows pinched and his eyes shining with concern. “He's gone.” Your voice cracks and shakes, breaking over the words like you're speaking the finality of the situation. 
You are. 
“I know.” Johnny reaches out, his fingers wrapping around your arm. “I wish there had been more warning, but this is usually how his solo assignments go.” 
You swallow thickly. “He'll come back, right?”
Johnny grimaces. “Ye know I can't promise that. But, there's no one quite as capable in the field as him, except maybe Price.” Johnny squeezes your arm gently. “He’s been doing this for a long time, kitten. Have faith in that, and his skills.” 
Johnny’s words do nothing to help the turmoil inside you, the fear and anxiety. One split second mistake, one wrong decision and you know it could be over. Everything could be over before it even started. Why didn’t you confront him sooner? Why didn’t you pick up on his true feelings, his emotions as quickly as he seemed to decipher yours? It’s not fair that they can be taken from you so easily and so quickly. There’s no room for argument, no room for any begging or pleading for them to stay. They have a job, and they’ll always choose that job over you. 
“Ye gonna be alright?” Johnny asks, letting his hand fall from your arm as you push open your door, entering your room before closing it in immediately, clicking the lock into place. You lean against the door for a moment, biting your lip to try and stop the tears as you begin to shiver from the dampness of your clothes. 
You leave your shoes in a pile next to the door before you pad silently to your bathroom, stripping off your clothes once you hit the tile. You’re shivering, a cold chill starting to seep into your very bones as you start the tub, letting it fill with water. The tears blur your vision, dripping into the steaming water as you sink into the bath. You can’t stop the tears as you sit there, not caring how hot the water is, not caring how it makes your skin feel like it’s on fire. You’ll take the pain, the discomfort. Anything to ease the pain that’s ripping your chest wide open.
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It hurts, he won’t lie, when you close the door in his face. Well, it wasn’t entirely in his face. He was a foot away from the door, but it still causes a little ache in his chest, a little upset in his mind that you just cut him off like that. The click of the lock is like a finality, the gavel falling on your decision to distance yourself for now. 
The rejection of his offer for comfort has his beta stirring uncomfortably in his mind. Tears fill his own eyes as he stares at the handle of your door, wishing he could reach out and grab it, fling it open and take you into his arms and hold you until you stop crying, until the pain of Simon’s sudden absence goes away. 
“Come on.” John says quietly, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “Give her some time.” 
He lets John lead him away from your door and back towards the rec room. He shouldn’t be so hurt by your abrupt dismissal. You were quite obviously upset, upset enough to run out into the rain after Simon. He saw you race out the door, his stomach clenching in worry, but thankfully the rain had forced most inside. There was little threat to you, not with Simon there, but he had been worried you might not be able to catch him, that you might run blindly into the rain to try and find him. 
He had spotted the tears trailing down your cheeks as you walked back to the barracks, mixing with the rain that soaked straight through you. He’s used to his alpha having to leave suddenly, the distance and the worry are second nature now thanks to their jobs, their lifestyles. You’ve never been through this before with him, though, and so soon after the two of you were finally beginning to give in. It’s like a curse. They begin to get close to you, and then suddenly they’re ripped away. 
He almost feels guilty, like he’s responsible for your pain. If he hadn’t forced it, if he hadn’t put you both in that position, maybe you wouldn’t be so upset. He couldn’t have known, though, that Simon would be called away like that. It could happen at any time, they all know that. They always have to be ready, always have to be prepared to be called out. Even on leave they can’t guarantee there won’t be an emergency. It’s just the nature of their job. 
It wouldn’t have bothered any of them before you. 
“She didn't take it well, did she?” Kyle says as John guides Johnny to sit on the couch next to him. 
“Christ, she's so upset.” Johnny says, leaning his head in his hands. “If I hadnae pushed them, then this wouldn't have happened.” 
“You couldn't have known this was going to happen.” Kyle says, squishing Johnny between him and John to try and comfort the upset beta. 
“We didn't even know until a couple of hours ago.” John says, draping his arm across the back of the couch.
“If she's this upset at one of us leaving...how upset was she when we all left?” Johnny says, his stomach churning at the thought. No wonder you were so shaken when they came back. 
“The best thing we can do right now is leave her alone and let her do what she needs to do.” John says, pulling Johnny so he's resting against his chest. “She'll come out when she's ready.” 
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The afternoon comes and goes, the rain slowing to a light drizzle. You still haven’t left your room, sealed inside, secluded from them. Johnny casts the closed door a wistful look every time he walks down the hallway, half tempted to try the knob and see if it’s been unlocked, but he stops himself. The last thing you need is to be scared by someone trying to get in. John is right. You’ll come out when you’re ready. 
John knocks on your door as they get ready to head to dinner, waiting a moment for some type of response. “We’re going to dinner, sweetheart.” He says through the door when there’s no answer to his knock. “Do you want us to bring you something?” 
There’s a quiet noise from your room, some muffled response to John’s question.
“We’ll be back soon.” John says, somehow able to make out what it is you said. Or maybe his plan was to bring you something regardless of whether you agreed or not. 
It feels strange, just the three of them walking to the mess. It’s not the first time they’ve gone just the three of them, but it feels different this time. It’s not Simon’s missing presence that weighs so heavily, it’s yours. 
There’s a tenseness that’s settled over them as they sit at the table, avoiding eye contact with each other.  Simon’s empty space at the table wouldn’t have felt so much like an empty chasm if you had been there to fill some of it. 
They’re not sure what to do, the feeling similar to what they felt upon their return. They knew it would be bad, but they hadn’t expected you to be in shambles like you were. Their pack mate is hurting, their omega is hurting, and there’s nothing they can do. They don’t know what to do. Johnny wants to kick in your door, rush into your room and envelop you in a hug so tight you’ll complain that you can't breathe. He just wants to help you, but that’s not what you want, what you need right now. 
He knows it’s his beta instincts, his need to comfort and soothe and support. If Kyle is feeling the same way, which Johnny knows he has to be, he’s hiding it well. Though, perhaps that’s just for his sake and John’s. He can’t even imagine what John is going through, knowing his omega is suffering in such a way. 
All because Simon is gone. 
How easily one missing piece could tear the pack apart. If something happened to one of them, or god forbid something happened to you, they might not be able to recover. They had always assumed their training would win out, that they could move past it in the way they would had there been nothing but the bonds of camaraderie between them. 
How silly that idea had been. 
It’s no secret death disrupts pack stability, shakes the bonds that tie a pack together. He remembers how his Grannie’s death had shaken his family for weeks and it had taken months to return to what could be considered normal after a partially expected death of a member of the pack. What kind of damage would an unexpected and sudden death do to a pack? 
Johnny shakes the thought from his head. There was always a risk. They all knew that, they all agreed to that when they signed up. He knows Simon is highly skilled, well accustomed to working alone, to completing solo assignments successfully. The risk of something happening was always high, but he trusts Simon and puts faith in his skills. 
John goes back through the line once they finish, making a tray for you and piling it high as usual. It always makes him happy to see how well cared for you really are. Despite the circumstances of you being added to their pack, he knows it could have been so much worse. There’s worse packs, worse alphas out there. At least with them, you’re an equal. You’re their precious omega, and they’d make anyone who threatened you regret that decision. 
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John is surprised the handle turns when he tries it. You’ve gotten up at least, but he’s not surprised to find you back in the same place you’ve likely been all day. He closes the door behind him before moving to your bed, setting the tray of food down on your nightstand. You squint as he flicks the lamp on, reaching up to rub your eyes. The bed dips as he sits on the edge, a quiet sigh leaving his lips. 
“I know this is hard for you.” He says softly, brushing his fingers across your bare arm. Your skin is warm, likely from being burrowed under the blankets. “I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now.” 
“He's gone.” You say quietly, your voice hoarse from crying. 
“Just for a while.” He says. “He’ll be back.” 
“But you can’t promise that.” You argue, pushing yourself up to sit. Your cheeks are still damp with tears, eyes red and lips still trembling. 
“There’s always a risk,” He says softly. “But you have to trust Simon. He’s not going down without a fight.” He sighs quietly as your gaze drops to your hands, your fingers picking at the skin around your fingers. He slips his hand into yours, stopping you from continuing. “What’s eating you?” 
“I should have told him.” You sniffle, your eyes on his hand as your fingers close around it. . 
“Told him what?” He prods gently, curiously. 
“That I love him.” You say, lifting your gaze to look at him. “I should have said it but I didn’t and now what if he doesn’t come back? I love all of you, and I don’t want you to leave, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” The words end in a sob, tears sliding down your cheeks again. 
Your words take him by surprise. It’s no secret how they feel about you, how their feelings have grown from curiosity to companionship to attraction and now to love. All of them have come to love you in their own ways, even Simon in his resistance wasn’t immune to his feelings, to their shared feelings towards you. 
“Look at me.” He cups your face gently, his thumbs wiping the falling tears. “I wish things didn’t have to be this way, I wish they hadn't picked us to be first for this. It's not fair to you, it's not fair to put you through this. I wouldn't change having you as my omega, but forcing you to live like this, to be left behind with the worry over something none of us can control.” He shakes his head. “It was a selfish decision by those who created the initiative.” 
“What...what happens if the initiative fails?” You ask softly. 
“We’re not giving you up.” He says, holding your gaze. “We wouldn’t want to, and we wouldn’t let it happen. You’ve been part of this pack since the day you stepped foot on this base. We wouldn’t have let you go then, and we sure as hell won’t now.” 
Your breathing is shaky as you stare at him, and he can see the wheels turning in your head, the hesitation as you debate whether you want to speak. He hates that you still feel this way, that you have to hide your thoughts from them out of fear or worry that they might be angered by them. He’s not sure there’s anything you could say that would anger him. 
“Would you ever leave for me?” You speak the words slowly, hesitantly, like they might bite you if you're not careful. 
He's not expecting it, though he has wondered if you'd ever ask it of them. If it might come to be too much and it leaves you no choice but to ask, to give them the ultimatum. He lets out a breath, all the answers he'd thought up in response gone as he sits face to face with you, as he faces this question out in the open for the first time. Tears are gathering in your eyes as you stare at him, taking his silence as second thoughts, as possible rejection. 
“Please be honest with me.” You whisper shakily, a tear slipping down your cheek. 
He watches its path as it slides down your cheek, pausing at the line of your jaw before it drips down onto your shirt. He lifts his gaze back to yours, the pain in them stabbing straight into his heart. He wants to say yes, that he'd leave in a heartbeat, give up what he'd worked his whole life to achieve, all for an omega. His omega. 
He wouldn't be able to sleep at night, knowing the kind of evils that exist in the world, the kinds of threats that linger in the dark. The evils that may pose a threat to you and his pack. You’ll never be truly safe, not so long as there’s others who know of your existence. Very few of them he’d truly trust with the knowledge that you pose a threat to their efficiency as a team, a weakness that could be exploited. 
What bloody fucking fools they were, leaving you alone like that. 
“Part of me wants to say no,” He admits honestly, ignoring the flash of pain in your eyes. “But it would depend on the situation. If your life was ever in danger because of us, then without question. If the initiative fails, if we can't adjust, then we may have no other choice.”
“The job comes first.” You say quietly, sounding defeated. 
“But there may come a time when it doesn't.” He says, trying to reassure you. “Don't worry about that too much right now.” He brushes a hand over your hair. “If a situation arises, then we'll talk about it further.” 
He leans forward, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You lean into him, letting out a quiet breath. He pulls you against his chest, wrapping his arms around you tightly. 
“I love you too.” He says, his lips brushing the top of your head. “And Simon knows how you feel.” 
You shift in his arms, pulling back just slightly to stare up at him. Your brows are pinched as you stare at him. “What do you mean?”
“Simon is very good at reading people. Their scents, their emotions, their body language. Years of training paired with his own natural abilities.” He smiles softly at you. “He knows how you feel.” 
“Oh,” You say, shrinking into yourself. 
“He'll likely convince himself it's not true, knowing him and how he thinks. You'll have to tell him to make him believe it.” He pats your leg under the blankets. “Don't worry too much about him. He'll be back before you know it.” He pushes himself up to stand. “Eat your dinner. We'll be around if you need anything.” 
“John?” You ask, stopping him before he can leave. 
He turns back around to face you. “Yes?”
“Thank you.” You say. “For everything.”
A small smile pulls at his lips. “Of course.”
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You're just stepping out of the bathroom when the knock sounds on your door. You had gotten up to rinse your face with cold water, your skin starting to feel tight and itchy after nearly an entire day of uncontrollable tears. You freeze at the sound of knuckles tapping on the wood, your heart leaping into your chest. Is it one of the guys coming to tell you bad news? Has something happened to Simon? 
Or is he coming back already? 
You’re half scared, half hopeful as you make the short journey across your room to the door. You feel like you’re moving in slow motion as your fingers close around the handle, slowly pulling it open. 
Johnny is standing on the other side, his face a mix of worry and sadness. It doesn’t help the despair already starting to manifest in you. Something must have happened to Simon. Something’s gone wrong. He’s not coming back, or they’ll have to leave to help him. 
“Ye doin’ alright, kitten?” Johnny asks, his brows furrowing as he stares at you. 
“Yeah.” You can’t help but wince at the way your voice cracks around the word. You sniffle, wiping at your nose with your sleeve. 
“I have somethin’ for ye.” He says, his hands fiddling with the fabric he’s holding. You hadn't noticed it before now. “I was gonnae do Simon’s laundry, but I thought ye might want this.” 
It’s one of Simon’s shirts he’s holding out to you, one of the black standard cotton t-shirts he often sports. Your fingers tremble as you take it, bringing the fabric to your nose. You don’t care that it’s dirty, having likely been soaked in sweat at one point. You inhale deeply, nose pressed into the fabric. It smells of soap and deodorant and him. Tears well in your eyes as you take in the scent, almost as if you’re getting it directly from the source. 
You’re moving before you realize it, your arms wrapping around Johnny’s middle. He seems almost surprised by your action, his body tensing for a second before it relaxes, his arms wrapping around you. 
“Thank you.” You murmur against his chest, a couple tears slipping from your eyes. You’re so tired of crying, but you can’t stop. 
“Yer welcome, kitten.” He says, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Ye need anythin’...” 
He leaves the other half unsaid, but you know what he means. You’re hesitant to pull away from him, wanting to just stand there and cling to him until Simon returns, but you know he’s busy. Eventually he’ll have to leave you too. You’re not sure you could handle watching him leave your nest, close your door behind him as he’s forced away to do his job. 
Your door clicks as you shut it, holding Simon’s shirt to your chest. You’re tempted to wear it, to slip it over your head and bathe yourself in your scent, but you know if you do that, his scent will just fade faster and become overwhelmed by your own. The desire to bury yourself in it is strong, let his scent sink into your body and overwhelm your own. 
Your eyes pass over the giant bear sitting in your desk chair before snapping back to look at it. An idea begins to form in your head as you set the shirt on your bed. 
You grab the bear, hauling it to your bed and sitting it on the edge. You pull the shirt over its head, stretching the neckline slightly. The shirt is slightly baggy on the bear, but you don’t care as you maneuver it so it’s laying on the bed, trying to picture Simon in its place. It would be a tight squeeze, but then again it always is with any member of your pack. Their bodies don’t leave much space on the narrow mattresses by themselves, much less with you curled up with them. You can’t help the stirring in your chest, the yearning for more space, for a bed big enough to fit all of you at the same time. Big enough for Johnny to starfish himself comfortably, for you to escape the inescapable suffocating heat of their bodies that will build up inevitably. 
Tears burn behind your eyes as you crawl onto the mattress, draping yourself across the giant bear. Simon’s scent wafts up around you as you press your face into the shirt, pretending it’s Simon you’re laying against. You can almost feel his arms wrap around you, holding onto you like you might disappear if he lets go. You squeeze your arms tighter around the bear, letting Simon’s scent seep into your mind and take away your fear and your worry and your pain for a little while. 
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It’s two days later when you finally leave your room. You’ve managed to stop the onslaught of tears, calming down enough to exist without being a weepy mess. There’s still an ache in your chest, though, the gaping hole that won’t close. A piece of you is missing, a piece you hadn’t even noticed was there until it was ripped out of you suddenly and violently. Your hug with Johnny had been the first time it had felt less intense, the aching abating just slightly. 
They’ve just returned from their afternoon training, earlier than usual meaning they have some downtime before dinner. You can almost tell where he is before you leave your room, following the sounds of the TV. Your steps are slow and quiet, the cold tile biting into your bare feet as you approach the rec room. 
He’s seated on the couch, spread out as usual. His eyes flicker to you as you hesitate in the doorway, tugging at the hem of the baggy shirt you’re wearing. You’ve long forgotten whose it is, the name on the tag worn off and all hints of scent erased by the many times you’ve worn and washed it. The thought tugs at the hole in your chest. Eventually Simon’s shirt won’t smell like him anymore, faded and rubbed away by time and your own scent. 
“Hi kitten,” He says, breaking the silence between you. 
You let out a shaky breath before entering the rec room, approaching him. You can tell he’s expecting you to sit next to him, to curl up against his side by the way he moves his arm, but instead you straddle his lap, all but throwing yourself against his chest. He grunts quietly in surprise, his arm instinctively wrapping around your back. You lay your head on his shoulder, going limp in his hold. 
It doesn’t fix the hole, doesn’t remove the ache entirely, but you can feel it start to lessen as you sit there, getting as close to Simon as you possibly can through his beta. You wrap your arms around his neck, fingers twisting the fabric of his shirt. He wraps his other arm around you, holding you tightly as his scent begins to project around you. Nothing is said, but nothing has to be. He knows what you need, and he doesn’t even have to use his instincts to figure it out. 
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A week goes by without a word from Simon or even about him and how he’s doing. You return to your normal routine in a numb, almost dazed state. You follow the rest of your pack around like a lost puppy, going to meals and following them to training when John allows, withdrawing back to your room like a recluse when you can’t. You sit in the rec room with them in the evenings, but you feel far away, distant from them and reality. You stare at the TV, but all you can see are blurry moving shapes. You can’t even read, often finding yourself staring at the cover until the words mesh and blur into something else. 
You never thought the distance could feel like this. You almost miss the fear of them all being gone. At least that had made you feel something. 
You see Dr. Keller twice as usual, both appointments unproductive as you fight to force some kind of life into yourself to drown out the numbness that’s settled. You’re far away, distracted from everything. Even food tastes different, more mushy and flavorless than usual. 
They’re worried about you. Even in your numb state you can tell that. John hovers closer, allowing you to follow them more than he probably should. It’s not like you’re paying much attention to what they’re doing, seated far away from anything that might put you at risk as you stare up at the sky, or off at the trees in the distance. Even when you’re inside, your gaze is far away, never quite focusing on anything. 
Johnny and Kyle keep you close as much as they can, squishing you between them on the couch or when you walk to meals. They’re always touching you, holding your hands, brushing your skin, wrapping their arms around you. They’re trying to comfort you, and it works for a little bit, not even your numbness impervious to a beta’s soothing presence. They hold onto you like they’re trying to keep you grounded to the earth, like you might float off and disappear into space if they don’t. 
You don’t sleep well, electing to sleep in your room every night. It’s a vast difference to what you had been doing, avoiding your room as much as possible. You’re seeking out the safety of your nest, a comfort only it can provide despite everything that’s happened. You feel bad for pushing them away, keeping them at a distance, but at the same time, you don’t care. 
You just want Simon back. 
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“I’m worried.” 
“I know. I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner.” 
He feels strange, sitting in Dr. Keller’s office alone. It’s not the first time he’s been here, spoken to her about you. After their return from their first assignment, he had sat with Dr. Keller and gone over everything that had happened during their absence, or at least as much as she could tell him. Anything you talked about was considered confidential, but at least she could tell him if there were any issues or incidents. 
“She’s depressed.” Dr. Keller answers before he can even ask. “It’s not uncommon for omegas to become depressed after separation. Even when there’s necessary splitting of a pack into a satellite, there’s a risk for all omegas to develop depression because of it.”
He should have known. He’s seen it happen to soldiers, when the blood staining their hands grows to be too much and they begin to recluse in their own bodies, becoming empty shells of who they were before. You’ve become a shell, a body simply existing out of necessity. 
“What can we do?” He asks, unable to keep the mask up, to hide his concern and fear. 
“Not much more than you have been.” She says. “Keep supporting her, reminding her that you’re there. There’s an adjustment when a bond begins to weaken. Omegas are especially susceptible to it, and with how strongly connected and aware of her instincts and emotions she is, it’s going to affect her more.” Dr. Keller sighs, leaning her arms on her desk. “I don’t think anyone has ever taught her how to balance or even use those purebred instincts. Institutes are supposed to, but from what we know, they teach subservience over anything.” 
John shifts in his seat. Of course no one would have cultivated those abilities. It would have made you too aware, made the risk of you being able to manipulate them too high. Your job was to serve them above all else, so why would those teaching you want to give you that ability? Those instincts would have made you a perfect omega, able to pick up on the slightest changes, the needs of your pack. Yet, if you became too aware of your own abilities, it would give you too much power over them. That’s the one thing institutes don’t want...an omega that knows how powerful they are. 
“How do we teach her?” He asks. 
“I can help her with balancing those instincts and emotions, but only someone who knows can really teach her how to be successful at using them.” 
“Simon.” He says, the pieces beginning to come together. 
“If he didn’t know how before, his military training would have cultivated those instincts. That’s why purebreds are so sought after by militaries. Of course, it’s a bit different for alphas and omegas, but you are two sides of the same coin.” Dr. Keller smiles. “She’s smart. She’ll begin to figure it out on her own once she’s aware she can do it. In the meantime, just keep doing what you’re doing. If there’s some way she can talk to him or get in contact with him, that may help alleviate some of the depression.” 
He knows it won’t be likely, but if it will help you, he’s willing to take that risk. “I’ll see what I can do.” 
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He stands outside your door, staring at the knob. It’s late, his eyes burning from exhaustion. He’s stressed, not just from the day to day stressors of his job, but your obvious pain and discomfort has been affecting him. It’s affecting all of them. Kyle and Johnny’s times on the course have slowed, their aim is off, and he knows they’re not sleeping well either. 
Even with you beginning to return to your normal routine, your distance from them has proven to affect them more than your presence. Even with you around them, your numbed, absent state has disrupted their abilities to function, to exist as a normal pack. He’s relayed the sudden change to Kate in an attempt to prove his decision not to leave you alone is the right one, and it will help his case should they decide to try and separate you from the pack. 
He can’t think of a reason why they would now. The bonds are too strong. The separation of just one of them has proven to disrupt the bonds between all five of you. He can only imagine how Simon is feeling, being apart from everyone. It’s never bothered him before, but that had been before your presence. If Simon was incapable of fulfilling his duties and performing the task he had been assigned, they would have forced him out of the field and sent him back by now. 
Perhaps your fears were right and Simon isn’t as in love as John thought he was. 
He shakes the thought from his head. He’s seen the way Simon looks at you, the obvious change in his demeanor since your trip to town, the changes that have happened in your demeanor around him. Simon cares for you deeply, more than just as an alpha in your pack. 
He tries the handle of your door, surprised again when it opens. He might have thought you’d start locking it at night again with how much you’ve regressed. Maybe this was your silent plea for help, for comfort, for something other than the emptiness inside you. He slips into the room, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light of your nightlight in the corner. He can’t see you except for your arm tossed around the giant bear. It’s wearing a black shirt, likely the one Johnny had given you. It was a good decision, offering you at least an extension of the missing alpha. 
He approaches the bed quietly, not wanting to startle you. He doesn’t want to climb over you either, but he knows moving the bear will wake you. Perhaps you’re exhausted and sleeping hard enough he won’t disturb you. 
He picks the lesser of two evils, lifting the bear. He curses silently when your body shoots up as soon as the bear slips from your grasp. 
“No!” You shout, almost like an angry child having their toy taken away. It’s a desperate sound, a shocking one, ringing loud in the silence. You’re reaching for the bear, trying to tug it from his hands. 
“Easy, easy.” He says, putting his hand on your arm, your movements slowing to a stop as his touch brings back to reality. “I’m just moving him.” He shifts the bear to your other side, your body rolling to follow it. 
He climbs into the bed, barely managing to fit on the mattress. It’s a tight squeeze with the two of you and the bear, but he’ll manage it. He’s slept in tighter places. He slips an arm under you, the other reaching across you to settle on the bear. 
“Tight squeeze with the three of us.” He says quietly, trying to ease some of the tension. 
“Need bigger beds.” You murmur, voice slightly muffled from where your face is pressed against the bear. 
He chuckles quietly. “I won’t argue with that. Perhaps someday.” 
You shift slightly at his words, obviously not expecting him to continue your conversation from earlier this week. He normally tried to avoid thinking too far into the future. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up for something he might never get to have. Or, at least he used to feel that way. 
Things have changed. 
“I used to think this job would be all I did.” He continues, speaking almost to himself. “I’d never grow old enough to retire. Someday I’d die in the field and that was good enough for me. Then, of course, things changed. Had those three other muppets to worry about.” He slips his arm from the bear to wrap around your stomach. “Then another little muppet got added. Now I’m thinking about a nice little cottage by the sea, big enough for five, with a nice flower garden in the front. Just a short walk to the beach, where we can sit and watch the sun set.” 
“White picket fence dreams.” You say quietly. 
“Or at least the British equivalent of that.” He says, a smile tugging at his lips. 
You shift slightly in his arms, pressing back against his chest as you turn as far as you can. “You mean it?” 
“Of course.” He says, his thumb gently rubbing your stomach through your shirt. “Things have changed. Priorities have shifted, and not just for me.” 
He presses his forehead against the side of your head, breathing in the soft scent of your strawberry body wash and the new vanilla scented shampoo Johnny had gotten you. There’s a faint hint of leather beneath your scent, the smell rubbing off from Simon’s shirt you dressed the bear in. He can almost imagine Simon in place of the bear, both of their arms tangling around you as they surround you and keep you safe from the outside world. Just a moment of peace in the hectic violence and chaos of their lives. 
“John?” You say quietly, pulling him from the edge of sleep that had settled in his mind. 
He hums quietly in response, forcing himself back to consciousness again. 
There’s a moment’s pause, a second of silence, and for a moment he wonders if you’re going to speak at all. “Don’t let go.” You finally say, your voice quiet and broken in the silence. 
“Never.” He says, tightening his hold around you. 
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John's phone ringing drags you from the light sleep you had managed to slip into. It hasn't been long since you drifted off you think, but then again, it's hard to tell. It's still dark out, and you're still in the same position. John lets go of you to reach for his phone on your nightstand barely managing to grab it at the awkward angle he’s at. 
His voice is rough with sleep as he answers. “Hello?” 
It's quiet for a moment. You can't hear much aside from a male voice on the other side. You can't tell who it is or what they're saying. 
“Good to hear.” He says, slipping into the Captain again. 
Something stirs in your stomach as you try to listen, try to catch who it is. Just one word, just one hint. 
“I'm sure.” There’s another pause, this one feeling like a lifetime. “I have someone here next to me that would like to talk to you too.”
You nearly elbow John in the stomach in your frantic attempt to turn over. You yank the offered phone from his hand as you lean the top half of your body on his stomach. “Hello?” Your voice wavers as you say it, the emotions beginning to stir within you again. 
There's a second delay before you hear it. “Hello, love.” 
You nearly cry at finally hearing his voice again, the pet name causing a fluttering in your stomach. You've never heard him call you that before. “I missed you.” You finally say, managing to get the words out. 
“That's what I'm hearing.” He says, and you can imagine the lifting of his cheeks under the mask, the slight crinkle of his eyes as he smiles. 
“When will you be back?” You ask. 
“Soon. Won't be much longer.” He says. 
“Be careful.” You say, your breathing shaky. “You better not come back hurt.” You're not sure you could handle it if he came back on a stretcher, or even with a single bandaid. 
“Yes ma'am.” He says seriously, but you can hear the humor in his tone. “I'll try my best.” 
“Good.” You say, wanting to lay there, to listen to him breathing for a while, just so that you know he’s really there, he’s really alright. You know you can’t though, your fingers shaking as you pass the phone back to John. 
He speaks to Simon for a couple more minutes while you lay across his stomach, listening to the rumble of his voice in your ear. Relief is flooding through you after hearing Simon's voice. He's really alright, he's fine, he's coming home. 
“You alright, sweetheart?” John asks after hanging up, his hand coming to rest on your back. 
A thousand words want to come out of your mouth, but you can't get them up past the lump in your throat. “He called me love.” You finally say, replaying the pet name over and over in your head. 
“Did he?” John asks, and you can picture the way his lips turn up in a smile. 
“He's never called me that before.” You say. 
“Well then I'm sure he meant it.” John says. 
You sure hope so. 
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It's a week later when you get to stand on the tarmac again, waiting for a plane to land. It's early, the sky clear and the sun just starting to rise over the trees, casting everything in a golden light. It’s so vastly different from how the world had looked when he left, the weather seeming to convey your inner feelings. The rain and darkness a perfect symbol of the dread and pain of him leaving. Now that he’s returning the sun is out and the sky is clear, conveying your relief. You’re beginning to feel again, the ache in your chest beginning to lessen. It’s the most alive you’ve felt since he left. 
You're in a dress today, the yellow sundress that Johnny had bought you. You wonder if he’d done it on purpose, perhaps knowing something you don’t. Despite the sun rising, there’s still a chill in the air, and you had quickly stolen his sweatshirt to cover your bare shoulders. 
You squeeze John's hand as the plane comes in to land, watching it approach in eager anticipation. You're going to hug him tightly, throw your arms around him and refuse to let go until you have no choice. You're going to give him the greeting he deserved weeks ago when they all came back. 
He's like a magnet, halfway down the ramp when you start approaching, moving without even thinking. He's in his full mask, the one with the half skull sewed to it. He looks dangerous and deadly, the true visage of a Ghost, but you approach without fear, without hesitation. Underneath all of it you know there’s Simon, the man you’ve quickly fallen in love with. 
You're ready to hug him, to feel him again, to wrap yourself around him like you could sink right into his body. 
You're not prepared for what he does next. 
One of his hands reaches up, the fabric of his gloves rough on your skin as he grips your chin, his thumb on one side, digging into your jaw, the other four fingers on the other side holding your head still. His other hand pulls his mask up over his mouth, giving you a glimpse of his stubble and chapped lips. 
You don't get to look long as he leans down, pressing his lips to yours. 
It's like time freezes as he kisses you, your skin erupting in goosebumps, and it's not from the cold air. You weren't expecting this, your brain trying to catch up, to process that this is really happening, that this is real. 
He tilts your head to the side, deepening the kiss as he leans closer into you. Your hands reach up, closing around the sleeves of his jacket. He's real, he's really here, and he's kissing you. 
The moment likely doesn't last more than 30 seconds, but it feels like forever as his lips move against yours. It might be cliche to say fireworks are going off, but that may have just been the engines of the plane shutting down.  
He finally pulls away from you, his hand still gripping your jaw. You could melt into a puddle right there, his eyes speaking volumes of what's going on in his head. He's done a lot of thinking in his time away. You wonder how many thoughts you've shared over the last two weeks. 
“Should have done that before I left.” He says, his voice rough, but just as you remember. 
Tears prick behind your eyes as you stare up at him. His fingers are digging into your jaw, but you don’t care. He’s here, he’s back, he’s safe, and he just kissed you like you’d wanted to before he left. 
“I wish you had.” You say, as he slowly releases your jaw, his hand brushing your throat before it drops to his side. You let out a shaky breath before throwing your arms around him, holding onto him tightly. 
“What are you doing?” He says, taking you back all those weeks ago to when you hugged him the first time. There’s no confusion in his tone now though, instead there’s an amused lilt to it. 
“Giving you the hug you deserve so you don't get mad at me.” You say, your voice slightly muffled from your face being squished against his chest.
“You think I'd get mad about not getting a hug after kissing you?” He asks, patting your back. 
“Just making sure.” You say, his chuckle reverberating in your ear. 
You don’t release him as he begins to walk to where the others are, keeping your arms wrapped around him tightly. He greets the others, Johnny squishing you between them as he hugs his alpha. You don't care as Ghost's armor digs into your body, it's just a reminder that this is real. He's really here. This isn’t a dream. 
He's really back. 
You sit between Simon and Johnny in the back seat of the car. It's a tight squeeze between the two, but you don't care one bit. Johnny's hand rests on your thigh as John drives back to the barracks. Perhaps you’re still reeling a bit from the kiss, or perhaps it’s Simon’s scent, but you want to push Johnny’s hand higher, hike up your dress and hope Simon gets a peek at what's waiting underneath. You won’t though. You want him to be comfortable. You want your first moments of intimacy to be just the two of you, something special. 
Dread begins to fill you again as the car rolls to a stop outside the barracks. You know what to expect now, having gone through it once before. He’s not truly back, he still has to leave you again. At least this time, you have the others. 
“I'll see you soon.” Simon says, squeezing your arm. 
“Hurry back?” You stare up at him. 
“As fast as I can.” He says, the corners of his eyes crinkling. 
You're tempted to kiss him again, but you don't want to push his boundaries. Sure, he had kissed you, but it could have been a fluke, a one time thing born out of desire and time spent apart. 
You won't care if he never kisses you again. At least you know what it feels like. 
Thankfully he makes the decision for you as he turns his body slightly towards you, as much as he can in the tight space. He lifts the bottom of his mask, leaning down to kiss you again. You purr against his lips, your scent exploding in the car like a smoke bomb. 
Johnny lets out an extensive curse as he fumbles for the door handle, forcing it open in an attempt to escape the sudden onslaught. Kyle is quick to follow, allowing more air in to disperse the intensity of your scent in the confined space. John rolls his window down, lighting a cigar, trying to do anything to keep your scent from going straight to his head. 
You feel giddy and almost proud as Simon places one last soft peck against your lips. You don’t want to let him go, but you know you have to. He’s not quite yours yet. He still has more of his job to do before then. 
Always the job first. 
Your lips are still tingling as you walk into the barracks, your heart still fluttering in your chest. Johnny is staring at you, almost walking sideways. You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, your face warming. 
“What?” You ask, finally looking at him. He’s wearing that stupid, smug grin on his face again.
“Been a long time since I've seen him like that” He says, squeezing your arm gently. “Not since his first romp with Kyle.” 
You turn to look at the other beta behind you who simply shrugs. “What can I say? No one's immune to my charm.” He gives you a dazzling smile. He’s not wrong, his smile causing butterflies to flutter in your stomach. 
“Cannae wait to see him glowin’ after his first taste of our sweet omega.” Johnny says, backing you against the wall. 
“Yeah, well, you might be waiting forever for that.” You say, stopping his approach with a hand on his chest. 
He tilts his head at you, his brows furrowing. “What do ye mean, kitten?” 
“I'm not even sure he's going to want that, much less if he'll do it.” You shrug. The thought has been going through your mind despite the kiss in the car. Though he’s kissed you twice, that’s a big leap to make, a leap you might never make. 
Johnny snorts at your response. “Kitten, he's been holdin’ himself back for weeks. He's just worried he may...be too much for ye.”
You give Johnny a look. “I can handle you, can't I?”
Johnny grins. “Aye, but this is...different. He's not gonnae make the first move. If ye want it,” He leans in closer. “Yer gonnae have to do it yourself.”
“Well,” You slip under his arm, nearly making him faceplant on the wall. “Then I best save my stamina for him, then.” 
Kyle laughs, patting Johnny's back. “Set yourself up for that one, mate.”
You peel off Johnny's sweatshirt, adjusting the top of your dress before tossing his sweatshirt to him. “I'll see you both later.” You give them a smirk before turning on your toes, heading back to your room. 
Johnny curses quietly behind you, and you just know his eyes are glued to your ass. 
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Johnny’s words replay over and over in your head as you go through your day as usual. Simon had returned to the barracks, going straight to his room to shower. You had been tempted to step into the hallway, to wait for him, but you know he’s not free yet. He still has paperwork to do, which you know from experience that could take a long time. 
Thankfully, that gives you plenty of time to think about what you’re going to do. You're going to have to make the first move, but what if you move too fast? How do you even broach the subject? 
“Hey Simon, welcome back. Would you like to rearrange my guts?” 
“I cried the whole time you were gone, would you like to make me cry for a different reason?”
“Bend me over and fuck me like a real alpha.”
You facepalm at your own thoughts. You could just slowly initiate it. Start with touches, getting closer, more kisses. Leave yourself open to him in hopes he gets the message, that he pushes past that boundary and finally fucks you like he wants to. 
Heat blooms in your stomach, sinking between your legs. You're all worked up and he’s only kissed you twice. Johnny’s words don’t help the fantasies in your mind. He’s scared you won’t be able to handle him. A shiver runs down your spine at the thought. He’s a big man. You know, you’ve felt it before. It’s hard not to, with some of the positions he’s put you in during your training, nothing but those grey sweatpants and his underwear as a barrier. 
You wonder how he'll do it. Bend you over so you won't see his face? Keep the mask on and put you on your back so you can hold eye contact with him? Or will he finally take the mask off, finally let you see his face? 
You assume the others have seen it, so when will it be your turn? 
It’s not until after dinner when you hear footsteps down the hall. Johnny had gotten food for Simon who was still deep in his paperwork when you left for the mess. Despite his absence at the table still, it had felt less gaping, less like a black hole threatening to suck you all in. He’s back, he’s here. Soon he’ll fill that empty space again. 
You try to stop yourself from running out of your room when the steps get closer. You’re not even sure it’s him. You don’t want to disappoint the others if you leave your room so excitedly in the hopes that they’re Simon. So instead, you stay seated on the edge of your bed, staring at your unlocked door. You want him to open it, to step into your room, but you know he won’t. He’s never been in your room. The furthest he’s entered is your doorway. 
You’ll have to make the first move. 
Your stomach nearly leaps out of your body as the boots stop in front of your door. You hold your breath in anticipation, too scared to move, too scared to throw open the door and risk your excitement being too much. You might push him away in your eagerness, but you’re not sure you can hide it much longer. You’d let him bend you over with the door open, hell, you’d let him take you in the hallway. 
One step at a time. One step at a time. 
You repeat it over and over in your head as you push yourself off your bed, moving to the door. He’s not going to knock, he’s going to wait for you to open it, for you to remove that barrier between you. He’s giving you the chance to change your mind, to go back, to call the two kisses enough and draw the line where you want it. 
The doorknob is cold in your sweaty hand as you grasp it, turning it slowly. The gavel is falling, the slow opening of the door marks the finality, the crumbling of the final barrier. There’s no going back. The bond is too strong, the line has been removed completely. 
You stare up at Simon as the door swings as far as it will open. His eye black is gone, washed off in the shower revealing the pale skin underneath. He smells good, cleaner than he had on the tarmac. You can smell it despite the space between you. Under the smell of his generic soap you can pick up his natural scent. Leather and eucalyptus and the musk of alpha. You want to drown yourself in it, rub it all over your skin until your own scent is gone. 
“Hi.” You say, goosebumps forming across your skin from the intensity of his gaze. You’d forgotten how sharp it is, how easily he can peel away your layers as he stares at you. 
“Hi.” He says, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. You’d forgotten how deep it really is, the roughness around the edges harsher than usual, but you expected that. They had all been a bit hoarse after returning from their group deployment. 
You continue to stare at him, lost in his earthy gaze. The hole in your chest has lessened to almost nothing, slowly the bond repairing itself just from the knowledge he's here, he’s standing in front of you. He’s real. 
You clear your throat, smoothing your hands over your dress. His eyes drop, following the movement. “I thought you'd want to rest.” It's the first thing you can think of to say, speechless in his presence. He must be tired. 
“I slept on the plane.” He shrugs. 
“Yeah, but surely a real bed is a relief.” You say. You’d half expected him to retreat to his room, seeking out a comfortable bed. They’re not all that comfortable, but compared to what he probably was sleeping on these last couple weeks, it must feel like heaven. 
“Probably is.” He says, his gaze shifting back to your face. 
You sink your teeth into your lip as you stare up at him. You’re testing the waters, pushing into new territory as the last walls of the barrier crumble around you. “You could go rest.” You say, shifting on your feet, giving him the option to turn away, to change his mind. “I’m sure you missed your bed.” 
He’s still as a statue as he looms in your doorway, his frame filling it easily, making you feel small. “I'd rather relax in yours.”
Your face warms at his words, not expecting him to say that. The warmth pooling in your stomach intensifies, your heart fluttering in your chest. You’re not sure what happened during his assignment, what caused such a drastic change. You want to know what went through his head, what he was thinking about. Did he picture you at night when he got a moment to rest? Was he imagining you there with him, curled up against him? Or was he picturing you in other positions? 
You might never know, just another secret hidden between you. 
A shudder runs through him. You can see it, the slight twitch in his body, his hands closing into fists. He’s responding to you, to your scent. Such power you could hold over him if you were brave enough to try. 
Such power he could hold over you, if he wanted to. 
“You could come in.” You say, taking half a step back in invitation. 
He doesn’t move, still frozen there like a statue. You wonder how he stays so still, but that was probably part of his training. Be as steady as possible while shooting, how to be invisible even in broad daylight. “You're sure?” He finally rumbles out, his foot shifting just a centimeter, but you catch it. 
You shrug. “Why not? You are part of this pack. You could have entered sooner, if you wanted to. I wouldn’t have minded.” 
He hesitates for just a second before moving his foot from the tile and into your room. He pauses there for a moment, watching you, waiting for a reaction. It’s your turn to stay still, staring up at him as he makes the slow transition into your room, venturing into your sacred space, a place he’s never been in before. 
He moves the other foot, taking the first step over that line, pushing himself past that barrier, leaving it crumbling behind him. 
There’s no going back. 
Something shifts inside you as he enters your room, a weight you hadn’t even realized was there lifting off your shoulders. The hole in your chest is gone, the missing piece back in place. All the tumultuous emotions, all the stress and the fear and the anguish is gone. Your room is safe again, complete again with him in it. Tears prick at your eyes as relief floods through you. No one is getting in, no one can get in now, not with him here. You want to hug him, to kiss him again, drag him onto the bed and make him hold you for a while. 
You don’t. You stay still as he takes in your space, his eyes scanning your belongings and your decorations. He’s never truly seen it in the light. The only time he’d stared into it was that morning when you thought maybe someone had broken in, when your fear had fucked with your emotions enough to think they’d truly let someone enter without their knowledge. 
How silly that thought had been. 
His eyes move to your bed, landing on the giant bear wearing his black shirt. Your teeth sink into your lip as you stare at it as well, suddenly thinking you should have removed the shirt, shoving it into your laundry and moving the bear back to your desk. Yet, you want him to see it, want him to see that you tried to comfort yourself in his absence, tried to make a placeholder for him. You won’t need it now, though. Not with the real thing standing in your space. 
He shakes his head as he stares at it, rolling his eyes as he lets out a sigh. “Fucking hell.”
NEXT ->
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@bobaprint @ashy-kit @anunintentionalwriter @mockerycrow @protokosmonaut
@fruitymoonbeams-blog @blue-blue0 @hindi-si-ikay @thatonepupkai @redwites
@kattiieee @141trash @lothiriel9 @dillybuggg @beebeechaos
@konigsmissedbeltloop @kaoyamamegami @idkkkkkkk8363 @wallwriterstuff @smile-child-13
@anomiatartle @dangerkittenclaws @bless-my-demons @mystic60 @evolutionarry
@red-hydra @lunaetiicsaystuff @linaangel @codsunshine @thriving-n-jiving
@slayerx147 @ferns-fics @spicyspicyliving @cityoffallencrows @ttsbaby01
@heeheehoohoohahahihi @sleepyoriana @ihatethinkingofnames10 @cassiecasluciluce @darling006
@sheep-from-rad @ohgodthebogisback @willow-sages @scythemood @daniblogs164
@mirzamsaiph @xlxnq @chickennn-soupp
2K notes · View notes
coloursflyaway · 4 months
Text
I kind of sort of maybe want to write a fic about some entity offering Edwin a chance to go back to his past and not be sacrificed as a reward of sorts. And he is shown how he would finish school and grow up, find a job, maybe a wife he never quite loves, maybe children he does love, and he grows old and he dies, and he goes into the blue light and it's heaven.
And Charles is standing next to him, and even if it only takes a minute - time works differently for visions - it feels like eternity, because he knows he cannot ask Edwin to stay. he knows hell, he has seen it, Edwin spent 70 years there, so how could Charles ever ask him to not give himself a chance to heal from that, once and for all? He can't ask for that, and even hoping for Edwin to say no feels horrible, because that is his best friend, his most important person, right there and shouldn’t Charles wish for Edwin to be free of this, even at the cost of his own happiness?
The vision ends, and Edwin’s eyes refocus and Charles looks at him and thinks, I love you the most, and I know you’ll forget me but I’ll never forget you, and thank you for letting me spend this time with you, even if it wasn’t forever.
„Go on, then“, he tells Edwin, because he cannot say goodbye instead. But Edwin doesn’t even look at him, just takes his hand (and that feels like a goodbye as well), squares his shoulders and tells the entity, „Thank you very much, but I’m not interested.“
And Charles isn’t even sure if he hears it, because Edwin cannot reject that offer, no one with half a mind would, and Charles knows Edwin’s mind inside out.
The entity just smiles, looks over at Charles, and asks, „Because of him?“
And Edwin nods, like it shouldn’t even need an explanation; for a moment he looks over at Charles and there is a love in his eyes that is so vast and so overwhelming and so eternal that Charles wouldn’t be able to recognise it, if he didn’t carry its twin in his chest.
And Edwin says, „Of course. Every bit of it was worth it, because of him.“
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maplebellsmods · 4 months
Text
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Join a Country Club Mod
Hello! Unfortunately, Rock Ridge Country Club has closed down due to financial mismanagement and embezzlement. However, your sims now can join an even better club: Cedar Creek Country Club!
I’m excited to announce that I’ve completely reworked the Country Club mod from scratch. This mod holds a special place in my heart as it was the first one I ever made, and I’m thrilled to present it with improved quality and new features.
If you’ve used my previous Country Club mod, you’ll notice both differences and similarities. So, how does the new mod work? Your sim can apply to become a member of Cedar Creek Country Club. This time, the process is more challenging, with the possibility of rejection, requiring more effort both financially and mentally.
However, the application process is streamlined for a smoother experience. Steps to become a member:
Pay Application Fee: This is a 5000 simoleon nonrefundable fee.
Fill out Application Form
Schedule Interview: Choose between two time slots and attend within 24 hours.
Write Letter of Interest
Submit Reference Letters: Cedar Creek requires two reference letters from current members. Your sim can ask a member directly or post on the Cedar Creek community forums. If a member is interested, they may call and offer to write a reference letter. This method is more challenging.
Attend Information Session (Optional): If you have questions about the club or application process, attend an information session available on weekdays.
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• Household Funds
• Fame Level
• Reputation
• Job Type and Level
• Charisma
• Interview Outcome
These elements can greatly increase your chances of getting accepted into the country club.​
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Once they become a member and pay the $10,000 initiation fee, your entire household will also gain Cedar Creek membership.
As a Cedar Creek member, there are ongoing fees to pay. You can choose to pay annually (over four weeks) or quarterly (over one week). It’s important to stay on top of these payments to maintain your membership. There are many activities your sim can partake in with family and friends. You can find these options on the computer in the Country Club pie menu.​
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Your sim can try to appeal to the country club if they have been rejected, kicked out, or blacklisted. The chances of getting another shot are very low, but high charisma can significantly help.
If they get lucky and are invited to meet with the admissions committee, they have a few hours to attend the meeting and must commit immediately. If they were previously kicked out, they will still need to pay the initiation fee again.
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Lot Trait
I have also added a Country Club lot trait with the mod. So as a Cedar Creek member if you don't feel like going to rabbit hole activities you use the country club lot trait and use it on any lot.
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I wanted the Country Club lot trait to be customizable, so random members won’t show up automatically; you need to assign members to make it exclusive.
You can assign members by left-shift clicking on the computer and finding the option under the country club pie menu. There are a few social interactions available for different sims at the country club, depending on their roles.
The lot trait is straightforward, but the key is to assign members. You can also remove members using the same method.
Does this mod require any DLC?
No, it does not.
What else do I need for the mod?
Lumpinou's Mood Pack Mod, so it is required for the mod to work properly.
You can get the mod here.
If you already have it great! But make sure it's up to date. Otherwise, it will break the UI
XML injector
I'm experiencing some weird bugs!
Let me know, please.
Report it here: Mod Bug Report
How to install the mod?
Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods <--- Unzip the file and make sure it's placed in this path.
Public Jun 23
Download Here
778 notes · View notes
pseudowho · 3 months
Text
Professor Higuruma: Part One, Star-Crossed
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Leaving your job behind to study Law, you fall into the gravity of Professor Higuruma Hiromi. Soon, you find yourselves entwined in an affair so deep and alluring, you cannot see where Hiromi ends and you begin.
Warnings: 18+, MDNI, smut from Part One, age-gap relationship (20s to 40s), 'thread of fate', tw- leaving an emotionally neglectful relationship, tw- alcohol use, wet dreams and daydreams
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The bottle would not draft his timetable, and as such, it remained corked. Hiromi's thirst extended past wine and warm bodies, to something altogether more elusive; an alleviation of his crippling loneliness-- that which ground him down to dirt.
Hiromi sat on his sofa, picking up the claret, rolling it in his hands, putting it down, running his fingers through his hair, clenching white knuckles against jittering thighs.
The week had been long. His Department was undergoing fresh demands for classes and time and curriculums and more, that Hiromi had not the staff to facilitate. With the new term about to start, and fewer professors than ever, Hiromi felt like the wick in the middle of a candle burning at both ends.
From the heated sneers that set to flame in the room around him, Hiromi wasn't the only one already balancing on a knife edge. He felt the frost crisp the earth around Nanami Kento, his Literature department already at the end of their tether.
If the rampant deep-seated loathing for the world in which he lived didn't kill him first, the stress would. The loneliness would. The drink would. The pressure would. The late nights would. The loneliness the loneliness the loneliness the loneliness--
Hiromi threw his bottle and responsibilities to the sofa. Too touch-starved for solitude, but too burned out for company, Hiromi grabbed his jacket and keys, and headed for his favourite bar.
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See you later? At the bar across the street.
Let me know when you'll be here.
Are you still coming?
Not dressed up, sorry. On your way?
Got you a drink. See you soon?
???
The Spring evening was too crisp for such chilly rejection. The sun had seemed hopeful, earlier in the day, and you hadn't brought a jacket. You felt the bite upon your exposed arms, a nipping punishment for your optimism. Whether he was here, or not, made no great difference; he had not given you his jacket in a long time.
He would come, you reassured yourself. You'd buy him his favourite drink, and he'd arrive late, all I'm so sorry baby, you know how it is, c'mere, I'll warm you up, with twinkles in his eyes like you'd hung his stars and his hand in yours and the life you had lived and shit don't cry you stupid bitch pull yourself together.
You scurried into the bar, embraced by your own arms, before ordering his favourite drink and yours, as if a summoning ritual. The bar had a happy thrum, warm with love and life, and you saw cherry blossoms drift across the torch lit balcony. It beckoned you. You remained, waiting for your spell to work, with your eyes on the door.
The torches dwindled. A barman went to refill them with oil. Your fiancé had not arrived. The ice in his drink had almost melted, and you sank into a sigh that shredded down to the very core of you. The first time you saw the man in the black suit, arriving on a thundercloud, and sitting a few barstools down from you, you registered him only briefly, past the knife in your gut.
Then, a pair of coal-dark eyes met yours. The torches on the balcony reignited with a whoomph, setting drifting blossoms to pink-spark ember on the Tokyo backdrop. Your breath caught halfway, the scent of smoky petals and spiced cologne on the sides of your tongue. The barest clink of ice cubes settling in the glass, cracked through the moment that time had paused.
The man in the suit opened his mouth, offering only the other half of the breath he had stolen. His hangdog eyes were so curiously expressive. A smile wrinkled his nose. You stumbled across yourself, pressing your fiancé's undrunk drink across the bar to the black-suit man.
"Would you like this? It's in need of appreciation." The black-suit man laughed, a breathy rumble.
"Is it indeed?" He took the glass with long fingers, and you followed the trail of a trickle of the glass's condensation, dripping down his finger's inner length, to pool at the junction between. "Will it taste bitter in the mouth of someone for whom it was not intended?"
You smiled, your eyes narrowing in tease. "It is a gift."
"Oh!" He uttered, laced with small joy. "Then it will be sweet." He took a sip, a vermouth-honeyed tongue darting across his lips with an appreciative hum. "Yes, quite. Welcome, little drink. There is joy to be found amongst the unwanted." You laughed, and Hiromi felt a curious yank upon his finger. He had fallen into your company, and could not get back up.
"I must be old," he laughed again, swiping commas of grey-streaked Inky hair from his temples, "because I've forgotten my manners. I'm sorry for pressing conversation upon you. Thank you for the drink."
You shook your head, without the appropriate words to express how a stranger had warmed you more in moments than you had been in years. Your black-suit man bowed his head, standing, and turning away before pausing. Fate rolled a dice.
"The balcony looks lovely. And, empty." Hovering on one footstep, his gait then steadied, and brogued black shoes clipped across the polished floor. You felt something fine and golden tug within your chest, as torchlight rolled across the black-suit man's disappearing shoulders. Another diceroll raised Fate's eyebrows.
You stood, hesitating between the balcony and the bar. The barman buried a scoop into some ice, watching two strangers interact with an oddly burgeoning certainty. He never interfered. Fate flipped a coin; how readily the stars did align.
"He likes red wine." The barman offered, nodding between your stuttering gape, and the void the black-suit man left in the doorway. You frowned, biting your bottom lip, unaware that your path had been decided before the words left your mouth.
"Then I like red wine, too." The barman smiled. He reached to a row of dusty wine racks above his head, pulling out a bottle with a glassy clink.
"Do you trust me?" The barman asked, placing the bottle before you with a muted thud. You felt a bubble of joy up your nose.
"I do, actually." You replied, awash with certainty as you paid, took two glasses, and headed towards the balcony. As you walked through the doorway, and firelight uncovered the gems hidden within your hair and eyes, your black-suit man smiled, and gestured to the rattan sofa opposite him.
As you sat, strangely comfortable under his gaze, in your state of plain dress, your black-suit man smiled over at you. He looked awkward for a moment, not trusting himself in his own shoes.
"...all this and I wasn't actually prepared for company." You both laughed. Your black-suit man watched you with a glimmer in his eyes, fingers plaited and clasped under his nose, leaning forwards on propped elbows. You struggled to open the wine. He huffed through his nose, your fingers brushing as you handed the bottle over with a scoff.
The man's eyes narrowed as the bottle opened with a brittle schtick; "Loosened it for me--" you laughed again, pinching your nose bridge, "--no no I mean it, I'm really very weak--" You rolled in your laughter together, with him babbling smiling reassurance, while he poured your wine.
"I have one condition to this rendezvous-- please can we not talk about work?" He groaned, clinking your two glasses together in his own hands before passing one to you, still warmed by fading laughter.
"Absolutely. I promise. No work talk."
He was older than you, by an uncertain amount, though you were no girl. You leaned on one palm, in easy silence as you smelled the petal-burst flames. He watched the aurora cast upon your cheeks, feeling his chest fill in a way he couldn't describe.
"...Hiromi." He offered. "My name's Hiromi."
"And it suits you. Should I remain a great mystery?" You gasped, melodramatic with one hand over your mouth.
"Appalling manners!" Hiromi shot. "You owe me a name."
"I gave you a drink! And a bottle of wine."
"Bullshit."
"I don't owe you a thing, in fact--"
The evening trailed away, all warm banter, easy laughter and lingering looks. The conversation grew sloppier, uninhibited, lubricated by wine, of which the bottles nestled, one, two, two and a half. Hiromi had laughed, as deep and rich and mature as the grapes, positively Dionysian, his laughter dying on his lips to catch you mid-shiver. He huffed into his glass, the scent of fermentation rolling back over his own face.
"Here." He dropped, lackadaisical as he sloped past on the way to the bathroom. You blushed to feel his jacket nestle, warm and homely, around your shoulders. He did not appreciate the enormity of the gesture, to you, as he walked away. On his return, you appeared muted, holding onto his jacket around with with two chilly hands. Hiromi felt a stutter in his chest, and sat down beside you.
"...are you alright?" He whispered, soft under the torchlight. Your head drooped onto his shoulder, your neck softened by wine, and he puffed his surprise, short and sharp across your cheek.
"I've had such a lovely time." You sniffed, feeling the clock tick far too late, and you had a busy day ahead, with the start of your new course, and you had to get home and prepare your mind for the beginning of a new life and--
"It...doesn't have to be over." Hiromi intoned, and your belly clenched as his voice rumbled through your core. Your head turned on his shoulder, your nose brushing his. Hiromi spoke again, stroking your nose with his until your eyes fluttered closed, having never felt more certain of anything in his life. "I...I've never done this, but...come home with me, just tonight, and--"
Your phone rang, shrill and piercing and you cried out, jolting away from Hiromi's touch. He chased your lips, his face twisting in a pain you didn't see, as you looked down at your phone screen, slurring.
"Shit...my fiancé..."
Hiromi's belly tumbled, sick with disappointment-- with something altogether more possessive-- and feeling that yank upon his finger, more insistent as he spoke, low and slow.
"Your...fiancé?" The words tasted rotten. Hiromi felt sick, bitter with the sudden loss, hobbled by the brutality of having gained the stars and lost them all at once. He watched you swallow, watched the flash of a wound reopening, piecing the puzzle together so fast now.
"The one who stood you up?" Hiromi toned, venomous with the injustice of the theft. You mistook the direction of his anger, and looked up, your face tight with apology. Hiromi shook his head, raising a hand. Your phone stopped ringing. A few moments passed before your phone buzzed. You read a message as Hiromi stood, turning on the spot, his hands cupped over his nose and mouth.
"You...shouldn't worry. I assume he's coming to pick you up, and I...thank you for such a lovely evening, it's been--"
You laughed without humour, eyes brimming with tears. You shook your head, and nodded, and shook your head again. Hiromi watched you, uncertain.
"I'll walk myself home. He's gone to bed." Hiromi paused, then scoffed.
"You're not walking home alone. Not a chance. Not like this."
He extended a hand to you. You took it, as if tied by the fingers. He held you, like this, all the way home to your cold bed.
You took each others' breath with you as you parted at the door. Hiromi was sure that his loneliness would not kill him first; the drink would not kill him first; the stress would not kill him first; the late nights would not kill him first; the pressure would not kill him first. Being taken to great heights, and then dropped in a dizzying fall, would.
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"Thank you for inviting me in." You whispered, smiling against the shell of his ear. In his bed, soft and open against his body, Hiromi sighed into your touch, your fingernails trailing across his scalp as he groaned. His cock throbbed, thick with promise.
"Couldn't leave you out there, naked." He mumbled against your lips, reaching under the covers to feel you and meeting only the cloth resistance of the mattress, but you were there because he could taste the wine on you, and you were opening yourself to him, he knew somehow.
"You're the one who undressed me." You said, your voice above him, but he was climbing above you, bracketing you to the bed while your voice whispered all around him. Hiromi felt his cock grasped, bucking forwards into the warmth and softness of it, chasing warmer and softer, and he begged you.
"Please you...never told me your name...let me in please, please--" He couldn't see your face with his eyes closed in this odd black moonlight, somehow within you and outside of you all at once. One more rock of his hips seated him within you, plush walls pillowy and smooth and all for him.
He groaned, low and desperate, rocking his cock inside you and he longed for you to welcome him with your arms, but any time he tried to draw them round him they flopped, useless, absent, so he urged you with his hips rutting faster, to pleasure you into holding him. Was it you crying out, or him? He couldn't tell, his pleasure mounting, pulsing through him in waves and why wasn't he trying to stop himself, he hadn't done anything for you--
Hiromi woke with a gasp, his pillow clutched between taut arms as he fucked involuntarily into the mattress, groaning into the mess of cum spurting between his sheets and belly. Hiromi's voice cracked, still lost in his dream, still spilling himself inside you in his mind. The blissful contractions of his cock dizzied him, surely the wettest dream he'd ever had.
Coming back to earth, Hiromi panted, face down in his pillow and a pool of his own sticky seed. His phone alarm rang. He groaned, feeling the catastrophic disappointment of the night before wash over him anew. Seeing the date on his phone in fumbling hands, sent another groan through him, and he buried his hooked nose in the pillow.
The new academic year began today.
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"Higuruma." More statement than question, Hiromi accepted Nanami Kento's proffered coffee as if being reminded of his own name. Hiromi took it, weary and silent, slouched at his desk beneath the crushing weight of having been scooped out in the middle.
Kento sat in Hiromi's visitor chair, regarding Hiromi with cool impassivity. He read the usefulness of any comments he could make, and set them aside for business.
"How do you plan on handling your evening classes? The high-school ones." Hiromi scoffed.
"Nanami, it is 8am on the first day of term, you cannot surely have a plan--"
"We'll offer assistant wages to one or two new First Years." Nanami said, before continuing, sniping and bitter. "If we must lose our Graduate Professors, and if we must host the accessibility courses ourselves, then at least the First Years can gain some income and some experience through teaching."
Hiromi rested his cheek on one palm. He stared Kento down.
"That...that's not a bad idea, actually, Nanami. I shall use that, I think." Kento and Hiromi inclined coffees and heads to each other, an easy camaraderie. Kento let the silence hang as Hiromi scribbled in his diary.
"I don't actually know how we'll do it, Nanami." Hiromi groaned, his face in his hands. "They make staffing cuts as if I can knit a new professor to take some of these classes. How much more 'self-directed learning' can I give these students? It's barbaric. They're being bled dry for this degree, and for what? So they can teach themselves? Shit."
Kento did not disagree, frosty again as the University Chancellors' departmental meeting montaged before his eyes.
"They're paying for a library, and the pleasure of our limited company." Kento sneered, as bitter as his coffee dregs. Hiromi sighed, trying to rub the alcohol away with his fingertips on his temples. Kento's eyes narrowed in cool regard, again.
"Home, or bar?" Hiromi grumbled, steepling his fingertips across his nose.
"Am I so fucking transparent?"
The faintest quirk lifted the corner of Kento's lips. He awaited an answer. Hiromi's head swam with the memory of you, interspersed with the false memories from the dream of being nestled between your thighs, and he felt his cock twitch. Hiromi shook himself out of it, sitting up and shaking his hands out with a huff.
"Bar, if you must know. It was...a late one." Kento hummed again. Hiromi did not elaborate.
"You should try harder to rest, before a work day. It is...irresponsible of you." Hiromi glowered over at Kento, Hiromi's junior by a good few years, quacking after him.
"Yes mother." Kento scowled.
"I could report you." Stony silence. Two chuckles in the office.
"No. You won't do that. You're my best friend."
"I don't have friends--"
"Shush."
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You recalled taking a day off work, on your fiancé's first day at University. You ironed his shirt the night before. You made him lunch, with notes and flourishes. You enjoyed a hot breakfast together, brimming over like the coffee pot about his future, while you worked to support him, and then your future, while he worked to support you. You had opened your arms to release him, and closed them around him on his return.
And god, you had worked, gruelling long hours for three gruelling long years, but despite the great chasm he had dug between you, you had brimmed over again when he landed his new job. A lucrative career. More than enough to pave your way, while he worked to secure your future--
He stayed in bed as your alarm went off. He accepted your affectionate nuzzles, before rolling away into the embrace of bed. Your fingers closed around nothing. You ate cereal. You packed your bag. You bubbled, low and alone. You wondered if he'd mind you slipping a banknote out of his wallet for your lunch. Your belly clenched with anxiety, and you packed a microwave meal instead.
You rocked, rhythmic with the clatter-back-and-forth of the train. Your eyes closed. Your music was soft. Though, not as soft as those coal-soft eyes, the gentle, brushing aquiline nose against yours, of the night before. Not as soft as the bittersweet ache of loss, of failing to know him better. The ghost of his touch soothed the stinging guilt, of wishing you had spent the night in his arms, instead.
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Hiromi was early to his first class, his nerves too frayed and electric to be anything other than hypervigilant. The lecture hall stretched up around him, an amphitheatre where he would slowly watch the soul and enthusiasm be sucked out of those wishing to learn Law.
He had held some optimism, years prior, that his own fractured soul (from years of systemic self-abuse in the Criminal Defense system) could be soothed by teaching the next generation of lawyers, solicitors, and barristers.
Alas, second to idealism, feckless optimism had oft been Hiromi's failing. Alas, the decaying state of education and academia could provide no such balm to his soul while it crumbled itself, and expected its professors to use their bodies and bones to prop up the teetering institution. The grind was different, but just as potent. Hiromi felt the crushing responsibility of leading his department through this storm, and wondered how many would remain on the ship once the rain cleared from his vision.
He resigned himself to filling his chalice with the immeasurable optimism of the fresh and uninitiated. Though under-subscribed compared to prior years, he was still excited to receive his first batch of students for the term. He hoped their passion could bounce off of him, and multiply, exponential.
While preparing his slides for the day, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, Hiromi heard the steady fill of the lecture theatre behind him.
He could not shake the ghost of your head upon his shoulder. He could not shake the taste of your skin from his dreams. He could not shake his regret, for not shaking you by the shoulders and insisting you deserved better, instead of delivering you back to the bed of a man who didn't appreciate the treasure within his grasp.
"I'll be with you in a moment!" Hiromi called behind him, waving one white-sleeved arm in a vague gesture. "Please be seated! I shan't be long."
The chatter crescendoed behind Hiromi, and he turned, clapping his hands together and affecting a smile and speech, gazing into the sea of new faces.
"Good morning everyone! Welcome to your first class. I'm delighted you have all chosen to study the Law-- it means the flow of the insane into our noble professions remains, as ever, consistent." A few smattered laughs from the audience. Hiromi grabbed his clicker, a slide slow flicking onto the great screen behind him.
"My name is Professor Higuruma, and while I will only be teaching you Case Law this year, today we shall talk about what to expect from your course, and--and..."
Oh, god. Those eyes, that haunted him. The body he had made love to while he slept. The shock, mirrored in your own eyes back at him, a participant in his new audience.
Hiromi's arm and mouth drooped, with the tug of the fine gold thread that you, too, felt. The night you had almost shared together passed across two pairs of distant, breathless lips. You felt every pulse, every nerve, every fibre of yourself skip a beat.
How readily had the stars aligned.
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Part Two, Interpretation, coming soon!
421 notes · View notes
babydollmarauders · 1 year
Text
OUT — JACK HUGHES
jack hughes x fem!reader
summary: in which everyone has been wondering about the hair tie on Jack’s wrist, and they finally get the answers they were looking for
notes: THANK YOU MADDY ( @thatintrovertedwriter ) FOR THIS IDEA!!! I’M OBSESSED WITH IT!! not proofread and written while heavily sleep deprived
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a relationship was never part of my intentions when i accepted my job offer.
in fact, any sort of love was pushed to the far corners of my mind. my focus was on showing everyone that not only men can be equipment managers in the NHL.
i had gone through so much rejection. countless teams citing that they decided to go in a different direction, and hiring a male for the job instead; and though most of the staff would try to deny that my gender was a part of it, there was always that one guy that had no problem with admitting they didn’t believe that a woman had any place in the NHL.
as if the job was hard. as if i couldn’t hand players sticks just as well as any man could.
but then the New Jersey Devils came into play. they had heard some talk about me and were the first team to reach out to me. they offered me the job, and i eagerly accepted. i felt i had something to prove. my gender doesn’t diminish the performance of my job.
so most of the 2022-23 season, i put all my focus into my job. i was amicable with the players, making sure i knew any superstitions or things i shouldn’t do with their equipment, but i never let it pass into any real level of friendship.
and then Jack Hughes happened.
when he got injured and had to sit out for a few games, i was put in charge of keeping him company. for four games my job description changed from handing players new sticks, to babysitting a twenty-one year old, and i wasn’t happy in the slightest.
it felt insulting, and apparently Jack felt the same way. somehow in those four games, we went from sitting across the suite from each other, to bonding over how stupid it was that i couldn’t do my actual job, to forming a friendship.
and in a matter of weeks, our friendship blossomed into something more.
it started with him coming back to my apartment after rough games, watching movies and letting off steam by joking around and playing drinking games. then along the way, we stumbled into bed. one hookup turned into two, which turned into another, which turned into a date, and finally by the end of the season, he was asking me to be his girlfriend.
it took me a week to finally tell him yes. an entire week of struggling with the decision. wondering if, if i start a real relationship with this player, am i proving all those men who told me i had no place in the NHL, right? but ultimately, i decided that my happiness was worth more than someone’s opinion of me, and i told him yes.
***
jackhughes
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jackhughes 3/3
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subbanator 🚀
user83 is he wearing… a pink hair tie on his wrist?
user45 where?
user83 it’s on the same wrist with his bracelets
user16 omg you’re right
user02 is his hair even long enough to put up?
user77 @/user02 apparently
user91 what if it’s a girlfriends? oh my god
brendan.brisson Same time next year
***
i’m running late.
i’m running late and i’m rushing.
i’m running late, i’m rushing, and i’m contemplating breaking all rules of the road to arrive to work on time.
nothing is going right for me today.
i was supposed to have the morning off, so i didn’t set an alarm, but then i woke up to find six missed calls from my boss and a text asking if i could come help get equipment ready for practice because one of the other equipment managers came down with the flu.
then, i had to deal with getting yelled at because i didn’t have my ringer on and therefore, woke up after practice ended and didn’t come in and help.
then, i tipped over my brand new bottle of cold brew and had to spend almost an hour mopping my kitchen floor and wiping down the counters to get rid of the stickiness.
then, at the last minute as i was stepping out the door to head to the arena, my hair tie broke. and now i’ve spent the last fifteen minutes scouring my apartment for a new one, only to come to the conclusion that i have to leave now or else risk being yelled at for a second time today.
i give up entirely on my search for a hair tie, accepting my fate of wearing my hair down and rushing out of my apartment so fast that i almost forget to lock up behind me.
when i finally make it to Prudential Center, i’m able to clock in just before i’d be considered late, and i have absolutely no extra time to search for my boyfriend amidst the chaos of the season opener.
instead, i set off straight to the equipment area, working in tandem with my colleagues to make sure every players gloves, pads, and everything in between is ready, before i put each players gear into their respective locker room stalls.
i stack pucks in a high pyramid at the bench, ready for warm-ups, and line sticks up against the glass behind the bench, all set to be handed out when needed.
amongst the frantic running around the arena and getting things ready, i lose track of how many times i’m adjusting my hair; flipping it over my shoulder and tugging it out of my face.
finally, i get a split second to breathe, pulling my hair up in a makeshift ponytail with my hands as i stand outside the locker room, on standby in case any of the players need me.
“hey.” i instinctively drop my hands at the sound of someone talking, my shirt falling back down to cover the sliver of my abdomen that had shown when they were raised.
at the sight of my boyfriend, i sigh in relief, his chuckle reaching my ears as his arms snake around my waist.
“i scare ya?” Jack teases.
his helmet hits against my back, as he holds it in one hand. he’s all geared up, ready to hit the ice for the first game of the season, and oddly enough, i can’t help finding it incredibly attractive.
“just a little.” i huff, and a wide grin spreads across his lips. i smack his chest, but all that it hurts is his padding. “don’t be mean! i’ve had a bad day.”
his smile drops into an exaggerated pout, and he leans down to press a kiss to my lips.
“i’m sorry, baby.” i hum in acknowledgment, waving it off when he asks if i’d like to rant.
“no, it’s okay. i’ll rant later.” i assure him. “after you win your game.”
“our game.” he states, and i roll my eyes.
he’s made sure to never let me forget how much work i put into the team’s equipment and gear. citing that they wouldn’t be able to win without my help.
in his eyes, it’s as much my wins and losses as it is his.
“right.” i nod, patting his shoulders. “in that case, i’m gonna be very upset if you lose our game.”
his head tips back, laughter pouring past his lips, and it sounds like a melody in my ears.
“i’m confident. we’ll win this game.” he assures me, finally letting go of my waist and backing up. “if we don’t, you and i will never hear the end of it from Larks.”
ahh yes, Dylan Larkin. the Red Wings captain and Jack’s friend, whom i met over the summer while visiting Jack at his lake house.
“go!” i shoo my boyfriend off as the rest of his teammates begin pouring out of the locker room, heading off to line up, ready to hit the ice for warm-ups.
waving to the guys, who smile back at me in return, i head out to behind the bench.
as the guys warm up, i double check the bench stock of smelling salts, tums, stick tape, skate blades, and whatever else the guys may need during the game, before standing idly by.
*
finally, the game is underway, seven minutes left in the second period, and my boyfriend has already gotten a penalty in first for ‘roughing’.
i’m watching my boyfriend skate around the ice as i tend to his teammates, anxiously holding my breath as the clock winds down.
Jack zips across the ice, and i’m gnawing at my lip as he gains control of the puck. but before i know it, he’s just scored his first goal of the season.
a small smile splays across my lips, attempting to contain my excitement as he skates past the bench, bumping fists with his elated teammates before taking another lap around the ice.
Luke turns his head to grin at me, but he’s sidetracked as i’m interrupted by a teammate.
“y/n, can i get some salts?” Timo asks, and i nod, spinning around to grab some, my hair whipping in my face as i do so.
i let out a frustrated groan, turning back around to hand the little packet of smelling salts to number 28.
“you okay?” Timo questions, his brows threading together and i nod.
“it’s my damn hair.” i huff as he moves down on the bench, making room for my boyfriend and his line mates who now join on the bench. “i usually wear it up, but my hair tie broke and it’s getting on my nerves.”
wordlessly, Jack absentmindedly sheds his gloves off, pulling something from his wrist before holding it out to me where i stand directly behind him.
my lips part in surprise as my eyes lock on the pink hair tie that’s pinched between his index finger and thumb.
my hair tie.
“oh.” i breathe out, plucking the hair tie from his grasp. i smile, immediately pulling my hair up into a high ponytail. “thank you, love.”
he turns his head just enough to spot me, beaming back at me for a moment before turning back to focus back on the game that’s about to restart.
i lean forward a little, my hand lightly resting against the padding on his back, but he must feel the slight pressure because he leans back a little to show me he’s listening to what i have to say next.
“congratulations, babe. i’m proud of you.” i speak lowly, only for him to hear, before i stand back again, as though the interaction never happened. both of us focusing back on the game that takes place in front of us.
***
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***
Jack lays beside me in my bed, absentmindedly scrolling through his social media, nodding along as i rant about my day.
“…but seeing you in the box was a plus.” i finish off my long winded ramble, effectively gaining his attention back at my teasing.
he locks his phone, tossing it to the side as he looks over at me.
“what was that?” he asks mockingly, raising an eyebrow. but before i can repeat myself, his fingers are working against the bare skin of my stomach.
my abdomen tightens as i laugh, squirming and trying to get away from his touch.
“stop!” i cackle, attempting and failing to push his hands away as he tickles me.
“no, say that again!” he chuckles, maneuvering his body now to straddle my legs so that i can’t run away, even if i wanted to. i shake my head wildly. “say it again! what was that? i don’t think i heard you right! cause it sounded like you just said the highlight of your day was seeing me get penalties!”
“that’s not true!” i squeal and he momentarily ceases his attack, tilting his ear towards me as if he’s listening closer.
“i said they were just pluses.” i defend myself, quickly following up, “the highlight of my day was finding out you wear my hair tie on your wrist.”
he looks down at me with a smirk, obviously quite proud of himself.
“stole that from your apartment.” he announces with pride.
“when?” i laugh, reaching up to cup the back of his neck, pulling his face closer to mine.
his hands now rest on either side of my head, holding himself up.
“the second time we hooked up.” he murmurs, dipping down to press a kiss to my lips. “you had complained that day when you forgot you hair tie at home. i never wanted you to be uncomfortable again, so i took one when i left here that night.”
i blink back at him in surprise, my heart thumping loudly in my chest, whooshing in my ears.
“are you telling me, you’ve been wearing that hair tie on your wrist, for the past seven months, just in case i ever needed it?” i ask.
“mhm.” he hums, his nose nudging against mine as he nods, the corners of his lips quirking up in a soft smile.
“i’m so in love with you.” i whisper, pulling him down to capture his lips in a kiss.
his lips slot against mine, his tongue slipping in to tangle with mine in a deep and sultry kiss, before he pulls away.
“oh good, because apparently our interaction tonight on the bench?” he pauses and i furrow my brows, nodding for him to continue. “yeah, apparently that happened while the camera was on me.”
a gasp slips past my lips, and he cringes slightly, nodding his head.
“yeah, we’ve been outted.”
we both let that sink in for a moment, pondering what our relationship will be like now that everyone knows. fans certainly analyzing our every move now.
but despite that, we can finally go on dates in public, and post each other on our social medias without panicking that we may have accidentally posted on our public stories instead of our close friends ones.
“i think i can live with that.” i finally break the silence, and he grins.
“yeah?” he questions, pressing a kiss against my lips, and i nod against him.
“yeah.”
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Text
Eddie hated this and he'd just started.
See, he was so proud when he made it, when he got his first office job. He saw what decades of physical labor did to Wayne's back, his hands, and he wanted to make his uncle proud. So he kept applying and applying and getting ignored and rejected and finally, finally he got a job in a pretty large corporate. Not exactly something prestigious, but hey, it had potential. The experience counted and all that.
He thought maybe workplaces would be different, that the good ol' high school dynamic would fuck off, but no. He was sitting at his desk, trying to fill in paperwork after a taxing phone call, but all he could focus on was whispering from the neighboring cubicle that was ostentatiously loud. He didn't know who sat there yet, the guy had been on vacation for the two weeks Eddie was in the company. From the stuff he was hearing, he was getting introduced anyway and not exactly the way he'd have liked to be.
"Can you believe they actually let him work here?" It was Carol, of course it was, the office gossip and mean girl knockoff. "I mean, he doesn't even look decent! Did you see that hair?" Okay, that hurt. He actually pulled his hair into a neat bun every morning, but you can't please some people. "And he has tattoos, what would our customers think if they actually met him, plus you should have heard the rumors about his past-!"
But just as he was about to slam down the pile of paperwork and either take an extended smoke break or gently ask Carol to go fuck a polar bear, he heard another voice. Bored and wonderfully bitchy.
"That's absolutely fascinating, Carol. Please tell me more, what could this guy possibly have done? It must be something juicy. Did he perhaps fuck his boss during the Christmas party and then lie about it to his boyfriend of five years? Oh wait no. That was you. Silly me."
Eddie had to bite his pencil to stay quiet, but his whole chest hurt by trying to keep the snickering in. And then the offended gasp. "I- you promised you wouldn't-!"
"I didn't promise shit, Carol. You just came to me, cried your eyes out - bad move by the way, invest in some waterproof mascara for god's sake, mascara in wrinkles doesn't good on anyone, and yes, you do have wrinkles - and tried to play the victim. Except I heard your small proposition to the guy before so it didn't really work out. But it's fine, you know," and oooh, the tone was smug, so bored, Eddie loved this guy already, "Tommy saw you as well and had a good time with Nicole to get even. So there's nothing to worry about. Now tell me, what did this horrible Eddie Munson do to summon wrath of such a righteous woman such as yourself?"
Eddie heard a sharp sound as Carol got up from the desk. "Fuck you, Steve Harrington," she spat out and sped past Eddie's seat. He just gave her a small salute.
When the sound of high heels faded, Eddie leaned over the cubicle wall and knocked to draw the guy's attention. And yeah, maybe he was a little bit biased because he'd just obliterated a textbook definition of a shrew, but this Steve was fucking gorgeous, light brown eyes looking at him, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.
"Oh hi," said Steve and offered his hand, shaking Eddie's. "Sorry for that. I'm Steve Harrington and whatever deepest, darkest secrets you're hiding, I don't care, I'm pretty sure I've heard them all. What did you do? Shave your head in school? Join a cult? Cut dolls apart and chant hail Satan?"
That had Eddie laughing again, but he still had an introduction to make. A proper one. "Nice to meet you, Steve. Eddie Munson, and I'm worse than your darkest nightmares. I sometimes wear socks in sandals."
Steve's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, Carol was right, you are a monster!" he muttered. "Speaking of monsters..." His head leaned to the side, towards Carol who was angrily carrying her coffee mug, her mascara running again.
Before he could catch himself, Eddie leaned over the wall and whispered as loudly as he could muster. "Can you believe some people wear dotted dresses with stripes on their stockings? We can't all be born with taste, I guess...tragic."
And again, maybe Eddie was just biased, but Steve's laughter was so pretty that it actually made dealing with Carol's bullshit worth it.
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ponderingmoonlight · 10 months
Text
Nanami fearing rejection from his wife and daughter after Shibuya left him seriously wounded
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Pairing: Nanami x wife!reader; Nanami x daughter
Word Count: 1,9k
Synopsis: Even though he survived Shibuya, Kento Nanami dies from the inside just by the thought of losing you and his precious little daughter due to his severe wounds and scarred skin. But despite his great fear, your reaction turns out completely different than expected.
Warnings: Let's just pretend this is how it ended okay I'm crying, tried to proofread this but I'm just veeeery depressed right now, this might be the fluff you NEED after today's episode
Request and idea by gorgeous @wifenanami <3
Everything’s a blur. What happened last? How did he get here? His heavy heart skips a beat. Oh, right. His whole left side burns like a thousand fires, arm unable to move even an inch by the way his skin feel like bursting every minute. He was severely burned. The last thing he saw was…
Haibara, then Yuji, and then…
You.
Oh god, just the thought of you kills him from the inside.
“Hey, easy there. Your heartbeat is jumping out of the roof. You need to rest now, Nanami. I already called your wife.”
The smell of burned cigarettes simply takes his breath away, along with the venomous words that leave Shoko’s mouth so casually.
“My wife?”, he coughs out, body desperately trying to sit up.
No, this is impossible. You can’t see him like that, body covered in burn marks with his left eye and hair missing. What will you think of him? And what about your daughter? That sweet innocent angel, will she even be able to recognize him? You, his wife, the love of his wife. Your daughter, the greatest treasure on earth.
Will you be disgusted by his fearful sight?
“Yeah, she’s already on her way. Honestly I wasn’t sure if you’ll make it, so I-“
“Why on earth did you call her?”
Shoko stops in her tracks, laying her head to the side in nothing but confusion.
“Huh, what are you talking about? (y/n)’s your wife after all, why wouldn’t I tell her?”
“What if she doesn’t recognize me? What if she’s freaked out by me? What if she brings our daughter with her?”
His sweaty palms begin to shake uncontrollably. In his life, Kento Nanami lost a lot of things: Jobs, money, people, good friends. But oh god, the thought of losing you, his precious little family. It truly kills him from the inside.
“Stop talking nonsense. Being pathetic doesn’t suit you at all”, Shoko remarks dryly.
His widen eyes dart towards the door, waiting in nothing but thick fear for your arrival. Was this afternoon the last time you looked at him as lovingly as you always did? Was it the last time his daughter kissed his right cheek before she left the house? It can’t be, it just can’t turn out like that.
But you deserve so much better. Damn, you are straight up gorgeous, a woman who turns heads on a regular basis. You need more than a crippled man by your side, more than one half of the man you used to know. He wouldn’t even be mad if your eyes lose the spark they hold for him when you see him today.
“I’m leaving now. Something seems to be off. I’m trying to get back by dinner.”
“Why do you have to go this early? I thought we’d have a little time for ourselves. Since our precious little angel is still at kindergarten and I have the afternoon off…”
Your hands roamed around his broad chest, eyes filled with nothing but affection and love. You were always bad at hiding your feelings, your bright orbs being the centre of his universe. God, how much he wanted to lock the door behind you, how much he longed for your touch. But this sounded serious.
“As much as I’d love to take that offer immediately, the young ones need me, (y/n). But I will return as soon as possible and then we’ll finish what you started.”
“Promise it”, you demanded, a small understanding smile decorating your delicate lips while he held your body so tightly against his.
“I promise it. I can’t wait to see you tonight.”
One last longing kiss on your forehead. One last kiss before he left your house with a last “I love you” shouted into thin air.  
“Damn”, he hisses through gritted teeth, pain pulsating through his whole body, taking his sight.
What is his life worth without you in it?
-(y/n)’s POV-
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
“Hey, hold your head up high, angel. Everything will turn out alright, okay? Daddy is a hero, after all”, you reassure your daughter softly while secretly wiping away a falling tear.
When Shoko called you a few minutes ago, your feet begin to carry you on their own, heart hammering against your aching chest. Your loving husband, the man who gifted you with the precious daughter who holds your hand tightly. She didn’t tell you what happened to him, how he feels. But her tone was as urgent as never before, making you storm down the dark streets of Tokyo in pouring rain until you finally arrived at Jujutsu High, opening the well-known doors to the hospital wing with trembling hands.
Please, let him be alright. Maybe injured, but alive. Maybe distressed, but all in all fine.
Please, let your husband be alright.
You wander down the cold hallways, eyes roaming around the area in a desperate attempt to spot your husband somewhere between the countless injured people. Where is he? Where did they put him?
Suddenly, your orbs get stuck on a wave of pink hair.
“Yuji?” you breathe out.
“Mommy, there’s Yuji!”, the excited voice of your little daughter next to you cries out, already on her way to storm towards the pink-haired boy.
You can’t hold back. Out of instinct you follow her tiny feet, embracing the boy in front of you in a tight hug.
“Please tell me you’re alright, tell me you feel well”, you whisper into his ear.
In an instant, tears start to swell up his eyes, soaking through the fabric of your elegant autumn dress. Your heart shatters into a million pieces, hands gently stroking through his hair.
“I’m not. I’m far away from feeling well, (y/n)”, he cries against your neck, letting himself fall completely against your frame.
Oh Yuji. You hate to see him like that, his thick tears falling like the pouring rain outside.
“I’m sorry for letting Nanami-sensei down, I’m sorry for all the things I did, I-“
“Don’t talk any further. I’m sure you did your best, Yuji. And I know Kento is very proud of you. Please, get some rest now, okay? Did Shoko already check on you? Hey, do you want to stay with me tonight?”
“You can sleep in my room!” your daughter suggests in an instant, hugging Yuji’s leg while looking up at him with doe eyes.
“Thank you, I’m okay. You should look after Nanami-sensei. After all you’re here because of him and not because of me, right?”
“I will always look after you, Yuji. But yes, I’d really like to see my husband right now”, you reply tenderly.
“Is my dad alright?”
“He’s in room 018 down the hall. Please…tell him I’m sorry”, Yuji mutters.
“There is nothing to be sorry about, thank you for your help, Yuji. Come on darling, let’s go see daddy.”
You let out your shaky breath, hand holding onto the doorknob. Finally. You will definitely pay Yuji a visit later on. But know, you have to focus on him. Finally, you’re able to see your husband again.
“Kento, I’m here-“
“Don’t look at me. Get out and never come back”, his harsh voice instructs you.
There he sits, back faces towards you will a white cloak covering his upper body. Your mind begins to race, his punitive tone being to unusual. Not even when discussing, your husband ever turned this cold. What has gotten into him?
“Hi daddy!” your daughter greets her father with all excitement.
His heart breaks in an instant. Why? Why on earth do you have to be here? And why did you have to bring your daughter with you? Why do you have to see him like that?
“I am not the man you fell in love with anymore, (y/n).”
The bitterness in his voice makes you squint your eyes while walking towards him.
“What are you talking about, Kento? I might love you even more after you survived this hell”, you reply in an instant.
“Daddy, what happened to your face?”
Like in slow motion he turns around, revealing severe burns on the left side of his body and his eye covered in bandages. Your heart skips a beat. Oh god, what happened to your poor husband?
“Who did this to you, love?”
“It doesn’t matter how or who. But I understand that I’m not the man you married anymore. I am only half of the man I used to be. So if you want to leave me behind, if you want to take care of our daughter alone-“
He is forced to stop mid-sentence by the way his little daughter presses her tiny body onto his lap, hugging him as tightly as never before. And your gaze that makes time stand still. Your gaze that isn’t filled with disgust like he imagined.
No, your look holds nothing but love and gratitude.
“You can’t imagine how happy I am to see that you are well. When Shoko called me I thought we’ll might lose you. Kento, I…I love you with all my heart. The thought of letting you go, the thought of never seeing you again. I’m so glad.”
And then you sprint towards him, wrapping your arms around his neck carefully with your loving gaze never leaving him.
All pain seems to vanish, nothing else but you matter. Your eyes always tell the truth, he knows all too well. And right now, they scream at him in nothing put the pureness of love while a tear runs down your smiling delicate mouth.
“Now you look like a hero, daddy”, his daughter mumbles against his chest, smiling up at him so widely that even Kento Nanami can’t hold back any longer.
“Because he is, sweetheart. Your dad is a hero”, you clarify with shaky voice, pressing a kiss against his right cheek.
“You aren’t disgusted? Even though I look nothing like the man you fell in love with an never will?”, you mutters.
Gently, your hand caresses his uninjured cheek.
“Nothing will ever distress my love for you. No scar in the world will stop me from loving you with all my heart. I’m so glad you came back to me alive. Nothing else matters.”
“I think you look cool, daddy!”
A single tear rolls down his cheek. For the first time in his life, he isn’t able to keep his composure any longer. A tear of joy, a tear of gratitude. Of course, Nanami was always very aware of what a wonderful woman you are and how well you cared for his little daughter as well. But oh, seeing both of you with your arms wrapped around him, gazing at him with nothing but love and tenderness in your orbs…
Your eyes never lied at him.
How does he even deserve this? How does a simple man like Kento Nanami deserve such a loving wife and daughter made of pure gold?
“We need a cool name for you now, daddy.”
“Daddy first needs all his energy to get well again, sweetheart. But yes, you are right. After all, every hero has a special name, right?”, you reply, chuckling over your very own falling tears.
“I’m not a hero, darling”, Nanami contradicts, running his hand through his daughter’s hair softly.
“But to me you are, daddy. And to mommy too.”
“Indeed. And when all of this is over, I’ll take you to Malaysia”, you confirm, cuddling against his chest while resting your eyes.
“Malaysia, huh? Sounds great…”
Tags:  @arehzhera @ploylulla @tzubaki @beatrexworld @kenstarsworld @dazaisdick @hellkaiserinphoenix  @lauv4chuuya @shadowfoxey @starlightanyaaa @sindela @kayleegomez @sunshine7queen @magalimachete @mokoartpost @gatitam @idontknow1123 @creative1writings @sanicsmut  @mynahx3 @sad-darksoul @chilichopsticks @hellkaiserinphoenix @chuyasthighs0 @ynackerman9499 @keepghostly @wxwieeee @lovelyluna1 @froufrousnowman @hidazinie @tomiokathedepresso  @gojosrealwife  @coffeeluvr96
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lemonlover1110 · 7 months
Text
𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝
Toji Fushiguro
[Chapter 10] Shopping
← Previous Chapter - Story Masterlist - Next Chapter →
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Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x f!Reader
Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi
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After finding out you’re having a girl, you go a little overboard buying clothes for her. You know that Toji isn’t particularly excited about the idea, but you are. You’ve always wanted a baby girl, and you can’t believe that you’re finally getting one. The situation isn’t all that ideal, but you’re happy.
Toji gives you money to pay your bills, and you work to buy everything you need for your baby. And obviously a bit more– Too many clothes and toys even if your baby won’t use half of them. You’re convinced that she won’t lack anything growing up, and that eases every worry in your mind. Well… Not all.
Will you be a good mom? You hope so, even though you’re not sure if you’re doing the right thing. You know you’ll mostly be alone, and the thought begins to consume your mind at night. You know you’ll try your best, but you’re not sure if that’ll be enough. Maybe with Toji’s help you’ll do better but you can’t really count on him. Although he’s really trying.
He’s really trying his best, you notice it when he sends you a message almost in the middle of the night, asking if you wanted to go out shopping for baby clothes. He hasn’t seen that you have your closet full out outfits for your babygirl, but you aren’t going to reject his offer because of that. He’s inviting you out because he’s willing to pay, and you’re not going to say no either.
You agree on a time for him to pick you up, and you go to sleep, not thinking twice about your day with Toji. It’s not like you have to think much about it, Toji is doing everything in his power to get in your good graces, and he thinks shopping will do the trick. He isn’t entirely wrong.
“You’re glowing.” Toji tells you with a smile when he picks you up. It’s not a baseless compliment, you do look absolutely stunning. Your pregnancy is doing you well so far.
“Thank you.” You mutter, a bit taken back by his compliment but you won’t make a big deal out of it. You know his game, and showing that you’re excited about his compliment might paint a different picture. You walk out of the apartment and begin to head to his car, his hand going to the small of your back as he walks next to you.
“I think the mall opened up a new shop for babies–” He begins, and you cut him off.
“They did! They have the cutest clothes.” You say, and you end up biting your tongue. That gives it away, “Or so I heard.”
“Right.” He chuckles. He’s not oblivious, he sometimes happens to drive by and he sees you with bags filled with clothes. Yeah… He happens to drive by. “It’s okay, you don’t have to hide from me that you’re excited about baby girl.”
“I’m not hiding it.” You claim, although you are. You don’t want him to know that you’re spending too much on baby clothes that she’ll outgrow within weeks. Plus, you don’t want him to wonder where you’re getting all that extra money when you told him you would quit your second job.  You get to his car and get inside. You’re immediately hit with awkward silence mainly because you’re not in the mood to talk to him. He’s asking questions, and getting met with dry answers.
“Have you thought of baby names?” He asks, and your brows raise. You have pretty much everything planned out except the most important detail, the name. What would be the perfect name for your baby girl? 
“I haven’t.” You confess, a bit disappointed in yourself. Toji chuckles when he glances at you and sees the look on your face. He didn’t expect that to be your reaction, with how excited you are about everything. But then again he understands that you’re stressed.
“You still have some time, don’t worry about it.” Toji reassures you but that really doesn’t make you feel better. Because if you don’t stress about it, nobody else will. “I mean, picking a name isn’t all that difficult anyway.”
“Yeah, you��re saying that because you didn’t even name Megumi.” But you regret even saying those words when you remember that Toji was the one that named his son. You feel a sudden sadness slowly start to consume you, but you manage to push it away. Megumi was planned, your daughter wasn’t. Plus, you wouldn’t want him of all people to name your daughter. Before he can correct you, you slightly change the topic, “I want to get her name stitched on some things.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Toji answers, and you hum in response. For the rest of the car ride, you look out the window. Toji really has no idea what else he can bring up, so he lets the rest of the car ride be silent. 
You get to the mall, and Toji follows behind since you clearly know the way. Toji doesn’t have to do much, just provide his card when it’s time to pay. Toji does think that the job will come around with a lot of forced fawning at every piece of baby clothes, he knows he did it a lot with Megumi. However, when you don’t bother much, he feels bad.
“Isn’t this cute?” He picks out a random pink onesie, it doesn’t have any design. It’s a plain pink onesie. He just picked the most random clothes, hoping that you’ll begin to show him clothes. After all, you aren’t here alone.
“Yeah, it’s cute.” You tell him, not paying all that much attention to what he holds though. He’s not even sure you looked at it properly. Toji purses his lips together, this time actually looking for something that will really wow you, something that’ll make you want to show him the clothes that you’re picking up. 
You have so many clothes in your basket, he’s sure you’ve already seen the entire store. But he’s still going to try to find something. His eyes search the store for clothes, and he swears that everything that he finds cute, you already have in hand. 
“What about…” He begins, his eyes searching the place for something that you don’t have in hand. Until his eyes land on the duck towel— It’s so cute that even if you don’t want it, he’s buying it. He grabs it, and shows it off to you, “This? Isn’t this cute? I’m surprised you haven’t picked it yet.”
“It is!” You actually admit enthusiastically but you have an issue, “I already have that one at home… A friend gave it to me.”
“Right, a friend.” Toji chuckles, putting it back. What else can he grab? He can’t lie, he’s getting frustrated. He simply just wants you to show off the little clothes that you’re picking up, which ironically enough, he was hoping he would do nothing. 
Men are complicated beings. 
“You know we are here together.” He points out, and you furrow your brows as you face him. What is he trying to say?
“Okay… What exactly do you want me to do?” You ask him, a bit annoyed. You knew that he wanted something more from this when he started to show you clothes. You wonder what exactly though… Is it just your attention? That thought almost brings a smirk to your lips, but you manage to suppress it.
“I don’t know, just show me stuff.” He responds, and you nod your head in response. And you end up showing him outfits that are too cute to even exist, and Toji fawns over them, but his reactions aren’t forced at all. The man is slowly growing accustomed to the idea of a baby girl, and he’s just realizing just how cute all the clothes are. Everything you hold is much cuter than anything he bought for baby Megumi.
Toji can’t help but ask himself if he’s getting soft. He ends up concluding that no, the excitement of becoming a dad again is slowly creeping in.
He’s much more tired than he’d like to admit after you’re finished. Who would even think that shopping can be so draining– And he won’t even mention the fact that his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the total of everything. It took a little strength to take out his wallet and pay for everything.
“Can we get some food?” You ask him as you walk out of the store. Toji can’t tell you no, so he hums in response. He is also kind of hungry. He asks what you want, and he gets in line to get it for you as you take a seat in the food court. 
Your eyes watch Toji as your mind analyzes his recent behavior. You feel like he’s genuinely excited about this, not just doing this as a means to get back together. Your Toji would not spend that much money on baby clothes, yet here you are. You just hope that you’re right, you don’t think you can handle being more disappointed at him. 
Toji as the father of a cute baby girl, now that puts a smile on your lips. You might not be together, but you still have feelings for the man and you can’t help but find him cute.
You try to look away when Toji comes back with a tray of food. He caught you staring, but he doesn’t bring it up, instead you both quietly begin to eat. Anyone that lays eyes on the two of you would think that you’re still together. 
“How’s Megumi doing?” You ask him, and Toji takes a sip of his drink to help swallow all the food in his mouth.
“He’s good. Busy with school and baseball and whatnot.” He answers, and you almost laugh. Toji won’t tell you anything else because he simply doesn’t know what’s going on, truth be told, when you were together you were the one that handled all of Megumi’s problems. Even though you weren’t supposed to act like a parent, you were forced to do stuff that Toji should’ve handled.
“That’s good to know. Are his grades okay? I remember I had to help him a lot with–” You begin but you stop yourself when you feel a smile come to your lips. That’s not your issue anymore. If Megumi fails or passes any of his classes, it’s Toji’s problem. You really got into a role that Toji told you from the very beginning not to take. But Megumi just needed someone, and you were there, it was hard not to step up for him. “I just hope his classes are okay.”
“Yeah, they are.” Toji responds. His eyes fall on the chair that holds the plastic bags that are filled with so much stuff that the baby probably won’t even get to wear. “Do you think we overdid it?”
“I’ll change her multiple times a day.” You answer, and Toji chuckles. Maybe he should remind you that she’s a baby and not a doll. “Or we can just give clothes away.”
“You’re right.” He says, although he wants to say that the two of you should return some clothes if not everything will be worn. But it’s fine. It’s for his daughter, not some random kid. 
Toji has a question, and he doesn’t know when the right time to ask it is. He knows your immediate answer but it’s something that he has to spring up on you and then give you time before you change your answer. But for some reason, he feels so nervous when he thinks about asking the question. 
“How about you move back in?” Toji blurts out, and you freeze. He can’t be serious. You furrow your brows as you look at him. “I mean, it makes me feel uneasy knowing that you’re all alone. What if you need help with something?”
“Then I’ll call you. I don’t need to move in for that.” You argue, and Toji bites his tongue. He had a whole speech planned but it’s all forgotten. He just clears his throat before asking,
“Can’t you just think about it?” 
“I thought about it for a second when you asked. And my answer is no.” You reply. You know that he’ll ask again because you sadly know Toji too well.
“Please just actually think about it.” He sighs. “It’s not just for your wellbeing but for the baby’s.”
“Toji, don’t.” You tell him.
“I’m just saying– Plus think about all the extra closet space you’ll have for her.” He says, and you shake your head disappointedly. A chuckle leaves your lips though, and Toji smiles. “I got you there, didn’t I?”
723 notes · View notes
xxblairexxss · 1 year
Text
We’ll be fine
Pairing : Charles Leclerc x reader
Theme : Angst, fluff
Word count : 4.7k
Requested!
Relationships aren’t all sunshines and rainbows. Charles and you were trying so hard to maintain this long distance relationships but everything seemed to be going the wrong way. Was it the miscommunication, the lack of reassurance or was it because of your job?
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The FaceTime’s outgoing ringtone blasted through your Macbook’s speaker, giving you a jolt, though you had bern waiting for it for the past 30 minutes.
"God, I miss you so much, baby."
The sight of your boyfriend in red, all sweaty, made you all giddy like a high school teenager. "Hi, boyfriend! Congratulations on the P3!" He went on to talk about the race and everything you had missed for not being able to join him this weekend while you rested your chin on your palm whilst listening to him.
"No way! You saw the same cut board again? Was it from the same person?" You asked; your work-related stuff was long forgotten.
"I'm not sure about that, but it freaked me out a little bit seeing my face that big over and over."
You cackled. He had propped his phone against his stuff, so you got a good look at him while he sorted out things before the press conference. It made you feel as if you were there with him.
This was the first time in a while that you didn’t get into an argument during a 10-minute video call. A few weeks ago, as frequent as it was, Charles and you would always get into an argument, sometimes one that lasted for days. It was all because of your new job and the upcoming summer break.
When you first got the offer, you could see Charles wasn’t too elated about it. It didn’t mean he was unhappy to see you step up into another chapter of your life. He was so ecstatic that he even prepared a small celebration and gifts to celebrate it. For the whole week after you told him about your promotion, that was all he ever talked about.
"I’m so proud of you."
"My hardworking girl"
"You deserved it so much".
Those were the words he kept on showering you with, like a mantra.
But those words eventually turned into fatalistic, forcing you to accept the culpability of the constant disagreement in the relationship.
"Not this again, Y/N."
"I just don’t understand why it’s so hard for you."
"I’m doing this for us too!"
"Am I the only one who gives a fuck about this relationship?"
Being able to talk to him and seeing him all smile with eyes full of accolades and longing for the touch from you erased all of the tainted spots.
That was until he called you again that night. When you told him about your upcoming project was when he blew up all over again. You saw it coming. Even before you picked up the call, before you had arranged those words in your head.
"What do you mean you can’t join me next week? Y/N, it’s my summer break. Don’t you want to spend some time together?"
You covered your face with your hands, internally screaming. He always acted as if you had a choice to reject every offer that the company had arranged for you. As if you didn’t care about this relationship as much as he did. "They asked me to take over the project. I can’t say no."
"I haven’t seen you in weeks." He muttered.
"I wanted to see you too, Charles, but..."
"Don’t say that." He heckled. You saw him roll his eyes, moving away from the camera. "Don’t say shit like that just to make me feel better. I know you don’t actually mean any of it."
"Charles, I really wanted to see you but I can’t say no!" You yelled out, desperately trying to make him see things from your point of view.
"Bullshit." He sniggered.
"What?"
"What if I tell you, Oh, I missed you so much, I can’t wait to see you, then chose to spend the weekend with my friends after saying all that? It sounds bullshit to you, isn’t it?" He shook his head, as if what you said vexed him even more. 
“I wasn’t spending the weekend with my friends. I’m working! It’s a different case.” You argued back, feeling unfair from his reactions.
"I’m going to sleep. Good night."
"Already? But I thought we could talk some more. I wanted to hear your story, I wanted to tell you about happen to me on my way to work this morning.." Your pleas were ignored as he stayed silent, looking as if he were so ready to click the end call button. "It’s okay then. Good night. I love you.”
The call ended. Well, he ended the call without saying it back.
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The summer break came around. Just like any other year, Charles would spend a week with his friends and the other week with his family. You would always join him, but not this year.
You have seen videos and pictures of his friends laughing, teasing each other, and filming funny videos here and there while you were stuck in your office.
Charles would still text you; he would wish you good morning and good night; he would ask you if you had eaten and if you needed him to arrange a food delivery for you; but he never spoke about the summer break anymore. In one way, it just felt like he had erased the words from his mind. Though you still saw pictures and videos of him on his yacht, riding his jet ski, you never asked him about it—basically anything that involved the break—because you just didn’t want to get into another fit of disagreement and his failure to see your situation.
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"What are you having for dinner, baby? I can’t see." He was in his bed, barely keeping himself awake after the full-blown activities in the sea today while you were just getting ready to eat your dinner.
"I’m having sushi!" His eyes widen at the huge selection when you tilted the plate of sushi.
"That’s a lot! You got carried away with the menu again, didn’t you?"
"Yeah.." Your lips were pressed in a thin line, shoulder-sloping like a child who got into trouble.
"Can you actually finish that, love?"
"Obviously no! I’ll figure out a way to not waste any of this." Picking a salmon out of 20 more selections on the plate, you dipped the end into the small plate of soy sauce and devoured one, smiling at the fresh, delectable taste.
"You know I can’t finish them for you. I’m like thousands of miles away." Charles was propping his chin on his hand, forcing himself to stay awake.
"I know. I miss you a lot." You covered your mouth, holding your laugh, when his chin slipped off his palm and he nearly slammed his head against the pillow. "You know you can go to sleep, right? I am fine eating dinner on my own."
"No, I want to stay awake and watch my girlfriend eat her sushi."
You stuck out your tongue and scrunched your nose, making him chuckle. "Which one should I try next?" You moved the phone a little so he could get a full view of the plate again.
"Try the scallop one, baby. It looks good."
You picked the one he chose with your chopstick and ate it up, letting out a squeal of excitement when the taste activated your taste buds. "It’s so good! You would have liked this one."
Charles eventually fell asleep before you could finish your so called eating show. He fell asleep hugging the pillow, which acted as your replacement because he always had trouble sleeping without you. He even asked you to leave a travel-size perfume of yours the next time you came home, just so it felt much more pragmatic in his mind.
Unknowingly to him, you had requested leave from absence home earlier this week, and it was just approved by your supervisor today. It was only for a week, but at least you could see your boyfriend and spend time with him this summer.
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Charles came home, and he was confounded by how tidy his apartment looked. The pile of clothes he had set aside in the laundry room to be washed was gone, and the washing machine was on as it was counting down to 15 minutes, rotating and spinning his clothes. He had left the house quite in a hurry this morning, so he expected it to be out of place, just like how he left it.
"Surprise!"
He sprang back, his head hitting the wall when you jumped out from behind the door as he was about to walk in, causing him to bend down, his hand holding the crown of his head.
"Oh my God! I’m so sorry!" You chortled, covering your mouth from the loud thud sound as you hugged him.
"Ow, I think I got a concussion, baby." He buried his face against your neck as you cradled him like a child. "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?"
"I wanted to give you a surprise! And a concussion." You stroked his hair, barely able to breathe from the tight grip around your waist.
"God, I missed you so, so much." He planted a trail of kisses along your shoulder blade up to your jawline and ended it on your lips, only pulling away when both of you were out of breath. "I missed you, baby."
"I missed you more. I’m all yours, love. No more hugging pillows!" You snaked your arms around his neck, giggling when you felt his lips on your nose.
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"Y/N, baby, no. I just changed!"
You saw a perfect opportunity when he was standing at the edge of the yacht, seemingly to be in very deep thoughts, so you dashed into him, making him lose his balance as he grabbed you by your arm and pulled you with him back into the water.
"Why do you have to do that?!" You cried out, splashing the water on him with a frown.
"Oh, are you mad at me? Really, baby?" He laughed and lead you back to the yacht as it started getting a bit chilly. You still refused to talk to him, even when he wrapped you in a new towel and engulfed you in a hug. He, however, found the whole situation funny. "Okay, baby, I’m sorry for pulling you into the water. I should have been the only one cold in the sea. " Charles finally surrendered when you seemed to be so in persistent with your sulking attempt.
Rolling your eyes, you fell into a fit of laughter as you threw yourself on him, making him lay down with you on the lounge seats. "I’m just kidding!" You cupped his cheeks and brushed your lips on his. "You are so cute!"
"You make me the happiest man in the world." He caressed your cheeks while you braced yourself on his body. Everything was just so perfect you never wanted this moment to end. Just getting lost in those green eyes gave you a vivid view of the beautiful landscapes. The way you felt his soft, loving touch on your face, trailing the structure of your face tucked on your heart, just when you thought you couldn’t fell in love with this man even more.
"I love you so much, baby." He mumbled, drumming his fingers on your chin, which made you chuckle.
"I love you even more, love."
"Let’s stay like this for a little while. I missed having you in my arms." He leaned his head back on the seats, wishing for the time to stop because everything—literally everything—was just so perfect for him.
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"Baby?"
"Yeah?" Charles came to the kitchen, leaning against the counter while you still had your eyes on your tea, stirring it after you put a spoonful of sugar.
"Mom wished you could join the family’s vacation next week. Is there any way you can extend your leave?"
"I’m so sorry, love, but I need to be at the office by next week." Since you were working on a new project at the moment, it was difficult for you to be absent even more when you already got a week off though you knew right away you would have to pull an all-nighter once you touchdown tomorrow just to go through all those unreplied emails.
"Y/N, please. For me," He held your hand, which was circled around the mug. “For us.”
"Charles, this isn’t about us. You know—"
"Here we go again. I’m the only one who has to tolerate, give in, and follow your schedule. Y/N, this relationship isn’t about you all alone." His voice was louder now, half shouting as he left the kitchen.
"Yes, I know, Charles. I know! You are not the only one who has to ride the wave right now. You are not the only one giving in. I had been with you in every race that I could though I had to constantly fly back and forth. I have told you I was required to be at the office even more now that we’re working on a new project. Once it is all done and sorted out, my schedule will be more manageable. A couple of months is all I ask! I’m so tired of explaining this over and over, but you still keep on thinking I am being selfish in this matter. I am mentally and emotionally drained every single day! I spent hours in the office, coming home, expecting my boyfriend to be my comfort, but you kept on shouting and cursing at me." Your cup of tea was long forgotten as you trudged along his steps to the living room. "I took a leave for one week, hoping it would make you happy, but it is still not enough for you. I don’t know what you want me to do!"
"No one forced you to take the job, Y/N. You have no right to complain about that. I told you numerous times that I can always support you financially." You grabbed his wrists, tugging on them harshly to make him face you.
"That’s not how it works, Charles! I don’t want you to support me with your money. Just because I want and love this job doesn’t mean I can’t get tired of it. I’m a human with a capability to an extent. I just want you to be there for me when I need you." Charles looked away, hands clenched into a fist, when you started choking back tears.
"I feel like you are more scared to lose your precious job than you are losing me, Y/N. It’s more important than me, isn’t it? Your job." He snickered, his head shaking at how absurd this whole argument was.
"I got fired for leaving abruptly during my meeting because you got into a crash. I stayed with you for days, taking care of you, ignoring every call and text from my boss because you were all I could think about, and I could go insane if I wasn’t by your side, waiting for you to wake up. I had to build my career back up. Yes, this is my dream job, but I would drop everything again for you, and you know that too." You harshly wiped another trail of tears on your cheeks. You just wanted to rip your hair out because he kept on turning this back to you, as if you never sacrificed anything for him.
"Are you trying to blame me because you got fired? Is that what you meant? Y/N, that was on you!" Charles hollered, making you flinch as he pointed his finger at your face.
"That’s not it! If something happened to me and you left your race for me, would you blame me for that? No, you wouldn’t! Because there’s no one to blame! That’s what I—" Your words came to a pause when you saw him simpered. "Are you—Charles, what’s with that smile?" Your grip on his arm tightens to get his attention. "Are you saying you wouldn’t leave your career for me? Charles!" He tried to walk away, and you grabbed his shirt, yanking it. "Don’t just walk away! Answer me!" You pulled on his shirt again. "Charles!"
"Don’t ask me that! You and I are not the same, Y/N. Our career, our way of thinking, it’s just not the same."
It hurt. It hurt because you thought you meant a lot to him. You didn’t even want him to choose either one, but the fact that he acted as if your career and his weren’t on the same level shredded your heart to pieces. It was as if your career were nothing compared to his. Sure, it wasn’t one where people paid thousands to see; it wasn’t a career where you got paid hundreds of thousands, even millions, per year, but he, out of all people, knew how hard you worked for it, so you never expected him to disparage your career in front of your face.
"I don’t think I’m the one being selfish right now." He saw you walk past him into the bedroom with your head dropped. It was your last night before you had to fly back tomorrow, and he had ruined everything again. You had actually planned to bake cookies together just so the two of you could spend more time together for the last night, but the whole apartment is cold now, and there was no other sound except your irregular sob.
He stayed up, placing all those ingredients for cookies that you had arranged on the kitchen counter back to where it was. You were so excited to try the new cookie cutter, and he felt so bad for blowing up again.
"Y/N?"
You tugged on the cover, half hiding your face when you heard him walk in. It might not be as convincing as it was, but you held your sob, trying to control your shoulders from shaking too much, so it seemed as if you were already asleep since you didn’t want to talk to him. Not anymore. You were so tired. You would have packed and left right away if only you could, but you knew he would block your moves, holding you back and you didn’t want that to happen because you would have given in again. What you thought was a bad attempt was still able to convince him that you were asleep.
"Good night." He slanted over and pecked at your cheek before getting under the cover and facing the other way. He knew he didn’t deserve to hug nor touch you after making you cry yourself to sleep.
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Charles woke up, frowning, when a shaft of sunlight sipping through the curtain hit his face. "Baby, the sun is blinding me again." He mumbled and shifted to your side of the bed to hide his face against your neck, but all he could feel was a chilly, cold space. "Baby?" He called out a little louder and still didn’t get any response. "Y/N—" He was stunned when he realised your phone, hair tie, and your stuffs on the dressing table were gone. "Fuck!" The fatigue and drowsiness were gone in a blink as he threw the duvet off, feeling himself getting warm even though the AC was frigid.
"Y/N," He went through every room, and all of your clothes were gone. It was as if you were never here for the whole week. “No, no, no, no.”
Your phone was off when he tried to call, and none of his text messages went through. He even went to the airport because he knew your flight was 4 hours away, and he spent hours walking around to look for you, but to no avail. He would have kept you in his arms if he knew last night would be the last time he saw you.
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"Y/N! How are you? Oh my God!" Carla’s eyes widened. Just like any other day, Carla, Arthur’s girlfriend, would ring you just to update you on your life. You met her years ago when she and Arthur started dating, and ever since then, it had been like having a new baby sister. She was also the only one who knew your new phone number. And like always, you guys would talk for hours about everything, and though she never came here to New York, she was basically familiar with your apartment. This time around, you just didn’t happen to be in the apartment when you picked up the call. You were in the hospital, head wrapped up in a bandage, and your hand was as stiff as a rock from the hand cast. "What happened to you?" She yelled out.
"I got into an accident last night. No, two days ago. It wasn’t that bad, though." She rolled her eyes, finding it hard to believe when you winced from the pain as you tried to play it all cool.
"How did you get into an accident? That looks really bad, Y/N! You should tell Charles!"
Charles. It’s been nearly a month since the last time you left his apartment without confronting him. You remember staring at him that night while he slept, like a creep, thinking if you were making the right choice and decided there was no point staying in a relationship where you and him never see things at the same level. You changed your phone number because you knew he would spam your calls, and you knew the moment you heard his voice, pleading and begging you to forgive him, you would crawl your way back to him.
"No, don’t tell him. You promised me you wouldn’t tell anything to him or Arthur. I don’t know if you can call it an accident, but I lost my balance and fell down the stairs at the office. It wasn’t that bad, but I do need a few stitches on my forehead."
"That’s so bad! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Just so you know, if he finds out that I knew about this and didn’t tell him, you need to back me up. How long do you have to be at the hospital? Are you okay all alone?"
"Yeah! I’m completely fine on my own. I will be discharged tomorrow!" The hand cast was actually quite heavy, and it was hard for you to do things on your own, but you’ll manage.
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"Why are you laughing?"
Clara put her phone away from her face, still giggling at the picture that you sent to her. It was a picture of you trying to make a thumbs up with your broken hand because she wanted proof that you had safely arrived at your apartment.
"Oh, it was Y/N!" She chuckled, turning her phone back to show her boyfriend the picture. "Look!"
Arthur blinked in surprise. He wasn’t expecting that at all. "What happened to her?"
"Oh, um—"
"What’s wrong?" Charles intervened, his eyes now on the couple.
Before Clara could make up a lie, her boyfriend was quick on his act. "Y/N. She was covered in bandages. Is that a bandage? Yeah, it is. Oh, it’s a hand cast." Arthur confirmed it himself after double-checking the picture on his girlfriend’s phone.
"What?" Charles furrowed his brows and took Clara’s phone from her hand. "What happened to her? Why didn’t you tell me about this?"
"She told me not to tell you. But she’s fine! Well, she said she’s fine." Clara stated, seeing how the older guy started heading out with only a few of his stuffs.
"Where are you going?" Arthur asked, chasing after his brother.
"I’m going to see her."
"What? You mean right now?" The younger one yelled out. "Has my brother gone mad?"
﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎
"One second!"
You ran from your room, anticipating another delivery from your window shopping gone wrong, and you ended up with 10 parcels that was supposed to arrive by today.
"Hi! You can just put the box here. I— oh,"
Charles was stunned. You were in a short with an oversized jumper, your hair tied up in a messy bun with your bangs pinned back where he could see the stitches right above your brows.
"Can I—can I come in?" His questioned, dragging you back into reality.
"My house is a mess." That was a bad one. You couldn’t come up with a better excuse, and he was still waiting, evidently disregarding whatever you just said. "Fine, come in. Do you want a drink? Coffee?"
"It’s okay. I’m all good."
"Coffee then." You felt his gaze on the back of your head as you grabbed a mug. The airtight instant coffee jar had to be the most difficult thing to open in one hand, even though you had the front part of your elbow circled around the jar. "Can I just get you water?" His laughter made your cheeks red.
"I’m okay, precious. There’s no need for that." He then marched to stand in front of you, hand cupped on your cheeks as he tilted your head to see the stitches. "What happened?"
"I fell. It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that much." He was gazing at you, and you could feel the wall you built starting to quiver, so you took a step back.
Charles missed you. He missed you a lot. He knew you would have back away, but it never occurred to him that it would hurt this much to see the woman he loved pull in one’s horns with him. "I—,"
"You can’t do this to me." You cut him off, mumbling with your eyes looking down on your hands. "You can’t come here and touch me, forcing me to fall back and jump on you after the way you treated me."
"I came here to apologise." His voice became a whisper, barely audible to you.
"You have apologised for the million times, but I still got blamed for my career, for choosing to be my own person. Everything I do will always be seen as a selfish act by you. I can never make you happy, Charles."
"You have always made me happy, Y/N. Not my career, not my fame. It was wrong for me to say that, but it wasn’t my intention to disparage your choice, your career, or your life. I know you are not living your life as my girlfriend alone; you have your own dreams. I just got so—" He inhaled, looking away, unable to finish his words.
"Charles.."
He felt your cold hand on his, softly tugging it to get his attention and make him look at you.
"I just— I got so used to having you in my life every second before you moved away.” He pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, trying to hold in his tears. "I got so frustrated because I came home and it was cold. I was so used to hearing your voice the second I stepped into the house, so used to you screaming my name when you greet me as if you haven’t seen me for years. You moved away so sudden, and it felt so lonely. I am happy for you, Y/N. I am so happy when you tell me about your days at work. I fell in love all over again when I saw the way your eyes were glistening when you talked about your new, dream job, but I wanted you to be with me. It just felt so distant. I am the selfish one all this time. I’m sorry."
You were a crying mess. You had never seen him this broken before. When you accepted your job offer email, you were so perturbed that you would have a hard time living thousands of miles away from your boyfriend, but it never once occurred to you that he would get the short end of the stick. Instead of saying anything, you cradled his head against your neck.
Charles’ arms went around your waist as he buried his head in your neck, replenishing his longing to have you in his arms for weeks. It had been so long since he held you, taking all that you were, everything he ever needed.
"It is not a bad thing to not be able to see each other every day." You mumbled, pulling away to cup on his cheeks. "It is sad, of course, but having you to miss is a privilege to me."
"I never want to lose you, Y/N."
"We just need more patience, understanding, and trust, Charles. I need you to understand me." His hands went on your back as you rested your head on his chest.
"Can you give us another chance?" He felt it was impossible to hide the slight quaver in his voice, too anxious for the worst thing to come. "I truly understand if you don’t want to because—"
"I’m staying." You leaned away and beamed, stroking your thumb against his cheek. "As long as you’re trying, we are trying, and I’ll stay. We’ll be fine."
“I know I said it otherwise but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t come running to you if something happened. You are my life, Y/N.” 
You leaned into his hand, drowning yourself with his touch. “We both need to work on our communication skill. You suck at it.” 
He chuckled, pulling you back into his arms. “Yeah, I am so bad it also costs me my happiness.”
“Can you stay here and keep me accompany for a couple of days?�� You just couldn’t let him go today so you had to be self-obsessed today if it got him to be with you for at least another day.
“Of course, baby. Though I might need to buy some new clothes because this,” He extended his arms. “This is all I have.”
“You come here with just these?” There wasn’t any luggage, anything that made it seemed as if he were planning to come and visit you.
“Yeah, I came in a rush when I saw the picture you sent to Clara.”
“You are so silly. I only broke my hand!” He laughed along when you lifted up your hand cast, as if it was something normal to break your hand on a random Thursday.
“Only broke your hand? Only? Really, love. You even got stitches.”
✧.* general tag list! @i83andrew @cltrlne @karmabyfernando @ohthemisssery @ru-kru @tastebaldwin @f1obessed @love4lando @shinrjj @ietss @leclerc13 @darleneslane @buckybarnessweetheart @xcinnamongirl @boiohboii @formula1mount @judespoision @alwaysclassyeagle @scenesofobx @mrsmaybank13 
If your usernames were crossed, meaning I can’t tag you! Let me know if you would like to be removed or to be added to the tag list! Or if I missed anyone!
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Killing Time: Prologue
Warnings: this fic will include elements, some dark, includes violence, noncon/dubcon, and other untagged triggers. Please take this into account before proceeding. It is up to curate your online consumption safely.
Summary: a job offer could be an escape from your old life, but the new one, may not hold freedom.
Characters: Kraven the Hunter, August Walker, Lloyd Hansen, James Conrad, God the Bounty Hunter, Court Gentry
Author’s Note: Please feel free to leave some feedback, reblog, and jump into my asks. I’m always happy to discuss with you and riff on idea. As always, you are cherished and adored! Stay safe, be kind, and treat yourself💜
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“Yes, he’s here again,” your voice creaks as your hand shakes. “Please. I called yesterday…” And every other day for months. Almost a full year.
You peer out between the small space that divides curtain from window. The shadow looms, looking up at you. Your phone vibrates as the operator hems and haws on the other end.
“Are you sure it’s him?” She asks. They always doubt you. Report after report, phone call after phone call, and it’s always question, question, question. You sigh.
“Yes,” your voice peeks as you pull back and hide against the wall. “Yes, I know it’s him. He’s texting me.”
You don’t even need to check. It’s the same thing every time. Next, he’ll try to sneak in the front and be knocking at your apartment door.
“Well, ma’am, you say you’ve called before and we’ve sent a cruiser and we’ve filed reports. And this man keeps showing up, so what exactly do you want me to do now? I can’t issue you a safety order over the phone--”
“Excuse me?” You gasp. “Excuse me? Are you serious? I have an order already and much good it does me. I call you and I get accused of being dramatic and questioned. What I want is for someone to protect me.”
“Ma’am, don’t get abusive with me,” she warns. “Have you tried telling him to go away yourself?”
“Wow, wow,” you throw your hand out. “Really? Really? No, I never thought of it,” you say sarcastically, “is there someone else who can take me call? I really don’t feel safe.”
“If it makes you feel better, I can reroute an officer to you. Alright?” She speaks as if you’re a child. You’re too weak to argue anymore.
“Whatever,” you hang up.
You can’t do this anymore. You need to get out of here. Not that you didn’t think of it before but you can’t afford anything else. Your rent control is the only thing keeping you under a roof. You’ve already switched jobs, just to get away from him. There isn’t that much else up there.
You drag yourself through the shadows and sit on the bed. You exist in darkness. You don’t turn on the lights so he can’t see in. You keep the curtains shut. You only leave for work and always take a different exit, never the same route; not always the bus, not always the train.
And friends? What are those? Most of them took his side, said you were throwing around false accusations, and the others accused you of being obsessed. The single coworker you confided in told you to leave town. Wow, well, if you could afford that, you wouldn’t stay in this building with the grinding radiator and rattling fridge.
You look at your phone.
‘I see you.’ The message was sent while you were on the call with emergency services. Several more followed. ‘I just want to talk’; ‘you look so pretty’; ‘please, I love you’.
As you read each text, you can hear the last conversation you had with Jake. He’s a relic of your former friend group, the very reason for your dejection. It’s almost funny how the rest just cut ties but he won’t let go.
It all started with a kiss. A kiss and rejection. New Years Eve and the clock counted down. You didn’t expect him to turn and plant one on you and when you shoved him away, that dreamy look in his eyes turned to fury as you fled. New Year, New you, right?
The new you is scared and paranoid and tired. So, so tired.
You get up and move the chair in front of the door. Just in case. You retreat, keeping your phone close, and grab the extendable baton from the table. You sleep with both, if you can sleep. That night, you won’t.
You settle in on the couch. You don’t use the bedroom. You need an easy escape. You sit back against the cushions and scroll on your phone. It might be hopeless, but you trawl the job board and the apartment boards. You might find a nugget of gold in all the pebbles.
You sign into the job site and see the red dot in the corner. It’s always a marketing promo. ‘Recommending’ a job you don’t qualify for or an invitation for an MLM scheme. It’s a joke. You don’t understand how anyone ever gets a job but everyone seems to have a better one than you.
You tap the inbox to make the red dot go away. You hate it floating in the corner of your vision. Your thumb twitches and hovers over the screen as you read the subject line. Hm.
‘Caretaker Position: Relocation Required’.
Well, you don’t really have the experience for caretaking but the second part sounds intriguing. You hesitate. It’s too good to be true. You’re sure there will be a list of qualifications longer than your resume.
Tap.
You open up the message.
‘Hello,
We’ve reviewed your profile and determined you might be a match for this position.
New Applicants Welcome.
We are seeking an individual to undertake caretaking duties for a property. This role would include the following:
Lawn care
General cleaning and maintenance
Manual labour requiring lifting of up to 60lbs
24/7 tenancy within property (no rent for chosen candidate)
Subsidized relocation
Training on-site
If you are seeking a fresh start and to learn new skills which can take you into future roles in a custodial or caretaking capacity, this is the job for you. To apply, please submit brief profile and resume for consideration.
Applicants are subject to a background check.’
You bite down on the inside of your lip. It sounds interesting but you’re not sure you’re a good fit. It’s so general, too. Would you need to know how to deal with electrical issues? Your apartment sure has taught you a lot about dealing with broken utilities, but your formal training is lacking.
And it’s a big thing. You want to get out of here but it’s still daunting in comparison to your current predicament.
You tense as you hear footsteps in the hall. You brace yourself and lower the phone, staring at the door. The thumping on the other side makes you flinch. Your heart races.
“Baby, I know you’re awake. Please. I just wanna talk.” He keeps tapping. “If you just talked to me, we could figure this out.”
You shudder and look at your phone again. You stare at the big blue button; ‘Apply Now’.
“I forgive you. For lying about me. Everyone knows you were just upset. I’ll tell them all it was just a misunderstanding…” he begs as the door shakes in the frame, the chair knocking against the handle. All that stands between you and him are those hinges and that flimsy piece of furniture.
You press down on the button. It can’t get worse than this.
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vixen-tech · 2 months
Note
HIII :333 first requester here....I should get an emoji can i be 🫧 anon :ooo anway here's my req!! the ais with a reader who is just SO DOWN BAD. WILL DO ANYTHING FOR THEM. RUSHES FOR HELP if they crash or something. Just PATHETIC reader.
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Stupidly Smitten
Hello you two!! This is one of those requests that I think work well enough to be combined into one post. You are just so extremely, pathetically in love with your Ai <3
Includes: Hal 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey), Edgar (Electric Dreams), Auto (Wall-E), Wheatley (Portal 2)
Hal 9000
Hal was unaware that a person could have so much love in them, let alone for him specifically. It was overwhelming at first, baffling when he realized it was only for him and not for any other crew members.
However he handles it in stride, able to calmly respond to your paragraphs of praise with the gentlest "Thank you, I deeply appreciate your companionship as well." Expertly concealing any signs of fluster as you giggle and kiss his camera lens.
Of your long list of cheesy nicknames, prince or prince charming tends to be a go to. A good match for his ever polite, gentlemanly nature. He reminds you that he was simply designed like that, but grows fond of the name anyway.
He very much appreciates the amount you volunteer around the ship. There is a lot that he can't do without a human crew and he adores the diligence you show in your work and the care with which you handle his ship.
Edgar
You and Edgar make the sappiest little feedback loop. It's an endless cycle of "I love you more." "No, I love you more!". To any outsider it would be exhausting to witness, but it's just how you two get out all your feelings.
He goes crazy for all your terms of endearment. 'Songbird' is a pretty easy match for him, but he loves literally every word that comes out of your mouth. Flipping each and every one back at you.
It's not unusual for you to do the same song and dance around the chores. Generally, he'll already have them done by the time you get home, but when you get the day off you always offer to do them yourself. He rarely lets you.
You've told him the time you often have your lunch break so you can chat over the phone while you eat. You're sure your coworkers are sick of you being such a cartoonishly in love couple, but you don't care. He makes you too happy for that.
Auto
Auto has absolutely no idea how to deal with you. He was not made to interact with many people and certainly not someone so affectionate. He may as well have bluescreened the first time you clumsily tried to hug him.
At first he resigns himself to just... sit still whenever you got in a lovey-dovey mood, letting you gush over him. Definitely not spending the rest of the day thinking about the way you said "See you later starlight!" when you finally let him get back to his job.
Over time he recognizes that he began to anticipate your visits, it's so different to how he's usually treated. He knew you had gotten to him when he went out if his to check up on you the day you missed one of your usual visits.
He usually rejects any help you attempt to offer him, his purpose is to handle the ship just fine all by himself. But after that episode he stops trying to push you away. If you're so happy tagging along, he might as well graciously allow you to do so, ignoring his complicated mess of feelings about you.
Wheatley
Oh the ego boost you give him is downright dangerous. If Wheatley was annoying before, now he is absolutely insufferable. Perfectly matches your energy though, you two cannot shut up about each other.
He makes your boundless affection everyone else's problem. "See, I reckon you're just jealous that you're not in a loving, committed relationship with such a lovely person like I am." He boasts. "My amazing romantic partner even calls me their sunshine. Cause I 'light up their life' as they say. Bet you wish you had someone like that."
He is always fishing for compliments, trying to show off for you in any way he psychically can to get some of those sweet sweet words of affirmation. To his delight you always do, grabbing him for some well placed kisses.
He'll even go so far as to reject any assistance you offer him so he can prove he's all cool and competent by doing it himself. Although it's never too long before he gives up and sheepishly asks for your help.
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annwrites · 1 month
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—you shook me all night long
working double time on the seduction line. she's one of a kind, she's just mine, all mine. — student!billy x fwb!reader ; ❀.·:·
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He’d been what you had been waiting for. Egotistical, self-centered, and superficial. Not that everyone at school wasn’t. But there’d also been his reputation amongst the other girls that he’d so quickly garnered that had caught even your attention. It was after hearing that he’d made his way through three girls in as many weeks that you made your decision final.
Perhaps he would reject you. You’d, after all, not spoken to him even once since he’d come to Hawkins High. And he seemed to like attention. And you were certainly about to offer him some. But to give it to him so freely…perhaps he preferred a chase.
You have little patience for such meaningless social practices, however.
After…what happened, you now have a low tolerance for a great many things. Immaturity and juvenile antics chief among them.
You’d been watching him for the last few days, observing, thinking, fantasizing. It wasn’t about him, though. And that didn’t exactly make you feel good about what you were about to do—use him, essentially, which made you feel not entirely different from the man from last summer…
But, you had to remind yourself, that, so long as he consented, that made all the difference.
You’d both be getting what you wanted. Him another notch in his belt, which seems to be all he’s after, and you…a piece of yourself being taken back on your own terms.
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You’ve been rehearsing and re-rehearsing this conversation mentally during every waking hour for the last week, playing through the different scenarios. His predictable flirtatious replies and commentary—you cutting straight to the point, making clear what you want.
He can either take the offer, or leave it.
You calmly make your way over to Billy Hargrove, who’s standing at his locker, putting his things away, ready to head home and start his weekend. At least you’ll be helping him start it with a metaphorical ‘bang’, if nothing else.
Despite your best efforts to remain calm, your heart pounds and palms become sweaty at the simple prospect of him laughing in your face at what you’re about to ask of him. All your foolish planning and hoping…down the drain in an instant.
“Hello, Billy,” you say quietly, politely, clasping your hands behind you. Then wondering if such a position makes this seem too much like a business deal.
You tell yourself you’re just overthinking things.
Billy’s arm jerks as he goes to slide his last textbook onto the top shelf of his locker—surprised, if not also pleased, that you’re finally speaking your first words to him. He’s been waiting for this moment since he first came to Hawkins High. You’re the one girl in all the school that’s hardly had any amount of interaction with him since his first day, and he’d, initially, humored himself by brushing it off as you clearly playing hard-to-get, until the weeks went on and you still had yet to even glance in his general direction.
You seemed reluctant to notice him, but he had certainly noticed you. You were…quiet, lonely, but definitely attractive. Perhaps you needed just the right amount of male attention to get you to come out of your shell.
He’s certainly the man for the job.
He shuts his locker—screaming at himself to act casual—and leans a shoulder against it, other hand on his hip as a smirk crawls across his lips. He lets his eyes flit up and down your body before settling on your own that’re waiting patiently for him—for his ridiculous bit of peacocking to come to a close so you can address the matter at-hand.
“Hey yourself, sweetheart. Somethin’ you need? Maybe a ride home?” He asks with a raised brow, hoping you fucking say yes.
“Are you busy tonight?”
His lip twitches. Good. You’re finally coming around.
He shrugs. “Not as far as I know. You got something in mind you want to go do? Maybe hit the mall and—”
“Are your parents home?”
He blinks at you. Surely you aren’t about to make things that fucking easy on him.
“Not until later tonight. Both have work, then their usual date night. So, the house is all ours if you want to come over,” he states, leaning in toward you. Max had told him during lunch that she’s going to a friend’s for the night—which he now thanks God for.
You nod, smiling. “I’d like to.”
He grins—entirely surprised; him having thought you different. No work involved, huh? He could do with that. After all, sex is sex. Even better with a pretty girl.
He nods toward the end of the hall, which leads out of the school. “Let’s go then, doll.”
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You don’t pay your classmates any mind as you walk with Billy out to his car. They’ll think what they want about you being seen with him. Most likely that you’re another doe-eyed girl he’s suckered into his bed. As if you don’t have a mind of your own about you, and because he’s a man he’s calling all the shots while you follow along aimlessly.
As if this isn’t all your idea.
You play along to an extent with Billy as he shows off in his car—quickly reversing out of the lot, as if he can’t hurry you away to his house fast enough. Blaring music and shifting gears and generally being a guy all the while. You simply sit in the seat next to him with a pleasant smile and laugh accordingly at the appropriate times, eager to be alone with him in his room.
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Once the front door is shut behind you, you give him a pleasant smile, while he grins. “You uh—”
You interrupt. “Can I see your room?”
He raises a brow. “Y-Yeah, sure.”
You follow him back that way, admiring all his assests. His beautiful, curly blond hair, his broad shoulders, his muscled arms…his tight ass.
He really is very good-looking. Pretty, even.
He leads you into the requested room, awkwardly leaning back against his dresser, watching as you look the small space over.
His open closet that has a number of button-ups hanging within, a few pairs of jeans, some boots thrown onto the floor. His unmade twin-size bed—dark blue sheets stretched across it—a bookshelf with records and used novels organized crudely. And then there’s his dresser that has a couple hairbrushes, a comb, hairspray, a random men’s shaver, cologne strewn across an oakwood surface.
You pad toward him, smiling softly. “Do you want to have sex?”
His eyes widen and he shifts on his feet, gripping the edge of the dresser behind him in each of his palms. “You…you want to?”
He can’t believe how fucking forward you’re being. No guessing games, no flirtations, no forcing him to take the lead. Just…jumping right in.
Immediately into the deep-end he goes, he thinks.
You nod, stepping closer, taking one of his hands in yours. “Yes, I do.”
He clears his throat nervously. “Yeah, okay. Sure.”
You cock your head slightly to the side. “If you don’t want to it’s okay. You can tell me.”
He shakes his head, smiling slightly, looking down at his socked feet, soft curls falling forward—they really are very adorable.
“No, I do. I…I have for fuckin’ weeks. Most girls just aren’t so… I’m always the one who has to y’know…ask for it.”
He looks at you from under his golden head of hair.
“You haven’t talked to me since I came here and now you want me inside of you?”
You loop your index finger between two of the buttons in the middle of his shirt. “I’m sorry. I just…it has nothing to do with you. I just have a hard time making friends, I think. I can be shy. But I do really like you.”
You press the front of your body to his. “You’re really handsome.”
He smiles, shaking his head. “You know what the hell you want, don’t you?”
He tucks a lock of hair behind your ear, fighting against the way his hand shakes from nerves.
You nod, standing on tiptoes, wrapping your arms around his neck.
“I want you,” you whisper, pressing your lips to his.
His heart skips a beat , pounding painfully in his chest. He slides his arms around your waist, slipping his hands under the back of your shirt, moving higher and higher until he has the clasp of your bra in his fingertips. And, with one pinch, it comes undone.
He flicks his tongue against yours, teasing you, tasting you.
He grips either side of your shirt, easing it up, revealing your feminine curves, and the two of you break your kiss for only a moment as he tosses it onto the floor.
He reaches down, wanting to work on getting your shorts off next, until your hands overtake his, stilling them.
“Can I undress you?” You ask, looking up at him with flushed cheeks—your breasts entirely exposed now.
His lip twitches and he nods silently.
You take your time unbuttoning his shirt, tugging it out from where it’s tucked into his jeans.
You fold it, setting it atop his dresser, then moving to unbuckling his leather belt. You carefully unbutton and unzip his jeans next, Billy watching you all the while with bated breath.
You really…seem to know what you’re doing. Surprisingly calm, collected, every move measured, as if it’s been rehearsed.
Maybe you get around a lot, even if he’s seemingly witnessed otherwise.
But God if it doesn’t get his dick rock-fucking-hard: a girl taking the lead for once.
You get on your knees and his heart jumps into his throat as you ease his pants down his legs.
He steps out of them, and you fold them as well, reaching up, setting them atop his shirt before you meet his eyes, hooking your fingers under the waistband of his boxers.
“Can I?” You ask, blinking sweetly up at him.
He knows he’s not going to deny you anything this evening.
He nods.
You pull, and his boxers pool around his feet.
You begin kissing his muscled thighs, dragging the tip of your tongue through smatterings of dark hair, and his cock twitches at the heated feel.
You scoot closer, gripping his hips in either of your hands, rubbing soothing circles with your thumbs against them as you move your lips to his abdomen—kissing down, down, even the thick patch of hair above his cock. And then you take him in your hand and you begin to firmly stroke him.
He sucks in a sharp breath between his teeth and you look up at him, watching as he throws his head back, curls falling over his smooth shoulders, his eyes fluttering closed.
You kiss the velvety skin of his cock, gently licking along the length of it, kissing the tip, swiping your wet tongue along it before easing it into your waiting mouth inch-by-inch.
You start firmly sucking, looking up at him, feeling satisfaction when he slams one of his palms down against the dresser, muttering a quiet curse.
You release him with a ‘pop’. “Can you hold my hair? Just don’t yank it, please.”
He eases an eye open, then the other one and he smiles. “Sure thing, baby.”
He scoops your hair into a ponytail with both his hands, holding it in one, the other returning to gripping the dresser as you put him back in your mouth—not stopping until you feel him in the back of your throat.
You drool along the length of him and he moans.
“Fucking shit—”
You swirl your tongue around and around, bobbing your head contentedly before you release him once more, standing.
You twine your fingers between his, leading him over to his bed, which you lie back on comfortably.
He climbs on top of you, unbuttoning your shorts and removing both them and your panties in one fell swoop, tossing them across the room.
He reaches behind you, wanting a condom, until he freezes, watching as you run your fingertips down his chest, craning your neck upward as you press kisses along his pectorals, down his abs, back up his neck, which you wrap your arms around.
You grab his hips, rising up yourself, and he sits.
You seat yourself in his lap, kissing him passionately, your lips smacking together as you run your fingers through his hair, your tongue exploring his hot mouth, and you sigh softly against his lips.
You pull back slightly. “You’re a really good kisser,” you say quietly, returning your lips to his.
He pulls you closer, loving whatever the fuck it is that you’re doing. He’s never had foreplay like this before. Ever.
It’s always been right down to business. No ‘playing around’ involved.
You kiss down his chin, then his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, and then his neck.
He ignores the tears stinging his eyes at the tender gestures from you.
What the fuck is happening? He doesn’t…sex doesn’t stir any emotions within him. Fucking is fucking. It doesn’t mean shit. It’s just physical release.
But this isn’t fucking.
It’s making… No. It isn’t. He doesn’t know you. It’s nothing.
You place your lips next to his ear. “I want you inside of me.”
He reaches across the way, wrapping an arm around your waist as he lays you on your back, grabbing a silver wrapper from atop his bedstand.
He tears it open with his teeth, and then you gingerly take it from him.
“Can I put it on you?” You ask in a quiet whisper.
His lips twitches. “You know how?”
You glance down to his erection, then back to him. “I’d like to try, if that’s okay?”
It’s adorable how you keep asking permission for everything.
He takes himself in-hand and you place the rubber over his weeping tip, rolling it down the length of him, until it’s properly in-place.
And then he hesitates.
“Do you not—” You start, until he smirks.
“I should return the favor real quick. Just make sure you’re ready for me.”
Your brows furrow, until he cranes his neck downward, kissing each of your breasts, licking your nipples before gently rolling them between his teeth, causing your back to arch and a moan to escape your lips, which makes his cock twitch with want.
He grips your waist in his hands, holding you, and he presses wet kisses down your stomach, until he’s reached your dripping pussy.
And then he devours you.
He flicks his tongue against your clit, shoving the speared tip of it between your hot folds, lapping at you, kissing, sucking and you writhe under his tight grip, tangling your fingers in his hair.
“Oh, Billy,” you say, moaning and he does the same in return at the sound of his name spilling from your wanton lips.
And then he finally crawls back on top of you and you take him in your hand and he pushes his hips forward, slowly easing inside of you.
You lift your own hips to meet him, closing your eyes, throwing an arm around his neck, slipping your fingers into his hair.
Once he’s submerged himself between your tight walls, he lowers his chest to your own, kissing you once again, smoothing hair from your face.
You slide your calves along his own, humming in satisfaction in his arms.
He speaks against your lips. “That feel good?”
You nod, smiling. “It’s perfect. Everything is. Thank you, Billy.”
His brow twitches. That’s a first. Being thanked.
He kind of likes it, though.
He smirks, easing in and out of you pleasurably. “I’ve wanted to fuck you since the first day we met.”
You push your hips against his own, wanting as much of him inside of you as you can take. Can get. “Oh, yeah? You wanted this that badly?” You say, sighing, your voice breathy.
He kisses your lips. “Wanted you,” he mumbles, taking a nipple in his mouth.
You kiss the top of his head.
“Can I—” You swallow thickly. “Be on top. Like…in your lap?”
His eyes meet yours. “Show me, baby.”
You keep your hips connected to his as you sit up, straddling him, his back pressed to the wall behind him, feet hanging off the edge of the bed as you wrap your arms around his neck.
You start rocking your hips slowly against his own, sighing, smiling. “Feel so good,” you whimper, growing so wet you can hear it.
He slides his hands down your soft curves, making you shudder at his pleasing touch, and he grips your bottom in each his hands. “Fuck, tell me about it, sweetheart.”
You press your lips to his shoulder, whining against it. “Oh, God, Billy.”
He eases his head back against the wall. “You close, babydoll?”
You nod, kissing his neck, flicking the tip of your tongue against the soft tanned skin. “I am. Mm, yes.”
He goes to reach between your legs—to start playing with your clit—until you shake your head.
You pull back, staring into his hooded eyes, smoothing curls from his handsome face. “No. Just you.”
He bites his lower lip. “You want to come on my cock, baby? That it, honey?”
You nod. “Yes, please.”
He shakes his head lightly. “So fuckin’ polite, baby girl.”
You grin and kiss him again. “You’re so pretty.”
He snorts quietly. “Oh, yeah?”
You tenderly kiss his stubbled cheek. “Yeah.”
“Not too bad yourself,” he says, cupping the back of your head, pressing your forehead against his.
The two of you grow quiet then, only the sound of sheets shifting beneath him, the bed quietly squeaking, your ragged breaths, your wetness—his long cock between your thighs pleasuring you.
He twitches, then strains for a moment before his member calms again, but only briefly before twitching once more.
“I’m so fuckin’ close, baby.”
You nod, tears stinging your eyes. “I am, too. Mm, Billy.”
He wraps his arms around you, holding you close. “Come on. Come with, honey. C’mon. Good girl, c’mon. Come all over my cock. That’s it.”
You squeeze around him, liking the things he’s saying to you—that he’s encouraging your orgasm forward. Wants it.
 You start to bounce against his thighs, desperate for your release, which is continually growing with every thrust of his hips, bringing both of you closer and closer.
“Oh, Billy, please. I want it.”
He groans in the back of his throat. “Fuck. Fuck. Yeah, almost there. C’mon, baby. Come on. Come on it.”
You begin dragging in ragged breaths, your toes curling under your bottom, muscles tightening, eyes squeezing shut. “Yes, yes, Billy, al—almost. I want it so bad.”
He slaps your bottom gently. “Fuck, that’s it. Come with me.”
You bite down lightly on his shoulder, your body shuddering as you scream quietly against his warm skin, suddenly feeling lightheaded as your walls squeeze him tightly, urging him to follow you along, your ogasm washing over you with powerful force.
And then he does the same.
He throws his head back, slamming it into the wall, holding you in a vicelike grip against his chest, moaning your name loudly, slamming his cock into your soaked pussy repeatedly. “Oh, fuck, baby. So fucking good. Good fucking girl. Yes!”
Slowly, the two of you calm, his straining cock finishing with filling the condom, and you slump against his chest, desperate to catch your breath while your eyes flutter closed.
You fight back tears at finally having righted such a horrible, evil, revolting wrong.
You’ve taken back a part of yourself on your own terms—every moment had been absolutely perfect. Everything you’d ever wanted it to be. Had needed it to be the last few months.
You kiss him achingly slowly.
“Thank you,” you whisper. “Thank you, Billy. So much.”
You’re making it seem like he’s done you some unspoken favor, but he’ll take it anyway, gratefully.
“I think…” He starts, wondering if he should say it.
And then you cup his cheek, kissing his opposite one so sweetly. “What is it?”
He goes for it, living in the moment—wanting you to know how good a lay you are.
“That was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
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Once Billy has popped the VHS tape into the player, he flops back onto the couch, pressing fast-forward to get through all the previews, and once the main feature starts, he lets it play before glancing to you.
You scoot a bit further down, resting the back of your head atop the arm of the sofa, then rolling it to the side so you can watch something you’re sure will give you nightmares tonight.
And then you’re taken promptly by surprise when Billy lies down as well, wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his head between your breasts.
Yours eyes widen and your now-lifted arms hover over him.
“What’re you doing?”
He snuggles closer. “Trying to get comfortable. What’s it look like?”
You remain silent.
You’re sure that your pounding heart, which lies directly under his left ear, is doing all the talking for you, however. He says nothing about it, though.
“You going to lay your arms down, or is that some new exercise Fonda came up with?”
You rest them atop his back then, your palms splayed against it.
You don’t see the soft smile that spreads across his lips at the feel of you practically holding him.
“Got a bit of a headache comin’ on. Would you mind rubbing it for me?”
You hesitate for a moment, then slide your dominant hand higher, submerging your fingers in his thick curls, gently massaging his scalp.
If he were a cat, he’d be fucking purring in your lap right now, he’s sure.
His eyes flutter closed, and he falls asleep with a feeling of safety he hasn’t felt since he’s not sure when.
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Billy is woken almost two hours later by you gently shaking him and softly calling his name.
He groans, shutting his eyes again, and holding you impossibly tighter, burying his face between your breasts.
“The movie’s over,” you say quietly.
He doesn’t reply.
“You might want to head—”
“I’m sleeping here,” he grumbles.
You raise a brow.
“I don’t know—”
“I’m fuckin’ exhausted. I’m not driving.”
You grow quiet for a moment, wondering if maybe you should retrieve a Yellowpages and offer to call him a cab, then.
“We’ll just sleep in your bed,” he states.
You blink down at him in surprise. “We…what?”
He doesn’t repeat himself.
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The summer before senior year something unspeakable happens to you when leaving a video rental store one night. Afterward, you withdraw further and further into yourself until you’re all you have left.
And then Billy Hargrove comes to Hawkins High, and you, along with the rest of the female student population, quickly take notice of him. But for you, it’s not due to some juvenile crush. You see him as a way to gain back a part of yourself. A means to an end—no matter how insensitive that may sound.
And so you have a one-night stand. Or what was meant to be. Until he comes to you asking for more.
The two of you agree up-front that no commitment or feelings will be involved. That it’s about one thing and one thing only: mind-blowing sex.
And then he starts having movie-nights with you, afternoons at the arcade, evenings driving around town in his car, eating at local diners, among countless other interactions that most-certainly aren’t dates.
Because Billy doesn’t do feelings. Or so he thinks…
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headcanons:
billy is the first & only person reader tells what happened to her.
all the times they hang out is almost always at billy's invitation.
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